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hapter 244: With the Dragon (1)

They continued to follow Alivrihe for quite some time without knowing their exact destination.

Along the way, Aselle fainted and revived again upon realizing that the long-haired man with no shirt was indeed Orsay. With the search network expanding, they frequently encountered the Dragon King’s minions.

“Die… keukk!”

“They’re here! Request reinforcements… arghhh!”

It seemed they encountered enemies roughly every thirty minutes. Ronan and Orsay dealt with them swiftly upon encounter.

They usually sensed the enemies’ presence before turning a corner, and then killed them as soon as they rounded the bend. Limbs flew through the air with each movement of spear and sword.

They made sure to finish off any survivors to prevent them from alerting the main force. Once, a group of seemingly strong half-dragon soldiers attacked from the rear.

“Hyaaaah! Here they come!”

Aselle, who was walking at the back, flailed his arms in panic. Boom! The invisible punch sent the soldiers flying as if they were balls.

“Guuhh…!”

Thud! They crashed into the opposite wall over thirty paces away and collapsed, lifeless. Orsay muttered in disbelief.

【…Instant death. All five of them.】

“He’s an ingenious killing machine. You should be careful around him. His hobby is charming people with his pretty face and then ripping their guts out.”

“I-I’ve never done that!”

Ronan laughed. Judging by his power output, Aselle had recovered enough strength while he slept. Though Aselle vehemently denied it, Orsay seemed somewhat impressed.

【A killing machine, huh. Not bad.】

“…Huh?”

“Enough chatter. Let’s keep moving.”

Alivrihe, who was walking ahead, furrowed his brow. After about an hour of walking, they finally reached their destination.

It was an empty space similar to where they had met Orsay but significantly larger. Water cascaded from high up the wall through a drainage outlet, creating a waterfall.

Ronan’s eyes widened. Without any explanation, he knew where they were.

“This is…”

“Yes, this is beneath the Sky Tower.”

Alivrihe set down the basket of supplies he had been carrying. He explained that following the drainage outlet would lead them to the first floor of the Sky Tower.

Settling right under the enemy’s nose, so to speak. Ronan spoke up.

“I don’t know what to say… thank you, really.”

“I did it because I wanted to, so no need to thank me. And let me be clear: this is as far as my involvement goes.”

“What?”

Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected statement. Orsay also looked at Alivrihe with a puzzled expression. Alivrihe continued.

“The reason I saved and helped you was more to satisfy my personal curiosity than out of goodwill. Old people like me tend to want to do various things. I’ll be stepping back from here.”

Ronan’s face hardened. The sudden change of stance was disconcerting.

“If we don’t stop the Dragon King’s ritual, everyone will be in danger, including you.”

“Indeed. It won’t be just any danger. Do you remember when I said this was my first and last vacation?”

Ronan raised an eyebrow, recalling the conversation they had before meeting Orsay.

“Yes, I remember.”

“Good. There was a reason I said that. I heard that due to the recent simultaneous mishaps within the church, Abel’s plan has changed.”

“Changed…?”

Ronan had a bad feeling. Alivrihe nodded.

“Yes. If I remember correctly, Abel mentioned that he would hasten the arrival of the Stars. Judging by the situation, it seems he plans to fire the signal here. Once the ritual is complete, the first Star will descend.”

“Shit.”

Ronan’s eyes widened in shock. The arrival of the Stars undoubtedly referred to the massive appearance of the bald giants he had seen before his death.

The idea of summoning the first Star was terrifying. Alivrihe continued.

“I think he decided it would be risky to delay any further. It’s unfortunate.”

“What the hell… What exactly are those giants?”

“I don’t know either. Only the Leader Abel knows the truth. The beings who lend us the power we call ‘authority’…”

Alivrihe’s face darkened for a moment, recalling a horrifying memory. He had once witnessed Abel communicating with the beings in the sky.

It was a night when the sky was filled with stars. Abel stood in the middle of a vast field, arms raised to the night sky, with waves of the church’s power swirling around him like a song.

In front of Abel, the form of a winged giant flickered in and out of existence. It was a secret ritual, with no other church members present.

Alivrihe had been overwhelmed by the giant’s presence, struggling to breathe. Abel had turned to him, gripping his neck, and said:

– Isn’t it magnificent?

Alivrihe bit his lower lip. Even after hundreds of years, the memory was vivid. It was around then that his hope for Abel ever coming to his senses was shattered. After a moment of reflection, Alivrihe spoke again.

“Anyway, this is as much as I can tell and help you with. Since we seem to have reached some understanding, do your best.”

“Damn it, if it’s such a serious situation, shouldn’t we all try to stop it together? Don’t leave us now… Oh.”

Snap! Ronan, trying to find a way to persuade Alivrihe, snapped his fingers. He remembered he still had something to tell him.

“I gave you something, so I’ll tell you something in return. Cain is still alive. I can’t give details, but he might recover if he gets Abel’s blood.”

“What…”

Alivrihe flinched. Sensing his wavering eyes, Ronan cheered inwardly. However, Alivrihe soon closed his eyes.

“That’s good news. But it doesn’t change my mind.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yes. While it’s a blessing that Cain is alive, nothing changes. Even if he recovers, it’s impossible to stop Abel now.”

An oppressive silence fell. Ronan looked at Alivrihe’s face. His eyes were empty, like an abandoned garden, with only dead leaves remaining where flowers and trees once stood.

“I’m tired. As I said, I don’t want my first and last vacation to be disrupted. If the church discovers my rebellion, it will only make things more troublesome. Consider this my way of facing the end.”

Ronan twisted his lips silently. It was clear that Alivrihe’s spirit had been utterly broken by some past trauma.

‘Damn it.’

There was no solution. Even knowing Cain was alive, he reacted this way, leaving Ronan with no options. This wasn’t something he could force or threaten. After a long pause, Ronan spoke.

“…If that’s how you feel, I can’t do anything about it. Thanks for everything.”

“It’s been enjoyable. I wish you success in your endeavors.”

Alivrihe gave a wry smile. He shook hands with Ronan once before leaving.

Ronan watched him until his figure disappeared around a corner. The sound of his retreating footsteps felt particularly desolate.

His mind was a whirlwind of confusion. The sudden news of the Stars’ arrival being accelerated was the most shocking thing he had heard in years. It was akin to the shock of hearing that your unmarried lover was pregnant.

‘…Now is not the time to look at the big picture.’

Ronan clenched his fist as he gathered his thoughts. Even if the Stars’ arrival had been hastened, he had to focus on what needed to be done now. He needed to destroy the Dragon King’s magic circle and rescue Shullifen, who was likely captured alive.

“Hey…”

Ronan’s face twisted as he turned his head. Orsay was sitting comfortably in front of the basket Alivrihe had brought, gnawing on a dried pork leg. Orsay suddenly offered a similar piece to Aselle.

“Eat. Killing machine.”

“U-uh… It’s okay, really. And my name is Aselle…”

“When I say eat, you eat.”

“Hi-hi! O-okay, I’ll eat…”

Aselle whimpered as he took the pork leg, which was almost as big as his head.

Orsay only resumed eating after watching Aselle take a bite and swallow. For some reason, they seemed to have grown somewhat close. Ronan, watching this absurd scene, finally spoke.

“…What are you two doing?”

“Seems like the boring talk is finally over.”

Orsay’s voice was noticeably softer. He tossed the bone behind him and muttered.

“You can’t even tell by looking? We’re eating before the fight.”

“…Seems like it.”

Ronan couldn’t help but chuckle at their nonchalant demeanor. Unlike him, Orsay didn’t seem to care much about Alivrihe leaving. That was so like a dragon.

“And after thinking it over, I’ll accept your proposal.”

“Proposal? You mean…”

“Yeah. I’ll join you temporarily. Consider it an honor.”

Ronan’s eyes widened. He couldn’t understand why Orsay had suddenly changed his mind. Orsay continued.

“You and this mage both have some usefulness. I don’t want to waste my strength, so I’ll help clear the way to the top for you.”

“This bastard… No, never mind. Good decision.”

