The Empress (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 9 - Dark Magicians

Astoria's POV

I have finally arrived at Sarah the maid village. My mission today is to find a secret organisation that has been making this village a base for their illegal operations.

"Lady Aspen." Sarah came to greet me.

"Sarah. It seems I have intrude your vacation time with your family." Sarah waved her hands off.

"It's alright. It was my request after all. It's time for these people to learn their lesson. I'm tired of seeing the people I know turned into slaves because of their debt or kill by these evil group of people. Just this month, five people are dead from overdosing. They need to be stop."

I smiled at Sarah before telling the guys to scattered themselves within the village.

"Are they your knights?" I nodded.

"They are my most trusted allies. The village is small compared to the town. I'm sure we will be able to find their headquarters soon. Besides, we do have a tight schedule. We need to find the members of the secret organisation in a week." Sarah hummed.

"It's almost winter time in the North. I understand. As per the empress's command, you will be staying with me in my family's home. And don't worry about your allies accommodation. I have take care of it all. Follow me." Sarah is quite capable. I can see why her majesty choose her as the head maid of the empress palace.

On our way to Sarah's home, I noticed a few adults and the elderly simply lay on the stone pavement. Are they okay? Why does the villagers doesn't seems to care?

"Don't mind them. They are simply 'enjoying' themselves. You'll see a lot of people laying on the sidewalk. The village head tried to talk to the lord who acts as the overseer of this village but I believe the lord has something to do with the secret organisation." I see.

"That is why I decided to informed the empress. But even the empress couldn't do much if the lord's report that was submitted to her seems normal. Her majesty tried to send a few of Claymore Knights but it's been futile so far." I was looking around the village when I noticed something alarming.

I immediately grabbed a hold of Sarah's hand and let her know about the group of people in hooded robes at the end of an alley.

"Dark magicians. In the North, they are my worse enemies after the monsters. Dark magicians made it their life mission to tamed monsters. Sometimes they would ordered the monsters to ravaged villages for loot and for human specimens." I smiled at Sarah before taking out my dagger.

"I'll be back." Sarah was about to say something when I stabbed one of the dark magicians.

"Who goes there?!" One of the magician shouted as they get their wand out from their robe.

"Your worse nightmare." Dark magicians are known for their strong magic casting. It's a deadly combination when it comes to long ranged attack but when it comes to hand to hand combat, they are the weakest.

I easily subdue them without much effort. And to avoid them killing themlsves with curses or poisons, I made them all unconscious. Sarah was surprised by how easy it was for me to capture the dark magicians.

"Lady Aspen, I am speechless." I smiled.

"It's not over yet. I need to put something inside their mouth to prevent them from casting their spells when they conscious. Also, is there a place big enough to 'store' them? I need to interrogate these folks."

Sarah think for a moment before she suggested to place the magicians inside her family's barn. I blew a silent whistle that only my comrade would heard before tying the magicians hands.

"Do you know that person, Sarah?" I asked when Sarah looks down on the person that was talking to the magicians.

"The village head son. This man was purchasing drugs from the magicians. Do you think the magicians is part of the organisation?" I shrugged.

"We have to wait for the magicians to wake up." Soon, my comrades came and they helped me get the magicians to the barn. 


Later that night,

As Sarah expected, the magicians were hired by the organisation to captures monsters around the village vicinity. The main ingredients for the drugs were monsters blood and their organs. When I learned the truth, it gave chills down my spine.

To think humans are capable of doing such a thing, I am afraid of what other things they might do in the future if we let them be. This world has gotten much sinister. And here I thought monsters are the worse enemies of humanity.

"Astoria, what should we do with these magicians? Should we kill them? Or should we torture them like they did to their victims?" I smiled at my trusted knight and said,

"We shall wait for her majesty messenger." Arthur smirked.

"How did it happened?" I was confused at Arthur's question.

"How what happened?" I asked. Arthur scoffed.

"A month ago, we were putting ourselves in danger for the future of the Northern Territory. Today we are working for the empress. Not only that, the commander is actually in a relationship with the mother of this empire." To be honest, I don't even know.

"The empress said she will help us rebuild the North if I do what she asked me to do. And here we are. It doesn't matter if I have to be her sword and shield. All I care about are the future of those who live in the North. People trusted me- I have to do my best." Arthur sighed.

"But being the empress's lover? What kind of things did she asked you to do for her?" Nothing really. All I have to do is be there when she needs me.

"The empress gave me gifts, food and even a glimpse of what sort of things those Claymore Knights capable of doing." By now, the other knights heard our conversation and decided to join us.

"Claymore Knights?! Did you manage to see them in training? So how was it?" Well-

"We're better. I mean we have been killing monsters for years. The Claymore are like fine jewels. And since they are filled with knights who came from noble bloodline, they ought to be snobbish." Arthur laughed.

"They are nothing like babies. So if monsters decided to attack the capital, they are finished." Well- not really.

"I don't think that's a correct way to describe my knights. They are the ones who lead the empire's knights when several foreign kingdoms tried to invade the empire." This voice sound so familiar. When I turned around, I saw the empress standing by the door wearing a hoody.

"Adelaide? What are you doing here?!" Arthur realised that I was calling the empress by her name casually. He immediately kneels down to greet the empress. The other knights follow suit.

"Awww- you finally call me by my name! I'm so happy. So, are these the magicians you mentioned in your letter? Also, what did you do to them? Will these magicians tells you the truth? I heard they are quite a hard shell to crack." I smiled.

"In my many years dealing with magicians, I learned a trick or two when I have to face them. My nanny, she used to be my father'a closest friends told me about magician's weaknesses. All we have to do is take their wand, break it and without it, they are defenseless." Her majesty, or Adelaide laughed before she stood in front of the magicians. 

"Aren't so tough now huh?"

Why is the empress here? If she's here, who is taking care of the palace? But that's not important.

"What should we do about them?" Adelaide hummed.

"Kill them." Oh- I smiled before killing the magicians without a single emotion visible on my face. It was when I was about to strike the last magician when he suddenly said something rather alarming.

"What did you just said?" Adelaide asked as she removes her hoody.

"May darkness looms over Tempest!" I was confused to why Adelaide reacted to the magicians words. She suddenly took the sword from my hands and decapitate the magician's head herself.

"Here." Adelaide handed the sword back to me before kicking the magician head like a ball.

"Take care of the organisation properly. I don't want any traces of them roaming on my land." Adelaide turned her back to me before leaving the barn.

"I never knew the empress has it in her to kill someone so mercilessly." Arthur said.

Me either.