~ Chapter 155: Arrival of the Godlike ~

[Illsyore’s point of view]

With the generational curse removed from the little one and his mother, I waited patiently for Ayuseya to call me out, which didn’t take too long. With one last glance at barrier surrounding my sister-in-law, I walked up to the window and then jumped out.

I flew up into the sky until I reached good altitude and then stopped to look down at the capital city. Drakaros was gigantic even when compared with Aura, the capital of the Paramanium Empire. The vast city districts have been built over the course of thousands of years and spread out into the surrounding plains. It was easy to get lost among the streets, since they were built in a very organic way depending on how big or at what angle someone built their homes.

Over the course of time, there had been several walls protecting Drakaros from outside threats, and I could see where they once stood. The lines on the ground could still be visible even today in the remnants of those walls or the streets that took its place, but only a bird’s eye view could take notice of them. They were practically invisible at the ground level.

However, just as Ayuseya told me, the draconians were living terribly. The signs of a poor city could be seen everywhere from the rich sectors to the poor ones. Nobles, although they bragged and flaunted their riches on the ground weren’t all in a wealthy financial situation. At the border of the rich sector, far from the main road that led to one of the palace gates, I could see countless homes in an extremely poor state. A few were even on the brink of collapse.

In other words, the rich got richer, and the poor got poorer, and there was no better evidence of this than the constantly growing slums which appeared like a moldy expansion that ate away at the healthy parts of the city.

“So, in order to avoid this situation from happening on Illsyorea, I should make sure that the rich have no place to hide, but not to the point of bullying. Turning discrimination from the poor to the rich is the same thing in the end, which will result in innocents suffering. Although there is a difference in society between the two, they have to realize that they each have a role they can assume and prosper with in society, that whether they are rich or poor, nobles or commoners, they all can help each other grow by doing the things the others don’t want to.” I told myself as I gazed down upon the Drakaros.

Looking back in the direction of my home, I then said “I guess it was a wise choice on my side to start teaching my students that holding a fortune and being rich is an opportunity to help others rather than an absolute right granted to you for simply being born in this world. After all, no matter how rich your family is, if you squander it on vices and items you bought just because you could, you will sooner or later end up poor.”

There were a lot of rich students at my Academy, so the only way to prove my words to them was by having them participate in a certain management classes, which had them use a special currency created by me, for which they could exchange only a certain amount of goods. They could neither trade those said goods for gold nor take those special coins from someone else. The purpose was to see how long they could last. Once they spent it all, they were allowed to use their own money, but they first had to bring me the full report of what they bought.

The end result was that the rich lasted the least, the poor soon followed, and most of those born in merchant families ended up using the trick behind the coins, which was that one of them was worth one ‘item’, but through negotiation, they bought something in bulk. One of those crazy little bastards even bought a store... Well, their sense of business was good, what could I say?

After this, I talked in private with those I considered required my special attention. Everyone else received the group speech, while those who had further questions about this experiment knew where to find me.

Because of this yearly event, the relationship between nobles and commoners at the academy was changed completely. They all paid extra attention to those with whom they meddled and also how they spent their pocket money. Nothing stopped them from learning from one another, and the brighter and wiser they became the more prosperous this world was. Of course, there were exceptions as well, but when weren’t there?

Looking back down at Drakaros, I could already see the many ways how my students could easily change this entire city for the better if they were to come to work here after graduating from my Magic Academy.

Looking farther away in the distance, I could see that the draconians were not properly using all of their available natural resources. There were countless fields that were left barren and unused. The steppes were lush and eager to be cultivated, but the draconians ignored them completely. The mountains and hills of this region were also filled with vast resources if they could dig deep enough.

To be honest, this world was rich when it came to basic resources and minerals, but extremely poor when it came to things like natural oil and coal pockets. Most of them seemed like they had been placed there intentionally, although things like coal and tar could be produced from the wood harvested from of a bunch of tree species across the three continents.

