RoleplayNovel Chapter 24 The Queen's Response
Chapter 24 The Queen's Response
Alicia's voice was softer than she was, with a deliberate, trained warmth.
"Mr. Chen Mo, Professor Benjamin. I heard from Captain Focke about your experience in the Wolf Skull Cave."
She emphasized the word "professor" a little.
Chen Mo noticed that her gaze lingered on Benjamin for half a second longer than it had on him—she seemed to be assessing who was in charge between the two.
This young widow queen is far more shrewd than she appears.
They sat down.
Benjamin had no intention of speaking; he simply waved to Chen Mo.
Elisifer's gaze fell on Chen Mo's face, somewhat surprised, but she quickly composed herself and said:
"Mr. Chen Mo, Captain Foco told me that you saw Potema's spirit with your own eyes," she said, her tone still gentle, but each word clearly enunciated. "Although I already know this, I still hope you can tell me yourself—are you sure it was Potema?"
"I'm sure," Chen Mo said. His voice was more steady than he had expected.
"During the ritual, the necromancers repeatedly chanted her name. Potema. The spirit responded to that name. She called herself the Wolf Queen."
The room fell silent for a moment.
The butler-like man in the silk robe frowned slightly, while the scholar-like old man took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on.
The imperial officer remained expressionless, but his fingers tapped lightly on the table.
"Potterma," Elisif repeated the name, his voice lower than before, "Potterma of House Septim, the Wolf Queen."
"Yes," Chen Mo said.
Elisifer remained silent for a few seconds.
Her gaze shifted from Chen Mo to the view outside the window. Outside lay the harbor of Dugu City, the grey-blue sea shimmering like scattered gold in the sunlight.
Her profile appeared exceptionally soft in the backlight, but the lines of her jaw were hard and slightly clenched, as if she were clenching her teeth.
"Captain Fock," she said, her voice regaining its gentle, trained warmth, "make arrangements to send men to Wolf Skull Cave to investigate. Make sure to find any possible trace of Potema. This is of utmost importance."
Buddha nodded, his tone calm and steady.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Alissie paused, then her gaze returned to Chen Mo.
"Mr. Chen Mo and Mr. Benjamin, Dugu City will never forget your contributions. We will need your help again when the next expedition team reports back. We are extremely grateful."
Chen Mo understood the meaning behind those words.
"Never forget" implies a reward.
The fact that the "exploration team's message" means that the Blue House does not yet fully believe what they say.
They need evidence, they need to see it with their own eyes, they need to confirm with their own eyes that Potema really was there.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Chen Mo said.
He didn't say much; in this situation, a thank you was enough.
There's no need to pledge loyalty or say much; all you need to do is act like a "subject."
Elisif nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Benjamin.
"Professor Benjamin, you have taught at the Bards' Academy for many years and have a deep understanding of the ancient Nord epics. What are your thoughts on Potema?"
Benjamin cleared his throat. The old man sat much more upright than usual, clutching his spellbook to his chest like a shield.
"Botma is no ordinary undead." His voice was deep and clear, each word as if carefully considered before uttering. "Her soul power is too strong. Even as a remnant soul, even weakened by blood magic, she was still able to break free from the ritual of eight necromancers."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of everyone in the room. "If she finds a suitable host, or enough souls to replenish her power, she can recover in a very short time. Then—"
He didn't finish his sentence. But everyone in the room understood.
Alisifer's face paled slightly for a moment.
Her fingers curled slightly on the table for a moment, then relaxed.
"I understand," she said. Her voice was still gentle, but Chen Mo could hear the suppressed tremor beneath it. "Captain Foko, get the verification done as soon as possible."
"Yes," Buddha said.
Alicia stood up. The others followed suit. Her gaze lingered on Chen Mo's face for a final moment.
"Mr. Chen Mo, Mr. Benjamin," she said, "thank you again. Thank you for what you've done for Dugu City."
Then she turned and left the room through the side door.
The sun was shining brightly when I came out of the Blue Palace.
Chen Mo and Benjamin walked on the stone arch bridge. A cold wind blew up from the deep valley below, making Benjamin's gray robe billow.
"He said a lot of thanks, but didn't give me any reward," Benjamin suddenly said.
