"Please come this way."
The large door was pushed open by a servant's hand.
Sota, who had finally entered the royal palace after passing through the capital city and the castle town, was now caught up in a special tension. It was a tension that could not be compared to surviving in the great forest, his first sexual encounter with a woman, or fighting monsters.
Meeting with the queen
A real queen, and in a fantasy world at that.
Sota tried to calm his irregularly beating heart by exhaling slowly.
"Sota," a voice whispered.
When Sota eyes met with Phyllis he nodded slightly. It seemed she had sensed his nervousness. Though Phyllis had repeatedly told him the queen was a kind person, and Sota knew that, he could only feel like a commoner in this place.
"Thank you," Sota said, firmly meeting Phyllis blue gaze. As if telling her that he was fine now.
Phyllis confirmed this and stepped into the throne room more relaxedly.
Sota and Elrain followed closely behind her.
"Wow..." Sota let out a breathless sigh of admiration.
The throne room lived up to its name, embodying luxury, quietness, and sacredness. It was expansive, distant, high, and overflowing with dignity.
A stunning red carpet spread all the way to the back. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling, almost resembling satellites. Guards in full armor blended into the atmosphere, but would bare their fangs at a moment's notice if necessary.
And beyond them all, the queen was there.
Sota could tell at first glance that she was the queen herself.
Her figure was truly that of a "queen," even though she was much older than Sota. The skin was meaty, and the large body stood out, but there was something more to her. Marmora exuded an elegance that was beyond the dress that was worth several hundred million yen in modern Japanese currency.
Her skin was smooth and delicate to the touch, despite their age difference. Her plump white skin would bounce back like a baby if poked with a finger. Her sky-blue hair swirled with the beauty and lightness of a celestial maiden's robe.
The dress was filled with sculptural beauty that could have been worth millions of yen in contemporary currency, and its elegance finally matched Marmora.
The sweet scent that filled the wide space and was brushing against Sota senses originated from Marmora.
Sota felt a different sort of "beauty" from Phyllis, Elrain, and Ronia that he had met in this world.
(This is… the Queen)
Queen Marmora smiled from the depths of the room.
Her presence was overwhelming.
“Your Majesty, the knight of the kingdom, Phyllis aigur, has returned to your side.”
With a flowing gesture, Phyllis get down on one knee.
“Before you.”
Elrain followed suit, get down to one knee as well.
"..."
Souta remained standing, stiff and awkward.
Sota remained on his feet.
As a man, he wasn't required to show respect to anyone above royalty in the kingdom, and Phyllis had told him that he didn't need to go above and beyond with politeness towards the Queen. But he felt uncomfortable, standing in front of the ruler of the country without saying anything.
As he stood there, Marmora slowly rose from her throne.
Her massive size was reminiscent of a tsunami, and her breasts bounced due to the energy of her movements and gravity.
“Welcome back, Phyllis! When I heard that you had disappeared, I was really worried... Come over here.”
"Yes..."
"Elrain too."
"Understood!
After rising from her throne, Marmora said that and immediately embraced both Phyllis and Elrain who had come close by. Marmora massive body easily swallowed up the bodies of Phyllis and Elrain. Despite their slender figures, they had more thickness from their training than their appearance would suggest, and yet they were engulfed without any resistance.
(A... swamp of flesh...?)
Sota couldn't help but think it was too disrespectful, but it was his honest impression.
It wasn't difficult to imagine that if Sota were to be embraced by Marmora, he would quickly sink into that swamp. A swamp of flesh... It was a strange but fitting description that he himself couldn't help but think of.
"Well, Your Majesty... As you can see, there is absolutely no problem. That's because Sota saved me. If it weren't for him, I would undoubtedly have been captured by the Empire."
"I've heard about that. So that's how it is with him."
Marmora large eyelashes cast a shadow.
Looking at Sota, she released the two beautiful women and without any hesitation, knelt down as her luxurious dress touched the floor. Her appearance was as if a devout believer was facing a god.
"I have heard the reports, Sota-sama. Nice to meet you. I am the current Queen of this kingdom, Marmora. We warmly welcome your visit and promise to ensure your safety and health with the full force of our kingdom's military."
"Thank you... Your Majesty."
It was a voice filled with tenderness.
The queen lowered her head to Sota.
Sota, who was just a resident of Tokyo, was unsettled by the awkward situation, but he made sure not to show any disrespectful attitude. Although he understood that he was in a protected status, this world was somewhat close to the medieval era. He didn't want to provoke the queen displeasure and be accused of disrespect and end up on the guillotine.
On the other hand, Marmora showed a slight hint of unease in her eyes in response to Sota admirable attitude.
Man versus woman.
In that situation, social status didn't matter.
The eyes of the man facing Marmora were always filled with fear and contempt.
No matter how much they devoted themselves or guaranteed their safety, the only response they received was disdain. It was understood by everyone as the way of the world in this place. Many men could only see women as despicable creatures to be targeted sexually, and women themselves also understood the aspect of "it's not surprising to think that way".
However, Sota in front of Marmora was clearly different from any man she had spoken to before.
There was no arrogance in his tone of voice, yet there was a firmness that conveyed tension to her. Rather, it was like that, a charming attitude of a naive child peeking out from behind their mother, an adorable demeanor. It was not aggressive, but rather left a favorable impression, and that was the honest impression Marmora had of Sota.
And above all, he was beautiful... at least according to Marmora.
His extremely rare black hair and black eyes appeared to her as a bewitching color that could captivate billions of women. It was easy to see that his body underneath his clothes was well-toned, and his somewhat youthful face matched the preferences of women in this world despite his age.
........
The lower body throbbed involuntarily.
Shamelessly, regardless of age, with debauchery.
Sota pheromones greatly stimulated the goblin's instincts, and apparently had a strong effect on Marmora as well. Above all, Souta was Marmora type. Young, fresh, and quiet. Her "protective desire" smoldered for the first time in a long time.
However, Marmora was not so inexperienced as to make it known.
She was the queen of the Vedna Kingdom, a long-standing belief in men. It was not easy to reconcile her own desires.
"I heard that Sota-sama has lost his memory. If there is anything we can do in our country, we will do our best to support you. Please tell me anything you need."
Marmora said, smiling softly and kindly.
It was a loving smile that did not frighten the puppy to be protected.
The kingdom can offer anything for men, and can pay any sacrifice.
... In return, if they can get seed.
Marmora glanced slightly at Sota with narrow eyes.
"... Your Majesty. There is one thing I want to say, or rather, there is a report."
Behind Marmora.
It was a modest voice.
A voice that was low for a woman, and that seemed to belong to Phyllis.
But her fragile appearance, speaking hesitantly, was less than her usual dignified self-confidence or nervousness.
"What? Phyllis."
As if she was admonishing a child, Marmora asks her.
Phyllis nodded, seeming uncomfortable with the attention she was getting.
"I'm sorry, Souta ... I should have told you first ... but ... that ... I realized it just a little while ago ... I mean ... maybe ... a child with you might be possible."
Phyllis gently stroked her belly as she said that.
Like cherishing that small life.