BXBX NOVEL Chapter 223
Chapter 223
“So…”
“This is clearly an insult to the Poison Dragon, Lord Drahavier!”
Even though he didn’t know who was speaking, the voice was loud and clear. For a moment, the three of them stared at each other. Ronan let out a deep sigh.
“What the hell is it now.”
A feeling of impending trouble washed over him. Adeshan, who hadn’t heard the response, bit her lower lip anxiously. Dydican’s face hardened.
“…Drahavier? Did you just say Drahavier?”
“It seems so. Why, do you know him?”
“This is bad news. The delivery hasn’t been prepared yet.”
Muttering to himself, Dydican dashed back the way he came. His hurried footsteps indicated a more urgent situation than expected. Ronan spoke up.
“It definitely said Poison Dragon.”
“Yeah, I heard that.”
“A dragon that uses poison? Dealing with dragons always complicates things… Ugh.”
He grumbled as he headed into the corridor. Adeshan quickly followed him. Not knowing what was going on, he felt it wasn’t his style to just stand by and watch.
The noise grew louder as they descended the stairs. The incident was unfolding in the central hall they had seen when they first arrived. The hall, which had given off a neat impression, was now completely chaotic.
“Are we a joke to you? Huh?!”
“Th-that’s not true! Please calm down…!”
At the center of the chaos were two large figures and a young man. Ronan raised an eyebrow. The young man, smelling of inexperience, was the one who had recently helped them put their griffin in the stable.
He was being held by the scruff of his neck by a woman who seemed to be about 2 meters tall. It was pitiful to see him with legs dangling like a puppet. The woman brought her face closer to his and snarled again.
“Say it again. We clearly paid and waited for a month. Why aren’t the weapons ready yet?”
“I-I told you. The New Beastmen Alliance kidnapped the blacksmiths, causing the delays. Moreover, we mentioned that it would take at least three months…”
“Nonsense! I distinctly heard one month. Isn’t that right?”
The woman smirked and glanced at her companion beside her, a large man with a goatee nodded at her.
“One month. Absolutely.”
“See? Is my colleague lying then?”
“Th-that’s impossible!”
The young man exclaimed. The blacksmiths circled around them, their feet shuffling nervously.
The only one seemingly relaxed in this situation was the black-clad man sitting in the corner, staring at a box. Ronan had thought he’d left already, but apparently not. Spotting Dydican at the front, Ronan approached him.
“Hey, Dydican.”
“…You came. Shameful.”
“What’s going on? I thought this place wasn’t a low-profile spot where troublemakers could come and cause a scene.”
Something akin to a small-town blacksmith’s shop drama was unfolding. The sight of them being unable to resist and just watching the scene unfold was similar. Dydican lowered his head in embarrassment.
“That’s true. But the opponent isn’t favorable. The Poison Dragon’s subordinates have arrived.”
“What kind of person is Drahavier?”
“He’s a dragon residing in the City of Dragons, Adren. He is also the leader of a criminal organization called Green Fang. A month ago, he randomly placed an order for five hundred sets of Aurora imbued weapons. It’s an absurd demand.”
He explained that the blacksmiths didn’t know what to do now. With just the people here, they couldn’t handle the repercussions of facing Drahavier’s entourage.
“Hmm.”
As Ronan listened to the story, he let out a bitter laugh. It was indeed a rare case to hear of a dragon, of all beings, forming a criminal organization.
“A dragon forming a criminal organization? Why would such a distinguished race?”
“I have no idea. Originally, their main activity was in the Pashanti Kingdom, but they’ve gradually expanded their influence to the continent. The Dragon King of Adren could have sanctioned them, but…”
Dydican’s explanation continued. Most members of the Green Fang were mortal races such as humans or beastmen. They pledged allegiance to Drahavier, receiving rewards such as gold or the imprint of a dragon.
“Imprint?”
“Yeah. Dragons share their power. It’s similar to how vampires expand their lineage. Those tattoos are evidence of that.”
Dydican pointed his finger at the bulky figures. The elongated silhouette of a dragon was engraved on their necks and forearms. It was a special privilege given only to the higher-ups of the Green Fang. From the dragon’s perspective, even a minimal share of power was enough to have a significant effect, making it a very cost-effective reward.
