Chapter 343 : A Distinctly Different Appearance

Queen Kayana floated down through the shattered ceiling. Nearby knights and students were startled to see her descending.

"Her Majesty the Queen?!"

"Why is Her Majesty here? And Commander Oliver, too?"

"They surely came to help fight off the attackers assaulting the academy. Neither of them is the type to stand idly by while an attack is underway."

"Indeed, with the arrival of Her Majesty and Commander Oliver, Duke Louis and Duchess Arlet can be saved," the onlookers remarked.

Meanwhile, Queen Kayana, who had been floating down, now set her feet upon the floor. She gazed at Duke Remy, who lay motionless a short distance ahead of her.

"You look different than usual, Lord Remy," Queen Kayana said.

The surrounding knights and students were shocked by her words.

"Lord Remy?! You mean Lord Duke Remy?!"

"So, that creature—the one whose entire body is encased in black tree-like growths is actually Lord Duke Remy?!" the astonished onlookers exclaimed.

At that, Duke Remy, lying on the floor, turned his gaze toward the Queen standing before him.

"As expected of you, Your Majesty. You were able to recognize me even though I had shrouded my body in those tree-like growths," Duke Remy said.

"Even though you’ve shrouded your entire body, face included in tree trunks as you claimed, I can still recognize you by sensing your aura. As the Queen of this kingdom, I frequently meet high-ranking nobles like Dukes and Duchesses, so I am well-acquainted with their auras. That is why I could identify you, even though your aura feels slightly different from usual," said Queen Kayana.

"I see; you are truly remarkable, Your Majesty," said Duke Remy.

"There is no need for flattery. Instead, answer my question now, Lord Remy. Why did you attack Lord Louis and Lady Arlet? You even attempted to kill them both. Fortunately, Lord Oliver managed to save them," said Queen Kayana.

Duke Remy fell silent immediately after Queen Kayana asked this. At first, she assumed he was simply gathering his thoughts to formulate an answer, but he remained mute for a prolonged period.

"You refuse to answer?" asked Queen Kayana.

As she spoke, Duke Remy’s body, lying prone on the floor began to sink deeper into the ground beneath him. The floor itself slowly started to crack. What began as minor fissures soon widened into large cracks, caused by the intensifying weight Queen Kayana was exerting upon him.

"If you persist in not answering, I will continue to increase the gravity pressing down on you until you are buried deep within the earth," said Queen Kayana.

Duke Remy remained silent, despite the crushing weight bearing down on him. Even in the face of Queen Kayana's threat, he still did not speak.

"Still refusing to speak? Very well, then," said Queen Kayana.

She prepared to further increase the weight pressing down on Duke Remy. But before Queen Kayana could do so, someone called out to her from behind.

"Your....Majesty," said the person standing behind Queen Kayana.

Hearing this, Queen Kayana immediately turned around to see who had called her. She saw Duke Louis standing there, his right hand pressed against the stab wound on his lower chest. The wound appeared to have been cauterized to stop the bleeding. Although blood was no longer gushing from the wound itself, a small amount was still trickling from Duke Louis's mouth. Queen Kayana looked slightly startled to find Duke Louis standing behind her.

"Lord Louis?! How are you here? Weren't you taken away by Lord Oliver?" Queen Kayana asked.

Just as she asked this, Commander Oliver arrived, approaching the two of them while carrying the unconscious Duchess Arlet.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. As I was escorting Lord Louis away, he asked me to put him down because there was something he wished to tell you," said Commander Oliver.

"Something he wished to tell me? What is it, Lord Louis?" asked Queen Kayana.

"Lord Remy... he is the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate you and the entire San Lucia family, Your Majesty," said Duke Louis.

"What?!" exclaimed Queen Kayana in shock.

It was not only Queen Kayana who was startled; Commander Oliver was also taken aback by Duke Louis's words. Queen Kayana immediately turned her gaze back to Duke Remy, who was still lying on the floor, struggling under the heavy pressure she was exerting upon him.

"My wife and I were walking on the fifth floor of this building when Lord Remy suddenly appeared, having smashed through the wall. He immediately attacked my knights. I demanded to know why he was attacking them, but he offered no answer. Then, I was shocked to see his eyes, he wasn't wearing his glasses. They looked just like the eyes of the Demon race. Upon seeing this, I asked if he was the one who had ordered the demons to attack the San Fulgen Kingdom, including this academy. Lord Remy answered, 'Yes'. I then asked if he was the one who had orchestrated the plot to assassinate you and my entire family. Again, he answered, 'Yes'," said Duke Louis.

Queen Kayana remained silent after hearing Duke Louis's words, while Commander Oliver still appeared visibly shocked.

"Upon discovering that Lord Remy was the one who orchestrated the murder of my entire family, I immediately resolved to kill him. My wife joined me in this attempt, yet we were ultimately defeated by him. We nearly lost our lives, but we survived thanks to the assistance of Lord Oliver and yourself, Your Majesty. I offer my gratitude to you both. Furthermore, I wish to apologize for failing to defeat and kill Lord Remy, the man who plotted the assassination of my entire family as well as your own, Your Majesty," said Duke Louis.

"There is no need for you to apologize, Lord Louis," said Queen Kayana.

Queen Kayana spoke without turning toward Duke Louis, her gaze fixed on Duke Remy, who lay before her. She then walked slowly toward him. As she approached, the air in the vicinity suddenly grew heavy, making it difficult for those nearby to breathe. Commander Oliver and Duke Louis, standing behind the Queen, sensed the shift in the atmosphere; they kept their eyes on her, knowing she was the one altering the air pressure.

"Your Majesty..." Duke Louis said.

Meanwhile, upon reaching Duke Remy's side, Queen Kayana posed a question to him.

