Chapter 38: A High Queen and Party Poopers

Disclaimer: Sooooo…Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the copyright infringement office and tell their lawyers that Omit Everything does not own Highschool DxD. On its way out, it forgot to mention that he owns the OCs so Omit made chicken soup that night. (No actual chickens were harmed in the process of making this short bit…okay one was but he knew too much).

Speech – "Hey, I'm Pierce."

Inner Speech – [Neat]

Thoughts – 'I'm dead.'

Spells – ~Jumon~

2 Days Later, Svartalfheim

The hierarchy of supernatural beings came down to two simple concepts. The first of these concepts was power. This was a given. With power you could protect what you hold dear from those that wish it harm. With power you could invade other lands for resources and manpower. Power made the world go round. Without it many would either ignore you or worse, crush you under their heel. It was a cold truth but a truth nonetheless. Humans were no different.

The second was pedigree. In the same way, pedigree held a certain sway. It's what made a king a king and a slave a slave. The majority of the supernatural world (with some exceptions) looked at someone's pedigree before the person even if said person was incredibly powerful. That's because pedigree meant history and history meant a lot to any race.

Far away from the Flostenebris Royal Capital and in the dead center of Northern Svartalfheim, a Dark Elf that had both these concepts in spades stood reading a letter. The Dark Elf was a tall woman were gray skin that was a shade darker than the rest of her kind. Long black hair that reached her lower back, an incredibly voluptuous figure that was hidden by her robe and a silver tiara that fit snuggly around her forehead. This was the queen and sole ruler of the Tardálfar kingdom, Alva Tardálfar. And she was smiling a beautiful smile.

"I believe you owe me that bottle of Asgardian Ale now." Alva said, turning to look at the figure kneeling on the ground. It was a male Dark Elf with red armor and a handsome face that was slightly ruined by his stony expression. This was Calder, her Royal Guard, childhood friend and on occasion lover.

"It could be a trick meant to lower our guard my queen. They may need to resort to such tactics after the siege on Svartálfar Wall. They must be stretched thin." Alva tilted her head in thought.

"Possibly but of those two brats, I could only see the girl pulling something like this off and the wording is far too direct. If this was her, she would have definitely added some flattering words."

"So you think the reports are true?" Calder asked and she nodded.

"It seems their wayward king found his way home." Alva dropped the letter that had the Flostenebris Royal mark on her desk and proceeded to lounge on her throne. "Send a response back as soon as possible and invite him to the party; we have some catching up to do." Calder bowed and stood to exit, ready to fulfill his queen's command. Watching her loyal guard leave the room, Alva found herself staring blankly into space. Alva would be lying if she said she didn't have reservations on helping the Flostenebris family. After the whole debacle with their infighting, she was putting her own credibility at risk if they handled this poorly.

'Though that's nothing new to my line is it?' She internally snorted, finding her random thought quite on the mark. She could just back out from this war. The leader of the Dökkálfar Faction already came to her once, hoping that she'll stay out of this war. It would be so easy to. It wasn't like she owed the other kings anything nor do they expect it. Maybe…

"Mother?" A quiet voice interrupted Alva's thoughts. She turned her head and saw a small Dark Elf girl peek inside from the door.

"Eleanor? What happened sweetie?" Her nine year old daughter looked around the room curiously.

"Are you busy?" Eleanor fidgeted when Alva shook her head. "I-I just finished my first lesson on Light Magic."

"So you can cast a 1st Order Spell? Can you show me?" The Queen softly smiled when her daughter beamed and walked forward, excited to show off her efforts. Alva personally found her daughter's love for Light Magic a little odd. Her race was naturally attuned to Dark Magic along with those that branched off it like Necromancy and Death Magic but Eleanor preferred the opposite. She, in her words, found it "warmer" and more "welcoming" (she wasn't wrong). Regardless, her daughter rarely made requests so when she asked for a teacher to study Light Magic she didn't think twice.

~Ljóss Lið!~ A Norse circle appeared in front of her daughter before a way of light went out from it. It washed over the room and Alva closed her eyes as the energy cleansed her. Contrary to popular belief, light powers weren't poisonous to Dark Elves like they were to Devils and Vampires. Even when it came to Devils, it usually has to be holy light for it be dangerous. Alva reopened her eyes to see Eleanor's expectant gaze.

"That was very good. I see those lessons Kari has been giving you paid off."

"They have! She's shown me all these exercises on how to communicate with Light Mana and how she'll teach me to commune with Light Spirits and…" Alva just listened to her daughter talk, pulling her up on her lap to get more comfortable. Watching the excited little girl go on and on about her studies to how her day went reaffirmed why she was doing this.

Alva Tardálfar didn't do easy. She knew who Talien served and refused to submit to the Monster God. Her ancestor did something similar long ago and look where she ended up. A splintered realm and a blemish in history. Alva would fight for what she believed in and if the First Dark Elf Queen's bloodline ended with her then…then she'd just have burn that bridge when she gets to it.

'I hear Alfheim is nice this time of the year…'

Back to Pierce

"…So you took the whole thing?" Vargas asked incredulously, admiring the small piece of the Rime Stone in his hand.

"Yeah. I tried to break it in half with Tyrfing but even after a couple of hits, that piece was all that came off so I just chucked the whole thing inside. Veiði didn't say anything." I shrugged as I leaned against the railing, holding my head up with one hand. Aindrea looked at me with a strange expression.

"Do you have any idea how much something like that is worth?"

"…A lot?"

"I think it's a little more than "a lot" Pierce." Melissa deadpanned and I blinked.

"Oh…so a lot lot?"

Getting a round of scuffs and eye rolls, I waved my hand when Vargas asked if he could keep the piece he was holding. The entire team was lounging in Eldon's office, having been summoned an hour ago. To say the king's return was awkward was like saying Aphrodite was beautiful or that Zeus was once a player. The city was in an uproar; its citizens surprised and excited to see their missing king had returned. I was slightly shocked to see how loved Eldon was with how we were paraded as heroes for bringing him back.

The castle was a different situation altogether. While the soldiers and lesser officers were happy to see their ruler, the nobles weren't. Lecturing and putting both Crown runners under house arrest, the nobles that split the kingdom were also punished. The last two days were spent cleaning up the mess his kids made and for the most part, it was going without issue.

