Chapter 42 - Reverse Scale

Valdrova Castle in the Grand Duchy's territory of Valdrova.

That day, Luri was in the middle of giving a weekly report in front of Valdrova.

"The latest update is that Ferda has safely arrived in the Empire and is currently having discussions at the imperial palace."

It was none other than a report on Ferda's movements.

Valdrova, who had been listening to the story, let out a snort as if breathing a sigh of relief.

"I see. I am glad he arrived safely."

"... Haven't I told you that several times already? Ordinary monsters wouldn't dare target that carriage."

The far east was treated as an abandoned land, so there were many undeveloped areas.

Because of this, there were many dense forests, and with so many trees, there were just as many monsters.

The chances of encountering a monster while traveling were more than double compared to other regions.

But even so, there was absolutely zero chance of that happening to the carriage Ferda was riding in.

When the carriage was built, a single dragon scale was hidden inside it.

Monsters with strong wild instincts would be reluctant to even approach the scent and aura of a dragon.

There had been absolutely zero monster attacks, and just in case, Lord Count Ulvera Concillus's knight Arwen had been attached as an escort, ensuring that he could travel safely even if they were attacked.

'And yet...'

Valdrova could not feel at ease.

She simply didn't like the fact that he was leaving the Grand Duchy's territory in the first place.

Even when he was just out of her sight, the Red Dragon, Valdrova, would grow anxious, so him going to a land completely outside her sphere of influence felt like a bolt from the blue.

"I wonder if he is eating well?"

"There are no monsters loitering around him, right?"

"He isn't sick anywhere, is he?"

These were the questions Luri had heard when barely six hours had passed since his departure.

'It's not like she's taking care of a sick chick.'

She was fretting over him, treating him like a fragile creature that could die at any moment.

It couldn't be helped.

In the eyes of an immortal who had existed since near the beginning of time, an 18-year-old adult mortal was no different from an ant on the ground.

On top of that, Ferda's body was weaker than that of an average person.

Left with no other choice, Luri had attached her spirit to Ferda's carriage to have it report back every three hours.

And Luri absolutely hated giving these reports.

'She's growing further and further away from the majesty of a ruler.'

She was a dragon who had always been far from regal to begin with.

Luri knew of Valdrova's two faces.

Whenever Valdrova took on the form of a Red Dragon, she always used a solemn and serious tone.

Her presence as a lonely and solitary guardian instilled a palpable sense of tension.

On the other hand, when she took on a human form, she would let go of all that tension entirely.

Her face, expressions, gestures—everything changed so much that she felt like a different person, turning into a pure-hearted woman far removed from any sense of majesty.

'I can accept all of those sides of her, but...'

Luri just hoped that, at the very least, the boundary between the two wouldn't completely collapse.

However, the more Ferda entered Valdrova's life, the more Luri felt that her majesty was draining away even when she was in her dragon form.

Mixed feelings swirled within her.

Luri wanted her master to be happy.

But at the same time, she also wished for her to maintain her dignity as an Aspect.

'Ferda.'

Everything had changed like this the moment that man entered the picture.

There were many things to be thankful for, but he was also a man who was just as hateful.

"I will not report on his return journey."

At those words, Valdrova flinched and shifted.

"Why is that?"

"Now that we know the path Ferda took was safe, there's no need to know about his return, is there?"

"... But couldn't the return journey be treacherous as well?"

She was sounding like a grandmother looking after her grandson again.

"Then how about you go out to meet him?"

"Hmm..."

Valdrova let out a groan and lowered her head.

Compared to the worry she held, she was still uncomfortable with facing humans.

Seeing her unable to continue speaking, Luri drove the nail in.

"You don't need to worry so much about Ferda. An 18-year-old might be a child in our eyes, but in human society, he is a fully-fledged adult."

"I know that."

"And he is properly handling the things that you, Master, were unable to do in your stead."

"I know that too..."

"So please, do not worry too much. As long as you are alive and well, Master, there will be no moment where Ferda's life is threatened."

It was when Luri was saying that to soothe Valdrova.

A wind whipped up within the quiet lair, shaping itself into a white figure.

The high-ranking wind spirit, Tormenta, floated beside Luri with only its face formed.

"It seems news of Ferda has arrived. Just a moment..."

"Understood."

Valdrova corrected her posture and waited for Luri's words.

Luri, who had been calmly listening to the spirit, suddenly widened her eyes.

"What? What do you..."

She was so surprised that she asked it out loud in a raised voice.

Luri quickly lowered her voice again.

However, Valdrova could not have failed to hear that.

"What is the matter?"

Luri did not answer.

She simply kept her ears focused on the spirit's whispers.

