Chapter 3: Rest in the Woods

"Fuck living like this" — Once on the grass, I felt the smell of the forest hit my nose, and bright sunlight from behind the trees hit my eyes. And even though the filters in the implants immediately darkened the picture, the sensory shock imposed on the general weakness did its job: my head began to spin, and nausea came to my throat. — "Why is it so bad…"

While I tryed to get up, someone's hands gently pushed me from behind.

"Get up carefully." — Having collected my vision in a heap, I turned to the sound and saw that it was Olga, in whose gaze a lot of different emotions were mixed. Well, you know, when people admire you at the same time, and doubt your mental abilities, and think a lot of other things about you, sometimes diametrically opposite in meaning. Only women can do that. — "You have earned exhaustion and you need rest, sudden movements are contraindicated. Who is so sloppy with magic anyway? You almost dried yourself out! And you said it was the first time you heard about magic!"

"And I didn't lie." — I slowly got to my feet and took a step away from Olga. — "Somehow I didn't realize before that I could do this and acted as my intuition told me. You don't to worry. I'll be fine soon.

"Mistress, where are we going?" — Chloe asked as she came up to us.

— "Nowhere, we are exactly where we need to be."

It really didn't take long to go. We found ourselves in the forest at the bottom of a small ravine about three meters deep near the same pillar as in the Tower. Only this one was covered with moss, which was now slowly smoldering, spreading a woody smell around. One of the walls of the ravine is completely earthen and covered with grass and bushes, but the second is a piece of rock. There was a masked door turned out to hide a narrow tunnel leading somewhere deep into the rock. There was no lighting inside, of course, but I had a flashlight on the riffle, with which I lit the road, again catching the interested glances of my companions. At the other end we were met by another door, which opened as soon as Olga touched it.

"I didn't think I'd ever use this place, but make yourself at home." — The queen said and was the first to step inside. A second later, the light came on, coming from metal-framed crystals hanging on the walls, revealing a view of something like an entrance hall. Here we threw off everything superfluous and went further into a room with a table and chairs, as well as a single bed in the corner, near which a small closet was huddled. Minimalistic, but you shouldn't expect much from a spare bed.

"We are sincerely grateful to you for your help." — Olga said, pretending to bow as we sat down at the table. Chloe silently repeated her gesture. — "But we have nothing to give you in return."

"A simple "thank you" will be enough." — I smiled, accepting the gratitude. — I didn't think about the benefits at all, it was enough for me that these freaks put me in a cage and the way they treated Chloe when they came. Good never acts like this.

"And more, we have a debt now. It's scary to think what would have happened to us if you hadn't intervened." — Olga insisted. — "I can't just ignore such an act. I promise I'll find a way to thank you."

"If it's important to you." — I didn't argue, seeing how determined she was. — But it's premature to think about it yet.

"Yes, you're right." — The girl sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. — "Now we are facing some more pressing issues. Banal survival is the main one. But not the last one. What you did recently in the tower…"

"Let me explain." — A new interlocutor, who spoke in a synthesized female voice, cut into our conversation.

"Damn it!" — I reacted to her appearance, and the girls, hearing him, jumped to their feet and turned to the exit, looking for an unexpected intruder there. In the hands of one, a sword was instantly in the hands, and electric discharges sparkled on the fingers of the second. But there was no one at the door. And I just forgot about her, and she's right there. Filth.

"Did you really have to do that?! You could have warned me first." — I asked with displeasure, putting my wrist computer on the table. Its display showed a sound scale.

"I'm sorry." — She answered me through the speaker, and the scale swayed in time with the words.

"We're actually here after the fight and a little nervous, and you're not contributing to calmness with your antics." — I said with emphasis. — "Don't do that anymore."

"A talking handcuff?" — Chloe asked, nervously twitching her shoulder, not letting go of the weapon and squinting at my hand. — "What the hell?"

"Who are you?" — Olga was no less tense than her assistant, but she removed the lightning anyway.

— "My name is Martha — virtual assistant of the first class. Embedded in the body of the GUARDIAN protocol unit to assist in the protection of the functionary known to you as Olga Discordia."

"Explain." — Olga demanded in an imperious voice. This is familiar to me, this is how a big commander should talk to subordinates. — "What does all this mean? Why am I a functionary? What is the protocol and how is it related to this person? Is it related to the Tower?"

— "That's right. The Dark Citadel, as you call it, is a legacy of an ancient civilization that existed tens of thousands of years ago. There is no information in my memory what exactly caused its fall, but as a result, the remnants of its representatives degraded to the state of wild tribes and subsequently settled around the world, dividing into two separate branches."

"Light and dark elves." — Chloe suggested.

