“And so it begins,” the Emperor of the Kraetor Empire, Emperor Leonidas, muttered as he read the report given to him by the Grand Archmage, Evexius.
He had ordered everyone to leave the throne room because the things that they needed to discuss were of the utmost importance. Within the Kraetor Empire, only the throne room of the Royal Palace was the safest place to discuss such matters because of the quintuplet layers of protection that had been embedded within its walls.
“All the Kingdoms and Empires in the Central Continent are prioritizing the defense of their respective territories,” Evexius stated. “It’s really funny how a prophecy, that is not even related to us, can cause such things to escalate in this manner. It is as if everyone is preparing for an invasion that will raze the continent to the ground.”
Emperor Leonidas shook his head. “Although you laugh at them for doing such a thing, I can’t do the same, old friend. As a ruler, it is my noble obligation to ensure that my kingdom will be safe from harm. After you leave this room, make sure to summon the generals that watch over our borders. We also need to increase the number of men manning the walls of our fortresses, just in case our worst fears come to light.”
Evexius nodded his head. “Should we also ask an elite force to escort Princess Sidonie back here to the Kreator Empire?”
“That won’t be necessary. There is no safer place on the continent than Hestia Academy. I’m even tempted to send all of my grandchildren there to take shelter for the time being.”
“Your Majesty, this is a prophecy that targeted the Elves. Surely, we don’t need to make these kinds of preparations on our end?”
Emperor Leonidas leaned back on his throne as he lightly tapped its armrest.
“Old friend, as much as I want to agree with you, there is this nagging feeling at the back of my head that I can’t ignore,” Emperor Leonidas explained. “I might just be overthinking things, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
“The Demonic Continent has also been quite active as of late. Need I remind you that we are the second closest Empire to its borders? If that bastard Demon Lord suddenly feels the need to invade the Human Continent, our Empire will be the second one to clash with him.”
Evexius frowned. “But, aren’t you and the current Demon Lord friends?”
“Friends?” Emperor Leonidas scoffed. “I’d rather dine with murderers and criminals than to call that person a friend. I’m sure that all these years, he has wanted to stab me in the back repeatedly. If not for the fact that I am constantly on my guard against him, that bastard might have already succeeded in what he planned to do.”
“Is this because of April?” Evexius inquired. He already knew about the feud between Emperor Leonidas and the Demon Lord. Chiffon coming to the Kraetor Empire to study was mostly because of Emperor Leonidas’ concern for the last living proof of his strong feelings for Chiffon’s mother, April.
“This has nothing to do with April,” Emperor Leonidas answered. “Old friend, just believe me and make the necessary preparations. After several years of peace, I’m afraid that the order of the continent is about to shatter once again.”
—–
Inside the Thousand Beast Domain…
The Angorian Goats grazed happily on the grass that William had procured from the God Shop. He had planted these grasses on the plains of his domain in huge numbers because there were several members of his herd that were herbivores.
The trip went pretty smooth at first, but they encountered a few problems along the way.
According to Ella, she had noticed several presences paying close attention to their journey, so Wiliam had personally dealt with these observers and knocked them unconscious.
In order to be lowkey, William ordered Soleil to fly high above the heavens and head to the borders of the Demonic Continent, while William, Ella, Chiffon, Zhu, Sha, and the goats, waited inside the Thousand Beast Domain.
This was the only way that he could think of to evade the eyes of those who were paying close attention to their movements.
Right now, William was currently lying on Ella’s lap as he told her everything he had done whle the two of them were away from each other. Back when he was little, he would often take a nap while lying on her soft and fluffy coat.
Now, he was lying on her long, smooth legs, which were surprisingly comfortable.
After coming to know that Ella was William’s foster mother, all the hostilities that Chiffon and Lilith felt earlier disappeared completely. In fact, the two were even doing their best to stay on good terms with their mother-in-law, even though Ella only served as William’s foster mother when he was young.
Princess Sidonie had also come to accept this shocking revelation. However, seeing that Ella was a level more beautiful than her, she was paying close attention to the interaction between the mother and son pair.
Although everything looked amiable on the surface, the Succubus Princess noticed the loving gazes that the two shared with each other. This gaze was very different from the one William gave his wives and lovers, and it made her feel a bit jealous to see how special Ella was in her husband’s heart.
< This can’t be helped. How can we possibly measure up against someone who raised him since he was a baby? The way I see it, it’s just familiar love, Sidonie. Don’t think too much on how they interact with each other. >
‘I know, I’m just feeling a bit insecure,’ Princess Sidonie admitted her feelings to her other half. ‘Times like this make me realize that, even though I’ve studied many things about Darling, there are still parts that I have missed.’
< This is one of your bad habits. You over analyze things. Just be yourself and interact with our mother-in-law. The way I see it, she’s perfectly fine with William having many wives. When William told her about his meeting with his future daughters, Ella was genuinely surprised and happy for him. She couldn’t be that bad, right? >
‘That’s true.’ Princess Sidonie nodded.
Although she and the other girls, besides Chiffon, couldn’t accompany William on his journey, they could still meet him in the Thousand Beast Domain anytime they wanted. Deep inside, everyone was very happy with this arrangement.
‘But, the latest report we got from our spy is a bit concerning,’ Princess Sidonie stated. ‘The Demon Race is building up their forces along their borders. Although it is still too early to tell, these are the telltale signs that they had plans to invade. Should we warn the Kraetor Empire about what is happening? Do you think Grandfather already knows about this?’
< Although I think he already knows, it will be best if we still send him a report just to be on the safe side. Over a million strong Demon Army is now gathering at the borders. I’m very sure that their numbers are going to increase still. >
Although she had refrained from charming people en masse, Princess Sidonie had still some people planted in the different factions in the world that provided her with regular updates on what was happening in their respective territories.
As someone who always prioritized information battles, this was something that she took upon herself as William’s wife. Her husband was a very capable individual, and the only thing she could do to match his brawn was her brains.
After receiving a report about what is happening all over the world, Princess Sidonie had come up with one conclusion.
Something big was happening in the Demonic Continent.
Whatever that thing was, she was sure that her husband would find out about it soon enough.
