It had been a few weeks since her last encounter with the pirate crews that terrorized Hargeon, and already rumors were starting to rise about several pirate crews terrorizing seafaring merchants. It had confirmed Ryuko's earlier thoughts: Take care of one crew and two were willing to take their place, just like vermin. It honestly infuriated the dragon girl, but it did give her an opportunity to try out the results of the experiments she had been carrying out in secret. After all, pirates were capable of human intelligence, making them a foe more threatening than the average monster. So how would her little experiment fare against such an opposition?

She had already prepared everything, the portals were swirling and pulsing with energy, and slowly but certainly the armor-clad humanoid creatures she had summoned climbed out of the portals leading into her domain. The pirates watched the strange figures, each clad in heavy, metallic armor with strange symbols and markings etched into their plates. In addition to their armor they had wielded various weapons: from swords, to spears, to even a war hammer. Each figure stood as still as a statue, their gaze focused on the dragon girl.

"So far it seems they are responding well to my presence, but I wonder how their combat potential will be..."

The dragon girl's gaze shifted toward the nearby beach where the pirates had made their camp, still oblivious to the carnage that would await them. "If my suspicions are correct, then I shouldn't have to do a thing... and that should make things easier on me."

With that thought in mind Ryuko gave a single order to her summons. "Kill them, and don't let any of the pirates escape!"

Immediately the armored creatures began moving in unison, marching in the direction of the pirate encampment. Their steps were slow at first, but gradually their march quickened, their bodies moving with the grace and fluidity of a predator.

"Heheh, this will definitely prove useful if I need to clean out a monster-infested area in the future."

At least, that's what she had thought at first, before the screams began. The pirates had been completely caught off guard by the sudden assault, and many of them had fallen victim to the initial attack, their corpses riddled with arrows or pierced through by swords and spears. Some had tried to fight back, only to find themselves overrun by the seemingly endless wave of enemies. Those that did escape had done so by running toward the ocean and using the water to flee.

Ryuko frowned at the sight. "I see, so that's the flaw with their design, they're practically useless if they're being attacked in a forest or on a mountain..."

It was a problem that needed to be fixed, but for now the dragon girl simply sat back and observed the slaughter unfolding before her. The armored warriors tore through the pirate encampment with ease, and soon all that remained were the corpses of the dead. The victors stood among the sea of bodies, their armor covered in the blood of their enemies.

"Not bad...but I can't exactly use them as bodyguards if they can't even protect themselves from being surrounded." Ryuko sighed in disappointment, she was hoping for a little more, but it seemed as though these new minions of hers weren't exactly perfect. She would have to work on fixing that problem.

"Well, there's no point in sitting around here. Time for the next trial~"

The dragon girl chimed softly, a snap of her fingers following as another portal came into existence, this one pulsing with far greater energy as from within a robed figure emerged, his body radiating with pure mana. His entire body was covered by his robes, with only his face and hands exposed, and even then he wore a mask to hide his features.

"Let's see how they deal with this. Magus, your prey is there in the water."

Ryuko ordered her servant, pointing towards the fleeing pirates that were trying to swim away from the island. Her servants, having heard the dragon girl's command, marched toward the shore and raises his hands toward the sea, chanting in a ancient language. The water suddenly surged forth, the waves crashing down on the escaping pirates and dragging them under the surface. They struggled and thrashed wildly, trying desperately to escape their watery prison.

"Hehehe~, it seems like my servants have a natural affinity with the elements. How delightful."

Ryuko clapped her hands excitedly, her eyes sparkling with joy as her creations proved their usefulness.
The water receded, revealing a massive ice sculpture that contained all the pirates, their frozen bodies held prisoner inside the icy tomb. Ryuko nodded in approval, she would have to work on improving their combat capabilities, but the sheer raw power they demonstrated was incredible.

"Excellent work, my dear Magus! Now, you may return and wait for my next orders."

The robed figure bowed deeply, then turned to walk back to the portal. Ryuko watched the mage go, then turned back to the frozen pirates. She waved her hand, releasing them from their icy prison. As the pirates fell into the water, they began to shiver uncontrollably. Some of them had already passed out from the cold, while others were still barely able to move their limbs.

"I have a feeling further improvements can be made to the lower ranks, perhaps more experiments are needed."

Ryuko's gaze shifted toward the armored summons she had brought with her. "Take the survivors back to the base, if they resist? Feel free to slay them."

The armored soldiers saluted, then moved to grab the surviving pirates. Some of the pirates tried to fight back, but most of them were too weak and disoriented from the cold.

Ryuko watched her creations do their work, then turned and flew off. She was pleased with her results so far, and she knew there was plenty of room for improvement. "Once the new experiments are completed, perhaps I can proceed with the next stage of the Order's creation."

But for now she had plenty to think of. The armored knights might had required her commands to function but for basic servants they proved to be both strong and resilient. The mage at the other hand was far more effective than she had anticipated.

Still, it wasn't enough. She needed to make certain the order was more than capable of overcoming much greater threats if she wanted to succeed in both pleasing the expectations of the prince and pursue her own agenda. A final glance was made in the direction of the battlefield as she started to walk away.

A few days later news came to Hargeon of how fishermen had found what appeared to be the remnants of a pirate encampment, although the state of the corpses suggested a violent battle had taken place. While the local knights were investigating the source of what had happened to the pirates, the civilians were clearly happy to hear that a semblance of peace and quiet had returned to the nearby beach.

Meanwhile somewhere else...

"And? How are your experiments going little whelping?"

The shrouded figure inquired, upon which Ryuko shook her head firmly. "It's not enough yet, even if they react well, their strength won't be competing against 'them'. We're gonna need better samples..."

WC: 1250/1250