The sky over Essear has always had a bluish-green haze about it. When one stares at the sky, one gets an ethereal sense, and their mind is engulfed in mystery. What is beyond this horizon? Is there something more out there? When one stares at the sky, one gets an ethereal sense and thoughts shrouded in mystery. What is beyond this horizon? Is there something more out there?

Folk tales from the primal era have always mentioned a world tree that existed beyond the planet of Essear, and the world tree in those folk tales has innumerable worlds on it and serves as the center of the universe. It is the genesis of all life and everything in the universe.

But, even after countless years, none of the races was able to travel above the sky, and as the years and generations passed, this tale faded.

***

Whoosh!

The gusty winds appeared to go on forever as they blasted boisterously and were followed by torrential rain. The previously bluish-green sky appeared to have distortions as lightning came down and gently lit up the sky.

The waves appeared to have reached a perilous level of ferocity, and the emerald-colored water below likewise seemed to have become more ferocious.

A single, golden-colored ship with a magnificent design stuck out among all of this. However, the ship's charm and beautiful beauty were nowhere to be seen because the whole thing appeared to be swaying left to right as it struggled to stay afloat.

The deck of this ship was entirely submerged within, and the crewmen's yells could occasionally be heard as they fought to keep the ship upright amid the fierce storm.

But what was surprising was that, even though the situation appeared dire, none of the sailors exhibited any anxiety. This was due to a significant factor: they were all elite.

Elites were chosen to ride "The Kestrel," the ship used for the Ravalar royal family's vacation. They had completed several training sessions and a grueling selection procedure to be picked for this coveted post. The race to become servants of the illustrious Ravalar family!

One of the four major royal families that dominated the Aasimar race was the Ravalar dynasty.

The Aasimar race was a strong race that resided in the lands of Essear. They were distinguished by their silver complexion, pointy ears, and red or black hair.

"Aaaahhhh!"

But as they heard a piercing wail that resonated throughout the ship, all of the commotion and activity that were going on on the deck came to an abrupt stop.

Everyone on the ship was aware of the identity of the voice. It belonged to her majesty, Queen Eariel. She was traveling on this ship as the reigning queen of the Ravalar kingdom, visiting several islands off the coast of the realm. Since she had been queen, she had taken this trip every two decades as part of her formal duties.

There was nothing wrong with this custom, which had been practiced for many years.

But the queen's pregnancy and current labor symptoms were what was seriously wrong. At only 10 months into her pregnancy, it was very natural for the queen to travel. Additionally, the trip's duration was brief and she was surrounded by a strong entourage.

Aasimarian women often gave birth after around 24 months of pregnancy, which was perfectly acceptable given their lengthy lifespan. There has never been an instance of preterm delivery, and this was an unforeseen circumstance.

The doors to the cabin where the queen was resting were suddenly ripped open, and a small, young woman with a pale face ran out.

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"Where is Ser Egnor now? Ser Egnor! Where are you right now? " The desperation on the young woman's face grew as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

She then heard footsteps, and as she turned to look, she saw a medium-sized man approaching with short, reddish-gray hair, hazel eyes, and a mustache.

He was dressed in studded leather and carried a huge combat axe that was cloth-wrapped over his back. However, he lacked any ferocity and merely had a delicate and lovely grin.

"Adrielen, in your capacity as one of her majesty's guards, you must constantly be on your best behavior and refrain from yelling as much as possible," Egnor replied calmly as he made his way smoothly to the cabin.

"Ser, you must understand the gravity of the issue! The queen is in labor, and we're stranded in the middle of nowhere! "

"There are just a few maids accompanying the queen to assist her during childbirth; none of us are prepared for such a thing!"

Adrielen panted as she told Egnor about the gravity of the situation.

Egnor didn't even turn around as he walked slowly into the cabin. He knelt at the doorway and said, "Egnor greets Her Majesty, the Queen!"

Soon after, a feeble voice came across from one of the cabin's numerous rooms, "Don't worry about me, Egnor; we'll be OK here. I am certain that I can give birth with the assistance of my maids. "

"Just be careful to keep the ship safe throughout this time."

Egnor slowly rose to his feet, his demeanor unaffected. He slowly stepped up to the deck and began delivering directions to the ship's crew.

The deck soon fell silent, and the crew began to perform in synchronization without even speaking to one another.

Egnor and a few of the other guards stood in formation around the ship. Even though the ship was in the middle of a storm and the queen was giving birth, none of them showed any emotion.

Rumble!

The sound of thunder pierced everyone's ears as lightning flashed. The sky was becoming darker as the storm appeared to go on forever.

"Something doesn't feel quite right here." As he stood watching outside the cabin, Egnor seemed to murmur.

Adrielen, on the other hand, was rather anxious and was building up some confidence. She inquired, "What is the problem, Ser Egnor? Although the scenario is tense, the delivery is proceeding normally, right? Even yet, I don't dare doubt your senses; after all, you're known for your keen intuition, and you're even known as the lucky knight. "

"Luck has nothing to do with it, Adrielen. This is merely the culmination of years of training and experience. But what is now perplexing me is the birth of this child. This has never happened before! The timing for this is likewise immaculate; it occurs while his majesty is not present. I think there's a conspiracy going on he-"

Thud!

Before he could continue speaking, the barrelman, serving as the ship's lookout and sitting atop the crow's nest, was thrown to the ground with an arrow lodged in his chest.

(Author's note: A lookout point or a structure located at the upper section of a ship's main mast is called a crow's nest.)

"Hurry to cover!" Finally displaying extreme alarm, Egnor yelled loudly before leaping superhumanly from the cabin to the foremast with a quick movement of his feet.

The remainder of the crew didn't require any other orders, and they all quickly advanced into their defensive positions. There were several guarding the cabin, standing in the right formation, ready for the fight.

While attempting to detect the adversary that was coming, Egnor stood at the figurehead at the front of the ship's deck.

"Ser, I don't see any enemies close to us. Do you know who you think assaulted us? " One of the perplexed sailors couldn't hold back his urge to speak after not seeing his opponents.

Egnor remained still as he continued to examine the scene in front of him. His gaze narrowed as his hands slowly drew near the battle axe hanging from his back.

Rumble!

"Now!"

The entire ship suddenly trembled in response to the gruff voice's yell. Many shadows wearing gray robes appeared to have sprung into action from all corners of the ship as they came at the sailors with a ferocious desire for murder as lightning flashed in the background.

Egnor lifted his war axe in answer to the call and flunked it down violently.

Slice!

The waves in front of the ship appeared to have split in half, and soon they could see what appeared to be a little ship! There was nothing there before, so it appeared to have materialized out of thin air.

The little ship appeared to have taken a significant blow and was nearly destroyed.

A figure, though, stood among the debris of the little ship. No one could see his face since he was dressed in brilliant purple armor, but just by looking at him, one could tell he was a ferocious warrior.

The figure in purple armor exhaled deeply as he leaped quickly toward the ship.

"This is for Aasimaria!" As he landed on the ship's deck, the purple-armored figure yelled. Egnor paid no attention to anything else and swung his battle axe at the person wearing purple armor.

As heavy rain fell and lightning and thunder danced in the background, fighting erupted on various parts of the ship.