Kosk Hill was less than a day's ride away. The Commonwealth army should be nearing there, assuming nothing impeded their march. Meanwhile, Kanae and her companions left The Diamond with a larger caravan than they had initially arrived with. Several wagons were stuffed so full of food that carrions circled above hoping for something to fall off and catch a meal.

It wasn't as much as Kanae had originally intended to negotiate for. But what could she have done? Innocent lives were starving, and those that could provide were hoarding so much. They didn't leave with only food though. A platoon of East Saviran Trading Association footsoldiers joined them.

Kanae and Sadul were inside a lavish carriage, still going over what Furella had given them.

"Let's see… We were mostly provided with dried goods. Smoked meats, sun-dried fruits, and nuts. Rationing them out sparingly should last your army up to a week, even with the addition of the association troops," Sadul explained, his face buried in notepads in each hand.

"We'll be in a better state if we can free Bravost. The Harpy King's forces are spread thin, with most of them concentrated at the border to Avanesse. I'm worried about Sultana Dudula though." Kanae laid back and twiddled her thumbs.

"I am sure Her Majesty will be just fine! If the Harpy King took her life, news would have rang out across Bravost," he said.

The real challenge was going to be the siege. Toro Squa, the Scorching Dervish, occupied Bravost with Sultana Dudula in captivity. He was definitely going to leverage her life against them. Kanae wished Alicia was here more than ever to infiltrate the city.

Sadul was completely engrossed by the checklist of food. Kanae rubbed his inner thigh, and he shuddered in response. However, he continued pretending to be busy. A hard bulge grew between his legs.

"We still have the rest of the afternoon before reaching Kosk Hill. Why don't we get back to being the master and sex slave role we used to have until then?" Kanae purred, biting down on her lower lip.

"Th-Th-That would be impolite of me as an association member! You're Queen of the Commonwealth, and I am but a humble merchant." Sadul sweated profusely.

Kanae scooted away, much to the beastman's relief, only to lay on the opposite end of the couch and spread her legs to reveal a soaking pussy. His wandering eyes snapped open. He swallowed the lump in his throat. The final straw broke the camel's back when she undressed and let her breasts spill out.

Letting the animal take over, Sadul pounced on Kanae with the passion of a starved sex-addict. She howled to his beastly corkscrew cock ravishing her insides.

"Is this what you wanted, you dumb succubus slut? Is my dick all you can think about?" Sadul asked as he pistoned into her.

"Yes! Yours is the best… when it scrapes around inside my womb… mmmh! I've been fantasizing about your cock… ever since I left Bravost! Fuck me more, Master! Make me your personal whore~" Kanae pleaded from beneath him.

Sadul turned Kanae around, making her turn her ass up to him. She knew his hand was coming and switched on Masochist. The beastman's large palm slapped one cheek. Pain and pleasure rippled out from the point of impact. Kanae climaxed hard and screamed into the cushion her face was pressed against.

Slap!

"Ahh! Harder! Hit me harder!" Kanae cried.

The hand came down again but on the other cheek.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

"How unbecoming of a queen, to let a lowly merchant like me make a bitch in heat out of you! If only your people can see how much of a slut you are, bucking your hips like that!" Sadul's harsh words and rough treatment made Kanae beg for more.

"Nnh… That's right… I'm just a pathetic slut who can think of nothing but her master's dick!" Kanae moaned.

Sadul pulled out, turned her over again to face up at him, and brandished his dick in her face. Kanae rolled her tongue out to lick it clean of cum. The taste, scent, and jelly-like sensation intensified how much she needed it back in her pussy. But if her master wanted a blowjob, she was more than ecstatic to give it to him.

"That's a good girl." Sadul caressed Kanae's face as she sucked him off. "You're— hm? What's this? You even branded yourself for me!"

When Kanae looked down, the Enchanted Ink on her abdomen wrote, 'Property of Sadul' and 'Sow in need of Breeding'. They always had a mind of their own and gave her trouble. This time, however, she was thrilled for the tattoos to say what they did.

For the next few hours, Sadul gave Kanae his own kind of branding. Every time he neared climax, he ejaculated over her body until she was covered in his cum. Suddenly, someone pounded on the carriage door.

