The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

19 – The Red Dragon and the White Dragon (1)

The First Lady of the Gaël Prosperous Kingdom led an envoy and entered the Imperial City.

Countless crowds gathered like clouds.

The atmosphere, which had been subdued by a dreadful bomb attack as proof of strong faith, quickly warmed up.

Silver hair as fluffy as clouds.

Walls shining like meticulously crafted gems.

A face as white as ivory, with a beautiful appearance as if carved by a sculptor.

A woman dressed in pure white robes revealed herself alongside the paladins of the prosperous kingdom. At that moment, the citizens, with short gasps and prayers, respectfully acknowledged the lady. As the incarnation of the goddess Gaël, the lady stimulated the reverence of the crowd with her beautiful appearance alone.

“The incarnation of Gaël has arrived…!”

“Ah! Truly an elegant and noble person!”

The goddess’s incarnation.

A pure maiden blessed by the White Dragon.

Javelin Albion Russell.

She responded with a prayer, raising her hands in unison with the citizens expressing respect. Fearing the chaos of disorder, the Baltaria Empire deployed a massive military force, concerned that the crowds gathering in the city might exhibit spontaneous actions. However, the citizens welcoming Javelin held a disciplined formation, maintaining order until the end.

“It has been a while, Saint Javelin.”

“Your Majesty, I hope you are in good health. It must be the grace of the same earth deity blessing everyone here.”

The emperor, with a mustache, welcomed the delegation from the triumphant kingdom along with his ministers.

It was quite an extravagant reception.

The ruler of the empire personally coming out to welcome them within the inner city was unexpected. Even the priests were puzzled; the Empire and the triumphant kingdom had always maintained a delicate balance of power, making it even more peculiar.

“Has the Crimson Dragon of the Baltaria Empire been well?”

“…Thanks to your concern, we have been unharmed.”

Rudmila, who attended to accompany the emperor, exchanged glances with Javelin, who led the delegation.

The saint offered a courteous greeting.

In response, the princess lowered her head and spoke.

They exchanged greetings, inquiring about each other’s well-being, but there was no warmth in their words. The sharp and stern atmosphere in their eyes testified to that.

– The Red and White Dragons had competed for dominance in the sky for centuries, as if representing a passage from the scriptures.

Those blessed by the protection of the Red and White Dragons, like the users of blessings, were known for their extraordinary abilities. The enmity and rivalry manifested from the blessings always escalated into conflicts.

The Red and White Dragons might clash in a battle of life and death.

So, every time the princess and the saint met, many fears and anxieties followed.

“I heard that a cruel criminal organization caused a bomb attack, resulting in the unfortunate sacrifice of many citizens. As the saint of the triumphant kingdom, I express my deepest condolences.”

“Thank you for your words.”

“I heard that the hero who thwarted the bomb threat is a descendant of Maximilian, the warrior. If Your Highness permits, I would like to meet the sage of the Hohenberg family.”

“…”

Gail Dohr and the Explosives Division had long been pursued enemies even within the triumphant kingdom.

They had killed numerous priests.

They had even committed atrocities by carrying out bomb attacks on cathedrals.

It was only natural for the saint, representing the triumphant kingdom, to want to express gratitude to the hero. After all, in a way, Edanant had avenged the triumphant kingdom by punishing the villains. It was a request that made perfect sense.

However, for some reason,

Instinct began to appeal, saying, ‘They must never meet under any circumstances.’

Sensing an instinctive sense of crisis, Rudmila narrowed her eyes and looked at Javelin.

And then, the White Dragon met the gaze of the Crimson Dragon with a confident stance.

Fame was a double-edged sword.

To extroverts, it served as wings of confidence,

While to introverts, it acted as shameful shackles.

Where did I belong, really?

Unfortunately, I fell into the latter category.

As the Baltaria royal family vigorously promoted the hero who had punished the ruthless villains, I found myself even more engulfed in the public eye. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were trying to seek revenge on the Hohenberg family in this way, as they seemed to be focusing on “building up” in such a natural manner.

“His face is on the front page of every newspaper! Wow, indeed, Ethan is remarkable!”

“…”

In an instant, the youngest son of the Hohenberg family, who had caused a scandal with Princess Ludmila, rose to become a hero.

Naturally, the newspaper reporters didn’t miss their chance.

They wrote sensational articles.

They even included black-and-white photos of him on one page.

In an era without the concept of privacy, they used candidly taken photos without hesitation. This resulted in the worst possible outcome, where his identity could be easily discovered wherever he went. Thinking about the reporters who would do anything for an exclusive, I quietly grasped the handle of my pistol.

