The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 232

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 232

“Dragon Knight?”

Elision, who had looked up after sensing someone’s presence, was surprised to see her but then showed a pleased expression.

“Your complexion looks much better. It seems you’ve completely recovered now.”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

As soon as they exchanged greetings, Rita immediately got to the point.

“Prince.”

“You can just call me Sion, Dragon Knight.”

“The Black Dragon has given me a revelation.”

“…Pardon?”

“In the revelation, I saw a future where you wear a golden laurel crown and sit upon a throne.”

“What?”

She pointed to a spot on the map in front of the bewildered prince.

The central part of the continent, a land crossed by a river that in 821 was called by a different name than Drakanis, where the future capital of the Kairam Empire, Lamcard, would be built—the place named ‘Monstra.’

“This is the land where you will wear the laurel crown, Prince.”

“What on earth does that—”

“There was a prophecy I heard along with the revelation.”

Lillieta gave him no pause as she moved her finger to point to the upper part of the map.

The White Mountains that surrounded the Black Forest like a barrier.

The river that originated from these mountains would gain the name Hinder when it reached the northern plains. A name that would be maintained even 949 years later. The lifeline of the Cornu Plains that Raskail would rule in the future.

The difference from the future was that in 821, the Cornu Plains belonged to the Holy Empire.

And the western region of the Hinder River where Raskail City and Birch Tree Castle had been, unlike the flat terrain of the river’s eastern side, was a hilly area still influenced by the White Mountains and hiding countless gem mines—the ‘Amethyst Forest’ remained completely undeveloped, unknown land.

Demonia. The land where demons dwell. Outside the Holy Empire’s territory, a corrupted space where barbarians who reject the divine and cursed exiles wander. A place the Holy Empire despises, monitors, and neglects.

That was the Amethyst Forest of 821.

The Dragon Knight began to prophesy.

“The prince chosen by the Black Dragon shall lead his people beyond the black forest and white mountains…”

Her fingertip crossed the highland of the White Mountains where Winterfield Castle would exist in 1770 but now showed only a small village, pointing to the western hilly region of the Hinder River marked ‘Demonia.’

The prophecy continued.

“Pass through the forsaken hills, cross over the treacherous rocks…”

Her finger, following the flow of the Hinder River and crossing Demonia lengthwise, passed over the Gray Mountains.

The mountain range that divided the northern and central parts of the continent, and the boundary where the Hinder River would come to be called the Merozhe River. A place named the Gray Mountains because of its sparse vegetation and thin soil that left the bedrock exposed.

Following the river and crossing the highest gorge in that mountain range would lead to the region that would become the heart of the Kairam Empire—Monstra.

Pointing to that spot again, the Dragon Knight prophesied to the prince.

“…conquer the land of monsters, and wear the golden laurel crown.”

A stunned silence fell.

The prince chosen by the Black Dragon would lead his people beyond the black forest and white mountains. He would pass through the forsaken hills, cross over treacherous rocks, conquer the land of monsters, and wear the golden laurel crown.

In the future of 1770, this was the plot of the founding myth simplified for children and made into a fairy tale.

‘If I recite this as is, it becomes a prophecy in 821.’

And using prophecy and revelation would make it easier to guide the past in the same direction as the future.

‘I thought about various things, but this was the best approach.’

Rita lifted her gaze from the map and raised her head. Prince Elision was looking at her with a flustered expression.

She recalled the deception—no, persuasion plan—she had devised with Minewg over the past three days. She spoke calmly.

“I know that suddenly talking about revelations and prophecies sounds absurd.”

“…”

“The fact that those recognized by the Black Dragon occasionally receive revelations from the Black Dragon was common knowledge where I came from, but it wouldn’t be the case here.”

It was a complete lie. Still, thanks to preparing and secretly practicing during her days of recovery, the words flowed naturally.

“So I’ll provide proof first.”

“Proof?”

“I heard you’re preparing to leave the cave. Don’t you lack the funds needed for migration?”

“How did you… No, thinking about it, that would be obvious. You already know that we don’t even have surplus food, Dragon Knight.”

