Serrentuk meditates quietly while Zuzia studies for her next move. She has become comfortable with what she'll need to do when the fateful moment comes. She will have to move fast, brace herself, and ultimately, help Serrentuk escape so that he can rescue her properly.

Of course, there's also a non-zero chance Amalaskae might do something foolish, but Zuzia is prepared to be on her own for the foreseeable future.

In the meantime, she has been doing anything she can think of to stave off madness in the timeless void she's trapped in. And, one such thing is a cheezy, paper-made game of chess, naturally using her own blood for ink on the paper pieces. She had to teach Serrentuk how to play, and yet, after only a few days, he has her King cornered completely. He hasn't called 'check' yet, but she can already see many of her follies.

And, he mostly plays while meditating, which just feels like cheating.

"Are you sure you aren't reading my mind in here?" asks the young Polish woman.

"I've actually been turning back time seconds at a time after each of your moves," jokes the elven sage, not opening his eyes as he sits cross legged in front of her.

She scowls at him, though she knows he just has enough wisdom to think and act quickly, since his own soul has been as trapped in this void as her entire form. If age was a direct factor towards intelligence, Serrentuk would easily be the smartest person she has ever met.

That said, she also only ever played chess casually, so she's not the best at it. It's just an easy, yet mature game to help pass the time that she could set up.

"Have you?" asks the dubious Earthling. She knows he has a decent amount of control over the physics of the void, but time seems to be a stretch, since time is already stopped.

"No," replies the ancient sage with a chuckle. Were it so simple, I would have long ago stored my own body and reversed time to a moment before I became a slave."

"Ah… Right. Sorry."

"No need for apologies, my friend. If we can not share humor for fear of past moments, you would be unable to make any jokes to me."

She laughs a little, since it's a very fair point.

Just as she's moving her remaining knight to try and prevent being placed into check, Serrentuk hums ominously. "Mmm…"

"What is it?" asks the honey-brunette young woman.

"They've arrived at a remote stronghold. I've never been here myself, but I do believe we're in Imperial territory, though it may possibly be an exclave remote to the Empire itself."

"Meaning my dearest new friends are going to make their move, aren't they?"

Serrentuk nods grimly as he looks at her. "The rescue failed, it seems."

Zuzia smiles softly as she sets her knight down in position. She didn't expect a heroic charge to swoop in, nor did she expect Amalaskae to appear in the timeless 'Gate' that Serrentuk controls.

Life is rarely that convenient.

"Any news about Wulfsten and his companions?"

Serrentuk shakes his head this time. "Not yet, but from the sounds of it… You should be prepared for the worst."

Zuzia takes a breath and sighs. "Is there anything I can do if he found them?"

The elven sage is silent for a while as he closes his eyes. She knows that hostages being effective is exactly the only way to control her new strength. If Yaulander's people are convinced of their friendship, then they know it'll be effective. If she even manages to convince them of the lack of friendship, then they'll almost certainly be killed on the spot, since they'll be useless.

Either way, it's a lose-lose situation.

She perks up. "How much control do you think you'll have over your Gate spell after you die?" It's a grim topic, but it is exactly what he has been preparing for.

"I have never died myself, but I believe the Gate should sustain itself so long as I am recoverable by revival magic." His eyes widen as the realization forms. "Your friends?"

She nods with a soft smile. "If you can capture them, and I send you to my friend, then they can be saved, too, right?"

"If I am given a command by my master, I will be interrupted."

Zuzia cups her chin as she thinks. She's officially running out of time, but while she can, she intends to scheme.

A grin smiles across her face. "I might as well commit to the bit."

"'Bit'?" questions the ancient sorcerer.

The devious Polish woman replies with only a slight tremble in her otherwise playful voice, "Zuzu miażdżyć."

The elf cocks his head, since he doesn't have any context for the phrase. She hasn't spoken much Polish to him, and he certainly wouldn't know any superheroes from Earth that she may or may not be referencing.

