*Note: Well, I don't have much to say today, just that I hope you enjoy the chapter! Seriously, work has been really exhausting, so please don't blame me if one day I don't manage to publish a new chapter.By the way, I'll leave the AI-generated image of Omni Blade in the comments. I already posted it in the comments of the previous chapter, but you haven't probably seen it already so I'll post it again.Let me know what you think about Omni Blade's design!
An have a good day :)
...
"Unfortunately, that would take too long. It'll be through video call instead. However, for now, it's best that you rest. Your current condition isn't very good" - Zastin said.
Zastin was right, I was completely exhausted, and all I wanted now was to lie down and sleep peacefully. Sex lessons? That'll have to wait until tomorrow; I can't even walk properly.
"Yeah, that would be better" - I said.
I'm in no shape to talk to anyone right now.
"Don't worry, lean on me, Akira! I'll help you!" Lala said.
Despite her delicate appearance, Lala was much stronger than Akira in his normal state. And although she couldn't match the strength he gained from transforming into those aliens, that didn't mean she was weak.
Seeing the princess helping Akira with a smile on her face, Zastin nodded. Until now, he had never seen the princess as happy as she was in that moment. It was clear that Akira made her happy and Zastin might have begun to understand why. So far, every man interested in Lala had been a proud noble whose intentions were all too obvious. Nobles who desired the princess's body and the power that came with it. They sought to claim the throne of the Galaxy King, something coveted by thousands.
But none of them were foolish enough to plot against the current king, especially after witnessing the massacre he unleashed in his last battle. That terrifying display had been burned into everyone's memory. Since then, no one dared to provoke King Deviluke. Anyone who tried, noble or not, powerful or not. faced only one inevitable fate: death.
Some might consider it cruel, but in the vast galaxy, there are thousands of races, some powerful like the Devilukians, others weaker like humans, but all of them share an intense drive for conquest, and many would stop at nothing to achieve it. Numerous nobles across the galaxy hadn't risen to power legitimately, but rather through deception, betrayal, and countless atrocities.
That's why, when dealing with beings like them, the king of the galaxy had to be ruthless. If he weren't, those vile individuals who covet his throne would attempt to assassinate him without hesitation. That's why he revealed his power during the last war, to show those cruel and bloodthirsty beings the fate that awaited anyone who dared threaten him or his family.
"I'm glad Lala-sama found her true love" – Zastin thought.
He couldn't voice his thoughts aloud, but deep down, he was glad that fate had rewarded Lala with someone like Akira, a man who seemed to truly love her, not just covet her body or social status. They looked genuinely happy together, and Zastin was pleased about that. However, there was one small issue. What would happen to the other two princesses now that Lala had a fiancé?
Surely, the more pragmatic nobles would try to court the remaining princesses in hopes of at least becoming connected to the royal family. But there was another problem, Lala's sisters, the second and third princesses, were both incredibly proud and would never agree to marry out of duty or obligation. Would it be a good idea to introduce Akira to them as well? Perhaps that way, both of them could also find happiness. And as for the matter of polygamy... well, that wasn't an issue at all.
In fact, polygamy was entirely normal throughout the galaxy, except among humans but don't be mistaken in thinking it was always one man with multiple women. There were also harems of one man with several men, or one woman with multiple women. The galaxy was vast and diverse, and while the dynamics varied, polygamy remained a widely accepted norm.
However, whether the two remaining princesses would end up with Akira was something that couldn't be forced. Only time would tell if fate had something in store for them.
"Zastin, we're heading home" - Lala said gently.
Akira had his arm around Lala's shoulder as she helped him walk.
"Yes. Take care" - Zastin nodded.
The fight was over, and Akira had won. There was nothing more for Zastin to say, that's how bets work, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That's life.
With nothing else to add, Akira and Lala left for home, while Zastin turned and walked straight toward his starship without hesitation.
As a high-tech spaceship, his ship naturally had an invisibility system to prevent it from being seen. Zastin had hidden it deep within the forest, plain and simple.
After stepping aboard, the first thing Zastin did was contact His Majesty. Sleep? That could wait, his duty came first.
He didn't sit in his massive chair, that would be a sign of disrespect toward the King. Instead, he stood and stared at the giant screen for a few seconds before pressing a sequence of buttons and after that, the screen lit up almost instantly.
Moments later, the imposing figure of King Deviluke appeared on the screen.
"I didn't expect you to report back so soon. Well done, Zastin" - said the King.
"I don't deserve such praise, Your Majesty. I merely did my duty" - Zastin replied, bowing slightly at the waist.
"Fine, now tell me. Did the boy pass? Or was he a disappointment?" - the King asked.
"He passed and by a wide margin" - Zastin replied.
King Deviluke's eyebrows rose slightly at that.
"Hmm, interesting. How much strength did he make you use?" - he asked.
"Forty-five percent of my full power, Your Majesty" - Zastin answered.
Even the King, who was rarely surprised by anything, was visibly taken aback. A mere human capable of forcing Zastin to use nearly half of his power?
"Are you lying to me, Zastin?" - the King asked sharply.
"I would never dare, Your Majesty. It's that strange watch he wears, it drastically enhances his combat skills" - Zastin explained.
"You mean the device he used to defeat those two bodyguards?" - the King asked.
"That's right, Your Majesty, but this time, things were different" - Zastin replied.
"Why do you say that?" - the King asked, intrigued.
"That device doesn't just let him transform into one creature. During our fight, he used two different forms and neither of which matched the descriptions provided by the bodyguards" - Zastin explained.
"I see, so I assume he turned into something... impressive?" - the King said.
"The boy is incredibly inexperienced in battle. At first, I defeated him easily using only five percent of my strength, but just when he was about to reclaim Lala-sama, it was as if the device detected the danger and transformed him into a criature capable of generating swords made by pure energy" - Zastin said.
"Oh? Now that does sound interesting" - the King mused.
"Indeed. What's most mysterious is that once he transformed, it was like he became a battle-hardened warrior, as if he had fought in dozens of battles and perfected his technique. If it weren't for his lack of stamina, I might've had to use fifty percent of my power, maybe even fifty-five" - Zastin continued.
"That device is far more fascinating than we imagined... But let's set that matter aside for now and focus on something even more important" - the King said.
It was true that the device was intriguing and deserved further investigation, but for the moment, another matter required immediate attention.
"Yes, Your Majesty" - Zastin acknowledged.
"Regardless of how he did it, the fact remains that the human passed the test I set for him, therefore, I will fulfill my promise and make him my heir" - the King declared.
"Just like that?" - Zastin asked.
"Yes. I always keep my word, however, even if I name him my heir, that doesn't mean he's ready to lead. Forcing you to use 45% of your strength was due to that strange device. That's not bad, but according to your reports, the boy still lacks battle experience so he's not yet strong enough to inherit the throne, which is why I have a plan" - said the King.
"What have you devised, Your Majesty?" - Zastin asked.
"What the boy lacks is experience, leadership, and, above all, the ability to command respect. I fear that even if I make him my official heir, those pompous nobles won't accept my decision and might try to kill him in secret" - the King said.
"Then... what does Your Majesty intend to do?" - Zastin asked.
What the King said was obvious. Those prideful old nobles would never accept a human as Lala-sama's fiancé and future king, that was pretty clear.
"The boy must prove he's worthy of being king. A king must command respect, he must show others that he is above them and that he will show no mercy to those who try to harm him. The rest, his education, his growth, I can guide him through that, but first, he needs to demonstrate to those pompous fools that he is the rightful heir, and that as future king, he won't hesitate to kill anyone who threatens his life, just as I did in my youth" - the King explained.
"I see... You plan to use this opportunity to kill those nobles, don't you?" - Zastin asked.
"Very astute, Zastin, there are some nobles I've long wished to execute for... reasons I can't discuss right now so if they attempt to kill the heir and are caught, I'll have the perfect excuse to get rid of them" - the King said.
The King's desire to eliminate certain nobles wasn't born of cruelty. Despite his fearsome appearance, King Deviluke was a wise and benevolent ruler, admired across the galaxy, but not by all nobles, many obeyed him out of fear. He knew some of them were committing despicable acts strictly forbidden under his rule. However, without solid evidence, he couldn't act because if he did, those same nobles would accuse him of tyranny and try to discredit him. He could, of course, kill them all and end the issue with brute force... but that wasn't his way. But if he could catch them in the act of a serious crime... well, that would be a different matter entirely.