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Chapter 181 - Tourism Crisis
“Tania!” Cecile ran over to hug Tania with a happy face.
“Y-your Majesty! Please wait! You’ll get seasoning on you!”
“Hmm?” When Cecile pulled back, she saw three chicken skewers in Tania’s hands and about twenty in Girgantia’s mouth. “What did you eat on the way here?”
“I merely responded to the sincere hospitality of humans,” the dragon answered proudly.
Cecile clicked her tongue in response and retorted, “So, you just ate what people gave you.”
Both Girgantia and Tania avoided Cecile’s gaze and stared off into the distance.
“I see you’ve arrived,” Estian said, appearing shortly after.
As Cecile curtsied in greeting, Girgantia asked from behind, “By the way, why’d you call us here?”
“I thought the view from the sky would be pretty.”
“Eh?” What nonsense was this? The dragon looked confused for a moment, before Estian’s words dawned on him. “Ha-hang on. So, because you think it’ll be nice to look at the city from the sky… You want to ride on my back?”
“That’s right.”
“Hey! I’m a dragon! How could you think of such a—”
“The chef said he has fifty chickens fried and ready.”
“What a wonderful idea, my good emperor. So, where’s the dining room?”
Tania gave Girgantia the side-eye from his instant flip in a servile attitude, even though she lived the same way. Though the dragon had answered affirmatively, his expression wasn’t bright.
“My mom would’ve shed tears if she knew I lived under such treatment. She cherished me so dearl—”
“Lies,” Cecile cut in. “Mount Panar disappeared because you stressed out the dragon lord so much she kicked the mountain. Cherished dearly, my foot. I’m sure she was thoroughly fed up with you.”
Girgantia stared at Cecile in shock and asked, “How did you know?”
“Hm?”
“How did you know that mom got rid of that mountain because of me?”
“Well, that’s because…” Cecile trailed off. How did she know?
“No one but my mom and I knew about that, so how did you…”
“Enough,” Estian interjected. “You go downstairs and eat your feed.”
“Don’t call it feed!” Girgantia huffed.
“The chicken’s going cold.”
“I shall be back after my feed then.”
Girgantia immediately left at the mention of his chicken growing cold. After seeing him swiftly disappear with Tania in tow, Estian turned to his confused wife and found her murmuring to herself, “How odd… Really, how did I know that?”
* * *
The lobby of a small hotel in the outskirts of Aluna was swamped with guests. It was an old rundown place that normally had few guests, but it was suddenly crowded with people desperate to catch a glimpse of the rumored dragon.
“Welcome. May I have the name on your reservation?”
The woman who came to the reception desk with a hat pressed tightly on her head answered hoarsely, “I didn’t make a reservation.”
The receptionist remarked in a troubled tone, “Oh dear. There are no rooms available with the current happenings in Aluna. I apologize, but—” Before the receptionist could even finish speaking, the woman threw something heavy on the desk that landed with a thud. “What’s this?”
“Can’t you tell by looking? It’s a gem—worth enough for a year’s stay in a puny hotel like this.”
The receptionist’s face scrunched in distaste upon hearing the hotel described as ‘puny.’ Nevertheless, he took out the gem to examine it, and was surprised to find it was truly magnificent as the woman had claimed. He quickly scanned the figure before him. She was skinny and her face was obscured under the wide-brimmed hat. It was obvious she was a suspicious character. Why else would a person come to a place like this and offer this much money to stay? However, he was willing to overlook it with the unexpected windfall.
“All we can offer is a room used by staff. Would that be okay? It has no windows, but it should be nice for a quiet stay.” The receptionist was hinting the room was a good place to lay low, and the woman nodded understandingly. “Then, please fill in your name, address, and identity here. It’s a formality, but a necessary one.”
The receptionist hastily stuffed the gem in his pocket, and waited for the woman to fill out the form. Taking the completed form, he handed over a key and said, “It’s the room with a black door below the stairs in the back.”
The woman immediately turned around and walked off without another word. After she’d disappeared from view, the receptionist glanced down at the form. Had she made a mistake when filling it out? There was an indecipherably crossed out part next to where the woman’s name was written.