"Is this really something you desire, Princess Aoi?" I asked, but just one glance at Aoi made me realise how she thought thoroughly about everything.

"Yes, my King." She tried to bow, but I stopped her.

"Then you don't have to bow to me ever again." I smiled. It was time to do it properly for once. "Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife, Aoi?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed with tears of happiness in her eyes.

King Theon of Avalon, the Righteous Dungeon, received a gift after forming an intimate bond with the Dragonkin Princess, Aoi Sora Skadi Ivrill. Queen Aoi allows you to obtain an expansion to your class for your physical body in accordance with the gifts received from Queen Amber, Queen Irene, Queen Luna, and Queen Hestia.

Gift of Aoi Sora Skadi Ivrill:

Passive Skill: Dragon Senses

Passive Skill: Dragon Vitality

Special requirements met, unlocking new dungeon features:

Additional upgrades for spawners are unlocked.

The new spawner is unlocked.

New research is available in the Magic Tower.

New buildings and materials are available.

"Accept this as the first of many gifts, Aoi." I tried to remain calm after seeing this pop up, and I gave Aoi a scroll in return. She opened it and covered her mouth in surprise after reading the first lines. She smiled with true happiness and I felt a hand patting my shoulder.

"Thank you, Theon!" Looking at Zephyr's smiling face, I wasn't sure who was happier; Aoi or him.

"Thank you..." Aoi hesitated.

"Theon." I helped her up and smiled softly. Maybe Zephyr was right? After the horrible life she led so far, becoming my next Queen was not the worst fate?

"Thank you, Theon, for accepting me as your wife. Thank you so much for your gift." She showed everyone the class-changing quest. A Dragon Knight was the most fitting class for her, according to my Talent Gauge. She looked happily at me and replied quietly. "Thank you so much."

Dragon Knight, a class of the same Legendary Rarity as Amber's Elemental Sorceress or Luna's Sage, well... Not to mention Irene's Saintess. A Dragon Knight was an incredibly powerful Tank, that could laugh in the face of even the fiercest of attacks and shrug them off like rain. Aoi suddenly looked weak when all the emotions and anxiety left her, but Amber and Irene helped her and teleported away so she could take a well-deserved rest. As for me, I pondered about how the World's System worked… or if it was Eriar who was pulling strings. However, it was still strange to me. Just a few words, if you used the World's System, not even a proper ceremony, and people were connected forever in marriage. When the three of them left, Idna tried to evacuate as well, but I stopped her.

"Before you go, Lady Idna, I have a question."

"Yes, my Lord?" She looked at me, surprised.

"Where is Knys? I haven't seen him recently."

"Oh..." She smiled innocently, but somehow viciously. "I locked him in his office, under guard, my Lord."

I blinked a few times and looked at her, tilting my head from left to right and wondered if I heard correctly. "You locked him in?"

"Yes, my Lord!" she confirmed, beaming a smile.

I put my hands together, leaving only my index fingers straight, and I tapped the tip of my nose a few times. I still couldn't comprehend the reason behind her actions, and since my current methods proved insufficient, I decided on a more direct approach, so I asked. "But why?"

"It's about time he figured out a proper name for our Guild, my Lord. His constant procrastination on this matter worked on my nerves, so I just locked him up," Idna explained, and I started slowly laughing.

"You are sometimes scary," I said between laughs.

"Thank you, my Lord!" She took that as a compliment.

"However, I don't think that looking for a guild name is necessary, Lady Idna." I took a sip of tea and I noticed that she was watching me curiously. "I want you to establish a central, official Adventurer’s Guild that will be in charge of all the Adventurers in my Kingdom. You will also be privileged to give permits to Adventurers and set rules for Adventurers. Of course, all the quests given by people or myself are going to be directed only to your guild. After all, being an Adventurer is simply a job, but sooner or later it will be a serious branch of the Kingdom's economy."

"I see, my King." She quickly analyzed the options, and I started wondering if she was not better at this job than Knys. She nodded to herself and looked at me again, uncertain. "If I understand correctly, you want our guild to be the only official guild in the Kingdom?"

"That's correct." I nodded.

"I will release the Guild Master in that case. Or not..." Idna tapped her lips with a thoughtful look on her face. "I should tell him to start working on updating the Guild Status instead. I will see it done, my Lord." She promised. "Is that all, my King?"

"I would be glad, Idna, if you could help Queen Aoi in training as a Tank. I know you two will find a common language." I smiled.

"That would be an honour, my Lord!" She bowed and smiled.

"Thank you, Lady Idna, that would be all."

After she left, Zeus crossed his arms in front of him and he pointed outside of the window with his chin. We followed his gaze, and we saw four large figures a few hundred metres from the walls of Avalon.

"Can I deal with them?" Zeus looked at me with an almost begging gaze.

"Just retrieve an item called a golem's core." I shrugged, and he left us so we could finish drinking our tea.

