The Villainess Is An SS+ Rank Adventurer Chapter 518: A Princess’s Omens

The world trembled. As did the strawberries.

Violently shaken from their stems, they flew alongside the rest of the gardens.

Flowers. Leaves. A wooden sign. An errant caterpillar hoping to hide from .

If it existed, it was now sowhere in the air as petals, soil and grass were dispersed like pollen by a honey bee. Except this particular honey bee also ca with scales.

Glimring amidst the settling dust, each erald plate was thick enough to ward away arrows and any regard for the guest list. Because more than its ability to breathe fire, here was a creature who burned the notion of a queue more than any stray barns.

Yes.

It was …

“Oh, how convenient. You are here. I had worried I would need to pry open the tiny windows of a castle. This is a relief.”

A very large garden critter.

After all, nothing else would seek to pulverise the last remaining corner of my strawberries, ensuring that not even the roots remained to issue a complaint.

Grief filled my soul as I looked up at the familiar silhouette of a large dragon.

Of course, that I could even refer to a dragon as familiar was already deeply problematic. But the fact that we were now apparently close enough that this one could traverse the distance between my kingdom and Ouzelia just to puml a piece of competing green was sothing nobody had ever told .

For one thing, I would have waited sowhere else.

The entrance to the reinforced vault that Reitzlake Cathedral pretended didn’t exist, perhaps.

Oblivious to the destruction around him, the dragon sat up as though upon his own hoard, his wings slowly furling together. And while his hardened cheeks offered little of any expression, the clear lack of concern in his eyes was as loud as the missing apology.

Thus, I did what any princess would do … which was not Ergency Princess Protocol #83.

Instead, I simply gawped.

Ordinarily, I’d be required to flee to my tower while desperately hurling my shoes. Except that in this scenario, it was the dragon who’d shortly need to enact his own ergency escape plan.

“Wha … Wha … What is … ?!”

“Indeed, there is much my tail can do, but poking open windows has always been a matter I’ve struggled with. This is why I opt for a pergola do for my library instead. A full skylight enhances both readability as well as architectural charm.”

I threw up my arms in outrage.

“A … skylight?! For what reason?! So that you can crash through that as well?! Why are you in my kingdom?! Why are you in my garden?! You … You are sitting on a strawberry patch!”

The dragon blinked, apparently surprised by this.

He raised himself slightly, then did his best to peer at the flattened patch beneath. All that remained was a murder scene, the blood of strawberries splattered upon their own graves.

“Oh.”

“‘Oh’?! Is that it?! You will need to pay compensation!”

“My apologies, I am used to landing on piles of extra thick vellum. I had forgotten what the effects of my weight could do on tilled soil. Naturally, I shall make ands.”

The dragon closed his eyes. And all the world seed to stop.

A hum of sothing ancient began to reverberate, briefly stilling the sounds of general panic as any nearby tourists fled and the fire bells tolled in the distance.

“[Nature’s Blessing].”

Fwoooosh.

And then … the scent of all the seasons washed over .

The gardens began to heal as piles of loose flora were absorbed back into the soil, replaced by flowers of every colour and variety springing up like rabbits from a hat. All around , the world was painted more vibrant than even the fae realm could boast.

The dragon nodded in satisfaction.

“As you can see, there is a reason I make my library in a high flammable forest. Being an ancient dragon of the green brood, I am keenly attuned to nature. If necessary, I may call upon the Great Mother’s blessing when required.”

I narrowed my eyes around .

At the blue peonies dipping in the wind. At the pure snowdrops lting beneath the heat. At the yellow daisies being imdiately nibbled by Apple.

Indeed, every shade of the rainbow was now present.

… All except for one.

“Where are the strawberries?”

“My apologies, but I can technically only encourage what has still to grow. I cannot force strawberries to appear once they have already done so.”

“Well, in that case I suggest you start planting.”

“Excuse ?”

“Please wait here. I shall fetch you seeds and then teach you about preparing the soil.”

