I had met a wide variety of people, beings, and races in my life, but this was the first time I had ever encountered a living dragon.
The moment I realized Taon was a dragon, everything clicked. His unusual nicknames and strange behavior suddenly made sense. The peculiar nickname of Golden Blood probably served as a subtle hint at his true identity as a gold dragon.
Dragons could enforce laws through their language, so no matter how much chaos erupted, he could clean up the mess and hide the truth.
"You have a lot of courage to joke in this situation," Taon commented. "Or are you just an idiot who doesn't understand what's happening? I can kill you on the spot."
Was it a bluff or genuine threat? I could not tell. Nothing remained of his earlier sloppy, drowsy demeanor. It felt as though his personality had changed.
Still, a threat to my life demanded a response. I said calmly, "Let's give it a try."
"Is that so?" His golden eyes shone again. "Be crushed."
The invisible weight pressing down from my waist spread to my torso as well. It felt as though a giant palm had clamped onto my head. I managed to hold on because I had gathered enough internal energy, though I nearly bit my tongue when I tried to speak.
Taon praised, "You have a well-trained physique. You must've trained diligently."
Naturally, I had no time to answer. Even so, my temper could not tolerate being looked down on like this. It didn't matter that he was the Headquarters Chief of the Hero Society. If he wanted to suppress me like this, my rebellious spirit was bound to fight back.
The First Fire Technique resonated with my decision. Flames bloomed from my dantian and surged throughout my entire body, and their effect inevitably reached my right arm. In the current situation, that extension was necessary. Precise coordination of my internal energy mattered, and excluding my right arm would have shattered that balance.
Naturally, heat flooded my right arm as though it had been scorched by fire. The pain was so intense that I momentarily forgot the crushing pressure on my shoulders.
Fuck! The pain was nearly unbearable. It reached the point where I wanted to sever my arm. Still, I was no stranger to enduring. With bloodshot eyes, I ignored the agony and started to circulate my internal energy to compensate for the lack of physical strength and to ease the pressure bearing on me.
"Oh..."
A faint note of admiration reached my ears, but I had no intention of stopping there. I raised my trembling leg up to thigh height and slammed it down.
A loud thud echoed through the room, making the office quake. Piles of papers scattered like fallen leaves, and the tea set fell to the floor. Meanwhile, a dormant force surged from the soles of my feet like lava and erupted from the crown of my head.
Like lava spilling from a volcano, the searing internal energy flowed from the crown of my head and enveloped my entire body like armor.
In that state, I thrust my fist into the air. The punch clearly targeted empty space, but it felt like I had struck something solid.
A cracking sound rang out, and the pressure weighing me down disappeared in an instant.
Taon watched me as I was gasping for breath and hesitantly scratched the back of his head. "Seriously now. You broke Dragon Words with nothing but your bare body. You are much better than most people who call themselves mages. This level of control doesn't match your age. Are you sure you are sixteen and not thirty-six years old?"
"What now?" I blurted.
He added, "In fact, you aren't Delac's son but his brother. There are blessings that slow down aging, you know."
"Are you saying that after seeing my smooth skin?" I asked sarcastically.
"What? Your father and Heero have much better skin," he replied matter-of-factly.
What a cruel comeback... I shut my mouth. I wasn't ugly, but compared to the rest of my family, I did fall short.
Taon spoke again. "Either way, you are amazing. Is this the blood of the Iron-Blooded Lord?"
"Don't judge me by my bloodline," I snapped, as if rejecting the idea outright. "This has nothing to do with the family head. I am amazing on my own."
"Is that so?" Taon offered an unreadable smile before bending over. "This explains why I shouldn't try things I have never done before."
Then he started to clean up the mess. The sight suited him as he crouched and picked up the scattered papers. Taon suppressed his dragon aura and returned to his original, harmless self.
Since I had caused the mess, I also cleaned up the smashed tea set.
Soon, we finished tidying the room and sat across from each other.
He was the one who had threatened to kill me, but I chose not to bring it up. I knew he hadn't been serious. Even so, he had used Dragon Words to intimidate me, so I didn't apologize for wrecking his office.
Taon remained silent, as though weighing his thoughts.
I had no choice but to speak first. "I made quite the scene with that step, but no one came."
"Of course," Taon replied. "I told him to leave."
"You did?"
"No one will even poke their heads in until I give the order," Taon said calmly. "That applies even if they hear an explosion in this room or someone screaming."
"Got it."
In other words, Jerome wasn't the only one who had left. The nearby heroes had also withdrawn due to the absolute trust in the Headquarters Chief. Even if I were a church member who had infiltrated with an ulterior motive, they were confident that Taon could subdue me without difficulty.
I agreed with that assessment. A dragon capable of using Dragon Words had been rare even during the continent's turbulent era. I had never imagined that such a being existed among the few dragons who survived into the present era.
Just as I was feeling convinced, Taon spoke again. "Delac won't accept it."
