The Red Rose and The Black Rose

Superbia, one of the Commanders of the Titania Pact Palace, hummed as she listened through the [Message].

And though outwardly she showed nothing more than a slight huff, inwardly she was bursting with joy.

She had just received a mission from her lady. From her queen. A mission of 'utmost importance' that would provide Titania with valuable information.

She rose from the throne of her designated 'zone,' ignoring the lesser servants and commoners who 'guarded' her like guards.

And though Superbia referred to them as lesser servants, they were level 90 defensive monsters, capable of following Superbia despite her special abilities as a Planeswalker.

They rose from their kneeling positions or moved from their static places, and began to follow her silently as she walked towards her destination.

She prepared to cast [Message] to ask the good girl Eyesight to open a [Gate]. She was informed, therefore, she would leave her at one of the 'false' bases as an operations site.

Superbia didn't even pay attention to her subordinates. She didn't even consider the possibility of defeat.

She had received a mission from one of the Supreme Ladies, and she would fulfill it with her whole being, without errors. Without failures.

For some reason, Achernar's words bothering her pricked at the back of her mind.

She frowned and huffed. "Hmp, annoying lizard..."

She wondered where he was now, though. Just curiosity, call it.

…

His wings flapped audibly in the wind. The whistling of the wind passed through his ears. His enormous figure cast a great shadow over the land below.

And he halted once he arrived above what seemed to be a tribal village, surrounded by mud and marshy water.

In the presence of him, the inhabitants of such a village came out to look at him. With horror, fear, caution. The warriors were already arming themselves, ready to fight.

His giant wings covered in rocky plates like armor remained suspended, ignoring the laws of physics and keeping him afloat. And he opened his jaws like a bird's beak mixed with a human mouth.

"Rejoice, Savages." His deep and strangely clear voice, audible to all in a clear and concise manner.

In the face of his voice, the creatures below him recoiled in fear despite his words.

"I have come in the name of the Supreme Goddesses. Sent by one of their greatest servants." He said as if decreeing. "Such a servant, in their name, wishes to establish dominion over you, Savages. To place you under the yoke of the Supreme Goddesses. Surrender peacefully, and only prosperity awaits you. Resist, and you will suffer."

The creatures remained even more tense and cautious, pointing their spears, bows, slings, and simple swords towards the creature.

"You have up to 5 days to decide. And if you resist, within 10 days, divine cleansing will be done upon you, Savage, and upon the other Savages who resist from this great lake. You have been warned in the mercy of the Supreme Goddesses." The creature decreed, and without further ado, he flapped his wings again to turn around and move away from the village, ignoring their reactions.

It was not his place to wait for reactions. It was his duty to simply act as ordered.

…

Slipping through the shadows, Achernar took care not to be detected in any way. Even though these humans were so insignificantly weak that Achernar shouldn't need skills or effort to go unnoticed, he was still ordered to be cautious and discreet.

The order came directly from his queen... He obeyed it without hesitation, but he was slightly annoyed by the secondary order not to mention this to his creator, Black Abyss, unless necessary.

He chastised himself for feeling annoyance at an order from his lady. It was absolute heresy, and he was about to mention his dissatisfaction to Lady Dont and propose suicide as atonement.

But she quickly provided an explanation, as if she had detected Achernar's heresy, that Black Abyss probably wouldn't approve of such a thing, and it would only complicate things for all of Titania over a mere matter that wasn't even necessary to mention.

Achernar couldn't argue with his queen against her brilliant logic, beyond some uneasiness about keeping things from his creator, and now he was here.

Through a [Gate] from Eyesight, he arrived at the capital of Re-Estize and proceeded to complete his mission.

The castle corridors, even during the day, were not so crowded, with only a few maids or soldiers here and there.

Queen Dont herself provided him with a series of 5 corpses for his mission. Something of utmost importance.

He arrived at the throne room, which was only guarded by a few soldiers. The king was not there. Apparently, the throne room was more symbolic than a true meeting point as in Titania, as royal meetings tended to take place in meeting rooms more than anything else. On the other hand, the Supremes met each other in their own quarters or in the Supreme Lords' Meeting Room.

