"Looks like it's your loss, Luka-boy. Such a shame~."

I looked up, my vision as blurred as my thoughts. I struggled to see the figure before me but made out little more than a purple haze. Where was I? What happened?

"Now, now, no need to think about anything difficult, Luka-boy. Just relax and leave the rest to me~."

There was a niggling feeling at the back of my mind; I should know who this was, but my thoughts were eluding me, formless as smoke when I tried grasping onto them.

As she approached, colors gained distinction, and details sharpened. My eyes widened, and the sluggishness of my mind made way for rising terror when I recognized her.

Alma Elma.

I tried to regain some distance, but the instant her eyes met mine, I felt my body lock up like a mouse caught not before a mere cat but a lion. No longer in control of my actions, my gaze was forced to roam across her body.

She wore thigh-high purple boots and fingerless gloves going all the way up to her shoulders, across which a massive blue cape was draped. Covering her torso, or rather attempting to, was what was likely the result of a threeway between a vest, a corset, and lingerie, as well as a simple thong, both of which came with buttons for easy removal. A silver necklace studded with emeralds was the only indicator of her status as the 'Queen' of succubi. And while she may have been overall wearing more than her race tended to, it still did an exceedingly poor job at concealing her outrageous figure. Her light purple hair was just shy of touching the ground, and large batlike wings extended behind her back. White horns protruded out of her head just above her pointed ears. And, of course, just like the other Heavenly Knights, she bore a tattoo on her left side, going from her face to her thigh. My gaze finally settled back on her face, her eyes, like bloody rubies, boring into me.

At that moment, I knew I was done for. Nothing I could say would help. At this point, she was merely playing with her food. I forced my gaze away, looking around for anything that could save me, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing.

"To the victor goes the spoils but... I wonder how I should do this. My mouth? Perhaps my boobs? Or maybe I'll squeeze you dry with my pussy," she mused while taking various, almost exaggerated stances emphasizing certain body parts. "Oh, I know! You like tails, don't you?" She asked, holding a tail significantly thicker than that of the ordinary succubus towards me. I had no idea how I'd missed it before, but now I was painfully aware of it as I watched the opening in its tip slowly dilate.

Suddenly free of whatever compulsion held me before, I ran. No matter how pointless, no matter how futile, I ran. But when I turned, she was still right there, her tail's opening growing ever larger. My pace became more and more frantic as my desperation mounted until, finally, I tripped. I could feel her presence looming over right above me.

"It's your long-awaited tail time, Luka-boy. I hope you enjoy it~."

In despair, I turned around to see it already enveloping the lower part of my legs and slowly going upward. In a last-ditch attempt, I tried dragging myself along the ground, but my hands found no purchase.

'No, no! This isn't what I wanted!' But even if I wanted to plead for mercy, my mouth refused to open. 'Tamamo, Alice, anyone, even Ilias! I'll do anything, please; I don't want to die!'

But my prayers went unanswered.

"Alrighty, Luka-boy, time for us to become one~" She declared as her seductive smile slowly morphed into a disturbing grin. "And together, we will be perfect."

I had no leeway to even think about the fact that Alma was suddenly a lot more green and mottled than before, as the tail that was already up to my chest made one final push, and everything went black...until suddenly, it wasn't.

I found myself in a brightly lit space with neither explanation nor interlude. Apparently, my prayers didn't go as unanswered as I'd initially thought. I wasn't exactly comfortable with who decided to pick me up, but I did ask; beggars can't be choosers and all that. I looked up at Goddess Ilias, noting she had undergone some... cosmetic changes since I had last seen her likeness. Aside from the dubious choice to dye her hair a gaudy bubblegum pink, she was also wearing shutter shades and smoking a... lollipop?

Despite the plethora of emotions roiling inside of me, I was more confused than anything else at this point.

She sat up slightly straighter, though it still couldn't be considered more than a lazy lounge, slowly reached up to take the candy out of her mouth, and then blew a cloud of acrid green smoke into my face. It burned my eyes and throat, yet my body refused to cough or take any other response.

She crushed the candy end of the lollipop and let the remains crumble onto an ashtray before regarding me once more with a displeased expression. "Alright, this would be the part where I tell you how you fucked up, but I genuinely don't know what to tell you anymore; that was clearly a skill issue."

