The Reborn Witch had a nice 'Tea Time' with the Dragon Queen today
Chapter 86: The Queen’s Successor Exam (featuring: Puppy Alice and Her Mother!)

Chapter 86: The Queen’s Successor Exam (featuring: Puppy Alice and Her Mother!)

"Very good. Now, I believe it is time to fulfill your duties. And I have some...business to discuss with your daughter."

Adil raised her brows, the Queen’s smile belying all secrets. "May I ask the business you have with my...immature successor?"

"You will know eventually, Lady Adil." The Queen’s palm bounced on the puppy’s head as Alice groaned. "Sometimes, a successor’s decision shouldn’t be solely based on our suggestions, and I merely present available options that would benefit you and her. Would you allow it?"

Adil ceased a bile of skepticism in her throat as she sighed out her frustration before bowing and leaving for one of the knight commanders who were handing out free coats and milk in the town centre.

Selene curled up further as she followed her mother’s shadow abandoning her, as her gaze, reluctantly, turned around to meet the Queen. "Uh-gre-greetings, your highness."

"Woof woof!" Alice raised her head as Selene shuddered, as she reveled in the weaker’s fears. The Hero of Rouen, everyone.

The Mother behind her almost wished to raise her foot to kick Alice’s bum, if not for the Dragon’s hands around her waist.

"Bad puppy." The Queen knocked a fist into Alice’s hair, which earned her a groan, before her apologetic frowns turned to Selene. "I apologise for our puppy’s incessant attention. She disobeyed occasionally for....her amusement, if I am to confess."

"It’s alright...my plants often got amused on their own sometimes, haha haha...."

Before they got burned down, that is. A slight glint of glare from Selene towards the Witch, who glanced away, recovered what little dignity she wished to keep intact in her before she faced the Queen again.

"Um...Your highness." Selene straightened herself, still kneeling as her knees were in shambles from running, and she bowed her head. "Please. Uh, give me your orders."

"Why would you assume a Royal such as me would merely whisper orders by casting away one’s guardian?" The Queen’s chuckle flinched Selene as Alice’s eyes narrowed on the greenhead, before another pat closed out the hero’s dissatisfaction.

"Miss Selene." The Queen made sure she had the most polite smile possible as she continued. "I fully believe a town’s future lies not only in its protector, but also in its successor. I’m aware Lady Adil would remain a leader for a very, very long time, but..."

"But...?" Selene bowed her head further to the frozen pavement, wondering if Alice’s ice would freeze her trembling to be still.

"But should she encounter any trouble that required her...further attention, are you confident in handling the crisis yourself?" The Queen tilted her head, as if handing the most subtle of judgment hammers.

"M-my Queen..." Selene closed her eyes, as she is confident...confident that she will collapse as soon as she meets the Queen’s authoritative gaze. "Can I take this as...a potential dismissal of Adil’s duties?"

"As I suggested, no. In this Era of Peace, the more dedicated a protector, the better, and I trust Adil’s authority." The Queen glanced at the Protector to the side, her green silky hair fluttering as Adil leaned to hand out the free coat to a child, her steady expression never leaving, even as the child smiled widely.

"However, I must be assured." The Queen poked Alice’s cheek as she chortled. "Our next generation...will be completely overshadowed by the accomplishment of our puppy hero. May I ask if you’ve admired the Hero Alice once, Miss Selene?"

"Y-yes..." Selene glanced back up to the mid-air frozen objects. Proabably, yeah. Her traumatized heart allowed her to face the truth all the more so.

Truly, the Hero was worth every ounce of strength as she ended the Human-Demon War so early that it put adventurers in the town out of business from the ’War’.

"I’m glad. However." The Queen squeezed Alice’s cheek as she enjoyed the hero’s whining. "You must understand that in this Era of Peace, what remains after the removal of urgency lies wills, ideals and motivations."

"Your highness, you mean...."

"Allow me to clarify, after the removal of threats that are known as Demons, do you perhaps know how the adventurers responded?"

Selene raised her brows as she had heard of the incident. "Um...they all flocked towards the Infinite Dungeon of Soverignheim?"

"Exactly. They wish for all the fights for their abilities to be put to use, violence to be rewarded." The Queen smiled in an understanding, neither blaming nor succumbing to the situation.

"However, Miss Selene, that same application could not ever be used for a protector. For they faced pen for documents, not sword for fights, for they faced malicious doubts by citizens, not certain curses by enemies. Do you perhaps understand now?"

"...you mean my....knightly training won’t suit to lead Rouen?" The Successor to Rouen nodded her head, the Queen’s words resounding in her mind.

"Not exactly. Yet the Knight’s scripture prepared for battles, not for peace." The Queen narrowed her eyes. "I wish not to lecture, Miss Selene. But to remind you that as a successor, especially at such a troubled time, you must grow and not be stagnant in your knightly, naive ideals."

"..." Selene’s silence merely grew, as her eyes peeked at her mentor, the Witch, for an answer.

The witch raised her brows as she merely shook her head. No, this is your battle, not mine. Deal with it your way, as always.

Selene chuckled, in defeat, in acceptance. Her mentor’s reminder, like the time she demanded the old her to fight the kids who bullied her eccentricity, was ever a beacon not in the darkness, but in the abyssal tear where she was clear how to move forward, yet her steps refrained her from doing so.

Alice blinked her eyes at the self-pity, frowned, before sneaking a small ice blast onto Selene’s neck.

"AH!" Selene yelped as she held her neck and watched the Hero’s scowl, the scowl deepening as the greenhead frowned.

"Woof woof!" Pathetic. Alice’s expression said it all before swinging her gaze away. The Queen’s eyes blinked before chuckling at the puppy’s rebellion, before petting the hero to ease her.

Selene’s shoulders slacked at such a gesture, before merely sighing. "Please...can I have some moments for consideration?"

The Queen smiled as she heard not a rejection, but a further room for improvements, for the future of Rouen.

"Take all the time you need, Miss Selene."

Selene nodded her head as she stood, her legs wobbling over to Adil, and waved her hand.

The Queen watched silently as Adil groaned and handed a batch of free coats for Selene to stumble and receive, before her leg was poked, her eyes shifting for the hero’s concerned blues.

Trying to draw her in again with those beautiful pupils? The Queen’s eyes curled as her finger tapped the blue diamonds, the future of the generations lying within her grasp, and she could only hope Miss Selene would eventually grasp hers as well.

For the Future of Rouen lay not in a hero, but in small seeds of growth and hope.

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In the forest that smelled freshly greens instead of concretes, where iced leaves floated instead of iced valuables, Manasseh sneezed as she glanced at the frozen trees. How wasteful, each and every ice on the leaves and grasses contained manas beyond imagination.

...that Alice never ceased to be vengeful against their kins, didn’t she? Manasseh mocked as she walked forward, the greens further consuming her shadowy visage, greens that reminded her of a certain greenhead.

Unbenownst, another kind of greens merely stared, one not of her dear, first human friend, but one of indifference as if viewing an interesting animal walking out of her cage for the first time.