Across a vast grassland, sunlight spilled over the tender green fields, bathing them in a golden glow.
Two figures lay leisurely on the grass, enjoying the peaceful moment.
The Minotaur was tall and powerfully built, with bulging muscles and a pair of curved horns growing from his head.
The Dragonoid had a slender frame covered in silvery-white scales, his wings folded against his back as he gave off a mysterious air.
"Three years have gone by before I even realized it..."
The Minotaur Sage's wistful voice echoed through the air.
He never would have imagined that what had begun as a simple trip to clear his head would somehow turn into three whole years.
Still, what he had experienced during those three years had been bizarre enough to feel unreal.
Setting aside the three compatriots from the Sorcerer Kingdom, he had never expected even the Six Great Gods of the Theocracy to reappear.
Especially that God of Death named Surshana.
Hundreds of years ago, the Minotaur Sage had personally watched from afar as the Eight Greed Kings obliterated the guy, shattering his body into bone fragments all over the ground.
Yet more than four hundred years later, the bastard had somehow crawled back from the dead.
Tsk, tsk. As expected of an Undead.
What puzzled him even more was that the three compatriots from the Sorcerer Kingdom had not fought Surshana.
There was an old saying: "When countrymen meet in a foreign land, their eyes fill with tears."
But he sure as hell did not believe that!
You were lucky if a fellow countryman did not take the opportunity to stab you in the back.
Speaking of the current relationship between the Sorcerer Kingdom and the Theocracy, it was downright baffling.
On one side was a multiracial nation that went around chanting, "[The Six Great Gods murder and burn, the Three Supreme Ones save those in need.]"
On the other was a human nation that firmly upheld [Human Supremacy] and advocated exterminating all Demihumans.
And yet two countries with completely opposing ideologies were somehow able to coexist peacefully?
Although disagreements occasionally arose over matters of faith, there had been virtually no large-scale wars or conflicts between the people of the two nations. Instead, they seemed to share some strange tacit understanding.
It simply made no sense.
There were rumors that this was because both the God of Death and the Sorcerer King were Undead, but an explanation like that might fool the locals, not him.
The Minotaur Sage did not believe it for a second.
It did not take much thought to figure out that there had to be some secret deal behind the scenes.
Taking the speculation a step further, perhaps some of the other old-timers among the Six Great Gods were still alive!
Hell, maybe all of them were alive and well!
After all, wasn't that exactly what Players were like? One face in public and another behind closed doors. Who knew what they were really plotting?
He had always been skeptical of the claim that the other Five Gods had died of old age. Humanoids might have short lifespans, but surely all five of them would not have dropped dead within a mere century.
What he could not understand was why they had stayed hidden so successfully, only to suddenly show themselves at this particular point in time.
He knew Players well enough. After all, he was one himself.
[Were their interests threatened, forcing them to reveal themselves? Or was there some other reason?]
The Minotaur Sage turned the possibilities over in his mind, but still could not come up with an answer.
There simply was not enough information.
Still, the situation was not necessarily bad for him.
The Six Great Gods and the Three Supreme Ones were out in the open, while he remained hidden in the shadows.
If some crisis appeared, such as whoever had destroyed the Eight Greed Kings, then those compatriots of his could deal with it first.
All he needed to do was stay safely in the rear and adjust his position depending on which way the wind blew.
At that thought, a faint smile appeared on the Minotaur Sage's face as he began calculating how best to take advantage of the situation.
Back then, he had put an enormous amount of effort into pulling off his fake death.
Every detail and every possible flaw that might expose him had been carefully planned for and prepared against.
He had even reluctantly left most of his equipment and items behind in the distant Minotaur Kingdom on the Central Continent.
On top of that, he now had the extremely useful cover identity of an instructor at the Magic Academy. It was the perfect example of hiding in plain sight.
But after being away for so long, it was probably about time he went back.
After all, he had never actually resigned from his position at the Magic Academy.
He had merely taken an extended leave of absence.
