Max turned to see a lavish black carriage, its surface engraved with intricate patterns of vines and thorns, moving down the road. Pulled by massive, six-legged beasts with glowing red eyes, it exuded an aura of dread.
The carriage stopped, and a figure stepped out. Max's breath caught in his throat.
The Elven Empress, Xenia, was unlike any elf he had ever imagined. Her ashen skin gleamed under the pale light, her white hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders. Her dark eyes glittered with intelligence and malice, and her talon-like nails tapped against the side of the carriage as she surveyed the crowd.
She was like very other elf he had seen, but she stood out in a dark, dreadful way.
And there was one thing else. Max felt a strange pull, a seductive allure that made his heart race.
The empress began to look around, like she was looking for someone. Dimitria motioned for them to move, but of course, Max had the worst luck.
You know that moment when you stare at someone so intently that they notice your presence.
The basic human instinct of being watched and observed. Max may not have realised that he was projecting that on the empress, until her eyes fell on him.
The awkwardness finally forced him to look away, but not her. As the empress's gaze fell on Max, she smiled—a smile that was both inviting and predatory. She stepped forward, her movements fluid and deliberate
By now, Dimitria was already dragging Max by the chains, but it was too late.
"And who might this be?" she asked, her voice a melodic purr. It almost seemed like she had reached them in a second, or maybe Max was too awestruck by what he saw.
She had the largest melons he had ever seen, like twice the size of her own head. Her bulging hips swayed with each step, and her beauty was unmatched. Max found himself gaping.
It as star fact that she was still staring at him that made him snap out of his trance. He swallowed hard, his mind scrambling for a response. "Just… a nobody," he managed.
It may not have been the right response. Slaves don't just go around calling themselves nobodies.
But Max couldn't think of anything better. It was as if his brain cells weren't functional.
Her smile widened. "Oh, I doubt that."
Her gaze flicked to Dimitria and Slavia, her expression sharpening slightly. It was as if she was noticing them for the first time.
Dimitria kept her head down, her magic making her look like an orc.
"I would be looking forward to meeting you.", the empress said as her spindly finger traced down Max's broad chest. Max's heart beat so fast it could explode from his chest.
Enjoy your stay in Noctira," Xenia said, her voice lingering on Max as she turned and gracefully re-entered her carriage.
Within seconds, the empress was gone, but she had left a lasting impression on Max.
"Snap out of it", Dimitria smacked the back of his head.
"Snap out of what?"
"You were obviously falling for her.", Slavia exclaimed, her voice a bit emotional.
"What are you saying? I wasn't.", Max defended.
"Look.", Dimitria pointed in the direction that the carriage went. There was a hushed entourage of men clamouring for the empress' attention, her royal guard desperately trying to keep them at bay.
"You want to end up like them?", she enquired.
"Not at all.", Max exclaimed. It wa the first time he realised what was going on.
"Then keep your head down and focus. She has a way with men. They say it's her beauty but I'm convinced it's more than that. No one can be that infatuated with one human being. And don't forget that you're here to take the shard."
Upon saying this, she brought her voice down, careful to not accidentally disclose sensitive information.
"The innkeeper's is just up ahead. Let's keep moving."
With one final yank by the chains, Max was dragged along.
"Max…" Thea's voice echoed in his mind, trembling with urgency. She has probably gone on her beauty naps as Max had come to know them.
Who knew an OP system would require that much sleep.
"I was awake by the way. I don't sleep as much as you think I do, and I was detecting strange magic from Xenia. The kind of magic that draws people in for intimacy."
"Oh why do you have to make everything sound so boring, Thea?" Aegis cut in.
"Hey—"
He turned his attention to Max.
"You finally have the opportunity to get laid. Don't play with it."
"And what makes you think I haven't gotten laid before?"
"Not by this empress. Very few men are ever successful with getting her to their chambers. I even watched Velda try and fail so many times."
Aegis laughed.
"So what are you saying Aegis?"
"I'm saying that you should ignore nightlight just this once and follow your instincts like a true champ. Surely you can worry about the consequences afterwards. And if you get close bough, I can leech off shadow energy from her. She has it in loads."
Max thought of the empress, and each time he thought about her, the more drawn he felt towards the prospect.
Fucking the empress had a nice ring to it.
No, this was exactly Thea and Dimitria's point. This attraction was definitely unnatural.
"Nah, I think I'll go with Thea for this one, Aegis. I came here for the shard, not to fuck the enemy."
"Ah, you're no fun."
"And you're no clever Aegis. You know very well that the empress doesn't care much for peoples lives. You may have as well sent Max to his death."
"I was never talking to you, nightlight."
"But I am talking to you. It's no wonder Velda kept you as a trophy. You couldn't even be useful to the god himself."
"You're so out of place to be—"
"Alright that's enough."
Max had once again, had to settle an argument between them, but this time, not by physically talking. No, he would simply blow his cover if people heard his shouting "stop it you two" when he was being sold by two traders.
What kind of slave would have the nerve to retort like that against his captors. Maybe he wasn't trained enough. Maybe he wasn't even a slave.
Max had somehow managed to speak within himself, like how people would do when soliloquising, and the systems heard him loud and clear.
They finally shut up. At least this time it didn't reach the point of giving Max a nasty headache.
But the last ten minutes was hard to believe. He had met his first duchess. He finally began to smth ink straight. Had the shard been with her? No, it would be safely tucked away at her castle.
Velda had charged them with keeping it safe, not carrying them around like seasoned trophies. He would have to find out more about her and where she keeps it. Good thing he had her daughter.
Dimitria led them to an inn on the outskirts of the city, its wooden frame leaning precariously against a larger building. The sign above the door read "The Shadowed Hearth", the letters carved into charred wood.