Suddenly, the words spoken by the black-clad man flashed through Ronan’s mind. He had definitely mentioned something about an imprint from the Primordial Fame. By Primordial Fame, it likely refered to Navardose.
‘Would this also be considered an imprint?’
Ronan tilted his head. Giving out a negligible amount of power seemed unlikely, especially considering how tough Navardosehad been at the time.
‘Since there’s no tattoo, it doesn’t seem like it’s an imprint. But what’s with that black bastard in the first place?’
Ronan was lost in thought when suddenly a large silver candlestick flew towards Adeshan.
“What…!”
Startled, she tried to duck. Ronan’s vision blurred for a moment. Thud! The candlestick, flying straight towards her, stopped in mid-air. Adeshan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Ro-Ronan?”
Before she knew it, Ronan was standing in front of her. The candlestick was clenched in his hand. The woman who had been holding the young man by the scruff of his neck looked dumbfounded.
“Ha, you blocked it?”
The one who threw the candlestick was her. A low voice escaped Ronan’s lips.
“What’s this.”
“Lucky, you blocked it. Get rid of that woman next to you right now! When I see pretty things, I want to break them!”
The woman shouted, pointing at Adeshan. People watched with incredulous eyes. Sensing trouble, Dydican placed a hand on Ronan’s shoulder.
“Hey, calm down. Even though it’s just a small amount of power, it’s still from a dragon.”
“That’s right, Ronan. I’m fine. Besides, we don’t even have weapons now, right?”
Adeshan tried to reassure him. But something inside Ronan snapped. The thought of her getting hurt because of his actions was unbearable. Thud. The twisted candlestick fell to the ground, following the shape of his hand.
“You damn pig.”
“Pig? Did you say that to me?”
The woman chuckled. The goateed man beside her approached, his arm reaching out. Just as the stone floor cracked beneath them, Ronan’s form vanished from sight. It was a fleeting moment of disbelief for Dydican. Baaang! The woman who had been holding the young man by the scruff of his collar was thrown backward as if struck by a battering ram.
“Argh!!”
“Wh-What?!”
People’s eyes widened. The woman, thrown forward with her upper body bent, crashed through furniture such as tables and chairs, falling to the ground outside. Barely managing to get up, she coughed up blood.
“Cough, cough… What just happened…”
“Get up, you pig.”
Ronan said. He was now standing where the woman had been just moments ago. A golden residue shimmered over his strengthened muscles. It was the Aura of Varen, enhancing his strength. The woman’s abdomen, struck by a direct kick, was deeply dented in the shape of Ronan’s shoe.
“There’s no need for a sword to slaughter two pigs. Come at me.”
“D-Do you know who I am…! Cough!”
The woman, trying to rise, coughed up blood and collapsed. She seemed unable to get up. Ronan felt the sensation of ribs shattering all the way to his toes. Adeshan shouted,
“Ronan! Be careful!”
“Get lost!”
Ronan turned his head in the direction she pointed. The fist of the goatee man was inches from his face. The forceful gust flipped his bangs. If Ronan didn’t have a significant amount of mana, his face would have surely been smashed.
‘If it connects, that is.’
Ronan smirked. He dodged the punch by lightly tilting his head. The goatee man spat out bewilderment. Ronan swiftly rotated his entire body and kicked him in the side.
“Ugh.”
The goatee man coughed up blood. Baaaang! His body flew away with fierce momentum and slammed into a corner of the hall. From the sensation, it seemed unlikely that he would be getting up anytime soon. The woman, barely managing to rise, looked astonished.
“Y-You dare! Do you think you’ll get away after doing this?”
“Exactly. Why throw a candlestick at someone’s face?”
Ronan approached the woman after spitting on the floor. He intended to rough her up just enough so she wouldn’t die. Breathing heavily, she yelled with an angry voice,
“…Ugh, now that it’s come to this, I’ll kill you all. Witness the power of Lord Drahavier!”
“Oh?”
For a moment, the tattoo on the woman’s neck glowed. Her face twisted, and her snout protruded. A thick tail, rapidly expanding flesh, tore through her clothes and protruded.
