Chapter 25: The Empress, or the Queen! (1)

—Altak—
Altak is located on the western frontier of the empire, a desolate and frigid land of ice and soil. It is one of the few principalities recognized by the empire and directly under the imperial royal family.

For two hundred years, the Fahlavaria family has ruled this land. Ever since Emperor Sasan IX, the Fahlavaria family has taken root here, engaging in protracted wars against the barbarians of the north for over two centuries.

It is worth noting that the Fahlavaria family, as the supreme rulers of Altak, originally had the surname Vomisli and were merely ordinary lower nobles. However, their warriors earned the trust of Sasan IX through their military achievements and were granted the titles [Velti] and [Vayer], representing [loyalty] and [bravery], respectively.

To commemorate this honor, the ancestors of the Fahlavaria family adopted these titles as their surname—“Velti Vayer Vomisli”—a title that represented the highest honor at the time.

By the time of Emperor Sasan XI, the empire’s rule began to decline, and rebellious forces emerged across the land. Yet Altak remained steadfast. The Fahlavaria family was the first to send troops to suppress the rebellions on behalf of the empire. To reward them or to win their loyalty, the emperor bestowed upon them the surname Fahlavaria, signifying their status as high-ranking nobles.

From then on, the Vomisli family—no, the Fahlavaria family—became the imperial family’s most trusted local military force, enjoying great honor and privileges.

Strangely enough, for nearly two hundred years, the position of lord of Altak has been passed down in succession within the Vomisli family, from father to son, in an unbroken line. Even more peculiar is the fact that the family seems to always produce male heirs; no female births have ever occurred. But with Ravia’s generation, this ancient tradition seems to have been broken…

To this day, the current head of the Vomisli family is sixty years old—Ravia’s grandfather. One of the most prominent figures in the Vomisli family is Naialek Vayer Velti Vomisli, also known as Naialek Vomisli Fahlavaria.

This veteran general, who guards the western frontier of the empire, enjoys immense prestige even among the Sasanians, comparable to Scott’s grandfather, Efray OGil. Unfortunately, this old general does not seem as fortunate as the late elder from the Galik region.

Compared to Scott’s father, the dazzling and smooth Duke Ivan, Old Nai Alek’s son appeared far more mediocre, lacking any outstanding abilities. He died in a war against the barbarians when Lavia was still young, becoming a source of lifelong pain for Old Nai Alek. Later, Lavia’s mother died from longing for her husband, leaving Old Nai Alek filled with self-reproach. The death of Old Nai Alek’s son, Young Nai Alek, meant Altak lost a very important heir. Although Lavia existed as the next generation, unfortunately, it seemed she had already lost her right to inherit from birth—women in Altak had no right to inherit. Old Nai Alek, in his sixties, still had a competitive spirit as in his youth, along with energy and strength disproportionate to his age. He was remembered for subduing a fierce and brutal white bear bare-handed in front of Altak soldiers a few years ago. Even the cruel and cunning Manertz snow wolves avoided such bears that lived in the snow-capped mountains. Yet such an outstanding man now faced the embarrassment of having no heir… Of course, the vast Vomisli family couldn’t possibly have no heir at all, but the problem was that among his direct blood relatives, only Lavia existed; the others were merely distant relatives, such as Lavia’s cousins. This situation left Old Nai Alek in great distress. Lavia Fahuaria, his granddaughter who couldn’t inherit the Vomisli family name due to her gender, seemed no less capable than any other Altak boy in terms of spirit and strength in Old Nai Alek’s eyes. Yet still, women couldn’t enjoy the right to inherit… To better prepare himself to take over his position, Old Nai Alek had taught his son diligently for over twenty years, sometimes in a harsh manner. To turn his mediocre son into an outstanding individual, he even cruelly sent him to the army fighting against the barbarians, only to find that his son died in battle by accident… Overcome with guilt, Old Nai Alek simply couldn’t bear to pass on the family’s position to a distant relative. After all, if he hadn’t been too strict, perhaps his son, Lavia’s father, would still be alive, and the castle wouldn’t be as deserted as it was now.

