The dragon's harem

Chapter 713 Green Inheritance

Arad stood, ”Baltos and the royal family would stay in this keep for protection. Itʼs the safest place I can offer. Gin would handle all connection with the village or Alina, and Iʼll move the injured Kin here to finish her recovery,”

”And you?” Baltos stared at Arad.

”Iʼll be staying in my house for what little remains of the winter,” He replied, ”And Iʼll set off for the university afterward. Iʼm counting on you and Charlie to watch over the castleʼs building process,” Arad replied, walking toward the door, ”Iʼll bring Isdis here later to see you,”

”You can count on me. I guess I can keep doing my work from here?” Baltos nodded.

”You can. I donʼt need the castle right now. Use it as a base,” Arad walked out.

Alcott smiled, ”So the kingdomʼs capital is in Aradʼs territory now. Thatʼs akin to saying the whole kingdom is a part of his treasure hoard.

”Void is fated to absorb everything, and Arad already took the kingdom.” Merlin opened the door and walked in, ”Itʼs not his power alone thatʼs growing at an insane speed. His influence is stretching like wildfire,”

****

ZON! Teleported to his house garden, landing outside the main door. ”Finally back,” He lifted his hand, about to knock on the door. ^I wonder what Aella would say about Zephyr getting sealed. I told her with my crows, but sheʼs bound to ask personally about the details.^

He swung his knuckle at the door, about to knock.

CLACK! The door burst open, and Aella stood there. She opened it before he could even knock. ”Welcome home,”

Arad stared at her, noticing a faint twitch in her magic that he didnʼt recognize, ”Youʼre angry about Zephyr. Sorry, I was late to save her.”

Aella smiled, ”Iʼm not angry,” She pulled him inside by hand, ”I knew she was sealed the moment it happened. We are linked, remember?”

”So youʼve felt it,” Arad looked at Aella, ”But that doesnʼt change the fact I couldnʼt save her,” He could still see the strange flicker in Aellaʼs magic and know that something was up in her.

”Youʼre looking at my magic, right?” She giggled.

”How do you know that?”

”Your eyes glow purple whenever you do so. Itʼs obvious.”

”Wait...I didnʼt know that.” Arad rubbed his eyes, ”No wonder people get scared when I look at their magic.”

”They get afraid thinking youʼre about to blast them with a spell. You probably should be careful when doing that,” She sat on the couch and pulled Arad to sit beside her.

”So, you arenʼt angry?” Arad asked.

”Itʼs not only emotions that can change oneʼs magic. The magic itself can grow or shift,” She pointed above her head, ”Zephyr knew she didnʼt have enough concentrated damage to penetrate the barrier from the inside and that sheʼd be locked in for a while anyway.”

The wind started rushing around her body, rising above her head and condensing into a glowing green crown. ”She only had enough time to send less than a hundredth of her power, so she gave me the title and key to her greatest magic,”

”What thing is...” Arad gasped.

”Crown of the wind spirit queen,” Aella smiled, ”Itʼs a mere title, nothing more.” She waved her hand, ”The whole world is engulfed in Zephyrʼs wind expansion. Itʼs the air every living being breathes. Everything that ever lived and breathed is indebted to her,” She smiled.

”She gave me the key to keep it active so the world wonʼt suffocate and die,” She looked at Arad, ”If she didnʼt give me this crown, the whole air of the world wouldʼve faded away, and all living things wouldʼve suffocated to death, even Vlad wouldʼve lost his life.”

”Wait, the whole world relies on her to exist?” Arad looked around.

”Zephyr never told anyone, and honestly I doubt any great power of her caliber would speak of how important or vital they are. When she dies, the world dies with her. Thatʼs the spirit representing wind, you canʼt have living beings without air for them to breathe.” Aella looked down with a sad face.

”She gave you the title, which is like a key to keep the expansion active.”

”The expansion is called atmosphere,”

”To keep the atmosphere active, and some of her power in the form of magic.”

”I wonʼt call it magic. Sheʼs raised my affinity with wind magic which would make my wind spells stronger. Itʼs like a modifier that grows the stronger I grow,” Aella waved her hand, ”Iʼm not stronger now, but my growth speed should be better now,”

Arad looked forward, ”Do you what this means?”

”The other spirits are just like her. If the earth spirit went missing,” Aella looked down, ”We should say goodbye to the ground.”

