Chapter 4

Cocytus had been chosen to lead the southern expansion force, and it was considered to be a major operation. The floor guardian, adamant at ensuring success in all militaristic fields, took even relatively mundane roles such as observation quite seriously.

Through a remote viewing mirror that was borrowed from Nazarick, he carefully observed the whereabouts of his own forces and that of the opposition's.

While he would have preferred a singular battle with a worthy opponent, he made sure to take heed of Demiurge's counsel when it came to military stratagems. It was important that their primary target needed to be surrounded from both the ground and air.

Said target belonged to none other than the Tengu, who could not be tackled so carelessly.

According to scouts' reports, their average power was that of a rank A to special A monster, surpassing even the kijin. Additionally, they possessed the ability to sprout angelic wings and fly for limited periods of time. Even Cocytus found it slightly irritating because he was well aware that flying enemies can wreak havoc upon grounded forces.

Such an opponent, if left unchecked, could cause mayhem within the Tempest Hegemony.

Therefore he could only come to one conclusion at how they would need to be approached. They either needed to be subjected and controlled to a level where they would not dream to rebel, or exterminated completely.

Obviously, extermination was left as a last resort. To waste a strong race like the Tengu and not add them to Tempest's ranks would be a grave offense towards Lord Momonga.

That did not mean Cocytus would slack off on his own forces, for he was acutely aware of how warriors of any species in general would viciously fight to defend their home. The Tengu were no exception to this rule.

Cocytus's own ground forces consisted of the best-trained kijin, Zegion's elite soldiers, and frost maidens as a backup in event that the martial races become overwhelmed. As for the aerial forces, they were comprised of Apito and her elite squad composed of champion wasps.

It was agreed upon by both Cocytus and Apito that the latter would receive forty named Kerai as backup. As to where the Kerai originated, it was none other than Shalltear who was willing to provide these troops as it meant for the greater good of Tempest.

It was important to note that both Cocytus and Shalltear had developed a mutual respect that went beyond their status as floor guardians. The gifting of Shalltear's servants and Cocytus taking shifts in order to guard the first floor, which the vampire was grateful for, were among the various reasons that helped foster a strong trust between the two.

Once all the troops were ready to strike, Cocytus, followed by Hakurou and Zegion, started to move towards the village. To their credit, none of the Tengu tried to flee, despite the glowering fact that Tempest was outwardly dominating when it came to fielding as many men as possible for their own forces.

In the middle of town stood their leader, and Cocytus was mildly surprised upon seeing the person's physiology.

She was a girl with a petite frame, not that much taller than Cocytus's knees. Her head was deftly covered with pure white hair that faded to red around her big wolf ears.

Cocytus paid much closer attention to the weaponry that the girl was holding. It appeared to be some sort of kodachi firmly held in her right hand. To make matters more interesting, she was dressed in an Eastern-style robe with a small crownlike hat.

'Were there already arrivals who had similar cultures to Nazarick that came before us? How interesting,' Cocytus mused to himself.

The girl was not the only one who had an Eastern-style disposition. Around her stood around thirty grown Tengu with Japanese-style swords of varying lengths. Cocytus started to hold a modicum of respect towards the hardened looks on each and every of the village's soldiers.

These warriors, knowing what they were fighting for, were ready to jump into action should their leader give the order. While the opposition looked fearsome, the steely glints in their eyes was a testament to their profound loyalty to both their leader and the village itself.

The girl's sharp gaze didn't leave Cocytus. She didn't make a move or utter a sound while waiting for him to approach.

Cocytus stopped about ten meters from her. His troops had completely surrounded the village and the Tengu were well aware that they had nowhere to retreat. The only two options were to submit or fight.

"BY DECREE OF LORD MOMONGA, THESE MOUNTAINS NOW BELONG TO THE TEMPEST HEGEMONY. SURRENDER UNCONDITIONALLY AND YOU, ALONG WITH THE VILLAGE, WILL BE SPARED." Cocytus announced.

He took out a pole with Tempest's flag at the end and firmly planted it in the frozen land.

This provocative action had served to anger the ones surrounding their leader, especially since the battle hadn't even begun yet to decide who would be the victor and who would be the vanquished.

"You won't be the first or the last who has tried to test us. Face me alone and see the error of your arrogance!" The girl shouted while pointing her weapon at him.