With that in mind, the Minotaur Sage turned toward his companion.
"Hey! Dead Dragon, don't you think it's about time we went back to the Academy and showed our faces?"
The Clear Light Dragon Lord, who had been immersed in the beauty of nature and basking in the warmth of the sunlight filtering down around him, slowly opened his eyes.
A barely perceptible flash of irritation crossed those jewel-like pupils.
"What's the hurry? We can go back after this journey is over. Abandoning something halfway through is not this King's style."
The Clear Light Dragon Lord raised his head slightly as he replied.
That damned ox had absolutely no sense of timing.
How dare he interrupt his communion with nature?
If they had not already known each other for three years, he would have cast Spatial Banishment without hesitation and thrown the bastard straight into the ocean.
"Tch! 'This King,' my ass. You really think you're some mighty Dragon Lord?"
"You're just a half-breed. What are you so proud of?"
The Minotaur Sage looked at him with open contempt and mocked him without the slightest restraint.
The Dragon Race had always been arrogant and conceited.
Yet even this half-blooded Dragonoid, who possessed only half the blood of the Dragon Race, was already this haughty and overbearing.
If he were dealing with a pure-blooded Dragon Race, they would probably be even more insufferably arrogant.
Speaking of Dragon Lords, though, it had been quite a while since he had heard any concrete news about them.
Who knew what they were up to?
Maybe his compatriots had already killed them all.
After all, that fellow who called himself the Sorcerer Greed King was himself a Dragonoid with half Dragon Race blood.
Who could guarantee that the guy would not suddenly lose his mind and come up with some insane idea?
For example, bathing in Dragon Blood to purify his own bloodline.
The possibility might not be particularly high, but it was certainly not low either.
The Minotaur Sage sank into his own thoughts, completely ignoring the Clear Light Dragon Lord beside him, whose face was gradually turning red with anger.
"Disrespectful! Utterly disrespectful!"
"You're just a mere Minotaur, yet you dare call yourself a Sage. Why can't I call myself a Dragon Lord? No, that's wrong. I am a Dragon Lord!"
The Clear Light Dragon Lord ground his teeth in fury.
The Minotaur Sage, however, remained completely unconcerned.
If they had not gotten along reasonably well over the past three years, and if he did not need to keep his identity hidden, he would have shown this bastard what his axe could do.
Did he really think a Player or a Dragon Lord was some harmless pushover?!
And so the two refused to back down, glaring at each other like two blades pressed edge to edge.
For a moment, the atmosphere became so tense that even time itself seemed to freeze.
Yet scenes like this had long since become routine for them.
Ever since they met, arguments like this had happened almost every day. At this point, it could practically be considered a daily quest.
At first, the slightest disagreement would have the two of them immediately trading blows and causing a huge commotion.
But after arguing so many times, both of them gradually learned to rein in their tempers.
Perhaps it was precisely because of that understanding they had built over time that, despite neither being willing to show mercy with their words, they would eventually set aside their differences and each give a little ground.
They had simply gotten used to arguing with each other.
"Yeah, yeah. You're a Dragon Lord. Happy now?"
"Come on. We're still about a hundred kilometers from the Holy Kingdom. If we keep up a decent pace, we should reach our destination by tomorrow morning."
As he spoke, the Minotaur Sage pulled a slightly yellowed parchment map from his robes and examined it carefully.
Once he had confirmed the route, he tucked the map away again and strode toward a shimmering pond not far away.
Their mount was currently lying quietly beside the water, leisurely drinking its fill.
It was a gigantic lizard that moved on all fours.
Its thick body was packed with clearly defined muscles and covered from head to tail in heavy, dark-green scales.
The scales gleamed with a cold metallic sheen and looked even harder than Mithril.
This was a Gigant Basilisk, an exceptionally vicious and powerful magical beast.
Highly poisonous fluids also flowed through its body. Anyone contaminated by its venom could face disastrous consequences.
But the most terrifying thing about it was its unique ability, Petrifying Gaze.
