Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 107

How to Conquer a Dragon.

As Ayra dispelled the final spell, the swirling dust began to settle, gradually revealing the surroundings. Janus, who had been staring holes into her, glanced around and gave a small snort.

“So that’s why the attacks didn’t feel right... it was an illusion.”

“You were trying to kill me. I couldn’t just take it.”

Ayra answered calmly and let out a sigh. The thought that she’d nearly died just now made her legs tremble. Perhaps noticing, Janus reached out and helped her up himself. Then, without warning, he buried his face in her nape and took a deep breath or two, sniffing. His hot breath brushed over her skin, giving her goosebumps. He tilted his head, dissatisfied for some reason, then asked:

“You’re the lord of Solar, right?”

His intuition was annoyingly sharp. Ayra figured there was no point pretending otherwise in this situation and, instead of replying, simply unlocked the doors that had been shaking under pounding fists. Immediately, people from inside the keep and from outside the inner walls came rushing in.

“Lord Ayra! Are you all right?!”

Bloom, leading the knights, came running—then froze. A stranger was standing far too close to their lord. As the knights immediately reached for their swords, Ayra raised a hand to stop them.

“It’s nothing. He’s a... personal acquaintance. Just arrived a bit forcefully.”

“But even so, no matter how familiar—he dares to—!”

Already exhausted, Ayra clicked her fingers before Janus could get even more amused by the scene. Bloom’s voice abruptly disappeared, and the half-drawn blades slid back into their sheaths. The knights flinched, but Bloom alone bristled, his eyes locked onto Janus with a killing glare. Fortunately, Janus didn’t spare him a glance.

“Sir Knight. I said—he’s a guest.”

Before Bloom could say more, Ayra gave him a warning. Seeing the sweat-soaked face from trying to force the door open made her feel a little guilty, but it was better than having him get killed or gravely wounded by a dragon. Bloom stood rigid for a long moment, then finally gritted his teeth and backed down. His gaze, however, remained fixed on Janus and Ayra.

“My lord...”

Gretel stood frozen, eyes wide in shock, while Jinas quietly called out to Ayra. His eyes moved between Janus and Ayra, dark with unease. The high steward, who knew the dragon was targeting the territory, silently questioned Ayra with his gaze. Ayra nodded. Seeing Jinas’s face turn pale, Ayra turned toward Janus.

“Janus. Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“Sure.”

Thankfully, Janus no longer seemed intent on attacking. Ayra hesitated for a moment, then led him to the drawing room attached to her bedchamber—next in privacy to the bedroom itself.

Inside, Janus curiously looked around, then freely dropped himself onto the sofa. Soon, the door opened and Jinas appeared, face still pale, holding a tea tray. It seemed he had volunteered instead of the elderly Botello. The courage it took to approach a dragon knowing what he was was truly something.

“If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call.”

Jinas spoke meaningfully as he set the cup down. The gesture was touching, but from this point forward, Ayra had no intention of letting anyone else enter. Once Jinas left, Janus took a sip—then set it down right away, apparently not to his taste. Ayra wasn’t in the mood to drink either. She took a sip and set hers aside, then asked:

“You came to kill the lord of Solar?”

“Well...”

Whether it was agreement or dismissal was unclear. Janus fixed his gaze on her hand. Wondering why, Ayra looked down and saw it was soaked with blood. So that’s how he’d recognized her and stopped—he’d caught the scent of blood.

As she reached into subspace for a handkerchief, Janus abruptly stood up.

“Let me see.”

“What... wait, what are you trying to do?”

She flinched and tried to pull her hand back, but Janus caught it swiftly. Ayra’s eyes flickered in alarm. Don’t tell me he’s getting excited. Why are you licking your lips like that? Don’t go showing your non-human side now...

“Ow, that hurts!”

“Endure it...”

His words drawled low as he leaned in—and dragged his red tongue across her palm. He licked right through the dirt, slowly and thoroughly, even taking her fingers into his mouth one by one. Every time the tip of his tongue traced over a bleeding spot, her hand twitched.

[Favorability with Janus Rehzedet has increased by 2!]

Current Favorability...

[Temporary Error :( ]

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

[Recalculating Total Favorability...]

He’s out of his mind...

Of course. Who else but this twisted dragon would raise favorability by licking wounds? What bothered her more was the notice that her favorability was being recalculated. Janus’s favorability toward “the lord of Solar” had recently reached minus 40.

In the end, Ayra had no choice but to obediently let him lick her hand.

Since it wasn’t a serious wound, once the bleeding stopped, Janus smacked his lips and finally let go. Rather than returning to the opposite sofa, he deliberately sat beside her. Once again, he buried his nose in her nape, sniffing roughly, and let out a dissatisfied noise.

“Why does your scent feel so faint? If you hadn’t bled, I might’ve killed you without even realizing it. Now that I’ve tasted it, I’m sure.”

To Ayra, it hadn’t seemed like “confirming” so much as “relishing”...

Apparently still bothered by the barely-there scent, Janus sniffed again «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» and again before grumbling:

“You weren’t in the lord’s quarters, so I came to wring the guy’s neck... Ah, wait. That’s probably it. Isn’t there a flower or something that erases your scent?”

That’s when Ayra remembered—the experiment with the Morunka flower just before the attack. And that, thanks to Janus’s -40 favorability toward the lord of Solar, she had very nearly lost her head. The realization made her chest go cold. She rubbed her nape and asked again:

“Why did you come to kill the lord?”

At her question, Janus, still scowling, stared at her intently. He openly looked her up and down, then muttered:

“Because he’s handsome.”

“What?”

“I mean, not that you’re not handsome. More like... manly handsome, you know?”

Then Ayra realized what he was referring to—the fake lord’s description she’d fabricated herself.

“So you’re saying I’m not manly-handsome?”

“You’re... well... you’re pretty-handsome.”

The lackluster compliment irritated her, but somehow it also helped ease the tension she’d been holding since the attack. From the moment Janus appeared, she hadn’t been able to let her guard down. His tone and gestures might seem light, but those red eyes had been gleaming the entire time. And besides—

Ayra glanced at the alert box floating discreetly in her field of vision:

[Warning! Approaching Bad Ending Route]

[Warning! Caution in dialogue is strongly advised.]

[Warning! Loading dialogue options...]

[‘Janus Rehzedet’ total favorability currently being recalculated.]

Several warning popups had been blinking persistently for a while. Ayra swallowed dryly.

Whether he noticed or was just playing along, Janus continued in his usual casual tone:

“Anyway, the lord supposedly came from far away, right?”

“What?”

Once again, Ayra blinked in confusion, unable to understand. She had the distinct feeling she was missing something—something important—but couldn’t quite put her finger on what.