A/N: Please, check my new novel (King of Mean). If you guys can vote there for that novel, I will release more LK chapters.
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Some of the elf warriors in Ghalenna's group recognize Ghilanna, while the others and the fox-clan scouts have an idea of what is happening because of the similarities between mother and daughter.
But regardless of that, Ghilanna prevented Ghalenna from reaching Rein in what looks like the beginning of a fight, so Ghalena's group quickly prepares their weapons.
Warriors lay hands on their swords, archers prepare arrows, and mages begin to channel their magic. But before they know it, large ice spikes are formed in the air above them, making it clear that they already lost the fight before it even started due to the high power of Lucien's group."Don't get involved in this," Ghalenna orders her troops while she ignores Lucien's comment.
Ghilanna smiles at Lucien, and he smiles back at her while everyone understands that it will be something of mother and daughter only.
"If they attack Lucien, they will be the only ones suffering and will deeply regret it," Ghilanna speaks in a mocking tone while thinking about how Ghalenna has no idea who Lucien is for Eve.
Ghalenna points his thin, golden-colored sword at the river. "I need Rein alive. You don't want to suffer my Queen's wrath."
"Oh?" Lucien laughs as he remembers all the times that Eve was strict with him and concluded that she was just as kind, but that only he and his sister really know.
Ghilanna tosses her quiver of arrows on the ground and holds her emerald bow, which has been improved by Rebecca. "So, come and get him."
Ghalenna doesn't think twice and charges towards Ghilanna, making a horizontal cut using only half her speed, with the intention of making Ghilanna avoid and not really hurt her.Although Ghalenna's speed is high, she only has the characteristics of someone really from the third layer of the Mortal Realm, in addition to her natural talent, but that is far inferior to Ghilanna's power level, which despite not being a level above, was reached with Lucien's incredible demonic energy, making her real strength so much more significant.
Ghilanna dodges her mother's attack but quickly hits the bow on her belly, and when Ghalenna loses her balance, Ghilanna spins around her, picks up an arrow from the ground, puts it in the bow, and position the arrow tip behind the mature elf's head.
[How?!] Ghalenna is shocked by Ghilanna's incredible speed. Not even if she used all her speed, she could keep up with her daughter.
*Whoosh*
Ghilanna shoots the arrow but moves the bow slightly to the side, making the arrow pass next to Ghalenna's head and hit a tree trunk near them.
Ghalenna doesn't think twice before turning around, now using all her speed to try to hit the pommel of her sword on Ghilanna's belly.
*Whoosh*
Ghilanna dodge as she takes a step back.
*Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh*
Ghalenna keeps trying to attack Ghilanna, with non-fatal blows, of course, but the quick young elf dodges everything easily while keeping a proud and provocative smile on her face.
"You don't understand..." Ghalenna says as she gets more and more frustrated at being so slow compared to her daughter.
Ghilanna again hits the bow on her mom, now on her thigh, then she spins and puts the arrow behind Ghalenna's head. "Understand what? That you are a weak woman who accepted all orders from your abusive husband and other noble idiots to the point of wanting to force your daughter to the same fate?"
*Whoosh*
After firing the arrow at the same tree, just an inch below the other, Ghilanna jumps back.
Ghalenna again begins to try to attack Ghilanna, even more upset, not with her daughter but with herself.
"YES! I was like that!!" Ghalenna screams as she remembers how dependent she was on the noble elves to keep her people strong enough not to be crushed by other demi-humans.
But then she throws her sword on the ground and starts trying to hit Ghilanna with punches. "But I'm not like that anymore! Queen Eve has given me the power to protect my people and other mothers and daughters like us without needing to depend on stupid men."
"What power?" Ghilanna mocks as she spins around Ghalenna, points another arrow at her head, but shoots it in the tree again.
Lucien is shocked by Ghilanna's attitude. The cute elf has always been so kind to everyone, but it looks like she wants to make Ghalenna really mad.
"Are mother-child relationships so complicated?" Lucien thinks out loud.
While Lucien's wives look at him thoughtfully, Lust comments. "Tell me you..."
Lucien sighs and continues to pay attention to the "fight" between Ghilanna and her mother.
"You're right..." Ghalenna stops attacking while having trouble breathing after forcing her body to the limits, trying to hit Ghilanna.
"Of course I do." Ghilanna giggles and again approaches her mom, knock her on the ground with a sweep kick, and shoots the arrow under her body while she is still in the air, hitting the tree again.
Ghalenna falls to the ground with a loud thud noise but without really getting hurt. So, containing the pride she feels for Ghilanna being so powerful, she maintains an upset attitude.
"I am still weak, and that is why I have to continue serving Queen Eve well in order to become really powerful to never let another daughter have to leave her own home for fear of an unhappy life," Ghalenna speaks honestly.
Ghilanna agrees with her mother. Both do not want the same story to be repeated with other families.
Ghalenna quickly continues. "That's why I need to capture Rein. By order of my Queen, he must continue to suffer together with the others who have caused so much harm to innocent people."
Ghilanna spikes an arrow in the ground next to Ghalenna's head and begins to explain. "Rein is Scarlett's enemy, who like me are sisters-in-law of your beloved Queen. So, why would Eve be against her having her revenge?"
