?After speaking to the guards, he was let through but warned that a messenger was sent to the empress, which caused Archer to smile. While walking through the Solaria palace garden, he saw people tending to it.

Archer strolled along until he felt a presence approaching, prompting him to pivot his gaze. There, he spotted the woman who had taken him under her wing many moons ago, though he often found himself distracted whenever he intended to visit her.

Cassandra moved gracefully along the path, her steps fluid and effortless. Archer caught sight of her gleaming eyes as she approached, her smile radiant and warm. He noticed the two maids following in her wake, their presence silent yet dutiful.

When the older elf woman stood before him, she spoke with affection and relief, “My son, it’s heartening to see that you’ve finally remembered me.”

”Sorry, Mother. I just get sidetracked with everything,” Archer said, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt strange, as he hadn’t had a mother on Thrylos. Cassandra noticed this and stopped walking and embraced him.

“I’m just teasing,” she said with a playful twinkle in her eye as she tidied his hair. “I understand you’re busy with all your ladies and saving the world, but do make sure to see me occasionally.”

Cassandra freed him from her embrace before continuing, ”After all, I still see you as my son, especially since you got engaged to Hemi. And that silly elf has been a new person since meeting you—making friends and smiling even more.”

Archer nodded as the two of them walked towards the palace. Cassandra asked him to tell her what’d been going on in his life, and when he started recounting some of the significant things that had happened, it excited and upset her.

The Solari Empress started pampering him when he told her about all the times he got hurt. Her reaction made him chuckle, as he wasn’t used to it, but it didn’t stop the woman from hugging him every few seconds.

‘Maybe having a Mother isn’t so bad,’ Archer thought as they entered a living room.

Cassandra ushered him to the sofa before ordering her maids to fetch some of the Sunfire Tea, which they instantly did as the older woman turned to him. ”A representative of your kingdom appeared at the palace gates a few months ago offering an exciting trade deal, which Agamemnon agreed to.

Archer smiled, ”They were sent by Aisha, who looks after the kingdom while I’m exploring the world; doing all the tedious work of ruling a kingdom eludes me.”

”Just like the navy, you’re building?” She asked with a grin. ”Not planning to attack Solari, are you?”

When hearing this, Archer got annoyed and instantly responded, ”Of course not! You’re my Mother, and I adore Hemera more than a stupid empire and its wealth. All my girls are worth more to me than any land or treasure.”

Cassandra’s smile grew wider as she revealed, ”I love it when you talk about her like that. It chooses to engage the both of you even better knowing she has someone that truly loves her.”

Archer chuckled, ”Her knowledge and level are something I admire; her smile is amazing and always catches me off guard.”

”Is that all you like about her?” The older elf asked in a teasing voice.

He knew all she wanted to hear was why he loved her daughter, so with a smile, he explained how Hemera could calm him down or advise him about most things, including his love life. The two of them got on really well.

Archer told her that he loves to read with her when they find the time, that she is fascinated with the world around her, and that she is cheerful, which pleased Cassandra. She went on to tell him how she and Agamemnon met when they attended the Solari Magic Academy.

”We met when the first class started, and he was the handsome prince who was in line with the throne, and I was the low-born noble girl who dreamt big, but that dream became real when I beat Agamemnon in the first year tournament and won the top spot of the year and ever since then he chased me throughout our school life.”

”You beat him? How?” Archer asked with a curious expression.

Cassandra beamed, ”I may look like a wife and Mother who helps her husband with the empire, but I’m a powerful Sun Mage in my own right. I can drop the sun on an enemy army, causing devastation beyond words.”

”Whose stronger? You or Father?” He asked, causing the older woman’s big smile to grow wider.

”I am,” Cassandra answered before creating a bright yellow fireball that radiated potent mana that wanted to explode. ”I’m called the Sun Witch Of Solari and have burned countless Barbarian and Lunarian champions to ash.”

