Stretching her arms out, Aria strained her muscles and joints until the stress of the meeting eased from her body. Of the council members who started in the room, none were left. Each had been arrested on various charges with the evidence collected through the efforts of Lapis, Topazia and Mr. Redmon. Though the initial discomfort of using evidence not procured on her own chewed at her when she first received it, she had slowly come to terms with it and chose to accept the help of others. It was hard to disagree with the results, after all.

"Ruby, prepare my coat, please."

"Are you heading out?"

"Yes. I want to take another look at the materials and talk to the site manager about extra bodies."

Knocking distracted the two from their conversation and drew Aria's attention towards the door.

"Enter."

"Countess Sugimoto, there is a man claiming to be an Ambassador of Azmodius asking for you."

"Azmodius?"

Turning her questioning gaze to Ruby in hopes of an answer, the maid only replied with a questioning look of her own. Aria judged this something outside the control of Lapis and so went to handle it.

"I'll be right there. Please show them to the main room."

"Yes.", the maid bowed before leaving the room.

Aria lifted herself from the seat and stretched her legs and side once more. Predicting her actions, Ruby moved to a closet at the far end of the hall and drew a glamorized dress from it. As it stood, Aria's current attire was anything but worthy of showing an Ambassador. Understanding the implications of the gaudy dress held out to her, Aria could only bring herself to exhale strongly before she reached for it.

Firo was led through halls of the government building. He had heard from reports about the structure of Profectus City to include their odd management of power and war-like habits. He had no intention of judging the Mayor, Countess Sugimoto, for such things though as he felt the need for pragmatic responses held more weight than lofty ideals. As if to prove his beliefs correct, the room he was led into was made of undecorated stone and contained only the essentials despite being used for receptions.

He took a moment after the maid left him in the room alone to invoke a subtle investigation magic. In particular, he was looking for any traces of observation magic that could leak the contents of their meeting. Though he didn't have any intention to talk about classified information to the Mayor, he felt it was always safer to prevent whatever leakage of information he could. For a moment, he thought the results would come back empty, but his magic emitted a sudden response to a moving target, something that normally isn't possible.

Firo directed his attention entirely at the magic signature to track it down. As he focused on it, he realized it was moving towards him at a steady gait and turned his eyes to the nearest door to it. From that door, a latching noise resounded and the twin oak panels opened to reveal a young blond woman in a beautiful dress. His eyes fixed on her for only a moment as the next attendee drew his eyes wide.

Following from behind her was a maid with a pair of crimson eyes that seemed to look through his very soul. His magic was registering the woman as the source, destination, and target of something inexplicable. He had never felt such a magic before and was thrown of guard until the first woman startled him back.

"Good afternoon. I'm Countess Aria Sugimoto, Mayor of Profectus City. I understand you're here as an Ambassador of Azmodius. Pardon what I'm about to say as I understand it's rude, but my time today is limited and we are still recovering from our previous battle. As there is much that still needs managing, what business do you have with me?"

Firo pulled his surprise from anything external that might reveal it and dropped to a knee where he stood as etiquette dictated. Though calm externally, he hadn't yet dropped his guard against the woman standing behind the Mayor.

"Good afternoon, Countess Sugimoto. My name is Firo Labanza, acting Ambassador of Azmodius. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to meet me. I only have two reasons for my short notice visit. I'm sure news will reach you soon through other channels, but Queen Dazzlevine intends to visit Profectus City. Please prepare accommodations for her stay."

"Queen Dazzlevile is visiting Profectus City? Isn't that a little premature?"

"Premature? Ah, due to the last battle?"

"Yes. As you may have heard, our City didn't fair well in the last fight. Our Northern rampart is in shambles, we're lacking resources to properly repair it, and to make matters worse, there's evidence of the Demons preparing for a second assault. This city is anything but safe for a Queen to visit."

"There should be no problem with that. Queen Dazzlevine is aware of Profectus City's state. However, her visit is related to something else I'm afraid."

"The Fairy?"

