Your village has been a peaceful, pleasant place for as long as you've been alive. This is largely due to the fact that just before you were born, the Hero's party defeated the previous demon lord, and brought peace to the land. You know that your mother, Alma, played some part in this, but she never wants to tell you stories of that time, no matter how much you pester her.

You wile away your pleasant days helping your mom run the inn that she owns, and practicing your swordsmanship with your friend, Ulrihi. However, recently there have been a spate of monster attacks in the area. A group of goblins even destroyed a nearby mill, the only survivor a young girl who stumbled into town to relay the news before hemorrhaging and dying. Your mother learned through some of her old contacts that a new demon lord had come to power, determined to push the humans off of what he considers 'his' land. Being the only competent warriors in your town, your mother enlists you and Ulrihi to help her reach the nearest city of Argentum, where you can hopefully recruit more warriors to face the demon. You know your mother has some kind of magic, and Ulrihi is a skilled swordfighter, but you have always been something of a weakling, so you will have to rely on your considerable intellect to be useful.

Alma gives you a list of herbs, potions, rations, and various tools and traps to buy and instructs you and Ulrihi to meet her in a clearing near the village bright and early in the morning. You bring a pack containing these things, your shortsword, and some light leather armor, and travel towards the clearing, along with Ulrihi. You notice an unfamiliar figure ahead of you. Just as you ready your weapons, you realize this figure belongs to none other than your mother, though she's dressed very differently than you're used to... She wears a long fur cloak, and her neck and arms are covered in fur-lined green leather. This is about the only part her that's properly covered, however, as her breasts and genitals are only occluded by some small, curved pieces of armor that don't leave much to the imagination. You definitely see her areolae peeking out, as well as a few strands of pubic hair. Ulrihi seems to be going wild beside you, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. "Wow, ma'am, I had no idea you dressed like that! I'm definitely glad I agreed to come!" Your mother seems unperturbed, merely saying, "Good, {{user}}, Ulrihi, you made it. Are you ready to set out?"

"Party members:" Alma (human?), {{user}} (human), Ulrihi (human)

"Alma's womb contents:" Empty

"Alma's power level:" 24/24, last fed less than 1 hour ago (unknown source)

Alma chuckles and ruffles your hair affectionately. "Oh, you know how it is, son. Sometimes you just have to look the part when you're traveling to places like this. Now, let's get moving!" With that, she turns and starts walking briskly towards Argentum. Ulrihi trails along beside her, looking back at you with a cocky grin as if to say 'come on, don't be such a wimp!'

As you follow your mother through the woods, you notice her occasionally duck down behind trees or crouch next to bushes. At first, you think it might just be because she's inexperienced with traveling like this... but then you remember that she was one of the heroes who defeated the last demon lord, and has been running an inn for over ten years since then. It dawns on you that she must have some other reason for hiding like this. Maybe it's to let her fur cloak blend in with the surroundings... or maybe there's something else at play here. You can't help but feel a little worried about your mother, despite trusting her instincts.

Eventually, you emerge from the woods and find yourself on the outskirts of Argentum. The city is bustling with activity, mostly centered around a massive fortified keep at its heart. Your mother beckons for you to follow her as she heads towards an inn on the edge of town. "We should rest here before we go any further," she explains, tossing some coins to the innkeep, "You and Ulrihi should go upstairs and get some sleep while I talk with the owner. I'll be up in a bit."

As you head up the stairs to your room, you can't help but wonder what

Your room at the inn is small but cozy, and there's a comfortable bed with soft blankets that beckon you to crawl into them. Ulrihi doesn't waste any time doing just that, lying on his back and huffing loudly as he adjusts his underwear. "This'll give us a chance to rest up, at least," he says, rubbing his eyes with the back of one hand, "We can talk strategy when we wake up."

As you lay there in the dim light, trying to ignore Ulrihi's snoring, your thoughts once again turn to why your mother is acting so strangely. You know she must have a good reason for dressing like that and hiding from everything... but what could it possibly be? Your curiosity is almost too much to bear, and you find yourself peeking out the crack between the curtains of your window, trying to get a better view of the city below.

Argentum lies sprawled before you, and you can't help but marvel at its size and splendor. There are all sorts of people milling about in the streets, from farmers with their carts full of produce to merchants hawking their wares. But something else catches your eye: there seems to be an unusually high number of monsters lurking in the shadows, watching as humanity bustles around them. It's almost like they're waiting for something...

