Nach-Exil Joint Occupation Negotiation [FanT/IC/Private]

[Remnants of Exilvania]

The Yeuzuishan Conflict
(Background)

The Empire of Yeuzuishan was a small country, inhabited and ruled by a majorly human population but with large demihuman minorities such as the Nekos or the Lamias. Organised as a hereditary constitutional monarchy with a human Emperor to lead the nation, the politics were stable. The old Emperor Daisuke Aoteka had ruled the Empire for nearly 4 decades with a wise and just hand. All had been treated as equals and the demihumans had prided themselves as the protectors of the humans, making up much of the army of the Empire.

We speak in the past about this nation because it ceased to exist roughly 18 hours ago. Approximately 5 days and 9 hours ago the Reichsmilitarstaat of Nachfolgia declared war upon the the Empire of Yeuzuishan and started a large scale offensive that simply overrolled the Yeuzuishan defenses. Large amounts of refugees attempted to escape towards the east of the country only to be greeted by sudden terrorist attacks against strategically important locations and economical positions. A similar attack led by the Emperor's advisor Chen Li Faun took place at the Imperial Palace in the Imperial Capital located in the heart of the nation. The Emperor was executed but his twin daughters, Sheena and Leena, escaped the mysterious attackers and went into hiding. The mystery about the identity of the attackers was brutally solved merely an hour after the simultaneous start of the terrorist attacks, with motorized and mechanized Exilvanian forces crossing the eastern border in force and airborne troops assaulting positions further in the west.

18 hours ago the forces of the two nations met, their military might annihilating all resistance left between them. Despite their headstart, the Nachfolgians did not manage to acquire more than half of the nation as they had faced resistance from the Imperial Army while the Exilvanians had managed to catch up due to using a well prepared agent network to weaken the remaining Imperial Army forces blocking their way. Now these two giants loom over each other, each seeing the land the other holds as their rightful prize. No proper treaty has been signed yet to determine the fate of Yeuzuishan and tensions are high. The conflict could spiral out of control and into a full fledged war between these two military giants.

But there is a ray of hope for the world. A hope for a peace that would only affect the Yeuzuishan Empire rather than a war that would drag every nation into its destructive maelstrom. The Exilvanian dictator regent, ZZ Reichskommandant Dietrich Ekerhart Haegler, has invited the the Nachfolgian Obersterfuhrurin, Angelika von Sturmgeist, to negotiations about the future of the occupied territories onto semi-neutral ground. Into the former Imperial Palace. Previously held by Chen Li Faun and the Exilvanian terrorists, they had been driven out by the ferociously attacking Imperial Guard and by the time substantial amounts of Exilvanian forces arrived, the Nachfolgians were already at the gate of the Capital, leading to the city being cut into two occupied zones with the palace returning largely but not fully into Exilvanian hands.

In-Character

ZZ Reichskommandant Dietrich Ekerhart Haegler let his gaze wander across the room which should become the negotiation hall. It was the former throne room, the very place where the Emperor had been murdered and it was not exactly in its best shape. The entirety of the ceiling was missing as well as most of the windows. Parts of the walls were badly damaged and his men were busy building support structures to prevent any sudden accidents from happening during the negotiations. Others were dragging the corpses of the Imperial Guards out of the room to get rid of them. Those pesky demihumans had not given up and held this place to the very last and the room showed that all too well. Bloodstains on the walls and pools of blood on the floor. Bulletholes riddling the walls and traces of fire and ash everywhere. He would probably not be able to clean everything up in time. Not that he really cared about the remains, for him they were adequate decoration, but he did not know what the Obersterfuhrurin thought about such things and since she was a woman he had decided to make sure that things wouldn't look too ghastly when she arrived.

Speaking about looks, Dietrich once again checked his uniform. It was in good shape, just as usual. Not torn, not overly dirty but maybe a bit wrinkly and rough. Good enough, he decided. This was a negotiation...well...technically it wasn't. The message he had sent the Nachfolgians had mentioned "a dinner under the watchful eyes of our entourage during which we may discuss the terms for Yeuzuishan's future". But he wasn't going to eat, atleast not in front of the Obersterfuhrurin's and his own entourages. It would require him to remove his mask and reveal his face, something he didn't want to before an unnecessarily great amount of people. Besides, the delicate gourmet food, for which he had hired some of the best cooks willing to blend out their conscience for money, wasn't quite to his liking due to his odd preferences as a member of the Exilvanian race.

Suddenly a Rifle Grunt ran up to him, coming to a halt just before him before saluting with the usual "Heil Kaiser Vlad!" and then quickly reporting:
"Herr Reichskommandant, the Nachfolgians are arriving!"
Perfect, thought Dietrich before signalling the Rifle Grunt to return to his post. He on the other hand made his way out of the throne room and onto the stair leading up to the Palce Gate, from which he could overlook the Palace Gardens. The gardens too, once probably of a beauty rarely seen, had been ravaged by the fighting in and around the palace though it also seemed as though large parts of it had been purposefully destroyed after the fighting had ended. It was a large open space by now, divided into two identical halves by the Road of Imperial Glory, the main road of the Capital which started a the stairs leading up to the Palace Gates, went through the Palace Gardens, then down the large ramp connecting the Palace Complex with the city and then through a good potion of the city before splitting up into two roads, one heading east, one heading west. The Road of Imperial Glory was a rather broad road, easily fitting 8 lanes on a modern highway onto it. It was also in very good shape, left largely intact during the fighting due to both sides recognising the strategic importance of the road.
The Palace Gardens and overall the entire Palace Complex were crawling with Exilvanians. The characteristic blue of their uniforms was seen all over the place and several tanks as well as self propelled anti air batteries had been positioned in the gardens. And in the shadows lurked even more dangerous troops. Veterans, supersoldiers among the ranks of the already incredible Exilvanian troops, as well as Ordo Crudelitatis Sisters, deadly heralds of the dark gods, were lying in wait and watching. Security was incredibly tight. From his place at the top of the stairs Dietrich watched as the Nachfolgians arrived.

[Nachfolgia]

" Well...Exilvanians sure did make a mess of things."

Obersterfuhrurin Angelika von Sturmgeist commented as she looked out the window of her vehicle at the surrounding buildings. Her convoy, comprised of Eagle V and Enok vehicles, rolled down the only intact road in the city, the road straight into the imperial palace. Each of the vehicles were heavily armored and manned by soldiers of the Waffen-SS and the Obersterfuhrurin's personal guard, the Schildmädchen.

