Chapter 78

At the same time, the large red tail she had hidden behind her using magic also appeared.

Should one say that the appearance of the higher races was perhaps blessed as well?

This girl named Timani possessed a mature and exceptionally beautiful appearance. Her crimson eyes and flame-like red long hair complemented each other, and just standing in front of her, one could feel an intense heat.

It was just a pity… that despite her mature appearance and graceful figure, she carried such a terrible temper.

She narrowed her eyes, looking at the much shorter little girl standing not far in front of her. As Xiarette shielded Sheffy behind her, Timani clicked her tongue disdainfully and uttered this faint complaint.

“Tsk, it’s you again…”

“Huh? What do you mean ‘again’?”

Perhaps Timani did not want to explain much.

After all, the Fire Dragon Clan had always been proud and disdainful of receiving help, considering it shameful to be assisted.

But this little girl in front of her had already helped her twice. Saying nothing at all would not align with the Fire Dragon Clan’s manners.

However, Sheffy was annoyed. This fire lizard didn’t even look people in the eyes when speaking, it was truly infuriating!

“Last time it was you too, wasn’t it? Back at the arena when I lost control of my magic, you used ‘Neutralize’ to make my magic vanish, preventing a major incident. Now you show up again to help me out. Is this a coincidence? Or are you someone from the Kingdom of Aurus Knight Order sent to capture me? Let me tell you, if it’s the latter, you won’t be able to catch me. I’ve got legs and wings, I’ll run.”

Look at how you’re talking, as if I don’t have legs and wings and wouldn’t run too.

Oh, and by the way, back at the arena, I didn’t use ‘Neutralize’ to contain your magic, I used a modified version of ‘Storage’. It cost me a fish, you know!

Sheffy Harl shook her head to first indicate that she was not someone from the Kingdom’s Knight Order.

Then she gave a thumbs up to show she enjoyed helping others!

“No need to thank me! I’m just the kind of person who can’t help but meddle whenever I see injustice!”

“Busybody… did I ask for your help?”

“Hey, has anyone ever told you that with your bad temper, people might want to snap your horns off and grill them to eat?”

“What?! You even know what my clansmen say about me?! And you’re holding grilled fish… clearly not a decent person. Speak! Who exactly are you?!”

“……”

Great, this fire lizard probably also had some underdeveloped part of the brain, poor thing.

And how does holding a big fish make one not decent! By your logic, the entire Fire Cat Clan wouldn’t be considered a proper tribe!

Xiarette did not have a good impression of Timani. After all, back at the arena, she had almost lost control of her magic and caused a disaster.

As the kingdom’s Hero, there were still some matters Xiarette had to clarify.

“…Miss Timani, calm down for a moment. You need to explain what just happened. To be honest, I can at least be considered a member of the Kingdom’s Knight Order, right…? It’s not normal for a higher race like you to appear here. By the way, if you want to run without explaining, you won’t be able to.”

“What a joke, you really think you’re that powerful? If I wanted to leave, not to mention the Kingdom’s Knight Order, even…”

“My name is Xiarette, the kingdom’s Hero.”

“……”

Great, should have checked the fortune before going out today. Ran into a disaster.

Timani scratched her fluffy flame-red hair, clearly frustrated.

Since not explaining might indeed cause trouble, Timani briefly reviewed what had just happened.

She put her brown robe back on and sat down by the wall.

With her arms wrapped around her knees, she sat completely still.

Miss Shaya’s eyes lit up!

“Whoa! Xiarette, look, sitting there like that, she really looks like a beggar! Did you bring any silver coins? Give her some!”

“I said I’m not a beggar, okay?!”

Suddenly pulling down the hood of her robe, revealing her hair and face, Timani indeed did not look like a beggar.

She frowned fiercely, pointing impatiently in the direction where the crowd had scattered earlier, and began to explain.

