Harbingers of Change

Chapter 5

Compared to the Tengu, the rest of the races living in the southwestern part of Jura were not even worth considering as any sort of threat. Despite that, it was still important to gather information regarding the current state of their government, society, and other national affairs. Cocytus made sure not to skip out on these important details even if their conquest were to end up being swift.

The largest group inhabiting this certain sector was the fox-type lycanthropes. They were not united under a singular person, but rather split among numerous small tribes. In each of those tribes, there was a local leader that roughly followed a dictatorship type of government, more oriented towards the stability of their own tribe rather than the entirety of their species.

Apart from them, the rest of the southwestern area was populated by either those exiled from Frey's domain or those who fled the Demon Lord's domain of their own volition.

From the intel provided by Lady Buku, Cocytus learned that Frey mostly exiled infertile harpies or ones with birth defects that were left alive by careless mothers. He felt that this enforced rule of exile was justified, but it would no doubt cause a permanent rift between the harpies.

The rest of the exiles from Fulbrosia were the non-flying races who didn't want to accept the lesser status enforced by the harpy rule.

Regardless, this rule did not change the fact that the vast majority of the harpy population was female, and the more powerful ones of their kind possessed the ability to procreate through parthenogenesis, making male partners unnecessary. As a result, their society naturally assumed the form of matriarchy, with females taking all positions of power.

Cocytus looked over the scouts' reports to formulate a plan for a swift takeover. Against such weak creatures, his occupying army could be split apart into smaller groups with the idea of being sent to conquer each settlement in quick succession.

While a small detachment was left behind to guard the workforce constructing a fortress in the mountain pass, Cocytus himself decided to coordinate expansion plans at the foot of the mountains. He had chosen this place to set up his base camp since he knew how huge of an advantage harpies had when it came to fighting at higher altitudes.

Even if few of his subordinates could conquer the whole region single-handedly he preferred to deploy most of his forces for proper battle training. After all, it was foolish just to rely on strong individuals and neglect to form proper military force. Even the most powerful individual couldn't be everywhere all at once.

If by some miraculous chance that the harpies attacked the base camp, they would be forced to attack from above which could easily expose their flanks. The equally worse option was to fight on equal grounds with Tempest's forces, and Cocytus knew this strategy would be employed as a last-resort decision for the harpies due to its several flaws.

Of course, if it came to the worst he could get involved directly and decimate any attacking force the region could offer with ease. But such action would rob his subordinates of the chance to prove themselves. His own goal was to prove himself as a strategist who didn't need to rely on his own personal power for conquest.

Despite the overwhelming odds against the harpies, Cocytus had taken their opposition seriously. Regardless of the superiority of his forces, it was unwise to give the enemy any chance of winning the battle, no matter how slim it would be.

Once the plan was drawn out between him and his personally chosen cabinet, the attack groups were transported with [Gates] directly to the conquest locations by either Cocytus or Demiurge. The latter had proved to be of great assistance to his fellow floor guardian from Nazarick's reconnaissance center.

With Zegion and Apito showing high spirits and being eager to prove themselves in battle, Cocytus' only assistant in determining the most viable location for the troops was Hakurou.

The older kijin, having seen plenty of warfare in his old days, prioritized satisfactory results over personal glory. This change in the kijin's approach was partly due to people being eager to line up in droves for roles that would allow them to show off their achievements.

The dream to establish themselves as well-known warriors had consequently created a breeding ground for aggressive warriors who needed to be kept in check. Hakurou saw that the change in his own circumstances had naturally pushed him onto an administrative role, but he did not mind this new delegation.

With this new role, he hoped it would help deal with rambunctious groups that may unknowingly endanger the success of Tempest's military operations.

Overall, the progress did not suffer any major hiccups and all he had to do was receive the reports of success from the smaller forces and mark the conquered villages on the map for Tempest's administration. Most of the field commanders, including the recently joined Kaede, preferred to report directly to Cocytus as he would be the one to report to Lord Momonga.

Hakurou nodded to himself with a brief look of satisfaction on his face, knowing that Tempest was continuing to grow in strength.

He then saw out of the corner of his eyes one of the wasp commanders coming up to him. He gave the old kijin a military salute before giving his report.

"Sir Hakurou, I am here to inform you that a harpy village has surrendered without putting up much of a resistance. I am also pleased to report that this village was able to raise up seventy battle-ready harpies who will further bolster the ranks of Tempest's military forces."

