Minerva stared blankly at the wall of the carriage as it trundled along the road, trying to empty her mind of the day’s events. Thankfully she didn’t have to try for too long; once they were safely out of the city, Maia turned to Galiena. “So, what’s this ‘Corruption’?”
“Consider it the opposite of the cure.” Galiena said. “Our enemy imbues someone with their power far more than usual, granting them capabilities on par with monster girls. While they remain human, their appearance changes somewhat, and, depending on how good of a person they were before, they often gain deformations.”
“Depending on how good of a person they were?” Maia asked. “That seems…odd. And is it that they get more deformed the better of a person they were or…?”
“Precisely.” Galiena replied. “Our enemy is vain. They prefer to corrupt those who had aligned most with their views before being cursed, but in certain cases they will corrupt people who were good before. From my talks with those who had been cured after being Corrupted, it was something of a marking to divide the Corrupted, and those with deformations were treated harshly by other Corrupted.”
“So…it can be cured, then?” Minerva asked latching onto the hope that statement implied.
“Of course.” Galiena said. “However, it is not as simple as normal, and will require concerted effort over several minutes from Queen Maia. To that end, we will have to knock him out once again once we are in a safer position.”
“Why not bring him with us?” Emily asked.
“We tried in the past. Without fail, something highly improbable would happen to cause their escape, and it often left us in a worse position than before. After the third time, we stopped trying; the Corrupted would invariably be thrust in our way again, so we just cured them then.”
“Well, if we’re going to have to fight, what kind of powers can we expected from people who are Corrupted?” Elise asked. “Can we just outmuscle them?”
“It depends. Much like with undead, the Corrupted are weak to light magic and Queen Maia’s spear, but they usually have been given weapons or magic that is likewise effective against people closely aligned with the goddesses, like Queen Maia or priestesses. We also cannot assume that an elemental’s usual resistance towards physical attacks will work properly against their attacks, the energy within allows them to effectively strike at an opponent regardless of their physical makeup.”
Sylvie stroked her chin thoughtfully. “So, it sort of sounds like the best way to deal with them is to whittle them down from a distance, right? Like using snipers or siege magic.”
“Yes and no.” Galiena replied. “They often have been given attacks with deceptively long reach to counter this very strategy, but those are also usually less effective than their normal attacks, unless they were an archer or mage before. Whittling them down from a distance is often part of the strategy, but each situation generally requires its own strategy.”
They continued to talk strategy, and Minerva found herself listening passively, focusing as best she could on the conversation but not really managing to process much of the information. It just…she didn’t have it in her. As much as she tried, her mind kept straying to the look on her parents’ faces when she had revealed herself to them. They had always told her that they would love her unconditionally, that she wasn’t bound by her title, and that they would support her in whatever she chose to do with her life, even if it meant going against noble tradition.
They were the kind of parents that were vanishingly rare in noble society, and she had always thanked her lucky stars that they were hers. Yet…those parents were gone, consumed by the curse. Was that really how they had felt about her all along? It–
“Minerva, do you have a moment to talk in private?” Maia said softly.
“Um…yeah.” Minerva said. “But we’re in the carriage, I don’t know how private that can be.”
Maia gave her a gentle smile. “We’ve just stopped for the night. Here, follow me.” Maia led Minerva outside, and the two walked a short distance away. After a time, Maia stopped and sat in the grass, motioning for Minerva to sit next to her.
“What’s…this about?” Minerva asked, sitting.
“Well, I wanted to see if there’s anything I can do to help you.” Maia replied. “Even if it’s just being someone to listen to. You seem…unwell.”
Minerva sighed. “Sorry.” She said. “I would normally hide it better, but I’m too rattled by what happened.”
“The hiding isn’t the issue.” Maia replied. “It’s that you’ve been through something traumatic. The first few times I went through tragedy I tried to bottle it up, but eventually I found that talking helps, so I thought I would give you the opportunity.”
“Have you…had to deal with tragedy often?” Minerva asked cautiously.
“Quite a few times.” Maia replied. “My village isn’t the safest place, and people died relatively often. But this isn’t about me, it’s about you. If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine, but…well…I think you might feel a little better if you did.”
Minerva gave another sigh. “I’m just grieving.” She said. “Give me a few days and I’ll be fine.”
“Grieving?” Maia prompted. “Why’s that?”
Minerva shifted slightly. “It just…it feels like the people I knew are all gone. The things my parents said, the disgust in their eyes…it hurts, Maia. I’ve been betrayed before, but this is the worst by far.”
“I don’t know what they said, but I know they don’t mean that.” Maia said. “Really, they don’t. You were cursed once, you know what it’s like. I’m sure when we cure them, they’ll apologize and your relationship will return to what it was before. And we will cure them, we just need to meet with the goddesses before we can really get to work.”
“Easy for you to say.” Minerva said, a touch more sulkily than she intended. “I heard that you were never actually cursed. You don’t really know what it’s like, maybe they did mean it on some level.”
Maia was quiet for a moment. “How much do you know about what I did before this, Minerva?” She eventually asked.
