~ Chapter 135: The Marquess’ house of paintings ~

[Ayuseya’s point of view]

Seven days had passed since we set foot on the shore of the Teslov Kingdom, and we finally reached the Sharp Talon Outpost located on the other side of the Black Tooth Ridge Mountain. It took us three very long and boring days to cross it.

After the event with the bandits, I had enough time to think about what I had done and what the moral and legal implications of my deeds were. I did not regret my actions, and I did not feel sorry for killing them. If I did not do it, somebody else would have. Legally, I acted in self-defense and then as an adventurer who took out subjugation targets. The moment the bandits unsheathed their swords, they should have been prepared to lay down their freedom and even their lives.

Unlike the Gatetown, the Sharp Talon Outpost was smaller. The guards let us pass without any problems, although they did ask at one point if we saw anything strange. Red replied that besides a bunch of weird noises, we saw nothing.

From here on out, it was going to be a trip downhill towards Mendrakar City, where we were supposed to resupply and change horses. At nightfall, because we reached the outpost when it was already past noon and did not stay to look around, we had to camp on the side of the road again.

Unlike other nobles, I did not make a fuss about where and how often we had to stop, and the Supremes already got used to my strange presence.

At the campsite, I climbed out of the carriage and approached the RGB group.

“Your Highness, is everything alright?” Red asked when he saw me.

“Everything’s fine, Red.” I nodded and then looked at the other two.

“Is there something we can do for you?” Green asked.

“No. I was just wondering when you would estimate we would reach the capital?”

“Probably in five or six days from now? We need to reach Mendrakar City first. Afterwards, we will travel Northwest towards Miltana Village, where I hope we can rest for the night. The it won’t be long before we reach the capital.” he replied.

“Is that so? Hm...” I said as I looked over at the burning fire.

The flames were dancing beautifully.

“Are we going too fast?” Red asked out of curiosity.

“Too fast? No, rather you are going too slow. Back when I traversed the Ridge on the Paramanium Empire’s side, the journey was far more comfortable and shorter. During one of our stops, we even had a small race back to the other side of the mountain and back. It was fun.” I said as I remembered that long journey three years ago.

We barely got off the Boss Island and we reached the Pirate Island. Shanteya was pregnant with Anette and Bachus. Nanya was making a fuss about Illsyore, and I had to help the servants who came with me to Fellyore and ended up getting punished by the Teslov Kingdom.

Speaking of which, I do need to find the draconian who dared to lay his hands on Soleya. I think he was working at the castle? Well, it was a good thing that both Soleya and Marcelle adapted to life on the island. I thought as I continued to look at the dancing flames.

Marcelle Ollera, the petite draconian woman, always had a reason to be cheerful and snacked on the cookies made by Yung Mai. Her passion for literature never faded and we already spoke about her becoming a librarian in the future. For now, we simply did not have that many books to watch over. Those around Marcelle quickly became fond of her cuteness, especially the men who felt the need to protect her.

On the other hand, Soleya, was a draconian woman who didn’t let just any man get close to her. After what happened to her, I could not blame her. Illsy built her a house of her own, and when I went to visit her last time, I caught sight of a letter which I assumed was addressed to Keltaru Dowesyl. I always found those two to be rather close one to another, but I could never tell if it was just a close friendship or something more.

Letting out a sigh, I turned my eyes away from the flames and returned to my carriage.

“Goodnight.” I told the three.

The following day, we reached the beautiful city of Mendrakar. It had already been eight days since we set foot on the Thorya Continent, and we were only around three or four days away from the capital of the Teslov Kingdom. As much as I wanted to see the Pleyades Palace again and meet my younger sister, Vellezya, I feared the conditions in which I would get to do so.

My childhood, be it for good or worse, wasn’t as bad as one were to believe.

I was born in the first month of spring in a year when famine had struck the Teslov Kingdom. The royal family was spared of its effects, but the population suffered terribly as a result.

My mother took great care of me when I was young, treating me like the most precious jewel in the entire Kingdom. As a child, I was grateful for this and fully enjoyed the affection I was given, but all the other adults in the palace did not seem to be of the same opinion.

