Take care of more business.

Work is coming along smoothly. The dwarves begin work on places for the newcomers to stay, and they've already finished the basics of your main party's bedchambers. The hole in the ceiling is almost fixed, as are the columns in the throne room. Now you spend your day pondering the political side of things. You don't want to get too complex with it, but you are running more than a business. It's a settlement. You're the ruler of a plot of land where people live, and that's a lot of responsibility that you didn't consider fully until now. It's stressful, but a different sort. You're no longer being hunted by a Demon King, and the work you're doing feels meaningful. It's a home you're building for yourself and your friends--your family.

You've found that the throne a great place to ponder, despite the construction. With the crown on your head, you sit back against the comfortable cushions and stare off into space.

"Master, I couldn't stop them!" Yin cries.

You're shaken from your meditation. Through the open doorway, your maid is chasing two intruders. Your first reaction is to reach for your sword, and then you notice who it is. Though you have no idea their names, it's obvious straight away that they're the bee girls from before--bombus insectrin.

The first girl is the one from the dungeon. On top of sporting a set of antennae pointed straight up from her head, she has a set of translucent wings as well that buzz when she flies. Black and white stripes decorate her sleeveless dress from top to bottom, and the hem at her thighs is fluffy white. The back of the dress is cut incredibly low to allow her wings to escape, and she wears metal gauntlets up to her elbows, and matching boots up to her knees. Her lower back protrudes out into a short wasp's abdomen ending in a stinger, which pulls up the back of her dress. Her hair is shoulder-length and dark blue, and her eyes are violet--wide and bright, though her lids are often lowered and focused.

Behind her is a girl that looks incredibly similar besides a larger chest, though her vibe is completely opposite. She has ginger brown hair, and she smiles wide with an infectious, upbeat energy. Both of them wield a spear, though neither do so in a position to strike. They're not flying either. She follows behind her stoic ally and the they halt before they near the throne.

"So it's true," speaks the blue-haired bee. "The one able to subdue me was also able to slay Lord Sa'dis. Now everything makes sense. We fled after we freed ourselves, as everything had already fallen... We failed."

"And I never got my eggs," says the other dejectedly.

"Please tell me your name."

You look between them. "I'm Kyle Warren. We're rebuilding this place as a refuge for anyone willing to live among each other in peace. They've wrongly exiled me from Tivera, so here I am. This is my home now."

"Then please hear me out." She marches up to the foot of the steps leading to your feet, and clacks the pummel of her weapon against the carpet. She takes a knee, and casts her gaze towards you. "I know I failed my previous lord, but it won't happen again. Employ me as a soldier. Please, Lord Warren. I understand if you don't trust me, but my sister and I have nowhere else to go."

The other stands awkwardly beside her, though when she receives a side-glare from below, she clears her throat and joins her in a kneel. "Yes. What she said. Let me serve as your royal cook. I'll make even tastier food than fried eggs! And I know my way around the kitchen here."

They're so different from one another, but they're sisters. That's funny. It's true that they served Sa'dis before, but she seems so sincere, and we do need people to guard the place. Apparently you can run right in without any opposition, and that's putting the workers in danger too.

"We're going to need to secure better methods of income before we can properly pay people here, but for now, we can make sure you have a safe place to live. If that's fine with you, then keep us safe. The only other thing I can offer is that I'll be less of a tool than Sa'dis was," you respond.

"Hurray!" The cook leaps into the air and throws her arms up high. Her chest bounces, and she smiles wide with rosy cheeks. "I'll go make some lunch to celebrate."

Meanwhile, the other girls stands and pokes her elbow into her side.

"Oh. If I may," she adds.

"Excuse my sister's rudeness," speaks the blue-haired girl. "My name is Taiga, and this is Summer. We're both insectrin, though perhaps you're already aware. I swear on my life that I will do everything I can to keep everyone within these walls safe from harm."

"And I'll make people's bellies happy," Summer says.