"I see. Thank you for the information."

After the wasp commander finished up the exchange of information with coordination of the harpy settlement, a nearby tengu commander spoke up to give their own report.

"The deer lycanthropes surrendered after their leader was cut down, Sir Hakurou."

One by one, various commanders gave the relevant information before being given the order to be sent to their respective locations.

'If things continue to progress at this pace, it seems that the whole operation will take about a week and a half.'

Hakurou observed how terrifyingly fast the Tempest forces expanded into the region.

The process could have been faster were it not for the fact the region consisted of numerous scattered and independent tribes rather than a single, centralized authority. It did not help that the several autonomous tribes were able to use the mountainous environments to their advantage, making it less favorable for a quick and easy victory.

The next commander made him look up in surprise. Momiji entered his tent and reported without bothering to use any honorifics.

"I dealt with the fox town. The warriors there were too weak for me to report anything noteworthy. So, where is the next one?" Momiji spoke in a somewhat dismissive tone.

'Why is she reporting to me? I would have assumed she would want to impress Lord Cocytus.'

Hakurou raised an eyebrow at this peculiar entrance, but refrained from asking why his newfound daughter came to him. He could not deny the results, not to mention there was probably miscommunication on this front.

After noting down her accomplishment, the kijin sent her to the next location, and the Tengu girl left with the same air of indifference around her.

Over the next few days, not much had changed since then.

The forces under Cocytus had worked tirelessly to wrap things up as fast as possible, but results were definitely showing in favor of Tempest. What greatly concerned Hakurou was the fact that Momiji continued to report to him instead of Cocytus.

Wanting to resolve any potential issue that may arise, the old kijin contacted Kaede for details. Both had not met for days and planned to spend time together only after the expansion was finished.

{ Kaede, has something happened between Momiji and Lord Cocytus? }

{ Hm? No, not that I am aware of. What makes you think she has done something to displease Lord Cocytus? } Kaede replied almost instantly, her voice filled with suspicion.

{ Do not worry, this is not a great cause for alarm. It is that she is reporting her progress only to me instead of Lord Cocytus. }

{ Oh, that's it? Don't scare me like that, you old geezer! }

{ What do you mean, that's it? If she is avoiding Lord Cocytus, this may lead to miscommunication. Clearing issues like this is something that everyone here would like to avoid. }

In response, Kaede laughed in his mind.

{ You are overthinking it too much, Hakurou. Isn't it obvious what is going on? She is seeking your approval.}

{ Why me? It would be a lot more beneficial for her to show her usefulness to Lord Cocytus. } Hakurou asked with his usual logical thinking, being none the wiser.

{ It is not entirely due to being useful. It is simply because you are her father. It will take patience, but see to it that you compliment our daughter on her accomplishments and the answers will come to you in due time. }

There were no instructional manuals on fatherhood, and how to deal with a newly discovered daughter. The only thing he could do at the moment was to follow Kaede's instructions and hope for the best.

Hakurou didn't have to wait for long as Momiji arrived in his tent a few hours later to report her success.

"Another town surrendered without a fight. Where is the next one?"

"Excellent. You are doing a great job." Hakurou said to her in his usual stoic manner, taking Kaede's advice into account. He watched her response to see any difference in the girl who had been somewhat cold to him as of late.

Momiji crossed her arms and replied in a dismissive tone.

"Of course I'm doing a great job! Now give me the next target and I'll be on my way."

No matter how much she tried to play it down, her twitching ears betrayed her.

'She does seem to be happy that I acknowledged her accomplishments.' Hakurou couldn't help but smile.

After receiving her next assignment, Momiji quickly left the tent, though the old kijin could make out a series of light hops from the girl.

{ Looks like your advice worked. Momiji seemed very happy but downplayed it as much as she could. } He reported the results to Kaede.

There wasn't any response so Hakurou naturally assumed she was busy. But as fate had while she barged into his tent about ten minutes later.

"Sorry, I was busy reporting to Lord Cocytus." Kaede said, pulling down the tent's flap.

Without a hurry, she walked to him, leaned down, and gave Hakurou a quick peck on his lips. After that, she moved a pile of reports aside and sat down on the table, running her hands through the old kijin's silvery hair.

"I need all the details."

At her request, Hakurou retold every minute detail.

"Ah, stubborn as always." Kaede let out a melodic laugh.

