The Red Dragon and the White Dragon (1)
The First Saintess of the Gael Holy Kingdom led her delegation into the imperial capital. Crowds gathered like clouds. The atmosphere, which had been subdued by a horrific bombing, quickly filled with fervor, proving the depth of their faith. Silvery hair that swayed gently. Sapphire eyes sparkling like meticulously crafted jewels. A face as white as ivory and features sculpted with divine precision. The woman clad in a pure white robe appeared alongside the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom. The citizens offered short gasps of awe and prayers, paying their respects to the Saintess. As the incarnation of the goddess Gael, her mere beauty stirred reverence in the crowd.
“The incarnation of Gael has arrived…!”
“Oh! How truly elegant and noble she is!”
The incarnation of the goddess. The pure maiden blessed by the White Dragon. Javelin Albyon Russell. She responded to the citizens’ prayers with her own, hands clasped in reverence. The Valtaria Empire, wary of disorder, had deployed a large contingent of troops, fearing the crowds might act rashly. Yet the citizens who welcomed Javelin maintained perfect order until the very end.
“It has been a while, Saintess Javelin.”
“I am relieved to see Your Majesty in good health. It must be the boundless grace of the Earth Mother.”
The mustachioed Emperor welcomed the delegation from the Holy Kingdom alongside his ministers. It was an unusually gracious reception. The ruler of the Empire had personally come out to the inner palace to greet them. The priests looked surprised, clearly not expecting the notoriously brusque Emperor to appear in person. Relations between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom had always been tense, each vying for supremacy.
“I trust the Red Dragon of the Valtaria Empire is also in good health?”
“…Thanks to your concern, she is unharmed.”
Ludmilla, who had come to escort the Emperor, met Javelin’s gaze as the Saintess led her delegation. Javelin offered a warm greeting. Ludmilla bowed her head and replied. They exchanged pleasantries and inquired after each other’s well-being, yet not a trace of warmth colored their words. The sharp, murderous glint in their eyes confirmed it.
—The Red Dragon and the White Dragon had vied for dominion of the skies for centuries. Just as the scriptures described, those blessed by the Red Dragon and the White Dragon were known to be bitter enemies. The hostility and rivalry born from their blessings always escalated into open conflict. It was possible the Red Dragon and the White Dragon might engage in a fight to the death. Thus, whenever the princess and the Saintess met, fear and anxiety followed in their wake.
“I heard that many citizens tragically lost their lives in the bombing carried out by a ruthless criminal organization. As the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom, I offer my deepest condolences.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“I also heard that the hero who defeated the Bombing Demon is a blood relative of the Hero Maximilian. If Your Highness permits, I would like to meet the young lord of House Hohenberg.”
“……”
Gale Doher and the Bombing Corps had long been enemies of the Holy Kingdom. They had slain countless priests and even committed the atrocity of bombing a cathedral. It was only natural for the Saintess representing the Holy Kingdom to wish to thank the hero. After all, Edanant had essentially defeated the villains on behalf of the Holy Kingdom. It was a perfectly reasonable request. Yet for some reason, her instincts screamed, ‘You must never let them meet.’ Sensing a primal threat, Ludmilla narrowed her eyes and stared at Javelin. The White Dragon met the Red Dragon’s gaze with unwavering confidence.
* * *
Fame was a double-edged sword. For the outgoing, it became wings of confidence. For the introverted, it became shackles of embarrassment. Which one did I fall under? Unfortunately, I was the latter. The Valtaria imperial family had heavily promoted the hero who had defeated the ruthless villains, pushing me into an even tighter corner. The way they focused so intently on “praising” me made me wonder if they were trying to exact revenge on House Hohenberg in this manner.
“Edan’s face is plastered all over every newspaper! Wow, Edan really is amazing!”
“……”
The second son of House Hohenberg, who had once caused a scandal with Princess Ludmilla, had suddenly become a hero. Naturally, the newspaper reporters weren’t about to miss such an opportunity. They ran massive headlines. Some even printed black-and-white photographs of me on the front page. True to an era without the concept of portrait rights, they used the secretly taken photos as-is. The result was the worst possible outcome: my identity was exposed the moment I stepped outside.
Imagining the lengths reporters would go for a scoop, I quietly gripped the handle of my pistol. ‘When someone becomes famous, noble families usually swarm them with marriage proposals, right? So why hasn’t a single one arrived? It’s been far too quiet. Looking at those headlines, they even printed the exact address of the villa I’m currently staying at!’
