The meeting hall remained a battleground of lingering scents and heavy intentions, the air still thick with the residue of Malphas’s cold pressure and Cordelia’s intoxicating, floral warmth. Cordelia leaned back, a wicked smirk playing on her lips as she watched Malphas brood.

  "Akira Vespera," she mused, the name rolling off her tongue like a secret. "Oh, I’m sorry, I mean Akira Vespera. Why do I have a feeling that you were the one who gave her that name, Malphas? Vespera... it sounds so poetic, so dramatic. Aww, that is actually so cute, I didn't know you had a romantic bone left in that armored chest of yours. Mmm, it really seems like I have some competition for your attention now."

  Malphas turned his head away, his expression tightening into a look of sheer, icy annoyance. "Oh, shut up, Cordelia. You know as well as anyone that I name everyone who serves in my castle. It is a matter of record and order, nothing more."

  Cordelia snapped her fingers, her eyes dancing with mischievous light. "Even the guards? Do you sit them down for a naming ceremony too, or do they just get numbers?"

  Malphas let out a sharp, frustrated huff. "Well, not everyone. Only those I deem worthy of a title within the hierarchy of the Throne. It keeps the lineage of the household clear."

  "Relax, darling, I am just pulling your tail," Cordelia said, letting out a rich, melodic laugh that seemed to brighten the dark corners of the room. "Anyway, let’s get serious for a moment. What do you say, Malphas? Together we can raise an army powerful enough to defeat the upcoming storm. A real alliance, just like the old days, but better."

  Malphas put his hand over his face, rubbing his forehead as if he could physically push away the complexity of her proposal. "Two Demon Lords living under one castle is a catastrophic idea, Cordelia. The mana friction alone would cause the stone walls to crack within a week. Not to mention the political nightmare it creates with the other territories."

  Cordelia snapped again, her voice rising with a playful but firm edge. "Oh, so just because I am a Demon Lord now, it is suddenly not okay? Malphas, remember we used to be together all the time back when we were just heroes. We breathed the same air, fought in the same mud, and shared the same campfires. Now that I’m a Demon Lord, things change? In fact, it is even better now because both of us have seals placed on our power. What is the difference? It is not as if the primordial beings will just descend from the heavens and do something about it. They won't touch the two of us, especially not if the Despiser is truly returning. I swear, you just use those rules as reasons to avoid me. Besides, wasn't it you who practically begged for help at the meeting table? Well, here I am, offering it, and—"

  "Yeah, yeah, okay, okay!" Malphas interrupted, waving his hand to stop the flow of her words before she could bring up any more embarrassing memories from their youth.

  Cordelia froze, her eyes shining with triumph. "So you agree? You agree to the alliance?"

  Malphas let out a long, defeated sigh that seemed to carry the weight of several centuries. He slowly held out his hand, his fingers steady but his gaze weary. Cordelia didn't hesitate for a single second, happily grabbing his hand and shaking it with enough energy to rattle his shoulder.

  "It’s an alliance, then!" she chirped, her smile brilliant enough to rival the gold in Kaelen’s hair. She let go of his hand and turned toward the exit, her red cape billowing behind her like a crimson wave. "I’ll be back in a bit. I’m just going to head back to my territory to get things ready, pick out the best of the best warriors to bring along, and pack my personal things. See you later, stud."

  With a wink that could have melted stone, she vanished into a swirl of rose petals and mist. Malphas stood alone in the silence, staring at the spot where she had been. "Sometimes I truly cannot stand that woman," he whispered to the empty room. He looked toward the window, watching the purple lightning dance across the black clouds, and for a fleeting moment, a genuine smile touched his lips.

  ─── ??☆?? ───

  A few hours had passed, and the castle was settled into its usual rhythm of shadowed industry. Me and Lyra were out in the training arena, a wide, stone-paved courtyard surrounded by high walls and weapon racks. The three Generals were nowhere to be seen today because Malphas had sent them north to handle a particularly nasty bandit problem that was harassing the border villages.

