Ch 287: Raiding the Church.

As soon as Ciel and Caren were done 'praying', they left Border Town, taking their Sanctuary with them. It was close to midnight by then, and Caren directly flew away, using the flight spell Noah had created, while Ciel was taking a nap in the Sanctuary.

Their destination was Hermes, the newly established Holy City approximately 1500 kilometers away, defending a mountain pass smack in the middle of the mountain range. It was a huge fortress, intended to take the brunt of the yearly invasions from demonic beasts.

Noah had told them more about those beasts during his second phone call. There were actually two separate demon races wanting to kill humanity, the Demons and the Sea Demons, and they were both at war with each other as well. This world originally had four races forced to fight each other for survival, but one of them had already gone extinct.

And what Noah had told them was enough for the girls to worry. The Demons were bad enough, with their ability to evolve by absorbing magic crystals giving them magic power, like lightning projection.

And for some reason, the later stages of their evolution made them look more human-like.

But Noah had been clear from the start, there was little to no chance of a permanent victory against the Sea Demons, unless one of the Gods intervened.

The two reasons for this were that the most important of the Sea Demons lived deep underseas, out of reach of anything Humanity could throw at them, and that were a hive species similar to the Tyranids from that 40k fiction, gathering DNA samples and bio-engineering lifeforms to suit their purposes.

Noah had mentioned organic boats able to spit blobs of acid and bone spines, among other things. And they had a few "control nodes" hidden in the continent that spread spores into the atmosphere every year before and during winter.

The spores had no effect on humans, but animals infected by them would mutate and fall under the node's mind control, becoming what the locals called 'Demonic Beasts'. The Sea Demons used the beasts to put pressure on humanity while the bulk of their forces focused on the Demons.

Caren flew for most of the night, relying on her night vision, and found Hermes shortly before sunrise. A giant fortress of pale gray stone, with thick, high walls extending from it to block the mountain pass. At its center was a huge cathedral.

Caren discreetly landed near the village just south-east of the fortress, took the sanctuary, and entered inside.

"We have arrived, Ciel." said Caren as she found her colleague reading a book.

"Thank you. Wish me luck."

"Yes, good luck. I'll be ready." nodded Caren.

…

Ciel, dressed like an average village girl, came out of the sanctuary, put it into her spatial ring, and engraved a small Light Rune on the ring to make it invisible. She walked alone to the gate, guarded by eight people in armor.

The soldiers who watched the traffic going through the gate barely paid her any attention, until she stopped close.

"Hum? Do you need something?" asked one of the guards, a tall man.

"I have come to surrender myself. I am a witch." quietly said Ciel.

She certainly has their attention now, and they stiffened, their hands going to the hilts of their swords, but they didn't draw them. One of the guards quickly disappeared inside the guardhouse.

"A witch, you say? And you want to surrender?"

"Yes. I heard the Church could cure me, that witches who do not repent explode and harm their families. I wish for the Church to help me before I cause harm to anyone."

The expressions on the guards' faces softened a little, and the one who had gone inside the guardhouse returned, accompanied by four more. One of them held a short but thick chain with a quail-egg-sized blue stone tied to it and a crude padlock.

Meanwhile, shocked whispers about a witch were spreading among the people passing through the gate. Some hurried away, while others stopped to watch from what they deemed to be a safe distance. No one outright panicked, however.

"You said you're a witch? can you prove it?" asked one of the guards who had come out of the guardhouse, a woman who didn't wear a helmet.

"I can make bubbles." nodded Ciel, using Light Arsenal to make a few small bubbles appear above her hand, and making them disappear after a few seconds.

After discussing it with her friends, Ciel had decided to make as unthreatening an example of her 'witch power' as possible. She had first considered demonstrating her ability to regenerate wounds, but that might have attracted the attention of the Pure Witches, if they saw her as a potentially infinite supply of witch blood for their rituals. They didn't want to face them just yet.

"So you really are a witch. Why did you come to surrender yourself, then?

"I heard the church could cure me. that witches were possessed by demons, and that the church could exorcise them. Please, I do not want to bring harm to my relatives."

Ciel did her best to act convincingly, and her efforts were apparently sufficient.

"I understand. We will place you in temporary detention, then I will speak to a bishop." said the guardswoman, nodding to the guard holding the chain.

Ciel didn't move when he fastened the thick chain around her neck and padlocked it. Only then did the guards really relax and resume their watch of the traffic.

