Glenn and Dália chatted casually as they made their way down to the kitchen. Unlike her usual maid uniform, Dália was wearing a beautiful black dress with thin straps and lightweight fabric today.
As they descended from the rooftop to the fourth floor, Glenn noticed a new face. Emerging from one of the cultivation rooms, a demoness about five feet three inches tall, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and skin as white and milky as snow, crossed their path. Her perky breasts caught his attention, but Glenn tried to hide his gaze.
"Ah, Young Master Glenn, Companion Dália!" the demoness greeted respectfully.
"Ah..." Glenn was at a loss for words, but Dália took the initiative.
"Young Master, this is Aster, the new maid of the tower. Companion Aster, this is Young Master Glenn."
"Pleasure to meet you, Young Master Glenn."
"Ah... the pleasure is mine, Aster. Welcome, I guess!"
"Companion Aster will be joining us, taking on the duties of repairs and cleaning in the tower, as well as managing the stock of essential supplies," Dália explained.
"Welcome again," Glenn said, this time with more confidence. "I hope we get along... Hmpf!" He was interrupted by an elbow jab from Dália, who gave him a scrutinizing look.
"I hope so too, Young Master. If you need anything, just call!" Aster replied, bowing slightly.
Dália waved at Aster and continued dragging Glenn toward the ground floor. However, as soon as they stepped onto the third floor, leaving the laboratories behind, two Asters appeared in the hallway, bowing slightly in reverence.
"Hm... What? But wasn't she just upstairs? Triplets?"
The same scene happened on the second floor when another Aster met them entering the library.
"What the hell is going on? Quadruplets?" Glenn questioned, looking at Dália, who wore a curious smile on her face.
And finally, one last Aster was on the ground floor, cleaning the dining hall.
"What the hell is happening?"
"Ahahaha... Don't get too excited, Young Master. Aster is a Tiefling with a very unique affinity."
"Affinity? Is she a mage?"
"No, she doesn't fit into any of the common energy pathways. She's a variant," Dália explained.
"Variant? What's that?"
"A variant affinity is a case where the usual rules related to the laws of nature are ignored."
"Doesn't fit into the laws of nature? So she's neither a mage nor a warrior?"
"Variant affinities are very specific. Depending on their functionality, the user might qualify as a warrior or a mage, and sometimes they don't fit into either category."
"We call her a Doppelganger. Her affinity basically creates more versions of herself."
"And which one is the original?"
"That one there," Dália pointed to the Aster cleaning the dining hall.
"Is each version independent? Is each one a different Aster?"
"I don't know the details, Young Master. It's not very polite to ask too much about variant affinities."
"Hm... Sorry, I got curious."
"But I do know that only one can be the real one. That's because even variant affinities have limitations."
Glenn and Dália headed toward the tower's exit, crossed the bridge connecting to the castle, and walked briskly toward the entrance gates. There, an intricate black carriage awaited them.
"It's designed to be discreet, like the ones used in the city," Dália explained.
In front of the carriage stood an incredible black steed with eight legs and two long, pointed horns, harnessed to the reins. There was no coachman, nor any seat at the front of the carriage.
"Ahahaha... A Sleipnir is intelligent enough to understand commands. They don't need coachmen. They're beasts comparable to the wolves of the orcs, the stags of the elves, and the lizards of the humans."
"So this is your idea of not drawing attention? A carriage pulled by a high-level beast?"
"Sorry, Young Master, it wasn't something I could control. After all, you're still the queen's consort candidate."
Curious, Glenn approached the Sleipnir. The beast's black eyes scrutinized him from head to toe, and a small approving whinny echoed.
Glenn gently extended his hand and petted the horse's head, which happily accepted the affection.
"Actually, it's a mare, and her name is Valkíria."
"Valkíria," Glenn said as he stroked her mane. "Valkíria, that's right, girl, good girl," he murmured while petting her.
Dália approached the two with a furrowed brow. She raised her hand to pet Valkíria, but the mare whinnied, pulling her head away and stomping her hooves, refusing the affection.
"Ahahaha," Glenn laughed.
"Grrr..." Dália growled, accepting defeat.
"I think the Young Master has a unique charm that attracts anything female."
"Valkíria, take us to the central market. Head to the Tent," Dália instructed. "Come on, Young Master," she invited, opening the carriage door.
The interior was comfortable, with two cushioned benches facing each other. Each bench had enough space for three people.
Dália and Glenn sat facing each other near the window as the carriage moved down the mountain toward the lower level.
"No matter how many times I see this view, it's still breathtaking," Glenn praised. "Building a city on the slope of a mountain range is unbelievable."
"Yes, Chaos is one of the most beautiful architectures in all of Atlas. But there are places just as impressive."
"Really? I've never left here. I spent my whole life inside my family's home, training to be a warrior."
'At least that's what the old Glenn did.'
"Yes, Young Master. Of the most impressive places I've visited, the Elves' Tree-Nation and the Humans' Cathedral are also extremely elaborate and breathtaking."
"Tree-Nation and Cathedral?"
"Yes, they're the capitals of the elves and humans. The architecture of those places is splendid."
"I hope to visit them someday."
"I hope you do, Young Master. In fact, I'm sure that sooner or later, it'll be inevitable for you to go to one of those places."
"I have the same feeling."
The scenery was stunning. The road connecting the queen's central castle to the lower level of the city followed an intricate, circular path, descending thousands of meters in altitude.
Valkíria pulled the carriage at an impressive speed—not so fast that everything became a blur, but not so slow as to be boring.
The upper level was reserved for the most prominent and powerful families, the noble houses. The now-extinct Carborex family had been located there.
As they descended to the central level, they passed the families who had amassed wealth through product exploitation, guilds, and other services. Finally, they reached the lowest level, located at the foot of the mountain.
Several times larger than the two upper levels, this was where the majority of the demon population lived.
The carriage moved at a moderate pace through the traffic. Numerous pedestrians filled the streets, engaged in various activities: buying, selling, building, and delivering.
Restaurants, taverns, and what appeared to be entertainment venues were packed to the brim.
"Seems like a prosperous and good place to live."
"Yes, we've been living through the most prosperous years of the last fifty," Dália explained. "The regent queen has been praised and celebrated for her governance strategies."
"Speaking of the queen, Young Master... There's something I haven't told you yet."
"Something? What is it?"
"You've also been summoned to meet Her Majesty tonight."
Glenn's face stiffened at the news.
"She wants to see me?"
"I don't know, Young Master. It's probably related to the banquet in three days."
"Alright. What can you do, right?" Glenn said resolutely, accepting his fate.
Suddenly, noticing a hint of disappointment on Glenn's face, Dália had an idea.
"Valkíria, stop here. The Young Master and I will have a meal before heading to the Tent."
With precise steps, the carriage slowed down, entering a side path designated for carriages at an establishment.
"What's this?" Glenn asked.
"Let's have lunch! It's the perfect opportunity to try the capital's spices."
Dália opened the carriage door, waiting for Glenn to follow.