Idol Gunner [Yuri Villainess LitRPG]

-WARNING-

The following track is classified as a Category S Danger by the Coalition

Danger Type - Propaganda

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With the Palace of the Governor in sight, Manta had slowly started to regain her ability to walk. While that did not help with convincing Angel that she still needed to accompany her all the way through, it did help them convince the guard in the front that they did have important information to share.

The moment Manta pulled out her identification and presented it to him, the gates were opened in a hurry, and the two were ushered in. Even though the envoy from Region F was currently occupying the Governor’s meeting hall, it was not a good enough reason to delay a spy. Not one who had been sent to gather information about the exact topic of discussion currently unfolding inside the palace.

Manta, used to the structure of the building down to every nook and cranny, quickly started moving at a brisk pace. Following her, the mostly-confused Angel only tried to keep up without questioning too much. Yet, the questions did not completely stop.

“Alright. I’m in the Governor’s Palace now, Manta!” She cried, “You can’t possibly keep information from me at this point. What is going on?”

“You’ll see. I promise.” All she could do was gulp and keep walking, not wanting to say too much out of fear of the guards hearing. “Nobody can hear this, understood? The only person who needs to know is the Governor, and that’s who I’ll be explaining it to.”

“Oh, I see. So, is there even a reason for me to be here? If you expect me to enter that room and face a high-ranking man from Region F with my ears plugged because you’re sharing high-security information…forget it! I’m beyond doing something as dumb as that.”

“No!” Manta explained while trying to wave her off at the same time. Her pace increased as the voices of the Governor and the envoy started to become barely audible. “I’m trying to say that I can’t explain it all right now. Just wait until we get there, and you’ll find out.”

“Fine.” Angel huffed. “What about Neon, though? Is this something he should know as well? I’m pretty sure he’s close to this place. He told me something about getting a more official, stable position compared to before.”

Manta looked back at her and chuckled, remembering the look on Neon’s face when he had first gotten his job in the army. “Yeah, but to his credit, anything is better and more stable than rotating guard duty on the gates of Region Y. It’s not like anything ever happens here.”

“Yeah, until now, apparently.”

“Uh…yeah…”

The face of the Goddess Aalarma appeared in her memories once more. It flashed in her mind as she finally reached the entrance to the Meeting Room and looked at the guards standing outside. Their first reaction was to ask her to wait. The Governor’s current meeting could not be interrupted at any cost, given the official he was talking to.

Yet, as silhouettes of monstrous-looking alien beings tortured her mind, Manta found it impossible to structure her argument into words. Before she knew it, and before Angel could take over and help her out, she had already crossed the guards and reached the gates herself.

“Hey! I said stop!”

Ignoring the man behind her, she pushed open the doors to the Meeting Room. In an instant, both of the men inside halted their conversation. On the main throne at the end of the room sat the Governor. On his face was an expression of utter disgust. In front of him stood the Envoy of Region F. He, on the other hand, was more confused than anything else.

As she walked into the mostly empty rectangular room with a sudden burst of energy and confidence, she found the courage to stare the enemy down. Because that was all that the Envoy was to her by now. An enemy who needed to be shown his place. The people of Region Y would not suffer because a higher Region wanted them to. They would not become slaves who could be thrown into an unwinnable war.

“What is this supposed to mean, Governor?” The Envoy asked, twirling his moustache as he looked on at the approaching teenage girls.

“I assure you that I intend to find out as well, Lord Envoy.” He answered, looking at Manta Nak with hatred. “Who are you, and what are you doing here!? Do you not know that I am currently engaged in a conversation of the highest importance and confidentiality?”

“I am aware of it, Master Governor.” Manta kneeled with respect, hoping to prove that her loyalties still lay with the people of her land. Behind her, the out-of-place Angel Olk just made some distance and kept standing. She was not a part of this entire display, and she was making it known.

The scout continued in her official position, “But I have reason to believe that I carry information that you might find…interesting, Master Governor. I am a part of the scouting party that was sent to the peace talks in Region X to figure out the inner happenings of the Higher Regions.”

The Governor looked at her, and then back at the Envoy. Switching between them continuously, his face began to sweat at the revelation of what should have been an extremely well-guarded secret. The Envoy should not have found out that Region Y had been spying on the Higher Regions. But Manta knew quite well that he had probably found out a long time ago.

“What do you mean, scout?” The Governor decided to dig his hole deeper. “Have you lost your mind?! Why would we possibly be spying on the Higher Regions, when we are in such a fortunate position already? Do we have something to fear or want from them, to put on such a shameless display?!”

