### Chapter 26: Ready to Leave the Town
Step one of my goal: CHECK!
No need for chit-chat anymore; it’s not the right time for deep discussions. Time to hit the road…
But I should make sure the fairies see me leave gracefully.
But how to pull that off?
“Big White.”
I thought for a moment, then gave the White Dragon a gentle pat on the head, leaning in closer to whisper, “Turn around and walk away…”
“Snore snore.”
The massive head of the White Dragon turned towards me, its bell-like eyes looking a bit confused.
“Oh dear…”
I took a sneaky glance at the kneeling fairies, most of whom were still too scared to look up, and gave Big White another pat on the head. “Let’s just go…”
“Hmph—”
Big White huffed, seemingly unwilling to leave. Dragons don’t just skedaddle in front of a bunch of little fish—how embarrassing! But seeing my insistence, it finally opened its gigantic mouth and let out a thunderous roar at the fairy crowd, putting on quite a show before stomping back towards the big pit with its ‘boom boom’ steps.
After a few strides, I leaned in again and said, “Let me out… How do I get out of here?”
Big White immediately inclined its head at my words.
“Ah, no turning back now!”
Real men don’t look back at times like these; otherwise, the whole scary vibe goes poof!
“Snore snore…”
The giant white dragon seemed a bit disgruntled.
Buzz buzz buzz buzz—
In the next instant, the branch hovering above glimmered with a radiant glow and emitted sharper vibrations. Big White’s enormous form began to shimmer, and dazzling golden specks floated out from its body, much to my astonishment, flowing into the white tree’s branches.
“Big White, you… ah!”
Suddenly, an irresistible force yanked me as if I was a kite caught in a tornado.
The black rock beneath me, the gray mist in the distance—all blurred as everything twisted in a flash. My vision went white, and dizziness rushed to my head. I understood I was heading back, but this time, the transition was quick—only two or three seconds, max.
“Whoo hoo… wow!”
I tumbled in a pure white world and then—BAM!—landed straight on a hard bed.
“Ouch!”
Stone slab, stone slab…
That hurt!
I knelt up, grimacing and rubbing my sore backside, unable to hold back a yelp. Soon enough, I quickly covered my mouth, straightened up, and looked around at the candle-lit stone walls, confirming nobody was around, and that I was definitely back in the cellar. I finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew—”
That was easy… in every sense of the word.
The transparent white branches were still floating above me, but Big White was nowhere to be found—probably chilling in the branches. I closed my eyes, slowly feeling the warmth coming from them. It was as if they were responding to my presence, radiating joyful vibes.
Whenever I wanted, I could summon it…
For some reason, that thought made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Big White could pop out anytime, whether in the Land of Dragons or this world.
Such a feeling brought immense comfort.
As for those fairies…
If I guess right, even if their curse isn’t broken, I can still use Big White to set them free from the Land of Dragons…
Maybe not all at once… but a few might be possible…
I wasn’t sure; I’d need to find an opportunity to test it.
But definitely not here, so…
Big White, come back!
I silently pleaded, and as if the softly glowing branches heard my command, they whooshed into my chest and disappeared.
“Ah…”
I paused for a moment, then grinned like a Cheshire cat.
How convenient…
Gidels’ powers are simply astonishing…
I sat cross-legged on the bed, scratching my unruly black hair, marveling for a bit, then blew out the candle on the counter and stretched out in a star shape, staring blankly at the ceiling of the cellar, eyes wide open.
Next up, I need to regain my strength…
Before the church people find me.
That’s urgent.
If Angel and the others discover I’m still alive, well… let’s just say things could spiral into utter chaos… He won’t be able to deceive me anymore, but I’m certain I have something he desperately wants.
So…
I might as well declare war on the Holy Church.
I have to prepare for that confrontation.
I must… envision Angel as my enemy…
But once I see him that way, in this world, it nearly means… going against all of humanity.
Just thinking about it made my earlier good mood plummet.
What do I do…?
Facing off against such a huge organization, individual strength can only take you so far… I’m no longer the lone hero who just jumped into this world; I have many important connections weighing on my heart…
Winter City, Shanter Castle, my father and mother, my brother… The Valen Empire is still at war, and my father relies on those bishops for support. If the church sides with the enemy, the consequences would be unthinkable…
All those I care about are tightly linked to the church… even Victoria’s side cannot escape its influence…
And Carlos… Carlos…
Thinking of that stubbly-faced swordsman with the perpetually droopy eyes, the girl lying on the bed suddenly stiffened, her expression turning cold as if putting on a tough act, but then pouting, revealing a hint of the little girl’s hurt feelings, eyes starting to redden.
That guy Carlos…
If he associates with Angel, I… I will k*ll him…
I definitely will…
But if he isn’t…
Then the church will almost certainly play their tricks on him…
Angel knows me too well; he understands what matters to me, who the important people are… He can use them to lure me or threaten me. Even if I’m strong, I can’t be in two places at once, and by the final moments, I might be pushed into a corner and forced to compromise…
Relying solely on my own power like before… that straightforward method might not work anymore…
I need more help…
I need reliable, powerful allies… ones I can trust completely, like Big White, or perhaps… those fairies in the Land of Dragons will become my invaluable support in the near future…
I need to start preparing for that…
I must…
That night, I tossed and turned for quite a while before slowly drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, I was greeted with the usual food delivery.
But thankfully, it wasn’t that lizard meat again.
What the women brought in, trembling with fear, consisted of only a small portion of some mysterious roasted meat, and the rest were plates of hard bread and dark leafy vegetables—exactly like what Old Man Robert often eats.
They pitifully explained to me that the lizard meat the village had stockpiled had been completely wiped out by my ravenous appetite in just three days. The men had gone hunting since the day before, but lizard meat was rare, only reserved for honored guests, mostly because it was delicious, fierce, crafty, and hard to catch.
They still hadn’t managed to hunt any new lizards.
The women spoke in a frightened tone, probably fearing that without meat, I’d vent my frustration on them or, worse, eat them.
Of course, I wouldn’t do that.
I finished everything they brought, and as they sighed in relief and started to clear the plates, I stopped one of them and asked her to relay a message to Old Man Robert.
“I’m going out.”
I need to find food for myself.
