24th day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 7:30 PM

  "How are you today, Your Majesty?"

  A voice asked to the ruler of the lizardmen, Lizard Magnus. The King was still unaware of the situation in his kingdom, but he was well aware of the voice pricking his ears. It belonged to Laplace, a demonic jester who enjoyed teasing him during his captivity.

  “...”

  As usual, he refrained from responding to the provocations. It wasn't worth it.

  "The cat got your tongue, huh? Don't worry! I know how to make you talk..."

  The jester leaned toward him, placing his hands on the cell bars. Despite his mask, he was clearly holding back laughter. Lizard wondered what that damned two-bit clown had to laugh about.

  If only I were free...No, he'd win in a fight.

  The wise king wasn't foolish enough to give in to irritation. He was well aware that the jester outmatched him. He hoped with all his heart that his son was safe; Gabiru was their only hope. Lizard had to act confident while he waited to be rescued. He couldn't show weakness.

  "I just got back from the front, do you know how it ended?"

  "We won, obviously."

  He replied confidently. Lizard was absolutely certain of his soldiers' victory. He knew the Six Great Heroes personally; they were all exceptional warriors and he was certain they could not be beaten, not even by Laplace himself. It was not like him to overestimate people, but when it came to his most trusted warriors, his arrogance knew no bounds.

  "The first time yes, but the second...nope!"

  "Impossible!"

  The imprisoned ruler roared, gripping the bars of his cell tightly. Lizard's bravado vanished, giving way to disbelief.

  "Yes, it did! You should know that you lost your Six Great Heroes! They were all killed by a single enemy! Hahahaha! It was hilarious! You had to be there, you know?"

  Lizard's heart skipped a beat. The Six Heroes had been defeated? And by a single enemy, no less? It seemed impossible—it had to be! They were his people's only hope, and he couldn't afford to lose them. Laplace's words couldn't be true; it was impossible.

  "You're lying!"

  “I knew you wouldn’t believe me. You have no reason to, after all…”

  The jester turned his back on the imprisoned ruler, looking strangely serious.

  “...that's why I decided to bring you a little surprise!”

  Laplace gestured with his robe and pulled out a large sword, broken in two pieces, before throwing it to the ground. Lizard's heart skipped a beat at the sight; he knew that weapon too well. He was the one who had entrusted it to his dearest friend during the war. More than twenty years had already passed since that event.

  "This is-"

  The words caught in his throat.

  "You recognize it, huh? It's Tiberio's weapon! Your trusty friend!"

  Lizard loosened his grip on the bars and lowered his gaze, something he'd never done in front of anyone, not with a sense of defeat in his heart. For the first time in his life, the great leader felt lost.

  "Tiberio..."

  He can't really be dead...No...

  Laplace smiled beneath his mask at the sight. He was succeeding! He was breaking the ruler of the lizardmen. That was feat few would have accomplished without the right conditions.

  "Now that your army has been wiped out by this third party, we will think of your son! But fear not! I am not so evil as to not allow a father to say a final farewell to his firstborn! We will bring you his head when we are finished..."

  "Bastard!"

  He tried to grab the jester through the bars, but couldn't reach him. The days of captivity and the lack of food had exhausted him, even if he could scream. Lizard tried to stay tall and powerful, but his tired legs protested, and he had to collapse to the ground, kneeling.

  What a humiliation...

  "Oh-Oh-Oh! Someone's misbehaving! To bed without dinner!"

  The jester mocked him, imitating the voice of a stern mother. At that moment, a couple of orcs arrived to relieve those present, and Laplace took advantage of this to leave, sticking his tongue out at the sovereign.

  "As soon as I get out of here, I swear I-"

  Lizard grumbled, but stopped when he heard a thud behind him. He whirled around and saw his daughter Tokka on the ground, exhausted by hunger and thirst . The girl—trapped with the rest of the King's elite guard—had given up what little of her ration she had to the younger or less resilient members present, and now she had reached the limit of her endurance. Especially for a lizardman, dehydration was a serious matter.

