The dragon's harem

Chapter 831: Claugʼs Devious Plan

One day passed and the girls reached the border of the next kingdom, but sadly this time it wasnʼt easy.

”Youʼre...” One of the knights approached the carriage and looked at Tempo who was beside it. ”A red-haired warrior and several women inside...” He pulled out a paper and looked at it. The knight cleared his throat, ”By order of the royal family, youʼre all herby arrested under the suspension of conspiracy to interfere with the kingdomʼs militaristic advances and thus are sentenced to death by hanging.” He waved his hand to the other soldier.

”No need for a trial, all thatʼs needed is several ropes and a large tree. Use that one over there.” He pointed at one large oak tree as the knights surrounded the carriage.

”Really?” Eris opened the carriageʼs door and walked out, her eyes flashing purple. ”You want us executed...”

”Just kill them and letʼs move on.” Merida growled, reaching for her sword.

The ground started to shake as Meryem wanted to get out with her children and trample the whole place.

”Calm down, we arenʼt here to kill them.” Aella growled at them. At a time like this, she was the only one capable of speaking sense to everyone.

”I can mind control them.” Merlin pointed at one of the knights and the man jumped down from his horse and started worshipping her. ”See? Easy. No mental fortitude at all.”

”I fear this might explode as well with me and Merlin tuning it.” Mira was working on another bomb.

”Should I bring them something from the king?” Betty looked out with a calm face, her lips curled like a cat as she giggled.

Eris walked out of the carriage and faced the commander of the knights, extending her hands forward. ”Want? Arrest me? Come, where are your cuffs?”

He reached for the cuffs with a smile; they were a large pair of steel cuffs used for slaves. But the moment he started approaching Eris, breathing became harder as his armor started getting hotter and hotter.

The commander fell on his knees, gasping for air as his vision blurred, the heat around Eris was far beyond what a human could handle, but that wasnʼt all. With her magic now infused with divine magic, it directly damaged the bodies of living beings, doing the reverse of healing, which is damage.

The commanderʼs vision twisted as he could fear the searing pain surging through his whole body, he was getting grilled alive by his armor just for standing close to Eris.

”Whatʼs the problem?” Youʼre here to arrest us, arenʼt you?”

The other knights tried to approach her, but the heat dropped them back to their knees. It was like standing one inch away from a burning furnace, and the painful holy magic made it even worse.

”Fine. Iʼll do it myself.” She took the cuffs and cuffed herself, ”See? Iʼve got them on.” As she tried to show them her hands, the cuffs melted and fell to the ground, setting the grass on fire.

”Oh my...” She looked at the commander, ”Did you bring the wrong ones? Well, Fine, Iʼll execute myself.” She approached the ropes, and they all burned.

Eris sighed, ”How am I supposed to hang myself? Canʼt you at least do your job?” She glared back at the commander, and then smiled, ”Do you know why youʼll never be able to stop us? Itʼs because of this.” She opened her palm and plasma gushed from her hand, sparking with bolts of divine magic.

The golden and purple embers took the shape of a sword dripping with divine magic. ”This is a holy sword; do you know what its purpose is?”

”Itʼs to prevent you stupid kingdoms from starting the end of the world by picking a fight with Uranus, my husband whoʼs in the desert resting.” She glared at the commanderʼs terrified face with plasma dripping from her eyes.

”And no, no, no, itʼs not to slay him and save humanity...It is to slay the humans foolish enough to start a fight. Eradicating a few kingdoms is worth it to save the rest, right?” She planted the sword in the ground.

”So tell me. Are you such a human? One of those fools this sword is meant to slay?”

The commander could neither speak nor breathe, his body was already about to get cooked.

With a loud flap, a massive shadow bloated the sun, and a gigantic gold drakaina with a majestic mohawk of frails soared down.

”Travellers! Halt, this might not be a sacred land, but itʼs indeed not a place for blood to be spilled.” She landed beside the carriage. ”Lady of the holy sword, Iʼm certain there is a misunderstanding, can you please let them live? I do need their help.”

Eris smiled and hid her so-called holy sword, ”A gold drakaina, what a rare sight. With what do you need their help?”

”They work for a local noble called Jeffry. I was just hired by him to slay the green drakaina called Claug, and we need their help.” She smiled and waved her hand at the knights, cooling them with magic. ”To Jeffryʼs mansion at once.”

After resting for a minute, all the knights rode away on their horses.

”She wants to kill Claug?” Merida walked out of the carriage and reached for her blade.

Eris gasped and glared at Merida, ”Stop, donʼt be an idiot.” She turned toward the drakaina, ”Whatʼs this look? You look like a clown.”

