Chapter 39: How a Queen is Made (Part I)

Overnight, the world turned upside down. The child known as Aurora had vanished.

Fragmented memories and the strange power surging within my body forced me to face a version of myself that was completely unfamiliar.

But I knew—I was Aurora.

Albus’s sorrowful gaze made my heart ache. I could hear a faint, lingering wail in the depths of my soul, a bitter pain as if my heart were being soaked in tears.

When the sun rose, a stealthy figure crept quietly out of the castle.

Taking advantage of the bright sunlight while the vampires were all asleep, I used my traits as a Daywalker to pack my bags and make a run for it. Call it escapism or cowardice, I couldn't stay in the Demon Realm for a single second longer. Rather than waiting for Alastor to send me out, it was faster to slip away on my own.

After sneaking around for quite a while, I found that Alastor—that oversized piece of taffy—hadn't followed me. I smiled at the sight of the space-time gate nearby. Heh, I'm finally not a directionless wanderer anymore. Turns out an increase in power can cure a bad sense of direction! What a discovery...

Stretching my arms and legs, I hummed a little tune in high spirits and swaggered toward the space-time gate. Once I passed through this door, I could say goodbye to the Demon Realm forever.

It had been a total nightmare!

Just as I was gleefully marching toward the gate, I suddenly felt someone grab my leg.

I was startled and instinctively raised my hand to strike.

"Your Majesty! My great Queen!" Without warning, the person clutching my leg wailed out, their excitement beyond words.

Eh? Stunned, I pulled back my hand and looked down into a pair of eyes that were intensely, almost exaggeratedly, fervent.

"You are?"

"I am your child! Your Majesty!" He knelt on one knee, hugging my leg. It was as if a small universe were burning in his eyes as he gazed up at me with utter reverence.

My mouth twitched once, then again. I looked at this fellow who, even while kneeling before me, was still as sturdy as a small mountain.

My child?

Looking at those eager eyes that felt like they were about to melt me, I shivered. I raised my hand and patted his shoulder. "Rise, my... child."

As I said those words, I nearly choked on them.

"Yes! Your Majesty!" The "small mountain" stood up with immense excitement and agitation.

I looked up, then further up, and kept looking up...

Was he from a land of giants?

Since when did I have such a... big... child?

"You don't remember me?" To keep me from spraining my neck, the mountain considerately crouched down to look at me, his eyes wide like copper bells.

Ugh, I didn't dare say I didn't remember; this kid could flatten me with one palm...

Blinking his large, bell-like eyes, the mountain continued to stare at me.

"Little Mountain..." I stammered out of fear, the words slipping out before my brain could process them.

"Little Mountain?" The large eyes clouded with confusion for a moment, then suddenly lit up brilliantly. "Little Mountain?! Is that the name Your Majesty has bestowed upon me?"

"Ahem... yes." I choked for a second, then nodded with feigned gravity. If I had known that this slip of the tongue would attract a "Taffy Number Two," I would never have nodded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Little Mountain looked at me with boundless joy.

I was sweating buckets.

"Your Majesty, where are you going?" the studious Little Mountain asked again.

I was at a loss for words. What was I supposed to say? That the great Queen in his heart was currently preparing to bolt?

"Did you come to pick me up because you heard the news?" His eyes brightened again as the clever Little Mountain answered his own question.

I nodded perfunctorily. Just go, just go... don't block my way. I gazed longingly at the space-time gate right behind him.

"Your Majesty..." Little Mountain looked at me with infinite emotion. Then, without warning, he picked me up with one hand and perched me on his shoulder.

"Hey..." I cried out as I settled onto his shoulder.

"Your Majesty, please just sit on my shoulder; there is no need to trouble your noble feet. I am so touched that you came to meet me..." As he spoke, Little Mountain happily strode back toward the castle.

Watching the space-time gate get further and further away, I was almost moved to tears...

What kind of mess is this...

"Carochi, long time no see." Just as I was feeling utterly depressed, a voice rang out. It sounded sinister and cold, giving me goosebumps.

