“Another Summoner?”

Chapter 203: Big Trouble In Little Albion?

The cool evening air washing over the airfield did nothing to ease the rising tension knotting my stomach as I left the opulent decks of the Blue Luan.

My heavy boots clicked against the dark tarmac. I hurried my pace, heading directly toward the spot where the massive, gleaming white Mermaid Pagoda was parked to personally check on Opal's emergency evacuation.

A nagging voice in the back of my mind openly mocked me. Why was I rushing my most loyal family members, pregnant wives, and core allies out of the capital before the grand Royal Ball even had a chance to begin? It was not merely an overreaction or a sudden flare-up of my passive Mundane Divination ability.

The true culprit was a series of leaked mental transmissions flooding my consciousness through my Summons Divinity connection. A chilling declaration from an unknown speaker still echoed clearly in my thoughts.

[My people will lend you our blades, but only on one condition: we want the head of that devil, Loki Sky. Once he is dead, we will withdraw every Amazon residing within your borders.]

That bloodthirsty trade absolutely stank of Vali Balder's desperate scheming to secure foreign muscle for his upcoming treason. To make matters worse, my divine eavesdropping had picked up a completely separate conversation from a secondary source. The net was closing fast.

[What does Loki mean to not interfere with the affairs of gods? From his tone, eyes, and body language I can see, it seems he knows of the coup that Vali Balder is planning, and he is leaving before the net is closed... Then do we stop Loki Sky and his people from leaving on their airship?]

I unfortunately could not identify the exact voices echoing through the spatial ether based on sound alone. However, considering the timing and the analytical arrogance of the phrasing, it was highly likely that Bloodshed Master Su Mei was playing detective. She was directly asking Xia Sha and Xue Wuxia for their professional tactical opinions on my sudden movements.

The immediate mental response that followed offered a small glimmer of relief. It proved that my internal gamble on certain variables was paying off.

[No, we only follow orders to stop airships after midnight, no sooner, because this is not our fight. We came here to find Hao Hun, not fight Sect Master Loki Sky. Besides, I still have to send a message to Xia Bing about the coup so she can retreat.]

I let out a slow, silent breath, thanking the heavens for Xue Wuxia's sharp mind. She was clearly doing her absolute best behind the scenes to stretch the rules and buy my people enough precious time to clear out of the danger zone before the capital turned into an active warzone. Still, a final intercepted whisper from an eager junior kept me on high alert.

[Sect Master, I won't leave the airfield, but I will follow Loki Sky and see what his plans are.]

The heavy atmosphere instantly evaporated the moment I arrived within sight of the striking, two-story white pagoda belonging to the Mermaid Kingdom. Opal caught sight of my approaching figure from the lower deck. Her perfect face lit up with a brilliant, genuine smile as she called out, "Over here, Husband~!"

The blonde, blue-eyed beauty was a vision of pure, unearthly temptation. She ran across the airfield entirely barefoot with an effortless, floating grace despite being six months pregnant. Her pink silken waist skirt fluttered around her legs. Her traditional shell bra barely contained the lush, expanding curves of her maternal figure. She threw her arms around my neck with a joyful laugh, kissing me deeply before pulling back with her perfect eyebrows arched in silent amusement.

I glanced past her shoulder to find a gathering of Nereid and Siren maids watching us from a distance. Their eyes were practically boring holes into my skull with varying degrees of intense, aggressive jealousy. It was a hilarious, chaotic mess of aquatic politics. They all knew the truth about King Neptune, or rather, the fake Owen Balder.

The old king was strictly mating with Mermaids these days to secure the royal line, leaving the other sea factions completely high and dry. Since none of them stood a chance with the throne, Loki Sky had automatically become their number-one alternative target for an emergency baby-making conquest.

Opal leaned in slightly. A flicker of genuine worry touched her beautiful features. She asked, "Are you sure you can get Ariel out of there in time if things get dicey? Also, I will leave Genbu behind to help you if you want him to put pressure on the Amazons?"

