Evil Dragon Chapter 2: Caught!

Chapter 2: Caught!

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Kris

What good could come out of this? Of course, it’s not good! How could I possibly let go of this precious gold coin? Without hesitation, Lin Nuo held onto the coin tightly, even biting the edge, preparing to flap his wings and fly into the sky. His wings wouldn’t move. His wings, his two legs, his claws—none of them could budge. His entire being, or rather, his entire dragon form, felt firmly rooted to the ground, as if under a spell.

What’s worse, due to his initial spread wing posture, his body was leaning forward. Suddenly, after stiffening up, Lin Nuo was off-balance and plopped face first onto the ground. The gold coin landed heavily on his flat head.

Ouch, it hurts!

“Rennes, what’s wrong with this little creature?” the slightly shorter young man continued. “Why did it suddenly fall?”

“Well… perhaps it got frightened suddenly and reacted,” the man known as Rennes replied calmly.

Rennes? Rennes?!  Confused due to the obsession with the gold coin and his disoriented mind, Lin Nuo faintly felt that this name was familiar. Ah! Sir Rennes Clement! The paladin Rennes who will ultimately behead me! How did I encounter him so quickly?! And in dragon form?! Does that mean I’m done for as soon as I appear?

Lin Nuo screamed in despair in his mind, System! System!

[Host, it’s my resting time. Why are you summoning me?] After a while, the System finally responded coldly.

System! Why can’t I move? I’ve encountered a knight who will chop me up! Quickly, help me escape! Lin Nuo cried out in desperation.

[Sorry, the System just checked. A young dragon encountering a knight will be immobilized due to excessive fear; this is part of the plot. The System cannot assist you in changing the plot! Please continue to work hard and avoid revealing your identity too early to prevent a game-over! Additionally, considering you’re a beginner, I made an exception by responding during the resting time. After this, the System won’t respond to your summons. Please be aware.]

After leaving this cold and ruthless sentence, the System never replied to Lin Nuo again.

It’s over. Filled with despair, Lin Nuo simply closed his eyes and played dead.

“Ah? Why did it even close its eyes? Could it be dead?” Rennes’s companion exclaimed.

“No, it’s just playing dead,” Rennes’s voice remained calm.

“Uh…” Lin Nuo, caught in his ruse, could only close his eyes tighter.

“Hehe, Rennes, I find this little creature quite fun. Digging up gold coins at night, playing dead, and it seems to understand human language? Can I take it back to keep as a pet?” 

“Keep as a pet?” Rennes said coldly, “Roy, I’ve said it many times: creatures aren’t pets. The cuter they look, the more likely they are to be cunning and vicious demons.”

Roy? So, the other person is Roy Clement, Rennes’s cousin. Even though Lin Nuo only glanced through the outline of the whole book, he had some memory of this name. Roy Clement had been one of the hunted prey of the dragon, had been deceived into bankruptcy by giving away the family treasures to said dragon and had been eventually… ea… eaten…

So, one of these two people here would be eaten by the original dragon, and the other would behead it… What kind of foolish plot is this?

Lin Nuo, unable to move, was pounding his chest and stamping his feet in his mind.

“Ah, is it going to end like this?” Roy asked, feeling very guilty and regretful.

Meanwhile, Lin Nuo’s heart was beating frantically, almost jumping out.

“No need,” Rennes concluded.

Phew… Lin Nuo breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that, at least for today, he won’t die.

“This new species I’ve never seen before should be taken back for research,” Rennes added.

Huh?! Lin Nuo’s heart rate, which hadn’t settled yet, suddenly elevated again. Taken back for research? What does that mean?! Dissection?! Isn’t that brutal?! 

Lin Nuo hadn’t figured out what ‘research’ meant, but his body was lifted up by a hand wearing white gloves. Rennes placed his entire dragon body, along with the gold coin, in the palm of his right hand. Suddenly, a very light aroma enveloped Lin Nuo.

It smells so… so good! Is this the scent from this person’s body? Why is it so fragrant? Lin Nuo knew that the nobles in this world loved using powders and perfumes. Yesterday at the banquet, regardless of gender, everyone exuded the strong odor of cosmetics, which stung his eyes. The scent from this person’s body, compared to those other smells, was exceptionally fresh, like a cypress pressed by layers of snow in the depths of a winter night—extremely cold and peaceful.

But obviously, now was not the time to admire the fragrance! He’s been captured, and his life is hanging by a thread!

Rennes, the knight who had successfully captured the little demon, held Lin Nuo in his right hand with the gold coin and conjured a silver cage out of thin air with a gesture of his left hand. Then Lin Nuo and the coin were tossed into the cage.

“Ah, it enters the beast-taming cage so obediently! So cute!” Roy loudly praised, then cautiously asked, “Um, can I carry the cage?”

“No. It’s dangerous if it escapes after being stressed,” Rennes showed no intention of giving the cage to Roy.

Muttering softly behind him, Roy said, “Only your aura can unlock this cage anyway. How could it possibly escape?”

Rennes completely ignored him, firmly holding Lin Nuo and the gold coin in his arms, and began walking downhill.

