Intermission:
Elin Luxuria Castitas
Vittelvarlay, the capital of the Great West Revlon Empire, was located smack-dab in the middle of its territory, which ran along the northwestern reaches of the northern continent.
Long before the empire had split in two, back in the days of a unified Revlon Empire, Vittelvarlay had served as the massive capital city. Much of its ancient glamor still remained.
Towering buildings of beautifully polished stone, broken up by expansive roads and parks, sat behind the city’s massive wall. The city gave off a festive atmosphere, filled with people in all manner of dress simply passing through or stopping by to chat with one another.
At the center of the capital sat the majestic Dyonburgh royal palace, so large that it could be considered a small city in its own right. A long carriage was currently departing from it.
This elegantly decorated carriage—clearly belonging to nobility—was being drawn by two muscular horses at a slow, even pace through the streets.
The young man riding inside let out a dramatic sigh as he stared out the window, his head perched on his fist. He’d traveled this same route between the palace and his estate countless times by now.
The young man had perfectly groomed hair and a handsome face to match. However, a look of exhaustion still managed to seep into his troubled smile. Even so, he was no doubt popular with the women. Everything about the man, from the clothes he wore to the gestures he made, was well rehearsed from being under the constant scrutiny of the imperial nobility.
The man sitting in this carriage was Salwis du Ohst, mayor of the palace and assistant to Emperor Gaulba Revlon Selziofebs in both his public and private affairs.
The very fact that such a young man was chosen to be ever-present at the emperor’s side and provide him with council spoke volumes about his skills, not to mention the trust he’d earned.
Though he’d been provided a room in the palace to help him perform his duties, Salwis had secured permission from the emperor to take breaks from palace life to return to his manor.
According to the reports he’d received, depending on how things played out, there was a very real possibility that the emperor would be overthrown. While he certainly was the most powerful figure within the empire, the title of emperor was anything but permanent. Emperor Gaulba was already quite old, and the infighting over who would be his successor was beginning to heat up. If anything were to threaten the emperor’s power, this would change in a heartbeat.
After all, it was well known that a fight over succession had led to the empire splitting in the first place.
Salwis let out another heavy sigh. He let his eyes fall closed as he slumped back into his seat.
A short time later, the carriage pulled up to a large manor off the main road. It passed through what could have easily been mistaken for a park before stopping in front of the entrance.
The driver opened the door, and Salwis stepped out into the open air. He was greeted by his manservant, who’d been patiently waiting at the entrance.
“Good evening, Master Salwis. You have impeccable timing. Ms. Liz has come to meet with you. She’s waiting inside.”
The exhaustion on Salwis’s face immediately melted away at this. “Oh, that’s great news! Imagine that, Liz coming to see me! It’s been some time since I’ve seen her. I best not keep her waiting.”
Leaving his bags for his servants to tend to, Salwis hurried into the manor. Considering that he spent the vast majority of his time in the palace, this manor really served as more of a showpiece than anything else, but it had recently taken on the additional use of serving as a place for him to meet with others in secret.
Salwis usually limited his staff to the skeleton crew necessary to keep the mansion running, leaving the building nearly empty compared to those around it.
The elaborately decorated chambers were silent and devoid of life. His hollow steps echoing through the faintly chill air made the whole building feel like it had already been abandoned.
He sped out, worrying about what kind of inconveniences this building might be causing his guests. He certainly earned more than enough to fully staff this mansion without even breaking a sweat, but given what he generally used this building for, it was preferable to have fewer eyes around. Or at least, that was what he told himself as he reached his destination.
He pulled the door open and stepped into a small room—surprisingly small, considering the size of the massive manor. The room was lit by a fashionable chandelier that cast its glow over the tan and amber furniture. A large table sat in the middle of the room with a buttery-soft leather sofa nearly encircling one side of it.
On the sofa sat a lithe woman with long, blonde hair that practically glowed. She had a refined beauty to her, though her eyes carried a deep, unmistakable sadness. She was dressed in a simple white dress that seemed to intentionally defy the overly elaborate gowns preferred by other noble women. If Salwis hadn’t known better, he might have thought she was in the wrong place.
Her body, however, more than made up for the elegance her dress lacked. The cloth was barely able to contain her feminine curves.
“Ah, Liz! I hope you weren’t waiting long?”
The woman looked up from her book. A gentle smile graced her lips. She possessed a pure, childlike innocence that contrasted with her sensual figure. Salwis’s heart rate sped up.
