I-it couldn't be that they have that kind of relationship, could it? Loki would never do that, right?'

Raven's line of thought led him in a strange direction.

'Come to think of it, it was weird how Loki managed to climb the ranks in the Chimera army so quickly. So this is how he was able to do it.'

His gaze towards Loki became a little odd.

'Poor Loki, he was forced to sell his body and enter into an intimate relationship with the queen just to sneak in and gain her trust.'

A shiver ran down Loki's spine. He stopped in his tracks, looking left and right to find the cause.

'What was that just now? I felt like I was targeted by a ferocious beast.'

Not finding the cause of the sudden chill, he dismissed it as his imagination playing tricks on him. He noticed Raven giving him a strange look.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Loki called out to Raven but received no response because Raven was still immersed in his thoughts.

'And they call me a hero. No, the real hero is Loki. He's the one who made the real sacrifice just to give us a chance to win.'

'I will make sure everyone knows of his deeds so he can receive the respect he deserves.'

"What's up with this guy?"

Loki didn't know the reason, but he felt a chill after noticing how bright Raven's eyes were as he looked at him.

'He can't possibly be thinking what I'm thinking, right?'

'In the stories I read, the hero always marries the beauty after the war ends. It couldn't be that he's thinking about that right now, right?'

'But why does he keep looking at me like that? I-it couldn't be that he's planning to take me as his wife, right?'

'No, he's straight and doesn't swing that way. He's always surrounded by women.'

Loki sighed in relief before suddenly remembering something he had overlooked.

'Come to think about it, he didn't show any romantic interest in any of them.'

'So that's your secret, huh?'

Loki felt like he had gained a new understanding of Raven's character.

As this thought crossed his mind, he felt a sudden chill due to the new realization.

'No, no, no, I don't swing that way.'

'W-wait, could it be that he misunderstood my disinterest in romance with women as a sign that I'm into the same gender?'

'Sh#t, I have to clear this up before it stains my perfect record.'

Coughing to regain his composure, Loki glared at Raven.

"Whatever you're thinking right now, just drop it. I'm not the one you're looking for."

"There are plenty of men out there who deserve your attention more than me."

Loki's glare remained fixed on Raven until he saw him nod with a firm gaze.

"Good."

Satisfied with his understanding, he turned his gaze back to the queen, but he had no idea that his words only strengthened Raven's conclusion.

'What was I thinking?'

'Stupid.'

'Of course he wants to hide the fact that he had to resort to such a shameful act. Looking at him, he probably doesn't want anyone to know of his deeds. The only thing I can do is respect his desire and keep it hidden from others.'

"I'll make sure he gets the rewards he deserves."

Raven muttered in a low voice, which went unnoticed by Loki.

"Back to what I was saying, you heard our conversation, right? So, can you tell me if what Raven said is true? Will dungeons really break the moment you die?"

[Keke, are you that desperate to know the truth? To think you'll beg your enemy for answers.]

A thick mark appeared on Loki's forehead.

"Who's begging?... It looks like you're still living in the fantasy that you're the queen, but let me give you a reality check. There are no other living Chimera creatures beside you."

Loki paused to make his next words have more impact.

"So now, you're not a queen anymore, but just an ugly last survivor of your race."

The queen lowered her head slightly. Just when Loki thought he had finally managed to provoke her, a laugh escaped the queen's mouth.

[Kekeke, oh Loki, using mind tricks on me really brings back good memories that happened between us.]

Hearing what she said, the two who were listening reacted differently. Raven had a look of understanding and gave Loki a big reassuring smile, while Loki had a look of pure disgust.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

[Keke, your words are a bit harsh. Did you forget our special moments at night when you came to my room every day.]

"Don't say it like that, or people might misunderstand, you ignorant ant."

Loki turned to Raven to clear up the misunderstanding, but before he could speak, Raven beat him to it.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Loki. I won't judge your taste."

"N-no, it's not-"

"It's okay, I understand. I won't tell anyone about your deeds; I'll take this secret to the grave with me."

'This guy...'

Loki was fuming with anger.

"Let's ignore this idiot for now."

He still needed answers to his questions.

"I'm serious now, so can you answer my question? Will there be a dungeon outbreak after your death?"

[Keke, who knows.]

The queen answered vaguely, showing no concern, as if her answer wouldn't decide her life or death.

'This person...'

Loki took a deep breath before looking at the queen with a serious expression.

"I think you're misunderstanding something. Let's say that there will be an outbreak once you die; then we certainly can't kill you."

He paused before continuing.

"But there are still other methods that make death better than living. Torture is one of those methods. You can regenerate yourself, right? Then tell me, how many times do you think you'll go through it in a day? Your ability makes you the best target for practice."

For the first time since their conversation, the queen's expression changed slightly. She couldn't help but shudder at the thought of being tortured. Even though she had a high pain tolerance, that didn't mean she couldn't feel anything. She knew that Loki was ruthless once he made up his mind, and that's what had made her appreciate him. However, she was sure she didn't want to experience it herself.

"Now I'm going to ask you agai- Cough... Cough."

Loki was speaking when suddenly he collapsed and started coughing up blood.

Raven, who stood behind him, rushed to support him.

