July 22, 2026

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 574. Kill The Dragon King

Shock exploded across the hall.

Not shouting.

Just pure, stunned horror. The kind that made everyone forget how to perform civilization for a second.

Several guards didn’t move.

One actually lowered his spear slightly by instinct.

Their captain looked like he had just been told to jump into a volcano because the king wanted better lighting.

Durharn roared, “NOW!”

And that was when I understood the full shape of the nymphs’ move.

They didn’t just want Durharn to order it.

They wanted to see if I was truly weakened.

If I fought too cleanly, too easily, they’d know something was wrong.

So I played along.

I staggered harder in Evelina’s arms, coughing as dark mana flickered around my shoulders like unstable smoke.

A guard rushed first.

Poor bastard.

His spear thrust toward me with shaking hands, more fear than loyalty behind it.

I moved late.

On purpose.

Barely.

The spear grazed past my side, slicing the fabric of my coat.

Gasps rang out.

Evelina screamed my name.

Beautifully dramatic.

I twisted, catching the shaft with one hand, but made my grip look weak. My knees bent as if the force nearly pushed me down.

Inside?

I could have snapped the spear, the guard, and half the floor with one finger.

Instead, I let the room believe I was struggling.

The guard’s eyes met mine.

His face said please don’t kill me.

I shoved him back just enough to send him stumbling.

Another two guards approached.

Sela rose.

Marissa rose.

Al’s monocle flashed.

Seraphel’s aura sparked ember-red.

But I lifted one trembling hand. “Stay back,” I rasped.

Not to my enemies.

To my people.

Because the trap was still open.

And I wanted the nymph queen to step deeper.

So I let the hall believe I was one breath away from collapsing.

My fingers spread, and the air beside my palm split with a low, familiar growl. Darkness bled out first, then steel. My sword answered me like an old beast waking up from sleep.

The blade slid into my grip, black metal drinking the chandelier light.

I let my wrist tremble.

Just slightly.

Enough for Elowen and Seranaya to see what they wanted to see.

I lifted the sword as if it weighed ten times more than it should, shoulders tightening, breath rough, knees almost buckling before I forced myself upright through sheer, stupid dragon pride.

Because dragon pride was dragon pride.

A dragon king didn’t kneel just because some wedding salad got adventurous.

I dragged in a breath, glaring at the guards through the fake pain twisting across my face.

“Don’t…” I rasped.

The hall quieted around that single word.

I tightened my grip on Nightmare.

“…you dare touch me or my people.”

The guards stopped for half a heartbeat.

They still had brains.

Poor things.

Then Al stepped forward. “Your Majesty…”

His voice came strained.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

And almost lost the entire act.

Because Al’s face was perfect.

Pale. Sweaty. Distressed. One hand pressed dramatically against his chest like he had personally been betrayed by oxygen.

“You better…” He gasped, actually gasped, as if speaking was difficult. “…let me handle them.”

I stared.

Al lifted one trembling hand.

Then began chanting.

Not real magic.

What came out of his mouth was the most cursed collection of syllables I had ever heard from someone with academic training.

“Vra kalum… shadara… doki-doki… neko… kyun…”

Neko kyun?

I almost cringed so hard my curse simulation nearly became real.

Sela’s eye twitched.

Marissa lowered her head, pretending weakness, but I saw her shoulders shake once.

Evelina had to bite her lip.

Shadow gathered around his feet anyway.

Real shadow.

Because apparently the gibberish was just seasoning.

The hall darkened.

Torches dimmed. The chandelier light flickered. A wave of black mist rolled outward from Al’s shoes, creeping across the stone floor like a living storm. The guards panicked immediately, shields lifting, spears shaking. Nobles gasped. Servants screamed and ducked behind tables.

Al raised both hands higher. “Behold…” he whispered dramatically. “The forbidden art of—”

Then he yelped.

“Ah!”

The shadow vanished.

Just like that.

Al clutched his chest, staggered backward, and dropped to his knees like a vampire thrown into noon sunlight.

“No…” he croaked.

Then collapsed sideways.

And rolled.

He rolled.

On the floor.

Like a child throwing a tantrum because someone took away his snack.

One full turn.

Then another.

His robes tangled around his legs.

His monocle somehow stayed perfectly in place.

“Your Majesty…” he groaned while rolling again. “Forgive me… the poison… it has sealed my great power…”

I stared at him.

Completely blank.

Inside, my soul stood up, walked away, came back, sat down again, and whispered, ‘Dear real Argod, why did you make this man your royal magician?’

A terrible decision and yet a brilliant one too.

Hard to tell right now.

But Durharn bought it.

The poisoned idiot king’s eyes widened with satisfaction. “No one can save you now,” he growled. “Attack them!”

The guards moved.

The first spear came from my left.

Too slow.

I could have stepped aside and ended this with a flick.

Instead, I twisted late, Nightmare scraping against the spearhead with a shriek of metal. Sparks burst between us. I let the force push me back half a step.

Gasps erupted from the hall.

Another guard came from the right. I parried, deliberately rough, my sword meeting his weapon hard enough to knock him off balance but not break him. He stumbled, pale and sweating, eyes wide with horror.

He knew I spared him.

I saw it.

He saw it.

We both agreed silently not to mention it.

A third guard swung his axe toward my shoulder. I ducked too slowly, letting the blade clip a strand of my hair and tear the edge of my coat. Then I shoved him with my elbow, sending him crashing into another guard.

“Your Majesty!” Evelina cried behind me.

I coughed hard in response, nearly falling to one knee before forcing myself back up.