"VERY WELL. EVERYONE ELSE MUST BEAR WITNESS TO THIS BATTLE LEST THEY WOULD SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES FOR INTERRUPTING THIS DUEL."

Cocytus's order was received with a multitude of affirmative shouts from his own force, followed by stern nods from the Tengu opposition.

The field surrounding both him and the girl started to dissipate, and the insectoid made several steps forward before performing a small bow. This action seemingly surprised the girl, who clearly did not expect such chivalry to come from the enemy.

Not wanting to slight the gesture, she returned the bow, but quickly straightened her spine as her eyes narrowed into slits.

Without warning, she disappeared from her spot in no time flat.

Cocytus meanwhile remained still. He was able to judge within the span of the second that the girl was aiming directly for his neck.

Her speed was impressive, surpassing what Hakurou could muster in his early days of training with Cocytus. But that was not enough to budge someone with the God of War skill at the insectoid's disposal.

Cocytus effortlessly blocked her attack with the God Slaying Emperor Blade. The girl jumped sideways and went for another attack. He observed the girl's relentless assault with curiosity.

'Her fighting style is similar to what Hakurou uses. Tengu and kijin must share some common sources of inspiration for both fighting and culture. I will refrain from killing this girl for now until I get a clearer picture of things.'

After blocking another strike, he used the opportunity and slammed one of his massive fists into the girl's face. She flew backward like a bullet and hit one of the houses, tearing through the wooden structure like paper.

She emerged from the hole in the wall with blood pouring out of her broken nose. She snarled, letting out a howl-like war cry, and rose back up before beginning to perform another dauntless charge towards Cocytus.

'She is unrelenting. Her blows are powerful and precise. For her young age, she is a terrific warrior. It would be a shame to let such talent go to waste.'

However, a battle was still a battle. Her abilities were praiseworthy, but Cocytus needed to display who truly held the greater power in the duel.

He swiftly took out his halberd which must have looked like a blur to everyone else. He angled it in time so that the butt of the halberd would make contact with the left arm.

Ignoring the air's resistance, the weapon collided with the girl, who made a terrible howl as an audible crack echoed throughout their surroundings. Cocytus watched as his foe backed off, immediately switching her stance into a more defensive one.

The girl's left arm limped as pools of blood began to trickle down from where the halberd had made contact. No longer was her arm showing a pale color as it was now riddled with an array of purple bruises.

Only one counterattack has been made on her, yet her sustained injuries were already affecting her physical state. The fatigue was apparent on her face which now began to ooze with sweat.

From these appraisals, Cocytus knew that the battle was long over. He withheld his halberd and went back to crossing his arms, making the girl briefly confused as to why he stopped fighting.

"YOU HAVE DONE WELL, TENGU. IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU CANNOT CONTINUE THIS BATTLE ANY LONGER. IF YOU WANT FOR YOUR PEOPLE TO LIVE, SUBMITTING IS THE ONLY OPTION."

"No! I will fight you till my last breath! I will not allow my people to become slaves to your warmongering nation!"

"WARMONGERING? YOU HAVE IT WRONG, TENGU. LORD MOMONGA'S RULE IS FAIR TOWARDS THOSE WHO ARE LOYAL TO HIM. AND AS I SAID BEFOREHAND, YOU HAVE MY WORD THAT YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE SPARED. I SAY THIS BOTH AS A WARRIOR WHO WOULD FIGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY TO THE DEATH AND AS A LEADER WHO DOES NOT WISH TO SEE THEIR PEOPLE'S BLOOD BEING UNNECESSARILY SPILLED."

It was only for a moment, but the girl's battle stance faltered. Her head briefly turned towards her people, who gave her looks that seemed to be mixed with anxiety, worry and angst.

Turning back to Cocytus, the girl gave a response that still reserved some of her fury, but was much less intense compared to her previous callouts.

"I… I don't wish for further bloodshed among my people, either. I can at least see that you abide by a warrior's code with honor."

"INDEED. I COULD SAY THE SAME FOR YOU."

"…Hm. My name is Momiji, warrior. What is your name?"

An eerie hiss escaped Cocytus's mouth, letting out a cloud of frozen air. His mandibles clacked back and forth a few times before resting in their normal positions.

"I AM COCYTUS. I SERVE THE SUPREME ONES THAT LEAD THE NATION OF TEMPEST. IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO MAKE A CHOICE. WILL YOUR PEOPLE SUBMIT TO RULE OF MY MASTERS?"

