Chapter 588

“Mm… I could stay like this forever.” She panted.

Elaya smiled after hearing those words spoken behind her. She rolled over, wrapping her arms around the naked woman in front of her. She pressed her head to the woman’s neck, sniffing her sweet fragrance as she ran her hand gently down her stomach.

Elaya was just as naked, but she had covered herself in a blanket and exuded considerably more modesty. Her friend, a muscular, larger woman, didn’t bother with those kinds of things. She lay completely naked in bed, her legs outstretched and an arm up as she lay on her hand in a relaxed state. Her free hand had reached down and grabbed at Elaya lewdly.

“I love you, Elaya.” She gasped as the other woman played with her.

The scene started to shift, and I found the same pair. They were in armor now, and they were frantically running while gasping for breath. The larger woman seemed to be injured, and Elaya was supporting her with her arm. They were both haggard, with much damage to their armor and bodies. They looked on the verge of breaking down.

“N-no… just leave me behind.” The woman said.

“Xin, no!”

“I trust you will find a Priest and resurrect me.”

“They might capture you. If they do, they’ll definitely make sure you don’t reincarnate. You, above all others!” Elaya wept, “Plus… I don’t… I can’t…”

She was unable to get the next words out. The woman named Xin lightly patted her head.

“I know… even if a human Priest could resurrect me, he probably wouldn’t if he knew who he was resurrecting.”

“Xin…” The pair looked at each other lovingly.

“Found you!” A man’s voice called out, causing their expressions to darken as they turned to a man riding a large, lizard-like beast.

At least fifteen men appeared behind him, all with weapons out. These lizards were faster than horses. For the pair of them, now that the enemy had caught up, their only choice was to fight.

“Lord Dricar, it’s been a while,” Xin responded.

“Silence, traitor!” He cursed. “The pair of you have been a thorn in the Demon Lord’s side for some time. The last time we fought, you killed me, but I don’t think the results will be the same in this match.”

“Elaya, run!” Xin cursed. “I will fight to buy you time to escape!”

“Naïve! You both are already trapped! Men, attack!”

Fifteen men lowered their weapons and charged. Elaya pulled out a hand full of knives, preparing for her last stand.

“It looks like… it’s time to clean up the mess!”

Xin sighed. “As much as I fancy your maid outfits…even upon death, you use that ridiculous line.”

“Charge!” A voice bellowed.

The forest exploded, and dozens of arrows pelted the charging animals. Chaos ensued, and just as the leading general reached the pair, a man suddenly leapt in front of the two women and slammed his fist down. A pillar of rock came up and impaled the general’s lizard. It stopped the animal dead, but the momentum carried the man off his mount and toward the newcomer. He casually pulled out his sword and then sliced the man down before he even hit the ground. He died without even understanding what happened.

The girls looked around to see a group of men around them, all wearing dirty clothing and broken armor. The man who led them instantly relayed orders which had the men stripping the fallen for weapons and armor. He looked back, and Elaya was instantly charmed. He had a roguish charm about him and an intensity and arrogance that she favored.

“You are my lady, Maid Hero?” He asked.

“E-Elaya…” She responded, causing her to get a side-look and a frown from Xin.

“We’re the Resistance. You don’t have to fight alone any longer.” He smiled, but then when his eyes glanced up at Xin, they turned ugly. “Y-you!”

He lunged without hesitation.

The blushing Elaya let out a cry. “N-no!”

She jumped in the way, blocking him from attacking the other woman, who only stood their glaring at him.

“What is the meaning of this?” He demanded.

“Y-you can’t.” She responded. “She’s our ally!”

“Do you know who this is? She’s General Xin! She works for the demon lord, just like all of the Osteria!”

“She’s turned!’ Elaya insisted. “She’s fighting against the demon lord now!”

“How can we trust her kind! They betrayed us! The demons would never have conquered so much of Ost if the Osteria hadn’t betrayed us!”

“The Osteria wouldn’t have felt they had to if the humans weren’t oppressing us so much!” Xin shot back.

“Please! I need her help. If you want any hope to defeat the Demon Lord, we need her strength!”

The man frowned, looking at the pair before sighing and putting up his sword. “Very well. I will spare her, but only because I can’t say ‘no’ to such a beautiful woman.”

“B-b-b-beautiful!” Elaya blushed.

“My name is Edward. I’m currently the one in charge of the rebellion.”

“If I might ask, how have you managed to hide your troops so well?” Elaya asked.

He shot Xin a suspicious glare, while she returned a flat one. However, he then gave a sigh.

“We’re using the dungeons.”

The story continued as information flowed into my head. The pair worked closely together, and this included Xin. The attitude between Edward and Xin was hostile, but Elaya managed to keep them both working together. Elaya was a Hero, the maid Hero, a servant of mankind. Many people loved and respected her. However, it was Edward who had made an army and gained their respect. He was easily just as popular as she was, and much more approachable. He’d joke with the men, flirt with the women, and it was clear he had leadership qualities that Elaya did not.

The pair slowly began to fall in love, something that Xin noticed and grew a bit distant from. Finally, the day of the great battle came, and Edward led an army, while Elaya and Xin snuck into the castle and found the Demon Lord. Upon his defeat, the army began to break up, and Edward began the task of exorcising them from the country.