"Has something happened?"

"Please wait just a moment, Master."

Valdrova's golden eyes shifted.

She could feel it clearly from Luri's words.

"What has happened? To my fiancé?"

Her patience was reaching its limit.

The Aspect of Power was losing her composure.

CRACK!

Her claws smashed into the ground, digging deep into the floor.

RUMBLE.

As Valdrova's emotions wavered, the cave shook violently.

"Tell me the truth. Tell me what has happened to my fiancé."

The Red Dragon, Valdrova.

The suppressed power of the one known as the master of fire and strength was gradually breaking free.

Luri, having listened to the spirit's tale, finally opened her mouth.

"It was nothing you need to worry about."

"So what happened?"

"It was simply a political matter. They merely came to relay that information quickly."

"Then is my fiancé unharmed?"

"Yes."

The vibrations in the cave ceased.

Valdrova, who had raised her body, let out a sigh and coiled up once again.

"Then why were you making such a serious face?"

"I was merely concentrating. I apologize for causing you concern."

"Hmm... I see. No, it is fine."

Trusting Luri, Valdrova calmed her startled heart.

"Then I will be taking my leave now. There are still documents piled up in the territory..."

"Alright, you may go."

Luri left Valdrova's lair just like that.

She walked without saying a word.

As she slowly moved out of the cave and into the forest, she spotted a signpost and stopped.

This should be far enough.

Once she felt she had distanced herself enough that Valdrova wouldn't be able to detect her, she opened her tightly shut mouth.

"Tormenta."

The high-ranking wind spirit, which had only shown its face earlier, was summoned at her call.

"Yes, Master."

"Out of the message relayed by your kin..."

Her subdued voice trembled faintly.

"Do you swear that there wasn't a single lie?"

The wind spirit Tormenta flinched for a moment.

Beyond her expressionless and businesslike face, a deep, hidden agitation could be felt.

It couldn't be helped.

The news she had heard was not merely a political matter.

"Yes. It was recorded that he sustained an injury after being attacked by a magical investigator in the sealed warehouse. I received that urgent dispatch, and I am simply relaying it to you exactly as it was."

The Regent of the far east was injured inside the imperial palace.

If it were ordinary human politics, it would be the kind of matter that could somehow be resolved through some back-and-forth exchanges.

But the person in question was the one destined to be the spouse of a dragon.

'And Master's fiancé, at that.'

Valdrova had been deeply shaken just by the suspicion that something might have happened.

If Luri had told her that he was injured there, it wouldn't have ended as a simple matter of diplomacy and politics.

'Master would lose her reason and make a move...'

And the other dragons would move as well.

That was something she absolutely had to prevent.

'A dragon must not act.'

However, a dragon spawn is different.

"Understood."

Wings sprouted from Luri's back.

Her silver-shining wings were larger than ever, stretching out powerfully.

SWOOSH!

With a single flap of her wings, Luri's figure vanished.

The master of wind and steel, the Silver Dragon.

It was famous for being impossible to track with the eye once it started flying, even earning the name Silver Comet.

As someone endowed with that power, Luri could also move incredibly fast.

A stifling emotion kept surging within Luri's chest.

Why did he go into the sealed warehouse?

And why did he almost die within the imperial palace?

'Did they really look down on Master that much?'

Luri hadn't liked the Empire from the very beginning.

The 3rd Prince, carrying that bloodline, had approached Valdrova with the intent to use her from the start.

As if that wasn't enough, the nobles had even used it as an excuse to excommunicate Ferda from his family.

It was a desecration.

An absolutely unforgivable desecration.

Yet Luri hadn't acted.

It wasn't because Luri didn't care, but because Valdrova hadn't wanted her to.

Because Valdrova believed it was only natural for her to be unhappy, and she had let go of the hopes she held rather than cling to them pathetically.

'And now that she has finally... grasped that hope again.'

How dare they put the future spouse of a dragon in danger?

GRIND.

After flying at top speed for about five minutes, the sight of the Empire came into Luri's view.

The place that had taken Ferda a week to reach was an instant for her.

Her silver eyes locked onto the imperial palace.

'I don't care what the reason is.'

Someone absolutely had to take responsibility for this incident.

The silver comet cutting through the sky plunged into the imperial palace.

* * *

"Level 1 alarm! To all knights and mages in the imperial palace! Everyone, enter combat readiness and assemble at the entrance of the royal garden!"

The drop zone was the royal garden.

Knights and mages who had been struck by this bolt from the blue while sleeping were frantically running toward the area.

Ferda, matching their movements, also walked toward the location.

Seeing his nonchalant walk, a knight drew his sword at Ferda and demanded.