“Your Highness, I am not suitable for gardening work.”

“No? And why not? Didn’t you just say you were keenly attuned to nature?”

“Well, yes, but–”

“Exactly. If you can use magic, you can use your claws … why, those strawberries were the result of a year of sobody else’s tears! For their work to be reduced to nothing in a mont is sothing only Coppelia can do!”

Indeed, I was not the only one appalled by what I was seeing.

Beside , a clockwork doll was so stunned she could scarcely speak. All she could do was giggle instead, her horror bravely masked behind an energetic smile and a wave.

“Oh hey! It’s the big guy. I didn’t expect to see you here. Did you co to look at the restaurants in the Coppelia Guidebook?”

Imdiately, the slight ekness faded as the dragon’s eyes narrowed.

“I did not. And had you responded to my frequent attempts to contact you, you would have received news of my arrival.”

I let out a groan.

“Coppelia! … Have you been ignoring him just like I asked you to?”

“Not on purpose! As far as I know, he hasn’t tried talking to !”

“I provided a resonating pebble that shakes whenever I wish to speak with you. Has it not been functioning?”

Coppelia blinked.

Clap.

A mont later, she brought her hands together before pulling them apart into a small window of darkness. She shook it for a few seconds, sending junk from the Sumr Solstice Festival’s stalls and several Snow Dancer plushies tumbling out.

Then, out ca a tiny pebble, shaking so violently it was practically digging itself into the ground.

The dragon narrowed his eyes further.

“Coppelia. Why is the resonating pebble I provided to inform you to open the Clockwork Repository inside the Clockwork Repository?”

“Ahahaha~ well, you don’t really have a great sense of ti, and when it starts shaking at 4 o’clock in the morning, I figured I could just put it away until I rembered about it later.”

“... Did you rember about it later?”

“No.”

The dragon let out a huff.

I hardly saw why. Coppelia was correct. If he was contacting her at 4 o’clock in the morning, I didn’t care if the world was ending. It could wait.

That also applied for every other hour of the day.

“Why are you here?!” I asked, gesturing at not Ouzelia. “Regardless of whether Coppelia appropriately ignored you or not, you are still required to obtain a travel permit at the border! Did you get one?”

The dragon let out the closest thing to a cough. And for good reason.

Why, there was no scenario my border officials allowed him to pass!

It was the first thing they learned! No dragons allowed!

For one to be in my kingdom was a thing so unthinkable that the only reason my knights weren’t already here was because they were busy fighting each other over who got to save the princess first!

A noble goal in vain, of course. My mind was beyond saving.

“As a dragon, I see no borders, only the open sky and all that lies beneath it.”

I leaned slightly forwards. The dragon leaned slightly away.

“Then I suggest you add so maps to your library so you can begin seeing them. Because if one dragon starts visiting my kingdom, another dragon will soon too. As a princess, such endangernt is beyond any reason you could have for visiting .”

“Oh. Then you needn’t worry. That is very unlikely to happen.”

“Excuse ?”

“In matters of conversation, the Kingdom of Tirea is usually spoken of with concern. It is regarded as a strange place. Rest assured, no dragons will co unless there is great need, and even then only briefly.”

I let out a gasp.

“H-How dare you insinuate this kingdom isn’t anything but highly fashionable amongst dragons! … Is … Is this why you’re here?! To dispel any malicious rumours with your own eyes?! … If so, then that is perhaps an acceptable reason for intruding upon my realm!”

“Well, I do not deny that academic curiosity has drawn here. Your kingdom, after all, is well-docunted in my library.”

“... R-Really?”

“Yes, it accounts for a disproportionate number of anecdotes in A History Of Modern Injustice.”

“Who wrote that?! Give the author’s na! I will arrest them for slander!”

“However, know that I would not have skirted the laws of the Queenshol Accord unless my purpose was important. I have therefore co to discuss matters of poetry.”

