"Hm♪ Hm♪" Leina skipped through the corridor, naked. Her buttocks were in full view. Despite how people in the castle degraded her, she didn't feel ashamed in the slightest. In fact, she felt proud — a feeling she never thought she would have. Thanks to her keen hearing from her fox ears, she knew when someone was nearby.
"Tch, what took them so long? Those Litmus scums are still in Sicily and Evesys!"
"This is all because Count Evesys couldn't defend his own territory."
"Do you think we should bail too? I think Count Evesys fled to the sea."
"That's impossible. To do that, he'd need to cross into Vertia and reach the port northeast. There would've been news of him attempting such a thing."
"Woof!" She knelt down and barked like a dog when she heard footsteps turning at the end of the corridor. Two noblemen smirked at the naked fox kneeling and begging Leina.
"What's your business here, mutt?"
"Woof! His Majesty wanted me to see the training of Vina, the symbiote princess given to Latvin six months ago." Leina smiled. Her words degraded herself, lowering her to that of a puppy, but deep down, she was thrilled. The end of the world was within reach.
"Pwah! A dog overseeing the training of a dog, huh? Suit yourself. Ahaha!" The noblemen laughed at their own joke and left Leina to her own devices. Leina faked a sweet smile. Arguing was for fools, so she held her tongue. Her hatred had crossed the threshold and turned into apathy. Her plan was already in motion.
Do not interrupt when your opponent is making a mistake. It was a lesson she had learned in court. She had no pride to speak of, only vengeance. She had no power, no symbiote, but the fury inside her burned stronger than any skill in the world.
She had lied — the king had not sent her to see Vina. She merely wished to see her fellow princess wallow in despair.
Leina reminisced about their childhood. She recalled the days when they played together, smiling — the days they searched for flowers to place on each other's heads in the forests of Vertia. Such fine days did not last long once Vina was chosen to bear a symbiote.
That was the beginning — when cracks in their relationship began to show. Being placed on such a high pedestal, Vina's ego shot through the roof. Leina was not jealous; she even celebrated those occasions. But whispers came from the elders. The young Vina was fed lies and pride until she began to see Leina as inferior. This hurt her more than anything.
The bullying began. At first, it was simple honorifics. Thinking Vina was still her friend, Leina never used them. But when Vina demanded she do so, Leina felt their friendship begin to crack. Vina's followers started harassing her, calling her names and plotting against her.
That was when Leina's world began to crumble. She had no support. Soon, she began living as a recluse. All that was left inside her heart was hatred. She wanted revenge. She wanted everyone to suffer. Yet she was merely a powerless foxkin. Neither the Goddess of Valor nor the Goddess of Wisdom blessed her on the battlefield or in the classroom. She was neither a warrior nor a scholar.
So she spent her days in Vertia as a target of mockery — a useless leech of a princess, a former childhood friend of Vina — until the kingdom of Latvin attacked the nation.
In just one year, Latvin had brought Vertia to its knees. Vina, despite being a symbiote user, had not leveled up enough. When the council realized they needed to buy time, they traded Vina for a truce. Leina smirked. It had taken only a whisper from her lips for them to give Vina away so quickly. They thought they could devise a counter against Latvin's new strategy — a hopeful thought that merely delayed their impending death.
But Latvin, being what it was, never honored the truce. They invaded, and Vertia was enslaved the following month.
Leina arrived at the door where Vina was being trained. The guard easily opened the prison door, and there her former childhood friend lay, naked as she was.
"Greetings, Vina. How are you?"
"No! Chris! Where are you? Why are you silent? No! Uwaa!! I don't want this. Please!!" She sobbed.
Leina watched her in silence. The satisfaction she had so long desired did not come. All that filled her heart as she watched her childhood friend sob and cry was emptiness. Nothing.
Vina did not see her. She merely cried out to her symbiote.
"Chris has been taken away from you. Don't you remember? He left you — just like when you left me." Leina mocked her. The truth should have hurt her. She should have felt satisfied after seeing her nemesis suffer, yet she felt nothing.
A symbiote user who had their symbiote taken away would lose something essential. Most of them would die, yet somehow, Vina survived — though rendered a cripple. Vina only wailed. Despite their reversed positions, Vina didn't see her. Just like before.
"Tch." Leina left the prison. Instead of feeling relieved, irritation welled up inside her. Her anger rose higher.
As she stewed in her fury, a woman in a suit appeared before her. Her posture was firm, golden hair flowing down her back. A claymore hung on her back. Despite wearing no armor, she carried a knightly aura. She commanded the king's personal bodyguard — the Praetorian.
Leina faked a sweet smile and knelt before her like a dog. Her smile did not falter.
"The king summons you."
"Yes, Delila." She nodded. Yes, she was Delila — the protector of the king, The greatest symbiote user, now reduced to a mere chaperone.
"You don't have to do that in front of me. That's disgusting."
"We don't know who might be watching, Delila," Leina replied.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to see how Vina is doing. She was my childhood friend. Do you know what will happen to her symbiote?"
"Well, her symbiote will be treated with suppression drugs and transferred to an appropriate candidate. Its level is still low, so once a suitable host has been chosen, they'll be trained either in the Goblin Kingdom or the Forest of Tentacles," Delila said in a monotone voice.
