Chapter 78
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Disrupted Plan (1)
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- Wooong.
The crystal orb hummed with vibration and began to glow, revealing a familiar face inside.
"It's been a week since we last met, Minister."
Carton Grayson, wearing his monocle, didn't respond.
Instead, he set aside even the documents he'd always been poring over and silently stared at me for a long while.
And finally, he opened his mouth.
- Haaaa...
His first words were a deep sigh. This was a new form of greeting.
"Minister? Is something wrong?"
- Yeah, there was a ton of work. So much I nearly passed out.
He spoke with a face drained of energy.
- His Majesty ordered the princess to go recuperate where you are. Because of that, we're all on the verge of collapse here. It's been six days straight without going home.
"Ah."
Only then did I realize why the minister looked even more exhausted than usual.
A princess of the nation leaving the royal castle for the provinces was an extraordinarily unusual event.
In some lights, it could even be seen as a diplomatic gesture toward another country.
At the same time, to prepare for any potential dangers, they'd have launched investigations across the entire south.
'I can faintly hear the screams of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Intelligence Bureau. Must be my imagination.'
And the minister, coordinating all those agencies, must have had his head splitting even more.
Carton let out another heavy sigh and straightened his posture.
- Let's finish the routine report first, then talk. Has there been anything unusual at the southern border over the past week?
"Uh..."
I took a moment to recall.
On the first day the princess arrived here, a dwarf brought a top-priority surveillance item, the Blood Diamond.
Then some free mercenaries tried to smuggle unauthorized artifacts and got caught, attempting to self-destruct. Everyone here nearly died.
And Illein nearly rampaged again while trying to stop it.
There had been so many incidents, the words "nothing major" nearly slipped out.
'But we handled them all...'
If incidents are resolved well, they might as well not have happened.
It was the long tradition of incident-free operations.
I gave a slight smile and said,
"Nothing happened."
- Judging by your expression, something did happen.
As expected of the minister—his perceptiveness was sharp.
- So, where is the princess staying right now? I'm guessing the Reyes Margrave's castle.
Before I could answer, he nodded and continued.
- The Reyes Count is trustworthy. A rare die-hard loyalist. His Majesty probably sent her there with that in mind.
He was off the mark.
I carefully corrected him.
"The princess is currently staying at my private residence with one maid."
- ...What?
The minister froze, hand still pressed to his temple.
- The communication must be faulty. Say that again, Central Officer?
"She's staying at my private residence."
- A marriageable princess, staying at the home of an unmarried young male official?
The minister slowly removed his monocle.
This gesture meant he was setting aside his position for a frank talk.
He drew in a breath.
- You crazy bastard! Do you even know what that means!?
A booming roar followed immediately.
"M-Minister? Are you angry?"
- Angry? This isn't anger—it's sheer astonishment!
I couldn't fathom how such a voice came from his lean frame.
- It's not just a visit—a princess staying at a young male official's home!
I caught the implication in Carton's words and hurriedly waved my hands.
"N-No, that's not the intention! Besides, there's a maid with her, so no issue, right?!"
- There is an issue, you madman! Sharing a roof with royalty is a massive breach of etiquette, and you brought the princess to your house!? Don't you know what that signifies!?
"Erzena is staying here too! Do you think I'd do something insane like that?!"
I'm no beast—how could I even entertain the thought of harming a nation's princess?
Unless I was completely deranged, I couldn't even imagine it.
But the minister grew even more shocked at my last words and shouted,
- The former saintess is at your house too!?
Oh no.
- Why did you take a provisional exile to your house? There are safe houses!
"It collapsed while catching a terrorist before."
The Olfactory Officer went wild chasing one changeling, and that's what happened.
The minister sighed at my perfect alibi.
- My god... Not one, but two...
"You know that's not the case."
- How would I know that? How would the world see it, Central Officer?
But right now, my house was the safest place for both of them—what could I do?
I'd done my best, and it felt unfair.
"There was nowhere else. Really."
- Try telling His Majesty that. I'm sure he'll understand perfectly.
He fell silent briefly to regain his composure, then spoke again.
- What security measures have you taken? With two VIPs in one place, you need double the precautions.
"The Border Guard is currently establishing 24-hour surveillance at my residence. Additionally, both accompany me to the Immigration Control Office during the day for protection by the Sensory Officers. Intelligence agent R is cooperating as well."
- Hm, at least the basics are in place... But it's not enough.
Carton immediately switched back to a serious expression and proposed another measure.
- I'll assign more Intelligence agents to the south. The princess's powers are unstable, so you'll need means to suppress them.
"Ah, about that..."
The news from recent events must not have reached him yet.
Recalling Illein rampaging in the recovery room just moments ago, I said,
"I don't think that'll be necessary."
- This isn't about necessity, Central Officer. You know well how precarious the princess's telekinesis is.
I did. Very well.
And... it was already a resolved issue.
"The telekinesis issue has been solved."
- ...What?
For the first time, bewilderment colored the minister's face.
- What did you just say?
