The Daily Life of the Demon King

In the most distant corner of the universe, beyond the bounds of reality, time, and space, there existed a place inaccessible to both life and death. Only a select few beings were aware of its existence and understood the horrors concealed within its depths.

At the very center of this timeless chaos, an ever-shifting mass of colors unknown to mortal eyes, stood a colossal black tree. Its roots extended into the very essence of chaos, merging with its endless whirlpools.

At the base of the tree, grotesque and misshapen, danced the Absolute Gods—eyeless, voiceless, grim, and mad entities known as the Outer Gods. They performed their eternal symphony, accompanied by the maddening beat of drums and the monotonous wail of accursed flutes. This deafening chorus ascended the trunk of the tree like a lunatic prayer to incomprehensible forces.

Atop this monstrous tree lay a massive platform, supported by thick branches. Upon it stood a circle of thrones—empty, ominous, carved from the dark matter of oblivion. They formed a semicircle, with one throne at the center appearing, at first glance, the simplest of them all, yet covered in ancient inscriptions written in the long-forgotten tongues of vanished civilizations.

On either side of this central throne sat two beings well known to Alex.

On one of the thrones sat a little girl, appearing no older than ten. Her gothic lolita dress stood in stark contrast to the grim atmosphere of this place. Most notably, she wore absurdly bright pink headphones shaped like rabbit ears, covering her ears completely. With an expression of utter indifference, she methodically munched on snacks, as if the events unfolding around her had nothing to do with her.

She was Yog-Sothoth.

On the other throne sat a truly breathtaking woman—her beauty was so unearthly that anyone who dared to gaze upon her would either doom their soul to eternal damnation or face inevitable annihilation.

She was known as Nyarlathotep.

While Yog-Sothoth remained composed, Nyarlathotep was brimming with impatient excitement.

Yog continued munching methodically, but her eyes betrayed an irritation she had not felt for eons.

Previously, this chaos had been silent—only the rhythmic pounding of drums and the wailing of cursed flutes filled this place. But now, they were joined by endless commentary, loud exclamations, and incessant complaints from Nyarlathotep.

Yog cast another irritated glance at her sister.

Not that it mattered—Nyarlathotep completely ignored her, entirely absorbed in the spectacle before her. Suspended in the air before her were countless mirrors, each reflecting her avatars scattered across the boundless multiverse. But at this moment, Nyarlathotep was interested in only one mirror—the one showing the Minister of Monoliths.

"Uuugh, why is he playing these stupid chess games with that idiot instead of fighting?" Nyarlathotep groaned in frustration, frowning. "My beloved Destruction would have annihilated him ages ago!"

Yog-Sothoth sighed wearily and removed her headphones, examining them with dissatisfaction.

"They told me this thing is supposed to block out unwanted noise… but it seems to be completely useless," she muttered before casually tossing the headphones into the abyss of chaos.

Then she turned her gaze back to her sister, internally preparing herself for the fact that her chatter wouldn't end anytime soon.

"Maybe I should take control of my avatar and just kill that Dark bastard myself?" Nyarlathotep mused aloud, biting her nail. "Then my beloved Destruction would finally enter the game…"

"No." Yog's voice was firm as she stared at her sister.

Nyarlathotep shot her a glance before scoffing and turning away. She knew perfectly well that Yog was watching her to ensure she did not leave Chaos. The only way to escape this place was through projection into an avatar, but even in that, she was restricted.

As per their agreement, she was only allowed to leave Chaos at the moment Alex met her avatar—and under no other circumstances.

This angered her. Nyarlathotep gritted her teeth in frustration—Alex was already in the same world as her avatar, yet instead of provoking him into a battle and ultimately perishing by his hand, the avatar continued playing a meaningless chess game with some other fool known as the Dark Lord.

Sighing in disappointment, she slumped against her throne, losing all motivation to move or do anything. But the irritation didn't fade, especially considering the fact that Alex had already visited one world, saved it, and yet she hadn't been able to meet him because she had no avatar in that world.

"Hoo-hoo-hoo… When we finally meet, he's in for a surprise. I can't wait to see the look of astonishment on my beloved Destruction's face," Nyarlathotep murmured with a soft chuckle.

"Aren't you afraid that after your antics, he'll just run away? Or outright reject your 'gift'?" Yog asked in an even tone.

