“You’re dismissed.”

King Andorin waved off the representative from the Adventurer’s Guild and discretely massaged his temple. He had heard nothing but excuses from those bastards. Drivel such as how harpies were better dealt with by soldiers than adventurers; how they were very dangerous to fight—oh, but he doesn’t need their help.

The king was more than just disappointed. Clearly, they were pale excuses for a group specialized in monster subjugations. Somehow, someway, the guild must’ve caught on that a war was brewing. As a multinational organization, they hated to get involved in disputes between countries. Half the enemy’s fighting force would be harpies, but it seemed that still wasn’t reason enough for them to stick around.

King Andorin had been informed that many of the adventurers based in his lands were departing for “excellent adventuring opportunities elsewhere.” They were running from the war.

Fortunately, he was expecting a few more visitors today: ambassadors from surrounding nations who had helped his country in the previous war with Claymore.

The double doors at the front of the throne room opened, and a palace servant announced the arrival of an emissary from one of Andorin’s neighboring allied nations, Baldira.

King Andorin’s mood soured slightly. He recognized the overdressed, rail-thin, arrogant-looking ambassador who entered. The King of Baldira was a stubborn and righteous man, who normally wouldn’t tolerate a nasty man like Ambassador Nuwick, but this was how he responded to correspondence from a nation he was unhappy with.

This was a terrible start, but King Andorin was confused by it more than anything. He personally thought he got along well with King Baldira.

“My most humble greetings to the King of Andorin,” Ambasador Nuwick bowed with a flourish.

“Rise,” King Andorin said, unhappy with the delighted look on Nuwick’s face.

“Many thanks, your majesty.”

Nuwick stood and grinned. He looked around the throne room, as if assessing it, and snorted softly. King Andorin gripped the armrests on his throne and held in his temper. This was how Nuwick did things. He was here to end relations, not keep them healthy. This meeting would be an uphill battle from the start.

“I trust King Baldira received my request?”

“Would I be here if he hadn’t, your everglowing majesty?”

I wonder exactly that, King Andorin sighed internally.

“And what was his response?”

“My regal lord, King Baldira, conveys his deep regret and sympathies, but he is unable to send you any support at this time.” Ambassador Nuwick lowered his body into an obsequious bow unprompted.

“Why not?” Andorin asked. “The Dragon’s Tail has flooded, and now Claymore is preparing for war. He’s clearly violating our treaty.”

“Nuwick raised just his head and smiled sweetly. “My King is quite aware that you claimed that’s the case.”

“What do you mean?” the King narrowed his eyes.

“What could it possibly mean?” Nuwick raised his body. He turned and started walking away without being dismissed. “Just that from our observations, you were the first to start preparing for war. My peace-loving lord is disappointed in you, your majesty.”

Like that, he was gone, and King Andorin was left chewing his lip, wondering if he’d made a mistake.

The emissaries from Duskald and Iria denied Andorin’s request for aid also. And so, the king of a doomed nation’s last visitor of the day entered. Andorin smiled bitterly at his trusted shadow, bowing silently in front of him the moment he blinked.

He chuckled despondently. “I’m very grateful for the rare metals supplied by this exchange. It seems they’re all we have left to defend ourselves with. Apparently I was overeager with production and got myself into quite a mess. If I could only foresee the future, I’d have put it off by just a few weeks…”

His shadow didn’t reply. That was fine. He was only complaining to himself.

King Andorin peeked into the magic bag and found more than just ores inside. He found an elegant silk pouch made of silfela silk. He lifted the pouch up and admired the smooth, shiny texture. It was easy to forget how beautiful a material silfela was. People rarely cultivated it, preferring materials that held dyes well instead, but it could be used quite nicely like this.

He could feel some long and flat object inside the pouch. Loosening the pullstring, he opened the pouch and removed the thin, white, clay tablet inside. A short passage was carved into its face.

There was only one being this could have been sent by. Bracing himself for anything, King Andorin scanned the letter.

Dear King of Andorin,

We have noticed disturbances among the harpie population as of late. They appear to be targeting your land. Given our friendly relations, we would like to extend to you our aid in dealing with this threat, whether it be by lending resources, troops, or assistance in some other form.

I would like to discreetly come to your land and discuss this aid further in person. I believe an ongoing exchange of letters to be too slow given the urgency of the situation.

With all goodwill and haste,

Orc Lord Vyra

King Andorin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Inviting a monster like the Orc Lord into his city was a joke that lacked all tact and humor, but they were facing a joint army of Claymore archers and harpies, and their usual allies had all withdrawn.

We need aid, he agonized. We’ll fall without any.

“Perhaps this is a ploy,” the king said tiredly. “Perhaps all of this was to get us to lower our guards and invite her here, so she could kill me. However, we’re not in a position to be picky with our allies, and if she did instigate the harpies to attack, they might scatter if she were to be killed instead.”

