Brandon grabbed the hilt of the dagger and slowly twisted it.

"ARRRRGHHHHHH-!!"

Kaarthus’s scream tore through the hall and his body convulsed violently, kicking his legs uselessly against the floor as fresh blood gushed from the wound.

Brandon twisted the blade another inch. "Who else is working with Nacirfa? How many traitors are in this castle?"

Kaarthus’s face was drenched in sweat and tears.

His eyes bulged with unbearable pain as he gasped and sobbed.

"P-Please-! STOP! I’ll talk- I’ll talk!!"

Brandon stopped twisting but kept the dagger firmly in place, "Start talking."

"T-There are three of us... high-ranking ministers... I... I’m the main contact... The others are Minister Valthor and Minister Serene... They helped pass information about troop movements and... and your schedule..."

Gasps and murmurs erupted across the throne room. Several ministers looked visibly shaken, while others stared at their colleagues with sudden suspicion.

Emperor Valerian remained seated on his throne, but his hands gripped the armrests so tightly the wood creaked.

Freya stepped forward, "Valthor and Serene... I knew those two snakes were ambitious, but this..."

Brandon twisted the dagger again, "Keep going. Who is the agent from Nacirfa you report to? How do they contact you?"

Kaarthus was sobbing openly now, "A man named... Vesper... He meets me in the outer city... at the old abandoned warehouse district... every third night... He pays in gold."

Brandon finally pulled the dagger out with a wet *shlick*, causing Kaarthus to scream one last time before collapsing.

"You’ve been very helpful," Brandon said flatly, wiping the bloody dagger on the minister’s own robes.

He stood up and looked toward the Emperor.

Valerian rose from his throne, "Arrest Minister Kaarthus, Minister Valthor, and Minister Serene immediately. Strip them of all titles and holdings."

Guards rushed forward and dragged the sobbing Kaarthus away.

Valerian turned to Brandon, and his expression softened "You have done this empire a great service today, Sir Kael. I will not forget this."

Brandon smiled and turned back to leave.

But as soon as he reached the door, he stopped and turned his head "Oh, also... I killed the Nacirfa’s king and some ministers."

With that, he left the hall with a bomb, leaving everyone in absolute shock.

WHAT?

---

The evening had settled gently over the royal castle of Eurasania.

A cool breeze drifted in through the slightly open balcony doors, carrying the faint scent of jasmine from the gardens below.

Brandon and Rheanne sat together on a comfortable couch near the window.

Steam rose lazily from their cups, carrying the rich, calming aroma of herbal tea blended with honey and a touch of mint.

Rheanne held her cup with both hands, her long white hair cascading over one shoulder as she took a slow sip.

"Perhaps the Nubines Empire simply wanted to use Nacirfa as an experiment rat."

"Instead of confronting us directly, they tested the waters through a substitute. Seeing how we would react if they threatened you."

Brandon shook his head slowly, "No, I don’t think so."

"Nubines clearly knows about your power. They understand that anything they try against you directly will fail spectacularly. They wouldn’t risk open provocation like that."

Rheanne set her cup down gently on the table as she processed his words.

She had always maintained strict neutrality toward every empire and kingdom.

As the Goddess, she could not afford to favor one side; doing so would be seen as "unfair" by the others, potentially destabilizing the fragile balance of power that had kept the world from descending into all-out war for years.

That was why she traveled constantly, clearing dungeons and towers in every nation, offering her strength equally to all who needed it.

Brandon took another sip of his tea, "I think they wanted to create a war between the Eurasania and Cene Empires."

Rheanne looked at him in surprise, "What?"

Brandon turned to look at her "They know that Nacirfa capturing me would enrage you. In your anger, you’d likely destroy the Nacirfa royal family... or at least their king."

"That would leave the kingdom without stable leadership, creating a power vacuum. Then, both Eurasania and Cene, who have been eyeing Nacirfa’s strategic territory for years, would rush in to occupy the land and claim it for themselves."

"The fragile truce that has kept those two empires from open conflict for so long would shatter overnight."

"Nubines wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. They could sit back and watch their two greatest rivals tear each other apart, weakening both empires in the process. Then Nubines could sweep in later and claim whatever remains."

Rheanne was silent for a long moment as she processed the theory.

"That could be plausible... but Eurasania won’t try to take over Nacirfa this time."

