As I returned to the processing and took my rightful seat at the royal table, I couldn't help but throw a look at the Archbishop, with Rex himself shifting uncomfortably under my gaze. "I assume you're planning to explain a lot of things to me after the festival, Rex."

My question was more of a statement than anything else, a threat made real. Rex shifted and grunted. "I only hope that his majesty will understand that I had no way of stopping that monster from harassing you."

"Harassing me?" I let out a laugh at that as I turned fully towards the clergyman and snorted. "Am I to assume that attempted murder is to be classified as mere harassment?!"

Turning back towards my food with a faked scowl, I finished my statement while holding back my rising amusement. "I will be expecting compensation from the church for this, Rex."

"Anything you wish, your majesty! Just please, don't mention that monsters name to anyone!" He was shaking in fear as I quirked an eyebrow in response, though I said nothing.

It would seem that Lumina is quite feared, even by other members of the church. Hmm, perhaps she is a form of living nuke, a weapon that they use only on rare occasions. With that said, is Rex really someone that has command over such a weapon?

Hmm. "You seem disgruntled, Rex. Are you trying to tell me that her actions are not done by your order?"

He shook his head in rage. "N-no! That thing crippled one of my personal knights in order to force the lord Truth to assign her as one of my guards.. but to think she would go so far as to try to murder you." He sighed and covered his head with his hands. "Come to think of it, why did she try to kill you, your majesty? Did she mention anything?"

"Yeah, she thought that I was a demon." His exasperation twisted itself into a sigh. "Then I must praise you for you capabilities as a speaker, your majesty. That monster usually kills first, then checks if she was right when it's too late."

Silence followed this revelation as I sighed in contemplation of my own apparent weakness. The priest is right on one thing; had she not decided that I was worth keeping alive, I would be dead right now and nobody here could do anything to prevent that. Katrin and Sebastian are effectively super soldiers, but there is very little they can do versus something that stands at the peak of the mountain.

Opening my right palm as my left hand dug into my cheek, I channelled some mana into the air slightly above it, creating a small but vibrant flame within it. I stared into that flame and fell into a nigh meditative trance as the heat seemed to pulse in unison with the blood flowing through my veins, the fire eagerly brimming with life, as well as with the intent to take it away. Mhmmm...

I need to get more powerful and quickly. Bodyguards, diplomacy and terror tactics are only worth a damn if I myself am difficult to put down and while I am confident in my ability to put myself back together so long as my brain is left intact, I would much rather it never come to that. "So how long are you going to stare into a fire before you decide to explain to the rest of us as to exactly what just went on, your majesty?" William threw a questioning glance at me, his expression twisted between discomfort and annoyance, causing me to let out a sigh and smirk as I doused the flame in my palm, for now.

"Had I thought you needed to know, I would have already informed you." A terrible smirk etched itself on my frame as I quickly added on. "What you can be allowed to know is that I very nearly died just now and nobody here took the chance to play hero."

To their credit, the Terreltaits collectively appeared ashamed at the revelation, but everyone else just rolled their eyes. "Pardon my bluntness, but I hardly consider you as one worthy of being heroically saved by anyone, your majesty." I shrugged at Percival, the boys words eliciting several raised eyebrows around the table. Reginald's expression in particular, was swarmed by an indecipherable fake fury. "Y-your majesty! Why are you being so tolerant of these youngsters bluster?! Both this worthless, nameless clerk and that mutt's maniac of a son have called you several colourful words on multiple occasions, with more than one of them making zero sense either way!"

Quirking an eyebrow at the man, I tried to answer him, but Katrin's own question caught my attention before I could. "Oh, yeah! Sebas, why are you calling Klaus 'fatso'? I mean, a week ago, sure, but now he's nice and slim and you calling him that makes no sense!"

"Shut up, woman! If I want to call him fat, then I'll do it!... he does not seem to give a shit about it, anyway." Sebastian threw me a look that just screamed begging for approval, causing me to sigh as I turned back around. "Reginald. They are still children in my eyes. Their retorts and comebacks hardly make a difference and being so lowly as to actually find them insulting is just..." A massive sigh escaped me. "You will forgive me if my ego isn't quite so fragile to as to be affected by this."

