Chapter 266 - Seed of the ivorous Giant Pnt

  Katherine Evenhart:

  After the release of the surviving nobles, we had a private meeting to discuss the steps. Margaery was determio maintain stability. She expihat she didn’t want to create problems with the kingdom and that she would he cooperation of the remaining o preserve peace. Our family had never had the ambition to asd to absolute power or quer beyond what we already had. Margaery khat, despite our strength, peace was far more valuable.

  Even with Cyl, as Nathan’s guardian, Margaery made it clear that she didn’t io use this strength for subjugation or the expansion of power. She khe risks, and she didn’t want t the family inte-scale war. The existence of Cyl would remain a secret. The human kingdom possessed a vast military force: inquisites, an army of soldiers mounted on winged horses, an army of mages and on soldiers, as well as magical onry and ented relics. In addition, the kingdom had the support of the alliance of the three kingdoms, ensuring formidable defense against any attempt at domination.

  Even as members of the royal elf family, our iion was o cim the of either the human kingdom or the elves. Margaery decided to maintain things as they were because dragging Nathan and Chloe inte-scale flict was not an option. Therefore, we would tinue keeping Cyl’s existence a secret. What she truly wanted was to ensure a peaceful and secure future for our children, even if it meant using foraintain that peace within the duchy. Her priority had always been the safety and well-being of the family.

  After the meeting, we tinued following Margaery’s pn. The remaining enemy soldiers prostrated themselves before us, swearing o reveal what they had seen, from Cyl tical military capabilities, including my own spell. To ehey would never fet the dahey were in, Margaery made sure to give them a lesson and had them kneel before Cyl. When they saw the great dragon r at them, I could feel the livihey were experieng, and some even passed out. We then made them watch as the bodies were devoured by my giant pnt, and also watched Cyl chew some corpses and spit them out for fun.

  We recorded the identity of each surviving soldier, their anders, and the hey served. If there was the slightest ce of any information leaking, all of them would be executed. Although they were only soldiers, following their superiors' orders, we khat the greatest risk of betrayal came from the nobles. However, after the terror they faced, we were fident that no one would dare speak. They were all now pieces in our own game, subdued by fear and force.

  Even if, at some point, the story of what happened here leaks, it would be hard to believe reports of a dragoence. And if, by some ce, they do believe it... well, let them e to us, kno our door, and question us. Because they will all be greeted by Cyl. oal is peace, but that doesn’t mean we are cowards. If anyone dares to try something against us... they’d better be prepared. Because we kly where they live. And I wouldn’t hesitate to send a dragon to their castle if it meant proteg my family.

  It’s all for you, children.

  I spoke those words in my heart, feeling the weight of the crime I itted. The spell I used was something that should never have beeed. Years ago, I developed a magic tthen my pnts, feeding them with what they ed. The cept was simple: by bining ivorous nature with other seeds, the pnts evolved. Upon dying, they would gee new seeds, and eaew pnt was strohan the previous one, depending oype of meat it was nourished with. Until then, I had never fed these pnts with human flesh, let alone in such rge quantities as I did during the war.

  Now, looking at the monster I had created, I felt immense guilt. Eaew seed pnted lified by the human sacrifice, using their body as the host. The pnt that was born was no longer just an experiment, but a living on that I had transformed into an abomination. In the end, my giant pnt fed ohing, eveher pnts.

  “What do I do with you?” I asked, staring at the massive seed before me. It was the size of an ox, the result of the death of my ivorous giant pnt. My heart ached knowing that something so cruel had been born from the and I gave it.

  Margaery approached, watg the se with curiosity. “What will you do with this thing? Are you really going to destroy it?” she asked, her tone indecisive.

  I sighed, still toug the surface of the seed. “I don’t know. It’s still my daughter, in a way... she’s sleeping in there, and I feel guilty for what I did to her. Before she died, she said she would accept whatever fate I gave her.”

  Margaery furrowed her brow, a bit fused. “You really talk to these pnts? I always thought that was just a joke.”

  “Yes, I do,” I replied, gently caressing the seed. “When they die, they leave a new seed and transfer everything to it. It’s like a cycle of nature, something perfect. They tio exist, one way or another.”

  We stood there, both staring at the seed, while I pohe fate of this new life that had been born from a tragedy.

