Upon their return to the capital, the four knights were met with utter chaos. News of the dragon's appearance had already reached the Royal Palace, and the entire Barencia Kingdom had entered a state of emergency.
"Did you really defeat a dragon by yourself?"
In the Royal Palace's main conference room, Victor Ashford asked with an incredulous expression. High-ranking officials of the kingdom were gathered around him.
"Yes, Battalion Commander," Leon replied. "If not for Cael, we would all be dead."
Victor's eyes fixed on Cael. "Interesting. A rookie knight defeating a legendary dragon." His voice contained both suspicion and a strange hint of anticipation.
"Fortunately, it was a small one," Cael answered humbly. "It was just luck."
"Luck?" Aria interjected. "Surviving a dragon's breath head-on and being fine is luck?"
The conference room buzzed with whispers. Rumors of Cael's skill had already spread throughout the Knights, but this was the first time high-ranking officials had witnessed it directly.
"His Majesty wishes to meet you personally," Victor said. "Prepare for an audience tomorrow morning."
After the meeting, Cael encountered Victor in the corridor. Alone, Victor's expression changed.
"Cael Drake," Victor said in a low voice. "That sword you possess... and the skills you've displayed so far. You're no ordinary person."
"What do you mean..."
"Stop pretending." Victor's eyes gleamed coldly. "I don't know who you are, but you're clearly hiding something. But don't worry. I'm a man with many secrets myself."
Cael's hand moved towards his sword hilt, but Victor simply smiled and turned away.
"Interesting things will happen soon. Until then, I'll slowly uncover your true identity, Cael Drake."
After Victor disappeared, Cael clenched his fist. Unlike his previous life, Victor had started suspecting him much earlier. He needed to revise his plans.
That night, Cael examined the Dragon Heart Fragment alone in the Knights' dormitory. A faint magical energy emanated from the crimson crystal shard.
[Dragon Heart Fragment][Grade: Rare][Effect: 10% increase in power of dragon-related skills][Special Ability: Can detect the location of other dragons]
The moment he held the fragment in his hand, several red dots appeared in Cael's mind. It meant at least five dragons were secretly hidden around the capital.
"Much more than I expected..."
In his previous life, there were only about three dragons during the first invasion, but now there were more. Either the timeline had changed due to his regression, or some other factor was at play.
Suddenly, he saw a dark shadow pass by the window. Cael opened the window and looked out, spotting a small dragon flying towards the Royal Palace.
"Could it be..."
Cael quickly dressed and went outside. The distance to the Royal Palace wasn't far, but trespassing at night was dangerous. However, given the situation, he had no choice.
Circling the palace outskirts, searching for traces of the dragon, Cael witnessed a strange sight. Two figures were meeting secretly in one of the palace buildings.
Victor Ashford. And an unknown individual in a black robe.
"The plan is moving faster than scheduled," the robed figure said. "We lost Scandul because of that Cael."
"An unexpected variable," Victor replied. "But no problem. It's only made things more interesting."
"Our master is displeased. The original plan was to seize control of the palace within this month..."
"Don't worry. At tomorrow's audience with the King, I will ascertain Cael's true identity. If he is indeed a dangerous entity..." Victor's eyes gleamed coldly. "We'll eliminate him."
The robed figure nodded and vanished like smoke. At that moment, Cael realized. It wasn't a human, but a transformed dragon.
This was a fact he hadn't known in his previous life. Some dragons could transform into humans, and they were collaborating with Victor.
"The situation is more serious than I thought..."
As Cael was about to turn away, a cold voice came from behind him.
"Who's there?"
Victor had discovered Cael. Cael quickly hid in the shadows, but it was too late.
"Interesting. Prowling around the palace in the middle of the night," Victor drew his sword and approached. "Reveal your identity, Cael Drake."
[Urgent Situation Occurred!][Option 1: Battle Victor][Option 2: Attempt to Flee][Option 3: Resolve the Situation Through Dialogue]
Cael thought carefully. Fighting Victor now could ruin all his plans. But he was too close to flee.
"Battalion Commander, I couldn't sleep, so I was just taking a walk."
"A walk near the palace in the middle of the night?" Victor scoffed. "Do you think I'd fall for such an excuse?"
Just then. A tremendous roar echoed from beyond the palace. It was a dragon's roar. And soon, flames dyed the sky red.
"What?!" Victor was startled. "It's not time yet..."
Cael seized the opportunity. He instantly deployed a smoke bomb and vanished into the smoke. It was an assassin's technique he had learned in his previous life.
"Cael!" Victor shouted, but Cael was already gone.
Cael moved away from the palace, analyzing the situation. The dragons' attack had come earlier than expected, and Victor's plans seemed to have been disrupted. But this could also be an opportunity.
"Everything will be decided at tomorrow's audience, it seems."
Dragons still flew in the sky, and the shouts of guards echoed throughout the palace. A long night had begun.