Chapter 667

Maybe I’m not fully asleep

This was the first impression that Lelie felt when she arrived at her destination by carriage.

The Gaendal Party was one of the most famous adventurers in the capital, so they often received requests from nobles. As a result, they visited the districts where nobles mostly gathered relatively often, and they also had many opportunities to see the mansion of the traitor Envelde, which was once the largest in scale.

It was more like the appearance after Eldmia’s rampage than before. Because of that, the completely restored mansion seemed very unfamiliar to Lelie... But the reason she’s confusing reality with dreams now isn’t because of the completed mansion.

It was because of the dwarves whose paths overlapped with theirs. Even at a glance, the ten dwarves, who were considered the oldest among the dwarves, were all wearing similar clothing, as if to prove that they were not ordinary visitors, which drew even more attention.

Judging from the way the dwarves who had arrived before them looked at the two people getting off the carriage with a puzzled reaction, it seemed that their feelings were not much different from hers.

But what caught my attention more than that was the conversation between two men and women who claimed to be servants of the mansion.

“Lady Ekaterina and Lady Lelye, were you planning to visit us today?”

“No, I was just bringing you here because you came to my old house. Are those dwarves from the kingdom?”

“Yes, it seems you arrived today via the Empire. I heard that Ega-sama asked you to remodel the mansion.”

It’s amazing how these employees recognize themselves as soon as they see them, and they have the unbelievable talent of not showing any embarrassment even in a sudden encounter. After communicating so naturally, they each started guiding people on their own.

Even though they didn’t exchange a single word, the dwarves and Leli were of one mind at that moment.

“Did you say that you received help from the Empire···?”

“I don’t think I did it...”

Thanks to that, she felt a strong desire to share the questions that had started to fill her head, but since there was no owner, it seemed impolite to talk to other guests first, so Lelie decided to quietly follow the instructions of the servants.

But that resolution was shaken from the start by Catherine tilting her head as soon as she stepped out of the carriage.

Because we had been together for so long, I couldn’t help but notice that look, because it was a reaction that could only be seen when a knife was wielded somewhere nearby. I sent a signal with my eyes just in case, but Ekaterina flinched for a moment, then quickly shook her head and made a blank expression.

“It’s okay. I was worried because I didn’t know I’d hear it here. I thought you were only given a mansion, but it looks like you were also allowed to train private soldiers.”

At this, not only the other dwarves but also the servants looked back at Yekaterina in surprise. The dwarves were surprised that a human could accurately pick up sounds that were faint to their ears, and the people of the cult who called themselves servants were surprised that Yekaterina possessed physical abilities beyond information.

“···It must be because Ega-nim is training with his escorts. I will guide you.·”

Even the stories that have been passed down as legends since ancient times are so miserable that the heroes who gained power through dragon blood are the reason for this. There may be exceptions if several prerequisites overlap, but only a very small number of people on the continent meet those conditions.

And Eldmia was a person who could never be included in that very small minority.

“You knew what it was like... or was it something you couldn’t avoid?”

It could be that he had no choice but to turn it over because he had no time to spare while dealing with the powerful dragon. When he approached and asked questions without even having time to pay attention to the eyes of those around him, Eldmia’s face, which was unusually wide open in surprise, showed various expressions.

“We’ll talk about that later. I’m glad you’re doing well. Lelie too... You seem to be doing well, but you look strangely tired.”

There is no sense of bewilderment. Rather, there is a sense of understanding, as if something is understood. Eldmia, who greeted them skillfully, quickly chatted with the dwarves, then briefly distanced herself from Yekaterina and Lelie, asking for their understanding in order to talk about the mansion.

“···Are you crazy? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Only then did Lelie, who was belated in her reaction, elbow Yekaterina in the side.

“What if you turned the dragon’s blood over? Are you going to try some folk remedy from your neighborhood? Are you just going to drag me all the way to Lovell? After all the hardships I went through to get here...”

It was a voice so small that it could be called the sound of ants crawling. However, despite Lelie’s remark, Ekaterina, who was unable to hide her embarrassment for a long time, shook her head and spoke to Lelie.

“Bloodshed is a curse”

“Of course. It’s the same for you and most people. But does knowing that really make a difference? There didn’t seem to be any problems on the outside. If you suddenly go in like that, it’ll only arouse suspicion!”

Normally, I would have just let it go, but this time, I couldn’t back down from Reli. I’ve never regretted anything in my life, but it was a different story when I was faced with a situation where all the effort and results I had made were in vain.

“This isn’t just your problem. If you smell something and come looking for me, do you think I’ll end up okay for helping you? Come to your senses!”

Most of what Lelie said, rarely spoken with a serious expression, was true, but some were wrong.

Because Catherine was still conscious,

“Rellie·”

“why?”

Yekaterina burst into laughter as she watched Lelie answer her call, her eyebrows furrowed as her head suddenly became cold and she felt somewhat drained of energy. It was because she was very embarrassed to mention her mistake to her friend and colleague whom she trusted more than anyone else.

“Even if you say that, the ‘current’ Eldmia can hear it all. The sensation temporarily heightened through the Dragon Blood doesn’t go away easily.”

Almost at the same time, Eldmia, who had been talking to the dwarves while keeping her distance, approached with a smiling face, while Lelie, who had been holding each other with a serious expression, opened her eyes and mouth.