Ciel knew that the stone now resting on her sternum was a God Punishment Stone, a kind of mineral that stopped witches from using their power. Of course, it wouldn't have any effect on her.

"You follow me." nodded the guardswoman, and Ciel nodded.

"It was very brave of you, to come seek our help rather than try to hide yourself." said the guardswoman as they entered.

"I am only doing what is right. I, too, am a servant of the Lord." nodded Ciel.

"Yes. I wish every witch were like you. There would be a lot less issues for us to deal with. I am Vice-Captain Alicia Quinn, by the way. What is your name?"

"Ciel."

"Nice to meet you, Ciel." nodded Alicia.

"…If you wish to send a letter to your relatives, I will see to it that it is delivered."

"Thank you, but I already said my goodbyes to them. I will either return alive and cured, or not at all. What about your own relatives, Vice-Captain? They must be proud that you are stepping up to protect them."

"I'm a war orphan, no siblings. The Church took me in." replied Alicia.

"Oh. I'm sorry… Are there many other witches like me who are currently waiting to receive salvation?"

"I do not know." shrugged Alicia. "The parties from the Inquisition bring a few every month, witches who were captured as they tried to hide, but for some, the demon possessing them has too firm a grip, and would rather kill the witch than let her be purified. Well, I'm sure things will go well in your case. The Demon doesn't seem to have a firm hold on you yet."

Ciel nodded and kept following Alicia. She noted that the guardswoman still kept her under constant watch, and her hand never strayed far from her sword. Alicia might have bought her good girl act, but she knew to remain vigilant.

They eventually reached the cathedral and entered its basement. The small part of it dedicated to holding prisoners, at least. Noah had told her that there was a literal second cathedral hidden deep underground, the true seat of power of the Holy Church.

Alicia wasn't allowed to move alone in that part of the cathedral, of course, and two more guards accompanied them down the long, dimly lit hallway. The heavy wooden doors on each side had small, barred windows to allow visitors to check on the prisoners without having to open the door.

The guards opened one door, and gestured for Ciel to go inside. Before she did, Ciel turned to Alicia.

"Vice-Captain, before we part ways, I wish to ask you a question. If you had the opportunity to save and protect many innocent people, but at the cost of your very life… would you take it?"

"That's why I joined the Judgment Army in the first place. I am ready to lay down my life if that is what it takes to keep the Demonic Beasts at bay. Why are you asking this?" frowned Alicia.

Ciel only smiled, and entered the cell before the guards started to think she needed some encouragement. They closed the door behind her and locked it.

"I hope the exorcism will succeed, Ciel." sighed Alicia as she turned away.

"Thank you." nodded Ciel. She listened to their footsteps until Alicia and the two guards returned to the surface, waited a minute, then cut the chain off her neck with a light blade.

Getting out of the cell was just as easy, cutting the lock's iron bolt, and Ciel headed toward the end of the hallway first. Then she started opening all cells, to be sure no witch would be hiding in a blind spot from the door's window. The first three were empty. The fourth had a witch inside. A young woman with long, straight purple hair and deep purple eyes, dressed in a simple white dress with a black coat over it, and a God Punishment stone chained to her neck.

"Hi, I'm Ciel."

"You're not part of the Church." frowned the girl.

"I'm not, and explanations will have to wait. we do not have much time. What's your name?"

"…Fern."

"Nice to meet you, Fern. I am going to send you away now, do not panic."

Before Fern could ask about the crystal ball suddenly in Ciel's hands, Ciel transferred her inside, and resumed her door opening. The next four cells were empty, then Ciel found another witch, one with shoulder-length red hair, red eyes, and wearing a red, gray and white dress. And the God Punishment stone, of course.

"Hi, I'm Ciel. What's your name?"

"…Izetta. Who are you?"

"The person who will get you out of here." said Ciel, Sanctuary still in hand. She transferred the witch inside.

As Ciel worked, she quickly found out that the jailers kept the witches separated by a few empty cells, likely to make it more difficult for them to talk to each other.

By the time Ciel reached the stairs, only two more witches had been added to the Sanctuary. Finé, a girl long blonde hair and purple eyes, dressed in a green and white dress, and Bianca, a girl with long black hair gathered into a ponytail at the base of her neck, gray eyes, and wearing what looked like a noble's uniform, with a deep blue vest, white pants, and deep blue, knee-high leather boots.

Ciel took the stairs down, trying to minimize the sounds, and descended one level down, finding another hallway and more cells. She opened them, but didn't find anyone, until she reached the end of the hallway. This door didn't have a barred window.

Ciel cut off the locking bolts and opened it carefully.

This cell was actually furnished with more than a crude bed and a bucket. There was a bed with a padded mattress, a table and a chair, even a shelf with a few books and an oil lamp.

A man in his late fifties, with short dark gray hair, a beard and a mustache, dressed as a noble, and holding an open book in his hands, sent her a quizzical look.

"Hi. You don't look like a witch." said Ciel.

"That's an astute observation." replied the man with a raised eyebrow. "You, however, do. I assume there is a reason you opened the door without using the key."

"I am staging my escape and taking the other witches with me. I'm Ciel. I think you are a hostage, rather than a criminal, judging by your current accommodations."

"I am Ayling Wimbledon, King of the Kingdom of Graycastle." replied the man with a dignified voice. "If you can get me out of here, I will reward you handsomely."

"Prince Roland's father?" asked Ciel before nodding. "Now that you tell me, I can see the likeness. We'll speak about rewards later."

"You have seen my sorry excuse of a son?"

"Yes. He's doing well." nodded Ciel.

Ciel placed the Sanctuary on the table and teleported both herself and the king inside.

She found Caren facing the four witches, busy explaining the situation to them. They turned in surprise when they saw them.

"Caren, this is King Ayling Wimbledon, Prince Roland's father. The Church was holding him captive. I will keep searching for witches to free, but I am delaying our departure from Hermes a little. The next newcomer might be an armed guardswoman, so be ready to subdue her."

"I understand." smiled Caren.

Ciel nodded and left the sanctuary, putting it back into her spatial ring.

She returned to the stairs and descended one level, finding still more cells, but they were all empty. Ciel sighed, thinking about Alicia telling her that several witches were brought here every month. Finding only four still alive was disappointing. Still, four were better than none, and Caren returned to the surface, knocking the jailers out before they could raise the alarm.

She took from her inventory a blue robe with a hood that she pulled over her head to hide her hair and walked out of the cathedral with unhurried steps. Few people paid her any attention as she traced her steps back to the gate. Alicia was out of the guardhouse, talking to some other guards, her back turned to her.

Ciel didn't stare in their direction, pretending to be just another traveler. When she was only a few meters from them, however, one of the guards either recognized her face, or found her suspicious.

"Hey, you!"

It only took one second for Ciel to take the sanctuary out, bring Alicia inside, and store it away. The next second, she broke into a run, moving faster than a horse at a full sprint.

Shocked exclamations followed in her wake, but she didn't care. The guards only had swords on them, and by the time they took a bow or crossbow from the guardhouse, she would be out of range. Very quickly, she broke visual contact and lost herself in the snow-covered woods. Then she took off, flying between the trees to go deeper into the forest, then flew vertically to several kilometers of altitude, too high for anyone to spot her.

The pursuers would find her footprints in the snow stopping suddenly and would have no explanations to offer other than witchcraft. But it was fine with Ciel.

…

"Hey, you!" exclaimed Winston, his eyes widening.

Alicia barely had time to turn when her surroundings abruptly changed. The warm air and the trees full of small pink petals, some of them covering the ground, were such a contrast compared to the cold air and snow-covered landscape that it took her a second before she realized a woman with wavy silver hair and golden eyes was walking toward her, smiling slightly.

Some distance behind her was a large wooden house, and in front of the house were four women with God Punishment stones around their necks, as well as a man in his later years, all looking at her.

"W-What happened? Who are you?" asked Alicia, taking a step back, and her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"My name is Caren. A friend of Ciel. I guess you would call me a witch."

"What have you done to me? Is this some kind of illusion?"

"No, this is real. You aren’t in Hermes anymore. Now, I am going to give you a choice. We can talk this out now, or after I take that sword away from you."

Alicia's eyes darted to the women standing behind, verifying they all wore God Punishment stones, and judged her chances to be quite good if she could neutralize the witch in front of her.

Her decision made, she shifted her posture slightly, then quickly dashed forward, unsheathing her sword and trying to drive it into the witch's heart.

The witch's left arm blurred, and suddenly, she was holding the blade between two fingers. Alicia's eyes bulged in abject shock when the witch used the same two fingers to wrench the sword out of her hand.

"There's no need for that pointy thing." smiled Caren, and translucent, golden chains appeared for thin air and coiled against Alicia's wrists, forcing her limbs wide apart.

"Release me, witch!"

