Chapter 126. The Saint's Method of Stamping Her Mark
Chapter 126. The Saint's Method of Stamping Her Mark
Serenia, the Queen of the currently trapped Underwater Kingdom.
She sat in her royal office, furrowing her brow in deep contemplation.
"Your Majesty, if it is not too forward, may I ask what troubles you?"
"Ah... Captain of the Guard..."
The one who quietly addressed her was Bellok, the captain of the royal guard and the kingdom's last shield protecting the palace.
Though his eyes, visible beyond his heavy armor, were unyielding, his gaze held a sincere concern for Serenia, whom he had watched over since childhood.
"...Bellok."
"I am listening."
"Song Hoon, that man... can he truly defeat the Dragon God?"
At that, Bellok closed his mouth.
It was not a question easily answered.
While the mysterious man had subdued him in mere seconds, his opponent was the King of Dragons, the Dragon God.
Serenia smiled as if she understood Bellok's silence.
Her gaze drifted back into the distance, out the window.
"He... keeps demanding I become his consort. No longer gold, nor jewels, nor tribute..."
As she spoke, a shadow fell over Serenia's eyes.
"If I am to protect the kingdom, I must ultimately make that choice..."
In her childhood, Serenia had laughed and played in the palace gardens.
The little child who used to cling to his leg, begging him to play.
Now, she carried the weight of an entire nation alone, driven to a point where she had to think of herself as a bargaining chip.
"If Song Hoon truly wins... what should we do then?"
"Your Majesty. Whatever choice you make... I shall... always stand by your side."
The captain of the guard prayed desperately for the man's victory.
The fact that he could do nothing right now left him feeling utterly miserable.
"I shall take my leave..."
"Yes. Bellok, you should get some rest as well."
He bowed his head and exited the royal office.
A short time passed, and a tremendous storm of mana raged outside.
Familiar, detestable mana.
And then, that mana vanished in an instant.
"C-could it be...!"
— Bang!
"Be-Bellok!"
Serenia must have felt the mana too; she kicked open the office door and rushed out.
The Queen sprinted outside the palace, her breath ragged.
She was in such a hurry that her attending servants ran out alongside her.
"He, he has returned...!"
Bellok could not believe it.
How could a mere human defeat the Dragon God...
"What, how did you know and wait for us in advance?"
At last, the Queen, freed from all her worries... wore the brightest smile in the world.
And for the Heroes who had saved the kingdom, bustling preparations were made.
'These were the ones who rescued Her Majesty from that anxiety...!'
Uncharacteristically, the captain of the guard rushed here and there, meticulously preparing and ensuring nothing was lacking.
Soon, as the banquet hour approached, the tables in the hall were filled to the brim with food.
'What was that...?'
The one called Song Hoon carried unusual objects.
Flying objects were even seen hovering around him.
'Were the two of them a married couple...?'
Perhaps it was because he was a warrior to the bone.
He found himself curious, as a martial artist, how talented a child born of the two who defeated the Dragon God would be.
The Queen dined with a face free of all care.
Just watching her brought a contented smile to his face.
"Please allow me to bear the Hero's child!"
'...????!!!!'
The captain of the guard momentarily lost focus and went blank.
"Pl-please, enjoy your meal comfortably."
Saying this, he left the attendants behind and headed outside.
What need was there for a guard when dining with those who bested the Dragon God?
That was what he thought...
It was absolutely not because he wanted to avoid getting caught up in this situation and ran away...
---
The air froze over.
If it had been a simple "let's date," "let's be lovers," or "let's get married," it wouldn't have been this bad.
But what Serenia had uttered was...
'She's asking me to get her pregnant...!'
The chilled air slowly rose, now turning hot.
The only sound audible from the command center was that of people gulping dryly.
[What the hell????]
[Get me pregnant lololol]
[Real talk lmao she's a total queen insane]
The chat window was a festival of chaos.
And then, a shadow slowly fell over the face of Laila, who was seated to my right.
Usually, she wore a gentle, endlessly pure smile, but now her eyes had turned bitterly cold.
She was like the calm before a storm, a volcano about to erupt.
But Serenia, utterly unable to read the atmosphere, tilted her head slightly and spoke shyly.
"I... don't men usually like beautiful women...? It-It's embarrassing for me to say this myself, but... am I not pretty enough?!"
[Not 'pretty enough', you're just insanely beautiful?]
[lolol she could slap the face off any average idol]
[What the hell did the Hero save in his past life?]
[They say he was the port-side helmsman of a turtle ship~]
[Wtf did he sell in his past life fuck]
Serenia was stammering, her cheeks reddening as if flustered.