As the Obersterfuhrurin looked at the war torn city, she wondered what intense fighting took place her. She had read the reports and knew that the most resistance came from the imperial palace, it wasn't the sams as witnessing it herself. That is what she missed the most from her time in service before she became the leader of the Reich. She missed how personal and primal combat was. The thrill of trying to kill someone who was trying to kill you. Nothing was quite like it for a Nachfolgian.

When the convoy reached the palace steps, Obersterfuhrurin looked out towards the building to see if she could spot her host. Sure enough, she saw a tall, gas mask wearing man at the top of the steps that was none other than Reichskommandant Dietrich Haegler. She smirked at the sight of the man who was demonstrating quite a lot of power just from standing in an imposing manner. The convoy drove half way through the roundabout, allowing the Obersterfuhrurin's vehicle to stop directly in front of the steps.

The first one to exit the vehicle was one of the armor clad Schildmädchen, coming out of the front passenger door. The woman took a few steps and opened the door behind her. The Obersterfuhrurin slowly got out, her heels clanking on the concrete below. She was wearing her iconic wardrobe, a skin tight short black dress and her father's Wehrmacht overcoat. Her blonde hair was up in a bun with her bangs covering the right eye. She wore a light touch of makeup, mostly lipstick and eye shadow. She didn't really need makeup, being naturally good looking, she just liked drawing attention to her eyes.

Once outside the vehicle, The Obersterfuhrurin put on her SS dress cover and began to walk up the stair. Behind her, six of the Schildmädchen lined up and walked up with her. They were to be her guards during the dinner and negotiation. It didn't take her long to reach the top where Haelger was, keeping her eyes fixated on the man and smiling the entire time.

" Guten Tag, Herr ReichsKommandant. It is good to see you again, though I was hoping it wouldn't be when we are on the brink of war." The Obersterfuhrurin said cheerfully, extending her hand to shake his.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Dietrich watched as the nachfolgian convoy entered the Palace Gardens. It was quite a respectable amount of vehicles riddled with armed guards, just as he had expected from a people such as the Nachfolgians. As the convoy came to a halt, he raised one of his arms and made a sign to his troops with his hand. The Exilvanian troops strewn about the gardens complied with his order and vacated the western side of the gardens, the side on which the Nachfolgian occupied parts of the city were. It was a gesture supposed to accomodate the Nachfolgians, make some concessions towards them right away. Not like he needed to keep hold of the entire palace anyway.

And then the Obersterfuhrurin came. Her garderobe also didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary for her, seeing as most of the pictures he had seen of her or when he had met her she had worn the same or similar clothing. Granted, a dress was very fitting for the occasion though. Apart from that she looked gorgeous as usual. The common Exilvanian usually had no eye for beauty but he was not one of commoners so he could still appreciate beauty when he saw it. Looking over her companions, he guessed that these were supposed to act as bodyguards. Her personal Schildmädchen. He had heard only little about them but he would be a fool to underestimate them. Still, he wondered a little that she took only 6 of them with her. Brave, he'd have to do something similar so as to not appear as though he was afraid of her.

" Guten Tag, Herr ReichsKommandant. It is good to see you again, though I was hoping it wouldn't be when we are on the brink of war."

, Angelika said when she reached him at the top of the stairs, extending her hand for what presumably a handshake. But Dietrich, instead of shaking her hand as she would've probably expected, gallantly removed his peaked cap and bowed before her, taking her hand and briefly pressing the filter of his gasmask against it. If he hadn't worn it he probably would've kissed the back of her hand but wearing a gasmask of course had its disadvantages.

"The pleasure is on my side Frau Obersterfuhrurin. But yes, I must agree, this operation was most unfortunate but I am sure the two of us can come to an understanding concerning the fate of this country. Please follow me."

He led her through the gates and into the throne room. A small shake of his heads towards his guards and then the Schildmächen made them understand and all of them except for 6 Veterans left. When they reached the table which had been readied in the centre of the throne room, below the throne, he parted with her, heading over to his side of the table, the one facing east. The throne room was a long basically built along a north-south axis, leading to both of them having a long part of the throne room on their respective side. The table in the center wasn't overly large since it should only accomodate the two of them as well as all the delicacies. Their seats were not at opposite ends of the table but rather on opposite sides, mainly to ensure that they were close enough to each other to talk comfortably. Dietrich sat down only after the Obersterfuhrurin had sat down and then said, motioning towards the delicacies:

"Please, feel free to begin with the starters. I myself will not eat, both because it doesn't quite conform to my tastes and because I am wearing a mask. I am actually surprised that you haven't brought someone to check each and everyone of these dishes for poisons. Unafraid of our reputation?"

[Nachfolgia]

The Obersterfuhrurin looked at Dietrich with astonishment as he took her hand and pressed it against his gasmask, simulating a kiss. She couldn't believe the balls he had to do such a thing, especially to the likes of her. Very few foreign dignitaries has shown such courage towards her in such a manner as to kiss her hand, it was almost unheard of. Nachfolgians had a reputation about them that prevented people from getting close.

The Obersterfuhrurin didn't seem angry at this display of romantic chivalry. In fact, she was rather I'm pressed by it and allowed it to happen. Her Schildmädchen, however, were less welcoming of the foreigner getting close and we're about to swarm him. Angelika quickly waved them off before they did anything detrimental to the negotiation. She wasn't angry at them, they were simply doing their job.

When Haegler stopped and stood back up, Angelika smiled at him, even going so far as to blush. " Oh my Herr ReichsKommandant... you flatter me." She responded, palcing her hand on her chest.

The Obersterfuhrurin then proceeded to follow Haegler to the palace throne room. The throne room itself had seen better days. Her reports suggested that the fiercest fighting in the palace happened here and for good reason. It was only nation to fight the hardest to protect the culture symbol of your people. Their was bullet holes littered the walls and floors like pot marks. Although the bodies were removed, their blood stained many parts of the floor. The Obersterfuhrurin wished she could have seen such ferocity.

Angelika sat down at the table at the center of the throne room when Haelger motioned for her to before taking a seat himself. The feast that was laid before her was something to behold. Dish upon dish sat on the table awaiting consumption, many of which Angelika knew not the name of. The Obersterfuhrurin, not wanting to be rude, began to eat some of the delicacies, filling her plate with meat and vegetables.

Every bite she took was a masterpiece, each one with its own taste and texture. It had become a trend that where every she went to conquest, the food was unlike anything she had tasted before. Angelika would never admit it out loud, but she believed that foreigners made some of the best food.

Angelika stopped eating for a moment when Haegler mentioned her being unafraid of the possibility of her begin poisones at this dinner. She swallowed the food that was in her mouth before replying.

