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“That just means it’s been peaceful around here lately,” Uliminas said. “I’d say it’s a good thing, if mew ask me.”

“I suppose that’s true...” Ghozal grudgingly admitted.

“I understand how mew feel,” Uliminas continued, “but Calsi’im isn’t the Dark Regent anymore. Now that Dawkson’s the Dark Meown, he’s been reorganizing the Dark Army from the Infernal Four on down. Now that they have some mewlitary power again, nobody wants to start trouble near the Dark Citadel.”

“Hrm. I can’t deny it.” So Ghozal said, but his thoughts told a different story.I can’t believe I still haven’t had an opportunity to show off my new mask and cape! I worked so hard on them!He had been doing nothing but moving luggage for days on end. A complicated expression came over his face.

“Anyway, get mewving!” Uliminas said, chuckling to herself at her husband’s attitude. “Don’t just stand in the doorway! Those boxes won’t carry themselves!”

“Hrm...” Ghozal said, reluctantly placing the mask and cape on a shelf behind him. “Right. I have a job to do.”

Hardly anyone in the Dark Citadel noticed that the pair, disguised as human and demihuman, were none other than the former Dark One Gholl and his confederate Uliminas.

◇Meanwhile—Dark Citadel Shopping Town◇

Some ways away from the Dark Citadel itself stood Dark Citadel Shopping Town, a city of vice and pleasure. There, in one of the buildings dotting the town’s back alleys, a number of demons were having a conversation.

The demon fox Gintsuno the Silver sighed. She was sitting on a platform a level above the others, wearing a silver cheongsam that flattered her voluptuous figure. She clicked her tongue in irritation as she looked over the contents of the bag given to her by some men.

“Tell me,” she yipped. “Is it my imagination, or have fewer and fewer demons been paying their operation fees?”

Gintsuno the Silver was one of the demon fox sisters who ruled over the demons of the west. The sisters had joined forces with the Shadow King, the former king of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode, in a failed attempt to seize the throne of Dark One for themselves.

One demon man stepped forward. Gintsuno regarded him with displeased eyes. “My lady, Gintsuno the Silver...” he began. “Lately, there have been a number of shopkeepers who have simply left in protest of the high fees. It seems they intend to create their own merchant association. It has been very difficult to—”Bang!Gintsuno slammed her fist down on the table, interrupting the man’s speech.

“Do you think I came here to listen to yourexcuses?!” she demanded. “Who do you think made it possible for you to operate this shopping town in the first place?! The Shadow Conglomerate has been supplying you with goods—and even protection! Have they forgotten everything we’ve done for them?! Running off at the first sign of trouble?! Lousy ingrates!” She hurled the now-empty bag at the man’s head, having finished extracting its contents. “I’ll be back soon to collect again,” she said. “See to it that you gather the rest of your missing operation fees before then.”

“Wh-What?!” the man protested. “B-But...we just gave you this month’s fee!”

“I’m raising it!” Gintsuno yipped. “There’s a fifty percent increase in operation fees this month! Do you understand?!”

“Huh?!” the man stammered. “B-But!”

Gintsuno strode outside and slammed the door, not looking back at the bewildered demons. The demon store owners sighed as they stared at the door after her.

“She raised our fees again...” one of them said. “What should we do?”

“Whatcanwe do?” another replied. “Peace with the humans is bad for our business, since war goods were our specialty. Work just isn’t profitable anymore. We’ve been cast off. I suppose the best we can do is accept that it’s over and try to start a new chapter in our lives...”

“Why are we paying operation fees to the Shadow Conglomerate, anyway?” another demon asked.

“Hmm...” said another. “Well, back in the day, they used to provide us with specialized anti-human weapons and bulk quantities of lots of things that’re hard to find in the Dark Army’s territory. And they stirred up regional conflicts, which was good for our business as war merchants. But lately, their weapons have been lower quality, they haven’t been bringing much in the way of quantity, and they aren’t even starting conflicts anymore...”

“So they don’t do anything for us at all... Then why are we paying their operation fees?”

The demons shared a look and sighed.

“Well...if we don’t pay the operation fees, we’ll end up on the Shadow Conglomerate’s bad side for sure...”

They shared another, even heavier, sigh.

“Hey...” one of the demons said. “Why don’t we do what the others did and move to the Fli-o’-Rys shopping area?”

“What?!” another demon objected. “B-But that store’s run byhumans!”

“True,” said the first. “But a guy I knew who moved there told me that the Fli-o’-Rys people will help you set up shop if you come to them. Their prices are way cheaper than the Shadow Conglomerate’s, their goods are better quality, they don’t charge operation fees at all...”

“Plus,” another added, “Fli-o’-Rys employs none other than the Wolf of Justice and his companions as mercenaries! I’ve heard they’ll help you out if you’re in trouble—without even asking for a reward!”

