Raimira had been looking forward to ending today as a perfect, beautiful, and historical day. Last night, Raimira had imprinted her noble figure on the people of the Dragon Demon Castle with a splendid march, one that was as great as the greatest of carnivals. Then today, she began her first day as the deputy lord of the Dragon Demon Castle. She spent her day sitting on the throne at the top of the top floor of the Dragon Demon Castle, receiving the vassals of the castle one by one and accepting their welcome.
After accepting the vassals' greetings, Raimira turned her attention to the reports on the happenings of Dragon Demon Castle. Although she didn't fully comprehend their contents, it was evident to her that they were mere formalities, lacking any significant importance.
Left with little to do, Raimira sat on the throne, nodding along as she listened to the formal reports. Even this small gesture filled her with joy and pride, as she had relished the opportunity to sit on the throne and leave behind her secluded life in the palace.
Throughout the day, Raimira received vassals, listened to reports, and ate her meals. She even took a stroll around the castle. As the day wore on, she planned to once again ride through the streets in her flowery carriage, similar to the previous day. Raimira wanted to ensure that everyone in the castle had the opportunity to witness her splendid march, in case anyone had missed it the day before due to unavoidable circumstances.
As the deputy lord, it was crucial for Raimira to make her presence known to everyone in Dragon Demon Castle. In fact, it was imperative that she left an ineffaceable mark as the Dragon Duchess. To achieve this, she knew that she had to stage a march that was even more magnificent and livelier than that of the previous day. It was absolutely necessary, no questions asked. Spreading her name far and wide was of utmost importance to her, and Raimira was determined to achieve it.
However, it was right at the very moment when she was talking about another march that the barrier of the Dragon Demon Castle was shattered. A unit of flying demonic beasts led by Count Karad smashed open the gates of the castle, and a number of Beastfolk mercenaries were running rampant in the city, causing chaos and destruction in their wake.
“W-What should this lady do?” asked Raimira while clutching the armrest of the throne and shrinking back.
From the throne, she could clearly make out the confusion and agitation in the expressions of the vassals.
“No way…. T-This cannot be…,” The one who muttered with a look of disbelief was one of the Four Divine Generals, the one responsible for foreign affairs.
He waved his hand in the air, and the Dragon Demon Castle’s system showed a view of the streets. It was truly awful. Buildings lay in ruins, and the streets were destroyed beyond recognition. Though no intact bodies were visible, the scattered bloodstains and fragmented bones hinted at the gruesome fate suffered by the castle's inhabitants.
“W-What happened to the barrier?” asked Raimira.
“It’s been completely destroyed…. I-It should take at least an hour for it to restore itself,” responded one of the other Four Divine Generals.
“What is the point of restoring the barrier when the enemy has already invaded? D-Do we not have an intercept system in place?” asked Raimira.
“We do not have such magic,” muttered the war general.
The Secretary General's voice was the next to echo through the chamber.
It was evident he felt frustrated as he turned to the War General and spat, "The protection of the Dragon Demon Castle falls to you. So, why are you sitting here while our soldiers and demonic beasts are out there facing the enemy? What kind of leader are you?"
The two men were both members of the Four Divine Generals, and they had some mutual loyalty to each other. Nevertheless, their loyalty to each other meant little at this moment; all that mattered was their own survival.
The War General's face twisted into a scowl at the words of the other general. It was an undeniable fact that the war general had once been the strongest among the Four Divine Generals, but three hundred years of peace had dulled his skills. He couldn't even recall the last time he had fought in a real battle or competition, and the memories continued to fade with each passing year. In fact, he couldn’t even remember how he had fought in the past.
“This… ambush is too sudden, too unexpected. Our army is not prepared at all. So, it would be best for our lord to step forward and persuade the enemy commander,” suggested the war general.
“What on earth are you talking about? They have already destroyed the barrier, and they are slaughtering everyone in the city! They’ve already broken through the gates!” shouted the secretary-general, his voice urgent and filled with panic.
‘Isn’t he getting too into it?’ The war general couldn’t help but take on a dumbfounded expression upon hearing the secretary-general’s frantic words.
The original plan had been to offer all the riches of the Dragon Demon Castle and the Dragon Duchess to Count Karad. The Four Divine Generals had been planning to leave for Helmuth’s resorts under the tacit protection of Count Karad, with the guarantee that their possessions would remain untouched.
“Finance General, what is going on here? Didn’t you say that you showed enough sincerity to Count Karad?”
“That…. I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything about an ambush….”