"He will have no choice but to accept. He won't be able to run, nor will he be able to hide from me. No matter where he goes, I will find him. He will accept my gift—after all, last time, he didn't reject my kiss… so he won't refuse this gift either," Nyarlathotep said, her eyes gleaming with fanatical light.

"That is for him to decide, not you," Yog replied calmly, averting her gaze.

Nyarlathotep narrowed her eyes, keeping her gaze locked on her sister, who nonchalantly retrieved another sweet from her small pouch and began eating. The sight of Yog irritated her—the girl could meet Alex at any moment, spend time with him, yet she didn't seize the opportunity. If Nyarlathotep were in her place, she wouldn't leave Alex's side for even a second, watching his every move, observing as he killed her avatars—just to entertain herself in this eternal, primordial Chaos while Azathoth slumbered.

"If you go to him again, do not dare mention my gift. If you spill the secret, I won't care about the rules—I'll go to him myself," Nyarlathotep threatened, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Yog studied her sister carefully and realized she wasn't joking. She didn't want Nyarlathotep to leave Chaos—otherwise, everything would start over again… the endless cycle, repeating over and over for eternity.

"Only if you stop making noise and disturbing me. Then I won't say anything to him," Yog replied in an emotionless voice.

"Deal. But I warn you now—I promise nothing," Nyarlathotep smirked, agreeing without hesitation.

Yog narrowed her eyes. She knew that even if they had struck a deal, it wouldn't change the fact that Nyarlathotep would still make noise from time to time, even without realizing it. Sighing, she averted her gaze, and for a brief moment, a starry light flickered in her eyes. Yog wanted to see the exact moment her sister was talking about… but since it involved Alex, her attempt was in vain.

Casting another glance at her sister, Yog saw that she had finally fallen silent. However, her gaze lingered on a particular part of Nyarlathotep's body, and she pondered. Why had her sister made such a decision? Should she intervene in this matter or let things unfold naturally?

But Yog made a different choice—she decided to stay out of it until Nyarlathotep met Alex.

Reaching into her bag of sweets, Yog found only emptiness. She looked down—the bag was empty. Carelessly tossing it aside, she rummaged through her small pouch, only to find nothing there either. The snacks were gone.

Yog glanced briefly at her sister, ensuring she was distracted, and her body dissolved into nothingness, leaving Chaos behind.

Yog found herself directly on a beach. Her gaze scanned the surroundings until she spotted the person she was looking for. With just one step, she appeared on a high cliff behind Alex.

He was sitting at the edge, holding a cigarette in his hand, lost in thought as he gazed at the starry sky. One hand rested on a rock, as if completely absorbed in his own thoughts.

Yog calmly approached and sat down on a nearby stone, not disturbing him from his contemplation. Their meetings were rare, but she knew Alex well enough to understand how he would react.

"Long time no see, Yog," he said, not taking his eyes off the night sky.

She merely tilted her head slightly, unfazed by the fact that he had sensed her arrival.

"It's been a long time. Or maybe not. Or maybe it's only meant to happen now," she replied in her usual mysterious tone.

Alex smirked and threw a quick glance at her.

"Let's skip your time games. You know they don't work on me."

"Mmm, I tried," a faint smile flickered on her face.

This surprised Alex. The last time they met, Yog had barely shown any emotion. Back then, in the Cyberpunk world, he had destroyed the Mechanical Man, blowing up an entire galaxy. And before disappearing, she had given him only a slight smile. Now, she was even attempting to joke.

Alex studied her carefully. He didn't know what brought Yog here this time—maybe her snacks had run out, or perhaps something more important had come up. The last time she visited, it was to warn him about a prophecy that was supposed to lead him to Chaos, to Azathoth's throne.

He smirked to himself. Usually, it was Nyarlathotep who met those who peeked behind the veil of secrets. Whether out of foolishness or curiosity, they would fall into her traps, unaware that they had become part of an endless dance, with drums and flutes lulling the sleeping god.

"So, why are you here?" he asked, lazily leaning back.

"My sister is being too noisy and interfering," Yog replied calmly.

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"What, did Nyan-Nyan put on another show? Has it started to bother even you? Aren't you supposed to be the calmest of them all?"

