Ch 285: The new Holy Trinity

The Rayshift ended, and Chisato, Takina, Caren and Ciel found themselves in a dirt road. The road large to a large town sandwiched between the first mountain of a mountain range that seemed to never end on one side, and a large river.

"I guess we have our first destination already chosen for us." said Ciel.

"This town and the road look… medieval. Maybe we should go inside those woods and change our outfits first." suggested Takina, and they agreed.

A few minutes later, the four girls, now dressed in good quality, but simple outfits, and crude backpacks, walked down the road and reached the gate.

"Oh, more quests!" smiled Chisato, opening her system.

"Quest 1: Ensure the safety of Prince Roland Wimbledon. Reward: 5% completion toward unlocking the Grand Quest's special reward. Its nature will be revealed after reaching 50% completion. Currently: 5%."

"Quest 2: Save witches and bring them to Prince Roland. Reward: One Custom High-Grade Artificial Body, modified to host a soul instead of an Artificial Intelligence, for each two witches saved."

"Witches, huh?" smiled Chisato. "Do you think they wear cute pointy hats?"

"Probably not, if we need to save them." shrugged Takina. "This does not sound like they can walk the streets openly."

"Let's get inside this town, so we can learn more." suggested Ciel, and they nodded, resuming their walk.

"Oy, who are you women?" asked one of the two guards when they reached the gate.

"Just travelers." shrugged Chisato.

"You from Longsong Stronghold? Why did you come to Border Town, and on foot?" asked the other guard, suspicious.

"We're visiting some relatives." smiled Takina. "Now can we pass?"

"Suspicious." squinted the first one. "Four women alone, without escort or any big weapon, and you all look young and pretty… you look like witches."

"Witches?" asked Chisato with a raised eyebrow.

"Like the one we caught yesterday..."

He seemed to realize something and now looked scared, his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Gorg, go inform his Highness. You girls aren't allowed to enter until we are sure you aren't witches." warned the first guard as the other nodded and ran off.

"Fine, we'll wait." shrugged Takina. "How are you going to verify we aren't witches?"

This, apparently, wasn't something the guard had given much thought about, as he stammered.

"That's… His Highness will decide!"

"And how will he decide?" asked Chisato.

"…Quit asking and just wait for his Highness to come!"

Takina and Chisato looked at each other, and they sighed.

"You said you caught a witch yesterday. What happened? Was the town attacked?" asked Ciel.

"A girl from the town. There was a collapse at the mine, and the witch revealed her power then. I don't know the details. But she's a witch, so she must be killed. She's about to be hanged."

"How dangerous was this witch? Did you have a hard time capturing her?" wondered Caren.

The guard hesitated.

"I think she just surrendered. She's smart, for a witch."

Caren, Ciel, Chisato and Takina exchanged a glance and a nod, and entered the down with a brisk pace.

"Hey, you can't enter, I said!" shouted the guard.

"We heard you, but we want to see that witch before she's executed." said Chisato without slowing.

"…Damn it! Why can't you wait for his Highness to come?" grumbled the guard, torn between his duty to guard the gate and his need to keep an eye on the potential witches. He finally decided to follow them.

"This town likely has a plaza near its center. That is where the execution will take place, right?" asked Takina to the guard, who nodded stiffly.

The girls, with their reluctant escort, reached the crowded place in only a few minutes. Two wooden platforms had been raised. On the first one were three men, one of them sitting on a padded chair, the other two standing behind him. The guard from earlier, Gorg, was standing near the first platform.

The young man sitting had black eyes and long dark gray hair, bound in a thick braid hanging over the right side of his chest. He was dressed in an elegant black outfit.

Standing one step behind the chair and to his right was a man with short blonde hair and goatee, black eyes, and wearing steel armor. The other was an old, bald man with bushy white brows almost hiding his black eyes, mustaches, and a short beard, dressed in frayed dark gray pants and light gray top.

The other platform was a gallows. Somone was already standing over the trapdoor, a hooded figure with a noose around her head, long bangs of flaxen hair escaping from the black hood's fabric, her hands tied behind her back by rope, and a guard was standing near a wooden lever.

The man sitting on the chair seemed to be arguing with the armored man and the old one when he spotted them coming and frowned.

"Sorry, sorry, let us pass!" called out Chisato as the girls forced their way among the silent crowd, ignoring the gasps of outrage as they reached the gallows and climbed the wooden stairs.

