Debauchery Worlds 16 (Patreon)

Commissioned by Southmonk

Debauchery Worlds

Chapter 16

-VB-

Pina Co Lada

Italica, Marris Barony, Falmart

The owners of the god machines sat across from her the day after their conquest. They had given her and everyone a day to collect themselves, and Pina had used it as best as she can as both the leader in charge of negotiations and the hostage. She had cleaned herself up, enjoyed one last supper with Countess Formal, and slept soundly.

She woke up today with the full knowledge that her freedom might be on the line. No, was sure to be on the line.

Now, she stood across from the supposed leader of these “Marris” invaders.

They still wore their armors and helmets, and only their leader had taken it off. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was a commoner, foreigner, and invader, then she might have felt something when she saw his face, but as it was, she only felt bitter defeat when she saw him.

“Princess Pina Co Lada,” a Marris soldier left of their leader spoke up. “Countess Formal,” he also acknowledged the countess sitting quietly and despondently on the side. “This is Captain Alan, the one in charge of our forces on Falmart. Today, we will draft and sign your terms of surrender.”

She nodded. “Very well. What are your terms?”

“First off, you will acknowledge that Italica is now under the control of the Marris Barony, moving it from de facto to de jure and de facto control.”

“... What do those terms mean?” she asked.

“De facto would be ‘effective control’ while de jure would be ‘legal control.’ They can be used together to describe total control.”

“... I cannot contest this,” she replied gracefully instead of outright admitting defeat.

“Second, Countess Formal and her household will give up their claims to the city and the surrounding lands. The exact amount of land would be the city, the surrounding farmland, and anything to the west of the city.”

“I cannot sign away such a claim when we are still at war,” she reminded him with a glare.

He nodded. Then he turned to the young girl. “Countess, we can either take you and your entire household prisoner for the duration of the war or you can sign this. Which will it be?”

She looked up from where she had been blankly staring at the ground. Her maid looked absolutely furious but did not speak up right now.

“... I will not give up my family’s land.”

Pina looked at the young girl in surprise.

“Very well. You and your household will be held prisoner. Men, escort them out.”

“You can’t do this!” the elderly maid shouted as she stood between Myui and the soldiers. “She is the rightfu-”

“Right to rule,” the Marris captain interrupted her with the firm phrase. “Is derived from control of violence, something you, a resident of the Sanderan Empire, should be fully aware of. We brought not a single percent of our not inconsiderate force, defeated the defenders, got them to surrender, and are now negotiating the terms. What happens here is dictated by what we, the ones in power, decide. Maid, if you want to do something about it, try it. Just don’t be surprised if your charge there never comes back home.”

“You are going too far,” Pina interrupted in turn. “You talk to me, not the maid.”

The captain looked back before nodding. “Very well. Escort them out.”

Half of the Marris soldiers in the room did as ordered, leaving Pina with Hamilton and Grey, both of whom were injured.

“What other terms do you have?”

“The last term is specifically aimed at you, princess.”

“And what term would that be?”

“You are a member of the ruling class that has allowed the heinous practice of slavery to continue in your empire. And from what we know, you have done nothing to alleviate the suffering of the people.”

“And why does that matter?”

The captain gave her a smug smile. “This war? This invasion? It started because we are here to uproot the practice.”

Her jaws dropped.

They invaded the empire because of slavery?

“Y-You… killed hundreds, threaten to kill thousands, and want to upend the very fabric of my people…?”

“Slavery is what we want gone, both de facto and de jure,” he replied. “And we hold you partially responsible.”

“Then what? What will you do to me?” she asked hysterically as reality settled in. Gods of war had descended with soldiers capable of slaughtering hundreds by themselves … because they saw slavery and condemned the entire empire?

“It is your choice.”

“Oh, I get a choice! Fine. Tell me. Entertain yourself with my misery, why don’t you?!” she hissed. “Oh, do you want me to bed you, too?!”

The Marris captain remained unflappable. “No, we don’t need women who doesn’t want to sleep with us without affection. We’re not you, after all.”

She wanted to throw the table at the smug bastards with their holier-than-thou attitude. Who were they to come here and dictate terms?!

“Then what…?” she hissed.

“You can become our prisoner like Countess Formal and her household. We will treat you like the royalty you are. You can also leave this place with your retinue to join the forces of your empire. However, we will not show you mercy next time we meet because we will consider you to have been in support of slavery, and all who support slavery must die, regardless of age, sex, class, and religion.”

Abruptly, the rest of the Marris soldiers remaining in the room thumped their armored boots to the floor.

“Purge the slavers!”

“Your world is merely the first of many,” the captain continued. “Don’t worry. As long as slavery goes away, we don’t care about the r-.”

BOOM!

Pina froze. That sounded a lot like the god machine’s own attacks. Were they rampaging through the town?

“... So they actually had the guts to attack us.” She felt hope rise up. Was there something out there that gave these invaders pause? “Good thing we prepared for this.” That hope died quickly.

When they left the room, she followed them outside. When they looked up, she did.

And her eyes widened as giant rings of light opened up and giant airships came sailing out of them. Five such ships moved so fast for structures so big and landed just outside the walls… and doors opened up on their sides, and she watched as more of those giant gods of war stepped out from them. From another one of those ships, giant metal birds of prey shot out, making the air scream and boom as they sped off into the distance in pairs.

Then she heard the captain chuckling.

“If the JSDF wants to fight, then we’re all for it,” he said quietly.

JSDF? Did he mean the men-in-green?

… Could she possibly pit two enemies of the empire against each other? Could she turn this around?

-VB-