Stray

The world has gone crazy.

Perhaps this was what most people in the hall were thinking at this moment.

Prince Eldric’s guess was correct. Not every family was as loyal as House Salter. Compared to the group of fools whose brains were dominated by useless morals like the Salter’s, it was better to get more for your family…

The vast machine of Alban was still running, not because of how much they love it, but because they were a member of this big ship. The roots of each ancient family were too deep, and if Alban fell, everyone in the hall would undoubtedly be hit hard to varying degrees.

The first emperor Sampson was extremely strong, but for the sake of the gold rolling in, the vassals were willing to restrain some of their thoughts and bend their backs respectfully. After Sampson’s death, the successor, Prince Ettram, tried to emulate his father, but unfortunately lacked the talent and courage.

The young king’s heath was fragile, and he had no heir. Many had already made their own private calculations. While responding to Willard’s frequent provocations, the various families were cautiously gathering their tentacles.

The rich and powerful prince and the stubborn and weak king would have a fight.

This wasn’t a battle that would end with just death. Even if the king was dead, he could still order and establish a regency and temporarily hand over control to the Salters until a new heir could sit on the throne.

House Salter was a large family. The Alastair family would always marry a girl from the Salter’s for generations, and their interests have long been intertwined.

In order to prevent his heirs from emulating Willard and killing their own siblings, the royal family of Alban, who valued bloodlines, could temporarily hand over the regency power which acted as the last barrier. Regardless of whether there was a direct or branch line, the royal family’s blood was thin enough that large families would possess some of it.

In the eyes of everyone, this war was undoubtedly just a gladiatorial fight between the prince and the king’s ghost. Everyone already guessed what the outcome would be, and history was always open to be rewritten before being recorded.

If the evidence wasn’t exposed, there was no so-called “fact”.

If Gallagher Salter was defeated, the next king would undoubtedly be the prince himself. And if Marshal Gallagher was smart enough to kill in front everyone in the palace and publish the evidence, the prince would be detained, and Gallagher would be regent until a new prince emerged.

Unsurprisingly, he would ensure this by marrying the princess when she comes of age.

There were no other possibilities.

…Originally that was what they thought.

No one had ever looked at Princess Delia. She was just a thin little girl, the prince’s puppet. She never said more than three sentences at once; quiet and dull, that many people even privately doubted her intelligence.

A silent chess piece that was easy to use.

But the dull princess was standing in front of the throne and had cut the throat of her loved one’s corpse like a chicken. A cold aura surged around her. They didn’t know if she was crazy or possessed by a demon. The chess game was finally about to end and this little girl, who didn’t know the height of the sky directly overturned the chessboard.

The hand of the prince that was holding the sword was trembling. His previously suffocated red face slowly turned pale.

“You’re not qualified to talk to me like this, Delia.” After the initial shock, the prince’s tone was frighteningly calm. “Child, rules are rules, and you have to pay for these words. I understand your pain, you just—”

But the little princess didn’t stop there. She seemed to be planning to throw all the grudge she had accumulated over the years at him, like throwing out a highly poisonous blade.

“Praise Zenni, you really know everything. You said you understand? I have been watching you, uncle. I have been listening to what you have said, and I haven’t missed a day for eight years.”

The little princess turned the knife skillfully between her fingers, and the smile in her voice became stronger.

“After eating a few sips of lunch that didn’t taste good, you thought you understood the sorrow of those starving to death. When the flowers raised in the backyard withered suddenly you thought you understood the despair of losing a loved one. Practicing your swordsmanship until your wrists sore, you thought you understood the fatigue of working all day long. Getting a papercut and you thought you understood the severe pain of a rotting wound.”

“Perhaps you have read countless books and know the cause and effect of these pains, but you will never understand. You can only imagine. No one can understand the pain of others. I think at this point, self-aware cold rationality is stronger than self-righteous compassion.”

“You’re just a sixteen-year-old girl who has some intelligence and madness. What do you know?” the prince sneered, slightly raising the sword in his hand.

“Catch her.” He irritably ordered to the guards around him.

“Unlike you, at least I know very well that ‘I can never understand’.” The little princess also sneered back, and then raised her voice. “It’s time!”

The great nobles had already crowded to the other side of the vast hall to make room for the guards to fight. Facts proved that this decision was extremely wise— As soon as the little princess’s voice fell, two figures slowly appeared from the air, and then they caught up with the guards who rushed forward.

The position of the man in exquisite armor and the plainly dressed female warrior was strikingly obvious. The two separated the little princess from the prince and fought with the guards in a ball, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.

Most offensive magic had been banned in the royal hall, and at this moment only the most primitive killing took place.

The great nobles made a quick decision. Smashing open the magic jewelry they carried with them at almost the same time and decided to exchange freedom of movement for personal safety. The brilliance of various magic shields instantly illuminated the hall.

