In the main study of Stormholme Fortress, Joachim and his wife Ariani were present, along with Leini and Martha, who were sitting on a couch before them. All four of them held gsses of wine in their hands.

  "Right. Grandmother, the rest of the retives are about to be here soon and while we would love for you to meet them all immediately, Prisma has asked me and I know you, to not do so right now"

  "I have been informed yes" Leini replied as she took a sip of her red wine, some of it spilling onto her white blouse but immediately disappearing as she flicked it away with her hand, turning the stain into nothing while the magi-crystal neckce around her neck shone brightly for a moment before going back to normal

  "Why though? Wouldn't it be best for Leini to meet them to get to know them better?" Martha asked with a slightly tilted head

  "Well...as with all families Miss Martha, there are particur red fgs that are mixed in. Although we do not wish for them to be what they are, they are family regardless and they deserve to meet the rest of their siblings and retives that they may or may not know about" Ariani answered her

  "I see, but wouldn't we just reveal Leini's existence to them ter on?" The former general asked as she took another sip of her wine

  "We will, but after we meet the rest. Some of these people arriving are people we haven't met as well and it would be bad for Grandmother to meet them as I and the rest of my cousins are pretty sure how the interaction would py out" Joachim chimed in as he finished his wine in his gss and began pouring another one out for himself

  "And that would be?" The Old Schor asked with a slightly raised eyebrow

  "They would either not believe you, think you are some sort of servant based on the way you are dressed or worse, you would probably get angry and that in of itself would be bad for everyone" The Duke answered her but turned away at the st bit while he drank more

  "Ah...I see...well, given my track record, I can understand that concern...I am, after all, over 5000 years of age" Leini said as she nodded along

  "It's not that we are trying to insult you grandmother, we are just trying to protect the rest since most of these people would be meeting you for the first time and there are bound to be bad apples here and there"

  "I know how to deal with bad apples Joachim, not all of my children were darling dears until I came along. Suria Arras was a very rebellious and mischievous girl but overtime she understood what I was trying to prepare her to be and she became one of the best, she even lost that rebellious and mischievous streak once she donned the Schor's Robes and set out to do her duty"

  "Really? The First Schor of Chantook? The one who has been hailed by history as the most humble, most caring and most forgiving Schor, was a rebellious child?"

  "Mhmm, she would get into fights with her siblings, and lose said fights, but they all still loved one another. Hell, they helped one another whenever there was a crisis from time to time...but I digress, the point is, I know how to deal with bad apples"

  "Hmmm, I will hold you to that Grandmother when we meet them ter, but for now, just enjoy the peace and quiet because I believe it is going to be a busy week soon" The Duke said as he smiled before another sip of his wine

  {!}

  Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Mintess showed her head as she opened the door slightly, she didn't say anything but she looked at the Duke and Duchess and gave them a small nod

  "Ah! It seems that our guests are now arriving. If you will excuse us Grandmother, we will have to greet them" Joachim said as he stood up before walking over to his retive and kissing her on the cheek

  "If you need anything, just press the button on the table and a servant will come to serve you Grandmother" Ariani stated as she also stood up and kissed Leini on the cheek before leaving with her husband by her side

  .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

  The other two Aligardi Triplets, Teressa and Sapphim, stood tall and stoic by the entrance of the fortress next to a maid who was shorter than them, the new hire, Lucy. The older employees and those who were also new hires but performed better during the earlier performance test in the basement were all looking at her with a sense of distrust as they did not understand why this new hire who was practically fumbling and bumbling around was given the duty to help greet the incoming guests, one of which would be the Emperor of the Ashen Empire.

  "Umm Ma'am?" One of the older butlers began as he walked up next to Teressa

  "Hmm? What is it Archibald?" The elf asked with a ft tone

  "Do you really think it is a good idea for the uhh...most recent new hire to be the one getting our guests?" The old man asked with a tinge of worry

  "Not at all. I believe it is good practice. What better way of ensuring she doesn't fuck up than by pcing her in a highly stressful situation that she has been trained for" Teressa replied without even turning to him

  "I see...but Ma'am...what would happen if-"

  "I do not need to hear your worries now Archibald. You were like this before as well. Unless you forgot what you were like before becoming a great butler as you are now?" The elf added as she turned her head slightly in his direction

  "No...my apologies Ma'am. I will return to my post now" The old man said with a slightly bowed head as he retreated back to his post next to the door

  [It seems that your staff has some sort of elitist air around them] Leini told them via telepathy while still keeping her nervous look as 'Lucy'

