Chapter 242: Unwelcome Bells

The Emperor had an enormous number of children, and some of them probably wouldn’t hesitate to exploit their authority for their own pleasure.

Ethan himself had already experienced similar treatment at the hands of one of the princesses.

It was hardly surprising, then, that something similar might happen to a woman like Serena, who would be considered beautiful wherever she went.

’She disfigured her own face... so no one would look at her with lust.’

Ethan’s fist tightened slightly.

Anger and disgust welled up inside him toward the so-called Arden royal family.

Every time he learned something new about them, his opinion of them only grew worse.

So far, he hadn’t seen a single redeeming thing about them.

Serena had struggled for years to change the public’s perception of the Heart Clan, a clan whose members had once been rumored to carry filthy, cursed blood, leaving them vulnerable to persecution.

Yet one woman had managed to change all of that through her own efforts.

For years, Serena had fought that battle alone, and only God knew what she had been forced to endure to achieve the results they were witnessing today.

She was someone who deserved respect.

Ethan knew that no matter how much time he was given, he would never be able to accomplish what she had achieved. She had done something he was simply incapable of doing, and that alone made her an extraordinary person in his eyes.

And yet... even Serena had been driven to such lengths that she’d deliberately disfigured her own face, unable to endure the lustful gazes of the royal family any longer.

"This Empire is crawling with scum..."

"On that, I agree with you."

Asterion replied, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.

After passing through a long corridor, they finally returned to the main hall where they had first parted ways with the women.

There, they found the girls waiting for them.

"Wow..."

Verso let out an impressed whistle at the sight before him.

The others were no different, their attention immediately drawn toward the women standing in the hall.

"Finally... We thought you’d never show up."

"I’ve never seen men take longer to get dressed than women."

The girls from the Second Hunting Squad complained, leaving the men with little they could say in their defense.

Serena was the first to step forward, speaking with obvious delight.

"You all look wonderful, girls! And just as I expected, you didn’t need my help choosing something that suited you."

She nodded several times in satisfaction, admiring their appearance.

The women of the Second and Third Hunting Squads had undergone a complete transformation.

The warriors who had entered the dressing rooms were now standing before them like refined young ladies, wearing beautiful dresses that naturally drew everyone’s attention.

They really were beautiful.

Even Ethan had to admit that much.

’Their beauty far exceeds the standards I was used to in my previous world... But is it really a good idea for them to look like this? Especially in front of those pigs from the Arden family?’

Ethan wondered, his gaze drifting toward Serena, the woman who had once been forced to disfigure herself.

But then he realized something.

There was no way Serena would knowingly expose the girls of her own clan to such danger.

’Ah... I see.’

Watching Serena smile with such genuine happiness as she admired the girls, Ethan finally understood that she’d changed the capital far more than he’d initially imagined.

In the past, a woman like her had been forced to scar her own face to avoid being harassed.

But now, thanks to her efforts, the younger women of the Heart Clan could openly display their beauty without fear.

The princes would no longer dare lay a hand on them, at least not in public.

As long as the Queen of Storms was around, they had nothing to be afraid of.

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face as he began to appreciate the true extent of Serena’s influence.

She was even more impressive than he’d thought.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.

Ethan turned toward the person standing beside him.

"Why are you so lost in thought? Don’t tell me you’re thinking about something perverted."

It was Luna.

She had approached without him noticing, so deeply had he been absorbed in his thoughts.

Now that she was standing directly in front of him, Ethan finally had a chance to take a proper look at her.

Unlike the other girls, who had chosen beautiful dresses in bright, lively colors, Luna had selected one that was entirely black, matching the color of her hair.

Long gloves decorated with black floral patterns covered her arms, while her shoulders remained bare.

"A black dress... Are you planning to attend a funeral?"

Ethan teased with a laugh.

Luna lifted the hem of her dress slightly.

"And what’s wrong with funeral dresses? I think it’s perfectly appropriate for the occasion we’re about to attend."

She answered with a smile.

"You really do have a unique way of thinking. But I find myself agreeing with you. It actually suits the occasion quite well."

Ethan nodded, genuinely approving of her choice.

After all, the scum of the royal family hardly deserved anything extravagant.

A funeral dress was more than enough for them.

"You agree with me? ...I’m not sure why, but suddenly I feel like changing into something else."

Luna gave him a suspicious look.

"How cruel. And here I thought we were finally starting to understand each other better. We’ve even developed a teacher-and-student relationship, with you teaching me magic."

"Don’t mistake the fantasies in your head for reality. We don’t have any kind of relationship... We haven’t reached that point yet."

"Then what are we? Fellow members of the same hunting squad? Even that doesn’t sound right, considering I’m in the Third Squad and you’re in the Second."

"Figure out a suitable answer yourself. I have no intention of wasting my time thinking about it."

Luna replied with a mocking smile.

Ethan sighed, once again realizing that dealing with her was anything but easy.

Still, despite her earlier claims, he understood that Luna didn’t truly mean what she was saying.

If he had to describe the relationship between them, friends seemed like an appropriate answer.

Otherwise, why would she have approached him for a conversation when there were so many other people present?

Luna was probably the only girl he could speak to so casually.

Alicia was far too shy, while his relationship with Moon was complicated by a set of extraordinary circumstances that made growing closer to her considerably more difficult.

As far as Moon was concerned, Ethan had once been someone with whom she shared an intimate bond.

A romantic relationship.

But overnight, he’d become someone else.

He had lost every memory of her, and even his personality had changed completely.

Naturally, she struggled to speak to him as freely as she once had, despite still caring deeply about him.

And that frustrated Ethan, because he couldn’t return those feelings.

Even now, Moon was watching him from a distance as he spoke with Luna.

Perhaps she was imagining herself in her younger sister’s place.

Ethan could feel her gaze upon him, but he deliberately chose to ignore it, hoping that her feelings would gradually fade with time.

Eventually, the hunters finished preparing for the celebration being held in their honor.

All that remained was to make their way to the palace, where the Emperor himself resided alongside his children.

But they had barely taken a step outside Serena’s residence when the violent ringing of distant bells caught everyone by surprise.

The sound echoed across the capital, loud enough to drown out the surrounding noise.

Serena’s expression changed immediately.

So did Asterion’s and Kevin’s.

All three recognized the sound.

"Those... Are those the alarm bells?"

Kevin asked, turning toward Serena.

She let out an irritated sigh.

"Again... That’s the fourth time today."

"The fourth? What are you talking about?"

Kevin demanded an explanation.

But before she could answer, Serena leaped away, brilliant lightning surging around her body.

"I’ll explain everything later!! I promise!"

Her voice echoed behind her as she disappeared into the distance, gracefully leaping across the rooftops with her sword in hand.

She had gone to deal with whatever had caused the alarm bells to ring.

And at that moment, everyone finally realized that something was happening in the capital.