Borrowed Time

I studied up on Ruyanei in my stronghold. It luckily already had a full map of the world as well as smaller maps of Argentia, Faubreyia, Melromarcia, and a few neighbouring areas. I learned a few things just from seeing the maps. Faubreyia was a light nation to the north west of Argentia. Melromarcia was another light nation south west of Faubreyia. All in all Argentia was a fairly weak light nation, fairly recent and mostly ignored by the rest of the world which was why General Rank had been focusing there.

Right now I have the element of surprise due to the Demon Queen Reala being unaware of my allegiance to the light, I don't think Melanoche or Carnachias even informed her of their plan to use me, and I need to make use of it.

I stood at the entrance to the stronghold that was slowly being converted into a watchtower for Argentia, watching as three women approached. The first was a woman who had bright orange eyes, long light brown hair done into a ponytail. She wore white with silver gauntlets, greaves, and pauldrons over a red tunic with white overlay and blood red cape, slung over her shoulder was a plain spear. She had no armor to cover her chest, back, or abdomen, leaving all her vital organs ****.

The second was an asian teenage girl with black eyes whose slightly long but neat black hair matched her dark overcoat, black pants, shirt, fingerless gloves and boots, she was equipped with an ornate sword.

finally, the last was another asian teenage girl I recognised from Melanoche and Carnachias' introduction before I arrived in Ruyanei. Her pointed ears were a clear indication of her elven heritage. She wore a red and white dress, with a red bow, arm length gloves and thigh length boots. She was holding a red sword.

"Welcome to Argentia," I said, my words carrying across the courtyard. "You've come at an interesting time. I need to know who you all are. Today we will also have to plan our next move."

There were a few nods of agreement from the assembled group and I continued, "So... then I suppose we should all introduce ourselves, I am of course, the Scourge, summoned to Argentia as its champion," I announced, "Please, identify yourselves."

The emo sword girl went first, "Sora Tenkai. I'm 18 years old and a high school student from Japan. I was summoned to Melromarcia"

"Huh... A truck hit you," I mused.

The brunette spear girl beamed at Sora's words. "You're from Japan? That's amazing! I've always wanted to visit there." She turned back to me, her enthusiasm unmistakable. "Scourge, did you know that in Japan, they have this thing called a maid café? I'm Renata North, college student, I'm 21 years old, from Barcelona," she introduced herself with a charming smile, her Spanish accent clear as she spoke. "Also summoned to Melromarcia along with Sora."

Sora nodded in return. "I came from Tokyo. I was... hit by a truck. Next thing I knew, I was in Melromarcia with Renata."

"These are my Maidens!" Renata explained as she excitedly pointed over her shoulder to her party of young women, all around her age, all of them were physically attractive, and a few wore slightly revealing outfits, all clearly chosen for their looks rather than any particular combat ability. They all stepped forward in an orderly line, each giving a small curtsy. Several of them had bows in their hair, frilly aprons over schoolgirl uniforms, and frilly stockings or knee socks. The display was absurdly at odds with the grimy surroundings of Argentia's courtyard.

"Thank you, my lovely maids," Renata cooed, her hands clasped together. She turned back to me with a bright smile.

Three guesses as to what she thinks with. She was building a harem rather than an army. Sort your priorities! I arched an eyebrow as I watched them, unimpressed. The idiocy of their outfit choices was painfully obvious, but I suppose I couldn't expect much from a group of teenagers who thought a harem was more important than survival. These girls had no business being in a warzone. I exhaled slowly through my nose, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

A blue haired woman with emerald green eyes, came up to Renata's side. She was at least armored, even if it was... questionable. Like Renata, she had greaves and gauntlets, however she made the smarter decision to also wear a breastplate, albeit it left her chest and a fair amount of cleavage open. From the way she had her arm wrapped possessively around Renata's waist, her hand resting suggestively on the Spanish girl's hip, I concluded this was an intentional choice.

Dumbass. Orcs will just **** you.

Aside from the mildly infuriating armor choices, she wore a black skirt with thigh high black stockings and a white cape. Her blue hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"A pleasure to meet you, Scourge. I am Princess Luna Melromarcia, first princess of the Kingdom of Melromarcia and daughter of King Melromarcia." she said

Sora frowned slightly as she watched the introductions. "So... is that really your party?" she asked Renata.

"Interesting collection," I said coolly, your tone making it clear I didn't mean it as a compliment. "Though I wonder how effective they'll be against orcs."

Luna's emerald gaze flashed with something unreadable as she glared at me. "I'm more than just eye candy, you know," she snapped, speaking with a crisp European accent. "I may look delicate, but I can wield a blade with the best of them." She crossed her arms over her chest, posture stiff with indignation. "And I don't take kindly to being dismissed as useless."

Renata reached out to gently touch her shoulder, a placating gesture that seemed to visibly relax Luna. "The Scourge doesn't mean anything by it," she said smoothly, though her smile was strained. "He's just... direct. Isn't that right? Do you think I could open a maid café here? I bet the locals would love it!"

Sora looked at Renata with concern, then turned back to me. "You want to open a maid café? Are you serious?"

"If you want to die quickly, I suppose serving tea to orcs could accomplish that goal. Renata," I said, turning to face her fully. "I appreciate your... enthusiasm. But let me make something very clear."

She beamed at me, completely missing the warning in my tone. "Yes, Scourge?"

I grunted, surveying the group of girls with a critical eye. "First things first, these outfits you've chosen for your party are perfect for being **** by orcs and left bleeding in the dirt. But not so perfect for fighting them. Secondly, start focusing on actually preparing for survival, not building some fantasy harem. It is useless in a war zone."

I turned to the blonde girl with pointed ears. "And the elf?"

