BXBX NOVEL Chapter 236
Chapter 236
【Our king wishes to see you.】
“What? The king?”
Ronan raised his eyebrows. He was suddenly bewildered by what he was hearing. The dragon lady continued.
“Yes. He has been watching this place since the skirmish with Orsay began. He is still watching, of course. It wasn’t an insignificant commotion, after all.”
Her once imposing voice softened noticeably. It seemed she, like Orsay, adjusted her tone according to the situation. Ronan suddenly recalled Intargand’s advice on Adren’s political matters.
This wasn’t good. Spinning his sword in his hand, Ronan asked sarcastically.
“What does such a high-ranking individual want with me?”
“He was impressed by your achievements in the skirmish with Orsay. It seems he wants to commend you for your efforts.”
She mentioned that she had been in communication with the Dragon King throughout Ronan’s fight with Orsay, which was why she had only intervened at the last moment.
“I was also impressed by your swordsmanship. Even though he was polymorphed, it’s no small feat for a human to fight a dragon on equal footing. It was nothing short of extraordinary.”
“Well, it was nothing.”
The woman gave a sincere compliment, and Ronan scratched the back of his head awkwardly. While he didn’t mind the praise, he sensed there might be more to it. He asked suspiciously.
“Is that all?”
“That’s all I’ve heard.”
The woman nodded. It was hard to tell if she was deliberately avoiding the topic of Navardose or if she genuinely didn’t know. At the very least, this woman seemed to have figured it out. After a moment’s hesitation, Ronan spoke.
“What if I refuse?”
“It would be recorded as a very disrespectful act in Adren’s history. But I know you won’t do anything so unreasonable.”
“And what makes you so sure?”
“Because your companions are already at the tower.”
Ronan’s face hardened at the mention of his companions. The woman continued to look at him with an indifferent expression, her light blue eyes as calm as a windless lake.
“What?”
“Just as I said. One of them is in the library, the other near the Sky Tower. We confirmed they were Ronan’s companions and brought them there.”
The locations she mentioned matched the areas Ronan had assigned to his companions. It didn’t seem to be a bluff.
Ronan suddenly realized that this woman knew his name. He gripped his sword hilt tighter.
“If you’ve done anything to them…”
“We’ve done nothing but escort them to a reception room. Time is of the essence, so I’d appreciate a quick response. Will you come with me to the Sky Tower now?”
Though it was phrased as a question, it didn’t feel like one. It was essentially a threat. After considering for a moment, Ronan muttered a curse under his breath.
‘Damn it.’
No matter how he thought about it, the only option was a head-on approach. This was the kind of situation where having no choice was the only choice. Sighing, Ronan nodded.
“Alright, let’s go.”
****
The woman’s name was Naransonia. Introducing herself as one of the five dragons protecting the king, she guided Ronan to the tall tower in the center of Adren.
“I guess I should say goodbye at least.”
“Please be quick.”
Before following her properly, Ronan exchanged brief farewells with the people on the scene. Meanwhile, dispatched servants were already working to restore the streets damaged by Orsay.
The dark alleys, now empty lots, were strewn with the corpses of soldiers killed in the skirmish. They were all dismembered or torn to pieces, leaving few intact bodies.
The relatively intact body belonged to the Blue Dragon, Laratasian. Despite having both hands blown off and a hole large enough for a deer to pass through in its chest, it was receiving surprisingly respectful treatment.
Laratasian’s massive body still lay across the shattered alley. Suddenly, Ronan noticed an old man in his line of sight. It was Examiner Vanartier, polymorphed back into human form.
“Examiner.”
He was standing with his hands behind his back, looking at his comrade’s corpse. Ronan approached him. Without turning his head, Vanartier spoke.
“I tried to administer emergency treatment, but it was no use. It seems Orsay created a weapon that shouldn’t exist.”
Ronan looked at the Blue Dragon’s corpse instead of answering. The severed arm and chest wound were charred black. Glancing at Naransonia, Ronan said.
“Indeed. If someone hadn’t interfered, I would have caught him.”
“No, I believe it’s fortunate you didn’t pursue him recklessly. As Naransonia said, a cornered beast is the most dangerous.”
He explained that if Orsay had fought back in his true form, the damage would have been many times worse. Vanartier turned to face Ronan.
“Thank you. Even though you are Navardose’s representative I never imagined that I’d be saved by a human.”
“Forget it. It’s no big deal.”
Ronan waved his hand dismissively. Suddenly, Vanartier’s voice resonated in Ronan’s mind.
[I apologize. I didn’t expect His Majesty would notice.]
The unexpected telepathic message made Ronan raise an eyebrow. The tone was dripping with guilt, indicating Vanartier felt responsible for Ronan’s identity being discovered.
‘How courteous.’
Like Navardose and Ir, not all dragons were scumbags. Ronan winked to show he was okay. It was clear Vanartier hadn’t betrayed him.
[If anything happens and you need to escape Adren, use the sewers to move to the northern drainage outlet of the island. I’ll have a boat ready there.]
“You…”
[All the sewers in Adren are connected. It should be the same under the Sky Tower.]
Ronan’s eyes widened. This was incredibly valuable information. Naransonia, who had been waiting patiently, called out to him.
“Ronan.”
“Yes, I’m coming.”
Naransonia’s urging glance made Ronan move quickly. From behind, Vanartier’s voice called out.
“Until we meet again. I will repay this debt. You, representative of the Mother of Fire.”
“Debt? Don’t worry about it. See you next time.”
Ronan walked away, leaving the ruined streets behind. The thick smell of blood mixed with the cool night breeze. Many had died.
He noticed the old tavern owner was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had collapsed from the shock of his tavern being destroyed. Ronan asked around, but no one knew the old man’s whereabouts, so he let it go.
