Chapter 257: Assemble!

With the map’s help, Axel quickly located the ruins of the Dwarves’ kingdom, Nidavellir. Upon arrival, the first thing he did was call for backup.

Using a return scroll, Axel traveled back to the Axevaria Kingdom.

There, he urgently searched for a few specific individuals.

“Nina!” he shouted.

The witch turned her head, surprised by the sudden summons. “Sir Axel? It’s rare for you to seek me out. Do you need something?”

“Yes, actually.” Axel nodded. “We’re planning to fight a dragon, and I was hoping for your help. I also intend to call on the others.”

“D-Dragon…?”

Her confusion was understandable.

After all, dragons weren’t just found anywhere. In fact, they were more a part of legends than reality in Nina’s world.

“Wait, there’s a real dragon in this world?!” she gasped, struggling to believe Axel’s words.

“Yes,” he replied. “I’d like to explain more, but it would be more efficient to do so with everyone present. Please gather at the castle’s courtyard for now.”

After conveying his message, Axel waved goodbye and hurried off.

“Ah, wait…!”

Nina’s voice couldn’t reach him in time.

Next, he headed to the training grounds. Arianne was there, as usual, mentoring the new members of the Valkyrie Knight Order. Axel refrained from calling her right away, waiting until she finished her instruction.

“Arianne!”

She quickly turned around, a thin smile appearing on her face. “Oh, Sir Axel? Are you here to train today, too?”

“That sounds lovely, but unfortunately, I’m here for a different matter,” he said, shaking his head. “We would like your help in fighting against a dragon. Can you come with us?”

“A dragon!”

Unlike Nina, who was shocked, Arianne’s expression instantly turned excited. Her eyes sparkled as she rushed to Axel’s side, eager to know more.

“Where is that dragon? How will we hunt it? What do I need to do?!”

Arianne fired off a barrage of questions, causing Axel to smile bitterly.

“I’ll brief you about it later. First, I need to call the others. Head to the castle’s courtyard; Nina should be there already,” he instructed.

He left before he could hear Arianne’s enthusiastic reply.

The female knight cracked her fists, grinning from ear to ear. “How interesting…!”

Axel’s next destination was already decided: the workshop. This place, which had undergone significant renovations over the past few weeks, could now be considered a proper workshop. Inside, dozens of people were engaged in various tasks and processes.

“The consistency seems a bit off… Let’s add an hour more to the simmering stage.”

And at the center of it all was Beatrix.

She was juggling multiple roles—overall manager, workshop president, quality assessor, and more. This was mainly because those who were supposed to handle these responsibilities were still not adequately trained, or at least not competent enough for her to trust them with the tasks.

The girls who followed her around watched her work with eyes filled with awe and admiration. Axel often referred to them as “Beatrix’s Fan Club,” as they were essentially turning her into a celebrity, or an idol.

As soon as he noticed her momentarily vacant, Axel called out, “Bea!”

“Hmm? Sir Axel?” she replied, her face lighting up with a smile, though her expression also revealed some confusion. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m gathering a team to fight against a dragon, and I need you too. Can you leave the workshop in their hands for a while?”

“A dragon…? Is there even a dragon nearby?” She raised her brows in curiosity but didn’t refuse. “Alright,” she agreed.

She turned to the girls behind her and smiled sweetly. “Chelsea, Yuri, and Amane, you three will be in charge until I return. You can do it, right?”

“Y-Yes, Lady Beatrix! Please leave it to me!”

“We’ll definitely live up to your expectations, President!”

“I-I’ll do my best!”

The three replied, their faces bright with excitement. They had never been entrusted with such responsibility before. Until now, they had only practiced processes day in and day out, watching as Beatrix worked.

“Good girls,” she said with a warm smile. “If you do well enough, you can ask me for a reward when I return.” This added incentive was meant to keep their motivation high.

Axel watched as Beatrix spoke to them, noting the eagerness in their eyes, as if he could almost hear the “requests” they were silently forming in their minds.

’These girls… They idolize Beatrix a bit too much, don’t they?’

After instructing Beatrix to head to the castle’s courtyard, he went off to find the last two members of their team. Inside the castle, he discovered Maria cleaning the rooms—specifically, his own. She was making the bed, smoothing the bedsheet, and…

“Sir Axel…! Ah, it’s Sir Axel’s smell…!”

She rolled onto the bed, hugging his pillow tightly and burying her face into it. So engrossed in her actions, she didn’t notice Axel standing by the door until she lifted the pillow to take a breath.

“…”

“…”

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before movement began.

“Ahem!”

Maria cleared her throat, jumping to stand beside the bed and acting as if nothing had happened. Axel wanted to call her bluff but ultimately decided against it; it would only delay them further.

Still, discovering this minor detail about Maria felt surprisingly good.

“Ah, Maria. Can you come with us to fight?” he asked, similarly pretending as if nothing had occurred. “Our enemy is a Dragon, so I want to gather as many hands as I can.”

“A fight…?”

Maria murmured before nodding firmly.

“If it’s what Sir Axel wishes, then I will obey.”

“Good!” He smiled before turning to walk away.

Or at least he tried, until he stopped, turned around, and added a few words. “Ah, and if you want to sniff my scent, you can just ask. A pillow doesn’t really hold on to much of my smell, right?”

“…!”

Maria blushed like a ripe tomato as Axel grinned. He left before she could complain.

The last member, Cherry, was found in the kitchen.

Axel noticed she was in the middle of preparing ingredients for lunch. “Cherry,” he began, but duty called. “Can I ask you to postpone cooking for now? I need your help with something else—”

But just as he called to her, Cherry…

“Kyaaah!”

screamed at the top of her lungs.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep