Chapter 27: Queen

On the first day of arrival at the first base, Silvan regained consciousness. His condition was better than expected because his magic power had been charged by the crystal. However, it was just up to there. For the time being, stabilization and medical care were essential.

As soon as Silvan woke up, he got up to look for Felicia, and Carack and Sepira had to call In-gong and Felicia hastily. Silvan was terribly agitated for many reasons.

There were three reasons for Silvan’s agitation. One was naturally his worry for Felicia, while the other was Sepira’s cut wrist. Silvan had cut her wrist in order to stop Famine’s power, but he still felt sorry when he saw it. It was as expected from Felicia’s twin brother. Just like Felicia, he was overflowing with care for others.

The third and biggest reason for Silvan’s agitation was the fairy. His right eye had always been covered, but he now stared at In-gong and Felicia with both eyes.

“It is really amazing.”

Silvan blinked several times. Despite not doing anything, he was able to see the world through the fairy. Sometimes the fairy would give his right eye a golden colour, but otherwise, it was just an ordinary eye.

Silvan could feel the flow of powerful magic power. His body was filled with magic power, but there was no magic power leaking out.

It was all thanks to In-gong. In-gong had conquered the fairy for Silvan and set a limit. Thanks to that, the output of the fairy fell dramatically, but it prevented the magic power from running wild.

“Hyung will be able to use more magic power once you become better at handling magic. But make sure to pay attention. The nature of the fairy itself hasn’t changed. So, once the fairy opens up, the magic will run wild again.”

Basically, In-gong had locked the big water tank with a broken faucet and put aside a bucket. The bucket would become bigger when his use of magic power improved, but that didn’t fix the broken faucet. Silvan had to refrain from opening the fairy until he learnt how to open and close the faucet forcefully.

However, even if it was in a limited state, he could still use the fairy. So, this was a big development.

“Shutra’s power… it is really amazing. Really amazing.”

Rather than explaining Conquest, he had just told Silvan that it was a special power. Although Silvan was a little exaggerated, he was trustworthy, like Felicia. However, the fewer people who knew the secret, the better. In-gong might tell him someday, but it didn’t need to be right now.

Silvan smiled widely at In-gong and Felicia, then he watched Felicia with a burning gaze.

“Felicia, Oppa will become stronger for you. I will also study the magic I had put aside. Magic warrior… No, I will be reborn as a true magic swordsman. Starting today, please call me Magic Swordsman Silvan.”

His voice, which was full of determination, was nice, and his face was handsome as well. However, Felicia made a disgusted expression while Carack laughed. A few days ago, he had been discussing a magic warrior with In-gong.

‘I was right.’

‘Yes.’

In-gong smiled awkwardly as they talked with their eyes. Then Silvan glanced at In-gong and declared,

“Shutra, thank you again. For saving Felicia, Sepira, Delia and I… as well as getting revenge on the crew members’ killer, I really appreciate it. I will never forget this. From this day on, I am both Felicia’s knight and your knight. I will serve you for the rest of my life.”

There was deep sorrow as well as gratitude in his solemn voice. In-gong didn’t hate this Silvan. How could he hate this human aspect of him?

Then Silvan suddenly turned back toward Felicia and frowned. He spoke to In-gong with a complicated expression,

“Well, please understand that Felicia is more of a priority.”

In-gong figured that was the case. He laughed and nodded.

“I understand, Hyung. Please take care of me in the future.”

The most precious thing to Silvan was Felicia. In-gong accepted this fact about Silvan and had no complaints. Silvan was Felicia’s knight before he was In-gong’s, and Felicia was precious to In-gong as well.

As In-gong and Silvan exchanged warm glances, Carack said to Felicia,

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“There is no use talking to fools.”

Felicia replied while covering her face with a fan. He couldn’t help but notice the red ears which peeked out from above the fan. The situation had a mixture of both warmth and embarrassment.

Delia, who had been outside for a while, came back with a report. It was a reply from the Demon King’s Palace.

&

“It is as expected.”

In-gong handed the message to Silvan after reading it.

The Demon King’s Palace had ordered them to return.

Felicia stretched her shoulders as she felt the increased tension.

“There are many sensitive issues. And aren’t things in the south almost finished being organized? These days, it seems like the north is really noisy. Maybe we will be sent on a support mission to the north.”

Evian, the territory which In-gong was responsible for, hadn’t been the only one attacked. In the north, where there was always a small battlefield, there had already been several big fights. After the barbarian king had been killed, they no longer needed to worry about the eastern barbarians of Evian. Meanwhile, Silvan had cleared his area.

Moreover, the attacks of those with the purple aura, which had been the reason for placing the royal children in various places, was presently concentrated on the north. As the situation got worst, it was natural to think of going to support the north.

‘The problem is who we are going to support.’

Among the five children of the demon king in the north, except for Chris, all of them were from different factions. It would be difficult if he was going to support Baikal, Zephyr or Anastasia.

In-gong cut off these thoughts for now. It wasn’t just to support the north that they were ordered to return to the Demon King’s Palace.

The Death Knight was attacking all over the Demon World. Meanwhile, the War Knight had given strength to the eastern barbarians. Additionally, the Famine Knight had driven Silvan and Felicia to the brink of death.

There needed to be a briefing on these three things. It wasn’t clear how much information the Demon King’s Palace had about the Four Knights of the Apocalypse, but the strikes from the Death Knight and War Knight were directly damaging the Demon World.

Felicia turned toward Silvan.

