Chapter 27: The Dragon’s Treasury and a Familiar Gift

Following a brief detour, the two women found themselves standing before a magnificent gate, entirely forged from shimmering gold.

Eileen gazed upwards, her eyes wide with wonder, for she had never set foot in this place before.

The gate bore no markings, nor was it guarded. Even the spectral dragon shadows, soaring high in the heavens, appeared to shy away from its imposing presence.

Grim and cold, the immense gate loomed before Eileen. Carved into its surface was a colossal dragon’s head, its gaze seemingly fixed upon her.

‘This,’ she realized, ‘was the Dragon’s Treasury.’

A golden energy pulsed and danced at Faltis’s fingertips.

She then placed her hand upon the gate, and the golden energy slowly flowed into a keyhole.

“*Whirrr!*”

The massive gate slowly swung inward.

Faltis stepped through, with Eileen following closely behind her.

As they passed through the gate, the torches lining the corridor walls ignited one by one, their flames flickering to life with each of Faltis’s footsteps.

After descending several flights of stairs, Eileen finally beheld the Dragon Clan’s treasures.

Here, gold was relegated to mere display shelves, serving only to support the countless artifacts.

Eileen’s eyes widened. ‘I…’

“Are these all your personal treasures, Faltis? Or do they include those of the former Golden Dragon Queens?” Eileen inquired.

“I’m a bit of a clean freak. Everything from before was tossed into a small room outside. Everything in here is mine,” Faltis replied, glancing at a wall before pointing in a particular direction. “This section holds the weapons of those who failed their challenges.”

Eileen nodded, her mouth slightly agape as she surveyed the wall.

‘This,’ she thought, ‘is what it means to be rich beyond compare.’

Each of these challenger’s weapons, if brought to the Empire, would easily fetch millions. Not a single one was inferior to Eileen’s own Durandal.

Yet, they were displayed as if worthless, covering the entire wall.

However, Eileen noticed something peculiar. “Faltis, there seem to be many items here, but most of them belong to others, don’t they?”

Indeed, Faltis seemed to possess very few personal belongings among these vast collections.

“I haven’t been the Golden Dragon Queen for very long—only fifty years. Naturally, my personal collection is rather small,” Faltis explained.

‘Fifty years… not long?’

Was that even a normal thing to say? Eileen found it hard to comprehend.

Then again, dragons were renowned for their longevity; living for millennia was quite common for their kind.

What surprised Eileen was that it had only been fifty years. That certainly felt short, explaining why many dragons might not accept Faltis’s rule.

“However, I do have a few personal collectibles. Would you like to see them?” Faltis offered.

“Oh? If I may, I’d be curious to see what sort of rare items Faltis treasures,” Eileen responded.

“Very well, I’ll show you then.” Faltis turned, her back to Eileen.

Eileen did not see the slight smirk that Faltis was barely suppressing.

“I recall putting it here, I was just looking at it a few days ago.” Faltis rose on her tiptoes, retrieving a small, mysterious box from a shelf.

Eileen stepped forward to assist, taking the box from her.

‘Just this small box? What could possibly fit inside? Is this all Faltis owns?’ she wondered.

Yet, Eileen also sensed a strange gaze from Faltis, who seemed eager for her to open the box.

‘No, my gut tells me this box must not be opened!’

“*Ahem*, Faltis, I suddenly feel that, as a maid, I shouldn’t casually look at your personal belongings,” Eileen suddenly declared.

[Oh? Did she notice?]

A faint smile touched Faltis’s lips. Today, whether Eileen wanted to or not, this box would be opened.

“Don’t worry about such things. I’ve already agreed. Or are you perhaps playing a trick on me? Asking me to retrieve it, only to suddenly say you don’t want to see it?”

“?!” ‘No, sis.’

‘If you want an excuse to punish me, just say so!’

Eileen now had no choice but to bite the bullet and open it, hoping it contained nothing too strange.

“No, no, Faltis, I’ll look! I’ll definitely look!” Eileen took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever oddity might lie within.

As she slowly opened the box, no strange light emanated, nor did any bizarre objects spring forth.

“…”

Eileen’s eyes widened, her breathing quickening. Reflected in her purple pupils was a suit of black armor.

Her fingers gently traced the armor’s surface, feeling the distinct, uneven textures. Everything felt so familiar.

This armor, once crafted by the Empire’s finest dwarven artisans, had protected her countless times. Now, it lay quietly in the box.

She had never imagined that Faltis would go out of her way to collect it.

“Thank you… Faltis.”

“It was nothing, just a trivial matter.”

‘As if.’

At the time, Faltis had only transformed Eileen on a whim.

Consequently, Eileen’s armor had been carelessly discarded in some forgotten corner.

It wasn’t until one day, much later, when Eileen uttered something particularly endearing, that Faltis searched every nook and cranny, finally finding this very suit of armor.

‘However… seeing her expression like this, it’s more than enough.’

Eileen’s hands trembled slightly, and her nose felt a little sore. It had truly been a long time since she had seen it.

“Thank you, Faltis! Thank you so much! I truly love this gift!”

Faltis watched Eileen’s smile, feeling deeply content. Such a radiant smile from her adorable little maid was truly heartwarming.

Noticing Eileen’s hesitant expression, Faltis spoke with affectionate indulgence, “What is it? Just say what’s on your mind.”

“It’s just… Faltis, may I put on this armor?” Eileen asked.

“Of course. After all, it belongs to you,” Faltis replied.

“Hehe! Thank you, Faltis!” Eileen happily sat on a stone. To better don the armor, she slowly peeled off her white stockings, revealing her smooth, slender, and alluring bare feet.

She carefully separated the pieces and began to put the armor on… It felt a little too loose.

This was to be expected; as a woman now, she was much thinner than before.

While somewhat loose, it was still wearable. However, what Eileen hadn’t anticipated was…

The leg guards, armguards, and helmet presented no issues. But the breastplate… Eileen couldn’t get it on. No matter how many times she tried, it felt as if something was blocking it.