  "Oh, no! Tokka! Give me some water! Water, quickly!"

  Lizard rushed to support his daughter, trying to hydrate her with the little water in the cell, but it wasn't enough. None of the other prisoners had any, and he had already drunk his ration for the day.

  I was a fool...

  The king began to reproach himself for the situation he found in. First, he had allowed himself to be captured like a novice, and then he had done nothing but worry about his kingdom—neglecting his daughter. For a king, his subjects were the priority. In a precarious situation like his, Lizard should have had faith in his son Gabiru, prioritizing the safety of his fellow prisoners and... his daughter.

  "What's going on here? What's all this racket?"

  A large orc approached the bars, drawn by the king's shouts. He was about two and a half meters tall, wore a black cloak, and had white pupil-less eyes. Like all his kind, he was rather stocky, with a pig's nose and large tusks protruding from his mouth.

  "Give us some water! Please!"

  "You've already had your daily ration..."

  "It's not for me! My daughter is dehydrated! For our species, it's serious and she risks dying! Take some from my ration tomorrow, but please give it to her now!"

  The orc seemed surprised by the lizardman's desperate plea. He had witnessed the various tortures the King was subjected to by Laplace, but he had never seen him so pleading—not to the point of begging. Lizardmen were proud, after all.

  "Hey, you! Bring some water!"

  The orc roared at one of his companions, his tone authoritative. However, the subordinate seemed reluctant to obey the order.

  "B-But, S-Sir Gherd! The trolls' orders are—"

  "I don't care about their orders! No one dies of hunger or thirst under my watch! Have you forgotten what we've suffered?"

  The orc admonished him, with such disdain that it made the other companions in the room tremble. There was something in the gleam in his eyes that surprised even Lizard. He couldn't help but feel respect for the guy, even though he was one of his captors.

  "N- No.…I…I…No.…"

  "Good! Now go get some water and some bread too! Say they're for us and take them off my ration!"

  "R-Right away, sir!"

  As his subordinate ran out of the room to get what he requested, Gherd's attention returned to Lizard Magnus, who was watching him intently. He could see the wheels turning in the lizard lord's head; it was clear he was thinking about something.

  "He called you Gherd. I know that name! You're the son of the Orc King, aren't you?"

  "Yes, that's right."

  The orc replied, sighing slightly. He didn't seem happy to see Lizard in that condition, much less to be recognized. He considered carefully what to say, and finally decided to pour out everything he had inside, especially now that there were no trolls around.

  “I want to be honest with you, Lord Lizard.”

  He declared in a dejected and disconsolate tone.

  “We orcs are not at all happy with this situation. We are being used as slaves...”

  "Then why did you team up with the trolls in the first place?!"

  "We had no other choice!"

  Gherd roared, putting a hand to his face. Lizard's question was bringing back terrible memories he preferred not to talk about. All the death and devastation he'd witnessed had hardened his soul, but deep down, he remained a pure soul.

  "We had no choice..."

  He declared again, in a broken voice

  "We orcs live in an arid area, where even growing anything is a luxury! I've seen too many children starve before they reach ten!"

  The pain in Gherd's words moved the nearby orcs, who nodded in agreement. He wasn't lying. Lizard couldn't help but feel renewed respect for the prince of the other species. He glanced from his daughter to his interlocutor, carefully considering what to say.

  "That's why you were so angry before..."

  "Yes! I know what it feels like to suffer from hunger and thirst! We had to ally ourselves with the trolls—it was the only way to survive! There are over three hundred thousand of us! We wouldn't have been able to go on as before, especially after the sandstorms in our lands intensified due to the great Sand Crocodile."

  The orc's pain softened Lizard's hard expression. He didn’t see them as allies, but now he had trouble seeing them as enemies. He, too, would have allied himself with the trolls if he'd been in Gherd's position. Truth be told, attempting to form an alliance with those damned trolls was the reason for his imprisonment.

  “L-Lord Gherd!”

  The ogre prince's subordinate returned with the water and bread, which he then gave to Tokka, stabilizing her condition.

