Okay, that was creepy as fuck, but alright…

We climb up two long flights of stairs in complete, awkward silence, then go down a long hall that ends at an ornate double door.

"Please wait here for a moment, Lord Ryder," Sebastian politely requests, then slips inside.

I wait for almost a minute, then Sebastian finally comes back and lets me in.

The double doors open, revealing a wide and mostly empty carpeted office. The first thing I notice is the black tinted glass covering the entire wall in front of me. The view is of the east, away from the Throne, and the tinted glass makes it harder to see anything but the outlines of the landscape while also absorbing enough of the daylight that the office needs gem lights for illumination.

Then I scan the rest of the room and almost frown. There's only a couple of comfy chairs, a sofa by the side wall, and Cleinias' long office table, which is covered in small pieces of paper, scrolls, and papyrus.

The old fart himself is sitting behind his table, staring at me with a foolish smile that creeps me out. He's a brown mass of wrinkles dotted with sickly black spots and "prettied up" with his white, thinned hair and beard that look almost unkempt, like an uglier Einstein.

I walk into the office and notice how warm it is, though it doesn't feel stuffy. It's the only thing about this experience that I find somewhat pleasant.

I train my eyes on him, the echo of my muffled steps the only sound in the wide room, then I stop by his table and extend my hand.

"Decien Cleinias Alkibiades, I'm Crown Lord Wolf Ryder," I politely introduce myself, my voice cool, calm, and collected.

"What a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Ryder," he wheezes back while clearly ignoring my offered hand.

Then we stare at each other for a few awkwardly long seconds as neither of us make a move.

 

 

We stare with such intensity that his aura starts to affect me. His eyes seem like a solid wall, veiled by a thin and pretty black cloth as it slowly comes closer, threatening to corner and crush me.

I don't like being threatened right now. My instincts tell me to rake his neck and kill him on the spot, but I lack proper justification, and I think he knows it. That's why he's so chipper: he's taunting me, and he knows what my draconic instincts are telling me to do.

"Please, sit, Lord Ryder," he calmly requests.

I pull my hand back and look to my side, annoyed that I'm forced to break the staring contest first. I spot the chair and pull it over to me, then I sit.

It's uncomfortable as the armrest is fused with the back cushion, creating a solid wall in a "u" shape that leaves no room for my thick tail.

"Have you enjoyed your time in the capital, Lord Ryder?" He cheerfully asks, his wheezing voice unpleasant to my ears even though he has high "Charisma."

"Beautiful place. The Throne is an amazing construction, and the melting pot of cultures here is a wonder to see," I tersely reply, not very enthused about the topic.

"'Melting pot,' what an interesting analogy!" He exclaims with unnerving cheerfulness, then he coughs in a way that makes me think he's about to keel over and die, but I realize that's just how he laughs. "Have you 'partaken' of the local races?"

I subtly raise an eyebrow. "I haven't had the time, but I plan to. I'm fond of wereanimals, and there are plenty around here."

His smile widens, wrinkling his face further. "Hah! So am I! Even at my age, there's nothing like a little cat's purr or a dog's licks."

My [Sense Soul] detects nothing but humans, tho.

"I simply enjoy the female form, whatever it may be," I dryly reply.

His thin eyebrows knit in surprise. "No men? I know most dragons are double-edged."

"No men."

"Not much fun to be had if you don't enjoy using the back door, hm?" He wisely replies.

It's taking quite an effort for me to remain neutral. "I just don't enjoy dicks and overly manly faces."

And he grins amusedly again, his "Charisma" causing conflicting feelings within me. "No dicks? I guess that excludes the pretty elf boys."

I calmly hum, "It does."

"But what would you do if one snuck into your bed?" He innocently asks.

I almost smile as I deadpan, "Get very mad."

He lightly hits the table with his palm, the first time his body has actually moved. "Hah! As straight-edged as they come!"

"Hm…" I indifferently hum in agreement, and we fall silent.

But just before it starts to get awkward, he cheerfully continues, "But women aren't the only thing you're enjoying from the capital, I see. Quite a few people have heard of your fondness for chocolate, and now also coffee, curiously."

"Earthy foods please me."

