Crusader King, Chapter 7

The grounds of the mining town were dyed in the blood of the wicked and the air was filled with the smoke of burning decrepit buildings... And burning flesh, as the Knight's of the Rose at my order's tossed all the corpses into the burning, decrepit buildings that had collapsed.

As I knew all too well that leaving corpses around to just rot would lead to the diseases being spread. "My lord, the final captives have been loaded up from the caves after being given a general cleaning." A knight spoke softly as I watched, as the knights finally calmed down the bandit's low-quality horses to help in the operation.

I exhaled and nodded. "Good, now let's get their horses hooked up to the carts and begin making our way back to Anarchia. We have much to do in getting these people situated." I spoke firmly.

All the while, I was keeping an eye on the mentally broken effeminate young boy's and the women as I wondered if it was actually possible for me to... Give them purpose, or if they were going to be a total burden to me.

'Even as a Viscount, and the money I have looted along with Princess Prim Fiore's very generous payment. Having more then a hundred mentally shattered piles of flesh with no mind inside is too expensive to have for long if I want to give them any real care.' I mused quietly to myself.

So I needed to find a way to 'fix' these people lest I need to give them a mercy killing via putting them to sleep. Like most other people did to those too far gone and mentally broken.

I went up to my personal carriage and I just waited for the rest of the knights and the few soldier's who were trusted to finish loading everything up. But after a minute, Castorice spoke through the metal grate window on the door.

"My lord, one of the captives requests to speak with you." 

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Very well, send them in." I spoke as I wondered if it was a disgraced noble or something. As otherwise, I doubted some commoner's would be brave enough to demand or even request an audience frankly.

After a minute, that person was brought to me, it was the blond elf that actually had some will left in her eye's that I saw when I cleared out the jailhouse and killed the leader of the bandits.

"My name is Aerin Lucullus." She spoke softly but firmly as she met my gaze.

And that name... It danced across my mind like an unforgotten thought. Like I should have remembered it.

But then it struck me. Her last name.

"You bear the same last name as the reincarnated goddess; that is certainly something. In either case, what did you wish to speak with me about?" I asked calmly.

The blond shifted slightly before she took a deep breath and spoke quietly. "I ask that my cousins in Belle, and Galadr be taken care of in return for my service. And us not being thrown out of your protection. As my family has many enemies."

I frowned before I realized something. "You truly are related to Celestine, aren't you?" 

The elf scowled with hate appearing in her eye's before she lowered her eye's and spoke quietly. "Yes my lord... I indeed bear that empty blood within my veins. Celestine's so called divinity now rings hollow with the evil having been done." 

Now... Being a man of culture, even if I didn't know everything about the world of Kuroinu's lore. I knew something very important in universe everyone wanted to keep very fucking quiet.

Celestine Lucross, the 'reincarnated goddess' who this elf claimed to be related to. It was more akin to a vessel of that goddess's power, not actually the goddess herself.

And 'somehow' after millennia of keeping the worst of the northern dark magic's and monsters confined to the far north. Now, abruptly, she has lost that divine connection, and the Princess Knight's were keeping it secret.

This loss of power for Celestine was how Vult was able to overpower the world and create his 'cuntry' or Service Nation. In which women had no rights, and whatever nonsense the evil man wanted.

"And what evil has been done. What enemies do you have?" I asked with a frown.

Aerin took a deep breath and spoke clearly but with obvious despair-filled acceptance. "I learned how my father, and the rest of the elvish nobility decided to overthrow Celestine as the ruler of the so-called civilized world. They used a ritual they stole from the northern dark elves to block Celestine's divine connection." 

"And now they want to silence you... Or mentally break you, so that you cannot and won't reveal their secrets?" I spoke with a slight frown.

That frown, was entirely my thoughts on ancient elves who would want to fuck me over if I gave shelter to this girl. But I took a breath and spoke quietly. "You are free of those bandit's being under my protection and service when I am Princess Prim Fiore's court mage will only drag you into the spotlight."

