Arthra was extremely impressed and in awe of these horned people. Almost as soon as their airship landed, a long black horseless carriage was waiting for them. Such a thing was highly unusual, but not unheard of, as some wealthy Dwarves had such devices, but this one looked much more streamlined, refined, and sophisticated. The interior was nice and spacious, denoting a sense of wealth and luxury. It's likely this Council had sent it for her.

What really blew her away was the city itself. It was massive, with a strange slanted roof-style construction she has not seen before and had tech no other race has access to. There were pictures that they were touching and it seemed to come to life. Brilliant lights and who knows what else lit up the sky as the setting sun dipped lower. There was a natural wonder, as well, as strangely shaped trees and trees with pink colored leaves were located all over, as if the city was a blend of civilization and nature. On the streets were numerous women-strange there were no men-dressed in brightly colored dresses with various colored hair and differently shaped horns, happily chatting or going about their day without a care in the world.

"Enjoying the view?" Koume asked, an amused grin on her face.

"Your city far outshines even my kingdom's capital. Such advanced technology and magic. The lack of men is a little off-putting, though" Arthra admitted.

"We used to have men, but they all died off centuries ago. Thankfully, we can reproduce without men, so it wasn't much of an issue" Koume said. Arthra raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't comment.

"General Akaboshi, I've been meaning to ask: how does your people's government function without a single unifying leader? This Council seems far too hindering to actually work" she said.

"Not as much as you think, Cardinal. What we live under is called a Democracy. In theory, it's supposed to be a form of government that grants the general populous a voice in the form of elected officials. Ours isn't a true Democracy, though, as we don't hold regularly elections" Koume asked. Arthra listened, intently. The explanation was rather simplified, but she got the point. A rather strange idea, in her opinion.

"This isn't without it's cons, though. Such a system can be abused with the right influence and planning. Thankfully, our current Council Members are honorable and honest people" Koume added.

"I take it you know them, well" Arthra said.

"I do. I'm especially close to the Commander-General" Koume said.

"Commander-General? Are they in charge of your nation's entire military?" Arthra asked.

"Yes, the title has as much influence and prestige as the Council, but is technically not a part of it. It would've been if Miho wasn't so dang modest" Koume grumbled that last.

"Is this position a recent addition?" Arthra asked. Koume's line implied that the first Commander-General is still alive.

"Oh, no. Our people live very long lives. I'm actually around 400 years old, myself. Same with many of our staff and the Council, actually" Koume said. Arthra nodded. As a Half Elf, she is no stranger to longevity. Elves are especially known for living for a very long time.

"Does you race have a name?" Arthra asked.

"Ah, not really. You see, we've never met another race until Crosta's invasion, so we saw no reason to do so" Koume said. The limo stopped, signalling they arrived. The driver got out and opened the door for Arthra, who calmly stepped out, despite the grand building in front of her. She followed Koume, even as her amazed mind took in the grand hall of the building as they silently strolled through. Various women were busy with various assignments. Some stopped to give her curious looks before continuing on their way. Arthra noted to various colors of their eyes and hair, which had colors she'd expect from Humans, but there were a few unique colors, such as white, green, blue, and purple. She didn't know if they dyed their hair or it was natural.

"The Council's meeting chamber is just up ahead…" Koume said before trailing off, as if something was wrong. Arthra followed her gaze and saw a woman in their path. She had pale blonde hair, sharp red eyes, and a pair of horns that were akin to a Demon's. She did not look happy.

"Kono fuketsuna obutsu wa koko de nani shite iru nodesu ka?!" she shouted and, while Arthra couldn't understand her, she was clearly very angry.

"First off, you will address me as General and you are to speak in English. Second, she has been invited, by the Council, to a diplomatic meeting" Koume said, sternly. This only served to make the woman angrier.

"Anata wa uso o tsuku! Sono yona tei nezumi wa watashitachi no eiko no teikokude wa kyoka sa rete imasen! Sugu ni watashitachi no sonzai kara sore o torinozoite kudasai!" she said and Arthra suddenly felt very insulted, for some strange reason.

"I will do no such thing, Andrea. And you forget I outrank you, so you can't give me orders. Now, step aside. That. Is. An. Order" Koume said, her tone filled with threat and authority.

