Evil Dragon Chapter 32: Jumping Off

Chapter 32: Jumping Off

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai, Kris

 

Lin Nuo suddenly turned his head and looked outside the window at the flowers, trees, blue sky, and white clouds. He took deep breaths of the fresh air and exclaimed loudly, “It’s not what you think! I didn’t do anything! I was just… wait, I was thinking about my homework!”

He seemed to forget that Rennes hadn’t even asked what he was thinking about. To cover his own confusion, Lin Nuo reopened his notebook and laid it on the writing desk, earnestly looking at the questions.

Rennes remained silent, only occasionally throwing a question Lin Nuo’s way when he frowned or nibbled on his pen, indicating he couldn’t continue writing. Then Rennes would let Lin Nuo ponder and write the answers himself. Once again, Lin Nuo forgot that strange, awkward feeling from before and reverted to being a polite, studious, & hardworking student.

And so, another day passed.

To save time, Rennes had both lunch and dinner eaten in the carriage, even canceling their afternoon tea. It wasn’t until around 2 a.m. that the carriage stopped at the entrance of an inn. By then, Lin Nuo had exhausted himself during the day while trying to finish his assignments and had dozed off shortly after nightfall inside the carriage.

Looking at Lin Nuo sleeping peacefully with his head tilted back on the sofa bench, Rennes’s face displayed a hint of reluctance. He couldn’t possibly let this form of His Highness the young prince sleep soundly on his lap like the little dragon version. He stood up, bent down, and gently tapped Lin Nuo’s shoulder.

“Your Highness, wake up so you can get out of the carriage.”

Lin Nuo’s eyes slowly opened, and he suddenly exclaimed, “Why didn’t you touch it?!”

“Huh?” Rennes furrowed his brow but didn’t respond.

Lin Nuo widened his eyes slightly, staring blankly at the exquisite and beautiful face in front of him for a while. Then his expression changed abruptly as he denied, “I, what did I just say? I… I… I was half asleep! I didn’t say anything!”

Rennes nodded solemnly, “I understand.”

Lin Nuo blushed and stood up, saying, “Oh, have we arrived at the inn? I’m getting off!”

With that, he leaped off the carriage, dashed into the inn, and stood bewildered in the lobby, unsure of which room to go to.

It wasn’t until Rennes walked in with long strides, wearing a somewhat helpless expression, “Your Highness, your room is on the second floor. Just follow me.”

Head down, Lin Nuo silently followed Rennes upstairs. Before entering the room, Lin Nuo repeated, “I really was half asleep just now.”

Standing beside him, Rennes turned the doorknob to his own room and said, “Your Highness, you’re tired. Go rest.” After a pause, Rennes leaned in slightly, softly whispered, “Good night.”

He didn’t immediately close the door, standing there as if waiting for Lin Nuo’s response. But the young prince dared not say anything. He just covered his burning ears, hurriedly pushed open the door, and disappeared into the room.

Once inside, he sighed heavily, slumped against the door, and in his mind yelled, What’s wrong with me? Why am I acting so weird? Asking him to touch what? Touch what!

From Lin Nuo’s perspective, the dream just now was actually quite innocent. He merely dreamed that he had turned back into the evil little dragon, running a high fever and lying weakly in front of Rennes, waiting for him to cool him down. Why did a sentence so easily misunderstood pop out the moment he woke up from such an innocent dream?

After sitting on the floor for a while, feeling frustrated, Lin Nuo got up. He quickly freshened up, then held the hidden gold coins in his hand and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes. In a half-asleep state, Lin Nuo suddenly realized a problem: Why aren’t I worried anymore that Rennes might uncover my identity and have me executed?

Quickly, Lin Nuo heard a voice within himself saying: Forget it; this person loves the evil little dragon he’s taken care of so well. He repeatedly saves the little dragon and even praises its cuteness in such a strange manner in front of me. He probably… wouldn’t bear to kill the little dragon, right?

Of course, provided the evil little dragon doesn’t suddenly turn into a big evil dragon. As for the human me, he probably… doesn’t dislike me, right? Perhaps, maybe it’s more than just not disliking? Lost in these thoughts, the exhausted Lin Nuo finally drifted off to sleep.

—

The next three days were spent on the road. Determined not to say anything strange again, Lin Nuo made up his mind: He must not fall asleep in the carriage! 

So, at night, even if he felt exhausted to the point of tears, he refused to close his eyes and sleep. To resist the danger of accidentally falling asleep, Lin Nuo began drawing. At first, while drawing in the carriage, Lin Nuo kept sneaking glances at Rennes, wanting to know if Rennes would look at his drawings. Almost every time Lin Nuo stole a glance, Rennes was resting with his eyes closed.

After repeating this several times, Lin Nuo felt he was being overly sensitive and boring himself. Look at the knight: so straightforward, so natural!

So, Lin Nuo also began drawing naturally, working on a small comic that would completely keep him awake, “The Ice-Cold Knight Mewling Under the Oppression of the Evil Dragon Series – Part Two.”

