Roxana tried to call Logan.
But she couldn't attract the attention of the people bustling about in the guest room corridor.
She quietly followed Logan, waiting for her chance.
As Roxana predicted, Logan arrived at her guest room door.
Now, it seemed safe to call Logan.
As she approached him, she saw him standing in front of the door, examining the dagger hidden in the sleeve of his robe.
"Were you here to kill me?!"
Roxana stopped walking and quickly hid behind the corner of the guest room.
Logan, hiding the dagger behind his back, was about to knock, but then, as if he had changed his mind, pulled the doorknob.
The door opened, and Logan tilted his head slightly as he stepped inside.
"Haa..."
Roxana let out a sigh of regret.
She should have locked the door when she left the guest room earlier, but she hadn't.
The thought of having to hurry and meet Palto left her flustered.
'Nancy... Nancy's inside! What should I do...?'
Roxana's heart pounded violently.
She repeatedly took her feet off the ground, then backed up, but in the end, she couldn't even take a single step toward Nancy's cabin.
A few minutes had passed since Logan entered.
Nancy's screams leaked out through the cabin door.
They didn't last long.
'... It's already too late.'
But she couldn't attract the attention of the people bustling about in the guest room corridor.
She quietly followed Logan, waiting for her chance.
As Roxana predicted, Logan arrived at her guest room door.
Now, it seemed safe to call Logan.
As she approached him, she saw him standing in front of the door, examining the dagger hidden in the sleeve of his robe.
"Were you here to kill me?!"
Roxana stopped walking and quickly hid behind the corner of the guest room.
Logan, hiding the dagger behind his back, was about to knock, but then, as if he had changed his mind, pulled the doorknob.
The door opened, and Logan tilted his head slightly as he stepped inside.
"Haa..."
Roxana let out a sigh of regret.
She should have locked the door when she left the guest room earlier, but she hadn't.
The thought of having to hurry and meet Palto left her flustered.
'Nancy... Nancy's inside! What should I do...?'
Roxana's heart pounded violently.
She repeatedly took her feet off the ground, then backed up, but in the end, she couldn't even take a single step toward Nancy's cabin.
A few minutes had passed since Logan entered.
Nancy's screams leaked out through the cabin door.
They didn't last long.
'... It's already too late.'
Even if she had gone in, she couldn't have saved Nancy alone.
Roxana staggered downstairs, lost in the crowd, her sense of direction lost.
She didn't know what excuse Logan had given for coming with Hetor's army, but she knew for sure why he had boarded this ship. He had come to avenge Bonis.
'Why are you suddenly pointing a knife at me? Did the Magic Tower Lord give you any hint about Bonis?'
Roxana thought that someday Logan would learn of the atrocities she had committed against Bonis.
But she had never expected Logan to appear in this situation, intending to harm her.
In addition to the magic potion she had been drinking to alleviate the fever caused by the red potion, Roxana had also regularly requested Logan to make her a potion that would fade the burn scar on her right face from the fire in the Empress's dressing room.
When she first learned of her pregnancy, she sent a carrier pigeon to the Magic Tower to inquire about the potion's side effects and precautions.
Fortunately, it contained no ingredients that could affect pregnant women.
"I'm so relieved, aren't I?"
Roxana whispered, glancing down at her belly.
It was a good thing she had kept her pregnancy a secret from Logan.
Had he known, he would have undoubtedly tampered with the potion she was taking.
She couldn't have been more proud of her own caution.
Now was the time to seek out Palto and ask for his protection.
The knights of the Lapion Empire, and the wyverns themselves.
They were constantly eliminating the Galacos swarming the deck, but they couldn't save everyone.
Those who disobeyed Commander Macrom's order to quickly descend to their cabins, those who insisted on acting independently, or those who were pushed onto the deck by the crowd became prey to the galako.
"Your Highness Zelda, where is Your Majesty!"
Prince Norton shouted to me after cutting down a Galaco.
"He's gone to find Hetor and Melanie, they'll be back soon!"
I replied, licking my lips at the sight of the celebratory delegation and striking the head of the Galaco with my sword.
While most of the celebratory delegation fled below deck, Hetor's soldiers laid a wooden plank between the two ships and escorted Emperor Adrian to the ship, escorting him away.