For now, the only hope for Old Nai Alec is to find an outstanding man to be his granddaughter’s husband, in order to carry on the glory of the Vormisley family. In other words, whoever can marry Ravia will become the head of the Vormisley family—of course, by taking her as a husband. Although it’s the last resort, this condition is indeed extremely demanding. Old Nai Alec is well aware that his granddaughter Ravia grew up under discrimination and contempt, and she has a fierce and determined personality. It’s impossible to force her to do anything unless she agrees herself. Worse still, she seems to have great talent in magic; within just three years, from age fourteen to sixteen, she easily defeated some so-called warriors from the Altak region. If not for her gender, she would have been more than enough to become the heir of Altak.

However, this also gives Old Nai Alec some headaches. After all, his granddaughter is already sixteen this year, past the marriage age for women in Altak. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer men dare to propose to her… Yes, those who “dare” to propose. Although many men came to propose at first, they were all defeated. If they happened to encounter Ravia in a bad mood, they even suffered serious injuries. What kind of joke is this?! Injuries are one thing, but the real issue is that a man from Altak being defeated by a mere woman would undoubtedly become a laughingstock! Over time, even fewer people dared to propose…

This led Old Nai Alec to lower the standards for potential suitors. Now, not only people from Altak but also anyone, regardless of status, who can defeat Ravia and gain her approval can become the heir of the Vormisley family. Unfortunately, it seems there are fewer and fewer fools willing to take such risks… With no other choice, Old Nai Alec decided to take advantage of the popularity of this year’s coming-of-age ceremony to think about his granddaughter’s future. It was then that he received a letter from Lord Gallek, Scott’s father, and Duke Yvonne…

“What? Prince Theo?”
“Ah!” Looking at his granddaughter sitting on the bed, uninterested, Old Nai Alec shook his head with a bitter smile and said, “Duke Yvonne cleared him of the charge of patricide. It was that man, Argus, who did it. After all, as the first prince, Theo couldn’t possibly do such a vile thing!”

“What does that matter?” The boy sitting by the bed adjusted her long, fiery red hair that reached her waist, speaking with a hint of sarcasm. “I don’t care if he’s Theo or Leo—someone without strength doesn’t deserve to be my husband!”
“That’s true…” Old Nai Alec shook his head with a wry smile. He was well aware of his granddaughter’s magical prowess; it was far beyond what ordinary people could handle. Especially that huge fire fox mimic beast—it was even more terrifying than a snow bear. The fireballs it spat out could melt steel, and if those hit a person, even their bones would turn to ash!
“But still, you’re already sixteen this year, right…”
“And what if so? Rather than marry those people, I’d rather die! I can’t bear it!”
“So what conditions do you want then?”
“It’s simple—defeat me!”
“…” Old Nai Alec looked at his granddaughter, torn between laughter and frustration, then sighed. “I’ll announce this at the coming coming-of-age ceremony in a few days. Due to Argus, many outsiders have appeared in Altak recently, probably trying to win us over… This time, we probably won’t be as lucky as before!”
Glancing at Old Nai Alec with a playful expression, Ravia said with a light laugh, “Knowing exactly what they’re planning, Grandfather doesn’t intend to interfere? That guy named Theo is just using Altak’s strength, right?”
“Yes!” Old Nai Alec nodded with a smile, then winked. “But as a member of the royal family, I can’t just refuse outright, can I? Besides, among all those people, I’m sure there’s someone you’ll be satisfied with. I’m quite anxious about this!” With that, he nodded at the queen puppet Queen Kwin standing by and walked out chuckling.
With a sigh, Ravia lay lazily on the bed. Her right hand instinctively reached under the pillow, pulling out a clown mask half black and half silver. She wrinkled her nose at it, then a nostalgic look appeared in her eyes as she smiled unintentionally.
“Sigh!” Queen Kwin, standing nearby, sighed helplessly.
Before long, the door suddenly knocked. Kwin glanced at Ravia, who was lying on the bed and unwilling to get up, shook her head, walked to the door, and asked the maid outside, “What is it?”