"Who the hell are you!? I've never seen you in the imperial palace before!"

He was a young man who looked to have a strong sense of justice and duty.

And unlike the other knights, he also looked a bit clueless.

"I am the Regent, Ferda Valdrova."

"Ferda Valdrova? Ah! The one who was arriving today... I apologize for not recognizing you, Lord Regent!"

"It's fine. Are you currently gathering in front of the royal garden?"

"That's correct. It is a Level 1 alarm situation, so would you please take shelter in your room?"

"That's a good idea, but it would be better if we went together."

"Pardon?"

"Guide me toward the royal garden. I'm not very familiar with the layout, you see."

"You cannot. In a Level 1 emergency, you could be put in danger, Lord Regent."

From those words, Ferda realized.

That this guy had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"You people are already in danger because of me."

"Because of you, Lord Regent...?"

It was a face completely clueless as to what he was talking about.

Ferda sighed at that foolish expression.

"What is your name?"

"Ah, my name is Malcolm. I am from Peach Hill, so I do not have a surname."

"Right, Malcolm of Peach Hill. Don't try to understand it with that meager comprehension of yours. All you have to do from now on is guide me to where I need to go."

"B-But I have a duty to protect the subjects of the Empire..."

"You're not very good at communicating, are you. Would you rather lose your life, or do you want to wrap things up on a better note?"

"I came here prepared to lay down my life."

"..."

He was far more stubborn than he had imagined.

It was a rule not to associate with someone who couldn't understand reason in the first place.

"I'll just go on my own."

"Ah, you cannot go that way. Really...!"

Leaving the man named Malcolm behind, Ferda started moving.

He kept saying it wasn't allowed, but since he didn't dare lay a hand on Ferda, he merely hovered around him.

In front of the royal garden, exactly at the entrance leading into the imperial palace, many knights and mages were gathered.

"3rd Knight Order! Close-quarters phalanx!"

"5th Knight Order! Close-quarters phalanx! Form a wing formation!"

They moved in accordance with the Knight Captain's commands to block off the entrance.

"2nd Mage Order! Prepare defenses!"

"3rd Mage Order! Prepare bombardment magic!"

The mages also finished preparing their attacks and readied themselves to face the intruder.

"Intruder is moving! Approaching the entrance!"

A mage maintaining detection magic shouted.

"All foooorces! Battle stations!!"

A taut tension filled the air.

What lay before them was a wall made of rose vines.

A moment later, a silver flash of light flared out in a rectangular shape.

Along with the flash, the vine wall crumbled away in the shape of a rectangular door.

The intruder revealed herself.

What breached through it was a silver-haired girl in a maid outfit.

'It's Luri.'

It was exactly as Ferda had expected.

If there was an intruder in the imperial palace in this situation, he figured she would be the first to come.

However, she was appearing in a form he didn't usually see.

Silver wings, and a thick tail sticking out from her skirt.

A pair of horns jutting backward in the shape of lightning bolts.

And a dense aura that triggered a primal sense of threat.

"A d-dragon!?"

Someone's shout caused morale to plummet instantly.

Those who had never seen a dragon, let alone a spawn, were swept up in the atmosphere.

"Don't panic! The enemy is merely a dragon spawn!"

A dragon spawn.

Subordinates of a dragon, created by inheriting a dragon's blood and undergoing an ascension ritual.

Each of them was on the level of a well-trained knight, possessing enough strength to easily beat down three or four human knights.

The commander shouted that it was merely a spawn.

However, it was only said to steady the morale of the imperial knights; even the commander couldn't accept the situation at face value.

'A dragon spawn smashed through the court mages' barrier in one hit and got inside?'

The imperial palace was the safest place ever built by humans.

The magic circle meant to block falling objects from the sky was composed of a staggering three layers, and its defining trait was that if all of them weren't breached, the magic circle would regenerate, making aerial infiltration impossible.

That girl had single-handedly broken through a barrier that even a meteor had failed to pierce and perished against.

'And can a dragon spawn even generate this much Dragon Fear?'

This was the factor that left even the knights who had encountered a dragon spawn before confused.

Dragon spawns cannot produce Dragon Fear.

Yet that girl was radiating Dragon Fear.

Just like a dragon whose reverse scale had been touched.

Hands and feet trembled violently, and cold sweat poured down in streams.

The phalanx was on the verge of collapse, and some of the mages lost their concentration, their spellcasting cancelled altogether.

"Uwaaah..."

Malcolm, who had been hovering nearby, couldn't withstand the Dragon Fear either and collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, his eyes witnessed something unbelievable.

'How can the Regent be so nonchalant?'