That Time I Got Turned Into a Dragonoid

Winning Without Even Trying

After the meeting with merchant queen Liorra, they had lunch together. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Scarlett warmly saw her off.Yumi, ever the workaholic, immediately went to tackle other pending tasks, leaving Scarlett by herself.

Now with little to do except wait for Rin to complete her statue, Scarlett glanced upward. The sun was beginning its descent, though evening had not yet fully arrived.

"Why not check on his progress?" she murmured to herself, deciding to supervise how the task was unfolding.

Within minutes, she reached Rin's workshop again. The steady rhythm of hammer striking iron nails echoed from inside. Rather than knock and potentially disrupt him, Scarlett entered quietly.

As she stepped inside, she remained unnoticed, using her stealth abilities to conceal her presence.

Within the workshop, Rin was laboring intently over a golden statue. Though appearing ancient and weathered, it still radiated an captivating artistic beauty.

Unsurprisingly, it was a statue of Scarlett, approximately three-quarters complete. Only the legs required finishing, yet even in its incomplete state, the figure exuded an aura of mystery and antiquity.

"Huff..." Rin exhaled deeply, his body glistening with perspiration. The continuous use of his unique skill while maintaining focus on the intricate carving had clearly drained him.

He turned around and reached for a water glass on a nearby stool, taking a moment to catch his breath.

Only then did Scarlett speak. "You're doing exceptional work! Have you considered what reward you might like?"

"Huh?" Startled, Rin turned to face her. "Lady Scarlett? When did you arrive?" he asked in surprise.

"Just now," Scarlett replied with a gentle smile.

"About the reward," Scarlett added.

Rin scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm already receiving payment for this work. I hadn't really given it much thought."

"You can tell me anytime. For now, pay me no mind. Just pretend I'm not here," Scarlett responded calmly.

"Oh, alright," Rin nodded, though he couldn't help feeling nervous with Scarlett observing his craftsmanship.

Scarlett sensed his discomfort. "Should I leave?" she wondered, but as Rin resumed his work, his complete concentration returned to the statue, as if forgetting her presence behind him. His eyes burned with focus.

Immediately abandoning any thought of departing, Scarlett watched in silence as Rin meticulously carved the statue with deliberate precision.

Hours passed. The sky transformed to shades of orange and crimson as evening descended. At last, Scarlett's ancient statue stood complete.

Rin collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, but his face radiated with pure joy. "I did it!" he exclaimed.

"Indeed you did," Scarlett affirmed.

"I'll take it now. The sooner I deliver it, the better," Scarlett said, carefully lifting the statue with both hands as if handling something impossibly fragile and precious.

"Alright then. I'm heading to sleep—I'm completely exhausted," Rin replied. He hadn't slept the previous night, having worked straight through until morning.

****

Since Scarlett had visited Vermillion's mansion before, she didn't need to make the long journey. She simply teleported there in an instant, saving precious time.

Vermillion, Jenessa, and Kaelan had been anticipating Scarlett's arrival. The moment she materialized before them and presented the golden statue, they stood transfixed, their eyes unable to stray from the artifact for what felt like an eternity.

The exquisitely crafted, richly detailed yet ancient-looking statue possessed such lifelike quality that it seemed almost unreal.

"Standard appraisals would be useless," Vermillion remarked with wonder. "I doubt even high-level appraisal could determine anything about this, unless someone possesses a unique skill related to appraisal."

"Are we certain this was recently created?" Jenessa questioned, running her fingers along its surface. "Or is this perhaps an ancient statue you already had years ago?"

"It's hard to believe this was just made recently," Kaelan added, his voice filled with awe.

Scarlett chuckled softly. "It's actually a good thing that it appears so authentic. Now, shall I teleport you to Almeida? I haven't explored different locations there before, so at most I can transport you to the borders or near the royal palace."

Vermillion shook his head. "That won't be necessary. We're considered high-class individuals now. We've secured premium access to the government's teleportation portal. We'll arrive the designated location by midnight. I've already coordinated with my subordinates there. They've excavated the site. All that remains is delivering the statue."

"Kaelan recently acquired a new skill called Earth Lord," Vermillion continued. "Not only can he manipulate the ground to a certain extent, but he can also create localized earthquakes. We'll use this as a diversion to bring the statue to the surface as a coincidence."

"Yep, you can count on me," Kaelan smiled, giving an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Earth Lord? It's like a lesser version of Lunatic's Vibration skill," Scarlett thought briefly before returning her attention to the conversation.

"Excellent then. I'll leave the rest to you," she said with a warm smile.

