Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 61

In the route planned by Long Ling and her mother, they were to go to Glace Harbor with her grandmother. Her grandmother would take a ship back to the Arnold family, and they would also take a sea route to the Livo Continent.

Passing by Glace Harbor, they received bad news.

Duchess Violet had issued an edict prohibiting all elves from entering her territory.

Glace Harbor is an extremely important transportation hub, a necessary waterway for the entire Aud Continent.

Water transport is many times faster than land transport. Because of this edict, some elves on their way back to the elven homeland for the Mother Tree Festival were forced to take a much longer detour. The increased travel time would lead to a reduction in goods carried, and their business would also be affected.

Long Ling was a little worried: “Why would Violet prohibit elves from entering the territory? I’ve never heard her say that the elves offended her. Will this affect Mom’s business?”

Mo Dai patted Long Ling’s hand and comforted her: “Mom led the elves to surround her manor to pick you up back then. She must be holding a grudge. But don’t worry too much, Mom hasn’t invested in industries within the Dragon Royal territory; she anticipated the unpredictability of the royalty.”

Mo Dai still felt a lingering fear when she thought of Violet. The Duchess’s aura was too strong. Fortunately, her daughter was no longer with Violet, or she would have suffered so much bullying.

Long Ling frowned slightly: “Now that the elves can’t pass through the harbor, how should we detour?”

Mo Dai had already prepared a backup plan: “We’ll go from the Gilva River to the Livo Continent. The pre-ordered decorative lights, magical fireworks, and blessing magic stones are all there. Not taking the sea route means a detour, but we still have enough time. On the way back, we can also pick up a batch of refined beer. The half-beasts living near the Gilva River love life, and the wine they brew is relatively cheap.”

Long Ling was a little confused: “Our ship is already loaded with some wine and utensils brewed and made by the elves, right?”

Mo Dai smiled slightly: “Selling different goods to different regions can yield higher profits. Mom also wants you to see different customs and cultures.”

The ship they were taking stopped at a ferry crossing in a small town on the Gilva River. Mo Dai skillfully led her to a local half-beast merchant.

Following their usual cooperation, after signing the procurement order, the half-beasts began loading the goods onto their freighter.

Half-beasts are also a relatively peace-loving race. They are naturally not fond of stirring up trouble. The land on both sides of the river here is flat and fertile, covered with banana and coconut trees.

In the evening, there was a bonfire party in the town. Long Ling and her mother sat together eating mango ice cream. The minstrel picked up his accordion, and many half-beasts gathered to sing. The moving melody and the warm firelight made her feel a little drowsy. Her mother rubbed her head, suggesting she could rest in her arms for a while.

Long Ling was worried about the entire shipment of goods and stubbornly shook her head. Mo Dai couldn’t help but laugh: “Silly child, we are giants, and the half-beasts here are very timid; they wouldn’t dare steal a dragon’s belongings. Go to sleep if you want.”

Long Ling nestled in her mother’s arms and couldn’t help but close her eyes. When she woke up the next day, she was already aboard the freighter heading to the Livo Continent. Mo Dai was standing at the bow, leaning against the railing, looking at the azure sea. Next to her stood the minstrel they met last night.

The minstrel took off their hat and bowed respectfully to her.

Mo Dai introduced them to Long Ling: “This minstrel wants to see the world on the Livo Continent and caught a ride on our freighter. Mom saw you fell asleep listening to the accordion yesterday, so I can let them sing to you every day.”

The minstrel smiled and said: “Miss Long Ling, I can sing many love songs. I can sing anything you’d like to hear.”

Long Ling looked at the accordion in their hand: “Can you teach me how to play?”

The minstrel bowed deeply: “It would be an honor.”

Long Ling looked away and glanced at the distant harbor. Even from this distance, she could still see the flag flying high on the white tower in the distance—interlaced golden violet flowers with a blade in the center symbolizing royal rule, shining brightly in the sun.

She had seen it on Violet’s military coat—dazzling and striking. Violet was also very much like a violet flower—proud and arrogant.

Long Ling had originally planned to find an elf to send the medicine to Violet, but it seemed impossible now. She had to think of another way.

On the freighter to the Livo Continent, Long Ling learned to play the accordion from the minstrel, two simple serenades. Long Ling noticed that the minstrel was thinly dressed and only ate dry white bread throughout the journey, so she gave them some gold coins to sponsor a bit of their travel expenses.

The minstrel happily held the gold coins, profusely thanked her and Mo Dai, and said goodbye.

Dragons and dwarves have always had a lot of grievances. After putting on the elven-made cloak, Long Ling and her mother appeared to have the same aura as elves. Coupled with the fact that there were elves working with them, the dwarves did not suspect much.

They sold the cheap wine acquired on the freighter to the local dwarves at a high price.

After the freighter was empty, they could purchase the items needed for the Mother Tree Festival. Once purchased, they could return to the elven homeland.

Mo Dai placed their luggage in the purchased manor and took the elves to buy the blessing magic stones and colored lights.

The magical fireworks were left for Long Ling to purchase. Mo Dai gave Long Ling the address of the usual purchasing spot and instructed her daughter that she could mention her name if anything came up.

