Raimira blinked dazedly as she struggled to make sense of Eugene's rambling. What on earth was he talking about?
Today was meant to be a joyous occasion for her — a day she had longed for. At least, that had been the plan. The palace doors that had confined her for centuries had finally flung wide open, granting her freedom. The Four Divine Generals, who had seldom paid her a visit over the years, had unlocked the door and allowed her to step out into the world once more.
From now on, she would no longer need to bide her time in the secluded palace, and she would no longer have to stay lonely or sleep for long periods of time just to kill time. Raimira did not know the whereabouts of the Black Dragon, who would one day return, but the Dragon Demon Castle was now hers to rule. Even the Four Divine Generals had acknowledged this fact. With their lord away, it was up to Raimira, his daughter, to safeguard the castle.
Yet, what was it that had happened next? To her surprise, the Four Divine Generals had come to her complaining about a petty inspector who had absconded with treasures meant for their lord. How absurd!
Still, that had been fine. To commemorate becoming the deputy castle lord, she had decided to make the name Raimira known to all the subjects and the people of the Dragon Demon Castle. So, she came to this place to take care of the corruption with her own hands.
However, her plans had come to an abrupt halt when she stumbled upon a human intruder that she didn’t know. Despite her efforts to resist, he had overpowered her, knocking her to the ground and striking her precious red jewel. She had been confused from the beginning to the end, and now, he was suddenly expressing sympathy toward her, saying that she would die in a few days.
“…This lady did not properly hear what you said. So, what did you say?” asked Raimira.
“You’ll die in a few days,” responded Eugene.
“N-Nonsense. Stop spouting nonsense. Why would this lady die out of the blue?” asked Raimira.
"They'll most likely chop off your head and mount it on the Dragon Demon Castle's gate. Or perhaps they'll impale you with a spike through your crotch and put you on display in front of the gate. Or maybe they'll opt to dismember you, one limb at a time," Eugene went on and on.
“W-W-W-What are you….”
"Ah, and let's not forget this one," Eugene remarked. "It's a brutal execution method favored by the dark elves. They force their victims to kneel, cut open their stomachs, and pull out their intestines while they're still alive."
"How absurd! Y-You're just trying to frighten this lady with your macabre tale! Your w-words hold no sway over me. This lady feels nothing!" Raimira retorted, determined not to be intimidated.
"Do you know what all those execution methods have in common?" Eugene asked, his expression remaining indifferent.
Of course, Raimira had no idea. Her knowledge of executions was limited to what she had seen in historical dramas and movies during her time in the secluded palace, and even then, the methods were typically limited to stabbing or poisoning.
“It’s that all of them are symbolic in nature,” explained Eugene.
“S-Symbolic? What do you mean by that?” asked Raimira.
"A war is imminent in the Dragon Demon Castle. The enemy could invade within hours or a few days at most," Eugene announced.
Raimira was taken aback; this was the first she had heard of such news. She gazed at Eugene with her mouth agape and an expression filled with confusion.
Eugene had suspected as much. Raimira truly was clueless about the impending threat. He clicked his tongue in frustration before delving into an explanation of the impending war that loomed over the Dragon Demon Castle.
There was simply no way Raimira could have been aware of the situation. Throughout her time in the palace, Raimira had been provided with various forms of entertainment to keep her occupied. Books of all kinds, including fairy tales, novels, and historical tomes, were at her disposal. She even had comic books to help her pass the time. After black towers were established throughout Helmuth and a television-watching culture was developed there, she had also been able to indulge in video media such as television dramas and movies. These things had helped her endure the long years of isolation. However, despite all the entertainment available to her, Raimira had never been granted access to the news. As a result, she was completely ignorant of the situation outside the Dragon Demon Castle.
Raimira burst out laughing at Eugene’s words. “A… war? Ahahahaha! What a stupid lowlife you are, human intruder! This is the Dragon Demon Castle, an impenetrable fortress ruled by the Black Dragon himself! This lady does not know this Count Karad of the Ruol fief, but how could a mere count dare to invade the dukedom of the Black Dragon!?”
“Then why do you suppose I invaded this place, even though I have no such title?” asked Eugene with a sigh.
Raimira hesitated for a moment before responding, "That's because… you are a rude human being who… does not know how to value his life."
Although she had initially mocked Eugene, Raimira wasn't completely thoughtless or stupid. At the human’s mention of an impending war, Raimira's mind raced with memories of recent events that had seemed out of place.
The inside of the Dragon Demon Castle had been bustling, and the faces of the Four Divine Generals had appeared full of worries when they opened the door for her. Was that all? She had imagined the streets to be full of life and noise, but instead, she had only found a dark, gloomy place waiting for her. Moreover, many people had been packing their things for some reason…
“If… what you say is true… why would you say that this lady will die?” asked Raimira.
“Well, that’s because the subjects of the Dragon Demon Castle have no intention of going to war. If Raizakia were alive and well, there wouldn’t even be a need to worry about war, just like you said. But Raizakia isn’t here right now,” answered Eugene.
