3rd day of the month of the Brown Minotaur (April) 2:15 PM

  The blazing sun shone on Noxastatus, the great capital of the Nexia Empire, a gigantic city surrounded by three rows of walls to protect it from any attack: it could have been considered an insurmountable and immovable bastion. However, that day there was much activity in the imperial palace, seat of the state's central government and home to the royal family. Servants and maids bustled back and forth, carrying pitchers of water and announcing the arrival of some aristocrat. All the major nobles of Nexia had already gathered in the meeting hall, where an exceptional congress was to be held to discuss the new power that had recently emerged in their territories: the Almodea Jade Alliance.

  Standing beside Emperor Jarvan IV's throne, Gareth spotted the representatives of the eight great noble families among the aristocrats present. This new power had emerged so suddenly that all members of the upper class had been summoned, from the most famous marquises to the most obscure dukes. Exceptionally, even the guildmasters of the most influential cities had been summoned; since this new emerging power was made up of monsters, their knowledge as experts in the field would be needed.

  In addition to the Emperor, his four heirs were also present, seated on thrones beside their father. The closest to the sovereign was the First Prince and primary heir to the throne, Bilius Barbaro Igvana Raizelf, who had the support of one of the eight great nobles in the race for the crown. Next to him was Cadet Prince Zangan Valor Igvana Raizelf, always distinguished by his intellect rather than his physical prowess; in fact, he was quite plump for a twenty-one-year-old.

  Then there it was the third son, Oswald Wild Igvana Raizelf, the least known of the four heirs, having already openly renounced the throne to support his brother Zangan. Last but not least, the Emperor's only daughter—nicknamed the "Illuminating Lady" for her golden smile—Princess Arianne Tudor Igvana Raizelf. She too was in the running for the crown, although not as actively as her brothers, especially because she was a woman, which is why many had already written her off from the start.

  "Now then, let us begin."

  The Emperor said, motioning for the court chamberlain to approach. Now that all the nobles were present, he decided to explain the situation further, while the court chamberlain prepared the various papers.

  "A few days ago, a letter arrived from a certain Almodea Jade Alliance, and I believe it should be treated with the utmost caution. Please...could you read it?"

  Obeying the sovereign's words, the chamberlain unrolled the parchment and read aloud:

  "Following the defeat of the Doom Troll by the High Almodea Fearterror, the Dark Jade Forest has finally been unified under a single banner. Since the forest's territories have never been subjugated or subjected to the Empire of Nexia through legitimate means, such as conquest or surrender, these territories are to be considered unclaimed. Therefore, the various tribes of the Great Dark Jade Forest, led by the illustrious Almodea Fearterror, have decided to declare themselves independent from the theoretical rule of the Empire. From now on, the forest will be known as a grand coalition and will take the name of the Almodea Jade Alliance, or Federation. We demand that our sovereignty and territories be recognized, as well as the possibility of establishing trade and friendly relations. Should hostile responses be received to this missive, the Almodea Jade Alliance will assume the right to declare war, carefully specifying any Casus Belli. All in the name of peace and justice. Signed: the representative of the Almodea Jade Alliance, Lady Almodea Fearterror."

  Silence fell in the room once the chamberlain finished reading the letter. The request wasn't entirely unfounded. However, the fact that obeying it would lead to the creation of a kingdom of demi-humans bordering them would be dangerous.

  "So these monsters want independence? That's nonsense!"

  Marquis Buck, one of the Great Eight, barked. He was the noble with the greatest fighting power in the Empire, as well as the First Prince's main supporter in his bid for the throne. He had repeatedly shown his hatred for the crown and the imperial family, with the exception of his son-in-law.

  "Do you think this is one of the Kingdom's excuses? Maybe they want to deceive us!"

  Count Light, also one of the Great Eight, proposed. He was the least influential, but still had one of the best silk trades in the Empire.

  "We rule it out. It arrived at the palace carried by a snake man escorted by a pair of orcs. They were locked in a room while he awaited our response. We obviously had to treat them like guests, to avoid future retaliation."

  The Emperor concluded, putting an end to doubts about the authenticity of the letter.

  "The answer seems obvious to me: No!"

  Marquis Buck roared, scratching his big fat belly.

  "It would be crazy to allow a state of demi-humans to be born! We already have enough problems with those dogs form the kingdom; if this Almodea Jade is added to the mix, we're screwed!"

  Marquis Blumund, also one of the Great Eight, also joined the chorus. He was known for being very greedy and for exploiting his slaves without paying them a salary. He had been the leading opponent of any law that granted even a modicum of rights to lower-class individuals.

