"Why are you tagging along?" Strax questioned the woman walking beside him as they were leaving the mansion. He could firmly hear the heavy steps of the woman at his side.
'I didn't want to bring this woman... especially knowing my wives...' He was already imagining the scenario; he would basically be letting a rabbit loose in a den of wolves... and wolfesses... almost Yanderes... in this case, his beautiful wives.
"I already told you, I'm going to help," she replied without hesitation.
"I don't need your help," he retorted without looking at her.
"That's no longer my problem. Xenovia needs help, so I'll help my sister," she answered back.
'Damn...' he muttered under his breath.
"You... since when do you care so much about her? As far as I know, she's the monster in the family," Strax commented as they neared Apocalypse.
Veronica looked at him for a moment and turned her face away. "And since when does that matter to you? If I want to do something, I'll do it," she replied curtly, climbing onto a white horse next to Apocalypse.
"Weird," he said, mounting Apocalypse. "Anyway, don't be dead weight," he said, pulling the reins and galloping quickly, leaving her to follow.
He returned home in a reasonably short amount of time. But... as he crossed the mansion's door... the atmosphere in the room seemed to change dramatically.
He entered the house, accompanied by his sister... "Wow... such a bad vibe," she commented, only to be greeted by... 4 Dragons, visibly annoyed.
Samira was sitting in the living room with her arms crossed, her gaze piercing Veronica like a spear.
Beside her, Beatrice observed him with a soft smile, though her eyes flashed with a barely concealed threat.
Monica was leaning against the wall, sharp as a blade ready to be drawn, while Cristine, always the quietest, wore a dangerous smile, indicating she was more than ready for any "welcoming gathering" that might arise.
Veronica barely had time to breathe before Samira stepped forward, her expression filled with a possessive "affection."
"Ah, Veronica, my husband's dear sister," Samira began, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Why are you here? Not the best idea to visit... I think we all know how much Strax loves his family, don't we?"
Monica smiled, adding in a sweet yet deadly voice, "We're sure there must be some noble reason, right? It's not as if a 'casual little visit' is common for a Vorah..."
Monica slowly stepped closer, holding a knife almost carelessly, though it was obvious how prepared she was to use it if needed. "Let's hope that's really true. I've always been good at daily tasks like cooking; I know my way around a knife," she said with a smile.
Verônica swallowed hard but kept her posture, showing no weakness. "You all seem to forget that we're in a life-or-death situation. I don't care about this... idiot. I just want to help save my sister, who was sold."
Cristine smiled in a way that was as sweet as it was dangerous. "Then how about cooperating without... crossing any lines? Because when it comes to Strax, the boundaries are clear. And I guarantee, you won't want to test them."
Strax, realizing he might need to step in, stood up. "Enough, all of you. You've made your point, and what we need now is temporary cooperation. I didn't bring Verônica here; she followed me."
His wives exchanged icy glances but didn't argue. Beatrice was the first to relent with a sigh, her gaze never leaving Verônica. "Alright. But don't expect this to mean a truce."
Samira muttered, addressing Verônica, "Consider this a final warning."
Verônica rolled her eyes and finally stepped forward into the center of the room. "Your threats don't scare me. It should be obvious we don't get along. But the focus here is to protect Vorah. Can we at least have a moment of seriousness?"
Strax gave a sigh of relief, seeing the tensions finally ease a little. "I hate to agree with this witch... Exactly. We're here for a purpose. If everyone can cooperate, maybe we stand a chance against this threat. But if not... there won't be time for petty quarrels and power games."
Strax's wives, despite their hostility, seemed to understand the point and slowly nodded, though it was clear the mistrust toward Verônica still burned in their eyes. Samira's final words echoed through the room, sharp and determined:
"So be it... but let this be clear: any step outside the agreed path, and you'll have more than spiders to face."
Clap!
He clapped his hands, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Alright, now... the map," Strax repeated, directing his firm gaze to Samira. "Did you manage to find the map to the northern forest?"
Samira, who had been keeping a challenging eye on Verônica, shifted her attention and nodded with a hint of reluctance. "Yes, I did," she replied, handing over an old scroll. "It was harder than I thought. It seems the routes to the forest have been altered recently, and some areas are experiencing disappearances. Convenient, isn't it?"
Monica, ever practical, stepped forward. "That means they're spreading quickly, probably killing people on these more isolated trails. We need to move now before the path becomes impassable."
Strax opened the map and observed the winding trails through the dense forest, with danger markers scattered in various places. "This area here," he said, pointing to a deeper section of the forest with a red circle marked on it. "It's risky, but the other routes are blocked. If they're as smart as they seem, they'll head for the place with the most traffic. And since this is all we have, it's the current target."
Cristine, who had remained silent until then, leaned over to examine the map, frowning. "If the area is really infested, it means there's a Queen. The spiders don't act alone."
"There must be a nest—a Demon Spider's Nest," he said.