  "How are you, my daughter?"

  Lizard asked, his tone soft and concerned. He no longer sounded like a stoic king, but rather like a concerned father.

  "Better, Father...thank you."

  Tokka replied, slowly regaining her energy.

  "Keep this."

  Lizard's gaze lit up when he saw Gherd hand him what looked like a small green bottle.

  "This is?"

  "A potion I found in the Oni village during the raid. Judging by the color, it must be a healing potion. Give it to your daughter! No one dies while I'm on guard..."

  Lizard nodded and took the bottle, giving it to his daughter to drink. Her strength returned quickly, albeit slowly.

  "Thank you very much, Sir Gherd..."

  "The Sir is of no use, not for you."

  "Same thing, let's use be informal between each other. You saved my daughter, after all."

  "Thank you, I couldn't let her die. Frankly... I can't imagine what you're going through, with a kingdom in ruins due to deception and subterfuge. Plus, with your son facing death..."

  “Yeah."

  Lizard's face darkened suddenly.

  “How I wish I could figure out what the hell is going on.”

  "From what I understand, a certain Almodeus is conquering the forest with an army of undead. Unfortunately, I can't tell you more than that. I heard Yeddu say that while he was complaining to Laplace."

  "Almodeus, huh? Never heard of the name. But if he has an army of the undead, I'm not surprised the Troll King is afraid of him. One tyrant worse than the other!"

  Gherd nodded, then began to think.

  "You know..."

  He scratched the back of his neck, looking around slightly, as if he were about to tell a secret.

  “It seems there is a third faction.”

  “A third faction?”

  “Yes! From what I've heard, a small town has sprung up south of the forest.”

  "A city to the south? I assume it's made up of a handful of goblins."

  "Not only that, but also from the Oni survivors!"

  Lizard's eyes widened in surprise. Oni and goblins had allied themselves? It was so unusual for two such different races to live together in harmony.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "How strange. How did they find peace?"

  "It seems to have been the work of a certain Almodea, who unified Oni and goblins in the city I told you about. If I remember correctly, that place should be called Almy."

  "Almodea? Is she allied with that Almodeus?"

  "I don't know, but I'm sure the city is peaceful, it doesn't seem like it's taking part in the war! In fact, Yeddu doesn't consider it a threat."

  "Hmm, if it's peaceful, it must be because it has a good military force. Besides, if this Almodeus guy hasn't conquered it, it means they're allies. Maybe we can do something about it!"

  "What do you mean?"

  Gherd seemed confused by Lizard's sudden rant. Lizard realized this and tried to explain himself further, gesturing a little.

  "If I could contact my son, I could propose an alliance with this city of Almy. Perhaps then he would have enough strength to come and free us, and in the meantime save you orcs too, as long as you don't attack us from behind once the trolls are defeated."

  “Mhh...that’s a risky plan.”

  The orc prince commented, unconvinced.

  “Even if this city of Almy would be open to an alliance, how do you plan to reach your son?”

  "I'll go!"

  Tokka stepped forward, approaching the two who were conversing in hushed tones.

  "No! You're too weak!"

  "After taking the potion, I'm the one in the best shape here! Please, Father!"

  Lizard clenched his fists in frustration. He had already lost Tiberio, he didn't want to lose his daughter. He turned to the rest of his guard and realized that Tokka had spoken the truth; no one but her was capable of escape.

  "I respect her courage..."

  Gherd intervened, opening the cell door slightly.

  "If you really want to escape, for the next five minutes I'll turn around and pretend this little door is closed. I'll also pretend that you don't take the third corridor on the left and go to the second door on the right, then go up the stairs and out one of the side entrances, where the guards will coincidentally be absent on my orders."

  Tokka took one last look at her father, who reluctantly nodded. He gave her permission to go, but not before hugging her and wishing her good luck. If she died, Lizard would never forgive himself.

  Following Gherd's directions and using her trained warrior skills, Tokka managed to escape the troll mountain. It would take her days to reach the swamp—perhaps even more than a week—but it was her only chance to save everything she held dear in the world.

