Fairy Tale Survival with Ability Copying

Levi stared fixedly at the queen—not because he had his eye on King Aemon III's wife.

It was because his still-active Detection had revealed something completely unexpected about her.

[Mermaid Bloodline!]

King Aemon III's wife was actually descended from mermaids and carried their bloodline.

Mermaids were known as the Daughters of the Sea!

Levi suddenly recalled the Grimm fairy tale The Goose Girl at the Well.

In that story, the king's third daughter possessed a unique ability—her tears turned into pearls.

Her two older sisters, however, had no such gift.

So that was it.

The queen was their stepmother.

The third princess was different from the other two because she had inherited her mother's mermaid bloodline.

Levi guessed that the third princess's mermaid bloodline must have been exceptionally pure—perhaps even an ancestral reversion. Otherwise, there was no way she could possess such a supernatural ability as turning tears into pearls.

After all, even her own mother didn't have that ability.

But that wasn't what mattered.

The real question occupying Levi's mind was—

Why did someone with mermaid blood exist on land?

And how had she gotten there?

Mermaids couldn't simply come ashore.

Let alone bear children with humans!

Judging by Queen Moya's condition, that mermaid bloodline had been passed down for at least several hundred years.

Could it have happened because of...

Love?

Levi suddenly remembered the information Detection had uncovered before.

[Attention from the Deep Sea!]

[The Deep Sea's Backup Plan!]

He had a feeling those clues were somehow connected.

Levi frowned slightly as he looked at Queen Moya. A blue glimmer flashed deep within his eyes as he tried to use Detection to uncover even more information about her.

Unfortunately, that only enraged King Aemon III of the Duchy of Toulouse.

"Seize this insolent man for offending the queen!" King Aemon III shouted furiously.

A guard with Knight-level strength led a group of knight attendants and surrounded Levi.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Levi didn't even need to use magic.

He had already consumed a large amount of Dragonblood Elixir. Although its primary purpose was to enhance Spiritual Power, the trace amount of dragon blood it contained had also improved his physical abilities. His Strength, Constitution, and Agility had all increased, the energy of his Life Seed had advanced another step, approaching the limit of a Great Knight, and his increased Spiritual Power had given him even finer control over his body.

As a result, he dropped every knight and attendant who rushed him with a single punch.

Literally knocked them flat.

Seeing the scene unfold, Catherine's mouth fell open slightly, her eyes shining with newfound interest in Levi.

Isolde hadn't expected Levi to possess such strength either. Her judgment was far sharper than her younger sister's, and she could tell that Levi possessed at least the combat strength of a Great Knight.

More importantly...

He was still so young.

At first, she had merely been competing with her sister over what she considered an interesting toy.

Now, however, Levi's value had far surpassed that.

She was determined to have him.

King Aemon III was equally surprised, though he didn't panic. With a glance, the tall, lean man behind him stepped forward. Clad in leather armor and carrying a light knight's sword, the man wore an expressionless face as he calmly looked at Levi.

This was Aemon III's trump card.

He had divided the kingdom between his two daughters, but he had kept his Great Knight subordinate, Carmenro, for himself.

Brimming with confidence, he said to the queen beside him, "Carmenro may not be the strongest among the Great Knights, but his speed is extraordinary. Many Great Knights are defeated before they even catch sight of him. During the War of the Four Kingdoms, he relied on that speed to defeat opponent after opponent..."

As he spoke, Carmenro found an opening.

His knight's sword flashed from its sheath as he slashed toward Levi.

Only an afterimage remained where he had stood.

Bang!

The instant King Aemon III finished speaking, the speed-specialized Great Knight he relied upon as his right-hand man was blasted backward at an even greater speed.

He crashed to the ground with both arms broken and immediately lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Levi merely flicked the dust from his sleeve.

It had gotten a little dirty.

Silence instantly fell over the entire hall.

Catherine stood there with her mouth hanging open.

Isolde's eyes widened in disbelief.

Queen Moya looked visibly alarmed.

King Aemon III was equally horrified. After a long moment, he finally forced a few words out through clenched teeth.

"...A Sky Knight!"

Only a Sky Knight—one of the legendary warriors capable of serving as the guardian pillar of an entire kingdom or even an empire—could effortlessly cripple a Great Knight in a single instant.

In truth, Levi hadn't yet reached the realm of a Sky Knight.

However, his Strength, Constitution, and Agility had long since surpassed those of ordinary Great Knights.

As for this Carmenro...

He was simply average.

Levi looked at King Aemon III.

Well... mainly at his wife.

"Your Majesty," he said, "and Your Majesty the Queen... would the two of you be willing to find somewhere we can have a proper conversation?"

King Aemon III forced a bitter smile.

If Levi had only been a Great Knight, he might still have had a chance to wear him down by throwing his elite knight order at him.

But a Sky Knight was different.

After all...

Levi really could just fly away if they pushed him too far.

Then come back another day.

Who could possibly stop him?

Once someone reached the level of a Sky Knight, conventional methods were no longer enough to kill them. The only ones capable of dealing with a Sky Knight were other Sky Knights... or beings of an even higher order.