My eyes locked onto a seemingly empty patch of dirt a few yards away where the earth was just slightly warped. I leaned in close to her, lowering my voice to a sharp whisper, "Don't say another word dear, I have a rat caught in my trap... Greater Life Utility!"

The sudden activation triggered a violent, rumbly tremor beneath the soil. A small, intricately detailed magic circle glowing with a mixture of pale crimson and emerald light manifested directly in my right palm. Instantly, the ground burst open, unleashing a swarming, buzzing wave of hundreds of small, palm-sized Corpse Devouring Flying Beetles into the open air.

By utilizing a hybrid combination of my Hidden Gu techniques and the heavy authority of my Beastmaster Sect Token, I had quietly seeded the perimeter with my Gu insects hours ago. They had been resting just beneath the topsoil until their specialized senses detected the shifting weight of an invisible Su Ruyan stepping into the zone. It alerted my mental alarm and forced the hidden spy into the light.

With a rapid flurry of sharp, metallic sounds, Su Ruyan's figure suddenly materialized out of thin air. Her curved blade moved in a blinding blur of desperate deflections as she executed her aura Whirlwind Attack of her magic weapon to keep the carnivorous swarm from devouring her alive.

Her Penetrating Elven Curved Blade looked suspiciously like a traditional Japanese katana from Earth. Its edge was heavily coated in a vibrant, pulsing Life aura as she frantically tried to keep an area around herself clear. She truly was a super rare female aura user. While the element of Life was an absolute nightmare for undead creatures, it was a purely exhausting game of physical numbers against a swarm of living, ravenous Gu beetles.

Her auburn, shoulder-length hair fluttered wildly in the wind of her own slashes as she retreated across the tarmac. Her green eyes looked at me with a mixture of intense frustration and sheer helplessness.

Reaching into the localized spatial pocket of my Space Ring, I drew a cold, heavy Black Iron Longsword. I mentally commanded the swarming Gu insects to cease their assault and retreat safely back into the storage matrix of my Beastmaster Token.

The beetles dissolved into mist. In the very same breath, I lunged forward to engage Su Ruyan directly. My sword locked against her steel to keep her pinned. Opal seamlessly activated her racial Mermaid Siren songs from behind me to completely wreck the girl's equilibrium, chanting, "Song of Vertigo... La~♪ Lemma~ To decorous~♪!"

Before I could cleanly disarm the dizzy, staggering Swift Knight, a sudden, blinding flash of gold violently intercepted my descending strike with a heavy metallic clash. My black iron longsword was blocked by a sturdy golden hairpin held by a newly arrived interloper, Bloodshed Master Su Mei.

Her charming crimson eyes squinted with dangerous amusement as she smoothly shielded her precious Holy Maiden behind her own voluptuous figure, saying with a fake, teasing expression, "Sect Master Loki, it isn't good for sect master to attack juniors, right? Su Ruyan wasn't attacking, but taking a walk on the airfield, so please let this go."

Opal immediately cut off her disorienting song to watch the play. I gladly backed off a few paces, casually resting the flat of my longsword against my shoulder while flashing them a wide, deliberate grin. I replied, "Oh, a junior? You know I am like 19 years old, and I bet she is like, 46 years old? So yeah, we are both 7th Circle Knights as well, so it was totally fair, right?"

Su Ruyan let out a sharp, frustrated breath as she smoothly slid her curved blade back into its sheath. Her cheeks flushed red under my gaze. I didn't let up. I pointed my finger directly at her face to finish my thoughts, adding, "And King Owen told her specifically to behave, and peeping on me and the Neptune Kingdom's princess isn't behaving, right?"

Su Mei didn't look bothered in the slightest by the accusation. She calmly reached up to bundle her striking silver-blue hair back into a tight, elegant updo with her golden hairpin before fixing me with a cool gaze, stating, "You two can spar another night... I believe you have a Royal Ball to attend, so we won't keep you any longer, Sect Master Sky... Till we meet again."