  “Brother, I'm coming!”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  26th day of the month of the gray dragon (March) 5:30 AM

  I should be on time...

  Shion approached Shen's small residence and knocked on the door. It was rare for her not to be with Almodea, but that morning was different than usual. The Oni leader had requested to all members to be available for a special meeting. Shion herself had suggested that particular time, as she had her usual intensive training with Hirashi scheduled from eight to noon. The others had gladly agreed, as it wouldn't take away from their duties.

  “There you are, Shion! You were the only one missing!”

  Huna greeted her smilingly, opening the door and letting her in.

  “Sorry for the delay.”

  She replied, placing the mace she was carrying on the table in the center of the room, where everyone else was already sitting.

  “Lady Almodea always has trouble waking up in the morning, and today it was her turn to prepare breakfast.”

  “Does she cook? I'm not surprised, given the other options...”

  “Are you suggesting my cooking isn’t good, Zed?”

  The ninja swallowed as Shion sat down across from him, with a smile plastered across her face. He'd known the woman long enough to know that her calm expression was just a mask, and the twitching of the right eyebrow was clear evidence of that. If there was one thing you should never do with Shion, it was question the quality of her cooking, even if it was on a par with deadly poison capable of killing even dragons.

  “This is not the time to argue.”

  Shen stated firmly, taking a seat at the head of the table. Now that Shion had arrived, everyone was there and could begin the meeting. No one knew the reason behind the assembly, but if their leader had requested it, then something serious was brewing.

  "As you well know, we've been living in the town of Almy for more than two weeks now. So far, our new masters have proven to be very friendly and helpful."

  “True! They offered me a lot of materials to work with!”

  Ghu intervened enthusiastically.

  “That's true, but it also makes me think...”

  Shen's words caused the room to fall silent. The serious expression on his face told everyone present that something was wrong. If they were truly so happy in that position, why call a secret meeting? Everyone had been ordered not to tell anyone about the gathering. Shion felt her heart beating faster and faster. For some reason, she was anxious- as if she feared what Shen was about to say.

  “...and a question often comes to mind. Will things stay this way even after the trolls fall?”

  “Do you mean to say that our new masters are treating us well only because we are useful to them in conquering the forest?”

  “As usual, you got it right, Zed. I shouldn't be surprised you read my mind.”

  As the two exchanged a look of agreement, Shion raised her hand in confusion.

  “Sorry, but I got lost...”

  “It’s nothing new, uh uh.”

  Huna taunted her, hiding her mouth behind the wide sleeves of her kimono.

  “You little! I'll—"

  “This is no time for jokes!”

  Shen thundered, snapping the two women to attention. It was rare to see him snap like that, especially with his younger sister. Between the two of them, Huna usually wore the pants; a single frown from hers would have made Shen wet his pants in fear. In this case, however, it was the opposite.

  “Listen…”

  The leader continued, rising from his seat.

  “What I'm about to say is just a guess, but... who can tell us that once this war is over, we won't end the same way as the lizardmen? My fear is that Almodeus may lose interest in us, if he ever had any in the first place. Our revenge is within reach, but who can assure us that we won't be discarded afterwards? Let's be honest...we're not indispensable to him.”

  Shion felt a pang in her chest. She had been the one to tell Shen the fact she’d witnessed about the lizardmen thanks to Almodea. Could that have triggered Shen's paranoia? The leader's words were true, but she couldn't believe Almodea would discard her like a broken toy. Not after everything they'd been through.

  No.…Lady Almodea could never throw me away.

  It was her worst nightmare: being abandoned by her mistress. Shion had grown too fond of her to say goodbye in such a miserable way. She was too happy in Almy's town and couldn't believe what Shen was saying could be true.

  “I agree with everything, young sir.”

  Hattori intervened, clearing his throat with a sip of water. He had remained silent throughout the whole meeting, intent on watching his student grow into a man and tackle his problems.

  “Do you think like me, master?”

  "Absolutely not."

