[Elsword] - Masked Renegade

19 - Prelude

...

The pair of hostages skeptically glanced at the gang in front of them, especially at Luciela, then at each other, then back at their audience. The elf shifted uncomfortably, her wrists were sore from the bindings. The cuffs in front of her that wrapped around her hands exceptionally caused discomfort in other allocated areas, too. The feminine-type machine, on the other hand, remained still, devoid of much emotion.

"S-So... When do you plan on releasing us, exactly?" the elf inquired in a nervous tone, awkwardly smiling.

"Soon." Luciela flatly responded. "After both of you help me with several... chores. Basically, you'll be using your forces of nature, while the robot uses her energy from moonstones, to conjure up a hallucination. A field for these two to reenter their lost memories." she briefly pointed at Ara and Add. "Understood?"

"A-Ah, yes, but... What if we fail? This isn't something we can do easily, you see..." she responded, her kindhearted tone made it clear that she had pure intentions.

The Noblesse shot her a death-glare. "Just do it. Do not object to my orders!" she hollered, though her petite stature and cute appearance made it quite difficult to take seriously at times.

Ara, Add, and Ciel's faces paled at their superior's instructions to the slaves. They hadn't dare say anything, though they did feel bad for the girls on the ground.

Obediently, the additional servants nodded. Luciela then smiled after everybody had the crap scared out of them, approaching the two ladies with a key to unlock the handcuffs. "Elf, you can take Ara. Robot, handle Add. Even if I remove the restraints, you cannot leave until you've completed your task, anyway. Magic can sure be useful, huhuhu!"

They stood up, stretching wearily from finally being freed, and ambling over to their respective clients. Ara and Add looked them over from head to toe, they appeared to be fine.

"Well, anyways. Thank you for finally having the mercy to unlock those...! They weren't very pleasant at all. (I am against this unneeded abuse!) Nice to meet you, er... temporary Masters and Mistresses. My name is Rena, also known as the Grand Archer. I hope to be of use, as this seems to be for a good cause! However, I think you could've asked more... nicely next time." she explained, keeping up with her hopeful smiling.

The mechanic figure followed Rena's example, and proceeded to give a monotonous introduction. "I am known as Eve, the Queen of Nasods-- yes, the proper term is 'Nasod', and not 'robot'. I wield the Battle Seraph Code, though I suppose non-Nasods wouldn't comprehend this very well. Eve would prefer to be released as soon as possible, so continue whenever, Demon."

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you, Rena and Eve! S-Sorry for putting you through this trouble, and thank you in advance!!" the Sakra Devanam bowed.

"Nice to be acquainted with you." Add added softly, making no gesture of any sort.

"Haha. You kids seem so innocent and nice! I'll try my best to succeed for you both! Any last orders?" Rena averted her gaze to Lu.

"Hmm. Ara, stay here in your room, and lay down on your bed. Add, head over to Aren's room, and do the same. Then, start the procedure." she commanded confidently.

The Haan did as she was told, staring up at the ceiling. "Um, Lu... Will we be done before Brother returns? I didn't think we'd have to go through all of this just to discover the 'truth'..." she anxiously inquired, clenching both her fists by her side for ease.

"It'll be fine, don't worry." Ciel calmly answered instead.

As Add and Eve were about to leave the space, the Nasod Queen paused in her tracks. "Is it too late to switch partners...? Eve's database is telling her to be cautious of this man." she said insipidly, deadpanning.

Luciela grinned, twirling around in a circle. "That's a shame. Well, too bad for you!"

~

The Grand Archer began to hum a melody as spirits of nature surrounded her and Ara, placing the girl into a trance. The same had occurred to Add, with the Code: Battle Seraph and her energy extracted from moonstones. The two gradually drifted about their dazes, uncovering what they had lost.

~

After the duo fell unconscious, Lu dragged Ciel outside, into the hallway for a small chat. The vicinity was silent, as the revelation of the truth transpired in the bedrooms. The petite noble stared at the floor, unable to meet her Royal Guard's gaze.

She hesitated, then began to speak. "Ciel... I have an important question."

"Yes, Lu?"

"How do I get that girl to like me? Ara. She seems to detest the high-ranked noble I am! This isn't fair!" she pouted. "I never cared about the way Ava perceived me, yet, with this reincarnation of her or whatever...! It bothers me! She appears to be the type of person that likes everyone, but I seem to be an exception to that stupid rule!" she stomped angrily.

Ciel covered his mouth, and began to stifle a chuckle at how adorable his Mistress' frustration was. Certainly, he had never seen Lu make such a fuss regarding how the perception of her was like to others.

"I suppose you simply need to act less demanding and harsh, Lu. It's probably how you openly showed your distrust and hatred for someone she treasured. Yes, I know it isn't your fault that Aisha is how she is, but she's someone who is of value to Ara. Build up your friendship one step at a time, it should work out fine as long as you're kind to her."

The Noblesse deadpanned. "So, what you're saying is, I need to learn how to bake cookies as well as you can."

The half-demon butler fell silent.

...