[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-armed-witch":3,"chapter-armed-witch-armed-witch-chapter-962":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Armed Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2354502,4604,"Chapter 962: The Queen","armed-witch-chapter-962",962,"\u003Cp>“Oh, Mother, why are you so tense? This is Queen Guinevere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy, who had been shielded behind Long Ma’s outstretched arm, looked at her clearly nervous mother and introduced her with a puzzled expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, the Witch of the House couldn’t help but marvel at how powerful the Death-Substitution Spell used by the Queen to conceal her identity truly was—such magic, which completely replaced another’s identity at the level of fate itself, was terrifying, far surpassing mere shape-shifting or possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shape-shifting could be exposed by powerful beings; possession revealed anomalies to those close to the target—but under the Death-Substitution Spell, you need do nothing at all; others naturally perceive you as the person they remember, and all inconsistencies are seamlessly rationalized by fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even my own mother, a warrior rivaling a Sage at the peak of her power, cannot escape this spell’s influence—only those like me, a fate-immune being, or Sophilia, who possesses a Jade-Rank Fate Eye, can sense the anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Queen? Queen Guinevere?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing her daughter’s explanation, Euphelia froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does the Dragon Kingdom even have a queen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She unconsciously wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, a memory surfaced in her mind, and she gradually calmed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, there really was one—and her name really was Guinevere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah yes, this Queen had always been low-key, rarely appearing in public, which was why she had never left a strong impression on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma thought to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once she realized this, her mental image of the Queen instantly became vivid—she suddenly recalled having seen her at many important Dragon Kingdom banquets, always standing beside the Dragon King whenever she met him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, why didn’t I recognize her right away? And was that person really always the Queen beside the Dragon King? Wasn’t she the Secretary-General?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, maybe the Queen’s concealment technique is just too brilliant—and there’s no rule saying the Secretary-General can’t be the Queen. Makes sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She convinced herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that fortune-teller from back then also the Queen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another doubt surfaced in Long Ma’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But immediately, she talked herself out of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, that explains why the fortune-teller vanished afterward—probably just the Queen’s bored pastime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I really ought to thank this Queen for her divination—if not for her guidance, I wouldn’t have Dorothy, such a lovely and outstanding daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen of Dragons thought to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she lowered her guard; after all, as the Dragon King’s companion, Queen Guinevere was surely trustworthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Yemeng family originated from the Yemeng Ancestor, and this Queen was none other than the mother of that Ancestor—she was, in essence, my own ancestral elder. How could an ancestor harbor ill intent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Euphelia successfully convinced herself and sincerely offered her thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forgive my ignorance, Your Majesty—and thank you for your guidance back then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What guidance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy, hearing her mother’s gratitude, asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma was about to explain, but was interrupted—Guinevere spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dorothy, your mother and I are old acquaintances. Back then, your mother came to me for love advice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma froze, then more memories flooded in; when she looked at Guinevere again, her gaze softened with familiarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, they were indeed close friends—her rise as the Dragon King’s trusted confidante owed much to this dear friend’s whispered recommendations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough gossiping. Don’t pry into your elders’ pasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma gave her daughter a light smack on the back, speaking with mock annoyance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Witch of the House was genuinely curious—how could her mother, a career-driven powerhouse who cared for nothing but her duties, have sought love advice? That was bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep down, she felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since her mother had said so, she couldn’t press further—she owed her mother some dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she and her mother had only reunited less than a year ago; she couldn’t yet fully judge her mother’s character. Even the most formidable woman must have once been a girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Witch of the House thought she might later ask Spider Teacher or Purple Auntie for details—they’d been close friends since student days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having thought this through, Dorothy dropped the matter and turned to Long Ma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother, are you here to watch today’s Dueling Championship too? Want to join us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She invited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She realized she hadn’t spent enough time with her mother lately—and yesterday she’d learned her mother had been secretly preparing a birthday party to surprise her, only to be preempted by the Dragon King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of it, Dorothy felt she ought to spend more time with her mother; after the celebration, they’d be heading back into the Automaton Wastelands, and who knew how long they’d be gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, World Conquest Wars never ended quickly—decades, centuries, even millennia were normal; she’d even heard of some particularly stubborn worlds that had dragged on for over ten thousand years without being subdued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Yemeng family would join the upcoming Automaton Wastelands campaign, Long Ma had other duties keeping her from leaving—she might only occasionally visit the front lines, and if the battle grew fierce, the time left for mother and daughter to be together would shrink further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, she’d only heard of long-distance romances or couples who grew apart—but if she and her mother kept this pattern up, they’d become “long-distance kin,” mother and daughter who barely knew each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that acceptable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it wasn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing her daughter’s hopeful gaze, Euphelia was indeed tempted—but then she sighed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really don’t care about your mother’s affairs at all, do you? Didn’t you know I’m one of the judges for this tournament?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said, half-annoyed, half-amused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Witch of the House blushed with shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma was right—Dorothy knew too little about her mother. Now she recalled that Sophilia had mentioned Long Ma would be a judge, but back then she’d been too awed by her mother’s might to pay attention to the detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as she felt shame, Sophilia spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss, why don’t you join your teacher as a judge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pure White Witch spoke as if genuinely concerned for the mother-daughter bond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy froze, instinctively thinking the maid was joking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, what’s my status? Do I even qualify as a judge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this were the junior division, this was the senior finals—many of the young witches nearing two hundred years old were already peak-level; how could a Grand Witch possibly judge peak-level opponents?