Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

However, their green potion became more widespread, breaking his heart. One use of the potion caused severe harm to the orc's life.

'These damn bastards!' Grom thought. His hands smashing another desk into debris.

Despite destroying the previous supply lines disguised as a bandit attack. Currently, there were four people in the new troops carrying the drug in high amounts. All brought by the cultists who acted like gods.

'This will be hard.' Grom mumbled as he travelled from the camp with a fake excuse to follow the cultists.

They would separate themselves from the main army and then head towards a concealed cave with ocean access. There, another set of ships awaited them, carrying the product in and out of their bay.

'I need to put a stop to this before it gets out of control.' Grom tracked the cultists' cargo by following the water currents and winds of the vessels.

However, when he left the village, he felt a pressure tapping his shoulder.

"Where are you going, Grom'Gaius?" He felt a distinct voice from behind, a mixture of menace and surprise.

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"Bishop Gren?" Grom's spine tingled with danger. This man with messy black hair like seaweed and pale black eyes made him feel like a mouse before a cat.

"You seem to have better senses than I expected. I'm impressed," Gren commented. "Tell me, are you going to cause an issue? Shall I contact the Archbishop and have our deal broken?"

"No! You don't need to do that."

Grom waved his hands. He wanted to avoid that person completely. "I just wanted to enjoy some fresh air around here. The port stinks."

"Ah, the mainland always does." The bishop chuckled at his dimwitted behaviour. "Well then, please do not enter the eastern forests, or you will get yourself and those cute children killed."

With a flicker of mist, the bishop vanished. Grom's brows dripped with sweat. 'Dammit! Why is everyone in the cult so strong?'

After confirming that the bishop had disappeared, Grom continued to trace the ship and its products. With the boat submerged, he could not track it, but he could still trace the boat's exit by following the magic lingering on the waves.

If he couldn't destroy them, nothing else mattered. However, he remembered Alan's strange maid, who had offered help, even in the face of potential harm in the upcoming attack.

'I've managed to delay the attack so far, but if this continues. How many of my men will remain sane?'

Grom'Gaius hoped to escape with his men's remaining sanity and not become addicted to their toxic concoctions.

'How can I avoid their attacks? What do they want from us? Surely not just to fight?'

'If only those damn idiots didn't get addicted. It would save me a lot of trouble, but now it's too late.'

***

Back in the misty green forest. The wives of Grom'Gaius sat on the edge of their home, caring for their two children.

"When is our husband returning? Do you think he will die?"

"I pray not. That disgusting man always looks at your body with lustful eyes."

"Our Grom-Grom won't fail. He is a powerful warrior and honourable man."

The two women laughed; both trusted their husbands more than anything. It didn't matter how long he took. They would never betray him. Instead, they formed a small militia of female warriors to resist the cultists who tried to take advantage of them.

Thanks to the archbishop for becoming addicted to two women. They gained vital information regarding their future actions. Although they couldn't tell Grom, they prepared their traps and attacked the smaller groups to lessen the pressure on him.

"I heard that drug is being carried through the goblin forest to avoid our detection."

"The green venom that makes our men lose all sense of reason before dying?"

"Indeed, but there is also a purer, more potent version capable of healing wounds. They use that to trick the others into thinking it's a healing potion. Those monsters are using it on orcs to pit them against Grom! Why did the real ones have to fall apart while we have to deal with this mess?!"

"Is that so? Now those savages are acting as tools in their scheme?"

With a sharp glint in the women's eyes, as their children enjoyed their mother's milk, the pair swore to get revenge in the most gruesome way.

Three days passed since the Phantom Queen attacked, and since then, only minor Phantom scouts and warriors have attacked the fleet.

However, this still took a large toll on the crew and warriors.

Asura stood on the tip of the deck, his eyes watching the expansive green land of Romantica on the horizon. After nearly a week, they finally arrived close to their goal. The huge fort city of Utgard entered his view even here. However, he felt a strange sense of anxiety in his chest.

'We have suffered a number of injuries before we even arrived at land... Yet once we are there, a battle that could take hundreds of their lives would happen.'

"I need them to rest."