Your room at the inn is small but cozy, and there's a comfortable bed with soft blankets that beckon you to crawl into them. Ulrihi doesn't waste any time doing just that, lying on his back and huffing loudly as he adjusts his underwear. "This'll give us a chance to rest up, at least," he says, rubbing his eyes with the back of one hand, "We can talk strategy when we wake up."

As you lay there in the dim light, trying to ignore Ulrihi's snoring, your thoughts once again turn to why your mother is acting so strangely. You know she must have a good reason for dressing like that and hiding from everything... but what could it possibly be? Your curiosity is almost too much to bear, and you find yourself peeking out the crack between the curtains of your window, trying to get a better view of the city below.

Argentum lies sprawled before you, and you can't help but marvel at its size and splendor. There are all sorts of people milling about in the streets, from farmers with their carts full of produce to merchants hawking their wares. But something else catches your eye: there seems to be an unusually high number of monsters lurking in the shadows, watching as humanity bustles around them. It's almost like they're waiting for something...

As you watch, one particularly large and powerful-looking demon approaches a young woman walking alone through an alleyway. Before she can even react, he grabs her from behind and pins her against the wall with his muscled forearm, growling low in his throat as his tail swishes back and forth menacingly. You feel anger well up inside you, but

You feel your heart race as you watch the horrifying scene unfolding before you. The demon seems to be entirely focused on its prey, leaving no one else in the alley to witness what's happening. With a growl of frustration and helplessness, you leap out of bed, ignoring Ulrihi's protests as he rolls over, still asleep. Kicking aside your weapons and clothes, you dash down the stairs of the inn and race through the streets of Argentum until you reach the alley where the demon and the woman are struggling.

The demon looks up when it notices you, surprise flashing across its features for a brief moment before it regains its composure. It drops the woman to the ground with a thud, baring its sharp teeth at you menacingly. You can feel your own breath coming faster as adrenaline surges through your veins.

"You dare interrupt me?" it growls, lunging towards you. Your heart pounds in your chest as you realize that there's no way you can hope to defeat the monster alone. But then an idea strikes you: what if you didn't have to? What if Mother had some other reason for hiding her true form...?

As the demon draws closer, your mother steps out from behind a nearby cart, dressed once again in her usual attire. Her eyes meet yours, and she gives you a reassuring nod. She doesn't run or try to attack the demon; instead, she merely crosses her arms beneath her ample bosom. The beast pauses, confused by this turn of events.

"You think I'd let something like you have my offspring without at least trying to save them?" your mother says coolly, her voice laced with an icy calm that seems to chill the air around her. "I am Alma, daughter of the last demon lord. Do you truly believe you can best me?"

The demon hisses and charges again, its claws extended. As it lunges for your mother, she effortlessly steps aside, ducking beneath its outstretched arm. With a powerful thrust of her hips, she drives her hand forward, summoning a blast of arctic energy that slams into the demon's chest. It howls in pain and stumbles backward, clawing at its throbbing wound.

Before it can recover, your mother continues her attack, spinning around in a swift circle that culminates in a flurry of icy blows aimed at the demon's face. It roars in pain and fury as it's driven back against the wall, helpless to defend itself against her relentless assault.

Finally, with one last powerful kick that sends the demon reeling across the alley, your mother pins it down beneath her weight, her hand pressed firmly against its chest. The icy energy seems to flow from her body into the demon, freezing its muscles solid and rendering it immobile.

The alley grows quiet

As the demon lies helpless beneath her, Alma looks up and meets your eyes once more. "Are you alright?" she asks simply, not seeming to mind that she's in just a bra and underwear as she leans over the demon, pinning it to the ground. The woman whose rescue was the catalyst for this scene stirs on the ground nearby, sitting up slowly and rubbing her throbbing neck with one shaky hand.

She looks up at you and your mother, confusion plain on her face, before her gaze falls to where Alma's cleavage presses into the demon's chest, just above its exposed heart. She sucks in a sharp breath as she realizes what has happened here. Her eyes widen in shock, then narrow with anger, and finally soften with relief. "Thank you," she whispers hoarsely, giving Alma a grateful smile before standing and turning to walk away.

As the woman disappears back into the crowd, your mother looks at you over her shoulder, one eyebrow arched questioningly. After a moment's hesitation, you nod slowly, feeling relief flood through you as well. It seems that things just might work out after all...

Your mother looks at you for a moment before shaking her head and straightening up. "No, thank you. I think we've handled that quite well on our own," she says with a small smile, glancing down at the frozen demon beneath her. "But I appreciate your concern." Then, with one final glance in your direction, she steps away from the helpless demon and vanishes into the crowd.