— "That's right. The Dark Citadel is a fortified research center and archive of your ancestors and was preserved by the creators in order to transfer knowledge to the surviving descendants when they can find a way to use them, but as a result of unknown events, an emergency deconservation occurred, accompanied by irreversible damage to critical internal systems, which is why when you, Olga Discordia, found the object, the central computer could not contact you and transfer full control."

Holy shit. This is no longer the Middle Ages, but some kind of post-apocalypse. Involuntarily, I remembered my home where humanity is fighting for its existence and risks sooner or later sharing the fate of the creators of Martha. The faces of my brothers floated before my eyes and in my heart and I felt longing. How are they there now, without me? I hope I managed to make become a good people and they won't eventually turn into soulless biorobots like others. We crossed paths a couple of times with other detachments, and the sight, to put it mildly, is depressing. After all, no one bothered to socialize, in fact, live weapons, fucking state property. Except of me. It's strange that I wasn't taken by the ass and disassembled into components in order to find out the causes of deviant behavior, although without this, both I and the guys had to repeatedly go through upgrade procedures and experiments to improve the quality of consumable, material. I would like to crush all those freaks who were doing this with a great pleasure, but the fact that I understand, how important it really was stopped me. I understand everything, we were needed to kill. But who prevents us from giving, in fact, children something other than ephemeral motivation in the form of the good of humanity? Nobody. Didn't they see that me and the guys always showed the best results and compare two and two? I do not believe. Olga, who had been listening attentively to Martha, noticed something and looked at me, voicing a dumb question. I caught her eye and shook my head, saying that everything was fine. The Queen nodded curtly and continued to listen carefully to the AI.

"The creator gene is very strong in you, so you were automatically assigned the position of a functionary, but, due to breakdowns, the only function available to you was access to an energy source." — AI continued to explain.

"That is, not everyone can manage the Citadel?" — Olga asked the question.

"That's right." — AI replied. — "The technology of the creators is tied to their genetic material, and in the time since the disaster, their blood in the descendants has greatly weakened, today only one in a thousand is able to interact with the creations of their hands. You are one of them."

"Well, what about me?" — In principle, I already understood how I got here, but I had some idea and I have to find out if it's true. — "After I died at home, this Tower of yours recreated my body, somehow captured and placed my mind or soul in it, right?"

"That's right." — AI replied again.

"And you were introduced to help me and I was, so to speak, aware of events?" — With every word I said, confidence grew stronger, although the answer has not yet been announced.

— "That's right."

— "And also, as a control tool, right? Well, you know, so that if I suddenly kick up, boil my brains. Well, or take control."

"..." — There was no quick response this time. Squinting at the elves, I saw them tense up. I can't blame them for this, but what if I start destroying everything here with a psycho?

"I'm listening." — I hurried my, now for sure, supervisor.

— "... right. But only about the elimination. I can't take control of your body."

"Yeah. I believe it willingly." — I wanted to laugh, but I restrained myself. He just leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling. — "Shine. I don't belong to myself" again.

"AI is not capable of lying. I really can't do that." — Martha retorted resentfully. Is she really offended? Or only imitates emotions? It doesn't matter, trust in her is still zero, because who knows when she decides that I'm not following the task and will arrange a cardiac arrest for me.

"Even so, it's a small consolation." — I asked.

In fact, I just changed one leash for another. Again, it makes no sense to be offended by this, and I fully understand the motive of this central computer of theirs. No one needs an uncontrolled extra-class combat unit. But this is no reason not to be angry. On the other hand, thanks to him, I'm alive again. And who knows what to think about it, but with this Martha you have to be as alert as possible, that's for sure.

"Kay... we..." — Olga started to talk, but I interrupted her.

"So, let's decide. I have no complaints about you two". — After my words, both girls noticeably relaxed, though not completely, and I tried to calm them down completely. — "It's not you who put me in here. I am sure that what I have just heard is as much a revelation for you as it is for me."

I returned my hands to the table and looked into the eyes of the elves in turn. — "Besides, even if I knew everything from the very beginning, I would have done exactly the same. My sympathies are still on your side."

"Mistress..." — Chloe began cautiously, seeming to have completely calmed down. Unless it seemed to me, of course. — "It seems that our debt to Kay has become even greater."

"Yes..." — the queen answered distantly, looking at the wall opposite her with unfocused eyes. Then she shook her head, coming to her senses and continued. — "I think we all need to rest a little and think. And also to clean up, there is a shower room. However, there is only one bed…"

"Don't worry, I have a sleeping bag." — I said and got up from the table.