" Oh no, Herr ReichsKommandant, I am not afraid of you...because I know you. You're a smart man and extremely stout-hearted, but their is still some sense of self preservation. You know full well that if you were to poison me right here and now...you will not leave this room alive. Though, I'm sure that your men are well trained and battle hardened, they will more than likely not protect you from my girls ripping you apart." The Obersterfuhrurin said as she looked at her bodyguards. Even though they didn't move and you couldn't see their eyes, Haegler could tell that they were glaring at him.

" And where would be then? We'd both be dead and our countries would rally to destroy each other. Nachfolgia will follow my younger brother's leadership, Exilvania will be led by some other military leader and millions of lives will be lost. It'll be quite a waste actually as I believe our countries can benefit each other. Please don't take my words as a threat, Herr ReichsKommandant, but I don't see a high probability of you do ling such a foolish act." The Obersterfuhrurin said as she took as sip of her alcoholic drink.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

"Now it is my turn to be flattered."

, Dietrich muttered when Angelika called him a smart and extremely stout-hearted man. But he was indeed smart and stayed silent as Angelika explained her reasoning for why he would not just poison her right here and now. Of course while doing so he could not help but silently analyse everything she said. Yes, he had no doubt that her bodyguards were in a whole different league than his, he was afterall forced to pick them based on loyalty. His rule over Exilvania stayed controversial since he had declared himself regent and refused to recognise the rightful heir to the throne, Crown Princess Elisabeth, as the rightful ruler. He took a moment to look at each of the 6 bodyguards Angelika had brought with her. They all were decked out in very futuristic looking armour and despite being incapable of seeing their eyes, he felt as though they were staring at him, probably a mutual feeling since they too couldn't look through his green glowing visors.

"I wish what you just said could be true. However, in the event of my possible death, it is highly likely that the Crown princess will take the reigns, an event which I cannot allow to happen at this point. For not only am I sworn to Kaiser Vlad, who is only missing in action and not reported dead, but she is also inexperienced and would be easily swayed and influenced by whispers from the church, making her a mere proxy ruler for the Nichtssprecherin."

He waved for one of his guards to step closer. One of the complied, the giant brute with his minigun making his way over to Dietrich's seat and bowing down to hear what Dietrich was saying. After a short whisper into his ear, the Veteran grunted and left the room. Meanwhile Dietrich searched for something decent among the beverages, finally pulling a fine blood red wine towards himself and pouring himself a glass. He then proceeded to remove the filter from his gas mask,putting it onto the table right next to his empty plate. It was then that the bodyguard returned, holding something between two of his giant fingers. When he reached the table it became clear that he was holding a straw and everything immediately became clear. Taking the straw, Dietrich put it into his glass and used it to drink from it, putting the straw through the hole he had created in his mask. Of course he didn't need to drink but he thought it to be polite to atleast take something instead of just sitting there and watch her eat and drink. After having taken his first sip through the straw, he continued:

"Putting aside the fact that there are also poisonous substances which work very slowly or start to work rather late, you are indeed correct in that I am smart enough not to risk both of our lives here or later and with that a major war. Afterall I have invited you to this meeting to prevent a possible war."

He put the glass down hard, screwing the filter back onto his mask before continuing:

"You have disrupted an operation long in the making. Several of my field agents were killed in your offensive because they didn't make it out fast enough and I was forced to mobilize my own forces and invade before everything I had already prepared could go to waste. Still, casualty rates were higher than prognostized if my operations here had been given the time to finish. And on top of all that, I now hold only half the prize I initially wanted.

What do you have to say to that Frau Obersterfuhrurin?"

[Nachfolgia]

The Obersterfuhrurin smirked, taking another sip from her drink. " A princess controlled by a corrupt church? It's nice to see that political intrigued isn't any less interesting in other countries. I have a similar problem myself with my younger brothers. I too fear that they will subjugation themselves to the bureaucrats that wish to align themselves with my powerful family...all for the promise of a beautiful wife." She added, frowning at the thought.

Angelika watched at Dietrich removed his gas mask filter and began to drink through it with a straw. She wondered why he hid his face from her. Was he scarred and hideous, made a grotesque monster by war or an accident? Did he have lung problems and needed assistance with breathing? Maybe the reports she was given were true about the Exilvanians? The Obersterfuhrurin didn't want to jump to that conclusion and continued to listen to him talk until he was done.

" Well it is most unfortunate that your people were killed by Nachfolgian hands...I apologise. The heat of battle can muddy things up and cause problems not originally forseen. You're men did not deserve to die in this fiasco This entire military campaign was a mess and objectives were not met on our end."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Dietrich perked up when she added the little thing about the promise of a beautiful wife. While not overly well informed on the inner workings of the upper echelons of the Nachfolgians' government, he had not expected the motivations of the the Nachfolgian troublemakers to be this...primal. He made a note about that in the back of his head for further use should it ever come in handy. Not that he believed right now that it would be necessary to make use of such information. He very much respected the Nachfolgians and the Obersterfuhrurin, even more so after this fiasco.

When Angelika apologized for the death of his operatives, he dismissed her apologies with a wave of his hand and stated in a friendly voice:

"Oh please Frau Obersterfuhrurin, your troops are not at fault and you need not apologize for them. In fact, my respect towards your army and nation would've decreased if less of my operatives would've died in your offensive. They were operatives, well disguised as locals. Your troops had no way of knowing that they were not actually Yeuzuishans. Had they known then I would either have to congratulate them for their extreme skill in recognising them or would've to execute the operatives for being so sloppy. I do not tolerate such failure among my operatives.

But your men did not recognise them and treated them like any other Yeuzuishan, in this case rather brutal though not unnecessarily brutal. I respect that. While still not even close to the Exilvanian Art of War, I can see kindred spirits at work here or at the very least spirits who are more....accepting of our way of dealing with problems."

Dietrich then leaned back, crossing his arms before his chest and said:

"Yes, objectives were not met on any end. The Yeuzuishans were incapable of defending their country, and both of us could not advance as far as we had hoped to. However, I could be convinced of maintaining the status quo with some minor changes under the conditions that my forces are allowed to retrieve the bodies of all operatives who died on your occupied territory, that Exilvanian and Nachfolgian authorities cooperate in locating and apprehending the princesses and crushing the resistance and lastly...that you, Frau Obersterfuhrurin, visit Exilvania and undergo the Trials of the Four Goddesses."