But it wasn’t particularly impressive; not only was she originally an ugly pig, but also reptilian scales covered her body, reminiscent of a lizard. Seeing her grotesque appearance, Ronan furrowed his brow.
“Eww.”
“Hahaha! How’s that?”
Soon after completing her transformation, the woman stood up. At a height of almost 4 meters, she looked massive like a bulked-up alligator. The wounds on her abdomen had completely healed.
‘I need something for this.’
Ronan twisted his lips. The power gap was too significant to engage in a physical brawl. If he wanted to handle this safely, he’d need a sword capable of cutting flesh or something similar.
“Now die! Because of you, this forge will be ruined!”
“Ugh, how annoying.”
The grinning woman raised her arm. Ronan picked up a piece of glass that had fallen to the ground. Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed, sounding as if someone’s guts were being ripped out.
“Aaaaaargggh!!”
“What?”
Both the woman and Ronan froze simultaneously. It was a scream that could only be made when one’s intestines were being torn out. People’s attention shifted towards the source of the sound. The goatee man, who had been the woman’s companion, was kneeling, screaming in agony.
“P-please, spare me! Please, I beg you!!”
“That…!”
Ronan’s eyebrows raised. The black-clad man, who had stood up unnoticed, was gripping his face with his left hand. The pupils in his crimson eyes were glaring with rage.
“To handle that hulk with one hand…!”
“Th-that’s the black man, right? The one who didn’t show up even when the chaos was going on.”
“Why is he suddenly angry?”
The crowd began to murmur. They couldn’t understand why the man who remained silent even during the great commotion was now angry.
Why is he suddenly acting like this? As Ronan pondered the question, his gaze shifted to the large box behind him.
“Surely not.”
“The vile spawn of a dragon dares to stain it with its filthy blood…”
The black-clad man muttered. Ronan chuckled incredulously, sensing he might know why the man had intervened. On the surface of the luxurious box, there were faint bloodstains smaller than a finger.
“Y-You…?”
The woman’s eyes widened, seemingly recognizing him. The veins in the man’s hand gripping his face bulged. Crack! The sound of facial bones breaking reverberated through the hall.
“Aaargh! My… my face!”
The goatee woman thrashed about, even foaming at the mouth. His desperate screams snapped her back to reality. She staggered towards him.
“Let go of her hand immediately!”
Despite her massive size, she moved unbelievably fast. The distance between her and the man closed in an instant. The black-clad man, glancing at the woman, exerted more pressure on the hand gripping the face. Pop! The goatee woman’s head burst like a water balloon, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere.
“G-Graham!”
The horrified woman exclaimed. It seemed that Graham was the man’s name. Flames of vengeance flickered in her eyes as she lost her companion. The woman let out an angry roar and curled her body.
“How dare you–!!”
Her scaled body swelled as if it were about to burst. It seemed she was preparing to charge while spreading her body like a spring.
In the end, she seemed intent on breaking something. Just as the woman completed her preparatory motion to rush forward, the black-clad man’s hand blurred and then returned to its original state.
“Huh?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. In an instant, he had missed a move. Just as the woman was about to charge, there was a sound as if the wind was escaping her mouth.
“Kraah…”
Ronan turned his head. An ornate candlestick made of silver broke through the back of the woman’s head and fell out. The candlestick, deeply embedded in her gaping mouth, was of the same kind as the one she had thrown at Adeshan.
“What the…”
Thud! The woman’s body, which had been tilting slowly, collapsed to the ground. The black-clad man, who had been watching the two corpses, growled lowly.
【Bugs.】
A silence fell. He took out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and began wiping his bloodied hands. Ronan raised an eyebrow. For a moment, a sensation similar to what he had felt in Katan’s workshop surfaced and then disappeared.
“Ugh…”
“That was really too much.”
Sounds of retching could be heard here and there. The black-clad man wiped his hands clean and opened then closed the box. There was no further fuss over its contents. Ronan, who had coincidentally encountered him, spoke up.
“…You’re a dragon, right?”
“You’ve piqued my interest. Remember that.”
“What?”
Ronan asked, but there was no response. The black-clad man walked away, leaving the people behind.
Cold silence prevailed until he exited the Aurora Skar. Thud! Only after the entrance closed, the voices of horror and fear began to echo from various corners.