“But! I am here! This lady is the only child, the only blood of the Black Dragon!” exclaimed Raimira.
"That's why they want to end the war with your head. Do you, by chance, think that Count Karad would back down after invading the Dragon Demon Castle just because he saw your face?"
Frankly, that was exactly what Raimira had been thinking. She had to admit that she had been foolish in hoping that her presence alone would be enough to quell the conflict. As Eugene's words sunk in, Raimira realized the absurdity of her way of thinking and remained silent while her lips pursed with worry.
Raimira found herself completely swayed by Eugene's words, and her own observations only reinforced his argument. Her eyes darted around with anxiety, and after a moment, she parted her lips.
“Surely… there is no guarantee that they will kill me?” she asked with a trembling voice.
“Right, there is no guarantee. There’s no guarantee that they won’t kill you either,” said Eugene.
“Why… Why are you saying something so scary? I-In the first place, who are you? Why are you here? Why did you invade the Dragon Demon Castle, and why are you tormenting and frightening this lady?” asked Raimira.
“I came here to kill you,” said Eugene, causing Raimira’s face to turn completely pale. “But now, I don’t think that will be necessary.”
Eugene wasn't entirely certain if he could kill Raimira. He pondered over the red jewel on her forehead and wondered if it would maintain its form even after her death. Would her blood and Dragon Heart be enough to open the dimensional door to Raizakia? Eugene couldn't afford to risk failure by attempting something uncertain.
As such, he decided to take Raimira alive instead of killing her. There were other minor reasons behind his decision as well. To be honest, he felt a little sorry for her because of how she had lived an isolated life like Molon and Mer.
More importantly, Raimira wasn’t tainted. She was the biological child of Raizakia, but she was just a regular dragon — a daughter that had been born to lay more eggs as well as a meal to be feasted on one day.
Raimira was just like Anise and the previous Saints.
‘She has all the features that I fucking hated.’ Eugene’s expression crumpled when he thought about it.
However, Raimira did not properly understand Eugene’s sympathy, and her teeth clattered with fear.
“Y-You mean to say you’ve changed your mind. W-What a wonderful thing. T-This lady is the child of the Black Dragon and a dragon, s-so she should not be so easily killed,” said Raimira.
“Where did you learn to speak like such an idiot?” asked Eugene.
“From books and TV,” answered Raimira.
Eugene’s desire to spare her lessened as he spoke with her further.
“Intruder, you said you changed your mind about killing this lady, so don’t you think it’s time you let me go now…?”
“I said I wouldn’t kill you, not that I would let you go,” said Eugene.
“How difficult. Then what do you plan to do with me…?” asked Raimira.
“I’m going to take you out of the Dragon Demon Castle. I’m just thinking how best to do it,” responded Eugene.
Raimira became wide-eyed at his answer. “Did you say you would take this lady with you?”
“Mhm.”
Raimira regarded Eugene with a serious expression.
"Are you planning to kidnap this lady and demand a ransom from the Dragon Demon Castle?" she asked, hoping to catch him off guard with her sharpness.
However, Eugene simply regarded her with a blank expression, not bothering to answer what he considered a stupid question.
Instead, he changed the topic.
“Don’t you want to run away?” he asked, staring at her with squinted eyes. “Everything I said is true. Seeing that you aren’t mindlessly insisting that I’m lying, you must have some idea about the war.”
“O-Of course. This lady is a dragon. Dragons are the greatest and the wisest race in the world,” answered Raimira.
“So, I’m asking if you want to run away,” said Eugene once more.
Raimira didn’t answer right away. If it had been a question of whether she wanted to die or not, she could have given an answer very easily. Naturally, Raimira did not want to die. She had finally been freed from her prison for the first time in two hundred years, so there was no way she was willing to die.
“If you don’t run away, you will die,” said Eugene.
It wasn’t like he could read her thoughts, though. He was simply pressing her for an answer since she had remained silent for a while.
Raimira finally responded, “T-This lady does not want to die. However, she is the Black Dragon’s blood… destined to become the master of the Dragon Demon Castle. How could a lord abandon their castle and….”
Eugene furrowed his brows and asked, "Do you have any obligation or loyalty to save these bastards?"
Raimira's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but she couldn't give a definitive answer. Loyalty? She had known them for two centuries, but it wasn't as if those long years had been filled with affection and friendship.
The only ones who knew of her existence in the Dragon Demon Castle were the Four Divine Generals, and they had kept her locked up in the secluded palace after Raizakia’s disappearance. Since the Four Divine Generals had signed a direct contract with Raizakia, Raimira had been unable to command them even with the red jewel. None of them had ever shown affection to her even once.
Did Raimira have an obligation to save them? She didn’t. She cared little for the Four Divine Generals, who had never served her. In the end, she was a dragon after all. Raimira didn’t care whether the Four Divine Generals, who were neither her vassals nor friendly toward her, lived or died.
“But the Dragon Demon Castle…,” Raimira's thoughts were consumed with the Dragon Demon Castle and her father, Raizakia, causing her to hesitate.
