Whooooooosh! Bartius stood in the center of a pitch-black forest where not even a single ray of moonlight entered, raising both hands in front of his chest. The golden sphere floating above his grasp was slowly being shaped into the form of a key.
Beads of cold sweat dripped down Bartius's forehead, suggesting that restoring the dimensional key—which had been forcibly distorted by Trosowr, leader of the Black clan—to its original form was no easy task.
"Is it difficult work?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed Bartius's furrowed brow.
"Yes. It's quite difficult work."
Evelyn approached Raon's side and gently rubbed against his shoulder.
"That dimensional key has the Dragon Lord's unique aura imbued in it, but its power was contaminated when Trosowr used it. Restoring it to its original state is naturally not easy."
She nodded as if acknowledging Bartius's magical prowess.
"Right now, only that shiny dragon could manage it, I think?"
Evelyn shrugged, suggesting that even she would find that task difficult.
"I see."
Raon smacked his lips as he turned his gaze away from Bartius.
'That means it's almost impossible.'
It was rare for Evelyn to acknowledge another being's magical abilities. If she said it was difficult, Bartius was attempting something nearly impossible.
-Hmph! If it were me, I'd just smash it and force the dimension open!
Wrath clicked his tongue, remarking how annoying humans and lizards were.
'Well, that would be easier... No. That's not right.'
Raon started to agree with Wrath but then shook his head.
'Maybe it's because I've grown suddenly. My thinking seems to be becoming on par with this glutton.'
His former self would have coolly assessed the situation and chosen the most efficient method. In fact, when Trosowr escaped, the right course would have been to seek help from Bartius or other dragons rather than opening a dimension alone to pursue him, but he had tried to handle it alone to test his martial prowess.
'This is not a good direction.'
Unless one possessed martial prowess like Wrath or Glenn, it was impossible to handle everything with individual strength alone. He still had many shortcomings, so it was right to listen to others' opinions and accept their help.
'I'll need to be more careful from now on.'
Was it because he had grown stronger while gaining human emotions? He felt a sense of omnipotence, as if he could accomplish anything. It seemed better to calm his mind in advance, since mistakes in this situation would be irreversible.
-Hmph! Then your claim to catch the lizard boss alone was also out of arrogance.
Wrath snorted as if he had expected this.
-Then cancel it right now! If you just say you were trying to show off, the others will understand!
'No, that's different.'
Raon calmly shook his head.
'I'm definitely not underestimating the Dragon Lord, but I need to be the one to catch him.'
He knew well how strong the Dragon Lord was. Though not quite reaching Glenn or Derus, he was a powerful being who absolutely wouldn't lose to other absolute beings of the Six Kings and the Five Demons. But if he couldn't defeat such a being one-on-one, he couldn't progress to the next level. He had to defeat the Dragon Lord, even if it meant risking his life.
-So you're finally developing the mindset of a powerful being.
Wrath raised his chin as he looked at Raon.
-Before, you were as cold as an assassin despite being so young.
He nodded, indicating that he was now more pleased with Raon.
'...Was I?'
Raon smiled faintly. Usually a fool and a glutton, the demon king was strangely perceptive in matters like this.
-There's something more important than that.
Wrath lowered his voice and came closer.
'Something important?'
-Indeed. It's more important than anything else right now...
He exhaled deeply, insisting that Raon must hear him out.
'What is it?' (E/N: Can't believe Raon is still being fooled, he hasn't grown at all in a way)
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Wrath.
-Dragon roast! We've caught five lizards and haven't roasted a single one! What kind of behavior is this!
Wrath smacked his lips, demanding that they take out dragon meat and roast it right now.
-Red? Black? Blue? Which one should we eat to spread rumors of a good meal?
He drooled profusely as if eating dragon meat was already decided.
'Sigh...'
Raon sighed and shook his head repeatedly.
-Don't sigh, bring it out right now!
'Let's ignore him.'
Ignoring Wrath who was throwing a fit with his glutton disease, Raon turned his gaze toward where Burren and Martha were.