Ronan let the rude tone slide. It wasn’t the time to bicker amongst themselves, and such a statement wouldn’t have come from Orsay unless he genuinely trusted them. Dragons didn’t mince words.

“But if you drag me down, I won’t hesitate to give you the most painful death imaginable.”

“That’s my line.”

Ronan chuckled. He then sat down and began eating the remaining food.

Whether it was because he had been starving or because he had been so active, the food tasted incredibly good. His heated mind began to cool down.

Yes. For now, he had to focus on what he could do.

****

“Hey, have you heard anything about Lady Naransonia? Has she recovered, or regained consciousness…?”

“I’m not sure… She was deeply wounded, but they’re trying everything.”

“It’s still hard to believe that the Empress of Steel was taken down by a mere human.”

“She was fine when she reprimanded us. It’s all so perplexing.”

The emergency had been declared for some time now. Two guards, having just completed their search mission, were chatting in the bathroom on the first floor of the Sky Tower. They were the same guards who had been reprimanded by Naransonia for talking about the Dragon King’s ritual.

A magical light floated above the human-sized urinals, casting a glow. Although they had to get back soon, given the chaos in Adren, this short break felt like a sweet respite.

“By the way, has that madman been caught? The one who was buying time for his comrades…”

“Yeah. Barely. I heard Lord Radavankaza is in charge of his interrogation.”

“Must have been a lot of casualties too, right? They say he’s a different human than the one who took down Lady Naransonia.”

“Don’t even mention it. They’re still cleaning up the bodies. The pride of the Sky Tower has been tarnished.”

The guard with the scar on his cheek shook his head. He shivered at the thought that he could have been assigned to that scene.

The human youth who had bought time for his comrades had killed nearly a hundred enemies before being overpowered. The bearded guard scoffed.

“Hah, all excuses. They bled because they couldn’t handle one human. If I had been there, I would have snapped the necks of three at once.”

“You talk big for someone who trembled before Lady Naransonia. Your boasting will get you killed someday.”

“Don’t make me laugh. No human can beat me. Human or not, even the Dark Dragon Orsay can come if they dare.”

He laughed, pretending to wield his spear. The scarred guard sighed. As they prepared to return, they heard a faint voice.

– Aselle, did you hear that? He’s alive.

“…Hmm?”

“What was that?”

Both guards heard it clearly. It was the voice of a young man coming from somewhere in the bathroom. The bearded guard stopped in his tracks.

“Hey. Did you hear that?”

“Yeah. Where’s it coming from?”

They began to search the area like meerkats. Though the voice didn’t repeat, they could sense someone’s presence.

Clang. The sound of metal clashing echoed from somewhere. The scarred guard’s eyes turned to the drain on the floor.

“Is there something down there…?”

The scarred guard bent down and peered into the drain. It was dark, making it hard to see. The bearded guard was about to chide him when suddenly, with a deafening crash, the floor exploded as something burst out from below.

“Wh-what the…?!”

It happened in an instant. The bearded guard fell back, shocked. It was like a small volcano had erupted. As he struggled to regain his balance, he heard a voice.

“Damn it, of all places, it had to be a bathroom. How filthy.”

【Disgusting.】

“Y-you! Y-you really came back…!”

The scarred guard, regaining his balance, looked up. His comrade, who had been peering into the drain, was now hanging from the ceiling, half-buried. Three figures, each distinctly different, stood on the shattered bathroom floor.

“Y-you…?!”

The guard’s eyes widened. Their appearances matched what he had heard. The two intruders who had dared to spy on the Dragon King, and the polymorphed Dark Dragon Orsay. What were they doing here? Ronan’s eyes locked onto him.

“Aha. It’s you.”

It was the voice he had heard discussing Shullifen. Swish! In an instant, Ronan drew his sword and pointed it at the guard’s neck. The frozen guard gasped.

“P-please, spare me…”

He instinctively knew he couldn’t win against the human before him. His earlier bravado evaporated like a dandelion in a storm. He hadn’t even seen him draw the sword.

Orsay and Aselle watched silently from behind. Ronan leaned in close, their noses almost touching, and spoke.

“Tell me more about that interrogation you just mentioned.”