For Duanmu Huai, a personal maid was not something worth his attention. Once that matter was resolved, his gaze shifted westward.
That said, what exactly lay over there?
"To be honest, we're not really sure either."
When Duanmu Huai asked Anne this question, she also shook her head.
"We've never had any dealings with the west. In fact, we don't even know if anyone lives over there…"
According to Anne, the western part of the Manaria Kingdom was a vast stretch of towering mountains. Perhaps for this reason, no one ever knew what lay beyond them, nor whether people lived there. In a world where civilization wasn't too advanced, this was quite normal. After all, human activity was limited, and without special means of transport, crossing steep mountains, rivers, or oceans to reach other places was never easy.
Of course, based on the information from the succubus, there was not only civilization on the other side but even a powerful empire. They worshipped and revered all kinds of gods. In fact, that succubus had been summoned from a dragon-worshipping sect over there.
Because of this, for Anne, this was not just an adventure. As the princess of Manaria, she also had to find out the truth. Was this purely the work of a cult, or was it instigated by that foreign nation? After all, sending spies to infiltrate and sow division in another country was practically an act of war. Not to mention, this was a nation Manaria had never had dealings with. They had to proceed carefully, because if it escalated into open war, the outcome would be hard to predict.
Well… though logically, such a possibility shouldn't exist. According to the succubus, the only reason she could cross such a barrier was because she could fly, whereas an army could never march across those high mountain ranges.
Thus, their trip westward was not only to find the culprit but also to see for themselves what kind of country existed beyond the mountains.
That was why Duanmu Huai and the others set out together. Anne was the princess of Manaria, Guleya was the princess of Regnis, and Lorena was the missionary priestess of the Holy City. The three of them could already be considered representatives of three nations.
Adding Duanmu Huai and Olgis, the five-person team was complete.
Of course… there was also Odelle, who had now taken up the post of personal maid.
Originally, Duanmu Huai had wanted to bring Filin along as well, but that dragon girl really was a shut-in. She refused to leave the battleship. Still, she did give them a lead—according to her, hundreds of years ago, the dragons on this side had severed ties with those in the west, cutting off all relations.
As for the reason, Filin said it was because one dragon once sought to rule the entire world. This led to a rift among its kin, and eventually the dragonflights split. Some moved to the continent of Manaria and cut ties with their old kin—this became the ancestors of Regnis.
What became of that dragon in the end… apparently it was defeated by a hero. Filin wasn't clear on the details, but since the would-be tyrant never again appeared in the world, it seemed to have followed the fate of all villains bent on world domination—utterly destroyed.
In fact, the dragon split had happened thousands of years ago. Even in Regnis, few dragons knew the truth anymore. Even Guleya had never heard of it.
But Fafner might know.
According to Filin, that ancient dragon Fafner may well have lived through the schism. It might even have gone west in search of allies to start anew.
Normally, if one couldn't fly, crossing the mountains to the western continent was nearly impossible.
Well, if one couldn't fly.
"Yah-hoooooo!!"
Riding on the Night Raven Black Star, Anne raised her hands high in excitement. It was like she was on some amusement park thrill ride, completely ecstatic.
"As expected, having something that can fly is so convenient! Once I figure it out, I'll have Father build one for Manaria too!"
"Have you already figured it out?"
While piloting the Night Raven Black Star gunship, Duanmu Huai curiously glanced at Anne sitting in the copilot's seat. She tilted her head, thinking.
"Hmm… I've more or less understood the principle of how it flies without magic. If that's the case, then the propulsion system needs improvement. And as for aerodynamics, I've only just started studying it, so I don't know how far I can master it. As for craftsmanship, Manaria's current level doesn't seem to meet the requirements. We'd need to raise the whole level of industrial manufacturing…"
See? This was what a true genius looked like.
"Ughhh…"
Unlike the cheerful Anne, Guleya at the back was pale as a sheet, lying motionless with her eyes tightly shut.
Yes, she was airsick!
A dragon girl, airsick!
She'd been fine aboard the battleship, but riding the Night Raven Black Star left her pale and ready to vomit. She looked like a dead dragon sprawled out without moving.
Just then, a figure appeared at her side.
"Miss Guleya, please drink some water."
"Ah… thank you…"
She accepted the cup, drank a little, and closed her eyes again. Odelle then placed a damp handkerchief on her forehead.
Meanwhile, Lorena was praying with eyes closed, while Olgis read her book quietly.
