“Isn’t it strange?” I started. “You told me that Rustaval are a country of demi-humans that hate humans, but why did I see some humans loitering around the streets freely?”

I spoke while scrolling a random chapter of the earlier parts of the novel. Of course, the novel didn’t talk much about Rustaval, but I kinda remembered Kuzan, one of the love interests, told Minerva about his background when the two of them were about to attack Andorhal, a kingdom located east of Edith, where there are still demi-human slavery going on.

Kuzan has a deep hatred for humans, yet he somehow fall in love with Minerva and would always assist her if she wanted to conquer a place, mostly with politics, because he’s good with his mouth. But with Andorhal, a physical battle took place, and yeap, Carter is in it, and he got injured, and yada yada, plot progressions, relationship thicken, plot chickens, and their like towards each other increased a bit.

Sigh e_e

I mean, I’m not annoyed or anything about their plot progressions. I mean, ‘The Villainess is My Lover’ has one of the best written plots in my opinion, because the protagonist, despite being evil, fits the criteria of a villainess that many would love. Beautiful, sassy, intelligent, a queen, and people might not see it, but she’s also passionate, despite his cold demeanour. The scenario during their war with Andorhal was written pleasantly, including the interactions between Carter and Minerva.

I feel so single… T_T

Now that the reason for my annoyance has been revealed, we’re back to the original question, of why there are humans mingling amidst the demi-humans despite the information that king despises human.

“I honestly wondered about that myself.” Clairmont replied. His gaze was directed outside the carriage, probably looking at the streets or the people, or just simply emptily staring into the air. “Last time I visited Rustaval, I remembered the country didn’t permit humans, be it merchants nor adventurers. I didn’t expect for the law to change this quickly.”

“Really?” I shifted my sitting position and adjusted my dress and the sleeves of my dress. Because I at least want to look proper, and at the same time, fending off the cold even though I don’t have to, but just lemme do what I want. I slid my gaze from the hologram window in front of me towards Clairmont.

“How long has it been since the last time you visited Rustaval?” I might be able to make connections with the intel I had from the novel.

“About 70 years ago, I think.” Clairmont answered, sounding serious.

70 years…

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Of course, the law would change if it’s 70 years! You think a civilization would keep on using the same law for almost a century? They had to revise the laws frequently against the change of nature and living.” I think that’s why the law had changed into enabling humans to enter Rustaval. If it’s that long, then the change won’t be that strange.

“Well, I know that laws would change along with time, but you have to keep in mind that elves are beings that lives a long life, so their perception of time are different than humans. 70 years for them is nothing, like how 70 years is quick for me.”

I pursed my lips. Hearing about the perception of time getting twisted the longer you lived somewhat scares me. Is this what it felt like to live for a long time? I didn’t even live that long yet, but what happens if I did?

How did these people sustain their sanity during that period of time?

“…Anyways, we’ll get the answers when we arrived at the palace later.”

Clairmont suddenly scoffed. “Hah, do you think they would talk about the issuing of law to us, mere adventurers in their eyes?”

“Well, we won’t know if we didn’t try.” I pouted. Now I’m contemplating whether I did right or not in trying to save Rustaval. Why did I have to reincarnate before Rustaval was ruined?

Those two wanderers, I really need to have a talk with them.

Our entrance to the palace was quite grand. We walked through the hallways, followed with bellowing trumpet from our right side and left side that gives off a triumphant aura, as if welcoming heroes of the country that just won against the demon lord.

This is bad, I just remembered my goal to live peacefully while stanning my ships. Being a named dragon, a dragon, and even an SS-rank adventurer ran over all the things that I marked as being ‘peaceful’. Even meeting Clairmont Rodrigar wasn’t actually categorized at ‘peaceful’. Just which part of my life is peaceful? Maybe before I met the duo and lived my life as a normal and depressed university student?

Still, I still didn’t see the reason why Rustaval would fall soon. The novel said that in a few days, everything will turn into chaos, which resulted the kingdom to be nothing but ashes, but what I see was a serene view of the people interacting with each other in a pleasant manner. They looked pretty calm too.

The bellowing trumpets stopped when we arrived at the main door of the throne hall. It was a massive door adorned with the colour green and golden, and the one who opened the door weren’t a pair of knights in shining armour and intimidating weapons on their side, it was a pair of beautiful elven females; with silk dress that draped down their beautiful figure, and smooth and soft-looking hair braided loosely with big and small flowers slipped in between the braids.

