Harem Master: Seduction System

Chapter 378: Snake Queen Spanked By Her Daughter

"A cramp," Alaric spoke, the vibration of his deep baritone humming against the sensitive column of Cai Wei’s neck. "We must be careful, Cai Wei. Muscles can be so... temperamental when they are tense. Or when they are hiding secrets."

His hand, hidden beneath the table and the translucent red silk of her top, gave her pink, erect nipple one last, sharp twist. It was a cruel pinch, precise and agonizingly pleasurable. Cai Wei choked on a gasp, her body jerking involuntarily in his lap. Her wide, curvaceous hips ground down against his hardness, and she felt a fresh surge of wetness coat her thighs—a traitorous, biological reaction to the pain and the sheer, overwhelming dominance he exuded.

"Your move, Uncle Alaric!" Yu’er chirped, her voice bright and happy, completely oblivious to the silent, erotic torture her mother was enduring just two feet away.

Alaric smiled, that charming, benevolent mask sliding back into place effortlessly as he looked at the child. "Right you are, Princess. Let’s see what the dice have to say about the fate of my kingdom."

He reached out with his free hand—the one not currently resting possessively on Cai Wei’s exposed, creamy-white thigh—and picked up the ivory dice. They were heavy, carved from the bone of a spirit beast, and enchanted to glow with a soft azure light when rolled.

Alaric shook them in his fist, the rattling sound echoing in the quiet luxury of the cave. "Daddy needs a new pair of boots," he murmured, a phrase from his old world that meant nothing to them but amused him greatly.

He cast the dice.

As they tumbled across the polished mahogany surface, clattering over the miniature terrain of the board, Alaric pulsed a tiny, imperceptible thread of Void Mana. It wasn’t enough to trigger any magical alarms, just a subtle nudge to probability, bending luck to his will. The dice hit the edge of the board, spun wildly on their corners, and settled.

Double sixes. A critical success. The ’Cataclysm’ roll.

"Oh no!" Yu’er gasped, putting her small hands to her cheeks in dramatic horror. "The dragon wakes up! My knights!"

"Indeed," Alaric grinned, his eyes gleaming. "My Dragon Knight activates his special ability: ’Scorched Earth’."

He reached out and moved his piece, a black obsidian dragon, sweeping it through Yu’er’s defensive line. With a flick of his finger, he toppled Cai Wei’s archers one by one. It was a slaughter. In a single turn, he had completely reversed the state of the board, turning a stalemate into a massacre.

"I win this round," Alaric declared, leaning back against the plush cushions and pulling Cai Wei with him until her bare back pressed flush against his broad chest. He could feel the heat radiating from her fair skin, the frantic beat of her heart against his ribs. "Decisively."

Cai Wei stared at the board, her mind racing. She was a master tactician, a Queen who had led armies. She had calculated the odds. That roll was statistically impossible given the previous three turns. He had manipulated it. She knew it.

"You..." she started to whisper, looking up at him with a mix of accusation and fear.

"I win," Alaric repeated, cutting her off, his voice dropping to a husky purr that vibrated through her bones. "And in this house, the winner always gets a prize from the loser. That is the rule of conquest, is it not?"

"A prize?" Yu’er asked, looking worriedly at her dwindling pile of gold tokens. "Do I have to give you my gold, Uncle Alaric? I only have three pieces left!"

"Not you, Princess," Alaric winked at the girl. "You played with honor. You fought bravely. But Mommy..."

He paused, his hand sliding up Cai Wei’s arm to grip her chin. His fingers dug into her jaw, turning her face toward him. His ruby eyes burned with a dark, hungry light that made her breath hitch in her throat.

"Mommy lost her archers very carelessly," Alaric whispered. "She was a bad general. And the loser pays the toll."

Before she could protest, before she could even turn away or shield her daughter’s eyes, Alaric crushed his lips against hers.

It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was a claiming. An invasion. He forced her lips apart, his tongue sweeping into her mouth with arrogant entitlement. He tasted her—the fear, the sweetness of the fruit wine she had sipped earlier, and the underlying, spicy heat of her snake nature.

Cai Wei stiffened, her hands instinctively coming up to push at his chest, but she stopped herself mid-motion. The seal. The threat to Yu’er. The realization that resistance would only make him crueler.

