Chapter 319
Chapter 319. Curiosity and Boundaries
――What kind of relationship do I have with Leila?
“She is…”
I exchanged glances with Leila. The bashful Leila looked down, fidgeting.
Of course, I had a “setup” prepared for situations like this.
“…Leila is my girlfriend.”
Saying it out loud again felt a bit embarrassing.
“Ah, a girlfriend, huh?”
Edgar nodded with a knowing smile, as if to say he already knew. By the way, Leila was using a fake name, “Reirain,” but I referred to her simply as “Leila” in a more affectionate manner.
“You look so good together that I thought you were already married.”
Edgar pretended to be dramatically surprised.
“Not at all… marriage, you say…”
Leila blushed and placed her hand on her cheeks, thoroughly flustered. Initially, Leila and I had intended to go with the setup of both being “pupils of the Sword Saint,” but the Sword Saint had vanished…
“But she’s not a priest, right?”
“Leila is a magician.”
I steadied myself and answered casually.
“She’s a user of [Secret Arts].”
“Oh ho?”
The Secret Arts refers to the bloodline magic of the demon race. This is how such magic, passed down through lineage, is referred to within the allied regions.
In truth, Leila has inherited magic unique to the White Dragon, so it’s not a lie that she’s a magician. Plus, since Secret Arts are literally ‘secret’ techniques, it’s customary not to speak of details freely, sparing her from being questioned too much by outsiders.
“I see, so that’s how it is.”
As I intended, Edgar seemed to understand and pulled back his curiosity. Good, good.
“However—”
In the next moment, Edgar made a serious face.
“Miss, don’t move. There’s a bee on your shoulder.”
Then, he unleashed divine magic toward Leila. I instinctively tried to shield her but was too late.
There was a crackling sound as something burned off on Leila’s shoulder, and simultaneously, smoke erupted from her. Fortunately, the output was only enough to roast a bug, and it seemed Leila endured the pain silently without much damage, but the smoke was impossible to hide.
“Huh?”
Edgar froze. I clapped my hands and cast a soundproof barrier without incantation.
To prevent the coachman from overhearing our exchange—
“………”
Edgar shifted his posture casually while alternating his gaze between Leila and me. He was ready to reach for the sword propped nearby.
“Let’s stop this. This was unexpected.”
I raised my hands in surrender, showing a genuinely troubled expression. Leila was tense, and Edgar’s expression remained grim.
“…What do you mean?”
“She isn’t one of the dark beings. She’s a White Dragon.”
The position of the Dragon race within the allied regions is delicate. Although they are part of the Demon Lord Army and considered hostile and a threat, due to the demons’ convenience, they are not actively deployed as combat forces, leading to them not being intensely hated.
Moreover, Leila is a White Dragon.
“Light…”
Edgar’s eyes widened at the magic light that Leila conjured in her hands.
The light-element White Dragon can be considered relatively approachable among the Dragon race in the eyes of the Holy Church and the peoples of the alliance who revere the gods of light.
“—Do you know about the Demon Lord Castle assault operation? Have you heard of it?”
“Eight years ago…?”
As expected, if someone is associated with the Holy Church, they might have heard some rumors.
“That’s right. She is the daughter of a White Dragon who participated in that assault. I also have a fair amount of ties with her father… I was cared for a lot during my childhood.”
I spoke no lies. Leila is the daughter of Faravgi, and my connections with Faravgi (from my previous life) were indeed notable, plus it was true that I received care when I was a child (when I was five).
“In this day and age, I’m also her protector. Plus, she is an irreplaceable partner supporting me.”
“I see…”
Edgar nodded, seemingly digesting my words, then turned back to Leila.
“…Miss, I apologize. That must have hurt.”
“No, it’s okay. It just stung a little…”
“Umm… I’m really sorry.”
Edgar bowed his head, looking awkward, and Leila smiled, assuring it’s nothing to worry about.
“But I understand now. I thought it was peculiar.”
“…Was there something suspicious?”
“Not quite that, but… from the start, I sensed magical power from you, so I figured you were no ordinary person.”
Humans and Beastmen may not be very sensitive to magical power, but it’s not like they can’t sense it at all. Especially if you’re the one using magic.
“I felt strange when we were checking around the city together. Alex’s movements were, how do I put it… He was always standing between me and Reirain, moving as if to protect us from enemies, and that caught my attention.”
Gulp.
I had been constantly using divine magic, guarding against any potential attacks on Leila, but had he noticed?
“It felt like you were wary of me, which bothered me a little. Additionally, when I invited you into the city, for some reason, Reirain hadn’t been inspected at all, which left a slight nagging feeling in my mind. But if she is of the Dragon race, it all makes sense.”
