Xao had returned to dreadhaven few days ago and she was the one who gave the date of when Irish will arrive with aoto.
In the royal palace garden in Dreadhaven, she sat quietly, surrounded by a many beautiful flowers planted along the base of the large, protective walls.
The flowers were there for decoration, but to her, they were so much more.
She gently picked one, a vibrant bloom with petals as soft as silk, and brought it to her nose. She inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet, calming scent. With a small, contented smile, she tucked the flower into her hair, just above her right ear.
Xao truly loved flowers, and she felt a special attachment to these particular ones. She was the one who had planted them here. It was so different from her life back in the martial village.
There, she was a princess, As the eldest child, destined to be the future head of the village. That future came with so many responsibilities that pursuing her own hobbies felt almost impossible.
But now, things were different. She could spend her time gardening, sewing, or doing anything else that brought her joy. Of course, she still loved sparring, and she trained in her martial arts almost every single day without fail.
"Being without so many responsibilities feels so light!" she murmured to herself, a feeling of peace washing over her.
But then, a cheerful voice called out from behind her. "Sister Xao, here!... Let's go together!"
Xao immediately looked back and up. She saw Reiza on the second-floor balcony of the royal palace, waving her hands excitedly. Reiza quickly went down the stairs, with Lunatic following quietly behind her.
"You both look really good!" Xao praised, her eyes warm.
"You are not less charming!" Lunatic replied with a playful smile, looking at the beautiful qi pao-style dress Xao was wearing.
"Well then, let's go," Reiza said, taking the lead.
They walked out of the royal palace and into the bustling streets. They already knew that Scarlett was waiting at the entrance of Dreadhaven for Irish to arrive, along with some other people.
As they walked, they took their time, savoring the festive scenery. The lanterns cast a warm, flickering glow on everything, the sound of music filled the air, and every now and then, the sharp crackle of firecrackers would sound.
The people were surely enjoying themselves. Many even greeted them as they passed, with some shouting out the idea of making this day an annual festival, to be celebrated every year.
Although the idea was nice, Reiza and Lunatic didn't like the thought of this day being recognized as a festival. If it was going to be celebrated, Reiza thought it should be the day Scarlett met her, and Lunatic privately wished it would be the day she met Scarlett.
As they walked further, their path took them by the red light district. They saw women of many species, from graceful elves with delicate features to chubby pig monsters and tall, muscular female orcs. But of course, their numbers were nothing compared to the succubi. Each one seemed more beautiful and seductive than the last. There were even mother and daughter succubi working together, laughing and chatting happily with customers.
"Succubuses..." Reiza sighed softly, the memory of her recent past surfacing in her mind. She thought about all the chaos and pain the succubus armies had caused.
"You all still haven't forgiven us, have you?" Lunatic added, her voice low and tinged with sadness.
Reiza tensed immediately, realizing that the Succubus Queen herself was walking right beside her. "N-no, I didn't mean it like that!" she stammered, trying to apologize.
"We can't really blame them," Xao added swiftly, trying to ease the tension. "They were just doing what their leaders told them to!"
"Yes, that Tiathmet and Lunaria," Reiza said, her voice filled with a renewed fire. "If wife hadn't defeated them in one night, I would have found them and beaten them myself every day for everything they did!" She clenched her fist, her determination clear.
"You are literally talking about me to my face," Lunatic thought, her lips twitching as she fought back a smile. The situation felt incredibly ironic.
"Good evening, my queen. Please give us your blessings," a few succubus said as they approached, bowing their heads respectfully.
"I'm no longer your queen," Lunatic replied gently. "You can have your blessings from Scarlett!"
"We already did that," they all said at once, their voices a chorus of devotion. "Besides, you are still our leader!"
"Okay, okay," Lunatic sighed, accepting her defeat with a small smile. "You have my blessing!" She raised her palm in a graceful gesture, giving them the blessing they sought.
At that moment, another succubus with long black hair and matching black eyes came running toward her, cradling a tiny newborn succubus in her arms.
"Auntie Dehya?" Lunatic said, her face filled with surprise.
Dehya was her mother's sister, the one who had mostly taken care of her when she was a child when her mother left them. Although she looked as young as Lunatic, her real age was much greater. She walked up to them and greeted Lunatic warmly, before giving polite nods to Reiza and Xao.
"Look," Dehya said, her voice full of pride. "It's your twenty-fifth cousin, and she's a girl. How about you name her?" She held out the tiny baby for Lunatic to see.
"When did this happen?" Lunatic asked, her expression a mix of surprise and pure happiness.
"Twenty-fifth?" Reiza muttered to herself, her eyes brows slightly wide with shock. "Orcs and Oni only have eight at most!"
Xao felt even more awkward. For martial demons or devils like her, having two or three children in an entire lifetime was the average.
Lunatic thought for a few seconds, rubbing her temples as if the effort was great. "How about Alice?" she finally said. "That sounds like a good name!"
