Chapter 92: Meeting the Queen of Dunestia

After the twins had finished eating, they remained seated on the bed, looking at the empty plates in front of them. Neither seemed particularly interested in doing anything else, and Chris could tell that their mood hadn’t improved much.

Astra glanced at him before lowering her head slightly.

"Big bad man..."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"W-What happened to fa..." She stopped herself, pressing her lips together before trying again. "What happened to Mannel?"

Stella, who had been sitting quietly beside her sister, also looked at Chris. Although neither of them wanted to call him their father anymore, it was clear that the habit couldn’t disappear so fast.

Chris sighed, knowing that they would eventually ask about him.

"He’s dead."

He didn’t explain anything more, nor did he think there was a reason to. The twins already knew what Mannel had done, and there was nothing that could change the truth.

Astra’s shoulders lowered as she stared at her hands, while Stella turned her head away. Neither of them said anything for a while.

Chris watched them before speaking again.

"You don’t need to feel guilty about what happened. He was the one who chose to betray you, and we had no other choice."

"We know..." Astra replied quietly. "We don’t think of him as our father anymore."

Stella nodded, keeping her eyes lowered. "It’s just... even knowing what he did, it’s still sad."

Chris remained silent for a moment. He understood what they meant. They had spent years living with Mannel, believing that he was their family. Finding out that everything had been a lie wouldn’t suddenly erase all those memories, especially when they had once been happy with him.

"I understand," he finally said. "You don’t have to force yourselves to forget everything immediately. Just take your time."

The twins nodded, but neither looked particularly comforted.

Chris scratched his cheek, unsure of what else he could say. He had dealt with countless enemies and dangerous situations, but helping two girls recover from something like this wasn’t exactly his specialty.

He wanted to cheer them up, but he also knew that it wouldn’t happen overnight. They would need time to accept everything and move on.

Just as he was thinking about what he could do for them, someone knocked on the door.

Chris turned towards it. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing a soldier wearing the uniform of Dunestia’s army. He immediately straightened his posture after seeing Chris.

"Sir, I was sent to call you. Her Majesty’s audience has been arranged, and the Queen wishes to meet you as soon as possible. The three generals are already waiting for you."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "The Queen? Shouldn’t it be the King?"

The soldier hesitated briefly before answering.

"Regretfully, His Majesty passed away a few months ago. Her Majesty the Queen is now in charge of the country. In truth, she had already been leading most of its affairs while the King was ill."

Chris nodded. He hadn’t heard about the King’s death, but it wasn’t particularly surprising that the Queen had taken over the country’s affairs.

"Alright. I’ll be there."

Turning around, he looked at Aelia, who had been listening to their conversation.

"I’ll stay here with the twins," she said immediately. "You can go without worrying about us."

Chris smiled and nodded. "I’ll be back soon."

Aelia returned his smile while the twins looked at him.

"Don’t worry, we’ll be fine," Astra said, trying to sound more cheerful.

Stella also nodded. "We’ll stay with Aelia."

"Good. And don’t refuse your food next time."

The two girls pouted at him, but neither argued. Chris shook his head with a small smile before following the soldier out of the room.

...

A flying beast was waiting for them outside the residence. After climbing onto its back, Chris settled behind the soldier, who gave the beast a command.

With a loud cry, it spread its wings and took off.

The city gradually became smaller beneath them as they flew towards the palace. Chris looked into the distance, observing the buildings and streets of the capital. It was a busy place, with soldiers and citizens moving about as usual, although he noticed more guards than he would normally expect around important buildings.

Considering what they had discovered about the acolytes and the Fallen, it wasn’t surprising that the country had increased its security.

After flying for some time, the beast began descending towards a large palace surrounded by tall walls. Several guards stood at the entrance, while servants and soldiers moved through the courtyard, carrying out their duties.

The soldier guided Chris towards the entrance before leading him inside.

They passed through several long corridors, decorated with expensive paintings and ornaments. Chris paid little attention to them, simply following the soldier until they finally stopped in front of an enormous pair of doors.

