It was a brutal journey. Every gust of wind, every crashing wave, every second perched on Polly or half-floating through salt-heavy water had chipped away at Broken's patience and energy.
By the end, he was miserable.
"Never again," he muttered through gritted teeth.
He swore to himself: next ti, he'd craft a golem submarine—sothing small, personal, and just capable enough to dive through the ocean without exhausting him like this. Even if it only carried one person, that would be better than this madness.
He was half-laughing, half-crying from relief when he finally, finally, reached the gates of Queen Nerisa's kingdom.
But this ti, sothing had changed.
The rfolk didn't just eye him with cool detachnt. They waved, warmly. A few even approached him directly, offering gifts—simple necklaces, pieces of armor shaped like sea creatures. The stats were… h. But the designs? Intricate. Almost ceremonial.
The kingdom itself had also transford.
No longer did the streets show signs of the brutal battle that had nearly broken them. The cracks had been nded, the debris gone. Everything glead—efficiently rebuilt.
Although Broken had his doubts about the military strength they'd lost during the last war. He wasn't sure their numbers had fully recovered.
Still, he was led straight to his chamber—the one they now referred to as his, apparently. And not long after that, the door opened quietly behind him.
She stepped inside.
Queen Nerisa.
Broken stood imdiately, turning to face her. He greeted her with more warmth than usual—probably more than he'd ever shown.
Because today? He actually felt relieved to see her.
And yes… It was also because he needed sothing from her. Sothing only she could help him with.
"Hi, Queen. I'm back," Broken said casually, a tired grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
But Queen Nerisa didn't bother with greetings. She strode toward him—quickly, directly, as if ti itself was running out.
"Bring out the egg," she said with urgency. "It needs my Mana."
"Ah—right," Broken blinked. He'd nearly forgotten.
He reached into his inventory and summoned the Abyssal Naga Egg, this ti placing it gently on the table nearby instead of holding it like usual. It was a small gesture, but enough to make the Queen pause and look at him, puzzled.
"Don't waste my trust," he muttered.
He was seriously uncomfortable with how close she always had to be during the process. And it didn't help that she did it all while maintaining her usual glacier-level detachnt.
The Queen didn't say anything. She stepped up and began channeling Mana, her hands glowing faintly as she transferred energy into the shell of the egg.
Broken stood by, letting the weeks of exhaustion from crossing the sea weigh down his body all at once.
Hah… he was finally here. Again. And at least the egg would survive a little longer.
Once the process finished, he returned the egg safely into his storage. The Queen seated herself more properly now, spine straight and expression unreadable.
"I need your help," Broken said, jumping right into it.
Queen Nerisa's gaze sharpened slightly.
"You're becoming very quick to ask." Her tone didn't shift much, but there was a faint tilt of amusent in her voice. "Do you keep track of all your requests? You might run out of favors if you keep spending them so freely."
Broken scoffed. "I haven't even told you what I want yet. Besides—"
He smirked faintly. "It's not like I'm asking for your entire kingdom."
She stared at him. "Would you want that?"
"That was an example!"
The corner of Queen Nerisa's lips twitched—barely.
Then she nodded once, her expression falling back into perfect neutrality. "Fine. Tell what you need."
Broken leaned forward slightly, his tone steady but serious.
"I need escort forces from your kingdom," he began. "To secure the route between the South Continent and my floating island. My people—builders, workers, even my guild—are traveling that way now, and I can't afford any risks. No monsters, no storms, no surprises."
He didn't even bother explaining the origin of the floating island itself. Not that it mattered, she already knew.
Queen Nerisa replied calmly. "I received a word from Tirien. About the floating island."
Broken narrowed his eyes slightly. "You're not going to interrogate about it?"
"I know you wouldn't appreciate it."
"Yeah, sure," he muttered. "Because you never answer my questions, either."
Her gaze didn't change. "Every answer you demand from can be counted as a favor."
He exhaled sharply. "Great. So let's just say we both keep our secrets, and respect that."
Queen Nerisa gave no nod, no agreent—just that signature, unreadable flat expression.
"So, give your answer," he said again. "Will you help or not?"
She finally spoke. "How many forces do you need?"
"Enough to ensure safe passage. Just enough to keep the sea quiet."
She frowned slightly. "You're asking for too much, King Broken."
"Okay, okay," he raised a hand. "One armored whale. Five rfolk warriors, tailing beneath the surface. I'll be doing multiple round trips, so I'll need them available for a few months."
Queen Nerisa paused.
She didn't speak imdiately, clearly calculating the cost behind the request.
Then she said slowly, "It's acceptable. As long as you remain in the kingdom while the egg is incubating.
It will need you nearby if we want it to hatch sooner."
Broken almost winced. He couldn't stay locked in this kingdom for months. There were too many things he needed to do, too many plans, people, and quests waiting elsewhere. It would be suffocating.
But… wait. A thought clicked.
There was a way. A solution.
If Broken entered the Moonlight Dinsion from within this kingdom, then his return point would remain here—locked in until he used an exit door elsewhere.
Which ant… He could freely travel between Queen Nerisa's kingdom and his floating island, as long as he didn't exit the dinsion anywhere else.
He explained the idea to the Queen, carefully laying out his terms.
"I'll co once per day, without fail," he said. "You can supply the egg with Mana then. I'll stay only as long as needed, then return to manage the progress on my island. That way, the egg hatches, and I don't lose all my montum outside."
Queen Nerisa said nothing for a mont.
Her expression was cold, as always, but there was the faintest flicker of reluctance beneath her eyes—as if she wanted to deny the condition outright.
Finally… she answered.
"Every day." she emphasized.
Broken nodded. "Every day."
A long pause.
Then, with a sigh of resignation, she said, "Okay."
And after a breath.
This is troubleso. But a deal is a deal.
A long, long ti later…
Broken stood at the edge of the floating island. Around him, the air was filled with excitent. SexyGrill, Mizuki, Vallrick, and several others stood at his side, waiting.
And then, two ships appeared on the horizon, cutting through the waves with familiar grace.
Aego, and another sturdy vessel beside it.
They were here.
Broken activated the vision of his flying golem, soaring above the sea—and there they were: the workers, the guild mbers, and his allies, waving from the decks as they approached.
He couldn't help but grin.
Finally, the first wave of settlers had arrived.
His kingdom, his floating kingdom, was about to be built!
***
(Author's Note:)
That's a wrap for March 2025!
Broken is officially stepping into the next arc, building his own kingdom from the sea up!
See you next month for more chaos, secrets, and glory. Stay sharp, Vensalor!
Reviews
All reviews (0)