Chen Mo smiled.
"Blue Palace doesn't completely trust us yet. After all, anyone who suddenly tells you that people from the last era have suddenly crawled out of their coffins would instinctively be suspicious."
Benjamin grunted twice, but didn't refute.
"Don't you think Her Majesty's attitude is a little strange?" Benjamin paused, then continued.
Chen Mo glanced at him. "You noticed too?"
"I've lived for over sixty years, kid," Benjamin scoffed. "I still have that much insight."
They walked down the stone arch bridge and sat down on the stone steps by the roadside. From here, they could see the harbor of Solitude, the grey-blue sea, and the spires of Gloomy Keep in the distance.
"She's scared," Benjamin suddenly said.
Chen Mo did not respond immediately.
He remained silent for a while, gazing at the distant sea, organizing the knowledge he had pieced together from the game, the background story, and the forum posts.
"Skyrim is merely a province of the Empire," he said calmly. "Even the High King is only the ruler of this province. The Empire has the legal right to rule over the entire human realm—this is the political foundation of all Tamriel."
He paused. "Potterma is of royal blood in Septim. Her father was Emperor Pelagios Septim II, her brother was an emperor, and her son was also an emperor. She is not merely the wife of a provincial ruler—she is a legitimate descendant of the imperial family."
Benjamin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Continue."
Chen Mo turned to look at Benjamin. "If Portma were to be resurrected, her succession would be far more legitimate than that of Elisifer—the widow of the deceased High King. Elisifer's title of High King came from her husband, who is now dead. Portma's royal bloodline is from the Septine family; it's ingrained in her bones."
Benjamin paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Moreover," Chen Mo said, "this woman is extremely ruthless. When she was fourteen, she dared to break off her aunt's engagement and marry into Dugu City in her place. After arriving in Dugu City, she sidelined her elderly husband and became the de facto ruler of Skyrim. Later, when her son was burned to death by a mob, she turned Dugu City into a land of the dead—summoning undead, vampires, and demonic creatures, making the entire city pay for her son's death."
After a pause, Chen Mo continued, "Even if the Nord nobles of Skyrim might not recognize a descendant of a historically infamous imperial family as their queen—if Potema demonstrates enough power, if she uses her undead army and iron-fisted methods to force them to accept her—"
He didn't continue.
Benjamin finished speaking for him.
"Alissie is no match for her."
Benjamin sighed, looked at the distant horizon, and said slowly,
"It's not a matter of whether we can win or not, it's that we're not even in the same league. Elisifer may be a good queen, but when Portma was in power in Solitude, Elisifer's great-grandmother probably hadn't even been born yet."
The two remained silent for a long time. The wind blew in from the harbor, carrying the smell of the sea and the noise of a distant tavern.
Chen Mo gazed at the distant horizon.
The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the sea was calm. The world looked peaceful and serene, like a painting. But he knew what lay behind this painting—a series of storms seemed to be brewing.
"Become stronger," he thought to himself.
The sound was soft, but steady.
Benjamin stared at Chen Mo for a few seconds, then the old man laughed—a roguish, old rogue-like laugh.
Benjamin patted Chen Mo on the shoulder and strode forward. "Let's go back. You owe me a drink."
"When did I owe you a drink?" Chen Mo got up.
"When I came out of the wolf skull cave alive, I said, 'If you come back alive, you'll treat me to a meal.'"
"……OK."
The two figures disappeared into the depths of the streets of Dugu City.
……
Sunlight streamed down from behind the clouds, casting patches of golden light on the stone path.
Seagulls circled in the sky above the harbor.
In the distance, the spires of Gloom Castle silently pierce the blue sky.
In a room in the Blue Palace, Elisifer stood by the window, gazing at the sea outside. Her fingers pressed against the windowsill, her knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.
Behind him, Foko Huohu stood quietly, like a stone statue.
"Folke," she suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, "if Portma really comes back... can I win?"
Buddha remained silent for a long time. "I will do everything in my power to protect you, Your Majesty."
Elisifer did not turn around. Her gaze remained fixed on the distant sea, and something seemed to slowly and irreversibly solidify in her pale blue eyes.
Outside the window, the cries of seagulls echoed in the sky, sharp and long.