"I admit, it's a bit complicated to explain this situation."

Ethan cleared his throat.

Charlotte remained silent, her arms crossed, her nails nearly digging into her flesh.

She didn't believe the prophecy of the ancient tree. After the mechanical locust plague descended, Ethan became her last hope. Yet she witnessed countless residents of the Royal Capital transform into copper-blooded monsters under the locusts' attack as she crossed most of the city. What awaited her here were the sight of Ethan mingling with these very invaders.

Locusts lay at his feet, affectionately nudging his hand with their heads, as if he was the very culprit who summoned this calamity.

Although Charlotte was thoroughly disillusioned with the Aured royal family, the residents who overcame their fear and gathered here were the Kingdom's marketplace. Yet, in the first wave of locust invasion, most residents either perished or were severely injured; only a few who hid in cellars and sewers managed to escape.

On the other hand, a part of her hoped Ethan would say something she could believe, even if... it was a lie.

Less than a week had passed since her coming-of-age ceremony. Most summoners set out on their adventures at this age, but she was bound to the prophecy of the ancient tree, standing in the Royal Capital, facing a catastrophe that could destroy the city in an instant.

"So, let time prove everything."

In the end, Ethan gave up explaining, "Someday you'll understand."

As for what Charlotte would understand in the future, he couldn't say. He could only say those who understand, understand; those who don't, he wouldn't explain further. Besides, dwelling on past tragedies was meaningless. He always looked forward.

And Ethan had already gathered some advantageous information.

The residents of the Royal Capital were merely infected with a disease carried by the locust swarm, turning them into walking corpses. Since it was a disease, there was a possibility of a cure.

Another good news was that these mechanical locusts were quite close to him. Although this made him look like the mastermind causing the Kingdom's destruction, Ethan contemplated how to utilize this connection.

The locusts were countless, forming a dark cloud when they gathered. To eradicate them all, using the super-level magic mentioned by Lindong and Rowena's Saint might be inevitable. In some of the Academy's books, such enormously powerful magic was deemed a forbidden spell due to its destructive potential.

Releasing super-level magic aiming to eliminate the locust swarm would result in burning down the city's buildings along with the infected, wandering residents.

But this unexpected discovery gave Ethan another choice.

So he climbed onto Miss Keroy's back, the golden divine bird flapping its wings and soaring into the sky. With a loud, clear cry, the mechanical locusts throughout the city were summoned. They halted their actions simultaneously, turned around, and followed the golden trail of the divine bird.

Charlotte looked towards the direction where the black cloud surged—that was where the Divine Tree was located.

Her heart pounded violently.

She recalled the analysis of mechanical monsters in the Cuckoo Daily. Experts believed that mechanical monsters might not harbor malice towards humans, and cities just happened to be in their path.

The same was true now.

The locust swarm, along with Ethan's target, was the Divine Tree and the Crimson Queen residing on it.

Perhaps this had been his goal all along.

In just a few minutes, the engulfing black cloud left the city, leaving behind a scene of infected and corrupted remnants.

Charlotte saw the partially constructed insect nests, the gilded dome of the council chamber appeared licked by a giant beast, the exposed steel beams exhibiting bizarre biological features, the rust flaking like scabs revealing new alloy surfaces adorned with insect compound eye patterns. The gnawed column cross-sections crawling slowly with thousands of hexagonal bite marks.

If Ethan hadn't left, the entire Royal Capital would have turned into a breeding ground for locusts.

Ethan took one last glance at the shrinking city behind him, followed by the dense mechanical swarm, with no sign of Charlotte outside the inn.

He was going to meet the Crimson Queen.

Judging by how problems were handled, the Crimson Queen's personality differed vastly from the King of Gold.

If it were the controlling King of Gold, there's no way Argos's actions would be tolerated, causing chaos under her jurisdiction.

Three days had passed since the first mechanical monster appeared, yet the Crimson Queen hadn't shown any response, prompting Ethan's urgent desire to meet her, interviewing her perspective on Argos's actions.

Meanwhile, another person embarked on the same journey.

"Blacksteel—!"

Within the village beneath the Divine Tree, an angry shout erupted. Priests clad in light green robes surrounded the unwelcome guest.

They could scarcely hide their fear.

Blacksteel appeared quite abnormal, his eyes lifeless, dense blue veins resembling blood vessels spread over his upper body skin, and his right hand grasped a Shade Priest's collar, dragging him into the village.

The Shade Priest's fate was unknown, and his body was undergoing visible transformations.

The gaping wounds exposed rusting metal skeletons, the blood turning copper. As Blacksteel released his grip, the Shade Priest, seemingly dead for a while, staggered up from the ground, his lips twitching slightly, emitting an unintelligible whisper.