Sion gave a bitter smile. Rita responded to his words.

“Yes, that’s right. And I already know how to solve your funding problem. That scene was also in the revelation the Black Dragon showed me.”

The prince’s blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. Rita met those eyes directly and said.

“I’ll secure the funds for you right now. Then you should be able to believe the ‘revelation’ to some extent, shouldn’t you?”

“Right… now?”

“Will you follow me? It won’t take long.”

Sion looked back and forth between her and the Black Dragon quietly clinging to her shoulder with a dumbfounded expression, then looked around at those nearby.

Everyone showed suspicious yet intrigued expressions at the Dragon Knight’s absurdly confident promise.

And for good reason—they were in a desperate situation where they had to leave the hideout they had carefully cultivated, lacked supplies for travel, had no destination for migration, and would all die if caught by the Holy Empire along the way.

In such circumstances, when someone confidently declared they had seen a future where the prince would lead his people and wear a golden laurel crown in a new land, they couldn’t simply dismiss it.

Especially since the person making this claim was a mysterious foreigner who had appeared with the sacred Black Dragon, they couldn’t help but harbor a glimmer of hope that this might be a real prophecy.

Moreover, the method of proving the prophecy was to immediately solve their biggest concern—the funding problem.

“Why don’t you go and see? Or perhaps I could come along…”

The village chief spoke with an earnest expression. Rita responded to his words.

“We’re planning to engage in combat, so civilians—well, non-combatants—would be better off waiting here.”

“Ah…”

“Then I shall assist His Highness the Prince.”

An older male knight with a large scar on his face stepped forward. Sion turned to look at him and called out.

“Captain of the Guard.”

“Since you mentioned proof, it would be better to have more witnesses. Isn’t that right, Dragon Knight?”

“That’s correct.”

Rita readily nodded and added.

“Anyone who can defend themselves may follow. However, if there are too many, it will be difficult to move, so I’d prefer no more than six.”

The gathered people exchanged glances with each other. Since they had been stuck in fruitless discussions that weren’t leading anywhere, the meeting was easily suspended.

From the kingdom refugees’ side, the Captain of the Guard and Priest Dorin stepped forward, while from the cave residents’ side, a middle-aged woman called the Captain of the Self-Defense Force and a hollow-eyed young man who was a mage came forward.

“Hilda came to the cave with her family after giving birth to a child with leg problems, but she originally served as a captain in the Empire’s Northern Knights. Allen is a talent from the Empire’s Magic Tower who came here while researching elven magic. Both will be of great help to you, Dragon Knight.”

The village chief proudly introduced the two. After Elision and Jurlene joined as well, Rita’s limit of six people was filled.

They followed the Dragon Knight with the Black Dragon on her shoulder toward the outside of the cave.

“Just how are you going to get money right now? The Dragon Knight didn’t even know where this place was originally. I know the Black Forest inside and out…”

Jurlene furrowed her brows and muttered.

Rita recalled how she had come to visit with dried fruit snacks as a get-well gift, saying it was in return for the potions she had distributed the other day.

‘I learned during our conversation then. Just as I hypothesized, Jurlene has no means to solve the migration funding problem.’

It was easy to figure out because Jurlene was extremely worried that Sion was seriously troubled by money problems.

As expected, Jurlene was rather naive and innocent for her age. Her expressions were just rough, but she was kind-hearted and secretly tender.

‘That aspect resembles our ‘Witch.’ Of course, Oli isn’t particularly naive, but… she does have some strangely careless sides.’

The black hair, the tendency to be curious and want to analyze new things, being a mage called by the nickname ‘Witch’—all of it felt familiar.

Rita smiled slightly at Jurlene while thinking of her dear friend.

“Jurlene, do you know about monsters called gremlins?”

“How could I not know? They’re like annoying little thieves.”

“The Black Dragon showed me their nest.”

“What? Really?”

Jurlene’s mouth fell open, then she asked urgently.

“G-gremlin nests are originally extremely hard to find, you know? Did you really see it? Where? What’s the scale?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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