Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 477 - 439: Awakening from the Dream

"Indeed, Your Highness Kayla has also experienced the same dream as I have!"

The golden sunlight streamed through the silver columns and the window frames, scattering beams across the magnificent hall. Queen Kayla of Liveser was dressed in a tender bud green ombré gown, her hands held by an excited young girl.

This was the reception hall of Silver King City, where, after the old King Irene and Prince William announced their return, the Dolgette Family had begun social gatherings among the nobility. The event Queen Kayla was currently attending was a gathering of young noble ladies. With her warm elder sister charisma and the title of a queen who ruled a nation, Kayla quickly blended in with these adolescent girls.

Gossiping about the surrounding males, sharing delicious food, discussing wonderful encounters - the topics girls line up for hadn’t changed that much through the ages.

"Prince William is really handsome, with his dazzling golden hair, gentle smile. Ah~ My prince~"

"But Prince William is busy managing the city and studying magic. Even in his leisure time, he’s surrounded by those two female demons and an elf. Do you really stand a chance?"

"Of course! No matter what, the queen of a human kingdom won’t be from an alien race. Prince William will surely have a human wife!"

"You really are a fool. Morocoy was originally a country of Arcanists. Our mage nobles and royal family don’t have a heart of rejection towards alien races. The City of Wandering becoming a multi-racial city is the best proof. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the future mistress is a demon or an elf."

The topic of the new Prince William of Dolgette continued to echo around Kayla, and while maintaining a social smile, she did not wish to join in their discussion. It’s not like Prince William was the only outstanding young man. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Considering whether or not to avoid the subject like Lina, Kayla’s attention was caught by the next topic brought up by a noble girl.

"Have any of you been troubled by nightmares recently, unable to sleep well every night?"

"Nightmares?" That word sketched a shadow in Kayla’s mind, a disheveled shadow leaping between the trees.

"Indeed, Your Highness Kayla has also experienced the same dream as I have!" the girl happily grasped Kayla’s hands, fearfully recounting her nightmare. "Your Highness Kayla, it was such a terrible nightmare. I dreamt that the Evil God descended onto the City of Wandering, his body pitch black, and just looking at his shadow made me scream. But I didn’t make a sound in the dream, because the Evil God turned me into an ugly twisted lump of flesh, wuwuwu, it’s so mean! I’ve been scared awake by dreams every night recently, and my father seems to be suffering from similar troubles, his complexion much paler than usual. Especially at night, I dare not wander outside, feeling that every dark corner could extend a tentacle and drag me in. I can’t stay up late to play, yet I’m afraid to sleep because of nightmares, Sister Kayla, it’s so hard for me!!!"

With tear-streaked cheeks, the girl buried her face in her own chest, and Kayla had no choice but to hum a Liveser lullaby to soothe the girl in her arms, caressing her soft hair, watching as she slowly calmed down in her embrace.

"Thank you, Your Highness Kayla, I feel much better."

The shy girl blushed, awkwardly hiding behind her friends.

Before Kayla even had the chance to release a sigh of relief, she noticed the expectant expressions on the other girls’ faces.

"You... you’ve all had that nightmare, haven’t you?"

"We all want a hug from Your Highness Kayla!!"

On the balcony, dressed in cute gothic attire, Queen Dreya leaned on her arms propped against the railing, gazing absentmindedly at the Arcane Eye atop the central tower.

The last time she wore such soft clothes, Queen Lina couldn’t remember how old she was, possibly when her father was still alive. Now, as Queen Dreya, she felt uncomfortable every time she was out of armor. Like now, Her Highness felt anxious about these feather-light clothes. Moving too much and tearing the fabric had happened far too often in the dressing room already. Although the maids lavished praise on her slender and firm body, Lina hated doing so, especially in front of this bunch.

Below the balcony, a group of muscular men in formal attire were piling up a human tower, forming a shaky human serpent that reached up to Queen Lina’s balcony. As the head, the man with a greasy smile presented a great knight’s lance to the queen.

Benjamin bowed his head in mid-air, paying homage.

"Your Highness Lina, you must be feeling very uncomfortable right now. In order to soothe your unrest, we have specially brought your weapon, in hopes that it will provide you with a sense of security."

Pale as alabaster, the delicate palms grasped the huge lance, holding the weapon indeed brought Queen Lina a sense of safety.

The ordinarily nauseating Benjamin suddenly appeared far more agreeable in Lina’s eyes, "Thank you for your efforts, Knight Benjamin."

Benjamin smiled and bowed.

"Serving the Dreya Family is our honor," the knight’s gaze lingered on the Highness’s adorable attire for a moment, "By the way, Your Highness looks very cute today."

"Thank you for your compliment, my knight," Lina felt quite cheerful.

"It is just that your chest is really too small. Can you, in your lifetime, ever display a bosom that rivals Queen Dreya’s magnificent spirit?"

Boom!

The lance manifested the Queen’s wrath, piercing through the defender knight’s human tower, Benjamin’s head plunged into the ground along with the lance, the clumsily toppling defenders could only witness Her Majesty’s retreating silhouette, and a sentence uttered in pique.

"You can’t teach an old dog new tricks."

"Lina!"

The head of a sullen Princess Lina was suddenly enveloped in a grand, soft thing; smelling the young girl’s fragrance, Lina finally realized Kayla had embraced her.

"Let go, do you want to infuriate me?"

Lina, who had long accepted her friend Kayla’s coquettish behaviors, tolerated Kayla’s whims. After a good while, a weary Kayla finally released Lina from her embrace.

"Lina, the others in the City of Wandering, everyone, they all treat the Omen as if it were a dream, a nightmare."

As participants of that catastrophe, the two queens had deep memories of everything that happened: the profound void, the twisted flesh, the flashing holy light, the surging magic, and the deity of the Omen who crafted the perfect ending.

It felt as though someone had chiseled the scenes into her memory with a hammer and chisel; Kayla found it hard to regard it all as a dream.

"Isn’t that good? Cover the overly cruel reality with lies, replace suffering with nightmares. If this was the Savior’s idea, I would like to uphold this beautiful lie."

"Lina, haven’t your thoughts about Lyle changed at all?"

"The moment the Omen Giant entered my view, my thoughts were fixed. He is my God, and can only be my God."

"Lina..."

"Kayla, are you sure you’re really qualified to comfort me? After all, you’re always the one bringing up the topic," Lina gave Kayla a hug, not looking back as she moved closer to the banquet’s offerings, "Don’t keep secrets buried in your heart, my friend. Hiding forever under the armor will only lead to rust. I’m always here, as your listener."

Kayla’s gaze was toward the sky of the City of Wandering, Liveser’s sky, always shrouded in dense foliage. Now, Kayla could still see those black tree shadows.

"That, too, is my beautiful dream."