Aside from Amplicia, five more Monster Girls were sitting inside the Carefree Reflection Chamber, their expressions solemn, their air profound, mysterious. Amplicia was on the main seat while Corane and Undrila were leaning onto each other on a pink couch, holding a fluffy pillow in their arms. The other three Monster Girls also made themselves at home. A pair of twin Plant Girls sat at the white tea table, drinking fresh milky tea, while the last Monster Girl, a Light Elemental, sat pleasantly by herself.
Despite their seemingly nonchalant air, the atmosphere was tense, not because of their affiliations but because of their power. Every Monster Girl in the Carefree Reflection Chamber stood at the realm beyond ordinary, the Condensation Phase. Each of them could establish a Monster Girl haven, having a big army or a harem, according to their desires.
"Trilal, Lalit, Sandoris, I'm glad you all accept my invitation," Amplicia said. Her fingers rhythmically tapped against the armrests of her seat, echoing muffled noises like the grandfather clock. "Sadly, the other two couldn’t attend this meeting while I can't locate the last one. If all of us could gather here, the Crusade would end before it can even begin."
"They must have their own reasons, Lady Amplicia," the Light Elemental, Sandoris said. Her voice was screeching yet strangely charming. She placed her arms on the table in front of her and rested her head on them. "Lady Undrila, Lady Corane, your Carefree Reflection Chamber is truly marvellous. I really like its design, especially the artefact in the middle of the room. It does soothe my heart and clear my thoughts."
"It's something we've invested all our effort making, Lady Sindoris. Though it turns out satisfactory, it can't compare to your Gleaming Hope Star Ring." Corane held her chest up and pulled Undrila closer to her, both smiling, feeling proud. "I only dare to display it because it's perfect for this occasion. If not, I won't risk embarrassing myself and Undria in front of you all."
"Don't be too modest, Lady Corane," Trilal, the White Rose Girl, said. She glanced at Lalit, the Black Rose Girl, and giggled. "We twin don't have anything of great value to compare with you; no matter how much you intentionally underestimate your achievement, you can't get any lower than us. Please don't embarrass us any further, or we'll have to leave this meeting in shame."
As the four Monster Girls started playing with their words and tones, Amplicia exhaled in defeat and coughed loudly. Her voice faintly echoed inside the Carefree Reflection Chamber, startling the Monster Girls. They gradually quietened, looking at Amplicia, faintly blushing.
"Everyone, we'll have some time to catch up later. There will be lots of desserts and wines, so please hold on until then," Amplicia said. "I assumed you all understood the reason for today’s meeting?”
"It is a crisis but also an opportunity." Sandoris twirled her fingers. Specks of light flowed around her shiny, yellow-white body. "You can leave the Church of Nightly Goddess to me. I have an unfinished business with them; I once encountered them when I was still at the Transformation Phase looking for exotic material to absorb."
Once the Monster Girls reached the Transformation Phase, they had to venture into the world to find exotic material to strengthen themselves. Only the Metamorphosis Phase Monster Girls could hide in their dwellings and develop themselves to the limit. Maybe some exotic Monster Girls wouldn't need external material to stimulate their potential, but such legendary beings were too rare.
"We'll gift the Nightly Goddess believers to you then, Sandoris." Amplicia turned to Trilal and Lalit. "What about you two? Do you have any grudge to settle? We can give them to you, and if you can't do it alone, we will assist you."
"The Seven Goddesses are our target, but we know our limit. We'll have to trouble you all to help us fulfil our objective," Trilal and Lalit said at the same time. "We can help you take on the Goddess of Redemption first before shifting our attention to the Seven Goddesses."
"Thank you for your understanding, Trilal, Lalit." Amplicia smiled and repeatedly nodded. "We'll quickly annihilate the Redemption believers before taking on the task of avenging you, but we can't take it too carelessly. There might be traps hiding inside the Crusade. Our intelligence only knows that at least one Archbishop is overseeing the operation."
"You have a mole inside the Pure Races' camp?" Sandoris narrowed her eyes, feeling surprised. "The Broken Empire is indeed supreme among us Monster Girls. I guess our way of life is enticing to some of the Pure Races. Freedom, pleasure, all within one whisper."
"It would be great if more people are willing to join us. The Broken Empire welcome all kinds of people. They might call us broken and fallen, but we are more glorious than ever, more whole than ever." Amplicia chuckled. "If only we could convert men without dooming them into insanity, that would be perfect. I heard that some Monster Girls are researching this topic in the far east, but our influence couldn't stretch that far."
"Once we take down Tentoid Empire and the surrounding nations, your Broken Empire will ascend above your peak and achieve status unimaginable by all others." Trilal and Lalit grasped each other's hands, shivering in excitement. "The Pure Races have been far too complacent, neglecting our existences for so long. They couldn't even understand the hidden power inside the Sinking Dark Forest."
"Even we can't fathom what lies inside the depth of the Sinking Dark Forest, let alone the Pure Races," Undrila said. She looked startled when she recalled something in the past. "Even with my current power, I still don't dare to scale Mount Purple Clouds. Rumours speak of an all-corrupting treasure of Lady Lilith, guarded by her illusions, so powerful that even we Monster Girls couldn't handle the corruption."
