"Ah… That was exhausting." Lucas sighed as he stretched out, sinking into the plush seat of the carriage. "Keeping up a regal facade all this time is way harder than I thought. And every time I spoke, I was terrified someone would figure out I'm not really Alberia."
Aislyra chuckled and patted him lightly on the back.
"But you did an amazing job, Lucas," she reassured him with a warm smile. "If I didn't already know the truth, I probably wouldn't have realized you weren't my sister—at least, not before lunch."
Lucas frowned. "Wait… so you're saying during lunch, you would have figured it out? Did I make a big mistake?" He asked, concern creeping into his voice.
Aislyra shook her head. "Not at all. It was such a small detail that only my mother, Katerina, and I would ever notice. There's no need to worry—Uncle Luvrio didn't suspect a thing."
Lucas relaxed a little, but his curiosity only grew. "Still… what was my mistake?"
Aislyra smirked playfully. "It's nothing major, but my sister had a habit of saving her favorite dishes for last. Pasta with meat sauce was one of them. But that wasn't the issue—sometimes, she couldn't resist and ate it first anyway. The difference is, whenever she did, she'd always hesitate for a split second before taking that first bite. Watching you dig in without even a moment's pause would have made me very suspicious if I hadn't already known the truth."
Lucas blinked. "That's… really specific."
"It is," Aislyra admitted. "But like I said, it's not something anyone who wasn't extremely close to Alberia would notice."
Lucas hummed in thought. 'Just to be safe, I should ask Katerina what Alberia's favorite dishes were later. I'm sure she knows.'
With the conversation fading, Lucas turned his attention to the carriage window, eager to finally catch a glimpse of the capital—his capital.
Unfortunately, his view was mostly blocked. A massive crowd of elves lined the streets, watching the queen's carriage procession like an audience at a grand parade. Still, through the gaps between them, he caught glimpses of the city's architecture.
Many of the buildings were what he'd expect from a fantasy world inspired by the Middle Ages—quaint houses and bustling shops. But among them were structures far more unique. Instead of being built on trees like in most fantasy stories, some of the elves' homes were built inside them.
That part surprised him. He'd expected elves to have a deep connection to nature, but typically, they lived above the trees, in elevated dwellings connected by bridges and wooden walkways. Seeing these grand, hollowed-out tree homes made him realize that his palace—an entire tree transformed into a building—wasn't the exception. It was the norm.
Before he could take in more details, the carriage came to a stop.
With Katerina's assistance, Lucas stepped out of the carriage, finding himself in the middle of an enormous square.
The space was completely empty—for now. The only other people present were the guards exiting the other two carriages. But beyond the three entranceways leading into the square, Lucas could see crowds of elves eagerly waiting for permission to enter.
Just the thought of standing before all those people, their eyes fixed on his nearly bare body, made him shudder.
Desperate for a distraction, Lucas turned his gaze toward the villa in front of them.
It was large, lavish, and unmistakably expensive-looking. But its most striking feature was the elegant white marble balcony overlooking the square.
'That must be where I'm supposed to give my speech…' Lucas realized.
His mind immediately began racing. He had a general idea of what to say, but he wasn't fully confident in his words yet. What if he froze? What if he stumbled?
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
"Lady Alberia," Katerina called out, "please, come inside the villa so I can prepare you for the speech."
Lucas took a deep breath and nodded.
"Right… let's go."
And with that, the three of them stepped inside.
They soon arrived at the room with the balcony.
Katerina wasted no time. She immediately began fixing Lucas' hair, her movements precise and efficient. Meanwhile, his agitation grew with every passing second. His breathing became uneven, his hands slightly clammy.
Aislyra noticed his distress. Once Katerina finished, she stepped closer, placed a firm yet reassuring hand on his shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. As Katerina has likely already told you, this speech is just to reassure the people that you're well. You handled yourself excellently with the ministers this morning. If you carry yourself the same way now, you'll be just fine!"
She spoke with confidence, trying to ease his nerves.
Lucas took a deep breath. Then another. A few seconds of silence passed as he focused on calming himself, inhaling and exhaling steadily.
Then, Katerina's calm, composed voice broke the silence.
"Lady Alberia, it's time. Your subjects are waiting for you."
In an instant, the small sense of control Lucas had just gained shattered. His heartbeat quickened, nerves spiking once more.
But before panic could take hold—
SLAP!
A sudden forceful smack landed on his back, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his body.
"Ow! What the—?!" Lucas groaned, shooting Aislyra an incredulous look.
But she just grinned—a dazzling, mischievous smile on her face. "Come on, Lucas! I know you can do it!"
For a brief moment, Lucas saw someone else in her place. A little girl from his past. A face he hadn't seen in years, one he would never see again, even if he returned to his world.
The sudden flood of memories washed away all his anxiety.
His expression softened, and with a gentle smile, he said, "Thank you, Aislyra."
And with that, he stepped onto the balcony.
The once-empty square was now overflowing with people. Thousands of eyes locked onto him the moment he appeared.
The vast majority of the crowd were elves, but here and there, Lucas noticed humans and even a few individuals with animal ears and tails—beastfolk, like Katerina.
As soon as the queen stepped onto the balcony, thunderous applause erupted. The energy in the air was electric, voices rising in excitement.
Lucas inhaled deeply, steeling himself. Then, he lifted a finger to his lips, channeled a small amount of mana, and muttered:
"Mighty Voice."
