Chapter 251 - Lies And Betrayal
I have seen her naked body many times in the past. However, she only does this to those who she trusts the most and has satisfied her requirements. Seeing her do this is a sign that I already accomplished that. Too bad not everyone will be able to see her like this.
Also, even though she is naked like this, I already got immunes to it seeing her like this numerous times so I did not easily get embarrassed.
"You should at least wear a shirt or something to cover your body while we are meeting. It's not really appropriate," I said to her.
"Awww, and I thought I will be able to get a hilarious reaction coming from you. You seemed to be immune to this view already and I felt a bit conflicted whether you are not affected by my charms or I am just not pretty enough."
"No, Queen Tanya. You are pretty and sexy but I don't need to show emotion to appreciate your body. And don't worry, if I didn't have the ability to control myself, the blood on my nose will surely fall out."
Queen Tanya chuckled.
"Haha, oh well, if you say so, then I am glad you think so that way. Anyways, you should also let the other one who is with you to come in too. We are both girls so why is she embarrassed?"
I looked at Tina and beckoned her to come inside and although she is reluctant to come inside, she has no choice but to do so to meet and talk with Queen Tanya.
"Oh? I just met a few people who are also the same species as you last time. I didn't expect to see someone so soon once again," Queen Tanya said. From the looks of it, she is already expecting her arrival as I don't see a shock on her face seeing her.
"So it was true that there are people with the same species as me who arrived here a few days ago."
"Yes. They are calling themselves the guards of the princess of the Insect Kingdom. But I was surprised since the so-called princess was "killed in action" and will not be able to attend the meeting."
When Tina heard it, she was stunned and seems to have gone speechless. I am also confused about it. From what I know in the past timeline, it is indeed true that the Princess of the Insect Kingdom while visiting Sandurk but there are no specific words on how the princess died. All I know is that after the death of the princess, it caused a lot of disturbance in the kingdom that there occurred a political war between the remaining siblings who will inherit the kingdom since the princess who has died from the incident in Sandurk was supposed to be the one who will inherit the throne. Although I am a little bit confused, I think I managed to get the gist of it. I just needed to have a confirmation about the reality of the situation directly from Queen Tanya and I continue to listen.
"That's... it's impossible for them to do that! They haven't confirmed it! They should still be looking!" Tina said with a desperate tone in her voice.
"Based on your reaction, I can easily deduce that you are the "Princess" that should have "died" during the journey to reach my kingdom right?"
Tina was silent at first but she didn't remain silent and confirmed it. "Yes, I am the 103rd princess of the Insect Kingdom, Tina Lesches Ropalocera. Although I am not mature enough to rule the kingdom and I am not as beautiful as my siblings who have more beautiful wings than mine, I am a Princess from ancestry and blood of the royalties."
She spreads out her wings and I saw that her wings resemble that of a moth. No wonder she has brown hair, which is rather rare in the Insect Kingdom, she is viewed as the ugly princess due to her color not being vibrant enough. Not only that but the size of her wings is pretty small compared to her siblings that I have seen in the past. They are very big and vibrant and her color pales in comparison.
"Well, I already knew that your guards are lying that you have died on the spot. I asked them what caused your death and they immediately told me you got eaten by a giant sandworm."
Queen Tanya then turned to look at me. "So, did Princess Tina come out from the stomach of a sandworm?"
"Yes, I found her inside the Giant Devouring Sandorm's stomach that we killed with my companions."
"Thanks for the confirmation, Bladeheart. Now back into the topic. They immediately assumed you died after being eaten whole along with the carriage and decided to complete the mission to meet up with me. However, here comes the weird question. How come there is a Giant Devouring Sandworm in that area?"
I frowned when I heard that. Isn't that the nesting area of the Giant Devouring Sandworm? They are normal bosses in the area so I am sure they are just there.
"You guys looked confused so I will tell you guys why I would also be confused on the appearance of the Giant Devouring Sandworm in the area. As someone ruling Sandurk, I am pretty familiar with all the beasts present in Sandurk. I am not just ruling this single city, I rule all over Sandurk which is why I am aware of what is happening all around my territories.
Now here is the thing. Giant Devouring Sandworms are not native in the area. They would be more like a natural sighting in the Northern side of Sandurk and their attacks are pretty common in the area. However, in these parts, those sandworms don't exist, heck, you won't be able to find a single kind of Sandworm here either."
My mind just clicked on the dark realization. This is the center part of the Sandurk Continent. And just like what Queen Tanya said, the Sandworms are not a normal mob you can see in the Center of Sandurk.
So how come there is a boss all of a sudden?
"I don't understand. What is the connection between the sandworms not naturally occurring in the area and the attack?" Tina is more confused than ever.
"Naturally, Sandworms are asleep underground and they rarely go outside unless they are on their hunting season. So the most real case scenario with Sandworms, they should still be asleep underground. So why would there be a sandworm attack? Do you have any idea you two?"
Tina shook her head. However, I have a hunch but it is a bit wild.
"Maybe the Sandworm is captured in advance and starved it before it was thrown back to the sand but this time, around the Center area?"
"Is that even possible? Shouldn't the sandworm die since it was starved?"
"No. The sandworms aren't that weak. If they ever die due to that, they would be extinct already. However, those who are experts at hunting one sandworm, all know one fact. They can't kill a sandworm by starving. Sandworms can stay hungry for half a year if they ever get starved and they will still survive. However, they will attack once they are disturbed from their sleep. Most likely, the Giant Devouring Sandworm that devoured the princess was disturbed from its sleep from its original habitat and immediately teleported to the area where you are passing by."
"Queen Tanya, are you saying that Princess Tina is a target of assassination?" I asked.
"Yes. Tina of the Insect Kingdom. You are targeted by assassins and are tasked to kill you. To make sure the elaborate plan work like an accident, they decided to use the Sandworm after they heard rumors about the vicious attacks of Sandworms on humans. The insect kingdom has not seen a sandworm yet right?"
Tina nodded in confirmation.
"Now, if someone who is expert in fighting and killing sandworms appears, they will not use the sandworm for assassination as they are the poorest choice to assassinate someone. Only a few knew this but the Sandworm's stomach will have to be filled to full before it can start digesting what it has eaten. Of course, if you are swallowed by a sandworm, it is common sense that you will not die if eaten and you can still survive it for a few days unless you are eaten while it is almost full."
She then looked at Tina who is a bit shocked by what she heard. Although it is painful, it seems there is nothing Queen Tanya can do about it.
"Princess Tina, you are deceived and betrayed by the Kingdom itself. They wanted you gone and they never wanted to see you rule the Insect Kingdom. Whoever planned this did not think about it that much so even though they managed to execute the process, it failed after Bladeheart killed the sandworm.. In short, you are destined to die in Sandurk and never return to Aquagius."