"How does it feel to catch a dragon for the first time?"
To tell Burren what he needed to improve, Raon first asked about his impressions of the battle.
"It wasn't as difficult as I expected. Honestly, we caught it rather easily."
Burren nodded, saying the battle was easier than he'd thought.
"But I made many mistakes due to the fear of dragons that's been ingrained since childhood. If my body hadn't frozen up, I could have ended it right at the beginning..."
Though no one had mentioned it, he frowned as he mulled over what he needed to improve.
"In a way, this is our first proper fight against dragons."
Martha frowned as she stopped chewing her beef jerky.
"If you know what to fix, just do better next time! Stop grumbling and eat something!"
She handed Burren some beef jerky, saying that since he'd realized what to improve, it was enough.
"Martha is right."
Raon smiled faintly.
"Given the weight that comes with the name 'dragon,' making mistakes in your first battle is natural."
He too had made repeated mistakes in his battle with the dragon Kaivar and received much help from Alice. It wasn't something to fault Burren and Martha for making mistakes in their first battle with dragons.
"However, this can't happen next time."
Raon raised a finger.
"Next time, be thoroughly prepared to win even if you're fighting an ancient dragon."
He curled his lips, indicating he wouldn't let them off so easily for a second mistake.
"Of course."
Burren nodded heavily, as if vowing never to disappoint him.
"Don't worry. By then, I'll behead them with a single stroke, just like you."
Martha clenched her fist, claiming she had figured out how to cut down massive dragons.
"Then..."
Raon was about to turn his head to ask Dorian a question.
"I've realized something too."
Evelyn smiled brightly and pressed her shoulder more deeply against him.
"Dragons become truly weak creatures when their Dragon Heart is captured."
Her cheeks flushed with excitement, pleased that the magic she had created to capture dragons had proven highly effective.
"Ah, it was so fun to grasp that fragile beating heart."
Evelyn caressed her snow-white hand, saying she'd like to experience it again.
"Ughhhh..."
Dorian bent over while holding his head. His pupils trembled as if he found Evelyn more frightening than dragons.
-Sh-she's truly a madwoman impossible to deal with! Of course they can't move when their Dragon Heart is seized! It's their heart after all!
Wrath pulled his body back, begging Raon to get away from Evelyn. However, it wasn't just Wrath and Dorian who felt fear at Evelyn's words.
"Why, why is my body trembling?
Blue Dragon Sirtiren swallowed dryly as she glanced at Evelyn.
"Isn't that human a bit scary? Her eyes seem a little unhinged, don't they?"
Red Dragon Valasiur's jaw trembled.
"T-to capture the Dragon Heart and immobilize dragons, what kind of human is she..."
Black Dragon Dariauran sighed as he stroked his own neck, which had broken out in goosebumps.
"Quite dangerous. I need to research what that magic is."
White Dragon Bursiarabi closed his eyes, recalling Evelyn's magic. The dragons began conferring among themselves, feeling fear not only of Evelyn's magic, but of her very existence.
'Honestly...'
Raon gripped the back of his neck as he met the eyes of Evelyn, who was looking only at him despite everything else happening.
'Evelyn is scarier than the Dragon Lord...'
***
"Head of House!"
Shadow Agents' Leader Chad opened the door to the audience chamber and entered.
"News has arrived from the Light Wind Palace Master!"
He extended a snow-white envelope, saying a message had come from Raon. (E/N: I was going to ask how news already got there, but then again Raon is no Rimmer)
"Hmm!"
Glenn accepted the letter from Chad, a slight tremor in one eyebrow betraying his tension.
"What does it say?"
Sheryl looked up at Glenn from below the podium, smacking her lips.
"Hehehe, it seems he has caught one dragon now."
Roenn smiled, suggesting that Raon must have found the first key.
"That must be it. It's been a day already."
Sheryl nodded as if agreeing with that thought.
"No."
Glenn firmly shook his head.
"Not one, but all three."