“The Wolf of Justice?TheWolf of Justice?!”

Demons had a strong tendency to revere power above all else. For many demons, their hatred of the Wolf of Justice had turned to respect and then ultimately worship as he effortlessly defeated unit after unit of Dark Army soldiers all over the land.

“Wow... The Wolf of Justice himself, coming to help us out...”

“And we wouldn’t need to deal with Dark Citadel Shopping Town anymore...”

“I don’t like the idea of moving somewhere else after all these long years in business, but I can’t deny those positives...”

A perceptible difference had come over the demons ever since someone had mentioned the Wolf of Justice. After their conversation, most of the shopkeepers who had been working for the Shadow Conglomerate moved to the growing shopping district next to the Fli-o’-Rys Dark Citadel Branch Store. Eventually, they would cut ties with the Shadow Conglomerate altogether, but that would not be for a little while yet...

◇Klyrode Castle Town◇

After finishing his business at Klyrode Castle, Flio made his way to the castle town below.

“My lord husband!” Rys came running up, a bright smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around her husband’s.

“Hello, Rys! Are you finished with your errands?”

“I am,” Rys said. “I learned a new recipe at the cooking sch— Ah!” Panicking, she clapped a hand over her mouth. “N-Never mind that! All I mean is that I have finished my errands.”

Rys had taken advantage of her trip to Klyrode Castle Town to pay a visit to her old cooking school. Rys was a champion fighter of the lupine demons and the second-in-command to her late older brother Fengaryl, formerly of the Infernal Four. She had spent her whole life fighting or leading warriors in combat. When she had first met Flio, she could hardly cook a meal to save her life. Rys had grown determined to become a cook worthy of her husband and began going to the cooking school to polish her skills whenever she and Flio visited the castle town. In the end, it was all worth it. Rys had become a truly excellent cook, good enough to prepare meals almost single-handedly for the bustling community that had grown at Flio’s house.

Even as skilled as she’s gotten, Rys is still going to the cooking school to learn new recipes...Flio thought.I’m not sure why she doesn’t want to talk about it, though. Maybe it’s because she was hiding it at first...Flio understood his wife’s behavior very well. He gave her one of his easygoing smiles. “Byleri and Sleip had a couple errands of their own,” he said. “Shall we take advantage of our alone time to buy some souvenirs for the rest of the house?”

“That sounds delightful,” Rys nodded, smiling. She pressed close to him, holding his arm tight and chatting happily as they walked through the city streets. After some time, a carriage rolled along past them. Flio could hear a conversation from inside.

“Hang on a minute, Keats! This is Klyrode Castle Town, isn’t it?!”

“Of course it is!You’rethe one who told me to bring you here, weren’t you, Madame Wuha?”

“No! I asked you to take me toacastle town, yes, but I meant the one outside the Dark Citadel! I was very specific!”

“What?! I don’t believe it! I, Aryun Keats, have made a grave error! I must change my direction immediately! Ah... But this street is rather full of people, isn’t it? Perhaps I had better transform...”

Suddenly, there was a light. Flio turned to look at the carriage.What...?Where the carriage had been, now there were two women, running as fast as their legs could carry them.H-Huh?He wore a puzzled look. There was no sign of the carriage from earlier.Didn’t a carriage pass us just now?

“My lord husband?” asked Rys, looking curiously at her husband as he glanced this way and that. “Is something the matter?”

“Huh?” Flio said, before quickly putting a smile on his face. “O-Oh! No, nothing at all, Rys!” But just then, suddenly, a window appeared before Flio’s eyes. “Huh?!”

All Carriage Djinn Skills Mastered.

It continued on a while longer, with paragraphs and paragraphs full of explanatory text.All Carriage Djinn Skills...?Flio’s eyes went wide as he began scrolling through the window.

“My lord husband?” Rys asked again.

“A-Ah! Sorry, Rys!” Flio said, wincing as he closed the window.I’ve never heard of a carriage djinn...he thought.I should ask Hiya and Ghozal about this when we get home...

◇That Night—Flio’s House◇

After dinner, Flio’s household gathered together in the living room on the first floor, as usual.

“My!” exclaimed Elinàsze, beaming as she nibbled on the deserts Flio and Rys had brought back from Klyrode Castle Town. “These little cakes are simply incredible!”

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Elinàsze was the older of Flio and Rys’s twins. Because of the demon blood they had inherited from their mother’s side, the twins were growing to adulthood far faster than a human would. Elinàsze loved her papa Flio more than anything else in the world.

“You’re right!” agreed her younger twin Garyl, nodding eagerly as he tried a bite. “These are great!”

Flio smiled at the pair. “I’m glad you like them,” he said. “Balirossa recommended the store, so it’s no wonder they’re good.”

