Chapter 144

Chapter 144: A Troublesome Word

Valdrova’s massive form drew near while simultaneously shrinking in size. She was in the midst of polymorphing.

“Ferda-nim, please close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“When she draws closer, Valdrova-nim will assume human form. You will end up seeing her face.”

She was correct. It was precisely why Ferda asked cautiously, “Would it be alright if I took just a quick glance?”

“…I will correct myself. Turn your body completely around. If you turn your head, I will administer a full-body scrubbing.”

He had allowed himself a moment of greed, only to raise her guard further. Following Ruri’s instruction, he turned away, and the rushing pressure of the approaching wind suddenly faded. In its place came the light sound of something landing softly upon the ground.

“Master, I have arrived.”

“Yes.”

Along with a clear voice came a soft clinking sound. She glanced at Ferda’s posture while asking Ruri:

“Ruri, do I look strange by any chance?”

“You appear as you always do. There is nothing to worry about.”

“Hmm… is there anything odd clinging to me…?”

“These eyes of Ruri see nothing amiss, so there is no need for concern.”

“M-My voice, how does it sound?”

“There is nothing to adjust.”

“Mmhm! Right! Ahem!”

She cleared her throat, exhaling the simmering warmth from her chest.

Ferda had turned his back, not lost his hearing. His own chest vibrated at the sound of that trembling voice, which in turn stirred his own heart.

“That is sufficient.”

At Ruri’s words, Ferda turned around. Before his eyes stood a striking beauty wearing a mask. The fierce warrior who had fought so valiantly moments before was gone, replaced by a bashful woman with formidable horns sitting quietly.

It felt entirely fresh. After seeing nothing but dragon armor at every tea gathering, facing a petite, exquisite woman caused his heart to race as though it were their very first meeting.

‘I still cannot believe it.’

That he had once danced beneath the moonlight with such a woman.

“Greetings to the Grand Duke.”

“Yes, Ferda-ssi!”

She appeared unnecessarily brimming with fighting spirit before initiating the conversation.

“A-Are you well? Your injuries?”

“Yes, neither then nor now is there any need for concern.”

“Uueh… I apologize. I became overly excited and caused you harm…”

“It is nothing. You made such a fuss that I was the one left flustered.”

Ferda reassured her earnestly. Surprisingly, this stemmed from his own inner desire. They had progressed from holding hands to embracing; he could not allow distance to grow between them once more. He would rather hold her again even at the risk of having his chest pierced—such was his resolve.

Just as Ferda harbored such feelings, Valdrova felt the same.

“Next time, I will bring a definitive solution! One where I will not pierce you, Ferda-ssi!”

“Th-that… would it not work to conceal your horns?” Ferda suggested cautiously.

Had Ruri not been walking around with her draconic traits concealed? Other dragons had long hidden their forms to blend in. Thus, Ferda assumed Valdrova could also hide her horns and tail.

“That would be ideal, but while I can manage the tail, I cannot do anything about the horns…”

If that was the case, what else could be done? It was a truly vexing dilemma. He quelled his internal bitterness with a sip of black tea.

“Um… how was it?”

“How was what, you ask…?”

“My battle form. When fighting the monsters… I am curious how it looked to you.”

The battle had felt familiar as always: overwhelming, fierce, and merciless. Valdrova, true to her title as the Aspect of Power, had dominated entirely. The flow was consistent, yet to Ferda, it remained a striking sight each time.

“It was a demeanor truly worthy of an Aspect. Had the villagers of Hestia witnessed it, it would have stirred their deepest pride.”

“Is that so?”

Uncertain of the precise meaning of the term, Valdrova simply assumed it was high praise. Yet that was not the true purpose of her inquiry. Her fidgeting fingers gave her away.

“Then, did that…” Swallowing her words in embarrassment, she ventured, “D-Did it turn you on?”

“Pfft!”

In lieu of an answer came the sharp spray of black tea. Ferda shielded his face and turned his head away, incapable of speech. The one who had dropped the verbal bombshell asked back in a panic:

“F-Ferda-ssi, are you alright?! Why are you reacting like that?!”

Valdrova was flustered; Ferda remained utterly speechless. Ruri, observing the entire exchange, narrowed her eyes sharply.

“Master, do you know the meaning of the words you just uttered?”

“Eh? That… I heard men use it when referring to finding a woman attractive…”

“And do you realize how vulgar that phrasing is?”

Shadows lengthened across Ruri’s face.

“Is that something an Emperor ought to say?”

“Uh…”

“Is that something a lady should ever say to a gentleman?”

“I did not know… Ferda-ssi, was I terribly rude?”

Ferda did not reply, merely keeping his head lowered as the remaining tea dripped from his lips.

“Look at this. He is completely lost for words and immobilized, is he not?”

“I-I am so sorry! Ferda-ssi… I did something crude again… I am a fool, so once more…”

“N-No, cough, that is not it. I merely choked on the tea, so please do not take it to heart…”

Ferda could not bring himself to look at Valdrova’s face. Assuming she was now resented, Valdrova let out a stifled whimper. Amidst the awkward atmosphere, Ruri spoke with stern authority:

“First, let us return to the cave. We will continue this ‘conversation’ there.”

“Uueueu…”

Valdrova retreated with fluttering wings, looking entirely deflated.

Once Valdrova had departed and only the chilling wind swept the summit, Ruri spoke:

“Ferda-nim, Master has left.”

“…Yes.”

“Now, please stand up. Do you not have duties to attend to?”

“I suppose…”

He spoke the words, yet Ferda found himself unable to rise easily from his seat. Witnessing the strange sight, Ruri tilted her head and, struck by a sudden suspicion, asked:

“…Did it truly turn you on?”

“…”

Ferda could offer no reply.

A communication arrived from the Blue Tower.

“The contaminated land near the watercourse has been purified. We will reopen the flow toward the Far East.”

Purification was the term used, though in truth, they had completely excavated the tainted soil and replaced it with fresh earth. Regardless, clean water would soon flow, and the populace would rejoice at no longer having to consume water sourced from the Demon Lands.

“And there is one proposal we would like to present.”

“Speak.”

“We wish to make a large-scale investment into Marquis Vernel’s essence extraction technology. What are your thoughts?”

“If you are investing, we welcome it, but what do you seek in return?”

“Nothing burdensome. Since we are allies, we simply ask that you mention our joint cooperation in this development; consider it a gesture to preserve our standing.”

It was a request to save face. The reality that mortals had purified contaminated water—a feat the Water Aspects failed to accomplish—struck a blow to the dragonkin’s pride. Marquis Vernel’s reputation continued to rise.

“I am amenable, given that we are allies offering support, but I must consult Vernel first.”

“Understood. The pride of scholars is at stake, after all. Take your time to resolve it.”

Erica did not push aggressively. Maintaining composure as though it were a routine matter was fundamental.

“By the way, I also made contact with the High Elves.”

This concerned the deciphering of records left behind by the Dark Elf Research Director, Linne. He waited for her update, quietly hoping she would say they could proceed immediately.

“Unless it is an absolute emergency, they requested that we contact them again this summer.”

“Is something occurring on their end?”

“We are uncertain as well. When it comes to elven affairs, a single complication can easily drag on for a decade.”

A decade… Put in those terms, waiting until summer felt remarkably brief.

“That works out. We have ongoing matters here as well, so I cannot leave my post for the time being anyway.”

“Even in a situation where continental upheaval could be averted, they remain indifferent; truly typical of High Elves. Long-lived races who isolate themselves and act with aloof detachment.”

“Are your kin not long-lived as well?”

“Do we look anything like those idlers?”

Sharpness laced her voice. Indeed, just as lumping orcs and humans together as short-lived races would cause offense, dragonkin felt similarly insulted by comparisons.

“Regardless, understood. I will inform the Administrator.”

“I will bring more positive updates soon, so please manage affairs on your side as well.”

Thus concluded the transmission with Erica.

Soon after, word arrived that the grand noble procession traveling with the Imperial Army had safely entered the capital. The one delivering the report was William.

“How was the banquet?”

“Immensely magnificent. They say it was incomparable to the one held at Valdrova Castle.”

As the Regent, it was an unwelcome assessment for Ferda, yet one he could not help but acknowledge.

‘That was the intention from the very start.’

Alexander had likely gone to great lengths to wash away his previous disgrace and project the supreme grandeur of the Empire. The thrill of entering the Imperial Palace—a rare privilege for most—paired with a banquet scaled to match such anticipation would have easily made the gathering at Valdrova Castle seem like a modest village gathering.

“Is the atmosphere favorable, then?”

“It appears favorable on the surface…” William replied in a guarded tone. “However, I believe a complication may arise.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Crown Prince’s movements are unusual.”

From the perspective of an external observer, the situation was telling: Alexander Arken, the Crown Prince, had personally greeted every noble and knight entering through the castle gates one by one. He praised them as true heroes and patriots of the realm. Throughout the banquet, he remained actively engaged in elevating the visiting nobles. For those nurturing the Imperial Dream, it was more than enough to send their pride soaring.

“This seems less like a mere commendation of heroes and more like an underlying agenda.”

“It appears so.”

What he gained by exalting them was political allies. It was reported that Alexander was actively winning over two hundred and fifty young noble lords and ladies. Under the present circumstances, Ferda could do little to intervene.

“Report tomorrow’s developments as they unfold.”

“Understood.”

The mana within the communication orb dispersed, and Ferda stared quietly at the crystal sphere for a long moment.

‘The reason Alexander is gathering allies…’

There were numerous potential motives: the disgrace of being labeled a demon’s lackey, or the total annihilation of the legion under his command. While there were obvious explanations, Alexander was not one to act purely on surface reasons. He typically placed apparent justifications at the forefront while concealing his true motives behind them.

‘Olivia… could it be targeted at her?’

No matter how he analyzed it, the most plausible theory was a calculated move to suppress her standing. Given her extraordinary intellect, it would be false to claim she had not anticipated such a scenario. What countermeasure would Olivia deploy in response? Whatever the challenge, she was bound to handle it adeptly. That was the Olivia Ferda knew.

The following day, William reported in an exceptionally grave tone.

“As expected, an issue has erupted.”

“In what manner?”

“In the formal evaluation of wartime merits, the Princess’s contributions were announced as severely diminished.”

The previous day’s concern had materialized.

“Explain the details.”

William laid out the situation. Following the conclusion of the banquet, a medal ceremony was conducted based on recorded merits. Upon reviewing the roster and the criteria of evaluation, Olivia formally lodged a protest.

When Ferda inquired as to how low her contribution had been graded, William answered:

“Regarding the merits of this campaign, the Princess’s contribution was officially assessed at three percent.”