Chapter 287: Troublesome prince

Chapter 287: Chapter 287: Troublesome prince

By afternoon, the first medical station had been reinforced.

Swanly used some of her remaining System points to purchase a small supply of wound-sealing dressings, diagnostic strips for the water, and three vibration alarm stakes.

The purchases hurt.

Financially.

Very personally.

She stared at her reduced balance.

System.

YES, HOST?

Do you enjoy taking my points?

YOU ARE BUYING USEFUL EQUIPMENT.

I was rich yesterday.

YOU WERE NEVER AS RICH AS YOU BELIEVED.

Swanly stared at the fairy.

You’re lucky you’re cute.

I AM A HIGHLY ADVANCED SUPPORT SYSTEM.

And expensive.

HOST.

She smiled sweetly.

Love you.

The fairy looked away.

PLEASE STOP ATTEMPTING TO MANIPULATE ME WITH AFFECTION.

Swanly laughed.

Then inspected the medical supplies she had purchased.

They weren’t enough to cure Heart Fever.

The diagnostic strips couldn’t identify every dangerous substance.

And three alarm stakes were nowhere near enough to protect the whole settlement.

But they were a start.

The System marked the first construction objectives as underway.

No rewards yet.

The work had to be finished first.

Swanly sighed.

Fine. We’ll earn them.

Then a guard came running.

"Lady Swanly!"

She looked up.

"What?"

"There’s a delivery at the western boundary."

Swanly frowned.

"From whom?"

The guard hesitated.

"Prince Azren."

Swanly slowly closed her eyes.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake."

The delivery consisted of twelve sealed crates.

Twelve.

Soren stared at them from inside the Blood Boundary.

His expression was murderous.

"Burn them."

Kael stood beside him.

"Send them back."

Swanly looked between her mates.

Then toward the Veskari guards standing beside the crates.

"Can we at least find out what’s inside before we start destroying things?"

Soren’s silver eyes narrowed.

"They came from Azren."

"Yes, love. I can see that."

Kael folded his arms.

"He wants something."

"Probably."

"Then return them."

Swanly rubbed her forehead.

"Can we all stop being handsome and unreasonable for one minute?"

Neither male looked convinced.

Across the boundary, Azren stood with his arms spread.

His six beautiful wings shimmered in the afternoon sunlight.

"Little fox!"

Swanly stared.

He smiled.

"A gift!"

Soren’s tail struck the ground.

"We don’t accept gifts from you."

Azren looked wounded.

"Such cruelty."

Kael’s golden eyes narrowed.

"Take them away."

Azren sighed.

"Do you two always answer for her?"

Swanly lifted one hand.

"AZREN!"

His eyes brightened.

"Yes, my darling?"

"What is in the crates?"

"Medical supplies."

Swanly blinked.

"Medical?"

Azren nodded.

"Clean dressings. Antiseptic resin. Fever-reducing herbs. Bone-setting materials. Some preserved foods for your healers."

Nahla, who had followed Swanly to the boundary, immediately straightened.

"Fever-reducing herbs?"

Azren smiled at her.

"An entire crate."

Nahla looked toward Soren.

Soren looked back.

"No."

Nahla lifted her stick.

Soren’s eyes narrowed.

"Don’t."

The old otter pointed toward the crates.

"Do you have any idea how many wounded people I still have?"

Soren’s jaw tightened.

Nahla continued.

"My supplies are nearly finished. I have patients whose bandages should have been changed yesterday."

Swanly looked toward Azren.

Then back at her mates.

"We inspect everything."

Soren frowned.

"No Veskari enters."

"Obviously."

Kael looked toward the crates.

"And if anything is wrong?"

"We return it."

Nahla lifted her stick again.

"And if everything is fine?"

Swanly smiled.

"We keep it."

Azren clapped.

"Wonderful!"

Soren looked as though he was considering eating him.

Under the watchful eyes of Ironwood’s guards, the crates were moved to an inspection platform outside the boundary.

Nahla examined the medicines.

Tilla checked the packaging.

Sari inspected the herbs.