"You've spoken with Hetor, haven't you?"
Prince Norton asked, pointing to Emperor Adrian, who was switching ships with his sword behind me.
"Yes, that's true, but there could be confusion, so it's best for Hetor to appear quickly and give orders to the soldiers again."
“Has His Majesty found Hetor yet? Could it be that we misunderstood Aoshi’s signal?”
“Prince Norton, don’t underestimate Aoshi. Rosie will be disappointed.”
“Still, I’m worried because he’s just a kitten.”
“Don’t worry. There, you’re here.”
I waved at Linel and Bellos, who had been hurriedly scrambled onto the deck.
“Your Majesty! Have you found Hetor and Melanie?”
I shouted.
“Of course!”
He answered me, and without even looking up at Galaco, who was descending toward him, he swung his sword through the air, slicing it into exactly six pieces.
His swordplay was smooth and elegant, like a dance.
"Hetor will come up after taking Melanie to the guest room. But what's happening in the sky?"
Linel asked, his eyes flickering with light.
"The wyverns have swarmed us,"
Bellos said, his expression indicating a headache.
I stared intently at Bellos, remembering what Roxana had said to me earlier.
Did Bellos really make a deal with Roxana?
If it weren't for Bellos in the Tebello Empire, I wouldn't have been able to create magic potions or escape the evil aura.
And Bellos hadn't stopped me when I tried to return to the Lapion Empire.
Had something changed in his mind?
Perhaps it would be better to ask after things are settled?
For now, I had no choice but to hold my tongue.
I averted my gaze from Bellos and ran to Linel.
“I was worried.”
He pressed his lips against mine as I spoke my concerns.
His softness seemed to reassure me, wrapping me in a gentle embrace.
I was more conscious of kissing him so openly than of revealing my fire powers to everyone.
But unlike me, Linel focused on the kiss as if we were the only ones on deck.
As always, his concentration on me was remarkable.
“You had a hard time, didn’t you?”
Linel asked with a longing gaze, looking down at my face.
“Not at all. I was enjoying the first time in a while, moving my wrist a bit.”
I said, twirling my incarnation sword in a flashy manner.
“Thank goodness.”
His lips penetrated me with a more passionate thrust this time.
“Is the cold body now trying to mate openly, Moiya~?”
Moiya’s gruff voice made me part our lips.
“Your Majesty, your snout is manly and nice, isn’t it?”
Moni pulled out all the tongues of the Galacos snakeheads because she hated the sight of them flicking their long tongues, but she praised Linel, saying that she would protect his tongue for the rest of her life.
“You’re the only one.”
Linel, just as Moni had said, stroked his manly snout and thanked her.
Moni then closed her eyes and stuck out her lips to him, asking him to repay her gratitude with his snout.
“Oh my, you’re so cute.”
But instead of Linel, Raphael, who was nearby, suddenly kissed Moni on the cheek.
“!”
Moni’s face turned like a rotten apple.
“Raphael, you’re going to die with your head burned like the Galacos today.”
Moiya worried about Raphael’s future.
“Why would you put your ugly snout on this great and cute baby wyvern’s cheek? Thud, thud, thud!”
Even though Raphael didn't kiss her on the mouth, Moni was furious and kept throwing tantrums.
"I thought you only opened your zipper, but you open your mouth too, Moni~?"
"Hey, what's wrong, Moni. I just find you cute... No, His Majesty's lips or mine, what's the difference that's causing this fuss?"
Roxana staggered downstairs, lost in the crowd, her sense of direction lost.
She didn't know what excuse Logan had given for coming with Hetor's army, but she knew for sure why he had boarded this ship. He had come to avenge Bonis.
'Why are you suddenly pointing a knife at me? Did the Magic Tower Lord give you any hint about Bonis?'
Roxana thought that someday Logan would learn of the atrocities she had committed against Bonis.
But she had never expected Logan to appear in this situation, intending to harm her.
In addition to the magic potion she had been drinking to alleviate the fever caused by the red potion, Roxana had also regularly requested Logan to make her a potion that would fade the burn scar on her right face from the fire in the Empress's dressing room.
When she first learned of her pregnancy, she sent a carrier pigeon to the Magic Tower to inquire about the potion's side effects and precautions.
