Princess Selene slowly regained her composure after the physicians departed with her father.
The conqueror returned piece by piece.
Cold.
Focused.
Precise.
She stepped back toward the massive strategy table while scanning countless reports spread across its surface.
"Aerys."
General Aerys immediately straightened.
"Yes, my princess."
Selene's eyes moved across military documents and diplomatic requests simultaneously.
"Ensure every commander follows our instructions exactly."
"No mistakes."
"No unnecessary movements."
Aerys nodded once.
"It will be done."
Selene picked up another report afterward.
"And no one is to provoke Kingdom of Lumeris without my direct permission."
Her tone sharpened slightly.
"If any noble attempts to stir conflict with Lumeris…"
She looked directly at Aerys.
"…you are authorized to remove them."
No hesitation entered Aerys' expression.
"Understood."
Norvoss operated differently from weaker kingdoms.
Internal instability during uncertain times was treated like infection.
Selene continued reviewing documents afterward.
"This kingdom is requesting additional grain shipments before winter."
She slid one parchment toward Aerys.
"Ensure supply management prioritizes it."
Another report followed immediately.
"And reinforce monster-defense preparations along the eastern regions."
"Several capitals requested reserve support."
Aerys accepted each order calmly.
"It shall be done."
-----------------
After General Aerys departed to carry out her commands, the strategy chamber doors opened once more.
Nobles.
Scholars.
Military advisors.
Several high-ranking officials of Kingdom of Norvoss entered carefully before taking their places around the massive war table.
At the center of it all stood Princess Selene.
Calm.
Composed.
Watching them all.
Selene finally spoke first.
"So."
Her golden eyes slowly moved across the gathered advisors.
"Has anyone among you seriously studied dragons?"
The room remained quiet briefly before one elderly scholar stepped forward nervously while adjusting several documents.
"Based upon the intelligence gathered from Kingdom of Lumeris…"
He carefully placed several old notes onto the table.
"Ebruhan does not appear to be an ancient dragon, nor an Abyssal species."
The scholar pointed toward a sketched illustration.
"He most closely resembles a Storm Dragon lineage."
"A powerful species…"
"But still within known dragon classifications."
Selene listened silently.
Then the scholar hesitated slightly before continuing:
"The black dragon, however…"
The room subtly tensed.
"…is far more concerning."
Several nobles exchanged glances quietly.
The scholar lowered his voice.
"The available descriptions strongly suggest Abyssal lineage."
"Possibly a pureblood variant."
Murmurs spread immediately afterward.
An Abyss dragon.
Even among dragon records, those names carried dreadful reputations.
"But…" the scholar added quickly.
"She does not appear to have undergone her first major growth phase yet."
"And her behavior patterns seem…"
He searched carefully for words.
"…less dragon-like than expected."
Selene crossed her arms lightly afterward.
"That observation is accurate."
Several nobles looked surprised by how directly she confirmed it.
Selene's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"She behaves strangely compared to historical dragon records."
"More restrained."
"More emotionally adaptive."
"But I do not believe that makes her harmless."
A duke standing nearby stepped forward next.
"There are methods to suppress dragon mana, Princess."
That immediately caught attention around the chamber.
The duke continued confidently:
"Historical dragon hunters developed several techniques over the centuries."
"Mana restraint collars."
"Suppression zones."
"Specialized traps designed to exhaust dragons by limiting mana circulation."
His expression hardened slightly.
"A dragon deprived of mana cannot sustain combat for long."
Selene tapped one finger lightly against the table while thinking.
Then finally:
"Gather every individual possessing knowledge regarding such methods."
The nobles nodded carefully.
But Selene's voice suddenly sharpened afterward.
"And understand this clearly."
The chamber fell silent immediately.
"No one is to provoke Kingdom of Lumeris without my direct permission."
Her gaze swept across the nobles one by one.
"If I discover otherwise…"
A faint coldness entered her expression.
"…then Aerys will likely speak with you."
A brief pause followed.
"For the last time."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even veteran nobles stiffened slightly at that warning.
Then together:
"Understood, Princess Selene."
One noble finally cleared his throat cautiously afterward.
"My princess…"
Selene looked toward him.
The noble hesitated briefly before asking:
"If conflict eventually occurs…"
"…do you intend to tame those dragons?"
Several nobles quietly watched Selene afterward.
Because everyone understood one truth.
Dragons did not kneel easily.
Especially not powerful ones.
Selene remained silent for several moments.
Then finally:
"Based upon their current behavior…"
Her eyes slowly settled upon the reports regarding Mia and Ebruhan.
"Yes."
A faint smile appeared afterward.
"But creatures capable of loyalty…"
Her voice lowered slightly.
"…are also capable of becoming dangerous enemies."
--------------
As the meeting finally concluded, the nobles and advisors slowly began departing from the strategy chamber in small groups.
Quiet discussions spread immediately once they left Selene's presence.
Some spoke about dragons.
Others about military preparations.
And some…
about General Aerys.
Near the far end of the corridor, one younger noble muttered bitterly beneath his breath while adjusting his gloves.
"I dislike how Princess Selene entrusts everything to that royal dog."
The words were quiet.
But not quiet enough.
A nearby duke immediately stiffened.
Then sharply glanced toward him.
"Careful with your tongue, lad."
The younger noble frowned.
"What?"
The duke stepped closer afterward, lowering his voice.
"You are young enough to mistake silence for weakness."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But men have vanished for speaking less reckless words than that."
The younger noble scoffed softly.
"He is merely a soldier."
The duke stared at him for several seconds.
Then laughed once.
A dry laugh.
"Merely a soldier?"
The older noble shook his head slowly.
"That 'soldier' helped build this empire."
"He commands armies."
"He holds the princess's trust."
"And most importantly…"
The duke's expression became more serious.
"…he does not fear nobles."
That final line carried unusual weight.
Because many powerful men in royal courts could still be influenced through:
wealth
status
ambition
political pressure
But Aerys?
None of those seemed to work on him.
The younger noble looked away slightly.
Still dissatisfied.
"So we simply allow a common-born warrior to stand above us?"
The duke answered immediately:
"No."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"We survive by not standing beneath his sword."
The younger noble lowered his voice further, though bitterness still lingered in his expression.
"I simply dislike seeing ancient houses pushed aside for one royal hound."
The older duke stopped walking.
Slowly.
Then turned toward him.
The atmosphere immediately became heavier.
"Never doubt our princess."
His voice remained calm.
Which somehow felt far more threatening.
The younger noble stiffened slightly.
The duke stepped closer afterward.
"Princess Princess Selene still listens to our counsel."
"She still values noble service."
"She still preserves this empire instead of bleeding it dry."
His eyes narrowed sharply.
"Do you think every conquered kingdom allows its noble houses to survive?"
The younger noble remained silent.
The duke continued quietly:
"She could have replaced us all with military governors years ago."
"But she did not."
That truth struck harder than anger.
Because it was true.
Despite Norvoss' ruthlessness, Selene still maintained balance between:
military power
noble influence
administration
conquered territories
The duke's voice lowered further afterward.
"So next time…"
He stared directly into the younger noble's eyes.
"…watch that little mouth of yours before you lose the ability to use it anymore."
The younger noble still looked dissatisfied even after the duke's warning.
Once the older man walked ahead, he muttered quietly again:
"I still dislike it."
Several nearby nobles glanced toward him cautiously.
The young noble lowered his voice further.
"That royal dog already possesses too much authority."
"He commands armies."
"He controls military movements."
"Even Princess Selene listens to him."
His expression darkened slightly.
"What happens if a man like that decides to rebel someday?"
The corridor briefly became quieter.
Then one older count suddenly laughed under his breath.
"Aerys?"
General Aerys's name alone carried strange weight among the aristocracy.
The count shook his head afterward.
"No."
"I truly doubt that."
The younger noble frowned.
"You sound certain."
The count answered calmly:
"Because men who seek rebellion usually desire something."
"Wealth."
"Power."
"Titles."
"Legacy."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"But Aerys already possesses nearly everything a common-born man could dream of."
"And yet…"
The count's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…he still acts like the same battlefield soldier from years ago."
Another noble quietly joined the discussion.
"I once heard a western duke offer him land, gold, and marriage ties."
The younger noble looked surprised.
"What happened?"
The noble gave a dry smile.
"Aerys refused before the duke even finished speaking."
A brief silence followed afterward.
Because honestly?
That kind of person frightened nobles more than ambitious men.
Ambitious people could be negotiated with.
Controlled.
Bought.
But absolute loyalty?
That was unpredictable.
The older count finally spoke again:
"If Aerys ever wished to seize power…"
His gaze shifted toward the distant strategy chamber.
"…he had far better opportunities long ."
The corridor fell quieter after the count's words.
Then suddenly, one scholar walking nearby adjusted his glasses before speaking dryly:
"And do you know what happened to the nobles who attempted bribing him?"
Several younger nobles looked toward him immediately.
The scholar's expression remained completely straight.
"They were later discovered without their heads."
Silence.
One noble nearly choked.
"You jest."
The scholar calmly shook his head.
"I do not."
Another older official sighed tiredly afterward.
"One attempted to buy military information."
"Another tried convincing Aerys to weaken border patrols for private trade profits."
"And one fool even suggested he could become 'more suitable to rule Norvoss than the princess.'"
The younger nobles visibly paled.
The scholar continued calmly:
"Aerys personally delivered all evidence directly to Princess Selene."
"And shortly afterward…"
He made a small slicing motion across his neck.
"…their problems became considerably shorter."
A few nobles immediately looked around nervously afterward despite being alone in the corridor .
One younger aristocrat lowered his voice quickly.
"So the rumors are true…"
The older count answered bluntly:
"In Norvoss, corruption is tolerated far less than incompetence."
The scholar gave a faint nod.
"And betrayal?"
His expression became colder.
"Betrayal is not tolerated at all."
A brief uncomfortable silence spread afterward.
Because every noble there understood one thing very clearly:
General Aerys was dangerous not merely because he was powerful.
But because he could not be turned against Princess Selene.
And for political schemers?
That made him far more terrifying than ambitious men ever could be.
The older duke finally adjusted his coat before giving a respectful nod toward the others.
"Excuse me."
His expression turned more serious again.
"I shall begin gathering the hunters and dragon specialists requested by Princess Selene."
Several nobles nodded immediately.
No one questioned the urgency anymore.
Not after hearing discussions regarding dragons.
Norvoss was preparing carefully now.
The duke added one final warning before departing:
"And remember this."
His gaze briefly swept across the younger nobles.
"If Princess Selene considers something dangerous…"
"…then you would be wise to fear it as well."
With that, he turned and disappeared down the palace corridor alongside several attendants.
One by one, the remaining nobles and officials also began separating to carry out their assigned duties.
Some headed toward:
military archives
supply chambers
intelligence offices
mage towers
old libraries containing fragmented dragon records
Others quietly prepared letters for distant territories and commanders across Kingdom of Norvoss.