Of course, the NPCs, or at least the Commanders, among themselves, had a 'Round Table' at the foot of the Central Tower where they could gather to discuss matters among themselves, but in official meetings with the Supreme Ladies, everything happened in the Throne Room.

Achernar merely shook off his thoughts and slipped behind the throne. Such a small gap between the throne and the wall, but one through which he could easily pass.

He took out the corpses he had in his inventory, and in complete silence, he cast his skills.

The corpses were covered in shadows and deformed to take on a different appearance from the muscular mercenaries.

The Commander watched as the shadows looked at him expectantly now. And he gave the order in complete silence.

His new subordinates obeyed instantly and dispersed to their targets.

Achernar held back a sigh. He wasn't particularly intelligent like Superbia, Bachelory, and other members of Titania.

He was a good tracker, strategist, spy, and detective thanks to the configurations his creator gave him, but when it came to pure intellect, Achernar didn't particularly stand out. So, even if he wanted to, he couldn't really see even a hint of his Ladies's total plan.

Well, they were minds so bright that they outshone the Sun. His own Creator was a Sun in herself.

He couldn't help but marvel at how Lord Arigameplayn't once boasted about how Lady Black Abyss 'finished off the Absolute God of the Sun using a Sun.'

Of course, in the times when G.O.D.S. was more crowded by Supreme Lords, he heard great amounts of things, especially from Lady Black Abyss, which were his most cherished memories only second to those gained with his Creator.

Shaking off the thought again, as he was getting distracted, and focusing on the fact that he had completed his mission, he proceeded to crawl back into the shadows, out of the castle.

The report of the mission's success would be mixed with one of the resource management reports, something for Black Abyss not to bother checking...

The unease persisted in his heart, as this was almost like wanting to deceive his Creator, to push her away...

He bit his lip beneath his mask and continued while keeping his mind blank to avoid faltering.

A Commander was not worthy of faltering.

…

Superbia resumed humming as one of her servants whispered in her ear. 

Sitting on a silver chair, in front of a tea table with a parasol, she watched as the Golems, Constructs, and Undead worked to create one of the false structures to conceal Titania. A small base of 'bandits' large enough for hundreds of 'bandits' to protect it.

It would be just a false place. Full of minor and disposable summons, acting as another of the warehouses where Titania's minor resources would be stored.

Superbia was in charge of supervising and supporting the construction, as it was the largest structure among all the others, as well as dealing with this 'Great Lake'.

Receiving the report that her 'Siege Heralds', Level 70 Griffins capable of speech, satisfied her enough. All the tribes and races of the Great Lake, at least those capable of thinking, were given their options. Surrender or die.

Her queen gave her such an order. However, Superbia could identify her queen's reluctance for the first option. Especially by how interested and detailed she was in giving the second option.

She ordered to give them a first wave of attack. A force of up to level 20. Then, if they managed to resist, to increase the level to 30 and add a level 40 servant.

She found it amusing how her queen could be so sadistic at times. But to think in such a way was, in a certain sense, heresy, so she refrained from dwelling on it.

Only fools would oppose the Supremes~ Only fools would choose to die rather than serve them~

Of course, Superbia would be more than willing to commit suicide if she ever offended her Queen or found herself in the position of those inferior beings. However, she was not, and would not be. The forces of Titania were destined to always win~ And besides, Superbia herself could handle a guild alone, as she had heard from her Creator, Camello-Soberbio.

Sure, Superbia was unfamiliar with the customs of this world, much less with simple reptilian creatures like the Lizardmen or Frogs, but she didn't even bother to investigate their customs and declare war on them according to her own ways. But Superbia couldn't care less.

Her queen's instructions were not to kill indiscriminately. Only to eliminate those who resisted initially, the warriors.

Then, those who surrendered and accepted her rule would be pardoned, and her queen would decide their fate.

Superbia was intelligent, not as much as any of the Supreme Ladies, but she could at least glimpse a pale shadow of their grand plan.