"The princess can now fully control her power."
Illein no longer wavers.
Having found happiness amid her painful past, all that remained was to move forward.
"The 15 years of suppression are over, as I said."
- ...
Carton fell silent for a long while after hearing me.
Then, very slowly, he drew in a breath.
As I moved to cover my ears,
- What the hell have you done, you bastard!?
A shrill voice unbecoming his age exploded from the crystal orb.
Meanwhile, in the lower volcanic region of the western continent's active volcano.
"Set up the supports there! Cover it with cloth so ash doesn't get in!"
"Don't come this way! It reeks of sulfur!"
Burly soldiers bustled about, establishing a temporary base in the only spot untouched by lava.
- Rumble... Groooar...
Suddenly, an ominous sound echoed from the mountaintop, and lava erupted from the vent.
But no one looked up.
"H-Hey, that just now..."
"Shh. Don't look. The dragon will eat you."
They simply focused on their tasks as if they heard nothing.
The volcanic region was rife with superstitions.
One was that meeting the volcano's master's gaze when it stirred meant being devoured on the spot.
Even the bravest and most confident believed the myths here.
For it was a place of inexplicable natural phenomena—and beings to match.
Yet one person looked up.
"...The dragon has met the fire spirit."
A man with dark skin, clad in armor of peculiar scales.
Unlike the other soldiers, he stood motionless, silently glaring at the volcanic vent.
Then,
A tense soldier approached and saluted.
"Dragon Hunter, sir! The temporary base is nearly complete! All supplies loaded!"
Dragon Hunter.
Only one person in the world bore such a perilous title.
Kaban Bloodbeach.
The man who had slain three dragons faster than time itself slowly turned his head.
"Prepare. We start the operation at sundown today."
"T-Today, sir?"
The startled soldier asked again, and Kaban scowled in reply.
"The volcano's master is senescent now—the perfect moment."
"If so, why not wait for it to die of old age and claim the corpse..."
"Idiot. Time is relative. A millennium-old beast needs at least another decade to die. Can you endure this hellhole that long?"
Dragons' time was long.
Their fleeting instants neared years for humans.
The soldier's face hardened as ash fell like snow.
"I've waited for this day far too long. Today is when that wait bears fruit. It has to be today."
Red Dragon Mnatsil.
In the west, none knew not of that mighty being's name.
"And... merely killing them is no longer enough."
Kaban murmured lowly.
He still remembered.
The day the volcano spewed fire, one dragon roaring atop it, setting the skies ablaze.
"I must... dominate them."
And the one who showed him this new path.
- Kaban Bloodbeach. You've always hated dragons. To the point your life's goal was killing them all.
- But that's the wrong direction. Go the opposite way. Dominate those dragons.
- And when you've achieved that, having toppled myths as a human... help me.
- This is proof of that promise.
Kaban pulled a magic scroll from his bosom.
[Crown of Blood Thorns]
The world's most potent mind enslavement spell, a forbidden blood magic.
Gazing at the scroll, the mysterious ally's final words flashed by.
- After myths, what must be shattered next is false faith.
A woman with jet-black long hair and eyes crimson like freshly spilled blood.
Haten Silla.
The self-proclaimed saintess of the Evil God Cult's proposal—the Dragon Hunter accepted it.
"The age of myths ended long ago."
Kaban muttered through gritted teeth.
"Soon... I'll drag you beasts down to our level."
Killing dragons held no meaning now.
Humans had already conquered nature.
But dominating them would usher a new era.
The true age of humanity's signal flare.
Where neither dragons, gods, nor anything lorded over us.
"An era where only humans stand at the pinnacle."
But one problem remained.
"Have all the key materials arrived?"
"Th-That's..."
The soldier hesitated.
"Blood magic is essential for this operation. Where is the catalyst Blood Diamond?"
"It... hasn't arrived yet."
"What? The modified artifact?"
"C-Contact with the mercenaries transporting it was lost!"
"Why tell me now... No."
A surge of irritation.
An utterly unforeseen situation, yet Kaban kept his cool.
Such variables were nothing in dragon hunting.
He still had countermeasures.
"Contact the cult. We need additional catalysts for the blood magic."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldier immediately activated the crystal orb.
- Wooong.
But the glowing orb soon reverted to a transparent glass sphere.
"Huh?"
Once more.
- Wooong.
It died again.
This meant only one thing.
"Th-The cult isn't responding!"
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Finally exploding in rage, he grabbed the soldier by the collar.
"Why wouldn't the cult respond!? We communicated fine two weeks ago! They're the ones waiting for this hunt to end!"
The plan was derailing from the start.
The optimal time was tonight.
As if someone were cunningly, precisely targeting and sabotaging him—Kaban bellowed skyward.
"Who the hell is interfering with this hunt!?"
"Achoo!"
Illein blinked brightly at the sudden sneeze.
[Does it hurt? Shall we go to the recovery room?]
"No, I'm fine. So please, stop levitating my body with telekinesis?"
This was the fourth time today.