The doors shut with a quiet finality. There were no guards inside, no court, and no whispers to fill the air. Just the King, the Princess, and the young woman who had shifted something neither of them could ignore.
The chamber was smaller than the hall—warmer and less performative. A long table stood in the center, flanked by a few chairs, while windows stood half-open to the cooling evening air. King Joseph Straus didn't sit immediately. He remained standing, watching Yuna with the kind of attention that weighed more than actual questions.
"…You may sit."
It wasn't an order, but it wasn't quite an invitation either. Andrew hesitated for a second before helping Yuna into a chair. He was careful, but her bandages were still visible—still fresh—telling a story much louder than any words they could trade.
The King noticed. Of course he did.
"…You fought something far beyond your current state."
It wasn't a question. Yuna met his gaze, her expression flat and calm.
"Yes."
Short. Honest. No pride, and certainly no attempt to impress.
The King exhaled slowly. "…The reports say 'Executioner'." He paused, letting the name settle. "Those reports also say it was… destroyed."
He lingered on that word. Men like Joseph understood the difference between a monster being defeated and one being erased from the world. Silence followed, thick and heavy. Princess Iyo stood slightly behind them, but her eyes hadn't left Yuna since they entered the room.
King Joseph finally moved, taking his seat.
"I will be direct," he said, his tone shifting from ceremonial to something more grounded. "An S+ class entity does not simply fall to a first-assignment adventurer. So I will ask you plainly—what are you?"
The room stilled. Andrew's shoulders tensed, ready to step in, but the Princess reacted first. She took a small step forward.
"…Father—"
She wanted to soften the blow, but the King raised a hand. He wasn't dismissing her; he was just continuing. His gaze remained unwavering. Truth didn't come from comfort; it came from pressure.
Yuna didn't look away. She didn't rush to answer. For the first time, this wasn't about survival—it was about identity. She took a quiet breath.
"I'm… just a simple girl my mother trained."
It was too simple. But it wasn't a lie.
The King leaned back, studying her again. "…Your mother." He flicked a glance toward Andrew, who nodded firmly. "…Then it seems I should be asking about her instead."
The conversation had shifted into deeper water. Iyo stepped forward again, her voice softer than her father's. "You don't have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable."
Yuna gave her a small smile. "It's okay. I don't fully understand it myself yet."
The King watched her for a long moment, then let out a quiet exhale. "…Fair enough. Then we will speak of something simpler. Your actions saved lives within my kingdom. That is a debt I do not ignore." His gaze sharpened. "Name what you seek."
Gold. Land. Titles. The usual things people traded their souls for. Yuna didn't even consider them.
"I don't want anything," she said. The room shifted in surprise, but Yuna wasn't finished. She tilted her head slightly. "But maybe… Your Majesty should try developing a better strategy for the safety of your civilians."
The silence that followed was dangerous. Andrew's eyes widened. "…Oh no…" he muttered under his breath.
"What if we didn't show up?" Yuna's voice didn't rise, but it didn't soften either. "That demon would still be hunting those villagers. You have resources. You have soldiers. But most of these problems are being handled by the Adventurers Guild and hero parties."
The room went completely still. Shield Guy looked like he wanted to disappear into the floorboards. The Princess was just staring, not in fear, but in pure awe.
"…You speak boldly," the King said. No anger, just an observation. "Most people, when given the chance to ask for anything, do not choose to question a kingdom."
"I'm not questioning the kingdom," Yuna replied. "I'm questioning the gap. Between what exists—and what actually protects people."
That made him stop. The King's eyes narrowed in thought. "…The gap." He repeated it, testing the weight. "You are not wrong. But you are also not seeing the whole board. Soldiers guard borders. Maintain order. Prevent wars. Adventurers chase chaos. They go where structure cannot."
He stilled his fingers. "…But… perhaps the balance has shifted more than I allowed myself to see."
It was a quiet admission, one a King shouldn't make so easily. He looked at Yuna with a new kind of respect. "…You asked for nothing. Yet gave me something to think about. That is a rare exchange."
