Chapter 157.

Two days after the meeting, which had become half-crazed due to the Pagan Priest Ruin’s divine power, I was working in a warehouse.

Suddenly, Demuir hurried in and called out, "Den! Looks like the main unit just arrived! Let’s go watch!"

"Watch? Why?"

Demuir answered with glistening eyes, "Because it’s fun!"

I don’t understand what was so fun about the army entering the city. "Go by yourself, please."

"Why? Let’s go together! I’m telling you, it’s showy and fun!” Demuir kept on pestering me to go with him to the gate.

"Even if we’re going sightseeing, we have to finish what we’re doing first." Because of Demuir’s persistent pestering, I quickly finished the documents I had been working on and then headed toward the gate.

"Let’s hurry!"

"Yes, yes."

Demuir ran, gasping for air, trying not to miss the march.

"Don’t you think it would be good to take better care of your body?" I gave a bottle of water to Demuir, who was breathing a little too hard.

Demuir took the water bottle and quickly inhaled it before nodding with a revitalized look. "Yeah, I should... But you’re not even out of breath?"

I answered Demuir’s question with my arms crossed. "Well, I take care of myself." Honestly though, regardless of whether I took care of myself or not, Demuir was too out of shape.

Demuir returned the bottle of water I had given him and replied, "Let’s work out together in the future."

"I don’t think it’ll be possible for you to work out with me, with that level of fitness." I hadn’t completely neglected training after I left my hometown. Compared to what I’d been doing there, it was just equivalent to warm-ups, but I was still training steadily.

"How hard do you exercise for you to say it’s not possible for me?”

"Every day I run 10 kilometers, and do 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups without rest!" I replied.

It was actually a lie. There was no way just that would be enough to pass for exercise in the Crow tribe. Except for running due to the limited space, we did about 100 sets after our bodies were made heavier with magic.

"Uh... Is it difficult?"

"Can you run 10 kilometers every day?" I asked.

Demuir answered promptly, "No."

"See. It’s hard. Oh, the gate is opening." I pointed at the gate.

Demuir searched beyond the crowd with sparkling eyes. "Ohhh!"

With the gate of Asterium fully open, the march of the main imperial army led by General Orphina began.

With four whole corps composing the main army, most of the soldiers were stationed outside the city with tents. Only key forces, including the Red Dragon Knight Division, generals, and military officers were entering the city. It was no different from a parade meant to show off.

I couldn’t understand why Demuir wanted to see the army enter so badly. But when I saw the procession, I was convinced that it was very showy.

It was a spectacular scene with the military band playing a magnificent march, and the dragons handled by the Red Dragon Knights walking through the streets.

I felt a sense of grandeur and pressure, different from the amusement park parades of my past life.

"Kuohhhhhhhh-!” The dragons cried out in unison, spewing flames toward the sky.

"Woahhhhh!" As splendid fireworks rose into the sky, the citizens watching the march applauded and cheered.

How were they controlling those dragons? At first, I thought they were using magic. However, the only spells on the dragons were safety and stamina-boosting ones, designed to keep the dragon knights from falling off in flight.

"Senior, do you know how they are controlling those dragons?" I asked.

I thought that perhaps their partners may have been decided from when they were eggs, but I didn’t think that was right, considering that it took anywhere from ten to fifteen years for a dragon to grow into an adult. In that time frame, the knight assigned to ride the young dragon would be past their prime and would have to retire.

So, how did they tame those young dragons with bad attitudes?

Demuir seemed moved and answered enthusiastically, "As far as I know, it’s all thanks to General Orphina.”

"General Orphina?”

"Well, I don’t know it that well either, but I heard that she convinces the dragons to allow the dragon knights to ride them using the Dragon tribe’s unique telepathy. A contractual relationship rather than a lifetime friend? I heard it’s like that.” Demuir explained, still fixated on the march.

“Who said that?”

“The Guild Director said so.”

For sure, Guild Director Glont was the person who had brought the Dragon tribe into the empire, so he probably knew secrets about them that no one else knew.

Demuir’s answer made me look at the blonde woman riding a giant red dragon in the middle of the march. Judging from her general air, she seemed to be Orphina, the same person my uncle liked to slander so much.

Based on what I felt from her, the telepathy of the Dragon tribe didn’t seem to be related to magical elements. For a moment, I wondered which one would exert stronger control - magical compulsion, or the Dragon tribe’s telepathy. I didn’t know if I would have a chance to find out later, but at the very least, I certainly couldn’t confirm it now.

"Now, let’s get back to work," I said.

Demuir looked back and forth between me and the march. "Huh? But the march isn’t over yet..."

"Our work’s not done yet either. There’s a lot of work that needs to be finished today.” I dragged Demuir back to work, even though he didn’t want to go.

* * *

While marching in the direction of the Duke of Asteria’s castle, Orphina suddenly felt something unpleasant and searched through the citizens who were watching the march.

The captain of the Red Dragon Knights sensed something odd about Orphina’s behavior and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Orphina shook her head. "No, I just felt as if someone were investigating me." It felt similar to when she had first met Bloody.

He looked around with a serious expression. "I will go check it out." He was already caressing the handle of his sword when Orphina stopped him.

"It’s fine. It’s just a feeling."

