“Mmn!~”

Naida’s eyes widened in surprise as Asher’s lips suddenly enveloped hers, a soft, muffled sound escaping her in the unexpected moment. However, almost immediately, she gently pulled back, breaking the kiss and bringing Asher back to reality. He quickly got up, a wince crossing his face as the sudden realization of his actions set in.

“I am sorry, I didn’t—” Asher began, his expression a mix of embarrassment and confusion, trying to apologize for his impulsive act.

“Don’t bother about it. Mistakes happen. You must be feeling quite foggy after dealing with them and getting exhausted,” Naida said softly, her voice dismissive yet gentle. She turned her back to him, perhaps to give him a moment to compose himself.

Asher let out a sigh, closing his eyes briefly as he composed his thoughts, “No, yeah…I should let you rest now. I will be outside,” he said, feeling that his skin wasn’t thick enough to keep standing here any longer.

Feeling a sense of embarrassment and confusion, Asher quickly exited the room. Once outside, he raked his hand through his white hair, his mind racing with thoughts. He couldn’t believe that he had impulsively kissed her. Was he more lustful than he had realized? And now, what would Naida think of him?

He felt like he ruined his image as a king as well. Fortunately, nobody saw that. Otherwise, he could be in great trouble. And Naida seemed to not turn it into a serious matter, as expected from someone like her.

However, he could still feel the softness of her rosy lips on his mouth and the sweet taste they had, almost like kissing a rose.

But he then shook his head.

He felt she was right. He should rest and get his head straight for what was coming.

–

The world of Zalthor predominantly housed four continents and four seas. Each continent was positioned in such a way that there was no easy path to traverse from one to another.

Every path consisted of great and random dangers that would prove to be life-threatening for the common people.

Positioned to the south was Dracyra, the continent where the Bloodburn Kingdom exists, which only spanned about 10% of the world’s landmass.

However, in ancient times, nobody would dare underestimate them because of the size of the lands they occupied, for just their dragons alone could dominate the entire world.

And even now, after a great decline in their power, most other smaller kingdoms and tribes in the continent of Dracyra wouldn’t dare to offend the Bloodburn Kingdom and maintain a friendly relationship.

But it was no secret that one of their most hated enemies lived on a continent not too far from their continent, the Rhogart Continent, which was located towards the east but was three times bigger than Dracyra.

Nobody from outside would be foolish enough to venture into this continent that was ruled by werewolves, mainly the five clans.

And when one travels further north, there exists the largest continent in the world of Zalthor, Inferna, ruled and dominated purely by the Draconis Kingdom, which was situated at the farthest end of the continent.

Every common soul living in this world feared them and knew they could get sniffed out of existence with just a single breath from them. Their word was the law and unquestionable.

Spanning a whopping 50% of land mass in total, it was the farthest away from Dracyra, and the fastest route between them was the Crimson Sea, though not even the draocnians would dare venture into a sea tormented with endless storms.

However, in the west existed the Oseon Continent, which was almost as big as Dracyra.

It was once famous and highly respected due to the existence of the Kingdom of Eclipsion. But now this region was controlled by the draconians even though they couldn’t be least bothered about the wastelands in it.

And In these desolate wastelands of the Oseon Continent, a place steeped in dread and death loomed in the south. This region, infamous for its overwhelming stench of decay and death, was shunned by all due to rumors that it was imbued with a deathly energy capable of sapping the life force of anyone who dared venture too close.

They say it was the very same energy that finished the last remains of the Kingdom of Eclipsion.

Despite the fearsome reputation of this forsaken land, two figures approached it with an air of calmness.

One was a beautiful vulpinari with flowing golden hair that shimmered against the bleak landscape. She stopped walking and wore a stunning and modest dark green robe over her dress, which lent her an aura of dignity and grace, starkly contrasting with the previous allure she had.

Beside her was a vigilant vulpini, his sharp eyes constantly scanning their desolate surroundings for any sign of danger.

As they neared the heart of the wasteland, Kira mumbled almost nostalgically, “It feels like only yesterday I left,” Then, with a wave of her hand, she caused a ripple to spread across the empty air. The ripple shimmered like a mirage, distorting the air around them.

“It’s because your heart never left, Your Grace,” Shoichi said with a softened gaze.

