Volume 1 Chapter 130

Volume 1 + Chapter 130: Arrival

Although Anna had been on edge the entire way, her heart filled with countless anxieties and worries, she at least managed to deliver Eve and her companions safely to that remote little village.

The bumps along the journey and the constant uncertainty placed enormous pressure on her, but when she finally caught sight of the village’s outline, she let out a breath of relief.

This small village, compared with the imperial capital and those bustling metropolises, was indeed far more modest.

The streets were narrow, the buildings simple, giving the place an especially quiet and somewhat plain atmosphere.

Even so, it still displayed the Empire’s distinctive strengths. Thanks to the Empire’s rational planning and careful management of its territories, the pastures and farmlands here were flourishing.

Especially the vast, boundless grazing lands—one only needed to glance around casually to see herds of livestock scattered across every corner of the view, too numerous to count.

Though geographically remote and far removed from the noise and splendor of the Empire, the village was not poor. On the contrary, it possessed a sense of ease and self-sufficiency entirely different from the capital. One could even say that, in certain respects, it held unique advantages and charm surpassing those of the imperial capital itself.

Although the area was sparsely populated and surrounded by silence, Eve chose not to have Anna land conspicuously in a crowded place, in order to avoid unnecessary disturbance.

She knew that making a blatant appearance in the village could cause needless trouble, or even frighten the residents into panic. After all, even for the Empress Consort, traveling astride a dragon was still a bit too outrageous.

Thus, she selected a secluded area and landed there safely, ensuring that none of them would be noticed.

Eve sternly instructed Anna to stay where she was, not to wander about casually, and absolutely not to approach the village on her own—she should not even get too close to its outskirts.

Though Anna felt somewhat aggrieved, she could only comply obediently.

Her massive body made hiding difficult, so she curled herself into a huge black lump, crouching behind a small nearby hill. The entire dragon looked pitiful and helpless, like a punished pet, quietly waiting in grievance, utterly stifled.

But there was no helping it—she didn’t dare speak up, couldn’t win in a fight, so all she could do was behave herself.

What was more, that dragon she had seen earlier from the sky also seemed to be black. Judging by its size, it was most likely her third uncle…

If that really was the case, then she was done for. Her third uncle was a notorious gossipmonger—if he found out she had become a human’s mount, wouldn’t the entire clan know by tomorrow?

Especially that cousin who had disliked her since childhood.

“Ah…”

Thinking of this, Anna could not help but let out a long sigh.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Alice was still savoring the experience. Already fond of excitement, after feeling the speed atop a dragon’s back, her heart was practically about to leap out of her chest.

The only minor regret was that she had gotten a little too excited once they took to the skies, to the point that she forgot to put on a frail, frightened act and cling to Eve’s arm while acting cute.

That was a bit of a shame… a missed opportunity.

Overall, though, the experience had been truly rare. Alice knew Eve was impressive, but she hadn’t expected her to be this impressive.

Riding a dragon—now that was just far too cool.

“This magic… it can probably only be maintained for two or three days at most.”

Eve was still explaining to Chancelianne why she could control the dragon, essentially making up excuses as best she could. Chancelianne, honest to a fault, nodded at everything Eve said.

Even when the explanation didn’t quite connect from beginning to end, even when it sounded utterly unreasonable, Chancelianne still believed Eve without reservation.

She just kept nodding and smiling.

Seeing that she had finally managed to explain things away, Eve quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Yet to an outsider, it was clear what the insiders could not see—Alice somehow felt as though it was the Empress Consort who was being coaxed by Eve.

“However, during this period, we can still try to enlighten the dragon race. After all, Your Majesty the Empress Consort, think about it—aren’t dragons also a race that craves wealth and pleasure? As long as we provide them with sufficient benefits, whether gold and silver or things they find interesting, I don’t think it would be difficult to have them protect the Empire’s trade routes.”

Eve calmly laid out her views, her words filled with confidence and rational analysis. She did not see dragons as beings beyond communication, on the contrary, with the right approach and enough incentives, their attitude could certainly be changed.

And even if none of that worked, Eve did have some understanding of magic and a bit of skill with her fists.

“I understand.”

Chancelianne nodded slightly, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

“Let us proceed according to Miss Eve’s ideas.”

She spoke softly, without the slightest hesitation. “Although you are not yet the Empire’s officially appointed Grand Advisor, your suggestions will be seriously considered by the Empire.”

Her voice was gentle yet firm, showing no sign of refusal—if anything, it carried a hint of approval.

“Moreover, the method you propose—raising a dragon within imperial territory, both to protect trade routes and to serve as a force capable of counterbalancing the Church—is indeed a strategy His Majesty would find intriguing.”

A faint smile curved her lips, her expression carrying deeper implications. She looked every bit like a virtuous wife wholeheartedly supporting her husband, standing firmly on the side of imperial interests. As for Eve’s proposal to “give Anna an official post,” she had not the slightest objection.

This surprised Eve quite a bit. She had originally thought that with such a major issue, Chancelianne—one of the Empire’s three great pillars—would be more conservative.

From the looks of it, her role as Grand Advisor was starting to feel almost indistinguishable from that of an imperial ruler.

Whatever she said, they agreed to it—clearly not treating Eve as an outsider at all.

“That should be Pipim’s uncle and aunt’s home up ahead, right?”

Even though Chancelianne was wearing high heels, walking along this rural path posed no difficulty for her at all.

Eve, on the other hand, was not doing quite as well. She had deliberately worn flat shoes today, and seeing how agile Chancelianne was, Eve subconsciously frowned.

Being part of the Empire’s carefully selected royal family was no easy feat—being able to move effortlessly in high heels even under these conditions, all while maintaining elegance and poise.

At any rate, Eve knew she herself couldn’t manage that.

Upon arriving at the doorstep of the house Chancelianne mentioned—belonging to Pipim’s uncle and aunt—Eve was taken aback by the sight of a beautiful two-story building before her.

It had elegant glazed tiles on the roof and refined architectural details, and there was even a small garden in the spacious courtyard.

The place exuded a sense of tasteful charm.

Two young boys, not very big, were playing with mud in the yard, completely unaware of Eve and her group watching them.

Yet Chancelianne’s gaze subtly changed, a faintly complicated expression flickering across her eyes.