A soft purple glow enveloped his fingertip before he gently traced it over his mouth.
Immediately, his voice would now carry across the entire square, ensuring every single person could hear him clearly.
Behind him, Katerina and Aislyra had also stepped onto the balcony, though they remained a respectful distance away.
Lucas took another deep breath and spoke.
"Citizens, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for gathering here today. I apologize for causing you concern, but as you can see, I have fully recovered!"
He extended his arms outward, deliberately showcasing his body, as if to emphasize his words.
The crowd exploded with cheers, their applause growing even louder.
Lucas had to fight every urge to shrink away in embarrassment. His skin practically burned from how much attention was on him, and it took every ounce of willpower not to turn into a blushing mess.
But he held firm.
"From this day forward—just as I always have—I vow to continue protecting this kingdom from any adversity that may threaten it!"
Another wave of applause surged through the crowd, filled with admiration and unwavering support.
Lucas subtly glanced at Katerina, silently asking if that was enough.
She gave him a small nod of confirmation.
'Thank God. Any longer and the redness on my face would be impossible to hide. I really don't want to give the people the wrong idea,' he thought with relief.
With that, Lucas prepared to wrap up his speech and bid the townspeople farewell—
But then, he noticed something strange.
Hovering several meters above the center of the square, a small piece of paper drifted in midair.
Lucas narrowed his eyes.
But before he could react, the paper began to expand—growing larger and larger until it became a massive sheet, at least three meters wide.
And in the center of it, something dark and foreboding took shape.
A black portal.
One that looked eerily familiar.
The same kind of portal he had seen just a few days ago.
Not wanting to be caught off guard like last time, Lucas swiftly conjured a bow of pure light, an arrow already nocked and ready to fire.
Within less than a second, Katerina and Aislyra had also grasped the situation. They moved into battle-ready stances, poised to defend Lucas from whatever emerged from the portal.
But the masked assassin never appeared.
Instead, from within the swirling darkness, a monstrous flying beast emerged.
Its appearance was both terrifying and eerily, a grotesque fusion of creatures that should never have existed together.
Its massive, bear-like body was covered in fur that shifted between deep purple and black, crackling with electricity. From the neck up, however, its head belonged to a dragon, covered in scarlet scales that gleamed ominously under the light. A long, sinuous tail of red scales extended behind it, and atop its grotesque frame were two enormous dragon wings, their sleek, leathery texture starkly contrasting the beast's thick fur.
Its paws, which should have resembled those of a normal bear, pulsed with what looked like purple plasma, arcs of lightning dancing between its claws.
But what made the creature even more unnatural were the strange cicatrices where its bear and dragon parts merged. The scars ran deep, as though someone—or something—had stitched these mismatched parts together. It resembled a bestial Frankenstein's monster, its very existence an affront to nature.
The crowd froze for a brief, stunned moment—then chaos erupted.
Screams tore through the square as citizens scrambled to flee. Fortunately, the guards were prepared. They moved swiftly and efficiently, ensuring no one was trampled in the panic.
Lucas, still aiming his bow, gritted his teeth.
"What is that? An Over Beast?" he asked, eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of the abomination before him.
Beside him, Katerina and Aislyra stared at the creature in complete shock. Their usual composure shattered.
It was as if they were looking at something that shouldn't exist.
Aislyra's voice trembled with disbelief. "How is that possible? That's... a chimera—a fusion of a Superior Lightning Bear and a Lesser Red Dragon?!"
Katerina, usually the embodiment of calm, looked just as shaken. "Lady Aislyra, that's impossible! You cannot create chimeras using parts of Over Beasts or any race capable of wielding magic! The mana within each creature would reject the foreign components—it would be torn apart by its own energy!"
Then, a grim realization darkened her expression.
"The only being capable of creating such an abomination was the god Macchinonio but..."
Aislyra, face paling, finished the thought for her.
"He was slain by Artema…"
A heavy silence followed.
But Aislyra was the first to snap out of it.
Her expression hardened, resolve replacing her initial shock. A faint grin tugged at her lips, though her eyes burned with determination.
"It doesn't matter what that thing is or how it was created. Our duty is to protect the queen and the people she cherishes. If this thing threatens them..."
She clenched her fists, stepping forward with unwavering confidence.
"...then we'll simply erase it from existence."
Katerina, regaining her usual composure, nodded firmly. "Agreed. I will handle evacuating the civilians. Lady Aislyra, Her Majesty—please eliminate that beast."
Then, Aislyra turned to Lucas.
"Do you understand, Your Majesty?" Aislyra asked, locking eyes with him.
Lucas held her gaze. Fear flickered in his eyes—but so did resolve.
He clenched his fists, took a steadying breath, and nodded.
"Yes. I'm ready."
He couldn't let this monster harm the citizens Alberia had entrusted to him.
Meanwhile, the unnatural beast scanned its surroundings, its reptilian eyes darting across the fleeing crowd.
It seemed... confused. Searching for something.
Then—its gaze landed on "Alberia" on the balcony.
A heartbeat passed.
Then, the chimera let out an ear-splitting roar.
The sound ripped through the square, shaking the very ground beneath them. The terrified civilians froze in place, their fear rooting them to the spot.
At that moment, every other thought vanished from the monster's mind.
It had found its target.
Its massive jaws parted, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs. Flames began to churn deep within its throat, growing hotter and hotter.
The queen had been marked.
And the beast would not stop until she was inside its stomach.