Demonic Dragon: Harem System-Chapter 829: I’ve already chosen.

The dining table was too large to appear merely as a piece of furniture. Carved from dark wood and polished to reflect the light from the lanterns hanging from the ceiling, it occupied almost the entire center of the hall. Delicate plates, crystal glasses, and perfectly aligned silverware were arranged with almost ceremonial precision, as if each place setting had been prepared long before any conversation began.

Even so, no one was eating.

All eyes were fixed on a single point at the table.

Scáthach.

She remained seated with an upright posture, her hands resting on her lap, her long red hair falling over her shoulders like a silent cascade. Her green eyes were calm, but there was a subtle tension in the air around her, as if the space itself were waiting to see what would happen next.

Around the table, Strax’s wives watched.

It wasn’t anger.

It was judgment.

A silent, heavy judgment, laden with assessments that went far beyond words. Each of them seemed to analyze Scáthach from a different angle, comparing intentions, actions, and consequences, like predators observing a new element within their territory.

Strax was seated at the head of the table.

He rested an elbow on the dark wood and kept his fingers pressed against his forehead for a few seconds, as if gathering patience before speaking. When he finally looked up, his eyes quickly scanned all those present before settling on Scáthach.

The entire room fell silent.

"Scáthach."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough weight to pierce the room like a quiet command.

She looked up immediately.

"Yes."

Strax kept his gaze fixed on her for a few seconds, assessing her expression, her posture, the way she seemed completely prepared to accept whatever decision he made there.

Then he spoke.

"Apologize."

There was no explanation.

There was no justification.

Just two simple, direct, non-negotiable words. For a brief moment, the silence around the table seemed to grow even deeper. Some of the women watched Scáthach with heightened attention, as if expecting some kind of resistance to arise.

But she did not hesitate.

Scáthach rose slowly from her chair. Her dark dress slid smoothly against the floor as she stood, and for a moment her green eyes swept over each of the women around the table.

Then she inclined her head slightly.

"I apologize."

Her voice was firm, clear, without arrogance or hidden excuses within her words.

"My intention was never to disrespect any of you. I recognize that my actions caused unnecessary worry and tension."

She breathed slowly before continuing.

"If my decisions seemed a threat to the balance of this house, then I accept responsibility for it. I apologize to all of you."

When she finished, she remained silent, still standing.

The reaction took a few seconds.

Scarlet was the first to react.

She sat a few places ahead at the table, her long, dark red hair falling down her back as she kept her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes watched Scáthach for a moment, as if measuring every word that had been spoken.

Then she sighed.

It wasn’t an angry sigh.

It was just long.

Tired.

"Honestly..." she murmured.

Scarlet leaned back in her chair, tilting her head slightly before looking at Scáthach again.

"Nobody really took that threat seriously."

A few eyebrows around the table moved slightly.

Beatrice was next to speak.

She sat with an elegant posture, her fingers interlaced on the table as she observed the conversation with an almost academic calm. Her blue eyes analyzed everything with silent attention.

When she opened her mouth to speak, her voice came out soft, but extremely clear. "Scarlet is right."

She tilted her head slightly, looking directly at Scáthach.

"Once we understood what you were trying to do, the situation lost much of its dramatic weight."

Beatrice made a small gesture with her hand, as if rearranging thoughts in the air.

"You wanted to force Strax to evolve faster."

She gave a small, almost imperceptible smile.

"It was a questionable strategy, perhaps a little extreme, but not exactly malicious."

Scarlet let out a small sound of agreement beside her.

"Extreme is a kind way to describe it."

A few discreet laughs arose around the table.

Yennefer then sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she observed the conversation with an expression of slight exasperation.

"Honestly..." she murmured.

Her eyes moved between Scáthach and Strax before she continued.

"We’ve discussed this so many times that I’m starting to think the discussion itself has become a habit."

Cristine nodded slowly beside her.

"I agree."

She crossed her arms on the table, glancing at Scáthach for a moment before shifting her gaze to Strax.

"At this point, it really doesn’t matter anymore."

The conversation was already beginning to lose its initial tension.

It was then that three particularly ancient presences decided to speak.

Kali leaned slightly in her chair, her eyes carrying that ancient gleam that only truly ancient dragons possessed.

"This is already settled."

Her voice was calm, but definitive.

Ouroboros, seated a few places ahead, nodded slowly as he twirled a small cup between his fingers.

"Overthinking this is a waste of energy."

Tiamat also spoke, her deep voice echoing across the table with quiet authority.

"The problem is over."

She glanced at Scáthach for a moment before concluding.

"There’s no need to continue analyzing something that no longer has any real impact."

The three women’s words carried a special weight.

When ancient dragons said something was resolved, it usually meant exactly that.

Some of the other women nodded in silent agreement.

Xenovia remained silent.

She sat upright in her chair, her arms resting on the table, observing the entire conversation with a neutral expression that concealed thoughts difficult to interpret.

Xyn also said nothing.

Her eyes only moved slowly between the faces present, absorbing each reaction with almost analytical attention.

Krissia maintained the same silence.

She seemed more interested in observing the dynamics of the table than in directly interfering in the conversation.

The atmosphere had completely changed.

The initial judgment had vanished.

There remained only a kind of curious calm.

Scáthach was still standing.

She glanced at Strax for a brief moment, as if awaiting instructions on what to do next.