"Indeed. That brings me to my second reason for visiting. I'd like an introduction with the Fairy if at all possible."

"No."

Firo thought for a moment he hallucinated the words he heard and followed up as such.

"Excuse me? I'm afraid I misheard you."

"Ambassador Labanza, It's unfortunate your trip was wasted. Empress Fardom does not live inside Profectus City, as such, I'm unable to arrange an introduction in the manner you're asking. There are methods to contact her, but none of those are within my control. She's quite the off handed woman and tends to move at her own pace. She is, as I mentioned, not someone I am capable of managing."

"Are you not able to introduce me to her at the very least?"

"I'm afraid not. Though I can point you towards someone who might be able to."

Thoughts of who else but the Mayor would be of appropriate rank to introduce him swarmed his mind. No matter what information he read up on about Profectus though, there was no one higher ranking than Countess Sugimoto before him. Forced to come up with alternatives, he recalled the nobles who participated in Profectus City's management. He knew Klasika valued hierarchical relations in nobility more than any other nation, yet he had thought Profectus City was different. Somewhat disappointed, he replied.

"I understand... Than perhaps it's one of the good nobles?"

"Nobles? Oh, no. They're gone. I'm afraid they've been exiled from Profectus due to their treasonous actions. At the moment, I'm the highest ranked member of nobility residing within the city."

"Exiled!? When did this happen?"

"Just a moment ago I'm afraid. It was quite stressful... Anyhow, the person you're looking for is here."

Aria gestured to the woman behind her to step forward. The mocha skinned maid stepped forward, her piercing eyes locked onto Firo as if judging his caliber. Firo struggled to hold himself calm under the enormous pressure exerted by the woman. The two remained silent until Aria spoke up to break the awkwardness.

"This is Ruby Umare, my personal maid. She is friends with Empress Fardom. Though they are friends, I don't intend to force her into an introduction considering both the person in question and Ruby's situation. I'll prepare for Queen Dazzlevine's arrival. Considering the facilities available in Profectus, I'll have her stay as a guest at my estate. Do you know when she will arrive?"

Firo was still reeling at the unthinkable situation playing out before him. Practically all the information he memorized about Profectus City has been blown out of the water within minutes of meeting their leader. Her attire suited her position, and yet her demeanor was more humbled and pragmatic than one normally associated with the role. The leaks to various nations he planned on using as leverage had already been cleaned up and even more surprising, the Mayor herself refused to provide him, an official Ambassador of Azmodius, with an introduction to the new Fairy.

Aria stood from her chair to leave the room leaving the shocked Firo behind. As if to understand what he was thinking, she left him with a few parting words.

"Ruby is an excellent maid, I'm sure your magic has already picked up on that somewhat. If you need anything further, please let me know. I'll leave you in Ruby's hands as I have other duties to attend to. Please have a relaxed stay in Profectus City, Ambassador Labanza."

Aria left the room leaving behind the two and their respective matters. She ditched her gaudy dress for a pair of warm pants before moving to leave the building. As she neared the exit, a butler called out to her from behind, changing her plans.

"Ah, Countess Sugimoto!", he called and waited until his mistress acknowledged him to continue.

"The Western guard reported Lady Topazia entered Profectus City. She passed word to be staying at Lady Trisha's tavern."

"Is that right?...I guess I should put off the Northern site for now. Such changes are rare. Thank you for informing me."

Aria dismissed the butler and continued out the building only to run across a mixed group of adventurers. She felt her feet come to a stop as her mind drew suspicious theories about the group. Could it be helped though? Too many things had happened in one day for her not to hyper analyze every encounter, or so were her thoughts as she called out to the group passing by her.

"Excuse me...I wouldn't imagine so, but are you here to meet the Mayor?"

"Ah...Yes. That was the plan, why?"

She felt a headache encroaching due to her accurate prediction. Unable to just let them pass now that she knew, she gestured for them to follower her to her carriage.

"I'm Countess Aria Sugimoto, Mayor of Profectus City. I'm currently on the way to an appointment, if you'd like, we can discuss things on the way?"

