Absolutely Do Not Touch Eldmia Egga

Chapter 678

The return journey to Yograd was surprisingly smooth.

At the time when they rushed to meet the warrior through coercive methods, they were sure that even if they achieved their goal, no country would support them on their way back to Lovell. There was no need to feel wronged. They had rushed there, committing a level of rudeness that was enough to save face by not blocking their entry.

But Eldmia did not make false promises.

All Yograd did was recuperate at a hotel for a few days. Since the basic premise was that he would be denied access to the gate and the train, he wanted to be prepared for anything that might happen on the way back.

Even the speed of recovery was beyond the range of ordinary people, so it didn’t even take a few days for them to fully recover. After preparing like that, Yograd and his party encountered an unexpected response in front of the gate leading to the empire.

“I have confirmed the identity of the Lovell delegation. You have been authorized to use the gate leading to the Empire, so please proceed that way.”

The original purpose was to pay the fee and move as much as possible. I just walked, but the security guards recognized me first and reacted? I wondered what was going on, but after following the instructions and crossing over to the empire, it was even more amazing.

“The White Star, the pride of the empire, has decided to tolerate your misdeeds with the grace of the sun.”

Ten members of the Imperial Guard were waiting for them at the gate of the capital.

When I first saw the black armor that only they could wear in the empire, I thought they were trying to execute me publicly.

“However, he ordered that you leave quickly, as it was outrageous that you had come in hiding under false pretenses. He also gave permission to use the train connected to the Dwarf Kingdom, so I am grateful.”

Even while being guided to the location of the train, which was no different from being taken away, they were unable to let their guard down because their sins were so great. However, the guards did not drag them to a secluded place or show any hostility.

Just like the moment when the Iron-Blooded Princess expressed her displeasure while sitting on the throne, she simply carried out orders without showing any emotion. Yograd arrived at the train platform in a carriage that had been prepared at some unknown time, and when he was about to get off the carriage, the guards who had not said a word in the meantime opened their mouths again.

“Let Princess Yograd come down.”

It was a word that seemed like nothing, but could not have had a small ripple effect. The warriors of Lovell tensely gripped their swords without saying who would go first, but the guards paid no attention to the warriors’ reactions and just stared blankly at Yograd.

No explanation was given. Yograd, who understood that he had no choice but to follow, stopped his men and got out of the carriage alone.

If he was going to kill me, he wouldn’t have bothered bringing me here. In this case, the expected picture was one thing.

As I followed the guards with that thought in mind, I began to see the back of a white head sitting on a chair placed on the platform in the distance.

“good·”

Despite the considerable distance, the guards did not move any further. Instead, they simply turned around and blocked the path they had come from with a short command. The sound of Yograd’s footsteps, which followed the order despite feeling puzzled, echoed throughout the empty platform.

There is no skilled bodyguard hiding somewhere. I am not sure because I have no knowledge of magic, but I do not feel the unpleasantness that is typical of places where magic is used. The closer I got to the Iron-Blooded Princess, the more certain I became that there was no one around.

“Are you wondering why we created this kind of place?”

The Iron-Blooded Princess, who had accurately guessed Yograd’s intentions as if she had read them, tapped the seat next to her without even turning her head. It was obvious to anyone that she was telling him to sit down.

“I wondered what he was thinking when he stood in the middle of the crowd without even revealing his identity, but he did something really brazen.”

He was not in a position to refuse and just sit down, but at the moment when the princess’s words followed, Yograd flinched without realizing it.

“I know···”

“Enough with the obvious questions. I don’t intend to spend much time on them and I don’t intend to discuss them here.”

The Iron-Blooded Princess didn’t just turn her head to show off. She continued the conversation while reading a thick document on her small lap at a fast pace.

No, I thought you were going to continue on.

“In order to break the evil custom, in addition to you ascending to the throne, there must be two dragons left in Lovell.”

Until he spoke as if he knew everything he had to do in order to keep his oath to Eldmia.

“One of them is of course you. Since Yekaterina, who escaped from Lovell, should be excluded, it means that you have to choose between the two brothers upon returning to the country. I would like to recommend the fourth. She is so good at using the supernatural power derived from the dragon’s blood that she is called by the grand nickname of Ice Lord. At that level, whether the successor is born with the dragon’s blood or not, it will be enough to convince everyone.”

