novelraw Chapter 143: The Plan to Slay the Dragon
Chapter 143: The Plan to Slay the Dragon
The villagers' reverence for Naclis had reached an extremely obsessive level. The Princess, worried that the selected girls couldn't properly take care of the Brave One, chose to personally serve as Naclis's maid.
Naclis was very uncomfortable with this feeling of being cared for in every aspect. In the end, she still dismissed these maids.
The villagers had already considered the possibility that the Brave One would bring many attendants. There were many rooms inside the castle, enough to accommodate hundreds of people.
But being unfamiliar with the place, everyone still chose to stay together.
"Master Mentor, why did I suddenly become the Brave One..."
Naclis lay beside Loren. She didn't understand why this had happened.
"I didn't expect this either, but there's only one reason you became the Brave One: your eyes are golden. Becoming the Brave One was purely an accident.
"The villagers are like drowning people;
they will seize any chance of rescue at any cost, even if it's just a straw. They never consider that the water might not be deep, and they could simply stand up."
Moreover, the identity of the Brave One was custom-made by the Evil Dragon for itself. People or creatures with golden eyes are extremely rare.
"What's wrong? Feeling pressured?"Facing Loren's question, Naclis nodded.
"Yes, this feeling of carrying others' expectations and shouldering responsibility makes me somewhat uncomfortable."
It was just dealing with a weakling Evil Dragon, not particularly difficult, yet Naclis still felt some pressure.
And she knew this was the kind of pressure Loren had been carrying all along. Moreover, Loren's enemies weren't some weakling dragon, but the nine Orthodox Gods and the Church under their command.
"Don't worry," Loren hugged Naclis, placing a hand on the back of her head, drawing her close to his body. "As long as I'm alive, you don't have to bear any responsibility. You just need to live happily. I'll handle everything.
"Because I love you, I'm willing to shoulder everything for you."
Defeating the Evil Dragon was never Naclis's responsibility to begin with, and she didn't need to carry that burden.
"Mmm..."
Naclis responded, hugging Loren's arm. If possible, she would never let go.
That night, Naclis slept very soundly. When they woke up, the Princess and a group of maids were already waiting outside the door. The moment they saw Naclis come out, they chorused, "Brave One."
"Let's leave this place quickly, Master Mentor..."
Naclis quietly tugged at the hem of Loren's clothes. She really felt very uncomfortable here.
"Alright then, let's just go to the Evil Dragon's lair and finish it off. But that Evil Dragon is very cunning. If there's the slightest anomaly, it won't show itself, especially with us outsiders here.
"As long as we outsiders, whose backgrounds are unknown, remain here, even if the entire kingdom stops offering tribute, it would rather catch fish itself than appear."
Loren spoke in a very low voice, not letting others hear.
"What should we do then?"
Naclis was somewhat troubled. Such an opponent is the hardest to deal with. The initiative lies with the Evil Dragon;
it can come out if it wants, hide if it wants.
If pushed, the Evil Dragon could even just fly away, stalling Loren, waiting for Loren and the others to leave before returning.
"Don't worry, I have a plan."
Loren suddenly exchanged a glance with Mirrorheart. Understanding his meaning, Mirrorheart gave a slight nod.
"May I ask when the next tribute offering is?"
Loren asked the Princess. As she led everyone to the dining hall, the Princess answered Loren's question.
"The next tribute offering is tomorrow. But it's fine. The Brave One can rest and recuperate for now, and act when you've formulated a plan. We will always support you."
Hearing the Princess's words, Loren let out a cold laugh.
Once, when he was being hunted by the Church, he wore golden-colored contact lenses and hid here. With the identity of the Brave One, his initial treatment was indeed very favorable, and the villagers said the same thing back then.
But when Loren actually rested and recuperated for a full month, these villagers, who didn't dare resist the Evil Dragon, actually turned their weapons on Loren.
Even though Loren's strength far surpassed the Evil Dragon's, they knew Loren wouldn't kill them, so they dared to confront him.
"Cough, cough..."
Halfway there, Loren suddenly started coughing violently. His legs went weak, and he made as if to fall to the ground. Luckily, Mirrorheart had already stepped forward to support him.
"Master Mentor!"
Naclis hadn't expected such a thing to happen suddenly. She threw herself at Loren without a second thought. Killing intent coalesced around her, causing the maids to break out in a cold sweat instantly. But at the same time, their awe for this Brave One deepened.
"..."
This was also the first time Loren had seen Naclis like this. He could only quickly give her a meaningful look. Naclis didn't see it clearly, but Loren saw Anna wink at him.
It wasn't just Naclis. Scarlett started crying. Laila pulled out her gun, already prepared to kill the perpetrator's entire family.
Luna suddenly felt at a loss. She wanted to rush forward to check on Loren, but couldn't squeeze through at all. She could only clench her fists tightly. Starnight also started pecking at Loren's hair.
Only Mirrorheart remained expressionless as usual. Anna made a crying motion, but it looked very fake. However, no one paid attention to her.
"What is going on..."
Naclis's reaction had already proven Loren's importance in her heart, so the Princess grew even more panicked.
"The Master has always been frail and sickly. It's not your fault, rest assured.
"The Master is the Brave One's mentor, the one who raised the Brave One. He is the most important person to the Brave One."
Anna also cooperatively walked to the Princess's side, adding,
"If something happens to the Master Mentor, I really don't know what to do..."
Hearing this, Naclis finally understood what was happening, no matter how slow she was. She gradually calmed down.
This was all an act, feigning weakness to deceive the enemy. She just couldn't immediately grasp the purpose of doing this here, where there were only villagers.
"It's fine... let's eat first..."
Loren wiped the red liquid from the corner of his mouth. This was the magic potion he had secretly drunk earlier.
Mirrorheart helped Loren sit at the dining table. Only after Naclis took her seat did they start serving the food.
However, this time, the maids showed a bit more concern for Loren. They had witnessed what Naclis's reaction would be if something happened to him.
"After the meal, gather the citizens. I have a plan to deal with the Evil Dragon.
"If everything goes smoothly, we can resolve the Evil Dragon issue tomorrow."
Hearing Loren's words, the Princess suddenly became excited. She directly ran outside and started shouting.
This country wasn't large. Gathering the representatives from each area wouldn't take much time. A small country also has its advantages;
at the very least, disseminating information is fast.
At the dining table, Anna was still eating and drinking heartily. This time, she even finished all the food the villagers had prepared, making the maids break out in a cold sweat.