Marcus stepped back from his desk, and fear was clear in his eyes. He had probably already heard many stories from other people about how brutal Marshal was.
Glacielle looked at the whole guild with sadness and disappointment that was clear on her face. "I really thought that adventurers were supposed to be heroes who protected the weak and innocent."
"Not thieves who target mothers who are protecting their children."
"Where is the vault?" Lucian asked in a voice that made it clear he was in charge.
At first, Marcus tried to say no to the request, but one look at Marshal's barely contained killing intent made him change his mind right away.
"Alright, okay, fine! Follow me..."
He took them down a reinforced staircase to a heavy steel door that had very complicated magical locks on it.
They found three big eggs inside the secure vault, just like they had been told they would. They were surrounded by huge piles of gold coins and other tools.
Each one was about the same size as a human torso and had beautiful sapphire blue shells with golden veins that pulsed with living magic. It was clear that they were still alive and growing because they gave off a slight warmth.
Suddenly, a system notification popped up in Lucian's view.
[Dragon Eggs Detected]
[Status: Alive, but physical condition weakening steadily]
[Time until death without proper nest environment: 48 hours maximum]
[Note: These are SENTIENT BEINGS currently in development, not items or treasure]
Lucian respectfully and carefully placed the eggs into his inventory storage. The system's spatial magic would keep them safe and stable while they were being transported back to their family.
He turned back to Marcus with a cold, unyielding determination that was easy to see.
"These will go back to their rightful family right away... and when this immediate problem is over, the guild will fully answer for what you've done here."
"W-Wait...! No, please...!" Marcus begged and pleaded with a voice full of panic. "There's no way you can just take guild property like this! That's stealing!"
"He has an official A-rank recommendation letter, which gives him the power to make decisions in the field during active quests." The Marshal's voice was as frigid as ice in the Arctic. "He can definitely ask for things when he needs them."
"If you try to physically stop him, I'll see it as a direct attack on my Master."
Marcus looked at Lucian with a shocked expression when hearing Marshal call Lucian "master."
"You... of all people... have Marshal called you a Master...?"
"Okay... fine... I yield."
Marcus made a smart choice and backed down right away. He knew full well that he couldn't fight an SSS-rank warrior, no matter how badly he wanted to.
...
The walk back to the town square seemed to take a lot longer than it really did. People watched nervously from windows and doorways the whole time.
The three dragons stayed in their exact spots, tense and ready to attack violently if this turned out to be some kind of elaborate trap or trick.
Lucian walked up to Azurath with no weapons drawn, and both of his hands were clearly visible and not threatening at all. "I looked into it very carefully."
"You were completely and totally honest about what happened to your family."
He carefully looked through his inventory and took out the three eggs, holding them tightly with both arms. "I'm giving your family's kids back to you."
"I'm very sorry for what my kind did to you and yours."
Azurath's ancient eyes grew wide with real shock and disbelief. When he finally spoke, his voice was full of raw emotion that broke through years of carefully practiced control.
"You really did your research? And you trust us more than your own guild members?"
"Do you really know what you're giving back to us, young human?"
"Your kids," Lucian said in a clear and simple way. "And you are also giving us the last precious link to someone you loved, who died to keep your children safe from killers."
The dragon's strong telekinesis magic carefully lifted the eggs out of Lucian's arms. Azurath looked closely at each one, making sure they were still alive and in excellent shape.
Even his dragon-like features showed how relieved he was.
The other two dragons landed carefully in the square, showing that they were very cautious. The female with emerald scales clearly choked her voice with the tears she was trying to hold back.
"My sister's kids... I really thought they were gone forever after those people killed her in a horrible way."
The face of the red wyrm, which was covered in scars, twisted with a lot of different feelings. "We came looking for both revenge and justice... and we thought we would only find revenge."
Azurath looked at Lucian with a lot of new respect and deep gratitude. "You are very different from other humans I have met in my long life."
"You chose absolute truth over loyalty to your own species."
"You chose justice over your own safety and comfort, and that is very rare in any species."
The ancient dragon made a formal bow, lowering his huge head in the most respectful way possible for a dragon. "Lucian Luxfall, the Dragon Council is very grateful to you."
"We will never forget this debt."
[Hidden Quest Complete: Dragon's Justice]
[Reward: Reputation with Dragon Council upgraded to Honored status]
[Special Reward: Ancient Dragon Technique Scroll]
[Relationship Unlocked: Azurath the Sapphire Sage - Permanent Ally]
"I have to pay back this big debt in full," Azurath said in a formal but sincere way. "What do you want, young Master?"
"Say what you want, and if I can, I'll give it to you now."
From next to him, Marshal whispered in a smart way. "Ask for chances to train..."
"You really need more combat experience and better gear."
"Dragons protect ancient places of power, so use that chance of connection wisely."
Before answering, Lucian thought about it for a long time. "I need to get a lot stronger than I am now."
"I have strong warriors, but I'm weak and holding them back."
"Do you know of any good places to train, like fighting real enemies in controlled conditions or maybe getting good gear through hard work?"
Azurath's eyes lit up with sudden inspiration and excitement. "Ahh... yes, there is such a place, and it would be perfect for you."
"It's called the Ruins of Searing Fang, an ancient dragon training ground built hundreds of years ago to test the combat skills and magical control of young dragons."
The dragon's tail moved with real excitement at the thought. "It's now a sealed dungeon full of magical structures and progressive challenges."
"The unique thing about it is that it adapts to the challenger's level."
"You'll face enemies that are scaled to your actual skill level, and the difficulty will slowly increase as you go."
"Now... that's actually perfect for planned growth," Marshal said quietly to herself.
Azurath went on with the detailed explanation. "Two days' travel northeast from here, deep in the mountains, is the location."
"The dungeon is home to magical creatures like golems, elementals, and combat phantoms."
"Those who prove worthy will be rewarded with ancient dragon-forged equipment, and most importantly, it is designed to challenge, not to kill."
"Young dragons have trained there for generations."
A golden scale appeared in Azurath's telekinetic grip and came free from his body. When Lucian held it, it thrummed with concentrated magical energy and felt warm to the touch.
"This key will let you in."
"Normally, only dragonkin can enter the sacred training grounds, but you have earned the right to do so today."