11 Vulcan's Dilemma Pt. I

The following day, we woke up before noon- leaving the lodging as we made for the mountain passage that Levii swore of.

"I can see it from here Milord haha!" Levii gave a happy shout as she pointed at what looked like a tunnel carved directly into the mountain itself. Next to the tunnel was a small guardhouse, but I couldn't see if there was anyone within it from here.

"I never doubted you for a second, I'll race you there!" I sprinted ahead, leaving Levii in the dust as I ran at a quarter of my strength- just enough for Levii to be able to keep up, but make it seem like a fair race.

There's no fun in outright winning y'know?

With that, we got to the tunnel's entrance near instantly from where we were down the path, the guardhouse was now in proper view, and I could see what was inside.

"Hello? Hello? Anyone in there?" I waved at the guardhouse, but no response. I could see wild plants growing over the bars that made up the guardhouses window- I doubt anyone has been on their shift here for the longest time.

"What're you doing Milord? We need to keep walking ahead if we're to make it to Modos before sundown."

"Yeah, alright." I agreed, leaving behind the long-abandoned guardhouse to further rot for who knows how many more years.

As we walked into the tunnel, I found myself shocked at what we found inside.

At the entrance, it was too dark to see anything at first within.

But as the tunnel's path soon began to expand, it reached to the inside of a large cave system; crystals lined the walls of the massive natural rock walls, they varied in all kinds of beautiful exotic colors. It felt like the whole world was glittering, an entire galaxy revolving around me in this condensed space.

"W-Woahh..." I couldn't help but gasp, it was just amazing being able to see all of this.

"Ah, I forgot you've misplaced your memories Milord- I envy you for being able to experience this for the first time again. Or maybe perhaps this is your first time witnessing one of the wonders of the kingdom? The Great Bejeweled Labyrinth."

"It is said that the crystals that form the lining of the walls and the near-bottomless chasm below the stilted path we walk on are all connected in a mystical way to act as a labyrinth."

"Supposedly Nimia created this labyrinth to slow down Ahriman's chase, but another theory claiming that this was created by the now long extinct dwarves to act as a path to reach their lost city of Svatarlfheim, is also a plausible explanation." She gave a satisfied grin after telling me about the history behind the cave's crystals. Maybe she's been waiting her whole life to lecture someone about it?

We continued to walk through the cave system at a comfortable pace, Levii continuing to blab on tidbits of trivia as a way to make the journey feel shorter. While she did, I took this as a chance to collect my thoughts over what exactly will I be doing once I get to Modos.

It's not like I have a definite plan to somehow meet the Queen herself, this Flaur Goetia that is. Other than the information I've been given by Levii, I know next to nothing about her.

"After Flaur had succeeded her father Zepar, she sent all of her supporters back to their homelands. Promising that there will be something done to right the wrong her father had done. But five years have happened since then, and no progress has been made. Not even the Steppe Imps, the ones who sacrificed the most for her cause, had been given any kind of aid or relief after her coronation. Leading to our further decline, something that we fought desperately to prevent- ultimately happening without anything to show for." Is what Levii told me then, after she had recounted her father's sacrifice.

The unnerving idea that Flaur might actually just be a useless mob of a ruler gnaws at me at the back of my head. What if it's even worse, and she's a fucking 'thrower'? Purposely letting her kingdom rot because she already given up.

No matter what, I always see through the end of a playthrough's run- even if it's ultimately doomed. I don't believe in giving up half-way just because the parameters suck or if I didn't get a great starting area, the idea of making the most of a shit situation is what makes playing a game worth it.

But I'm a filthy save scummer, so I shouldn't be talking so big- eheh.

*Cough* Anyways, Flaur.

It'd be a plus if she's hot. From how Levii's spoken about her, she's probably as old as she is- so the probability of her being hot is like, astronomically favorable.

Issue is I don't know how the scale of age works for demons, so uhhhh- yeah, I'm not going to ask Levii's age.

I think I should put the idea of meeting Flaur on the backburner- the probability of meeting her is likely near next to impossible in the Modos without good reason- and it's not like the Queen herself is just going to randomly pop up at the gates ahead or-

No.

No, no please.

The comedic timing of this happening actually happening- me and my big fucking mouth.

There's a girl up ahead, at the end of the tunnel- she's wearing a crown.

And she's got very, very big boobs.

Wait- I don't think I should be focusing on that right now-

There is a mob of people surrounding her and a woman she's standing next to (who also has very, very big boobs).