Long Ling held the note given by her mother, and her backpack was loaded with several heavy bags of gold coins.

According to the elf who often accompanied her mother on business, the Livo Continent had many pickpockets who could skillfully and stealthily steal gold coins. There were also roaming mobs who would directly rob pedestrians of their gold jewelry.

Long Ling remembered that when she was in Glace Harbor, even in the subordinate Liepa Town, she had never heard of such things.

The criminal law in the territory governed by Violet was strict. Those pickpockets who were caught, after trial, would face minor punishments like hand amputation or severe ones like years of hard labor, which rooted out the hidden danger of pickpockets’ rampant behavior. One didn’t have to worry about being suddenly robbed while walking on the street.

This was also why Glace Harbor far surpassed other cities in commercial development. In a way, a magistrate from royalty like Violet, who could diligently govern the area, was very rare on any continent.

Long Ling sighed inwardly, clutching her bag of gold coins tightly. This was her first time doing business, and she had to be careful and cautious, paying attention to the passing signposts and following the instructions on the note.

There were many blacksmith shops along the road, all run by dwarves. They were short and sturdy and could directly take red-hot iron blocks from the furnace with their hands and start forging. The sparks that splashed onto their skin were like hitting hard slab rock—they wouldn’t get hurt at all.

Many foreign merchants bought weapons from them, but Long Ling was not here to buy things from the dwarves; she was looking for the witch who owned a shop here to buy magical fireworks.

Dwarves are bold and unrestrained, and house rents are relatively cheaper than in other cities, with no taxes. It is said that because they are not good at arithmetic, many witches are willing to open shops here.

Long Ling knocked on the door of the magical fireworks shop. She was greeted by a witch wearing a wide black cloak. Her face was thin, her eyebrows sharp and indifferent, and her figure was tall and straight, looking very powerful, not at all like a delicate mage.

There was a hole in the pointed hood, and the ends of her soft, black long hair were burnt black and frizzy, suggesting she had just been doing something dangerous.

The witch casually brushed the dust off her hood, her black eyes filled with doubt: “An elf?”

Long Ling remembered she was wearing an elven cloak: “I am Ms. Mo Dai’s daughter. Are you Ms. Carter? I’m here to pick up the custom-ordered magical fireworks.”

The witch looked at her expressionlessly. Such a polite little dragon was quite rare.

She put the hood back on her head: “Come in with me.”

Long Ling followed her inside. The shop was billowing with black smoke, having just undergone a disaster. A cauldron was overturned and broken, test tubes were blown away, and the surrounding walls were splattered with various unknown reagents. Among the residue, she saw half a bat wing, the charred remains of snake skin, and a small piece of lizard tail. The smell was pungent and spicy.

Long Ling’s heart immediately tightened. She hugged her backpack tightly. Was this really a legitimate fireworks store?

“Don’t worry about those. They’re just some experimental waste.”

The witch bent down and opened a side door. The magical fireworks were neatly sorted and even thoughtfully labeled with pictures.

The witch pointed her staff and showed Long Ling: “The magical fireworks ordered by the elven race for this year are ready. Check the goods and pay the remaining balance.”

Long Ling was inexperienced, being her first time: “How do I check the goods?”

The witch casually picked up two types of fireworks and closed the warehouse door: “Follow me. We’re going to the magical expansion space.”

The witch’s steps were steady. After walking into a special room, she tapped the magical rune stone next to her with her staff.

When the magic array started, the surroundings instantly turned dark.

The door behind her closed with a click. Long Ling’s heart immediately tensed up, and her palms were sweaty. Thinking about the animal remains she had just seen, her face instantly turned pale.

With a sizzle, a match suddenly struck a light. The witch’s pale, slender fingers shielded the flame, and her dark, deep eyes looked at her: “What are you afraid of? I won’t eat you. Sliced dragon heart is a bit tough to fry. I only want to make money right now.”

She lit the two magical fireworks one by one. The sparks were fleeting, and bang-bang-bang sounds appeared. One type of firework continuously released streamers of different colors, and the other released dots of light of different colors, featuring various elven totems.

Long Ling breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the other party might have been deliberately trying to scare her.

These specialized magical fireworks had no real sparks, just light, and would not harm the forest. They truly seemed prepared for the elves.

Long Ling counted silently in her mind: there were one hundred streamers and two hundred light dots, and there were no misfires. It was exactly as her mother had described.

Long Ling nodded: “I’ve checked the goods.”

The witch led Long Ling out of the room: “Give me the remaining balance. A total of one hundred boxes of magical fireworks. I’ll find someone to help you move them to Mo Dai’s warehouse.”

Long Ling handed her the bag of gold coins. The witch weighed it in her hand and put it away in the counter.

Seeing that Long Ling was a novice, the witch said: “Wait for me in the shop. I’ll go find people to move the goods.”

Long Ling sat on a chair, waiting for the witch to return. She saw many differently shaped candles on the shop counter. She didn’t know what they were for and was holding one in her hand, examining it.

From the corner of her eye, Long Ling suddenly saw the witch arranging for someone to come over. She turned around, looked through the window, and thought the witch would also come over to check the goods, but suddenly noticed the witch talking to someone else.