"I told you, my name is Caren." shrugged the witch as she started undoing the straps of her armor with deft fingers.

Alicia struggled, but in less than a minute, she had been completely stripped of her armor, and was left with the leather tunic and wool layers she had put on to protect herself from the cold. The witch then used thin steel manacles to bind her wrists behind her back.

"What is your name? Ciel didn't mention it."

"I'm not telling you! Witches can inflict curses using a person's name." spat Alicia.

"…I would discard it as superstition, but there may actually be some witches able to do something like this. I guess I'll have to wait until Ciel returns to learn your name, then."

"Now follow me, I'll introduce you to the others and we'll resume our discussion."

Alice didn't have a choice, as Caren kept a firm grip on her left arm as she walked to the others. She was shocked once again to learn that the old man was the king of Graycastle. Or that he claimed to be, at least.

Then she and the alleged king both grew alarmed when Caren told them that Roland intended to turn his city into a haven for witches, where the citizen would accept their existence while the witches would use their abilities to make the lives of the citizen easier.

"But that isn't possible for witches to act for the benefits of citizens." protested Alicia. "They are possessed by Demons."

"That is just nonsense spread by the Church to justify their actions." replied Caren, rolling her eyes. "Demons really exists beyond the mountain range, but to them, the only difference between normal humans and witches is that witches are often harder to kill."

"But the witches explode if they are left alone for too long! Surely this is proof they were possessed by demons!"

"No. A witch's power doesn't slowly grow over time, or at least not by much. The power grows in sudden spurts, and evolves the more the witch understands her power and the world she lives in. A witch must practice her power often, so her body will grow acclimated to her power and increase its magic capacity. If a witch doesn't use her power because she is, for example, hiding from the Church, she's in trouble. When her next growth spurt comes, she will suffer greatly, maybe even die from it. That is when some witches end up exploding."

"That makes sense." frowned Fern. "During my Day of Adulthood, I was in great pain. I felt like I was going to die. But I survived, and my power after that was much stronger."

"I felt no pain at all during my own Day of Adulthood." nodded Izetta. "I can fly, and I often left home at night to fly over the village and its surroundings."

"My own Day of Adulthood is in about six months. I'll practice every day!" said Finé.

"About that, can you remove those stones from our necks?" asked Bianca. "We won't be able to do any practice with those."

"Before that, I want each of you to promise me something. I want you to promise me that you will not use your power to harm people, witches or others, except in self-defense or to defend someone else. And that you will not attempt to harm Prince Roland's efforts to make his territory a safe haven for the witches."

"And before you do, be aware that I can detect lies. If you do not mean those words, I will know."

"Now wait a minute. I have been listening in silence until now, but I am still the king of Graycastle. I won't allow this."

"Your Majesty, let me be clear on something." said Caren with a firm tone. "We saved you from languishing under this cathedral, and probably from being executed in the not-too-distant future, as a favor to Prince Roland, and also because it was the right thing to do."

"But we will not allow anyone to get in the way of his reforms. Humanity's fate rest on his shoulders, so we will not accept any attempt to seize his current power or authority. If we have to imprison you to stop you from being a nuisance, we will."

Alicia winced as she saw the King's expression shift between outrage, anger, and a bit of humiliation at his own powerlessness.

"Even setting the fact that I am the king and legitimate ruler aside, Roland is a fool! A womanizer! The worst of my children! How could humanity's fate be on his shoulders?"

"That was before." immediately replied Caren as the witches recoiled with disgust. "Prince Roland recently had something of a major epiphany. He has mostly given up on his womanizing ways and become a wise leader. And the worst of your children? You do not know Timothy and Garcia nearly as much as you think you do."

"Timothy and Garcia? What do you mean?"

"Roland, at least, isn't scheming to murder his siblings." shrugged Caren.

"No, that can't be!" blurted out King Ayling, shocked.

"You will see soon enough." sighed Caren, not without sympathy.

"This promise not to harm Prince Roland's efforts..." said Fern with a judging gaze and even tone. "…Does it mean that we won't be able to refuse Prince Roland's offer to serve him?"

"No. If you wish to leave his territory, I will make sure you can, even if the Prince objects. I doubt he will. I will give you some money and wish you good luck. Maybe you can even live in his territory without directly working for him. You would have to pick up a craft to sustain yourself, however."

"I understand. I promise you that I will not use my power to harm anyone who doesn't intend to harm me or someone else, and that I will not sabotage Prince Roland's efforts. As for working for him, that will depend on his offer. I hope he isn't a perv."

