Nell, who had been standing by in Alshir, turned white as a sheet as soon as the news reached her ears.
"We were able to escape, thanks to Rir, but Yuki remained in enemy territory."
She could feel the tips of her fingers turn numb as the demon, the envoy sent by King Phynar, relayed the news. She felt winded, like she had taken a punch to the gut. The report stated that her husband, with whom she had parted just three days prior, had been captured by the enemy.
He and several others had been sent to a region where the human supremacists were thought to be highly active. She was supposed to have been a part of the group, but she was busy with another matter, so they'd scheduled for her to join up with them at a later date instead.
The event had occurred on the second night.
The demonic ensemble had fallen victim to poison while they were staying at the inn; their dinners had been laced with a toxin that rendered them immobile. And no sooner had they collapsed than a group dressed in black entered the room.
Yuki was the only one that remained capable of motion. He intercepted the ambushers and ordered Rir, who had been standing by outside, to carry the other demons to safety.
"He didn't tell Rir to eliminate them?"
"He didn't want there to be any rumours of a monster controlled by a demon killing humans, as he knew it was likely to threaten the status quo," said the envoy.
The logic was sound.
She could certainly see that exact scenario playing out, because as one of the weakest races, they relied often on intel to keep themselves safe.
Unable to fight at his best, Yuki was collared by the enemy after helping all the others escape.
A whimper came from the wolf in question as she turned her eyes on him. He was looking depressed and kept his head bowed, so Nell reached over and gave him a hug.
For Yuki, it was just another everyday occurrence.
He often touted himself as a selfish bastard that cared little for anyone else, but when the circumstances took a turn for the worse, he would always jump right in to help, even if the person in trouble was one with whom he had only a minimal relation.
She loved that part of him, but it was also a great cause for concern.
Calm down, she thought to herself, as she breathed a sigh. Panicking was the worst thing she could do, and she knew it. The poison used was not a fatal one, but rather one that inflicted paralysis, which was to say that the human supremacists were not looking to murder him. They had hoped to use him, and the other demons, for some sort of scheme. And to that end, he was more likely alive than not.
If the demons' report was on point, then it was safe to assume he was being held somewhere. He would have already let her know, had he managed to escape.
She had to help, but the human supremacists were clearly prepared, and they even had a means to incapacitate a demon lord.
If their information network was anything even shy of utterly incompetent, then they would know of their relation and that she was likely to come to his aid, which was to say that they were expecting her and had countermeasures in place.
If she wanted to succeed, then she would have to defy their expectations. She would have to call for reinforcements. And it just so happened that she had a reliable family to call for help.
"I understand," said Nell. "I'm terribly sorry that you wound up in danger as a result of one of our mistakes, and I'm glad you're all safe."
The event had occurred at an inn recommended by the holy knights.
It was a terrible failure likely to devolve into an international affair. They would likely have to apologize to King Phynar in the near future.
"Don't be," said the envoy. "We should be the ones to apologize, in fact. We were well aware that we were entering enemy lands. It was our own fault for letting our guards down, and it was our poor decision that put your husband at risk. Please don't hesitate to call upon us when orchestrating his rescue."
"Thank you. We're sure to take you up on that offer, but please do get some rest for now."
After they provided a few more details, Nell reached into the enchanted bag she always carried on her person and retrieved a magical orb from within.
She funneled her magic into the object and waited. After a few seconds, a voice came from the other side.
"It is I, Lefi. With whom am I speaking?"
"Lefi! It's me, Nell. I really need your help."
***
A distortion in spacetime caused a crack to run through the mug situated on the table, its source none other than the dragon on the other side of the line.
Seeing her outburst, a worried Lyuu ran over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"L-Lefi? I-is somethin' wrong?"
"Did you get hurt?" asked Illuna.
"Oh no! But dont wurry! If yor hurt then I can do that pain pain go away thing!" said Shii.
"It's effective," said Enne. "Very effective."
Like the warwolf, the girls, who had been playing nearby, approached as soon as they noticed her displeasure.
"I am fine. There is little to worry about, for I was merely surprised. I apologize if I alerted you."
Lefi calmed down as she realised that the others were panicking, and after suppressing her rage, smiled as if to show that there was nothing for them to worry about.
The group as a whole was bold to say the least. They had been bathed in raw anger sourced from the world's most powerful dragon. And yet, they had all come running, just to ask her what was wrong.
"Did something happen? I sensed an incredible burst of magic," said Leila, as she hurriedly made her way out of the kitchen.
"It is nothing, only that the idiot has appeared to have made a blunder. I shall be cleaning up after his mess," she said. "Enne, might you join me? It appears that he remains useless lest he has you to wield."
"Mmk. I'll help."
"Is Yuki gonna be okay?" asked Illuna.
"There is little need to worry. It was but a minor failure, and I shall rescue him from his plight shortly, with Nell and Rir to offer their assistance. Leila, Lyuu, I shall leave this place in your hands. Contact me, should anything arise."
They could tell that something had gone horribly wrong, but neither adult pried any further.
Lefi had said that she would rectify the problem, and they saw no reason to doubt her words.
"You got it!" said Lyuu.
"Don't worry, Lefi. Everything will be under control," said Leila.
Their agenda confirmed, Lefi and Enne prepared for an immediate departure.