After a long, hearty cry and a comforting nap a hair ruffled face groggily lifted from a breast that it had clutched to as a pillow. The face of course belonged to Toby and there was an upset blush that belonged to Hoglah, she was still very embarrassed by her B-cup breasts not being able to nurse the dramatically underweight Toby which was causing her distress. What was the point of an enormous matronly body without the ability to feed a sweet little child?
Speaking of which, food scarcity was quickly going to become a problem for the Moblins, Hoglah could probably eat what was left of the entire mansions food stores and only put on ten to twenty kilograms which was nowhere near enough for her to feel comfortable as she planned to have a literal larder of power. She resisted a burning desire to eat absolutely everything, but what about everyone else? All other Moblins being so closely patterned on herself would likely feel the same drive to consume and to keep the timeline needed in order to conquer this area to gain a proper foothold in this world required her to act quickly. Already to stay within her planned timeframe she would need to leave within two more days from the mansion to execute her plans and she was unsure if the Tongue Caza could finish his gestation with that time. She had planned to gun it for the mines immediately after she tallied her forces when Tongue Caza awoke and have the Moblins simply hunt as they went, but she worried about the land ecology. What was the point of taking over land that had been hunted out in a pre-industrial world? She was willing to take the risk before, but perhaps this bed-headed child was the answer to all her prayers.
“Thinking about how to feed everyone?” Toby inquired. Hoglah startled wide-eyed at having been read like a book. Toby for his own part then became startled. “Merciful! You have no poker face at all, thank God you didn’t try to negotiate or openly combat my father. No offense to you Empress, but he’d have eaten alive in combat or business.” Hoglah was again angered by this little twerp, but in equal parts she was impressed by his sharp mind, it had been...well, when she thought about it she’d never been challenged in such a manner, combat was one thing, as a Concubus combat was no issue, but she was only born into this body two weeks ago. During her and her sister’s negotiations with Moses and God they’d held her back. Literally. Otherwise she’d have strangled Moses with his own staff. Negotiations were not her strong suit and if she wanted to be a proper Empress it was a skill she could no longer ignore. She was a master of combat in an unfamiliar body so that would sort itself out with time and practice. Spell craft was no issue obviously, but speech craft? She would be starting from less than zero and would need a teacher. Her gaze fixed on the twerp before her.
“I-you are right Child, I must learn business and speech craft, will you help me?” Hoglah felt shocked that she could lower her head to anyone after Lucifer, it shocked her how easy it was in the presence of a person she actually respected. She realized it was something she’d always adored, finding herself in this position because of how often she was let down and how rare such people were in the first place. No more would she look to others. Yes, she would bow her head now, in pursuit of being the very type of person she had sought as a child.
One on whom their children can depend. “Well, the good news is you are a quick study and decisive, that will serve us well. Before I agree to anything though, what has been done to my family? Please don’t lie to me.” Toby fixed on her with gleaming eyes. “I have turned your father into the largest mimic to ever exist, they are humans who become so obsessed with gold that the merest touch fuses them to it and more importantly the gold's container, usually they only have a chest of Gold to become one with. Thanks to support from both the atmosphere I have caused and magics I am providing the entire mansion is becoming one with him. You’re mother on the other hand...I’m trying something new with her. We’ll call it turning her into a...Pearloid. Mimics are similar in composition to a mollusk and so I have had your mother converted into the pearl producing organ of your father. The pearl’s she produces will contain copies of her mind that can aid and assist in analytics for my forces. A counter I envisioned to aid in what I assume will be Moblins lacking intelligence. I expect them to eventually develop individuality, the pearls I mean. Your father was given a fair choice to reject his fate and instead chose it. Your mother stupidly waved her rights as she acted in aid of the punishment not realizing her own complicity.” Hoglah was a brute, not just in her stature and personality, but her honesty.
Toby laughed to himself at how fitting his mother’s fate was, she always did love to micro manage. He also found himself impressed by Hoglah, admitting your race has flaws is not easy in this time where so many races are in conflict, especially when talking to a human. She was admitting they had flaws and finding counters. Low intelligence on the average Moblin? Give them an extra mind to oversee them.
Intelligently he waited for Hoglah to resume without any kind of reaction to the news. “Your sisters….” Hoglah said with a sneer the revealed her gleaming teeth. “Your sisters, I had intended to give a choice...but seeing what they did to you, it can be taken as fair exchange by the laws I follow. They tried to take your legs and now they are standing beasts.” Hoglah felt a hand that barely covered a quarter of her palm slide into her hand. "Please Empress, give my sisters the choice, I’d imagine without them personally giving in the power you gain from them is diminished.” A green hand composed of one of Hoglah’s ponytails which was magically puppeteered into a clawed hand that rushed to Toby’s throat and pressed a glinting razor sharp finger to his throat as her ominous eyes constricted. “HOW DO YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF MY POWERS AND HOW I GAIN THEM!?” Toby spoke slowly, the nail was pressed so tightly that if he moved his neck too much he’d likely cut himself on it. “You just told me. I didn't know anything for certain, you just gave yourself up again.” Toby chirped out as Hoglah withdrew the claw and was ashamed for both her quickness to violence and having again been read by this child.
“Listen Empress, I looked up a lot of black and evil magics trying to find ways to deal with my family. In my understanding most magics of this kind can’t be forced on people, well, they can, but it is very different from choosing them. Going on that information and the fact that you stressed my parent’s choice I made a guess. I also assumed you’d be upset, people knowing about you puts you in danger. I was prepared for that reaction when I said it. Even so, please give my sisters the choice.”
Hoglah returned from her shame to make eye contact with this brave boy. “Another lesson, I thank you. The offer I can make to your sisters is unfair though, but by the choice of their father rather than myself. I can offer them only a homeless, penniless life, a statusless life with no defense against their many, many mortal enemies or the now much stronger spirits that would dog them.” Hoglah said with a sigh as she leaned back in her chair.
“They made enough of that bed for themselves to lie in, fuck them...but still give them the the choice, please.” Tobi said with gleaming eyes and Hoglah found it impossible to resist.
“Very well, come Toby, let’s go see them.”
I really like the fact her flaws aren't nerfed just cause she's the mc, so many stories do this. Also like how she can't use talk no jutsu like she's a diplomat with no prior training and that having immense fighting skills in her past life doesn't translate to the current one.