Many would consider flying through the clouds to be something amazing and wonderful. A freeing sensation.

To be above it all.

Frey never quite saw the appeal.

Certainly, she understood the advantages that she and the other harpies possessed over the races bound to the ground. Flight offered freedom, mobility, and perspectives few others could ever experience.

However, harpies were simply born that way. Creatures of the sky from the moment they took their first breath.

Frey had never known what it was like not to fly.

And besides, those who truly mattered in her eyes all possessed the ability to fly in one way or another. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Demon Lords, for example.

Especially the dark-haired Demon Lord flying beside her at that very moment.

Frey watched as Kaede suddenly plunged into a nearby cloud bank before bursting out through the top a few seconds later, spinning through the air with her arms spread wide.

The sight was almost absurd.

Kaede’s white wings stretched nearly eight metres from tip to tip. A golden halo floated above her head, while faint particles of holy energy drifted from her figure like scattered starlight.

How was this woman a Demon Lord in any sense of the word?

Frey had survived the last Tenma War. She had fought angels. Killed angels. Seen countless varieties of them descending from the heavens.

She was more familiar with their kind than most.

And yet, looking at Kaede now, Frey could say with complete confidence that this woman was the most angelic angel she had ever seen.

Kaede vanished into another cloud, and Frey watched her silhouette disappear completely.

A head suddenly poked out from beneath the cloud layer several hundred metres below.

Kaede waved enthusiastically.

The Demon Lord then shot upward like an arrow loosed from a bow, bursting through the cloud layer directly beside her.

"Did you see that?"

"Unfortunately."

"It was cool, right? I disappeared into a cloud, and then I came out of another one."

"Truly revolutionary."

The woman drifted onto her back, wings spread wide as she allowed herself to simply float through the sky.

The wind itself seemed eager to carry her.

Frey found herself studying those wings again.

Beautiful.

Large enough to rival even the greatest of Fulbrosia’s aerial beasts. Yet unlike any bird’s wings she had ever seen.

White feathers stretched outward in immaculate rows, not a single one out of place despite Kaede’s antics.

The holy energy surrounding her only made the image stranger.

One of the oldest instincts possessed by harpies was the ability to sense danger from the sky. It had saved countless lives throughout their history.

Even now, Frey could feel that instinct reacting.

Shaking away those wandering thoughts, Frey leaned forward slightly, her right wing gradually overlapping Kaede’s left as she closed the distance between them.

They were flying side by side now.

"Are you finally going to tell me what this is about?" Even with the wind rushing past her ears, Frey made no effort to raise her voice. There was no need. "And why you had my scouts fly ahead of us. If it was merely a tour of Fulbrosia you desired, all you needed to do was ask."

Kaede laughed, and even up here, where the air was thin and the oxygen scarce, the sound remained as relaxed and carefree as ever.

"Well, since you want to know so badly." She grinned. "Have you ever heard of Angelus?"

Frey took a moment to consider the name.

Nothing came to mind.

"No." She shook her head lightly. "I cannot recall any individual, nation, organization, or historical record bearing that name."

Kaede nodded slowly.

Then she came to a stop, hovering effortlessly in place while resting a hand beneath her chin in thought.

"So I was right after all."

Frey slowed as well, coming to a halt before her.

"Much as I enjoy your company," she said, folding her arms beneath her chest, "I find that my appreciation diminishes considerably when I am expected to navigate a conversation blind."

"Don’t get so worked up, Frey." Kaede slowly tilted backward until she was completely upside down, further proving that her wings were largely decorative. "The Heavenly Nation of Angelus is a small country located between Fulbrosia and the Jura Forest. Very small."

Frey raised an eyebrow. That alone made little sense.

A nation situated between Fulbrosia and one of the most infamous regions in the west should not have escaped her notice, regardless of its size.

"Somehow they’ve managed to remain hidden for quite some time. Honestly, I’m not even sure when they were founded." Kaede straightened herself and resumed flying forward. "I wasn’t able to dig too deeply into their history."

