Chapter 14: Bahamut’s Boon

“Good morning, Princess,” I greeted when Lydia finally stirred. She sighed then pressed her whole body against my side.

“I don’t want to get up,” she complained and I laughed.

“I’ll figure out a way to make everyone happy,” I promised while stroking her hair. I had plenty of time to think while Lydia slept and that was the conclusion I came up with. I couldn’t abandon Rebecca, but I couldn’t tear myself away from Lydia or Anna. At least, not anymore. Was it stupid? Probably. Was it impossible? Probably. Did I care? Fuck no.

“How greedy. And I thought I was the one with dragon’s blood.” She purred then mounted me and I lost myself in her body.

Charisma is fucking great.

Business often followed quickly after pleasure. Soon enough, Lydia, Anna, Idyia, and I were all mounted upon the finest horses the royal garrisons could muster. We marched with the army up to the castle gates and met with no resistance. Hasting was the lynchpin of the entire rebellion and now that I was here to fulfill Renalis’ obligations to the Alliance, there was no political reason to stand against Lydia. My exploits finally caught real fire. No one wanted to go up against a Hero and I suggested Idyia travel unmasked. I figured Some nobles closest to Hasting knew of the Dark Elf’s appearance and to see the 5th Level Assassin subservient to the Princess was all it took for them to give up any further ambitions for now.

Lydia ordered all nobles present in the capital city to gather in the royal courtyard under pain of death and after a few hours, I stood alongside her while a clergyman of Bahamut held up a Divination Orb. Lydia motioned for me to touch it, so I placed my palm on the Orb. My Status was suddenly projected over the Orb and expanded so that it could be read from afar. Cries of disbelief, outrage, and awe echoed throughout the courtyard. I immediately retracted my hand to conceal what I still could. Information was power, and I had no idea who or what could be watching.

Even Lydia looked relieved. I guess a part of her didn’t fully believe me even after she read my mind. But seeing it confirmed in a more conventional fashion seemed to finally banish any lingering doubt.

“Ranger Levin has bravely volunteered to be my champion. Our nation’s quota is met. Nay, it is surpassed by leaps and bounds. Renalis shall enter a new age of fame and prosperity!”

Lydia’s proclamation was followed by a wave of shouts and cheers. I spied several looks of relief - with a Hero to fill the quota, it meant their sons and daughters would be exempted from service for the foreseeable future. The two of us descended from the balcony and into the king’s audience chamber, where the highest ranked nobles and court officials were standing. Anna was patiently waiting by the throne. In front of her was the royal crown of Renalis, set upon a golden pedestal.

The temperature around Lydia increased and forced everyone except those with a high Constitution to give her a wide berth. I stood my ground next to her but I had to hold back the instinctive urge to flinch away from the heat she was generating. Vibrant, red accents graced her golden hair as it fell out of the tight bun she kept it in while out and about. Her hair whipped around her like countless, angry snakes, then a pair of dragon wings with golden scales burst from her back. It ripped through her clothing and left her torso barely covered. But she still advanced toward the throne, without a hint of shame or hesitation.

Now that is fucking hot. I followed after and stood next to Anna.

Anna solemnly approached the throne, with the crown held over Lydia’s head, looking like the royal retainer she truly was. She reverently placed it upon Lydia’s head and I felt the whole venue hold their breath.

“The King is dead. Long live the Queen!” Anna announced, her voice was so loud it almost broke.

There was no reply.

“Long live the Queen!” I declared with a smile, shattering the painful silence. I didn’t care about the stares and glares the noble shot at me. There were only two people in this entire room worth giving a damn about. The chant was soon echoed throughout the whole realm.

Lydia finally gave me a smile no longer tinged with sadness.

The transition back to the royal family was smooth. The coup only lasted two weeks at most - not long enough for any real bureaucratic change to take root. That meant after Lydia reclaimed the throne, the path of least resistance was to just submit to old leadership. To quell any potential issues, my presence was never too far off. The entire capital city was abuzz with the news of Renalis’ new golden age and her christened Hero. The coup was so short lived it didn’t even make it to the ears of the lower class and any hope of the general populace learning about it was killed when my Class was announced to the public. Anna was handling the investigations into Lord Hasting’s supporters to ensure they didn’t coalesce into a new problem.

