I looked down at the clothes in my hands.

Man... this fabric alone probably cost more than everything I owned.

Carefully, I removed my old clothes and changed into the outfit. The material felt smooth and surprisingly light despite how expensive it looked.

Once I was done, I turned toward the dusty mirror leaning against the wall.

The outfit was entirely dark-colored.

Black trousers fitted cleanly around the legs, tucked neatly into polished boots. The upper clothing was a long dark-gray tunic layered beneath a black coat trimmed with silver stitching along the sleeves and collar. Leather belts wrapped neatly around the waist, and the gloves matched almost perfectly.

Honestly... I looked like someone important. Or at least someone pretending very hard to be important.

"Damn..." I muttered quietly.

While I was alone and had free time, I checked with the system. Discovering this place gave me some good EXP, after all.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Ace | LC: 156 | EXP: 156/490 | LVL 6

╠═══════════════════════╣

> HP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 115/115

> MP ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 85/85

> STA ▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 58/100

────────────────────────

> Class: MAGE

> Known Abilities:

• Fireball

• Heal

• Shield of Aangr

────────────────────────

> PERKS

• +15% Magic Damage

• +10% Critical Chance

• Backstab Damage

• Light of the Believer

╠═══════════════════════╣

> [ BAG ] [ MAP ] [ SHOP ] [QUESTS]

╚═══════════════════════╝

Nice. A little closer to hitting level seven.

After adjusting the collar awkwardly, I stepped outside the room. The strange man immediately looked me up and down. Then he walked forward without a word and grabbed the hem of my coat, straightening it properly.

"Stand still," he muttered irritably. "You dress like someone fighting the clothes."

"Sorry."

He adjusted the collar next, brushed invisible dust from my shoulder, then finally stepped back.

"Good," he said with a satisfied nod. "Now you look somewhat presentable."

He turned immediately.

"Follow me."

"My clothes are in there." I said. "Can I..."

"Follow me."

I exhaled. "Right..."

We climbed staircase after staircase, moving deeper into the palace. The lower floors had already looked luxurious enough to bankrupt entire cities, but the higher we went, the quieter and more extravagant everything became.

The hallways widened. The carpets became softer beneath my boots. The paintings looked older, more important somehow.

Servants also became rarer the further upward we went. Downstairs, the palace had been bustling with activity. Up here, there were mostly guards. Tall men and women in polished armor standing beside windows and doors without speaking a word.

Just how many floors did this place even have?

By the fifth floor, I already thought we were near the top.

Then came the sixth. Seventh. Eighth. Ninth. And finally... tenth.

"Seriously..." I muttered quietly while following the strange man down another hallway. "This place is ridiculous."

The corridor here was massive, its ceiling arched high above us with intricate golden patterns carved into the stone. Tall windows lined the left wall, allowing sunlight to pour into the hallway in long beams. Expensive-looking red banners hung between the windows, each carrying the royal crest.

At the very end of the corridor stood an enormous set of double doors.

Gold-trimmed. Dark wood. Covered in ornate carvings. Even from a distance, the doors radiated importance.

Two royal guards stood beside them holding long spears, their armor far more decorated than the guards downstairs.

The man beside me finally stopped.

"Listen, kid," he said while turning toward me. "Bow your head when you enter the room. Do not speak unless spoken to. And under no circumstances do you disrespect the Queen. Understood?"

"Yes..."

"She also has a guest," he continued. "Show the same respect toward her."

"A guest?"

"Yes. A general from the neighboring kingdom of Nependa. Her name is Yua. To you, however, it is ’Ma’am.’" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Got it."

The man gave me one final look. Then he sighed. Honestly, he looked like he was mentally preparing himself to witness my execution.

He stepped toward the doors and knocked firmly against them. A few seconds passed.

Then a woman’s voice echoed from inside. "Come in."

Well... here goes nothing.

The guards beside the doors immediately moved, pulling the massive doors open inward.

The room beyond was enormous.

I stepped inside slowly before stopping awkwardly near the center of the chamber.

The throne room looked less like a room and more like a cathedral built for royalty. Massive pillars lined both sides of the hall, each carved with intricate patterns and wrapped with golden vines sculpted into the stone itself. Tall stained-glass windows stretched nearly from floor to ceiling, filling the room with soft colored light.

Long crimson carpets ran across polished marble floors all the way toward the throne at the far end. Knights stood stationed along the walls. Servants waited silently near the pillars. Huge chandeliers hung high above, glowing softly with crystal lights.

And at the end of it all...

The throne.

It sat atop a raised platform of white marble, surrounded by silver railings and decorated with dark red banners behind it. The throne itself was enormous, crafted from black metal and silver, with elegant designs curling around its edges like thorned branches.

And sitting upon it was The Queen.

She looked to be somewhere in her thirties, maybe slightly older, but carried herself with the kind of confidence that made the entire room feel smaller around her.

Her long, dark-red hair cascaded over one shoulder in thick, glossy waves, brushing against the upper swell of her heavy breasts. The rich crimson dress clung to her like nothing else, the fabric stretched taut across a full, voluptuous chest. She was easily a generous E-cup, perhaps even edging into F, her breasts full and rounded. The elegant neckline framed deep, inviting cleavage, the inner curves smooth and pale, rising and falling with each slow breath. They looked heavy enough to spill free if the dress were tugged down, the kind of tits that would bounce hypnotically when she rode a lover and overflow any man’s hands.

Golden jewelry rested in the valley of her cleavage, drawing the eye straight to those pillowy tits. Her face remained regal, sharp, intelligent eyes, full lips painted a deep red, and an expression of cool, absolute authority. The kind of woman who looked capable of ordering someone executed while drinking tea.

Yet despite the sternness in her gaze, she didn’t look cruel.

Just... powerful. Very powerful.

And beside the throne, seated comfortably in another chair slightly lower than hers, was another woman.

Probably General Yua.

"And who might that be, Queen Mia?"

"That, I believe," she said, looking straight at me, "is Ace Walker."

I bowed deeply. "Y-yes, Queen."

"Oh?" Yua said with a small smile. "The Ambly-blessed? How exciting..."