  "Maybe this is the right time to bring those demi-humans to heel! A good war to make them understand their place!"

  "Yes! I agree! Let's show them who's boss at those monsters!"

  “I ask permission to speak. May I?”

  Amid the loud declarations of various minor nobles, Marquis Pepea, the youngest of the Great Eight, finally stepped forward. He had succeeded his father a few months earlier as head of the Pepea family. Gareth had hoped he had inherited his father's political positions and wisdom, but he had serious doubts.

  "I don't think we can tolerate such arrogance! I fully support the war! If a demi-human state were to arise, it would only be a matter of time before they would attack us under some pretext, perhaps even allying themselves with the Kingdom!"

  Some voices from the back suggested that most of those present were in favor of waging war against the newly formed Almodea Jade. Many, however, pointed out that a war of that magnitude would significantly weaken the Empire, leaving it more vulnerable to an attack from the Ashen Kingdom.

  Those who opposed the conflict were led by Count Never Bever Bonaparte, the Empire's most influential aristocrat. He let his associates speak, but remained silent himself. Gareth knew Bonaparte wasn't one to take sides, and he didn't mean that in a good way....

  Damned opportunist! He'll side with the winners in order to not lose anything.

  Despite being in the Emperor's presence, many nobles became incensed by the objections raised against the war, and insults began to be hurled from all sides. As the heated discussion raged, Gareth's mind began to wander. Hearing the name Almodea so often made him wonder where he had heard it before.

  But of course!

  Gareth was struck by a bolt from the blue. It was the same name as the girl accompanying the illustrious Almodeus; in fact, he remembered the two names being very similar. Could the Almodea he'd met at Anna's village be the same one now ruling the Dark Jade? Did that mean Almodeus was involved? Or was he unrelated?

  "Captain, what do you think? I'd like to know your opinion on the matter."

  The Emperor's question brought Gareth back to reality. He shook his head and shrugged, surveying the nobles before him. Many didn’t admire him because of his popular background, and he would have to be careful with what he said, because every word could be used against him to discredit the Emperor—further fueling the strife between the two internal factions.

  "I believe that war is the last resort."

  He answered in a hard, serious tone, looking towards the representatives of the various Guilds of Nexia, who had remained in religious silence up to that point.

  “I suggest we question the guildmasters. Since they've been summoned, it would be a waste not to hear from experts on demi-human matters.”

  With a clever play on words, Gareth had shifted his burden onto someone else. It hadn't been an act of malice; he truly believed that asking adventurers was certainly more efficient than leaving the decision to the nobles. Most of them barely knew how to wield a sword and certainly couldn't be considered veterans.

  "That's true. Onorable guildmasters, what can you tell us?"

  The sovereign questioned them directly, drawing everyone's gaze to the group sitting at the side of the room.

  "Well..."

  One of them stepped forward. He was a man in his fifties with gray hair and a bushy mustache. His name was Isac, and he was the leader of the Arel Guild, one of the most influential—in fact, he didn't even have to introduce himself; admitting of not knowing him would have been a demonstration of ignorance from the nobles. Despite the stoicism on his face, everyone could see he was visibly worried about being thrust into the spotlight.

  "We consulted while the nobles were discussing. We believe it is best to grant independence to the demi-human."

  "What?! Do you hear yourself? These are supposed to be the words of a guildmaster?"

  Buck scoffed, scratching his big belly.

  "Please, Your Majesty. May I explain myself?"

  "Granted."

  "First of all, the Dark Jade demi-humans aren't normal like the others, but have actually evolved over time! This factor has cost the Empire heavy defeats in the past, right?"

  "That is correct. You speak the truth, Sir Isac."

  The mention of past defeats raised a small undercurrent of murmuring, more specifically insults directed at the forest monsters. Nexia had wanted to seize the forest's resources for decades, but the demi-humans' strength had always been too great to overcome.

  "That alone is important! Let's think about it for a moment: if we couldn't defeat them when they were divided, what hope do we have now that they are united under a single flag?"

  No one objected to that point. It was clear as day that Isac was right.

  "Also, the letter mentions the Doom Troll. I did some research and found something interesting. Your Majesty! May I call a witness?"

  "Certainly. Who is it?"

  The man motioned to a figure hidden in the shadows to come closer. Once the light shone, a tall, sword-wielding knight was revealed, entirely concealed by his pitch-black armor.

  "This is Sir Amon, an Emerald adventurer, recently promoted to Diamond rank!"