"Huh? What?! O-of course, sorry about that. I'm Kelvin Belmore, leader of A ranked team 'Satyr'. Please allow me to join you. Can my associates join as well?"

"Well...The carriage is plenty large enough. Please, this way."

***

"Well then...How should I handle this?"

The words slipped through my lips as Trisha left the room to serve some fresh customers. I kept my eyes trained on the young children resting on the bed and reviewed the current state of affairs. After being deposited in this world, I had initially wanted to sit back and do nothing. The dreams I held in my previous world seemed more reasonable in this one, yet there were certain roadblocks I had to remove. In particular, the issue of this annoying war.

There were other issues I would look to resolve in the long term, but my short term goal was to end this war. In regards to that, I had my first heart to heart with Hiiro to discuss my plans. I had not expected to reveal my inner insecurities to him, but he seemed to accept them without issue.

[Oh? My heart beats a little faster at just the memory...It would appear he changed my disposition somewhat...How interesting.]

Regardless of my idle thoughts, my plan is missing vital components to bring it to fruition. I required at least a single trustworthy individual who knew the plan, yet was unaffiliated with any of my personas. In that regard, I could not help but feel the pull of destiny between myself and the children I saved. I took the form of a pantherian to help offset any fear they might have felt, but I do not think I have managed to assuage their fears of myself.

[Should I present the same offer I did with Ruby?...No. That girl desired revenge from the start and I built her ego to retain a degree of loyalty.]

Unlike that situation where I had such an intricate degree of control, this is more along the lines of damage control and restoration of the soul rather then the mind.

[In which case, revenge might work after all? I imagine it will depend on the personalities of the children...]

If the children chose to side with me, I can tackle a few of the other hiccups. My research has been moving forward like clockwork and I have not yet run into any particular roadblocks. Thanks to that, the control center came together in ease and due to the trade with Countess Sugimoto, I have obtained a massive leap in automating the facility. Thinking to the future, I must improve on the diversity of golems.

[If it is not set up correctly, the threat will dissipate, will it not? How should I go about doing this? I am not so creative, I think...]

My gaze darted to the stirring pantherian on the bed. The younger brother seemed to come to his senses before the sister.

[Is this due to a male pantherian trait or his youth? Perhaps both.]

His moistened eyes peeled themselves open in panic but his body remained frigid.

[A defensive mechanism, perhaps? Oh.]

He finally seemed to notice my presence. Large eyes relative to their frame locked onto my ears and appeared to walk my figure as if deciding between friend or foe. I attempted to show my likeness to him and waved my tail. I watched the young boy's face turn somewhat red as he scanned me.

[Is he angry? Scared maybe? Should I act now?]

Unaware of my inner turmoil on how to proceed, the boy finally noticed his sister laying in bed next to him. He moved with measured caution and nudged his sister, waking her mercilessly from what appeared a peaceful slumber. In a willful act of kindness, I remained silent until the young girl escaped her fantastical dreams. I had no intention of bringing her back to reality so soon, but business was business after all. Maria appeared to awake with the dignity of a worm left under a blazing sun as she scrambled to understand her current situation.

The slightest of smiles raked my face at that reaction, but it would not do to leave her be.

"Good afternoon, Maria. Good afternoon, Shino. How was your sleep? I do hope it alleviated even a little of your fatigue."

[Ah...She panicked...]

I watched her pupils lock onto my figure as if a beast cornered looking at its assailant. I remained still with my smile plastered across my face. It seemed neither of us felt the need to move as she remained cautious with her little brother squeezed into her chest. My gaze drifted to her tail which looked as if someone inflated a balloon of fur. It didn't move, nor did it appear relaxed, but the bristles remained tensed. Perhaps she noticed where my gaze was directed as the bristles widened further.

"Do you not recognize me, Maria? I will not hurt you. Rather, I saved you and your brother from starving in that hidden compartment. Do you really not remember my face?"

[Will I need to resort to magic?]

