Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

The goat monsters, once a terrifying threat, were no more. All traces of life had fled the region, leaving behind nothing but footprints and a trail leading north, where the beasts had collided with other native monsters.

Felix was relieved. At least this part of his territory was now safe for expansion.

With his reconnaissance complete, Felix decided to leave the island. As he exited the invisible dome that marked the edge of his territory, his jetpack kicked into gear. However, things quickly went wrong.

The moment he let go of the controls, the jetpack gave a worrying *whizz* and gravity reasserted itself. Felix began to plummet.

Startled, he scrambled to press the buttons again, but his overcompensation sent him shooting back up into the sky. Realizing his mistake, Felix released the controls, only to drop rapidly once more. Panic set in as he repeated the pattern: press, shoot up, release, fall down.

For ten agonizing minutes, Felix wrestled with the jetpack, bouncing like a malfunctioning yo-yo, though he could have landed in mere seconds.

Finally, after burning through precious battery life and probably looking ridiculous, he managed to land safely on the ground, just before the jetpack\'s power drained completely.

No sooner had his boots touched the ground than a squad of lamia warriors surrounded him, their spears aimed straight at his face. Felix let out a nervous laugh and quickly checked his system\'s threat map.

Fortunately, all the warriors were highlighted in yellow—not immediate threats. It was time for diplomacy.

One of the lamias suddenly gasped, her eyes wide as she recognized Felix.

"Alpha?" she whispered, lowering her spear slightly.

This reaction gave Felix an idea.

"Jiji, a little help here?" he called, hoping for the best.

Obliging his request, Jiji emerged from Felix\'s system subspace in a fashion eerily reminiscent of a certain horror movie character crawling out of a cursed videotape. She slithered out gracefully, her blindfold firmly in place to protect those around her from her deadly gaze.

The effect was immediate. Many of the lamias dropped to the ground, prostrating themselves in reverence, while others stared in disbelief.

"Welcome back, Your Highness!" one of the warriors cried out, her voice trembling with joy.

"Welcome home, Your Highness!" the rest echoed, tears of relief streaming down their faces. They had thought their princess lost forever, but here she was, alive and well.

At that moment, the new queen, Clover, stepped forward. Although she had never met Jiji in person, the reverence of the lamias around her made it abundantly clear who she was.

As Clover\'s gaze shifted to Felix, curiosity flickered in her eyes. The warriors had called him \'Alpha\'—a title reserved for humans strong enough to be more than just companions, but potential mates and, more importantly, fathers to their future children.

Clover\'s eyes narrowed as she studied Felix\'s face. A moment later, recognition dawned. He was the one who had destroyed the slave market, giving them the precious window of time to escape that wretched place. Her expression softened, and she lowered her head in gratitude.

"We\'ve finally met, dear benefactor," Clover said, her voice sincere. "I\'m Clover. I assumed leadership of the lamia tribe during the chaos. I hope... Your Highness has no objections?"

Jiji offered a faint smile and replied gently, "I\'ve already relinquished my title and signed a familiar contract with my master. I\'m no longer qualified to compete for leadership. The tribe is yours."

Clover exhaled a sigh of relief, visibly easing. "I see."

Though she kept her calm, the weight of that exchange lifted from her shoulders.

Meanwhile, the lamia warriors stood frozen in shock. They stared at Felix and Jiji, completely baffled by the situation unfolding before them.

Their whole belief system was shaken—lamias were supposed to be in control. Humans were meant to serve them, not the other way around. Yet here stood their former princess, bound to a human as his familiar, willingly following his lead. It was a sight they had never imagined.

Felix had no patience for drawn-out formalities. "We can discuss titles and politics later."

His curiosity about what had transpired while he had been secluded on the flying island was hard to ignore. The evolving dynamics between Clover and the lamias were peculiar, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

"How about we continue this conversation in the village?" Clover suggested.

Felix agreed, not wanting to upset Jiji\'s former subordinates. As a precaution, he rechecked his system map. Everyone appeared as green dots—an indication of their friendliness. That was a relief.

He and Jiji obediently followed Clover and the lamia warriors toward the new village. Along the way, Felix couldn\'t help but admire the organized community the lamias had built under Clover\'s leadership, using the anchor chains of the floating island as markers.

…

Upon entering the village, Felix was taken aback by the reaction. All the lamias quickly dropped to the ground in prostration, bowing their heads low when they saw Jiji and Felix together. Felix felt a little awkward, while Jiji seemed used to the reverence.

Off to the side, the male beastmen stood watching the new arrivals with curiosity. Only one of them, a muscular lion-headed warrior, joined the bodyguard group escorting Felix, Jiji, and Clover to Clover\'s private quarters.

Inside a makeshift leather tent, the trio sat down. The lion-headed beastman took his place outside, guarding the entrance. Felix scanned the humble space—nothing extravagant, just practical.

Clover formally lowered her head and introduced herself once more.

"I\'m Clover of the Alrauria Tribe. Once again, I want to express my gratitude for freeing us from those slave traders."

Felix waved off her thanks, trying to remain humble.

"It was nothing," he said, though in truth, the memory of that chaotic rescue was still vivid in his mind. His gaze wandered around the tent, noticing the absence of any human slaves. Something didn\'t quite add up.