Much to my confusion, the dragon swished his tail before him, the tip slightly coiled.

As he loosened it, several poetry compendiums ca tumbling down.

Specifically … my own.

I recognised the covers at once, plain as they were. After all, those burn marks from being thrown into a hearth could be recognised anywhere.

I let out a gasp, realising the seriousness of this visit.

And then–

“A-Absolutely not!” I said, throwing my arms around Coppelia. “I refuse to let you have Coppelia back! The quality of the poetry is irrelevant! A deal is a deal! I was to give you my poetry books so my father could never hoard them, and in return I would keep Coppelia permanently!”

“That was not the deal. It was for Coppelia to continue expanding her knowledge in your kingdom for as long as there were unique and rare books from your royal archives to offer in exchange.”

“In that case, I don’t see the issue! These might be works of highly suspect poetry, but they still match that description perfectly!”

“Indeed … and so I must voice my dissatisfaction.”

“Your dissatisfaction is irrelevant! I have kept my word and that ans Coppelia stays!”

“Of course. That is not in question.”

“Excuse ?”

“I wish for more of your poetry books. I am therefore here to ask for an andnt of the contract.”

I blinked.

“Hm?”

“Coppelia has been sending your works at regular but slow intervals. Even as a dragon used to waiting centuries for so of the most highly anticipated sequels, I find the wait to be highly upsetting. After all, they are not waiting to be published.”

The dragon wore a look of seriousness. Or as serious as a dragon could look while nodding profusely.

“… My apologies. When I accepted this contract, I held little expectation that my interest would be stirred. This did not change when I read the first poem. In fact, I was rely confused by so of the analogies and the liberal pronunciation required for many of the rhys. My initial impression was that it was the worst poetry I had ever read.”

“W-Wha–?! Are you insulting ?!”

“… But then I continued reading, poking beneath the surface, only to find myself lost in the depths. It required all my years of wisdom to unravel the strands woven through each sentence, and yet when I did, I saw that beyond the fixation on cakes were the words of one whose mind surpassed even the musings of the Great Sages.”

I was shocked. As was Coppelia, whose eyes had widened to the size of her mouth.

“You ... You enjoyed my poetry compendiums?”

“Enjoyed? No. I marvelled at them.” The dragon used his tail to carefully flip open a tiny book to a page. “I have brought back a selection of my favourites, hoping to discuss their deeper anings with you and, in turn, widen my own wisdom.”

I blinked.

For a mont, only the clamour of a royal capital clearly wondering what to do with a dragon filled the air. Which was admittedly distracting.

And then–

“Ohohohohohohoho!”

Releasing Coppelia, I offered my brightest smile.

“M-My, I suppose it is only natural that an ancient dragon would discern the true aning of my poetry, denoting the very words of my soul! Indeed, despite the fact that I can no longer make sense of what my younger self wrote, I should not be surprised that a dragon with centuries of insight can pierce through the fog of my own slightly childish handwriting!”

The dragon nodded at once.

“It is a rare and wonderful thing for my interest to be so piqued. Enough that I must insist on an andnt, rude though it is to renegotiate an existing contract.”

“Fear not! There is plenty of room for negotiation! … Why, I suppose I could increase the number of books I send here and there, or perhaps even offer so of my more recent works, undamaged by any hearth or lake!”

The dragon’s eyes lit up with greed.

It was, quite frankly, enough to slightly concern . The last ti that had happened, a ball of fire had been hurled towards .

“That would be splendid. Am I to assu you wish for paynt for this?”

“Of course. And goodness–I believe you already have the ans to pay.”

“Oh? What is it that you desire?”

I pointed towards a smiling clockwork doll, now chewing a magically grown daffodil.

“I want Coppelia!”

“Princess, you already have Coppelia on loan for an indefinite period.”

“That isn’t good enough. A loan is still a loan, even if I would never give her back.”

“Well, I cannot formally hand my assistant librarian over. I may very well have need of her in the future.”

