We held each other tightly, our bodies trembling.
Not one of us dared to speak.
We could only pray… that it was a rabbit. Or maybe a tiny bird.
But the bushes rustled more violently.
> "Crack… snap!"
Branches broke. Leaves fell.
And from the dark shadows—emerged several large figures clad in heavy armor and battle cloaks.
> Their eyes were sharp. Their breathing heavy.
And their aura… oppressive.
We screamed in terror.
We quickly backed away, leapt behind a tree, and hid.
Tears streamed down our faces.
We couldn't hold them back anymore.
> "Please don't kill us!"
"We're just kids!"
"We don't know anything…!"
I nearly fainted.
But then one of the voices spoke—
> "...Children?"
"In a place like this…? Impossible."
They glanced at each other.
Their expressions were serious—full of suspicion.
One of them, a man with white hair who looked like the leader, stepped forward.
Carefully, he walked toward us.
His eyes scanned the area, stopping at the cave entrance.
Suddenly, his expression twisted in disbelief.
He dropped to his knees, clutching his head.
"Impossible… it's been conquered? Who… who could've done this?!"
His eyes darted around again, landing on us—just a group of village children.
With confusion and growing curiosity, the man called over his squad.
He demanded answers—how children could be here, of all places.
Zein, though nervous, stepped forward and explained that we were lost.
But he didn't mention the mysterious man.
Nor the grave we had dug.
We all agreed to keep our promise to William.
"Did you enter the cave?" the man asked.
We fell silent, then lowered our heads.
A moment later, they all turned to me… as if expecting me to answer.
In truth, we had entered—just about a meter in.
"Y-yes… just for a moment," I replied hesitantly.
The man froze.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
Impossible—children surviving near the Nest of Death?
Everyone knew… simply approaching this place was suicide.
To the man, there was only one possible conclusion:
These children were powerful.
And they were the ones who had conquered the Nest of Death.
But in reality, the one who did—William Shirone—was already gone.
No trace.
No proof.
And the world would never know the truth.
---
Not long after, a fierce wind infused with Law Mana swept across the area.
Its terrifying pressure forced even the elite squad members to activate their Dragon Aura to withstand it.
But as the wind passed us—children who knew nothing—
Something unexpected happened.
The aura emanating from our bodies—especially from my six friends—began to tremble.
It merged with the wind… and glowed.
The white-haired man's eyes widened in shock.
He froze, then shouted:
> "Impossible… Ancient Dragon Aura!?"
He staggered back a step, face pale, unable to believe what he had just witnessed.
His certainty solidified:
These children… were a new legend.
Perhaps the strongest Dragon Hunters in history.
He didn't know that this wasn't the result of power or training—
But a strange mix of coincidence and fate:
The childhood dream of becoming Dragon Hunters… combined with the ancient dragon blood elixir William gave us.
We—the children—had no idea.
We didn't feel strong.
We didn't feel different.
To us, this was just a nightmare we wanted to wake up from.
But the world… had already decided otherwise.
The man then looked at me.
This time, more seriously.
His eyes narrowed.
His magical aura subtly flared.
But then… confusion spread across his face.
> "Impossible… I can't read him…?"
Among all my friends, who were glowing with the Ancient Dragon Aura—
I was the only one… who showed nothing.
No aura.
No resonance.
Silence.
I just stood there, trembling, head bowed.
One question spun in my mind:
Why…?
The answer was simple.
I never wanted to become a Dragon Hunter.
Who in their right mind would want to throw themselves into danger?
I just wanted a peaceful life.
The man introduced himself.
His name was Luch Lambreg—leader of the highest Dragon Hunter Guild in the Kingdom of Reinhart.
He said he was currently leading an expedition to the world's most dangerous Dragon Nest.
We were stunned.
Even I—who normally didn't care about things like this—couldn't hide my awe.
We talked for a long while, sitting around a small fire, waiting for sunrise.
The fear was gone… replaced by quiet wonder.
To kids our age, this felt like a dream—sitting with one of the strongest people in the world, listening to his stories.
And of course, my friends couldn't hold back.
Zein, his eyes sparkling, exclaimed:
> "I want to become a Dragon Hunter and conquer all the Dragon Nests!"
Followed by the others:
> "Me too!"
"I want to be the strongest!"
"I want to explore them all!"
