The Imperial Capital – Harem Quarters.
"Terrible news! The Emperor has been slain by that damn Conqueror!"
A Spirit Tribe maid burst into the harem, stumbling over herself in panic.
Princess Nadora of the Spirit Tribe froze, her crystal-carved comb slipping from her fingers and shattering on the floor. She had just been sulking about losing the Empress selection to a lowborn mortal woman, plotting her rise to power in the palace and imagining herself basking in the Emperor's favor…
But now?
The Emperor—her glorious, untouchable Emperor—was dead?
She hadn't even laid eyes on him.
"A filthy adventurer could never kill the Emperor! He's protected by Artifacts!" snapped the Mermaid Princess.
"It's true! That adventurer—he was like a demon! He didn't just kill the Emperor, he even…" the maid stammered, eyes nervously flicking toward a tall woman wreathed in flickering flame. "The Flame Spirit King… he's fallen as well."
"You insolent wench!" roared the Flame Spirit Princess, Katherine, her fiery gaze igniting the ornate vanity beside her, reducing it to molten slag. "Rip out her tongue!"
The maid went white with fear as the guards moved in.
"Your father," she stammered, trembling, "he was… struck down by the Spirit King's blade..."
"WHAT?!"
Princess Katherine reeled, her eyes widening with horror as she spun toward Nadora.
Nadora narrowed her eyes, then scoffed coldly, "She's obviously lost her mind. Our clans have been allies for generations. There's no way we'd turn on each other. Guards!"
Just then, a squad of palace guards rushed into the harem, eyes wild with terror.
"You! Golden House guards—do you not know it's a capital offense to enter the harem unbidden!?" Nadora snapped.
"All of you must evacuate immediately!" one of the guards cried. "Baron, the Conqueror, is heading this way! Flame Spirit King has fallen! The Lightning Dragon King betrayed us! The Emperor's head—it's gone! He's taken it! Run while you still can!"
Panic erupted.
Over twenty imperial consorts and princesses scrambled to their feet, terrified.
"This… this can't be real…" Nadora whispered, as the blood drained from her face.
They had all been handpicked—daughters of powerful clans, destined for a life of beauty and influence. Many had never even wielded a weapon, let alone seen a battlefield. They were nothing like the battle-hardened Nora of the Dark Spirit Tribe.
"There's no need to panic," came a soft, composed voice.
Ursula, radiant in a silver gown and carrying the scent of dew-laced roses, stepped into the room.
"The Conqueror is not a man of blind slaughter," she said gently.
"Empress!"
The other women rushed to greet her, even Nadora begrudgingly bowing. Lowborn or not, Ursula was now Empress—and that authority was not to be questioned.
"Empress, we must flee! I'll escort you and the others to a safe city protected by a main zone barrier!" a Dragon Knight landed with a thud beside them.
"Purple-Gold Dragon Riders! We're saved!"
Cheers erupted among the women.
To native NPCs like them, Dragon Knights were the embodiment of strength and safety. Even if they couldn't defeat Baron, they could surely protect a retreat.
"Go where?" Ursula asked coolly, eyes calm and unmoving. "As Empress, I declare no one is permitted to leave this place without my permission."
"But—" Katherine began, but a single glance from Ursula silenced her.
"You speak as if you know Baron personally, Empress. Are you in league with him?" Nadora asked, her eyes sharp.
"I am," Ursula admitted without hesitation. Her smile was soft. "He once saved my life. I found redemption through him."
"So you are colluding with him! You had the Emperor killed!" Nadora hissed, eyes blazing with fury.
The other women recoiled. Deep down, none of them had ever accepted Ursula—a commoner—as one of their own. Nadora merely voiced what they were all thinking.
"Whether the Emperor lives or dies, once you enter the imperial harem, your past is gone. You may never return home," Ursula said quietly.
"It's law. It's tradition."
"Hah! Like hell I'm staying! Who are you to stop me, you filthy commoner?"
Katherine sneered and called her attendants. They brought forth a massive dragon mount.
Others followed her lead, scrambling to flee.
"I said no one leaves."
Ursula's voice remained serene, but her eyes gleamed with frosty light. Her fingers curled around a scepter of crystal and silver.
"The Empress's Scepter!" Nadora gasped.
A wave of pale white light rippled out from the scepter.
Restriction Zone Activated: Imperial Harem – No Exit Permitted
A magic seal locked down the entire harem. The women froze, their escape routes cut off by invisible force.
"You traitorous witch! What is your true connection to Baron!?" Nadora demanded.
Ursula simply smiled, walking toward her. "He is my god. I am nothing more than a humble follower."
"A god? That's a bit much."
A familiar voice echoed from above.
A spatial gate tore open over the palace rooftops.
Crimson Lizard King burst forth, radiating deadly pressure. Below, the purple-gold dragon knight's mount howled and trembled.
"Th-the Dragon Devourer…!" the dragon stammered. Its instincts screamed in terror, inherited from the moment the Purple-Gold Dragon King met its end.
A shadowy figure descended beside them.
Orson stood tall, Supreme Arcane Blade resting on his shoulder, his expression calm.
"Ladies of the Empire. I am Baron Orgod, the Conqueror."
"I'm not as terrifying as the rumors say," he said casually. "I don't believe in imperial hierarchies or dynastic rule. Yes, I killed the Emperor. But I have no intention of harming any of you."
"He's really the one who killed the Emperor!? Oh heavens, he's going to ravish us next! I'm so helpless!" whimpered a woman in the crowd.
Orson's face twisted in confusion—until he spotted her.
A squat, stocky woman with thick black facial hair.
A princess of the Hill Dwarf Clan.
Her exaggerated, girlish squeals came out in full baritone.
"...Oh god."
She had to be Bionna—a 1.49m "beauty" with burly shoulders and a full beard.
Truth be told, by dwarf standards, she was a looker.
But Orson nearly passed out.
Who the hell voted her into the imperial harem!?
Turns out, a group of troll-minded players had done it as a joke during the consort voting phase.
Orson cleared his throat. "Ma'am… rest assured, I have absolutely zero interest in your physical charms."
Bionna exhaled with obvious relief, scuttling behind Ursula like a startled squirrel.
"But," Orson added, smirking, "Forever City is in ruins. We'll need just a tiny bit of love from our new imperial consorts to rebuild."