"But-" Ghalenna prepares to say anything, but then Ghilanna's shocking words perplex her.
"This..." Ghalenna can't process all that information at the same time. [Her husband... Queen Eve's brother... that boy??? Is it possible?]
Ghalenna does not want to doubt Ghilanna even though their relationship is not good right now. Still, she cannot help doubting that.
Lucien already expected that, and so he mentally called Anne, Elsie, and Amelia at the beginning of the fight.
The girls arrive at that very moment, and when Ghalenna notices Elsie, she quickly nods. "Lucien is Queen Eve's brother."
"..." Ghalenna doesn't know what to say as the pieces of that puzzle are shuffled in her mind. She cannot doubt the words of Elsie, who is as close to Eve as Luise and herself, but everything still looks very confusing.
"You..." Ghalenna looks at Ghilanna with a sorry expression.
"I'm sorry... I wasn't really mad at you but at how things ended between us..." Ghilanna speaks in her usual gentle tone, also with a sorry expression.
Some tears almost come out of Ghalenna's eyes as she hugs Ghilanna. "It was all my fault. You should be mad with me."
Ghialanna also hugs her mom and starts to cry. "No... you did the best you could... and thanks to your help, I was able to find my place, and... him."
While Ghilanna's troops are even more confused, Lucien's wives find the reunion of mother and daughter very cute, while he is also thrilled.
Lucien smiles at Lust. "Yes, mother-child relationships are very complex. But how could that not be so when it comes to the most important person in anyone's life?"
As Scarlett watched Rein drown slowly at the bottom of the river, Elsie explained the whole situation to Ghalenna.
"Bother? I never understood why Queen Eve didn't talk about her family, but I would never question her about anything." Ghalenna thinks aloud as she looks at Lucien and Ghilanna sitting under the tree, still with the arrows she shot.
Elsie looks at Lucien, too, not with a thoughtful expression but with an affectionate smile. "Anyway, Eve not only gave him permission to do anything with the Alliance, but she also declared him King."
"King?" Ghalenna makes a worried expression. "But that can't be. He's... a man."
Elsie shakes her head. "Do you remember the rumors about the King of Portgreen not being a man, but the devil himself?"
"The handsome devil..." Ghalenna is surprised again. And while she thinks about it, she realizes that Lucien is exactly as the rumors report.
"The most seductive and incredible devil of all..." Elsie thinks out loud. Then she blushes and continues. "He's as impressive as Eve or even... Well, his way of empowering women is quite different and actually more effective."
"No way." Ghalenna can't believe that Lucien can make women stronger than Eve. Well, it will be harder to believe how he does it.
Elsie continues to explain with a tone of admiration. "With only his two thousand private troops and wives, he could easily defeat the Alliance without Eve's leadership just as he did with the great army of the Light Empire."
"Is he that amazing?" Ghalenna asks.
"You have no idea. His troops are very strong, but his wives... Well, you just fought Ghilanna and saw for yourself." Elsie responds.
"His wife..." Ghalenna thinks aloud while gazing at Ghilanna. She was concerned about her daughter all these years, but she didn't think they would ever see each other again.
Elsie can't help but be a little jealous of Ghilanna while Lucien caresses and kisses her. "She is fortunate, just like Anne. Lucien has many women as troops, but he only treats the closest ones to him as wives. Ghilanna gets much stronger and happier every day..."
"Young girls in love are stupid..." Ghalenna comments. She cannot deny that Lucien is the most handsome man she has ever seen, but that does not mean that she will fall in love with him.
Elsie shakes her head and points up, making Ghalenna look at the big ice ships in the sky. Then she points at Cassidy and Angela.
"That's the sage King's daughter. She was poisoned and dying, but now... thanks to Lucien, now you can't survive a single slap from her using half her strength." Elsie explains.
Before Ghalenna can say anything, Elsie continues. "The blue-haired lady a few months ago was S-rank at most, but now she can keep those big ice ships in the sky smoothly. Not even the mages beside Queen Eve would do it that easily."
Ghalenna is really surprised by Elsie's words because even though she may "making things better" for Lucien, she has no reason to lie.
"Do they look like young girls in love?" Elsie giggles.
Ghalenna sighs. "I still won't be loyal to anyone other than my Queen, and unless she tells me in person that he is the King of the Alliance, I won't accept that. I have a duty to keep everything under control until Queen Eve returns."
Elsie shakes her head with a sorry expression as she looks at Lucien. "Don't be stubborn, Ghalenna. Or you will lose even having such an advantage..."
"What are you talking about???" Ghalenna is confused.
"Don't worry about loyalty; I'm not here to demand anything from anyone." Before Elsie answers, Lucien speaks as he approaches them.
Ghalenna looks at Lucien with a firm expression. "Good. I will not call you my King and obey you without my Queen ordering it to me herself."
Lucien smiles. "Fine; I came here to burn the werewolf and manticore clans and let my wives kill Rein and Lanzo. But Eve already destroyed their clans, and well, now Rein and Lanzo are done."
"..." Ghilanna looks at Rein's body at the bottom of the river. She is still not entirely sure about the history that Elsie told her, but she can't change that now.
