VBNWDW - Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Time flowed on quietly, like a great river crossing a plain, ceaselessly rushing toward the horizon. The ever-strengthening Roy Kingdom began its relentless expansion, and its neighboring countries became relics of the past.
The former Temples of Light were all dismantled. It was said that the God of Light had schemed to harm the Dragon Clan and was thus imprisoned on Dragon Island. The holy followers of the light all chose new faiths, and the legends of the God of Light were gradually forgotten, replaced by the flourishing tale of the Dragon and the Queen of Roy.
Spring passed and autumn came; another year went by.
In a city surrounded by towering mountains, broken helmets and shattered blades littered the ground. A white flag was hung high on the city walls, next to the newly raised banner of the giant dragon, proclaiming another victorious siege for the Roy Kingdom.
"This time, it took a day longer than before," Yueqing, with her silver hair and dark skin, stood at the highest point of the city wall, looking down at the bustling city below.
As the saying goes, attacking a city is easy, but defending it is hard. The aftermath of a breach was filled with tedious tasks: how to manage the prisoners, how to handle the common folk and win their acceptance, and so on. All of it was extremely vexing.
However, they had experience from before, so it wasn't too much trouble now. It was just that a certain dragon was too lazy to bother with it all, leaving everything to Ivo, who stood beside her.
Ivo nodded, her expression as cool as ever. "The city lord this time was quite a talent."
To hold out for an extra day with only a few tens of thousands of soldiers and a handful of junior mages was far better than the useless fools who had commanded over a hundred thousand troops yet suffered a crushing defeat.
Yueqing agreed. "You can recommend him to Her Majesty later."
As for how to make him submit, that was outside the dragon's consideration. She had a lazy disposition. Though she was the commander leading the expedition, she rarely acted unless a powerful mage appeared, leaving all the arrangements to Ivo and the others.
Ivo agreed, then turned her head to look at Yueqing, waiting for her to speak again.
The dragon didn't stand on ceremony. Her eyes curved into a smile as she said, "I'll leave things here to you for the next few days. I'm heading back for a bit. If anything comes up, just open a communication scroll and call me."
The communication scroll was something the dragon had specially devised for her own convenience. Tearing it open allowed one to send a single sentence to the person on the other end. Ever since this item came into existence, the Black Dragon would sneak away after every conquered city.
Ivo nodded in acceptance, accustomed to this. She then added, "Pulan City is famous for its wine. Should I bring some back for the Queen?"
After conquering a city, the Black Dragon would always grab something to take back with her.
At the mention of wine, the Black Dragon's expression stiffened for a moment. "I'll go see if there's anything else later."
Ever since the last incident, she had completely given up alcohol. She had no desire for another cub to come along and ruin her wonderful life.
Ivo was a cold person and didn't press for a reason. Just as she was about to send the Black Dragon off as usual, she heard her suddenly ask, "Is there anything you want me to take to Mo Wen?"
Ivo froze, inexplicably stiffening.
But the dragon spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "She asks me to bring you something every time. Aren't you going to send a gift in return?"
Yueqing's tone shifted. "I can even waive my fee."
"She has to pay you every time?" Ivo seized on the key point.
"One gemstone per trip. I'm very fair," the unscrupulous merchant declared brazenly, not at all thinking her rates were expensive. The gemstones Mo Wen had paid her so far could buy out an entire street of shops. If she had used a merchant caravan, it would have cost one gold coin at most—a fee that could have paid for countless round trips.
Ivo was lost in thought for a long while before finally saying, "Alright."
The Black Dragon couldn't care less about their dawdling. Talia had been married for ages, yet these two were still progressing at a snail's pace. Could it be that Talia would have a child before these two even got together?
Should she just have the Queen decree a marriage for them?
The Black Dragon considered it for a moment, then tossed the thought aside and turned to look for Pulan City's local specialties.
Night fell, and a gentle evening breeze swept by. The stars dotted the sky, brilliant and twinkling.
The castle was lit, and someone had been waiting in the Queen's bedchamber for a long time.
The beauty with silver hair and dark skin leaned lazily against the headboard, idly guessing when the Queen would return. She casually patted the dragon egg beside her.
When the sound of footsteps finally reached her, a glimmer of light flashed in Yueqing's eyes, but it turned to confusion when she heard a conversation.
"Will this work?" For some reason, Her Majesty the Queen's voice sounded a little strained.
"It's a prescription from a traveling merchant. He said that as long as you keep taking it…"
The voice suddenly dropped, becoming muffled and indistinct. Yueqing frowned.
A prescription? Was Metis sick?
But the bodies of The Gifted were constantly being cleansed by the elements, making them completely different from ordinary people. How could she possibly fall ill?
