26 The Onlooker

Before the war, Steinberg was a lovely town, rich with residential areas adorned with beautiful villas and houses, some single-storey, others two.

Their grey brick walls were elegantly decorated with creeping green vines, and each house boasted a small garden where residents cultivated their preferred flowers and vegetables.

Most fences shared a similar design, standing roughly a metre high, their dark bricks partially concealed by intertwining vines that lent a natural charm to the town.

That was only a few weeks ago.

Now, everything lay in ruins. Piles of bricks, collapsed walls, and shattered vehicles were strewn across the streets. Homes had been reduced to darkened husks of ash.

Approximately ten metres from the one-armed Armatus and two small reconnaissance bots parked on the street, three figures emerged from their vessels, inspecting one of the wrecked structures.

Unbeknownst to them, another man stood atop a nearby building, his stance regal, hands folded neatly behind his back.

Jack Squire. Lupus Hoffmann. And the lioness slave, whatever her name is.

His golden eyes were unmistakable, sharp and piercing, like a dragon's. His sleek, dark-green hair was parted symmetrically, complementing a refined appearance. He wore a crimson-red suit and tie, a single flower tucked into his chest pocket. Despite his true age, he appeared no older than a man in his thirties.

A sudden vibration emanated from the datapad fastened to his belt. Casually, he retrieved it, glancing at the screen with a frown before answering.

"Suingi! Where are you?!" A female voice boomed through the device, the force of it almost stirring the air around him.

The Astral Empress's displeased expression filled the screen.

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"What a lovely morning, Astral Empress Nohrell," Suingi greeted politely, unperturbed.

"Ugh! Doesn't matter. Get back here right now. The war room meeting is about to start!" she commanded, rolling over in her bed, unclothed.

Her immaculate, curvaceous figure lay sprawled on the white bedsheets, her stomach pressed against the mattress — an almost erotic sight, if Suingi weren't entirely asexual.

Her tails wiggled playfully, betraying the fact that she wasn't actually angry.

And staying by her side for enough time, he learnt how to read it through her body language.

"Right away, Astress," Suingi replied with a faint smile. "After I've finished my task here."

Her expression swiftly shifted from contentment to shock, then to irritation. "What?! How am I supposed to handle this without you?!" she whined, shoving her face so close to the datapad's camera that it filled the entire frame.

"Astress, if I may, you've managed just fine for a few meetings now. May I also remind you that it was your 'Astral' idea to wage war against the Osten Empire, despite the fact that we have barely increased our Armatus production by two—"

Before he could finish, Nohrell let out an exasperated growl. "Ugh! You're no fun! Stop spouting numbers and figures; they give me more wrinkles every time you mention them!" She rolled her eyes dramatically.

"My deepest apologies, Astral Empress Nohrell." Suingi bowed his head in a theatrical motion.

"Fine! Just get back here as soon as you can, you hear me? I need my adviser by my side." She snapped her head to the side, puffing her cheeks in irritation.

Observing her childish antics, Suingi often wondered, Were all rulers like this? Did they all have hidden personas unknown to the public? If that were the case, perhaps the revered rulers chronicled in history books had their own peculiar obscenities, veiled from the world.

A fascinating mystery of royal records and historical legacies.

Intriguing indeed.

"Understood, Astress," he replied politely, pressing the disconnect button with his gloved finger.

Content, Suingi continued to watch Jack's group from afar until their burial rite was complete and they flew off in their machines.

I must act the part; otherwise, all would be for nothing.

Satisfied, he flicked his wrist to the side, and the destination formed in his mind.

"Farewell for now, the Atress seems to be short of temper today," Suingi spoke softly and bowed to the heavens in reverence.

The space tore open, and the red portal appeared before him. And the man stepped through, vanishing without a trace.

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