19 Nohrell Voss Fenrith

In the heart of Ironhearth, the capital city of the Dunkelheit Empire, stood a gravity-defying metal castle that pierced the clouds.

This was the seat of the Astral Empress.

Within Nohrell's private chambers, adjacent to a personal hangar filled with the latest warcraft and cutting-edge Armatus models, a man strode through the sliding door. His movements were calculated, deliberate.

He carried a tray of traditional Japanese cuisine — a beautiful arrangement of raw fish and seafood, prepared by the finest chef in the world.

The man, in his mid-thirties, had dark blue hair parted in the middle. His almond-shaped eyes glimmered with a bright golden hue, and he was dressed in a plain tan suit.

As he stepped into the room, he nearly stumbled. His gaze fell upon the naked back of a fox Wildren. Her pristine skin was flawless, and her nine tails fluttered in the air as her gaze drifted, unfocused, across the summer clouds outside.

Hearing his footsteps, she half-turned her head, allowing him to see only her left golden eye.

"Oh, you are here, Suingi Marchand…" she murmured, her voice a soft acknowledgement before she returned to her cloud-gazing.

"Your dinner is ready, a truly exquisite delicacy from Solis Aeternum," Suingi replied softly, placing the tray on a luxurious marble table with fluid, practised motions.

Suddenly, a sharp gasp tore from her lips. She clutched at her chest as she hoisted herself onto the window ledge, her face contorting in discomfort.

"What is wrong, Empress Nohrell?" Suingi asked hesitantly, stepping closer. She motioned for him to stop, and he froze in place.

In the dim light, the essence of her fox form, a spectral projection only she could perceive, cracked, then shattered into nothingness.

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Nohrell collapsed onto the plush carpet. She gently stroked one of her tails as though it were her child, her pained expression melting into one of amusement.

"Fufu… what a ruthless ruler… Aurora Vere Borealis…" she said, watching as one of her white tails slowly disintegrated into thin air, leaving eight in total.

"But you will need to try harder next time… perhaps eight times harder!" she murmured, as though Aurora herself could hear the taunt.

Suingi knew the source of her power wasn't just the steel titans in her hangar. Her unbroken seventy-nine-year reign was a fortress built on a foundation of arcane mastery.

No Celestius mage from the Osten Empire had ever dared challenge her to a one-on-one duel.

Because arcane energy was scarce in nature, Nohrell had resorted to bolstering her power through technological weaponry.

Her crowning achievement, the Armatus project, was a testament to her ingenuity. These mechanical, humanoid killing machines were so advanced that even minimally trained operators could pilot them effectively.

With these machines, the weakest bronze knights were capable of defeating Novitcius mages with relative ease.

This innovation had led to a meteoric rise in her empire's power, transforming it into one of the largest in history within just fifty years. It was a feat achieved ten times faster than the Osten Empire, which had taken five hundred years to reach its zenith.

Still, limitations lingered. The disparity in power between the higher ranks of her forces and Aurora's was glaring. While her gold and even platinum knights were formidable, they were no match for the twelve Zodiac Celestius mages of the Osten Empire.

That, Nohrell seemed to think, was a problem for another day.

"At least I only need to deal with eleven instead of the initial twelve. Let's call that a win!" A soft, gleeful chuckle escaped Nohrell's lips.

Suingi remained silent as a wild, unhinged laugh tore from his Empress.

It was a display of madness he had long come to expect after a decade of service under her supreme sovereignty.

The sight brought to mind an ancient quote from a distant world, a philosopher named Aristotle, who believed:

No great mind ever existed without a touch of madness.

Creativity, brilliance, and unconventional thought were often intertwined with an eccentricity that defied societal norms.

In that, Suingi thought, Aristotle might have been right about Nohrell Voss Fenrith.

With nothing more to contribute, Suingi quietly excused himself and exited through the double metal doors, making his way to his study.

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