VBNWDW - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Tall city walls enveloped the city of Anthelia. Beyond the layers of single-story houses lay the most prosperous commercial streets, where travelers of various races weaved through the crowds. Shops large and small were packed, and temporary carpets were laid out at every entrance.

Metis walked through the throng. It seemed as if the flow of people was pushing her forward, but in reality, whenever someone got too close, they were pushed away by an invisible spatial element.

Because she had been seen by so many people during the festival a few days prior, Metis had deliberately changed into a simple linen dress, removed all her jewelry, and wore a wide-brimmed round hat as a disguise. She hoped to prevent anyone from recognizing her and putting a premature end to her brief escape.

That's right—Her Majesty the Queen had not informed anyone. She knew in her heart that the members of the Council only wanted to lock her away in the royal palace, to have her serve as a well-behaved figurehead who knew nothing. Why would they ever allow her to go out?

Fortunately, the dragon could fold space. Even as she walked openly toward the city gate, the guards noticed nothing amiss.

At most, someone might have thought their eyes were playing tricks on them, that the space ahead had blurred for an instant before returning to normal.

Recalling the situation, Metis couldn't help but fall into thought.

Was it an extremely rare space-attribute dragon?

Although the dragon race, beloved by the gods, was born with the ability to master all elements, they could only reach a fifth-tier level with elements outside their own natural talent. This was equivalent to the realm of a human Great Mage.

And according to Metis's understanding, a Great Mage of the space element was completely incapable of what the dragon had done. It could already manipulate every bit of space at will, making it serve its purpose.

"Over there, over there! Metis! Let's go look over there!" An excited, cheerful voice rang out in her mind, interrupting her thoughts.

At the words, Metis changed direction and walked over to the stall the dragon wanted to see. She then heard the dragon exclaim, "Wow, a third-tier fire-element magic core."

Metis felt a sense of helplessness. Even the laziest of dragons could easily reach the ninth tier upon reaching adulthood. Was a mere third-tier magic core really worth a special trip to see?

But she could also understand. The dragon race lived on Dragon Island year-round, and much of their knowledge came from inherited memories. They rarely saw the actual objects themselves.

"Sixty thousand gold coins? A third-tier magic core is that expensive?" the surprised voice sounded again.

Metis came back to her senses and noticed a certain dragon's claws tightening on her shoulder. Its gilded, beastly eyes shifted, clearly scheming something.

She had originally thought Yueqing would take human form, but instead, it had only shrunk to the size of her palm. It now clung to her shoulder like a small beast. Without a close look, one might even mistake it for an exquisite black jade ornament.

However, no one other than Metis could see it.

Metis's gaze fell on her shoulder. She glanced at the distorted, blurry space, then quickly looked away and said, "For one of the Gifted, sixty thousand gold coins isn't expensive. The most important thing is finding a magic core that suits you."

Although Her Majesty the Queen had long lived in the palace and was not very familiar with current prices, she judged from the books she had read that this magic core was likely worth more than sixty thousand.

Most of the Gifted were not short on money. Even a Gifted from a common background would choose to join the Temple of Light or a powerful family after becoming a junior mage, relying on their resources to improve themselves. As for the others, their families would invest vast resources into their training the moment they awakened. Naturally, they wouldn't be lacking a few copper coins.

Besides, it was incredibly dangerous for the Gifted to enter the great forest of magical beasts. The slightest misstep could cost them their lives. Therefore, most people planned their trips in advance, taking only the magic cores that were useful to them and leaving as soon as they had them.

As a result, very few magic cores ever appeared on the market. If not for the current festivities making Anthelia so lively, one might not have come across one at all.

Just as she was speaking, a woman stepped forward and said, "I'll offer seventy thousand gold coins."

The man from before's expression darkened. He raised a hand as if to straighten his robes, but it was a pretense to reveal the Temple of Light emblem underneath. Only then did he say, "Eighty thousand."

The other woman gave a cold laugh and tapped the token at her waist—it was the sigil of one of the ducal families of Roy Kingdom.