“In that case, I would be willing to let you borrow her should the need arise and she wishes to do so.”

“That … sounds rather similar to the current arrangents?”

“Indeed it is. And yet the distinction is very important. It must be known that should anyone ever wish to bribe her into poisoning her employer, it is a princess, not a dragon, who should be the target. This is a matter of personal pride.”

If the dragon had an eyebrow, I had no doubt he’d be raising it.

Even so, that was no excuse for the missing huff of fla that would occur if our positions were reversed. And not just because if I could breathe fire, I’d be doing it constantly.

“That appears to be a rewording of our arrangent rather than any significant practical change. So long as Coppelia remains available when the library has need of her, I have little issue with who she directs suspicious individuals to when they approach her.”

I clapped my hands in delight, then turned to my amused looking clockwork doll.

“My, you heard the dragon! Isn’t this wonderful? Now all official queries regarding your bribery rates can be exclusively about !”

“Ehehehe~ I like being popular.”

I nodded repeatedly.

Indeed, she was the most popular handmaiden, and that was why I would always do all I could to keep her by my side!

“Very well!” I said to the dragon. “In light of your understanding, I’ll be more than happy to discuss generous percentages with you regarding the remainder of the poetry books!”

“Excellent. I shall require 100% of your entire poetry collection.”

“Ohohoho … how cute. Yet I’m afraid you’ve never haggled with a princess before. That’s clearly an absurd figure. I must have sothing left in order to extort … I an negotiate future andnts.”

“You shall need to negotiate using other ans. There is a reason I am personally here. It is to collect as many books as I can, owing to the fact that the future is in doubt.”

“Excuse ?”

The dragon swished his tail.

“Your kingdom is dood,” he said matter-of-factly.

I waited for the explanation.

None ca. But when did it ever? That would be helpful.

“... I see? Has it finally happened then? Did the brown stew finally make it into haute cuisine?”

“I am quite uncertain.”

“Well, what do you an? What else has happened to doom my kingdom?”

“I don’t actually know. All I know is that things are very bad.”

I slowly nodded.

“Mr. Dragon–”

“Virudaax the Learned.”

“Mr. Virudaax the Dragon. That is the most useless information I’ve received since a newly hired servant told one of the fields outside our walls was on fire. What am I supposed to do with this?”

“I am not being deliberately vague. I am truly uncertain. Fleur informs that the Scales of Premonition we keep in the library now state that there are currently 1,258 active prophecies spelling the general doom of your kingdom. That is a lot.”

“Is … Is that so? And just how many are there usually?”

The dragon blinked.

“Fewer than 1,258.”

I tilted my head slightly, humming as I considered this new piece of trivia.

Then, I broke into a smile.

“My, is that so? … How wonderful!”

“Excuse ?”

“That is the finest news I have heard all day. I am deeply grateful you have brought this to . Perhaps I’m willing to further increase the number of books to be sent.”

“Princess, this is not positive news. Although the business of premonition is by its nature uncertain, quantity is a quality of its own. There are enough dark ons on the horizon that their shadow against the sunlight alone is enough to classify as a calamity. And while I cannot say what awaits your kingdom, all I know is that all hope is lost and you should most probably flee.”

I raised a hand to my lips, barely covering my smile.

“Ohohohohoho … is that what you believe?”

Deeply amused, I raised my arms as I twirled around, allowing the sunlight to fall upon .

The sunlight that no shadow could darken, for it was rely a reflection of my gentle nature.

“You needn’t fear, Virudaax the Dragon. Because as learned as you are, I shall now teach you sothing no slanderous history book will. There are indeed many dark ons over my kingdom. And all of them are . For that is what my foes see when their ambitions turn towards the horizon.”

The dragon said nothing.

But then again, there was nothing left to say.

My smile was a thing so bright that it forced the heavens to look away. Yet for those who approached it with wicked intentions in their steps, it was the darkest on of them all.

Or at least until they ca closer.

Then they could see my soles instead.