Fifteen minutes later, in Straf's guest bedroom…

Straf and Stripe are lying in the bed, both awake, albeit the beastman slave is half-asleep. Straf is staring at the canopy with a tight-lipped grimace, idly brushing her head with his hand.

「Hhmpf…」「Hn- Huh?…」

Straf sits up with a groan, fully waking Stripe back up as she blinks at him with confused golden eyes.

「…This bed kind of sucks, doesn't it?」

He looks at Stripe with his mouth aslant in frustration.

「Now that you mention it…」

She replies and wiggles around beneath the blanket.

「…The beds back in your kingdom are better. I'm struggling to find a comfortable position.」

Stripe hugs her pillow, desperately trying to make herself comfortable, but she keeps shifting around every few seconds.

「Well, I'll pass on sleeping then.」

Straf declares as he throws the blanket off his legs and sits up in his meditative pose, straightening out his back.

「…What are you doing?」

Stripe furrows her brows at him. He spares her a quick glance before closing his eyes and resuming his cultivating.

「Watching numbers go up to satisfy my inner monkey.」

「…Huh?」

He nonchalantly replies, only confusing Stripe further. She gives up on receiving a proper answer and focuses on trying to sleep.

She tumbles, rolls, wriggles, writhes. Groaning in frustration, fifteen minutes pass and Stripe is still nowhere near falling asleep. She glances at Straf's shadow-wrapped face.

Moments later, Stripe pulls her eyes away, pressing her face into her pillow as her arms wrap tighter around it. Hesitating, she side-glances at him again and opens her mouth.

「Straf…」

She calls out in a quiet, reluctant voice.

「…Yeah?」

He asks without opening his eyes, still frozen in his pose.

「…Pet my ears.」

Stripe replies, and presses her face into her pillow. Grinning, his eyes snap open and turn to her as she's hugging her pillow tight.

「Hooooooh? Finally willing to admit that you like it?-」「No!」

He asks, and Stripe replies with a shout, albeit refusing eye contact. A brief moment of silence passes while her tail whips feebly in her black pant leg.

「…I was about to fall asleep, but then you stopped. I'm tired after running around the whole day, but I can't actually sleep… So…」

She explains, still hiding her face while he's grinning at her with a smugly triumphant expression.

「…Pet my ears until I fall asleep.」

Stripe says quietly, and hides her face in her pillow.

「If you want me to do that, you'll have to beg-」「As if!」

Straf shrugs his hands, shaking his head with a grin. Stripe jumps up to her knees and shouts at him, her golden eyes glaring angrily at his smug face.

「I'm not going to! Either help me sleep or don't! Your choice!」

Ffwap!…

She shouts some more, then plops back down to her pillow, hiding her scowling face in its softness.

「Heh… Fine, I was going for some extra score anyway.」

Pat.

Grinning, Straf lets out an amused huff from his nose and places his hand on Stripe's head. He rubs her ears, softly squeezing them up and down like a tube of paste, and running his palm along their fluffy back. As he caresses them, Stripe's head sinks deeper and deeper into her pillow while it muffles her faint, content moans of comfort. Roughly ten minutes pass.

「…Are you asleep yet?」

Straf asks, slowing his gentle petting. He waits for a response while Stripe is tightly hugged into her pillow, but there isn't any.

「Well… Maybe you'll learn how to play my trumpet in return. We'll see.」

He scoffs and shifts aside off the blanket, throwing it over her shoulders. Straf re-enters his meditative pose, closing his eyes, and focuses on his willpower again…

…

Around the same time, in the Mage Federation's battle fortress, in the inner sanctum…

Amidst the mana-dense, sticky air, an old mage in blue robes is kneeling by a magic circle centered on a large crystal jutting out of the floor.

「…Great Watcher give us guidance, show us the path to take, tell us but a word and thy will be done…」

He speaks in a hushed, whispering voice while flowing mana into the circle with his fingertips. Another man around his age enters the circular room, staring at him with a snide grin.

「Alexander!… Did the Watcher say anything yet?…」

The man asks in a loud voice completely unbefitting the hushed voices around the crystal, wearing the same blue robes with an eye silhouette as the kneeling mages.

「Magnus…」

Alexander says in a displeased tone, with his face to match as he stands up to face the man of roughly the same age approaching him.

「…We have not heard anything yet. And you are not making things any easier.」

He adds, glancing at the mages glaring at Magnus and his smug face from all around the circle.