"I yo! Jibun de yarou!" the woman, Andrea, said, making an attempt to grab her. Another arm came and grabbed hers before she could touch her, though. All eyes turned to see a woman, who was tall even by this race's standards. She had long, straight, black hair, light blue eyes, and short ram-like horns. She a calm, neutral look on her face, but Arthra can tell Andrea was scared of this newcomer.

"Ippan Nonna! Nante ureshii odoroki deshou! Watashi wa chodo sewa o shite ita-" she screamed in pain when the woman increased the force of her grip, her expression remaining unchanged, as if she does this sort of thing for a living.

"Be silent… I apologise for Commander Scott's behaviour, ma'am. She has been warned numerous times of her behaviour, but never seems to learn. Go on in, the Council eagerly awaits your arrival" the woman said with a calm, level voice and a small smile, before dragging Andrea off somewhere, the Commander giving a terrified look the whole way until they were out of sight. Arthra didn't know if she should be relieved or scared.

"I must also apologize. We did not plan for you to run into such an aggressive girl, such as her" Koume said.

"It's alright. I've dealt with such attitudes, before. Now, shall we?" Arthra gestured to continue. The duo approached a decent sized door, likely the Council chamber. The door opened to reveal a room about the size of medium two story house that had several large windows and hanging gardens, giving the room a natural and welcoming feel. At the opposite end of the room was a large counter-like desk that had ten woman sitting at it.

"Ah, you must be Cardinal Arthra. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to our home" one of them said. She had dark brown, short hair and dark brown eyes. Her horns were jagged and demonic, with her left one being broken off. She obvious had seen combat, but she had a welcoming aura to her.

"And you must be this Council I've been told of. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity at peace in spite of Crosta's zealous invasion" Arthra said with a respectful bow. She noted this had a positive reaction from the Council, so that was a good sign.

"You're certainly much nicer than them" another woman commented. This one had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and had horns similar to that of a bull's with several rings on the right horn.

"You have their soldiers in your custody?" Arthra asked. Most nations would've easily kill all of their POWs due to how fanatic they tend to be.

"Yes, though they refuse to talk" a woman sitting next to the dark-haired woman replied. She looked remarkably like her, implying they're related, but her hair and eyes were lighter, like a ginger color. And her horns were very similar to a pair of antlers with four points on each antler. She also had this natural aura of sweetness to her.

"Yes, Crostan soldiers are renowned for their fanatic loyalty. Which makes interrogating them a waste of time, sadly" Arthra commented.

"But, Crosta isn't the reason we invited you here, Cardinal. We wish to establish relations with the outside world and you've proven to be trustworthy, so far" another woman, who appeared to be the youngest among them, said. She had light brown eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair tied into twin ponytails. Her horns were smooth and similar to an Antelope's.

"Alice is right. We have remained isolated for centuries thanks to that Fog. Now that it's lifted, we are in a whole new world we know nothing about. It is important we secure alliances right away while also ensuring our people's safety" another woman. She had long dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her horns were also similar to Antlers, but more ornate in shape.

"I'd be more than happy to aid you in that regard. My kingdom has very powerful allies and I possess enough influence to convince many nations to convene to a summit, where you can lay out your terms" Arthra offered. The Councilors glanced at one another, as if having a telepathic conversation.

"How many would be attending?" the dark-haired woman with the broken horn asked.

"At least ten-twenty depending on how Crosta behaves in the time it takes for the message to reach them" Arthra replied.

"If there are so many, why don't you band together and take them down?" a woman that was remarkably short by this race's standards asked. She also had blonde hair, which was shorter than the bull-horned woman's, and light blue eyes. She had short, slightly jagged horns.

"It's not as easy as it sounds. Even if multiple nations worked together, it wouldn't be enough. Crosta has access to technology and weapons of an ancient civilization, which they use to their full potential and beyond. Combine that with their fanaticism, and it's next to impossible to invade them" Arthra explained, not noticing the worried looks several of the Councilors shared.

"Where and when can you hold this summit?" the broken-horned woman asked.

"It a month's time and on the peak of a small mountain near the center of Veremont" Arthra replied, cooly. She hummed in thought.

"We will need time to discuss this. But, you're free to remain here until then. I'm sure you've had a long trip" she said with a small smile.