'If you don't count putting your highest ranked subordinate in prison a small bump.' Eldon didn't forget to punish the main perpetrator for his disappearance. Deublyg was brought in immediately by order of the Elf King and was to face trial after this war was over. The zealous General didn't react or resist when his (reluctant) troops arrested him. All he said in his defense was that he was glad Eldon was safe and sound. I would've snorted at the comment…if I wasn't there and sensed how he was completely genuine.

That traitor Dark Elf sure was a mixed bag.

"Ah, you're all here good. Forgive me for the wait; we had little time to prepare." Eldon entered the room with Emma and Elijah coming up behind him. Adrian slightly bowed to the king.

"It is alright we haven't been waiting long. However, what are you preparing for?"

"The invitation to the High Queen's Ball." Eldon sat behind his desk and took out a letter, giving it to Adrian. A symbol with fancy silver engravings that formed into a crown rested on the front. "Queen Alva invited us after I sent a letter explaining my absence and the subsequent turmoil that came after."

"What is the High Queen's Ball?" Adrian asked and Emma answered.

"It was the annual event hosted by the Original Ruler of Svartalfheim and Matriarch of the Dark Elves, Runa Tardálfar. She would invite the lords of her kingdom to the ball and give out awards to those that did great military achievements, contribute to the realm or both. While the Tardálfar Family no longer rules all of Dark Elf kind, they are still oldest bloodline to exist and they do have the strongest army in Svartalfheim. The queen is also said to be immensely powerful." We paid rapt attention to Emma's explanation and I found myself comparing the Tardálfar Royal Family to the Lucifer Clan. Both Progenitors helped tremendously in making their once glorious kingdom a shell of its former self (though it could be argued Lucifer did a better job).

But even with their failures, their words still carried weight. The Lucifer Clan still had massive sway over Devil population to the point where the descendants used it to start a civil war and the Tardálfar Royal was most likely the same. If they added their own say on top of Eldon's already high reputation then they could earn back the trust of the other kingdoms.

"So when is this ball?"

"In a couple of hours. We are to travel to the Tardálfar kingdom as soon as we can. You should all start to get ready." Emma said and I furrowed my brows.

"You all?" The Princess nodded.

"You are coming along as our Guard detail." Emma said, standing up and leaving with Elijah. I turned to the others.

"So who wants to go?" While the Princess implied we could all go, that probably wasn't the best idea. What happens if they were all gone and Talien attacks the wall again or Deublyg chooses to escape? Their soldiers were spread thin enough from protecting the wall and keeping the city in order. Also, the imprisoned Dark Elf was supposedly the strongest combatant the kingdom had and the way he came in without resistance was very suspicious. "Personally, I don't do Royal Balls so I'm out."

"Really? Why not?" Melissa asked and I sighed, gaining a distant expression.

"It was the summer of '95. I sat under the moonlight of the bus stop as I waited for Catherin Silvia. I still remember the smell of the orchard I held in my hands but it never reached its intended place. It was a lonely night."

"…"

"…"

"…What?" I chuckled.

"Also, I can't dance."

Vargas and Maven also called out as well, not wanting to deal with a room full of snotty nobles and politics. So that left Adrian, Samantha, Aindrea and Melissa to go as the guard detail. Eldon was still working behind his desk as we decided so he knew and had a couple of maids to come arrange us.

"Wait, do they have to actually dress up for this Ball?" I asked, seeing the maids bring noble attire and the king nodded.

"Even for the personal guards, it's in bad taste to come in armor and open weaponry."

"…Isn't that the purpose of a guard?" I deadpanned and he wryly smiled.

"I don't make the rules." I looked at the others as they browsed the different outfits and an idea entered my head.

"Hey, if you don't mind I got an idea for what they can wear. I promise it'll be very high class." He quirked a brow before shrugging.

"Sure." I widely smiled as I turned to the resident mage.

"Great. Hey Maven, I'm going to need that teaching outfit I gave you awhile ago."

5 Hours Later, Tardálfar Castle

The Flostenebris royal carriage was pulled along the neat and immaculate streets of Førál, capital of the Tardálfar kingdom. One of the oldest, if not the eldest, city in Svartalfheim the barriers that protected this city were numerous. Samantha commented that the barriers they passed through were eerily similar if not a bit weaker than the ones she sensed when in Asgard's walls. Considering Odin's connection to the original High Queen, it wasn't a surprise that the God King helped set up protection for her city.

The castle itself was another story all together. Looking more like a palace than a European castle, there were no high walls or towers but that did not mean it wasn't heavily protected. Large beacons of light illuminated the darkness with a great number of soldiers regularly patrolling the grounds with large beasts that ranged from 5 meter tall wolves to Wyverns flying in the air space. The night sky made the beasts all the more intimidating.

"The Queen doesn't joke around when it comes to her soldiers huh?" Melissa commented as she scanned some of the troops with her sensing abilities. Plenty emitted dense auras of Spiritual Energy and Chi, some even locking eyes with her when she did so. 'The fact they noticed my probe means they could use Chi techniques to the level of an average Yokai.' Considering the majority of her race are expected to learn to manipulate Chi when they come of age, a large army of Elves doing the same was actually very impressive.

"Like I said, she may not rule all of Dark Elf kind anymore she still has the strongest army in Svartalfheim. Well…second strongest anyway." The group frowned at Eldon's words, staring at the approaching palace. The strongest army in this realm naturally went to Talien's Dökkálfar Faction. The Dark Elf king's rise to power was actually in large portion successful due to Zeth. Originally a king of a small kingdom that he ruled with fear, Zeth helped Talien assimilate the neighboring kingdoms by having Shuten and Shiruku assassinate their rulers. By the time the stronger kingdoms found out about the deed, Talien gained a tight grip on most of Southern Svartalfheim.

'And now he has a large number of enslaved Dwarves making him magical weapons of war. Wonderful.' Adrian thought as the carriage arrived in front of the palace entrance. A butler waited outside and bowed when both Royal members walked out.

