Chapter 14: The Sinner’s Redemption

Faltis climbed out of bed, toying with a map in her hand. “Did the nun truly say all of this?” she asked.

Eileen sat motionless on the bed.

It was over.

Utterly and completely over.

Once the dragons possessed a detailed map, destroying the entire empire would become terrifyingly simple.

‘She… was a sinner against the Empire.’

‘No, she still had a chance to atone, to make amends. What Eileen needed to do now was to send out the dragons’ map as well, allowing them to launch their attack first.’

Eileen snapped back to reality, nodding. “I’m also surprised that a nun would possess so much intelligence.”

“It seems that nun’s identity is far from simple…” Faltis mused, her voice thoughtful.

“So we should capture her and take her as a hostage?” Eileen quickly proposed.

‘Given that Yarlola knew such sensitive information, her identity was undoubtedly extraordinary, just as Faltis had suggested. Such a person could not simply be confined to a dungeon.’

‘Only by bringing her out could she be more effectively released.’

“No, hostages are far too boring,” Faltis chuckled. “I’ll kill her, then toss her head onto the Empire’s lands. That will incite their fury, letting them know that the Golden Dragon Hall is not a place just any stray cat or dog can wander into. Besides, wouldn’t that make things far more interesting?”

Eileen gazed at Faltis’s smile, finding herself speechless.

‘A demon. This person was truly a demon.’

However, in her rage, Eileen overlooked a crucial detail.

Though Faltis was warlike, she never wantonly slaughtered the innocent, nor did she ever torture prisoners.

She loathed such trivial games. True conquest, to her, only came from a direct, decisive defeat, a complete shattering of an opponent’s defenses.

Just as now, she intended to ignite Eileen’s desire to resist, then crush her head-on! She would make Eileen submit to her from the depths of her heart.

As the strongest Dragon Slayer!

Having no alternative, Eileen had to nod in agreement. “Lady Faltis is right. These humans have been far too arrogant lately; they absolutely need to be taught a lesson.”

“Then, I’ll leave this matter to you?” Faltis patted Eileen’s backside, giving it a playful squeeze before removing her hand.

‘So soft, so pleasant.’

“Mhm, I will handle everything,” Eileen mumbled, biting her lip, the words practically forced through gritted teeth.

Eileen returned to her room.

She entered the bathroom and frantically scrubbed her body, even scratching her skin until it bled.

Blood mingled with the cold water, dripping onto the floor.

The floor turned crimson as Eileen’s body trembled. She leaned helplessly against the wall.

She looked at her reflection in the water, so beautiful, so captivating, so pitifully heartbreaking.

She bit her lip. ‘I cannot sink into despair any longer.’

‘I am the Empire’s strongest Dragon Slayer!’

‘Even if I can no longer return to the Empire, I absolutely must not submit beneath the skirt of a wicked dragon!’

‘Pull yourself together, Eileen! No! Kassim!’

‘Isn’t there an opportunity right before me now?’

‘Yarlola! If I just let her go, if I just give her the layout of the Dragon Palace, everything could change!’

Cold water splashed against Eileen’s body. After a moment of thought, she devised a plan that was far from perfect.

Yet, it was the best she could manage in her current circumstances; she had very little time left.

Eileen quickly drew a map. Not wanting to waste another moment, she hurried through the corridor, passing many dragon-humans who politely called out her name.

Eileen clenched her fists, feeling a profound sense of humiliation.

However, it was precisely because of the benefits of this name that she could easily take Yarlola out.

No one would object, even if she led her to the very edge of the Golden Dragon Territory.

Beyond the Golden Dragon Territory, Dragon Slayers could appear at any moment.

Eileen undid the seal on Yarlola’s mouth.

“You bastard! Where are you trying to take me?!” Yarlola struggled, but the vast disparity in their strength made her efforts futile.

“Quiet down,” Eileen stated calmly. “If I were to drop you from here, would those Gryphons be able to catch you?”

“Huh? Are you insane?” This place was more than ten kilometers from the watchtower. While Gryphons were fast, they couldn’t possibly achieve such a feat.

“No?” Eileen deduced this information from Yarlola’s expression.

“Then, let’s make a little commotion,” Eileen said. A faint layer of dragon scales and frost appeared on her arm.

“Achoo!” Yarlola sneezed, and the surrounding temperature plummeted instantly. The nearby plants and trees froze solid, becoming like works of art, glittering blindingly in the sunlight.

With every step Eileen took, freezing cold followed in her wake.

She followed the route etched in her memory, arriving at a cliff’s edge. She gazed at the distant watchtower.

A familiar sensation washed over her. That was the elves’ sacred land, the direction of home.

Yet now, she could never return; she had become the embodiment of sin…

Eileen’s sudden appearance drew the attention of the elves.

For the first time, Yarlola truly grasped the terrifying extent of Eileen’s power. It seemed that before, Eileen had merely been toying with her.

She had no idea how many more tricks this monster before her still held in reserve.

“Keep this safe, and give it to someone you deem worthy,” Eileen said, holding Yarlola in her arms. She then tucked the map between Yarlola’s ample breasts.

“Let go of me! You bastard! What new trick are you playing now?!” Yarlola struggled, sensing the Empire’s reinforcements drawing near.

‘If I could harness their power, perhaps I could defeat Eileen?’

Eileen released Yarlola, offering her a final warning. “And, do not blindly trust others. The flames within you are not of dragon origin, but from another source…”

“What are you even saying—” Yarlola opened her mouth, but in the next second, she realized no sound would come out. Her eyes widened.

The Gryphon launched its surprise attack, its archers firing poisoned arrows from its back.

But it was too late. The arrows froze as they neared Eileen, clattering to the ground.

Eileen’s blade no longer hesitated. She swiftly severed Yarlola’s head, kicked her body over the edge, and turned to leave.

“Farewell, failed Dragon Slayer…”

Strangely, however, the falling head turned to ice upon touching the ground, melting away beneath the cliff and vanishing without a trace.