He snorts. "You sound like a dwarf."

Then I remember that the Gods have just guided me to leave a coordinate, so I can't drop my guard. "They just have good taste in food."

"Even bug meat…?" He wryly asks with a smirk.

I sigh and slowly point out, "Imperial food has an unhealthy obsession with flour and fried food. No culture is perfect."

He leans back in his lavish chair, smiling smugly. "Not something I'd expect to hear from a Crown Lord of the High Forest."

"I'm not an elf."

"But one of your wives is, though I see it's clear who bends over in bed." He waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

I let out a single, soft chuckle and flash a polite smile, then another silence falls over us.

And once again, he quickly moves the conversation on, "But you've got quite the large harem for yourself. Are you still searching for more wives? I know plenty of nobles here who would love to get involved with such a young, vigorous Lord like yourself."

That one is easy to decline, "We all married mostly out of love, so we're not looking for people who wish for a higher status."

"'Mostly'?"

"I don't need marriage to force women to approach me."

"Clearly."

"Hm…!" I proudly hum.

Once again, I let the topic die, but he persists, "You are becoming quite famous with your achievements. Some even say that your Companions are like wives."

"Not far from the truth."

He throws his head back and opens his mouth wide as releases an odd-sounding, wheezing laugh, "Hah-hah-hah-hah…! Are you competing with the Emperor? Such an insatiable appetite for women just fuels the rumors that you're his bastard, not that I'm implying the same."

He continues on, with seemingly unending topics to talk about whenever I let the conversation lose steam. His tone betrays no hint of hostility, and the topics are never distasteful or confrontational, yet the discomfort that I feel never goes away. Be it the environment, temperature, seating, his stare, the fact that a God guided me to drop a [Gate] coordinate nearby, or his faint, high-level aura affecting me, everything irritates me. It's not that I just don't want to drop my guard, I feel like I can't, and all the irritating factors add stress, so it's all starting to grate on my nerves.

And yet, the topic of Alki-Alki never comes up, so I assume a perfectly neutral but firm tone as I force the issue, "Yes, I do enjoy exploring dungeons and their mysteries. In fact, my wives are exploring the Labyrinth right now. We were so eager for this day that we hid our identities so that we could calmly search for an interesting guide instead of intimidating one into serving us. That's when we met your son, Alkibiades, who impertinently flirted with my wives while I was away for a moment."

He stops for a mere second before replying with a gentle, fatherly tone, "Ah, yes, my boy. What a brat he is sometimes," -he flashes a wistful smile- "but you gave him a humiliating defeat, so that should teach him a bit about picking fights with strangers." But he doesn't let me respond before he slyly continues, "You also showed your dragon transformation, no? I hear you're just like a Symbol of Might, which is quite impressive, I must say. Not that your current draconic features aren't, but a Symbol of Might is certainly an awe-inspiring creature, so we all hope that you'll live up to its fame."

I remain silent, staring at him as he runs his mouth off.

He subtly leans forward as he excitedly adds, "Do you plan on continuing to train your transformation? I know of a wereape who can grow so big that he can wrestle with Giants, so you shouldn't have much trouble grow-…"

I sternly interrupt him, letting a hint of anger color my tone, "I was under the impression that the topic of this meeting was your son, Decien Alkibiades…"

He leans back and waves his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, but you showed the stupid boy his place, no? Or do you wish to deal with this little clash more formally? I just felt that having a friendly chat would do some good for our families, you see? You're quite the powerful magic swordsman, and I'm interested in knowing how you came up with your own Style. It isn't a-…"

You know what? Fuck it. I don't want to be here, so I'll just leave.

I let the dragon glare at him, and I see him tense up in response, then I interrupt again, "A friendly chat was had, and since there don't seem to be any lingering problems related to our duel, I'll be taking my leave."

He rests both of his small hands over his lap and subtly nods. "I see, I see. Perhaps another time, then."

I stand up. "Goodbye, Decien Alkibiades."

"Goodbye, Lord Ryder."

Then I turn around and leave while he just remains in his seat, his unwavering stare burning a hole into my back.

 

I return to the embassy, then I open a [Gate] back to the nature elemental carriage.

