Before the war, Steinberg was a lovely town, rich with residential areas adorned with beautiful villas and houses — so single-storey, others two-storey. Their grey brick walls were elegantly decorated with creeping green vines. Each house had a small garden on the side, where residents cultivated their preferred flowers and vegetables. Most fences shared a similar design, standing roughly a tre high, with dark bricks partially concealed by intertwining vines, lending a natural charm to the town.
That was only a few days ago.
Now, everything lay in ruins, piles of bricks, collapsed walls, shattered vehicles strewn across the streets, and hos reduced to darkened husks of ash.
Approximately ten tres away from the one-ard Armatus and two small reconnaissance bots parked on the street, three figures erged 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 lower back.
His golden eyes were unmistakable, sharp and piercing like a dragon's. His sleek dark-green hair was parted symtrically at the sides, complenting his refined appearance. He wore a crimson-red suit and tie, with 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 picked it up, glancing at the screen with a frown before answering.
"Suingi! Where are you?!" A female voice bood through the device, the force of it almost stirring the air around him.
The astral empress's displeased expression filled the screen.
"Good morning, Astral Empress Nohrell," Suingi greeted politely, unperturbed.
"Ugh! Doesn't matter. Get back here right now. The war room eting 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 tail wiggled playfully, betraying the fact that she wasn't actually angry.
"Right away, Astress," Suingi replied with a weak smile. "After I've finished my task here."
Her expression swiftly shifted from contentnt 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 cara that it filled the entire fra.
"Astress, if I may, you've managed just fine for a few etings now. Also, may I 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 even more wrinkles every ti you ntion them!" She rolled her eyes dramatically.
"My deepest apologies, Astral Empress Nohrell." Suingi bowed his head, theatrical in his motion.
"Fine! Just get back here as soon as you can, you hear ? 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.
"Understood, Astress," He replied politely, pressing the disconnect button with his gloved finger.
Content with himself, Suingi continued to watch Jack's group from afar until their burial rite of his family was complete and they flew off in their machines. Satisfied, he cast a portal before stepping through, vanishing without a trace.
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