She went limp, surrendering to him. She allowed him to ravage her mouth. She felt his hand slide up her thigh, gripping her buttock through the thin string of the G-string. He squeezed the soft, alabaster flesh so hard she knew it would leave a bruise on her fair skin.

"Mmph!"

Alaric deepened the kiss, tilting her head back, devouring her right in front of her daughter. He swirled his tongue around hers, sucking on it, making wet, lewd noises that seemed deafening in the quiet room.

"Eww!" Yu’er giggled, covering her eyes with her small hands, though she peeked through the gaps in her fingers with bright curiosity. "Mommy! Uncle Alaric! That’s gross! You’re eating her face!"

Alaric pulled back slowly, a long, thick string of saliva connecting their lips. It glistened in the magical light before breaking and falling onto Cai Wei’s heaving chest, landing right between her breasts on the translucent red silk. She was panting, her face flushed a deep, rosy crimson that contrasted beautifully with her pale skin, her lips swollen and red from his assault.

"Just collecting my winnings," Alaric said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes never left Cai Wei’s dazed, humiliated face. "Although..."

He narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting from lust to a mock suspicion.

"I suspect someone is cheating."

Cai Wei blinked, her mind still reeling from the kiss and the heavy hand on her ass. "What?"

"You," Alaric accused calmly, pointing a long finger at her nose. "You moved that archer piece when I wasn’t looking, didn’t you? You tried to block my dragon illegally."

"I... I didn’t!" Cai Wei protested, shocked.

But the truth was, she had. Three turns ago, while Alaric was pouring wine, she had nudged her archer one square to the left to give Yu’er a better chance at winning. It was a mother’s instinct to help her child. She didn’t think he had seen it.

"Lying is bad, Cai Wei," Alaric scolded, his voice taking on a disappointed tone. He looked at Yu’er, engaging the child in his trap. "Yu’er, isn’t lying bad?"

Yu’er uncovered her eyes, looking solemn and serious. "Yes! Master says lying makes your tongue turn black and fall off!"

"Exactly," Alaric nodded gravely. "And Mommy lied. She cheated at the game because she couldn’t beat Uncle Alaric fairly. That sets a very bad example for you, doesn’t it?"

"I didn’t cheat!" Cai Wei tried to defend herself, but her voice lacked conviction under Alaric’s intense, knowing stare.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Alaric asked softly, his hand tightening on her hip, his thumb pressing into the sensitive divot of her waist.

Cai Wei froze. She couldn’t call him a liar. That was rebellion. That was death.

"No..." she whispered, looking down at her lap.

"See?" Alaric smirked triumphantly at Yu’er. "She admits it. And cheating requires punishment. Justice must be served."

He shifted his legs, lifting his knee so that Cai Wei was propped up higher on his lap. Her position shifted, arching her back and pushing her chest out, making her feel even more exposed and vulnerable.

"A spanking," Alaric decided, his voice casual. "To remind you of the rules."

"Alaric, no..." Cai Wei begged in a whisper, her eyes darting to Yu’er. "Not in front of..."

"The Princess needs to see that justice is swift," Alaric interrupted, his voice hardening. He looked at Yu’er. "Yu’er, when you are naughty, when you break a vase or refuse to practice your cultivation... Mommy punishes you, doesn’t she?"

Yu’er nodded vigorously. "Yes! Mommy spanks my bottom! She says it’s for my own good!"

"See?" Alaric smiled, stroking Cai Wei’s hair. "Mommy believes in spanking. It’s her favorite method of discipline. So, it’s only fair that when Mommy is naughty, she gets spanked too. Don’t you agree, Yu’er? It’s only fair."

Yu’er thought about it for a second, her little face scrunching up in concentration. The logic was sound. Mommy punished her. Mommy was bad. Therefore, Mommy should be punished.

"Yes!" Yu’er chirped. "It’s fair! Mommy was bad!"

Cai Wei felt her heart sink. Her own daughter had turned against her, seduced by Alaric’s twisted logic.

"Excellent," Alaric said.

He didn’t wait. He lifted his hand high and brought it down hard on her exposed right buttock.

SMACK.

The sound was shockingly loud, a sharp crack of flesh against flesh that echoed off the stone walls.

