Claire proceeded to immediately get to work on the mounds of paperwork before her.

As she began to read through the documents, a shadow came across the paper which Claire was looking down at.

"Your eminence..... I have a request."

Looking up to see the extravagantly dressed ferret in front of her, Claire smiled brightly.

"What is it, Tiffany?"

"I would like to hold a banquet in my own home.... I would like to use this opportunity to apologize sincerely to the people that I have harmed. I understand that you are busy, but if you are able to, would you be willing to come as well?"

Claire was filled with happiness at this statement.

'She.... she's really inviting me to a party.... how many places have I gone where everyone gave me strange looks and either bowed down before me or drove me away?'

With a kind smile, Claire nodded.

"I would love to come."

Tiffany smiled back as well, walking over to the couch where Mori and Lisa were sitting.

Standing in front of the two, Tiffany bowed her head.

"You are one of the girls that I harmed before. I understand that what I did was unforgivable, and if you hate me for it..... then I will say nothing. There are no words that can make up for the pain which I put you through. If you hold a grudge against me for the rest of your life, it wouldn't be strange. However, if you can find it within yourself to forgive me, then I would like to invite you and your friend here as well to this banquet."

Lisa looked up at the gorgeous ferret whose red eyes shined with sincerity, and sighed.

"It hurt a lot when you put that flame to my face.... but C healed me up, and you seem repentant for your actions..... so I don't really have a reason to stay angry."

Looking up, Tiffany's expression seemed to twist and turn with indecision.

"Is that... really alright? To just forgive me like that? I.... I harmed you..... I destroyed your face and cruelly tortured you.... why would you forgive me so easily?"

"The past is the past. Right now, there's a law, isn't there? Violence is not allowed. C made sure of this. And I think we've already seen the effects of holding a grudge and seeking revenge on others."

Lisa's tone dropped and her eyes became serious.

"It can lead a person to self destruction."

Closing her eyes with a choked up sigh, Tiffany nodded.

"I see. Then, I look forward to seeing you tonight. Bring whoever you wish."

The leopard print robe fluttered as Tiffany opened the door to leave.

Turning back, she made one last statement.

"Don't forget to bring your sister, Fina. I need to apologize to her as well."

And with that, the door shut closed.

Fina walked up to the desk of Claire, her robotic joints barely making any noise as a result of the recent improvements.

"Your eminence, do you have any objectives for me to complete? Or would you consider my work to have been sufficient for the day?"

Claire looked up, putting a finger to her lip in thought before glancing down at her paperwork with a sigh.

"The only work left for today is the stuff I have to do on my own. Go on."

"As you order."

With a quick bow, Fina walked out of the room.

"Are you two alright to leave on your own? The city should be safe now..... I think..... I hope....."

Without so much as looking up from her paperwork, Claire directed these words at Mori and Lisa who were patiently waiting on the couch.

"C... we've caused a lot of trouble for you.", Mori said while folding his hands and looking to the ground. "Sorry that we keep putting ourselves in danger."

Closing her eyes, Claire paused her hand for a moment to speak.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just concerned for you. Sorry if I've come off as harsh or as a tyrant.... but that's just who I have to be."

With nods, the two silently got up and exited the room.

Claire was now left alone, with much to do and no time to do it.

'You wanna just leave this for tomorrow and go party?'

'No.... I have to get this done. If I don't plan things out properly, then the people of this city.... no, the people of this world will suffer. I can't afford to slack off.'

'No fun. Fine. I'll help you out.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, there's a good thing about having a split mind. Watch and learn, sweetheart.'

Claire's left arm then became engulfed by the demonic aura, and as this happened, her arm began writing on it's own.

Claire was now writing on one document with her left hand and another with her right.

'Eh? You're doing that completely independent of me?'

'Hahaha! See? It isn't too bad to have a mind that's been split in two.'

'Hey, don't tell me you're just getting this done fast and cutting corners!! If I find that you're sacrificing the good of the people in these plans then I won't let you do this again!!'

'Ah, ya caught me. Alright alright. I'll do everything I can to help the people. But you made the decision earlier already, didn't you?'

