Chapter 343
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 343
Chapter Title: Flower on the Cliff
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After the raid by the Red Dragon Clan.
The Utopia Guild was a total mess.
The guild's main force—its summons—had been wiped out completely, and that blow was too devastating.
Fortunately, most of the guild members were unharmed, so with enough time, they could rebuild. But that would require massive amounts of money and effort.
Under normal circumstances, maybe.
But right now, already battered from the raid, it wasn't going to be easy.
And to top it off, Summon Lord Branga—the very person responsible for cleaning up this chaos—had vanished without a trace since that day.
Rumors were even spreading that Branga was already dead, leading some guild members to quit.
Suddenly saddled with running the guild as vice-guild master, Namim had no choice but to curse Branga's name every single day while scrambling to pick up the pieces.
"Haa..."
But the man on the receiving end of those curses.
The man whose face still bore vivid burn scars despite using even an Elixir, and whose one arm had been severed.
Branga had not the slightest intention of returning.
Africa was a land of the law of the jungle.
Even if he went back in his current state, he'd be too busy fending off guild members eyeing his position to properly recover.
Especially after he'd let all the guild's summons get wiped out.
Namim might be too lazy for that kind of scheming, but she wouldn't help him either.
So instead, he holed up in his hideout, focusing solely on healing.
Thankfully, the war was over. Once he regained his strength, he could return, reorganize his forces, and that would be that.
Or so Branga thought.
Right up until today.
Until he saw that one newspaper.
"That queen took a concubine? And of all people, this brat?"
Thanks to setting up his hideout in such a remote spot.
Branga let out a hollow laugh as he read an Egyptian newspaper that was already several days old.
Then, with his one remaining arm, he slammed the table.
BAM!!!
"You impudent little punk!"
He hit it so hard.
The shattered table sprayed fragments like bullets in all directions, leaving clear cracks etched into the floor.
Branga didn't stop there. He smashed several more pieces of furniture, grinding his teeth.
"I let your cheeky attitude slide because it was kinda cute, and now you dare lay hands on my woman?!"
Rimon would have been dumbfounded if he'd heard that.
From the start, even in the game, Branga had desperately chased after Rimon to beat him.
And thanks to Hasneti taking him as a concubine and halting the war, Branga had been the biggest beneficiary, spared from his entire guild being wiped out.
At this point, it was beyond shameless—it was audacious.
But rather than calm his rage, Branga only fanned it hotter.
"She's my woman! She's going to be my wife someday!"
No matter how many proposals she'd ignored.
No matter how she'd always looked at him like he was a bug.
Those were minor issues.
No matter how much she threw tantrums now, Hasneti would eventually be his woman—he'd never doubted that.
That's why, upon seeing the article, he reacted like a husband hearing of his wife's affair.
That soft, supple skin.
Those perfectly red, luscious lips.
Above all, the purity that should have been his.
Just imagining that blond pretty boy touching them made his stomach churn.
"My mistake. If I'd known, I wouldn't have messed around with that game nonsense—I should've just killed him right there!"
Of course, if he'd tried that stunt, he wouldn't be alive right now; his life would've ended before he could even fight Hasneti.
But oblivious to that, Branga trembled with fury.
To him, it felt like he'd generously spared a punk kid, only for that kid to steal his woman.
"Hoo, hoo."
How much time passed?
After a long bout of heavy breathing, Branga finally calmed down and slumped to the floor.
He let out a deep sigh.
"...I got too worked up. It's obviously just political, after all."
True to his title as lord.
Regaining his reason, Branga judged the situation coolly.
Hasneti, who dismissed any man weaker than her—including him—and ignored them all.
For her to take some kid as a concubine?
Thinking about it rationally, it was laughable.
A concubine in name only, and he was certain that pretty boy hadn't even touched her pinky finger.
"Of course that haughty queen wouldn't fall for some greenhorn."
No need to get excited.
Just like always.
Hasneti would remain a flower on a sheer cliff, untouchable by anyone.
"Still, he pissed me off, so while I'm at it, I might as well take that Eastern outlaw girl as my concubine too."
If the Blue Dragon Clan heard that, they'd spend ten days debating the most gruesome execution method in the world.
It wasn't something to say lightly about any woman.
But he didn't care.
He believed all beauties were his by right, and their ultimate happiness was entering his harem and being loved by him.
He was the absolute ruler of this era.
Stronger than anyone.
A great lord destined to succeed no matter the hardship or adversity.
Thinking of that lofty flower he'd one day claim, Branga smiled contentedly.
Yuna Kyung thought to herself.
She was done for.
She knew full well how hard it was to escape from Hasneti.
With luck, she might Space Move all the way to Rimon, but more likely she'd get roasted mid-flight.
So she steeled herself.
Not to die, but to definitely escape.
She couldn't die until she warned Rimon that this was all a trap.
[Uh...]
That was why.
Why Yuna Kyung was at a loss for words.
[Um, well, you know.]
What had she just heard?
She blinked several times, piecing it together blankly, before finally opening her beak.
[You like him...?]
...Nod.
[Even since 10 years ago?]
...Nod.
[All this time?]
...Nod.
Maybe because the questions were so direct.
Hasneti silently affirmed with slow nods instead of words, leaving Yuna Kyung frozen for a long moment.
She swallowed.
Swallowed again and again.
Finally exhaling it all at once, she blurted out without thinking.
[That doesn't make any sense?!?!]
"Is there any reason it shouldn't?"
Furrowed brow and menacing glare.
A voice thick with menace.
She looked ready to intimidate any bird daring to contradict her.
But connected to Hasneti via telepathy, Yuna Kyung could tell.
She wasn't angry.
She was genuinely just curious about the reason.
Feeling absurd but trying to point it out logically anyway, Yuna Kyung pressed on.
[Of course not! He was your clan's enemy, wasn't he? Your team's... no, your clan's sworn foe! How could you like him?!]
"The Black Dragon Princess?"
[Huh?]
"Li Chingwei's engaged to him too."
[That's...]
If even the Black Dragon Clan's princess, who had the deepest grudge against Rimon, could do it, why couldn't she? Hasneti seemed sulky as she spoke, making Yuna Kyung fumble before quickly changing the subject.
[O-okay, fine, but! You said the first time you met him in person was just recently, right?]
"That's right."
[So how could you have liked him for 10 years? You didn't fall for him at first sight from some article or photo, did you?]
"......"
[......Why aren't you answering?]
The deepening silence.
Hasneti's increasingly menacing gaze made Yuna Kyung's pupils shake.
She realized it from that reaction.
That she'd backed into the dragon's tail.
Shocked by the escalating absurdity and the intensifying glare, Yuna Kyung swallowed dryly without realizing.
[Ahem, come to think of it, yeah, he's totally the type to fall for at first sight. He's got that tall, handsome look...]
"Looks don't matter."
[Oh, right? It's the personality that counts, huh?]
"No. Strength."
[......Huh?]
Her efforts to smooth things over went to waste. Stunned by the outrageous answer, Yuna Kyung stared blankly as Hasneti said lowly.
The law of the jungle.
That was the Red Dragon Clan's fate.
From the moment she hatched, she'd pursued strength.
Even as a child, she'd resolved to marry a man stronger than herself.
So when she began seeking a future husband, her interest naturally fell on one man.
The one who'd slain the Seven Dragons.
Killed even a Sword Master.
The man who'd blocked the Seven Dragon Society for centuries.
A being stronger than her—not just stronger, but the absolute strongest in the world.
The more she investigated him.
The more she learned of his power.
The deeper her fascination grew, until she wanted to know everything about him...
[So you fell for him because of that...?]
Nod.
[Just because he's strong?]
"Why need any other reason?"
A strong male was naturally more attractive than a weak one.
So of course she'd fallen for Rimon.
Her face was dead serious.
Yet it somehow sounded like an excuse. Yuna Kyung nodded awkwardly.
[Well... yeah, no other reason needed, I guess. It's all about taste in the end.]
"Exactly."
Anyone could hear the reluctant agreement in her words.
Yet Hasneti nodded as solemnly as if hearing a brilliant strategy, leaving Yuna Kyung with an even stranger expression for a moment.
She scratched her head with a wing and opened her beak.
[But Military Sis. Why tell me all this?]
Honestly, that was what puzzled Yuna Kyung most.
After catching her in this secret collection room, Hasneti could've just burned her alive—no one would blink.
She couldn't fathom why Hasneti was confessing all this to her.
Hasneti's answer was simple.
"I need advice."
[......Advice?]
"You'll have to do it once you become Horus anyway."
[Wait, what do you...]
Horus's key role was being her confidante and errand runner.
She'd planned to wait until basic training was done, but she needed advice now and couldn't wait any longer.
So she'd make Yuna Kyung Horus right here.
Ignoring Yuna Kyung's bewilderment at the sudden declaration.
Hasneti said flatly.
"I want to be his mate. So I made him my concubine first, but I still feel distant."
And Yuna Kyung panicked.
Now she knew exactly what kind of advice Hasneti wanted.
Her following words confirmed it.
"So I want to know how to get closer to him."
[Who asks a bird for love advice?! Ask someone else!]
"No one else to ask."
[What do you mean no one? You've got subordinates and clan members galore! Talk to that aide of yours right now...]
"Can't."
[Why not?]
'Because of Team Leader's identity?'
'No, even with that Dragon Psyonic thing, the princesses are after Team Leader anyway, so that shouldn't matter?'
'Some political issue? Spies nearby?'
Yuna Kyung racked her brain guessing why she couldn't confide in others.
Then, suddenly, she heard a mumble.
"......Shy."
[Pardon? What was that?]
"......Because I'm shy."
[C-could you say that a bit louder? I didn't catch it.]
One wing to her ear, leaning in as far as possible to hear.
Hasneti murmured the reason in a slightly louder—but still tiny—voice.
[......]
Yuna Kyung froze.
What had she just heard?
She couldn't process it at first.
But glancing at Hasneti with a "no way," she knew she hadn't misheard.
The crawling voice.
The flushed ears and nape.
Above all, the eyes that couldn't meet hers straight on.
They told her the truth.
'No, wait. No way.'
Red Dragon Princess Hasneti.
Aka Africa's Tyrant.
The most radical, violent war maniac among the Seven Dragon Society's princesses.
'With this face, this vibe?'
Always chillingly cold, as befitted her reputation.
Taller than most men, exuding a fierce aura—this beauty who made words like "stunning" and "impressive" come to mind naturally...
[You're too embarrassed to tell anyone else?!?!]
Seeing her fidget like a girl with her first crush, Yuna Kyung could only gape in shock.