"Ah!" Cai Wei cried out, her body jerking forward. The pain was instant and stinging, radiating across her sensitive skin. Her buttock jiggled wildly from the impact, a wave of pale flesh rippling under the force.

"One," Alaric counted calmly.

SMACK.

"Two."

"Ow! Alaric! Please!"

SMACK.

"Three."

He struck her again and again. Her flesh, so fair and pristine, began to turn a bright, angry pink. The heat from the blows seeped into her skin, warming her blood.

"That’s for cheating," Alaric said, rubbing the red marks firmly, his palm hot against her stinging skin. "Do it again, and the punishment will be severe."

Cai Wei glared at him, tears of humiliation welling in her eyes. Her bottom burned like fire. Her pride was in tatters. But Yu’er was watching, looking wide-eyed but accepting the scene as normal.

"I... I won’t do it again," Cai Wei choked out.

"Good girl," Alaric praised, kissing her cheek. "Now, reset the board. Next round."

The game continued. But the atmosphere had shifted. Alaric was now the undisputed master of the table, and Cai Wei played with a frantic, terrified desperation.

Alaric, however, had other plans. He didn’t want to win this time. He wanted to escalate. He wanted to break the barrier between mother and daughter completely.

He manipulated the dice again. This time, he favored Yu’er. Every roll the child made was a success. Her knights stormed the castle. Her mages cast perfect spells.

"I’m winning!" Yu’er cheered, clapping her hands. "Look, Mommy! I captured the King! I’m the best general!"

"You certainly did, Princess," Alaric smiled, pouring himself another glass of wine. "You are a natural general. Unlike someone..."

He looked down at Cai Wei. Her pieces were scattered. She was losing badly, partially because Alaric was rigging the game, and partially because she was distracted by Alaric’s hand which had resumed its exploration of her body. His fingers had slipped beneath the waistband of her G-string, teasing the very top of her crack, sending jolts of electricity through her.

"Your mommy is being such a bad player, Yu’er," Alaric said, shaking his head with mock disapproval.

"I’m not..." Cai Wei whispered, shivering as Alaric’s finger dipped lower, brushing against her wetness.

"She is," Alaric insisted. "She also hoarded all those gold tokens and didn’t sell them to you earlier in the game as though she was scared of you winning. Greedy. Just like she hoards the sweets in the palace, right Yu’er?"

Yu’er’s eyes lit up with recognition. "Yes! Mommy never lets me have extra honey cakes!"

"See?" Alaric said. "She’s selfish. She needs to learn a lesson."

He lifted his hand and spanked her again, harder this time, right on the sensitive crease where her thigh met her buttock.

SMACK.

SMACK.

Cai Wei bit her lip to keep from screaming, her face burying itself in Alaric’s shoulder to hide her shame.

"She needs to learn a lesson," Alaric told Yu’er, pausing to massage the red welt he had created. "But Uncle Alaric’s hand is getting tired. You should punish her too, Yu’er."

Yu’er blinked, surprised. "Me?"

"Yes," Alaric said, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "You are the victor. The victor has the right to punish the loser. Think of it as revenge. Revenge for all those times she sent you to bed early. Revenge for all the times she scolded you for playing in the mud. Don’t you want to pay her back?"

Yu’er looked at her mother’s red, exposed bottom. She remembered the time Mommy took away her favorite doll because she didn’t finish her vegetables. A mischievous spark lit up in her innocent eyes.

"I... I do want revenge for the doll," Yu’er admitted.

"Then do it," Alaric encouraged. "But your hand is too small to make a good sound. Here..."

He pointed to the thin, golden chain of the G-string that dug into Cai Wei’s soft, white waist.

"See that string?" Alaric asked. "That’s the ’Naughty String’. When Mommy is being a bad girl, you pull it."

Cai Wei’s head snapped up. Her eyes went wide with horror. "No... Alaric, please... not that... Yu’er, don’t..."

To have him punish her was one thing. To have her innocent daughter participate in her sexual degradation, to have her own child snap her lingerie against her skin... it was a line she couldn’t bear to cross.

"Do it, Yu’er," Alaric encouraged, ignoring Cai Wei’s plea. "Just a little tug. Show Mommy who the boss is today."