All you needed to make it was a bucket under the ground, then on top of it, you had to put a big ol’ metal barrel with several holes piercing the bottom. After filling the barrel with chopped up wood pieces, you set the area around it ablaze with magic and after letting it burn for several hours, you would get a decent batch of coal and a quarter of a bucket of tar. I saw shipbuilders at the docks making use of this technique.

Recently, the more modern vessels had enchanted metal plates on their bottom that were designed to keep it airtight and sturdy enough so that it could survive the impact with underwater monsters and jagged rocks.

Actually, just for fun’s sake, I did dig quite deep into the surface of the planet, but I was unable to reach the fossil layer... It was as if this world never went through such a period of time, or more like it was barely beginning to form now, but considering how vast and diverse this world was, how could that be possible? Life did not just sprout out of nowhere like that.

Of course, since the people of this world could cast magic, they more than often didn’t need to first discover coal in order to gain access to a long source of heat. Simply having a Power Crystal that could cast Fire Magic was enough. The more barbaric method would be to refine a shattered Dungeon Core into such a tool, however, considering that most of that material came from mindless or savage Dungeons eager to kill anyone and anything in sight, well, the feeling of disgust in the pit of my stomach lessened.

Looking at this country, it was just as Ayuseya once told me, it was a beautiful place which held a lot of potential. Just looking at how much Drakaros was developed was enough proof of that. Unfortunately, those who lived here did not seem to understand the outstanding gold mine they were living on.

“If the draconians are to have a chance at a better future, I need to make sure that the current leadership will change tonight once and for all.” I told myself and then began my descent.

Ayuseya told me to go to her once she pushed the button. Postponing my arrival by a couple of minutes was simply a matter of fact, since I wasn’t technically supposed to be inside the capital at this hour. Then again, I also wanted to get this bird’s eye view of this city and see for myself just what sort of potential it was hiding in plain sight.

My target was the throne room. The walls were reinforced with magic to keep them from being easily destroyed, but the windows were easier to break. Before slamming into them, I shot a single rock bullet, which shattered the enchanted glass. I made my entrance like that and landed right in front of Ayuseya.

My eyes were locked onto hers, and from where I stood, there was no one else here worthy of my attention.

Upon entering this room, I took a quick peek at everyone here. The guards had their swords unsheathed, but so far kept their distance. The King was on his throne, the draconian next to him took a step back in fright and surprise, while the other one who stood there tried to appear unimpressed by my entrance. That draconian was probably someone of great importance as well, maybe an adviser or a minister of sorts?

I should have made the effort to ask Ayuseya about what sort of individuals I was going to meet here, but it honestly never crossed my mind. The Paramanium Emperor told me one time that I was looking at nobles and royalty with a far too laid-back attitude, which might have come out as offensive and disrespectful to some, but then again that was also one of my good points. Thank to that, I could look at the individuals before me for what they were not what ranks and titles they carried with their names.

“My love, did you call?” I asked in a tone of voice that could be called nothing else but sultry.

“Yes, beloved husband of mine, I called for you. The King of Teslov wishes to speak with you.” she told me with a soft smile, but she made the same expression as that time when I ruined her favorite dress in the process of undressing her.

That night, I learned what it meant to be a ‘wet dog sleeping on the grass outside’.

Because of that, Ayuseya was the only one I took extra precautions with when undressing her. I loved my wife but getting a cold glare from her was mentally damaging.

Her eyes were telling me right now that I would regret it later if I were to mess things up.

“Alright.” I nodded and then turned around, looking straight at the so-called ruler of this country.

“I presume you know who I am?” the King asked with a self-important look on his face.

“Esmeraldian of the Butthurt Royalty?” I asked with a smile and made sure to say that last name in the English Language, not the Teslov Language we were currently speaking in.

I learned all the natal languages of my wives when I had some spare time. That was why I was familiar with Teslovian, Demonarkiarian, Mondravian, and several other languages from the Sorone Continent. Tamara did not have a specific one and Zoreya considered as home the Tesuar Kingdom, Aunnar Kingdom, and the Cordina Kingdom, but for various reasons.