...overinflated light elemental says what.

She continued, either unaware or uncaring of my indignation. "My advice? Git gud and get the fuck out of my office." Before I could even open my mouth in protest, she raised an eyebrow. "Still here? Guess I will have to show you out myself."

The next instant, she was behind me and grabbed me by the back of my head. "I believe you have yet to be introduced to my desk. I'm sure you are nervous in the face of such beauty but don't worry; I will be certain to help you make a good first impression." The distance between my face and said desk then rapidly started to diminish.

"Gah!" I shot up with a gasp looking around frantically in the still darkened room of the Sutherland Inn before slowly letting out a breath as I realized I was in no danger.

It was only a dream. That made sense; even at her worst, Ilias wasn't that abrasive.

And seriously, Alma Elma? Can my anxiety not even be bothered to wait its turn anymore? That encounter won't happen for, like... four days!

...Oh crap, it's that soon?

I was... not confident in dealing with the Succubus Queen. Frankly, I had absolutely no idea about what to do with her. I knew she wasn't a bad person at the core, but that helped little if I was judged to be a threat to monsters. The only solace I had was that I was unlikely to be left for dead by Alice in that event as it originally happened.

I shivered as I thought back to the dream. Regular vore was already horrific, but tail vore... Even the mere existence of the concept was akin to a personal affront. But... it was fine. Such an atrocity wouldn't happen; it was no more than a dumb dream.

"Why, I thought it was rather nice, personally," said a voice that was somehow simultaneously husky and raspy... and ever so close. I turned stiffly, almost mechanically, suppressing a whimper. It still wasn't over.

Lying next to me on the bed was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen, almost comically so. It wasn't Alma Elma, or at least not quite; it wouldn't have been fair to her to call it by her name. No, a more accurate description of the creature staring at me with a predatory glint would have been 'Imperfect Cell, except purple and with boobs.'

I may have been mostly lucid at this point, but evidently, I was very much not in control.

"Aww, look at you all frightened. How about a nice kiss to calm you down before some more tail time? We'll have so much fun together~" The thing then puckered its insectile lips and started leaning closer and closer.

I woke up screaming.

With my throat slightly sore and after thoroughly ensuring I was awake this time and not inside yet another layer of that dreadful nightmare, I plopped back onto the bed with a sigh.

Just... why? Why couldn't I have nice things for once?

...It was probably my own fault. Thus far, things had developed better than I would have dared even hope, yet I could not let go of my worries for longer than brief moments, unable to relax even when the opportunity presented itself. If it weren't for all that anxiety or even just the inhibitions that kept me from enjoying what this world had to offer, I would likely have a much easier time, mentally at least. Spending some quality time with a harpy or possibly even accepting one of Alice's numerous offers would have done wonders for stress relief... maybe even a little too much.

I lay there for several long moments, watching imagined shadows flitting across my vision before I was able to muster enough determination to get up. I obviously wasn't getting any more sleep tonight, or possibly ever again, so I might as well get some fresh air and try to clear my thoughts, maybe take some time to enjoy the night breeze.

I made my way downstairs and was about to step out when I noticed a dim light from the corner of my eye. 'Well, as good a distraction as any,' I supposed and made to follow it. I turned the corner into the inn's dining area and paused. Alice?

Almost all of the staff was asleep at this time of night, but there was an open buffet for the event that any of the guests got peckish during the night. Something Alice had been making use of for quite a while, judging by the number of empty plates and the nub of a candle scarcely illuminating the room.

"Hey, uh, having a midnight snack?" I greeted her with some awkwardness.

"Something like that," she nodded without raising her head. "Was wondering if you would end up joining me; heard you wake up. Rough night?"

I winced. "Yeah, you could say that."

Her lips turned into a slight smirk, yet her gaze still didn't separate from her plate and the meatball she was idly skewering with a fork. "Heh, I bet you are feeling awfully regretful by now over not letting me feed off you yesterday."

I sighed before taking a seat across from Alice. "Honestly, if I knew this was going to happen, I would have been tempted. If nothing else, it would have at least promised to leave me conked out until noon."

"...The fact you would consider that the primary benefit, even in jest, is frankly a little insulting," she complained, this time actually looking up, if only long enough to shoot me an annoyed scowl.