At first, I did not understand. Then I realized he was answering my earlier question about whether he had joined forces with the Dark Church.
"Let me make it clear," Taon said. "This is not the sort of alliance you are thinking of. It is a temporary cooperation. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Once I kill that bastard, you are next. It is similar to that premise."
"I think I understand," I said.
"Really?"
I nodded. "Yes. Does that mean you joined forces with a single faction rather than the entire church?"
Surprise flickered across Taon's face before he nodded with a smile. "Exactly."
"Seriously now..." I sighed, at a loss for words.
"Care to guess which faction I have joined forces with?" Taon asked, his tone probing.
Honestly, I wanted to avoid answering. However, I knew that would be a mistake. I hid my bitterness and replied, "The Colorless faction."
"Why do you think that?"
"Unlike other factions, they have never directly harmed the empire or the Hero Society," I reasoned.
He let out a breath, as if urging me to say more.
"Of course, that is only on the surface. You may have clashed many times behind the scenes. Just because they haven't caused harm doesn't mean they aren't part of the Dark Church." I added, "Still, in the worst case, if the alliance is discovered, this is probably the only faction for which an excuse could be made."
Of course, that excuse wouldn't truly hold.
"That's right."
The moment Taon confirmed it, Verita came to mind. Did she truly not know, or had she only feigned ignorance? If it was the latter, her willingness to give me everything, even her liver and gallbladder, deserved reconsideration. If that devotion had been an act, it would be unsettling in an entirely different way.
Taon wondered aloud, "Do you think I've lost my mind?"
"A little bit?"
"It can't be helped. For an organization to endure, it cannot remain entirely white or black. Survival depends on maintaining the right shade of gray." He continued, "The mind follows the same principle and must stay moderately relaxed. A small measure of madness is necessary."
The reasoning sounded convincing. Setting aside my instinctive resistance and the risk of betrayal, there was only one way I could temporarily ally myself with the Dark Church: through the Colorless faction. No one on the continent understood their distinct nature within the church better than I did.
The so-called sixth demon king never truly existed. His followers called him the Colorless Demon King or the Judge, not a demon king at all. Although they operated under the Dark Church's banner, they showed no hesitation in harming other members. That fact alone suggested their goals differed entirely from those of the church.
"How did you negotiate?" I asked.
"It was Delac," he answered.
"The family head?"
Taon nodded. "Yes. Have you ever heard about it? We found the Colorless Demon King's whereabouts, and an expedition was formed to defeat him."
"Ah, that." I had heard about it before. I remembered the story from conversation with the Iron-Blooded Lord at the main house.
"I know the Colorless Demon King's whereabouts... I've even fought him myself," the Iron-Blooded Lord had said.
But it ended in a miserable failure.
"Headquarters Chief, were you also there?" I asked.
Taon shook his head. "No. However, I read the reports."
I clenched my fists tightly. Yes. This was it. This was why I had chosen the Hero Society as my career path. It granted access to information that I would never have encountered if I had joined the imperial family or obtained a different status. Even then, such access would have required a long time and great expense. Yet here, I could secure all of this through my own skill alone.
Then Taon revealed something shocking. "The Colorless Demon King didn't kill a single person from that expedition."
"But I heard there were quite a few casualties."
Taon elaborated, "The area where the Colorless Demon King was stationed was extremely dangerous, with many other threats. The expedition members all died before they ever encountered the demon king. The Colorless Demon King wanted to talk. The voice that came from within the armor was rational, gentle, and even polite. Most of the expedition members almost nodded in agreement with him."
I remembered Elder Senior Brother's voice. I recalled the melody that had drifted into my ears on a pleasantly cool day while I had been napping on a rock.
Taon went on, "However, the expedition was led by a man who wouldn't compromise with the demons or Dark Church under any circumstances."
I suspected I knew who he meant.
Taon kept talking. "Delac and the demon king fought on the spot. The sound of metal striking metal echoed beyond the ridge. Each exchange carved into the mountain and overturned the ground. There were S-class heroes among the expedition members, yet they couldn't keep up with the flow of the battle.
"In the end, it was the Colorless Demon King who achieved what he wanted. He ended the battle without killing a single person. In other words—"
I cut in, "Are you saying that the Colorless Demon King is a step above the family head?"
Taon didn't completely agree. He took a sip of alcohol, then continued in a different tone, "The fight itself was evenly matched. However, Delac fought with the intent to kill, while the Colorless Demon King didn't wish to kill anyone. The difference in mindset was significant, so it is fair to say that Delac was at least half pushed back."
Taon spoke with care, as if trying to soften the impact of his words. However, I was surprised in a different way. I was stunned by how much stronger the Iron-Blooded Lord was than I had imagined.
I understood the Colorless Demon King's strength better than anyone else in the world, perhaps even better than his own believers.