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Diamond, you said?!”

  "My respects, Your Majesty!"

  The knight bowed briefly. The whispers began to ring in the background. After all, a Diamond-rank adventurer was a rare thing, both in the Empire and the Kingdom. It was the highest rank and, in all of Nexia, there were only three others adventuring parties that could boast that title. The mere mention of the rank made everyone realize just how powerful that armored man was; even Gareth couldn't help but feel admiration.

  "It's a pleasure to have you here, Sir Amon. What can you tell us?"

  "Of the immeasurable power of Almodea Jade."

  The knight answered directly, without too many words.

  "What are you trying to get at?"

  “I believe you remember the incident that happened over a month ago in the city of Arel, right?”

  “The one about the undead, you mean? Yeah, if I'm not mistaken, you solved it yourself. What does that have to do with this story?”

  "It's all connected, Your Majesty. You should know that when I arrived at the cemetery, the cult I defeated had already managed to summon a powerful demon, or should I say demoness. Does the massacre that occurred shortly afterward give you any clues?"

  The Emperor's face darkened suddenly at the mention of that fact. He had sent his first son with one of the Imperial legions to exterminate bandits working for Dark Calling, but when Prince Billius arrived, he found no one there. Both the bandits and the soldiers had been slaughtered by various demonic beings.

  You don't mean to say that...?

  Gareth flinched at Amon's statement. The massacre had been attributed to a demon or a vampire, but their identity remained unclear. It was assumed they had fled into the forest, a very dangerous place for them, and therefore no pursuit parties had been sent. Fearing further bloodshed, the Emperor had urged the Arel Guild—to which Amon belonged—to have their highest-ranking adventurers patrol the area frequently.

  “Let me get this straight; not only are you suggesting that Lady Almodea is a demon, but that she is also the same one summoned by the cult you defeated?”

  "Exactly."

  The knight's answer to the Emperor's question made everyone present widen their eyes. However, Gareth remained skeptical. If this Almodea was the same person he had met in Anna's village with Almodeus, then the timing didn't match.

  However, if it's true that Almodea is a demoness, then it would mean that Almodeus summoned her and gave her a name. He called her his apprentice, but if that were true, it would mean that the Supreme Almodeus is behind all this and is ruling her from the shadows.

  Gareth shook his head. It was absurd to think that a human could be powerful enough to subdue a demon with a name, one that had therefore evolved to at least the rank of Archdemon. There were therefore two possibilities: either the two Almodeas were different people, or Almodeus had lied simply to avoid being prosecuted for summoning a demon, an act illegal in the Empire.

  Given what little he knew about demons, the second option wasn't so unlikely. Some demons work under contract and, once their job is done, return to Hell. Could Almodea have been summoned by Almodeus and then by the cult? It would have been a strange coincidence, but not impossible.

  “Tell me, Sir Amon. What are you getting at with this? Knowing Almodea's origins doesn't help us contextualize her strength. Do you think you can defeat her?”

  “No. I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I can’t defeat that demoness.”

  “Are you sure? I'm willing to pay any amount and give you full support.”

  "It's not a question of money or resources, Your Majesty. Lady Almodea's strength far surpasses mine."

  The knight clenched his right palm; everyone took it as a sign of Amon's irritation at his own weakness. After all, he was a Diamond rank for goodness' sake; admitting he wasn't strong enough was like spitting on his reputation. Gareth sensed this, but for some reason his conscience told him the irritation was stemming from something else.

  “How can you be so sure you can't beat her? You've already eliminated a cult and a thousand undead.”

  “I have witnessed the power of Almodea Fearterror with my own eyes.”

  The knight replied with a resigned voice.

  “You see, it doesn't say so in the letter, but there were actually two Doom monsters in the forest: one was the aforementioned Doom Troll, while the other was the omitted Doom Orc. They are both extremely powerful creatures, capable of destroying multiple cities on their own.”

  The guildmaster’s' eyes bulged, and many even gulped down the water they were drinking. The nobles eyed them with disgust, as if they'd just seen someone put their elbows on the table. The Emperor noticed their reaction and understood its meaning, but he didn't punish the guildmasters for their disrespectful behavior. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Amon, intent on questioning him further.

  “Are you saying this Almodea subdued the two monsters? How can you be sure of that? Were you there?”

  "Yes, Your Majesty. I was on assignment within the forest. I witnessed the great war and was unable to escape in time. I defeated the Doom Orc with Lady Almodea's help, while she had already defeated the Doom Troll all by herself."

  At that statement, insinuations began to rain down from all sides.