The man opposite her was indeed intimidated and showed a hesitant expression.

At that moment, the dragon suddenly spoke: "One hundred thousand gold coins."

Everyone's gaze snapped toward them, filled with surprise and shock. They wondered which power this person belonged to, to dare make a bid at such a time.

Metis frowned slightly. The others couldn't see the dragon, so they naturally assumed she was the one who had called out the price. But that wasn't what concerned her. What did Yueqing want this for?

Its power far surpassed the third tier. What use did it have for an ordinary third-tier magic core?

The two bidders looked at Metis, whose face was mostly obscured. Unable to guess her identity, they didn't dare to bid rashly. The scene fell into a stalemate.

The dragon's claws squeezed gently, reminding Metis, "Hurry up and pay."

There was a hint of urgency in its tone.

Metis had no choice but to step forward. Although she was constrained by the Council and the Temple, she had inherited the royal family's private treasury, an accumulation of wealth over generations that was completely separate from the state coffers. One hundred thousand gold coins was a trivial sum to her. Just as she was about to retrieve the gold from her spatial ring, she was interrupted by an exceedingly arrogant voice.

"One hundred thousand and one gold coin!"

A large group of guards pushed through the crowd, and a man in lavish clothes strode forward. He had brown hair and green eyes, and his face was filled with the air of a profligate dandy.

Metis unconsciously clenched her fists.

The man paid no mind to the people around him. He picked up the magic core and barked, "Go to the Maple Ducal Manor to collect the payment yourself. The butler will give it to you."

With that, he turned and left, leaving behind a vendor who didn't dare to object.

The two who had been competing for it didn't even dare to speak. They simply turned and walked away.

As for Metis, she was explaining the situation to Yueqing.

"The Duke of Maple is one of the twelve dukes of Roy Kingdom and a member of the Council. Brown hair and green eyes are their family's trademark. That person must be his youngest son."

Yueqing gave a lazy hum in response, not pressing the matter. It was as if it had only taken a fancy to a disposable little toy, but inwardly, it was silently contemplating.

The division of political power in Roy Kingdom was simple. It was split among the Temple of Light, which managed faith, established branches in various places, and helped people awaken their powers; the Council, composed of the families of the twelve dukes enfeoffed at the kingdom's founding; and the Royal Family, which held a contract with the Dragon Clan. The three factions shared power, each holding one vote. All matters, great or small, were decided by a vote.

Now, however, the Temple of Light and the Council had allied, rendering the royal family's single vote effectively useless.

The dragon tilted its head to look at the little queen, who was still standing in the same spot. The crowd had started flowing again, passing in front of and behind her. The stall before her had been cleared away, leaving an empty space that was quickly filled by someone new.

Metis just stood there, her lips pressed into a thin line, her pale gray-blue eyes staring blankly ahead. A gust of wind lifted her golden hair before letting it fall again. She looked like a listless little puppy that had just been struck.

In truth, she had been forced to make such concessions many times, even when her father was still alive. With the gradual decline of the royal family, they could only let others manipulate them. Metis understood this and was powerless to change it. Just like today, she had subconsciously withdrawn her hand.

But why did this time feel particularly defeating?

It was likely because of the festival a few days ago. She had gained the dragon's acknowledgment and been carried into the sky, where she looked down upon the city and the people that should have been hers, hearing their frenzied and devout cheers.

This had given rise to an ambition Metis had never dared to entertain before. Even after being rebuked, it had not diminished in the slightest, for she had experienced such treatment countless times. But now, she had been forced to back down once more.

It was like being a child living at a relative's house. When the elders said you couldn't have candy, you couldn't. You could only watch wistfully as others ate it. Then one day, you learned to earn money by collecting bottles. After days of hard work, you finally earned a single coin.

You planned your route to the store, asked your classmates about the price, and clutching your "enormous" fortune, you finally bought a piece of candy. For the first time, you tasted sweetness.

