Dragon King's Harem Chapter 425. Political Badstorm

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 425. Political Badstorm

The drake was taken to a special place, one we had prepared just for him. Outside the capital walls, a massive dome had been constructed practically overnight—a makeshift sanctuary designed to house the ice drake temporarily. If this had been my original world, it would have taken months, maybe years, to build something like this. But this was Igixar. Here, all it took was half a day and a handful of skilled builders wielding earth-element spells.

Magic had a way of making the impossible look easy.

Inside the dome, the temperature had been carefully controlled. Ice crystal installations lined the walls, humming with cold mana, lowering the heat to a temperature similar to the Ice Forest where the drake had once lived. Dragon Cross City was far too warm for a creature like him—without the right conditions, he’d get sick, and I needed him at full strength.

He stood in the center of the dome now, his massive body curled slightly as he rested, his icy breath misting in the cool air. His wounds had been tended to, and large slabs of meat had been stacked neatly in front of him—fresh, still cold, just how he liked it.

I watched him for a moment, arms crossed, as he tore through his food. He was eating well. That was a good sign. If he was still grieving, still mourning the past, he wasn’t letting it interfere with his appetite. That meant when the time came, he’d be ready to fight.

Eir and General Guillotine stood beside me, both silent for a while as they watched the drake. Eventually, Guillotine spoke.

“He’s strong,” he murmured. “Probably stronger than most of our frontline fighters. You really think we’ll be able to control him during the attack?”

I smirked. “Control? No. Guide? Yes. He’s not a mindless beast. He knows exactly what’s at stake. He’s not just fighting for us—he’s fighting for the queen, for her son, for his former master. That’s more than enough motivation.”

Eir hummed, tilting his head slightly. “And you really think the plan is going to work?”

I shot him a look. “You got a better idea?”

He sighed. “No. Just wondering if you’re aware of how insane this whole thing is.”

I let out a short laugh. “Oh, trust me, I’m fully aware.”

The day of departure was getting closer. Tomorrow, we'll leave. The final hours before an operation like this were always the hardest.

Now, here I was, sitting behind my desk, plopping myself into my chair as I finally cleared the last document off my desk. I let out a long breath, closing my eyes for a brief moment as the dull throbbing in my head made itself known.

Juggling between work and leveling up my power was something else. Sure, I was happy with my progress, but hell, it was exhausting.

I had left most of the final preparations to Eir and Guillotine. They knew what they were doing. They knew how to make sure the soldiers were ready, how to run the logistics behind the scenes. That left me with a different kind of decision—who was coming with me.

I had already decided.

Jyne and Sela.

Jyne was an obvious choice. She wielded wind-element magic, and in a fight against ice, thunder magic conducted through wind would be devastating. We’d need that edge.

Sela, on the other hand… she was different.

She rarely left the palace. Even after everything, she was still seen as an exile noble, someone I had taken in, someone protected by the Dragon King. But this time, she wouldn’t be just some noblewoman hiding in the palace. This time, she would walk at my side—as my wife. It was time to change how people saw her.

Not to mention, I needed her. The Trojan Horse plan relied on deception, and Sela’s crystal magic was perfect for that. Traps, illusions, manipulation—she could handle all of it.

Instead of Eir, I decided to bring Al.

Eir was a frontline soldier, a warrior meant for open battle. Al, though—Al was different. A fight like this wasn’t about brute strength. It was about strategy, about playing the enemy’s own game against them. And Al? Al was perfect for that.

There was a knock on the door, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, rubbing my temples as I leaned back in my chair.

The door creaked open, and Al stepped inside, his usual smirk in place. “You look like just woke up from a bad dream, Your Majesty.”

I snorted. “And you look like you have something to say.”

He crossed the room, plopping into one of the chairs in front of my desk. “Word’s spreading. People know something big is coming. You think we can pull this off?”

I gave him a dry look. “Have I ever let you down?”

Al chuckled. “No. But this is different. We’re not just walking into a battle. We’re walking into a political badstorm.”

I nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. “I know. That’s why you’re coming with me.”

His smirk widened slightly. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. “It’s not flattery. It's a fact. You see things differently. You think differently. Eir would want to take this head-on. You? You know when to hold back. When to strike where it hurts.”

Al tilted his head, considering that. “And here I thought you just wanted me around for my charm.”

I rolled my eyes. “That, too.”

His smirk faded slightly, replaced with something more serious. “You really think the groom is keeping the queen’s son hostage?”

My jaw tightened. “I know. She told me.”

Al’s eyes sharpened with curiosity. He leaned forward slightly, the usual smirk on his face replaced with something more serious. “She told you?”

I nodded, my fingers drumming against the wooden surface of my desk. “She met me several times using her dream spell.”

Al’s brow lifted. “Dream spell?”

“She can reach people through their dreams if they’re in territories covered by ice or snow. That’s how she spoke to me. She asked me for help.” My voice was steady, but there was an underlying weight to it. Those dreams weren’t just desperate cries; they were the last options of a queen being suffocated by circumstances beyond her control.