Lord Phokas' study was utterly ostentatious in its furnishings, with furniture made out of fine wood and silk cushions scattered throughout the room and elaborate icons hung on nearly all the walls. There were bookshelves lined with all sorts of rare books- though judging by the dust on them, never read. Even Phokas' desk was unnecessarily elaborate, with the Steylian crest (a purple two-headed eagle on a golden background) emblazoned on top and gold trimmings on every angle. The man himself sat on a chair larger than the one provided to Druella, likely as a means to appear more intimidating to any potential visitors.

Perhaps he would benefit from encountering a Creeping Coin. Druella thought to herself. But I'd still rather throw him to the manticores.

Laying on the desks were several maps- some appeared to be maps of the terrain around Litanopol along with the deserts to the south of Steylia, but others were of Steylia itself. A few of these had portions of Lescatie annexed into the Empire, likely the goal for a future conquest.

My my Phokas, you are getting quite ahead of yourself. I wish I could reveal myself just so you can realize who you're talking to.

"I hope my study is to your liking, Eudokia." Phokas gave her a toothy grin as he sat down behind my desk.

"You have good taste, Lord Phokas." Druella replied while trying not to gag. The lilim did have an appreciation for luxury, but this study lacked any unifying aesthetic.

"Ah, yes. All the product of years of successful trade deals. Though my brother also provides a stipend. But enough about my study, let us talk about the future of Steylia!"

The mustached nobleman leaned forward on his chair, his eyes fixed right on Druella's. "The world is changing, Eudokia. The Fall of Lescatie was only the beginning- who knows where the Mamono Lord may strike next? The Order is mobilizing itself for a total war, one that will decide which direction the world will take. Even the Gods are growing restless, or at least that's what the priests whisper. In these dangerous times, Steylia will have to choose a side. Will we allow ourselves to fall under the Mamono Lord's shadow? Or will we stand up and fight for humanity together with The Order?"

A cruel glint appeared in his eyes. "My sweet naive brother is vainly trying to hold onto a middle ground, prohibiting The Order from entering the country while also keeping an eye on Lescatie. And yet he is foolish enough to allow monsters to settle right within our walls, slowly eroding us from within. If nothing is done, they will choose the side for us. But I will not let that happen. By tonight, my brother will be overthrown, and I will step in to save Steylia from the oncoming danger."

Betraying your own brother for your own sense of smug self-righteousness? Forget about the manticores, even they will vomit at the taste of your foul essence!

Phokas continued. "I love my brother, I truly do. But he is weak. Once he is out of the way, I will allow The Order's army to march northward unmolested- I'll even provide them with water while they traverse the Southern Sand Dunes! They'll crush any foolish attempts to restore Andron, and then we can unite together and liberate Lescatie! It will all go according to plan- after all, I did invite them."

After hearing Phokas' plot, everything began to make sense for Druella. The Order would never risk its forces attacking a neutral nation- unless they already had an ally in the inside! Steylia and The Order together would be a formidable opponent indeed.

And the first step in this scheme is a coup. But if it's occurring tonight, there is little I can do to stop it! Although…Phokas is right here. I will continue to listen to his boring diatribes, then prevent him from leaving when the time is right.

Druella/Eudokia gave Phokas a sweet smile. "I knew you were always a magnificent planner, Phokas. But if you can, tell me how exactly you plan to overthrow your brother?"

Phokas smiled. "Hah, I can see that I've won your interest, Eudokia. Very well then. The plan is already underway, and it involves a violent distraction…"

[]

The Temple of Ares was a magnificent building. Its large red dome reminded Alex of the il Duomo in Florence Italy, while the rest of the octagonal structure had large stained glass windows depicting legendary battles and bricks shaded a darker red. A statue of Ares herself stood in the plaza in front of the Temple's entrance, resembling an Amazonian warrior holding a spear aloft to the sky.

