A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 351
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
‘I would’ve been in real trouble without this.’
I pulled a golden-hued stone from my pocket—smaller than a baby’s fist.
‘I’m glad I accepted it.’
The small stone was densely carved with incomprehensible symbols and characters. It was one of the items Armis had given me before coming here.
‘What is this?’
‘A magic stone inscribed with a dimensional transfer spell.’
‘Pardon?’
‘Use it if you ever need to return urgently.’
It was insurance for when I crossed into another dimension—in case I suddenly needed to return to this world. Without being expelled, there would be no other way back.
‘Wait, so now I can transfer dimensions from anywhere without going to the Lair?’
If a dimensional transfer spell was inscribed on it, there’d be no need to trek all the way to the Lair nestled deep in the Mountain. I cast an expectant glance.
‘No. The spell on that stone only connects to the dimensional transfer spell in my Lair. It won’t work anywhere else.’
‘Oh…’
So it could only be used in the Other World.
‘Still, I’m grateful.’
How did he know to craft something so perfectly suited to my needs?
‘But why can’t he create the charging spell faster?’
Wouldn’t it be better to prioritize that instead of making things like this?
Regardless, without this stone, I would never have inscribed my name on the access permit card Sia gave me.
‘I have no intention of living here forever.’
My family is in the Other World.
Trusting in this stone from Armis, I inscribed my name on the card to remain here until this matter was resolved.
‘Now that everything’s wrapped up, I should head back.’
I was beginning to worry about how much time had passed in the Other World. If I went silent for too long, everyone would be concerned.
[Squeak!]
As if sensing my intention to leave, King came bounding over from the sunlit window where he’d been playing with Lia.
“Squeak! Squeak!”
Lia, who had been playing with King’s tail as always, looked startled when he suddenly left, and walked over quickly. Sia gently scooped her up.
“You’ll come back soon, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
I’ll return before the stone’s charge depletes.
“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”
At least this time I could give a proper farewell, and Sia bid me goodbye with a bright expression.
“Lia, your aunt and uncle are leaving. Say goodbye.”
“Auntie- Ar- Uncle-”
At Sia’s words, Lia waved her small hands eagerly. I gently patted the child’s head in response.
‘She’ll be bigger next time I visit.’
The thought that this might be the last time I see her like this made me feel a pang of wistfulness.
“And for King too.”
“Squeak?”
“Say goodbye to King too.”
“Kyiiing, going?”
“Yes.”
“Woo?”
Lia’s eyes, which had been waving brightly at Camilla and Arsian in farewell, gradually widened before her lips began to pout.
“No! Not King!”
“King has to go too.”
“Don’t wanna. Not King!”
For the first time, Lia threw a tantrum at the news that King was leaving too.
“Kyiiing! Kyiing!”
Lia reached out pitifully from her mother’s arms, calling for King.
[….]
“….”
Did he just sigh? Camilla watched King exhale silently for a moment, then approached Lia while holding him.
“Waaaaah! Kyiiing! No!”
The child’s cries finally burst forth. Should I have just left quietly while she was sleeping like last time?
“Kyiing! No, kyiiing! Play with me!”
“Lia, King will come again.”
“Don’t wanna—play with me now—”
Lia struggled to slip out of Sia’s arms, trying to get closer to King.
[Kyuu kyuu!]
King let out a loud cry toward the fussing Lia.
[Kyuu, kyu!]
If you throw a tantrum, you get scolded!
“Kyiiing….”
Did Lia understand King’s words? The child who had been squeaking suddenly fell silent. Though tears still glistened in her eyes, of course.
Tap, tap.
[Kyuu.]
King gently tapped Lia’s head with his small front paw.
“Play again—kyiiing—”
[Kyu!]
Tears that had been welling up finally began to fall. Even so, Lia waved her hand in farewell, and King nodded in response.
‘Our King really does take good care of children.’
Camilla gazed at the two of them with a warm expression and gently stroked King’s head.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes! See you again, Camilla.”
After exchanging final farewells with Sia, Camilla confirmed that Arsian had positioned himself at her side before touching the dimensional stone.
Whoooosh!
A brilliant light poured forth, filling the entire room. Everyone present had no choice but to squeeze their eyes shut.
“…They’re gone.”
When I opened my eyes again, the three had already vanished.
“Kiiing— Paaah— Paaah—”
Sia and Lia gazed at the spot where the three had disappeared, their hearts aching with longing for quite some time.
* * *
“You’re late.”
“…What are you doing here?”
Upon returning to Armis’s Lair, Camilla’s eyes widened at the sight of who greeted her.
It was Armis himself, the master of the Lair, standing right there.
“What brings you here?”
“Is it strange for me to be in my own Lair?”
“No, not at all. I’m just so happy to see you after so long.”
At the sight of Armis’s eyes narrowing slightly, Camilla quickly shifted into a submissive mode.
I keep forgetting lately, but this is a dragon, a dragon! Please, don’t forget!
‘He said he didn’t want to come along last time.’
He was the one who had chosen to stay at Duke Escra’s Residence instead of using the teleportation magic tool that could transport him directly to the Lair.
So why did he suddenly come here? Had he finally decided to seriously develop magic here?
“Did you bring it?”
“Bring what?”
“The back collection.”
….
…Of course, magic research was out of the question. Only then did Camilla understand why he had been waiting for her here.
‘He wasn’t waiting for me—he was waiting for the videos.’
Among the videos I had given him before, quite a few didn’t have conclusions. Wasn’t he the one who kept asking when I’d go download the back collection?
“Of course I brought them.”
At Camilla’s answer, a faint smile flickered across Armis’s lips, then disappeared—his expression otherwise utterly unreadable.
Swish.
He immediately extended his hand, asking for the videos.
“Before that, don’t you have something to give me?”
“Jewels? Take as many as you want.”
Yes! Thank you… Camilla wanted to bow politely and dash straight to the jewel room, but she quietly shook her head instead.
“Then what?”
“The charging spell. You’ve finished it, haven’t you? Well, quite some time has passed, so you must have finished it. That’s why you came here, right?”
….
….
…Wait, why was he avoiding her gaze? At the sight of Armis quietly looking away from her words, Camilla’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t made it yet?”
He’s a dragon, a dragon! The founder of magic is a dragon! So why is it taking this long to create one formula?!
“Daive.”
“What about Daive?”
“He asked to play.”
“….”
So he’d just been playing games the whole time.
“Sigh.”
Before I left, I’d made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t to touch videos or games until the charging spell was complete. Yet the moment I departed Duke Escra’s Residence, he went right back to playing.
What is this lazy dragon doing? Why does he play all day long!
“About the videos….”
Armis cautiously extended his hand again, and I smiled at him with amusement.
“Absolutely not.”
“What about the one from behind the wealthy heir next door…?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Just one episode…?”
“Get….”
No, wait. He’s still a dragon, after all. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to get lost.
“I’ll give them to you once the charging spell is finished.”
“….”
Armis, who had been desperately waiting for those videos, wore an unusually dejected expression.
“When I went there this time, there were tons of new game chips.”
“…Game chips?”
“Once you complete the charging spell, I’ll give you any two games you want for free.”
At the mention of new game chips, Armis’s eyes, which had been downcast, suddenly gleamed with interest.
“One day is all it takes.”
“One day?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
…So it only takes one day, and yet he’s been dragging it out all this time?
‘Seriously, this guy… No! Seriously, this dragon!’
I gave Armis an exasperated look.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————