”You as well, fooling around with a fake holy sword. Not that those humans can tell the difference.” She giggled and lowered her head, as the magic surrounding her face faded everyone gasped. She was Claug herself.

”What brought you here?” she asked, ”But we better go to my lair first.”

While still disguised as a gold drakaina, Claug teleported everyone to her lair in the blink of an eye and looked at them with a smile. ”Care to explain why the nobles are after you?”

Aella explained the situation over tea made by Claugʼs army of servant Kobolds, they danced and sun in the background with enthusiasm unmatched by any.

”I see... Poor Arad,” Claug waved her claw and several crystal balls flew toward her. ”I too have a problem that Iʼm dealing with at the moment. You can hide in my lair until I finish my business, I could make sure this kingdom canʼt form an army for a decade.”

”How are you going to do that? Attack them directly?” Tempo asked. ”That would get a whole kingdom hunting you.”

”Thatʼs why Iʼm making them attack me first. And, there is this fool, an ancient green drakaina called Vollirin; sheʼs been trying to steal my hoard for decades. I might just be able

to hit everything with a single move.” Claug pointed at Tempo with her claw, ”You failed the strategy class, Prince of the Volcanic Titans.”

”You arenʼt making any sense.” Tempo stared at her with a suspicious face.

”Of course, it makes no sense to you. You havenʼt been planning with me.” She glared at the girls. ”This would result in your mission being achieved, just wait and donʼt mess things up.” She stood and shifted into a gold drakaina. ”Use those crystals to watch. The kobolds would make sure youʼre well-fed and entertained.”

”Wait! We can help,” Aella stared at her, ”If youʼre going to help us, we must help you back.”

”No need, youʼll throw my plan off track.” Claug waved to them with her tail, ”Watch and be entertained.”

Claug teleported into a mountain far away from her lair so no one would figure it was her, and then quickly flew toward Jeffryʼs mansion and landed in his golden wheat fields, staring at his large house with a tilted head.

”Iʼve come to further discuss our deal.” She said and Jeffry was already rushing out of his house terrified while several guards protected him. The knights of earlier had just returned and they stood to the side to listen.

”Iʼll kill Claug for you in exchange for gold. This was what we first talked about.” She sat

down and nodded, ”I came back to discuss the price and details. And let me make it clear from the start,” She pointed at him with her claw, ”Iʼm working as a claw for hire. Youʼll be taking the credit for slaying Claug, her corpse, and hoard.”

Jeffry smiled, rubbing his hands together. ”Of course, of course...Just tell me how much

money you want. Iʼll pay you whatever you ask.” He couldnʼt help but giggle. He could just make the money back from selling Claugʼs corpse and hoard, heʼll also rise in noble ranks for such an achievement, to him, this was far worth it.

”Wonʼt you get more money by killing her for yourself?” His commander of knights asked, glaring at the gold Drakaina{Claug} with a suspicious look on his face.

”We metallic dragons donʼt kill and steal dragonsʼ wealth. But, no one says anything about

working as mercenaries. Hour hoards must be earned fairly.” She nodded, ”Thatʼs why Iʼd rather get paid than steal someone elseʼs hoard, even if it means I get less money.” She

growled at Jeffry, ”Thatʼs why, her blood is on your hand, not mine. You take the glory and

guilt alike.”

”Donʼt pester the great drakaina,” Jeffry growled at his commander, ”Iʼll pay you! How much, state your price.”

She scratched her chin with her claw, ”How about, five hundred platinum coins?”

”That much!” Everyone gasped, but Jeffry didnʼt seem bothered. ”Agreed! Iʼve got the money

at hand, go kill her and Iʼll pay you without questions.”

”Sir! You canʼt throw such money just like...”

”Shut up! Weʼll get rid of Claug; Iʼll make the money back in no time.” Jeffry growled and

looked back at Claug, rubbing his hands. ”Please, donʼt listen to those fools; they donʼt understand the worth of a dragonʼs services.”

”Iʼll slay Claug, get the money ready.” She flew away, ”Donʼt make me wait when I return.”

As she disappeared behind the mountains, the nobles ordered his knights to hurry. He needs

to get the money ready, not paying a metallic dragon could lead to bigger troubles than a

Claug herself.

Claug sat behind the mountain and started flipping through her crystals, ”Letʼs see, where is his crystal? This for Lord Benjamin, Alora... Jenny...Fredrina...she seems busy, I guess a child is coming this year....found it.” She found Jeffryʼs crystal after sneaking a look at multiple

nobleʼs private lives.

She sat in that place for a whole day, watching Jeffryʼs men gather the money from his vaults and accumulate it in a hidden base in the middle of nowhere, protected by several knights. ”Time to steal it.” She shifted into a red dragon and flew into the sky.