Chapter 1578: The Stowaway Princess ( 1578 )

The Armand officer placed his palm on his left chest and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesties, we are honored to welcome you to Armand. Before we proceed, may I ask? Are you certain you wish to travel to the island by warship? The mana helicopter would be faster and far more comfortable for the journey. It would cut your travel time in half."

Lioness wiggled his eyebrows, his arm still wrapped around Veldrac’s shoulder.

"Yes~ Garius promised to let me see Armand’s new warships up close! I’ve heard rumors about them for months. The mana cannons, the gatling guns, the helicopter docks, the missile systems! I want to see it all! And besides, I love being on the ocean! The wind, the salt, the waves, the feeling of standing on a deck while the ship cuts through the water! It’s an experience no helicopter can match! Let me enjoy it!"

The officer bowed again.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Every Beastkin officer and escort stepped forward, showing their weapons and documents for casual inspection by the Armand officers. Veldrac’s escort removed their hoods, revealing their faces, and showed their weapons and papers one by one. After the inspection was complete, they followed their kings toward the warship.

The moment the last figure turned, one of the Armand female officers stepped forward with a polite smile.

"Miss, please remove your robe. It’s protocol. We need to identify everyone boarding the vessel. I’m sure you understand."

The figure reached into her robe and pulled out a beautiful sheath blade, its hilt intricately carved and gleaming under the afternoon light. Beside it, she held a glock, the standard sidearm Armand had given to all allied nations. She presented both to the officer.

Then she lowered her head and mumbled in a soft, shy voice.

"I’m sorry... I can’t remove my hood yet."

The Armand female officer blinked, caught off guard by the soft timid tone. She glanced at the lowered head, and her professional demeanor wavered. Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she cleared her throat, fumbling for words.

"I... I understand, Miss, but... we’re sorry. It’s protocol. Everyone boarding must be verified. Especially members of a royal escort. We cannot make exceptions."

Lioness, already making his way up the gangplank of the warship, glanced over his shoulder at Veldrac. He jabbed his thumb backward toward the figure below.

"Veldrac... That’s your new royal escort?"

"Ah..."

Veldrac swallowed hard, his eyes darting sideways.

"Actually... errr..."

The other Veldrac escorts glanced away, standing nearby and pretending to be very interested in the architecture of the harbor. Some of the royal female escorts fidgeted nervously, their hands wringing together, their eyes darting everywhere but at the scene unfolding.

Lioness’s brow furrowed, confused by Veldrac’s reaction and the strange behavior of his escorts. Before he could press the matter, a panicked voice cut through the air.

"A... ah! Pardon me!"

The Armand female officer bowed repeatedly, her face flushed with embarrassment. She waved her hands frantically in front of her, nearly dropping her clipboard.

"I... I apologize for my rude behavior! P-Please forgive me! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Princess Nyxara. Of course you can keep your hood on! I-I’ll just... I’ll just verify your weapons and papers, and you can proceed! My deepest apologies!"

She stepped back and bowed again, her cheeks burning.

Lioness’s eyes widened. He glanced sharply at Veldrac, who immediately averted his eyes and looked away.

Lioness hissed under his breath, keeping his voice low so no one else could hear.

"You brought Nyxara with you!?"

Veldrac swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

"I... I didn’t bring her. I was going to bring my wife. I thought it was her. I only realized it was Nyxara when we already arrived at Gaze City. "

"Giihhh!" Lioness hissed in a low, panicked voice, his eyes darting toward the robed figure. "You’re a demon king! How do you not notice your own sister is in your escort!? You’ve been traveling with her since yesterday!"

Veldrac hissed back, his shoulders hunching.

"What can I do!? She concealed her presence! She covered her robe with my wife’s perfume and mana! I..." He paused, pursing his lips, his voice dropping into a stutter. "I was too excited about meeting you and Garius again, about the party, about the vacation! I wasn’t really paying attention to the escorts! I didn’t notice anything!"

Lioness glanced back at Nyxara, who had just waved politely to the Armand female officer with a soft, shy smile. She adjusted her robe and began walking toward them, her steps graceful and unhurried. He turned back to Veldrac and hissed through his teeth.

"You careless idiot! What if it wasn’t your sister? What if an enemy had slipped into your escort? You’d already be dead before you even noticed the dagger in your back!"

Veldrac glared up sideways at Lioness, his voice flat.

"I’m not that stupid. I’m not that weak. An enemy who tried that would never make it through my guards, the wards on my carriage, or the barrier I keep around my person at all times. I wasn’t careless about my safety. I just didn’t notice Nyxara because she deliberately masked her presence with my wife’s scent and mana. I’m sure she’s been planning this from the start."

Lioness stared at Veldrac in disbelief, his jaw tightening. He let out a low, frustrated mumble under his breath.

"We should contact Garius. Now. To inform him that Nyxara is coming."

Veldrac let out a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I already tried. I’ve been trying since we left. I tried to tell the Armand officers so they could inform their Sovereign, but Nyxara never let me have a chance to talk to any Armand personnel properly. Every time I tried to pull one aside, she was right there. Standing beside me. Smiling. Listening."

He paused, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"I did manage to ask one of the officers to send a message to Delya. I was hoping she’d get it before we arrived. That’s the best I could do."

He glanced up at Lioness, his voice turning defensive.

"I was about to ask the Armand officer here, but you..." He pointed at Lioness. "...decided to grab me, lift me up, and start doing squats with me in front of everyone. You didn’t exactly give me a chance to talk."

"Guh! Don’t put the blame on me!"

Lioness glanced at his officers and escorts, gesturing sharply.

"Oi! Lend me your mana talkie. One of you. Now."

One of his officers stepped forward and handed him a mana talkie. Lioness grabbed it and was about to press the button before Veldrac’s voice cut him off.

"How stupid can you be?"

Veldrac dragged his palm down his face and stared at Lioness in disbelief.

"Your officer’s mana talkie is synced to the Beastkin Nation channel. It won’t connect to Armand’s network. You need to sync it with the Armand signal first. And Garius’s channel is different from the standard military frequency. You can’t just press buttons and expect it to work."

"Ah... right..."

Lioness glanced around and spotted a few Armand personnel walking across the deck of the huge warship. He was about to move toward them when he felt a gentle tug on his clothing.

"Lioness~ Where do you think you’re going~? Hmm?"

Lioness glanced over his shoulder. Nyxara stood behind him, her two fingers pinching the hem of his sleeve. Her smile was gentle. Her voice was soft. But her eyes... were sharp, dangerous, and glittering with something that made his spine crawl.

"Ah... crap..."

( End Of Chapter )