Chapter Text
She ended up in custody.
For about a week now, she has been captured and locked somewhere in a dark room. Someone brings food and water here, it always happens when she sleeps. Moreover, the food that is brought here is quite tasty, even if not so numerous.
Theresia had never heard that prison food could be delicious, but it was even a little nice to know that not everything was so bad.
Her problem is that she is a prisoner of war. And she became so self-willed, which was even worse.
It all started with the fact that the war with the demi-humans had gained momentum dramatically, and in the six months since it began, the Kingdom's forces had been significantly pushed back to the west from their eastern-southern borders. And then the Council, together with the royal court, decided that it was time to recruit the current generation of Sword Saint. Her name is Theresia van Astrea.
She never liked fighting, often avoided sword training and wished she could just live a normal life. However, the world mocked her, the very God of Swords chose her to mock her and gave her his wings to see how Theresia would fall in the future when trying to fly.
And her first fight could be something outstanding. Usually, the first battle is the place where you express yourself, especially if you have a lot of hope given by other people. Unfortunately for them, Theresia van Astrea didn't want to fight at all. She was literally forced to take a sword.
However, when the time for battle came, she couldn't bring herself to fight. Theresia was scared, she was really terrified, she wanted to run and hide, knowing herself and her strength. After all, she wasn't afraid of her opponents themselves, not of their revolution itself, but of what she could do to them if she decided to join the fight.
This was the fate of someone who was born with dangerous Divine Protection for others and inherited another complex Divine Protection. All of this made Theresia incredibly dangerous. Not only for enemies, but also for allies.
Therefore, the sword didn't find itself in her hands, even despite a direct order.
Therefore, in order not to dishonor the Astrea family, her brothers and uncle joined the battle instead of her. Theresia was grateful to them and quietly begged their forgiveness, holed up in a tent camp. But it was then that the news reached her, and it wasn't a messenger or one of the allied soldiers, no, the enemy had entered their camp.
He was just a boy, a little older than her, Theresia remembered him very well. Black hair, frightening eyes, an orange and black hiking raincoat and a matching scarf. He introduced himself by a strange name and said that demi-human troops were here under his command. The boy said that the battle had already been won on his side and asked everyone who remained in the camp as supply and reinforcement units to surrender.
In exchange for the surrender, he assured that no one would die or even get hurt unless they fought back. As proof, he asked his subordinates to bring prisoners of war from the battlefield. And among the few who arrived, Theresia found her older brother.
He had a black eye on his face and his arm was dislocated at an unpleasant angle, but he could walk on his feet and was generally alive. This calmed Theresa's heart a little, especially when he reluctantly confirmed that all the other soldiers of the Kingdom were still alive and had only been captured.
It was an impressive achievement, those demi-humans under the command of a human defeated and captured all the soldiers of the Kingdom, their enemies, without killing anyone. No military strategist could boast of something like that. And this one was someone new and unexpected to everyone, no one had known his name before.
The boy also assured them all that in the future, no one would touch them as prisoners, since they would be under the protection of the Pleiades, a cell of Alliance of demi-humans that subordinate to him.
Theresia had heard something like that before. While preparing for this battle, she heard the whispers of other knights and magicians who mentioned the mysterious Pleiades. They said that this cell of the demi-human Alliance appeared literally out of nowhere and immediately began to press on the battlefield at an incredibly fast pace.
It was rumored that their headquarters was located in the famous Watchtower in the east of the Kingdom.
Theresia, honestly, was already ready to give up. She didn't have the will to fight, and knowing that everyone else was still alive, even if they were injured, helped calm her down. She could see that some here in the camp still wanted to fight, but there was no point. If the enemy's forces are large enough and strong enough to defeat the troops sent here with such elite warriors in their ranks, then it makes no sense to continue fighting.
But everything changed a bit when one of his subordinates pointed it out. Theresia suddenly became the focus of their opponents' attention and was soon qualified as a Sword Saint. In fact, she really was, but... but Theresia van Astrea did not fulfill her duties as she should.