“How would you like to respond, your majesty?” The king’s shadow, secretly a double agent, kept his head low and asked respectfully.

“We will invite her as she wishes, and we will simply do everything in our power to make it as secret and safe a meeting as possible.”

The words felt like lead pouring out of his mouth, but it was already too late to take them back, and he could see no better alternative.

“I’ll go immediately to deliver the message,” the shadow said.

“Tell her to wait at the edge of the forest for an escort two days from now,” the king sighed, waving his shadow off.

***

Vyra stood up from her throne and flared her spectral wings in ecstasy.

“He agreed?! Wonderful!”

She grinned and held her hands over her heart. When was the last time she had felt it pounding from excitement rather than adrenaline or anxiety?

For the first time in my life, I’ll be stepping into a human city! she thought. Then, furrowing her brow, she corrected herself: For the first time in this life.

Vyra had lived less than a year in this world, but so much had happened that it already felt like a lifetime. Her past life was little more than a memory now, and she found herself marveling at the thought that she had ever been human.

Pushing those complicated thoughts aside, the Queen Orc decided to just let herself be happy for a moment.

Some echoing footsteps entering the throne room stole her attention, though.

“Oh, teacher,” Vyra greeted Ye Surumi as he entered. “Cancel my classes for tomorrow and perhaps for the next few days as well. I’ve been invited to the Andorin Kingdom.”

“Yes,” the scholar flared his fan and hid his mouth behind it. “I apologize, but I heard so from the hallway. You seem pleased, my lord.”

“I’m very pleased!” Vyra beamed. “Soon, I’ll have the chance to introduce myself to my potential mate. To fight a war in his name! I’ve never been happier,” she said shamelessly.

“How fortunate,” he replied politely. “I would just like to give you a piece of advice regarding that meeting, your majesty.”

The Orc Lord calmed down a bit and smoothed out her green silk dress. “Yes? What is it?”

“Court this ‘potential mate’ of yours according to the etiquettes of human royalty he’s familiar with. Things will go much more smoothly that way.”

Vyra’s tan face flushed a deep red shade across her cheeks. She set her hands upon her face as if to feel that warmth. “Of course, I’ll treat him very gently, since he looks so delicate.”

Surumi pursed his lips behind his fan. “In that case, have a pleasant trip, my Lord. Be mindful of your position and try not to cause any accidents.”

Vyra barely noticed Surumi as he left. Throughout their brief conversation, Yui Inari, King Andorin’s shadow, stood silently off to the side.

If only that timid prince would be scared off. In that case, my lady could find someone more suitable for her, Inari thought to himself. Though with how highly he thought of the Orc Lord, he couldn’t imaging a suitable mate at all.

***

At the break of dawn, near the Western edge of the Black Mountain Forest, Vyra hid herself in an earthen pocket carved with magic. She resisted pacing, watching closely for the transport King Andorin had sent for her.

Oolga was beside her, here to see her daughter off on an important day, and holding her hand tightly.

“Are you nervous, baby?” the Mayhem Orc asked.

“I’m excited,” Vyra grinned.

“Your mate is a weak male whose home is being threatened,” Oolga stated. “Show him your warrior’s blood. Pile up a mountain of corpses for him.”

The Orc Lord’s cheeks flushed red, and she exhaled hot air through her nostrils. Her regular lust and her bloodlust overlapped, and she could almost hear the harpies’ death cries in her ears, like wedding bells.

“I will! Oh, but he might be frightened, since he’s human. I’ll always be gentle in front of him~”

The two Monsters’ ears twitched at the sound of carriage wheels rolling over grass.

“It’s time, momma. I’m going.”

“Have fun, my sweet baby.”

Oolga gave her a kiss on the cheek, and Vyra hopped out of the hole. She hid behind a tree and verified that the carriage stopped at the edge of the woods a ways off. There couldn’t be anyone it was here for but her.

She smiled wryly when she saw the face of the carriage driver as he disembarked.

“I should’ve guessed,” she muttered.

Of course, Yui Inari pretended not to know her. He simply adjusted the cap hiding his cat ears and looked her up and down, humming.

“You might have to suffer for a while. Bear with it.” And he opened the carriage door for her.

Vyra’s lips twitched. Nice acting, but who’s it for?

She focused her attention on the carriage. It was quite normal-looking and discrete, but it looked like there really wasn’t any magic cast on it. Nothing for protection, stealth, or spatial expansion.

It wasn’t easy to get comfortable in a carriage made for people almost half her size. She ended up sitting sideways on the floor, between the two seats. For security reasons, she restrained herself from peeking out of the covered windows, though it made the journey much more boring. It was bumpy, too.

Thank the spirits for and , Vyra thought.

Nevertheless, she arrived at the king’s castle safely that afternoon.