My thoughts began perusing alternative methods to placate the young beast into a sociable mood when I noticed her tail relaxing with a cautious pace. Glancing at her eyes, I found the slightest sense of recognition inside them.

[she remembered me after all! Good girl!]

"Do you remember me now? Do you remember my name?"

"T-Topazia S...Shields."

"That is good. It seems your memory is working fine. Feel free to relax. We are inside Profectus City at a...friend's tavern."

My accidental pause did not seem to go unnoticed by the girl, but what could I have done? I had forgotten for a moment that I was Topazia the pantherian, not Lapis the Fairy. Attempting to brush over subtle weakness I showed, I moved our conversation along.

"I will have you stay in this city until you are healthy enough to work. After that, we will discuss the future."

"Is your offer still available?"

[She did not even hold back, is it?]

"It is, but are you fine discussing such matters now? I understand you should be recovering still."

"It's only lack of sleep and hunger. Please, Lady Topazia...Tell me the terms of employment you mentioned earlier."

"You are very direct for your age. May I ask what occupation your parents held?"

"Father is...was a merchant. Mother acted as his assistant."

[She already came to terms with their deaths? No...Judging by her attention, she must have forced it to take care of her brother.]

"How much was passed along to you as their daughter?"

"Father allowed me to sit in on negotiations and taught me the basics."

"I see...Has your brother also participated in such endeavors?"

"No, he wasn't yet old enough yet."

The abacus within moved to her responses and calculated the best role for the siblings. My desires for them never included torture or slave work, so their education was in fact a large boon in their value for me. Considering her age, the girl could start nearly on day one and the boy, though young, shows the signs of a defensive younger brother.

"Let us talk vaguely about the future then, Maria."

I summarized the details of the job to her to include the role her brother could play if he wanted to. The two seemed to grow more interested as I continued and eventually, they agreed to my proposition. As I neared the end of my talks with the two, I felt it was time to discuss the more important matter.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes..."

"Let us grab a bite to eat. This is a tavern after all. I am sure Lady Trisha would love to fix you up a warm soup. Do you have any preferences?"

"No, something light for now thank you."

"And what about you?"

"..."

"Still nothing? I felt he was growing on me somewhat earlier, maybe I was wrong...How saddening. I will order him something light as well, is that fine?"

"Please. I'm sorry about that, Shino is shy about the oddest reasons."

"It is fine. I will be in the main lobby if you need anything."

I left the siblings alone in their room and moved to the tavern lobby. I was able to accomplish marking off two of the requirements for my plan, but it felt someone hollow. Though I was helping the children, it did not feel as if I could actually help them in any way other than pragmatic. If I left it as it is now, their relationship with me would be based less on trust and more on give and take. Such a relationship could only harm me in the long term. I needed a way to work myself into their heart somehow.

I approached the end of the hall and breeched into the raucous environment.

[Is this destiny? Fate...?]

Before my eyes were a series of adventurers devouring one of the many simple dishes Trisha's tavern was known for. Their jubilant attitudes and orgulous approaches on Trisha forced a constant ire expression on her face. I was certain I was unable to recognize them and instead managed to recognize the trophies attached to their hips. Had one looked from afar, it is certain those fluffy tails would appear to originate from a wolf or other four legged monster however my heightened senses remembered every scent from the corpses.

I moved to the bar top and waited for Trisha to enter a slump and return behind the counter. I kept my eyes wandering, but my attention remained the willing victim of the party toping off pints of ale. It seemed to me they were utilizing magic to detoxify their blood and remain sober to a certain extent. My patient waiting paid off after Trisha delivered a second tray of food and moved behind the counter.

"Trisha, may I ask another favor of you?"

"Yer favors don't seem much like favors when yer payin me for it every time, ya kno?"

"Haha, It is just in my nature. I am afraid I may have to damage your store soon. I would appreciate it if you cooked something light for the children and keep them distracted until I remove your new customers."

Trisha's light hearted expression plummeted at my words. I planned on respecting her choice regardless of her stance, but this was a good chance to feel the woman out properly.

"What they do ta earn ya ire?"