“Silvan, I think we need to move separately from the Black Flame Dragon. Do you know why?”

Apart from Silvan and Sepira, the Black Flame Dragon only had three crew members remaining on it. It was impossible to fly at the highest speed for a long time, so it would take a considerable amount of time to return to the Demon King’s Palace using the Black Flame Dragon.

They had to use the transportation formation to return to the palace in time.

Silvan looked grouchy, but it was only for a second. Felicia smiled softly and reassured him,

“I know it is heartbreaking for you, as the captain, but it can’t be helped. I will ask Aunt Alita to look after the ship for a bit.”

Once In-gong and Felicia returned, Alita’s mission to support the two of them would have ended. Alita was family, so they could entrust the Black Flame Dragon to her.

“Okay, let’s get ready to go back. Once Caitlin arrives, we will all return to the Demon King’s Palace.”

The return order had also gone to Caitlin, who had remained in Evian. This was the reason why Felicia had expected they would be sent to support the north. If it were for the purpose of protecting the land, there was no reason for Caitlin to return.

Felicia headed to the communications room to tell Caitlin to join them in Karamis, while Silvan was pushed by Sepira into resting.

In-gong sat alone on the deck of the Black Flame Dragon and thought about the future.

Just a few days ago, he had defeated the Famine Knight.

War, Death and Famine—

They were beings hostile to Conquest and defeating them wouldn’t be an easy task. The Famine Knight was both strong and weak. It was a bit strange, but that was the only way he could express it.

In-gong divided the strength of the knights into two. One was the knight’s own strength, while the other was the added power of Conquest, War, Death and Famine.

The Famine Knight, Gerard Moonlight, had been strong. After being imprisoned for 20 years, he had been weaker than his prime, but he had still been strong enough to defeat Silvan in such a weak state.

On the other hand, the power of Famine wasn’t that strong. Once In-gong emanated the power of Conquest, the power of Famine could barely be used.

Why? Was it because it he had only been the Famine Knight for a short time? If so, how long had the Death Knight and War Knight been knights? Why was the time difference between knights so big?

The clue was the fight from 1,000 years ago. There had been a fight, and Watcher Ainkel had lost her life. Starting from 1,000 years ago, the elder dragons hid themselves from the Demon World.

Conquest, War, Death and Famine were existences which fought the elder dragons.

‘If the fight continued…’

In-gong came to a conclusion.

The Death Knight or War Knight might have lived as knights for 1,000 years. It was indeed a very long time.

‘What are they doing? And why have they resumed their activities now?’

The Four Knights of the Apocalypse were those who craved destruction. If so, their actions were meant to cause the end of the world.

An attack on the Demon King’s Palace… Killing guardians in various places and turning those areas into desert… Were these actions related to the end of the world? Or did they just want to destroy the Demon King’s Palace and turn the Demon World back into a crucible of confusion?

‘I remember the words of the sword duke.’

Threats to the Demon World existed in the past, present and future. He had to become strong enough to defeat them.

It was indeed a simple answer. Just thinking about it caused his heart to beat wildly.

“Yes, this is the right answer.”

‘Become strong.’

If he won the confrontation, then all the problems would be settled. Although it was a story for the future, it might be possible to find out why In-gong came to this world and if there was a way to return.

In-gong decided to think about things after arriving at the Demon King’s Palace. His merit level would increase greatly, so it was the perfect timing to do the things he had postponed. Additionally, it was good since all the other children of the demon king, except for those in his faction, were away from the palace.

In-gong would use this opportunity to collect information from the library as well as find the various hidden events and items in the Demon King’s Palace. He hadn’t been able to do it previously because his merit level was too low.

‘Next, there are things related to magic and the churches.’

In-gong’s eyes burnt with ambition as he planned his tour of the Demon King’s Palace.

Then three days later in the afternoon, Caitlin arrived at the first base in Karamis.

&

“Shutra is amazing.”

Caitlin’s eyes shone like lanterns as she heard about how In-gong saved Felicia. She gave him the bright smile he loved so much.

“Ah, this is it.”

In-gong nodded with satisfaction while Green Wind grumbled.

‘It is the same. There is nothing different with my version. Master is strange. Fool. Hateful. Not amazing.’

He could only hear her voice since she wasn’t in a solid form, but he could imagine the face she was making. Her grumbling was cute, so In-gong couldn’t help smiling, which caused Felicia to frown.

“Shutra is good, but sometimes, you are a pervert.”

“Right. Sometimes you laugh while I am telling you a story. Even your training seems painful, but you just give a scary laugh.”

Felicia’s expression changed as Carack spoke. It was similar to how she looked at Silvan.

Felicia’s reaction was a burden, but Caitlin and Nayatra’s reactions made it more difficult for In-gong. Nayatra was looking at In-gong with very intrigued eyes. No, what was that gaze? Why was she blushing?!

While In-gong was panicking, Silvan spoke with a smile on his face.

“Well, he is still Shutra. Hyung understands. I am your knight. People have different tastes. I still respect you.”

What type of taste was he talking about?

In-gong tried to defend himself, but the mood wasn’t good. Furthermore, Caitlin laughed and dealt the final attack.

“Shutra, do you want to be hit with aura again?”

He would rather die!

In-gong sighed and said to Carack,

“Let’s go back now—to the Demon King’s Palace.”

The same afternoon, the transportation formation at the first base was activated. Their destination was the Demon King’s Palace.

&

“The schedule for the court gathering has been set.”