And Swanly quietly asked the System to analyze samples.

Golden light swept across the contents.

NO TOXIC CONTAMINATION DETECTED IN THE TESTED SAMPLES.

MEDICAL MATERIALS CONSISTENT WITH DECLARED FUNCTIONS.

Swanly looked toward Nahla.

The old healer was examining a jar of resin.

Her eyes were wide.

"This is genuine."

Swanly nodded.

"Good quality?"

"Very."

Nahla looked toward the crates.

Then toward Azren.

For several seconds, she seemed genuinely torn between thanking him and hitting him with her stick.

Eventually, she chose neither.

"Bring them inside."

Soren exhaled slowly.

Swanly caught his arm.

"Soren."

He looked down.

She smiled.

"Our people need them."

His expression softened slightly.

Then he turned toward Raku.

"Only Ironwood residents handle the supplies. Record everything that enters."

Raku nodded.

"Understood."

Azren smiled.

"See? We can cooperate."

Soren’s silver eyes narrowed.

"Do not become accustomed to it."

Azren laughed.

Then another voice came from behind him.

"Azren."

His smile widened.

Swanly immediately felt her stomach tighten.

Oh, wonderful.

The other prince.

Vaedric approached with several black-armored warriors.

His enormous dark wings folded behind him.

Veyra followed at a distance, still restrained and guarded.

The elder prince’s pale eyes swept over the crates.

Then toward the beastmen carrying supplies into Ironwood.

His expression darkened.

"What is this?"

Azren turned.

"Good afternoon, Brother."

Vaedric ignored the greeting.

"I asked you a question."

Azren glanced toward the crates.

"Medicine."

"I can see that."

"Then why ask?"

Swanly immediately pressed her lips together.

Vaedric’s jaw tightened.

"You are distributing royal supplies to the very beasts obstructing our mission?"

Azren tilted his head.

"Yes."

"Without my authorization?"

"Yes."

Vaedric’s wings spread slightly.

"You dare?"

Azren looked genuinely thoughtful.

Then smiled.

"Apparently."

A few Veskari guards immediately lowered their eyes.

Vaedric’s pale gaze hardened.

"These supplies were transported under the authority of the Crown."

Azren lifted one eyebrow.

"And I am a prince of that Crown."

"That does not give you permission to squander resources!"

"Then perhaps you should write Father a complaint."

Silence.

Azren leaned closer.

"Or Mother."

Vaedric’s expression changed.

Azren smiled wider.

"I’m sure they’d be delighted to hear how furious you are that I gave injured people medicine."

Swanly stared.

Then slowly looked toward Soren.

Oh, he did that on purpose.

Azren was enjoying this.

The bastard had sent the supplies knowing exactly how his brother would react.

And now he was smiling directly in Vaedric’s face.

Vaedric took one step forward.

"You have forgotten your position."

Azren’s smile remained.

"No, Brother."

His pale-violet eyes brightened.

"I remember it extremely well."

Vaedric’s wings snapped open.

The air suddenly changed.

Swanly felt it first.

A crushing pressure swept through the trees.

Leaves ripped from branches.

Dust lifted from the ground.

The Veskari warriors dropped to one knee.

Raku immediately raised his arm.

"BACK FROM THE BOUNDARY!"

Kael caught Swanly around the waist.

Soren’s enormous white tail lifted protectively in front of them.

Vaedric raised one hand.

Dark silver light gathered around his fingers.

Swanly’s eyes widened.

What the fuck?

The pressure intensified.

A nearby tree bent so violently that its roots began lifting from the ground.

Then Vaedric pointed toward Azren.

A narrow wave of black light shot forward.

Azren moved.

His six wings spread.

A dazzling violet barrier erupted around him.

BOOM!

The two forces collided.

The ground shook.

Swanly stumbled.

Kael caught her immediately.

"Swanly!"

"I’m fine!"

Across the boundary, Azren was no longer smiling.

His antennae stood upright.

Violet light traveled through the veins of his wings.

Vaedric’s dark energy pressed against the barrier.

For several seconds, neither force moved.