But Alex did not have time to admire the Temple for its architectural marvels- he was here to keep it from burning to the ground. After running across most of Litanopol, Alia and Alex had managed to arrive at the Temple with about an hour to spare before midnight. If they did not succeed in stopping Phokas' plot, human-monster relations in Steylia would be damaged beyond repair.

Good thing I now have some of that incubus vigor, or else I would have collapsed halfway here.

Alia pulled Alex to a smaller door at the left side of the Temple. It appeared to be a back door for priests to enter through during a religious ceremony. As they navigated through the Temple's narrow hallways, they could hear voices up ahead.

"Argh, let me out of here you stupid humans, or I'll burn more than just your clothes off when I'm done with all of you!"

"Shut up monster! You're not going anywhere!"

As they reached the main sanctuary of the Temple, Alia dragged Alex behind a pillar, and they both peered around to see what was going on.

There were five gray-hooded men in total, three of whom were busy placing clay pots alongside piles of wood in every corner of the Temple. The other two were keeping an eye on the sixth occupant of the room- a woman with fiery red hair, elfen ears, and a lithe body that would have been entirely nude were it not for the flames emanating from her.

An Ignis, Alex guessed. The fire elemental was kneeling in the middle of what appeared to be some sort of magic circle drawn on the floor, with five runes drawn equidistant from each other on its circumference. The circle glowed with a faint yellow light, and despite her best attempts the Ignis was unable to move out of her position.

"Hey, don't move any closer!" yelled one of the gray-hooded figures to his shorter companion. "Do you want her to break free and ruin the mission? Or start the fire when we're still inside?"

"Hey listen here, you stupid human," the Ignis spoke up with a look of indignation on her face. "My flames don't directly burn anything unless I want them to! And I am certainly not going to participate in your sick little plot!"

The taller figure turned around and faced the Ignis. "Oh, that's quite fine, monster. You see, your role here is to simplstay put until the building starts collapsing around you. If you die in the fire, good. If not, the crowds outside will see a flaming monster emerge from a burning temple and draw their own conclusions from there. Then a few loud voices will be all that's necessary to set the Mamono Quarter in flames!"

The ignis stared at the hooded man with a look of pure disgust. "You foul human. And you have the nerve to call us monsters! You won't get away with this crime!"

"Oh, but I will." The taller figure then turned away from the ignis and back to his companion.

"I don't feel right about this." The shorter hooded figure spoke in a younger voice. "Burning down this temple. My family sometimes attends the ceremonies here! What happened to the old days, where we just broke into merchant's offices to steal financial ledgers for Phokas?"

"Get a hold of yourself." the taller figure replied. "By tomorrow, Phokas will be Emperor and we'll all reap the spoils of his new regime!"

"Or he'll toss us to the side once we're no longer useful to him." replied the shorter figure.

His companion did not respond. Instead, he walked over to the other side of the room to observe the progress of the other three men.

"Make sure the oil pots are evenly spaced out! Damn it, we would be done by now if Bardas showed up! Phokas said he was going to reassign him! Where the hell is that bruiser?"

As he continued to complain to his companions, Alex and Alia finally turned to look at each other. They needed to think of some kind of plan before Phokas' goons could set the wood on fire and frame the poor ignis!

I could remove my ring and call Druella over. But that'll make it the second time today I needed her to bail me out. I won't be able to stand by her side if she has to constantly rescue me!

"So Alia, there are five of them. Do you think you can defeat them all?"

The elf gave him a blank stare. "Idiot. I may be stronger than most humans, but even I have limits. I might be able to pull it off, but it would be a close fight."

Alex then pointed to the ignis. "What if we freed her? Would that even things out?"

Alia looked at the ignis, and then back at Alex. "Yes, that would certainly make things easier."

She leaned closer and spoke in a hushed whisper. "I'll distract them and lure them to the other side of the sanctuary. In the meantime, you can run over and free her. Simply disrupting one of the runes will do the trick."

