Chapter 37: The Price of Truth

“Izawa…”

Just as Liana was about to speak further, Eileen interjected.

“Huh? You know him?” Liana asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Uh… I heard Lady Faltis mention this,” Eileen replied, her voice subtly trembling. “A Dragon Slayer once sought to challenge her, but before they could even make a move, they met their end… at the hands of a companion.”

She knew him far too well.

Ever since her memories had returned, she had grappled with the question of why her once-kind captain would commit such an act.

Yet, the stark reality was that he had indeed done it, and now ruled this place like a petty tyrant.

He was even harming their own companions.

“More or less,” Liana confirmed. “For the past few years, he’s been repeatedly carrying out such deeds here. It’s no exaggeration to say that far more Dragon Slayers have died by his hand than by dragons themselves.”

“Why would he do that? Isn’t he a Dragon Slayer too?” Eileen questioned.

“Why would you assume a Dragon Slayer wouldn’t do such a thing?” Liana countered. “Is being a Dragon Slayer some particularly noble profession? Ultimately, a Dragon Slayer’s mission is simply to kill dragons, isn’t it?”

No… that wasn’t right.

Eileen distinctly remembered the rules she had to memorize when she first became a Dragon Slayer.

They absolutely could not harm civilians, could not slaughter dragons at the expense of civilians, and companions must never harm one another.

Eileen felt her head throb. What exactly had transpired during these past five years?

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Liana stepped forward, intending to support Eileen.

However, Setia, who was already beside Eileen, steadied her first. “Eileen? What’s the matter?”

Eileen found herself struggling to accept the situation.

Liana frowned, seemingly unconvinced by Eileen’s demeanor. “Perhaps you should go upstairs and rest for a while?”

Eileen shook her head. “I’m fine. Tell me, what exactly is our mission this time?”

“It’s quite simple: eliminate the man named Izawa,” Liana stated calmly.

“I’ve dealt with a few local tyrants over the years, but this Izawa character has his entire S-rank Dragon Slayer squad by his side,” Liana continued, watching Eileen with growing apprehension. “Although one member left, they quickly found a replacement. Lady Faltis truly didn’t make a mistake, did she?”

“Don’t worry. It’s merely an S-rank Dragon Slayer squad.” Eileen had faced S-rank Dragon Slayer squads before during her five years.

While the Empire classified them as forces capable of confronting Calamity-rank dragons, their actual power varied wildly.

There was an exaggerated discrepancy in their abilities. Some S-rank Dragon Slayer squads couldn’t even breach the defenses of a Calamity-rank dragon’s guards.

Eileen knew Izawa’s squad all too well. Five years ago, they were, at best, an A-rank squad. Moreover, they had been idle here for five years. Even after all this time, they would, at most, be at the lower end of S-rank.

“Merely S-rank?” Where did this white-haired woman get such arrogance?

“At most, you possess the strength of a Dragon King, don’t you?” Liana felt she might have overestimated her.

After all, Dragon King-level maids were rare, but not unheard of.

While S-rank squads couldn’t truly contend with Calamity-rank dragons, they posed no threat to a Dragon King-level individual. Furthermore,

“You need to be clear: you cannot reveal your dragon identity during this operation,” Liana cautioned.

“I don’t need to transform into my dragon form to deal with these people.”

Liana couldn’t fathom where Eileen’s confidence stemmed from. She appeared to be nothing more than a frail young maid. Yet, since she was sent by Faltis, Liana decided to trust her for now.

Eileen looked at Liana and asked, “Why can’t I reveal my dragon identity?”

“Not everyone here is aware of our connection to Lady Faltis.”

Eileen was somewhat surprised. She had assumed everyone in the small town knew, but apparently not.

“No dragons have appeared here for fifty years. If a dragon were to suddenly emerge, this tranquility would be shattered, and those unaware of the truth would become uneasy.”

Eileen understood that point, but still asked, “Why not let everyone know the truth? Is it for secrecy?”

Liana shook her head. “There’s no particular reason. Perhaps it’s a faint glimmer of hope?”

“What hope?”

“That when the truth is exposed, the people of the Empire will spare these innocent folks who were ignorant of it.” However, Liana quickly dismissed her own words. “If they were that benevolent, we wouldn’t have been pushed to this point.”

Eileen fell silent, a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Alright, your rooms are ready on the second floor.” Liana handed Eileen a key. “Do your best, little maid.”

“May I ask you one more question?” Eileen accepted the key.

“Of course. I’ll answer as many questions as you have.”

“Why did you simply stand by and watch the events unfold in the tavern tonight, without intervening?” Eileen had personally witnessed the C-rank Dragon Slayers being beaten defenseless, while Liana merely observed.

Five years ago, Liana had not been like this.

Liana pushed open the window. The night sky was grim, with dark clouds obscuring the moon. Combined with many shops in the town already closed, the scene appeared somewhat eerie.

She snapped her fingers, a flame igniting at her fingertip to light the tobacco she held.

“Why, you ask… It seems you care quite a bit about these Dragon Slayers?”

“I’m just curious. Wouldn’t something like that happening in your tavern harm your business?” Eileen inquired.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I no longer rely on such things for my livelihood,” Liana said, gazing out the window.

“Ultimately, I am still human. I can’t bear to watch them die in vain. It’s better for them to be taught a lesson here than to venture into dragon territory and perish. Most of these C-rank Dragon Slayers have just passed their assessment.

They are full of confidence, completely unaware of the monsters they will soon face. Moreover, this also saves Lady Faltis a lot of trouble.

As long as there’s no mortal danger, I won’t intervene. A little physical pain is far more preferable than losing one’s life, isn’t it?”

The moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating her. For a moment, Eileen thought she saw an angel.