SWNOVELXO Chapter 414
One day, another day passed just like that.
Albert, as usual, met with Yuri, thinking about how to spend the day productively by either playing BOW with her or taking her to tourist spots within the Dragon Kingdom.
“Hmm. I’ll end my turn now. It’s your turn, Albert.”
“…Yuri. You seem to be in a particularly bad mood today, huh?”
However, Yuri, who seemed unusually out of sorts, wore a consistently displeased expression for the first time since they met.
Even when they started playing BOW, hoping her mood would lighten, her spirits didn’t improve.
“…Was it because I used a Water Attribute Permission Deck to chain 10 Permissions yesterday? Or because I used a Non-Attribute Aggro Deck to set up a kill angle in just 3 turns? If I upset you…”
“Ah, no. I’m not mad at you, Albert.”
Albert tried to apologize, reflecting on his actions, but Yuri, seeing Albert’s troubled face, softened her expression and waved her hand dismissively.
“…Then why are you in a bad mood?”
“It’s… something unrelated to you, Albert…”
“Come on, tell me. Maybe there’s something I can do to help.”
Yuri hesitated, saying it was unrelated to Albert, but eventually, after his persistent questioning, she revealed the reason.
“Actually, I told you I’m a traveler, right? I need to get to my next destination, but the government office still hasn’t issued my travel permit. Daria said it usually takes no more than five days, but it’s already been over ten days, and there’s no sign of the permit… Even considering the relationship between the Holy Kingdom and the Dragon Kingdom, this is excessive.”
“Uh, I didn’t do anything.”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly talking about yourself, Albert?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Albert instinctively shook his head, denying any involvement.
He felt guilty because, deep down, he wished Yuri and her group would stay in the Dragon Kingdom a little longer.
But Albert hadn’t helped speed up the travel permit process, nor had he obstructed it. If he were blamed for this, it would be utterly unfair.
Clearing his throat, Albert cautiously asked Yuri,
“Ahem. But isn’t it a good thing for you that the trip is delayed? You said you like to have fun, so you can use the delay as an excuse to enjoy yourself. Why get so upset?”
After all, Yuri had been getting along well with him and enjoying herself over the past few days.
That time was enjoyable for Albert too, and it wasn’t as if Yuri hadn’t enjoyed it either.
But Yuri raised her voice, seemingly upset by Albert’s words.
“What are you talking about…! It’s true I like to have fun, but that doesn’t mean I ignore my responsibilities!”
“Why are you suddenly so angry? Besides, when it comes to responsibilities, didn’t you say you hated studying so much that you secretly took a leave from school to travel?”
“I don’t like studying at school because it’s a path my parents laid out for me, not one I chose! But deciding to travel and become an adventurer is a path I chose with passion and determination.”
“Whether you chose it yourself or not, what does it matter? If you chose it yourself, giving up should be easy, right…?”
“Becoming an adventurer is my dream! I can’t easily give up on something I decided to do myself!”
Albert, unable to understand Yuri’s anger, retorted, and Yuri, further provoked, raised her voice even more.
“….”
“….”
The atmosphere at the table, where the two had been enjoying BOW, instantly turned cold.
In the silence that enveloped the table, Yuri was the first to speak.
“…I got too emotional for a moment. I’m sorry. I think I’ll head back now.”
“…Alright.”
Yuri bowed her head expressionlessly and left the table, and Albert could barely manage to squeeze out a response.
Left alone at the table, Albert finally spoke up ten minutes later.
“Damn it… What’s so great about being an adventurer?”
Despite taking the time to spend with her, she didn’t recognize how great he was and ruined the mood.
After all, humans are just humans.
Trying to console himself, Albert’s heart was as unsettled as a sky covered with dark clouds.
“…You don’t need dreams to live.”
In fact, Albert was shocked not just because Yuri argued with him and stormed off.
He felt the difference between Yuri and himself.
Over the past few days, Albert had felt that Yuri and he were alike as they talked, played BOW, and had meals together.
But that was Albert’s one-sided delusion.
Yuri, like him, enjoyed having fun and disliked studying, but unlike him, she wasn’t without dreams.
Her decision to take a leave from school and travel without her parents’ knowledge wasn’t an escape from academics but a journey to pursue her dreams.
But Albert was fundamentally different.
He, too, enjoyed having fun and disliked studying as the heir to the throne. He even ran away from the royal palace because he hated fulfilling his duties.
But he had no dreams.
And no will.
Albert realized that Yuri, whom he thought was just like him, was actually a shining person incomparable to himself.
No, perhaps Albert was drawn to Yuri not because she was like him but because, while appearing similar, she was a more radiant existence.
Albert felt that realization made him unbearably miserable.
“…Fine. If you want to leave the Dragon Kingdom so badly, I’ll grant that wish.”
After sitting alone at the table for a while, Albert stood up with a dark expression.
“If you prefer traveling over having fun… I’ll let you go as you wish.”
Even if the Dragon Kingdom traditionally had tensions with the Holy Kingdom, such trivial matters could be resolved with a mere gesture, given his status as the prince of the Dragon Kingdom.
.
.
.
Albert knew who the official issuing travel permits at the government office was, having seen Yuri and her group struggle there several times over the past few days.
Without hesitation, Albert approached the woman in charge of the reception desk.
“Hey. I need to talk to you.”
“Sorry, but men like you aren’t my type…”
“It’s not that. I need to talk about the adventurer group that comes here every day.”
“…What is it?”
The blonde receptionist, annoyed, coldly responded to Albert.
But when Albert mentioned Yuri’s group, she seemed slightly interested and gestured for him to continue.
Her attitude was rude, but it was understandable since she didn’t know Albert’s identity.
However, it was enough to exhaust the patience of Albert, who was already in a bad mood.
Dragon’s Aura.
For dragons, who naturally manipulate mana and wield it like their own limbs, exuding an aura is more of a verb than an adjective.
Albert’s aura, carrying a physical wave, struck the receptionist, and simultaneously, his pupils split vertically as scales began to rise around his eyes.
It was undeniable proof of his dragon heritage, a symbol of power that commanded absolute obedience in the Dragon Kingdom, a nation created to serve dragons and revere them as sacred.
“…My apologies. I didn’t realize you were of noble standing. Please, speak.”
That was enough.
The receptionist immediately bowed her head respectfully, her attitude changing 180 degrees.
“I’ll keep it short. Issue the travel permits to that adventurer group immediately. No questions.”
“Noble sir, I humbly apologize, but that order is beyond my authority to fulfill.”
“…What do you mean?”
Despite her respectful demeanor, the receptionist’s answer was a refusal.
Confused but not angry, Albert calmly asked again.
“The matter regarding the adventurers’ travel permits is directly ordered by Duke Eclair. I cannot independently issue their permits. Please, withdraw your command.”
“…Duke Eclair?”
For a moment, Albert’s eyes twitched.
No wonder Yuri said the permit issuance was taking too long. The duke himself was involved.
But for a duke to personally interfere and hassle an adventurer group, even given the strained relations between the Holy Kingdom and the Dragon Kingdom, was excessively petty.
Petty actions should have limits. Going too far could escalate into international friction…
No wonder Yuri was so upset.
Feeling a bit guilty, Albert sighed.
“Alright. It’s not your fault as a mere receptionist. I’ll personally address this with Duke Eclair. Can you guide me to the Duke’s residence?”
“…If that is your command.”
The receptionist quietly bowed her head, and Albert followed her guidance to Duke Eclair’s residence.
This was what happened just before he was kidnapped.