Momiji knew herself that she was at a crossroads, but she simply could not believe the words coming out of her opposition. The strong had no reason to waste words on convincing the weak and she was the weak one in this situation.

"-Momiji, stand down! This is not your decision to make."

The center of attention was immediately shifted to the new speaker.

A woman with a walking stick was slowly making her way towards the others who roughly turned their heads at the same time to look where the voice was coming from.

She didn't look older than forty, but monster races rarely looked outwardly old. There were rare exceptions like Hakourou who had lived way past a normal age for an ogre who had achieved elderly looks.

She shouted with noticeable strain on her face. It was not hard to see the similarities between the young girl and the woman.

The young girl stiffened, clearly surprised at the new arrival.

"No, stop! It's too dangerous to be out right now, mother!"

"I could not just watch as you fumble around with their peace offer, youngling. Now leave the rest to me."

The woman curtly ended the conversation between her and Momiji, and she continued her walk towards them.

Curious as to how this would play out, Cocytus stepped back, becoming more reserved in his stance. He heard footsteps approaching towards his position, and he saw at the corner of his eye a familiar face.

"Kaede…" he heard his friend and subordinate Hakurou mutter under his breath.

"YOU KNOW HER?" Cocytus asked, observing his subordinate with two eyes. It seemed that the old kijin was filled with more emotion than usual, judging by his widened eyes upon seeing the woman.

"Yes, my Lord. We were close once." Hakurou explained the woman's eyes started to lock with his own.

"Araki's grandson…! You are still alive…" Kaede murmured while staring at him, her own face plastered with both shock and surprise.

Momiji tilted her head confusingly again, but she let the woman move in front of her, seemingly delegating the role of who would represent the Tengu in these developing talks.

The two continued to keep a wide distance between themselves and Cocytus, along with Hakurou who remained at the insectoid's right flank.

"As my daughter said, we will not tolerate slavery being placed upon us. But she has not yet controlled her temper enough to represent us in diplomatic affairs. Therefore, I will be the one to listen to your demands," Kaede explained with visible strain on her face.

She was barely holding her body upright with the help of a cane. It was saddening to see this occur, with Hakurou feeling the most pity out of the trio.

One of the Tengu ran towards her with a chair in his arms and offered it to Kaede. She silently thanked him before taking a seat, and a wave of comfort briefly reached her face before it turned back into a stern look.

"I hope you don't mind me sitting, but my strength has left me."

"IT IS OF NO ISSUE. MOVING ON, YOU CAN JOIN THE TEMPEST HEGEMONY AS CITIZENS AND SERVE THE FOUR LORDS…"

Cocytus explained mid-way, but stopped when he saw Kaede scrunch up her face.

As much as he wanted a peaceful solution he could and would not afford such defiance in anyone who would serve the supreme beings. Almost on reflex his hand reached for his sword again.

Kaede noticed the sudden change in the insectoid's demeanor. As much the invaders were willing to resolve peacefully they still spoke from a position of absolute power and it looked like the defiance of her people had reached the limits of their leader's patience.

She did a small bow with her head and said, "Please continue."

"AS I SAID YOU CAN JOIN TEMPEST HEGEMONY AS CITIZENS AND SERVE THE FOUR LORDS WITH DEVOTION AND YOU WON'T BE ENSLAVED."

Momiji furrowed her eyebrows at Cocytus's words. Her mind was embroiled in a clashing of her own ideals and that of Tempest's.

On the other hand, Kaede seemed to be more receptive, and she put up a seemingly thoughtful demeanor.

"I see. That is indeed a fair offer, Lord Cocytus. But you expect us to bend our knee to the new rulers of Jura?" Kaede said.

There was a certain amount of proud defiance in Kaede's tone, but after seeing Cocytus barely move a muscle, the woman lowered her head and sighed.

"I can recognize your power and our slim chances to live through this conflict." She looked up and stared directly into Hakurou's eyes. "Tell me; one who now serves Tempest. What does this servitude entail?"

{ My Lord, may I have permission to talk with her? } Hakurou messaged his superior, meeting the woman's gaze.

{ I SEE THAT THERE IS MORE TO THIS THAN MEETS THE EYE HERE. VERY WELL, YOU MAY TALK TO THE WOMAN. BUT DO KEEP IN MIND LORD MOMONGA'S WISHES. }

{ Of course. Thank you for permitting this selfish request of mine. }

Hakurou bowed towards his master and approached the only woman he had ever been close with.

