In the World of Sword and Magic as Space Marine

Chapter 17: Lioness of Argus

Rana Bassilo Beckett, the Duchess of Agrus was one of the key players in the last war who brought victory against the neighboring kingdom. When her fort was under siege by the invasion force, she took it herself to fight the enemy in the middle of the night to launch a counterattack against unexpected enemy forces. The result was a complete victory for Duchess Beckett as she pushed the enemy to the border and wiped out any chance for them to push back again. From this, she earned herself the title of 'Lioness of Argus' and strengthened the royal family's influence as she is the second niece of the king.

The Duchess of Agrus got off from her horse and approached William. She is 5.9 feet tall, in the mid-'20s with blonde short hair and sharp blue eyes. If she wasn't intimidating looking, William would have thought she would be a perfect model back on Earth. Well, she does give off a serious vibe that people love to see in sports magazines.

When she got close to William, she examined his detailed work of Mark VII Aquila Power Armour and his equipment within him which is a power sword and bolter pistol. While she is examining William, her followers and troops catch up to the city's wall.

"Impressive war gear, I can now believe the story of how you kill the vampire lord but I still have my suspicion that you single-handedly defeat the three armies. You better explain to me when we have time." The Duchess said the last part in a small voice to William as she turned around to talk to Sir Dolven and Prince Benton who just made it to the western gate.

"Welcome to Deron, Duchess. Was your travel uneventful and full of peace?" Sir Dolven gave his greeting to the fearsome lioness but all he got was sharp eyes from her as she inspected Sir Dolven and his followers.

"It was a boring and pointless trip. You should be able to handle the Fort Stormfist with your Order, but because you have a traitor, you delay the mission and bring me to fix your mess." The Duchess said to the old commander and moved on, there was tension among Sir Dolven's men but they didn't say anything as they are smart enough to not get involved. Prince Benton welcomed the Duchess with an open arm, but instead of warm greetings, he got a gut punch from her who is still wearing a metal gauntlet.

"You, what did I tell you about leading the troops against enemies?" She asks the prince who is on the ground with his hands on his stomach.

"Think before taking action." Prince Benton said to the Duchess and tried to stand up but got another punch from her in the gut as she punched him again.

"If you remember my lesson, you would still have your knights!" The Duchess was about to punch the prince for the third time but was stopped by William as he grabbed her fist.

"I believe he got your message, I also punched him for recklessness. So, let's move on to our mission." William said to the Duchess while her followers drew their weapons at the giant armored man.

"Fine, let us go to the city castle." The Duchess pulled her arm away from William and signaled her followers to lower their weapons. Sir Dolven walks next to William and helps the prince get back up, William on the other hand is baffled by the authority she gives off.

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'She is a natural leader, she doesn't ask for respect, but demands it by showing who she is.' William thought to himself and walked next to Sir Dolven.

In the meeting room, William, Sir Dolven, Prince Benton, Duchess Beckett and other officers attend the war meeting to discuss the second part of the mission and relief army's duty. Just as the meeting is about to come to end, Duchess Beckett objects to her part of the mission.

"I want to switch duty with the prince. I didn't come all this way to babysit a city when there is a battle to fight within half a day's distance." She explains her objection as Sir Dolven signs while the prince protests.

"This is my campaign and I will finish this to the end, cousin. There is no way I'll give up to you." Prince spoke with a strong and serious tone. Ever since William started the training, the prince gained self-confidence and self-esteem as he built a strong bond with his troops. Still, this wasn't enough as the Duchess matched the prince with her serious presence.

"Enough! I'll stay behind. We had enough delay and I wanted to end this campaign last week." Sir Dolven slammed the table and gave his final say to everyone in the room. William was also tired of politics and was eager to fight the vampire faction so he could complete this special quest.

"Sir Dolven, if you stay behind who will lead the special unit to kill the vampire lord?" Prince asked the old commander but he knew who would take the command of the mission.

