Chapter 12: Entering the City

Elvira’s gaze gradually became playful.
She held my hand, forcing me to touch the “collar” on her neck.

She even licked her lips?!

She’s seducing me?!

“Let go of me… let go!” Elvira’s strength was immense.
I tried to pull my hand back several times, but all attempts ended in failure.

Seriously, is this how you use your dragon’s physical strength?

Just using your strength to bully me… giving you such immense power was truly a waste.

“Verona,” Elvira pinched my chin with her fingertips.
“Take a closer look. Don’t they look like your thorns?”

Now that she mentioned it, they really did look similar.

Similar, too similar.

This is really… quite terrible…

Alright, alright, let’s recall.
Why exactly did Elvira become so fierce and aggressive last night?

She started acting strangely after being released by my thorns.
So what exactly did the thorns do?

They drew blood.

The thorns first drew blood from my body, transformed it, and then injected it into Elvira’s body.
So, the problem lies with my blood.

And now, looking back at the “collar” on the little black dragon’s neck.

Haha! Verona, you actually drugged a dragon?
And you even marked her?

Good job… my ass!

What does that make me?! A green tea b*tch¹? A scheming bottom²?

And what is Elvira so excited about?
Is she proud of being marked?
The dragon’s way of thinking can’t be this… open, right…

“Ahem!” I cleared my throat, feigning seriousness.
After sorting out the sequence of events, I found that the mastermind was actually myself?
This is really hard to talk about…

“I’m sorry, Elvira. I really didn’t expect it to be my own fault,” I closed my eyes as I said this, because I was too ashamed to look at Elvira.

“No need to apologize. You just need to, like me, take responsibility for me.”

“Okay!” I answered decisively.
“I will definitely find a way to remove the mark!”

Saying that, I pulled myself out of Elvira’s embrace, gave her a thumbs-up, and turned to run.
But the next moment.

“What’s the hurry?” The slender dragon tail wrapped around my waist again, as gentle as water, and it didn’t forget to playfully tease the soft flesh of my waist.

This tail is so annoying!

“Your clothes are messy, and take these,” Elvira placed a heavy bag in my hand and closed my fingers tightly, making it impossible for me to refuse this gift.

Then, while tidying my clothes, she said slowly.

“In the bag are five hundred coins with a face value of 100 Holy Grace each.
Take them and spend them as you wish.
If it’s not enough, I have more.
You can have as much as you want.”

Spend as I wish?
This Holy Grace is a currency unit…
From the sound of it, fifty thousand Holy Grace is a lot.
But I don’t want it!

“I can’t just take your money for no reason…” I tried to return the bag to Elvira, but it was the same problem again.

The strength of a dragon is too great…

Her jade-like hand lightly covered mine, a hint of a smile in her golden eyes.
She took a few steps with her long legs, and the distance between us quickly became ambiguous.

“Little Nia hasn’t eaten well these past few days while she’s been with us.
A child needs to grow.
Take the money and buy some food,” Elvira said plainly, as if it were a matter of fact.

But what she said seemed to be true…
And I also knew that this was an excuse she had found, an almost irrefutable excuse.

Little Nia had suffered enough before.
Her body was thin and weak.
There’s nothing wrong with feeding the little dumpling a bit better now.

Sigh… I’ll take it for now and return the money after buying things.

“The money left after buying food, you have to take it back. Promise me.”

“Alright, I promise you.”

She agreed so readily, which couldn’t help but make me suspicious:
Is this cunning black dragon setting a trap for me later?

I frowned slightly, sizing up the black-haired girl in front of me.
With that subtle smile on her face, it would be strange if there wasn’t something fishy going on!
Speaking of which, what does she do?
How can she be so rich?

…Forget it, the priority right now is to enter the city.
I’ll deal with her tricks when I get back.

The place where we were resting was some distance from Port Otas.
By the time I arrived, it was already afternoon.

The port city of Otas did not have city walls in the strict sense.
The main road leading into the city was paved with gravel, only turning to stone slabs as it was about to enter the urban area.
And on the dividing line between the stone slabs and the gravel stood three people.
They were the “security check” personnel before entering the city.

To my surprise, these people’s equipment was too outdated.
It was no match for the inquisitors who had beaten me before…

Leather armor, trench coats, top hats, with swords and extremely simple muskets tucked at their waists, looking like fire pokers.
It seemed that the presence of these three here was more for show than for actual security.

Great, that’s just perfect for me.

The vegetation on both sides of the main road was sparse, with only scattered flowers and grass.
The three of them quickly noticed me.
Among them, a man with stubble took two steps forward and tipped his hat in a gesture of respect.

“Hello, beautiful lady. Welcome to Port Otas. Routine inspection.”

The stubbled man didn’t expect me to reply.
His small, triangular eyes widened slightly, and he directly reached out his hand to me.

‘Tsk, you bastard. Trying to take advantage of me?’

‘There’s no one else around. Today, I’ll teach you a lesson.’

With a “click,” I quickly drew the firelock hanging at my back and pressed it directly against the man’s chin.
He froze instantly, not daring to breathe.

My slender fingers played with the trigger, making a clicking sound.
Every time I clicked it, the man closed his eyes in fear.
But I didn’t plan to kill anyone here.
It would be foolish to cause a big scene before even entering the city.
But since trouble came looking for me, don’t blame me for what happens.

I’m just a harmless little thing, you see~

I even speak my heart to enemies I’ve just met.

“Here, help me check. Is there any problem with this firelock?” I said to the man fiercely, and even poked him a few times with the muzzle for good measure.

The man was so scared he was trembling.
Even his small, triangular eyes widened.
He looked like he wanted to retreat but didn’t dare, as if he had an upset stomach.
His two companions behind him were the same.

“M-my… my lord, Lord Inquisitor, spare my life… we are all devout followers of the gods.”

The man recognized the weapon in my hand, which was within my calculations.

“Mm-hmm, I know,” I waved the gun nonchalantly.
“I’m asking you to check. Is there a problem with this gun?”

“No… no probl—”

“Bonk~!“

“Eek, eek, eek!!”

“Poor mental fortitude.”

The gun barrel hit the man’s cheek with a “smack.”
The “bonk” sound before was something I made on purpose.
He was so scared he collapsed to the ground, shrinking his neck like a little chick.

What a coward.

At this moment, I was a little envious of Elvira’s build.
If that wicked dragon had been the one to hit him, she would have surely knocked his cerebrum and cerebellum together!

With a cold face, I walked past the man.
The remaining two also respectfully made a prayer gesture to me, their eyes lowered, not daring to look at me.

Hmph~ Do you understand what acting is?

Do you understand what charisma is?

I was practically born for this.

Look how happy those three “little darlings” are.
I scared their precious mothers away~

…Er, why do I feel like my moral standards have lowered since I was reincarnated…
Forget it, whatever.

While complaining to myself, suddenly, someone approached me from behind!

“Lord Inquisitor, may I ask, are you here on an inspection tour?”
The speaker was one of the three cowards from before.
He was bowing and rubbing his hands as he spoke to me.

“Do I need to report to you what I’m here for?”

“No, no, no!” the man waved his hands hastily.
“It’s just that we received a notice a few days ago that a high-ranking Inquisitor would be coming here for an inspection.
This is for the sake of public security.”

I glanced at the man.
His sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked appearance perfectly matched his personality.
I had no interest in playing word games with him.

“Don’t spread this around.”

After dropping those four words, I walked straight into the city.
The man didn’t follow me.
He made a look of understanding and returned to his post.

But… why do I feel like someone is always watching me?