Despite her name and attitude, Superbia was not proud, or at least not to a massive extent that would hinder her from acting appropriately. During the various invasions of Titania, she fought to her fullest capacity, only dying twice after weakening her enemies so much that they died shortly after by even weaker NPCs.

She growled softly. The memory of having died tormented her, not because she had died in the name of Titania and fulfilled her duty as a Commander, but because, at the same time, she had failed to maintain her position, requiring the mercy and valuable resources of the Supreme Lords to revive her.

Superbia herself was an army. An imposing army that could simply vanish and reappear.

Even the weakest summon of Superbia, thanks to her abilities, could become a threat on the level of the 'heroes' of the pathetic humans.

She looked at the magical map in front of her. It was a mapping that required the bearer to have walked in an area for that area to be mapped only for that bearer unless a magical item called the 'Lost Compass' was used, which allowed the map to be built permanently remotely.

All the Siege Heralds had one of these objects, so the Great Lake was being mapped efficiently, not to mention the simple maps that mercenary NPCs and summons were making. If she continued with this, perhaps she would earn praises from the Supreme Ladies~

The thought made her smile.

There was no greater honor than being praised by her Queens~ Or well, who knows how many honors exist among any of the things the Supremes do.

Even Superbia could not help but feel honored to serve as a carpet or garbage basket for them. Such was their magnificence. Such was their divinity.

…

The first wave began. 

Superbia watched through the Remote Viewing Mirror as she ordered her subordinates to control the level 20 summons.

Already, three races had been conquered and subdued. She was not allowed to replenish her summons, and she had already lost a third of her total forces, but they were still sufficient, and the losses were minimal for each village.

The Axolotl Men, the 'Swamp Algae,' and the Swamp Fairies. They were not special races for Superbia, but the second race did not exist in Yggdrasil, which would greatly interest her queen.

Next were the Frog Men.

They had a hierarchy similar to a monarchy, with a frog king, a frog prince, etc., but they were basically a tribal system with a hereditary leader title. Well, in reality, Superbia had not delved into the cultures of the races she was attacking at all; she cared little about them.

The only important piece of information was the combat style of the Frog Men. They were mainly Rangers and Bards but with 'strong' warriors. Naturally, they had Bard abilities, with great agility on land and water, and large numbers.

Their mucous skin made them resistant to cuts and some penetrating damage, but blunt force, on the other hand, was their practically 'weakness'.

(Hmp~ Let's see how long they last against me~) She said proudly in her mind.

After all, she was Superbia, the Archduchess of Titania.

There were no inferior beings that could defeat her~

And she gave the orders.

…

Tsaindorcus Vaison

A name both feared and respected.

After all, he was one of the great Dragon Lords. Not only that, but he was one of the few True Dragon Lords.

The Platinum Dragon Lord.

Having heard from his friend from ancient times about rumors of a powerful Demon who defeated the Black Scripture, the elite of the Slane Theocracy, he decided to investigate with his remotely controlled armor.

And what he found... Met his expectations to his misfortune.

The destruction caused by that monstrous and malevolent-looking Demon so casually... It was terrifying. And to see that Paladin defend herself from those attacks with such ease, and then equip herself with what he could only identify as divine-class items, he had to intervene.

Initially, he tested the possibility that this woman might be a potentially allied Player. So he attacked the Demon first.

He tested his courage by watching the woman simply attack the Demon while minimizing questions.

And if he was honest... That Demon didn't seem like a Player no matter how intelligent he proved to be. He could be one, an evil and simply unrestrained one like the 8 Kings of Greed, or he could be something else. There was the possibility that he was simply an 'Enpicee', or a summon, or even just a monster from the world of Yggdrasil.

He might even have been just a powerful native monster that exceeded the average power level.

In fact, that Demon had proven capable of dealing with his armor no matter how trained Tsaindorcus was with such equipment.

And that girl... Despite apparently being able to use that divine equipment for a while, she was quite strong, able to match that monster.

Supposedly, she wasn't even a Player if her facade of having grown up in a village was true. Her divine equipment could be from some item left by a Player, or a Talent.

He didn't know, he should ask her when he had the chance. After all, she had shown willingness to collaborate with the false character of 'Riku Aganeia'.

He wasn't going to give her his real name or to her or the Demon. Although if the girl proved to be a useful asset, he might reveal some things to her.

He reflected from his flying fortress, kilometers from where the battle took place, and even further from where his armor hovered waiting to see if anyone followed him, for safety.

While that monster proved capable, it didn't really seem all that strong. Even the abilities it showed only slightly damaged the armor, and it couldn't cause much harm to the girl either. In fact... It ensured it would flee due to having two strong opponents... Either it was a facade, or it really could be defeated between his armor and the girl.

But if there was anything serious about that monster... It was that it was able to penetrate his [World-Isolating Barrier].

And such a barrier can only be penetrated by fulfilling two conditions. Either having Wild Magic, or having a World-Class Item. And he doubted any random Demon could use Wild Magic, unless the Brilliant Dragon Lord had explored a bit more of himself...

So it surely had a World Item if the former wasn't the case, and that made that Demon a very dangerous enemy...

He would have to talk to Rigrit about it. Maybe she knows something he doesn't. But he'll keep an eye on Re-Estize, which seems to be the area where this Demon is lurking.

…

Superbia clicked her tongue as she resisted the urge to strike one of her subordinates right then and there.

The attack on the Lizardmen was a disaster. Not because they didn't win, but because they lost more than anticipated.

The Lizardmen were surprisingly more skilled than Superbia had believed, and in the strategy used, they defeated more units than calculated. Now she only had ⅓ of the original total she had, and she still had to attack the Lizardmen.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, regaining her composure.

No matter. She could fix this. She just needed to devise a new strategy to deal with the Lizardmen, and not underestimate them as she did with the Frogmen.

She considered improving the remaining units a bit, but remembered her queen's order not to use any of her own abilities, only strategy using such units.

Actually, her queen might have... Foreseen her loss in her first batch of units... That's why she told her that if she lost the level 20 units, she could use the level 30...

No! She had to impress her! She couldn't just do things halfway! She had to exceed her queen's minimum expectations and reach the maximum!

How could she call herself the proud Archduchess of Titania if she couldn't even deal with some big lizards!?

With a new wave of determination, she began ordering the regrouping of the level 20 units.

…

"I want you to reinforce the concealment of Titania. Consider the possibility of creating another 'mountain'. Although it will take time and is somewhat risky, expand the Azerlisia Mountains artificially to reach here and cover our rear."

Upon Dont's instruction, Bachelory nodded deeply as he noted her order in his notebook. 

She was currently in the throne room, managing Titania's defenses, until the double doors opened.

Black Abyss entered the room, approaching the desk. "How are you holding up?" she asked the Shooter, who had basically had to fight against that armor and her, even though she had greatly restrained herself from seriously injuring her.

"... Fine. Just with my Mana still recovering and several of my daily skills still in the process of recovery." Dont sighed as she relaxed a bit at Black Abyss's presence, leaning back against the throne's backrest.

"We know that this Riku was not present, that armor was remote. But still, it was of a high level, perhaps we are in the presence of another Player... I tried in every way not to seem like a Player, but he seems suspicious." Explained the Paladin with a grimace.

"Another Player..." Dont grimaced. "I see. Well, he didn't attack you, so that's good. Maybe he has some level of trust in you. We can use that to our advantage. To the world, you are 'Titania' after all." Dont grasped her chin as she forced herself back into her 'work' mode. "... Fine. Keep your World-Class Item with you at all times. Eyesight will pay more attention to you, being the most 'exposed' to this Riku... We don't even know if that's his real name. He could be doing the same as us by using false aliases..." Dont grumbled, quite annoyed now.

Having to mobilize so many resources and be so careful... Ugh. What a hassle.

"My queen, if it dost please thee, I would venture mine opinion: mayhap he be of ilk akin to ours, another 'NPC,' or perchance a Mercenary NPC. Yon, there lies the prospect that he be a formidable denizen of this realm." Bachelory added from the side.