"Amethyst, we're being engaged! A small Elusis squad made up of harpies spotted us and is flying this way. We should be able to handle them no problem," Dalu, the Knight of Ivory, explained from the other side.

"I should go… help…" Kanae said while riding Sadul in the reverse cowgirl position.

"Let them handle it! Your colleague mentioned that they are able to take care of things. Go on." Sadul pushed her forward on all fours while fucking her from behind.

"Eh? Ahh! Wait… nnh…" She was in front of the door now, but he opened it.

Ivory was in the middle of leaving when it swung open. She turned around and grimaced. Even blindfolded, the monk seemed to know exactly what was going on. Kanae was drenched from head to toe in Sadul's spunk. Her hair was a disheveled mess. Her ass, pussy, and mouth were leaking cum.

"Do… Do you guys need my… help?" Kanae stammered, feeling hotter from being seen.

"Eugh. Now I know why Delayn is always so disgusted with you. You're welcome to keep at it. Renya, my knights, and the association soldiers can deal with the attack. Feel free to join us, or don't. Actually, I prefer you don't." Ivory walked off.

A battle waged all around them as Sadul continued to fuck Kanae with the carriage door open. Harpies swooped down to attack soldiers on the ground. Ivory Hall's knights fell into a shield wall formation, their spears pointed out through gaps to retaliate. The association's forces were not as disciplined. As they were taking up arms, many couldn't help but stop and stare at Kanae.

One harpy landed next to the carriage and delivered a blow to an unsuspecting soldier. He glanced at them, did a double take, and his jaw dropped. Renya cut him across the chest while he was distracted. The dark elf took one look at Sadul and Kanae and bursted out belly-laughing.

"Hey, nice support with the diversion, Kanae! Keep it up!" Renya fired finger guns in their direction.

Just as Ivory had predicted, the battle ended in their favor. The harpy squad laid defeated and sprawled all over the ground. Renya ordered people to start stripping them of equipment. Then, as quickly as the fight had started, they were on the move again.

Even though Kanae was eager to keep going with Sadul, she had a siege to plan. Retaking Bravost was going to be easy. From what little Kanae remembered from ancient history class in high school, sieges were long and costly. They didn't have that sort of time to spare. She did have the advantage of knowing Toro Squa was there, giving her an opportunity that wouldn't work with anyone else.

From Kosk Hill, Kanae was able to see how battered the landscape was leading up to Bravost's battered walls. Discarded weapons and armor, broken trebuchets, scorched slums, and craters in the ground. Sultana Dudula must not have put up much of a fight. How could they against an army infused with elemental powers?

The Commonwealth army was still in the process of setting up camp on the desolate field beneath the hill, far enough away from the reach of any siege weapon. But not from an aerial attack by harpies…

Kanae ordered her caravan forward to join the Commonwealth war camp. Soldiers were out in force, uneasy about a potential attack.

"Get these supplies to the quartermaster, Sadul. Ivory, with me. Renya, you can come with us if you want, but I won't hold it against you going to check on Thedia," Kanae explained.

"Thanks, pal." Renya tipped her hat and hopped on a ronoa towards the Rown encampment.

Kanae's ass stung with every step, but she pressed on towards the command tent where everyone was likely gathered.

"What do you think our chances are of winning this siege?" Ivory asked.

"Even if we manage to retake Bravost, I don't think we're winning in any outcome." Kanae frowned.

When they got to the tent, Petyr and Manabe were in the middle of plotting an attack on a broken section of Bravost's fortification. The discussions paused when Kanae and Ivory entered.

"How's it looking?" Kanae asked on the way in.

"Grim," Petyr answered curtly. "Best estimates put us around two-thousand lives lost on our side just to breach the walls. This is with Edina's undead army fighting alongside us."

"W-Why so many?" She gulped.

As if on cue, Edina hopped off her seat and walked outside. Kanae followed her. The necromancer flew up, casted Legion of the Dead, and marched her undead forces at the gates of Bravost. Bone brutes, undead warriors and mages, and other unliving beasts made it as far as no man's land before the magical artillery started.

Volleys of arcane missiles screeched across the skies. Fiery meteors pummeled scores of undead. Arrows rained down on them like a torrential storm. By the time Edina's army had made it to the wall, there were only a few left. One bone brute was missing a limb. A skeletal warrior without its legs crawled up to the gate before collapsing.

