Dragon System: Red Dragon Legacy-Chapter 34: New World Order

Orion and the others finally reached the palace.

There was a lot on Orion’s mind. First was the Seed of the World Tree—he couldn’t wait to find out what it truly was. And then there was his status. He was itching to check it.

Still, he decided to wait until he was settled in the capital—more precisely, at Lilian’s house.

As they arrived at the palace gates, Lilian came running toward them. The moment she saw Orion, she slowed down and approached carefully.

"What happened to you?" she demanded. "Why were you in the forest at night? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!"

She fired all the questions in a single breath, leaving Orion overwhelmed.

"Whoa, whoa—easy there," Orion said, raising his hands. "I’ll explain everything in detail later."

Then his eyes narrowed slightly. "When we’re alone."

Lilian immediately understood his meaning and swallowed the rest of her questions.

"Did you finish your business at the palace?" Orion asked.

"Yes," Lilian replied, her expression brightening. "It was nice talking to the princess again after such a long time. I lost track of time, and that’s why I didn’t notice that you hadn’t come back at night."

"Good," Orion said. "Then shall we head to your place?"

Lilian’s eyes widened.

Both of us... at my place? She had misunderstood what Orion meant, and her face flushed red. Then she remembered that she had invited him to stay at her place.

"O-oh, right. Yes, let’s go. The carriage is already here."

They all climbed in once again.

"Take us to the Noble District—Valour Road, House Number Five," Lilian instructed the driver.

The carriage turned right from the palace gates and soon entered the Noble District. Unlike the lively streets Orion had seen before, this area was quiet and refined. Grand mansions lined the road, alongside high-end restaurants and jewelry stores.

As expected of nobles, Orion thought.

Soon, the carriage stopped.

When Orion stepped out and looked up at Lilian’s house, his eyes widened.

This mansion was even more massive and extravagant than anything he had seen on the way. The exterior was decorated with rubies and gemstones, and the architecture itself was a work of art. This two-story building radiated prestige.

"Whoa... you live here?" Orion said. "You must be loaded."

"Oh, stop it," Lilian replied, waving him off. "It’s not even mine. It comes with being a hero. It’s called the House of Valour. The church built it for every generation of heroes to stay in."

She walked up and knocked on the main door.

A woman dressed in a maid’s uniform opened it.

"Naomi," Lilian greeted her. "These are my friends—Orion, Axl, and Max. Please take good care of them."

The interior was even more breathtaking than the exterior. The first floor was completely open, with two elegant staircases curving up to the second floor. Everything was furnished with high-quality furniture.

"Damn..." Orion muttered unconsciously.

"Stop it," Lilian snapped.

"I can’t help it," Orion protested. "Everything looks so damn glamorous—I mean, even your maid is hot."

Lilian shot him a glare sharp enough to burn.

"Okay, okay! I’m sorry. I won’t say another word—I promise!" Orion said quickly.

Lilian sighed. "Naomi, please take them to the guest room and provide everything they need."

Naomi bowed and led them upstairs.

"This way, Sir Orion. You may bring your pets as well."

After walking down the hallway, they stopped in front of a spacious room—

Damn... even the guest room is over the top, Orion muttered inside his head.

"Please freshen up, Sir Orion. I will call you when it’s time for dinner."

After she left, Orion looked around. The room was luxurious, with plenty of space to store his weapons and belongings, and enough room for Max and Axl to play.

"Alright, boys," Orion said. "Let’s freshen up. After that, I’ll take a short nap—and I want no shenanigans while I’m asleep."

In the bathroom, Orion found no shower—only a bathtub, a large bucket, and a mug.

"Right... well, gotta get used to it," Orion muttered as he poured water into the bucket.

There were also many bottles filled with liquids of different colors. Orion guessed they were hair and skincare products of this world, but he didn’t dare to use any of them.

’Come to think of it... this is my first shower since coming to this world. Why don’t I smell horrible?’

He shrugged. ’Must be my race.’

As soon as he lay down on the bed, he fell asleep.

"Wake up, Orion..."

"Wake up."

"Huh?!"

Orion jolted awake, his heart racing. For a moment, he thought he’d heard his mother’s voice.

"Sir Orion," a familiar voice said gently. "It’s dinner time."

Naomi.

"Alright! I’ll be down in a minute," he called out, quickly getting dressed in the same clothes he’d gotten from the carriage driver.

"Man, I really need to go shopping."

The smell of food guided him straight to the dining room.