Senior Brother He Lou was strong. He was our master's first disciple and the strongest among us. When he fought Bai Luguang, his combat style showed a clear and refined structure. If he could contend with Senior Brother He Lou, then the Iron-Blooded Lord's strength was also beyond this world's level. He was literally a supreme existence. As he had claimed, he was fully qualified to aim for the Martial God's throne.
I am far behind. My current level felt insignificant when compared with Senior Brother He Lou and the Iron-Blooded Lord.
It was true that I was growing stronger at a ridiculous pace for my current age, but it was hard to completely suppress my impatience. Ten years. No, it's nine years now. The time I was given isn't long.
Taon said, "Thus, the Colorless Demon King left. Later, one of his followers tried to make contact with Jerome. A temporary treaty was signed on the spot."
"What kind of treaty?"
Taon elaborated, "It's nothing special. On the surface, we maintain a hostile relationship. However, we will turn a blind eye to minor incursions into each other's territory. That's all. Of course, if the intrusion crosses the line then the party involved can be punished at any time.
"The person who spoke to us was a girl with black hair and red eyes. Her appearance, manner of speaking, and overall presence were all unusual. Given the attitude of those around her, she seemed to be the leader. She also has a knack for politics and diplomacy. Thanks to that, we managed to plant a few spies within the Dark Church. This allowed us to prevent many dangerous incidents in advance. Naturally, none of this has been exposed to the world."
Was it Leone? She had distinctive features like her black hair and red eyes. I couldn't think of anyone else who fit that description and also belonged to the Colorless faction.
Taon added, "As far as I know, the Badnikers also benefited from this treaty."
"Wh—"
My older brother, Ludwig. I hadn't expected his name to surface at this moment.
I asked, somewhat puzzled, "The family head doesn't know about the treaty, yet someone from the Badnikers infiltrated the church?"
"Yes. He received help from a collaborator who had already infiltrated it earlier. From Delac's point of view, he simply believes our capabilities are good."
I sighed. "It isn't a good method."
Taon nodded. "You're right. If one person is caught, the whole line connected to them will be exposed. That is why we operate our spy network with extreme caution and keep the number of participants small. Fortunately, we haven't been discovered yet.
"This is top-secret information that almost no one in the Hero Society knows. You speak with the air of someone experienced, so I am revealing everything to you. I hope you understand my sincerity. I want to ask you to take care of Miss Razbet. In addition, don't tell Delac about this."
Frankly, this development wasn't bad for me. On the contrary, it worked in my favor. Verita's identity being exposed posed the biggest threat. Even if the alliance with the Hero Society was unstable, I could probably save myself in the worst-case scenario.
Of course, that didn't mean I should give in too easily. I deliberately pretended to think it over, and about three minutes passed.
Taon said nothing, waiting while occasionally sipping from his flask.
Finally, I spoke. "Okay. But I have one request."
"What is it?"
I took out a letter.
"This," I answered. "It is a letter from Black Rose. As you can see, I got an offer from the family head. However, Black Rose is a clan that has only been run by the family head until now. I am in a rather awkward position."
Taon scratched his chin. "I suppose so. I doubt Delac would recruit Razbet."
"Yes." I nodded. "Headquarters Chief, is there any way you could use your authority to cancel this offer?"
Taon pointed at himself. "Me?"
"Yes."
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find a way to refuse the Iron-Blooded Lord's offer. Thus, I decided to rely on Taon's influence. Within the hero organization, his position ranked higher than the Iron-Blooded Lord. He was also a dragon who could use Dragon Words, so intimidation would likely not work on him.
Taon's expression suddenly turned strange. "Luan?"
"Yeah?"
"Well... you know... Why don't you want to join Black Rose? Your father created it."
I frowned. "Why are you asking that?"
"You should reconsider. Delac is pretty impressive, isn't he? He is incredibly strong, handles things properly, and doesn't make mistakes. He is a remarkable friend."
His sudden praise for the Iron-Blooded Lord disappointed me. I had expected more from him, especially since he was a dragon and the Headquarters Chief. Hearing him praise the Iron-Blooded Lord behind his back left a sour taste.
"Those qualities are great in a boss," I replied with a puzzled look. "However, they are a problem when it comes to a father."
"Really?"
"Yes," I said with a nod. "I admit that he's perfect as a family head. But as a father, he isn't ideal at all. I don't like him very much, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual."
At that moment, Taon slapped his palm against his forehead. He seemed to be thinking, Shit, things are fucked up.
What's wrong? At this point, I couldn't help feeling something suspicious.
"I see." A low, faintly familiar voice echoed from behind me, one that should never have appeared right now.
What kind of shitty development is this? My heart sank as I looked back.
Daylight filled the room, yet the Iron-Blooded Lord stood wrapped in darkness. He walked past me, his smooth fingers brushing the back of the sofa. A chill ran down my spine, as if a piece of ice had touched my back.
In the end, the Iron-Blooded Lord sat next to Taon. He settled across from me and crossed his legs. "I'm a bit upset."