Caren nodded, satisfied, and created a light knife.

"Do not move, Fern."

Fern remained still as Caren cut the chain off, and it fell on the ground. Fern immediately stepped two steps away, and she felt her power become usable again.

One by one, the others made similar promises, and they, too, were freed from the God Punishment Stone's influence.

Caren gathered the stones and put them in her spatial ring.

"…You can detect lies, create those objects, stop a sword with your fingers, make god stones disappear, and use your powers despite the God Punishment Stones' presence. You aren't a witch." declared Fern with certitude.

Alicia's eyes widened as she realized that Fern had to be right. Witches only had one power, even if it sometimes allowed them to do different things. But the things she had seen Ciel and Caren do were simply too varied. And the God Punishment Stone had no effect on her.

Caren nodded with a smile.

"That is correct. I am not a witch."

"What are you, then?" asked Fern.

Caren wondered for a few seconds how much she should tell them, when Ciel appeared.

"We're about thirty kilometers from Hermes. I took a short break to see how you were doing."

"Thirty kilometers?" asked Finé. "How can this warm place be thirty kilometers from Hermes?"

"Remember the crystal ball I held in my hand when I opened your cell? It is a magic item, and we are currently inside of it. It is a convenient tool to easily transport people over long distances, and I can fly rather fast when I want to." shrugged Ciel. "So, what did I miss?"

"Fern, Izetta, Bianca and Finé just promised not to cause us trouble, so I unsealed their powers. And Fern had just deduced that we aren't actually witches."

"She did? Yes, you strike me as being particularly smart." smiled Ciel as she looked at Fern.

"Why did you kidnap me? You had no need to, if all you wanted was to escape Hermes with those witches." demanded Alicia, incapable of restraining herself anymore.

"Because I am fond of you, Alicia." smiled Ciel. "You said that you would be willing to sacrifice yourself to protect innocent people, right? This is your chance. We will give you power. Enough power to take on whole hordes of Demonic Beasts by yourself and slaughter them with ease. Power to see through lies, and heal the most severe of injuries with a mere touch."

"But in return, you will devote yourself to our Lord, and he will require you to use the strength we will grant you to protect those who cannot protect themselves. That is what I meant by 'sacrificing your life'. No one wants to see you die. It would be pointless and wasteful."

"You want me to devote myself to Prince Roland?" frowned Alicia.

"No. Prince Roland is only someone we will work with for a while. Our Lord is someone much greater." smiled Ciel.

"Who?" asked the king.

"I will be a coward and let Caren explain everything. We will reach Border Town before the end of the day."

"Geez, thanks." snorted Caren as Ciel disappeared. Then she turned to them.

"Follow me inside, everyone. It will be a long talk, so we might as well get comfortable."

Alicia had no choice but to follow. She heard the king mutter something under his breath. She only caught the word 'insolence', and Caren apparently heard, as she turned her head toward him and rolled her eyes.

Once they were inside, Caren started talking. About many things. About Gods and Goddesses beyond the God that the Church worships. About the 72 Solomon's Demons they had been tasked to hunt down before they could destroy worlds. Including her own world. About Lilith and her own Lord, Noah.

Caren didn't just talk. She also used her black device to show them scenes of majestic cities made of stone, steel and glass, of buildings whose height challenged her imagination, of chariots that moved without being pulled by horses, and many other fantastical things.

At noon, she removed Alicia's manacles and created food for them all, what she called "burger and fries".

Alicia had to admit it, it was delicious. And fairly easy to reproduce, as long as she could find the ingredients. Alicia promised herself that she would make some in the future for her friends in the Judgement Army. Assuming she ever reunited with them.

After the meal, they talked for hours. Until Ciel returned, telling them that they had reached their destination.

A few seconds later, the scenery changed again, and Alicia was standing in the garden of a moderately sized mansion. One young man and four young women faced them, the four women wearing red and white outfits that resembled maid uniforms.

"F-father?" blurted out the young man at the sight of the king, his eyes wide in shock.

"Yes." sighed King Ayling. "It seems a lot of things happened while I was locked away. Caren told me about that impostor and his ill-fated decree."

"An impostor? What happened to you, Father?"

Alicia stopped paying attention to them and focused on the young women.

"Da Vinci? What are you doing here?" asked Ciel in a low voice.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" grinned the beautiful brunette.

"Of course I am. I'm just surprised."

