Please give the novel a rating or a review on NovelUpdates
———-

Chapter 116: Heading to Dawn Forest, the White Fox Drops the Act

The next morning.

Reiner led the group out and rode toward Dawn Forest; after about 2 hours they reached their destination.

Gazing at the forest before him, Reiner let a faint smile curl his lips and felt wonderful.

Sitting behind Reiner, Peggy felt the exact opposite; her anxiety mixed with unease.

She had been calm when they first set out.

Yet once she realized Reiner seemed serious, panic finally set in.

Throughout the ride Peggy nervously gnawed her fingers.

When Reiner glanced back at her, the flustered Peggy glared at him.

She finally dropped the act.

“Why glare at me? Leaving a young girl alone in this forest is dangerous. There are goblins here, sometimes slavers, and I even heard a red dragon was spotted recently, so for safety’s sake we must find your sister.”

Peggy did not believe for a second that Reiner had such kind intentions; expressionless, she said, “I’m not stupid, I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

She abandoned the façade completely; her gaze grew sharp and the naïve sweetness vanished as if she had become someone else.

Reiner looked back at her and said, “That look is the real you. You don’t have to fawn over me; I actually prefer your defiant side.”

Peggy kept her face blank. “I admit I can’t beat you. What do you want from me?”

Reiner narrowed his eyes and answered meaningfully, “Your body, of course.”

Peggy clutched her chest, undisguised disgust shining in her eyes.

(Beast! I’d rather die than let you have your way.)

At that moment Martina cleared her throat twice beside them, warning Reiner.

Seeing that, Reiner explained, “I mean I need you to make money for me; once you’ve earned enough I can let you go.”

Peggy snorted and replied disdainfully, “No one with a brain would believe that.”

“Someone once said something similar, yet later she didn’t want to leave.” Reiner folded his arms, reminiscing.

When he first met Martina she refused outright and was wary of Reiner at every turn.

Now she acted like a different person, diving into Reiner’s arms to act spoiled whenever she had the chance.

Martina blinked and asked in confusion, “Who? Nora?”

Nora glanced back at her and smiled without answering.

Peggy said impassively, “Don’t compare me with her; that trick won’t work on me.”

Reiner just shrugged indifferently.

Whatever.

In any case the pact mark was already branded; once he squeezed her weak spot she would have no choice but to comply.

Just then Junice spoke up beside them. “Reiner is a very kind man. I know you have prejudices against humans now, but after you spend time with him you’ll see his good qualities.”

Peggy let out a cold laugh. “I don’t believe a word humans say.”

Reiner yawned; unwilling to continue talking with Peggy, he turned to Nora and said, “Most of the snow has melted now; you should be able to track scents, right?”

Nora nodded, closed her eyes, tilted her head to feel the air for a moment, then said, “I think so.”

“Then can you help me find her sister?”

“Since they’re blood sisters, their scents shouldn’t differ much; I’ll give it a try.” Nora dismounted, walked to Peggy, and sniffed her scent.

Peggy gnashed her teeth and cursed, “Human lapdog! Helping humans betray your own kind, you demi-human traitor!”

Nora sized her up and replied coldly, “One day you’ll thank me.”

With that she walked ahead alone to scout the path.

Watching her small back, Reiner dragged Peggy, dismounted, and walked toward Nora. “A red dragon may be nearby; I’ll go with you to be safe.”

He shoved Peggy toward Martina and instructed, “Watch her. If she tries to run, use the pact mark to restrain her.”

“Got it.”

At that moment Elyanna also dismounted and ran over. “Reiner, let me come too. I’ve fought dragons before; I have some experience and can help.”

“You’ve fought dragons?”

“Red dragons, thunder dragons, land drakes… I fought them all. Don’t let my size fool you; I’m actually pretty strong,” Elyanna said, standing straight.

“Are they powerful? About how big are they?”

Elyanna nodded emphatically. “Of course they’re powerful! My father is an incredibly strong warrior, yet he could barely kill a single land drake.”

“As for size… a land drake has no wings, stands about 10 to 20 meters tall, and, not counting the tail, stretches roughly 60 meters long.”

“A red dragon, though, is enormous, ranging from several dozen to over 100 meters; the gale from an adult red dragon’s wings can sway an entire lush forest, and its flames can ignite a square mile of trees in an instant.”

Reiner fell silent, mouth half open.

It was all the fault of Breath of the Red Dragon; the staff usually acted so silly that Reiner had come to assume a real red dragon wouldn’t be that formidable.

But based on Elyanna’s description, if he encountered a red dragon, the smartest move would be to run back and fetch reinforcements.

No, judging from previous missions with Dimas, he doubted anyone in Melod could slay a red dragon; sending more common soldiers would only make the dragon’s meal bigger…

“But don’t worry, Reiner. A red dragon needs at least a few hundred years to reach adulthood, so there aren’t many. If it’s just a young red dragon, it’s easy enough to handle.”

“So your dad killed a young land drake?”

“Of course not, it was an adult land drake.” Elyanna shook her head.

Reiner looked back at Martina, who was holding Peggy, and asked, “Roughly how many Martinas could your dad defeat?”

“Hard to say. From what I’ve seen, my dad’s strength and speed are greater than Martina’s, even when she uses that blue-glowing magic, and he wields light magic proficiently, so I’d say he’s equal to 3 or 4 of her.”

“What about your mom?”

“There’s no comparison. My mother is the pride of us elves; she’s the strongest Stargazer. A thousand years ago, when the ancient empire still existed, she was already one of the continent’s top mages; if she got serious, even hundreds of Martinas would stand no chance.”

Reiner narrowed his eyes; it seemed he absolutely had to stay on good terms with Elyanna…

“Why are you smiling so wickedly? What are you planning?” Elyanna tapped Reiner’s knee with her staff and added, “I… I don’t like humans, so don’t you dare set your sights on me.”

“Who’d fancy a potato? If I were to fancy anyone, it’d be a more mature woman, like… ”

Before Reiner could finish, Elyanna unleashed a rapid barrage of blows on him.

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie