Chapter 351
Chapter 351
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 351
Chapter Title: Chapter 8-2. Fragment Retriever
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Judah nodded at Lumiren's question. Iris wrote it down in her notebook and showed it to him, while Arhil, Selion, and Lime all said it was delicious. Satisfied with their responses, Lumiren broke into a pleased smile.
'He's so kind.'
Unlike the others, Judah simply nodded without saying a word. But that didn't mean it wasn't tasty. For Judah, who loved sandwiches, this was the best one he'd had so far. The only downside was the portion size.
'I should ask for a bunch of sandwiches to take later.'
While Judah entertained that pointless thought, Selion looked at Lumiren and spoke up.
"So, what's this about showing up first thing in the morning, Lumiren? Did Father say something?"
"No. His Majesty hasn't said much yet. At least not so far."
"Then?"
"I came to check if you'd rested comfortably last night without any discomfort, Lady Selion. Heh heh."
....
Judah quietly averted his gaze from the kindly smiling man. Fortunately, Lumiren paid no attention to Judah at all—he showed no interest. Selion blushed as last night's events came to mind at his question.
She had ended up with Judah thanks to peeking through the door crack in the hallway at what he and Arhil were doing. And no one else had overheard or spied on them like she had. At least not unless they had the skill to pierce her magic or high anti-magic resistance.
'No way he was watching, right?'
Lumiren was certainly capable of it. The suspicion crossed her mind, but if he knew what she'd done and that she'd hooked up with Judah, he wouldn't be speaking with such a serene expression.
"Was there some problem?"
When Selion didn't respond, Lumiren asked in a concerned tone. She shook her head.
"No, nothing at all. Can't you tell from my face?"
"You do seem... genuinely happy about something."
More than happy—she looked truly blissful. Did she like the room that much? Lumiren began to feel something was off, but he couldn't exactly ask outright.
"Exactly! It was very comfortable. So no need to worry about that. And of course, I'll be staying here from now on."
"Heh heh. What about it caught your fancy so much...? Anyway, I understand."
"Did you come just to ask about that?"
Lumiren shook his head at Selion's question.
"Of course not. The reason I came is to deliver permission for you all to roam freely around Railisa."
He tapped the staff he was leaning on. A matte black box appeared in midair and dropped into his hand. Lumiren took it lightly and walked over to the table where Judah's group sat, setting it down on top.
"Go ahead and open it."
When no one reached out, Judah placed his hand on the box as the representative. Inside were four badges shaped like dragons.
'Four?'
There were five in the group. Iris, Lime, Arhil, Selion, and Judah. So why only four?
'Selion doesn't need one.'
She was a dragonkin to begin with. And a queen. Not everyone in Railisa would recognize her on sight, but most would, so she probably didn't need one. Plus, with rumors of her return spreading, it was only a matter of time before people spotted her out and about.
"Those are emblazoned with the royal crest, signifying that you are honored guests of Railisa."
"If you were giving these, why not yesterday?"
"No, it would have been simpler that way, Princess. But humans wearing them would draw suspicion."
"Suspicion?"
Selion furrowed her brow.
"Beastkin might be one thing, but there are no dragonkin disloyal to the royal family. Some might think humans got hold of those badges brazenly and take it upon themselves to act without orders."
"Then we'd just execute them all."
Lumiren gave a wry smile at Selion's chilling words. He could tell she'd changed a lot since the old days, but her bluntness made it seem like she hadn't changed at all.
"In any case, to prevent such incidents, we announced it to all dragonkin in the kingdom last night. We posted notices on the city boards too. Since it's news involving you, Princess, it'll spread quickly. So feel free to go out after breakfast. If His Majesty wants to see you, I'll arrange a meeting for tomorrow."
"Got it."
Lumiren lingered, as if he had more to say. He opened his mouth with some difficulty.
"Um, Princess."
"Yeah?"
"Strictly speaking, we should call you Queen, but since the current king is Esther Seao, we've been instructed to refer to you as Princess and spread it that way. To avoid confusion. I apologize."
"Sure. Doesn't matter. Why make a big deal out of it?"
As Selion laughed it off casually, Lumiren bowed his head apologetically. He explained the benefits of having the badges, then excused himself to attend to other duties. Watching his awkward colleagues sit in silence, Judah distributed the badges.