Dehya loved the name and nodded immediately. They exchanged a few more casual words, said their goodbyes, and then the trio continued on their way.
After finally reaching the outskirts, they arrived at their destination. The entrance was covered in decorations, with many small magical stones that glowed like light bulbs strung everywhere. Cryptus, Arpeus, Baron, the Gorgon sisters, doomthunder and others were already there, gathered and waiting. Evadne was also there, wearing a more feminine dress that made him seem far more female than male.
They immediately went over to them and greeted everyone politely.
"Where is Scarlett?" Lunatic asked the moment the greetings were done.
"I'm here!" Scarlett's voice came from right beside her.
Lunatic turned and looked. Scarlett was wearing a purple yukata with delicate flower patterns. As always, even with just no additional accessories, she was breathtaking. The sight was so stunning that both Reiza and Lunatic couldn't help but freeze for a few seconds, their breath caught in their throats.
"Sexy as always!" Lunatic finally managed to say, a playful smirk on her face.
"Can't you use a more family-friendly way to praise someone?" Scarlett's lips twitched as she replied.
Before Lunatic could add another statement to irritate her further, Xao jumped in. "What kind of dress is this? It's my first time seeing one. It's quite similar to my outfit, but also so different!" Xao said, her eyes taking in every detail of Scarlett's yukata.
"It's called a yukata," Scarlett replied with a warm smile. "My mother used to wear it on festivals!"
"Howl... howl... howl...!"
Out of nowhere, the loud howling of a hound echoed through the air. Everyone immediately looked over and saw Doomthunder with his head thrown back, howling at the sky.
"It seems they finally arrived!" Baron said, a knowing look on his face. He understood Doomthunder's reason for howling—it was his special way of welcoming their guests.
It didn't take long for two carriages to come into sight, escorted by several guards on horseback. The carriages pulled up to the grand entrance and finally stopped. All the guards dismounted, standing at attention in a neat line at the front.
Then, the first one to step out was Irish. She walked out of the carriage and looked forward. There was Scarlett, standing right at the very front, with so many unfamiliar faces gathered behind her. It felt like a scene from a story—a wife finally arriving at her husband's house after an arranged marriage, greeted by all the family members.
After her, Princess Ingrassia stepped out, looking elegant and a little nervous. Then, from the second carriage, Aoto, Chiyoko, Richard, and Li Feng emerged. Li Feng didn't even pause. He walked straight toward them and took his place beside Xao, as if he had been with them all along.
Aoto, on the other hand, looked at Dreadhaven's entrance with wide eyes. It was his first time here, just like everyone else who had come with him. "Not a single human in sight," he thought to himself, letting out a dry laugh. "I guess it'll take some time to get used to this!"
Richard and Chiyoko were slightly overwhelmed, their eyes darting around as he tried to take in the sight of so many monsters and demons all in one place.
Suddenly, Seiira ran to the middle, right between Scarlett and the new arrivals. With a joyful smile, she hurled a handful of flower petals into the air, which rained down like colorful snow. At the same moment, a volley of firecrackers launched into the sky with a loud crackle and bang. All the servants stood in two perfect rows on both sides, blowing on their saxophones, creating a loud, welcoming fanfare.
"Welcome to DreadHaven!" all the servants said in perfect unison.
"Welcome to DreadHaven!" Scarlett also said, her voice backed by everyone else.
Irish's eyes immediately turned red, welling up with tears of pure emotion. She couldn't hold back anymore. She ran directly toward Scarlett and threw her arms around her in a tight hug.
"Finally! It's like a dream come true!" she said, her voice muffled as she hugged Scarlett with all her might.
"Is she doing this on purpose to make me jealous?" Lunatic thought to herself, a flash of irritation crossing her face as two cross marks appeared on her forehead.
Scarlett only chuckled lightly and hugged Irish back, finally letting her go. Aoto and the others walked up to them.
"How about I do the introductions!" Scarlett said, a warm smile on her face. She looked at everyone and then pointed at Irish. "She is Irish Heartfilia, my lover," she said proudly, holding up her ring finger to show the ring Irish had given her.
"And she is Princess Ingrassia of Darwitz," Scarlett continued, gesturing to the princess. "This is my friend and summoned hero, Aoto, a and this is also my friend, Prince Richard of Almeida and lastly, Aoto, Summoned hero of Almeida" She introduced them to her people.
"Now, this cheerful girl is Seiira," Scarlett said.
"Hello everyone!" Seiira beamed.
"That big hound is Doomthunder!" Scarlett pointed.
"Howl... good evening;" Doomthunder rumbled.
"Whoa, it speaks!" Chiyoko stepped back in surprise.
Then, Scarlett pointed at Evadne, who was standing quietly. "She is Evadne," she said, her tone firm and clear, "and she is a girl."
Aoto heard this and looked at Scarlett with a confused expression. "Of course I know she's a girl," he replied, thinking Scarlett was explaining something completely obvious. "Just look at her!"