It was another boring day in Azunvale's decision house. The lavish splendour sparkled from every angle. The marble floor was etched with numerous precious stones, while gilded chandeliers dazzled with the morning light. The main room was five meters tall, with arched windows illuminating the vast chamber. Several sentries stood guard on the balconies, protecting the vulnerable points. Numerous people walked around, discussing different issues and trying to receive an audience with the Lordx. A somewhat short person, with short green-blue hair and dressed in a long, comfortable silk dress stood in front of an assembled mass. Xeys sharp, strong features and a prominent nose, were held high above everyone in the room.

This was the worst obligation for Bealuna because of xeys disability. Xey was prone to severe auditory sensory overload, so the large crowd would overwhelm xem and give xem headaches. Bealuna looked at the amount of work in front of xem, both today and in general towards xeys goal, and was quickly disheartened with the lack of progress and seemingly snail pace of the reforms. Back on Earth the system seemed indestructible, but at least xey had allies with whom xey could discuss everything, and share joy of victories, no matter how small. Here, Bealuna was alone. Xey will never forget the horror when xey was teleported to this world. That they were progressing through the same oppressive patriarchal system that was on Earth was soul-crushing. Gender roles were invisibly enforced, prejudices towards different species were commonplace, and everywhere was either slavery, feudal system or capitalism. Bealuna hoped once the main oppressor, the Demon King was defeated, the system would collapse by itself. But that hope proved to be folly. The system was too ingrained in the world, too many instances of power depended on it, and built their narratives to support it, that it was almost impossible to disentangle it.

Be brave, you can not fail! Bealuna steeled xeyself. Maybe it was too late for Earth, but this world was younger and xey had the power to fix it, xey had to endure these troubles and trials no matter what. Bealuna's former associates against the Demon King didn't share xeys vision for the future of the world. Eric was especially problematic. He was always disrespectful and abrasive towards Bealuna, and since he had the best understanding of the magical system governing the world, he was the most powerful of them all. If he wasn't dealt with soon, he would quickly become too powerful for everyone to handle. That's why Bealuna decided to act immediately. But xey couldn't do it alone and securing help from others could be difficult. Julia was also hostile towards xem and there was no way to reconcile their worldviews no matter how much Bealuna tried to explain it to her. Bryan was a possibility. He didn't have any aspirations about global conquest, he was quite content with his part of the world. But he seriously gave the creeps to Bealuna. Xey would have to turn a blind spot to a l0t of things if xey wanted to work with Bryan… No, no, no, that would be insane. Bryan is too evil. Xey had to find a way to defeat Eric alone.

Bealuna rose from xeys chair and walked down from the elevated part of the room, the crowd silenced before xem. All these people would be so lost without Bealuna. Soon, when all oppressive systems of power are dismantled, everyone will revel in the new world they will build together. But xey needed to take it one step at a time. Xey turned towards his trusted advisor.

"Bino, let's start today's meeting. I want to hear first about the state of the country."

Person in red dress approached Bealuna and opened a large scroll.

"As always, all our people declare that they are very happy, and enjoy the new direction our country is taking. The process of degendering is going smoothly. Except one small issue. The city of Corrack rebelled. They've expelled our mages and are refusing the degendering procedure."

"What?! This is unacceptable!", the Mentalist mage fummed. Xeys plans for war with Eric were already underway. Xey was hoping Eric would divert some of his forces to Vigrida so that Bealuna could attack his capital, Kamenar, directly. Xey couldn't afford to divert xeys forces to deal with this now, and at the same time xey couldn't let this slide. Sure, letting people choose their gender and identity on their own would be ideal, but in practice there are many problematic practices already in place. Because people were too used to oppressive patriarchy, most would just choose the genders they were assigned with, and other people would be too uncomfortable to choose what they want because of the pressure of the society. They needed a clean break. That was why this was necessary even though Bealuna didn't want to do it. It had to be done for the greater good. And if more cities rebelled, people would get wrong impressions of how things work.

"This will need to be resolved quickly. I will deal with it myself."

"Of course, Bealuna. We've just received word that an envoy from the city of Voditza has arrived. It seems that the city is under attack."

"Has someone put a curse on us? I wish to speak with this person at once."

Person in full metal armor entered the room. They had removed their helmet and carried it in their hands. They had short black hair, their lips were pursed in a thin line, but their chin trembled just slightly.

"Thank you for receiving me, Lordx Bealuna. I am Drago, pronouns they/them. I must say, your palace is magnificent, fitting for someone so powerful and merciful as you."

"I must correct you immediately, Drago. First, I am only Lordx for people outside of our country, it is a necessity. Here, we are all equal and those titles are unnecessary. Just call me Bealuna. And second, palace also implies royalty or some other instance of power, which is problematic. We call this decision house, which we think better describes it."

"Yes. Do forgive my ignorance."

"You are forgiven. Carry on."

Drago put their fist in front of their mouth and closed their eyes for a second. After they seemingly collected their courage, Drago continued with a shaky voice.

"We are in dire need of your help, Bealuna. Goblins attacked our city. They are pillaging and destroying everything. Our forces are fighting valiantly but I don't know how much they can hold. We need reinforcements.