“Not at all! I just sat down, in fact. Anyway, I’m glad you were kind enough to meet with me again.” Liz lowered her gaze as she spoke in a tranquil tone. Her glowing locks fell over the pale skin of her exposed collar bones, drawing his gaze. Her smile grew broader as she saw where his eyes were fixed.
“C-come to think of it, you haven’t been around lately. Have you been busy?” Salwis’s voice jumped an octave as he hurriedly tried changing the subject, sensing that the woman across from him was all too aware of the power she had over him.
Liz giggled. “Not particularly, no. However, I did make a pilgrimage to Fehrbio Alsus.”
Salwis let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed his chin as he spoke to himself. “Ah, right. Hilk deacons are required to accompany priests on their pilgrimages to the holy capital.”
It’d been some time since Salwis had heard from Liz, and he’d become concerned for her safety. He’d used all the connections at his disposal to try and find her, but he ultimately came up empty-handed.
It turned out there were multiple deacons named Liz, but none of them had been the one Salwis was looking for. The people he’d sent out to look for her had even gone so far as to suggest she wasn’t even a deacon at all.
Now, why would she have cause to lie about something like that? he wondered. Perhaps it had something to do with his role as mayor of the palace, and his connections to the emperor. Perhaps she was just pretending to be a deacon while in actuality being of much lower status within the Hilk church.
The emperor of the Great West Revlon Empire had a rather low opinion of the Hilk, so perhaps she was worried about how it might look if a relationship between a high-level member of the church and a high-ranking official such as himself came to light.
However, judging by the gentle smile she wore, he decided it probably wasn’t a big deal.
***
Salwis had first met Liz about half a year ago.
The air was chilly, snow still coating the ground, as his carriage passed a woman walking along the side of the road dressed in a simple robe. There was an exquisite, almost unnatural beauty about her that immediately drew Salwis in. Before he even realized what he was doing, he’d already stopped his carriage and was calling out to her.
She claimed that she’d ventured out into the affluent suburbs to deliver something to a priest who’d come to pray at one of the manors, but she’d gotten lost along the way. Salwis invited her into his carriage and brought her to her destination. Ever since, they’d met a few times for the occasional dinner or tea.
Liz claimed to be a deacon at one of the churches in the capital, but over the course of their meetings, she’d said little else about herself, aside from her name. Salwis could tell she wasn’t a commoner, but whenever he asked about her past, a look of deep insecurity washed over her face. He never pressed her, though he had ideas about why her reaction was always so extreme.
Perhaps she was the daughter of a noble who’d fallen from grace, or had been excommunicated from her family after a fight over inheritance. Stories like these were anything but rare.
Yet despite that, she didn’t show even a hint of bitterness. She simply responded to his questions with a gentle smile, saying little unless prompted. The mystery surrounding her enchanted him more with each meeting, until Salwis had fully fallen under her spell.
For her part, she seemed to at least tolerate him, and would take time away from the church in order to visit him.
These were the humble beginnings of their romance.
***
Salwis laughed out loud. Something wasn’t quite right.
“I see you’re no stranger to telling jokes of your own, Liz. For a moment, I almost believed you. It would take at least half a month to get to the holy capital from here. Though it feels like forever since I saw you last, not even ten days have passed.”
He laughed again and sat down next to her. Liz stared back at him, meeting his gaze.
“I am a devout Hilk servant. My heart is always in the holy capital.”
Long lashes framed moist eyes as she looked up at Salwis. Her cheeks colored, pale skin flushing as she edged closer to him. There was something almost teasing in her gaze.
“In that case, I must find a way to call you back to me.”
He pressed his lips to hers. She leaned in closer, her eyelids fluttering shut. They kissed deeply. When they finally broke apart, their breathing was ragged.
The air around them was tinged with the fragrant perfume of Liz’s sweat as it traced its way down her neck.
No longer able to resist her sweet scent and pure features, Salwis picked Liz up and dropped her down onto the large, soft bed before climbing atop her, their lips locking once again as he slowly undressed her.
Unlike the layers of clothing preferred among most noble women, Liz wore the simple clothes of a commoner. She was completely naked in a matter of moments. Her golden hair splayed out behind her like a fan, her pink flesh totally exposed to Salwis’s gaze. He yanked roughly at his own clothes.
The two slumped together in a warm, naked embrace.
They locked lips again, then Salwis whispered into her ear as he stroked her cheek. “You truly are a beauty, Liz.”