  Margaery g the seed again, still not fully uanding the affe I felt for it. “Is it like the elliaage ability?” she asked, trying to make a e.

  “Yes…” I replied, still toug the seed. “Normally, they would live longer because they would stay in the ground, growing naturally. But I pced them in humans, and that’s what killed them. This girl is a very old pnt I created. Through her, I made a special seed, pced it in a human, and it created that green mohis is the pnt that spent the most time with me.”

  Margaery stared at the dead pnt and the seed, trying to uand. “I still don’t get it…” she said, fused.

  “This little pnt has been with me for 15 years. It was born the same day Nathan was. I created this ivorous pnt to stay near his crib, to kill any is that came near. They grew up together. Later, wheraveled with Hugo and Nathan to the castle, she came with us in the carriage. We’ve always been together, and over time, she grew. It took 15 years to get to the point of creating the seed that made that green mohat’s why I ’t easily make more of them. It took 15 years of feeding these pnts with my mana. And now, she’s all that’s left. Before she died, she started the process of evolution.”

  As I touched the seed, I felt the weight of the loss. That pnt had been like a daughter to me, alresent, always growing beside me and Nathan. But now, the guilt of having had her feed on people was a burden that was hard to carry.

  “It must be painful for you…” Margaery ented, the size of the pnt. “I never imagi would get so big when you mentiohat it could grow by feeding on humans.”

  I sighed, unsure of what to do with what I had created.

  “her did I. I had never given her people to eat. She fed on many soldiers and even mages. She ate humans with mana gems, and I don’t even know what that triggered in her. But before she died, she pyed with me, like she always did, and said that if I chose to kill her, she would accept it, and then she left and turned into a seed.”

  Margaery approached me.

  “You value life more than anyone here. Even though you’re a ruthless woman, I know you don’t like doing these things. I’ll let you have your moment, and I won’t force you to keep that seed just because it’s in my i,” she said.

  I looked at her, grateful.

  “Thank you…” I said, feeling part of the weight lift from me.

  She gave me a pat on the shoulder.

  “But what do you mean by ‘pyed’ with you?” Margaery asked, trying to ge the subjed calm me down.

  “It’s a silly thing I always do with my pnts. When they’re near death and ready to gee a new seed, they e, saying it’s the natural process, but that they’ll e back stroo protect me. They always tell me the new name of the pnt species they’ll bee, but I always ugh ahem I’ll just call them my daughters.”

  “And what’s the name of the species of the thing ihat giant seed?”

  I stared at the seed and ran my hand over it, caressing it gently.

  “She told me it’s called ‘Dryad’,” I said, a weight in my heart. “A pnt that came to life by feeding on normal humans and mage-humans.”

  Margaery sighed.

  “Dryad? I think it’s better just to call it ‘little pnt,’” she said, ughing. “Katie, I’ll leave her future up to you.”

  I looked at the seed and remembered all the time ent together. She had been my partner in g for Nathan. She killed every mosquito that came near his crib and was always with me. Even when I pyed hide and seek with baby Nathan, she would tell me where he had hidden. She was always there for me. I couldn’t lose my little daughter.

  “I’ll keep her,” I said. “Wheime is right, I’ll let her free from this seed. I ’t lose someone from my family.”

  Margaery gave me a ge on the shoulder.

  “I was waiting for you to say that. Do you think I’d let you destroy her?” She ughed. “Of course not. I need all the help I get to care for our two children. I’ll have this big seed sent to our family vault. One day, when you’re ready, you pnt it a her out of this co,” my friend said.

  I nodded.

  “I’m gd you’re the only one in the world who’s a user of the pnt element in the summoner category. Only you make these monstrous pnts,” she said, ughing as she left.

  As she walked away, I returo caressing the seed.

  “I won’t abandon you, my daughter. I’m sorry for making you do those things.”

  ‘It’s okay, Mom. But if you had asked me to destroy myself, I would have do. But I’m happy to stay with you and my brother.’

  I caressed her, and then we tialking.

  ‘When I get out of this co, you’ll be surprised by how I’ll be, Mom. We, dryads, are the protective spirits of the children of the Great Elf Mother of Alfheim.’

  “I don’t know what you mean by that, but okay. At the right time, I’ll wake you up,” I said, toug the seed with my poutting it to sleep while it finished developing inside.