Chapter 99: Burden Of The Crown

It was past midnight when the kingdom was sleeping, with barely any lights lighting up the entire area. However, in one of the fancy buildings in the most famous street of the grandest town in the kingdom, a seductive golden-haired beauty with three bushy golden tails was sitting up on her bed.

She was polishing her golden flute though her glimmering green eyes seemed to be in a different world.

On the outside of her chambers, Shochi was still standing guard as always, sitting on a chair with his eyes closed as if he was sleeping. But suddenly, his ears twitched as he immediately sprang up on his feet, looking around with vigilant eyes.

However, his ears twitched as his eyes narrowed, and he turned around. But before he could see, he felt something smashing against his nape, and the next moment everything became dark for him.

*Thud!*

"Who is out there? Shochi?" Kira got out of her contemplative state as she got off the bed, and with a suspicious look, she slowly walked towards the door. She drew out a small blade from her deep cleavage, feeling that something was definitely wrong. Shochi never failed to answer her whenever she called out to him, though now she heard no response from him.

However, suddenly she felt a gust of wind brush past her face, which made her narrow her eyes and turn toward the balcony.

"Should I feel surprised or not to see you here?" Kira asked upon seeing a 6 3" tall, intimidating figure, standing tall and proud in her full armor. The dark red moonlight glistened on her armor while casting a black shadow over the balcony.

The red slits of her helmet seemed to glow, piercing through the darkness and fixating on Kira. Her crimson cape billowed out behind her, giving off a powerful and commanding presence.

Kira lowered her blade and put it on a table before slowly walking towards the balcony.

After remaining silent for a few moments, Eradicator spoke in a deep, blood-tremoring tone, "Harm even a strand of his hair again, and I will send you to the pits of Tartarus myself. There won't be a second warning."

Kira squinted her eyes, but then her expression relaxed as she placed her hand on her chest, "Ora~ I have no idea why you are threatening me, but it seems like the queen really cares about him. Of course, an ordinary woman like me knows what lines I shouldn't cross. I feel saddened you think otherwise," She said with a low sigh.

Eradicator stared at Kira for a few seconds before turning her cape over and disappearing from the balcony the next second.

Kira crossed her arms and stood near the rails of the balcony as she subtly smiled.

....

Asher woke up early the next day after having a good sleep, helping him recover from the fatigue he had from comprehending his Immortal grade grimoire.

He quickly used his Master access to the castle to scan the halls and rooms like always just to see and learn what kind of things the people in this castle usually do.

However, his brows subtly raised when he noticed something unusual. He squinted his eyes and decided to take a walk.

He looked at the naked figure of Merina lying beside him, deep in sleep with a relaxed expression. It seemed like her night went pretty well for her.

Asher had no reason to wake her up and put on some casual robes. Merina's ears twitched as she stirred awake upon feeling some movement and hearing faint sounds. Seeing that her Master was awake, she raised herself up right away.

"Go back to sleep. I am taking a walk alone," Asher said as he put on some casual robes.

Merina blinked her eyes but then, seeing that he really didn't need her, she said, "Yes, Master," Saying so, she slowly eased herself back into the bed.

...

The Demonstone Castle had multiple study and library halls. But the biggest study hall was private and reserved only for the queen, which was situated in a quiet and private area of the castle. Nobody else was here, as if everyone knew the queen needed privacy and solitude whenever she came here. And right now, Asher was standing in front of it and softly knocked on the door.

A few moments of silence followed before a powerful yet melodic voice came from within, "You may come in."

Asher opened the door and was greeted by the sight of a spacious and grand hall with tall windows and a good view of the kingdom. The room was decorated in rich, luxurious fabrics and furnishings. It was well-lit, and there was a fireplace to keep the room warm and cozy.

In the middle, he saw a large desk that was filled with books, maps, and other materials that seemed to be related to the affairs of the kingdom.

And behind this desk, Asher saw Rowena sitting on a chair. She was dressed in a long, flowing black gown that hugged her curves, accentuating her alluring figure. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft waves, framing her striking face.

The light in the room was dim, casting a soft glow on her skin, making it appear even more pale and flawless. Her crimson eyes seemed to sparkle in the low light, drawing his attention.

She sat with an air of regality and power, her gaze focused intently on the documents and papers spread out before her. Despite her gothic beauty, there was a sense of seriousness and determination in her demeanor, making it clear to him again that she took her role as queen very seriously.

"I wasn't expecting you here. Was there something important you wanted to tell me?" Rowena asked though her gaze was still fixed on the papers before her, deeply studying them. However, he senses a hint of troubled emotion in her voice and bearings. He knew Rowena was someone who rarely revealed her thoughts or emotions outside, but if some of them slipped out, then it could only mean something serious was troubling her.

"I came here just to see you, especially since I meant what I said yesterday," Asher walked towards her and sat down on a chair beside her as he continued, "I know you have technically known me for more than a dozen years, but for me, I have only known you since a month ago. And since I was soulless for all those years, it's like we both don't know each other well despite being married. So that's why I want us to talk, be it personal or related to the kingdom. I know how hard you are working for the kingdom and for us to work together, you have to let me in."

