The Arion Kingdom, a member of the Eastern Union.
This country, bordered by the Elven Forest to the west and a vast ocean to the southeast, was once renowned as the premier trading nation of the east due to its thriving maritime industry.
However, it had been a long time since those days of glory.
“His Majesty… again today…?”
Inside the Royal Palace of the Arion Kingdom, a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard asked cautiously.
“…Yes.”
“Tch…”
The head butler nodded heavily, causing the official in charge of Arion’s trade to sigh.
The man had come to the castle for his regular report, but the king refused to meet him. In fact, the king had cut off all meetings with officials, neglecting the affairs of state entirely.
The man’s grave expression prompted a bow from the butler.
“I apologize.”
“How could this be your fault?”
The man shook his head. Though the butler used to wield influence enough to advise the king, this current butler was newly appointed—essentially a figurehead. The long-standing family of butlers that had served generations of kings had been exiled by royal decree, likely spared total annihilation only because the ministers hadn’t dared protest too strongly.
The king had dismissed his trusted butler simply because he’d offended him.
Since then, no one dared offer advice to the king, fearing a similar fate.
“…I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Dare I say… it’s futile.”
“Still, what choice do I have? It’s my duty.”
With a wry smile, the man turned away.
Thud… thud…
His weary footsteps echoed through the hallway.
“How could His Majesty, once so wise, change so much? …It must be because of that woman.”
Months ago, the queen passed away from illness, and King Arion IV remarried a concubine as his new queen—a decision so out of character it shocked even those who knew him well.
Soon after, the king became infatuated with her, completely abandoning his duties.
“If this continues, the kingdom will surely falter. What can we do?”
Even the most capable talents among the ministers couldn’t fully compensate for the king’s absence—not with the Eastern Union conference fast approaching…
“Hmph…”
As the man stepped outside the palace, he recalled his recent conversation with the butler.
“That… is it really true…?”
“…Yes. When the commander of the royal guard tried to intervene, His Majesty took down the ceremonial sword hanging on the wall and struck him down…”
“Unthinkable! How could the king commit such an atrocity!”
“I apologize.”
When hearing about the king’s use of narcotics, the man couldn’t help but raise his voice in disbelief. And worse, the king had killed the commander of the royal guard…
Even heroes fall to ruin through drugs. Only the queen could smuggle narcotics into the tightly controlled palace. That the king personally executed the commander showed how far gone he truly was.
With a troubled heart, yet under a clear blue sky, the man muttered to himself.
“…Someone needs to make a decision.”
And so, driven solely by his love for the kingdom, he moved forward with determined steps.
***
Red incense sticks burned beneath the bed, filling the air with smoke.
This was the private chambers of the queen within the royal harem.
“How beautiful you are today…”
King Arion IV, reclining on the queen’s lap, murmured dreamily, holding a thick smoking pipe in his hand.
“Hehe, does the new tobacco I brought today please you?”
The queen, her pink hair cascading down to cover her upper body, gently caressed the king’s face with delicate fingers, her coquettish mannerisms making the king laugh foolishly.
“Ah… everything you give me pleases me. Even if you were to poison me, I would gladly accept it…”
“How could I ever poison Your Majesty? There are so many sweet things in this world to offer…”
Whispering seductively, the queen kissed the king’s forehead, which caused a noticeable reaction below his waist.
“Today, you’re as mighty as ever. Hehe.”
The queen, her crimson lips parted, giggled wickedly as she fondled the king’s arousal with tentative touches, eliciting a passionate sigh from the flushed king.
“Haa…”
“What would you like me to do? I won’t know unless you tell me.”
“Let’s continue from yesterday…”
“Hehe, today I’ll give you even more intense pleasure.”
Taking hold of the king’s member, the queen leaned down to take it into her mouth. The warm sensation sent the king into ecstasy.
“I… only need you. Nothing else matters…”
Intoxicated by the queen’s administrations, the king trembled as he clenched the smoking pipe between his teeth, the mind-numbing drug seeping into his once brilliant mind. Watching this, the queen’s eyes narrowed slyly.
“Ugh… Uuuh…”
The king convulsed with pleasure as he climaxed.
Glug…
Swallowing the king’s essence, the queen mounted his still erect member.
“Hehe, how long can you last today…?”
“Aah… Sara…!”
As the bed creaked, the queen’s lascivious gaze glowed yellow.
Her name was Sara. But there was another name no one knew: Libido Urtica, High Priestess of Lust.
“Not much… time left, huh?”
Lost in the pleasures provided by the High Priestess of Lust, the king remained oblivious to her faint smile.
***
“You came back quicker than expected.”
“Eh, just investigation stuff. No reason to drag it out.”
As soon as I returned to the capital, I headed straight to see the sage and collapsed onto the plush sofa in his office. The side trip to the southern branch of the magic tower had worn me out somewhat, despite the convenience of the Gate.
“So, how did it go?”
“It seems something’s happening with the Eastern Union.”
I explained the situation to the sage, omitting my encounter with the World Tree. Mentioning that would require revealing my origins from another world – something I wasn’t ready for yet.
After finishing my summary, the sage nodded seriously while reviewing some documents.
“I see. A spirit of demon energy… Come to think of it, the Eastern Union conference is coming up soon. We should start investigating there.”
“When is it?”
Hopefully not before the Olympia ends – I couldn’t miss the tournament events.
“About a month.”
“Can our empire even attend? Isn’t it just for Eastern Union members?”
“It seems they haven’t contacted us yet… But relations are still officially intact. They’d have to be insane not to invite us.”
“So can I tag along?”
“What’s gotten into you? You never usually volunteer for missions.”
“There’s a reason. Sneaking my name onto the escort list shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“That’s true… Fine, I’ll put in a word.”
The sage glanced up briefly before continuing to review his papers.
“Anything else?”
“Hm? Like what?”
“You seem different somehow.”
“…?”
Having known me for so long, the sage probably had a good reason for saying that. Had something changed since meeting the World Tree? Checking my condition revealed nothing unusual though.
“Not sure what you mean…”
“Never mind then. Must’ve been my imagination. You’re dismissed.”
“Yes sir. See you later.”
I left the office feeling somewhat uneasy. What exactly was he trying to say?
Outside, Black Wolf was waiting for me.
“I told you to head back to the hotel.”
“I said no.”
“Right. You’re so awesome.”
I chuckled as we started walking toward the hotel.
“By the way, how’s the Olympia going? Are we at the quarterfinals yet?”
Should’ve asked the sage while I had the chance, but fatigue must’ve made me forget.
“All contestants have advanced.”
“Good to hear.”
Though expected, it’s always reassuring when everything goes smoothly. Getting three out of four students to the semifinals would be quite the achievement.
“Something happened back then, didn’t it?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, I blinked in confusion.
“What are you talking about? Back when I met Akielda?”
“Something shifted. You seem more… composed now.”
“Guess so?”
Both the sage and Black Wolf thought I’d changed. This was starting to feel like an actual occurrence post-World Tree meeting, though if it was significant, wouldn’t it have been explained clearly?
“Just shared some information, that’s all.”
“If you say so.”
Black Wolf turned away, apparently losing interest in the topic. So we continued toward the hotel, me with lingering unease.
