"Ummm, Chaos-sama... it would be better if you got down from there..." A petite maid with a wide mouth and round eyes pleads in a flustered tone. Judging by her webbed hands and bulbous fingertips, I'd say she's a frog girl. Seeing her nervous like this soothes my heart and I enjoy watching her like this. Apparently her name is Amerega.

I'm sitting on maou-mama's throne, my legs dangling over the armrest on one side and my back leaning against the other, in the most disrespectful and casual pose imaginable. Looking over the throne room, I see several other maids looking at me in a similar way. Is sitting on the throne such a bad thing to do? Maybe they think I'm expressing my wish to rebel by doing this, but I lost all my motivation after learning that I missed maou-mama by just a day.

It's the morning after we arrived at the capital, just after breakfast. The maid who first came to talk to me was indeed the leader of the maid corps, called Rewera. When we stood on equal ground, I noticed that she's almost two heads taller than I am, and possesses an incredibly suppressive aura, whenever she looks down on someone. The petite Lenoly shrunk under her gaze to an even smaller size, not even daring to make a single peep during our introductions. Rewera allowed for us to enter the castle and after getting a lavish dinner, I was shown to a room for the night - the one I first woke up in. Of course she agreed to let Lenoly share it with me.

And of course, we did it. Who do you think I am? She's still asleep due to exhaustion, so I'm on my own right now.

Oh, regarding Ninlil, who I've been neglecting for a long time... she's still alive somehow, although quite malnourished and dehydrated - and mentally most likely completely broken. At least she was unresponsive after I took her out of my body. I mean, I didn't even touch her most important bit, and she looked like she has gone to heaven several times. I had her admitted to the castle's infirmary, where the demon lord's personal doctors are tending to her. I'd rather not she dies, now that she's been sufficiently broken in.

"Chaos-sama, if you would please stand up from the demon queen's throne." Rewera's voice resounds from behind me and I turn to look at her. Towering above me, her intense dark red eyes are filled with an almost murderous glint, even if her expression is a neutral one. A shiver runs down my spine at the sight. I immediately jump up and stand at attention in a completely instinctual reaction, but can hold myself back from apologizing. It would undermine my authority as the daughter of the mistress of this castle. This explains why she's the maid leader, I guess...

Damn, I have zero motivation to do anything!

Well, I can at least go visit the cat girl in the infirmary. Let's see if she has regained the ability to think or even speak. If she has, I might be able to gain some information regarding the spell circle with which my other half was launched into space.

By the way, I didn't tell anyone in the castle about who I am. Well, I am Kuroe Makoto, and I'm very clearly a Crawling Chaos, but I'm not the same Kuroe Makoto that came to visit the castle a while ago. While I hate to admit it, I'm now playing a subordinate role to my other half, in personality, experience and impact on this world. But I can at least act as a decoy, until my other half is able to return - a decoy that is potentially just as strong as the original, because it is actually another original.

"How are you doing, Ninlil-chan?" I enter the infirmary and casually greet the cat girl propped up on her bed using large pillows, dressed in a white gown. She doesn't react and her lifeless eyes stare into nothingness. Oops, I might have broken her beyond repair. But still, it may be just an act, so I'll have to probe a little more, first.

"Chaos-sama! Umm, she has not moved or said anything since you brought her here." The nurse, a slender girl with floppy dog ears and a fluffy tail protruding from a triangular hole in her skirt, states when she notices my visit. "What happened to her?" That question gives me an idea. It's something I wouldn't have ever thought of in my previous life, but somehow comes naturally to me now.

"I punished her for opposing me." I respond in a matter of fact tone and look down on the smaller nurse with an ice-cold expression. She shakes under my gaze and flinches, when I extend a hand towards her, apparently seriously fearing for her life. Pressing her eyes shut, she seems to expect the worst, but all I do is pet her head in a gentle motion. "Good work."

