The Skeleton King and the Scarlet Queen seemed to be from the same era, but their prime years had been more than a thousand years apart. Annan had come another thousand years after the Skeleton King.
When the Scarlet Queen was spreading terror, the Skeleton King had still been playing in the mud.
So to the Scarlet Queen, the Skeleton King was a junior.
But seniority meant little. They both knew it and had agreed to treat each other as equals—though that would not have been the case if the Scarlet Queen still had her power.
"This is Ai Eirlyn, Clan Chief of the Sirens in Abyssal City."
"Hey."
The Siren raised an arm in greeting.
Annan suddenly lifted his head and sniffed. Frowning, he asked, "Have you been drinking again?"
"I'm one of the Sea Folk. Isn't it normal for me to soak in liquid?" The Siren gave an oddly human chuckle. Who knew what she had picked up at the Tavern?
"Does alcohol count?"
"Why wouldn't it?"
No, strong liquor was more dangerous than I thought. I need to find a way to ban minors from drinking...
But wasn't Ai Eirlyn several hundred years old?
Annan could only introduce the last person. "This is Falu, King of the North and an actor."
"I know you. Truman. You played him well." The Scarlet Queen rarely expressed approval.
Falu pressed a hand to his chest and bowed excitedly. "It is my honor to be known by the great, beautiful, noble Scarlet Queen."
"All right, that makes five judges..." Annan paused, then asked uneasily, "There won't be any more changes, will there?"
"I'd rather like to compete myself," Ai Eirlyn said, stumbling over her words.
Still, the drunken Siren had a strange charm that left Annan staring for several seconds.
"Several