Chapter 69

AN: As a friendly reminder, I’m leaving this weekend for a two-week trip. My focus will be on my buddy’s wedding preparations and the bachelor party, so there won’t be any chapters until I get back. Thanks for your understanding!

Once I’m back, we will be back to normal Monday, Wednesday, and Friday releases for a while. I don’t have any big events or vacations planned, except for my proposal around Christmas. It will be nice to get back into the swing of things and continue the story. We are closing in on the end of Act 1!

Our meeting with the Guildmaster ran until late in the afternoon. Given the exotic origins of our newest companions and the freshly hatched presence of Usaneodus, the delay was hardly surprising. Once his bureaucratic panic and professional curiosity were sated, he had Lucoa issue official Guild identification plates to serve as their legal travel papers. With full-scale war looming on the horizon, unidentified foreigners wandering through the royal capital would have provoked scrutiny from the knights.

With our business concluded and the taxes on our haul paid, we stepped out onto the stone walkway in search of a meal. The lengthy discussion had left several of us thoroughly starved.

Before we could get far, a royal carriage emblazoned with the crest of the crown rattled to a halt at the curb. The door burst open, and Queen Mylene clumsily tumbled out onto the path before the coachman could even dismount from his bench.

“Leon! We received an answer from the Alzer Republic—they granted your request to approach the Sacred Tree!” Mylene held up the sealed missive, her slender fingers trembling with visible exhaustion. “However, they demand immediate military intervention in exchange. Their defense forces are being overwhelmed by the Holy Kingdom’s Magic Knights and those abominations you warned us about. Several sizable islands have already fallen, and the people left behind…”

Her voice hitched, catching on a wave of pure, choked nausea as the sickening images from the dispatch flooded her mind. She could not bring herself to give voice to the depravities detailed in the report.

“Do not force yourself to speak of it, Your Grace.” Angelica stepped forward immediately to steady the Queen’s trembling arm, flanked by Clarice, Deirdre, and Olivia. “Please, sit and rest a moment. You are pale as winter frost.”

While I was thrilled to receive official permission to depart for the Republic and recover what remained of my legion, my gaze remained fixed on Mylene. She was working herself straight into an early grave, and her worthless husband was nowhere to be seen.

“Mylene, when was the last time you actually slept?” I gently took the crumpled parchment from her quivering fingers. “You look ready to collapse at the first gentle breeze.”

“I have not slept in nearly two days…” She allowed the four girls to guide her toward a nearby stone bench, sinking onto the seat, too drained to maintain her usual royal poise. “There is so much to coordinate, and so little time left. The royal palace is in total chaos right now—even Roland has been assisting with the wartime mobilization.”

I paused, staring at her in sheer disbelief. Roland had never once lifted a royal finger to act like a proper sovereign; hearing that he was actively contributing to a military campaign made me wonder if sleep deprivation had driven Mylene into utter delirium.

In the original storyline, that lazy scoundrel had done nothing of the sort, content to lounge back and force the original Leon to handle every catastrophic crisis alone.

Seeking confirmation, I glanced toward the small retinue of palace guards flanking her. Instead of offering an explanation, one knight stepped forward with an expression of profound mortification, silently extending an envelope bearing the King’s personal wax seal. Whatever words Roland had penned inside had clearly assaulted the poor man’s chivalric honor.

My Primarch-sized hands were far too massive to pry open such delicate paper without tearing it to ribbons. Rather than risk shredding the parchment, I simply exerted my will, letting an effortless pulse of telekinesis do the work. The wax seal parted cleanly, and the folded letter drifted upward to hover level with my gaze.

‘Leon,

As I am sure Mylene has already blurted out between gasping for air, the Alzer Republic gave you its approval to enter their airspace. Once your ship is stocked, get moving before their front lines cave in and ruin your little expedition.

On a personal note, do us both a massive favor and take Mylene with you. In fact, just keep her. Since you love playing the dashing savior and stealing my spotlight at royal galas anyway, you might as well take the Queen off my hands. Once this war blows over, I am filing the divorce papers and ending this miserable farce of a marriage once and for all.

Consider it a winning deal for everyone involved. My palace will finally be peaceful. Mylene can stop secretly pining after you like a lovesick schoolgirl—yes, the maidservants hear her muttering your name in her sleep, do not play dumb—and you get a devoted woman catering to your every whim. You two are practically made for each other, so stop dragging your feet.

Signed,

Roland, Your Relieved Sovereign

P.S. Our marriage died over a decade ago, but she has been far too stubborn to let it go. Now that she is infatuated with you, I am washing my hands of the whole mess. Take good care of her, and for the love of the gods, bed the woman already! If I have to endure one more afternoon of her standing over my desk, glaring at my ledgers, and nagging my ears off about royal decorum, I will abdicate the damn throne myself. She is your problem now! You—’

I folded the parchment with an irritated snap of telekinesis, refusing to waste another second reading the man’s shameless grievances.

“I have read countless reports detailing King Roland’s character, but none did justice to the sheer depths of his disgrace.”

Hertrude walked down the stairs with Hertrauda at her side. Standing near the top of the guild steps had put the two princesses right at eye level with Leon’s fourteen-foot frame, giving them an easy view of the correspondence. Both looked justifiably disgusted, their arms crossed in aristocratic disdain.

“What manner of sovereign callously dumps his faithful, hardworking queen onto another man?”

“He is quite the piece of work…” Emma skimmed the guards’ thoughts before turning away in cold distaste. “How an entire kingdom allows such a lecherous, indolent creature to remain upon the throne is entirely beyond me.”

“You would be amazed what a handsome face and effortless charm can excuse.” Mirage gave a dry smirk, having witnessed her fair share of charming, incompetent scoundrels retain power through sheer audacity. “Regardless, if the fool is handing us such a capable asset, we would be idiots to refuse.”

Their humiliating errand complete, the palace knights unloaded several leather travel trunks from the carriage boot, setting them neatly onto the curb. Roland was serious about never wanting to see Mylene in the palace again. Looking thoroughly mortified on their monarch’s behalf, the guards dropped to one knee and bowed their heads in profound reverence.

“Please cherish and protect Queen Mylene, Lord Aremus.” The lead knight rose to his feet, snapping a crisp, formal salute. “The entire palace knows whose tireless devotion has kept this realm from crumbling all these years. Now that she is finally unburdened from that wretched crown, grant her the peace and happiness she so rightfully earned.”

With that solemn request, the knights remounted and guided the carriage away down the avenue.

Once the rattle of iron-rimmed wheels faded into the ambient din of the capital, Mylene turned her weary, bloodshot eyes toward me.

“You do not have to hold yourself to what Roland wrote, Leon.” She slumped wearily against the cold stone bench, her shoulders drooping. “So long as I can be of service to your campaign and safeguard our people, I will be more than content. You already have such brilliant, vibrant young women at your side. An old hag like me could never compare to—”

“Enough. I will not permit you to disparage yourself for another second.”

I sank to one knee before her, meeting her exhausted gaze with an earnest smile.

“Losing you is Roland’s greatest failure, and having you join us is my greatest triumph. You are a gorgeous, brilliant woman in the prime of your life. There is so much joy and adventure waiting for you ahead, and I would be honored to share every step with you.”

Mylene searched my expression, her breath catching as she found nothing but unvarnished truth in my words. Realizing that I meant every word, a brilliant flush of crimson rushed to her cheeks, and she fidgeted self-consciously with the folds of her gown.

“You… you truly do not care that I am so much older than you?”

I could not help but let out a warm, booming chuckle.

“While this physical body has existed for barely sixteen and a half years, my soul has endured for millennia across the stars. If either of us qualifies as elderly, Mylene, it is certainly me.”

Angelica, Olivia, Clarice, and Deirdre paused for a heartbeat, processing my preposterous words before dissolving into fond, breathless giggles. Mylene stared at me, then broke into a soft laugh of her own—the sheer absurdity of the claim washing away her lingering shame.

“If you are truly certain of this, then I will place myself in your care.” Her eyes shone with warmth before fluttering half-shut under the heavy weight of sleep. “My body may be soft and worn from raising two children, but my heart… my heart is yours to keep.”

Before she could finish her surrender, exhaustion finally claimed her.

Her body went completely limp, falling forward into my waiting arms. With effortless ease, I swept her up against my chest, cradling her securely as she slipped into a deep slumber.

“So… does this mean we are skipping dinner?” Squirrel Girl’s bushy tail dropped in melodramatic disappointment.

“No, but we will not be dining in the Market District.” I turned and began walking toward the port. “I will cook us a feast in the galley once we are airborne. We need to reach the Sacred Tree before enemy forces can capture it.”

With a thought, I moved Mylene’s belongings into my Item Box and led our group away.

As time was of the essence, I set sail immediately, arranging for an automated drone ship to resupply us en route to the Republic. Once we had put some distance between us and the Holfort capital, I switched on the autopilot, freeing me to fix our dinner.

Blessed with a cool fall evening, Yunyun gathered her courage and took the initiative to speak up. Offering an innocent, hopeful smile, she asked if we could have a cookout right out on the open deck—one of the rare moments she had ever worked up the nerve to ask me for anything. Several of the other women enthusiastically chimed in to agree, so I broke out the grill and got to work.

While everyone enjoyed the sunset, eating and chatting amongst themselves, I quietly caught Gwen’s attention, asking her to hang back after everyone else retired for the night. I did not go into detail, but made sure she understood it was of the utmost importance to both of us. She was understandably confused, though she still nodded and agreed to the request.

“Alright, Leon, what is it you want to discuss?” A playful smirk crept onto her face. “You have piqued my interest. Since you asked me, I have been tossing ideas around in my head. I have narrowed things down to either an attempt to woo me under the stars or questions about my Anodite heritage. Am I close?”