The one thing I never found odd back then should have been the first sign of alarm for me. As a child, I never got to play with other children with the exception for my sister and at times the brother from another mother, there was no one our age there, in the Palace.

For a family which struggled to maintain its bloodline due to that curse, it was quite ridiculous that I did not see anyone of my age running around the corridors.

I also often heard the servants whispering of how lucky I was to be able to stay with my mother or even in the palace at all. Later, I would come to learn that my other relatives didn’t live within the safety of the royal palace but rather in special villas outside of it.

Despite all of this, I had what I would like to believe was a rather normal childhood. At the age of three, I was tutored by three different teachers in all sorts of things. At the age of six, I learned how to ride a horse, then I was thought in the ways of being a royal.

My mother died when I was fairly young, but that didn’t ruin my childhood. I continued to do my best until I was 17 years old, when I was first told about the Ball. The idea of submitting myself to this sort of horrible fate frightened me.

I managed to avoid it for a while, but then I was engaged by force to Dankyun, who then cursed me by burning my vocal cords with a concoction of flesh-eating worms.

The rest was history.

Seeing Mendrakar sparked these various memories within me, and I found my chest hurting from the pain of having to acknowledge that all of the attention and care I received as a child was merely so I would give birth to a sacrificial baby.

My return to this horrible place would thus be seen as questionable, but while the adults treated me as they did, my hope lied in my little sister and the idea that maybe the little brother whom at one point I saw as cute and innocent hadn’t been corrupted too much by these draconians.

I came to this country as a political representative of Illsyorea, but I doubted they would accept me as such. What I wanted was for the history books to remember this month as the time when Ayuseya Drekar Deus tried her best to negotiate in a peaceful manner for this kingdom to stop pestering Illsyorea and herself. I wanted for all those who looked back into the past at this moment to see who were the ones who made the first move and then how they were crushed like insects by me.

The old me would have seen this plan as one unbecoming of a Princess, but I wasn’t a Princess anymore, I was a woman who was fighting to protect the interests of her real family back on Illsyorea.

When I came to Fellyore, my hands were clean of blood and my heart was as fragile as it could be. Even the fact that I had fled all the way there was a wonder in itself. However, staying by Illsy’s side and realizing that I had to take responsibility for the strength I could wield in combat slowly changed me into the woman I was today.

In Aunnar Kingdom, I learned what it means take a life and not be able to control my own power. Then, over the six years on the Boss Island, I learned to steel my heart and not back away from a fight or kill.

Dankyun was the last push of the button. He was the last drop in the glass right before it was full. After I killed him, I was reborn anew. I had no more fears regarding taking another life, but I would not be one to take it foolishly either.

Innocents would never taste my blade, but criminals would be welcomed to feel its wrath. The monster who took my voice away was going to be my last kill on the land of my home, as for those who followed in his tracks, I would simply incapacitate and let others judge.

To live with a great power, one had to accept the strict rules that could contain it.

All of us had these unwritten guidelines which we followed to the letter. If we failed to do so, we would merely end up losing ourselves to the taste of blood and turn into unscrupulous monsters.

Initially, I thought that we would enter the Mendrakar City and then make our way to the local inn, where would sleep for the night, however, something strange happened at the gates. No matter how much Red argued, the guards would not let us pass.

“Boy, if you don’t let us through, I’m going to squeeze that worthless melon you call a head until I turn it inside out!” Red growled at the man.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry, b-b-ut t-the orders.... I-I c-can’t!” the draconian replied shaking in his boots.

If this guard faced a random adventurer, maybe he wouldn’t have been so afraid, but Red was bombarding him with his killing intent to the point where I was actually surprised he didn’t flee screaming or fainted on the spot.

“What’s going on?” I asked seeing how this was going nowhere.

“Your Highness, apparently this poor excuse for a living being received orders not to let us inside Mendrakar City.” Red replied as he kept glaring at the draconian.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry! The L-Lord o-o-ordered us so!” he said in a hurry.

“And who is this Lord of yours?” I questioned him as I got out of the carriage.

“Marquess Masvarius Gharant the 8th!” he declared.

