Nell, James, Yuriko, Saya, Shizuka, Tsukiumi, and Akitsu stood at the entrance of a long, narrow corridor. The hallway was constructed of heavy stone bricks, and the air smelled of damp earth and old masonry.
"The path ahead is quite rough," Carlotta noted as she led the way. "Please, watch your step," she added.
At that moment, Carptie flew up behind them, "Some of us should ride Carpie," Yuriko remarked as she looked at the uneven floor. "It would be much more comfortable," she added.
"I prefer to walk," Tsukiumi said as her eyes were fixed forward.
"I'm sure Saya would prefer to walk," Yuriko said with a playful glint in her eye. She gave her a firm push toward James. James caught her instinctively. His hand landed squarely on her soft breast and squeezed it.
Saya let out a sharp and surprised moan.
"What are you two doing?!" Tsukiumi exclaimed. Her face was flushed with a mix of anger and jealousy.
James offered a charming smile. He squeezed her breasts once more. Saya let out a soft moan.
"Get off me," Saya said. James slowly let go off her breasts.
"Shizuka, Yuriko, you two take Carpie. This space is a bit cramped for all of us to walk freely," James remarked.
"Okay," Shizuka responded as she climbed onto Carptie. "This is much better. I have so much more room up here," she added with a satisfied stretch.
Akitsu moved to the front of the group. "I will take the lead," she remarked stoically.
"Hold his hand, darling," Yuriko teased as she looked at her daughter.
"Mother!" Saya shouted, though she quickly seized James's hand and held it tight.
"Tsukiumi, you might want to grab the other one before Nell decides to take it," Yuriko added.
Tsukiumi's eyes widened. She lunged forward and snatched James's other hand. Her face went red. "I want to make sure you don't trip," she muttered under her breath.
James felt both Saya and Tsukiumi squeezing his hands. He chuckled and enjoyed the warmth. "This works for me," he remarked.
"Your followers are certainly lively," Carlotta remarked as she looked back at the group with a raised eyebrow.
Nell blushed furiously. "They are just very friendly," she stammered.
"We should get moving," Carlotta said as she turned back to the path.
They all nodded and followed her down the hallway which was dimly lit by flickering torches mounted on the walls.
"Carlotta, when did the undead first appear in the Capital?" James asked.
"The first sightings were reported about two weeks ago," Carlotta replied. "It coincided exactly with the start of the Prince's rebellion," she added.
"So the Prince is either behind this, or someone very close to him is pulling the strings to help him" Saya responded. She wondered why. She wondered what his bigger plan was.
"Judging by how the soldiers have been ordered to act or rather, not act against the undead, it is a safe assumption," Carlotta said grimly.
"Something still doesn't add up, though," Yuriko muttered.
Saya looked at her mother and nodded. She was thinking the same thing, why would a Prince risk destroying his own kingdom with a plague of undead when he already held so much power.
"Because there are so many of them, we've been unable to thin their numbers," Carlotta continued. "We created an investigation team to find the origin, but they haven't been able to find a single clue. It's as if they're appearing out of thin air," she added.
Nell stopped in her tracks and looked at James with hopeful eyes. "Mister, can you locate them? With your powers?" she asked.
"I can certainly try. I have a few tricks for tracking things that don't want to be found," he responded.
"Thank you," Nell responded, her voice filled with relief.
They arrived at the end of the hallway where there was a bright light. They stepped forward.
They looked to see a grand Gothic cathedral. It looked down a central aisle toward a distant altar. The architecture was defined by tall, elegant pointed arches and slender columns. There were large ornate chandeliers and a high ceiling. The place had large lancet windows. There were rows of wooden pews lining the aisle on both sides.
"Wow, it is so beautiful," Shizuka commented as they entered the hidden sanctuary.
"It is truly stunning," Yuriko added as she looked around in awe.
"I was not expecting a place like this beneath the city," Tsukiumi remarked.
