Chapter 527 Vanished
[Ella's, Halime and Leira's POV]
All three girls nodded when they heard her question, which caused Ophelia to nod as she took out a device.
Ophelia spoke into it with a hurried voice. ''Girls, can you come to my office please?''
After a few seconds of silence, three voices agreed with her request. Once that was done, she put it away.
Ella noticed that she looked concerned and asked in a curious voice, ''What is troubling you, headmistress?''
Ophelia looked at the half-elf, who had a caring look on her face, which caused her to smile before answering. ''To tell you the truth, girls, I was thinking of heading back to The Arcadia Kingdom because the dragons are making things hard for my family.''
When Leira heard this, she got a confused look, but she shook her head and asked. ''Dragons?''
Ophelia hesitated momentarily, her eyes revealing the weight of the secrets she was about to unveil.
"My mother," she began, "is the Queen of the Witches. We've been locked in a long-standing war with the dragons dominating the Aetheria continent's other half. It's a war that has spanned generations."
Her gaze drifted, recalling the struggles her people faced. "Recently, there's been a change. We've found an unexpected ally in the form of the Phoenix Empress, Bella Flameheart. She rules a strong empire not far of the coast of Aetheria."
Ophelia continued, "But that's not all. There's another force on our side – a kingdom of giants. They've joined our cause, bringing their strength and might to the battlefield. The balance of power is delicate, but with these newfound allies, we fight for the future of our land and its people but recently something changed."
As the older woman spoke, Ella found herself lost in her thoughts. 'Why is she telling us this?'
Unbeknownst to her, the two other girls, too, were quietly pondering the same question, though none of them voiced their curiosity, choosing to listen to Ophelia's words.
Ophelia took a deep breath, her eyes solemn as she shared the unsettling news. "I must warn you," she began, "the dragons we face are not ordinary. They have enlisted the aid of three formidable dragon empires: Draconith, Stormwing, and Plaguewyrm. Each of these empires has unique abilities, making them a force to be reckoned with."
She gestured solemnly and continued, "The Chaos dragons wield the powerful chaos magic. They can manipulate mana to devastating effect, creating unpredictable and destructive forces on the battlefield."
"Stormwing dragons, from the Thunder empire, harness the power of storms. Their control over lightning and thunder is unmatched, making them formidable adversaries in the skies and on the ground."
"Lastly, the Plague dragons, belonging to the Poison empire, are masters of toxic forces. Their breath can unleash deadly poisons that not only harm physically but corrode the very essence of life."
After Ophelia finished her explanation, the three girls exchanged glances, their eyes fixed on her expectantly.
It was Halime who voiced the question that lingered in the air. She inquired, her tone filled with genuine curiosity. "Why are you telling us this?"
Ophelia took a moment before responding, her expression sincere as she pleaded. "Because Archer will get involved when he hears how wealthy all the kingdoms are. He will steal from us all, and I want you girls to talk him out of it.''
The unexpected request left Ella and Halime momentarily silent, processing the unusual proposition.
Leira broke the silence with a sigh, her voice revealing resignation. "Headmistress, he's a greedy dragon. We can't tell him anything. He does what he wants when he wants, and he's a free spirit. Maybe you need to bribe him."
When Ophelia heard this, she sighed before nodding her head. She was about to reply, but there was a knock on the door.
''Come in!'' She shouted out.
Ella observed as three young women entered the room, though her skepticism made her doubt their true age.
The first among them caught her attention, a brown-skinned woman with long, flowing blonde hair and radiant violet eyes.
The woman's large boobs didn't escape Ella's notice, eliciting a subtle hint of jealousy. Leira, the cat girl, seemed to sense her thoughts and playfully poked her.
Ella turned to Leira, who whispered, "Witches are always beautiful. It's a trait of their race."
Nodding in understanding, Ella redirected her attention to the second woman.
The second arrival had pearl-white skin and vibrant pink hair, and it reminded the three girls of Nefertiti's distinctive appearance.
She possessed a slimmer figure than the first woman, and a big smile appeared as Ella shifted her focus to the final newcomer.
This woman bore a striking resemblance to Ophelia but sported short black hair that went past her ears.
Ella noticed the woman was muscular and looked serious. All three wore battle-witch armor, which gave them the perfect protection.
However, a hush enveloped the room as the door closed behind them. Breaking the silence, the blonde witch gazed at Ella and the others before redirecting her attention to Ophelia.
She spoke with a grin. ''Cousin. It's finally nice to see you, but what do you need from us?''
Ophelia smiled before answering. ''Amaryllis, can you search for someone for me? He's gone missing and needs to be located before it causes chaos again.''
Amaryllis couldn't contain her laughter as she playfully poked fun at the older woman. "Ophelia, darling, is there a secret love affair we're unaware of? Or are you thinking about a romantic kidnapping for marriage? Weren't you all about the 'all-natural birth' concept, doing your best to avoid the egg methods our moms applied to some of us?"
Upon hearing this, Ella and the other two burst into giggles, but their laughter was short-lived as a sudden weight settled over them.
Glancing at the source, they found the headmistress looking at them sternly before shifting her attention to Amaryllis.
With a grave tone, Ophelia clarified, "He's not my love, and we're certainly not getting married. It's about Archer Wyldheart. According to these three young ladies, the silly dragon decided to explore the Western Wilds and, well, vanished."
Upon hearing this, Amaryllis's expression shifted to one of concern, but at that moment, the somber-looking woman took a step forward.
Her voice carried a gravitas as she inquired, "Where exactly is that? And what additional details can you provide, Ophelia?"
"Don't call me princess, Valencia. We're family," Ophelia replied, sounding a bit annoyed.
Ignoring the comment, the short-haired woman pressed on. "Tell us where to go, princess, and we'll leave to rescue the boy."
Ophelia sighed, retrieving a map. She pointed to the massive jungle in the Summerfield Duchy. "He's here. Grandmother once told me it's full of abandoned cities from the past, so he may have stumbled upon on of them. She's studying some on the southern continent, so I'll contact her and ask for her opinion."
That's when Ella noticed the pink-haired girl speaking up. "Cousin, you must take this seriously if you're sending us out there."
"Yes, Scarlett. He's important to the empire, even if he doesn't care, but he needs to return as the tournaments are approaching fast, and the Church of Light has been making moves."
The three women nodded, and Amaryllis was the one to speak. "Okay, Ophie, we will rescue your companion, but we must return to the kingdom after that. Auntie needs our help."
Ophelia agreed. "Mother told me the fire dragons have become bolder and attacked Witchgate Stronghold on the western border but were held at bay when Atunie's Pandora and Eulalia paid them a visit."
Ella watched this and was glad that the battle witches would be helping. Amaryllis turned to them and spoke. ''Did the handsome dragon say anything before he vanished?''
The half-elf was about to reply, but Leira spoke up. ''Arch said he'd found an old city, but that's all. It's been quiet since then.''
''Okay, we can start by looking for any cities in the jungle. We have the perfect team to tackle it, so we'll be off.'' Amaryllis commented.
Ophelia nodded with a smile. ''Thank you, girls. I'm sure Archer will be happy to see you three.''
That's when Valencia asked in her usual serious voice. ''Why would he be happy? He should be thankful.''
When Ella, Leira, and Halime heard this, they started laughing, which caught everyone's attention.
Ophelia asked with a curious voice. ''Why are you three laughing?''
Halime stopped laughing as she answered. ''He will thank you and owe you a favor, but don't take advantage of him.''
The others agreed with the snake girl, but Amaryllis spoke. ''We will see when we bring him back.''
After speaking, the battle witches left Ophelia and the three in the room. She turned to them with a smile. ''They will find him.''
''Thank you, headmistress. We will go to classes now.'' Ella spoke as they stood up.
Ophelia smiled at them and waved her hand to open the door. She spoke as they left. ''Be careful girls. Someone will make a move when he's not here.''
[If there are any mistakes, point them out, and I'll edit it. Thanks]
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