•••

Zeus looked at the clay golems from the height of the walls of Avalon. The Voidlings had become too brazen, too bold, too cocky. His blood boiled with wrath when the sight of Theon holding dying Hestia in his arms returned before his eyes, remembering he was powerless to save her. Only thanks to Theon, his sister was saved, albeit Zeus wasn't sure what would become of her powers. He must get stronger. He raised his hand, sending lightning that for a brief moment connected the heavens and earth. The siege golem's core was hidden inside its chest, a hot furnace of war whose flames powered the magicraft engine of war. Yet compared to the heat of lightning, this furnace was cold. The first of the golems cracked in half and fell down in a loud rumble of debris and dust. Its core dimmed and lay nearby, ready to be reclaimed.

Zeus looked at the second golem coldly as he produced a lighting spear, his favourite weapon, and channelled his power into it. He tossed it with the roar of anger, still furious that they ended up so weak. The lightning spear pierced through the golem and exploded behind him, making the golem stumble and fall to its face. Even though the power of Zeus's weapon was sufficient to destroy it, gravity made sure that it could never rise again. The second golem's core lay dormant, but Zeus was still angry. He took a deep breath and eyed the two remaining golems who stubbornly walked towards the walls of Avalon.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Zeus then created a lightning orb in front of him, and after pouring his entire wrath into it, he sent it toward the two remaining golems that approached the one-hundred-metre marker. The orb smashed the legs of both giants in the perfect moment that guaranteed them to fall on each other. A horrible crash echoed in the distance and rolled over Avalon, but Zeus was still angry.

"Are you done, brother?"

"Hestia..." Zeus turned away and saw her, Hera and Zephyr standing together.

"Don't blame yourself." She approached him and beamed a smile. "It's all right now."

"You just say that to make me feel better. But in reality, we failed you." Zeus looked down and added almost inaudibly. "So many of us have already died..."

"That is true. But I survived." Hestia put her slender arm on his shoulder. "I should be the one grateful instead." She smiled happily. "Theon is not someone who would take lightly my word or force me to do anything, if that's what you are afraid of."

"You know me too well, sister." Zeus sighed and looked at Zephyr. "It looks like you also succeeded in your little shameless scheme."

"Of course." Zephyr grinned and approached the ramparts. "He might look young, but he is far wiser than any mortal his apparent age. I couldn't find anyone better to entrust Aoi to."

"Isn't it strange?" Hera asked and sat on the small bench, and Hestia sat near her. "Why has only Eriar picked a responsible hero and given him enough power?"

"My Hero failed when she had to fight monsters over and over again. She was far too compassionate..." Zeus grinned. "If I remember right, she died of old age, living a slow life as a doctor in some remote corner of the continent."

"You also had an affair with her... What was her name? Pauline?" Hera poked a finger at Zeus, who turned away whistling. "Mine was too hot-headed... He jumped head first at every single fight occasion..." Hera sighed. "I don't even know where he died."

"Mine found his end in the Castle of Blood Dungeon..." Hestia smiled sadly. "As Theon described him, Marcus was too good for this world and, in the end, too naïve." Hestia sighed the same way Hera did. "Marcus died doing a pointless quest, just because there were people who cried for his help."

"I am not playing this game." Zephyr crossed his arms and everyone laughed. "But Theon is not a hero type. I wouldn't select him at all."

"No, he is not. He also doesn't believe in Heroes and insists that he is not a Hero." Hestia smiled. "But my husband is a man who gets things done, no matter what."

They sat in silence for a moment, observing how the Ratkins were collecting the golem cores. Hera finally looked at Hestia and asked, "Are you really okay with that? That you are now a wife to that...?" Hestia put her hand on Hera's lips, forcing her to stop.

"Hera, it was my choice all along. It was I who jumped to protect him during that fight and it was I who selected that option." Hestia smiled warmly, but there was some threat hidden in her calm demeanour. "Don't call him a child as well, since even we are children in Eriar's eyes. At least he seems to not care how old are we."

"Right. Sorry, Hestia." Hera hugged her and the two of them laughed.

•••

"We lost contact with the forces besieging that new dungeon, my Lord." The scribe who was reading the report closed his eyes, preparing to be killed on the spot.

But after a few minutes, he opened his eyes, and he saw his king sitting heavily on the throne, holding his leaned head. Recently, King Korkas was calmer and rarely exploded with anger. It was apparent even for a lowly scribe like him that the subjugation mission turned into failure, or even worse, a catastrophe. But he couldn't understand why his king was so upset. They couldn't control the Blood Dungeon either, so it was as if nothing changed, right? The scribe was standing, trembling, when the doors burst open and someone gave him another scroll with the report. When he read the first few lines, his eyes widened.

"My Lord! A large force consisting of goblins and wolves is rapidly approaching the Capital!"