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. It's just some restorative tonics. We've already had someone test them, and they are indeed somewhat effective."
Hearing this, Metis finally relented. "Then we'll use it for now."
Her tone shifted as she added an instruction, "Don't let anyone else know about this."
The servant replied, "From now on, we'll wrap the medicine pouch in gauze, steep it in hot water, and then remove the pouch. It will look just like regular hot water. No one will be able to tell, even if they walk right up to it."
Metis was very satisfied and casually promoted the servant on the spot.
The more she listened, the more confused the dragon became. Her brow furrowed tightly in puzzlement. What kind of illness had to be kept secret from others?
Did that include her?
The wooden door creaked open, and someone walked in.
The space around Yueqing distorted for an instant, rendering her invisible. That was how dragons were; most things failed to pique their interest, but if you deliberately hid something from them, their temper would flare, and they would simply have to know why.
The servant entered first, carrying a wooden tray with two small bowls, which she placed carefully on the table.
Metis didn't notice anything amiss. A servant always went to her bedchamber ahead of her to prepare everything, so she attributed the lit lamps and turned-down covers to the servant's work.
The two exchanged no more words. The servant said a few things and left, after which Metis sat down at the table, pausing as if lost in thought.
Yueqing leaned against the bed and tilted her head, studying her.
Perhaps because of the conversation she'd overheard, Metis looked more tired than usual. There were faint, dark circles under her eyes, and the pale skin of her neck revealed bluish veins.
Tossing her ornate but heavy outer robe aside, she leaned against the armrest and reached up to rub her lower back, her entire being exuding a sense of fatigue.
Yueqing quietly drew closer, standing beside her.
Metis absentmindedly rubbed her back for a moment, then looked out the window.
The victory report from Pulan City had already arrived, so the Queen naturally knew the Black Dragon was coming back, but she had no idea she was already standing right next to her.
Metis lowered her head, her gaze falling.
White steam rose from the medicinal liquid in the small bowl. If it weren't for the goji berries and deer antler floating within, it would have looked no different from ordinary hot water.
She let out a soft sigh and hesitantly lifted the bowl.
Beside her, Yueqing couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. How could she not recognize what kind of medicine this was? But… it wasn't like she had been that excessive, had she?
A certain dragon couldn't help but recall their previous encounters. It had been a very reasonable trade: one city for one night. So, for several cities…
She blinked. A full day and night wasn't excessive at all. In fact, she had even suffered a loss by giving up several nights.
Besides, she hadn't been that wild. It was just like before: starting with the tail, then the desk, the carpet, the balcony, and finally the bed. Metis had even secretly fallen asleep twice! What a cheat.
The dragon nodded, an expression of wistful reminiscence on her face, lamenting how fragile humans were, even after becoming The Gifted.
While she was pondering, Metis had already lifted the bowl of medicinal soup and drunk it down with a solemn expression.
And then…
"Metis," she said, casually leaning back and sitting on the edge of the table, calling out with a beaming smile.
Metis's body froze, followed immediately by the sound of choking coughs. She looked up wretchedly, only to see the successful prankster smiling at her.
"Will you be alright tonight, Your Majesty?" she asked, not a hint of guilt in her voice, only a teasing smile.
Metis stopped coughing, feeling both mortified and embarrassed. "When did you get back?" she demanded.
"Right before you drank your medicine," the Black Dragon replied, as wicked as ever, showing the Queen no mercy.
Metis's mouth opened and closed. Holding the small bowl, she didn't know whether to put it down or keep holding it. Her pale, grayish-blue eyes were veiled with a layer of mist from the coughing.
The other person watched her lazily, a half-smile playing on her lips as she looked at the small bowl. "The effects of this prescription might be a bit weak," she said, as if in concern. "If you need it, I have a prescription here…"
"Shut up!"
She was cut off before she could finish. Her Majesty the Queen was both angry and annoyed.
Yueqing blinked. "If you're willing to call me 'Teacher' again, I'd be willing to give you this prescription for free."
"I don't need it," Metis said, knowing full well this one wouldn't stop so easily. She stood up in a huff, looking as if she were about to leave.
In truth, it was a form of escape. After all, no one wanted their partner to know they couldn't keep up…
The earlobes beneath her golden hair were crimson enough to bleed. Her Majesty the Queen, who now sat on the throne devising grand strategies, had still lost her composure over this matter.
How could Yueqing possibly let her go so easily? In the next second, she grabbed her wrist and, with a gentle tug, pulled Metis in front of her. She lowered her head until their foreheads touched and said relentlessly, "I suggest you finish this bowl of medicine first. Mmph…"
Before she could finish, her words were muffled. Her Majesty the Queen tilted her head up and kissed her, having finally found the best way to end this teasing.