It was his fourth time returning to the Demon King’s Palace. The first three times had been through the transportation formation, so he was familiar with the transportation formation location in the Demon King’s Palace.

In comparison to when he left, the number of In-gong’s companions had increased due to the addition of Nayatra, Silvan and Sepira.

Unfortunately, Vandal had to stay behind in order to defend Evian. Alita and Kaparang had been sent as personnel to support the Evian mission, so they didn’t return to the Demon King’s Palace.

‘I’m glad I got to say goodbye to Alita.’

Alita had come to Karamis to take care of the Black Flame Dragon, however, In-gong hadn’t been able to return to Evian and say goodbye to Vandal and Kaparang. He had strong feelings towards the comrades he had fought with on the front lines.

In-gong opened his eyes slowly. The magic light from the formation was fading, and he was able to see those waiting for them.

The welcome crew increased in size every time he returned through the transportation formation. This was despite the fact that several concubine children had been dispatched along with the royal children to various places around the Demon World.

Without much difficulty, In-gong was able to find Flora, who had come to meet him. Standing next to her were the concubine children, who were part of Felicia’s faction, as well as Beiring, Karapapa and several people from Felicia’s mansion. Some concubine children from the previous tea party were added, so dozens of people were waiting to welcome them.

‘It is overwhelming.’

In-gong smiled at Flora. However, Flora and the welcoming party seemed strangely baffled.

Why? Was it due to the addition of Nayatra? Or was it because of Sepira’s cut off hand? It was unlikely. He felt sorry toward Nayatra and Sepira, but the welcoming party wasn’t really paying attention to them. It didn’t make sense that the two people would confuse everyone in the welcoming party.

There had to be another reason, and In-gong soon saw it as he felt something familiar.

The crowd of people, who had come here either to observe or for some other reason, split apart as a group headed toward In-gong’s party. There were several people, but the middle one was a face he had already seen a few times.

“Mama?! Ah, no. Mother?”

Caitlin shouted reflexively before correcting herself hastily.

It was the 4th Queen, Elaine Moonlight. The queen of the lycanthropes smiled gracefully at Caitlin’s mistake and moved her gaze to In-gong. As always, her eyes were calm but difficult to read. Ludwig, the leader of the Blood Companions, was standing beside her with a strict expression.

In-gong greeted Elaine, followed by Caitlin, Felicia and Silvan. Then Elaine replied in a gentle voice,

“It is nice to see you. This is our first encounter in the Demon King’s Palace. Once again, welcome back.”

Elaine was very graceful and beautiful. However, In-gong felt a sense of incongruity hearing her talk like that while still resembling Caitlin. In-gong greeted her once again,

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty.”

“It is natural.”

While In-gong and Elaine were exchanging greetings slowly, the impatient Caitlin spoke,

“Your Majesty, what brings you to the Demon Kin…”

“It isn’t good to stand here and talk. We shall talk later so just go back to your mansion for now.”

Elaine cut off Caitlin in the middle and stared straight at In-gong. Caitlin closed her mouth with dismay while In-gong quickly said,

“We will do so, Your Majesty.”

“Then Caitlin, I will see you later.”

“Yes.”

After Caitlin replied, Elaine said goodbye and left. In-gong looked back and muttered in a small voice to Carack,

“Do you think she will come to the mansion?’

“Perhaps, or maybe she intends to invite us. The queen has a mansion too.”

It was a reasonable opinion. After all, it was better for the queen to invite the prince than the other way around.

‘Is it because of Gerard?’

Gerard had escaped from the lycanthropes’ Grey Tower. Due to this, In-gong had told the lycanthropes he had taken care of Gerard. If it was really about Gerard, then he didn’t need to worry about why the 4th Queen had come to the palace.

After Elaine left, the welcoming party headed toward In-gong’s group, and Flora was as serious as always.

“Your Highness, I’m glad you’ve come back safely.”

“I’m glad to see you, Flora. Has there been anything unusual while I was gone?”

“The mansion is calm.”

It was a short and quick answer. Then In-gong asked again,

“Anything else?”

“The schedule for the court gathering has been set.”

“Well then, won’t something happen again this time?”

Carack asked with a serious expression. In-gong turned toward Carack.

“Hey, what basis do you have for saying that? By the way, should you really be saying that?”

“I gave up. Prince will be more comfortable if you give up as well. Putting down the burden will ease your mind.”

Carack said with worldly eyes. The clear, deep eyes made it seem like he had gained spiritual enlightenment.

In-gong huffed before turning back to the group. It seemed like all the greetings were over, so he gave an order to Carack,

“Anyway, let’s move on.”

&

“Uhh, why do I feel like I’m back home? This can’t be.”

As soon as they entered the parlor of In-gong’s mansion, Amita stopped imitating a pet and sighed deeply. That ominous feeling had returned. Maybe they would have to live here for the rest of their life.

As Amita’s ominous feeling increased further, Delia lowered herself to Amita’s eye level and bowed.

“Amita, my life was saved thanks to the armour you made. Thank you.”

After Delia showed her appreciation, Silvan moved as well. Silvan lowered his posture next to Delia and said in a solemn voice,

“I also want to thank you. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Amita’s sword.”

“I’m grateful. Amita is Silvan and Delia’s saviour.”

Felicia didn’t lower her posture, but she spoke in a lively voice. Then Amita responded in a rough voice,

“Hrmm. What saviour? I just did what I said I would do. It is just equipment. Don’t act like this. It is disgusting.”

