In Another World, All Milfs Will Be Mine-Chapter 127: [ - - ] - The preparations are done

Seven days had passed since Leo had walked out of the forest with a small army at his back.

A full week of waiting. A week of planning. And, of course, a week of indulgence.

Leo lay sprawled across a velvet chaise longue in the center of the penthouse suite of The Gilded Griffin. The room was a masterpiece of excess—thick carpets that swallowed your feet, gold-leafed furniture, and a balcony that offered a panoramic view of the entire city of Auravale.

It was the best room in the city, owned by the Silver Route, and currently occupied by the man who intended to burn the city’s leadership to the ground.

But at this exact moment, Leo didn’t look like a revolutionary. He looked like a pampered emperor.

His head was resting in the soft, warm lap of Belladonna. The Bandit Queen was humming a low tune, her fingers absentmindedly playing with his hair. In her other hand, she held a bunch of chilled, purple grapes.

She plucked one, brought it to her own lips to kiss it, and then lowered it to Leo’s mouth.

"Open," she whispered.

Leo opened his mouth lazily. She dropped the grape in. He bit down, the sweet juice bursting on his tongue.

"Good?" she asked, her blue eyes shining with devotion.

"Better than the wine," Leo muttered, swallowing. He reached up and traced the curve of her jaw with his thumb. "But you taste better."

Belladonna giggled, leaning down to press a quick, stealing kiss to his lips. "You are insatiable, Master. We have barely left this room in three days."

"I’m a growing boy," Leo grinned. "I need my nutrition."

He shifted, getting comfortable again. But beneath the relaxation, there was a tight coil of tension in his gut. The clock was ticking. The quest timer for [The Matriarch’s Vengeance] was counting down.

"Any word from Remus?" Leo asked, his voice losing its playful edge.

Belladonna shook her head, her expression darkening at the mention of the delay. "No. My spies at the Temple say the High Priest has locked himself in the inner sanctum. He refuses to see anyone. Even Ryana was turned away."

"Useless old bat," Leo cursed. "I hand him the biggest political leverage in the kingdom, and he hides under his bed. It’s been a week, Bella. Everything is ready. The actors are in place. The stage is set. We’re just waiting for the curtain call."

"Maybe he got cold feet?" Belladonna suggested, stroking his temple. "Or maybe he died of fright."

"If he’s dead, I’m going to resurrect him just to kill him again," Leo growled.

He was about to launch into a rant about incompetent NPCs when Belladonna’s body suddenly went rigid.

Her hand stopped moving in his hair. Her eyes snapped up, fixing on the open balcony window.

Leo didn’t move. He felt it too. A disturbance in the air. A displacement of wind.

A shadow detached itself from the rooftop above and dropped silently onto the balcony rail.

Belladonna didn’t reach for her whip. She didn’t even flinch. She just watched with cold, predator eyes.

The figure stepped into the room. It was a woman dressed in tight, black leather armor that absorbed the light. Her face was veiled, but her posture was unmistakable.

Darkness. Ryana’s second bodyguard. The serious one.

She stood there, arms crossed, looking at the scene before her. She took in the luxury, the grapes, and Leo lying comfortably in the lap of the most dangerous criminal in the region.

Darkness snorted. It was a sound of pure derision.

"Comfortable?" she asked, her voice dry.

"Very," Leo said, not bothering to get up. "You should try it sometime. Might help with that stick up your ass."

Darkness’s eyes narrowed. She reached into her belt pouch.

"Catch," she said.

She didn’t toss it. She threw it.

Her arm blurred. A heavy, wax-sealed envelope flew across the room. She threw it with the speed and trajectory of a throwing knife. It spun through the air, aimed directly at Leo’s throat.

If it hit, the heavy parchment corner would cut skin.

Leo didn’t blink. He didn’t even raise his hand.

SWISH.

Belladonna’s hand moved. It was a blur of motion, faster than a striking cobra.

She caught the letter between her index and middle finger, stopping it inches from Leo’s nose. The momentum snapped the paper taut, but she held it firm.

She glared at Darkness, her blue eyes turning into chips of ice.

"Careful, little shadow," Belladonna hissed. "Throw things at my King again, and I will remove the hand that threw it."

Darkness tensed, her hand drifting to her sword hilt, but she didn’t argue. She knew she was outclassed.

Belladonna’s expression softened instantly as she looked down at Leo. She presented the letter to him with both hands, as if it were a holy relic.

"For you, Master."

Leo took it, smirking at Darkness. "See? That’s how you deliver mail. Take notes."

He broke the seal. It was the crest of the Temple of Light.

He unfolded the parchment and began to read.

Silence filled the room. Belladonna watched his face, waiting for a reaction. Darkness tapped her foot impatiently.

Leo’s eyes scanned the lines.

A slow, terrifying smile spread across Leo’s face. It started at the corners of his mouth and reached his eyes, turning them into cold, dark pools of malice.

"Finally," Leo whispered.

He crumpled the letter in his fist.

He sat up, sliding off Belladonna’s lap. He walked past Darkness without looking at her, heading straight for the balcony.

He stepped out into the sunlight.

From this height, he could see the entire city. The bustling market, the slums, the Merchant District. And towering over it all, sitting on the highest hill like a fat spider in a web, was the Lord’s Keep.