"It is amazing, isn't it? I was just as surprised when I first came here," Nell said with a proud smile.
"The Church is always under heavy surveillance, so we can't really do anything significant using the main building, which is open to the public," Carlotta explained as she led them further in.
"That makes perfect sense. Hiding in plain sight like this," Saya agreed.
Yuriko hopped off Carptie and landed gracefully. "Thank you, girl," she whispered.
Carlotta began walking down the stone stairs toward the center of the hall. "We were just about to begin the strategy meeting. Please, join us," she said as she gestured toward a large stone pedestal at the center of the room.
James and the girls moved toward the benches. As he sat, James reached out and firmly gripped Saya and Tsukiumi's waists and pulled them both close to his sides. They both let out a small "hmpf" and pouted, though neither made any effort to move away.
Shizuka climbed onto his lap. Her soft, generous curves pressed firmly against him. James felt the full weight of her sitting there. He thought it felt nice.
"There is plenty of space on the bench, Shizuka," Tsukiumi remarked.
"But this is much more comfortable," Shizuka replied playfully as she wiggled slightly on James's legs.
Carlotta stepped up to the pedestal and raised her chin. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am the Captain of the Faldeina Holy Knights, Carlotta Demaier. I will be the commander of this operation," she stated.
"She seems like a very important person," Saya whispered to James.
"Yeah, she is," Nell whispered back.Her eyes were shining with admiration. "She has exceptional skill in both swordsmanship and magic. You could say she is the core of the knights, the youngest captain in our history," she added.
Tsukiumi narrowed her eyes. She thought, is she really that strong? She wondered strong enough to defeat Karasuba?
"Will she be willing to join us later?" Shizuka questioned as she leaned back against James's chest.
"She definitely fits the criteria," Yuriko responded with a smirk.
"Not another one," Tsukiumi grumbled.
"Pervert," Saya added, though she leaned her head against James's shoulder.
James smiled. He thought the girls were reaching their conclusion already. He watched Carlotta carefully. She was strong, authoritative, and undeniably sexy in her armor. He thought later she would join them, she wasn't going anywhere.
Carlotta's voice rang out, clear and firm. "This country is currently in a state of crisis. The Capital is in turmoil. We must act now to free it from its current rotten state. We will combine our brains and brawn to bring back peace," she declared. "Is there anyone against this?" she shouted.
The room went silent. Everyone looked dead serious, except for Shizuka, who suddenly reached into her dress, pulled out a packet of crisps. She took a loud, crunchy bite. The sound echoed through the silent hall and drew everyone's attention. James blinked and wondered where she had been hiding that snack.
"Alright then," Carlotta continued, ignoring the crunching. "Let's start the strategy meeting. We will divide our forces into three groups. The first two will act as a distraction and attack the Headquarters, drawing the Prince's main forces away. Meanwhile, a smaller group will infiltrate the castle," she explained. "Our first priority is to rescue the King and the Princess. After that, if possible, we will capture the Prince," Carlotta continued.
Saya looked at James. "We should be in the group going for the King and Princess," she remarked.
"It will give us significant leverage in our negotiations if we are the ones to save them," Yuriko added.
"The castle will still be heavily guarded regardless of the distraction," Tsukiumi remarked.
"I don't doubt that, but the lower the number of guards, the better," James said.
"We will start the operation at midnight tomorrow. When the Church bell rings, the mission begins. Victory shall be ours!" Carlotta shouted.
"Let victory be ours!" the knights called back in unison.
Nell stood up and hopped over to the Captain. "Great job, Carlotta-san! You are so cool," she said.
"Thank you, Nell," Carlotta replied. "You all must be exhausted. You should rest while you can," she added.
Shizuka let out a long, sleepy yawn and snuggled closer to James.
Suddenly, the heavy doors at the top of the stairs burst open. A man came running in, breathless and panicked. "Everyone on alert! The undead have infiltrated the sanctuary! Their numbers are increasing by the second!" he yelled.