Chapter 113: The Dragon’s Appearance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 113: The Dragon’s Appearance
“What happened?!”
The eyes of the knights and the spectators alike instantly snapped toward the commotion.
On the opposite side of the road, a wagon heavily laden with food supplies seemed to have overturned while trying to force its way through the crowd.
Neigh!
As the horses reared in fright, several Blenheim knights rushed toward the scene.
“Is anyone hurt?”
“Someone grab those reins!”
Oak barrels filled with drinks had shattered, rolling in every direction and spilling their contents. The frantic shouts of the wagon driver echoed through the air.
“I don’t understand! They were going just fine, then suddenly they went wild!”
Staff from the management office were also sprinting over from a distance. Norton, who had approached me, asked if I was alright.
“I’m fine. I wasn’t even close to it.”
I was more worried that the members of the delegation, who were already a bit tipsy, might get hurt while loitering nearby. Between those trying to help and those just trying to watch, the area had become quite chaotic.
“Look after the delegation first, then help the others clean up the mess.”
“I’ll be right back, Your Highness.”
Norton moved quickly to relay the orders to the other knights.
For a brief moment—the first time all day—I was left entirely alone.
“Gah! You startled me!”
I jumped, suddenly noticing a suspicious man in a hooded cloak standing right behind me. The corners of his mouth, visible beneath the hood, were stretched unnaturally wide.
“It is truly difficult to secure an audience with someone so noble.”
“Sorry, I’m not buying.”
He radiated the unmistakable energy of a street peddler. No doubt he was some scammer who had heard the Grand Duchess was visiting and wanted to hawk his wares.
The man let out something between a snort and a chuckle.
“At this point, I’m starting to wonder if the fault is mine. Is it the clothes?”
He slowly lowered his hood. His eyes were a bloodshot, pale yellow—an eerie, unsettling sight.
I stole a glance toward Norton. I could see him pointing out several knights and sending them toward the overturned wagon. Fortunately, he was close enough to come running the moment anything happened.
“Who are you?” I asked with a nonchalant face, feeling slightly more secure.
The man spoke softly. “I am a shaman.”
“A shaman? Like an astrologer?”
“I prefer that much more than ‘fortune teller.’”
His giggling laugh sent a chill down my spine.
“So, what do you want with me?”
The grinning man suddenly turned serious and stepped closer.
“I was wondering if I might divine the future for Her Highness the Consort.”
Divine the future? The shopping district must be doing well if illegal vendors like this were already crawling out of the woodwork.
I arched an eyebrow sternly. “Do you have a permit?”
The shaman tilted his head.
“If you want to do business in the shopping district, you need permission from the management office. You can’t just set up shop in the middle of the street like this.”
It’s not like everyone else pays rent for the fun of it.
At my words, the shaman let out a hollow, exasperated laugh.
“Truly, Your Highness is an eccentric one.”
I was a fool to try and deal with such a person using a mere Lady as a proxy.
“Let us stop testing the waters with these pointless word games.”
What is he talking about?
I flinched and took a step back as his voice turned dark and ominous. Suddenly, his yellow eyes were flooded with a brilliant golden light.
“Y-your eyes...!”
The shaman reached out toward me. I tried to dodge, but I felt rooted to the spot, as if trapped by his gaze. And the moment his rough hand gripped my shoulder...!
“Annette!”
I thought I heard Loik’s voice, and then everything went pitch black.
I was looking around aimlessly in the darkness when a pair of massive golden eyes with slit pupils appeared before me. I held my breath in terror.
“Do not be afraid.”
A low, mocking sound vibrated through the air, as if he had sensed my reaction.
“I have only come to offer my greetings today.”
Those were absolutely not the eyes of a human.
“Don’t tell me...”
Are you a dragon?
As if answering the question I had asked with my eyes, he let out a raspy, guttural sound of affirmation.
“What do you want from me?”
Why approach me?
The dragon’s eyes moved left and right, scanning me as if searching for something.
“The soul has returned to one.”
His voice was laced with satisfaction.
Returned to one? Does that mean it was split before?
“But it seems you have no memory.”
Finally, everything is falling into its proper place.
