Writer: Henet
Proofreader: PervySageChuck
Overlord Ascendants Arc 1 Second Coming
Chapter 4: The R’lyeth Manor
Part 1
Hanna could hear it. The reverberating sounds of steel clashing on steel. The cracks of gunfire. But the most ominous sounds were those of the screams and cries of those dying all around her. Corpses littered the throne room, many of those who died, did so in order to protect her and her family. She knew many of the faces that now lay dead on the ground.
She felt responsible for their deaths. She experienced true despair for the first time in her life in that throne room, permeated by the scent of death. How many more would have to die in order to protect her? She cursed her uselessness.
No, she thought again. I am not useless. She remembered her mysterious power that she had since birth. That power was the best kept secret of the royal family. Her family had kept her existence a secret from many others. Before she used her abilities, the words of her mother came back to her.
“Dear child, you possess a strength that many will yearn for.”
Hanna still remembered the words of her mother. Her mother’s hand had tightened around Hanna’s hand. As she looked into her mother’s face, she could see the shadow of a person wasted by many long years of grief and helplessness.
“Promise me that you will never use or reveal the extent of your power, do not use it even for me. Otherwise, many of these selfish fiends in this world will seek to control you for their own self-interest.”
She nodded as she grasped the hand of her mother just as her mother continued speaking.
“Please forgive this powerless me, I just want to protect you.”
In that death filled throne room, she hesitated for a moment. At her sudden lack of concentration, a bolt flew towards her. But it never hit her, instead the bolt found its mark in the heart of a knight that shielded her with his body. She knew that man, Sir Thomas Bullmion. The big knight keeled over.
Sir Thomas was one of the royal guards that she was close to. A big man and also quick to laugh. The Sir Thomas that just got married last year when she set him up with one of the royal maids that he had fancied for a long time. The Sir Thomas that was looking forward to being a first-time father after he found out about his wife’s pregnancy two months ago. She had been happy for the both of them.
Hanna quickly knelt beside Sir Thomas as she readied to cast her healing spell at him.
“It’s no use, milady. Healing spells will not work on the dead.”
She recognize that voice, it was Ser Wolfe.
“No, I can still save him.”
Hanna tried to protest. But Sir Wolfe easily picked her up like a large sack of potatoes and carried her off on his shoulders. She struggled to free herself from his hold.
“Please go back, I can still save him!”
Hanna shouted as she tried to break free while Sir Wolfe carried her away from the carnage in the throne room.
I want to save them all.
I do not want to be powerless.
I do not want to be weak.
I do not want to be the one that was always protected.
I want to protect them.
She cried, she cursed and she screamed out her despair.
Hanna opened her eyes. She vaguely remembered the details of the nightmare that she was having. She was sweaty and felt the tears on her face. She realized that she cried herself awake. She rubbed her tear filled eyes.
Soon, Hanna started taking notice of the details of her surroundings. She was sleeping on a poster bed. The room was mostly dark except for the soft glow of a magical lamp, placed on a table to her right. Still, the room seemed to remind her of her own room in the royal castle. However, the furnishings here looked more luxurious than what she was used to.
Then, the memories of her fleeing from the knights resurfaced. The scene of being surrounded by them, the harassment of Rebecca, the arrival of the mysterious group of people. Her heart rate spiked.
Hanna got down off the bed. She looked around the room to search for an exit. She saw a mahogany door in the right hand corner and she started walking towards it. She had barely gone a few steps when she heard someone speak.
“It’s best that you remain in the bed.”
She paused. The voice was coming from behind her and it sounded familiar. She then noticed the entrance to a veranda that was illuminated by moonlight. Hanna hadn’t noticed it at first because the entrance was almost completely obscured by heavy sets of curtains on both sides of the door.
She hesitated for a moment. Then she walked slowly towards the source of the voice. Part of her was scared. Another part of her was yearning to find answers.
Courage, Hanna, courage.
Hanna took a deep breath as she walked towards the veranda. As she exited, she blinked. She was bathed in moonlight. It was a full moon.