Fortunately, it contained no ingredients that could affect pregnant women.
"I'm so relieved, aren't I?"
Roxana whispered, glancing down at her belly.
It was a good thing she had kept her pregnancy a secret from Logan.
Had he known, he would have undoubtedly tampered with the potion she was taking.
She couldn't have been more proud of her own caution.
Now was the time to seek out Palto and ask for his protection.
***
The knights of the Lapion Empire, and the wyverns themselves.
They were constantly eliminating the Galacos swarming the deck, but they couldn't save everyone.
Those who disobeyed Commander Macrom's order to quickly descend to their cabins, those who insisted on acting independently, or those who were pushed onto the deck by the crowd became prey to the galako.
"Your Highness Zelda, where is Your Majesty!"
Prince Norton shouted to me after cutting down a Galaco.
"He's gone to find Hetor and Melanie, they'll be back soon!"
I replied, licking my lips at the sight of the celebratory delegation and striking the head of the Galaco with my sword.
While most of the celebratory delegation fled below deck, Hetor's soldiers laid a wooden plank between the two ships and escorted Emperor Adrian to the ship, escorting him away.
"You've spoken with Hetor, haven't you?"
Prince Norton asked, pointing to Emperor Adrian, who was switching ships with his sword behind me.
"Yes, that's true, but there could be confusion, so it's best for Hetor to appear quickly and give orders to the soldiers again."
“Has His Majesty found Hetor yet? Could it be that we misunderstood Aoshi’s signal?”
“Prince Norton, don’t underestimate Aoshi. Rosie will be disappointed.”
“Still, I’m worried because he’s just a kitten.”
“Don’t worry. There, you’re here.”
I waved at Linel and Bellos, who had been hurriedly scrambled onto the deck.
“Your Majesty! Have you found Hetor and Melanie?”
I shouted.
“Of course!”
He answered me, and without even looking up at Galaco, who was descending toward him, he swung his sword through the air, slicing it into exactly six pieces.
His swordplay was smooth and elegant, like a dance.
"Hetor will come up after taking Melanie to the guest room. But what's happening in the sky?"
Linel asked, his eyes flickering with light.
"The wyverns have swarmed us,"
Bellos said, his expression indicating a headache.
I stared intently at Bellos, remembering what Roxana had said to me earlier.
Did Bellos really make a deal with Roxana?
If it weren't for Bellos in the Tebello Empire, I wouldn't have been able to create magic potions or escape the evil aura.
And Bellos hadn't stopped me when I tried to return to the Lapion Empire.
Had something changed in his mind?
Perhaps it would be better to ask after things are settled?
For now, I had no choice but to hold my tongue.
I averted my gaze from Bellos and ran to Linel.
“I was worried.”
He pressed his lips against mine as I spoke my concerns.
His softness seemed to reassure me, wrapping me in a gentle embrace.
I was more conscious of kissing him so openly than of revealing my fire powers to everyone.
But unlike me, Linel focused on the kiss as if we were the only ones on deck.
As always, his concentration on me was remarkable.
“You had a hard time, didn’t you?”
Linel asked with a longing gaze, looking down at my face.
“Not at all. I was enjoying the first time in a while, moving my wrist a bit.”
I said, twirling my incarnation sword in a flashy manner.
“Thank goodness.”
His lips penetrated me with a more passionate thrust this time.
“Is the cold body now trying to mate openly, Moiya~?”
Moiya’s gruff voice made me part our lips.
“Your Majesty, your snout is manly and nice, isn’t it?”
Moni pulled out all the tongues of the Galacos snakeheads because she hated the sight of them flicking their long tongues, but she praised Linel, saying that she would protect his tongue for the rest of her life.
“You’re the only one.”
Linel, just as Moni had said, stroked his manly snout and thanked her.
Moni then closed her eyes and stuck out her lips to him, asking him to repay her gratitude with his snout.
“Oh my, you’re so cute.”
But instead of Linel, Raphael, who was nearby, suddenly kissed Moni on the cheek.
“!”
Moni’s face turned like a rotten apple.
“Raphael, you’re going to die with your head burned like the Galacos today.”
Moiya worried about Raphael’s future.
