Chapter 116.
Orphina stood straight atop a black scaled dragon flying in the sky and looked down at the capital.[1]
"A little slower, Hargan."
At her instruction, the dragon, Hargan, reduced its flight speed. The beast didn’t actually understand her words. It was thanks to the power of being able to communicate emotions to the dragons using telepathy that was unique to the Dragon Tribe. It was a power comparable to the strength of the Crow Tribe and the mana of the Butterfly Tribe.
The Dragon Tribe used this telepathy from generation to generation and could be called dragon tamers. In terms of individual power, they were weaker than the Crow Tribe, but with their dragon partner, they had the synergy to overcome any of the battle races.
Her pale golden hair tied behind, Orphina flew and took in a breath of the cold air.
Although the temperature was below zero due to it being winter and over 1,000 meters above in the sky, it was still warmer than the severe cold of the Demon Territory.
Returning after six months, the landscape of the capital seemed to have not changed at all.
Huh? Where’s the Red Magic Tower?
Orphina tilted her head as one of the tall seven magic towers seemed to have disappeared from the capital.She had not received a report on the major incident of the collapse of the magic tower that had stood tall for hundreds of years.
She suddenly felt unpleasant. It was the first displeasure she had felt since she heard from the Great Madosa Mirpa and the Crow Tribe Chief who were visiting the Demon Territory that Doomstone’s successor, Denburg, had run away from home.
Clearly, Bloody was present in the capital. And if he had heard the news, he would have certainly informed the emperor, William, the prime minister, and Zantes. Since he wouldn’t have been able to handle the incident of Denburg’s running away with just his stupid brain. She was certain.
The problem was that she still had not heard any news about the Denburg runaway incident. Thinking that this was a major problem, she decided to kick Bloody’s shin. It was the emperor and the prime minister who decided not to announce it, but she did not like the Crow.
As she mulled over kicking Bloody’s shin once again for not having told her about the magic tower collapsing, a radio sound came from a military magic radio attached to the saddle.
- Ah-ah, this is the control center. You must comply with the communication of this control center under the Special Air Defense Act!
Because she was high up in the air, despite William having made her the radio, there was some static noise. Considering that 1km was a distance beyond the limits of a portable magic radio, Orphina’s radio performance could be said to have exceeded the current magic radios by generations.
- If you do not reply to this communication, you will be judged as an enemy and we will attack. State your friendly identification number.[ref]Friendly as in friend or foe.[/ref[]
Orphina picked up the radio receiver and answered.
"This aircraft is D-001. I repeat. This aircraft is D-001.
- D-001, friendly identification number confirmed. I will check the password assigned to the identification number. Bloody is.
At the passphrase from the radio, she spoke without hesitation and full of emotion.
"This country’s son of a b!tch!"
- The assigned password has been verified. Congratulations on your return. D-001.
Orphina laughed at the welcome greeting.
"Don’t mention it. The main force, including the Red Dragon Knights division, will not return until late in the evening. Could you tell the White Deer Knights division to finish all the bothersome procedures before then?"
Orphina’s request was readily accepted beyond the radio.
- I understand. I will go through the trouble for the soldiers who worked hard in the demon territory.
"On behalf of the main force, I will thank you."
- It’s a great honor. For the landing port, we request you use the landing pad No. 78 west of the capital.
"Copy, I will turn my direction.”
Hargon turned towards the west of the capital.
-o-
After the two-week vacation, the location for the appointment had been decided.
I was assigned to the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters in the eastern part of the capital.
Countless trainees were appointed to the Adventurers’ Guild, but only Flam and I were appointed to the headquarters. What a relief!
I was worried that because the grades were close, I might end up being appointed to the inner palace, but I guess I had been worried for nothing.
The Adventurers’ Guild and the magic tower were the two famous plush jobs, so I didn’t have expectations, but it seemed like my luck was finally looking up.
To be honest, even though I had been unlucky up until now, I was really just too unlucky.
After being reincarnated, I was born into the battle crazy Crow Tribe, and my training-obsessed father threw me to a demon and a dragon. After somehow surviving to adulthood, I asked to leave the village to which my father said no. And so I ran away from home, but they chased after me in droves.
In addition, when I had barely managed to successfully run away, the money I had could not be used in the market. Even after somehow getting by and arriving in the capital, I kept getting wrapped up into strange incidents.
If I had a status window like a game, I thought my luck would probably be marked in the negatives. Still, even if it wasn’t to the level of the person who heard that the sun would rise after difficulties then fell into another world after dying from an epidemic, it seems I finally got some luck.
I prepared to go to work for the first time at the appointed place in a civil servant uniform provided by the Adventurers’ Guild- A white button up shirt and a red tie with an adventurer’s guild pattern. Wearing black pants and a black top and I tightened the belt and the shoulder straps that supported the holster for the pistol. Finally, I donned a rather thick winter coat supplied by them and put on a red armband which was indicative of the Adventurers’ Guild.