"Welcome your Majesty Eldon Flostenebris and Princess Emma Flostenebris, my Queen has been awaiting your arrival. Please, follow me." Walking towards the door, the father and daughter duo followed with the others keeping a respectful distance. Eldon was wearing a blue noble's attire with frills and a cape. Emma wore a long red dress and a tiara, looking every bit a royal princess. The team on the other hand…

"This is actually pretty easy to move in." Samantha said as she stretched her arms, the clothes she was wearing easily bending with her moments. Melissa agreed, straightening her black jacket. Both women were wearing a copy of the pantsuit Pierce gave Maven on their first magic lesson. Using it whenever she taught a magic lesson, two more outfits were made for the girls though the chest area had to be adjusted since it was too big for them (The mage made a smug face when they said so). Adrian and Aindrea were wearing modern suits with white undershirts and black ties, something the Demigod was currently hating with a passion.

"Urghhh, damn this infernal thing. Why did I agree to this?"

"Because you're a push over when someone asks you for something?" The healer said with a quirked brow and Aindrea scowled.

"I am a Half God of Olympus; I 'am no push over you-Argh God damn it! It came off again!" Melissa sighed and helped him re-tie it for the third time.

"Stop touching it and it won't come off."

"It itches!"

"And it itches because you keep touching it!"

"Oh shut up and fix the damn thi-Arghhh!"

Adrian rubbed his forehead in exhaustion when Melissa tightened Aindrea's neck wear a bit more than necessary, leaving the Demigod coughing and the Shadow Yokai smirking. Samantha didn't help when she asked a nearby guard if her teammate committed murder but they weren't part of the kingdom, would they be charged?

The Emissary internally praised the guard for not reacting (though his brow twitched for a second).

Reaching the inner palace without further issue, they came to a room that screamed royalty. A large hall with a spotless marble floor, stone pillars holding up the high ceiling and a grand mural detailing the Ancient history of the Dark Elves. Rows of tables with a countless number of delicacies from across the realms sat. It seemed like they were one of the last kingdoms to arrive because many Dark Elves with expensive clothing and jewelry mingled. From the explanation Emma gave the team before they set off and on the ride over, there were currently 8 kingdoms currently in the Coalition. Excluding Eldon and Ava, the other six were older kings that were around since the time of the first High Queen. They were the lords that were able to keep their territories intact and running after Odin's pact with Runa.

"Ah Eldon my boy, it good to see you still alive. I was starting to worry if your upstart days were over." An older Dark Elf with slightly gray hair and a small build walked forward, eliciting a grin from the mentioned king.

"Hello Erico, I see your old bones haven't given out yet." The elder Dark Elf scoffed.

"Oh not to worry, I'm not going anywhere. Can't when things are just getting interesting." Erico smiled and turned to Emma. "I see your search bared fruit. Well done."

"You played a big part and for that I'll forever be grateful." Emma bowed to the old king and he accepted with a small nod. Erico Fraráð was the king of the Fraráð Kingdom and was the father of Eldon's late wife, Earleen. An arranged marriage set up by their parents, the kingdoms have always been close allies and mourned the late queen when she perished by an incurable disease. Erico was in fact the one who Emma went to when the search for her father ran into a dead end and everyone started fighting over the crown. The elder king pointed Emma to Asgard, knowing that doing such a thing would hurt his reputation if found out but did it anyway. They would remember this kindness.

"Come, Queen Ava gave a speech earlier and said that official business would commence later in the evening. Let's catch up with the other kings in the meantime shall we?" Taking the hint from Erico to use this chance to rebuilt the connections his children nearly destroyed, Eldon marched into towards the other guests will firm steps.

Left to their own devices, the team chose to spread out and wander around the outer edges of the room. Many stern looking Dark Elves in noble outfits were doing the same and were most likely the guards the other kings brought. Adrian walked up a flight of stairs that led to the upper balcony, allowing him full view of the party below. Soft music played as some nobles danced on the unnecessarily wide dance floor and caterers walked around with drinks and treats. The Emissary rejected a caterer who offered him a drink and respectfully excused himself from a group of noble ladies who asked where he was from or on his outfit (this was actually the reason he made the trip up). He heard a chuckle from his left when he said "no" to another caterer.

"You are a guard but no one said you can't enjoy yourself a little." The words came from a tall Dark Elf who was drinking something a caterer brought. A handsome face with short sliver hair, the Dark Elf nodded to the floor below. "Looks like your friend's understand that." Adrian furrowed his brows at the comment and turned his head back to the lower floor. He found out what the Dark Elf meant immediately. Melissa was holding a small plate that struggled to hold the mountain of food placed on it and seemed to have no plan on slowing down. Aindrea was speaking to a couple of noble woman and was getting intimately close to one, who didn't seem to have a problem with it (though the wedding ring she wore as a necklace was concerning). Samantha was the only one acting fine, peacefully sharing one of her books with a small Elf boy in the corner.

Now if only it wasn't an Eldritch Spell book Maven gave her a couple months ago…He should probably go stop that (then again, the little boy's face lit up like he was reading an exciting kid's story).

"Don't judge a book by its cover; they're much more reliable than they look…usually." Adrian spoke and looked back at the Dark Elf, outstretching his hand. "Adrian."

"Halvar. I've heard of you." Halvar said, getting a surprised look from the Emissary.

"You have?"

"Emissary to the Greek Gods and Leader of the Red Dragon Slayer, yes I have."

"Leader?" Adrian made an odd expression at the title. It implied that he had control over the crazy bundle that was Pierce. Granted, he usually listens to the Emissaries' orders without issue, half the time he would do his own thing. "And what should I know you by?"

"Unfortunately, I'm no one special. Just a hired soldier for my king." Adrian noticed that he didn't say which king, seeing how there were multiple in the ball but chose not push for an answer. With all the baggage royalty had, he didn't want to be dragged into another mess. They stood there in silence for a minute before Halvar spoke again. "Can I ask you a question? If you don't mind me asking."

"…Sure, go ahead." A part of Adrian was a little suspicious on how the Dark Elf phrased that but chose to hear him out.

"Do you think that a race would flourish the best under one ruler or many?"

"Many." Halvar was surprised at the quick answer.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's worked. Many civilizations in the past have showed that went ruled under a collective, they've survived much longer. It's not perfect but nothing is. If everything was ruled under one person and that person one day went mad or made a grave mistake then...well, you could guess how much damage that will cause. Your First Queen was a prime example." Adrian didn't know if bringing up the First Queen's failure was offensive but considering Halvar didn't call him out on it, the Emissary figured he was in the clear. "Why do you ask?" The Dark Elf smiled.