I… could only look down, silently reflecting.
My heart pounded—not with excitement, but with dread.
Please… don't say that. Or we will get dragged into this world…
In a soft but firm voice, I said:
> "P-please, sir… don't listen to them…
Besides… you couldn't possibly take care of us…"
The words slipped out.
Simple, but sobering.
How could an organization of hardened dragon slayers take care of a group of naive village kids?
They would grow tired of us.
I expected Luch to be angry.
But instead—he was silent.
His gaze deep. As if contemplating something.
> "This kid… dared to say that?" he muttered.
But not in offense—rather, he realized…
I was right.
The guild wouldn't be able to handle us.
Because if Luch's hunch was right…
The power sleeping inside us could become something unstoppable.
But to Luch, we weren't a burden.
We were treasures.
Letting us go back would be like throwing away heaven's gold.
With sharp eyes and a firm voice, Luch declared:
> "Don't worry. We'll make you the strongest Dragon Hunters the world has ever seen."
My heart dropped.
What the heck is this!?
The strongest Dragon Hunters? Me!?
Impossible!
I just wanted a quiet life—far from dragons, blood, and death!
But…
I looked at my sister, Luna, sitting beside me.
Her face was glowing—full of hope.
She smiled at me, eyes sparkling.
And in that moment… I knew.
I couldn't leave her alone.
If she was going down this dangerous path—I had no choice.
I had to follow.
Not because I wanted to be a Dragon Hunter.
But because I was her brother.
And I would protect her…
No matter what.
---
Time passed...
Under the Hunter Guild's care, we began life as Dragon Hunters.
Our days were filled with training, expeditions, and battles.
From lower-level nests to greater ones—we conquered them one by one.
We grew together.
Built a reputation.
Forged trust.
Eventually, we formed an official party.
And I… assigned everyone their roles.
---
Zein Tryhert —
His childhood obsession with swords never faded.
So I made him our main swordsman—a steadfast frontline warrior.
Tough, fast, and full of determination.
---
Silvia Lunard —
Always agile, always moving.
Her skills in sneaking and disarming traps made her our rogue—
A master of secrets, locks, and hidden passages.
No chest, trap, or mystery escaped her.
---
Vivi Vianist —
A total bookworm since birth.
She became our alchemist and magic researcher.
Crafting strange potions, battle tools, and tiny bombs that saved our lives countless times.
A genius—albeit a dangerous one.
---
Nino Kyelish —
Wearing light armor even as a kid, now broader and sturdier than ever.
He became our tank—our shield.
Loyal, strong, and always putting the team first.
---
Luna Reinard —
My sister. My treasure.
Always gentle and caring.
Who would've thought… she wielded sacred magic?
Healing, soul-soothing, curse-breaking spells.
Powers usually only found among High Church sisters—but Luna… was different.
She was a blessing.
---
And… me?
Forget about me.
I had no talent.
No power.
No dragon aura.
Just a shadow among friends who shone so brightly.
But I stayed with them.
Because of Luna.
If I wasn't by her side, who would protect her?
So I found another way to survive: Artifacts.
I collected all kinds of artifacts from the Dragon Nests—tools, charms, weapons, shards of lost magic.
Each with unique abilities.
If I couldn't grow stronger on my own… I'd steal strength from the dragons' remains.
I wasn't a hero.
Just a brother who wanted his sister to live.
---
Time moved on...
We grew stronger day by day.
Except me.
Still, we stayed together—braving danger after danger, conquering nests one by one.
Until finally… we founded our own clan.
And who became the leader?
Of course, they chose me.
I saw it coming.
They said I was the peacemaker when we fought.
That I was the most "mature," "calm," and "clever."
But honestly…
I just avoided the front lines out of fear.
And yet, our clan grew.
From a shaky little group…
To one of the three strongest clans in the Kingdom of Reinhart.
And me?
They gave me the title: The Cunning Tactician.
The Hunter Guild granted me an official Level 8 Dragon Hunter license.
On par with the elites.
Word spread fast.
Everyone called me a genius.
But the truth is…
> It was all a misunderstanding.
I was just lucky to be surrounded by amazing people.
I just didn't want my sister to get hurt.
And that's how…
I, Theo Feinard, a cowardly village boy with no Dragon Aura—
ended up as the leader of one of the most feared clans in the world.