But, if she's going to have to try to smash her way out, then she's going to go full bore.

The brunette takes a deep breath and exhales, doing her best to mentally prepare.

Serrentuk has her back. All she needs to focus on is her part.

"Do you need to be able to hear to use Gate?" asks the young woman.

"No…?" replies Serrentuk with a questioning tone.

"Perfect. Here's the plan."

She rubs her hands together as she looks at the chess board. Whether or not a knight in shining armor is coming to rescue her is irrelevant.

She's going to make Yaulander and his minions regret ever knowing her.

***

Rikuto watches out the window of the shuttle as plains pass by beneath them. Shuttles seem to be relatively comparable to a commercial airliner's speed, maybe a little slower, but far more efficient. As such, they are flying at a relatively low altitude because there's no need to worry as much about the increased drag or noise pollution that commercial planes worry about. He's a little thankful for it, because it's easier to be hypnotized by the passing of the terrain with it being closer. It's still several hours that he and his knights are being flown as prisoners with the goblins being much less talkative. Chebnom and Loxourren were wounded trying to resist, but the goblins gave them their alcoholic healing potions after the two were restrained. They even used a system of knots that remind Rikuto of shibari in order to more securely restrain Chebnom's arms because of his flexibility as a gatonine, rather than for the art of it.

For his part, Chebnom has a scowl on his face as he watches the goblins, who are talking more quietly or resting with various activities, such as reloading magazines or cleaning their weapons.

Rikuto can scarcely believe, with what he has already seen, that he's looking at a bunch of goblins. They are definitely half his height and have various shades of skin color ranging from greys and even a near-purple color for one of the goblins, to a wide range of greens. But, they move and act like soldiers.

Particularly vulgar, thieving soldiers, but no less a well-oiled machine.

One of the goblins near the front perks up, and he pokes his head into the cockpit for a moment. Rikuto isn't paying the most strict attention, but the goblin returns and declares, "Citadel castled. We have to land at intake. High Queens Approve landing."

Klur nods. "Understood. Grendel Six, top mags and be ready for combat."

"What's intake?" asks Loxourren.

Mosko replies with his gruff, aged voice, "Is where immigrants to Citadel must pass through. Security line to prevent… eh… Hmm…" The old goblin scratches his chin, and Locke finishes gruffly, "Quick move magic."

"Quick move magic?" asks the knight.

Rikuto takes a guess, "Do you mean teleportation?"

Locke nods. "Aye. Grendel One guards the entrance. Waiting for invaders to enter."

The other goblins snicker deviously, and the young Japanese man doesn't need to be a genius to understand why. He rolls his eyes.

That said, he is thankful that, in spite of how they treat actual enemies, the goblins of Daniel's Loot Gremlin Six haven't treated Rikuto and his knights viciously. Horaston is trapped inside of one of their item box bags with the servant carriage, but the goblins also deposited their own mortally wounded into the same bags, since they were running low on healing potions, or some other reason that prevented them from trying to heal them, so the magic bags must be safe enough.

Of course, most media Rikuto has consumed restricts magic bags and item boxes to only non-living things for various reasons, but if the goblins did it to their own, he'll have to trust them for now.

That's when Rikuto notices a glow ahead of them from the side window he has. The landscape is speckled with orange glowing spots like campfires, but a massive column of smoke seems to be rolling slowly into the sky from a massive crater.

Daniel, you wouldn't, would you!? thinks the Japanese man. No, think, Rikuto. If they were nukes, there should have been the wave of weakness, right? Somehow, it reached us in spite of the Fievegal using them far away. Think… MOAB? But, that would require modern explosives, wouldn't it? No. It could simply be a cartoonishly large bomb made with simpler materials.

Rikuto sighs as the shuttle banks a little southward, revealing more of the destroyed terrain. Considering how close it is to the Citadel, it's surprising Daniel would use such a destructive attack.

But, perhaps he should simply consider himself lucky that the American didn't utilize such weaponry against the failed sieges or in retaliation against him.