  "Alone?! By herself?!"

  "Impossible!"

  "You're In cahoots with them! You even used an honorific for that hag who appointed herself queen of a kingdom of monsters!"

  Amon turned to the nobleman who had made that last comment, silencing him with just his gaze. Despite the helmet covering his face, the man he was staring at still felt an inexplicable sense of fear.

  "I'm trying to make you understand that war would be a mistake! If Lady Almodea can defeat a monster like the Doom Troll alone, she could easily defeat even me, a Diamond-ranked warrior! Besides, I'm not even considering that forest is protected by the legendary Strong Wind Dragon."

  At the dragon's naming, all the nobles fell silent. That beast was known to be one of the most powerful beings in the world. It was well known that it had given its blessing to the forest, becoming its protector. Some believed it to be merely a legend because the dragon had lain dormant for centuries. But even the most skeptical would not have risked a penny in a war where there was even the slightest possibility of that walking devastation being present.

  "Besides that, I would also add that Lady Almodea has the blessings of the dryads. It would be madness to face them as well."

  Whispers rose from the back of the room, this time filled with amazement. Dryads were seen as goddesses by humans, so few would face them directly—especially those of the Dark Jade, believed to be among the most powerful of their kind.

  "Your Majesty, may I have one last comment?"

  "Certainly, Sir Amon."

  "I think you could use this situation to your advantage. I'm no expert on politics, but from the contents of the letter, the demi-humans seem intent on establishing trade relations. This would help your economy perform better. Besides, we're not counting the fact that the forest lies directly between the Empire and the Kingdom—it could act as a buffer state to mitigate any potential conflicts."

  At those words, murmurs of agreement erupted. Many aristocrats seemed to have magically switched sides to Amon’s one. The power of money never betrayed, and for greedy vultures like them, doing business with the Almodea Jade was far more lucrative than spending money vainly attempting to provoke a conflict.

  They buried the hatchet quickly...

  Gareth sighed at the nobles' behavior. He, too, believed it was the right choice not to wage war. After all, the lost territory had never been under their direct control in the first place, and it would be costly for the crown to manage the forest even if they were victorious in a hypothetical war. The guildmasters seemed to agree; he could see them nodding with satisfaction at Amon's declarations.

  Anyway, this man reminds me of someone. Where have I heard his voice before?

  The helmet obscured his face, but the confident manner in which Amon held himself, combined with his imposing build and husky tone, gave the captain a sense of déjà vu.

  The answer was on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was then that the words of the man sitting next to him brought him back to reality, putting an end to his foolish doubts.

  "After what I heard, I decided how to act..."

  All eyes turned to the Emperor, whose serious gaze revealed nothing of the content of his future statement.

  "We will let this Almodea Jade become a stable state. A war over territory we cannot exploit would be an insult to those who gave their lives for our Empire in the past."

  No one dared to object to those words. Even those who were against it understood that there was nothing they could do and that it would be a waste of time trying to convince others. The Imperial faction was smaller than the Aristocratic one, but even members on the same side differed on that issue—it would be impossible to get everyone to agree and create a united front against the demi-humans, who were proving to be even more dangerous enemies than the Ashen Kingdom.

  "Have the messenger brought here and treat him with respect. Also prepare a statement that can be sent to Almodea. As for the economic treaties, I suggest we discuss them on another day."

  The Emperor declared, then shifted his gaze to Amon and the Guild Leaders.

  "I thank you for your wisdom. Without you, we would have risked making an unforgivable mistake. You are free to go, now that the decision has been made. The crown will reimburse your travel expenses and your stay at the inn. You may depart tomorrow morning to return to your respective cities."

  Having heard this, Isac thanked the Emperor for his kind words on behalf of everyone and led the group out of the room. They would follow the sovereign's advice and stay until the next day at the inn owned by the Adventurers' Guild in the capital.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Once the meeting was over, Almodeus returned to his lodgings—an inn he'd booked with Guild money. It was all expenses paid, and the trip hadn't cost him anything, given his summons as a special witness.

  Everything went well in the end.

  The riskiest part of his plan had just been completed. He would have had no problem destroying the Empire, but he preferred not to have the state of Almodea immediately labeled evil by the humanoid nations. They still had much to learn about that world, and exposing his daughter was a huge gamble. But, if everything went well, they would gain numerous advantages—including providing Almodea with experience for a possible future.

