My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 75: Chapter 75

Chapter 75 - Loyalty

"...Loya..."

"......"

"...Loyalty!"

"......"

"My lord!"

"H-Huh?"

Stephan jolted in surprise.

His attendant had turned around and was shaking him by the shoulder.

"Are you alright, my lord? You’ve been in the carriage all day without saying a single word."

"Ah, I’m fine."

More than fine.

Stephan turned his head and looked out the window.

They had already left Herman Pascal’s residence and were on the road.

"When did the carriage start moving?"

"Thirty minutes ago."

"Thirty minutes..."

He had no memory of those thirty minutes, nor even of finishing the meal.

It felt as though his mind were shrouded in a thick fog.

And the moment that fog began to clear, it tried to swallow him once more.

That fog was made of Herman Pascal’s words.

It was obvious that Herman had deliberately tried to influence him.

If it was Herman Pascal...

The great merchant, the man respected by all merchants...

Then it meant he would never have acted that way without reason.

In fact, had anyone in the East ever shown any interest in it?

Stephan thought and thought.

But no amount of thinking could solve the problem.

"Where is the carriage headed?"

"Where else would it be going but home, my lord?"

"Ah... right. Of course..."

That had been such an obvious question.

Why had he even asked it?

Stephan questioned himself.

Deep down, he believed he must not return home.

Then where should he go?

The destination was obvious.

"How are the horses?"

"They’re in good condition."

"Then don’t turn back. Let’s go somewhere else."

"Where to?"

"To Castle Valdrova."

"It’ll take several days. We haven’t prepared anything. You’ll need clothes, and we should send a letter ahead. Why don’t we just head home instead?"

"Enough. Just go."

Seeing Stephan in such a dazed state, the attendant could say nothing more and simply instructed the coachman to change routes.

The fog once again filled Stephan’s mind.

He decided to walk through that fog for now.

’The Far East...’

What exactly was the Far East?

From time to time, dreamers chased after a gold rush in that uncivilized wasteland, but every one of them ended in failure.

Naturally.

The demonic energy there was a disaster that even immortals could not overcome.

How could ordinary humans possibly conquer it?

The outcome was as obvious as a moth flying into a flame.

If the result was so obvious... then what was I believing in?

’Was it because of the Mana Stones?’

Stephan had become obsessed with those Mana Stones, almost as though he could smell them.

But his father, Herman, hadn’t.

Neither Tilda nor Merchit seemed interested in them either.

If they had sensed their value, they would have desperately tried to interfere or seize them somehow.

Stephan asked himself.

’Then... am I the one who’s wrong?’

I want to believe in myself, but I’ve seen this before.

People convince themselves they’re being objective, become arrogant, and then collapse.

His father, Herman Pascal, had always made Stephan witness the miserable ends of such merchants with his own eyes.

It had been advice from both a successful merchant and a father.

Am I being arrogant?

Have I simply become blinded, making him look like some kind of savior?

What if he’s just another fraud?

The thought refused to leave his mind.

Wouldn’t I end up exactly like all those fools who trusted only themselves and died because of it?

Am I truly prepared to devote my life to him?

I’m afraid.

Afraid that I’ll never even leave the Empire because of the tolls, slowly dying inside its borders.

I need something to make me forget that fear.

Alcohol?

Women?

Or perhaps...

"My lord!"

"Gah! You scared me! What?! Why?! What happened?!"

"We’ve arrived, my lord! Please pull yourself together already!"

"What? We’ve already reached Castle Valdrova? In just a few minutes?"

"What are you talking about? It’s been four days."

He had remained in that absent-minded state for four entire days.

Unable to wash himself properly, he smelled awful, and even his finest tunic was stained yellow with dried bodily fluids.

Why did I come here?

The moment the question arose, he realized how strange it was.

Hadn’t he come precisely to find the answer?

Stephan walked through the fortress in search of Ferda.

Ferda was with Chief Researcher Vernel.

It looked as though they had just finished discussing something.

"What brings you here?"