Bealuna put xeys hand over xeys forehead and shook xeys head slowly.

"Drago, Drago, Drago. Your city didn't go through sensitivity training?"

"No, Lo-, Bealuna. It is scheduled for next month."

"I see, I see. And you didn't go through the degendering procedure?"

"No. Everyone in our city saw the wisdom in your words and abandoned the old notions of gender willingly."

"Good, good. But you see, Drago, without those two things you still think in this ancient and oppressive way. You can't just say 'goblins attacked our city'! When you say something like that, you strengthen a prejudice against goblins that they are vicious, aggressive, and unintelligent. And because of this prejudice, goblins are forced to develop as society expects of them. You see, we are responsible for how goblins behave, so we need to step up and fix it. And what you said isn't even true, is it?"

"It is, I swear on my life. Goblins are really besieging the city. There will be a massacre if we don't receive help."

Bealuna deeply sighed. Why aren't they getting it? This should be really simple to understand.

"No, Drago. I meant, in this army that is attacking Voditza, are there other species except goblins?"

"I guess there are some trolls under their command…"

"And are there any humans? Think very hard before answering."

"There are some human slaves. And they are using some of the humans as living meat shields…"

"See! See! It wasn't even true. It was just your prejudice that determined what you saw. Now, the correct way to report on this would be, a diverse army of humans, goblins and trolls attacked the city of Voditza. That way we get full information and we don't reinforce vile things about goblins."

Drago shook their head in disbelief. They took a few steps forward and pleaded with Bealuna.

"I don't understand. Goblins are attacking, they are responsible for everything. Even now they are burning and raping everywhere they can. Please, I beg of you, help our city!"

They didn't listen at all. Drago was lucky Bealuna wasn't skilled with telekinesis magic, but the rage in xeys eyes could've killed them as easily.

"Enough, enough, enough, enough! You do not seem to understand how offensive you are right now! I will have to read your mind and determine how much implicit bias do you have and check for other unconscious prejudices."

"No, please forgive me. I was out of line. I apologize for everything I said. Please, have mercy."

"Now, now. This will be good for you. Take a look at Bino."

The esteemed advisor bowed and smiled slightly. They had long, braided hair, their beard was black and short, and they wore a silver dress that, like a lover's kiss, followed tightly their curves.

"Bino didn't appreciate the idea either at first. But when I looked through his thoughts, I saw that he had several fantasies of being a woman. He would have never had the courage to take the step themself, but after we helped them, they was much happier."

Bino bowed again, but didn't pull their head up until they finished talking.

"Yes, Bealuna. I am most grateful for everything you did for me. I live my life to the foolest of my dreams."

Bealuna brightened with a smile after Bino's praise.

"See, nothing to worry about. Now, let's begin."

Not giving Drago any time to prepare, the Mentalist overwhelmed his mind with ease. There were some basic mental defenses in place, but nothing for level 69 mage. Bealuna was inside Drago's mind. All of their feelings, memories, emotions illuminated Bealuna's soul. This was something xey loved. Feeling and seeing someone else's lived experience. It was like enjoying a perfectly warm bath, aromated with finest, sensual oils. Still, xey shouldn't get distracted so easily, this was important. The most important memories came first. Drago's first kiss, marriage, birth of their two children… Unimportant. Bealuna pushed those memories to the side as fast as xey could, and focused on goblins and Drago's thoughts on their country. New images shimmered in front of Bealuna. As expected, in childhood they played a game called "bash the goblin", there were tasteless jokes about goblins, to most of which Drago laughed heartily… Horrible. Bealuna furrowed xeys brows. Sometimes the content of one's life was really traumatic to Bealuna. Why are there no trigger warnings when one needs them most? Bealuna started pulling away when xey noticed some memories being held back. Xey quickly tore out the memories which Drago used to bury the relevant ones out of sight. As Bealuna reached the bottom and touched the images, a sense of shock ravaged Bealuna's insides. Xey screamed at the betrayal and disappointment that xey suddenly experienced.

"You! You! Traitor! You don't respect me, you think I'm utterly insane!"

Drago fell to their knees. They knew there was nothing they could do. Nothing except to cry and beg.

"Forgive me, please! It was once, I was drunk, it just flew through my mind. Please!"

"Liar! You told several jokes about me even! You don't joke about one's identity!"

"Never!. I've learned my lesson. I swear. Never again!"

"And you don't even believe in this gender 'thing'... You are too far gone. I will need to correct parts of your problematic personality."

"No! Have mercy please."

Drago grabbed the hem of Bealuna's long dress and cried like a desperate child. They mumbled something, probably more pleas and apologies. But they fell on deaf ears. Bealuna lowered xeys palm on Drago's head and released a powerful force of mind magic. Unlike observing ones mind, editing it required a huge amount of magical energy and it wasn't as gentle. Drago let out a piercing wail, startling everyone in the room. The loud noise particularly wounded the Mentalist.

"Guards! What are you waiting for? Grab them and shut their mouth! You know I am prone to auditory sensory overload!"

