The dragon's harem

Chapter 834: Dad Is Back!

Claug sat in her lair above the mountain of gold she just made. She smiled at the ceiling as the kobolds ran beneath her legs, organizing her hoard and putting the gold coins with the gold and the gems together.

”She is smart. Isnʼt she?” She waved her claw and a large crystal floated before her face.

”I know.” Arad replied, staring at her through the crystal. ”I canʼt believe you managed to call me with how my magic works.”

Claug giggled, ”Donʼt underestimate this old drakaina. Iʼve lived far longer than you,” she lifted a claw full of her gold. ”She indeed didnʼt take a copper.”

”Told you; Iʼve warned them about dragons.” Arad giggled, ”Even I canʼt figure out what can you do by lending them that kind of money.”

”A lot, she was right to refuse unless Alcott is around. He knows about most of the currently known tricks. I couldʼve used enchanted coins which would allow me to spy on them or had already used that money as an offer to a summon and had them take on the consequence.” Claug drew a magic circle in the air.

”You do this and try to summon a devil, but by halting the magic, you can lock the coinage paid to the fiend. I can then give that money to someone, and when I release the spell later, the devil would be summoned beside them, as they are the ones holding his offer.” Claug giggled.

”And you can order the devil to kill whoever holds his money to claim it...That...I didnʼt know you can do...” Arad scratched his head.

”Not many people know. Even Alcott himself doesnʼt know, but do you know what Alcott always does? He checks the money for any trace of magic before accepting it, and even when he does, he makes sure to exchange it.” Claug pointed at the small pouch of the coins she was about to give to Aella.

”Alcott would instead take from my hoard; heʼll never accept what Iʼve chosen.” She laughed, ”A hundred platinum is a hundred platinum coins. If refuse to let him be the one to pick, itʼll only prove his suspicions and Iʼll end up on his killing list.”

”No dragon wants to face an angry Alcott.” Arad giggled.

”Heʼs the bane of dragons; a human who mastered the art of hunting and dealing with dragons.” Claug waved her claws, ”He who walks upon the corpses of dragons, the hero of the one twenty thousand roar war.”

”I never heard of that.” Arad looked at her through the magic.

”He never told you? It was at the peak of his prime, which is the reason why dragons fear him. The dragonʼs civil war had reached its peak and the wyrms started to spill their own blood. Two armies, one of the metallic dragons and the other of the chromatic dragons, each numbering over ten thousand strong of greatwyrms and wyrms.” Claug could imagine it like yesterday, to her it was like only a few days ago. ”This happened almost twenty years ago.”

The dragons had started the war and the battlefield had turned into a hell on earth, the quakes of the draconic race ripping itself apart could be heard from the other side of the world, whole kingdoms had relocated to avoid the destruction, the world seemed to be on the brink of its end.

But then, something changed, a human fell from the sky between the two armies, halting the war the moment they noticed him. Till this moment, no one knows how Alcott got there. The only thing the dragons knew was that the moment he landed, none of them dared to move. ”From this moment, the first who spills blood is in the wrong.” Alcott said with a calm tone.

”Think a mere human can interfere? Weʼve told your race to scram away.” Kinryuu landed in his human form beside Alcott.

”Funny how a bug dares to show up.” Ignis, the general of the chromatic dragon landed beside them and growled, his mere presence melting the ground.

Alcott only smiled, ”Donʼt underestimate humans.” He said, his eyes glowing with a golden light.

The dragons could sense it; the words of this small human were no mere boast. After that and without a fight, all the dragons retreated. None of them wanted to know what would happen when Alcott went at them.

”Thatʼs one story...Iʼll ask him about it next time I see him.” Arad replied.

****

The next kingdom bordered the Dark Elf kingdom, which also bordered the Elvish kingdom. A party of chivalry rode across the green hills. ”I canʼt believe you actually came.” A dark elf woman said with a smile on her face. ”Unlike that lazy seal over there, Iʼve always heard stories about you.”

