Since we won both battles where everyone bet everything, the spoils are immense. We have received the Titles of Decien and Sky Captain, which give us the rights to over a thousand well-trained Imperial Army soldiers and a fully-crewed battle airship.

Since we got the airship, our allies received extra Titles to compensate, but Sa'Haa preferred to get a bigger share of the wealth than the Titles, and that allowed Vanea to become a Centum, giving the not-princess cause to create her own branch house instead of just being a Supporting Descendant for her brother.

"This is it. We've finished the preliminary negotiations," Sa'Haa calmly announces, but I freeze as I realize something.

Wait… preliminary?! How many more days are we going to waste on this?!

Yunia wryly answers through [Bind], "We've only negotiated the general division. Once the temple has given us the actual list of spoils, we might have to sit down again and negotiate the exact distribution in case there's something specific that someone wants."

I silently stand up, then walk to the balcony and look up at the rapidly clearing stormy sky as I scream internally.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA…!

The girls leave me to scream at humanoidity alone, but that opens me up to being approached by Allura.

"You don't really like negotiations, do you?" the tomboy fox cheekily asks and leans forward girlishly, giving me a view of her cleavage.

"Am I that easy to read?" I ask back sarcastically, but also not, then I unashamedly glance at the goodies being displayed for me.

She smiles as she notices my gaze and leans against the railing, her fluffy tail wagging lazily. "Facially? No, but you always slip away whenever you can."

I look back at Yunia and Léonne happily discussing the shipment of elven products we owe them. "Yeah, I just can't not find it boring."

And she smirks suggestively as her tail wags faster. "You prefer to spend time on your phallic weapons."

"That one isn't deliberately shaped like a penis, you know?" I defensively reply.

And she raises her eyebrows suggestively. "So, there are weapons deliberately shaped like a penis?"

I pout at her. "Can we not talk about dicks for a second?"

But her gaze becomes intense, and her tone gains an arousing low growl. "No, because you're infuriatingly attractive to me."

Her not-kimono is starting to come undone again, making it trivially easy to pull it aside and fuck her right here and now. I fail to resist temptation and sneak both clawed hands onto her cleavage and cop a feel of her perky breasts, earning myself an even steamier gaze, but then I pull my hands back and readjust her not-kimono to cover them again.

"Don't forget that this is part of becoming a woman. You're in a phase where you'd find anyone attractive," I soberly reply, pulling hard on the perpetually horny dragon to let no seductiveness taint my tone.

She pouts, mildly offended, and retorts, "So it's a coincidence that the moment you arrive, I suddenly become a fox in heat?"

And I smile wryly. "Okay, yeah, I admit I didn't hold back on you."

She crosses her arms, bunching up her alluring pair in a way that increases her cleavage again. "Hmph, you'd better take responsibility now that you've seduced me."

I never thought I'd hear those words, but there you have it.

"I'll do everything I can to make you happy, as long as you dedicate yourself to me," I confidently answer.

But she scoffs back, now more offended. "You'll 'do what you can'? Really? Where's my promise of undying love?" she retorts rather childishly and turns her face away.

This reaction of hers is both adorable and worrying. If she were just an innocent young girl, I could say something sweet and show her a whole new world, but she's the descendant of an iron-fisted ruler, and she can't afford to be misled by comforting words.

I grab her arm and force her to face me as I stare sternly at her. "No, I don't do that. Listen, I'll tell you the truth, always. I'll never lie to you, and I'll never sweeten my words to make it easier on you because I can't ever lie to myself, and you, as a fellow ruler, shouldn't either. I simply can't mislead you with the illusion that our lives will always be happy and without the need for sacrifices or compromises. But I can make this promise to you: I'll give and do everything I can to make you happy, but every day, you'll have to decide for yourself whether or not I'm staying true to my word and if what I give is enough for you."

Then I release her arm, but I continue staring at her with an unwavering gaze to show her my conviction.

She seems taken aback at first, but the tomboy girl quickly understands the need for seriousness and nods. Then she smiles awkwardly as she remarks, "Well… nothing is ever simple with you."