"You think she'll warm up to me?" Hakurou asked, with a hint of his nervousness reflected in his tone.

"Give her time. I did raise her to be independent and headstrong. But she is still young and doesn't know how to react to such a huge change in her life."

"I hope so. I wouldn't want to impose anything upon her. But at the same time, I would like to spend time with her and get to know my daughter better."

"I'll think of something." She said while standing up with a hint of sadness in her voice.

The exact same scenario repeated a few more times with the old kijin growing proud of his teenage daughter, with her meanwhile showing more cracks in her shell after being further acknowledged for her accomplishments.

At the end of the second week, the conquest was more or less completed, with most of the forces now stationed near the borders of Sarion and Fulbrosia.

The administrative force, composed purely of undead, started to implement the local government handpicked by Demiurge. They started by picking locals who were both competent and had not shown any signs of possible rebellion.

Once it was clear that the subjugation force had fulfilled its goals, along with confirming that the permanent defense force was deployed, they gathered back at the central camp.

They waited for their general to give a speech as it was customary to do so after a long fought campaign. Generally speaking, the campaign was not that long from Cocytus's perspective, but he could tell that his men were starting to feel anxious and wanted to go back to Tempest as soon as possible.

Cocytus wasn't one for long speeches anyway, so the mighty insectoid just congratulated his forces for good work. He also did not forget for the soldiers' contribution to be included in the report to Lord Momonga.

Before returning back to the capital through the gate that was kept open, Hakurou waited for Kaede and Momiji, both of whom were giving instructions to the rest of the Tengu.

To his knowledge, Lord Pandora had already given both of them the Spatial Motion skill. It was an essential skill by this point as it simplified long distance travel to a ridiculous extent. Giving them such a powerful skill admittedly made Cocytus have second thoughts, but their recent success made him rescind his doubts on the matter.

As for other considerations, Cocytus had sent word to Lord Momonga that involved raising someone's status, specifically Momiji's.

To briefly summarize, the Tengu girl would be placed in the servant list with a vague promise that she might be renamed in the future.

Overall, the news was warmly welcomed by Kaede, who was ecstatic to see the swift integration of her daughter into Tempest. She had been planning to visit the bustling center of the monster nation when Hakurou's business was settled. But since neither of them knew the capital, it was the perfect opportunity to spend time together as family.

Kaede was first to appear by Hakurou's side, taking full advantage of both the new ability called Spatial Motion and her regained power.

"Momiji will join us in a moment. We have a full day to explore the capital before I have to attend the council meeting for orientation," Kaede explained while wrapping her arm around Hakurou's arm with a charming smile.

Before Hakurou could ask a question she continued, "Our village is left in the care of one of my former advisors until I return. Nothing will go wrong in our absences."

"Then I'll be happy to show you around," Hakurou said. He returned a smile, deftly hiding his relieved expression.

Just as both were about to engage in not-so-subtle flirting, Momiji appeared by her Mother's side. Upon seeing their arms locked together, she did not hesitate to give the both of them a vicious glare.

Kaede smirked at her daughter's reaction and decided to add even more fuel to the fire.

"You know, since I'm back to ruling over our kind, you'll have plenty of time to find a suitable husband."

The girl's pale cheeks instantly reddened, not liking the change in topic whatsoever.

"Not this again! Mother, I will decide for myself when I want to look for a husband!"

"As free-willed as ever." Kaede chuckled, glancing back at her flustered daughter as the trio went through the gate.

With Tempest claiming all the land that separated the monster nation from Fulbrosia, her Queen had appointed her as an envoy and an adviser to the second princess, who had become a concubine to one of Tempest's Lords.

Alcha, as a close confidant of the Demon Lord Frey, gladly accepted the new role to negotiate a favorable position for her Queen. The leader of the harpy nation had warned Alcha that war with Tempest would end catastrophically for the harpies.

Alcha felt it was reasonable for her Queen to give her this weighty responsibility. For many decades, she had climbed her way up Fulbrosia's ranks, building up both political experience and helping quash unrest in local areas of Fulbrosia. In tandem with her rise in politics, she had built a stable and complex information network, which benefitting both herself and the nation.

Once she had fulfilled her aim to be by her Queen's side, she took it upon herself to deeply understand her Queen's ambitions and worries. Her intimate connection with both Fulbrosia and the Queen's affairs allowed her to see how much their nation was in dire straits.

