Somewhere in the Centoria Continent

  Six birds that looked like black crows flew in the sky above the gradually setting sun, whose light, in the middle of some meadows, revealed several large shadows of the travelers moving in rows on the ground.

  The exact number was at least 30 individuals riding through these grasslands and bushes surrounded by a serious atmosphere. The vast majority of them were men who gave off a strong, powerful and dignified presence, with armor that covered their bodies almost completely.

  They were brave knights from a powerful Kingdom, sent there to carry out a mission for their great monarch.

  A man, around 30 years old, with skin slightly tanned from sun exposure, short brown hair, and blue eyes that were naturally sharp as a sword, carefully observed a scroll, making sure of every detail in his mind, and then looked at the person behind him, saying loudly stiffly, “Captain, we are approaching the first village on our route.”

  —That's what I'm afraid of, Lieutenant.

  The wry and somber voice of a woman with a long turquoise ponytail rang out, holding the reins of her horse tightly. Her pink eyes, slightly covered by her bangs, narrowed as she thought deeply about something.

  She was dressed in light metal armor designed to not hinder her movements, silver in color, which gently reflected the sunlight on her hair. Through its design, one could see that she had an attractive figure, agile and flexible, which seemed out of place among these piles of rough men in armor of the same color.

  But instead of contempt or anything remotely close to lust directed towards such an exceedingly beautiful woman, there was nothing but respect in the eyes of the men who looked at her. After all, the woman leading them was their powerful Captain, Grisella Arean; a proud knight in service to the Holy Queen of the Holy Unified Kingdom of Arcaden, which is the home nation of the most powerful Faith on the Continent.

  At that moment, however....that Grisella was worried because she was inwardly afraid of what she would see when they found the towns and villages that had lost all contact with since the supposed news of the appearance of a Wyrven Lord reached the center of the kingdom, where the capital is located.

  Suppressing the anxiety she felt about it, Grisella prayed to herself that her ?Destrier? could maintain a steady pace. She had to get there and see what was happening.

  Although the current speed shouldn’t tire out a Level 42 Episcapi Rank magical beast, and the ?Blessings? granted by his Grade 18 [Horsemanship] skill should give him a great deal of energy, he inevitably had to take into account that they were riding all the way from the capital. Slowly and surely, fatigue gradually built up and seeped into the body. Not to mention human Knights like Grisella, even a high-rank Destrier would be tired after the long journey, so he couldn’t afford to tire out the horse even more.

  —I hope nothing happened and that Lord Wyrven's story is just nonsense said by idiots who don't know the subject...- The lieutenant's words had an air of concern. Grisella shared the same thought.

  Her Majesty, the Holy Queen, who ordered the trip, begged Grisella to investigate the sightings of the Wyrven Lord and his army near the edge of the Holy Kingdom. If they really found something like that, it was their duty to fight with their lives on the line to ensure the elimination of that which threatens the citizens of their nation.

  Initially, since their objective was located just outside the main center of North Arcaden, sending several orders to the local lords to dispatch troops of soldiers from there would be faster. However, contact with the area had been lost in the first place, so why was there a need to go and establish contact with the lords to do such a thing?

  In that case, it would have been enough to send a crown herald… But, considering that most of the heteromorphs a Wyrven Lord leads are, of course, other Wyrvens, doing that was unreasonable if it turned out to be all true. After all, they were high-level beings within the Episcapi rank on average; they would simply be slaughtered en masse, especially if there was a large diversity of monsters with different dangerous abilities in their horde.

  In the Holy Unified Kingdom of Arcaden, the only ones who could compete with the Wyrvens without deploying their best but expensive armaments were the Knights under the command of the Kingdom's only female knight, Grisella Arean. Thus, the task of suppressing the invasions of the potential horde led by a Wyrven Lord and killing the latter fell on the shoulders of Grisella, who admitted to being upset and frustrated.

  Not because of the task itself, but because of the foolish reasons repeatedly given for not moving their nation's heavy weapons.

  Honestly, it would have been faster if the kingdom's air force could have mobilized the massive Custodius te Caelesties to protect the cities and towns without having to mobilize Grisella herself on the ground, and doing so would be enough to destroy the threat, if it were real.

