Chapter 381
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 381
Chapter Title: I Hope You Recover Quickly
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A faint smile.
Having stared for a long while at the black-haired girl who smiled while speaking of the catastrophe this country would one day face.
The white-haired girl opened her mouth impassively.
"That's too much of a waste."
"Yes, there are faster and simpler ways."
Even as she readily agreed, as the Black Dragon Princess more skilled in conspiracies than anyone.
Li Chingwei shook her head.
"But I won't use those methods. It would cause trouble for the Sword Duke."
If the country collapsed overnight.
Many would realize it was due to Rimon's absence, and they would beg him for salvation once more.
If he helped, they would be grateful for a moment, but soon treat his aid as a right and disregard him.
If he refused, they would curse the National Savior Hero who once gained wealth and power for turning shameless.
Just as they had for centuries.
"The Sword Duke might not care, but I have no intention of standing by while those unworthy fools insult and exploit him any longer."
"......"
"So I'll make them realize for themselves just how much fortune they've enjoyed all this time."
Without rushing.
Slowly and leisurely.
Such things would repeat.
Over 5 years, 10 years, waves of mutual suspicion seeping in bit by bit—people would accept it all without any sense of incongruity.
Like a frog in a boiling pot, unaware it's being cooked.
"Still, eventually someone will notice."
"It doesn't matter."
Those with insight and perception might detect the gradual changes and arrive at the truth.
But nothing would change.
A prophet and a false seer are separated by a mere sheet of paper.
No matter who claims the societal chaos is intentional, people wouldn't even pretend to listen.
If it was revealed that the Seven Dragon Group was behind it all, due to Rimon's absence, they would burst into outright laughter.
The more one tried to save the country, the more ridicule they would face, dismissed as a madman.
"Realizing the situation itself will be the price they pay."
Realizing the Sword Duke's absence.
Regretting it with tears of blood, yearning for him.
That would be the price for those who had the ability to recognize the contradiction of a nation protected by one man's power, yet turned a blind eye, thinking it had nothing to do with them.
Li Chingwei said with a bright smile.
"The more who follow the prophet, the worse their insults will become."
"......"
"And by the time they realize the false prophet was real, it will be too late to turn back."
"......The prophet might succeed."
"Then I'd have to accept it."
Whether they perished in ignorance.
Despaired upon realizing the truth.
Or repented and tried to mend their ways.
That choice belonged entirely to the people of this country. She had no intention of interfering that far.
With those exceedingly kind words, Li Chingwei added one more thing.
"Though the odds are lower than a camel passing through the eye of a needle."
"......"
Ainsha fell silent.
It wasn't just because, as the High Priestess of the Holy Alliance and White Dragon Princess, she knew better than anyone how many prophets and seers had been buried.
She finally understood.
Just as Rimon had tested the Seven Dragon Society.
As the princess of the Black Dragon Clan that claimed East Asia as its territory, Li Chingwei was testing whether this country was worthy of her rule.
The difference was one thing.
Unlike Rimon, who had been an objective and lenient examiner, she would be a subjective and ruthless one.
"Rimon wouldn't want that."
"But he won't stop it either."
If she had directly moved to destroy the country, Rimon would have flatly told her there was no need for her to avenge him in his place.
But if it was just a test like this, he would only watch.
This was something that would have happened eventually.
Li Chingwei's actions merely accelerated and deepened the unrest that would have come decades later.
"Above all, this is just the beginning."
As long as Rimon didn't stop her.
Whether decades passed.
Or centuries.
She would test and observe if this country was worthy of being ruled.
And this country would come to regret what they had lost, joyfully accepting the Seven Dragon Society's rule each time they fell into chaos, grateful for the mercy bestowed.
Li Chingwei spoke calmly, a faint smile on her lips.
"I hold grudges for a long time."
Even more tenacious than the Green Dragon Clan, the most persistent in the Seven Dragon Society, and a princess skilled in intrigue—after staring at her for a moment.
Ainsha nodded with an expressionless face.
And said.
"Understood. Then good luck."
"Thanks for the support."
Now that she knew her goal, she had no more questions, and wouldn't care what she did to this country going forward.
Ainsha promised curtly.
And Li Chingwei naturally accepted her encouragement.
Whatever another princess did in her own territory was her freedom.
Besides, sympathizing with and stepping in for a country that had even betrayed Rimon was something only Blue Dragon Princess Rose might do.
......Though it was impressive that she had ultimately forced even Rose to wash her hands of it.
"Anyway, the test is over, so all that's left is implementation."
Whoosh.
Reaching out, picking up the incense stick, and lighting it.
Hearing Li Chingwei say this as she replaced the nearly extinguished incense with a fresh one, Ainsha nodded.
"The Holy Alliance side is already prepared. The gods and other denominations are cooperative too. Food distribution nationwide possible within ten days."
"The problem is our side."
The Chinese Federation was the world's largest nation.
Even mass-producing Dagda's Cauldrons, supplying food to hundreds of millions would take considerable time.
Still, if she personally oversaw it, she could minimize the time required, but......
"Li Chingwei, I hope your condition improves. Still not well?"
"I'm fine. The backlog of work is the issue."
Li Chingwei gave a wry smile.
For days, she hadn't touched her duties for some reason.
Moreover, due to excessive overwork, she still hadn't fully returned to her tasks—that was her current state.
For any other clan, it might be different.
But for the Black Dragon Clan, where she shouldered the main responsibilities, her absence was fatal.
Fortunately, Youin and Wayling had set aside their own work to handle the urgent matters.
It was no laughing matter, considering the Chinese Federation's economy had nearly ground to a halt entirely.
Especially when thinking about the cause of this crisis.
"First time hearing the princess caught a cold. Surprising. Wonder how much overwork it took."
"Who knows, probably accumulated fatigue over a long time."
That was why.
She couldn't fathom how a princess who could fight sleepless for a week would catch a cold.
To Ainsha, who tilted her head expressionlessly, Li Chingwei had lied.
"......Can you get sick just from fatigue?"
"Colds are like that, I think."
"Is that so......?"
Having lived a life utterly unconcerned with illness.
Blinking at the Black Dragon Princess's utterly natural lie, Ainsha stared at her for a moment before speaking again.
"Anyway, don't overdo it. Competition will get fiercer. Troublesome if you keep getting sick."
"I was just thinking I need to be more careful."
Li Chingwei reflected honestly.
In such a critical national crisis, wasting days was bad enough, but catching a cold on top of it.
Even if Rose had caused great emotional turmoil, it was foolish even by her own standards.
......Still, if asked if she regretted it, she couldn't help but blush—that was her honest feeling.
"For now, I've ordered cooperation from Tiamat's Chinese Federation branch. A little help, but it helps."
"Appreciate the consideration, but is it okay? Your side isn't exactly leisurely either."
"This much is fine."
She had dumped all the economic sanction responses on the elders, so she had this much leeway.
Saying something that would make the White Dragon Clan's elders groan if they foresaw it, Ainsha added one more thing.
"Above all, you and I are allies. This much consideration is natural."
"......You're right."
Perhaps because her friendship with Rose had left such a deep impression.
Hearing those perfectly natural, yet strangely unfamiliar words, Li Chingwei made a subtle expression.
She hadn't told Ainsha about Rose yet.
She should as an ally, but......
'That would be too dangerous.'
Li Chingwei muttered inwardly.
Not content with merely betraying the Seven Dragon Society, knowing what Rose had done would make it hard even for her to contain her rage.
If she learned that, even Ainsha, skilled at controlling emotions, might react unpredictably.
It could even spark a war immediately.
As someone who had overlooked Rose's atrocities to prevent internal strife in the Seven Dragon Society, Li Chingwei couldn't risk that.
"Then I'll be going. Take care."
"Yes, you too, Ainsha."
Thus, Li Chingwei ultimately said nothing about Rose until Ainsha rose from her seat.
Only as she was about to leave the room did she suddenly speak.
"Oh, and Ainsha?"
"Forget something?"
To Ainsha, who stopped abruptly before exiting the bedroom and turned back, Li Chingwei smiled faintly.
"Thanks for visiting while I was sick. And the gift."
Showing her a small crembo freshly made from Dagda's Cauldron, Li Chingwei met Ainsha's gaze for a moment.
Ainsha said softly.
"No big deal. Eat Tata's non-homemade crembo well."
At that moment.
Li Chingwei blinked.
Before Ainsha turned and left the bedroom, she felt like she had seen something odd.
The always expressionless girl's lips curving ever so slightly.
'......Must be my imagination?'
Ainsha having an expression?
Thinking her poor condition made her see things wrong, Li Chingwei still couldn't help but make a strange face.
Step, step.
While Li Chingwei was lost in thought.
Ainsha, descending from the penthouse, walked slowly.
And on her face lingered the faint smile Li Chingwei had seen.
What could be so amusing?
With a smile as transparent as snowflakes, yet because of that, faintly but clearly revealing emotion.
Ainsha muttered suddenly.
"Li Chingwei, I hope you recover quickly."
Right after.
Her expression vanished again, more curt than usual, to the point of seeming like a doll, utterly inorganic.
And with eyes even more transparent, showing no emotion at all, she looked back down the hallway she had passed.
Ainsha reflected.
She had tried to mask it with incense and herbal medicine scents.
Yet unable to hide it—the sticky fragrance exactly like the one from the secret room where Dagda's Cauldron was made.
And the faint, unfamiliar body scent buried under Rimon's fingers on her lips, mingled with Li Chingwei's and his own smell.
Creak.
Unwittingly gripping too hard.
The hand-sized cauldron crumpled like clay, but Ainsha paid it no mind.
The acknowledged weakest in the Seven Dragon Society.
Yet an undeniable heir of the dragon.
And the most intuitive among the seven princesses, of course.
As the world's greatest prophet, who allowed no one's predictions, the white-haired girl thought of the black-haired girl who had 'once' been her ally and spoke coldly.
"The price for forgetting my warning will be steep."