'What decision?'

Clarice grinned within Claire, her own voice carrying a sense of satisfaction.

'To optimize the lives of everyone. I will ensure that people can live the best lives possible, but I will do it using any means.'

'Alright. Let's do it.'

'Oh? You agreed pretty quickly. I expected you to fight back a bit. Perhaps I'm influencing you?'

'And perhaps I'm influencing you.'

'Haha! A cheeky response. Let's get to it.'

----

Hours passed, and Claire ended up working into the night.

Meanwhile, people gathered together.

An older ratman wearing a tophat and monocle walked through the streets alongside a younger ratman- a male who wore industrial scrubs- and a humanoid mouse female who wore a similar outfit.

"A banquet held by the very woman who drove our people to the brink of death in the past.... the times have certainly changed. The Determined.... she truly is an exceptional existence. She has been able to do something in mere days which would normally take decades of cooperation."

The older man- Ramrod- spoke with nostalgia in his voice as he walked.

"Yeah. I guess at the end of the day it's because she has power, just as she was saying earlier.", Mori agreed.

"But I do wonder.... why did she describe herself in such a manner? Wouldn't one normally try to appeal to people and paint themselves in a good light? Why has she blatantly denied her kindhearted nature to the people when she works so desperately to promote peace?", Ramrod asked.

"Because.... that's just the type of person she is.", Lisa responded. "She doesn't care about how people think of her. She cares about everyone else, but not herself."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

With a light smile, Lisa looked at her own two hands.

At one point, these hands had trembled with fear of the demon within the Determined, but right now she had no such fear.

"She may have called herself a bully. She claimed that a true hero sacrifices something of themselves for the sake of others, and that she isn't a true hero because she has the power to back her actions without needing to sacrifice..... but even so....."

With a sad smile, Lisa continued walking along the two men.

"She's giving more than she lets on, isn't she?"

"Lisa.... do you think C is struggling?", Mori asked.

"More than any person in this city..... and for the sake of these people. She is the one who is hurting the most on the inside. She claims that she hasn't sacrificed anything, but she's probably terrified. I don't know how she keeps on going. Everyone hates her, but she still cares for them and loves them like she were their own mother. She helps people, but then acts like she is about to kill them, scaring them away from her."

Turning to Mori, Lisa looked at him with concern.

"And I think there is something within her that we could never even begin to understand."

The eyes of the mouse girl met those of her comrade as her expression became one of deep worry.

"It's too much, isn't it? Why does she need to put herself through that?"

"I..... I don't know."

"If she is truly putting herself through so much, then there is only one thing we can do, no?"

Ramrod spoke with confidence as he walked forward, tapping his cane to the ground with each step.

"We must put forth every effort to become the supports which she can lean on."

Nodding in agreement, the three continued through the city streets before coming to an industrialized mansion.

"It seems that we've arrived."

Waving to the man who stood guard at the gate, the three were allowed in with ease.

"There is a time for work and a time for play. For now, let us relax to the fullest extent."

----

A humanoid gerbil with the arm and leg of a robot, with goggles covering her emotionless eyes, walked through the alleyways of a sputtering city.

The girl wore a leather coat with two hidden blades in the sleeves, and she was prepared to fight at any given moment should someone attack.

Walking next to this girl was another humanoid gerbil with a slightly lighter grey shade of fur, wearing the outfit of an industrial worker with suspenders and cap.

"Sister, I have an invitation for you. The woman who put the torch to your face wishes for you to come to her home so that she may provide you with a banquet in apology. Do you accept this invitation?"

With a deep breath, the hard working girl nodded.

"I'll go."

"I see. Sister, do you hold a grudge towards this woman? I do not understand the concept of holding anger past what is happening in the present, however many have told me of such things. Do you hold such emotions?"

With the sideways nod of her head, Gina simply closed her eyes in denial.

"It's true that I was kidnapped by that woman, and she was.... insane. She tortured me and that other girl, and I was scared. It hurt, and my face felt like it was about to fall apart. I never want to experience that pain again..... but I'll be honest with you, sister. I am not all that mad at the woman who put me through it."

Opening her eyes with a nostalgic smile, Gina looked straight forward.

"How do I put it..... it's the type of thing where I never want to have to go through it again, but I'm glad it happened."

"Glad? Why would you be glad about such a thing, sister? I do not understand this at all."

"I..... sister, do you know what it means to be in love? No.... I suppose you don't. I loved that man. I loved him with all my heart and all my being. If he was in trouble, I would have risked my life to help him."

"I can understand that, sister. I would give my life if you were in trouble."

"I suppose you're right.... I should have listened to you. You never trusted him, right? In the end, I'm glad that I was taken away by those men, because it allowed me to see the truth. It allowed me to see who that man..... who Nerdro really was."

"I see. And that is why you broke up with him?"

"Yes."

Gina's eyes became sad as she recalled her past.

"He told me.... he said he would do anything for me. He said he would give his life for me! But....."

Remembering the eyes of her boyfriend as he ran away, leaving Gina to be taken away by Al and his men, she could not help but want to spit to the ground in anger.

"But he left me to die."

"I see."

"Any man who tells his woman that he will die for them and doesn't actually have the resolve to do so.... deserves to die."

"Is that so? That is good news then. I happened to kill that man earlier today."

"Eh? Sister? You.... you did!? What about the decree!?!? What about the decree by that weirdo demon who doesn't want anyone to fight anymore?"

"I did it under her orders. There is no conflict of interest."

"I.... I see. So he disobeyed the decree then?"

"Yep."

Gina looked forward with resolve, nodding.

"I see.... so he did die in the end."

With a smile, she continued to walk forward.

"He deserved it."

"Indeed he did. He posed a threat to you, sister. I am glad to have been of assistance to both you and to her eminence."

The two continued walking through the streets, eventually making their way to the mansion of Tiffany.

When they reached the gates, a ferret man was waiting to let them in, and they entered.

"Welcome, guests. I believe the former boss is waiting inside for you. Some other guests have already arrived, so we are only waiting on her eminence at this point."

"Understood. Let us move, sister."

The two filed into the mansion, preparing themselves for a party.

----

A long table was filled with people across it's length, all of them chattering and awaiting the food which was to be prepared.

Along with Fina and her sister Gina, Ramrod, Mori, Lisa, and Al had also been invited along with a number of other people throughout the city.

The seat at the head of the table currently was empty, as the guest of honor had yet to arrive.

"How's it goin, old bones? Still hanging on even with this new change of leadership?", the former mafioso Al stated while giving a puff to his newly lit cigar.

"If a whippersnapper like you has time to ask me how I'm doing then perhaps you should be worrying about yourself, boy.", Ramrod replied promptly while fixing his monocle.

The two had a long history with one another. Al took over the mafia at a young age and was at odds with Ramrod's group for a number of years until Tiffany had appeared, after which things had only become worse.

"Life is strange, isn't it? Today's friend is yesterday's enemy. Or somethin like that."

With his hand resting inside his coat, Al let out a chuckle in his typical New York accent.

"One day my gun is my own. The next it's someone else's. And now, it's a completely different being's altogether. But I'm not complaining. I'll fulfill the orders for whoever is on top till the day I die."

"The mindset of a subordinate."

"Ain't you the same now? You're under the same person, so you don't really get to tell me about my life."

"I never said it was a bad thing. Only that we should be mindful of the person we dedicate our service to. However.... I trust the Determined. She is a leader that I am willing to get behind with full confidence."

"She beat Tiff down a peg so I'll serve her. If someone beats her eminence then I'll serve them. I ain't got something so pretty like loyalty. But.... I don't feel that anyone can beat her eminence. Not even the Host of Pride himself."

"Somehow I don't feel that her eminence would be deterred at all by your lack of loyalty."

Tapping his cigar onto an ashtray, Al pulled out his own pack, sliding it towards Ramrod.

"You want one?"

"Don't mind if I do."

Ramrod took his own cigar and reached for the lighter inside his jacket with a smile.