Kuso… Why did Daniel have to get sent here as well?

As he's thinking this, a creeping regret creeps into Rikuto's mind. He had Daniel relatively under control in Mornistae. It all really started to go downhill when he sent the American away to partially appease the nobles of Mornistae and try to draw out some of the corruption.

And, because it shattered trust with Aramellianna, who Rikuto underestimated, and set Daniel on a path to obtain far greater power than should be possible for an average blue collar worker from Earth, Rikuto effectively created his own worst enemies on Zenkon.

That realization sinks in even more firmly as the Citadel becomes apparent.

Rikuto has heard the name plenty over the last year or so. It's treated like a mythical place even outside of conversations about the Fievegal, which has become intertwined with it. Rikuto doesn't even know if the castle he rules over has a specific name other than Castle Mornistae, even if 'the Citadel' sounds fairly generic in terms of naming a fortress.

The castle before Rikuto now lives up to the name.

Rather, to call it a mountain unto itself would be more accurate, as parts of the fortress seem to disappear into the distance, as well as into the sky.

It is truly titanic, and it almost seems difficult to believe that humans can reasonably populate such a place. The dragons make a little more sense, but even then, it would compare in size to titanic beasts in the way that the Forbidden City of China, a palace that spans across more than 170 acres, compares to its human inhabitants.

All three of the easterners are speechless, with the Gatonine shifting to try and take in more of the fortress that not only spans a massive ground area, but rises unbelievably high into the night sky, well-lit to show many of its surfaces even in the darkness.

The fortress only disappears from the group's view by a large defensive perimeter wall, and the comparatively 'micro' bastion that they land in front of.

The goblins start to stand up as the shuttle is touching down, and Klur says, "Human-king Rikuto, you and your men will walk. You will cooperate. If not, we will bind and drag. If you try to fight, we will fight. Grendel One will fight. Dante Three will join. Klur recommends you walk."

"We'll walk," replies Rikuto, looking at his knights. "Right?"

The two knights are frustrated, but they nod in agreement.

Klur leads the way out of the shuttle, which is immediately serviced by a different group of goblins wearing simpler clothes closer to what Rikuto would have envisioned. They aren't ratty rags, but they aren't much more complex than tunics fastened with a simple rope around the waist. Only apparent foremen and officers seem to have standout uniforms amidst the service crew, who start reloading and inspecting the shuttle.

The bastion built into a massive is impressive on its own in size, though it is fairly simple compared to the glimpses Rikuto caught of the Citadel itself. It has large vehicle-ready gates with anti-vehicle hedgehogs staged along the walls. By the time such hedgehogs, more specifically known as 'Czech hedgehogs', were regularly made of large beams of iron to impede combat jeeps and tanks, it wasn't common to try to move troops by steeds or carriages.

Seeing them in the context of Zenkon is a little jarring, but he can see a tight grouping of the anti-vehicle barriers, coupled with the actual anti-horse equivalent that shares a very similar design known as caltrops, it would be extremely easy for the Fievegal to prevent any sort of cavalry charge through its gates. The wall is massive, probably rivalling the Great Wall of China, though Rikuto has never seen it with his own eyes, so he can't really say for certain. And, he can hear it in the distance.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

That sound is the distinctive, deep pounding of a fast explosion, but too large to be a rifle.

Artillery is being fired somewhere north of their current position, dissolving as they pass through large double man-doors that lead into the main heart of the bastion.

Hearing these things from his army generals and information shared within the Imperial Alliance of the east never truly conveyed what they were up against. Given the Citadel alone, which strains credulity that Daniel managed to conquer it, it's unbelievable that the demon-kin didn't march relentlessly across the continent a long time ago and erase the eastern races entirely.

Goblins wearing more uniform armor greet those of Grendel Six as they walk down a corridor being guarded by their counterparts. "Grendel Six, welcome home."

"Grendel One, keep up the good work," replies Klur.