"She's upset that her avatar can't focus on fighting you. Instead, he's forced to battle another being that's interfering in this universe. My sister said she had carefully prepared the stage, but now another player has appeared, disrupting her performance," Yog explained in an even voice.

Alex rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"So Nyan-Nyan got mad because her avatar is playing chess with Davoth instead of fighting me?"

Yog nodded briefly.

Alex let out a heavy sigh. He hadn't expected everything to go perfectly, but he certainly hadn't anticipated witnessing such a circus. At least while these two idiots were pulling the blanket over each other, he had the chance to clear the battlefield, minimize human casualties, and prepare for the final confrontation.

In the best-case scenario, one of them would die in the process, and Alex would finish off the other for fun.

But there was also a worse scenario. One where these two would bury the hatchet and unite their forces, creating something like an "Evil Alliance" capable of destroying universes one after another.

"Well, I'm not to blame," he shrugged. "It's not my fault Davoth decided to intrude on this universe."

"You could kill him, and then my sister would stop making noise," Yog looked at him carefully.

Alex's eye twitched. Yog was seriously suggesting that he kill Davoth just so Nyarlathotep would quiet down. But he hadn't even seen any trace of Davoth, and before acting, he had to consider a lot of "what ifs." He understood perfectly well that beings of such a level, as soon as they felt a real threat, would just break all the toys and run.

He didn't want to be the cause of destroying this unique universe just because of a selfish desire to deal with the enemy quickly and move on. Hunting villains like that was like hunting a cautious beast. You had to approach slowly, without raising suspicions, and then strike when the prey was distracted.

"Maybe you'll kill him then?" Alex lazily said, lighting a new cigarette. "You wouldn't even have to get up. One wish, and all the Davoths that have ever existed, exist, and will ever exist, will disappear in an instant. Then you wouldn't have to put up with Nyarlathotep, and I wouldn't have to deal with demons."

"I can't," Yog replied shortly.

"Well, there you go. And I can't either. So, for now, all I can do is watch as people die and their souls become fuel for so-called immortality, even if I end up freeing them. And you'll have to make peace with Nyarlathotep or create an impenetrable dome around you to block out the noise," Alex said calmly.

Yog looked at him with an empty gaze. She didn't understand his motives but didn't dwell on it. To her, time was just a toy. She had already seen the beginning and the end of this universe and didn't understand why Alex cared so much about its preservation if it was doomed anyway.

Alex, not knowing what was going on in her mind, shifted his gaze back to the stars. He was glad he had turned off the connection with the Valkyries and Zhang Ya in time, sensing Yog's approach. Just in case. They sat in silence, but out of the corner of his eye, Alex noticed Yog's hand reaching for something. He didn't even bother guessing what she had in mind.

Her palm vanished into the space and then reappeared—holding a pack of sweets. Alex felt his eye twitch again. These were Stitch's favorite snacks. Yog, one of the most powerful Outer Gods, was stealing sweets from a cosmic dog with the mind of a child.

"You didn't have to steal food from Stitch," Alex remarked dryly.

"What does 'steal' mean?" Yog asked indifferently as she opened the pack.

"You know what, forget it. You're all-knowing, you can figure it out yourself," Alex sighed, deciding that common sense was probably too complex a concept for a being that had existed long before it came into being.

Yog simply nodded but apparently had no intention of doing anything about it.

Silence once again enveloped the cliff, occasionally interrupted by the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks and the rustling of snack wrappers being opened. From time to time, Alex noticed Yog stealing food from G.I.R., MIMI, and Stitch in turn. He tried not to pay attention, as he never thought he'd see something like this. In his mind, Outer Gods were supposed to be something else entirely, but now he had encountered two of them and realized they were strange in their own way.

Gradually, the sun began to rise over the horizon, casting its first rays of light. Alex and Yog continued to sit in silence.

"I'm leaving. Your chosen ones are starting to wake up," Yog said, getting up from the stone.

"Yeah. Here, take this," Alex pulled several boxes of sweets from his inventory. "So you don't steal from my little ones anymore. And... say hi to Nyarlathotep. Probably."

"Mmm, I'll pass it along. If it makes her shut up for even a little while," Yog said, hiding the boxes.

Alex shook his head, still not understanding what was going on in Nyarlathotep's mind. The woman was strange even to him, and predicting her actions was nearly impossible. Yog lazily waved at him, and then her body slowly dissolved into the air, as if she had never been there.

