Path of the Extra

"The Queen is very busy! You need to make an appointment!"

As Aeliana was about to get up, hearing the shouts of the maids, the door burst open, revealing a panicked maid and... a man with snow-white hair cascading to his shoulders, his clear eyes matching the sky on a bright day.

"Ragnar…?"

Aeliana looked mildly surprised at the sudden appearance of the Frost King in her office. In fact, the Frost King being in EASC—Crimson territory—without warning was a significant matter.

Ragnar's presence alone had already broken numerous protocols.

With a sigh, Aeliana looked at the maid, whose face had gone pale as she trembled, shrinking in the presence of two powerful figures. She had tried to stop Ragnar as best she could without risking her head, but it had been in vain.

Now, she wondered if her queen might take it for allowing another capital's king in without announcement.

"You may leave us," Aeliana said calmly.

"And make sure word of this doesn't get out."

"Y-yes, Your Majesty!"

The maid looked visibly relieved as color returned to her cheeks. She hurried out, closing the door gently.

Ragnar watched her go before silently taking a seat opposite Aeliana's desk, his face as unreadable as ever—a man brooding over a thousand things, yet his gaze remained locked on her.

Aeliana leaned forward, rubbing her temples.

'I don't want to deal with this…'

With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair, looking at Ragnar with a touch of irritation. Anyone observing would hardly recognize her as the Crimson Queen. Only when matters concerned her children's safety did she let down her dignified demeanor—every maid knew that.

"The last time you came unannounced, Celestina had just been born, and you and my darling drank so much my house nearly collapsed. So tell me, Ragnar…"

A vein bulged on Aeliana's forehead as she glared at him, though Ragnar's expression barely changed, only slightly paler.

"I know Lyraelle hasn't given birth yet, so… why are you barging into my office this time?"

Silence settled between them, tense. Ragnar looked at her without a word before he finally spoke, his voice composed.

"I tried to contact Joaquin, but I couldn't reach him. Where is he?"

Aeliana's face hardened, recognizing the restrained edge in Ragnar's tone. Most wouldn't notice, but Aeliana did. Only someone who knew him as well as she did could sense it.

"Why do you want to contact him?" she asked, sidestepping his question.

Ragnar's brow twitched slightly before he regained his composed expression. After studying her for a moment, he finally answered.

"It's about Azriel. He has information I need."

Hearing her son's name, Aeliana looked at Ragnar, her gaze narrowing.

'Azriel this, Azriel that—why is everyone always bringing him up?'

He was just a child, yet everyone around her seemed fixated on him.

"What kind of information?"

"Classified."

Aeliana's eyebrows furrowed, her tone sharpening at Ragnar's attempt to be cryptic.

"Ragnar, you came into my home unannounced. You would do well to cooperate—no one will take your side if you don't."

The room grew colder as Ragnar narrowed his eyes.

"Was that a threat?"

Aeliana smiled slightly.

"If it involves my son… yes, consider it a threat."

"…Fine." He let out a breath.

"Neo Genesis's recent attack was thwarted by Azriel. He managed to take down one of the Heptarchs, but we uncovered something crucial. I need more details about that organization, and I suspect Azriel has more insight than he's let on."

Aeliana's expression shifted as she absorbed Ragnar's words. Only a few days had passed since it all happened, and already, Azriel was one of the hottest topics online.

His accomplishment had been acknowledged by the Crimson Clan's upper echelon before she even had a chance to intervene. But she still didn't know why Azriel had done it.

'There's no way he would do it for fame.'

She knew her son better than anyone; he didn't care for such things. Nor was he the type to act on behalf of humanity. Like it or not, Aeliana knew her son wasn't that kind-hearted. He had a reason, one he hadn't shared with her.

"What crucial part did you discover?"

"…"

"I won't allow you to meet my son like this, Ragnar. You know how delicate everything has become around him, especially with what's being said."

Ragnar's face softened slightly as he nodded.