They’re beautiful, very, beautiful. And they can even use magic.

The pair opened the main door with a gesture of their hands, as if they’re weaving magic in the air. So, the colour of their magic is light green, huh? It’s quite different from my magic, which is icy blue or white most of the time.

My focus on the beautiful elves dissipated when we entered the throne room. It now shifted to the ambience of my surroundings. Somehow the throne room’s ambience is something that I had expected. The ceiling is tall and dome shaped, with huge, brown coloured vines creeping up from the white marble floor up above. Well, you might think the view is pretty messed up and stuffy with the vines, but they only climbed the pillars that support the throne room, and they spread evenly, as if the branches and roots were mould and bent under a spell. The hall is also filled with yellow and green lights, further increasing the fantasy-like image of the thrown hall.

I stared at my surroundings in awe. I’ve seen much of throne rooms in mangas and animes, but seeing one in real life hits different.

My gaze then shifted to the front, where the throne is located at. Sitting on a throne, was a figure of a young-looking man; his long soft yellow hair was left to freely fall on his shoulders, creating an elegant, but also wise appearance, when his hawk-shaped green pair of eyes gazed upon us calmly.

That’s him.

Kuzan Rustaval, the King of the kingdom of Rustaval. He is depicted as an elegant man in the novel, and that’s that. I wondered why Kuzan’s character description was that only one word, but now that I could see him clearly despite our distance, I can say that the word really complimented his features.

I snapped out of my daze when the butler, who led us from the palace entrance to the throne hall, motioned us to stand on a spot, a few metres away from the throne.

Before anything, the two of us showed our courtesy in front of the King. I have been raring to act like those nobles in the manga, where they behaved with poise in front of the King, but as for Clairmont, I’m sure he did it while in spite, because I forced him.

“What is this mockery?” Suddenly I head a whisper in my head.

Hm?

“Tell me why I have to bow to this mere elf.”

Hm??

Am I hearing things?

“Don’t tell me you didn’t hear me, Suna. We’re literally standing side by side.”

Eh hold on a second.

I darted my eyes to him beside me. Is it just me or did we just TELEPATHICALLY talk to each other?

“…We greet the sun of the kingdom, Your Majesty King Kuzan Rustaval.” I tried to control my expression. If we weren’t acting right now, I would have asked Clairmont how he did that. But we are in the presence of a king of a country, and even if it doesn’t matter to him, it matters to me.

Kuzan nodded to my greetings. He then fell silent as he glanced over to Clairmont.

What is he doing? Why didn’t he greet the king?

“…I greet the sun of the kingdom, Your Majesty King Kuzan Rustaval.” Clairmont began to speak.

The King then nodded again.

“Raise you heads.”

We then raised our heads.

I could see from the side that Clairmont looked pretty annoyed by the pleasantries. I might get bombarded with questions after this is over, but Clairmont, even though we are dragons, we are humans in the King’s eyes. I don’t know how should I tell him this because I don’t know how to talk to him telepathically. TT_TT

“I heard that the two of you are granted SS-rank as an adventurer. It pleases my heart that two such high ranked adventurers are present in this kingdom.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” I decided to become the representative for the two of us. Who know what Clairmont might say to the King. Might be something crude along the line, but I’m not here to take the risk.

“Then let us switch place. I have prepared a small banquet for you two.” Oh, I sure hope you do. And I sure think that it’s not small. :,)

The King stood up and left the throne room first, before the two of us followed suit. I tried to coax Clairmont so he won’t get mad at me for having him act like a noble so we had a short chat as we left the throne room. But before I even start, I sensed an unfamiliar presence not too far from me.

“Hm?” I looked around. Apart from the guards guarding every corner of the throne room, I didn’t see anyone else.

“Did you sense that?” I asked Clairmont.

He was still irked from the earlier incident, so with a deep sigh, he replied, “Don’t mind it, there are more than a dozen presence in this throne hall that wanted to kill the King. Those guards who guarded the last four pillars too.” He jerked his head to the female guards who guarded the entrance. “I don’t think the king notices that the assassins are already placed among his people. If he still didn’t realize it until later date, then he might die just like that.”

Eh?

“You’re kidding me, right?” I looked at him in disbelief.