His hand holding Raon's letter trembled intensely with excitement.
"Th-three, you say..."
Sheryl's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes. In just one day, he's killed the three clan leaders and obtained all the keys needed to reach the Dragon Lord."
Glenn raised his head, his lips curling into a long smile.
"Insane..."
Sheryl stared blankly at the letter, as if finding it hard to believe even after hearing it.
"Hehehe..."
Roenn too let out a rare, weakened laugh as if taken aback.
"Ahem!"
Glenn let out a large fake cough, seemingly satisfied with Sheryl and Roenn's reactions.
"He says the dimensional gate leading to the Lord will open at the approaching dawn."
He looked out through the dim window, saying that the battle between the Lord and Raon would likely take place in a few hours.
"H-Head of House. Are you really not going to where Raon will fight the Lord?"
Chad bit his lip firmly as he looked up at Glenn.
"You know that the Lord is an entirely different class of being even among dragons."
Though he appeared diminished before Glenn, the Dragon Lord was a powerful being with martial prowess capable of ruling this continent.
"...Yes."
Glenn nodded after staring at the letter for a long while.
"The Dragon Lord is strong. Even for the grown Raon, victory will be difficult. Nevertheless, I will not move this time."
He nodded, indicating he would let Raon fight the Lord one-on-one.
"What? No, why..."
"Because if he cannot overcome the wall called Dragon Lord, he cannot go beyond this."
Glenn clenched his fist as if showing his trust in Raon. His fist trembled very faintly, like a pale falling moon.
"Raon is strong. He will absolutely not lose."
***
"Hoooo."
Bartius turned his body while exhaling a tired breath.
"It's complete."
Three golden flickering keys floated above his palms. The keys each took different forms, all engraved with geometric patterns.
"Can we now open the dimension where the Dragon Lord is hiding?"
Raon asked as he approached Bartius.
"Yes. If I put my mana into these keys and turn them, the Lord's dimension will open."
Bartius nodded, indicating that preparations were complete.
"However, looking at the form of these keys, when the Lord's dimension opens, the news will likely spread to other dragons as well. It seems war will break out."
He clicked his tongue, remarking that the Lord was truly a cunning dragon.
"I see."
Raon briefly nodded and looked behind him.
"Don't worry. We'll block everything else so you can face the Lord alone."
Burren grinned as he spoke first, as if he had read Raon's mind.
"Yeah. I'll beat them all to death!"
Martha pounded her chest with her fist as if saying to trust her.
"D-don't trust me, but this person..."
Dorian slightly lowered his head and pointed at Evelyn.
"Raon. Let's finish quickly and go home."
Evelyn smiled brightly, showing perfect trust. It seemed she too had grown attached to the family.
"Don't worry about the other dragons and press forward."
Red Dragon Valasiur raised his chin and put strength into his voice.
"You can leave the rear to us."
Blue Dragon Sirtiren also let out a refreshing laugh, saying she was confident in guarding the path.
"This time, I won't make mistakes."
Black Dragon Dariauran showed his white teeth, vowing to stake his life on it.
"I'll keep my promise, so you think only of the Lord."
White Dragon Bursiarabi nodded his chin slightly with his hands behind his back.
"Then I'll trust you."
Raon looked at Bartius with a faint smile.
"Open the gate."
He stretched out his hand, receiving the gazes of both old and new companions.
"I will trust you too."
As Bartius gently raised both hands, the three keys floated up to the sky. The keys burrowed into space as if there were keyholes in the air and turned halfway to the right.
With a creaking sound like a very old door opening, a golden dimension opened above the still-dark sky before sunrise.
The moment the dimension opened, everyone including Raon momentarily held their breath at the immense mana within. What could be seen was a pitch-black universe and a single golden star. A vast universe standing above the sky filled the inside of the golden gate.
'Where is the Dragon Lord?'
As Raon searched for the Dragon Lord amid the pressure of the magnificent universe...The sole golden star twinkling in the empty universe began to writhe.