43. “Thank You”
After breakfast, the two of them went out.
Their hurried appearance reminded Reina of early mornings rushing to catch a train after a long holiday.
But there were no trains in this world, no high-speed rail, only efficient teleportation magic circles, winged races, and resilient creatures with superhuman strength.
Suddenly, Reina remembered the third reason she hadn’t slept all night.
—On the day of magic replenishment, Reina had repeatedly refused, resulting in Calysia giving her too little magic power.
Regarding corruption and vassalization, those weren’t outcomes she wanted to see, but the physical and mental torment still made her want to give up.
To put it more intuitively, it was like waking up from a dream, recovering from a serious illness, a feeling of freshness and haziness, like being newly hatched. Reina was currently in this strange state.
She even missed the hearts Calysia had fed her, but thinking about their strange texture and taste, and the state she was in after consuming them, Reina kept her distance.
The celebratory feast was held in the morning. Although it couldn’t be called a “banquet,” strictly speaking, there was no “daytime” in this world, so it was close enough.
The venue was an auditorium, built by some of the Dragon King’s attendants using exquisite earth magic after their arrival. Perhaps due to time constraints, the gray plaster on the walls was peeling, revealing the slightly damp bricks underneath.
Shrouded in darkness, it resembled a gloomy, demonic castle.
But stepping inside the auditorium revealed a different scene—
The spacious interior was decorated with enchanting magical fireflies, like colorful lights floating in the air. The largest magical lamp hung from the ceiling, burning with a comforting orange-yellow flame, making the entire space resemble a festive party venue.
But seeing the sparkling gems and ornaments hanging from the ceiling, Reina finally realized that this wasn’t a banquet at all, but a birthday party!
Reina clenched her fists, her veins bulging, and suddenly felt her grand image crumble.
“Isn’t this clearly a birthday party?!”
As she spoke, Fire Dragon, who was preparing the cake, stopped what she was doing.
Azure was still busy arranging the tables and chairs.
The succubus Ann, floating in the air, was arranging cute decorations. Hearing Reina’s voice, she turned around and smiled gently—she was the culprit.
Other members of the Knight Order were also helping with the setup, “unarmed” and wearing their favorite clothes—this was Reina’s request.
Only Ann was still in her usual attire, her impressive figure filling out the not-so-loose nun’s habit, attracting the attention of many Dragon Knights.
Reina was still speechless at the scene before her.
She recalled the scene of Calysia toying with her in front of her subordinates and suddenly felt hopeless, only able to glare at the Dragon King in frustration and think of ways to prank this hateful Dragon King.
Seeing the two of them, everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted them with bows.
Fire Dragon looked at Reina with envy.
“Big Sis, you look so beautiful today!”
Ann transformed into a cloud of blood mist and teleported in front of them. She was also surprised to see Reina wearing the [Divine Sea Pearl]. In her impression, Reina was a fearsome dragon who wore a maid uniform 24/7, but she never expected her to have such a gorgeous dress.
“Lady Reina’s figure is even better than I imagined. I’m so envious.”
“I told you she would wear a beautiful dress today!” Fire said proudly to Ann.
But both of them also noticed the Dragon Mark on Reina’s chest.
“Big Sis, what’s that on your chest? Were you injured before?” Fire asked curiously, pointing at Reina.
Although the dress looked familiar, the beautiful markings on Reina’s chest made her unable to resist asking.
Ann carefully observed the shape of the Dragon Mark without saying a word.
Reina smiled awkwardly, her face flushed, not knowing how to respond.
Unconsciously, she glanced at Calysia.
—I am Master Calysia’s possession. This is the Dragon Mark, a mark she imprinted on me to corrupt me. It’s eroding my body every day…
Reina would absolutely never say that.
She tried to recall the coping strategies she had thought of last night.
But suddenly, Calysia wrapped her arms around Reina’s waist in a loving embrace, giving her no time to react to the sensitivity and leaving her unable to answer Fire Dragon’s question.
Just then, Azure Dragon asked: “Could it be… a bond between the Dragon King and Lady Reina?”
“Eh—!”
“Sis, don’t be so direct!” Fire quickly covered Azure’s mouth and whispered a reminder, and only then did Azure fall silent.
Hearing Azure’s words, Calysia’s face lit up with a smile.
She gave Azure a gentle look, as if saying, “If you can talk, talk more.”
But Reina’s face darkened. Afraid of being misunderstood, and afraid that others would think she had something going on with Calysia, she immediately denied it:
“I’m just loyal to the Dragon King, like all of you.”
“We all understand,” Ann smiled.
“No, you definitely don’t understand!” Reina’s face grew even redder.
Ten minutes later, the banquet began.