Meanwhile, Lydia wanted to follow up on her promise to me as soon as possible.

“So I can pick anything?”

Lydia and I were standing in front of the national treasury. It only opened when someone of royal blood commanded it to do so and was one of the reasons Hasting was desperate enough to send all ten of his Barghests to retrieve Lydia. He was gambling on the riches within this vault.

“Yes, Levin. You can pick anything. I promised you my full support, did I not?”

“You never gave me those mental defense lessons.”

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“But I liked reading your thoughts.”

“I think I'll sleep in Anna's room tonight.” My lips pulled back into thin lines.

“Come now, tactically speaking, unrestricted telepathic communication is nearly unparalleled. Move. Shoot. Communicate. Kill. Right?”

“Stop. Jesus Christ, it sounds so bad coming from you!”

I retreated into the vault as soon as it opened. I was immediately taken by the large nest-shaped altar at the center of the vault where a torso-sized egg laid, halfway buried in shimmering Magic Crystals. The vault’s other contents were neatly stacked along the walls and around the altar. But it was obvious the egg was the most important thing in this room.

Lydia took my hand and dragged me away from the egg and back to the reason why I came. I leapt at the chance to play with magic items, my inner child exploding out with glee. Lydia patiently explained what the items were while I poked and prodded everything that caught my eye. But I didn’t have anything like an infinite inventory, so I could only take what I could carry. The first item I wanted to take was a magic quiver that provided nothing but endless arrows so long as I had the MP to support it.

Normally, it wouldn’t be worth much, but it was the perfect match for Select Fire. After that, I went for typical admin stuff, much to Lydia’s chagrin.

“I don’t know how to use a sword, so the laser-sword is definitely out,” I denied when Lydia tried offering me a very familiar looking bladeless hilt. I didn’t want to accidently cut off my arms and legs. She was really pushing for that Spellblade image.

“Does this really produce infinite fresh water?!” I picked up a small metal flask and shook it vigorously like a baby with a rattle.

“Only while you have Mana, yes. You can even drink it.”

“Holy shit, do you have any idea how amazing that is?!”

“I am in shock and awe. Now this sword should improve your Heroic image-

“Does it make coffee? How about alcohol?”

Lydia rolled her eyes and tried to force the laser-sword into my hands but I shook her off.

“On second thought, infinite potable water is enough. Fuck camelbacks.”

I eventually settled on a Reflex Dagger, a Cloak of Invisibility, a Flask of Flowing Water, a Bottomless Duffle Bag, and the Quiver of Infinite Arrows. According to Lydia, the only item of real value was the Cloak. It was among the most powerful items in the entire room. But I would have to constantly recharge my MP to use any of them, and that meant Magic Crystals, of which I had absolutely none.

“So how does all this equipment compare to everyone else?”

“Very few people have access to a nation’s treasury, even one as small as mine, Levin. Though you focused on less powerful items, I see the pragmatism of your selection. You’re prioritizing survival over victory.”

“Can’t win if I’m dead, Lydia.”

“A fair point. Now are you finished raiding my country’s coffers?”

“Almost, but what’s with that egg on the altar?” I asked, turning my attention to the very center of the treasury. Lydia looped one arm around mine and guided me up to the altar to get a closer look.

“This is the last Dragon Egg of Renalis,” I could feel the pride building through her whole body with each word. “My ancestors were dragonkin and the Dragonheart Aspect has been passed down our line for generations. The egg is petrified to preserve as a symbol of my house, so it will never break-”

The egg cracked and Lydia fainted immediately. But I reacted easily and caught her thanks to my high Dexterity. A blinking Menu alert tore my gaze away from Lydia.

«You have obtained a Subclass: Dragon Rider.»

«You have gained the Dragon Tamer Skill.»

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