27th day of the month of the gray dragon (March)10:12 PM

  She walked down the corridor with Talia, silently following Igva. She was one of the many acquaintances her alter ego—Lady Catherine—had allowed C to acquire. She'd met her by chance during a business negotiation where they were competitors and had managed to befriend her by astonishing her with her financial prowess. After all, a skilled woman knows how to recognize one of her own caliber.

  I sense she's still irritated, probably because of that boy from before. A real social outcast. If I remember correctly, he's the fifth-born of the Monsebrat family; a small fry.

  Of course, C had perfectly memorized and studied every single noble in the Empire for her part—even the most insignificant ones like Garry. She saw nothing interesting or useful in him, but that was precisely why she'd been fortunate to meet him by chance. After all, idiots were the easiest pawns to sacrifice.

  The human disguise is perfect in every detail. I retain my beauty and can use it to my advantage while appearing like a simple human woman. Acting is still tiring, though...

  C sighed inwardly. She'd had to quickly learn the etiquette of the Imperial nobility, but there were still some imperfections in her acting. First of all, men were difficult to handle. She could give them an erection with a single look, but in that society, everyone was damned male chauvinistic, so she had to be good at using her beauty to steer negotiations to her advantage. If she proved too independent or savvy, she risked a repeat of the mess with Marquis Baldur.

  If a man senses that a woman doesn't feel submissive in his presence, he immediately turns up his nose. I must remind myself not to make mistakes.

  It wasn't difficult to play the part of an aristocratic woman, but it was to do so without letting your own emotions come into play. When Garry tried to take C's hand and offer to dance, she instinctively pulled away. She'd managed to play the ignorance card and it had worked, but it had remained a mistake. She truly couldn't do certain things without feeling bad. Even agreeing to dance with a man made her feel like she was cheating on her husband.

  Of course, Almodeus wouldn't be mad if his wife started dancing with another man at a party for the sake of cover, but C feared that if she gave even a simple sign of consent to those damned human nobles, they would then take the liberty of interpreting it as a sign of possession over her person.

  Basically, she wanted to avoid anyone believing that she was a whore, willing to cheat on her husband just because she hadn't seen him for a while.

  Worst case scenario, I have Talia with me...

  C looked at the small demi-human standing between her and Igva. If things went badly, Talia would have defended her without hesitation. Her armor and sword had been enchanted to enhance the little girl level to 20. It wasn't much, but it would allow her to fight on equal terms with an experienced knight of the Empire, and Talia had shown innate prowess with a melee weapon.

  I trust her, but she's still only level 20. You can never have too many precautions.

  Of course, C didn't only have the raccoon girl as a guard. Invisible beside them was one of the Esoterica, Omega. She alone would have been enough to destroy a small town in one day. She was only a White Number, meaning one rank lower than Nikusa's elite servants, but she was still a level 100 Eldritch Horror. Defeating her would be no walk in the park—plus, Omega herself was one of the most skilled Esoterica at their disposal. She wasn't on the level of monsters like Rubedo or Albedo, but her presence was enough to make C feel safe and soundless. To give a sense of some of Omega's abilities, she had managed not only to make herself invisible to the naked eye and casted detection spells, but also to silence her own footsteps and the plates of the full armor she wore. Even her breathing had been rendered inaudible, as was her heartbeat.

  She's not one of Albedo's most trusted allies for nothing. We're lucky to have them with us; each of them is a crucial ally.

  Even though C wasn't their direct superior, no Esoterica would dare address her disrespectfully. She was their Supreme Queen's best friend, after all. Furthermore, over the years, the Esoterica had begun to develop a deep and genuine respect for C, and they acted accordingly. If she had ordered Omega to take her sword and slit her own throat on the spot, the latter would have done so without hesitation. At most, she would have humbly asked the woman to move so as not to be stained by her gushing blood.

  Thinking about this kind of loyalty gives me the shivers, I'll be honest.

  Even the A.L. Bots and Homunculus Maids would do the same thing, and that didn't make C happy. Why was everyone threatening suicide every five minutes? Was that normal? No, not at all. She understood why Hirashi wanted to avoid summoning Esoterica herself; Yor had taught her the lesson.

  How many times has she threatened suicide in the last two weeks? Seven? Eight? Fourteen? I've stopped counting, and I think Hirashi has too.

  It was really exaggerated. The only normal one, not ironically speaking, seemed to be Rubedo, who had never threatened suicide, more because she didn't think straight enough to consider it as an option. When she made a mistake—assuming, for the life of her, she realized it—she would act like a beaten dog and get down on all fours, begging for forgiveness. Obviously, C would never punish her, but if the decision was up to Albedo...well, that was another matter.

