Ghana nodded after hearing Yasenia. She decided to tell her everything. Either way, they'll be working together for a while, and she didn't have to have minor tensions.
Yasenia has proved to be scheming and manipulative when dealing with the City Lord so easily. However, the fact that she is also someone very gentle to those near her made it very tempting to enter that circle of people.
Ghana knew it would be almost impossible to enter that circle. However, the first step would be to put her trust in her. "I'll tell you about it, Matriarch. I didn't have anything against it since the beginning, so don't worry."
Yasenia nodded. "Go ahead then. We have plenty of time now, so you can also tell me slowly. There is no haste."
Ghana smiled and commented with a small laugh. "If the Matriarch is so gentle, I'll want to speak faster."
Yasenia also laughed and leaned on Cecile, getting comfortable to listen to what Ghana had to say.
Ghana started with her overall situation. "I started working on Koran City almost eighty years ago. Not a long time or a short time. At that time, our Harpy Race had some conflicts with another clan, the [Five Fang Serpent Clan]. The negotiations were going badly, so we sought allies."
Yasenia nodded while slowly caressing Kaleina. "Go ahead."
"The name of our main Harpy Clan is [Storm Feathered Harpy Clan]. I'm part of it, but I always have been untalented cultivation-wise because of my lower-than-normal bloodline. I already have three-hundred-and-fifty-two years, and I'm just a mid-level Ethereal Body Soul cultivator, after all."
Yasenia was surprised and asked Tatyana. 'Is her age too high to achieve higher cultivation realms?'
Tatyana shook her head. 'Although she is slower than usual for cultivators in this place, she shouldn't be too far off. Also, unless a cultivator has started aging, they still can increase cultivation as well as a young one.'
Yasenia observed the relaxed sitting Ghana and spoke. 'Well, she looks quite youthful.'
Cecile snorted. 'Is her body good to look at, my love? Her breasts are round and with beautiful pink tips, right?'
Yasenia's lips twitched. 'Not as good as yours, sweetheart.'
Cecile pinched Yasenia's waist, making her almost yelp.
Ghana continued explaining, not catching the little banter. "We promised the [Steel Back Wolf Clan] to help set up a city here, and they'll help our race with that trouble. The deal was done, and some of our sisters were sent here."
Ghana used her clawed finger to play with her thick brown hair and commented. "I guess you can tell what happened next. Even if my talent and beauty were below average, I have always been good at management work, so I was sent to help."
Yasenia smiled. "I can also guess that you suggested yourself personally."
Ghana's eyes flashed with surprise. She chuckled and commented. "You are right. I have always been alone, and as hard as it is to believe, I am still unfamiliar with intercourse."
Yasenia and the girls almost choked. 'A three-hundred-year-old virgin?
Ghana saw their unbelieving eyes and chuckled, placing her hand before her mouth. Then, she teased Yasenia. "If the Matriarch wants to inspect, you can always do so."
Yasenia was speechless. "Aren't you proper? Why are you seducing me?"
Ghana lifted her eyebrow. "Who is the one seducing whom? Look at what you are wearing."
Yasenia and the others looked at her, and their eyebrows twitched. 'Well, I can't help but side with Ghana on this one. The black lace semi-transparent dress contrasting with her fair skin is truly tempting.'
Ghana smiled and continued. "Anyway, the reason I came was to find a mate and start a family. However, the City Lord was unlike what they put him out to be."
Ghana sighed. "Even though he doesn't overstep boundaries, he will mount any woman that lets him mount her. The number of mistresses he has is already over a hundred. I advocate for one-on-one families, so I could never be with him."
Yasenia chuckled. "I also have a harem, miss Ghana."
Ghana rolled her eyes. "I know, Matriarch. Have you seen me trying to make advances on you even once, expect that small tease?"
Yasenia blinked twice and realized that Ghana had indeed never made any suggestive gestures to her.
Evelyn snorted a laugh. "Our dragoness's charm is lacking, it seems."
