Of course, they too harbored a tremendous grudge against dragons, but they at least knew that the White Dragon they had captured was not the target of their revenge. Their enemies were, strictly speaking, the dragons that had destroyed Truvenia. They knew full well that killing a fledgling dragon they had caught would do little to repay that grudge. In the end, Damon made up his mind.
“Fine. How much ransom can you pay?”
For Katroi, who had been looking repeatedly at Yuliana and Princess Terembeti with grateful eyes, it was a sound that made his ears perk up.
-At least twenty tons, I should think. In refined gold bullion.
“Gold bullion? Damn it. Gold is heavy, isn’t it? Don’t you have some kind of valuable jewels instead? Decent artifacts would do, too……”
Katroi’s eyes went round. In all his life, it was the first time he had seen a human refuse gold. He lowered his gaze as if troubled.
-There will not be many jewels. Everything mined from the veins is of the gold variety, you see.
“Damn it, what am I supposed to do with useless gold trinkets? I need a Dragon Heart far more than that.”
There was not a single person who was not shocked by the words that flowed from Damon’s mouth. After all, even if one searched through history, there were almost no people who would look at gold and call it useless.
“What should I do?”
Damon glanced again and again at Katroi, deep in thought. Naturally, Katroi could only watch his mouth with an anxious heart. His life depended on what decision Damon made.
“Hey, captain.”
At Damon’s call, Kasim hurried over.
“Did you call for me?”
“If it’s around twenty tons of gold, how much would that be in gold coins?”
After racking his brains for a while, Kasim was barely able to estimate the amount.
“It would be roughly twenty thousand gold, I believe.”
“That’s not much.”
At Damon’s words, Kasim’s mouth fell open. Twenty thousand gold was, in truth, an astronomical sum. And yet he could say it was not much……
“What do you think? Is it better to take twenty thousand gold and let him go? Or should we just kill him? I’m not sure, so you decide, captain. In any case, you are the one with command authority.”
A look of deep emotion appeared on Kasim’s face. Damon was now saving his face in front of the many princesses gathered there. It was clear that the name of the Kasim Mercenary Band would be firmly engraved in their minds. Though he felt as if he could fly, Kasim forced his expression back into order. Of course, a cough escaped him without his realizing it.
“Ahem, hm. I believe that amount is sufficient as a ransom.”
Damon did not argue.
“Well, if the captain has decided, what do I have to say about it? Let’s do that. However……”
After speaking, Damon looked at Katroi.
“There is one more condition. I’ll tell you about it later. Of course, you’ll accept it, won’t you?”
Katroi nodded as if there was nothing to think about. Since his life was at stake, he could not refuse any condition.
-I will accept it, so long as it lies within my power.
Once Katroi agreed, Damon looked at the Death Knights with a rather displeased expression.
“Let him go.”
The Death Knights withdrew their swords, growling roughly.
“Fledgling dragon. Consider yourself lucky.”
Shrrng.
When the Death Knights stepped back, Katroi was finally able to let out a sigh of relief. How his heart had clenched because of the four long swords pointed at his body. He had been so tense that his entire body was drenched in sweat. Watching him, Damon coldly tossed out a remark.
“I will permit you to heal your wounds with healing. We don’t have time, so do it immediately.”
-Understood.
Katroi silently nodded. It was not at all pleasant to be taking orders from a human he had once considered insignificant, but there was no helping it. The one with power now was not himself, but the human. Looking at Katroi as he focused on healing, Damon sank into thought.
‘This worked out well. I might as well go north to the extreme cold lands while I’m at it. With the chill there, I should be able to complete the Bone Dragon sufficiently……’
In truth, Damon had spared the White Dragon because he had his own scheme. If there had been no fitting reason, then no matter how much Yuliana had tried to stop him, he would have cut off the White Dragon’s head without blinking an eye.
Two fierce clashes with dragons. Through them, Damon had painfully realized the necessity of aerial combat. No matter how excellent the combination of himself and the Death Knights might be, they could not help but show weakness against attacks launched from the air. Moreover, the Bone Dragon, the only possible solution, was still incomplete. For Damon, there was a need to complete the Bone Dragon as soon as possible, and that was precisely why he had spared the White Dragon.
The habitat of White Dragons was an extremely cold region covered in eternal snow. There, surely, would exist enough cold energy to complete the Bone Dragon. If he had the Bone Dragon absorb enough cold energy, he would no longer have to worry about sunlight. Not only would it be able to fly faster and higher, but the power of its Frost Breath would also grow stronger. With that much, even if he were to engage in aerial combat against an Ancient-class dragon, he would have more than enough chance of victory.
On top of that, he could train the mercenaries in the White Dragon’s lair in the meantime, so for Damon, it was a decision that killed two birds with one stone. Of course, since his life was on the line, the White Dragon would not be able to rashly refuse Damon’s demands. Moreover, Damon had one more aim. Though it was an utterly personal one.