  She and Talia have become friends. That's just as well, because we need someone to rein in Rubedo and keep Talia from feeling like a miserable slave.

  The relationship between the two girls was similar to that of a dog with a raccoon it believes to be its friend: adorably adorable. Rubedo would often bring Talia food, bragging about her strength and hunting skills, and then ask her to play or go hunting with her. The little raccoon would often politely decline, mostly because she was afraid Rubedo would accidentally tear her to pieces during the session in question. When she went Berserker, that particular Esoterica was nearly unstoppable. A literal nuclear bomb on two legs, complete with wings and a tail.

  They don't call her Rubedo: The Tyrant for nothing. In a natural ecosystem, she would be the undisputed strongest of the demihumans.

  C's mind made a textbook leap, immediately going to the woman guiding her—Igva Poison Lustly. She was a big shot, probably the second most important acquaintance she'd made in the Empire, right after a certain she that preferred remain nameless.

  Besides being the patroness of the powerful House Lustly and an economic genius, Igva was also an extremely powerful and dangerous woman. C had recognized that at first glance and immediately began researching to better understand who she was dealing with.

  All those rumors that Igva had killed her own family and blamed the maids? They couldn't have been more true. She'd managed to stage a perfect symphony of death and escaped unscathed. Her family's maids had been abused by so many of their masters, so they had the perfect motive for revenge. Those poor women had been enticed by Igva to take justice into their own hands and then discarded when their use as scapegoats had ended.

  Truly cruel. She was clever at hiding the truth, but there's nothing a good mind-reading of unsuspecting subordinates can't reveal.

  C clenched her left fist slightly. She still felt empathy, but she tried not to get too close to humans on a sentimental level, because it would cloud her judgment. After all, she had been human once. It was a distant time that she preferred to forget, but it kept coming back to bite her. C had to shake her head slightly to regain her focus.

  It's best not to dwell on these bad memories. Instead, if we ever conquer the Empire in the future, we should conduct a selection process. Igva could be useful.

  She had already discussed it with her husband, and it had been an inevitable decision: if they were ever to found a Kingdom and subjugate the Empire, they would have to implement a near-mass extermination of the nation—or at least of the dignitaries. Nexia was too corrupt and divided a state to be safely controlled, even by beings like them. Fear was excellent in the short term, but it needed other glue to work properly. Almodeus had come to the conclusion that the discriminatory extermination of the useless would be the easiest option should they ever lay hands on Imperial territories. C was not opposed to the proposal and was trying to find all the most important members of the upper class who could be saved and employed in the eventual construction of the new order.

  -Igva was one of those people.

  In addition to what she already knew about the woman, C had recently learned a juicy piece of information. The patroness of House Lustly was one of the ten noble families who ran the criminal organization called Dark Calling. She wasn’t just a lesser executive, but one of the actual leaders. From the information C had, they knew that Igva was in charge of drug smuggling into the Empire, the Kingdom, and even the Bashad Federation.

  Dark Calling is still a big mystery for us- but, unluckily for them, I like mysteries.

  So far, they hadn't had any direct encounters with the secret organization, but Almodea had repeatedly destroyed brigand hideouts in their employ. From that perspective, they were definitely enemies, but the truth was quite different. According to Sergio, it would have been better to take control of Dark Calling, not destroy it entirely. The subordinate in question was already preparing a plan to allow this to happen, but it was still a work in progress.

  -Their target now was the Dark Jade Forest.

  By controlling Dark Calling, we could increase political and economic tensions, leading to a revolution...

  C and Almodeus were certain that letting Nexia collapse on itself was the best idea. If they simply presented themselves to the world as conquerors, they would give their enemies pretexts to react, leading to certain world war. Of course they would win, but then what would be left to govern? Nothing, probably. That's why they were opting for that strategy.

  “Lady Catherine, we have arrived.”

  At that moment, Igva stopped dead in her tracks and turned to C, giving her a slight smile.

  “Our salon is in this room. Please, Lady Catherine, after you.”

  The woman motioned for her to enter, and she obeyed. Behind the door was a glorious room, adorned with four red sofas and a beautiful fireplace that warmed the place. Seated in the center of the room were already eight other women, aged between twenty and thirty-five. They were all wives of minor or medium-level nobles. C immediately sensed that the most important figure in the room was Igva, the organizer of that small women's gathering.

  “Here you are, Igva! We've been waiting for you!”

  A blonde woman commented, smiling happily,

  “Sorry for the wait, my friends.”

  Igva responded promptly, like a perfect patroness.

