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One leg hanging over the edge of her balcony and one tucked up against her chest, Elinor’s entertained gaze wandered across the torn-up grass and half-ruined arena she’d battled the teenagers in.

[Warlord’s Bloodlust: 0%]

Currently, the House applicants were trying to recover, and it would still be some time before they could organize into their groups to discover who would be accepted or denied. The string instruments, drums, and flutes had become far more chill and relaxing after the intense combat scenario, causing Elinor’s foot to tap against the stone railing; it had a Japanese vibe to it.

After the fight, the overwhelming bloodlust she’d felt had cooled into a smooth, calming spring, and the whole world appeared more vibrant than she could remember.

The polished white stadium with its gold and silk coverings brought a sense of peace to her undead heart. Then again, perhaps it was the joy and fulfillment she felt from the hundred thousand spectators that had shown such vigor in their support for the teens facing her. Now, all she could do was wait for Logan to join her and deliver his final verdict.

Her focus wandered between those still hard at work on the ground, most of whom were Alchemists, providing healing tonics to help those who had suffered injuries. She could already hear the changes within the populous regarding the other Houses; the fact the Tempests couldn’t just overpower her, and it was the House of Conjuration that had given her the most trouble, despite their prep time, was certainly making waves.

Her dad’s voice lifted her illuminated emerald eyes to the Royal Box. “The king and queen have gone into seclusion to discuss things in private. I’m guessing that conversation will not go as Alivau expects now that he knows about her abuse toward their daughter.”

Probably not… Tiffany is being slow as ever.

Her father chuckled from beside the aged college rector, speaking to the uncomfortable Grandmasters through wind manipulation.

“To be fair, she did have a lot of bags brought up from the carriage with her ritual ingredients, and that only one got left behind or misplaced is a miracle. It just so happened to be the least important one, which happened to have your spare clothes inside. Is she embarrassed?”

Oh, extremely, Elinor laughed, sensing Tiffany frantically sending guards out to search for the missing bag. Out of everything that could have gone wrong, this isn’t the worst thing that could happen. Ash, how soon can you collect another 100 Death Orbs?

The Horseman of Death moved through the hall, heading for the exit. “Give me another several hours at sea, harvesting fish.”

Black snickered from her seat in the stands, listening in on some of the Lower City mobsters engaged in bets; one of them knew the identity of the two persons who pawned the necklace stolen from Kaspir’s former queen 300 years ago.

“Try not to make the fishermen uncomfortable again. I’ve been hearing rumors about a black-armored knight, riding a war horse on the waves, killing all the fish schools.”

“I’ll have you know, Sister, that I have discovered what appears to be an invasive species in the coral reef that is having an effect on the local ecosystem that I can target. Have you made any progress at all since we’ve changed places?”

Watching Castria talk and make friends, Elinor laughed silently as the siblings squabbled. There was a lot that she had working in the background, and one of those things was this kingdom’s obscure and seemingly manipulated historical records.

“Plenty more than your intimidation approach,” Famine scoffed. “Of course, when you’re a beautiful woman, you can get into places men cannot.”

“Beautiful, hmm? No offense, Sis, but you’re practically 90 lbs, despite your… eating habits. You’re skin and bones, ‘Famine’; where is the meat?”

“Rude, ‘Death.’ Someone has been taking insult lessons from our youngest brother… I have ‘meat’ in all the right places.”

Elinor glanced across the stadium to where the woman was and interjected, now curious as to what had been discovered. What is the status of your case, Black?

“Mmm. Whoever they were, they covered their tracks well, and the alias the vouching party used went to an empty house that is used by a proxy that maintains the property. I followed the funds through a few businesses, including a rather scandalous underground brothel for noble women. That may be worth investigating to find some blackmail; perhaps you can apply, Brother.”

“Impossible,” he flatly refused with a short chuckle. “Too many women would be dueling over my services, and the whole establishment would get swept into the war.”

