Netori SSS-Emperor: All Queens Shall Be Mine!-Chapter 80: The Mad King

Another morning came to pass, and Wolf was being toured through the blueprints of the greatest ship Aestonia had ever created–Leviathan. A beast capable of shattering the earth with a single blow of its many magic canons. It required no fuel and ran on the magic gathered from its surroundings–the only reason it would ever need rest was for the canons to recharge themselves.

But with six magic canons the size of a small ship, along with a hundred regular artillery stacked in the hull, it was a beast that, once started firing, would have no need to move an inch. Total annihilation, if not from the shots, then from the tsunami caused by the magic artillery. Nothing would remain, and with the capability to ride the tallest wave like the storied leviathan, it was nothing short of the reaper made manifest in the real world.

"What mad mind thinks it's the sane choice to build such a thing?" Wolf muttered to himself.

"Your predecessor, I suppose that would make him the mad king," responded the whisperer Formonde, his voice chillingly coarse as ever.

And although Renee hadn't heard a word of what he said, she chimed into the matter as well.

"Some wacko who never had to face battle himself." Her words may have been as coarse as Formonde's, but they also happened to be the truth.

The late king was too consumed by his unquenching thirst to push the boundaries of magic, and in his research, he couldn't have cared less for anything or anyone else. Even his many wives were consumed by that thirst; they died from the poison on his sleeves, and had Astoria not been immune, she too would have succumbed to dire fate.

"Well, we can only look to the future; worrying about his actions now won't do us any good anymore." Shaking off all hesitation, Wolf passed the blueprints back to Formonde. "Continue with the occupation of the islands, I'll go and meet with Kukei and the people moving there."

Picking himself off the chair, Wolf made his way out of his room. Waiting outside for him as his personal maid was Sola, holding in her hand his fresh-dried jacket. Putting it on him, she followed behind in his footsteps.

"Those girls that used to serve William–they're finally going to live on those islands, so we don't have to listen to them complain anymore," she said, a smile resting on her face as she watched Wolf from behind.

"That's great. I've heard the reptilians are taking some other folks from the mainland too. Probably to help with construction; either way, I think it would be great for them to mingle with the more civilized people." Reminded of his encounter with the reptilians inside the coliseum's basement, Wolf hoped that whoever they were taking with them wouldn't allow them to start fires in confined spaces–or anything that could cause harm.

"Speaking of civilians, Alta wanted to talk to you–something about the rebellion. I guess she has some news that she can share." The word rebellion by Renee piqued Wolf's interest. He'd heard of Robert's wife and a handful of businessmen organizing a protest against him in the main square by blocking the bazaar streets with tents.

"We can get rid of them tonight, my lord–just speak the words, and my cards will silence them forever," Zoro whispered into Wolf's ears, but waving his hand at him, the king dismissed his suggestion.

It was quite often that the elven siblings suggested homicidal ploys, so much so that the vampire was paled in comparison.

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'I suppose it's their way to remain competitive as siblings.' Trying to gain the king's favor more than the other, the siblings were often in a tussle, but thankfully, it hadn't taken Wolf too long to figure that out.

"I know they're always with us but..." Walking up beside him, Renee glanced sideways at the king. "To see you interact with them like that wave–is quite a creepy thing to witness."

"Creepy they can be, but at least they're on our side, right?" Wolf responded with a light laugh.

"Why are they, though?"

"Hmm, I'll ask them about it later..." Intrigued by her question, Wolf made a quick mental note to ask the Whisperers about their intentions later.

But for now, arriving at the servants' quarters with his entourage, Wolf walked through the subsided crowd and made his way to the backyard. There, he noticed lines upon lines of wagons being loaded up with the citizens' luggage. Amidst them, he saw the girls who once served William. Noticing him as well, their faces lit up, and they quickly bowed their heads. Giving them a quick wave, Wolf watched them getting up into a wagon not a moment later.

Turning his attention to the reptilian clans that were helping the regular citizens, he was positively surprised by their camaraderie towards the mainlanders. Long ago, their people had been conquered, and although they mostly confined themselves to their island, the reptilians were perhaps the only beastman clans that never gave them any problems.

"Bring Kukei to me. I probably shouldn't waltz into the crowd." Giving heed to his title as the king, Wolf left it to the whisperers to bring Kukei to him.

Waiting for a while at the back entrance, he saw the chief of the lizardmen finally walking up to him. A bit surprised by the sudden voice that had informed her of Wolf's presence, she was frantically looking around–all the way until she reached the king. However, standing upright, her chest puffed with her people's pride in her, she shook that eerie feeling off her heart and decided to address him.

"Don't mind the boisterous crowd, I'm just borrowing a handful of our people to help rebuild."

"As long as you pay them, I don't mind." Staring at the crowd, Wolf had already seen many happy families chattering amidst the crowd. They held joy in their heart as any other Aestonian would. The land acquired would provide them with work, and with it comes gold, prosperity and everything they could hope for. "The Island of Geia and her sisters, I leave to you. Take good care of them."

"Leave it to me," Kukei replied with the cheekiest of smiles.