"Then..." Sara murmured after the entire discussion had ended. "What are we going to do now?" she asked, feeling the urgency to define the next steps. Despite all the exchanged words, many questions still hung in the air like a large white cloud obscuring the path ahead.
Dante, maintaining his calm, looked at Sara and simply smiled before silently disappearing, leaving Aldria alone on the throne, lying comfortably. Aldria, who had fallen asleep in Dante's arms, was oblivious to what was happening around her. After all, it wasn't her fault. Dante's dominating presence was too intense for her to escape and pay attention to the conversation.
Dante reappeared at the meeting table, settling into an improvised throne. He observed all the women present with a thoughtful look. He knew that his current plans couldn't be implemented immediately. Even so, he needed to outline a strategy of action for the moment. "Morgana, you're free now, right?" he asked, seeking direction from his main ally at that moment.
"Yes? I mean, I never have anything to do, really," Morgana responded nonchalantly, twirling her hair around her fingers, trying to hide the fact that she was deep in thought.
"I know what you want, but can it wait? I'm not sure this place would hold up," Dante said, aware of the environment's fragility. Jesus, they just survived an invasion! This palace was anything but secure at the moment. And, as if to underline his words, a pillar collapsed at the exact moment he spoke.
KABOOM
Everyone looked at Dante as if he had done something to make the pillar fall, their gazes hitting his heart brutally. He then made a scene, placing his hand over his eyes and saying, "I'm not that important for so many celestial beauties to look at me!" He said, making all of them sigh deeply. Despite seeming serious, he was quite a goofball in front of his wives...
"Come on, Dante, back to the point. What exactly do you want, knowing that I'm free?" Morgana questioned. She was by far the smartest among the women present. In her mind, she had already outlined several action plans that Dante could follow. But before he could respond, Dante's gaze shifted to one of the broken floors, where the earth was exposed.
In fact, most of the floors were in deplorable condition, with various roots breaking through the palace floor, making destruction a common sight.
"Fey, are you there?" Dante called, looking intently at the exposed earth. Responding to his call, a small sprout began to grow from the ground, quickly transforming into a stunningly beautiful woman emerging from the bud. "Ah, good to see you here. Are you feeling better?" Dante asked with a warm smile.
Fey, who had recently enjoyed her freedom, blushed as she replied, "Y-yes." Dante's smile seemed to penetrate her mind, bringing her a strange mix of comfort and embarrassment. "Good, I'm glad you're feeling lighter," he said, turning to Morgana and Fey.
"Morgana, you can still build, can't you?" he asked. Morgana had a special talent for creation magic; with the right materials, she could shape practically anything. "Yes, my ability is even stronger, actually," she replied confidently. Dante then turned to Fey, his tone polite and respectful. "Fey, I want to build a house for all of us. Can you provide a location for that?
It doesn't have to be extravagant; we just want an isolated place where we can live peacefully and have a refuge."
Fey pondered for a moment, considering the request. Despite her connection with Dante, he would never force her into anything; he always sought her opinion before making any decision that could affect her. His respectful approach showed a deep consideration for her feelings, which only strengthened the bond of trust between them.
She looked at the ground, where her roots still extended, and responded with a shy smile, "Yes, I can do that for you all."
"That's good... Could you take Morgana there to check out the location? We want to build something that can accommodate everyone," Dante asked, maintaining a polite and cordial tone. Fey nodded with a soft smile. "Sure, she just needs to follow my roots, though it's a bit far," she replied.
Morgana looked at Dante and nodded, elegantly adjusting her hair. "Let's go then, Fey. I'm curious to see this place," she said with a determined look. Fey knelt down, touching the soil, and immediately the roots began to move, creating a path of mana for Morgana to follow. Morgana left the palace flying and began to follow the roots.
As they departed, Dante watched closely, his eyes tracking Morgana's high speed. "I hope she doesn't overdo it..." He said, then looked ahead. "Now... about Vlad..." He muttered, turning his gaze to the only vampires in the room.
