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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Elena’s office.
“Tell me everything, Cousin.”
Elena said casually, taking a seat as if to say she was willing to hear them out.
“…”
Eileen maintained a stony expression, in stark contrast to Elena’s relaxed demeanor.
It wasn’t unusual for Eileen to have a stern expression.
In fact, Elena often commented on how Eileen always looked like she had swallowed a lemon.
However, Elena had a hunch that something interesting had transpired, and she was looking forward to hearing it.
She had insisted on speaking to Eileen first, and although she only summoned Eileen initially, she knew something was amiss.
It wasn’t difficult to deduce that something had happened.
After all, Sylvia and Arwen, who hadn’t been seen recently, had returned with Eileen from beyond the wall.
But Elena wasn’t a prophet; she couldn’t possibly know the specifics.
“Elena.”
“Out with it. Why did you insist on speaking to me first? It’s not like you couldn’t tell me what happened in front of them.”
“…Tsk.”
Eileen clicked her tongue.
Her cousin had always been perceptive and sharp, frustratingly so.
Honestly, in terms of capability, Elena was superior to the Crown Princess.
That was why Eileen had reluctantly supported Elena during the previous rebellion.
But capability and personal preference were different matters.
‘If I tell her everything Rudrick said…’
Eileen quickly realized that would be a disaster waiting to happen.
She shook her head and decided to pique Elena’s curiosity instead.
“The situation beyond the wall… it’s been completely resolved.”
“Completely resolved?”
“Yes.”
“That’s hard to believe. Weren’t you the one who said the number of monsters beyond the wall was beyond imagination?”
Elena raised an eyebrow skeptically.
Monsters were like weeds.
Even if you eradicated them completely, they would always find a way to grow back.
The same applied to monsters.
If you let your guard down, new ones would simply migrate and fill the void.
It was only natural for Elena to be skeptical of Eileen’s words.
If it were that easy to resolve the monster surge beyond the wall, it would mean they could eradicate all of the monsters in the entire Empire.
But Eileen wasn’t exaggerating Rudrick’s abilities.
She was simply at a loss for words herself.
The situation had been so absurd.
“…This wasn’t a natural occurrence.”
“Not natural? You mean there was a third party involved?”
“Yes. And we know who’s behind it.”
“Who?”
“A dragon.”
Eileen recounted what she had heard from Rudrick.
“A dragon…?”
It didn’t take long for her to connect the dots.
“You mean the legendary dragon that lives in the mountains?”
“It’s not a legend. Rudrick went there himself and settled things.”
“That is surprising. I always thought it was just a local legend. You were the one who told me that story when we were children.”
“…I thought it was a legend too. I didn’t realize it was real until now.”
“So, you’re saying this ‘legendary dragon’ intentionally caused the monster surge?”
“Something like that.”
Eileen calmly explained the situation.
She told Elena everything, how the barbarian uprising was a direct result of Abel driving the monsters down from the mountains, how Sylvia and Abel had fought, and how Rudrick had intervened at a crucial moment.
After hearing everything, Elena frowned.
“…You’re saying Rudrick’s magic worked on a dragon?”
It was hard to believe, even for her.
She knew Rudrick’s magical abilities had grown considerably, possibly even surpassing his master Lorenzo, but for his magic to affect a dragon… that was a different story.
Dragons possessed magical power beyond human comprehension.
They wielded ancient magic lost to time, including the ability to speak the dragon language.
Their resistance to magic was unparalleled.
It was unthinkable for a human mage to affect a dragon, even a powerful one like Rudrick.
Eileen hadn’t witnessed it herself, she was simply relaying what she’d heard from Sylvia and Rudrick.
But she couldn’t help but agree that it was a good thing.
“He managed to restrain the dragon in its true form using a binding spell. I’m not well-versed in magic, so I’m not sure how that’s even possible.”
Elena tapped her fingers on the desk, deep in thought.
She would have asked Lorenzo for his opinion if he were still alive, but unfortunately, he was gone.
She regretted not paying more attention to her cousin’s affairs, but the Empress’ health had deteriorated recently, and she’d been preoccupied with other matters.
The very notion of a dragon appearing before humans in its true form was unheard of in recent centuries.
Had she not regressed, she would have dismissed it as a myth, something out of a children’s story.
“…If what you’re saying is true, then there was never any need for a ‘verification’ process.”
“Hm?”
“If we have a mage capable of using magic against a dragon in its true form, who else could possibly be considered for the position of Court Mage?”
Elena’s tone was serious.
Eileen nodded slowly.
She didn’t know the details of what had transpired, but she couldn’t deny that it was a good thing.
She had succeeded in diverting Elena’s attention.
Her cousin was the same as ever, once she was fixated on something, nothing else mattered.
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There’s no place like home.
The bed in the Grand Duchess’ guest room was comfortable, but it couldn’t compare to the comfort and familiarity of his own bed.
He practically collapsed onto his bed as soon as he got home.
Arwen, in her cat form, clicked her tongue at him.
“You should at least wash up before getting into bed.”
“I’m good. I washed up before coming back. And it’s not like I traveled a long distance. I just used a teleportation circle. What’s the big deal?”
“Hmph.”
He could practically hear her rolling her eyes, but he ignored her.
“Just be prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
“That cold-hearted woman is buying you some time, but you’re the one at the center of this whole mess.”
“And?”
“You’ll have to explain yourself to the Crown Princess, and probably the Empress. Are you going to tell them everything?”
Arwen had a point.
It would have been simple if he could just say, “A dragon did it!” Historically speaking, blaming a dragon solved most problems.
There were countless accounts in history books of dragons causing trouble.
If something major happened in the past, blaming a dragon was usually a safe bet.
But revealing Abel’s involvement would only create more problems.
He stared at Arwen, impressed.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just surprised by your wisdom.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Arwen was right.
According to common sense in this world, even if a human were as powerful as a grand mage, it was still impossible for their magic to affect a dragon.
It was like being better at a language than a native speaker.
He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, he was desperate.
He had no idea that what he did was practically unheard of, something that would make even the Archmage resign in shame.
He had simply done what he had to do.
“Hmm…”
He needed to come up with a believable explanation, and fast.
What should he say?
He was deep in thought when Arwen interrupted him.
“Why are you so worried? If you can’t think of anything, just tell them the truth.”
“The truth?”
“Yes. What’s so special about it that you have to hide it?”
She jumped onto the bed and stared at him intently.
“At worst, you might be inconvenienced. It’s not like it’ll hurt you. You might even gain wealth and fame from this. If you have no other choice, just admit it.”
He paused.
She was right.
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[bro is too good to be true]
