A long pause followed, the silence pressing in like the walls of a tomb. Then Han Son exhaled slowly, a low, heavy sound that carried both resignation and the burden of responsibility.
"Ha… that may very well be so…" He pressed his palms to the table, eyes fixed on some distant, unseen point. "Then… we must inform Her Majesty of this at once."
Moonsen inclined his head, his expression grave, every line of his face bearing the weight of the revelation.
"Yes, Minister. Her Majesty must be made aware. She alone can judge how to respond."
"Administrator Moonsen," Han Son said, his voice firm yet edged with urgency, "could you deliver this news to Her Majesty directly, at the front where she now rides?"
Without hesitation, Moonsen bent at the waist in a deep, formal bow, the gesture carrying both respect and the weight of duty.
"Yes, Minister. I will go at once."
Han Son's gaze lingered on him for a moment, sharp and commanding.
"I entrust this to you. Do not tarry—ride swiftly to Her Majesty, and deliver the truth without delay."
Moonsen straightened, his expression grave, the shadows of the room falling across his face as if the walls themselves understood the importance of his mission. With a final nod, he turned, moving with measured haste, each step carrying the solemn responsibility of the message he bore.
The Ministry seemed to hold its breath as he departed, the quiet hum of distant activity outside the lattice windows a fragile reminder of the calm before the storm about to sweep across the kingdom.
Following the trembling figure of Manny, Queen Genie, Jade, and the warriors arrived at the entrance of the underground hideout. The air was heavy with damp earth, and the faint echo of dripping water somewhere below sent shivers through the silence.
Manny's knees buckled as he bowed, his voice breaking apart like dry twigs.
"F–from here on… Y-Your Majesty must… enter alone…"
Jade's brow tightened, the sharp line of his gaze cutting straight through Manny. The coward flinched, his shoulders shrinking as though trying to vanish into the stone wall.
"Your Majesty, you must not go in alone," Jade said, his voice firm, carrying the weight of command.
Genie turned her steady eyes upon Manny. In that moment, her presence alone seemed to anchor the wavering air.
"Then my warriors shall remain here," she declared, her voice low yet unwavering. "But the General will enter with me."
Manny blinked rapidly, sweat gleaming along his temples.
His lips trembled as he stammered, "Ah… w-well… I suppose that can't be helped…"
His hands shook as he gripped the rusted iron handle, pulling open the heavy door that groaned on its hinges. The breath of the underground spilled out—cold, stale, and suffocating.
Side by side, Genie and Jade peered into the yawning black. The silence there was not simple emptiness—it was a silence that watched.
Manny descended first, his steps unsteady, the wooden stairs creaking under the weight of his fear. His shadow wavered under the flickering torchlight. Without hesitation, Queen Genie followed, her cloak brushing against the stone walls, Jade close at her side, his hand resting near his blade.
At the bottom, the staircase gave way to a passage that stretched into the void—narrow, damp, utterly devoid of light save for the trembling torch flame. The air was thick, pressing against their lungs, as though the underground itself resisted their intrusion.
And then—at the far end—stood a door. Massive, iron-bound, immovable. Its surface was marred with scratches, as if countless hands had clawed at it in desperation.
Genie's eyes narrowed, a piercing light glinting in their depths.
'There it is.'
The air thrummed with anticipation, as though the door itself guarded something the world was not meant to see.
The iron door groaned open, its hinges shrieking like some ancient beast disturbed from slumber.
From the massive table at the chamber's heart, a man slowly lifted his head. It was Teel.
The underground hall was a cavern of shadows, lit only by the trembling glow of torches wedged into the damp stone walls. Into this dim domain descended Queen Genie, her steps measured and steady, Jade walking half a pace behind her, and trailing them, the pale and shaking figure of Manny—his breath shallow, his legs seeming ready to buckle beneath him.
A husky voice rumbled through the vaulted chamber, its weight reverberating off the cold stone.
"You have come a long way."
