25-188

EP.188 [Female Drake Discovered!] 

“Huh?” 

Pause. 

After asking Priscilla a question and wiping his sweat, Eugene paused. 

The drake seems to be curious about someone with demon blood mixed in-just interpreting it plainly, it was obvious Priscilla was referring to him. 

“It’s exactly as I said. Monsters are friendly toward demons. But since there’s a person with demon blood mixed in, I think it’s showing curiosity.” 

Priscilla made no attempt to hide her intent. She explained even more directly: 

“Eugene Caesar, you-you’re a demon hybrid.” 

She bluntly revealed that she knew Eugene was a demon hybrid. 

‘What is this situation! She really knew???’ 

It wasn’t just a guess; it was certainty. Eugene Schneider’s mind instantly became complicated. 

“Why are you so surprised? I told you before-I’m royal elf blood. I have abilities on a completely different level from regular elves.” 

When Eugene’s eyes went wide, Priscilla seemed almost annoyed, as if she was boasting about her lineage. 

“I’ve actually known for quite a while. I just didn’t feel the need to mention it. But with a smart drake, it’s a different story, so I’m bringing it up now.” 

Cross! 

Priscilla folded her arms and crossed her legs with total composure, as if to say: you were in the palm of my hand all along. 

‘So Priscilla really has known for a long time.’ 

Priscilla likes to boast, but she doesn’t make things up. So Eugene accepted her arrogant attitude without much doubt. 

“Of course, it’s surprising you knew, but more than that-are you okay with it, Priscilla?” 

But Eugene seemed to have more to say, and it wasn’t just about his secret being revealed. 

“Huh? What do you mean, am I okay? What are you talking about?” 

This time, Priscilla looked puzzled. 

“As you said, I’m a demon hybrid, and you’re an elf. Right now, an elf and a demon hybrid are facing each other like this. Aren’t you at all uncomfortable with that?” 

Exactly. Eugene Schneider, knowing how sharp and perceptive Priscilla was, would never have ignored the possibility of his secret being discovered. So his reaction wasn’t just about being found out, but about Priscilla’s attitude toward him. Her reaction didn’t make sense-she should be more hostile. Elves and demons are natural enemies. 

“........” 

Priscilla, understanding what Eugene was getting at, stared blankly, as if she’d been struck right in the heart. 

“Well, that’s because demons and elves don’t get along, but there’s no reason for me to treat a demon hybrid the same way. Honestly, I haven’t even met many demons myself...” 

After a moment of silence, Priscilla rambled. On the surface, it sounded plausible, but compared to her usual way of speaking, it was clearly a feeble excuse. 

“Well, what can you do? We’re already comrades. Once you’re comrades, finding out someone’s a demon hybrid isn’t a reason to shun or curse them, right? Am I wrong?” 

Priscilla, realizing she was rambling, changed her tone and asked as if to deflect. 

“Thank you for accepting it like that. There’s a lot of stigma around demon hybrids, so it’s always been hard to talk about. I was especially concerned about you, Priscilla. Now I feel a bit more comfortable and relieved.” 

Smile...! 

Eugene gave Priscilla a subtle smile-one of relief. He’d already revealed to his Red Fox Mercenary Band comrades that he was a Sword Expert, and their reactions were surprisingly positive. In this world, jealousy is common, but his comrades truly celebrated his success. That made Eugene think: maybe they’d accept his demon hybrid status too? But he’d kept it to himself, since it was an even more sensitive topic than being a Sword Expert. Seeing Priscilla, the one he was most worried about, react so nonchalantly as a comrade, made him happy. 

“Che! I’m annoyed. After all these months fighting together, you still couldn’t trust me!” 

Hop! 

At Eugene’s smile, Priscilla jumped down from the desert rock where she’d been sitting. 

“I’m going to bed! I can’t watch your training anymore with this mood. Elves are a loyal race-how could you think otherwise? I’m really annoyed!” 

-Tatatatatata! 

With a sense of déjà vu, she dashed off toward her tent. 

“This magic stone is something I made in a hurry on my way here. It uses the unique mana extracted from the drake’s scale.” 

The next day, Elizabeth visited the Red Fox Mercenary Band’s camp to explain the special magic stone she’d made. 

The ones listening were Eugene and Priscilla. 