"Th-thank you, Chaos-sama!" The dog girl makes with a trembling voice and bows.

"Leave us alone for a while." I order her, and she immediately complies. If Ninlil can respond and actually talk again, we might speak of things others shouldn't overhear. "Ninlil-chan, I know you're in there." I move over to her side and wave a hand in front of her face. However, she doesn't even blink. With her tiny lips slightly ajar, all she does is stare ahead.

I bring a hand to her cheek and stroke it gently. It's so soft and I feel like pinching it, but for now, no drastic or pain-inducing movements. I don't really know how to bring her back from this state, but I think giving her some warmth might be the right approach. I climb onto the bed and lift her up, before placing her in my lap and embracing her from behind. Throughout all of it she's like a ragdoll, not even reacting to being moved around.

"Everything is alright now, there's nothing to fear..." I whisper into her ears. Now that I see them from up close, I realize that they're connected to where human ears end, and extend halfway up the skull. I would have been terrified if I had looked under her bob cut to find just a patch of skin or hair where the human ears would normally be, but this is fine. Cradling the petite dorm mother in my arms, I continue to speak to her in a soft voice, but as expected, there is no response. Well, it'll take some time, I'm sure of it.

When I leave the infirmary a while later - most likely an hour or so after first coming here - Ninlil's condition hasn't changed at all. If it had, it would have been too easy. Right outside the door, the dog-eared nurse is standing in a demure pose, looking down at the floor. Her body is tense and I can see that her tail is lowered and quivering against the backside of her skirt. Is she still afraid of me?

I bring a hand to her chin and lift up her face, forcing her to look into my eyes. She flinches at the touch but understands that if she draws away from me, she will receive a punishment for being disrespectful to her superior. Now that I see her from so close up, I notice that she's pretty cute. Her fascinating hazel eyes are swimming, unsure of where to look, and her delightful lips are pursed in tension.

"Relax." I whisper and she stares at me in confusion. Of course, when I tell her to relax, she's not going to do it. "What is your name?"

"Uhm, it's Ruwl, Chaos-sama." She stutters in her delicate voice. I think I'll have a snack right here~

Before she can react, I put a hand on her back, pull her towards me and lock lips with her. In utter surprise, she tenses up completely and forgets to breathe. With a sensual motion, I run my fingers over her cheek and to her floppy ear, before massaging it lightly. From the developing blush and her slightly wagging tail, I can see that she is enjoying that sensation. Soon, her resistance disappears and her lips part, a hot tongue greeting mine, as she closes her eyes and begins to enjoy the sensation.

However, a snack is only a snack. I separate from her again, leaving her with a melted expression and gasping for air. Then she realizes what happened and blinks in confusion. I put a finger on her lips and show her a charming smile, suggesting that this shall remain a secret between the two of us.

"Please keep an eye on that girl. She is strong enough to cause even me trouble, so if she begins to show signs of regaining her spirit, report it to me immediately." I request of Ruwl, who nods absentmindedly, completely enchanted by me. I hope she's not just blanked out and working on autopilot right now. Also, I never fought Ninlil personally, but from Lenoly's account, I gathered that she is physically strong enough to trip my other half in her giant form and take a hit from her at full strength without sustaining any injuries. While I'm sure there are other powerful demons in this castle, this nurse doesn't look like one of them. "Do not try to fight her on your own."

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"I understand, Chaos-sama!" Ruwl's attention returns and she answers in a vigilant tone.

"When your shift is over, you can come and find me... if you wish to continue where we left off." I entice her in a low and seductive voice, upon which she blushes furiously and her tails beats faster than ever. But before she can answer, I walk away while casually waving. Let's see if she's courageous enough to take this invitation; she's clearly interested, though.

I peek into my room to find that Lenoly is still asleep. Guess it was quite an exhausting journey, and pulling an all-nighter with heavy physical exertion does that to a normal person. This body of mine is untiring and I feel like I could go for days without taking a break. In either case, I'll let her rest for a little longer.

