Cowe and Seep were horrified, frozen in place as they listened to Sete's scream.
"Arghhh…"
Sete's scream slowly faded away.
Cowe and Seep stared at Shizuku, terror filling their eyes.
Shizuku's lips curved into a beautiful smile, yet her feral eyes displayed an uncontrollable rage.
"Forget about restraint training. You are absolutely not worthy of being left alive."
"No! I don't want to die!"
Seep went hysterical, turning around and fleeing by smashing through the wall.
"Boss! Wait for me!"
Not wanting to be left behind, Cowe immediately ran after Seep.
"Hah…" Shizuku let out a sigh, looked at them coldly, and said, "You want to run from me? Dream on!"
Byak!
Arghh!
Blood-red flames appeared, burning Cowe and Seep into ashes.
Their screams could still be heard even after their bodies had turned to ash.
Shizuku had surely burned their souls, just as she had done to Sete.
Cruel, sadistic, cold, and merciless—those were Shizuku's true nature, the Ancient Red Dragon King.
"It's time to return to Master Krai's side."
Shizuku smiled broadly before leaving the room.
…..
Inside the inn room, while I pretended to sleep to deceive the enemy, my body suddenly trembled as my heart grew restless.
The sensation made me want to open my eyes, but I was forced to endure it because the enemy was still watching from their room.
After waiting for some time, the enemy stopped observing, so I immediately opened my eyes and cautiously surveyed my surroundings.
"There's nothing… thank goodness."
The empty room made me feel relieved.
After calming down a little, I felt uncomfortable because sweat had soaked my clothes.
"Alright, time to take a bath."
Without waiting for Shizuku to return, I headed to the bathroom next to the bedroom.
…..
Let us return to the Central Continent, the Kingdom of Helmut.
After the monster chaos in the border regions, the kingdom fell into a critical situation that could lead to the collapse of its governing system.
The main issue was the massive number of soldiers and knights who had fallen on the battlefield while fighting monsters, while those fortunate enough to survive ended up depressed or even insane.
On top of that, pressure from neighboring kingdoms had begun to mount as they showed signs of preparing to attack. If not handled properly, the Kingdom of Helmut could collapse within months.
As a king, Voum Helmut was perceptive enough to foresee the kingdom's future.
He might have failed as a father, but he had not failed as a king. Voum Helmut racked his sharp mind and eventually found a way to save the Kingdom of Helmut.
Although the method was undeniably unethical, Voum Helmut did not care as long as his kingdom could be saved.
There was a prince from the Kingdom of the Sun who was in love with a duke's daughter from the Kingdom of Helmut. Voum Helmut used this as a bargaining chip to obtain assistance from the Kingdom of the Sun.
After going through a long negotiation process, the Kingdom of the Sun agreed to help restore the Kingdom of Helmut—of course, under certain terms and conditions.
The main condition was the marriage between the prince of the Kingdom of the Sun and the duke's daughter of the Kingdom of Helmut.
Voum Helmut agreed immediately, without even asking for the opinion of the person concerned.
When the duke's daughter heard this, she immediately protested to her father, but the duke could do nothing under the pressure of the king.
"Forgive Father. I can't help you," said the middle-aged man, his eyes filled with sorrow and tears.
Standing before him was a stunningly beautiful young woman, silent after hearing the man's statement.
She was 165 cm tall, her fair skin smoother than snow, her golden eyes shining beautifully. Her black hair flowed long, her lips were red yet slightly thin, and her small nose sat adorably on her perfectly beautiful face.
She was the duke's daughter who had caught the eye of the prince from the Kingdom of the Sun.
With all the characteristics mentioned above, it was not strange at all that she was admired by a prince of a kingdom.
Her name was Evelyn Astoria, the first daughter of Duke Astoria and also the most beautiful young woman in the Kingdom of Helmut.
"…Evelyn, Father has an idea. Why don't you run away from the Kingdom of Helmut?"
Evelyn shook her head, her expression calm and wise.
"If I do that, Father and the others will surely be executed."
Duke Astoria gave a bitter smile and nodded in response to Evelyn's words.
"But… are you really okay with this? Father knows you still have feelings for Prince Krai."
Evelyn's eyes widened. She smiled bitterly and said, "That's true, but now I don't even know where he is. Even if he's still alive, the kingdom would never allow us to be together."
Duke Astoria grew even sadder upon hearing Evelyn's reply.
"I'm sorry for being such a useless father."
Evelyn immediately shook her head, forcing a smile onto her beautiful face.
"It's alright, Father. I'll do it."
… .. .
To be continued…