[Vol. 7] Chapter 135: A Legacy of… Not-So-Smart Decisions?
It seemed like this wasn’t the soldier captain’s first time dealing with these Dragonkin, so he didn’t seem too bothered by their wary attitude. Instead, he switched to speaking [Enilu Language], though his accent sounded a bit rough compared to before.
"Look, Sainz sent another group of investigators. They wanted to check things out, so I brought them over. They’re all here, whether you let them in or not is up to you."
"Oh, from Sainz Academy, huh…?"
Hearing that name, the Dragonkin warrior, who looked similar to a lizardman but was clearly taller, stronger, and more imposing, glanced at Violet and the others. His vertical pupils seemed to relax slightly, though a hint of confusion soon appeared in his eyes.
"Little ones, you’re Dragonkin too, right? Instead of staying with your clan and learning your heritage, why are you studying at Sainz?"
It was obvious he was referring to Xiao Guang and Lenka.
The moment she heard him call her "Dragonkin," the little dragon girl visibly frowned, looking less than pleased. However, after spending time training and studying at the academy, her self-control had clearly improved a lot. Since the warrior didn’t seem to mean any harm, she decided to stay quiet for now.
But then, the actual Dragonkin in the group, the little brown-haired girl, stared at the warrior's face for a long moment. To the priestess, he looked just like every other Dragonkin soldier, but for some reason, Lenka suddenly seemed to realize something and exclaimed in shock.
"Huh?! Wait—you… Uncle Kurt? It’s me, Lenka! Lenka from the Dorgon Tribe! Don’t you remember me? We met a few times at the Dragon Temple during the rituals!"
"?"
The Dragonkin warrior took a closer look at the little girl in the Sainz Academy uniform, which was very different from the usual Dragonkin attire. Slowly, his expression shifted to surprise.
"That face… Lenka Dorgon? Hiss… You really are Lady Cleo Dorgon’s daughter… But weren’t you missing? How did you suddenly end up here and as a Sainz Academy investigator?"
"Mhm! There was some trouble before, but everything’s been taken care of! Mom knows what happened, but maybe she hasn’t had time to make it public yet. Uncle Kurt, these are friends that Mom approves of. Can we go inside and take a look?"
The Dragonkin warrior, now identified as Kurt, hesitated for a moment.
"The priests are in the middle of inspecting suspects. According to the rules, no outsiders are allowed to enter and disturb them, not even investigators from Sainz. But… since you’re Lady Cleo’s daughter… Fine, come with me."
After giving a few quick instructions to the other Dragonkin guards, he lifted the tent flap and gestured for Violet and her group to follow. The Imperial soldiers, however, remained outside on their own accord, making it clear they had no intention of monitoring the group’s actions.
After all, the military’s main concern was preventing an outside accomplice from sneaking into the camp and taking the stolen artifact, which would leave them unable to explain things to the Dragonkin. But if someone can accomplish such a feat in front of those high-ranking priests, then it's beyond the military's control.
Inside, the tent was surprisingly spacious. As soon as Violet stepped in, her eyes landed on a group of figures cloaked in white and gold, their hands glowing faintly as they extended that light forward. Each of them clearly bore the distinct traits of Dragonkin, and their presence felt far stronger than the ordinary warriors guarding the camp.
It was obvious, these were the High Priests from the Dragon Temple.
Interestingly, although they all wore similar robes, their physical appearances varied greatly, showing that they came from different Dragonkin tribes. Among them were even Dragonkin like Lenka, who might have originally been human before transforming.
Aside from the priests and guard soldiers, a few ordinary travelers sat quietly on chairs, undergoing the inspection process. Seeing this slow, one-at-a-time method, it was no wonder why progress was dragging along at a snail’s pace.
After all, even without counting the military and Dragonkin, this camp still had at least several thousand people.
"?"
Noticing someone entering the tent, a middle-aged woman, who looked quite similar to Lenka, with long brown hair flowing down from beneath a sheer veil and dragon horns on both sides of her head, immediately paused what she was doing and looked over with caution.
It was only when she saw the tall Dragonkin warrior leading the group that she relaxed slightly, though her tone still carried a hint of displeasure.
"Kurt, what is it? I already said not to interrupt the inspection unless it’s something important. Our progress is already painfully slow, we need every second we can get..."
The Dragonkin-warrior grinned, his sharp-toothed mouth curving up slightly.
"Of course, it’s important, Claire. Take a look, guess who’s here?"
"Aunt Claire!!!"
A high-pitched, excited cry rang out, and before anyone could react, the little brown-haired girl dashed forward like an arrow, throwing herself into the arms of the beautiful Dragonkin priestess.
The surrounding priests and warriors flinched in surprise, almost ready to intervene, but the Dragonkin woman, Claire, quickly raised a hand, signaling them to stand down.
Clearly, she was far more familiar with this young Dorgon family lady than Kurt was.
"Little Lenka? You… by the Dragon God’s blessing, you’re really safe and sound!"
She gently stroked the little girl’s silky-smooth hair, her expression filled with relief and affection. But as touched as she was, she didn’t forget the serious situation they were in.
"When you suddenly went missing, everyone was frantic, we searched everywhere for you. If the tribe leader hadn’t told us recently that you were found by adventurers and the Imperial army, we were even considering… some rather extreme measures to track you down."
As Claire gently hugged Lenka, she turned her gaze to the companions who had come with her, her eyes lingering for a long time on a black-haired girl in a white robe, as if deep in thought.
"Since you're here with Lenka at a time like this, you must be the legendary [Priest] I’ve heard about, right? Thank you, and the other adventurers, for lending a helping hand and taking care of this child all this time..."
She paused briefly, then gave a subtle glance to the other priests, who immediately understood her meaning. Without a word, they led the bystanders and Dragonkin soldiers out of the tent, leaving only Kurt, Claire, and Violet’s group, who had brought the daughter of their clan leader here so suddenly.
Once everyone else had left, the priestess finally let go of Lenka and gave a slight bow.
"I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am Claire Dorgon, a Dragon Priest and cousin of Cleo Dorgon, the current head of the Dorgon family and governor of Lannas Province. This here is Kurt Gonde, a Dragon Guardian... Uh, you are really [Priest] Violet, correct?"
Seeing how Claire dismissed the guards first and only now thought to confirm the stranger’s identity, Violet couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated, but she still gave a small nod.
"Yes, I’m Violet."
"Haha… Good, at least I didn’t get it wrong. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit paranoid."
Wait, you call that being paranoid? How innocent are you people?
Violet had been curious at first, but now, after meeting Claire and realizing how similarly absentminded she was to her older sister, she was starting to understand a lot.
Like how Lenka ended up with her current personality, or why something as ridiculous as the daughter of the tribe leader getting kidnapped even happened in the first place...
Now that she had Violet’s confirmation, Claire seemed completely at ease, as if all doubts had vanished. She then looked around at Violet and her group, including the small girl and the maid, her expression full of curiosity.
"I heard from the tribe leader that you've taken Lenka to Sainz Academy and are acting as her temporary guardian. So, what brings you all the way out here? Do you need help from the Dragonkin families?"