  But even though there was such a simple method to resolve this situation once and for all, nothing had been done... no, it's just that nobody wanted to do anything, whether it was real or not.

  Grisella, knowing exactly why this was happening, felt restless and angry. She tried to calm herself down, but her hands tightened their grip on the reins of her Destrier again. Certainly, it was difficult to suppress the burning sensation that tormented her heart at the thought of those responsible for this.

  “Captain, it is simply inconceivable that the Royal Air Force did not send the Custodius te Caelesties to begin the search for the supposed Wyrven Lord when it is their duty. Not only that, why would they not send other corps of the Knight Order besides us? Or in any case, they could have hired adventurers as an option as well. They too would have been able to easily search and find the trail of the supposed horde. Why was none of that done?”

  Grisella sighed with a hint of helplessness in her expression, -...Stop, Lieutenant, if hordes led by a Wyrven Lord really appeared in the territories of our Holy Kingdom in broad daylight, the situation would be much worse for us.

  —Captain... there's no one near us. I hope you can tell me the truth without hesitation... - the Lieutenant said with his blue eyes shining with cold light, showing a mocking smile filled with deep contempt as he spoke in a tone in which he seemed to be able to spit at any moment of displeasure. —Is this because the nobles don't see the need to waste their precious money on worthless towns and villages... right?

  Grisella didn't answer as she closed her eyes and lowered her head. But they both knew that was the truth. Silence was all the answer he needed and the lieutenant grew angrier as he remembered those bastards.

  —Those damned central nobles dare to throw away the lives of their own people just because they are not part of the center instead of doing what they have to do as their duty! Not only that, since this territory is under the support of the Holy Queen, they can’t miss the chance to leave Her Holy Majesty at a loss!

  —Not all nobles operate this way, Grais; there are also good-hearted people among them, those who strive to improve their nation despite the hardships presented to them at the hands of the greedy and evil ones who plague the kingdom.

  As she said that almost in a whisper, Grisella was reminded of the beautiful and elegant lilac-haired woman, whose saintly heart and impressive intelligence brought hope to the people of Arcaden Kingdom for a better future. By now, she must have already gathered a huge amount of influence in that academic city that she could use for the benefit of her kingdom...

  Something she sincerely hoped for.

  —Perhaps the Captain is right, there are nobles who live for the sake of the people, and a perfect example is Princess Germinalia, His Majesty’s blessed daughter with overwhelming intelligence unmatched by anyone and infinite kindness. However, you know well that these nobles are very few and far between… If only we could centralize the power of the Crown like they do in the Yamato Empire, then we could oppose those damned greedy nobles, for the sake of our nation, don’t you think?

  The captain didn't deny it, but she did have something to say about what was obviously a burning desire for revolution on the part of her lieutenant against the nobles who oppress the defenseless. "But if we act rashly, Grais, it could lead to civil war and our country would once again be split in two like it was centuries ago... or even worse. Besides, that damned Duke Vortigern took over the kingdom of Camelot as regent when old King Uther fell ill, and in these times our kingdom fears the duke's ambitions to expand his kingdom's territories... A calamity such as a civil war would be a national problem that would lead us to ruin in such a situation!"

  -I know, but...

  -Let's leave this for now...

  Suddenly, Grisella began to lower her voice as she looked ahead with serious eyes. A large, ominous column of black smoke rose from behind several trees on a hill in front of them, a faint but unpleasant smell spreading through the air... and everyone knew what that meant.

  By no means...

  The captain of the Sixth Royal Knights Corps could do nothing but grit her teeth as her face distorted slightly. As she rode towards the small forest that marked the terrain, the scene that would greet her after everyone crossed the trees was, unfortunately, not what she expected.

  The entire city was burned and destroyed by what must have been a large horde of beasts. Its buildings were leveled to the ground, along with the defensive wall designed to protect against the heteromorphs. The negative energy in the air could be felt even by a normal person, and Grisella also sensed the residual aura of a powerful high-rank magical beast. One that was unmistakable, a high-level being in the ?Torrius? rank was here, and she, with her experience, could pinpoint which monster was responsible.

  So it was true....

