novelODS Chapter 23 The Supreme Queen
Chapter 23 The Supreme Queen
When I woke up the next day, sunlight was already streaming in through the gaps in the curtains, drawing a golden band of light on the floor.
Chen Mo lay on the bed, staring at the wooden beam on the ceiling for a long time.
The dark wood grain gleamed warmly in the sunlight, and the candles on the wrought iron candlesticks had burned out, leaving only a few drops of solidified wax.
He slowly sat up.
I feel much better than yesterday—my legs aren't weak anymore, my head doesn't hurt, and the wound on my palm has scabbed over. Only the area on my shoulder that was chafed by the armor still hurts a little.
Unexpectedly, Chen Mo felt a sense of fullness in his body.
That deep, essential power drawn from Potema's soul had taken root in his body like a seed.
He could sense it, quietly and steadily lurking deep within his consciousness.
When he came downstairs, Benjamin was already sitting in front of the fireplace.
The old man found a pile of new firewood from somewhere and made the fire burn brightly. He spread out the spellbook on his lap and was looking down at something.
He looked up when he heard footsteps.
"Awake? Koprulus sent someone over."
Chen Mo paused for a moment.
When?
"Early this morning, someone from the Blue Palace came and said you need to go see the Blinking Rat after you wake up. Foko Firebeard wants to see us." Benjamin closed his spellbook and stood up.
"Let's go," he said.
The two went out the door and walked down the stone steps.
The morning in Dugu City was more lively than the evening, with many more people on the streets than yesterday.
Vendors were setting up their stalls, housewives were buying groceries, and several children were chasing each other, their laughter ringing out.
A familiar yet strange feeling.
Chen Mo walked among the crowd, the sunlight shining on him, warm and comforting.
I looked up and shielded my eyes from the sunlight.
Chen Mo suddenly felt that the city seemed different from what it had been a few days ago.
Chen Mo was stunned for a moment, seemingly trying to trace the reason for this unusual feeling, but he couldn't find any clues.
Chen Mo chuckled softly and shook his head.
Perhaps it's not that the city has changed,
He's the one who's changed.
In the blink of an eye, the giant rat's door was wide open.
Koprulus, standing behind the bar, gestured towards the corner when he saw them come in.
Buddha Fire Hu sat there.
Imperial guards stood nearby in civilian clothes, without armor.
A glass of untouched wine sat in front of Foco, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Chen Mo and Benjamin.
"Sit." Foko's voice was as hard as his appearance.
Chen Mo and Benjamin sat down opposite him. Foko stared at Chen Mo for a few seconds.
"Copulus told me you saw Potema's spirit in the wolf skull cave," he said. "I need you to tell me that yourself. Every single detail."
Chen Mo took a deep breath and began to tell the story of himself and Benjamin.
From hearing the rumors in the tavern, to recruiting Benjamin, to setting off, to the wolf attack on the road, to the skeleton at the cave entrance, to the hidden passage, to the scene of the ceremony.
He spoke slowly, describing every detail as clearly as possible—eight necromancers, dark red robes, a blue orb of light, Potema's spirit emerging from the orb, her voice, her struggle, the blood magic bindings, her escape after breaking free. He didn't mention his own possession. Benjamin glanced at Chen Mo, seemingly understanding something, but said nothing.
Buddha listened without interrupting.
After Chen Mo finished speaking, he remained silent for a long time. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, the rhythm slow and regular, like a precision instrument processing a large amount of information.
"Bodema's spirit has escaped," he said finally, in a flat tone, as if stating a fact.
"Yes," Chen Mo said.
Are you sure she's weak?
"Confirmed." This time it was Benjamin who spoke. The old man's voice was deeper than usual, and he enunciated each word clearly. "She was bound by blood magic for a long time during the ritual, and then the ritual was interrupted, severely damaging her spirit. Even if she escaped, she won't recover in a short time."
Buddha nodded and stood up. "Please wait here for a moment and do not leave."
He pushed open the door and went out.
Chen Mo and Benjamin exchanged a glance.
Benjamin shrugged, picked up the untouched glass of wine on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.
I waited for about half an hour.
Buddha returned. His expression was more serious than when he left, his brows furrowed deeply, as if he had just dealt with a difficult matter.
"Queen Elisifer wants to see you," he said. "Please follow me."
The Blue Palace appeared even more solemn in the morning sunlight than Chen Mo remembered.
The silver wolf-head flag fluttered atop the tower, the stone walls gleamed greyish-white in the sunlight, and the narrow windows, like a row of silent eyes, overlooked the entire city.
Chen Mo walked behind Fo Ke, crossed the stone arch bridge, passed the guard posts, and entered the gate of the Blue Palace.
The corridor was wide, with a dark red carpet on the floor and portraits of the rulers of Dugu City throughout history hanging on the walls on both sides.
The people in those portraits are dressed in gorgeous clothes, with solemn and distant expressions, like a group of ghosts frozen in time.
They were led into a small hall—not the grand hall used to receive foreign envoys, but a more private room that resembled a combination of a living room and a meeting room.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy. A long table stood by the window, covered with a dark blue tablecloth, and set with several candles and a vase of flowers.
A woman was sitting across the table.
Chen recognized her.
Elisifer.
The High Queen of Solitude, the nominal ruler of Skyrim. She was younger than he had imagined—she looked to be under thirty, perhaps even younger. Her long, golden hair was styled in a bun, with a few stray strands falling from her temples, framing her face.
Her features were exquisite, stunning enough to be considered beautiful, but what truly drew attention were her eyes—pale blue, so clear they were almost transparent, like the surface of a frozen lake in winter.
She was smiling. The corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, the curve just right—not too much, not too little, exactly the standard expression of a "queen receiving her subjects."
But Chen Mo noticed that the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes were cold and wary, like a fawn ready to flee at any moment.
Chen Mo remained silent for a moment.
In the game, she is a tragic character—the widow of the deceased High King Torig, a young widow who is pushed into a position she was never prepared for, caught between the Empire and the Stormcloaks, and used as a pawn by everyone.
Foko Huohu stood half a step behind her.
On the other side of the long table sat several other people—a middle-aged man in an imperial officer's uniform, an elderly man with glasses and gray hair who looked like a scholar, and a tall, thin man in an exquisite silk robe who looked like a nobleman's butler.
"Please sit down."
Alisher looked at Chen Mo and Benjamin as they approached and said softly.