  The old Oni's curt reply rekindled hope in Shion's heart. The others present also seemed surprised, and calmly waited for the elder to finish his water so they could hear what he had to say. The wait was killing everyone inside, especially Shion.

  "What you say is logical, young sir. However, I think it's too pessimistic as a line of reasoning."

  Hattori declared, calmly placing the empty glass on the table.

  "According to Shion's report, the Lizardmen Heroes were defeated by a single creature. They were as strong as we were before we evolved."

  “What are you trying to get at?”

  "That you're right: we're not indispensable to Almodeus'a army. But if your reasoning were correct, they wouldn't have subjugated us in the first place. You've seen their technology and the enormous manpower they possess, right? Do you really think they needed generals, spies or blacksmiths for this one operation?"

  “I...Don’t...think so..."

  Seeing Shen's hesitation, Hattori chuckled lightly, ready to press him.

  “Let's be honest here, please. We were spared because we submitted to Lady Almodea. If she hadn't found us interesting, we would have ended up like those reckless lizardmen by now. These people have power far beyond our imagination. Just look at Lady Almodea and the Venerable Hirashi. In my opinion, they alone could have conquered this forest in less than a week.”

  It took some time for everyone to absorb the old Oni's words. Shen was the first to nod, agreeing. He didn't really know how to counter that statement, and he felt a little embarrassed for having shown weakness. However, no one blamed him; they had all thought more than once that their new masters' kindness was just a facade.

  Their power is far beyond anything we've ever seen. I must become stronger if I want to remain useful to Lady Almodea. I'm her bodyguard...and also a concub-

  “Excuse me. May I say something?”

  Shion's thoughts were interrupted abruptly by a question from Ghu, their blacksmith. Evolution had made him slightly less beastly and somehow a little more orderly. He was still an Oni, but numerous female goblins had shown interest in him.

  “I know I'm not a fighter—and therefore have less right to speak than you all do—but I'd still like to express my opinion. May I do so?”

  "Of course! Just because you're not a warrior like us doesn't make you any less important. Tell us what you think, feel free to express yourself."

  “Thank you, Shen.”

  The blacksmith blushed slightly at those words, before resuming his meditation with a powerful cough.

  “I think we should still prepare ourselves for the possibility that Lady Almodea might tire of us. I mean... Let's show her more loyalty! I don't know about you, but I care very little about revenge anymore. I like my job, I like my new life, and I owe it all to that girl. She always provides me with excellent materials to experiment with and never complains about the quality of the weapons, even though they're not exceptional.”

  “Your weapons? Not exceptional?”

  Hattori interrupted, chuckling under his breath.

  “You are too modest, my friend.”

  “No, I'm serious.”

  Ghu replied firmly, taking back control of the conversation.

  “I asked Sir Morello a while back to give me an example of a weapon they had, because I was curious to see what kind of methodology they used. He brought me a greatsword enchanted with level 5 magic! Stuff on par with Hattori's katana! That alone made my jaw drop, but you know what almost made me have a fit? He described it as if it were some kind of basic weapon! Something minor! These people are out of their minds! I can't even begin to imagine the power level of what weapons they consider important, honestly.”

  The statement made everyone's eyes narrow. It wasn’t directed to Ghu directly, but rather to their weakness. Shion in particular clenched her fists so tightly that the veins in her palms showed. She glanced briefly at her mace, the weapon she was supposed to use to defend Almodea. It wasn't anything special, but it was the best she had.

  That was the problem: their best was worthless. The blacksmith's words were yet another demonstration of their weakness compared to those powerful beings that were conquering the forest. Everyone felt inferior and useless, especially the warrior woman. What was the point of being a bodyguard for someone stronger than her? She was fortunate that Almodea had enthusiastically accepted the proposal, instead of mocking and taunting her for even considering it in the first place.

  I have to get stronger!

  Shion gritted her teeth and bit her lip, making it bleed slightly. She hated feeling weak as much as she hated feeling inadequate for Almodea. The only reason she was enjoying the city was because the girl in question was kind to her. Almodea gave her unconditional affection, yet Shion couldn't truly repay that so-called affection.