[Nachfolgia]

" Then maybe it is fortunate that your men died in battle like ordinary civilians." The Obersterfuhrurin replied, pouring herself another glass of whiskey. " If the Waffen-SS figured out that they were Exilvanians, they would have been captured and interrogated just on that premise alone." She took a sip of the alcohol, savoring it for a few moments. " Of course, you know that when I say ' interrogated' I mean ' tortured'...and in a way that only the SS can do. It's just the nature of the business." Angelika added, trying not to sound threatening to a potential Allie and a man she actually kinda enjoyed being in the company of.

The Obersterfuhrurin then listened quietly as Haegler went over his demands for the deterrence of a potential war, the entire reason she came to meet him. She didn't react much to his demands, most seemingly feasible, except the last one. Haegler's last demand caused Angelika to raise an eyebrow, even causing her maidens to make their heads ever so slightly in his direction. The demand was certainly unexpected and not a traditional demand as far as negotiations go.

The Obersterfuhrurin leaned in towards him, her expression as serious as it gets. " Do tell me, Herr ReichsKommandant...what exactly are these...Trials of the Four Goddesses? Surely you know of the security risks that involve me going to a foreign country."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Of course she had to ask about the trials. He had expected her to ask him about them. If she hadn't, he wouldn't respect her as much as he actually did. Angelika von Sturmgeist, the Obersterfuhrurin of Nachfolgia was an equal to him. While probably not as crass in dealing with problems as he was, she was smart and knew exactly that cruelty and a lack of mercy could get one very far in this world. And she didn't let petty morals cloud her view on the issues she was facing. But now it came to explaining to her the Trials of the Four Goddesses and he couldn't help but shift around uncomfortably while doing so. Afterall, this was an immense security risk he was asking her to take just for a better future between their two countries.

"I know very well about the security concerns when you visit a foreign country. In fact, I believe your bodyguards should be more concerned than usual because the trials are difficult and you either succeed in whatever state you will be in or you will fail and die.

But maybe I should answer your question rather than feed your concerns? See, while I am not an atheist, I do not let religion dictate my life or prohibit me from acting in certain ways. However, large portions of the population do not share this sentiment of mine and the tenets of the church demand that Exilvania shall not cooperate with anyone who is not a creature or ally of Nichts. As you can guess, this makes diplomacy rather difficult for me. Exilvania is called Exilvania for a reason. If the church' teachings are to be believed then it was a prison, the exile of all those who fought on Nichts' side in the ancient wars of the gods. Thus, anyone not from Exilvania but still a creature or loyal servant of Nichts must've escaped the gaze of the ancient gods who were victorious in the war...which should be unlikely.

But there is always a possibility and maybe our god has corrupted new allies for us? Humanity itself, once Sein's imitial design for the people who should be inhabting this world, was corrupted at its core by Nichts so it is always possible that more turn towards him. And for this the trials have been created. Under the watchful eye of the priestesses of Nichts as well as the four Goddesses, Nichts' lieutenants during the Second Ancient War of the Gods, a person may undergo these trials in which they will be tested in body and mind wether they truly are a creature of Nichts or truly wish to serve him.

If you were to undergo these trials and succeed in them, then the church will have to accept my pursuit of a closer relationship with Nachfolgia. If not...well...may Nichts have mercy on your soul."

He then quickly added, as if to calm her down:

"Of course I believe that you, while not necessarily a creature of Nichts, can indeed be an unknowing follower of his and thus should be capable of absolving those trials."

[Nachfolgia]

Just as the Obersterfuhrurin has surmised, the trails were going to be extremely dangerous. It was going to be a succeed or die situation with no other alternative. She knew enough about Exilvania to know that, for the most part, it was run by their Church, but she didn't know how far the control went. To see how tied Haegler's hands were when it came to diplomacy was baffling. Nachfolgia's spiritual essense was immensely important to everyone, but it never interfewith her business with foreign dignitaries.

The Trials seemed, in her eyes, to be instant death. There was no way a foreign god, real or not, would accept someone into his flock who doesn't believe in him in the first place. Angelika didn't believe in this Nichts, there was no way that she could and still practice The Odinic Path. At this moment, however, belief didn't matter to her. Angelika's curiosity in Exilvania and Haegler was too great for her to refuse an offer to learn first hand the religious side of her counterpart.

Angelika couldn't help, but smirk and laugh in front of Haegler. " Herr ReichsKommandant, you seem to know how to make it extremely difficult to refuse an offer. If it is true that you have worked hard to set up this friendship then I will give the same amount of conviction. I shall accept your demands and perform the Trials of the Four Goddesses...on a couple of conditions naturally." Angelika said with a smirk.

" First, a portion of the remaining population of Yeuzuishan will be conscripted into the Nachfolgian Wehrmacht...fighting age men of course. Second, girls between the ages of 11-18 that show even a hint of magical ability will be transported back to Nachfolgia to be researched and experimented on. What ever new discoveries and technologies come from this research I will gladly share with Exilvania. And lastly...when our joint coalition finds the princesses, I wish to publicly execute them myself."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Dietrich paid a lot of attention to the Obersterfuhrurin. He kept his eyes on her face, trying to read what she was thinking while also trying to listen or see how the rest of her body moved, if there were any other hints betraying what she thought, betraying her mood. Maybe she was wagging one of her feet below the table? Maybe breathing a little bit more hectic and shallow? But it proved largely fruitless, apart from easily noticing that she was thinking he could not read her like a book like so many others. Maybe he caught a hint of surprise and possibly pity? He wasn't quite sure though.

He was incredibly relieved when she actually agreed to his demands. Of course she had demands of her own but he was sure that those could be worked out with relative ease. Indeed, he was very willing to concede many things here in Yeuzuishan since the Obersterfuhrurin's possible success at the Trials could symbolize the beginning a lengthened era of cooperation between their two nations. He listened tentatively to her further demands, making a few notes on a small notebook he retrieved from his breastpocket. When she finished speaking, he let the notebook snap shut with about as much sound as one could make with such a small thing before saying:

"I appreciate your willingness to take this great danger upon you. I promise, it will be worth it for both of us and our nations if you are to succeed.

As for your demands, I have no objections about sending a large portion of the fighting age men of the local population to your occupational zone for free use. It is beyond me what you would wish to do with these illoyal subhumans but I guess Nachfolgians have their ways to keep them in line and one need not be a great warrior in order to make for a good meatshield, right?

As for the deportation of those gifted with magic, I am sorry to have to temporarily deny this. As long as you have not absolved the Trials, I cannot guarantee a continuos friendly stance towards your nation. Under those circumstances it is of course clear that we would wish to make our own experiments and catalogue Yeuzuishan magic and its applications. Once you have passed the Trials though, I will be most happy to comply. In the meantime though, maybe some territorial concessions in the occupational zones could suffice?

