Chapter 2 – Overly Nationalistic
“Can we get up on time for once?” I say to Donna as I try to push her off me.
“Two more minutes.”
“No, two more minutes becomes an hour. I have important work to do. We have to find out who sent those assassins after us.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Donna jumps out of bed for the first time ever. We get dressed and head down to council building where there are already people arguing outside. I guess news of what happened last night spread throughout the town and maybe through the rest of the cultures. That would explain all of the Fedele and some Cuchillos here. This could be good for me.
‘Assassination attempts are always good for public images. Not so good for personal health.’
I’m not going to worry about it as long as I find out who sent the assassins. The inside of the building is even crazier with guards trying to preserve order. Even when I sit down, and the peacekeepers shake the room, it takes a while for everyone to settle down.
“Hello again, James. I’m sure we have a lot to discuss today.”
“Yes, we do Benedetto.”
“Let’s go over what the investigators found. The report I have here says that the two assassins that came after me last night were devoted Blighted to the traditional cause.”
“That does not mean that we sent them to you.”
“Of course not. They could just be radicals.”
“Yes, I’m glad that you understand.”
“The next thing that it details is that these two people were infused with demonic magic. Apparently, their skin was stronger than most high tier Blighted armor. Luckily enough for me, Donna’s dragon ax was strong enough to cut through them.”
“I’m glad that she’s getting the mileage she needs out of it now before she loses it.”
“We still have to wait for God’s response as to whether or not He approves of your tradition.”
“We already have our mystics and priests working on that. You should know how long it takes to get an answer with the acts of devotion and fasting that needs to be done.”
“You’re right. I got an idea, that’s just a suggestion, but an idea nonetheless. Maybe I should bring in priests and mystics from the Sparrows since your side is the only suspect of this assassination?”
“We are trustworthy people, Benedetto, I assure you.”
“This is just to make us feel comfortable. If anything, it should speed along progress to get the answer we need.”
“Oh, you are right. I approve of your decision, and so, your Sparrows will join our efforts in getting an answer from God.”
That was easier than I thought. Maybe this guy is trustworthy.
‘His soul is pure, so he’s faithful to God from what I can tell.’
“Thank you for understanding. Now, let’s get on to the next-”
‘Watch it!’
Ack! Someone shot a magical arrow infused with demonic at my face and scratched it from across the room. People from that side and my side apprehend the attacker and their accomplices while an exorcist heals my wound from its demonic effects. They had a clear shot at me. Why didn’t they kill me?
‘Probably because they know that you’ll just come back to life. This was a warning.’
“Benedetto!” James says as he reaches from the other side of the table.
Donna puts the blade of her ax to James' throat then says, “Explain yourself!”
“This wasn’t our plan! My fellow traditional Blighted and I would never even think of hurting you!”
“Two assassination attempts in a row from your side? I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
“You have to trust me!”
“It’s okay, Donna. We’ll get down to the bottom of this ourselves.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“You get evidence to prove that. We’ll get our own answers.”
As we walk out of the building, I order my Sparrows to find out what they can. A Blighted girl with dark skin, gray armor, and dual daggers on her two arms approaches me.
“Benedetto! I can help you find the people who want you dead!” she says as she tries to get close to me.
I stop Donna who is trying to push her away and say to the girl, “Can you? I’ll hear you out.”
“Follow me to my house. I don’t think it’s safe for us to speak in public,” she says in a whisper.
‘She’s okay from what I can tell.’
“Lead the way.”
I follow the young girl with Donna behind me.
“What is your name?” I ask her.
“Lilia of House Venus. I know all about you, Benedetto. I’m a huge fan of you.”
“I can sign something for you later.”
“I’d love it, but I’d love to join your Sparrows.”
“If what you offer will help me, then consider yourself in.”
She squeals in joy.
“Excuse me.”
We enter her house, which is fairly large.
“Okay. Tell me what you have that can help me.”
“Some of the traditional Blighted, especially those higher in government, are using demonic magic to infuse their bodies with the powers of dragons. You can see that I’ve already been affected but I managed to get a priest to exorcize it from me.”
She shows us her daggers that are on her arms. They’re glowing a weird white light. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Blighted armor or weapons glow like this even when magic is used to boost their strength.
‘Traditional Blighted don’t use magic period. It’s even stranger that they’re using demonic magic.’
“How did this happen to you?”
“My father is one of the members and he forced me to go through with it. He disappeared after I was exorcized for some reason.”