Manta clicked her tongue. A massive sign of disrespect. The Envoy looked at her with fury, probably disgusted at the show of such casual behavior. The Governor, meanwhile, was probably on the verge of having her executed. There was only one of them, however, who needed to be truly provoked right now. So, that’s the throat she decided to reach out for.

“Let us not waste the Governor’s time, Lord Envoy. You know as well as I do that our mission was a failure. It must have been communicated to you through the flying messengers a long time ago. And if you know that, then you must also already know why I am here. Should we just skip the pleasantries?”

The Envoy chuckled, still grooming what little facial hair he had. “I see. And I respect that, scout. I will respect that decision and agree. I do know about everything that happened in Region X. However, I must also make it clear that I am not here because of those events. My request to the Governor is about the need for some troops for a different fight!”

“The fight with the off-worlders, Lord Envoy?”

That finally made him snap and shiver for just a moment. Looking back with contempt, the man’s boots thumped on the floor, causing the entire room to quake as he reached Manta and looked down at her. Angel, in the back, was similar to the Governor in her response. Both of them were far too busy trying to understand the implications of the word ‘off-worlder’.

“Are you trying to insinuate something, scout!?” He screamed, grabbing Manta by the hair and pulling her up to her feet. When she was finally on the same eye level as him, he spat on the ground in anger. “What do you mean by that infernal word?”

Manta grinned. That expression was all that she needed. The Goddess Aalarma was on her side, and she had nothing to fear. This man had merely done her a great service by giving her precisely what she needed to end this once and for all. He had confirmed the existence of the off-worlders, straight to her face.

With that information, then, she turned to the Governor and spoke to him directly.

“There has been an incursion, Master Governor. I do not know the true scale of it, but a large group of off-worlders has torn the barriers of the realm to reach Netsolnia. I realize that it might sound absurd, but it is true. That is the information. Leader Y and Second Leader T lost their lives trying to collect alongside me. That is the truth that I needed to get to you before it was too late!”

“Wh-what is she saying, Lord Envoy?” The Governor stepped down from his throne, looking the envoy straight in the eye as he approached the two of them in horror. “What is this about off-worlders and incursions and battles?!”

“She is lying, Governor. Do not pay attention to the words of an attention-hungry pup. My deal still stands if you wish to take it.”

The Governor looked at him, and then at her. All she could do in that case was look back with resolve in her eyes. The Goddess Aalarma had chosen her. In this very moment, she had almost gained sentience of that fact. Being handled by this envoy as if she were a toy had opened her eyes to her true position in this game. This was a minor defeat, and that was all.

Right now, she could not afford to be small or whine her way out of the situation. She needed to convince the Governor that she was the one he should trust.

“I remember your face the day you sent us out on this mission, Master Governor! I remember everything that you told Leader Y as you wished us luck to come back home. But only I returned, Master Governor. I returned with…with the blood of my two comrades tainting my memory for the past week. I need you to trust me when I say that I do not come here with the poison of lies in my heart!”

“Shut up, pup!” The Envoy slapped her with the back of his hand.

Her teeth rattled as the burning pain of his hit began to build inside her mouth. She might have regained her ability to walk, but she still wasn’t at full strength. Even now, she was facing the consequences of her long walk here. The slap, on a good day, would have been something she laughed off. But in this moment, it caused her pain to grow tenfold.

“Let go of her.” The Governor ordered, stepping forward and grabbing the Envoy’s wrist to pull it back. As she did, Manta finally got control back as she stopped herself from dropping to the floor.

Looking at her leader, she felt a surge of joy and patriotism fill her heart. This was the true power of Region Y. It did not lie in following the rules that had been imposed on them, but knowing when the rules needed to be broken. Their true strength lay in trusting their own people above these tourists who were merely looking to make a profit.

“Governor!” The Envoy cried. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing? If you touch me again, you will regret it. I am only standing here right now because I recognize that I went too far with your scout. I agree that I should have been calmer. But your behavior…it was unacceptable. And so, this is it. Do you accept my offer, or do you not!?”

The Governor took a deep breath, turning to him with a softened expression.

No words left his mouth just yet. He looked at Manta for answers, and so she spoke up with all of her strength.

“The Higher Regions have been at war with this alien enemy for a long time now, Master Governor. The only reason they want our soldiers is to throw them away as fodder while these people find out a way to deal with them. That is all we are to them, sir. Sacrifices on the same level as animals.”

