Chapter 9 — The Queen's Summons
The next morning, the moment I opened my eyes in the annex, a servant knocked on the door.
"Kang Do-hyun, Your Highness the Queen Consort has an urgent summons. Report to her office in the main palace immediately."
Urgent summons. The explosion last night. It was obvious this was connected. My heart pounded—not from tension, but anticipation.
I quickly washed up and picked out my cleanest clothes. During the summoning and skill conferral, I hadn't had the chance to make a proper impression. Today was essentially our real first meeting. I had to present myself as a proper human in front of the queen—not as the summoner of a trash skill.
Ka ira was waiting in the hallway when I stepped out. Fully armed this time, leather armor and even a dagger at her side. Her expression was different from usual. Stern face. Sharp golden eyes.
"Follow me."
Ka ira took the lead. Armed, she wasn't her usual lazy cat self. She was a soldier. Quick steps, straight back. The muscles in her brown neck tensed taut. This woman really had a warrior's body—I felt it again. But the leather armor cinched her waist, making her ass line stand out even more clearly. A warrior's ass. Firm and perky.
...Fuck, I'm on my way to meet the queen. No boners.
The atmosphere changed completely as we entered the main palace. Knights stationed everywhere in the corridors, servants rushing about busily. Tension hung in the air. I overheard two passing knights.
"Tae-hyun's gone completely mad. Blew half the training grounds to hell."
"Three soldiers critically injured. The flames are out of control."
Tae-hyun. One of the summoned heroes. Holder of the Flame Sword skill. That red flash last night was his rampage.
'Rampage by a summoned hero. Combat skill gone out of control.'
This wasn't a simple accident. If a summoned hero rampaged, it punched a hole in the kingdom's core forces. And if mental instability was the cause, I was the only one in this kingdom who could treat it.
I forcibly suppressed the grin tugging at my lips. Couldn't look suspicious in front of the knights.
The queen's office. A maid waited in front of the massive oak door. Brown hair neatly tied in a ponytail. Big, round eyes. Petite and slim, but the maid uniform cinched her waist, subtly highlighting her chest line. B-cup... no, surely no padded bras in this world? ...Not the time to size up the maid's tits.
"You're Kang Do-hyun, right? I'm Irene. Please, go in."
Irene. Timid voice. Avoids eye contact. I'll observe her closely later. The queen comes first now.
The door opened. The office was spacious and stately. Rainbow light from the stained glass painted the marble floor; tapestries depicting the kingdom's history adorned the walls. A woman sat behind the grand central desk.
Elena, the queen consort. I'd seen her up close during the skill conferral too. When she stepped down from the throne and approached within a meter, her massive tits nearly made my mind blank from the perspective. But that was right after the 'trash skill' verdict. Amid the nobles' sneers, with my head potentially on the chopping block, I hadn't had leisure to observe her properly.
Now was different. Facing her in her office, as an invited guest.
...She was fucking gorgeous. Golden curls cascading below her shoulders. Violet eyes. White skin, rose-pink lips. At 35, her age added a deep allure like aged wine. Not the tautness of her twenties, but elegant curves sculpted by time. Her dress subtly emphasized her chest—minimum D-cup. The queen's tits were D-cups. The fabric strained tensely over them, proof of the substantial volume pushing from within.
But most striking were her eyes. Violet and cold, sharp. This woman wasn't a 'pretty doll'—she was a powerholder. Faint dark circles under those eyes. She hadn't slept. Tae-hyun's rampage, no doubt. And even without activating Mental Interference Lv.1 - Whisper, I could sense it. Tension in her shoulders. Slight downward tug at her lips. Hands clasped on the desk, thumbs unconsciously twitching in repetition.
Anxiety. Fatigue. Anger.
'This woman's at her limit.'
A pattern I'd seen countless times in clinic. Stress beyond capacity compressing her emotions. Patients in this state split two ways: collapse, or lean on someone. The queen couldn't collapse. So she needed someone to lean on.
I could be that someone.
"Kang Do-hyun."
Her voice echoed through the office. Low and calm. But laced with fatigue underneath.
"Your Highness."
I bowed my head. Just enough—not servile, but polite. Angle learned in clinic. A counselor must be neither above nor below the patient. Build trust as an equal.
"You've heard, I assume. One of the summoned heroes rampaged. Name's Tae-hyun. Holder of the Flame Sword skill."
"Yes, I have."
"During training, his magic suddenly went out of control. Three soldiers critically injured. He's confined in the underground cell now, but he spews flames intermittently—impossible to approach."
The queen tapped a parchment on the desk with her finger.
"The court mages call it 'mana overload.' Skills exceed mental load, control slips. But no solutions from them."
She looked at me. Violet eyes pierced straight through. Evaluating eyes. The gaze of a powerholder who'd judged subordinates thousands of times. My heart pounded. Not tension—excitement. I wanted those eyes under me. To see that cold gaze melt in pleasure.
...Patience. Order matters.
"Your skill is Mental Interference, yes. Deemed a trash skill."