  “I think Ghu is right.”

  Breaking the circle of glances and self-pitying thoughts was Zed, the group's ninja. Evolution had made him a bit more handsome, and he too had become popular among the city's goblin girls, second only to Shen in that context. But he cared little about that notoriety; he was someone who cared more about his work than his personal life. In a couple of weeks, his espionage skills had reached a level he never would have expected, all thanks to training under Hirashi's guidance.

  "We must prove ourselves as loyal as possible to our new masters. A armed confrontation is out of the question. We stand no chance against Lady Almodea, nor even against the Venerable Hirashi. Especially since the latter is even more powerful than the former."

  “Sorry to interrupt, Zed. I’d like to ask Hattori a question about this.”

  Shen stated, approaching his master after receiving a nod from his friend.

  “What do you have to ask me, young sir?”

  “Do you think we have any hope of winning against Lady Hirashi or Lady Almodea? I'm not saying six against two, but taking them individually and by surprise.”

  It was clear to everyone what the Oni leader was getting at. If they ever had to rebel against their new masters, for one reason or another, it would be wise to know who they could defeat and under what conditions they would face the enemy.

  “Hope? There’s no hope against them. You’ve already seen how Lady Almodea defeated us without even trying. That girl is over level 100, while we’re barely at 30. We are talking about someone who is on par with the great beings of the past who threw the world into chaos.”

  “Yes, I know! But your katana managed to cut off Lady Almodea's arm! Maybe that's the key to beating her and Lady Hirashi in a—”

  “It wouldn’t work!”

  Hattori's statement caused Shen to fall into complete silence. His master was staring at him with a cold gaze, as if he'd just said something stupid.

  “But- “

  “No buts! I understand your thoughts, and I agree that we must use everything we have in the event of a fight against them. It is true that my sword managed to damage Lady Almodea's physical form—”

  “Just what I was saying! We need to figure out if we can do more! See- ouch!”

  “Stop interrupting and make me finish!

  A resounding slap on the back of the head immediately silenced the Oni leader, who was forced to let Hattori speak again.

  “As I was saying—it’s true that my sword managed to damage Lady Almodea’s physical form, but you also should remember that she reattached her arm without any problems and felt no pain, right?”

  “...”

  “Furthermore, I want to inform you that this tactic would not work on Lady Hirashi.”

  “What do you mean, master?”

  “That wouldn't work! Unclog your ears, boy! First of all, Lady Hirashi would be capable of killing us before we even had a chance to attack her; secondly, my katana can't pierce her skin.”

  “What?! Not even your katana does any damage to her?”

  “Unfortunately not. We've run tests, and no matter how much strength or speed I exert, Lady Hirashi's skin is harder than diamond. She's a mass of indestructible muscle upon muscle. And that brings me to my final statement on this matter...”

  All eyes were on Hattori- anxiety was sky-high.

  “If we really possessed a weapon powerful enough to truly harm Lady Almodea, don't you think they would have taken it away from us? Or put us under heavy surveillance? Instead, we are completely free to do what we want within certain limits. Yesterday I went fishing with Ryu and didn't feel observed. They trust us because they know we're not a threat.”

  Those present nodded at those harsh words; there was nothing else they could do. It was the absolute truth: they were weak, and their masters didn't see them as something to be worried of. Ultimately, if the Oni rebelled, Almodeus wouldn't lose anything by killing them and replacing them. They were useful, but not indispensable.

  “At this point, I think our position is clear.”

  Huna declared, crossing her arms.

  “Yes. If no one has anything to add, we can leave it at that.”

  Shen's words came out with a hint of disappointment. That meeting had been very useful in clarifying their position, and he was confident their masters weren't threatening to betray them. However, it had also practically been thrown in his face that they were powerless in that situation. It was a lot for a proud man like him to take in. Still, Shen could consider himself happy that his companions were doing well with their new lives.

  “No one? So-“

  Just as Shen was about to close the session, a hand rose.

  “Can I bring up an issue?”