Nagasawa seemed upset, Aaralyn no different, and Kaalindra... Well, Kaalindra was Kaalindra. Dante didn't exactly know what to think about her, nor did he care much at that moment, although he was curious about her. But not romantically. She was a woman who had followed her Valentina for many, many years, so she certainly had great stories.
"First, let's take small steps," Dante said, and the first organization of the group was beginning. "Lilith and Vex." He called, and Lilith, standing, looked at him while Vex got up and slammed the table, "I want nothing to do with that demon!" She shouted, and Dante looked at her, "You want your reward? Work for it." Dante said, after all, he had already talked to Vex about this.
"What do you want?" Lilith said, looking at Dante and ignoring the insolent demon who was badmouthing her. "Teach her what you can about demonic energy while I handle some problems. Can you do that? I promise to talk to you better later." Dante said, and she nodded, "Alright." She said and waved her hand, pulling Vex by the tail and lifting her upside down.
"Kyaaaa!!!" Vex screamed, feeling her body rising against her will. "Can I hit her if she doesn't want to learn?" Lilith asked. "You're the teacher, if she learns, good for her and her stubbornness. You're in control." Dante said with a hand gesture, almost saying, "Take her away."
"D-Darling!" Vex screamed, holding onto the edge of the exit door, struggling not to be taken away. "You traitor!" She screamed, her hands no longer able to hold on, and she was taken away.
"What a dramatic woman, she just needed to agree and none of this would happen." Dante said. After all, she was a ticking time bomb without control; not even she knew the gravity of her situation. But he couldn't teach her properly, so he gave her the greatest teacher of all.
"Now, we have a little problem to solve," Dante said, his expression growing more serious. He looked around the room before addressing another one of the women present. "Sara, where is your mother?" he asked.
Sara replied calmly, "She's on the second floor, sleeping. She's tired." There was a gentle concern in her voice, reflecting the care she had for her mother.
Dante nodded, understanding the situation. "Go stay with her, Sara. And don't give me excuses to stay with me, it's time for you to be her daughter, then my wife," he instructed gently, recognizing that this was necessary at the moment.
Sara stood up slowly, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. "Alright," she said, nodding before heading to the door. With Sara out of the room, Dante turned his attention to the remaining women.
"Li M~ Voralith, can you help Eldrax train? I'd like her to learn more from your knowledge now that she seems to be evolving again. It might be... better for her to have your support now," Dante said. Voralith nodded, taking Eldrax's hand. "Let's go, little one," she said, and Eldrax agreed, leaving the room with her.
"Now... it's just you," Dante said, his eyes resting on the three remaining figures in the room. The vampires – Nagasawa, Aaralyn, and Kaalindra – watched him intently, seemingly waiting for him to speak. "Ah~ Aaralyn," Dante said with a sigh, "I didn't send you away because you're weak or anything like that." Dante said, looking directly into her eyes. This time, he was very serious.
"I sent you back because I had to make sure they would survive without issues, and I already know it was you who dealt with the tree," he concluded, leaving them with no way out.
"B-but I..." "You can't fight for prolonged periods, and you can't fly. Do I need to explain more?" he said, his tone a bit more harsh. "You should know that I wouldn't treat the woman I love that way, so think about that while you train with your mother," Dante said, beginning to stand up. "Kaalindra, my Valentina might take some time, do as you please and train Aaralyn.
I count on you to drill into her head what I said... you must have experience with relationships, so I count on you," Dante said.
Kaalindra nodded but murmured something, "Experience with relationships my ass, it's hard to have a husband when your mistress is that crazy..." She said, grabbing Aaralyn by the arms, "We're going to have a long talk," she said, dragging Aaralyn by the collar of her shirt.
Nagasawa looked at him confused, as he hadn't said anything about her yet. "D-Darling? What about me..." she murmured, a bit upset.
"You? Lift that face up, I have the perfect wife right here, and I'm taking her out now. You're coming with me wherever I go. We have much to do," Dante said, appearing in front of her and holding her like a princess. "Let's go to Nightsphere and talk to that old coot!" he said, disappearing with her in his arms.