Then, she saw a figure standing beside the veranda about two meters away from her. He was wearing a white hooded cloak.
Hanna's memory of previous events resurfaced and she recognized him as the same person who led that mysterious group. He was stroking a giant bird perched on top of the railings. The bird, unlike any she had ever seen before, exuded an aura of elegance and nobility. She would not be surprised if someone would given it the title, ‘Sky King’.
The bird was at least three feet tall. The plumage was crimson gold as if the plumage was like fire made solid. The tail of the bird resembled that of a peacock like one she had once seen in the royal gardens except that it was golden instead of white and a warm, golden, ember-like wisp of smoke seemed to dance around the tail. Truly magnificent.
Hanna was mesmerized and suddenly was struck with the urge to stroke it. As if sensing her intentions, the bird opened its wings before she was able to approach it any further and it disappeared in a swirl of blinding light and fire.
“Pardon me, my friend is not used to the company of strangers.”
For the first time, Hanna saw the person in closer detail. His face was obscured by a mask that resembled a fox. She couldn’t read his expression at all. Although his tones was dulcet, she was sure that a boy was standing in front of her.
The temperature of her face increased. She felt flustered by the stranger that had saved her.
“My apologies, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Hanna. Hanna Nobel Adlia. ”
Hanna suddenly remembered her royal etiquette and did a curtsy.
“A pleasure to meet you, Hanna. I am Azrael, lord of the humble estate of R’lyeth.”
Azrael did a slight bow.
“I would like to thank you for saving me and my friends earlier.”
“I think it is still quite early for you to thank me. My reasons for intervening back then did not entirely stem from from my sense of altruism.”
Hanna was taken aback by his reply. She was not expecting her savior to be so direct. Is he one of those people that seek to take advantage of me?
A gust of wind was blowing from the back and she shivered.
“But as long as you are here, I shall guarantee your safety and well-being.”
Azrael answered shortly.
“I… I thank you for your generosity.”
Hanna bowed.
“May I see my friends? I am worried about them.”
“Please be at ease. You will get to see them shortly, during breakfast.”
“My deepest gratitude for saving them too.”
Hanna bowed deeply again. She was glad that her friends were safe.
“I shall take my leave then. But before that, I must tell you the rules of the house while you are here.”
Hanna upped her focus by several notches.
“Firstly, please do not walk alone in this mansion unsupervised, especially during the night. My maids will accompany you. Secondly, do not venture into the estate grounds at night. Thirdly, the basement level is off-limits. Other than that, you are free to move about the vicinity of the estate.”
Hanna listened to Azrael’s instructions carefully.
“Will there be any more queries?”
“No, thank you once again.” Hanna replied as Azrael moved towards the exit. He paused at the door and turned towards her.
“Your companions have been exceptionally worried about you to the point that they pestered my servants yesterday night…. They are truly loyal friends.”
Hanna fell silent. Friends that are willing to die for the powerless me.
“You should get some more bed rest. I will send someone over to fetch you when breakfast is ready.”
Azrael then left the room.
Hanna stayed in the veranda for a few minutes, gazing into the full moon and surveyed her surroundings. She realized that she was on the second floor of a large manor. She saw the outline of a huge garden illuminated by moonlight. Directly below her was a huge fountain connected by a road leading to the main gates. She took a deep breath to calm herself.
A sudden realization dawned in her mind. She panicked.
The Ring.
Unconsciously, she touched her right hand and felt the familiar sensation of the metal band on the ring finger. It is still here.
She could not imagine what would happen if she lost the ring. She let out a sigh of relief.
Feeling tired, Hanna eventually returned to bed. She was still exhausted from her ordeal. She wanted to sleep, but at the same time, she was trying to figure out the identity of her mysterious benefactor.
But soon, tiredness overtook her again and she fell into sleep once more and the nightmares returned.
Unnoticed by her, there was a ripple in the shadows beside her bed.
Part 2
The main corridor outside the room was dark except for the beams of moonlight and starlight.