Trash. The word stirred faint emotion in her. But I kept my face neutral.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I don't doubt the High Priest's judgment... but a skill meddling in minds could stabilize the rampaging one's psyche, no?"
It came. Not 'can you?' but 'couldn't it?'. Not an order—a question. But also expectation. She'd already believed in the possibility by summoning me.
Time to feign humility while showing confidence.
"To be frank, Your Highness, my Mental Interference is Level 1. Useless in combat, can't shoot flames at enemies."
Her eyebrow twitched faintly.
"But."
I paused deliberately. Silence technique. Draws focus to your next words.
"Reading minds, soothing anxiety, restoring mental balance—that I can do. If Tae-hyun's rampage stems from mental causes, I can help."
The queen stared at me for 3 seconds. Three seconds—the interview decider. Elena's lips curved faintly upward. Too small for a smile, but a signal of approval.
"Good. Try it. Two guard knights will accompany you. Withdraw if deemed dangerous."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"And one more thing."
She rose from her seat. Standing, her full silhouette emerged. Slim waist, full hips. Milf golden ratio. Hourglass figure. Fabric tugged slightly at her ass—natural volume, no pads.
The queen walked to the window. Stained glass light haloed her golden hair.
"I'll send surveillance officer Ka ira to the front lines."
Ka ira? Unexpected.
"The beastkin tribes requested reinforcements. Boosting beastkin units on the southern front—they need warriors like her."
She turned, eyeing me.
"You don't seem to need a combat-type watcher. Guarding a mental-type summoner with a sword is pointless."
Pointless. Two meanings. One, my skill unrelated to combat, so armed surveillance unnecessary. Two, reclassifying me as 'less dangerous'.
The second mattered. Meant the queen saw me as a 'manageable asset'.
And solved the scent-detection issue automatically. Bonus.
"I'll defer to Your Highness's judgment."
"I'll inform Ka ira myself. She departs today."
Today. Fast. Front lines must be dire.
I left the office. Ka ira waited in the hall. Her usual wall-lean pose. But her expression subtly different. Eyes like she already knew.
"Met the queen?"
"Yeah."
"...I'll be called soon too. Heard the rumors."
Ka ira peeled off the wall, facing me. Golden eyes serious. Not her usual lazy gaze.
"Orders to return to the front. Beastkin reinforcements. No one else to go if I don't."
"I see."
"Don't know what you did to the queen."
Her tail swayed slowly side to side.
"Watched you a few days. You're weird. Trash skill, but your actions ain't trash."
I knew she'd been watching, but hearing it straight sent a chill down my spine. Ka ira stepped closer. Sniffed at my collarbone.
"Still smell like woman."
...Beastkin noses can't be fooled by laundry.
"But what do I care. Seduce women, eat whatever."
Ka ira stepped back with a smirk. First time I'd seen her smile. Fangs peeking in a beastly grin. Brown lips pulled up, cheekbones sharpening. Her smiling face was hot. Way more appealing than blank.
"You were fun."
Ka ira extended her hand. Beastkin handshake? Brown hand, callused palm—from gripping swords.
I shook it. Warm. Strong grip. Her combat prowess palpable just from that.
Temptation to use Whisper flickered. Contact boosts it. But I held back. She detects via scent. Using it now would leave a 'suspicious guy' final impression. Better end as 'fun guy' for future reunions.
Yeah. Later. The day Whisper works on Ka ira will come. Prime opportunity called heat season.
"Stay safe, Ka ira."
"'Miss'? Whatever."
She released my hand. Turned, tail swishing. Not tense wariness—relaxed sway. Good mood signal.
I watched her go. Brown nape. Taut back under silver-black hair. Leather armor narrowing at waist, flaring at hips. Sword sheath clinking left hip.
A warrior's rear view. Farewell, Ka ira. Next time, I'll spread those pussy lips.
...Just in my head, so fine.
Ka ira left the palace that afternoon. From the annex window, I watched the main gate. She strode out with one leather pack—warrior minimalism. Just before passing through, she glanced back. Toward the annex. Toward me? Too far to tell.
Ka ira turned and exited. Her panther tail flicked through the gate crack last, then vanished.
I stepped back from the window, sat in the chair.
'Surveillance lifted.'
Now no one in the palace to detect Whisper. Humans can't sense it. No scent-sniffing beastkin means free rein.
Activity range exploded. Palace guards, maids, servants, nobles. All human, all vulnerable to Whisper.
The queen too.
'Time to start the game.'
I pulled out parchment, jotted tomorrow's plan. Meet Tae-hyun. Stabilize the rampaging hero. Success proves value to queen; failure... no failure. Handled acute schizophrenic episodes in master's program. One isekai punk's instability? Manageable.
Key wasn't treating Tae-hyun. It was implanting in the queen: 'This man's useful.' Useful man. Needed man. Man she wants close.
Extension: man she wants in her arms. Distance to milf queen's pussy: one step closer than yesterday.
The candle flickered with a crackle.