The Princess stepped closer again, her eyes carrying something deeper than admiration. "…May I ask you something? When you saved me… were you afraid?"
It was a soft question, but it cut deeper than the political talk. Yuna lowered her gaze, remembering.
"It wasn't during the fight," Yuna said. "It happened earlier… when I was training. I was trying different weapons. I used a katana… then I looked at my mother."
Everyone was listening now.
"She looked toward a mountain. Just for a second. That was enough for me. I picked up a spear… and threw it in that direction." Yuna's eyes lifted, distant. "I didn't know what was there. But something felt wrong. Later… I found out it was the bandit leader. And that you were there."
The room didn't recover immediately. A spear, thrown without sight, trusted because of a mother's glance. The King remained silent, his gaze shifting *through* Yuna rather than at her.
"…Your mother. You didn't see the target, yet you acted because she looked at something." He leaned back. "…Interesting. People act on instinct, but instinct requires input. You had none. Except… her. So either you possess something beyond reason… or your mother does."
"She's amazing," Yuna said simply.
The King exhaled. "…I see. Then I will adjust my thoughts accordingly. A child does not act like that without reason. And reasons like that… tend to have names."
He didn't say the name *Dali*, but he didn't have to. His eyes shifted then, catching a faint glimmer of ice-blue beneath the folds of Yuna's dress. His expression changed instantly—not curiosity, but something sharper. Recognition.
"…Do you carry something related to your mother?"
Yuna nodded and drew out a silver chain. At the end hung an ice-blue crystal amulet, deeper and clearer than any stone had a right to be. The temperature in the chamber dipped.
"…May I see it?" the King asked.
"No." The answer was immediate.
"…I only wish to examine it," he pushed.
Yuna's grip tightened. "I'm sorry. But no."
The air thickened. "…Yuna. This may concern the safety of my kingdom. As your King—I ask that you let me inspect it."
Yuna lowered the amulet back beneath her dress, hiding it. She looked him directly in the eye, her voice gaining a hard edge. "No."
The room froze. Andrew's breath caught in his throat. No one spoke to the King like that. But Yuna didn't look afraid; she looked certain.
The King held her gaze for a long time, then unexpectedly leaned back and exhaled. "…I see."
No anger. Only deep thought. That refusal told him more than the crystal ever could. Whatever it was, Yuna would oppose a king to protect it.
"Princess. See that our guests are given proper care. Personally."
Iyo didn't hesitate. "I will." She stepped beside Yuna, gently taking her hand. "…Come with me."
As the doors closed, the King turned his attention to Andrew. "…Do you know her mother? Tell me—does she look the same as the first time you met her? Does she control multiple elements?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Andrew said. "She doesn't seem to age a day. She controls multiple elements. She's exceptionally beautiful, easygoing, and… a bit flirtatious."
The King's brow lifted. "…I see. Not what I imagined."
"I strongly advise against testing her," Andrew added firmly. "Any wise man wouldn't."
"…Fair. I wonder then… who stands beside a woman like that."
"Actually… I've never seen anyone with her. She doesn't wear a ring either."
The King leaned back, the picture in his mind becoming dangerously clear. He stood alone by the window later, watching the sleeping capital.
"…You may not understand, Andrew. But I've seen enough. That girl… and the way you described her mother… I think I know what the truth is. And if I'm right… then I also know who the man is."
The Draco Kingdom
Far away, beyond borders where the snow never melted, the Draco Kingdom stood like an ice fortress. Inside a vast training arena, the sound of impact shattered the silence.
**BOOM—!**
A soldier was launched across the field, crashing into the frozen ground.
"The General is unusually harsh today," a Commander muttered.
"It has been more than twenty years since Her Majesty disappeared," the Grand Minister replied, his eyes on the battlefield. "It seems his patience is finally running thin."
In the center of the arena stood General Raizen. His golden eyes burned with a controlled frustration that had been building for decades.
"What the hell is wrong with you all!?" he thundered. "Who is training you!? Our civilians would fight better than this!"
He stepped forward, the ice cracking beneath his boot. He was waiting for something to return.