Chapter 70.

Mirellia sculpted a frown and then turned to her daughter.

"Calm down," she said and observed Melty stiffen for a moment before falling back on her training and subtly taking a deep breath before looking at the projections with a slightly calmer demeanour than before.

Mirellia couldn't blame her for her surprise.

Prince Takt's airships were marvels that would change warfare. Aerial control was already quite important but it was generally done through dragons or other flying creatures and the rare powerful magic user who could fly. It was considered to be difficult and magically draining. The prince's airship had been travelling for nearly a full day without pause and was carrying a small army of people at an excellent pace. Combine that with the significant defences, comfortable seating, the many different types of firearms and enchanted weapons and of course, a large number of people who were greater than level 100 and he had a marvellously powerful weapon of war.

However, at this moment what concerned her more was the sensors that could see the devastation that surrounded her home from dozens of kilometres away. It had been displayed on some of the image projections on the walls of the airship but Mirellia had been meditating when the images had first appeared. It had been Melty's horrified gasp and the sudden increase in activity of the rest of the denizens in the airship that had broken her concentration.

The sight that greeted her was horrific...and strange. The Queen was careful not to react. A flicker of her fan had her handmaiden cast a momentary stamina booster. The pain faded for the moment and her body relaxed a little. Her mind still felt numb.

House Melromarc's ancestral home for generations was in ruins. Her city had been badly damaged and the neighbouring areas had been flattened. Forests removed, plains annihilated and hills scarred or even shattered. Immense buildings dotted her city and her home had been replaced by a massive pillar that was holding up a skeletal dome. The monsters made it look like someone had attacked her city but there were far too many oddities. The lack of enemy corpses except for the monsters, the fact that the city was calm and the lack of defences having been set up.

Plus, there should have been no normal enemy that could have mustered this many monsters. It must have been a Wave...but that shouldn't be possible. A Wave wasn't due to occur for another week or so. Options flooded her mind but she lacked the information to make any solid judgements. Mirellia snapped her fan open and leaned against the comfortable seating for a moment.

"Lady Melris," she said, twisting her voice into a calm, patient intonation, "please scan a wider area. It would not do to jump into such a situation without sufficient preparation."

Her watcher nodded eagerly before she paused and truly considering the Queen's words, "Got it!" she said, jumping out of the seat opposite to Mirellia and Melty, "I'll speak to the engineers and alter the settings a bit."

Mirellia smiled at the young lady and ignored the slightly angry look that Melris' bodyguards shot her. They didn't matter much unless Melris turned against her and she doubted that the girl ever would. Prince Takt may have sent her to act as Mirellia's aid but the young fool had not realized just how much Melris craved a mother. Honestly, she couldn't tell if the man was an excellent political actor or a fool who was powerful and lucky enough to get away with a great deal of stupidity. Wise enough to corner her after Aultcray's incredible stupidity but idiotic enough to have only one gullible young woman to keep an eye on her. Certainly, Lady Melris was powerful, being at level 140 would do that, but despite her high level, she was not a serious threat.

Mirellia glanced at the other members of Lady Melris' squad, each of them at least level 100, and suppressed a sigh. They would be useful to keep her rivals in line but the cost was a bitter one. After centuries of independence, they would be reduced to being nothing more than a Vassal for Faubrey. Oh, she would have her titles and her lands. The Prince had even promised to allow her to rule as she wished...as long as she supported his ascension to the throne and served Faubrey loyally.

A brief, fragile smile bloomed. Her fan rose to hide it and she channelled a small flare of mana into her amplifier. Aultcray and Biscas would pay for Melromarc's humiliation.

"Mother," said Melty. Mirellia frowned at the urgent tone and glanced at the projection she was pointing at and almost grit her teeth as the sight threw away her previous ideas.

The Sword Hero was floating barely a kilometre away from them having appeared out of nowhere. He looked ethereal-isolated-with him completely ignoring the winds and the cold that existed at this height. The swords that were orbiting him only added to the eerie feeling. He vanished moments later without a trace but she didn't miss his glare at the airship.

She felt like her heart had been stopped.

Immense destruction. Her city damaged. Thousands of Monsters.