As Azrael proceed to his next stop, he sensed the familiar presence of a woman. She stood at a height of 5 feet 5 inches with a prim body. She wore a monocle on her left eye, enhancing her sea blue eyes. Her expression was sharp and serious. Her uniform was unmistakably that of a magical maid’s dress that shone with a metallic hue, with slits at the side of her maid skirt that reached her thigh. She bowed elegantly as she saw him approaching.
“Azrael-sama.”
“Serene-nee.”
Azrael greeted her.
“The Bahamut Sisters are waiting for you at the meeting room as requested.”
“Thank you, Serene-nee.”
Azrael sensed that she had something else to add as she followed closely behind him.
“You have something to add….?”
“I detest the base conduct exhibited by some of our guests. Some of their words and actions do not display gratitude, but scorn for your generous hospitality.”
“I understand how you and the others feel, considering that humans had raided this place prior to our return. The fault for that particular incident itself lies with me.”
“Please forgive my rudeness, Azrael-sama. I will never think that it is your fault in the first place. It’s just that I cannot forgive the uncouth actions of these lesser beings, particularly the incident involving the maids serving under me.”
“Serene-nee, our current guests are just the stepping stones to my next move. Please rest assured that when the time is right, they will be taken care of with Nazarick-style efficiency. I was not pleased myself when I heard about our guest’s antics. I heard that you have taught them to obey the house rules. But to prevent more of such incidents from happening again, I think it is best to let the Ushan maids take over the duties of the mansion for now.”
“Yes, Azrael-sama.”
“Guests being guests, does not mean that they can disobey the owner’s rules. I do not intend to rebuke you for that. But please act in a manner that ensures our guests were not able to grasp our true ability. After all, I do not want to reveal all my cards so early.”
“My gratitude for your understanding, Azrael-sama.”
“I would like to entrust Ms. Hanna’s care to you. I’m sorry for adding more work on top of your other tasks, Serene-nee.”
“Azrael-sama, I have sworn to serve you with my utmost ability. It is an honor to be granted the privilege of serving by your side.”
Serene replied with a smile, as she adjusted her monocle, detailing her already sharp eyes. Serene was showing an expression of utmost confidence and pride as the Head-maid of R’lyeth.
“Please do not hesitate to let me know if you require anything from me, Serene-nee.”
“Understood.”
Serene bowed.
“Then, let us head to the throne room.”
With that, both of them disappeared as they teleported from that spot.
Part 3
Hanna awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. She slowly raised herself, and tried to wipe away the sleepiness. The details of her surroundings began to sharpen. As she was still groggy when she woke up earlier during the night, she did not pay much attention to the room.
As the light from the morning sun filtered in, she took a closer notice of the decorations. She was sleeping in a queen size poster bed. To her right was a table with a dressing mirror. A large, built in wardrobe took over the space of the wall to her right. Directly opposite her bed was a medium size study table with a painting of the ocean attached to the wall in front of the table. The furniture and ornaments was sparkling white, contrasting to the light ocean blue wall of the room. If Hanna was to sum up the theme in two words, it would be ocean’s breeze. The rooms design and decorations emitted a luxurious feeling beyond that of what she was accustomed to in the royal castle.
As Hanna stepped out of her bed, her feet touched the cold white marble flooring. She instinctively shivered. She suppressed the urge to dive back into the warm sheets of the bed and proceeded towards the door. When she reached the door, she twisted the knob gently and opened it slowly. She took a peek at the corridor just outside her room, not expecting anyone to be there.
She was impressed by the scenes of the hallway. Firstly, the white marble floor was so clean to the point that she could see her own reflection in it. Platinum crystal chandelier hung at fixed intervals along the obsidian black ceiling. While impressive suits of mithril plated knight’s armor stood at fixed intervals along the corridor. Each of them stood with their long sword pointed downwards like watchful sentinels.
Cough.