  Valerius, the Head Butler, was overseeing our session with his usual terrifyingly perfect posture. He was currently focused on Lyra, trying to help her improve the accuracy and speed of her wind magic. Lyra was panting, her blue hair sticking to her forehead as she sent sharp, whistling gusts of air toward wooden targets. She was determined to prove she could be more than just a maid, and Valerius was being a demanding teacher.

  As for me, Valerius was trying to get me over the absolute basics of mana control. "Feel the flow, Akira," he would say, his voice calm but stern. "Do not fight it. Let it circulate like your own blood."

  I had managed to keep pace, closing my eyes and finally feeling that warm, humming tingle beneath my skin. I could sense my own mana, and I had even started to feel the presence of those around me. Lyra felt like a restless, swirling breeze, and Valerius felt like a deep, unmovable ocean. I even managed to feel the faint signatures of the guards stationed on the walls further away. But the moment I tried to reach out and feel someone like Master Malphas, his mana was so incredibly dense and cold that my brain simply shut down. It was like trying to look at the sun through a telescope, the sheer scale of his power made me pass out instantly.

  Valerius looked down at me as I shook off the cobwebs from my latest attempt. "I will teach you some useful magic eventually, Akira, and then we shall find out what specific type you are naturally attuned to. Though, considering your history, I bet it is going to be something like cleaning magic, similar to what you accidentally used when the castle was raided. Practical, but perhaps not very flashy."

  Just as Valerius was about to start a sparring match between himself and Lyra, wanting me to stay seated and focus only on my internal mana circulation, the sky began to change.

  Deep, red rose petals started falling from the air, drifting down onto the gray stone of the arena. Out of nowhere, Demon Lord Cordelia walked into the courtyard, her presence accompanied by a nervous butler who was desperately trying to show her the castle layout while she completely ignored him. She was walking straight toward us, her aura expanding with every step. I felt it coming, a wave of overwhelming, sweet heat that felt like being submerged in a vat of warm honey and thorns. I tried to brace myself, but the moment her mana brushed against mine, my vision swirled. Those rose petals weren't even real, I knew they were just a mental image born from her aura, but the sensory overload was too much. My knees buckled, and I hit the floor, out cold.

  When I finally blinked my eyes open, the world was blurry. I was still in the arena, but Valerius was gone. It was just me, Lyra, and a stunning red-headed woman standing over me. I gasped, my memory rushing back in a flood, and I scrambled to my feet, immediately dropping into a deep, shaking bow.

  "D-Demon Lord Cordelia! I am so sorry!" I stammered.

  She let out a delighted, musical laugh and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, stop that! No need for the theatrics. Like I told you before, Akira, women should not bow to women. Only the men need to bow to us, it’s much more fun that way."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Lyra stepped closer, her eyes sparkling with an excitement I had never seen before. "Get excited, Akira! You won't believe what just happened!"

  I blinked, looking between the two of them. "Why? What’s going on?"

  Cordelia stepped forward, her playful, teasing smile growing wide. "Because, little one, I have decided that I am going to train the two of you personally. I saw that little spark in you when you served that delicious tea, and I think it’s high time we turned that spark into a wildfire."

  I felt an unfamiliar feeling bubbling up inside me, a mix of sheer terror and a strange, flickering hope. Lyra grabbed my arm, shaking me slightly. "Isn't it great, Akira? We are going to get training from a real Demon Lord! We’re actually going to learn how to fight!"

  I looked at Cordelia, who was watching me with those predatory, playful eyes, and I realized my life as a "normal" maid was officially over.

  "I can already see the potential," Cordelia purred, leaning in close until I could smell the roses on her breath. "By the time I am done with you, Malphas won't even recognize his own household."

  Cordelia clapped her hands together, a shower of illusory rose petals erupting from her palms and sticking to our hair. "Alright, my little blossoms! If we are going to face a resurrected tyrant, we can’t have you looking like wilted weeds. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll be so strong, so radiant, and so lethal that every man from here to the Golden Domain will fall to their knees the moment you walk into a room. And if they don't? Well, you'll have the power to snap them like dry twigs. Isn't that romantic?"

  She turned her attention to Lyra first, stepping into the blue-haired girl’s personal space with a mischievous grin. "You, my dear, have the spirit of a gale but the lungs of a kitten. You’re trying to force the wind with your mind, but magic like yours comes from the breath. Follow my lead. Deep inhale, hold it until your chest burns, and then release it like you’re trying to blow down a mountain."

  Lyra nodded frantically, her face turning a deep shade of beet-red as she sucked in a massive gulp of air. She held it so long her eyes started to bulge, and then, with a strangled cry, she unleashed a blast of wind magic.

  The sound was incredible, a sharp, whip-cracking boom that promised total destruction. The output was easily triple what she had done with Valerius. The only problem was the direction. Instead of hitting the wooden target ten feet in front of her, the gale hooked violently to the left, missing the target, the weapon rack, and the entire training area. The blast caught a stone decorative gargoyle on the castle’s far outer wall, shattering its head into gravel.

  "Oops," Lyra squeaked, her voice two octaves higher than usual as she deflated like a popped balloon.

  Cordelia let out a peal of laughter, leaning against a pillar. "Well! The target is still standing, but that gargoyle certainly learned its lesson! More damage, less aim. We’ll work on that, or we’ll just teach you to aim at whatever you *don't* want to hit."

  Then, the Demon Lord turned to me. The playful air around her shifted into something more focused, more intimate. She walked toward me, and I felt my heart do a nervous tap-dance against my ribs. To my surprise, I didn't immediately black out. She had lowered her aura significantly, suppressing the crushing weight of her mana so I could actually breathe, though the sheer presence of her was still enough to make my head spin.

  She stood directly in front of me, so close that the tips of our boots touched. She leaned down, her face inches from mine, staring deep into my eyes as if she were reading the very lines of my soul. "Well, now," she purred, her voice a low vibration that made my skin tingle. "You definitely have potential, Akira. Valerius told me you’re a natural at sensing mana but a bit of a faint-hearted lily when it comes to the big leagues. I’ve lowered my presence for now, but don't get too comfortable."

  She stepped back, her eyes never leaving mine. "Here is the game. You are going to keep your 'eyes' on my mana. I’m going to move further away, and I’m going to move fast. You need to track me without losing the thread. As we go, I’ll slowly, very slowly, raise the pressure. If you pass out, Lyra has to drag you back up, and we start over. Eventually, both of you will need to stand in the presence of a Demon Lord without your knees turning to jelly."

  She paused, her expression softening into a look of genuine curiosity. "But before we start... mmm, there’s something about you that feels so familiar. Valerius mentioned you came from another world, correct?"

  "U-um, yeah," I managed to stutter, clutching the hem of my apron. "I did."

  "Mmm," Cordelia hummed, tapping a finger against her chin. "There’s another warrior currently in my guards who has that same... human type of feeling. It’s hard to describe, but you two are almost a match in the way your souls feel. Like you’re made of a different kind of stardust."

  She suddenly snapped her fingers toward the shadows. "Seraphina! Come here, darling!"

  In a flash of red and gold light, a stunning maid appeared. I thought our uniforms were a bit much, but hers was on a different level. It was crimson silk trimmed with heavy gold embroidery and tiny, enchanted roses. The skirt was dangerously short, and the bodice was cut so low I felt embarrassed just looking at her. She was a vision of Cordelia’s own aesthetic.

  "You called for me, My Lady?" Seraphina asked, bowing with a grace that made her look like she was dancing.

  "Yes," Cordelia said, her eyes gleaming. "Who was that handsome warrior again? The one I 'liberated' from those nasty alchemists who were playing with forbidden toys?"

  "Oh," Seraphina’s eyes lit up. "You mean Kaelen? No, wait... you mean Jax."

  "Yes! Jax!" Cordelia laughed. "Go and bring him here, would you?"

  "Your wish is my command," Seraphina whispered. She disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving behind a single, perfectly formed red rose where she had stood.

  "I want you to meet him," Cordelia said, turning back to me. "Maybe he can teach you a few things. He’s incredibly skilled, and I’d bet my best vintage that he came from the same world you did. But be warned, he’s a bit... intense."

  Lyra had stopped her wind-breathing exercise, leaning in closer to overhear. She looked just as curious as I was.

  "A few hundred years back," Cordelia began, her voice taking on a storyteller's tone, "there was a group of alchemists in my territory who got a bit too ambitious. They were trying to create a super-human, a Homunculus. But they wanted more than just a doll; they wanted a soul. They cast a spell to snatch a 'worthy' soul from across the veil. Somehow, they hooked into a man who was still very much alive in your world."

  I gasped. "You mean they kidnapped him?"

  "In a way," Cordelia nodded. "But it took years for the Homunculus body to fully form and house the soul. I wouldn't be surprised if that poor man felt strange pains for years in your world, unable to find a cause, while his spirit was being slowly pulled into this one. When the body finally woke up... well, it wasn't the mindless slave they expected. He went absolutely berserk. He didn't know where he was or why his body felt so strange, so he did the only logical thing: he killed every single alchemist in the building and leveled the entire research base."

  "Oh yeah, I forgot," Cordelia said, a flicker of genuine pity crossing her playful features. "The man lost most of his memories, including the faces of people from his world and even his own name. I gave him the name Jax, and of course, that meant I gave him a portion of my own power through the naming contract, though I doubt he'll ever use that power. He’s too stubborn to rely on anything but his own two hands."

  She grinned, clearly enjoying the chaos of the tale. "The smoke alerted my forces. We found a very confused, very strong man with no magic but a lot of free will. He took out my elite guards with his bare hands. No spells, just pure technique and speed. Those alchemists accidentally fished a true warrior out of your world."

  "What happened next?" Lyra asked, her eyes wide.

  "He picked up a sword from one of the fallen guards, and then? Well, let’s just say he became invincible. It took one of my generals using a long-range prison spell just to hold him still. Eventually, I gave him a home and he decided to serve me. I’ve offered to teach him magic a thousand times, but he refuses. He says he prefers his own way. He’s a Homunculus now, so his body doesn't age, and he heals about a hundred times faster than a normal human. Plus, he’s a brilliant strategist."

  Suddenly, Seraphina reappeared atop the rose on the floor. Standing next to her was a man who looked like he had stepped out of a gritty legend.

  He wore a tattered blue cloak over dark, practical armor. Two straight-edged swords were strapped to his waist. He had a rugged face with a jagged scar running across his cheek and a well-kept beard that gave him an air of seasoned authority. I reached out with my mana sense, expecting a roar of power, but I felt... nothing. He had absolutely no mana. And yet, his physical presence was so overwhelming, so heavy with the weight of a thousand battles, that it was almost more intimidating than Cordelia’s aura.

  "Jax," Cordelia purred, walking toward him with a swaying stride. "I have someone I want you to meet."

  The man's eyes, sharp, steel-gray, and weary, settled on me. He didn't say a word, but I felt like he was seeing every mistake I had ever made just by looking at me.

  "A newcomer?" he finally spoke, his voice deep and raspy like whetstone on steel. "She looks like she’s never held a blade in her life."

  "She’s from your world, Jax!" Cordelia chirped, wrapping an arm around his shoulders in a way that looked highly inappropriate for a Demon Lord and a guard. "Be nice, or I’ll make you wear a pink cloak for a week."

  Jax’s expression didn't change, but he let out a tiny, almost imperceptible sigh. "Another one caught in the tide. Great."