The soldiers of Grendel One eye Rikuto and his knights curiously, but they don't harass or question.

After walking rather deep into the bastion, which suggests the barrier wall itself is quite thick as well, they arrive in a rather large room with a few different sections that Rikuto can't help but see as some sort of license center or other public government office, with rows of semi-comfortable seating, which are currently empty, a few desks, and visible soldiers guarding various points. It looks like it was once some sort of storage area, like a warehouse for grains or weapons for the bastion.

A dattakorien woman approaches outfitted with a small buckler shield on her left forearm that has a shortsword sheathed behind it along the length of her forearm. But, more subtly, she has a pistol in a holster on her hip. Though dattakoriens share some appearance traits with gatonines, they have more feral looks overall, with distinct fur that covers their forearms, and sharp claws on their fingers. Still, she seems well-dressed and official with her clothing.

"Grendel Six, welcome back."

Klur salutes, replying, "Grendel Six reporting. Mission was a failure. Target was lost. Aerial search couldn't pick up trail."

"Yes, that is unfortunate," replies the woman. "And, it seems we have some unexpected guests." She looks at Rikuto, declaring as much as asking, "King Tachibana Rikuto, yes?"

Rikuto nods. "Yes. I am King Tachibana Rikuto, more formally known as King Rikuto Tachibana on Zenkon. I have respectfully claimed the Right of Royalty as agreed to in the Fievegal-Mornistae Peace Treaty and established by the Grand Zenkon Imperial Alliance."

"I'm familiar with it. I am Minister Ahntara, assistant director of the Fievegal's Immigration and Municipal Security. Queens Shek and Skloe apologize that they can't be here to meet you themselves on behalf of the Fievegal, but given the military invasion by the Demon Hegemony from the north, I will be escorting you to…"

Suddenly, one of the large sections nearby illuminates, and the goblin soldiers stationed at its entranceway immediately ready their submachine guns, calling out, "Incoming Quick Move! Check targets!"

"Incoming!" repeat several of the soldiers throughout the civic area of the perimeter bastion, and Minister Ahntara seems to turn a little nervous. She doesn't place her hand on either of her weapons, instead, she fidgets with her hands.

At the center of the partially-secluded area, which actually has wire-mesh walls like a chainlink fence, rather than solid panels, there is a magic circle on the floor that is producing the light via a magic glow. It's not unlike the summoning magic circle the mages and Rikuto used to bring the woman known as Zuzia to Zenkon.

It's not quite as impressive in scope, and the beam of light doesn't descend from the sky, but a swirl of mana rises from the patterns on the floor, and in a flash of light, a group of people appears at its center. Even before it's clear enough to make out who they are, a familiar enough young female voice, even to Rikuto, comes out of the energy swirl.

"Freyja One, Freyja One! Code Gre-, no, Code Purple. All hands at ease."

Hekate? thinks Rikuto to himself. Her voice has a sort of slight accent that reminds him of one specific person; an American who had to learn the Eastern Imperial language the hard way because magic wouldn't work on him. Rikuto learned later that individuals tend to absorb some or all of the accent and dialect of the speaker that introduces a language through language learning spells, and while he didn't realize it before, Hekate did have the same slight accent when they met at the peace conference.

And, it's confirmed when the magical energy fades to reveal the full group. Hekate is at the center, and Rikuto easily recognizes Daniel, Neith, Doephluev, Treia, and Kera'tai, though a woman he believes might be Ryuogriar is not at all in the same form she took at the peace summit. With them are a handful of small reptilian women that could be dragon children, but Rikuto lacks the information to be certain.

Daniel pets Hekate's head gently, which pleases her, but she quickly perks her seemingly oversized ears and tail up like a cat becoming alert. "You!?" asks the raven-haired teen. She is looking directly at Rikuto, and her response prompts everyone else to notice as well.

"King Rikuto?" asks Daniel in surprise as he notices as well.

