Charms of the strange

Soon, they've returned at the glorious crystal castle of Vampia. Thelamia and Genocide entered the meeting room. More so, Thelamia was carrying the sleeping Spheera.

Though, Thelamia witnessed that it wasn't no ordinary meeting room. Rather, the whole atmosphere was similar to the knights of rounds.

They sat at the spare chairs provided near beside Queen Julieth, as they were special audience.

"Mmmmhhhmmm,"

Thelamia glanced around. She saw four people on their chairs.

They were, wearing black hoods of the damned and white hoods of salvation. There after, she went close to Julieth's left ear, while she was looking at the fully-cloaked people,

"Are those the elders of the council?"

Julieth uttered back with her soft soothing voice,

"Yes. Though, they're more or less annoying. You'll see why. And this is why I never bothered with this."

Genocide just crossed his arms and said without any hint of awareness,

"Pffft! These crooked old people always break dad's nice suggestions. Since, they always say it'll damage the prosperity or name of the kingdom or something."

One of the hooded people's ears twitched, as she heard those reckless words from Genocide's mouth.

As for Thelamia, she made a frown with poise and manner of a young lady,

"Oh."

Though, her thoughts were filled with sorrowful vibes and pity,

"I guess Zero's been having a tough time too huh."

Genocide perceived that Thelamia looked-like a sad little girl, so he patted her shoulder. Then, he whispered close to her right ear with a smile on his face,

"And that is why mom's asking me to do these funny requests behind the scenes."

Thelamia's frown turned upside down after that. The huge doors opened once again and the footsteps of an overlord of black iron was heard. Thereon, Thelamia turned around. There, she saw the unmasked debonaire and gallant Zero had entered the meeting room.

As soon as Zero was sitting on his high chair, he struck his sword down the ground,

"Let this council of Vampia, begin."

The tall elder who was shrouded in a black hood opened the floor. Though, her voice was a seductive woman who came from a high-class society,

"So, what are some nice suggestions you would like to share, you're majesty."

Julieth's eyebrow twitched when she heard the elder had a woman's voice who spoke casually.

While for Zero, he crossed his cold arms and made a grin,

"All I could say, why not tell me all of your suggestions first. For the better of the kingdom."

Julieth was even more boggled in her thoughts,

"That's strange. Usually, Zero's not interested in their crappy ideas.

Not much soon, the elders under the visage were brainstorming and humming.

Though, Julieth was looking uneasy, since she was noticing that their mannerisms and behavior were graceful and women-like.

That sudden moment, the female elder in a white hood raised her hand energetically. Then, she expressed with a hint of cuteness and sassiness,

'Oooooh! Why not add colliseums! So that these guards won't get bored!"

The elder of high-class from before retorted back sarcastilcally,

"And you're just trying to make them even more barbaric."

The energetic elder refuted back and wiggled her finger,

"Hey! FYI! It's not barbaric. Since, my people participate in colliseums and still have finesse ya nyao!"

While for the other elder who had a petite young-kid's body covered in a black hood, she made a smile. Then, she spoke with a timid young girl's voice,

"Colliseum...fun..."

As for the last elder in a silver hood, she laughed sarcastically, as she was a haughty blonde rich girl,

"Au-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! In my world, those who do battles are of lower status, entertaining us, with higher status."

Thelamia was a little culture-shocked and she went near Julieth's right ear,

"Ummm ummm...Are those elders always like that? They appear to be casual and lively.

Even Julieth who was being filled with doubts, was made to touch her own lips of glamour,

"This is really strange. And why are they all girls now?!"

Genocide just scratched his chin. Not only that, his eyes had the look of an intrigued trickster,

"Wew...something's fishy and it's not a girl's wet panties."

Somehow, Zero nodded with a satisfied smile for the flow of conversation. Then, he raised his hand,

"I have a suggestion."

The lively woman in the hood clasped her hands,

"Ooooh! What is it lord overlord?"

Julieth was a little flabbergasted once more,

"L-lord overlord?"

After that, Zero held his hands together and expressed his ideas for all of them to hear,

"I'd like to abolish slavery within the lands conquered by Vampia. And give these lands their own independence."

Julieth was shookt inside her mind, as discord would brew around the area later on,

"No way! I can't believe he did it again! Is he trying to piss off the elders again?!"

She put her palm on her face afterwards,

"And after Zero suggested something, the elders will just contradict him."

There was long silence in the air. No one spoke one word and only the chilling winds of mute were felt by their faces.

One of the elders' smile reached its peak and flapped her mouth, while she was touching her lips with poise,

"Well I'd agree with the highness's suggestion. Since slavery itself won't bring TRUE happiness to anyone."

Julieth couldn't keep up with the sudden unexpected outcomes,

"Eh?!"

As for Thelamia, she shrugged her divine's friend shoulder,

"Uhhh ummm Julie? She didn't contradict though."

Then, the other elder expressed her prideful self once more,

"In my world, slavery doesn't exist. But a social caste system exist! Au-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!"

The others joined-in casually as well,

"Me don't like...slavery."

