"Reparations…"
Frey took a deep breath, tightening the royal cloak around her.
Indeed, the cloak was quite substantial.
"As your familliar, I have no ability to resist you."
Frey acknowledged her defeat. "Instead of talking about reparations, wouldn't it be simpler to just occupy the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia?"
With the Sky Queen herself subdued by Damien, conquering the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia would be trivial.
The easiest method would be to send Frey back.
That way, the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia would become Damien's remotely controlled territory.
"No."
Damien said, "For now, I can't afford to make enemies of other Demon Lords, nor do I want to draw the attention of the Western Nations or the Empire."
Of course, Damien had the confidence to face any threat.
Why had he let Artoria unleash the Sword of Promised Victory?
The battle with Frey couldn't be hidden.
Rather than passively facing scrutiny, he chose to stand boldly in the open.
The golden tree forged by the Sword of Promised Victory rivaled an Ultimate Skill in power.
Through it, Damien signaled to all who coveted his power that he wielded a force that would make any faction think twice.
Anyone who dared scheme would face the judgment of the Sword of Promised Victory!
"If I took control of the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia, combining its territory with the Jura Forest…"
"That would be too conspicuous."
So, Damien had no intention of taking the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia now... or likely ever.
Rather than managing such a vast nation, he preferred Frey to continue ruling as its queen.
After all, a queen was very much to Damien's taste.
"My people are the majins I've personally named."
"The demi-humans and humans of the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia are none of my concern, and I have no interest in managing them."
To put it bluntly, what right did those demi-humans and humans have to receive Damien's blessings?
Why should he bother with the needs of millions?
Was he idle?
Rather than being an emperor who micromanages everything, Damien preferred his current lifestyle.
"You're… willing to let me go?"
"Not let you go... dispatch you."
Damien said, "From the moment you became my familliar, we were bound together."
"Tch!"
Frey snapped, "You forced this on me, yet you speak so grandly. You're despicable!"
"That's the price of opposing me!"
Damien retorted, "Don't tell me you don't accept it."
"…"
The defeated must pay a price.
In the majin world, the weak are prey to the strong.
To avoid death, a cost must be paid.
Fortunately, Damien's terms were acceptable to Frey. "I'll play the role of puppet queen well."
"It's not quite like that."
"Your status as my familliar is private; I won't tell anyone outside my familliars."
"Also…"
Damien smiled. "You've felt it, haven't you? That new power?"
"How did you do it?"
Frey knew what he meant.
Her magicules, stable at 990,000.
The Unique Skill [Hunter].
And the baffling skill, Magicule Solidification.
Honestly, Frey found Damien increasingly enigmatic.
His origins.
Where he found powerful familliars like Artoria and the Snow Empress.
It all intrigued Frey, drawing her to uncover the truth.
"As my familliar, I can't play favorites."
Damien raised a finger, lightly tapping Frey's forehead.
"This!"
Frey's pupils constricted, stunned by the knowledge flooding her mind.
"Incredible!"
Frey finally understood the source of Damien's power.
Her resistance to submitting to him vanished.
'Other worlds, traversing different universes, acquiring power systems from other realities, and optimizing them in the cardinal world…'
Following such a figure, Frey realized, wasn't a disaster but a stroke of fortune.
"So far, I've explored four universes."
"But this is just the beginning."
"Follow me, and you'll see a broader world!"
Damien unveiled his grand vision, showing the Sky Queen the potential of her new master.
"I understand."
Frey lowered her head, her tone earnest. "From now on, I'll be your strength. I only ask that you treat me and my fellow Harpies kindly."
"Not including demi-humans and humans?"
"I have my own biases."
Frey said, "If I can't even protect my own kind, what right do I have to ask for more?"
"Tch, as expected of you."
"Anyway, welcome aboard, Queen Frey."
Damien extended a hand, helping Frey to her feet. "Soon, you'll see how right it was to follow me."
In truth, Frey already felt it.
With her first taste of benefits, she was confident in becoming a True Demon Lord.
The only question was when Damien would awaken as one.
They didn't discuss reparations further.
With Frey's submission, the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia became Damien's indirectly controlled asset.
Since it was his, there was no need to exploit it excessively.
"By the way, you should be ready for the Harvest Festival, right?"
Frey offered her suggestion. "What about the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion? Its population should meet your needs!"
"You really…"
Damien didn't know how to react to Frey's quick adaptation. "You've adjusted fast."
"What else can I do?"
Frey was pragmatic.
Especially after confirming Damien wouldn't force her into anything degrading, like serving him intimately or enduring further humiliation.
With that clear, Frey regained her queenly composure.
As for the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion…
Frey's original goal was to ally with Damien.
Now, it had shifted from partnership to working for him.
'What a pity.'
Frey thought, 'If I'd met him sooner, I might not have ended up like this.'
Had she known Damien's potential earlier, she'd have sought him out immediately to join forces.
Regrettably, she realized it too late.
Their earlier conflicts put her a step below his other familliars.
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)