"I see. I hope for your success, Miss Delila."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Beastfolk have keen ears, you know. Don't worry — I won't tell the king," Leina said.
"I don't need support from a beast. I didn't do this for you." Delila frowned. Like Sheena, Delila's loyalty was to the nation — not to beastmen.
"Ah, Delila! Did you bring the dog? Hurry. The king has been expecting his pet." A knight smirked as he admired Leina's curves.
"Yes! Me, Leina, will come right away. Woof!" Leina buried her anger beneath a fake smile. She dashed toward the throne room where the king resided. Before entering, she knelt on the floor. As the door opened, she panted and crawled toward the king, showing her naked body without restraint.
"I thought I trained you better. Where did you go, mutt?"
"Master! I was visiting Vina in prison, woof! I wanted to meet the next dog that master will adopt." Leina said as she kissed and licked the king's toes.
The king responded by kicking her in the head.
"Who told you to do that, huh?"
"Leina is a dog, woof! She wanted to explore new places! She wanted to see new friends."
"Never mind. Get back here. I have something more important to do." The king turned toward his advisor. "I've deployed two symbiotes to repel those subhumans, so why are they still on my doorstep?"
"Yes, sir. Apparently, their symbiote user has a fast flyer. Delghar and Sheena chose to stay put to prevent the enemy from flanking them—or worse, invading the castle alone."
"Stupid! I told them to get rid of those pests immediately! We have Delila here in the castle!"
"Your Majesty, Delila is for your protection. What about the nobles in the district? Those fanatics want to kill every last noble blood of Litmus. We must be cautious."
"Who cares about them? Parasites! They're supposed to help Delghar and Sheena with the conquest!" the king shouted.
"Your Majesty…" The advisors frowned.
"Ah! Delila is here, woof!" Leina said.
"Hm?"
"Yes, Delila is outside, Master. I heard she's planning something naughty." She grinned, kneeling beside the throne like loyal dog she was.
"You. Call her here." The king gestured to his advisor. He didn't even call him by name — respect had long left him. Surrounded by obsequious followers, his ego had gone through the roof.
The lackey advisor hurried to the door and found Delila nearby.
Delila entered, her gait firm, but anxiety poured from her face. The accursed fox had tattled on her, despite promising just minutes ago that she wouldn't.
"Delila, my dog here says that you plotted against me. I also sensed that you shuffled my royal guards around. Do you have any explanation for this?"
"Your Highness, with the coalition force knocking at our door, it was prudent to be prepared. I merely reviewed our defenses, Your Majesty."
"Woof! Are you sure you didn't try to subvert His Majesty? You and the two advisors over there colluded against him, right?"
"Hm? What do you mean? Explain!" The king turned to Delila. Her words had reached him.
"Your Majesty! Don't believe a single word from this subhuman! It's false!" the advisor screamed.
"I didn't hear everything, I was just a passing dog after all. But I think I heard something about money being exchanged—so that this advisor's son, who has distant royal blood, could ascend as king." Leina smirked.
Delila raised an eyebrow, shocked. Leina had lied.
The truth was, Delila had indeed come that night to persuade those two advisors to join her coup, but they refused. Leina had twisted the facts to frame the two advisors as the instigators. It was a calculated move—fewer advisors meant fewer obstacles when steering the king toward his own downfall.
"Delila, is this true? Were you bribed by these two scoundrels?"
"No, Your Majesty. I was certainly offered money by them, but I refused. My sword exists for the kingdom." Delila bowed and went along with the lie. She was cornered. The meeting had indeed happened—it was either her or them. If she denied the meeting, those two loyal advisors would surely frame her for treason.
"Wench! You were the one who came to my bedchamber, offering my son the crown! Traitor!" the advisor lashed out, lunging at her. But a mere scholar could not hope to match a symbiote user. With a flick of her tentacle, the advisor was flung aside. The king scoffed.
"Execute him. Hmph! Your grandfather and mine were cousins — I thought you were loyal. As I expected, there are no loyal men in this kingdom. Guards, arrest these two men. They are traitors." With that, the two advisors were seized and thrown into jail.
"I shall take my leave." Delila said.
"Wait a minute, my king. How about we test Delila's loyalty? This kingdom needs a competent retainer, does it not? Wouldn't it be perfect if she proved her loyalty by repelling the invaders?" Leina said.
"But she works inside the castle," the king protested.
"But she might even be a traitor. What is more dangerous than letting a traitor sleep beside you, Your Majesty?" Leina murmured as she nuzzled at his legs and pressed into his crotch.
"Hm… true. Very well. Delila, get rid of those invaders as soon as possible and call Rashick here. He will guard the castle in the meantime."
"Your Majesty! That would compromise our defenses. Who will defend against the Forest of Tentacles in the north?" Sheena objected.
"Then repel those invaders as fast as you can! That's an order. Begone! I want them expelled from Latvin's lands within two months. This war has gone on for too long. I want Litmus and Mutual crushed by the end of the year!"
And so Delila was deployed to the front line. The war had reached its peak.