I pull back on the staring and let my posture relax as I smirk. "Because I have what all of the women around me crave: endless excitement."

"Sure feels like it." And she brightens up as her tail begins to wag again.

Then I gently repeat and advise, "So you have to decide if what I have to offer is enough because I can't always be there for you. And your mother definitely won't like that you'll be giving up on marriage with the other clans for me."

She shrugs and smirks, then gives me a barely contained wild stare. "I'll just marry more women, and you'll get us all pregnant."

And I mirror her stare with my own. "Well, aren't you a vixen…"

The Princesses and her two allies finally leave soon after that, but they'll come back in a couple of days once the temple has sent us the list of spoils; Vanea has to deal with her own matters, so she and Tommen will also be leaving, but they're invited to come back whenever they wish to; Apeiltik will also go on his own way for now, but he'll remain in a loose alliance with the rest of the League for protection against revenge by the remnants of Katasko; and Léonne will stay with us while we're here as she's in no hurry to return to the Misty Low Forest, but her Sworn Hunters will be going back soon.

The goodbyes are as perfectly polite as they could be, and we're glad that Urmeie decided not to give us another piece of her mind, but with Vanea, things go differently.

"See you soon, Centum Vanea," I softly state and smile.

"See you soon… Decien and Honorary Sky Captain Royal Crown Lord Wolf Ryder," she cheekily replies while keeping her eyes down.

"Be well, Centum Vanea," Alissa kindly states.

And Vanea's expression actually becomes gentle. "You too, Decien and Honorary Sky Captain Royal Crown Lord Alissa Ryder, and you too, Decien and Honorary Sky Captain Royal Crown Lord Yulania Ryder, and…"

The dark-haired not-princess actually repeats it for every last one of us, but then an awkward silence settles in. We've already said what we wanted to, so it's she who's hesitating.

Vanea suddenly glances at me, but I can't decipher anything from her impassive gaze. Then she turns around and finally leaves without confessing what's bothering her.

Now that we're free from annoying royal customs, we (the Verners included) decide to mingle with our men.

The Lordsguard are having a party with the knights and the Sworn Hunters outside their mini High Tree. The two battles had plenty of epic moments for the men to tell tales about, and they're all still feeling the effects of the adrenaline high of victory, making them loud and rowdy. The prostitutes and the twinks are already on their way, but there's still some time before the men become completely wasted.

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Inside the mini High Tree is Azador's coffin, where others can pay their respects, but the men have already done that, so the room is empty, which is perfect for Yunia to have a private moment with the knight she respected so much. It feels weird having a party right next to a funeral, but this is Rupegian custom, and even elves don't pass up a morally acceptable chance to get drunk.

"When you're certain that the deceased is already enjoying their deserved rest in Paradise, it becomes disrespectful to look sad before their corpse," Ciel kindly explains through [Bind].

Anyway, I decide that it's time to see Brett. Ciel thinks about tagging along, but she's already earned his respect, so she thinks it's better if I see him alone, to Alissa's annoyance.

After a bit of searching, I find the dude in question at a sausage party, which is surprising considering he could easily be an alpha with his size and cute Shiba face, though I don't know his preferences.

They notice my approach and stand up from their seats, then salute.

"At ease; you're all off duty," I softly state with a smile.

"It was just on reflex," one of the men reflexively replies.

I snort, then I turn my eyes to the big Shiba man. "I'm here to thank you, Sir Brett, for what you did during the battle with Reinhold."

He immediately falls on one knee and lowers his head. "It was my honor to be of use to you."

But I promptly reply with a commanding tone, "Rise, Brett. You don't have to be so stiff." Then I smirk, and I get some chuckles in response.

"He can be a bit hard-headed," one of the men jokes.

"Not very flexible," another follows.

"Yes, yes, I'm thick," Brett wryly replies as he stands, but then he becomes serious again. "I didn't do much, though. I just wrestled with that Gifted."

And I calmly reassure him, "It was the only way to keep him in place long enough for us to use the Field Gun, and nobody else would've survived that explosion but you."

