Medusa stayed silent.

Her mind was struggling to understand what was going on.

Did her own people truly betray her? Did they use the very power she had willingly given them to strengthen the tribe — only to turn it back against her?

Did they bare the very fangs she had sharpened herself against her?

She honestly had trouble keeping up with the rush of it all, but the result was clear.

Looking down at the green-scaled document in her hand, she saw the blood marks of the prominent generals of her tribe, each of them voting for her removal.

To step down from the ruling position and leave her place to…

"W-What…?"

Her eyes widened even more as she realized who was meant to take over.

Slowly, mechanically, painfully, she turned her head toward Bety and found her licking her lips with her long slithering tongue, her eyes dripping with arrogance and dark glee.

She grinned mockingly as Medusa looked at her, baring her sharp fangs.

"You are going to put me down for her to rule? Have you all lost your minds? Don't you know how the mind of this woman works?" Medusa wanted to curse with venom, but she was not the type to spit empty words.

Still, she was deeply shaken.

All of them knew how brutal, cruel, and lustful Bety was. All she did was kill and sleep with every snakeman or snakewoman she pleased, ruling like a queen of blood and desire.

She was tolerated because of her power…but to make her rule?

That was asking for the tribe to be exterminated by even the smallest goblin colony out there.

And all of them accepted?

Medusa staggered back, too shocked to speak. But after shock came a deep, terrible anger that threatened to tear the entire chamber into splintered stone.

Her aura erupted viciously, the ground and the air twisting, transforming into living poison.

The air immediately became venomous. A single breath could kill a lesser being instantly.

Her hair writhed into serpents, and those serpents fell from her scalp one by one, hissing as they hit the floor, venomous eyes locked on the three before her.

"I won't accept this." Medusa growled like a demonic creature, her eyes spitting green miasma that coiled through the chamber. "Our tribe will be doomed if we let this lustful, irresponsible creature lead us."

The scaled floor beneath began to rot like dead flowers.

"I won't—!"

"My ssssnakes are already coiling around your hatchling's housssse."

Bety's words cut her coldly, sultry and cruel.

Medusa froze, her eyes locking on Bety's mocking gaze.

Bety leaned forward, eyes gleaming with twisted hunger.

"They are jusssst waiting for my hisssss to enter and take her. And you know me…" She licked her lips with obscene delight, making Medusa's whole body recoil in disgust.

"…I fancy the ssssoft flesssh of little girlsss the mosssst."

Her words stopped Medusa's aura in its tracks.

"What?" The word slipped from Medusa's lips, her heart sinking into cold fear for her daughter.

Although she was far from useless, as the others claimed, she was still only an intermediate-ranked being. She could not go toe-to-toe with Bety's vicious guards.

"Don't make this unnecessarily difficult, Medusa." Old Naka's voice slithered through the air.

"We need a cruel ruler for the cruel war to come. We…do not need one such as you."

He paused, his pale eyes glinting.

"Easy way… or hard way?"

In that instant, all three of their auras erupted together, dwarfing Medusa's own.

She… she was cornered.

The realization dawned upon her like venom seeping into an open wound. This had been orchestrated long ago. She had been trapped from the beginning.

"Heh…" she chuckled humorlessly.

Of course they knew why they had taken her daughter as hostage. Oh, they damned knew.

But the love of a mother was immense… and also unbearably heavy.

She clenched her jaw, retracted her aura, and stood straight, fixing the three with eyes that could kill gods.

Waly laughed.

"Now, forgive our lack of mannersss, but we must lock you away, Medusa."

He clapped his hands, and snakeguards entered, carrying chains and cuffs carved with sealing runes.

Their steps echoed loudly in the suffocating silence.

They approached her slowly, hesitating under the weight of her deathly glare.

"My daughter," Medusa spoke, her tone frigid.

"Don't worry… your daughter will join you soon." Waly's smile widened.

Bety's face twisted, disappointment flashing across her features at being denied Inara's touch.

But her eyes betrayed the thought crawling in her skull:

'Jussst wait. I will have her in my bed while you watch, helplesssss, asss I violate your hatchling.'

Medusa, though burning inside, finally accepted after hearing the threat against Inara.

The guards clamped the runed chains around her wrists with a sharp click and began to drag her toward the prison.

She forcefully stopped once, turning her head coldly.

"Who will you stand with?" she asked.

"Who else?" Old Naka answered smoothly.

"We will stand with the Warborn, of course. We must rid ourselves of those manipulative bastards, the Cerveau, first."

