The Laminas, ghouls, harpies, and medusas were demi-kin that lived on four separate islands. When humanity began to hunt them as monsters the goddess decided to remove them from the main continents and placing them on the four islands.

This caused great displeasure among the four demi-kin races ,who no longer worshiped the goddesses - believing them to have abandoned them, to their hellish fate.

The islands were hostel places to live on.

This was not the intent of the goddess however, they simply did not have the power of creation.

This world and everything in it was created by the great goddess who then created them to manage her creation as she left to create new worlds.

The goddess could manage nature but even if they tried to imitate what the great goddess had done, they were unable to do so.

As a result, the four islands were terrible places to live on.

Little food grew on them and there was no mineral resource on the islands.

Not like they could mine it anyway and even if they could, they had no one to trade with apart from themselves.

The ghouls, harpies, and medusas were constantly on the verge of starvation and relied on the Lamias.

The islands may have been hostile but the seas were still bountiful.

The lamias would often share the catches with the other three races. This made the other races respectful of the lamias, but the laminas themselves never thought much about it.

As far as they were concerned, they were all in the same boat.

Four races were cast out of their homes by greedy humans.

As she watched the sun setting the lamina Queen took a deep breath. She often did this, while holding a spear in one hand and a necklace in another.

As she caressed the necklace in her left hand, she thought of the person who gave it to her.

The beautiful woman she could never forget.

“Queen Marie”a voice called to red haired lamina Queen.

She turned around and with her blue eyes and looked down on her purple short-haired, pink-eyed daughter.

Queen Marie had a mature mother-warrior look to her. A simple armor covers her massive boobs.

Her daughter with a modest chest often glare whenever her mothers boobs jiggled.

“How many times have I told you to call me mother, Cecelia?”

“And how many times have I told you that it would be improper to do so. You are not just the Queen of the laminas you know. You’re also highly thought of in the other three clans.” She answered before thinking,  Plus, there is no way I am going to call those meat sacks mother

“Tsk… what a troublesome girl. So what brings you here?”

“A human has appeared. He claims to be from the kingdom of Highland and wishes to speak with you.”

She frowned at her daughters' words.

No human had stepped foot on these islands before. The only contact the two races had was when they fought out at sea.

They know that the humans were under attack from a new race called demons. They were able to get that information from fishermen they came across in exchange for not sinking their ships.

Could they be losing the war? If so, do they now seek our aid?, Queen Marie thought

“Where is he?”

“We detained him in the middle of the cave. I have the guards closely monitoring him.” Cecelia replied

“Then let’s go and see what this human wants. If it’s nothing important then we will be having meat tonight.”

“Really!?”

“I am kidding… we are not savages, but we will kill him. Maybe we can use him as bait next time we go fishing.”

***

They entered the damp chilly cave that housed many Lamina families.

Laminas like the other three exiled races, once used to live in beautiful houses unique to their requirements. Many of which were built using human technology and manpower.

However, on these islands, they had to make do with caves and treetops for their living arrangements.

Queen Marie approached the human as lamias all around gave him death-chilling glares.

However, he was not in little bit fazed by this.

This human is strong, furthermore, I sense another power within him? No. Not exactly within him but still part of him?

“You have guts coming here human. I will hear your name.”

“I am honored to meet you, your majesty, I am Count Paolo Vanderburgh. Under the orders of his majesty King Edwin Von William Highland, I have come here.”

“Are you a warrior? Or perhaps assassin?”

Upon her words, Cecelia and the other guards took up fighting positions.

“I am retired from the art of combat and stealth, but I am neither a warrior nor assassin.” he replied

“A spy then?”

Paolo simply bowed his head after she asked.

“I am but a humble messenger.”

“Lower your weapons.”

“But mother!” her daughter cried

“Apart from me, no one else can take this human on. Not without sustaining injures anyway. I need you all to be in tip-top condition for the hunt tomorrow, otherwise, we might not be able to provide enough for the other clans as well.”

“Understood.” her daughter reluctantly answered

“If I may be allowed to speak your highness, they may not be any reason to hunt the sea for food tomorrow.”