  {sigh...I believe we have a hand in it Master. We drilled them into perfection and demanded their best at all times. It has gotten to the point where we can hear some reports of possible new hires being bullied out of the recruitment group...we have yet to address them as neither of us knows how to deal with such a thing} Teressa replied to her, her usual monotone voice repced by the voice of a tired and disappointed woman who was more mad at herself than anything else

  (We really did try once, that led to some altercations and a lot of people resigning, but that was more than a thousand or so years ago so we have been able to sweep it under the rug before anyone could notice) Sapphim chimed in, her voice simir in tone to her sister while she kept the same emotionless expression

  [I would suggest reforming the recruitment process and easing a bit on the requirements and criteria. Including a crackdown on those servants who have egos rger than their own stomachs]

  {I believe Mintess is trying to figure out something like that, may we request your assistance Master?}

  (Yeah, can we have your assistance?)

  [Of course. But we can do it ter, I sense them arriving]

  {Alright then}

  (Understood)

  A few minutes ter, the two elven head maids also sensed the incoming convoy of carriages and their escorts. In front of the convoy, they saw the elite Ashen Guard, their ash-colored pte armor sets with golden accents atop their mounts of glorious stallions and Rakkateer steeds.

  [A/N: Rakkateers are simir to Manitcores, lions with dragon tails and dragon wings, simir to that but the Rakkateer is a tad rger and its body can shift from fur into hard metallic scales]

  Past the Ashen Guard was a grand golden carriage with intricate and eborate markings and carvings that certainly fit the bill for someone traveling in the Ashen Imperial Carriage. Once that carriage moved into the driveway and stopped right at the entrance to the fortress, Lucy went to work as she was directed by Teressa to head to the rear of the carriage and get the luggage to bring it inside.

  Stepping out of the carriage as she was doing this, with a smile on his face and a pep in his step was Emperor Gustav Ashen and his family. Who, like their father, were also excited to be here.

  "Ah! Gustav! You made it!" Duke Joachim excimed with joy as he moved from the door and embraced his cousin

  "Hahaha! Of course I would you damn fool! Why wouldn't I be" Gustav joked as he embraced him back, the smile on his face widening

  "Your Majesty" The Duke added as he nodded at Lorenna who stood next to her husband, a smile on her face as she looked at Joachim

  "Oh don't give me that. I am not the Empress as of the moment" She replied with a rger smile before she also accepted a hug from the man before her

  "Oh, where is-"

  "Ariani is already inside waiting for you with several bottles of the usual, you can go right ahead" Joachim answered before the question could be finished

  "Nice, ta-ta then boys" Lorenna stated as she kissed her husband on the cheek and moved past them and went straight inside

  "Uncle Joch!" The two voices of the young Marcus and Tiler Ashen rang out as they rushed over to their uncle who chuckled and knelt to the height of the young boys before him

  "Hello there little ones! Oh my Gods! You have both grown up so much since I st saw you!" He excimed as he ruffled their hair, earning their giggles as he did so

  "Before you say anything else, the other kids are by the pool having fun so I suggest you get there quick"

  "Ok!"

  Joachim chuckled to himself as he saw his nephews run past him and head inside the house, he turned to Gustav who smiled at him, and the Duke gestured to his cousin to enter the fortress as he still had many guests to greet and much to discuss ter on. Meanwhile, Lucy was busy unloading the luggage at the back of the carriage, pulling out several rge leather bags and some suitcases that she pced onto a bellman cart nearby. Her slow progress earned her much attention from the rest of the butlers and other servants waiting nearby for their turn to unload the carriages of their luggage to pce on other carts to bring to their respective rooms. Once she was done, Teressa moved to her and looked at her and then at the cart, impressed by the young maid's ability to do all of this without magic, although the internal thoughts were a bit different from the outward demeanor she was giving off.

  "Hmm, a bit slower than usual but the job is done nonetheless, take this to the fourth floor, the room at the northern end of the hall is the room for these guests" She said as she conjured up a pair of keys for her to use and then handed it over to the young maid

  "Oh...ok Ma'am"

  "Mhmm, don't disappoint us" Mintess added as they watched Lucy push the bellman's cart into the house

  "Hmmm, aren't you both a bit harsh on the new hire?" Joachim asked as he moved a bit closer to two of the triplets

  "She is just being put through her paces Your Grace. Nothing to worry about" Teressa answered him

  "Let us handle it Your Grace, it is just standard procedure" Mintess added

  "Hmmm...alright then"

  While the three of them were talking, Lucy could feel the burning gazes of dissatisfaction and contempt from the other butlers and maids as she did not perform up to the standards that were required by the rest of the staff to perform their duties.

