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Chapter 27: Because It’s Embarrassing
Count Consillus was startled and asked again.
“The Regent? You mean… Valdrova’s fiancé?”
“We’re not entirely sure about the details either… But what’s clear is that he managed to convince Branch Manager Stefan Pascal. That man is not easily swayed, no matter someone’s rank or status.”
“Ahh…”
Count Consillus let out an involuntary sigh. Ferda Valdrova. What kind of image did he have now? It was the worst. So far, all he had done was threaten and pressure the local lords. Because of that, dissatisfaction among the regional lords had been steadily piling up.
‘And yet… that brat managed to strike a deal with the Pascal Trading Company?’
The mere fact that Ferda had allied with the Pascal Trading Company without anyone knowing was astonishing. What surprised him even more was:
‘And it wasn’t for personal gain.’
If it had been for personal profit, all he had to do was focus on Valdrova Castle. But efforts to stimulate trade and develop the isolated territories meant he was working for the greater good, not out of selfishness.
‘What kind of terms could he have offered?’
The land within the Valdrova domain held no value. The forests near the frontline were dense with trees to block the monsters. Even if they cleared the trees to create farmland, they’d barely be able to grow survival crops. Furthermore, each year the frontlines were pushed back, leaving the land more and more bare. Even if offered for free, the Far East had such a poor reputation that people would hesitate and say, “No, thanks…”
For Ferda to have presented terms that outweighed all those terrible conditions…
‘He did something no other lord could do.’
Whether what he showed was a lie or an impossible dream didn’t matter. The important thing was that he succeeded.
Count Consillus decided to focus on what needed to be done first.
“Come inside. Have the carriages organized, and rest for the day. We’ll talk about the plans later.”
“Thank you, Count,” the man said. He blew a whistle, and the line of carriages from the Pascal Trading Company began to enter one by one.
Count Consillus looked up at the lone mountain standing tall above the dark forest.
“The Regent…”
His voice trembled with emotion. Today, Count Consillus felt as if he had witnessed a transcendent figure emerging from the darkness, and he called out Ferda’s name.
The count knelt toward the direction of the mountain, bowing in reverence.
“My lord?”
Arwen was startled by his sudden action. But soon, realizing its meaning, Arwen also knelt and bowed toward the mountain. One by one, the others followed, kneeling and offering their respect to the lonely mountain.
In the banquet hall, Ruri raised her hand high.
“Tormenta!”
She called the name of a high-ranking wind spirit. At that moment, white wind swirled in front of Ruri, creating a human-like shape that looked as though it might disperse at any moment yet held firm. The spirit bowed respectfully to Ruri.
“You summoned me, my master. You seem to be in a foul mood today.”
“Today’s task is a thorough cleaning. Summon all the lower-ranking spirits. Let the air in this room out by opening all the windows!”
“As you command.”
“Puente!”
Next, Ruri called the name of a lower-ranking water spirit. After leaking into the atmosphere, mana solidified into a viscous, liquid-like substance.
“Schloop.”
“Absorb and clean every last drop of sweat and filth those wretches left behind. Leave no stains behind. I won’t allow something as disgusting as dog piss to taint the dwelling of a great ruler. Do you understand?”
“Schloop-schloop!”
The sound of water swirling roughly echoed. As soon as the spirits realized that Ruri was in an exceptionally bad mood, they took action. The water spirit divided itself repeatedly, spreading across the floor and walls, absorbing the dirt and grime.
“Whew…”
Ruri took a deep breath, her small chest rising and falling noticeably. But the faint smell of sweat mixed with perfume still lingered, pricking her nose. No matter how many times she tried to erase it, the smell wouldn’t go away.
‘Annoying.’
Ruri disliked knights. She especially hated wandering knights. Not only did they exaggerate their achievements with lies, but they also shamelessly insulted others. For Ruri, the worst insult was the usual story about a heroic knight who killed an evil dragon. These tales made up 70% of all knightly legends and were some of the most popular stories among people.
The plot was always the same, but the names of the knights changed each time. This was because traveling bards, after receiving money from wandering knights, would change the protagonist’s name to match that of the paying knight. As a result, half of the wandering knights were known as “dragon slayers”—dragon slayers who now ran down the hallways, dripping sweat and urine as they fled. Truly disgusting creatures.
‘Well, at least the purpose was achieved.’
More than 50 wandering knights had come, and the monster corpses they brought totaled over 1,500. When Ferda saw the mountain of corpses, he had even joked,
“Isn’t this too much?”
Cleaning up after the knights had been a problem, but…
‘That was solved by the second son of the Pascal Trading Company, who we roped in this time.’
