Cultivating Anthro CEO RPG Hero Harem Reincarnation In Another World

Akira faced the horde of angry Rakshasa with her back to the wall, feeling like a clueless tourist who had just unwittingly wandered into the wrong part of town; as for a while, no words were exchanged between the two sides, standing with their claws drawn and weapons ready--each anticipating the other to make the first move.

"I had a feeling we might bump into each other again." Akira eventually said, to the Suckretary. "Neither am I surprised that you furry freaks were involved in this, somehow."

The Suckretary—in her true cheetah-like Rakshasa form—paced back and forth in front of her.

"You're the savior of the Macaque Village..."

She said, looking Akira up and down.

"A low-level who's already earned her first million [Rupees], and survived the Madame's test, as well as an encounter with the demon king himself."

"Yep! That's me." Akira answered proudly. "Would you care for an autograph?"

The Suckretary was having none of it.

"Cocky bastard!" She spat, clawing at the empty air. "It's hopeless to even try to make you comprehend the pain endured by my brothers and sisters..."

"The Madame knows, and actually allows us to live...as if we're normal people!"

"Because of all she has done for us...we, that were cursed to live in this wretched form...we will gladly throw down our lives to protect her!"

Despite the sincerity of her words, Akira wasn't having any of it, either, as fear tactics were nothing new to the CEO. A mob of hired shape-shifting cat people was fundamentally no different from a mob of hired thugs with baseball bats, and there was only one way to take care of both without losing face.

"The moment you corner my girls and me in an alleyway—is the moment I stop listening." She said, a confident hand on her hip. "Either you'll let us pass, or this won't end well for you."

Still neither group was shown to be willing to back down, it would appear.

"A custom exists among our people—" The Suckretary mused. "To decide our leadership..."

"One must become awash in the blood of the previous King, in order to INHERIT the right to rule."

Akira nodded, with a knowing look.

No matter what, there could only ever exist one 'Madame' in all of Mithil.

...

The 'Madame' current—unbeknownst to Akira—was lying in a lavish bedroom, like something straight out of a fairy tale, watching the brawl unfold through the eyes of a [Creamy Owl].

In terms of furnishings, the room contained everything a girl could want: A luxurious, four-post bed hung with curtains. Her wardrobe, in addition to two dressers and an entire closet besides that, in which to store her unparalleled collection of dresses and garments. A vanity set, adorned with all kinds of makeup, face creams and powders, which appeared to have been recently used...

An elegant, long dining table set with a full arrangement of dishware, cutlery, and napkins beneath a chandelier, and her own bathroom...

Yet, despite all these comforts...Lakshmi was not content.

On the contrary, she became restless whenever she was in this room for even a few minutes.

A row of windows, aligned along the wall opposite the fireplace, were drawn with billowy, gold-trussed drapes—casting the room in an inhospitably moody moonlight.

From out of the darkness peered a ghostly pale face, with cold blue eyes and boldly red lips.

Lakshmi's chambermaid—a tall, [Level 10] Human woman named [Level 8] [Shana] emerged, wearing a frilled black maid's outfit. Her deep red hair was arranged in a neat French braid—lending her an air of sophistication, along with her slender features and English accent. At present, she was sipping a cup of tea as she rose out of her chair set in the corner next to one of the dressers, her eyes buried in a book that featured a salacious cover of a man fornicating with a bear.

"Milady Sita...it's been several days." She said, rolling her eyes without lifting them from the pages of her book; visibly annoyed, for her charge's sake.

Sita sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "My hands are both tied at the moment, Shana..."

"I can't return to the Amrita OR risk being caught on the streets."

While sitting up, she glanced over to a marble fireplace occupying one large section of the wall; its hearth spotless, as if never lit before.

A tiger's hide rug was laid out in front of it, inspiring romantic images in her mind:

Visions of cozying up next to a warm fire, on a frosty winter's night...

Akira would be there beside her, coiling an arm around the small of her back...

Gently, he'd lean in close to her ear, and whisper something that would send a dizzying rush of heat all throughout her body...

"Maximilian..." She muttered under her breath; in a light, timid voice, more akin to a squeak.

Sita shook her head before thinking on what happened next—wanting to dispel such vapid, undoubtedly fleeting impulses.

"Cursed...bagatelle thoughts!" She yelled aloud, slamming her dainty fists against the bed.