Prince Eldric didn’t do so.

He still held the hilt of the sword firmly in his hand.

“Salter, get him away!” Ann cried. “I can’t shield Delia like this.”

She didn’t disguise her voice this time.

The little princess slowly moved her gaze to Ann’s face and narrowed her eyes.

“I’m afraid it will take some time, Your Highness.” Gallagher waved away a guard.

Salter. Your Highness.

For a while, everyone focused on the two of them.

Ann didn’t hesitate; she once again threw out the Royal Edict and without hesitation Salter fished out a golden crystal and applied blood to it…

Another emblem of the Alastair family stood up. The two emblems rotated in the air, and then overlapped at the same time.

A special spell that could be cast within the royal hall, a unique crystal that could be used within the royal hall.

“If you hear this. Then I must have been killed by Eldric Alastair.” The voice of the dead emperor echoed in the hall.

Ann stood in front of the expressionless Delia as a spear pierce the abdomen of the guard in front of her.

“I have placed a lot of props for recording by my side, and there should be enough as proof. The Salter family knows their location. I hereby give permission to Gallagher Salter to disregard the honor of the royal family, temporarily imprison Prince Eldric, and hold a public trial.”

Gallaher’s longsword slashed down fiercely, directly giving his enemy a narrow, bloody gash in the chest, staining most of his armor.

The prince sighed.

Confidence, relaxation, and pride at this moment all turned into exhaustion and despondency. Even the youngest could see that the man in front of him had only anger, not a semblance of remorse.

“You don’t understand,” he murmured. “A group of poor bastards trapped by boring trifles will never see the real overall situation.”

“Yeah, I’m small-minded.” Ann kicked away the two guards in front of her, wiped the bloodshot corners of her mouth, and spit out her words one by one. “Long time no see, dear brother.”

“You are Andrea.” The prince’s tone was flat. “…According to the current signs, you are indeed Andrea.”

Ann could hear Delia’s breathing suddenly became short behind her.

“I crawled out of the grave, but unfortunately, I couldn’t take Belle with me,” Ann replied.

The hunting spear and the gorgeous saber collided instantly causing to sparks splattered.

Prince Eldric was very intelligent, and his swordsmanship was naturally skilled. Ann tasted the killing intent from the fierce offensive. Things have reached the point where the prince has given up on advancing his plan step by step and clearly intend to give one final last shot in this desperate situation.

“Although I am very dissatisfied with this— But if you stop now, there may be a way for you to live,” Ann hissed.

“Unfortunately, for stupid people, complete domination is the right way. Father was right to teach that women will only do bad things.” The prince has no intention of stopping at all.

“Your Highness!” Consciously separated by the guards, Salter, who was not far away, was leaning towards his side one against ten and warned loudly.

Ann knew what he was warning her— Now wasn’t the time to kill Eldric.

She used a hunting spear to resist the blade of the sword, and a trace of sadness suddenly came out of her heart.

The hideous face of the man in front of her and the tender smiling face of a child slowly overlapped. A smiling face floated from the bottom of her rotten memories. Perhaps it was some kind of instruction from heaven— This would be the last side she would see of her brother, the face that was specifically brought to her eyes.

[They are so cute! Can I hug them, father?]

[No, that doesn’t make sense, Eldric.]

It was the first time they met, and there were a handful of subsequent meetings.

The child at the beginning and the man now had a subtle similar loneliness on their faces. It was a pity that time had long passed, and with countless hatred, anger, and indifference, she didn’t think they will have a chance to recover.

The hunting spear passed through the prince’s shoulder.

“Stop it. This is your last chance, Eldric.” Ann’s tone was serious. “Now stand down and pay the price for what you did— You should be more familiar with the laws of Alban than I am, and you know you can still live.”

This time the prince did not respond positively.

Even though Ann had tried her best to lead the battle away from Delia, the situation suddenly changed at the moment of her sadness. Ignoring the wound, Eldric stabbed the tip of the sword straight at the little princess’ chest.

Not only did Delia have no fear, but she showed a slightly distorted smile.

She raised her dagger as Cat Whiskers stood on her shoulders and raised her feet high, obviously intending to use the power of the Abyss to assist…

But Eldric failed to move forward again.

His sword stopped a few centimeters in front of Delia, and the sharp blade that the little princess rushed at him also stayed in the air.

A hunting spear pierced in from behind the prince and protruded out of his chest. The angle was frightening and it was right in the heart.

The gorgeous saber landed first, and the prince’s expression was still a little puzzled. It seemed to be surprised by the enemy’s completely unreasonable attack.

He opened his mouth, leaving only pain, anger, and despair on his face in the end.