With that, Vermillion produced a small pouch from his pocket. Though it appeared ordinary, it was actually a space-type artifact.

Vermillion leaped lightly and placed the pouch atop Scarlett's statue. In the next instant, the entire statue vanished as if it had never existed.

The pouch functioned similarly to Scarlett's spatial storage, though hers was notably more flexible and easily accessible.

After that, Scarlett took her leave, and Vermillion's team prepared for their departure to Almeida.

As evening gradually gave way to night, DreadHaven remained peaceful, but the same could not be said for the kingdom of Victoria.

The war had finally commenced. Along the borders separating Almeida and Victoria, both kingdoms' armies stood arrayed against each other.

Leading Almeida's forces was their new king, Berlin, positioned at the very forefront. Beside him stood a woman in knight armor with reddish-brown hair and matching eyes, exuding confidence as she sat astride a war horse.

This was Terrisa—the same Holy Knight whom Chiyoko had sent flying with his cosmic punch.

Though severely injured by the surprise attack, she had survived. The punch's devastating power had left its mark despite healing—a faint bruise still visible on her cheek.

Behind them stretched the entire army, organized into multiple divisions, each led by different commanders and their lieutenants.

The forces were arranged in strategic layers: mages, warriors, archers, and finally ordinary soldiers. At the very front stood shield bearers and tanks, while at the rear were camps where healers awaited the wounded.

Cecilia's army shared a similar structure, though comprised mostly of beast-kin.

Instead of a Holy Knight, she had Kroenen at her side.

Scarlett had assigned him to observe the war and report on developments.

Since he had previously visited Victoria, many in Cecilia's army recognized him. Additionally, he possessed a unique skill called Sniper, which allowed him to fire bullets through space itself.

While this ability had limitations, his training with Miss Lilith had not only extended its range but revealed another application—delivering messages across vast distances. Unlike telekinesis, which required concentration and time—difficult to maintain during life-or-death combat—his skill could transmit information to Scarlett instantly should anything deviate from their plan.

Of course, assisting Queen Cecilia in victory was his primary objective as well.

"Lord Kroenen, do you have experience with warfare?" Cecilia asked with a light chuckle.

"I was born during times of war, my lady. Conflicts far larger and more brutal than this one could ever be. In truth, I've participated in so many that I've lost count," Kroenen replied, causing Cecilia's smile to falter as she silently questioned his claim.

Though Kroenen spoke truthfully, he was referring to his past life as an assassin. He had indeed been in countless wars, though his role had never been on the front lines.

Cecilia carefully considered her words before smiling again. "Well then, your experience will surely be helpful to us. War can't be won in a single night after all," she said, her tone simultaneously cold and energetic.

She pulled gently on the saddle rope, guiding her horse forward about twenty feet closer to Berlin and his army. Then, unsheathing her sword, she pointed it directly at them as she spoke.

"I, Victoria Cecilia, in the name of the goddess of beauty and battle and her incarnation, Scarlett Nova, I challenge you all in this war of truth and justice," she declared, her voice echoing across the vast distance.

At the same moment, Berlin had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, prepared to accept the challenge as Cecilia finished her speech.

But then, a horse carrying a man in a white robe moved past the others, stopping directly beside Terrisa.

Terrisa herself appeared confused, but the man leaned toward her and murmured something in her ear, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

"Is this for real?" Terrisa questioned in disbelief.

The man nodded and showed her a letter bearing the seal of the Holy Knights.

Terrisa's expression turned grim and solemn. She immediately turned and whispered something in King Berlin's ear.

Although Berlin's expression didn't change much, the air around them certainly grew more serious.

He turned around and finally shouted.

"Everyone, retreat. At once!" he commanded.

Cecilia raised her hand and spoke at the same time, "Yes, attack—... Huh?" She immediately grew baffled by Berlin's sudden order.

Though no one waited for her to overcome her surprise, the entire Almeida's army turned around, withdrawing slowly.

This left Cecilia and everyone else in confusion.

"What happened?" she asked, turning to Kroenen.

"How should I know?" Kroenen replied immediately. He too felt shocked by the unexpected turn of events.

Cecilia retreated back, positioning herself beside Kroenen once more.

"Are they playing some trick?" Cecilia wondered aloud.

"It's possible," Kroenen acknowledged.

Thus, they didn't retreat like Almeida had, choosing instead to wait for whatever might happen next.

Yet as time passed, the entire Almeida's army continued their retreat. There were no tactics, no hidden attacks, or anything else—just the silent air.

"I should inform Lady Scarlett about this," Kroenen thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Cecilia remained somewhat in shock and confusion.

"Did I just win my first war without even doing anything?"