Only the first two sets of the uniform were provided. Afterwards, one had to put forth a commission with the sewing shop and had to supply the uniform oneself. Fortunately, I was given five high-grade silk uniforms as a first appointment gift from Mrs. Arscilla. The extras would have cost me a gold coin, so luckily I didn’t have to have more made. I didn’t ask how much it would cost to make the uniform on purpose. I didn’t think I’d be able to wear it if I knew.
These days, money was quickly disappearing from buying this and that in preparation for the war against my father. I didn’t really think I would end up meeting my father, but considering my past luck, I thought I should be prepared just in case. I was making preparations purely because I had a bad premonition.
Thinking that I might have to take a look at Count Druval’s corruption ledgers to rob the slush funds of the nobles again, I did a spin in front of the full body mirror.
Mmm, I’m so handsome. This much should be considered pretty good looking.
I went down after getting ready. On the first floor, Alice and Yuria, who still had disheveled hair, were sitting on the sofa.
"Are you up now?”
It was now eight o’clock sharp. If it were usual, they would have made a fuss saying that I was late, but nothing happened.
"Yeah. It’s vacation. Gotta enjoy the freedom." Alice looked into the empty space with a liberated face.
It seemed because the magic school’s class schedule was so crammed, she was relaxing as a reward as soon as vacation started. Of course, because of Yuria next to her, she couldn’t be too lax in her magic training.
“Huh? Is it the first day of work today?”
Yuria looked at me in surprise.
"Yes, the good old days are over now."
To be honest, I envied Alice and Yuria. Vacation? I had to work, but they were on vacation! Still, I had enough time off with my two week vacation. I felt like I would actually become really lazy if I took more time off here.
"Oh, there was a place I wanted to visit."
Yuria looked at me with regret.
Haha, honestly, I didn’t want to be dragged around anymore. Even during vacation, I was often dragged here and there which made the vacation feel shorter.
"There’s Alice too. And there’s also that friend named Milpia."
"Yea, but—"
Alice pulled on the sad Yuria’s cheeks. "Stop holding up the guy who’s going off to work. We have the weekend.”
"Ah-hing, it hurts!"
Yuria became teary, and her words leaked through her horizontally-stretched lips.
No, but more than that, it feels like my weekend just got taken?
That’s probably not right, I thought it must have been just a feeling.
"Then, I’ll be off."
"Ok. Go ahead."
"Take care."
I left the boarding house and headed for the Adventurers’ Guild.
-o-
Orphina, who landed on the west side of the capital, took her dragon Hargan to its nest in her mansion then headed to the palace.
As soon as the palace guard saw Orphina, he stood straight with military discipline and saluted.
"Loyalty! All clear on duty!"
"Good job."
Orphina gave the guard a pat on the shoulder and headed straight inside the palace. She acted with the assumption that the news of her return had already been transmitted.
No one stopped Orphina on her way to the inner palace. As soon as she arrived at the palace, the emperor’s closest confidant, the chief attendant, greeted her.
"His Majesty is waiting for you in the audience room. I know you are tired but please head to the audience room."
The chief attendant’s words were ceremonial. Whenever Orphina returned from the Demon Territory, she always came straight to see the emperor without missing a single time.
As a result, the chief attendant prepared for the Orphina’s arrival by getting the audience room ready.
"Okay. Please take the weapons."
Orphina was used to it and handed her long sword and whip on her waist band to the attendants.
When she had first come to the capital, it hurt her pride to entrust other people with weapons that felt like her own life. However, now that she had become used to it after living in the capital for several years, it instead felt uncomfortable if her waist band was heavy while she met the emperor.
"We will make sure to take good care of General-nim’s weapons."
Orphina laughed cheerfully at the chief attendant, who bowed his head and received the weapons.
"Ahhaha! How long are you going to be so uptight for? It’s been a long time since I’ve stuck out my pride in this place, so you don’t have to say that every time you take the weapons. And lift your head."
"No. How could I raise my head while receiving General-nim’s precious weapons. These weapons protect the empire and the imperial family so it is natural for us lowly ones to be courteous."
The chief attendant’s conduct lifted Orphina’s mood.
"Haha, you look like you’re making a fuss today. Did the prime minister make you do it?"
"How could that be? It is just an expression of my heart."
Orphina did not believe those words.She was sure that the old raccoon-like Prime Minister, Arcanta, likely expected her to be in a bad mood and urged him to do some lip service.
"Huhu, then I’ll just take it at that."
Even though Orphina knew the truth, she didn’t say anything to the chief attendant. She didn’t want to embarrass him because few people knew as much courtesy as he did in the empire.
She quickly went through the process and moved into the audience room.
Inside the audience room were the emperor, the prime minister, the crown prince, and the still stuck up Bloody.
1. This dragon is the eastern dragon, not the western one. The eastern one resembles a serpent.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om