They grunted, but their tail was waving in the air instead of pounding on the ground.

Daphne and the others covered their mouths to hide their smiles. Whether it was because their work was appreciated or some other reason, Amita seemed quite happy.

“This is the perfect timing to distribute some equipment.”

“Oh, did you complete more?”

Carack asked with shining eyes, and Amita nodded.

“I followed this person around for close to a fortnight. It took some work.”

They really did. After joining In-gong’s group, this was the first peaceful day in a fortnight. In fact, it wasn’t just for Amita but In-gong and Felicia as well. The two people had spent several days in turmoil because of the Famine Knight.

“This is armour for the Great Princess.”

Amita said, and Daphne pulled out a box. There was chainmail in the box. Every chain on the armour was so thin that at first glance, it looked like clothes made of cloth.

“Wah, it is amazing!”

Caitlin’s eyes shone as expected when she received the chainmail from Daphne. The chest part was covered with the scales of the black dragon.

Amita’s tail waved as they explained,

“There are a few spells which strengthen the body and other support magic. If you activate aura, the chainmail will adjust to fit your body.”

Growth adjustment was a very important issue for Caitlin. According to his memory from Knight Saga, Caitlin had been at least one palm taller than she was now.

“It is specialized in defending against ranged attacks, including aura and magic, but don’t believe in the armour too much. You might get hurt.”

“Thank you. I love it. It is really amazing!”

Caitlin hugged Amita and expressed her gratitude. Amita blinked repeatedly, but they didn’t reject Caitlin’s violent affection. Amita just stayed within Caitlin’s arms.

“Now, this time, it is for you.”

Amita glanced at Daphne, who handed a box to In-gong. In-gong opened it to find new greaves made from the scales of the black dragon.

“Greaves?”

In-gong asked reflexively since he was already using the Dragon Scale Greaves.

Amita sneered and said,

“Yes, it is better than what you are using now. Particularly, you can use the sacred flame that the last flame gave you. It will be much more effective. It also fits well with your dragon aura and magic power.”

Indeed, it would be nice to have greaves which strengthened his feet techniques. It was just like Amita said. The performance of these new greaves was several times better than the Dragon Scale Greaves.

In-gong gladly put the new Dragon Scale Greaves into his inventory, while Carack asked quietly,

“Raccoon, is mine ready yet?”

“Bah, your armour is unconditionally last. Unconditionally.”

Carack started sulking at Amita’s decisive answer. Amita seemed to feel even better as they looked at In-gong.

“Prince, give Night Watch to me. You won’t be fighting in the Demon King’s Palace, so this is the perfect opportunity.”

“Are you going to improve it?”

“I’m just looking.”

Amita said so, but they were already reaching out for it. Unlike the last time, they were active when it came to work related to the elder dragons. Still, there was no reason to refuse. In-gong handed Night Watch to Amita.

“Then I will head to the workshop.”

Amita held Night Watch in the air with telekinesis and headed toward their workshop. Daphne could be considered Amita’s helper, so she followed along after saying goodbye to In-gong’s party.

After the two of them left, In-gong asked Flora,

“Flora, what is the schedule for the court gathering?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“It is pretty quick this time as well.”

Carack’s words held true. Every time they returned, it felt like there was a tight schedule for the court gathering.

“Well, it has been a few days since our report. There is no need for time.”

Felicia didn’t seem excessively worried, but she then spoke with a slight frown,

“The problem is the 4th Queen. Did she visit the Demon King’s Palace because of Gerard?”

“Isn’t it highly likely?”

In-gong agreed. The 4th Queen hardly ever came to the Demon King’s Palace, so it was hard to think of another reason.

Felicia glanced at Caitlin and said carefully,

“That… she isn’t going tobe angry right? No matter what happened, Gerard is still the 4th Queen’s…”

Caitlin became depressed at Felicia’s conjecture, but she couldn’t refute it. Both Caitlin and Felicia considered their brothers very precious to them, so they couldn’t deny it. How would they feel if Chris and Silvan had died? Even if the two people did something wrong, they would still feel resentment.

However, In-gong shook his head.

“It isn’t like that.”

This wasn’t the first time In-gong had defeated Gerard. Furthermore, the lycanthropes had judged that Gerard was dead when In-gong first defeated him. At that time, they had expressed their gratitude, so it didn’t make sense to have a grudge now.

“Indeed. That seems to be the case.”

Felicia and Caitlin’s expressions disappeared. Felicia stroked Caitlin’s head a few times and said,

“I’m sorry to leave as soon as I arrived, but Silvan and I will be returning to our mansion. I need to prepare for the court gathering tomorrow. Caitlin, do you want to come with me? Let’s get ready for the court gathering together.

“I understand, Unni.”

This time, Chris wouldn’t be present at the court gathering. So, it was a chance for Caitlyn to try a different style like she had done at Takar’s auction.

“Shutra, I’ll see you tomorrow. Take a rest.”

Felicia, Caitlin and Silvan left the mansion with their aides, and it became silent instantly.

Flora had prepared water for In-gong to wash up and rest after. Then he tried to soothe the sulky Green Wind.

‘Bah. I am not such an easy woman. I won’t fall down due to a few sweet compliments. The soft hands stroking my head are of no use.’

If Green Wind had a tail like Amita, it would be hitting the ground. In-gong listened to Green Wind grumble as he stroked her head, but she didn’t avoid his hands. Rather, her eyes showed that she was enjoying it.