A few minutes of silence passed, interspersed with Alice taking an occasional mouthful of food, before she started talking again. "If you don't want help that way, I can cast sleep magic. I could use that on you if you want. You know, as a... favor to a friend."

I briefly considered it before shaking my head with a bitter smile. "Thank you for the offer, but... going back to sleep seems very unappealing at the moment." Truthfully I was glad it ended where it did. If it had continued... I had to suppress a shudder as my mind tried and failed to picture 'Semi-Perfect Alma Elma.'

Alice stared at me in bewildered curiosity, whatever was causing her to avoid eye contact momentarily forgotten. "Voluntarily forgoing an opportunity to sleep? You? Wow, that dream must have messed with you more than I thought. What was it about?"

"It was... an encounter with a monster taking a particularly poor ending. And... things somehow only became worse from there," I answered, unable to hide a grimace.

She let out a noncommital hum, "Any particular monster haunting your dreams, or just some random encounter?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to talk about it, but considering the number of things I was already forced to keep from her, it was likely best to show sincerity whenever possible.

"...Alma Elma," I said eventually.

Alice let out an amused snort. "Oh, she would be upset at that. Being featured in anything short of a wet dream, really, never mind a nightmare... unless it was a wet nightmare, I suppose, but I would have smelled that."

"Wet... nightmare? Is that even a thing?" I asked before quickly raising a hand to stop her. "Actually, never mind, I don't want to know. It wouldn't be relevant, even if it were, since I've never had so much as a regular one."

She looked at me in disbelief. "Never had— Sheesh, literally not even in your dreams, huh? I am unsure whether I am supposed to laugh, be impressed, or feel pity right now."

"Trust me; it wasn't by choice. Anyway, what has you up so early; was it really just the siren call of free and abundant food?"

Alice's face grew more somber as she quickly averted her eyes again. "Not... quite. As it happens, I had a nightmare as well. About... the day my mother died."

"Ah, sorry! Didn't mean to pry," I said, immediately trying to backpedal from the sensitive topic. It may have been slightly brushed on yesterday, but going more in-depth seemed far too soon.

But apparently, Alice had different thoughts. "It's fine. I have had more than enough time to come to terms with it. It was hardly the first time I have experienced that particular nightmare either, although... it was a bit different tonight."

I couldn't deny my curiosity being roused, but at the same time, I didn't believe anything good could come out of this line of discussion. Unfortunately, indecision's firm grasp clenched my mouth shut for just long enough for Alice to continue.

"It happened when I was just a child— a group of adventurers coming to slay the current Monster Lord, Alipheese the Fifteenth. As a precaution, to ensure I wouldn't try anything reckless, my mother locked me away in a cell reinforced by a powerful barrier. But, unfortunately, she underestimated the latent magic power I held, which was released by my distress. I shattered the barrier, wrenched apart the iron bars, and finally made my way through the castle's halls, slithering past a magical-sleep affected Tamamo in the process."

She went silent for a moment before sighing. "Perhaps... if I had been a little more mature or calm-minded at the time, that may have caused me to realize my mother's intentions. After all, there is no way such a spell would ever affect Tamamo if she were on guard, especially not when cast by a human mage."

She slowly shook her head. "Instead, I burst through the door of the throne room, where the adventurers were still standing, exhausted and devoid of any will to battle. A warrior, a priestess, a mage, and... a Hero, his sword still impaling my mother's lifeless body. They pleaded for me to calm down; said that my mother's noble sacrifice showed them the truth. But I didn't listen— couldn't listen."

She took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "My mind blanked for a moment, and when I came to, there were two more corpses before me: the priestess torn apart and the mage beheaded. The other two were gone, and I never found out what happened to them. With my rage and magic exhausted, I had nothing left to give but my tears... and so I did. Tamamo eventually came and held me, even as her own shuddering sobs shook her body. Together, we sat there in the pooling blood, crying, until I passed out."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

She went quiet for a while, but even if I wanted to interject, I was too appalled to form any words. Despite already knowing her backstory, it hit hard all the same.