“Why would you put your ugly snout on this great and cute baby wyvern’s cheek? Thud, thud, thud!”
Even though Raphael didn't kiss her on the mouth, Moni was furious and kept throwing tantrums.
"I thought you only opened your zipper, but you open your mouth too, Moni~?"
"Hey, what's wrong, Moni. I just find you cute... No, His Majesty's lips or mine, what's the difference that's causing this fuss?"
Raphael, who had been trying to calm Moni down at first, flared up.
"Oh? Even Raphael's eyes aren't normal, are they, Moiya~?"
Moiya giggled, but then stopped laughing when she saw Moni's blazing eyes.
"Oh yeah! Today, I'm going to rip your eyes off, your nonsense lips off, what's inside your zipper, and everything on you!"
Moni was really angry.
Raphael quickly hid behind Sharon's back.
"W-what is it?"
Sharon wrinkled her nose and turned to Raphael.
“I won’t mess with the sausage giver, so please protect me for a moment, Sharon.”
Raphael gently grabbed Sharon’s skirt and watched Moni’s expression as she blew fire into the air, expressing her anger.
Linel looked at Raphael pitifully, then chuckled and looked back at me, asking,
“Emperor Adrian.”
“He crossed over with his knights to the ship that Hetor’s soldiers were on. It seemed like they were protecting Emperor Adrian, didn’t it?”
“Hetor said earlier that he gave the soldiers that order in advance. Don’t worry. They’re just pretending to protect him.”
“Oh, so they’re already a fish in the net?”
“Yes.”
I snatched the bow from Commander Macrom’s hand and shot an arrow at Galaco, who was hovering above us.
The arrow struck Galaco’s head squarely.
“Master, let us play with it!”
Moiya grabbed one of Galaco's heads in each hand and tied it like a ribbon, saying,
"Ah! It's no fun with the Master and the humans getting in the way, Moni~!"
Moni also grabbed Galaco's head tightly with her hands and spun it around in the air, arguing.
Galaco's scream rang out deafeningly.
"Shut up! The Great Wyvern is talking, where are you squealing!"
Moni scolded, hitting Galaco's head with a pounding.
Galaco, not understanding what she was saying, howled even louder,
"Tch, be quiet!"
A 'pop!' sound of a wine cork being opened somewhere in the night sky was heard, and Galaco's cries were drowned out.
"I think we can leave the rest of the Galaco to you two. When Hetor comes up, we'll go deal with the other beasts,"
Linel said, dodging the Galaco's heads that Moiya and Moni were competing to drop below deck.
Palto ordered Emperor Adrian to board the ship carrying soldiers from Tanya Island and protect him.
He gave the order as Hetor had previously ordered.
Emperor Adrian might have thought Hetor's soldiers were protecting him, but in reality, they were just surveillance.
Palto, who had returned to the Lapion Empire's ship, went down to his cabin.
When he asked Emperor Adrian if he hadn't met his master three hours ago, he replied that they had only spoken briefly and parted ways.
Then, with a look of forgetfulness, Emperor Adrian added,
"Oh, I heard you were going to see Empress Roxana?"
At that, Palto also searched for Roxana.
"Palto!"
"Your Majesty?"
The two who had been searching for each other finally met.
As he was descending to Roxana's cabin, Palto's eyes widened when he saw her in her maid's attire.
If she hadn't called his name, he would have passed her by.
Roxana was the first to ask Palto,
"Did Hetor's troops board as promised?"
“Yes. But Your Majesty, where is my lord?”
“...What?”
“I heard that the King went to see Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Who said that? I didn’t see Hetor,”
Roxana said.
But Palto didn’t seem to believe her.
Roxana had a feeling.
“Did Emperor Adrian say that?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say? Did he say that I killed Hetor?”
“...Did he?”
Palto, sensing something strange in Roxana’s attitude, slowly drew the sword at his waist and said,
“There’s something you don’t know.”
“Not everything, but I know all the important things. For example, the fact that the Empress administered the obedience potion to my lord...”
“That... is true. I won’t deny it. But why do you think Hetor let me live?”
That was because he was planning to deal with you, including Emperor Adrian, all at once after this plan was over,
Palto thought to himself.