“Not even close…” I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. “I wanted to talk to you about magic.”

I slipped the Eye of Agamotto into my Item Box, moving my hand in a blur of speed to ensure the relic could not react or protest. Once the amulet was safely sequestered, I erected a powerful barrier to isolate us from the rest of creation.

“Uh… this is a bit of overkill, don’t you think?” Confusion settled over her features.

Murmuring a few quiet incantations, I tested the ward to make certain none of my divine benefactors could listen in. When none of them replied, a quiet sigh of relief escaped my lips.

“Sorry, but this conversation is rather sensitive,” I said, casually clearing away the remnants of our dinner. “I want to talk about the dual magic systems of this universe. As I am sure you have already noticed, there are two distinct magical wavelengths humming through the environment. The overwhelming majority of people draw only from the first. The second is almost completely untouched. To be frank, only the two of us can actually use it.”

Gwen wandered over to the railing, leaning her forearms against the polished metal and gazing up at the sea of stars overhead.

“Yeah, I noticed both of them the moment I arrived in this world. With the threat hanging over our heads earlier, it did not really register with me. But now that I have room to breathe, it is honestly a little unnerving how tranquil my mana feels. It feels like I am a solitary leaf drifting across the surface of a completely still ocean. Back home, I was always used to feeling the constant waves and ripples other people generated in the surrounding area.”

After finishing the cleanup, I joined her at the railing.

“The people of this universe utilize the system that originated in the multiverse that Black Cat, Emma, Mystique, Storm, and Squirrel Girl come from. It is incredibly flexible; anyone who is willing to put in the effort to learn the incantations can become a mage.” I flashed a few somatic gestures with my free hand, summoning a simple orb of light between my fingers. “The second wavelength, the one you draw from, requires a genetic prerequisite that the two of us possess. As such, it is crucial that we minimize our use of it unless we find ourselves in dire straits. It is our ultimate trump card.”

“Is our genetic one superior to the more widely used one?” She glanced over at me with genuine curiosity.

“No, but my testing has shown that the two systems cannot interact to deflect or counter each other. In layman’s terms, standard defensive wards cannot register our genetic magic. Our spells will pass straight through their shields, catching any enemy mage off guard.” I met her gaze, letting the cold reality settle between us. “The bastard who killed me in my first life and took my wife only has access to the widely used system. I intend to use this secret to deliver a killing blow when I meet him on the battlefield again. He will pay dearly for torturing my beloved Valeria!”

A sympathetic look softened Gwen’s features as she stepped closer to my side.

In her own world, she would have given anything to receive such fierce, unwavering devotion from the man she loved. Kevin had started out as a troubled child, but in time, had grown into someone Ben and she truly trusted. She had fallen deeply in love with him, opening her heart and embracing him as the partner she wished to spend her life with. Just when she believed the three of them could become enduring beacons of peace, Kevin’s willpower shattered.

His darkest impulses took over, driving him to betray and murder Ben at a vulnerable moment. She had stood only feet away when it happened, yet shock and lingering love had paralyzed her completely. That single second of hesitation cost Ben his life—and shortly after, cost Gwen her own when Kevin ruthlessly drained her dry of her Anodite spark.

“Your wife is lucky to have found a man like you, Leon.” Her gaze returned to the sky as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek, catching the starlight. “Those fiancées of yours are lucky as well. I hope they cherish every single moment they share with you. You never truly know when your happiness will come to a sudden end…”

I did not know what this version of adult Gwen had endured, but it was clear she carried her own deep reservoir of grief. Not wanting to pry or prolong her pain, I stepped away from the railing and prepared to lower the barrier.

“If your back is ever against the wall and there is no other way out, use your magic to save yourself and those around you,” I said quietly. “You are far more valuable to me than any tactical secret.”

“I understand.” She kept her gaze fixed upon the heavens, letting the cool wind brush her hair. “You can go on ahead without me. If it is okay with you, I would like some private time with my thoughts.”

With a simple wave of my hand, the barrier dissolved into harmless specks of light, and the Eye of Agamotto returned to its familiar place around my neck. Respecting her need for solitude, I left the open deck and headed below toward my personal quarters.

The moment I slipped inside the door, Lucoa greeted me from atop the mattress. Clad in nothing save an oversized, plush white bathrobe that draped precariously over her generous curves, the dragoness slid off the bed and sauntered toward me with a slow, deliberate sway of her hips. Her horns curved gracefully through her cascading hair, and a playful, teasing gleam peeked from beneath her half-lidded, mismatched eyes.

“So, I was thinking… since we are officially engaged, nightly activities are on the table, yes?” A warm, purring chuckle rolled from her throat. “I have waited long enough for this, and I am not taking no for an answer tonight.”

Already comfortably in my mortal form, I let out a low laugh and drew her close against my chest. If my exuberant dragoness was this determined, who was I to deny her? With an arm wrapped securely around her waist, I guided her toward the adjoining bathroom, ready to lose ourselves in a night of utter bliss.

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