But the very next day, your relatives found out. They scolded you for being thoughtless, for being an ungrateful wretch. They ordered you to hand over all the money you earned from collecting bottles from now on. And you suddenly understood that you would never get to eat candy again.

The dragon perched on her shoulder didn't say a word to soothe her mood. It merely flapped its wings and lay there, its gilded eyes gazing about with boredom. At that moment, it seemed rather heartless.

The bound System suddenly piped up, "You did that on purpose."

"You clearly sensed that person was nearby, yet you deliberately waited until he noticed this place to suddenly raise the price."

Exposed, Yueqing felt not a shred of guilt. "Yes, I did," it said, full of self-assurance. "So what?"

System: "…"

It could only issue a cold warning: "You are abetting a tyrant. Don't forget that her ambition will swell, causing her to turn dark and ultimately lead to the world's destruction."

The dragon replied lazily, "But a queen without ambition would be so boring."

If it had truly wanted that magic core, it could have had Metis buy it before the other two started bidding, or it could have used other means to scare the three of them away. But it did nothing, simply watching as Metis endured and gave up.

The System was silent for a moment before retorting, "Aren't you afraid of playing with fire and getting burned? I'll remind you again: if the mission fails, you will die. There will be no room for resistance."

"I know, I know. Don't you think you're a bit long-winded?" The dragon on her shoulder rolled over without a care for its image, exposing its relatively vulnerable belly.

Metis finally snapped out of her daze and turned to look at it. Her lips worked for a long time before she managed to say, "I'm sorry, Lord Yueqing."

"Hm?" The cunning dragon tilted its head toward her and blinked. Perhaps due to its small size, it gave off an air of blank innocence.

"What's wrong, Metis?" It grabbed the end of her hair with its claw and gave a slight tug.

It stung a little, but Metis paid it no mind. She simply lowered her head, the rims of her eyes turning an inconspicuous red, and stressed once more, "I am so sorry. I really am so useless…"

An intensely bitter and sorrowful feeling of guilt transmitted through the contract link, like waves crashing against the shore, almost strong enough to erode the stones into nothing.

The dragon rolled back over and pressed against Metis's neck, nuzzling her with its small head. Its tone softened inexplicably as it comforted her, "It's alright, Metis. I just wanted to buy this magic core to help you awaken. But there's no rush now, you still…"

"What? Awaken?" Metis seized the keyword, her eyes widening abruptly.

She was just an ordinary person. The Temple of Light had tried to awaken her before, but during the ritual, she had been unable to communicate with any element. This meant she could not become one of the Gifted. Because of this, she had been ridiculed by the Council and others, who said that if her father hadn't married a commoner queen, the noble royal bloodline wouldn't have been so thoroughly ruined.

But now, the dragon was actually telling her she could become one of the Gifted!

Metis's heart suddenly began to race, and blood rushed to her head. Her clenched fists pressed crescent-shaped dents into her palms.

The dragon blinked innocently and said, "That's right. You can control magic. If my senses are correct, it should be the fire element."

Its tone shifted as it added, "What do you think I was doing when I suddenly touched your bones the other day? However, my method is a bit domineering. Since you didn't awaken at the proper time, you'll just have to suffer a bit more."

"But I guarantee it will be a pleasant surprise for you," it said reassuringly.

Metis took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her chaotic thoughts. She tried to sound calm as she said, "As long as it allows me to awaken, I can endure any kind of suffering."

"Then good luck, little queen," the dragon smiled, reverting to its usual carefree demeanor. "For now, let's look around some more and see if we can buy a few more fire-element magic cores."

Hearing this, Metis's hatred for the Council deepened by another degree. She lowered her eyes to hide her emotions and simply said, "Alright."

The dragon, the only one who could sense her emotions, did nothing to stop or soothe them. It simply lay back down on her shoulder, wagging its tail with leisurely contentment.

Perhaps the other dragons' assessment of it was correct. It was indeed ill-tempered and excessive. But the queen, having already fallen into its trap, was now completely unable to escape.

Get instant access to all the chapters now.

Previous Table of Contents Next