Long Ling saw that the side profile of the other woman looked familiar and couldn’t help but be curious. She watched for a while and saw that after only a few words, they hugged each other.

The other woman’s slender fingers clutched the witch’s black robes, and pale fingers, like swimming fish, slipped inside the loose robes. Cherry-red lips pressed onto the witch’s lips.

Long Ling’s eyes widened. The next second, the woman in the rose-red dress was flung away and crashed to the ground with a splat.

Long Ling suddenly got a clear look at the woman’s face—Violet’s cousin, Loran.

She thought she was seeing things and couldn’t help but stand up and walk to the door to look. It really was Loran.

How embarrassing. Maybe she should pretend she didn’t see anything.

Long Ling saw Loran struggle a few times but couldn’t get up from the ground. She wondered if the witch’s power was too strong. Thinking that the woman was Violet’s cousin, and she happened to want to give Violet medicine for her leg injury, Long Ling quickly walked over and helped Loran up: “Loran, are you alright?”

Loran was suddenly helped up. Feeling the Alpha’s strawberry pheromones, she turned her head and saw Long Ling: “I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt at all. Long Ling, why are you here? Isn’t Violet with you?”

Loran felt utterly humiliated and awkwardly covered her face, afraid that Violet would see her shameful moment.

The witch glanced at Loran and turned to walk away.

Long Ling curled her lips: “I came here with my mother for a bit of business. Why are you with the witch?”

Loran chuckled awkwardly: “What a coincidence. His Majesty sent me on a diplomatic mission to Nihaya West State, and I happened to pass by here. Carter and I are old friends; I was just saying hello.”

Long Ling was suddenly silent.

Your way of saying hello is really special.

Loran glanced around several times, not seeing Violet, and couldn’t help but ask again: “Where is Violet?”

Violet guarded her little Alpha Dragon like the apple of her eye, pampering her in the manor and not letting anyone touch her. Why would she suddenly appear here?

A hint of sadness crossed Long Ling’s eyes: “Violet and I broke up.”

Broke up? Did Violet scare her little fiancée away? That tsundere kept it really secret, not even telling her.

Loran had years of experience in politics and had developed the skill of being composed. She said understandingly: “When I go back, I’ll talk to her for you. How could she bear to be mean to such a wonderful little dragon? Don’t be sad. Sister Loran will definitely help you.”

Long Ling shook her head slightly: “Violet and I canceled our engagement. We probably won’t see each other again, so I want to trouble you to help me send her a medicine to treat her leg injury. It was made by the Elven High Priest that I found. It will definitely cure Violet’s leg injury.”

Loran’s mind was racing. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she said apologetically: “Long Ling, I might not be able to help you right now. I haven’t finished my diplomatic mission and can’t leave here for another three days.”

Long Ling hesitated: “You can keep it with you first and give it to Violet when you go back.”

Loran declined: “There are too many complicated people coming and going around me. What if some careless person accidentally steals such precious medicine? How about you keep it for now, and when I’m about to leave, I’ll come to your place to find you, and you can give it to me then?”

Long Ling looked at Loran and thought she made a valid point. The potion’s ingredients were hard-won by her two mothers, and the Elven High Priest had painstakingly refined it for her for a month. It was too precious to risk any mishap.

She agreed: “Then I’ll wait for you for three days.”

Loran smiled elegantly: “Good. But it’s crowded here and not convenient. Where are you staying now?”

Long Ling nodded and hummed softly: “I’m staying in my mother’s manor in the suburbs. You can come and find me there.”

She picked up a portable quill pen, wrote down her current address on a piece of paper, and handed it to Loran.

Loran put away the address. After watching Long Ling leave, she rushed back to the embassy.

She picked up the magic communication crystal and immediately contacted Violet.

Loran deliberately spoke in a cordial tone: “Violet, did you quarrel with your fiancée? She even ran away?”

Violet looked at her coldly: “None of your business.”

“You are a Duchess. Can’t you just deploy your personal guards to bring your fiancée back?”

Loran crossed her legs, enjoying the drama, and chuckled: “I can lend you some capable subordinates as repayment for the favor of lending me your troops last time. How about that?”

She smoked in front of Violet today, and Violet didn’t even stop her. It seemed she was genuinely heartbroken over her fiancée.

Violet frowned slightly: “Stop causing trouble for me.”

Loran curved her lips: “I told you that you need to be gentle. Alphas need to be coaxed. You didn’t listen to me. Look, what will happen if you don’t catch her now, and your fiancée ends up with someone else?”

Violet stubbornly said: “Am I short of her, an Alpha?”

It was as if she wasn’t the one who furiously issued an edict to kill elves.

Loran smiled brightly: “I originally had a surprise for you today. If you truly don’t care, then I won’t send it.”

Violet clenched her fingertips and immediately pressed: “Where is she?”

Loran couldn’t stop herself from laughing: “Consider the favor repaid, alright? Don’t lose her next time. It took me a lot of effort to stabilize her.”

Loran wanted to mock her a few more times, but Violet had already hung up the call.