"As for the way this dream differed..." She began, taking a hesitant glance at me. "Even though everything about that day was seared into my memory, with the exception of that one moment, there was one other thing I could never remember—their faces. Perhaps my mind purged them out of self-defense, or maybe I never saw them past my blind rage, to begin with. But this time, when I looked at the Hero's face, I saw it... yours."

I was unable to suppress a wince. That... would certainly do it. And considering the Hero in question was Marcellus, Luka's father, it was fairly accurate too.

...It was probably for the best not to let her know about his subsequent stint as an anti-monster terrorist any time soon. And distinctly never about what he became in the Paradox timeline. Even with the limited knowledge I was working on, that was already no longer a mere can of worms but an entire Pandora's Box worth of fuck that.

"I'm... so sorry, Alice."

She closed her eyes. "You have nothing to apologize for. Even if there actually was some relation, you must have been barely a toddler at the time, if even that. Not to mention that if there was a villain in that story, it was me," she reasoned, despite the loss she herself sustained.

"You know, it's funny," she said with a bitter chuckle. "My first encounter with a human since those four was almost precisely the opposite of what I had hoped for. Until then, I was secretly hoping for an excuse. An excuse to think that all of humanity was evil, an excuse to dominate and enslave them, an excuse to believe my actions were justified, an excuse... to think I did not ruin everything... You know, in a morbid way, I am glad my mother was already dead, if only so she did not have to watch me crush her dreams right before her eyes. I—" I shot up from my seat. I couldn't take her talking like this anymore. She considered me her friend? Then I would damn well act like one!

I made my way around the table, coming to a stop before Alice and pulling her into a hug, the fact she was sitting fortunately allowing me to do so without having to awkwardly maneuver my face around her cleavage.

She stiffened. "Wha—What are you doing, you idiot!?" The fake outrage was not enough to fully hide the quiver in her voice. I didn't answer, merely continuing to hold her. For a moment, I thought her tough facade would shatter entirely.

The embrace must have lasted for several minutes. Alice didn't return it, yet she didn't try to pull away either. "What I got instead was you," she whispered eventually.

I let her go, giving her a warm smile instead. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Her lips quirked up into a tiny smirk. "You should; it may very well be the greatest you will ever receive."

My expression turned flat. "Okay, now that, I'll consider an insult," I told her, eliciting a more genuine, if still subdued, chortle.

She shook her head with a slight smile. "You should go get some of that food before I end up eating everything by myself."

"I guess I'll do just that, then," I agreed, knowing it was far from an idle threat. Honestly, it was probably for the best we wouldn't be staying here more than a few times. Even if I was actually putting in the work for that Hero discount, Miss Sutherland's goodwill was bound to run out eventually. "And... thanks for trusting me with that, Alice," I said as I began filling up a plate.

"You're thanking me? That seems kind of backward, but you are welcome, I suppose."

I had barely managed to sit back down before Alice asked me another question. "How about you?"

I blinked in confusion. "What about me?"

"Your mother... shortly before having your... staredown with Granberia, you mentioned she was dead," she elaborated with some hesitation.

"Ah." Well, if it wasn't my own words coming back to kick me in the ass at the most inopportune moment. "I did say that, yes."

"Would you like to talk about it?" she offered.

I really didn't. And refusing, especially now of all times, would inevitably make me look like a total ass. Damn it.

"Can we not? It's rather... fresh. And I don't even really know how to go about explaining it." At least not without giving away far more than I could afford to. And she probably wasn't actually dead... not that it made much of a difference in my situation. Not just my mother either; the same went for everyone I ever knew.

"I see; take as much time as you need."

...

"Right, so... There is something you will likely be happy to hear," Alice began, making me look up from my untouched meal. "I did not merely spend the night brooding; I thought a lot about the things you said... and I believe you may be right."

I blinked before a wry smile made its way onto my face. "You'll have to be a bit more specific; I find myself being right quite frequently." Especially when I wish I wasn't.

"Primarily the part about how I could not afford to wait for others to reach out to me—that I have to be more proactive to ever get anything done. And I have started putting it into practice, to some extent at least," she continued without acknowledging my poor attempt at humor.

The smile, even as forced as it was, dropped from my face in an instant. "...What did you do?" I asked, trying to prevent the apprehension I felt from leaking into my voice.

