"Can we please change the subject?" Selia shuddered. "I'm already creeped out by what happened to the poor Zinya and at the idea of what might have happened if we didn't follow Faluel on her vacation. I don't need to hear about one more madman."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." The Hydra said with a sad smile.

Fyrwal had never liked Oghrom much when he was alive, but now she missed him dearly and rarely had the opportunity to speak about her youth.

"Yeah, I need to apologize to that poor woman once we get back." Faluel said. "I didn't expect that someone would target her nor that the other Lords of the Distar region would just sit there and do nothing. Especially Athung."

"So young and naïve." Fyrwal's seven heads rubbed against her daughter's with the same tenderness of when she was just a one-headed hatchling. "Undead can't move during the day, plants don't care about anyone but themselves, and the human Lord had no reason to intervene.

"Not only is Athung the youngest and the weakest among the Lords of the Distar region, but she has only one apprentice under her. Going alone against an army of elite fake mages would have put her life at risk for no gain.

"The Council wouldn't have supported her since we don't mess with the affairs of the non-Awakened and Lith has no way to reward her properly. He has not enough resources for his own research, no political influence, and no standing in the Council.

"Never forget that humans have no interest in silly things like protecting their own unless it hurts their profits." Fyrwal hissed every word while one of her heads stared at Selia with spite for a split second.

Faluel opened her mouth to reply, but then she realized that her mother was right and remained silent.

"You don't like us much, do you?" Selia instinctively tugged Ryman's fur in fear.

"How could it be any different?" The Elder Hydra replied with a scoff. "Back when I unified the Kingdom, every one of those who knew my real nature treated me either as a monster or as a tool in the shed.

"I was their ruler, yet my so-called subjects dared to propose to me to cut my heads and use them as ingredients just because I can grow more. They questioned my decisions, claiming that a beast can't understand the needs of humans.

"Only when they messed up, be it with some crazy magical experiment or by triggering a conflict with the other races, did they conveniently remember that I was in charge and treated me with respect."

Fyrwal's eyes brimmed with mana and fury until she realized that she was scaring even her own daughter.

"I'm sorry for my outburst, Selia." She said with a sigh. "It's just that I was so proud of the Kingdom Valeron built with my help and I'm disgusted by what it has become. It's the reason why I moved to the Empire.

"This country has its fair share of problems, but at least it has never given birth to a monster like Balkor or like the madman who attacked your village."

"About that, Faluel." Selia said. "Not to sound ungrateful for everything both you and Lith did for us, but what happened to Zinya is one of the reasons why I'm considering moving to the Empire as well.

"I returned to Lutia because I wanted company and a safe environment for my children. This is already the second attack that some psycho pulled to go after Lith and I don't want to be there for a third.

"I bet that if the Kingdom knew that Ryman is actually Protector and that he survived Balkor's attack, we would have gotten a card as well. I don't want to live my life in fear, constantly watching my back."

"That's actually good thinking." Fyrwal nodded. "In a few years, your children will need to enroll into an academy to learn magic and get used to human society. The Empire has some of the best magical schools and most tolerant policies about hybrids on Garlen.

"Define most tolerant policies about hybrids, please." At those words, Selia instinctively held the little Fenrir close to her chest.

"They can declare their race before taking the admission exam and it would be kept secret from their classmates during their stay. The school staff would pay them special attention and help them to deal with any problem that might arise due to their nature." Fyrwal replied.

"How is that different from the Kingdom?" Protector asked. "I don't want my children to be treated differently nor to have to bear years of hazing just because I'm their father."

"Unlike the Kingdom, the Empire already has laws that allow plant-human hybrids to have the same rights of humans, even inside an academy." Fyrwal replied. "The Empress knows that Emperor Beasts shapeshift and so do her Headmasters that have taken a vow of secrecy.

"They would help your children in the case their real nature gets exposed and cover up any incident."

"That's not good enough." Selia said in anger. "No matter what country my family lives in, we will always be forced to hide like criminals!"

"Regular people are bound to freak out when they discover that their neighbor is actually a creature that weighs several tons, can rip metal apart with their bare hands, and can use perfect silent magic of all tiers." Protector sighed.

"Regular people can go fuck themselves for all I care!" Selia snarled. "At this point, I'd rather send Lilia and Leran to the White Griffon. Lith's friends would take good care of them and they could become skilled Healers or Forgemasters.

"Anything that doesn't require fighting as a part of their education. It will lower the chances of being exposed and give them all the knowledge they need to become successful and rich without the need to risk their lives."

"I would like them to become Battle Mages or War Mages, instead." Protector said. "Even those who don't pick combat-related specializations must learn how to fight and their survival abilities are put to the test during the exams.

"If Lilia and Leran don't learn how to handle stressful situations and how to control their transformation, they will get exposed anyway. Also, between Thrud, the undead, and the Abominations, they need to know how to defend themselves."

"Bah!" Selia dismissed his arguments with a wave of her hand. "By the time they are old enough to go to an academy, all those issues will already be resolved. On top of that, I don't want our children to shed anyone's blood for a living.

"Battle and War mages are useless outside of the battlefield whereas Healers make lots of money without risking their lives and becoming murderers."

"If Thrud conquers the Kingdom, the Empire will be at war anyway." Protector replied. "Healers would be sent to the frontlines where they would be pushovers. I want our children to be capable of fending for themselves under any circumstance!"

As the couple started yelling at each other, the Hydras left them alone.. They knew from experience that siding with either of them would only make matters worse.

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