The Adventurer's Inn "The Stallion Banner"
The young dragon girl Fafnir sat cross-legged in front of the elven twins, animatedly waving her small hands as she chattered away to them in Elvish.
The twin girls, now facing a Fafnir who could speak their language, had dropped their guard and warmly welcomed this new companion into their group.
The three girls, with a combined age of at least three centuries, began to laugh and play on the bed.
"So... who exactly is this child?"
Ever since Siegfried had brought Fafnir back, Kriemhild had been relentlessly asking this question.
"She's a relative's child."
"But she calls you dad, and she's half-dragon! And don't try to lie to me with a straight face!"
The little princess looked at Siegfried with an expression identical to Yang Jing's, albeit with an additional indescribable meaning.
Siegfried gave up. He had originally planned to gloss over it again with his [Deceptive Talk] skill.
However, this situation was too outrageous. If he could still get away with it, [Deceptive Talk] would truly be invincible.
He sighed and said:
"Fine, it's not really something worth keeping secret. Her name is Fafnir, and she's not a half-dragon, but a genuine ancient dragon."
"What!"
Kriemhild was stunned. This adorable little girl was actually one of the world's most powerful creatures, an ancient dragon?
"But the books say ancient dragons have bodies large enough to blot out the sky. She looks more like a human?"
"What's so strange about that? Even humans can master transformation magic, so it's not surprising that an ancient dragon can use it."
However, judging by the little dragon girl's appearance, she clearly hadn't mastered it fully. How could she not even transform away that thick tail!
On the bed, Fafnir wrapped her tail around the three of them, giggling and laughing.
Goodness, that tail took up half the bed!
"So, why does she call you dad?"
"......"
Well, the most crucial question still couldn't be glossed over.
"It's like this, I have some... connection with that Dragon King, who is her mother.
I'm sort of this child's stepfather."
(I'm not making this up, I have Albion's son-cum-husband's holy sword, so I'm kind of half of Barum's successor!)
(Even a distant connection is still a connection!)
Kriemhild was still skeptical, but there really wasn't a better explanation.
Come to think of it, how could a two-hundred-year-old ancient dragon possibly have a twenty-year-old father!
Roland stood to the side, tightly clutching the black hanging cloth in his hand.
His mood was very heavy, so heavy that he didn't even have the energy to pay attention to the new companion.
The pattern on this hanging cloth was enough to make a Golden Knight so serious.
Seeing that Siegfried and the princess had finished talking, he finally spoke:
"Everyone, I have something I want to discuss with you, something very important."
Although he said "everyone," his gaze was fixed directly on Siegfried.
Siegfried felt uneasy under the stare of this bearded big brother.
(Why is this guy staring at me like this? Has my impersonation of Meilan been exposed??)
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"What's the matter?"
Roland spread out the black hanging cloth in his hand on the ground, which was embroidered with a skull pierced by a crescent sickle.
Siegfried's eyebrows immediately twitched, and he blurted out:
"The Death God's Cult."
Isn't this the symbol on that weird warehouse behind Hoover's trading company?
Roland instinctively straightened his back and looked deeply at Siegfried, saying:
"So you do recognize this symbol. Then you must also understand the meaning it represents."
"Ah? Um! Of course I understand! Star Mei, could you please explain this cult to everyone."
Siegfried's face twitched, he actually didn't understand anything at all.
He desperately made eye signals to the cool and aloof Yang Jing standing nearby, pleading for support.
But Yang Jing ignored him, only returning a disdainful glance, then continued to browse her wanderer's manual.
Today she was reading about how to make a glamorous exit using the Flash spell.
Just as Siegfried was about to scratch his ears and cheeks in anxiety, Roland took the initiative to explain:
"This symbol is called the Undead Holy Emblem, it's the symbol of the Undead Cult, a branch of the Death God Church.
In the past, there was only one Death God Church on the Qilan Continent. Although they were called a cult, they weren't actually evil.
They would help guide resentful souls to rest and use necromancy to convey the wishes of the deceased. Although their ultimate goal was to obtain corpses for research into necromancy, their methods could be considered righteous.
However, one day the Death God Church split internally.
One faction adhered to the original teachings, believing that death was just a part of life and that the rules of life shouldn't be forcibly changed.
The other faction, however, became resentful towards the living, believing that death was the true state of life.
This faction became the Undead Cult, and in recent years they've been causing tragedies across the continent, sacrificing lives to their god and turning the living into undead."
Siegfried listened silently as Roland narrated.
This model knight's expression was serious and solemn, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to pick up his great sword and slay all these cultists.
But Siegfried had only one thought.
(What does this have to do with me? Why do you keep staring at me?)
However, since the other person was speaking so earnestly, Siegfried couldn't appear too casual.
"Hmm, I understand. What are you trying to say?"
"I once fought against them on the frontlines of the Human-Demon War.
These people are just a bunch of lunatics. Their appearance here certainly doesn't bode well, so..."
Siegfried heard this and immediately knew what this big fool wanted to do. He quickly raised his hand to stop him, his expression serious and resolute, saying:
"This matter, stay out of it."
Is this a joke? Going to clash with the cult with just these few dozen people and spears? Aren't they tired of living?
Shannon also said this matter had nothing to do with him, whether he intervened or not wouldn't affect the mission.
Our Princess Coronation Company's business is to support our boss Kriemhild in ascending to the throne, not to risk our lives fighting cultists.
Leave the upholding of justice to the real heroes.
Roland stared blankly at the determined-looking Siegfried.
The noisy adventurers in the tavern downstairs had long since left, and only the rustling of leaves could be heard from outside the window.
The night in this city was so peaceful.
But in Roland's heart, a storm was surging.
Yes, when he saw this hanging cloth, he had already understood.
Whether it was participating in the auction or cooperating with slave traders, it was all just a surface disguise.
This Meilan's true target was the Undead Cult behind these people.
A hero's sword points directly at evil!
As long as evil could be eliminated, this Meilan would stop at nothing. What dedication!
He even refused to accept his own assistance, planning to face the entire Undead Cult alone.
(Is it because he's concerned about Her Highness? Is it because he understands that if I die in the battle against the cult, it would severely impact Her Highness's future?)
Roland suddenly felt his face burning with shame, almost wanting to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
(I previously saw you as someone who manipulated people's hearts for evil. I was so foolish, how could a hero possibly be evil?)
He stood at attention and bowed deeply to Siegfried, a full ninety-degree bow.
This wasn't a knight's salute; a knight's salute expresses loyalty and respect from the position of a knight.
A bow, on the other hand, expresses respect and apology on a personal level. Roland had only performed such a deep bow to the Rose Queen in his life.
Even his father-in-law and Kriemhild hadn't received such treatment.
And today, he had found another person worthy of his reverence.
"Lord Meilan, I apologize for all my previous rudeness. You are indeed a descendant of the hero family.
Your courage and loyalty make me feel ashamed. If your battle needs assistance, Knight Roland is willing to be your vanguard!"
"Ah... this... alright... thank you then."
Siegfried's eyes were about to pop out, everything that had happened tonight left him shocked.
Hiss~ What on earth is going on today?