Chương 131: The Queen Mother Returns

In the Southern Lands. After a long time, Seer Aelira smiled. It was neither a broad nor a warm smile, but it was genuine. The slightest upward curve of her lips, barely noticeable, yet enough to show how satisfied she was with the work of her subordinates. She looked at Morvath with her red eyes, which seemed less stern than usual that day.

"Morvath, you have done an excellent job", she said calmly. Morvath was kneeling before her, his head bowed.

"I have only done my duty, Seer".

"And you have done it excellently. You will be rewarded for this. Whatever you desire and whatever I can grant you, you shall have". Morvath slowly raised his gaze.

"Thank you, Seer Aelira. But I desire nothing more than to continue serving you. That alone is enough for me". Aelira smiled again.

"If only everyone were as loyal as you…I would have already won this war". She then turned toward Nikos.

"Let us review", she said.

"There are seven Legendary Swords. One can resurrect the dead and turn them into living corpses under the wielder's control. One generates unquenchable flames. One creates illusions of absolute power. One manipulates probability through the voice. One can stop time. One alters the weather. And finally, we have the one capable of exchanging bodies". She paused briefly, allowing Nikos to take in her words. Then she stared at him.

"Have you already figured out how we can use them to win the war?" Nikos nodded without hesitation. Unlike Morvath, he was not kneeling, but he still kept his head lowered as a sign of respect.

"Yes, Seer. I have observed one fundamental limitation: a single person cannot use more than one sword at a time. Therefore, they will have to be distributed among different individuals. I propose entrusting them to the people we trust the most and deploying them at stalemates in the conflict, where a single intervention could be enough to tip the balance". He paused for a moment.

"Furthermore, Seer, there is something unusual about the Sword of Time". Aelira tilted her head slightly.

"What is it?"

"It is not actually a single weapon. There is a sword and a dagger. I tested them personally. The sword allows the user to rewind time by several minutes, while the dagger can stop time completely. However, the dagger consumes far more energy than the sword and, consequently, can be used fewer times". If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Rewind and stop…" Aelira murmured.

"I see". The Seer remained silent for several seconds, deep in thought. Those weapons were far too powerful to be entrusted to someone without being certain they would be used properly. Eventually, she looked back at Nikos.

"Given their power, I will entrust them to you for the time being. Do you think you are up to the task?" Nikos smiled.

"Certainly, Seer. Entrust them to me, and you will not regret it". Morvath glanced at him from the corner of his eye. A faint hint of envy crossed his gaze, but he immediately pushed it aside. He could not afford to question the Seer's decisions. Meanwhile, in Virelia, the air was as tense as a cord about to snap. Soldiers armed with bows and crossbows had surrounded Teresa, Naomi, and the gnome.

They had landed in the royal palace gardens while riding the dragons, spreading fear and panic among the soldiers and servants present. The creatures, seeing all those weapons pointed at them, only became more agitated. Teresa tried every possible way to calm them, stroking the snout of the large Green Dragon and speaking to it in a gentle voice.

"Queen Mother, step away!" one of the soldiers shouted.

"It's too dangerous!" Teresa took a step forward and gave him a stern look.

"Lower those weapons, fools", she ordered firmly.

"These dragons trust me. They are mine…I have tamed them". She then pointed toward the palace.

"Now take me to my son, His Majesty. I want to see him".

"There's no need, Mother". Oscar's voice made its way through the ranks of soldiers. The king slowly advanced until he stopped in front of her. His eyes fell upon the dragons, filled with astonishment. For several seconds, he said nothing. He studied them carefully, almost unable to believe what stood before him. In particular, his attention was drawn to the black dragon hatchling. Its differences from the others intrigued him. After a moment, Oscar looked back at Teresa.

"So the legend was true…" he murmured incredulously.

"Yes", Teresa replied. Noticing his hesitation, she smiled at him.

"Come closer. They won't hurt you". Oscar looked at the large green dragon.

"Are you sure you can control them?"

"Yes. Come on, don't be afraid". The king remained still for several more seconds. Then he took a step. And another. Teresa took his hand and slowly guided him toward the green dragon's snout. The gigantic creature merely sniffed him without showing any hostility. Oscar held his breath.

"See?"

"It's incredible…" he said, still amazed.

"How did you do it?" Teresa smiled.

"All I had to do was not be afraid. And, most importantly, I had to make them understand that they could trust me". Oscar looked at the creatures again.

"We have four dragons…" A smile appeared on his face. He turned toward Teresa and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you, Mother. We now have new resources for the war. I'm glad to see you back at court". Teresa returned his smile.

"I couldn't come back empty-handed. I had to do something for the good of the kingdom". Oscar then shifted his gaze toward Naomi and the gnome.

"And what about those two? She was part of the guard I entrusted to you, but what about that gnome?"

"Yes. Naomi is the only surviving member of the royal guard. As for the gnome, he helped me during the search for the Green Dragon. We can trust him. So I ask you to treat them discreetly for as long as they remain in the palace". Oscar nodded.

"Consider it done. But…what happened to the rest of the royal guard?" Teresa sighed.

"It's a long story. Can I take a hot bath first and then tell you about it over a cup of tea?" Oscar studied his mother carefully. Only then did he notice her tired eyes, her dirty and worn-out clothes, and the obvious signs of the long journey.

"All right. You've earned it". Then he turned toward the dragons.

"But what do we do with them?"

"For now, leave them here. Later, we'll find a suitable place for them. Just leave one or two soldiers to watch over them and tell them not to do anything foolish. If they feel threatened, they won't hesitate to open their jaws". Oscar nodded slowly.

"I understand". Teresa looked at the four dragons one last time. Then she turned and began walking toward the palace. The Queen Mother had returned.