“…You’re quite sharp.”
“I would have forgotten by tomorrow; it was just a minor feeling of unease.”
Edgar chuckled heartily.
“Still, I’m surprised. Is she really a Dragon? She can mimic humans so closely.”
“Yeah, well…”
“How on earth is she doing that? I’ve never met a Dragon directly, but is there some kind of magic for this?”
“Well, yes…”
Leila appeared to be struggling with Edgar’s probing questions.
“It’s a magic unique to the Dragon race…”
“Such a convenient thing… If only it were Dragon-exclusive. It’d be terrifying to think of dark beings using that magic!”
Gulp.
“By the way, I’ve heard that Prince Zilbagias has a White Dragon as his companion…”
Edgar suddenly seemed to remember, causing Leila to flinch, while I tried to cover up everything with an ambiguous smile.
“Shouldn’t we just dispose of this guy?”
N-no…! That’s too hasty! It’s still too early…!
I haven’t reached the truth yet…!
“…Oh, I apologize. I didn’t mean to imply anything against your kind.”
Misinterpreting the extremely awkward expression on Leila’s face, Edgar waved his hands hurriedly.
“Or perhaps, it might have been intentional to mention ‘White Dragon,’ given that the opposing party to the Prince is…”
When I made a serious, suggestive remark, Edgar thought for a moment and nodded, “I see.”
“Besides just cornering political enemy Zilbagias, it’s also a way to bother the White Dragons that turned against the Demon Lord Army…”
“Exactly. It’d be like dropping a drop of poison, mixed into sensational news about the Prince being in hiding. Just by suggesting that among the White Dragons who should have defected from the army, some might still be loyal to the demons— it could create cracks in the relationship between the White Dragons and the alliance.”
“Hmm, when considering it this way, it seems plausible. After all, regardless of which Dragon was loyal to the Prince, they would still be exposed during the holy inspection. If it could sow seeds of discord within the alliance, that’s killing two birds with one stone.”
Good, it seemed like he’s convincingly understanding!
That said, I also wanted to know how the White Dragons are faring in the alliance right now.
Given that I’m proudly escorting Leila, it would be strange to ask Edgar. It would be unnatural for a Hero, who is supposed to be allied with the White Dragons, to know nothing about the other White Dragons.
The Night Elf’s intelligence network seemed to have little grasp on the movements of the White Dragons. This indicates that presently, the White Dragons are likely not showing themselves on the main stage within the alliance.
Where could Leila’s kin be? I hope it’s not that the assault operation ended in failure and they had a fallout with the alliance…
“Given Edgar’s demeanor, it doesn’t seem like they’re outright hostile…”
Ah, but they don’t seem to be actively cooperating with the Holy Church either—
“Dammit… those demon swine! Just how low can they sink?!”
While I was lost in thought, Edgar was seething with anger towards the demons.
“Oh! Anyone who thought up such a thing must be a thoroughly despicable, arrogant, and rotten individual, radiating the stench of a filthy rag left to rot like below the scum!”
“O-oh… That may be true…”
As I thought of Nephradia’s face in agreement, he seemed oddly put off. Was my expression too intense?
“But thinking about it, my invitation may have been more of a nuisance than help. If only we had the power of Dragon wings, we could’ve soared right to the capital…”
Again, Edgar looked apologetic.
“Ah… no, that’s not possible. If we fly over a densely populated place like Tritus Principality, we’d risk being spotted and causing anxiety among the residents, so if we were to fly, it would have to be at night or in less populated areas.”
“Oh? So you’ve come all the way from the south, huh?”
…This guy really picks up on things quickly!?
“Shouldn’t we just dispose of this guy…”
No…! Not yet…!
“Um… well…”
“Where was Alex stationed?”
Edgar leaned in and asked cheerfully.
Aaaaah!!! This is so bothersome!
Wait, calm down… I need to stay composed…
Let’s say he was stationed at a frontline far, far away that he wouldn’t have any reason to connect with… somewhere I’ve been in my previous life is ideal.
…Ah, no, that won’t work; all of those frontlines have already been absorbed by the Demon Lord Kingdom by now!
No, somewhere along the way! There must be somewhere! Recall!
“…From the Madata-Skull Defense Battle in the southern region.”
I squeezed out a place name that barely clung to the memories from my previous life while picturing the state of war reports from the Demon Lord Kingdom.
“Oh! So you came from the south!”
In an instant, Edgar’s face lit up with joy.
Hey! I have a bad feeling about this!!
“By the way, I’m also originally from the south. It’s been over ten years since I’ve been back… How is our uncle Gehlhart doing?”
Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!
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