“How disrespectful! How dare you confuse our esteemed King, his Majesty Brayden Pleyades with some unknown royals?” shouted the man next to the King’s throne.

This draconian had dark-brown scales, wore a long white robe similar to a priest’s and had the attitude of someone born with a silver spoon factory in his mouth. The other noble here merely furrowed his brow when he heard me. He had red scales and used clothes that were closer to a dark purple, mixed in with black and gold pieces. He looked quite imposing too, so I was guessing he was a Prime Minister, since an Adviser or someone like that would stand closer to his King?

On another note, Brayden Pleyades looked at me with the eyes of a general and held a strange wisdom in them. He was analyzing me, trying to gouge the extent of my abilities, but right now, I was not in a situation where I was thinking of appearing as intimidating or powerful. At most, he would be able to guess no more than 15% of my true strength.

When looking at his apparel, I could see that he wore the best clothes, a set woven with gold and red thread that evoked the majesty of his rank, but at the same time, which made me wonder just how high and mighty did he believe he was?

“My apologies, a common mistake. Last time I met an Emperor, I accidentally tossed him through some woman’s window. Do not worry, he survived, but I think there was also the case of that Aunnar Prince? Ah yes, that guy got his capital destroyed by me because he annoyed me too much... Ah~ Good times.” I showed him a smile.

My words were supposed to act as a warning to them. It was not that I was being disrespectful, it was just that I was powerful enough to be allowed to act as I pleased. Those who didn’t understand this, would often try to cross swords with me, but it was no different than trying to defend yourself with a clay shield against an atomic bomb.

The noble who said nothing so far was furrowing his brow to the point where I thought that he was going to grow another wrinkle on his forehead. Meanwhile, the one next to the king was fuming, while his Majesty was simply looking back at me with narrowed eyes.

He was trying to guess how much of what I said was a bluff and how much was the truth.

“Indeed, I did hear that the Aunnar Kingdom was going through a major change, something foolish like abolishing slavery and whatnot, but to think that you might be the reason behind that prince’s sudden change of heart. Interesting.” the King said.

“Well, you can say that when someone is trying to mess with one of my wives or one of our friends, we tend to take a very... defensive posture.” I showed him a calm smile.

“Is that so? Well, not even an almighty Dungeon like you has the ability to reach where my Kingdom can with ease.” he scoffed.

“Eh, who knows?” I shrugged.

There were several devices that could work to fit the bill.

“Let us leave aside these worthless remarks and get down to the actual reason I told your wife to call you here.” the King said as he waved his hand as if he was dismissing us from his sight.

“Hm? I don’t know anything about that. I came here at my wife’s call, so I’m just going to act as her supporter rather than the main guest. After all, she came all the way to this Kingdom out of her good will and care for the citizens of this place. I for one don’t give a Merion’s tail about what happens to you.” I replied and shrugged.

With a calm step, I turned around and moved behind my wife. My action apparently earned me the glare of several individuals here.

“Hm, it seems you don’t understand that a Princess like her has no say in this matter?” the draconian asked.

“To you maybe, but when it comes to Illsyorea, Ayuseya is on equal standing with me. Besides, you got it wrong there, your Majesty. If anything, Ayuseya can be considered one of the five Queens of Illsyorea not your little caged Princess. Be respectful, please.” I retorted.

The grimace on his face told me that I just smacked him right where it hurt the most, while Ayuseya barely abstained from wagging her tail in happiness. She was ridiculously cute when she tried to pretend to be all serious-like but then I shattered that facade with a single tickle attack!

“Yes, right, as you say. Well, as long as she’s within the walls of my Pleyades Palace, she will remain as a Pleyades Princess.” he added.

“Hm? But she’s not called Pleyades? She’s called Deus, unless you consider a marriage recognized even by the gods as something unacceptable just because you are the young king of this small country?” I asked as I placed a bit more emphasis on those last words, while at the same time I lowered my chin and narrowed my eyes at him.