Ghana laughed. "As if! Without my firm resolve, I would already be trying to jump on the Matriarch. She is the most attractive woman I've ever seen. The only comparable one I've ever seen is our clan's Harpy Leader and Miss Cecile."
Their interest was piqued, but they allowed her to continue explaining.
Ghana sighed. "Besides the disappointment on the City Lord, I was very happy the first forty years I worked here. It was challenging, interesting, and full of twists and turns. There had been more than once I had to resolve a City-Destroying catastrophe. Thankfully, my resources and background were good enough each time. Even this time, I bet Lady Yasenia would've ended up destroying the City if it weren't for me."
Yasenia laughed. "Well, you are not wrong. I'm quite fed up with the City Lord. I was one step away from giving up this City and moving to another one."
Ghana smiled and continued. "However, I've been unhappy about my work for almost thirty years. This city's Harpy community is tiny, so our culture is seen as strange. Although I helped set it up, the [Steel Back Wolf Clan] is the main influence in Koran City. Their clan males are usually not very attractive unless they are mixed children. As you know, mixed children's bloodline is usually worse unless the genes combine just right. Therefore, Koran City was unattractive for most Harpies who are innately hedonists and beauty searchers."
Yasenia understood the gist of it quickly. "I see. Continue. Why have you been unhappy these last years?"
Ghana commented with a frown. "Although no one says anything, I've already heard that sexual harassment on harpies is getting worse as years go by. Because of the small population and the fact that most harpies here are from branch families of our race, there aren't many efforts from the main branch to attend to the troubles here. They aren't that serious yet."
Ghana sighed. "I also don't find fault in it. Harpies' natural nakedness creates trouble everywhere, no matter how many regulations there are. In some places, low-level harpies are being traded as sex slaves."
Angel was unaware of why the harpies walked naked, so she asked. "Why don't you wear clothes, then? The design shouldn't be that troublesome."
Yasenia patted Angel's back, who was straddling her at the moment, and she answered. "It isn't that they don't want, but they can't."
"They can't? Why?"
Ghana answered this time. "Clothes make our race weaker since we need our skin to absorb the World's energy better. Wearing clothes is like having a cloth lodged in your nostrils. You may be able to breathe, but it would be uncomfortable and difficult. There are, of course, advantages to our innate condition. However, the problem is that our natural beauty and nakedness are not a good combination."
They all sighed and understood most problems plaguing the Harpy race instantly. Ghana continued, somewhat enraged. "Fu Hao, the City Lord, hasn't done anything substantial, and every time I bring it up, he dismisses the problem because there haven't been any serious cases. However, if we leave the problem unattended before it becomes a real problem, many harpies would've suffered by the time we come up with solutions."
Ghana crossed her arm-wings and frowned. "Some of my sisters have already settled down in Koran City, so leaving is also not an option. Not to mention, the cost of moving around is not cheap."
Yasenia commented. "Ghana, I know that this matter is important to you. However, I'm no savior. If you intend to work with us to drag our Astral Sky Clan to this dispute, I'm sorry, but we won't step up. You are valuable, but not so much that I'll dare risk stepping on the wrong foot when I meddle with this problem."
Ghana nodded. "I know. However, having a workforce to create a base of operations for your clan would be best. Even if Lady Yasenia hires only harpies and gives them protection under your wing, it won't look wrong no matter what intentions those powers have."
Yasenia looked deeply at Ghana and got thoughtful. "Your story holds. However, you might not know that I'm quite a new power, so my knowledge and resources are certainly lower than the entirety of the Harpy race. Now I ask, why don't your leaders do something about it? I can understand their lack of cooperation at the beginning. And you've already explained it. However, after thirty years, they should start worrying if the trouble hasn't been resolved yet, right?"
Ghana answered. "The Harpy races live far up North, too far away from their influence to be significant here. The resources needed are too many to solve a still minor case like this one. However, the assaults keep getting more frequent, I have my wings and talons tied, and I can't do anything about this situation."
