Return to the present.
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"Alright, now it's time for me to tell you the tale of the unfortunate queen," A male voice was heard, and hearing him speak was calm and comforting.
"As you may have learned from the book, this continent is home to eight empires, or rather seven empires and one small kingdom inhabited by people of various races," He wasn't talking to himself because a young girl was sitting on his lap who was attentively listening to what he had to say every so often. Then, out of curiosity, the girl would lift her head slightly.
"Are you able to name any of the world's races?" Remarked the man as he tenderly stroked the head of the young girl sitting on his lap.
"Oh, let me think about that for a second," The girl's exclamation came as she was delightedly receiving a light pat on the top of her head.
"Humans are the ones I meet the most often, cute beasts, demons I've never seen, angels are old geezers who like to wear robes, and finally, fairies, if I'm not mistaken, they like to live in the forest," Said the young girl in a lively manner, and her description would take many people by surprise.
"You are smart, and while it's true that people of different races each have their own set of benefits, the explanation can be continued tomorrow because it's going to be so drawn out and boring," The man continued his story as the little girl's response had no effect on him, occasionally looking out the window while poking the adorable little girl's cheek.
The young girl gave a cheerful laugh in response, but she covered her mouth because she was afraid that she would be too loud.
"continued the story to the poor queen, saying that her father had been a king in a prosperous country and that one day, the king passed away, and many people believed that he had a mysterious disease. After what happened, her mother became depressed and retreated to her room. Since then, only her older sister has remained by her side, and she will do so until the day they finally part ways."
When the man said this in a tone tinged with melancholy, "many people born into noble families mostly suffer the same fate," the little girl lowered her head a little bit when she heard that.
"Do all of the king's uncles, aunts, and even cousins want their fair share of the king's power left behind?" Asked the young girl, putting on a cheery expression once more.
"to make a long story short, they crowned the eldest daughter of the previous king to be queen, but something terrible happened to her not long after becoming queen. She was killed while giving a speech to her people," the man said.
Ignoring her inquiry, the man went on, but he used his customary low and soothing voice this time.
"After the death of her older sister, now only the younger sister is left alone, and from here the story about the unfortunate queen began to become a legend that is known by a lot of people."
"At first, she became queen only as a substitute. But, every day since then, she has been controlled like a puppet for the benefit of those around her. As a result, day by day, her soul has become weaker."
Even the man's voice is losing some of its strength.
"Could it be because she is weak, so weak that she lacks the will to fight?"
Strangely enough, the ambiance in the room was also very peaceful, and the little girl was also very fixated on the story.
"In the night, the queen woke up from her sleep. She had a dream in which she met a demon, and the demon offered her an extreme power so that it could help her avenge the people who were around her."
After a brief period of silence during which he closed his eyes, the man finally spoke when he felt someone pull at his shirt—none other than the young girl.
"What happens to her after that? Does she lead a happy life?" Asked the young girl with an inquisitive expression on her face.
"Because of the power she gained from the demon, she was cursed to spend the rest of her life alone. Whether or not this makes her happy is unknown," The male responded as he gently rubbed the young girl's head.
"Ohh... Now that he's possessed the power of a demon, I'm curious to know, are you still stronger than her?"
"Of course not, this story existed long before I was born, and the poor queen was so powerful that her enemies feared her. Her strength level would likely exceed 70 if she were still alive," A chuckle escaped the mouth of the man as he spoke.
"Wow...." The girl shrieked as she opened her mouth widely, and the look of utter bewilderment on her face was absolutely precious.
"7...70, isn't she already the same legendary figure I read about in the library?" The young girl continued asked, who was filled with awe and admiration.
"It's possible... as you know, in this world, strength is measured by level, and an ordinary person might only reach level 30 in their entire life, while a king or queen if they have a lot of talent, can reach level 65."
Even though the man was the only one who explained anything during their conversation, the two continued to talk while discussing various topics. Meanwhile, the little girl kept asking all kinds of questions.
"So, what can you learn from the tale of the poor queen?" Questioned the man.
The girl's voice carried an air of excitement as she exclaimed, "Hmm...oh, I know, don't believe in the devil because he will curse you."
"It's not necessarily the devil's fault. If the queen is strong, she doesn't have to bother being tempted by the devil's offer. So, consequently, you have to be strong to prevent the same thing from happening to you as it did to the poor queen," The man said while cracking a grin.
"Therefore, it is up to you to guard me until I become powerful. After that, my responsibility will be to guard you, brother, Emilia's sister, and mother," The girl said this as she climbed down from the man's lap and turned around while pointing at the man's face.
"Based on how you've been training as of late, it seems as though I'll have to wait until you're old enough to bring me my sword before I can trust you with it," While he was teasing the young girl with tickles, the man sneered.
"hahahahahahaha... stop... just wait... hahaha... stop not there..."
The young girl laughed out loud as she tried to avoid being caught but was ultimately unable to get away.
"master" A woman's voice was suddenly heard coming from the direction of the door, but she spoke in a low tone as if she didn't want to disturb his master.
After a while, the man stopped tickling the child and then said "thank you very much for everything you've done, Sucht."
After that, there was a loud noise, the door opened wide, and someone's angry voice could be heard.
"Since I just got back to my own damn house, would it be possible for you to push back the date by a few days?" It was later determined that the voice belonged to Princess Emilia Von Kaiser.
Once free, the little girl ran away and hid behind Emilia after being set free.
"Alice, why are you here? The longer you spend with your older brother, the worse things will affect you," Emilia was surprised to see her younger sister.
"Emilia, welcome home! I will not waste time because I am busy, so please take a seat."
"Also, Alice, you do not have to go. You can observe and learn."
The man spoke in a collected manner as he sat back down, appearing unperturbed by whatever was transpiring in front of him.