"I don't know why, but the secluded characters atop Mount Purple Clouds never seem to have any interest in the outside world. They seem to merely exist but never move, despite their vast power," Corane mumbled. If not for their faint yet omnipresent aura, coupled with the ancient records she found throughout her life, she might also not know about them. "The Heartfelt Knowledge Fragrance that we use is supposedly one of their creations."
Without it, the Labyrinth of Love could never amass the weak Monster Girls without giving out their location. It was a mystical power uncrackable by even the Monster Girls themselves. Such was the superiority of the secluded beings deeper inside Sinking Dark Forest.
"Regrettably, they don't want us to find them; we are in no position to force them." Amplicia sighed. The Broken Empire naturally tried to find them, but all the attempts ended in failure. "They must have special circumstances preventing them from coming down, but I trust that they would move once necessary. They might be the reason why the Pure Races have never organised a full invasion against this forest."
"If anything, their existences alone have helped us immensely. We don't need them to act, for our strength is enough to crush the Crusade." Corane laughed, tightening her hug on Undrila. "More than half of the Transformation Phase Monster Girls have agreed to join our cause. With us six and at least two more Condensation Phase Monster Girls outside, it's our fight to lose."
"Don't get too confident, Corane." Though Amplicia said so, her complacent expression betrayed her thought. "It doesn't matter; we don't need to eradicate them. Our task is to delay and misdirect their attention. We, the Broken Empire, will lead our army to strike the nearby nations and conquer them, expanding the holy land of us Monster Girls."
"We haven't seen the battlefield yet, but I'm already this excited." Sandoris tapped her fingers against the marble table, creating glowing lines of magic in front of her.
"We, too, are eagerly waiting for the battle." Trilal and Lalit simultaneously nodded. "This occasion will be grand, though it is unfortunate that we have to leave someone to guard this place. You're taking too much risk, Lady Corane, Lady Undrila."
The Monster Girls fell silent and turned their attention to Corane and Undrila. Without the Labyrinth of Love as bait, the plan against the Crusade would have been much harder to accomplish. Now that the plot had succeeded, the Labyrinth naturally carried a great risk on its back. Not only was it facing the invasion of the Subterranean Creatures underneath, but there was also a looming threat of annihilation above.
Corane sighed and was about to speak, but Undrila struggled out of the embrace and stood up, revealing her determination through her gleaming, charming eyes. The fins and scales on her slender body quivered, reflecting the soft light of the Carefree Reflection Chamber.
"Don't worry. I'll be the one who guards the Labyrinth," she said, her hand holding the Shadow Heart Fragment. "I'm an Aquatic Monster Girl, as well as the weakest of us here. It's only natural that I remain behind."
"Undria, what if something unexpected happens?" Corane said, frowning. "If the Crusade sends a strong Archbishop here, you might be in trouble. I won’t be able to return in time."
"Don't you forget that I have the Carefree Reflection Chamber? As long as it's not the Cardinals or the Pope, I'm confident in my ability to defend the Labyrinth."
Corane wanted to argue, but she got nothing to grasp onto and force Undrila to go with her. It was logical that Undrila remained, yet she couldn't accept it. She wanted to always be with Undrila; something in her just couldn't accept it.
"What about me? What do I have to defend myself? I can't take the Carefree Mirror, or you won't be able to display the full power of the Carefree Reflection Chamber."
"I know you would do this, so take it." Undrila handed the Shadow Heart Fragment to Corane, forcing it into her hand, making her hold it tightly. "The Fragment is more suit for you on this occasion. Don't lose it, or I'm going to be really, really mad."
Corane and Undrila bickered along as the solemn atmosphere of the room dispersed. Amplicia didn't stop them, for the meeting had already ended. She let every Monster Girl converse and tease themselves while she excused herself and left the room, telling the Monster Girl maids outside to bring in the dessert and drink.
Soon, a Monster Girl dressed in tight black clothes walked towards Amplicia and saluted her, using the protocol the Broken Empire taught its people. She raised her hand and placed it on her brow, tilted her head lightly, and smiled like a blossomed flower.
"Lord Amplicia, we've escorted Lady Iris and her sisters to the mansion," the Monster Girl said. "As long as the Labyrinth stands tall, they won't come to harm with us protecting them. Do you need us to prepare the teleportation formation?"
"Prepare it just in case." Amplicia looked at her palm and mumbled something. Her eyes gleamed as hazy images manifested in them. "Gift them each a precious material according to their races. Is there any difficulty?"
The Monster Girl took a deep breath and nodded.
"One of the Monster Girls is a Four Winged Fallen Angel while the other is a Sacred Slime Girl."
Amplicia perked up, staring at the Monster Girl in front of her. Once she understood that her subordinate wasn't lying, she inadvertently smiled.
"Interesting, very interesting." Amplicia nodded. "Tell me about Iris's sisters. I want to know about all of them in detail."
Since knowing that Iris was the inheritor of Lady Lilith, Amplicia had been trying to figure out how special Iris was. Is it merely a coincidence that Iris's sisters are also extraordinary, or is it something attracting them, influencing their destiny?
