The day after the Doom Troll's defeat, a small assembly was hastily convened, with representatives of the various races gathered in Yeddu's throne room. Chairs were set up for at least twenty individuals from each tribe of the Dark Jade Forest. Some already knew what future lay ahead, while others were still groping in the dark, but all were certain of one thing: the forest now had new masters.

  Gurd presented himself as the goblin representative; Shen was elected for the Oni; Lizard Magnus resumed command for the lizardmen, accompanied to the assembly by Tokka, Druso, and Tiberio—Gabiru was excluded for reasons they preferred to keep private, but which were known to all; Gherd, the orcs' new king, was appointed as his tribe’s representative, assisted by Scylla; Finally, Hyo-Zan-Ryu was resurrected and placed in charge of a small band of trolls, who were to represent their race for the duration of the meeting.

  Shortly before noon, they were all gathered in Yeddu's former throne room. He and the rest of the trolls who had confronted Almodeus had been transformed into zombie trolls, who now served as guardians at the entrance. Many watched in fear as the mighty Doom Troll was reduced to a mindless puppet. They all took it as a warning and a clear message: there was no tolerance for those who did not submit.

  “Your Majesty, do you think we will be able to uphold the name of the lizardmen?”

  A soldier from Lizard Magnus's escort asked, whispering so that the others couldn't hear him.

  “I rule it out.”

  The King replied coldly. He looked from the young man to his dear friend Tiberio and clicked his tongue. Even though the hero was sitting with them and representing their kingdom, Lizard knew that once the assembly was over, his dear companion would return to serve the master he had submitted to after his resurrection.

  I can't blame him, after all it was Gabiru's mistake – and therefore mine too.

  He clicked his tongue again as he thought of his son, temporarily locked in one of the mountain rooms they'd used as lodgings the night before. Gabiru was the prince, but he'd screwed up badly. The elders could have used a thousand excuses to have him removed, discredit Lizard Magnus himself, and even have someone executed. Once the meeting was over, he'd have to settle matters with his son and avoid further bloodshed.

  What a thorny situation! Fortunately, or unfortunately I might say, there are those who are worse off.

  Lizard's gaze shifted to where the trolls and orcs were sitting. The trolls' faces were stoic, while the orcs' were so long they looked as if they were about to fall to the ground. He could understand why they felt that way, and he didn't envy them at all. They were the losers in that war, and therefore would be punished by the victors.

  The only ones who are doing well here are the goblins and the Oni.

  Gazing at the last two sides, Lizard felt envious of the first. If they had also submitted to Almodeus, they would now be sitting at the victor's table without having suffered so many losses, and his dearest friend would not have died in vain, only to return to life to serve someone else.

  The Oni have been nearly exterminated, but they don't seem to be having a bad time.

  He certainly couldn't say he envied the horned ones. There were only six of them left, but they didn't seem as anxious as the others. Almodeus's protection ensured they could slowly repopulate their tribe in safety. Once again, it had been proven that submission would be the right move.

  Who knows what will become of us...

  Although on paper they were allies of the city of Almy, and therefore of Almodeus, the lizardmen could not be considered victorious in that war. It was not certain that they would be punished, but the opposite was not guaranteed either. Lizard sighed and looked at Tokka. He was proud of her for having done everything possible to save him, even if it had reached this unfortunate situation where they—the powerful lizardmen—had to submit to avoid extermination.

  Whatever happens, I will protect my family.

  The movement of the revived Yeddu made everyone turn toward the entrance, which the zombie troll was slowly opening. He was moving like a snail, as if deliberately heightening the tension and emphasis of the moment. This gathering was not just a post-war assembly, but also a coronation.

  -The winners had arrived.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The door swung open and the elegant figure of Almodea emerged. She was followed closely by Hirashi, acting as her bodyguard, Sergio as her assistant, and Trinity as the dryads' representative. The former was seated on the gigantic throne, while the other figures took their places beside her. However, Almodeus was nowhere to be found, and before anyone could ask, Trinity clapped her hands to signal attention.

  "Today we are here to discuss the aftermath of the first great war in the Dark Jade Forest. The moderator, Almodea Fearterror, may begin the meeting."

  The dryad stated seriously. It was clear she wasn't happy with how things had turned out either. The demoness, however, looked at her with confusion, as if she hadn't expected to be called into question or even called the meeting's moderator.