Aerin shook her head. "They won't bother silencing me now. Celestine has been tainted with an evil god's touch and the goddess of light won't even look at her, even as the ritual has worn off. They have already won after all." 

'So that's why the goddess of light abandoned Celestine... It makes sense at least.' I mused before I shifted a bit, and I looked at Aerin who met my gaze. "So, what can you offer me Aerin. You want my personal protection. And what, care for your cousins who are mentally gone?" 

There was a silence before Aerin took a breath and kneeled in front of me on the front of the carriage. "Yes my lord... I will offer all that I have, all that I am. For you, my lord to have my cousins who are all but my sister's to be cared for as I am unable to care for them properly." 

I sighed as this was obviously a heavy topic but... I asked the most poignant of points. "What special talents do you have then?"

"I am of the Lucellus line, even if the goddess has abandoned the bloodline. Magic runs thick within it, and hints of divinity could be found." She reported with a deep breath obviously waiting for my decision.

I was silent for a moment as I considered things. Whether those elves who betrayed Celestine would be an issue. Or whether I should get involved with that. But in the end, I came to a couple of conclusions.

There was no point in my getting involved at this point. Celestine was already tainted and had lost her divine favor. And myself making a massive stink in killing or capturing the elvish nobility of the Geofu kingdom would only ruin my own life.

And as for Aerin herself... Well, having my own pocket mage in the future who owed me would be useful. Especially seeing as I didn't have any actual magic training in this universe's magical system.

"Fine, I will give you my protection then," I spoke after a moment of thought. I almost said something along the lines of wanting her to learn magic and what not...

But I myself didn't have any magical knowledge so I just kept that bit of thought to myself.

"Now you should go ride with your cousins in the other cart's I would prefer to relax for a bit Aerin." I spoke as I could hear the other knight's actions pick up in volume as obviously they were getting ready to go.

Aerin nodded, and as she stood up in the carriage she bowed her head slightly and said quietly. "Yes, my lord, please excuse me."

The elf then left my carriage, leaving me alone to my thoughts for a while until Castorice joined me in the carriage. And then our caravan of knights moved all the people back towards the city of Anarchia.

The ride itself back to Anarchia was simple with how the roads were already cleared of bandit's and any issues by Castorice and her knights while I was dealing with the goblins.

No, the main issue was getting the... Mentally shattered people back into something of an orderly situation within the city.

"These people don't even have identities... Sure if they were taken out of Anarchia, that would be easy to figure out. But what if they belong to merchant families from other towns, villages, or kingdoms?" I muttered before sighing as I saw the line of broken people being moved into the massive governor's mansion.

But in the end, I took a breath as I knew that I NEEDED to give these people some form of identification. Not only for my own convenience, but I knew that having some form of identity would help them put themselves back together mentally.

At least that was in the case of Castorice, Artoria, and other members of the Knights of the Rose. Their minds, after all that stress, put themselves together with the identity that they were now MY knights and their liege lord.

"Castorice, I want them all counted, then I want that number to have coins collected and each coin stamped with a number to be given to them on a string... We will burn an identity into these broken husks of women... And men." I spoke as I couldn't actually call the twinks that were collected, men with a straight face.

I shook my head before I mused that I was going to need to... 'Re-break' these people like a broken bone needing it done so it could heal properly to get them going.

"Yes my lord." Castorice said simply.

"Good, with a new day. I am going to check in to see how well Artoria did. Then, depending on that, I will be going out into the city to check on some things if I don't need to fix anything." 

As hopefully... Artoria didn't completely botch everything while I was gone.

So I headed into the city lord's mansion, heading towards the main office where Artoria should be if she wasn't dealing with something important. As the Order of the Rose had obviously taken over the operations of the city.

-

When I arrived at the office, I saw Artoria was sitting at the table and she looked up with a slight frown that melted away into a smile as she saw me.