I know that name. I thought.

I had never met this draconian in person, but I remembered that during one of the Pleyades Family History Classes, I was thought that the Masvarius family was one of many known to be blood-related to the Pleyades family as well as carriers of the curse.

“Then why don’t you let him know that we have arrived?” I asked the guard.

“R-Right away!” he said before running off to tell the Marquess.

“Why should we bother to listen to what this noble has to say? Our priority is to reach the Capital, not waste our time like this.” Red said.

“I understand, but there must be a reason why he ordered his guards to stop us at the gates.” I replied and then thought I also want to see if I can get any information out of him regarding the current state of affairs at the palace. I then returned to my carriage.

About half an hour later, the guard return and let us through. We were escorted to the Marquess’ home, a lavishing mansion that showed the Lord’s delight in spending the tax money as well as his peculiar tastes in art. The entire courtyard was filled with statues representing nude human and elf women. Because there were no draconian women among them, the Teslov society didn’t see this sort of display as something inappropriate or distasteful.

For us, it was the same as humans displaying statues of shaved dogs.

“Your Highness, I humbly welcome you to the Masvarius Estate, the master is awaiting your presence in the reception room.” an elegant butler informed me as soon as I stepped out of the carriage.

“Take us to him then.” I said.

“I apologize, but he has requested only your presence. The others are to wait in the guest rooms. This young lady will show you the way.” the butler pointed towards a teenage draconian woman.

She made a polite bow in front of them and then said “Esteemed masters, please follow me.”

“We’re not leaving her Highness alone.” Red declared.

“Do you think something inappropriate might happen to her here?” the butler asked.

Red looked at me, and I nodded.

“Do as you like.” he growled and crossed his arms at his chest.

“Please lead me to where the Marquess is waiting for me.” I said with a polite smile on my lips.

“Right away, your Highness.” the butler bowed.

I followed the draconian inside the mansion, and I had to say that I wasn’t impressed by all the paintings and exquisite decorations. There were far too many for my taste. The number of nude portraits was also starting to reach a rather disturbing level, but I abstained from commenting about the Marquess’ taste. If needed be, I would even compliment it for now.

“The Lord is inside.” the butler said when we reached a certain room on the left side of the long corridor.

I opened the knob and entered the room. There, I found the draconian in question admiring a giant painting of a nude party.

Is he obsessed with naked women of other species? I wondered.

“Ah! Cousin Ayuseya, what a delight it is to finally make your acquaintance!” he said as he turned around and showed me a big smile.

“Marquess Masvarius, I presume?” I asked.

“The one and only!” he laughed.

He does not even look 20 years old. I thought.

“I heard from a relative at the palace that you will be returning to the Teslov Kingdom and that you might even have the cure for our peculiar condition. Of course, many of us think there are various conditions to it... Is... Is it true?” he asked as he looked into my eyes.

“The part about the cure existing is true. As for the conditions, there are a few, but it will all remain to be seen. So far, I have been the only one released from it.” I replied.

I expected that this much information was common sense among the implicated parties by now. After all, I am nearing 30 years of age and that is by far the most any of our family members had ever managed to survive. I thought.

“And... do you think the cure will be spread to the rest of us once you finally offer it?” he asked.

“I believe so, therefore, there is no need to worry about it.” I showed him a smile.

“That is a joyous news indeed! Truly a blessing! Then, please, don’t hesitate and use my mansion as you see fit to rest and relax before departing for the capital!” he declared with a smile.

“I am thankful for your kindness, Marquess. I also wish to ask, if possible, about what the latest rumors and news at the Palace are.” I said.

“Rumors and news, hm.” he looked at me and rubbed his chin.

“If possible.” I repeated myself.

“Yes, then... They say that Princess Vellezya does not have much longer to live. After the Ball, she had been rather weak, and the birth didn’t help her by much.” he shook his head and let out a sad sigh “If only she hadn’t rejected the marriage proposal of those fine draconians.”

“Why do you think she would do that?” I asked as I began to worry now about her fate, but I didn’t let it be shown at all.