Rowena finally took off her gaze from the documents and slowly looked at him as she pushed a strand of her hair out of her face.

Asher spoke in a soft and reassuring tone, "I know something is troubling you now. So don't bother hiding it before me."

Rowena felt her breath catching in her chest, not used to someone being so persistent in letting her thoughts out. She was surprised he discerned that something was going on without her saying anything when nobody else did. Was he that observant about her?

Still, feeling his reassuring gaze, she felt like there was some truth to his words. Since he was going to be a vital pillar of the kingdom, it would be best to let him know the matters of the kingdom.

She softly let out a sigh and said, while looking at the parchments on the table, "Before my father died, our kingdom was doing relatively well. But after we lost him, our kingdom suffered a lot, especially because of the infighting and the humans taking advantage of it."

"So, in other words, the previous year didn't go well for our kingdom. But I am sure you worked hard enough to recover the kingdom as much as you could, right?" Asher asked with a subtle shake of his head.

Rowena softly shook her head and said with furrowed brows, "It still isn't good enough. My efforts alone won't save this kingdom. When my father ruled the kingdom, our people completed more than 50% of the priority quests they accepted in a day. But now it's down to 45%...and that means we are weakening day by day."

Asher knew what she meant by that. Even if the percentage difference seemed small, it could create a huge difference in the long run. This meant that the kingdom would continue to weaken as years pass till the humans easily gain the upper hand and destroy the demons.

"What was the number a month after we lost him?" Asher asked as he leaned forward.

"At that time, it was 40%," Rowena said while wondering why he was asking that.

"So, within a year, you managed to bring it up by so much. There is no telling we are going to be stuck at 45% forever," Asher said with a shrug.

"You don't understand. I tried everything I could to bring this number up, and I took quests nonstop to prevent the humans from taking further advantage of our situation. But now...I am trying to figure out any other ways I could bring this number up," Rowena said with a tired sigh while wishing her father was here right now so that she could know what to do. She never prepared herself for this, thinking that she had a lot of time with her father. But who knew he would die so early? This made her realize how nothing was forever.

"Don't beat yourself up by comparing yourself to your father. He had centuries of experience ruling this kingdom, while you only came to power a year ago. Still, do you know the root issue behind this number?" Asher asked as he rested his chin on his fingers.

Rowena softly nodded and said with her brows pulled together, "The main reason is our people are starving from life crystals. Every day hundreds of them die without having enough of it. Some are too afraid to take quests which is understandable, but they also die despite working whatever jobs they could find."

Asher knew she was right. He had personally seen people collapsing randomly on the streets while others considered it a daily occurrence. Without enough life crystals, the demons can't equip themselves with the right tools to survive the quests or even get good training. This only gives birth to a vicious cycle.

"I have tried my best to make sure people don't starve of life crystals. I was able to bring the numbers up temporarily by using the kingdom's treasury, but then it was a desperate and unfeasible idea that I discarded right away."

"What do the official reports of the distribution of life crystals within the kingdom say?" Asher asked as he rubbed his fingers together.

"That is what is strange. Everything looks alright on the papers. People are receiving the life crystals they worked for, which means the number shouldn't be this low," Rowena said with a head shake.

Asher gave a low hum and said, "So that could only mean that the reports are lying and people aren't getting the life crystals they rightfully earned."

Rowena didn't seems surprised to hear that, but with a dull gaze, she answered, "Maybe...but there isn't a way I can make sure of it."

"Why not? Who gives these reports?" Asher asked with narrowed eyes.

Rowena looked at him and answered, "Most of them come from...House Thorne. I can't question their reports without proof."

Asher understood why and asked, "Then why not assign your own men to verify these reports?"

"I do have officials that verify these reports, but they never found anything odd."

"What if they are being bribed?"

"No. They can't deceive me. I make them all wear special spectacles that visually record the things they verify. I go through these recordings myself, and yet I found nothing wrong," Rowena said with a firm headshake.

"Then it must be happening behind the scenes," Asher said with a squinted gaze.

Rowena looked at him and said, "Then it only makes things worse because I have no way of making sure of that, as I said before...not without proof," Rowena subtly clenched her fists as she said this.

Asher calmly took a breath and nodded, "I understand, but from now on, why don't you let me check these reports. Teach me how to read them, and perhaps I can provide helpful insights. If you are too busy, you can order someone else to teach me."

"No, I will do it myself. It's best I bring you up to speed with these things," Rowena said with a firm nod, though suddenly her gaze became glazed, and her aura became chaotic and heavy momentarily.

Asher subtly smiled as he nodded, but then he furrowed his brows as he noticed how her expression changed for a short moment, "What happened? It seems like something else is troubling you?"

Rowena's aura became steady as she looked at him. But then she averted her gaze and said while arranging the papers, "It's nothing of concern," As she said this, her fingers clenched the papers tightly.

"Nothing of concern to the kingdom? So that could only mean it concerns you, right?" Asher asked, making Rowena's eyes momentarily freeze.