Lastly, I see few problems with your wish to publicly execute the princesses. But I would like to modify this demand of yours a little. Firstly, they must be publicly executed here, in their capital. We need to show their people that their aspiring rulers, their greatest hopes, are crushed right in front of their eyes. I also wish to be present so that we may symbolize our unity and strength towards these subhumans. I want to crush them, every ounce of hope, every piece of joy. I want these people to be crying themselves into sleep every night while fearing the next day. I want their total submission."

[Nachfolgia]

The Obersterfuhrurin smirked before downing her drink and pouring another one. She figured that all of her demands wouldn't be liked by the man. If they were, this meeting would be boring. She liked to argue with someone she thought was on her intellectual level. It kept things interesting and fresh, allowing new ideas to flow and old ones to be refined. It was natural and honestly, the Obersterfuhrurin wanted someone to argue with her.

Angelika took another sip of her drink before replying. " I fully understand your concerns, Herr ReichsKommandant. You have every right to be up on that stage with me and honestly...I wouldn't have it any other way." Angelika smiled, her face flushed from the amount of alcohol she was consuming. " It will be a good show of unity between us, especially after I complete your trials."

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Under his mask, Dietrich relaxed and even managed to put up a heartfelt smile while his body visibly relaxed. Things were running very smoothly. He had prepared for an extended negotiation, hence why there had been so much food. Not only should it give the Obersterfuhrurin many choices but also satisfy her over a long amount of time. Turns out the negotiation itself would be rather short. Well, it was money well wasted.

"Words cannot express my gratitude for your willingness to cooperate so much with yours truly."

He reached below the table and pulled three rather small boxes out from below it. One was easily recognisable as a recorder while the other two had receied gift wrappings so they were most likely gifts for her. He handed her the two gifts while handing the recorder to one of his men.

"It'll take a night for my men to write up the necessary official documents with the agreed upon terms so I suggest spending the night here in the palace and then signing the treaty tomorrow morning. I have taken the liberty of preparing one of the royal bedchambers facing your side of Yeuzuishan for you. My guards have also vacated the half of the palace lying on your side of the occupational zone. See this little territorial concession as a gift please.

As for these two boxes, they too are gifts, though only minor ones."

If Angelika were to open the boxes, she would find a pair of long black opera gloves in each though in one the pair was made from leather while in the other it was silk.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika smirked when Haelger pulled out a recorder from beneath the table. As with most things that happened during the negotiation, she had anticipated as much. Naturally, you would need a copy of everything that was said during important meetings such as this. Since she did not see a person present to write every word that was said, a recording device was the only option. In fact, the Obersterfuhrurin had done the same, having one of her maidens record the entire meeting in audio and video format.

What she didn't expect was the gifts that Haelger presented her. It was a first for her to have a foreign dignitary give her presents just for coming to the meeting. Angelika surmised that she would not have been given the gifts if she refused the offer. Still, it was touching that Haelger cared so much.

" Oh, danke Herr ReichsKommandant. You have exceeded my expectations once again." Angelika said as she began to open the boxes, revealing two sets of opera gloves, one leather and one silk. " These are lovely...but why two pairs? Do they symbolize something? A choice I'm to make perhaps?"

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Dietrich waved his hand dismissively at her question, answering in a friendly voice:

"Not at all Frau Obersterfuhrurin. I was simply not sure what material you would prefer so I made sure to buy two pairs. I do hope you don't dislike both leather and silk, do you?"

Dietrich seemed a bit nervous actually. He rarely dealt with women like this. Usually he either deal with them in a position of power, during an interrogation for instance or he and woman he was speaking with were pretty hostile to each other. This friendliness towards Angelika was a bit new for him and he wasn't sure if he was doing things correctly. He asked cautiously:

"Uhm, could you please try them on? I'd like to know if they actually fit. Wouldn't want to make you gifts which are either too small or too large for you to wear."

He then waved one of his hulking brutes over to Angelika, adding:

"This trustworthy Veteran will guide you to the chambers prepared for you. We have done everything in our power to ensure that you will have a comfortable sleep. Good Night, Frau Obersterfuhrurin!"

With that he bowed one last time before leaving through one of two doors, each on one side of the throne at the end of the room. His guards did not follow him, since they really didn't have to. The Exilvanian side of the palace was afterall crawling with Exilvanian military personnel. As for the Veteran assigned to Angelika, he stepped before her and said with a deep voice which sounded slightly metallic and reverberating because of his helmet:

"Follow me."

And then he just turned around and trudged towards the door on the other side of the throne, not even sparing a single additional look for the Obersterfuhrurin. He had a task to accomplish and he would do that and only that. It should give Angelika good idea why Dietrich was so intent on having her go through the Trials.

Anyway, if she were to follow the giant of an Exilvanian that was her guide, he would lead her down several corridors. They showed signs of fighting such as more bloodsplatters, sometimes even still organs and bodyparts. Bulletholes and soot dirtied the pristine white walls. However, the damage lessened the further they got away from the throne room, as though the fighting itself had ended. Maybe the Yeuzuishans all died in the close proximity of the Throne Room? Another thing that probably caught her eye was the destruction wrought upon the place. It was destruction of a different kind, not because of fighting. No, this sort of destructions was probably done after the fighting had ended. The corridors would've been beautiful, with extremely well painted pictures on the walls as well as small tables with vases holding flowers or maybe other pieces of art. It was very noticeable that many pictures had been ripped off the walls and torn apart while the vases had been smashed on the ground. Fine pieces of art were lying around every now and then, often made out of precious metals and stones like gold, silver and diamonds. They had been smashed and carelessly thrown down onto the ground.

Eventually they reached a nicely made wooden double door. Intricate designs had been carved into its surface and the wood it was made from seemed rare and was probably extremely expensive. The Veteran opened the door carefully, apparently afraid that he could accidentally destroy it and revealed a large, spacious room to Angelika and her guards. A balcony gave her a perfect view of the Nachfolgian part of the Imperial Capital. A large poster bed dominated the centre of the room and several wardrobes as well as a dresser with a polstered stool as well as a human sized mirror lined the walls. The Veteran, having completed his task, turned around without another word and left them.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika smirked at Haegler as he tried to explain himself. She could tell that he was nervous, like a young teenager trying to court his crush. She didn't comment on that though and simply tried on the silk gloves. She immediately noted the high quality of the silk, it was extremely soft and comfortable.

" These are lovely, Herr ReichsKommandant. This is very thoughtful of you." Angelika said with a smile, admiring the Opera gloves.