"You, you stay away from that lever." firmly said Takina as the slowly but firmly pushed the flabbergasted guard away.

Chisato, smiling at she wondered how much longer they would manage to milk the shock factor, stopped in front of the alleged witch and removed the noose from around her neck and pulled the hood off, revealing the face of a pretty girl. Her light blue eyes blinked in confusion.

"Y-You! What is this outrage?" finally exclaimed the old man beside the throne.

"Be silent, please." replied Caren with the voice of an Empress giving a command from her throne, and the old man opened and closed his mouth without a sound as he pointed an accusing finger at her, too angry to find words.

The prince, on the other hand, was leaning forward with interest.

"I'm Chisato. What is your name?" asked Chisato with her trademark infectious grin.

"…Anna... Are you going to kill me?"

"Should we?" asked Chisato, tilting her head and acting confused.

"I am a witch." replied Anna, as if it was a self-evident answer.

"So?"

"…What do you mean, so?" asked Anna, confused.

"We do not care if you're a witch or not. We only kill rapists and murderers. What matter is, have you killed or harmed people?"

"I have."

"Bad people, or innocent ones?"

"…My uncle. He tried to rob and kill my father."

"Then that settles it. You're not dying today, or anytime soon. And since I assume the villagers want you dead, how about you come with us? You'll have nice clothes to wear, delicious food to eat, and we'll make you strong."

Anna watched Chisato, Takina, Caren and Ciel in turn, hesitated for an instant, then nodded.

"Your Highness, please give the order, and we'll capture those witches!" pleaded the blonde man in armor.

"…No." replied the prince, standing form his chair.

"Hey, your Highness." said Takina. "We're taking that girl out of your hair and leaving this town. It would be better for everyone if you do not try to stop us."

"…I could do that, but I have a better offer! Work for me, all five of you!"

If the girls' behavior so far has shocked people, this was nothing compared to the reaction to the prince's words. Shocked gasps and screams of protest erupted from the crowd, some people fainted, and the old man and the armored man clamored to the prince, asking if he had lost his mind.

Takina clapped in her hands once, the sound cutting through the noise.

"Are you not afraid of witches?" asked Takina, looking into the prince's eyes.

"Why would I be? A witch would have no reason to kill me if I do not give her one. And I have generous employment conditions to offer you! Two days of rest per week! One gold coin of weekly salary! Only eight hours of work a day, and three weeks of paid rest per year!"

"Ohhh…" nodded Ciel. "That doesn't actually sound too bad."

"What a progressive mind. A pleasant surprise in these lands." said Caren with an approving nod.

Chisato rubbed her chin, suspicious. That offer was indeed very progressive for the living conditions of a medieval era, and looked so close to a modern-day standard that she was wondering just who the prince was, and if this world wasn't based on one of those countless isekai reincarnations fictions.

"Your Highness, I think we should discuss your offer in a more private setting." said Takina.

"Don't, your highness!" shouted the old man. "If you speak to them anymore, you'll be bewitched! Bewitched!"

"Do not be ridiculous, Barov! Just do as I command!" ordered the prince.

"…Yes, your Highness." replied Barov with extreme reluctance.

"Please follow me." said the prince to the girls who descended from the gallows, Chisato holding Anna's right hand.

The crowd, afraid of them, gave them a wide berth, and they followed the prince, and his nervous advisor and guards to the large mansion directly behind the plaza.

Anna looked very nervous as the girls and Chisato entered a room with a large table, and the prince invited them to sit. He also forced Barov and the Chief Knight, someone called Carter, to wait outside, and started serving them tea himself.

"Thank you, your highness."

"So, before you give me your answer or we discuss any condition you may have, I would like to know your names, and your power." smiled the prince. He first looked at Anna, and she cleared her throat.

"I'm Anna… I can make fire, and I do not get burnt."

The prince nodded with a smile, and his gaze turned to Chisato next to Anna. Chisato hesitated for a second, then took her smartphone from her spatial ring and turned it on.

"Do you know what this is, your Highness?" asked Chisato. She didn't really need to ask as she had seen his eyes widen in shocked recognition at the sight of the device.

"I don't. What is it?" lied the prince, and Ciel and Caren watched him with thoughtful expressions.

"Please wait an instant." said Chisato before calling Noah. As soon as the communication was established, Chisato spoke.

"Hi hi, Noah. This is Chisato. Do you mind if we do a video call? There is a prince who wants to recruit us as witches."

"Witches?" asked Noah with amusement, but he also activated the video.