  .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

  A few minutes ter, after using the lift to reach the fourth floor, 'Lucy', or rather Leini, finally brought the bellman's cart to the floor. Although it looked like she was struggling, Leini was simply pushing it at her own pace, and she was fine with it.

  "Haaa, this takes me back to my high school days working as a part-time hotel bellhop back in Singapore" She muttered to herself with a hint of nostalgia as she moved toward the room at the northern end of the hall

  But while she was moving to the room, she felt the presence of a pair of workers, a butler and a maid quickly making their way towards her for reasons yet known to Leini though she could think of a few, either they were here to beat her up and drag her back down because she was shit at her job in their eyes, try to bully her and make her cry or berate her for some bullshit reason and get her fired somehow.

  "Keep calm Leini, we don't want to break the illusion just yet" She told herself to calm her nerves and her desire to just style on these idiots-to-be

  Sure enough, the moment the two workers rounded the corner, Leini could feel their angry stares as she pretended to fumble with the keys to the room in her hands

  "Hey! What are you doing here!" A young man's voice rang out from Leini's right

  "Hmm?" 'Lucy' wondered as she turned her head to see the man who was shouting at her

  She saw a maid and a butler standing at the corner of the hallway, arms crossed and brows furrowed, staring at her. The maid was a kitsune woman, probably in her te twenties, and the butler was a dragonkin of the same age. They had an air of superiority and arrogance about them, and thanks to Leini's memory, she remembered these two as two of the other new hires who had passed the final training yesterday with flying colors.

  "Oh..it's you two" Lucy said with a low voice before she turned back to her duty and inserted the key into the keyhole of the door

  "What are you doing!?"

  "Are you stealing luggage out from a guest's room?!" The two of them asked

  [Oh...they are doing this py...great] Leini thought with an annoyed tone as she did her best to keep herself steady

  "Hmm? Oh, no. I was ordered by Madam Teressa to bring these bags up here" She answered them, opening the door and then getting ready to pce some bags into the room

  {!}

  But before she could get one of the rge leather bags off the bellman's cart, the shoe of the dragonkin butler was pressed down on the bag, preventing her from picking it up, looking up, she saw them both before her although it was not a surprise as she sensed them rushing to stop her since earlier

  "I don't think so" The dragonkin butler said as he looked down at her

  "I am pretty sure you're lying. We just caught you and now you're trying to cover your tracks" The kitsune maid added as she also looked down at her

  "I am not" Lucy told them as she looked up at them with a defiant look

  "Hehehe, still, I wonder how you were able to convince our Head Maids that you were still good enough to serve her, if anything, it seems that they just like you for being cute and defiant"

  Lucy said nothing as she looked at both of them, she knew exactly what she wanted to do to these two bastards before her but she was also a bit cautious as she didn't want to kill them or harm them in any way that could have sting impressions on her that could compromise her innocent and weak-looking cover she had already cultivated.

  "Please, just let me work" The young maid asked them, trying not to slip into the anger slowly but surely building up inside her

  "Oh? And what if we don't?" The dragonkin butler answered with a smug look on his face

  "Yeah? What if we don't? What if, instead? We tell our Head Maids that we caught you trying to steal the luggage of some guests you were told to keep?" The kitsune maid chimed in, her expression equally smug

  "I think that would be a bad idea for all involved" Lucy answered them, her expression trying its best not to show fear

  "Oh how so?"

  "Yeah, and who do you think they're gonna believe? Two servants who passed the rigorous testing and loyalty tests or the one who failed at every turn?"

  Lucy stayed silent as she looked at both of them. Her expression was unreadable, but to the two standing before her, they could practically see the tears welling up in her eyes, though there were none. They were about to do something when the young maid before them let out a sigh akin to a dragon finally giving in to its desire to burn something down.

  {!}

  Before they even knew what was happening, the young maid before them transformed into a towering 6'0 tall (182 cm) woman who was beautiful beyond belief. The outfit the woman wore was a sleeveless bck vest over a white long-sleeved polo with matching bck scks and ft dress shoes. In her left hand, unconscious, was the dragonkin butler, his throat encased in her iron grip, the kitsune maid was about to say something but the woman shot her a look that froze her in pce and then made her faint out of fear, slumping to the ground.

