After the meeting, everyone began to return to their respective territories, with the promise to meet again in the following days to further finalize the agreements. Sergio would act as mediator in that case, ensuring fair treatment for all present.

  Scylla exited the room with her faction. She had a serious look on her face and was lost in thought.

  I have to return the mace Lady Almodea gave me, not to mention that I still have to repay her for saving me twice...

  Almodea hadn't been able to save the King, but she couldn't blame her for that. The demoness done her best and it would be wrong to blame her, especially since it was the ogre's job to prevent Gherdmiude from becoming a Doom Orc in the first place. As she pondered, Scylla saw the girl in question talking to Shion outside the cave.

  Who knows what kind of relationship those two have, they seem very close.

  Scylla felt a slight jealousy toward the Oni. She had lost to her when they clashed in the mountain and had no idea how Shion had gained so much strength. She must surely do as the other woman did if she wanted to regain her lost honor as the King's bodyguard. Scylla shook her head and apologized to Gherd, telling him to go on without her.

  "Lady Almodea!"

  "Huh? Oh, hello Scylla!"

  The girl's friendly greeting made her heart skip a beat. That was a far cry from the powerful demoness who had used the Doom Orc as a punching bag. She had to admit, it was quite a shock to see such a beautiful woman speaking to her with such warmth.

  "May I speak to you for a moment, my new mistress?"

  "Sure! What is it?"

  Scylla raised her head and looked Almodea in the eye, then took a deep breath and began to speak.

  "I would like to place myself at your complete service. I have already spoken to Gherd and have been granted permission to serve you indefinitely. It is the only way I can repay you for everything you have done! Besides, you have saved my life twice."

  The demoness looked at Shion, as if asking permission to answer the question, and the Oni woman granted it.

  "Okay, I might need an extra secretary! Do you like sleepovers?"

  "Sleep...what?"

  "Phew! There'll be a lot of work to do with you too, my dear Scylla!"

  Almodea smiled and held out her hand, helping her stand up.

  "Welcome to the city of Almy, Scylla!"

  The ogre smiled back, showing her fangs.

  "Thank you, Lady Almodea! I won't disappoint you!"

  “You will need a weapon far stronger than the sword I gave you.”

  The demoness muttered, flapping her wings three times.

  “There's supposed to be a magic mace in my father's memorabilia room...Oh, yes! I already have an idea!”

  Overcome with euphoria, Almodea grabbed Scylla's arm and led her away, followed closely by Shion. They looked like two girls carrying a shy friend who never left the house and take her to do shopping.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Hirashi opened the sliding door of the recently completed dojo. Her expression was as dull and stoic as ever. She took a step inside the structure and looked up at the ceiling. The pale woman muttered something under her breath and strode calmly into the dark room.

  "I should find a symbol to put up there."

  "Yaaah!"

  Hattori appeared from the shadows and attempted to strike the woman with his sword, but she blocked it with two fingers of her right hand, without even looking at him. The pale giantess did it so casually that it seemed as if she hadn't even realized she was being attacked in the first place.

  "You've improved, Hattori."

  Hirashi declared, lowering her hand.

  "Never once have I managed to fool you eh, teacher? Eh eh!"

  "Yeah...anyway, I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

  The old Oni sheathed his katana and nodded quickly, assuming a more respectful stance. Hirashi's tone had become more serious than usual, as if she had something important to say.

  "I'm all ears, Lady Hirashi!"

  "I've been informed that in less than a month from now I'll be leaving the city of Almy for a few weeks. In the meantime, I'll be handing over the dojo and training the troops to you, if that's okay with you."

  "I have no objection, but could I know why you need to leave? You are Almy’s strongest warrior, after all."

  "Too long to explain, but these are directives from the Absolute."

  "I understand. Don't worry, sensei! I will continue training the recruits for you, even though I'm nowhere near your level..."

  "Thank you. I'm glad you're so willing to help me. I'll have a proper directive for each recruit by the end of the month. You won't be left to fend for yourself."

  With her usual stoicism, the woman moved to an adjacent room and began packing some things into a duffel bag. Hattori followed close behind, observing her with incredible respect. He admired how Hirashi took the time to prepare a specialized plan for each recruit who requested it. Shion had been the first, and her strength had increased exorbitantly in the space of thirty days.

