Atop her subordinate’s dragon, Orphina quickly followed me, yelling, "Let Hargan go!"

  I felt guilty for some reason when I looked at her eyes. She was in tears from sheer anger. But I didn’t show it as I cried, "Ahahaha! I’ll send it back to you later!"

  "Hargan! Wake up!" Orphina shouted desperately.

  I felt as if I’d become a villain as I commanded, "Cry out, Joey!"

  "Krrrrrrrrrrr!” Joey cried, emitting Dragon Fear.

  The Red Dragon Knights’ dragons, who had been flying around and pressuring me, faltered in terror and confusion from Joey’s Dragon Fear. Some of the dragons even ignored the knights’ control and ran away.

  That tactic probably only worked so well because Orphina’s dragon was the leader of the group.

  "Joey, fire!" I commanded, shooting down the Red Dragon Knights who were persisting in the chase with Dragon Breath.

  Then, I flew over to the spot on the turtle’s body with the most concentrated mana, and took the mana stone from the turtle. Originally, it would have contained so much mana that it couldn’t be touched, but it was no longer difficult to retrieve, considering how much the turtle had consumed.

  As I tried to escape from the turtle’s body, William, who had been tailing me from behind, aimed his magic wand and blocked me. "This land is ruled by the king of ice! Lord of the frost, rage like a storm! Ice Storm!"

  As William’s magic shot toward me, I pulled on the reins of the dragon and quickly avoided it. Today was the first time I’d ridden a dragon, though, so Joey’s right leg froze due to my poor control.

  "William! Don’t hurt Hargan!" Orphina called out. William had no choice but to falter when he saw Orphina about to cry.

  When I saw the scene, I put a knife to the dragon’s neck. "If you keep attacking, I can’t guarantee its safety!" Hmm, I said it, but it really was a trashy line.

  "I’m sorry! Please!" Orphina begged.

  I felt as if the strands of hair on my conscience were being pulled out by Orphina’s plea. Despite that, my conscience was too abundant to go bald from just this much.

  At that time, a single arrow flew from the distance, aiming exactly for my head.

  Kang!

  Sure enough, Mac hyung had readied an arrow for me.

  It was hard to read his words because he was too far away, but looking at the movements of Mac hyung’s lips, he was probably saying, “I won’t miss this time, Youngest Master.”


  I shouted as I wrapped the sword in more sword aura, "I warned you! I can’t guarantee the safety of the hostage if one more attack occurs!"

  Of course, the hostage was being forced to experience Stockholm syndrome because of my magic.

  But there was no way Mac hyung could hear my voice from that far away. He fired an arrow at me again.

  "No!" Orphina swung her whip to block the arrow being shot at me.

  "The hostage will be released tomorrow at noon, and will go to Warrant alone! Keep in mind that I cannot guarantee the safety of the hostage if you pursue us!" I unilaterally notified them and flew up on the dragon.

  Mac hyung shot a hail of arrows at me, and Orphina desperately swung her whip to hit them away.

  "Uuk! We’ll see about this! Bloody’s nephew!" Orphina gritted her teeth and shouted angrily.

  "Ahahahahaha! Let’s go, Joey!" I rode the dragon across the sky over the demon territory.

  All that was left to do now was sneak back to Warrant.

  * * *

  Gawain rode atop the green deer to reach Doomstone in the middle of the demon territory. His jaw dropped at the sight he encountered.

  The land, which had been full of dense forest grass, had become a wasteland. Many of the mountains were filled with holes, and some had even collapsed as if they had been gnawed by rats.

  "Did you go? Did you deliver the message properly?" Mirpa asked.

  Despite Mirpa’s question, Gawain couldn’t take his eyes off the struggle between Doomstone and the Ten Thousand Year Old Dragon.

  "……Yes, I delivered it,” Gawain replied absently.

  At Gawain’s stunned expression, Mirpa said with a smile, "It’s almost time for the battle to wrap up." Gawain nodded and looked at his father.

  Doomstone gathered his martial aura and kicked vigorously. “Enlightenment! Cut the Clouds!"

  The dragon responded to the force coming from Doomstone’s feet with a Breath attack. Dragon’s Breath had the power to destroy a mountain in a single blow, but despite that, it was dispersed by Doomstone’s kick.

  Doomstone kicked off the ground and jumped hundreds of meters in one bound, striking the dragon’s chest. "Enlightenment! Destroy the Mountain!"

  The dragon slammed into the ground after being punched by Doomstone.

  Kwagwagwang-!

  “Kieeeccckkk!-” The dragon puked blood and released its Dragon Fear. Doomstone merely laughed out loud, despite the dragon’s power to instill absolute fear in all living things.

  "Uahahahaha!" Doomstone’s mana-infused laughter clashed with the Dragon Fear and canceled it out.

  The dragon then attacked Doomstone while he was in the air, creating a storm of mana with its wings.

  Doomstone curled up and guarded his whole body with a defensive aura, sheltering against the storm as it shredded everything around him. Despite that, perhaps because he had been in a bloody fight against the great demon for over a full day, he was unable to completely block it and his body sustained minor scratches.

  After enduring a storm as sharp as countless blades, Doomstone made a foothold in the air with mana and charged at the dragon. "Enlightenment! Air Kick!"

  The dragon was surprised to see Doomstone rushing toward it and flew high into the sky. It avoided Doomstone as he struck the ground.