&

The next morning, the people gathered in a room next to the court gathering and waited for their turn.

Unlike her usual style, Felicia was dressed in a white dressed with minimal exposure, and the dress was designed to reveal all her feminine curves.

Caitlin was wearing a pink dress which revealed her shoulders, akin to what she had worn at Takar’s auction. There was also one large ribbon which was quite cute. She was like a well-decorated doll.

Silvan was dressed in a fancy black suit like last time, while In-gong and Carack wore a white suit and black suit, respectively.

Carack spoke while fiddling with his bowtie,

“This is one of the few times I feel really nervous. Is is due to the clothes?”

“That is a pretty good opinion.”

In-gong nodded. Despite living as a prince for half a year already, it still felt strange to get so dressed up. Moreover, this was a court gathering—the demon king was present beyond this wall.

‘Please don’t let anything happen this time.’

There was always a commotion at the court gathering.

As though she read In-gong’s heart, Felicia laughed and told everyone,

“Release your tension. Don’t we already know about the 4th Queen? There should be no surprises.”

“Felicia is right. Nothing will happen.”

Silvan nodded in agreement, but In-gong felt worse after Silvan’s help.

Then at that moment, with perfect timing, the palace servant came and informed them that it was their turn. They glanced at each other before heading into the court gathering. As always, In-gong was the last one to enter the court gathering.

He could sense it the moment the door opened. Something suspicious was flowing in the air. There was clearly something different about this court gathering.

Was it because the 4th Queen was participating in it?

The answer was half correct.

In-gong swallowed his bitter laughter as he saw what was before him. Up on the high dais, there was a person located at each side of the demon king. 4th Queen Elaine Moonlight was on his left, while there was a beautiful woman located on his right side who could be Felicia’s sister.

It was the 3rd Queen, Sylvia Doomblade. Felicia’s mother and queen of the dark elves…

It was her.

&

“Shutra, be honest. What have you done to my child? These days, she only talks about you when she opens her mouth.”

“Omamama?”(Traditional way for princes and princesses to call their mother, the queen)

“Oh, that sounds like my child.”

The demon king had five queens, but it was rare for him to be accompanied by the queens at official events.

There were many reasons, but in the case of 3rd Queen Sylvia and 4th Queen Elaine, it was because they were queens of their respective species. The queens spent more time in their homes than in the Demon King’s Palace. When their children were still young, they had spent half the year at the Demon King’s Palace, but that had changed after the children got older.

However, this time, two queens had visited the castle at the same time and were even accompanying the demon king to the court gathering. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it definitely wasn’t ordinary.

“It truly is ‘Disturbance’ Shutra.”

Silvan muttered, and In-gong didn’t bother asking him what he was talking about. Every time In-gong participated in a court gathering, something unusual had happened. So, he was given the nickname ‘Disturbance.’

Still, the atmosphere of the court gathering was good. Everyone had been in shock and panic when the sword duke had suddenly taken part in the court gathering, but this time was different. It seemed like they were just slightly surprised.

‘Maybe they have adapted.’

This was In-gong’s fourth court gathering. Something unusual had happened four times in a row, so it was time to adapt. Felicia had already adapted and didn’t bother to gaze at him with stunned eyes. In fact, she seemed relieved that the situation was better than she expected.

‘Felicia and Silvan didn’t know about it.’

There was no reason for 3rd Queen Sylvia to hide her visit. Since both of them were surprised, it must truly be a sudden visit.

“The 5th Prince, Silvan Doomblade.”

Isabella, the person in charge of the Merits Department, called out Silvan’s name from where she stood at the lowest point of the dais. Although the atmosphere was somewhat different from usual due to the participation of the two queens, there was no reason why the court gathering would be different.

Silvan raised his chin and stepped forward proudly. Felicia and Caitlin’s names were called in turn, then it was In-gong’s name.

It was the start of the court gathering.

&

“Hah, it ended well.”

As always, Felicia returned to the waiting room after the court gathering was over and sat down on a sofa while sighing.

Like Felicia said, the court gathering had ended well without any commotions. Isabella had read their merits, and the nobles, who had gathered at the court gathering, had praised them. The court gathering had been the same as always, except for the participation of the two queens.

“I’m a little sorry that I didn’t get to hear Abamama’s voice.” (Check the glossary if you forgot what this means)

Felicia muttered while closing her eyes. The demon king hadn’t spoken during this court gathering. In fact, normally, the demon king wouldn’t say anything. However, he had always opened his mouth when In-gong was present at the court gathering. So, this was unexpected.

‘There will be all types of speculation.’

It would start with rumours about the 9th Prince losing the demon king’s favour.

‘But I wonder why. Is it because he had no reason to speak?’

In-gong had been anxious every time the demon king opened his mouth, but now, he was curious about why the demon king didn’t say anything.

‘In the first place, I hadn’t received his favour.’

The demon king’s gaze toward In-gong was no different from usual. The demon king wasn’t particularly disappointed or interested.

‘Well, this is normal.’

In Knight Saga, the demon king never spoke much at the court gatherings. So, there was no need to worry too much.

‘Death Knight and War Knight… and the report about the Famine Knight. As Felicia said, they weren’t mentioned in this court gathering.’

Although during the last court gathering, there had been a bit of political work done in order to determine where the children of the demon king should be dispatched, the court gatherings had originally just been ceremonies to announce the royal children’s merits. Even if the Demon King’s Palace felt a serious threat from the Knights of the Apocalypse, there was no reason to tell the story at the court gathering.

