Chapter 35: The Unseen Shadows of the God of War Queen

For generations, the House of Lothas had reigned over the Farl Kingdom, steadfastly protecting its lands.

Yet, throughout the kingdom’s thousands of years, there had never been a male ruler honored with the title of King. Every successive sovereign had been a Queen.

Whether commanding with the might of a war god or nurturing with the tenderness of a mother, each queen possessed the formidable ability to guide her people through both natural disasters and devastating wars.

This unwavering strength was precisely why the Farl Kingdom had endured through countless shifts in the continental landscape, managing to safeguard its territory even as numerous smaller nations succumbed to the Muran Kingdom’s expansion.

However, the reason for female rule was not simply that the House of Lothas was a matriarchal clan. The cause was far more direct: the House of Lothas had no males at all.

From its very inception, the continuation of their bloodline had never relied on men. Women could pass on their lineage to other women.

While it was possible to bear children with men, any offspring would invariably be female.

Furthermore, after millennia of precedent, female-to-female procreation had proven to be the most reliable method for ensuring the bloodline’s perpetuation.

Thus, from beginning to end, the leaders of Farl had always been women; no one had ever heard of a male in the Farl royal family—save for me.

Of course, I am merely my mother’s adopted son, not a husband. The continuation of the bloodline has nothing to do with me, nor do I understand how two women produce offspring, nor do I have any interest in finding out.

Moreover, the Farl Kingdom possessed another unique characteristic.

Typically, a nation is ruled by a single monarch, with all power concentrated in one individual. The Farl Kingdom, however, was an exception; occasionally, it would be governed by two queens simultaneously, as was the case in this current generation.

Queen Katina, my adoptive mother, was the reigning sovereign. She was a strict yet enlightened ruler, though she rarely concerned herself with military affairs.

As her adopted son, I was intimately aware of this, for all military matters were entrusted to the other queen.

She was known by countless titles: the God of War, the Holy War Rose, the Bloody Thorns of the Battlefield. People revered her as a hero who galloped across the battlefield, yet also feared her as a reaper of souls.

Her combat prowess was unmatched; with merely the slender saber in her hand, she could effortlessly sever an enemy’s head.

Rumor had it that during one particularly fierce battle, she stood unmoving at the heart of the conflict.

Relying solely on her saber and her formidable combat techniques, she single-handedly slew nearly a hundred enemy soldiers who sought her head, emerging utterly unscathed. Such was her terrifying might and majesty.

Her superhuman martial arts, combined with her exceptional military genius, truly earned her the title of “God of War Queen.” Her name was… Angela Calinas, the very woman now standing before me.

Her crimson hair cascaded down her back, a section swept up and braided into a princess plait. Her features were strikingly handsome, capable of rendering her a peerless beauty.

However, her fierce, upturned eyes, coupled with an expression imbued with a hint of domineering authority, caused others to instinctively keep their distance.

Yet, beneath this formidable majesty, she harbored a tenderness for her closest kin that was no different from an ordinary person’s.

She was utterly devoted to her wife, Queen Katina, and endlessly doted on her daughter, Princess Vinya.

Even those eyes, usually brimming with murderous intent, would soften and radiate warmth when she was with her family, completely contradicting her moniker, the “Holy War Rose.” I had witnessed that transformation with my own eyes.

However, that tenderness was reserved solely for her blood relatives. For me, a stray she had seemingly picked up from who knows where, she had never once acknowledged my existence.

My only adoptive mother was Queen Katina; as for Her Majesty Angela… if Mother hadn’t protected me, I would surely have become another soul claimed by her blade, wouldn’t I?

In short, suffering at her hands was a common occurrence for me.

Harsh words were minor; there were times she pressed her sword against my throat when I was still a child, and another time, under the guise of ‘training,’ she subjected me to such an intense special regimen that I nearly died of exhaustion in the wilderness.

I only regained consciousness on the morning of the third day and was bedridden for several days afterward.

Indeed, a slap across the face had become routine. I had long grown accustomed to her punishments. What else could I expect, being a mere good-for-nothing back then, yet still consuming the royal family’s provisions?

I tried to get close to her, but every attempt failed. In her eyes, I was simply a wild child disrupting her family.

Perhaps if I had demonstrated some ability, she might have turned a blind eye. But I possessed no magic whatsoever. Why, then, would the royal family bother to raise a useless burden?

Consequently, I always felt a sense of guilt towards her, but more profoundly, fear. If I hadn’t existed, Mother would surely have had more time to spend with her, wouldn’t she?

Ultimately, I was superfluous. I believe she must have felt considerably relieved during these past few years of my absence.

***

Yet, those were all distant memories now. After Nina’s healing had finally allowed me to forget the existence of this Queen, I unexpectedly encountered her again today, by some twist of fate. And she was accompanied by Princess Vinya, my adoptive younger sister.

“Qu-Qu-Qu-Qu-Qu-Qu…!”

‘Queen,’ Zale was probably trying to shout, but upon seeing the Queen’s beautiful, unadorned face and directly confronting the War God’s majesty, he was utterly incapable of speaking normally.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

Karen and Helene had already knelt in obeisance. Though they had been stunned for a long moment after seeing the Queen, they didn’t completely lose their composure. Only Zale and I remained standing stiffly, staring straight at the two royals before us.

“Get on your knees!”

Karen rose slightly, pulling Zale down and forcefully pressing his head to the ground. Helene, beside me, covertly tapped the end of her staff against my leg armor.

However, I remained rooted to the spot, peeking at Her Majesty Angela’s countenance from within my helmet.

This was not disrespect towards the royal family; it was simply that the shock was too immense, and my body refused to obey.

Even in the past, within the royal palace, whenever Mother wasn’t by my side, I would still bow respectfully to Angela. How much more so now, when I was merely an adventurer who hadn’t even given my name?

Yet, facing Queen Angela, let alone kneeling, I found it difficult even to turn my head.

Although I now possessed extraordinary combat capabilities, the shadows that had settled in my childhood had not yet dissipated. It was a reflexive, instinctive resistance.

Still, no matter what, I was an unnamed hero who had endured countless adventures and faced the terror of near-death experiences. What could a mere psychological trauma do to me?… Or so I told myself, but the fact remained: I couldn’t move.

This was truly vexing.

“You!”

After observing my prolonged stare and my blatant disrespect towards the swift and formidable God of War Queen, Her Majesty Angela finally barked a command at me.

I felt… that this time… I was truly doomed.