"It's done now. Mommy has infused mana into these three pools: explosion, ignite and vicious venom. You just need to throw the projectiles you produce into it."

"Mm… mom……"

"It's nothing. You don't have to thank me, son. Also, about the Earth Dragon cavalry you mentioned. There won't be any problems. Leave it to mommy. Mommy will ensure that you have skilled Earth Dragon riders for when you need them. Let's see if there's anything else mommy can help you with. Ah, that's it. You don't have to use the swords made by humanity for your guard-unit son. The imperial guards' weapons mommy provided for you are definitely much superior to the swords produced by humanity."

"Uhm…… Thank you mom…… But……"

Vyvyan cheerfully hugged me around my neck, rested her head on my shoulder and blissfully said: "It's okay. It's okay. You don't have to thank me son. You're mommy's son so it's only natural for mommy to support your career. This is what mommy should do!"

She was happy like her crush asked her to do something and she completed it excellently…… But I'm not mom's crush. I'm her son! I'm just her son!

But that's not the important thing here. I've been Vyvyan's son for so long that I've become used to her gestures. That said, I have something extremely important I want to discuss with Vyvyan, and that is……

"Mom, can you come down first? …… We're about to arrive at the palace…… It won't be good if Mommy-Elizabeth sees us like this, don't you think……?"

"I don't care about her."

Grumpy, Vyvyan hugged me around my neck tighter. She leaned on my chest, frowned a little and said, "Mommy poured mommy's mana into the pools. Mommy is extremely weak right now, so you should carry mommy as mommy's son. Back then, mommy carried you when you were powerless and ran around."

I looked at mom with suspicion. Mom's expression and body are the same as usual. I know that transferring mana or using magic will drain you, but you're a demi-G.o.d! Didn't you say it was easy for you to obliterate the entire continent?! You only poured mana into three pools the size of fish-tanks and you've become this weak?! Today is a full-moon night too! Why is it that I don't believe you in the least?!

I truly don't believe you!

But it doesn't look like Vyvyan is going to get off. Instead, she's just going to snuggle up in my arms with her arms wrapped around my neck as we sit atop the horse. Normally speaking, no one is allowed to sit on the prince's horse. But his moms and wives can, right……? Vyvyan is the elf-queen too……

But is it a good idea for you to be leaning in my arms like a little bird on top of my horse like this when you're the elf-queen?! You're my mom, not my wife! People will think you're my mistress, won't they…? Wait, no. A mistress wouldn't be allowed to sit on my horse.

I was now headed to my palace. However, I was growing more and more worried like the feeling you'd have as you walked to the guillotine step by step. Nothing will happen if I carry Vyvyan like this. Freya won't mind how many women I have around me, but… but……

If Elizabeth sees us I bet there will be another full-scale war……

"Ah… son……. Hmm……"

Sorry. I'm sorry. I was wrong. I'm truly sorry. I shouldn't have triggered a flag for myself.

Just as I got to the palace gates, I saw the empress ride her horse out. Elizabeth revealed a happy smile and greeted me at first, but then then when she saw Vyvyan in my arms with a gentle expression, her expression changed for the worst instantly. It was like she saw her father's killer. Her hateful gaze made me feel like she wanted to rip Vyvyan apart.

"Why are you here?"

"Why of course it's because my son needs me."

Vyvyan looked at Elizabeth with a strange smile and then pressed her hands on my chest and continued with a smile, "My son is still my son after all. He needs his mommy to take care of him. I can't help it since I'm his mom. This is just natural."

Elizabeth pursed her lips sideways. She then looked at her and indifferently said: "I can understand you helping my son, but aren't you too intimate with my son? You really are being ambiguous. You're not the you back then. Why are you so intimate with him when you're almost a hundred now? You think you're my son's mistress? You have no manners. Is my son someone you can approach whenever you want? If you have any ounce of shame left, get away from my son!"

Elizabeth's gaze fired up before she even finished speaking. Elizabeth drew her sword at her waist and cut up an ice-cone to pieces which disappeared on the ground before I realised it.

Vyvyan looked back at her coldly and said; "Isn't that the same for you? Old-almost-forty Elizabeth? What are you trying to say? He's not just your son. He's my son. What's it to you if I'm a little intimate with my son?"

Elizabeth waved her sword and all of the Valkyries behind her drew their swords. I was shocked when Vyvyan joined in too. Isn't she basically slapping the empress in the face by being so violent in humanity's lands? However… Vyvyan's seems to be a little particularly excited on full-moon nights……

Snuggled up in my arms, Vyvyan said: "Have your people sheath their swords. Otherwise, I don't think they'll be sufficient for my warm-up. And this is our business. Do you want to bring others into it?"

Elizabeth waved her hand and the Valkyries behind her sheathed their swords. Elizabeth looked at her indifferently and then said: "Ah, right. Today is a full-moon night. It looks like you really need to let it out. But my son is not where you should be releasing your s.e.xual l.u.s.t. If you need to let it out, come fight me."

"Yeah?" Vyvyan twisted her body atop the horse. She then looked at Elizabeth in a teasing way and said, "You must know that it's a full-moon tonight. It's my night with my son tonight. It's none of your business."

"I'm warning you. If you dare use the full-moon night as an excuse to do something that crosses the line with my son, I'll take your head on the spot."

Elizabeth has never been so serious before that she would even change the way she referred to herself. She looked at her coldly with her sword in hand like a wolf about to dig into its meal. Actually, she was more like a wolf that was fighting for the role of king of the pack.

Vyvyan chuckled coldly as she looked at her. She waved her hand and then responded: "Unfortunately, you might not get the chance tonight. Elizabeth, in the past until now, and in the future, only I can protect my son. Only I can. You have no business b.u.t.ting in. Won't you admit that?!"

"Think about it. Who was the one that caused my son to become like this?! Let me repeat myself. If you dare to cross the line with my son, you won't live to see tomorrow."

"Try me. Nothing I do to my son is considered crossing the line."

Vyvyan and Elizabeth glared at each other as though the peace they forcefully tried to maintain had completely vanished on this most tense day……

Glossary

* Elizabeth has never been so serious before that she would even change the way she referred to herself. - This line refers to how in Chinese, there are a bazillion ways of referring to yourself, but in English, we just use "I". She usually uses the version emperors use to refer to themselves, but this time, she used the commonly used "I". In other words, usually 朕 became 我.

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