  "I present to you a new addition to our circle, Lady Catherine! She is a noblewoman from a country of the Bashad Federation visiting to conduct some business and, perhaps, move here to raise a family."

  All the women greeted C warmly, also enchanted by her absurd beauty.

  "Lady Catherine, these are some of my friends. They're the ones I've known for years now, and they always come to my salons. From this point on, would it be okay to drop honorifics and formalities?"

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "I'm honored to be able to participate, and I'm fine with not using honorifics. We're here to talk among friends, after all."

  After that answer, C seated next to the blonde who had previously welcomed Igva, a certain Madeline, wife of a mid-level noble. There were ten women in all, but only three belonged to any significant house. It was immediately clear that Igva was trying to curry favor with them to persuade their husbands to join her faction.

  Many small alliances are as strong as a single large one. Very clever...

  Trying her luck with a house greater than her own would be a gamble, and knowing this, Igva had played it safe. C was increasingly convinced: this woman could prove useful to her in the future. For now, she had to hold on to this pawn very tightly, as much as the other one—the unnamed she.

  Without C realizing it, at least two hours passed. At first, they'd gotten into frivolous conversation, like which merchants sold the best silk in the capital or which cream was best for the skin. One had even asked if the others knew about massages that would increase breast size; the disappointment on her face when she was told it was all lies was priceless, and it actually managed to elicit a small smile from C.

  They later discussed politics and economics, but said very little that the undercover demoness didn't already know. It was clear she'd need to attend more salons to gain anything substantial. The story was always the same: the major nobles were all entangled in the race for the throne of the various heirs, and essentially two factions had emerged: one supporting the first prince Bilius and one supporting the second prince Zangan. There were no factions supporting the third prince or the princess.

  Normally, Bilius would have inherited everything once his father abdicated, but the emperor was reluctant to do so. First, because rumors were rife that he didn't consider his eldest son capable enough to rule, but also because of the potential internal strife the succession would spark. It was clear to everyone that the nobles supporting one side would not take kindly the other's victory. Essentially, they feared a large-scale rebellion.

  On the First Prince's side was Marquis Buck Druk Klint, who was reputed to have the most powerful and numerous military force in the Empire. He was so influential that other members of the Great Eight like himself had joined him in his service to try to get a piece of the pie. Buck was so obsessed with putting the First Prince on the throne that he forced one of his daughters to marry him.

  One might think that with such support, Bilius's victory would be a foregone conclusion, but no. On the side of the second prince Zangan was a nobleman even more influential than Buck himself-Count Never Bever Bonaparte. From the information C had, he seemed to be a skilled and confident man, who manipulated both the Imperial and Aristocratic factions from behind the scenes. It wouldn't be wrong to say he was a profiteer. He was so respected that even nobles from Buck's faction owed him favors.

  -Simply put, there was a stalemate. Whichever of the two sides exposed themselves first and made a mistake would lose.

  The third prince refused the throne to serve the second one, while the princess was excluded from the start because she is a woman. It's not directly against the law for a female to inherit, but the Empire has never had a female sovereign, and the nobles don't seem interested in having one. Interesting...it's like a game of chess.

  After the lengthy political speech, many of the women expressed their exhaustion and asked Igva to move on to a lighter topic, like gossip. She- also exhausted after the long evening- agreed, bringing the discussion back to a more lighthearted tone.

  “Have you heard the latest? I heard that Duke Purottohōru's son was seen out with another man!”

  “Are you serious?! But wasn't he engaged to Count Lancelot's daughter?”

  "As far as I know, no more. The scandal has ruined his reputation! Rumor has it that the father wants to give the inheritance to his second son because of this, but it's still all unclear."

  At one point, the blonde sitting next to C had dropped the bomb: an accusation of homosexuality.

  Luckily Almodea isn't here to hear this nonsense...

  C could only sigh inwardly. Of course, Nexia's archaic society was against any sexuality other than the heterosexual one, which was considered the norm. The nobles feared that word like the plague, since an accusation of homosexuality with even a modicum of credible evidence could ruin the reputation of even the strongest of houses—and what happened to the smaller ones was no less fearsome.

  It's all just a waste of time, in my opinion.

  She didn't think private matters should be mixed up in the private life. C had a lesbian daughter and saw no problem with it, even though it had been a shock to discover at the time. When she was still human, homosexuality was something new, so she'd never been in close contact with that kind of person.

  From the way these people are talking, it sounds like they're referring to aliens.

  C didn't share their hatred, but she could understand the origins of it. Those people had been raised that way, favoring political marriages and putting power above all else. To parents, children were little more than something to brag about—miserable trophies to show the world to tell everyone, "I'm better than you." C utterly despised that vision, she who had had a good father and a loving mother. They had been taken away from her, and C resented that idiots who loved no one but themselves could call themselves parents.