  Realizing this, Grisella said in a firm voice, “...Everyone be prepared. We will have to act quickly.”

  The village was completely destroyed and the remains of the houses were unrecognizable, with a few wild magical beasts around that were quickly killed as soon as they crossed their path. Walking through the ruins, Grisella smelled the scent of burnt flesh mixed with the smell of blood from the many half-eaten corpses along the way.

  Grisella's face looked cold as a stone statue, as if she felt no emotional turbulence in the face of this tragedy. But if one looked closely, one could see her true gloomy disposition. Her lieutenant who walked beside her had the same expression.

  There were over a hundred thousand inhabitants in the village and only sixteen survived. In reality, each and every one of them had been killed without mercy. The monsters that walked the earth did so without distinguishing between women, children or even newborns, all the same, as always.

  —Lieutenant Grais, send some soldiers to escort the survivors back to the capital of San Lorenzo.

  —Wait a minute, doing something like that...

  —You're right, especially in these circumstances, we must protect them.

  In fact, San Lorenzo, as the capital of the Kingdom, is the domain of the Holy Queen and it is the responsibility of a monarch to protect her people. It would cause a lot of trouble for Her Holy Majesty if the survivors were abandoned here.

  One could imagine the aristocratic factions taking this opportunity to stir up trouble and weaken the influence of the Holy Queen whom they hated for being a female monarch. More importantly... Grisella wanted them to be saved.

  —Please reconsider this, Captain. All of these survivors have been eyewitnesses to the horde led by Lord Wyrven. Verifying the truth was the order His Majesty gave priority to... I think... we should take our men and retreat to San Lorenzo with the witnesses of the incident and some samples for them to send...

  -I won't do that. I'll save the remaining survivors and kill that monster and his minions along the way, along with those who caused this - Grisella said with cold eyes, causing the lieutenant to open his eyes as he panicked without understanding the last part of her sentence.

  -Captain Grisella! It should be abundantly clear that this is what the nobles want. If the horde is true, and it is, this would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of you, His Holy Majesty's most powerful vassal! If not at the hands of the heteromorphs... then at the hands of your subordinates hiding like rats, waiting for the chance to kill while you strive to save the people!

  What Lieutenant Grais said sounded like a baseless conspiracy. However, everyone present knew it was true. Grisella took a deep breath as she looked into his eyes and spoke slowly.

  -All this... was definitely the work of a Tamer in the service of the nobles.

  -A tamer!?

  -No way! And who can tame a Wyrven Lord of all things?

  The surprise of the Lieutenant and the rest who inevitably listened was understandable. After all, a "Tamer" was the name given to summoners who specialized in making contracts with magical beasts and the like after successfully taming them, being able to summon them whenever they wanted anywhere without having to constantly feed them maryoku to maintain their presence.

  They were the most efficient summoners, but also the rarest to find, as sorcerers who specialized in summoning generally preferred to summon beings from other planes of existence to gain mystical knowledge. Basically, they were the "weirdos among weirdos," as knights and adventurers liked to call them.

  It was also rare to find one that could tame a Wyrven Lord...but it was the only reasonable explanation, as there was a clear limit to the number of monsters they could tame, even those at that legendary and feared rank should not be exempt...

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Why would a tamer do this...? No, because she seems certain that this is the work of sorcerers?" Grais asked in confusion. I didn't understand how she came to that conclusion.

  Grisella quickly explained her reason with a somber voice that harbored intense anger.

  “Many heteromorphs are good at detecting humans through the ‘smell’ of our Aura, Lieutenant. Even if it seems like that, it’s actually obvious to me that these survivors didn’t escape the monsters’ attacks by simply hiding; it’s safe for me to say that it was because the enemy deliberately let them live in such low numbers… I’m afraid this was planned because, in order to protect the survivors, we must split up our troops, weakening ourselves in the process. That’s definitely the perfect opportunity for the enemy to finish me off once and for all…”

  -S-something like that...

  It was hard to believe... No, Grais for a moment refused to believe that there were humans who would carry out such a massacre of innocent people, people of their own country, just to kill them and weaken the Holy Queen. Until he quickly regained common sense.

