Chapter 397.2

These days, Dana’s mornings were filled with outings, not returning to the palace until late. Eugene supposed it was better for her mother to be occupied than stewing at home with worry about their family in the Holy City.

With a warm smile, Eugene suggested, “Tell them to simply ask me directly, Mom.”

“Oh, heavens no,” Dana chuckled, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “They’re relentless, a veritable swarm! It’s not just a few curious whispers.”

A knot of unease tightened in Eugene’s gut. She hadn’t realized there was such widespread interest. No one had approached her directly, likely out of a mix of intimidation and a cautious desire to avoid any misstep.

A subtle shift in the way people treated her had begun subtly after the news of her pregnancy. It transcended mere respect and obedience, morphing into a reverence bordering on religious devotion. It felt stifling, like being venerated by a gaggle of blind followers.

“I can’t divulge specifics, Mom,” Eugene began, her voice gentle, “but we’ll hear from our family before this dry season ends. This construction project is crucial for that.”

Dana’s eyes welled up momentarily before she grasped Eugene’s hand tightly. “Truly?”

Eugene squeezed her mother’s hand reassuringly. “Absolutely. So please, try not to fret.”

Seeing the flicker of relief in her mother’s eyes, Eugene felt a surge of pride. It warmed her to be the source of such comfort and reassurance.

The desert construction progressed smoothly. While desert winds were a common occurrence, gentle breezes prevailed until the station’s completion. However, an unexpected hurdle emerged for Eugene: she needed to personally etch the spell formation on-site. This necessitated venturing beyond the stone gate and into the open desert.

News of Eugene’s planned desert excursion reached Marianne, who rushed to her side with vehement opposition. “Your Highness, venturing outside the palace walls is concerning enough, but the desert?”

Faced with Marianne’s tearful pleas, Eugene couldn’t offer harsh dismissal. Instead, she turned to Kasser for support. After explaining the spell notebook to Marianne, Eugene presented the notebook with Kasser’s written explanation.

[Marianne, trust the Queen. Nothing will happen. I guarantee that Eugene… the Queen will be fine.]

A long silence stretched before Marianne finally spoke. “His Majesty instructed me not to interfere, so my hands are tied. But, Your Highness, I can’t help but express my disappointment in the King. At such a critical juncture, he’s been absent for far too long. The man who, in his youth, seemed to require no coddling, now causes me immense distress as an adult.”

After Marianne departed, Eugene couldn’t help but offer a wry smile. It appeared Marianne harbored quite a bit of resentment towards Kasser.

You would have to mend fences with Marianne when you return, Eugene chuckled inwardly.

Eugene noted this in her notebook, opting to table further explanations for now. With a grateful nod, she replied, [Thank you, Kasser. Marianne seems to understand the necessity after seeing your notes.]

From the following day onward, Eugene embarked on daily desert excursions, leaving early in the morning and returning before the midday sun’s harsh heat. The intricate spell formation was vast, requiring more than a day or two to complete.

Whenever she encountered difficulties, Eugene relayed them to the wanderer elders through Aldrit. These inquiries also served as a means to gather updates on Flora. Apparently, Flora was so consumed by her sorcery studies that she barely slept or ate.

Eugene harbored a silent hope that Flora could potentially shorten the training needed to master the control spell. However, Flora exhibited an unexpected streak of stubbornness.

[I intend to dedicate forty days to studying sorcery here. Aldrit mentioned that timeframe, so I presume it factored into your planning,] Flora declared.

Eugene’s internal frustration simmered. Given the dire situation, is mastering sorcery truly that crucial? she thought but refrained from writing it down. Flora’s cooperation was pivotal, and any harsh words could trigger rebellion, jeopardizing their entire plan. Tightly pursing her lips, Eugene responded in her notebook, [If that’s your unwavering decision, I understand. I’ll consult with the other kings and seek their input.]

Ultimately, as per Flora’s request, the operation was scheduled for the final day of the forty-day period Aldrit had mentioned.

The exchange of information continued daily through the spell notebook, with Kasser promptly relaying updates to the other kings. Each monarch diligently fulfilled their assigned roles as the countdown to the operation ticked down. ṟ

Ten days before the designated date, however, a wrench was thrown into their plans. A knight, not attempting to sneak out but arriving as an official envoy, emerged from the Holy City bearing a message from Sang-je directly for the Fire King. However, the envoy requested a private audience with the Fire King alone.

The knight presented a clandestine proposition from Sang-je. In exchange for leading the vanguard in the coming Holy War, the Fire King would be offered the hand of the unmarried Riner, an Anika bride, and a guarantee of Anika queens among his descendants for generations to come.

Reading the account in her notebook, Eugene’s blood pressure spiked. The monster’s attempt to win over the Fire King was transparent yet undeniably alluring.

[And the Fire King’s response?] she wrote, a tremor in her grip.

[It was a struggle to restrain him from killing the knight on the spot. Killing him now would only provide Sang-je with needless justification,] Kasser replied.

Eugene let out a humorless chuckle before writing, [So, the knight is still alive?]

[Alive,] Kasser confirmed, [though barely. The Fire King refrained from delivering the final blow but didn’t hold back otherwise. The knight is currently imprisoned.]

Needless to say, this incident was immediately shared with all the other kings.

[We can’t afford to let that monster slither any further. Richard]

[Death to the creature before the dry season ends. Nicholas]

[You’ve secured a prosperous future for your bloodline, Fire King. I’m jealous. Akil]

[I’m disappointed in you, Fire King. Pered]

[I’ll carve the bastard open myself! Don’t anyone dare interfere!]

Kasser sighed as he put down the pen and closed the notebook.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om