  "Hmm? Me? And what should I say?"

  "Don't worry, Lady Almodea. I'll start for now."

  Sergio reassured her and took a few steps forward, drawing confused looks from most of those present. Almost no one from the non-allied factions knew him, so it was natural that questions would arise. Luckily, the robot was prepared.

  "Let me introduce myself, I'm Sergio! It's a pleasure to meet you all."

  He stated in a respectful tone, bowing slightly.

  “At this meeting I will act as deputy for the Absolute Almodeus, who unfortunately was unable to attend due to an unforeseen commitment.”

  He continued his presentation, gesturing as if he were a lawyer before a court.

  "It means we won't see him this time either..."

  Shion muttered, approaching Almodea. Even though she was part of the Oni faction, the woman decided to remain by her mistress’s side and act as her guard—despite Hirashi's presence. None of her companions objected; after all, they were already Almodea's subjects; they were there under their race's name just for show.

  "Let's start by saying that the war has been devastating for all factions. The Oni are practically decimated; the goblins are recovering from the abuse they suffered and both orcs and trolls have seen their numbers drastically reduced. The same goes for the lizardmen, who have suffered the greatest losses of the entire war, if we use a percentage calculation."

  Everyone present nodded. They had a hard time following the robot's long words, but no one dared ask questions or utter a complaint. It wasn't their turn to speak, but to keep their heads down and listen to whoever would command them from now on.

  "The Absolute's desire was to unify the forest, and I believe this is now more possible than ever! I will now pass the word to the highest-ranking person present, the representative of the city of Almy and heir to the title of Absolute Sovereign, Lady Almodea!"

  All eyes shifted to the young demoness, who was visibly confused. Almodea was only there to act like a pretty little figurine, not to speak or offer opinions. What if she screwed up? Why hadn't her father told her or mentioned it? Was this another test?

  I've never managed a meeting of this size! What do I do now?!

  Noticing the girl's silence, Sergio approached her. He whispered something in her ear, causing her to sigh. Almodea had been right: this was yet another test from her father. He'd already asked her to manage Almy's city, and now he wanted her to mediate that meeting. Obviously, there was no real danger; if she'd said anything stupid, Sergio would have intervened immediately, but Almodea didn't know that. For her, this was all real, not an act or a simulation without consequences.

  I have to do it, I guess.

  Sergio had assured her he'd help her if she had any difficulties, but that didn't make her feel any more confident in her abilities. Unfortunately, Almodea couldn't back out and decided to start her speech with a firm hand. She wanted to avoid disappointment or comments from the other people present.

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  "I've never done anything like this, so I don't consider myself good at it. Look, to make our lives easier, I'll tell you what I think and then you can decide what to do, okay?"

  Everyone nodded. Obviously, the representatives of the various factions were confused by the situation: why appoint someone inexperienced as mediator for such an important matter? Some wanted to voice their doubts, but they lacked the courage to speak and simply gestured for Almodea to continue.

  “I know the lizardmen, Oni, and goblins will disagree with this, but for me – the trolls and orcs aren't entirely to blame in this scenario.”

  At this statement, both Gherd and Hyo-Zan-Ryu looked up in surprise, completely stunned. Their subordinates had the same reaction, and even the other factions seemed surprised. Lizard Magnus in particular widened his eyes, a sign that he didn't like where the conversation was going.

  “The main reason the orcs allied themselves with the trolls was the famine in their already inhospitable lands. Honestly, I would have done the same! So I can understand them. Meeting their king made me realize they had no real evil intentions, they were just desperate. Speaking of the trolls, however...”

  Almodea's gaze shifted to Ryu, sitting behind his master, before rising and walking to the center of the room. He had prayed in a thousand different ways to be allowed to represent his tribe one last time, and she—as his new master—had paid little attention and said yes. Almodea, however, hadn't expected to be the judge who would render the verdict on Ryu's faction.

  "...The trolls are already more to blame. To be totally honest, the desire for conquest was mainly driven by Yeddu, who now guards the entrance in zombie form. The rest of their aggression has been driven by the Ruthless Devourer skill. And this, again, is something beyond their control."

  Almodea paused and sighed, looking around at the various members of the assembly, trying to determine if she was making sense to them. She truly hoped they weren't seeing her as someone who didn't know what she was talking about—which was partly true, but those were details.