  The aristocracy could be so ruthless and inhuman. It made him grit his teeth in hatred. Then, he realized something. “Captain… knowing that this is a trap… you have no intention of hunting down these conspirators… right?”

  -....I will do that.

  - Are you serious?! Captain, there's no denying that you, as a Level 51 Torrius, are very strong, and even if you were to face a thousand Wyrvens, you would definitely win. But the aristocratic faction now has a Sorcerer powerful enough to control a Wyrven Lord!

  Everyone's faces were gloomy when they heard the lieutenant's words.

  -If such a sorcerer is among the enemy ranks, it would be dangerous even for you to face him because you would literally be going against a one-man army. Even if the Captain were not to face such a powerful sorcerer with unknown abilities, you would still have to face the Magic Knights who serve the aristocracy, and you would most likely lose to their power… Please, I beg of you, let us retreat for now. For the sake of the future of the Holy Kingdom of Arcaden, Captain. Even sacrificing a few villages is not comparable to the loss of your life for our future!

  Grisella just listened calmly as Lieutenant Grais continued to speak hurriedly. “If you still don’t want to retreat… How about we abandon the survivors and all of us go with you?”

  -That would perhaps be the best alternative... but doing so is the same as letting them die. Do you think these people survived alone with wild magical beasts roaming around, eager to devour human flesh just to evolve?

  The lieutenant was speechless, for he knew that the survivors' chances of survival were close to zero. If they did not send the knights to protect them and escort them to the safety of a city barrier, they would be killed within a few days. Still, what the lieutenant said was not wrong, no, right or wrong had nothing to do with the matter.

  -... Captain, your life is the most valuable thing for the crown, you know that.

  It cannot be compared with the life of the villagers and the villagers...

  Grisella understood perfectly the pain that Lieutenant Grais's decision caused him, that's why she allowed him to continue saying those things. But even so, she couldn't agree with him. - You and I were born as simple commoners, Grais. You remember that, right?

  -Yes...? Why...?

  Grisella interrupted him. “I remember that you were also born in an ordinary town like any other?”

  -Well, I...

  -Life in a village is not easy and people die there easily. Heteromorph attacks are common and cause many deaths, right?

  -...Yeah.

  -Against a simple magical beast, even a normal knight would have a hard time or be completely outmatched. If there was no money to hire adventurers specialized in dealing with these beings or a knight order to deal with them, the villagers and townspeople could only wait for death without being able to do anything.

  -.... Well...

  -So you, finding yourself in a desperate situation and knowing that the nobles wouldn't lift a finger, didn't you wish for someone, somehow, to help you? Who would have the strength to do that?

  -...The truth is, it's a fact that everyone would be fooling themselves if they thought that someone could help them in their time of need, because in reality no one would ever lend them a hand. The aristocracy would never give money to help commoners affected by magical beasts and other heteromorphs, and adventurers wouldn't lift a finger without a large salary to motivate them. In the end... it's not lucrative for any of them to be a hero... No, most knights today would also laugh at the heroism preached by Sir Lorenzo...

  Grisella nodded. That was the reality they both hated to accept.

  -That's how things are in the minds of many, ... And that's why I want to show them that reality is not like that. I want to help the defenseless commoners that the Aristocracy despises and ignores, that Sir Lorenzo's Chivalry and Heroism still exist in the hearts of knights like us, who serve the Supreme Goddess Altana and the nation, guided only by the wisdom of the Holy Queen and her heir.

  Grais was speechless as he heard her say what she believed so gently and firmly at the same time while the others looked slightly moved at their Captain, whose ponytail was blowing dignifiedly in the wind; the red sun illuminating her delicate but determined features.

  -My loyal lieutenant, let us show all the commoners of our homeland what it means to face danger even at the risk of our lives as Knights of the Holy Kingdom, let us show that the brave will come to the rescue in the name of justice and that it is true that the strong help the weak in times of need, that even if it seems like the world is so cruel and merciless to those without power, there still speaks someone who can save them... Are you with me on this?

  Although what he said was absolutely idealistic, his powerful voice carried a fierce will to do what he said. Then Grisella and Lieutenant Grais looked at each other and shared a series of emotions with their eyes while the surrounding knights looked at them strangely as if to say "They're in their own world again...".