“Of this, I have not heard.” he replied.

“Strange, even those guys on Sorone heard of it. Are your messengers doing their jobs right?” I asked him with a smile.

“Enough of this!” his Majesty thundered as he raised his voice at us.

From what I heard from Ayuseya, this so-called king was supposed to be younger than her, but his manner of speech and the way he tried to spin his words to make it look as though he was in the right was not something someone from a medieval society could hope to develop in such a short amount of time. Even the Paramanium Emperor had his slip ups, but the only one who managed to pull off this outrageous blunt lying was the Primordial from the Darkness.

Back on Earth, this king would have reminded me of one of those bald politicians who constantly tried to declare their innocence even when the media slammed irrefutable proof in their face.

Zoreya had the ability to do it as well, but she preferred not to, however, I could feel the demeanor of an aged individual in her all the time. That was why I could not see this Brayden as someone who was Ayuseya’s younger brother. It felt off to call him that... After all, when he had that outburst just now, only his eyebrows twitched once, but his tail and muscles remained completely relaxed.

Can an individual so young pull off such a posture when angered or annoyed? No, it’s impossible... it’s completely unnatural to do so. I thought as I looked at him right in the eyes and then with an uncaring demeanor, I replied ”Sure! Sure!” and waved him off.

If I didn’t have a ridiculous amount of control over my own body, I would have probably shown a different reaction, not this completely relaxed form of mine.

“As you can see, your Majesty, even my husband has declared that I am entitled to speak for myself as a political representative of Illsyorea.” Ayuseya declared with a firm tone of voice that showed her strength and royal demeanor.

“Very well. Then regarding what we spoke about earlier. I demand you release me from this Generational Curse that has plagued our Pleyades family for generations.” his Majesty declared.

Ayuseya waited for a moment as she looked straight into his eyes and then replied “No.”

“You dare decline my demand?” the King thundered again, but while he pushed his chest forward to look imposing, his tail was relaxed.

“Your demand is to give you what you desire or else you will take action against our nation, is that correct?” she asked.

His Majesty nodded.

“May I hear again what you will do? I wish to see, in the presence of my husband, just how dangerous such a threat is.” Ayuseya said with a smile.

“With a single order from me, I could make your reputation hit rock bottom, to the point where not even one noble house would dare send their children over to your Magic Academy, no merchant would dare trade with you, no King would dare accept your audience.” he began.

Isn’t that just plain slander and defamation? I wondered.

“That would be troublesome, but not something we can’t handle. In the first place, we don’t request audiences with other rulers, they request audiences with us. Second of all, the noble families who sent their children to us so far have increased in both political, military, and economical strength as a result of what their offspring learned from our Magic Academy. When it comes to nobility the rumors of a peasant are not as important as those of the nobles who actually went there and saw it with their own eyes. Third of all, for a merchant, money speaks higher than the words of a spy. They already know that they have a safe passage through our territory thanks to various reasons, which makes their journey not only vastly more profitable but also faster. Illsyorea is a trade hub for various prominent companies from across all the three continents. Unless you offer them a better offer, I fail to see how a nation like Teslov could gain access to the Shorayan or Sorone merchants. And lastly, thanks to my husband’s dungeons, the adventurers from across the world are more than eager to travel here and test their might.” Ayuseya explained with a calm and clear tone of voice that revealed how confident she was in herself and the facts she declared in this court.

“All that she said, and more, is quite correct, your Majesty. Don’t forget that we’re also quite good friends with the Emperor of Paramanium, which through extension means that going against us is the same as going against that big empire of his.” I nodded.

“Even so, you cannot expect to maintain a military strength that would be required to protect someone like him? Least I remind you that traveling by sea can be a very dangerous thing no matter whether you are royalty or not.” he said with an insinuating smile.

“Are you implying that something might happen to the various nobles and political leaders that travel there?” asked Ayuseya.

