(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
And sorry for not uploading yesterday's chapter I went to hospital.
That's the reason for today's short chapter.
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The next morning...
King's Palace...
Royal Court...
The golden banners of the royal court fluttered in the cool breeze as Ben sat upon his throne,
A half-finished breakfast tray resting on the table beside him.
"____"
The heavy silence of the chamber broke when Harry, his butler, approached with a scroll sealed in crimson wax.
Ben took it without a word.
As he read the detailed report sent back by the covert royal knight squad still stationed in the three villages,
His eyes narrowed.
Each line confirmed what he had suspected.
The chiefs were guilty.
Greed masked as leadership.
Folding the scroll with deliberate slowness,
Ben tapped a finger against the armrest of his throne.
"Harry,"
He said, his voice calm but edged with steel.
"Find out which Magic Knight squad operates closest to those villages."
Harry adjusted his spectacles, running the names through memory with careful thought.
After a pause, he gave a respectful bow.
"The Crimson Lions, Your Majesty. Technically, not their jurisdiction… but their base lies far closer than any other squad. They could respond with speed."
Ben leaned back, considering this.
His sharp green eyes reflected both calculation and irritation.
"Good,"
He said at last, his tone low.
"Then it's time to let the lions hunt. But they won't be told everything yet. Send word to Captain Fuegoleon Vermillion. I want him in my court before the sun sets."
Deep beneath the surface,
Hidden in a cavernous hall carved from black stone,
The secret base of the Eye of the Midnight Sun buzzed with unease.
"____"
"____"
"____"
The air was thick with mana and the low hum of crystals embedded in the walls.
On the central dais,
Patolli—
Cloaked in shadow, his features twisted into the guise of the long-dead Licht—
Stood with calm authority.
Before him knelt his most trusted subordinates:
Fana, her eyes smoldering with quiet resolve;
Vetto, fists clenched in restless fury;
And Rhya, lounging carelessly, though his gaze was sharp.
The bounty posters scattered across the stone table glowed faintly with magic—
Symbols of the threat now hanging over their heads.
"Tch."
Vetto's voice rumbled like a beast's growl.
Growl~
"We should kill them. The old man, the brats—wipe out every witness! Let the humans tremble before us. That king dares to put a price on our heads? Then we repay him with blood."
Fana frowned but remained silent, her hand unconsciously tightening against her chest.
Frown~
"____"
Rhya let out a dry chuckle, leaning back.
Chuckle~
"Bold as always, Vetto… but think. The more noise we make, the more eyes turn toward us. The king is dangerous enough as it is."
Patolli as Litch finally raised his hand, silencing them.
"____"
"____"
"____"
His golden eyes, sharp and burning with purpose, swept across his followers.
"No."
His tone was calm, decisive.
"We cannot waste our strength avenging petty slights. The humans are already blind to our true purpose… so long as we do not overreach."
He turned, resting a hand upon the glowing crystal that housed fragments of elven mana.
"Our priority remains the magic stones. Each one brings us closer to the world we seek. If we squander our power now, we risk revealing everything before the plan is ready."
Vetto's growl deepened, but he bowed his head reluctantly.
Gr...
"____"
Fana's expression softened in quiet agreement.
Rhya smirked, tilting his head as if amused at Patolli's unwavering focus.
Smirk~
Patolli's voice hardened.
"The king may suspect shadows in his land, but he does not yet see the truth. Until the final stone is ours, we cannot afford to provoke him. Let the humans play at their bounties… while we prepare to strike where it matters most."
The chamber fell into a tense silence, the weight of their mission pressing down on all of them.
Meanwhile...
Royal Court...
The sun blazed high over the capital, and the royal court's heavy doors swung open with a crash.
Crash!
"____"
The guards stiffened as a tall, wild-haired woman strode inside,
Her presence filling the hall like a wildfire let loose.
Mereoleona Vermillion.
In one hand she carried a rolled scroll stamped with the crimson lion insignia,
And in the other a half-crumpled cloak as if she had just torn it off a training field.
Her golden eyes burned with their usual untamed energy as she approached the throne.
Ben, seated on his throne, raised an eyebrow at her entrance.
"____"
Beside him,
Harry adjusted his gloves nervously, clearly bracing for whatever storm the Vermillion lioness was about to unleash.
"King Ben."
Mereoleona's voice rang loud and direct, without the slightest hint of formality.
She thrust the scroll out toward him.
"Fuego's not here. He's busy tearing apart troublemakers at the border. So I came."
Ben accepted the scroll, his calm demeanor unshaken despite her bluntness.
"I see. So he entrusted the report to you."
"Hah! More like I took it before the lazy officials wasted time sending it through some pigeon courier."
Mereoleona crossed her arms, smirking.
Smirk~
"That investigation of yours… looks like you were right. Greedy chiefs pocketing the kingdom's coin, all while their villagers bleed."
Her smirk faded into a sharp glare.
"Tell me what you want to do?"
The royal knights in the hall exchanged uneasy glances at her fiery tone,
But Ben only leaned forward slightly, studying her with calm eyes.
"____"
Mereoleona's grin widened, sharp and feral.
"Simple solution: we torch their estates. Let those greedy old bastards sit in the ashes of everything they hoarded and taste despair. That's the only way they'll learn."
The royal court fell silent, her words echoing like fire snapping through dry wood.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Even the knights present shifted uneasily, unsure if she was being serious… or deadly serious.
Ben chuckled softly, his voice breaking the tension.
Chuckle~
He rose from his throne, the green light of the Omnitrix reflecting faintly as he clasped his hands behind his back.
"You're reckless as always, Mereoleona,"
He said with a small smile.
"But this time, you're right."
Her eyes gleamed.
Ben continued, his tone turning firm, carrying across the hall.
"These chiefs think they can exploit my kingdom's relief, turn disaster into gold for themselves. They believe the we can be fooled, that greed outweighs loyalty. That ends now."
He stepped down from the dais, standing beside her.
"You will accompany me to the three villages. Together, we'll show them exactly why no one dares scheme against the people under my protection."
Mereoleona laughed, fiery and fearless.
"Finally!.."
The royal knights saluted at once,
Darius already stepping forward.
"Your Majesty, the squad is prepared to move at your command."
Ben's smile deepened as he looked at the blazing lioness beside him.
"Good. Then let's make sure our little lesson is remembered for generations."
The heavy doors of the throne room opened with a deep creak as Ben strode out, his footsteps echoing off the marble.
Mereoleona followed at his side, a predator's grin plastered across her face, eager for the hunt to begin.
With a casual motion,
Ben pressed the dial of his Omnitrix.
Click~
The familiar click resounded, followed by the sudden burst of green light that flared across the hall.
In an instant, his body stretched, wings unfurled, and his form shifted into Jetray—
Scarlet scales glinting under the sun, wings humming with barely restrained power.
The royal guards instinctively stepped back, shielding their eyes from the emerald glow that still lingered in the air.
"Still flashy as ever,"
Mereoleona snorted, though there was a note of approval in her tone.
One of the guards quickly offered her a spare enchanted broom, bowing his head.
She snatched it without hesitation, straddled it, and kicked off the ground in one fluid motion, the air around her roaring with her fiery mana.
Together, the pair rose into the skies—
Jetray streaking ahead like a crimson comet,
Mereoleona close behind, her hair whipping wildly in the wind as her laughter echoed above the sky. capital.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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