  "This is the official position, at least for now..."

  "And the unofficial one?"

  Lizard asked, his tone doubtful.

  “Well...it's a little more complex.”

  Almodea continued, putting a hand to her chin and trying to find a way to put her thoughts into coherent words that wouldn't make her sound like an idiot. Normally, she would be direct and unconcerned about how others perceived her but, right now, she was representing her father—she couldn't allow Almodeus's name to be tarnished by her incompetence.

  "As I fought the Doom Orc, I realized that it wasn't his subjects' fault and that I couldn't blame them. Sure, I'm stronger, so I can do what I want...but that's not how I'd like to proceed on this point. So, precisely because I defeated their King, I took on all their guilt and suffering."

  "No! Wait a moment, please!"

  Gherd jumped to his feet, as if he had heard something that made no sense at all.

  "There is no logic in what you say! We orcs have committed unspeakable atrocities! Punishment is in order! Punish me, if necessary! I am ready to do anything to atone for our sins!"

  "You should be punished, that’s true. However, I made a promise to your father...before I killed him."

  She replied sadly. Almodea wasn't exactly happy about failing to save Gherdmide; she wasn't at all proud of her failure.

  I've really matured; normally, I wouldn't care about the orcs. Where does this empathy come from? Maybe it's because a beautiful woman like Scylla asked me to save her king? Or maybe it's because I don't want to disappoint Shion? Ahhh! I don't understand anything about myself anymore!

  In the month she'd been managing Almy's city, so much had changed—too much. She now felt a little bit more empathy, interest in political matters, and the people around her. She'd retained her love for her hobbies, but now she cared much more about living up to the task her father had assigned her. It was no longer just a matter of not disappointing Almodeus, but also of not disappointing those who might serve her in the future.

  Okay, I'll think about this strange maturity of mine later. Let's finish the discussion.

  Almodea took a deep breath and put on a serious expression, that of a true queen.

  “As per the deal made with the Doom Orc, you orcs are absolved of your guilt.”

  "I...I don't know what to say."

  Gherd fell like a dead weight into his chair, still shocked by the girl's decision. They had committed a massacre, yet they would escape punishment? That couldn't be true.

  "If I'm allowed to comment, it's unfair to me."

  Lizard muttered, crossing his arms. There was no real anger in his tone; he had forgiven the orcs long ago, after Gherd had saved his daughter Tokka during their captivity. However, he couldn't hide the resentment and, perhaps, even envy. In the end, he had lost a great deal without being able to do anything to prevent it.

  "You are as cunning as a fox, Lady Almodea. You know full well that no one here would ever dare confront you because you are the daughter of the Absolute Almodeus. Therefore, you will not be punished for the sins of the orcs, much less those of the trolls—if you take responsibility for those as well."

  "I don't deny it. When someone's right, they're right, and you couldn't be more right, Lizard."

  Almodea replied, agreeing with him. She hadn't used titles or anything else; it wasn't like her to give honorifics.

  "For me, Lady Almodea is right!"

  Hyo-Zan-Ryu shouted, standing up and speaking.

  "In nature, there is only one law: the law of the strongest! And Lady Almodea is the strongest, so she can decide whatever she wants and we must keep quiet!"

  "This same reasoning led to a war, you know that right?"

  "Oh, of course I know! But I can't deny the obvious! Even if we all united under one banner, we would never be able to defeat Lady Almodea and her faction. Her bodyguard, Lady Hirashi, defeated me easily. I can say I've seen their strength firsthand!"

  Gurd had tried to question Hyo-Zan-Ryu's words, but the Troll Hero's response hadn't left much room for further objections. Ultimately, the entire assembly was a farce. The only reason most of them were sitting there listening to a young girl talk about politics with next to no knowledge on the natter was because they lacked the strength to rebel.

  "True, strength is everything."

  Shen stepped forward, standing firm and calm.

  "We can't complain about what happened to us! We can only get up and always be ready!"

  Almodea nodded at those words, showing her support.

  "I agree..."

  Lizard Magnus began, nodding at the Oni leader's words.

  "But I have a question: what do you want to do now? You don't want to punish the orcs, nor the trolls. So what will you do with them? Will you let them starve?"

  "We could collaborate, or not?"

  "Collaborate?"