The soldier straightened his uniform before knocking. "Her Majesty, Chris has arrived."

"Enter." A cold voice was heard from the other side.

After receiving permission to enter, he opened the doors and stepped aside.

Chris walked inside.

The first thing that caught his attention was the three generals standing on a red carpet in front of a large throne. Sitting on it was a beautiful black-haired woman who appeared to be in her early thirties.

Her appearance surprised him slightly.

He had never seen a picture of the Queen before. He knew that the King had been much older, so he hadn’t expected his wife to look so young. Still, he didn’t dwell on it for long.

Everyone turned towards him as he approached.

Chris walked across the room and stopped beside the three generals, his expression completely calm as he looked at the woman sitting on the throne.

Aldric sighed inwardly and shook his head.

He had already expected Chris to act this way, but seeing it happen in front of the Queen still made him nervous. He had hoped that the two would at least begin their meeting on better terms.

The Queen observed Chris for a few seconds before speaking.

"Are you not going to kneel?"

Chris chuckled.

"No. I’m never going to kneel before anyone."

Aldric’s expression stiffened slightly, while Howard glanced at Chris from the side. Richard, on the other hand, remained silent, simply watching the Queen’s reaction.

Her expression didn’t change much, but her eyes narrowed slightly.

"You have quite a lot of courage to behave like that in front of me. Especially considering that you belong to Dunestia. You should show more respect."

Chris’s faint smile disappeared.

"I don’t belong anywhere. I left Dunestia a long time ago, and I don’t intend to show respect to anyone just because of their position. If someone wants my respect, they should earn it instead of expecting it."

The room fell silent.

Aldric could feel a cold sweat forming on his forehead. When he had arrived earlier, he hadn’t expected the Queen to summon Chris personally. If he had known, he would have spoken to him beforehand and at least tried to prepare him for the meeting.

However, the Queen didn’t seem particularly bothered by his words.

She simply looked at Chris for another moment before shaking her head.

"Forget it."

Her tone was as cold as before, as though the exchange had never happened.

"Can you locate the Acolytes and the Fallen?"

"I can," Chris replied.

He had already sensed several things since entering the palace. Most importantly, he hadn’t detected any demonic energy coming from the Queen. Although her attitude was unpleasant, she didn’t appear to be one of the people they were looking for.

"Good. I want you to remain in Dunestia and help us locate the traitors hiding within our country."

Chris raised an eyebrow.

"You want?"

The Queen’s eyes narrowed.

"Yes. I want you to help us."

"Then I’m afraid you’ll have to find someone else. I don’t follow anyone’s orders."

Her voice became slightly louder.

"Even if you have a problem with this country, you should still be willing to help its people. This matter concerns the safety of everyone living here, not merely the interests of the royal family."

Chris shrugged.

"I couldn’t care less. If you need someone who can sense them, contact Princess Lilith from Narta. I already made sure that she can do it."

The Queen sighed.

"We have already contacted her. Unfortunately, she has responsibilities in her own country and will remain occupied for some time. She has informed us that she will help once she is able to."

"Then you’ll have to wait." Chris didn’t seem particularly interested in continuing the conversation. "I have my own things to deal with. I was planning to return to the Wilds."

The Queen suddenly chuckled. "Return to the Wilds?"

Chris looked at her without answering.

"I already know what level you were when you exited Narta’s royal dungeon. You haven’t advanced much over the past year, have you? What’s the point of returning to the Wilds if you can barely make any progress there?"

Chris slowly turned his head towards Aldric.

The general immediately looked away, pretending that he hadn’t heard anything.

Chris sighed. "So that’s how it is..."

He had already suspected that Aldric might have told the Queen about his progress, but seeing the man’s reaction confirmed it.

Aldric cleared his throat and looked towards the throne. "Well, Her Majesty asked about your abilities and previous accomplishments. I thought it would be useful to provide her with some information."

Chris gave him another look before turning back to the Queen.

"Even so, I won’t change my mind."

The Queen rested one arm on the throne and studied him. For a moment, she remained silent, seemingly considering something before finally speaking again.

"Then I’ll make you an offer."

Chris raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"In two months, Dunestia’s royal dungeon will open. I’ll offer you an entrance slot."

Chris’s expression changed slightly.

The royal dungeon was one of the most valuable resources a country could possess.

"If you produce good results during the next two months and help us locate the traitors within the country, I’ll grant you permission to enter."

The Queen paused briefly before continuing.

"Until then, you’ll receive an official position as an investigator within the royal army. You’ll have full authority to investigate suspicious individuals and locate the Acolytes and Fallen hiding throughout Dunestia. You won’t need to wait for permission from local officials, and the soldiers will cooperate with you whenever necessary."

Chris crossed his arms.

The offer was certainly better than he had expected. He had no interest in becoming part of the royal army, but having the authority to investigate without being hindered by local officials would make his task considerably easier.

More importantly, the royal dungeon was something he couldn’t simply ignore.

He knew that his progress in the Wilds had slowed down considerably. Although he could still find powerful monsters there, the time and effort required to locate suitable opponents weren’t worth it anymore. A dungeon filled with powerful creatures would provide him with a much better opportunity to grow.

Still, there was something he wanted to confirm first.

"Is there a level limit for entering the dungeon?"

"Yes. The maximum allowed level is eighty."

Chris nodded slightly.

The Queen continued explaining the arrangements.

"This time, it won’t be limited to talented youngsters. Several experienced soldiers and warriors will also be allowed to enter. The dungeon is dangerous, and many of the younger participants aren’t strong enough to survive there on their own. The experienced individuals will be responsible for protecting them and helping them level up."

Chris considered her words for a few moments.

A level limit of eighty wasn’t a problem for him, and having experienced warriors inside could prove useful. Although he didn’t need anyone to protect him, he wasn’t against having additional people around who could deal with weaker monsters while he focused on stronger ones.

After remaining silent for a while, he finally spoke.

"I’ll accept."

The Queen gave a small nod, seemingly satisfied.

"Good. Then—"

"However, I want four entrance slots."

Her words stopped.

The Queen looked at him, her expression remaining cold.

"Four?"

"Yes."

"Are you asking for the other three to be given to the people who came with you?"

Chris nodded.

The Queen seemed to consider the request for a moment. She had already heard that Chris was accompanied by three others, and it wasn’t difficult to guess that he intended to bring them into the dungeon.

"Who are they?"

"That doesn’t concern you. You can consider them my friends."

Chris answered without hesitation.

The Queen looked towards Aldric, who nodded slightly.

"They have been travelling with him," the general explained. "I think they can be trusted."

The Queen returned her attention to Chris.

"Very well. I’ll grant you four slots, but the conditions remain the same. You must produce good results during the next two months. If you fail to meet my expectations, the offer will be withdrawn."

"That’s fine."

Chris had no intention of wasting the opportunity. If he was going to spend the next two months investigating the Acolytes and Fallen, he might as well make the most of it.

The Queen turned towards one of the attendants standing near the throne.

"Prepare his official appointment. He will receive the position of investigator within the royal army, along with a uniform and an identification badge. Make sure he receives everything later today."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You may begin your investigation tomorrow. The generals will provide you with the information we have gathered so far."

Chris nodded. "Alright."

He had nothing else to discuss with the Queen, so he turned around and began walking towards the doors without another word.

Aldric watched him leave before letting out a quiet sigh.

Howard shook his head with a faint smile, while Richard remained as serious as ever.

The Queen continued watching Chris until he disappeared beyond the doors.

"He’s quite different from what I expected," she remarked coldly.

Aldric smiled awkwardly. "That’s just how he is, Your Majesty."

"I noticed."

She leaned back against the throne, her gaze shifting towards the three generals.

"Make sure he receives all the information we have. I don’t want him wasting time investigating places we’ve already searched."

"Understood. But I think he’ll just do what he wants in the end." Aldric replied.

The Queen nodded before dismissing them.