"I don't like slavery either. In fact, I hated it! As I became a slave in my own previous world!"

Julieth's senses observed that the elders were acting odd in their statements, making her to be so confused in her thoughts,

"Okay...what's going on here."

The haughty elder turned to look at Julieth and expressed an inviting gesture,

"And how about the queen? Does she agree with this as well? Unless she kept some PET SLAVES! Au-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho."

Julieth didn't look pleased. In her mind, she's already feeling the stressful vibes,

"This laugh is truly annoying and familiar."

Though, soon enough, she brushed her uneasy look with a delighted smile of the first lady. Then, she returned the subject at hand,

"Yes, I am also against it. And it is time for the cold iron-fist kingdom to change its ways."

The elder council made the round of applause and Zero nodded as well. Julieth had stopped being worried and instead, she just went with the flow. Soon, she asked something personal from the council, before they end the unusual meeting,

"Though, I just have one request. Could all of you take off your hoods? If you don't mind?"

The elders looked at each other.

While for Zero, he was feeling uneasy and his face was having nervous vibes.

Sooner or later, they pulled down their hoods. There, Thelamia took witness that the hooded elders were truly women in appearance. Though, they weren't just any ordinary-looking women, since their beauty was likened by the divine Goddesses.

The golden-blonde elder would even compete to the beauty of Julieth. Even though, the blonde woman's aura was as nasty as a bitchy rich girl who would look down on others.

The other two would have glistening hair of autumn and winter. They don't appear as annoying as the previous. Somehow, they seemed to be the Goddesses that mortal men would be delighted to approach.

Thelamia turned to look at the shy young girl with black hair. Though, Thelamia could feel the vibes of a divine being coming from the young lass, since the petite girl was a deity as well.

As expected, Genocide's eyes were locked on their promising features that would make men drool over their glorious goods. Truly, this guy is the epitome of a true pervert.

Soon, Genocide cleared his throat and scratched the back of his own head,

"Riiight, did dad just turned the elderly into beautiful women? Cuz that would be pretty funny!"

Surprisingly, Thelamia just waved at the flock of magnificent Goddesses,

"Hi Aloria! Hi Vivi! Hi Marina and hi loli senior Nearis!"

The girls just waved back.

Genocide was stoked and shifted his look at Thelamia,

"Huh? Ya know them Thamy?"

Thelamia made a peace sign of a cute shining girl,

"Yea! They're Goddesses from different worlds!"

Genocide scratched his own lower chin and assumed with a grin,

"Guess dad's making his own HAREM then. And they're the same ranking as mom. Even in their forms and looks."

When Zero glanced around, his face was filled with fright when he saw something scary. There, his eyes had stopped glancing as he perceived Julieth's glare of the burning hell directed at him.

After a while, Julieth crossed her legs and arms. Then, she raised her eyebrow, while she was staring at her kingly husband who turned into a cowering mutt,

"What's going on here, Zero!?"

The Goddesses just told their regards,

"Ooooh! Busted!"

"Sigh..."

Zero's mouth was shut and just let his own nervous sweat to drip down.

She raised her tone and asked something personal to Zero, as she was a housewife who was about to blow her top off anytime soon,

"My dear LOVING and LOYAL Zero, could we have a PRIVATE talk about this!?"

Genocide just masked a silly smile and scratched the back of his own head,

"Eheheheheh! Mom, me and Thamy will be just.—"

"NO! You and Thamy will come with me and record what this CHEATER has to say,"

Julieth interrupted him and burst out her wrath on her own son instead.

Genocide just gulped and turned to look at Thelamia,

"Guess we can't escape Thamy."

Somehow, Thelamia just made a weak smile of the calming winds,

"Yea..."

Though, inside her mind, her little self was already panicking in the chaotic storms,

"Aaaaaahhhh! It's angry JULIE MODE! WE NEED HELP! WE NEED HELP!"

Yeah, no one's gonna come for your help you silly Goddess.

Soon, Zero, Thelamia, Genocide, and Julieth were back at the grandiose office of the queen, carved to the preference of a military woman.

The tense Zero was at the leftside sofa. As for Thelamia, she was with Genocide at the opposite side. More so, Thelamia was holding the slumbering Spheera on top of her laps.

Thelamia took notice that Julieth was glaring at Zero, while her queen friend was cross-legged and furious.

Deafening silence was in the air as the rage of Julieth seeped through the atmosphere.

Later, Julieth flapped her mouth while her fiery stare was directed at her own husband,

"So Zero, could you tell me where'd you find these GODDESSES?!"

Zero held his own hands together and looked down, while he was disappointed in himself,

"Julie...I asked for their help."

Julieth's anger went higher,

"On what?!"

She pointed at him straight with her eyebrows crossed,

"JOINING YOUR HAREM?!"

Then, she weakened her voice,

"A-am I not enough?!"

Although, Zero could sense that behind Julieth's mask of rage, her core of warmth was already aching deep inside. He could feel that his wife was about to cry a river of sorrowful fragments if he didn't answer correctly.