  “Of course, Zed. What do you have to say?”

  “I agree with Master Hattori. Our masters have no reason to betray us, much less remain faithful to their agreement. However, I would like to point out that there is a way to safeguard us Oni, should anything happen in the future. It's just a theory, but I think it makes sense.”

  "That would be?"

  "A marriage between you—our leader—and Lady Almodea might give us some assurance. From what we know, Lord Almodeus would never do anything against his daughter's wishes, so he would never attack anyone connected to her consort."

  The room fell silent. Shion felt herself boiling with anger for some reason, while everyone else's jaws dropped.

  “Are you serious, Zed?!”

  Huna snapped. She would never allow her brother to marry for such a reason. For her, marriage was a sacred thing, not something to be exploited for personal gain.

  “I'm not saying he have to do it. I'm just pointing out that it's a possibility.”

  The ninja's gaze shifted towards the person concerned in the matter.

  “What do you think, Shen?”

  “I-I...I think that's a sensible idea. But it's a double-edged sword!”

  The leader stammered. Despite being considered the most attractive of the male Oni by the female goblins, Shen had never had a girlfriend or a consort. Even in his old village, he was always pursued by women, but this made him uncomfortable—he was extremely inexperienced in that field.

  “I-I mean! If I mess up, we're all screwed! Besides, we don't know if Lady Almodea is interested in anyone. She might see it as disrespectful if we proposed an arranged marriage!”

  “That’s true, but we can ask those of us who know her best.”

  All eyes turned to Shion, who immediately shrugged. It was clear that she and Almodea were very close, which was why they were asking her specifically.

  “So, Shion...Can you tell us anything about Lady Almodea’s tastes for men?”

  "Well..."

  She didn't know what to reveal and what to keep secret. How could she lie to her companions? It would be high treason. Finally, Shion gave in to the pressure of the curious stares and decided to spill the beans on the matter.

  “Lady Almodea never told me anything about her tastes. About men, at least.”

  “Really? Nothing at all?”

  “I swear! I just know she likes having strong women around, nothing else!”

  Zed brought his hand to his chin, processing the information he had just received from Shion.

  “I understand. Could you try asking what kind of man she likes?”

  “Am I supposed to ask her what?! Are you serious?!"

  “Yeah! It must be a normal discussion between women, right? Don't you ever talk about boys?”

  “Now that you mention it, no...not at all. Lady Almodea almost never talks about boys she likes.”

  “Okay, you try to get some information on the subject then.”

  “I'll try...”

  Shion snorted, raising her hand to her forehead. Zed's proposal made sense, yet she couldn't help but disagree with him. It bothered her to have to ask those questions, especially since she wasn't used to those conversations. She'd never talked to anyone about boys, especially since she'd never liked any males—she couldn't even say what type of man she enjoyed being with.

  “Don’t feel obligated, Shion.”

  Huna reassured her with a gentle smile. She knew more than she let on.

  "Lady Almodea is an open person. If she had any interest in my brother, she would have already shown it. She's not one with many inhibitions."

  “If there is nothing else to discuss, the meeting is adjourned!”

  Shen stated firmly, though he still had an embarrassed expression. He was a skilled leader, but when it came to women he was at a loss. That was also the reason he had always remained single.

  “May I make you some tea? It's still a little while before we're supposed to go our separate ways.”

  Huna suggested, getting up and approaching the kitchen. It was a bit dusty, since Shen never used it, preferring to eat out with Zed. The Oni leader was really bad at household chores.

  “Excuse me if I don't stay, but I have to go.”

  “Leaving already, Shion?”

  “Yes. I want to avoid being late for my training with Lady Hirashi. That woman already terrifies me, so it's best not to make her angry.”

  “You’re right, eh eh. To be honest, I think she’s kind...deep down.”

  Shion nodded at Huna's words and grabbed her club, rising from the table. She gave a quick goodbye to her companions and left the house. Once outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a tougher meeting than she'd expected, and many things had happened that had shaken her, like Zed's absurd idea.

  “Better not think about it...now I have to focus on training.”