I turned curiously toward the source of the voice. A man was standing under a tree by the road. He was impossibly thin yet exceptionally beautiful—feminine in a delicate way—but his cold, dark eyes made me extremely uncomfortable.

"Nazga? Did you receive Her Majesty's invitation as well?" Little Mountain strode over to the man.

Her Majesty's invitation? What on earth was that?

"Hmph. Her Majesty was missing for four hundred years; I thought this year's banquet would be canceled," the man called Nazga sneered. "I was quite surprised to receive an invitation."

"How could that be! Haven't you heard the news? On the day of her return, our great Queen severely wounded the Inquisition that tried to ambush the Demon Realm, personally slaying ten Holy Cross Exorcists! Sigh... the Inquisition is too cunning, resorting to ambushes. If they had declared war openly, I definitely would have joined the fight to ensure Her Majesty didn't fight alone!"

Nazga gave a cold scoff. "Carochi, since when did you become such a loyal supporter of the Queen?"

Little Mountain grew angry. "Hmph, we are all children of the Queen!" Then, he raised his head and laughed, "Let me tell you, from now on, I am not called Carochi. My name is Little Mountain!" He spoke with an expression of immense pride.

Carochi... why was this kid so troubled? Why would he give up such a good name for something as tacky as Little Mountain...

Nazga’s eyebrows twitched slightly. "What kind of trashy name is that?"

I was furious... Even though it was trashy, that was a total lack of respect for me!

"This is the name Her Majesty bestowed upon me!" Little Mountain was even angrier than I was. He flexed an arm that was several times thicker than my thigh.

"Your Majesty?" Nazga looked at Little Mountain, a bit surprised. "You actually..."

"I am the Queen's child! It is my honor to serve Her Majesty forever!" Little Mountain spoke with a face full of pride, exceptionally excited.

"Who is she?" Nazga noticed me sitting on Little Mountain's shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"My great Queen!" Little Mountain looked like he was sharing in the glory.

"Her Majesty?" Nazga hummed lightly. "I wasn't aware that the Vampire Queen had somehow lost her fear of sunlight."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a long tentacle suddenly lunged at me.

He suspected I was a fake?

I didn't mind... I really didn't mind. I just wanted to leave this cursed place quickly!

Caught off guard, I leaned back, trying to evade the tentacle. I couldn't dodge in time, and the tentacle wrapped around my arm. The cold, slimy sensation made my hair stand on end.

A snake?!

It wasn't a tentacle; it was a snake!

I wasn't afraid of mice or cockroaches, but... I was terrified of snakes!!!

A surge of fear caused a black flame to erupt from my left arm. The snake wrapped around my arm instantly turned into a roasted snake, making a "sizzling" sound and emitting a fragrance like a teppanyaki grill.

Nazga let out a cry of surprise. I watched with regret as the nearly-cooked snake was yanked back from my arm; that snake meat probably would have tasted decent.

Seeing Nazga frowning and clutching his charred right hand, I was fascinated. It turned out the snake was a manifestation of his arm.

"How dare you offend Her Majesty!" Little Mountain was furious.

"Nazga of the Serpent Clan greets Your Majesty," Nazga said, bowing his head slightly, no longer daring to be insolent.

Serpent Clan? So he's a snake demon? No wonder...

"Heh, Nazga, it seems you've made a miscalculation for once." A slightly deep voice spoke, carrying a hint of schadenfreude.

I turned and saw a lean, capable-looking man. He had long brown hair tied up high and was bare-chested, with a large bow slung across his back. His bronze skin marked him as a man of great agility.

"Usan of the Wolf Clan greets Your Majesty." Seeing me look at him, he leaned forward slightly and then looked up with a smile. "Rumor had it the Queen had been missing for four hundred years. Seeing you today, it seems Your Majesty no longer fears the sun."

This man wasn't easy to deal with either.

I sighed inwardly. Comparing them all, Little Mountain was still the most honest and reliable kid.

"Orlando of the Elf Clan greets Your Majesty." A voice with a touch of childishness spoke, sounding very pleasant.

I looked around, but besides Little Mountain, Nazga, and Usan, there was no one else.

