“Welcome back, Your Highness . ”

I gave my wives a kiss on their cheeks: “Thank you, Lucia, Nier . It’s good to be back . ”

I was in a bad mood after parting with Ling Yue and Liu Yue, but once I returned home to see Nier and Lucia waiting for me, I found myself in high spirits again . After all, I was technically home again . n.o.body would be unhappy about returning home .

My two wives walked on my right and left side . As we walked to the Imperial Palace, I asked, “Did anything happen while I was away? If nothing happened, fantastic . ”

Nier responded, “Nothing happened . Everything in the Imperial Palace has remained normal . Of course, if you were here, then it would’ve been even better . ”

Lucia nodded: “The girls are very well, too . Your Majesty, you don’t have any more jobs, right? I heard Freya say that you can always stay by our sides now?”

“Not quite . After all, I’ll have to go to Troy City after some time . With that said, I only need to go once every few months . I can bring you with me, too . I think that the hot spring at Troy City is very alluring, don’t you agree?”

Though they learnt I still needed to make trips away, my two wives revealed looks of relief . They were relieved to know I was going to Troy City, so they weren’t worried despite me having to go there every quarter . Troy City was only mere days from the North . Plus, the hot springs were an attraction as I said . Even elves, who were used to bathing in cold lake water, really enjoyed hot baths .

My wives could also come with me . Once our children were a little older, our entire family could make trips to Troy City to enjoy the hot spring . We could consider it a short holiday . Therefore, my wives didn’t complain, and instead, laughed . I could tell the two of them now desired those sorts of peaceful days .

I could see why my wives preferred peaceful days together . We spent more time apart than we spent together . I was supposed to be able to lead a peaceful life in the North after I conquered it, but things didn’t turn out the way I wanted . Lots of things happened . On one occasion, I almost lost my life . That incident scared my wives and moms’ souls out of their bodies . Being able to see me from then on was worth celebrating to them . Still, they were scared . That was why they were apprehensive about me leaving .

I could say that I had resolved everything . The entire continent was settling down . There wouldn’t be any more wars on the continent henceforth . My life would be more peaceful and mundane, but I was content with that . I was starting to get a little tired of life outside . After spending time with Liu Yue, I came to understand what it was that I truly desired . Spending time by Liu Yue’s side was blissful and addicting . She was a good girl, sensible and cute . She was my most beautiful a.s.set . I wanted to forever be there with my girls, accompanying them as they grew through life . Living with my wives and kids was pure bliss . Liu Yue’s sisters weren’t as cute and good girls as she was yet, but nonetheless, watching them gradually grow up gave a sense of accomplishment, I guess .

I once wanted to become a qualified Prince . Then, I wanted to become a King who could protect those around me . In the end, I just wanted to live with my family; therefore, I wasn’t willing to venture into danger, slay dragons or do that sort of stuff again . I no longer had the courage to put all my eggs in one basket . I was content as long as I could be with my family . As for everything else, I didn’t want to think about it . My wives agreed with me on that . They were content to know I didn’t have to go anywhere else . It was good enough to stay with my family . Once a man is tired, he just needs to have a rest with his family . That’s enough .

“Ah, Your Majesty, I am glad to see you back,” stated Gerald .

When I entered the Imperial Palace, I b.u.mped into Gerald, who was standing in the corridor . He swiftly saluted me upon seeing me . I guess he didn’t know I was coming back .

“h.e.l.lo, Gerald . Is Freya close by?”

Gerald was Freya’s bodyguard, so Freya should always be seen with him, yet she wasn’t walking in the corridor . There was only one room there, which was the Imperial Palace’s archive room . Not even I was willing to entire it . Not only were there records of after I captured the North, but there were even more records from the earliest days of the North . The doc.u.ments were stacked and collected in a disordered fas.h.i.+on . That gave the a.s.sumption that anthropoids didn’t think about organising files . I still had yet to organise the files . It was also very stuffy in there, so I virtually never went there .

“Yes,” Gerald answered with a nod . “Princess Freya is in the archives room . Oh, right, please wait a moment, I shall call her . I am sure she will be very happy to see you . ”

Freya should’ve received news that I’d be back, so I was somewhat surprised that she didn’t come straight to me . Perhaps there was urgent business . I didn’t mind her not coming to welcome me . I looked at the archive room and said, “Is there something urgent? Freya has it hard . ”

Gerald felt somewhat torn . He replied, “I do not think it is cla.s.sified as work, but rather… Princess Freya’s personal interest? Recently, she… How shall I put it? She has been slightly odd… Ah, she is different from the past, though . How shall I put it? Princess Freya has developed an interest in dragons all of a sudden . She comes here to find all sorts of information, including children’s books, whenever she has time . I do not understand why she is searching for them, either . She did not have this interest a few days ago . It is as if she has been possessed recently…”

I nodded . That was nothing bad, was it? Trying to learn more about dragons wasn’t stepping out of line . After all, we had a dragon with us . It was surprising for Freya to suddenly have an interest in dragons . Furthermore, if there was a problem, she could just ask Dragon Mom . Also, I, coincidentally, was interested in dragons, as well, at the time . With that said, I didn’t think we’re interested in them for the same reason . It was still good news to me, nonetheless . If Freya was also interested in dragons, she could help me locate the dragons in the North .

While we were speaking, Freya struggled to drag a stack of books out from the archives room . Gerald quickly went to grab the files . Freya let out a breath of relief, and then she wiped her forehead of sweat . She gave me a smile when she saw me: “Welcome back, Onii-sama . Did you have fun on your trip this time?”

“It was all right; however, I’m more interested in you . Freya, what are you doing?”

“Me?” Freya smiled with embarra.s.sment” “I am searching for information connected to dragons . After all, we have a dragon in the palace now . I want to further my knowledge of this race that we have no knowledge of . Perhaps it could deepen my relations.h.i.+p with Queen Sylvanas . There is very little information on dragons here in the North, though . This is fifty years’ worth of information on dragons . There is so minimal that it is pitiful . In spite of dragons living in the elven lands, they cannot change their habitat . After all, according to children’s books, dragons truly do exist in the North . ”

Freya was seriously too smart . I thought I was the only one who discovered it . I never imagined Freya, who didn’t know much about Dragon Mom, had already realised it and began to look into it .

Freya picked up the top file without too much thought: “There are no records of dragons in the Imperial Palace here in the North . Maybe it is because the North does not believe in the existence of dragons . I, however, have managed to find some clues . These are reports on huge beasts in the North . There seems to be reports every year . I have picked out reports which sound close to descriptions of dragons, for example, reports of beasts soaring the skies, enormous bodies and scales . Ostensibly, the North did not go and concern themselves with the sightings . I a.s.sume they deemed the sightings to be too far away, and thereby unrelated to the Imperial Palace . ”

“Are there any reports that reported such things appearing in the north? I don’t know the exact location, but I do know that it should be northwest . ”

“Unfortunately, Your Majesty, I have already surmised that was the case . These reports are all from the northwest direction, and they are somewhat repet.i.tive . Multiple locations made identical visual reports . Perhaps that means that dragons can migrate . It sure is nice to have wings . You can go anywhere you please with them . ”

“Mm…”

I wanted to brag, but Freya didn’t give me the chance to . I had only been out for a few days, yet Freya had learnt as much as I already had .

“The only repeated report I have seen was from Emir Village . They send the same report every year, but I surmise that it was considered a prank, thus ignored . I have tried to locate Emir Village on the map, but the village does not exist on the current map . Could we have drowned it?  The dragons would probably have changed their living place, though . They should be fine with it . ”

“Yeah . What’s the reason for your sudden curiosity, Freya? Could it be that you want to find them?”

Freya smiled: “That depends on how you consider it . You see, we were able to obtain so much gold with just one cave . Now what if there was a second or third cave? If you think that we can establish a friends.h.i.+p with dragons, they are potential trade partners . But if they are the type of wild beast we cannot communicate with, then the existence of such powerful wild beasts will be a threat to our development, agreed?”

“You want to kill them?”

“Of course not . I dare not decide that at my own discretion . That is why I will ask you . Your Majesty, what do you think? Is the dragon race truly our friend, or are they a foe who may threaten us?”