When it opened its enormous jaws and unleashed that terrifying ray, any living creature struck by it would instantly be transformed into a lifeless stone statue.
Even battle-hardened Warriors of Adamantite rank, equipped with precious magical gear far beyond anything an ordinary person could hope to possess, would hesitate to claim certain victory against a Gigant Basilisk in a direct one-on-one fight.
The Minotaur Sage soon reached the Gigant Basilisk.
It had lowered its head and extended its long tongue into the water, drinking greedily with loud gulping sounds.
The moment it sensed a familiar presence, it immediately let out a delighted cry.
"Stone, quit dawdling. Time to go!"
Stone.
That was the magical beast's name.
There was no special meaning or grand story behind it.
When they had first discovered the creature, the little Gigant Basilisk had simply been curled up inside a narrow crack between some rocks.
Back then, it had been nothing more than a hatchling the size of an adult's palm.
Who would have imagined that in just three short years, it would grow into such a massive beast?
At a rough estimate, the thing was probably about fifteen meters long now.
And according to what he had heard, even the largest Gigant Basilisks only reached a few dozen meters in length.
Staring at the enormous creature before him, the Minotaur Sage could not help but wonder.
[Have I been feeding it too well? Is it going to attract too much attention at this size?]
But the instant the thought appeared, he dismissed it.
He had raised the creature himself, after all. Of course he had grown attached to it.
So what if it was huge?
Worst case, he could simply find some magical item capable of shrinking it and take it along that way.
"What do you mean, 'Stone'? That name is awful. He's not some rock. He's Icardi, the pet this King personally raised!"
The Clear Light Dragon Lord crossed his arms and strode over with an air of authority, speaking in a tone that allowed no argument.
At first, the Clear Light Dragon Lord had not paid much attention to the Gigant Basilisk, treating it as nothing more than an ordinary pet.
But as the days passed and they spent more and more time together, he gradually formed an emotional attachment to the creature.
The Clear Light Dragon Lord had even gone to great lengths to give the Gigant Basilisk an impressive name.
Icardi Dragnil.
He would also secretly give it diluted Dragon Blood from time to time, helping it grow stronger and more imposing.
"Hmph. Call it whatever you want. I still prefer Stone. You call him Icardi, I'll call him Stone. We'll each use our own name."
The Minotaur casually swung one of his thick, powerful arms, then nimbly vaulted onto the Gigant Basilisk's broad, sturdy back.
Seeing this, the Clear Light Dragon Lord snorted and leaped onto its back as well.
The Gigant Basilisk was enormous. Its broad back could easily accommodate both of them lying down comfortably, with plenty of room left over.
"Let's go! Next stop, the Holy Kingdom!"
The Minotaur waved a large hand and shouted.
At his command, the Gigant Basilisk let out a deep roar like rolling thunder.
Its thick, powerful limbs surged into motion, carrying the two riders rapidly into the distance as a cloud of dust billowed behind them.
...
Meanwhile, deep within the mysterious and magnificent Great Tomb of Nazarick, Naohara had finally finished his conversation with Sephis and the others.
The seemingly ordinary conversation had not involved many matters of real importance.
There was, however, one thing that genuinely surprised Naohara.
Aura and Keno's relationship.
Friendships between women could sometimes be strangely inexplicable.
Naohara had no idea what the two of them had talked about over the past three years, but judging by appearances, they got along extremely well and had become quite close.
Once the conversation ended, Sephis returned to the floor under his charge.
Keno, meanwhile, set off for the Dragon Kingdom.
Aura and Mare accompanied her, apparently intending to visit Blue Roses.
He had heard that Blue Roses had apparently become something like the Dragon Princess's personal guards.
The adventurer party known as Blue Roses was now completely a thing of the past.
Naohara did not pay much attention to the news.
He merely nodded and thought no more of it.
Afterward, Naohara first sent a brief Message to Herohero.
Then, with seemingly leisurely steps, he headed quickly toward Momonga's location.