Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Breakfast at the Utgard palace became extremely rowdy since Asura arrived. Maria sat in the second seat while Asura was in the lord's seat. Some of the servants and knights thought this was strange at first, but when they heard the truth. They seemed to be more accepting.

However, it would take a long time for the city to accept the change in rulership and their kingdom.

Lorem and Helliana consumed their meals quickly. Then left the table filled with countless delicacies and headed towards the barracks. As they stood up, Asura called out to them. "Are you sure you both want to take that role?"

The women turned back and nodded. "We are the most advanced in martial and magical combat of our current members. Also, having such a long life allows us to know training skills and techniques that will help them improve slighting in a short time." Lorem said as she glanced at Maria. "I hope that this is okay with you, Countess."

"It's fine. I understand that you both are very skilled in combat. If it were possible, I would have liked to fight with you both myself. But I guess that will have to wait until I recover from using that potion." Maria's response was gentle, her smile genuine. Asura realised this woman wasn't horrible or evil, she just felt backed into a corner before.

Now, with the support of Asura and his wives, she opened up and started helping the city recover and showed that her knowledge as a lord was significant. Giving Asura lessons each evening after dinner.

"Well, then, we'll be going now." Helliana blew a kiss to Asura before leaving in her new armour: an elegant black cloth robe with a chain mail skirt and vest.

Asura watched as the two women left. Then turned to Maria. "I'm surprised you let them go so easily."

"Well, they are right. They are the most skilled fighters who can train others in your army. So it makes sense for them to train the others. Besides, they will come back to you, so you don't need to worry about that." Maria smiled back at Asura while they enjoyed breakfast. Since they made the oath, he didn't limit her actions; instead noticed how free she became and learned about the true Maria.

****

Not long after breakfast finished, Asura and Xavida began their rounds, with the lovely dragoness rushing along the stone walls, which many people started repairing below them. "I'm going to transform! I need a kiss to do so!" Xavida asked as she rushed over to Asura.

He held her chin up and kissed her deeply. After pulling away, Xavida's body glowed brightly as she grew in size, towering over the castle walls. Her wings spread out wide, giving everyone a view of her white scales that glistened in the sunlight. She then flapped her wings and waited with her back at the height of Asura. "Come~ mount me and let's have fun, husband!"

Asura jumped up and grabbed onto her horns, pulling himself up onto her back. Then he sat down on her neck and held onto her horns. "Okay, let's fly around the city and see how things are going." His voice was gentle while it echoed and seemed to tickle Xavida's enhanced hearing in her dragon form, causing her tail to sway.

Xavida roared, signalling for the people below to move out of the way. The next moment, her massive claws crushed the stones too big for humans to lift easily and lifted them from the ground to help the people; a dragon could clear the debris much faster. Her enormous body carried the rocks to the blacksmiths, where they could reuse the stones for something else.

Asura watched as Xavida moved around the city, clearing debris and helping the people. He felt proud to be married to such a beautiful dragoness. The task that might have taken the people below several days without her help only took two hours, and the commoners shouted their thanks to her as she sat atop the western tower posing.

"Thank you for your help, Xavida." Asura patted her head while he spoke to her.

"It was nothing. I love helping you, my husband." Xavida nuzzled against Asura's hand like a cat. "Now, let's go back to our room and play~"

Asura chuckled before slapping her scales with a bit of power, "You know we have more things to do. Let's check on the borders and see if anyone is approaching Utgard or Westrin."

"Ehhh~ I don't feel like it..." Her voice echoed, the words to others just a loud growl or roar, but to Asura, who spoke Dragon's speech, he could understand all her gestures and words.

"Don't be like that." Asura pulled on her horn, causing her to tilt her head back. "We need to make sure that no one attacks us while we are still recovering from the attack."

"Fiiiiiine~" Xavida rolled her eyes before she stood up and jumped off the tower, her wings catching the air as she flew high into the sky. Asura clung to her horns, making sure not to fall off.

"I will kiss your favourite place if you do it well, okay?" Asura's whisper vibrated along her pink scales towards her ears, causing the white dragon's entire body to turn pink, her emotions able to influence their colours. A loud but strangely feminine roar came from her lips as she shot towards the east, heading to Westrin over three times faster than before.

Asura held onto Xavida as she flew through the sky. He felt the wind rush past him as they approached the border between Westrin and Utgard. He saw the smoke rising from the forest near the border. Xavida hovered just below the clouds, her eyes sharply watching the forest and small city, though it just seemed to be a normal bonfire to her.