"Kaede, Lord Momonga's rule is just and everyone serving under him thrives. Your people won't be slaves, but valuable assets. When we came to his service, we had nothing but weapons in our hands and clothes on our backs. Each of us was given a place to stay, plenty of food and drink, and a job best suited for each of us."

"I see. Tell me, do you still remember what happened between us?" She suddenly switched the topic.

'Why is she asking that now? I would not defy my master's orders for what we shared in the past. I'll trust my instincts and assume she is not trying to manipulate me.'

"I could never forget. There never was another one after you." He gave her a smile.

'She is as beautiful and graceful as I remember. But it seems she is counting her last days. Maybe she is trying to make peace with that.'

Kaede's face lit up in surprise. "Neither had I. You are my one and only." She glanced towards Momiji. "Come, I want to introduce you to someone."

The girl approached her mother wiping the blood off her face with the sleeve of her robe. Kaede smiled at the girl. "Momoji, this is your father."

The girl's eyes widened as she stared at her mother then and Hakurou and then back at her mother. She was having trouble on whether or not she should be shocked, angry, or both.

"You… You said my father was long dead!"

"I thought so myself. Ogres usually do not live for centuries, but your father here is a special case. We spent our night together three centuries ago. All this time I carried his seed within me." Kaede spoke, stroking her daughter's white hair.

Hakurou briefly showed a troubled expression on his face before resuming back to a stern look, though it still showed a hint of regret after realizing the truth in Kaede's words.

'So this girl is my… daughter… That was her aim. She wants to pass on the responsibility for our child to me.'

"If I had known I would…"

"Don't." Kaede interrupted him. "I didn't know you were still alive. The fault is not yours. But I have something to ask of you. I know it is unfair, but she is your daughter, and if my people are to serve your master, please look out for her. I did my best to prepare her to be the next leader, but Momiji is still young and brash."

"I will." Hakurou gave the girl a warm smile.

Momiji instantly looked away and glanced at the massive insectoid who watched the scene without uttering a sound.

'That monster is too strong. I doubt my special attack would kill him even if I managed to get enough time to prepare.'

She did her best to not think about the shocking discovery, but her battle observations were quickly drowned.

'My father is standing in front of me and my mother looks so happy to see him. How can I trust him? He is a stranger. Why does he look at me like that?'

Kaede gently touched her daughter's arm to get her attention.

"Momiji, lead our people to the best of your ability and listen to his advice, he…"

"Mother, you can't ask me to entrust the fate of our tribe to him. He is a stranger that came to our village as a conqueror!" She raised her voice.

Kaede gave her daughter a stern, silent stare, and the girl was again unable to meet her eyes.

"I once entrusted my life to this old ogre." She said with a faint smile.

"Ah, yes. Where are my manners? My master has bestowed upon me a new name. I am now called Hakurou."

"Hakurou. What a pretty name. As I was saying though, Hakurou will guide you when I'm gone, Momiji. Do not be stubborn. If even you couldn't defeat their leader, none of the tribe can do so. We can either accept a fair deal of servitude or perish in a futile struggle." Kaede spoke, her voice getting more strained with each word.

"Mother, you can't ask me to trust him!" Momiji protested, repeating her statement. "You can't ask me to blindly trust this stranger or just go serve them! You knew centuries ago. You told me to be wary of outsiders!"

Kaede closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Then at least think of our people. A leader's pride should come secondary after the needs of her people."

Momiji glanced at her mother with a frustrated expression and then walked towards the insectoid, she stopped three meters away and dropped her sword at his feet.

"Fine, have your way. We will join Tempest. But not as slaves. If you lie to me or my people, I will see to it that we will meet on the battlefield, and this time with a conclusive end."

"YOUR PRIDE IS COMMENDABLE, BUT I WILL NOT TOLERATE SUCH DEFIANCE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SUPREME BEINGS."

Cocytus met her ferocious gaze with his icy stare. Even Hakurou started to feel the atmosphere getting even more intense by the second.

"Hmph. Just know that I, nor my people, will bend our knee. If you want us to follow your master, we will do it, but as proud and strong people!" Momiji announced loudly.

"IS THAT SO," was all Cocytus could say.

"Please forgive her, Lord." Kaede said barely louder than a whisper while addressing her daughter.