  “What do you think, Catherine?”

  “Me? Well…”

  The simple question had put her in a precarious position. Normally, she would have been like everyone else and expressed disappointment and disgust, maintaining her facade as a noblewoman of the Federation. However, C hadn't been asked by just any woman, but by Igva herself. It was crucial that she give an answer that satisfied her first, to demonstrate affinity and trustworthiness.

  I can't read her mind to know what to say specifically, but...

  C was a good reader of people; from their movements to their body language. From the way Igva was approaching the subject, she deduced that the woman was one of those people who didn't care much about other people's sexuality. That didn't mean she accepted it, but as long as it didn't affect her or her business, she didn't care.

  “I'm pretty indifferent to the whole thing.”

  A few murmurs followed C’s response, the only one to remain calm was Igva, who simply nodded with satisfaction.

  I managed to impress her, but the others are looking at me strangely. Luckily, I have my insurance policy.

  With a swift movement, C pulled a small stone talisman in the shape of a hooded woman from her pocket. It seemed meticulously crafted, but given the scarcity of the material, it couldn't have been worth much on the market. Nevertheless, all the women present opened their eyes in surprise.

  “B-But that is…?!”

  “I've never seen one!”

  “It can't be! You are a believer in the sacred doctrine of the Northern Church!”

  C smiled and nodded proudly: her plan had worked. She'd expected some awkward topics or questions about her cover, so she'd prepared an insurance policy to uphold her alter ego's reputation.

  “Exactly! I am not a staunch believer, but I embrace the sacred doctrine of the Crimson Dragon, as well as that of the deity Lumes.”

  To say the other women were surprised would be an understatement—even Igva couldn't hide her curious expression. C could understand their exaggerated reaction: the Nexia Empire didn't have a single state religion, but many small cults. Each city temple worshiped one of the Twelve Gods of the Theocracy, but it was rare for more than one deity to be worshipped per city. Even the capital, considered the most densely populated area in the nation, was no exception. It was a sort of unwritten rule to avoid religious conflict; those were the last things that damned failed state needed.

  “It's the first time I've met a believer of that famous doctrine!”

  “Me too! That explains your answer.”

  The Holy Empire of Lumes, also known as the Holy Empire—or simply the Northern Empire—had two state religions, but they did not conflict with each other: the first, the oldest one, was the cult of the Crimson Dragon, believed to be a powerful deity who had given rise to life on earth; the second was the doctrine of the Goddess Lumes, an ancient deity who had claimed to be the patron of the powerful Crimson Dragon, bringing support and fertility to the lands. A believer in one could believe in the other without any problems whatsoever, and it was also possible to adhere to just one of the two cults—obviously, even in this case, there was no risk.

  The actual existence of these two deities was in doubt for C, but that mattered little to her at the moment. The truly crucial thing was how to use their respective religions to her advantage. The two doctrines were strangely libertine compared to what one might expect. Unlike those of the Theocracy, which enforced chastity and heterosexuality, those of the Lumes Empire promoted freedom of love, regardless of sex and gender.

  Now that they think I am a believer in this cult, they won't judge me for my answer.

  C had put herself in a reinforced iron barrel. Nexia was open to the religions of other countries, so showing hostility towards the state religion of the most powerful human nation on the continent would be a grave disrespect and could ruin the reputations of some of those present.

  “C-Catherine, if you don't mind...could you tell us more about this cult?”

  The blonde woman from before asked, genuinely interested.

  “Exactly! It's rare for someone belonging to the sacred doctrine to participate in our salons! We're curious!”

  “True! Obviously, you don’t have to if you are feeling uncomfortable.”

  “Don’t worry, my friends. I will answer all your questions to the best of my capabilities, one at a time.”

  And with that, C instantly earned the respect of everyone present. She would surely be invited to future salons, which would be perfect for gathering intelligence.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “ It was an exhausting evening!”

  She muttered, stretching as the carriage moved along the path. It was past midnight, and C. was barely standing. She had just said goodbye to Igva and the other ladies, before setting off in a private carriage to the villa they were using as a cover in the capital.

  “You did well, Talia. A great guard!”

  “You're too good, mistress. I didn't do anything special except stay by your side all evening.”

  “Don't underestimate yourself! It's still something appreciated. You're a loyal servant, my little raccoon girl.”

  C moved a hand and started scratching behind Talia's ears - the demi-human really liked it.

  “T-Thank you, mistress.”

  Talia replied embarrassedly, wagging her tail like a happy puppy.