“Pfft! Ash, are you perhaps conflating yourself with Red? Who wants to bang a literal bonehead?”

“You’d be surprised by the offers I’ve gotten in my time amongst the Lower City women, curious about what may lie underneath my robes.”

“Lies! I’ll believe it when I see it. In any case, this mid-sized property shark in the Lower City has the information; I just need to follow him back to where he keeps his documents.”

Keep up the good work, she mused, now actually curious about this female-catered brothel. It would be something that could distract her in the coming days; if anything, to satiate her curiosity and discover the cultural cause. There are so many intriguing things about an established kingdom and what might develop within my own Empire over time. Hmm…

Her mind wandered a bit, feeling a tad light-headed after her battle; all the emotion that had raged within her had been purified into a sublime sense of clarity, and her thoughts were turning toward the topic of what she should do after uniting the valley ri’bot clans under her.

Naturally, there would be conflicts and cultural disagreements to be handled. Just because she took over the leadership role didn’t mean everything would fall into place. That was more catered toward her Overlord Evolution than her Warlord, but she didn’t necessarily need such intensive governing roles yet; it would become more important as time went on, though, and she could mitigate that by finding politically savvy people to raise in her Serving Court.

Elinor’s eyes narrowed when she saw Countess Evelyn Autumn leave the public view from her box; the hag was making her way to the halls to reach her private room. Another interesting note came in the form of the Grand Duke giving Lilya the opening speech to the applicants when typically, it was the House of Tempest that gave it.

Vesta seemed a little bothered by the change in position, yet Lilya was the former queen and a very popular figure amongst the general population. A new show was about to start, though, where each of the four Houses would put on their show for the audience, with the 2nd-year students displaying what they’d learned.

The House of Alchemy would be displaying their new beauty products, which had the noble women and some of the men clamoring for what would be hitting the market soon.

The House of Conjuration had some new world they’d recently discovered to gather resources from, bringing more exotic materials to their national trade, which tickled her interest.

The House of Tempest was a tad disappointing, showing some agricultural techniques that they’d learned to help with farming and irrigation. Apparently, it was a bigger deal since crops had some trouble due to all the rain, which made a bit of sense, considering the primary power of the kingdom was with the House.

On the other hand, the most fascinating topic came from the Magic Knights, who would be allowing prisoners the ability to fight in the arena. Typically, it sounded like it was more about making fun of powerless criminals, and them fighting a hopeless battle against magically enhanced soldiers.

That being said, there was another standing rule that anyone would challenge the Magic Knight 2nd-years for money, and for every duel they won, the prize would double. It was an ancient practice that saw at least a few traveling warriors attempt to squeeze out a bit of extra money to take on the road, and one was making some waves. She would bring it up shortly.

Throughout all the discussions, Elinor let herself get lost in the background music, restrained storm, and citizen discussions. The Grand Duke had more or less accepted her performance, but the fine line still had to be hashed out, and finally—just as her thélméthras powers faded—that came when he floated down to sit on the balcony with her.

[Warlord: Soldier’s Spirit: Deactivated; 7-Day Cooldown]

Elinor sighed as a rush of incredible power left her soul and all the incredible senses she’d experienced filtered back to her normal, dull perception.

It was fun while it lasted… Lifting her free hand to twist it around, she sighed. My limbs feel like wet noodles. And… great, it seems the thélméthra drone is also incapacitated for two hours to rebuild its energy. Three total hours of inactivity for the unit I used after channeling their soul, hmm? At least it doesn’t factor into the 7-day cooldown.

It’s something I’ll have to take into consideration in the future if the soldier I use is unconscious for three hours after use; it could put them in a sticky situation or allow them to get captured. It might also require different amounts of time to recover depending on the unit, she internally reasoned, glancing up at Logan as he descended.