"Nothing short of my undead dragons and death knights will survive that," Edina explained.

They returned to the meeting with Kanae feeling defeated already.

"The other option is to stick it out for the long haul and starve them out. But… that might take up to a year." Manabe wrung his hands together.

"We don't have that long. I don't know if we can even spare a month. I'll go out there alone and try to reason with Toro. Maybe we can come to an agreement," Kanae said.

"You can't! That's suicide!" Esta jumped to her feet and exclaimed.

"You're not going out there without protection!" Arenade added.

"If I go with a force, they're going to take it as an attack. It has to be just me," she insisted.

"In that case, allow me to accompany Amethyst," Archbishop Patrice volunteered.

Immediately, Delayn and Camilla rose to protest, but the high elf motioned for calm just as fast.

"I've long since recovered from the injury I sustained at Serpent's Tail. My magic is capable of protecting myself and Amethyst. And if Toro Squa does answer our summons, two political leaders pressuring him is better than one," she explained.

Everyone else was still skeptical, but Kanae and Archbishop Patrice felt this was the only way to avoid a bloody confrontation. After a couple of spellcasters granted them a few buffs, they mounted a ronoa each and rode out across the field.

Kanae kept her eyes on the sky, expecting to be bombarded at any moment. Thankfully, they weren't attacked the same way Edina's undead army was. The two made it up to the battered steel gates of Bravost. Elusis soldiers on the battlements stared at them with tension in their postures. Winds picked up and sent a discarded helmet rolling past.

"Toro Squa, I am Queen Kanae Toyomi of the Commonwealth of Sin! I'm here to seek an audience!" Kanae shouted.

"And I," Patrice began in a politer tone, "Archbishop Patrice Starborne of the city-states of Radevic, have also come seeking an audience!"

A heavy mechanism inside the walls creaked. The gates groaned as they opened just enough for a lone dark elven man to step out. He wore the same dark red robe from when Kanae had last seen him. The sleeves and skirt had been burned though.

"We meet again, Kanae Toyomi. It seems you managed to escape Buhar despite the Harpy King's assurances. Might I assume that my colleagues have been defeated?" Toro asked calmly.

"Kaseem, the Frigid Dervish is still alive last I checked. Nasiri's gone, sucked into the elemental plane. And Grahib and Sofisa are worm food. I wish things had turned out differently, but they made their beds. It doesn't have to end the same way for you," Kanae insisted.

"Does it? You may have defeated our forces stationed at the mining settlements. But from what I understand, we have already extracted most of the felmetal from them. We also occupy Bravost, while you're forced to besiege us in a losing war. Are we truly the ones at a disadvantage?" He gestured to the bows and readied spells on the battlements just a signal away from being fired.

Kanae clicked her tongue. So much for being reasonable. But they were close. She tried to exert a Charm on Toro, but he easily resisted it. Pain didn't feedback to her. He didn't drink the elixir then?

"I know you're trying to seize hold of me, Queen Kanae. It won't work. My will is ironclad. You would have had more luck ambushing me." Toro smiled.

"Worth a try. Is there really no way I can convince you to relinquish Bravost and leave with your army?" Kanae asked.

The Scorching Dervish shook his head.

"You're not Saviran," Archbishop Patrice said suddenly.

"No, I am not. Good of you to notice," Toro replied.

"Your manner of speech carries a subtle elvish accent not native to Radevic, Highgreen, or Saviran. That suggests to me you live elsewhere. A different country? A different continent entirely? You fight for the Harpy King in a foreign land. For what purpose?" she pressed him.

They held each other's gaze for a few seconds, but it felt like hours for Kanae.

"The Sceptre of Want. Where is it?" Toro asked finally.

Kanae considered answering until Archbishop Patrice gave her a subtle shake of the head.

"Hidden, far from anyone's reach. No one, not even you or the Harpy King will come to possess it," Patrice said.

"A deal then?" Toro suggested. "Promise me the Sceptre of Want. Just me. It won't fall to the Harpy King's hands, I promise. In exchange, I will pull troops away from the east wall and have them reinforce the west. You punch a hole into the city from there, and it shall simply be a miscalculation on my part. I can even ensure the safety of Sultana Dudula, Archmage Donnu, and the association's premier."