"Strained relations are not exclusive to humans and monsters; Individual monster races also often struggle to get along. As the foremost example, for the past decade, a war has been raging within the Noah region of Sentora, a war between plant and insect-type monsters. The land has been rightfully granted to their leaders by Alipheese the Fourteenth, and neither side has put forth a plea to the Monster Lord so they may consider my involvement an intrusion into their domestic affairs. Still, I will no longer sit back and watch my subjects slaughter each other," she declared.

I let out a mental sigh of relief. For a moment, I was worried she intended to do something that would interfere with something actually important.

...It was kind of disturbing how a straight-up war didn't even register on that list. Hell, I may have even decided to skip the Plansect Forest sidequest entirely, depending on the circumstances. It just didn't provide much outside of a bunch of Exp... that I wouldn't even get now, given that the option to go in there and make both sides my bitch was likely no longer viable if Alice planned to get involved. More diplomacy, yay.

Still, it was understandable it would be high among her priorities, as she had yet to learn about everything happening in the background. I couldn't even blame her since this was precisely the sort of thing she was supposed to be doing in her position. Oh well, I could probably figure out a way to tie something else into it to make it worth something beyond a moral standpoint and maybe some additional fighters to stand against the chimera beasts.

Actually, wait. "Are you... going to leave to deal with that issue?" I asked her, unable to keep some unease from creeping into my tone.

Thankfully she shook her head. "Provided we keep traveling, we will get there sooner or later. Hopefully, that will give them enough time to cool their heads." She gave me a smirk. "Besides, I cannot just leave you alone, now can I? Knowing you, you will run straight toward the next high-level monster, which, against all odds, you somehow manage to keep finding on this dinky continent."

Well... she wasn't wrong; if I didn't need to retrieve the Red Orb from the bandits, I'd probably already be making a beeline toward the next one at double time.

"So, for the time being, all I did was order them to cease hostilities and await the Monster Lord's judgment," she finished.

"I see that's goo—hold on, is that what you actually said?"

"Yes, why?" She asked, seemingly oblivious to how her words may be construed.

Oh, by Ilias, those poor girls must be respectively shitting their petals and carapaces right now. "You... may want to specify that you will mediate their conflict rather than summarily execute them."

Her brow furrowed. "Why does your mind keep immediately jumping to me killing people?"

"Very unfortunate phrasing, mostly." That and seeing her actually kill Luka on two separate occasions... it would likely take a while until I got over that completely, but at least I didn't get any sudden spikes of fear when I looked at her anymore.

You know, coming to think of it, it wasn't just Luka, either. There were the Beelzebubs, Cassandra, like a hundred or so Chimera Beasts...even herself, in a way. And all that was before the war. Sheesh, a lot of people tended to die when Alice got involved, yet another point on the ever-growing list of things I shouldn't tell her. She already had enough guilt issues as it was.

"Fine, I will do it if only to put your mind at ease," She said before closing her eyes to concentrate. "It's a good thing there is a time differential; otherwise, I would feel bad for disturbing them again for such an inane reason." Then, after what had to be only a few seconds, she opened them again. "There, done. Now eat. Food left uneaten is a tragedy."

I did so but couldn't muster up much of an appetite. Ultimately, I didn't even finish half of what I'd put on my plate before pushing it away. Alice sighed before dragging it over to herself and finishing my leftovers.

"Hey Alice, do you mind if we head out now? I know it's still dark, but we will have to follow the road north for a bit anyway, so it's not like we'll get lost."

"Now? But we haven't even had breakfast yet!" She protested, making me shoot her an incredulous look. "...Very well, I suppose I shall have to settle for a compromise." She walked over to the buffet, and her hands began moving at a blistering speed. "There we go," she declared as she turned back to me, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's.

I stared at her for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. "Got some excellent table manners there, your majesty," I quipped.

She nodded, making her stuffed cheeks wobble. "Indeed, I am the pinnacle of sophistication," she somehow still managed to enunciate, making me wheeze.

I wiped a small tear from my eye. "Thanks Alice, I needed that."

"There you go again, thanking me for the strangest things. All I did was ensure I would not starve on the road," she deflected, her face already almost returned to normal.

"Right, ready to head out?" I asked with a chuckle, receiving another nod in response.