“I’m pregnant with Hetor’s baby.”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
“It’s true. I’m going to make this child, Hetor’s baby, the Emperor of the Lapion Empire. Only then can I get revenge on Emperor Adrian.”
Roxana cut off Palto’s excited words and continued mournfully.
“Are you saying that our great King... really lost his life?”
It was unbelievable, unbelievable.
“This is all Emperor Adrian’s doing. I will definitely get revenge! And to do that, I need your help.”
“I won’t believe it unless I see the body with my own eyes!”
“He could have thrown it into the sea during the commotion.”
Roxana said, forcing back tears.
Emperor Adrian wasn’t the only one wary of Roxana.
Roxana, too, had braced herself for a potential conflict with Emperor Adrian.
She had asked him to eliminate Hetor, but she didn’t completely trust Emperor Adrian, who had his own weaknesses.
Nancy, her only confidant, was dead.
Now, no one on this ship could protect her. She had to become stronger.
It was true she was pregnant with Hetor's child, so she assumed Palto would trust her words more than Emperor Adrian.
"Palto, you must protect me."
Roxana's words began to trouble Palto.
His master was already dead.
His bloodline was in Roxana's womb.
Galaco had already been released, and the soldiers had boarded the ship.
Last seen, Hetor had gone to meet Emperor Adrian.
Knowing this, Palto couldn't ignore Roxana's plea.
"Follow me."
Palto led Roxana to a hiding place until he found Hetor.
"Please stay here."
It was the guest room where Hetor had stayed.
"This will be the safest place for now."
With Hetor dead, no one would be able to enter his room.
"I'll have the soldiers stand guard around here."
"Remember, Palto! After we're done, we must deal with Emperor Adrian as well."
Roxana grabbed Palto's arm as he turned around and urged him on.
When Palto didn't respond, she deliberately rubbed her stomach, tears welling up in her eyes.
"For Hetor's vengeance. And for his child whom you will serve..."
Roxana's words must have touched Palto's loyalty, as he bit his lower lip and nodded.
"Oh, and do you have a spare sword?"
"Here you are. Take care until the situation calms down."
Palto removed the dagger from his right leg and handed it to Roxina.
"Thank you,"
Roxina said to Palto, then entered the room and leaned against the door.
Tears flowed from her eyes, relieved that she had once again averted danger.
But a moment later, a voice from outside the room nearly took her breath away.
"What should I do?!"
"Oh? Even Raphael's eyes aren't normal, are they, Moiya~?"
Moiya giggled, but then stopped laughing when she saw Moni's blazing eyes.
"Oh yeah! Today, I'm going to rip your eyes off, your nonsense lips off, what's inside your zipper, and everything on you!"
Moni was really angry.
Raphael quickly hid behind Sharon's back.
"W-what is it?"
Sharon wrinkled her nose and turned to Raphael.
“I won’t mess with the sausage giver, so please protect me for a moment, Sharon.”
Raphael gently grabbed Sharon’s skirt and watched Moni’s expression as she blew fire into the air, expressing her anger.
Linel looked at Raphael pitifully, then chuckled and looked back at me, asking,
“Emperor Adrian.”
“He crossed over with his knights to the ship that Hetor’s soldiers were on. It seemed like they were protecting Emperor Adrian, didn’t it?”
“Hetor said earlier that he gave the soldiers that order in advance. Don’t worry. They’re just pretending to protect him.”
“Oh, so they’re already a fish in the net?”
“Yes.”
I snatched the bow from Commander Macrom’s hand and shot an arrow at Galaco, who was hovering above us.
The arrow struck Galaco’s head squarely.
“Master, let us play with it!”
Moiya grabbed one of Galaco's heads in each hand and tied it like a ribbon, saying,
"Ah! It's no fun with the Master and the humans getting in the way, Moni~!"
Moni also grabbed Galaco's head tightly with her hands and spun it around in the air, arguing.
Galaco's scream rang out deafeningly.
"Shut up! The Great Wyvern is talking, where are you squealing!"
Moni scolded, hitting Galaco's head with a pounding.
Galaco, not understanding what she was saying, howled even louder,
"Tch, be quiet!"
A 'pop!' sound of a wine cork being opened somewhere in the night sky was heard, and Galaco's cries were drowned out.