"No deal," Kanae and the archbishop answered together, surprised that they were of the same mind, and just rolled with it.

Kanae continued, "I've seen what a Devil's influence can do. The Sceptre of Want isn't falling into anyone's hands."

"Shame. I wish you luck in breaching these walls. It was difficult for us, even with our elemental might." He turned to head back into the city.

On the way back, Kanae mulled over whether or not she made the right choice in not handing over the Sceptre of want. She might have condemned her army to their bloodiest battle yet.

"Why did you decline, Amethyst? I was sure you would have done anything to protect your people," Archbishop Patrice said.

Kanae scoffed. "I don't have the best track record with devils. The devil of greed, Hax'Gorah almost got my best friend killed. The devil of pride, Varren is partly responsible for Ortesia's invasion of the Commonwealth. And the devil of lust, Satine is why I have the Cult of Lust and Depravity on my doorsteps. What about you? Figured you would be interested in seeing how a devil shakes up this war from an academic's standpoint."

"Quite the opposite. Devils are forthright about their desires. They have nothing interesting about them. Humanity is interesting. We are surprising. You are surprising! I'll be damned if I let a devil control our fates. Together, we shall persevere in this siege, and history shall remember it," she explained.

Kanae took the lesson to heart and felt much better about herself. History shall remember it.

When they returned to camp, everyone was disappointed to learn that a peaceful resolution hadn't been reached. It was looking like they would have to siege the very walls of Bravost itself until a light lit in Kanae's head.

"Get all of the carpenters and builders together. Use any lumber we can spare and build a giant statue of a female harpy. Fill three wagons full of fruits and alcohol. As for the army, start packing up camp," Kanae ordered.

"Oh, no. Kanae's gone kookoo." Edina sulked.

"We just finished setting up camp, and you want us to pack it up?" Arenade threw her hands up.

"What's this about a statue and wagon of fruits and alcohol? Don't tell me you're trying to bribe them," Petyr said.

Manabe was the only one to realize. He shot up and gasped.

"Trojan Horse!" Manabe exclaimed.

"Trojan…?" everyone muttered at once.

"It's an ancient battle strategy. Just trust me on this. Tell the construction crew to hollow out the interior of the statue, and give me maybe 40 soldiers willing to follow me into the thick of the fight," Kanae said.

The entire camp went to work under the prying eyes of Bravost's occupiers. But there was no way any of them knew of their plans. The association and Rown laborers, under Renya's management, built a large wooden statue of a harpy from scraps in the battlefield, unused wagons, and rope.

Arenade had packed up the camp and was ready to mobilize a retreat at a moment's notice. Sadul arranged for some of the foodstuff obtained from The Diamond to be used as offerings. Kanae gathered her soldiers which included Renya, Esta, Feraline, Petyr, Ivory, Camilla, and the Ivory Hall's finest. Even though Kanae would have wanted them to stay behind, Kara, Seven, and Theena volunteered as well.

On the third day, they were ready to put the plan into motion. Kanae's force of 40 entered through a hatch underneath the wagon carrying the statue. They filled into the crowded interior, with only small gaps that let in sunlight.

"I'll fire a signal. That's going to be your cue to attack the gates," Kanae explained to Arenade and Edina.

"You sure you don't want me in?" Sivvy asked.

"You're the powerhouse that's going to lead the attack force. I'm counting on you, too." She clasped the Knight of Red's hand before climbing into the statue.

The horns blasted loud and far. Marching soldiers followed in lockstep with carriages and wagons back to Kosk Hill. Commander of the army, Manabe, however, led the statue and three wagons of food the opposite way toward Bravost. First, they needed to survive not getting struck by artillery. Everyone inside held their breaths.

Crunching from the wheels grinding on the hard stone surface stopped. They had made it to the gate.

"What ruse does the Demon Queen play now?" Toro's voice asked from above.

"No tricks!" Manabe answered promptly. "Queen Kanae understands that a siege wasn't going to win the war, so we've packed up and left to take the battle to the Harpy King himself. We're leaving these behind for the citizens of Bravost, and a statue of the Harpy King in good faith so that you don't attack us from behind."

"And… what if I were to burn these gifts?" he said seriously.