Thereon, Zero took a deep breath. He looked at his own fragile wife with his honest eyes of a concerned husband, a lover was about to pour tears of pain as well,

"Please Julie, I'm not making a harem. Rather, I wanted to ask for their help for the better change of the kingdom and the other lands of Athlus."

Sadly, Julieth was even more furious,

"WHAT THE HELLS!"

Thelamia and Genocide were stoked.

Julieth burst out more rapid bullets from her mouth with added gestures,

"I'm already doing things behind the scenes just to change Vampia little by little! With the support of your douchebag son here!"

Though, Genocide just made a grin, and accepted his mother's insult as a compliment.

Then, Julieth continued with her shells of doom, aimed at her own husband,

"But with this! Even if it's for the better of Vampia. It's still too reckless! The REAL elders won't be happy with this!"

Zero just sighed,

"The Goddesses just let them sleep for the time being. They just replaced the elders roles without the common people knowing about it."

Sadly, Julieth was still wasn't done with her interrogation of her better half,

"What about the Goddesses' REWARD huh?! Is it to have a SWEET TIME with you?!"

Thelamia butted-in the conversation,

"Yea! As written in the Goddesses request! You'll have to give something of equal value or whatever that INTEREST them!"

One of the things that is hard to digest, since it came from the whimsical Goddess's mouth.

Zero looked at his wife directly,

"Answering your question Julie. No, it's not to have a sweet time with me. Rather, they were interested in the MAGICAL CRYSALS you've invented. My dear Goddess."

Julieth was at a loss for words, when she heard those sincere statements from her beloved.

The next moment, the doors opened and the four dazzling Goddesses appeared,

"Kay-kay-kay! That's enough drama, drama queen Julie."

Julieth wasn't happy with the impudence of her fellow Goddess,

"I'm not a drama queen okay!"

The sassy Goddess told more,

"And nope...your husband isn't cheating on you for us. We have our OWN heroes and we're already ETERNALLY married for Pete's sake!"

The other Goddess who had the vibes of the arctic winds joined-in the conversation,

"Well, some of us are."

She shifted her glance at the Goddess who had the body of a young lass. Though, the petite and timid Goddess just looked away capriciously, while her cheeks were rosy red.

Then, the Goddess of the frozen wasteland uttered out more, while she was fiddling with her cerulean smartphone,

"Like your husband said, we just wanted to get our own piece of MAGICAL CRYSALIS you've made."

Julieth just facepalmed with poise,

"Do each of your own eternally bonded heroes know about this? Ugh, my head hurts."

Afterwards, the haughty divinity expressed her shameless pride and laugh,

"They just know it's the usual Goddess request and they're just waiting for us to finish it. Au-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!"

Thelamia was busy caressing her little ball kitten.

Though, Genocide was made to scratch his own chin when he heard something from before,

"Huh, so most of the Goddesses are married huh."

The Goddess of class who was a party-goer replied back to him with a vile smile,

"Yes, unless you wanted to taste the blade of each of our own husbands that is."

Genocide just responded immediately,

"I'd pass on that."

Then, the other Goddess who was done fiddling with her phone of ice went close to Genocide's face,

"And you're Zero's son right?"

Genocide made a cool smile and acted proud with his fist touching his own chest,

"You are correct on that. Goddess from another world. I am the son of Goddess Julieth and Supreme Generia Zero Revenant."

There after, the flock of Goddesses approached him. Their flawless hands touched his facial features such as they were aunties who were fond of their nephew,

"You do look-like your dad but...you're kinda a..."

"Pervert,"

The petite Goddess said.

Genocide just accepted her insult,

"Thank you for the compliment, dear li'l Goddess."

When Thelamia took notice that the Goddesses were touching Genocide's face, she pouted, as she was a jealous and annoyed school girl,

Soon, the girls stopped playing with Genocide's face, saving Genocide's face from being washed away.

Instead, one of the deities patted the Julieth's stressed shoulders,

"And aren't you glad to see us again Julie? Oir dear ol' friend?"

Julieth was just annoyed,

"WHAT THE HELLS!"

When Zero noticed how casual and lively the place was, he laughed his hardest.

Julieth felt that her husband's cold shell had melted, turning her to feel at ease.

Zero expressed with his radiant smile,

"So these are Thamy's and Julie's friends from different worlds I see."

The sassy Goddess made a smile soon,

"I guess the king is entertained huh."

To Thelamia, he was no longer the overlord that everyone fears, but a companion who would be entertained by the silly antics of his friends. Thereon, Thelamia clasped her hands as she was wishful in her thoughts,

"Zero's shining again!"

While for Julieth, she was the one who burst into tears of joy as her husband's heart was filled with light and warmth. She also had optimistic thoughts too,

"It's been a while I've seen Zero back to his old self."

She made a heartwarming smile of a delighted wife afterwards.

One of the Goddesses remembered something,

"Oh and yeah! We wanted ask a favor from Julie and her husband Zero that is quite PRIVATE."

Julieth's eyes went wide,

"Huh?"