"Ah my lord, I have much to share with you. Would you care to sit down while we speak?" She offered towards a couch across the office.

I nodded and I held in a smile as Artoria all but scampered out of her seat even if her movements could at a glance be called 'elegant' but she was moving a bit too jerkily and hurried to get to me to be called anything but desperate.

"Ahhh my master. I have missed you." She whispered as she climbed onto the couch and pushed her chest into my side and her face into my neck to take in my scent or something.

As she began kissing my neck, I knew I needed to keep Artoria. 'On Target' lest I end up with her legs behind her head and myself not getting any answeres to say the least for another hour.

"Artoria." I said firmly to get her attention and making her pause with her letting out a breathy exhale before I continued. "Report on the situation with the merchants before anything else." 

With her pausing in her needy actions, I turned in the couch with one of my legs going past her side as I leaned on the arm of the couch to give us a bit of space and allow us to make eye contact.

But nope, in meeting her eye's I realized she was already in 'heat' as she had those damned heart eye's but it seems she was able to control herself as she spoke in husky... Yet emotionally empty voice.

"Your knights broke into the merchant lord's homes, and the majority. More than three-quarters of them had sex slaves in their basements or even in simple side-locked rooms that they would use for personal use, or for entertaining guests... Also, they had obviously been cheating their taxes to ludicrous levels due to them having been selling ore's and materials gathered up by monsters without reporting it." 

I nodded slowly before I said. "And those slaves? Are they mentally... Still there and how many did you save, and the merchants are secured?" I asked worried about how many dependents I now had.

Artoria tilted her head to the side and then smiled but it was a scary thing as she spoke casually. "Oh the victims? Thinking of you my lord, I have began a process to train them into more knights. Even if they do not have the magical or life force potential to be a true elite knight. They can have purpose." 

Artoria leaned forward with her hands reverently going to my shoulders with her eye's filling my vision as she spoke in a husky whisper. "Yes my darling master. I won't fail you, I won't allow dregs to pull you down. Nooo those broken tools will find use in your hands I promise." 

'Oooook. She is truly off the deep end... But it's kinda hot honestly.' I thought but also there was the thought that hey, if Artoria wanted to take up all the stress of making these broken husks of goblin breeder's or cock sleeves into my tools.

Then I wasn't going to say no obviously.

'Wait... How come, I feel like Artoria is going to make these people into a cult, not an army?' I mused with my lips twitching at the thought.

Any further thought was distracted as Artoria leaned in the rest of the way with her lips touching my ear's. "The merchants have been put away into the dungeons so they are no issue until Princess Alicia gets here tomorrow afternoon. So did I do a good job my master?" 

"Yes, you did a good job Artoria." I said with a wry smile with those hearts that had replaced Artoria's pupils glowing in response.

Then, before the hentai knight could reboot herself as she bit her lower lip slightly in joy at earning praise from me. I did the 'smart' thing to distract her.

I just whipped it out and with a hand going to her head. I pushed her down, and Artoria was many things. But at her core, she was a hentai knight. So seeing my cock and her face closing in.

'Got to say... For all the stress this bitch gives me. She can suck the shine out of the sun.' I thought as I leaned back into the couch as I was fucking exhuasted after dealing with all the bandits, goblins, and everything else.

"That's great," I spoke with a sigh of relief as I just relaxed with Artoria's head movements increasing in speed at the verbal praise.

Artoria's head kept bouncing on my lap, and then as her nose finally rested on my navel. I felt her swallow around my length. Her throat massaged around my length before she swirled her tongue around.

She kept repeating the motions, and I just sighed as I reached my peak while she happily, and I meant literally happily, swallowed down my load. 

After I finished my orgasm, I just sighed and said quietly. "Good girl. I am going to get some sleep, Artoria." 

Artoria pulled off my dick and she pulled a napkin off the side to clean me off before she whispered softly. "Yes, my lord. I will lock the door behind myself."