Takina smiled as she turned the screen for the prince, Anna and Noah to see each other. Anna watched in amazement the strange black, thin thing that now displayed a man's face.

"Prince Roland Wimbledon, and Anna?" asked Noah with narrowed eyes.

"Yes." replied the prince with a serious expression. "Who are you?"

"Ah, where are my manners? Greetings, Prince Roland, Anna. I am Noah Enfield, a Demi-God, and Chisato and the others are part of my faction. It is nice to meet you."

"A Demi-God?" asked Roland, his voice heavy with disbelief.

"It's a long story. Judging from Anna's current attire, I assume she hasn't accepted working for you yet?"

"We just saved her from being hanged, Noah." said Chisato. "It seems people here do not like witches. Most people."

"They fear what they do not understand, and the Church is making sure things stay that way. Chisato, if you called me, I assume you hoped I could tell you things about this world?"

"Yes. I also wanted to observe the prince's reaction to the sight of a smartphone." smiled Chisato. "I got my suspicions confirmed!"

The prince looked at her sharply, but didn't say a word.

"Alright." said Noah. "Chisato, who else is present in the room?"

"Takina, Caren, and Ciel. No one else."

Noah nodded, looking at Roland.

"Your Highness, I have a proposal for you. I will ask my girls to gather dozens, possibly hundreds of witches to work under you, help you modernize your territory as fast as possible, work to improve the witches' reputation among the civilians, and ensure your victory in this succession struggle against your siblings. I will also ask them to make certain the Church and the Inquisition are not in a position to bother you, and give you important information regarding the situation overall, so you can better understand your role in it, and the reason you now have two sets of memories in your head."

"Two sets of memories?" muttered Anna, frowning.

"…And what would you require in return for such largesse?" sighed the Prince.

"When my subordinates are done with their main mission and have to return home, they will take with them Anna, Nightingale, another witch you have yet to meet, and more witches who will be willing to leave this world. So, try not to grow too attached to them. I will offer them safety and comfort, in a world where people will treat them with respect, not persecute them."

"Another world?"

"A near infinity of them. The multiverse is a large place. Again, it's a long story, and the girls can tell you more about it if they wish, but we should keep the conversation focused on practical matters for now."

"…You mentioned a main mission." nodded Roland, understanding that he would have to restraint his curiosity about this subject for now.

"We are after an extra-dimensional Great Demon that is hiding in this world." said Takina. "We have colleagues working to locate it, and when they do, we will not require assistance dealing with it, your Highness. it will likely take them a few months to find it, and we will leave this world shortly after, along with a few new sisters."

Takina smiled warmly at Anna, and she fidgeted a little, not liking to have the attention focused on herself.

"Is that Great Demon a danger to the kingdom?"

"It is a danger to the world as a whole, but it also knows that it can't defeat us, and hiding is its best defense, so it probably won't cause trouble. We killed many of those already." shrugged Chisato.

"Leaving this world with a few witches… Is that really all you want?" asked Roland, suspicious, as he returned his attention to the smartphone.

"Yes, that is all. Considering the technological level of your world, and that we have easy access to any kind of raw materials, the only valuable thing you have is potential recruits for my faction." shrugged Noah.

"And for your sins, Prince Roland, you are now the linchpin of humanity's survival in this world. You have at most a few years to field an army of significant size armed with automatic rifles, tanks, and planes, or the demons will overwhelm you, and humanity will go extinct on this world."

"Going from medieval to tank and plane production?" asked Takina with wide eyes. "That's… a tall order."

"Indeed." nodded Noah. "And witches will be crucial to accelerate industrial development. For example, there is that witch who can 'paint' materials into existence and give them the properties she wants. Like electrical resistance for wire insulation, or corrosion resistance for plumbing. Another who can turn iron into magnets. And so on."

"I accept!" suddenly declared Roland, his eyes blazing. "As long as you give me some time to make the witches who will leave with you less crucial to the industrialization effort."

Anna was listening intently, not understanding every word used, and trying to make sense of what she was hearing.

"Yes. Your future industry shouldn't be overly dependent on witches anyway. You never know when one might suddenly have health issues or suffer an accident." nodded Noah.

"So, let us start by giving you some of the important information. First, one of your maids tried to poison you. She is being blackmailed by your sister Garcia, who is holding one of her relatives hostage. Please do something about the situation, and Garcia at some point. She is too competent to waste, but needs to be kept on a short leash."

"We'll do something about her." nodded Chisato.