"They are the bandits who attacked the caravan those kids were in. I am only returning the favor."

"Them guys? Crusaders be gettin crazier and crazier every year...Yer gonna pay for the damages?"

"I will, to include the food."

"Forget the food, go give em a stompin. Get em on the street if ya can, I don't want my store too bloody."

"Thank you."

Her bright smile returned and she left for the kitchen. What an adaptable woman she is. I could not help but remain surprised at how easily she allowed this. Considering the identity of the customers being crusaders, I imagine she expected something along those lines.

I lifted myself from the seat and made my way over to the crusaders. I could not feel a single shred of mercy within me for beasts who massacre, however I still had to maintain my reputation in Profectus. Meaning I had to accomplish this in a controlled manner.

"Hello, my name is Topazia Shields. I am a traveling merchant. May I ask what monster those tails came from?"

I raised my voice to draw the attention of nearby customers as well. Perhaps the idea of a merchant approaching crusaders was uncommon, but the attention was unnaturally exquisite. Two of the men eating seemed to look over me as if assessing my value. The woman to my left became nervous and I noticed the early stages of magic invocation starting. Did they suspect me? Well, I certainly directed their attention to war trophies of my own kind from their perspective. A man with blond hair spoke up to represent the group, I felt a seething hatred in each of his words despite the stoic mask he carried.

"Their from a few beasts we found in our travels. If that all you wanted ta know, get out of here!"

"Beasts, is it? Tell me bandit, do you often hunt Pantherians or was that caravan special?"

Their eyes went wide at my comment and one of the men closest to me drew a dagger on me. It wasn't time yet to reveal my identity, so I was forced to limit both my mana and physical capabilities. What luck I happen to have though, Pantherians are known for their physical inclinations rather than their magical talents. I grabbed the dagger that shot towards me by its hilt and crushed the man's fingers along with the dagger drawing a scream from him.

Pulling his torso towards me, I rotated and slung his body through the main tavern exit. Each of his allies moved to engage me while I maneuvered to a more central location in the tavern. Considering my reliance on martial arts in this form, I had little choice but to select my fighting area. I lured the group with feints and subtle dodges, acting weaker than I am and drawing them further to a zone I could control.

"Surround her!"

Their leader took command and started issuing orders but I was already moving to disrupt them. The young female was in mid swing of her sword when I closed the distance into her bosom. I watched in slow motion as her face contorted at my presence and my own expression twisted into a smile. Driving my fist into her stomach, the woman was blown through the door, slamming against the ground outside. As I watched her tumble along from the corner of my vision, I moved to engage a man in the middle of invoking a magic of some sort.

My form being that of Topazia, I had to refrain from using excessive magic. My specialty known only to be canceling teleportation magic to the various eyes watching from the shadows had to be maintained to keep suspicions low. In respect to that, I allowed the man to complete his invocation. I felt my body become heavy and my mind slowed despite my abnormal constitution yet it was nothing that would affect my fight against such low level opponents. Blasting through with debuff casted on me, I forced the tip of my hand through his shoulder like a spear. Grabbing what bone I could feel, I rotated him around me and crushed whatever I was gripping. His body, now free of my grip, tackled his leader who attempted to rush from behind knocking the two men down.

Ignoring the screams of pain from the invoker, I closed the distance and drove my foot into his gut sliding him across the tavern floor and out through the main doors. The fear in the leader's eyes as I approached him in deliberate steps did nothing to stir my inhibitions and as such, I brought my foot down across his shin, splintering it in half despite his thick armor. I picked his body up from the ground while emitting the strongest blood lust I was able to in this form and toss him outside the tavern. Behind me, I heard a whistle.

"Wow Lady! Yer pretty tough... Whatcha gonna do now?"

"Can you bring the older sister outside?"

Trisha's eyes seemed to disagree with my request, but she let up after only a moment. I started walking out the door to continue the beating when a carriage I recognized rolled up near me. I could feel the presence of familiar mana signatures, one expected and four unexpected. I could not help but frown at the unexpected visit, but my attention should not be split just yet. In order to restrain the crusaders, I walked up to each of them and crushed their shins. Though unconscious, the female crusader woke from her forced state the moment her bone shattered. Through her tears and screams, I felt an anger directed at me that I could not identify.