"Welcome back," Roxanne receives me with a hug, and I get a handful of her small, tight ass as I shove my tongue down her throat, then we both [Equip] our armor again.

I'd like a blowjob to relieve the irritation from having to go through that meeting, but everyone promises me a round, so the anticipation is good enough for now.

I want to see some ruins.

 

"What the fuck is this…?" I blurt out as I stare at the singular building in this whole damn swamp.

It's a half-sunk skyscraper, a mossy rectangular box of cement directly out of a post-apocalyptic setting, tilted just like the leaning tower of Pisa.

The girls turn silent and stare at me as they probe my memories, and realization dawns upon them.

Penelope happily skips forward as she shares her knowledge with us, "Rather than simply growing houses made of pure stone or digging holes, Man preferred to conjure concrete, for some reason. The shape of their homes was also quite peculiar, though some found similarities between these vertical homes and those of non-breeder dragonoid monsters."

An awkward silence settles in, and everyone turns to us, confused about our reaction.

"Is the ruin structurally safe? Is there any risk of it collapsing?" I sternly inquire.

And Lolo is taken aback by my tone, "N-no, it's safe. The dungeon maintains its integrity. It's a 'decoration.'"

I [Fly] towards it, and Alissa follows.

"Any insight on why they chose this peculiar architectural style?" Ciel curiously asks, covering for me.

The spotted brown rabbit calms down and smiles at the angel's comforting tone. "No, but some guess that the lack of any decoration makes it extremely simple to conjure."

Indeed, this skyscraper is just a perfectly rectangular box that's oriented upright, and since you have to visualize how you want your conjuration to come out, this is the optimal building design for mass housing.

I enter through an open window and find myself in a timeless kitchen. Cupboards, tables, chairs, and counters, all made of wood, all without a single decoration, perfectly Spartan. But there's nothing else, no food, cutlery, clothes, or even bedding, just concrete and wood.

I summon twenty birds and spread them out to explore the ruin, but all we find are copy-pasted rooms, nothing that seems specifically Earthling.

Is it truly a coincidence…?

Alissa interlaces her fingers with my claws, and little by little, her presence calms me down.

The complete lack of decorations is suspicious. Why would nobody try to personalize their living quarters?

Is the dungeon being truthful about the past, or is it just an odd quirk, like the white, sunless sky?

Those questions are why people find the Dawn of Mankind such an interesting time period, but unfortunately, it seems like they'll remain forever without an answer.

 

We move on and leave the ruins behind, then we continue to grind for Experience, and we pass by a few more ruins, but they're just as timeless and bland as the skyscraper.

Supposedly, there's some ancient library on this level, but it's quite far, so we won't get there today.

I focus on continuing with my seduction of Penelope, and the way she acts when I look at her reminds me of Nono, so I think I might be in the clear to be way more aggressive with her.

When night falls, the knights start to return to the embassy, and Kyora's harem doesn't seem up to nighttime dungeon crawling, so I open up a [Gate] for everyone.

 

Intermission - Penelope

 

He casts spells like one breathes, all without chanting, or even putting in any noticeable effort, and I'm sure that's not the power that the average Lord has.

The Templars cross through the [Gate] without hesitation while Nik and I hesitate for a second. We're both uncomfortable with how these Lords have us by the balls, but their words are so honeyed that I find it hard to resist.

I breathe in deeply, then I step into the black circle first.

My world instantly changes from green to brown as I suddenly find myself inside a wide, wooden room. Then my eyes focus on all the details, and I realize the true meaning of "Grand elven design."

This place is lovely…

A group of gorgeous golden-haired women wearing just as little clothing as I am bow to the Ryders respectfully, and I suddenly feel uncomfortable about how casually we've been talking to them until now. Then I realize that they're elves, and I'm awed by their transcendent beauty.

Lord Wolf's voice brings me back to reality with his commanding but still very gentle tone, "These two adventurers will be our guests, so prepare a room for him, but for her…"

He turns his intense, dark eyes towards me, and I instantly freeze.

I feel like prey. The way his eyes lick my body makes me shudder, but it's definitely not from disgust. He just… awakens things in me that I didn't think I had, and I'm afraid of what I'll become if I let him do what he wants with me.