  “It's I who has you to thank, my dear.”

  C stated smilingly, before turning to the empty seat in front of them.

  “Of course, I thank you too, Omega. It must not have been very entertaining staying invisible all evening.”

  “There’s no need to worry, Lady C.”

  As if by magic, a winged woman in full white armor appeared out of nowhere in the spot opposite the other two. She had a serious demeanor and a longsword at her belt, ready to be drawn at any moment.

  “It's an honor to be of service to you. Feel free to give orders to us Esoterica whenever you like.”

  The woman continued, removing her helmet and revealing her face. She had short black hair and golden eyes, and her skin was slightly darker than the other two female on the carriage. Her build was trained and athletic, and she stood over six feet tall. The gleaming armor completely covered her body and seemed surprisingly light despite appearances. Her two large and black feathered wings rested folded at her sides, ready to unfurl if the situation required it.

  Despite using a continuous invisibility spell for over six hours, she doesn't even seem tired. Esoterica are truly exceptional.

  C couldn't help but admire her subordinate's strength. Despite being only a White Number, Omega was not to be underestimated.

  “Well, I say we go home and get under the covers.”

  "Lady C, excuse me for speaking without permission, but I wanted to know if you've received any instructions for us Esoterica. The assault on the troll base is coming up soon, and I find it strange that we haven't been summoned. The Queen will be taking part, as will her glorious offspring."

  “From what I know, Yor is the only one of you who will be present.”

  “The newbie?”

  “Exactly, her. It was Hirashi’s choice.”

  Omega looked confused, as if she was trying to remember her companion's face. It was normal; they had rarely seen each other, and probably only in full armor. Yor had been born less than a month ago, so it was logical that she had yet to integrate into the ranks of the other Esoterica.

  “I dare not question the will of our queens, but wouldn’t it have been safer to send more units in support?”

  Omega pointed out, her tone serious.

  “Like Rubedo, for example? She seems pretty strong to me.”

  Talia asked curiously.

  “N-No, Lady Rubedo would be…excessive.”

  C had to hold back a laugh at the Esoterica's frightened tone. It was clear Omega was afraid her superior would detonate the entire forest like a nuclear bomb would do. To be fair, Rubedo would be in her element- a wild forest- but there was a risk she could destroy everything, as had happened before in the old world.

  “This is Rubedo for you, eh eh . ”

  She chuckled heartily, smiling serenely. If there was one thing C was sure of, it was Hirashi's judgment.

  “Aside from Rubedo, who would you have sent, Omega? If you had been asked your opinion on the matter, what would you have said?”

  “Hmm...let's see...”

  Besides making conversation, C wanted to get her subordinate's opinion. Esoterica weren't known for offering opinions or suggestions, but Omega was one of those who tended to develop her own thoughts and keep them to herself. She wanted to understand what was going on in the other woman’s head.

  “I'd say Lady Albedo, Nigredo, and Lambda would be best suited for this task. Lady Albedo is perfect at everything, Lady Nigredo is excellent at espionage, and Lady Lambda is second only to Lady Rubedo in physical strength, but she's definitely more...smart, if I may use the term.”

  “They’re all great choices, yes.”

  C could not help but agree with Omega.

  "But if Hirashi has decided this way, I don't think she'll change her mind. In any case, I'd say we go home and rest. Tomorrow we can observe the war using far-sight magic and— "

  A gurgling sound echoed through the carriage. Everyone's gaze shifted to Thalia, who had turned red as a tomato and placed her hands on her stomach. Omega remained stoic, while C burst into a cheerful laugh.

  “F-Forgive me! I didn't eat much at dinner because I was anxious about the ball. It was my first time attending such an event.”

  “Don't worry, Talia.”

  C replied smiling, scratching her head.

  “As soon as I get home, I'll make you a midnight snack!”

  “Really? Thank you so much, Lady C!”

  “You’re welcome, eh eh. Do you want something too, Omega?”

  “Me? I’m not hungry, but I can’t say no to your divine cuisine, Lady C—that would be a crime. May I also invite Kai, who stayed behind to guard the villa while we went to the ball?”

  “Of course! Oh, and since you'll be guarding me this week, I've only had one room prepared for you and Kai. Normally, I'd have one for each of my subordinates, but I know you two are very close.”

  “Thank you for granting my stupid request, Lady C. Kai and I have been accustomed to sleeping together in the same bed since we were created. That's why Lady Albedo always puts us in rotation together.”

  “I had a hunch. Try not to make too much noise at night, okay?”

  “Y-Yes.”

  At that little ironic question, Omega turned purple in the face and nodded.