”Who are you calling a seal? Jasmine! I thought we were on friendly terms, but do you want to start another war over this insult?” Cerilla growled, and Dalla tried to calm her. ”Youʼve been annoying her side since we got together, please calm down. Sheʼs also a queen.”

”What side are you on?” Cerilla growled at her.

”Not having a war side!” Dalla growled at them.

”Can you shut up for a second?” A manʼs deep voice called them out, ”Iʼll cut your ears off if you donʼt explain this.” Alcott glared at them, ”If I found what you said was a lie, Cerilla, donʼt expect to live to see another day.” He looked at her.

”Heʼs joking, please donʼt listen to him.” Ginger pulled him from the ear. ”Iʼll be the one to cut your head off if you dared start trouble, hear me, Alcott.” She glared at him. ”Iʼve come running here...” Alcott sighed, ”Are you sure about what you claimed?” ”Yeah...our goddess tipped me off so I did an investigation when I was in Aradʼs domain. His magic matches you by almost nine-tenths. There is a good chance heʼs your son.” Cerilla smiled.

”Ginger turned us both into vampires, Iʼm sure that has changed our magic. Are you sure of that?” Alcott still had his doubts; some even referred to vampirism as getting reborn as a stronger being. It wonʼt be strange for their magic to match if the same vampire lord turns them.

Jasmine, the current dark elf queen stared at them, ”Whatʼs strange is that heʼs a void dragon. What kind of monster did you sleep with?” She growled at him.

Cerilla glared at her, ”Donʼt speak so closely with him. Heʼll soon be my father-in-law, show him some respect, stand-in-queen.” Hearing her words, Alcott sighed, ”No you arenʼt...” ”Itʼs not my fault. My older sister who was bedridden for decades finally woke up, took the throne for a few years then got assassinated. Our kingdom has its share of troubles.” Jasmine doesnʼt know, but her sister died decades ago. Aradʼs mother had taken her place and lived her life for a few years, before ultimately facing an assassination and playing along with

it.

”Anyway!” Cerilla looked forward with a serious face. ”Those kingdoms are trying to attack Arad and possibly use him as a weapon, we have to stop them. The plan is simple, we reach the border and Iʼll then use a Luminousʼs mirror to summon my army to threaten them under the guise of them breaking our treaty, they didnʼt tell me about Arad in the desert after all.”

”Iʼll summon my army as well.” Jasmine smiled, ”If Arad is that strong and is the son of the dragon slayer Alcott. Iʼd want to help him a bit to gain favor.”

”Listen you two...” Alcott looked at them, ”I couldnʼt refuse a quest for two queens at once, but know this. I wasnʼt joking earlier.” He pulled his sword, ”If I find you lied to get me here,

Iʼll cut your ears off.”

”Itʼs just a possibility.” Cerilla looked at him with a smile.

At that moment...something strange started. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! They started hearing drums beating in the air, it sounded close yet far at the same time. The two queens got confused, but Ginger knew immediately that it was Alcott, his heart was beating.

”What is it?”

”Dragons, a large number of them.” He patted his horse, ”Sorry pal, but youʼre too slow

now.” He jumped off and his arms got covered in fur as he shifted; He got a long snout, a large

back, and long legs and arms, a werewolf.

Alcott raced across the hills in his bestial form, relying on his sharp sense of smell to

determine where the dragons were.

Soon, Alcott reached a large river that he couldnʼt just run across. He wouldʼve been stuck if he hadnʼt fully recovered. What he told Arad before in the bath when they first met, everything

was still in him.

The black fur covering his body shifted into orange and black strips as he roared, jumping into the water as a weretiger. They are good swimmers.

As Alcott reached the forest behind the river, he shifted back into his human form and started swinging from one tree to another like an ape, racing through the thick wilderness.

”What happened to him?” Cerilla cried.

”If he ran like that, he probably sensed several hostile dragons gathered in one place. This

isnʼt going to end well.” Ginger spread her wings, ”Use the mirror to run back, Iʼll go assist

him.”