I Married the Dragon I Killed

Valdrova’s enormous figure drew closer and closer, while at the same time becoming smaller.

She was performing a Polymorph.

“Lord Perda, close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“When she gets closer, Lady Valdrova will be in human form. Then you’ll see her face.”

She was right.

So Perda asked cautiously,

“Couldn’t I just take a quick look?”

“……I take it back. Turn completely around. If you turn your head, I’ll give you a thorough scrubbing.”

By trying to take advantage of the opportunity, he only managed to increase her suspicions.

Perda turned around as Ruri had instructed, and the pressure of the approaching wind suddenly vanished.

In its place, he heard the soft sound of someone landing.

“My Lady, you’ve arrived.”

“Yes.”

Along with that clear voice came the sound of something being set down on the table.

Sneaking a glance at Perda’s reaction, she asked Ruri,

“Ruri, do I look strange?”

“You look the same as always. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Mm… There’s nothing odd stuck on me…?”

“These eyes of Ruri see nothing strange, so you don’t need to worry.”

“And… and my voice?”

“Why would it have changed?”

“Mmm! Good! Ahem, ahem!”

She cleared her throat, trying to release the heat from her agitated heart.

Perda was facing away from her, not deaf.

That trembling voice made Perda’s heart tremble as well.

Her anxiety seemed contagious.

“You may look now.”

At Ruri’s words, Perda turned around.

Seated before him was a beauty so breathtaking that she nearly stole his breath away, her face hidden behind a mask.

The image of the brave warrior who had been fighting only moments ago had vanished.

In her place was a shy woman with intimidating horns atop her head.

It was something new.

He was used to seeing dragon-knight armor at that tea table, but now a small and beautiful woman was sitting there.

For some reason, he felt nervous, as though it were their first meeting.

‘It’s still hard to believe.’

He had danced beneath the moonlight with a woman like this.

“Greetings, Your Grace.”

“Yes, Lord Perda!”

Her reply carried completely unnecessary energy.

She took the initiative.

“Are… are your injuries alright?”

“Yes. There was nothing to worry about then, and there is nothing to worry about now.”

“Uuuh… I’m sorry. I got too excited and ended up hurting Lord Perda…”

“It was nothing. I was more surprised by how alarmed you became.”

Perda did his best to reassure her.

Surprisingly, that desire came from his own heart.

They had gone from holding hands to embracing.

He could not allow the distance between them to grow again.

He would rather have his heart pierced than lose the chance to embrace her once more.

And just as Perda thought that way, Valdrova felt something similar.

“Next time I’ll bring a permanent solution! One that doesn’t involve stabbing Lord Perda!”

“Um… couldn’t you simply hide your horns?”

Perda cautiously suggested the solution.

Didn’t Ruri hide her draconic features?

Many dragons concealed their appearance to blend in among people.

That was why he thought Valdrova might also be able to hide her horns and tail.

“I wish I could, but while I can hide my tail, I can’t hide my horns.”

If that was the case, there was nothing to be done.

That hurt a little.

He eased the bitterness with a sip of black tea.

“Um… what did you think?”

“What do you mean, what did I think?”

“When I was fighting the monsters. I want to know what you thought when you saw me fight.”

Battles always gave him a similar impression.

They were overwhelming, brutal, and merciless.

Valdrova truly lived up to the title of Incarnation of Strength.

Even if the patterns were similar, she always showed Perda something new.

“It was a presence worthy of your authority. If the people of Hestia had seen you, their love for their homeland would have deepened.”

“Really?”

Valdrova did not fully understand what homeland pride meant, but she assumed it was something positive.

However, that was not the real reason for her question.

Her restless fingers gave her away.

“Then…”

She hesitated shyly before asking,

“Did…”

“Did?”

“Did it… excite you?”

“Pfffft!”

Instead of answering, Perda spectacularly spat out his tea.

Rather than saying anything, he covered his face and looked away.

Even the person responsible for dropping that bombshell looked confused.

“L-Lord Perda! Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

Valdrova panicked while Perda remained unable to open his mouth.

Ruri, who had been observing the entire situation, shot her a sharp look.

“My Lady, do you even know what what you just said means?”

“Huh? Well… I heard it’s used when a man likes a woman…”

“And do you know how vulgar that expression is?”

Ruri’s face darkened.

“That not even a ruler should use it?”

“Eh…”

“And that a woman should never say that to a man?”

“I didn’t know… Lord Perda, was I disrespectful?”

Perda did not answer.

He simply lowered his head.

The drops of tea still remaining in his mouth slid from his lips and fell to the ground.

“See? He’s so speechless he can’t even react.”

“I-I’m sorry! Lord Perda! Once again I’ve been disrespectful… because I’m foolish…”

“N-No… cough… that’s not it. I just choked. So don’t overthink it…”

Perda could not look at Valdrova’s face.

Valdrova, thinking she had been rejected, swallowed nervously.

Amid that awkward atmosphere, Ruri spoke like a mother.

“For now, return to the cave. We’ll continue this conversation there.”

“Uuuuh…”

Valdrova departed with her head lowered, weakly flapping her wings.

When Valdrova disappeared and only the cold wind of the summit filled the silence,

“Lord Perda, My Lady has already left.”

“…I see.”

“Then get up. Don’t you have work to do?”

“I suppose I do…”

He said that, but Perda could not bring himself to stand.

Ruri tilted her head at that strange reaction and, thinking that perhaps it was possible, asked,

“…Did it really excite you?”

“……”

Perda could not answer.

***

A communication arrived from the Blue Tower.

— We have already purified the contaminated lands near the canal. We will reopen the route to the Far East.

Calling it purification was an elegant way of saying that they had ripped out all the contaminated soil and replaced it with fresh earth.

In any case, clean water would soon begin to flow, and the citizens would celebrate that they no longer had to drink water brought from the cursed Demon Lands.

— And I would like to make a proposal.

“Go ahead.”

— We would like to make a formal investment in Vernell Marquis’s Essence Counterweight. What do you think?

“If you wish to invest, we can only be grateful. But what do you expect to gain in return?”

— Nothing important. Since we are allies, we would simply like it to be mentioned that we also contributed to this development. Let’s say that is the favor we expect.

They wanted to save face.

The fact that someone had managed to purify contaminated water, something even users of the Authority of Water had failed to accomplish, wounded the pride of the Dragon Spawn.

The value of Vernell Marquis continued to rise.

“As far as I’m concerned, I have no objections. We are allies, and I appreciate the support. However, I think I should consult Vernell first.”

— Yes, after all, it is a matter related to the pride of scholars. There is no rush.

Erika did not try to pressure him either.

After all, appearing calm when something was not urgent was the most basic thing.

— By the way, I also contacted the High Elves.

She was referring to the deciphering of the records left behind by Linne, director of the Dark Elf Research Institute.

Perda had secretly hoped they would tell him to come visit immediately.

— They told me that unless it is an urgent matter, I should contact them again this summer.

“Is something happening over there?”

— No idea. That’s just how elves are. If something bothers them, they’re capable of skipping over ten years as if it were nothing.

Ten years…

Hearing it put that way made waiting until summer seem like a very short period.

“That’s fine. I have unfinished business here anyway, and I won’t be able to leave for a while.”

— Even when there is a possibility of preventing chaos across the continent, they react like that. Very typical of the High Elves. A long-lived race that shuts itself away and behaves in a twisted manner.

“Aren’t you also a long-lived race?”

— Do you really consider us the same as those loafers?

Her voice turned venomous.

It was understandable.

Just as a human or an orc would be annoyed if they were all lumped together, so would the Dragon Spawn.

“Very well. I’ll pass it on to the administrator.”

— I’ll bring more good news soon. I hope we continue to get along well.

With that, the communication with Erika ended.

Shortly afterward came the news that the enormous procession of nobles traveling alongside the imperial army had entered the capital without issue.

The one who delivered the information was William.

“How was the banquet?”

— Incredibly luxurious. They say it can’t even be compared to the one held at Valdrova Castle.

As regent of the castle, Perda did not like hearing that.

But he could not deny it either.

‘After all, that was the goal.’

Alexander had probably gone to great lengths to clean up his poor reputation and demonstrate the superiority of the Empire.

The thrill of entering the Imperial Palace, a place very few people could ever access.

And a banquet designed to live up to those expectations.

Everything had been calculated to make the banquet at Valdrova Castle seem like nothing more than a village festival.

“Then the atmosphere is good?”

— On the surface, yes, but…

William spoke with difficulty.

— I think a problem is going to arise.

“What do you mean?”

— The Crown Prince’s movements are quite strange.

According to what William had observed as a third party,

Alexander Arken, the Crown Prince, had personally greeted every noble and knight at the gates of the capital.

He praised them as true heroes and patriots of the Empire.

And during the banquet, he did nothing but exalt them.

For those who dreamed of the so-called Imperial Dream, that alone was enough to fill them with pride.

— It feels like more than a simple tribute to heroes. It seems he has another intention.

“So it seems.”

By publicly elevating them, he gained something in return.

Their support.

In other words, Alexander was trying to draw the two hundred and fifty young nobles to his side.

For the moment, there was nothing Perda could do about it.

“Report to me tomorrow on how the situation develops.”

— Yes, understood.

The magical energy within the communication device dissipated.

Perda remained staring at the crystal sphere for a long time.

‘The reason Alexander is gathering supporters…’

There were many possible explanations.

That he had been accused of collaborating with demons.

That an entire army under his command had been annihilated.

There were obvious reasons.

But Alexander would not act solely for reasons that simple.

He was using those reasons as a façade while concealing a deeper intention.

What could it be?

‘Olivia…?’

No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed highly likely that all of this was preparation to restrain Olivia.

Knowing her brilliant intelligence, it would be absurd to believe she had not foreseen something like this.

How would Olivia respond?

Whatever method she chose, she would surely find a solution.

Because that was the kind of person Perda had come to know.

***

The following day,

William reported in a much more serious tone.

— Just as we expected, a problem arose.

“What kind of problem?”

— In the evaluation of merits from this war, Her Imperial Highness’s contributions were severely undervalued.

The concern from the previous day had become reality.

“Tell me the details.”

William explained the situation.

After the banquet ended, a ceremony was held to award decorations based on the merits earned.

That was when Olivia saw the list and the evaluation criteria and raised an objection.

Perda wondered how much they had reduced her contribution.

The answer was.

— Her Imperial Highness’s contribution to this operation was evaluated at 3%.

That was going too far.