The Next Morning...
I was awoken by someone—no, something. A voice, urgent and breathless, yanked me from the fragile threads of my dream.
My body was being shaken relentlessly, like an old tree caught in a storm. Groaning, I cracked open one eye,
"Ugh… what?!" I grumbled, groggy and deeply annoyed.
Hovering above me was Luna, her face unusually flustered, golden hair in a wild tangle, and her hands still on my shoulders. She wasn't scared this time—at least not in the way she had been when we first met.
She'd figured out by now that, deep beneath my sarcastic wit and perpetual laziness, I was actually... kind. Sort of atleast.
"The Queen," Luna said, her tone laced with urgency. "She's arriving. Within an hour. You need to be ready!"
She punctuated her statement by shaking me again, despite my groan of protest.
Meanwhile, Seo, who had been comfortably sleeping on Luna's shoulder like a smug little lord, blinked awake. Within a second, the squirrel leapt off, stretching with dramatic flair—until Luna's hand came down in a quick, sharp slap to his cheek.
It wasn't strong, but it stung.
"W-What the—?!" Luna gasped in disbelief, stunned at her own reaction. Her cheek reddened slightly from the slap she'd given, a small twitch playing in her eye as she stared down at Seo.
For a brief moment, something changed in her. The ever-graceful Luna became… furious.
"You little..." she growled and, with a flick of her fingers, cast a small binding spell. Runes of light shimmered around Seo, trapping him mid-air like a marionette.
Seo's eyes widened in shock. "W-What sorcery is this?! You dare bind me, a twelfth-generation noble squirrel?! I descend from a proud line of mystic beasts!"
His rant was short-lived.
Before he could even wriggle free, Luna grabbed his ears and gave them a firm pinch. Seo let out a yelp that could shatter glass. "OW! You savage maid! Have you no decency? No reverence for bloodline prestige?"
I sat up with a sigh, rubbing my eyes and scratching my messy hair. "Why are you two doing this so early in the morning?" I asked, my tone heavy with authority. "This is no time for... Making such a Fuss."
At my voice, both of them froze. Luna immediately released Seo, her expression morphing into embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed pink, not from the earlier slap, but from being caught red-handed. Even disheveled, with her golden hair sticking out at odd angles, she looked like a celestial fairy who'd just rolled out of bed.
"The Queen… is coming," Luna repeated breathlessly. "She's visiting here, in about an hour at most."
I blinked, digging through the dusty archive of my memory. Ah yes—the Queen of the Azure Kingdom. Queen Sheila. A name that carried weight across many lands, known for her unmatched intellect, ruthless strategy, and commanding presence. A woman who could conquer empires with a fan in one hand and a teacup in the other.
I groaned.
"Prepare twenty dishes," I said, standing and stretching my limbs with exaggerated weariness.
Luna blinked at me as if I'd just declared war on breakfast. "Twenty?! Shouldn't you be… preparing to attend the banquet? You know, in person?" she asked, her voice now tinged with pleading.
I raised an eyebrow.
"If one of the child from the Ashton family didn't shows up to greet her," Luna continued, her voice soft but urgent, "Especially you having a bad reputation
"they'll look down on you even more. Your reputation is already…" She hesitated, clearly trying to find a diplomatic word. "Well, not ideal."
She looked genuinely worried now. She had seen enough of me to know the rumors might not all be true. Perhaps I wasn't the arrogant wastrel people said I was. Or maybe I had changed.
"Every noble family our Kingdom will be there," she added. "Are you really not going?"
I sighed again, rubbing my temples. "Just make the food," I said, gently but firmly. "I'll handle things my way."
Luna hesitated for a moment longer, then let out a helpless sigh and turned to leave.
Seo, who had managed to free himself from the magical bind, bounded onto my shoulder. His ears still looked a bit red, but his grin had returned. His tail wagged with excitement.
"So, when are we going to fix my calamity?" he asked eagerly, his eyes gleaming with hope. "I want to be a 3-Star beast already! That's when my bloodline powers awaken!"
"Not yet," I said with a nod. "Be patient."
Seo didn't say anything but clearly disappointed, but didn't argue further.
As Luna worked on preparing the twenty dishes, I resumed my cultivation. Body refinement required concentration—and hunger, oddly enough, seemed to fuel the process. My body, once frail and bony, had begun to transform. Muscles firmed. My posture straightened. My skin gained color.
Hours passed.
Meanwhile…
At a lavish estate not far from ours, the royal banquet had already begun—or, rather, was supposed to. A red carpet ran the length of a grand hall, leading to a long table dressed with silverware and silken cloth. Nobles from every major family were gathered, their expressions a mix of impatience and thinly veiled curiosity.
At the center sat Queen Sheila herself. She was breathtaking in her elegance. Her long violet hair cascaded over a sleek black dress, and her eyes—pure black, like polished obsidian—scanned the crowd with calm indifference.
She was annoyed. Though no one dared to say it aloud, it was obvious. The only person missing was the third child of the Ashton family.
Sen.
Tradition demanded that all members of a noble house be present before a banquet began. And yet, he was nowhere to be found.
Charles, my father, was sweating profusely as he tried to distract the Queen with polite conversation. Selena and Karina, my siblings, sat stiffly nearby, trying not to draw attention.
The other nobles murmured behind fans and wine glasses. Edward and Silvia were among them. Edward, ever the flirt, was trying to make small talk with Silvia, only to receive a cold, withering glare.
The Queen's expression remained unreadable, but the tension in the air was palpable.
"Send someone to fetch him," Charles finally whispered to a guard. "Now."
Back at home…
By the time Luna returned, the food was complete. Twenty dishes, beautifully prepared and fragrant. I devoured them quickly, needing the energy to support the next phase of my cultivation.
Combining my Peerless Technique and Golden Body Scripture, I felt my physique shift even further. Muscles rippled. My skin shone faintly with vitality. Within a week, I had gone from looking like a haunted broomstick to… well, at least a handsome young man with a passable build.
I grinned at the mirror.
"Truly," I murmured smugly, "I was the Immortal Sword God in my past life. Only I could turn a trash body into something halfway decent. Not even the heavens could stop me from becoming fabulous."
Seo, from behind me, rolled his eyes dramatically but still admired the way his master growing fast.