"Thank you, Chisato. The most urgent thing will likely be Nightingale showing up, likely within ten days. You need to have her immediately take you to the other witches of her group. With just a bit of luck, you'll arrive in time to stop another witch from dying due to her magic power exceeding what her body can tolerate."

"Exceeding magic power?" asked Prince Roland.

"Yes. It happens when a witch doesn't use her magic regularly. Like those trying to hide from the Inquisition. A witch's magic power tends to grow in bursts, and if the witch hasn't reinforced her body by using magic regularly… The unfortunate witch will be in agony for hours. In the more severe cases, the witch will die, possibly explosively. Anna, please make sure you use your magic a lot every day, at least until you reach adulthood."

"…Are you certain about this?" carefully asked Anna.

"I am. Now, I do not want to do too much backseat driving, but here are the witch organizations I know about."

"The Witch Cooperation Association, currently or soon to be on the mountain near Border Town, the group Nightingale is currently affiliated with. Over a dozen witches, and the one who is the most time-critical. They leader, Cara, is a vicious fanatic, a witch-supremacist who wants for witches to rule over normal humans, and she is even a bully to the other witches. She is unknowingly leading her group to the other side of the mountain range, into Demon territory, thinking that they are the witches' allies. They aren't."

"You girls know I have a policy of recycling villains and have them repay for their misdeeds with humanitarian work rather than kill them, but in Cara's case, I do not want her. Permanently seal her powers or something."

"Yes, that would be a fitting punishment if she despises normal people." nodded Takina.

"Yes. Next is Sleeping Spell, Tilly Wimbledon's faction, currently or soon to be based on Sleeping Island. Yes, your little sister is also a witch." chuckled Noah as he saw Roland's expression. "She has been secretly sheltering witches for years, and not just from your kingdom. She has gathered many witches, possibly over a hundred."

"The BloodFang Association, led by Heidi Morgan, a bitter noble who resents having been stripped of her succession rights due to her being outed as a witch. They should still be in the Kingdom of Wolfheart, although her group will eventually join Sleeping Spell, and she'll try to stage a coup against Tilly. This Heidi firmly believes that combat witches should rule over those whose abilities have no clear combat applications. Any non-combat witch that joins her group quickly finds herself sold off to perverted nobles. More people to be reformed, and thoroughly."

"The Pure Witches, a small, secret group of around ten strong combat witches who work for the Church. Some have been brainwashed, but undoing it might be difficult."

"There are also an unknown number of witches imprisoned inside the Church's headquarters. The Church use them as sacrifices in a ritual to turn human soldiers into what they call God Punishment Warriors, which are essentially obedient zombies with the strength to overpower a gorilla, complete insensitivity to pain, and conserving most of their martial skills, but lacking any high-level cognitive functions. They wouldn't be able to use firearms. I would recommend raiding their prison cells at some point."

"Finally, there are the Taquila Witches, survivors of the last conflict between Demons and Humans. I wouldn't be able to give you a number. Some are hiding underground near volcanos, having traded their human bodies for shells able to withstand even lava. Those shells hold the consciousnesses of many witches. They shouldn't be hostile as long as they know you intend to treat the witches well, but I do not recommend trying to find them before you are ready to fight large numbers of demons and demonic beasts on the way in."

"They also have a number of operatives, the True God Punishment Warriors, witches who have taken over the bodies of some of the Church's God Punishment Warriors. They cannot use their witch powers, and they have no sense of touch, which requires from them years of adaptation before they can fight effectively, but they have all the combat experience and intellect of people who lived as warriors for centuries, and the strength and resilience inherent to the body they inhabit."

Chisato, Takina, Ciel and Caren looked at each other and shared a smile. They now had their answer about the reward of the second quest they had been given.

"And, that's about what I remember about the Witches organizations."

"Wait, how can you possibly know all this?" asked Roland.

"…The past is single and immutable, but there exists an unlimited amount of possible futures, depending on people's choices and actions. I have seen one of them. One that will not happen, since my girls are already bringing changes, but it still provided me with a lot of useful information." shrugged Noah, and his phone made a sound. "I need to go, Akeno is calling. Good luck, everyone."

The call ended before Roland or Ann could ask another question, and Chisato retrieved her phone. She smiled as she saw Anna's intensely curious eyes fixed on the smartphone.

"I will show it to you more in detail later and try to explain how it functions." promised Chisato.

Anna nodded and looked at the Prince who was making a frustrated face.