"Working together isn't so bad, is it?", Mori stated.

Sitting next to his grandfather, the child poked at the man who once held the stubborn grudges and believed firmly that peace would never come to this town.

"Only because her eminence held the power to produce such peace, has it come about. I doubted her at first because she was suspicious.... however I cannot deny the results she has produced. Only a few of my subordinates have died after her arrival in this city.... and those men were ones who directly disobeyed my orders and refused to remain peaceful."

"Losers like that who can't obey the strong are pretty helpless, ain't they? If you wanna disobey, you gotto be strong yerself. Anyone should know that. It's just as the Determined told everyone.", Al stated.

With a light smile, Ramrod seemed to chuckle.

"Indeed."

Soon enough, a woman entered the room wearing an apron and pushing a cart filled with food.

This ferret woman, who had eyes the same red shade as rubies, seemed to be uncomfortably squirming as she entered.

Placing the dishes at each area of the table, she eventually took off the apron to reveal her own party gown and sat next to Al.

"Whew. You cook this all yourself, Tiff?"

"Would you not call me that in front of all these people, Al? And.... I did. I hope that it is acceptable..... I am not extremely experienced with cooking for others, so...."

"Yeah, we know. You would always get everyone else to cook for you, so it's probably gonna be trash. Is that what yer tryna say?"

"That! I...."

Tiffany looked down with a light smile and laughed.

"Well, you're right. I've never done anything like this before."

"Haha! The fact that you would let a statement like that slip by without shutting down my limbs shows that you've changed a lot, Tiff. You're like a different person."

As Al grabbed one of the lids on the dishes, a burst of steam wafted around the area as a roasted piece of cheese was revealed.

"But I like this new side of you."

One by one the people around the table started to help themselves to the dishes.

Cheese seemed to be a staple, however there were a number of other dishes.

Chicken, steak, salad, and all sorts of foods that had been imported from the slime village.

"There ain't a woman in this town who knows how to cook this stuff properly, with her eminence aside. After all, all this food is new to us.", Al commented. "Even so, it looks good as hell."

Tiffany seemed to be looking down abashedly as Al praised her, and bit by bit the people feasted.

"This is great!", Mori shouted while eating a chicken leg.

"Quality is highly acceptable.", Fina stated while slicing a piece of cheese with her own blades. "In order to properly apologize to sister you should produce more, Tiffany."

"Eh? I'm already fu-"

Gina tried to interrupt her sister's statement, however she was met with a robotic hand to her lips.

"Unnecessary information. Produce more or sister will not forgive you for your transgressions."

Tiffany looked over at this with a laugh before sighing and putting the apron back on.

"I got it. Another round coming up."

Walking back out, the people continued eating for quite a while, and Tiffany eventually returned with a second helping of food.

By this point, most people had eaten their fill and Tiffany made it her duty to serve drinks to everyone.

Casual conversation was held while everyone had a taste of the newly introduced form of alcohol- a brand based on fermented grapes with the color of blood which was commonly produced in the slime village.

Even so, the seat at the head of the table remained empty.

Time passed, and it came late into the night. Hours had gone by, and people were all ready to leave at this point, however even then the guest of honor had not arrived.

"Do you think she was too busy to arrive?", Tiffany asked. "Should I finish things up?"

"No, I think she will come. She wouldn't tell you that she would come and then not show up.", Lisa responded.

With a nod, the people continued their chatter, however at this moment the door seemed to open on it's own.

"Good evening, everyone. I would apologize for being so late, but there isn't really any need to apologize. After all.... my presence alone is a reward for all who are here, no?"

Inside the door walked a figure who was angelic in every sense except for a single demonic hand, covered in wrinkles and purple veins.

Elegantly making her way across the room, all eyes were focused on the beautiful woman.

With every step she took the hearts of the people felt like they would explode out of awe for the classiness and dominant aura output by this person.

Sitting down gently and folding her hands, the angel smiled, lightening the mood of everyone in the room as if someone was literally shining a ray of hope on them.

"Haha... don't say things like that, me. Sorry I'm late. I had a lot of things to get done."