「Really? Nothing at all?… Alexander, some people define insanity as doing the exact same thing over and over and over again, somehow expecting a different result…」

Magnus sarcastically asks, spreading his arms as he paces around the circle, smirking at the mages beneath him.

「…Does that sound familiar at all?」

He tilts his head as his hands move behinds his back. He turns around, and steps back to Alexander with the same slow, leisurely step.

「What do you want, Magnus? Just to frustrate us, like a pesterous child? Or are you here to rub it in our faces that your faction is on the move? I know you are planning something.」

The old mage asks, glaring at his fellow mage as he steps back up, smirking.

「I just thought that I'd ask you how things are going…」

Magnus nonchalantly replies with a shrug of his shoulders, and turns his gaze to the crystal oozing mana into the room.

「…But I figured that by now you'd gain some common sense, and realize that the Watcher is either dead, or no longer interested in this world.」

He adds, turning his glare and serious expression back to Alexander.

「And what proof do you have?」

Alexander throws his hand up, unfazed by the declaration. Magnus lets out an amused huff, and nods with a disapproving grimace on his face.

「…The exact same that you do for the contrary. Except we have ways to test for it, and you don't.」

He smirks, and paces around the room some more.

「…By trying to destroy the world, you madman!? You won't even be around to see if you were right!」

Unable to veil his anger anymore, the old mage shouts at the other old man. He chuckles briefly in response.

「…Look at it like this, Alexander. If we're wrong, we only stand to lose the argument. After all, the Watcher wouldn't permit us to do something like this, right?」

Magnus spreads his arms, slowly circling the crystal.

「So you'll try and poke him into taking action!? And what if you're wrong!? What if he does permit it!?」

Alexander asks, throwing his arm aside with a flap of his blue sleeve.

「…Well. A dead world is a pretty boring one, isn't it? His loss.」

Magnus tilts his head, shrugging his shoulders as he returns to Alexander around the circle, chuckling. He remains smug and nonchalant, while Alexander grits his teeth.

「By the way, have you heard the news?…」

「…What news?」

Alexander asks, narrowing his eyes at the smug mage. His snide smirk grows.

「Oh? Too busy screaming at a wall to pay attention? I will tell you… Redwing Kingdom has invaded Telas Kingdom. No doubt emboldened by their recent retrieval…」

Magnus explains, then chuckles at the frustrated old mage in front of him.

「…That's what you'll tell the grand master, no doubt.」

Alexander scoffs, glaring at him with a scowl on his face.

「No, that's what we already told him. I insisted on a strong response, but he's like a snail. Slow to take action, and would prefer to nibble on a leaf and hide in his shell.」

「And you came here to take your frustration out on us?」

「Oh, please… You have me for some sort of a monster, when we simply disagree on certain things-」

「We disagree on the matter of destroying the world, you wretch.」

Alexander replies through his clenched teeth, glaring daggers at Magnus and his smug face.

「…Actually, we just want the Watcher to take action, if he's even there, but call it as you will. I came here to give you heads up out of courtesy as your ideological opponent.」

Magnus replies, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders, smirking at him.

「…He didn't agree with my suggestions anyhow. Said they're too rash… But he will take action. No matter how you put it, Queen Redwing has access to her vile magic back.」

He adds, turning for the exit, walking away with a slow, unrushed step.

「That doesn't mean she'll use it.」

Alexander replies with his lip twitching in anger.

「True… But now she has the ability to, and the ease with which she can bind a demon to her service certainly gives her comfort…」

Magnus looks over his shoulder at him, smirking as he pauses.

「…Don't give me that dirty look. I suggested we focus on recovering the grimoire, you butted in and sent your handpicks, and now we're here. This is your own fault.」

He adds, shrugging.

「You planned for this, didn't you?…」

Alexander growls, clenching his teeth.

「…For your failure? No, of course not. But I had a good feeling about it. This is the difference between us, Alexander. I think quick on my feet, you don't.」

Magnus replies, and heads for the doorless doorway.

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「Don't stay up too long, Alexander. We're both old men… We ought to take care of ourselves…」

He adds, chuckling as he leaves. Alexander lets out an angry huff, turning his eyes to the equally angered mages around the crystal…

…

The next morning, in Straf's guest bedroom…

The door abruptly swings open, a man takes a step in.

「Minister Vindict, I was told-」

The man in a neat butler's suit says while bowing his head, but as he opens his eyes and raises them to the bed, he freezes and goes silent.

The butler looks at Stripe's groggy face while she's rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, and at Straf's brows gently furrowed in confusion.

「…Ah. Pardon the interruption-」

The man apologetically bows his head again.

「No! You're not interrupting anything! Don't even dare to pretend that you did!」

Stripe jumps up in the bed, screaming at the man while pointing at him in wide-eyed shock.

「Heh. Sucks, doesn't it?」

「What are you so smug about!?」

She turns her golden eyes to Straf's smug grin while he's sitting at the bed's foot end, then screams at him too.

「Well? What is it?」

Straf asks as he turns his attention to the butler. The man straightens out and nods his head.

「Sir… I was told to inform you the breakfast is about to be served. Will you partake?」

The butler asks, intermittently glancing at the two while Stripe scrambles out of the bed.

「I'll partake. Give me a moment to get my shoes.」

Straf replies as he scoots over to the end of the bed and drops his legs down to the floor.

「Then I will wait for you outside, sir-」

「Wait!…」

Straf halts the man, stretching his palm out towards him just as he's about to shut the door. He stops, and his mildly surprised eyes blink at Straf.

「…This girl is into some really kinky shit. She doesn't just look like an animal, I tell you what-」

Straf grins as he points his finger at Stripe at the bedside while staring at the man.

「Wh-!? What are you-!? Stop! Shut up!」

Her jaw drops, and her golden eyes blink in indignant shock at Straf.

「…Sir?」

The butler listens, albeit with a deeply perplexed expression on his face as he accidentally gains eye contact with Stripe.

「Yeah. I haven't slept a single second through the night!-」

Straf chuckles, extending his index finger while Stripe stands frozen in utter disbelief.

「I'm going to kill you!…」

She rushes up to Straf, clenching and winding her fist up while she glares at his handsome, grinning face.

Zzzzzzap!

「Agh!」

A powerful shock to her neck sends her plummeting down to her knees as she clutches onto the bed's foot end for balance.

「…That's all I wanted you to know. Wait outside.」

Straf declares with a smug, self-satisfied smile and his fists on his hips.

「…Understood… Sir…」

The butler nods his head with a deeply confused expression on his tight-lipped face, and backs out of the room, locking the door behind himself.

「Kkhhhhkk… Why!? That's a lie! Why would you do this to me!?」

Tfwap tfwap tfwap tfwap!…

Stripe shouts at Straf while hammering her fist on the bed with her teeth clenched in fury.

「Hahahaha!… Fuckin' sucks, doesn't it!?「No wait! It's not what it looks like!… I'm innocent!…」…Now you too know what it's like!」

He cackles with his eyes narrowed at Stripe, relishing in her anger and dismay as he points at her face grimacing in anger.

「…Now I can't show my face around here! Is this what you wanted!? To make me even more unable to talk to people!?」

She stands up and spreads her arms, shouting at Straf with her pronounced canines showing while he's slipping his boots back on.

「No, I just wanted to share the pain. Don't worry, your reputation of a slut will decay to neutral if you just let it be.」

Straf replies, chuckling while tying his shoes. He stands up and puts his hands in his pockets.

「Come on, at least they won't poison your breakfast over it… I hope.」

He nods towards the door while Stripe is gritting her teeth.

SLAM!

She stomps after him, and slams the door shut…

…

Fifteen minutes later, in one of the dining rooms…

Straf, Stripe and the butler enter the luxurious dining room, where Cycelia, the king, and the rest of the Telas dynasty are seated at a long table already lined with plates of food.

「Ah, Straf! Good morning!- Did something happen?」

Cycelia smiles as Straf enters, but she quickly tilts her head when she notices Stripe gritting her teeth.

「…Nothing happened! At all! We did nothing!」

Stripe turns to the butler and insists, pointing at him while Straf joins the table by Cycelia. The dragon cultists are standing by the walls, watching the king and his family.

「…It is none of my concern either way. My apologies.」

The butler apologetically bows his head towards Stripe.

「Stop apo-! Grrrrghh!…」

Stripe groans in anger and stomps over to the table, pulls the chair out, then drops down into it with her arms crossed, scowling.

Straf looks at the other end of the table. King Telas sits at the center, grim-faced, and so is his queen beside him. Their eldest son, no older than 15, is glaring at Straf and just barely veiling hostility. Their youngest, no older than 6, seems to be completely unaware of the situation in the kingdom, and is happily chewing away with his utensils in his fists.

「Minister Vindict, please help yourself to the meals… If something is out of your reach, just call the butlers.」

The king says in a resigned voice, same as yesterday, and points at the three butlers standing at attention by the table without as much as glancing at them.

「…You didn't poison it or anything like that, did you?」

Straf nonchalantly asks while staring at the beautifully garnished steak seared to perfection, already cut into bite-sized pieces and oozing flavor-laden oils.

「How utterly insolent!」

The queen exclaims with outrage in her voice.

「Straf! That's-! I'm really sorry, King Telas-」

Cycelia perks up, equally outraged and shocked, but without the anger in her voice. Just as she begins apologizing, the king holds his palm out towards her.

「No… It is a reasonable concern. I assure you, minister, I would not do something so underhanded. If the queen were poisoned, the blame would be obvious. You can rest easy.」

King Telas replies, shifting his eyes off Cycelia to Straf. His queen's face remains sour despite his calm demeanor. Looking at it with a raised brow, Straf cuts into the steak.

「…While we were waiting, the queen has told me about some of your exploits. If even a portion of them are true, I am left wondering as to why you didn't wipe my army out.」

He adds, looking at Straf with a displeased, defeated gaze while Straf eats his meal. With a tight-lipped grimace on her face, Cycelia attempts to shrink behind the decorations.

「If that's a problem I can always go back and hunt them down.」

Straf scoffs, smirking and speaking with his mouth full.

「Straf… Manners…」

Cycelia meekly prods at Straf, curling her lips inward.

「…I've heard your healers even healed my men, including some of the survivors of that weapon. That's surprisingly merciful, considering how merciless it was.」

The king sighs out, and forks a bite-sized piece into his mouth.

「Well, the plan was to just carve through your center like through this steak until I got to you… But your army kind of folded faster than I expected.」

Straf shrugs, spreading his hands with a snide grimace.

「I had reinforcements coming. They would have made the battle even, if not given me the upper hand… But I'm sure you know.」

King Telas remarks in a resigned voice, shrugging his shoulders.

「Yup. If you stopped behind the river, that would've been kind of awkward. I'd still win, but there would be a chance you'd figure out there's something wrong.」

「I picked a place with good visibility to ensure your army couldn't slip past and siege the capital… But then you slipped your forces right past me. Were you counting on luck?」

The king's brow rises as he tilts his head. His eldest son glances between him and Straf with poorly veiled anger on his face.

「As much as I could have… Nope. You played right into a strategic sleight of hand. The battle was a distraction.」

Straf scoffs, smirking at the king across the table.

「…What?」

Furrowing his brows, his head shakes in confusion.

「What, you still didn't figure it out? The checkmate was just setting up another move.」

Straf lets out a singular chuckle, grinning at the king while his eldest son's lip twitches in anger.

「…Was there anything I could have done to win?」

King Telas asks, straightening out in surprise.

「Hmmm…」

Straf sets his utensils down on the plate and crosses his arms, glancing upward as he thinks.

「…If you got cold feet about the battle and left before it started, that'd be really annoying!」

He declares, spreading his arms. Straf then resumes his meal. The king remains silent, staring at his half-eaten steak, thinking deeply.

「…By the way, where's your closest gem mines? I'm going there next to grab some.」

Straf adds, glancing at the king.

「Eh? Straf, you're not coming back with us?」

Cycelia tilts her chestnut head, blinking her emerald eyes at him.

「Not immediately, no. I need to, uh, inspect their mines as Minister of Finances.」

He replies with a tight-lipped grimace. She nods after a few seconds of thinking, and continues eating her steak.

「…You might want to see the mine by Tollenheim. It's one of the biggest, deepest, and most valuable ones. Very unique, too.」

King Telas says as he looks at Straf, then lightly nods his head with his eyes lowered.

「Rrrriiiiight… Kinky cat, you're going back with Lia.」「Wha-!?」

Straf turns his eyes to Stripe, instructing her with a nonchalant tone and expression on his face while she's staring at him in shock.

「…You're going to do everything she tells you to as if she was your owner, got it?…」

He adds, then looks at Cycelia with a bored gaze.

「I'll be back in a day or two at most. Say hi to Lily for me.」

Straf shrugs, and forks a piece of the steak into his mouth, chewing like a goat.

「Right…」

Cycelia nods, and looks at the kinky cat while she's still recoiling from the shock, jaw dropped and golden eyes wide open…