Chapter 30: Chapter 30

The Queen thrust her sword into Lissa’s heart. The blue-skinned hunter stumbled back as her health dropped to zero. Her HUD informed her that she had lost the contest. “That was an excellent strike, My Queen,” she said after she caught her breath. Her opponent dematerialized her armaments, and she did the same.

The two women were in a large and richly appointed training room. Extremely rare weapons and armor, donated by Sandra’s vassals to curry favor, adorned this area.

Despite all this virtual wealth and her victory, the Queen looked displeased. “Still, there’s no escaping the fact that my skill at this game has stagnated from years of insufficient practice. I used to beat you much more consistently.”

“I’ve improved a great deal since you last took interest in this world.”

“True. But then, so have my rivals. I won this year’s tournament only with difficulty. And Martinez is focused almost entirely on PvP—if I were to face him now, he’d almost certainly escape my wrath again. I’ll require many more weeks of practice before I’m truly ready to take up the mantle of the inmates’ ‘Dread Queen’ once more.”

“It is as you say.”

“Since I won’t be ready to intervene personally for some time, I expect Pari to be delivered to me before that. Immediately after the ‘Magical Girls’ begin adventuring again.” She paused in displeasure. “Pari’s supposed allies are inconsequential to me. But if they die during her capture, at least I won’t have to hear their absurd party name again.”

“I will secure her personally at the earliest opportunity, My Queen,” Lissa said, trying to keep her bitterness out of her voice.

“It doesn’t matter who takes care of it, as long as it is done.” Sandra looked at her servant skeptically. “Do I still detect a hint of jealousy regarding my darling Pari? We’ve already discussed this.”

“I apologize,” Lissa said, ashamed. “It’s difficult for me to control my feelings for you at times.”

“Control them anyway,” Sandra commanded. “You would not enjoy the consequences if anything happened to Pari due to negligence on your part.”

“I swear, I would never give you less than my best effort. I owe you everything...” Just the thought of what her life had been like in real world made her uncomfortable.

“But?” Sandra gave a slight smile. “Don’t worry, Lissa—I’m willing to indulge you. Speak freely.”

“...but I still wish that I alone could be enough for you.”

“You poor thing,” Sandra said soothingly. “I warned you a long time ago that I didn’t want us to have a monogamous relationship.”

“But you do with her?”

“Pari was the most exquisite creature I have ever encountered—perfectly weak and pliant. I fear this prison has damaged her, but I’m confident that she can be restored. She alone is worthy to be molded into my perfect princess.” Lissa looked down sadly. “Don’t feel so badly. You’re still my most valued servant. I wouldn’t have had the time to make my company a success if you hadn’t run my guild for me.”

Lissa looked up once more. “You’re too kind, My Queen.”

“Perhaps—but loyalty should be rewarded as strongly as treachery is punished. As long as I’m still single, there’s no reason we can’t enjoy ourselves. Plan a meal for tomorrow evening here in the castle—we’ll see where the night takes us.”

“Thank you so much.” Lissa nodded her head in deference, feeling content once more. Even if she only warranted a fraction of her Queen’s attention, that was still a greater blessing than most would ever know.

“I’m feeling particularly magnanimous today. Tell me, Lissa, do you miss having a body in the real world? Now that I’m the majority share holder of my late father’s company, it would be a trivial matter to obtain a highly realistic robot body made to your specifications.”

“Do you wish for me to return to reality?”

“How you spend your leisure time is no concern of mine.”

“Then I prefer to remain within the game, focused on my duty to you.”

“How commendable.”

A social media alert flashed on Lissa’s HUD. She read it.

she realized.

“Shall we go again?” Sandra asked. Her sword and shield appeared once more.

“I apologize, but something urgent has just come up concerning my plans for Pari’s capture. I could summon some suitable opponents for you?”

“Do so.”

Lissa checked her contact list and found some guild members online who were of sufficient PvP skill to be useful. She ordered them to drop what they were doing and report to the Queen. “I’ll return as soon as I’m able to, my Queen.”

“Very well. You’re dismissed, Lissa.”

She nodded in acknowledgment, and used the HUD to access her teleportation ability. When she activated it, the room she was in vanished and was replaced by a loading screen. To Lissa, who had spent the last eight years of her life in this game, such events now felt completely natural.

If anything, what was unnatural was the real world. Out there Sandra was an important individual, but only one of many. In here she was the rightful ruler of an entire planet—that was as it should be. Out there, Sandra’s enemies too often went unpunished. In here, nearly all had come to serve her or had fallen beneath her blade. Lissa had often been privileged to fight by her side.