We made our way through the city, illuminated only by starlight. It was enough to see the rough shapes of buildings but little more. I stumbled over rocks slightly sticking out of the stone-paved street more than I'd care to admit. Alice didn't seem to have the same issue; her night vision was likely leagues better than my own... not that a small rock would have done much to her. She would have been more likely to rip it out of the ground than pause in her step. Frankly, it felt a bit unfair, considering how little practice she likely had with legs, never mind the fact she elected to wear shoes with heels in her human form for some ungodly reason.

We continued like that until we arrived at the city gate, upon which a small problem with my plan became apparent. The gate was still closed. And judging by the snores emanating from the guard sitting next to it, that wouldn't change anytime soon without intervention.

The obvious solution was to wake him up and kindly ask him to open the gate for us. However, having been forced to talk to what felt like more random strangers in the last few days than my entire previous life combined, I had gained an even greater appreciation for not doing so.

Was there any other way around this? I suppose I could ask Alice to throw me over... Yeah, no. Even if that didn't outright kill me, the experience would still shave years off my life.

"Yes...step on me...harder, Granberia..."

My thoughts on how to keep the local community from gatekeeping me ground to an immediate halt when those cursed words reached me.

I turned to Alice, my face scrunched up like I bit into a lemon. "Please tell me I didn't hear what I think I just heard."

She shrugged. "I could, but it would probably be a lie."

"...Heat up... that sword... and shove it... into..."

Oh, hell no. "AHEM!" I aggressively cleared my throat, making the guard shoot up, and I could only hope it was in time to prevent another scar from being added to my mind.

After gathering his wits, the guard looked at us through what little illumination the torches on the sides of the gate provided and gave us a stinted smile. "How... can I help you fine folk on this, uh..." He briefly inclined his head upward. "Fine... evening? Morning? Whatever it is."

"Not talking in your sleep anymore would be a good start," Alice remarked.

His smile cracked even further. "Ah, well, that happens sometimes. Just some incoherent rambling; please pay it no mind."

I held up my hands in a conciliatory manner. "No need to worry; we don't judge."

"Damn pervert." was Alice's ever-so-helpful contribution.

"Okay, I don't judge, at least," I corrected. "As I always say, the only kink one should be shamed for is the kink for being kink-shamed and uhh..." I stopped as the guard's expression grew increasingly mortified. I looked to the side, seeking aid from my companion, but given Alice's amused look, that wouldn't be happening.

I sighed. "Can you just... let us out, please? Before I swallow my other foot as well, preferably. You may find it hard to believe, but this will only get worse; I speak from experience."

"R-right." He hurried over to the winch controlling the gate, likely eager to be rid of us. "Just give me a few minutes, and I'll have this open."

"...This is taking forever, let me do it," Alice said after just a few rotations, lightly pushing the guard out of the way before he could muster any protest and taking his place.

"Ah, wait, Alice!" I called out. "Please be—" I cringed as the portcullis practically crashed upward into its holding. "...gentle," I finished with a groan.

"...Nothing is broken," Alice determined after a few seconds with a touch of sheepishness in her voice. "I am plenty gentle, just... used to heavier gates."

The guard stared at her with wide eyes. "You... aren't human, are you?"

"About as human as your fantasies are wholesome and child-friendly," I supplied in a defeated laugh, simultaneously warning him of the mutually assured destruction waiting if he intended to spread rumors. Man, I was so done with this conversation.

He gulped. "Right... In that case, I wish you a wonderful day." He gave me a stiff nod. "Young Hero." Then turned to Alice, nodding again. "Miss totally a normal human." He then hastily shuffled over to the gatehouse and disappeared inside. The sound of a door being locked could be heard shortly after. Thankfully, it seemed that was over.

I ignored Alice grumbling to herself about lightweight gates and instead turned my gaze heavenward as I stepped outside of Iliasburg. The first signs of dawn were starting to appear on the horizon.

This would be a very long day. Still, I wasn't about to give up, not when a spot of hope was just a few days away. It wasn't complete doom and gloom right now, either. I would miss those I'd left behind, but I wasn't completely alone. I already managed to befriend Alice. And even if I wasn't likely to see them again soon, there was also Lime and possibly Reina, though I wasn't entirely sure if she counted as a friend. I might even be able to start working toward a new family soon, though any actual result on that front would likely take a while.