Ghana then said firmly. "If you help us, our race will be an ally in the future. We may look like degenerates who like walking naked, but we are not ungrateful. The sense of loyalty in the Harpy race is a basic trait we all develop since young."
Yasenia squinted. "What if I enter a war with your Harpy race in the future? Who will these harpies that work under me give support to?"
Ghana said without flinching. "Some of them will definitely support our race. However, most of them will be on your side as long as you are on the right. I am willing to support you unconditionally if you accept my request this time."
Yasenia smirked. "That's quite a beautiful way to say: I'll support whomever I like the most depending on my mood at the time. If any of them feel like I'm wrong, they can leave at any time, right?"
Ghana's expression minutely changed, but it instantly returned to normal. 'She is much sharper than I thought.'
Yasenia laughed, amused at her wordplay. "Well, it was me who told you to be honest. You've tried to hide a bit of what would really happen, and I don't blame you."
Ghana looked down and sighed. 'She probably won't accept.'
However, Yasenia didn't take long to speak. "Okay, I'll take you in. However, I want to know about the powers in the city, the quality of goods, prices, and general knowledge of the Continent from you. I want you to pour every word of knowledge and create an orderly database. No lies, no hidden truths, no wordplays. I want to know everything you know about Distancia Continent."
Ghana's face lit up, and she smiled. She didn't doubt it for a second and accepted. "Yes, Matriarch! I'll work my hardest!"
Yasenia, Tatyana, and Ghana began a conversation about how to move the willing harpies.
Yasenia understood that those bullied would probably be on the weaker side, so she wanted Ghana to speak with the stronger harpies about our plan and recruit them.
Yasenia also thought about getting a guard group. Flanna crossed Yasenia's mind, but she could guess that she was processing the pills she gave her. 'I'll wait for a bit to speak with her. I don't know if she and her race would be able to join us either. We'll start with a harpy division that can fight.'
Yasenia got thoughtful, and she turned toward Angel and Kali. "Do your summons need your energy?"
Angel answered first. "My golems can work independently as long as they have energy inside. I can create them and also create an energy-recharging formation. However, their intelligence is very limited."
Yasenia got thoughtful. "Well, the intelligence matter can be overcome if we let other people command them around. What about you, Honey?"
Kali shook her head. "They need to stay connected with me. Maybe I can create them in the future and give them independence, but my skill is not powerful or thorough enough yet. Sorry, Yasenia."
Yasenia nodded. "Don't worry, honey. We can do with Angel's golems for house and security and to protect things like the treasure and such. Moreover, this method will be for when we are not around, so we can think of ways to increase their power."
After speaking about everything with Ghana, Yasenia stood up and stretched. Then, she smirked and shouted excitedly. "Now, I can finally try Alchemy and the other professions! I'm quite eager~."
Ghana was confused, but the others became excited. Angel exclaimed, "You should begin with Spirit Cooking!"
Yasenia chuckled and got closer to her to pick her up between her arms. Angel wound her arms and legs around her with familiarity and smiled. "Baby, how about we do formations first? You can teach me directly!"
Angel's eyes shone, and she nodded quickly.
But then, Yasenia saw that she became hesitant and began struggling.
Yasenia was puzzled. "Why? Don't you want to teach me?"
Angel answered quickly. "I-I want to! But… Isn't mommy Tatyana better to teach you formations?"
Yasenia understood, and she laughed. She smooched Angel's lips and commented. "Well, you are not wrong, but I've been learning from her for twenty years. I want to be taught by you today, baby. Can you?"
Tatyana rolled her eyes. 'This daughter of mine just wants to eat her pampered girl. Why make excuses?'
Angel fidgeted with her hands and asked with hope. "Really?"
Yasenia was already moving toward Angel's workplace in the mansion. She kissed her little girl's tender cheek with another loud smooch and smiled. "Of course. I want to spend some alone time with my baby~."
Angel's cheeks became rosy, and a sweet smile spread on her lips. "Yay! I love you~."
Then, they walked away, leaving behind a group of smiling girls and a surprised Ghana.