Alex re-established his spiritual connection with the Valkyries and Zhang Ya, and at that moment, his legs were suddenly entangled by Zhang Ya's hair. He sighed heavily—Zhang Ya had spent the whole night in his shadow, unable to leave, and it seemed to have greatly irritated her. Unlike the Valkyries, who simply slept through the temporary disconnect and hadn't noticed it, Zhang Ya appeared genuinely angry. Now, she was doing her best to crush his legs.

Sighing once again, Alex carefully untangled himself from her hair and made his way down, descending from the cliff where he had spent the night in the company of an Outer God who liked to pretend she was a ten-year-old girl and steal sweets from children. If he told anyone about this, they would either laugh at him or recommend he see a psychiatrist.

As he made his way to the beach, Alex passed between the tents where people were sleeping. No one wanted to go back to the aircraft carrier to sleep in their cabins, and honestly, after yesterday's wild fun, it was doubtful anyone could have made it there. Last night had turned into an epic beach party, and now the beach was littered with the bodies of people who were thoroughly exhausted and had drunk too much.

Alex carefully avoided those who hadn't made it to their tents and had just collapsed on the sand. Mostly, they were lonely guys who couldn't find any company for the night, meaning no one had helped them get to their tents so they wouldn't become easy prey for mosquitoes.

On his way, he stepped carefully over Ryu and Ken, the two of them at it again, unable to resist a fight. Yesterday, they had gotten into a drunken brawl, trying to determine who was stronger, and in the end, two martial arts masters knocked each other out.

Passing by, Alex noticed Kensei, still sleeping while tied to a tree. His wife, Madam Ma, clearly hadn't held back on the punishment—while everyone else was having fun, Kensei could only watch from his helpless position, tied to the trunk. The moment he moved, his wife would immediately notice. His friends had been laughing at his situation late into the night, making fun of him as much as they could.

Finally, Alex reached the largest tent, where the women were sleeping. As he approached, he heard the groans of women waking up from their drunken stupor. They had clearly overdone it with the alcohol, and even Rory had been roped into the fun—of course, no one here considered her a child, so she could drink as much as she wanted.

Alex barely got close to the tent when something very soft suddenly collided with his face. He didn't even have to guess—it was clear what had happened.

Shizuka, still in a half-asleep state and suffering from a hangover, was clearly not watching where she was going. In fact, her eyes weren't even open, as if she was moving on autopilot.

"Mmm... Who's here?" she mumbled, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Shizuka, it's me. You're trying to kill me with your chest again," Alex remarked dryly, gently pushing her away from him.

"Hmm... Alex? Where were you? Weren't you sleeping with me all night?" she asked, barely able to move her tongue.

"I spent the whole night sitting on a cliff. So, you were probably trying to smother someone else," Alex said, deciding to help her recover from the hangover.

His hand glowed with a soft green light, and he gently placed his palm on Shizuka's forehead to relieve her headache. She immediately felt a pleasant warmth, relaxed, and happily squinted her eyes, pressing her face into his hand. Within a second, all the hangover symptoms disappeared, and Shizuka opened her eyes, smiling contentedly.

"Thank you, Alex! Your hands are like magic as always! With you around, no hangover is scary," she said happily and, unable to resist, hugged him tightly, showering his face with kisses.

Alex just smiled, feeling her lips touch his skin again and again. He knew well what a hangover felt like, but he was no longer burdened by that problem—nor was he affected by alcohol intoxication in general.

Shizuka's loud voice caused irritated groans from the girls in the tent. Their headache, already torturing them from the aftermath of yesterday, intensified with her loud voice.

"Who tried to strangle me last night?... Come out, don't be afraid! I promise, I won't hit you too hard…" came the tired voice of Koko from the tent.

Alex turned to Shizuka and, with a light smirk, remarked.

"Seems like you hugged Koko in your sleep and almost killed her."

"Oops… Sorry! I didn't mean to!" Shizuka mumbled innocently.

Alex smiled and pulled her cheeks, this silly but incredibly cute girl. Shizuka just giggled, letting him tug on her cheeks, and then, purring contentedly, snuggled up to him. Once he finished his little fun, he dragged her into the tent, where he was greeted by the noisy and rather unpleasant awakening of the "zombie girls," suffering from a brutal hangover.

He was once again convinced that either Rebecca or Brunhilde had brought alcohol from Valhalla when they transitioned into this world. He didn't want to figure out who exactly had done it anymore—the important thing was that the girls were fine, except for their agony from the hellish hangovers.

"How are you girls doing? Does your head hurt? Want a healing kiss?" Alex asked with a smirk, observing the general scene.

"Don't start…" Ada groaned, clutching her head. "I've never had such a horrible hangover! Who the hell brought this crap?! My mind feels like it's in a vice!"

"Who knows, maybe it wasn't such a great idea to mix everything like you did yesterday, trying to out-drink Koko?" Shizuka innocently added.

The girls immediately tensed up. They clearly remembered that Shizuka had been drinking with them, and she definitely should have been lying there now, weak and resembling a walking corpse. But instead, she was glowing with a satisfied smile, snuggling up to Alex with evident pleasure.

Alex just shook his head, realizing that once again, they had lost their sense of measure. His gaze swept across the tent, and he noticed a couple of unexpected guests. Among the girls, Balalaika and Revy were peacefully sleeping.

He tried to remember how that happened, but it seemed like he missed something during the evening yesterday. Now, both of them were sleeping in the same tent as his girls, including Chun-Li, Cammy, Rory, and Chikita.

"Wait a minute…" Rika's voice sounded incredulous. She squinted, as if trying to focus through the pain. "Why don't you have a hangover? I definitely saw you drinking with me yesterday! Shizuka, what are you, or who are you?! Admit it, you've stopped being a busty monster and turned into an alcoholic monster?!"

"Stop calling me a busty monster!" Shizuka puffed her cheeks, but then immediately smiled smugly. "And no, Alex helped me. He did his magic thing with… his thing, and boom—no more headache!"

At those words, she rubbed her cheek against Alex's hand with clear enjoyment.

"I don't know what 'magic thing' this blonde is talking about, but I wouldn't mind trying it myself," Revy yawned, lazily glancing at Alex.

Alex looked at her... and immediately turned his gaze away. Revy was sleeping in just a tank top and underwear, not at all concerned about decency. At least Balalaika, unlike her, wasn't so carefree, and for that, Alex was willing to thank fate.

The other girls started to struggle to get up, trying to focus on the conversation, but their headache was clearly getting in the way.

"I'm trying to figure out what she's talking about…" Rei groaned, clutching her head again. "But my damn migraine won't let me think! Alex, do the same thing to me that you did to Shizuka, or I'm going to lose it!"

"Me too, please, dear," added Yuriko, trying to remain calm.

"Don't forget about me," Rory muttered hoarsely.

"Me too!" came the voices of the other girls.

Alex sighed heavily, hiding a smile.

"Alright, alright… I was going to help you anyway. You look like hungover zombies."

"Stop joking," Chun-Li groaned, poking him with her foot. "Hurry up and cure my hangover… and then I'll kiss you."

Alex just smirked and reached toward her. Well, it seemed like the morning was going to be interesting.

Alex laughed cheerfully and, without further ado, helped the girls get rid of their hangovers. In that instant, the faces of the tired zombie girls transformed, as if a heavy burden was lifted from them—vitality and energy returned in an instant.

Of course, as often happens, promises immediately started pouring in to never drink like that again. Alex only smirked, fully understanding how quickly these oaths would be forgotten at the next fun evening.

Kiriko, Namiyo, Miu, Saeko, and Beatrix, feeling revitalized, decided to prepare breakfast—since the headache was gone, it was time to take care of their stomachs. Alex, not wasting any time, went to gather firewood for the grill so the girls could cook in peace.

"Alex, darling, run to the ship for some groceries. Or, if you want, try catching something fresh from the sea," Namiyo said with a soft smile, planting a light kiss on his cheek when he returned with an armful of firewood.

Alex nodded but didn't actually go anywhere. He simply took what he needed out of his inventory and, pretending to have just returned from the ship, handed the ingredients to the girls. They got to work: washing up, changing clothes, and getting ready after the wild night, as they had slept in the same clothes they partied in.

Alex lazily settled on a lounge chair, as he had been politely "asked" to leave the grill area—apparently, they had enough hands already. He could only shrug and relax, waiting for a delicious breakfast.

Meanwhile, Brunhilde took Alice and Stitch to wash up. The kids had also played a lot yesterday and stayed up late, so they looked sleepy and sluggish. Gradually, life on the beach picked up: the others crawled out of the tents, gathered around the grill, sorted their things, and prepared to depart.

Alex glanced at the male side of the team, sleeping on the sand. Judging by the bite marks, they had been easy prey for mosquitoes all night. The guys were scratching, grumbling, and looking, to put it mildly, miserable.

"Heh… They deserve it," Alex smirked.

"Who deserves what?" came Revy's lazy voice as she settled on a lounge chair opposite him.

Alex pointed his gaze at the miserable guys. Revy, noticing their suffering, grinned as well.

He leaned back in his chair, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. The flame sizzled, and the air filled with a light, almost imperceptible bitterness.

"Do you mind if I have one?" Revy asked, nodding toward his pack.

"Of course, take one. You ate and drank with us, so one cigarette won't kill you," Alex said, tossing her the pack.

Revy caught it in midair, lit one, and immediately noticed the difference. The taste seemed the same, bitterness present… but there was no smell. And there was no aftertaste either. It was strange.

"Hm… Where did you get these? They don't smell at all," she said with surprise, taking a puff.

"They're mine. Personal," Alex shrugged. "How they're made is a secret. A lot of girls don't like the smell of tobacco, so I had to adapt."

"A real gentleman," Revy said sarcastically.

"Envy is a bad feeling, Revy. It eats you from the inside," Alex replied calmly with a slight smile.

"As you say, smart guy," Revy muttered, stretching out on the lounge chair and closing her eyes.

Alex just smirked and also settled on his lounge chair. Taking out his phone, he opened the map, closed his eyes, and focused. He needed to subtly feel every point where the Red Markers were located, which had been set up on Earth by people controlled by the Black Marker. The preparation for the final act was approaching, and Alex wanted to give the Minister of Monoliths an unforgettable gift before his inevitable defeat.

When he opened his eyes again, the phone screen was filled with markers—one after another, populating the map with crimson pins. Their number quickly surpassed a hundred. However, contrary to expectations, all the Red Markers remained inactive.

This slightly surprised Alex. He thought for a moment and then concluded that perhaps the strange weather changes observed earlier were related to one of the Markers being on the surface rather than deep underground.

Looking at the map, Alex broke into a wide, almost predatory grin, imagining the expression on the Minister of Monoliths' face when he realized what Alex had planned.

"What's with that villain smile? What's on your mind since this morning?" came the mocking voice of Valmet, sitting down next to him.

Alex lazily shifted his gaze to her and, without changing his expression, quickly changed the subject.

"I was just thinking about that moment when the loser of yesterday's competition has to wear unicorn-colored armor. By the way, who lost?"

"You don't know? The guys were laughing about it all evening yesterday," said Rika, walking over to them.

Alex raised an eyebrow, showing that he had missed that detail because he had been busy—helping with cooking and spending time with the girls instead of getting distracted by such trivial matters.

"It was R. And since he made everyone suffer, everyone united against him, so he came in last," explained Chikita, lounging on the neighboring lounge chair.

"Well, that's not surprising," Koko lazily remarked, settling right on top of Alex. "As you said, a common enemy always brings people together."

Alex just smirked and slowly ran his hand through her hair. Koko let out a satisfied hum, pressed closer, and, casting a provocative glance at the other girls, added with a note of triumph:

"And anyway, I've made myself comfortable here, so no one is moving me."

"Move over, Hekmatyar," Ada said irritably, gently nudging Koko with her foot.

"Oh, no. This is my husband, and I can lie on him as much as I want to be spoiled. So, shoo-shoo, Wong," Koko waved her hand dismissively with a mocking tone.

Alex sighed heavily. The other girls clearly didn't want to listen to another argument between the two of them. To avoid making things worse, he simply tugged Ada by the hand, laid her down on the other side, and began stroking her hair as well.

Ada and Koko continued to exchange surreptitious glares, but fortunately, their savior was Namiyo. Approaching them, she cheerfully announced:

"All right, breakfast is ready! So, march to the table before the food gets cold."

Alex helped both girls up and seated them on opposite sides to prevent another argument.

Breakfast went by in a pleasant but slightly tense atmosphere. Then, it was time to prepare for departure—their first stop before Alaska was China.

To be continued...

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