In this episode, the Ice-Cold Knight, still planning to slay the dragon, unexpectedly got drunk on the eve of the expedition— Lin Nuo didn’t think about why the Ice-Cold Knight would get drunk. Anyway, after getting drunk, the Ice-Cold Knight swaggered up to the evil dragon, laughing wildly, and said, “Today, I will surely defeat you!” Of course, whether or not the Ice-Cold Knight’s crazy laughter would ruin his character wasn’t something Lin Nuo was thinking about either.

Following this, the Ice-Cold Knight collapsed with a bang, snoring heavily on the ground. At this moment, the evil dragon smirked wickedly, waving its claws, and removed the knight’s armor piece by piece, then tore his undershirt—

“Hmm?” Suddenly, Rennes opened his eyes and asked in a nasal tone.

Lin Nuo’s hand trembled, and his pen fell to the floor. Seeing the pen rolling on the floor, Rennes frowned slightly, gestured lightly, and made the pen fly into his hand. Lin Nuo, who was now completely red-faced, didn’t know what to say.

Should I say I was drawing a little comic? That would be suicide.

Once three days had passed, their destination, Crystal Town, was finally within reach. Before embarking on this journey, Lin Nuo had been extremely puzzled: Why was Rennes so insistent on taking on this task? Why would he choose something that he knew would provoke the dissatisfaction of the other two princes?

Along the way, Lin Nuo had subtly asked Rennes twice, but each time, Rennes changed the subject without providing an answer. The more Rennes behaved this way, the deeper Lin Nuo’s doubts grew. Could it be that he wanted me to see the scenery on the journey? No, that couldn’t be it. It wasn’t Rennes’ style. So, what was the reason?

Despite Lin Nuo’s confusion, Crystal Town was now in sight.

On this clear morning, the carriage traversed a vast grassland and ascended a long slope. From atop the slope, you could see a wide gorge stretch out in front, with the Jyasha River flowing through it. The water, usually calm, became tumultuous here, crashing against the banks and creating strings of white foam.

Inside the gorge lay a small town built on the riverbank. The town wasn’t large, and Lin Nuo could now clearly see a smooth brick road running through it. Rows of houses with gray bricks and black roof tiles lined the sides of the road, all neatly aligned.

Lin Nuo knew that around the seemingly unremarkable town lay an unseen barrier, like a transparent dome, protecting the entire town. Though he couldn’t clearly see this barrier, he could sense the magical presence surrounding the town’s periphery. Crystal Town, as its name suggests, produced only one thing: crystal stones. It was the sole location in the Saros Special Territory where these crystals were harvested.

These crystals, capable of storing and accumulating magical power, were indispensable in Saros. Everything from lighting systems to water facilities and even the equipment in the royal palace relied on these crystal stones and the magic they held within.

Despite their significance, Crystal Town wasn’t a place one could easily enter. The Heinrich family, representing the royal house, and the Clement family, the most loyal guardians of the royal house, had jointly established an imperceptible magical barrier around the town centuries ago. Anyone or anything not approved by the royal house couldn’t trespass.

Lin Nuo remembered an image from his Saros history class, depicting a deceitful noble trying to sneak into Crystal Town concealed in the royal carriage’s luggage compartment. The magical barrier detected his intrusion and, within a minute, tore him into pieces, leaving no chance of survival.

Thinking about that scene sent shivers down Lin Nuo’s spine.

As the carriage approached the town’s entrance, the oppressive magical presence became more pronounced. Lin Nuo found it hard to ignore and felt his breathing grow labored. His fingers instinctively clutched the soft velvet of the seat. Suddenly, a slightly cool & dry hand covered Lin Nuo’s tensed hand, interlocking fingers with an unwavering intent. The oppressive feeling dissipated as their hands entwined.

But instead of feeling at ease, Lin Nuo’s breathing stopped. His heart pounded wildly, the sound ringing in his ears.

“Linno, don’t be afraid.” That voice, that tone, the reassurance embedded in those two words instantly reminded Lin Nuo of the feeling when Rennes had saved him as a little dragon. 

Did this person use the same soothing words then? Wait, have I, unintentionally, received the same treatment as the little dragon? Why am I comparing myself to a pet?

During that brief moment of confusion, the carriage had completely passed through the barrier and now smoothly moved down the cobblestone roads of Crystal Town. Rennes swiftly withdrew his hand. Adjusting his breathing, he debated whether to turn and speak to Rennes and what to say, but Rennes spoke first, “Your Highness, the discomfort you felt earlier was due to your internal magical power being compressed by external forces. I’ve sorted it out; you should be fine now.”

Ah, so that’s what happened. Lin Nuo felt a bit embarrassed about his earlier strange thoughts.

Soon, the carriage arrived at a long, gray-brick building: the above ground section of the Crystal Collection Site, guarded and overseen by the kingdom’s guards. Here, guards in magically blessed armor periodically descended into the underground mine to collect various types of crystals.

These crystals, once collected, were sorted and then transported by royal carriages to Saros’s major hubs, where they would release the stored magical power that was essential for various purposes.

