[Vol. 9] Chapter 102: Caught Up
But compared to simply looking for someone, their violent actions were shocking. Soldiers with weapons burst into common homes and turned everything over. Some households who refused to cooperate had their doors broken down by force. They acted like bandits coming down from the hills, utterly unreasonable.
For a time, cries and shouts filled the whole street. The harsh sounds of things being smashed and thrown echoed everywhere. Only then did everyone understand the meaning behind Gladys’s earlier comparison, now they saw what she had been getting at.
“Damn them… they’re beasts!”
One blunt guard couldn’t help but curse in anger. Veranica’s face was dark as water. Her fists had tightened without her noticing, and a fierce light burned in her eyes as she murmured to herself.
“I used to think only the Ice Wolf Guards were rotten, and that only those nobles who lived for pleasure and power were bad. I didn’t expect regular soldiers to be this cruel. No wonder the number of prisoners exiled to Icefang Island has grown over the years…”
“Uh… haha…”
Alexia, being a dragon, didn’t care much about mortal lives, but she still had normal values of right and wrong. Seeing others so full of anger, she glanced at the quiet black-haired girl nearby. Before she could speak, Violet smiled as if she already knew what Alexia would ask, and spoke first.
“What? You’re wondering why I didn’t step in and do something?”
Caught off guard, the blue dragon bowed her head a little and gave a silly, embarrassed laugh, then nodded. Her face grew serious and puzzled.
“I just thought with your power, Lady Violet, you could easily teach those arrogant men a lesson. Before, White Dragon Empress would step in when she saw injustice and teach us to help others when we can. So why did you just watch?”
Hearing Alexia’s question, Veranica and the guards also turned their eyes toward Violet. Feeling their quiet attention, the priestess shook her head without expression.
“Because I’m not the same as Emperor Bai. She is a noble ruler who can hold the whole world in her heart. She treats all people equally and is willing to give and sacrifice to protect others. I’m selfish by nature. I’m not that great. I never took saving the world as my duty. I hate getting into trouble that I don’t have to. That’s all.”
“Alexia, you only saw how satisfying it looks when White Dragon Empress acts against injustice. Do you really know how much has to be fixed after one such action? Take this case for example. If you ask me to step in, how should I do it? Beat up every soldier and every Ice Wolf Guard involved? Or go further and find who ordered it and punish them harshly?”
“Putting aside how messy that would be, let me ask again, how much do you actually know about the cause and effect here? Who is the fugitive they’re after? What crime did they commit? Where are they now? This incident is so strange that even the Mercenary Guild is involved. Could it be a setup?”
“Okay, say it’s just pure Ice Wolf Guard outrage and nothing more. If we beat them up, what happens next? We can’t stay in Salzburg forever. After we leave, even if the big people above don’t dare act, do you think those hounds won’t take personal revenge and punish innocent commoners to save face?”
“There’s a saying, it’s easy to deal with the king of hell, but tricky with little devils. There are too many things to consider here. A small mistake could hurt ordinary people or even make them resent you. I’m not exaggerating.”
“What you’re seeing now is like a growing blister. It looks nasty and you might want to pop it, but if you do, the pus inside will spill everywhere, and you’ll have to clean it all carefully. Otherwise, more blisters will form, and the situation will only get worse.”
“White Dragon Empress might be willing to spend all that time and energy cleaning up, taking care of everyone perfectly. I, however, am not willing to do that for people who have nothing to do with me. That’s not why we’re here. At least, not yet. So sometimes, the best choice is to pretend you didn’t see anything.”
“Of course, if all you care about is satisfying yourself, basking in your self-righteousness without worrying whether others live or die, then sure, you can do whatever you want, right?”
“Ah? Th-This… eh eh eh…”
Blue Dragon girl seemed completely overwhelmed. Hearing Violet speak so fast and logically, her head spun and her eyes seemed to swirl like spirals.
Seeing her, Violet couldn’t help but sigh, gently rubbing the young dragon’s head. Her sharp gaze then flicked subtly toward the ice demon girl who had quietly fallen silent. The girl stiffened, her face growing pale.
Even without saying anything, some things don’t need to be spoken aloud, smart people understand perfectly.
Veranica had led the Scavenger Gang through Icefang Island and helped them become one of the top four gangs. Her intelligence and cunning were far deeper than they seemed. Even though she was cooperating with Violet, or even showing loyalty, that didn’t mean she had no schemes of her own.
The first time they met the Ice Wolf Guards, Veranica had already steered the conversation, exposing the dark side of Preston Kingdom and harshly criticizing the royal guards behind them. She wanted Violet to form a negative first impression.
Even if the Mercenary Guild incident was a coincidence, Veranica didn’t stop there. She quietly stoked tensions afterward, trying to make the conflict worse. Alexia, inexperienced with the world, might not notice, but how could such small maneuvers fool a priestess as cunning as Violet?
Sure, Veranica probably spoke the truth and had no ill intent, but her actions seemed aimed at using Violet’s power and connections to change the situation in Preston Kingdom, or even spark the first strike of a rebellion, pushing Violet into the spotlight.
Anyone could see how much trouble that would cause.
All Violet had said before, to teach Alexia how a dragon should handle things, was also a warning against someone else’s small schemes.