My Servant System

The Priestess continued to play around with the small coin, flipping it from finger to finger before flicking it towards her other hand, repeating the motion constantly.

With a small smile on her face, the gray skinned woman asked "I imagine you're curious about your newly acquired bodyguards, hmm~? Would you like to hear our story, traveler?"

Taking a sip from the tea Eyoli made, I nodded and said "I would be lying if I said I wasn't."

Her smile grew, and the Priestess flipped the coin into the air, letting it land back onto her palm.

Looking down at the engraving, she nodded to herself before gently placing it on the table, making herself comfortable as she lounged backwards.

"Where to begin... Ah, I guess our Goddess would be a good starting point, no? Her name is Areseta, Goddess of War and Honor. Many centuries ago, the Rimelands were in constant flux, with monsters prowling around freely and hunting the tribes that gathered here. Amongst those tribes was a young woman of Dark Elf descent, and she was to be the sacrifice to satiate the largest tribes lust.

Sent off to be little more than a plaything for Ogrekin, this woman decided to take her chances instead in the Cimmerian Mountains, choosing death over servitude. She did so knowing that her tribe would be subjugated and razed, and she did so without hesitation.

Climbing into the Cimmerian Mountains as naught but a pitiful woman, she was sure to die amongst the monsters, but she didn't. Using her wits and perseverance, this young Dark Elf managed to defeat a Polarian Bear and used its body as shelter. Bathing in its blood, donning its pelt, and wielding its claws, she began to hunt amongst the monsters, slowly honing her skills and sharpening her resolve.

With each kill she made, the Dark Elf woman believed herself closer to being capable of taking revenge. Revenge on the Ogrekin tribe that lusted after her, and revenge on the tribe that willingly turned their backs on her. She desired their demise.

Time passed, and the Dark Elf was no longer a young, frail woman, but a hardened warrior and huntress. Descending down into the Rimelands, she began a new kind of hunt, slowly whittling away the Ogrekin tribe and her former tribe.

This continued on for a few months, until eventually there were only a handful left from both tribes. It was at that time that the Dark Elf warrior came into contact with our Goddess, Areseta.

Her fighting prowess and tenacity had caught the attention of Areseta, but the conduct she displayed in her fights displeased Areseta. She fought with tricks and misdirection, often pitting the tribes against one another before swooping in and finishing everyone off.

Our Goddess had a dilemma on her hands; this Dark Elf was perfect in most ways as a warrior, but her hatred had marred her beauty, turning her from a valiant warrior to little more then a bandit.

So, Areseta made a choice, and her choice was to test this Dark Elf through true one on one combat.

Gifting the strongest from each tribe a temporary boost in power, Areseta set them on the Dark Elf, wanting to see if the woman was worthy of her attention.

The battles were grueling and long, but the Dark Elf triumphed each time, disposing of the tribes  strongest and proving herself worthy. Because of that, Areseta made herself known to the Dark Elf, expressing her desire for the woman.

She was a good warrior, and deep inside her shrouded, dark heart was a code of honor that she had followed, one that she kept to on her own. Beautiful, strong, appealing... this Dark Elf became the fixation of our Goddess, and with her temporary presence on this world, the two came together in union, producing three children.

Those three children, alongside their mother, all became the first of our tribe. The Arese Tribe, made up of a new race; a mixture of Dark Elf blood, Divine blood, and eventually Oni blood as well. Our founder, the Dark Elf was given the name Sayik, and her three daughters were Liaka, Maraca, and Fiarhe. They became the first of the Arese, and through selective unions they created this tribe.

A tribe of warriors and hunters, a tribe of women devoted to keeping the peace as best they could on the harsh Rimelands.

A tribe that has done so for the last few centuries, and will continue to do so for the next few centuries, of that I have no doubt.

That is who you are amongst, traveler. Warriors, hunters, believers of peace through strength. The Arese Tribe will honor our agreement to escort you to Polaris City, as we have honored agreements of the past."

Finishing, the Priestess smiled at me as she reached for her teacup, sipping at the strong tea as silence fell around us.

Her story was... interesting, to say the least.

If her word was to be believed, then I could understand where they got their characteristics; Dark Elves tended to have, well, dark skin, hence the name.

Oni were similar enough to Demons, the main difference being in how they developed into adults; Demons were similar to humans in the fact that they just grew alongside their age, but Oni needed blood to grow.

From young, the Oni were honed into killers and hunters alike, and the more they killed the older they became, until they reached their peak.

Just like Demons, the lifespan of an Oni was insanely long... as long as they had access to blood, they were able to live for millennia.