"L-Lady Topazia..."

A child's voice reached me from behind. Trisha had collected Maria and brought her out to me. I ignored the bodies exiting the carriage in the distance and moved to the child.

"Maria. These people are the ones who hunted your parents."

I moved to the side to properly show the pitiful states of the crusaders. From the corner of my vision, I saw the girl step back in shock. Perhaps the sight was too much for the young thing, was what I thought initially,however I noticed her eyes darting between each members as if searching for something.

[Ah...She must smell it as well...]

I moved to kick each crusader over and tore the trophies from their waist. My keen sense of smell lured me to bags that held cut off ears and extra tails. The moment I found the extra bags, I crushed the feet of the man who stole them away. His armor served as a mold that forced his liquefied flesh through its air holes from the pressure. I ignored both his screams and the faces of the crowd that started to surround us. I did not want this level of attention, but it could not be helped in such a situation.

The trophies I collected were laid in front of the girl who dropped to her knees trying to identify them. She passed over ten to fifteen tails until she fixated on one in particular. Her moment of pause was followed by a stream of silent tears. I was not sure which parent she found, but this must have destroyed what little belief she held on to that they might have survived somehow. From behind me, I felt the familiar presences closing in on me, yet I could not bring myself to remove my attention from Maria.

"Lady Topazia...What's going on here?"

I could not very well ignore the Mayor and future Queen herself... Turning and dipping into a bow, I affirmed her existence in confidence.

"Good afternoon, Countess Sugimoto. I am only punishing bandits who hunted my own kind."

I noticed the not so subtle flicker of emotion build in the large Pantherian with her group. I recognize him, but his name escapes me at the moment. His eyes became focused on the moaning crusaders and I watched as he analyzed the situation using his own senses.

His eyes wandered the scene as if reconstructing the fight until they landed on the girl crying silent sobs behind me. The anger that flared from him set even his own group on edge after he recognized the trophies laying on the ground. I moved to intercept his anger before it became a fury. I invoked an intimidation magic and laced my words with it.

"Sir Pantherian. Please calm yourself. I already have plans for these people. Do not interfere with it."

The eyes that glared back at me were dilated to their maximum and I felt my intimidation might have worked too well for a moment. He seemed to judge me for a moment and took a step forward. Is this fear? I felt as if I was staring at an equal for a moment, but upon his next step, that pressure disappeared as if it never existed. He moved past me to the girl and began rubbing her back. My battle senses didn't see him as a threat, but his fighting spirit alone threatened me...What an interesting character. I decided the man was no longer a threat and moved my attention back to the woman before me.

"Did you have a need to talk to me, Countess Sugimoto?"

"Ah...No, that is...I'm sorry. I didn't expect to come across you at such a terrible time. What do you plan on doing with these people? We can place them through an expedited trial if you want."

"I would appreciate it if you would leave these men to me to judge. I found two survivors of their massacre and I believe they need closure."

Aria peaked around my body at the young girl George was consoling. The man's back, tail and ears were deflated with emotion. Her face warped with an indiscernible expression, but she relented moments later.

"I'll leave it in your hands. When might you have free time? I wanted to thank you for your help earlier."

"Please wait inside. This will not take long."

"I-Is that so?"

"Yes."

I left no room for doubt in my tone with her. She made her way inside the tavern where Trisha attended to her. In the end, excluding the crowd, only myself, the crusaders, young Maria and the older Pantherian were left outside the tavern. I moved before the two and forced the situation along. Though it might be too early, I needed this girl to come to terms with her new reality as quickly as possible. It was selfish of me. I knew forcing such a thing was cruel to a girl nearing sixteen, but she was the new breadwinner in her family. The sooner she moved on, the healthier it would be for her. To that end, I made my move. As I did before, I laced magic into my voice to draw her attention to me through her exploding emotions.

