Chapter 172: Departure Festival (10)
"Please, I look forward to your guidance."
The woman bowed her head once more and greeted me in a refined, old-fashioned tone.
She looked like a scene cut out of an ancient mural, emanating a calm so detached from the surrounding chaos.
I gave an awkward nod.
"Ah, yes..."
…I had no idea what I was supposed to say in return.
I returned the greeting out of reflex, but once she raised her head, she didn’t move an inch.
She just stared blankly at me.
‘…What even is this?’
What on earth was I supposed to do?
As I furrowed my brows slightly and looked at the woman, she finally opened her mouth again.
"I know it is rude of me to say this upon first meeting you, but I was in urgent need of help and, regrettably, I’ve acted discourteously to hold you back like this. Please, I beg your pardon with the generosity of your vast and merciful heart."
There was desperation in her voice.
She paused for a moment as if choosing her words, then continued with an even more earnest tone.
"Though we may not be of the same lineage, I beseech you to take pity on this child who receives the same care… and grant me a small favor."
"…?"
Lineage? Care? Child?
I couldn’t make sense of what she was talking about.
Was she mistaking me for someone else?
That’s when I realized something was off about the atmosphere around us.
The noisy street had fallen strangely silent.
On top of that, I could feel eyes gathering on us.
I subtly turned my head.
Sure enough. Passersby had stopped in their tracks and were blatantly sneaking glances in our direction.
Honestly, it made sense.
The woman’s clothing was old-fashioned, like something out of a classical painting—rarely seen these days.
What’s more, her beauty was so unreal that it was hard to believe she was human. That alone was enough to draw people’s attention.
And as if that wasn’t enough, such a woman was standing in the middle of the street, bowing deeply and using honorifics to address a male student in an academy uniform...
It would’ve been stranger if no one had been watching.
"Ah…!"
Only then did the woman seem to realize the attention we were drawing, letting out a soft gasp.
Her face visibly flustered, she quickly scanned the surroundings and blinked several times.
"I was so caught up in the moment, I committed such a discourtesy…"
She immediately made a light gesture, as if sweeping the air.
It was a tiny, barely noticeable motion.
Yet something utterly bizarre happened right after.
The crowd that had been watching with curious eyes suddenly turned away, all at once, and resumed walking as if nothing had happened.
Only Cecilia and Allen, standing beside me, remained unaffected.
They still looked puzzled, as if they couldn’t follow what was going on.
"Whew."
The woman let out a quiet sigh of relief and spoke to me.
"I’ve diverted the attention of the bystanders for now. As for those beside you, they seem to be your companions, so I did not act upon them without permission."
"…"
The power she showed in that brief moment was far from ordinary.
An illusion spell?
Or perhaps mind-affecting magic?
Whichever it was, she wasn’t someone with average skill.
I looked at her, now even more confused.
Who was she, to wield that kind of power yet approach me so humbly, asking for help?
"You mentioned earlier that we were of the same lineage."
"Please, I must ask you to speak comfortably."
"I prefer speaking this way."
I replied, and then cautiously asked the woman,
"…Are you, perhaps, a distant relative of the Gwendil family?"
Could she be from a branch I hadn’t heard of?
At my question—asked just in case—she blinked, looking momentarily flustered, then smiled awkwardly.
"Ah… Forgive me. I was thoughtless. I forgot that you might have your own reasons for appearing as you do now. I’m terribly inexperienced and ignorant…"
Saying so, she gave a respectful bow toward Cecilia and Allen.
"May I ask the two of you for a brief moment of understanding? I have something to say to the elder here… but it is a rather private matter, and I fear others may overhear."
"No."
Before either Cecilia or Allen could answer, I stepped in.
"If there’s something you need to tell me, it’s fine if these two hear it as well. If you’re okay with that, please go ahead."
The woman looked briefly surprised by my firm words, but then gave a gentle nod.
"If that is your will… I shall obey."
She took a breath, looked at me again, and asked,
"Are you perhaps familiar with the rumors circulating within our lineage?"
"…I’m afraid I don’t know anything."
At my honest response, the woman let out a small sigh, looking oddly relieved.
Then, as if a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushed lightly as she spoke.
"In that case, I’m afraid I must explain it to you myself."
She lowered her gaze for a moment, as though hesitating, then seemed to come to a decision and opened her mouth.
Though her voice was quiet, it rang clear and undisturbed, even amid the ambient noise.
"To speak with absolute honesty, with not a hint of falsehood…"
She took a deep breath and began her story.
"Shamefully… I ran away from home, leaving my parents behind, and secretly entered religious life."
Entered religious life?
She meant she left home?
‘…That sounds more like running away than anything holy.’
A young lady from a noble family, acting on impulse, sneaks out of the house.
Honestly, it was a pretty common tale.
‘…Wait?’
Hold on.
A thought suddenly flickered through my mind.
Could it be?
"I made my way all the way to the Imperial Capital without any real plan… and the journey was far more difficult and confusing than I had anticipated."
She let out a small sigh, as if even the memory of it was exhausting.
"And just when I was lost and didn’t know what to do upon arriving… by sheer chance, I sensed the presence of an elder of the same lineage, and despite the rudeness, I felt compelled to approach you like this."
"‘The presence of the lineage,’ you say."
At Lian’s question, the woman offered a gentle smile.
Then, she gestured toward the necklace hanging from his neck and the sword at his waist.
These were the items infused with the power of the Dragon, given to him by Airos.
"I recognized it from the energy I felt coming from your necklace and sword, Elder. And… judging by the similar aura radiating from the items worn by your two companions, I gather they must be dear and trusted connections with whom you share everything."
As she spoke, she sent a subtle, envious glance toward Cecilia and Allen.
"Truly… I envy you. If only I too could one day form such a bond… it would be a blessing."
At last, the pieces all fell into place.
Lian unconsciously murmured.
"…A Dragon?"
As soon as he spoke the word, the woman gave a slight nod, as if she had been waiting for it.
"Indeed, that is correct."
“…Wait a second, if you’re a runaway Dragon, then you must be—”
Before he could finish his thought, the woman, looking slightly indignant, corrected him.
"It’s not ‘runaway’… it’s pilgrimage! I simply stepped out for a brief outing!"
"Ah, yes. Pilgrimage."
Regardless of whether it was a runaway or a pilgrimage, the woman standing before him had slipped away from her parents and left her territory—she was a Wyrmling.
And such a case only applied to Wyrmlings.
‘No way. Don’t tell me…?’
Could she be the Wyrmling Amaruah had mentioned? The one who had fled her parents’ eyes and made her way to the Imperial Capital—and who had been part of the reason why the Dragon kin had been drawn to this place?
Lian struggled to keep his composure as he asked,
"So then… what brought you to travel so far, all the way to the human capital? There must be a reason."
"That is…"
At his question, the woman’s face flushed bright red.
She covered her face lightly with both hands and muttered in a voice so soft it was barely audible.
"Well… um…"
After hesitating for quite some time, she finally whispered in an even smaller voice than before.
"When I was very young… a mere child… I once met someone… someone who promised me a future… and I came all this way to find him…"
With that, she completely hid her face behind her hands, unable to bear it any longer.
Her head drooped, and even her ears had turned red.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Lian, Cecilia, and Allen could only stare at her with indescribably complex expressions.
"Achoo!"
A loud sneeze echoed.
Standing beside the source of the noise was a massive Orc, Cruyak, who commented with his usual stoic face.
"Thought you were about to give birth."
The man who had just sneezed—Third Imperial Prince of the Empire, Behad—grinned as he replied.
"Oh, really? Do Orcs have the men give birth instead of the women?"
"Pfft!"
At his joke, the sharp-featured Werewolf woman standing beside him burst into laughter.
When Cruyak shot her a glare, the Werewolf, Harira, quickly shut her mouth and forced herself to hold back the laughter.
"Hahaha!"
Meanwhile, the Lizardman standing nearby laughed heartily, with no intention of holding back.
"I, Br Riik Konafa, have broadened my knowledge once again today. Hahahaha!"
"Haa."
Cruyak let out a deep sigh.
It was always like this when he was around them.
"Anyway. Can you finally explain now? Why exactly did you call us all here, brother?"
At his question, Behad shed his playful smile and shrugged.
"Well, I’ve got someone to meet."
He continued, still shrugging.
"But I’m a bit of a coward, you see. I was too scared to go alone."
"Hmph. With that, can you really say you have royal blood?"
Though Cruyak sounded like he was scolding him, he quietly gathered his energy.
The Behad he knew was never foolish or cowardly.
If someone like that believed it necessary to call on them, then it must be truly important.
Step. Step.
Just then, someone walked toward them.
It was none other than the Third Imperial Princess and Behad’s twin sister, Mercedes.
Without saying a word, she took her place beside Behad.
"If you keep disappearing, I’ll forget your face, sis."
"……."
Even at Behad’s cheeky greeting, Mercedes didn’t respond.
She simply stared straight ahead with an expressionless face.
"…Don’t tell me you called us here because you were scared of meeting your twin sister?"
Harira muttered quietly.
Behad gave a wry smile in response.
"…Well, that too, maybe."
No sooner had he said that than another set of footsteps echoed.
At the same time, a beautiful voice rang out—clear, yet with a strange weight behind it.
"Am I too late?"
At the sound of that voice, Harira—whose senses were the sharpest of the group—flinched unconsciously and tensed.
Her instincts flared in alarm, making the fur on her body stand on end.
Everyone’s attention turned toward the source of the voice.
"I tried to hurry… sorry."
Standing there with her usual soft smile was the Second Imperial Princess, Velita.