And out there, Lissa had been trapped in that horrible body. She had been alone, unsuccessful, and unable to pass. She owed Sandra everything for letting her leave that life behind. That she still desired Sandra’s love all to herself was the height of selfishness. But she could not help it.

Lissa materialized in the central plaza of Angels’ Wrath, the primary hunter capital. Humans and angels, with their white feathered wings and silver eyes, made up the majority of the player and NPC population. The fortress city had ornate, white stone buildings of solid construction.

The ice tribe player summoned her horse. She then rode to the location in the city where the alert had told her the Killers had been sighted. The knight and the traitor were difficult to miss, as there was a collection of corpses belonging to NPC guards and hunters near them. The pair entered a large building shortly after Lissa caught sight of them. She continued on toward the entrance.

Hunters and inmates could each visit the others’ cities. But the former could not attack the latter in their capital save on Invasion Day. In contrast, inmates could attack hunters within their cities—but doing so was such a suicidal course as to be nearly incomprehensible. What had possessed Cantor to come here?

Lissa dismounted and entered the building, which turned out to be a luxury casino. The layout and decor were somewhat similar to real life examples of such establishments. Around her, many hunters were logging out or hastily exiting the place, no doubt afraid of XP loss. But it seemed that the interlopers were not looking for another fight. Cantor was sitting at a bar. His companion silently ordered him a drink from the NPC bartender, then stood watchfully nearby.

The knight’s empty gaze focused on Lissa as she approached. The vulture resting on his shoulder squawked, drawing the attention of the inmate. Cantor tensed briefly, but after a couple seconds he relaxed. No doubt he had seen from her nameplate that she was at max XP on this character. He took a sip of his drink.

“Killers, I’m pleased to finally meet you,” Lissa said. “Your exploits are impressive.”

Cantor gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. “And what’s your interest in those exploits?” He looked her up and down. “Perhaps you’d like to become the Killers first groupie?”

“I’m flattered, but spoken for. This visit is regarding my need for your combat skills.”

“Not interested—we kill who we want, when we want.”

“Please hear me out. This concerns the Magical Girls. If I’m not mistaken, you have something of a grudge against them?”

Cantor made a noncommittal noise. “Two of them did mouth off to me, but their leader was polite enough. We may get around to them, but they’re not a priority to me—especially since they’ve made the decision to cower inside Felorius indefinitely.”

“That’s true. If you’re aware of that, then you must also know of Queen Sandra’s bounty?” Cantor nodded. The knight still watched the proceedings passively. “That ten billion will be yours if you aid me in capturing Parisa Tehrani.”

“We have no need for gold,” the inmate said.

“There’s something more I can offer. Have you considered how you’ll survive on Invasion Day? PvP rules won’t apply to hunters then—even you can’t hope to survive against a horde of opponents at once. And there will be no safety within Castle Malice. It will fall.”

“Why don’t you get to the point?”

“If our target is taken with your aid, the Queen will allow you refuge in her castle for the entirety of Invasion Day.”

“I can survive without becoming her pawn.” He turned his back on her and resumed drinking.

Lissa was annoyed at the inmate’s overconfidence. But even if he was useless to her, there was still the knight. She turned to him. “Perhaps you’d enjoy the notoriety of defeating the Magical Girls? Or is there anything the Queen could grant you—even outside the game—that would buy your aid?”

In reply she received a text through the inmate messaging system.

Cantor laughed—apparently he had received the same message.

Lissa had seen this same behavior from the mysterious hunter on the Magical Girls’ show. She was convinced it was misdirection. “Don’t think I’ll underestimate you from a childish message. And the reason you’re using the inmate messaging system instead of social media is that it’s more secure. Whoever you are, you obviously value your privacy.”

“Are you finished?” the inmate asked. “This is my first drink at a bar since my arrest, and I traveled a considerable distance to enjoy it.”

“Fine. But keep this in mind, Cantor—the Queen is a much more dangerous enemy than those incompetents in the Guild Council. And none of her soldiers can be permanently killed. If you take any action against the Magical Girls, Parisa Tehrani is not to be harmed.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll give her a chance to surrender if the time comes.”

That was not much of a concession, but it was the best Lissa could do. And there was no credible threat that she could make against the knight. She decided to leave the pair be for now—maybe Cantor would come to his senses. She activated her teleportation ability and returned to her Queen’s castle.