Chapter 148

Trump Card?
“Why must I go to this royal palace? I am not some spectacle to be gawked at,” the White Dragon complained.

“We have our standing to consider too, so please, just this once,” I pleaded.

“I refuse,” the White Dragon turned his face away.

I didn’t want to use this, but I had no choice. It’s time for my trump card.

“Alright then, you stay here alone. Atre, when we go to the capital, Raphael will probably visit, and we’ll get to eat curry.”

“Wait, what is this curry? I have never eaten such a thing.”

“It’s a dish made with rare spices. But, too bad, you aren’t going to the capital, so you won’t get to eat it.”

The White Dragon suddenly looked flustered.

“I only said I wouldn’t go to the palace, not that I wouldn’t go to the capital.”

“Nope. If you go to the capital, you must go to the palace. You have two choices: stay behind or go to the palace.”

“Gnnnn…”

“I’ll be staying in the capital for a while, so I can’t give you any mana. But I’ll leave you some slime liquid, so you’ll be fine.”

“That’s unacceptable.”

“I’m not thrilled about this either. But you said you didn’t want to go to the palace, so this is the compromise. Just bear with it a little.”

“… Fine. Just this once. But in return, you must let me eat this curry dish.”

I knew he’d refuse to go to the palace. But recently, whenever there’s a food he hasn’t tried, he gets all curious and insists on eating it. So, I figured if I mentioned curry, he’d give in.
I’ll have to write a letter to Raphael to ask for a favor.

I placed the White Dragon in his carrier and walked through the palace. As always, we were immediately shown to the meeting room, where the usual group was already seated. I greeted them and sat down.

“Reinhardt, now that you’ve sat down, let me out of this bag!” the White Dragon demanded noisily.

I looked at Father, who nodded, so I set the carrier on the table and opened it. The White Dragon shot out.

“Ohh…” gasps filled the room.

“Reinhardt, I’m hungry. I demand cookies or cake,” the White Dragon said.

“No, your food is supposed to be my mana. You just want sweets. Be honest.”

“I came here because you asked me to. Now you must fulfill my wish too.”

“This isn’t our house. There’s no food here.”

“I want it now,” he whined, rolling around on the table in protest.

“Haha, Reinhardt, I’ll have them bring some immediately, so please persuade the White Dragon to wait,” Duke Clondale chuckled and stepped out to give instructions.

“I’m terribly sorry. Thank you very much,” I bowed.

“No, no, I’m just surprised by how… human the dragon is.”

Soon, plates of cookies and cake were brought in and placed beside the White Dragon.

“Oh? These look delicious. Well done,” he praised the attendant.

I bowed my head again.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s alright,” the attendant replied with a smile before stepping back.

When I looked at the White Dragon, he had already started eating, so I took the plate away.

“That’s mine!”

“Say thank you to the people here first, then you can eat.”

“… Thank you. There, I said it. Now give me the plate, Reinhardt.”

“His Majesty has arrived,” the front doors opened.

I set the plate back on the table, stood up, and waited as the King took his seat. Once he sat, everyone followed suit.

The White Dragon, unconcerned, kept eating his cake. The King watched and asked,
“So the White Dragon eats food too?”

“Originally, Reinhardt’s mana was enough for sustenance. But after watching our familiars enjoy meals, he started eating with us,” Father explained.

“The other familiars as well?”

“Yes. They saw us eating and wanted to try it. Now they eat meals with us, in addition to consuming mana.”

“Fascinating. May I ask the White Dragon a question?”

The White Dragon, now finished with his cake, replied,
“Depends on the question. Normally, I would never come to a place like this. I only did because of Reinhardt’s request. But this is a one-time thing.”

Saying that while holding another piece of cake really kills any sense of dignity…

“For a dragon’s reincarnation, is human mana necessary?”

“No, it’s not. This time was special. In my previous life, I failed to cleanse a mana pool and was cursed, losing my power.”

“Do you know where this mana pool is? And do you know how to cleanse it?”

“It’s somewhere in the forest. I barely escaped with my consciousness intact, so I can’t say exactly where. As for how humans cleanse it, I don’t know.”

“We plan to sell part of the scales we received. Does that trouble you?”

“Those were given to Reinhardt as compensation. I have no complaints about what he does with them. Besides, they’re funding the hot spring town. I’m looking forward to it.”

Stop talking, you chatty dragon!

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