"NO, damn it! I will NOT allow myself to become like another one of Maximilian's hapless harem skanks!"

The chambermaid tsked. "There is that errant temper of yours again, my Lady Sita."

"Control your passion! Lord Janaka is already suspicious, as-is."

Sita, knowing she was right, immediately tried to relax.

"That's right..." Lakshmi murmured—then taking a deep breath, to regain her usual razor sharp concentration.

Even so, her face was still red hot, and she was sweating under her neck.

"I...need to be of sound mind, in the coming days."

"I cannot allow my father or any of the members of his court to think something is amiss."

She walked over to one of the windows, brushing the curtain aside.

Through the window, she could look out unto a sprawling utopia of tidy streets and pristine buildings below—like a bird of prey would a lone mouse.

The Ivory quarter of Mithil, as it was known, existed at the core of the city, but by all appearances was an entirely different world. A magical barrier surrounding it, glimmering now and again in the faint rays of moonlight, kept away any unwanted intruders just as well as it did the thick clouds of industrial smog, produced by Mithil's many factories.

Sita had lived here all her life, but grew to feel only contempt for this stately pleasure-dome.

Mithil's noble families lived here, feeling 'secure' from the Rakshasa menace, and living in luxury off the hard work and sweat of the people that lived in squalor, beyond the barrier.

Sita knew she was hardly different, except she'd actually SEEN the world outside, firsthand.

She'd WALKED the streets of the Ebony quarter, as Madame Lakshmi, and understood the plight of the people more than anyone.

Knowledge was but one key to solving the puzzle, however...

To this end, she'd been sending out surveillance owls across the land. Their goal: to locate and track players that were potentially strong enough to right the wrongs of Mithil—acting as a 'Champion' of her vision for Mithil. Akira was the latest in a long line of candidates, but the very first to succeed—albeit, in such flying colors that Sita had had to retreat, out of fear for her own life.

'You're getting closer, though, Maximilian...'

She clutched her hands closely to her chest, gazing out at the silent city with longing.

...

By this time, Akira, Ai and Kanna had managed to clean up the Rakshasa horde.

Barely alive bodies of various species of animals were strewn out in the once-quiet secluded alleyway, as Akira held the Suckretary up before her, by the scruff of her neck.

"Why...aren't you...finishing us off?" The Suckretary gasped, within her tight grasp.

"You're not worth the EXP." She said, in reference to hers and the others' low levels. "Besides, I never had any attention to kill anyone—including the Madame. I just want answers."

The Suckretary grimaced. "I thought...all us Rakshasa...were monsters, though."

"Shouldn't you want to completely exterminate us?"

"If you're such a monster, why don't you turn into a fly and crawl up my butt to kill me, then?" Akira said. "I've seen some of your lot resort to such unsavory tactics; even if it KILLED them." Glancing around, she saw that none of the Rakshasa had chosen a form any larger or more threatening than a wolf or bear—neither of which posed much of a threat to the seasoned adventurers.

"Stupid...fool!" The Suckretary uttered. "I am not a SAVAGE, like those serving Dimba!"

"All my brothers and sisters and I want is to LIVE in this world normally!"

Her words, as harsh and as brave as they were, did nothing to conceal the tears that were leaking from her eyes.

"You're...crying?" Akira said aloud, in surprise. Suddenly feeling guilty.

Up until then she'd been rearing a fist back for a final, knockout blow, but promptly lowered it.

Ai, at this time, also noticed the other fallen Rakshasa shirking away—rather than showing aggression.

"Big Sis, it's like they're all...SCARED of us!"

Kanna added, "I'm starting to think they never actually had any notion of defeating us."

"They knew it was hopeless...but still wanted to make a stand!"

Akira sharply looked back to the Suckretary—dropping her as she did.

"N-n-no!" She hissed while coughing, and catching her breath. "I don't want your pity!"

"The ones outside the village are like ferals...but this group is more like a bunch of pampered housecats." Akira mused. "Mithil...is their HOME. All they wanted to do...was protect it."

She turned to Kanna and Ai sharply.

"L-l-let's go." She said—unable to hide the slight stutter in her voice. "We're finished here."

A [White Mongoose] nipped her on the ankle as she stepped over it, but the attack was so weak and she was too wrapped in her thoughts besides to even notice.

'Madame Lakshmi...just exactly who the HELL are you!?'

'Are you the true villain in Mithil, or am I?'