Alia then rummaged through her belt and pulled out a dagger. She handed it over to Alex. "Here, hold onto this in case they come after you. It's mamono realm silver, so it won't physically harm them."

Alex accepted the elf's gift with a grateful smile. The elf smiled back before they both positioned themselves on either side of the pillar and prepared to run. After a whispered count to three, both man and elf sprinted towards their assigned goals.

'Hey, who the hell is-" the first Phokas goon didn't have the chance to finish his sentence before Alia slashed at his neck with another mamono realm dagger, and he fell over in a heap. The other four goons pulled out blades of their own in response to the intruder, and they began chasing Alia as she moved towards the back of the temple.

While they were busy with Alia, Alex ran over to the magic circle. The ignis showed some surprise at his sudden appearance, but fortunately she was wise enough not to make a sound as Alex examined the runes.

They look like they're drawn with chalk. Magic chalk, but chalk nonetheless. Can I ruin it as easily as a playground bully ruining a game of hopscotch?

Alex dragged his foot over one of the runes. After a few tries, the rune became smudged beyond recognition.

Oh, looks like I can!

The magic circle flickered and then went out, and the Ignis finally stood up, her flames burning a bright yellow-orange.

"Haha, thanks for that human! If it wasn't for you, I'd be in a pretty tough bind!" The ignis gave him a bright smile. Literally bright, it hurt to look at her for too long.

"You can thank me later. For now, can you help my friend over there?" He pointed to the other side of the sanctuary, where Alia was getting hard pressed by the remaining four thugs. "And, um, please show some restraint with your fire."

The ignis nodded and sprinted over to assist the elf. One of the goons turned around to see what was going on…and received a fist right in the face.

"Hah, you really shouldn't have pissed me off! My flames are burning extra bright now!" she exclaimed as the man crumbled.

Two more goons tried to reposition themselves to face the new threat, but one received a dagger in the chest as Alia took advantage of his distraction, while the ignis set the other man on fire.

"Hey relax, my flames won't burn your flesh, just your clothes!"

The goon paid no attention to her as he rolled on the floor, screaming as he tried to put out the flames. Alia then gave him one good kick to the head, and he fell unconscious completely.

The last goon standing was the shorter one from earlier, the one more reluctant about the mission. He took a good long look at his fallen companions before dropping his dagger and raising his arms in a gesture of surrender. Alia accepted his submission, picking up his blade while keeping a sharp eye on him.

The ignis turned to Alex, her eyes twinkling. 'Now, my dear rescuer, how about I give you a hot reward for saving me-"

The ignis stopped, sniffed the air for a moment, and then dropped her shoulders as her flames weakened into a light smolder. "Oh, you're taken. Nevermind."

Then she turned to the last goon, who looked on nervously as she gave him a wide grin. "You, I can sense that you still have a conscience deep in that little heart of yours. How about we get to know each other a little better as I burn away your sins and bring out the best in you?"

"Wait, what are you planning to- OH GOD!" The goon barely had a chance to scream before the ignis ran forward, threw him over her shoulder, and took off with him down the Temple's side entrance.

"Well, that guy's lucky. Something tells me these guys aren't going to be sleeping anywhere warm tonight." Alex said as he looked at the four unconscious thugs.

"Indeed." Alia then looked up at Alex and gave him a smile. "You did well, Alex. Now let's get the city guard in here and expose this plot."

Before they could make any move, however, the Temple's main doors swung open. 13 gray-hooded Phokas agents entered the sanctuary, all of them holding bladed weapons. The tallest of them, more than six feet tall and wielding a huge mace, lowered his hood to reveal a bald head covered in black angular tattoos. His rough, misshapen face radiated cruelty.

"Well well well," he spoke in a rough voice. "I knew it was a good idea to circle back and check on the arson team. Those weaklings can't be trusted to do anything."