"Just getting different opinions on the subject, considering our current situation."

"How has that been going for you?"

"You're the only one who hasn't called me treasonous for asking." Halvar said bluntly, getting a small smile out of Adrian. It soon fell when he saw Aindrea get grabbed by a burly Dark Elf in noble clothing. He cursed when the Dark Elf punched Aindrea in the face and his face darkened (though the Dark Elf injured his hand punching the Demigod). Excusing himself from the Elf Guard, Adrian went to defuse the situation. In his haste to leave, Adrian didn't notice the sad look Halvar gave him. "And I completely agree…" Sighing, the Dark Elf placed his cup down and exited the Ball Room.

No one noticed him leave as the commotion coincidentally drew everyone's attention.

Back to Pierce

No matter where I went or how long I've been a part of the supernatural world, it always amazed that there were entirely different realms from Earth for me to explore. While I have seen incredible places like Olympus and Asgard (if only for one day), the city of the Flostenebris Kingdom was still a very interesting place. Spending the day walking around and seeing the sights with Maven, the experience was a little ruined by how high strung the citizens were. They treated us with hospitality and respect (especially after we brought back their king) but I could tell many were on edge.

'Knowing an army of Dark Elves who don't mind slavery could come down at any moment would be unsettling.' Elijah, who was left behind to watch the castle, told us that they were even worse when Eldon disappeared and civil disputes were becoming common in the past month (It got better after Eldon came out and calmed the people's worries). So after eating at a decent restaurant that was a bit too solemn, Maven and I retreated to spend the day in the castle. Sitting on the rug made from the skin of a very large and soft animal, Maven shot a bolt of flames to the fire place. Enjoying the fire's warmth as we drank some wine that I stol-borrowed from Eldon's office, we combed through the litter of books Maven copied from Ymir's personal library.

Until I got bored of that and placed the mage on my lap, proceeding to make out with her. Feeling Maven roll her eyes, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back. We made out for a long while, my hands feeling all over her body until the need to breathe came up and we separated. I smiled at the bright red face Maven had knowing it had nothing to do with the amount of wine we just drank.

"See? Isn't this much better than looking through some old books?"

"…Some of these "old" books have knowledge that predates the most used magic system made by Merlin himself and has historical significance to one of the oldest mythologies around."

"Oh please keep talking dirty to me." I quipped and Maven shook her head in amusement before making a hesitant face. "What is it?"

"I-It also has a high level Seer Ritual." I quirked a brow at how nervous her aura became.

"Maven-"

"I know what Demeter said."

"Maven-"

"But I can't give up, not when I spent so much time-"

"Maven!" She jumped at the raise in my voice and I gave her an amused look. "I was just going ask what the ritual requires."

"…Oh." Lowering her head with a bashful tone, she got off my lap and started searching for the specific book. Finding it under a book that spoke of Ymir's travels in Muspelheim (the First Jötunn and Surtr apparently had some interesting adventures) I internally shook my head when she handed it to me nervously. The reason she was so nervous was because of what we found 2 months into the training on Olympus. One day when we all came back from a long training session, Maven got ready to use the Mirror of Isis to check on her mother. The mirror could only be used once a week and she regularly used it to see if they can gain clues on where her mother could be.

Until it shattered into a million pieces when she tried, nearly taking her hands off if it wasn't for the protection spell she put up in time. We rushed into her room when we heard the explosion and quickly tended to her injuries. Bringing the broken pieces to the Olympian Goddess of Agriculture, she was equally puzzled and had two guesses to what happened. Either Isis half assed her creation and we should go complain to the Egyptian Goddess (I would like to think she was joking but her face never changed throughout the conversation) or…someone noticed the artifact's effect and blocked it with a powerful spell, causing it to break.

To be able to block and destroy an artifact made by a Goddess while leaving no way to trace it back even with the help of a second Goddess…yeah, going to complain to Isis sounded like a better idea. But that didn't keep Maven down for long and she continued researching on how to find her parents, mysterious power be damned. While I and the rest of the team were worried for where her search will led, something she quickly noticed, we still chose to support her. I read over the ancient Jötunn text and blinked at the first requirement.

"Are you sure this a Seer Ritual?"

"Yeah…why?"

"Well I don't know much about Divination but how does crystallizing a Minotaur's penis help find-"

"It's the next page!" Blushing furiously under my laughing, Maven roughly flipped the page and I read the actual ritual. It was simpler than I thought. A personal ritual created my Ymir himself, there three basic requirements. An object of sentimental value that belonged to the one you wished to see, a blood connection and some cow milk (that last one seemed like it was thrown in there for the hell of it). It was a ritual Ymir used to check up on his creations when he left them behind to continue traveling.

"Sounds good, you want to try it out?"

"Not now." Maven shook her head. "It's simple in practice but the more Mana channeled into the ritual the clearer the image showed to the caster. I want to do it on Olympus since we can draw from the dense Mana there." I nodded and gave the book back so she can store it away.

"Do you think whatever destroyed the Mirror of Isis will notice the ritual?"

"No clue but with how old it is, I doubt it."

That didn't bring me any comfort. I wasn't there to see the mirror's destruction but I felt the dense Spiritual Energy that erupted from it from the next room. Considering Maven modified her room with Norse Runes and Strengthening Spells so she can experiment with new spells without worrying about the damage getting outside, the fact that it did was worrying (that's not even talking about the Protection Spells Athena and Apollon placed on the cabin). Demeter brought us aside one day when Maven was busy and told us that whatever destroyed the mirror wasn't holy, demonic or divine but was still able to breach through Olympus's barriers for a moment. That was kind of terrifying.

"Well I better stock up on my Spiritual Energy then."

"Pierce, you don't have to-"

"Do you need another inspiring speech again?" I said with a raised brow. "Maven, for the millionth time, I don't care how dangerous or how long it'll take to find your parents. I'll help you however I can." She stared at me in a daze.

"Why?"

"…Because I'm your boyfriend? Because we fought giant monsters and crazy villain's together? Because we've-okay Mave, you're incredibly smart but that was a pretty dumb question." I said matter of fact. She continued staring at me before pressing her body against mine and wrapping her arms around my waist. I returned the hug and we sat there, before separating. Maven looked into my eyes, her's slightly watery.

