Chapter 6: Do you understand now?

Over the next few days, Fratina took on her role as Lucia’s servant, primarily handling household chores.

Lucia knew she couldn’t shower Fratina with too much favor too quickly, so she kept her distance, avoiding direct interactions.

Today, feeling the time was right, she finally stepped out of her room.

Fratina wasn’t waiting at her door this time.

After learning Fratina had stood guard for nearly two days, Lucia had ordered her not to linger constantly, allowing her to spend free time as she wished.

But Fratina, who had come to slay Lucia, found little to do in this unfamiliar place.

Aside from chores, her routine consisted of hunting and training.

Today was no different.

Having finished her tasks, Fratina rested on a sofa in the grand hall.

Seeing Lucia approach, her pupils constricted, and she quickly stood.

But Lucia gestured for her to sit back down.

“Fratina, how long have you been here?”

“Just sat down,” Fratina replied. “It’s been seven days.”

“Seven days, huh…”

Lucia rubbed her chin, feigning thoughtfulness.

Fratina grew tense.

This was the first time in days Lucia had initiated a conversation.

Given their relationship, starting with small talk likely meant a task was coming.

Bracing herself, Fratina sat up straight, awaiting orders.

“What do you think of this place?”

“Here?”

Fratina thought for a moment before answering.

“It’s wonderful. I’ve never lived in such a fine room or worn such fine clothes…”

Lucia nodded inwardly, pleased her material efforts were having an effect.

“Then…”

Lucia hesitated, uneasy about the topic she was about to broach.

“Fratina, who hired you to come here?”

“…”

As expected, Fratina’s expression froze briefly.

But she answered truthfully.

“The Kingdom of Londe sent someone to find me.”

“Be more specific.”

“…They said, Lord Lucia, that you were wreaking havoc in this valley, driving out the locals, leaving them homeless, and frequently attacking nearby settlements, demanding regular tributes of treasure. If they didn’t comply, you’d burn their homes to the ground…”

Lucia listened, slightly embarrassed.

Fratina’s words perfectly matched humanity’s stereotypical view of an evil dragon.

And she was brutally honest, not sugarcoating a single word.

Wasn’t she afraid of angering her?

But Lucia knew these accusations were fabrications by Londe’s emissaries.

Her conflict with Londe wasn’t about causing chaos.

In fact, long ago, she had lived peacefully with nearby villages, each minding their own business.

The real reason Londe sent Fratina was the mineral vein beneath her feet.

This valley held the continent’s largest deposit of precious metals, all in shallow, easily mined layers.

Small-scale poaching had occurred before, which Lucia had ignored due to its minimal impact.

But once Londe’s officials discovered the vein, they repeatedly sent envoys to negotiate, all of whom she rebuffed.

After that, whenever Londe’s people tried to mine the valley, she drove them out.

She spared those who fled but killed those who resisted, as a warning.

This kept the valley quiet for years—until Fratina arrived.

In the original story, Fratina endured her servitude, eventually killed the dragon, and Londe’s mining teams flooded the valley.

They used the mined ore to mint coins and craft weapons, launching wars of conquest across the continent.

Fratina later opposed Londe, becoming their enemy.

In short, while Lucia was a villain in the story, Londe was no saint either.

With this in mind, Lucia grew confident in her next move.

“After these days together, do I seem like the monster Londe described?”

“…”

Fratina paused, then shook her head.

“From what I’ve seen, the only thing Londe got right is that you’re very strong.”

Of course, Fratina knew Lucia might be suppressing her true nature to deceive her.

But as a servant, she couldn’t openly question or doubt her master.

“Want to know the real reason Londe sent you to deal with me?”

“…”

Fratina nodded silently.

After days of interaction, she found Lucia to be a stable, non-violent dragon, unlike the tyrant others described.

She had already suspected Londe hadn’t been fully honest.

Lucia’s words piqued her curiosity.

“Then follow me.”

Lucia walked toward the cave’s exit.

Fratina followed.

After about an hour, they reached a high vantage point.

Lucia stopped and pointed to a natural pit in the distance.

Fratina followed her gaze and was struck with awe.

It was a massive open-pit mine. Though she knew little about ore, its shimmering colors hinted at immense value.

As expected, Lucia spoke slowly.

“What you see is a copper vein. Beyond that, this valley’s shallow layers hold vast deposits of gold, silver, and high-quality iron.”

“These ores are easy to mine. A single year of work could double Londe’s national power.”

Lucia turned to Fratina.

Fratina understood. If Lucia was telling the truth, Londe’s true goal wasn’t to slay a dragon but to remove the obstacle to their mining ambitions.

“Fratina, do you understand now?”

Lucia didn’t finish, but Fratina grasped the unspoken truth.

She had been used by the Kingdom of Londe.