The cute fox girl suddenly grabs my hand and hugs my arm, her adorable but mischievous smile shining in such a way that I feel it's almost magical.

"This one is coming with us. We're going to 'play' all night," she slyly announces, and the fear comes back twice as strong.

Then my other hand is grabbed by the dark-skinned, curvy, and gentle beauty, the kindness within her gaze like a sweet Gorgon tea.

"Stay with us, and we'll take care of you," she soothes me, her voice sounding hypnotic in my ears.

I'm scared, but everything would be so much easier if I just… surrendered.

My head nods on its own, and they guide me forward.

"Ah…!" I hear Nikolas grunt and glance back at him. His face looks anguished, concerned… or is it disappointed?

"I'll be fine," I assure him, my voice sounding much more composed than my mind.

But his jaw goes slack, and his tail goes limp, leaving me confused.

Does he… like me?

I turn forward again, and my heart hurts with anxiety.

Of course, he does.

I shake my head angrily and walk forward with confidence.

But I'm allowed to do what I want.

 

As we walk through the beautiful structure, we meet up with a cute, dark-skinned monkey girl, and she gives me a curious look.

"Hello, there," she cheerfully greets, her tone so innocent that it stuns me.

"Another wife…?" I rudely mumble in confusion.

"No, just a knight, though her body belongs to me," Lord Wolf casually spouts an outrageous statement as he cops a feel of her ass.

She pouts, but doesn't remove his hand… or even have the decency to blush!

That is the kind of man Lord Wolf Ryder is… and I'm willingly walking into the jaws of the beast.

 

We move on and soon reach a steamy room, and I'm surprised by how the floor is covered in moss, though not the crumbly kind, as it seems to stick to the floor like a large piece of cloth. But the most impressive thing about this room is that the large pool of hot water has a wall full of embedded gems.

An enchanted bath!

My bumpkinness is interrupted by gentle hands taking off my jacket and undoing my belt.

Before I can properly react, someone touches my bra, and it pops free, revealing my humiliatingly small breasts. Even the dwarf girl has bigger boobs than mine.

But then I'm attacked by predatory gazes. It's not just Lord Wolf; every single woman here is a predator. To make things worse, the cheeky fox pulls down my shorts along with my panties, leaving me fully naked.

My heart suddenly starts beating like mad while my breath quickens, and my vision blurs.

"You are so beautiful…" A husky, masculine voice caresses my ears, making my legs turn into weak sticks that shiver with the weight they carry. Such simple words, but it's the power within them that affects me, and my eyes instinctively focus on their source.

Lord Wolf is right before me, and his predatory, handsome, and also kind of cute grin makes my heart skip a beat. His scales, horns, and claws look so menacing, yet the only thing I truly fear is his gaze. There's so much intent within it. A promise of intense carnal pleasure, a protectiveness that borders on domination, and fulfillment that nothing else in the realm would ever be able to compare to.

His vertical scar on his left cheek is like the gem on the pommel of his refined face, but then I notice an almost imperceptible vertical scar on his throat, and I become curious about its source.

But my eyes go down on their own, and I feel a sudden impulse to lick and kiss his bare, athletic chest. There's a mix of dot and line scars that also feel very kissable, but the dots kind of look like he was bitten around his right shoulder.

Then something irresistible draws my eyes once again, and I look further down, then my heart skips a beat as I see the swinging, hard, thick, long, pink, veiny meat club between his legs, and I suddenly feel like I really need to lie down, but soapy hands start running all over my body, forcing me to remain standing.

A pair of lips touch my back, and I shudder, my eyes still trained on the cock as it subtly pulsates. "What adorable spots you have, Penelope," the fox girl teases with a high-pitched giggle, then more kisses follow, each igniting a spark within my heart.

"Her thighs are so gorgeous, too," the curvy woman adds as she carefully soaps them with her bare, soft hands.

My body is washed without my consent, yet I can't even muster a single Mana Point to stop them. It just feels so good.

At the same time, the sensual succubus and majestic dragonkin wash Lord Wolf, but the way they touch his body is nothing if not suggestive. Then I notice that the demon woman has a large circular scar on her belly, the only blemish on her otherwise perfect, pale skin.