"I will take the mission, alone. I already have the detail on the hidden tunnel and other secrets of the fort from Sir Dolven. I'll kill the vampire lord and open the main gate for you two to come in." William said to the young prince and battled the crazy Duchess. No one from the prince or Sir Dolven's side said anything as they knew what William is capable of but Duchess's followers whisper to each other as they don't trust William and his ability.

"You expect us to trust you, an adventure and someone we never heard of until now? Not to mention all by yourself to the fort filled with countless undead and a vampire lord?" One of the female officers said to William as she and others distrust the giant black knight.

"Yes, what do you have to lose?" That is the only thing William said to the officer. The room went quiet, then the Duchess laughed out loud which disturbs most of the people as they didn't expect this reaction from the lioness.

"That's what I said to my advisors when they asked me if I was crazy to counter-attack the invaders. It's your call, old man. If you trust this giant then I don't mind his crazy plan." The Duchess said as she looked at William, which was a bit uncomfortable for William since she gave a very different vibe compared to other commanders he met before.

"It is settled then. Prince Benton and Duchess Beckett will take two armies to the Fort Stromfist while William infiltrates the fort and takes down the vampire lord and opens the main gate. We will begin our attack in two days, prepare your troops and get full rest for the upcoming battle." Sir Dolven declares the final decision and ends the meeting so everyone can prepare for the second part of the mission. Before William could leave the room, the Duchess stopped him to talk to him.

"Is your sword sharp?" She genuinely asks William while pointing her finger at his power sword.

"My sword never goes dull and no, you will not borrow it or my other weapons." William grabs his sword's hilt to show he won't let go no matter what.

"I'm not interested. I want you to participate in tomorrow's event before we start preparing for the mission." The Duchess said but there is a bit of disappointment in her eyes.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" The Black Templar asks the lioness with curiosity.

"Execution. I have it with me a decree from King Benton himself to execute the traitors and his followers. I want you to be the one who executes them tomorrow morning."

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Next Day, Main Square of the Deron,

"In the name of King Benton the 3rd, king and protector of the Alderim have decreed that former Viscount Bullen and his minor nobles will be sentenced to death. May the gods pity your souls and give you peace." One of the female officers read the roll of documents to everyone in the square. In the center, a roll of traitors kneels with their heads on the chopping blocks.

"Do any of you men have last words?" Sir Dolven stood up from his seat and said out loud so everyone could hear. This is more of a tradition to give the criminal a chance to repent (But criminals still get execution). The entire square remained silent as no one spoke or had a side whisper to speak their mind. Seeing there is no last word, Sir Dolven moved to the main event of the execution, execution of traitors.

"Executioner, proceed and give mercy." Sir Dolven takes his seat next to Prince Benton and Duchess.

The moment Sir Dolven's word ended, a giant black knight with a large sword approached the platform and went to the first man. Without giving a moment of hesitation, William cut the man's head and moved to the next. After the 8th man, it was the 9th man's turn. A man who betrayed his country and sided with the undead to expand his territory, a former viscount Bullen.

William looked at the man's back head for a moment but that was just a second as he decapitated the traitor's head in one clean swing. Everyone who witnessed remained silent and waited for the next step of the execution, which was confronting the Bullen's soldiers.

"The traitors are now dead and no more. Soldiers, will you remain loyal to the traitor or the crown?" Prince Benton said out loud and waited for the soldier's response.

"We will serve the crown!" Soldiers of former viscount gave their answer and swore loyalty to the King and his son.

While this is going on, William puts away his power sword and checks his inventory to see what he got from the fallen noble. As usual, he got more ammunition for his bolter and flamer but the last item caught his attention as it was something very different.

[Unit Summon (Penitent Engines) x1] "Only in death, their's or the enemy's, can forgiveness finally be earned." A giant combat walker, Penitent Engine attacks both friend or foes for they only seek to repent their sins. This unit is equipped with a chainfist for close combat and a flamer for crowd control.