"I am here, Your Majesty." The voice carried a hint of a smile.

Then I felt a soft, warm kiss on the back of my hand. My eyes widened slightly. Standing before me was a small boy with wings.

He fluttered his transparent wings and smiled. "Orlando of the Elf Clan greets Your Majesty."

A "shota"! A total "shota"!

I love it! Salivating slightly, I grabbed him and planted a firm kiss on his chubby yet delicate cheek. "Orlando? You're so cute!"

The surroundings fell into a dead silence...

Only the sound of the wind whistling by...

Nazga, Usan, and even the little shota Orlando were frozen like fossils. Only the honest and reliable Little Mountain had a relatively normal expression.

Did I do something strange?

Is it that weird to act this way when seeing a cute little boy?

Hmph, how baffling.

Under the watchful eyes of Nazga, Usan, Orlando, and Little Mountain, I, the titular Queen, naturally couldn't make such an undignified exit. I could only follow them back to the castle with a sigh of regret.

Sitting on Little Mountain's shoulder while holding the smiling little shota Orlando, we entered the castle and saw Alastor standing under the corridor in the distance.

"Your Majesty." Alastor stepped forward and bowed to me properly, appearing not at all surprised that I had returned with them. He turned to the four unexpected guests. "Nazga, Usan, Orlando, Carochi—welcome to Her Majesty's castle."

"Archon, Her Majesty has bestowed a name upon me. I am now called Little Mountain!" Little Mountain corrected him excitedly.

"The Queen bestowed a name?" Alastor gave me a long, lingering look.

I wondered silently why everyone acted so strangely just because of a name.

"The leaders of the other clans have arrived. The banquet begins tonight. Please, rest for a while."

Leaders of the other clans? I broke into a sweat and looked down tremblingly at Orlando in my arms. Was this cute little shota actually the leader of the Elf Clan?

I was holding... a leader...

Orlando smiled and looked up at me.

I coughed and let go. "Uh... well, everyone please go and rest...

Servants led them away, but Little Mountain remained where he stood, as unmoving as his namesake.

"Carochi..." Alastor began.

"Please call me Little Mountain," he said with stark honesty.

"..." Alastor nodded. "Little Mountain, please go and rest."

"I must serve Her Majesty," Little Mountain said very seriously.

"There is no need..." Alastor shook his head.

"I must serve Her Majesty," Little Mountain insisted.

I was a bit touched... this kid was really persistent...

"Let him go rest." Alastor gave up and turned to me.

I suddenly remembered I had a score to settle with him, so I nodded and jumped off Little Mountain's shoulder with a smile. "Little Mountain, you go rest first."

"Yes." Little Mountain gave me an intense, fervent look and finally left.

A split second later, a scream rang out, echoing through the entire castle.

Hearing the scream, Little Mountain turned back in confusion.

"Go rest." I grinned and gave him an exceptionally kind smile.

Little Mountain nodded with a face full of emotion and left.

In the castle hall, only Alastor and I remained. I pinched his face hard.

Alastor made a pained face. "Aurora... gentler, don't ruin my beauty..."

I pinched his cheek. "Speak! Did you know from the start that I was going to leave? Did you bet on the fact that I wouldn't be able to get away? What did you do! What was that about the Queen's invitation they mentioned!" I yelled everything all at once. To think I was secretly gloating; turns out he didn't follow me because he knew exactly when I'd be back.

"The Demon Realm's gathering every four hundred years was set thousands of years ago..." Alastor said with a grimace.

I let go and sighed at my bad luck.

"Why did you take Carochi under your wing?" Alastor saw me let go and leaned in again, asking eagerly. "Am I not good enough?"

"Take him under my wing?" I was confused.

"You don't know?" Alastor cried out.

"You knew I was a rookie!"

"Besides the vampires, there is another category in the Demon Realm: the demons. Carochi is the leader of the Giant Clan and belongs to the demon category," Alastor glanced at me. "The demons have a law: they regard the one who names them as their master and pledge their loyalty unto death."

"What?" I was stunned.