It was true that the daily lives of every citizen had not changed considerably during Tempest's rise, but Alcha's political intuition told her otherwise. It was only a matter of time before Tempest and its leadership directed their recent conquests towards Fulbrosia should they feel the need to do so.

That was why Alcha saw it absolutely necessary for the dreadful possibility of an all-out war with Tempest to be avoided at all costs.

She was not alone in this endeavor though as Luchia was currently acting as an envoy. However, her inexperience and potential feelings towards Lord Peroroncino made her unsuited for diplomacy.

When it came down to long-term applications, Luchia's role was to be insurance against unprovoked aggression from Tempest. She herself did not mind this especially if it meant ensuring safety for Fulbrosia.

Followed by a group of ten younger harpies, all of whom were daughters of noble-blooded mothers, Alcha landed just outside Tempest's royal castle. With open diplomacy between the two nations, she could fly through Tempest's airspace with virtually no restriction after crossing the border at a proper control point.

Her assistant immediately presented a mirror for Alcha to fix her hair and double check for any visible flaws in her appearance.

Her dark hair had its first streaks of grey giving her an aura of mature beauty. With a practiced motion, she combed her locks to look even and smooth.

Assisting herself with magic, she quickly switched from a bodysuit to a long dress by transforming her outfit. Its wrinkles were straightened out almost immediately.

Luchia was already waiting for her, having already finished preparations on her part. Due to her status, the castle guards were informed beforehand about who she was, and she was let in without any problems.

The sight of the young princess brought a smile to her face. She had known the girl since she was a child and on occasion acted as her caretaker.

"Alcha, not a moment too soon! Lady Buku is ready to receive you in half an hour," Luchia exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Princess, it is an honor to guide you," Alcha replied with a bow, paying close attention to Luchia's appearance.

The younger harpy was wearing a short dress that looked like it was made out of hell moth silk. She had gone to adorn herself with a lot of jewelry that looked a little too gaudy for Alcha's taste. It interested her that they weren't of Fulbrosian origin, leading her to only one conclusion.

'It seems Lord Peroroncino is showering the princess with gifts. But such things are the norm in more male-dominated cultures, I suppose.'

For harpies, of which the vast majority were female, males mostly had the luxury of the noble-born. There were also powerful harpies who fawned over their lovers, spoiling them with gifts.

After all, one who controlled a male had generally more power over harpies of lower status. These particular harpies usually needed a male to get pregnant, which meant they needed to garner favor with a harpy who did have a male companion to ever have children.

On top of that, if a harpy had reached a certain age without having children she was, at best, looked down upon and at worst, exiled from Fulbrosia. It was a harsh system that had been ongoing for countless years, but Alcha saw it as an ideal form of natural selection that mostly benefited the harpy nation as a whole.

"Come, I'll guide you to Lady Buku's office. It would not benefit Mother if you made her wait any longer."

Luchia motioned for her to follow, causing Alcha to move swiftly. The rest of the group were behind them, though they distanced themselves to give the two some space.

"…If it does not hurt to ask, what insight can you give me, my lady?"

"Hmm… Lady Buku is pretty much second in rank when it comes to influence and she will be the one you will deal with exclusively. She prefers to be casual, but do not underestimate her. Angering her may put our people in a disadvantageous situation from which even my beloved Lord Peroronchino may not help anymore."

Luchia spoke in a regular speaking voice, seemingly not caring about being overheard. Alcha nodded sternly, making sure to absorb all of the advice given to her.

"Noted. I will exercise utmost caution. Anything else I should know?" Alcha continued questioning.

{ Have you discovered something- }

{ Don't. }

The immediate shut-down of her Thought Communication made Luchia bewildered. She watched as Alcha's face scrunched up into what looked like worry.

"Please, no secrecy. Speak freely or not at all."

"Understood. That goes for all of you as well."

"Yes!" The younger harpies shouted in hearty unison. They immediately cowered when Alcha turned around to give them a glare.

"While your affirmations are appreciated, doing so in a rather vocal manner isn't, especially on foreign grounds. Maintain yourselves and your behavior at all times, as even acting out of line for just one second will jeopardize our mission. Do you understand?"

This time the harpies reserved from loudly responding. They gave simultaneous acknowledgments with a more appropriate volume, and their brightened demeanors were seemingly replaced with that of meekness.

"Always so serious," Luchia remarked with a half-grin. "You should learn to be more light on the young ones, even on foreign grounds."