  Neither of them knew it, but the idea that they shared a mutual love between boss and subordinate was deeply ingrained in their knight corps as an established fact. Something that, to both of them, was complete nonsense.

  Grisella only respected her lieutenant's abilities and trusted him, nothing more, and Grais already had a girlfriend. However, due to the human kingdoms' tendencies against certain beings, it wasn't something he could say publicly given his identity, or he would be stripped of his knighthood for some silly reason or another. No... he already seemed somewhat threatened by serving a woman in the first place...

  Anyway… Lieutenant Grais finally relented upon hearing everything she had to say, being able to see his captain's firm resolve. Grais lowered his head for a few seconds, his hair fluttering slightly in the wind, and then raised it before speaking while looking at her, his tone somewhat tired but passionate at his commander's brief speech, "...Then let me go and take command of the men. There are many who can replace me, but no one who can replace you, Captain Grisella."

  “Don’t be silly, Grais. It is well known that my power as Torrius is stronger than normal and gives me a survival rate of almost 100%,” Grisella said with a slight joking tone, to which Grais responded with a smile. “We are not going to die, but to save the people of the Holy Unified Kingdom of Arcaden in the name of Her Majesty, the honorable Holy Queen Isabella.”

  The lieutenant tried to open his mouth several times, but finally decided to remain silent.

  -Quickly choose some of our knights to protect the villagers and escort them to San Lorenzo.

  -Understood

  Grais nodded heavily, determined to carry out his captain's firm order.

  ????

  In the skies above the ruins of an ancient village destroyed by magical beasts, invisible to the normal human eye, floated a single, imposing-looking and elegantly designed flying ship; covered in a cunning form of camouflage created with the power of the most advanced magical technology.

  This thing remained motionless over this village that had been visited by the Sixth Corps of the Order of the Silver Knights led by Captain Grisella.

  At this moment, a handsome knight who looked to be in his fifties, with gray hair and beautiful but cold dark blue eyes, watched from the elegant and sacred control room of the ship as some knights departed from the winding village towards the capital of his kingdom, using the magic projection screens to spy on them.

  His body was covered in golden armor that looked quite magnificent, and he exuded a powerful presence that demanded weak-minded mortals to submit unopposed to his will.

  He was the leader of the entire fleet belonging to the Royal Air Force of the Unified Holy Kingdom of Arcaden, and the one who carried out his current operation on orders from his superiors, which included causing the downfall of Grisella Airean, the most loyal knight of Holy Queen Elizabeth.

  Everything is going according to His Lordship's plan... even if you were to realize the turbulent waters currently running through the Unified Kingdom, you can't simply ignore this so-called injustice, can you?

  The man made an amused face at his own disdainful thoughts.

  How stupid you are, Grisella Airean, in this world justice is decided by the strong like us. That you and that fool who shamelessly sits on a king's throne are unable to understand that, will only make death await you if you do not submit to the natural order of things!

  The only thing left after killing you and your most loyal knights is to obtain that cute little lamb from the empire and sacrifice it to our true masters... and we will have the power to raise the Unified Arcaden to one of the most powerful kingdoms, if not the most powerful in the history of Britannia!

  Such glory will not be given to us by the gods who only sit on their thrones and wait to be worshipped from the heavens! Only they, who offer us a path to victory in exchange for the eternal loyalty of our souls - a price worth paying!

  As he stood, with a smug smile that slightly revealed his few wrinkles as he carried out his mental soliloquy filled with fanaticism for both the future glory of his nation and his powerful masters, one of the operators suddenly spoke to him seriously, interrupting him to his displeasure. —General Rudilf, Calisto N-1 detects that someone is observing us nearby, perhaps through a high-ranking {Clairvoyant} whose ?Blessings? allow him to evade the ship's anti-espionage systems. However, despite Calisto N-3's efforts, he has not been able to locate where the enemy who dares to spy on us is.

  -...It's like this...

  He nodded as he frowned, stroking his jaw thoughtfully. The light in his eyes was cold as he tried to think of who had the power to be able to 'observe' them in their state without being located by them despite their technology. The situation, which was flowing in their favor, suddenly began to deviate in his mind, if only slightly.

