I bring my sword down with all the force I can muster and as the weapon's blade connects with the monarch's neck I get to experience a very unwelcome, nasty surprise. Well, nasty surprises are in general unwelcome, but this one I could really do without right now.

The skin and flesh of the king boletus are almost impossible to cut. Not because they are hard, but because they are incredibly malleable and rubbery. If it were any worse my weapon would have bounced right back without even leaving a scratch. The notification I receive leaves little doubt in that regard.

[*Ding!* Hit! King Boletus' Health reduced by 1!]

That's almost nothing. This is more of a scratch than an actual cut. Sure my [Blades] and [Melee Weapons] skill still benefit from the hit, but at this rate the mushroom monarch's defensive skills might improve before my offensive ones do. Or maybe not. Right now is not the right time to find out.

I have no clue how much damage exactly Ediva and Griselda have dealt the shambling giant already, but I certainly need to do better than this. If I want to make a meaningful contribution, I'll have to aim for something critical! Yes, critical hits should still deal a decent amount of damage.

The neck of the king boletus is no vulnerable spot though, which is too bad. I wouldn't have minded making a pun along the lines of, off with his head, right now.

At least the giant I'm riding right now seems to agree with my judgment of the situation. I'm in no position right now to pose a serious threat, thus he doesn't have to make an immediate move to get rid of me.

It really irks me that I'm nothing but a tick of little consequence to this cursed, out of control fungal abomination. I somehow have to change his opinion of me. The thought makes me wince. The result will almost certainly be that he will try to squash me and those are not pleasant prospects. Doing nothing is not an option though. No, not at all.

The side of the giant's neck is not vulnerable enough to warrant any further attention. There has to be something else though. I really don't want to go all the way back down yet, to slice at his heels. Those are probably a vulnerable spot if he is anything like the smaller myceloids. The risk of getting trampled down there would be considerable though, thus I look for other options first.

Finally I spot something. Nestled in between torched and scarred bulging cords of mushroom tissue that seems to fill the role of muscles there is something else. It's pulsating, almost like a vein or an artery. I'm not entirely certain, but this might be a vulnerable spot. It's buried under other kinds of tissue pretty deep though.

I have to give it a try at the very least. Before I can even begin to act though, I have to get into cover. Apparently Ediva isn't charging her second explosive spell with quite as much power as the first one. Possibly because the target is already drawing too close.

I still have to take cover behind the giant's back, using it's bulk to shield myself. That works surprisingly well, especially as the wizard directs this second, smaller flurry of dancing embers into the front of the king boletus on purpose. Is it because she is aware of me? Or is it just because she hopes to make it stagger back a little this way?

In the end it doesn't really matter. The explosion does stagger the giant mushroom. It makes my ears ring a little too. I'm quick to act anyway, before the fungal menace can recover. Once again I move with purpose. This time I jab my sword deep into the humanoid mushroom's flesh where I spotted the pulsing vein before.

The king's angry and pained roar suggests that I did something right and the notification I receive reaffirms that impression.

[*Ding!* Critical Hit! King Boletus' Health reduced by 56!]

My [Melee Weapons] skill and the [Blades] skill improve again, edging closer to the next level up ever so little.

The king roars again, both in anger and pain as well as defiance. He is swaying for a moment, but he catches himself. This time he doesn't ignore me. Pretty much as I expected. He throws his club in the direction of Ediva and Griselda, making the two scramble to get out of the way. With his other hand though he reaches around his back to squash me like a bug.

I have very little doubt that he could do it too. I spot something very interesting though, as his hand draws near. On one of his chubby fingers something glints in the sunlight. At first I mistake it for a ring, but I quickly realize my mistake. It's not a ring, it's a crown!

Well, as far as crowns go it's a rather plain specimen. It's just a gold band really. There are settings for gems, but they are all empty. The thing has clearly seen better days. Yet, it is still unmistakably a crown. Not just a golden headband like a local lord might wear, but the crown of a king. And just maybe it is the very source of our current spot of trouble. Could a crown like this boost a harmless myceloid's ego out of proportion, beyond all reason, and make him try and conquer, in a way, all of the woods?

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I don't know for sure, but it sounds possible. Power can corrupt after all. What a sad twist of events. This development gives me a new target as well though. I really hope this works out. Otherwise this will be very, very painful at best. I pull my sword free and strike again, aiming for the finger with the crown this time, as the giant's hand draws near.

As my sword bites into the spongy flesh of the finger I'm aiming for, separating it from the rest of the body even if just barely, several notifications flood my awareness. My [Melee Weapons] and [Blades] skills improve a little too. Some of the notifications are little more unexpected than others.