The weakness had already passed and I felt quite well. Physically. But not very mentally. The euphoria of realizing that I survived (as it turned out, not quite) ended, as did the fever of the fight after. I began to fully realize that "we are no longer in Kansas." Well, at least it's not the first time, otherwise I really could have done something stupid.

"I'll be in the hallway. Taking care of my gear." — Picking up a chair, I went to the exit. — "If anything happens, call me."

It really doesn't hurt to think, left alone with myself. As far as it is now possible for me.

 

***

We spent the next two days in Olga's shelter. The girls obviously needed time to take a break from everything they had experienced, which was facilitated by the fresh forest air and excellent weather. As a matter of fact, I needed the same thing, but for different reasons from them.

It turned out so-so. Knowing that you have a thing sitting in your head that has the ability to burst your head like a soap bubble at any time at the request of the left heel never contributes to harmony in thoughts and a cheerful mood. And all the assurances from Martha that this will not happen if I don't betray Olga could not helpe here. The very fact that an axe is constantly hanging over my head puts a lot of pressure on morality. Even the situation I found myself in scares me less. Died? Okay, I died once already, and the first time is much scarier. And here is a resort, you can say: my body is healthy and strong, i'm not empty-handed, and two beauties next to the eye are pleasing. Well, the fact that I have to fight with them, in the course, against half the world, does not bother me at all. Seriously, what are the local hamadryas, even if they are green, even if they have pimples against shellfish? It's like putting a kittens against a rhinoceros. I took part in such shit, that medieval showdowns are absolutely not quoted against their background. Yes, I miss the guys, and much, it can't be taken away, but... I'm used to losses. Life has taught me well, so this feeling should quickly come to naught. But the fucking AI is in my head… Fuck. I'm sorry about my French.

I walked like I was under the water, doing, basically, only checking my equipment five times a day, and slowly turning into rubble a hefty stone I had thrown from above to the bottom of the ravine. The breed turned out to be very strong, so it was possible to beat it, even at my full strength, for a long time, which I used, with blows of hands and feet gradually grinding the cobblestone to zero. I didn't pay attention to the fists that were broken into blood, they still healed in less than an hour, but I had a way to somehow take my soul away and release irritation.

My companions didn't bother me, going about their business, for which I was grateful to them. I was even more grateful to Martha that she hadn't said another word since that conversation and didn't remind me of herself in any way.

Everything changed last night

I was sitting on the grass, leaning my back against a stone that I had just stopped beating once again and was wiping blood from my fists. It was night outside, but there was a full moon in the sky, so there was enough light. Darkness is not a problem for me, of course, but it's... nicer, or something. I sit here, enjoying the silence and fresh air, staring at the starry sky, and my hands are buzzing pleasantly after two hours of practicing blows. Beauty, and that's all.

I heard the footsteps almost immediately, but I didn't give a sign and continued to sit, staring at the sky. Over the past time, I have burned out a little and there was a complete calm in my thoughts, and therefore it was lazy for me to turn my head to find out who exactly is going there. Anyway, it will soon be found out, because, judging by the sound, someone is coming to me.

"Am I interrupting?" — Chloe asked, stopping a meter away from me. Hmm, unexpected. She seemed to me like a kind of silent right hand of her queen. During the whole time we exchanged only a couple of phrases, most of which were on the case. I rather expected to see Olga here than her. However, I've really gone too deep into my thoughts, so nothing bad happens if i'll get out of them and the company won't hurt me for sure. Especially such a beautiful one.

"No, have a seat." — I slap my hand on the ground next to me. — "It's very soft here."

The girl looked at the place where I was pointing, and, without hesitation, sat down. For a while, the silence she had interrupted was restored, broken only by a rare and quiet rustling when Chloe changed the position in which she was sitting. None of us was in a hurry to speak first.

"You know ..." — Chloe decided first after a few minutes. — "I usually can't stand humans. I've never seen anything good from them in my entire life. Stupid, greedy, nasty creatures, that's what I think of them."

— "I can't blame you for that." — I chuckled, picking up a small stone from the ground and began to flip it between my fingers.

A pair of garnet eyes were directed at me, intently studying my face. It seemed that their hostess herself did not really know what she wanted to find there.

"You didn't know about Martha then. And still helped." — Her gaze became even sharper. — "Why?"

"Those people in the Tower. These are not humans, they are animals." — I copy the Chloe's look and look at her face. — "And I don't want to be an animal. I swore to myself that I wouldn't turn into a stupid killing machine, a fucking dummy who would go where they showed and do what they said, and I wouldn't let my brothers become like that."

"What..." She clearly wanted to ask something.

"We were raised for war." — I didn't let her finish. — "Artificial people, the best soldiers in the service of humanity. Identical on the outside: one face, one physique, one set of skills loaded directly into the brain at birth."