Medusa did not respond immediately. Then, with a cold chuckle, she allowed herself to be taken away, her power sealed.

Her words echoed behind, heavy and venomous:

"You foolish betrayers… you will doom us all."

Once she was gone…

"I want Inara. I want her in my bed!" Bety snarled.

Waly and Old Naka turned toward her.

"Let's first ensure we are among the victors of this war," Waly said. "Then you may have every girl and man in this tribe."

Old Naka's pale eyes glimmered.

"Send the letter to the Warborns. And…"

"Tell the people of the tribe that Queen Medusa fled with her daughter, abandoning them out of fear."

"Tell all who can hear… Bety is the new Queen…"

They licked their lips.

"…and war is coming."

…

Just like that, days passed in Darklore.

Kaden had returned to his house days ago, preparing for the imminent battle that was now inevitable.

But he welcomed it. There was no way he would tolerate the existence of the Cerveau any longer.

He was determined to exterminate them. Mercy was dead in him when it came to them.

He had also been preparing for his eventual talk with his parents — about his path, about his refusal to belong to only one woman.

Said bluntly like this, it might sound lustful. But Kaden was anything but lustful.

He simply loved more than one woman. How did this happen? He didn't know. But he did.

The question now was how to tell his parents without them beating his ass senseless.

That was exactly why…

"Sister, you need to come with me. Not only that, I need you to stand before me and take everything father and mother might throw at me." Kaden said shamelessly as he caressed Daela's hair softly.

They were alone on a mountainous hill with steep rocky slopes. The wind howled all around them, making their hair and clothes flutter sporadically.

The air was clean, the scent of earth and pine carried on the breeze.

Daela lay stretched out, her head resting on his lap, her eyes closed as she let the tension melt from her body.

She parted her lips to respond without opening her eyes.

"I will," she said curtly.

Kaden's face split into a beaming smile as he tugged at her cheek, stretching it.

"You are the best sister ever!" he chirped.

You wouldn't believe this was the same man who swore to kill anyone in his way for power.

Here he was, nothing more than a little brother, fretting over parental wrath and begging his sister to be his shield.

It was weird.

But it was Kaden.

A man with many sides, depending on the moment and the company.

"I am the best sister, right?"

"Yes, definitely!"

"Your favorite sibling, right?"

"Without a single bloody doubt!"

"Then spoil me more." Daela's lips curved into a smile.

"That I will do, of course!" Kaden replied eagerly, indulging her every whim.

He needed her motivated to stand in front of his parents later.

But then…

"Why were you in Fokay, to begin with?" he asked, still stroking her hair.

"Preparing my ascension to Grandmaster. I cannot accept being in the same rank as you…how could I protect you in battle like that?" Daela's voice was indignant.

She had been stunned to see her younger brother already at Master rank. Too fast, even for them.

She was proud, but it left her unsettled. If he no longer needed her protection, what was she for?

Kaden shook his head with a wry smile.

"Am I not asking you for help right now? You worry too much. I'll always need you. You're my big sister." His voice soothed her instantly.

Daela smiled.

"Yes. Ask me. I will protect you no matter what."

'I will give my life gladly for you, little brother.' she added silently.

"I will," Kaden said with a chuckle.

Silence fell, peaceful. The breeze carried the scent of wildflowers, wrapping them in calm.

Kaden watched the expanse of trees below, the road carved by wagon wheels, the birds flying carefree above, a boy galloping free on a horse.

He thought of his master, of the sword he carried, the handle bearing the shape of bird and horse.

Understanding began to dawn upon him, but..

"Oh…I also met a wandering elf while I was there, just outside the Kingdom of Elves." Daela interrupted.

"When she saw me, she started to cry, begging me not to torture her. She said she would accept my rule, whatever it was."

Kaden frowned.

"Why would she act like that? Did you do something?"

Daela shook her head.

"I did nothing. But I heard from her that a human was inside the Kingdom of Elves. A human who caused trouble apparently."

Kaden tilted his head.

"So, what will you do? Going acting like hero?"

Daela sat up from his lap, facing him directly.

Red against red.

Blood against blood.

She smiled.

"I will do what you want me to do, Kaden."

He smiled back, raising his gaze to the bright blue sky drifting with clouds.

"For now, forget the elves. We have an urgent matter here."

"Let's first take care of the Cerveau and the Steelbeasts, shall we?"

"By your order, O talented little brother."

"That's embarrassing, big sister."

Daela pouted.

—End of Chapter 245—

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