At the foot of the mountain were two saddled steeds. The two men mounted their horses in turn, and they galloped away. As for Lin Nuo, he was tied to the side of Rennes’s saddle, jostled by the horse’s movements, forced to listen to the conversation between the cousins.

Of course, it was more of Roy speaking non-stop, and Rennes occasionally replying.

Soon Lin Nuo understood: Rennes was supposed to have attended the banquet yesterday to welcome Lin Nuo but didn’t make it back due to the long journey. Now, Rennes was rushing to the palace overnight to meet this ‘little prince’ who had never shown his face. Of course, these two wouldn’t know that the little prince they were going to meet was currently strapped to their saddle, looking utterly dejected.

“By the way, Rennes, have you seen the portrait of this prince?” Roy asked with a smile.

“No,” Rennes replied briefly.

“Hey, my portable crystal received the image from my friend. I’ll project it out for you to see the picture from the banquet last night,” Roy said.

When Lin Nuo heard Roy mention a ‘portable crystal’, he wasn’t surprised. He knew that, although this world lacked modern technology like planes and cars, there were many convenient facilities with the assistance of magic. For example, turning on a tap in the bathroom would produce clean water, or the palace courtyard lights would automatically illuminate at night. Then there was the ‘portable crystal’ Roy mentioned.

This thing could receive distant messages, images, and even project these images. The crystal consumed a lot of magic power. Apart from the royal family members born with magic, only some prominent nobles and high-ranking church officials could afford it.

Due to the angle, Lin Nuo couldn’t see what Roy did, but he guessed that Roy probably took out the crystal and projected the images from last night into the air.

“Wow,” Lin Nuo heard Roy exclaim. “Rennes, look, the little prince looks quite handsome! Hey, ivory-colored skin, big bright eyes, and his hair is jet black, just like yours,” Roy seemed quite excited.

Rennes just responded with a grunt and made no comment.

“Haha, when I meet this prince, I have to make a good impression, leave him with a good image,” Roy said confidently.

Lin Nuo thought there was no need for any more feelings; the impression was already quite deep.

—

About an hour later, the two arrived at the palace. Since riding was prohibited in the palace square, their horses were taken to the stables by attendants. The attendants then guided them into the northern wing of the palace.

Of course, Rennes didn’t forget to remove the beast-taming cage from the saddle and continued carrying it in his hand. After walking along a corridor adorned with deep red carpets for about fifteen minutes, Rennes finally reached his room.

Upon reaching the door, the attendant politely mentioned that the room was ready and offered to help him change his shoes and clothes. Rennes coldly responded with a “No need” then, still carrying the beast-taming cage, pushed the door open and entered the room. The attendant, sweating profusely, hurried away.

Although Lin Nuo’s vision was obstructed by being locked in the cage, he could still see that Rennes’s room was quite spacious and comfortable, bordering on luxurious. The central bed was draped in red and silver brocade, while a silver wardrobe adorned with intricate grape & wheat motifs stood next to the wall.

Even the velvet tapestries on the wall were adorned with exquisite trimmings, shimmering golden hues under the illumination of the branched candelabra.

After closing the door, Rennes casually placed the beast-taming cage on a gilded carved peachwood round table, removed his gloves, tossed them aside, then opened the wardrobe and took out a set of white nightwear. His movements indicated a great familiarity with the room. Perhaps this room was exclusively his?

Rennes casually threw the nightwear onto a low sofa with a light gold velvet surface, then successively undid his cufflinks, the buttons on his front, removed the rose-patterned square scarf, took off his dark blue coat and white shirt, leaving himself half-naked. From Lin Nuo’s angle, he could see the man’s pale, cold skin, his sturdy waist, and clearly defined abdominal muscles. To be honest, such skin tone and those abs would draw countless admirers online, crying tears of admiration and calling him a ‘male deity’.

Lin Nuo wasn’t in the mood to admire the view. He could only pray inwardly: Are you going to take a bath? Please go take a bath!

Since Rennes had placed him on the table, Lin Nuo had gradually regained control of his body, able to move his little claws again. It seemed that as long as he kept a certain distance from this man, he wouldn’t be completely immobilized. Thus, he speculated that if this man moved farther away from him, he might be able to pry open the cage himself and fly away through the window. 

Maybe the gods of this world heard his prayers. After Rennes removed all his clothing, he indeed walked into the adjacent bathroom. As the man’s figure disappeared, Lin Nuo found his body becoming agile once more.

Hurriedly rushing to the edge of the beast-taming cage, Lin Nuo extended his little claws through the gaps, forcefully pressing down on the lock, attempting to open it. Regardless of how much he pushed, pulled, pressed, or tugged, the lock remained unyielding.

Lin Nuo recalled Roy’s mutterings, “Only Rennes’s aura can unlock this cage.”

Was it really true? What should he do now? Listening to the flowing water from the bathroom, Lin Nuo felt almost desperate. If he couldn’t escape, if he couldn’t return to his room, if tomorrow the attendants found the bedroom devoid of anyone with clothes scattered on the floor… Was the fate of this little evil dragon to be nothing more than a specimen for the cruel knight as soon as it appeared on the scene?!

 

 

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