Chapter 36: Heilon (2)
Sigren dropped his sword to the ground. Exhausted, he no longer had the strength to hold it and was showing remarkable restraint by not throwing it away. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. He then sat down and surveyed his current state. He was literally a mess, covered from head to toe in blood—none of it his own. It was the blood of the monster he had just defeated: the cursed dragon said to rule over the monsters in the northern mountains.
Sigren glanced behind him at the dragon lying on the ground, dead. This dragon had been a source of terror for the people of the North for several decades. It had finally been captured by the subjugation squad, which included Sigren and Abel. The dragon had been the most formidable opponent Sigren had ever faced. Its sheer size made a human feel like an ant, and its steel-like scales made it incredibly difficult to defeat. Most humans felt suffocated just meeting its reddish eyes. Furthermore, the dragon possessed the intelligence to rule over the monsters in the mountains.
Given the challenge of taking down such a creature, Sigren was utterly exhausted. Despite his exceptional stamina and capability, the dragon had drained his energy significantly.
“Great work, Sigren.” Abel approached him with rare praise.
Sigren responded with a slight nod of his head.
“How does it feel to kill one of the monster bosses?”
“It just is.”
To return to the capital and receive the official appointment as a prince from the emperor, achievements were necessary. So, Sigren had killed the dragon. However, he felt no particular sense of achievement or satisfaction, as he was returning to the place where his mother had been killed and where he had suffered. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I don’t understand why she still has an attachment to the capital.” Sigren kept thinking about Fiona. She had been talking about sightseeing without realizing the impact her decisions had on others’ feelings.
Abel smiled at him. “It’s okay, don’t worry.”
Sigren looked up at Abel, curious. He still didn’t know how to handle Fiona in the capital and prevent her from leaving again.
A unique, arrogant smile appeared on Abel’s face. “I have prepared the final weapon in my mansion for my poor disciple.”
“…?”
At that, Sigren tried to inquire further, but Abel waved his cloak and left to check on the other soldiers.
‘How the hell should I keep Fiona here?’
Sigren knew Fiona didn’t like staying in one place for too long. She often mentioned her surprise at having been in Heilon for five years. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren watched Abel’s retreating figure, stood up, took his sword, and fell into thought.
[“I won’t hurt you.”]
He recalled the whisper of a young girl.
[“And someday you will… You will definitely have a lot.”]
The girl who had said that was no longer beside him. She had given her affection without expecting anything in return and left without regrets.
There was only one thing Sigren wanted, but to achieve it, he had to do many things. It was truly ironic.
Sigren walked to the dragon’s corpse with his sword. He cut through the dragon’s chest and pulled out its heart, intending to use it as proof of his kill.
This would be the beginning.
It would bring him a great deal of honor. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
***
I slowly looked up at the mansion in front of me. The Heilon mansion in the heart of the capital was impressive. In fact, it was far more refined compared to the exterior of Heilon Castle, which resembled a demon’s fortress in the northern territory.
Looking at the exterior, it seems this mansion is well-maintained.
The mansion’s outer walls were clean and free of cracks, the large training ground was meticulously kept, and the garden was lush with seasonal flowers. I truly wanted to compliment the gardener.
“Well, I may not be very welcomed here.”
From their perspective, I was likely seen as a supervisor sent from above. They couldn’t say it out loud, but I was sure they were dissatisfied. However, I had no intention of staying in an uncomfortable place for long. I planned to complete everything I needed to do quickly and move on. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
With that thought, I knocked on the mansion door. I had already informed the gatekeeper of my arrival, so the news would have been passed inside.
“Welcome, Lady Fiona.”
The door opened, and an elderly lady with a very gentle expression appeared.
“My name is Celine, the manager of the mansion. Please feel free to call me by name.”
“I’m Fiona.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from the Duke.”
Celine’s smile was so elegant that it made me want to imitate her. The wrinkles around her naturally folded eyes added to her delicate appearance. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Welcome to Heilon Mansion.”
Soon, the door of the mansion swung wide open. At the same time, several voices rang out.
“Lady Fiona, welcome.”
My eyes widened at the sight before me. On either side of the polished entrance hall, stewards and maids stood in a line. Everyone looked at me with neat smiles. The scene before me resembled the grand welcomes shown in movies. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
What is this?
It felt strange. Normal aristocratic mansions did not hold such a grand welcome ceremony at the front door. This kind of reception was typically reserved for when the owner of the house returned after a long absence.
“My lady, you must be tired. We have prepared a room for you. If you would like a meal, please let me know.”
I glanced at her and the attendants lined up before me, feeling overwhelmed. What on earth did Abel do?
…Somehow, I felt dizzy. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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