“Excessive!” Xin cursed in one such memory.

“I follow the will of the people!” He said. “Humanity has been oppressed by demons for a hundred years. They won’t stand to even allow a single one to live. Be glad I’m only exiling your Osteria to what remains of Ost Republic. If you hadn’t contributed, I would have assumed to kill them all. They’re all leaving. You’re welcome to go with them!”

“You… the land belongs to Ost Republic… it should return to the Ost Republic.”

“The Osteria gave up that right when you threw your lot in with the demons!”

“Please… stop fighting…” Elaya said tearfully.

“Then put your giant in her place!”

“Then put this dick in his place!”

The two of them spoke in near unison, with practically identical expressions on their faces. Elaya wished that they realized just how much they were alike. Both stubborn and strong. It was why she loved both of them, but they just wouldn’t get along with each other.

More time passed, and New Aberis was starting to form. Xin grew more and more distant and started planning to head south with her people in the hopes of rebuilding an Ost republic that accepted her kind. The population of Osteria was much greater in what remained of Ost republic, and most of the people there had been unaffected by the Osterian Betrayal. The land was harsher than the north of Ost Republic, which was now Aberis, so Osteria was actually needed to help tame the hard and difficult land. She had heard that peace was forming between Osteria and humans in ways that weren’t happening in Aberis. Of course, she blamed the reason for that entirely on Edward.

“Q-queen?” Elaya gasped, “I don’t understand. You… you should be the King.”

He shook his head after revealing that his plan was for her to become the ruler of this new country. “I may have people’s respect, but you have their love. You are the one who defeated the Demon Lord Aberis. Only you have the right to take that name.”

“But… I would have failed without the army you raised! In fact, you built this entire country. I don’t know the first thing about leading…”

He smiled. “You’ll learn. Believe me, my love. You are most suited for this. Will you, please?”

“O-only… if you will be King…” She responded, blushing.

“I already said, I… oh… you mean…”

“M-marry me!” She turned even redder.

He smiled and then bowed. “As my Queen commands.”

More time. The pair got married. Aberis was officially a nation. There was a border set up between Aberis and the Ost Republic which immediately started to cause friction. Queen Aberis had a solution, though. General Xin still had a lot of weight with the Osteria. If she brought her together with them, then they could turn that friction into love.

“I don’t… hate that man…” Xin responded. “It’s just…”

“Then… please… if you wear a maid outfit and seduce him, he’ll definitely take responsibility! It’s the kind of man he is.” Elaya smiled. “He would never reject a woman he bedded.”

The plan occurred as Elaya pushed. Xin loved her so much she was willing to sleep with the man who took her away. She had some hope that what Elaya said was true, but rather than accepting, the King was furious. Xin realized she was pregnant. Suddenly, the scene went to the final night.

“Y-you’re pregnant?” the King said, his eyes widening.

“I… thought you should know,” Xin responded, and then turned away. “I’ll be going now, back to the Ost Republic.”

“Xin… stay…” He suddenly said, causing Xin to stop.

“Wh-what?”

“I…” His voice broke, an uncharacteristic bit of uncertainty in the usually pompous man. “I want you to stay.”

“Because I’m pregnant?”

“Because… Elaya loves you.”

Her body shook, although she couldn’t bring herself to look back at him.

“Geh!” A sudden loud sound came from behind her.

She spun around to see the King with a dagger in his chest. He lifted up his hand with a shocked expression on his face.

“Wh-why?”

Xin let out a cry to see that it was her own hand that had thrown the dagger. She had moved without even realizing it, flinging the dagger without looking. There was blackness for a moment, and then Xin was standing there with the dagger in her hand, blood running down and dripping onto the dead king.

“Wh-what have you done?” Elaya scream

Xin was straddling the King’s lap, with a knife raised, stabbing him to death. Elaya’s mind went red, and she blocked what happened next. There was a ferocious battle. Xin never had a chance to say anything. She had nothing to say, as only fear and confusion flooded through her. Her only hope was to leap out a window and escape into the rainy night.

As for Elaya, this was the end of her story. She regained her mind only to see the dying King. She blamed herself for causing this. She made the ultimate sacrifice and gave up her life to heal the King. His memory of what happened was foggy. He knew that Xin had tried to kill him and then she ran away. He knew that she was the cause of Elaya’s death. He sent an army after her, but when they tried to enter the Ost Republic, the Osteria fought back, starting the first war between the two countries.

As for Elaya, she died with an incomplete story, not knowing why her friend betrayed her. She didn’t even know Xin was pregnant. Her desire was to fill the missing pieces of her life until a certain man came in and blew away her entire understanding of what it meant to be a man.

My eyes snapped open.

{Congratulations, you have completed The Widow’s Dungeon.}

{True Dungeon Diver has increased to level 45.}

{For completing the lore, you have gained 15 dungeon points.}

{Slaves in your current party have gained five dungeon points each.}

{The Widow’s lore is now a part of you. You have gained the Widow’s Blessing.}

{You have an increased affinity with harems. Women who love you have fewer doubts and get along better with other women who love you. Experience bonuses through harem activities.}

{You have unlocked the Job: Harem Master.}

“Wait… what the heck are Harem activities?”