His robe fluttered a tad as he sat centimeters above the stone railing, floating on air while keeping his gaze on the mobilizing 2nd-year students and organizing applicants in their groups. She caught Prince Drew now floating near the Grandmaster platform, anxious to get a chance to speak with his resurrected mother; unfortunately, the woman had to wave him off while going to introduce the next event.

Logan stroked his beard and crossed his legs. “I have never seen a Duskan decapitated… much less die in a corporeal form. Generally, they turn into fire and return through the gateway once defeated. You’ve shaken Grandmaster Irkai; he’ll want to know how you managed it. What will you do with the corpse… resurrect it?”

Swapping her open palm to a closed fist to rest her cheek against her knuckles, Elinor chucked and glanced at the decapitated demon, leaking poisonous black blood onto the marble floor she’d left him on. She hadn’t decided on what to do with the demon; she hadn’t even checked to see if she could resurrect the creature.

She returned her gaze to her Queen of Alchemy as the woman took all attention on her path to the center stage, her gleaming, bronze-skinned practically on fire under the dazzling light Logan cast upon her.

“I haven’t decided yet, but I might take him back with me before making him my servant. Why, did Grandmaster Irkai or you have some offer you wanted to make for him?”

“Nothing of the sort; I find it rather enthralling, to be honest,” the Grand Duke calmly returned. “I may have been able to displace thousands of Duskan, and sweep them into a clustered ball of infuriated, other-worldly flames, they could never be pinned into a physical form; I suspect your chains had something to do with it?”

“Perceptive guess,” Elinor whispered, narrowed eyes drifting to the rector, “but I suppose you are basing it off of what I did to Prince Drew and Princess Heather, locking them out of their own Tempest abilities. After all, you were listening and watching at the time. Were you satisfied with my performance?”

He was silent for a time, vision wandering between the lingering signs of damage she’d done to the stadium and the melting webs across the ceiling, still degrading from the substance the Alchemists had thrown across them. The gentle pulse of wind that dragged her untied hair to the side told her that he was blocking other Tempests’ prying ears.

Voice low, his focus darted to the disguised hag’s box, now only showing a young, 14-year-old girl; supposedly, she was the countess’ daughter, which was unlikely.

“You have sparked a revolution amongst the commoners and nobility, despite your previous claim of not wanting to start trouble for our nation. What changed your mind, or was this always the plan?”

“Hehehe.” Elinor eased her neck left and right while letting go of a yawn; she did feel a tad spiritually fatigued, which was a first, and she’d literally not slept for months. “Would you believe me if I said I had no plan when I arrived? I was merely interested in this world and came in with an open mind. I did think its resources could be helpful.”

Shifting to hold her knee against her chest, she smiled at the Grand Duke, still keeping his focus on his former queen. “When I raised Castria, she became one of mine, and at that point, I would do whatever it took to help her. Roman said his goal was to make the Delva Empire or the Kaspir Kingdom accept her in order to save this world. So, it wasn’t a hard decision on my part, but please, don’t mix up my allegiances.”

A hum rumbled in Logan’s throat as his intelligent eyes shifted to her. “Your allegiances are not to Roman, but your people… and Grandmaster Lilya is now within that category, which means you are with the Kaspir Kingdom… but you must make it an accepted and hospitable place for her. Hence, the moment you decided to bring her back to life, you’d chosen your side.”

“I’m an empress,” Elinor chimed, a dangerous gleam in her smile. “So long as we align as friends, be it war with the Delva Empire or the hag coming to see me now… I stand by my people if it is life or if it is death. I will never make Lilya not see herself as queen and guardian of these people; that is the type of woman she is, and this is the type of ruler I am.”

Silence fell between them as they turned their sight to Lilya, answering a few random questions from the crowd of a hundred thousand citizens; she chose people from all walks of life, outside of the capital city and inside, those who had been driven off their lands by the Devla Empire and those who were worried about the influx of refugees from the borders of their kingdom.