The dragon's tail, which had appeared at some point, swayed back and forth behind her, looking quite pleased.
Metis could hardly spare a thought for it, knowing that if she didn't completely divert the other's attention, this would go on all night.
So, she tightened her grip on the other's collar, forcing her to lower her head.
Their soft lips met, a hint of urgency in the kiss. It filled the moist interior, conquering it. Just as she sought to conquer every continent, she now planted her own flag on Yueqing.
The other person didn't resist, enjoying the Queen's initiative. She even thoughtfully placed a hand on her waist to support her.
The stars outside were bright, more dazzling than the moon on other nights. A sliver of light spilled into the world, and the roses in the garden swayed in the wind.
Metis pulled her back a step, tumbling into the chair.
Yueqing chuckled softly and leaned down, pressing against the Queen's lips once more, as if she had willingly fallen into the trap—if not for her sudden words.
"Your Majesty, are you having trouble standing?"
Her legs, which were draped over the armrest from her sideways fall, trembled slightly, a fact made exceptionally clear when Yueqing's hand came to rest on them.
She really was exhausted. Just standing there so forcefully for a moment had done this to her.
If her partner had been a kind and courteous gentleman, she naturally wouldn't have exposed her. But how could the wicked culprit possibly let it go? Even with her lips sealed, she mumbled, "If you can't stand, I can…"
The Queen's hand slid up, pulling her hand higher. The slim waist was enough to remind the greedy dragon of more, enough to make her stop talking.
This was the Queen of the Roy Kingdom. Rather than useless confrontation, she understood the art of a fair exchange.
Cascading silver hair tangled with messy golden strands.
The chair beneath them let out a creak, but no one paid it any mind.
The magnificent gown was torn to shreds.
During a brief pause, Yueqing couldn't help but laugh again. "If you can't take it, you can tell me to stop."
A rare moment of mercy from the wicked one, yet it sounded particularly grating.
Her Majesty the Queen laughed in anger, tilting her head up to bite the side of her neck, finally fighting back. "Did Lord Black Dragon take an extra day to conquer the city because you couldn't manage it?"
The last few words were deliberately emphasized. How could a queen who dealt with courtiers all day not know how to provoke someone? She had simply yielded to a certain dragon time and again. Now that she was truly angered, she could land a few blows of her own.
The pulse beneath her sharp teeth throbbed as Metis mercilessly pressed down, leaving a clear mark.
She added, "Do you need me to comfort you, my lord? How about an extra two hours tonight?"
Yueqing raised an eyebrow. The fabric she had been tugging at was tossed aside. Their efforts over this period had made many things unnecessary; they no longer needed such a long time for assistance.
Metis let out a muffled groan, unconsciously hooking her arms around the other's neck and pulling her forcefully into her embrace.
Yueqing's vision went dark as she willingly buried herself in that excessively soft place, but the wet sounds never ceased.
The chair swayed more and more violently. Outside, someone walked past and then left.
The plains in the distance were consumed by darkness, but the banner bearing the giant dragon was striking, the design on it still clearly visible.
Her silver hair was tousled by the hand stroking the back of her head, which pressed down again at a critical moment. Fortunately, a dragon's lung capacity was sufficient, thus averting an embarrassing accident.
The bite mark on her neck glistened, and a golden necklace swayed rhythmically, tapping against her straight collarbone.
Metis was always full of little movements at times like this. The hand at the back of her head dropped once more to pinch Yueqing's earlobe, as if in reward, encouraging her to continue.
As the dragon most loyal to the Queen, she would, of course, obey Her Majesty's command.
Her fingertips pressed against a place long familiar, and then she was once again pressed into that soft, stuffy place.
It was clearly Yueqing who needed to gasp for air, yet it was the other person who ended up struggling desperately like a fish out of water.
Her calves, dangling in mid-air, tensed, and a crimson blush spread up from her ankles.
The clouds scattered and gathered again; only the stars remained bright.
The streets in the distance gradually fell silent. The soldiers guarding the city walls stared into the distance, full of vigilance.
That bowl of medicinal soup was finished after all. Although Metis claimed she was just thirsty, Yueqing nodded along, pretending to believe her.
But when Yueqing wanted to continue, the Queen, pale-faced and with trembling legs, kicked her in the stomach, stopping her advance. "One hour at most," she said. "I'm warning you."
This time, the most loyal dragon chose to disobey. However, amidst the relentless, successive waves, Her Majesty the Queen did cry out the word "Teacher."
It seemed Her Majesty really did need a more effective prescription. As it happened, a certain dragon had one, and she would definitely need it tomorrow.
The dragon egg beside them remained quiet, but at some unknown point, a thin crack had appeared on its shell.
The night was still long. They would have a great deal of time to while away in this uninteresting mortal world.
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