“I was just sitting here resting. How would I know what happened? That man suddenly came over with a club, saying this area was his territory, and that I had to pay protection fees to beg here. The problem is I wasn’t begging! I told him I was only sitting for a bit before leaving, told him not to bother me, that I was in a bad mood. Who knew he’d suddenly swing his club and really try to hit me. You humans really have no good ones! He attacked me, and I can’t fight back? That was self-defense, right? Sir Hero?”

“Self-defense is, of course, not a crime. Besides, you even held back. This area is already some distance from the castle center, there are indeed quite a few thugs around.”

“Tch, as long as you know. So, can I leave now?”

“You can. But regarding your stay in the Kingdom of Aurus, I know you came to participate in the arena competition, but now that the competition is over, and you still haven’t returned to the Northern Flaming Lands, have you submitted an application to remain here?”

It was obvious.

Timani was already quite impatient.

She put her hood back on, shielding herself from the sunlight once more.

She slowly stepped forward, her lonely figure passing by the two of them, heading toward the end of the alley.

“I’m just a homeless wanderer… you don’t need to ask so many questions. My application to enter the Kingdom of Aurus can be checked. I can stay here for seven more days. After that, I’ll leave for another country. I’ve had enough of you humans’ ways… absolutely detestable.”

As she spoke, she reached the end of the alley.

—And threw back a silver coin.

Sheffy reached out and caught the coin, while hearing the other party’s ethereal voice transmit over.

“Little girl, you’re quite proficient with spatial magic. Looks like you’re not weak. But remember this! The Fire Dragon Clan does not accept charity from anyone! Even if I’m penniless, even if I starve to death, I absolutely won’t take a single coin from you humans!”

“Uh… no, I just meant that seeing how poor you looked… probably unable to afford a fish, I was giving you some money so you could buy a big fish and compensate me for the one you burned… ah, she’s gone. This fire lizard is really annoying, never listens to anyone.”

Before Sheffy Harl even finished speaking, Timani had already vanished with a flash at the end of the alley.

Miss Shaya put the silver coin back into her storage, blinking her big eyes as she asked Xiarette beside her.

“No need to chase her? What if she was lying?”

“If she were lying, Sheffy, you wouldn’t be able to tell… aren’t your Eyes of True Sight always active?”

“Oh! You actually noticed, hehe, who knows if she might be some dangerous person. But she wasn’t lying, she did come through formal procedures, and she really has seven days left before she goes to another country. Just that… how should I say it, even though she’s a higher race, how did she end up wandering the streets almost starving? Maybe her brain really didn’t develop properly?”

“I think so too.”

“Wow, we actually agree on something for once.”

“It’s because of her bad attitude toward you, Sheffy. You helped her twice, yet she still acts like this. Anyway, let’s go. The negotiation meeting is about to start. We need to hurry.”

“Got it!”

4. Negotiation (6K)

“Unbelievable! They won’t let me in? Don’t they see Xiarette standing next to me? She’s the Hero! Tsk tsk tsk, truly blind. I’m telling you, these guards— even if you brought them to the lake to fish and the fish bit the hook, they probably still wouldn’t catch anything! Why? Because they’re blind! If you can’t see the fish, how can you catch one?! Or let’s put it another way, even if they could… mmph? Mm?”

“Ugh… Sheffy, please stop talking. You’ve been rambling for over five minutes, I’m getting dizzy from listening.”

“Mm?!” (People have mouths, how can they not speak?!)

People naturally had the right to speak with their mouths.

But Xiarette had hands, and she used them to cover Sheffy’s mouth to stop her from speaking.

Sheffy, is this talking?

This is practically a rapid-fire barrage!

Why didn’t the guards let you in just now?

It wasn’t because they couldn’t see clearly; it was because they saw you holding that giant grilled fish!

Think about it, this is a national-level diplomatic venue outside the capital — the outdoor negotiation hall. Then comes little Shaya, hugging a grilled fish larger than her own head, humming a tune, striding in like she’s on a picnic. How could the gate guards possibly let her in?