The mother-daughter duo turned on their heels, their silken robes swaying as they prepared to vanish back into the shadows of the airfield. I leaned forward with a sharp, teasing smirk to throw one last chaotic wrench into their plans, calling out, "Sect Master Su... You better watch out for Gu Masters. It seems that another person in the Eastern Wastelands has targeted the Emperor's Queen, haha."

The casual threat hit its mark like a physical blow. Su Mei froze instantly in her tracks as a sudden, lethal surge of intent radiated from her posture.

She desperately wanted to turn around and tear me to pieces right then and there. Nobody in this kingdom was supposed to know that she was secretly harboring a parasitic Golden Silkworm Gu inside her body. Fortunately for her, the law-bearing insect wasn't a Love Gu and wouldn't expose my disguised identity to her senses. Forcing her stiff shoulders to relax, she played it off with a cold, dismissive chuckle, replying, "Nonsense, my husband already checked me... Good night, Count Loki."

I watched them disappear into the darkness, entirely satisfied with the psychological damage I had inflicted. I was holding the terrifying realization over her head that I could easily expose her compromised state to Nuo Fu, which would undoubtedly cause her husband to execute her in a fit of absolute rage.

Slipping my longsword back into its sheath, I turned to Opal and gave her a serious, protective look, instructing, "Yeah, summon Genbu when you leave later, and have him pressure the visitors on the Blue Luan to keep them honest, but don't try to kill them. After they leave the capital, Genbu can be summoned back to you. Also, don't have him attack Hao Hun and Minglong, because that would suck for me, dear."

Opal let out a melodious, teasing giggle. She reached up to playfully poke the center of my forehead with her delicate finger as she reminded me, "I will tell Genbu to follow your telepathic orders, silly."

We shared a few more quiet, intimate words on the dark airfield. I leaned down to gently press a warm kiss against her swollen, pregnant belly, whispering a soft promise for a safe delivery for our upcoming little baby girl. I swore I would fly straight back to the safety of the Mermaid Kingdom the absolute second I found a break in my schedule.

A half hour later, the scene shifted drastically aboard the shadowy, imposing decks of the Dark Warship where Camila, Bianca, and Alice were deep in conversation with me. My tactical focus was slightly split by the incredibly needy vampire currently occupying my lap. Alice wrapped herself tightly around my torso while her early-stage pregnant belly pressed gently against my waist.

Out of my trio of stunning Vampire Brides, both Bianca and Alice were still navigating the earlier months of their respective pregnancies. All three of these unearthly beauties were breathtakingly tall, standing at an imposing six-foot-one inch with piercing gold eyes and cascading locks of long blonde hair.

Bianca and Alice possessed incredibly generous E-cup figures that filled out their low-cut necklines perfectly. Camila commanded the room with an absolutely jaw-dropping G-cup bust. All three of them were dressed in matching, silky black toga-like dresses that featured vast amounts of exposed, pale skin. They casually sipped rich red wine while the warship prepped for departure.

Alice leaned in close. Her sharp fangs delicately grazed the skin of my neck as she sucked out a small, intoxicating sip of my blood as a form of intimate romance. She pulled back to pout beautifully as she complained, "It isn't fair, Husband. Mother and Bianca get to stay behind and help you fight, but why do you want me to take Blade's wife with me?"

Bianca let out a soft, amused giggle at my completely helpless expression. Alice the youngest of the Vampire Brides at a mere 1,621 years of age took immense teasing from her sister-wife as Bianca explained, "Camila has to travel with Hao Hun as his Summons to the east, and I am staying behind to bring Blade Balder back to the Dark Garden if the coup happens... I also need to expose my true identity to the traitors of Balder, and declare war on the usurpers for the Dark Kingdom. My Safe-Haven Portal magic will get me back before you anyway."