The red jewel on her forehead was proof of Raizakia's madness and fixation. She knew this because as a dragon, her memories were vivid from birth.
Raimira could never forget the intense gaze of her father, the Black Dragon, when she first emerged from her egg. He knew that her existence was solely for him. Although she didn't know why Raizakia had allowed her birth and raised her, she knew that her purpose and future were tied to her father's obsessions.
Therefore, leaving the Dragon Demon Castle was not even a possibility for Raimira. Despite being appointed as the castle's lord, she believed it was only temporary until her father, the Black Dragon, returned. Her entire existence had been for her father, and she was convinced that as soon as he returned, she would willingly give up her position and all her power to him without hesitation.
In the end, Raimira couldn’t agree with Eugene. It was not because she didn’t want to run away but because she couldn’t possibly imagine going against Raizakia’s commands.
‘But… what’s actually important for the Black Dragon shouldn’t be the Dragon Demon Castle but this lady’s existence, right?’
A thought occurred to Raimira. She realized that the Dragon Demon Castle, despite having existed for hundreds of years, was not irreplaceable. The Black Dragon was powerful enough to create dozens of similar castles if he wished. Raimira also acknowledged that the lives of those who lived in the castle were insignificant compared to the life of a single dragon. Ultimately, she did not want to die.
‘This lady cannot die this fast, not in this way. This lady exists for the Black Dragon, so she cannot die without the permission of the Black Dragon.’
Raimira clenched her fists and renewed her resolve.
“Hmm…. Intruder, I understand what you are saying. Since you want to take this lady out, I will especially grant you the opportunity to save me,“ said Raimira.
[Why don’t you just kill her instead, Sir Eugene?] grumbled Mer while pinching Eugene’s waist from inside the cloak.
“But… as I said before, this lady is connected to the Dragon Demon Castle. As long as the central core of the Dragon Demon Castle is strong and intact, she cannot escape from the Dragon Demon Castle,” explained Raimira.
“Then I will just have to destroy that core,” said Eugene with an uncaring expression.
Raimira started to have hiccups. Contrary to Eugene’s expression, his answer was brazen.
“If you destroy the core, the Dragon Demon Castle will fall to the ground!” Raimira exclaimed with shock.
“Of course, it will,” replied Eugene.
As long as Raimira was tied to the core, it was impossible to sneak her out. In that case, wasn’t it better to just bulldoze through everything? In the first place, Count Karad would soon be invading the Dragon Demon Castle with Jagon leading the way.
Eugene didn’t know exactly how they planned to launch the invasion, but when the time came, the chaos in the Dragon Demon Castle would reach its peak. If the castle were to be engulfed as a battlefield, who would really care whether the Dragon Demon Castle started to crash before or after the destruction of its core?
[No, Sir Eugene. Who would not care? Of course, they would care. Who wouldn’t when such a big castle starts to fall?] said Mer.
‘Things just happen in war.’
[Be honest. You just want to break it because you dislike the Dragon Demon Castle.]
Eugene didn’t deny that. It was true that he had the desire to drive this forsaken castle into the ground.
Meanwhile, Raimira was in disbelief and stared at Eugene silently, at a loss for words. She couldn't help but question whether this was all a dream. However, the pain from earlier was still fresh, and the throbbing on her forehead was a constant reminder that this was, in fact, reality.
After acknowledging it, Raimira felt her pulse start to speed up.
The intruder would crash the castle, the Dragon Demon Castle of the Black Dragon, by destroying the core of the Dragon Demon Castle…? It was a vicious act that Raimira had never imagined, even in her wildest dreams. Her lips suddenly felt dry, a side effect of her excitement.
“E…hem. If there is no other choice, then I guess you must. Will you be heading there right away to destroy the core?” asked Raimira.
“Do you know where it is?” questioned Eugene.
“It is located in the basement of the castle. If you…. If you want to destroy it right away, this lady can guide you there personally. The castle is far too vast for a commoner like you to imagine, so you won’t be able to find your— Waaaaghh!” Raimira’s words ended with a scream of pain.
Eugene had flicked her red jewel. He didn’t like how she tried to show off, even though there was nothing to flaunt. Raimira flopped left and right while screaming.
“I’m not going to break it right now,” stated Eugene.
He could, but it would be much too noticeable.
After hearing Eugene’s answer, Raimira suddenly stopped screaming and returned a look of disappointment.
“Then how long do you plan to keep this lady for? If she doesn’t return, the Four Divine Generals will send a group to find me,” said Raimira.
“Well, I’m sure they will.”
The Four Divine Generals needed Raimira for the upcoming war. However, Eugene couldn’t simply release and send her back to the Dragon Demon Castle after making contact with her.
“I will send you back if you make a few promises with me,” said Eugene.
“What?”
“If you do not, I will keep hitting your forehead,” threatened Eugene.
Dragons could not break promises made with Draconic. Although it was just a childish threat, to Raimira, it was more horrifying than anything else in the world.