If Elinor didn’t know any better, by the look on Logan’s face, he saw Lilya as a loved student, and perhaps there was a more father-daughter bond between them that she hadn’t discovered. She had come from a totally different way of life, and from what she had heard, maybe it was the desert princess that had softened Logan’s heart to broaden his worldview.

“Hmm. You are a different kind of ruler, Empress… I look forward to working with your empire to save my world. I hope you will stop by the tower before you leave to discuss the topic with me further. My door is always open.”

“We’ll make it a date,” Elinor chuckled, watching him float up as Queen and King Alciel came back into view; Alivau did not look happy by her red cheeks and pointed glare she shot down at her. “Give my best to your queen and tell her she’s always welcome at my door.”

The elder paused in the air, hands held behind his back while looking down at her with a tired sigh. “You are playing with a volatile heart, Empress; even I am cautious of Queen Alivau and not only from her strength as a Tempest.”

“Duly noted, Grand Duke. You will have to educate me on her family when we next meet, but I am sure Queen Lilya will be able to give me a detailed account of her archnemesis… I will steal Heather from her and show her daughter what having a truly supportive mother and friend is like.”

Logan’s expression said the man did not want to get in between that game and rose to join his king and her father as the pair went to the war room to discuss tactics. Alivau’s flaming eyes didn’t budge from her, and Elinor did her the courtesy of ignoring her pout; Lilya would have to watch her back.

Not two minutes later, the door opened, revealing Tiffany as her former mother swept in with a Paladin running beside her with a bag.

“I found it, Empress! It got mixed in with the silly disposable material I’d told to be discarded. What did I miss—oh, Terry, you can leave it there…”

“Yes, Queen… Empress, it seems you have a visitor?”

Elinor’s focus fell on the chestnut brown-haired, enchanting woman in a low-cut, dress, its sides from the lower bust to her hips cut out to reveal her caramel skin; she seemed more closely related to Lilya or the South American women she’d taken under her wing than King Alciel for her supposedly wearing the skin of one of his ancestors.

Tiffany froze up as she saw the woman’s full lips and brown eyes lift into a curious smile upon studying the witch. “Empress, this is…”

A soft whispering voice tickled their spirits as the hag’s delicate touch tapped the Nexus. “Excuse my interruption, but might I have a word, Raven Empress?”

[Warlord’s Bloodlust: 5%]

Elinor suppressed a shiver at the projected message that was passed between spirits rather than aloud; this creature was potentially even more dangerous than Shade.

Swinging her legs over the side to stand, she motioned to the unsure Paladins, more than ready to turn the noblewoman away. Yet, she had been anticipating this meeting. One thing was for sure, she didn’t conform to the typical Kaspir fashion with her string-like necklace, beads, and unadorned, thick, calf-length hair.

“Let the Countess in. Queen Tiffany, my dress.”

The guards shut the door, and Countess Evelyn Autumn stepped into the private box, intrigue moving her focus to the decapitated Duskan. Tiffany’s nerves were higher than Elinor had ever felt from the Witch Queen as she plucked out the garments to follow her into the conference room to dress behind one of the thin waterfalls.

Knowing that the hag could easily break into the Nexus from her earlier display of power, Elinor kept the silent conversation going while slipping into the red and black-themed apparel Tiffany brought.

Should I feel honored, Hag of the Everborn Marshlands? What brings you to see me?

“Please, call me Autumn,” she smoothly answered, running her neatly clipped and groomed fingernails across the balcony, where she’d sat, her eyes wandering between seemingly random places as if tracking something. “Throughout the last three centuries, it has been easier to go by the name of the House rather than ever-changing first names.”

Her gentle, drawing voice took a curious twist with her full lips as she held the side of her dress to kneel down and slide a finger across the black blood of the Duskan; it didn’t corrode her flesh as it did Elinor’s.

“How… delightful. Hmm. Why am I here, Raven Empress?” She chortled and rose to her feet to look at her as she went beyond sight behind the waterfall. “You’ve intrigued me. At first, I truly thought the Raven Empress made the journey, and I had some business with her, yet color me surprised when I found… you.”