Because of that requirement, most Oni were in hiding, needing to survive out in the wilderness due to their peculiar needs.

However, the hardest part of her story to believe is that a Goddess descended and influenced the world to that extent; from all I've seen, Gods and Goddesses existed as religious beliefs and had myths around them, but...

'Uhm... System, I guess I never asked, but... are they - Gods and Goddesses, I mean - real? Should I be worried about them?'

Reaching for my tea as well, I sipped on it as I awaited an answer, all while the Priestess lounged beside me.

[Yes... and no. They used to reside here, but for the last two centuries they've decided to simply observe everything instead. This world is large, so they have a lot to see whenever they want. Something is always happening, and they all made agreements to let it play out on their own.]

Nodding softly, I glanced at the Priestess for a moment before I asked 'Do they still speak to people though? Or is this Priestess just a shill? And what about you? Are you from the Gods as well, or what?'

[I couldn't say whether or not this Areseta still speaks to this tribe, but the possibility is there. Most Gods and Goddesses would still observe their worshippers, and some mete out rewards or punishments accordingly, while others leave them alone to see how strong their faith is. As for me...]

Trailing off, I pursed my lips after I took another sip of the ginger tea, waiting for the conclusion.

[Yes. I do come from the Gods and Goddesses, but I only answer to you now; think of this as a symbiotic relationship we have here. I aid you to get stronger, and by doing so you're helping me have an interesting time. That void you were floating in all those years ago? That's where I'm from as well, as are the other Gods and Goddesses. Boredom is what makes them fixate on these worlds, and... ah, as crass as it sounds, your life is entertaining.]

Holding in a snort, I muttered 'Thanks for that...' before turning towards the Priestess, who was staring at me with those pitch black eyes of hers.

"Well, that was certainly... interesting. So your tribe, the 'Arese Tribe', are the... defenders of the Rimeland? You all live here, in between Nevrokopi State and the Hoarfrost Sect, and keep the peace?"

She smirked at me, nodding.

"If you simplify it down, yes, we are the protectors of the Rimelands. The Cimmerian Mountains as well; the only entrance is here, and we are but one part of the Arese Tribe. At the entrance is where the Arese live more permanently, and this-"

Gesturing around us at the tent and pelts, the Priestess continued on with a satisfied gleam in her eye.

"Is the hunting expedition to feed our people. Currently we are far from the entrance, but you'll be able to see it when we pass it by; we need to deposit all of our spoils so far before heading Northwards, towards the Nevrokopi State."

Placing her tea back down, the Priestess stood up and stretched, displaying her lithe frame and impressive tattoos without a care, before turning and approaching her quarters again.

"If you're curious, traveler, we'll reach Polaris City in about two weeks; the journey is far, and we need to make many stops. If that inconveniences you, then you can depart whenever; it's no trouble to me. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Slipping past the pelt divider, the Priestess vanished from sight, but the scents and sounds grew stronger as she rekindled her lust.

Getting up quickly, I exited the tent and almost collided with Valaka, who was waiting for me.

"Come on then. I need to begin making food for the tribe. You'll need to stay with me until Eyoli returns..."

Without waiting to see if I heard her, Valaka turned and began to walk away, the short huntress stalking through the encampment with silent steps.

Following behind her, I contemplated my options, going over the pros and cons.

Asking for directions was an option, and I would be able to move at my own pace, traveling towards this Polaris City and getting access to a map to learn of my position.

That would, again, allow me quick movement, but I would be alone in a foreign land, with no idea on its customs or behaviors.

Now, if I stayed with the Arese Tribe, I would move slower, but I would be safer.

Slow movement, almost forced labor, but I would gain quite a bit.

I could learn from these women in multiple ways; Valaka displayed the ability to silently move through snow covered ground, not crunching away or leaving much of a trace.

Then there were the abundance of tattoos on these women, tattoos that were all magical in nature; maybe there would be some intriguing new application of my mana that I could learn here, something that would make me stronger.

Something that would make what happened before an impossibility.

If I could be stronger, I could better protect myself and my loved ones...

Finally, it was a much simpler, much more base reason for staying with the Arese; I was going crazy being alone.

I needed someone to talk to, someone to interact with.

Mortals were all social creatures, it seems, and no matter how many screws were loose in my mind, I still craved simple interactions with another person.

So, as I followed behind Valaka, I decided I would travel alongside the Arese Tribe and learn all I could from them, even if that was just a new way to apply my mana or something as simple as how to prepare food in a different way.

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Didn't want to go too in-depth with plot today, so I hoped you enjoyed the story inside this story~!

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