  It's not a problem, there will always be unforeseen events... I just have to adapt to the situation and with Calisto N-1 there is no problem! Thinking of the higher intelligences that managed much of the ship, Rudilf von Salfaller felt his confidence, which had wavered a little in the face of the sudden unknown factor, return to being as stable as a rock.

  -Let's not worry about that for now. There's no one among Grisella's men who has that level of {Clairvoyance}, so it's quite possible that it's some member of the Order of Secrets who's too curious for his own good. Even if he isn't, our prey is willingly throwing himself into the trap, so it doesn't really matter.

  -Understood

  -General, this...

  -....That?

  -O-our spies have just informed us....- The communications officer replied nervously, a little surprised by the suddenly abrupt tone of his surly general, forcing himself to continue speaking under his fierce gaze-....That the third imperial princess has left the Academic City to leave for her fiancé's mansion....

  Rudilf, who was annoyed at the prospect of another unknown factor appearing out of nowhere after calming himself down and acting cool in front of his subordinates, widened his eyes upon hearing those words… and began to laugh like crazy.

  -Hahahahaha! This must be the work and grace of our masters! We will certainly be more successful in our plan if we carry out the most important operation there than in a place like Bomenslik! Very soon we will get the best sacrificial lamb that Our Lady desires! Hahahahaha...!

  He laughed for a long while as the operators and some criminal-looking knights looked at each other uncomfortably. After all, this third-rate villain act was a bit...

  Unconsciously or without caring what anyone thought, Rudilf crossed his legs in what he considered an elegant manner as he sat in his luxurious silver-colored commander's chair, giving an order with his eyes brimming with joy and authority.

  -Send the message to the other Custodius te Caelesties! Tell them to go to the capital of Loveritia, not Academy City Bomenslik, for the operation! No matter what price they have to pay, as long as it is within the acceptable range, we have to convince them to let us fly into their airspace to deliver the package at all costs! - Rudilf raised his hand majestically -In the meantime, let's make sure to eliminate this pest when the time comes to act!

  -Yeah!

  The communications officer replied firmly and carried out his order with a variety of emotions on his face as he manipulated his control panel. None of the emotions in his eyes were of joy like those of his general...

  ——And from an extremely distant place, in the branches of a tree, an elegant woman dressed as a maid, with beautiful blue eyes and shiny brown hair, was coldly observing them before saying in a beautiful but unusually monotonous voice. —Initiating the protection operation...

  ????

  Loveritia Empire, Capital City of Loveria, Lower Class District

  There was a being in this world known as the “Black Queen”; a title that only women of a certain Beast Clan could receive.

  Specifically, this Clan was the leading force of a large tribe of bestiarians—the Rabbittonians—that were constantly migrating every two to three years across the forests and plains of the continent. Composed of at least twelve Clans of different races of Rabbittonians, the “Black Rabbit Tribe” was a sort of mobile nation in this world.

  As for the “Black Queen,” they were similar to monarchs for this species; they just functioned more as a kind of priestess and shaman—all in one—rather than leaders who controlled everything. Most of the decisions were made by the Elders of the Black Rabbit Clan, but that didn’t mean they were mere figureheads.

  As descendants of a Divine Beast, known as Isikura, the original Black Rabbit, Black Rabbits were revered as sacred beings even by some human kingdoms; as it is said that their Ancestor served the Silver Moon Goddess herself, Altenar. Those who become Black Queen, in particular, are the ones born with a thicker divine blood, being able to wield the Black Rabbit's Authority over the mortal world and use the Sacred Lunen Magic as if it were part of them…

  ...Now, what is the relevance of this information, you might be wondering?

  Simple; it was the most basic of basic information about the species and culture of the girl who was causing an uproar at the front by having herself and her clan turned into slaves by unscrupulous traders.

  —Kyaaaa! W-what!?

  —The wagons and carriages are floating!

  —T-those guards have turned into ice statues!?