The pointed-eared blonde girl stepped forward, her blue eyes meeting mine with a confidence that suggested she was used to being the center of attention. "My name is Tomoko Sakurai. I'm 18 years old too. I was summoned to Faubreyia. I heard you were looking for someone to help with the Demon King situation. Since I've done it before, I figured I'd volunteer."

Renata's maids giggled at the introduction, clearly charmed by the Japanese girl. "Oh my god, Tomoko, you're adorable!" Renata gushed. "I mean, look at you! Those eyes! That hair! You're just perfect!"

Tomoko blushed slightly, her posture becoming even more modest as the Spanish girl complimented her. "A-ah, th-thank you," she stammered.

"It's very nice to meet you all." She spoke with a soft, melodic tone, her accent clear but delicate. She glanced up at me with shy curiosity. "You're also from Earth, right?"

I nodded slowly, studying each of them in turn.

Right behind her was a tall, muscular man.

"Names Arthur Prin," he said in a gravelly tone. "I helped Tomoko slay the Third Demon King In Ruyanei. I'm 28." The sudden revelation that he was only twenty-eight left me speechless for a moment. His thick red beard and the way he carried himself made him appear much older, like a grizzled veteran in his forties rather than a man in his late twenties.

Behind him were two women - a blue-haired witch named Citrinas, and Runa Ruya, the redeemed dragon thing, I think she's a dragon, with dark skin, wearing barely any clothes and a cape that barely covered her massive breasts. Her nudity is downright reckless. These are the people who defeated a Demon King? If I didn't know better, I'd think this was some elaborate joke.

But no, this was my reality now.

I exhaled slowly, trying to process it all. At least Tomoko seemed competent—her previous experience with the Demon King gave her credibility. Their archbishop and amazon queen were missing. And Melaniche and Carnachia never mentioned Arthur. I noticed Arthur's eyes narrow slightly, his hand resting casually on the pommel of his sword. Citrinas stood beside him, arms crossed, expression unreadable. She looked at me with an intensity that suggested she was assessing me as much as I was her.

Runa Ruya stepped forward with a confident stride, her white hair catching the light like snow under the sun. "Greetings, Scourge. I am Runa Ruya. Formerly the heir of the Dark Dragon King, now serving humanity." Her gaze was piercing, her posture exuding a powerful presence despite her scant clothing. She had no visible weapons, which made me even more uneasy.

Tomoko stepped closer, her pointed ears twitching slightly as she regarded me with open curiosity. "So... are you really from Earth too?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Though I didn't get hit by a truck. So you're all students, summoned to this world, I see. Interesting. Well, welcome to Argentia. We're in a bit of a situation here." I gestured to the stronghold turned watchtower, where workers could be seen laboring.

"The orcs have been defeated and are now working in the mines. As you can see, we're in the process of converting this place into a proper defensive structure."

I watched as Daisy walked up to the group, her red eyes taking in each newcomer with calculated interest. "Daisy," she introduced herself with a slight curtsy, her dark eyes glittering with amusement. "I assist the Scourge. I was enslaved by the orcs before the Scourge freed me from that life."

"Oh my god, you're adorable! You look like you came straight out of a manga!" Renata said. She reached out to pinch Daisy's cheek before anyone could react.

Daisy slapped Renata's hand away with surprising speed. "Don't touch me unless you want to lose a finger," she hissed, baring her teeth.

Renata winced and pulled back, cradling her hand.

Sora Tenkai stepped forward, her black hair shifting slightly in the breeze. "We've heard about the orc raids," she says, her words carrying a note of concern despite her youth. "We were hoping we could help."

"I've already defeated General Rank and her army. All the orc invaders are either dead or in chains working in the mines." I said.

Sora's face twisted in disgust. "You're making them work as slaves?" she asked, voice rising in shock. "That's... not very heroic of you."

I smirked.

"Slaves? That's a harsh word. I prefer 'involuntary laborers.' But yes, the surviving orcs are working to repay their debt to the kingdom and rebuild what they destroyed."

Sora's brow furrowed deeply as she frowned. "Involuntary laborers," she repeated, the words sounding bitter on her tongue. "And if they refuse?"

I shrugged. "They get whipped."

"You're literally making them work in chains," she said, crossing her arms. "That's called slavery no matter how you dress it up."

I shrugged. "Call it what you want. I call it justice. I needed workers and they needed to pay for their crimes. It's practical."

"Practical," she repeated, eyes narrowing. "And what happens when they've 'paid their debt'?"

"Their debt can never be paid."

"That's... I mean, I know they're orcs, but isn't that kind of cruel?"

"Cruel?" I laughed, the sound echoing slightly in the courtyard. "Sora, these monsters raided villages, burned homes, killed civilians. **** people who didn't deserve it. Slaughtered children who didn't deserve it? And you're worried about their feelings?"

Sora's jaw clenched, but she didn't argue further.

Daisy, however, wore a small, knowing smile as she watched me. "The Scourge speaks the truth," she said softly. "I know better than anyone what these creatures are capable of." She turned to Sora. "They showed me no mercy. I was kept as a sex ****. The orcs used me for their pleasure. They showed no mercy to my people. This world is not kind, and neither should we be."

"Now, let's discuss our next move. I have a few ideas I'd like to discuss. But let me be clear - this isn't some RPG or fantasy novel. The demons we're fighting are real, and they will kill you without hesitation." I motioned for everyone to follow me into the watchtower where we could speak more privately. As we entered the great hall, I noticed the three girls looking around with curiosity. I gestured for everyone to sit as I took my place at the head of the table.

"This is our situation," I began, unrolling a map that showed the kingdom's borders and the orc territories beyond. "General Rank is dead, but that won't stop the Demon Queen from sending more armies. We need to be prepared. I propose we begin by recruiting more soldiers and expanding our defensive capabilities."