He looked first at Alia, then at Alex. "The name's Bardas. Bardas the Bruiser. And I'm going to crush both of your skulls. Don't try to run, I'm faster than I look."

No wonder Phokas wanted him for the climax of his coup!

There was no other option. Alia couldn't handle fighting twelve men at once, and Alex doubted he could handle even one. With a heavy sigh, he removed the ring from his finger.

[]

"...and so, once my brother is blinded and sent off to exile, I'll win the people over with a firm anti-mamono policy! Or, if that's not enough, plenty of gold and gifts!"

Druella barely paid any attention to Phokas' boasting, her mind distracted by the call for help she could feel emanating from the distance.

What is that foolish husband of mine up to now! If I leave now, Phokas will enact his coup!

Of course, it was never a matter of debate for the lilim- her husband's safety prioritized over everything else.

"I'm sorry Phokas, but I'm afraid I must be going. I do wish you well with your plans." Druella/Eudokia said as she walked to the door.

Before she could reach it, the door swung open and eight guards entered the room, all wielding swords.

"Now wait just a minute, Eudokia." Phokas said as he walked behind her. "You never gave me a clear answer. Are you with me, or against me?"

"What, do you intend to kill me if I refuse to go along with your plans?" Eudokia exclaimed. I cannot waste any more time here!

Phokas reeled back in false shock. "I would never dream of it! That is far too barbaric for a noble such as myself. No, I would merely keep you here until morning. By then, it'd be far too late for you to do anything to stop me. But I'd much prefer it if you joined me!"

Druella considered her options. Hypnotism would only waste precious seconds, so fighting her way out was her only option. It would compromise her position in Steylia, but better a setback than losing Alex!

Druella dropped her glamor, the noble form of Lady Eudokia replaced with the depraved majesty of a lilim. Phokas' eyes bulged for a few seconds, his jaw agape. Then he screamed.

"It's her, the Conqueror of Lescatie! Take her down!"

Before his guards could respond, Druella blasted them with a sleep spell, knocking them all unconscious. She then used an energy blast to blow a hole in one of the walls of Phokas' study.

The freaked-out nobleman could only look on in stupefied shock as Druella spread her wings and flew off to the nearest rooftop, where she could finally teleport safely. As light emanated around her, she silently prayed she was not too late.

[]

Druella, please hurry! I like having my skull in one piece!

The 13 Phokas agents approached in a single line, with Bardas slightly ahead of them. Alia held two daggers in her hands, but the grimace on her face underscored the bleakness of their situation. Running to the side entrance was still an option, but if Bardas was telling the truth they might not even make it out of the sanctuary.

We need more time! Maybe I can delay them a little.

"Your ignis is gone!" he yelled out. "Your plan to frame this arson attack on monsters is ruined! Phokas' coup is ruined! By tomorrow you're all going to be locked up in cold, dark cells!"

Bardas simply shrugged, an evil grin on his face. "Eh, we'll improvise. Even if our patsy is gone, once the crowds arrive the only thing that matters is who can yell the loudest!"

Alex and Alia's backs made contact with the back wall of the temple- they had no more room to back up. As Bardas approached with his mace raised in the air, they could only look at each other in solemn resignation.

But then, a shining light emanated in front of them, glowing brightly for a few seconds before fading away to reveal Druella, her red eyes glowing in the dim light of the temple. The Phokas agents stopped moving, unsure how to respond to this new arrival. Even Bardas looked surprised.

"Alex?" Druella asked, her voice a mixture of concern and annoyance. "Just what kind of trouble did you get yourself in this time?"

Before Alex could respond, Alia spoke up. "It was my fault, Lady Druella. I got him in this dangerous situation by bringing him along. Though you should know, he acted in a brave and commendable fashion."

Alia gave him a wink. Alex nodded back in thanks. You didn't have to cover for me like that, Alia. But I am grateful. I'll be sure to take what you said earlier to heart and become a hero worthy of standing alongside her.