As if someone had pressed the pause button, the prince’s fall to the ground caused the sound of weapons colliding to stop instantly.

She watched the corpse in front of her fell on the edge of the throne; black and red blood soaked the gorgeous carpet. Delia raised her eyes to Ann in front of her

She raised the dagger and took a step back. Ann was obviously aware of her vigilance. She moved her shoulder that was sprain due to the tricky attack and bit her lower lip.

“Your Highness…” Gallagher was silent for a long time, sighing softly. Then he cleared his throat.

“Eldric Alastair is dead, but in order to expose his sins, the public trial will be held as scheduled.”

The timing struck just right as Gallagher’s army successfully broke through the defense and rushed into the hall. The great nobles who still protected themselves in their barriers woke up like a dream. Like cold water poured into a hot oil pan, the voices in the royal hall exploded all at once.

But at this moment Ann wasn’t in the mood to care about this.

“Delia,” she called softly.

She knew what the reason for the other party’s vigilance was and felt sad from the bottom of her heart for it. Delia’s eyes were slightly red, but there was indeed a trace of undisguised hostility in her strong vigilance.

For Delia, there was essential no difference between herself and Eldric. They were both blood relatives of hers, but this didn’t mean anything.

“…” Delia didn’t let go of the blade in her hand. “Why?”

Her voice was a little hoarse. “Why didn’t you let me kill him? I don’t understand, you… You’re Andrea, I have heard of you. If I kill him, it will be more beneficial to your succession. The relationship between you and my mother has been broken for more than 20 years. It stands to reason that you—”

“Because you’re only fucking sixteen years old!”

Ann roared loudly, the intense emotions made the tip of her nose red.

“What the fuck is reasonable— You’re just sixteen-year-old and the thought in your mind shouldn’t be how to kill people! For me to stand here and watch you do this; What am I? A brute?”

Delia’s calm mask began to crack, and her lower lip trembled slightly. “As a qualified member of the royal family. Sooner or later…”

“Bullshit!”

Ann threw the hunting spear away and directly reached out to grab Delia’s hand. The latter reflexively waved her short knife, but when the blade cut through the flesh, and the warm blood flowed out, the little princess couldn’t continue.

And Ann didn’t seem to feel the pain.

“This is the feeling of hurting people with your own hands. Remember it.” The female warrior sniffled. She firmly but not forcefully pulled Delia to the middle of the hall, beside Salter.

At this moment, the great nobles were looking forward to approaching Salter in the limited time they had, trying to look good in front of the “regent” in their minds.

“You should hold a wedding with Her Royal Highness Andrea as soon as possible, and then…”

“Regarding Willard’s war, you plan to…”

“You…”

Ignoring the chaotic sound, Ann impatiently patted Marshal Gallagher’s armor. “Hey Salter, I have to take Delia to a—”

She also failed to finish.

Instead of taking up his scepter as they rightfully thought he would and following the king’s orders to start straightening out this mess…

He neatly pierced his long sword into the floor in front of him, and half knelt respectfully, lowering his head to the simple female warrior.

“Time is limited, let me make this short,” he said, taking off his helmet, revealing the long sweaty hair tied behind his head.

“I am here to dedicate my loyalty to my king, and I will guard you until the end of your life. I will be your sword, your shield, advise bluntly, and never lie. From this moment on, all my glory and life belong to you.”

Then he lowered the volume. “Your Highness, sword.”

Time was indeed limited, and countless pairs of thoughtful eyes were staring at them. Now every second of procrastination and every minute of leaked emotions could produce variables. Ann didn’t ask any questions, she simply drew out her sword and lightly touched the marshal’s shoulder three times.

“Are you really going to kiss my boots?” She also lowered her volume. “You saw what they stepped on.”

The marshal stood up resolutely and pulled on Ann’s relatively clean hand.

“I didn’t have time to wipe my hands after coming out the sewers, Mr. Mad Dog.” Ann continued in a low voice.

After gently kissing the back of her hand, Marshal Gallagher turned pale.

Ann reluctantly smiled and hit his armor with her elbow.

“Thanks,” she said.

“Next is my order.” The female warrior raised her head slightly.

“I’m letting you all down. I have no plans to marry this guy. We dislike each other.”

Gallagher turned his head slightly.

“I won’t have offspring either.”

The nobles, who had just fallen into shock and confusion, exploded again.

“Alban’s next heir has been decided.” She took Delia’s hand again. “I will temporarily take over the throne until Delia Alastair is mature enough to take over the country.”

“As an elder? “The little princess asked softly in a voice that Ann could only hear.

“No, as an ally.” Ann clenched her hand “It’s okay, Delia.”

The little princess didn’t say a word.

“It’s okay.” Ann repeated again.

