The Adventures of Rose Hood

“So, you think that an invasion is imminent?”

“Yes, I think we should prepare, at least.”

Dallel was talking with me. As someone who knew the truth of my nature, he was someone I could talk to.

“Why do you think that Wrath will make a move so soon?”

“Because that’s what I would do. If I thought I had an absolute chance of winning, I would make an early move. Frankly I think that their biggest concern is Sloth, but they would think she would sit around and take whatever happens.”

“So, they wouldn’t be prepared to deal with her.”

“No, they wouldn’t, but even with her, we will need a force to back her up.”

Then Sloth spoke.

“Frankly, they will be expecting us to maintain the merger, they’d never expect us to separate, especially in the middle of battle. But Rose is right, we need to have a backup force.”

I could speak again.

“So, should we reach out to my brother?”

“No, he’s petrified by the idea of you becoming evil, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere near a battle involving most if not all shards.”

“Fair.”

We thought for a while.

“Maybe I should use the demonic legion that swore loyalty to me, then you guys can back us up.”

“But how would I justify mobilization.”

“Say that you heard murmurs of a plan to invade and are being cautious.”

“That would work.”

“But we still will need powerful weapons.”

“What do you mean?”

“Wrath is in a valkyrie body. She will have a massive army of evil, not to mention the cults that serve those who will help her.”

“I see, so how do we get enough to deal with a massive evil army.”

“I believe we could help with that.”

Two women stepped in and Dallel looked shocked that they broke through the silence bubble.

“Who are you?!”

I stood up. I knew those two.

“Hello Innocence.”

The white robes fluttered in the air and Dallel realized the identity of the duo standing before us.

“Hello Benevolence, Peace.”

_

“HA, you really made a big mess!”

“So, I was right to expect an invasion.”

“Yep, Wrath was furious, she even reached out to me to help her. Can you imagine it? Wrath, so desperate to destroy you that she reached out to me. Ha ha ha!”

Benevolence was laughing hard. We gave the duo chairs, and I bought them drinks, which Zath delivered with too much pleasure.

Peace was seemingly tired.

“I’m only here, because I know that if I don’t help, the war will spiral out of control. There are four factions after all.”

“F-four?”

Dallel was understandably terrified, he was at the table with three beings that could rip him to shreds in an instant.

“Yes, elf, four. Ours, Wrath’s, Gluttony’s, and Envy’s pity party.”

“So, Envy didn’t align with Wrath?”

“Nope, she’s planning something though. I don’t know what though, but I’ve never seen her look so envious before. Be careful, Innocence.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“And what of Gluttony?”

“She, Lust, and Greed made a deal to basically come in after the battle and establish themselves as saviors.”

“That sounds odd.”

“It does, doesn’t it.”

Benevolence spoke up,

“By the way, I brought my army to aid you, they are camping outside of the walls. I left while they were talking to a weird tan guy.”

“Jalad?”

“That’s his name? He’s hot.”

We all looked at Benevolence.

“What? I may be a multimillennia old evil entity, but I can still admire men.”

“You are odd.”

Then Peace spoke up,

“My army is also here, we came up a little after, so my commander may be talking to this Jalad as well.”

At that moment, Jalad came in with two men. One was a half giant; he wore a white magic leather chestplate. The other was an elf, he wore golden armor.

“We should talk here; we can get the best drinks.”

“I do love a good drin-”

They stopped and looked at us.

The giant spoke first.

“Lady Peace, is this the dragon that you brought us here to aid?”

“Yes, Rose, meet Galiath, Galiath meet Rose.”

“Good to meet you.”

The Elf looked at me with keen interest.

“Lady Benevolence, so this is the one you mobilized us to defend. I still do not know what Wrath would want with a dragon, but the high priest agreed, so we came.”

It seemed neither knew what I actually was.

“Well, Sallas, you should be nicer to the child.”

“She is over 100, Mistress, not much of a child.”

“Eh, compared to me, you all are children.”

“I understand, Mistress.”

The elf seemed close enough to debate with Benevolence, while the half giant seemed fiercely loyal and scared of Peace.

“Goodness, Benevolence, control your servants better, they shouldn’t be able to argue with you.”

“How about you mind your own business?”

“How about both of you shush?”

The servants and Jalad looked at me in shock, but the duo burst out laughing.

“I suppose we should focus. Good call, Rose.”

Jalad was confused.

“Alright, so these are the goddesses you two mentioned.”

Sallas had his jaw dropped.

“Yes, they are.”

Galiath was frozen.

“I never thought I’d see someone surviving telling Lady Peace to be quiet.”

“Don’t you get any ideas.”

“I would never, Mistress.”

Mammon walked up and read the situation quickly, but he didn’t care.

“Hey Rose, who are the two beauties next ta ya.”

They looked at him in confusion about the dwarf that walked up with no fear whatever.

“They are people coming to aid us in a fight with a being known as Wrath.”

“Wait, I’ve heard that name.”

He grabbed me and picked me up by my hair.

“**** it Rose! How did you pick a fight with a ******* shard of the evil god!”

“Nn, sorry sorry!”

The duo was about to kill him, but seeing me and Dallel calm, they merely glared at him.

“Eiyaiyai! And why would these two fight to help us against a shard?”

“Because put simply, we hate Wrath.”

Mammon put me down and I sat back down with a light blush.

‘You don’t keep a heavy hand on your servants, Innocence.’

‘Mammon isn’t my servant, he’s my boss as a guildmaster and a close friend.’

‘Does he know?’

‘No, only Dallel and Royce know.’

‘I see.’

“And she’s speaking telepathically again.”

We all jumped; Mammon’s loud voice countered the quiet nature of telepathy so much that it stunned us.

“Mammon what the heck, we are discussing important things.”

“Jeez okay. Anyways, what’re your names.”

Peace stood and gave a light curtsy.

“I am Peace, and this is Benevolence.”

Benevolence gave a friendly smile and wave, but Mammon froze.

“So, two shards are fighting one shard... Why?”

He recognized their names immediately. As expected of the head guildmaster of Selethon.

“As we said, we hate Wrath, and we especially don’t want her to get Rose.”

“Why?”

“Wrath wants her power, if she gets it, then she will be unstoppable and there would be no way to prevent her from becoming the core.”

“And if she’s the core?”

“The world will be destroyed.”

“Ah... Rose... STOP GETTING THIS CITY INVOLVED IN WORLD LEVEL CRISES!!!”

He picked me up again.

“Sorry sorry!!!”

“Ye better be. *siiiiiiiiiiiiigh* Alright, I’ll mobilize the adventurers and ask for help from other nation’s guilds. Any idea what other shards will get involved?”

Peace nodded.

“Pretty much all of us.”

“Great... so we are doomed?”

Benevolence shook her head.

“Nope, that’s why we are here. To prevent this city from falling, and if we can, finally getting Wrath absorbed.”

“What happens if she gets absorbed?”

“A lot of the shards will withdraw and the plan to destroy the world will be greatly crippled.”

“So, it’s in our best interest that one of ya ladies absorbs her.”

“Yes, honestly we are banking on Innocence, who is nearby, to be the core that absorbs Wrath.”

“I see.”

Dallel looks confused.

“Wait, Mammon, how do you know so much about the shards?”

“Zath ‘xplained most of it.”

“Ah, the demon king bartender, I was about to ask about him.”

“Yeah, he made a contract with me a few decades ago.”

“He always was passive for a demon, still annoyingly destructive, but he’s better than most.”

“Yeah, which shard does he hail from.”

“Lust...”

“That... explains a lot actually.”

“Yeah, he’s weird, even to us.”

“Well, let's go over the plan.”