"I think we can leave the rest of the Galaco to you two. When Hetor comes up, we'll go deal with the other beasts,"
Linel said, dodging the Galaco's heads that Moiya and Moni were competing to drop below deck.
***
Palto ordered Emperor Adrian to board the ship carrying soldiers from Tanya Island and protect him.
He gave the order as Hetor had previously ordered.
Emperor Adrian might have thought Hetor's soldiers were protecting him, but in reality, they were just surveillance.
Palto, who had returned to the Lapion Empire's ship, went down to his cabin.
When he asked Emperor Adrian if he hadn't met his master three hours ago, he replied that they had only spoken briefly and parted ways.
Then, with a look of forgetfulness, Emperor Adrian added,
"Oh, I heard you were going to see Empress Roxana?"
At that, Palto also searched for Roxana.
"Palto!"
"Your Majesty?"
The two who had been searching for each other finally met.
As he was descending to Roxana's cabin, Palto's eyes widened when he saw her in her maid's attire.
If she hadn't called his name, he would have passed her by.
Roxana was the first to ask Palto,
"Did Hetor's troops board as promised?"
“Yes. But Your Majesty, where is my lord?”
“...What?”
“I heard that the King went to see Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Who said that? I didn’t see Hetor,”
Roxana said.
But Palto didn’t seem to believe her.
Roxana had a feeling.
“Did Emperor Adrian say that?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say? Did he say that I killed Hetor?”
“...Did he?”
Palto, sensing something strange in Roxana’s attitude, slowly drew the sword at his waist and said,
“There’s something you don’t know.”
“Not everything, but I know all the important things. For example, the fact that the Empress administered the obedience potion to my lord...”
“That... is true. I won’t deny it. But why do you think Hetor let me live?”
That was because he was planning to deal with you, including Emperor Adrian, all at once after this plan was over,
Palto thought to himself.
“I’m pregnant with Hetor’s baby.”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
“It’s true. I’m going to make this child, Hetor’s baby, the Emperor of the Lapion Empire. Only then can I get revenge on Emperor Adrian.”
Roxana cut off Palto’s excited words and continued mournfully.
“Are you saying that our great King... really lost his life?”
It was unbelievable, unbelievable.
“This is all Emperor Adrian’s doing. I will definitely get revenge! And to do that, I need your help.”
“I won’t believe it unless I see the body with my own eyes!”
“He could have thrown it into the sea during the commotion.”
Roxana said, forcing back tears.
Emperor Adrian wasn’t the only one wary of Roxana.
Roxana, too, had braced herself for a potential conflict with Emperor Adrian.
She had asked him to eliminate Hetor, but she didn’t completely trust Emperor Adrian, who had his own weaknesses.
Nancy, her only confidant, was dead.
Now, no one on this ship could protect her. She had to become stronger.
It was true she was pregnant with Hetor's child, so she assumed Palto would trust her words more than Emperor Adrian.
"Palto, you must protect me."
Roxana's words began to trouble Palto.
His master was already dead.
His bloodline was in Roxana's womb.
Galaco had already been released, and the soldiers had boarded the ship.
Last seen, Hetor had gone to meet Emperor Adrian.
Knowing this, Palto couldn't ignore Roxana's plea.
"Follow me."
Palto led Roxana to a hiding place until he found Hetor.
"Please stay here."
It was the guest room where Hetor had stayed.
"This will be the safest place for now."
With Hetor dead, no one would be able to enter his room.
"I'll have the soldiers stand guard around here."
"Remember, Palto! After we're done, we must deal with Emperor Adrian as well."
Roxana grabbed Palto's arm as he turned around and urged him on.
When Palto didn't respond, she deliberately rubbed her stomach, tears welling up in her eyes.
"For Hetor's vengeance. And for his child whom you will serve..."
Roxana's words must have touched Palto's loyalty, as he bit his lower lip and nodded.
"Oh, and do you have a spare sword?"
"Here you are. Take care until the situation calms down."
Palto removed the dagger from his right leg and handed it to Roxina.
"Thank you,"
Roxina said to Palto, then entered the room and leaned against the door.
Tears flowed from her eyes, relieved that she had once again averted danger.
But a moment later, a voice from outside the room nearly took her breath away.
"What should I do?!"
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