A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 963: These Are My Friends

”What is the meaning of this?” the heroes demanded, their voices a blend of anger and confusion.

Archerʼs gaze remained cold and unyielding. ”Heʼs a loyalist of the Novgorodians and a puppet of the Church. Iʼm sorry, but Jason is not stepping foot in Draconia. I donʼt welcome spies or enemies into our realm.”

Following that, he quickly ate the shocked young man with a swift chomp, causing the three women to throw up as his harem laughed at their reaction. The heroes didnʼt know what to think, and even Tim was second-guessing his choice to join his little brother.

”Arch. What has happened to you?” Tim questioned while holding onto one of Archerʼs scales to secure himself with three women.

”A lot, big brother,” Archer answered with a fed-up voice. ”I got murdered, then I was reincarnated into a family who abused me until I lost my mind until I found another one of my wives named Seraphina.”

He remembered the redhead and smiled to himself before continuing, ”She brought me back from the abyss, and following that, I met the other women who helped me in their own way.”

Olivia quickly spoke with a beaming smile, ”To be honest, I could sense his hostility for all of us.”

When Emily, Tammy, and Natsumi heard this, they grew curious as the mature woman continued speaking, ”If I were to guess, he wanted you three to himself, but Tim here was in the way, and now Miss Japanese and grey eyes are staring at my husband.”

Archer could hear everything but pretended not to as Tammy spoke up, ”How can he have five women? Isnʼt that greedy?”

This caused the women in question to start laughing as Nala revealed with a knowing smile, ”There are twenty-something of us, and he still manages to tend to all our needs.”

Tammy and Natsumi looked completely flabbergasted, which caused Archer to laugh as they reached the sea. The sea looked like chaos as waves the size of mountains crashed all over the place, forcing him to fly higher.

It took him a few hours to slowly fly north until he spotted the Death Mist, which caused Emily to question, ”What is that violet fog?”

”Itʼs our protection from the Alliance,” Maeve answered while examining the enemy fleet below. ”If we didnʼt have that, the billions of soldiers would have invaded our kingdom.”

Emily nodded, but Tim said in a concerned tone, ”If Iʼm honest, most people on Verdantia hate you and your woman, little brother.”

”Theyʼve always hated me,” Archer answered. ”Itʼs nothing new to me, but when we get to the capital, I will have Aisha help you find a place. I need to sleep for a while.”

Following that, Archer dodged the Allianceʼs attack before passing through the Death Mist to see several Deep Sea Mining Platforms littering the surface, with transport ships traveling back and forth to deliver their cargo.

The heroes were shocked and glanced around while Archer flew over the Draconian Mountains and headed for Dragonheart City, where Aisha and Sofia would be waiting at the entrance as she wanted to chat with him.

Archer landed outside the city with a thunderous crash, his massive form shaking as he touched down. Moments later, the group dismounted from his back, and he shifted back into his humanoid shape.

As they approached, the Imperial Knights swiftly surrounded them, their eyes wary and ready for action. Archer regarded their tense stance with a wry smile and raised a hand to placate them.

”Relax, soldiers,” he said, his voice calm and commanding. ”These are my friends. Thereʼs no need for hostility.”

They all saluted before being led to the city, where Nala, Brooke, Ashoka, and Maeve spoke to the heroes about the kingdom and everything to do there. Olivia approached him with a smile, ”Iʼm going to head back to the headquarters to get back to work, husband.”

Archer turned to the white-haired woman and nodded before saying his farewells as she went to get another carriage to the east. Minutes later, Aisha and Sofia, who had taken over, met the group.

Tim and Emily approached him while the other two women watched from a distance. His older brother smiled before speaking, ”Arch. Make sure to see me when youʼre not busy. I would like to catch up and inform you about our siblings.”

ʼʼI will, Tim; I just have a lot to work to do in the coming months due to the number of refugees pouring into Draconia,” Archer replied. ”But we can meet up once youʼve settled in.”

The young man nodded before hugging him again as he whispered, ”You may not have the same body, but Iʼm glad youʼre alive, baby brother. The others will be overjoyed when seeing you.”

Archer didnʼt know what to say but agreed with a smile before leaving the group behind. The five women wanted to show the new women the city, and he wished them well before making his way to the palace.

He walked along the road after leaving the city behind and was followed by the Imperial Knights, who stayed a meter or two away. Archer continued walking and spotted many people traveling toward Dragonheart City.

Thatʼs when he quickly noticed the growing city outside the main walls. The government built Hundreds of houses to house the influx of people once they swore on a mana oath before being allowed into the kingdom.

Archer was pleased with everything inside Draconia and decided to take some of the women out on dates tomorrow. While walking past a large lake, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Sofia Volkovitch getting close.

”Hello, handsome,” the burgundy-haired young woman greeted with a radiant smile. ”May I join you?”

He returned her smile warmly, nodding in agreement. ”Iʼd be delighted to have you.” The duo walked silently, and the sun began to set, casting a serene pink hue over the world. Sofia, gazing at the breathtaking scene, finally spoke, ”Isnʼt the world simply beautiful?”

As they reached the riverʼs edge, Archer and Sofia stopped, their footsteps muffled by the soft, grassy bank. The sun, a fiery orb on the horizon, dipped lower and lower, casting long shadows and painting the sky in deep orange and lavender.

The riverʼs surface shimmered with the last vestiges of daylight, reflecting a canvas of shifting colors. Sofia leaned on the wooden railing that bordered the river, her burgundy hair catching the fading light.

She glanced at Archer, who stood beside her, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The tranquil flow of the river seemed to match the calm that had settled between them. Sofia smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

”Itʼs nice to take a step back and appreciate the small things, isnʼt it?” she asked in a happy

tone.

Archer nodded, his expression softening. ”It is. Thank you for sharing this moment with me,

Sofia.”

She looked at him, her smile widening. ”Anytime, Archer. Iʼm glad we could find a bit of peace together. Even though most of my family hates you passionately, I find you interesting.”

As the sun finally vanished into the distance, leaving a twilight sky painted in deepening shades of blue, the two stood in companionable silence, the gentle murmur of the river and the soft evening breeze their only company.

He smiled when hearing this before Sofia continued, ”A dragon who cares for the common people and has spent a great fortune on ensuring they are well looked after? I have never met one of your kind that isnʼt hot-headed or greedy.”

Archer laughed as he answered, ”What is the point of having power and wealth if I donʼt help my people? Because Iʼve done that, generations will be born in a stable kingdom; they wonʼt

starve or be abused.”

He looked across the river and spotted a farming village before continuing, ”Plus, I love kingdom building, which is fun.”

Sofia started laughing, which sounded like music to Archerʼs ears, and he found himself charmed by the Popeʼs granddaughter as she spoke, ”Grandfather and Uncle Anatoly have got you all wrong. From what Iʼve seen and learned, youʼre very kindhearted and generous while they make you out to be a devil trying to corrupt the world.”

The two laughed before Archer invited Sofia back to the palace for dinner, to which she agreed. The Church Princess grabbed his arm with an innocent smile as the two walked silently while admiring the stars above.

After twenty more minutes, they returned to the palace, and Archer led Sofia through the corridors until reaching the kitchen. When the duo stepped inside, the cooks and maids jumped up to bow, causing him to smile.

Archer waved them away before he started cooking Spaghetti Bolognese, which he knew she loved. Sofia sat and watched as he cooked the minced meat and added the pasta. The burgundy-haired girl commented with a beaming smile, ”I canʼt believe you can cook; itʼs shocking as most men in your position would hate doing that.”

”I love making food, it calms me down and it is relaxing,” Archer answered while ensuring

the meat was cooked.

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