Kapitel 9: The Queen's Consorts.

The sudden transformation of Queen Lyraea—from a beautiful, regal woman to a dark, menacing figure with horns and scaly skin—sent shockwaves through the courtyard. The competitors gasped in horror as the man who had complained was drained of his life force, his body turning to stone in the queen's grasp.

Kae's eyes widened in terror as he realized the true nature of Queen Lyraea—a powerful being with dark magic at her command. He wondered if every Elyrian female could transform like that or if it was unique to their queen.

The courtyard fell silent. The only sounds were the soft crackling of candles and the heavy breathing of the competitors. Queen Lyraea's gaze swept over the assembly, her red eyes burning with an inner fire.

"Remember, my dear competitors," she hissed, her voice slithering through the air like a serpent. "I am not to be trifled with. Those who question my power will suffer the same fate as this… fool."

She added, her voice laced with anger, "And as for those of you who felt nothing from my wine, it means you are unworthy. You don't deserve its power. You are not special enough to witness its effects."

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Queen Lyraea released the stone statue of the man, and it crumbled to dust on the floor. Her form slowly reverted to the beautiful woman she had been, the horns receding, and her skin smoothing. The competitors trembled, their eyes fixed on the queen in fear.

"I proclaim each of you as my consorts, but your survival depends on your usefulness," Queen Lyraea declared, her expression serious as she addressed the group. "I detest the useless. If you prove to be of no value, I will cast you aside."

The moment the queen took her seat, everyone in the courtyard followed suit. The feast continued, but the atmosphere was tense. The competitors ate and drank in silence, their eyes darting nervously toward the queen.

"This is the first time I've seen someone's life force drained," Tharros murmured under his breath, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at the crumbled remains of the man who had dared to speak out.

"That's the least of my worries," Kae whispered back, barely audible over the loud music. "Did you also feel nothing when you drank that wine?"

"No," Tharros replied in a low voice. "That's why the man protested. The queen said the wine brings back our darkest memories, our fears, but I felt nothing. Could it be that I have no fear? Impossible—I do."

'Oh, I see. I guess I'm the only one who saw something, then. Memories that weren't mine. And the way the queen keeps staring at me… she knows something. But what are these female monsters hiding? What exactly is their agenda for coming here and dominating this world? Where do they come from?' Kae's thoughts raced, frustration evident in his heavy sigh.

{Now that's the real question that I, the evil system, am going to help you solve.}

Kae winced as a sharp pain shot through his head, the system's intrusion into his thoughts causing him physical discomfort.

'Can you stop that? How can you peep into my thoughts?' Kae scolded internally, his mind troubled.

{I apologize, host. If you wish for me not to, I won't do it again.}

Kae's hand went to his temple as another wave of pain hit him. 'Is there no way to avoid this pain when you respond? And yes, don't peep into my thoughts again.'

This time, there was no response—no sharp throbbing in his head.

'Good! It's obedient, after all.'

The feast continued, but the tension remained. The competitors ate and drank in silence, their eyes darting nervously toward the queen. Kae knew he had to uncover the secrets of the palace to understand the true nature of Elyria's power. But for now, he had to play along, pretending to be a loyal subject.

As the feast came to an end, the competitors were dismissed to their rooms to await the queen's visit.

As Kae returned to his room, a sense of unease settled over him. The queen's display of power had left him shaken. His mind raced with questions—what was the true nature of these female monsters? What secrets lay hidden within the palace walls?

"System?" Kae called out loud the moment he was inside his room, locking the door behind him.

Ding!

The holographic screen appeared before him in an instant.

{Yes, host. How can I assist you?}

"What was in the wine the queen gave me? What kind of memories were those? They weren't mine. And why weren't the others affected by the wine, including the Elyrians? They didn't seem to be affected either."

{You're correct. They were not your memories, but the Demon Lord's. And yes, the others weren't affected because they have no magical affinity. The Elyrians weren't affected because they never drank the wine—they drank water.}

"Those cunning female creatures," Kae muttered, gritting his teeth in anger.

"So, I was affected because the Demon Lord resides in this body, and I have a magical affinity because of him. Is the Demon Lord connected to these female monsters? Why is he chained and tortured? What's the real story here? Where do these female monsters come from, and how are they connected to the Demon Lord? Why is the Demon Lord even in this body?"

{I cannot reveal that to you now, host. Not until the second system arrives. We have to work together to help you.}

"What the heck?"

{Once the second system is active, you'll have more answers.}

Kae tensed up, his frustration boiling over. "Will the second system provide me with all the information about the Demon Lord and this world?"

{I advise you to stop worrying about that and focus on what is about to befall you soon.}

"What do you mean? What's going to happen to me?" Kae asked, his eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.

The system vanished, and suddenly, Kae was surrounded by darkness. Black smoke spiraled around him, tossing everything in the room—including Kae—into disarray. Then, the next thing he knew…

"Arrrgh..." A loud groan escaped his lips.

__________

Back in Queen Lyraea's room, she sat on her golden-feathered chair, a smirk playing on her lips as she stared into space.

Commander Aethera soon entered, prompting the other female attendants in the room to leave.

"Greetings, Your Highness. The competitors are now resting in their rooms," Commander Aethera announced with a slight bow.

"Then why are you still here?" Queen Lyraea asked, her expression stern as she glared at the commander.

"You've already proclaimed them as your consorts, Your Highness. I wouldn't dare have anything to do with any of them," Commander Aethera replied, her head still bowed.

"I know," Queen Lyraea said, her voice softening. "I'm not sending you to meddle with that young man anymore. I want you to witness what will happen to him tonight."

"I don't understand, Your Highness. Are you suggesting the Moonfall Kiss wine had an effect on him? Could it be that the Demon Lord is in his body, or has the man committed the crime of learning magic?" Commander Aethera asked, her expression puzzled.

"Yes," Queen Lyraea confirmed. "You know the Moonfall Kiss wine only affects those with magical powers. It's not for revealing your darkest fears, as I told the competitors, but for uncovering hidden magic, no matter how well it's concealed."

Queen Lyraea stood up from her golden chair and moved closer to Commander Aethera. "I purposely gave everyone else water, but the competitors received the wine as a test. They all passed—except for the young man who defeated Malumbra. He seems suspicious. I'm sure he knows spells, and he likely saw something related to his powers earlier at the feast. His reaction confirmed it. There's something about him."

"It's almost midnight," Commander Aethera chimed in, nodding in understanding. "The Moonfall Kiss wine will soon take full effect, and those with magical powers will be revealed."

"Exactly! I want you to go and witness his true form. Once you do, kill him. No matter how powerful he is, the wine has already weakened him," Queen Lyraea commanded, ending with an outburst of evil laughter.