No, it's rude to say it's an ugly spot. It clearly holds some sentimental value for her if she hasn't removed it.

But then she starts stroking his long, soapy cock, and I forget all about it.

A moan suddenly escapes my lips as I feel an intense surge of pleasure on my chest, causing sparks to ignite again, so I look down and see the two women sucking on my nipples with mirrored, mischievous smiles on her faces.

"She has a nice voice," the fox teases.

"Yes, she does," the curvy woman soothingly agrees, but I feel betrayed by her. She was the only one that I thought wasn't a predator, but I guess she was just too good at hiding her hunger.

Then the fox lowers herself down, and I feel a shiver run up my spine as I realize what she's about to do.

I've never swung that way, but these women are steadily sharpening my blunt edge.

"Ah~…" I whisper softly as the fox touches my lips, gently spreading them, and the cuteness of my voice surprises even me. Then she rubs her tongue along the length of my pussy, and I moan out loud, lighting the flames of lust within me.

"It looks like she's ready," the luscious succubus remarks as the fox shows them the amount of sticky fluid that her tongue just scraped off of me.

Lord Wolf and I have been washed, and his cock drips with pre-cum while my pussy drips with desire.

This is exactly what I knew would happen, it's what I wanted to happen, so there's no turning back now.

I just need to surrender to them, and everything will be fine.

The curvy beauty gently pushes me, and I fall backwards, but then I feel something soft and warm on my back, not the cold grass that we were standing on.

When did they put this bed here? It must've been prepared specifically for me…

My breath quickens in anticipation, and my legs spread on their own, then a shadow looms over me, and I freeze as Lord Wolf's predatory gaze grips my heart once again.

His large, clawed hand cups my cheek and caresses it while he gives me such a gentle smile that I feel like dark, cold clouds have parted to reveal his warm face to me.

Then I feel my pussy being spread apart by his thick cock, and my mind goes blank as the flames of lust consume everything.

When I come to, I realize that I'm screaming my lungs out as he pumps his unbelievably perfect cock in and out of me, and I can't even feel my legs anymore, just the constant hammering of pleasure that courses through my whole body.

"YES…! YES…! YES…! FUCK ME…! FUCK ME…! FUCK… MY… TIGHT… PUSSY~…!" I blurt out dirty words, mad with lust.

As my mind regains some focus, my hunger for his cock grows, even though I couldn't possibly feel more pleasure than this. I just want him deeper, bigger, harder. I want him to… to…

"BREED ME…! BREED ME…! FILL ME UP…! GIVE ME YOUR SEED…! IMPREGNATE ME…!"

"Oh, I like her," the succubus amusedly remarks.

And Lord Wolf does just that.

I feel his cock throb uncontrollably inside me as his warm seed fills my vagina, but he doesn't stop. He continues to pump me, loudly slapping his thighs against mine as hard as he can.

Then I feel myself leaking his seed as it starts to leave me, and I almost stop him just so that I can continue to feel his warmth, but I'm suddenly surprised as I feel another load shoot into me, then another, and another, and another…

He cums like an artery bleeds, filling me up again every time his engorged head removes some of his seed from within me.

I look down and gasp in surprise as I see pink barbs along the length of his cock rubbing against my clit as he thrusts it in and out.

What…? What…?!

Then he grins, and I suddenly feel something vibrate inside of me. The rush of pleasure is so great that my whole body locks up, and my screams die out, then my vision goes blurry as I begin to pass out from the continuous orgasm.

 

Intermission end.

 

Well, I broke her…

I slide out of Lolo and kiss her thunder thighs. I wish I could've done some intercrural with them, but she was way too scared to play with us. Though, I think she'll be more comfortable with us after she wakes up, so I'll get some of her muscular thickness later.

Right now, I have a promise of multiple blowjobs that I want fulfilled, and Alissa and Aoi are bickering about who gets to go first, so it's my duty to mediate.

"Girls, how about both?"

 

When Lolo wakes up, she's too dazed for anything, so we let her soak in the bath while I Ravage my wives.