“I heard that she didn’t want to go through the pain you went through. The news about Dankyun’s misbehavior and his betrayal of the Teslov Kingdom surely came as a painful blow to all of us. We never expected someone as astounding at him to do such... horrible things.” the Marquess appeared to be troubled by this subject.

“I see. Then what of my brother, the new King?” I asked.

“So far, he hasn’t shown his face to the public. Just like all the previous kings, he will remain secluded in the throne room from where he will run the state affairs in consensus with the Elder Council.” he said.

Even within the Pleyades Family, this practice had at times been seen as suspicious, but the general explanation for those who knew of their peculiar condition was that the official death of a King was not as often as others tended to believe. The commoners and most uninvolved nobles only knew of the Royal Family having a sickly constitution, while his Majesty was as strong as he could be. That was why to the public eye, the King only met an unfortunate death due to assassination or betrayal. He never died of natural causes or things like curses. What was more, in order to make it more believable, several generations of Kings were sacrificed in name and sometimes in appearance in order to continue this charade.

The acting King, Braydan Pleyades, as far as I knew, he was a name filler for a fictional royal who was by now over 70 years old and holding steady.

All of these lies and drama were meant to keep the commoners and low ranked nobles from starting a revolution that could have otherwise crippled the nation. Knowing this, it was also understandable that they wanted my return to Teslov in order to avoid the spread of this dangerous information.

Unfortunately for the Elder Council, I wasn’t the same little helpless Princess they made play ambassador at the age of 16. They had no means of restraining this Deus.

The question that remained for me to solve was what role this Marquess had in all of this?

“Are you worried about your sibling’s well-being?” he asked with a smile when he saw me deep in thought.

I showed him a smile in return and then replied “No, Marquess. Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to rest. My journey has been rather... stressful.”

“Is that so? Well, you can stay here as many days as you feel the need to. My house is at your disposal, your Highness!” he bowed before me.

“Thank you, Marquess.” I showed him a polite smile and then turned around to leave.

“Ah! Before you go, may I interest you in an exquisite dinner made by my best chefs? His skills are absolutely delightful!” he offered.

“No, thank you, Marquess. Good day.” I said and left.

The draconian was trying to invite me to dinner, but the way he said it, I didn’t know if it was with good intentions or not. Looking at the strange paintings he viewed as pleasant and appropriate decorations for his home, I was inclined to believe that it was the latter.

The most common method used by despicable individuals in order to trick a poor woman into a defenseless state had always been that of slipping sleeping drugs in her meal. Although I am inclined to doubt this possibility, nonetheless, I cannot ignore it. Tamara’s cooking will taste better anyway... It will taste like home. I thought as I followed the butler who offered himself to lead me to my room for the night.

The moment I stepped inside, I felt the Magic Energy flowing through various parts of this room.

What are these? Listening enchants? I thought while I continued to act as though I was completely oblivious to them.

I looked around the room, checked the comfort of the bed and then walked over to the window.

One of them feels like a Dungeon’s trap, but it’s not possible to have one here without being within a Dungeon Territory. Then... is this room meant to be some sort of trap? But for what purpose? Self-defense or attack? I thought and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

My Magic Armor was reinforced and powerful enough to stop even one of Nanya’s punches. Whatever the Marquess wanted to cast at me, I was prepared.

Before I went to bed, however, I went to check on the three Supremes. They were in the guests rooms a floor below mine.

I found Red reading a book on how to bake sweets, Blue was writing some letters, and Green was in the middle of fornicating with the maid. The draconian moved fast. Their rooms did not appear to have any sort of strange enchants like mine did, so I was beginning to suspect that the Marquess’ intentions might not be aimed towards my well-being.

For the time being, I decided to pretend to be the weak innocent clueless little Princess too many individuals unfortunately thought with unwavering conviction I was.

Then, at around midnight, my senses picked up the activation of the trap. A soundproof barrier was released around this room and a strange gas was released inside. It didn’t get past my Magic Armor, but I pretended it did and remained motionless in my bed.

Then, a couple of minutes later, the door to my room was opened, and I felt the presence of the Marquess.

“Uhihi~ Princess Ayuseya is finally mine!” he declared in an exhilarated tone of voice.

What is he up to? Finally his? What does he mean by that? I wondered.

“I missed your Ball, my cute cousin, but I can finally get to have you all by myself!” he laughed as he got closer to me.

This draconian... he... Ugh! Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting! I thought as I felt my stomach turn upside down.

“Now, let me see how beautiful you really are!” he said as he pulled off the blanket.

“I apologize, but the only man or woman who is allowed to touch me in a perverted manner is Illsyore and his wives.” I declared as I glared at him.

“You... How?” he asked surprised.

To my disgust, this pig was already naked. My eyes had been defiled by the sight of his puny manhood.

“Do you really think it was that easy to neutralize someone with my power?” I asked as I got out of my bed.

I was fully dressed, of course.

“Ugh! You! But the gas should have knocked you out!” he declared.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” I asked him raising an eyebrow.

“Nonsense!” he declared.

This pig was nothing like the gentleman who greeted me earlier.

“You were planning to rape your own cousin. Do you have no shame?” I asked him as I called out my sword.

He got up and seemingly ignored the fact that I had summoned a weapon from thin air.

“You... What do you mean shame?! The most beautiful body is that of one’s family!” he declared.

Those paintings... could it be. I thought and then asked “Who are the human women in the paintings?” I asked.

“Hehe! Our society prohibits me from gazing at the painting of a naked body of a draconian woman, but a skilled painter can make them all look like beautiful human women!” he declared and then looking into my eyes, he put on a more serious expression “Now, my beautiful cousin Ayuseya, won’t you give me the honor that was stolen from me by that traitorous Supreme and reveal your splendid body to me?”

I did not know how to answer. This man was no different than a lunatic who sought to fulfill his immoral and perverted dreams. That being said, considering the ties of the Masvarius family to the Pleyades family, and the fact that they too carried the curse, I was starting to suspect that all those paintings were those of the former mothers and daughters born or brought into this house. After all, while walking down these corridors I did not see even a single painting of the Marquess’ father or grandfather. All of them were of human women... or rather, draconian women disguised as human women.

“Marquess... do you not understand the immorality and pervasive nature of your hobby?” I asked as I furrowed my brow.

“Immorality? Pervasive nature? My lady, those are delights to my ears! At least I don’t kidnap the children of peasants to have fun with them or hunt down bandits to torture them in my basement as my neighbors do.” he laughed.

“What?” I asked shocked of this news.

“Don’t fret about it! The King allows it as long as we don’t disturb the public peace too much!” he laughed.

I didn’t say anything, just took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

“So now, relinquish that distasteful piece of metal and the silly fabric you are wearing. Once you become mine, I’ll adorn you with the best jewels money can buy and the most exquisite of clothes!” he declared in a nonchalant tone of voice.

“You know... I have absolutely no idea as to how you would think such acts would be normal?” I replied.

“Why wouldn’t they? All my cousins and aunts who visited me so far agreed to it happily!” he laughed.

Was it because of that strange gas, I wonder? I thought and then let out a sigh.

“Here, I’ll help you!” he said as he reached out to undress me, but who in the world would let him?

“Hands off!” I declared and swung my sword.

The cut was clean and his arm that reached out was cut at the elbow.

“Huh? GYAAA!” he screamed.

“You are an immoral monster who drugged and raped his own family members.” I declared with a clear tone of disgust in my voice.

“N-No, spare me!” he begged when he finally realized that things weren’t going his way.

Actually, how in the name of all the gods did he even come to be like this? Had his mind distorted so much that he couldn’t make a difference anymore between reality and fantasy?

“Spare you? Yes... I think I will spare this world of your pathetic existence.” I said and then showed him a smile.

“Y-You can’t... They will find out...” he said.

“If I let you live, you will act against me or behind my back as an act of revenge. If I kill you, then it will in self-defense of your rape attempt.” I said and pointed my sword at him.

“Hiii! Y-You can’t do that!” he shouted while holding his bleeding stump.

I lifted my sword up in order to execute a down cut and split his body in half, but then I began to think about this whole situation again.

