Netori SSS-Emperor: All Queens Shall Be Mine!-Chapter 16: A Rivalry Between The Faunans

Catching the two in the act, Renee stood by the door, her emerald eyes shooting daggers at the duo. Seeing another faunan wrapped in her lover's arms, a pang of jealousy burned through her chest, and yet keeping her anger sheathed, she brought down from her shoulders; the gift she'd brought her lover.

To its sound, the two turned around completely. Their eyes widened at the sight of the faunan carrying the massive axe, but quickly letting go of each other, they tried to pretend as if nothing had happened.

"Renee, I–"

"Save it, not the first time a girl has tried her hands on you..." Looking past Wolf, Renee glared at the faunan maid. "I'm sure she did the same, although I would've preferred if you'd informed me about hosting another woman in your bed tonight."

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"How did you get in the castle with that weapon?" Trying to distract from the conversation, Sola stepped forward. Turning everyone's attention to the axe she looked at it for a moment before adding further to her question. "Salamander scales on the handle, what the hell is that thing?"

The mention of the material used, helped Renee drop Renee's guard. Shooting back a curious glance, the faunan cat was surprised that a sheltered maid would even know the difference between the regular animals and monster scales.

"It's a gift for him," lifting her head to look at Wolf, the faunan heaved a sigh and let her anger seep through her finger. "I had it crafted with the scales on salamander eggs that we found on our last expedition about a year ago."

"What?" A bit confused, Wolf furrowed his eyes. "I thought you were supposed to hand them to the guild, isn't that what the quest master wanted, the eggs?"

Nodding at him, Renee lifted the axe from the ground and held it towards Wolf. Urging him to take it, she waited until the weight was off her hand before answering his question.

"The quest master never paid up so Felicia let me keep the eggs," shifting her gaze momentarily to Sola, Renee folded her hands and glared at her sharply. "Can't you take a hint? We're talking, leave..."

Although her words were harsh, Sola had suffered harsher being William's maid. But before heading out she gave Wolf a knowing glance; conveying her willingness to help him still. Walking towards the door, however, she wore a smile but intentionally stepped on Renee's foot, relaying how she truly felt inside.

"Ouch! Hey! Watch it!" Renee yelled, getting on her knees to caress her injured toes.

"Madia..." Placing a hand on Renee's shoulder, Wolf cast a simple healing spell. It cured the alcemancer's pain, but the mental scar against Sola was bound to remain.

"That bitch, who even is she?" She asked, still looking out the open door.

Reaching forward, Wolf decided to shut it before anyone else saw them. As he did, Renee was forced to bring her attention to him instead.

"So? Who was that?" She asked yet again, frowning.

Setting the dark axe leaning against a wall, Wolf turned back to her and gestured for her to take a seat before they talked. Although enraged beyond reason at the moment, she swallowed a portion of her anger and sat down on the same chair as Sola had been. Sitting in front of her in a chair as well, Wolf began detailing everything that had happened between him and Sola.

Grasping the whole picture, Renee felt more reserved and her anger faded quickly. If the woman was helping Wolf then she had no quarrel with her, even if her demands for doing so were a bit absurd.

"Not even king yet and you've already picked a second queen," heaving a sigh with her eyes closed, Reneechuckled at the thought.

Smiling alongside her, Wolf grabbed the axe leaning against the wall next to him. Resting it on his legs, he ran his fingers through the handle. Bound at the hilt by dark leather that paired perfectly with the charred scales, the axe carried within itself a dignified aura. With just a mere touch Wolf knew it had immense magical abilities, but the most prominent element was fire and mud.

"Why mud and not ice or water?" Lifting his head to look at Renee, he was greeted with the same smile as before.

With a hum the faunan leaned forward, then crossing her legs she explained the reasoning behind it.

"That was initially the plan but my blacksmith friend advised against it since that would weaken the weapon's integrity over time," heating steel and then quenching it in water, once was fine, but many times over? "Cracks would form and the axe might crumble at a crucial stage in battle so we decided to go with mud instead."

"Hmmm..." Humming to himself, Wolf brought his attention back to the weapon in hand. Focusing now on the axe head, he marveled at the deep red metal stripes that ran alongside the darkened blade. Hollow in the middle with two axe heads opposing each other, the weapon held both a crimson burn swimming along the surface and a violet glow that reflected the remaining amalgam of magic. "By Madia...This feels like a cheat."

"Because it is," laughing yet again, Renee got Wolf's attention back on her. Smiling at her man, she added. "That girl had nearly a year to perfect it, so she worked her ass off and the result's right in front of you."

Stretching her hand towards the axe, she directed his eyes back to it.

"The only Grade-A civilian weapon, nothing else in Aestonia is as strong as this beauty right here," running her fingers along the axe, Renee emphasized the name debossed on its handle. "The Crimson Carnage. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Smirking, the faunan watched as Wolf's eyes lifted back to her. Huffing a laugh, the barbarian was beyond excited to use the axe in the upcoming battle. But for now, Renee couldn't allow him to be too distracted, for the jealousy in her heart had yet to be quenched.

"Now, where's my kiss?" She chuckled, inviting Wolf in, and in the excited state that he was in; needless to say, he didn't make her wait.