It was then that someone finally decided to steer the conversation in another direction.

Frieren, who had remained quiet throughout the discussion, slowly raised her head.

Her calm eyes scanned the entire table before stopping on Strax.

She didn’t seem particularly interested in the previous tension.

In fact, she seemed more intrigued by the fact that everyone was still there discussing it.

"So..."

Her voice came out calm, almost casual.

"Do you intend to continue talking about Scáthach?"

The question hung in the air for a moment.

Frieren tilted her head slightly.

Or else...

"Are we finally going to visit the Celestial Emperor?"

The question completely changed the energy of the room.

Some of the women exchanged immediate glances.

Others straightened slightly in their chairs.

Even Strax raised an eyebrow upon hearing that.

The subject had changed.

And everyone at the table knew that this new conversation was much more interesting.

Strax remained silent for a few seconds after Frieren’s question.

The change of subject hung in the air like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that slowly spread across the table. The Celestial Emperor was not a name that came up in trivial conversations. Even there, among those women, all powerful entities in their own way, that title carried an ancient weight.

He finally leaned back in his chair.

The movement was relaxed, almost lazy, as if the previous tension of the conversation had completely evaporated. His shoulders sank slightly against the backrest as his eyes slowly scanned each face present at the table.

He was observing.

Analyzing.

Strax never made impulsive decisions when power and risk were involved.

His gaze swept over Xenovia, then Yennifer, paused briefly on Scáthach, slid to Kali, continued to Beatrice, Frieren, and then swept across the rest of the table like someone assessing a chessboard already in progress.

For a few moments, no one spoke.

They just waited.

Then he sighed softly.

A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Scarlet."

The word came out smoothly.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow, her eyes immediately fixing on him.

"Ouroboros."

The ancient dragon lifted his gaze from the cup that was still slowly swirling between his fingers.

"Tiamat."

The third draconic presence slightly raised its chin, its deep eyes observing Strax with absolute attention.

He then concluded.

"The three of you are coming with me."

The silence that followed was instantly different from the previous one.

It wasn’t just surprise.

It was resistance.

Beatrice was the first to react, as expected.

She leaned slightly forward in her chair, crossing her arms on the table as her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Wait a moment."

Her voice came out calm, but carried that familiar competitive energy that always appeared when strategic decisions were made.

Monica also slowly raised an eyebrow, while Kryssia watched silently, though the slight shift in her posture indicated she also had something to say.

Yennefer let out a small sigh beside her.

Cristine rested her head on her hand.

Frieren simply watched, completely interested in seeing how this little storm would unfold.

Beatrice continued. "You decided this too quickly."

Strax tilted his head slightly, still with that slight smile on his lips.

"Decided?"

Beatrice narrowed her eyes a little more.

"You simply chose three names."

Xenovia finally spoke as well, her deep voice carrying that ancient, patient tone that seemed to come from someone who had seen entire eras pass.

"There are other options on the table."

Xyn completed, with the same powerful calm that always accompanied her presence.

"The choice could be discussed."

Some of the other women nodded silently.

It wasn’t exactly a direct opposition.

But clearly there was an expectation that the decision would be more debated.

Strax listened to everything in silence.

He didn’t seem bothered.

In fact, he seemed almost... amused.

Beatrice opened her mouth to continue arguing.

But Strax raised his hand.

The gesture was simple.

There was no overwhelming aura.

There was no invisible pressure in the air.

Even so, the effect was immediate.

Scarlet stopped mid-sentence.

Ouroboros closed her mouth.

Tiamat remained completely still.

The entire room fell silent again.

Strax rested his elbow on the table and his face in his hand as he looked at them with an expression too calm for someone who had just silenced three ancient dragons at once.

"I’ve already decided."

His voice came out light.

Almost casual.

He then tilted his head slightly as he observed the three.

"The strongest will go."

The phrase hung in the air for a moment.

A few eyebrows rose around the table.

Other women exchanged silent glances.

Strax then finished, still with that small, provocative smile on his lips.

"If anyone has a problem with..."

He shrugged slowly.

"Get stronger."

For a whole instant, no one reacted.

Then the reaction came all at once.

Scarlet let out a small nasal laugh.

Ouroboros closed her eyes for a second, as if holding back a sigh that could easily turn into a laugh.

Tiamat just watched Strax for a few seconds before shaking her head very slowly.

Yennefer let out a long, dramatic sigh.

Cristine murmured something that sounded a lot like "here we go again."

Beatrice put two fingers to her lips, trying to hide a small smile.

Frieren, on the other hand, seemed absolutely fascinated.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Strax like someone who had just observed an extremely interesting social experiment.

Xenovia looked at Scarlet.

Then at Strax.

Then at the table.

As if assessing the consequences of that small comment.

Scáthach, curiously, said nothing.

But her green eyes watched Strax with a very specific expression.

Respect.

Perhaps even a little approval.

Scarlet finally uncrossed her arms and leaned back in her chair again.

Her smile was now clearly competitive.

"You know that saying that will only motivate half the table to try to prove you wrong."

Strax just shrugged again.

"Great."

Ouroboros finally let out a small, amused sigh.

"You really enjoy provoking dragons."

Strax looked at him.

"I am one."

Tiamat then spoke again, her deep voice echoing across the table with utter tranquility.

"The decision is made then."

Strax nodded.

"Yes."