Ferda asked.

"Well... um..."

What had he come here to say?

Only one sentence echoed inside Stephan’s head.

’I’m pulling out.’

I don’t trust myself.

I’m afraid of ending up a beggar.

So I’ll cut my losses here and walk away.

He was about to say it...

But Ferda spoke first.

"As it happens, there’s some good news. The Chancellor of Escolleia made Vernel a remarkable offer."

Those words forced something entirely different from Stephan’s throat.

"W-What kind of offer?"

"He was invited to be the main presenter at the exhibition in Halim two weeks from now."

It felt as though someone had struck Stephan over the head with a hammer.

The fog vanished, and a single ray of light poured in.

"Congratulations! Being the main presenter at the Escolleia Exhibition is an incredible honor, isn’t it?! At least, that’s what I’ve always heard!"

"Yes. It is a position every scholar dreams of."

To be acknowledged by those notoriously demanding scholars carried tremendous meaning.

Even merchants would pay attention to such recognition.

And nine times out of ten, attention meant profit.

"We can’t just let this pass! How about we celebrate tonight with food and drinks?"

"Haha... Isn’t it a little early to celebrate?"

"So what?! I’ll pay for everything myself if I have to! Let’s throw a grand banquet! Hahaha!!"

Stephan laughed loudly.

His exaggerated gestures were unlike his usual self, but everyone simply assumed he was overjoyed by the news.

"Stephan."

"Yes?"

"Weren’t you about to tell me something?"

At Ferda’s question, Stephan scratched the back of his head.

"Ah... that? I just came to say... let’s do our best! Hahaha!"

The fog that had covered Stephan’s mind was gone.

I’ll trust myself.

Even if I end up a beggar.

I’ll move forward without regrets.

***

A week later, House Iorga and House Valdrova officially declared their alliance.

The entire Cerdes Continent was thrown into an uproar.

Guardian Dragons and Evil Dragons were like water and oil—beings that could never mix.

Although they had exchanged opinions countless times through the Grand Ducal Council, every meeting had always ended with their conflicts unresolved.

And now an alliance between an Evil Dragon and a Guardian Dragon?

Many suspected that something had gone terribly wrong on Iorga’s side.

Her official statement was as follows.

"Although Valdrova caused the second catastrophe, its Regent has resolved to leave the past behind and has demonstrated his determination to conquer the Land of Demons. I support his resolve and have chosen to stand beside him."

On the surface, it was the most reasonable justification imaginable.

Her endorsement lent strength to the bold declaration of the young Regent.

Even so, the overwhelming majority believed the campaign would fail.

"Even if the Blue Eye supports him..."

"How could a mere human accomplish what everyone else has failed to do?"

Ever since Godwin’s death, no one had ventured into the Land of Demons.

Those who did never returned alive.

Yet there were also quite a few who placed their hopes in Ferda’s vision.

"Perhaps... perhaps conquering the Far East really is possible?"

"Reclaiming the beautiful Far East that now exists only in history would be an achievement unlike any other."

Regardless, the wind had finally begun to blow.

For a lone sailboat drifting at sea, any wind was a favorable one.

***

Halim.

A city famous for gambling and entertainment.

It was the place Ferda had once visited to recruit Zed.

Now they had returned for the exhibition.

The only difference this time was that Luri was not accompanying them.

There were already plenty of people around Ferda, and another Dragon Spawn had also taken up residence within the castle.

Luri still firmly believed Isabella had come to sabotage them.

Since there was no harm in remaining cautious, Ferda allowed Luri to stay behind.

As they parted, Luri offered only a single warning.

"Do not gamble."

"Aren’t we short on funds? Gambling would be the perfect way to make some money—"

"Do. Not. Gamble."

Her silver eyes glared at him with unmistakable Killing Intent.

It looked as though a Magic Blast might erupt at any second.

Seeing that expression only made him want to rebel.

What kind of face would she make if I lost my entire fortune?

Unfortunately, he only had one life.

So he reluctantly engraved her warning into his heart before setting off for Halim.

