The atmosphere in the queen's chamber was a strange contradiction—both calm and tense, soothing yet suffocating.
It was calm, thanks to the sheer beauty of the surroundings. The soft glow of enchanted sea crystals, the intricate carvings on the walls, the gentle warmth in the air—all of it created an environnt that felt almost peaceful.
And one could not deny the presence of the Queen herself.
Her elegance alone demanded attention. The way she sat with absolute poise, her long silver-white hair, her deep blue eyes—it was impossible to ignore her.
And yet…
The conversation itself carried a crushing weight.
Then, Queen Nerisa spoke, her voice smooth yet firm. "Long ago, a magnificent kingdom stood above the skies, resting upon a floating island."
Broken imdiately sharpened his focus.
He hadn't expected to dive into the truth of Vensalor so quickly.
Her words confird it.
Vensalor was real.
"It was the domain of the Forest Elves—The Vensalor Kingdom."
So, it was true.
Vensalor wasn't just a myth.
It had existed.
Or rather—had existed.
Because the way she spoke in past tense told him everything.
The Vensalor Kingdom no longer existed.
It had fallen.
But then—
Why did Grill receive a quest to 'protect' the kingdom from demons?
What was there to protect if Vensalor had already been wiped out?
Had the quest been given without full information?
Or was there sothing much bigger happening behind the scenes?
Once again, the quest had co from the Goddess of the Moon, and Broken knew better than to question the credibility of her will.
So why was he only now hearing that Vensalor was nothing but history?
Then, Nerisa spoke again.
"We were always at war with the Forest Elves of Vensalor."
Broken's eyes narrowed slightly.
War?
Wait—
Did that an the Forest Elves weren't destroyed by demons?
Had the rfolk been the ones to wipe them out instead?
He imdiately cut in. "What made your two kingdoms fight against each other? You existed in completely different realms—one in the sky, the other in the deep ocean. What could have caused such a war?"
For the first ti, Queen Nerisa's expression changed ever so slightly. Her gaze hardened.
"Because they hunted us."
"…Hunted you?"
Her voice remained cold and absolute.
"They continuously hunted parts of us."
That phrasing—
It was specific.
Deliberate.
"And by 'part of you,' do you an your people? Or aquatic creatures as a whole?"
Nerisa's gaze didn't waver.
"They hunted those who were under our protection."
Broken exhaled slowly. So this wasn't just about elves and rfolk fighting over land or power.
This war was sothing deeper, older.
And whatever truly happened in the past—
It was far more complicated than just demons attacking Vensalor.
Broken held Nerisa's gaze as he spoke. "Is the island above your kingdom the floating island you spoke of? Are the spirits of the Forest Elves still wandering there?"
Nerisa's expression remained calm. "No. They are sothing else entirely."
That was another piece of clarity in the puzzle.
One by one, the mysteries were unraveling, and Broken was starting to feel like he had finally found a reliable source—soone who actually knew the truth.
Especially considering—
It was becoming clearer and clearer that this queen was far older than she looked.
Her appearance suggested a woman in her early twenties. But her words spoke of centuries of knowledge.
Then, she continued. "The people above are our human slaves. They served us, providing what we needed."
Broken's brows furrowed slightly.
Human slaves?
Was that why the rfolk had been staring at him strangely since the mont he arrived?
Did they think they were getting another slave?
Hell.
That was mind-blowing.
And yet, before he could fully process that, Nerisa added—
"I am practically an ocean goddess. And they worshiped ."
…Damn.
She's a bit narcissistic, huh?
Though, to be fair—
If she actually appeared on the surface, with her power, her presence, and her beauty, it wouldn't take much for people to worship her like a deity.
He exhaled slowly.
That was another insane revelation to unpack later.
But for now—
There was still one major question left unanswered.
Leaning forward slightly, he kept his voice steady, direct.
"Why should I help you? And what exactly do you expect from ?"
If Queen Nerisa was willing to give him everything, then surely she expected sothing just as valuable in return, right?
Everything?
What if he asked for the entire kingdom?
Would she accept that?
And more importantly—what exactly did they want from him?
"We need the Guardian to protect us."
Ah.
So that was it.
She wanted the egg.
The Legendary Abyssal Naga Egg.
His mind worked quickly. If he traded the egg for the entire kingdom, that wouldn't be a bad deal, right?
Except—
What if the egg was worth even more than that?
Nerisa continued, her words flowing with the sa elegance and authority as before.
"You hold the egg of the Sacred Abyssal Naga… That alone proves you have arrived as an answer to our hopes. We need you. We need the Guardian to protect us. Allow us to have it, and in return, I will grant you anything you desire."
Broken let out a slow breath.
What exactly did they expect from a newborn creature?
The egg hadn't even hatched yet.
Even if the Abyssal Naga was powerful, it would be no different from Pawpaw in its early stages—strong, but not invincible.
Did they plan to wait for it to grow?
That wouldn't be surprising.
For people like them—who had lived for centuries—waiting for years, even decades, probably didn't feel long at all.
But for Broken, that was an entirely different story.
Then again—
If they were so desperate, maybe he could milk this for even more benefits?
Instead of giving it away, he could let them use the creature while still keeping ownership over it.
Let it grow stronger here.
He gets rewards, the beast develops under their protection, and in the end—he still gets to keep it.
A perfect win for him.
He slowly shook his head.
His voice remained calm, but there was a hint of amusent in his tone.
"You don't actually expect to hand over the egg so easily, do you?"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"This egg is mine. It is sothing far greater than you can imagine. Perhaps I can lend it to you—but I expect an equivalent exchange. If you want it, you'll have to pay for it."
Queen Nerisa's piercing gaze didn't waver as she responded.
"What price must I pay to claim the egg?"
Broken exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly.
Truthfully? He hadn't decided yet.
He could ask for many things, but right now, there was sothing more important on his mind.
"We can discuss that later. But for now, I need your help with sothing first."
Nerisa gave him a asured look. "Say it, and I will assist as much as I can."
"I need your help in supplying mana to the egg," Broken said smoothly. "So that it can continue to incubate and eventually hatch."
For the first ti, a flicker of shock crossed the queen's face.
Her gaze sharpened, as if trying to analyze him more closely.
Did he say sothing wrong?
Broken tilted his head slightly. "The egg requires the mana of a noble woman to hatch. And, well… I believe you are the most suitable person for this."
There was nothing wrong with what he said. Right?
But then—
Queen Nerisa suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a strange edge to it.
"So you intend to claim as your bride in exchange for the egg?"
…Wait.
What?!
His mind short-circuited for a second.
When the hell did he say that?!
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