  The ground shook and the earth collapsed. Doomstone used one hand to blow away the dust that rose into the air. "Where did your initial lively self go?! You winged lizard!" Doomstone taunted.

  Perhaps the dragon understood Doomstone’s provocation, as it gathered its mana and shot a ball of mana at him.

  Doomstone punched the ball of mana flying at him, yelling, "Don’t let me down! If you’re the strongest of the great demons, show me more strength!"

  "Kaoooo!" The dragon quickly flew at Doomstone with a body surrounded by mana and body slammed him.

  Doomstone drew forth his martial aura to its peak and used both hands to stop the dragon’s body slam, laughing. "Hahaha! Yeah! That’s more like it!"

  A mote of golden mana came out of Doomstone as he competed in strength with the huge dragon, and enveloped his whole body. "Final Enlightenment! Dance of the Fireflies!"

  Doomstone focused the overflowing power from his body into his right leg and kicked with all his might. "Enlightenment! Cut the Clouds!" His kick pierced deeply into the dragon’s body and sent it flying into the distance, where it rolled across the ground.

  Doomstone exhaled deeply and released the Dance of the Fireflies. The golden mana disappeared, and its backlash came immediately.

  "Keup! Is it still too much for me to completely control?" Doomstone checked his physical condition while stretching, in a situation where it wouldn’t have been strange for an ordinary Crow to collapse immediately due to the aftereffects.

  "Good, I’ll be able to wrap this up." He calmly approached the dragon, letting out more martial aura.

  The deeply wounded dragon struggled and cried mournfully. "Kieck! Kieecck!"

  "Let’s finish it with this." Doomstone raised an aura blade emanating from his fist, but stopped when he heard the dragon’s voice-

  Spare me, no, please spare me!

  "What?! You were able to talk?"

  Doomstone had never heard of a dragon that could speak in his life. It didn’t matter whether the dragon had gained intelligence after having lived for ten thousand years, or if this dragon just happened to be a variant.

  The dragon screamed at Doomstone’s martial aura. "Kieecck!"-

  I never knew there was a monster like this! Spare me!

  Doomstone paused at the dragon’s cry, but replied, "Who told you to attack the empire? Well, it doesn’t matter. Now die."

  Whatever force was behind the dragon, it didn’t matter to him, because he was a Crow.

  An old man in a blue mask blocked Doomstone’s fist as he coldly punched toward the dragon.

  "Kieecck!" As the old man confronted Doomstone, the dragon began to beat its wings and fled, dragging its injured body deep into the demon territory.

  Doomstone glanced at the dragon as it flew away and stopped paying attention to it. Unless it went in the direction of the empire, there was no need to kill it. His duty as an ally had been sufficiently fulfilled just by preventing it from entering the empire.

  Doomstone was more interested in the blue-masked man who had blocked his fist. "So there are two more people,” he said. As soon as he spoke, a woman in a pink mask and a man in a brown mask appeared.

  The old man in the blue mask took a step back. "It’s been a long time, Doomstone Blade,” he said, baring his teeth as he smiled.

  * * *

  In the imperial palace at the center of the capital, the royal guards ran hurriedly while bearing torches.

  "Stop! Who are you people?!" Eranto, the head of the Royal Guard Division and the leader of the mercenary alliance, pointed a sword at the three unidentified people who had just broken into the imperial palace.

  Visible in the torchlight, the three people were revealed to be wearing masks. One was half red and half white, another half red and half black, and the last half red and half snow white.

  Eranto recognized the masks and shouted, "Libra! Scorpio! Are you from the 12 Zodiacs?!”


  “These guys are-!" The head of the Royal Guard Division was alarmed by Eranto’s cry.

  The red-masked Scorpio smiled seductively with a magic wand in hand. "Oh my. I’m not a man, I’m a woman."

  "Does that matter?” Libra asked, looking at Scorpio with a look that seemed to say ‘You’re pathetic’.

  Scorpio shrugged. "It’s important to me. By the way, it’s been a while. It’s our first meeting in five years, right? Self-proclaimed mercenary king?" She waved in greeting.

  Eranto was agitated by Scorpio’s actions. "Shut up! There’s supposed to be a magic circle here, so how did you come from the direction of the palace interior?!"

  Scorpio smiled and answered gently, "That’s because we’ve been researching it for years and years, of course. It’s still a vicious magic circle, so we can only invade this place for a very short while. But look, you noticed as soon as I entered and rushed over here.”


  Libra was furious when he saw Scorpio speaking candidly. "Why are you giving them all the details?!”


  "I just want more people to know how hard it’s been. The Emperor must be happy, being protected by such a terrifying magic circle that even a great madosa would have to risk their life to penetrate."

  Libra sighed at Scorpio, and Sagittarius laughed pleasantly at the sight, remarking, "Hahaha! What’s the problem, as long as we accomplish our goal?"

  Sagittarius shook an antique box marked with the imperial sigil.

  The head of the Royal Guard Division saw the box and cried, "That’s-! Did you just rob the imperial office?"

  Libra frowned as if he found Sagittarius’ behavior troublesome. "I can’t believe I’m working with these people. Ah, ah, Great One…… Why are you giving me such an ordeal?”


  "Come on, let’s get away now,” Sagittarius said. Scorpio and Libra immediately used magic to escape the palace.

  "Chase them!" the captain ordered, and the royal guards broke into a run. Still, even if they tried to pursue the enemy until dawn, they wouldn’t be able to catch anything.

  The prime minister’s stomach was upset when he heard the news.