Chapter 335
Chapter 335
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 335
Chapter Title: Chapter 8-1. The Nation of Dragonkin, Reillysa.
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The bathwater steamed with heat that seemed excessive, but thanks to his enhanced physical abilities, it didn’t feel hot at all. Instead, it was like all the fatigue melted away from his body. The tub was the perfect size, and the atmosphere was great.
“Haah, this is nice. Really nice.”
How had he not understood as a kid when adults said hot baths felt refreshing? He shook his head side to side, humming a little tune. It was pure bliss. He considered pulling a cool drink from his <Bag>, but held off. No need to eat now—there would be rare foods, drinks, and liquor at the dinner he’d been invited to later.
He could endure the hunger for that. Come to think of it, elves lived here too, so there was a good chance of their fruit wine. Dwarven beer was likely, along with the strong stuff made by dragonkin. With so many diverse races dwelling in this land, the food variety had to be incredible. His expectations were sky-high.
Lying still in the tub with his eyes closed, lost in thoughts of what delicacies might appear, he dozed off without realizing. Judah jolted awake with a sharp inhale, groaning as he sat up. Twenty minutes had already passed.
‘Was I that exhausted?’
Or maybe it was just that comfortable. He sluggishly climbed out of the tub. It would’ve been nice if someone had washed him. Enduring the hassle, he scrubbed himself clean, dried off with a towel from the cabinet, slipped on a robe, and stepped out.
“Ah!”
Stretching his neck as he headed for the bed, a voice made him turn. Celleon was hovering at the doorway of the room across the hall, beaming brightly.
‘Oh right, I left the door open.’
She seemed to remember their earlier talk well enough, her expression eager to cross over, but she held her ground. She must have bathed long ago and been waiting—her crimson hair, reaching her shoulders, was fully dry. It looked a bit clumped, like she hadn’t dried it properly. Judah waved to her.
Asking if she wanted to come in would just sound like teasing. Remembering you can’t fill up on the first drink, he called her over.
“Don’t just stand there—come in.”
“Yes!”
Celleon darted across the hall into Judah’s room like she’d been waiting for those exact words. Just being in the same room seemed to make her happy; her face lit up. She was unique, really.
“I’m gonna lie on the bed—is that okay?”
“Yes, please don’t mind me.”
She sat primly in the chair from before. Judah glanced at her as he flopped onto the soft bed and closed his eyes, but knowing someone else was in the room, sitting there watching, made him hyper-aware of her.
“…….”
Even after his brief nap in the tub, sleep wouldn’t come. Staring blankly with eyes shut, Judah suddenly sat up. Celleon flinched at the movement. He leaned forward, burying his face in the bed, and spoke to her.
“Celleon.”
“Yes?”
“The Reillysa you remember from long ago might be gone, but how does it feel to be back in a place where some people still remember you?”
“…It hasn’t sunk in yet. Honestly, I even wonder if I belong here.”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“Why doubt if you belong here?”
Celleon’s face darkened.
“Well… because I couldn’t resist that sword’s temptation and burned the entire empire…”
Judah lifted his head to look at her, cutting her off.
“No one knows about that.”
“Yes?”
“The reason old Reillysa fell. Everyone who knew died. The only ones left who might know are… Saint King Metatron, Lord Sian… and our group. Maybe Perlnirn, the one who dropped the fragment, knows too.”
Celleon stared at Judah in shock as he casually tossed out the names of the Saint King and Lord. But realizing what Judah was, she nodded in understanding. A god calling them by name didn’t matter.
“You don’t need to feel guilty about the empire’s fall. It was like a natural disaster. Even if someone else had been in your place, it was only a matter of time—they’d have fallen to the temptation too. Sorry the empire fell, but it was fated.”
“Ah….”
“You did nothing wrong, Celleon. No need for guilt. If anything, no one would blame you for resenting the god who put you in that position. So feel a little happier about coming back. You can run to your father and act spoiled, or chat with that Lumiren guy. More people remember you than you think.”
“Really… I’m not at fault?”
“Of course. If you were guilty, I wouldn’t have saved you.”
Tears rolled down Celleon’s cheeks at Judah’s words. Just listening had absolved her sins somehow. The heavy weight in her chest lightened. She squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears, and let out a long breath.
“…Thank you. But even so, I can’t forget what I did back then. That’s why I can’t just be purely happy about returning to Reillysa. It’s different from how happy I feel just being near you, strangely.”
