“Hmm...” Zenos closed his medical journal. “They’re a tough bunch. I don’t think they need our concern.”

“I suppose not...” Lily heaved a deep sigh. “Liz’s memories aren’t coming back either. Though she remembers a lot about the orphanage days.”

Liz was out shopping currently.

Zenos absentmindedly gazed down at the journal on his consultation desk. “It’s true. I wonder if Liz is...” He trailed off.

“Is what?” Lily asked.

“Oh, nothing. Don’t mind me.” Zenos stood up and gazed out the window next to Lily. “Might rain today.”

***

The heavy gray clouds extended over the slums too.

In the werewolves’ hideout, Lynga was sitting with her knees clutched to her chest, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Her men, concerned, spoke up. “Hey boss, you’ve been down lately. What’s wrong?”

Still hugging her knees, Lynga replied blankly, “I just don’t feel like doing anything.”

“Did something happen?”

“I didn’t put any needles in.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing...” Lynga sighed heavily and rolled around on the floor.

“Hey, any of you know what’s up with the boss?”

“No clue...”

“What’s gonna happen to the werewolves of the slums?”

As the men exchanged worried remarks, a werewolf came into the hideout, hurried to Lynga, and whispered something to her. Her ears, which had been flat up until that point, immediately perked up.

“Hmph. I see. So that’s what’s happening.”

***

Meanwhile, at the orcs’ mountainous stronghold, Loewe was blankly staring into the void. Her cheeks were a little sunken, her features lacking vigor.

Her men surrounded her with looks of concern. “Um, mistress, aren’t you a bit out of sorts?”

Loewe sluggishly turned her gaze toward them. “I’m fine.”

“Something’s off, though. You haven’t eaten for a week. Not even your favorite rice balls.”

“I’m on a diet.”

“A diet, mistress?” The room buzzed with shock.

“And what’s the problem with that? I’m trying to be a dainty maiden here.”

“What?! Dainty? You, mistress? You may as well become someone else!”

Their honest words hit her like a sack of explosive manastones. “Damn, you guys pull no punches, huh? By the way, I’m really hangry.”

“S-Sorry!” As the henchmen retreated dejectedly, a different orc came in and told Loewe something.

A faint spark returned to her eyes. “I see. And I almost fell for it.”

***

At the same time, in the lizardmen’s lair, Zophia sat cross-legged, deep in thought.

“Hey, sis. What’s going on?”

“Oh, Zonde. You’re back,” Zophia said, narrowing her eyes. She tapped her arm with her index finger and slowly asked, “Say, Zonde. I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you trust our guys?”

“Of course I do, sis. We go way back.”

“What about the werewolves and the orcs?”

Zonde was silent for a moment, then replied, “If you’d asked me that a while back, I’d have said they were our enemies and nothing else, but things are different now. When I got seriously injured, Lynga and Loewe carried me over to the doc. I haven’t forgotten that.”

Zophia was silent for a moment.

“Why? What’s this about, sis?”

“Just thinking about something. But never you mind that,” she said, staring her brother in the eyes. “Did you find anything else about that little matter?”

“Oh, yeah, kinda.”

After hearing Zonde’s story, Zophia slowly stood up and grabbed her jacket. “I see how it is. I’m going out for a bit.”

“Where are you going?”

The lizardwoman turned back to her brother and said, “Where do you think? The doc’s place, obviously.”

***

Meanwhile, in a back alley of the ruined city, Liz—still “out shopping”—conversed with her lackey Gaion, away from view.