“Ho… and why is that?” (Queen Marie)

“I bring gifts from his majesty. If I may be allowed to use magic to present it?”

“Ho…you can use storage magic?”

“Yes…”

“You are very skilled. I wonder what your foolish king was thinking by sending such a talented person into my domain.”

“My King is not foolish and I do not have such talents that they will be missed by him. I can think of no less than two individuals who surpass me.”

“Those human men must be skilled then.”

“They are, however, one is not human while the other is a woman.”

“A woman and a demi-human you say?”

Paolo nodded his head in reply.

This information took Queen Marie by surprise. A human king who had a demi and a woman as his most skilled attendants was unheard of in her time on the continent.

This was more shocking than the tales she heard of a duchy whose influence spanned the continent despite having no mighty military or economic power.

Furthermore, it was a duchy ruled by demi-humans.

The merfolk.

She truly believed that they would regret not following them, but that never came to pass and their prosperity fueled the hatred of the laminas.

“The world has changed since I last set foot on the continent. Well then, are you not going to show me these gifts you speak of?”

“As you command.”

Paolo stretched his hand. After a small flash of light, large container boxes filled the area.

To be able to store so much… has magic advanced so far? Furthermore, I swear I felt the presence of fairy magic.

Such thoughts crossed her mind but she quickly brushed them aside.

“What is in these creates?”

“Food, drinks, clothing, medical herbs, and other accessories.”

The cave was filled with the mumbling of the laminas. Some could smell the smoked meat and their mouth watered with anticipation.

Others looked at the beggar like clothes they wore. Having clean freshly made clothing would be very welcomed.

“This must be a trap. I bet the food is poisoned.”

Upon hearing the words of Cecelia the other guard laminas joined her in raising their spears and swords once again.

“Did you not hear me the first time!? Lower your weapons at once.”

“But your majesty…”

“No buts Cecelia, do it now."

Although reluctant. Cecelia and the other laminas did as she to them to do.

“I apologies for that.” Queen Marie spoke to Paolo 

“Considering how humanity treated you, I can understand your reluctance to trust this human.”

“I am happy you understand, but what is the reason for all this generosity?”

“His majesty would very much like to meet you Queen Marie.”

She glared at his reply, “You’re asking me to travel to your kingdom?”

“No. His majesty wishes to come here.”

His reply shocked everyone in the cave.

It was one thing for a human to travel here as a messenger but for the king of a human kingdom to request a meeting in which he would travel to the island as opposed to requesting Queen Marie travel to his kingdom was truly unbelievable.

“Very well, however, as you can see, we are not in a position to welcome royalty and what you’ve brought is not sufficient for all four clans.” She answered.

If they were going so far as offer good for a meeting then she would have them provide for the other clans as well.

“There is no need to worry, his majesty will not have any issue with whatever service you have an offer, and as for the other matter. This cave is cramped so I decided to only remove a small portion of the gifts I had brought. I will need to go outside if I am to remove the reaming content.”

Once outside Paolo  removed the reaming goods he had brought.

Queen Marie marveled at the large amounts of goods that were in front of her. She didn’t need to be a mathematician to know that this amount was sufficient for all the clans combined.

Almost as if they knew our numbers and requirements. Is it possible that we are being spied upon? Hmm... This human too was once a spy...

“Tell me something”

“Yes your majesty.”

She heisted to ask the question that was on her mind. As the gears in her head turned. she concluded it would be better to hold off from asking the question upfront.

If they were being spied upon, then she needed a way to sniff out the spies before they could escape the island out of fear of being caught.

“Never mind. Cecelia organize a distribution of the stuff here among our four clans and have the clan heads of the other three be ready to come here when the king of highland pays us a visit.”

“Understood, your majesty”

“Highland is an ally of Vidfamne, if I remember correctly. I wonder what the duchess of Vidfamne had to say about this?”

“I doubt his majesty’s concubine would be in a position to object to any of his majesty’s decisions right now.”

“Eh… 'His Majesty’s CONCUBINE!”

Queen Marie scream was so loud that it was heard all over the island