The maid stared blankly at the two symmetrical red lines on Queen’s face, then snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, “Uh, I’m sorry, Lord Queen… There are a few people outside who want to see the young lady.”
“Hmph!” Queen snorted disdainfully. “Does the master get to see whoever he wants?”
“Are they those who want to propose?” Lavia, lying in bed, turned over carelessly and said slowly, “I’m in a bad mood today and don’t want to see anyone!”
“Uh…”
Glancing at the stunned maid, Queen said irritably, “Didn’t you hear? Tell them to go away!”
“But Mr. Allen said the young lady would definitely see them…”
“What? It’s Allen?” Lavia sat up in bed and looked at the maid with a slightly reproachful gaze. “Why didn’t you say so earlier!—Bring them in. I haven’t seen Allen and Lisa in ages… By the way, who else is there?”
The maid gave Lavia a strange look and said softly, “I haven’t seen Miss Lisa. Besides Mr. Allen, there are two very strange men—one tall and thin, wearing a black suit, looking quite refined…”
“Scott? No, it’s Ulrich!” Lavia exclaimed in surprise. “How did he come too?—And who else?”
“There’s also someone around Mr. Allen’s age, wearing a black-red uniform, looking very quiet. Um, his eyes are special—one dark golden, one silver…”
“Enough,” Lavia waved her hand at the maid and said irritably, “Bring them in!—Allen, really, you didn’t even bring Lisa when you came to see me! I haven’t seen him in ages…”
“Yes, young lady!” The maid rushed out of the room.
Before long, Lavia saw Allen’s annoying face again…
“Hey!” Standing by the door, Allen in full armor greeted Lavia with a smile.
“Ugh!” Lavia couldn’t help but roll her eyes and said irritably, “You’re supposed to be the commander of the knight order, right? Why do you seem so idle all the time? Look at Scott—he’s already preparing to take over his father’s position. You really… I wonder what Lisa thinks… By the way, why didn’t you bring Lisa this time?”
“Hey, hey, I’m not here for fun this time,” Allen laughed and shrugged. “Let’s get to the point. I’m here in Altak because of my old man’s matter, aiming to unite us against Argus. What do you think?”

“Pfft!” Lavia couldn’t help but laugh and said irritably, “So what? It’s not up to me to decide—go discuss it with my grandfather yourself!”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s why I’m just giving you a heads up first…”
“Enough,” Lavia said with a smile as she glanced at Ulrich behind Allen. “Long time no see, Ulrich!”
“Oh, long time no see, Miss Lavia!” The vampire bowed in a proper noble gesture.
“I’m not going to be happy with that excuse of yours,” Lavia joked lightly before looking at Allen curiously. “Just you and Ulrich? Weren’t there supposed to be two more?”
“Yeah…” Allen smiled slyly, leaning against the wall as he knocked on the door impatiently. “Hey, buddy, come out! This isn’t like you at all!”
Under Lavia’s puzzled gaze, a figure stepped in from outside the door. Looking at Lavia, they murmured softly, “Long time no see, Avi!”
“Thud!” Seeing the person who appeared, Lavia’s hand relaxed, and the clown mask in her hand fell to the ground. She covered her mouth slightly and whispered in disbelief, “Sos… Sos?”
“Oh!” Looking at Lavia, Sos tried to keep his voice as calm as possible and said with a smile, “It’s me!”
“…” Lavia opened her mouth slightly, unconsciously taking a few steps forward before suddenly stopping, as if remembering something. The brief surprise and joy on her face were replaced by uncontrollable anger as she snapped, “You bastard! You still dare to come back?!”
“Huh?” This stark difference from Dia left Sos somewhat stunned. Seeing Lavia’s furious expression, he felt extremely awkward. His gaze wandered around before he accidentally spotted the clown mask on the ground and asked in surprise, “Hm? Isn’t this mine?”
“What’s yours is mine!” Lavia said angrily.
Although he still felt a bit awkward and uneasy when he first saw Lavia, hearing that familiar tone gradually dispelled that awkwardness. Pointing at the clown mask on the ground, he said, “That can’t be right. This is definitely mine. When did you take it from me?”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
“I’m talking nonsense? What are you joking about? This is the mask I used at the dance in the academy. How could I mistake it?—I found it on the path in the garden!”
“Hmph! If I hadn’t lost it, how would you have found it?!”