"Hm... Those possibilities certainly can't be ruled out... There could be more than one Player, or he's just one of the NPCs of an entire guild... Tch. This complicates things. And we can't risk searching for him for fear of revealing our location..." The Demon Queen clicked her tongue as she rested her cheek against her palm.

"Ha... For now, I'll have to delve deeper into the human world, making that Riku perceive me as a particularly strong member of this world as Bachelory said, instead of seeing me as a possible Player. Maybe... I showed my divine equipment, I could pretend to have some kind of Talent or special equipment that allows me to use it. Of course, from his perspective." Black Abyss added, and Dont smiled at her, appreciating her support in this situation. Once again, without Black Abyss, Dont was sure she would have a very difficult time with several things.

"Mm... Yes, I suppose that's possible. That Nfirea had some shit that allowed him to use ANY magical item. Surely regardless of any condition. He should even be able to use the Guild Weapon... And if such an unfair shit exists, then I guess we can be... Flexible." Dont nodded towards the Angel. "Alright~ Hazlo~ {Do it~}"

"Furthermore, I am still a mysterious figure to the society of Re-Estize, so I still have room to build my context." Black Abyss added, placing a hand on Dont's shoulder from the side in a show of support. 

The Demon appreciated the gesture.

"... Well. Yes. Focus on that and ask for help from whoever you need for it." Dont gave her approval. "Now... those skills he used... didn't sit well with me, and I don't recall them from Yggdrasil. Achernar mentioned that the Hanzos couldn't pass through a barrier, but he could. I could too, although it was through instant movement, so it wasn't something like [Dimensional Lock]. Maybe it's a barrier that entities of at least level 80 or higher can't pass through, or that certain races can't do it... Well, we can't experiment with that, so we can only make assumptions and be careful." She sighed. The existence of Martial Arts and 'Talents' was already too much to digest... Now this...

"Well, he was surprised that you passed through it, although he didn't mention anything about the conditions to pass such a barrier." Black Abyss murmured, recalling the conversation with 'Riku'.

"Mm... For the time being, Achernar and I won't take anything from our inventory or equipment until we figure out the conditions." Dont murmured. "Bachelory, relay a summary of this entire conversation to Achernar. This Riku, for now, is our potential greatest enemy. At worst, he's level 100. A threat capable of killing even a Commander... Even one of us."

The Doppelgänger froze at the latter, then nodded with a deep bow. 

"Aye, my queen. I shall execute thy commands, though it may entail the sacrifice of my very life." He said with determination and loyalty. 

Dont grimaced at the thought of it costing him his life... But it was something NPCs said all the time. She then looked at Black Abyss, now all calmer.

"Anyway, what did you tell the adventurer guild in the end? Your armor was damaged, so there was no need to simulate damage. And the area still has some traces of fire and there are those survivors or something like that."

"Oh, well... I told them about the Komodo Demon, the battle we had, the group that saw us suggested that I should be promoted to Adamantite. I vaguely mentioned Riku to them, but they didn't seem to know anything about him. And well, I left after that, they didn't seem to have much information of that sort or his origin." Black Abyss said with a sigh as she leaned her back against the side of the throne.

Dont nodded, analyzing what her next course of action would be.

"Bachelory, have Eyesight and his subordinates keep an eye on Superbia and be prepared to support her, tell him to hurry up and withdraw as soon as possible. In the worst case scenario, she'll be ambushed in the middle of her tasks." She said seriously.

"Yes, my queen. Should it be your desire, I shall personally guarantee the safeguarding of Superbia." He nodded again.

"Umu... Well, don't leave Titania unless she's ambushed... And now that all the important matters have been dealt with... I want to take a bath~ So don't bother me for about... 10 minutes unless it's an emergency. Send me reports of everything, as usual." Dont dismissed with a wave of her hand as she got up from the throne, preparing to use the guild medal as she stretched.

Black Abyss, on the other hand, frowned at the last thing the Demon Queen said.

"You didn't tell me anything about what you've been doing in Titania." Black Abyss said from her position against the throne.