Her innocence only escalated the situation further.
If she had been openly hiding a scheming ulterior motive, it would have been easier to deal with...
My head was spinning.
I didn't know why she was saying these things, nor why it had to be at this exact moment.
'The world was trying to squeeze me dry... If that's not it, then this situation makes absolutely no sense...'
"W-wait, calm down... why are you suddenly saying this..."
At that moment.
— Tap.
Laila's hand moved quickly and pressed the scene transition button.
The screen switched temporarily to a transition video, and the microphone sound was also cut off.
[Huh? Can't see fuck]
[This is the best part you bastard!!!!]
[Don't keep the fun to yourself you dipshit]
The viewers, reveling in this hidden camera-like situation, raged wildly.
— Scrape...
Laila rose from her seat.
Her face was cold and rigid.
"Our... naive Queen."
"Y-yes...?"
The Queen, flustered by Laila's sudden rise, tripped over her own tongue.
"It seems... you don't quite understand, so I shall have to enlighten you."
She spoke quietly...
— Grip...
And grabbed me by the collar.
'Wh-why me?'
And without any warning, any notice, she pressed her lips to mine.
"M-mmph...!"
Hotly, and deeply.
As if she didn't care at all that Serenia was watching.
She kissed me fiercely, mixing our tongues.
— Chuup... Chup...
This was neither Laila's protest nor her jealousy.
She simply drilled the message, 'This man was mine,' into reality through her actions.
"Ah, aah..."
Serenia covered her face with her hands but watched our kiss intently.
And after a long while, when our lips finally parted.
A thin strand of saliva connected our lips before quietly snapping.
"Pah..."
Laila looked straight at Serenia and smiled a superior smile.
And she stared fixedly at Serenia, whose pupils were shaking.
"Your Majesty, the Hero... is mine. Understood?"
Serenia was engulfed in shock.
She just sat there, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes shifting back and forth, sputtering incoherently.
"The Hero is my husband."
"I-I didn't know... I have never been in a relationship before either... I-I'm sorry...!"
Her face was already dyed bright red.
And in this situation, I just stood there dumbly.
'...'
There was no longer any clumsily jealous Laila.
There was only a Laila proudly stamping her claim in front of everyone...
The broadcast screen returned to the banquet hall.
[What was that just now?]
[Maybe it was because we're inside the gate?]
[No, it was just a screen transition...]
Then my face appeared on the stream.
My eyes had lost focus, my mouth was slightly ajar and unmoving.
I looked as if something had sucked my soul right out.
[What's wrong with that bastard?]
[Gasp, could it be he got sucked dry in that short time...]
[Hey hey hey!!!]
[lololol are you a rabbit?]
[Call it rapid-fire, not premature ejaculation lol]
Meanwhile, it was Laila who took the lead in the conversation.
Her voice was gentle, but her tone was firm.
"Your Majesty, why did you make such a proposal, though?"
The question was delivered softly, but it held a clear purpose within.
Serenia also blinked, as if caught off guard.
She bit her lip, fidgeted with her fingertips, and then spoke in a small voice.
"Well... nobles also enter arranged marriages... I thought I should do the same, for the sake of the kingdom..."
"Will you tell me more?"
A brief hesitation.
Serenia confessed her inner feelings in a trembling voice.
"I thought that if you were to marry me... you might protect our kingdom... O-of course, I truly had no idea that the two of you were in that sort of relationship..."
She clasped her hands together and bowed her head.
Her cheeks were still red, and she looked up at Laila with cautious eyes.
"Well... our Hero does tend to sow his seeds everywhere he goes..."
Laila paused briefly, lowered her head slightly, then lifted it again.
"Then how about forming a contract with each other?"
"A... contract?"
Laila spoke slowly and persuasively.
"You may not know this, but we surface-dwellers have yet to fully conquer the sea. If you were to offer us assistance in that regard... it would be mutually beneficial, wouldn't it?"
At those words, a hopeful smile spread across Serenia's face.
"We can discuss the details slowly later. But let's be clear on one thing. If Your Majesty cooperates well... we will immediately help against any external invasions or threats."
"...Yes!"
"Fufu, it's late for now, so let's continue the rest of our discussion tomorrow."
The air in the banquet hall softened once again.
---
That the air had softened was my own delusion.
The kingdom provided us with a guest room.
"Hero, what are you doing?"
"..."
Laila was dressed in sleepwear lingerie.
She subtly raised her skirt and smiled seductively.
"I did stamp my claim deeply in front of the Queen... but it still feels insufficient♥"
"..."
I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again with a determined look.
I could do this... I could!