Reincarnated as a Sickly Princess, She was Kidnapped by the Evil Dragon Lady - Chapter 18

“Alright, human. Just this once. Don’t bother me again.”

Aria watched the delighted Illycia before her, her initial disdain gradually softening into a sense of contentment.

As the Dragon Queen, however, Aria never allowed her inner emotions to show on her face, no matter how turbulent they might be.

With that, Aria turned and strode toward the gates of the Dwarf Kingdom.

“Mhm! Mhm! Mhm!”

Illycia nodded vigorously, then scurried after Aria, her little steps bouncing behind the Dragon Queen’s imposing figure.

They hadn’t walked far before reaching the gates of the Dwarf Kingdom. Illycia gazed up at the towering Steel City before her.

“Wow…”

Illycia was already awestruck by the sheer height of the city walls.

Since arriving in this world, all the structures she had seen—whether among the Human Race or the Dragon Race—resembled the medieval architecture of her previous life. The architectural styles of the two races were strikingly similar.

But the Dwarf Kingdom’s architecture was entirely different.

The architecture of the Dwarf Kingdom exuded a heavy metallic aura, making the term “Steel City” an apt description.

Even the city walls, visible at a glance, radiated a thick metallic atmosphere, with massive gears slowly turning within their structure.

“Greetings, ladies of foreign races. Please halt.”

The dwarf soldiers guarding the gate noticed Aria and Illycia’s approach and stepped forward to block their path.

Illycia, following behind Aria, couldn’t help but be surprised by how much shorter the dwarves were compared to her.

No wonder they’re called the Dwarf Race, she thought. At just over 1.6 meters tall, Illycia already considered herself somewhat short, yet here she was, looking down at these dwarves.

As for Aria, who stood nearly two meters tall, the approaching dwarf soldiers had to crane their necks to meet her gaze.

“We are travelers exploring the world,” Aria said, her eyes meeting theirs. “We’re passing through the Dwarf Kingdom and wish to rest here for the night before departing tomorrow.”

As she spoke, Aria casually handed each of the gate guards a silver coin.

The two soldiers accepted the silver coins. As they gazed at the gleaming coins in their hands, their eyes immediately filled with respect for the two women.

“Ah, esteemed ladies of the Human Race, please enter. We wish you a pleasant journey in the Dwarf Kingdom.”

With these words, the soldiers allowed Illycia and Aria to enter the city.

Once inside the Dwarf Kingdom’s city, Illycia’s curiosity remained undiminished. She turned her head this way and that, her entire being radiating excitement as she took in the novel sights.

The city was indeed predominantly inhabited by dwarves, and even at a glance, its technological advancement was strikingly evident.

Compared to the Roland Empire, the industrial atmosphere here was undeniably far more pronounced.

No wonder they’re the Dwarf Race! Illycia thought. Just as the books described, they’re a highly industrialized nation, with a strong industrial style permeating every corner.

“By the way,” Illycia asked, gazing at the surrounding dwarven shops, “do the dwarves sell guns? Given their advanced industrialization, manufacturing firearms and ammunition shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“You know about guns?”

Just as Illycia was murmuring to herself while observing her surroundings, Aria suddenly turned to her and asked, seemingly surprised that Illycia knew about firearms.

“So guns really exist here,” Illycia realized, hearing Aria’s words. “The Dwarf Race isn’t as proficient in magic as other races, and their physical abilities are lacking, so they invented firearms.”

Illycia explained slowly, a look of sudden understanding dawning on her face.

This world is indeed different from what I knew in my past life, she thought. In my previous world, guns were created by humans, not dwarves, and technology was humanity’s greatest achievement, not something shared with other races.

It seemed each race in this world had its own unique strengths, unlike the “jack-of-all-trades” humans Illycia remembered from her past life.

Just as Illycia was pondering what the Dwarf Race’s guns might look like, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her.

This dizziness was markedly different from the mild disorientation Illycia had experienced behind Aria earlier. This time, the sensation was overwhelming, causing her vision to blur and her legs to buckle. She stumbled forward, nearly losing control of her body.

Fortunately, Aria was close enough to steady her, preventing Illycia from collapsing completely.

“Hey, human, what’s wrong with you?” Aria asked, noticing Illycia’s sudden weakness and her reliance on Aria’s support.

Even the weakest human body wouldn’t be as fragile as Illycia appeared right now.

Illycia leaned weakly against Aria’s chest, taking a long moment to recover.

“What’s really wrong with you?” Aria asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked at Illycia, who seemed as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.

The only response was a loud rumbling from Illycia’s stomach.

At this, Illycia couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

“Are you hungry?” Aria asked. Illycia slowly nodded.

“Well… I haven’t eaten anything since morning…” Illycia’s embarrassed gaze darted around, unsure where to look.

It was only when Illycia mentioned it that Aria realized humans, unlike dragons, needed three meals a day.

What puzzled Aria was that even going a day without food shouldn’t leave Illycia so weak she could barely stand.

“Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

“But… but I can’t… I can’t walk anymore…” Illycia’s embarrassment deepened.

She never imagined she could be this weak.

The truth was, Illycia’s physical condition had already been poor, but her curiosity and excitement had masked the discomfort. Now, her body was nearing its limit, truly unable to take another step.

Illycia began berating herself for her frail body. It was pathetically weak!

She braced herself for a scolding from Aria, but instead, she suddenly lost her balance.

By the time Illycia realized what was happening, Aria had already swept her up into a horizontal carry.