"Of course. Thank you for your hospitality" Arthra said with a deep bow and left.


"She seemed nice" Kay said once they were alone.

"Certainly much nicer than Crosta has been" Anchovy stated.

"But, are we ready to show ourselves to the world? This could paint a massive target on our backs" Maho said, looking worried. Miho gripped her hand, hoping to comfort her sister in some way.

"We may not have any other choice. Crosta will come for us, again. That much is certain. And it's only a matter of time before they find a means of overpowering us. I don't want to think of what sort of horrors await us in such a scenario. We'll need all the help we can get in this" Kinuyo said.

"The leaves cannot float without the wind" Mika said.

"They are right, Maho. Our ability to hide was stripped from us the moment Crosta's ships broke through the fog. Arthra's offer allows us to meet this new world on our terms and in peace" Alice said. Maho glanced at each of her fellow Councilors' eyes and saw they were in agreement.

"Very well. We shall take up Arthra's offer. We shall tell her tomorrow. For now, we'll let her rest and give us time to get ready for such a meeting" she said.

"Now, who shall we be sending?" Kay asked.

"I will go. I'm in charge of foreign affairs, after all, even if we had no need for such a position until now…" Darjeeling said with a giggle.

"As will I. As Head of the Council, I represent our race as a whole in the eyes of the world" Maho said.

"I can assign Hippo Team as security. They've been eager to explore the world, for some time now" Miho said. The next hour was filled with more discussion on this important moment in the Senshadou Empire's history.


Arthra can't remember the last time she felt this relaxed. The Council had been kind enough to book her a suite in a massive and tall inn-like building called a hotel in the nation's capital city, and had also assigned her a translator to help her communicate with the employees during her stay. She had just slid into what they called a jacuzzi, which was doing wonders for her. She really needs to talk to her engineers about building some of their own. Despite the language barrier, most of the locals were exceedingly friendly and polite, which eased her fears of any prejudice, racism, or misgivings they might of had. Some of them even complimented her appearance and she blushed anytime her translator told her what they said. She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock at the door.

"You enjoying yourself in there, Cardinal?" her translator, Saori Takebe, asked.

"Ah, yes, I am. This tub is quite relaxing" she replied, earnestly. She heard Saori giggle.

"I'm glad you like it, but don't plan on sleeping in there. I think you'll find the beds equally as comfortable" she said, though there was mirth in her voice. Arthra really liked Saori. She was a joy to be around, very polite and friendly with a smile on her face, usually. After another ten minutes, Arthra reluctantly stepped out of the tub, dried herself off, and entered the main room in a bathrobe with the hotel's logo on it.

The hotel was a standard two person room that was located on the first floor, which were the most expensive and luxurious the hotel has to offer, apparently. Saori was standing in the center, waiting for her. She had long ginger hair, light brown eyes, and a pair of horns similar to a reindeer, though smaller in size.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting" Arthra said.

"It's fine, ma'am. I have the same problem when I take a bath. So, it's no problem" Saori said, sweetly.

"I simply must thank you for your hospitality in spite of what has transpired" Arthra said gratefully.

"That's not a problem either. You're not Crosta and actually desire for peace with us. I'm sure our nations will become great allies in the future" Saori said with a cute giggle. With that, Arthra let out a loud yawn.

"I believe it's time for me to retire for the night. There is much to be done in the coming months" she said, heading over to one of the beds. Saori bid her a good night and left the room for whatever reason. Sleep soon overcame her as she laid down on the soft bed and pillow.


Saori stood outside the room and, after a few minutes, activated an earpiece she was wearing.

"Hello, Miporin? I'm here"

"..."

"Yes, the Cardinal has just fallen asleep"

"..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure no one's gonna try anything on a guest of the Senshadou Council"

"..."

"I'm certain, Miporin. You worry too much"

"..."

"You have nothing to worry about. If anyone wants to hurt the Cardinal, they'll have to go through me, first"

"..."

"Have a pleasant night, Miporin. And say hi to Yukari, for me"


Finally got another chapter out. Sorry if things are going rather slowly, I'm having to push through a natural urge to not do this story, for some reason.

Also, I'm planing on branching off at a certain point, as to shine some light on some of the other GuP characters. If you have suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.