...Actually, speaking of Lime, I couldn't help but wonder how she and the other slimes were doing. Hopefully, dropping Erubetie on them like that all of a sudden didn't give them too much of a scare. And even more so, I hoped that my plan to guide her there so she would have a more positive disposition toward me would bear fruit. The first encounter with Alma Elma was already bad enough on its own; I really didn't need one of the Heavenly Knights trying to kill me without holding back.

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

-Later that day, at the slime colony-

"Are we doing it right, Queenie?" One of many slimes asked with an arm elongated and waving around her toy in what they had rather straightforwardly dubbed 'The Boomerang Dance.'

"You are doing very well," Erubetie responded with a soft smile; her praise met with several giggles and, if possible, even greater enthusiasm than before. She wasn't even lying to make her kin feel better, to keep them from losing hope, as she had to do so often in recent times. They were clumsy initially, constantly losing control of their limbs entirely, resulting in them splatting against the ground and the mass being reabsorbed. Now, they were moving with something that could almost be considered to resemble grace.

...If only all of her kin could be this happy and carefree.

As for Erubetie herself, she was taking a moment to rest after completing the wards meant to protect this new sanctuary. Though she would have preferred to also eradicate the nearby human settlement and their temple to Ilias. Even if they didn't seem to pollute their environment as much as the humans in Sentora did, they were merely a different variation of terrible. Undoubtedly, there would not be a single slime here left alive had they found this place before her.

Unfortunately, she could not afford to take actions that risked alienating Alipheese at such a critical juncture. She could tell her liege was faltering between upholding her mother's insidious dreams of peace and doing what was necessary. All that was needed was some time and maybe a little push.

There was just one problem: him, that boy named Luka. If she was traveling with him, those same toxic ideals that killed her mother may yet sink their fangs into Alipheese the Sixteenth. If that tragedy were to repeat, slimes would be doomed. No other member of the Monster Lord's bloodline remained, and none of the Heavenly Knights were currently strong enough to obtain a decisive victory over the others, likely resulting in a stalemate. It might take decades for another Monster Lord to be crowned. At the rate pollution was proceeding, that timeframe would be enough to render even their sanctuary uninhabitable to most. At that point, the only thing Erubetie could do to save their lives would be to make them part of herself as well. And should she attempt to take matters into her own hands to prevent that outcome, the other Knights would stop her.

For the sake of the future, for the sake of her kin, that boy would need to perish. A group of human bandits would serve well as a scapegoat to guide Alipheese's anger.

"No, you can't do that to him!" shouted the newest addition to her body with surprising vehemence. "He is my friend; you can't hurt him! If you try, I'll... I'll stop you!"

Erubetie was about to wrest the voice into submission out of habit. With so many minds inhabiting one body, emotional outbursts or active dissidence could not be tolerated lest she tear herself apart. But she stopped short.

...Had she truly grown so vicious? Enough that she would murder a benefactor to the slime race in cold blood, to deny him even the mercy of a pleasurable death to serve a ploy? If her younger self were to see her now, she would be disgusted.

It would be less effective without a corpse to show, but him being separated from Alipheese was non-negotiable. She would just need to hide him somewhere he wouldn't be found...unless...

No... perhaps his presence was actually an opportunity. Despite the tantalizing scent he emitted, Alipheese had yet to even lay a hand on him when Erubetie saw them. If that still remained the case, it may be possible to appeal not only to her reason but her instincts as well. It would be simplicity itself to make her act on her repressed desires. Then as she berated herself for her lack of self-control, Erubetie would point at his face, slack in blissful ecstasy, show her this was how things were meant to be, that monsters ruling over humans didn't have to be born of terror and violence. It was a compromise between her duty as the Monster Lord and the filial obligations she felt.

Ultimately it didn't matter whether the hand holding the reigns of humanity was harsh and unyielding or soft and doting so long as the reigns were held at all, as long as humans could no longer commit their evil.

All Erubetie needed was an excuse to approach those two. She would return to Undine's Spring for now and consult with her old friend.

She took another glance at the cheerfully dancing and playing slimes.

...And for the first time in years, she had some good news to share with Undine.