Da Vinci hesitated, glancing at Alicia and the others.

"I already told them about Chaldea, and our mission." said Caren, and Da Vinci nodded.

"I am here because I am uniquely suited to this situation. I will help Prince Roland's modernization efforts. Olga-Marie estimated that I would be more useful here than in Chaldea. Type: Moon doesn't mind, since it doesn't jeopardize our overall mission, and I agreed."

"That's great." nodded Ciel. "I'm sure Prince Roland is overjoyed."

"He is." laughed Da Vinci. "I am quite confident I am his favorite person right now. I also brought several armloads of technical books, Chemistry for Dummies, and other useful things. Ciel, Caren, we'll treat this world a bit differently from the others. We will maintain a presence here even after the Demonic Pillar is destroyed, until we can be confident that humanity is going to survive in the long term."

"I understand, and I approve wholeheartedly." nodded Caren.

"That being said, we can rotate personnel on a regular basis. I am going to leave at some point when one of our teams reaches a certain world we were warned about, and I will likely be gone for several months. So you girls do not need to worry about being stuck in this dreary place for a year or more. And there's another piece of good news. Akeno's team has been given a side quest with an interesting reward. If they succeed, Akeno will become able to establish verbal Soul Contracts, including by phone. The candidates will not need to wait until they meet her in Chaldea to get the perks."

"This is great news!" exclaimed Ciel.

"Great indeed. And those outfits?" asked Caren.

"Prince Roland's idea of a witch's official uniform. They are cute and decent enough, so I do not mind." smiled Da Vinci. "Now, how about you introduce us to our new friends?"

"Yes. This is…"

Alicia nodded politely when it was her turn to be introduced. She didn't really know what to think anymore. All of their claims seemed so hard to believe, and yet…

…

"Have you started changing your mind about witches being possessed by Demons, Alicia?" asked Ciel.

The two women were now alone. After dinner, Ciel had taken her back inside that crystal ball she called the 'Sanctuary'.

"…I do not know." sighed Alicia. "I do not want to believe the Church is wrong about it, but why would you go to such lengths to deceive me? I'm just a junior officer in the Judgment Army. I do not have any great secret to pry out of me."

"Did Caren tell you what we were, before Akeno and the others recruited us?" asked Ciel.

"She told me you were part of another Church, and that you hunted demons."

"Not just demons, but that is true. But did she mention how that Church had deceived us, about the Saints?"

"…No." frowned Alicia.

"I see. It's a sordid story, and not one I am in the mood to tell now. Ask me later if you're curious. But my point is that Churches are organizations made of people, with a hierarchy, and that some people will always lie and manipulate to reach the top. As time passes, those manipulative and ruthless people will tend to be promoted over the honest ones, and the original purpose of the organization will start to be corrupted by their greed and ambitions."

"What do you mean?" asked Alicia. She could follow Ciel's reasoning, and she even agreed with its logic, but she suspected that Ciel knew more than she let on about the Church in Hermes.

"You aren't ready for me to tell you about the dark side of your Church, what Noah told us about it. About the real reason they are capturing witches. I just wanted to warn you that this dark side does exist, so you can be better mentally prepared for the day when you will learn about it. Meanwhile, I will show you about the dark side of what being Noah's subordinate means."

"The dark side?"

"Yes." smiled Ciel, opening a door. "We too are an organization, and we too have a… morally questionable side. Follow me to the basement. I will start giving you the training required to gain the power I promised you."

Alicia gulped. There was something ominous in Ciel's declaration. But she also knew she had no choice, so she stood and followed her downstairs.

When Ciel opened the thick wooden door and gestured for her to enter, Alicia had a flashback of the jailers opening a cell for Ciel.

"Come to think of it, did you kill the wardens this morning?" asked Alicia as she entered the large room.

"No. I managed to pull this off without even having to knock out anyone."

Alicia barely heard the end of Ciel's answer as she realized that many of the strange pieces of furniture were meant to restrain someone.

"It looks like a torture room. But a weird one." said Alicia with unease.

"Calling it a pleasure room would be a better description. You see, in order to gain the abilities Noah can share and become one of us, you first need to be willing to devote yourself to him. This is why I am going to teach you the pleasure than can be gained in submission."

It took a moment for Alicia, whose life had been focused on martial training, to fully understand, and she shook her head, horrified.

"Don't worry, you will come to like it far more quickly than you realize, and I'll be gentle. Now are you going to remove your clothes yourself, or shall I?"