After the specialized crystals for the Summer Solstice Festival were efficiently loaded up, Lin Nuo sighed. Hadn’t most of the mission been completed? Next, they only needed to visit the Divine City, where the Church was located, to receive a blessing on behalf of the royal house, and they could smoothly begin their journey home!

Just as Lin Nuo moved to the side and stretched lazily under the morning sun, Sir Rennes approached and said, “Come with me.”

Lin Nuo’s initial reaction was surprise. Is the knight actively inviting me somewhere? In all the time we’ve known each other, this is the first time I’ve heard Rennes say something like this!

The young prince scratched his head, feeling a mix of excitement, nervousness, and perhaps a hint of anticipation. His face lit up with a smile as he looked at Rennes, expressing eagerness, “Sure, let’s go now?”

Seeing Lin Nuo’s unguarded expression, Rennes paused for a moment, then calmly said, “Your Highness, don’t you want to ask where I’m taking you?”

Lin Nuo hesitated for a moment before responding seriously, “I’m not worried.”

Rennes’s lips curved into a gentle smile as he turned gracefully, gesturing for Lin Nuo to follow. Lin Nuo didn’t suspect that the place Rennes wanted to take him to would be such a strange one. The two walked through the busy gray-bricked building and headed straight to the entrance of the Crystal Collection Site.

Due to their special status and Rennes’ intimidating aura, the officers & soldiers, aside from saluting, quickly cleared the way without daring to ask questions. Soon, Lin Nuo saw the entrance to the collection site— a large black door. 

Lin Nuo had learned from his books that beyond this door was a dark staircase leading underground. The soldiers responsible for extraction would descend at fixed intervals and collect stones based on the growth cycles of different crystals.

Confused, Lin Nuo looked at Rennes and asked, “Teacher, are we going to visit the collection site in person?”

Was this some kind of social practice activity for the summer vacation?

Rennes didn’t answer; instead, he gestured to the soldiers standing around. The soldiers saluted and quickly retreated, leaving only Rennes and Lin Nuo at the entrance of the collection site. Rennes walked to the side of the door and didn’t push it open. Instead, he began to draw a magic circle on the light grey wall.

After a moment, the magic circle started emitting a faint blue light. Rennes made a gesture with his right hand, and the magic circle, as if coming to life, began to rotate smoothly. At this moment, Lin Nuo saw a well slowly revealing itself on the originally smooth and clean brick floor. The hole had a diameter of about five meters. Looking down, it emitted a faint blue and light golden glow. These lights were like tangible lines, undulating and intersecting, forming a dense web that completely blocked the well.

Just gazing at these radiant strings, Lin Nuo felt a bit uneasy. This uneasiness seemed familiar, similar to the oppression he felt when entering the town and passing through the magic barrier. 

Could this be another magical barrier? Lin Nuo subconsciously took two steps back, wiping the fine sweat that had formed on his forehead. He asked, “Teacher, what is this?”

“This is a special passage to the Collection Site,” Rennes calmly explained. “Only through this special passage can we reach the place I truly want to take you.”

“Oh…” Lin Nuo bit his lip, raising his hand slightly and pointing to the sparkling webs inside the well. He asked, trembling a bit, “So, what are these?”

“These are also magic barriers,” Rennes explained calmly. “This passage is only open to the descendants of the Heinrich and Clement families. Anyone else cannot pass through this passage.”

Looking at the well with the fascinating beams of light undulating, an ominous premonition rose in Lin Nuo’s heart. “Wait, so you mean, if someone isn’t a member of the royal family or the Clement family, they will be cut into pieces by these strings?”

Images of the gruesome playing cards from the textbook flashed in his mind.

“Yes,” Rennes replied. 

Lin Nuo’s heart began to beat rapidly, and his throat felt dry. In his view, when he passed through the magic barrier around the town, he wasn’t torn into pieces because he had been a passenger in a carriage recognized by the royal family. The carriage itself was his pass.

Although he was nervous at that time, it wasn’t too frightening. But now, if Rennes wanted him to jump into this well— Wouldn’t the fake little prince without blood from the Heinrich family be recognized by the magic circle and torn into pieces in minutes?

“Ah, I suddenly feel a bit tired. Teacher, how about we stop here for today? Or maybe I’ll go back to the carriage first?” Lin Nuo, anxious and afraid, wanted to leave immediately, not even caring to find a decent excuse.

Unexpectedly, Rennes took a long step, blocking Lin Nuo. Then, he reached out, encircling Lin Nuo’s shoulders with his arms. Rennes placed one hand on the back of Lin Nuo’s head, allowing him to bury his head in Rennes’ neck, whispering softly, “Hold on to me. Don’t be afraid.”

What is this, exactly? Before Lin Nuo could react, Rennes had already lifted him up, supporting his buttocks and thighs, holding him like one would carry a child. Then, with a few quick steps, Rennes carried him straight into the well covered by the magic web.

“No!” Lin Nuo screamed in terror. 

 

 

 

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