For dinner, we invite the Templars and Nikolas, and the wolf man's depressed mood makes half of the girls feel guilty, though only Roxanne is shameless enough to admit that she's enjoying his pain.

Timas, Alonso, and Ciel manage to cheer him up, and I feel like he'll be fine after a couple of days.

Then the evil succubus makes me grab a handful of bunny girl ass as I lead her towards our bedroom, and the display of dominance actually starts to get the girls wet.

"That's the manliest thing you've ever done; stealing a woman right in front of a man. All you need to do now is to fuck her while he holds her hand," Roxanne tries to corrupt me further through [Bind], but I think that'd be going too far.

Nikolas is a nice guy, so maybe I'll invite him to the loli brothel that Sai recommended to us or some other place if he's not into that.

 

We continue mind-breaking Lolo with hedonism, but the time for my meeting with Vanea soon arrives, so I head to the entrance of the embassy.

At the appointed time, the embassy briefly disables its anti-[Invisibility] enchantment, then Alissa senses a person entering our tree, and once the doors have closed behind them, the enchantment is activated again.

Magical particles attack the invisible person, producing colorful spheres that look almost like a video glitch, but the spheres stick and shrink in size, quickly producing a blurry outline of a person.

After merely five seconds, the person becomes recognizable, and I have to contain my surprise.

It's the girl formerly known as Smegma, the poor Farana, a petite brown-haired girl with a cute braid that is/was Vanea's sex slave.

The pretty girl keeps her eyes down, not noticing me while she chants [Gate], and after half a minute, the portal opens, and Vanea appears, strolling forward like a supermodel on a runway.

The beautiful, black-haired princess has her hair swept back, making her seem rather handsome and imposing. But the star of the show is the semi-transparent black dress full of leather belts covering her important places, and it isn't skin tight, so I catch a glimpse of her pink nipples and shaved pussy lips as she walks towards me, her open heels finishing her sexy look as they grace her cute feet.

I glance at Farana and notice that she's now staring at me with unbridled fear in her eyes, but then she steps forward and disappears into her [Gate], so I focus back on the dominatrix aggressively approaching me.

Vanea grabs my vest and pulls me closer by the collar. I feel my heart tighten with excitement as I get the impression that she wants to kiss me, but she keeps our faces just milimetri from each other, then I look into her eyes.

At this distance, her piercing, black eyes attack my mind, and all I see is her gaze coupled with an evil grin that only she can make.

"Did you prepare a bed or chairs?" She huskily whispers, her fruity breath smelling quite delicious.

"Chairs," I quietly reply, still calm, yet a raging boner now strains against my pants.

She looks down and giggles girlishly, then releases me and takes a step back. "Why don't you show it to me."

I smirk and mirror her seductive behavior, "Show what? I have a hunch that you'd like to stare at my huge cock again."

She chuckles softly and subtly licks her lips. "Unfortunately, I didn't bring Lala with me for that."

I take an aggressive step forward and whisper, "A perfect excuse for me to fuck you."

She lets out a low, predatory laugh, then crosses her arms in a rather sassy and defensive posture, but she doesn't reply.

After a couple of seconds, I relent and whisper huskily, "Follow me." Then I guide her to our meeting room.

 

We enter a nice, private room that has a good view of the street and has been stocked with all sorts of snacks, chocolates, teas, and even coffee. Alissa will act as the maid just to give me that extra boost in "Sanity" and also because I don't want to torture the other maids with Vanea's presence.

"I'll never say no to chocolate," the evil princess hums as she fills a plate, then sits at the sofa before me and crosses her legs.

"I recommend coffee to accompany chocolate, but it's an energizer, so maybe not at night," I affably reply and immediately go against my own advice, making her giggle.

Then she gives us both a moment to savor our snacks before she calmly begins, "I heard that you enjoyed Lala a second time."

I genuinely smile. "Yes, I did. She's a good woman."

She keeps her eyes low to not bother me as she whispers softly with a surprising amount of warmth, "Treat her well. She deserves a good man that gives her affection."

That's a curious phrasing, but I just nod and agree, "I will. I don't like to treat women as sex objects, even prostitutes, unless asked, of course."

