Chapter 924: Velvet Refuses to Hide!

Alice’s harsh words echoed through the room, repeating the word ’crush’ over and over.

Asmodeus stared at Velvet’s crumpled poster. He wanted nothing more than to find those bastards and tear them apart, but the woman standing before him was right. But he’d already made enough mistakes by acting without a plan.

’Haa... this is annoying.’

Despite having the strength to crush almost anyone on the continent in power, irritation churned inside him each day he waited.

"Then explain how we’re supposed to catch them without using brute force. At this moment, we don’t even know where the bastards are hiding."

Alice watched him with a faint smile.

She sidestepped his words as a woman used to his mood swings and emotional outbursts.

"We know how they’re moving." Alice crouched down, recovering a handful of documents from beneath the broken table. "And we know they need Velvet and Valena alive to achieve those goals. So that gives us something to work with... right, Asmodeus?"

Yumiko helped gather the papers, while Yuina used a little magic to repair the floor and prevent the loose stones from collapsing further. The cracks in the wall remained, though.

’I’ll have to apologise to Simon again...’

"But why Velvet?" Valena asked, moving closer to the others "Is it because she’s a princess?"

"Former princess," Alice corrected. "And I don’t think so. It’s probably more likely related to her sudden transformation into a drake-like existence."

Asmodeus rubbed his chin.

Velvet wasn’t someone who could be caught by a few normal knights. She could fight, read the movement of mana and defend herself against enemies who were stronger than her. Not to mention the women protecting Lumeria were monsters in their own right.

’Unless those bastards have some method to capture her without an intense fight...’

He remembered the Emperor’s Eyes from their previous encounter. The strange animal masks and the way they prepared traps instead of charging straight into a battle. Those actions forced even his Black Dragon Order to face them head-on.

"Alice, don’t underestimate them."

"I don’t. That’s why I’m telling you to stop breaking furniture and listen."

"...Sorry."

She sighed, finally sitting on a chair that had somehow survived his outburst.

"First, contact Serena. Tell her not to move Velvet somewhere obvious. If they have people watching Lumeria already, suddenly locking your wife inside the palace will tell them we’ve noticed."

"Then what?"

"Let her continue her usual routine, but keep people nearby who can protect her without making a fuss."

Asmodeus shook his head.

"I’m not using Velvet as bait without telling her."

"I never asked you to!" Alice looked offended. "Velvet is one of us, Asmodeus. We need her decision before doing anything. But. Do you think that battle junkie aunt of mine will sit back and hide if she knows?"

"Hahaha."

He couldn’t help but laugh at Alice’s words.

’At least we’re thinking the same thing.’

He closed his eyes and reached through the connection shared with his wives. It wasn’t like talking through the crystal used in the castle. No image came from the other side, but he could feel the familiar presence of Serena almost immediately.

’Serena’

[D-Darling?! IS something wrong?]

Her quick response carried a trace of her warmth that made him want to rush home to her embrace and speak everything on his mind. Selene’s light breaths sounded in his mind as their connection remained.

’Are you with Velvet?’

[No. She was helping arrange some of the new supplies and weapons from the artisan district. Should I ask her to call you on the crystal?]

’Mhm... and keep this between us for now. Alice found something about the Emperor’s goal.’

Serena’s remained silent for a few seconds.

[Understood.]

The warmth of her voice faded, becoming a colder and more composed tone.

Asmodeus explained the poster and the three copies recovered by Alice. He didn’t hide his anger either, knowing she would understand him.

[I’ll find Velvet. The Valkyries have yet to report anything, but I will have them check again.]

’Don’t send everyone running around.’

[I know, darling. You worry about things too much. Leave the castle to me.]

"You still want us to travel west?" Yumiko asked.

"Yes," Alice answered. "If the Eyes believe they successfully drew your forces away, they’ll move to the next stage. We need to see who contacts whom after the Beastmen leave Baltimore."

"Then surely it’d be best for us to go south, to the Beast Kingdom?!" Yumiko butted in.

"Yumiko, I didn’t say to head south.

First, you will move west and trick the spies into following you, then with your powers... I doubt a few humans will avoid detection."

"!!!"

Yuina studied the damaged map.

"Our convoy won’t reach the kingdom immediately. Rather, this would delay us by almost two full days. Wouldn’t that give the Emperor’s men more time?"

"It will," Alice admitted. "But it also gives us a chance to watch the people following the convoy."

Asmodeus frowned.

"You suspect they’re among the injured?"

"Though I don’t have evidence yet. We cannot rely on luck. I suspect they’re watching those injured people to find someone to replace or approach. The entire plan began with them, after all."