A soft hand gently cupped my cheek with her looking into my eyes before she stood up and left the room.

And then as Artoria left, I had a thought before my sleep-deprived mind let go and I drifted off. 'I hope I don't wake up to the mansion of fire.'

I was awoken by the sound of someone knocking on the door, and looking at the window, I saw that it was well past midday. "Alright, alright." I muttered as I stood up.

Walking over to the door I was welcomed to the sight that was Grace Campbell, the big titty dark elf. And behind her was her best friend Anna Florence who also... Had some fantastic tits, but she was a normal elf.

"Darling, I see you have been busy." Grace spoke with a bright smile and I saw she had a large case that obviously was her belongings.

I smiled and I leaned in to kiss Grace with my hands wrapping around her hips for a moment. Before I pulled back, as I knew Anna wasn't going to be so comfortable with such a thing.

Breaking the kiss, I asked curiously. "So you are ready to come with me tomorrow back to the kingdom of Ur?" 

Grace nodded with her wrapping an arm around my side, her leaning her head on my shoulder. "That knight Artoria told me that we will be leaving tomorrow, or maybe on the next day. And Anna wanted to come spend some time with me before I left." 

I hummed before giving Anna a smile with her flushing. And then I recalled how she obviously listened in on our fucking. And my 'seduction' of Grace.

"Ahem." I spoke with a wry smile. "Anyway, thank you for waking me up, Grace. Why don't you ladies go to the dining hall for dinner, I will meet you there in a few minutes. I need to check in with my knights." 

Grace just squeezed her arm around my waist. Before she let go with an amused sigh, leaving her. "Oh, very well. Anna, lets make sure these knights and the servants in here even know how to cook. Jake, make sure to be at the dining hall within half an hour."

I then gave Grace a subtle squeeze of her ass to make her jolt a bit and she gave me a heated look before she huffed and pulled her friend away... But I saw that her hips were swaying with a good deal of motion to tease me as she went.

"Alrighty... Time to go see what fire has caught while I got some sleep." I muttered with a sigh before I headed on through the governor's mansion.

Once I saw the first knight wearing the leather armor I am forcing them to wear seeing as they fucking HATE plate armor despite having literal super powers basically. I asked her where Castorice and Artoria are.

To which she told me that they were in the upper levels of the dungeons... Because of course, the corrupt and evil city lord had multiple levels to his dungeons.

So I headed on down there and as I reached the large dungeon. My face twisted as I thought. 'Yup... That's a fucking cult right there.' 

Line's of cloaked figures, with each cloak having awkwardly sewn in lettering depicting a string of numbers and I could count down the numbers heading downwards towards the front of the line of kneeling cloaked figures.

At the end was number 1, and 2 with more ornate cloaks, and I easily recognized Artoria and Castorice's blond and purple hair hanging out of the cloaks.

No the most mentally pressing issue was the very rough statue that was clearly myself wearing the thin leather chainmail armor I wore when I went to save these people.

And Artoria was in the thick of it with her extremely cultish speech that made me want to scream.

"Brothers and sisters! Blessed are we to bask in the light of His divine will! For among the endless wretches who wander blind through this world broken via the cruel pleasures and agonies forced upon ourselves, we alone have been given sight! And who, I ask, has graced us with this revelation? Who has torn the veil from our eyes and shown us the path of true purpose?"

"It is He! It is the one whose name echoes in the very marrow of our souls... Jake Bariss! The Viscount of Ur, he who will become the king of Ur itself and then further beyond!" Artoria spoke with hyper zealotry.

Meanwhile, I was mentally screaming. 'Artoria! That's fucking treason! Reee don't get me assassinated by whatever hidden competent soldiers the princess has!'

"Oh, how the unworthy toil in their aimless existence! Lost, adrift, shackled by their own frailty and broken of mind. But He..."