"I know. But we've learned that Neo Genesis is somehow working with a Skinwalker."

"…!"

Aeliana's eyes widened in shock, her gaze locking onto Ragnar's. The mere idea of a void creature cooperating with humans seemed absurd—something straight out of a fairy tale.

"I need to know why, how, and where. Azriel might know more about it, and I need his help... help to get closer to… it."

She watched Ragnar's face grow dark, the air between them heavy with shared understanding. She knew why he was here now. It all made sense.

After all… he had lost his parents to Skinwalkers.

The Frost Estate, and much of NASC, had been devastated in that attack. So many lives lost in what was assumed to be a random strike by void creatures. But… it hadn't been random.

Aeliana didn't know all the details, but she knew it had been carefully planned.

'If Skinwalkers and Neo Genesis are working together… could the Skinwalker incident in NASC be connected?'

Her expression darkened as the possibility sank in.

'And Azriel's been fighting them…?'

She didn't know what to think anymore. It seemed like every revelation only made things deeper, more complex. There was something she wasn't seeing.

'Neo Genesis… what is that organization hiding?'

Ragnar's gaze was fixed on her, patiently waiting for an answer.

"…Unfortunately, Azriel isn't here right now."

Ragnar's face fell.

"Where is he?"

She hesitated, weighing whether she should tell him.

'This is personal for him, and he won't leave until he gets to speak with Azriel… but this is getting too complicated for me! Why does my darling always have to be so irresponsible?'

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she finally spoke, explaining what she could.

The more she said, the darker Ragnar's expression grew, his gaze increasingly judgmental.

"Have you lost your mind?"

For the first time, a strong emotion seeped into his voice—anger. Aeliana averted her eyes, unsure how to answer.

"You allowed your son—who you just got back from the void realm—to go back there with only your daughter, the future queen and heiress? All because you didn't want to cause a greater commotion by informing anyone else?"

Ragnar's voice was laced with anger, his usual composure cracking. "Do you understand how irresponsible that is?"

Aeliana met his gaze, though her expression softened slightly. She understood the gravity of his words.

"I know, but…"

Ragnar narrowed his eyes, as if piecing together a puzzle.

"This was Joaquin's idea, wasn't it?"

She gave a reluctant nod. Even she found it reckless, but it was what her husband wanted. Jasmine needed more experience, and quickly.

"It was initially only meant for Jasmine," she explained.

"But after what happened with Azriel, he joined her. Besides, Mira, Amaya, and… Amon are with them."

Ragnar blinked in surprise, then let out a hollow laugh.

"You and Joaquin really must have lost it. Have you forgotten how that 'old man' threw Joaquin in front of a grade 1 Monarch when he was young? Or the time he made him survive in the fallen sky—a part of the void realm no one sane would set foot in—for an entire week?"

Aeliana didn't respond immediately. She knew all too well the harsh way Amon had trained Joaquin; it was brutal, yes, but effective.

Though, perhaps, that was why he was missing a few screws.

What mattered, though, was that Aeliana knew both of them could handle themselves.

And she trusted her husband, who was still trapped, to be safe.

The mere thought of something happening to him felt almost laughable, considering everything she'd witnessed of his strength.

'Can he even be killed?'

Maybe it was impossible.

Azriel was more prepared than she'd expected, and Jasmine, with her natural talent, would manage easily.

With their combined experience and the others with them, they shouldn't face too many difficulties—at least, for the most part.

'Maybe when I retire, I should become an actor?'

Apparently, she had a surprising knack for it.

Eventually, she looked back at Ragnar, her voice calm.

"It's fine. We can't shelter them forever. Don't forget who we are, Ragnar, and why we are the great clans. If our children can't survive something like this, then it's a lost cause."

Her lips curved slightly.

"So relax. Let's have some tea while we wait for their return. In the meantime, you can tell me about your daughter... and, of course, the one yet to come."