“Okay, that’s a start that we can use. Do you have anything else to tell us?”
“I’d like you to help me rescue my father if he’s in trouble. I also know where the next meeting is going to happen at and he might be there. I’ve also overheard that they’re going to do something big tomorrow to convince people of their cause. In addition, I don’t think all of the traditional Blighted know about what the higher members are planning. People like James are completely in the dark about their plans.”
“I see. Thank you for everything.”
“It’s uh…my pleasure. I’d like to join you if you want. I’m good at sneaking and my daggers can easily cut through the armor of the Blighted that have demonic energy infused with their armor if we have to fight. I’m not sure how effective your weapons are against them, and I’m sure they’re good, but I don’t think they’ll be that effective against them.”
“Thank you for your help, girl, but I think we can handle this by ourselves. I have an ax that cleaves right through their special armor like butter.”
“It’s okay, Donna. She can come. Her skills will be handy if we need them. There aren’t too many Blighted who are proficient in stealth and who have weapons like her.”
“If you think it’s okay, fine, but.” Donna pulls me closer and whispers in my ear. “She’s more than a fan and wants to be more than another Sparrow. Look at the way she’s looking at you and her tone of voice.”
‘I would be surprised about Donna noticing these things, but she’s your wife. She’s right. Heroes accidentally start harems like this.’
That isn’t going to happen to me.
‘That’s what they all say.’
“It’s fine, Donna.”
“Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine, Lilia. Show us where the next meeting is happening.”
“Right.” Lilia pulls out a map and points out a specific area. “This is an area that was rumored to be the area where dragons were first born. The traditional Blighted are gathering there soon.”
“Let’s get moving then.”
I get a small escort of Sparrows to get us to the meeting area. I might as well talk to Lilia to learn more about her. It’s better than sitting in silence for the entire ride while Donna giving her the death stare and holding my arm.
“Tell me more about yourself, Lilia.”
“Oh, ah. What do you want to know?”
“You mentioned you had a father, but no mother?”
“My mother voluntarily experimented on herself with the demonic magic to test its limits and capabilities. Because of her constant testing, she died, and a demon possessed her body. My father was forced to kill her.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, but you don’t need to be sorry. My mother wasn’t too good of a person like my father since they’ve been making deals with demons for power. They thought they were doing us Blighted a service by making us stronger this way. They even thought that God wouldn’t mind us doing this because they thought that all humans are already saved by His divine sacrifice.”
“I see. What do you usually do?”
“I try to keep myself well trained by hunting animals. If I’m not doing that, then I’m enjoying nature.”
“What makes you want to join the Sparrows?”
“Besides you and the heroic example that you showed when you took on the Socia Agmina…uh…”
‘I told you.’
Shut up. Let her give her full answer.
“I told you,” Donna whispers.
“Shhh.”
‘Haha, I’m starting to like Donna more.’
“I want to be useful in the world. Sure, I could just live a secluded life in the forest like I want to, but that would be selfish of me to do.”
“I like it. Consider yourself in.”
“Really? I didn’t even do anything for you yet.”
“You provided us with information that will lead us to something that will change the course of your society. You also came to us of your own will. You’re someone we can use in the Sparrows.”
“Thank you-Thank you so much! I don’t think I can do enough to thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We’re close,” my driver says, “Should we stop here?”
“Yes, leave the horses somewhere hidden. A couple of you will guard the carriages while the rest come with me.”
We head to the site of the meeting to see a few people there.
Lilia says, “This isn’t all of them, so we’re still early.”
“Good. We have time to prepare our ambush then.”
“Are we really going to kill them all?”
“Judging by how many seats are down there, we should be ready for one. Do you see your father down there?”
“No.”
“Alright. Tell me when you do.”
I get my Sparrows into different ambush positions around the meeting while Lilia and I sit in a large tree.
‘K-i-s-’
No.
After about ten minutes, all of the seats are full, but Lilia has yet to point out her father.
“Lilia, do you see your father?”
“Not yet. I wonder where he is.”
“Maybe he came to his senses and left the group.”
“I doubt he would. You don’t know him like I do. He wouldn’t just leave the group even if he knew I turned against him.”
‘You know, her father might’ve been one of the assassins sent after you last night.’
I’ve been thinking that too. I’m not sure how she’d take that information since she seems to have mixed feelings about him. The group is now complete it seems. They definitely do look like higher members of society with their armor and weapons. Let’s hear what they say.
“We need to move fast. Benedetto is probably hot on our heels right now.”