“Are you sure our lives are guaranteed?”
The Foreign Affairs General and Finance General spoke to each other in hushed tones. Their conversation was at a volume too low for the vassals in the lower seats to overhear. With voices now silenced by fear, the Foreign Affairs General and Finance General trembled in their seats.
Raimira found herself in the same predicament as the rest of them. The unidentified human intruder had been correct in his predictions, and Raimira was at a loss as to how to proceed.
She had never been trained to deal with such an unexpected situation. The intruder's words echoed in her mind, "Stay still. " But for how long? How could she trust his words when she knew nothing about him?
Raimira was helpless as she watched the chaos unfolding on the streets, distressing scenes illuminated by the castle's surveillance system. The enemies’ Beastfolk mercenaries were drawing closer, pillaging the city as they advanced, while Count Karad's forces rained down artillery fire from above. Raimira could only bear witness to the destruction, unable to do anything to stop it.
“My lady.”
“Now is the time for you to make a decision like a lord.”
“Please make an honorable decision befitting the Black Dragon’s blood.”
An honorable decision? What the hell was considered an honorable decision to be made at this moment, especially when she would die in a few days? The human intruder had said her death would be in a few days, but it had only been a day since he had warned her.
—They’ll most likely chop off your head and mount it on the Dragon Demon Castle’s gate.
That was no longer physically possible since the gates had already fallen, but Raimira couldn’t help but bring her hand to her neck while breathing heavily.
—Or perhaps they’ll impale you with a spoke through your crotch and put you on display in front of the gate.
Was it… even possible to die in such a gruesome way? Raimira scrunched her legs closer together while biting her lips.
—Maybe they’ll opt to dismember you, one limb at a time.
Her teeth began to clatter.
—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….
“Ugh….”
Raimira’s stomach started to throb with pain, and she whimpered with her hand cupped over her mouth. It was an undignified sight, truly unbefitting a dragon. Yet, while she did so, the Four Divine Generals and the other vassals had their eyes fixed on her.
Conscious of their gazes, Raimira cleared her throat and hurriedly stammered, “T-This lady is the lord of the Dragon Demon Castle. S-So, she will do her due obligation and… fulfill her duties.”
In spite of what she said, Raimira had no intention of actually fulfilling her lordly duties, of course.
Eugene was in complete agreement with Raimira's plan. His intention was to take her out of the Dragon Demon Castle and bring her to the Samar Forest, not let her become involved in something stupid like her lordly duties.
So, he stormed in. It did not take long at all. Lightning Flash and Prominence made a great pair when it came to speed. In fact, this was the fastest Eugene could accelerate without using Ignition.
The vassals of the castle were caught off guard by Eugene's lightning-fast movements. Before anyone could even react, he had already appeared right in front of Raimira, standing in plain sight for all to see.
“…Ah,” Raimira uttered.
She had also failed to notice Eugene’s presence until he was standing right in front of her. Raimira had been so preoccupied with her own despair and fear of death, but as soon as Eugene appeared before her, everything changed. She jumped up from her throne, and her hand stretched out toward the blank-faced vassals, with her sleeves fluttering in the sudden movement.
Raimira laughed and said, “Ahahaha! You disloyal vassals! This lady has no intention of dying with you pigs! Naturally! She will not give up her precious life for you disloyal morons!”
“M-My lady?”
Raimira's emotions boiled.
With a crazed look in her eyes, she let out piercing laughter while shouting insults and curses. "Oh, you cursed castle that dared to restrain this lady! You pigs who call yourselves the Four Divine Generals, you who tried to use me! Fall with this castle and return to the soil where you came from! Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!"
Her laughter continued as she suddenly jumped up and clung onto Eugene's arm.
Eugene was taken aback by Raimira's sudden clinginess, unsure of what to make of it. He instinctively shook her off, causing her to fall to the ground. Raimira looked up at him with a mix of fear and confusion. Her eyes trembled as she tried to process what had just happened.
Had he changed his mind? Was he planning to leave her behind to die? It was only for a short moment, but all kinds of horrible thoughts and despair crossed Raimira’s mind.
“Get up,” said Eugene.
He wasn’t feeling sympathetic toward Raimira because of her quivering eyes. After all, he just didn’t want her to hang on his arm. Eugene stretched out his hand toward Raimira, and that alone brought focus back into her eyes. She took his hand with a sigh of relief.
“M-My lady!” The Four Divine Generals belatedly came to their senses and rushed toward Eugene and Raimira.
Fwoosh!