  Almodeus wasn't stupid; he knew his little spot wouldn't stay with him forever. He felt a slight melancholy at the thought that one day, perhaps a few centuries from now, his beloved daughter would start a family of her own or choose a territory to rule over so she could be at peace - everything without him. He didn't care what Almodea would do, as long as she was happy.

  Asking me to kill my own daughter, how foolish these humans are! Luckily, I can control my emotions thanks to various skills...

  During the meeting, he'd almost burst into rage when the Emperor asked him to defeat Almodea for them. He knew the elder wanted only the best for his people and was addressing the adventurer Amon, but the content of the request still irritated him— and not a little.

  Almodeus had to be careful to keep his emotions in check; even too much happiness would cause an involuntary magical release that was harmful to most living beings. He had to use various skills to suppress his power and avoid throwing the world into chaos.

  He obviously excelled at self-control, but there were times when this ability could fail, especially when it came to his family. Attacking him was fine, but daring to attack his wife or daughter? No! That would be punished with a fate far worse than death.

  Let's not think about it. I'm lucky Gareth didn't recognize me. He didn't even question my statement; Does it have to do with the rules of the demons of this world?

  His only real concern was that the Captain might question his description of the events. Gareth had met Almodea, albeit briefly, and he would have only had to put two and two together to realize something wasn't right. Fortunately, the Captain didn't seem to have doubted him for some reason.

  Despite having summoned the three succubi who served Almodea, Almodeus himself hadn't yet fully grasped the rules that the demons of that reality, as such, followed.

  "Welcome back, Lord Almodeus!"

  Once inside his private room, Sergio greeted him with a smile plastered on his face. Almodeus returned the gesture to his subordinate and sat on the bed, assuming his original form.

  “How did the meeting go? I assume it went well, master.”

  “Yes. The Almodea Jade will become a state and will be recognized by the Empire. How is it going with the Ashen Kingdom?”

  In conjunction with the messenger sent to Nexia, one had also been dispatched to the Kingdom. It would be helpful to have both direct neighbors agree to accept the Almodea Jade as a nation, otherwise disagreements might arise. The Theocracy was not asked to recognize the demi-human country because it did not directly border with it—furthermore, Almodeus was certain that Reia would never favor a nonhuman government due to their sacred doctrine.

  They're just idiots, but they remain the most powerful nation in this part of the continent. Later, we'll expand beyond the mountains.

  Gaining the support of the Bashad Federation would have been a great move, effectively excluding the Theocracy from trade within a few years. For now, everything was up in the air; they had other short-term plans and should have focused on those. Being five steps ahead of everyone else was good, but those steps had to be taken wisely and slowly.

  “The messenger has arrived at the royal palace, but we have not yet received a verdict.”

  “Do you think they will be more compliant than the Empire?”

  “Absolutely, Lord Almodeus! The Kingdom of Ashen is by far one of the most efficient nations on this side of the continent! It may not be on par with the Bashad Federation or the Northern Empire in terms of military or technological prowess, but it is still a thousand times better than this collapsing Empire!”

  Almodeus nodded in agreement. Nexia was by far the worst of the humanoid states on the entire continent.

  “Anyway...do you want to talk about our plan, my lord?”

  "Perhaps later. I've considered your idea and I think it's excellent. We need to increase Amon's fame in the capital and throughout the rest of the Empire. Even though I've reached the highest rank, that doesn't mean I'm known everywhere. But there's time for that. According to the timetable, we'll start moving in a couple of months. We need to give the Almodea Jade time to begin trading and build a good name with the neighboring states. Also, how's the intelligence gathering going?"

  "Excellently, I dare say!"

  "Very well. I'm going back to the Fear Tower to get some rest, I'll send Shaco here. Have him use his abilities to assume Amon's appearance and not let him do anything stupid."

  Almodeus got out of bed, but before doing anything else he gave Sergio one last look.

  “Ah, let’s start the final part of this plan. Is everything ready?”

  “The zombie trolls were placed as planned, yes.”

  “Perfect! Then give the order to send them off. Also tell the Esoterica not to cause too much damage.”

  “As you wish, master! Have a safe journey and a good rest!”

  As if by magic, Almodeus suddenly disappeared and shortly after Shaco appeared, taking the form of the Diamond-rank knight.

  "Remember the part you have to play, my friend."

  "Calm down, Sergio! I'm not crazy...wait! Yes, I am! Hahaha!"

  Sergio sighed at the clown's lame joke and rolled his eyes, then began to think. A small smile slowly crept across his face.

  "Hey, Shaco..."

  He approached the camouflaged demon and began whispering.

  "I have an idea that might interest you. In a few months, would you like to make a little mess?"