  "May I know where you're headed? If I may ask."

  "The Empire of Nexia, at the capital."

  "The Nexia Empire, eh? I wonder how it will take the birth of the Almodea Jade. After all, the forest lies within the Empire borders."

  "I don't know, but no matter how rotten that state is, I can't imagine it being stupid enough to attack us. Even before the evolution of the demi-humans, Nexia was incapable of purging this place of magical beasts, so imagine if it could do it now that the entire area is under Almodea's rule."

  "Yes, it's like you say."

  The woman closed her bag and started to leave, but met Yor at the door. The Esoterica had removed her helmet and was staring at her with a serious, determined look.

  "Lady Hirashi! Allow me to accompany you to the capital!"

  "No.…"

  "B-But why?! Please!"

  Yor threw herself at Hirashi's feet in tears, like a child who didn't want to let her parent go to work.

  "Yor, this is embarrassing."

  "Lady Hirashi! Please! I live only to serve you!!!!!"

  "Okay, you can come with me, but less fanaticism...okay?"

  Hirashi muttered calmly, despite her exasperation.

  "Yes! As you wish, Lady Hirashi!"

  "What did I just say about that...You know what? Forget it."

  With that, the woman left the dojo, followed closely by Yor. Hattori began to laugh out loud as he watched the two leave. He had become accustomed to the winged woman's fanaticism and found it extremely amusing.

  “That Yor is also extremely powerful. Submitting to Lady Hirashi and her faction was the right choice. I'm sure Young Sir Shen agrees with me. ”

  The old Oni smiled with satisfaction and turned, looking at the floor.

  “There's some dust. It's normal, since no one's been here for a few days. Now...where did I put the broom?”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Gabiru knelt before his father, who sat on the throne of the lizardmen's royal palace with a stern expression on his face. Behind the king stood his daughter Tokka and the heroes Druso and Tiberio, while behind the prince stood two common soldiers. Unfortunately, these soldiers were not there to escort him, but to prevent him from escaping. Gabiru was currently on trial for starting a war and leading to the deaths of nearly a third of the population.

  I deserve it. Almodeus resurrected only the Six Heroes, not the remaining soldiers who fell in battle. Everyone has turned their backs on me, young and elders alike...

  In the throne room, along with them, were various representatives of the three social classes. The young men looked at him with regret; the veterans, on the other hand, had a look similar to Lizard Magnus's, almost as if to say, "We told you going to war was a bad idea"; Finally, the elders who had supported the prince had now turned their backs on him.

  Traitors! However, I can't deny that they're doing all this to save their own skin.

  Gabiru couldn't feel angry at what was happening to him. His father had to condemn him to set an example for the people, especially in a situation like the one they now found themselves in. After a discussion with Sergio, Almodeus's spokesman, the lizardmen had been allowed to continue living in the swamp and command of the Six Great Heroes would be restored to them.

  However, in exchange, they would have to act as unconditional allies of the city of Almy and would lose all autonomy within their borders. Each village would have to accept a representative of Almodeus's faction, who would act as the new tribal chief. The king would still remain the head of the kingdom, but they were essentially now a vassal state. There were, of course, advantages to this, such as the protection of the city of Almy and support in the event of conflict with enemy powers.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The situation ended for the best and we had to pay a lower price than I expected, but my sins still have to be atoned for.

  He had long understood how futile and unreasonable his pursuit of the throne and support had been. Gabiru had put his subjects and his father's best friend to death; how could he succeed to the throne with such a record? He truly hoped he would be granted a second chance, but it was a vain thought. He would be executed right now, or he would live out his final days in a cell, awaiting execution.

  It's the end for me...

  He could feel the grip on the spears of the soldiers behind him tightening, as if they too were anxious. There were several soldiers who supported the prince even after what he had done. After all, Gabiru had sacrificed himself for them by facing Kuro. Some had even begged the King not to condemn him, but it was all in vain.

  Gabiru's mind flashed back to his fight against Kuro and the exact moment Yor had killed the troll general, effectively saving him and all the soldiers. He couldn't deny that she was the most beautiful and strong woman he'd ever seen, and somewhat regretted never having been able to thank her more directly.

  She has a fiery and irreverent personality, but I'm sure she's sweet when handled the right way. It's a shame I've never been able to find a girlfriend; dying a virgin isn't something a man should have to endure, but I deserve it.

  A woman was a foolish thought to entertain at that moment. Gabiru admitted he'd never been good with women, and now he regretted never having had one when he could. However, he also considered it a blessing, since it meant she wouldn't have to witness his impending execution.

  “Gabiru, raise your head!”

  His father ordered him, banging his fist on the throne. He obeyed immediately.

  “My son, you are accused here by all the people of having led the kingdom down the wrong path, leading to the death of many subjects because of a war you started!”

  Normally, such charges would require a trial with witnesses and defense counsel, but in that specific case, everything had already been decided by the King. The sovereign was often too busy to act as judge and jury in every single case but, for that particular trial, he had taken the trouble to do everything himself for obvious reasons.

  “How do you declare yourself?”

  “Guilty, Father.”

  Gabiru's response was immediate and direct. He didn't want to make excuses or justifications—it was his fault that members of their people had died, and he deserved to suffer the same fate if that was what his father thought best.

  If I weren't executed and instead faced with simple imprisonment, there's a chance the elders would start an uprising. I must accept my punishment with dignity and be content with the life I've lived.

  A hoarse voice interrupted his thoughts, forcing him to look up.

  “Do you have anything to say before I confirm the sentence?”

  “Yes, am I allowed to speak?”

  Lizard motioned for Gabiru to hurry up and he nodded.

  "I just want to apologize to everyone, but especially to the families of those I sentenced to death. I'd also want to apologize to you, Father, and to my sister, Tokka. I admit I haven't been a model son or brother, but I want you to know that I'm proud to be your relative."

  "Brother..."

  Tokka had spoken for the first time during that hearing, but she fell silent immediately afterward. She wasn't allowed to speak, and her father was already warning her with his eyes. Hearing her sister's voice, Gabiru's face lit up with a slight smile, then turned to the two heroes, especially Tiberio.

  "Finally, I ask forgiveness to the Six Heroes, who died in battle because of me and are here today thanks to what I can only describe as a divine miracle. I apologize again for leading you to the slaughter. I hope you can find the strength to forgive me."

  The two brothers didn't respond or change their expressions. That cold reaction made Gabiru's faint smile disappear, and he returned with his head bowed, ready to be beheaded by the guards behind him.

  “Do you have anything else to add?”

  “No, Father...”

  “Tiberio, go!”

  Much to Gabiru's surprise, his father seemed to have ordered his trusted friend Tiberio to carry out the sentence. He could well understand why; if a hero had killed the prince, the sentence would have been much more effective in preventing any revolts.

  It's only right that he kills me. After all, I sent him to his death. Do it quickly, Tiberio...

  He lowered his head and exposed his neck. Gabiru was still dressed in light armor and the red cloak that symbolized his rank as prince. Severing his head would be a classic, but also the most efficient way to kill him without wasting too much time.

  Goodbye father, goodbye sister...I love you with all my heart.

  Tiberio stopped a few steps away from him, raised the large sword he was holding in his hand and swung it downwards.

  “Huh?”

  What Gabiru heard next was the sound of silk being torn. Tiberio had cut away his cloak and was now tearing away the pieces that remained attached to the armor bodice. He couldn't understand...why hadn't he killed him? It was then that the cold voice of Lizard Magnus answered his unasked question.

  “Here is my sentence, my son. I sentence you to forced exile in the city of Almy! You will lose your title of prince and be disowned! You will be sent to that city as a support force. From this day forward, you will serve Lady Almodea Fearterror!”

  “W-What?! B-But, your majesty!”

  One of the elders immediately objected. Gabiru's crimes should be punished by death, not banishment. Everyone present—except the two heroes, who probably already knew about that—was stunned by this news.

  “What’s the matter? You don’t agree with me?”

  “Of course I don't agree!”

  The elder responded in kind, standing up from his seat.

  “My King, with all due respect, but you cannot change the laws just because the defendant is your son.”

  “That's not what I did.”

  Lizard Magnus' cold response immediately silenced the other lizardman, who waited for an explanation.

  "This decision has been made and approved by Sir Sergio, Lord Almodeus's spokesman. If you have any concerns, please speak to our new master."

  A deathly silence fell in the throne room; no one dared to even breathe too loudly. Gabiru could only watch in disbelief. Why would Almodeus allow such a thing? What would a powerful being like him gain from having a fool of Gabiru's caliber serving his daughter? He doubted he intended to marry her off or anything similar.

  Could it be that... My father did all this for me?

  It was a possibility. Rather than execute his son, Lizard Magnus could ask Sergio to make Gabiru's exile look like Almodeus's request, thus quelling any revolts. All he had to do was speak the demon's name, and everyone would instantly forget their discontent as if by magic.

  You saved me. Thank you, Father. I'll try to find a way to repay you someday.

  The idea of serving Almodea in the city of Almy didn't excite him, but he wasn't going to back down. He would do anything to regain his father's respect, and if that meant faithfully serving a demoness, he would do it!

  “Are there any other objections to my sentence?”

  No one answered and Lizard Magnus continued, shifting his gaze towards his son.

  “Get out of here immediately! Go back to your room and pack your things! I want you ready to leave by tomorrow! Am I clear?!”

  “Y-Yes, Father!”

  Forgive me, my son. It was for the best... Lizard thought, watching his boy being led away as if he were the worst of criminals.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Gabiru had now finished sorting out his things, not that he had many. Hours had passed since the trial, yet he still found it hard to believe he was alive. One could be executed for much less among their race, yet he had survived despite the gravity of his crimes. He didn't know whether to be happy or to feel guilty.

  Better not think about it. I have to go to sleep now so I can wake up early tomorrow morning.

  The next day, an emissary from the city of Almy would come to pick him up and escort him to his new home. Gabiru sat on the bed and checked his luggage again; he had only a pair of clothes inside, nothing else. That was when someone knocked on his door.

  Hmm? Who could it be at this hour? It's almost the middle of the night...

  He stood up and went to open the door, surprised to see his sister standing before him. She was staring at him with a hard and cold gaze, almost as if she wanted to scold him. Gabiru couldn't help but swallow at the sight; he took a few steps back before gesturing for the girl to come in.

  “T-Tokka? What did you come here to do?”

  “Hi, brother. I came to say goodbye. You're leaving tomorrow, right?”

  “Y-Yes. Thank you, my dear sister.”

  “There's no need to thank me. You should thank our father. I was there, you know? When he asked the Sir Sergio to help him stage this charade to save your life. He even got down on his knees...”

  “It’s not something I’m proud to hear about, sister.”

  “I know, but I want to make sure you don't make a bad impression once you get to Almy City. Avoid bothering Lady Almodea; Sir Sergio told us she doesn't like having boys around, so don't take too many liberties. She's your superior, do you understand?”

  “I know! Do you think I’m a kid?!”

  "Affirmative..."

  After that cold response, the two laughed for a few minutes. It was a rare moment of happiness that Gabiru had been missing for the past few weeks.

  “You know, I'll come to Almy's town too.”

  The girl declared, crossing her arms.

  "What?"

  "Unlike you, I haven't been exiled. My team of royal guard and I will be part of a sort of cultural exchange. We'll go there to receive training, in exchange for serving them in the future if requested."

  “Huh?! So you don’t follow me because you miss me?”

  “No, brother.”

  Tokka's curt reply made the young ex-prince skip a beat, and he snorted in annoyance and hurt.

  “You've always been irreverent!”

  “Are you the one who speaks? Anyway, good night, brother.”

  "Night..."

  Tokka started to leave the room, but stopped at the door. She put a hand on the handle and turned to her brother, smiling slightly.

  “Our father left something under your bed. He had it placed during the trial to hide it from the elders.”

  With that, the girl left – closing the door behind her.

  Under the bed?

  Gabiru knelt and approached the bed. He hadn't checked under his mattress; he'd never been one to hide things there. He pulled back the covers and nearly dropped his jaw. The Tyrant's Trident lay on the floor, hidden in a large cloth.

  Did he want to give it to me? I can't believe it!

  He grabbed the weapon and held it close. Tears began to stream down his cheeks as he tried in vain to contain them. His father had done all this for him despite his behavior; he had even gone so far as to give him the weapon that had been passed down through generations, even though he had been disowned and stripped of his title.

  “Thank you, Father. Thank you!”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Gabiru anxiously awaited the arrival of the representative from the city of Almy who would escort him to his destination. He held the enchanted trident tightly in his right hand, while his meager baggage was in his left.

  God, what anxiety!

  He had never felt so worried. Gabiru had to do his best to bring glory to the lizardmen and to his father, who had done so much for him. That morning, Tokka had given him some instructions on how to behave in Almodea's presence. He was to always be respectful and never try to show off to her. His sister had seen the demoness's strength firsthand, and angering her would be a monstrous mistake.

  “I've seen how powerful she is, too. Not to mention the strength of Lady Hirashi and the beautiful Lady Yor. I wonder if I can learn something from them...”

  He muttered to himself, scratching his chin. Honestly, he was happy for the opportunity—even though he felt so sad about having to leave home.

  Maybe, if I work well, Lady Almodea might put in a good word with my father and let me see him again.

  Part of the exile was never being able to return to lizardman territory. Of course, if the reason for the return had been an order from Almodea, Lizard Magnus couldn't have said anything about it. It was so strange how the powers at play in the forest had changed in such a short time. After all, everything had been resolved in a month.

  If I could go back and tell my past self not to screw up, I would do so...But I admit that this twist isn't bad either.

  He couldn't say he was in deep shit. Gabiru was facing a new beginning, and he had to face it head on! He would work hard, make Lady Almodea happy and repay his father for everything he'd done for him. It was only thanks to the King that his head was still attached to his neck.

  “Oh, here it comes!”

  He saw a wagon pulled by an orc in the distance. When it stopped, he was astonished to find Gherd driving. Gabiru immediately approached, confused: what the hell was the Prince, now King, of the Orcs doing there?

  “G-Gherd? Is that really you? I-I meant, King Gherd! What are you doing here, Your Majesty?”

  “Just call me Gherd.”

  The other answered him in a calm and peaceful tone.

  “Please, come up, Gabiru. I have orders to escort you to the city of Almy. May I just call you Gabiru, or would you prefer if I use the honorific?”

  “Only Gabiru is fine, thanks so much for the ride.”

  He immediately climbed into the back of the wagon and set down his luggage before sitting down. After a few minutes of silence, the two of them set off again and began to reverse, heading back toward the town of Almy, which lay south of the Lizardmen Swamp. It would be a long journey, but fortunately the wagon seemed to be equipped with special wheels that navigated those rotten roads without a problem.

  “So…you live at Almy’s now, too?”

  He asked Gherd, just to make conversation. Compared to the last time he'd seen the orc; he found him much better. He seemed relaxed, serene and even happier.

  “Yes!"

  The other replied, almost with a proud tone.

  “I'm in charge of construction. I manage the orcs, trolls and undead entrusted to us. We just finished building an aqueduct, you know?”

  “What would an aqueduct be?”

  "It should be something for water. Unfortunately, I'm no expert, but Lady Almodea gave us the plans to build it. I'm happy you're coming to work with us, too. I don't know what you'll be doing specifically, but if you want to help with the construction, there's always room with me."

  “Thank you, Gherd. I don't think I'm as good at manual labor as you orcs, but I'm sure I'll find something to do to make Lady Almodea proud!”

  Gabiru's confident statement made the ogre laugh, who raised the thumb of his right hand in support.

  “Good luck, then!”

  “Thank you... listen, could I ask you what Lady Almodea is like as a boss? Is she strict?”

  "No. Honestly, she seems very calm and carefree. She spends all her time with Shion and Scylla at her house or in her office. Just be careful not to make her angry. As soon as you arrive in the city, you'll be told everything you shouldn't do in Lady Almodea's presence."

  “Got it, got it…”

  Gabiru began to gaze at the sky. It was so early that the sun had barely risen. He still felt sad about being kicked out of his house, but he couldn't help but feel excited about the new life he was about to begin.

  Father, sister...I promise not to disappoint you!