-Dressing Table.
This is not an uncommon piece of furniture. In the human cities of the North, especially for nobility and merchants, and for certain customary trades, almost every woman’s boudoir would have one.
A large mirror, pristine and clear, beneath which drawers and the table are filled with all kinds of makeup.
-However.
If it appears in the South, in the dwelling of a demi-human race, or as the sole possession of a powerful tribe in the Orc Plains, the Ancient Wolf Clan, occupying a position even higher than the “Chieftain”, that of the “High Priest”, and is placed in a significant spot in the room, it would seem extremely discordant and unnatural.
And this sense of oddity might peak when one sees the “High Priest” sitting calmly in front of the dressing table, meticulously and carefully straightening their long hair with a wooden comb.
Bal, holding his hair in one hand, continually relishes the sensation of the strands slipping through the comb’s teeth.
He keeps adjusting the angle, and even though to an outsider, many strands already appear perfectly straight, he is still not satisfied, not allowing even a single unruly or unstraightened strand.
After all.
This is what he considers his most important “beauty.”
Only when every strand is utterly smooth does he skillfully bring his hands behind his head, starting to braid his hair. Soon, his long, beautiful hair is tied into a bun at the back of his head, resembling butterfly wings. Bal then picks up a ribbon from the table, ties a knot in the middle, and secures the ends of his hair with various decorative pins.
Looking at his own delicate, androgynous face in the mirror, now accentuated by the hairstyle, giving him a more feminine appearance, a look of satisfaction finally appears in Bal’s eyes.
This hairstyle was something he learned from human cities, particularly from the top-ranking courtesans among geishas. The first time he saw it, he was deeply captivated. Since then, he has adopted it for himself, one of his many favorite hairstyles.
The hairstyle is just one aspect of Bal’s grooming routine. He quickly picks up a specially prepared cosmetic brush and begins to apply makeup near his eyes.
But
-Knock, knock, knock!
A series of urgent knocks suddenly come from outside, interrupting Bal’s actions, especially at a delicate task like applying eye shadow, which requires concentration. Startled by the knocking, Bal’s hand trembles slightly, causing a small, unsightly smudge in the eye shadow’s line.
Bal, who was calm and peaceful, suddenly became very angry and full of energy. His eyebrows came together in a frown, and his eyes showed a hint of wanting to harm someone.
But quickly realizing that such behavior would only mar his beauty, reverting him to his primitive self, Bal took a deep breath and calmed down. He turned his head slightly towards the door and said indifferently,
“Come in.” 𝑖𝘦.𝘤𝑜𝘮
With the High Priest’s permission, the chieftain of the Ancient Wolf Clan soon entered the room.
He, like Bal, belonged to the wolf demi-human race, but their appearances were starkly different. The chieftain wore a traditional animal skin coat, his broad chest bare, unashamedly displaying his burly physique. His protruding canines were visible, adding to his fierce demeanor. As he entered, a foul odor accompanied him, a common trait among the demi-human s of the South who rarely bathed.
All these “crude” aspects made Bal, who was sitting in front of the dressing table, frown in disgust.
When he turned to look at the muscular but undeniably ugly chieftain of the Ancient Wolf Clan, Bal was reminded of his former self.
-The one who was abandoned because of his appearance and gender-
“I believe I’ve told you not to disturb me when I’m preparing for the ritual, haven’t I? I hope what you’re about to say is truly important,” Bal said, putting down his makeup brush.
The chieftain of the Ancient Wolf Clan, upon hearing the mention of “ritual preparation,” couldn’t help but curl his lips in disdain, especially seeing the dressing table and the array of expensive, imported cosmetics from the northern humans, most of which he had no idea how to use. Even though he had seen them several times, he remained perplexed and puzzled.
Of course, these grievances against the “High Priest” remained hidden, and outwardly, the chieftain dared not show disrespect. He quickly reported:
“High Priest, there seems to be some unusual activity in the tribal forest recently.”
“Unusual?”
“Yes, several clans have stopped paying tribute. It looks like many of them are attempting to unite again.”
“Hahaha”
Upon hearing this, Bal let out a sarcastic laugh.
He curved his fingers, tending to his nails, and casually responded, “Do I need to teach you how to handle such matters?”
“No, no, no, High Priest, the intelligence I’ve received suggests that the initiator of this tribal union is… apparently the leader of the revolutionaries from the Sealed City! Moreover, their speed is alarming. In just about a week, they’ve already formed a considerable force. High Priest, I believe this situation is entirely different from the previous ones!”
The chieftain’s additional remarks made Bal pause in his movements. 𝘪.𝑐ℴ𝘮
He wasn’t concerned about the scale or speed of the union; any demi-human kind, united under the “curse,” would still be a disorganized mob to him.
Bal was more interested in the revolutionaries from the Sealed City.
He had previously received reports from his puppet in the northern human lands, Charl, about the “Empress in the South” It was this news that led him to convene the meeting of the Forgotten Ones at the “Sanctum.”
Now, combining the chieftain’s words with his own suspicions, Bal felt a foreboding sense. He immediately instructed:
“Bring a few scouts who returned from the tribal forest here.”
“Yes, High Priest.”
After receiving Bal’s orders, the chieftain hurried out. Soon, several scouts from the Ancient Wolf Clan were brought before Bal.
It was the first time these scouts were so close to the High Priest, and they trembled with excitement, especially when they saw the High Priest rise from the bizarre mirror stand and walk towards them. They hurriedly prepared themselves to answer the forthcoming questions.
But
The moment Bal raised his pale hand towards them, their excitement swiftly turned into a terror-stricken shiver.
Before they could even make a sound, a soul-sucking force made them wail in agony, feeling as if Bal was ripping their souls out of their bodies.
Bal didn’t bother with inefficient methods like “interrogation.” Instead, he directly extracted the souls of these scouts and, closing his eyes, searched their soul fragments for everything they saw and heard in the tribal forest.
The initial scenes were fairly normal.
Various clans began to move their camps closer together. But as Bal delved deeper into the scouts’ memories, particularly at the camp of the initial fearsome Lizard Clan, he frowned.
Because he saw a… maid?
‘Is this an android maid?’
If this detail only surprised Bal, the next scene in the soul fragment, where a strong gust of wind lifted 86’s short hair, allowed the all-knowing Bal in the soul fragment to keenly catch a detail that sent a shock through his body and dilated his pupils.
𝘪𝑎.𝘤𝑜𝑚