VBNWDW - Chapter 58
Chapter 58
When your student tells you she's hot, you should 【】.
Option one: Use water magic to give her a comfortable downpour.
Option two: Lift her out of the hot spring and place her on the cool stone wall to cool down.
Option three: Let her stay hot and ignore her.
As a dragon, Yueqing chose without the slightest hesitation…
…to extend her tail and place it in front of Metis.
Her Majesty the Queen, enveloped by fire elements from her recent awakening and temporarily having lost her senses, subconsciously hugged the cool tail and let out a sigh of satisfaction.
The mischievous dragon, always subconsciously wanting to cause trouble, tugged her tail, only to be held even tighter.
"Don't run…" the person, left with only her instincts, mumbled vaguely. The corners of her eyes were red from the heat, still misty from the pain she had endured moments ago.
The hot spring water had become completely clear, no longer offering any concealment. A corner of the dress discarded to the side was lifted by the wind.
Unlike a certain queen, Yueqing didn't avert her gaze despite clearly wanting to look.
She had a strange sense of entitlement, as if her contract partner were a gold coin in her spatial storage—her possession, to be toyed with as she pleased.
Her gilded eyes scanned the other woman from bottom to top, examining her in detail.
But the dazed Metis not only failed to notice, but craved the tail's coolness so much that she tightened her arms, clinging to it like a piece of driftwood.
Ripples spread across the clear water. Her loose golden hair floated on the surface, sticking softly to the jade-black tail and winding around Yueqing's submerged calves.
The soft flesh, pressed and misshapen, was like a ripe June peach. It clung tightly to the dragon's tail, pricked by the fine scales into small red marks, as if tempting someone to bite through the thin skin and taste the sweet juice within.
Metis actively nuzzled the coolness that relieved her sweltering heat, letting out a vague sound.
The tip of her drooping tail flicked impatiently in a small arc, intentionally or not brushing past a flat abdomen, only to be clamped between a pair of long, slender legs, as if warning it not to run wild.
Yueqing's expression turned a little strange. After all, she wasn't an ignorant dragon; her body housed the soul of a mature woman, though her personality and way of thinking were influenced by this form. But now, she suddenly sensed something unusual.
The wind lifted layers of thin mist, and the hot steam drifted away, condensing into water droplets on the verdant leaves.
Her gilded eyes stared, unblinking for a long moment before she finally blinked.
The dragon tugged her tail again, this time deliberately moving it a little closer to herself.
The one being tormented into a stupor by the fire elements immediately shifted forward, continuing to hug the tail without a hint of hesitation.
Yueqing looked down at her. Their falling silver and golden hair intertwined. Pale skin pressed against skin darker than wheat, the two extreme colors creating a stark contrast—complementary yet unblending, ultimately separated by the tail lying between them.
Metis was still in a daze. Compared to ordinary methods, the dragon's way was extremely domineering. Although Metis had soaked in a medicinal pool for a month to strengthen her body and meridians, it was still her first time sensing the elements. Before she could even react, she had to absorb the frantically surging fire elements into her entire being.
It was a short and rapid process, and a novice like her naturally couldn't control it properly, forced to be influenced by the elements.
However, this wasn't a bad thing. It also represented the elements' transformation of her body—a benefit of the initial awakening. The longer it lasted, the higher her talent, and the greater the benefits she would receive.
"Hot…" she complained in a small voice, pressing hard against the tail and nuzzling it.
The tip of the tail flicked up and then down, but it was clamped tightly by her fair legs, making it difficult to pull free.
Beads of sweat on her forehead trickled down, dripping from the crevices between the scales onto the water's surface.
Her gilded eyes darkened. After a long silence, she looked away.
After a little while longer, the woman finally, slowly regained consciousness. She hissed softly and subconsciously looked down.
The compressed softness was flushed red, and the most vulnerable part was still pressed tightly, the occasional friction causing a lingering ache.
Metis froze, then hastily let go. The object she had just been using as an ice pack to cool down was now like a terrifying beast, and she desperately pushed it away.
Her cheeks, already red from the heat, now felt like they were about to steam.
"T-Teacher," she stammered, her light gray-blue eyes still misty. She looked rather pitiful, like a bullied kitten.
"I, it's not…"
She wanted to explain but didn't know how to start. After all, she was the one who had lost consciousness.
Yueqing propped herself up with one hand behind her, her posture languid. Her half-lidded eyes held a casual charm as she said nonchalantly, "Was it comfortable to hold?"
Her tone was the same as usual, without a trace of teasing, giving it an abrupt seriousness.
Metis blinked, like a rusty machine trying to turn with great difficulty.
The dragon then added, "You seem to like my tail."
She didn't retract her tail. As she spoke, she deliberately flicked it, splashing the remaining water onto Metis's face, then swayed it back and forth behind her.
If anyone else did this, it would come off as obnoxious, but the black dragon was simply too beautiful. It wasn't a deliberate display of allure, but a natural radiance born from the harmony of her features and bone structure. Topped with the Dragon Clan's indifferent pride, even if she were to lie unceremoniously on the ground, you would think she looked far better than anyone else.
What's more, she wasn't trying to be unattractive now. The corner of her mouth curved into a faint smile, and her gilded eyes were fixed on Metis, not sparing even a sliver of her gaze for anything else.
"I…" Metis couldn't come up with an answer. Who would ever ponder whether they liked a dragon's tail or not?
She glanced at the still-swaying dragon tail, then at the smiling Yueqing, and pressed her lips together.
But on second thought, it wasn't that she disliked it. After all, the dragon had used her tail to tease her countless times before—poking her in the water, causing trouble in the study. She had even secretly grabbed the tip of the tail behind her instructor's back, a private joy that belonged only to her.
But this was not a question she could answer directly.
Metis pursed her lips and finally managed to say, "Teacher Yueqing."
Her lowered, thick lashes cast a pale gray shadow, giving her a timid, pleading look.
Yueqing chuckled softly, letting the topic drop. She looked away and said, "So, the awakening was a success?"
Metis's eyes lit up as she remembered she had finally become one of the Gifted. "It was a success," she said quickly.
"Do you remember what I taught you? Give it a try."
Metis didn't rush. She first steadied her mind, then found the simplest fire spell among the low-level incantations—Fireball. Compared to the convoluted prayers used by outsiders, the incantations modified by the Dragon Clan were much more concise, free of troublesome pious pleas. It was uncertain if a human, not a favored child of the gods, could succeed on the first try.
She took a deep breath, feeling the fire elements lingering in her body, then raised a hand, pointed, and shouted, "Fireball."
An extremely hot flame instantly condensed at her fingertip, forming a marble-sized sphere. The surrounding mist was instantly burned away.
"Go!"
Her clear voice rose, and her soaked golden hair lifted without a breeze. The fireball shot out, and with a loud boom, the opposite stone wall exploded, sending gray-black, scorched debris flying.
"It worked!" Metis's face lit up with joy, and she couldn't help but exclaim.
The dragon beside her lifted an eyelid and reluctantly uttered, "Not bad."
After all, among the Dragon Clan, newborn dragon whelps didn't even need incantations. With a single thought, they could conjure a fireball the size of a boulder, with far greater effect.
However…
Yueqing looked at the weak human beside her who wanted to try again and silently swallowed her other words.
What a pitiful and frail race.
Her gaze shifted downward, landing on the red marks left on the milky-white skin, once again confirming her conclusion.
Immersed in her joy, Metis didn't notice this. She conjured another fireball and threw it at the opposite wall. The effect was clearly better than the first time.
But she didn't rush to continue. Instead, she turned her hand over and summoned a flame about the size of a candle flame. It flickered in the wind, but Metis felt no scorching heat, only a strange sense of intimacy.
She raised and lowered her hand, and the flame followed, circling around her. With a thought, the flame flowed between her fingers as if it were a natural fit.
Is this what it means to be one of the Gifted?
Her light gray-blue eyes reflected the flickering firelight, and Metis's heart beat a little faster. Ever since her failed awakening, the matter had become a knot in her heart. Even though the dragon had promised there was a way, she had remained anxious, afraid of repeating the past. Until now…
"Having fun?" a voice from the side interrupted her thoughts.
Before Metis could turn her head, she saw Yueqing reach out and touch her flame with the tip of her index finger.
She commented, "A decent temperature."
The flame, hot enough to burn the air, left no mark on her skin.
Before the other could answer, she suddenly grabbed Metis's wrist. Her bent knuckles protruded slightly, as if one could see the bones beneath.
The next second, the flame flared up, growing to the size of a palm. The mist within a one-meter radius instantly dried up, and the air itself grew scorching hot.
Metis frowned slightly, but her gaze didn't waver in the slightest as she stared straight ahead.
Her restrained wrist moved according to the other's will. The flame, which had previously needed Metis's command to move, now followed closely, as if afraid of being left behind.
It actively clung to Metis's fingertips, ingratiatingly taking the shape of a winding snake and playfully weaving between her fingers.
Yueqing pulled her wrist upward, and the flame hurried over. Yueqing deliberately moved her hand down, and the flame, as if terrified of being abandoned, clung tightly to her palm.
Yueqing then pulled her hand into the water. The flame, having no other choice, condensed into a ball and floated in front of Metis, as if asking why she was doing this.
"Understand now?" the dragon beside her spoke again. Her gilded eyes were filled with nonchalance, as if she were doing something utterly trivial, a demeanor that didn't fit the word 'teacher' at all.
Metis seemed to have an epiphany. Compared to humanity's reverence for the elements, the Dragon Clan's attitude was far more casual. The former placed the elements on a pedestal, bowing their heads to beg for help. The latter treated the elements as tools…
Metis slowly nodded.
The evening wind grew more boisterous, lifting fallen leaves from the ground only to slam them back down. The night deepened, painting the world in shadow until the outlines of houses and city walls were completely invisible.
Inside a lavishly decorated hall, a long table was set in the center, surrounded by twelve chairs. All but the two seats at the very end were occupied. The crystal chandelier above cast brilliant light, illuminating the varied expressions on each person's face.
In the seat to the left of the head, a middle-aged man with brown hair and green eyes stared coldly at the person opposite him.
The old woman across from him simply kept her head down, looking at the letter that had been thrown onto the table.
For a moment, no one spoke. The atmosphere in the hall was tense and oppressive as everyone made their own calculations.
Finally, the person at the head of the table spoke. He was about fifty years old, his eyes holding the solemn coldness of someone long accustomed to power. Most striking was the claw mark on his face, a scar that tore from the corner of his mouth to his neck. Though the scar had faded, one could still imagine how perilous the situation had been.
He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Things have already come to this. What's the use in blaming each other? Will that stop the Atl Kingdom from declaring war?"
The Duke of the Maple Family snorted coldly and stopped glaring ahead, turning to look away.
A man further down the table stood up and said angrily, "What do you mean, blaming each other? This was the Iliana Family's fault to begin with! We agreed that each family would send a trustworthy person to guard the mine each year. Nothing ever happened in previous years, but when it was their family's turn, they just had to send an arrogant, brainless fop."
"And look what happened! We were supposed to hide this from the kingdom and split the gold mine on the border, but now the Atl Kingdom has discovered our secret mining operation and is furious enough to attack Roy!"
He was so angry he took a fierce gulp of tea before cursing, "This time, the military expenses must be borne by your Iliana Family!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the old woman immediately looked up and retorted, "If someone from your family hadn't mentioned the fine wine of the Atl Kingdom to him, would he have run from the mine to an enemy country?"
The Atl Kingdom's advance was formidable this time; it was bound to be a major war. If the Iliana Family had to bear the full cost, half the family would be ruined, unable to recover for hundreds of years. Therefore, she could never agree to this condition.
"He couldn't control his own mouth, and you're blaming us!"
"Why don't you mention that he was the one who tried to snatch a woman off the street, who turned out to be the wife of a Temple Knight? You were the one who sent him there to lie low!"
"You!"
"Enough!"
The person at the head of the table slammed his hand down and shouted, "Is all this arguing useful?!"
He swept a cold gaze around the room and, once everyone had fallen silent, continued, "The most urgent matter now is how to cover this up and send troops to resist the Atl Kingdom's attack."
"We can only intercept this letter for one day. By tomorrow morning, it must be delivered to the royal palace for discussion with the people from the Temple."
The Duke of the Maple Family took a deep breath and finally began to discuss business. "The mine has now been buried. As long as the Atl Kingdom doesn't bring it up, they won't know."
"How about we send someone to lead troops to the border? As long as the Temple doesn't interfere, they won't find out."
No one failed to understand the logic, but who would go?
How could the pampered patriarchs of these families risk going to such a place? Especially for a battle they were very likely to lose.
As for their heirs, each one was impossibly precious. How could they be sent to a place like that?
They fell silent again.
After an unknown amount of time, someone suddenly piped up, "What about Her Majesty the Queen? Didn't she sign a contract with the dragon and win its favor?"
The person at the head of the table tapped the tabletop.
The speaker continued, "Even if she finds out, what can she do? A little threat, and she won't dare tell the Temple."
"Besides, don't you all want to see how this dragon truly feels about Her Majesty the Queen?"
"This is the perfect opportunity."
"If the dragon was just acting on a whim and ignores the little queen's request, then we won't have to be on edge, agonizing over this anymore."
"And if the dragon…" He didn't finish the sentence, merely raising his eyes to look at the others.
The person at the head of the table nodded slightly in agreement. "That's a good idea."
He then turned his head to the old woman and said, "This matter started because of the Iliana Family. You must bear half the military expenses and send a Great Mage to protect the queen. She must return completely intact, understand?"
Only a completely intact little queen could be held firmly in their grasp, a pliant puppet allowing them to continue controlling the Roy Kingdom.
The old woman struggled for a moment before finally gritting her teeth and agreeing.
The night grew darker. Carriages representing the various families drove off, heading down different streets.
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