The result was astonishing. Damon could not read his opponent’s level at all. From that alone, the white-haired knight was clearly no ordinary man. Any knight of a decent level would surely have accumulated mana within his body, yet from this man Damon sensed only a vague response, as though shrouded in mist. It was the kind of response one might feel from a mage of a higher level than oneself, and in the end Damon made his decision.
‘Good. A swift resolution, then. I’ll have to finish this quickly before the others interfere. For now, it seems there’s only one dragon nearby……’
He turned his head and looked at the mercenaries.
“Everyone, steel yourselves.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
The mercenaries, unable to understand, merely rolled their eyes in confusion.
“That man doesn’t seem to be human.”
At Damon’s explanation, the mercenaries’ eyes widened. No matter how they looked at him, the white-haired knight was nothing more than a handsome man. His white hair was the only thing that seemed a little out of place. And yet he was not human…….
Kasim looked at the knight cautiously.
“Then what is he? Could he be……?”
Damon nodded as if to say he was right.
“That’s right. There’s a high chance that fellow is a dragon. A dragon polymorphed into human form. Judging by his hair color, he seems to be a white dragon. Though I could be wrong.”
A chill ran down the mercenaries’ spines in an instant. A dragon, out of nowhere……. Ordinary people could live their entire lives without ever having the chance to see a dragon. And yet, in less than a month, they were seeing two of them……. Quick-witted Kasim promptly set down his luggage.
“How should we respond?”
After thinking for a moment, Damon looked over the mercenaries.
“All of you stay here. I’ll handle that one with the Death Knights.”
“U-understood.”
Since they still did not have the ability to face a dragon, the mercenaries nodded as if they understood.
“Then be careful.”
Having said that, Damon stepped forward. Toward the white-haired knight, who was receiving everyone’s attention.
When Damon approached him directly, the white-haired knight seemed somewhat flustered. However, without showing it, he leisurely looked around. An air of dignity flowed from his body with complete naturalness. And that was only natural, for he belonged to the strongest race on the surface of the earth.
‘How surprising. To think there is a 9th Circle Master among humans……. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t see a single being among them capable of threatening me.’
Just as Damon had guessed, he was a dragon. He was a Wyrm-class white dragon named Katroi, who had lived for a long time in northern Arcadia and had now descended into the human world. His main reason was to learn about the race called humans, who had all but occupied Arcadia. In a sense, he was enjoying a kind of amusement.
As in Truvenia, a considerable number of dragons lived in Arcadia as well. Though their numbers were not particularly great, they took pride in being the strongest beings on the continent and shut themselves away in their lairs, refusing all contact with other races. Unlike the dragons of Truvenia, they rarely ventured outside, so their contact with humans was bound to be extremely limited.
Moreover, humans had lived in Arcadia for only five hundred years, so even while inhabiting the same continent, the two races had almost no opportunity to encounter one another. The situation was entirely different from Truvenia, where many ties—mostly ill-fated ones—had been built up over a long period.
The dragons of Arcadia had no interest whatsoever in the race called humans. Most dragons cut off any concern for humans and lived in their lairs, their own impregnable fortresses. But even among them, there were exceptions…….
Katroi was a dragon who had remained in a period of slumber throughout the time humans flourished in Arcadia. He had grown into an adult dragon while sleeping. When Katroi awoke from his slumber, astonishing news was delivered to him. It was the fact that the insignificant race known as humans had nearly taken control of Arcadia. Hearing this from the guardians under his command, Katroi became quite curious about humans. Unlike the other dragons, who paid them no mind, Katroi was extremely inquisitive.
“How surprising.”
At last, Katroi came to desire a detailed understanding of the human race. As part of that plan, he captured a considerable number of nearby residents and, through interrogation, built up his knowledge of humans. In the process, Katroi could not help but be greatly surprised.
Individually, humans were an exceedingly weak race, but when they joined forces, they were by no means weak. They had formed a remarkably solid organized society. The united power of humans was astonishing indeed, and at last Katroi was seized by an urge to learn more about the human world. That was why he decided upon this amusement.
“Good. I should take a proper look at what kind of race humans are.”
Katroi immediately left his lair. His intention was to travel throughout the human world and broaden his knowledge. Coincidentally, the very first people he encountered after setting out were the envoys heading to Crosen while escorting the princess of Terenbeti.
“A-a dragon.”
The envoys of Terenbeti froze solid at the sight of Katroi. It was the first time in their lives they had ever witnessed a dragon. A few bold knights bravely charged at him, but with a single gesture from Katroi, they were turned into blocks of ice. They, too, were knights chosen from among the best, but before the terrifying destructive power of a dragon, attacking him was nothing more than throwing eggs at a boulder.
In the end, the envoys lost their will to fight and had no choice but to place their lives in the dragon’s hands. In exchange for sparing them, Katroi set forth one condition.
“If you assist in my amusement, I will not kill you. What will you do?”