"Pardon for my rudeness, princess, but I will only relax once I have secured peace between Tempest and our nation. This meeting will not be the last, that is for sure."

As to why the young princess was acting so secretive, Alcha did not figure it out at first.

However, she remembered Tempest's anti-reconnaissance implementations that Frey had once spoken of, and she began to understand the situation quite clearly now.

'I see now. Thought Communication is unsafe to use here. That is also why Luchia cannot spy on Tempest. Relaying any sort of information would most likely get her caught. In that case I will have to report this information to the Queen covertly, or at least outside of Tempest grounds if the former option does not work.'

"Do not worry. As long as we have no malicious intent towards Tempest our home is safe. The Lords do not wish to enslave anyone." Luchia gave the older harpy a reassuring smile and motioned at the large door. "Lady Buku's office is deeper in. Just go inside and her assistants will guide you. Contact me if you need anything."

"Thank you," Alcha said, bowing at the young princess.

Once Luchia made her departure, the harpy opened the door, and she saw what appeared to be a kijin girl.

"Welcome, Lady Alcha. I am Lady Buku's secretary. She is waiting for you inside."

The secretary gave a short greeting, and she gestured for Alcha to enter the room.

It did not take long for her to spot the person of interest, who initially sat on her chair with an upright posture. They started to slack their shoulders once they identified the new arrival.

"So you're finally here."

"Lady Bukubukuchagama. My name is Alcha, I am appointed to represent my Queen, Demon Lord Frey. You are Tempest's Minister of Foreign Affairs, correct?"

"Yes, I am. Frey already informed me about your arrival as well. Please sit down. By the way, calling me Buku is just fine."

Buku motioned at the chair in front of her office table. Alcha accepted her offer and gracefully sat down. She was about to offer her thanks until Buku lifted a hand.

"No need for formality. Let's just go ahead and start with the main topic."

"Understood," Alcha said. She watched Buku unroll a large map on the table in front of her.

Immediately she was able to identify Tempest's and Fulbrosia's borders which were clearly marked in red. On top of it there were a few crosses drawn upon the border line.

"I prefer avoiding dealing with border disputes, Alcha. With that in mind, we drew our border according to the one Frey has defined. These designated areas are where we would prefer to build border entry points."

"I see…" Alcha leaned closer to the map. "…May I direct your attention to this spot?"

"Is there something wrong?" Buku asked, tilting her head a little bit as to where Alcha was pointing.

"It is not a huge concern, but rather something to help increase mutual benefit between our nations. I would recommend moving this… border entry point, yes? Right - having this be moved approximately fifty kilometers west would make it closer to one of the major trade centers."

"That is a good point. Give me a moment," Buku said, waving her hand over the map. She made the suggested changes according to Alcha, adding another border entry point. "Is this agreeable?"

"Yes. Everything looks fine now," Alcha replied, forming a satisfied smile. Buku held the same expression on her face as she rolled back up the map.

"Excellent. On to the next point then. It has come to my attention that a large number of former Fulbrosian citizens were included in Tempest's population during our last expansion. I would like to hear your official stance."

"We lay no claim on former citizens, but we would prefer if the exiled harpies are not sent as official representatives of Tempest. An exception can be made under previously agreed candidates who have not been exiled for outrageous reasons."

Buku observed the harpy with growing approval towards her behavior.

Clearly, Alcha was a seasoned diplomat who was comfortable making counterclaims, which showed that she had a backbone. She also rattled off her changes while simultaneously making sure not to be offensive.

Overall, the whole interaction didn't bring any surprises. Luchia had daringly warned this diplomat not to try any sort of secrecy, but it was expected of her.

Alcha did however ask permission to buy a property in Tempest's capital to establish an embassy just like Dwargon had done. It was a novel concept, even for someone as experienced as her.

The idea of an embassy was purely a human concept, but it would be a major improvement compared to monsters engaged in more direct diplomacy. This type of strategy roughly enthused leaders into either talking or fighting things out with little to no middle ground involved.

But only those who change and adapt accordingly survive. Both Alcha and Buku were aware of this, which was why they were satisfied to learn that the other side had reasonable amounts of caution and concern for their respective nation.

They were not keen to have history itself be repeated, as even seemingly invincible entities such as Demon Lords could fall victim to blissful ignorance.

Edited by Zirmeister.

Proofreading by Ethal07, Alassandro, Tophrel, SwissChocolatess, and Visur Nyxan.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).