"Hahahaha! I got you now!" Korkas smiled cruelly. "Go, scribe, and tell General Knecht that I order him to intercept and destroy those monsters."

"At once Your Highness!" The scribe scrambled away as fast as possible, yet he dared to not run in front of his king.

•••

"Your Highness, it looks like the Cridians have some troubles with an unruly dungeon."

"Oh?" The Queen looked at her trusty knight and put down her cup of warm milk. "We must use this, then repay them for razing our farms a few years ago. Prepare the army, Rizk'a, and we will seize the iron mine on the border."

"That wouldn't be very wise." An unknown voice sounded in the room and Rizk'a drew his sword in an instant.

"Who is here?!" He shouted and took a position near his Queen. "Show yourself!"

"My master sends his highest regards and hopes they find you in the best health, Lady Mia Francesca, the Queen of Hilgvar." A tall man wearing a butler's suit appeared in the blind spot of Rizk'a, whose heart started pounding like crazy.

"It's rather rude to appear in the private quarters of a lady without an announcement, don't you think?" She leaned her ears backwards, showing disapproval, but her tail betrayed the shock she was in.

"That is true indeed, but I hope the gifts from my master would be enough to make amends. Unfortunately, I had to act before some irreversible mistakes would... Put a shade on or even forbid our peaceful relations in the future." The strange man produced a large basket full of incredibly rare goods from thin air that almost made Mia shout in disbelief.

"Your master is a very intriguing person. However, my Kingdom is very poor. What interests a person who possesses such wealth to give such gifts as amends could possibly have with my Kingdom?" She put her slender arm on her knight's arm and ordered him to bring her the gifts. She then smiled coldly at the messenger, who couldn't be, for Gods' sake, a mere butler. "Unless it was him who sent all these elusive spies, whose presence we barely could detect days after they left."

"Indeed, it was him."

Queen Mia paled, but opened the basket without hesitation and gasped in shock. "Is this an Elixir...?"

"An Elixir, indeed. My master sent it with the wishes of best health to your sister, Tia Francesca." The butler bowed after putting his hand on his heart and the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. The existence of the Queen's sister was one of the national secrets, due to her sickness.

"Just how much do you know about my Kingdom?" Queen Mia quietly hissed her question.

"After we determined how Your Majesty cares about her people and continues to do everything that is in her power to keep the only dungeon in her kingdom in good condition so easily, my Master became more curious about you." The butler ignored her question and she could only sigh.

"I wouldn't say that keeping good relations with that dungeon was the easy part... However, since the time we started spotting your spy's traces everywhere, it became more easy to..." She suddenly realized something and looked in shock at the butler, who smiled.

"Yes, Lady Mia. It was I who exchanged a few words with Miles, the core of the Tower of Infinity Dungeon. I asked him nicely to stop being such an asshole, pardon my poor language." The butler again bowed in apology. "I was sent here by my master to secure a good relationship with your country. The details are in the letter inside the basket you received. I will be around when you decide to send a reply. However, a series of unfortunate events have recently occurred and Your Highness has to act rather swiftly."

He bowed again and vanished without a trace after stepping into shadow in the corner of the room. Mia leaned heavily on the chair and started hyperventilating, allowing herself a moment of panic. Rizk'a dropped to his knees and started breathing heavily as well, hiding his face in his arms.

"I am so sorry, my Lady! I was too weak..."

"Oh stop... Whoever he was, he could probably kill the entire Royal Guard Battalion guarding my palace." She waved her hand at her friend and quickly found the promised letter. "Rizk'a, I have nothing to forgive you for... Oh, my...NYA?!"

Rizk'a looked at his Queen, who smiled widely, looking over the content of the basket that held many more things than was possible by looking at its size. Inside was not one, but ten Elixirs. She also received many impressive dresses, fitting her Nekomi body, sweets, and a dozen of the highest-grade potions. She pulled out and began reading a long letter written on incredibly thin paper before she covered her mouth in shock.

"Follow me, Rizk'a!" She ordered him after grabbing an Elixir.

She crossed the private rooms of a large but otherwise empty palace and finally got in front of the unassuming doors.

"My lady! We should appraise it!" Rizk'a tried to protest.

"If that person wanted to hurt us, we would already be dead." She opened the doors and stepped inside the dark room. "Tia? It's me."

"Sister..." A quiet voice full of pain was like a sigh.

Mia opened the Elixir and gave it to her sister, who drank it automatically. Nothing happened at first, but then her breath deepened and Tia looked at Mia in shock.

"Mia!? Is that you?! Where are we? Why is it so dark here?!" Tia shouted and sat in the bed she had been lying in for so long.

Mia hugged her sister, but before she could allow herself happiness, she looked at her trusty knight. "Rizk'a, mobilise the entire army and send them to the border with Verksa Kingdom. We don't have much time! According to Lord Theon, Tia's saviour and my dearest friend, we have less than two weeks before Verksa’s invasion."