NOW THAT Duke Nystrom had mentioned it, Luna noticed that the air right now was indeed strange.

It was already summertime but the heat right now was unusual.

Usually, when she was near the duke, she felt like she was standing next to a huge block of ice. But right now, Duke Nystrom's body temperature didn't feel as cool as normal. Seeing the bullets of sweat on his forehead also came as a shock to her.

Her thoughts were cut-off when all of a sudden, they heard Duchess's shriek from inside her chamber.

As expected, Duke Nystrom was as fast as a lightning when he ran towards the room.

Luna followed the duke, hoping that nothing serious had happened. Please let the duke and the duchess enjoy their time with their newly born son peacefully.

***

TILLY didn't mean to scream but she was really surprised when Louisa almost dropped Julian when the head maid suddenly collapsed. Thankfully, she had just put Winter in the crib when that happened so she still had the time to catch Julian.

But she didn't have the time to feel relieved because as soon as Louisa collapsed, Leni and Lani also fell on the floor unconscious.

Oh, god. What's happening?

She put Julian in the crib next to Winter before she walked towards her maids to check on them. Much to her shock, she noticed that they were covered in sweat. Their faces were also red and they were breathing heavily.

"Honey!"

She turned to Kiho who looked so worried. Ah, he definitely heard her scream a while ago. "I'm fine, hon," she assured him. "I need your Mana, Kiho. I think Louisa and the twins are suffering from heat stroke. Can you make the room colder?"

Kiho nodded while looking at the maids with worried eyes. "I can do that," he said, then he looked at her. "Are you okay, honey?"

She nodded, then her brows furrowed when she noticed something. "Kiho, you're sweating," she said in disbelief. She walked towards her husband and when she touched his face and forehead, she gasped when she felt how hot his skin was. "What's wrong? This is the first time that your body temperature increased this much, Kiho."

"I'm fine, honey," he assured her. "We should worry more about your maids and the kids. Winter and Julian might feeling the heat, too."

She gasped and then she quickly went to check on the kids in the crib. Then, she put each of her hand on Winter and Julian's forehead. Julian's body temperature was as warm as normal and he didn't look like he was feeling hot.

Winter, on the other hand, was now sweating heavily just like Kiho.

Oh, no.

She quickly carried Winter in her arms and turned to Julian who was just sitting in the corner with a gentle look on his face. "Julian, please wait for a while," she said, then she walked towards Kiho who had his hands on the floor while covering the floor, the walls, and the ceiling with a thin layer of ice. "Kiho, our Winter looks uncomfortable with the heat. Julian looks fine, though. It's probably because of his Mana."

Kiho immediately stood up and carefully took Winter in his arms. "Thank you for checking on the kids, honey," he said, then he turned to their son. "Don't worry, little rascal. Daddy will keep you cold."

When she was sure that Winter was safe in Kiho's arms, she turned to the unconscious maids on the floor. "They might get too cold if they lay on your ice. I will call the butlers to put them on the bed."

"Duke and Duchess Nystrom, we have a problem."

Both of them turned to Luna who just entered the room.

Miss Luna is also covered in sweat…

"All the servants in the mansion collapsed and each one of them is showing signs of heat stroke," Luna informed them in a worried voice, then she turned to Kiho. "Your Grace, I'm sorry for asking but I think you should make the whole mansion cold."

Kiho nodded even though he looked like the heat was also getting to him. "We should also prepare water for everyone– they must be very thirsty right now."

Tilly gasped when she suddenly remembered something– causing Kiho and Luna to glance at her. "If it's this hot inside the mansion, then the heat outside must be very unforgiving," she said worriedly, then she turned to the window. "I hope the Black Serpent Knights can stand the heat until they get here."

***

AKU was surprised when suddenly, the four maids preparing the refreshments for him collapsed at the same time. In the blink of an eye, Sir Gregory and the other royal knights were already surrounding him to protect him from a possible unseen enemy.

He also thought that he was under attack.

But when he noticed that Sir Gregory and the royal knights were covered in sweat, he got suspicious. He turned to the unconscious maids on the ground and realized that just like the knights, they were also sweating heavily.

Come to think of it, the air was way too hot even for the summer season.

In fact, he decided to have his afternoon tea in the garden to get fresh air because the heat was also getting to him.

Now, he realized that the heat wasn't normal.

"Sir Gregory," Aku said.

Sir Gregory turned around to face him with a polite bow. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"We're not under attack," he said, then he stood up. "Bring the maids and the knights inside the palace and give them water. Everyone, including you, is suffering from heat stroke." Only people with high Mana would be able to stand that kind of heat. That was why the royal knights were still standing. "I'll go to the shrine for the meantime."

"I'll go with you, Your Majesty," the old knight insisted.

"Take care of yourself first," he said firmly making Sir Gregory lower his head. "I'm entrusting you the lives of the people in the palace, Sir Gregory."

Sir Gregory bowed again. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

He just nodded before he walked away and went straight to the shrine of the Blue Dragon. And that shrine was in the basement of his chamber. Only him and Nia were allowed to enter the shrine. Ah, it would be more appropriate to say that only the royal family could enter that place.

Anyone without the Moonchester blood will literally get their breath taken away if they stepped foot in this room.

And that was because out of all the Four Ancient Beasts, the Blue Dragon was the one that served as the Moonchesters' Guardian.

But he couldn't really say that the Blue Dragon was on their side. After all, out of all the gods, it was the one that was most detached to everyone and everything. The Blue Dragon was like a wind that no one or nothing could truly grasp.

His thoughts were cut-off when he entered the shrine.

It was just a plain white room, to be honest. The only impressive thing in the shrine was the statue of the Blue Dragon with its giant body wrapped around a white coffin.