"That thunder weapon is called a Field Gun?" one of the Lordsguard asks, sounding very interested in it.

I let my tail sway as I proudly reply, "Yes. We want to make more of them, so there's a chance that one day, one of you will be operating it, but it'll be a much cheaper version."

And he shouts excitedly, "Godsblessed! Not even the Dragon Slayer weapons are that powerful." The girls internally smile wryly at him as they find a man's love for weapons amusing.

"Wait, so this means that Brett is tougher than a dragon?" another questions.

"Most likely, yes," I answer.

Then a third smirks as he teases, "Tougher than you, Your Highness?"

The elves among the men tense up while the werefoxes smile as they sense that the teasing is nearing a delicate boundary, but I just grin back and reply, "Hopefully, we'll never know."

And Brett stiffly interjects, "I can't stay tough like that for long, though, and there's a clear difference in power between us."

I decide to give his confidence a bump, "But my [Draconic Transformation] has limits while your Gift might not, so who knows how much more you'll be able to grow."

A Sworn Hunter chimes in, "You should train him to suplex a dragon,"

"My arms ain't that big," Brett immediately shoots it down.

"Do it over a cliff."

But before they can begin discussing the feasibility of such an act, I politely interject, "I came here to personally show you my appreciation, Sir Brett. I hope to be able to depend upon you in the future as we did today."

"It was my honor, Your Highness," he replies in kind with a nod but doesn't kneel, which I find to be good progress. A knight is a loyal agent of the Lords but not a worshiper.

Then I smirk as I turn to the others. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to be in the company of my flowery-smelling wives instead of stinky men."

I leave as they throw banter back, but as I walk away, I suddenly start to feel guilty for fearing Brett's power and for using the Field Gun on him without knowing whether he'd survive. But Brett is too innocent to ever think about betraying us, at least for now, and he himself seems to not care about getting blown up, so I'll just file it away as something to keep in mind in the future.

Alissa goes around eavesdropping on the conversations, and she finds out that they're mostly about the Fay Leviathan. There are plenty of Chimeras here who fought it first-hand, so they give recounts of its shows of might, and the men start speculating about my power level. There are other memorable moments, too, like Hana punching a [Meteor], both of our charges across the enemy lines, our collective [Blink] into the middle of Katasko, Reinhold's use of the Colossal Sword, etc.… But nobody mentions the Emperor's fury or how he humiliated me.

They spit at the mention of Reinhold's name since it has been made very clear that he was an Oathbreaker, so, at most, the men say that his death was an "oopsie" on my part. I, unfortunately, agree with the Emperor that I fucked up pretty badly by killing a Gifted, and I'd have done the same public humiliation to me if I was in his position, so the men's devotion to us isn't as comforting as it could be.

Still, their wonder at the Leviathan is heartwarming. But while we all have fun, something keeps worming around at the back of my mind.

Why did Knowledge push me to use the over-enchanted APFSDS? Reinhold was obliterated, but maybe he could've survived the normal one. It just doesn't make sense…

Ciel once again gives me a bit of guidance, "The Gods can't give us an answer to everything, but maybe Knowledge will be able to answer if you pray."

So I do, but all I hear is silence.

Intermission – Catarina Aurea

My boots echo loudly as I walk down the empty corridor. Unadorned, simple, and gray, the Punisher style. The door at its end is unlocked, so I enter the office, which is just as austere as every other room I passed on the way here.

"Captain Caterina," the Head of the Order quietly greets me. He's an icy dragonkin with light blue hair and purple scales, and his draconic element is fitting considering his personality.

"Commander," I reply, and he motions to the seat before his desk, so I take it.

He's younger than me, but he was raised from birth by the previous Head to take on this role. Though the old man is still around to guide him in times of crisis, so it says a lot that he's still alone, even now.

"Have you read the news about Reinhold, Captain?" he calmly asks, his posture perfectly still and his fingers interlaced over his desk.

"I have. Do you wish for my summary?" I ask back, detecting some intention behind his question.

He nods subtly. "Yes, please."