"Loki!"

Raven searched for the cause of Loki's fall.

"Loki, please, tell me what happened."

[So, it's finally affecting you, huh.]

Hearing the queen's words, he glared at her.

"What did you do?"

He watched closely but couldn't spot anything unusual. He wasn't sure if his senses had dulled or if something else had caused Loki's situation.

[Keke, I didn't do anything. Your people are causing this to happen to him.]

Raven frowned in confusion. He didn't understand.

"What do you mean?"

[Keke, don't pretend you don't know.]

"Know what? Just tell me."

Seeing Raven's puzzled expression, the queen began to doubt herself.

[How could he not know? Is he pretending, or did she act without anyone knowing?]

Raven couldn't grasp the queen's muttering. His face showed worry as he noticed Loki's pale complexion.

"Ant, tell me what happened, or I'll make you regret it."

[Keke, no need for threats.]

The queen didn't take Raven's threat seriously and continued speaking.

"You should know that before the war began, Loki infiltrated our lines and poisoned me."

Raven nodded in agreement, as he already knew this from Loki's plans.

He was still puzzled about why the queen brought it up, but then he realized.

"W-wait, could it be..."

[Keke, yes, indeed.]

The queen nodded upon seeing his expression.

"When he used the poison on me, he got affected by it as well. That's why he collapsed suddenly. He's been fighting with the poison in his body, and when he lost all his strength, he couldn't suppress it any longer."

Raven listened closely but looked puzzled.

"But he expected this. That's why he brought the antidote, just in case he got affected."

He knew Loki was the type to plan for all possibilities. He remembered Loki had the antidote with him before the mission began.

"Hey, where is it? Loki, tell me where the antidote is."

He searched Loki's body for the antidote.

"Could he have forgotten to take it? How could he make such a mistake?"

[Keke, come on, no need to pretend anymore.]

Raven stopped searching and looked at the queen.

"What do you mean?"

[Keke, I mean, you don't have to keep up the act of being a good-hearted hero. There's no one here, so you can reveal your true intentions. You should know that the antidote given to Loki was fake.]

"W-wait! What?"

[Wow, I must say, you're quite the actor. Are you trying to make us believe you had no part in this?]

"N-no, I don't know anything."

Raven was still baffled by the sudden information he was given and struggled to respond.

[Well, it doesn't really matter whether you're part of it or not. But in conclusion, what I meant is you betrayed Loki and gave him the wrong antidote, which indirectly killed him.]

Raven's heart sank at the queen's words. He had trusted Loki with his life, and the thought that he might have unwittingly played a part in his friend's demise was unbearable.

"No, it can't be," Raven stammered, his voice trembling. "I would never betray Loki like that. There must be some mistake."

The queen merely chuckled, her tone mocking.

[Keke, denial won't change the truth. Loki's gone because of your actions or lack thereof.]

Raven's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. He couldn't accept that Loki was gone, not like this.

'But who? Who did such a thing? There were only a few people who knew about the plan and even fewer who were present the day he left.'

"Who was it?"

[Keke, you know exactly who it was, you just don't want to admit it, too afraid to confirm your suspicions.]

"No, it can't be.... Amy!"

Raven's eyes wavered as he squeezed the name out of his mouth.

[Keke, indeed.]

In fact, there's no need for him to think too much about who's capable enough to trick the always careful Loki.

If Raven had to point out one flaw in Loki, then that would be that once he acknowledged a person as a friend, he would do his best to help them and even go to the extreme for them.

This trait of Loki made him a great friend but also a source of weakness, and it's the best way to exploit him. So if anyone was capable of betraying him in this way, it could only be a person who knew him the best, and there's only one person who fit that.

Amy Everhart, better known as the genius alchemist. She's the one who designed the poison.

"But, why would she do that?"

She was Loki's closest friend, and he trusted her a lot. Plus, they didn't have any issues between them that he could recall.

"Could it be..."

He remembered a time when he saw Amy crying while holding a picture. After talking to her, he found out that the person in the picture was her father.

"Her dad died during a Chimera attack."

Her father had gone to a city for some business, but unfortunately, he got caught up in an invasion by Chimera creatures.

"And the one who led them that day is...

Loki!"

To gain the queen's trust, Loki had to attack many cities and harm many people just to get closer to her. One of his attacks had coincided with the time when Amy's father was visiting Loki's target.

[So, when it's about sacrificing others, she willingly helped, but when it's her own people, she betrayed you for it. Why? Because it was her family? Did she value their lives more than those sacrificed?]

"Shut your mouth."

[Keke, and you claim that all people are equal. Keke, what a hypocritical race you are.]

"I said be quiet."

A small fireball formed in Raven's hand before he shot it at the queen.

Boom.

[A-Aghhh, I'll kill you! I will definitely kill you, you bastard!]

The queen cursed him as the fire landed on her wounds, causing significant damage.

"Hmm, think carefully before speaking again. Next time, I won't be so merciful."

Raven gave her a warning look. The queen knew better than to push him further; it would only end badly for her. She opted to stay silent, focus on healing her wounds, and wait for the right moment to escape.

Loki, who had been silent, finally spoke.

"It doesn't matter anymore."