"Hmm? What do you mean~?" she asked curiously. Bachelory remained silent.

"That I haven't even had reports of what's been going on here while I was away. What have you been doing?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes.

Dont hesitated.

"Oh, well... Mainly managing... Improving some things given the new flexibility, looking over and reviewing some plans... Trying out a few things... And, um, other stuff, you know... I'll tell Bachelory to have someone send you a daily report if it bothers you that much." She said somewhat nervously, careful not to touch on 'those' topics as Black Abyss approached.

"Hm? I'm not upset... Did you perhaps do something you think I'll be upset about?" She raised an eyebrow, quite inquisitive as Dont seemed to want to change the subject and not respond clearly.

"Er... ¿Tal vez? {Maybe?}" she said hesitantly, looking to the side...

She didn't know why she was so nervous... Normally she was an expert at lying without batting an eyelash...

W-Was Black Abyss so intimidating...? Or was it because she felt guilty for... Deceiving her friend...?

"And what did you do?" she asked, looking at her intently.

Dont scratched her neck.

"Tell me what you did, Dont." She narrowed her eyes.

Bachelory looked on in silence.

"Uh..." Dont hesitated. She hesitated a lot...

But under Black Abyss's gaze... Under her judging gaze... She felt awful... And gave in...

"Umu... Inter-species Program, skinning for scrolls... Managing some external plans..." She admitted...

And Black Abyss's look hurt even more...

"Tch. Inter-species program, I don't know what that is, Skinning for scrolls?... Why wasn't I told anything about that? Lying down in the garden... While I was working... And I know you go through my things, even if just to annoy... Not only did you hide information from me, you lied to me and investigated me." She stepped away from the throne and began to let out, with a frown towards the Demon, who shrunk like a scared cat.

"I-I didn't hide it from you!... I-I just didn't mention it because there was no need to just blurt it out like that..." She looked to the side. "Besides... It was for good reasons..." She said in an attempt to defend her actions, however feeble it may be.

"I don't care about the reasons, I never lied to you or hid anything, I expected the same from you... And it seems I only ended up disappointed." Black Abyss said with clear anger as she pointed accusingly at the Shooter.

"E-Ey, I- I just didn't want to bother you with things that would surely discourage you... We're not in a moment where we have the freedom to fight amongst ourselves..." She tried to defend herself again, but now more... Uneasy... Nervous... She looked to the side, seeing Bachelory still standing there... "B-Bachelory, go do what I asked."

"... Aye, my queen." The Doppelgänger bowed to Dont. "My lady, Lady Black Abyss." He said to Black Abyss, and teleported away with the guild medal.

Black Abyss remained silent for a while, looking where Bachelory had been just moments ago...

"... Besides Bachelory. Who else knew about this?" She asked Dont.

The Demon shifted uncomfortably in her place... But she spoke...

"… Carmellitian, Superbia, Quasimodon't, Don Pulpon, Eyesight, and well, the Mercenary NPCs in charge of the respective projects..."

"So, if I ask Achernar, he wouldn't know."

"..."

"Very well, I'll go ask him." Black Abyss pronounced as she turned away... Quite angry...

She pulled out a message scroll which burned in her hand, speaking aloud.

"Eyesight, open a portal to wherever Achernar is."

Black Abyss looked at the portal that appeared in front of her, leading to another section of Titania, entering as it closed behind her in complete silence... Ignoring Dont...

The latter watched the scene of Black Abyss disappearing through the vortex of red darkness in silent dejection... After waiting a few seconds, she sent a [Message].

…

"Did you know, Achernar?" she asked after giving the ninja a brief glance.

"... Know what, my lady?" the Dragonoid asked, confused.

"About the things Dont is doing in Titania, the skinning and such. Did you know?"

"... I heard about it from my subordinates, yes." He replied with a nod.

Black Abyss glared at him angrily as she growled, stepping forward, causing the Dragonoid to shrink back in fear. "Don't lie to me Achernar, you knew..."