Druella looked at both of them for a few seconds, her lips pursed in thought. Then she looked back at the Phokas thugs. Bardas was the first to snap out of his surprise. Turning back to his companions, he yelled "Well, what are you all waiting for? Take her down!"

The goons snapped out of their confusion and raised their weapons. With a sharp yell, they charged at Druella.

"Fufu, it appears that I will have to fight tonight after all. Very well then, I will remind all of you the true strength of monsters!" Then she charged right back at them.

Alex had briefly seen Druella in combat before, back when she rescued him from the clutches of The Order. But back then she had one hand full dragging him along and was far more concerned with escaping than fighting. This was the first time he'd seen the Lilim fight unimpeded as she defended her husband from Bardas and his goons.

And the only word he could use to describe it was beautiful.

Not a single movement was wasted as Druella flowed in between the hooded men, their blades all failing to make contact. Then, with a snap of her fingers an explosion knocked three of the men off their feet, their blades clattering to the ground.

Another agent charged at her with a sword, though it trembled in his nervous grasp. With one swift motion Druella evaded his charge and gently dragged a finger along his nape. The next second the agent was encased in ice from the neck down, unable to budge.

The remaining 9 agents encircled her, hoping to attack the Lilim from all angles. Druella evaded their attacks with a single jump in the air, landing a few meters behind them as their weapons all swung at nothing. Four of them turned around to confront her, but her eyes suddenly flashed red and they all shakily fell onto their knees, dropping their weapons.

Four more of them managed to continue charging at her, but Druella began hovering in the air, her dark mana ball forming beneath her. Long black tendrils shot out the ball and wrapped around the four men, restraining them as Druella slid down and faced the only man still standing- Bardas the Bruiser.

If the tattooed brute felt any consternation at his party being wiped out, he did not show it. With a loud huff Bardas flexed his muscles, his tattoos suddenly glowing a bright yellow. Then, maced raised, he charged at the Lilim with surprising speed given his bulk.

With a loud cry he slammed his mace down as hard as he could against Druella's head…only for the Lilim to grab it with one hand in an almost casual manner. After wrenching it from his grasp, Bardas could only stare dumbfoundedly as she bent the weapon with her own bare hands.

So this is the true power of a Lilim. Thank goodness I'm married to her.

Despite the destruction of his mace, Bardas did not give up just yet. He raised his fists and attempted a swing at Druella. But Druella effortlessly dodged all his punches before grabbing both of his arms and staring directly into his eyes. After a few seconds, his glowing tattoos faded back to black, and the Bruiser fell to the floor unconscious.

Druella stopped and examined the 13 subdued or unconscious Phokas agents laying around in the room. Despite the heavy use of magic, none of them had any major injuries.

Druella then walked towards Alex and Alia, her heels clacking against the marble floor. Alex braced for the inevitable scolding, but was surprised when Druella suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into a warm embrace.

"Alex, my beloved, are you unhurt? If those bastards hurt you, I'll ensure they'll wake up with their limbs all in the wrong places!"

"I'm fine, Druella! You arrived just in time!" The lilim's embrace was pressing him right against her mostly bare skin, and although part of him was a little embarrassed another part of him never wanted to leave her hug.

"My sweet, foolish, heroic husband." Druella murmured, her nose nuzzling into his hair. "I'm afraid we'll have to save enjoying ourselves for later. I had to reveal my true form to Phokas in order to get here in time. Soon word will spread that a Lilim has infiltrated Steylia, and they'll hunt for us. We'll have to leave the city."

A loud cough suddenly cut through their conversation- they had both nearly forgotten about Alia. Red-faced, the elf held up a letter, the one taken from the Phokas agent hours earlier.

"Um, that will not be necessary, Lady Druella. Alex and I were able to get a letter with Phokas' signature laying out his treasonous plans. If we get to the Emperor before he does, your identity reveal will not even matter."

Alex looked up at Druella, who had a look of surprise on her face. He gave her a confident smile.

"Come on Druella. Let's end this crazy night."

[]

Phokas ran through the halls of the Imperial Palace, his breath ragged as he desperately tried to get to the Throne Room.

Damn it all! Everything was lining up so well, then SHE of all people had to show up and ruin everything!

All of his plans to take over the Empire and lead a grand invasion of Lescatie were now up in smoke- unlike the Temple of Ares, which was still standing. Clearly Bardas and his men had failed in their duties.

It's not over for me yet! I'll get to Andron and tell him about Druella! Then everything can be explained away as part of some dirty mamono plot to cause chaos in Steylia! I'll have to put my Imperial ambitions on hold for a while, but at least Andron might finally turn against monsters!

The doors to the throne room loomed before him, and he burst right through them. "My Emperor, Brother!" he screamed. "Terrible news! There is a lilim in the city-"

The words died in his throat as he took in the sight before him. Standing to the right of Emperor Andron was Chamberlain Ionnes, along with a green-haired elf. To his left stood Druella herself along with a young man he did not recognize.

"Oh, I am quite aware of that, Phokas." Emperor Andron replied. His voice was stern, utterly lacking in warmth.

"D-d-d-don't listen to her words, brother! Her voice may be sweet, but she will only spew out lies!"

Andron regarded him for a second, his expression cold. "I admit, when Chamberlain Ionnes first arrived with a lilim in tow, I did wonder if some horrific act of treason was about to occur. But they were able to explain the situation to me, and everything became clear."

He held up a letter and showed it to Phokas. Phokas recognized it- after all, he was its author.

No…

"The only traitor in this room is you, Phokas. I gave you wealth along with honors in court, and you repay me by planning to blind and overthrow me. Your ingratitude is sickening."

This can't be happening! "I-I-I did it for Steylia, Andron!" he screamed. "Lescatie was only the first to fall! Steylia would have been next if I didn't do anything!"

Andron stared at him for a little longer. Then he spoke- "You will go down as one of the most vile traitors in Steylian history, Phokas. A deluded turncoat conspiring with a foreign army. Guards, lock him away."

Two heavyset guards grabbed him by the arms and began dragging him away. No no no no NO! It can't end like this! Steylia is doomed without me!

"The Mamono Lord will consume us all!" he screamed as the guards dragged him out of the room. "Monsters overrunning the world, humanity falling to evil! Only The Order can stop-"

The doors to the throne room shut, cutting off the rest of his screaming.

[]

As Phokas screams became no longer audible, Druella heaved a sigh of relief.

Finally, it is over. I no longer have to listen to that unpleasant worm, and the mamono residents of Litanopol are safe.

Emperor Andron sighed on his throne, his expression pained. Despite everything Phokas did, locking up his brother evidently still affected the monarch.

He then turned towards her. "Lady Druella, Steylia owes much gratitude towards you. Were it now for your efforts along with those of Alex's, our Empire could have suffered a tragedy."

Druella smiled back at the Emperor, though internally she was still unsure of how to comprehend her current situation. "It was nothing, Emperor Andron. The Mamono Lord despises acts of violence and treason- not just against monsters, but to anyone."

Andron nodded back. "About that…due to the great service you performed for Steylia today, and in recognition of The Order's hostile intentions, I would like to arrange an official alliance between Steylia and the Mamono Realm. We will cooperate in the face of The Order's aggression, and in return monsters will be allowed to settle within Steylia provided they respect Steylian law and do not transform the nation into a mamono realm."

Druella froze in surprise, unsure of what to make of this offer. The lilim had cooperated with human monarchs before, but those were the leaders of mamono-friendly realms already under her mother's banner. To arrange an alliance with this Emperor without any subjugation was…unprecedented.

Careful, Andron. Do not consider yourself to be equal to me or my mother. We monsters stand on a level far beyond humans, and your kind needs our protective guidance to flourish.

