-Dragon meat is delicious! It has a chewy texture!
Wrath approached Alice, showing interest.
-If you serve me dragon meat, I might forgive this thief woman!
He arrogantly pointed his chin at Alice, who had suddenly become a thief woman.
'Please, be quiet.'
Raon pushed Wrath, who was dancing in the air, aside and looked into Alice's cold eyes.
He had thought she was someone who only pursued peace and freedom, but he didn't expect her to have such an expression.
"Are you talking about a rampaging dragon?"
"Yes, a dragon."
Alice slowly opened and closed her eyes.
"Have you heard of the mad dragon Kaivar?"
"No, I haven't."
"Well, it hasn't been long since it woke up."
She twisted her lips while pulling out the stitches of the wrist guard she was wearing.
"Kaivar is a blue dragon that has an unusual hatred for humans."
"Hates humans?"
Raon narrowed his eyebrows.
'Is that possible?'
Dragons were known to be neutral beings on the continent, only moving when the Demon King descended or when an abnormal situation occurred that humans or other races couldn't solve.
He had heard many times that dragons disregarded humans, but this was the first time he heard of a dragon hating them.
"In fact, it's not just hate, it's more like loathing."
Alice's eyes gleamed fiercely.
"Since waking from its slumber, it has wiped out more than five coastal villages and cities."
Her trembling breath conveyed her anger towards the mad dragon Kaivar.
"I had no idea such things were happening."
Raon had been busy preparing for the Five Divine Orders conference and focusing on the growth of himself and the Light Wind division, so he hadn't even imagined that a dragon was attacking faraway coastal areas.
"As you think, most dragons regard humans as inferior beings and ignore them. But occasionally, a strange one appears. Just like there are madmen among humans."
"…That's true."
"That's Kaivar. Records show that hundreds of years ago, it caused a massacre in a major city near its nest."
Alice frowned, calling it a crazy lizard that caused waves from its head.
-What she says is true.
Wrath nodded calmly.
-Not all lizards are haughty. As that thief woman said, there are mad ones. And those creatures
He created a chilling atmosphere and patted his plump belly.
-Became meals for the King. I'm looking forward to it. Lizard roast!
Wrath drooled, thinking about biting into dragon flesh again.
"So that's why Kuberad is here."
Ignoring Wrath, Raon turned his gaze to Kuberad, who was sitting on a chair.
"To make a weapon to hunt the dragon."
The weapons in Kuberad's workshop were all large and sturdy. Now it made sense; they seemed to be weapons for large monsters.
"Yes."
Kuberad nodded quietly.
"I'm a body that's going to die soon anyway. I came out to get some fresh air in the end."
"Ha, you say that, but you were the one who jumped up to go after hearing about the many deaths."
Alice shrugged, calling him an incorrigible old man.
"Nonsense!"
Kuberad waved his hand, embarrassed, telling her to stop spouting nonsense.
'As expected….'
Raon smiled faintly at Kuberad, whose face had turned red.
'He's a good person.'
Kuberad had made the Requiem Sword to console those who died at the hands of the White Blood Religion and handed over that renowned sword without expecting anything in return.
Considering he had accumulated enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of his life, risking his life to go to the sea to stop the dragon made him an admirable person.
'And….'
Raon looked at Alice, who stood opposite Kuberad.
'Alice is the same.'
Dragons are like natural disasters to humans. Even if she had been protected, it wasn't a normal person's thinking to move to hunt a dragon.
She wasn't just pursuing freedom; she had created the existence of the Pirate King to protect those under her. It showed that she had deeper thoughts than her appearance suggested.
'However….'
Raon rubbed his dry lips as he looked at the two of them.
'Catching a blue dragon in the sea is nearly impossible.'
If asked which dragon was the strongest, opinions would vary.
The Red Dragon, with its explosive firepower, the Gold Dragon, which controls lightning and is wise, the Green Dragon, which causes poisoning just by being nearby, and the Black Dragon, which governs time.
Since everyone had different opinions, various answers could be expected.
But if asked which dragon was the hardest to hunt, the answer would be unanimous.
The Blue Dragon in the sea.
Its nest was underwater, and it could freely control water and cold, making it an impregnable fortress for humans.
"Can we really catch a Blue Dragon?"
"It won't be easy. Kaivar not only controls sea monsters but also the Sea Clan. However…."
Alice raised her hand and clenched her fist. The sound of bones crushing could be heard from her grip.
"It's not my nature to just sit back and take it."
She wore a chilling smile, saying it had to be done whether it turned out well or not.
"Hmm…."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Alice's fist.
'She's different.'
