The famed Noble Underground City of Lhanoris is the third-largest capital and the second-largest city that lies beneath the Evanslei's Royal Palace. It is home to prominent nobles that usually have ties to demi-human ancestors. Most of the citizens there inherited their powers but not the unique physical traits of their origin.

The buildings here are almost at the same height. There are a lot of interconnecting bridges that come with today's world equivalent of escalators. Princess Marielle's armored carriage is parked nearby to the Evaslei's royal palace replica in the designated parking zone. 

Bancroft is sitting idly inside the carriage as he waits for Princess Marielle's visit to the Queen to finish. 

"If you do evil out of loyalty, and if you do goodness for repentance, why pretend everything you do is for the sake of your people when it's all an act to satisfy your lust? Hate, envy, and jealousy will consume and break you, my naive Princess." Bancroft murmured as he finished reading the summary of the ordeal to the newly summoned heroes written by Prince Ernest that were sent to Princess Marielle.

This average-sized, rectangular has matching metal furniture. The floor is carpeted, and the walls are painted with a wallpapered dado, wall lamps, and the ceiling lights gleam. The room is done in colors that remind you of a vampire's lair. Among the first things, one notices walking is a semi-transparent canopy around the lavender themed bed. 

Princess Marielle hesitated for a moment and confirmed if The Queen was awake. Even the most powerful woman in the nation looked irresistibly beautiful and fragile in her sleep. The Queen is wearing see-through lingerie, and it provides maximum comfort. As seen as the way she sleeps openly and hugs her body pillow with the image of King Nicholas in his late 20's embedded. 

"My majesty, Queen Bethysia, I don't want to interrupt you but that announcement…" Princess Marielle recalled what Prince Ernest relayed during the failed ordeal. When she heard the details, she immediately went to the throne room and threw a misfit to the throne room.

The Queen is half-asleep, and she remembers what happened during the ordeal as she watched from a distance.

"Very well. With my words and influence from Her Majesty herself, we accept this alliance." The King proclaimed as he shook the hands of Gevanni and Izuna. 

The Queen opened her eyes as the face of Princess Marielle's reminded her of the misfit that Princess Marielle caused.

"Father, you must be lying. How come you let your third great-grandfather's traitorous partner knock away from his death's door!? Isn't that every male of Evanslei's bloodline vowed to exact!?" Princess Marielle angrily shouted. 

"You're still naive, Marielle. You need to adapt. Killing randomly won't work as these times change than what we expect. Please leave me alone for now." The King explained. 

Princess Marielle immediately left him without a word.

The Queen used her finger to signal Princess Marielle to come to her closer. She then accepted the wine that was poured to her glass by Princess Marielle. "Ah? It's because your father didn't consent to me first. I'm sorry, I should've been there earlier."

"Apocope stirred a lot of confusion in that meeting. I only managed to hear the end part but what made him decide like that? What did they talk about earlier when I was gone? I need to hear the opinions of Celfeith, Asphye, and Orusviel." Princess Marielle murmured.  

The Queen shook her glass of wine and took a sip. It took a while for Princess Marielle to continue her thoughts. The Queen knows that Princess Marielle is deeply bothered and assures, "Don't be afraid. Feel free to say what's on your mind." 

"I believe in Father… but that Demon is too dangerous to handle."

"It's time for me to come out, you suggest?" 

The Queen stopped for a moment and analyzed the recent events on her mind. Princess Marielle sat on the chair beside the bed and drank some wine.  

"Thinking about this thoroughly, this kingdom will lose its rights soon... Even if we ended up as the new authority. However, if that Demon dies naturally, we don't have to follow his oath, and we can monopolize his partner, Izuna. This can increase our chances of making our pact with demons acceptable. If that happens, casualties will be lowered as generations pass." The Queen hypothesized.  

The inconsistencies of the Queen gave Princess Marielle a pause, and she couldn't find a way to justify the Queen's reasonings, even to herself. The Queen usually solves any conflict without relying on other races, but it seems that she's being tested as well. Rather, this has not happened before. 

What Princess Marielle thinks feels like a lie but with the recent events makes it even more accurate. 

A nation who is the 3rd strongest in the world, and who has unlimited resources recently shifted into monopolizing the Demon's power. We're almost at the end of the war, but why prolong it even further? Princess Marielle thought.  

"The sweetness of the war's love juice have gone to waste!" Princess Marielle shouted as she threw the glass bottle across the room.

"If we are capable of summoning beings from another world and convert them into our allies, the Demons can as well; This is the fact that I refuse to tell. You've done a great job, Marielle."

"You already know that much, but… Why!? I can't think of anything that will benefit us by doing this." Princess Marielle replied. 

The Queen firmly holds Princess Marielle's hand.

"The existence of Demons itself recently. Also, the way he's acting… I do not believe he is the famed Demon Apocope. Even though he shares the same traits as him, he's not the real one. Still, we have to consider that the real one finds its way to revive himself." The Queen added to her hypothesis.  

"Anyone who tries to impersonate that Demon only shares the same fate as him. What in the world is he even thinking?" Princess Marielle murmured.

"We might be facing more danger than what we can imagine. What bothers me so much is that someone interfered with our summoning. As of now, your father must be thinking how to shoulder this responsibility." The Queen explained, and something sparked in Princess Marielle's mind.

"That's why we couldn't act for now? Is it because confronting the Demon itself might cause more misunderstandings?... and let enemy spies roam freely during the ruckus?" Princess Marielle asked for clarification. 

"Yes. As my beloved daughter, I know you the best… and you know what your mother is thinking. Indeed, this is the age where espionage becomes formidable." The Queen replied as she hugged and pulled her daughter on the bed.

The Queen moved on top of Princess Marielle and lifted her bangs; exposing a unique tattoo. 

"Mother… Is this how we will do our Renaissance?"

The Queen felt and caressed Princess Marielle's face seductively on a whim. "Yes, we must embrace change even if we have to resort to that thing…"