With that, the negotiations had ended and the two leaders said their goodbyes. Angelika followed her guide out of the throne room, having two of her maidens walk in front of her. The walk to her bedroom was interesting to say the least. The fighting that happened prior to her arrival had spilled out into many of the corridors and hallways. Much like the throne room, the hallways we're still stained with blood and other battle signs.

She didn't take much note of the mess and continued to follow the giant man. Eventually the battle scarred hallways became more pristine and perfect the further she was led away from the throne room. Within a few minutes, the giant man came to the room Angelika was to stay in before leaving without a word. The room itself was extremely clean and ornate, making Angelika feel like this was a princess's room.

" You all stay outside, I'll be perfectly fine. I've arranged a room across the hall for you to sleep in shifts." Angelika ordered, pointing out the door. The maidens saluted her before leaving her alone in the room.

Angelika walked over to the bed and sat down. Surprisingly, the bed was the softest she had ever felt, feeling like she was sitting on nothing. She bent down and took off her high heeled shoes, sighing in relief. She placed them carefully next to her nightstand. She then rolled off her pantyhose from her legs. Angelika then proceeded to get undressed, first taking off her overcoat and gun holster carrying her custom Luger and lastly her black dress and iron cross medal. She neatly put heach article of clothing in its appropriate place.

With her toned and fit body exposed to the chilly air in the room, Angelika shivered a bit before walking into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, Angelika took the time to admire herself before beginning to take off her light makeup, using her personal items that was sent to the room while she was meeting with Haegler. After everything was finished, the last thing Angelika performed was letting down her hair from the bun.

Walking back into the main bed room, Angelika climbed into bed, covering herself with the slik sheets. She sighed as she got comfortable, settling into the deep mattress. Feeling confident that she was safe with her maidens just outside the door, Angelika drifted off to sleep.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Angelika did not know but had correctly guessed that this was indeed a princess' room. One of the twin princesses used to sleep here, in the very same bed she was in now. But Dietrich had of course thought of that and changed the bedsheets. Afterall, there were more than enough available in the palace.

Now, only minutes after she had entered the bed, other forces became active. Without making as much as a sound, a part one of the walls slowly lowered itself into the ground, revealing a dark passage behind it. Yes, indeed this was the way the princesses had escaped during the Exilvanian coup attempt. The entire palace was filled with secret passages, knowledge of which was only given to those of royal blood. They were there to protect the royal family and to allow them to escape should it become necessary, as it did during the attack. Now however the purpose was an entirely different one.

Emerging from the darkness of the secre passage came a shadow. The shadow which quickly made its way over towards the bed was relatively small, reaching a height of only about 1,65 m. When a sudden wind blew the silky curtains aside and let moonlight shine into the room the shadow became better visible, revealing it to be a young woman, clothed completely in black and wearing socks in order to not make a sound when sneaking over the floor. She made relatively few and quiet sounds but it was clear that she was no professional assassin, because someone like that would've made no sounds at all.

Once she had reached the bed, she unsheathed a katana from a sheath she had carried on her back. The katana reflected the moonlight coming in through the windows, letting the reflected lights dance across the walls and floors but the assassin paid no mind to that. She readied the blade for a stab right where she believed the Angelika to be and whispered:

"The Eagle shall face justice."

And then the katana came down.

[Nachfolgia]

As soon as the katana blade came down, Angelika's eyes burst open in a sense of urgency. She immediately rolled to the side, the katana embedding itself into the mattress. With the assailant's only weapon indisposed, Angelika turned around and threw a sheet over the woman and kicked her in the chest, shoving her off the bed. Angelika leapt into action as the assassin fell to the floor. Taking advantage of the blinded assassin, Angelika jumped on top of her and began to punch the woman, landing consecutive blows to her covered face.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Blinded and under attack, the assassin still didn't lose any of her conviction. She knew very well where Angelika was since she could feel her weight on top of her and felt the punches in her face. She brought an own, weak and badly aimed punch of against Angelika's stomach, attempting it over and over again though, the punches getting a consistently better aim and as she knew that she was hitting her foe, she also expended more energy into her attacks against Angelika's stomach. Meanwhile, her other hand, covered and hidden by the bed sheet like much of her body, moved towards a belt where she unsheathed a small Tanto. It was incredibly sharp, probably even magical, and she used that to rip through the bedsheet covering her with ease, aiming the Tanto at Angelika's stomach which she had previously located with her constant punches.

Meanwhile, there was no way the Schildmädchen before Angelika's room couldn't have heard the commotion of the fight inside. However, they had greater trouble than to rush to the aid of their mistress. On both ends of the corridor on which Angelika's room was situated, hostiles started gathering in the shadows before charging when they noticed that the Schildmädchen had noticed them as well. They moved incredibly quickly and the darkness didn't seem to hinder their sight at all. Cat ears and tails betrayed them to be demihumans or catgirls from the Yeuzuishan army, in fact given the skill they showed during their rush towards the guards, doing very well at dodging projectiles, it was highly probable that this was the Imperial Guard.

Similar events transpired everywhere in the palace, with elite demihuman warriors of the Imperial Guard flooding the palace at all places via the secret passages, easily outflanking entrenched Nachfolgian and Exilvanian positions and doing their best to get into close quarters combat with them where they absolutely excelled at. Making use of their own racial abilities as well as a very melee oriented equipment such as glaives, katanas and often bolt action rifles with bayonetts or semi-automatic handguns. Most interestingly, magic was not uncommonly used, often to create shields to protect against the Exilvanian and Nachfolgian ranged superiority or creating fireballs and other ranged attacks with an area of effect to flush out Exilvanian and Nachfolgian troops in the palace.

[Nachfolgia]

Angelika tried to protect her body from the punches by lowering her right hand to block. Pissed off by the annoying punches to her abdomen, Anglike began to throw a left elbow, connecting with what I assume was the assassin's nose and teeth.

Feeling the woman's arm moved underneath the sheet, Angelika glanced down just as the edge of a blade ripped through the fabric towards her stomach. She reacted just in time to avoid the knife, shifting to the side enough for the blade to cut into her side without hitting a vital organ.

As the blade and arm passed her side, Angelika wrapped her arms around the assassin's arm, pinned it to her side. With her other hand, she placed it on the elbow, putting pressure on the joint. In one quick motion, Angelika forced the elbow to bend the other way, snapping the assassin's arm.

Out in the hallway, the Schildmädchen were a fight of their own. As soon as the cat girls charged down the hall towards them, the maidens that were guarding the Obersterfuhrurin's door opened fire with their SMGs. Much to their suprise, the assailants were dodging their small arms fire.