She raises her eyes, and her smile turns sly. "That's good to hear…"

"Now, what business did you want to talk about?" I continue, unphased.

She seductively sucks on her finger, then lowers her eyes again, now deliberately staring at my hard-on, both to save me from her piercing stare and also to enjoy herself. "First of all, do you understand what's happening at the capital?"

I give an explanation based on what Nero told us, "The Purification is about to start, so everyone is antsy, trying to build alliances for safety, but apparently, something else is going on because nobody has tried to recruit us yet, a powerful family with an obvious Gift."

She nods and grins. "It makes me so happy to see how quickly you're learning the game."

I just raise an eyebrow at her, curious about her phrasing, then I realize that she can't see it and just decide to continue with a confession, "Well, I do have to admit that I don't understand why everyone is ignoring us."

She hums thoughtfully and readjusts herself on her seat, revealing a pink nipple to me, then she plays with it absentmindedly as she explains, "You're an outsider with a very clear enemy, so someone just spread a bunch of rumors around, and that scared everyone off since nobody knows where your allegiances lie. We're in a very delicate situation, so nobody wants to risk anything by recruiting you."

I annoyedly point out, "We are pretty clearly opposed to Katasko, so where are their enemies? Why aren't they trying to contact us?"

She glances at me with a smug smirk. "It's because you're clearly deep into some shit with powerful people, so they don't want to get involved with you due to their sense of self-preservation. But it's funny that you mention that. Currently, I've joined forces with the League, but they're pacifists, so I've been building an eastern Mainland faction with the more militaristic nobles who are opposed to Katasko, and this faction could possibly include you."

"Yet you still don't meet with us in the open," I skeptically point out.

Her tone loses all mirth as she sincerely explains, "It's more for you than for me. I have more enemies than you do."

"Well, thanks for the consideration," I neutrally reply, not entirely convinced.

And her evil smile starts to make a comeback. "If you join us, we'll definitely challenge some of the Katasko nobles and carve out a territory for us."

I ignore all of her attempts at seduction and focus on what's important, "You know who they are?"

She shrugs noncommittally. "Some."

Yunia gives me a prod, and I ask, "How long do you think is left until it starts?"

She runs a finger along the edge of her cup and glances at me. "Nobody knows. We're all in a tense situation, but it just needs a spark to start the fire."

Well, that's convenient.

"We could be the spark, but we're not that interested in playing in the Purification," I sternly affirm.

And she replies in kind, "Now's not the time to avoid Katasko. If we don't fully end them right here, right now, things will only get harder with time."

I hum in thought, and Alissa nudges me to ask, "Why do you oppose them?"

She straightens her back in a subtly defensive posture. "Personal reasons, but I probably hate Cleinias Alkimeonids a lot more than you do. I'd even gladly kill him if I had the chance."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise, but she just smiles sweetly and glances at me.

Alissa whispers in my mind, "She's right. It's clear that we're opposed to Katasko, and delaying their demise just because we don't want to participate in the Purification will make it harder for us later on."

Yunia doesn't like that idea. The Elder Council has no desire to bring things like the Purification to the High Forest.

But Hana comes in with the encouragement, "What kind of 'sword' will we be if we don't attack?"

"I need to convene with my wives about your proposal," I neutrally reply.

And Vanea slowly nods. "Take your time… You don't need to actually answer me right now. You could even wait until the Purification starts since we'll need you before we can even begin to target Katasko properly."

A silence falls over us, so I move things forward, "Is that everything you wish to talk about?"

Her evil smile shows itself in full, and she stares at me, but she's too far to actually make me uncomfortable. "Oh, I just have some interesting rumors to share," she coyly hums.

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. "'Interesting'…?"

Her stare becomes intense as she leans forward, trying to take in every single detail of my reaction as she cryptically reveals, "Well, I just recently heard that the Chimeras at the Sky Lands have a group of Gifted people working for them. None of them seem to know how to speak either Andraste or Reo that well, and it was like they suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

OH, FUCK!

I breathe in deeply from the realization and tense up.

But the evil princess follows up with a vicious combo, "Curiously, the day those people first appeared perfectly coincides with the day you first entered Rabanara…"