“Don’t noble families usually send marriage proposals like clockwork when someone becomes famous? But why hasn’t a single one come in? It’s oddly quiet. Looking at these feature articles, they even detailed the address of his current residence!”

Could he really remain this silent?

It’s strange.

Nobles composed of eccentrics and outliers should not be this quiet.

I even considered the absurd notion that shy, bashful young ladies might be hesitating to confess their feelings, but that was truly a futile fantasy, even to me.

“Maximilian was also quiet when he was active as a hero. But that was because Maximilian had an engagement with the youngest daughter of the royal family from a long time ago… I don’t even have an engagement partner at twenty-three.”

Even if he were a married man with a wife, someone would have approached him to become a concubine.

What on earth was happening?

Unless there were powerful forces obstructing these marriage proposals…

As I continued to ponder in circles, Rue, who had been playfully spinning around like a train, suddenly followed me closely.

“Your Highness, are you at home by any chance?”

When I was repeating my useless yet important fantasies,

I heard a knock.

And then, Ludmila’s voice came from behind me.

“Echo!”

I had certainly heard that there was an important matter to attend to today, but I stopped in my tracks at Ludmila’s call. As a result, Rue, who had been following me closely, collided head-on with me.

“Have you come, Your Excellency. But…”

Ignoring the discomfort from her bruised hip, Rudel urgently adjusted her disheveled clothes.

Then, she descended to the first floor.

“We have a guest from the Prosperous Kingdom. Allow me to introduce you, Your Excellency, the Saint of the Prosperous Kingdom.”

“…What?”

The Saint?

That’s Beatrice.

The girl with flowing silver hair didn’t seem like a legendary fishery manager at all…

Following that, Rudmila realized that the guest invited by Rudmila was the ‘First Saint.’ The diplomatic delegation from the Prosperous Kingdom was supposed to arrive in the Yellow Capital today. She had momentarily forgotten about this fact due to the headaches caused by the newspapers pouring out sensational stories and exaggerated reports.

“Javelin Albeon Russell, the First Saint of the Gale Prosperous Kingdom. It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Hohenberg of the Hohenberg family.”

“My apologies. I am Edanant von Hohenberg.”

Perhaps it was because she was standing next to the slender Rudmila,

the First Saint of the Prosperous Kingdom looked much younger and more petite than her actual age.

It was difficult to guess her age.

Maybe she hasn’t undergone the coming-of-age ceremony yet.

Glancing sidelong, Javelin and my eyes met. The white dragon smiled gently, causing me to feel bewildered.

“Did something get on my face? I know I’m pretty, but staring too much can be awkward.”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”

It must be a fresh face, but strangely familiar.

Have I seen her somewhere before?

I feel like I’ve heard such cheeky jokes somewhere before…

A strange sense of déjà vu passed through my throat, making me feel strangely uncomfortable.

“I heard that Lord Edanant used the Holy Sword Aldebaran. Is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

Finally, the time has come.

The Holy Sword Aldebaran.

That’s why the First Saint personally descended.

Although Maximilian received the protection of the heroic divine sword and was handed down the Sacred Sword of Exorcism, the ownership naturally belonged to the Prosperous Kingdom. Even though it was an outsider who hadn’t received delegation of ownership, using the Sacred Sword without permission would undoubtedly be unpleasant for the Prosperous Kingdom.

He won’t be punished, right?

Still, he’s the hero who defeated the villains.

If you would be so kind as to reduce the punishment to a fine… I feel like the compensation I have to pay to the royal family alone is enough to kill me.

“In that case, I hope you will use it well, Gongja. The Divine Sword of Maelstrom is a precious relic of the Holy Kingdom.”

“Yes?”

“If Aldebaran chose you, there must be a reason for it.”

“…Ah, I see.”

He felt bewildered by Javelin’s willingness to hand over the Divine Sword of Maelstrom, a weapon reserved exclusively for heroes, as if it were a wholesale commodity.

It seemed that Rudmila felt the same way.

It was not a matter for the Saint to decide.

Strictly speaking, the owners of the Holy Swords were the rulers and representatives of the Holy Kingdom.

But even so, Javelin confidently asserted that she would take responsibility for everything.

“Edanante Gongja, or… would you like to share a secret with just the two of us?”

“Yes?”

With a soft rustling sound, the Saint, who looked good in white, grabbed my arm and embraced me.

What on earth was going on?

I blinked at the Saint’s incomprehensible and unpredictable behavior.

At the same time, Rudmila, who had been showing a displeased expression, reacted with surprise to Javelin’s sudden actions.