"So they actually elect their leaders?" < >
She asked the well-dressed demon who walked a bit ahead of her - said demon turning their head in order to look over their shoulder with a warm smile gracing their face. Seemingly not annoyed at the questions nor ignorance of the demonic human. Emitting a welcoming aura you wouldn't expect from an archdemon.
"Yes but that does not mean there is not a noble class; just what they have in place of nobles works a little differently to what you would imagine. They refer to them as clans and each clan tends to be a particular family of a certain type of beast-kin that are renowned for strength. That strength can differ from being martial, monetary or maybe political."
Wagging a finger about as they guided the girl through the important knowledge about the beast federation they were travelling through.
"So what makes them so different from nobles?" < >
"Even the servants are often relatives to the main family of these clans - this may be due to the nature of beast-kin's inherently making intermingling vastly more unlikely."
"Eh? What do you mean by nature and intermingling?" < >
Tilting her head in confusion at the strange choice of words, leaving the archdemon to give a rather awkward smile, scratching the side of their cheek. Quite clearly struggling to come up with a satisfying answer for that particular question. Getting a snicker from Necro who walked beside Chokin-Bako.
Seeing this caused the already confused girl to only become increasingly bewildered until the divine demon (who was ahead of them all) finally spoke up.
"Beast-kin of different types are less likely to successfully breed - even if they succeed their spawn may carry neither beast's special attribute."
"B-Breed?!" < >
"Sex."
Chokin-Bako held their face in their palm while letting out a long drawn out sigh. Meanwhile their companion just cackled at the bashful little human girl, the demonic hamster having no qualms in enjoying someone else's suffering, even turning to take in the visual. A scene of that girls' faces was painted with a vivid crimson hue.
It wasn't his preferred scene but he certainly preferred it over the sheer boredom he was contending with up until that point. So far the only benefit in this whole adventure was the quality of the food. Otherwise the poor Archdemon of Crooked Rebirth could only find amusement through the suffering of ignorant mortals.
Even then he couldn't do much since the mortal girl was important to her Absoluteness!
Victory was just confused about all the strange reactions they were having; idly letting her head fall to one side as she peered at them. Silently pondering on why they were all behaving weirdly. Not that she particularly cared too much about why they were being strange as long as they did their jobs strange.
That could basically summarise her entire opinion around those working under her. Why would she care about their exact beliefs or what they did in their free time - as long as they listened to her orders then that was all she needed. Of course… There were some things she wouldn't accept.
Plus being helpful to that human girl was beneficial to her in the long run; especially with what she had planned for her…
"We have arrived."
Her words broke the trio out of their own little worlds as they looked into the distance at an impressive stone wall encircling a large city.That wall was not as impressive height wise as the one located around the destroyed fort. Still it was actually proudly displaying various emblems upon tarps draped over the walls in clearly purposeful intivals.
Making for a mix of colour on the otherwise boring grey wall - even clear that different fabrics and various minute design details - showcasing the diversity of the society they were trying to enter. Of course there was no doubt some systematic issues. There are in every society except that of the demon realm where the supreme & unquestionable Victory reigned supreme over all matters.
The nameless girl ended up wandering in front of the others as she took in the sight; this being the first time she has ever really seen another nation with her own eyes.
And to say it looked differently from the "savagery" she had been told about all her life…
Was a huge understatement.
She pondered the thoughts of her ex-father yet she was unable to actually come to terms with why he lied so much about this nation. Why did everyone in her past life as a noble lie about it? If someone with literal royal blood running through her veins did not know the truth about the nation literally next door then was anyone truly well informed about who they had painted as their antithesis?
In the back of her head she couldn't help that nagging voice that said that this may just be savages playing pretty and that she would soon see the truth once she was inside the city. Part of her was disgusted at such a thought since she too knew what it was like to be judged based on preconceived notions with her own "curse". Still she acknowledged that the best way to prove herself wrong…
Was to just enter the city.
As such there was only one thing she had left to say.
"It's beautiful…" < >
To which Necro nodded with a malicious chuckle.
