Hearing there were changes happening in the Lamia tribe, William actually felt relieved. Problems meant opportunities. If things were going wrong for the inner circle, his takeover would be that much easier. And if everything was fine? Well, he had time to create some problems himself.
"Tell me more," William said, casually floating over to the mud bed and sprawling across it. The bed wasn't particularly comfortable, but it beat standing around.
"Yes, Master!" Alya squeaked out.
Poor girl looked like she was about to have a panic attack. Her whole body went rigid, words coming out in broken stutters. William was sure on his shota form, but he was still a demon king. That kind of presence wasn't easy to ignore, especially for someone who'd never met him before. The aura alone could be overwhelming.
Serena put a hand on Alya's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Relax. Master William is actually a chill person. Just talk normally. Even if you mess up, he's not going to bite your head off or anything."
That seemed to help. Alya took a breath, her nervousness dialing down from full panic to just regular anxiety. William didn't rush her. She needed time to adjust. Give it one or two minutes, and she'd be fine. Everyone reacted this way at first.
When Alya finally spoke again, her voice was steadier. "Right. So people have been going missing from the outer circle. Not just girls, either, even some of the males. There've been sightings of this black shadow thing lurking around at night. Everyone's freaking out about it, but the nobles keep saying everything's fine. They claim the missing people were just sent on assignments."
Her voice got quieter toward the end. Even she didn't buy that explanation. William could tell from her tone that she thought the whole story stank.
Serena's lip curled in disgust. "Of course, it's the nobles. Has to be. Those bastards are probably behind it."
At least this would be the last time she'd have to deal with their bullshit. Once William took over, she'd never have to see their smug faces again. The thought brought her a vicious sort of satisfaction.
"Anything else weird going on?" Serena asked, leaning forward.
Alya shook her head. "That's all I know. If you want more details, you'd have to ask the residents of the middle circle. They probably hear more than we do. They're closer to the action."
"Middle circle can wait. When does this shadow usually show up?"
"Late at night, when the moon's setting. My house is right on one of the main paths, and the walls here are thin as hell. I've been waking up every night this week from all the noise outside." Alya rubbed her eyes tiredly. "It's been hell trying to sleep."
William sat up slightly, interested now. "Then let's figure out what this thing is. Alya, go round up anyone you trust. If it's just one shadow, we outnumber it easily. I want to know what's really going on."
Perfect timing, too. His first step was gathering the outer circle anyway. A mysterious threat would bring people together naturally. Saved him the trouble of convincing them one by one. Sometimes luck just worked out.
"I'll go get people," Alya said, standing. "But Serena, you must stay hidden. If those patrol guards spot you after you've been missing for days, the nobles will definitely notice. The queen, too."
She left quickly, still looking a bit shell-shocked. Clearly still processing the fact that she'd just been in the same room as an actual demon king. Her hands were even shaking slightly as she closed the door behind her.
Serena immediately dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry, Master William. My friend was disrespectful."
William waved her off. "She's fine. I get it. Takes time to adjust. As long as nobody betrays me, we're good."
Serena reminded him of Marigold, who has a serious personality, always worried about protocol and proper behavior. Though Serena was even more intense about it, probably because she'd been a real hunting captain before. Leadership habits were hard to shake, and she clearly took loyalty seriously.
William patted the bed. "Anyway, we've got time before Alya gets back. Might as well have some fun. Just keep it quiet this time. These walls are paper-thin, remember?"
Ever since he'd discovered how enjoyable the quiet game could be, William had gotten a bit addicted to it. Though after days of traveling, he'd gotten better at pacing himself. Still, Serena and the others would need to help him burn off some energy first. They never seemed to mind.
"Yes, Master William."
The lamia girls' faces flushed pink, but they didn't hesitate. They started removing their gear and climbing onto the bed, movements slow and deliberate. Serena was the first to reach him, already breathing heavier in anticipation.
Time passed in a pleasant blur.
Eventually, the sound of voices outside pulled William back to awareness. Alya had returned with a group of lamia girls. The house was too small for everyone, so most of them waited outside. He could hear them talking in hushed, anxious tones.
"Alya, are you sure about this?" one of the girls whispered urgently. "Serena actually pledged herself to a demon king? And now they're going to help us with the shadow thing?"
She sounded skeptical. A demon king showing up in their tiny tribe? And Serena, who'd been missing for days, was suddenly working for him? It sounded too crazy to be real. Too good to be true.
Alya shot her a look. "I'm not making this up. You didn't feel the aura when you got here? That noble bloodline suppresses our?"
"I didn't—"
The door swung open before she could finish.
Serena stepped out, face flushed, legs visibly unsteady. Her skin had that post-exertion sheen, slick with sweat that caught the light. But what really caught everyone's attention was the smell. Not unpleasant exactly, but definitely noticeable. Strange and musky, way different from the usual swamp odor they dealt with daily.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Serena straightened up, voice cold and commanding despite her obvious exhaustion. "Follow me. I'll assign your positions for tonight. Alya, go get food ready. Master William's hungry."
"Okay!"
That was all it took. Serena had always been the strongest outer circle lamia. When she gave orders, people listened. No questions asked, that's why the other didn't betray Serena, because all this time, everyone has been relying on Serena to survive as the outer circle.