In-gong looked at Felicia, and they exchanged glances. Felicia had similar thoughts and nodded. Perhaps they could hear more from the Merits Department. There was also a chance that someone from the military would come to them separately.

As In-gong and Felicia were exchanging glances, Silvan laughed and put an arm around Felicia’s shoulder.

“Felicia, you can hear my voice on behalf of Abamama.”

Then he cleared his voice like he was going to give a loud speech. Felicia, as usual, covered Silvan’s mouth with her hand and looked at In-gong and Felicia.

“Anyway, I was surprised. I didn’t think that Omamama would come.”

In-gong and Caitlin participated in the natural change in topic. Silvan didn’t mind and just laughed pleasantly.

Caitlin seemed to recall something and said,

“It is the first time I’ve seen the 3rd Queen in a long time. By the way, she looks exactly the same as Unni. A very strong resemblance.”

Her words were correct. The 3rd Queen Sylvia really resembled Felicia. The difference was that Sylvia was a little bit taller, and the tear point under her left eye made her feel more mature. In fact, they had different eye colours, but the resemblance was really strong. If they stood side by side, anyone would know they were family.

‘She looks like Felicia’s sister, rather than her mother.’

The dark elves were a species with a long lifespan. Despite Sylvia’s actual age, she looked like she was only in her mid-20s, making it seem like she was Felicia’s sister.

Caitlin placed both hands on her cheek as though it was funny, while Felicia laughed and said,

“Caitlin, I was just about to say that.”

The 4th Queen Elaine resembled Caitlin so closely that it was like looking at Caitlin’s future self. However, there was a clear age difference. Caitlin looked like she was in her mid-teens, while Elaine seemed to be in her mid-20s. They looked more like mother and daughter when standing side by side than Sylvia and Felicia did.

However, it was a good story. In-gong loosened his tie to relax and laughed.

“Well, I’m glad it is over. I will go to the Merits Department after returning to my mansion for a bit. I’m going to rest today.”

In order to stay with the ‘Demon King’s Palace Tour’ he had planned the other day, it was necessary to update his merit level at the Merits Department. The higher his merit level, the more places there were which he could explore.

“Very well then.”

Felicia and Silvan nodded in agreement. However, they seemed to be worried about something.

“Felicia unni?”

The moment Caitlin started talking. There was knocking on the door of the waiting room, and a voice was heard. Someone was asking if they could come in.

“Indeed, it came.”

Silvan muttered like he had been anticipating it and gave permission to Sepira. Sepira opened the door to reveal a well dressed male dark elf. He bowed respectfully to In-gong’s group and handed a piece of paper to Carack, Seira, Delia and Sepira before leaving the room.

Once the door of the waiting room was closed, Seira spoke with wide eyes.

“Your Highness, it is an invitation from the 3rd Queen.”

The fancy white piece of paper was an invitation to a tea party.

As always, Carack looked over the invitation meticulously.

“Huh? Isn’t this today’s date? The time is two hours later?”

The invitation to the tea party was sent two hours before it was meant to start. It was different from Baikal’s invitation which had been sent a few days ahead.

“Really? There isn’t a mistake?”

“Really.”

“It is true. It is today’s date.”

Carack and Seira responded to In-gong’s question.

Felicia and Silvan sighed at the same time.

“I thought she would do this. Omamama is always like this.”

Silvan smiled and got up from his seat. Felicia held Silvan’s hand and said to everyone in the room,

“Let’s go to our mansions together. We still have to change clothes. If we hurry, we’ll be able to make it in time.”

There were only two hours left until the start of the tea party. They had to hurry because they wouldn’t be wearing the court gathering clothes to the tea party.

At Felicia’s urging, In-gong’s group moved quickly. It was a little bit like they were enchanted.

&

The queen all had their own palaces near the Black Castle which was called the true Demon King’s Palace. After changing clothes at Felicia’s mansion, the group hurried into a carriage pulled by dracos and headed to the 3rd Queen’s Palace.

The 3rd Queen’s palace was like a rugged fortress rather than an actual palace. Once inside, it contained the old-fashioned splendor which was unique to the dark elves. A young dark elf in the butler’s outfit guided the party. They walked deeper into the palace and a great black door appeared.

“Go in.”

A message had been sent in advance, so the servant opened the door instantly. In the well-furnished room, an expected person was sitting down, along with an unexpected person.

‘4th Queen Elaine?’

It wasn’t surprising that 3rd Queen Sylvia was present, since she was the organizer of the tea party, but he hadn’t expected to see Elaine.

In-gong’s head became filled with complicated thoughts. Were the two people close to each other? Or maybe it was because they were now in an alliance? If it was the latter case, this tea party might be more important than he had first thought.

“It isn’t difficult. This is a private place. If you look around, all of us only brought one aide.”

Elaine spoke in a relaxed voice. As she said, there was no visible use for the reception room other than the tea party. The two women were just sitting down, drinking tea and having refreshments.

Apart from the aides, who were like one with their master, it was a private place. The proof was that Elaine spoke without using honorifics with no hesitation. Caitlin, who knew when Elaine used honorifics and when she didn’t, relaxed her shoulders.

It was at that moment that Sylvia gazed at Elaine and spoke in a sharp voice,

”Elaine, I am the organizer of the tea party, so shouldn’t I be speaking?”

“That’s right.”

Elaine shrugged casually, and Sylvia frowned. Their attitudes made it obvious that they were familiar with each other, to a certain extent.