The maidens quickly engaged the blades on their gauntlets and charged forward, using their enhanced speed to close the distance. The two Nachfolgians immediately engaged the enemy in close quarters, slashimg, punching , and kicking with blistering speed. The gun fire that enrupted throughout the palace alerted the rest of the Schildmädchen and they rushed out into the hallway, some of which weren't wearing their armor. Four of them joined the fighting the hallway while two rushed to protect the Obersterfuhrurin.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Her elbow indeed conneced with the assassin's nose and teeth, breaking the former and seriously damaging the lips above the latter. Blood started to soak out and sullied the pristinely white bedsheet that still covered the assassin. The arm too, was indeed broken and the assassin let out a cry of pain, muffled a little by the bedsheet, when Angelika broke it. Her attempts at fighting back had become a lot weaker now. Her arm trying to punch Angelika's stomach barely had any force left within its punches. The assailant had most likely realised that this battle was lost and was now trying to roll around, trying to make Angelika lose her balance and get her off her. Though those attempts were also rather weak and unlikely to yield any results.

Now if Angelika wanted to use the opportunity to get a better look at her assassin, she could do so. If she were to remove the bedsheet, she would find the female assassin lying there motionless, her eyes staring up at her with pure hatred from below the black facemask she wore. It was a pair of otherwise beautiful brown eyes. Removing the facemask would let Angelika see the face of her assassin. A young girl, probably around 16 or 17 years old with very pale skin, mostly due to some sort of traditional make up, as well as shoulder long black hair. The face was probably a beautiful one but her punches as well as her ellbow had turned it into something rather hideous. She would continue to stare quietly at Angelika.

Meanwhile before the room, it seemed as though the seemingly endless numbers of the catgirls which were, despite their great speed and skill, hopelessly outmatched by the Schildmädchen were actually very finite. The catirls were increasing their efforts more and more, fighting the Schildmädchen with a ferocity even they wouldn't have expected and often acting suicidally just to create openings for them or their comrades to exploit. A reason for this sudden increase in their efforts could be the sound of automatic gunfire as well as strange hissing sounds. Women, most likely catgirls, were screaming in agony somewhere around the corner further down the corridor. It seemed like reinforcements were headed straight for their position.

[Nachfolgia]

With her assailant's arm now broken an unable to attack, Angelika took this moment to find out who the assassin was. She ripped the sheet off and then the mask, making sure the assassin wasn't hiding like a coward. The Obersterfuhrurin was shocked to discover that it was a young girl with a pale complexion, younger than her by several years. The two stared at each other for a couple of moments, pondering the next move.

It was at that moment that two of the Obersterfuhrurin's maidens barged into the room, one armored and one not. Angelika got off of her assailant as the two maidens ran over to subdue the girl, through particularly harsh means. Angelika let the two maidens beat on the assassin for a moment, letting them get their fun. When they were done, the maidens held the bloodied girl on her knees, the armored maiden hold a blade to the assassin's throat, about to kill her.

" Stop!" Angelika called out as she walked over. The maidens held the girl tightly, making sure she wasn't able to move. Angelika squatted down in front of the failed assassin, looking her in the eyes, not concerned that she was still naked. " Did you honestly think that would work, child? To kill me? The leader of the mighty Nachfolgian Reich?" Angelika said with a smirk before standing back up.

" You're brave, I'll give you that, but you are a naive child, you're head filled with foolish optimism. Foolish optimism that this operation will be successful. Now... I'm going to give you a chance to be honest with me. Consider it a gift for being so brave. What is your name and who ordered this assassination?" Angelika added, her words dripping with venom.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

The assailant put up as much resistance as she could but in the face of Angelika's elite bodyguards, the Schildmädchen, her efforts were purely symbolical. She could barely protect herself from the well aimed and hard punches and kicks she received from the Schildmädchen and the ones from the actually armoured maiden hurt a lot since punching someone while having armour on hurts. Still, the girl showed incredible resilience, not crying out even once. And even as Angelika squatted in front of her, asking for her name and her superior, her answer was everything but cooperative and filled with venom of her own.

"We may not be able to defeat you, your armies proved that, but we will make you pay for what you did to our nation! Justice will be done and you will face it, even if I won't be around anymore to see it happen!"

To top her tiny tirade off, the girl spat Angelika into the face, though due to the punches and ellbow she previously received to the face from both Angelika and her Schildmädchen, it was a lot less spit and a lot more blood that landed on Angelika's face.

Meanwhile, out on the corridor, clouds of green gas became visible and the Yeuzuishan Guard backed away, heck, they were sandwiched between the remaining Schildmädchen and the green gas. It took only seconds for the distributors of the gas to appear. Coming around the corner was an entire squad of Exilvanians, led by two of the brutish Veterans who were holding gas throwers. The Schildmädchen got to see the effects firsthand when the Imperial Guard tried to break through the Exilvanian squad only to be met with another cloud of the gas. Screams of agony erupted and they could see how their very flesh was melting off their bones. A gruesome sight to behold. And behind the Veterans walked a group of simple Rifle Grunts who seemed to be protecting someone in their midst.

Apparently realising that this sandwich would spell doom for their unit, some of the more skilled and powerful Nekos present decided to go for another attack. Most of them were uninteresting but one seemed to whisper something before making some hand gestures. A small intricate circle of blue light formed in the air before her before vanishing again but the Neko was suddenly engulfed in some form of blue aura. When they attacked again, they were met with another cloud. Such against such an area of effect attack individual strength and skill mattered nothing and most of the assault group suffered the same fate as those who came before them. Yet, the Neko with the aura seemed to be able to pass through the cloud unharmed. She had most likely used a defensive spell to protect herself from the gas, magic so to say. She wielded a glaive and went for a good stab right at one of the Veterans' hearts.

Wether it was the surprise about someone actually surviving the cloud or wether the Veteran was just particularly slow was not visible but he didn't manage to defend himself against the attack in time. The glaive went straight through his heavy leather jacket and into his breast...and then got stuck. The Yeuzuishan was surprised, struggled a little, trying to force the glaive deeper in there but it just wouldn't budge. And then it was already too late. With a, for such a giant brute like him, surprising speed, the Veteran's arm shot forward and grabbed the Neko by the face before brutally slamming her head into the nearest wall. The head exploded like an overripe melon.