Yu’er looked at Alaric, then at her mother. She trusted Uncle Alaric. He was fun. And Mommy was always so strict. It was just a game, right?

She reached over with her small hand. She grasped the golden chain on Cai Wei’s hip.

"Don’t..." Cai Wei whispered, paralyzed by the seal’s threat, unable to move away.

Yu’er pulled.

She pulled the elastic string away from Cai Wei’s fair skin, stretching it out a good three inches. The tension built.

And then she let go.

SNAP.

The string recoiled, slapping against Cai Wei’s tender hip bone with a sharp, stinging crack.

"OW!"

Cai Wei cried out, her body convulsing. The pain was sharp and sudden, like a whip crack, but the emotional blow was devastating. Tears spilled over her lashes instantly.

"Got you!" Yu’er giggled, clapping her hands. "Take that, bad Mommy!"

"See?" Alaric laughed softly, kissing the tear track on Cai Wei’s cheek. "Even your daughter knows you’re being naughty. It stings because you were guilty."

He shifted his hips, grinding his rock-hard erection against her bruised buttocks. The friction was electric. Cai Wei was crying, but her body was betraying her. The humiliation, the pain, the public exposure... it was flooding her system with adrenaline and arousal. Her nipples were hard points against the silk. Her sex was soaking the G-string.

"You look so sexy when you’re embarrassed," Alaric whispered in her ear, his voice thick with lust. "Your skin flushes this beautiful pink... like a peach waiting to be bitten. It makes me want to mark you all over. To leave my handprints on every inch of this pale skin."

He moved his hand from her hip to her midriff, his fingers sliding down the center line of her stomach, dangerously close to the soaked fabric of the G-string between her legs.

"One more game," Alaric announced, his voice carrying a finality that brooked no argument. "Tie breaker. The ultimate round."

He looked at Cai Wei, his eyes dropping to her chest where her pink nipples were clearly visible through the red silk.

"But the stakes need to be higher," he said. "If you lose this one, Cai Wei... the top comes off."

Cai Wei gasped, clutching the flimsy silk covering her breasts. "Alaric... I can’t... she will see... I will be naked..."

"Then you better win," Alaric whispered ruthlessly. "Play for your dignity, Queen."

The game began. Cai Wei played with a focus she had never possessed before. She calculated every move, sweat beading on her forehead. She had to win. She couldn’t be naked in front of Yu’er. She couldn’t let her daughter see her breasts.

But she was playing against an Archmage who controlled probability.

Alaric smiled, sipping his wine, moving his pieces lazily. He let her get ahead. He let her think she had a chance. He watched the hope build in her eyes.

And then, just as Yu’er yawned, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, Alaric rolled the dice.

Double sixes again.

"Oh," Alaric said flatly. "Cataclysm. My wizard destroys the board. I win."

Cai Wei stared at the dice. Her heart stopped. The blood drained from her face.

"No..." she whispered. "That’s... that’s impossible..."

"The dice don’t lie," Alaric shrugged.

"I’m sleepy..." Yu’er mumbled, her head drooping onto the table. "Uncle Alaric... I’m tired. Can we play tomorrow?"

Alaric looked at the child, then at the mother who was trembling, her hands hovering over the ties of her top, dreading the command.

"Saved by the bell," Alaric muttered, though his ruby eyes promised that the debt would still be collected, and with interest.

"Time for bed," Alaric announced loudly. He stood up, lifting Cai Wei off his lap and depositing her unceremoniously on the carpet.

He walked over and scooped Yu’er up in his arms. "Come on, Princess. The warriors need to rest."

He carried her to the plush furs in the corner. He tucked her in, pulling the soft blanket up to her chin. He placed the plush lion next to her.

"Goodnight, Uncle Alaric," Yu’er yawned, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Goodnight, Yu’er," Alaric said softly.

He placed his hand on her forehead. Sleep.

He cast a Void Sleep Spell—stronger than before. A deep, dreamless slumber that would ensure she wouldn’t wake up even if the world ended outside.

He stood there for a moment, watching her breathing even out. Then, he turned around.

The change in the room was instant. The warmth vanished. The playful "Uncle" facade evaporated like water on a hot stone.