"Thank you…"

"None needed." I smiled, getting a chuckle from the mage. We stayed starring at each other for a long while.

[Now isn't this just a beautiful and wholesome moment. It would really suck if someone were to speak up and ruin it, wouldn't you agree Tyrfing?]

[In the rare event I find myself agreeing with you, I concur. It would suck wouldn't it, my good friend Dáinsleif?] My lip twitched.

"You're both assholes." I glared at the two Demon Swords that were lying next to the fire place.

[Hey man, you're the one who gave us a front seat row to this private moment. Keep us in the ring next time.] Dáinsleif pointed out and I sighed. I originally brought out the Demon Swords because one of the books had a list of a bunch of other demonic weapons Ymir found in his travel. They recognized a couple Demon Swords like the one's Siegfried had in canon and some older cursed swords. When we came to a pair of Demon Swords called Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, they recoiled in disgust. I asked what was wrong but they chose to keep silent, staying by the fire place afterwards.

'Why do all Demon Swords seem to have a problem with each other?' Shaking my head at the relationship problems between demon weapons, I reached for the bottle of wine to pour me another glass. I blinked when I felt how light it was and flipped it over. Not a single drop fell. I slowly turned to look at a blushing Maven.

"Wow, it's gone already? We sure went through it fast." She said in an attempt to sound surprised and I deadpanned.

"Maven, I had one glass."

"…"

"…"

"…I'm really sad about my missing parents?"

Rolling my eyes good naturedly, I kissed the top of her head and stood up. Telling her I'll be right back, I grabbed Tyrfing and Dáinsleif before leaving. The trip to Eldon's office was a short if not amusing one. Every guard or attendant that I passed would give a quick show of respect and would wait until I walked far away before moving again. It wasn't a rare thing since it was the same with the servants in Olympus but none of them had pointy ears and grey skin like these one did. It really hit home that I was in true fantasy world (when everyone looks human, even Devils and Gods, you tend to forget magic exists for a second). Passing by a group of Elf women in maid outfits, I made it to the king's office and entered freely.

[Are you sure you should be doing this?] Tyrfing asked as I walked to the cabinet full of all kinds of alcohol. [This is a king you're technically stealing from.]

"Oh stealing is such a strong word. I'd like to call it…okay fine, I ain't got a better word for it but it's not stealing. I am getting paid for being on his side; let's just consider this the price for getting him off that mountain."

[…A cheap bottle of wine for saving a king?]

"Yep."

[…You have the worse sense of equivalent exchange I have ever seen.]

"Tell me about it. I swear one day I'm going to end up selling a country for a piece of hard candy or try to revive my mother who died with alchemy only for it to backfire and make me lose my arm and leg to give my brother a metal body because that makes sense."

[…You're mother is dead? My condolences.] Dáinsleif said.

"…No, she's not and did you even try to make sense of the alchemy part?" I deadpanned and the auras of both Demon Swords pulsed with what felt like shrugs.

[We've learned to follow what your teammates do and ignore whatever outlandish crap comes out of your mouth. It just makes life easier.]

"…Well that's rude. I feel insulted." Grabbing another bottle of high class wine and putting it inside my space ring; I felt the icy Demon Sword pulse with mirth.

[Yeah, sure you are. Hey while you're doing that, grab the bottle of Dark Elf Booze. It's been awhile since I had some.] Seeing a round bottle full of some sort of blue liquid, I took it under Dáinsleif's happy aura. It was an interesting day when I found out Demon Swords could actually drink alcohol but not in the conventional sense since they didn't have mouths. Instead I poured the alcohol over the blade and watched in fascination as the drink was absorbed by the sword. And naturally since they could drink, they could also get drunk (apparently).

The day I had to cut off my sentient demonic weapon because he's an angry drunk is the day that I realized…my home town was incredible for surviving me for as long as it did.

[Please for the love of everything, don't give him the whole bottle again. He wouldn't shut up about wooing your stupid Jötunn trophy and when it didn't response, he started singing to it. All. Fucking. Night.]

[Hey! I almost got through to her but I messed up on the finish. It'll work next time!]

"That a boy, never give up your dreams!"

[Yes sir!]

[…Oh dear god, someone help me.]

Chuckling at the fired up Dáinsleif and forlorn Tyrfing, I turned around to exit the office. All things considered, the day has been overall quiet. Elijah was given our personal magical signature to alert if anything were to happen at the border but nothing has happened after the attack a couple days ago. Vargas was also off doing he's own thing in the castle (training at the barracks if my memory served me right) and would be ready if anything came up. Planning to go join the Spirit Inheritor after spending some quality time with Maven, I came out of my thoughts when I felt the aura approaching me around the corner. Almost bumping into them if I didn't stop in time, she gave a charming smile when she recognized me.

"Oh, hello. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Saying that with an oddly honest aura, I observed the new arrival. A tall Dark Elf woman with features similar to Eldon and Emma, she had a voluptuous figure that surpassed her sister's more modest frame. The Eldest Princess lightly bowed to me. "It's a pleasure to meet one of my father's saviors."

"Can't say the feeling's mutual." I retorted but that didn't erase the cordial smile on Edith's face. "I thought you were supposed to be on house arrest." I noticed the two guards behind the princess, both staring at me with blank expressions.

"This is my home." Edith said while waving her hand at the surroundings.

[She got you there.] The edge of my mouth lifted at Dáinsleif's comment (thankfully he knew not to relay that to everyone and only said it to me). I didn't like Emma's siblings. Her brother was a pretentious dick that tried to kill his sister from what I heard while Edith…well something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I learned to trust my gut after all my adventures and they haven't steered me wrong yet. Got my ass beat on multiple occasions sure but they worked out in the end. Mostly.

"Then don't let me keep you." I said, walking around the princess and leaving the area. Keeping a lock on her aura with Chi Vision, I furrowed my brows on her pathing through the castle. Heading deeper into the castle before reaching the dungeons to which she was stopped by some of the other guards, Edith eventually made it to a garden from the feel of it and sat peacefully on the patch of grass without much fanfare. Standing in the middle of hall for a couple of minutes, I stopped spying on the Princess when nothing happened. I couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling that something was wrong. 'But what?' That stayed on my mind as I made the trip back to Maven.

In my great focus on the princess's aura…I never noticed the fact that neither of the guard's auras were next to her anymore.