This made her smile. Liz took his hands in hers and drew them up to her large chest. His fingers pressed into the soft flesh, eliciting moans of encouragement from her. Lost in his own excitement, he brought his head down to capture one of the taut, pink nubs with his lips. Liz smiled down at Salwis as he suckled with the fervor of a hungry infant.
Salwis, now at the edge of his ability to restrain himself, positioned his hips in front of Liz and pressed in, enjoying the warmth she had to offer.
Just when he was at the point of exhaustion, her lips reinvigorated him once again.
The two repeated this process until they both collapsed in a heap of warm contentment. Liz wrapped her arms around Salwis and stroked his hair.
“Feeling better?” She pressed her lips against his forehead, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Hmm?” Salwis looked up at her blankly.
“You looked exhausted.”
He nodded and burrowed his head into her chest. “It’s been one hassle after another lately. We just received a report that Tagent, an imperial colony down on the southern continent, was attacked by giants and undead soldiers. They practically wiped the entire town off the map.”
Liz nodded. “I see…”
“The report came to us quickly, but the colony’s still on a completely different continent. Even if we mustered our forces immediately—not that we could put together an adequate force so quickly—it would be weeks before we arrived.”
He let out a heavy sigh and opened his eyes to look out the window.
“So, you won’t do anything for them?” Liz asked.
Salwis buried his face deep into her bosom, taking in her sweet scent.
“The western imperial army is the closest force that could be mobilized, but the Aspania Kingdom recently mobilized their forces along the border, so they’re out. The northern and southern imperial armies are still dealing with the bastards to the east and obviously can’t go anywhere. Worse, the town of Tisheng down along the southern border has been taken by the eastern empire. If news of how thinly we’re spread got out, the emperor could find himself overthrown.”
And if that happened, then what? The fight over succession would come to the forefront, and all the nobility in the capital would be called to take sides, leaving a wide opening for the Aspania Kingdom or the Holy East Revlon Empire to exploit.
It had only recently become evident that the Great West Revlon Empire would no longer be able to rely on any support from the Rhoden Kingdom. Their own battles over succession had just recently settled, but unfortunately, the western empire had rallied behind Prince Sekt, who was no longer in the running.
In fact, it was looking like Princess Yuriarna would be the next ruler of the Rhoden Kingdom. The princess had been saying all along that she planned to distance herself from the dueling empires, so it seemed incredibly unlikely that she would come to their aid now.
If worse came to worst, the Great West Revlon Empire could find itself completely wiped off the map.
Salwis shook his head, trying to drive such heavy thoughts from his mind. “I’m sorry, Liz. The current emperor has such a poor understanding of the church. Be that as it may, however, I cannot allow him to fall.”
He wrapped his arms around her while she continued stroking his head, a gentle smile coming to her lips. “There’s no need to apologize, Salwis. God certainly understands that you and I would give ourselves up for Him. But your day has not yet come.”
“I need to lie low and bide my time.”
Salwis found himself lulled to sleep by Liz’s soft and gentle voice. He looked back up at her smiling face before finally drifting off.
As he dozed on top of her, Liz’s smile contorted into a sneer.
“The fat and happy hunter has now become the prey.”
Her words went unheard as Salwis dozed peacefully on her lap.
***
Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen high enough to burn off the mist that hung over the capital, a lone figure walked through the haze, like an apparition. Birdsong echoed in the distance.
The young man clenched his jaw, fighting back a yawn. He was a guard who’d just finished a long night shift and was walking back to his home.
Usually, the town would be full of life at this hour, as merchants and other tradespeople prepared for the day, but the long, hanging mist seemed to have kept everyone indoors. The only sounds accompanying the young man were the echoes of his own footsteps on the cobblestone street.
He hunched his shoulders and rubbed at his neck, trying to work some warmth into his skin.
“Pretty cold this mornin’…” he muttered to himself and picked up the pace, trying to ward off the loneliness of this desolate town.
Out of nowhere, someone appeared from the mist right in front of him. The young man jumped back at the sight of the shadowy figure, barely able to contain a shout of surprise. The shadowy figure took on more detail, and a beautiful woman emerged from the mist.
The woman looked like a goddess to the young guard’s eyes, her skin so pale she seemed almost one with the mist. Her golden hair swayed in the breeze. Her simple clothes barely covered her voluptuous body, every step sending a ripple through her chest that drew the guard’s gaze like a fish to bait.
The goddess shot him a gentle smile. He was so focused on her figure that he failed to notice the ominous glow around her. His legs drew him closer and closer as her eyes remained locked on his.
“What brings you out here so early, sir?”
