The palace looked rough and solemn, but it didn't feel gloomy.
There weren't too many decorations in the spacious hall. On the stone pillars supporting the dome, there were crystal lamps emitting a dim yellow light. If there was anything that could be considered luxurious here, it was only that. Even wealthy nobles wouldn't spend precious magic crystals like this.
But for the owner of this place, it was probably just an insignificant expense.
The white flying object looked even more dazzling in this space. It flew in front, calmly leading Lulunaka and the others deeper into the palace.
Along the way, there were attendants or guards. There were humans, nonhumans, and even Drakonids who greeted the flying object.
After being led for a while, the flying object led Lulunaka and the others through the hall to a door.
The door was half-open, and voices came from inside.
It was the voice of a young woman and a slightly older woman.
That voice was the one that let Lulunaka and the others in.
Now, they were finally going to see the true face of the flying object that appeared in front of Lulunaka.
The flying object had dissipated in front of the door, meaning that Lulunaka and the others could go in by themselves.
Lulunaka reached out and pressed on the half-open door. She pushed it hard, but it didn't budge at all.
"It's too heavy. Who can open it for me?" Lulunaka looked back at the others.
Dina had a look of disgust on her face. In her opinion, Lurunaka was up to no good again. This old woman was not a weak person at all.
"Let me do it."
Romuona stepped forward and stood beside Lulunaka. She reached out and pressed on the door, which happened to press on Lulunaka's little hand.
She leaned on Lulunaka. It looked like she was hugging Lulunaka and pushing the door open with her hand.
This was not the effect that Lurunaka wanted, or rather, the situation that she had envisioned did not include Romuiona doing such a thing on the side.
"You've become very strong," Lulunaka said with a smile.
"In this world, you have to have some strength to survive," Romionna replied softly. "That's what you taught me."
"Is that so?
I'm not such a great person. Don't think too much, "Lulunaka said.
Romuona didn't respond.
The door was completely opened. Lulunaka and Romuona walked in first.
Behind the door was a space that seemed to be used to welcome guests, but it was a little bigger. There were no decorations, only a long stone table and chairs, and a few pieces of felt sewn from animal hair on the floor. On the walls were specimens of horns and claws, hanging side by side.
Lulunaka and the others weren't the first to enter the room. Apart from the owner of the room, there was another person here.
At this moment, the two of them had arrived before Lulunaka.
In front of Lulunaka was another Drakonid.
Compared to the strong and tall Drakonids outside, this Drakonid was a little smaller and appeared more slender. Unlike the Drakonids outside, this Drakonid didn't instill fear in others — but they still needed to look up to meet her gaze.
This was a female Drakonid. Although she was completely different from the females of other races, she still had the unique female characteristics of the Drakonids.
A close-fitting black robe, horns that weren't so thick, a soft and round Drakonid head, and white scales.
Compared to the boorish Drakonids outside, this female Drakonid looked more … elegant.
That was the first impression the others had when they first saw this female Drakonid.
"Long time no see. I was still a child the last time we met. Perhaps it would be hard for you to remember me if I didn't greet you outside."
The female Drakonid lowered her head before Lulunaka. The unique structure of the Drakonids allowed her head to easily reach Lulunaka's face, resting on her shoulder and gently rubbing against it.
"I won't forget about this horn of yours. Although it's a little different from when it just sprouted … the touch is still the same."
Lulunaka reached out to stroke the female Drakonid's head and even her dragon horn in an affectionate manner.
"But I really didn't expect that you'd become a capable adult now."
"It's been a long time, Madam."
The female Drakonid touched Lulunaka's face and pulled her neck back as she looked at the others. "I'm the temporary manager of this place. Just call me Long Xiao.
Please forgive me for not being a good host.
There isn't much to entertain or enjoy here, but there is still a place to rest peacefully. "
Xu Qing stroked his stubble with a look of understanding. "This … Madam, you're quite direct with your words. But that's enough for us. We didn't come all the way here to enjoy ourselves anyway."
He glanced at Bunny Chrysanthemum. "If someone were to really entertain us with great hospitality and good food and drinks, we would be worried if there's some shady business going on here.
Foreigners like us, even if we disappear, not many people will care. "
"At least we don't have such an atmosphere here."
The female Drakonid named Long Xiao said. Xu Qing didn't know if that was a smile on her face. When he dealt with creatures like dragons, he would usually use his sword to reason with those that couldn't speak human language, or communicate with dragons that had completely transformed into humans.
But now, communicating with a Drakonid was an experience he had never experienced before.
It was hard for him to even determine if she was smiling now.
But Xu Qing could confirm that she was at least an honest person. This was even more surprising than her being a Drakonid. It was rare to see such an honest person anywhere.
Bunny Chrysanthemum looked up at Long Xiao without saying a word. She wasn't a talkative person anyway.
Suddenly, she asked Long Xiao, "Are you a dragon or a human?"
Long Xiao was stunned for a moment. She probably didn't expect Bunny Chrysanthemum to ask such a question out of the blue. But she quickly replied, "I won't discuss this with someone I just met. There won't be any results."
Bunny Chrysanthemum lowered her head at Long Xiao. "I'm sorry, I was rude."
"Everyone has curiosity. My father always taught me to be more tolerant of people with curiosity — as long as they aren't too rude and have no bottom line.
Bunny Chrysanthemum smiled.
At least she could confirm that her rudeness didn't cross the bottom line.
On the other side, another person who was following Long Xiao kept silent. She wanted to reduce her presence and even had plans to sneak away. But Romuona grabbed her shoulder.
"Shouldn't you greet someone you know?" Romuona said to her.
"She doesn't remember who I am. How could she remember who I am …" She said. Lulunaka came up to her and smiled at her. "Hmm … I almost couldn't recognize you, Rei."