To everyone's surprise, her low voice suddenly exploded into a fiery shout, directing it towards Momiji.

"You must learn to swallow your damn pride! I raised you to know when to give up, and this time is no better than any!"

Somewhat frightened at the sudden change, Momiji's lips quivered. The girl was unsure whether to continue to feel angry at her mother or feel ashamed that her own actions forced her mother to raise her voice despite the fragility of her body.

Knowing that arguing with her was pointless, Momiji decided to lower her head without saying a word.

"HM… THIS GIRL IS TOO RECKLESS. UNDISCIPLINED. SHE MUST LEARN TO CONTROL THE RAGING FIRE IN HER HEART WHICH YOU MUST HAVE DONE LONG AGO, YES?"

"I am well aware that my days are numbered, Lord Cocytus. She will grow wiser in time. I humbly ask, no, I beg you to give her a chance."

Cocytus looked at the girl who continued to gaze at the ground. He moved his gaze towards the older woman with growing curiosity.

To him, Kaede would sometimes show glimpses of the power she once held. He understood the dilemma of age affecting one's powers, as well. With time came wisdom, but unless someone were to go down a path that Hakurou had gone down, it would be reasonable to see all that built-up strength dissipate over long periods of time.

Cocytus thought about renaming her which would likely add at least a few decades to her lifespan. It was a wonderful, yet mystical power that not even he could understand.

Great and powerful leaders such as the Lords of Tempest, especially Lord Momonga, could possibly give him the needed answers, but it was not in his duty to question more than what was considered necessary.

Still, Lord Momonga always said that it was better to seek advice than to make reckless decisions.

With that in mind, Cocytus knew naming Kaede was a decision that was not for him to make, but rather from Lord Momonga. He decided to go ahead and contact the Overlord so that he could explain the situation to him.

A moment later, Momonga stepped through a gate followed by Albedo and Rubedo.

Like moths to a flame, Cocytus and all the ground forces immediately gravitated towards the undead. As they knelt in unison, the Tengu gasped with fear and awe as they witnessed Tempest's flying forces rapidly descending and doing the same.

Kaede observed the scene carefully, ignoring the nervous clattering that was coming from Momiji's kodachi.

'They abandoned any defensive position and showed full submission the moment he showed up. His power… there is something hidden.'

Nonetheless, her instinct screamed at her to show proper respect to this being. She did not want to find out what would happen if her people showed defiance, and she could easily predict Momiji being one of the first to do so.

Kaede slowly moved forward and slid out of the chair on her knees, lowering her head. She would be an example for them.

Seeing her daughter still standing, Kaede whispered harshly.

"Kneel! This must be one of the leaders of Tempest, so show proper respect!"

The young girl, seeing that one of the newcomers prepared her weapon to strike her down, reluctantly followed her mother's advice and kneeled with the rest of the Tengu following soon after.

"Rise and be at ease," Momonga said whilst approaching Kaede. He exuded a natural air of royalty as he walked by the kneeling subordinates of Tempest.

Kaede would have reprimanded Momiji if she did anything but that. The moment of hesitation coming from the young girl already made her impatient, and she forcefully pulled one of Momiji's sleeves up in the air so that she could rise faster.

Albedo, seeing that the situation was under control, put away her weapon and walked beside Momonga. Defending him was no doubt her utmost priority, but right now she would fulfill her duty as the head consort and leave the rest to her beloved.

"Cocytus has informed me you are willing to join Tempest as my subjects but the girl left in charge lacks experience to be a leader."

"She will learn in time, Lord." Kaede slowly stood up being supported by Hakurou before Momiji could rush over to help her mother.

"She needs someone who could guide her to be such a leader. Are you willing to take on this role?"

"My life is almost over, but I will give her guidance till my last breath. Her father can take it from there."

"Hakurou, does this woman speak the truth?" The Overlord addressed the old kijin.

"Yes, Lord Momonga. I believe so. At her request, I will take the responsibility of guiding my daughter to be a better servant for you." Hakurou replied.

"I see, but it won't be necessary," Momonga replied and then addressed the older Tengu woman. "While Hakurou's judgment is trustworthy, I prefer to not lose a chance to gain a valuable servant if I can avoid it. Extending your life is a trivial matter for me. Pledge your servitude to me and I will grant you this gift."