“O-Oh!” Balirossa said, suddenly shy. “I-It’s really nothing more than a shop I took a liking to when I was part of the knighthood. I’m very glad to see that you enjoy their cakes as well.”

Balirossa had originally been a knight in service to Castle Klyrode, but she had quit the knighthood and now lived at Flio’s house and worked at the Fli-o’-Rys General Store. She was one of Ghozal’s two wives and the mother of his son Ghoro.

“Mama Balirossa!” said Folmina, who was sitting next to Garyl and stuffing her face full of cakes. “These cakes are so good!” Folmina was the daughter of Ghozal and Uliminas—half-demon royalty and half-hellcat—but Ghozal’s children were being raised to see both Uliminas and Balirossa equally as their mothers. She was a sweet girl who was absolutely infatuated with Garyl.

“Uh-huh...” said Ghoro, nodding insistently. “It’s good...” He was sitting next to Folmina, stuffing his own face every bit as much. Ghoro was Balirossa’s daughter with Ghozal, making him half-human and half-demon royal. He was a quiet boy who adored his big sister Folmina.

“I’m very glad to hear that!” said Balirossa. “Folmina, Ghoro, make sure you thank Lord Flio and Lady Rys properly for the cakes.”

“Okay! I will!” said Folmina. Ghoro just silently nodded.

“These reallyaregood, though...” said Garyl, spearing another with his fork. But before he could eat it, Wyne leaned forward in her seat opposite Garyl, so close her body was practically horizontal.

“So tasty-tasty...” she said, a line of drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. Wyne had already finished her portion of the cakes. She eyed the end of Garyl’s fork with greedy eyes.

“Ah ha ha!” Garyl laughed, smirking. “Your appetite never gets any smaller, does it?” He held out the cake he had previously intended for his own mouth.

Wyne’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Gare-Gare! Thank you!” She ate the whole thing in one bite, smiling blissfully as she chewed.

Rislei watched the scene with an amused smirk of her own. Rislei was Sleip and Byleri’s daughter, half-human and half-lichsteed. She was a serious-minded girl and had become something of a leader among the youngest generation in Flio’s house. “Wyne, that’s enough,” she scolded. “At least sit down when you eat. Do you want Folmina and Ghoro to follow your example?”

“Ah ha ha! ’M sowwy!” Wyne apologized, but with her mouth so stuffed full of cake, she sounded a bit ridiculous. The whole living room burst out in laughter.

Suddenly, Garyl seemed to react to something. “Huh...?” He stuck his hand in his pocket. “Ah!” He shot to his feet and ran quickly up the stairs. “Um... Excuse me! I gotta go! Thanks for the meal!”

“Wait, Garyl!” Folmina said, springing to her feat to follow him. “Take me with you!”

Elinàsze smiled at Folmina. “Excuse me, Folmina,” she said. “Would you like to take a bath together?”

“Oh!” said Folmina. “Yes! Okay! Let’s take a bath together!” The small girl stopped and turned around, hugging Elinàsze tight. Elinàsze patted her gently on the head.

That Garyl...Elinàsze thought.The things I do for my brother...

“Oh, right!” Rislei suddenly exclaimed. “Papa, Greanyl told me that you called out mine and mama’s names when you were chasing after the bad guys.”

“O-Oh!” said Sleip, suddenly stammering uncomfortably. “W-Well, you know! I guess I just...felt like it?”

“Well, whether you feel like it or not, you shouldn’t speak without thinking!” Rislei declared. “Honestly, papa, what am I going to do with you?!”

Once again, the living room was filled with laughter.

◇Flio’s House—The Rooftop◇

A little while later, Garyl was sitting alone atop the roof of Flio’s house. The children all slept together in a big room on the second floor. Garyl had simply opened the window and flown out, up onto the rooftop. He had a ring on his right hand, set with a magic gem that was now displaying a projection of the Maiden Queen’s face.

“My dad’s amazing, isn’t he?!” he said. “He invented a new communication ring that lets us see each other’s faces when we talk!”

“He truly is incredible,” the Maiden Queen agreed. “I wasn’t sure what to expect from the ring Flio gave me, but to think it could do something like this!” Flio had handed the communication ring to the Maiden Queen when he had spoken with her earlier at Klyrode Castle. It was a device she could use to communicate with Garyl. “But I must apologize. I wasn’t expecting the ring to show you my face like this. I’m so exhausted from work; I must look dreadful...”

“Not at all!” said Garyl. “You’re as pretty as ever, Ellie!” Ellie was the name that Garyl knew the Maiden Queen by.

“P-Pretty...” Ellie muttered, her face turning red.

“Yeah!” said Garyl. “But anyway, I got a story to tell you! Guess what happened today!”

“Oh? Whatever do you mean?”

The two cheerfully chatted away under the moonlight, until finally Rys came to tell Garyl it was time to take a bath.