The fluorescent moss on the ceiling alternated between bright and dim, slow but exceptionally rhythmic like breathing, bringing a faint light to this dark cavern deep underground.
Irene crossed her arms, her fingers tapping her elbow in a rhythm similar to the breathing moss. Under her gaze, at the edge of the crater, a woman with a waterfall of curly green hair sat with her back to her. Her calves, dangling over the pit, swung back and forth from time to time. Her cyan-green attire emitted a faint, fresh scent of wood with her movements.
If someone who didn't know any better were here, Irene had no doubt that this mature, elegant “green-haired big sister” would be mistaken for a frail noble lady who didn't even have the strength to truss a chicken.
But as someone in the know, Irene was well aware of what a terrifying beast was hidden beneath this fragile-looking exterior.
It was a top-tier magical creature occupying the very pinnacle of the food chain.
And just now, Irene had confirmed the green dragon's identity—Lucia Judy Dixubinas, a mature adult green dragon and the ruler of the Quiet Basin south of the Great Gana Forest.
Years ago, when she and her brother Daviel were still young, foraging for food, picking mushrooms, and gnawing on tree bark, they had once caught a distant glimpse of her at the edge of the Great Gana Forest.
Back then, this mature adult green dragon had been lazily sprawling on the canopy of a towering tree, sunning her belly.
She never expected that after leaving the Great Gana Forest back then, her next meeting with this old neighbor auntie would be in a godforsaken place like this, and under such peculiar circumstances... Irene thought, her stern expression softening slightly.
In her usual flat, emotionless tone, she asked:
“So... you are a member of the expeditionary force sent to subjugate the Mutant Matriarch, and the reason you attacked us is that before we arrived, two suspicious figures launched an attack on you... Though you weren't injured because you were caught off guard, you let them escape... and then our appearance made you mistake the three of us for their accomplices?”
“Mm-hmm, that is exactly what happened~ my lovely black dragon lady.”
The green dragon named Lucia replied in a cheerful tone without even turning her head.
As she spoke, she combed her long green hair and carefully tied it up behind her head.
“And what about the others from the expeditionary force?”
Irene continued to question her.
“...And how can I be sure that what you're saying isn't just a clumsy lie?”
Hearing this, Lucia did not answer immediately. Having finished tying her hair, she stood up unhurriedly with an extremely elegant posture.
“Unfortunately, I have no idea how they are doing...”
“After all, I got separated from them a long time ago.”
“As for how to prove whether my words are a lie...”
The eyes of this green dragon in human form curved into a beautiful arc. Her gaze rested on Irene for a brief moment, then casually drifted over to Christine, who was busy searching everywhere for the slimes he had previously discarded.
Then, her gaze returned to Irene's face.
Taking a step forward, she asked playfully,
“Let me guess...”
“Are you... Queen Irene of the Black Dragon Empire?”
Irene did not deny it, nor did she answer. She simply stared straight into the other's eyes with her golden vertical pupils.
“It seems I guessed right.”
The smile on Lucia's face grew even wider.
“After all these years, you have finally awakened... my~ little Princess Irene.”
As she spoke, she took another step forward and spread her arms, seemingly preparing to give her a big hug.
Whoosh—
A cold light flashed, and the chainsword known as Frostmourne was suddenly pressed right against Lucia's neck.
“Answer the question. Prove to my great mother that what you said is not a lie.”
Arthas gripped the chainsword tightly, speaking in an icy tone.
“...Mother?”
Lucia's expression froze slightly. After noticing Irene's still-calm face, the corners of her mouth curled up a bit more.
“Interesting, interesting, this is truly interesting...”
“Should I say you are indeed the child of the Mother of Shadows?”
“Hehe... Your ways of thinking are both so eccentric, as if cast from the exact same mold.”
As she spoke, she shrugged.
“To tell you the truth, my sweet little Irene, I, Lucia Judy Dixubinas, Ruler of the Quiet Basin, Lady of Venom, joined the expeditionary force to subjugate the Mutant Matriarch precisely under the instructions of your mother.”
Irene frowned slightly.
“My mother?”
“The Mother of Shadows, Your Grace~” Lucia sighed with a look of pure adoration. “She is incredibly powerful.”
“Back then, when I heard she had plundered a hoard of treasure from the Human Kingdom, I paid her a visit to borrow some to decorate my cozy nest...”
“And then...”
At this point, Lucia seemed to recall some embarrassing past memory. She placed her hands on both cheeks, and her face flushed a deep red in an incredibly unnatural manner.
Even her voice began to tremble, carrying an exceptionally seductive quality:
“She made me realize what true power is... After that, I offered everything to her, to my current master, to your mother...”
“And that... included my body...”
What is with that bizarre expression... Irene grumbled inwardly as she stared at the flushed Lucia, who looked like she was in heat.
She was initially a bit confused about what the other meant. After all... what could two dragonesses possibly do together?
But as she connected the dots to a certain possibility, her expression turned exceptionally bizarre, and she felt a wave of profound disgust wash over her.
Right at that moment, Lucia unhurriedly retrieved a scale from her storage ring.
The scale was about the size of a palm, pitch-black all over, with an extremely smooth surface and sharp edges, looking like a blade carved out of obsidian.
When she sensed the all-too-familiar, identical aura emanating from the scale, Irene's pupils contracted.
Even though decades had passed, she instantly recalled the appearance of the scale's owner.
Without a doubt,
this was a scale belonging to Irene's mother, Sylvely, who held the title of the Mother of Shadows.
Rate on N.U.