While Kaede contemplated his words, Momonga took out a Yggdrasil healing potion and extended his hand toward Momiji. Like all monsters, she probably had a decent regeneration rate but her left arm dangling at her side likely would take some time to heal.

'Trivial matter? He speaks of such impossible things as trivial!?'

Kaede looked up at the undead king and motioned for Momiji to accept the potion. She herself was tall and towered over her former lover even with her leaning on his shoulder but she was still dwarfed by Momonga. 'If I could spend a year or two more and see the future of my people…'

The younger girl reluctantly accepted the gift from the undead and gulped it down. Her broken arm healed almost instantly.

"If you can grant me this gift I will guide my daughter as long as you deem fit." She spoke.

"Then I shall call you Kaede the Tengu Queen," Momonga announced, giving her as much energy as the woman could accept through renaming.

Kaede gasped and dropped to her knees, immediately worrying Momiji and the villagers who were watching this shocking development.

Momiji was about to rush to her thinking that she needed aid of some sorts, but was stopped by Hakurou who silently shook his head. Seeing that the icy insectoid shared the same opinion as him, the girl hesitantly acquiesced to the kijin's request. She found herself clenching her teeth as she felt helpless to do anything about her mother's sudden change.

Meanwhile, Kaede felt her breath being taken away as the rush of power from the naming continued to transform her. After what felt like an eternity, she stood up, feeling completely different compared to how she was just a few minutes ago. There was nothing left of the fragile old woman who could barely stand. She didn't look much younger after the transformation, still having an air of mature beauty around her.

Kaede straightened her back with a crack and clenched her arms feeling her previously tired muscles pulsating with power, and her eyes began to shine with youthful glee. She briefly looked at Hakurou who gave an approving nod before turning back to the towering undead.

"My Lord, while I am immensely thankful for the opportunity of being named by someone as great as you, there was no need to go this far just for someone like me. This power… I feel like I'm in my prime again."

"I need a wise leader for your people, Kaede. Soon I will send my administration. In the meantime, treat Coctyus' words as if they are mine. And while our meeting may be short, rest assured that I will be back to check on the village's affairs in the foreseeable future," Momonga said curtly, waving his hand.

Without saying another word, he turned around and left, closing the gate behind him.

Cocytus announced that they would march south the moment administration had been sorted and ordered for most of the troops to leave the town leaving only the frost maidens and Hakurou behind.

According to the plan, a fortress was to be built in the middle of the main passage through the mountains, and needed to be assigned security forces.

Kaede led Hakurou inside her house, leaving Momiji to deal with sorting out who would join Cocytus' forces to prove their worth to their new masters.

She motioned for her old lover to sit down by the table and prepared tea for him while practically dancing around the house. She poured two cups and sat down beside him.

"Shall we continue where we left off now that we serve the same Lord?" She asked with a mischievous smile.

"We are not those kids we were back then anymore," Hakurou replied with a chuckle.

"As always, you are too reserved for your own good." She lightly pouted before taking a sip of her tea. "Still, why did Lord Momonga give me all this power? All I asked of him was to extend my life for a few years, but he had gone even further beyond that."

"I myself am still surprised by Lord Momonga's immeasurable well of power. But what I can be sure of is that he is generous towards those who serve him." Hakurou seemed to be lost in thought after he uttered those words. 'Could it be that he made her stronger because of me? But I'm sure Lord Cocytus told everything to Lord Momonga…'

"If you permit, I want to keep my promise and help guide Momiji even with you present."

"Not only have I been given a second life but a husband by my side. My new Lord's generosity knows no bounds. We may not be those kids anymore, but those wrinkles and the silvery hair have given you a mature charm that an old lady like me cannot look past." She leaned closer.

"You, my lady, can't call yourself old if you do not look even a day older than how I remember you." Hakuro gently touched her hand.

"Oh, you'll be too much for me, you sly flatterer." She purred in a low voice. It seemed that it took but a moment to reignite the old flame that burned so brightly all those centuries ago.

One thing was sure. Kaede had to repay her new master for the generosity he had shown. Her people were always powerful, to begin with, so she was sure that she and everyone else would prove to be of good use once they had officially entered the ranks of the Tempest Hegemony.

But just for today, they could finally spend time together after so long. And tomorrow would be the day when she and her daughter would join the military and fight beside Hakurou, knowing that their village will be left in good hands.

Edited by Zirmeister

Proofreading by Ethal07, Alassandro, SwissChocolatess, and Kazuma.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader.