"Your Highness, what message are you actually waiting for?"
From last night until now, Luo Li had not rested at all. Every so often, she would ask if any news had arrived.
When the knight-princess heard the name 'Baker,' her expression froze.
"Your Highness... are you waiting for news from Baker, the owner of the Moonlight Bar?"
Turning back to look at Hilda, I let out a long sigh and nodded.
"Yes."
Hilda was no fool; she understood everything in an instant.
"Your Highness means... Baker has defected to the enemy?"
I remained silent, which served as an affirmation of her question.
Hilda lowered her head in contemplation for a moment, seemingly weighing the possibilities, and murmured to herself.
"Given Baker's abilities, even the knights have managed to send word to us, yet he hasn't... Does Your Highness suspect him of defection because of this?"
"Yes, though he is still keeping his options open."
"What... do you mean?"
Hilda was stunned, failing to grasp the meaning for a moment.
I shook my head. As expected... while Hilda's strength was formidable, her political sensitivity was still quite poor.
"The fact that he gave me no message is, in itself, a message."
"Your Highness means... by not sending a message, he is warning you?"
"Yes, he is warning me, and at the same time... he is watching my reaction."
I took a deep breath. Even now, I hadn't fully figured out exactly what information Baker was trying to convey.
If he truly wanted to kill me in one fell swoop, he should have sent a message immediately, and that message would have certainly said 'the city is safe.'
He would have lured me into the city to catch me like a turtle in a jar.
Oh, wait!
I mean, to encircle me.
However, he specifically sent nothing.
From the start, this behavior was abnormal enough.
Although I had only seen the tip of the iceberg of Baker's abilities, the vast network of connections behind him already spanned the entire Kingdom of the Moon.
If he wanted to, a mere Brilliant City wouldn't be able to block him.
Yet, he showed no reaction at all.
If someone said he was dead, I wouldn't believe it.
If he had completely defected, the message coming now should have been 'safe.'
Even if he weren't successful, he should have at least tried to lure me back to the city.
But after waiting for half a day, not a single word has come through.
What is he trying to do?
Is he warning me this way? Threatening me? Or... testing me?
Before leaving, I specifically instructed him to take good care of Lola. Yet he failed. Was it simply impossible, or did he have other thoughts?
Regardless, I am very disappointed.
If Baker had helped me wholeheartedly, this riot could have been prevented in advance.
I believe he has that capability.
But he didn't do it; instead, he allowed the situation to develop.
I sat down, my fingers mindlessly rubbing together as the threads in my mind gradually became clear.
I believe that by not sending a message, he must have his own plans.
However, this point alone is enough for me to be completely disappointed in him.
"Hilda, notify the entire army. Advance at full speed toward Brilliant City!"
"Your Highness, have you really considered this? Returning to Brilliant City now will surely lead us into an ambush."
"Hilda... that is an order."
Hilda paused for a moment, pondered, and then nodded.
"Your subordinate obeys."
She turned immediately, stepped out of the Saint's Carriage, and shouted loudly.
"All troops, hear my command! Advance at full speed! Target... Brilliant City!!"
Boom!
Despite only having two hundred horses, the movement of steeds that each weighed a ton still created a massive, thundering roar.
The carriage began to move. The road ahead had already been cleared under Yuna's arrangements, leading straight to Brilliant City.
Sitting in the carriage, my only companion was the white dragon, the little girl Astrid.
Well, calling her a little girl is correct, but calling her a baby is also accurate.
According to Ligeia's description, Astrid is a holy white dragon, and her adult size will be almost identical to that of the Dragon King.
Moreover, she is one of the most legitimate and pure true dragon species.
At this moment, Astrid is likely only about ten days old, filled with curiosity about everything in the world.
While dragons have a tradition of inheriting knowledge, the inheritance of the true dragon species is not quite what one would imagine.
That knowledge isn't all in their heads from birth; rather, as time passes and they grow older, they gradually awaken the knowledge left by their parents.
During this process, most dragon parents provide nourishment until the second growth phase.
I flipped open 【A Detailed Guide to the Dragon Race】 left by Ligeia, which introduced the various stages of a dragon's life.
Among them, true dragon species—especially pure dragon species like the holy white dragon and the golden dragon—usually have their growth divided into five stages.
Infancy, the first growth phase, adolescence, the second growth phase, and adulthood.
During infancy, they possess no special abilities. Although their physical attributes far exceed those of other races on the continent, they have no offensive capabilities of their own.
It could be said that this is the most vulnerable stage for a dragon.
Crunch, crunch... A strange sound echoed inside the carriage.
Astrid is currently in her infancy.
In this stage, she will continuously absorb elements and energy to accumulate everything needed for the sprint into the first growth phase.
This is also the stage where her appetite is at its greatest.
Crunch, crunch...
I flipped to the next page and continued reading the description.
"Pure dragon species in their infancy do not have high intelligence. They will eat almost anything they see—stones, trees, any matter that can provide energy. They can use their sharp teeth to crush and ingest it. There is a high probability of infant dragons dying prematurely at this stage because they eat things recklessly."
Oh?
So dragons are this ditzy when they're little? They eat anything?
Wait... anything?
I froze suddenly as the 'crunching' sound in my ear became even clearer.
I instinctively turned my head and saw... she was hugging my wooden cabinet, her mouth wide enough to swallow half my body in one go.
With a 'crunch,' she bit off a large chunk of the wooden cabinet.
In an instant, splinters flew. A perfectly good wooden cabinet inlaid with pearls, agates, jade, and white marble was being treated like a snack by her.
She chewed it up in one go and swallowed it into her stomach.
Then, she let out a satisfied 'burp.'
"My... my cabinet..."
The book, 【A Detailed Guide to the Dragon Race】, dropped to the floor with a thud. I stared blankly as the cabinet, which cost nearly a hundred gold coins, went into her mouth.
And Astrid, seemingly still unsatisfied, turned her sights... toward my wardrobe.
"Stop!! I mean, hands off!!"
In that instant, my body seemed to awaken some kind of teleportation ability. I rushed in front of her in the blink of an eye, blocking my two-hundred-gold-coin wardrobe.
"You can't eat this!!"
"Ya?"
Astrid's large, watery eyes were full of confusion. She looked at my face, then down at my stomach, and seemed to suddenly understand something.
She pulled her mouth into a very human-like smile.
"Ya~"
Then she turned around, wagged her big tail, and waddled over to the cabinet on the other side, suddenly opening her massive maw.
"Stop it right now!!!"
Seeing that she wanted to eat my other cabinet, I could no longer care about my dignity. I rushed forward, grabbed her neck, and pulled back hard.
"You can't eat anymore! If you keep eating like this, I'll have to sell my soul just to afford it!!"
"Ya?"
I pulled her back, and fortunately, I managed to stop her from eating further. But her large eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at me.
She pointed at my stomach, then at the wardrobe on the other side, then at her own stomach, and finally at the wardrobe in front of her.
Fine... I suddenly understood why she smiled at me just now.
She was letting me have the previous cabinet while she chose to eat the other one!
What the hell!
No matter how hungry I am, there's no way these little white teeth of mine can gnaw through a solid wood cabinet!
"Don't eat that. I'll get you something to eat!"
No, if this continues, she's going to force me to redecorate this entire Saint's Carriage.
What kind of holy white dragon is this?
Is the Dragon King sure this isn't a Husky reincarnated?
Could that guy have sent her to me simply because he couldn't afford to raise her anymore?
I suddenly feel like not a single word out of that Dragon King's mouth is true!
If I could talk to the Dragon King right now, I would definitely question him loudly.
Are you sending me a dragon or a Husky!
"Ya?"
She stared with her large, watery eyes, making small 'ya ya' sounds, seemingly confused by what I was saying.
An infant dragon's intelligence isn't high; otherwise, she wouldn't be gnawing on a wardrobe.
Fortunately... solid wood trees are part of a dragon's natural diet, and they can also absorb some minerals.
Otherwise, I would have had to find a way to make her throw up.
I quickly went to a nearby chest and took out crates of sweets, tossing them in front of her.
Then I taught her how to open the crates and eat the desserts inside.
These things were prepared for me. Every time the Saint's Carriage set out, two large crates of desserts and various snacks were prepared.
I used to think it was a waste, but now I'm very glad.
If it weren't for these snacks, I'm afraid by the time we reached Brilliant City, this Saint's Carriage would be nothing but a skeleton frame.
I watched as she clumsily extended her short, thick, chubby claw, mimicking me by using two dragon fingers to pinch a sweet and toss it into her mouth.
The moment her mouth closed, a brilliant light of excitement burst from her large, watery eyes.
"Ya!!"
She looked at me excitedly and quickly picked up another nameless dessert, tossing it into her maw.
Eventually, it seemed that eating them one or two at a time couldn't satisfy her massive appetite. She simply lifted the crate and poured all the sweets into her mouth at once.
Then she chewed vigorously, a satisfied smile appearing on her chubby face.
Seeing her content, I breathed a sigh of relief.
This time, she probably won't go after my wardrobe again, right?
There were only two wardrobes in the Saint's Carriage, each custom-made and containing only one outfit.
Namely, the Saintess's robe I was wearing.
As mentioned before, there are three sets of the Saintess's robe in total, which are rotated.
These two wardrobes were for storing them. Along with the one I was wearing, that made three.
But now, one of the wardrobes was empty.
Because that Saintess's robe... had been given to Camilla.
And the other one had been swapped out because it was covered in blood from the decisive battle with the demon army's main force.
Now, the only one I could wear was the one on my back. If this one got dirty, I'd have nothing left to change into.
Looking at Astrid eating happily, I felt relieved and returned to my seat.
While she brought me some trouble, on the other hand, she also lightened my mood significantly.
I'm afraid the noble circles have already united. The Alvin family and the Cromwell family couldn't possibly have no reaction at all.
Could it be... that Kevin also wants to be this king?
No, if Kevin wanted to be king, the nobles wouldn't react like this. Given Kevin's influence, he could just pressure the throne directly; there would be no need for such a roundabout way.
In other words, these nobles are likely planning to force Kevin onto the throne.
I had originally planned to let things cool down and allow these nobles to be arrogant for a while longer, but it seems... that's no longer necessary.
Their hidden intentions have been revealed, so I have no reason to be polite.
My heart was suddenly filled with killing intent, and a strange sensation began to well up, making me feel as if my body was starting to slip out of my control.
Just then, the tender sound of "Ya" rang in my ears.
Immediately after, I regained control of my body, and Astrid's chubby figure appeared before my eyes.
She stood before me at some point, her short, chubby claws holding a food box filled with delicious desserts.
Her face was written with reluctance, but she looked up at me and, with great determination... shoved the food box she was holding into my arms.
"Ya~"
"Is this... for me?"
"Ya!"
She nodded with a firm expression. A wave of warmth surged through my heart; I was suddenly a bit moved.
It's just... can you stop leaning your big head so close?
Your drool is about to drip on my legs!!
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry. You eat it."
"Ya?"
She tilted her large head, her eyes filled with bewilderment, seemingly confused as to why the person in front of her wasn't hungry.
I handed the food box back and patted her large head.
Then I slowly closed my eyes, no longer paying attention to Astrid. In my grogginess, I fell asleep just like that.
A day passed in the blink of an eye.
When I opened my eyes again, the sky had turned dark at some point.
Beside me lay a round, chubby, large creature.
I leaned against her round belly to sit up and glanced back at the snack chest. Truly... not a single thing was left.
That was enough snacks to last me half a month.
As expected of an infant dragon!
I rubbed my cheeks and reached out to pull aside the carriage curtain. The cool breeze hit my face, instantly waking me up quite a bit.
"Hilda, where are we?"
I asked out the window. Soon, Hilda slowed her horse from the front to the side of the carriage window.
"Your Highness, Brilliant City is just ahead."
"We've already arrived?"
"Yes, Your Highness, we have arrived."
As she spoke, the carriage slowly decelerated, and the surrounding troops also began to slow down, finally stopping before a towering city wall.
At the same time, a shout came from atop the wall.
"Who goes there beneath the city?"
Hilda's brow furrowed at the words, and she looked up with a sharp rebuke.
"How dare you! The Saint's Carriage is right here. Do you even need to ask?"
"The Saint's Carriage? Has Her Highness the Saintess returned to the city? Could Her Highness please step forward to be seen? It is not that we intend to offend, but Her Highness instructed upon her departure that the gates may only be opened if she is present in person!"
The person on the wall asked again. This time, it was very reasonable, because I had indeed said those words before I left.
Opening the carriage door, I stepped out and stood before the Saint's Carriage. I looked up toward the top of the city gate, and a young man I didn't recognize came into view.
My gaze met his.
"The Saintess is here."
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