They look angry.

"Levii, do you see that!?"

"Yes Milord, I believe that could be the Queen!" Levii began to pick up her pace as we ran to where the mob was. We blended right into the group as we began to hear what the commotion was all about.

"Oi, Oi- Don't tell me the Queen herself has left her big castle to take what little is left of the smallfolk." A demon man with light-blue skin spoke out, small horns jutted out of his neatly combed head as he held a pickaxe in one hand.

Other demons who looked similar to him stood next to him, pickaxes and other mining equipment in their possession could be seen. One woman in particular, her hair in loose, low ponytail, carried herself in a regal manner- I'm betting she's their leader.

"Pardon the youngsters, but I understand their concern well enough- what's this unexpected visit today to the labyrinth's mine due fer, your royal 'highness'?" The woman in charge separated herself from the mob and walked ahead, she standing a solid three yards away from the now confirmed Queen and the woman who was standing next to her.

At first glance, it seemed like the woman standing next to Flaur was strangely too passive- as if she didn't really care about the tense gravity of the situation or the safety of the Queen at all. But as I studied her (Not her boobs I swear) more closely, I could see some slight tells that proved otherwise. She was dressed in like a grey office secretary's outfit, with a clipboard in her hand to boot. Her eyes were closed in a smiling kind of way and her mouth pursed politely shut; her face otherwise mostly keeping a neutral expression. But I could feel a strange kind of intensity to her closed eyes, as if she was secretly probing for any kind of weakness present in those around her. It made the scar on my chest tingle, and for a brief moment, I could've sworn she caught my eyes from where I was hiding in the crowd.

But she soon turned her attention back to the unflinching woman standing before them, her tightly braided silvery-blue hair revealed no horns- but she had very long pointy ears, longer than any of the other demons present. They flitted a little as she began to speak, while Flaur remained silent.

"We've come from Modos to personally visit and gauge the Djinn clan's progress on the Labyrinth venture."

The secretary woman (I'm not original with nicknames, sue me) spoke with a commanding authority to her voice- if it weren't for the crown on the smaller girl's head standing next to her, I would've mistaken her to be the Queen instead.

"To prove that this is a friendly inspection, we've come without an envoy- it is only I and her majesty here present." She gave a perfect curtsy as she concluded what she needed to say, there was not an excess of unnecessary movement or prose present in how she had presented herself and her argument to the leader of the Djinns.

The Djinn leader kept her arms crossed unapologetically as she continued to give a hard look at the secretary woman and the queen, she wasn't budging from where she stood.

"Cut the shit, I know that there are others hiding behind the cave's exit over there', ya' ain't foolin' no one." Some of the people in the mob that we were hiding within began to cheer at the leader's defiance, their pickaxes being thrusted high into the air to go along with their fervor.

The secretary woman said nothing as she continued to keep her coldly polite smile.

"Get em' gone, or this talk is over." Just as the leader began to walk away back to the crowd proper, the secretary woman slowly rose her free hand and gave a single, crisp, snap of her fingers.

There was no sound or major rustling of movement, but I caught the ever-so-slight movement of shadows shifting oddly from the exit of the cave.

"They're gone." The secretary woman spoke once more, her demeanor ever unchanging.

"Forgive us, the Queen's safety is imperative- even if it would seem dishonest." She gave a small, apologetic bow to the leader, but there was no true sense of apology in her feigned display of courtesy- this was all just a trained act.

Trained act... trained act... hmm.

There! I caught her catching a glimpse at me again, even though me and Levii are all the way in the back of the crowd. She's watching me, I just know it!

The Djinn leader stopped herself short of re-entering the mob and turned around, she spat at the ground and began to speak.

"Whatever whets yer blades-" She gave a small wave to the crowd we were hiding in, the then excitement of the group fizzled out to a less tense mood; the immediate danger is over, but I got a gut feeling still not yet in the clear.

"So, what's the real reason Carmilla."

The secretary woman's polite facade broke for a moment, her eyes opening briefly at suddenly being called what I'd imagine to be her real name- Carmilla. Her eyes were pitch black, like obsidian with a single sliver of red in the middle of each eye. She gazed murderously at the staunch Djinn leader who rubbed at her neck- otherwise unbothered at the sudden change of attitude by this Carmilla.

"Ah, M'bad- forgot to call you by your official title, Miss Royal Assistant."

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