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Chapter 232

“Didn’t you hear me? Next.”

“Damn it.”

The examiner spoke in an impatient tone. Ronan kept feeling around his back as if trying to remove an insect, but he couldn’t find the mark. Realizing he was screwed, he swallowed hard.

‘Fuch, what happened?’

He couldn’t understand why the once intact mark had disappeared. He could still clearly remember giggling in front of the mirror, thinking it looked impressive on his back.

The two people were still staring at his smooth back in bewilderment. Aselle spoke.

“I-I thought it might be fading a bit, but I didn’t expect it to disappear…”

“What did you say?”

“I-it’s my fault. I should have said something back then…!”

Aselle grabbed his head with both hands. A few days ago, when Ronan was walking around shirtless, Aselle had accidentally noticed the mark on his back fading slightly.

At the time, he dismissed it as a trick of the light, thinking it was nothing serious, but now it had come to this. As he muttered to himself in self-reproach, he spoke tearfully.

“I-I’m sorry. Really, I’m sorry. I…”

“It’s fine. What can we do about something that’s already happened?”

Ronan shook his head. Even if they had known in advance, there was nothing they could do without understanding the cause. After chewing his lip and pondering, he sighed.

“…Let’s go.”

“R-Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes. We don’t have any other options. Are you going to use your charm or something?”

Aselle shut his mouth tight. Ronan walked towards the inspection desk with the two of them. There was no other option but to try their luck. Since he had once been marked, he hoped there might still be a faint trace of its energy left.

‘If we get kicked out, we’ll just have to sneak in.’

Given the situation, he had to consider the worst-case scenario. As they walked, looking for a wall they might be able to climb, they reached the examiner. The charred lower half of a messenger was still lying at their feet.

“You two, go first.”

“O-Okay.”

With nothing to hide, Aselle and Shullifen stepped forward. The examiner, upon seeing their marks, muttered with interest.

“Hmmm. Servants of Lord Itargand, are you? This is rare.”

“…Examiner. Did you say Lord Itargand?”

The guards’ eyes, which had been wary, suddenly changed. Large figures approached, surrounding the three of them.

“Wh-What’s happening?”

“What’s going on?”

Frightened, Aselle shrank back. Shullifen’s hand moved to his sword hilt. The intimidating presence felt like they could pounce at any moment.

Ronan suddenly remembered that Itargand had instructed him to hide any association with him. His brows furrowed.

‘Damn it, what choice do I have now?’

He hadn’t forgotten, but there was no way to deal with this kind of trouble at the inspection desk. Wishing for a fair entry process was apparently too much to ask. The examiner, stroking his beard, spoke again.

“The youngest of the Fire Dragon Clan already has two servants? How quickly time flies. You may enter.”

“Wh-What?”

“However, refrain from mentioning your master’s name. The timing isn’t great.”

Ronan and his companions were shocked. Were they really going to let them through so easily? The guards, who had been imposing, now spoke with confusion.

“But, Lord Vanartier, His Majesty clearly instructed us to expel or at least detain anyone associated with the Navardose clan. How can you…?”

“You know that’s an unreasonable order. Lady Navardose was here before Adren was even established. Don’t let greed blind you to decency.”

The examiner rebuked them sternly. The guards backed off, dejected. Apparently, not everyone in the political struggle supported the Dragon King. Turning to Ronan, the examiner asked.

“Now, whose servant are you?”

“Well… you see, I…”

The old man’s sharp gaze was piercing. The image of his mouth opening and spewing fire kept flashing in Ronan’s mind.

‘I’m really screwed.’

He couldn’t think of a way to get out of this situation. Just as he was about to lift his shirt to show his back, the examiner, observing him closely, exclaimed softly.

“…My goodness.”

“What is it?”

Puzzled by the sudden reaction, Ronan tilted his head. The examiner slowly walked forward and suddenly knelt on one knee. Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Uhm… excuse me?”

“This old dragon Vanartier greets the Emissary of the Mother of Fire.”

“Emissary?”

“Yes. You carry an ember of the Primordial Flame. Please forgive me for not recognizing such an esteemed person sooner.”

Hearing the term “Primordial Flame,” Ronan raised his eyebrows. He had forgotten about it. Within his heart was a fragment of Navardose’s primal power, incomparable to any mere mark.

‘I never thought I’d benefit from that like this.’

Thinking back, Itargand’s mark disappearing over several days might have been due to being absorbed into this power. Like a larger fire consuming a smaller one. Scratching his head, Ronan spoke.

“Were there other emissaries besides me?”

“Very long ago. But you are the first human. To receive an ember of the Primordial Flame without being a dragon or of draconic descent… it inspires awe.”

The examiner’s newfound respect was almost creepy. Apparently, possessing an ember of the Primordial Flame was an extraordinary honor.

This elderly figure seemed to be a dragon too, and yet he was this deferential. Ronan felt the true stature of the sensuous dragon mommy once more.

“Then…”

The examiner rose slowly, murmuring something towards the gate. With a sound like a roaring mountain, the gate began to open. Gesturing towards the visible city of Adren, he said.

“Please, enter. However, as I mentioned to your companions, be cautious. Most dragons and their servants still respect Lady Navardose, but they also fear the Dragon King’s oppression.”

“Thank you. About our ship, should we just leave it where it is?”

Ronan pointed to the Red Gale, which lay tilted at the edge of the pier, looking quite pitiful. The examiner smiled kindly and waved his hand.

“Oh, we will take care of it. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you. Lord Itargand is very fond of that ship.”

The guards looked at them incredulously. With that, Ronan started walking.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Though the gap was narrow, it was enough for the three humans to pass through. It felt awkward how smoothly things had gone, but at least they had succeeded in entering.

‘I won’t let things go your way. Nebula Clazier.’

