The Dragon Kingdom, Lugnica's capital.
As the royal selection ceremony was about to begin, the already bustling capital became even livelier.
At this moment, Wood was strolling down the busiest street in the capital, dressed in a black cloak with a knight's sword strapped to his waist. A handsome young man with golden hair and a striking presence like his could easily attract attention, even if he wasn't familiar with the capital. Plenty of young women would gladly volunteer to be his guide if he just asked.
But there was a catch—Wood wasn't alone. Behind him trailed a little girl with sky-blue hair tied into three braids, holding a stuffed doll in one hand and licking an ice cream cone with the other, her face radiating innocent joy.
And this blue-haired loli behind him was none other than the "Beast Tamer" Meili.
Wood originally planned to move through the capital on his own, but Elsa had pointed out that since they had just taken control of the underground assassination organization and set new rules, many things would be difficult to manage without Wood's immediate presence.
To keep in touch with him, they needed a reliable means of communication.
In a world like this, with no phones or long-distance communication magic, the only way to exchange information was through letters.
So, Meili had been sent to accompany Wood to ensure he could be reached at any time.
Though she might not be much help in combat, as a "Beast Tamer," Meili could use magical beasts to deliver messages.
And this was the capital of the Dragon Kingdom, not some small frontier town like Roswaal's territory—it was heavily guarded.
Assassins, including people like the "Bowel Hunter" Elsa, were wanted criminals in several nations and couldn't openly wander around the capital with Wood.
The only person who fit the bill—able to relay messages and move around without drawing too much attention—was the relatively new assassin, Meili.
"Meili, we talked about this, right? I'm buying you treats, but if I start a conversation with someone, you know what to call me, right?" Wood asked, looking at the blue-haired loli beside him, licking her ice cream with a look of innocent bliss. He couldn't help but feel exhausted.
Wood hadn't prepared well for his trip to the capital and didn't even know where to find the Royal Knights.
He had managed to charm a young lady using his good looks and air of mystery, nearly securing an invitation to dinner, hoping to use the opportunity to gather information about the Dragon Kingdom.
But just as the young woman was falling for Wood's charm and giggling at his flattery, Meili's words had changed everything, making the woman's expression turn cold before she slapped Wood and stormed off.
Remembering what Meili had said, Wood felt another twitch of frustration. In hindsight, he couldn't blame the woman for slapping him.
Because Meili had innocently called out, "Darling, are we going to play with this big sister after dinner?"
For heaven's sake, no matter how otherworldly this place was, having a girl of Meili's age call him "darling" was bound to be seen as criminal.
And with Meili's innocent demeanor, the young woman had no reason to doubt her.
Naturally, she had assumed Wood was some kind of perverted noble with a twisted taste.
Considering the slap the young woman gave him, it was actually a mercy that she hadn't reported him to the Royal Knights.
After that fiasco, Wood chalked it up to Meili's lack of understanding due to her upbringing. After all, she had spent most of her life surrounded by magical beasts and assassins. Still, he patiently explained to her that terms like "darling" were reserved for lovers or spouses.
Even if assassins needed to disguise themselves, their age difference would make such terms inappropriate for their cover.
Meili nodded in understanding, and after Wood bribed her with more ice cream, she promised to cooperate.
"I've found another potential guide, and she looks even more... sophisticated than the last one," Wood muttered to himself. "And from her appearance, she's probably a noble, which means she'll know more about the kingdom."
This time, the target of Wood's attention was a blonde girl holding a red folding fan, her head adorned with an ornate black headdress, and dressed in an elegant black-and-red gothic gown.
Not only did she have striking features, but the dress did nothing to hide her impressive figure.
As Wood approached, preparing his charm, Meili, trailing behind with her usual innocent demeanor, discreetly rolled her eyes.
Despite her limited exposure to the world, Meili wasn't stupid. Having grown up with magical beasts and lived with Elsa, she had a basic understanding of things.
Wood claimed he was gathering information, but why did he only approach beautiful women? Couldn't men offer valuable information too?
Since the death of "Mother," Meili had felt a rare sense of freedom.
At first, Wood had terrified her, but as she got to know him, she realized that despite his strength, he was kind.
Unlike "Mother," whose power filled her with fear, Wood's power made her feel safe.
Walking through the streets with Wood, eating the treats he bought her, Meili felt something she had never experienced before—a sense of family.
And so, when Wood approached other women, Meili felt annoyed and a bit possessive.
This was why she had deliberately sabotaged each of Wood's flirtations, ensuring none of his targets stayed interested for long.