What I hate here is the fact that he tried to trick me to rape me... The thought of a man other than Illsy touching me disgusts me. I can’t accept that... But this Marquess did not do it per say. He attempted to but failed miserably. However, the other women who fell in his trap were all put on display in this mansion by him, his father, and his past relatives. I can’t let it continue. The Masvarius Family must end tonight... but maybe not in this way. I thought and then slowly lowered my sword.

“Huh? D-Did you change your mind?” he asked.

“Foolishness.” I declared and then struck him with the flat of the sword, sending him flying into the wall.

He groaned from the pain.

I walked up to him and looked at him with cold eyes. He had a bleeding cut off hand, a broken leg, and most likely several ribs broken. Medical attention was in order if I wanted him to live past tonight. It was a good thing I had healing potions in my Storage Crystals. The bleeding could be stopped if I pressed a burning hot metal against it.

“Tomorrow, everyone will know what you did.” I said and then took out a stack of rope from my Storage Crystal.

“W-What are y-you doing?” he asked when he saw me approaching with the rope in my hands.

“I’m going to punish you.” I declared and made the rope snap as I showed him a gentle smile.

He shrieked and trembled.

The following day, in front of the gates of the Masvarius Mansion, an entire crowd of people was there to see the naked Marquess tied up to a pole, with black eyes and a swollen lip. Underneath him, were several written declarations that stated in detail what his family had done up until now. For good measure, I sent one to the each of his neighboring territories as well.

The declarations were written by his hand and stamped with his official seal, making it impossible to forge or legally deny. Through this act, the entire family would meet its end and the truth of his deeds would come to light.

Since I was the one who extended this sort of punishment to him, my actions effectively strengthened the truth of the written content of the declaration. Not only was I a draconian woman with golden scales, but I was also the political representative of Illsyorea in the Teslov Kingdom.

I made sure to let his servants know of this fact before any of them attempted to free him from those ropes.

At noon, we left Mendrakar City and headed for Miltana Village, the last stop before we would reach the Capital. The RGB group didn’t comment on the unexpected turn of events, or rather they were surprised I didn’t kill him on the spot.

The truth was that I had a bit of a difficult time deciding not to kill him. My dragon blood reacted strongly against the immoral attempt of the noble, but in the end, I figured I would have more use of him alive than dead. His actions destroyed his reputation and social standing, resulting in the downfall of his entire family. It was highly doubtful now that the other noble families will lend them a helping hand, and considering the curse, it wouldn’t be long now before all of them would perish.

The way his downfall would help me remained to be seen. For now, it was a card in the political game against the Elder Council which showed that I had the courage and strength to stand up for myself in case they did not believe the rumors of my strength from Illsyorea.

When nightfall came, we stopped and made camp on the side of the road. I ate some of Tamara’s pasta with Yung Mai’s tomato sauce. It was excellent.

The following day, we left towards Miltana Village at the break of dawn and reached it when it was early in the evening. I had hoped that I would be spared today of the typical noble abuse of power, but luck was not on my side.

“There seems to be a commotion in the village.” said Red when Green stopped the carriage.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“A public execution, I believe.” answered Green.

“A what?” I said surprised and then climbed out of the carriage.

“Are you going to save them this time?” asked Red with a smirk, reminding me of the incident from Rank Village.

I didn’t comment and walked over to where a Knight of sorts was announcing to the public the crimes a family of four was convicted of.

They want to execute children as well? I thought as I furrowed my brow.

“Hear ye! Hear ye! The Wood Family of the Miltana Village is hereby sentenced to death for the offense of defaming the name of the Lord of this land, Marquess Masvarius Gharant the 8th!” the Knight shouted loud and clear for everyone there to hear him.

Those present here could be considered the neighbors and friends of this family. There were also concerned villagers here who could not fight back against those who oppressed them, and it could be seen on their faces that they considered this punishment to be too much.

“Mommy... I’m scared...” the little girl cried.

“I’m here, little one... Just close your eyes... It will be over soon.” the mother said as she cried as well.

“In the name of the Lord, I shall begin the execution of those foolish to disturb the law! Let it be a lesson to all those who oppose...” the Knight declared, but I didn’t let him finish.