I clear my throat and begin recalling the reports, "Gifted Junior General Reinhold challenged Gifted Royal Crown Lord Wolf Ryder to a Purification battle for a prize kept secret under oath. For unknown reasons, Wolf Ryder accepted in exchange for 'everything,' which has been interpreted as 'all wealth and Titles.' It's widely known that General Reinhold broke a non-aggression oath to Dame Vanea Anara for this challenge, making him an Oathbreaker. In the battle, the advantage began on the Ryders' side but was eventually flipped through Reinhold's Gift, so Wolf Ryder called upon the help of a then hidden Gifted called Brett, who immobilized Reinhold, allowing Wolf Ryder to conjure a weapon that completely destroyed Reinhold's body but barely harmed the Gifted Brett. Afterward, the Emperor himself appeared to punish Wolf Ryder for his mistake in accidentally killing Reinhold.

"Wolf Ryder appeared stunned at the effectiveness of his weapon, leading the present priests to believe that Reinhold's death was accidental, and Wolf Ryder even admitted to the Emperor that he was desperate. Reinhold's association with Katasko and his Oathbreaking puts into question his 'Piety' and honor, and I believe his death was immediate divine punishment for his transgression, though I don't know why the Gods gave a Gift to someone so unworthy. And finally, I believe Reinhold's requested prize was so outrageous that Wolf Ryder was ready to kill to defend it, giving even more justification for Reinhold's death."

He shows no reaction and doesn't waste any time before replying, "A wonderfully detailed report. You've been paying very close attention to them, have you not?"

"Indeed, I have."

"Too close, perhaps? Have you developed feelings for any of them?" he bluntly asks, but this is just as expected from him, so I've already prepared myself to answer it truthfully.

"I have…" I confess, surprising myself with the hesitance in my voice.

He once again shows no reaction as he continues, "Not ideal, but also perfect for what we need."

I give him a confused look, and he simply smiles back, which is an awfully surprising reaction to be coming from him, but then I realize what he wants from me. It was actually something I was going to suggest or even request for myself as Mother and I have grown increasingly worried about the circumstances surrounding the Ryders.

He understands my relief and affirms, "Exactly. We need you to stick close to the Ryders because too many worrying events have happened around them. First, they were involved with the Wicked [Meteor] attack in Goldport, then they were chosen for an Intervention, then stalked by an unknown agent, then attacked by undead heretics, which led to the second Intervention, and do you know what the Oracle recently found out?"

"I do not," I reflexively reply.

The Commander's smile deepens, giving him the air of a Punisher who just found a Wicked nest. "He's a Realm Traveler," he whispers excitedly, and I tense up, holding my breath.

I loathe to question his word, but this is so monumental that I need it to be repeated. "Is that… confirmed?"

He nods. "Yes. Unless he was born a year ago, his Thread is too short for someone of his supposed age."

But that just leaves me confused. "Is that all? Just a short Thread is enough to confirm Realm Traveling?"

"That's because he's not the only one."

It takes me a second to truly understand his words, and then I actually run both of my hands through my tied-up hair in speechless astonishment, and the Commander chuckles at my reaction.

This is… terrifying, so I don't understand why he finds this amusing. But then again, he is the Commander, so he views things differently from us. He doesn't laugh at the presence of the Wicked like the other zealous Punishers, so the situation may not be that bad after all, but I still don't understand why he's so calm.

I lower my hands and stare at him again as I hesitantly ask, "Why are all these things happening…?"

He gently shakes his head. "We don't know. There hasn't been even a hint of the return of the Monster King. That's why you have to stay by his side, and I'm sure you'll eventually be the first of us to find out."

And the reality of it finally sinks in. This is why he's laughing. It's because he doesn't know what's going on. For the first time in his and his mentor's life, things don't make sense.

Not only has he revealed groundbreaking information, but he's also giving me the task of finding out the truth.

This is simply the most important task of my entire life.

And my composure immediately returns as I realize the impossibility of preparing for what's to come. "May I commit my entire Company to follow the Ryders?"

"You may."

Intermission end.