Judah lay back down, watching her bitter smile.
‘I don’t know. My lack of eloquence is the sin here.’
Pushing her further would just sound like forcing joy, so he shut his mouth. But hating the awkward silence, they chatted idly until footsteps echoed in the hall. Tailors sent by current King Seo of Reillysa had arrived—not one or two, but several. They knocked on the doors of the group’s rooms, greeting them. Two appeared at Judah’s door and Celleon’s.
“Huh?”
The tailors were elves. He or she widened their eyes in surprise at seeing Celleon and Judah together inside. Realizing the rudeness, they bowed and entered.
“It’s an honor to meet you. Your Majesty. We’re designers from ‘Aria,’ here on His Majesty Seo’s orders to craft perfectly fitted garments. For the process, you’ll need to remove your current clothes, so could Your Majesty please follow us to the room across?”
“No need to bother. Do it here.”
Celleon stood and shed her robe without hesitation. The elves swiftly blocked Judah’s view. He caught a glimpse of her bare form, but the elf in the way ruined it.
“Sorry.”
The blocking elf apologized with arms spread wide. It wasn’t worth apologizing for, so Judah just buried his face in the bed. The tailors quickly set up a fabric screen between Judah and Celleon.
“Oh my, Your Majesty… your leg line is exquisite. There’s a trendy dress that reveals one thigh—how about that?”
“Make whatever suits me best and you’re most confident in. That’s enough.”
“Don’t worry! I’m the top designer here, despite appearances! I’ll make you a far more alluring dress than those human women next door!”
“Please do.”
Something fired her up next door. A thigh-slit dress, huh? Like a cheongsam? Judah felt his head turning slightly, but the elf blocked it like a ghost. She shook her head firmly.
‘Dirty and sly—I’m not looking. Nope.’
Clicking his tongue, he turned away. The other elf excused herself briefly and touched his robe. Untying the sash, she slipped it off, her eyes widening and face flushing. Whether from his lower half or his muscles, he wasn’t sure—but the reaction felt oddly satisfying. Blushing, she opened her bag.
“We’re not doing anything suspicious, so please spread your arms and stay still.”
Judah nodded.
“Any preferred design? From frilly full skirts to luxurious fur coats around the collar—we can make anything.”
The elves brimmed with confidence, promising any style. Tempted to try something new, Judah stuck with safe.
He pulled out the suit Count Jenner had bought him in Uruun. Brand new and pristine.
“Something like this? I’m not big on flashy stuff.”
“Hmm? Human-made, I see. The enchantment’s from a skilled magic engineer…! Understood. You’ve got a great build for a human—anything would suit you—but since you want this, we’ll whip it up quick.”
The bag suddenly gaped open, a measuring tape leaping out like a living thing.
It measured him top to bottom on its own, then the bag spat out fabrics, needles, thread, scissors, and more.
“Whoa?”
Real magic, straight out of a fairy tale. Fine rolled cloth unrolled itself; chalk drew lines; scissors snipped solo. Thread threaded needles; needles stitched folds deftly. The elf just waved her hands like conducting an orchestra.
First up: square briefs. Black with a gold-thread dragon mouth agape. The elf beside Judah pulled out a cord.
A green rarity cord—he hadn’t seen one in ages. She knew enchanting too. With a simple incantation, the green cord sank into the briefs.
“…Underwear too?”
“We make fitting ones for women, but for men, it’s complimentary.”
She’d overheard his mutter. Complimentary, huh? Excellent service. He didn’t know the fit yet, but the design was spot-on.
The clothes assembled before his eyes in a flash. Her hands danced busily. Long suit pants formed, followed by a white shirt, gray lining, and russet vest.
The tie came pre-made from the bag, pinned with a blue gem. She enchanted the fabrics with cords, runes glowing on the lining as mana inscribed spells.
“His Majesty Seo ordered multiples at top quality in your size. We’ll make several for your stay and deliver them. Aria promises the finest design and quality.”
“Yeah, that’d be great.”
Judah smiled, bowing thanks as he took the finished clothes. The fabric screamed luxury from the touch alone.
“…Do you need to watch while I change?”
The two elves eyed his lower half. They’d been sneaking glances; now they stared as he reached for the briefs. Their gaze made him stir—actually, he already had. The elf blushed, mumbling about professional duty.
Then a hand poked over the temporary screen—tall as his neck—and Celleon peeked out, glaring coldly at the elves.
“Professional? Cut the nonsense and look away.”