The remaining Yeuzuishans were relatively easy to clean up. Sure, they fought ferociously but they were no match for the Exilvanian gas clouds on one side and the extreme skill of the Schildmädchen on the other. When the Exilvanians got so close that they were risking to hit the Schildmädchen, they stopped using the gas throwers and just butchered the Nekos with their bare hands, the Rifle Grunts also joined the fight, they were fast as well and their strength also seemed to be more than a match for the Nekos. It didn't take long untill even the last Yeuzuishan lay dead or dying on the ground. It was only then that the remaining Rifle Grunts parted, revealing the person they had been protecting, ZZ Reichskommandant Dietrich Ekerhart Haegler. He seemed to be in bad shape and heavily wounded yet none of that was visible in his demeaner, instead he commanded his troops:

"Check the wounded ones. Keep atleast a few alife. They could have valuable intel."

He then proceeded past the Schildmädchen into Angelika's room. If they tried to bar his way, they would be beset by the Rifle Grunts who would not hesitate to keep them occupied in order to allow their commander free passage. And so Dietrich entered the room. His uniform wasn't looking good. A deep cut from his stomach to his chest as well as plenty of blood which had soiled the uniform there said quite clearly that he hadn't gotten quite as lucky as Angelika. Yet, a good observer with night vision would notice, that despite what the uniform and blood suggested, there was no actual cut visible on his skin. Only a long scar. Apart from the Dietrich's mask had taken damage. It seemed as though someone had grabbed one of the gas mask's visors and just ripped it out, revealing Dietrich's brown eye, the deep and dark eyerings, his pale skin as well as some strains of dark brown hair. In one hand he held his sidearm, the Lutscher X08, a common handgun in Exilvania, and in the other he dragged someone after himself.

His eyes immediately fell upon Angelika since he was looking for her afterall. He was, luckily, seeing her from the side so nothing was revealed yet he knew that women did not take lightly to being seen naked and immediately looked away while stuttering:

"Fräu-fräu-fräulein Obersterfuhrurin! Please, cover your privates!"

This was strange. Was there some colour visible in the little part of his face that was visible? It was hard to see but it could be that he was blushing. Why was he blushing? He had no idea himself. He was used to the sight of naked people. Was it maybe the fact that Angelika was completely different from the usual people he dealt with? Unlike them she wasn't powerless, unlike them she had to be respected and handled with great care. Was it this?

[Nachfolgia]

The Obersterfuhrurin closed her eyes and sighed heavily as she wiped the blood from her face. The act of defiance from the Yeuzuishan brought on a few punches from the Schildmädchen, but they were quickly stopped by a wave of Angelika's hand. She simply looked at the bloodied girl with a calm demeanor, getting a good look at her eyes.

The young girl, despite being bloodied and bruised, still had that fire in her eyes. She was still proud, proud of being a Yeuzuishan and pride in her country. Angelika could tell that she still had fight left in her...and she hated it. The Obersterfuhrurin's calm expression quickly turned to rage as she decked the young girl in the nose, causing more blood to flow from her face. Angelika grabbed the girl by the hair and hoisted her up to meet face to face again.

" There is no justice here." Angelika said, practically growling her words.

At that moment, Haeglar had barged into the room, bloodied and dragging a body behind him. Angelika turned to him and smiled, relieved that he was alive, but not entirely suprised.

" Ah, Herr ReichsKommandant! I'm glad to see that you did not die by the hands of these snakes. Though it seems that they did a number on you." She mused, smirked at how aweful he looked. She then looked at her colleague strangely as he began to studder and freak out. Apparently, it was due to the fact that she stood in front of him completely naked, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Looking down at her physique, Angelika discovered that she was indeed naked. She didn't realize that she was bearing everything, having been preoccupied by the assassin that tried to kill her.

" You're seriously upset by me being naked? Don't like what you see?" Angelika teased, playing on his embarrassment. She then proceeded to pull another sheet off her bed and wrapped it around her body like a towel. " I don't mean to tease you, Herr ReichsKommandant. Please accept my apologies for revealing myself in such an unprofessional matter. It must have been an unpleasant sight." Angelika said, wondering what he really thought of her body.

Suddenly, the door burst open and the rest of the Schildmädchen ran into the room, pointing their weapons at Haeglar as a precaution. " My Obersterfuhrurin, are you alright?!" One of them called out.

" Yes, I'm fine." Angelika replied, a little annoyed that she was interrupted. " Report the failed assassination attempt to the SS soldiers in the palace. Tell them I still live and have them do a thorough sweep of the entire palace grounds. Make sure none of the Yeuzuishans bastards leave here alive." She commanded with her usual sense of power and authority.

" Yes, My Obersterfuhrurin!" One of the Schildmädchen said as she salutred before running out of deliver the orders.

As Angelika turned back to address Haelger, her eyes glanced down at the body that he had dragged into the room. " Who's that? Your assassin?"

[Remnants of Exilvania]

"If this vermin was capable of killing me, I would be a terrible Reichskommandant. Though I do want to see how you would go about subduing your assassin quickly and quietly without actually damaging them too much."

, Dietrich answered before pausing, waiting for her to cover herself and only then looking in her direction again. As a former intelligence officer he had studied the customs of foreign peoples and right now Angelika was an outstanding exception from other foreigners when seen naked. He had heard that they usually started screaming and throwing things at the poor soul that had happened to see them. He had looked away since it was considered rude to stare...and because this was actually the first time that he saw a woman naked. Even in the dungeons he had the decency to give the women some clothes to wear at all times so he had never actually seen one.

"No, Fräulein Obersterfuhrurin, it is me who needs to apologize. I did not ask wether I could enter the room and please, do not take my attempt at avoiding your naked body as an insult. In fact, I am most surprised that it is not you who is upset about being seen naked."

As he talked about it, he couldn't help but think of the little he had seen. Her usual attire already gave a good idea about her body and now having seen it uncovered, he couldn't say little else than that it was perfect. Of course, he preferred an even lighter skintone than her already fair skin but that was just a minor preferance. In the greater picture, she was probably the most perfect woman he had seen so far.

He ignored the Schildmädchen as well as Angelika giving a few orders, mainly because he had done the exact same thing just about 10 minutes ago. However, when she inquired wether the person he dragged behind him was his assassin, he laughed mischievously and brought her forward, grabbing the unconscious assassin by her chin and showing her to Angelika. It was as though she saw the very same assassin who had attacked her again...well...just with the difference that she didn't really have any signs of physical damage in her face. She looked kind of cute the way her face was completely at peace while unconscious.

"Ah, yes indeed, this is my assassin. And yet she is also soooo much more. I took the time to get my hands around her neck and strangled her untill she fainted. I wanted to preserve this face for you, Obersterfuhrurin. Afterall, you wanted to have them didn't you?

May I present to you, Princess Lei-La of Yeuzuishan, most likely one of the leaders and figureheads of the fledgling resistance!"