Genie did not answer at once. For the first time her eyes fell upon the man called Teel. What struck her was not the breadth of his shoulders nor the iron will etched into his bearing, but the scar—a brutal gash running like a mark of fate beneath his right eye, a scar that seemed to tell of wars and betrayals untold.
Jade's gaze flickered toward his sovereign. He searched her face for some sign of fear, but found none.
Genie's expression remained as tranquil as still water, her composure like an unshaken mountain.
'Your Majesty…'
To Jade, Teel's brutish appearance meant little. What mattered was the queen's safety. Yet her calm rendered his silent concern unnecessary.
At last, Queen Genie's voice rose, steady and cold, filling the chamber.
"The road here was long indeed."
Teel gave a hollow laugh, dry as dust.
In that instant, the warmth in Jade's eyes vanished. His gaze sharpened into the keen edge of a drawn blade.
'To laugh so before Her Majesty…'
His hand slid almost instinctively toward the hilt of his sword. But before steel could sing, the queen's voice cut across the moment, resolute and commanding.
"On my way here, I walked the breadth of Hana with my own feet. And with my own eyes, I saw there is no corner of this land untouched by the rule of the royal court."
Teel tilted his head, mockery gleaming in his eyes, and cast a glance toward the seats lining the sides of the chamber, as though daring her to see him enthroned in defiance.
Unmoved, the queen raised her hand, her finger pointing directly at him like a blade leveled at his throat.
"How dare you sit in that seat before your sovereign king?"
Teel lowered his head. From his chest spilled a harsh, scornful laugh—low at first, then building until it scraped the silence raw.
"Ha ha. Ha ha."
Queen Genie's gaze did not waver. Her voice, sharp and commanding, cut through the cavern's gloom.
"Move aside at once. As long as you sit there, there will be no talk between us."
Her words fell like a blade striking stone. The torches hissed as though answering her decree.
It was not only Teel who blinked at the force of her presence. Jade, ever vigilant by her side, felt a jolt run through him.
'Her Majesty… she has steeled her resolve.'
The air thickened, every breath a weight. The queen's unyielding composure clashed with Teel's mocking smile, and the chamber seemed to shrink beneath the pressure.
Behind them, Manny shifted from foot to foot, sweat beading at his brow. His lips trembled with words he dared not speak.
'Boss… no matter what, that's the Queen herself…'
Through the wavering candlelight, his eyes darted anxiously toward Teel—pleading silently for restraint.
Then—
Thud!
With a dull, thunderous slam of both fists upon the table, Teel rose. The impact rattled the cups and bronze dishes, sending echoes rolling through the underground hall. His scarred face tilted toward the queen, a dangerous glint in his eye.
"If the queen commands so…" His voice was a low growl, both amused and begrudging. "I suppose I have no choice."
With leisurely disdain, he shifted from the throne-like seat at the table's head, dragging his presence with him like a stormcloud, and dropped into a chair at the side.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Genie's face betrayed nothing. Without hesitation, she advanced, her robes sweeping the stone floor in steady rhythm, and took the head seat—the rightful place.
"Now we may begin negotiations."
Jade followed, lowering himself opposite Teel, his hand lingering dangerously close to his sword hilt. His posture was still as iron, eyes sharp as a drawn blade.
By the doorway, Manny fidgeted—his body restless, his spirit uneasy, as though every passing breath burned against his chest.
"Leave us," Teel commanded without even glancing at him.
Almost with relief, Manny bowed low, his shoulders quivering, and fled the chamber like a man escaping the gallows.
The door sealed shut behind him. Silence descended.
Queen Genie studied the man across from her. Beyond his crooked smirk, beyond the swagger in his tone, she glimpsed the unease he fought to conceal. A hidden burden weighed upon him—something restless, something guarded.
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
'So he shields more than mere pride. What is it you fear, Teel?'
At last, his voice broke the silence, deep and deliberate.
"Why has Your Majesty come all this way?"
Instead of answering, Queen Genie lifted her gaze and met Teel's eyes.