"I swear to the Supreme One, if I die in a fire alongside you…" Petyr grinded her teeth.

"We'll be fine! I think…" Kanae prayed for a miracle.

They all prayed until someone shouted from a distance.

"Open the gates!" a soldier yelled.

"Belay that order! Do not open the gates!" Toro protested.

"With all due respect, my lord, the soldiers are getting hungry. Burning an effigy of the Harpy King is also sacrilegious. You may be our commanding officer, but the Harpy King is our Sultan. Open the gates!" the man reiterated.

The groaning metal was music to Kanae's ears. Through a small hole in the wall, she watched as Manabe stay put the gate and let Elusis soldiers take the reins. A cheering army descended from the battlements to snatch fruits and wine from the wagons, gorging themselves on it all.

"It fucking worked?" Petyr gasped.

"Amethyst, that was genius! Do we attack now?" Ivory whispered.

"No." Kanae shook her head. "Let them get drunk. We'll begin at night."

And many soldiers did get drunk. Some were so wasted they were passed out against the statue. Toro was nowhere to be seen, but his army celebrated around the statue of the Harpy King as if he had granted them this gift. The sun had soon set, and the moon and stars lit up Savir in its place. Torches and lanterns were ignited across Bravost.

Kanae spotted a dark elven child sneaking up to the cart of fruits. He was scrawny, cheeks gaunt and a sleeveless shirt offered a window to his bony arms. The boy grabbed a round fruit and bit into it. Sweet juices dripped down his chin. A smile flashed across his face until a harpy soldier picked him up by the scruff of his neck. They went as high as the statue's head, where Kanae was just within reach.

"Let go!" he cried.

"Urchin! Stealing is a crime punishable by death." The harpy lifted him into the air. "Do you still want me to let go?"

Petyr, unable to contain her temper, punched through the statue and grabbed the harpy by his throat.

"What… the…" The soldier croaked.

"Go, go, go!" Kanae shouted.

The boy slipped from his grasp and plummeted.

"I got him!" Renya duplicated a clone outside and barely caught him in time.

They poured out from under the wagon. Drunken soldiers had no time to react or pull out their weapons. One of them managed to load a crossbow bolt.

"Feraline, attack!" Esta flung her daughter into the air, and the drakeling girl landed on the crossbowman to start shredding him up.

"The gatehouse, go!" Kanae directed their attention to the building beside the iron gates.

"My hall, on me!" Ivory rallied her knights to carve an open path to the gatehouse.

"Kanae, leave it to us. We'll open the gates if you keep them off us!" Theena broke into a sprint for the gatehouse with Kara and Seven close behind.

Camilla saw them go, nodded to Kanae, and chased after the three.

Chaos ensued across the immediate section of the city. Fire consumed the wooden statue. Petyr had jumped out before then, smashing the harpy in her grasp to the ground. The gates were beginning to open. Kanae flew up to the battlements, where Elusis soldiers rushed to the gatehouse in an attempt to close it.

With Lust in one hand and Cockcalibur in the other, Kanae stood firm against a horde of the Harpy King's forces. Finally, the gates had opened wide. She pointed her enchanted ring to the sky and fired a fiery bolt into the sky.

The soldiers paused. They hesitated to jump Kanae. Instead, a distance rumble drew their attention across no man's land. Edina, riding upon her undead dragon, howled into the night as she carried a platoon of soldiers into battle on its spine. From the darkness came a Legion of the Dead led by death knights.

Behind them, Arenade and Archbishop Patrice, donning golden suits of armor from Holy Armament, led a flood of Commonwealth soldiers to the open gates.

The same magical and elemental artillery that bombarded Edina's undead army a few days ago was only a fraction of its power now. The explosions decimated scores of undead. But a powerful gust that threatened to rip Kanae's wings off her back roared past, knocking the artillery safely away from the army.

Sivvy Brenhallow, the Knight of Red, found her vigor again as she battled harpies in the sky. The massive block of felmetal bludgeoned swarms of attackers away, as well as conjuring devastating gales that rendered arrows, crossbow bolts, and magical projectiles.

"Well?" Kanae addressed the trembling Elusis soldiers before her, tail snapping open to reveal a slimy and gaping maw. "Who wants to face the Demon Queen first?"