Diary of Guarding Monster Girls

"Your Majesty."

Herbert did not sit down immediately; he looked at the King on the bed, remaining silent for a moment.

Reinhardt Olivia

The current King of the Frost Crystal Kingdom, the seventh [Lionheart King].

The Frost Crystal royal family are descendants of the Dragon Slayer—this is more than just a legend to consolidate their rule.

A thousand years ago, the brave first Lionheart King, who was not yet a king, successfully killed a Legendary Peak Frost Snow Giant Dragon with the assistance of the first Duke of Silver Wings and others.

After the battle, he bathed in dragon blood and consumed the dragon's heart, eyes, and brain, ultimately refining his bloodline to become a powerful Dragon Blood Warrior.

He gained the terrifying strength and formidable physique of the Frost Snow Giant Dragon, as well as certain special abilities akin to spell-like abilities.

Many Kingdom legends recount the deeds of the first king showcasing his Frost Magic at banquets—such as cooling wine with his palms or adding ice cubes to drinks.

To commemorate his dragon-slaying achievement and the special abilities he gained from the dragon, he named the country "Frost Crystal" after the dragon's title.

As a descendant of the first Lionheart King, his heirs lost the spell-like abilities but successfully inherited the bloodline's power, producing many powerful warriors.

Therefore, in a way, the Frost Crystal royal family can also be considered a Dragon Blood Warrior family... cough!

This generation's king is the same, regarded from a young age as the perfect successor to the first king.

Not only did he resemble him in appearance, but he also showed similar talents to the first king!

He broke through to Legendary status at a young age, becoming the youngest Legendary Warrior in the history of the Frost Crystal Kingdom, even two years earlier than the first king.

But when everyone thought he would devotedly train to become the kingdom's strongest, inheriting the Dragon Slayer's name to protect the country, he made a shocking decision.

Reinhardt chose to venture out on an adventure.

He left the Frost Crystal Kingdom alone, traveled the world, and was away for four years.

When he returned, he was holding a baby girl in his arms—the future Princess Philia.

Later, he successfully inherited the throne, settled down in the Kingdom, and began a withdrawn life of cultivation.

The earlier stories were heard by Herbert from others; what follows was what he personally witnessed.

In his impression, Reinhardt was never a high and aloof king, but a cheerful and hearty elder, strong yet not intimidating.

Though he knew nothing of art, he was willing to listen to Herbert describe those cloud-like feelings.

As a child, he often played with Herbert and Philia.

And now...

Herbert felt as if he was looking at a zombie lying on the bed.

The once dazzling golden hair had become dry and yellow, his eye sockets deeply sunken, highlighting the eyeballs within.

His muscles had atrophied, and his skin was wrinkled, weighing possibly less than half of what it had before, the whole person reduced to skin and bones.

"Why don't you come over? Haha, I remember you loved to sit on my lap and listen to stories when you were younger, cough cough..."

But even in such a state, with death seemingly clutching at his throat, Herbert still couldn't sense any defeatist emotions from him.

He was every bit as confident as the first time Herbert saw him as a child.

The core of his strength continued to support him as he fought a final battle against the God of Death, even scorning the threat of death.

"...Your Majesty, I am no longer a child."

After a moment of silence, Herbert smiled wryly but still obediently sat down beside King Reinhardt.

He turned his head to look at what once was a powerful man now so gravely ill, filled with emotion.

An aging hero and a graying beauty are the most poignant sights.

While Herbert lamented in his heart, Reinhardt looked at him with great satisfaction.

"Haha! You've indeed grown up, but before us, you will always still be children! Cough cough."

Compared to the past elegant and tender boy, he now resembled more of a man.

"You've done well this time."

He struggled to lift his hand and patted Herbert's shoulder, sighing:

"Without you, I might not have awoken, and this country could have completely fallen into Terence's hands..."

But after waking and understanding what had occurred, he felt a chilling fear in his heart.

Even a strong warrior like Reinhardt had no defense against the ruthless betrayal from a loved one.

The blade in the back is always the sharpest.

The closer someone is, the more frenzied their betrayal.

Out of guilt, insecurity, and fear... they would go to any lengths to eliminate what makes them uneasy.

Only with that person dead would they truly feel at peace.

If not for the dragon's appearance awakening him from his slumber, Reinhardt could have died in his sleep in the most humiliating way by his child's hand.

"I am very grateful for this matter."

After saying this, Reinhardt frowned, staring at Herbert with sharp eyes.

"But your incitement among the nobles… do you really know what you're doing?"

"You are putting the Kingdom in jeopardy; you are endangering countless lives!"

Even in weakness, even at the brink of exhaustion, Reinhardt's voice still carried terrifying power, causing the entire bedchamber to grow chillingly cold.

"What exactly are you doing!!?"

Rumble—

Thunder sounded from outside the window, subtly suggesting a storm forming over the Royal City.

The storm was coming.

But Herbert knew that this change in weather was not from Nature, but a miracle of human capability.

Bam—

The bedroom window blew open by a fierce gust, a torrent of biting cold wind swept in, throwing the room's furnishings into disarray.

The flickering candlelights extinguished, and the Magic Energy Lamp shattered by the gale, plunging the room into darkness.

Crack!

Thunder roared, illuminating their faces in the shadowy dark.

The storm.

Reinhardt's Legendary Ability was to summon the storm!

During his travels, this King advanced to the special Legendary profession of [Storm Apostle].

He was the harbinger of the storm.

He—was the storm itself.

Even as weak as he was, at such a close distance, he could still strike down Herbert with a single blow!

Meanwhile, Valentina was not by Herbert's side, and the Archbishop's power had been exhausted.

The situation seemed to be at its most critical moment.