Finally, she heard the cry. The next emperor that Alban was already set. The still young princess opened her arms, buried her face in Ann’s chest, and began to sob in a low voice.

After ten seconds, she began to cry loudly like a real child.

Ann hugged the other party’s weak shoulders, put her chin on the top of the little princess’s head, and patted Delia’s trembling back soothingly. Cat Whiskers climbed up along her hand and shook its two front forefeet vigorously under Ann’s nose desperately pointing to itself.

“Contact from Nemo and the others?” Ann twitched her nose again, ignored the sour eyes. “Yes, no problem now… Hey, listen, captain.”

She whispered softly to the little spider.

“I seem to have become a king by accident.”

The author has something to say:

Ollie: ???? Isn’t the concentration of kings in this team too high?

Nemo: ??????!

Kinky Thoughts:

That’s it for this arc. Such a great arc and Ann is such a great character.

Arc summary

After leaving the Ismal’s Labyrinth, Tumbleweed gets a request from Ann to help her meet with Delia Alastair, the young princess of Alban. Political turmoil had started as the emperor of Alban, Ettram Alastair, was murdered by his younger brother, Eldric Alastair. With Ettram not having any heirs, Eldric plans to steal the throne. In the process he also murders, Annabelle Alastair, Delia’s mother to secure his path. Ann wants to meet with Delia and see if she wants to escape all this madness.

It is then that Ann’s past is revealed. She is part of the Alban royal family, and her real name is Andrea Alastair and she’s the twin sister of Annabelle. At age 14, she ran away from the royal family after she overheard her father’s plan of murdering Flint Lopez’s wife in order to give one of his daughters to wed Flint when they came of age, while the other was to wed a duke. Long story short, she encountered many hardships and eventually becomes a Black Chapter after realizing that her father had never loved her and only saw her as a tool to use to further his ambitions. Seeing that she had escape, he declared to the world that she had died and sent a kill order for her.

To meet with Delia, Tumbleweed infiltrate a grand ball hosted by the royal family to disperse rumors that the current emperor was already dead. It is then that Ann discovers Delia is suffering from Trent Plague and couldn’t easily escape. To find a cure, Nemo suggest they find Balthazar Medes, a necromancer and was one of the two remaining members of the Tin Soldiers that was still alive. He apparently helped Flint saved Oliver and thus likely knew a cure.

Tumbleweed then infiltrate the tomb where the necromancer had locked himself in. They finally meet Medes who then reveals the past and the history behind Flint and Sonia, Oliver’s parents. Flint fell in love with Sonia but people doubted it because of the gap in their positions. After the expedition into the Abyss, only Flint survived but he brought back enough bone jade for Alban in order to help them in their war against Willard. The emperor granted him his request to retire and live peacefully with his lover. However, this was all ruse as the emperor fully expected Flint to get out of his rut and take on the mantle to rebuild his mercenary group and help with the war efforts, and eventually marry one of his daughters. When Flint declines, the emperor devised a plan to kill Sonia by infecting her with the Trent Plague. Once he found out, he called Medes to help find a way to save Sonia, who was five months pregnant. Long story short, Sonia died but Flint was able to save Oliver through various means that sapped away all his magical powers. Medes betrays Flint and tells the emperor that Flint knows it was his doing that caused Sonia’s death so he issued a kill order on Flint and his child. To stop the emperor’s aggression, Flint cut off his right hand and gift to the emperor while replacing it with a demon’s hand he got form the Butcher Shop.

After Mede’s past reflection, he devised a cure for Delia and they set off to war after Nemo found that Eldric has a ton of bone jade bomb ready to use against the rebels. The leader of the rebels is Gallagher Salter, who, under the late emperor’s last will, devised a plan to set up a fake heir to compete for the throne.

Tumbleweed joins Gallagher’s side after Delia refuses to run away. Ann reveals her identity and takes on the mantle of the princess of Alban and Gallagher’s army marched towards the capital. At the capital’s doorsteps, Ann and Gallagher infiltrate the castle to lessen the casualties and try to rescue Delia. This leads to a confrontation between Eldric and Ann with Ann emerging victorious and Eldric dead. Ann is then ushered in to become the new emperor of Alban.

Side Characters:

Delia is the daughter of Annabelle and the Duke that her father married her off to. From a young age she never felt any love from Annabelle, until Annabelle started educating her similar to how Abbas did with Ann in the past. Starve for her mother’s love, Delia reluctantly studied and grew up much wiser beyond her years. Following her mother’s advice, she got close to Eldric so much so that he never suspected she was actually plotting against him.

Other important things to note: The origins of Trent Plague is revealed, Nemo named the spider demon Cat Whiskers, Oliver received his pardon, and the fuller goat that was abandoned returned to Tumbleweed.

That’s it. Let me know if I missed anything.