Thus, I make an exploration tour through the castle. There's really nothing else to do right now, and I don't really have the motivation to try and track down maou-mama. The castle itself is, as expected, enormous. The living area for the family of the demon lord is pretty large already, but considering how many maids and other servants live here, the servants quarters are also incredibly big - even if their rooms aren't really.

How I know? Because I'm venturing into the depths of the castle to find them, to see how they spend their time when not on duty. Randomly opening doors without knocking, I get a glimpse of how they live in their private chambers. Some laze around on their beds, others sit at their small tables writing notes, diaries or letters to their families. Of course, when they notice me entering, they jump in confusion, then quickly stand at attention upon realizing who I am.

Among the maids, of whom all are beauties or cuties - most likely purposefully selected by maou-mama for those traits - there is a bat girl, who leaves her bed untidy and littered with all kinds of personal belongings, and prefers to hang from the roof beam. When I enter, she drops down in shock and hits her head, but still tries to get back on her wobbly feet to show me the proper respect.

"Are you alright?" I ask, because she looks really out of it.

"I-I'm fiiine~" She mumbles while swaying left and right dangerously. I catch her when she falls towards me, which causes her to tense up from being embraced by somebody who's such an important person in her eyes.

"What's your name?" I'll try to make a conscious effort of remembering the names of the people I meet here, although I can't guarantee it for those that don't interest me. This one clearly does, as her really thin frame and delicate face stir a bestial instinct inside me. But I hold myself back for now; I'll leave that for another time.

"It's Nezera, Chaos-sama!" The girl responds and quivers like a cute small animal when I pet her dark reddish brown hair. She has giant ears that twitch whenever I brush past them. Kyaaah, so cuuute~

"From now on, you don't need to be so formal with me." I whisper into them and watch her blush. I stroke her nose in a playful gesture and help her stand on her own two feet. "I'll come around again to play with you." Of course, when I mean play, I mean it in the sexual sense. With a wink, I leave her standing in the middle of her room, looking at me with a dumbfounded expression.

Another room houses the gray stone statue of a naked winged girl with huge curved horns extending from her forehead, crouching on the floor and staring up at the door with a blank expression. I look at it and blink a few times in confusion, then let my eyes wander through the room to see if there may be an actual person in here, but when I don't find anyone, I just shrug and leave again. Guess they're out right now.

In the next room a woman with green snakes for hair is lying topless on her bed and reading a book. Wait a second... is she a medusa? She jumps up with a squeal and covers herself up, but I quickly avert my eyes in fear of being petrified.

"I-I am so sorry, Chaos-sama!" The woman apologizes among the hissing of her snake hair when she recognizes me. "My eyes do not cause petrification, unless I will them to! Please, it is alright to look at me." She quickly explains in a flustered tone when she notices my reservations. Her tone is really modest, in complete contrast to her incredible body, when I turn to look again. Her eyes are bright green, with vertical slits for pupils, and when I look at her lower body, I realize that it's that of a dark green scaly snake's.

Oi oi, wait... the statue in the previous room...

"Did you petrify the girl in the room next door?" I ask her with some reservation, turning the eyes in my face into dummies to preempt any attempt at turning me to stone. Instead, I stealthily form an eyeball in my hand and look at anywhere but her face, just to be sure that I don't miss anything. I don't know how a medusa's petrifying gaze works, but it's always shown to be an absolute power in games, so I'd rather not take any risks.

"N-No, I did not, Chaos-sama! Szaga is a gargoyle and when off-duty, she turns to stone to rest." There are tears forming in her eyes and she sounds a little indignant at being accused of petrifying one of her co-workers. So Szaga is that girl's name, huh?

"I am sorry for doubting you. What is your name?" I give her a relieved and apologetic smile, and she seems glad that I no longer suspect her.