“…” Looking at Lavia, who kept snorting coldly, Thos was somewhat stunned. He pointed at the clown mask, then at Lavia, and said in surprise, “You… were really there at that time?”
“I…” As if remembering something, Lavia’s cheeks turned red instantly. She bent down to pick up the clown mask, keeping her head down as if too afraid to meet Thos’s gaze.
“Wow!” Allen, leaning against the wall, whistled mockingly and said with a smile, “Though I’ve seen this kind of scene before, you guys didn’t have to go straight for it, right?” With that, he gave Ulric and the two puppet masters a wink and said playfully, “It seems like they still have some arguments left. Come on, let’s find a place to rest first, Quinn!”
“Don’t call me by my name, you rude guy!” Queen Puppet Quinn glared at Allen irritably, then hesitantly looked at Lavia. Seeing her head bowed and silent, she sighed inwardly. As she passed by Thos, she glared at him fiercely before dragging the bewildered Soldier Puppet Soges out of the room with a cold snort.
“Well then, I won’t disturb you two,” Allen said, shrugging as he closed the door. Before leaving, he added mischievously, “By the way, buddy, that mask really was Avi’s. Avi and Lisa chose it together back then. I can testify!” Clearly, he had ulterior motives.
Thanks to him, the atmosphere in the room instantly became very strange.
After a long silence, Thos felt he couldn’t endure it any longer, so he coughed and spoke up first, “Um, that… I didn’t expect it to really be yours… Ha, haha… I’m sorry!”
Unfortunately, it seemed Lavia had no intention of responding. After sighing, she said softly, “I… I feel like I shouldn’t be talking about this, but…” With that, she raised her head, giving him a determined look, and said, “It’s great to see you again, Thos!”
“I…” Looking at the strange expression in Lavia’s eyes, Thos felt his confidence waver. He said dryly, “I’m glad too, Avi!”
“Giggle, let’s find a place to sit!… Want some water?”
“Uh, no thanks…” Thos turned around to look for a place to sit, but unfortunately, Lavia’s room didn’t seem to have any chairs or sofas. The only seat seemed to be a bed…
After thinking for a moment, Thos sat down along the edge of the bed.