Clearly, having a maid was indeed useful.
Duanmu Huai glanced back and shook his head. To be honest, he wasn't very familiar with Odelle—he'd only seen her a few times. But how to put it… she gave him a bad impression.
The heroines in urban melodramas who brought ruin on themselves were annoying, but Odelle was different. She wasn't like those women whining about "why is fate so cruel to me," or "love is all that matters." She simply had no self.
How to put it… she was even more like a doll than Olgis.
Olgis rarely spoke, but whenever Duanmu Huai asked, she gave her own thoughts—sometimes brutally, but at least it showed she had her own mind.
Odelle was different. In conversation, her answers were basically "yes," "I understand," or "okay." She seemed like a robot following commands, without emotion, acting only out of duty.
Duanmu Huai disliked the "you're also at fault" kind of logic, but honestly, if he had to judge, Odelle resembled a living doll. Compared to the succubus, it was no wonder that young master Yard had chosen the succubus instead.
At least the succubus acted alive. Odelle… more like the living dead.
She was beautiful, but in Duanmu Huai's eyes, her face was her only asset. For a man, that wasn't much of an allure.
By contrast, someone else beside him was far too noisy.
"Ah, Sir Knight, we've already crossed the mountains, haven't we? Is that the western continent below?"
"Mm, probably."
Duanmu Huai looked out the window. Below stretched a vast primeval forest. The high altitude meant snow blanketed the peaks, and in the distance, faint outlines of cities could be seen. Clearly, this continent had civilization.
"What should we do next? Should we just fly over?"
"No, that's not necessary."
He scanned the surroundings and spotted a village not far ahead.
"I'll land us there. We'll disguise ourselves as adventurers and head to the village to gather information. We'll decide what to do next after learning more."
"Got it!"
Duanmu Huai landed the gunship on a nearby slope. The group disembarked, and the Night Raven Black Star took off again, vanishing into the sky. Until Duanmu Huai gave another command, it would remain on patrol mode, awaiting orders.
"Ugh… so this is the western continent?"
Perhaps because her feet were back on solid ground, Guleya looked better. Duanmu Huai nodded.
"Yes. According to the intel, this should be it… Anyway, let's head to the village and talk there."
He led the girls to the village. At the gate, the guards didn't stop them. When asked, Duanmu Huai simply said they were adventurers passing by and that one of their companions wasn't feeling well, so they needed a place to rest.
Though wary of Duanmu Huai's appearance, the guards let them through. The innkeeper was also uneasy—until Duanmu Huai produced a gem. Then she beamed. Truly, money was universal.
Delighted, the innkeeper gave them the best rooms. From her, Duanmu Huai also learned some local news.
This land was indeed part of an empire, a border region. The empire held vast territory. Like their world, this one also had monsters, dragons, even ghosts.
Hearing this, Anne grew worried. From the sound of it, the empire was larger than Manaria. If war ever broke out, the consequences would be grave.
Fortunately, for now, their magical civilization didn't seem as advanced as Manaria's. Then again, this was only a frontier village—it might not represent the whole.
Night fell quickly.
When Duanmu Huai awoke the next morning, a strange voice greeted him.
"Master."
"Hmm…?"
He raised his head and saw an unfamiliar face staring at him. Looking sideways, he noticed Olgis sitting on the table nearby. In front of him stood…
"Odelle? What is it?"
"Soldiers have entered the village."
"What?"
Duanmu Huai immediately grew alert.
"Are they after us?"
"I don't know. But they've sealed the village and won't let anyone leave."
He strode to the window. It was dawn. Outside, armored soldiers stood along the streets, torches and weapons in hand, sealing the area.
What was going on?
"Go ask the innkeeper."
"Yes."
Odelle left and soon returned with the innkeeper, who waddled in.
"Ah, sir… please don't worry, it's nothing serious."
"What happened?"
"Well…"
She hesitated, then whispered:
"I heard the imperial army captured a rebel leader. He'll be executed here, so the village has been sealed. Don't worry, once the execution is over, the blockade will be lifted. Please, just stay in the inn until then, so as not to get into trouble. I even heard the imperial general will come personally… who would've thought such a thing would happen here…"
Indeed, the innkeeper had mentioned yesterday that a border fortress stood nearby. Executing criminals here wasn't strange. But from their nervousness, this prisoner clearly wasn't ordinary.
Duanmu Huai arched a brow.
"All right, I understand."
(End of Chapter)