She remembered the many Legends. How Heroes could raise monsters and make them more powerful. Fitoria, the Queen of All Filolials. Draig, the Mad Dragon Emperor. Alistair, the Demon Griffon of the former Spear Hero there were hundreds of Legends of the Heroes raising monsters. Mirellia had never really wondered about why the Heroes didn't raise an army of monsters but she couldn't think of any reason why such a capability was beyond one of them.

Then her thoughts asserted themselves and emotions receded. She cursed her illness and started to think.

She had seen the reports on the border. The confirmation that he had been present and committed that attack. If he wanted Melromarc gone he could have done it with ease. There was another likely possibility.

A Wave had occurred and he had fought it. It was something hopeful that he'd actually bother to fight a Wave but she didn't see many other possibilities...unless the Spear Hero had somehow gained immense power in the days since her last report of him.

She suspected that if the Sword Hero had attacked her home there wouldn't have been enough left standing for her to see ...but that didn't explain the ruin that was her home. Unfortunately, she didn't need much to imagine the obvious possibility. The Wave had occurred. The Sword Hero, who had been registered to it, had arrived and Aultcray had angered him off or the Hero has taken revenge.

Mirellia placed her hand on her daughters and said nothing about it shaking. A calming smile had her daughter relax a little and quickly pulled her hand away. The Queen said nothing and turned to Lady Melris who had returned and was urgently speaking to her squad leaders.

The Hero's appearance had worried them.

Options. Something she had been craving since this mess started. Mirellia glanced at the immense destruction. Compared it to Prince Takt's demonstration of power and smiled.

A risky set of options, she corrected herself, but options nonetheless.

A level 200 Whip Hero versus Legendary Hero who was as powerful as the Legends suggested.

That was something she could use. Fighting a Demigod was not something within her power and the reports she had received all but confirmed that the Spear Hero would not be useful but she didn't need to fight directly if two of them existed.

She just needed to make sure that Melromarc survived the aftermath.

Mirellia smiled at Meris who crashed back into her seat and started a gentle interrogation.

She needed every advantage she could claim.

The building was a great deal more intimidating when viewed from the ground. It held no majesty as her Castle did and made no attempts to look pleasing. However, it was large, well lit and quite suited to holding meetings.

The fact that the Sword Hero had made it himself as a show of power was a worry, however.

"...I do not believe that he will work with you Your Majesty please consider retreating to a safe house while we have the chance, The Sword Hero is still directing the recovery-" said Lady Iana, her spymistress.

"He had ample reason to kill Aultcray and has chosen to fight the Wave and help our people," said Mirellia, not allowing her thoughts or her grief to show as she smiled at her loyal follower who was seated next to her around a plain but large table. Melty sat beside her looking around nervously while Lady Meris sat her bodyguards milling around the area while most stayed at the airship floating high above the city. There was almost no one else here but the soldiers had hesitantly let her through after she had commanded them to do so.

It grated to have her commands questioned in her home but Mirellia took it as a sign of the power of the Sword Hero. He had ensured that the soldiers and the highborn looked to him first. The utter lack of nobles after she landed on the hilltop where her home once stood was more than enough evidence of that.

Iana looked away, frustrated, "He is dangerous," she said, "Your Majesty he fought off the entire Wave by himself, we don't have much in the way of direct observation for a majority of it but the reports we have received suggests that he fought continuously for the full Wave and then proceeded to help with the recovery. He must have killed tens of thousands of monsters by our estimate. Worse he killed Lord Alamos, Lord Nimlok and Lady Katrina without a trial and His majesty without even a question."

Mirellia wasn't surprised. Few who crossed the Legendary Heroes survived intact. Worse, every generation of Heroes had one or two who stood above the rest. The previous generation had the Spear and Shield, the one before was the Shield alone and the last one she knew off from around four centuries prior, the Hero who had played a critical role in founding Faubrey, was the Spear again. This time it seemed to be the Sword who held the advantage and if he was as strong as those Heroes then leaving him as an enemy was simply not an option. Especially not when he had proven to be willing to kill a King and ravage her border.

She shoved away from the thought that he wasn't just her King. Sentiment could not have a place in her mind. Not today. Not with the Hero down in the city and Meris at her side. A glance at Melty showed her daughter struggling to maintain her composure.

