Athena needed some time to consolidate her breakthrough and Chloe needed to get back to the Empress so Laz was left on his own. As he didn’t have anywhere else to go, he made his way to the center courtyard where he saw Nagi sparring with Eris. Nagi’s body was originally that of a snake and while having legs was quite different, her body still retained the agility of her natural body, allowing her to move in ways that even Eris couldn’t predict.

While Eris had to advantage of her wings, she was unable to lock down Nagi.

Skills and strikes flew all around the massive courtyard as several other sisters had gathered, pooling their power to keep the two youngsters from destroying the building.

"Ha? That all you got? You couldn’t hit me even if I stayed still," Nagi taunted Eris who had just sent down streaks of energy from her wings, almost like she was throwing feathers at Nagi.

"How about you quit moving and test that theory? After all, I can stay up here all day," Eris shot back, not letting her words affect her.

"If you keep doing that all day, you’ll end up looking like a bald chicken!"

"Not if I eat you first little worm..."

Back and forth they raged, their attacks getting stronger and stronger. At first, Eris held a distinct advantage. But once Nagi got used to her form, Eris couldn’t touch her. Or so Laz found out when he asked one of the guards watching on.

"I’m going to pluck each of those feathers and make you a bald little chicken. Let’s see you find a man then..." Nagi taunted, surprising Laz.

’When did she know anything about relationships like that? Although she did live with humans for several hundred years so I guess it’s not surprising...’

"What do you know? Men would much rather find a bald chicken than a little worm when it comes time to do it after all. Feel free to ask around and you’ll know I’m right...."

"Heh. Men like little worms just as much as bald chickens. I’ve heard them ask for them so many times in my younger days that you couldn’t even imagine," Nagi responded, causing Laz and several of the guards to start choking just from surprise. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

After clearing his throat a few times and making sure the guard he was chatting with wasn’t going to pass out from his own coughing, Laz walked forward.

"Ok. That’s enough for today you two," Laz announced the end of their duel. What he didn’t anticipate was that both girls would make a mad dash for him as soon as he appeared and grab both his arms at the same time.

"Did you see me daddy? I was just about to pluck her feathers," Nagi said with a cute grin.

"She wishes... Daddy. I was just about to peel off her scales..." Eris shot back, but her words contained a much more seductive meaning.

"Why are you calling him daddy?" Nagi threw a look at Eris.

"Wouldn’t you like to know?" Eris responded, not explaining more.

Just as it looked like the girls were about to get back into it, the Empress appeared and calmed everyone with her presence.

Hera stopped and looked at Laz.

"You were successful with Athena’s ascension."

It wasn’t a question as she already knew the answer, having been able to feel it when the rush of energy came crashing in.

"I was."

"Good. Her five sisters shall meet with you soon as well. If they can proceed before the battle, we shall have a fighting chance."

"I understand. Still, Empress. I must remind you that trying to help five ascend at once might be a bit... difficult..." Laz said. As his understanding of the actual path and the mental state of the goddess was paramount for him to be able to help them break through, trying to do so with five different people at once would be a crazy sort of challenge.

"I understand. However we lack both time and options. Their situation is rather similar to Athena’s however. Did helping her not yield any sort of insights into how you might help the other five?" Hera asked and Laz had to pause to think.

"Perhaps you just require some additional help?" Hera suggested towards Laz’s silence. It was clear that Chole had already told her everything that had happened for Athena’s breakthrough.

Laz was then silent while thinking about what she had said.

"Actually... I guess that would work. Perhaps... if we did it that way? I don’t see why not if they are actually similar. Alright. Sure. Yes...." Laz thought about something and as long as they didn’t need individual attention the same way Athena did, then it could work.

"You have a plan?"

"Yes. And... I will need access to around ten personal you can trust, hopefully at the same level and ability as Chloe..."

Hera smiled a half smile. While she was sure it wasn’t Laz’s intention, for her guard to have advanced so quickly lead to several inconveniences happening when she returned. As for if she would be able to find the helping hands he needed that were also willing... After Chloe’s example, she knew it wouldn’t be a problem.

"Fine. I shall lend you Chloe along with nine others... Just.... keep the.... benefits to a minimum, alright? It’s not a problem if my guards advance, even if they break into godhood... but the resulting restructuring is rather difficult to manage. After all, like a business, hard work should be rewarded just as much as promising talent. If a sudden cheat comes along that makes both of those things worthless, it messes with the foundation of the company as everyone will chase the cheat and forget about what really matters," Hera advised to Laz.

"I understand your highness."

"I hope that you do. I shall be going now. I have too much to do and not enough time to do it," Hera sighed.

"Of course your highness."

Just as Hera was walking past, she whispered just loud enough for Laz to hear.

"I shall also need some relaxing once this task of yours is finished."

And with that, she walked off.

"What was that about daddy?" Nagi asked.

Before Laz had chance to respond, Eris chimed in.

"Adult stuff. Don’t worry about it."

"But I’m older than you, aren’t I?" Nagi asked, generally curious.

Eris had no reply to that since when they were talking earlier, Nagi had mentioned how she was thousands of years old while Eris was just breaking one thousand.

Laz didn’t wait around to see how this conversation was going to go since he saw Chloe approaching with nine other women. For a moment Laz couldn’t help but wonder if Hera had predicted this, but then figured out that as soon as she gave the word, people would already begin moving even without her having to say anything.

’Guess that’s the privilege of power,’ Laz thought to himself as he saw Two approaching him.

"Ah good. Keep my daughter out of trouble, will you?" Laz asked the man as he came up to him. He had been busy seeing that everyone was settle in as that was the previous task Laz had given him along with getting new equipment for their legion. He was just coming to see if the large training grounds were free as he wanted to have them do some training when he noticed Laz in the distance.

And yet now he was being given a babysitting task.

"Uh. First.... I’m not sure how I can... convince your daughter to do anything I ask..."

"Nagi. My legion needs to train. If you are Eris are available, give them a good work out if you wouldn’t mind. Just make sure not to kill or seriously hurt anyone. We will need them in a few days," Laz called back to the still bickering Nagi.

"Of course daddy. I don’t mind. Can’t say I can control the bird brain here, but I will try...." Nagi yelled back, causing Eris’s face to go tight as she was about to tell Nagi off for her insult.

"Eris?" Laz called out, stopping the young woman from saying what she was going to say.

"Fine! Just don’t be too long. We all want to have a big dinner together later," Eris yelled back.

"Of course. It shouldn’t take too long..." Laz responded, although not entirely confident in his statement.

"So what would you possibly need my help with this time?" Chloe asked as she approached.

While Laz had wandered the fortress for a while, Chloe had returned to quickly report things to the Empress, only for her advancement to become big news and a massive headache to Hera. While the competent woman had resolved things quickly and Chloe had been promoted, that didn’t mean she was out of the woods just yet, especially when it came to those she was closest too.

Due to these reasons, she was both excited and yet wary of helping Laz again.

Not that she had a choice.

"Don’t look so down. This will be a much easier task that what happened last time," Laz said, his face the picture of serenity.

"That’s good then!"

"Now. Let’s go kidnap some royal princesses...." Laz said, turning around.

"Wait... WHAT?"