Chapter 76: The Unfamiliar Quest (2) The Queen's Dream

Aurelia Thalassia Arctaris Regaria, Queen of the Scorched Realm, opened her eyes and immediately knew something was wrong. The grand, intimidating presence of her throne room was gone, replaced by a blistering, unforgiving desert landscape. She groaned inwardly, the heavy realization settling in. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath, the dry, hot air doing nothing to alleviate her frustration. "Here it goes again. Fucking curse. I'll kill that King of Heroes bastard next time I meet him."

With a determined sigh, she pushed herself to her feet, her muscles flexing and protesting slightly against the unexpected shift in reality. She scanned her surroundings with keen, piercing eyes. "This time a desert, huh?" she muttered, her voice low and filled with a mixture of annoyance and resignation. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever lay ahead, and began to walk towards the distant outline of a village shimmering in the heat haze.