Chapter 29
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Murim Dragon (Revised Edition)
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The next day.
"The princess tore up a book in the library yesterday. It seemed to be because of your pupil."
"......"
Zedmon pointed it out in a flat tone.
"Aren't you in charge of the princess's etiquette training? She's softened up a lot lately. I acknowledge your hard work, but this is a problem."
Leria was royalty. A noble status.
So even when she made mistakes, she wasn't scolded directly.
If she erred, it was Eirana, her tutor, who got the reprimand.
"I'll keep an eye on it."
Zedmon nodded as he looked at Eirana's expressionless face.
Of course...
"Tore a book? Why tear up an innocent book? Is it the book's fault you're so damn stupid? Huh? Or is it rebellion? Is that it? Rebelling, right? Right?!!!"
"Aaack! N-no, it's not like that!"
"If it's not, then why? Why not tear yourself apart instead? Here, I'll rip you to shreds myself."
"Aack! It hurts! I'm dying! Dying! I'm gonna die!"
"Die! That's what you're asking for! Just drop dead. Even when I'm about to praise you, you pull some stunt that kills the mood! You're rotten to the core!"
"Kwaaaah~!"
Leria let out a scream full of agony.
Eirana grimaced as if the noise was annoying and clamped her hand over Leria's mouth.
"Did you do wrong? Or not?"
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
She couldn't answer properly with her mouth covered.
"Oh? Not even answering now?"
How was she supposed to answer?
Leria tried to shake her head in protest, but Eirana's iron grip held her fast.
Just then, as Eirana was in full swing beating Leria...
Creeeak! Bang!
"......!"
The door flew open suddenly.
Caught off guard by the unexpected intrusion, Eirana looked up in bewilderment.
Leria whipped her eyes toward the door as well.
Stepping inside was none other than Ross.
He closed the door behind him and stared at Eirana and the sprawled Leria on the floor with utter bafflement.
As Eirana released her hold and stood, Leria cried out.
"Sir Ross! Save me! This woman's trying to kill me!"
It was practically a wail from Leria.
To her, Ross was a savior.
"What's going on here?"
Eirana tilted her head at Ross's question, then pondered seriously.
And answered.
"A training session?"
"......"
Leria glared at Eirana with a look of utter defeat.
Training session? How was this a training session?
"Ah, I see."
Ross let out a hollow chuckle.
And said,
"I came to relay a message to you, but you look busy. Guess it can't be helped. I'll come by later."
"......!"
That was it?
Leria's jaw dropped.
"Princess, until next time."
"......"
Speechless, Leria slumped on the floor, staring blankly as the door opened and closed.
"You scared me there."
Eirana, genuinely startled, spoke to Leria, who wore a world-weary expression.
"How long you gonna sit like that? No class?"
At Eirana's words, Leria sniffled, got up clutching her sore arm, and sat at the desk.
Moments later, steeling herself for more blows, Leria asked.
"Why'd you come to see me?"
Her face was the picture of tragic heroine.
"To teach you."
"This is teaching?"
"If you behave, I won't hit you. Open the book."
Leria opened the book listlessly.
At least it was something.
If it had been Erannis, it wouldn't have ended like this.
For reference, she was a dragon with the peculiar trait of her battle power surging when children cried.
Class over, Eirana headed to the parlor where Ross waited.
Ross was sipping tea.
Spotting Eirana enter, he smiled faintly.
"You startled me back there."
"I was startled too."
"Definitely Erannis's daughter. I'd heard you were doing a good job teaching, but I never dreamed you'd train the princess like that."
Eirana furrowed her brow at his chuckling.
"Do I resemble my mom that much?"
"A little, yeah."
Eirana's expression turned grave.
She couldn't end up like Erannis.
She'd vowed it since childhood.
Ross chuckled at her and said,
"Anyway, looks like you're settling in well. Your methods are a bit questionable, but they're effective."
Eirana considered defending herself—Kids grow up getting spanked—but it sounded too much like Erannis, so she dropped it.
She wasn't Erannis.
Eirana knew she had a foul temper, but that was different.
As she mulled this inwardly, she asked,
"So, what brings you to me so suddenly?"
"Got a mission."
"A mission?"
Ross nodded at her puzzled look.
"You know this country banned slavery by royal decree, right?"
The Adea Kingdom had abolished slavery after a slave revolt 300 years ago.
The slaves had banded together, sparking civil war that intertwined with friction against the rising power of Atun, which was expanding its territory.
Facing internal and external crises, Adea had formally banned slavery by the king's order.
But nobles accustomed to slaves weren't about to give them up easily.
Even now, centuries later, underground slave markets thrived.
"Grand Duke Albesro is backing the slavers."
Adea's power struggle pitted Crown Prince Winsor's faction against Grand Duke Albesro's—King Winsor's brother.
Albesro had been the king's right-hand man during his active years, amassing power through sworn loyalty.
Winsor, as the officially appointed crown prince, held superiority in both forces and legitimacy, but complacency was unwise.
And Albesro's frontman was none other than Winsor's younger brother, Second Prince Clobero.
He lusted for power but lacked the talent for it.
What happens when an ambitious fool grabs the reins? Easy to imagine.
Thus, Winsor had rigorously excluded his brother from power.
Yet the grand duke pushed the second prince forward.
Eirana rested her chin on her hand after the rundown.
"So the slavers are one of Grand Duke Albesro's resource lines?"
"Exactly. Backed by a grand duke, they're international in scale. Even with official bans, someone of his stature makes illegal slave trade effortless."
"Boring story."
Eirana said flatly.
Then puzzled,
"Slaves aren't just humans, are they?"
"Sometimes other races get caught."
Elves and dwarves outclassed humans in ability, but numbers were their weakness, as the saying went.
Travelers in human lands occasionally got nabbed.
"Took some doing to get a lead this time."
"And since you're telling me, the mission's to raid the place."
Ross nodded.
Eirana tilted her head.
"Where?"
"Olbaton, a city in Duke Detoa's territory on the border with Atun Kingdom."
Far from the capital.
Leria tackled arithmetic problems with tense focus.
Scratching her head or squirming as she wrestled them was hardly proper, but Eirana let it slide.
She had her own etiquette philosophy.
Look good in public.
Private settings could be relaxed, she believed.
While Leria worked problems, Eirana read a book.
The kingdom's basic swordsmanship manual.
Leria cautiously raised her hand, eyeing the silent Eirana.
"Um..."
Eirana glanced over.
"I don't get this one."
Leria pointed to a problem.
Eirana stood, took the quill, and solved it.
Leria watched closely, then nodded with an "aha!" of understanding.
Leria was sharp.
In her past life, even well-off families had empty-headed kids regardless of gender.
No need to go back that far—same in the current human world.
Maybe because her brother is so smart.
Eirana murmured inwardly, returning to the manual.
Though the second prince's incompetence stood out glaringly.
Leria seemed to hold her second brother in poor regard too.
As class proceeded in silence, Leria set down her quill.
Done.
Eirana reached over instantly to check.
She scanned quickly, nodded at the few errors.
Satisfactory.
"Good job."
Leria's face brightened a bit.
Schedule was packed, but good work meant no penalties.
Quiz done, free time ahead—plenty to relax.
"No antics lately. Pretty commendable."
Leria's brightening face paled instantly.
Eirana eyed her.
"Take it easy."
How many could truly relax after that?
Eirana, brazen as ever, watched frozen Leria, then rummaged in her bag and pulled something out.
Leria, terrified, gaped at the furry bundle in Eirana's hand.
Silver Fang.
"Why carry that in your bag?"
Leria asked incredulously.
"Huh?"
Eirana looked at Silver Fang.
He wriggled, resisting her touch after the sudden emergence.
"Toy. Play with it."
Eirana tossed him to Leria.
She caught the live tiger cub awkwardly, stared blankly, then squealed in delight at his cuteness and played happily.
Protesting, yet he gripped Leria's hand with his paws and played along nicely.
Watching, Eirana said,
"Someone else will handle classes for a while."
"...?"
Leria looked up wide-eyed from play.
"Got something urgent."
"Really?"
Leria hid her glee.
Violent teacher gone! Freedom!
Eirana smiled at her.
"You know what happens if I hear even a whisper when I get back, right?"
Leria's face drained to terror again.