I cross my arms and put them on my knees. I'm looking straight ahead. — "But inside we are different. Each of us was, in fact, a newborn children from whom it would be possible to raise a truly good person. That's just nobody cared about it. Our hosts didn't need identities, they needed weapons, we didn't even have names, just numbers. And the worst thing is, do you know what?"

"What?" — Chloe asks, continuing to stare intently.

— "That it was justified."

— "What do you mean?"

"The enemy. Damn aliens appeared out of nowhere and in the first six months sent half a billion people to the grave." — A sigh and eyes widened in shock made it clear that she was very impressed with the number. — And another one and a half billion over the next 8 years. A quarter of the world's total population. We were really needed. Only the understanding of this did not allow me to go under the roof. These, yes, are my brothers. By a lucky chance, I remembered something from my previous life. Pathetic scraps, but it was enough to know that life is not limited only to battles and preparation for them. And I tried to convey this to the others."

"It was difficult, but ..." — a smile crept onto his face from the memories of those days. — "I began to succeed. Where I could, I prompted, helped, invented entertainment and leisure for the guys, told stories that I remembered or invented right on the go. And it worked! They were becoming more alive, more complete, or something. We became a real family, and the best clone unit of all."

"Heh!" — I grinned. — "That's probably why scientists didn't take me to pieces, noticing deviations in behavior."

"I think I understand." — Chloe whispered. — "You were upset that you were under control again."

"Yes, to some extent." — I sighed, running my hand over the back of my head. — "I just felt freedom, and then it's a bummer. But, you know what?"

I wink at the girl, which made her ears twitch prettily.

"What?" — She made a curious pug.

— You're good. And if I'm here to protect you, then it's okay, it will only be a joy to me." — Well, that's it. I talked it out, and now it's much easier for me.

"T-thank you." — The way she blushed, I noticed even in the dim moonlight. Quite a bit and obviously not like in Japanese cartoons, but still, enough. And the averted gaze, together with the trembling ears again, made the picture quite pretty. — "You're good too. But when you tricked us and pretended to leave, I wanted to kill you!"

To compensate for her embarrassment, she went on the attack, looking at me accusingly and poking her finger, but immediately faded away, looking down. — "It's good that you're back…"

"Do you like music?" — I had an idea how to try to brighten up the night for us.

"Yes!" — The girl jumped up, instantly cheering up. — "I know a lot of ballads of my people, but unfortunately we do not have musical instruments, and without them they are not so good…"

"It's not a problem. Now." — I put my hand in my pants pocket and pull out a player with a headphone wire wrapped around it. — "I have my own."

[Do you like music, Martha?] — I mentally call my neighbor on the torso. It's time to put up and stop pretending to be offended. So why not now?

[I don't know, I've never tried it.] — the AI immediately responded.

— [I'm sorry for getting angry.]

— [It's okay. I understand that this is a lot of stress. Frankly, I predicted a much stronger reaction.]

— [So, peace?]

— [Peace!]

Another stone off my shoulders. I still don't fully trust her, but I'm not so uncomfortable with her presence anymore. I think I'll get used to it over time.

While talking to Martha, I managed to unwrap the headphones and insert one into my ear under Chloe's curious gaze.

"Here." — I hand her the second one. — "Do as I do."

The girl carefully took the earphone from me, and I found out that the elf fingers turned out to be very pleasant to the touch. It was funny to watch her clumsily, unaccustomed, insert the earphone, but she coped with it quite easily.

And so, when the headset was fixed, I pressed the button and music started playing:

«Close your eyes

All you need is inside your mind

We've gone deaf now we're going blind

But we've learned to compromise…»

"Eh?!" — Flapping her eyes dumbfounded, Chloe stared at the gadget with a burning screen in my hand, which made me smile. But the surprise quickly passed, replaced by the enjoyment of the melody. — "Beautiful…"

"Yes ..." — I drawled, throwing my hands behind my head and leaning back against the stone. — What is needed now.

 

You are reading story Kuroinu: Foreigner at novel35.com

A week later.

The clearing at the bottom of the ravine today acts as a testing ground.

"Here. That's all I could do with the current resources." — A black-haired dark elf handed me a pair of assault gloves improved by her from hand to hand.

"Thanks." — I thank the girl and put on a new one. With a soft puff of the vented air, the gloves tighten, tightly fitting the hands and connecting with the sleeves of the jacket. Now each of them has a rune written on the inside of the palm in white paint. — "How do they work?"

"This is the rune of the magic projectile. As you can guess from the name, it releases a projectile from the condensed mana. No complicated effects. Just a blow, like a club or a stone. To activate it, direct mana into the palm of your hand. The more you give, the harder the blow will be. Up to a certain limit, of course, so try not to invest too much." — She explained.

