Chapter 24

"It's been a while, isn't it? Mr. Velc Frostblade," said a melodious voice, resonating with authority and familiarity.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Velc responded with a deep bow, his voice carrying a tone of profound respect. A subtle pale spread across his face, indicating a mix of surprise and..... fear.

"Hail to the Empress Marisandra Naiadia, Sovereign of Aquaris Naiadae! May her reign be as boundless and enduring as the oceans she governs," Lucius exclaimed, bowing deeply with an astonished expression on his face.

Soon, those who were in the midst of their activities within the temple halted their steps and immediately kneeled, following Lucius's lead.

As others kneeled, they chanted in unison, "Hail to the Empress Marisandra Naiadia," lowering their heads in a collective gesture of reverence.

Each individual displayed a mixture of surprise and awe, recognizing the significant presence of their esteemed ruler.

"Raise your heads, My subjects"

Hearing the gentle command, everyone lifted their heads and beheld a magnificent sight:

A glossy purple-haired girl, adorned with a tiara that served as a radiant display of authority, descended gracefully from the carriage. Clad in a resplendent gown of deep amethyst, intricately embroidered with threads of gold and embellished with jewels, she showcased her curves with regal elegance.

The neckline of her gown was artfully tailored to accentuate her ample bosom, seamlessly blending allure with majestic poise. Her misty purple eyes, captivating and enchanting, swept across the assembled subjects... except for one.

"Fuckers!! Stop!!"

Hearing those unexpected cursing words, everyone turned to look at the source with a mix of shock and mild apprehension, aware that offending their Empress could incur severe consequences.

However, their expressions soon turned to bewilderment when they saw,

"I told you to stop picking at me!! You Fuckers!!" Aether shouted, feeling his already weakened state getting even weaker due to the incessant pecking.

"Arrhh! Stop It!" Aether tried to lash out, yet no one seemed to worry as they continued pecking him.

What's more,

+1 Affection

+1 Affection

+1 Affection

+1 Affection

They were giving him affection through pecking.....but it was genuinely painful.

Love sometimes comes with pain...

'Fuck that!!!' He had first provided them with food, expecting simple affection points, but now these birds were treating him as if he had offered himself as their next meal.

They should be pecking the food, not him!!

The comical and unexpected turn of events added a touch of humour to the otherwise formal and grand scene.

"FUCK!!" Aether cried out in pain as he felt a warm sensation in his head, blood flowing from the peck wounds. He attempted to move, but he was now totally surrounded by the birds.

'What the fuck is happening!!' Aether cried inwardly, a mixture of frustration and bewilderment overwhelming him.

"Heheh..." Some onlookers chuckled, finding amusement in Aether's unexpected predicament..... it was none other than Timmy.

It was for this reason that no one fed the animals. Just like humans, animals could be selfish, and once you feed them, you would be forced to feed them more.

Velc's face turned even paler as he worried that the Empress might feel disgraced by a slave's misconduct.

He glanced at Alfred, who nodded in understanding and was about to take action when the soldiers from the Empress's side had already gone to Ether.

'Shit!!' Velc cursed inwardly before starting to plead, "Y-Your Majesty, le-let me apologize for my son's slave's misconduct--"

Before he could finish, Empress Marisandra Naiadia gave Velc an indifferent glance that was enough to silence him. The Empress was uninterested in the affairs of a mere slave at the moment.

"Hey, Slave st--"

Before those soldiers could say anything, Aether, in a sudden burst of agility and desperation, immediately went behind them.

'Chirp, Chirp'

'Tweet, Tweet'

'Flip, Flap'

The birds hovered before the armour-wearing soldiers and then, with surprising precision, hurled themselves towards them. Feathers flew in a chaotic flurry, accompanied by squawks and surprised shouts from the soldiers.

'Tack, Tick, Tack, Tick, Ting, Tang, Tick...'

As the birds continued their relentless pecking on the surprised soldiers, the rhythmic sound of their avian onslaught echoed through the silent atmosphere.

'Deep Exhale' Aether took a deep breath, finding a moment of calm amidst the chaos, before calmly saying, "Thank you for your support!!" He then turned around to make his exit.

"H-Hey, wait--Tsk.."

The soldiers attempted to catch Aether, but the persistent birds were making it increasingly difficult, pecking and fluttering around the soldiers.

Aether grinned inwardly when he checked his Log,

Affection Points: 00982 (1000 Affection Points = 1 *any Attributes)

'Just a few more, then I can finally change that negative!!' Aether grinned. He had endured this peculiar method for a week due to the scarcity of food; he could only sacrifice his meals to increase his affection points.

Once he turned the negative into a positive, he wouldn't resort to this method anymore. Aether believed in training his body himself, finding the system/log to be rather useless.

'There is no need for a useless system,' Aether thought, still feeling that his system/log was a total waste for him.

However, his attention suddenly shifted as he froze upon seeing a purple-haired woman.

Not merely captivated by her beauty... well, maybe a little..... but that wasn't the most important aspect.

"Your eyes are gorgeous, Miss."

Yes, that's all. He kind of had a kink for the eyes... No, No, No, need to judge him.

Aether had a genuine appreciation for the beauty of eyes, finding them to be a unique and fascinating aspect of an individual's charm.... That's all.

Hearing Aether's comment about the purple-haired woman's eyes, Velc felt sweat pouring down his forehead like bullets. 'Fuck this shit!! I shouldn't have brought him here!!!' he screamed inwardly, glancing at Alfred, who also turned pale at the situation.

'Definitely!!' In contrast to their father's anxiety, both Kai and Timmy secretly agreed when they glanced at the enchanting purple eyes. However, they knew better than to express such thoughts in front of their empress, aware that any inappropriate gaze could cost them severe consequences.

No one dared to look at her body with lustful intent, fully understanding that such actions could roll their head on the floor before they could register her beauty!

Aether frowned at the sight of people kneeling before the purple-haired woman, curious about the reason behind it.

He wondered why....

'Is she going for a baptism?' Aether pondered.

"YOU!!" Suddenly, a soldier pushed Aether down and shouted, "You are in the presence of Empress Marisandra Naiadia. Kneel, you slave!!"

'Grrrr' Aether grunted as the soldier exerted pressure on him, clearly enjoying the display of dominance.

Empress Marisandra Naiadia merely cast a glance at the commotion before regally walking into the temple.

"Your Majesty! May I assist you?" Lucius said as he followed the Empress, shooting a quick glance at Velc.

After the Empress entered the temple,

'Thud!'

"I told you not to move around, didn't I?" Velc asked with an indifferent voice as he tightened his grip on Ether's neck.

"I-I..." Aether struggled to speak, his face turning bright red, grappling with the pressure on his neck that made it increasingly difficult to breathe. The force of Velc's grip intensified the sensation of being restrained, adding to the discomfort Aether already felt.

"Master, Lucius called for us," Alfred said, even though Alfred wanted to see Ether's suffering but now was the time for that.

"Tsk, Stay here!"

'Thud'

'-Ha-Ha-Ha-'

Aether landed on the ground, gasping for breath as he tried to recover from the forceful encounter. His red eyes lingered on Velc, a mixture of anger and 'unknown emotions' evident in his gaze, 'Calm down!' he thought, reminding himself to regain composure amidst the chaos and pressure.

This 'Unknown Emotions'... Aether couldn't understand why they come and go.... it was weird.