“Maybe?”

“Then there’s nothing to fear. If Teslov’s navy will attack them, then we’ll just destroy them in self-defense. If you send pirates after us, we’ll remind everyone about what happened to the Pirate Island up North. Taking out one or two hideouts is not a problem for us. We can also offer protection from the ground, sea, or even the sky thanks to my husband’s summoned monsters, each with enough strength to stand on their own against a Supreme Ranked Adventurer. So, I fail to see how these esteemed guests of ours can be met with any such misfortune. Even if one or two do meet misfortune, we have our ways of taking revenge for their families.” Ayuseya replied in a calm manner.

“Then this means that your military might is not one that should be underestimated or left alone. For how long do you think the nations of this world will stand by and watch as you amass your fighting strength? Sooner or letter they will gather up under one banner to fight you. That banner might be Teslov’s.” he showed us a confident smirk.

“Your Majesty, it appears that you have forgotten about a few small facts. Please allow me to remind you of them. Illsyorea is home to several individuals who are of Supreme Rank, all who would be more than eager to defend the island in the absence of the Deus family. There are also several monsters who are currently guarding the said island and who can move independently from the Dungeon Territory of my husband. The weakest one of them can hold their ground against a Lower Supreme.” Ayuseya explained.

“In other words, it’s a lawless territory where monsters roam free. It’s more than enough reason to gather the free nations under one banner to strike you down!” the King declared.

“The moment you try to do so, that will also be the moment when you are denying the Paramanium Empire’s blessing and approval of the existence of these monsters. Currently our monsters are recognized as harmless under certain conditions, those who try to break them are deemed criminal offenders not only by Illsyorea but also by its allied nations, including the Paramanium Empire. Last I remember, the Teslov Kingdom is a mere vassal nation of the empire. Their laws are this nation’s laws.” she replied.

“Even so, that is not enough.” he pressed, but I could see that he wasn’t enjoying the fact that he was being shut down and cut off at every turn of his scheme.

“Another fact that you may have forgotten, your Majesty, were the events that happened several years ago, when the Paramanium Empire, under the rule of the previous Emperor, declared war on Illsyorea. Their entire fleet was crushed to bits by only one of our leader representatives, Nanya Deus. Despite being the winner, we did not request the Paramanium Empire to hand over its territories or to turn them into a vassal nation of ours. This fact acts as an uncontestable proof of Illsyorea’s political desires, which do not include in any way, form, or manner a mission of conquest against the known nations.”

“That’s still...” the King mumbled, but just now... his tail tip twitched.

“Earlier, my husband mentioned the Aunnar Kingdom incident. This event is one that is largely known by the people who live on the territories of Illsyorea and its allied nations. During that time, the foolish younger prince tried to enslave and capture Nanya Deus by using Shanteya Deus and Tamara Deus as his prisoners, who at that time were far weaker than they are now. He willingly brought harm to the latter in the form of physical mutilation, which my husband was eventually able to heal, and threatened our very right to freedom despite not having broken any official laws that would require for us to become slaves under his Highness at that time. My husband saw this as an act of war ensued by a misguided royal. In the following battle, my husband destroyed the royal Palace and heavily damaged some of the buildings of Elora, the capital of Aunnar Kingdom. We could have ordered for the Prince’s execution at that time and taken over the Kingdom, but instead, my husband chose to retrieve his family members and ‘gently’ guide the young prince on the right path of a leader.”

Oh, I sort of forgot about that. I simply recalled the event during one of my lessons and explained to my students what happened. One of them was also a historian’s son, and thanks to him, Aunnar Kingdom accepted the story as an uncontestable truth declared by that prince himself. What was his name again? Reynold? Reginald? Something with R. I thought.

“That simply proves that your husband is a reckless man who intervened in the political affairs of a foreign nation!” declared the King.