"We actually have another insectrin living here," you explain. "She's out right now since she's gathering her things, but she's a talented seamstress. Though she isn't like a wasp. More of a moth. I admit that I don't know all that much about it, but she explained that you originally came from a demon king of the past?"

Taiga nods. "Correct. Demon King Muian resided far south. Through dark magic and terrible experiments, he was able to birth intelligent insectoids. You must understand how strange it feels to discuss such things, however, considering the two of us are exactly that. I know I've recently sworn to serve under you, Lord Warren, but I'd rather not delve into that history."

"In a way, we're all kinda sisters and brothers," Summer says. "Even the bombyx you mentioned. You know, since we all have the same dad."

"It's fine. You don't need to explain. Thanks for joining the team, Taiga and Summer. And yes, you can make lunch if you'd like," you say.

"Then off I go!" Summer shouts and begins to sprint away.

Taiga groans. "Don't run in the halls! It's rude!" she yells as her sister goes.

That's two more already. Yeah, I'll definitely start writing this down.

You watch as they leave. Once again, you peer up at the dwarves working above you. They seem far too focused on their work to care about the strange discussions below. It's admirable. Their work ethic is impressive. After everything is done, you'll be sure to reward them for their efforts. You know who to call for if you need more help.

As you take off your crown and shut your eyes, you hear a voice.

"Put it back on. It looks adorable, like a kid playing castle," it says.

You peer around quickly, and then a set of feet land on the ground directly beside your throne. Once again, you reach for your weapon, but then you see the smirk of Lynx standing with her hands on her hips.

Her stature is short, and she wears a brown hooded robe pulled back into a cloak. You can see her outfit of a black crop top tied with a red ribbon in the center, and over that is a black, short, open coat trimmed with red that reaches her wrists. She wears shorts skimpy enough to be mistaken as bikini bottoms, and black stockings fade gradually to crimson as they reach her thighs. She has dark boots, and a matching thick belt hangs around her hips which holds a variety of pouches, daggers, and more. Both of her hands are covered by a pair of fingerless gloves with a pattern of four stars stitched onto the back. Just like Niki, she's a sunheart, so her skin is dark and her eyes are red, though one of them is covered by a patch. Lastly, her black hair is tied up into pigtails.

"Hey!" You stand up, leaving the crown back down on the seat. "Long time no see, Lynx. Why are you here?"

"I couldn't keep away after hearing about what happened. You really did it. Sa'dis is gone and Daliru is detained. This is as close to freedom as I'll have, and it's thanks to you. Also, we did sort of come to an agreement, didn't we?"

"Refresh my memory. A lot's happened."

"Dragon Ball! Remember? You said if I sided with you, that you'd tell me more tales about these ancient texts. With Daliru no longer around, I just have you, but it seems like you totally understand them, which is crazy! I don't need her anymore. If I find more of her books, will you explain them to me?"

"If I've seen them before," you say. "I'll do my best."

"Then please hire me back. Do you have a spymaster?"

"I don't. Snow is the closest we have, but we haven't really dealt with giving out titles."

"Well, I'll do what you ask as long as you promise me a few things. One, tell me more about those books."

"Manga," you explain. "That's what they're called. Or maybe light novels."

"Exactly! You're so knowledgeable. Two, grant me a place to live."

"That's easy enough."

"Lastly, three. Please don't be as much of a jerk as Sa'dis and Daliru were. I know you're still in possession of that book, and that even if I took it, you've memorized a few of those phrases. If I step out of line, I get it. I'd rather be punished that way instead of whipping or something. But be nice... I just want to live without feeling like I'm going to be stabbed in the back, you know?"

"Of course, Lynx. Like you said though, you better not be the one doing the backstabbing either. I still haven't used a particular phrase. You know the one."

"Don't say it! I know which one. I'll be good, I promise."

"Then welcome to the team. I'm glad to have you."

She smiles and grabs your wrist to shake.