And Ravia, who had said those polite words, seemed to sense something was amiss as well. She turned away, poured a glass of water for Thos, handed it to him, then leaned against the wall in front of him with her arms crossed, smiling and saying, “How was Salonia? Was it fun? Were there many young, beautiful, and gentle girls there?”
“What a joke! That’s impossible!” Thos laughed awkwardly.
“Then why? Why haven’t you come back even once in three years?”
“Well… there are many reasons. It’s hard to explain in just a moment…”
“It doesn’t matter!” Ravia said, leaning against the wall and looking at Thos with interest. “I have plenty of time!”
“Ugh! You’re still being pushy as always…”
“Weren’t you once saying you wouldn’t hide anything from me?”
“…Okay!”
With no other choice, Thos briefly recounted the general situation over those three years to Ravia. Her expression improved slightly when she heard that Thos had stayed in Salonia only to learn how to suppress Sloth’s dark power and master a divine spell called Angel’s Descent.
“I see… Sloth… is that the name of that dark power inside you? When you release that dark power, demon tattoos appear on your body? Just like Agus’s?”
“That’s unique to apostles and one of the signs of bodily demonization,” Thos said, raising his right hand. “The more severe the erosion, the larger the tattoos, until they cover the entire body. Do you want to see?”
“I’m not interested in that kind of thing,” Ravia snorted coldly, sighing slightly before saying in a strange tone, “Is it really impossible to completely suppress that dark power?”
“I can’t,” Thos sighed lightly before smiling and saying, “Even with three holy marks, I can only temporarily suppress Sloth’s power, and that only if I don’t use magic. The magic power inside me is already inseparable from Sloth’s power. Unless I never use magic, I’ll still be eroded, though of course, much more slowly than before…”
“So, the faster you use your power, the faster that dark power erodes your body?”
“Oh, that’s right. But it usually doesn’t happen unless I fully unleash my power…”
“Fully unleash your power? What will be the consequences?”

“Heh, who knows? Maybe it’ll be like that guy Argus. I guess it’s the same for all Apostles—from the moment they become Apostles, they’re no longer free. It’s hard to say when they’ll be consumed by the power of the Ancient Will, and even their souls won’t be freed after death. Perhaps that’s the so-called price… the price of possessing such power beyond human limits!”
He glanced silently at Thos, then at Lavia, who was pretending to be casual, and shook his head, speaking in an unnaturally serious tone, “Anyway, you must not become someone like Argus. If the fate of an Apostle is to be devoured by darkness, I don’t want you to become a emotionless puppet. I’d rather kill you myself before that happens!”
“Huh?” Seeing Lavia’s extremely serious expression, Thos didn’t think it was just a joke.
“Just kidding! I can’t beat you anyway!” Seeing Thos’s shocked face, Lavia burst into laughter. Then, she looked at Thos earnestly and said, “I don’t care about Apostles or the Ancient Will. Anyway, you must not be defeated by those guys. I believe you can do it, Thos!”
“Heh, but I’ve already lost once, at Argus’s hands!”
“Just win it back! —Aren’t you still alive? As long as you’re alive, it’s not a real loss. You can still win it back. A person only gets one chance to lose, and that’s when they die!”
“Hehe, that’s quite an interesting way of putting it,” Thos said with a smile, shaking his head helplessly. “Does ‘the last loss’ refer to time?”
“Yes,” Lavia nodded as if it were obvious, recalling, “People can’t escape the constraints of time. Just like my grandfather—when he was young, he was a revered warrior, but even then, he couldn’t withstand the passage of time. So, one invincible enemy is enough, don’t you think, Thos?”
“Hehe,” Thos smiled slightly before nodding and saying, “Argus… I won’t lose again!”
“Mm, I believe you can do it!” As she spoke, Lavia seemed a bit tired from standing, shifted her shoulders, and sat down next to Thos. Glancing at Thos, who felt somewhat awkward, she stroked the clown mask in her hands and said, “You know, that was the first time I wore a formal outfit…”
“…” Thos certainly understood what Lavia meant. Hesitantly, he said, “Um… won’t you feel uncomfortable?”