Lilian was already seated, waiting.

"You’re finally awake," she said. "Do you know how long you slept? You skipped lunch—it’s already dinner."

"Well, you can’t blame me," Orion replied, sitting across from her. "The last few days have been rough."

Naomi soon arrived with more dishes.

As she placed them down, Orion couldn’t help but notice something strange.

She reminds me of my mom...

What the hell? Do I miss her that much?

"Sir Orion?" Naomi called.

"Huh?"

"Do you eat boar meat?"

"Yeah, sure."

Lilian eyed him. "You look distracted. What’s on your mind?"

"Nothing," Orion said. "Just thinking about yesterday."

"Then let’s eat first," Lilian said. "After that, you can tell me everything."

The food was incredible. Orion ate until he was completely full, feeling refreshed and energized.

They moved to the sofa afterward, tea in hand.

"Now," Lilian said firmly, "tell me what happened in the forest. Don’t leave anything out."

Orion explained everything—from the Adventurer’s Guild to the assassins.

"Wait," Lilian interrupted. "Are you sure they weren’t just bandits? Why would assassins target you?"

"I don’t know," Orion replied calmly. "But they were dead set on killing me. They didn’t even ask if I had any valuables with me. Their skills were definitely those of assassins. But what stood out most was their killing intent—they were only after my life. They had no plan to loot me."

"That’s still not proof," Lilian said. "It’s just your gut feeling."

"I know," Orion replied. "That’s why I’ll handle it myself."

She sighed. "Just promise me you won’t do anything reckless."

"Of course," Orion said vaguely. "Oh, by the way—do you know about anti-magic artifacts?"

Lilian’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Wait—did you just say anti-magic artifact?!"

"Yes, they used one on me," Orion said casually. "It drained my mana completely."

"Do you understand how serious that is?" Lilian whispered. "Only one person can create such artifacts—and he belongs to—"

She stopped herself before spilling anything important and confidential to Orion.

"Well, now you see, I’m very curious... why do you have to tease me if you don’t actually plan to tell me anything?" Orion complained.

Lilian sighed and decided to tell as much as she could without revealing any confidential information.

"You see, the kingdom has been terrorized by an organization called the New World Order lately," she paused for a moment before continuing. "They have many talented individuals in their ranks, and one of them is responsible for creating the artifact."

"For the past couple of months, though, they’ve been behaving strangely. They’ve stopped all their petty crimes, and rumor has it that several small-time nobles have been seen with the leaders of the organization. They’re planning something big... something devastating," Lilian finished.

"So they’re a direct threat to the throne," Orion said.

"Yes. I need to inform His Majesty immediately."

She paused, then frowned.

"...Wait, but why would they target you?" she asked, confused. Then her eyes widened in realization. "Wait... do you think Ryan is involved in this somehow?"

That was exactly what Orion had been thinking.

"I... don’t know. Maybe... but let’s not jump to conclusions. You should just inform the king—he seems like a wise man. I think he should be able to handle it."

Orion lied to her. He wanted Lilian out of this case. He wanted to handle it alone.

That calmed her down.

Orion quickly changed the subject with a smirk. "By the way... aren’t you a little worried about what people will think with me staying here? And... what if Ryan finds out? That guy’s basically got a one-track mind when it comes to you—’obsessed’ doesn’t even cover it."

"I don’t care what other people think," Lilian replied. "And as for Ryan—I’ll deal with him."

"And you’re not worried I might take advantage of you?" Orion teased. "I mean... let’s be honest—you’re an extremely attractive woman, and I’m just a guy."

Lilian blushed slightly. "You see, I have a skill called Justice Eye. It lets me judge a person’s character, and when I used it on you, I felt like I could trust you. And even if you tried something... I’m B-rank. You’re C-rank," she said, the last part in a chilling tone.

"...Duly noted," Orion said.

"You don’t have extra clothes, do you?"

"Nope."

"Then we’re going shopping tomorrow."

"No, you’ve done enough—"

"I wasn’t asking."

"...You’re so bossy."

She ignored him.

"Go to bed. You’ve had a rough few days."

Orion nodded and left.

Elsewhere...

In a dark room lay the half-burned assassin leader, known as Blud.

"That... boy... strange... power..." he muttered.

"He’s awake! Call the healers!" a guard shouted.

Two healers rushed in.

"His condition is severe, but curable."

"Boy... strange....power..." Blud whispered.

"What are you saying?" a guard asked. "What boy?"

Blud lost consciousness once more.