The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 1053 The Stupid Dragon

"Welcome! Come check out my shop! I sell delicious food for visitors from human kingdoms like you!"

"Looking for a place to stay? Come to my inn! It's only ten Dragon Coins a night! Come on in!"

"Everyone…"

The citizens of Drakhar enthusiastically called out to the humans who had just arrived in the city.

Nolan looked around curiously.

"It's been years since I last came here. This place has changed so much."

As far as he could remember, the area near the city gate used to be empty. Now, however, it was filled with shops and inns.

As he strolled along, a man with black scales approached him.

"Hey, sir! Wait a moment!"

Nolan stopped and looked up at the man.

He looked human, but parts of his body were covered in scales.

That wasn't unusual, though. To adapt to the changing times, members of the dragon race had learned to maintain their humanoid forms.

Even so, they were still taller than most humans and elves.

The man standing before Nolan was 2.1 meters tall, forcing Nolan to tilt his head back slightly to meet his gaze.

"What is it?" Nolan asked calmly.

The man rubbed his palms together with a smirk.

"I see you haven't found a place to stay yet. How about staying at my inn? It's not expensive—just fifteen Dragon Coins a night."

"Fifteen?"

Nolan raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that a bit expensive? I heard someone else offering rooms for ten Dragon Coins earlier."

The man chuckled softly.

"What they're offering is a run-down inn, while mine is top-notch!"

Nolan was starting to get interested. One Dragon Coin was worth ten Sharn, which was a huge amount for an ordinary citizen of the Great Velmora Empire.

However, to Nolan, that amount was nothing.

He recalled that a decent inn in this city used to cost around twenty Dragon Coins. And that was more than five years ago.

How could the price possibly be lower now?

"All right. Take me to your inn."

The man's face immediately lit up. He nodded twice before turning around.

"Follow me."

Nolan followed the man toward the city center, observing the people around him as they walked.

Some were dragons, but there were also quite a few humans.

The thousand-year-old bond between humans and dragons seemed to have grown even stronger over time.

Suddenly, Nolan sensed something was wrong. The street, which had been busy just moments ago, had gone quiet.

He stopped and looked around. He was now in a narrow, dark alley with no one else in sight.

"What's the meaning of this?"

The man stopped and turned around with a cold laugh.

"You stupid human! You actually fell for my trick, huh?!"

He opened his mouth, revealing a row of sharp teeth.

"Hand over all your money, or I'll kill you right here!" he threatened.

Nolan's expression remained unchanged. He had been suspicious from the beginning. There was no way a luxury inn in this city would cost only fifteen Dragon Coins.

"You're really a pain."

Nolan let out a long sigh.

"You want my money?"

He took out a small pouch containing hundreds of Dragon Coins and handed it to the man.

"Take it."

The man was surprised. He had expected Nolan to scream or fight back, but the human had done neither.

Is he afraid of me?

As the thought crossed his mind, the man flinched before bursting into laughter.

"So that's how it is. Hehehe… You humans really are a weak race! It's embarrassing for a dragon to have to cooperate with you!"

He bent his knees and lunged toward Nolan. But just as he was about to grab the pouch of coins, Nolan pulled his leg back and punched him in the stomach.

There was no spectacular explosion or flashy effect. It was just an ordinary punch.

The man felt as if his insides had been shattered. His tall body stiffened before trembling violently.

"Y-You…"

He tried to say something, but his consciousness slowly faded, as if an invisible hand were pulling him into darkness.

Thud!

His body collapsed to the ground, foam spilling from his mouth.

Nolan pulled his hand back and shook his head.

"This is why I hate dealing with dragons. They're such a pain in the ass."

He slipped the pouch back into his pocket and walked away, leaving the man unconscious on the ground.

***

"Welcome, sir."

A tall, beautiful dragon woman greeted Nolan politely.

Nolan gave her a slight nod.

"Do you have any vacant rooms on the top floor?" he asked.

"Yes. As it happens, there's only one room left on the top floor. But…"

The dragon woman smiled shyly.

"The price is twice the usual rate."

"Hm? Twice?"

Nolan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"That's right." The woman nodded slightly. "Didn't you know? The Dragon Festival will begin in four days. Most of the inns are already fully booked by visitors from other cities and empires."

"The Dragon Festival?"

Nolan was surprised once again.

He knew about the festival. It was held to commemorate the founding anniversary of the Dragon Empire.

If he remembered correctly, the empire was already five thousand years old—far older than the Izanagi Eastern Empire, let alone the Great Velmora Empire.

"I see. How much is the room? I'll be staying for five days."

The woman's face lit up. She quickly calculated the total, and Nolan paid the amount.

After receiving his room key, Nolan headed to the top floor.

…

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

A man in a green robe bowed before the man sitting on the throne.

The man wore a loose white robe that gave him a majestic and imposing look, though it did little to hide his muscular build.

He was three meters tall, with golden hair that fell just past his ears.

A silvery-white crown rested on his head.

He rested his head on his palms.

When he opened his eyes, his golden, vertical pupils were revealed. His gaze was cold and sharp, like a blade.

"Speak," he commanded in a deep voice.

"I've received word that the rebels are planning to attack the capital during the celebration in five days."

Silence fell over the room. A subtle pressure emanated from the man on the throne.

"So, the rebels want to attack, huh?"

He chuckled coldly.

"They've got some nerve. It seems the imperial palace has remained silent for too long, making them think they can do whatever they please."

He lifted his head from his hand and straightened his posture. Just like that, the oppressive aura vanished.

"Tell Argam to reinforce the capital's walls. If those foolish dragons think they can do whatever they want, we'll give them exactly what they're asking for."

The man in the green robe bowed his head again.

"As you command, Dragon Emperor."