“You shouldn’t worry too much. We’ll have the strength the face him tomorrow.”
“If he took down the Socia Agmina in less than a week, how long do you think it’s going to take him to find us? He’s probably on his way.”
“Then we’ll make this quick. You all already know what we have to sacrifice for this. For the Blighted. For Humanity. Let’s get this done now.”
The group takes out some kind of huge dragon egg and puts it in the center of the table. It’s dark purple and appears to be imbued with magical power. What’s most strange about it are the weird holes on it that feel like it’s sucking me in by just staring at it.
‘We have to destroy it.’
What? What’s going on down there? Their souls are getting sucked into the egg while their bodies are now empty husks. The holes in the egg are now filled and the egg is shaking.
‘I said destroy it! Waiting like this always ends in trouble.’
“Attack it!”
My Sparrows launch a barrage of arrows and spells on the egg while the others move in on it. Once the egg is hit, it grows six legs and runs away like a rat afraid of the light. It’s too fast for us to catch.
‘That’s going to bite us in the ass later.’
I know, but at least we can prepare for what’s going to happen. We search the surrounding area for the egg but come up empty-handed. I’m going to have to guess that the egg is going to reappear at Temperance since it’s the capital city and because it has the most people, so I notify the people there and explain what happened. They tell me that they’re going to send messages over to the other cities in case the egg appears there instead.
Because I’m curious about Lilia’s father, I bring her to where the bodies of the assassins are and show her them.
“This one. This is my dad.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. They attacked you and you had to defend yourself. I’m just glad that you’re here with me.”
Lilia hugs me.
“Thank you, I guess.”
‘I’m surprised Donna doesn’t have her weapon in her hand, but she does look like she’s waiting for the straw to break the camel’s back.’
“Lilia?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t really have anyone close to me, so I got caught up in the moment.”
“The moment?”
“My parents never let me get close to anyone, so hugging someone I liked felt really good to me.”
‘Ooookay then. You got a creepy girl liking you.’
“Donna!”
“I’m not going to do anything.”
“Oh, that’s right. She’s your wife. I’m sorry. I forgot. I thought you were with…Stella, was it?”
“Donna!”
“You’re not much of a fan if you don’t know who his wife is.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ll treat for dinner tonight. I know the people at the best restaurant here, so they’ll give me a discount.”
“That’s more like it.”
We go to the most expensive restaurant in the city. The place is as nice as the main council room with statues, but this place has great lighting because the fires are different kinds of red. I’m assuming it’s fire made of magic that’s altered for the color. Not sure how it works, but it does look really good. Oh no. Donna looks like she’s been drinking again. Really? On a night like this?
Donna goes up to Lilia and says, “I bet I can drink your skinny ass under the table.”
“I’ll take that bet,” Lilia responds.
“You don’t have to do this Lilia. Donna can be this way sometimes.”
“No, I got this. You don’t have to worry about me. What’s my prize if I win?”
“I know you have eyes for my husband, so I’ll sleep with him while I sleep on the floor.”
“Deal.”
I can’t believe this is happening.
‘Told you this girl had a thing for you.’
I don’t want a stupid harem. I never did. All I wanted was one girl to fall in love and have kids with.
‘You never wanted to be a hero and here you are. It comes with the territory. Look at them go!’
Lilia is doing better than I thought.
‘Who would guess from her appearance and tone of voice?’
I think Donna is losing.
‘Me too. What’s going on. Usually she’s the soberest.’
It’s not looking good for her. I…oh no.
‘Hahaha. I like this girl. I think it might’ve been wise for you to wait for this young and skinny girl rather than marry the older and muscular woman.’
Shut up.
“You’re my cuddle buddy tonight, Benedetto.”
How did she win?
‘I think the dragon skin the Blighted wear change their bodies in a way that the body and internal organs endure better than that of a normal human.’
No wonder why the Blighted are known as heavy drinkers. I awkwardly laugh as Sparrows around Lilia cheer for her victory. Back at the Inn, Donna lays down past out on the floor while Lilia and I rest in the same bed. I thought she might keep her distance from me or at least not touch too much, but she wasn’t kidding when she said she wanted to cuddle. She’s really holding me close with a weird satisfied smile on her face. I didn’t think I’d ever feel what’s it’s like to sleep with a Blighted, but they apparently don’t sleep without their dragon skin. It’s not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.
‘I’m pretty sure it would be weirder if they didn’t.’
