"No, no, no, that's not necessary!"
Hearing Muria's bold declaration, Arina immediately panicked. She didn't want to provoke the Luminous fleet, which was precisely why she was reluctant to follow Muria inside their warships. However, seeing his stance and raised hand, she knew if he really made a move, avoiding the fallout would be impossible.
In the end, weighing her options, she begrudgingly decided that accompanying him quietly through their vessels was the safer choice.
"Fine, I'll go with you, but don't do anything crazy, okay?" Arina said hurriedly, eyeing his raised hand with apprehension. She knew her son's power too well. Although Muria rarely acted directly, his dragon guardian alone had been more than enough to show the might he could unleash if needed.
"See? If you had agreed earlier, we wouldn't have wasted time arguing," Muria replied with a smirk, lowering his hand. He had used a simple psychological tactic: when people resist small requests, threaten something much bigger. They often compromise just to avoid the greater danger.
"Okay, I'm coming with you," Arina sighed, resigned. "Just... keep things calm, alright? No crazy moves."
"I've told you, under normal circumstances, I don't interfere with the natural order," Muria reassured her, though his tone hinted that this wasn't exactly an ironclad promise.
"Hey... Son, are you seeing this? They can't even notice us?"
Inside one of the Luminous fleet's massive warships, Arina curiously watched as several Luminous personnel walked right past her without acknowledging her presence.
"They can't see us," Muria answered calmly while observing their surroundings. "We're only here to observe. No need to announce ourselves."
"They can't see us... but could they detect us with their technology?" she asked, glancing around suspiciously.
"Do you think I wouldn't account for that possibility before we came aboard?" Muria shot back with a pointed look.
"Good point." Arina chuckled awkwardly, feeling embarrassed for even asking. Soon, however, her curiosity took over again. "So, if they can't see or detect us, does that mean... we're basically invisible? We can do whatever we want?"
"What exactly are you planning?" Muria narrowed his eyes at her.
"Nothing!" she said quickly, though her mischievous grin and the gleam in her eyes told a different story. Muria recognized that look all too well—he had seen it many times before on dragons when they spotted treasure they wanted to hoard.
"Don't even think about it."
"Relax! I'm just looking around," she said, the glint in her eyes not fading as she admired the ship's design. A growing urge to collect anything valuable stirred inside her.
Soft golden sunlight streamed down from above, illuminating a lush sea of colorful flowers. Their delicate fragrance filled the air as they gently swayed under the light breeze. In the heart of this picturesque garden stood a small castle, about ten meters tall, like something straight out of a fairytale.
"Wow, this place is beautiful!" Arina's melodic laughter rang out as she ran through the flower-lined stone paths, her long golden hair flowing behind her.
"You've seen plenty of landscapes like this before. Why are you acting like some wide-eyed kid?" Muria teased as he strolled leisurely behind her.
"I've seen them, sure, but I never expected to find something like this inside a warship!"
"True. It's unusual for a vessel built for warfare to house such a lavish facility. But that's how civilizations work—they're full of contradictions," Muria remarked, his eyes scanning the luxurious yet out-of-place area.
"This must be the residence of someone important," Arina mused, now standing beside Muria. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the castle, her mind already cataloging potential treasures. She had secretly pocketed several items she deemed valuable during their exploration.
"Of course, it's someone important. Ordinary crew members wouldn't be allowed to waste this much space for personal pleasure," Muria confirmed.
"Let's go inside and meet this 'important person,'" Arina suggested eagerly.
"We can, but could you stop scavenging for trinkets? Whatever you want, I can get you something better," Muria said with exasperation.
"Oh? Then how about you get me a ship like this one—no, an entire fleet of them?" she challenged playfully, tilting her head.
"Sure. I can even gift you an entire fleet," Muria replied casually.
"Yeah, right. Where are you going to pull a fleet from?"
"I'll build one for you," Muria answered, his tone as matter-of-fact as if he were offering to bake bread. He recalled the void fleet gifted to him by the Mechanized Emperor at his wedding. Having since mastered the knowledge of those ships, he could now replicate them if given sufficient resources.
"Tch! You're so full of it," Arina scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Alright, quit showing off. Let's go see who's living in that castle."
"Princess Astia Vikmanis... The brightest gem of the royal family... She's getting engaged?! Why... why couldn't it have been me?"
Inside a room filled with holographic images of a stunning female Luminous royal, a red-haired Luminous man sighed heavily, lamenting his unrequited love.
"Pfft! Son, look at this loser!" Arina chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "I thought the person living in this castle would be some arrogant tyrant. Turns out he's just a sad guy fantasizing about someone's fiancée!"
However, to her surprise, Muria didn't respond to her playful jab. She turned to look at him, confused by his silence.
"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you so quiet?"
But Muria remained silent, his expression darkening. His golden eyes scanned the images in the room before settling on one projection in particular.
"What's going on with you? Your face looks... off. Are you okay?" Arina asked, noticing his sudden change in demeanor.
Before she could say more, a terrifying burst of draconic aura erupted from Muria, filling the room with oppressive power. The overwhelming dragon's might caused physical tremors and sent shockwaves through the air, shaking the room violently.
The red-haired Luminous man immediately crumpled to the ground, unconscious from the sheer force of the mental and physical pressure.
"M-Muria! What the hell are you doing?!" Arina stammered, her voice trembling. She stared at the floating Muria, whose body radiated an overwhelming presence. "Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere unless absolutely necessary? What's gotten into you?"
Ignoring her questions, Muria walked toward one of the holograms. He stared intently at the lifelike image of a regal, expressionless Luminous woman.
"Oh... I get it now," Arina muttered, watching his reaction. "You're a dragon, after all. You've fallen for her beauty, haven't you?"
Muria shook his head slowly, his voice low and filled with an emotion she hadn't heard before. "I fell for her over a thousand years ago."
"What?!" Arina froze in shock. Then, as the realization hit her, she pointed at the hologram in disbelief. "Wait... you're saying she's—?"
"She's my partner—my wife. Seraphic Goddess Mikaela!" Muria confirmed, his burning gaze locked onto the image.
"But... I thought she reincarnated like you? How can you be so sure from just a hologram?"
"Her face... It's identical to Mikaela's. There's no way this is a coincidence," Muria said firmly.
"So, that's why you acted..."
"Yes," Muria replied, turning his attention to the groaning Luminous man, who was beginning to stir.
"Awake? Good," Muria said coldly, raising his hand to lift the man into the air with an unseen force. "You're going to tell me everything you know about her."
Muria's eyes blazed with fury. "And you'd better explain what this nonsense about 'engagement' is. Now."
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.