"Good because we'll be here for at least 7 years as we prepare everything we need in order to return to the demon realm to reclaim what rightfully belongs to her Absoluteness."
"Wa-" < >
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
While Victory and her gang was having a fun seven year vacation in some backwards border realm-
"You must listen to us; if you fail to act now the consequences cannot be predicted!"
-another leader of unfathomable power was not.
The Infinite Mother, the Nameless True God, was sitting atop her jade throne with her attention barely on the latest gaggle of gods giving her their opinion. Her focus was previously on the rubix cube she had between her fingers. Though in a matter of seconds it simply ceased to exist as she slovenly turned her head to look towards her latest interruption.
Beside her were her usual aides as there were very few people she ever let stand beside her throne. The first being a girl with platinum hair - gifted the bloodline of the infinite mother to become her adopted daughter - hair like the moonlight that the divine wyvern controlled. Then there was the second.
The archangel of life whose body was made up of golden nectar with the surface being made up of what looked like shattered glass or crystal.
Even their wings were made from that same shattered material which made them glimmer in the light.
Making for a beautiful but eerie figure when paired with the divine blood they were made from.
"If you do not act now, at the height of your popularity, then the mortals will forget your grace thus turn their back on you."
That archangel momentarily looked toward the god who had spoken as if considering whether or not to remove their petulant head from their shivering shoulders. It was the whole reason they had transformed into their 6 winged self rather than their more "humanoid" form. An overwhelming intent to utilize their power to subdue such a disease from the presence of their god.
Fortunately Mother's lazy hand raising was enough to cause that angel to reign in their desire for curing the madness of that divine. Though it did get a snort from some of them who had seen the entire process and believed that it was merely the Mother not wishing to lose her servant. Truly believing that a bygone creature like that archangel of life could offer no actual danger to them or their worlds.
"Why do you believe I should care?"
Suddenly all those gods found themselves looking amongst each other for an answer to a question they had never even thought to think about.
None of them believed that their requests would be denied, after all.
"Well all of them are waiting for you."
She simply graced them with that same soft patient smile she had grown to become well known throughout the realms for.
As such they continued to push in hopes to have her see their point.
"It is your duty, what is expected of you and what the previous mother would have done."
That smile of hers straightened out just a tad, such a small change few would have realised, but one that those beside her obviously realised. Both angel & moonlight goddess turned towards their leader with obvious worry on their faces. Still she showed no anger at what may have been considered petulant.
"Faith has no influence over a primordial titan like myself or… Gaia. Yet it may indeed be true that she would use this lul is adversaries to help push mortals into a more dominant position. However I feel that we have involved ourselves enough; it is time that we let them grow on their own merits."
Obviously this was not the answer that those divine wanted as they began to bicker amongst themselves as if she wouldn't be able to hear every word they said.
"This doesn't seem appropriate."
"Does this not seem similar to the mistakes the Mother of Nature made?"
"I suppose she is limited in what she can do."
More and more comments went off, holding countless opinions on what was propper and what they expected of her, yet she simply held that same calming smile. Not acting out thus preventing her own loyal attendants from doing the same. How could they possibly get upset if she wasn't?
If this was a standard meeting about how to treat some other faction she would have no issues crushing them yet this was about the mortals.
A task she found herself ever second guessing herself on time and time again.
Afterall… How could someone like her understand the feelings of something like a mortal when she couldn't even understand the feelings of her own mother?
She pondered childishly as she wished for nothing more except a break from the monotony and the endless series of duties that she felt foreign to even after all this time. Like trying to fit the little triangle through the circle hole. Sure enough she goes through fine but it's growing harder to ignore the gaps.
Shaking her head with a faint chuckle that caused those gods to suddenly straighten up in fear as they realised they were questioning the choices of the True God.
Every one of them shivered in their boots as she couldn't help soften her smile a little.
Her pondering was cut off as the gigantic doors suddenly flew open as a humanoid water dragon rushed into the room where he strangely didn't bow. Nor did he even glance at anyone except for their princess who they were eternally loyal to. Making the lack of respect all the stranger…
At least until he screamed.
"The bastard has escaped!"