Minerva frowned. “Not much, to tell you the truth. I know you’re from a village in Miral’s countryside, closeish to the Deepwood.”
“More than closeish.” Maia said. “We were about half a mile from the Deepwood proper. And I was a hunter in the Deepwood proper for twenty years.”
Minerva stared at Maia, dumbfounded. “How are you alive?” She asked.
“Luck, largely.” Maia chuckled. “Early in my career I stumbled across a shrine that the goddesses use to contain the Deepwood, and I spent a lot of time there thinking. I’m pretty sure it helped insulate me from the worst the Deepwood had to offer. And, aside from that, my first major mistakes weren’t fatal, which is more than many can say. After that…well, I suppose I got used to it, and I was very cautious. But that’s not important right now. Back on topic, how familiar are you with the Deepwood?”
Minerva frowned. “I was given the best education possible, and it seemed like the Deepwood had its way of working itself into every subject. It’s a geographic landmark, it’s vital in terms of politics and war, treatises on monsters inevitably use it as references…so, I like to think I’m more familiar with it than most people. Still…I’ve never actually been there, and I doubt I’m half as knowledgeable about its effects on people as you are. Why?”
Maia leaned back, a slightly distant look in her eyes. “I bring this up because the Deepwood loves to play with your mind, and as such I’ve got a lot of experience being subject to mind altering effects. They ran the gamut from tame things like thinking Elise was my sister, to outrageous things like believing the village was actively under attack despite there being no dangers in sight, or believing I was blind despite having perfectly functional vision.
“In my village, it’s understood that when you’re like that, it’s not your fault. You believe what you are doing is perfectly normal, you believe you’re completely sane, but when you wake up you realize how out of it you were. Everything I’ve heard about the curse points to it acting very similarly to Deepwood mind tricks, and the people from my village say it feels much the same.
“What I’m saying is that I know enough to know that it was the curse talking, not them. I tried to talk with Elise and convince her of what I was saying, and despite showing her everything, she physically couldn’t believe me. And, once she was cured, she was able to realize the truth of what I was saying. I’m completely confident that, if your parents are the kind of people you said they were, after they’re cured they’ll want nothing more than to reconnect with you and apologize for their actions.”
“I…hope that’s true, Maia.” Minerva said. “And…thanks. For curing me, for sending Galiena to save me from myself when I went back, and for taking the time to check up on me, even though I’ve been really prickly with all of you. I don’t deserve it.”
“Nonsense.” Maia said firmly. “As far as I’m concerned, no one should have to live like that permanently. It doesn’t matter if you ‘deserve it’ or not, it was the right thing to do. And, for the record, I think you do deserve it. You were just trying to make sure you weren’t being tricked, and that’s understandable coming from someone of your stature.”
There were a few moments of silence before Minerva spoke up again. “I should clear the air.” She said. “I don’t actually feel attracted to monsters. That was entirely the curse, I would never do something like that otherwise.”
“I never thought you would.” Maia chuckled. “Why bring this up now?”
“Well, I don’t want you all to think I’m a pervert!” Minerva said emphatically. “But…it’s more about why I chose to do that when cursed. I don’t like most people, Maia. Everyone always sees my title; they don’t see me. So, when I was cursed, I rejected people and chose to relieve my urges with monsters instead.”
She paused, a bit of bile rising in her throat as she remembered what she had done. “It makes me sick, thinking back on it. That alone should have tipped me off that you all were in the right. I just…”
“It’s fine.” Maia soothed. “You were just trying your best to do what was right. You can’t be blamed for that.”
“…If you say so.” Minerva replied, standing back up. “I need some time to think about this some more. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”
“No. Just remember that my door is always open, okay?” Maia gave her another smile, standing up and turning back towards the rest of the group. “Oh, and just to reiterate; Galiena insists on setting up camp and doing the cooking herself for the time being. Don’t worry about pitching in, we’ve tried but she sincerely doesn’t want us to. She says it’s about efficiency and staying fit for combat, but I think it’s part of the way she copes with the situation.”
Minerva nodded. She hadn’t questioned it before, Galiena was dressed as a maid, and camp was typically the job of the help, but now that she knew more about Galiena, she might have thought otherwise. “I understand.”
She followed Maia back to the camp, which had already been fully assembled, and after a moment’s search found Galiena near the fire, preparing the night’s dinner. “Um, everyone, do you have a moment?” Minerva called out.
The rest of the group gathered from around the camp, giving Minerva curious looks. She gulped hard, then spoke. “I want to formally apologize for how I treated you.” She said. “You have been nothing but gracious towards me, and I doubted your intentions and ignored your advice. If it wasn’t for Galiena’s intervention, I would likely be being tortured by those I had called friends and family before. I am sorry, and thank you. If you would have me, I would like to officially join your cause.”
“We’d be happy to have you.” Elise said. “And it’s totally understandable. I’d probably be a little doubtful myself if I hadn’t been there when everything went down.”
“Some suspicion is to be expected.” Galiena said calmly. “You have been far calmer than some.”