“Blah, blah…” The Envoy laughed. “Governor, do not forget. Five hundred of your best men. And in return, you get an interview with the Council to join the Higher Regions. It is an honor that you would not be able to earn in a million years if you do not steal it from me right now!”

“You’re the thief, envoy.” Manta could not control herself, even as Angel Olk tried to step forward and stop her. “Higher Regions? Interview? You know as well as I that the interview would fail. Why? Because the lot of you would claim that we no longer have our greatest soldiers! The soldiers you intend to steal.”

“And what’s your answer to that, scout?” He, for some reason, continued to engage in her little outburst debate. “What do you have to say in return!? You don’t have anything. That is because the truth lies bare in front of you. If your soldiers are truly incredible, then you will get them back by the time the interview happens.”

“I see, envoy. And how long will this interview take to ha-”

“Stop it!”

The Governor boomed just once, and both of them turned to face him. Shaking with a mixture of various emotions, he looked at both of them with contempt and confusion. He held what seemed to be anger and fear at the same time. An intense dedication to his thoughts, paired with a complete lack of belief in his own words. And yet, he stood there with pride as he watched both of them bicker.

“I’ve decided.” He declared. “I’ve decided what needs to be done about the situation, and who I need to trust.”

Manta smiled and closed her eyes, stepping back as she felt her victory approach. She knew it was inevitable. There was no other way this could go, after all. She had been thorough with her words.

Thus, when the words finally left his mouth, no part of her was surprised.

“I am sorry, Envoy. I think I will lay my trust in the girl whom I have seen earn her position. It took me a little while to remember you, Manta Nak. But now that I do, I very well know where you come from. She had no reason to lie, Envoy. But I am inclined to believe that you do…”

“Th-thank you, Master Governor.”

She stepped back further, until she was standing right beside Angel Olk with a smile on her face. That girl, meanwhile, was still reeling from the shock of what had unfolded. Manta had stepped in and singlehandedly convinced the Governor to change his mind. She had caused him to turn sides and call this Envoy out for who he was, just by speaking the truth.

Because Manta knew that she was chosen. She had been picked by the Goddess Aalarma, and no amount of clever treachery could ever defeat a being as great as her.

“You…” The Envoy shook his head, almost chuckling in defeat. “You think you’re being smart, do you? You think you can survive this, Governor!?”

“I think I will take my chances, Envoy.”

“You can’t do this!” He cried, stomping his feet against the ground. “You can’t do this. This is an order from the Higher Regions, Governor. You must give us your strongest soldiers, or face the consequences.”

“They haven’t been particularly grave until now, Envoy.”

“I…” He stuttered, trying to find his words. “I…I will not allow this, Governor. You can’t do this. You’re not right. This is not right. You cannot just deny the wishes of the Higher Regions!”

“I believe I have just done exactly that, Envoy.”

“You…”

What happened next was as unexpected as it was quick. In an instant, the heaving, snarling Envoy ran towards the Governor. Manta screamed and drew her sword in response, trying to stop him. But by the time she could make it to the two, the event had already unfolded.

The Envoy’s own knife, which he drew from a hidden pocket, found its way to the Governor’s neck. Slashing through the skin, it killed him in an instant. Angel Olk screamed in the back, causing the guards to enter the room in a panic as the Envoy turned to land his second blow.

Manta raised her sword and hopped back, switching her positioning from offensive to defensive. Her heartbeat raced as the enemy moved in. The body of the Governor landed on the floor with a thud as the blood began to pour out, and the failure of her actions suddenly set in with a heavy weight. A burden that came so instantly and with such extreme prejudice that it stole her focus away.

One, two, three. That was the number of blocks she successfully made against the Envoy before that blade found its way to her. As it did, however, Angel Olk stepped in herself and pushed the enemy backwards. The guards, who had entered the room, engaged him in combat at once and overpowered the fairly average swordplay of the Envoy.

Before the enemy could fall, however, Manta did. The slash had still made it to her flesh. It had still cut her enough to make her lose all sense of self. She had been chosen. She knew she had been chosen. She had gotten the proof just now, too. Yet, she had been defeated in an instant. Without warning, and without honor. She had been wounded and disgraced.

Her failure ran through every bit of her consciousness as it collapsed. On the floor, in Angel’s arms, she looked at Neon’s girlfriend with a complete lack of personality. The last image in her head was that of the dead Governor. It had all gone so wrong, so quickly. Was it her fault? It had to be her fault. It must have been.

She questioned, and questioned, and questioned, as she lost her consciousness.