Chapter 495: Chapter 495 Delving Into The Events 2

“I–Is that true, Addie?” the Alpha King asked, blinking as he turned to her. Addison didn’t speak. Archmage Elric had already said everything that needed to be said. She simply nodded.

A brief silence followed before the Queen spoke, her thoughts clearly racing as she pieced everything together. “But if you formed a contract with the Light Fairy… then what happened to the Dark Fairies you rescued? Did they still die, or… did something else occur?”

Addison’s lips parted.

“That…”

But the words wouldn’t come. When the Dark Fairies had been on the brink of death, she had collapsed into unconsciousness. And when she woke up… they were gone.

She didn’t know whether they had died.

Or escaped.

Either way, it should have been her responsibility to watch over them.

And she hadn’t.

“Princess… what became of the Dark Fairies?” Archmage Elric asked, suddenly attentive as he turned to Addison.

Even if they could not be tamed or used, the Dark Fairies held immense research value. Studying them could reveal the source of their power, fragments of their history, and perhaps even insights into controlling the Night Walkers.

He had only forgotten to ask earlier because he had been preoccupied with maintaining the Barrier. But the intention had always been there, to request permission to study them once the situation settled.

To a mage like him, the Dark Fairies were rarer than painite, the crimson gem prized by nobles for its beauty and subtle healing and soothing properties. And unlike painite, the knowledge hidden within the Dark Fairies could be monumental for the Mage Tower.

That alone was enough to make him eager for an answer.

Addison fell silent again, biting her lip. But she knew she couldn’t avoid the truth.

“I… don’t know,” she admitted softly. “Too many things happened at once.”

She drew a slow breath before continuing. “When I arrived at the Golden Hue Pack, I was still carrying the Dark Fairies wrapped in the cloth. But I passed out soon after. And when I woke up… they were gone.”

Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides. “I’m not sure if they died quietly… or escaped. But the windows were untouched when I regained consciousness, so… it’s more unlikely that they left on their own.”

Her voice trailed off as she exhaled deeply, guilt weighing heavily in her chest.

“Oh…” Archmage Elric’s expression fell, his shoulders slumping slightly.

“That is unfortunate. But Princess, this was never your fault,” he said gently. “When we rescued them, they were already at death’s door. Even the Light Fairy would have perished if you hadn’t shared your life force with it.”

He offered her a reassuring look. “We should be grateful that, despite everything, the chain of events still allowed us to turn the situation around and counter the enemy’s plans.”

Though a part of him couldn’t help but regret the lost opportunity for the Mage Tower, he meant every word. He wasn’t blaming Addison, only trying to ease the guilt weighing on her.

“You mustn’t blame yourself for things beyond your control, sweetheart,” the Queen said gently. “You’ve already done everything you could.”

She gave Addison a reassuring look, but her expression soon turned thoughtful.

“Now that you’ve told us all this… I can only assume you realized there was more to these events than what appeared on the surface, didn’t you?”

Though she spoke with warmth, she did not forget her duty. As the mate of the Alpha King and the mother of the werewolf kingdom, it was her responsibility to understand exactly what Addison and the others had uncovered.

Pulled back to the main issue, Addison forced her wandering thoughts aside and steadied herself. “Indeed, Mother,” she began. “During our time here in the West, we came to several realizations.”

She spoke calmly now, her mind focused. “Our enemies have been hiding in the shadows while quietly stirring unrest within the Royal Capital. At first, we thought their target was only me, as the future Alpha King who would inherit the throne.”

She paused briefly. “But we realized it may be far more than that.”

Then her gaze hardened slightly. “They may not only want to remove me. They may want to replace our rule entirely with an Alpha King of their own choosing. Someone they can control.”

A heavy silence followed before she continued. “To do that, they would first need to destabilize our family’s current reign. And so, trouble has been deliberately seeded across the kingdom.”

She drew a slow breath.

“We suspect they are behind what is happening in both the South and the North, along with the West, creating unrest among the people, inciting the netizens, and pushing the Royal Family into deeper chaos.”

Her voice lowered. “And when the time is right, they may use that chaos to pressure the nobles into granting Mila greater authority in the Royal Court… until she is in a position to openly contend for the throne.”

Hearing Addison’s words, the Alpha King, the Queen, and even Archmage Elric all paled, their faces falling. The possibility she outlined was terrifyingly real.

The nobles in the capital had been acting strangely in the days since Addison had gone West, and even the Alpha King had quietly suspected some of them were beginning to defect. He had never voiced these suspicions because he had no solid proof, but the mere thought had always seemed impossible. An Alpha King should have unquestioned control over his kingdom once his subjects pledged loyalty to him.

In their world, power and strength ruled above all. If a new Alpha King were to rise from another pack, that Alpha King would need to come to the Royal Capital and challenge the current ruler in a duel to prove superiority. Only a victorious challenger could legitimately claim the throne, or the current Alpha King could voluntarily step down to pass the mantle to a worthy successor and appoint an heir apparent.

Those were the usual rules.

But if Addison’s warning was true, if the nobles were already picking their own Alpha King while their hidden enemy fanned the flames, then something was deeply wrong in the Royal Capital.

The Alpha King’s thoughts sharpened. This was precisely why Addison had spoken up: to alert him, to ensure his guard remained up, and to keep his eyes wide open for the threats lurking in the shadows.

“You’re saying the nobles have somehow slipped from my control… that they’re defecting to choose their own Alpha King, and perhaps even planning a coup, all while our hidden enemy pulls the strings?” the Alpha King demanded.

Addison simply nodded.

“Correct,” she replied calmly.

“How… how could this be possible?” the Queen gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth in shock.

“The Dark Witches may be involved,” Archmage Elric growled, frowning deeply.

Mages and Dark Witches had always been sworn enemies, standing on opposite sides of morality and order. Where mages sought knowledge and the development of life, Dark Witches followed only their own dark cause, like a cult.

Elric had long despised them, more than dislike, it was hatred. And knowing the extent of what the Dark Witches were capable of, it was impossible for him to feel anything else.

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