“We cured a group of soldiers and they wanted to go right back to what they were doing before.” Steph said. “Given, they were apparently some of the worst Miral’s army had to offer, but still…we had to keep them locked up in the ship we were on until we got to land.”
“Why not kill them?” Minerva asked, taken aback. “They’re going to be a problem later, professional soldier monster girls working against us.”
“They will not.” Galiena said calmly. “They will almost certainly meet with fates similar to yours, if less severe. Our enemy refuses to use monster girls in any way other than as toys.”
“And you just let them go?!” Minerva accused. “What were you thinking?!”
“You just asked why we didn’t kill them.” Galiena pointed out calmly. “And, to be clear, we gave them the options we gave you, and they would certainly know the risks better than most, as ones who had recently been prolific perpetrators of those atrocities. We chose to respect their autonomy, even if it meant marching themselves into a terrible fate. They were simply too foolish to take our warnings seriously.”
“It felt more humane than just killing them, I guess.” Maia said uncomfortably. “They’re…not good people, I think. They barely showed any difference after being cured. And…well, they’ve got numbers, I think they can fight their way out of the situation if people try to take advantage of them. And, really, what option did we have other than that or killing them? It’s not like we have a way of keeping them captive.”
“I…suppose.” Minerva said. They had something of a point, but after…well, it just left a bad taste in her mouth. “Miss Galiena, is it true that you are the Bone Tyrant?”
At her words, Amy, Steph, Sylvie, and Lily turned to stare at Galiena, their mouths agape, while the rest looked unimpressed. “That is what the humans called me, yes.” Galiena replied. “My long stasis has, unfortunately, greatly reduced my abilities, but I hope the goddesses will see fit to restore some of my old power to me when we speak. And, before more questions are asked, please remember that whatever stories you were told have likely been greatly exaggerated.”
“Um…sorry, but I need a little more context.” Maia said. “I assume that name’s a big deal?”
“She was considered the second most powerful monstrous maiden, save only their queen.” Minerva said. “It’s a ‘big deal’, yes.”
“That is…less than accurate.” Galiena said. “There were several other monster girls more powerful than I, I was simply one of the flashiest and most public.”
“Why are you working as a maid, then?” Sylvie asked. “Wouldn’t you normally be granted some form of nobility for your outstanding service?”
Galiena raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I wasn’t? I was a duchess, and one of the most influential figures in politics. That has nothing to do with my occupation.”
Minerva frowned. “But…wouldn’t people look down on you?” She asked. “What about your dignity as a noble?”
“It is a highly respectable job that directly helps benefit people, I can think of no more fitting job for nobility.” Galiena said, locking eyes with Minerva. “In our society, it was incredibly common for nobility to work in jobs that others might consider ‘degrading’, it was all about who was most suitable for what. Boneshifters excel at maid work due to the sheer utility our bodies provide us, so it was a natural career choice.”
“But…you would be working as a servant.” Minerva replied weakly. “Assuming there was some sort of royal palace that you primarily worked in, wouldn’t your presence make the lower-ranked people working there uncomfortable? They’d always be worried about making a faux pas and angering you.”
Galiena shook her head. “Of course not. Everyone worked with the understanding that treating each other like people was all that was necessary. It was even common for people to be assistants to their direct subordinates who worked as clerks, no one batted an eye at it. No one bats an eye at a high-ranking noble being under the military command of a low-ranking noble with more battle experience.”
She paused, shooting an apologetic glance at Elise before looking back at Minerva. “Would you rather Elise or Sylvie give you tactical directions?”
“Pick Sylvie.” Elise said. “I do not want to be in charge of that sort of thing, I’m not good at it.”
“There you have it.” Galiena said. “Though Elise is the queen consort, she is not fit for battlefield command, and that is fine. We did not assign jobs based on birth, but on aptitude. We did not have the luxury of inefficient assignments that most kingdoms have. And, as you might imagine, I will be strongly advocating for this system once we begin setting up a government proper; we will need every advantage we can get, and this is a big one.”
“I’m not opposed, but we’ll have to think of a way to sell it to people.” Amy said. “Most nobility in today’s day and age would hate this.”
“They will understand that it is the system we put into place or nothing.” Galiena replied. “As the goddesses’ champion, Queen Maia has divine backing for her decisions. To go against them would be tantamount to working against the goddesses themselves.”
“Do I?” Maia asked doubtfully. “They didn’t mention anything like that.”
“Ask them when we meet them again.” Galiena said confidently. “They likely did not have time to discuss much more than the immediate future at that moment.”
There was a lapse in the conversation as everyone thought on that, but only a minute or two later Galiena spoke again. “Dinner is ready.” She said. “Everyone, please eat. And Minerva, when you have finished, will you come and talk with me?”
“Me?” Minerva asked.
“You. You have something you wish to ask me, do you not?”
Minerva frowned. “I do, but…how did you know?”
Galiena smiled. “I have a lot of experience reading people.” She said simply. “Now, please eat; the food will get cold if you wait.”