Demonic Dragon: Harem System-Chapter 418: Divide and Conquer

Strax kept his gaze on Frieren for a moment longer. She was sitting motionless, enveloped in a light that was already beginning to fade. Eternity seemed to hang over her, the threads of existence slowly loosening like broken branches in the wind.

"You know where to find me, ask Evelyn and she'll call me," he said at last, with a subtle nod.

Without waiting for an answer, Strax spun on his heels and held out his hand. Golden light pulsed around him, opening a veil in the space of the ethereal realm. Through the folds of nothingness, the image of a sleeping Evelyn was revealed, lying on the marble floor while the small domain he had used to talk to Frieren dissolved into sparks of energy in the air.

With a gesture, he approached her and brought her to himself. Evelyn floated gently towards him, enveloped in the same protective aura that had sustained that domain.

Strax held her carefully in his arms, as if she were made of crystal. The sword, now strapped to his back, pulsed with a restrained whisper - not shouting, but watching. Waiting.

He cast one last glance at Frieren.

The Elf Queen remained motionless, eyes closed, wrapped in a serenity that was bordering on oblivion. Perhaps she was praying. Or perhaps she was just too tired to react. Time hung over her like a sentence, silent and inevitable.

"Your daughter still needs you," Strax said softly, but without hesitation. "Then think carefully."

And then he turned - and left.

The golden domain dissolved behind him like the last breeze before dawn. In a flash, he was back in the real world. The ancient hall, sustained by living roots and ancient murmurs, seemed heavier now, as if it had aged centuries in minutes. Queen Frieren's physical body, lying on the sacred wooden throne, remained intact - immobile, sustaining the invisible forces that still held the kingdom together.

Strax took a deep breath. The sword on his back was silent now, as if it too were waiting.

He went through the large root portal, returning to the main corridor. There, women awaited him - his wives, figures of power, beauty and wisdom. But among them was a new face that hadn't been there before.

Lyana.

She was there, dressed in the ceremonial colors of healing, but there was a broken hardness in her gaze. When she saw him emerge, her eyes went wide - not with surprise, but with an old recognition, mixed with the dread of someone who has known the end of certain stories.

She took a step back.

When she saw Evelyn in his arms, unconscious, her breathing faltered.

"Evelyn... what have you done?" she murmured, and her voice, embittered, pierced the room like a dull but accurate arrow.

Strax didn't answer.

He walked in a straight line, his footsteps echoing with the weight of someone carrying not just a body, but the responsibility of a thousand ages. Evelyn lay in his arms like an almost extinguished flame - frail, pale, wrapped in an unnatural serenity.

His eyes passed briefly over Lyana, then over the wives who were waiting for him in silence. But he wasn't looking for consolation. Nor approval. Just... space. An interval between the chaos and the next sacrifice.

He stopped in front of Lyana, and his voice sounded grave, unquestioning.

"She needs to rest. Somewhere far away from here. Where no one can touch her. Where the world can't reach her."

Lyana hesitated for a moment. The man in front of her was not the same man she had known. There were shadows in his eyes, scars that had not yet formed. But still... she nodded, silently.

"Let's get you ready," she said, lowering her head. The former mistrust in her eyes now gave way to something harder to name: respect. Perhaps even regret.

Strax watched her take Evelyn in her arms, with the delicacy of someone who understands the weight of what they're holding. For a moment, he remained still, as if a part of him was still fighting the idea of letting her go.

Then he turned around.

"Have you found anything?" - Scarlet asked, her arms crossed, leaning lazily against one of the large living stone pillars that supported the side hall. There was a suspicious glint in her eyes, but also a silent concern.

Strax ran a hand through his hair, as if still processing everything he had heard from Frieren.

"Not much," he replied, his tone grave. "But enough. I'm taking Ouroboros and Tiamat with me to the Abode of the Spirits. With their linguistic knowledge, I might be able to decipher the ancient inscriptions the Queen spoke of. If all goes well, I can learn to use that sword without letting it consume me from the inside."

There was a brief silence as he stared at the group - eight wives, powerful, different from each other like the very elements of the world.

"In the meantime... you should split up into groups. Start engaging with the population. Elves are territorial, but we need to establish some kind of contact. Nothing forced. Listen, observe. The empire won't last if it doesn't have roots here."

Rogue gave a dry chuckle, crossing her arms in the same way as Scarlet. "It's going to be difficult." She raised an eyebrow. "Elves hate humans... or anything that looks like humans. I get by quietly, of course - more cheetah than people, after all. But these ones..."

