Read Novel Full Vol 3 Chapter 2 Part 3
Vol 3 Chapter 2 Part 3
Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~
Part 3
As the group walked through the city, they came to a square in the center of the Imperial Capital.
Along the outer edge of the square, souvenir stalls lined the streets, crowded with people.
Watching the shopkeepers shouting loudly, Luna muttered in admiration.
“This street seems even more lively than the one we just passed.”
“Wow, those ceramic vessels are so cute… they could make good water containers for the Flower Weasels.”
“That amulet is cool…! I’ll take it as a souvenir for Master and the others!”
“I heard that those baked goods are worth a fortune! Let’s buy some!”
Lexia runs to the fortune stall.
The owner of the fortune stall shouts to the gathered customers.
“Come on, come on, here are the fortunes! I’ll give you some great prizes depending on the results! Today’s special prize is amazing! The ingenious inventor of the Romel Empire has developed a state-of-the-art magic device that can blow away even the mightiest monsters with its powerful water pressure, and it is called the ‘Dragon Roar Cannon’!”
The guests were stunned, and Xiaolin’s eyes widened.
“A-amazing! I’ve heard rumors that there is a genius inventor in the Romel Empire! I can’t believe this is the prize of the fortune…!”
But Luna and the others frowned when they saw the prizes lined up on the table.
“It’s strange. Noel’s magic tools should not have been distributed outside the Romel Empire yet.”
“Yes. And besides, the name is too cool! It’s definitely a fake!”
“Noel-san has a unique sense of style, doesn’t she…!”
“Huh? Lexia-san and the others know the genius inventor?”
“The owner of that store is trying to make money by deceiving his customers! That’s unforgivable!”
Lexia declared indignantly.
“Don’t be fooled, everyone! This magic tool is a fake!”
The customers were confused, and the shopkeeper twisted his mouth in annoyance.
“Fake, you say? That’s a false accusation.”
“We know the inventor very well. There is no way such a half-baked thing is her work!”
“Hahahahaha! Do you know the ingenious inventor of the Romel Empire? You don’t have any proof, but you’re making it difficult for me. You’re hurting my business; get out of here!”
The owner reached out to push Lexia.
“Lexia, stay back.”
“Ow!”
Luna quickly pulled Lexia back, and the book fell out of Lexia’s pocket.
“Oh! My romance novel!”
“You still have it with you?”
“Where the hell did you put it?”
“Huh? Something came out from between the books.”
Xiaolin was right; there was a palm-sized paper between the books.
“Oh, this is…!”
Lexia held up the beautifully decorated paper.
“Look, can’t you see this paper?”
“Huh? What about this paper?”
“For some reason, we have the great trust of Schleimann-sama of the Romel Empire! This is proof of it… a special pass with the approval of Schleimann-sama of the Romel Empire!”
“W-what the hell?”
“Lexia-san, did you have this in your possession?”
“I had no idea that the pass I thought I had lost would come in handy here…”
The customers around her were also astonished.
“A-a special pass!? I heard that it is difficult to get one issued directly by the ruler, even for a very high-ranking nobleman…?”
“These children are acquainted with the Emperor of the Romel Empire? Then it makes sense that they are acquainted with the genius inventor…!”
“But who in the world are they…?”
Lexia pointed at the shopkeeper.
“Those of us who know Schleimann-sama can attest to that. This magic tool is a fake. I will not allow you to cheat customers out of their money!”
“Ugh…! U-uh…”
The owner nodded, hanging his head in resignation, and Lexia tilted her head.
“I mean, what is this giveaway anyway?”
“…I made it, but it didn’t get any attention, so I decided to lie…to get attention…”
“Huh?” Lexia said as she picked up the gun-shaped prize.”
When she pulled the trigger, water sprayed out.
“What is that? It’s just an interesting toy!”
Then the kids saw it and came running to her.
“Wow, water comes out! It’s so interesting!”
“If you look inside the tube, you can see a beautiful pattern! It’s amazing!”
“Huh?”
“It seems you’ve been showing it off to the wrong people all along.”
Luna shrugged at the shopkeeper, who was instantly confused by the children.
“From now on, don’t pretend it’s a magic tool, but use it as a toy for children and do business honestly!”
“Y-yes…! Thank you very much…!”
The audience applauded.
“Oh no, we were almost fooled!”
“Thank you, ladies!”
“You’re amazing, Lexia-san! Not only did you see through the fake magic tool, but you also solved the shopkeeper’s problems!”
“Fufufu, I can do that!”
Lexia and the others waved to the customers and shopkeepers and resumed their walk around the square.
While they were absorbed in the variety of souvenirs, a loud “clank” came from a corner of the plaza!
“W-what is that?”
As they turned around, they saw a man in a flashy costume clanking metal disks.
“Come on, come on, come and watch! Today’s performance is about Fa Lan-sama killing the fiery tiger!”
A stage had been set up in a corner of the square, and children had gathered there.
“Is it a play?”
“It’s a performance! It’s a play that combines dance and light entertainment, and I’ve been watching it since I was a little girl!”
Xiaolin’s eyes lit up as she ran toward the stage, followed by Lexia and the others.
The music began to play, and someone in a tiger costume appeared on the stage.
“Wow, it’s a fiery tiger!”
The children shouted in unison at the sight of the giant red tiger.
“What is the fiery tiger?”
“The Fiery Tiger is a terrible tiger that rampaged through the land a thousand years ago. It is said to have tormented the people of this land by burning everything with its hellfire.”
“Vooooooooooooooo!”
The fiery tiger roared in a terrible voice and ran wildly across the stage.
“Ugh, it’s so powerful…!”
Tito cowered, and the children screamed.
At that moment, a tall woman appeared on the stage.
She wore a crimson veil and carried curved swords in both hands.
“Hmm? She’s…”
“That’s Fa Lan-sama!”
“The first emperor who founded the Lianxi Empire, right?”
“The red veil the actress is wearing is so beautiful!”
The woman playing Fa Lan boldly faced the fearsome, fiery tiger with a pair of swords in her hands.
The children cheered as the actress and the fiery tiger performed in time to the music.
“Wow, Fa Lan-sama is so cool!”
“Let’s defeat the fiery tiger!”
Tito and Luna were also fascinated by the magnificent swordplay.
“Wow, she uses both swords perfectly!”
“That’s quite a sophisticated move.”
The swords seemed to have bells attached to them, and a clear sound echoed every time the performers danced.
Soon after, Fa Lan wrapped a piece of orange cloth around the twin swords.
“What is this cloth?”
“This cloth is made to look like dragon power! It is said that Fa Lan-sama fought with her swords wrapped in dragon power!”
And then,
“Huh!”
Fa Lan swung her sword down, and at the same time, she released the cloth that she had been using as dragon power.
The orange-colored cloth swallowed the fiery tiger like a dragon.
“Ggwaaaaaaaah!”
The fiery tiger screamed in desperation and opened its mouth to bite Fa Lan with its last ounce of strength.
As her crimson veil fluttered, Fa Lan brilliantly slashed her sword away.
Clink──Zubaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
“Gah, a-aah…!”
The cool sound of a bell rang out, and the fiery tiger that had been stabbed to death suddenly collapsed.
The man who played the role of the main supporter sounded the gong!
“Fa Lan-sama has successfully defeated the fiery tiger and founded the Lianxi Empire!”
“That was so powerful!”
“Yes. I couldn’t help but be glued to the stage.”
Xiaolin’s cheeks were flushed as she clapped her hands like Lexia and the others.
“It is said that the first emperor, Fa Lan-sama, used her mighty dragon power to defeat the Fiery Tiger and found this country. Since then, Fa Lan-sama’s power──dragon power─has been passed down through the emperor’s family. I have seen many picture books and performances since I was a little girl, and… I have always admired Fa Lan-sama.”