Countless tables were filled with various prepared foods, several crates of fruit wine were stacked in the corner of the hall, and cute little ornaments reflected the colorful lights, making the place feel like a joyous family gathering.
“Cheers!”
“Woohoo, celebrating our first victory~”
“Fire’s swordsmanship is so cool.”
“You too, Ann. You looked so cool praying beside Donald’s corpse!”
“Indeed.”
“By the way, how did Lady Reina deflect the village chief’s attack?”
“Do you remember the sweet nothings between the Dragon King and Azure Scale?”
“I couldn’t hear clearly, I don’t remember?!”
“Ah, I can’t remember either!”
They chatted amongst themselves, the knights raising their glasses and drinking heartily. If she ignored their race, Reina would have believed they were just a group of friendly colleagues.
At first, everyone was a little uncomfortable with the Dragon King’s presence, but thanks to Fire and Ann’s efforts, the atmosphere gradually livened up.
These Dragon Knights were all loyal subordinates of the Dragon King, sharing a close bond. It had been too long since they had gathered like this.
And the organizer of all this, Reina, naturally became the center of the banquet.
She delivered many prepared speeches, speaking calmly and methodically in front of everyone like a leader. With Ann and Fire livening up the atmosphere, although establishing her authority might be a pipe dream, she did build a deep sense of trust.
Therefore, she drank a lot of wine.
—The specially made fruit wine was rich in alcohol and some strange magic. Many Dragon Knights were already visibly drunk, and a few with low alcohol tolerance were even completely inebriated, unconscious.
Reina’s attributes and resistance made it difficult for alcohol to affect her, but she couldn’t withstand drinking so much and was starting to feel tired. So, she maintained her elegant and composed demeanor, becoming a highlight in the Dragon Knights’ memories.
An hour later, Fire Dragon was a little drunk. She stood up, occasionally breathing fire, her eyes glazed over. Having lost her usual liveliness, she became somewhat gentle, telling the Dragon Knights the story of how she and her sister were rescued by the Dragon King.
Azure blushed repeatedly. She had a very close relationship with Fire, and hearing those past events, she drank even more.
Ann also began to recount her past as a human, sharing the dirty prayers and desires of humanity for everyone’s amusement.
Reina listened carefully, not missing a single word from her subordinates, analyzing the personalities of these 16 individuals, their abilities and areas of expertise, to better assign and manage them in the future.
But amidst the revelry, Reina noticed Calysia sitting quietly in a corner of the table, closing her eyes and swirling the red wine in her glass, a cold and melancholic smile on her face, a beautiful yet distinct scene, as if the joyous atmosphere had nothing to do with her, as if she didn’t belong.
She remembered the scene of Calysia committing suicide in front of her.
And, throughout the entire boss battle, there were no other dragon mobs to obstruct her.
Calysia seemed to be forgotten.
She was always alone.
She walked up to Calysia, who looked up at her with a faint smile, no other expression on her face.
Reina’s heart trembled.
She quickly took Calysia’s hand and led her back to the noisy table, raising her voice.
“Everyone, listen up.”
The Dragon Knights, who had been excitedly discussing Ann’s story and mocking those dirty confessions, fell silent upon hearing Reina’s voice, waiting for her to speak.
“Thank you all for your support and trust. I believe that whether it’s today, in the distant future, or in the legends of bygone eras, today will be a day to remember.”
“I now know a little about your stories and experiences.”
“Maintaining your original intentions, wholeheartedly devoted to the dragon race, never forgetting the Dragon King’s grace.”
“Therefore, our identities are bestowed upon us by the Dragon King. Our past, present, and future are all the Dragon King’s expectations and trust.”
“Everyone here, I, [Azure Scale New Moon], sincerely implore you.”
“No matter what happens in the future, never betray the dragon race, never forget the Dragon King’s grace, never let down the Dragon King’s expectations, even if it means facing insurmountable odds, regardless of the fate of the world.”
“Please don’t forget her.”
Reina raised her glass and drank it all in one gulp.
The Dragon Knights also stood up and drank their wine with fervor.
“Well said. This is not only a responsibility but also a duty.”
“Are you kidding, Lord Azure Scale? My life was given to me by the Dragon King!”
“I am wholeheartedly devoted to the Dragon King and will never betray her.”
The atmosphere was instantly ignited, the banquet reaching its peak.
Calysia lowered her head, her eyes hidden in the darkness. In her eyes, Reina’s figure gradually grew larger, and gradually, the lights, the Dragon Knights, the wine glasses… everything disappeared, leaving only Reina’s slightly drunken, serious face.
Calysia smiled faintly and said, in a volume Reina couldn’t possibly hear:
“Thank you.”
It’s so wholesome 🥰