Same Time, Tardálfar Castle

"I can't believe you." Adrian said while rubbing the bridge of his nose, a wronged looking Aindrea sitting in front of him. "I mean, her being married was one thing but a blind married woman? Really Aindrea?"

"For the last time, I didn't know she was married! Or that she was blind! It's not like I can tell!" Aindrea defended himself and Melissa snorted on the side, enjoying the show.

"Not to mention that you soundly exactly like her husband, what are the odds?" They turned to look at the Dark Elf nobleman sitting with his wife, a healer repairing the broken hand he got from punching Aindrea. The Demigod returned the nasty glare the husband sent his way. "How unlucky."

"Well let's try to avoid causing more of a scene okay?" Adrian asked, getting a grunt of acknowledgment from Aindrea. He sighed and turned his head to see Samantha walking up to them. "What happened?" The Emissary asked, curious (and a bit scared) on the proud smile the healer had.

"I think I just found a promising student for the Eldritch Arts School."

"…Wait what-" A high pitch screech vibrated from the kid's area and a bunch of Elf children were seen running away. A small boy stood in the center, a mass of green tentacles coming out of a magic circle on his hand. His innocent smile didn't match with his current actions which was to chase the other kids in the weirdest game of tag in existence.

"Oh my, he shouldn't summon a minor Eldritch being with only basic knowledge on their greetings. He may hurt the poor thing's feelings if he doesn't do it right." No, that wasn't the problem here Samantha. Adrian fought the urge to pull his hair's out as the Dark Elf guards watching the whole thing were stuck, not knowing how to deal with the situation. Melissa was dying of laughter on the side.

'Relax, just relax. It could be so much worse…Pierce could be here.' That honestly shouldn't have worked as well as it did but he calmed down nonetheless. Telling Samantha to go stop the child, a melodious chuckle broke through the sounds of talking.

"Why isn't this exciting, I haven't had a ball this entertaining since my coronation." Alva Tardálfar walked through the crowd of nobles; they made a path for the queen and bowed to her even the other kings. It was obvious the amount of respect the First Queen's Bloodline garnered. "But I think it's time to get down to serious business."

"I couldn't agree more." A short Dark Elf with long hair and a golden crown spoke, stepping forward to meet the queen. Like a domino effect, 6 other Dark Elves in royal clothing came out to stand next to him. Adrian saw Eldon was one of the Dark Elves, Emma standing behind him in the crowd. "What is the purpose of this Ball Queen Alva? It can't be a coincidence you've done it in the middle of these troubling times." The blunt way the king asked Alva her intentions on the ball brought a couple gasps from the crowd.

'Not bad.' Adrian smiled. He didn't fail to notice that the ones who gasped were the younger Dark Elves with the older ones not flinching, staring straight at the queen waiting patiently for her answer. These older Dark Elves included the other kings, beings who have been around since Odin's warring days and had lived long enough to not care about formality when it became inconvenient. Alva stood proud at the king's question.

"I came to help mend some bridges." The queen looked over to Eldon. "If you would."

"Thank you your Majesty." The Elf King stepped forward and faced the crowd. "I am glad Queen Alva was able to give me this moment to speak. There are certain things I need to answer for."

"You having nothing to apologize for Eldon, it's your brat that needs a beating." Another Elf king known as Sture snorted and that got a couple chuckles from the other kings. Ruler of the Haurók kingdom, it was also his soldiers that were injured in Eric's botched attempt to assassinate his sister.

"I know and he will answer for his crimes but please, first let me speak." Eldon saw no one interrupted him and continued. "My absence has caused implications I didn't foresee and for that I apologize. I grew complaint and thought that you would all band together to face the threat if something were to happen to me. I see I was naive." His words caused a round of frowns to emerge on the present kings.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The ruler of Gramóðr, Vernon asked and Eldon gave a bitter smile.

"You are still afraid of trusting each other even after all the things we've done to progress forward. I know my son's actions were unacceptable but don't use it as an excuse to act like children!"

"Watch your tone boy! We've been around far longer than you and we'll be around even if that damn God comes here." Another king said and Eldon's face hardened.

"And how many bodies will it take to make sure your castles stay standing?" The question brought a wave of silence. Eldon knew exactly how these ancient kings kept their slices of land intact against the Raven God. By pilling tens of millions of Dark Elf bodies on their front door and hope the stench kept him away. By hiding like cowards. When it didn't work and Odin kept going, they rallied together to force him to create the Aesir-Dökká Pact or face the remaining Dark Elf armies in a head on fight. The Coalition wasn't a recent idea; the concept existed long ago and it had a very bloody history. Eldon didn't want that for his realm. Not this time.

"You wouldn't understand. We did what we had to do." Eldon shook his head.

"I know you did. When backed into a corner, what else could you have done? I understand that and we have better options now but the question I have is…will you wait until you're backed into another corner to choose one of them?" The nobles in the hall blankly stared at the young king as he took a deep breath. "I'm not asking you to give up your titles or your lands, hell keep your pride if you truly need it but please understand; this isn't the Ancient Era anymore. The entire world isn't trying to bring constant warfare and bloodshed here anymore. Only a small part of it is…And you're all making it so damn easy for them."

A numb silence settled into the hall after Eldon's speech. Adrian and the others watched the expressions of the crowd mix. Some were regretful; other's tired but most were stubborn with the main ones being the ancient kings. Being told by a far younger ruler that their current actions were wrong would get that effect. Eldon sighed, also seeing this and thought that his words fell on deaf ears until he heard Alva speak.

"A part of me didn't want me to host this ball, if I'm being honest." The sentence confused the majority of the crowd and they turned to look at the queen. Alva had her eyes closed and her arms crossed. "I thought it would be pointless. No matter how much they like you, you just can't change the mind of some fools even when it brings them to the brink of collapse."

'Oh boy.' Adrian saw how the comment insulted certain nobles but Alva ignored them and continued.

"But now I'm glad I did." She opened her eyes and turned to face Eldon, a small smiling gracing her face. "The Tardálfar Kingdom will help you in facing the Dökkálfar Faction." That got a reaction out the crowd. Many were shocked, including Eldon himself, because from the start of the civil war Alva hasn't given direct support to help the Svartálfar Faction. She was in the Coalition mainly in name and helped built the wall but hasn't supplied troops to fight Talien's army. Eldon, quickly getting over his surprise, gave a grateful nod.

"But…why? Why now?" Alva slowly turned to Vernon who asked the question.

"Because win or lose, when my daughter and her generation grow up, I want them to remember the Tardálfar families role in this war was one meant for its people...and not for itself." Alva's voice never wavered and she closed her eyes soon after, the confession seemingly draining her. No one spoke for a while, just choosing to settle on her words. Erico stepped out from the crowd to stand with Eldon.

"At what point did young lasses have wisdom greater than old kings. It's maddening I tell you." The ancient Dark Elf said in bemusement. "The Fraráð Kingdom will support you to the best of its ability."

After Erico came out to fully support Eldon alongside Alva, it became a domino effect. The other kings came forward one by one with the last being Sture, who still wanted Eric to pay for his wounded soldiers. Eldon took it all with a gratifying smile. Things were finally coming together, the Coalition would truly work together to drive out the Dökkálfar Faction and after that…well maybe hope did exist for his race. War plans and talks of reorganizing each kingdom's armies to better combat the approaching threat almost drowned out the words that came from Alva.

Almost.

"What are you doing here?" The biting cold that came from the Queen was palpable and Adrian, along with everyone else in the ball, turned to where she was looking. A lone Dark Elf stood in the middle of the entrance, she had short black hair and black armor.

'Sabel.' Adrian recognized the female Dark Elf as the one who faced Deublyg days earlier when the wall was attacked. From how multiple soldier's surrounded and pointed their weapons at her a moment later, they recognized her as well. Sabel shook her head in amusement.

"I can't say I expected this, I thought you would need to beat some sense into these old dogs for them to work together but you proved me wrong. Well done." Sabel walked forward, ignoring the sharp spears being pointed at her. "But it makes the offer I came with worthless, not that it wasn't before."

"What offer?" Vernon asked to which Sabel smiled.

"To pledge yourselves to the Dökkálfar Faction and allow your kingdoms to live another day." The nobles in the room couldn't have reacted harder if they tried. Yelling and spitting at the Dark Elf in a very unroyal way that there was no way in Hel that they'll lowered themselves to follow a disgraced king, Sabel smirked. "Oh look at you all, kicking up a fuss now that you have that putrid line's backing. It's pathetic. I'm glad he allowed the second option."

"...What second option?" Sabel smiled even wider. Waving her hand, dozens of soldiers started to pile out the way she came in. Taking positions in the air and behind the hostile Dark Elf, Sabel looked at the cautious nobles with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Take a guess." All the Dark Elves who came as guards stood in front of the group of nobles, weapons drawn. Adrian and the others came next to Emma and Eldon as tensions ran high in the air. Then it was mercilessly cut by the wave of power that came over the room. The power was mainly concentrated on the intruders with many enemy Dark Elves going pale. Sabel's calm demeanor froze for a second as Alva came forward, cracks appearing on the hard marble floor at her steps. "You should stand down your Majesty." Sabel said as Alva glared.

"You come into my home uninvited, threatened my allies with death and then proceed to command me to stop? In my kingdom? No girl...I don't think I will." Alva faced her palm to the intruders and the space in front of the queen distorted. A magic circle the size of a wall appeared in front of Sabel and her forces but it only lasted a second before shattering. Sabel held her ground as half of the ballroom was destroyed and when the smoke settled, besides the small cracks on her armor she appeared fine (her soldiers were also alright since she took the brunt of the attack). Adrian, since the first time he arrived, stared at the calm Alva with shock. Why? Because beside Shuten and Kyūkan, she was the third being he's met that can match the presence of a God. Apollon had once shown the group the full might of his aura in Olympus so they could have an idea on how it would be when they eventually face stronger enemies.

And the Dark Elf Queen was damn close to matching that aura. Sabel rolled her shoulders as she walked through the rubble, more Tardálfar soldiers coming in from other places because of the commotion. She laughed at this however, causing Alva to frown at her nonchalance considering she was outmatched and soon to be outnumbered.

"Oh I wish I could stay to see this night to the end but I got my orders." Sabel started to float upwards and Alva sneered.

"And what makes you think I'll let you leave?"

"Because...you'll be too busy dealing with them." The piercing roar of a Wyvern echoed. A bloody body of the lesser dragon landed on the ground, leaving a large crater and brought everyone's attention upwards. 10 ships floated in the sky, smaller than the Skíðblaðnir that attacked the wall but their numbers surprised the crowd either way.

"How?" To say Alva was shocked would be an understatement. Being the ruler of the Tardálfar Kingdom, she was directly linked to the country wide barriers yet she didn't feel the ships enter her cities air space nor was she alerted they did. Her frown deepened when blasts from the ship started shooting towards them. ~Nādhir Vápna!~ Three small black orbs shot into the air, the spells of ice, fire and lightning coming from the ships being absorbed into the orbs. Increasing in size until they were ten meters tall, they exploded and obliterated 3 vessels. Sabel clicked her tongue.

"Spread them out." At her command, the ships started to fly farther away and caused havoc. Seeing hundreds of soldiers fly out and attack the city, Alva's face became conflicted.

"Go protect your kingdom your Majesty. We can handle them." Eldon saw through Alva's worries and taking a second to hesitate, Alva flew into the air to chase after the ships. The other kings commanded their guards to take down Sabel and she snorted. Taking out a pair of swords, she faced the group of Dark Elves with a maniacal grin. Weaving through the numerous spears and swords that lunged at her, she cut down the guards within seconds. Jumping over the halberd of one guard, she kicked him into the wall and cut off the head of another. Leaving a bloody path through the destroyed room, she barely blocked in time when Aindrea lunged forward with his spear and sent her skidding back. The Demigod didn't relent and thrust multiple times, forcing the Dark Elf to focus on parrying his blows.

~Solis Beckoning Scriptor!~ Sabel was blindsided by multiple sunlight rays slamming into her side and burning holes into her armor. Aindrea used this moment to send her flying back and she dragged her feet to slow herself. Sabel smiled as blood leaked from her wounds.

"Not very gentlemanly for two men to take on one lady."

"I think you'll be just fine 'milady'. " Adrian said sarcastically causing Sabel to chuckle.

"Oh you have no idea." A box shaped object suddenly appeared next to the Dark Elf. Looking like it was made out of obsidian and with golden streaks running along it's sides, Sabel calmly placed a single hand on it. It started to glow, covering the box and Sabel in a bright light. When it faded a two meter tall knight in black armor stood there, golden Norse Runes littering it's body and dense Spiritual Energy. Before Adrian or Aindrea could assess the situation, the knight charged at them. Slashing with two swords, they blocked with their respective weapons and strained under the attack. Both sinking into the floor slightly, Adrian let the blade he was blocking fall and pierced at her stomach.

He blinked when his God made sword only left a shallow cut.

"...I'm starting see why you hate Dwarves." A groan from Aindrea was all he got. Melissa and Samantha watched Adrian be kicked across the room when he tried to slash a second time. They were leading Eldon and Emma away while they handled Sabel.

"This doesn't make any sense." The Dark Elf King said as some enemy soldiers were killed by Melissa.

"What do you mean?" Samantha asked.

"This attack. Assassinating kings to destabilize their kingdoms is a regular occurrence in war but if that's what they're trying to achieve, why did they bring so little soldiers? Not only that, how did they get through her barriers so easily?" That was a good question. Melissa and Samantha frowned, seeing how the ships were quickly being destroyed by Alva and her forces. Things weren't looking good for the Dökkálfar Faction. "It's practically suicide...unless..."

"It's a distraction." Melissa said, a puzzled expression on her face. "But what are they trying to distract from?"

They stood in the hallway of the palace, explosions and sounds of fighting echoing across the city. Melissa closed her eyes and activated Chi Vision, Pierce having taught her the technique on Olympus. Trying her best to ignore the feelings of malice and constant death happening, a single point in the palace caught her attention for one reason.

It was the only place that successfully blocked her Chi Vision and in the sea of ripped apart barriers, it was very eye catching. Telling the others what she found, they followed the Shadow Yokai to the location. Passing by multiple groups of soldiers fighting intruders (to which they quickly helped), they reached a cut off portion of the palace. Having it's own garden and two story house surrounded by tall walls, they came to a grisly scene. Multiple Tardálfar soldier's lied dead around the house, being killed in strange ways. One looked like he tripped and skewered himself on his own sword while another whose head was crushed was lying next to a bloody rock.

"What is this?" Samantha asked, waving her hand at the air. "The barriers here are still up yet there's this section that's not working."

"Someone broke it down?"

"No, there's no evidence of forced entry or someone tampering with it. It just...didn't stop who came through here." Not knowing how to take that, Melissa narrowed her eyes and walked to the house. Sensing two auras inside (one which felt terrified) she kicked open the door and came to a scene that was equally as disturbing as the one outside but in a different way. In the middle of a decorated living room, a small Dark Elf girl and a tall male Dark Elf with silver hair stood. The little girl was in sleep wear and was tied up, tears going down her face. The women who entered the room slowly turned to look at the male Elf. He made a confused face at the sheer coldness in their eyes before looking to his hostage and blinking.

"Oh...I just realized how bad this looks." He yelped when they charged at him.

Back to Pierce

"So what kind of wedding do you think Samantha would like?" I stopped petting Denki at Vargas' question and slowly turned to look at the Spirit Inheritor. We sat on a bench next to the training field, taking a tea break after some small sparring. I observed his face for a bit to see any falsehood and when I found none, went back to looking at Svartalfheim's moon.

"Most likely something small. She doesn't strike me as the extravagant type but hey, I could be wrong. Probably invite her family and people she's close to." Vargas nodded.

"I thought so as well."

"You gonna pop the question?"

"No, not now but I would like to promise myself to her."

"Good on you." I drank some of my tea, smacking my lips at the hot drink in the night air. 'Gotta enjoy the small things you know.' Vargas gave me a look.

"You don't think I'm being too hasty? We haven't known each other long."

"It's not about time, it's about how you feel. If you want it do it, no one can decide for you but yourself." My parents (in my past life) proposed to each other in the first year of college and they met that year. Lot's of people said they were too young but a decade later, they had loving family and a healthy relationship before I died. "Love is a lot like religion, you just got to have faith and make it work...you know, expect for the part where you can actually see and make love to a real partner."

"...Pierce, we work for Gods."

"And I can really feel the love!" Chuckling and clicking cups, we enjoyed the rest of our tea in silence. Exiting the training area, I held up a hand when Vargas asked how I was planning to marry my girlfriends. I was not touching that subject with a ten foot long flag pole. It wasn't the marriage part that deterred me, I personally didn't have a problem with marriage and figured it was going to happen eventually (unless I royally fuck up) but the how was the problem. I refuse to marry them all at once like Issei because that felt cheap but if I were to do them one at a time, who would go first? Melissa by time most likely but-

"Pierce." Vargas voice brought me out of self imposed headache and I looked to him. He didn't say anything, choosing to stare into the air and I followed his gaze. A massive barrier hung over the entire city, thousands of magic spells hovering on the see through barrier and pulsing with deep Norse magic, showing their powerful foundations. Then they started dissolving. Like a curtain the barrier came down and receded into each corner of the city, multiple large portals appearing high in the air a second later.

Then the ships starting coming through.

"Shit!" We cursed, alarms sounding across the city. Hundreds of Dark Elves exited the ships and started attacking the Flostenebris soldiers. I immediately turned to Vargas. "Get to Maven and start helping get civilians out. I'm going to check on Elijah and see what the hell happened!" We split up, Vargas going to the front of the castle while I flew to the top. I spoke to Maven on my communication ring and told her to meet up with Vargas (I told her where) before activating Chi Vision. Sensing him in a tower to my left, I flew to a window of the room and smashed through it. Dramatic? Very but we were in a hurry.

"Oh...well isn't that convenient. I thought we would have to go find you." I froze, looking up from my kneeling position. Elijah stood in the corner of the room, slightly beaten up and a dagger pressed to his neck. The dagger was held by a Dark Elf in a maid outfit. She long black hair, a pretty face and a lithe face. Edith was sat next to the pair, resting her chin on her hand and looking highly amused. None of them were the ones who spoke however. Turning to stare straight into the eyes of the last Dark Elf, he gave me a warm smile and motioned towards the chair in front of him. "How about you sit down, we have a lot to talk about."

I had to give it to him, even aged and feeble, Talien's voice never went below a whisper.