She pointed lightly with her chin at the rest of the wives. "Those eight will be fried at the first corner."

"Hey!" protested Beatrice, her hands on her waist. "We haven't even opened our mouths yet!"

"Maybe that's exactly the problem," Monica muttered, rolling her eyes with a slight smile.

Tiamat, who until then had remained silent, watching with her arms crossed and an enigmatic smile on her lips, finally spoke up: "Don't be." freewebnøvel.coɱ

She stepped forward and raised one hand, slowly tracing a magic circle in the air. Complex symbols began to line up in spirals, emitting a slightly bluish glow.

"Draconic language," murmured Samira, curious. "Transformation charm?"

Tiamat replied with just a glance and a small guttural whisper in draconic.

Suddenly, the circle glowed - and a light wind swept through the room. One after the other, the wives' bodies began to react to the magic.

Beatrice was the first to notice. "Wait... what-?"

Her hands touched the sides of her head and her eyes widened. "My ears?!"

Cristine and Monica followed in sync, running their fingers along their own temples.

Samira turned, confused, looking at them. "What are you-?"

Then she felt it.

The elongated tip of her ear nudged her own fingers.

"...Hm? Kyaaa!!!" She gave a little squeaky cry, jumping backwards, almost tripping over the hem of her tunic.

"Are we... elves?" Monica said, pulling out a pocket mirror and grimacing. "Boy... that was... too natural!"

"We're lucky you didn't turn into a tree sprout," mocked Rogue, laughing softly. "You were going to take pictures for the Dryads' calendar."

"Hey, it's kind of nice!" said Daniela, admiring Samira's new look as if it were an interesting experiment. "You're like... a noble elf with cheap romance."

"Expensive romance, please," corrected Cristine, looking pompous. "I have standards."

Strax laughed, for the first time since returning from the golden domain. "I was going to do that with you, but it seems Tiamat was quicker."

"As always," commented Scarlet, with a theatrical sigh.

Strax then raised his right hand, the same magical glow circling his fingers. He turned to the three vampires - Daniela, Cassandra and Belatrix - who were watching him with mixed expressions of skepticism and expectation.

"Don't move," he said. "That might tickle."

"Could it?" repeated Belatrix, suspiciously.

With a subtle gesture, he repeated the incantation. A new magic circle appeared, this time in shades of dark red with silver lines. When the light touched the vampires, a small burst of energy ran through their bodies, and...

"Elf ears," murmured Cassandra, touching the tips awkwardly. "I... don't feel any different. Just... more snobbish."

"Welcome to the club," commented Beatrice.

Belatrix snorted. "Elf or not, I still prefer night to day. But I confess... you look sexy."

Daniela, more practical, just shrugged. "If it helps avoid arrows in the back, then great."

The group burst into laughter, the tension of the previous moment softened by the lightness of that unexpected moment. For the first time since they had arrived in the elven kingdom, there was something reminiscent of normality.

Tiamat approached Strax and lightly touched his shoulder. "When do we leave?"

He looked at her and at Ouroboros, who until then had only watched with sharp, silent eyes, like a serpent on the prowl.

"As soon as the sun rises. I want to get to the Abode of Spirits while there's still light... and time."

Tiamat nodded.

"What about me?" Scarlet asked, her voice as sharp as a blade. She slowly uncrossed her arms, her half-closed eyes fixed on Strax. "You've assigned tasks to everyone... except me."

There was something in her tone - not exactly anger, but something more dangerous: wounded pride.

Strax paused for a moment, as if pondering the question. But deep down, he already knew the answer. He turned to face her and smiled - a sincere, almost disarming smile.

"You're going to protect this place."

Scarlet arched an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Protect? From whom? The old furniture? The heavy curtains?"

He laughed slightly and moved closer, his gaze steady.

"You're the strongest among us. You don't have to run after purpose to be essential. If anything happens here - if this palace falls, if the people revolt, if the enemy knocks on the door - I want you among them. I want them to look at you and think twice before doing anything stupid."

She blinked in surprise. It was hard to surprise Scarlet, but he'd managed it.

"You called me essential?" She crossed her arms again, trying to disguise the subtle blush creeping up her neck. "Are you trying to convince me or flatter me?"

"Both," he replied with a shrug. "And I hope it's working."

For a moment, Scarlet held his gaze. Then she sighed, looking away.

"Okay. But if anyone tries to break in while you're away, I hope you've left a gravestone ready for them."

"Not one. Several," he said, winking.

Scarlet smiled - a rare smile, more like that of a satisfied predator.