It was only after finding out who she was and learning about her potential power that the boy with the strange name offered her a deal, an exchange just for her. He wanted to capture the Sword Saint, and then he would grant everyone else on this battlefield freedom.
And under the furious shouts of her brother, as well as other soldiers next to her, Theresia agreed. She couldn't fight, but she could sacrifice herself for their future.
Theresia, no, Theresia van Astrea was captured in the very first battle where she didn't want to fight.
However, she knew that this was the only solution that allowed her to save her family and the other knights who were caught up in this. Thanks to her, about a hundred people remained alive. Even though she couldn't lift a sword, she was already a hero.
– …
Although it was just an excuse for her own cowardice. Theresia van Astrea couldn't raise her sword, and therefore all her comrades-in-arms were captured. Fortunately, the battle was miraculously lost bloodlessly and Theresia became the key to survival and the subsequent liberation of all the others.
She thought about it all over and over again for a week, there was really nothing else for her to do. In the lonely room where she lives as a prisoner of war, she has freedom of movement, but the door is always locked. They didn't even put handcuffs on her, or tie her up in different places, they just locked her up.
On the one hand, it was good, at least she didn't feel too uncomfortable, just from the darkness and loneliness. She could even calmly satisfy her needs in the far corner of the room in such solitude, knowing that someone would come and take that bucket of slops in the future. It might not be normal for her as a lady from the house of Astrea, but it was better than what the other soldiers had told her about.
They said that the demi-humans were cruel and merciless, that they just wanted to take over the Kingdom, slaughter all the men, capture all the children, and rape all the women, thereby boosting their population. However, everything Theresia had seen up to now was different from what she had heard.
And then suddenly the door opened. For the first time, the light from outside, weak but still at least some, broke into this room. At least, this was the first time Theresia had seen it. On the other side of the previously locked door, she noticed a corridor with walls and a floor made of the same stone and light crystals on the walls.
Theresia didn't even know where she was, but she was probably in some kind of dungeon deep underground.
– Who's there?
It was the first time Theresia had heard footsteps this week. For the first time, someone appeared here in this room and opened the door. It was a girl who looked like she was in her early twenties. Despite the fact that she dresses strangely, remaining only in a black bikini-bra and a black-orange raincoat, black hotpants, well, plus heels, she was still a human being. And that's it, she's not wearing any more clothes. But still, this girl is human by all outward signs.
She looked at the girl carefully, avoiding the area of her noticeable large breasts and remembering that she had already seen her on that battlefield after the battle, when the prisoners were brought in to prove that no one had died. And the girl herself only hesitated slightly before muttering weakly:
– My Master used to call me Shaula.
Seeing that Theresia didn't answer her, Shaula continued.
– I was asked to bring you some food. Basically, just like every time before.
Then it became obvious to Theresia who came here every time she slept. This girl was here, was her constant supervisor, although they had never met directly in person before.
– Why you?
– Master said that it might be scary for you to see one of the demi-humans here.
This only confirmed that this Shaula is a human being. This means that at least two humans fight on the enemy's side, and given their position, there are probably many more.
But Theresia looked Shaula over with her gaze once more, this time more attentively, although still avoiding her large breasts. And she noticed unusual red dots in the irises of people's eyes. However, there are many things in the world. Perhaps, Theresia thought, this woman was some kind of special magician, or she had signed some kind of contract or something. In any case, Sword Saint left it aside, at least for now.
– Why did you show up just now? In the past, food always appeared when I was sleeping.
It was a bit stressful when food and water appeared by themselves after Theresia woke up. It was strange and frightening, but she was already used to it, since nothing else was happening here anyway.
– Well, you sleep a lot, and I sleep a lot, you know. When I came in, you were asleep, that's all. Shaula didn't choose the time, if that's what you're talking about.
