Kanari approached the entrance of the main hall. Her steps were as silent as an assassin. She wanted to be certain of her perception.

Two people were sitting around a small coffee table and talking. The air between them gave the impression of seriousness. Kanari quickly tucked away, afraid to be discovered by one of them. She concealed her breath while pondering about how she was going to face Lord Shiva after what had happened.

She stayed near the entrance, fighting her shyness and gathering all her boldness to go inside. In the end, she resigned to eavesdrop on their conversation, not for the sake of eavesdropping, but for seizing the perfect moment to walk in.

" So that's what has happened. When the market supply stopped, I really got frustrated." Lord Shiva said.

"No, that's what I think has happened," Lady Akila clarified. "My brother also got frustrated when the supply stopped. However, this is just my deduction from the situation. We still need to get Nicolai to tell us about what exactly has happened to him and how he lost the farm."

Shiva took a sip of the coffee before he asked: "What is your first impression of our new distributor? Indeed, I do not have much experience in dealing with those kinds of creatures, but I have heard some hearsay about them. Like their ability to turn others into a degraded version of their race."

"Mm, Nicolai likes to call them Hématophage." She paused: "Polymorph..., Lycanthrope..., Anthropomorphic... To be honest, I hate this nomenclature so much. Us, we like to call them vampires."

About Lord Shiva's first question, Akila thought a little before she answered: "The truth, that man didn't show any direct aberrant behavior toward us, he seemed only satisfied about taking what it's belonged to Nicolai, anything more, it looked like a bonus for him... I think he was acting on a personal grudge between him and Nicolai."

Lord Shiva stretched his wings horizontally to his back, careful not to hit anything: "Aha, Nicolai, sometimes I feel Like draining all his soul."

"Or eating him alive." Akila reciprocated while reflecting on the little trick that she used on him and Kanari earlier, and thought that he would also want to drain all her life force if he found out that she did it on purpose.

Akila said with a hint of amusement in her voice: "I was monitoring the whole manor while Savannah was inspecting the farm. I can say with a certain degree of confidence that the Count didn't tamper with the overall function of the farm. Most likely, the one who was playing in the field was that Chimera dealer of yours."

Akila took the chance and hinted at the disagreement that happened between her and Lord Shiva and Mr. Hendrickson not long ago about letting a Chimera magus manage a Chimera farm. Though, her voice took a serious tone as she continued: "However, I have made an interesting... Rather a dangerous discovery."

"And?" Lord Shiva eye's shined a light of curiosity.

"He changed the place of the cemetery in the backyard." She replied, giving a touch of mystery; "It is packed with hordes of undead. No wonder vampires are known to be the masters of Necromancy."

"And you gave him Nicolai shares?"

"Don't rush your judgment. I will get you a copy of the terms and conditions we have set first." Akila brought her coffee cup towards her lips; the intoxicating aroma tingled her nose, over it, she detected Kanari Cinnamon fragrance. She took a sip, then added: "There is something else I want you to be informed with."

Lord Shiva pulled back his wings around his body and listened with attention.

"In the light of these inconvenient events, the managing position for this farm will be empty, thus I decided to appoint Kanari to this position."

Shiva's eyes failed to cover his delight. He believed this to be; Lady Akila's ultimate goal of the conversation. She wanted to appoint this position to one of her children for some time now, in the hope of them gaining some experience, as she declared before.

But since he and Mr. Hendrickson opposed her, she couldn't have what she wanted. They thought that it was an obvious ploy for her to get more control over this farm. However, bringing this matter at present put Lord Shiva in a tight spot. Refusing her proposal was hard. One, because his dealer is now fleeing, which affirms his treachery. Secondly, Hendrickson has been neutralized, and his opinion won't count.

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What a scary woman. No wonder Mt. Ninurta fell into her grasp, despite the high competition.

Lord Shiva, to hide his displeasure, he pretended that he didn't know who was Kanari, It gave Akila a chance to highlight what already has happened: "My younger daughter, she was with you when you were trapped in the goblin skin."

Shiva swallowed his saliva, almost choked on it. Remembering the young lady's face and scream. She must think of him as a big pervert. How he is going to look her in the eyes, nevertheless working with her. He asked in frustration: "Why not Savannah?"

Akila enjoyed his reaction; her plan to make Shiva temporarily wary of Kanari's presence was a success. Surely he will need some time to adjust before he will be able to directly confront Kanari. More likely, he will manage his demands through her first. And this will give Kanari more time to learn and adapt to her new responsibilities.

She answered: "So, Savannah didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"She declined the offer... For reasons unknown to me." Akila's voice held a deep concern while her mind drifted away. She wouldn't want to refuge in this kind of cheap trick if Savannah didn't put her against the reality of refusal by giving a half-arsed logical justification. Things keep going the other way of Akila's will.

Lady Akila was fed up, waiting for Kanari to come in. She gulped the coffee in her cup before she stood and informed Lord Shiva: "The spell activated by Nicolai made the Chimeras fall into slumber; I need to prepare the dinner, or we will starve. Please take your time to rest; I know your trip is long and tiring."

"There is no one who will take care of my Hippogriffs?"

"Don't worry, I have instructed Savannah to do so." Then she retreated, leaving Lord Shiva stretching his body like someone who was kept in a closed small space. And when she got to was Kanari being standing, she asked her,

"Why didn't you come in?"

The young lady avoided making eye contact with her mother and responded with a barely hearable voice: "What are we going to prepare for dinner?"

It was at this moment that Lady Akila understood the side effect of her trick. She had made Kanari wary of lord Shiva as much as he was of her daughter. She said without being a nitpicker: "I do not know. It depends on what we will find. But certainly, we will have some meat."

"Great, finally, we are going to have a decent meal."

***

Along the road to the kitchen, the pair was silent in a none-good way. Kanari was thinking about how she evaded her mother's question and why the latter didn't scold her. While Lady Akila was thinking about Savannah's late strange behavior.

When they arrived at a crossroads, Kanari took a wrong detour; she didn't notice until her mother dragged her from her clothes.

"The kitchen in the other direction."

Kanari looked at her mother with innocent eyes, while her ears captured her objurgating words.

"I have realized lately that your reaction time has become slow. Your agility has decreased. Even your sense of smell is in disarray."

Kanari didn't object, neither she had observed those changes in herself. But, her mother has yet to stop: "At first, I thought you were just nervous, but it seemed that those symptoms were related to the humanoid animation you were programming behind my back."

"You took my notebook, there is nothing that connected me with him." At last, Kanari snapped.

Her mother had given her a meaningful look before she said: "You and Savannah are in big trouble when we return home."

The kitchen was on the subsoil floor. Some Chimeras had the head and legs of a goat. They were in deep sleep. Some were on the ground, others passed on the seats.

Lady Akila looked around, thinking about what she could prepare. Her eyes stopped moving when she found the kitchen knives. A quick look between the sleeping Chimeras and the sharp knives, Lady Akila believed that the dinner won't be considered a good dinner without fresh meat.