"Ah, yes. My name is Nesis." She says and gives me a radiant smile. I think that just petrified my heart! Even though she appears to be a beauty, her demeanor can only be described as cute. Making a mental note to give her a visit some other time, I take my leave again.

After a few empty rooms, I open a door to find a scene I wouldn't have expected to see within the castle; the cruelest part of nature at work. A large spider web is spun across the dark room, covering it in its entirety. In its center sits a giant spider with a girl's upper body where its head would be, leaning over a moth-winged girl tied up in what I would have perceived as bondage, if not for the fact that it's clearly more of a predator on prey situation.

"Tch. Just when I was getting to the good part." I hear the spider girl mutter in irritation, as she lowers herself down from the web. "Next time, knock before coming into another person's room."

Now that I get a closer look at her, I notice that she's wearing a maid uniform, and the moth girl still quivering in the web is also wearing one - although it's in a state of half-undress. Her eyes are covered by her straight silver bangs, but tears are streaming down her face, into the fluffy gray scarf around her neck. Wait, rather than a scarf, that's her own... fur? Whatever it's called on moths. Looks comfy, though.

"My my, what is this?" I step forward and the spider girl stares in shock when she realizes who I am. She's almost as tall as Rewera due to her large lower body, but her human upper body is actually that of a loli's. That's a really interesting combination. "Did I interrupt something?" My expression is a cold one, staring right into the spider maid's two largest purple eyes among her eight ones. Seeing it, she loses any hint of composure and stumbles backwards to take some distance from me in terror.

"Chaos-sama, I am so sorry!" She cries in a hopeless tone and lowers herself to a more manageable height. Being feared feels so nice, it's like I'm being rejuvenated... must be because of this body's nature.

"What is your name?" I ask her and she flinches.

"It is Xaggavea. P-please, excuse my earlier insolence!" She responds fearfully and looks up at me with pleading eyes. That expression stirs my sadistic side, especially coming from a girl who very likely belongs to that type herself.

Turning my gaze to the moth girl trapped and bound in the web, I transform my hand into a blade and swing it in several extremely fast motions, cutting the strings and freeing her. She drops into my arms and I notice that she's about as tall as Hestia, but only with the chest size of that woman in gold that my other half fought in the underground arena.

Through her slightly parted bangs I can see her eyes. The sclera and irises are of a uniform dark gray, but upon closer inspection, I realize that they're actually large compound eyes. That's quite fascinating and I'm instantly interested to learn more about this girl. But for now, there's a naughty spider to punish.

"What were you going to do to this girl, Xaggavea?" I fake a hint of anger in a low and dangerous tone, upon which the spider girl shakes in fear and prostrates herself. My body feels like it's getting nourishment from her show of terror.

"I-I-..." Her voice trembles, but she can't find an excuse for the situation. Alright, it's settled. I'll have some fun with her right now.

"Can you walk?" I ask the moth girl in my arms, and she nods. "What is your name?"

"A-Anthera." She answers with a delicate voice. Her appearance, with bangs covering her eyes and the huge shivering antennae she carefully raises from her head again after being freed makes me think she's an M. "Th-thank you for saving me." Sorry to betray your faith in decency, but I'm going to live out some of my S tendencies on you some other time. For now, it's the spider girl's turn.

"Please go ahead and return to your room, Anthera. I'll give Xaggavea her punishment for what she did to you." At these words, the spider girl flinches and shakes even harder than before, as if she's fearing for her life. The moth girl covers herself up and nods, before leaving the room. "Close the door behind yourself."

When it falls into its lock, I turn my attention to the Xaggavea again, who doesn't dare to look up and stays prostrated on the ground to try and appear as small as she can.

"Now, what shall I do with you, hm?" A rhetorical question, since I know very well that I'm going to learn an arachne's anatomy now. She looks up to me just in time to see me licking my lips in anticipation, upon which her face goes completely white. I'll turn that frown into an ahegao soon enough~