Alaric stood tall, his shoulders squaring, his expression darkening into pure, predatory hunger. He looked like a wolf who had finally cornered the lamb. His red eyes locked onto Cai Wei, who was still kneeling on the floor, clutching her top, looking like a sacrifice awaiting the knife.

"The child is asleep," Alaric said, his voice low and vibrating with menace. "Now... the adults can play."

Cai Wei scrambled backward, her survival instincts screaming. "Alaric... please... I played the game... I let you humiliate me... Yu’er pulled the string..."

"You call that humiliation?" Alaric scoffed, walking toward her with slow, deliberate steps. "That was foreplay. That was a warm-up."

He reached down and grabbed her by the hair—her beautiful, dark locks that flowed down her pale back. He didn’t pull gently. He yanked her up to her feet.

"Ah! Alaric!"

"Silence," he commanded. "We are going for a walk."

He dragged her toward the entrance of the cave. Cai Wei stumbled, trying to keep her footing, her hands clawing at his wrist to relieve the pressure on her scalp.

"Where... where are you taking me?" she sobbed.

"Outside," Alaric said. "The cave is too small for what I’m going to do to you. And I promised you... didn’t I? If you lost, the top comes off."

He threw open the heavy stone doors.

The desert night hit them. It was cold, the temperature having dropped drastically since sunset, but the moonlight was bright, bathing the endless dunes in a ghostly silver glow.

Alaric dragged her out onto the sand. The grains were cool and abrasive against her bare feet. He walked until they were well away from the cave entrance, atop a high dune that overlooked the vast, empty expanse of her former kingdom.

He spun her around and shoved her.

Cai Wei fell backward, landing hard on the slope of the dune. The sand shifted beneath her, cool and soft. She looked up, her chest heaving, the red silk strip disheveled, her creamy skin glowing like porcelain in the moonlight.

Alaric stood over her, silhouetted against the massive moon. He looked like a god of darkness, towering over a fallen angel.

"You were very obedient inside," Alaric said, his voice carrying over the wind. "You let me touch you. You let me spank you. You let your daughter punish you. But I saw it."

He began to undo the belt of his robes.

"I saw the hate in your eyes," he continued. "Deep down, you still think you’re a Queen. You still think this is temporary. You still think Feng Xiao will come save you."

He let his robe fall to the sand. He was naked underneath, his body sculpted like a statue of marble and iron, his erection standing tall and threatening, veins pulsing along its length.

"You need to be broken in properly," Alaric announced. "So I have prepared a punishment for you, my dear."

He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her.

"Although," he smirked, his eyes roving over her scantily clad form, the G-string barely visible against her stark white skin, "considering how slutty your body is... how wet you got when the dice rolled... this will probably be a reward for you."

Cai Wei shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I am not a slut... I am a Queen... I am a Mother..."

"We’ll see about that," Alaric growled.

He looked at the horizon. "I won’t stop until the sun comes up. I’m going to fuck the royalty out of you."

He dropped to his knees between her legs. He didn’t waste time with kisses or caresses. He reached out and grabbed the red silk top.

RRRIP.

He tore it off in one violent motion. The fabric shredded like tissue paper.

Cai Wei gasped as the cold night air hit her chest. Her massive breasts sprang free, bouncing heavily. They were magnificent—pale, milky white orbs with large, rosy-pink nipples that hardened instantly in the cold.

"Finally," Alaric groaned, his eyes devouring her. "I’ve been wanting to see these in the moonlight all night. Pink nipples... so innocent for such a dirty woman."

He grabbed her hips, pulling her down the slope slightly so gravity was working with him. He spread her legs wide, hooking her knees over his elbows.

"Look at the moon, Cai Wei," he commanded. "And scream my name."

He thrust into her.

"AAAAH!"

Cai Wei’s scream tore through the night. He was huge, unyielding, and he stretched her completely. The sand beneath her back scraped her skin, a sharp contrast to the slick, hot friction inside her.

Alaric began to pound into her. This wasn’t the teasing, manipulative sex of the cave. This was primal. He fucked her with long, powerful strokes, his hips slapping against hers with a wet, rhythmic sound that echoed in the silence.

Slap. Slap. Slap.

"You are mine!" Alaric roared, thrusting deeper, hitting her cervix with every stroke.

"Alaric!" she screamed, her hands digging into the sand, her head thrashing from side to side. "Alaric! Too deep! It’s too big!"