Luckily, Sheffy had a tremendous appetite and put on a show, eating the entire fish in just three bites, leaving the guards dumbfounded.

After finishing the fish, surely they’d let her in, right?

Heh, still no!

The guards said that Shaya didn’t have an invitation to this negotiation meeting. Even though she was a noble, an Earl, she couldn’t enter.

Then what was the point of me scarfing down that fish so fast?!

We didn’t tell you to scarf down the fish so quickly, did we?!

Before Sheffy could get angry, Xiarette, who had gone to the back to consult with the diplomatic staff, arrived just in time and used her identity as “Hero’s Subordinate Knight” to finally get Shaya admitted into the venue.

It was precisely because of all the twists and turns at the entrance that Shaya’s mouth had gone into rapid-fire complaint mode.

Xiarette removed her hand from Sheffy’s mouth.

Good. Both she and her mouth had finally calmed down.

Taking out a handkerchief to wipe away Sheffy’s saliva from her palm, Xiarette silently muttered “totally worth it” in her mind while pointing the way forward for Sheffy.

“See over there… beyond that door is the main negotiation hall. Once we go inside, it’ll be especially quiet. If you keep chattering like this, you’ll probably become the center of attention.”

“Xiarette, what are they discussing today?”

“The matter of the Demon Clan Princess’s status and stay.”

“Who’s the Demon Clan Princess?”

“Sheffy Harl.”

“And who’s Sheffy Harl?”

“That’s you.”

“Exactly. I’m already the center of attention.”

“……”

Sheffy marched confidently toward the meeting hall.

Sheffy…

Ugh, I know you said that to sound cool, but you still have cumin powder from the grilled fish on the corner of your mouth — it’s really not cool!

Sheffy was very polite. As she walked, she pulled out a brand-new handkerchief Xiarette had given her and wiped the corner of her mouth.

The closer she got to the negotiation hall, the more dignified Shaya became!

Good grief, being able to find amusement even in such a serious diplomatic setting — in the whole world, there was probably only Sheffy who could do that.

Smiling bitterly and shaking her head, Xiarette slowly followed after Sheffy, who was deliberately slowing her pace to wait for Xiarette to catch up.

The meeting hall was a flat, low building situated several miles behind the castle on the outskirts of town, used only a few times a year.

Upon entering the unremarkable building, they passed through the same long, narrow corridor where Xiarette and Sheffy had stood earlier after being admitted.

At the end of the corridor was the true Kingdom’s Assembly Hall.

“Sheffy, I asked about today’s participants earlier. The king was wise not to have Firex come. The Foreign Minister is leading the delegation to handle everything, with Princess Livra observing. The king probably wants to take this opportunity to give Princess Livra some experience.”

“Pfft… not letting Firex, that watchdog of the Theocracy, attend isn’t wisdom — it’s just normal judgment. What, let someone from the Theocracy conduct diplomacy for the kingdom? That’s just asking to have the entire kingdom handed over in minutes! Hmm… and from the Demon Domain, who came?”

“A marquis from the Demon Domain, seems his name is Hanks.”

“Oh oh, I knew it would be him. Father personally appointed him as the official responsible for dealing with other races. He’s eloquent, but not much of a fisherman.”

“In your evaluation system, talent selection depends on fishing skill?”

“Yes, but not entirely.”

They were almost at the grand doors of the assembly hall.

Xiarette recalled that the soldiers outside had mentioned one more thing.

“Oh… besides that, they said an important figure from the Demon Domain arrived unexpectedly. It was sudden, rushed. Apparently, even the soldiers outside hadn’t received the notice.”

“Huh…?”

There was no time for further questions.

The two had already reached the end of the corridor.

Two human soldiers clad in golden armor pulled open the gilded doors to either side. A burst of dazzling light made them squint instinctively.

Unlike the dim corridor, the grandeur and spaciousness of the assembly hall was enough to rival the halls of Cormier Castle.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep