It was almost midnight.
The chirping of crickets cracked the silence of the night.
They were so loud that Freya could hear them sing from her chambers as she flipped to the next page of the book in her hand.
As she did this, she also adjusted the candle, which provided her with some light.
Freya read for some more minutes and then closed the book as she drifted away in thoughts.
While she was deeply thinking about whatever, her lips curled into smiles from time to time.
She couldn't help it.
"You are still up?" a voice asked as the owner yawned through the sentence.
It was the Dragon Queen, Alucard.
She was sleeping and on opening her eyes, she caught sight of Freya still seated at the table with a book in her hand and a candle still burning.
Freya looked at her and nodded slowly.
"I can't seem to catch some sleep. So I decided to read."
Alucard yawned again and started to pat the side of the bed next to her as if urging Freya to come over and lie down.
"You should rest. You know how hectic the days get in recent times."
Freya expressed a hearty smile and bobbed her head.
That was not going to be a problem since she was already done with the book.
The Elf Queen blew out of the candle and made her way to the bed where Alucard also lay.
She got in and wrapped herself in the thick sheets as they looked at each other.
A brief moment of silence.
"Coletta was injured today," Freya said, about to fill Alucard in on something she didn't know.
The Dragon Queen furrowed her brows, wondering what she had to do with the Chief Servant of the castle getting hurt.
…That was not a business of hers.
She looked at Freya in a manner that said, "What about it?"
"...And it was from Drax's magic."
Alucard sat up as well and looked at Freya with disbelief.
"Then he might already be…" Alucard expressed before seeing Freya nod in agreement.
"Yes. A 3-Star Ranked Sorcerer," Freya stated. "His growth is quite fast and I'm afraid that it would draw unnecessary attention. I'm still on guard and have remained so since the old men up there have refused to make a move. It's been fourteen years, Alucard… fourteen years but they kept silent."
Alucard sensed the uneasiness that swallowed up Freya's heart and shifted closer to her, pulling the Elf Queen into her embrace as she stroked her long, blonde white hair.
"The prince is strong, Freya… and that is a good thing."
"But—"
"But nothing, Freya. You know that you and I can never let anything happen to him. Not while we are here, and soon enough, he will grow so strong that he won't need us to protect him any longer if he continues at the rate he is going."
Freya kept mum and considered what the Dragon Queen said and Alucard, indeed, made a lot of sense.
As she worried, the gentle strokes of the Dragon Queen along the strands of her hair were starting to get to her.
After some minutes, Freya was battling to keep awake but sooner than later, she gave in to the soothing sensation Alucard's touch produced and then slept off.
*********
Meanwhile, Drax was still inside the cave of the lizardmen, conflicted between killing the two he met or sparing their lives.
"...the Saurian King's life or yours," Drax threatened.
In his heart, Drax did not mean to kill Akan and Borun though, but he understood that he had to make a powerful statement.
This was the reason he attacked them the way he did and hoped to bully them into submission.
Drax had to put up a strong front even if it meant faking it, just so he could get the outcome he wanted.
One look at Akan and it was already working.
Akan gulped as soon as he heard Drax's stern voice.
The young lizardman didn't want to die but at the same time, if they told Drax where he could find the Saurian King, they were also as good as dead.
"Are you here to kill the Saurian King…?" Borun asked as he lowered his arms to his side in surrender.
Drax observed him closely and didn't let down his guard even for a second.
"Yes," Drax answered tersely.
Immediately, the Elf Prince stepped back as he was surprised by Borun's next action.
Borun let go of his weapon and fell to his knees, bowing furiously before Drax.
"Please, spare our lives and we will give you whatever you want!" he repeatedly pleaded.
Sooner than later, Akan also joined, hoping that their combined plea would touch Drax's heart and he would show them mercy.
Drax looked at the two of them rather pitifully.
He couldn't sense any hostility from them anymore.
The aura he was getting from these two was one of misery.
'Huh? That easy?' he thought, almost drawn to laughter at how easy it was for Borun and Akan to surrender.
Drax, however, did not completely buy into this antics as he approached Borun and pointed his knife at the head of the lizardman.
"What is the meaning of this?" Drax asked, his voice calm and authoritative. "Am I not an enemy? Yet, you easily surrender your king. What is your plan?"
Drax tried to deduce and anticipate what Borun hoped to achieve with his response.
The Elf Prince considered many scenarios, most of which revolved around betrayal or ambush.
Borun, who had lifted his head earlier, bowed again and this time, he kept his head on the ground.
"We are not trying to trick you. After all, I'm sure you can kill us before we are able to do anything if you wanted. However, your goal aligns with that of a lot of lizardmen like myself."
Drax was taken aback as he didn't expect this to happen at all.
Borun then lifted his face.
"Many of us lizardmen want the Saurian King out of the way as well."