Updated from abroad

The next morning you climb out of the pile of naked women, get yourself cleaned up, and get dressed. As you get ready for the day, one of the castle staff informs you that Queen Sella is requesting communication. You thank them and head to the mirror room.

Upon reaching her, she greets you warmly. “It’s good to talk to you again, Josh. I heard about the battle. Is Sadie going to be ok?”

You nod. “She’ll be fine, though both of us will carry scars from the day.”

You show her your runed forearm, and the fox queen gasps. “You contained the black fire in your arm?”

You nod again. “Yura performed a ritual, and I can control it somewhat now. It was the only way to save Sadie.”

Sella smiles. “Your selflessness does you credit as usual. I’m glad to hear everything is ok, at least. I have news from my scouts and spies. As you know, a new army has been formed. But more surprisingly, it seems there’s been a coup! The kings have been overthrown and replaced with a leader from the human supremacist group. They’ve merged the kingdoms, and they’re calling it Humanitas.”

You chuckle. “Not really subtle, is it. What do we know about the leader?”

Sella shrugs. “Not much beyond that he’s former new world military, and his name is Darius, though they mostly call him the Protector.”

You sigh. “And they’re basically a nation of fanatics now? Just great.”

She nods. “Even worse, I hear rumors that they see you as their key to victory, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you were attacked at some point. Although, they seem mostly unaware of the extent of your powers, so you have the advantage of surprise at least.”

You chuckle. “At first, anyway. I don’t suppose it’s as easy as taking the top guy down and we win, huh. This is a longer game.”

Sella looks thoughtful. “The thing is, generally the population doesn’t care who’s in charge unless it impacts them directly. But a lot of families have been shattered by the hunting of monster girls there. Look in the right places and you will find plenty of disgruntlement among the population. It’s mostly their capital that’s a mess right now.”

“An interesting thought. But it’s still not a situation that I can resolve with a duel. A question, though. Are they still affiliated with the demon lord?”

She shakes her head. “It seems that Halid was his mouthpiece there, after setting them up. They’re independent now.”

You smile. “That is good. One less thing to worry about. Once we crush their army of fanatics, we can **** the capital and solve the problem head on. Thanks for the update, Sella.”

She smiles and waves, then the connection fades. Now, it’s time to get busy with your work.