"Take it! Feng Xiao couldn’t do this, could he?"

"No! No!"

"He was a boy! I am a King!"

He pounded her in the missionary position for an eternity, staring into her eyes, forcing her to maintain eye contact as he reorganized her insides. He watched her pupils dilate, watched the hate slowly dissolve into a glazed, animalistic pleasure. Her body, betraying her mind, began to clamp down on him, milking him.

"Turn over," he ordered.

He flipped her onto her stomach. Her face pressed into the cool sand. He grabbed her wide hips and lifted them high.

"Doggy style," he hissed.

"Your subjects are sleeping," Alaric whispered, entering her from behind. "And their Queen is out here, getting bred like a stray bitch in the dunes."

"No... don’t say that..." she sobbed, but her hips pushed back against him, meeting his thrusts. Her heart-shaped ass, pale as the moon, jiggled with every impact.

"It’s true!" Alaric slapped her ass—hard. The red handprint bloomed instantly on the white skin. "You love it. You love being used."

He leaned forward, draping his body over her back, his hands reaching around to grab her swinging breasts. He weighed them, squeezed them, pulled the pink nipples while he hammered into her.

He climaxed the first time deep inside her, roaring at the moon, filling her with his potent seed.

But he didn’t stop.

He pulled her up. He stood on the shifting sands, his legs like tree trunks. He lifted her effortlessly, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Hold on," he commanded.

He fucked her standing up, carrying her across the dune. Every step was a thrust. Cai Wei clung to him, her arms around his neck, her face buried in his shoulder, sobbing and moaning in equal measure.

"You are so strong..." she whispered, delirious. "So strong..."

"Stronger than him?" Alaric demanded, biting her neck.

"Yes! Stronger!"

He dropped her onto her back again. He sat back on his heels.

"Cowgirl," he ordered. "Work for it."

Cai Wei, exhausted and trembling, crawled onto him. She straddled his hips. She took him inside her, gasping at the fullness.

She began to ride him. Her massive breasts bounced wildly, slapping against her chest, mesmerizing in the moonlight. Her hips rolled, the snake-like flexibility allowing her to move in ways no human woman could. She gyrated on him, grinding her clitoris against his pubic bone.

Alaric lay back, watching her. "Beautiful," he groaned. "Look at you. Bouncing on your Master’s cock. A true desert whore."

"I am your whore..." she admitted, her mind finally shattering under the sensory overload. "Your slut..."

"Reverse," he commanded.

She spun around. Now he watched her back, her wide, heart-shaped ass swallowing his length, bouncing up and down. He reached up and smacked her buttocks, watching the flesh ripple.

The night blurred into a haze of pleasure and exhaustion. They went through every position Alaric could imagine. He bent her into pretzels, utilized her flexibility, and ravaged her from every angle.

He made her scream his name to the empty dunes until her voice was raw.

"WHO OWNS YOU?"

"ALARIC!"

"WHOSE DESERT IS THIS?"

"ALARIC’S!"

By the time the first hint of gray light began to touch the eastern horizon, signaling the approach of dawn, Cai Wei was destroyed.

She lay sprawled on the sand, her body covered in sweat, sand, and fluids—both hers and his. Her hair was a wild tangle. Her lips were swollen. Her body twitched with the aftershocks of dozens of forced climaxes. Her womb was full to bursting with his essence, dripping onto the sand.

She was empty. Her will was gone. Her pride was dust.

Alaric knelt beside her. He was still full of energy, his vitality monstrous. But he saw she was at her limit.

He lay down beside her, pulling her sandy, sticky body against his.

"The sun is coming up," Alaric whispered, stroking her hair.

Cai Wei opened her eyes. They were dull, devoid of the fire that had defined the Snake Queen.

"The sun..." she rasped.

"You survived," Alaric said. "You did well."

He kissed her forehead.

"Now," he said, looking out at the rising sun illuminating the vast desert he had conquered. "Let’s go wash off. We have a long day of ruling ahead of us."

Cai Wei closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. She didn’t hate him anymore. She didn’t have the energy. She just existed in his shadow.

"Yes, Master," she whispered.

And as the sun rose over the Tagor Desert, it shone not on a Queen, but on Alaric’s newest, most prized possession.