"He's really that strong?" asked Meris with a worried look, "He can fight the whole Wave alone."

Iana looked to Mirellia, who nodded and said, "Yes, Lady Meris, he is more than able to do so. We don't have a complete report of his actions as of this moment but he was the primary actor. More than 99 per cent of the dead monsters were killed by him and given that our patrols have found no additional monsters anywhere near the city we are quite certain that he dealt with the entire Wave with no reinforcements."

Mirellia felt her resolve to strengthen as confidence was leached out of Meris. Prince Takt was too powerful. An army of level 100 combatants was not something that she could effectively oppose and when a small number of elite-level 120 or even higher level warriors are added to that in combination with Faubrey's normal army and their advanced technology and magics...well there was simply no way to defeat them conventionally. Their power was such that she had agreed to all of Prince Takt's demands, twisting them to her favour thanks to his silly bias towards Malty, but still difficult terms.

Melromrac would be Faubrey's ally in name and Vassal in truth, she would serve as his puppet even if she still held her titles, Malty would join his harem... and all the Heroes she had in Melromarc, Legendary and Star would be handed over to him. Not Faubrey, but for him in particular.

It was a logical demand. He was already incredibly powerful with his absurd ability to bypass the level limit and gain experience faster than normal but if he had the other Heroes he would be invincible.

Aultcray's death should have been a disaster. The Star Cane was gone and even if Aultcray couldn't use it simply having him hold it had been enough to deny others the weapon. Losing him should have resulted in penalties. But even Prince Takt would not make an enemy out of a man who could wipe out cities on a whip.

The problem was convincing the Sword Hero to support her if only for a moment. With that, she could force Prince Takt into some concessions and ensure that Melromarc wasn't consumed for the sake of his ambitions. The thought of working with him was a little odd but she had worked with people whom she hated and hated her in turn before.

This time would simply be far more personal.

She took the time that Iana was explaining things to Meris to thoroughly curse Aultcray and Malty. Anger was being tainted by grief. She had looked forward to punishing Aultcray...it was strange to think that she'd never see him again.

Mirellia wasn't sure if she was happy or furious about it.

"Get out of my way!" she heard, followed by a loud slam and a groan as the heavy door was casually swung open. The Witch of Ruin walked in casually, her clothes dirty, expression annoyed and Aura flaring wildly.

Mirellia winced involuntarily at the uncomfortable feeling as her mana was slowly devoured and torn apart by Agatha's magic but her high level shielded her just like it did the others in the room. She noted that Melty was completely unharmed and even looking a little puzzled by how the guards all around the room were flinching at the sight of the woman.

Meris got up in a flash and had her dagger drawn a moment later.

"Stop," said Mirellia quickly, "she's an ally."

Meris stopped and looked at her but Agatha blithely ignored the level 140 and pulled a seat for herself. She glanced at Meris and the rest of the guards.

"I need to talk to you alone," said the witch, her tone sharp, glaring at Mirellia "get everyone else out of here."

Both Melty and Meris frowned at the older woman while Iona adopted a carefully neutral look that showed her disapproval better than any amount of shouting would have.

Agatha ignored them all and simply raised an eyebrow, "It's about the Sword Hero," she said and then closed her eyes and leaned back against her chair. Unwilling to say anything more.

Mirellia swallowed her irritation. Agatha had always enjoyed testing her. The old woman had no respect for titles or reputation. You either impressed her for who you were or she'd treat you like trash.

"Melty, Meris, Iana," she said, "please take a small trip around the city. Give me an updated report. I'd like to have some trusted eyes on the ground."

Their protests faded as her last sentence struck and Iana nodded to her once Meris and Melty had walked away. Promising to keep an eye on them both, albeit, for very different reasons. Meris still looked hesitant and looked back one last time but a smile and nod from Mirellia had her calling her reluctant followers to her leaving the room empty save for herself and Agatha.

The older woman didn't waste a second.

"The Sword Hero is insanely powerful but he cares for people and hates slavery," she said, "make it clear that you never supported Aultcray. Accept a Curse Seal that forces you to speak the truth and swears not to fuck around with him or you'll end up dead and none of us, even your new pet, will be able to do shit to stop it."

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