The trading company’s verified employees and assistant researchers had rushed in to take care of the cleanup right away. Still, traces of monster corpses remained near the entrance and the spots where the carriages had stopped, and the faint stench of death lingered.
‘To think I’d prefer the smell of monster corpses over those knights’ stench.’
At least the smell of monster corpses would eventually fade, while the unpleasant mix of sweat and perfume seemed like it would never go away. A task that would normally take 10 minutes to clean took two hours a day for ten days.
Ruri wasn’t obsessive about cleanliness, but the chaos the knights left behind had pushed her to her limit. Not a single strand of hair was left on the floor. Only when the banquet hall looked completely new again did she finally feel at ease.
“Master, it’s about time for you to attend to other tasks. What would you like to do?”
“Ah, yes. Thank you, Tormenta, Puente.”
“We shall take our leave.”
“Schloop!”
The wind and water spirits dissipated into mana and vanished.
‘That’s enough cleaning for today… Now I need to deliver the weekly report.’
Leaving the banquet hall, Ruri reached into the pocket of her skirt. She pulled out a summary of intelligence she had obtained through the Imperial Information Agency. She headed down to the lair, where a red-scaled dragon lay coiled as usual.
“You’re here?”
“Yes. Have you been well?”
“Hmm… Yes, I’ve been doing fine. What brings you here?”
“I’m here to deliver the weekly report. Today’s the day, isn’t it?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
Ruri was used to the dragon occasionally forgetting things, but today felt different.
‘It feels like she’s distracted.’
It was obvious what she was thinking about. She didn’t even need to ask. It had to be Ferda—that man. Since it was so obvious, she skipped over it and went straight to the point.
“Recently, there have been signs of growing instability within the Empire.”
The Most Important Issue: The Empire
Ruri began with the most significant topic, the Empire. The lower class was reacting negatively to the laws they were passing because they gave the upper class concentrated privileges. To calm things down, they were distracting the citizens with entertainment and food rations.
“Hmm… I see,” Valdrova responded reflexively. It was obvious she wasn’t particularly interested, but Ruri continued to mechanically read the contents of the report. This happened here. That happened there. She recited news covering the entire continent before moving on to the next topic.
“And as for the Public King’s domain…”
Valdrova’s body stirred. She straightened her posture, raised her head, and pricked up her ears.
“Go on.”
Her voice became clear, and her eyes sparkled more brightly than usual. It was yet another thing Ruri didn’t like, but she maintained her neutral tone and continued.
“Although Thessalos Welcher’s position remains vacant, we’ve secured significant stability for the Public King’s domain by forming a contract with the heir of a major trading company.”
“I see.”
Her tone now sounded distant, almost wistful. Just one piece of good news seemed to lift her spirits.
‘She’s been like this ever since that day,’ Ruri thought, unable to hold back anymore.
“Do you like him that much?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean Lord Ferda.”
Snort. Steam puffed out from Valdrova’s nostrils. To someone unfamiliar, it might have looked like she was angry, but Ruri knew better. This was how Valdrova reacted when flustered, like a girl caught off guard.
“Like him? What do you mean? I don’t like my fiancé.”
“You don’t?”
“Of course not.”
Valdrova, with a serious expression, elaborated further.
“It’s just that sometimes I remember when he suddenly appeared. And sometimes I find myself worrying about his well-being. He’s a fragile human, after all.”
Valdrova tried to justify herself passionately, emphasizing that her concern stemmed only from Ferda’s weakness. But Ruri thought differently.
‘Her explanation is getting long.’
When it came to humans, Valdrova usually got tense, but when the topic involved Ferda, her mood was different—lighter, almost buoyant.
To help her sort through her feelings, Ruri made a suggestion.
“Why not have a tea party with him?”
“A tea party?”
Snort! Steam puffed out again, even stronger this time.
“You mean drinking tea, eating snacks, and having a conversation?”
“Yes. It’s common for human fiancés to meet and talk before the wedding. It helps them understand each other better.”
“A tea party… That’s not something for me. That sort of thing suits young and elegant maidens, not me.”
“The Public King, who possesses the greatest beauty on the continent, suits anything she does.”
*”Hmm…”
Valdrova rested her chin on her claw, letting out a thoughtful breath. She didn’t seem entirely against the idea, but something was still holding her back.
“If I were to meet him… I’d have to take on a human form, wouldn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… In that case, I can’t do it.”
Even when presented with an opportunity on a silver platter, Valdrova rejected it.
“Why not?”
“Because… it’s too embarrassing.”
Her reason was anything but regal.
Ruri took a deep breath and asked,
“…Haven’t you already met him once? I believe you’ve already faced him in human form.”
“Yes, I met him once.”
“And you even held his hand.”
“Yes, I did.”
Valdrova had seen Ferda, and Ferda had seen Valdrova. How could she forget that day? Just as the memory was vivid for Ferda, it was just as vivid in Valdrova’s mind.
“That’s why I can’t do it.”
Valdrova recalled the emotions she had felt that day. The man, despite his suffering, didn’t stop. When he was on the verge of collapse, bleeding from his nose, she had no choice but to polymorph into human form and catch him. When he clutched her hand and pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist, Valdrova, the dragon who had soared across countless battlefields, burning and tearing apart everything in her path, felt something she had never experienced before.
Her unmatched power, her overwhelming dominance, her legendary reputation—all of it seemed to vanish like a mirage the moment he held her. Despite being thousands of times weaker than her, he pulled her close, their faces almost touching. For the first time, Valdrova felt like the heroine of a romance novel—a princess, a woman.
“Nice to meet you, my heart,” he had said. The touch of a man’s hand, his warm greeting, and even his handsome smile—it was all too much for Valdrova, who hadn’t interacted with humans for centuries. She couldn’t handle it. She froze on the spot. Her mind went blank, her tears stopped in their tracks, and even when she collapsed into his arms, she remained frozen for a long time. That memory stayed with her.
‘My heart…’
Snort! Valdrova covered her face with her wings. She remembered Ferda’s actions, and at the same time she remembered her own embarrassing reactions. Thinking about it again, her emotions began to stir. Her heart burned like molten lava, and her body felt restless, as if something was tickling her from the inside. Her huge body shifted, twitching uncomfortably. As she forgot to breathe out, her chest filled with air. When she finally exhaled, a long, whistling sound echoed through the cave.
Hiiiuuuu…
It was the sound Ruri disliked the most. Whenever Valdrova was overwhelmed by happiness, she made this sound. Though it was far better than seeing her unhappy, it still wasn’t pleasant.
“I believe having a tea party would be a good idea. What do you think?”
Peeking out from behind her wings, Valdrova asked Ruri,
“What do you think I should do?”
“As a symbol of strength, you should state your desires with clarity and conviction.”
In other words, don’t push the decision onto me.
“You’re right. I should…”
Valdrova scratched her chin with her claws, tilting her head back and forth. She flipped her massive body over repeatedly, lost in thought.
‘She’s desperate to go.’ Ruri thought. The answer was clear from Valdrova’s restless movements. Her feelings were directed toward Ferda.
But having feelings didn’t mean things would go her way. Despite her immense strength and fearless reputation, Valdrova was, deep down, a coward.
“For now, I think I’ll stay here. I’m not ready to face my fiancé just yet.”
“I understand. Then we’ll postpone the tea party for now. I’ll take my leave.”
Even when pushed, Valdrova ultimately rejected the opportunity. Ruri bowed politely and turned to leave.
“Ruri.”
“Yes?”
“Have you been struggling lately?”
Ruri couldn’t grasp the intent behind the question.
“No, not particularly.”
“I see. It’s just… you smell strongly of sweat. I thought maybe you hadn’t been able to wash properly.”
“…Sweat? Are you sure?”
Ruri had a sharp sense of smell. But as a dragon, Valdrova’s sense of smell was far superior. And there was no way Ruri would sweat from merely managing the castle.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. I don’t want you overworking yourself.”
“…Thank you for your concern, my lady.”
When Ruri returned to her room, she immediately tore off her clothes and burned them. Then, she resolved to make mandatory bathing a rule for any knight who stepped foot in the castle.
Ferda’s Office
Ferda sat in his office with Mori. Since partnering with Stefan Pascal, he had resolved the supply shortages the Empire had failed to address. Now, Ferda was focused on quantifying the results of what they had achieved.
“How is the progress on the supply plans?” Ferda asked.
Mori answered in writing.
“32%. We’ve completed major supply deliveries to Count Consillus’s domain, and we’ll gradually expand to other territories.”
“What are the expected results from the supplies?”
“If we proceed as planned, it will stabilize the lives of the citizens by 30%, enhance individual soldiers’ combat ability by 45%, and improve morale by 30%.”
“It seems promising,” Ferda said.
Mori nodded in agreement. It was the kind of progress Ferda should have been thrilled about, given his focus on developing the territories. But instead, Ferda said,
“A big problem is coming.”
Mori tilted his head in confusion.
Ferda explained,
“There are always people who can’t stand seeing others succeed.”
Whenever something began to go well, there were always those who would sabotage it. And those people were currently seated at the top of the Arken Empire’s leadership—selfish individuals who couldn’t stand others’ accomplishments, even if they themselves were incompetent.
It didn’t take long before those greedy fools turned their attention to Ferda.
