Chapter 189

I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 189: A Gift Received on a Non-Anniversary Day

A Gift Received on a Non-Anniversary Day
Chapter 189. A Gift Received on a Non-Anniversary Day

Valdrova put on her armor and stepped out of Hestia Village.
The people of Hestia Village recognized her and greeted her politely.
— Welcome, Armored Knight-nim!
— Are you at peace today as well?
She was already an important figure in the village, and everyone greeted her warmly upon seeing her.
At such times, she would feel perplexed, then respond with just a slight nod of her head.
It was a demeanor born of awkwardness, but to others, it appeared remarkably imposing and dignified.
She headed not to the Labor Union she usually went to, but to the Adventurer’s Guild building.
— Armored Knight-nim! You arrived early!
Nod.
— The Guild Master-nim will arrive on time. I will guide you to the meeting room.
The guild receptionist welcomed her and opened the door to the meeting room.
Inside, aside from her, three other people had already gathered.
Valdrova looked at them and marveled.
“They are all strong people.”
As a Phase of Power, she could easily measure their strength.
She could feel the pain and the years they had endured to possess that power, intact.
A sudden thought struck her.
“Is it really fine for me to be in a place like this?”
— That person over there…….
The blond archer opened his mouth while looking at Valdrova.
— By any chance, aren’t you the Armored Knight?
His recognition was quite different from the way the villagers did it.
He asked with displeased eyes.
Valdrova nodded her head.
— Mmm…….
He seemed about to say something more, but closed his mouth and leaned back in his chair.
It was not just that archer.
The gazes directed at the Armored Knight were different from the usual looks she received.
“Did I do something wrong?”
Valdrova felt unnecessarily discouraged.
Thinking that she should just sit and wait, she took a seat.
As time passed after she sat down, a few more people filled the room.
The seats of honor were filling up, but the uncomfortable atmosphere did not dissipate.
Finally, the person who would break that uncomfortable atmosphere entered.
— Euhahaha! Is everyone doing well!?
The eyes of those sitting bored sparkled.
— Huh? He looks familiar……?
— True. I definitely feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…….
Just by standing there, that man was like a giant wall. Even though it was clearly their first meeting, everyone felt him familiar.
The giant man crossed his arms and smiled broadly at those words.
— Perhaps you saw my face as a statue while passing by?
— A statue? Ah…… don’t tell me!
— Jonathan Sina! He is the spitting image of Jonathan Sina!
The adventurers clapped and blurted out the name.
— He is Jonathan Sina ‘Ancestor-nim’. I would appreciate it if you showed respect to the Great Warrior.
— Ah, s-sorry!
— A first mistake can be forgiven. How about buying a drink and sharing stories instead!?
Even in his hearty laughter, there was a spirit that crushed people.
Even the proud Gold-rank adventurers were made to whimper like dung puppies.
Those who knew Jonathan from before welcomed him gladly.
— Welcome, brother. You drank so much that I’m surprised you weren’t late!
— Would a warrior ever lose to mere alcohol?
With hearty laughter, the place became lively in an instant.
It was not just talking with people he already knew.
Jonathan drew people around him, showing amiability.
Valdrova envied him for no apparent reason.
“I also want to converse like that.”
She imagined herself becoming such a protagonist.
When truly imagining it, she only felt her breath catch.
Even so, it seemed better than worrying about what to say like now.
Valdrova just waited for Erica to arrive.
The appointed time drew near, and finally the person organizing this meeting arrived.
Blue hair, free-spirited attire.
The pair of horns that should have been on her head were nowhere to be seen as she headed to the host’s seat and greeted them.
— Hello everyone.
The woman who had summoned them to this place for the conquest of the Demonic Land.
She was the Platinum adventurer known as Eri.
But unlike the others sitting there, for Valdrova only one name echoed strongly.
Scion of Iorga, Erica.
Although she had neither horns nor a tail, her unique atmosphere and appearance could not deceive Valdrova’s eyes.
Erica walked to the end of the conference table.
— First, I sincerely thank everyone who gathered from various places.
Erica’s voice carried weight.
— One person has not arrived yet, but we will proceed first. All of you have gathered here under the name of conquering the Demonic Land.
Erica signaled each person with her gaze and continued.
— Everyone here will become comrades who will overcome difficulties together as a single team from now on. First, let us do introductions and self-introductions…….
Erica’s words faded.
Someone raised a hand high.
It was the blond archer who had looked at Valdrova with displeasure.
Erica knew his name.
— Speak, Virgil-ssi.
— Yes. I know how much Eri-nim has done for our Adventurer’s Guild, and I also know that you guided us for the subjugation of monsters.
— Is that correct?
— You always emphasized that adventurers maximize their ability through trust with comrades rather than individual skill.
— Correct.
— In that sense, I believe I must say this beforehand.
He directed his dissatisfied eyes toward one person.
Those eyes turned toward the Armored Knight.
— I question whether that man called the Armored Knight is qualified to participate in this expedition.
Valdrova felt her heart drop with a heavy thud.
— Why is that?
Erica asked calmly despite his aggressive tone.
— Look at his records, even if he is praised as Armored Knight-nim in the village! He may have defeated some monsters with bare hands, but during the subjugation war, he didn’t even show his nose. If he isn’t up to his capabilities, he will surely run away again!
Run away.
At those words, Valdrova bit her lip.
She held back as much as possible so as not to be carried away by emotion.
Virgil’s words continued.
— And look at this! Didn’t he stealthily try to steal another knight’s achievement because he couldn’t speak, and got caught? Adventurers are those who risk their lives for fair compensation. A bastard who commits such shameless acts is the greatest factor of division!