‘That’s a shame.’
The wreckage of the tavern was still crushed under the Blue Dragon’s head. Ronan clicked his tongue. It really had been a fine brandy.
.
.
.
Following Naransonia, Ronan soon arrived in front of the Sky Tower where the Dragon King resided. No matter how much he craned his neck, he couldn’t see the top.
“…It’s ridiculously tall.”
Ronan muttered in faint amazement. The giant pillar connecting the sky and the city had stood since Adren was founded. Its long and thick shadow stretched beyond the city’s borders, touching the clouds.
The entrance of the tower was also impressive. The enormous doors seemed designed for dragons in their true form. Standing before them, Ronan sighed.
“Shit, how long will it take to climb this…”
“You don’t need to worry about that. First, greet your companions.”
“Huh?”
Ronan tilted his head as Naransonia opened the door. Upon closer inspection, there was a smaller door within the large one, suitable for human passage.
As they crossed the threshold, an opulent, luxurious space unfolded before Ronan’s eyes, grand enough to make the palace lobby look like a hut. Naransonia spoke.
“We’ve arrived. This is the reception room.”
“…This is why I hate magic.”
Ronan chuckled. It felt like a ghost was pulling out his leg hair. It must have been some kind of spatial magic. As he slowly took in the reception room, he saw two young men.
“You guys.”
Aselle was reading a stack of books, and Shullifen was meditating while sitting cross-legged. Both stood up when they saw Ronan.
“R-Ronan! You’re safe!”
“…So it was a lie.”
Judging by their unscathed appearance, it seemed they hadn’t been harmed. But their reactions were odd. You’re safe? Why would they say something like that?
Ronan stood before them. Clap, clap—Naransonia clapped her hands twice from behind.
“We will move to the audience chamber in ten minutes. Just open that door and come out.”
She pointed to a door in the corner of the reception room with her index finger and then left through the door they had entered. Confirming that there were no other presences around, Ronan spoke.
“You idiots, what happened? Why are you asking if I’m safe?”
“Th-That… suddenly dragons came and said you were in danger if we didn’t come quickly. So…”
“The same for me.”
Hearing Aselle and Shullifen’s answers, Ronan rubbed his forehead. It seemed they had been deceived.
The Dragon King’s subordinates had brought them here under the pretext that Ronan was in danger. Reading Ronan’s expression, Aselle gasped.
“W-Were we tricked? Should we not have come?”
“Forget it. What’s done is done.”
Ronan shook his head. Thinking back, fighting Orsay had been dangerous, so it wasn’t entirely wrong. If he had refused, they would have used force. Those cunning reptiles.
“So, did you find anything useful?”
“S-Sorry… There was nothing in the library.”
Aselle hung his head. He had scoured the library but found no information about Nebula Clazier. However, his efforts hadn’t been entirely fruitless.
“I learned some magic that might help with our investigation.”
“That’s good. You did well.”
Aselle explained he had learned several spells, including invisibility, from books. Though Ronan found it strange that someone could learn magic just like that, he knew it was best not to try to understand a genius.
Invisibility would likely be very useful. After patting Aselle’s shoulder encouragingly, Ronan turned to Shullifen.
“Anything unusual with you?”
“There was one thing. For about half a month, people in white robes have been seen lingering around the tower.”
“Just as I thought… What?”
Ronan and Aselle’s eyes widened. Given Shullifen’s calm tone, they thought he was saying he had found nothing.
“Are you sure? Who told you?”
“A merchant who runs a shop near the Sky Tower. Some drunkards were causing trouble, so I drove them away, and he told me in gratitude. He didn’t seem to be lying.”
“…Ha.”
Ronan unconsciously clenched his fist. It felt like he had found the tail end of an elusive mystery.
Just as he was about to say something. Creak—The door in the corner of the reception room suddenly opened. Aselle jumped back in fright.
“Eek! Wh-What’s that?!”
“Impatient, aren’t they?”
Ronan furrowed his brows. Looking at his watch, exactly ten minutes had passed. Brushing his bangs aside, he spoke to the two.
“Let’s go. Just stay calm.”
“O-Okay. I hope nothing goes wrong…”
“And listen to me. If things start to go south…”
Having come this far, there was no turning back. Whispering emergency plans to Aselle and Shullifen, Ronan took the lead and moved forward.
Beyond the wide-open door, a golden glow poured out. The aura emanating from it felt ominous.
As they stepped inside, the sound of clattering metal echoed under their feet. The three of them widened their eyes in shock.
“Fuck. What is all this?”
“W-Wow…”
“Incredible.”
None of them could hide their amazement. Endless gold and treasures covered the vast space. Large gold coins, each worth a life, were used here like pebbles paving the ground.
Even if they robbed all the banks in the Empire, they might not gather this much wealth. As they advanced through the golden desert. Rumble—Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground, accompanied by a booming voice.
【Finally-】
【You have arrived.】
The voice was as grand as a pulsating volcano. Ssssh! The hill of gold before them collapsed. Two massive dragon heads emerged from the fallen peak.
“Eeek…!”
Both were golden dragons covered in golden scales. Their necks, soaring endlessly, bent only when their heads touched the ceiling.
Aselle clamped his hands over his mouth, eyes wide. Even Shullifen, usually composed, hunched his shoulders.
It wasn’t hard to guess that one of them was the Dragon King. Ronan, forgetting this was the audience chamber, muttered a curse.
“Holy shit…”
Since Navardose, this was the first time he had seen such enormous creatures. The size of their bodies buried in the treasure was unimaginable. The length of their necks and heads alone matched the full length of an average dragon.
As Ronan pondered which one was the Dragon King, the four eyes of the heads rolled and simultaneously opened their mouths.
【Greetings. I am the Dragon King who rules over Adren-】
【Azidahaka.】