“That’s true,” Kira wistfully smiled, “Come. They have been waiting for a long time,” she instructed softly, and as they took a step forward, their figures vanished into the ripple, disappearing from the desolate landscape.

As Kira stepped through the ripple, the oppressive atmosphere of the wastelands vanished, replaced by an environment vibrant with life. The air was fresher and cleaner, devoid of the deadly energy outside.

They found themselves surrounded by a lush, verdant landscape, where enormous trees, diverse plants, and exotic fruits thrived. Each element of the flora appeared to be intricately connected to powerful mana formations that seemed to enable such growth under the harsh conditions of this world.

Suddenly, a young woman with emerald eyes, brown fox ears, and a fluffy brown tail bounded towards Kira with an expression of astonishment and joy, “Your Grace!” she cried out ecstatically, followed closely by several other young men and women, each sporting fluffy tails and furry ears. However, all of them had emerald eyes, making their common vulpin bloodline quite evident.

Kira’s face broke into a warm, resplendent smile as she opened her arms wide to welcome the girl, “Layna! You have really grown up into such a pretty young lady,” she exclaimed with affection. “Your Grace…” Layna shyly mumbled as she got pulled into her embrace but couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

Turning her attention to the others, Kira’s eyes shimmered with warmth, “You all did. Last time, you all were so small. How the years have passed…”

A young man among the group, his eyes brimming with tears, spoke up with heartfelt emotion. “We are so happy to see you come back, Your Grace. We have been waiting every day,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. The others around him nodded in agreement, their eyes moist with tears of joy and pure smiles of happiness.

They also felt that she definitely became more beautiful compared to how they remembered her all those years ago. And even though she wasn’t displaying it, they could feel that her aura was stronger than ever, making them feel even more elated.

The gathering of vulpins around Kira grew, eventually numbering around two hundred, representing a broad spectrum of ages, from the young to the elderly. Even those who could barely walk were assisted by others, eager to catch a glimpse of their queen who had returned after a long seventy years.

As Kira stood amidst her people, they collectively bowed deeply and greeted her with a chorus of voices, rich with emotion and energy, “Welcome home, Your Grace!”

An elderly vulpin, distinguished by his long white hair and beard, made his way forward, leaning heavily on a walking brown stick. His eyes brimmed with overwhelming emotion as he spoke, “We could hardly believe our eyes when our scouts reported your arrival,” he said, his voice quivering slightly, “Everyone here has been preparing to celebrate your return.”

“Father Zu,” Kira greeted him with a respectful nod of her head, “I wish I could have visited earlier, but a good opportunity never presented itself.”

Zu, smiling warmly at Kira, replied with understanding and affection, “We all know that, Your Grace. We have managed to thrive here only because of the resources you’ve continuously sent to us. Otherwise, we would have perished long ago in this forsaken place that once nurtured us.”

As Layna continued to hug Kira, she looked up with a bright, hopeful smile, “Will you stay with us for a long time now that you’ve returned?” she asked eagerly.

The others around them also looked on, their faces alight with anticipation, waiting for Kira’s answer. Kira exchanged a brief, serious glance with Zu before addressing everyone, “I will be here for a short while, but after that, I must return to continue my work outside. It’s necessary to ensure that you all can continue living here peacefully.”

The young men and women’s expressions turned bittersweet, understanding her commitment but also feeling a pang of sadness at her impending departure.

Layna’s voice was heavy with concern, “Can’t we help you? We don’t want you to work hard alone. As your subjects, shouldn’t we be doing something to help?”

Zu intervened with a gentle smile, “It’s too dangerous outside, Layna. You know that, right? We would only make things harder for Her Grace if we accompanied her. This place is safe for us, and Her Grace can help us best without worrying about our safety here,” he explained, reassuringly.

Kira smiled warmly at them, “Don’t be disappointed. I might return more frequently from now on, as I’ve made some new arrangements,” she said, bringing a wave of relief and joy to their faces.

“Well, let’s let Her Grace rest for now. She has had a long journey. Meanwhile, you boys and girls should continue preparing the feast,” Zu suggested.

“Yes, Chief Father!”

Everyone eagerly nodded, bowing to Kira with promises of a grand feast in her honor and wishes for her to rest well.

As the group dispersed, buzzing with excitement, Kira’s smile remained while Zu approached her and spoke softly, “Things…are bad, aren’t they, my child?”

Kira’s smile began to fade as she turned to look at him.