Not respecting privacy at all, the hag entered the space to study Tiffany’s orange flames, unraveling the web top and bottoms she’d crafted for the fight.

“A human child that trapped her corrupted spirit inside a jewel and utilizes the very essence of Death to her will… You have a very talented witch at your beck and call. Hmm. I’m jealous. Arsho isn’t nearly as gifted. My last few disciples have been… disappointing.”

The hag moved to her back as Tiffany numbly handed Elinor her garments to slip on, and Autumn’s inky finger slid over her shoulder, burning her skin; she didn’t flinch, breathing out a tired sigh while turning to glare at the hag so Tiffany could remove it from continuing to bite into her muscle.

Are you done causing trouble and being mysterious? I invited you to chat, so the least you could do is be courteous.

“My apologies,” she snickered, brown eyes narrowing as she made her way to an armchair to sit and study her dress without an ounce of decency. “Of my eons of life, I have yet to encounter a creature… such as yourself. To hold divinity captive is certainly something to take note of, and for one to have so many divine threads circling you… Hehe. It’s quite terrifying, if I am to be honest! Where is your sister? I’d like her to join us.”

Elinor didn’t let herself feel intimidated while keeping her cool demeanor, but through her bond with Tiffany, she knew the power this hag held was far beyond what the Witch Queen had dreamed. In Tiffany’s mind, they were little fish, and this hag was the giant shadow of a megalodon hanging over them.

She is indisposed at this moment, so you must settle with me. What do you mean by divine threads circling me… and holding divinity captive? Enlighten me with your ‘wisdom.’

“Oh, my sweet little girl,” the hag cooed, lifting a slender leg to cross her other and pluck at her dress to fix how it hung, “I suspect you have already heard how I conduct business. I desire a tribute before providing my services; nothing is free.”

Humph. Elinor slipped on her gown and moved to take the seat across from the Countess, mirroring her posture as Tiffany started braiding her hair. So, that tidbit of information was given as payment for the blood and tests you conducted against my body? I didn’t set the terms.

“Because you do not have the ability to,” the hag giggled before her tone lowered. “At least, not as of yet. I know more than you might think. What does a universe on the edge of collapse, a dubious hero striving to save it, and a peasant girl with a mysterious lineage have in common? You… however, are a new addition to this puzzle that brings some surprising scenarios. Interested?” she asked with a wicked, toothy smile, tempting her to pluck the strings and take her chances in the hag’s game.

Elinor knew her father would be mad if she brought him into this discussion; he was currently busy having a good time going over tactics with the king and High Lord Yeven Tarnash. Her dad really liked the Ice-user and how he’d raised his son, which he would with how attentive Drake had been to taking care of Anala during the battle, despite her attitude.

Then again, she could gain a lot of useful information from this creature, and there was also the possibility of turning her into an ally against her enemies if she played her cards right.

Before I throw the dice, I’d like to be sure of a few things. What will it cost for you to tell me your intentions inside the Kaspir Kingdom and about this divinity talk?

She felt Tiffany’s fingers fumble with her braid as the hag’s lips peeled back to show a pearly smile.

“My intentions with Kaspir? Give me the Duskan corpse. To reveal your destiny and the power lying within and around you? I want Queen Tiffany; in body, mind, and spirit.”

The Duskan? Have it, Elinor dismissively waved. Queen Tiffany? Her tone became a lava-infused blade. I will never give up those under my rule.

[Warlord’s Bloodlust: 45%]

Autumn’s joy faded into a light pout. “Morals. A shame. Not even Queen Lilya or your little peasant Tempest? I’d settle for at least half the information with them.”

I said you may have the Duskan, Elinor repeated. What do you want with the Kaspir Kingdom?