"H-How could I lie to you, my creator?" he stammered, losing his composure as he knelt even more deeply before Black Abyss. "I would never be able to do such a thing!"

"... Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I didn't think it was of your interest, or that you already knew, so I didn't want to bother you with informing you of unimportant matters... Lady Dont said you would be displeased if I talked to you about those topics..." He stammered, frightened, looking down at the ground...

The Mercenary NPCs accompanying Achernar had knelt behind him, trembling like leaves in the face of the Supreme's fury.

"... So that's what it was about... Ha... Today has been a day full of disappointments..." Black Abyss sighed.

Achernar trembled, as if about to sob, but he remained in a firm stance, practically pressing his forehead against the ground.

"Listen. Everything that happens in Titania is of my interest, and I'm not a mind reader to know the things that happen here while I'm away. Now, don't ever hide anything from me again." She said seriously... A deadly seriousness... With a voice as imposing as a divine decree... The light seemed to dim in the face of her pristine rage...

"... Yes... As you command, my lady. This foolish servant will obey until he has no strength left to move..." he said tremblingly, with resolve. Achernar would obey with all his might any order from his creator.

Black Abyss took out her medallion. (Right, I had this...) Using it to disappear, appearing outside of Titania, where the three-headed creature, Kronos, approached Black Abyss.

"I need to walk, stay here." She explained, to which Cerberus nodded, watching Black Abyss walk away down the path as her tail drooped, feeling her... Displeasure...

The three little heads glanced at each other...

… 

Dont clicked her tongue as she finished her conversation with Carmellitian, emerging from the dungeons.

That Black Abyss... Her positive karma was disrupting Titania's development... And it was creating a rift between them...

She didn't know what to do...

She thought she could keep this issue hidden for longer, to prepare and soften the blow at least...

Dont felt horrible... Not like a Demon causing atrocities, but for making her friend feel bad... To anger her...

She ignored the cries and pleas for mercy from the prisoners in the dungeons and exited with a sigh of dejection.

She sent another [Message].

…

Superbia suppressed a sigh and instead huffed a bit. Bachelory had informed her of extra surveillance for security due to a recent event, but only from Eyesight, so she still had a good margin of error.

She decided to deal with the Lizardmen in waves.

The first... Failed, but it took out many of their warriors. It seems they unified for better defense. But the loss was deliberate.

She hummed as she organized the 2nd wave accordingly, to make it more efficient based on the information she had gathered from the first wave.

She considered giving the Lizardmen 12 hours of rest, so she could also analyze and consider any strategy that could be predicted based on divination.

She had a time limit of 56 hours remaining, so she could afford to do that.

And a mental connection of permission came to her.

She accepted the [Message] and shivered upon hearing her queen's voice.

(Superbia.)

"My queen!" She rose from her throne and knelt, even if her queen was not physically present. In response, her present subordinates did the same, ceasing their activities and kneeling before the non-present figure of the Queen of Titania.

(I want you to finish your affairs as quickly as possible. Use the level 30 units if you haven't already. Return to Titania afterwards, Magister will handle diplomacy with the conquered villages, and the Temple Maidens will go to revive some individuals that you will highlight as important or 'strong'.) The absolute order of her queen reached her mind.

"As you command, my queen!" She shouted with determination, and the message cut off...

She remained kneeling for a moment longer, just in case... And then quickly rose, shouting to her subordinates.

"Deploy the level 30 units and attack the remaining races. Don't destroy them, just defeat them." She ordered. There was no time to play strategist anymore.

If her queen ordered it, she would even fight hand to hand with a level 100 warrior, even though she was practically little more resilient and stronger than a mage.

She would even strip off her clothes and dance like a fool in the mud.

Anything for the Supremes.

And to her surprise, she couldn't even identify the usually indifferent tone of her lady.

…

Not only had Dont lied to her by withholding that information, but she also lied about what she was doing in Titania... 

She wouldn't have been so bothered if she had done such things elsewhere, but Titania... She didn't have many ways to express her anger, and she didn't want to destroy her surroundings being just 50 kilometers from Titania.