While he was lost in thought, Katroi finished his healing. Though his face was twisted from the pain, most of the wounds inflicted by the Death Knights had closed. Having treated his wounds, Katroi looked at Princess Terembeti with an indescribable gaze.
-Thank you.
“Not at all……”
-I will never forget the grace of saving my life.
At the dragon’s heartfelt expression of thanks, Princess Terembeti’s face flushed slightly. Just thinking about the compensation she would receive from the dragon made her heart flutter. From now on, the Kingdom of Terembeti to which she belonged would forever be under the dragon’s protection. If the knights who had died by the dragon’s hand learned of this fact, they would surely accept their deaths gladly. As if guessing her innermost thoughts, Katroi nodded with a gentle expression.
-As soon as the ransom is settled, I will visit the Kingdom of Terembeti and grant one wish. So return and think of the wish you will ask of me.
“I understand.”
Katroi turned his head and this time looked at Yuliana. She, too, was one of the chief contributors to saving his life.
-Do you also hold the status of a princess?
“Yes. I am a princess of the Kingdom of Karsel, located in the Elysia Mountains.”
-The Elysia Mountains are very far away. Since you saved me, I will likewise grant you one wish in return. However, it must be something I am capable of granting. This is a dragon’s promise, and once sworn, it will be kept no matter what happens.
A broad smile spread across Yuliana’s face. A wish granted by a dragon was not something to be taken lightly. As if there was no need to think, she quickly bowed her head.
“I understand. Thank you for your kindness.”
Having finished speaking, Katroi turned his large eyes toward Damon.
-What will you do? Will you come with me now and take the ransom?
“Of course I should. But not yet. There’s one matter left to settle……”
Damon turned his head and looked at Yuliana. A meaningful smile had appeared on his face.
“There’s something I have to settle before I go to collect the ransom.”
“What is it?”
As Yuliana asked back in puzzlement, Damon set up a barrier around them with a simple gesture. The two were soon perfectly cut off from the outside. After confirming that, Damon leisurely began his work(?).
“I spared the dragon as you demanded. So shouldn’t you also grant one of my demands?”
Before Damon had even finished speaking, Yuliana felt as if her hair were standing on end. She could guess all too well what the black magician’s demand was without hearing it.
“D-don’t tell me……”
Damon looked into Yuliana’s pale face and smiled broadly.
“That’s right. A kiss on the cheek every morning and ‘Mister.’ You remember, don’t you?”
“Y-you’re insane. You’re telling me to do that horrifying thing again? I won’t.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I won’t, even if I die.”
Yuliana shook her head firmly and backed away. Then Damon’s face abruptly turned cold.
“Is that so? Then I have no choice but to kill the dragon. Hey. Cut off his neck right now.”
Just as he was about to turn his head and call the Death Knights, Yuliana urgently grabbed Damon’s sleeve. Of course, there was no way her voice would pass through the barrier, but Yuliana had no idea of that fact.
“Are you really doing this? You’re truly despicable.”
“You only realized now that I’m despicable?”
Yuliana, who had been glaring up at him in protest, shouted.
“You are the villain of the ages. An incredibly vile villain.”
“Thank you. To me, being called a vile villain is one of the highest compliments.”
At Damon’s slick reply, Yuliana ultimately lost all words. At least to her, Damon was a perfect natural enemy. Now she would have no choice but to kiss Damon on the cheek every morning and sweetly call him “Mister.” It was something she hated more than death, but there was nothing she could do.
If she refused, the dragon would not survive, and if that happened, the promise would also come to nothing…… Having composed herself, Yuliana tossed out a line as if doing him a favor.
“Fine. I’ll do it for ten days like last time. That’s all right, isn’t it?”
Damon firmly shook his head.
“That won’t do. Even if I compromise, I’ll have to receive it for a year.”
“Are you insane? I can’t allow more than fifteen days, no matter what.”
“Fine. Six months.”
After a tedious time of negotiation passed, the term was finally set at one month. Yuliana muttered haltingly, looking dejected.
“Fine. But I’ll start tomorrow. I couldn’t do it in a place with this many people, even if I died.”
“Well, suit yourself.”
Having achieved his intended result, Damon wore a satisfied expression. Though Yuliana was glaring daggers at his back as if she wanted to devour him. Once the matter was finished, Damon dispelled the barrier and shouted to the mercenaries lined up nearby.
“All right, everyone, climb onto the dragon’s back. We’re going to collect the ransom.”
The one startled by those words was Katroi.
-Y-you mean to ride on me?
“Why? You don’t like it?”
-Th-that is not it, but……
“How could I trust you enough to let you handle spatial movement? So stop complaining and carry us……”
Damon glanced over the mercenaries and, while he was at it, issued a threat.
“I can bring out the Bone Dragon at any time, so don’t even think about dropping us…… Understood?”
-Of course. I am a dragon. Once I make a promise, I do not break it, no matter what happens.
“Good.”
Damon nodded in satisfaction and climbed onto the White Dragon’s back.