The Japanese man doesn't really want to respond, since he's a prisoner, and the group exits the teleportation room as Ahntara bows and says urgently, "Please forgive me, your Greatness, your Graces. I was unable to move the prisoners to a secure area prior to your arrival."

"It's fine, Ahntara," replies Hekate leisurely, but she twitches and looks to Daniel for certain. "R-Right?"

Daniel nods, "Maybe we'll consider better prisoner transfer procedures to keep our operations as well as our comings and goings more secure. But, for now…" Daniel looks at Klur, greeting him. "Field Marshal Klur. Welcome back. If you would, please free these three men. I trust King Rikuto to remain cordial."

The goblin commandant nods, and he immediately pulls out handcuff keys to unbind Rikuto and Loxourenn while his other men unfasten the locks securing the ropes for Chebnom. Chebnom sighs as he rolls his shoulders, and stretches. Rikuto hopes the flexibility gatonines have works in his favor, because the human's own shoulders hurt from regular handcuffs, let alone how restrained the knight's arms were.

Rikuto makes his appeal urgently, but politely, "Daniel, there has been a severe misunderstanding, and I acknowledge that myself, so I won't hold it against your men, in spite of how they secured our arrest. But, we need to work together to find and capture Grand Prince Yaulander and retrieve one of his subordinates."

"Slow down, a little, please," replies Daniel. "I'm fresh off an adventure and I've got a whole-..."

As the mechanic is speaking diplomatically, he's cut off by Doephluev positioning herself in front of him and placing her finger on his lips, which seems to surprise the mechanic. That said, her movements are flirtatious, and her expression is surprisingly loving, in spite of how devious she looks.

"My love, please forgive me, but allow me a moment." She turns to Rikuto, saying a little coldly, and with an expression that flips to serious the moment her eyes leave Daniel. "Prisoner Rikuto, I'm afraid I can't help but notice that my Darling, the Emperor of the most powerful nation on the continent, the Fievegal, respectfully addressed you by your royal title, twice, while you couldn't be bothered to even greet him respectfully."

The Japanese man pauses as he plays back his words. Urgency has made him hasty, but he realizes he slipped on a default of Japanese culture.

He does hate that he always seems to find the moments that he is most urgently trying to convey something important, and everyone seems to want to make him stop and back up a step when more pressing issues are at hand.

Regardless, she's right. He is at a disadvantage, even if Daniel freed his hands. Rikuto is a prisoner and far away from his home and allies.

But, he's not necessarily surrounded by enemies.

"You are correct, Empress Doephluev. Please pardon my rudeness, Emperor Daniel. Stress has made me forget my manners."

"I understand," replies Daniel.

"I don't," replies Doephluev bitterly, not convinced for some reason. "You used Yaulander's title, and he is lower ranking than an Empress or an Emperor, is he not?" She looks at the other women, who seem to agree, though not all of them address it.

"Regardless, like I said," interjects Daniel before it can turn into anything else. "We have an invasion to deal with, so it's going to have to wait at least a little bit until we can get caught up on where that's at."

"I have invoked the Right of Royalty," retorts Rikuto a little indignantly, he can admit. "I insist we have this discussion immediately before Yaulander uses…"

"Why are you a prisoner, your Majesty?" asks Doephluev bluntly, and the young Japanese man can feel his eye twitch slightly in irritation.

"As I said, there has been a misunderstanding. If you'd allow me to clarify..."

"I'll decide that when I have all of the information," retorts the seeming dark-elf. "Would you trust people who, until recently, were your enemies before even listening to your own people?"

"Your Grace, pardon me," starts Chebnom. "His Majesty is doing his best to not waste your time, but the Grand Prince has control of the Void Artillery."

"Sir Chebnom," whispers Loxourren sharply.

Doephluev lifts her head even higher as if to prepare an even more condescending remark, and Rikuto does his best to keep his own temper in check. But, before she can speak, Daniel places his hand on her shoulder, which disarms her attitude immediately. The American looks at Klur, asking, "What was the mission Grendel Six was on, Field Marshal?"