“So, you mean if we carry this stone while tracking the drake, it’ll work, Mage Elizabeth?” 

Eugene accepted the special stone Elizabeth handed him. 

“That’s right, Captain Eugene. With this, the stone will react to the drake’s body mana, and we’ll be able to map its movements in detail. I plan to use that to create a new magic circle.” 

Assuming the drake is highly intelligent, Elizabeth planned to revise her entire magic strategy, which required more detailed information. That’s why she made the special stone with the Imperial Knights’ reinforced escort on her way here. Using the drake’s scale, she planned to analyze its unique mana flow and behavioral patterns for a detailed plan. 

“By the way, I don’t think we’ll need to use this demon-blood-infused cloak. Priscilla already knows I’m a demon hybrid.” 

Eugene waved off the strange-looking cloak Elizabeth offered. Eugene and Priscilla were chosen for the drake information-gathering quest for a reason: Priscilla, as an expert-level archer, was the optimal class; Eugene, as a demon hybrid, was perfect for drawing aggro. Elizabeth, not knowing their full situation, had prepared the cloak as a disguise. 

“Oh... really?” 

When Elizabeth heard Priscilla already knew Eugene’s top secret, she seemed a bit stunned. 

‘How does this elf know? Only my sister and I should know that!’ 

She was irritated, as if a secret meant only for her brother and the Oblaing sisters was now gone. For the obsessive Elizabeth, this was not welcome. With a cold look, she stared at Priscilla beside Eugene. 

“I was more surprised, honestly. You must be a very skilled mage to notice the captain’s demonic energy just from a conversation.” 

Priscilla, too, responded differently than usual. Normally, she’d just look away with a bored expression, but now, as if refusing to lose a battle of wills, Priscilla looked up at Elizabeth. 

Then- 

“Hmm...” 

Suddenly, her confidence faded. 

“I’ll go wait outside first.” 

-Tatatatata! 

She hurried out of Elizabeth’s tent as if fleeing. 

‘Hmm... Priscilla’s been acting like this a lot lately.’ 

Eugene watched her leave with a puzzled look. 

“Amazing, brother. For an elf to react like that to a demon hybrid...” 

“You think so too? So don’t worry. She can be clumsy, but Priscilla is tight-lipped.” 

Elizabeth, thinking she’d won the battle of nerves, spoke with a calmer gaze, while Eugene, not picking up on the tension, just focused on her words. 

“Priscilla, are you ready?” 

“Yeah, we can go.” 

Finally, Eugene finished preparing to go after the drake. They would ride as close as possible, then continue on foot. Only one horse was brought, and Priscilla signaled she was ready by sitting behind Eugene. 

“You’re not ready yet, are you?” 

“What are you talking about? I’ve got my weapon and all my gear. Are you being stupid?” 

But Eugene, saying she wasn’t ready, refused to set off. Priscilla looked puzzled and annoyed. 

“You have to hold my waist. No matter how amazing you are, Priscilla, safety is important.” 

Grab! 

“Wha-what are you doing!” 

Eugene grabbed Priscilla’s hand and placed it around his waist. Priscilla, startled, blushed bright red. 

“Hold on tight, I’m going to ride fast!” 

“...Okay...” 

But she didn’t let go. 

‘Ugh... this is bad... I’m losing my elven dignity...’ 

She couldn’t let go. 

‘Because of this foolish, stupid human...’ 

Elf Priscilla liked Eugene Schneider. 

‘I’m royalty, a noble elf... I should be connecting and dreaming of the future with someone more refined and noble...’ 

But for Priscilla, this was hard to accept. 

She could understand friendship, camaraderie, and companionship-she’d experienced plenty of that in the elf village. But the love she’d learned about was something so deep and noble, you’d want to spend thousands of years together. Yet here she was, feeling affection for a human who, at most, might live another hundred years. Priscilla was confused. 

“Priscilla? Priscilla?” 

At that moment, Eugene Schneider’s voice called her. 

“Huh? What?” 

Lost in her own thoughts, Priscilla was startled. 

“Why else? We’ve found the drake. What were you thinking about?” 

They had already ridden quite a distance. 

“Grrrrrrrr...!” 

“Look, the drake is drinking water at the desert oasis lake over there.” 

They had arrived at an oasis lake inside the Enclema cliffs, where a house-sized drake was drinking alone.