  Both Arthur and Franx Leumiere watched wordlessly from their carriage as the pile of slave traders' wagons and a carriage began to float in the air while several guards with a similar fate were seemingly frozen to death in a totally incomprehensible manner while the atmosphere was filled with an eerie coldness; causing panic among the civilians present, who ran away from the crime scene with screams of fear, with several civil guards trying to calmly evacuate the area and maintain control.

  Sirens that betrayed the illegal use of a form of sorcery or high-level magic echoed loudly in the place as soon as the slave evoked her power, and the streets gradually began to lose non-combatant individuals while human statues and wagons left shadows on the paved ground of the road, surrounded by an aura reminiscent of the majestic blue moon.

  In the midst of this fascinating and chaotic scene, there was a dark-skinned girl also floating in the air as she glared viciously at the battle sorcerers in imperial service quickly surrounding her in the air along with several knights nearby covering the perimeter, all being cautious of the slave's terrifying power.

  One of the battle sorceresses cried out in a deep, astonished voice, “Those people are still alive…!” It seemed that she had some Trait that allowed her to sense the life in the statues as soon as she saw them.

  “Shit, it’s a hostage situation then!” The leader of the Wall guard exclaimed in response, with everyone getting more tense at his words. As bad as it may sound, things would have been easier if those slave trader guards had been completely frozen to death along with whatever was inside the wagons and carriage…..

  But with the confirmation that they were being kept alive by the rebellious slave, everything became even more complicated. They were also confused. The power they felt from the demi-human was only Cabarne Rank, Level 25 or higher, while the guards were much stronger than that; which probably also contributed to their survival. Naturally, each one's high natural Magic should give them powerful magic resistance to sorcery of this level...

  How then, could the girl freeze them at will?

  —So much magic power coming from someone so weak… How is it possible? What kind of magic is this?

  Franx whispered with curiosity and a hint of wonder in her cyan eyes, to which Arthur without thinking responded with slightly twitching lips with words that made him open the only eye visible on her in disbelief.

  —That is, dear Franx-chan, the power of Lunen Magic that many in this empire mistakenly think belongs only to the most powerful children of the Lunen Imperial Clan. We are witnessing right now the highest among the Black Rabbits after the very messenger of the Silver Moon Goddess from whom they descend…

  The girl they were watching, surrounded by a soft blue aura, was certainly a Black Rabbit of great purity no matter how you looked at her, with long rabbit ears that indicated her powerful blood compared to many of her ancestors, reaching almost to her elbows.

  Her slim and lithe figure, with a waist that was evidently attractive even from where Arthur could see, and her excellent hips invited his utmost attention. Although her breasts were not particularly prominent, they were not easy to overlook either. At least, they were good enough that he wanted to knead them with his hands and enjoy their elasticity...

  ....This is no time for dirty thoughts...! - Sora scolded himself.

  Despite doing that, he didn't get rid of the occasional sexual thought. Overall, the girl was a beauty who had a rather erotic body and the color of her skin, similar to that of pure Africans, gave her an exotic touch that he found extremely attractive.

  The clothes that covered her were quite revealing as well; a mix of brown fabric and leather with particularly beautifully designed tribal decorations on her short skirt that seemed to weakly cover the juicy thighs of her body.

  There was no way Arthur couldn't recognize this dangerous beauty filled with wild charm and cold expression. Hell, even her red skin and eyes would already declare her identity on their own.

  Elara Ra Nara….the current “Black Queen” of the Black Rabbits and future villain who will seek the death of Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial to avenge her people.... Certainly, her ability to evoke even weakly the conditions of the lunar surface on individuals is truly terrifying.

  As Arthur pondered the identity of the troublemaker in front, he quickly noticed the approach of the powerful butler and opened the window without hesitation, not caring that he was watching them in such an intimate position.

  —Arthur-sama, should I do something about this, or should we wait for the Imperial Guard to take care of it?

  —….That would take time

  —So….- The butler stopped his words when Arthur raised his hand…while holding Franx's waist with the other, indicating for him to be quiet.

  —You won't do anything for the moment, Jonathan, I have an idea. - Saying that, Arthur looked at the pink-haired maiden with a smile.

  —Franx, go there and neutralize that slave. I'm interested in her and her clan…

  An incomprehensible glint appeared for a moment in Franx's only visible eye before he nodded firmly. "Yes!"