Klur replies sincerely, "Grendel Six sent to retrieve human woman Zuzia."

Daniel doesn't mean to be sarcastic, but he does noticeably look around at the group, with two male knights accompanying the young Japanese man he already knows.

The goblin commander explains before Daniel can even ask the question, "We… fail, your Grace. I am ashamed I was unable to guide Grendel Six to victory."

"They saved the lives of me and my men," interjects Rikuto. "We thought we had Yaulander, I was right there with everyone, but it was a trap. The Grand Prince escaped somehow, and I know how it looked, which is why I don't blame Field Marshal Klur and his men from arresting us. 'How' may need to be discussed, but we cannot ignore the void artilleries that he also stole, as well as our chief scientist that worked on it."

Daniel cocks his head, and Rikuto realizes that Ahok likely convinced the Fievegal that she had a higher degree of influence over its construction than Baumalde. Regardless, that is Rikuto's priority, and even Daniel has to be concerned.

"Should we invade his territory?" asks Hekate. "Sundenelle will probably let us. Or, she can at least help us find him."

"If Yaulander has control of those weapons, now,..." ponders Kera'tai aloud. "... It may be better to prioritize it, since it's unlikely he's going to acknowledge the peace agreement, and, given how he behaved during Plan Troll, he probably won't be pleased about Sundenelle being friendly with us."

The mechanic takes a long inhale and sighs. "Let's meet up with whoever we can. Ahntara, can you signal a shuttle to pick us up. We'll head straight to the control room."

"Leave it to me, your Grace," replies the dattakorien woman brightly, and she gives a crisp, military-style salute before jogging off towards the opposite entrance of the room from where Rikuto entered.

"King Rikuto, we'll get everyone together and hear both versions in full."

"Is there any way we can discuss it one on one?" asks Rikuto. "A discussion with many voices may take even longer…"

"If that is what you wish, your Majesty," retorts Doephluev as she stops Daniel again. "You'll speak to me, then."

"The Right of Royalty…"

"Says that any of the rulers of either party retain the right by the peace agreement to be taken directly to the other party's ruler. Daniel has been very clear many times that he is not the sovereign ruler of the Fievegal. Hekate always is in name, but the authority passes periodically between the rest of us for our own reasons. And, because of all of the nonsense going on, my days just keep getting ruined, so it's still my turn." She crosses her arms, giving Rikuto a wicked smirk. "So, King Rikuto; do you still wish to speak one on one, or will you face the bickering and ridicule of my Darling's ever-growing harem with the distinct advantage of a more effective response?"

The Japanese man wants to object, but when he glances at Daniel, the mechanic has a somewhat apologetic expression. Rikuto can recall the wording of the contract, which allowed for the fact that Hekate alone will outlive everyone in any kingdom, potentially, and the goal with the peace treaty was to be as indefinite as possible, even for whomever inherits the throne after Rikuto and Heralesse. It's even meant to protect Heralesse, specifically, meaning by their own logic, Daniel can claim the Right of Royalty, but he is not the representative to whom the agreement requires the one invoking it to be taken to.

Is it malicious compliance, or do they simply enjoy making mockeries of everything?

He sighs softly and nods in resignation. He doesn't have the position to fight it out, but he does add, "One more of my soldiers is a prisoner within void bags held by Grendel Six. May I ask for his release, specifically, your Grace Doephluev?"

The caramel-skinned elven woman turns a little softer at this, and she asks, "What's his condition?" She directs this question to Klur, who answers, "Human knight was captured and stored with human-kin servants of target. No wounds on them. Several members of Grendel Six wounded in combat, but only not healed because we no have Floria or already use potations."

Potations? thinks Rikuto to himself. That's what they call them? Aren't they just magic potions?

Doephluev nods. "Very well. King Rikuto, we'll release your man when we can secure the area and transfer the other prisoners into proper custody." She then asks, "Treia, can you make sure we abide by Imperial prisoner of war standards with the servants? We'll need to make sure we don't overdo it in front of Sundenelle, just in case."