Now, seeing that Wood had chosen another beautiful woman as his next target—one with an even more impressive figure—Meili's mood darkened.
"Young lady, we're new to the capital, and your beauty, like the morning sun, shines so brightly that I couldn't help but notice you from across the crowd," Wood began. "Might I have the honor of treating you to a cup of coffee, and perhaps you could share with us some knowledge about this wonderful city?"
Wood cringed internally at his own lines. They were incredibly cliché, but this kind of approach worked with medieval nobles.
With his charisma, good looks, and the noble etiquette he had picked up in this world, his approach had never failed with noble girls from other worlds.
"Though it's a rather common way to strike up a conversation, I suppose I don't mind sharing my knowledge with the ignorant," the blonde responded, closing her fan with a snap. "But your words were incorrect. I'm not like the morning sun—I am the sun. The entire world revolves around me."
Wood's first thought was that despite her beauty, this woman clearly had a few screws loose.
But then he realized something. Her speech, while arrogant, was perfectly in line with the elegant bearing of a noble. It wasn't that her brain was damaged—this was just her personality: proud and self-assured to the point of delusion.
"Since you're offering, I'll choose the place. I trust you don't mind?" she said, pointing to an expensive-looking establishment nearby.
Before they had even walked a few steps, a group of thugs appeared out of nowhere, drawn to the noblewoman's striking appearance and figure, and began harassing her.
As the only man accompanying her, Wood naturally became their target as well.
But a few low-level thugs were no match for Wood. With a few swift punches and kicks, he sent them running with bruised faces.
"Judging by your skills, you're not exactly the simple tourist you claimed to be," the blonde noble remarked, her expression showing mild surprise.
"And you, young lady, don't seem like an ordinary noble. You didn't seem the least bit flustered during that encounter," Wood replied.
To be honest, Wood was starting to regret his decision to approach this noblewoman. There was something off about her—she always seemed completely calm and in control.
And in a heavily guarded city like this, how could common thugs dare to harass a noble in broad daylight? Something about the whole situation felt off.
"Why should I panic? As I told you, the entire world revolves around me. Whatever happens, the outcome will always work in my favor," the blonde said.
Wood mentally filed her under "trouble" and was about to excuse himself when Meili, without realizing it, provided the perfect assist.
"Father, will those bad men come back to get us?" she asked innocently, licking her ice cream.
Meili had taken Wood's previous advice to heart. Knowing that their age gap made posing as lovers inappropriate, she had adjusted her role.
Now, the little blue-haired girl was staring up at Wood with wide, innocent eyes.
Wood's face twitched in response.
If it were up to him, he would have preferred to be called "big brother" rather than "father."
Still, since he wanted to ditch the troublesome noblewoman, Meili's mistake was a golden opportunity. Worst case, he'd get slapped again.
But what happened next surprised both Wood and Meili.
Instead of slapping Wood, the blonde noblewoman smiled and turned to Meili. "Oh, so this is your daughter? How lovely. I've always wanted a child, but unfortunately, none of the men I've married have been up to the task."
Wood was stunned. The woman looked no older than eighteen or nineteen, yet she had been married before?
No, he reminded himself, this was a different world. It wasn't unusual for someone her age to already be married.
"I didn't realize… Madam, I mean, Lady, I apologize for my presumption. It seems I've intruded. Please, allow me to take my leave…"
Wood was ready to make a hasty exit, pulling Meili along, but the noblewoman stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"Did I say you could leave? Are you scared now that you've heard I've been married before? You're wandering around flirting with women while dragging your daughter along, and you're afraid of me?" she teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Wood had been right—this was no ordinary noble. She was Priscilla Barielle, one of the five "Dragon Priestesses" of the 42nd royal selection.
And aside from being a Dragon Priestess, Priscilla was also known as the "Bloody Bride."
This wasn't a compliment but more of a curse, for Priscilla's husband, Raps Barielle, had mysteriously died the day after their wedding.
Poor Raps hadn't even had the chance to touch her before he dropped dead, and Priscilla had inherited the entire Barielle estate.
And her frequent claim that "the whole world revolves around me" wasn't just narcissism.
Priscilla possessed a blessing known as the "Blessing of the Sun," which caused events around her to constantly shift in her favor during the daytime.
Simply put, whatever happened in her presence during the day would naturally turn out in her favor.
This was why she often said the world revolved around her.
On top of that, Priscilla had exceptional talent in sun magic and swordsmanship, thanks to her blessing.
Even if Wood hadn't stepped in to deal with the thugs, Priscilla could have handled them herself.
The reason she hadn't acted was simple—she trusted her blessing to ensure everything would resolve in her favor.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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