Yes, a coffin.

And that was where the Blue Dragon's human form was resting. Again, yes. It was in his palace all along.

"Elis Ripperton, you need to lend me your strength," he said while talking to the coffin. "They have arrived to retrieve the Supreme."

The strange heat in the empire right now could only be caused by one group.

And they are the Supreme's Keepers.

"We have to kill the Supreme before the Keepers get to her," Aku said, then he walked towards the coffin. There was a glass cube on top of it. Inside that cube was a crystal bracelet with an engraved symbol of the sun on it. "You have to wake up now, Lord Ripperton."

***

TILLY was relieved that the Black Serpent Knights made it to their mansion without any member collapsing under the heat.

Still, the knights were covered in sweat and were very thirsty when they arrived.

Fortunately, most of their servants had now recovered thanks to Kiho's ice. He made the whole mansion cold. Her husband was like a human air-conditioner.

The maids and butlers who were okay now tended to the knighs. To make the Black Serpents more comfortable, they brought them to the mansion's ballroom where it was the coldest. Then, she asked the servants to bring cold water for everyone.

Luna assured her that she would look after Julian, and then she urged her to check on Kiho and Winter. She left everything to the witch and went back to their chamber where Kiho and Winter were lying on the bed– obviously exhausted.

"Hon, are you and Winter okay?" Tilly asked worriedly. Then, she sat on the bed and hugged Kiho from behind. Yes, she was the big spoon this time. She put her chin on his shoulder to look at Winter who was now sleeping again. She noticed that Kiho put pillows on the other side of their son to make sure he wouldn't fall from the bed. And she also noticed that their little cinnamon roll looked refreshed now than a while ago. ��Did you change Winter's clothes?"

"Uh-huh," Kiho said, then he turned to her and asked for a kiss. After that, he explained. "He was covered in sweat a while ago so I changed his clothes. His nappies, too."

The nappies used in the empire were made of cloth and not the disposable diapers in the modern world.

"Thank you, hon," she said, then she kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad that your body is as cool as usual. But you must have been exhausted. You and our baby."

"We're fine, honey. Don't worry about us," he said to console her. "The strange heat was gone so I'm feeling more comfortable now. Winter feels the same, I swear."

"I'm scared, Kiho."

He instantly turned to lie down on his back. Then, he gently pulled her closer until she was lying on top of him. "What are you scared of, honey?" he asked worriedly while snaking his arms around her body protectively.

"The heat that you felt a while ago wasn't normal," she said. "I'm afraid that it may have been caused by the enemies to weaken you. Even Miss Luna doesn't know where it came from."

As soon as she said that, she heard Sentinel's voice in her head.

"Lady Nystrom, may I come out?"

"Sure," she said, then she turned and whispered to Kiho who looked confused. "It's Sentinel, hon."

Her husband nodded. "Ah, I see."

A few moments later, Sentinel came out of her heart. As soon as he did, he got down on one knee and bowed to them. "I apologize for not helping out a while ago," he said in a voice filled with guilt. "I was afraid that my energy would make the heat more unbearable for everyone."

"It's okay, Sentinel," she said, then she got up. Kiho got up as well, then he snaked a protective arm around her waist. "I understand. Please raise your head."

The spirit guardian raised his head. "My lady, I think I know who caused the strange heat a while ago."

"Really?" she asked curiously.

"Please tell me they're not enemies," Kiho said in a tired voice. "I want one peaceful day with my family."

She nodded in agreement.

"They are allies, Duke and Duchess Nystrom," Sentinel said in a cheerful voice. "I think the Keepers of the Supreme have arrived."

Tilly smiled at the good news because it meant they didn't need to look for the Keepers or the island that worships the sun. But for some unknown reason, she suddenly felt a strange pain in her heart. It was painful enough to make her tears fall quietly. Why am I crying…?

***

Countryside at the very edge of Moonchester Empire…

"ROARKE f*cking Sinclair!" Jameson Crawford yelled at the top of his f*cking lungs after the m*therf*cker pushed him in the river, making him f*cking wet all over. His f*cking clothes were now wet and he hated it! "Why the f*ck did you f*cking pushed me in the river, you m*therf*cker!"

"Saying "f*ck" again and again as if you just learned the word makes you look dumber, Crawford," Roarke f*cking Sinclair told him in his usual cold voice while looking down at him– literally and definitely figuratively. "Why did you release your Mana? You could have killed people with weak Mana with just your excess energy. Even if you're dumb, you should at least know that."

What a f*cking a*shole.

Roarke Sinclair was a f*cking scum. Women fawned over him because of his looks. Apparently, Sinclair had an angelic face. They also loved his deep purple hair and different-colored eyes: pink in the left, ice blue in the right.

But his face was his only saving grace.

Roarke Sinclair had a trashy personality.

"We would have f*cking died if I didn't use my Mana to protect us when we literally fell from the sky!" he reasoned. "It was your f*cking fault, Sinclair! You got the f*cking coordination wrong so we landed in the wrong place! Do you think we��re somewhere near the f*cking Royal Capital? We're in the middle of f*cking nowhere, dumb*ss!"

"Then find the right way towards the Royal Capital," Roarke f*cking Sinclair said, then he turned his back on him and walked into the woods. "That's your job, Mr. Human Map."

"Don't go anywhere, you Mr. Directionally-challenged M*therf*cker!" Jameson screamed but of course, Roarke f*cking Sinclair didn't listen. Out of frustration, he pulled his long, magenta hair and looked up at the sun in the sky. "Supreme, please give me more patience or else, I'll f*cking murder the f*ck out of Sinclair before we even find you."

***

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