Chương 15: Für Elise

The moment Elise entered the room, she allowed her previous form to fall away from her. The elf known as "Emerald" was gone and replaced by Elise Shadowspill, the form that felt so good. It was like the feeling one got after their throat was parched for a while, and they finally received a drink. The relief of opening her crimson eyes and gazing at the platinum-haired Tyralith was like nothing else.

"Mistress, I knew that you'd come up to this room, so I was waiting here." Rela clicked her tongue.

"You have made Our Lady's life even more difficult than it had to be with your antics. Be prepared to face her judgment." Tyralith floundered about and pointed an accusatory finger at Rela."Hey! I did exactly as she told me to without going overboard. You're the one who always clings to her as of late. I would do a way better job at protecting Her Majesty than you would."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Tyralith said with a grin, taking her staff out from a blue space in one swift motion.

"I will prove it to you as well." Rela's shadow magic began to seep out into the space in front of her. The two of them are truly impossible. I guess this is also partially my fault for not being more clear on my instructions. In retrospect, she really didn't go overboard if this were in relation to the game. After all, two low-leveled demons would be nothing compared to even average players. However, in this world... Elise cleared her throat, the two of them stopping immediately.

"Originally, I did intend to rebuke you for going over the edge, but I guess my instructions were not precise. For that, I apologize." The both of them waved their hands at the same time, their voices intermingling.

"There is no need for you to apologize."

"No, it is my job as your leader to make sure that you understand the tasks given to you. I wasn't clear on the power level of this world, but it seems painfully weak so far. Even something like demons are enough to make the denizens fret." Rela frowned.

"I knew they were all weak, but they really are even worse than ants. I am sure some ant monsters would be able to take over a city. It makes me wonder how they even survived up until this point." Elise stepped further into the room, her hand gliding across the smooth marble of a counter top.

"I have a few guesses. One of them is human ingenuity, combined with a high-leveled player."

"You really think there is someone strong among them, Mistress?" Tyralith asked, her dark blue eyes flickering over Elise's body.

"I mean, if even that one holy woman wasn't enough to take out some lowly imps, then I have no idea how anyone in this place is not pathetic."

"That's just one guess, but I surmise it is a combination of things. One example of human ingenuity are those magic lines. That's why I will ask you to investigate the Mage Society later, Tyralith." The elf's eyes widened and she placed a hand on her chin.

"Yes, I did notice that they use strange implements. What are those other factors you mentioned?" Elise strolled over to the red-carpeted living room and ran her fingers across the back of a comfy white couch. A magic fire place sat in the room without a chimney. She could see red stones inside of it behind the glass and a place where one could put their hand to turn it on. Not far away from that was an obsidian grand piano that caught the queen's eye. I wonder if I will still be able to play it?

She stopped and used magic to cleanse the smallest trace of dust on her fingertip. Finally, she looked back towards her elven subordinate.

"I think there might be gods at play and other creatures in this world who can rival them. There was mention of a vampiric kingdom to the north, and they didn't cross over because they'd have to enter domains of other powerful creatures. It makes me think that there might be allies of the humans." Rela pressed a hand against her chin, repeating Tyralith's gesture.

"Now that you mention it, that was what the Order person was saying. Shouldn't we investigate those vampires and figure out the strength of the monsters to the north, My Lady?" Elise shook her head.

"I already tagged that woman with a spell, so I will be able to listen in to any meeting she has with her church. We won't need to go to the north. We can aggravate the humans a little and have the powers that be come knock on our door." The queen walked over to the piano and lifted the hood. The keys looked brand new, and there was a small piece of parchment resting above them. It was familiar notes but different slightly.

When she considered it, she thought it was a bit odd that she could easily read the language of this world. The music sheet detailed a song about the Mage's Society and one of their members. She thumbed through the pages and pressed a key, listening to the note. That's actually pretty crisp. I wonder if they'd let me take this thing off their hands and for how much? If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

She sat down on the bench and played another key, neither of her subordinates interrupting her thought process. If we want to start spreading our influence, what is the best way? Being an adventurer elf has its own perks. It allows me to investigate the guild of this world. Ava'Koz should be our inlet towards the merchant's guild. We have vampires, elves, and others to contend with as well. Her hands tapped on the piano keys faster, reaching the B section of a song this world had likely never heard before.