How could it be this silent? Something was wrong. There was no way the eccentric and peculiar nobles would remain this quiet. Perhaps the shy young ladies were hesitating to confess their feelings? I tried spinning that ridiculous happy fantasy, though even I knew it was utterly pointless.
“Even when Maximilian was active as the Hero, things were quiet. But that was because he had been engaged to the Emperor’s youngest daughter for a long time… I’m twenty-three and don’t even have a fiancée.”
Even if I had been a married man, proposals asking me to take a mistress would have come in. What on earth was going on? There had to be some massive force behind the scenes interfering with marriage proposals…
As I paced in circles, lost in thought, Lue suddenly burst into giggles and began trailing behind me like a child playing train.
“Your Grace, are you home?”
While I was indulging in my pointless yet important delusions, a knock sounded at the door. Ludmilla’s voice followed.
“Edan!”
I had been told she had an important matter to attend to today, but I stopped at her call. Lue, who had been following right behind me, crashed straight into my back.
“You have arrived, Your Highness. However…”
Ignoring Lue, who had fallen on her rear, I hurriedly straightened my clothes and descended to the first floor.
“I’ve brought a guest from the Holy Kingdom. Pay your respects—this is the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom.”
“…Pardon?”
The Saintess? That was supposed to be Beatrice. The silver-haired girl didn’t look like the legendary harem manager… Then I realized Ludmilla’s invited guest was the First Saintess. The delegation from the Holy Kingdom was scheduled to arrive in the capital today. I had forgotten amid all the headaches caused by the newspapers’ relentless scoops and headlines.
“Javelin Albyon Russell, First Saintess of the Gael Holy Kingdom. It is an honor to meet you, young lord of House Hohenberg.”
“You honor me. I am Edanant von Hohenberg.”
Perhaps because she stood beside the tall and slender Ludmilla, the First Saintess of the Holy Kingdom appeared even smaller and younger than her actual age. It was difficult to guess her age. She might even be a girl who had yet to undergo her coming-of-age ceremony. I glanced at her sideways, and our eyes met. The White Dragon smiled softly like a new bride, leaving me flustered.
“Is there something on my face? I know I’m pretty, but it’s troublesome if you stare too much.”
“Ah, no, there isn’t.”
I had never met her before, yet she felt strangely familiar. Had I seen her somewhere? It felt like I had heard such bold teasing before… A peculiar sense of déjà vu brushed against the back of my neck, leaving me uneasy.
“I heard that Lord Edanant used the Holy Sword Aldebaran. Is that true?”
“It is.”
So the moment had finally come. The Holy Sword Aldebaran. That must be why the First Saintess had come in person. Maximilian had received the Four Holy Swords of Demon Slaying along with the Hero’s blessing, but ownership naturally belonged to the Holy Kingdom. Even though I was Maximilian’s younger brother, an outsider who had not been granted ownership had used the Holy Sword without permission. The Holy Kingdom would naturally be displeased. I wouldn’t be burned at the stake, would I? Still, I was a hero who had defeated villains. If possible, I hoped they would reduce it to a fine… Though the compensation I had to pay the imperial family was already enough to kill me.
“In that case, I hope you continue to use it well. The Four Holy Swords of Demon Slaying are precious holy relics of the Holy Kingdom, after all.”
“Pardon?”
“If Aldebaran chose you, there must be a reason for it.”
“…Ah, I understand.”
She had casually handed over the Four Holy Swords of Demon Slaying, which were only permitted to the Hero, as if it were nothing. I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at Javelin’s ready permission. Ludmilla seemed equally surprised. This wasn’t a decision the Saintess could make on her own. Strictly speaking, the owner of the Holy Swords should be the Pope, the ruler and representative of the Holy Kingdom. Yet Javelin answered as if she would take full responsibility.
“Lord Edanant, more importantly… shall we have a private conversation, just the two of us?”
“Pardon?”
Whoosh—. The Saintess, who suited white so well, grabbed my arm and pulled me toward her. Then she threw herself into my embrace. What on earth was happening? I widened my eyes at the Saintess’s incomprehensible and absurd behavior. At the same time, Ludmilla, who had been watching with clear displeasure, saw Javelin’s sudden action and flew into a rage.