  Seeing that the rabble had been silenced, Leini was about to transform back into Lucy but she knew there was someone waiting around the corner, someone who was thankfully in on the situation.

  "Grandmother" Carter's deep voice sounded out as he rounded the corner and looked at his grandmother

  "Carter dear. Do my a favor and bring these two to Teressa once I am done wiping their minds of this incident, tell her that you accidentally put them to sleep while practicing some spells" She said as she knelt down and poked the foreheads of the dragonkin and kitsune servants

  "Understood, but...did you have to go that far?" He asked but when Leini looked at him, he knew that was a question he didn't want answered

  "Anyways, how goes the pn on your end?" She asked as she then carried the two over to Carter who pced them over either of his shoulders

  "Splendid by all accounts. We are ready to assist if it is necessary to ensure the reveal goes smoothly"

  "Good. Now, I need to get back to work before anyone finds it suspicious I am taking slower than usual"

  "Alright Grandmother, I will leave it to you then"

  As Carter was about to leave, he looked back at her and smiled

  "I love you Grandmother" He said with a sincere tone

  "And I love you too kid" Leini replied as she looked back at him, snapping her fingers and turning back into 'Lucy'

  "Now go"

  .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

  Inside the main study room where 'Leini' and Martha were busy drinking alone, Ash shuddered as she felt the slightest disturbance in the air,

  "Oh shit. Someone got Mother mad" She said as she looked at Martha

  "Hmm? How can you tell? I didn't hear, feel or see anything" The former general replied

  "I know my mother well enough to know when she is mad. She just let off some steam a moment ago, but I can't feel where she was when it happened"

  "Perhaps a disagreement with the head maids?" Martha proposed as she tilted her head

  "No, they are loyal to a fault and follow the orders to the letter" Ash replied as she shook her head

  "What about disagreements with other servants?" The former general added as she leaned back into the couch

  "Possible, although I don't understand why" The former empress said as she nodded

  "Hmmm...well, whatever it was, she will tell us ter. Are you prepared to meet the others soon? Joachim is going to be bringing one of the guests over to us before we reveal you to the rest" Martha added as she turned to Ash

  "I know, in fact I already know who it is going to be" The first daughter of Leini stated, earning a wide-eyed expression from the former general

  "Oh? Who is it then?"

  "The Ashen Imperial Family"

  .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

  As the day progressed, Duke Joachim was at the entrance of the fortress, greeting the guests arriving at his home. He greeted many politicians, merchants, adventurers and simple commoners alike, all of whom were so taken back by the grandeur of being invited to such a massive pce far from home no less.

  Such as Joshua Amadeus and his family who after climbing out of their carriage, were frozen in pce as they looked upon the jolly Duke who was happy to see them.

  "Hello! Welcome to Stormholme! I am Duke Joachim Ruprecht Von Augustus. May I know who you are, who you are reted to and the invitations you were given" He stated as he extended his hand out to Joshua who was kinda nervous and slightly shivering as he looked at the tall man

  "H...Hi! I am Joshua Amadeus, this is my family, we are retives of Lika Apparn" Joshua replied as he gave the Duke a set of invitations

  "Oooo, a cousin of Lika! Welcome to the reunion! The helpers will take your luggage up to your room which is on the 5th floor and is the third floor on the left of the stairwell, the key will light up next to the lock so you won't get lost" The Duke said as he gave Joshua a key and then gestured for him and his family to go inside

  "Th..thank you for the hospitality, I hope we get to know each other more" The head of the Amadeus family said as he bowed his head out of habit

  "Hahahaha! Of course, I hope we do, now please, enjoy the rest of the day"

  A few minutes after the Amadeus Family went inside, another carriage arrived at the entrance, and stepping out of the carriage was a beautiful 6'2 tall (187.96 cm) elven woman with fair skin, a set of neatly tied silver hair in a ponytail on the back of her head, her steel colored eyes giving her a piercing gaze and cd in a set of flowing silver elven robes with pieces of armor mixed in like a rge steel chest pte and steel boots that complimented the twin curved bdes resting on either side of her hips that gave her an air of seriousness and intimidation that was not working on Joachim who still smiled as he looked at her.