Her gentle face and soft features immediately removed any lingering suspicion the man might have harbored. The corners of his mouth raised, and he scratched the back of his head as he responded.
“W-well, I just finished up on fire watch, and I’m heading home, m’lady.”
A strange look flitted across her face, akin to that of a hunter watching its prey.
“Oh, you’re a guard? You must’ve had such a long night. I think a little relaxation is in order, no? Teehee.”
The faintest hints of a bewitching grin could be seen beneath her mask of innocence. She grabbed the hem of her dress and tugged it up, revealing long, pale legs. The man swallowed hard. He dug through his coin purse before hanging his head in disappointment.
“I’d… I’d love to, but I really don’t have much money on me…” He could only offer up a hollow, self-deprecating laugh as he looked apologetically at the woman in front of him.
However, she showed no sign of disappointment, or even surprise. Instead, she gave him yet another calming smile and shook her head.
“Oh, but you misunderstand. I simply wanted to offer a little reward to those who work so tirelessly to keep us safe.”
She traced her long, slender fingers under the man’s chin and giggled lightly before turning on her heel and starting to walk away. She looked back over her shoulder.
All he could do was follow her into the morning mist.
Though he’d originally been somewhat suspicious of the woman’s behavior, he’d made up his mind now, and he followed firmly after her along the cobblestones. After taking him along a circuitous route through the capital, the woman halted in front of a small, unassuming church in the middle of a cluster of houses.
“Huh. I never knew there was a church here.”
In the course of his duties, the man had traveled much of the capital and was better informed about its layout than the average citizen. However, he was now in an unfamiliar district. Most of the churches in the capital boasted gorgeous designs, feasts for the eyes. This simple, unassuming building was nothing like what he was used to. It stood at a mere two stories, dwarfed by all the three- and four-story apartment buildings surrounding it.
It didn’t even have a bell tower. At first glance, most people probably wouldn’t guess that it was a church. The marks on the entrance, however, were clearly those of the Hilk.
While the guard was busy inspecting the building, the woman walked around the side. As soon as he noticed she was missing, he took off in a jog after her.
They entered the church through an entrance in the back and descended a flight of stairs into the basement. Judging by how easily she moved through the building, the young man assumed that she must have some sort of connection to it.
At the bottom of the stairs, they continued down a musty, mold-filled hallway to a door, on the other side of which was a glorious room lit with magical torches and filled with all manner of furnishings and art.
At the center of the room sat a massive bed, absolutely nothing like the simple pallet the man slept on in his own home.
She stopped in front of the bed, turned, and immediately shed her clothes, exposing her pale flesh, large bosom, and long legs leading up to curvy hips. The guard couldn’t take his eyes off her—this woman who looked so perfect that she must’ve been carved out of stone.
“You’re not just going to leave me here, are you?”
The naked woman shot a charming smile in the guard’s direction. He moved toward her on unsteady legs. As soon as he caught the sweet scent coming off her body, his own body began moving of its own accord as he pushed her onto the bed.
The inviting smile never left her face, even as the man’s eyes went bloodshot and his breathing grew heavier and heavier. She reached up and started undoing the man’s shirt.
He yanked his clothing off aggressively, almost tearing it in the process, and mounted her. The man’s mind went completely blank as he lost himself in pure pleasure, his body wracked with spasms.
“Nnnnngraaaaaaw!!!”
His scream echoed through the room as he continued thrusting away. Drool ran from the side of his mouth, splattering on the woman’s perfect body.
A gentle laugh escaped her lips as the man continued on with his animalistic ritual; Her eyes went completely black, and a harsh, red glow shone from the sockets. Her mouth twisted and tore apart, and a long, snake-like tongue shot out. It crawled up the man and began licking his face.
“Aaaaaaugh!”
The man let out a scream but found that his body would no longer respond. He writhed, desperately trying to escape as he watched the woman transform into a monster.
“Kyahahahahahaha!”
Her maniacal laughter filled the underground room. Despite multiple attempts to get away, the man felt his body weakening. His eyes sank back into his face and his skin lost its luster as his muscles and fat withered. In a matter of seconds, he dropped down onto the bed, looking like a dried-out mummy.
The woman pulled the now-dry stump out from her between her legs, kicked the corpse to the ground, and sat back on the bed.
“Aaah, that little snack took some of the edge off.” She laughed to herself. “It’d be a waste if I don’t eat as many men as I can before this city is wiped off the map.”
Still naked, she rolled over to look down at the discarded remains of the man next to the bed. Her face had returned to that of an innocent beauty, not a trace of the monster to be seen.
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