Ronan reaffirmed his resolve. As they passed through the gate, which seemed about 5 meters thick, the most splendid city he had ever seen spread out before them.

“Wow…!”

“Incredible. Is this the City of Dragon?”

Aselle and Shullifen exclaimed in awe. It was hard to believe such a delicate and beautiful city was home to giant dragons.

The buildings were mostly adorned with gold and jewels, reflecting the dragons’ inherent greed in their design.

Servants and polymorphed dragons, appearing as humans or animals, roamed freely. The sunset, at its peak, added to the city’s beauty.

“…It’s breathtaking.”

Ronan murmured quietly. But there was no time to get lost in admiration. Sweeping his hair back, he turned to the other two.

“First, let’s go where there are lots of people. We need to gather rumors related to the cult.”

“Hmm, a place with lots of people… the city square? An inn?”

“Maybe somewhere like that. Stay alert, we don’t know where enemies might be.”

Ronan urged firmly. They moved deeper into the city, with the grand tower where the Dragon King resided overlooking them from the center of Adren.

****

“Damn it… this is heavy. I can’t believe we have to carry a human ship.”

“I wonder if this is really okay… If His Majesty finds out, he won’t let this slide.”

The guards grumbled. About a dozen of them were moving the Red Gale to the hangar. Normally, visitors would handle their own transportation, but they had no choice since examiner Vanartier ordered it.

“Ugh…! Arrrgh!”

Moving something that should have been floated on water by carrying it directly was no easy task. It took them nearly an hour of grunting and struggling to finally get the cumbersome sloop into the hangar. One of the guards who had inspected Ronan’s party wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.

“Haah… damn it. Ugh, finally done.”

“It’s unfair. Even if they’re dragons and we’re just servants, this is too much.”

“How about this? I’ll secretly report to His Majesty. We’ll share the reward. He loathes Navardose, so he’ll definitely reward us generously.”

“Oh, that sounds good. Yeah, why praise someone who left Adren a hundred years ago?”

The guards laughed as they discussed their plan to rat out Vanartier and the rewards they’d receive from the Dragon King. Just then, the cabin door slowly opened, and a man’s voice was heard from the deck.

“Strange.”

“What?”

All the guards looked up. A man they hadn’t seen during their inspection stood on the deck. He had long hair down to his waist and wore a long, black coat reaching his shins. He looked down at the guards and spoke.

“One question. Who currently rules Adren?”

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Could it be that Navardose has stepped down?”

The black-clad man ignored the guards’ questions and continued. No answer came. He sighed, observing their reactions.

“…Looks like it. It seems a long time has passed.”

His calm demeanor was infuriating. The guards’ faces started to flush with anger. One guard pointed a spear at the man and shouted.

“Looks like you’re a stowaway trying to act tough. Get down here now!”

“If you surrender, we won’t tear you apart!”

The guards, enraged by his attitude, couldn’t stand it. Though they were merely guards in Adren, compared to humans, they were no different from superhumans.

“Come down!”

One guard hurled his spear. Swish! The spear flew straight at the man’s head.

But the black-clad man casually tilted his head, dodging the attack. His hands remained in his coat pockets. Thud! The spear embedded itself in the mast behind him. The guard’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“He… he dodged it?”

The spear had embedded itself deeply into the mast, a testament to the throw’s strength. Dodging it was impossible for a human. The black-clad man glanced at the spear and growled lowly.

【How dare you bare your fangs at me.】

The guards shuddered. His aura had changed completely. It was clear he wasn’t ordinary. They quickly unleashed the power of their marks.

“He’s suspicious. Eliminate him immediately!”

“Graaaah!”

Being experienced, it didn’t take long. Their armor exploded, revealing bodies covered in scales. In seconds, they transformed into creatures resembling a mix of wyverns and humans. With a roar, they charged at the man.

“Die!”

“Do you know where you are?”

With a single leap, the guards landed on the ship. Thud! Thud! Thud! Each step caused a loud noise. The black-clad man took his hands out of his pockets. In an instant, his body blurred, and ten out of eleven guards’ upper bodies exploded.

“Wh-what…!”

It was too fast to see. The surviving guard’s face turned pale. Blood and flesh rained down from the sky.

The black-clad man stood still, unfazed by the blood shower. Realizing his utter defeat, the guard turned to flee. But something long and sharp pierced his back.

“Argh…!”

The guard slowly looked down. The spear he had thrown was now protruding from his chest. The black-clad man tapped the spear and spoke.

【Tell me everything. About Adren and Navardose.】

“Y-yes. I’ll tell you everything, just spare me…!”

The black-clad man didn’t respond. The terrified guard began to spill everything he knew, forgetting the pain of the spear. The explanation took a full twenty minutes.

【So, Navardose and her kin suddenly disappeared?】

“Y-yes. No one knows where they went. I swear it’s the truth!”

【I see…】

“N-now let me go. I’ve told you everything.”

The black-clad man remained silent. Judging by the guard’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like a lie. He nodded slowly.

【You can go.】

“G-go? Wait…!”

The guard began to turn. The black-clad man lifted the spear. Slash! The spear sliced vertically through the guard from chest to head.

No scream came. A fountain of blood erupted. The body fell with a thud, split like a young sprout. The black-clad man wiped the blood off with a handkerchief and moved.

“This has become troublesome.”

Finding someone who knew Navardose’s whereabouts was now necessary. But with her kin gone, where to start?

“…Ah.”

As he pondered, a human face flashed in his mind. Wasn’t his name Ronan?

Although he thought their connection ended when they borrowed the ship, Ronan was probably still wandering Adren.

“Let’s start with a drink…”

The black-clad man murmured as he walked. The setting sun cast light on the eleven corpses in the hangar.