R4STWH - Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Although I was very angry, I decided to think calmly first.
“Can we use the gate right now?”
In order to use a gate within the Empire's territory, there was a procedure that required applying to the management department, receiving permission, and paying a round-trip fee.
Unless it was a special case, the procedure usually finished within an hour, so there was no problem using the gate if you applied before departing.
But now, it was right after the Emperor had died, and that too, having been murdered by someone.
“That’s…… It’s hard to be sure.”
The saintess answered hesitantly.
“Based on my experience, I think it’ll be difficult. The Imperial Family will probably try to close the gates near the capital until the internal chaos subsides.”
“What about forcefully taking control of the gate?”
“That’s too risky. Setting the coordinates is the job of mages, and we have no way of verifying them. They might pretend to submit and send us to the wrong place.”
My worries grew even more at Elias's words.
The time it would take to reach Tenaclad while using the gate at full speed was about four hours. If we didn’t use the gate, it would take a full three days.
Then what method was there to drastically reduce this time?
I stared intently at the white palace that was still at the edge of my vision before,
“I’ll be back after stopping by the 1st Imperial Prince’s palace for a moment.”
After simply stating my destination, I jumped out of the carriage without waiting for an answer.
And one minute later, I returned with Ermitar tucked under my arm.
“……!”
“Lady Ilesha, what……!”
“Who is this……?”
While everyone was shocked, Crow, who was the only one who didn’t know Ermitar’s identity, asked with a puzzled expression.
“It’s a dragon.”
“Huh?”
“Dragons can fly in the sky, right? Besides, he’s big enough to carry all four of us.”
“Huuuuh?!”
This time it was the saintess who screamed.
As if they were partners in crime, the expressions of Crow and the saintess were exactly the same.
“I am not a means of transportation……!”
“How did you bring this guy? Didn’t the 1st Imperial Prince or 1st Imperial Princess stop you?”
I lightly ignored Ermitar’s grumbling and answered Elias’s question.
“Of course I brought him while keeping it a secret from them.”
I had to use about 10 seconds of the 50-second daily limit on releasing my stat restriction, but I didn't regret it since it was a necessary action.
It wasn't easy for me, with my body under so many restrictions, to deceive Yumi and Baeksa's senses, break the restraints and steal Ermitar.
“They’ll be surprised to see an empty prison.”
Elias chuckled and stared intently at Ermitar.
Ermitar, as if trying to avoid making eye contact with Elias, lowered his eyes slightly.
“……?”
'There definitely seems to be something there.'
Seeing that, I became curious about the point of contact between those two in the future.
When and in what kind of situation they would meet, whether they would be enemies or allies.
If I asked, Elias would surely tell me without hiding anything.
But right now…… there wasn't any time to waste on worrying about that.
As the carriage was leaving the imperial palace and heading outside of the capital, I started to rummage through my inventory and take out the necessary items.
'Since the saintess is weak, she’ll also need items with cold resistance.'
I completely wrapped the saintess up so that only her eyes were barely visible, and had Crow wear items that increased his stamina and strength.
Because we would have to hold on to Ermitar for at least three hours.
'And Elias is…….'
I paused for a moment and looked at him.
The unbelievable genius with a perfectly balanced distribution of strength, stamina, agility, and mental strength, was staring at me with a calm face.
'Hmm…… it doesn't seem like he needs anything.'
Elias could probably last on top of Ermitar all day.
He was also already fully equipped with the best items that had been released in this world at the moment.
Besides me, Baeksa, and Yumi, who had crossed over from other worlds, the only person who could be called Elias’s rival was probably only this lizard.
Just as I had roughly finished preparing, the carriage we were in left the capital.
After getting out in a secluded place and sending the carriage back first, I said to Ermitar.
“Release your Polymorph.”
“……Do you really have to do this?”
“Yeah, I have to.”
“Aish, damn…….”
Ermitar, who had muttered something similar to a curse, moved his feet slowly and put some distance between us.
Then, I felt a rush of mana being drawn into one place, and his body, which had been surrounded by light, expanded greatly.
The scales that covered his entire body absorbed the sunlight as it was and shone even more redly, and the huge pair of wings, just by fluttering once, created a sandstorm.
After shedding the stuffy human shell and regaining his original form after a long time, he stretched his limbs out as if he was doing stretches and lifted his head high.
And as per his habits, he opened his mouth to,
-Krr, rurp……?
I quickly ran over to him and covered his snout before he could roar.
“Be quiet. Don’t you have any sense?”
There was a reason why I had purposely gone outside of the capital and come quite a distance away from it, so why was he trying to show off his presence?
“If you make any sound recklessly, I’ll break your horns off.”
-How can you say such cruel things…….
Even while looking at me with a wronged gaze, Ermitar closed his mouth quietly.
Once I was convinced that he wouldn’t do anything foolish, I wrapped a rope that I had taken out beforehand around his body several times.
“But you’ve really gotten a lot smaller.”
-It’s only natural since I’ve gotten younger.
When he had first appeared in our world, he seemed to be about three times bigger than now, the kid has become quite small.
Even still, he was a dragon, so the saintess and Crow had run far away, looking pale.
On the other hand, Elias was approaching me without a surprised look and silently helping me.
-It’s uncomfortable! If you wrap it up too tightly, it’ll be hard to move!
“Don’t act like that. You were fine when you were flying around with dozens of swords stuck in you.”
This level of caution was needed to be able to hold on firmly and ride.
“What are you doing? Come here quickly.”
“Lady Ilesha……. I’m…… I’m so scared……. I have a fear of heights, a fear of reptiles, I just can’t……”
-A reptile!?
“Eeeek!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility for you.”
“I want to go using the gate…… Isn’t it okay if I just go using the gate…….”
She was trembling so badly that I could hear the sound of her teeth clattering.
I gave up on trying to persuade her, and picked her up before climbing on top of Ermitar.
“Eeeeeek! Ack! Aaaack!”
No matter how much she screamed, her voice was no more than a chirping sound, so I ignored her and had her sit down in front of me.
Crow, who was well aware that his own will was useless, crawled onto Ermitar's body and found a suitable spot.
When even Elias climbed up, Ermitar glanced back at us before moving his wings.
-It’s best if you hold on tightly.
With that one warning, his body soared rapidly into the air.
“Aaaaaaaaack-!”
I held the waist of the saintess, who was screaming, tightly and checked on Elias and Crow.
Even though his forehead was furrowed due to the wind that was as sharp as a blade, Elias was steadily holding on, as expected.
And Crow was…….
His face was completely white as he closed his eyes tightly, he looked like he was having the most difficult time I’d ever seen.
'But it doesn't seem like it's to the point where he can't endure it.'
He didn’t lack strength or stamina. It was probably that it was difficult to endure the ride.
It was because Ermitar, who was extremely prideful even though he had obediently lent his back out of fear of my revenge, was flying with all his strength, wanting us to suffer.
'It's good for me.'
I was already in a hurry, and it was great that he was going at maximum speed on his own.
“Huuuuh, crazy…… It’s like crazy, huuuuh……. I want to go home……. Please let me go home…….”
The saintess, who had reached the point of wailing instead of screaming, was just a little pitiful.
Although I had estimated it would take at least three hours, we were able to reach Tenaclad around noon. It was a reduction of nearly an hour.
Looking down from the sky, I could see a swarm of monsters crawling to try and get over the city walls.
'They were holding up well, weren’t they?'
While I was looking over the front lines with a sense of surprise, I discovered a person that I had never expected to see there.
'Clea……?'
Elias’s younger sister, who controlled the spirits, was blowing away the monsters that were crawling up the walls.
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