“Of course!” Ravia said irritably, “Lerilla’s dress was too tight, and the high heels weren’t suitable either—I almost sprained my ankle. Um… does it look good?”
Glancing secretly at Ravia, who had her head lowered, Thos said awkwardly, “It was surprising… At that time, I guessed a little, but I couldn’t believe it was you…”
“Is there a big difference?” Ravia raised her head and looked at Thos with a sly gaze.
“Of course there is!”
“Giggle! I only wore it once… so far…” Saying this, Ravia raised her head and waved the clown mask in front of Thos, teasingly saying, “Two years ago, when I went to Vandel, I saw it in Dia’s room. It must have been found in your bag, right? She doesn’t know anything at all. She thought I just found the clown mask interesting, so she gave it to me. Well, do you want it back?”
“…Uh, it’s yours originally, right? That’s not right, is it?” Thos said, somewhat embarrassed.
“Of course not!” Ravia snorted lightly. Ignoring Thos’s astonished expression, she continued, “You just found it, but it originally belonged to me. There’s no reason to give it to her, right?”
“Her?”
“Yes!” Glaring fiercely at Thos, Ravia said unhappily, “You gave something that belongs to me to Dia. Don’t you think that’s too much?”
“I didn’t give it to Dia either. It was just in my bag. I went to find Professor Hode at that time, so it must have been Dia and Abel who brought my bag to Vandel…”
Snorting lightly, Ravia looked at Thos and said, “Then fine. Give it back to me!”
Looking at the clown mask in her hand, Thos felt somewhat stunned. Nodding, he said, “Okay… fine!”
“You seem reluctant?”
“No, it’s yours originally anyway…”
“Good to know! —But since you found it, how about this as a trade? Here, take this!” Saying this, Ravia took the necklace hanging around her neck and handed it to Thos.
“This… this is…” Feeling the slight warmth from the necklace, Thos felt a bit embarrassed. But what worried him even more was that it was a wolf tooth necklace, just like Allen’s.
“I got it two years ago. Don’t you want it?”

“It’s not a matter of whether or not, right? Isn’t this something the Altak people use for their coming-of-age ceremony?” Sos remembered clearly—just because of a necklace of wolf teeth, the attitude of that tavern in Tav City toward Allen and Prince Theo was completely different.
“Yes, you don’t have one yet, do you? Every Altak man has such a necklace of wolf teeth. Without it, you’ll be looked down upon in Altak. I don’t want that!”
“Avi…” Sos looked at Ravia awkwardly and said in a low voice, “But wasn’t this exactly what you wanted before? Besides, I’ve never attended any coming-of-age ceremony…”
“So what? No one knows your strength better than I do. Three years ago, you could have passed the trials of the coming-of-age ceremony unharmed. No one would doubt you. If anyone dared doubt you, you could just show a little of your strength to make them convinced, right?” As she spoke, seeing Sos still holding the necklace with an awkward look, she snatched it away irritably, stood up, and put it around Sos’s neck.
Feeling the girl’s breath so close, Sos couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. To be honest, aside from her personality, Ravia was even more feminine than Dia—whether it was her figure or her face. The only flaw was her eyes. But three years later, those eyes, like those of fire elementals, seemed to carry a hint of charm.
If Dia’s charm was like calm water, making everyone want to get close, then Ravia’s charm was suffocating—making one unable to resist getting closer despite knowing the danger, just like a moth flying into a flame.
“Hmm… it looks pretty good!” Taking a few steps back, Ravia studied Sos carefully for a while before giggling and nodding in satisfaction. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, ignoring Sos’s astonished expression, she sat on the bed with her legs crossed and asked curiously, “By the way, how did you end up here with Allen? I had no idea it was you just now. What’s the matter?”
Sos tried his best to ignore Ravia’s long, fair legs and said helplessly, “Well, Sister Aibel plans to hold an alliance meeting in Vandel in half a month, aimed at dealing with Argus. So she sent us here to see Altak’s stance. As for Allen, he probably wants to win you over as much as possible…”

“Giggle, it’s obvious what he’s planning. Not only Allen, but Scott and Galick also intend to win over Altak…” As she spoke, Ravia let out a soft sigh and murmured, “Actually, they’re in a difficult position too. Grandfather mentioned this to me as well. What really needs to be considered isn’t how to deal with Argus, but what to do after that…”
“The struggle between nobles and merchants?” Thos shook his head and then looked at Ravia curiously, “Which side do you plan to take then?”
“Heh,” Ravia chuckled playfully, “Are you worried about Allen and Scott? Do you want me to take their side?”
“I…”
Seeing Thos’s awkward expression, Ravia giggled and waved her hand, “Let me make it clear right away—my stance doesn’t represent Altak’s!”
“Huh?”
“Don’t understand?” With a deep sigh, Ravia spoke in a somewhat disheartened tone, “I’m just a woman; I can’t influence Altak’s decision. Whether you want to help Allen or Scott, or ally with Vandel to deal with Argus, I can only help you in my personal capacity…”
“What do you mean…”
“Grandfather once said he wasn’t very willing to get involved in this. After all, though Sassen is under Argus’s control, he still belongs to the royal family in name. So, if we join forces and send troops, Altak will surely accuse us of rebellion…” She looked up at Thos, her eyes flickering slightly, and whispered, “Unless you convince my grandfather, Altak probably won’t be on the allied forces’ list…”
“Is that so? Then how can we convince your grandfather? Any suggestions?”
Ravia bit her lip and stared at Thos for a long time, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, she just sighed and said, “Well, you should discuss this with Allen and the others. I’m sorry I can’t help you, but I promise I’ll help you in my personal capacity, no matter what!”
“Uh… okay!”
After saying goodbye to Ravia, Thos felt she was hiding something. It wasn’t until evening, when Allen invited Scott, and the three of them chatted in an inn in the city, that Thos understood why.
“Heir?”
“Ah,” Scott pushed his glasses up and replied frankly after glancing at Allen, who was sneering, “You’ve met Prince Theo too. The reason I came to Altak with him this time is because of Ravia… If everything goes well, Prince Theo will gain Altak’s support!”

“Marriage? What a vile deal among the nobles!” Allen sneered with a mocking expression.
“That’s right, exactly!” Scott lowered his head slightly, fiddling with his glasses awkwardly before looking up at Thors with a hint of apology. “I’m sorry, Thors. Though I’m well aware of your relationship with Ravia, I had to do this for Ghalik’s sake!” He paused, hesitating, then added, “But as a friend’s advice, if you decide to do something, don’t let yourself regret it…”
“Hey, is that really what you’d say?” Allen teased, smiling mockingly at Scott. “If Thors joins, your so-called prince won’t have even the slightest chance!”
“Oh, so this is just as a friend’s advice. If I were Count O’Gill, I’d definitely stop you!”
“Heh!” Allen grinned oddly before turning to the silent Thors. “Hey, buddy, say something! What are you thinking? You can’t just stand by and watch Ravia marry that prince, can you?”
“It’s Prince Theo!” Scott interrupted helplessly.
“Yes, yes, Theo, right? Do you really want that?” Allen asked, studying Thors.
After a long silence, Thors whispered, “Aivi can’t possibly lose, right?”
“That’s not certain! Yes, Ravia is strong, but don’t forget—she’s a mage. Unlike you, a monster, she’s a pure mage. Once she’s brought close, she’s already lost. And that prince is said to be a knight, very strong physically. As his identity demands, he’ll surely wear armor with high magic resistance. Besides, women are naturally weaker in strength. Once their strength runs out, they’re lost, no matter how much magic they have!”
“I heard the armor of the Royal Knights is made from precious metals like obsidian and sterling silver. Without someone as strong as Thors, it’s practically impossible to break it!” Scott added, pretending not to know anything.
“Aivi will lose?” Thors asked, frowning.