Frey exhaled softly and followed after her.

"Is there a particular reason you have taken an interest in the secrets of this nation?" she asked. "And, more importantly, what precisely is the purpose of all this?"

"Don’t make it sound as though I’m spying on them for some nefarious purpose." Kaede pouted.

The expression looked rather ridiculous on the face of a Demon Lord.

"If you must know, my subordinates can be a little... enthusiastic at times. Apparently this kingdom worships angels and similar beings. As you can see, I happen to look the part."

She gestured toward herself.

The halo.

The wings.

The holy energy.

Frey reluctantly conceded the point.

"So my people thought it would be a brilliant idea to keep an eye on them and, if possible, turn them into another member state. I refused of course."

Frey resisted the urge to sigh. There was little doubt Kaede would hear it regardless.

"I can understand the reasoning of your subordinates," she said. "What I fail to understand is your refusal."

Kaede immediately looked away. "I had very wise reasons."

Frey waited.

"Extremely wise reasons."

The silence stretched.

"Trust me."

Frey remained unconvinced.

"Anyway," Kaede continued before she could comment, "even though I said no, Charlotte kept monitoring them. Which, in hindsight, I’m rather grateful for. Their new king is an Otherworlder as well."

That finally caught Frey’s attention.

"Oh?"

"Just like me, Sally, and Rimuru."

Frey fell silent for a moment. A nation ruled by an Otherworlder. One situated practically on Fulbrosia’s doorstep. That was not information she could simply ignore.

The examples she already possessed were difficult enough to overlook.

Rimuru Tempest had transformed an entire region of the Jura Forest into a rapidly growing superpower.

Kaede had somehow gathered monsters, nations, and Demon Lords around herself while appearing almost entirely unaware of how she kept accomplishing it.

And Sally had risen from complete obscurity to become an Awakened Demon Lord in a matter of days.

If Angelus was led by another Otherworlder, then establishing relations sooner rather than later would be prudent.

A capable neighbor was often preferable to an unknown one. Especially when that neighbor lived practically on one’s doorstep.

"I was sure you knew about them though." Kaede suddenly turned back while flying forward. "Charlotte said that there were some harpies there too."

Frey shook her head. "Yes, I’m the queen of the Harpies. I’m not aware of their everyday lives. And not all harpies live in Fulbrosia."

The two continued through the skies in comfortable silence for a few moments.

Far ahead, the scouts Frey had dispatched earlier had long since vanished beyond the horizon.

"Still." Frey folded her arms once more. "The existence of harpies within this Angelus is unusual."

That much was true. Most harpies preferred remaining within Fulbrosia’s sphere of influence.

Not because they were required to. Simply because it was easier. The Sky Kingdom had been built by harpies, for harpies.

Few places in the world could offer greater comfort.

"Charlotte thought so too." Kaede nodded. "That’s actually what brought her attention back in the first place."

Frey glanced sideways. "Oh?"

"There were reports of harpies showing up there over the past year."

"How large is it?" Frey asked.

Kaede tilted her head. "Not very."

"That is not a measurement."

"Big enough to be called a country."

"Neither is that."

Kaede thought for a moment. Then she pointed downward. "About... three of those mountains."

Frey followed the direction of her finger. "That’s about the size of a large city."

The thought had barely crossed her mind when a distant pulse brushed against her senses.

Frey’s expression changed immediately.

Kaede noticed at once.

"Oh. They found it."

The Sky Queen’s eyes narrowed. Far ahead, almost hidden amongst the endless sea of clouds and mountains, a faint magical signal flickered.

One of her scouts.

Frey accelerated instantly. The clouds around her exploded outward as she surged forward.

Kaede followed a moment later.

"So much for taking our time." the Demon Lord remarked cheerfully.

Frey’s gaze remained fixed on the distant signal.

It didn’t take long for the clouds to part.