Two guards dashed at Bealuna's command. One embraced Drago like a giant snake, holding them in place, and the other desperately tried to shut Drago's mouth or at least stop them from screaming. As distractions were muffled, Bealuna continued xeys work. Xey focused on memories that were key to Drago's masculinity, and with a magic sledgehammer smashed them into grains of sand that faded away into nothingness. Then xey searched for everything that could fuel implicit biases and unconscious prejudices and with a wave of the hand deleted them from existence. This was always hard for Bealuna. Xey breathed deeply, trying to remove the discomfort that xey felt. Luckily it didn't take long to finish, so Bealuna could enjoy the better part. Recreating better memories and opinions for Drago. First, xey ingrained deep images in Drago's mind so that they would firmly identify with their pronouns and that misgendering them would cause pain. This would only be temporary, until they are comfortable with their identity. Then xey implanted the images of toxic masculinity and how it affected everyone around Drago. The pain it did, the suffering it caused, Drago would now feel all of it. When everyone learns about this it will be a major step towards a better world. Finally, Bealuna added unquestioning loyalty towards their common goal. Drago would now see that this was greater than themself and never betray xem. Beaten, shaken, weak and exhausted, Bealuna collapsed to the floor. Xey embraced the now silent patient, caressing them like a parent would a child.

"How are you feeling now, Drago?"

They looked up, tears still in their eyes, but the eyes were gleaming with joy. A serene smile blessed the whole room.

"I feel happy. First time in my life, I am truly happy. Thank you, dear Bealuna. Everything that I learned I will treasure deeply, and try my best to live up to these ideals."

Bealuna lifted up xeys fellow person and gave them a slow pat on the back.

"You did well. Now, go. We will send reinforcements to Voditza immediately."

"Thank you, dear Bealuna. This gives me great joy."

Drago bowed with grace and demeanor of a proud soldier, then walked out of the decision room. The Mentalist remained at xeys place, then turned to xeys advisor.

"Bino, we will have to split our troops. Send half to Voditza. I can take care of Corrack alone but it is important to show numbers."

"Yes, Bealuna."

"Also, I just remembered during this session, we should start dismantling marriage. It is a primitive institution and no longer needed."

"Of course. I will do as you say."

Bealuna sat back on xeys chair, and like a jelly, slid down in it. The work mentally exhausted xem, but one should never abandon a good deed for comfort. Still, recharging batteries was important. Xey should take a rest now.

"Is there anything else that is critical? I need to rest now."

Bino searched through their scroll, pulling their finger down the paper.

"Vilik is here to make a report. It would be good if you could see zim now, so ze could return to zis research."

"Very well, send zim in."

A somewhat small person, limped in slowly, and bowed in front of the Mentalist.

"Greetings, Bealuna. I hope I find you in good health and spirit. Thank you for seeing me."

"For you, dear Vilik, always. But I am pretty tired, so could we keep this short?"

"Yes, of course. We certainly can. I can proudly say that the mages of soul manipulation are progressing nicely. Experiments are right on track, and we performed around three hundred and fifty soul manipulations last week."

"Excellent. Was there anything unusual or important that could interest me?"

"Important… Unusual… Ah, yes. There was one case that was very peculiar. I performed soul manipulation with two new souls that were already mixed. And they were mixed from two very different beings. A dragon, and an archdemon. It was one of most difficult tasks I ever performed. Sadly, results were not as satisfactory. The final result proved to be highly unstable."

Bealuna raised an eyebrow and bit xeys lip. Slowly rising xeyself, Bealuna was at the edge of xeys chair.

"Wait, wait. Turn back. You said it had the soul of an archdemon?"

"Yes, indeed I said that. And a dragon."

"Did they say where they got the soul from? Or who were they?"

"Where they got the soul… No, they didn't mention. But they did say who they were. Name was Yovan, and he was from a small village in Warlock's country."

No, it couldn't be. Bealuna held xeys breath.

"Anything else you could tell me about this Yovan? Think carefully."

Vilik scratched zis head. Suddenly zis face lit up with excitement.

"But of course! He had a scorching curse placed on him, but after the procedure we successfully removed it."

There was only one person capable of throwing a scorching curse. There was no doubt any longer. Bealuna jumped from the chair, pulling out xeys hair and screaming at the old mage.

"You idiot! Stupid idiot! He was a spy! You just gave our secrets to the Warlock!"

Vilik gasped and raised zis arms in front of zim, protecting zimself from emotional attacks.

"No, not possible. He said he wanted to change. You ordered me to help anyone who wanted the procedure."

"I didn't mean to help spies! Why can't you think with your head? This is a disaster!"

Eric would never do something like this if it wasn't big. There was no time, Bealuna had to act immediately before Eric became too powerful. Xey paced up and down, biting xeys nails, staring at the floor. Everything xey worked for, everything xey wanted to accomplish, to be destroyed by that selfish, uncaring, toxic man. Xey was too close, too close to success. Bealuna looked around, everyone waiting for xeys next move.

"There is a change of plan. Corrack and Voditza will have to wait. We ride to Kamenar today. The Warlock will feel our wrath. He shouldn't have tried to steal from us."

Everyone cheered with jazz hands, the thunderous silence spread everywhere, strengthening every soul for war.