After Muriel disappeared into the city, she found herself walking past a large slave market situated near the massive amphitheater. The amphitheater was even more impressive up close than she had initially thought. As she approached, she noticed the bustling activity at the slave auction house nearby, where new slaves were being brought in, chained, and led out by their captors. Her immediate instinct was to burn the slavers to ashes and free the captives, but she knew that acting impulsively now could bring more trouble not just for herself but also for the slaves she wanted to liberate. Biting her lip, she continued walking, formulating a plan to return and free them all.

"Disgusting, Why are all these people from other worlds, except for Papa and Fumiko, so vile?" Muriel muttered under her breath as she made her way through the alleys.

"Disgusting,"

she repeated, seething with anger towards the man she had been told about—Satoru, Finel, the Cunt that took her sister’s core. She vowed to remember his name so she could exact her revenge someday. Soon, she arrived at her destination. The building was a white townhouse that suggested a respectable status within the city. However, Muriel was concerned about what lay behind the door.

She raised her fist, ready to knock the door down, but just as she was about to, she heard the sound of chains being removed and a key turning in the lock. The door opened slightly, revealing a woman’s voice from behind it.

"Finally, you took your time getting here. Come in quickly," the woman said, opening the door wider to let Muriel in.

"Uh, what? Just like that?" Muriel hesitated.

"Hurry up before someone sees you," the woman insisted.

Muriel stepped inside immediately, and the door was shut behind her. Inside, the house was unremarkable but comfortable. The woman who had let her in was a half-elf with short black hair and orange eyes, her ears slightly pointed but not as much as a full elf's Muriel has interacted with earlier.

"No slaves here, it seems. Lucky for you, half-elf. But what’s going on? How did you know I was coming?" Muriel asked, scanning the room.

"Melania told me after you left," the half-elf replied, sitting down on a sofa and gesturing for Muriel to sit in a chair opposite her, with a low wooden table between them.

"Wait, what? You guys have [Long-Distance communication] skill?" Muriel was intrigued as she took a seat, stretching her legs onto the table.

"Yes, both of us do, so we can communicate over distances," the half-elf explained.

"That's impressive. What's your name again? I saw it briefly but forgot," Muriel asked.

"Me? I'm Hari. I'm a half-elf, just like you guessed," she replied.

"Nice to meet you, Hari. And judging by your tone, you probably already know that I was the Demon Lord five hundred years ago," Muriel said, leaning forward with a challenging smirk.

Hari fell silent for a moment. Despite being older than Muriel, she was reminded of someone else upon hearing this bold statement. Then, she smiled back at Muriel, remembering what Melania had told her about Muriel’s cocky nature being similar to Hiro’s in his early years.

"You’re just like your father," Hari said with a smile.

"Huh? Wait, you know Papa too?" Muriel was surprised.

"....."

"Yeah, at least when he was young. He was only 17 when I first met him," Hari replied, reminiscing.

"Papa never mentioned having a half-elf friend," Muriel said, her tail swaying excitedly as it emerged.

"That's because we lost touch after... after..." Hari's voice trailed off, and she looked down slightly.

"After what?"

"After Terrentia's death. After that, we never contacted each other again. I remember seeing you too, back when you were still an egg. I never imagined you'd grow up to be this big," Hari said, looking up and smiling at Muriel.

"Papa cut ties with everyone after Mama died. Geez." Muriel sighed, thinking about it.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Anyway, let's get to the point. You came here to retrieve Chiaki's core, right?" Hari asked, steering the conversation.

"That was my initial plan... but now I’ve decided I want to take over this territory," Muriel said, turning to face the window.

"…Huh? What?!"

Hari turned to the window, and as Muriel spoke, Hari followed her thoughts. But then Hari fell silent after Muriel finished speaking, her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly leaned over the table, bracing herself on it as she stared at Muriel.

"What? I am the one true Demon Lord of this continent. I can't let those three idiots who call themselves Demon Lords take my position," Muriel said, looking up at Hari who was leaning over her.

"That's not the point. You just woke up—only yesterday! And you're already planning this?" Hari exclaimed.

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of it, Hari. I'm a dragon. When a dragon wakes up, we get to work immediately," Muriel explained, leaning back in her chair, confused as to why Hari was making such a big deal out of it.

"No, but—oh by Syra’s grace, you're already planning to a war right after waking up..." Hari sweat as her heart raced and she clenched her fists, staring at Muriel.

"Regardless, as you said, I came here to retrieve Chiaki's core, dismantle the slave trade that has resurfaced, and take over the territory from the fool who wants to be the new Demon Lord," Muriel said dismissively.

"Dismantling the slave trade too? Ah, of course, you're the Dragon of Freedom. That part doesn’t surprise me," Hari sighed, sitting back down on the sofa.

"If that's the case, this might be more challenging than I thought," Hari muttered, putting her hands over her face. Muriel leaned forward to look at her.

"So, you’re Melania's informant, right? Chiaki's core hasn't been dismantled, has it?"

"Huh? No, it hasn’t. It’s being used as a power source for Satoru's magical energy output," Hari explained. "He created a gauntlet, embedding Chiaki's core in the back of the hand to channel the core's immense magical energy."

"He's using her core as a magic amplifier device, isn't he?" Muriel leaned back in her chair.

"That's my sister, for crying out loud. Disgusting."

Muriel closed her eyes, thinking about what she would do to this man from another world. The anger in her eyes burned with a fiery intensity, far more potent than her dragon fire. She then exhaled slowly and looked back at Hari.

"So, what's the plan? How do I get Chiaki's core back?" Muriel asked, ready to take action.

"How can I get into that organization and kill that Satoru?"

"....." Hari remained silent, looking at Muriel for a moment. She was thinking of a way to help Muriel without destroying the entire city. Then she had an idea. "The tournament, That's it. It’s not listed as a prize, but the winner of the tournament gets to join the organization."

"Really, So, you're saying if I beat everyone in our way, we'll get into that idiotic organization and have an easier time killing Satoru?" Muriel mused with a smug on her face.

"That's right, but right now, Satoru isn't in the city. He’s, let's just say recruiting more followers."

"If I had to guess, he's probably trying to persuade slaves or idiots foolish enough to follow him," Muriel said, raising her head slightly and looking down at Hari with her eyes. She then placed her bare feet on the table.

"Well, that's true. As you said, that's exactly what he's doing. Anyway, what you do next is up to you.”

“And hey, Peter would be very proud of you."

"Papa, huh... If only he were still around to see this. I'd love to have a meal together with him and Chiaki, and Epsilon and Sublanc too." Muriel looked at Hari for a moment, her thoughts drifting. She then slowly lowered her feet from the table and stood up.

"I'll go sign up for the tournament. At least I remember how to write my name in this new language. That should be enough for the registration, right?"

"Oh and by the way, Hari, can I use your house as a temporary place to stay? Just for a little while?"

"Oh, it's fine. I have another house. I rented this one yesterday at Lady Melania's request. She said it was specifically for you to use."

"Well, that’s convenient. In that case, I’ll head over to... that big arena to sign up."

Hari also stood up, putting on a cloak she had hanging nearby and pulling up the hood to cover her face. A black liquid surrounded Muriel, transforming her attire back into the regal black princess dress, but this time, instead of a long skirt, she wore black pants and black leather boots.

Hari handed Muriel the house key before leaving the house and disappearing into the alley without a trace. Muriel took a moment to explore the house, checking the living room, bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. Satisfied with her inspection, she stepped outside and locked the door.

As soon as she stepped outside her new abode Muriel suddenly felt as if she was being watched, despite this, she couldn’t pinpoint who might be observing her among the bustling street crowd. Choosing to ignore the sensation, she raised her chin slightly and walked towards the amphitheater, which was only a five-minute walk from her new residence.

At the entrance, a blonde-haired woman with a long ponytail stood at the ticket booth.

"Hey, you. Where do I sign up for this tournament?" Muriel asked, politely.

"Huh? Oh, you want to register? Just fill out this form," the woman replied, handing her a registration form.

"Uhhhh yesss, right." Muriel hesitated, staring at the paper. She broke into a sweat, not daring to take it because she couldn’t read a single word on it.

"I can’t read. Can you fill it out for me?"

"What? You can’t read? Oh, well, as long as you can fight, I guess that’s enough. Alright, I’ll write it for you. What’s your name?"

"…….." Muriel remains silent, she tries her hardest to think up a new name to use as an alias, but her inner pride would not allow her to give herself a new name that is not an astounding title

“Fuck it, the name’s Muriel”

----------------------------------------