“I know Xiaolin-sama has the utmost respect for Fa Lan-sama.”
Lexia smiled, and Xiaolin beamed with embarrassment.
“Yes. Not only is she strong, but she has made the country prosperous and many people happy. I want to be an emperor like her.”
“That’s why you study so hard!”
“To defeat such a powerful beast and build a country… It’s no wonder Xiaolin admires you so much.”
The children cheered excitedly.
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
“Fa Lan-sama is strong! She’s so cool!”
“B-but Fa Lan-sama died a long time ago, didn’t she…?”
The man in the supporting role raised his eyebrows at the girl, who looked worried.
“That’s right. Fa Lan-sama died a short life after that, missed by many people.”
“I didn’t know that… the great first emperor died early.”
Lexia’s heart ached, and Xiaolin looked down sadly.
“Yes. The reason why Fa Lan-sama, who was said to have enormous dragon power and boasted unrivaled strength, died so young is still a mystery…”
“What if the tiger-like creature attacks again…”
The girl asked, and the man closed one eye.
“Don’t worry! The red-haired maiden will save you!”
“I see!”
Lexia tilted her head at the relieved children.
“Who is the Red-Haired Maiden?”
“She is an old tradition in the Lianxi Empire. It is said that when the land is once again in danger, a red-haired maiden will be born to bring eternal peace to the land.”
“I didn’t know such a legend existed.”
Xiaolin turned around and touched her red hair.
“I heard from my mother that I was actually born with red hair.”
“Huh? What does that mean…?”
“Xiaolin-san, you mean the Maiden of Lore?”
But Xiaolin shook her head.
“When I was born with red hair, some people said, “This is the Maiden of Lore!” On the other hand, there were those who said that I only had red hair because of my Romelian bloodline. Still, there were many who expected me to be the red-haired Maiden of Lore… One day, however, my hair color suddenly faded and changed to the pale orange it is today. The strand of red hair that remains seems to be a remnant of that…”
“Your hair color suddenly faded? Is that possible?”
“Mm-hmm…?”
Next to the surprised Luna, Lexia, who had been thinking seriously, suddenly looked up.
“I see! There must be some kind of conspiracy behind the fading of your hair color! The truth is that Xiaolin-sama is the Maiden of Salvation!”
“What do you mean by a conspiracy?”
“It’s just something that’s been going on!”
“It’s all too complicated!”
Xiaolin laughed.
“I don’t know what’s really going on. My brothers say that I am a half-breed and that I can never be a Maiden of Lore, let alone an Emperor…”
Xiaolin looked around at the smiling faces of the shopkeepers, the happy tourists, and the frolicking children.
“Until now, I was almost defeated by these words. But thanks to Lexia-san and the others, I realized something new. I will protect my country and its people. I will become strong, study hard, and become a good Emperor. I want to do everything in my power so that everyone in this country can live in peace.”
“Xiaolin-sama, you have a beautiful face.”
“Eh?”
As Lexia smiled, Xiaolin’s expression was more florid and had a stronger light in it compared to when she was in the Imperial Palace.
Lexia folded her arms in satisfaction.
“A good ruler always thinks of his country and is always close to his people. If you have that kind of feeling, even Dragon Power will respond to you!”
“Lexia-san… Perhaps you will bring me to the city to remind me of that feeling…”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I’m trying to do!”
“You were just going to enjoy sightseeing.”
“Before I know it, you’ll have a lot more souvenirs to take home.”
Lexia smiled brightly and put her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest.
“Don’t worry, Xiaolin-sama; I’m sure you’ll be a great emperor! We will definitely win the trial ceremony and make your brother and sister look up to you!”
“Yes. But in order to do that, I have to master the dragon power first.”
“When we return to the palace, let’s try some more things!”
“Yes…!”
Lexia raised her shoulders.
“If you want to be emperor, you have to learn how to behave like a person of high rank and dignity! I will take care of your manners!”
“Can’t you look in the mirror…?” Luna rebuked.
After that, the four of them continued their sightseeing.