‘Indeed, it is understandable. Both of them have no interest in their children becoming the demon king.’

It was almost impossible for the 1st and 2nd Queens to be friendly with each other since their children were competing. However, the 3rd and 4th Queens were different from them, since they weren’t aiming for the demon king’s throne.

Moreover, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they had both boarded the same boat.

As Elaine laughed, Sylvia turned toward In-gong’s party. She had a gentle smile on her beautiful face.

“There is no need to be nervous since this is a private meeting. We are the only ones here, so we don’t need to be afraid of rumours.”

“Omamama.”

Felicia said, while Silvan’s eyes narrowed.

“Felicia, shouldn’t you say hello?”

It was impossible to refute the words since this was an introduction. Felicia and Silvan led the party in greeting the two queens.

Then Sylvia’s aide, a female dark elf with red hair, assigned each party member a seat. Felicia and Silvan were on both sides of Sylvia, while Caitlin was on Elaine’s left. In-gong was somewhat distant from all of them, since he was assigned the opposite seat where he had to face the two queens.

Once everyone was seated, Sylvia said elegantly,

“Thank you for accepting my sudden invitation. The reason I prepared this today was because I wanted to talk to you.”

Her gaze was directed at In-gong. It was natural. Unlike Elaine who had met him before, today was the first time Sylvia had seen In-gong. Of course, it was possible she had met Shutra a few times before. However, the current In-gong was very different from the past Shutra.

In order for the dark elves to support In-gong fully as a candidate for the demon king, Sylvia needed to meet him at least once. This was a separate matter from trusting Felicia’s eyes.

Sylvia smiled happily as In-gong faced her without avoiding her gaze. She was exactly like Felicia yet also different. There was a much more mature atmosphere around her.

Sylvia drank her tea first, then she looked at In-gong.

“I know enough from the court gathering, so let’s talk plainly.”

In-gong also drank his cup of tea and calmed his breathing. What did Sylvia really want to say?

He had no information about her because he’d had no contact with Sylvia in Knight Saga.

The 3rd Queen, Sylvia Doomblade, stared straight into In-gong’s eyes.

“Shutra, be honest. What have you done to my child? These days, she only talks about you when she opens her mouth. It isn’t exactly words but through her letters.”

“Huh?”

In-gong didn’t know what to make of this moment.

He heard two voices speaking at the same time from different places.

“Omamama?!”

“Oh, that sounds like my child.”

The first was Felicia, while the second came from Elaine.

Elaine’s sudden remark caused Caitlin’s eyes to widen.

“Mama? Ah, no. Mother?”

Elaine laughed like the whole situation was amusing. She looked identical to Caitlin, but her personality was completely different. Sylvia didn’t pay attention to Felicia and continued speaking,

“Just two days ago, I got a letter from Felicia. It is one of the reasons why I came here today.”

“Omamama!”

Felicia almost screamed, but Sylvia didn’t listen. She pulled out a letter from a small box she had prepared in advance.

“I have received a few letters, but this one is especially impressive.”

“Oma… hup hup!”

Sylvia was a much more skilled magician than Felicia, and she silenced Felicia’s mouth instantly with a spell. Then she opened the letter.

“Darker than darkness, the deep night was only filled with despair. Silvan seemed like he was going to stop breathing at any moment, and I had fallen to fear. But Omamama, that is when Shutra appeared. It was so cool seeing him appear with a dark blue cloak and a glowing white light. He had led a great army while riding on a white shield and moving faster than the wind, but this time, he was even greater than that. Ah, I can still see it if I close my eyes. I felt relieved just seeing Shutra’s back. It felt like I had found the light in the darkness. Now, I can live, and Silvan can live… Ah, tears came unknowingly to my eyes. I can feel the joy bursting in my heart.”

“Hup hup! Hup!”

Felicia’s face reddened as she struggled to speak.

It seemed like she had truly written the letter a few days ago. The dark elves and lycanthropes were species with queens, so exchanging letters wasn’t difficult since they had transportation formations linked directly to the Demon King’s Palace.

Even Sylvia blushed slightly as she read the letter. Elaine spoke happily as Sylvia folded up the letter,

“Felicia is too adorable. By the way, I also have one to read.”

“Mother?”

Caitlin stood up and shouted. Then Elaine commanded Caitlin with strict eyes,

“Caitlin, sit.”

Caitlin sat down reflexively. She was like a trained puppy. Although Caitlin had a nauseated expression, she didn’t moan or protest. Elaine nodded with a satisfied expression and pulled out a blue stone.

“This is a voice letter Caitlin gave me a while ago.”

Caitlyn had sent it when she left the fourth base to see Felicia off. As Elaine inserted magic power into the stone, Caitlin closed her eyes tightly. Caitlin’s excited voice flowed out from the magic stone.

“Amazing! Amazing! Really amazing! He is so great and amazing that he took down the barbarian king! Shutra might even be stronger than Oppa. No, he is going to be stronger. His strength is clear. Isn’t it really amazing? Amazing!”

As expected, it was filled with the word ‘amazing.’ She ran out of breath and the sound of breathing was heard. Then she said in a voice filled with joy, pride and admiration,

“Shutra is amazing.”

He could imagine Caitlin’s bright and sunny face easily.

‘Master, I admit it. The Amazing Princess is really amazing. She seems a little different to me. Well, I don’t think we should be the same.’