If she had really been investigated, she would have known the exact location of the one investigating her, rather than just feeling vague displeasure. Although it wasn’t well known, the Dragon tribe’s senses were well developed to the point of being like a sixth sense.

And so, they continued the march, simply passing it off as a vague feeling.

* * *

Soon after the main unit led by Orphina arrived in Asterium, the reserve forces made up of adventurers were ready to leave.

To prepare for the departure, the other supply officers and I worked non-stop for two days, but we were able to finish the work safely in time. As I’d thought, people should be allowed to rotate for this much work.

Considering the break time of the main unit, which had arrived in the morning, the departure time for Warrant was set to 7 p.m. after dinner. I didn’t know the average marching speed of the imperial army, but Roseland said the estimated arrival time was around 10 p.m.

It was around 4 p.m. now, so there was plenty of time before departure. I was using that extra time to watch Rosellis and Lisbon spar.

"We’re leaving in a little while, so isn’t it better to take a break?” I asked.

The battle between Rosellis and Lisbon was quite fierce.

Of course, Lisbon was the only one who was fighting fiercely and Rosellis was mostly relaxed, but sometimes Rosellis had to defend sincerely.

"It’s okay. This is a light warm-up," Rosellis responded while lightly blocking an attack from Lisbon.

That’s only a warm-up for Rosellis, not for Lisbon, I thought.

"That’s right! This much, huuk-! Is only a warm-up!"

Such words aren’t meant to be said while gasping for air, Pushover.

Sensing that Lisbon was feeling tired, Rosellis spoke as she put the giant axe behind her. "Hmm, maintaining your physical strength is also important. Let’s call it a day."

"No!" Lisbon cried.

Rosellis patted Lisbon’s sweaty shoulder and shook her head. "When you get to Warrant, there will probably be times when you can’t rest even if you want to. It’s better to take a break now.”

I threw a small pill to the regretful Lisbon. "I made it. You should eat it. It’s good for your physical recovery."

"Oh, thanks.” Lisbon chewed and swallowed the medicine I gave him without any suspicion.

"Ugh! Bitter! Water..." Lisbon accepted the water bottle I gave him and downed its contents.

...The medicine was supposed to be dissolved in water. I hadn’t realized he would eat it right away without first learning how to take it.

Well, the efficacy of the medicine didn’t go down from eating it that way so it didn’t matter, but it’d probably just be really bitter. Did this pushover not know how to be suspicious?

"What is that? Is that good for your body?" Seeing Lisbon eat it without hesitation, Rosellis lightly looked at me with some greed in her eyes.

“Would you like some too, Rosellis?”

“Yeah!”

As expected for adventurers who treated their bodies as their greatest asset. They wouldn’t refuse something that was supposedly good for the body.

I also threw a pill to Rosellis.

"But what is this good for?” Rosellis asked.

I pointed to it and answered, "Basically, the main effects are physical and mana recovery. Other than that, it opens the senses to aura temporarily, and it also relaxes the muscles."

In addition, there were three or four more minor effects, but they were really minor so I omitted the explanation.

"Ahaha, if this little pill really does all that, then it’s at a level on par with the top alchemists, you know?”

Rosellis treated me like a street pharmacist. I’d made it myself, so it was natural that it would be better than the medicine made by an average alchemist. As far as I knew, not more than five of elder Mirpa’s disciples could make better medicine than this one.

If I sold it on the market even without a brand, it would still bring in three silver coins per pill.

"Uwack! Bitter! Water..." Rosellis chewed and swallowed the medicine as Lisbon had, and tried to soothe the bitterness with water.

No, why are you all just swallowing it without waiting for instructions on how to take it? If they had just dissolved it in water, they could have taken it without the bitterness.

"Hmm? Am I just feeling things? I feel as if my body’s gotten lighter. Did you also learn alchemy?” Rosellis, who was frowning at the bitter taste, waved her arms around and checked her physical condition.

Lisbon’s previously tired look returned to normal.

"I told you. I made it. Alchemy is too basic these days."

Rosellis admired my answer. "This isn’t basic... Do you have any more?"

"I’ll need to charge you next time, customer." I rubbed my fingers together.

Rosellis took a gold coin from her pocket and threw it at me. "Tch, cheapskate. Give me everything you have."

"Wow, such a large wallet,” I remarked. When I received the gold coin, I pretended to take something out of my bag, but instead took out a box full of the pills from my pocket space and handed it to Rosellis.

“What? There are only forty?”

“That’s a bargain price.”

It had been made with Elder Mirpa’s recipe, so if I labeled that box as premium and sold it, I would be able to get a few months of operating expenses for a small estate.

Previously, I hadn’t had any trade channels, but now there was a distribution method called the Big Mama Information Agency.

"Hmm, its efficacy is certain, at least." Rosellis took the box with a suspicious look. The medicine would probably work best for someone at her level.

"Oh, and you’re supposed to dissolve it in water to take it. It doesn’t matter if you just eat it, but if you put it in water, there will hardly be any bitter taste."

Rosellis got angry when I explained. "Why are you only telling me that now!?"

"Well, who told you to eat it before I could explain?"

While Rosellis and I were bickering, Guild Director Glont walked towards us from the direction of the adventurer’s guild and spoke to us.