The dragon let out a low laugh. Though he tried to hide it, his tone was thick with excitement. I didn’t know what was happening, but I had a vague feeling that if something was good for a dragon, it probably wasn’t very good for me.
‘Does he hold a grudge against me?’
I felt a strange hostility in the way he muttered to himself.
“I do not dislike you.”
As if reading my mind, his pupils dilated softly.
“In fact, I should say I desire you fervently.”
What on earth? Why would a dragon want me? That was even more terrifying.
“I committed the folly of tripping myself up, but in the grand scheme of eternity, even that will prove to be a meaningful step in the process.”
I couldn’t understand a single word he was saying.
Then, Loik’s voice echoed, calling my name desperately. Just hearing it brought a faint sense of relief. At least Loik was looking for me.
As the dragon’s eyes drew closer, a wave of intense heat washed over my face.
“Your mate is searching for you.”
I couldn’t see a mouth, but I felt as though he were wearing a sinister smile.
“As expected, I was not wrong.”
The dragon’s voice slowly faded into the distance.
“In the end, everything will go according to my will.”
*
Loik stood by the bedside with an anxious expression. A priest was carefully placing his hand on the wrist of the unconscious Annette. Normally, Loik wouldn’t have tolerated anyone—priest or otherwise—touching Annette, but this was not the time for such petty concerns.
The priest finally pulled his hand away.
“Well?”
At Loik’s question, the priest furrowed his brow.
“She certainly possesses holy power.”
Having heard the rumors of Annette being a ‘fake saintess,’ he couldn’t hide his conflicted expression.
“However, it is not in a complete state. As the mage said, it appears someone has indeed sealed her holy power.”
He turned to Enolius, who was standing behind him, as if seeking confirmation.
“You said that at first, no holy power was detected at all?”
Enolius nodded.
“It was only a short while ago that I detected a faint trace. But now...” He narrowed his eyes. “The holy power has definitely grown stronger than it was then.”
“Does that mean the seal is breaking?” Loik asked, looking bewildered. “Aren’t seals supposed to be permanent?”
“Generally, yes, but...”
The priest hesitated before adding an explanation. Usually, only high-ranking priests like a High Priest have the ability to completely seal holy power. Therefore, it was generally accepted that no one else could break a seal unless the original caster did so themselves.
“However, theoretically, if a force stronger than the power used to create the seal is applied, cracks will inevitably form.”
“A stronger force?”
“For example, something like a dragon’s mana,” Enolius interjected suddenly. “Your Highness has been... channeling mana into the Consort through contact, have you not?”
“Then... are you saying the seal is breaking because of me?”
Loik’s eyes widened slightly.
“It certainly wouldn’t be impossible if it were a dragon’s mana,” the priest added. “No matter how thick a lock is, it will eventually break if struck by a heavy enough hammer.”
“So, because I’ve been in contact with her...”
Loik’s face flushed slightly as he asked worriedly, “Could this be harming her body?”
“It is likely the opposite,” the priest said firmly.
“The opposite?”
The priest emphasized that the purity of the holy power within the Consort’s body was incredibly high.
“Having such powerful holy power locked away for her entire life must have placed an immense burden on her body. Has Her Highness not been sickly in the past?”
“Since coming to the North, this is already the third time she has collapsed.”
Though this time was also due to the attack by the suspicious man.
“Once she recovers her original holy power, her health will likely improve significantly.”
“I... see.”
Loik nodded at the priest’s words, instinctively covering his mouth with his hand.
If Annette needs to be healthy, then I have to keep...
Just a brief imagination of what that entailed made the tips of Loik’s ears turn bright red.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Loik went to open it himself, finding Tiern Vieri standing outside. Tiern looked devastated, unable to hide his shame.
“The culprit... escaped.”
“He wasn’t an ordinary man anyway. It would have been difficult to catch him.”
Instead of blaming him, Loik nodded quietly.
“That is all. You are dismissed.”
“Wait...!”
As the door began to close, Tiern spoke up urgently.
“Is Her Highness the Consort alright?”
“...She will wake up soon.”
Which meant she hadn’t woken up yet. Loik met Tiern’s hollow gaze with a silent dismissal. Eventually, Tiern bowed his head and retreated.