”Zephyr wasted a lot of her power as she started herself and as she trashed the first layer of hell. I doubt the other spirits are as gentle as her, theyʼll be at full power all the time,” Arad clenched his fist, ”No matter how big or strong someone grows, we can never shatter the earth. Letʼs hope they are friendly,”

”Arad, youʼre back,” Isdis walked into the room, ”Can you send me to father?”

”Of course,” He stood, ”Kin woke up?”

”Sheʼs the one who informed me,” Isdis nodded, as she touched Aradʼs hand, ”Iʼll send her after you,” ZON! He teleported Isdis to the Keep.

”Iʼll go get Kin,” Arad turned toward Aella, ”Iʼll inform the rest of your return, not that donʼt know.” She smiled.

As Arad walked into the hallway, he saw Merida walking toward him. ”Youʼre back, the crows told me,” She smiled.

”Itʼs been one thing after another.” Arad sighed, ”I donʼt seem to have a moment rest,”

”A busy man is a good man,” Merida giggled, ”Albeit itʼs a bit frustrating for us both. Especially if youʼre self-employed like an adventurer, or whatever a dragon does. You need to make vacations for yourself and set time limits,”

”Youʼve owned a shop with your father,” Arad smiled, ”Is that how it works?”

”Yeah. People keep coming minutes before I close, and if I donʼt reject them, Iʼll find myself working till midnight. Your mental and physical well-being is more important than anything else,” She tapped his shoulder, ”And my nights are important as well,” She stared at him with a judging glare.

”Keeping it in your example, arenʼt the customers important? Lyla said that,” Arad replied.

”Itʼs quite a debate, but Iʼd say itʼs like everything else. It depends.” She shook her head, ”Sometimes itʼs worth it, sometimes it isnʼt. I usually take someoneʼs first order that comes at a late hour, but inform them that I wonʼt take it next time. A hero canʼt save everyone so donʼt stress over it, and try to have some time to relax and spend it at home.”

”Youʼre right,” Arad smiled, ”Iʼm spending the rest of the winter here. Weʼll talk about it later,”

”Wait,” She grabbed his hand, ”Itʼs my turn, right?”

”Turn at what?” Arad asked, and she pulled her sword, ”Iʼll slice you in half,”

”It is,” Aella poked her head out of the living roomʼs door, ”I told you that weʼre the ones deciding,”

Merida stared at her, ”Are you sure? Shouldnʼt he have the last say?”

”That wonʼt do it. Itʼs our job to decide on an order and rotation. Youʼre up tonight so get yourself ready.”

”I mean,” Merida gasped, ”About last time, I canʼt just come in and...”

”Arad doesnʼt care, I know that much,” Aella turned toward Arad, ”She said sheʼll love flying around a forest slaying monsters. Find a suitable place and take her out,”

”Ah! Thatʼs what you mean,” It finally clicked in Aradʼs head. He turned toward Merida with a smile, ”No wonder you were about to get aggressive,” He looked at her sword, ”We can do it that way as well,”

”Fine by me!” Merida replied. She doesnʼt care how she gets it, just wants to do it.

”Donʼt.” Aella stared at them, ”She doesnʼt have Erisʼs regeneration, nor your speed and power. Sheʼll end up too injured. Take it slow with her,” She then went back inside.

”Aella! I can handle myself!” Merida shouted at her.

”Youʼll end up crying. If his arms are thicker than your thighs, you can guess how the rest compare!” Aella called from the kitchen.

”Iʼll punch her down,” Merida said, rushing past Arad.

”I heard that. Come if you want, Iʼll smack you with this radish,” Aella said as she got ready to fight Merida.

Arad looked back, hearing the two scraping in the kitchen like cats.

”What are they going on about?” Arad sighed.

^[Wives banter. They arenʼt actually angry at each other or fighting seriously, so itʼs best to let them be.]^

^Youʼre right. Those two could unleash enough power to blast the house away,^ He thought, walking toward the dungeonʼs entrance to teleport Kin to the Keep.

Arad stopped at the entrance and looked back, ”Those two are agile, not even making a single sound while fighting around the kitchen.” He mumbled, watching them through the eyes of a crow sitting at the window. None of them was able to hit the other nor made any sound as they jumped everywhere from the walls to the ceiling, masterfully dodging anything that could be knocked over.

^[Can I use the crow?]^ Doma asked.

^Why? Go ahead,^

Doma giggled, taking control of the crow instead of Arad.

”KWAAA! Merida, donʼt forget to take a bath after this,”

Merida immediately hit the ground with a red face.