Volume 6 Chapter 45

Volume 6 + Chapter 45: Acting Dragon King

“Princess, the exit really appeared! How amazing!!”

Elly pointed ahead excitedly and jumped up with joy.

The entrance that had vanished earlier now reappeared before everyone’s eyes.

“What a remarkable piece of magic. If Dorothea hadn’t let us out, would we have been doomed to wander forever in the Purple Iris Valley?” Lucia remarked thoughtfully.

“Looking back, this trip to the Purple Iris Valley was truly quite an adventure. If Dorothea hadn’t helped us, we might have perished here.” Serra shuddered at the memory.

“But the outcome is good, and that’s what matters!”

Atiya unlocked her true draconic form, transforming into a blue giant dragon.

She beat her dragon wings and soared into the sky.

“Now it seems we can leave. Even if we fly up into the sky, we won’t return to the ground again.”

“The nightmare is over!!”

Elly cheered and also assumed her true draconic form.

Xia Yi leaped onto Elly’s back.

Lucia and Serra, the red dragon sisters, also changed back into giant dragons.

Elly carried Xia Yi as she flew into the sky, heading north toward the Imperial Dragon Palace alongside the others.

Along the way, Xia Yi found herself pondering certain matters.

“Elly.”

“Princess, what are your orders?”

“Have you ever had any strange dreams?”

“Strange dreams? Princess, what exactly do you mean?”

“For example… the Dragon Palace becoming empty and desolate, with no one else around, and you having grown up to become the head maid of the Royal Maid Corps.”

Xia Yi recalled having some strange dreams herself.

Such dreams had occurred more than once, counting the one at the Laurel Tree Academy, this was already the second time.

In those dreams, Elly would be all grown up and mature, while she herself would have transformed from the Silver Dragon Princess into the Dragon Queen.

All the other inhabitants of the Dragon Palace would vanish without a trace, as if they had left this world, and the atmosphere would become eerily strange…

It hardly seemed like something that could happen in reality.

“I’ve never had a dream like that, Princess. At most, I dare to imagine such things once in a while, I wouldn’t dare to actually dream them!” Elly replied. “I’ve been sleeping like a log lately. The moment I close my eyes and open them again, it’s already daylight!”

“Not even once…?”

“Never.” Elly shook her head.

Xia Yi found this puzzling. Since the Elly in her dreams appeared as an adult, did that mean those dreams represented something that might happen in the future…?

But such questions could probably only be answered by a specialist in dreams, a Succubus.

As for that kind of future, she didn’t like it one bit. No matter what, she absolutely could not let that future come to pass.

Since the older Elly in the dream was the head maid, if Elly could never become head maid, then everything in that dream wouldn’t come true, would it?

Thinking it over carefully, that did make sense.

The little princess made a mental note of this.

…

…

Xia Yi and her group quietly returned to the Dragon Palace.

Since they had left discreetly, they also took care to return without being noticed by others.

“We’re finally back, Princess. Would you like to rest for a while?” Serra asked solicitously. “You seem a bit tired.”

“No need. All of you, come with me. There are important matters that need to be arranged next.” Xia Yi replied.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The members of the Royal Maid Corps acknowledged the order.

Xia Yi led these few individuals to Xia Lulu’s office.

She gazed at Xia Lulu’s seat and fell silent for a moment. Normally, this was where Xia Lulu handled state affairs. It seemed Xia Lulu might not be able to return for some time…

After a brief silence, the little princess walked over and took the initiative to sit down in the seat.

This action made the expressions of the Royal Maid Corps members change.

This was not a simple gesture but carried special significance…

“Lucia.” Xia Yi looked toward Lucia.

“Princess, please give your orders.”

“The captain of the Dragon Palace guard, how loyal is he to Xia Lulu?” Xia Yi asked. “I need to know this right now.”

“Princess, the captain of the Dragon Palace guard was personally promoted by Her Majesty the Queen. On one occasion when Her Majesty was traveling outside, she was ambushed by assassins. At that time, he was still a trainee guard, but he stepped forward bravely to protect Her Majesty. She therefore broke protocol to promote him to full guard status. His performance in several subsequent missions was exceptional, and he gradually rose to become captain of the guard.”

“His name is?”

“Olga Izman.”

“I don’t believe I’ve heard of the Izman family…” Xia Yi paused. “Then, is it possible that the assassination attempt was deliberately arranged by certain interested parties, specifically to give Olga a chance to shine, allowing him to get close to Xia Lulu, and then pave his way for successive promotions, ultimately making him captain of the guard?”

“Please rest assured on that point. Her Majesty herself considered that possibility. She previously instructed me to conduct a discreet investigation into Olga’s background. He came from commoner stock and had no nepotistic connections whatsoever. That is precisely why Her Majesty appointed him as captain of the guard.”

Lucia felt somewhat surprised inwardly.

Truly mother and daughter, they thought about things in exactly the same way.

“I see. Then he should be trustworthy. Summon him here, along with Karami. Just call those two, and be careful not to let anyone else notice that they have been summoned recently.”

“As you command.” Lucia departed.

After a while, Olga and Karami both arrived.

Karami saw the little silver dragon girl sitting in Xia Lulu’s seat. At first, he thought it was Xia Lulu and was about to offer his greetings, but then he sensed something amiss.

He raised his head and took a closer, longer look. His expression changed dramatically, his mind raced at lightning speed, and then his features turned grave. Without asking a single question, he silently performed his bow and waited for Xia Yi to speak.

“Your Majesty the Queen.” Olga bowed to Xia Yi.

“Captain Olga, you have mistaken me for someone else.” Xia Yi replied calmly.

“Eh? It’s the Princess…?”

Olga’s face showed astonishment. He was deeply confused: why was Xia Yi sitting in Xia Lulu’s seat?

Was this some kind of farce?

He glanced at the members of the Royal Maid Corps, especially Lucia.

He knew that given Lucia’s character, she would not go along with any frivolous antics from Xia Yi.

Recalling the chaos at the birthday banquet in the Dragon Palace, and the fact that he had been unable to see Xia Lulu since then…

Although he was straightforward by nature, he was not foolish. He sensed that something must have happened.

“Greetings, Princess. Olga Izman, Captain of the Dragon Palace Guard, salutes you.” Olga bowed.

“Mm.”

Xia Yi replied calmly.

Then, in front of everyone, she dropped a truly earth-shattering statement.

“Xia Lulu will not be returning to the Dragon Palace for the time being. During this period, I will take over governance of the Dragon race as the Acting Dragon King.”

[Translator’s Note: Please join the Gravity Tales’ Discord Server, if you want to hang out.]

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