The eminence of a true king

"I'm sorry, Master… we couldn't get anything out of them…" Shinobu murmured.

Leon crossed his arms and sighed, watching the prisoners tied up before him, groaning in pain under Shino and Nyu's ruthless methods.

"These cult bastards… were they sent here after drugging themselves into madness? Their brains are completely fried," he muttered, frowning.

He stepped closer, kneeling in front of one of the fanatics. The man's gaze was empty, broken—not from pain, but from blind, conditioned loyalty.

"It's not just a lack of intelligence…" Leon murmured thoughtfully.

"It's that damned fanaticism. Their doctrine binds even the soul. Even the weakest pawns die believing they're doing the will of something greater."

Shino wiped the blood off her hands, breathing heavily.

"Do you want me to keep going? I can tear off each finger, one by one…"

Leon shook his head and stood up.

"No… he won't break. Not like this."

He turned to Nyu, a cruel glint in his eyes.

"Hand him over to her. She'll take care of it perfectly."

Shino widened her eyes. Nyu smiled, almost pitying the prisoner.

"You're actually talking about her?"

Leon nodded.

"Yes… she'll crush his loyalty. Destroy his pride. Strip away every last shred of dignity." His voice dropped to a near-reverent whisper.

"If anyone can completely break a man… it's our Ice Queen, Esdeath."

After leaving a few more tasks for the two, he then opened a portal, letting the bluish mist surround him as he crossed into the Kingdom of Palettia.

---

Kingdom of Palettia – Military Headquarters

The training grounds echoed with shouts and applause.

At the center of the combat arena stood a woman with long blue hair, dressed in a pristine white military uniform. Her saber gleamed in the sunlight, dripping with the blood of her latest opponents.

Before her, dozens of elite soldiers lay defeated—some unconscious, others groaning in pain. She, on the other hand, didn't even seem to be sweating.

"Is that all you've got? You dared to challenge me with this pathetic strength?" Esdeath said with disdain, twirling her saber elegantly.

"Aaaargh!!" Grunts of pain responded, muffled by the soldiers' cheers in the stands.

"Two hundred consecutive victories!!"

"She just took down an entire company of veterans!!"

"General Esdeath! The Ice Queen is unbeatable!"

"Beautiful, cruel, powerful… is there even a man in this world worthy of her?"

At the top of a watchtower, Leon observed in silence, his eyes fixed on her.

"She's not just strong," he murmured to himself.

"She's like a frozen hurricane—unstoppable… and magnificent."

"Even though I was the one who put her in this position, Esdeath doesn't need it. Her power is absolute. She could've reached this rank effortlessly without my help."

"I can't tell whether she's the most dangerous weapon in our army… or my greatest addiction."

He sighed. Somehow, Esdeath managed to stoke his fire. There was something about her—an untamed, fierce beauty that drew him in like a storm attracts lightning.

---

Days earlier… Esdeath's first speech at the barracks

"I imagine many of you are uncomfortable with my appointment as General. You probably think I'm just some spoiled woman who got the position because Prince Leon wants me around."

She took a step forward. A deadly silence fell over the field.

"I'll admit it… you're right. I shouldn't be in this position."

Some soldiers muttered among themselves, surprised by her honesty. But then…

"I should be in one much higher."

The arrogance in her voice was as cold as her power.

"That's why I'm giving you all a chance. Come. One by one, or all at once. If anyone here manages to defeat me, I'll relinquish my post without hesitation." She smiled, cold as winter.

"But know this—I'll crush every single one of you without mercy."

That same day, more than fifty soldiers challenged her. None landed a single hit.

On the second day, thirty more tried. On the third, they started forming teams.

None succeeded.

Esdeath's fame spread like wildfire through the camp. In a place where raw strength commanded respect and hierarchy was earned through blood and sweat, her bold and honest style began to win over even the hardest hearts.

But what truly sealed her prestige were her missions outside the camp.

—

"She froze half a forest… with a single strike," recounted a veteran soldier, eyes wide with awe. "I don't think I'll ever doubt a beautiful woman again."

The Ice Queen didn't need to prove herself with words. Her presence alone was enough.

—

Back at the camp, the impact was clear.

"Ever since she got here, even the lazy ones are training like maniacs," one soldier commented, sweating in front of a training dummy.

"Esdeath made me realize that politics and scheming mean nothing in the face of real power. This is the military, not the palace. Here, the one with the strongest fist leads!"

In the training arena, Esdeath remained undefeated, her saber slicing the air like an extension of her will. She stood radiant in her immaculate white uniform, her cold gaze keeping everyone at bay—until a voice interrupted everything.

"You're doing well, General."

She turned abruptly, her icy blue eyes widening.

"Leon…!"

The coldness dominating her expression melted instantly, replaced by a genuine, almost childlike joy. Under the stunned gazes of the soldiers, the woman once called "goddess of the battlefield" ran out of the ring and leapt into the arms of the man sitting in the stands.

Leon caught her effortlessly, as if the moment was natural, intimate… familiar.

Silence fell across the entire camp.

"Is this real…?" whispered one soldier.

"She… she's smiling? Like, really smiling?"

"General Esdeath… is being CUTE?!"

It was like watching a mountain change shape.

The contrast was absurd. The woman who crushed soldiers like insects now looked like a lovestruck girl in her prince's arms.

"There's a lot of people watching," Leon murmured, still holding her.

"Then come to my room. It's empty… we can talk more privately, without interruptions," she whispered in his ear, her silky voice carrying intentions that would make anyone blush.

Leon cleared his throat. "Let's go…"

And so, arm in arm, the two left the training field—under the stunned gaze of the entire camp.

The soldiers were still frozen in place. Some had to be shaken by the shoulders, others slapped to snap out of it.

"Come on, guys. Move along."

"Move along? How am I supposed to move on after that?! How can my queen be that cute?! This is… this is emotional betrayal!"

Others tried to rationalize.

"Hey, listen… it's Prince Leon. The only man who's ever defeated Esdeath. It makes sense. I mean… she admires strength, right?"

"Yeah, yeah… I mean, if there's anyone in this world she'd willingly submit to… it'd be him."

"He didn't just beat her… he won her over."

Deep down, they all knew: if there was anyone who could melt the Ice Queen's heart, it was Leon. That man was the very definition of power and control. He had already fought a dragon and won—or rather, reduced the dragon to dust.

Some even muttered:

"If those two decide to conquer the world… who's gonna stop them?"

"I… honestly, I'd support it. It'd be a cold empire, but a fair one."

"Hey, isn't Leon the heir to the throne? What if General Esdeath becomes queen…?"

Their gazes met. Silence fell.

And then, as if rehearsed, they all said in unison:

"That would be unstoppable."

---

(End of Chapter)

"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."