The sheer geopolitical mess of her plans made my own face twist into a matching pout. I looked at Bianca with a face of pure, comedic dread, begging,

"Bianca, honey... Can you not expose your cross-dressing days to like anyone? I know Owen is alive, and when he comes back, how am I supposed to tell the guy I got his mom pregnant?"

Camila slowly nodded her head. A wicked, teasing glint entered her golden eyes as she swirled her wine glass, chiming in, "You say... "Hey, I really had no idea when I came inside of her! So I took responsibility."

The absolute audacity of the joke left me completely speechless. Finally, Alice uncoiled herself from my neck and let me go, allowing me to quickly make my escape from the cabin. I needed to hit my final couple of logistics stops before formally assuming my disguise as King Owen to infiltrate Castle Albion.

A short while later, I found myself standing on the bustling deck of the massive, combat-ready Sky Fortress where a large gathering of loyal Northern Duchy Counts and their immediate families were milling about in a state of utter confusion. Despite the emergency evacuation orders, they were all still dressed in their finest, extravagant ballgowns and tailored suits. Sylvia and I stepped to the front of the pavilion to address the anxious crowd.

My beautiful first Duchess wife stepped forward. Her regal voice cut through the murmurs as she announced, "Count Swallow and the rest of you, there is a reason I am sending you back north. It is because we will be leaving the Balder Kingdom tonight, and it is unsafe to stay here."

Standing right at my side, Lana kept a firm, worried grip on my right arm. Her face was pale because she already knew through her deep bond with her personal Summons, Frigg, that her father was currently missing from the grid.

However, our unborn son, Ullr, confirmed he was very much still alive.

One of the older Countesses in the front row stepped forward with her brow furrowed in deep anxiety, asking, "What will our North Duchy do? Are we going to war? And why are there only a few of us here, where are the other Counts?"

I stepped into the light to address the gathered group while off to the side, Lisa was quietly whispering to her father to keep the old man calm. I answered firmly, "You are here because you are loyal to Duchess Sky here... The other Counts at the ball, are in collusion with the usurpers who are seizing control tonight. Sylvia dear, tell them what you will do next."

Sylvia stepped up to the main podium. Even while wearing a stunning ballgown crafted from layers of shimmering silver and pale blue silk, she radiated a terrifying level of absolute authority that demanded complete silence as she declared, "The moment the coup of traitors strips King Balder of his authority and causes war, we of the Northern Sky Duchy will become independent, and become the Northern Sky Kingdom... That is all for now, Loki here has to go, and so do all of you."

With the final logistical orders issued, I turned back to my inner circle to say my goodbyes.

I pulled both Shade and Lana into a tight embrace as I kissed them deeply, whispering, "Sorry I will miss the births of my son and daughter, but I have to travel east after this... I will rush back the moment I can. Just be safe for me and love our children for us."

As I stepped back, my eyes scanned the formidable women that would be staying behind with me to see this chaotic Royal Ball through to the end.

The heavy-hitting group consisted of Sylvia, Frigg, Angelica, Shehuang, Baihu, Pandora, Ku Mu, and Zia Qing. Out of all the ladies remaining by my side, the specific reason for Zia Qing's presence was the terrifying new Summons she had successfully bonded with right after becoming pregnant with my child. It was an entity that had completely paralyzed the Demonic Sect with shock when it first manifested back in the Eastern Wastelands.

Looking at the proud, ethereal posture of this Phoenix woman, a feral grin tugged at my lips. I knew for a fact she was going to absolutely terrify the living daylights out of the invading Amazons the exact second she unleashed her final Summons tonight.

Just as our group turned to leave the staging bay, a deep, unmistakably heavy male voice echoed from the shadows of the corridor, calling out, "Loki, you said to come for Rule Six?"

I stopped dead in my tracks as Thorin stepped out into the light looking completely out of his element but fiercely sharp in a tailored tuxedo. Staring at my fellow Earthling compatriot and brother, a sudden weight settled over my chest because I knew, with absolute certainty, that this would be the last time I would see him for a very, very long time.