"Maria. These men murdered your family and friends. If you want revenge, I will help you enact it. If you wish to forgive them-", I halted my words at her glare.

It seems forgiveness is beyond this child, not that I could blame her. I am far from a role model myself, after all.

"What do you wish for?"

"Kill them!"

"I understand."

I moved in front of the first crusader and went to drop my foot onto her chest. Despite my efforts, a large hand grasped my ankle and held it inches from her torso. I was surprised at the strength the man had as I did not hold back. That stomp was intended to crush the chest plate of the woman flat and carried the power to do it. I glanced at the owner of that hand with a fierce glare.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I can't allow you to just kill them like that."

"That is not your decision."

"I know."

"Let go."

"I can't."

"I said let go!"

I rotate my free foot and drove it into the side of his bulky torso, but he managed to block it with his free hand. Once again, I was quite surprised at the sheer strength of the man to be able to block that. It was not intended to kill him, but I expected him to at least be sent flying. Despite the lack of results, I turned my attention to the crusader once more and moved to strike the woman dead, but the hostile glare to my side prevented me from taking action. My irritation was slowly building. I had long since fallen from the desensitization grown in my previous world when perceiving such a heavy gaze.

"What is your problem? These things killed our kind, you know? They murdered her parents, cut their tails and ears off, and threw the corpses into a pile after detaching every limb they saw fit. If you intend to claim responsibility for their actions, do say so now. Otherwise, I will eliminate you."

I infused a highly concentrated chunk of mana into my tone and assaulted the pantherian with it. The man shrank only for a moment before his fighting spirit rekindled his stance.

"That child isn't equipped to make that choice yet. I can't allow you to enact such an emotional choice."

"You are a fool. That emotion must be released now before it eats her away. The loss of a parent through the means I saw is nothing a child can repress. Even if the action hollows her out in the short term, it is far better than being driven mad with hate. She has already seen their faces. She knows their scents. Do you suggest we lock her up and set these monsters free? You only delay the hunt. I will warn you once more, do not stop me. You seem to be a good man, but this is not the stage for a good man. This stage is for an avenger only."

In the moment before he could retort, I drove my foot into the side of the woman snapping her back in half. Before she skidded to a stop along the ground, I crushed the skull of two other men with my hands. My movements must have astounded the pantherian as he only watched me in awe. It is no wonder, I completed the kills within a single moment. There was nothing he could do. The final man alive was the crusader I speared earlier. I reached his leg and dragged him in front of the girl. He was the one who had the trophy for her parents attached to his side.

"This man was wearing your mother and father on his side. Will you kill him?"

I felt the strong gaze of the man on my back watching the scene play out. He must have realized a fight would be useless here. The girl before me was seething with anger. Is it a trait of the Pantherians? I felt the same type of fear I felt from the man earlier. This species is oddly ferocious. With tears still streaming from her face, the girl moved onto the man who was groaning in pain and placed her hands to strangle him. Though he was so weak from both the blood loss and the bashing I gave him, he did not appear struggling to breathe.

Her tears streamed thicker and I heard nonsensical noises from her straining. Though a child, she should not have had any issues with such a weakened human. Was she holding back? The larger Pantherian came to our side with an expression filled with pity. Did he understand her? He bent down and grasped the child's hands, slowly prying them from the man's throat. As if she had been holding her breath, she gasped for air between sobs of frustration, anger and sorrow.

[Ah...I see. She could not bring herself to drop to their level.]

I reached down in front of the two and crushed the neck of the man with a swift movement. Both the girl and the man looked to me with surprised faces.

"It is over now. Let us properly bury your parents now that they have been avenged."

I bent over and wiped the tears from the side of her face while ignoring the questioning gaze of the man. Helping her off the still body, I patted her down with a smile.

"Take your parents to see their son for the last time. We will bury them tomorrow."

