Chapter 84

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Chapter 84: Hello, Lady Saint [4K]

The city of Gerris in the Kingdom of Dia was one of the border cities of the kingdom, and it was the first stop on Naya’s journey. Naya had specifically come here to meet with Lina, and this did not delay her progress in searching for the Earth’s Vein energy.

The bloom of the Earth’s Vein Flower required time to grow. It wasn’t as simple as detecting the energy and then just going over to harvest some treasure. The flower first absorbs the Earth’s Vein energy before it bears fruit.

According to Iris’s spy reports, there was a strong fluctuation of Earth’s Vein energy near Rex City, about 300 kilometers from Gerris. Other Heroes with special abilities were already keeping a watchful eye on the area, waiting eagerly.

Once the Earth’s Vein Flower matured, they would fight for the sacred relics it produced. And by the looks of it, the Earth’s Vein Flower there should bear fruit within a month.

For the dragon race, 300 kilometers was no distance at all. A short flight of about two hours would get them to the destination. So, before the Earth’s Vein Flower bore fruit, Naya had time to visit Lina in Gerris City and then head to Rex City afterward, with time to spare.

Finishing the personal matter this morning meant that she could fully focus on her tasks later on.

By bribing a noble convoy with money, Naya, Iris, Illya, Bella, and Flanna entered Gerris City without going through inspections. By the time they got off the carriage, it was almost evening.

The streets were crowded, as most people were finishing their workday at this hour. Illya held Iris’s hand with her left hand and Naya’s with her right as she curiously looked around the bustling streets.

Because of her height, Illya could only see people’s legs and buttocks. So many legs were moving around that she felt dizzy and, without thinking, blurted out.

“Wow! So many humans! Can we eat them?”

“Illya!”

Naya quickly reached out and covered Illya’s mouth.

What on earth! Illya really had no filter. Wasn’t she afraid they might get suspected?

“Mmm…”

Illya nodded, signaling that she understood her mistake. Only then did Naya release her hand from Illya’s mouth.

At the moment, they were using magic to disguise themselves, temporarily hiding their horns and tails, and even changing their ears to look like human ears.

Despite this, yelling about eating humans in the middle of the street would still draw a lot of unwanted attention. Fortunately, Illya’s careless remark didn’t seem to attract any notice from the passersby.

“Wow! Wow! Wow!”

After receiving a warning glance from Naya, Illya didn’t dare speak carelessly anymore. Instead, she could only let out excited screams when she saw new things. She had never been to a human city before, never seen so many people, nor had she witnessed such a dense collection of shops and street stalls.

Suddenly, Illya let go of Iris’s hand and pointed to a red item at a nearby street stall, her other hand still tugging at Naya.

“Mommy! What’s that red thing? It looks so yummy!”

Recognizing the familiar sight from her memory, Naya couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s candied fruit, Illya. Would you like some?”

“Yes, yes! I want it!” Illya eagerly replied.

“Flanna, go buy five skewers.”

“Yes, Miss Naya.”

Flanna, carrying a thick backpack, approached the stall and bought five skewers of candied fruit. Naya took the skewers and first handed one to Illya.

“Here’s one for you, Illya, and one for me.”

Then she handed one to Iris and turned toward her two maids, Flanna and Bella, who had been carrying the heavy luggage. Smiling, Naya offered them the remaining skewers.

“Flanna, Bella, you’ve worked hard. Here, try out one of the humans’ favorite childhood treats.”

Perhaps she’d been too hard on Illya. After all, Naya had nearly slipped herself, almost calling it a local human delicacy. The two maids glanced cautiously at Iris, and only after she nodded did they dare take a skewer each.

“Thank you, Miss Naya,” they said as they nibbled on the candied fruit while searching for a place to stay for the night.

Drawing on her years of experience navigating human kingdoms, Naya led them into the noble district in the city center, where they found a high-end inn. After checking in and allowing Flanna and Bella to drop off their luggage, Naya retrieved the coin pouch from Flanna, and along with her wife and daughter, they headed out once more.

“Let’s go grab some dinner ~”

Back in her days as a Hero, Naya had lived frugally, never daring to set foot in high-class restaurants. But now, as the Dragon King’s Queen, she was determined to indulge in the human noble experience. They found a restaurant that looked exceptionally upscale from the outside.

As soon as they stepped in, Naya was greeted by the sound of a beautiful violin, and she silently admired the elegance of it all. In the center of the restaurant, musicians performed on a stage, while waiters in suits served Naya’s family and seated them in a prime spot to enjoy the performance.

Naya ordered several meat dishes—steak, abalone, crispy pork, squid, and crayfish—making sure to pick the most expensive items. Then, the long wait for the food began. Thankfully, the performance helped pass the time. Otherwise, it would have been unbearably dull.

When the dishes finally arrived, before Naya and Iris could savor them slowly, Illya had devoured them in just a few bites.

Staring at the empty plates, Illya held a fork in one hand and chopsticks in the other. She licked her lips and, with wide, innocent eyes, asked, “Mommy, when will the main course come? I’m so hungry!”

“The food you ate was the main course,” Naya replied.

“Huh? That was it?”

Illya felt like she hadn’t eaten anything at all, like her stomach was still empty.

Naya waved over the waiter. “Excuse me, please add a few more dishes.”

She had underestimated the portions at a noble’s restaurant. As everyone knew, the higher-end the restaurant, the smaller the portions, especially for expensive dishes like the steak, which hadn’t even been the size of half Naya’s palm.

Back when she was a Hero, she had never dined at such fancy places, so she didn’t know that noble dining prioritized ambiance over quantity. In the end, Naya had to spend ten gold coins just to fill Illya’s stomach.

For perspective, an ordinary person could eat a decent meal for a few silver coins.

When it came time to pay, Naya’s heart was bleeding.

Though she knew this amount of money was insignificant compared to the Dragon King’s vast wealth, her former Hero’s values still lingered. This sum was almost equivalent to half a year’s salary for a Hero!

Every coin a Hero earned was through blood and sweat.

Besides, during her stay at the castle, Naya had never had to spend a single coin herself.

She wasn’t used to the freedom of spending lavishly as a Queen. Watching so much money flow out of her own hands for this meal, Naya was on the verge of tears. What was meant to be a small indulgence had ended up costing a fortune.

But Iris didn’t seem to mind.