With a nod, Brandon spoke "Mhm. I already talked with the Emperor before going forward with our plan today."

"He promised me that he won’t capture Nacirfa... unless Cene provokes them."

"Now the only thing left is to go and talk to the Cene empire and explain the situation."

Upon hearing this, Rheanne smiled faintly "Then, it’s not a problem. You are close with the Cene’s Emperor after all."

With a dry smile, he replied "I am close with him. But there is that ’bitch’ over there who bothers me every time I visit the empire."

Rheanne couldn’t help but giggle "Let’s go tomorrow to visit the emperor and meet this... bitch."

Brandon: -_- This is going to be an annoying trip.

---

It was already night-

Brandon moved quietly along the outer balcony.

He stopped in front of Freya’s chambers and gently pushed open the glass door, slipping inside without a sound.

The room was dimly lit by a single lantern left burning low on the bedside table.

Freya lay on her back with her blonde hair spread messily across the pillow.

She was wearing a thin, delicate white nightgown.

During her sleep, the gown had slipped down her shoulders, revealing the generous, full curves of her breasts.

The hem of the gown had also shifted higher on her thighs, revealing the smooth, toned skin of her legs.

She looked incredibly beautiful as her chest rose and fell with slow breaths.

Brandon stood beside the bed for a moment, simply watching her and a fond smile touched his lips.

He sat down carefully on the edge of the mattress, and the bed dipped slightly under his weight.

Brandon leaned down slowly and pressed a gentle kiss to the exposed upper swell of her cleavage.

He could feel the softness of her breasts against his mouth, and he kissed her there again, savoring the warmth and the faint scent of rose oil still clinging to her skin from her earlier bath.

Freya let out a soft, unconscious sigh, and her body shifted slightly toward him in her sleep.

Brandon moved higher, brushing his lips against hers in a tender kiss.

She blinked her eyes and looked up at him "Assaulting me at night while I am sleeping like this.."

With a smile, he replied "Who sleeps so sexily like this?"

As he spoke, he hooked his fingers into the neckline of her nightgown and slowly lowered it further, pulling the delicate fabric down over her shoulders and fully exposing her bountiful breasts to the cool night air.

They spilled out generously, and the rosy-pink areolas caught the lantern light beautifully.

Freya let out a soft, breathy sound, watching him with half-lidded eyes as he leaned down.

Brandon pressed his lips to the soft, warm skin of her cleavage, kissing the valley between her breasts.

He trailed his mouth across the plush curve of one breast, then opened his lips and gave her a soft bite to leave a faint red mark on her pale skin.

Freya gasped quietly, and her back arched slightly as she pushed her chest toward him.

"Mmm... Kael... You are very aggressive tonight."

Brandon smiled against her skin, "Shall we go out for a while?"

Freya blinked slowly, still lost in the haze of pleasure.

She sat up on the bed, her nightgown hanging loosely off her shoulders with her full breasts still exposed.

She leaned forward and kissed his lips with an affectionate smile.

"Let me get dressed and we can leave, my dear man," she whispered against his mouth.

Brandon wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer "No. This nightgown is enough."

Freya let out a playful laugh and pinched his cheek lightly, "What are you saying, darling? I can’t walk out like this... this kind of cloth is only for you."

But Brandon didn’t relent. With a smooth motion, he grabbed her in his arms like a princess with one arm beneath her knees, the other supporting her back.

Freya let out a startled gasp as she was suddenly lifted off the bed and her bare breasts pressed against his chest.

She was surprised but quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tightly "Kael? What happened?"

He carried her toward the open balcony doors.

Without pausing, he stepped onto the railing and shot upward into the air.

*woosh*

Freya’s eyes widened in utter shock as the ground fell away beneath them. The wind whistled past her ears, tugging at her thin nightgown and her blonde hair.

"W-What- What is happening?!" she exclaimed as she clung tighter to his neck.

Her legs kicked lightly in the air for a second before wrapping around his waist instinctively for balance.

Brandon held her securely in his arms, flying smoothly higher into the night sky.

The cool night wind rushed around them, making Freya’s nightgown flutter and cling to her body, outlining every curve.

Freya looked down at the shrinking castle, then up at the vast, star-filled sky, and her green eyes were wide with wonder and a touch of fear.

"You... you can fly?!"