Pirate Kingship

In another corner of the Royal Palace of the Desert Empire, in the quarters arranged for the upper-level wizards and their entourage.

After today’s swirling upheaval, the wizards from various schools already knew that the banquet’s surface purpose was to welcome them, but in reality, it was just a facade by the [Radiant Queen] to stall plans and ensnare the Desert God System.

Many were shaken by the divine might of the Creation Nine Pillars, unable to sleep.

They continued to discuss passionately in groups, believing that once the human forces give birth to a Sixth Order Demigod, they will surely wield their swords to eradicate all Bizarre Evil Spirits and Ancient God’s Chosen Races, liberating their fellow humans suffering in "farms."

Sarant also leaned against the windowsill in his room, listening to others’ discussions, yet he did not feel as relieved as they did, and shook his head inwardly:

"That [Radiant Queen] Your Majesty designed a trap for the empire’s main enemy, the Desert God System, leaving them powerless to continue harassing the Desert Empire in the short term.

However, news of the [Truth Embodiment·Creation Nine Pillars] about to undergo a qualitative change will slowly spread, causing other Old God Churches entrenched on the continent or activated knowledge to become alert.

Though those non-human existences are inherently chaotic and can never truly unite.

Enmities among them run deeper than those among humans, as they fight viciously over sacrifices.

But should they become reactive, it will inevitably be a significant trouble.

Therefore, everyone will rest for at most one night, but tomorrow, we must enter the Sea of Origin Matter to confront the Kin nourished in the Divine Kingdom by [Hawk-Headed God] Horus, as well as his true form.

If victorious, everyone will rejoice. But if the elite suffer heavy losses, the Desert Empire and nearby human countries will face peril."

Sarant Tudor is, after all, a prince of the Mermaid Kingdom, with political insight and strategic foresight exceeding those of many upper-level wizards.

Especially with the bloody precedence of the Ten Great Undersea Kingdoms, he naturally isn’t as optimistic as they are.

The Undersea Kingdom and the Desert Empire are not far apart, just under the sea to the northwest of the Empire, where the Third Ring Current Zone opens.

Tomorrow may bring more fierce battles, even though Sarant is likely to fight alongside soldiers aboard the Golden Deer, not lead the vanguard charge, he must rest early to regain his energy.

"Meow～"

Just as he was about to close the window and sleep, he heard a lazy cat’s meow outside.

Looking up, he saw a pure black cat melting into the night, elegantly walking along a marble railing outside the window.

Evidently just a cat, Sarant distinctly noticed from its gestures a touch of alluring elegance belonging to a top-notch beauty.

"Ahem. It must be because I’ve stayed on the ship too long, that I’ve become like those sailors fond of sheep, finding even a cat charming and seductive.

However, even if staying single for too long leads to hallucinations, I should fantasize about a fish, not a cat."

Sarant recalled the Pirate’s Ten Commandments on the "Golden Deer": "Sheep, the only purpose is consumption," and hurriedly shook a bizarre thought from his mind.

Then he noticed the cat stopped and turned to look at him, with a golden earring on its left ear and divine light in its emerald eyes.

Sarant felt slightly embarrassed under the gaze of this pair of eyes carrying human scrutiny.

He instinctively rummaged through his Storage Miracle Object, taking out a handful of dried fish and offering it to the black cat, teasing:

"Cat, want some dried fish?"

As a merfolk, his pockets lacked much else but were abundant with fish, especially toothless plant-eating ones.

Yet the black cat stared at him for a moment and then...

Smack!

Swiped its paw to knock all the dried fish off his hand to the ground.

Like a proud queen lifting her chin, sneering, uttering an enchanting yet slightly hoarse feminine voice with a hint of feline laziness:

"Idiot! Call me ’Your Majesty’! Meow～"

Leaping forward from the railing, divine light flashed over her, and she instantly transformed into a tall, sensational beauty.

She wore a tight-fitting leather suit like black liquid, outlining an explosively perfect figure.

From Sarant’s angle, he could clearly see the smooth lines of her abs.

Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her skin snowy white, lips blazing red, with a "nine-tailed cat" style small whip at her waist, standing barefoot on toe-exposing high-heeled leather boots.

Most notably were the cat ears on her head, and a tail swaying behind her perfectly rounded hip.

Sarant’s mouth involuntarily opened wide.

After all, he was a Fourth Order Mythical Creature, yet he hadn’t discerned the shapeshifting on this woman until just now. The answer was only one — she’s a Fifth Order Upper Wizard!

Aligning with stories heard from childhood in the Mermaid Kingdom, he instantly guessed her identity and exclaimed:

"You... You are [Cat God] Bast!"

The only one fitting the attributes of appearance, location, gender, etc., the Radiant Queen’s sister, also over three hundred years old, from the same generation as his grandfather, the current Sea King, being the Sixth Holy Pillar [Catwoman] Bast.

Desert Empire’s civilians usually revere her as the [Cat God].

Legends say she’s immensely favored by the Radiant Queen, possessing many authorities: [Cat], [Battle], [Guardian], [Music], [Dance], [Family], [Moon].

But her primary authority is the cat.

While the Radiant Queen rules the entire Empire, Bast has tirelessly devoted hundreds of years to letting... cat masters rule every household, thereby encircling the large society with small family units, overturning her sister’s regime.