Meet the Chairmen.

"Please, take a seat wherever you wish," Barkis continues.

You do. At your right sits the queen, still robed, and past her is Eva. Amara is on your left, and then Niki adjacent to her. You're able to remain together, which does feel empowering despite you being entirely in their domain. These are mighty mages, perhaps some of the most powerful in the world, so you need all you can get to feel in control of the situation.

"I understand you've met some of us in the past, which I admit is rather impressive," he says. "That you've interacted in a positive manner with three of the Chairmen previously. That went a long way in bringing us here, in the unorthodox situation of a meeting with a Demon King. Though it's also unlikely for one to wish for such a meeting to begin with. But allow me to introduce to you those you've yet to meet. Apart from Lady Sulta, Lord Beela, and myself, Lord Barkis, there's of course Lady Cane."

Candy waves high above her head like a kid trying to get a teacher's attention. "Hiya! That's right. Candy's my name, and I've been your beautiful guide to the Underhorn."

"Indeed. Over that way is Lord Bulrak." He gestures towards the dwarf.

"Greetings," he says with another nod. His voice is deep and gruff. In fact, it's difficult to hear him at first. "I've met with a Demon King only once in my day, and the strange truth is that now that the number's increased to two, I find it interesting that neither time was a negative experience. So far."

"What sort of mage are you?" asks Eva. She seems rather enthralled by this meeting of magical minds.

"A geomancer, young lass."

Candy smacks the table and laughs heavily. "Bulrak says young because he's so damn old! He'd have hair just like Barkis if he didn't dye--"

"You're too damn loud," the dwarf growls back. "Like always."

After slipping another grape slowly past her lips and chewing it down, she takes a deep breath inward, and it pulls the attention of the others. "Shall I introduce myself then?" she asks. Funnily enough, her voice is similar to that of the illusion cast upstairs.

"Ah. Apologies, Lady Okawa," Barkis says, actually appearing a little flustered. "I wasn't ignoring you, of course."

Despite both of you sitting down, by the way she stares, it still feels like she's looking down her nose at you. Her tongue subtly extends from between her lips just enough to lick some grape juice from her finger, and then finally, she brings her foot down to the ground. Her toes easily find the extra sandal and she slides it on below the chair as she speaks. "I am Lady Okawa, expert mage and mistress to all my little pets. Though I must say, now that I'm able to see you up close, you don't look anything like a Demon King."

"Pets--" Eva mutters.

Barkis clears his throat. "Lady Okawa is a very talented conjuror. Which of course is an elite class, which specializes not only in the creation of objects, but the summoning of creatures. And if you somehow couldn't tell, she is a kitsune."

Sulta. Barkis. Beela. Cane. Bulrak. Okawa. That makes six. However, it's unlikely that all of the Chairmen are present.

You cross your fingers over the table in front of you. "Yeah, well I wasn't the one going around calling myself Demon King. If others thought me to be one purely by reputation alone, then well... I've seen some big, scary creatures, and they fell to my sword all the same, so if there's anything I've neared here in Abso, appearances don't mean shit."

Okawa's brow furls. "Your rudeness is certainly that of a Demon King's, however."

"Rudeness?" Niki replies. "Your own member over there, the clown chick, was screwing with us from the get-go! Is that not rude?"

"Lady Cane does not speak for me," says the kitsune.

"Aw c'mon," Candy replies, grinning at Okawa from a few seats away. "You're just a little frustrated today. Do you need some attention?" she asks, wiggling three fingers up in the air.

"If I did, you'd already be doing it."

"Aah, you never change!" She honks her nose.

"As entertaining as this all is, I believe we should get back on track," Lady Sulta speaks up. "Our handsome Demon King here is surely busy with other matters, and if you all decided to show up today, it must mean you're interested in an open conversation as well."

"Indeed," speaks up Eva's father, Rada. "And as you all know, that is my perfect, beautiful daughter with him as well. Not only do I wish to hear what he has to say, but I believe I owe it to him for not only keeping her safe all this time, but he makes her so happy as well."

"I bet he does," Candy whispers to literally nobody beside her.

I have a Twitter now! Why? I dunno! It's a convenient way to contact me, especially because not everyone likes using Patreon for stuff like that. And now you can follow me and get little updates on things if needed. You'll be able to find me no matter what! Patreon can be a little sketchy with NSFW content after all (like pages being taken down). It hasn't happened to me at least. Anyway, here it is:

https://twitter.com/FiftyCubed