“STOP!” I shouted loud enough to catch everyone’s attention.

“Who dares?!” the Knight shouted furiously.

If these fools recognized the color of my scales, then they would act accordingly. So far, though, it didn’t seem to have made as much of an impact as I had hoped.

“Ayuseya Drekar Deus is my name. What you are about to do is a crime against this Kingdom, so I advise you to cease your foolishness!” I declared in a firm tone of voice, but I didn’t use my pressure or killing intent.

The Knight’s allies stepped forward and unsheathed their swords. They were all a squad of knights sent out on patrol most likely.

“Do you dare to defame the name of the Lord of this land as well?” the Knight asked with a smirk.

“Your Lord is no more. Marquess Masvarius Gharant the 8th together with his entire family have been found guilty of immoral acts against other noble families and the citizens they rule. The Marquess confessed and as a result of the laws written down by the past Kings of Teslov and which are still valid today as seen in the Law-and-Order Book, he and his family will soon be considered fallen nobles. Thus, any act or accusation of defamation you pretend this family to have been guilty of is therefore considered null and void.” I explained in a clear tone of voice.

My years as an acting ambassador at a young age have not all been just for show. While my actions back then for the most part may have been considered useful for my political training and the rest to impress the foreigners with a cute and smart Princess, the theory and knowledge of the laws still remained.

“You spout lies!” the Knight declared and pointed his sword at me.

“I would advise you to sheath your sword. You are a mere Knight while I am noble. I may very well consider your acts as a sign of revolt against the acting nobility, and we will have these people here witnessing YOUR execution instead.” I declared unfazed by his pathetic attempt of intimidation.

The Knight looked into my eyes for a long moment, trying to see if I was bluffing or trying to trick him in some way, but there was no bluff or lie in my legal evaluation. Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword and with a head sign told one of his companions to release the peasant family.

As the shackles came undone, they cried of joy and moved as far away from the knights as they could. The mother and father of the children approached me. Bowing their heads and with tears in their eyes, they thanked me from the bottom of their hearts.

“You were lucky today, but I cannot guarantee a next time. If you wish to flee from the oppression of this country, I advise you to move to Illsyorea. If you choose that, I will lend you a helping hand.” I told them and then looked back at the Knights “Do you have any other business here?” I asked.

“No. But I find it awfully strange for a noble woman the butt into this sort of matters. Shouldn’t you be at your mansion sipping tea and taking care of your flower garden?” he asked in a mocking tone of voice.

I closed my eyes for a moment and then let out a sigh.

“You, Sir, have offended my honor. I request a duel.” I showed him a smile.

The Knight laughed out loud when he heard me.

“A frail woman tries to duel a man! Puhahaha!” he laughed; his companions laughed as well.

The three Supremes behind me did not find this funny at all.

“Do you reject my request, Sir?” I asked.

“Huh? No, I don’t. But I won’t accept a duel of flower arrangement!” he laughed.

“Very well. Red, please act as our witness to this official duel to the death through which I reclaim the honor of my name as Deus.” I said with a smile.

“Erm... Are you going to destroy this village?” he asked as he looked at the worried villagers.

“Of course not! This poor sap isn’t a Supreme like you. A slap will be enough.” I nodded.

“Very well.” he nodded.

What I wanted him to watch out for were the stray shots fired by this Knight.

“You said some rather weird words there, lady. Have the tea parties gone to your head?” he smirked and waved his tail in the air.

This draconian was one who was at least 100 years of age, with dark-brown scales just like Dankyun but with a face that left much to desire. The best description for him would be a middle-aged draconian with a rugged appearance and who walked unwashed for who knew how long.

The duel area was right in the middle of this street. The villagers stood far away from us, behind the RGB group. Between me and the Knight were only ten meters.

“This duel shall be won by me, Sir Bullvara Ashitorez!” he declared proudly.

“A name I shall forget soon.” I said and then took out my sword.

The moment he saw the weapon I received from Illsy, he gulped. The blade shone with powerful Magic Energy and the pressure it emanated was not one that could be handled by just anyone, especially since I took it out in Active Mode.