"Got it." — Well, how can I not understand when she explain to me like to a kindergarten student.

"Will you check?" — Olga asked me, stepping aside and folding her arms under her chest.

"Why not." — I shrug my shoulders and stretch out my hand towards the same piece of rock that served me as a punching bag for the first days of our stay here. — "I hope I don't screw up and lie down here to rest again. Or I won't tear off my arm…"

I closes my eyes. Inhaled and exhaled. Felt the magic and gave it momentum and direction of movement directly into the open palm, but do not overdo it, so as not to drain the entire stock at one time. It takes quite a bit…

A wave of goosebumps all over my body makes it clear that I have succeeded, and a moment later a clot of energy breaks off from my hand at a fairly high speed and crashes into a stone, leaving a fist-deep hole in it and twenty centimeters in diameter. Externally, it looks like a lump of air compressed to a state visible to the naked eye, although in fact it is not.

"Well, how does it feel?" — Seductively shaking her hips, a woman came up to me. Considering that she is dressed according to Earthly concepts very ... frivolous, it looks just killer. In the sense that it kills the impotent in me, yes. And also the opportunity to experience at least some negativity towards this embodiment of perfection.

With great difficulty, I tear my gaze away from her legs and raise it to my eyes. So... not to the "eyes", but to the eyes! To the eyes, I said! Like that. Well done, Kay, you did it.

Damn, I died twice and rose from the hell twice, went through the millstones of a terrible war, and I react to this woman like some kind of schoolboy... yeah.

I'll probably get used to it.

"Well." — Having met with the sly squint of the golden eyes of the elf who perfectly reads all my inner tosses and is frankly amused by this, for some reason I was keenly interested in that bug that crawls on the grass under my feet.

"Considering that I can still stand," — I pull myself together and listen to myself: there is no weakness or discomfort, as before, only a feeling that the stock of the "battery" has sunk a little. — "good. No signs of fatigue. What do you say, Martha?"

"Your control over the consumption of magical energy has reached the minimum required level, but the efficiency is still low, only 37.4 percent. I would advise you to temporarily not use this skill in combat, until you have worked out all the actions to automatism." — AI shared her thoughts through the speaker.

"I agree." — I nod, confirming her thought. — "I spent two seconds, while being calm and concentrating as much as possible. I won't have that opportunity in battle."

"And still, your progress is very fast." — Olga shared her impressions. — "Neophytes usually spend at least a month mastering their very first, simplest spell. It's a pity that you won't be able to become a real magician."

Why can't I? Here it is necessary to tell in order.

The next morning, after talking to Chloe, Olga rolled up to me, praised me for coming to my senses and asked the question: what did I do in the tower that her empty magic reserve was instantly filled to the brim, and why did I feel sick after that. I honestly replied that the fuck knows him and it's better to ask Martha about it.

Martha told me this: it's all the fault of nanorobots in my blood. To be more precise, their version from the ancients is superior to those used at my home as much as a premium sports car is superior to the Soviet Zaporozhets. When creating my new body, the main computer of the tower analyzed and optimized the old one, correcting the shoals of Earth scientists, making me one mush better in terms of purely physical characteristics, nanomachines also became part of these improvements, they serve as a source of magic for me. However, "Harry, you're a wizard" didn't happen. In practice, we found out that unlike the local normal magicians, including Olga and that motherfucker in the Tower, who have a normal magic core and an energy channel system, I was deprived of all this, and therefore could not use spells in the usual way for the locals. Yes, I had large, almost doublingthe ex-queen's of the dark elves, and she, for a second, is a very strong and extremely experienced sorceress with an experience of almost a thousand years. That's just somehow I could manage the reserve only within my body, and act as a battery, releasing magic into the environment, well, or to another person, as it happened in the Tower.

Then, by the way, Martha only provoked an outburst, and I swelled everything I had during the transfer, which is why I came down with exhaustion. After hearing all this, Olga asked for time to think and left, muttering to herself something about the wonderful potential that must be used.

By the evening, training began. Under the supervision of artificial intelligence and a sorceress, I tried to limit the amount of magical energy released. The first ten times it turned out the same as the very first: I stupidly drained everything, after which I experienced all the delights of the state of the moth in a swoon under the snide comments of my tormentors. The joy for the heart was Chloe, who took care of me in between attempts not to squeeze herself dry. After that night to the music, she began to treat me much better and freely communicated with me all the available free time. And she's not the only one. Olga also didn't mind chatting, especially when it came to the Land, starting with cultural features and history, ending with an explanation of the purpose of the things that I had with me. In response, they willingly shared information about this world with me.

