Chapter 674
Although they were hesitant when they first heard the story, Ekaterina and Lelie eventually accepted my offer to stay at the mansion until the delegation from Lovell returned.
The situation was never light, but nothing else changed. We had a plan, even if we didn’t know whether the remaining three days of training would be extended or if someone from Lovell would arrive within that time.
That is why, even today, the fifth day, I am doing my best to parry Catherine’s army without fail.
-Bang!
“Ugh!”
As I failed miserably, I felt as if my left hand was ripped off along with my shoulder, and as my body was pushed back, Yekaterina’s warhammer, which had been raging like a storm, stopped as if it were a lie.
But I didn’t put my weapon away. I just asked with my eyes whether I should do more. In line with that, instead of expressing myself verbally, I took a deep breath and turned my shoulder for a moment to check the situation.
“Let’s just rest a little. I think it’s possible if you use the Holy Spirit, but there’s no need to push yourself too hard.”
And then he quickly declared a break. Then, Ekaterina, who quickly retrieved the Warhammer, opened her mouth with a wonderful smile.
“This one was close.”
“That’s right. If Catherine’s reaction had been a little bit slower, I think she would have succeeded in letting it out. In the end, it might have been better to push it a little too hard and bounce it off.”
As I left the training ground, with my aching joints engraved in my mind that I must actively take advantage of any momentary opportunity when the opponent’s skill level is the same or superior to mine, a person from the sect naturally approached us and offered us drinks.
Now, we have no choice but to admit that their competence contained an addictive quality like a drug. It is similar to the vicious sales tactics of modern society that make you pay after giving you a sweet and useful service that is hard to break away from under the pretext of a free trial period.
I never thought they were incompetent or unhelpful because of my experience with Tie, but experiencing it firsthand was on a whole other level.
“It is said that the delegation from Lovell entered through the gate.”
Just like right now, Yekaterina, who had been smiling until just now, and Lelie, who had been watching our fight and eating snacks, all had their expressions frozen in an instant, and Tie appeared from the mansion in the distance.
“Ega Nim Lovell’s delegation is headed to the palace. Based on their movements so far, it seems likely that they will arrive at the mansion in less than half a day.”
To me, it was just information that gave me a vague ‘I see’ feeling, but it seems that Catherine was different. You can see the strength in her grip as she holds the Warhammer.
“I see. Let’s call it a day and rest inside.”
“···Okay, thank you Eldmia.
“Don’t mention it”
Rather, there may be a situation where I should be thankful. It was too hasty of a thank you.
While the servants and former Demon King’s soldiers work hard to clean up the parade ground that was a mess due to my and Yekaterina’s sparring, I wash off the sweat and get dressed. The armor was cleaned neatly while I was bathing, and Este hums in satisfaction as she asks how I took care of it.
As I was enjoying the luxury of lying down and recovering without doing anything after completing all the preparations, information from the Lovell delegation came into my ears in real time.
It was possible because all the warriors moved at the same pace as one person, but the diplomat, not being a warrior, was late to notice this and only looked back after taking a few more steps forward.
“Do you have any orders?”
Contrary to his seemingly calm question, he experiences extreme pressure during this journey and anxiety sprouts inside him as his face becomes half-blind.
Everything went very differently than expected, and it was a very dangerous schedule, more dangerous than dancing on the edge of a cliff at every moment. Nevertheless, it was a natural reaction that the one who had been walking like a doll, wearing a helmet and not saying a word among the escort warriors, suddenly started acting strangely when they almost reached their destination.
His anxiety subsided only after he opened his mouth for the first time with a smile, having remained silent for a long time amidst the large size of the warriors, drawing attention to himself.
“That’s fun.”
But the relief was short-lived. The diplomat broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of her suddenly taking off her helmet and moving forward.
“Wow, Princess···”
“I saw the reactions of three countries while coming here.”
The princess’s long, blonde hair, braided in a ponytail, fluttered as she walked forward. As her pace quickened slightly, the escorts and diplomats moved hurriedly to match her.
“At first I thought he was like a dragon hiding a great treasure. But now I see that what he was hiding wasn’t a treasure, but the dragon itself.”
Every time he spoke, the smile on his lips grew deeper and his unusually sharp teeth were revealed. His golden eyes, more like those of a reptile than a human, drew arcs as if they were openly expressing joy. He had a unique appearance that was hard to take your eyes off of if you happened to catch his eye even once, but what was more striking was his beauty that made even his unusual features difficult to notice.
“It was right to come quickly, diplomat. I will definitely reward your efforts. If father doesn’t do it, I will do it on my own behalf.”
“Seo Seong-eun, I am very sorry, but you cannot show your face now. You know very well that the reason they said they would not get involved was because they did not know about the princess’s existence.”
The original plan was to reveal his identity after entering the mansion. Since he had already made himself noticeable enough, it was obvious that he would be under surveillance, so such a sudden action would never be beneficial.
But the princess just laughed loudly and shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter”
Because she walked so fast, she arrived at the main gate of the mansion in no time. The princess, who had not even glanced at the gatekeepers until then, finally lowered her gaze and spoke.
“Go and tell your master.”
And the gatekeepers were astonished.
It wasn’t because a large woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere and looked down on them, giving them a sense of intimidation. They were followers of the church, so that didn’t pose any threat to them. The reason they were shocked was because they knew the other person’s identity.
“Yograd of Lovell stands here to meet you.”
One of the three dragons of Lovell, so called.
Banryong Yograd·
“Come out and meet your future companion”
The royal family, who were supposed to be guarding the borders of Luville, made a bombshell statement as unexpected as their sudden appearance.