"I can't see anything wrong with this place," Xavida said as she stared at the small town.

"Yeah, it looks fine. But I want to make sure that no one is planning on attacking us. We need to be cautious until we've built up our strength. Let's head one more circle around; then we will check the west, okay?" Asura's hand slipped along her smooth scales, and the hand gripping her horn stroked along the thick length.

Xavida groaned as she felt Asura's hand touch her favourite spot. "Okay~" She purred as she flew towards the west, checking for any signs of danger.

As they flew around the city, they spotted nothing unusual. Asura felt relieved that no one was trying to attack them while they were weak. He thought it might be a mistake for him to take only five hundred troops to Westrin, but he would add the orcs to that number.

'Though Maria insisted on coming with me...'

While gliding through the air, Asura remembered when Maria learned of his plans and insisted on coming with him.

*****

Asura sat in the lord's seat with Maria on his right side. Lorem and Helliana stood behind Asura and Maria as they discussed their plans for Utgard.

"I want to go to Westrin with you," Maria spoke up, surprising Asura.

The moment she spoke, it shocked Asura and Lorem because he wasn't speaking to her but to Ignis, Lorem, and Helliana, planning the best way to strike the capital before they could fully prepare themselves.

"Why do you want to come with me? You should stay here and help the city recover." Asura placed his hand on Maria's shoulder, smiling gently at her.

Maria shook her head. "No, I want to go with you. I am the leader of this city, so I should go with you." Her eyes seemed to glow with flames as she grasped Asura's hand and tightly gripped onto him, her nails pushing into his flesh but unable to harm his powerful body. "Please, let me meet Alan. If you let me go with you to raid Westrin, I will do anything you ask!"

Asura sighed as he heard Maria's request. He knew she wanted to meet Alan again, but he didn't want her to go with him because he thought she would be in danger.

"Maria, I can't let you go with me. It's too dangerous for you."

Bang!

Two tremendous blasts of fire and ice smashed the distant wall, blocked by the barrier around the palace walls. "I am not some damsel. You allow your women to fight, even against enemies that surpass them! I am not your woman, so stop holding me back! I will fight to meet my beloved again, and you cannot stop me!"

'Technically, I can...' Asura could order her, and she would never be able to do so again. However, he felt that if he didn't agree, she might vanish in the middle of the night and rush to Westrin, unaware that there was still a garrison of troops there, all under the command of the cult, not Grom.

"Fine, you can come with me, but you have to do everything I say, okay?"

Maria nodded quickly. "Yes, I will do whatever you say."

Asura smiled at her and patted her head. "Good girl."

Maria blushed slightly at his praise before she looked down at her lap, hiding her face from him. It wasn't the affection of a man and woman but a brother and sister. Asura didn't realise he did so after seeing her past, but he felt a sense of bond towards Maria—different from his women. He saw her like Ophelia or his father, someone to protect. "Then it's decided.

We will leave for Westrin in five days."

Asura turned to Lorem and Helliana. "Can you both help train the troops? I want them ready for battle in the future. You don't have to train them with high level skills, they need basics and the will to not fear anything they might face. The cultists have a vast array of horrors that we might face in the capital...

I believe they are waiting for us, be it from the north or east." His voice carried his concerns and thoughts, showing how serious he was about this matter.

Lorem and Helliana nodded in understanding before leaving the room to prepare for the training.

Asura turned to Maria. "I need you to prepare supplies for our troops. I want them to be able to survive for a month or longer when we raid the capital. Though this will take money, I can prepare that but you need to gather the food without being caught. Do you have people who can manage this?"

It was then that Alice appeared, like a grim reaper or shadow, she appeared beside Maria. "I can help her gather the food and supplies needed for our army. I also know people who can help us."

Asura looked at Alice with a slightly distrustful gaze, but Maria gripped his arm and nodded twice. It seemed he must give this woman approval before he turned to her with a stern look. "I want you to keep an eye on Maria at all times and protect her wellbeing. If you see anything suspicious, tell me immediately."

"Understood, Prince Asura." Her monotone voice was a little irritating, but he accepted her words as Alice bowed low to Asura before leaving the room with Maria, who followed behind her.

Asura sighed as he watched them leave. He didn't like that woman, but if Maria trusted her, he would let her do what she wanted for now.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to let her go with you?" Mu Xue's soft voice sounded from beside Asura, holding a tray of tea and biscuits.

Asura pulled her onto his lap—this time was Mu Xue's time to be pampered as he whispered in an unsure voice. "I don't know."