"So, your Highness, it looks like we will be in your care for a while. We do not require payment." smiled Chisato.

"Yes. I will be glad for the help. So, Anna can manipulate fire. What about you?"

Chisato manifested her magic gun.

"We have many abilities. Most of them meant for combat. But if you want us to list things that would be of more immediate use to you, your Highness, we can detect lies, heal any injury, and create various kinds of matter out of thin air, from simple metallic ingots to complex dishes and drinks, as long as we memorize their taste and appearance. Needless to say, we can supply you with enough gold and silver that money will not be an issue for your territory."

"That would be very useful." nodded Roland. "And if you can heal injuries, that will help a lot with lowering the hostility of the citizen toward witches. But you aren't really witches, as I understand?"

"We are Agents of the Gods, working under Noah, and he shared some of his abilities with us." nodded Chisato. "We were born as normal human beings, and became, more. In our respective worlds, before we became Agents, Takina and I were orphans trained by a secret branch of the Japanese government to assassinate criminals, while Ciel and Caren were basically demon hunters of the Christian Church. But we do not mind pretending to be benevolent witches if it can help improve their reputation."

"Yes, that would be much appreciated. And you said you could detect lies. Can you find out which of my servants tried to poison me?"

"Yes." nodded Chisato. "That will be easy enough. As far as punishment goes, please don't kill her. She had extenuating circumstances if she is trying to protect a relative, and as Noah said, we do not really believe in death as being the best option to deal with bad people. We can make her sign a magic contract to ensure she won't be able to betray you again."

The prince nodded, and stood. "We should stop this discussion for now. The others must be worried. They are likely thinking you are bewitching me or some other nonsense."

…

After dinner, and another private discussion, Anna, Chisato, Takina, Ciel and Caren were given five rooms in the mansion, but they gathered into a single one and entered the Sanctuary, activating its time dilation for a few extra hours.

"So, it's going rather well so far. Should we guard the Prince during the night as well?" asked Takina.

"That's a good question." replied Chisato. "I do not see any sign of immediate danger, but maybe we should take turns."

"I do not mind." said Ciel. "But before that, would you mind helping Caren and I pray properly."

"Sure." smiled Chisato, and Takina nodded.

"Thank you very much, Chisato, Takina." smiled Caren, already removing her clothes. Once done, she took from her spatial ring a complex web of wide black leather straps, as well as a black leather discipline helmet and a pink egg vibrator with a remote.

"Make it extra-tight, please." said Caren as she took her position, her back facing Chisato, arms folded behind her back, her wrists crossing each other between her shoulder plates.

"As tight as it will go." nodded Chisato, positioning the full-body leather harness on Caren's body and starting to fasten the straps, tight. As she did, she fondly smiled as she thought about Caren's and Ciel's new faith.

After joining Noah's faction, Caren's beliefs had shifted in a way she was sure the Catholic Church wouldn't approve. She still believed in the Holy Trinity, but not quite the same one.

The Holy Mother, Lilith, one of the Gods who created the world.

The Holy Spirit, the Counter-Force, made of both Gaia and Alaya.

And the Holy Son, Noah, who Caren referred to as her Lord.

Caren demonstrated her devotion to the Holy Trinity by working to save Gaia and to protect mankind, by being bound as a sign of her acceptance of Lilith's Domination and Conquest, and by offering her pleasure to her Lord Noah.

When Chisato was done fastening every strap, binding Caren in a frog-tied position, she pushed the egg vibrator inside Caren's moist snatch, setting it to edging mode. The smart device would change in intensity, keeping her close to cumming, but not allowing her to.

"How long?" asked Chisato.

"Three hours." said Caren with a hot breath. "And when it ends, please lock me in a chastity belt and keep the key."

"I approve." grinned Chisato before encasing Caren's head inside the strict discipline helmet.

Caren would spend her time being edged and sensory deprived as she prayed to Lilith, Alaya, Gaia and Noah. Mostly Noah.

Ciel, too, was being bound in the same manner. She wasn't as intense a believer as Caren was and allowed herself a few orgasms from time to time, but this kind of religious doctrine was something she didn't mind follwing, far from it.

"I'll take first watch." said Takina when she was done binding Ciel, and she left the Sanctuary.

Chisato smiled and sat on a sofa, watching the two bound girls, and feeling a bit envious of them. Before long, she was naked, metal handcuffs around her wrists, leather collar around her neck, and lazily masturbated as she stared at them.