At first, he thought Alice's personality was similar to Rimmer's, but now he saw a slight difference.
If Rimmer was like a cold wind freely blowing through a winter forest, Alice was like the sea breeze that could turn into a storm at any time.
"Can you help us?"
"Before that…."
Raon delayed his answer and looked at Alice.
"I would like to hear more about the upper dantian you mentioned earlier."
Alice had said that helping her with this would speed up the healing of his upper dantian. He wanted to know how that worked.
"Have you heard of the concept of essence, energy, and spirit?"
"Yes, I have."
Raon nodded.
'The head of the house and Rector emphasized it.'
Both Glenn and Rector had said that balancing essence, energy, and spirit was essential to fully utilize one's martial power and reach higher levels. He remembered it clearly.
"Essence refers to the body. It's important how suitable the body is for martial arts, and your essence is…."
Alice smiled as she looked at Raon.
"Strong yet flexible. Honestly, it's above a Grandmaster. It makes me curious how you'll turn out without having achieved a complete metamorphosis."
Her gaze moved to Raon's energy center.
"Energy is mana. For us, it's the aura in the dantian. Yours is strange too. It's so pure that it feels like you've trapped the mana of nature in your dantian. I don't understand how a mere Master can have such purity."
Alice shook her head, saying she couldn't comprehend it.
"I was lucky."
Raon smiled faintly, feeling the Ring of Fire circulating in his heart.
'It's actually thanks to the Ring of Fire.'
The Ring of Fire is a cultivation method that brings a martial artist's body to its most ideal state.
It doesn't just aim for strength and speed; it adjusts the body according to the martial arts one is practicing, making it akin to a gradual metamorphosis.
The aura was also purified by the Ring of Fire, making it purer than any other energy. This was why he could defeat higher-level martial artists.
"Lastly, the spirit is the upper dantian. It's a mystical space also called the realm of the soul or mental world."
Alice lightly tapped her temple as she continued.
"Your upper dantian has a problem right now. You seem to have developed it to use an incomplete sword domain, but now it can't be opened, right?"
"Yes."
Raon nodded honestly.
"That's because there's a large hole in your spirit. Thanks to a great person blocking it, you avoided the terrible situation of your spirit being destroyed."
Alice smiled, pointing to herself.
"…Thank you."
"I didn't mention it to hear your thanks."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"As I said earlier, the upper dantian is like the essence of your soul."
"Yes, you did."
"Since you're trying to recover the realm you once reached rather than growing your spirit, achieving a great feat will help fill that hole. And that means…."
She raised her finger and pointed to the vast sea visible through the open door.
"If you catch the crazy lizard causing havoc in that sea, it will be resolved."
"Hmm…."
Raon looked at Wrath without answering.
-What the thief woman says is true.
Wrath nodded, looking at Alice's eyes.
-You tore apart the realm of your soul to summon the King. As she said, achieving a feat of that level will help you recover quickly.
'Then it's a good opportunity.'
Raon had thought he would have to return to the family and spend a lot of time on treatment, but if what she said was true, he could recover much faster.
Of course, it depended on catching the Blue Dragon.
"May I ask one more question?"
"You're more talkative than you look."
Alice smiled and nodded.
"What is it? Ask away."
"You said the Blue Dragon controls monsters. Does that include Sea Serpents?"
"Hey! Pirate King!"
Instead of answering immediately, she called out towards the open door.
"Yes!"
Lawaine, who had forcibly become the self-proclaimed Pirate King, came running.
"Have you seen Sea Serpents among the monsters controlled by the mad dragon?"
"Up to three King Sea Serpents have been sighted."
"That's the answer."
Alice smiled as if asking if that answered his question.
"Why are you asking about Sea Serpents?"
"Well…."
Raon explained that he was working on creating Sylvia's dantian, assuming Alice, as a member of the family, would know.
"You're a dutiful son, I like that."
"Pardon?"
"Good. I'll make sure to get it for you somehow."
She patted his shoulder, telling him not to worry. Her personality was as refreshing as her appearance suggested.
"So, your decision?"
"Although I may not be of much help right now…."
Raon nodded, looking into Alice's eyes, which were like crashing waves.
"I'll do my best. Please take care of me."
On a private beach of the House of Robert.
Derus Robert stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the calm sea. As he gazed at the horizon, seemingly losing track of time, Kubara appeared soundlessly on the sandy ground.
"The investigation is complete."
Kubara placed a tray of refreshments on the table and stood behind Derus.
Derus turned around slowly, almost leisurely. He sat on a chair, crossing his legs, and nodded.
"Speak."
