As Problems, As Sato

“Like the guy I dismissed was talking about prisoners?” Sato repeated,

“I-” Marcus said, looking around,

“Sato, you're just taking nonsense again.” Luna snorted,

“I’m not going crazy! A guy came in here and said that they captured a bunch of demons.” Sato jumped out of his seat.

‘Did everyone else honestly forget?’ Idalec shifted in his seat.

“Sato, we can talk about that later,” Prix said, covering her face,

“I just remembered.” Another senator spoke up,

“Thank you!” Sato pointed at him, “You’ll get a demon girl. You know what my first law as king is: that I, Sato Sato, am the greatest person in the whole wide world and-” Sato paused, “- whatever your name is…" Sato looked at this senator for a few moments. "Whatever! You're like 3% as good as me, which makes you the second coolest dude in Rome.” Sato then sat back down.

Prix was bent over in shame. “That’s not going to be a law, Sato.”

“Why? I’m king?”

“You're not the king,” Prix said dangerously

“Anyway, since I’m the greatest person in the whole wide world, I don’t have to listen to you.” Sato yelled, “Look, Prix!” Sato clapped, “Prix! Prix! Prix! Prix!” Prix finally looked up slightly, spreading her fingers, “I chair mog you.” Sato pointed at the golden and steel chair he was sitting on; he then put his hand in front of himself, imitating dropping something, as he leaned back into his chair, looking beyond pleased with himself. “Mic drop.”

The awkwardest silence set in, which Sato seemed to be enjoying.

“Honorable senators,” Prix started, “Can I talk with you alone for a bit?”

Marcus looked between Sato and Prix, unsure what to say,

“Nah, I think we yapped for too long anyway.” Sato yawned, “I think it’s time that we feast!”

“There’s a feast going on outside,” Marcus suggested

“Ok.” Sato jumped up and walked over to Sunya and got down on his knees. “Would you join me, Sunya, ~”

“Sure~” Sunya giggled nervously,

“Ok, see you there then,” Sato said. He reached for Sunya’s paw before pulling away like he touched a stovetop. Sunya grabbed Sato’s hand, “OOOOO!” Sato exclaimed, “L-let’s go~” Sato then led Sunya out of the room.

“Garia, Miki, Luna-” Prix began listing off,

“Don’t you dare put me at the back of the list.” Luna hissed,

“I’m sorry, Luna, Garia-” Prix paused for a moment as she looked at Idalec. “Garia, and Miki, do you want to join Sato?”

“No.” Luna refused flatly, which caused Prix to sigh indignantly. Prix leaned over to Marcus and whispered into his ear, “Do you think you can leave? I will talk with you after I sort them out. I’m really, really sorry, but you know how barbaric warriors can be?” Marcus gave her a single unconvinced nod,

“We will take our leave, great heroes.” Marcus stood up, giving Luna and Prix a nod before leaving the room along with the other six senators.

Once the senators had left the room and the door had been closed, Prix let out a cry and rocked back in her chair.

“Princess Maria~” Luna laughed, getting out of her chair, “You think you can just swoop in and steal the victory right out of MY claws~.”

“Luna, don’t mock Prix… take it easy with her.” Idalec stood up. ‘These people,’ Idalec looked around at the remaining five in the hero’s party who were still in the room and at the two seats that Sato and Sunya were sitting in, ‘These are the kind of people that rotted the empire, pointless squabblers who lost to the coalition, which was inferior in every way. It's just their luck that we were superior in terms of corruption as well.’ Idalec breathed out angrily,

“Idalec, we have to do something about Sato.” Prix put the front legs of her chair back on the floor. “You must also be angry at this.” Prix motioned to the throne, “Rome is our ally, so we can’t just treat them like stray cats.”

Luna pulled back to slash at Prix’s cheek, claws out. Idalec caught her eye causing her to discreetly lower her paw, “I better not hear that from you ever again.” Luna threatened Prix, who looked up at Luna,

“I’m sorry I-” Prix sounded apologetic. “I didn’t mean that.”

“This is your only warning,” Luna said, poking Prix’s neck with the bean of her paw.

“Idalec, would you like to come with me to the feast?” Prix, pleased, raised her hand to Idalec, who was being hypnotized by the throne, her other hand pulling up the side of her dirty dress.

“I wouldn’t mind.” Idalec took his eyes off the throne, accepting Prix’s hand.

Luna opened up her mouth, wanting to say a witty remark, but stopped, plopping herself onto the throne, her tail slowly curling and flexing as she watched Idalec and Prix leave.

“How have you been lately?” Prix asked awkwardly as they walked down toward the feast,

“The same as always.” Idalec responded, ‘Floating in the world, of course, finding Revrho has been...’ Idalec smiled to himself.

“Did you do much adventuring before? I’ve-” Prix smiled, “I haven't really done this sort of thing before.”

“You could say that, haha- ha…” Idalec's laugh faded out,

“Can you help me with Sato?” Prix begged, “When I first met him, he was so much more proper, and now-” Prix’s eyes fluttered,

“I know.” Idalec nodded. “He’s acting immoral.”

“I wouldn't say that-” Prix replied reflexively, before pausing to ponder, “He… He… I just think since he’s from a different world, things must have been so much different over there, you know?”

‘I could imagine.’ Idalec nodded slowly,

“So what do you think we can do about him? We should be leaving Rome tomorrow to catch up to the main force which is starting to march on Sigfire Castle.”

‘Political types. Always playing their stupid games.’ Idalec scoffed, “And I will get…” Idalec looked up at Prix, disinterested,

“Why did you join us?” Prix redirected the question,

“I wanted to be good.” Idalec let slip, ‘If only-’

“So wouldn’t you help me out of the goodness of your heart?” Prix asked, seizing on this opportunity.

‘I said that out loud, didn’t I?’ Idalec looked up angrily at Prix looking equally as desperate, “So you're not going to offer me anything?” Prix looked like she was about to cry. Idalec let out a sigh while looking into Prix’s eyes. ‘Prix must be around my great-granddaughter's age now.’ “I’ll help you out with Sato,” Idalec rasped, his true age sounding through in his voice.

Idalec and Prix walked out to find dozens upon dozens of tables; they were all different, as if the various feast-goers had each brought out their own tables and chairs. Prix led the two of them to a pair of seats which were far from Sato, Sunya, and all seven senators who were circulating.

“Idalec, how do you think we can get Sato to give up being king?" Prix asked, “And act more serious?” she threw in as an afterthought.

“I think you just give him a day, and he’ll drop it.” Idalec put food on his plate and started eating. Luna, Miki, and Faria walked out into the feast, Luna having taken off her demon officer uniform, slung over her shoulder.

“Sato’s not going to become more serious after sleeping it off.” Prix hissed over,

“Well, what are you doing to make Sato more serious?” Idalec said, deliberately enjoying the food, a simple salad.

“...” Prix pondered while eating the food on her plate. Luna looked for a moment before walking over to Idalec and Prix. “Yes?” Prix asked, looking up as Luna sat across from them, her tail swinging to the left, then right, and left again. She had an uncomfortable, fiery gaze.

“Yes, Captain?" Idalec finally said after finishing his plate of food,

“I just wanted to see what you were doing~” Luna’s face twisted into an uncomfortable, fake-looking smile. Luna then turned her back and dropped the smile as she walked over to the beastfolk tables.

“Didn’t Sato bring up demon prisoners earlier?” Idalec asked as the night grew late.

“Yeah, I do remember that.” Prix agreed,