Volume 1 Chapter 129

Volume 1 + Chapter 129: Unless Food And Lodging Are Included

At this moment, Anna could not hear a single word Eve was saying.

Her mind was filled entirely with the humiliation of being treated as Eve’s mount, along with an uncontrollable surge of anger and resentment. The more she thought about it, the more she felt as though she had been forced into a dead end, her heart crowded with countless doubts and inner conflicts.

She even began to worry that once she took to the skies, she might run straight into other dragons midair, making her situation even more embarrassing.

If other dragons were to see her like this, then her entire dragon life would truly be—

Just as Anna’s thoughts spiraled out of control, Eve’s voice rang out once more: “And your opinion?”

Her tone was unhurried. Within that calmness lay a gentle warmth, tinged with faint expectation, her gaze falling softly upon Anna as though patiently waiting for her response.

Anna froze for a moment, finally realizing that she had been distracted just now.

She couldn’t help but curse herself inwardly—if she had listened more carefully to Eve, perhaps she wouldn’t look so awkward now, or at least wouldn’t have landed herself in such an embarrassing predicament.

Her emotions instantly became complicated, yet she still tried her best to steady her thoughts.

The poor black dragon was practically being toyed with in Eve’s palm, completely devoid of any room to resist, her dignity lost beyond recovery.

Her powerful body and the pride of the dragon race seemed utterly insignificant at this moment. What drove Anna to despair most was the fact that she not only couldn’t defeat Eve—she wasn’t even stronger than Eve’s daughter. There was almost no possibility of retaliation at all.

Eve had merely asked casually. If Anna dared to raise even the slightest objection, tomorrow’s sun might not even shine into her eyes.

“I… I have no objections.”

Anna replied in a low voice, her tone filled with obvious submission and helplessness. Her heart was steeped in bitterness, yet she could only endure it in silence.

At this moment, Chancelianne, who had been watching from the side, widened her eyes in shock, her face filled with disbelief. “My heavens… she can actually speak human language?”

She could hardly believe her ears. The voice of this massive black dragon was unexpectedly clear and sweet—not the deep, thunderous rumble she had imagined, but rather something closer to the voice of a delicate young girl.

One could only imagine how much more shocked Chancelianne would be if she were to see Anna in her human form someday.

“……”

Seeing Chancelianne’s utterly stunned expression, Anna felt so stifled she nearly wanted to die on the spot. She felt that today she had completely thrown away all dignity belonging to the dragon race, leaving nothing behind—not even a shred of decency.

Today she was being used as a mount by humans. Tomorrow, she might be locked in a zoo, put on display for humans to point and gawk at. Just imagining such a scene made the scales on her tail feel ready to explode.

However, Eve gave her no time to dwell on it and decisively declared, “Then it’s settled. From today onward, you are the Dragon God who protects the Empire.”

“Huh?” Anna jerked her head up, staring blankly at Eve, completely unable to comprehend what she was saying. Dragon God? Protector of the Empire? She couldn’t follow Eve’s line of thought at all.

She blinked in a daze, her enormous dragon eyes filled with confusion. That foolish expression somehow carried an unexpected hint of cuteness, making one want to laugh.

“What do you mean by ‘Dragon God who protects the Empire’?”

Anna shot Eve a meaningful look, communicating covertly in a way that only the two of them could understand.

“It means you’ll never have to worry about food or drink again, and there will be a whole bunch of humans who treat you as a god. All you need to do is occasionally fly around above the Empire. You won’t need to rob anything anymore—delicious food and drink will be delivered straight to your mouth.”

Eve’s words made Anna subconsciously widen her eyes. Was there actually such a good deal?

But if that were the case, wouldn’t she really become a domesticated pet dragon?

Dragons would never submit to humans…

“Of course, they’ll also build a luxurious castle just for you—to live in, and to be visited by those who worship and believe in you.”

Dragons would never submit to humans—unless food and lodging were included.

“You said it yourself. No takebacks.”

“Of course.”

Eve nodded. Sigh—this little foolish dragon Anna was still too young, after all.

She had merely been fed a bit of empty promise, and she was already this happy.

Whether it could truly be realized would have to be proven by time, but judging from her beaming expression, she had absolutely no guard against Eve’s words at all.

She believed whatever she was told.

Still, that was fine. At least for the remainder of the journey, this little foolish dragon probably wouldn’t stir up any trouble.

It was Chancelianne’s and Alice’s first time riding on a dragon’s back, gazing down upon the vast lands of the Empire from high above. The experience felt extraordinarily novel to them.

Alice’s pretty face was flushed red, and she even shouted a few times without regard for appearances, as though venting the pressure she had accumulated for so long.

Chancelianne, on the other hand, appeared more composed. She gently pressed down on her skirt, which fluttered like a flower in the wind, and sat sideways on the dragon’s back with graceful elegance.

Instead of curiously looking down at the scenery below like Alice, she kept her gaze fixed on Eve, watching her intently, utterly absorbed.

Eve did not notice Chancelianne’s gaze. Dragons flew at tremendous speed, and she stood slightly toward the front, using magic to shield Chancelianne and Alice.

Otherwise, with Anna’s flying speed and altitude, the wind alone could have blown someone’s mouth crooked.

“There seems to be another dragon.”

Eve noticed a distant black speck moving at similar speed. Encountering other dragons at high altitude was perfectly normal.

After all, the sky was where dragons were most active—and a realm humans could not set foot in.

For some reason, the moment Eve mentioned other dragons, Anna subconsciously sped up even more.

“You seem very afraid of being seen by other dragons.”

“Of course I am! If other dragons see me acting as a mount for humans, do you think I’ll have any face left?”

Anna’s tone carried a hint of irritation.

“But earlier, when I said you’d get free food, free lodging, and an official position in the Empire, you agreed pretty quickly.”

Their conversation could only be heard by the two of them, so there was no need to hold back—they talked freely.

“What’s your relationship with those two?”

Anna asked quietly, her tone tinged with evasiveness, as though something weighed on her mind.

“You’re asking a bit too much.”

“Oh… fine. If you don’t want to answer, then don’t. Why are you being so fierce?”

Although Eve’s tone remained calm as she said this, to Anna, it sounded thunderously loud.

So loud, in fact, that her mood couldn’t help but sink.

“That dragon over there seems to be looking this way. Don’t tell me it recognized you?”

“Huh? No way… I can’t be that unlucky, right? Did I just run into a dragon I know?”