Asura looked down, and his heart felt heavy. On his command, many of the Valkyrie had survived, and many also died. On the battlefield, they sacrificed both their human and mystical blood to traverse the Dark Waters.

'We should arrive in another day. I hope no other attacks happen.'

Verana strolled across the deck towards him. "Is there something wrong?" She noticed his grim expression.

"Nothing. There is nothing wrong," Asura insisted, seeing no point in brooding over the Phantom's behaviour and loss. He would soon be the prince and, after that, a king. If he stopped his feet for every loss, the kingdom would stall and fall under the boots of other nations.

"Am I mistaken?" Verana remained cautious and rubbed her arm nervously. Her mind fixated on his recent drastic change in appearance and mannerisms.

She stepped closer, hugging his arm with a gentle smile, "You are not wrong—don't be so negative."

"Am I that easy to read?"

"With me? You are a book in the open," She laughed and continued, "Look. We have endured many things this time and have come out on top. For the first time, you have done something amazing. This is beyond anything I might have thought you would do."

"Thanks." He choked and licked his lips.

"This isn't a compliment or sarcasm. It is a genuine hope for the future."

Asura felt her wrapping both arms around him from the side, the fabric of her cloth armour and clothing teasing his bare torso as she reached inside. He didn't reject her actions, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and letting her chin rest on his shoulder.

"Do you worry what the people of this nation might call you in the future?" Verana probed.

"Indeed."

"Regardless, a path paved with corpses leads to a throne with its blood. Not many could avoid a master's ire. If you cannot walk this path, how do you hope to surpass your previous self?"

"Heh, you're so tough on me these days. Is it because you already got my body?" Asura said with a slight smirk.

"It's because I love you and know you can do better than this. You were born to lead."

Verana hugged his torso more intimately. They appeared like the perfect couple, and a unique bond formed between them. "So, don't lose your fire, or others will extinguish it."

"I think a kiss from a vampire might just rekindle my fires."

"Ah!" Verana released him. "We are in public, Asura. P-people can see and hear." She pretended to become shy, her red lips puckering with a cheeky smile.

'This woman... why is she so adorable?'

Her words were confident, encouraging, and straightforward. The light in her eyes burned, matching the untameable emotions in his soul, creating a wild and vicious fire in his chest.

"Then can I kiss you inside the ship?"

Verana ran across the deck, her flowing black dress dancing along with her swaying hips as she looked back at him with a playful smile. Asura didn't hold back, his body vanishing before appearing beside her, using his newly found void spell to cheat.

However, Verana slipped away, her body slipping inside the steel doors, running along the corridors. "Come on. I'm not afraid."

"Those are fighting words. You'd better hold onto something."

Asura followed the lavender scent down the spiralling stairwell. He found her cheeky words to be amusing, unable to pull himself away. "By the time I'm done, you might even forget your name."

"Come catch me, silly man. Then you can brag!"

The Valkyrie on the deck tried to avoid looking at their prince and his antics with the future Duchess. Many of them couldn't help but smile at the pleasant mood.

A few couldn't resist an ill-advised catcall as the prince's depraved comments bounced in their ears. "A ruler blessed by the Sky in battle will fall in the bedroom!"

****

Asura eventually cornered Verana. Now, inside her private room, he noticed how neatly she kept it. With books, teddy bears, and the minx herself standing in the corner wearing only her underwear.

"Finally got me?"

She wiped the sweat from her face, leaning back. Then sensually moved her body, catching his attention with her mature curves and revealing clothing and a voluptuous figure.

"But what are you going to do to this foolish lady?"

"Is it not obvious?"

"Perhaps... won't the Queen notice the intrusion?"

"Shut up and accept it."

Asura's hands forced her onto the wall and held her still before she could resist. He kissed her fervently as his lips pressed into her soft mouth, his tongue exploring her mouth eagerly.

He picked her up, tossing her on the bed, ignoring the mess he made in his haste and urgency to violate his lovely fiance. She accepted, pushing aside his kisses with her own before wrapping her legs around his lower waist to prevent escape.

"C'mon, have mercy on this inexperienced lady."

Asura couldn't pull himself back and didn't want to.