“This event took place approximatively seven years before the establishment of Illsyorea as a Nation. Thus, any and all actions he did before then are considered the acts of an individual unaffiliated with any known nation, who at the moment holds the political immunity right granted to him by the nation of Illsyorea.” Ayuseya said with a smile.

“That’s ridiculous! You are just pouring honey in our ears and hope we nod our heads in agreement!” declared the King, who was now holding his hands tight into fists as if ready to jump in and punch us in the face.

“All of these actions are properly documented and accepted by the historians of both Aunnar Kingdom and the Paramanium Empire. As soon as the nation of Illsyorea was established, I took the liberty of sending the appropriate documents to various nations we considered to be either neutral or allied with us. At this very moment, Illsyorea is recognized as an independent nation by the Paramanium Empire, Shorayan Kingdom, Aunnar Kingdom as well as all of their respective allies.” she showed them a simple yet very cold smile, which sent shivers down my spine.

Well, Ayuseya was our main political representative during the first year. She was the one who ran from one embassy to another and met all sort of important political delegates. I was forced to drop by only when one of them didn’t approve or accept of her as one because she was either a draconian or a woman.

Listening to all of this, the noble on our left was currently furrowing his brow like never before, listening to every single word that came out of my lovely wife’s mouth. He was clearly focused on what was being said here and checked to see if the information in his mind was actually the same or not. From the movement of his lips, I could guess that he was also muttering something under his breath regarding all of this.

Maybe those documents never made their way here or rather, it was possible that they discarded them or ignored them completely on the basis that they were sent by Ayuseya.

The other draconian here, the one who was staying close to the king, was now red with anger and was glaring daggers at Ayuseya. His feeble killing intent could be felt if we strained our focus a little, but he was no different than a mosquito trying to bite us from the other side of the window.

Eventually, after a long moment of silence of around 10 minutes or so, during which both of those draconians were whispering something to the King, they finally decided to speak up.

The one to do so was the draconian who so far never said a single word.

“As the Prime Minister of Teslov Kingdom and a representative of the Elder Council, I declare that we have neither received any such documents nor can we confirm their existence. At the present time, for us, your words are nothing more than a mere fabulation which we will disconfirm at once.” he boldly declared.

“Then you are also ignoring the decrees of his Majesty, the Emperor of the Paramanium Empire. Do you agree with this?” Ayuseya asked as she lowered the tone of her voice and sent a glare towards the draconian.

“I agree with what I declared and nothing more.” the draconian Prime Minister retorted.

“Very well, we understand your desire to see things only half-heartedly.” Ayuseya bit back.

“You know, if even half of what you said today is true, I can understand why you can be so confident, however, it’s good to remember that there are more ways to catch a rabbit than simply laying down a trap and waiting for it to fall into it.” the King smirked.

The way he looked at us was unsettling. It was as if this draconian had already anticipated that we would put up this much of a fight and now he was revealing the hidden card up his sleeve. Maybe this was the reason why everyone here took such a confident pose in front of my wife’s declaration. Normally, a noble or royal would have backed away the moment they heard that we had the backing of a powerful nation like the Paramanium Empire.

Still, it was also this very detail that made things a bit unsettling for us. I was certain, Ayuseya also noticed this, but currently the Teslov Kingdom was a vassal nation, yet it behaved as though such a thing was nothing more than a bothersome detail that would sooner or later come to pass.

I could not understand where this confidence was coming from, unless... it had something to do with the curse?

Are they aware of the fact that the Draconian Emperor is still alive? Maybe they believe that with his power, they can topple us and the Paramanium Empire without so much as batting an eye? If it’s not for this, then I have no idea where they get that confidence boost from. I thought.

“The path you speak of, your Majesty, is a thorny one that could lead to the end of Teslov.” Ayuseya warned him.

“Yet, it is the one that seems to tempt the both of us.” so he replied with a confident gaze in his eyes.

“Your Majesty...” she started, but he raised a hand to stop her.