Her tears started once more, though her eyes were filled less with anger and more sorrow now. I watched her back as she entered the tavern before turning my gaze to the fresh corpses. I could use them for the future. Lifting each from the ground, I tossed them one by one into the back of the wagon before covering them with a tarp. Behind me, the Pantherian continued to watch my actions for some reason. Having finished my task, I jumped from the back of the wagon.

"Let us join your friends inside. We can talk later if you have something you want to say."

"Yeah, sure."

We both entered the tavern and found the table where Aria and friends were sitting. Judging by both their seating position and mood, it was clear they watched the entire scene go down. After approaching them, I bowed shortly.

"I am truly sorry you had to witness such a deplorable scene. I have conducted myself in a manner most unbecoming. Please forgive my state as I was running high on emotion."

Though it was important to both instill a sense of loyalty into the child, the trade off of losing trust with the Countess would not be desirable. I could only hope such a trade did not occur.

"It's fine. Please, sit down. What will happen with that child now?"

I took a seat in the booth sitting next to the first human I met after arriving in this world. Beside me, the Pantherian seemed to lock me into the booth by seating his large frame at the exit.

"The siblings will have a choice. Empress Fardom has a facility she is looking for help to run. I hope to place those children there as it includes pay, housing and unique opportunities to develop their skills. If they decide otherwise, I will give them a lump sum and provide a wagon and horse for them to journey with, but I will not be able to help beyond that."

"I see...Oh...? Empress Fardom is opening a facility?"

"Empress Fardom is that female Fairy, right?", the man beside me jumped into the conversation rather abruptly.

I replied while ignoring the stares of the elf across from me.

"She has. I believe it will open soon to the world. Anyhow, how did your house cleaning go, Countess Sugimoto?"

"House cleaning?"

"Oh yes. Lady Topazia provided me information to assist with removing corrupted elements in Profectus City. It worked amazingly well you know? Just thinking back fills me with joy."

"Was it that bad?", Kelvin broached the topic.

"Absolutely! I'd tried removing them from power multiple times, but they always had enough help from each other to tie my hands. Well, I suppose it helps that this City is about to undergo a massive change in leadership as well."

"Is that where Mr. Redmon is now?", I questioned her while sending a curious glance at the members she traveled with.

"Yes. Mr. Redmon is the unfortunate victim stepping into new policies. We have to revamp quite a bit after all to accommodate the new government.", she replied before continuing.

"As for these individuals, allow me to properly introduce them to you, though it was rude of me to not have done to start with. Beside me is Sir Silas Somez. He is a Knight-cum-adventurer known for his sword play and magic trickery. Beside him is the Elven hero, Lady Zeena Halflight. Her control of ancient magics is well known and her invocation times rival that of the legends. Continuing is Sir Kelvin Belmore. He is also a Knight-cum-adventurer with many titles associated with him. I believe the most famous is 'Magic Swordsman' though. His family developed the Companion Orbs you received earlier. They are quite famous as heroes as well. Finally, though you two may have met earlier, Sir George Kinner represents the Naoki nation. He is known for his strength and courage and is considered to be on the same level as a hero as well. Together, they represent the rather famous, A rank adventuring team, 'Satyr.'"

"It is a pleasure to meet each of you. My name is Topazia Shields, a traveling merchant. I belong to no nation and have nothing more than my utility to boast about. May I ask why such an unlikely group is paired together with one of your stature, Countess Sugimoto?"

"Right! They seem to desire a meet with Empress Fardom. Honestly, it's not just them though. There was an Ambassador from Azmodius who desired a meet as well. I left their case with Ruby, but considering more individuals are desiring a meet, perhaps it would be best to formally request such a thing."

"Would you like me to pass word along? I have a delivery with the Empress soon anyhow. I need to hand the siblings over as well."

"Wouldn't that be overstepping our contract?"

"Not so much. I will do it as a personal favor as it is along the way. Will two days from now be fine?"

I turned my gaze to the individuals at the table and registered their responses.

"I understand. I will pass word along. If you will excuse me, I should check up on the siblings. I do not think this a good time to leave them alone for long.", I said with my eyes locked onto the furry beast beside me.

He showed a wry smile before allowing me out of the seat.