Eugene created a circle of fire using his ability, Prominence. The Four Divine Generals were unable to break through the intense surge of mana — the flames and currents of hot air that surrounded him. Eugene seized the opportunity to pull Raimira into his embrace, holding her close to his chest.
At the next moment, the vassals of the Dragon Demon Castle stared at the throne with stunned expressions. Although the current of hot air remained, they could no longer see the intruder and the Dragon Duchess anywhere.
“They couldn’t have gotten far. We must go after them right now and….”
“Wait, wait! Let’s leave the two of them and go to Count Karad,” said the Foreign Affairs General while raising both his hands.
He had come to this decision since it seemed impossible to take the Dragon Duchess back from the intruder. The Foreign Affairs General knew that he and the other generals were fat and old, while the intruder seemed extremely skilled. Therefore, he thought it would be better to head to Count Karad, inform him of the Dragon Duchess’ kidnapping, and ask him for a guarantee of their protection and rights.
“That is a good idea indeed.” Even the Secretary General, who had been busy pretending to be loyal to the Dragon Duchess, nodded in agreement.
“What are you all looking at? If you care at all about your lives, you’d better run away!” shouted the War General when the other vassals looked at the four generals with resentful eyes.
The survival of the other vassals and the residents of the Dragon Demon Castle was none of the generals’ business.
“Kyaaah!” Raimira let out a high-pitched scream as she felt her body being jolted by the sudden acceleration.
It was a sudden acceleration that would have been intolerable for humans. In fact, the rate of acceleration was something that would be unbearable for most non-humans as well. Even Raimira, a dragon hatchling, felt as if her whole body was being pummeled.
“Agh….”
As Raimira’s brief screams died off, Raimira and Eugene came to a stop and were now standing in a hallway located far away from the throne room.
Raimira closed her mouth and looked up at Eugene, murmuring, “Uh….”
“We’re going to the basement,” said Eugene with a calm expression before taking the lead.
He let go of Raimira’s hand, and Raimira followed behind him while caressing her stiff wrist.
“Y-You, why did you come so late? If you came even a little bit later, this lady would have been made into a sacrifice by those pigs,” whined Raimira.
It wasn’t anything worth responding to, so Eugene didn’t even bother to glance back.
However, Raimira continued to speak while trailing his footsteps.
She said, “This lady was… was scared because of your insensitive and ignorant behavior! This lady, the Dragon Duchess, is a dragon! To think that such a disgraceful thing happened…. Y-You! Tell this lady how sorry you are for being late….”
Hearing Raimira’s continued whines annoyed Eugene, so he turned his head to glare at her. His fierce gaze made Raimira instantly cup both of her hands over her mouth, and she broke out into a cold sweat while forcing an obsequious smile with her eyes.
“…The core is at the bottom of the Dragon Demon Castle. This lady will guide you there personally,” said Raimira.
“I don’t need you to. Just make sure you keep up,” responded Eugene.
He was approaching his destination so quickly wasn’t simply because he had flown at full speed. During his reconnaissance of the castle, Eugene had made sure to spread the feathers of Prominence everywhere. As a result, he was familiar with all the hallways and corridors of the Dragon Demon Castle, even though it was his first time here.
If he were alone, Eugene could leap to the locations of the feathers. However, it was impossible to do so since he was with Raimira. As such, Eugene located the path and gradually made his way down to the basement.
The core of the Dragon Demon Castle wasn’t particularly hidden since it was necessary to check for any abnormalities in the case of unexpected occurrences. However, it was quite a long distance down to the core. This was perhaps because it supported the huge castle and its land mass. It would take a long time to reach the core if he were to walk down the stairs.
Nevertheless, Eugene didn’t need to. He suddenly grabbed Raimira’s wrist and then jumped straight down to the bottom of the stairs.
“Argggh!” Raimira shrieked.
Eugene maintained his relentless speed, propelling him and Raimira through the air. Raimira hung limply in his grasp, her body swaying like a lifeless puppet.
Crash!
As soon as the two of them arrived at the bottom, Eugene mercilessly let go of her wrist, and Raimira rolled on the floor several times due to the momentum of the fall.
“Arm! This lady’s arm!” she screamed.
There was nothing wrong with her arm, though. It wasn’t broken, pulled, or dislocated. Her skin, flesh, muscles, and bones were still those of a dragon, even though she was in a human form. Nonetheless, her arm still hurt so much that Raimira couldn’t help but think it was broken or dislocated.
“I really didn’t want to say this, but kid, are you really a dragon?” asked Eugene.