In her infinite time spent being alone, Elise had nurtured a modicum amount of piano skill. The Für Elise she played this time was even better than when she was on Earth. It's probably a combination of this piano being better and my new body. Elise stood from the bench and closed the hood.

"Alright, I think we should go back to the castle for now."

"My Lady," Rela said, "that was a beautiful performance." The vampiric maid climbed to her feet, standing next to her queen.

"Please, I would like to cash in that kiss before we go back to the castle."

"What?" Tyralith asked and leapt to the other side of Elise.

"Did you offer Rela a kiss, Mistress?" Elise blinked her crimson eyes several times. She felt her undead heart start to beat in her chest, warmth filling her cheeks.

"I don't remember making such a promise. She offered to kiss my cheek on her own."

"My Lady," Rela said with a small whimper. Elise sighed and pressed her fingers into both of her temples.

"Alright, but don't expect me to let this happen frequently."

"Wait! I want to kiss your cheek too!"

"Fine, but the same thing applies to you." Elise closed her eyes.

"You have 5 seconds before..." The two of them wasted no time at all, and before Elise even realized what was happening, two pairs of soft lips pressed against either of her cheeks. The sensation was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It was like igniting a torch that burned hotter than the fires of Hell. It only lasted a second, but Elise was certain that she would remember it for the rest of her days. Her cheeks reddened after the two girls separated from her, and she cleared her throat.

"It is time for us to go." She dared not to look at either of their faces. Even still, she saw looks of triumph on both of them. Her shadow magic spread around all three at once, and the world folded around them. Arriving at the entrance of the castle erased the words of embarrassment written on the stone slate of her heart. She gazed up at the obsidian stones and looked around at the spires going towards the sky. Nearby crows cawed as if they had also been waiting for her return.

The grand entrance to her castle held her insignia, 9 circles, a bat with a gaping maw, swallowing a crimson moon. It opened by itself as if it was a butler letting her inside. The grand doors opened and a double staircase presented itself. The stone making up the railings was likely more expensive than an entire country in this new world, owing to the fact it was all infused and enchanted.

The bones of a great dragon had been burned to ashes, and those ashes mixed with other ingredients to create a cementing paste. That entire paste ran around the whole structure, infused with enchantments that were only boosted by the presence of dragon bone. In Green Emerald Online, every single ingredient had a different rating for magic. The dragon god that had once been a boss was scattered everywhere, and his bones were quite viable.

Not only that, but they were good for alchemy, yet the queen had way more skill points into the enchanting skill tree. Her steps echoed quietly on the stone floor. The lower tiered subordinates that she'd not even seen since her arrival were all out. It was a row of maids at intervals along the stairs and halls. They each held themselves with a dignity and refinement that would make nobles envious. All of them were lower leveled than the 9, but they were likely still demi gods in their own right in this new world.

I believe even the lowest level one has to be at least 300? Limits were placed on NPC followers in GEO for game balance. A player could not accumulate more than 10 ascended NPCs at level 1000. And even those ascended NPCs had much less skill points than players, so they were better suited for even more specialization. If one branched into too many trees with a subordinate, than there was no point in making them at all. Elise had a couple of reasons for never capturing a 10th subordinate.

For one thing, she'd not found another one that peaked her interest. The other was that she herself liked to RP as the 10th seat of her chamber. There were the 9 sins she'd named plus herself, Death. The queen held herself with even more refinement as she ascended each step. She could hear the rough breathing of the maids and other servants as she walked by. It was as if the air had been sucked out of them. She stopped by one of them in particular who was near the entrance to her throne room.

The woman was another vampire maid who she'd gotten relatively early on in her playthrough. Elise remembered liking how clumsy this girl was. Despite being a vampire, the game had made her stumble throughout quests. A small pendant rested in the woman's silver hair at an odd angle. Even now, she is clumsy. Elise smiled at the woman and reached out to fix the pendant along with a wrinkle in her maid dress. The maid's eyes widened and she started stammering and nearly collapsed on the floor.

"My Lady," Rela said with a scowl.

"I will punish this one later." Elise reached down and helped the fallen maid to her feet, the woman's face going bright red.

"There is no need to rebuke her. She can't help herself. Isn't that right, Belle?" Belle's eyes went even wider, becoming like two dinner plates.

"Y-you remember my name?"

"Naturally, I remember the name of all of those who serve within my castle." Elise didn't wait for a response. She turned around and pushed the large doors to her throne room open, but when she did, she received a reception she'd not expected.