"Oh, that?" Queen Snowarda said before a melodious laugh rang out, followed by Seraphis' giggles—something Ryuk still didn't understand.
"Sometimes, I forget that Humans and other races possess cultures unlike ours," she said before continuing.
"Seraphis is neither a slave nor my maid; she is my daughter."
"However, acting as a maid around me is a cultural tradition of the Nagas, one performed by anyone who is next in line for the throne."
"When the next in line to the throne stands before the reigning monarch in the throne room, she must attend to every whim of the ruler before it is even uttered." She explained to Ryuk, whose brows knitted together.
It was the first time he had heard of such rules.
"My great-grandmother did it to my grandmother, my grandmother did it to my mother, my mother did it to me, and now, I do it to Seraphis. If she has a daughter one day, she will pass on the tradition. That is how it has always been."
"Sounds a little absurd, doesn't it?" Queen Snowarda asked.
Ryuk nodded his head.
It truly was absurd—for the future queen to be reduced to a mere servant before the ruling monarch. That was far from normal.
"After spending some time with the other races, I've come to realize how backward this custom is."
"But this is still a generational tradition, and I don't want it to end during my reign. That's why I have limited it to being observed only in the throne room."
"If Seraphis meets me outside the throne room, she is my beloved daughter. But in here, she must follow tradition. And a maid certainly does not giggle during a conversation!" Queen Snowarda said firmly.
Seraphis quieted down, though Ryuk noticed her rolling her eyes. Still, she listened without protest.
'So it's some sort of traditional thing? How weird,' he thought.
The thoughts managed to pull Ryuk away from his sour mood about the Knulls as he took a sip of the liquid before him, calming his racing heart until his mind was clear.
Queen Snowarda seemingly waited, allowing him to finish his sip, and when she saw him return to a state of calm, she asked,
"How?"
"Huh?" Ryuk responded.
"How did you get that little companion of yours?" she asked.
Ryuk's gaze shifted to Isha before his brows furrowed.
"I'm asking on behalf of—" Queen Snowarda was saying when suddenly, an intense, icy coldness filled the room as a voice rang out.
"No need. Let me ask him myself."
KAAAAAABBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The force that followed wasn't the sound of something clashing but pure pressure that overlapped Ryuk, his heart nearly bursting out of control from the insane power.
His movements froze completely, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw a figure standing beside Queen Snowarda.
A tall woman, about three meters in height, clad in a completely white gown that covered most of her body, save for her face, which was partially covered in scales. Her eyes—Ryuk could swear there was no difference between them and Isha's.
But what was most horrifying was—
[WARNING! WARNING!]
[Host has come in contact with a True Being! One at the Eternal Stage!]
[Host must exercise intense caution!]
The system's words flashed in bold letters as Ryuk turned to look at the woman in shock, watching as another seat appeared beside her, which she took without hesitation.
But then, Ryuk felt Isha's footsteps.
With a raised brow, he watched as she went ahead and sat beside the snow-white lady, who rubbed the top of Isha's head.
Surprisingly, it didn't seem to be just a simple rub. Every stroke sent surging lines of energy spiraling from the top of Isha's head straight through her body, forming a blurry image that Ryuk couldn't quite fathom. Yet, he remained in shock.
This was the first time someone had triggered something in Isha with just a touch, and that was when it dawned on him.
"You're a Frost Wyvern!" Ryuk called out.
As much as he tried to reign in his shock, it was simply impossible.
Sitting before him, seemingly no different from a human, was actually a Frost Wyvern in humanoid form!
He had never seen such a thing before—never even heard of one.
But not only was she in humanoid form, she was also at the Eternal Stage.
The woman appeared to be in her early thirties, though her beauty could rival even Seraphis, the youngest in the room.
She continued rubbing Isha's head before finally turning her cold gaze to Ryuk.
"I'll ask once more. Where did you get her from?" she asked.
Her voice was colder than the iciest frost, and in the next instant—
VRROOOOOOM!
A mini-wave rippled through the room as a blue aura burst out from Ryuk's eyes, the same colour instantly appearing in Isha's.
Immediately, Isha yanked her head away from the woman's hold, appearing beside Ryuk in the blink of an eye.
"Confuse not, Frost Wyvern."
"You do not own her, neither is she by your side."
Ryuk's voice was softer than a whisper, yet Seraphis' eyes rolled to the back of her head before she collapsed helplessly to the ground.
Queen Snowarda rose from her throne in shock, her eyes flashing as she gazed at Ryuk, whose aura had fully turned blue burning like flames around him.
'His aura!'
'It's... the aura of a Natural Beast King!'
'How? How could he radiate the aura of a Beast King!?'
'Isn't he human?' Queen Snowarda thought in shock.
In the next instant, she turned her gaze to Seraphis behind her, and she acted, a swirl of Void energy emerging around her.
In the blink of an eye, Seraphis was taken out of the room, leaving only the three of them amidst a suffocating pressure that radiated from Ryuk's billowing aura and the Frost Wyvern's ominous silence.
The woman finally spoke, her tone laced with intrigue.
"Interesting, really. You're truly an interesting figure, kid. I'll give you that..."
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A/N:
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In and Out_SnowySmoos