“Hmm. Disappointing, I could make her into something so much grander,” the woman sighed, lustful eyes lifting to her never-shaken Witch Queen, who was now quaking in her heels. Glee returning, she pointed a finger at the corpse, creating a focused stream of air that lifted it off the ground and made Tiffany’s gut tighten.

“You… That’s ‘actual’ Tempest Magic… from one of your beads? You suck the soul essence out of the Autumn Household Tempest and condense them into a usable form? That’s… brilliant.”

“Oh, this?” Evelyn giggled, lifting and twisting around her wrist to examine it. “One of a few rather simple rituals I performed on the Autumn family. They are to have exactly five children, the three eldest of which I take at the age of thirty, when a Tempest reaches the height of their power. I require as much to maintain a Tempest strength equivalent of a Countess Head of House. It is merely a means to an end; I could teach you so many real rituals, though…”

[Warlord’s Bloodlust: 60%]

Elinor leaned her head against her closed fist with a dull tone. We can discuss joined rituals and how we can be of service to one another at a future date. You’re trying to muddy the water by giving me your intentions around Kaspir with easy-to-determine information. Give me what I paid for.

“So aggressive! I can taste your bloodlust rising. I can appreciate that in a woman,” she snickered, brown eyes flashing to show the yellowish fiend’s irises that hid underneath.

“I want Princess Heather.”

Princess… Heather? Elinor repeated, jaw locking and feeling her protective nature rising; she’d already selected Heather as Castria’s best friend and to give the princess a better life. Why?

[Warlord’s Bloodlust: 75%]

[Bloodlust Aura: Activated]

“Careful, sweet thing… I know you can control yourself.”

Tempering her emotions, Elinor’s thumb played with her left earring; it was hard to curb her bloodlust, but she couldn’t afford to blow up. She had to play this smart when dealing with someone as powerful as this creature.

[Bloodlust Aura: Deactivated]

[Warlord’s Bloodlust: 30%]

Go on…

“Hmm-hmm-hmm. That evolution in your soul really has brought out a monster within you… Why do I want Heather?” She lifted her hand to count off her fingers. “Selective breeding, careful manipulation of active and recessive genes, a proper diet, and careful emotional trauma have made her the perfect candidate to carry a child that I can turn into a new hag—a younger sister, if you would.

“Her latent potential is greater than any Tempest in the past millennia, giving her… enough Mana for what I require. Well, the greatest with a few exceptions that I lost track of due to… various upsetting reasons.”

Elinor’s gaze drifted to the carpet and waterfalls. There was a lot hidden in that answer and much that went unsaid, yet she had given her intentions, which meant the price was paid—this hag was crafty. Her vision lifted to lock eyes with the monster.

You want Tiffany because she can become a hag and skip the whole damn process. In reality, you’re trying to downplay it, but you want Castria because you can resurrect her, and her child will make the strongest hag.

Having the former queen under your control could spark a massive upset if you returned her to life and there was a battle of legitimacy, allowing you to swoop in and take Heather… There could also be other special connections that Lilya has from her relationships with other nations you’re after. We’re on a collision course… What will prevent that?

The hag’s hand lifted to her mouth as her frame shook with laughter, causing her dress to slip in a few places, not that it bothered the creature. “You are such a horrific entity in the guise of a child, Elinor of Earth! Hmm…”

Her fiendish yellow eyes lit with a powerful intensity as she stood. “Yes, we are on a collision course, which could end badly for both of us for reasons you cannot currently fathom. How can we prevent this fate? Smuggle me out of this dying universe and into the place you now call home. Hehe. And not as one of your dead…”

Presenting her with a deep curtsy, the Countess’ brown eyes returned with her charming smile. “I had such a pleasant time with you, Empress. Oh, and I very strongly suggest you watch these upcoming Magic Knight demonstrations. I am positive you will find them most… perplexing. Let’s do this again… soon. I’ll be in touch, Queen Tiffany.”

Elinor remained seated as the twisted creature left with an upbeat hum, carrying the demon with her back to her private box.

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