Green Wind muttered into In-gong’s ear, and he stayed silent. It was normal, but he was strangely embarrassed today. Moreover, there was Felicia’s letter. Felicia had written the letter after being on the verge of death. Her expression looked like she was going to start crying at any moment. In-gong wasn’t much different. His expression didn’t change, but his face was red. Apart from the both of them, Caitlin was also embarrassed. She felt a sense of shame after hearing her voice through the magic stone.

Elaine and Sylvia just laughed gracefully. Carack and the other aides also had to put a lot of effort into suppressing their laughter. Delia was pinching her thigh, while Seira and Sepira were biting their lips with their eyes tightly closed.

Silvan was the only one among the children of the demon king who wasn’t embarrassed. He smiled while looking at In-gong with envious eyes.

‘Huu, hu. Relax.’

In-gong tried to decrease the blood flow in his face as he swallowed his tea. It was slightly helpful in recovering his calm.

Sylvia spoke again,

“It’s a joke. I don’t intend to criticize you, but I want to thank you sincerely.”

Her voice and expression became sombre. She spoke as the mother of two children, not the 3rd Queen.

“Thank you for saving Silvan and Felicia. Shutra, you are the saviour of both me and my family. Thanking you just a few times isn’t enough.”

They weren’t empty words. In-gong could feel Sylvia’s sincerity. It was obvious that she would do anything for In-gong.

In-gong’s lips twitched. He wanted to speak words of humility, but they didn’t emerge.

Sylvia smiled again at In-gong’s appearance.

“Shutra, you really do care about both of them.”

Sylvia could feel it. It wasn’t through any schemes that In-gong had saved Felicia and Silvan. He had done it purely because he cared for both of them.

“It is a relief. I know because I am similar to Felicia… It is easy to see the possible damage. But this time, there is no damage. I’m really glad that she is valued equally.”

Felicia, who had just calmed down, reddened again. In-gong also agreed with Sylvia’s words. It was good that Felicia didn’t suffer any damages, which would have been possible due to her nature.

‘This part is similar.’

They were different from Caitlin and her mother, who resembled each other but had different personalities. Sylvia and Felicia were equally genuine in nature, so In-gong could see Felicia in Sylvia.

“Now, the entertainment is over, so shall we socialize?”

Sylvia lifted the spell on Felicia and raised her teacup. Felicia showed some signs of resentment at the word ‘entertainment’, but it didn’t matter.

Two hours passed by. Sylvia made small talk to promote their friendship. Felicia was the main subject of the chatter, but it was still a fun tea party.

Then In-gong finally understood. There was a big difference in the perceptions of In-gong and the two queens.

For In-gong, he didn’t have a lot of time to spare for the fight over the demon king’s throne. The Day of Massacre occurred in Year 516 in Knight Sage. This was currently Year 513, so there were only three years left. Moreover, the current Zephyr was much stronger than the Zephyr of Knight Saga. Maybe the incident would occur earlier than anticipated.

However, for the two queens, dozens of years was a short time. The dark elves and lycanthropes were both long-lived species. No, it was like that for all species of the Demon World.

The sura king, Mitra, had risen to the throne of demon king approximately 100 years ago. At the time, he had already been over 60 years old. On the other hand, the eldest of the royal children was only in his 20s. It was obvious there were still decades left to decide the succession.

It was an unbelievable thing for In-gong, but he couldn’t mention the Day of Massacre to the two people. Maybe the Day of Massacre might not even happen. The Day of Massacre in Knight Saga happened because all the children of the demon king, except for Zephyr, were greatly damaged during the lycanthrope subjugation.

In-gong planned to block the lycanthrope subjugation and make himself stronger than Zephyr. Then Zephyr wouldn’t be able to cause the Day of Massacre.

Sylvia and Elaine were both smart and quick. They were people who could adapt quickly if the situation changed. For the time being, he didn’t have to worry too much about the difference in perception.

‘Let’s talk about the fairy next time. I’ll give you some of the things I’ve prepared to thank you.’

It was the magic message Sylvia had delivered just before he left the tea party. Maybe Elaine’s intrusion was unexpected for Sylvia.

‘Well, I don’t think it was a real intrusion.’

Perhaps she had invited Elaine after the court gathering.

In-gong’s party left the palace and boarded the carriage pulled by dracos. Felicia, who had become agitated several times during the tea party, slumped down with a completely worn out expression.

In-gong sat down next to her and suddenly became playful. He pressed his fingers to Felicia’s arms and asked,

“Noona, was I really so cool on that day?”

Rather than answering, Felicia stood up and struck In-gong with her fan. In-gong laughed pleasantly at Felicia’s response.

Carack muttered something strange, causing Delia and Seira to nod with serious expressions. However, In-gong just ignored them.

Time passed once again, and after dropping off Felicia, Silvan and Caitlin, In-gong returned to his mansion with Carack. It had gotten too late, so his visit to the Merits Department had to be postponed until tomorrow.

“It was a fun day.”

“Yes.”

He was completely embarrassed, but there had been many enjoyable parts. In-gong and Carack entered the mansion with smiling faces.

Rather than a pleasant rest, they were met with Flora whose face was strained. A black piece of paper was in her hand.

“It seems like today isn’t over.”

Carack said with narrowed eyes. In-gong agreed and received the black paper from Flora.

There was white lettering on a black background. The contents were pretty similar to Sylvia’s invitation.

However, the sender was different. In-gong gave a wry smile as he read the message.

The sender was the sura king, Mitra.

The demon king had sent him an invitation.