“I’ll tact them. It should only take a few days te a meeting,” said the Imperial Duke Tiffany at the end of their not-too-long but not-too-short meeting. With that, Aris and her group waited for updates at the headquarters of the alliance.

  The m, as Misako and Farkonia walked along the corridor, they entered Veridith and Aris stepping out of their rooms. Yet, Aris seemed... different. She exuded a newfouion, something atypical of her usual demeanor.

  Misako, however, wasn’t easily vinced. Aris, a wooden embodiment of stoicism, suddenly beiional ht? Impossible.

  There was only one expnation.

  “Arymm, why are you out?” Misako asked.

  “Is there a problem?” replied Arymm with her trademark dismissive tone and a more animated expression than Aris’s ever was. Whether this ge was good or bad remained unclear.

  “Tsk! It’s all because of Aris!” Arymm groaned. “Even when I forced her into a near-sleep state st time, she still hasn’t learned how to fall asleep on her own. I had to stantly calm her down, tell her to rex, stop overthinking—but it was useless! And then she had the audacity t me out here, g, ‘Sometimes you should take over and move around!’ I'm the heart demon!”

  "That insufferable Aris! Argh! you believe it?!"

  Despite her pints, it was clear Arymm could have ignored Aris’s plea areated into their shared sciousness if she truly didn’t want to help. Instead, she chose to oblige, assisting Aris iing the rest she needed.

  Farkonia suddenly chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” Arymm asked, visibly annoyed.

  “I just thought of something that made me happy,” Farkonia replied.

  “And what’s that?”

  “My daughter listens to me.”

  Misako stifled a ugh as well. “Mine does too.”

  “Wait… Your daughters? They’re the same person?” Arymm asked, incredulous.

  “That’s right—actually, no, no, absolutely not!” Misako corrected herself hastily upon realizing the implications. Her fox ears, blending seamlessly with her hair, bristled in panic as she shook her head.

  “Where’s Mira?” Veridith interjected, holding a plush doll and gng around.

  “Oh, she went to the Adventurer’s Guild in the Imperial Capital,” Misako replied, seizing the opportunity to ge the topic. “As for Elyssa and Diana, they’ve returo the Vampire Domain for now.”

  “We’re heading to the underground bs to check out the magitech research facilities,” Farkonia added. “Want to e along?”

  “Sure, I’ve got nothier to do,” Veridith replied casually.

  “I’ll tag along too,” Arymm said.

  “The’s move.”

  ...

  Arriving at the underground bs via elevator, they found Gregory waiting at the door.

  “Perfect timing. I was just about to look for you,” he said.

  “What do you need?” Farkonia inquired.

  “My research has hit a roadblock,” Gregory admitted. “I remembered Aris talk to magical creatures, so I was hoping she could help.”

  “Why should I?” Arymm retorted, only to feel a pin her hand.

  “Wait… you’re not Aris, are you?” Gregory asked, noting her uncharacteristie and expression.

  “I’m Arymm,” she replied curtly, shooting a g Farkonia, who had pinched her. She then briefly expihe situation.

  Perhaps due to his knowledge as a schor of magical teology or his nature as a reinated being, Gregory quickly grasped the sario and accepted it.

  “Then, Miss Arymm, I humbly request your assistah my research. It won’t take much of your time,” Gregory said, bowing slightly.

  Though the gesture seemed oddly remi of a romantifessioher Arymm nory had any ination for suotions.

  “Fine, as long as it’s not troublesome,” Arymm agreed relutly.

  “Thank you. Please, follow me.”

  Gregory led them to a se of the b where injured magical creatures were being treated by healers.

  “These creatures are currently undergoing treatment. I’ve been trying to record their vocalizations during recovery to decipher their nguage. Unfortunately, I’m pletely stuck.”

  Gregory hoped that isoting enviroal factors and correting them with vocal patterns would expedite his progress. However, the plexity—or simplicity—of magical creature unicatio him at a standstill.

  “So, you wao trahese ‘cat and dog noises’?” Arymm asked dryly.

  The magical creatures iion, seemingly uandiouro her indignantly. Being likeo ordinary animals was an insult to their dignity as magical beings!

  But the moment they locked eyes with Arymm’s pierg golden gaze and overall figure, radiating a palpable killing i and tyrannical aura, their instincts screamed dahis being wasn’t on their level.

  Their pride shattered, they collectively abandoned resistance, silently aowledging Arymm’s superiority. Their demeanor now seemed to say, We are loyal to Lady Arymm!

  The healers, notig the abrupt ge, were perplexed. “What just happened?”

  “Disobedient dogs need discipline,” Arymm said matter-of-factly, her humanly bluntness starkly trasting Aris’s typical diplomacy.

  “Yes… about that transtion?” Gregory prompted, retrieving a notebook resembling a magitech tablet.

  “I’ll say it once. Don’t make me repeat myself.”