Stephan had returned ahead of them to prepare the props needed for Vernel’s main presentation and planned to meet them in Halim.

Inside the carriage, Vernel was organizing his presentation without allowing himself even a moment to relax.

Since this was such an important event, Ferda spared no effort in supporting him, creating an environment where he could focus entirely on his work.

Besides them, their companions were the knight Zed and Malcolm.

"Uwaaa... A-Are you absolutely sure this is okay? You’re really sure, right?"

And Penelope as well.

She was wailing like a stranded mermaid crying across the grasslands.

They had just arrived at Halim’s entrance and were about to complete the entry procedures.

Penelope stood with one foot just outside the protective Magic Circle surrounding Halim.

"It’s fine, so let go of my arm already, you crazy woman."

Zed shoved Penelope’s head away as she clung desperately to him.

But she stubbornly refused to let go, continuing to whine.

"I heard about it while I was in Hell! They said demons can’t enter Halim! They said anyone who tries melts to death! My half-brother supposedly died exactly like that!"

"I’m telling you, it’s fine. That was just a stupid lie to scare you. Trust me and come on."

"You’re really sure? I’m not going to die, right?"

Zed had grown tired of arguing.

Instead, he grabbed Penelope’s arm even more firmly and dragged her forward.

She screamed like a cat being dragged toward a river.

"Aaaah! What are you doing?! No! I don’t want to die! I really don’t want to dieee! Ahhh... my stomach’s turning... Huh? Nothing happened?"

The instant she stepped inside the Magic Circle, she realized nothing was wrong.

The tearful face from moments ago vanished, and she stood up with an expression of complete disappointment.

"So this human Magic Circle isn’t anything special after all."

"..."

Zed looked at her as though she were utterly pathetic.

The others, himself included, felt the same way.

’Was bringing her along really the right decision?’

Penelope possessed Sitri’s Life Vessel.

Just in case, Ferda had brought her along this time so she would remain within sight.

Besides, he still hadn’t fully earned Penelope’s trust.

He had been worried that traveling with a demon would inevitably lead to trouble wherever they went, but that concern had proven unnecessary.

After absorbing Sitri’s Life Vessel, she had gained a special ability.

Ordinary demon-detection magic could no longer identify her.

As long as she maintained her human skin, she was, for all intents and purposes, no different from a human.

’And yet the loudest source of trouble was herself.’

He had expected her to be noisy and frivolous.

But she had exceeded every expectation.

She was like a storm.

The sort of person who caused incidents simply by standing still.

How in the world had Sitri managed to lose her Life Vessel to someone like that?

’Still... there must be a reason.’

Everything happened for a reason.

Not wanting to overlook anything, Ferda questioned Penelope.

"Tell me about your abilities. As Sitri’s descendant, do you specialize in illusion magic?"

"Yep. Mostly a few illusion spells and tricks for deception."

"An Arcane Trickster, then."

"Oh, that’s a cool name. Yeah, that’s exactly what I am."

She nodded proudly.

Zed snorted.

"Arcane Trickster, my ass. More like a troublemaker."

"What did you say?!"

Her light-pink eyes glared fiercely at Zed.

Not backing down, Zed shoved his face right up against hers.

"Did I say anything wrong? Not a single day is peaceful whenever you’re around."

"That’s not my fault! Who told you to catch the attention of that Witch? Maybe if you didn’t pick up every woman you came across, none of this would’ve happened!"

"You think I wanted any of that? Even I know better than to mess with things I shouldn’t!"

The two of them shouted back and forth.

Leaving their bickering behind, Ferda considered the abilities the two possessed.

An Arcane Trickster—Penelope.

And a Master Thief—Zed.

"When all is said and done, the two of you would probably make quite a good team."

"Huh?"

Zed stared at Ferda in disbelief.

"With all due respect... could you please not pair me with this empty-headed crybaby?"

"Isn’t she the kind of woman you like?"

"You’re making me sound like I’ll pick up anything that moves. I’d rather not travel with a walking disaster whose very existence causes accidents."