As if determined to expel the Armored Knight somehow, Virgil passionately explained why he shouldn’t be there.
Erica, who had been listening in silence, tapped her temple with her index finger and spoke.
— Virgil-ssi.
— Yes.
— It is better not to make hasty judgments before we even begin.
Erica defended the Armored Knight’s situation.
— He did not flee from the monster subjugation war; he had already withdrawn. I do not know where he went, but he had his own circumstances. It is not good to claim that he fled just because he did not appear at that moment.
— Then the theft of achievements…
— The fact that he tried to steal credit was also confirmed as an inability to speak about it due to the Vow of Silence. He settled things amicably with the involved party, and I also pondered it deeply. I do not think it is something a third party should interfere in.
— What if such personal flaws cause a massive negative impact on the entire team?
Although it began as Virgil’s emotional issue, others wore similar expressions.
Erica thought she should take this opportunity to make them understand.
— Do you know the adventurer group called Ground Foot?
Suddenly, she mentioned another adventurer group.
— Yes. I heard they are Gold adventurers who received Eri-nim’s grace.
— Do you know what kind of people they are?
— I heard they successfully explored the Ancient Ruins of the Southern Desert and came out.
— You do not know them individually, right? The thief was addicted to kleptomania and gambling, the mage was an alcoholic, the priest had severe depression, and the swordsman had anger management issues. They were people who fought every time they took a step.
— …
— Individually, they were the type who would have been imprisoned in the underground dungeon of some castle or confined to a monastery. But do you see any of that now?
— Such appearances… did not seem to exist.
— The moment individuals become a team, people are reborn. Stop making hasty judgments before we even begin.
— …Understood. I am sorry.
The man named Virgil showed reluctant acceptance.
— If you have other complaints, could you express them? It seems important to correct them before starting.
— I have none.
— I also understand to a certain extent, so it is fine.
Erica spoke to the gathered adventurers as if things had turned out well.
— Always remember this. Among those who are here, there is no such thing as a perfect hero. That also applies to the heroes of the 12-Person Expedition who first threw themselves into the Demonic Land.
Erica directed a glance at the Armored Knight one last time.
Her eyes seemed to say that everything was fine.
‘As expected, she is the daughter of Iorga.’
Intelligent, eloquent, charismatic; her admiration for that appearance deepened again.
At the same time, a question lingered in her mind.
‘Am I not suitable for a place like this?’
Getting along with everyone and overcoming difficulties together was the picture she had dreamed of.
But that was only the picture of success.
What if they fail?
And what if someone gets seriously injured due to her own mistake?
Valdrova felt she would never be able to forgive herself.
‘At that moment, I might really run away.’
Valdrova felt this choice was too hasty.
While Valdrova was agonizing, a middle-aged mage brought up another topic.
— But I heard that one person isn’t coming?
— Yes.
— Who on earth is that person to arrive so late?
There were 12 seats prepared in total, with one empty.
The adventurers here were all Gold rank or higher, valuable people whom not even individual nobles could treat lightly.
Such valuable people arrived on time, but for one person to arrive late alone was unforgivable.
— Since that person has a lot of accumulated work, they said they would come directly here after finishing an urgent matter. Probably at any moment…
Knock knock—.
— I didn’t think they would come, but it seems they did.
Erica made a gesture and the door opened.
The last to arrive was revealed.
Everyone was very surprised by that identity, but Valdrova was not.
Clang!
A sound of two armors clashing echoed louder than the great commotion.
More than the armor shaking violently, a face several times more surprised was contained beyond the iron plate.
‘Ferda-ssi?!’
Ferda Valdrova.
The lord of this village, the Regent of Valdrova Castle.
A noble person who could not simply be called valuable revealed himself.
The moment Valdrova saw that face, her mind seemed to go completely blank.
It felt like receiving a gift on a day that was not an anniversary.
Unlike Valdrova, the adventurers’ faces did not look pleased.
— Eri-nim, be that as it may, I don’t remember hearing that we have to escort a noble too.
Others began to protest cautiously.
The Demonic Land is a dangerous place, and common sense dictated minimizing the risk for such dangerous work.
Erica was fully aware of this point as well.
— Unless there is a formal noble escort request, it is common sense to not even permit observation.
Nobles always create unexpected situations.
They cause incidents, suffer damage, then with their characteristically high pride begin demanding accountability, and then it is a headache for at least several weeks.
— But Regent Ferda will not be a mere observer, but will obtain the status of an equal member just like all of you and operate.
— The Grand Duke’s fiancé as a member, you say?
— Hmm…
Even setting aside status, it was a subtle reaction.
He reached the Fourth Circle at a young age, his magical ability was outstanding enough to repel demons, and he also demonstrated his command ability.
But as nobles always do, most of it is bluster, so they didn’t believe what they hadn’t seen directly.
Furthermore, even with excellent potential as a mage, an adventurer was always a separate matter.
On this floor, there exist Fifth Circle trash and Third Circle saviors.
Erica directed a glance at Ferda.
It was a signal for him to say something.
Ferda also thought he should do so, and opened his mouth.
Wanting to tell them not to worry, he said clearly to them.
— You won’t need to worry about me.
Up to that point, it was certainly fine.
— I only hope that you don’t trip over a rock and fall, and then blame me for it.
— …
The atmosphere became even more hostile.
They wanted to curse, but because he is a noble, their faces could say nothing.
Erica had to desperately endure the feeling that her Blue Circle would shatter and she would vomit blood.