Progress came unexpectedly. It's just that at one point I managed to catch the right feeling and stop the outflow of magic outside, remaining on my feet at the same time. I was still reeling like a drunk, but the success was obvious. Then things went much more briskly and ended up with the fact that today I can more or less tolerably control the flow of magic.

The idea with gloves arose after Olga brought me a piece of paper with a squiggle drawn on it, resembling an Egyptian hieroglyph, for verification. At the request of the girl, I poured my magic into it and the drawing lit up bright red. Delighted with what she saw, the sorceress quickly explained to me what this meant and during the discussion, where to attach a couple of runes, they agreed on gloves. To the question why not directly on the skin, I was told that: firstly, it is dangerous for an inexperienced user in my face, and secondly, if you apply them to the body, then it is for good, and it is better to approach the matter thoroughly and responsibly, using the best resources available. Naturally, there were no such people on a temporary bed, which was not supposed to be used, not that there was something really valuable to store.

So, perhaps that's enough. Let's go back to the present.

"It's okay. For me, even this." — I rose my hand, showing the drawing rune on the open palm. — "Already a big miracle."

"As for me, what's you show is a miracle." — Olga smiled back.

"Kay! Mistress!" — Chloe called out to us as she came out of the cave. — "Lunch will get cold soon, hurry up!"

"We're on our way!" — I replied, exchanging glances with the sorceress, and we went to the table. This girl cooks just divinely, so let's not offend her by being late.

 

***

"Thank you, Chloe. It was very tasty." — I pushed aside an empty plate, which until recently had wheat porridge with pieces of meat.

"It's just a simple meal, why are you so happy?" — The elf did not understand my pleased expression.

"Believe me, this simple food is nothing compared to the tasteless food concentrates that I have consumed over the past few years." — I explained. — "Moreover, the crookedness of the cook can spoil any food, but you make everythig great."

"Food concentrates? Is this some kind of camping food?" — Olga immediately became interested in a new term for herself, drinking herbal decoction from a mug.

"Not only that. This is a set that includes all the necessary nutrients. It looks like a solid gray brick. It tastes the same, although, admittedly, it fulfills its task. We used it everywhere, not just in the field." — I share the details, taking my portion of drink from Chloe's hands. — "I have a few with me, I'll show you later, so you can feel the difference between this and normal hot food.

"Okay." — The sorceress agreed. — "It will be interesting to see another invention of your world."

"Believe me, after my weapon and tablet, you won't be too surprised." — I have warned an inquisitive woman.

"This does not negate my interest in everything new." — Olga smiled back at me, but immediately changed her expression to a serious one. — "But I wanted to talk about something else."

Chloe and I turned to hearing, I changed my relaxed pose, pulling a chair closer to the table and folding my hands on the countertop, and the girl took the next one.

"What we will do next?" — Olga continued, waiting for us to sit down. Her face at the same time expressed a rather sour set of emotions, which indicates not the most rosy prospects.

"How bad is it?" — I asked her.

"We were left alone. Around us are the Lands of Humans, where dark elves are not favored. Unless it's only as concubines." — The woman's lips curved in an ironic smile, but only for a moment, immediately stretching out again into a thin, tense thread. — "My supporters are in the enclaves of the dark elves on the edge of the wasteland, but this edge is opposite from us, and if we try to go there, we will meet a whole army that will dig the ground with its nose in our search."

"Don't they have more important things to do than catch the three fugitives?" — I asked.

The conquest of human cities, for example, followed by robbery, looting, and other highly cultured" — I made a quotation mark with my hands — "entertainment?"

"You're right, but not completely." — Olga began to explain. — "By stealing us from Vult, you didn't just deprive him of two captives, you deprived him of the symbol that replaces the beginning of his conquests. Insulted him harder to come up with, so he will look for us to take revenge. Otherwise, his own people will not understand him, his authority will be shaken.

"How vulnerable." — I chuckled to myself, folding my arms under my chest. — "However, it is expected. Although unpleasant. But you're not telling all this for the sake of reflection, am I right?"

"Yes." — The elf agreed. — "I will not be able to live in peace knowing that my people are suffering. Yes, they won't be touched right now, but as soon as Vult finishes with Celestine, part of his army will return to the wasteland, and then nothing will save the dark elves. There will be no queen to restrain the impulses of monsters, nor danger in the form of the Order of Seven. Even if insignificant, but forcing them to be at least a little cautious. Only the irrepressible appetite of the leader of the Black Dogs and those creatures that stand behind him will remain."

The girl literally spat out the last words in a fit of pent-up anger. — "For a thousand years I have worked hard so that my people could live in peace, and more than once I had to fail and start all over again. And even though things are much worse now than ever, I won't give up, I just won't be able to forgive myself if I don't do anything."