  "Exactly, Lizard! I even spoke to the deceased Gherdmiude about it. What I want is to create a place where my friends and loved ones can live happily. I don't know if it's my father's plan but, for now, the city of Almy is under my jurisdiction – and what I say goes. Oni and goblins live in peace; perhaps we can create a system to avoid conflict. It would be boring to always have to fight, wouldn't it?"

  Almodea's words were true, but were delivered so casually that they almost seemed like a joke. Despite this, Lizard became serious and continued questioning the girl.

  "What do you intend to do then?"

  "You lizardmen might focus on fishing; the goblins and Oni on hunting and farming. The trolls and orcs will provide the labor needed to build houses and buildings. Yes! It can work! There will be no need for boring conflicts because you will all be allies!"

  Almodea spread her wings, raising her hands to the sky; she seemed to be under the influence of a fit of euphoria.

  "I will ask Father to form a great alliance between the various races! You will all be subservient to him, but you will work together! We will be the glue for this great forest!"

  "Wait! Are you saying that us orcs and trolls join this alliance too? And as equals? Not as losers?"

  "Sure, Gherd! But you'll have to put in some effort! Everyone will be working for shared glory! I don't want a thousand papers on my desk with complaints, do you understand?"

  Almodea's words lit flames of hope in the hearts of the orcs, who stood and bowed in unison, tears in their eyes.

  "We will dedicate our lives to serving you!"

  The trolls, led by Hyo-Zan-Ryu, did the same thing.

  "So are we! We'll always be ready to help! You could have killed us, but you didn't...We'll be eternally grateful, Lady Almodea."

  "Great! Are you okay with this, Trinity?"

  "Certainly! We dryads are at your disposal, you have our blessing."

  Almodea smiled and clapped her hands lightly. She'd handled things as best she could, and her father would be proud of her.

  Now I can leave everything in Mom and Dad's hands! I do wonder, who will run Almy's town now?

  As she thought about who would be put in charge of the forest, Sergio took a few steps forward, straightening his suit and coughing, as if he wanted to make an announcement.

  "With that part taken care of, there will need to be a leader for this new alliance, and the Absolute already has one in mind!"

  The robot turned and bowed before Almodea with extreme reverence.

  "We pledge our loyalty to Almodea Fearterror! Leader of the Dark Jade Forest Alliance!"

  Ehhh?!

  "I agree with you, Master Sergio. I've been watching her a lot these days and I can say she seems suited to the task."

  Pronounced Trinity, bowing in turn.

  "Huh? Hey! Wait a minute!"

  Even the goblins, the Oni, the orcs, the trolls and the lizardmen bowed to Almodea, who had long since ceased to understand anything. Ultimately, if it was Almodeus's decision, no one could do anything about it.

  They want to make me chief?! But shouldn't Sergio do it? Or Dad! Or Mom! Or even Hirashi would be better than me! Why me?!!!

  She would have refused, but if it was her father's will, she couldn't do so. Was this another test from Almodeus? Almodea had no idea now. Maybe she should have discussed it with her parents before agreeing, but she wanted to avoid giving the impression she didn't know what she was doing.

  "Okay...I'll do it!"

  Almodea finally declared, sighing.

  “I'll be your boss! First of all, I think we need a name.”

  "A name?"

  "That's right, Shen! A name that will make us recognized as a settled state! Anyone have any ideas?"

  She sat down on Yeddu's massive throne and pondered what name to choose. For a future nation, it would have to be impressive! To be honest, Almodea was quite excited; ruling had never been her ambition, but perhaps she would thrive as the ruler of a forest of demi-humans—and with plenty of beautiful women at her service. A few people began suggesting names, like Great Demi-Humans United or Dark Jade Alliance.

  It was just as Almodea was thinking of a catchy name that she felt strong arms grasp her stomach, and two large mountains weighing on her head without bothering her. She knew who it was and couldn't help but get comfortable.

  "Dark Jade Alliance sounds good, but Almodea Jade Alliance sounds even better!"

  "I like it! Great idea, Shion!"

  “Yeah, that doesn't sound bad! The strong are always on top, after all.”

  “I am sure that Supreme Almodeus will agree with you, Hyo-Zan-Ryu!”

  “Then it's decided! Let there be an Almodea Jade Alliance!”

  Shion's proposal gained much support and so, while the demoness was in a cold sweat and excited about her new role, the Almodea Jade Alliance was born.