’Right...’

He had almost forgotten that the Beastmen weren’t soldiers. Most were victims who wanted to return home, without knowing someone had used them to create chaos.

"Yumiko, Yuina. Do what you planned in the first place then. Get them home and investigate without causing trouble with the tribes. I’ll keep in contact."

"Of course, Ryuji." Yumiko nodded, her expression no longer playful.

Yuina stepped beside her sister and bowed.

"Leave the Beast Kingdom to us, dear husband."

Asmodeus smiled and stroked both their heads before noticing Valena standing behind them with her arms folded.

"...What?"

"N-Nothing."

"You look pretty angry, though..."

"Who is angry?"

’What a troublesome lizard.’

He reached for her hand and pulled her towards him.

"You’re coming with me, remember? I haven’t forgotten."

Valena’s expression changed almost immediately.

"Mhm."

She squeezed his hand once and fell silent.

Alice watched the pair with a strange expression, then shook her head and resumed sorting the papers. There wasn’t time to discuss whatever happened between them last night.

"Asmodea and Erika will handle Grigor once they arrive," Alice continued. "I’ve sent them copies of the movements. Ciela already left for the forests, so don’t call her back unless something actually changes."

"And you?"

"I’ll remain in Baltimore until Simon and Paul finish with the prisoners. Someone must have met the people supplying those drugs and resonators. Even if they don’t know who paid them, they might remember a face."

"Don’t push yourself too hard."

"I’ll sleep when Simon finishes with the prisoners. Until then, I want to hear what they have to say."

Asmodeus sighed, but he couldn’t argue with her decision.

***

Meanwhile, far away from Baltimore, the palace in Lumeria remained busy despite the early hour.

Velvet had spent most of the morning helping organise goods brought in by the merchant caravans. Since several roads had become troublesome, the amounts arriving were smaller than normal, and the servants needed someone who understood Grigorian merchants and their customs.

’What a pain...’

She rubbed her forehead before noticing Serena approach from the opposite end of the hall.

"Sister Empress?"

"Velvet, can you come with me?"

Her voice lacked any anger, but Velvet noticed the two Valkyries following several steps behind. An armed Valkyrie departing the training area now seemed odd, even more so when accompanying Empress Serena.

’Hm?’

"Did Asmodeus do something again?"

"Fufu, Velvet... No, not this time."

Velvet raised an eyebrow at Serena’s strange giggle, as each of her reactions only brought more worry to the witch. They entered one of the smaller reception rooms, where Serena closed the door and placed a parchment on the table.

Bang!

The doors slammed shut as paper flew across the room.

Wanted posters!

Countless copies of Velvet’s bounty posters flew across the room.

She could recognise her face and the meaning in an instant.

"...What the hell?"

She snatched it up and read the Imperial writing twice, hoping she’d misunderstood the meaning. But the reward was real, and quite generous. Someone important across the sea wanted her captured alive.

"Does Asmodeus know?"

"He knows."

"Is he coming back...?" Velvet asked in a hesitant voice.

"Alice convinced him that returning immediately would alert whoever is watching us."

Velvet lowered the paper.

For a moment, she was more relieved than she thought.

’It’s great that he’s finally acting more like an Emperor... but why does it feel a little...’

She had watched Asmodeus fight armies and gods, but dealing with an enemy he couldn’t simply kill was another matter. The Emperor was dangerous precisely because nobody knew what he wanted.

"Do you know why they’re after me?"

"Not yet."

Serena stood beside her, looking at the reward with a calm expression that did nothing to hide her displeasure.

"Our husband wants you to decide how we’ll handle this."

Velvet blinked.

"Me?"

"Mhm. I can keep you beside me, or you can continue working as you normally would. The guards will be close either way." Serena’s sharp eyes watched Velvet before she smiled and opened her mouth a third time. "...Or, you could even teleport to Baltimore and rush into his arms right now."

Velvet considered the choice.

If the Eyes had already entered Lumeria, hiding herself inside the palace wouldn’t solve anything. Someone would eventually have to confront them. And unlike a stranger, she could recognise when a merchant was lying about his goods or the origins of his coins.

’I can’t deny the thought of rushing into his arms doesn’t make my heart race...’

Yet she couldn’t do that.

Asmodeus made the choice to trust her decision.

"I’ll keep working as normal. Please let me train the knights like usual, Empress."

Serena nodded.

"I thought so."

"But I want Alice’s reports sent to me. All of them."

"Of course."

Velvet glanced down at the parchment again, focusing on the Imperial mark beneath the reward. She soon crumpled the paper in her hand and tossed it into the trash. "Fucking imperial dogs."

Today was the worst.