The sound came from her right. As Hanna directed her attention towards the source of the cough, she saw a girl approximately 20 years old. She had long straw blond hair which was bound tightly into an elegant bun. From the uniform, Hanna knew that the girl in front of her was a maid. But the person in question did not radiate an air of servitude but rather the aura of elegance and nobility.
Hanna faltered slightly from the sharp gaze of the maid, it was an unsettling sensation for Hanna to have a maid scrutinize her, a royal princess. It was her first time experiencing such a look from someone from the servant class. Back in her castle, she was trained to act in a manner that befit her status. But the current situation was an irregularity.
After a brief moment of looking at each other, the maid broke the ice by doing a perfect curtsy.
“Greetings, your royal highness, Princess Hanna. My name is Serene Tian, head maid of the House of R’lyeth.”
“Ah… It is a pleasure to meet you, Serene-san.”
Hanna responded in kind although she was slightly intimidated by the head-maid. Serene’s tone did not display any signs of anger nor displeasure, instead it was rather down to earth and polite. Still, it did not sooth Hanna’s anxiety, even though the other party did not display any form of hostility.
Considering that the person in front of her was given the important task of managing such an imposing realm, Hanna concluded that the Head-maid was a person of exceptional caliber and not to be taken lightly. She could feel beads of sweat forming on her back.
“I have been tasked by my master, Azrael-sama, to see to your needs throughout the duration of your stay here.”
“Yes… I’ll look forward to your care.”
Hanna did a half bow before stopping herself. A thought came into her mind.
Why am I bowing to a maid?
“Hime-sama, would you like to refresh yourself before proceeding to breakfast?”
Serene broke Hanna away from her thoughts.
“Yes, please!” Hanna responded quickly. She could not remember how long it had been since she took a bath. Travelling secretly on the road and trying to evade any potential attackers prevented her and her companions from staying in one spot for long.
That’s right, my friends….
Hanna had not seen her loyal friends since waking up. No doubt, they must be worried about her.
“.. I’ve changed my mind. I would like to see my friends first.”
Hanna noticed Serene surveying at her before speaking.
“Worry not, hime-sama. Your friends will be joining you shortly for breakfast. It would reflect badly on my master if I was unable to perform the minimum of courtesy to our honored guest. Please excuse me….”
Before Hanna could say anything, Serene snapped her figures and another two maids appeared from behind the Head maid. What surprised Hanna was that the two maids were not human at all.
From the characteristics of soft red fur and black beady eyes, Hanna recognized them as the Ushan, a supposedly extinct beastmen species that once existed in the Northern parts of the continent. She remembered reading about them from a book, ‘A Compendium of Beastmen Races, History and Culture’ when she was just a child. She loved to read, since that was the only thing she could do when she was in the castle.
When she was young, she dreamed of travelling and seeing the wonders of the world. Never in her dreams would she have imagined having the chance to meet a living Ushan.
Judging from their maid uniforms, the two were female Ushan. They did a curtsy before Hanna and she responded to in kind.
“Please follow me.”
Serene led the way, with Hanna in the middle and the two Ushan maids escorting them from the back.
The group walked along the corridor, passing by several rooms, Hanna could not help but wonder how big this place was. She took in all the sights. The beauty and elegance of this place would make many in the royal palace cringe with jealosy.
Soon, Hanna and her escorts arrived in front of what appeared to be a set of large double oak doors. Serene opened the door, allowing Hanna to step inside first.
What greeted her inside was a large steaming square pool, located directly in the middle of the room. The floor was covered by sparkling white marble, so well polished that Hanna could see her reflection in it. The light radiating from the large crystal chandelier directly above the pool gave the room a bright and clean ambience. Hanna never thought she could be further impressed.
“I shall prepare Hanna-sama’s attire for the morning. Please provide our guest with the utmost care.”
“As ordered, Serene-sama.”
The two Ushan maids bowed.
“Please excuse me.”
And Serene promptly left the room.
Hanna walked around the edge the pool before she kneeled down. She dipped her hand into the water. It felt hot and soothing.
“Esteemed guest, this way please.”
One of the Ushan maids guided Hanna towards a room hidden at the side. It was a mid-size changing room partitioned with individual changing cubicles. On the shelf to one side were baskets and stacks of towels
“Esteemed guest, would you like to have our assistance to strip?”
“Sorry, could you repeat that again?”
The Ushan maids tilted their heads before speaking again.
“Esteemed guest, would you like to have our assistance in de-clothing yourself?”
Although Hanna was a princess, she never once experienced having someone else volunteering to take off her clothes. She was used to doing things herself even though she was royalty. The maids she had back at her palace acted more like assistants. Intimate treatment like this unsettled her and she could feel the heat rising around her face.
“No…, thank you…... I can manage this on my own.”
She hastily replied and quickly went inside one of the cubicles. She removed her sleeping pyjamas and wrapped herself with a towel that was already placed there. The towel was warm and soft. Hanna thought that she could just immerse herself in its fluffiness.
As she stepped out, the maids were already waiting for her. One of the maids was carrying a basket of bathing items including what appeared to be an earthen jar, which was highly unusual.
Hanna felt like requesting to bathe by herself. But outright rejection of such services, might have seemed like trampling on the host’s goodwill. She understood this sort of sentiment as she had noble etiquette drilled into her since she was young. Nobles like to show off their status by displaying all sorts of luxury and wealth at their disposal.
The maids guided Hanna back into pool area.
As Hanna walked into the pool, she could feel the hot water enveloping her, the soothing nature of the water slowly draining out all the stress and weariness from her body. Her tension was drawn out. As she waded deeper into the pool, she slowly sat down and leaned back against the edge. She closed her eyes before letting out a relaxing sigh.
I could get used to this.
Then Hanna felt a pair of petite hands grasping her shoulders and massaging it gently. The massage, along with the hot water, made her drowsy again. During the night, Hanna had not slept well as she woke up intermittently from her nightmares.
Before her consciousness faded, Hanna got the sensation that something slimy and viscous was moving around her neck and head. But she did not care about it as she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
“Esteemed guest, esteemed guest!”
No, I don’t want to wake up.
Hanna fought the urge to sleep on. She relented and opened her eyes.
“How long have I been asleep?” she asked groggily.
“About half an hour, esteemed guest.”
Although the sleeping duration was short, Hanna felt clean and refreshed.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Hanna heard one of the maids addressing someone just outside of her vision. This was followed by the sound of a lid closing. Did someone else come in when I was sleeping?
Hanna raised herself and proceeded to the changing room. There, she encountered Serene, who bowed slightly.
“Hime-sama, I have prepared a set of clothing for you. I hope it is to your liking.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you, Serene-san.”
Hanna went inside the cubicle that Serene gestured to and proceeded to dry herself before putting on the dress prepared for her. It was a nice, one piece white dress.
Once she exited the changing room, she saw Serene waiting there for her.
“Hime-sama, breakfast is served. I shall escort you to the dining area.”
Serene promptly led the way. This time they descended through several flights of stairs until they reached the ground floor. Along the way, Hanna spied more Ushan butlers and maids going about their tasks. Every time they drew close, the butlers and maids would temporarily stop what they were doing and bow to her. Or are they actually bowing towards Serene-san?
As Hanna walked through a corridor on the ground floor, she noticed a group of people approaching from the opposite direction. They were led by a young butler about Serene’s age. His facial features resembled those of Serene.
Are they related? Hanna wondered.
As the opposing group got closer, Hanna recognized them. It was Percy and his stooges. Hanna started to bristle with rage. However, she tried hard to conceal her anger and proceeded forward. She did not want to cause a ruckus under the roof of her host. The rashness might reflect badly on her and her entourage in any possible future dealings with Azrael. Considering the wealth displayed here, she surmised that her host was not a simple noble. Could he be royalty as well?
In the end, Hanna decided to reserve her judgement until she could obtain more information. I should discuss this with the others when I see them.
Percy’s group did not cause any commotion when they passed by each other. Percy was putting on his usual haughty look with Hilda clutching onto his right arm. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of Hanna but he kept his silence.
Looks like he does not intend to cause any trouble as well. None the less, I’d best be on my guard.
Strangely, Hanna observed that many of Percy’s’ knights, which included among them the sons of various noble houses, flinched and shrank away when they saw Serene. All of them tried hard to avoid looking directly into Serene’s face. Some of them bore signs of injuries around their faces.
Hanna knew that back in the Empire, beautiful maids were a precious commodity, especially among the nobles. Hence, it was not surprising that many were turned into the noble’s toys of lust, be it willingly or forcefully. The many beauties in the capital paled in comparison to Serene’s elegance. No doubt, many nobles would want to turn Serene into their property. Just like how they want to turn me into theirs.
But this was the first time that Hanna had seen such a reaction from nobility towards a maid. Her curiosity was piqued. What hadd she done to elicite such a response from them? Looks like I was right to be wary of someone like Serene.
Hanna felt beads of sweat forming on her back again. The most important question now was, what was the history behind Azrael? To have someone like Serene working under him.
Hanna had no idea that she would found out about this sooner than she would have liked.
The scenery in the corridor earlier was replaced by a circular room with numerous statues standing within the depressions in the walls. A layer of velvet carpet covered the white marble floor. On one end of the room was a set of impressive double doors flanked by a Devil on the left and an Angel on the right. The design of the room served to mimic Azrael’s place of origin.
Three people had already gathered in the hall. The duo walked towards them.
‘Anaphael-sama, Akasha-sama, Anaphael-chan.’
Serene bows to them.
‘Azrael-niichan, Serene-nee.’ The three people greeted the new arrivals.
The first person that Azrael looked at was his twin-sister, Anaphael, appearing in a matching white Ninetails Hooded Warrior Cloak that he wore as well. The cloak was a Divine Class item that masked the wearer’s presence and also significantly increased the wearer’s physical and magical resistance. To outsiders, it would be hard to differentiate them due to their similar looking cloaks and masks, except for his twin sister wearing a pair of tall stockings on her legs with matching black stilettos while he preferred black dragon greaves. The shorter person standing beside Anaphael, wearing the Red Ninetails Hooded Warrior Cloak, was Azrael’s younger step-sister, the cloak seeming to cover her upper body with a matching red Victorian skirt. She had taken off the customary mask, displaying her inherited silver hair which accentuates her crimson eyes. Most outsiders would mistake her and her mother as siblings.
The last person was a raven haired girl with a single ponytail. She wore a classy maid uniform with armor linings. She was one of the newer battle-maids of Nazarick and also his step-sister, Astrape.
He stopped in front of them to give both Akasha and Astrape a pat on the head and smiled at his twin sister. The mask may have hidden it, but Anaphael knows the subtle gestures of her twin well enough to catch it.
Akasha’s eyes closed as she enjoyed the patting.
Astrape’s red face became slightly puffed up as she wavered between enjoyment and a desire to be treated according to her age.
“Niichan, I am not that young anymore.”
“Let’s get ready for the ceremony.”
He stopped and turned towards the doors. His twin stood beside him while his younger sisters stood behind.
Moments later, the door opened slowly from the other side. The one who opened the door was a young man. He had the same silver hair as Serene. His expression was warm but strict as he bowed towards Azrael and his entourage. Azrael smiled gently at the familiar face of Sigmund Tian, the Head butler that served him.
“Announcing the arrival of our liege lord and ladies, Azrael, Anaphael and Akasha-samas.” Sigmund announced to the throne room. The design of the throne room also mimicked the feel of his home. On each pillar of the throne room, a single flag was draped. The coat of arms represented the 41 supreme beings that created his home, The Great Tomb of Nazarick. The flags served as an homage to them when he created this new tomb.
The throne room was in the deepest level of the Great Tomb of R’lyeth. It had a total of nine levels with each level having their own distinct themes.
As Azrael walked in front, he observed the servants prostrating at both sides of the red carpet at the center of the Throne room. The throne hall was quiet and all the figures were still. Their actions displayed the utmost respect and loyalty to their liege. Various races were present and each of them were distinct from one another. Among them are undeads, demons, elves, insectoids, angels, and dragonoids.
At the forefront of the servants were five girls with immeasurable beauty. They stood beside the throne, facing the servants. They were the personal confidants of Azrael and also the Level Guardians of the tomb. In other words, in this current room, by authority, they rank second to Azrael and his sisters, Anaphael and Akasha. Azrael observed them as he walked. The five were arranged on the right side of the Throne while bowing elegantly. The one nearest to the throne had dark brown hair with matching purple eyes. She had two straight horns appearing at both sides of her head. Her long hair is tied into a long braid. Her name is Araqiel, guardian of the 7th Floor.
On her left was a girl with two wing-shaped horns on the side of her head, covered by her long straight blond hair. Her eyes were sky blue. She is Saranyu, the guardian of the 8th Floor.
In the middle of the group is a girl that has crimson eyes and short light-blue hair with two short crystal horns on top of her head. She is the guardian of the 6th Floor, Nuriel.
In contrast to Nuriel, a girl with crimson hair stood on her right. Her yellow pupils seems to radiate heat. Her sisters call her Israfil. She is the guardian of 5th floor.
The last person is a girl possessing ocean green hair with curved horns on the side. Her beauty is complemented by her dark blue eyes. Her name is Manakel, guardian of the 4th floor.
From their backs were matching sets of leather-like wings which hinted at their true lineage and full form. The five of them were Dragon Aspects.
Their ranking was not solely based on their task and strength, but also their social standing. The five were betrothed to him as ordained by his mom. Instead of protesting, they seemed to have happily accepted the arrangement. How did it get this way? How is he going to explain to Lady Silverion? Then again, it was unlikely that she would mind that. Azrael tried to recall those particular moments but he backed away from trying to recollect it as he sensed that he was starting to perspire.
As he reached the throne, he turned and faced all of his kneeling subjects.
‘All hail the Prince and Princess of Nazarick!’ they all shouted in unison.
His betrotheds rose while the others remained kneeling with their heads down. Chief among them were his five generals. They assisted the Dragon Aspects in managing their respective level of the tomb. Overall, they are ranked third in authority within the tomb.
‘Thank you all for gathering on such short notice.’
‘You are too kind, Azrael-sama. We live to serve you, your existence gives meaning to our lives.’
One of the generals opened his mouth to speak, his head shaped like an oversized pumpkin with eyes and mouth carved onto it like a Jack-o-lantern. He wore a black tail coat with matching leather shoes. His name is Pumpkin Jack.
Azrael nodded slightly then announced, “I have finalized going through all the information that you have gathered and have come to a conclusion.”
“There will be a slight change in the modus operandi of our organization. In the past, we have operated from behind the shadows in order to gather our strength. The information that was brilliantly gathered by Scarab Queen suggests that a potential enemy has started to make their move from behind the scene as well. Their identities and motives are still uncertain as of now. But it is time to force them to show their hand. It is time that we proceed with more public actions.’
There is a brief stirring among the subjects. Azrael noticed the subtle changes in the expressions of all, especially his sisters. His twin, Anaphael, was deep in thought, her hand clutching her staff tightly. Akasha seemed to be excited with her dilated pupils, while there was a hidden bloodlust emanating from Astrape. The Dragon Aspects were getting excited too after being cooped up for quite some time. They sensed that things were getting serious. He understood them all too well.
“However, our current objective of gathering and securing our fighting strength and resources in order to counter our enemies will not change. Secondly, we must be able to expand our intelligence network to monitor any sudden changes in this world. I shall assign those tasks with the proper instructions in due time.”
‘Before that, I shall announce our first operation of gathering combat potentials.’
The hall was quiet. Every being had their attention focused on the words of their Prince.
*******
Wretched humans, just you wait. Your time will come soon enough.
