[Vol. 9] Chapter 96: Becoming Her Strength
The blue dragon girl had been in a good mood, but the moment she heard that, her face instantly fell. Her blue eyes filled with tears of grievance, like a kitten whose tail had just been stepped on. With a pitiful expression, she protested:
“Why, Lady Violet? I want to go play in the human city too! I’ve been sitting in the carriage this whole trip, I’m about to throw up! You won’t even let me turn back to my true form and fly around a bit… Now that we’ve finally found a place to rest for a while, you’re being way too mean!”
“Uh…”
It seemed that the bad woman did think the girl had a bit of a point. She scratched her head and, almost unconsciously, glanced toward the Dragon God on the other side, looking somewhat hesitant.
The people under Veranica’s command were rather special. With the North Region in a state of unrest, it wasn’t wise to let them roam freely near a capital city. That’s why Violet had planned to leave Alexia here, someone strong enough to keep watch and prevent unnecessary trouble.
From a logical point of view, leaving Xiao Guang behind was indeed the best choice. But the priestess also had her own feelings. One of the main reasons she came to the North Region was to travel and have fun with her dragon girl. Now that they were near a kingdom’s capital, leaving the little dragon behind just didn’t feel right...
Having Lucas or Little Fang stay behind was an option too, but they weren’t familiar faces in the group. If something happened, it would be hard to explain. So maybe…
However, before Violet could decide, a calm and quiet voice spoke from beside her.
“Master, let me stay.”
The priestess turned her head in surprise, just about to say something, but the dragon girl had already smiled. Her soft golden hair swayed gently, catching the thin light that came through the window, beautiful and pure like a dream.
“Alright, I wasn’t saying those things to make you feel bad or to go against you. Xiao Guang wants to be your strength, not a burden that troubles you at an important time. Liking someone doesn’t mean tying them to your side no matter what. Otherwise, that’s just dependence.”
“It took me over three hundred years to truly understand this. There are so many ‘flirty cats’ around you, but you chose to take me alone on this journey, that’s already more than enough. We still have a long, long time ahead of us, so why should we be upset over being apart for a short while?”
“Besides, as long as we have our contract, you’re always with me no matter how far apart we are. This time, take Alexia and let her see the world. Since I’m standing in this position, I should show some responsibility, I’m not going to argue with a newly grown youngster.”
“……”
It was rare to hear Xiao Guang speak so much all at once. Looking at the golden-haired girl’s calm smile, one without the slightest trace of reluctance, Violet didn’t say anything, but her heart quietly rippled in a way it hadn’t for a long time.
She… really wasn’t the same anymore.
The priestess knew very well that ever since they reunited, Xiao Guang had become very proactive, always talking about those “flirty cats” and even daring to take the initiative to get closer to her. But in truth, she had never done anything that truly made Violet feel troubled. On the contrary, she was trying, in her own way, to become someone who could really support her master.
For example, during the incidents with the World-Devouring Serpent and the World Sustainer, if it had been the old Xiao Guang, she would’ve immediately reported everything to her master the moment [White] reached out to her.
But that time, Xiao Guang didn’t do that. She kept the news to herself and tried to deal with [White] on her own. It wasn’t because she had lost her loyalty, it was because she didn’t want to trouble her master anymore, or make her face all the storms alone.
She wanted to stop relying on her master and solve problems using her own strength. That act, which looked rebellious on the surface, was actually Xiao Guang taking the initiative to bear most of the risks and dangers herself. Without the dragon girl, Violet would never have been able to contact the [Origin Machine] so smoothly and safely, nor would she have been able to directly crush the World Sustainer’s conspiracy.
All of that was proof that the girl had truly grown.
Just like the hope Violet had once spoken of, Xiao Guang was no longer the reckless little dragon who only knew how to charge forward. Maybe from now on, instead of calling her the priestess’s pet dragon, more people would come to know Violet as the Dragon God’s friend.
Unable to help herself, Violet gently rubbed the girl’s golden hair, her eyes soft and filled with affection.
“...You’ve worked hard.”
“Hehe, if Master really feels bad about it, why not try being a bit more active next time? Like, for example…”
“Ahhh!”
Just as the moment turned warm, a sudden shout broke the atmosphere.
“Hey, hey! Can you two please not act all lovey-dovey in front of other people? I’m still just a 500-year-old child! Should I even be seeing this?!”
Hmm… There’s always an idiot who can’t read the room at a time like this.
“Get out!” ×2
……………………………………
The next day, Violet accepted Xiao Guang’s request and left her to stay behind and guard the area. Then she set off with Alexia, who, for some reason, had a big bump on her head, along with Veranica, Tina, and several trusted guards toward Salzburg.
The Preston Kingdom was one of the largest countries in the Northern Region, second only to the Snow Empire. While it was still far from reaching the level of the Five Great Nations, its national strength and territory were almost equal to the Nobos Ironblood Empire before its great expansion.
This country had a long history of over five hundred years. Its royal family had intermarried with the Snow Empire’s royal line for generations, their bloodlines now so intertwined that it was hard to tell them apart. With the powerful Snow Empire behind it, Preston had effectively become the second most influential nation in the North.
Veranica, Tina, and Iselin had all been citizens of the Preston Kingdom before their misfortune. The reason Violet wanted to visit the capital, Salzburg, before entering the Snow Empire was, of course, because she had her own plans.
The main force of the Silver Claw mercenary group was currently stationed there.
As one of the largest legendary mercenary groups in the world, Silver Claw had sent more than 3,000 of its elite members for this mission. Although Tina didn’t know exactly who had hired them, based on the scattered bits of information she had gathered, the answer wasn’t hard to guess.
The leader of Silver Claw, Hugh Wycliffe, was not only a mercenary but also a royal instructor in martial arts for the Austre Empire and a senior advisor to its imperial court. His granddaughter, Gladys Wycliffe, was a close friend of the imperial princess, and served under her command. The Wycliffe family, in short, had countless deep ties to the Austre Empire.
When the Feathered Emperor of the Azure Sky Kingdom celebrated her birthday, Hugh had personally led the Empire’s delegation to attend. That alone showed the close connection between the two sides. In many ways, Silver Claw could be considered an unofficial arm of the Austre Empire itself.
So, the only person who could make them take on such a costly mission, marching north through the freezing wastelands without hesitation, was almost certainly that one individual.
— Carinvega Frederick.