Archer watched Cassandra’s green eyes blaze with an intensity that seemed to heat the air around them like the sun. Her golden blonde hair floated as she turned serious, her voice tense as she warned, “Something’s stalking you, Arch. It’s just outside.”

Before he could respond, her body erupted in bright yellow flames, propelling her forward with such speed that it created a loud sonic boom.

Archer stood in the destroyed room as he watched his Mother engageMotherutated Demigods from the Swarm; monstrous beings with twisted forms surrounded her, their roars filling the air with malice.

But he noticed she was undaunted by the creature’s numbers, and a grin appeared. With fire burning in her eyes, she unleashed torrents of Sunfire aimed straight for the enemies, each blast striking each one with explosive force.

The air crackled with energy as beams of golden light pierced the creatures who tried to ambush him. After attacking first, Cassandra started closing in on the Demigods before engaging them in hand-to-hand combat.

Her movements became a blur as the creatures closed in. With her mastery of close combat, she dodged their attacks, countering with devastating strikes of her own. Soon, Archer couldn’t hold back and transformed into his Shadow Prince form.

As the battle went to the garden, he vanished into the darkness, and Cassandra battered the mutants. Archer snuck up on one creature who tried to attack her from behind, but he lunged out of the shadow and tore out its throat, dismembering it.

The mutant crashed to the flow, and because of the strength difference, Archer felt the experience entering his being. Cassandra noticed him joining in and avoided targeting the areas he was in.

He tore apart three more Mutant Demigods with ease before they realized what was happening and started fleeing, but a group of twenty sun mages were approaching and burned the creatures to nothing.

When the battle was over, Cassandra walked over to him as he returned to his humanoid form; the experience poured into him like a waterfall, edging him closer to leveling up. After that, the older blonde woman commented, ”New friends of yours?”

Archer nodded, ”Yes, they are the Swarm who are planning to attack Pluoria,” he said. ”It’s one of the reasons I came to visit you.”

Cassandra smiled warmly as she guided him back to the palace, where they resumed their conversation and exchanged updates. Time flew by, and soon, she had to return to her duties. Before leaving, she tenderly kissed his forehead, eliciting his promise to visit her more often.

Archer decided to tell Osoric about the incoming Swarm attacks, which he needed to know about so the empire could prepare itself for the onslaught, after determining that he opened the Gate to the floating island in Avalon.

Once opening the portal, he entered the palace garden covered by melting snow. He watched the drops hit the ground before approaching the entrance, but two soldiers stood outside and stopped him.

But as soon as they realized it was Archer, they let him through while bowing their heads. He chuckled when he saw this but went to find Osoric, using the Aura Detector to find the Emperor, who was in his bedroom with Chloe.

Archer walked down the corridors while ignoring the panicked looks of the maids as he approached the bedroom. When he arrived outside the door, he knocked before walking in and saw Osoric relaxing on the bed while Chloe was sitting at a desk reading.

The older man jumped up while complaining, ”Archer! You can’t just walk into somebody’s room like that!”

Chloe giggled at her husband’s reaction, but Archer chuckled before revealing the reason behind his visit to the couple, ”The Swarm will continue to attack the empire, and we have a year to prepare before their main invasion.”

Osorics eyes widened in shock, ”How do you know this?”

”Tiamat told me in a dream,” he replied. ”So here I am warning you so the empire can prepare himself.”

The blonde man nodded, ”Thank you for that, Arch. I will start planning, so we will await their attacks.”

”Okay, I’m going to eat and relax before the tournament begins tomorrow,” Archer said with a smile.

He quickly opened a portal before stepping through and reappearing in an alleyway nearby, where he saw people walking past while celebrating the last day of the Frostwinter Festival with smiles on their faces.

Archer walked onto the street, where he spotted Eveline passing by, causing him to use Blink to keep up with the rabbit girl, who jumped in fright when he suddenly appeared beside her with a charming smile.

Eveline returned it with one of her own, ”Hello Arch,” she said. ”What are you doing here?”

”Just looking for something to do as the girls spend time together, so here I am,” he answered with a chuckle.

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