But...

Sky Knights could fly.

If one truly wanted to leave, even those higher beings might not be able to keep them from escaping.

Back when Rune had faced that First-Ring Wizard, he actually could have escaped if he had chosen to. The wizard might not have been able to stop him.

The only reason he hadn't fled was because there were other people present. He couldn't simply abandon them and fly away, so he stayed behind to fight to the bitter end and was ultimately gravely wounded.

That was precisely why Sky Knights held such extraordinary status throughout the kingdoms. Their rank being comparable to that of a duke wasn't just for show—they were the medieval equivalent of nuclear deterrence.

So...

Once Levi displayed strength on the level of a Sky Knight and requested a private conversation with King Aemon III, the king simply had no authority to refuse.

He could only force a smile, nod, and say, "Of course."

"Why don't we return to the palace? I'll have the servants prepare a lavish banquet. What do you think, Sir Sky Knight?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Levi replied with a nod.

His gaze, however, never seemed to leave Queen Moya.

King Aemon III noticed that and could only laugh bitterly inwardly, yet he didn't dare object.

All he could do was console himself.

Even the ruler of an empire couldn't stop his own wife from taking a lover.

As long as the children carried his bloodline, that was enough.

In the powerful empire west of the continent, the entire nobility took pride in having high-ranking lovers.

Having an influential lover was considered a symbol of status and personal charm.

Being ignored by everyone, on the other hand, would make a noble the laughingstock of high society.

That was simply the culture of that empire's aristocracy.

Most noble marriages there were political alliances. Husbands and wives were bound together for political interests, often with large age gaps and no affection between them. It was perfectly normal for noble husbands to keep numerous mistresses.

Since husbands indulged themselves openly, wives were no longer bound by any moral expectation of chastity.

In fact, taking a powerful lover was often the only path available for a woman to improve her family's standing, since women could neither command armies, hold political office, nor inherit the family's primary domain.

The status of her lover directly influenced her own family's wealth, authority, and social standing.

If she secured a duke as her lover, her family's position would surpass that of ordinary nobles.

If she caught the eye of a king...

Her entire family would rise with her. It was a genuine honor rather than a disgrace.

Of course...

Despite the empire's decadent customs, its nobles still cared deeply about their heirs.

A noble family's first legitimate eldest son absolutely had to be the legal husband's child, ensuring the inheritance of the family's title and lands. The bloodline could never be allowed to become muddled.

As for later daughters and younger sons who weren't heirs, there were no such restrictions. It was quietly accepted—or even encouraged—for them to be fathered by high-ranking lovers. Some families even arranged it deliberately, using royal or great noble bloodlines to obtain more fiefs, official appointments, and lifelong stipends.

It could be said that every noble in that empire wore a green hat.

Some even wore several.

The only difference was that some were light green...

...and others were dark green.

King Aemon III consoled himself with thoughts of that empire.

If wearing a green hat was unavoidable, then at least he could choose an attractive one.

Levi was quite handsome.

King Aemon III decided he could live with that.

By the time they reached the palace, in that brief span of time, Aemon III had already completed his mental preparation.

Or at least...

He believed he had.

However, when Levi looked around the room, his gaze falling upon the king's two daughters before he finally spoke, Aemon III instantly lost his composure.

His face turned bright red.

"They're here. Isn't that... a little inconvenient?"

By then, they had already entered one of the palace's reception halls.

Only the king, the queen, and the two princesses remained.

Whatever anyone wanted to discuss...

There was nothing inconvenient about it.

Except that.

The eldest princess frowned.

The second princess pursed her lips, though a trace of satisfaction flickered deep within her eyes.

Meanwhile, Queen Moya looked utterly flustered.

She could also feel Levi's burning gaze, leaving her too uneasy to sit still.

King Aemon III was on the verge of exploding.

But when he remembered Levi effortlessly knocking out a Great Knight with a single punch, all his strength left him.

Turning to his daughters, he said, "Isolde, Catherine... let's step outside."

"Your Majesty, there's no need for you to leave. For what I want to discuss, it's actually better if you're present. After all, you're her husband. You should... I mean, you really should stay," Levi said.

King Aemon III was about to explode with rage.

He...

He...

This man was actually that perverted?

He couldn't take it anymore...

He was ready to risk everything...

His eyes hardened with determination as he declared firmly to Levi, "Of course. As you wish."

The expressions on Princess Catherine's and Princess Isolde's faces immediately became indescribable.

They looked at Levi.

Then at their stepmother, whose eyes had already lost focus.

Finally, they looked at their father, who stood there with his head lowered.

Their emotions became extraordinarily complicated.

Levi glanced around.

Even without using Detection, he could immediately tell something was very, very wrong.

Damn it.

This family's circle is seriously messed up!

I only looked at the queen a few extra times!

Do they really think I'm that kind of person?

For the sake of protecting his reputation, Levi had no choice but to explain.

"...I only wanted to ask Her Majesty about her daughter."

---

I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

---