Chapter 126: Slave

(I’ll plan it out later, but you have to accept the engagement first,) Richard replied after a moment of thought.

(I trust you, boy. But don’t take too long.)

(Yes... But can you make the King leave the capital? Or better yet, go to the Eight-Star Province.)

(That’s easy...)

After saying that, Lilith turned her gaze toward the King—her own father.

Her expression showed that she already had an answer, which made both the King and Queen curious.

Before responding, she nodded slightly.

"I accept it. You may officially announce the engagement, but there’s no need for a troublesome ceremony—just make it public," Lilith said calmly.

When those words left her lips, everyone in the hall froze in disbelief.

’I should probably leave now,’ Richard thought, stepping away while pulling Sister Lisa along, confident that no one would try to stop him.

He knew this would cause quite a stir, and the news would spread like wildfire.

Though his goal was to hurt Charles’s pride, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be the only one feeling heartbroken—almost every man in the capital would.

Naturally, Richard returned straight to his inn, not even giving Sister Lisa a chance to say a word.

Once in his room, he wrote a letter to the Fire Spirit Queen, informing her of her task and describing the King’s appearance in detail.

To ensure the letter reached her quickly, he ordered Athena to deliver it, along with the Slave Seal that had already been fused with his blood.

Later, he would transfer ownership of the Slave Seal to Lilith.

At full speed, Athena could reach the Purple Rose Village in a few hours—perhaps even less—since Richard didn’t know her exact speed. But he trusted that very few beings could ever catch her, given that she was a Tier 37 Primordial Beast specializing in speed and carrying the Royal Bloodline.

Just after Athena departed, Lilith entered his room through the window.

"Boy, what’s the plan?" Lilith asked directly.

"Don’t worry. Once the King reaches the Eight-Star Province, he’ll be captured, and the Slave Seal will be implanted in his body," Richard replied casually.

"So, has the King already gone to the Eight-Star Province?" Richard asked next.

"He’s gone," Lilith answered.

"That fast!" Richard was stunned.

He couldn’t help but wonder how Lilith had tricked the King so quickly.

But what concerned him now was whether the King might arrive there earlier than expected.

Even though Athena’s speed was extraordinary, Richard knew the King was still faster due to his far higher level.

However, he assumed the King wouldn’t return immediately upon arrival.

Time passed, and far away in Purple Rose Village, everything remained calm.

In the forest behind the village, Aldric’s wooden cabin had become quite grand despite being built from simple materials.

Aldric himself was often away, and no one knew where he’d gone this time.

The Fire Spirit Queen, however, had been ordered to remain there—though her beautiful face constantly displayed an expression of irritation, as if holding a grudge against the entire world.

She wasn’t dead, but awakening as a slave and then a complete one had left deep scars on her pride.

She often wished the world would just collapse, killing everyone along with her.

"Hmm..." While lost in thought on the balcony, she was startled by the sudden arrival of a winged horse.

The Fire Spirit Queen instantly recognized it as Richard’s steed.

Its evolution hadn’t changed its aura enough to escape her recognition.

She frowned slightly, wondering what business the creature had.

The horse landed before her and placed Richard’s letter at her feet.

Naturally, the Fire Spirit Queen read it.

"What is this nonsense? Does he plan to throw the kingdom into chaos by enslaving its King?" she muttered after finishing the letter, quickly understanding the entire situation.

Annoyed though she was by being given orders, she immediately took to the sky, carrying Athena with her, rising high above the clouds.

Athena then handed her the Slave Seal.

The Fire Spirit Queen accepted it without even looking at it—just seeing the artifact stirred her trauma.

Her gaze turned toward the vast land below. With a single glance, she could see not one, but several provinces at once. The darkness of the night did not limit her gaze at all.

She was simply that powerful—a being whose presence alone could cause disasters.

If she wished, her gaze alone could make the land tremble endlessly.

She observed quietly, waiting. The King, it seemed, wasn’t traveling too fast, allowing Athena to arrive ahead of him.

And she didn’t have to wait long.

Soon, she spotted a blond-haired man in a red cloak flying in the distance—perfectly matching Richard’s description.

"Hmph!" she snorted coldly, looking at the King as though he were an insect. She felt humiliated to have to lower herself to deal with such a being—but she had no choice.

Whoosh!

She took a single step.

To her, there was no need for spells—only sheer physical power.

In that one step, she appeared behind the King, and her mere gaze shook his body to the core, rendering him completely powerless.

In the next instant, the King lost consciousness.

Every function in his body was shut down by her overwhelming presence alone.

Calmly, she placed the Slave Seal upon his neck.

"Take him to your master," the Fire Spirit Queen commanded coldly, tossing the unconscious King onto Athena’s back and covering him with a thick black cloth.

With the King’s aura suppressed and his energy seemingly extinguished, no one would ever suspect that the figure on the horse was the ruler of the Holy Star Kingdom.

Whoosh!

Athena departed swiftly.

As a Beast, she felt immense pressure merely being near the Fire Spirit Queen.

The latter frowned slightly before flying back toward Aldric’s cabin.

And with that, everything was completed easily.

Before absolute power, all things were meaningless.

Richard and Lilith, of course, knew nothing of what had happened.

They remained waiting in silence.

Richard believed the results would come soon, and so he frequently glanced toward the window.

Lilith, on the other hand, often looked at him with a blank expression, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

After some time, Richard was startled when he saw Athena returning at high speed—with a figure covered in black cloth on her back.

Lilith was a little late to react, but she too was visibly shocked.

Athena flew straight through the window and lowered the figure she carried.

When the black cloth fell away, the truth was revealed.

"It actually worked," Lilith said in disbelief.