“Are you doubting the blood of this lady? This lady is the only flesh and blood of the Black Dragon….”
“That’s what I’m saying. Why do you act like this when you’re a proud dragon? You have no dignity, and all you do is exaggerate,” rebuked Eugene.
Raimira’s lips curled down in displeasure as Eugene’s words hit a nerve. She huffed and puffed while silently massaging her throbbing wrist.
“You were too mean, Sir Eugene,” said Mer after poking her head outside.
“What do you mean I was too mean?” grumbled Eugene.
“Unlike me, she never received any love or education from her creator. That’s why she’s so stupid and undignified. That’s why she exaggerates so much, too,” responded Mer.
“You little rat-like creature. Are you daring to make fun of this lady, the only child of the Black Dragon? This lady, who is a dragon — the progenitor of magic?!” argued Raimira.
"I don't know what there is to be proud of in being the child of the Black Dragon," Mer sneered. "But you seem so glad to be the daughter of that crazy Black Dragon. I don't know why you feel so proud when you're being grown to be eaten like a chicken."
“What are you talking about?” asked Raimira with a confused look.
Eugene had been planning to ignore their childish argument, but he shot a glance at Mer when she mentioned the latter part.
“I’m sorry,” grumbled Mer while pouting.
Eugene gave her a slight nod and then turned his attention to the core in front of him.
The object in front of them was a massive sphere made entirely of pure gold. Its surface was smooth and polished, almost like a mirror, with very little impurities visible. The sphere was easily as big as a mansion.
“Crazy bastard,” muttered Eugene.
Gold was a highly conductive metal for mana. However, it was inefficient compared to materials like mithril and orihalcon, and it was too malleable to be used in making weapons or armor.
Yet, it seemed that such things had not mattered to Raizakia. Since ancient times, dragons had been known for their love of shiny gold. Naturally, as a dragon, Raizakia was naturally drawn to gold as well. He was also known to enjoy flaunting his wealth. Eugene could easily envision how the large and smooth sphere had been constructed, given that Raizakia had a substantial number of dwarves under his command.
The Black Dragon had likely devoured some of the dwarves to set an example. Then the remaining dwarves would have given into his demands for their fear of death, creating a perfect sphere of gold that would brilliantly capture Raizakia’s magic.
The sphere was tightly engraved with the inscriptions of Raizakia’s magic. Eugene slowly reached for the core. It was an awe-inspiring object of magic. If he could bring it back to Aroth, it would surely earn him a spot on the high floors of Akron. Nevertheless, he had no intention of doing so.
“Um…”
Before Eugene knew it, the argument between the two children was over, and Raimira hesitated before speaking to Eugene from behind him.
She eventually asked, “How long are you going to stay like that?”
Boom…. Boom….
The vibrations from above were becoming gradually stronger, indicating that the battles that had begun in the distance were now nearing the Dragon Demon Castle.
“As this lady said yesterday, unless you break the core, it will be impossible for this lady to leave the Dragon Demon Castle…. Y-You must destroy the core right now and get us out of here,” said Raimira.
Eugene didn’t answer and continued to gaze at the core.
Boooooom…!
Dust began to fall from the ceiling, accompanying a heavy explosion.
Wooooo…!
Raimira felt as if the blood circulating through her body was vibrating in unison with the explosions.
She parted her lips while shivering and spoke again, “Look… intruder. T-This lady is starting to get a little scared. Why are you standing so still…? D-Don’t tell me…. Is it impossible for you to break the core? D-D-Did you decide to run away by yourself and abandon this lady?”
Was it impossible to break the core? No, it was entirely possible. The sphere was exquisite and well crafted, but it wasn’t something that Eugene couldn’t destroy with the Moonlight Sword. The reason Eugene was standing still was that he was seriously contemplating something.
“Sir Eugene,” called out Mer after recognizing Eugene’s concerns. She shook her head with a discontent expression. “Even if you don’t take into consideration the trouble you’ll get into later, should you be doing something like that?”
“Noir Giabella won’t kill me right away. Rather, she would be even more joyous if she comes to know who I am. She will try to make things convenient for me for the sake of the future,” Eugene replied with a subtle change in tone.
Hearing that, Mer knew well that the current Eugene was closer to Hamel Dynas, the Stupid Hamel. This meant she couldn’t hope to persuade him in his current state.
“I only saw him for a moment, but Jagon sure is a dangerous bastard,” muttered Eugene with a nod.
Fwooosh!
His mana burst into form as a purple flame.
“So, I’m going to kill him before I leave.”