[*Ding!* Hit! King Boletus' Health reduced by 1!]

[*Ding!* You have defeated a King Boletus!]

The first notification is pretty much what I expected. The second not so much. The third one that follows though is the one shocking me for real.

[*Ding!* Achievement unlocked! [Regicide] You have committed an act of regicide, killing a crowned monarch! By right of might the crown is yours now!]

Oh. This is how it works around here? Oh, damn. I'm so quacked!

Before I can panic for real though, my mind refocuses on more immediate problems. The slain giant mushroom starts to sway with me still balancing on it's shoulders. My eyes widen as I fight to keep standing upright. I have to, to avoid ending up under the massive dead creature.

At the same time I can't help but wonder what would happen with that damned crown if the grand tale of queen Viviona, first of her name, were to end here and now, before it can even begin, buried and squished under the massive body of a dead humanoid giant mushroom. Would the crown be up for grabs? Would the result be a bloody free for all battle royale? I can't help but snicker at that last thought.

Finally the felled giant tips over and falls forward, which is very convenient for me. This turn of events lets me ride the body of the dead king like a wave at least. My [Balance] skill improves a little as a result. In a spur of the moment decision I decide to jump off and make a spectacular somersault, as the dead king finally crashes down, making the ground tremble in the process. Might as well try to look impressive after all. My [Jumping] skill earns a little growth too as a result.

As the mass of dead fungal tissue comes to a rest I land a few steps further and walk away without looking back. I spot Barnim the mighty orc warrior a little ways away. He seems relieved and at the same time entertained, as he begins to chuckle at my antics. It seems my efforts were not for naught then, even if it's just an audience of one. And who knows, maybe it's for the best that not too many of the others are close by.

My attention quickly shifts to something else anyway. The mushroom king's finger wearing the crown like a ring. It's lying there just a few steps ahead of me. I head straight for it.

Surprisingly the crown comes off easy enough. It's old and battered. The jewels that once adorned it are all missing. Overall though it's still in pretty decent shape. It's damn heavy too. It's made of massive gold I realize or at least an alloy that mostly consists of gold. Judging by its shine it might contain some silver too.

I let out a sigh as I turn it around in my hands and do what I simply have to do. I focus my attention on it and activate my [Identify] skill. Some of my Mana drains away and the skill improves a little, as expected. Then the results come in.

[Decrepit Crown of the Frontier (Gold, Rare/Unique) – This decrepit crown has clearly seen better days. It still is the crown of a king or a queen though. With a bit of work it might even be restored to a resemblance of its former glory. Category: Accessory, Charm: 10, Defense: 3, Magic-Power: 3. Soul bound: Viviona]

I sigh and let my shoulders slump a little. Sure, this is a pretty sweet piece of equipment, even in its current state. It's something else too though. Trouble. It's so much trouble.

As Barnim reaches me he sucks in a breath and lets out a whistle in short order, as he realizes what I'm holding.

"Is that … is it really …"

I groan and nod.

At this point Ediva's scout, Agnes, joins us too.

"A crown."

She states it in a matter of fact way that suggests she has no doubt despite only having briefly glanced at it.

How can she be so certain? That glance most certainly hasn't been long or intense enough to activate any identification skill I know of. Could she possibly have a vision skill that is always active? Or is something else? Very curious. It's a riddle for another day though.

I simply hand her the crown.

The gesture makes both her and the orc warrior gape. For a moment there is a tense silence. Finally the scout speaks up.

"I can't use it. Neither can any of the others. It's soul bound. It's your crown now, for better or worse."

I snort.

"What use would it be to me? What would wearing it make me? The pauper queen of what exactly? Just look at what it did to the myceloids."

I snort again.

"Keep it safe for me, for the time being. Maybe it'll come in useful some other day. For now though it would be for the best if no one else ever even learns of its existence."

Agnes looks a little troubled. Surprisingly it's the orc warrior who finally nods.

"Yes. It might be for the best. I recall some stories that go like this. Let's keep this secret for as long as we can anyway. The longer no one knows of this crown, the longer no one will start a war over it. And while I may be a warrior, the frontier doesn't need a war right now. We have enough other trouble to keep ourselves busy."

Finally Agnes nods too and quickly hides the golden band in her backpack. Her next words are once again a matter of fact statement.

"You owe me a favor."

I don't deny it. If she can help hush this up, I most certainly owe her.

At long last Ediva and Griselda arrive at the scene as well. I decide to distract them a little before they can ask uncomfortable questions.

"Say, would one of you know a cleric that can spare me a miracle or a spell to cure an affliction I contracted out there? I'd rather not turn into a mushroom zombie myself if I can avoid it."

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