“Yes!—Definitely!” Allen slapped the table and said with a teasing smile, “Just because we weren’t unlucky this time doesn’t mean we’ll win next time, buddy! Whether it’s marrying that prince or someone else, it’s the same for Ravia, right? The same for you too, right? So the only solution is to end this boring situation!”
“How do we end it?” Thos instinctively looked up, only to realize his question was foolish.
“Good question!” Allen grinned, winked, and said cheerfully, “How do you think we end it?—A woman with a husband, of course, doesn’t deserve proposals from others!”
“…” Thos glared at him irritably.
“You care about Senior Dia’s reaction, don’t you, buddy?” Allen chuckled, then lowered his voice, “Anyway, think it over carefully. Ravia is a woman, and in Altak, it’s very rare for a woman to stay single until sixteen… I heard her grandfather also supports it, so after two years, it’s time to wrap this up. Anyway, think it over!—Actually, you like Ravia too, right?”
“…” Thos instinctively looked up, staring at Allen in surprise.
“Isn’t that right? Back at the academy, I never saw you arguing with other girls!”
“…”
So, did he really like Avi? Thos murmured to himself.
He tried to recall as much as he could. Indeed, Allen was right. Aside from Ravia, he had never argued with any other girl. In fact, he never even did such things…
Was it just Ravia who interested him?
That girl who clearly had the beautiful appearance everyone else desired, yet always dreamed of being a boy…
That girl who seemed fierce and strong but was actually softer-hearted than anyone else…
That girl who never accepted protection from behind but faced dangers alongside the boy in front of her…
That girl who never showed any signs of weakness in front of others but cried alone in secluded corners…
Did he really like her?
No… He liked gentle women, didn’t he?
She was…
But…
Ah, her gentleness was different from anyone else’s…

Watching Thors lost in thought, Scott sighed softly, stood up, and said, “I should go! I came to see you all secretly from that lord—it’s not good to delay too long!” He glanced at Thors, pushed his glasses up, and said in a casual tone, “Sometimes you need to learn from Allen, Thors. You don’t know this, but he often flirts with pretty women he meets on the street behind Lisa’s back and invites them for tea… Sometimes Lisa gets very angry, and then he keeps trying to appease her with deceitful tactics…”
“Hey, hey, what do you mean by deceitful tactics?” Allen interrupted irritably.
“Aren’t they? How many times have you promised not to have afternoon tea with pretty women you meet on the street anymore?”
“I… I’m trying to change now!” Allen said awkwardly.
“Hmph, keep delaying then!” Scott said, pushing his glasses up at Thors with a hint of amusement. “Thors, sometimes being too honest with the girls you like isn’t a good thing. Sometimes, you need to learn from Allen… They do understand. Of course, malicious deception is extremely rude! Anyway, I think it’s best if you go and ask Ravia personally about her feelings. Sometimes, promises are necessary, even if you can’t keep them in the end… But if you say nothing at all, nothing can be fixed! Of course, from Ghalik’s perspective, I really don’t want an opponent like you! Well, I should go!”
“Go ahead!” Allen rolled his eyes and said irritably.
Promises that can’t be kept…
Feeling the wolf tooth necklace hanging around his neck, Thors couldn’t help but frown.
Meanwhile, in Ravia’s room in the lord’s castle…
Looking at Ravia lying on the bed, the Queen Puppet Queenyn said worriedly, “Master, what do you plan to do? Continuing to delay like this isn’t a solution…”
Ravia stroked the clown mask and murmured, “There’s no need to delay any longer…”
“Huh?”
“He hasn’t shown any interest… I’ve hinted at it many times, but he hasn’t shown any interest, so there’s no need to delay any longer…”
“You mean that little brat named Thors?” the Queen Puppet Queenyn snorted. “I don’t see anything good about that jerk!”
“You!” Ravia sighed irritably at her puppet. “Yes, what’s good about him anyway…”
“M-Master? Are you crying?”
“No…”
“But… but… Yes, I’m not!”

Just then, a strange knocking sound came from the window of the room. Ravia instinctively looked up and saw someone outside, struggling to support their body with both hands.
“So… how did you end up here?” Without even time to wipe away the tears in her eyes, Ravia quickly opened the window and asked in surprise.
The boy outside was propped up on the windowsill, using his hands to support himself, and spoke in a serious tone.
“Are… are you planning to get married?”
In that moment, Ravia felt a suffocating sense of tension surge within her, her chest heaving as her breathing became rapid.
“I…”