"You heard that, didn't you, Lord Remy? So, was what Lord Louis said true or not?" she asked.

After a long silence, Duke Remy finally answered her.

"Everything Lord Louis said is true, Your Majesty," Duke Remy replied.

"I see. In that case... goodbye," Queen Kayana said.

~Gravity Magic: Great Gravity Pressure~

Suddenly, the pressure bearing down on Duke Remy intensified drastically, becoming many times stronger than what he had previously endured. This immense force instantly drove his body deep into the ground, burying him several meters beneath the surface.

The pressure Queen Kayana exerted caused the entire building to tremble, shocking everyone inside as they felt the vibrations.

Then, having finished burying Duke Remy, Queen Kayana stomped her right foot against the floor. Immediately afterward, the pit into which Duke Remy had sunk sealed shut. Queen Kayana turned around and walked back toward Duke Louis and Commander Oliver. Moments later, she stood before them.

"Your Majesty..." Duke Louis said.

"I have dealt with Lord Remy, so you need not worry anymore, Lord Louis. You and Lady Arlet should go tend to your wounds now. Commander Oliver, take them both so they can receive treatment immediately. It appears their injuries were caused by dark magic; take them to see Rid so he can heal them. Rid is the closest person available to help treat them, rather than making the trip to the Sancta Lux Church," Queen Kayana said.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Commander Oliver replied.

Queen Kayana then turned toward a group of soldiers gathered nearby.

"You all, you have defeated the demons here, haven't you? Now, please assist Commander Oliver in escorting Lord Louis and Lady Arlet," Queen Kayana said.

The knights were initially startled when the Queen addressed them, but they quickly complied with her instructions.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," the knights replied.

They immediately approached Duke Louis and Commander Oliver, who was carrying Duchess Arlet. Then, they prepared to transport the couple so they could receive medical attention.

"With your permission, Your Majesty, I shall go now to have my wounds and my wife's injuries treated," Duke Louis said.

"Very well, Lord Louis," Queen Kayana replied.

Afterward, Commander Oliver carrying Duchess Arlet along with Duke Louis and the knights accompanying them, set out to leave the building and search for Rid. However, they had taken only a few steps when a violent tremor suddenly shook the structure. They were all startled by the shock. Moments later, a multitude of massive tree trunks appeared, twisting and writhing all around the area.

"Those tree trunks... it seems Lord Remy is still alive," Queen Kayana thought.

As soon as the tree trunks appeared, they shot rapidly toward Duchess Arlet, Duke Louis, and Queen Kayana. Seeing the trunks hurtling toward them, Queen Kayana immediately struck the base of her magic staff against the floor. The trunks rushing toward the Duke, the Duchess, and the Queen slammed violently into the ground. The impact was so powerful that the floor cracked and shattered, and the tree trunks themselves were destroyed upon hitting the surface.

Commander Oliver, Duke Louis, and the accompanying knights looked startled as the tree trunks disintegrated after striking the ground. They turned their gaze toward Queen Kayana.

"Your Majesty," Duke Louis said.

"All of you, leave this building at once; I will protect you," Queen Kayana said.

"But, Your Majes—" Commander Oliver began.

Before Commander Oliver could finish his sentence, Queen Kayana cut him off.

"No 'buts'. Go now, and take Lord Louis and Lady Arlet to get medical attention immediately. Rest assured, I can handle this on my own," Queen Kayana said.

Moments later, a multitude of massive tree trunks appeared again and shot toward them. Once more, Queen Kayana forced the trunks to crash into the floor and shatter.

"Hurry and go!" Queen Kayana commanded.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Commander Oliver, Duke Louis, and the knights replied.

They immediately rushed to leave the building. As they were making their way out, tree trunks erupted from the ground near them once again. However, Queen Kayana swiftly forced the tree trunks to slam into the floor and shatter it before they could strike the group. She continued this action until everyone had safely exited the building.

Shortly thereafter, Duke Louis, Commander Oliver, and their accompanying knights managed to escape the academy's central building. Queen Kayana, however, remained inside specifically on the ground floor. She was surrounded by writhing tree trunks emerging from the floor, walls, and ceiling, all poised to strike her at any moment. Meanwhile, a crack appeared in the floor where Duke Remy had previously been driven underground. What began as a small fissure rapidly widened until the entire floor collapsed. As the floor gave way, Duke Remy leapt up, landing some distance ahead of Queen Kayana. He appeared completely unscathed, despite having been subjected to such immense pressure by Queen Kayana that he had been forced into the earth. Even the tree trunks enveloping him showed no signs of damage; his physical condition remained exactly as it had been before the attack.

Yet, there was a distinct change in his appearance: writhing tree trunks were now sprouting from his back something that had not been present before, nor had they emerged from any other part of his body. With this new look, Duke Remy truly resembled a tree monster.

"I never imagined you could withstand that gravitational pressure."

"More importantly, Lord Remy, I still find it hard to believe that you were the mastermind behind that assassination plot all along. It seems I owe Rid an apology for snatching his prey."

"I will kill you right here, right now," declared Queen Kayana.

"Hahaha, you intend to kill me, Your Majesty? You must be joking. The gravitational pressure you exerted on me earlier wasn't enough to kill me. Let alone kill me, it couldn't even wound my body or damage my armor. So, just how do you expect to kill me, Your Majesty?" Duke Remy asked.

Immediately after, the air pressure in the area grew heavy once more heavier than it had been before. Then, the tree trunks surrounding Queen Kayana suddenly slammed violently against the ground, shattering them instantly.

"I haven't used all my power yet, Lord Remy. I haven't even used all my magic and techniques. You seem to be getting cocky just because you managed to withstand one of my attacks. You'd be better off bragging when you've managed to block all my attacks," said Queen Kayana, holding her magic staff and preparing to attack.

-To be continued