After hearing Katroi’s intentions, the Terenbeti envoys had to accept the condition. If they refused, they would be turned into blocks of ice on the spot, so for them it was an unavoidable choice. Upon hearing their answer, Katroi soon transformed into human form. The appearance he wore now was precisely that.
“Good. Then shall we set off for our destination?”
For the Terenbeti envoys, a journey of terror had now begun. They could not help but be afraid, for they were traveling together with a dragon in human form. Perhaps because of his pride as a member of the strongest race on earth, Katroi treated the members of the envoy as though they were insects. Anyone who offended him was, without exception, turned into a block of ice. Because of that, the party had to continue their journey feeling their lives threatened day after day.
Thus, the Terenbeti envoys finally arrived at Laytona, the gateway city of the Crosen Empire. However, because of the unexpected postponement of the selection ceremony, the white dragon’s fury had exploded without restraint.
‘Th-this is terrible.’
The Terenbeti princess, who had been stealing glances at Katroi, felt her insides burning with anxiety. She had no idea how the cruel dragon, who had already turned dozens of their companions into blocks of ice, would act. Of course, there was absolutely no possibility that the Crosen Empire would accept the dragon’s condition. Other than themselves, no one knew that he was a dragon.
If the imperial side refused, it did not seem likely that the dragon would remain still. In the worst case, he might return to his true form and slaughter every person gathered here. She shuddered without realizing it.
‘There’s no chance of victory even if we fight.’
She thought that even if every knight gathered here attacked at once, they would not be able to face the dragon. The destructive power of the dragon she had experienced before was that tremendous. She looked with deeply displeased eyes at an old man approaching the white dragon. She did not know what business he had, but she could only hope that they would not offend the dragon.
Having reached Katroi’s immediate vicinity, Damon stared fixedly at him. No longer able to pretend otherwise, Katroi looked back at him with an ambiguous gaze.
“What is it?”
Damon did not answer. He merely looked his opponent up and down thoroughly. A moment later, he was able to feel certain that the other party was a dragon.
‘No doubt about it.’
It was not that he had used magic. Since he could not determine the man’s level, his opponent was already a dragon who had reached the 10th Circle, and even with 9th Circle detection magic, there was no way to discern his level. However, Damon carefully observed his opponent’s disposition.
That certain aura that all humans inevitably emitted. Yet from this opponent, such an aura scarcely emanated at all. As if it had been completely erased by magic. Moreover, his gaze was so intense that it could hardly be called human. Having made up his mind, Damon stared straight into the dragon’s eyes.
“Have you come in search of Increcia?”
At those abrupt words, Katroi’s eyes widened.
“Wh-what?”
“There’s no need to talk at length, is there? Increcia is with me. In other words, the being you have been searching for is me.”
Katroi’s eyes filled with doubt. He could not even begin to guess the intention of this human spouting such nonsense. Of course, he had never once heard of Increcia. That was because he had almost no contact with the dragons of Truvenia.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Surely you’re not insane?”
At Katroi’s retort, Damon tilted his head. Judging by the other party’s reaction, it did not seem to be an act.
“Then are you saying you did not come over from Truvenia?”
Without needing to think, Katroi nodded.
“That is correct. I am from northern Arcadia…….”
Katroi glanced at the Terenbeti princess, who stood trembling, then continued.
“I came from Terenbeti. I have never once been to Truvenia.”
This time, it was Damon’s turn to feel perplexed. He had assumed the other party was a dragon who had crossed over from Truvenia in search of him, but his expectations had missed the mark completely. However, Damon was not one to withdraw so meekly.
“Then that means you have been living in Arcadia all this time?”
“That is correct.”
Katroi nodded with an amused look in his eyes. However, when killing intent began to spread from the other man’s eyes, he unwittingly took a step back. He had never dreamed that the gaze of a mere human could be so intense. Toward that Katroi, Damon gave a cold smile.
“It does not matter whether you crossed over from Truvenia or lived in Arcadia. The problem is the fact that you are a dragon. A dragon—the unforgivable race.”
As soon as Damon finished speaking, silence settled over the scene. When Damon deemed the white-haired knight a dragon, everyone gathered there could not help but be stunned. They did not know on what basis he had concluded that the man was a dragon, but it was not a matter they could easily dismiss.
“He’s a madman. He must be completely insane.”
Those who wore cold sneers were the princesses who had already lost their hearts to Katroi. There was no way they could look kindly upon a shabby old man who treated the splendid knight they had taken a fancy to so rudely. Even the knights under their command were openly mocking Damon.
“Lunatic.”
Calling a perfectly normal person a dragon—something none of them had ever seen before—was, no matter how one thought about it, nothing but baseless nonsense. However, the reaction of the Terenbeti envoys was quite different.
“Gasp.”
“H-how did he know that……?”
Startled, they quickly shut their mouths when they received Katroi’s icy glare. His warning had come back to their minds. The warning that if they revealed his identity, he would turn every last one of them into blocks of ice.