“Let me be clear on one thing. I am no pet of the Emperor of the Paramanium Kingdom. I am someone who is far greater and more powerful than that brat could ever imagine! This curse may be my only weakness, but it is one your husband will soon be more than eager to take off of me.” he declared with a confident smirk.

Kingdom? Not Empire? I thought as I picked up on that small slip of a tongue.

The only time Paramanium was referred to as a Kingdom was during and a little after the war with the old Teslov Empire. To declare it as such would be no different than spitting in the face of the Emperor himself. While I don’t how these foxes yap at each other, if their conflict spreads its fangs to my Illsyorea, then I have all the reason in the world to join the fray and kick both of them all the way back to their throne rooms.

“I fail to see how such a thing would be possible.” Ayuseya said as she furrowed her brow.

Without a doubt, she was thinking about the same thing as me, the King’s slip up just now.

“I can hire some of the best assassins in the world to go after your little family on that little island of yours. If that might prove too challenging, then there are numerous individuals out there who don’t benefit of your direct protection. Your strength is impressive, I admit this, but you can’t reach out to all the corners of the map at the same time.” he smirked.

“Are you threatening the lives of our citizens?” she asked.

“Precisely. Or to be more exact, your outside allies. The Emperor, although he thinks of himself as mighty and wise, he’s nothing more than another target to those people. Replacing him won’t be that difficult, I’ve done it in the past. As for the nobles and merchants all around the world, they can be so easily baited and killed. Some are a bit difficult because of their personal guards, but everyone has a time when they sleep or go to the bathroom. Depending on the assassin, you can die on the toilet right when you are about to take a dump! Hahaha!” he laughed.

The King appeared to be enjoying himself with this little threat of his, but once again he said something rather strange. When Ayuseya cast a quick glance at me during his broad speech, I knew that she noticed it as well.

He said that he replaced the Emperor in the past? But... the previous Emperor has been ruling since before the current Emperor was born. To declare this would mean that he ordered an assassination when he was still in his mother’s womb or even further before that?... unless... I thought and the more I looked at this Brayden Pleyades, the more it seemed as though I was not standing in front of a young adult who had just rose to the throne.

“So, I ask, what can your Illsyorea do against something like that?” he asked with a sneer.

Ayuseya cast me a quick glance, and I replied with a nod.

“In that case... we can just erase Teslov Kingdom off the face of the map.” she replied with a gentle smile on her face.

We’ll what now? I thought a bit taken aback by this rather... bloody declaration.

Clicking his tongue, the King didn’t give up on his feeble threats just yet. I was beginning to wonder why he wasn’t just asking for some sort of trade if he wanted to get rid of his curse that much? We would feel more inclined to negotiating if he offered us something in exchange rather than to demand it as if he owned the whole world.

“Don’t remember, Princess Ayuseya, I still hold your beloved sister Vellezya in my grasp. You can leave, but not her. She’ll die pointlessly because of the curse anyway.” he declared as he leaned back in his throne.

The look on his face had turned from that of someone eager to crush his opponents to that of a bored man.

“Oh, her? I’ve already removed her curse and that of her baby. So basically, right now, you are the only one with it.” I said with a smile.

“In other words, we just need to wait for you to die because of the curse. She and her son are, after all, the only known official living members of the Pleyades Royal Family. We will be taking her back to Illsyorea with us for her own safety and then return her here after your demise.” said Ayuseya with a smile.

The King was now looking at us with big opened eyes as if we had just taken the last piece of bread from his mouth.

“The only last official member, you say?” he leaned back in his chair, placed a hand over his forehead and then began to laugh.

“Yes, official member.” she put an emphasis on that word, hinting out that we already knew of his underground farm.

“Then, I guess, there’s no reason to keep this charade going, huh?” the King suddenly said with a changed tone of voice as he lowered his hand and revealed a pair of golden dragon eyes. “I honestly never intended for you to cure me, after all, I’m benefitting quite a lot from it.” he smirked.

“I don’t think that’s the real Brayden...” I whispered to Ayuseya.

“No, he isn’t.” she replied.