CHAPTER 1042: CHAPTER 160 - THE DWARF KINGDOM (2)

I had to admit—she was wearing, uh... almost nothing at all.

I mean, she technically had clothes on, but they were the type of clothes that barely counted. They hid the important bits, sure, but the rest? Completely exposed like she didn’t give a damn about modesty or the concept of "coverage." Honestly, the outfit was hanging onto her body like it was fighting for its life.

Sometimes I really don’t understand why people wear clothes like that. At that point, why not just go all the way and be naked altogether? Her clothes were basically decoration—thin strips here, a flimsy piece of fabric there. You could almost see the breeze slipping through them.

She had this bright, fiery orange hair that immediately caught my eye, glowing even under the dim light of the room. Her purple eyes were piercing—sharp, intense, the kind that made you feel like she wasn’t just looking at you, she was dissecting you. And when those eyes locked onto mine from above, I swear it felt like she could see straight through flesh, bones, and whatever remained of my dignity.

Despite her small body—hell, she was tiny—her presence hit like a wave. Overpowering. Heavy. Almost regal. It was like staring at a pocket-sized Solaris who decided to condense all her intimidating presence into a compact, overly confident version.

So this was a queen’s presence, huh? Damn.

She kept that smirk on her face the entire time, as if she already knew exactly how I was looking at her—like she was waiting for me to trip up or get flustered. And honestly, she wasn’t wrong. Everything about her screamed "pride," from the tilt of her chin to the way she stood like the world belonged to her.

For one, she didn’t care at all that I was staring at her almost bare chest. She didn’t even flinch or try to cover herself. Her chest was pretty flat, but she didn’t give a single shit about it—if anything, she was presenting it proudly, like it was some kind of royal artifact.

And, well... not gonna lie. It did have its own appeal. Even though her breasts were covered, the outfit itself was... yeah, lewd as hell, and it was honestly pretty arousing. There was something weirdly enticing about her being partially hidden instead of fully exposed. That mystery, that teasing glimpse—it messed with my brain more than if she just showed everything outright.

"You are staring quite a lot, Human," she said, flashing a smug smile. "Well, I suppose it’s only natural. With beauty like this, even someone like you—someone who enjoys breeding with Elves—couldn’t resist. Why don’t you start by introducing yourself? It’s rude to make the Queen wait and waste her time, you know. Or is that something you failed to learn from wherever you came from?"

Her attitude was sky-high, but honestly, for a queen, I guess that was expected.

"I apologize for that. On behalf of my companions, my name is Leon," I said. "I came here because I received a message from you, stating that you wished to have a conversation with me."

"You’re not fooling anyone," she said sharply. "You sent that letter to lure me in. Naturally, as someone starving for knowledge, it was the perfect bait. You are the one who orchestrated this meeting, Human. Do you take me for a fool?"

"As expected of someone like Her Majesty," I replied, bowing my head slightly. "You saw through my intention."

"Well, of course. I am the Queen of the Dwarves, after all."

Yeah. Pride. So much pride crammed into such a small body. She could probably float if she inflated it any further. But as long as she was entertained and cooperative, that was fine by me.

"It seems you’re someone worth forming a connection with," she continued. "Someone whose presence might not be completely pointless. So I suppose I shall remember your name. It’s nice to have your acquaintance, Sirion."

Sirion? Who the hell was Sirion?

"I believe my name is Leon, Your Majesty."

"Hm? That’s what I said, didn’t I? Sirion!"

Yep. She was definitely that

type of person. She proudly claimed she’d remember my name and then immediately butchered it. And the worst part? She looked like she fully intended to stick with that wrong version.

"And since I now know your name, it is only proper to introduce myself," she declared dramatically. "Listen well, Human. It is I—Agneis Quarta, the legendary Queen of the Dwarves, the one who brought them prosperity! You will remember that name until the day you die, Sirion!"

Agneis Quarta. Unlike her, who absolutely sucked at remembering names, I engraved it in my mind instantly so I wouldn’t forget.

"Well then, Human," she continued, "I believe we have things to discuss. Mainly... this thing. That thing. And the thing outside."

She pointed in three different directions with three very sharp, very impatient gestures.

Originally, she only wanted to talk about the smartphone. But the moment she saw other things that made absolutely zero sense to her, her curiosity exploded. The two new "things" she added to the list were Anne—who stood quietly beside me—and the helicopter parked outside.

"Let’s start with this device, shall we?" she said, lifting the phone. "Now, tell me how this thing actually works."

"It’s fairly simple. If you understand the components, I’m certain even Her Majesty could build something similar," I said. "It’s a compact device that contains a lot of extremely useful functions. To start with, it has internet connection. Through the internet, you can access all kinds of information you’d never find anywhere else. With a single tap, you can know what’s happening far away—even across the world."

"That... does sound interesting," she murmured, eyes narrowing with excitement.

"And not just that," I continued. "As you saw earlier, it can play music. It can take photos—immortalizing someone’s image instantly, like a painting created in a split second. It makes everything faster, easier, and far more convenient."

Agneis’s eyes practically sparkled as she studied the phone like it was some forbidden treasure. She poked every part of it, examining it from all angles like a curious cat sniffing a new toy. Yeah... she was hooked.

"It’s... impressive. Efficient. Almost too efficient," she admitted. "Alright then—let’s move on to the next one."

Then she stared directly at Anne.

Anne didn’t even blink. She stood like a statue, calm, motionless, and unbothered.

I smirked. "Now why should I tell you anything about her? I only came here to discuss the phone, didn’t I?"

After feeding her enough information to get her hooked—enough to make her basically drool with curiosity—I pulled the metaphorical plate away right before she could grab another bite. And I held it firmly. I wasn’t handing her the next piece unless she put something of value on the table first.