Curious, he asked, "I have to know... how did you manage to tame those girls? I mean, lamias aren\'t exactly known for their self-control when it comes to men."

He raised an eyebrow, recalling their usual aggressive tendencies toward anything with a pulse.

Clover chuckled softly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. Then she snappedher fingers.

"I have my methods,"

Instantly, the ground beneath them stirred, and green vines erupted from the earth, writhing and twisting in the air. The vines were slick, dripping with a slippery, translucent liquid.

Felix blinked at the scene.

"Uh... never mind," he said with a bitter laugh, realizing exactly how Clover had maintained order among the notoriously lustful lamias. He wasn\'t sure he wanted more details.

But curiosity got the better of him. "Can those vines reproduce or... produce seeds or something?"

Clover shook her head. "No, but they can shoot warm water. That\'s more than enough to keep our tribe members satisfied."

Felix stared at Clover, his expression a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"Well, that\'s... innovative," he said, referring to her creative solution for keeping the lamias in check.

Jiji, seated next to him, chuckled softly at the absurdity of the situation. Felix rubbed the back of his head, grateful he hadn\'t delved into the details sooner.

The lamias were known for their chaotic energy, but Clover seemed to have found a way to handle them—one that Felix hadn\'t anticipated.

"So," Felix said, steering the conversation in a new direction, "what\'s your future plan for the village? Are you planning to invade a human town soon?"

His question was more than idle curiosity. Felix wanted to test Clover\'s character. If she had intentions of attacking human settlements indiscriminately, he would have to reconsider their alliance. The lamias were immoral, dangerous creatures, and unleashing them on human towns would cause chaos.

Clover\'s playful demeanor faded, replaced by a serious expression.

"The lamias and beastmen have been working together to fortify this area. We\'ve set up defenses, but this land is far from natural resources. We\'re managing, but my abilities only go so far."

Felix tilted his head. "What kind of resources are you missing?"

"Weapons and mana crystals," Clover replied without hesitation.

Felix\'s face grew thoughtful.

Weapons? He could manage that with a little trade.

But mana crystals? That was a different story. Mana crystals were valuable, not just to Clover\'s tribe, but to him as well. It would complicate any deal they might have.

Sensing the potential tension, Clover leaned in, testing the waters. "Our tribe has scavenged some mysterious artifacts around this area. I was wondering if any of them belong to you."

She clapped her hands, signaling the lion-headed beastman outside. "Huchu, could you bring us one of those metal boxes?"

Felix raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Artifacts?

He wondered if they had come across anything leftover from his earlier battle with the Megalith Dragon. He leaned forward, curious about what the lamias had salvaged.

A few minutes later, Huchu returned, lugging an open crate. He put the crate down and left the tent, standing guard outside as usual.

Inside the crate, Felix spotted short rebars, dud grenades, empty potion bottles, and even large RPG rounds. It was a mishmash of battle remnants, but Felix\'s grin widened.

\'If I could use the Philosopher\'s Stone to repair these…\'

Felix leaned in closer. "So, what would you do if I told you these were my things?"

Clover didn\'t miss a beat. "Were you the one who fought the dragon?"

"Yes, that was me."

"That explains a lot," Clover said with a knowing nod. "Well, we could return these items to you, along with others we\'ve stored away. But on one condition…"

Clover\'s mischievous grin returned, and she glanced at Jiji briefly, as if checking whether she wanted to chime in. But Jiji remained silent, observing the exchange with her usual calm grace.

Clover continued, "While we don\'t need wood, stone, or water, we do lack proper weapons. We noticed you possess these… \'weaponry artifacts.\' Strange metal rods that produce fire. If you could provide us with, say, a hundred of your weapons, we\'ll gladly return everything to you.

And if you need additional help, we could even assign some of our girls to accompany Her Highness as her personal servants."

Felix chuckled, catching the subtext. Clover wanted to arm her tribe, and while the idea of outfitting a group of lamias with guns was a bit concerning, the offer wasn\'t without its perks.

"You want a hundred of my weapons in exchange for the crates and... maids?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

Clover nodded, her gaze steady. "Think of it as a mutually beneficial arrangement. We get the weapons we need to defend ourselves, and you recover your lost artifacts. Plus, you\'ll have the loyalty of a few select lamias who can assist Her Highness."

Felix fell into a deep thought.

A hundred guns was a steep price, but the idea of repairing the salvaged items could more than make up for it. Besides, having loyal lamia attendants for Jiji could be useful, especially if they proved as capable as Clover.

Felix counter-offered, "I need something extra. I need your tribe\'s full cooperation in any future ventures I undertake. That includes combat support, resource gathering, and the protection of my territory above yours."

Clover smiled, clearly pleased with his response. "That\'s a bit unfair, though. Your condition is the same as making us your subordinates."

"But you\'re living in my shadow, no?"

"…I guess so. Well, your… flying land is quite unique. Some of us is also curious if we could explore over there."

At that moment, Jiji finally spoke. She turned to Felix and asked him.

"Master, what if we invite them to our land? We could use them to help us clear that purple forest, no?"