That’s true. I just have to deal with this for tonight…What? I didn’t expect to fall asleep that fast. Huh? What’s going on? Is she?
‘She’s sucking your neck as if it was candy! Hahahaha!’
It’s morning so her reward is expired. I’m out of here. Hey! Donna grabbed me.
“It’s finally morning. Because that girl took you away from me for the night, we have a lot of time to make up for.”
“Huh? Hey! He’s still mine!”
This is ridiculous.
‘Hahaha! You got the crazy girls after you.’
“Hey, you two! Calm down!”
“No! You’re mine!” they say in unison.
And I was hoping that Lilia wouldn’t be like this. An explosion in the city stops their struggle. Outside we can see a three-headed dragon with six legs, and human body parts sticking out of it. So this is what became of the egg and those members of the traditional Blighted. They don’t seem to be attacking anyone and are just standing there looking for someone.
‘They’re looking for you.’
Most likely. We go outside and confront the monster.
All of its heads look at me. They say, “You are Benedetto. The hero of this time.”
“Last time I checked I am. What do you want?”
“If you join us, you will be able to conquer the world and the devil that controls it. The Blighted are God’s chosen people. Our traditions will last for all eternity. What is your answer?”
“Seeing that you’re a large three-headed monstrosity, I’m going to have to say no. You’ve fallen for a trap set for you because of your pride for your people.”
“We humans are greater than mere demons! We cannot be brought down by them!”
“I wouldn’t exactly call you human.”
That made him mad. Since we’re prepared, the entire town, its guards, soldiers, and my Sparrows attack the monster. It doesn’t know who to attack first and even though it recoils from being attacked, it doesn’t look like we’re doing much damage to it. Donna, Lilia, and the veteran soldiers are the only ones who are making it bleed because of their special gear.
“Benedetto!” is that James? He’s running over here with a sword. “Take this to defeat that monster!”
He throws the sword my way and I catch it. I like the design of it with its golden handle, black crosses, and ebony blade.
‘You can admire the sword later!’
Right. The sword cuts through the monster’s legs better than Donna and Lilia’s swords, which makes it fall to the ground. I then cut through each of the heads to kill the monster. The city cries out in victory as I raise my sword up with Donna and Lilia by my side.
‘How manly.’
Jealous?
‘Slightly.’
James comes up to me and says, “This sword is the Blade of the Blighted. It’s the sword that shows that all of the Blighted will trust and honor you.”
Everyone in town kneels before me. So, this is what it feels like to be a ruler.
“What made you bring this to me?”
“We got a response from God and He said He didn’t approve too much of our tradition of replacing our skin with the skin of dragons. Us traditionalists will have to do penance for our sin of willful ignorance. I brought this here for you to show you our loyalty to you and it seems like God gave us our answer at the right time.”
“He always does. So, the Blighted trust in me now?”
“They do and always will.”
“Good. I’m thankful for your trust and promise not to squander it.”
“Where are you going now?”
“I still have to gain the trust of the other cultures. I trust that you will clean things up for me?”
“Consider it done.”
“Thank you.”
My Sparrows come together with our carriages and equipment. We are about to leave when Lilia approaches me.
“Can…can-”
“Cut the cute and innocent act.”
“It’s not an act!”
“Then what happened to you last night and this morning?”
“That’s just the way I am. I finally have someone that likes me, and I just had to show you how much I love you.”
“Listen, I’m a married man and I’m not interested in starting a harem.”
“Who’s talking about starting a harem?”
“Nevermind. Are you asking to come along?”
“Yes!”
“I don’t think so.”
“Can you protect me from assassins?”
“I can! I’ll always be at your side.”
“You can come then.”
“Yes! Thank you so much! I promise I won’t get too touchy and respect your relationship with your wife.”
“Why does she have to come?”
“The Cuchillos are just like the Fedele when it comes to stealth and assassinations, maybe even better in some areas. I’ll need her help.”
“We’re going to their territory next? Why?”
“I got information that can allow me to quickly gain their trust.”
“Fine. I’ll trust you, but I can’t promise that I won’t be jumpy around those mask-wearing freaks.”
“Good. Let’s get another culture to trust me.”
“After you.”
Donna, Lilia, my Sparrows, and I ride off to the land of the Cuchillos. I hope it doesn’t turn up as crazy as what happened here.
‘It probably will.’
You’re right, but I’ll be fine as long as I got God, you,-
‘And your harem.’
I don’t have a harem!
Hahaha.
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