Before she could rebuke the Emperor, Druella noticed Alex smiling at her. Her husband gave her a firm nod, encouraging her to accept the offer.

I still do not understand what my husband desires. Nonetheless, I suppose this could be an interesting new experience. I did not think my mission would end without the monsterization of Steylia, but perhaps in time they could be convinced to voluntarily accept it? At the very least, I can conserve my resources for a different assault.

Druella looked back at Emperor Andron and gave him a nod. "I accept your offer for an alliance, Emperor Andron. So long as the mamono residents of Steylia are given proper rights and protection, the Mamono Realm will assist you militarily against The Order."

Andron smiled before standing up and offering the Lilim his right hand. Druella looked at it for a second, then accepted the handshake.

Chamberlain Ionnes looked on at the event with a smile on his face, as did Alia. But it was Alex who looked the most pleased of all.

This is an entirely bizarre experience. Druella thought to herself. But I do not despise it. I've always enjoyed the pleasure of a successful conquest, but this sort of diplomatic settlement provides a whole new kind of pleasure…

[]

Alex laid on top of his bed at Eudokia's villa, his mind teeming with thoughts. Druella continued sleeping next to him, her tight embrace preventing him from leaving.

It was now the second morning since Phokas' coup had been foiled, and in the previous day news had traveled quickly throughout Litanopol of that fateful evening's events. As it turned out, while there were still plenty of Steylians who mistrusted monsters, they despised treason far more. The rumor that The Order had conspired with Phokas to destroy the Temple of Ares, a sacred landmark of the city, provoked extreme outrage that firmly placed Steylia in an anti-Order outlook. The other rumor that monsters had assisted in taking down the plot, by contrast, had done wonders in mollifying the tensions between human and mamono.

It wasn't perfect- years of suspicion and mistrust could not be erased by a single event. But for the moment, monsters and humans could now interact with one another on the streets of Litanopol without any fear of escalating violence.

For most of the day, Alex observed as Druella discussed the ongoing threat of The Order's army with Andron, which was still present in Dehlia. It looked unlikely that it would just pack their bags and leave, but Druella did promise to assist the Steylians in defeating the force if it came to it.

After those discussions were over, Druella practically threw Alex onto the bed at Eudokia's villa, where all the fears and anxieties of the past few days melted away during hours of rapturous lovemaking. Alex still felt rather sore from last night's coupling, and he felt extremely reluctant to get out of his current position.

Come to think of it, the sunlight emanating from the window looks a little too bright for it to be morning. Just how long did we have sex last night?

Alex banished those thoughts and returned to reflecting over the past few days he spent at Steylia.

Well, I did it. I successfully got Druella to accept an alternative to monsterizing Steylia, and now the Empire is aligned with us against The Order. I doubt I've completely altered her worldview in a single occasion, but it is a tremendous start.

Nonetheless, I'll have to be more careful next time. I've stumbled into dangerous situations more than a few times here, and Druella won't always be there to rescue me in time. I need to get stronger if I want to continue accompanying Druella on her travels and steer her towards a more moderate path. Training with Wilmarina will be a start, I just hope I can learn fast enough before Druella heads off on more missions. Who knows how many nations and peoples she'll choose to subjugate while I'm not there?

Dang it, why couldn't whatever force that brought me to this world give me some super strength or other magical abilities? I would have a far easier time keeping up with Druella that way!

Alex stopped thinking about that- it was pointless to worry about the past. For now, he had the present to worry about- a massive army of The Order was gathering on Steylia's borders, and even if their inside-man was gone they were unlikely to just withdraw empty-handed.

[]

Author's Note: Thus, Phokas' coup has been foiled. But the danger to Steylia and its mamono population is far from over.

Quick question to all- is it more proper to refer to monster realms as "Demon Realms" or "Mamono Realms"? I've seen both terms used on the internet, though the Wiki seems to favor the latter.