A crow silently observed how everything unfolded from a nearby tree, its eyes fixated on the charred body of James, then scanned the rest of the garden. Melora could be seen getting cleaned by the maids as guards entered and started to carry away the mutited bodies. It was then something caught its eye as it turned to its right; a fairy was standing, staring back. In a panic, it stepped backwards. The fairy could be seen pointing to something down the garden. The crow turned and was met with the cold stare of Melora, who threw a sword with great precision, cutting its head off.

  Suddenly, a figure wearing a cloak jerked awake while letting out a small grunt. He held his head as a massive headache pierced him. Another figure quickly approached and tried to help.

  “Were you able to confirm the strong presence?”

  “It might be a dragon; it seems to be hiding its presence.”

  The figure cursed as he picked up a magic crystal ball and pced it in front of him. He muttered a magical spell as it started to glow. The face of Landon came into focus.

  “Why are you contacting me? Isn’t the crown prince your first point of contact?”

  “Your Highness, the crown prince was killed, together with his knights and the shadow squad.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. I witnessed the Grand Duchess burn him alive.”

  Landon closed his eyes as his face contorted with slight anger. “There is more.”

  “Just spit it out already.”

  “There might be a dragon in this forest.” Landon’s anger seemingly disappeared as he moved closer.

  “A dragon?”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “Can you take care of the dragon and the Grand Duchess?”

  “I will need some of the chimera and more dark magicians. We already located the body of the fallen dragon, but that won’t be enough.”

  “Alecto, you have my permission. Do what you must. Make sure Credoa is nothing more than rubble.”

  Landon’s face disappeared as the crystal ball slowly lost its glow. An eerie smile appeared on his face as he slowly got up. With this, he would be able to fully enact his pns and use Credoa as the foundation for his undead empire. After years of being under the incompetent empire, he used them to further his experiments. He not only found a way to raise the dead but also create chimeras who were two times stronger and more durable than a sword master. Thanks to the orc and troll body parts, they were also able to heal. He called his assistants and began preparations.

  Meanwhile, back in the castle, Melora adorned her jet-bck armor and purple cape. She sat at the center of the table with Arthur on the right.

  “Did you recall all my commanders and generals?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. They were spread out, each with their specific duties, but they should arrive in time.”

  “Were you able to reach Stefan with the message?”

  “Yes, we alerted him. Luckily, he had already passed the st checkpoint; he should still arrive safely if he goes around the usual routes.”

  “Are the main knight squads ready?”

  “Yes, and the guards are on high alert.”

  “I don’t know what that was, but there are more of them lurking around in the shadows.” A fairy appeared from the nearby vine and flew towards Melora.

  “I flew around the entire castle and could not sense that ominous energy anywhere. I am very worried about that; I will try something else.” A white light surrounded the fairy’s body as it slowly became rger. After a short time, the fairy was now the size of a human; she had jet-bck eyes, and her wings were no longer present. She had green skin, and her hair was made of vines. She had a very voluptuous body, enough to make any woman jealous and any man swoon for her. Arthur quickly covered her with her coat and helped her off the table. She tried to thank him, but all he could hear was squeaking.

  “Is that your real body?”

  “Yes, it is. We just prefer our smaller bodies since it is easier to traverse the trees and hide from predators. I will now begin the ceremony.”

  Green light shrouded her body as the fairy concentrated for a long time. Time slowly passed as Melora and Arthur waited. Night came, and the ceremony was still ongoing. Melora reluctantly went to rest as Arthur continued to wait. He found the green mana comforting in an odd way but did not want to admit that. After her training routine, she donned her armor once more and entered the hall. This time, several people were present, but the fairy still remained. She just stood there as if she was asleep, but it seemed the maids were able to dress her. The generals and commanders got up from their seats and bowed towards Melora, who dismissed them and took the center seat.

  “We are officially breaking off from the empire and becoming the kingdom of Credoa.” Silence engulfed the room as they all fell into deep thought. One of the generals raised their hand, then started to speak.

  “I apologize, but things have been moving very fast; I am yet to fully understand some things.”

  “I am more than happy to answer your questions, Louie.”

  “I was briefed by Arthur, but how exactly did you survive?”

  “I was saved by a demon called Adeline, then she agreed to escort me to the port city of Joma. On the way, we met the elves who gifted me a branch of the world tree. I reapplied and set off with one of the mercenaries who was capturing elves.” Louie paid close attention but still gazed at the fairy who was surrounded by green mana. It was such an odd thing to see, especially in such a critical moment.

  “If I may ask, why did you accept the world tree?”

  “My core was destroyed, and this healed me.”

  “Were there any side effects?”

  “That is enough, Louie.” Arthur instantly shot down the question, but Melora simply removed her neckce as her body changed rapidly. Her ears elongated as a pair of fangs appeared, her skin turned pale, and her eyes became a deeper brown, almost turning bck. She had become more beautiful and alluring, but the seasoned sword masters could sense a very eerie and off-putting feeling. In Louie’s mind, she was the wolf in shepherd’s clothing, leading the sheep to the sughterhouse.

  “The dragon told me I became a human-angel hybrid.”

  “Your Highness, what does that even mean?”

  “I am part demon.” The room became silent once more as some of the generals and commoners stared at each other, but no one dared to murmur under the vigint gaze of Arthur.

  “I also met the god of war and my ancestors. He told me I had ascended. After passing my trial, I received this sword and the power of the first Stormville.” What they were hearing was nothing short of a child’s imagination, but once Melora unsheathed her silver longsword, all doubt was removed. It had a very distinctive ring to it, and they could sense it was not a normal sword. Arthur nodded as if confirming that.

  “No one can wield that sword but her. I and some other knights have tried, but as soon as you hold it, a sharp pain pierces your entire body, then you automatically let go.” Arthur had no reason to lie; Melora further cemented her authority among the generals and commanders. Their worries were unfounded.

  “I do not wish to hide this from you; it is important I be truthful. I am still young and will depend on your counsel to make key decisions regarding Credoa. One of them being aligning with the forest.”

  “Wasn’t there a kingdom that was recently created by the creatures? I heard whispers among the local guilds but was never able to confirm it.” One of the commanders spoke; he looked lean and, for ck of a better word, moody. His name was Constantine, and his specialty was intelligence. He was one of the few people in the military who achieved a position without being a sword master.

  “Yes, Arbegon, and their queen is Adeline.”

  “The same Adeline who took down the iron wall? Then it was true. Your Highness, did you know of this?”

  “I was part of the conversation, and I did make a few suggestions. I just didn’t realize they would accomplish this in such a short time.”

  “I will need to update my intelligence appropriately. I do know there is a lot of movement in the surrounding kingdoms.”

  “They must be preparing for the inevitable war.”

  “What I am interested to know is how the war and separation with the empire started.”

  “The crown prince and delegates came asking for military support. That devolved into him asking me for my hand in marriage as a way to solidify our alliance.” One of the commanders spat out in disgust but was quickly reprimanded by the female general sitting next to him.

  “Please tell me you turned him down peacefully.” An older-looking general with white streaks of hair spoke; he was the eldest and respected. He was called Of the Wise.

  “I burned him alive and killed them all.” Of gave Arthur a stern look, which he met head-on. The rest of the group simply shook their heads and sighed; killing a member of the royal family was a sure way to start conflict. Constantine, on the other hand, had a pleased smile; it was his time to show the Grand Duchess his exceptional abilities and get a promotion. It was then the fairy jolted and opened her eyes.

  “The dead are rising.”