Red Dragon Witch?
That name sounds pretty fierce!
Well... Sean glanced at the other nobles around him—almost all of them wore expressions of [Shock!], [Excitement!], and a hint of [Disbelief!].
He really wanted to join the discussion, but... who exactly was this Red Dragon Witch? A dragon?
Could it be one of those giant dragons from the novels he used to read? With leathery wings, scales all over, and the ability to transform into a human!
That's how the stories always went, and when they mated with humans, they could even share their abilities—sounded absolutely wonderful.
"Lady Aria, let me ask—who is this Red Dragon Witch?" Watching everyone inexplicably excited while he alone had no clue who this person was.
"Baron Weigel probably hasn't heard of her before."
He hadn't even heard of her existence, let alone her reputation.
"Freya Igueil is one of the few recognized powerful witches in the Empire. She's helped various regions of the Empire solve problems many times. I have no idea why Father invited her this time!"
Sean noticed Aria's state shift to [Confusion!] and [Thought!].
It seemed the Count hadn't told his own children about certain things. What a man who trusted no one.
Sean silently concluded that the Count probably hadn't shared this with anyone. Calling someone in on short notice like this likely meant more than just hosting.
Watching the steward who had delivered the message, Sean saw him scanning everyone...
The state [Careful Observation!] appeared above his head.
When their eyes met again, the steward responded with a polite smile.
Could it be...
This Count had set up such an elaborate scene and invited all these powerful people just to find a traitor?
…………………………
Using the excuse of preparing to welcome the Red Dragon Witch, all the nobles were arranged to hold meetings in the Count's mansion hall. Even dinner and post-meal walks were confined to this small courtyard, with most of the time spent sharing their own ideas.
They were planning some grand surprise for the Red Dragon Witch.
Sean could barely participate in these discussions... First, because he didn't know what a grand welcome looked like in this world; second, he was still waiting for Igunia to come with news, but she never showed up even by evening.
Later, he learned that to welcome the Red Dragon Witch, the Count's estate had barred entry to anyone—no messages could go out, and no one could come in.
This made Sean increasingly certain that Count Hamil was locking everyone up to start investigating. There were plenty of guards around, but from most of their states, Sean couldn't spot anyone suspicious.
Though some nobles showed signs of [Suspicion!], they didn't act on it.
Pacing around the courtyard were the so-called Black Feather Knights. Every single one of them had over [6000] HP, and some even had [7000~8000] HP.
All of them were Orderers above Level 6...
Truly an elite force.
With so many high-level individuals around, even if Igunia wanted to send him a message with magic, it would be extremely difficult...
He could only wait silently in this environment, enduring until all the nobles agreed on a suitable plan before heading back to rest.
One night passed,
Sean kept waiting for word from Igunia, but by the next morning, he still hadn't received any message from her. He even worried something had happened to her!
It turned out he finally saw her while accompanying Aria Hamil to the western mountaintop of Koga City.
Koga City was built leaning against a mountain. From the first day he arrived, Sean had gazed at this city from the distant mountain road... Koga City was enormous—even in his past life, only true megacities could compare.
Probably due to productivity, almost all resources were concentrated in the city, leaving places like his mountain village town as mere fringe areas.
"Why didn't you come to the Count's estate yesterday?" Sean looked at Igunia.
Her HP and magic hadn't changed, meaning nothing major had happened yesterday.
"I did go... but they wouldn't let me in. They said you were all discussing something, apparently about welcoming this Red Dragon Witch, so I couldn't enter." Her voice rose slightly, drawing glances from those nearby.
"Shh! Keep it down."
"Why so cautious? Did you guys discuss some secret?" Igunia leaned in and whispered too.
Sean rolled his eyes and pushed her head back upright.
"First, tell me what you found out yesterday."
"I did dig up some news, but it doesn't seem like what you're after... I asked the canal boatmen, and there really was a cargo ship that came in that night. But it was just everyday supplies for ordinary folks, sent straight to the market. They sold well too—by the next day, they were all gone." Igunia said.
"What kind of nonsense is that... Is that supposed to be news?"
"How should I know? That's what they told me. They didn't mention any other cargo ships coming in, and I specifically asked about the strong sulfur smell—they all said they didn't notice any unusual odor."
Looking at her earnest expression.
This was his mistake—he shouldn't have sent Igunia to gather information. She couldn't see people's attributes and states like he could, and she couldn't adapt even a little.
"Forget it. We'll ask again after this is over."
As they chatted, the group had already reached the airship base...
Sean saw the flying vehicles of this other world for the first time—a mode of transport based on hot air balloon principles, probably with some kind of engine attached. He didn't know what powered it, but the noise was tremendous.
When they got close to the landing point, the sound was so loud it nearly deafened his ears.
"She's coming, she's coming!" Someone up ahead suddenly shouted.
Count Hamil, being gravely ill, naturally couldn't come, so his three children received her on his behalf as hosts.
All the Black Knights stood in a row, and the nobles lined up on both sides, standing straight.
Sean's view was blocked by the Black Feather Knight next to him. Curiosity made him lean over to peek...
Red.
That was his first impression.
Then came her attire...
Sexy? Revealing?
Even more striking than that was her figure.
Her hair was red, and the clothes she wore, along with the cape behind her, were predominantly red as well. Her long, sturdy legs were clad in dark stockings that felt more like greaves and boots, but her thighs were deliberately exposed. Her chest was covered, yet there were cutouts!
The less you wear, the higher your defense!
She was also very tall, almost rivaling the Adaks he'd seen before.
Sean secretly suspected she had Adak blood...
Above her head: [HP 12000/12000, 6000/6000]. A Level 12 Orderer, once again topping the highest-level list Sean had ever seen.
As she walked past, the Black Feather Knights beside her began to bow!
But just then, a massive explosion echoed from the other end of the city...