Even though she knew in her head that she should sit still, it was not her will but the Iron-Blooded Princess who prevented her body from instinctively getting up from her seat.

“How···”

“You’re about to ask another boring question. You know that there were so many Dragon Blood holders that you could only find in history books, and that they literally fought each other’s flesh and blood, bringing up the past that has already been buried, and that they even use those who are dead or ‘unnecessary’ for research.”

It was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Even though she clicked her tongue as if it was incredibly pitiful, the Iron-Blooded Princess only handed over the documents and did not even look at Yograd. Yograd felt a vague fear at her calm demeanor while fluently talking about the secrets of the royal family of a country.

“And thanks to your moves this time, I learned one more thing. It seems like there was some progress in that stupid research, no matter what they did.”

“···How did you know that···”

“A study that literally ‘pushes people in’. There are four people left. Three of them are clearly in power, so in order to advance the study, we have no choice but to find the missing fourth person, even if it is just a show.”

The hands of the Iron-Blooded Princess, who was flipping through the documents with a clattering sound, stopped at a certain point and quickly took out a couple of pieces of paper and handed them to Yograd.

“If they had each lived their own lives and fought among themselves, I would not have interfered, but if they were to prey on each other and become greedy, then the story would be different. My conditions are simple. I will kill the first child, marry off the fourth child to a suitable wife, and then abandon my studies. In return, if you ascend to the throne, I promise to have friendly relations.”

Even in a battlefield where life was at stake, her hands that had never trembled before trembled. The paper that her outstretched hands barely managed to grab contained the contents she had been feeling so lost about, concisely organized.

The factions she must cut out and the powers she can embrace.

“Why on earth are you suddenly suggesting something like this? It’s hard to believe that all of this is just a coincidence…”

“Another obvious question”

The Iron-Blooded Princess, who had not yet stopped reading the documents, frowned slightly. Then, for the first time, she turned her gaze toward Yograd. With that alone, Yograd was overwhelmed by the gaze of a small girl who was not even half as tall as him.

“Eldmia has decided to protect Yekaterina, so this is how it is. If we don’t nip it in the bud in this way, it’s obvious what kind of nonsense the bloodthirsty people of Lovell will continue to do. Even if you become king, they will stretch their claws out for Yekaterina in a few years, and if they do, there will be chaos.”

Those who worship the mere fact that they happened to have dragon’s blood mixed in them as if it were a religion, and who also consider themselves superior for serving such royalty, and have a sense of being chosen people.

“Even without that, I was already annoyed by your pseudo-religion, so this is a good thing. Yongsin-kyo, those ignorant worms who don’t even know the basics of theology are causing so much damage. I should just kill them all off now.”

While declaring the end of the group that had been steadily growing in size and activity since the dragon’s blood entered the Royal Family of Luville, seeing the calm and composed Iron-Blooded Princess, Yograd felt like killing for the first time in his life out of fear.

The story of the Iron-Blooded Princess of the Empire exponentially extending the lifespan of the Empire was so familiar that it was almost a cliché. However, I considered much of it to be exaggeration and idolization. Being able to compete with an army with one person’s strength and being able to control the movements of numerous countries with just one person’s thoughts were two completely different issues.

Yograd now realizes that it was a common sense but naive thought.

“I don’t like the idea of ​​helping something that is no different from a thieving cat, but it’s the best I can do. Look back on your behavior of not even associating with impure things and feel relieved.”

I was lost in my own thoughts when I suddenly turned my head in surprise and saw that the Iron-Blooded Princess had already gotten up from her seat. Even though she was standing there, she was not looking down at me but rather half-looking up at me, but I felt an inexplicable sense of pressure.

“But apart from that···”

What else? A thieving cat?

“···You must remember clearly that I do not like you.·”

Without giving me a chance to understand what she was saying, the Iron-Blooded Princess turned around and left.

Not long after she left, colorful sounds began to be heard that made the previous conversation seem like a lie. The men who had remained in the carriage came and the dwarves moved busily to move the train.

After being dazed for a while, Yograd finally understood the meaning of the words left behind by the Iron-Blooded Princess and was silently shocked.