"F-fragile?! All I see is a coward unwilling to stand up for himself! And you can bet that many others will see the same!" His reply made me sigh again as I closed my eyes and nodded. "Sebastian, I order you to address me as you legally should unless we are in private."

With a resounding tch, the young wolf leaned back into his chair and went quiet. "Mhm! Now that's how a proper king ought to act!" Reginald seemed intensely satisfied with this result, causing me to roll my eyes and focus on the party in front of me.

For some reason, no new ladies came to approach me despite our table being free for the most part. "Lawrence, did we already go through all of my potential brides?"

"Your standards are way too high, your majesty." He sighed as he checked over a list, but seemingly nodded to himself in satisfaction. "Still, the nobility should be satisfied with this result, some more than others, as it has finally freed up many ladies for marriage."

I blinked at his answer in momentary confusion as I turned to take a look around once more. And it was then that I noticed it, the majority of this party's attendees were men! This festival... haha, it wasn't just for me, but for the other men in the kingdom too. By denying so many ladies a chance at becoming queen, I've crushed a lot of expectations, meaning most will now begin to look lower for potential marriage partners.

Good ol' hypergamy~.

Anyway, for some reason, learning this made me smile and exhale a breath of relief. Finally, this idiotic event was ov- "Excuse me, your majesty? May I beg for a moment of your time?"

Ah fuck. Why. Karma, I hate you.

Opening my eyes and turning my head to the side, I took notice of an entirely unassuming woman that looked more akin to a peasant than a noble with her sparkling brownish dress and darkened hair. Her eyes were pale blue and her frame was lithe with only minute, but visible-enough muscle to be found on her body. Someone that isn't a stranger to physical labour, yet she carried herself with pride and radiated confidence, much like a noble. A bastard child, perhaps? "And you are?"

She blinked in surprise before letting out a curiously quiet sigh. "So you have not heard of me, your majesty?" Shaking her head and instantly bowing, she continued. "No, that was rude of me. I should not have assumed myself as one worthy of your notice." Straightening her posture and looking directly at me, she finally introduced herself as I rose a curious eyebrow at her. "I am Alina Darrowmere, of the Barony Of The Darrow, daughter and heir of Aliester Darrow."

Throwing at look at her, then at my courtiers, I promptly asked. "I see. And what do you want, child?"

Tilting her head for the briefest moment and blinking in confusion. "Child? I am sixteen years of age since this summer. A perfect time for marriage, don't you think?"

A quirked eyebrow thrown at Lawrence told me that this event isn't of his or the nobles design as the boy began to fidget uncomfortably under my gaze. "I do not agree. I specifically set the permissible age for applying to the Festival to be of twenty and older, not younger. And pardon me if I say that you do not seem to be someone dumb enough to not know that sixteen is less than twenty."

Alina clicked her tongue, seemingly out of habit as her expression twisted for a brief moment, showing a look that I was most familiar with, one that asks the other; Why do you have to be someone so annoying?

I pretended not to notice and chuckled. "So I'll ask again, Alina. What is it that you want?"

"I want your permission to join the festival." Letting out a laugh and a snort, I asked again. "And what makes you think you'd be a good queen?"

"Pardon me, your majesty, but I believe that if you knew of Lady Alina's accomplishments, you would not be asking that question." Percival was the one that spoke up first and the rest of the table seemed to be inclined to agree with him. Quirking an eyebrow all around, I kept quiet as the others began to muse and speak.

"Indeed, I've heard of her. An astounding tale from the Darrow where a young girl took over the barony in her fathers stead and basically brought it back from the ruin."

"Yes! And how she saved him from an illness that no healer could cure using several entirely new methods!"

"She also talked an invading orcish raiding party into leaving the people unharmed in exchange for food, at the age of six!"