“I shall not use this sword.” I declared and let it drop with the tip of the blade aimed at the ground.

The sharpness was out of the ordinary. From just its own weight, the sword sunk until only the hilt remained. Naturally, if it wasn’t in Active Mode, the blade would have sunk just about halfway through.

“T-That’s one scary weapon, Lady.” the Knight said as he gulped.

It appeared as though his impressions of me had suddenly changed.

“I will not need it.” I showed him a smile and then I began to walk up to him.

The man watched my every move, looking for an opening, but there was none. My cold eyes kept him locked in my view, and he knew he had no chance to escape. Before he knew it, I was standing right in front of him.

I gently grabbed his sword with two fingers and then slapped him across the cheek. A crack was heard, and then the man fell back dead.

“As I said, I don’t need it. This duel is official over. I am the winner.” I declared and dropped the sword next to his lifeless body.

The other knights froze on the spot when they saw me looking at them.

“An official duel is such a thing. Don’t take it lightly and remember that the nobles you fight for are not gods. Your true aim is to protect the citizens of this country, and it is your duty to guide your Lord on the right path to better do this.” I declared in a clear tone of voice.

It was a simple advice which both the villagers here and the knights would most definitely spread to everyone who crossed their paths.

With a nonchalant step, I returned my sword to the Storage Crystal and then walked to the carriage.

My display of power here would not have been possible if there were other nobles here. Like this, it only appeared as if a woman of noble birth chose to teach the peasants a lesson about respect and duty.

We thus made our way to the local inn, located near the other entrance to the village. There, I rented room for myself and RGB one for themselves. Although the bed wasn’t the best of them all, it was a simple matter to absorb it and replace it with one made by Illsy. I would have a good night’s sleep like this.

Before I went to bed, however, I called over a representative of the family I had saved today. The father was the one who showed up before me. I made him the offer of joining Illsyorea again, explaining to him how I would pay for his travels, but he refused. They had several other relatives, including the grandparents of the children, which they couldn’t leave behind and who might not be all that strong to make it through the journey.

I accepted their decision and let them be.

The following day we left right after we had breakfast. The villagers thanked me again for helping them with the Knights and wished us farewell. They appeared to have taken a liking to me.

There were no more villages or cities on our way to the Capital. It was a straight road from here on, but at our current pace we would only reach our destination the following day. There was no need to rush. If I was to have traveled alone, this journey wouldn’t have taken me more than a couple of hours, while for regular folk, it took around two weeks at best. By normal standards, we were making record time.

Thus, on the 12th day at noon, we finally arrived in front of the big gates of the outer wall of Drakaros, the Capital of the Teslov Kingdom.

Seeing the flags of Teslov as they waved in the air and the banners hanged high on the walls made me remember my childhood again. Though I perceived it through my innocence as a happy one, when looking at the children on Illsyorea and even Illsyore’s, I couldn’t help but feel like I had been missing on a lot. More so, despite the fact that I had a numerous family in theory, I had never once seen or met another child of my age with the exception of my little brother and sister.

As long as I live and have a say in the matter, I will make sure that my children will NEVER live like that. I thought.

I didn’t mind the tutors, the harsh lesson on politics and history, and I also didn’t mind the fact that as a child I was seen as someone with adult-like responsibilities. I personally didn’t mind all of that, but I couldn’t believe that it was the right environment to properly raise a child.

It was a wonder that I managed to retain my innocence as I did and didn’t grow cold and uncaring or worse, a noble who discriminated and was drunk with her power.

While I was remembering my past, Red knocked in my window and said “Your Highness, I have spoken with the guard at the entrance. A military escort will arrive soon to take you to the Pleyades Palace.”

“A military escort?” I furrowed my brow.

“Twenty Royal Guard draconians of at least Godlike Rank each of them.” Red replied in a serious tone of voice.

“So... weaklings?” I asked tilting my head to the right.

Red didn’t comment, he just looked at me.

“Thank you for notifying me, Red.” I said and then pulled back the drape of the carriage.

All that was left for me to do now was to allow them to escort me to the Pleyades Palace where I would get to meet the Elder Council and my little brother for the first time in over nine years now.