"He in his boundless magnanimity... Has given them chains of purpose! For those who wander without guidance and are empty of minds. He has bestowed direction! For those who lacked meaning, He will continue to forge them anew in servitude, their bodies bound not in suffering, but in devotion and shared purpose!"

"We are but vessels for his purpose, the clay which He shall shape into a new world! The unworthy may scorn us, they may sneer at His truth—but we know! We know! That in his shadow, we are made whole!"

"Within his service, we are exalted! And woe, woe unto those who deny His will, for their existence shall be rendered dust beneath the weight of his glory!"

Near the door, next to a couple more Order of the Rose knights I looked past their own cloaks only to see their face flushed as they stared at me even as they clearly listened to Artoria's sermon.

Then it got worse... Somehow.

As Castorice took to the front to begin speaking while Artoria got herself a drink. And my face twitched as coming into the room, I could smell the heady scent of arousal and fluids having been spent.

Then my eye's further adjusted to the darkness was able to make out more details of the cloaked figures... Like how even in their kneeling form, they were using toys on themselves and holding in their reactions with a couple of knights striking at the one's who actually seemed to be reaching their peaks with corded whips.

Castorice began speaking, and her voice was filled with even more zealotry somehow then Artoria herself had.

"They do not understand! Those who believe themselves free! Those who still cling to their false pride, their pathetic notions of self worth! They do not feel what we feel! They do not know the pleasure of obedience to our Lord!"

"The untested are blind! They will spit upon us, mock us as fools and the blinded themselves, but in the dark, they truly envy us!"

"Their bodies ache with emptiness unknown to themselves, their souls are barren! They do not know the exquisite rapture of being taken, used, and then made whole! But we? We are His! We are beloved!"

"We are his sacred flesh, his sacred tools, his sacred playthings! We exist not for our own will, but for his. Every breath we take, every whimper, every cry of pleasure. All belong to Him!"

Castorice continued, and meanwhile Artoria who had left the raised podium, silently walked around the bent over crowd of... A hundred and sixty people, according to the back row's embroidered cloaks 

Artoria silently pulled me out of the dungeon and once she pulled me out she met my gaze and with an unsettling smile of devotion, she spoke. "My lord, are you proud of us? In but twelve hours of enhanced toying with the Broken, we used drug's and cursed tools to bring a light to their eyes. To forge them anew!"

Very unsure of what the fuck to say at this point. I just spoke the first thing to come to mind. "I am sure they will not be disloyal at the least... But uhh, what is the name of this group you are making?" 

Artoria tilted her head to the side slightly before she spoke calmly. "I am your knight within the light, my lord. Castorice has decided to be your blade in the dark, unless you want a name for the group of these tools to make them not disposable. I suggest you don't even give the group a name."

I chewed on my cheek for a moment as Artoria stared at me in an unblinking stare. Just patiently awaiting for my response. Then it struck me. I got that pretty blond elf and a couple more elves and with how broken and obviously zealous these people were going to be.

"Shadow Garden. This... Group will be called Shadow Garden, and I don't want them to be disposable. Train them in your knight methods to allow them to use life force or whatever it is you do to become stronger." 

Artoria tilted her head to the side and said easily, "Very well, what you speak of is called Touki by the way. In either case, we will have to adjust our training plans then if they are not to be used as disposable tools to elevate your position." 

Exhaling, I took a new breath and said firmly. "Artoria... I- I want a standing army for my position. I don't want a cabal of just disposable one-use assassins. Do you understand?" 

And Artoria just nodded gently and said with fervor. "I understand my lord. We will push them to be more than just disposable tools, then to remove your rivals... Now would you care to give a speech to your acolytes?"

The thought of giving a speech to literally a hundred people fucking themselves with sex toys...

"No, I have other things to take care of... And make sure Princess Alicia doesn't come across these. Come across Shadow Garden." I said with finality before I took a breath and left the hall outside of the large with Artoria's eye's heavily following me as I left.