But she wasn't only angry with Dont; she also managed to make her upset with the NPCs... How could they even hide something from her? It's as if that woman had corrupted them as well. 

She was going to have to start doubting Dont... She couldn't help but be angry with her.

She lied about what she was doing with her beloved home while she was gathering information to protect it... She didn't plan to strip her of her reign, but... If she continued with that behavior, she would have to do something about it.

Not only was it her, she was using the NPCs themselves to keep her things hidden from her, even those she created herself like Achernar... Which made her even more furious...

She looked up, realizing it was already dusk. How long had she been walking in circles? Or perhaps... Had it been enough time to reflect on what to do with Dont?

"Lady Black Abyss." She heard a voice behind her.

"Speak." She said almost listlessly.

"Queen Dont-Say-My-Name ordered me to provide you with a report of all the projects and operations that have been ongoing and will begin in Titania and its vicinity."

"Hmp." She doubted they were all in great detail, but something was better than nothing.

She looked back, seeing the Hanzo kneeling, with a... Rather large folder in his hands.

She took it and began to look through it. "You may leave, I will be here until I finish reading."

"Yes." The Hanzo nodded, and disappeared into the shadows.

Black Abyss sighed as she looked at the things, and although there were many, she still doubted they were all, but at least she had a report at least.

... Endless meat project, possible recipes with such meat... Skinning of human skin for parchment creation... Operation to steal buried corpses in Carne for summoning experimentation... Experiment of Dont's pain tolerance and its relation to damage... And those were just the ones on the first 6 pages...

After finishing reading, it was already past midnight. She sighed, took out her Halberd, grabbed it by the handle, and struck with all her might. The clouds parted, and a giant crater was created where she stood, causing a great earthquake.

"You fucking..." She almost finished the sentence seeing that her spear impaled something after creating the crater several tens of meters deep. "Uh... Gold... Is this supposed to make me happy?" She growled.

Basically, she had created an open-pit gold mine... And a giant ore was underneath her, but even something like that couldn't calm her anger a bit.

"Well, I suppose at least something like this will benefit Titania in general." She looked up and dropped onto the edge of one of the ores, she had quite a few concerns already, and it seemed that she couldn't really trust who she thought was her only friend... Ha... At least she would try to sleep, she needed to clear her mind a bit. If she could sleep...

…

Dont sighed in the late hours of the night, reading the reports while Superbia knelt in front of her.

"So... 5 will be revived among the Lizardmen forces." Dont checked the box to mark it as approved. "Well done, Superbia." She praised the Insectoid.

"Your praises are wasted on me, my queen."

Dont didn't argue, but remained silent.

"... How is the construction of the main fake base going?"

"It will be complete and fully functional within 2 days." Superbia responded proudly.

"Well... The area around the Great Lake will probably be managed by Bulldoger. It will be a good way to test his ability to govern an area, and it would be good if he could recruit stronger individuals... It's disappointing that Semi-Humans are weaker on average than humans... Even their heroes were only around level 20-30..." She sighed. She would have Bachelory write a detailed report of this to... Black Abyss...

Personally, she made sure that Bachelory included lavish detail in every project and operation. She just didn't mention the nonsense, like when she wondered what would happen if she cut her hair or nails... She ended up breaking level 40 pliers and scissors, and anyway, it counted as 'damage', so if it regenerated after a few seconds.

"Well... I want you to focus on managing Titania's army forces as usual... Again, well done." She praised once more.

"Of course, my queen." Superbia accepted the order with total joy, seeing no need to reply about the praise.

With a bow, she bid farewell and left the office, leaving Dont alone again... Of course, with the 'bodyguard' units and the servant assigned to her today.

She looked at the map she had of the New World thanks to some traders, and imagined the imaginary lines of Titania's borders.

She sighed again and rubbed her forehead. She suppressed the overwhelming urge to cry and just picked up another document, reading it.

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Name: Superbia

Creators: Camello-Soberbio, Exile-Hell, Dont-Say-My-Name

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Name: Saku

Creators: State-Your-Business, Dont-Say-My-Name, Black Abyss•White Flower

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