This woman. She could hide, so that no one would ever find her, judging by what I managed to see. But she's determined to fight a whole fucking army in all seriousness. Alone. Just to help her relatives. She has a lot of strength of spirit, and this causes respect. And I also caught myself thinking that I couldn't take my eyes off that beautiful face. From those eyes that are looking at us now with a mute request for help.

"I understand... if one of you does not agree and considers it too dangerous, but I will act." — Olga said softly, looking down at the countertop. — "I'd rather die trying than know for the rest of my life that I ran away shamefully."

"Mistress Olga!" — Chloe jumped up from her seat and, going around the table, knelt down on one knee in front of the queen. — "Stop talking like that! You saved my life and everything that I have, was and will be, I owe to you! If you think that I would dare to leave you, then you are wrong!"

A warm smile touched Olga's lips, and her face smoothed out, ceasing to look like something carved out of stone.

"Get up, my girl." — with one hand she gently lifted Chloe's head by the chin, and with the other she took her hand and pulled it towards her, urging her to rise. "I am no longer a queen to kneel before me. Especially you.

Getting up next, Olga hugged her ward and put her chin on her shoulder. — "I'm glad you're with me. Thanks."

"Mistress... please don't ever offend me by doubting again." — Chloe said in a trembling voice. — "Whatever happens…"

"I won't." — Olga Whispered back to her. — "I'm sorry."

This cute, almost family scene made me a little uncomfortable, but at the same time it was nice, because outsiders usually don't show this. Although, what kind of outsider am I now? The shit that threw me here clearly knew who I am choosing, now I physically can't leave these two against half the world. I don't know where I got it from, but back on Earth, being a weapon, I couldn't even think of trying to somehow deviate from my purpose, feeling responsible not only for my squad, which, consider, I brought up, but also for all of humanity, because without people like me, it could not cope in the fight against the aliens. But I wasn't alone, after all. I had thousands of clones like me on my side and millions of ordinary soldiers who shed blood on the battlefields every day. Instead of me, these girls are alone, although they have no less responsibility on their shoulders. I just have to help them. Not even with a leash in the form of Martha, but myself, sincerely.

Besides... if the tower was able to find me and drag me here, maybe I can look back on Earth? This is quite a goal!

"Well, I have no choice!" — Having cheered up from an unexpected idea, I also got to my feet and attracted attention with a clap of my hands. — "If you don't believe me, ask Marta."

"I confirm." — My personal revived glitch immediately made itself felt.

"Oh, of cource you confirm." — He muttered back to her without malice. — "But you and I have to live now, so I'm not offended. Almost."

— "I'm glad to hear it. Almost."

I didn't have time to say anything witty. The hugging girls broke away from each other and turned to me, and judging by the slight blush on their cheeks and slightly trembling ears, they were rather confused by the picture that they showed me. But I didn't like Olga's look. There was shame.

— "Kay, you…"

— "Wait." — I held out my hands, palms out, interrupting her in mid—sentence. — "Before you start talking about how sorry you are, listen to me. I am satisfied. Instead of rotting in the ground, I'm alive and well, and all thanks to you. Let it sound ugly, but it was your misfortune that became my salvation. Yes, with conditions in the form of a voice in my head that could kill me if I hurt you, but, damn it, who would you have to be to do this to someone who, albeit unwittingly, gave you life? In general, the price suits me quite well."

I come closer and take the beauty's palm in my hand, covering the second one from above, ready to retreat at any moment if she doesn't like something. However, there was no negative reaction, only the eyelids opened a little wider in surprise, and the color on the cheeks became brighter. What is she doing? Although it looks beautiful on bronze skin…

— [I'm detecting a rapid heartbeat.]

Oh, she knows how to be shy. And I'm embarrassed. The warm palm in my hands is very soft and tender to the touch, I barely restrained myself from rubbing my cheek against it or kissing it, it would be too much. But the main thing is done, I have eliminated the funeral mood, and this is the main thing.

"On Earth, I fought for my people just like you" — Looking into golden eyes, I say, lowering my voice. — "Therefore, I understand well how you feel and share your aspirations. And I'll help save yours. You can count on me."

"I... got it, and... you can let me go." — Olga answerd confusedly.

"Oh..." — I release the girl's hand from the grip and take a step back, putting my hand behind the back of my head. — "I'm sorry."

There was an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of our breathing and the shuffling of our feet on the floor. However, not for long: Chloe, who was boring me with her eyes even when I took her mistress by the hand, trying to say something at this time, which was noticeable by the way her face changed during my speech, as a result, instead of a personal question on the tongue, she asked a question about the case and quite logical. — "Mistress, what are we going to do?"

"Um, really." — I perked up, feeling the opportunity to dispel the situation by switching it to a constructive way. — "You told us all this for a reason and you've already thought of something, right?"

"Yes. To save my people, we need to deal with Vult and his gang. I have some thoughts, but they are still unclear and I would like to hear your opinion about them." — The Queen turned around and went deeper into the room. — "Let's go back to the table, we'll need a map."

Taking a scroll tied with a string from the shelf that was there, Olga returned and spread it out on the table. Chloe and I surrounded her from both sides and began to examine the map drawn on the scroll. It was a rather schematic drawing without precise designations and scale, but made qualitatively and even beautifully.

"Now we are here." — She pointed her finger at the section of the map on which the tree icons were depicted. — The nearest city to us is Feoh, it is a border town and will be the first to fall under the attack of the Volta army, which will advance from here."

Next, her finger moved from the icon of the aforementioned city, which was really located close to the forest, just above, where a mountain ridge was drawn divided in half by a gorge. Beyond the ridge itself, the territory was signed as "the lands of the dark elves". — "This is the only section along the entire border where many people can be safely held at a time."

"What about the small ones?" — I asked just in case, realizing that most likely it is possible.

"Yes, and most likely, the entire border area is already filled with such pathways. They are used for the exploration and destruction of border villages from which the city feeds." — Instead of the elder elf, the younger one answered, confirming my thoughts.

"It means that if we leave the forest, we risk running into one of these." — I concluded. — "It is unlikely that the detachments are large, so we will fight back, if anything happens. What can you say about the Feoh?"

"The population is about ten thousand people, of which a thousand are garrisons. Quite experienced, it's worth saying. The walls are strong, high, and inside there is a castle of one of the Order of the Seven, Alicia Arcturus." — Chloe answered again.

"What kind of bird is this Alicia?" — I asked.

"Young — only 20 years old. Naive and inexperienced." — Olga took the floor. — "Lives with tales of knightly honor and dignity."

"Well, I won't say that this is a straight bad trait." — I shrug my shoulders. — "What else?"

"You don't fully understand, she transfers her vision of honor to others, believing that other people do the same honestly. Which is a bad trait for a princess." — Olga exlained.

"Princesses? Is she the daughter of an elven priestess?" — I asked in surprise.

"No, she's human. The heiress of the royal dynasty of co-rulers of Celestine." Olga explained further. — "Parents are dead, having become a victim of intrigue. Of course, there is no proof who did it.

The woman spread her hands and I nodded understandingly.

An honest princess... accordingly, she will keep her word. And a city with a good defense. It looks promising.

"And how do you assess their chances to fight back?" — I asked the following question to clarify another important point.

"Low." — The elf answered. — "The forces are too unequal, I can't say for sure, but not less than ten to one. And if in a normal situation such a scenario is acceptable for the protection of a fortress wall, then in this case everything is somewhat different. Firstly, there are probably Vult's accomplices in the city who can harm the defenders from the inside up to the opening of the gate, and secondly— monsters. A very powerful force if applied correctly, and Vult knows how to use them.

"Yes, it's really an unimportant situation. And everything is aggravated by the fact that by taking Feoh, Volt will become much stronger." — I agreed with Olga's opinion, adding my conclusions from what I heard from above. — "If I read the map correctly, after this city they will open the road far into the country and gain more resources, money, recruits and slaves."

"And then there will be no stopping them." — Chloe summed up the brainstorming session. — "So we can't let Feoh fall.

"That's just how to do it?" — The queen asked, thoughtfully propping her chin on her palm. — "We are cut off from the dark elves, but we can't just show up at the Feoh and say, "Hey, we'll help you!" They just won't understand us, and it's dangerous. Still, Celestine and I are still enemies.

The room fell silent once again. Having dealt with the layouts, we thought about how we should try to solve the problem. And no matter how I thought about it, it turned out that besides actually coming to Feoh, nothing would work out. Not in a short time and with the strength of three people (which is funny, only one of them can really be considered a person, and then with a stretch). But Olga's arguments in the form of a joyful greeting, as a result of which they may try to put us on a bottle, are fully justified by the age-old enmity and the reputation of both the girl herself and the dark elves in general. But you have to go there, otherwise there is no way. The only place, in fact, where you can stop the army.

Olga's description of the local princess came to mind again. According to her, I roughly imagined how she could behave. Naive and honest. Just the thing for the plan I just came up with.

"And why not do so?" — I catch Olga's gaze, which had wandered around the room from one object to another before.

— "What exactly?"

"Feoh. I think we need to go there." — I said, smiling slyly. — "Not openly, but on our own terms…"

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