"Wow, these are really pretty."
Iris nodded in agreement with Arhil's words, fiddling with the badge Judah handed her. They were beautiful, and the dragon shape was intricately detailed down to the scales. Especially eye-catching was the red ruby orb clutched in its mouth. Judah checked the badge's details.
──────────────────────
[Name: Crest - Dragon Badge]
[Grade: Treasure]
[Description]
[A badge provided to honored guests of the Railisa Kingdom. The color of the orb in the dragon's mouth indicates the guest's importance.]
- Faint power of the First Lord Sian (Passive): Infused with mana from Sian's temple. No special abilities, but channeling mana makes the orb glow and emanate an intimidating aura.
-Red Orb - State Guest (Passive): Denotes the most esteemed guest.
-Respect (Passive): As long as you commit no crimes, you won't be preemptively attacked by dragonkin or other non-humans in Railisa.
-Generous Hospitality (Passive): Receive 15-40% discounts on purchases or extras.
-Protection (Passive): If desired, request an awakened upper-class dragonkin as an escort.
-Identification (Passive): No matter what you've done elsewhere or who you are, wearing this badge makes you a guest of Railisa's royal family.
──────────────────────
'...Not that useful for its grade.'
Of course it'd be trouble without it, but still disappointing. It was wearable gear that didn't even boost a single stat. Such a waste of a treasure grade. As Judah stared blankly at the badge, Lumiren returned—despite saying he'd left.
"I forgot to give you something you should have."
What he handed over were five pouches brimming with gold coins and jewels.
"It's... personal thanks for rescuing the princess, though that's not quite right. It should help when you're shopping around the kingdom's cities for things you like or need. If something's too heavy to carry or inconvenient, just show the badge and have it sent to the palace. Then I'll be off."
Lumiren said his piece and left. Judah hefted one pouch. It was hefty, and peeking inside revealed glittering jewels and gold.
"Oh, damn."
"?"
Lime peered into his pouch and cursed. Wondering what was up, they looked at him, and he just laughed.
"Who knew all that suffering trekking to the Blazing Lands would pay off here."
".......I did give you a decent amount."
"I know. But not as much as this, right? Haha, ha! We're rich. I could coast for years without working back home! I'll save the jewels and spend only the gold."
Lime immediately started picking out jewels from his pouch. Arhil watched and did the same, selecting a few pretty ones to keep separate.
"Anyway, I'm thinking of heading into the city now. What about you all?"
"I'll pass. Too tired."
It was surprising—Judah had assumed Arhil would tag along, but she opted out.
"You sure?"
"Not really, but it's not like today is the only day, right? Just bring back something tasty."
Judah nodded at Arhil's request.
"What about Lime and Iris?"
"Ah, I'd like to go alone if possible... The contract's done, so when I return to the Magic Tower, I need gifts for my wife and kids. Planning to shop around."
"You sure?"
"What trouble could there be? That badge gets us an upper-class dragonkin escort, so I'll ask for one."
Got it.
Lime was preparing to leave soon. After paying him the promised amount, it felt odd seeing him so surprised now. Kinda sad. His cooking was always great. Without his magic in the desert, it would've been a nightmare.
"...Something wrong?"
"No, nothing. So Iris?"
She showed writing in her notebook.
-I want to wander alone today too. Quietly shop for things.
That left him and Selion alone together. Judah turned at the excited fidgeting beside him. Selion, grasping the situation, beamed with sparkling eyes like the gold coins.
"I-I'm going! With you, Judah!"
"...Yeah."
Sorry Selion, but he hadn't planned to ask her anyway. He just assumed she couldn't be left behind. Feeling like he'd gained a kid sister, he stood to prepare to head out.
Arhil retreated to her room for more rest, while Judah, Lime, Iris, and Selion exited the castle. They hadn't noticed arriving by magic, but the castle sat higher than the city. The guards at the gate, recognizing Selion, called a carriage—saving them wasteful time walking down. After reaching the city by carriage and agreeing on a meetup time and place, the group split up.
"So, shall we go too...?"
"...? Ah, yes!"
Selion seemed puzzled by Judah's sudden polite speech but understood upon noticing the sidelong glances from passing non-humans. She replied brightly and energetically. As beastkin passing by tilted their heads at Selion, Judah pondered whether to buy a robe at a clothing store first as he set off.