Nestled behind a mountain range, hidden within a broad valley that seemed deliberately chosen for concealment, lay a city.

The entire settlement resembled a tilted square carved directly into the landscape.

Straight roads divided the city into neat sections. Large white structures dominated the center, while smaller buildings spread outward in orderly rows.

Frey narrowed her eyes.

White. There was far too much white. White walls. White towers. White rooftops. Even many of the roads seemed unnaturally pale.

At first glance, the city almost appeared beautiful. At second glance, it appeared artificial.

Frey’s eyesight far exceeded that of ordinary beings. Details that should have been invisible from this altitude were perfectly clear to her.

The stone wasn’t naturally white. Neither was much of the wood.

Entire sections of the city had been coated in white so thoroughly that the original materials were difficult to identify.

Someone had gone to considerable lengths to create a particular image. An image that was likely meant to evoke purity. Or heaven.

Considering the nation’s name, neither possibility surprised her.

"They certainly committed to the theme," Frey remarked dryly.

Kaede glanced downward. "Right?"

The city itself wasn’t particularly impressive. Not by the standards of Fulbrosia.

Its walls were modest. Its towers few in number. The population appeared small enough that Frey doubted it could field a significant military force.

As they slowly dropped down, they were approached by another harpy. Claire, one of Frey’s three daughters and member of the Twin Wings.

"Claire."

Claire bowed while flying in place. "Lady Frey, this place is mostly inhabited by humans, although there were a few odd people with metal grafted to their bodies."

"Metal?" Frey asked.

Claire nodded. "You may have to see it for yourself."

"What about the harpies?" Kaede flew right in front of Claire.

Claire leaned back slightly. "Uh, there were no harpies. I mean we didn’t see any."

Claire’s answer caused Kaede to blink. "None?"

"None." Claire confirmed. "We looked through the city twice."

Frey frowned slightly. That alone was enough to make the situation stranger than it already was.

Charlotte’s information was rarely wrong. Certainly not wrong enough to mistake another race for harpies.

Yet Claire sounded completely certain.

Frey glanced toward the city below. The settlement continued to grow larger as they descended. The closer they came, the more artificial it appeared.

The roads were laid out in neat grids. The buildings seemed almost excessively uniform. White stone, white walls, white towers.

Even the citizens moving through the streets appeared orderly.

"It almost looks like a temple that grew into a city." Frey remarked.

Kaede snorted. "That’s actually a pretty good description. Trust me I would know."

Frey’s eyes drifted across the valley. The city itself wasn’t particularly large. Nor was it heavily fortified. A handful of walls. Several watchtowers.

Enough guards to maintain order. Nothing that would concern a nation like Fulbrosia.

Which only raised another question.

How had something this large remained hidden for so long? The mountains helped. The clouds helped.

But even then... A city did not simply appear overnight. Especially not one sitting practically beneath her own domain.

Frey allowed herself a small smile. Then she folded her wings slightly and began descending toward the city proper.

Kaede blinked. "Oh? We’re doing this already?"

"Of course."

Claire looked between them. "Lady Frey?"

Frey’s expression remained composed. "This nation exists within territory claimed by Fulbrosia."

Strictly speaking, the claim was somewhat loose. The mountains surrounding the Sky Kingdom were vast and sparsely populated.

Nevertheless, no ruler worth their crown would ignore a foreign nation appearing this close to their borders.

Particularly one nobody seemed to know existed.

"If a king wishes to establish a nation beneath my skies," Frey continued, "the least he can do is introduce himself."

"That sounds so cool." Kaede grinned. "You’re so cool."

Ahead of them, the city gates were beginning to stir. Word of their arrival had likely spread already.

That was hardly surprising.

Two Demon Lords descending from the heavens tended to attract attention.

And one of them happened to be the ruler of the land they currently occupied.

Frey straightened her posture slightly as the city rapidly approached.

Whatever Angelus truly was, she intended to find out directly.

Asking questions from afar had never been her preferred method.