"I don’t want to be paired with some violent man either, you know? I like women. Beautiful women, especially! I just want to endlessly absorb the vitality of gorgeous women!"

"Says the one who drained my vitality yesterday."

"Well, I have to eat too! Food! I only take the absolute minimum needed to stay in the human world! That’s why I can even keep this human appearance!"

They’re so unbelievably noisy...

Ferda decided to take back what he had just said.

"If you’d like, I can find each of you a different partner."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Just moments ago they had looked ready to tear each other apart.

Now, both of them suddenly wore rather awkward expressions.

What’s gotten into these two?

"Ahem... W-Well... I’d actually like to keep things the way they are for now."

"Why?"

"It’s hard to find someone who’s both this handsome and this good at charming beautiful women..."

Penelope’s answer made sense.

But Ferda couldn’t figure out Zed’s reason.

"She drains my vitality... and in return she erases the memories of the girls I pick up..."

Hearing that, Ferda realized he had been mistaken.

’They’re both exactly the same kind of people.’

A match made in heaven.

Do not release them into the wild.

***

The Escolleia Exhibition was being held by renting out an entire casino in Halim.

It was one of the largest casinos even in the city of gambling and entertainment, making it the perfect venue to accommodate nobles, merchants, and scholars alike.

By the time Ferda arrived, it was the first day of the exhibition, just after the opening preparations had been completed.

"Oh! Your Excellency, Regent! You’ve arrived safely!"

Stephan, who had been wandering nearby, hurried over and greeted Ferda respectfully.

"I arrived without incident. And you?"

"I’ve been doing well too. The exhibition booth was completed exactly as planned. Would you like to take a look?"

"That’s exactly why I came."

Stephan led Ferda through the exhibition hall.

Ferda took a general look at how everything was organized.

Each scholar had set up their own booth to display their inventions, allowing merchants and nobles to walk through and examine them one by one.

Every scholar participating in the exhibition burned with determination.

Researchers were always short on one thing.

Money.

This exhibition represented a crucial opportunity to continue their research.

The ones capable of providing that funding were the merchants and nobles attending the exhibition.

If fortune smiled upon them, Ferda himself could even become one of their patrons.

Beginning at the entrance, Ferda casually examined the exhibits.

’Nothing here really catches my interest.’

Most of what he saw were either purely theoretical concepts or items with little commercial value.

That was probably why they had been relegated to the outskirts of the exhibition.

However, the closer they moved toward the center, the larger the booths became, and the more impressive the exhibits looked.

Among them were even inventions that would prove useful in the future.

Vernel’s booth stood near the very center.

Built with the support of the Pascal Trading Company, Vernel’s booth was just as magnificent as the large corporate booths sponsored by major companies.

"What do you think?"

"You’ve done well."

"Right? We brought in professional decorators to build it. Hahaha."

Its eye-catching appearance naturally attracted plenty of attention.

The booth itself was ready.

Only the exhibit was missing.

Ferda’s side was supposed to provide it, so they were still waiting.

"By the way, where are the Mana Stones we’re supposed to display?"

"It seems Vernel has them. Where did he go?"

"I think he headed back to the lodgings first."

"Without saying anything?"

Having gone several days without proper sleep, perhaps he intended to get some rest before the main presentation.

Having stayed by his side, Ferda knew better than anyone how hard Vernel had worked.

"I’ll go fetch them."

"No. I’ll go myself."

Since he had nothing else to do anyway, Ferda decided to go personally.

Ignoring Stephan’s attempts to stop him, he headed toward the lodgings.

Contrary to his expectations of finding Vernel asleep, he instead spotted him along the corridor leading to the accommodations.

There stood another man as well.

Bernard Wayne, the Chancellor of Escolleia and organizer of the exhibition.

The two of them were deep in conversation.

Ferda quietly listened in.

"Vernel Marquis."

Bernard Wayne looked directly at Vernel.

"I must say... I am deeply disappointed in you."