The gatonine woman nods, "Of course. Though… She may have some very serious questions about void bags."

"What kind of questions?" asks Hekate somewhat innocently.

Kera'tai hip-checks Daniel in the side, causing him to grunt and chuckle. Apparently, the otherworlder American knows the answer, and he replies, "She's probably going to ask the same thing I did when I learned about it; why not just carry an army of people behind enemy lines in a void bag."

Even Rikuto notices the expressions of the demon-kin turn grim at the words, including the goblins. The same goblins that the Japanese man witnessed put their own and his men into magic bags.

"Why? What happens to them?" asks the younger human.

Daniel replies, "It's not so much what happens to anyone inside, so much as what can happen. Oh… That reminds me." He leans down and whispers to Hekate, specifically, and she nods after a moment of surprise.

"Right! I'll let Ryuo know."

Ahntara returns, waiting for a moment to make sure it's alright for her to speak, and she states, "Pardon me, your Greatness, your Graces; a shuttle is on the way."

"Thank you, Minister Ahntara," replies Hekate. "Field Marshal Klur, pick who you need to come with you, and the rest of Grendel Six can get caught up by Grendel One."

"Yes, your Greatness," replies the goblin commandant, and he turns to Locke, speaking quietly in the goblinese language with Locke to relay the instructions.

Kera'tai then adds, "We'll also need to get our own wounded to medical care. If you'd like, Daniel, I'll take them."

"Please do. And, if you would, please find Aoloan and bring her." As he says this, the one Rikuto now believes is not Ryuogriar lays her chin on Daniel's shoulder like a lazy dog, huffing in exasperation. Her reptilian face is rather expressive, and her left horn partially blocks Daniel's face while he scoffs and sighs.

"I can, but it only worked when Yaulwembor was asleep," warns Kera'tai.

"That's fine. She's probably going to be frustrated if we keep sitting around and talking."

"She agreed to be patient," replies Hekate. "Well… Mostly patient." She cups her chin, growing more doubtful as her expressive ears shift up, down, and to various other positions as she thinks. "She won't kill us all, as long as shouting doesn't start… Probably."

Daniel sighs and pets the ravenette's head. "My confidence couldn't possibly get any higher, Sweetpea." He then gently does his best to shift the dragon-kin woman apparently called Yaulwembor off of his shoulder so he can look at the others. "Everyone have anything else they need to do?"

"I shall stay by your side, my Liege," replies the dragon Neith. "The kobolds also wish to accompany their companions, which means they'll be going with Kera'tai."

The Chi'rinnis woman nods in agreement. "Fine by me. Should I ask Xyreko to cast the language spell on them, or should I cast it on myself for now?"

Doephluev answers, "For now, use their language. Kobolds are rare on our continent, but if I remember right, they are much smarter than goblins; regardless of what Daniel's latest mistresses might say. They'll benefit from learning the shared languages directly anyways."

The American mentioned clears his throat awkwardly as he gets a slew of scowls from all of his harem-members, including Hekate, whose gaze is the most accusatory and shaming.

Oh… Maybe I wouldn't want a harem… thinks the Japanese man. A brief moment made his eyes go to Hekate's fluffy tail, but he values his hands, and the faint blue glow in her hair and fur reminds the young man of Cherenkov radiation.

How ironic would that be? Hekate irradiating Daniel.

Rikuto scoffs at the thought. While his own culture created the fictional monster of Gojira, commonly known as Godzilla in English, radiation is far more destructive than mutative, so a living being that creates its own radiation is simply impractical.

That said, it would be a rather cruel irony to them both, since it's clear that, in spite of the swarm of people around the two, and the emotions that all of them go through, the entire group is quite happy to be together.

But, at the moment, they do all need to focus on more pressing matters.

And, first is to find and gather the Empresses of the Fievegal, apparently.

***

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