It was an extremely strange combination of circumstances and time, but Theresia had nothing to say in response to this. After all, she did sleep more than usual here, because it helped to conserve more strength, and also was easier to digest the fact that she was still being held captive in an unknown place. The whole atmosphere here weighed on her to one degree or another, and sleep helped her stay sane.
- And your master.. is that the boy with the strange name?
– Ah, that's a big statement, because there are so many people with strange names.
Theresa could understand that, especially if people come from far lands. So she racked her memory, trying to recall every word and sound he uttered. His name is…
– N-Natsuki Subaru..?
– Ah, well, sort of. Although this isn't the first time Master has changed his name, but yes, this is it now.
It was very strange, because why just change the name? Perhaps there is more to this whole situation, but Theresia's suspicions have been confirmed regarding the identity of this very Master.
– But only one person led an army of demi-humans into battle. It's very strange that they obeyed a human at all.
Shaula seemed happy to hear that. It was as if stars lit up in her eyes when she spoke about her Master.
– Oh, right. This is my Master. It would be strange if they didn't obey, because it's Master after all.
– …
It didn't help at all. Shaula didn't seem to mind talking to her, but she was very adept at avoiding telling her anything important or even understandable.
After all, Theresia didn't know the boy, and he barely seemed older than her in age. It was hard for her to imagine that others believed in him enough for him to lead an entire army.
– Although…
Although she herself wasn't much different. After all, so many people believe in her just because she got the Divine Protection she inherited from her uncle. But Theresia van Astrea was unable to prove herself and meet the expectations of others, and that was the difference between them.
– Why are you fighting on their side?
After all, in these six months, Theresia had never heard of people taking the other side before. On the contrary, hatred towards demi-humans was rising more and more among the people, and the consequences of this affected even those who didn't betray the Kingdom and didn't join the Demi-Human Alliance. This policy led to the fact that the uprising was gaining more and more power.
– Mm, well, Master told me to do that.
– …
The girl didn't seem to care about her own will and desires at all. Or perhaps her desire was to be subservient. Although Theresia herself was no better, because she went to war only because she was ordered by those who sit in the royal palace and in the capital as a whole. It was her duty to obey, but her very body, heart, and soul refused to do so.
– ... Why is he doing this?
- I don't know.
Shaula shook her head and shrugged, as if she really had no idea. And this completely threw Theresia into a stupor. She was dealing with strange variables within the framework of the war, which by their very existence and participation do something unexpected.
A man fights on the other side and even leads the enemies of the Kingdom into battle. Instead of quickly defeating and killing their enemies, they capture them, and even quickly agree to a prisoner exchange. They feed their prisoners delicious food and give them guarantees to save their lives. It was all somehow wrong from a military point of view, but there was also nothing unpleasant about it.
– Okay, I have to go back. I want to spend more time with Master before he says he's busy or just goes to sleep.
And before Theresia could say anything, Shaula took the tray, which was empty from the previous day, also not forgetting about the closed bucket in the far corner and left the room, closing the door behind her. It brought back the darkness in the eyes of a girl who was already used to it. But her nose began to feel the delicious taste of hot food again and again. There was meat soup on the tray, it smelled delicious, sure enough, a strange white viscous mixture, like sauce, but it didn't seem to be, but Theresia already loved it, and this mixture itself was along with potatoes, cut into thin slices. Well, there was also a glass of water.
It seems as if they decided to pamper her today, but she didn't mind, because the body is still starving, and she is fed only once a day. Even if it's delicious, it's still not enough for the body to function too well. They prudently keep Theresia on their leash, that she won't be able to oppose them much in the near future, when her muscles really begin to weaken.
And honestly, even though she would like to believe that she would be rescued sooner or later, she was fine with staying in captivity longer if it meant safety for everyone else.
- Damn... if only they would tell me the secret of this white sauce.
It didn't look very pretty, but the girl couldn't argue with the taste sensations that gave her unprecedented pleasure. Whoever created something like this, it's clearly a real born genius.