"First, the Light Wind swordsmen survived. Some were on the verge of death after being severely attacked by Orgoth, but strangely, they recovered immediately that day."
"I've heard that. I want to know how they recovered."
"We questioned the healers present, but they really didn't know. They said they simply woke up, and even those who the royal physician had given up on had recovered."
Kubara reported dryly, like reading a book.
"Strange things always happen with Zieghart. What about Raon Zieghart?"
Derus narrowed his eyes, shaking his gloved hand.
"No traces of him have been found anywhere on the continent. Initially, the Light Wind, Heavenly Blade Division, and other divisions of Zieghart searched Owen, Cameloon, and Barene thoroughly but soon withdrew."
Kubara's gaze was as calm as the sea.
"Combining the current situation and the rumors spreading…."
"Are you saying he's dead?"
"The Shadow believes so."
"And Zieghart?"
"They remain silent."
"I see."
Derus turned his gaze back to the sea and closed his eyes.
'That must be it.'
Currently, Raon Zieghart had gained great fame across the continent by defeating the Holy Sword Alliance's disciple and saving the Light Wind division from Orgoth.
He was originally well-known, so there should have been rumors about his whereabouts.
However, Zieghart had stopped their search and remained silent, and Raon's traces were nowhere to be found. Combining these facts, only the conclusion of his death could be reached.
Ssshh.
Derus removed his black leather gloves. Sticky blood oozed from a burn-like scar on the back of his hand. He licked the blood that flowed from the wound, his eyes darkening.
"I guess not."
What a pity.
Raon leaned against the deck, watching the turbulent night sea. The wind was harsh.
They were on their way to the coastal city of Aikar to prepare for dragon hunting, moving at full speed even at night due to lack of time, causing the ship to sway significantly.
'This isn't bad either.'
Although the House of Robert was built by the sea, he didn't particularly like it, but watching the night sea in the middle of the vast ocean calmed his mind.
-What do you mean, it's not bad! The food is soup and beef jerky!
Wrath shook his head furiously, complaining about the root-like taste in his mouth.
'We can't help it. Everyone is busy.'
Right now, everyone was busy with preparations for war, even the cooks were pulled into the work. It wasn't the time to complain about food.
'Don't worry. I'll let you eat whatever you want when we reach the city.'
-Really?
'Yes, I said I'd postpone the three-week promise.'
It was no exaggeration to say that the entire Light Wind division survived thanks to Wrath, so he intended to keep his promise of letting Wrath eat whatever he wanted for three weeks.
-Hah, I can't believe you have such conscience. It's surprising.
'Don't you think you're seeing me as too much of a villain?'
-You're the seed of a devil. No, an angel. Never trustable.
'Is that a compliment or an insult?'
-Of course, it's an insult!
Wrath's mood seemed to improve at the mention of keeping the promise, and he smiled widely.
"Hmm…."
Raon chewed his lips finely, looking at the dark sea that was as black as shadows.
'I'm not sure if we can win.'
-The Blue Dragon?
'Yes. It's not an easy opponent.'
-It's no different from a mere eel. Just freeze it whole if it doesn't come out of the sea.
Wrath blinked his eyes, as if wondering why Raon was worrying about such an easy task.
'That's something only you can do.'
-Hmph. Now you realize the greatness of the King? Bow before me. Foolish human.
Wrath wiggled his sausage-like fingers as if urging Raon to bow.
'Then….'
Raon swallowed and approached Wrath.
'Can you teach me the abilities you used this time?'
Wrath had shown unbelievable divine power that could even freeze the martial arts of transcendent beings. If he could learn that, it would greatly help in this matter.
-Oh!
Wrath's sky-blue eyes sparkled cunningly.
-You want to learn from the King?
'Uh….'
-Why would the King teach you anything?
Wrath turned his head, realizing he had the upper hand.
'It's good for both of us. Finishing this job well means you get to eat what you want.'
-Hmm, then there are additional conditions.
'Additional conditions?'
-Yes, for one month….
He grinned slyly, starting to list new conditions.
[You have defeated a being who surpassed human limits and touched the sky.]
[You have achieved a feat that cannot be accomplished at your current level.]
[All stats are….]
[A new trait….]
[A new title….]
[A trait….]
So many messages popped up that it was hard to stay conscious.
-What?
Wrath's eyes widened at the first message.
-A being who surpassed human limits and touched the sky? Are you talking about that crude demon energy user?
Wrath trembled in disbelief.
-I was the one who killed that wretch! Why is the reward going to you! This is too much! Where's the fairness!
"Hmm…."
Raon calmly nodded as he read through the messages.
'Forget what I said earlier. I don't need your help anymore.'
-Aaahhh!