"There's also rumours of her treating everyone harshly but fairly and that usually, high rank means nothing to her so long as one is useful."

More and more, the people of the table turned to look at me with a smirk and a wink. Meanwhile, realizations upon realizations dawned on me as I turned my head back around to face the woman, catching Aberra's hateful expression in the meantime. "I see. So, you are a heroine of some kind?"

"A heroine, psh." She scornfully rolled her eyes and grimaced. "I only did what was logically required."

Quirking an eyebrow at her, I contemplated a multitude of plausibilities. On the one hand, she could be a true, natural born genius. On the other hand, she seems to be far too jaded, far too 'wise' to ever be anything of the sort.

No, this woman... she is likely the same as me.

A reincarnator. "I see. Well, I stand by my words. You are not to be allowed entry into the Regina Festival."

This statement made Aberra very, very happy, indeed, as she smiled in my direction. "Hmph. Seems like your tastes do have some good sides to them, after all."

Completely ignoring her, Alina nodded towards me in apparent satisfaction. "Thank you for the confirmation, but if I may be so bold, I would like to know your reasoning? Apart from the obvious, please."

How rude~.

Oh well, I can't say that I do not approve. "I refuse to answer." My smile caused her entire body to twitch. "Why? Why are you so afraid of my youth? Other men would leap at the chance to marry a younger woman? Are you perhaps thinking that older women are more fertile? I'll have you know that it works the other way around, your majesty."

Her blatant reply made me snort. "Oh? Is that so?"

"It is so. Not only that, but I've overheard you saying how makeup is poisonous and that you worry that too much of it may be detrimental to the health of your future wife." She turned to look at Aberra with scorn and hatred. "Indeed. There is much truth in your beliefs, your majesty. You won't ever have to worry about that with me though, as I abhor the very notion of wearing any form of mask."

Then she smirked and promptly rolled up her sleeve, much to the embarrassment of the others as well as their shock. "Not only that, but I have a healthy body which is the fruit of my long years of physical labour! If we are to marry, I can promise you several healthy heirs, to which I will bring birth to without consuming alcohol, applying anything poisonous, partaking in any form of drug usage or otherwise religious rituals that women are usually forced to perform during pregnancies."

"Hmmm..." A smile etched itself onto my frame as I observed the woman before me with an inner glee. This one.. had a soul that was very much alike to my own. "These are some very, very alluring points. However, I remain unconvinced. Still, to give credit where credit is due, I will consider it. Understand however, that allowing you to participate will cause many other women to feel like they've been unfairly treated and will open up the gateways for a multitude of new rivals to appear before you."

She smirked, lightly at first, but then it turned into full-blown sadism. "Let them come. I will crush them all like the whores and petite dolls they are!"

Not a moment afterwards and just as my own expression was about to mimic hers, Aberra rose from her seat in anger and yelled out her frustration while pointing an accusing finger at her newest and only official rival. "Your majesty?! You aren't actually considering letting this.. t-this peasant!; to join the resplendent Regina Festival?! Her blood is impure and as filthy as the dirt stuck under her disgusting, torn up fingernails!"

"And yet, I have not heard a single thing I didn't like about or from her so far. Which is something that I simply cannot say for you, Aberra." Her face twisted itself with shock and then hate as she lowered her hand and smirked. "Is that so? I shall remember these words once I am made Queen of this land, your majesty."

Both I and Alina shared a joint snort, causing us to quirk an eyebrow at one another before I replied to Aberra, saying that words that she likely desired to say herself. "Good luck." Hearing this and witnessing the aforementioned unspoken exchange caused the crimson vixen to storm out of the room and presumably leave the party.

"What an insufferable bitch." Alina muttered out before blinking, seemingly finally realizing where she is right now and slapping her own mouth shut, but before she could speak, I promptly added on. "She has an amazing pair of breasts, though."

Appearing shocked for only a brief moment, Alina rolled her eyes and sighed before nodding in approval. "That, I'm not going to deny, your majesty." I let out a laugh at her antics. "Oh please, call me Klaus."