Leo rested his hands on the stone railing. He looked at the fortress.

"You know," Leo said softly, speaking to the wind. "I used to do this for fun. Back in the... old days."

Darkness and Belladonna stepped out behind him, listening.

"I would burn kingdoms just to see the graphics," Leo mused, his voice distant. "I would slaughter armies of thousands just to grind a single level. I killed gods because I was bored on a Tuesday."

He chuckled darkly.

"But this? This is different. This isn’t a game anymore. There’s no respawn for them. No reset button."

He turned his head slightly, looking at the women. His eyes were devoid of humanity. They looked ancient. Predatory.

"I am going to walk into that castle," Leo said. "And I am not just going to kill a Lord. I am going to erase a legacy. I am going to topple a pillar of this kingdom, and when the dust settles, the only thing standing will be me."

Darkness shivered. A chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the wind. She had killed men. She had seen cruelty. But this... this was different. This was the casual, bored confidence of a monster discussing dinner. Her skin crawled.

Belladonna, however, let out a shaky breath. Her pupils dilated. Her face flushed. The sheer scale of his arrogance, the promise of violence... it hit her like an aphrodisiac. She wanted to drop to her knees right there.

"Master..." she breathed.

Leo turned fully. He looked at Belladonna.

"It’s time," Leo said. "Give the signal. Start the play."

Belladonna nodded, her eyes shining. "With pleasure."

She pulled a small, black whistle from her bodice. She brought it to her lips.

Leo grabbed Darkness’s shoulder and pulled her back inside. "You might want to cover your ears."

[Scene Change]

GONG. GONG. GONG.

The sound erupted over Auravale.

It wasn’t a whistle. It was the massive, deep-throated bronze bells of the city watchtowers.

They began to ring frantically, a chaotic, off-rhythm clamor that signaled only one thing: Disaster. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The market square froze. People looked up, confusion turning to panic. Shopkeepers began slamming their shutters. Mothers grabbed their children.

Inside the Lord’s Keep, the sound penetrated the thick stone walls.

In the private Audience Chamber, the air was warm and smelled of perfume.

Lord Caelum Dargan was not sitting on his throne.

The massive, velvet-cushioned chair was occupied by a young man. He was handsome, with slicked-back hair and a cruel, petty mouth. He wore silks finer than the Lord himself. This was Steward Malcom, the man who had appeared from nowhere four years ago and slowly, insidiously taken control of the castle’s accounts, the staff, and the Lord’s heart.

Lord Caelum was sitting on Malcom’s lap.

They were snuggling. Caelum, a man in his forties, was giggling like a schoolgirl, feeding Malcom a strawberry. Malcom’s hand was resting possessively on the Lord’s knee.

"You’re so tense, my love," Malcom purred, stroking Caelum’s leg. "Forget the budget. The peasants can starve for another week."

"Oh, Malcom," Caelum sighed, resting his head on the younger man’s shoulder. "You always know what to say. What would I do without—"

GONG. GONG. GONG.

The bells shattered the intimacy.

Caelum jumped. "What? What is that?"

Malcom frowned, looking annoyed. "Probably another fire in the slums. Ignore it."

BAM.

The heavy doors of the Audience Chamber burst open.

Captain Valerius strode in. He was fully armored, his sword drawn, his face grim.

He took one look at the scene—the Lord sitting on the servant’s lap—and his lip curled in disgust.

"My Lord!" Valerius barked.

Malcom panicked. He shoved Caelum.

"Get off!"

Caelum, caught off guard, flailed. He tumbled off Malcom’s lap. He hit the steps of the dais and rolled.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The Lord of Auravale tumbled down the short flight of stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom. His robes were tangled around his legs. His crown was crooked.

He looked pathetic.

Valerius watched him fall. He didn’t move to help. He didn’t offer a hand. He just stood there, his eyes cold.

Caelum scrambled to his feet, red-faced and flustered, adjusting his robes.

"Captain!" Caelum shrieked, his voice high and shrill. "How dare you enter without knocking! I was... we were discussing strategy!"

Valerius ignored the lie. His eyes flicked to Malcom, who was still sitting on the throne, looking arrogant even now.

Valerius hated the Steward. The man was a parasite. Before he arrived, Caelum had been weak but manageable. Now? The castle was rotting from the inside out. Funds disappeared. Good guards were fired. And this snake whispered poison in the Lord’s ear every night.

"My Lord," Valerius said, his voice tight. "We have a situation."

"A situation?" Caelum dusted himself off. "What situation warrants bursting in here like a barbarian? Why are the bells ringing?"

"We are under attack," Valerius stated flatly.

Caelum froze. The color drained from his face. "Attacked? By who?"

"Zarth?" Malcom asked from the throne, looking bored. "Did the savages finally grow a spine?"

"No," Valerius said.

"The Blackfangs?" Caelum asked, his voice trembling. "Did they breach the walls?"

"No, my Lord," Valerius said.

"Then who?!" Caelum screamed. "Who is attacking my city?!"

Valerius looked at him. He looked at the window, where a column of black smoke was already rising from the northern district.

"It’s not an army, my Lord," Valerius said.

"It’s a Monster Raid."

** ** ** ** **