  "Welcome to Stormholme! I and Duke Joachim Ruprecht Von Augustus. May I know who you are, who you are reted to, and please present the invitation you were given" The Duke said as he looked at the woman who was taller than him

  "I am Erika Faust. High Marshal of the Kingdom of Bayle and an adventurer from the continent of Assinarius. I am a close cousin to Curtis Auger and here is my ticket" Erika said as she seemingly produced a letter from thin air and then handed it over to the Duke

  "Ooo! So you are the famed 'Silver Speeder Adventurer' from that continent? I didn't know you were also a High Marshal" Joachim said with surprise as he checked her invitation

  [A/N: High Marshal is like a military commander]

  "The High Marshal job is a new thing. Adventuring is still my main job. The specifics do not matter"

  "Mhmm, well. The helpers will take your luggage up to your room which is on the 7th floor and is the 1st door on the left of the stairwell so you can't miss it. Your key will also glow when it is near the lock of your room"

  "I see...ingenious"

  "I see, welp. Thank you for making it for this week of family fun and I hope you have fun yourself! oH! Speaking of which, there will be a family sword-fighting competition on the final day! I take it you will join?"

  "I will, I am quite curious about the skills of my extended family" Erika said with a faint smile tugging on her lips

  "Hehehe, I think some will surprise you. Enjoy the day" The Duke gestured her inside and she went in

  As the day progressed, Joachim would see from time to time, the new hires, especially the young maid Lucy McGryer working hard in unloading the constant stream of luggage up to the rooms and then coming back down to assist them. The servants were trained for this and Joachim knew that the Aligardi Triplets taught them well, a small smile was on his lips every time he saw the helpers work like clockwork to get the luggage sorted, and could even hear them working inside the main foyer where they were giving drinks and even some food to the guests who were now chatting with one another, bathing the fortress in a soothing and great warmth of family.

  It was now the afternoon and Joachim saw that it was the st carriage in the long convoy that had been here since morning. He was still ecstatic to meet this final retive and when the simple oak-colored carriage arrived, he was dying to see who this retive was. Once the door opened, he saw a dragonkin man who was tall and statuesque with brown scales that matched his tanned skin, he was slightly taller than him at 6'0 (182 cm) and he had a smile on his face that gave off a retively innocent charm, but Joachim could feel something at the back of his head that this man was gonna somehow be trouble.

  The man's horns were ornate with a single golden dot pced on each one and his eyes, simirly golden, had a very eccentric aura coming from them. His golden hair was styled in a recognizable executive style cut and he was dressed in a tailor-made bck suit with a white interior, the golden buttons and cufflinks matching the golden ornaments on his horns. Joachim did not show his suspicion as he brushed it aside due to his mind knowing that regardless of who he was, he was family

  "Hello! I am Duke Joachim Ruprecht Vont Augustus. Welcome to Stormholme. May I know who you are, who you are reted to, and please present the invitation you were given" He said with a smile as he extended his hand to the dragonkin man

  "Hahaha! It is a pleasure to meet you Duke. I am Farhent Gahhad and I am reted to Arturious Aime from Penfeider. I must say, this is quite the nice abode you have got here...must mean you are swimming in cash no? To afford all of this?" Farhent said with a devious smile that did little to hide his underlying motivations to the Duke

  "Yes. It is quite a fine abode, I am able to afford it due to my job as a steadfast servant of the Empire. I am gd you like it, you said you were Arturious' cousin? What is it you do for a living?" The Duke said as he looked at the invitation and confirmed it was genuine

  "I am merely an antiques dealer. I deal in antiques"

  "Oooo, fascinating, I may have to call you and some of the others inside from time to time to help in seeing if some we have are worth a lot" Joachim said with a small smile and a nod as he handed the invitation back to him

  "Why of course, I would be happy to help take some of them off your hands"

  "Hahahah, in time of course. Anyways, your room is on the third floor and is the eighteenth door down the hall. Your key will glow when it nears the lock it opens and please, your luggage will be taken care of by our helpers who will bring it up ahead of time while you mingle with the rest of the family already here"

  "I see, ingenious that is. I am honored to be your guest and I hope we get to know each other more Joachim" Farhent said he patted the Duke on his shoulder and then his head with his dragonkin tail

  As Farhent walked through the main door, Joachim's smile vanished and he looked at Teressa and Sapphim, whispering to them

  "Keep an eye on that one will you. I don't know why, I just get a feeling of trouble from him. I wouldn't want him to meet Grandmother out of the fear she may kill him"

  "Understood Your Grace. We will keep an eye out"

  "Thank you both. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a family to introduce to her" He said with a nod before walking into his home and looking for Gustav

  A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope you are all having a wonderful start to the year and sorry this came out ter than scheduled! I hope you enjoy the chapter and the arc!