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss does lack seniority, but the Forest Witch may qualify.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sophilia replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Pure White Witch addressed her words to Miss, her peripheral vision remained fixed on Guinevere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was observing the Queen’s reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even upon hearing “Forest Witch,” the Queen’s face retained its noble smile, utterly unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made the Pure White Witch frown slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Queen had always felt inscrutable—and now, again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t tell whether the Queen had long known Miss was the Forest Witch, or simply didn’t care about the title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the former, then this Queen, who had been so persistent around Miss, was clearly suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the latter, it still made sense—the Forest Witch, however renowned, was not yet a Sage, while this Queen was a Sage among Sages; she had no reason to care about a rising star’s reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, Queen Guinevere unsettled Sophilia. She knew her own weakness and could do nothing against this opponent—she could only hope Miss would stay close to her teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Pure White Witch’s heart, the teacher was safety; when facing an unbeatable foe, her first instinct was always to cling to the teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Sophilia’s words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy and Long Ma both froze in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither had expected the Pure White Witch to suddenly mention the Forest Witch—this was the entrance to the Dragon Roar Colosseum, crowded with people; if the alias blew, it would be disastrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both instinctively wanted to scold her for her loose lips—but then, mother and daughter exchanged a silent glance, and both instantly tensed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They both knew Sophilia’s nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they themselves were careless, this woman, raised in constant fear and trained since childhood to speak only with caution, would never speak carelessly—her mention of the Forest Witch must have purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This might be a test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A test of whom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy glanced at her companions, then fixed her gaze on Guinevere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her companions were no threat—she’d already revealed herself. The only possible target of Sophilia’s test was one person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Queen had a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she’d previously sensed something off about this disguised Queen sneaking out, she hadn’t dwelled on it—but now that Sophilia had pointed it out, Dorothy had no choice but to trust her maid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Queen’s indifference to the title “Forest Witch” was indeed suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And clearly, it wasn’t just Dorothy who trusted Sophilia—Long Ma trusted this adopted daughter and disciple she had personally raised and taught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she didn’t believe Guinevere, her longtime friend, had any ill intent, if forced to choose between her friend and her disciple...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Euphelia frowned. She hated this forced choice—she valued both family and friendship, and emotionally, she didn’t want to suspect either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when her daughter’s safety was at stake, emotion could not hold her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen of Dragons closed her eyes. Her immense Dragon-Serpent Martial Soul drifted within her, and swiftly, she reached a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War-Magic witches were never the type to overthink—even though Euphelia was a rare scholar among them, not a mere brute, whenever her reason failed, she still stopped thinking and entrusted judgment to her battle-hardened martial intuition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, trust Sophilia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she ceased thinking, Long Ma made her choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, that does seem feasible. How about it, Dorothy? Want to experience being a judge? The tournament’s short on judges—I can recommend you to the panel. With the title ‘Forest Witch,’ no one will refuse you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma asked her daughter, turning to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, yes, that’s great.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy naturally didn’t refuse; she agreed readily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though none of the mother and daughters showed any sign of anomaly, Guinevere knew exactly who she was—she immediately sensed she had been excluded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, this little angel actually has something to her—no wonder she’s the teacher’s… cough, well, no wonder she’s the holder of the Fate Demon Eye—troublesome, and Yufilia too, the reincarnation of the Moon Goddess, Mother’s true favorite daughter, actually received Nidhogg’s true martial transmission—what a headache.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen’s heart grumbled inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She reflected on herself and realized her old habit of getting carried away might have flared up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine, looks like it’s time to switch people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Guinevere also remained expressionless, and the group walked into the Dragon Roar Arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they arrived at the Number One Arena of the finals, the Queen suddenly glanced around, then her eyes lit up as she eagerly dashed toward a figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She joyfully pulled the figure into her arms—their closeness was clearly too intimate, almost unnatural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy, who had been watching the Queen ever since being alerted, was instantly terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh my god, no way—I already suspected you sneaked out here to meet a lover, but you’re being this open, this unashamed—isn’t this going too far?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the Dragon King’s Palace—do you really not care if the Dragon King catches you in the act?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she was genuinely curious—who the hell was this bold enough to cheat on the Dragon King?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So her gaze turned to the short figure trapped in Guinevere’s embrace, struggling to escape her ample chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, only relatively short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the lover wasn’t short at all—she stood around 175 cm, tall for a human woman, but compared to the Dragon-Witch women, she was indeed petite, barely reaching the Queen’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when the lover finally broke free from the Queen’s suffocating hug, gasping for air as she lifted her head, the Witch of the House’s eyes locked onto her instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undeniably, anyone who could lure the Queen into such a risky affair must be stunning—she was extraordinarily handsome, dressed as a knight, like a living archetype from a tale, radiating an irresistible allure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Dorothy wasn’t captivated by her beauty this time—though that androgynous elegance did hit her sweet spot—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was primarily drawn to the two rabbit ears atop the woman’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moon Rabbit ears?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the goddess of the Moon Rabbit, Dorothy instantly recognized the lover’s template.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, she noticed her own mother’s body tremble slightly, her expression turning serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the Dragon Mom knew this lover too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made sense—after all, the Moon Rabbit Witch’s magical aura was at least that of an Upper Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lancelot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Dorothy wondered, she heard her mother utter that name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoa—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Witch of the House was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>",2113,"2026-06-21T03:49:48.467Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b613b361e82599d2ee1303474597dc0d0add9a566bf8afd49b196f44801e2047","armed-witch-chapter-963","armed-witch-chapter-961",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Farmed-witch-cover.jpg"]