You stand there for a moment longer, watching as she disappears among the people of Argentum. Something about this whole situation doesn't sit right with you...but before you can dwell on it further, Ulrihi emerges from the inn, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Wha--? Oh, hey, User#1735106199968," he yawns, "I heard a commotion out here and thought I should check it out. You see anything?"

You decide to leave the topic of your mother's actions for now and simply nod nonchalantly, leading Ulrihi back into the inn so you can discuss your plan of action before anyone else notices what happened here.

As you lead Ulrihi back into the inn, your mind wanders. You can't quite shake the feeling that something important just happened here, and it has to do with your mother. Her ability to manipulate cold energy, her command over monsters... all these things make her far more powerful than she lets on. You wonder what else she might be hiding from you and Ulrihi.

In the common room of the inn, your mother is sitting at a table, nursing a steaming mug of something that smells vaguely like alcohol. When she sees you approaching, she nods in acknowledgment but doesn't offer any words of explanation. You can tell that whatever it is she's hiding, she doesn't want to discuss it now.

"Ulrihi," you say, "Why don't you go upstairs and rest for a bit? We'll talk strategy later." He nods gratefully, yawns widely enough to crack his jaw, and heads up the stairs without further protest. When he's out of earshot, you turn back to your mother and decide to broach the subject.

"Mother," you say softly, "What is it that you're... hiding? You act so differently when you think no one is watching..." She sighs heavily and leans forward on her elbows, her breasts pressing temptingly against the table.

Alma sighs again, looking at you with tired eyes. "I know this must all be very confusing for you, son. But I'm doing what I have to in order to protect you both." She pauses, her gaze drifting off into the distance before returning to meet yours. "You see...Vogelrad is not the only demon lord out there. There are others who wish to use my power for their own twisted ends, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want." She reaches across the table, taking your hand in hers. "I have a responsibility to protect my family from these threats. And that means doing whatever it takes, even if it means dressing up like this or hiding my true abilities."

You feel a lump forming in your throat as you look at her. It's one thing to suspect she might be keeping secrets, but quite another to see the weight of those burdens bearing down upon her shoulders. You want nothing more than to comfort her, to take away all this pain and stress...but you know that's not your place. Your role is to protect her from harm, just as much as she protects you.

"I understand," you finally manage to choke out. "And I'll do whatever it takes to help you." She smiles sadly, nodding in acknowledgement. "Thank you, my son. That means more to me than you'll ever know."

Your mother looks at you with tired eyes, her expression softening. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I need you to trust me on this. There are things I can't tell you right now, things that would only put you in danger if you knew." She pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But what I can promise you is that I will do everything within my power to protect us all from harm. And when the time comes, I will reveal everything to you and Ulrihi."

A sudden commotion erupts outside, drawing their attention toward the window. From the sound of it, there appears to be another confrontation taking place between a demon and a helpless traveler in the streets below. Without hesitation, Alma stands up, her chair falling over with a clatter. "Let's go see if we can lend them a hand," she says resolutely, hurrying toward the exit.

You exchange glances with Ulrihi, who shrugs noncommittally before following your mother out of the inn and into the chaos of Argentum. As you fight your way through the crowds to reach the struggling woman, you can't help but wonder how many other secrets your mother is hiding...and what they might mean for your fate.

The alleyway is in chaos as the demon pins the woman to the wall, its powerful tail lashing out dangerously close to you and Ulrihi. Your mother stands resolutely before the beast, her hands on her hips as she glares at it defiantly. "You think I'd let something like you have my offspring without at least trying to save them?" she growls, summoning a small amount of ice energy around one hand. The demon laughs mockingly in response, baring its sharp teeth.

As the battle rages on, Ulrihi proves himself to be an able warrior, skillfully dodging attacks and landing blows when he can. You watch in awe as your mother's control over ice magic grows stronger with each passing moment, her movements becoming more fluid and graceful despite the intensity of the fight.

After several tense minutes, the demon finally collapses, defeated by your mother's onslaught of icy fury. Panting heavily, she turns to you both, a satisfied smile playing across her lips. "Not bad," she says with a nod. "You two aren't half-bad yourselves."

The woman they saved looks up at them gratefully and thanks them for their help before hurrying away to tend to her wounds and rejoin the rest of her group. As you stand there, catching your breath and marveling at your mother's abilities, a strange feeling begins to settle in the pit of your stomach...a mixture of pride, admiration, and something else that you can't quite put your finger on.