"W-We're supposed to catch a dragon by ourselves? Are you serious?"
Burren swallowed hard.
"He must have lost his mind after making that strange song..."
Martha twirled her finger near her temple, indicating disbelief.
"Yes. I'll do it..."
Runaan nodded calmly, as if it were entirely possible.
"I-I don't want to!"
Dorian shook his head vigorously, his cowardly nature resurfacing after a long time.
"It's definitely an ancient dragon, how are we supposed to catch it!"
He squeezed his eyes shut, insisting it was impossible.
"It, it must be a joke, right?"
Krein laughed awkwardly, searching Raon's eyes for any hint of humor.
"No? That guy's serious..."
Having been on the receiving end of Raon's punches the most, he quickly realized the truth.
"A dragon, huh..."
Mark Goetun licked his lips expectantly, resting his hand on his sword.
"If the Palace Master orders it, we can't refuse. But we need to think this through. It might be too much for us."
Trevin looked at Raon, wondering if he had really thought this through.
"He's right."
Borgos furrowed his brow, letting out a long sigh.
"The Spear Dragon Dsiouros is an ancient dragon. I know the strength of the Light Wind Palace better than anyone, but they can't face it without you."
He exhaled a smoky breath.
"The dwarves are having their survival threatened by that damned dragon. No, they're barely living even if they're alive. If we're going to offer half-hearted pranks or salvation, it might be better not to help at all and just pretend we didn't see anything."
Borgos lowered his eyebrows, saying that giving false hope to those barely clinging to life was the worst thing they could do.
"Of course, I'm not one to talk..."
He wrinkled his nose, staring at his feet.
"Because I couldn't help them even though I knew they were being exploited. I feel so powerless..."
Borgos shook his head, saying he didn't have the strength to help and couldn't ask others for assistance.
"I understand."
Vulcan patted Borgos on the back.
"Even the devil wouldn't ask someone to die for something that doesn't concern them."
He clicked his tongue briefly, saying he would have made the same choice as Borgos if it were him.
"Borgos is right. To face an ancient dragon, we'd need a Transcendent."
Raon nodded. Even when he had taken down the Blue Dragon Kaivar, most of its attacks were blocked by Alice. He had only stabbed the sword in at the end.
"But I'm not joking. I think these guys can kill that dragon."
"Are you serious?"
Burren narrowed his eyes.
"No matter how I think about it..."
"Of course, I don't mean for you to do everything."
Raon shook his head with a smile.
"I'll block its breath and transcendent-level magic."
He raised his hand, saying he would only block the attacks that could lead to annihilation, just like Alice had done.
"Hmm, if that's the case..."
Burren's eyes darted around as if sensing a glimmer of hope.
"Then we can do it! Without its breath, it's just a big lizard!"
Martha clapped her hands enthusiastically, saying she wanted to catch a dragon with her own hands.
"Yes. I'll do it..."
Runaan nodded slightly, giving the same answer as before, as if she didn't care either way.
"I-I still don't want to!"
Dorian trembled all over as if he was already inside the dragon's belly.
"Come to think of it, the dragon might be less scary than the Palace Master with a sword?"
Krein closed his eyes, trying to change his mindset.
"We have no choice..."
"Yeah. It's not like he'll let us off if we say no."
"We'll just have to find a way to do it."
The other swordsmen nodded, accepting that they had no choice but to agree.
"Then it's settled."
Raon nodded as he watched the Light Wind Palace swordsmen build up their fighting spirit.
"B-But I didn't agree..."
Dorian raised his hand, but was ignored.
-That one never changes.
Wrath shook his head.
'He'll fight well when we actually get there.'
Since awakening his Mind's Eye, Dorian hadn't run away or backed down from places where he needed to fight. He might be scared, but he'd step up properly when his comrades were in danger.
"Please continue. Tell us more about the Spear Dragon Dsiouros."
Raon nodded to Borgos.
"The Spear Dragon Dsiouros is a red dragon that has made its nest at the edge of the eastern desert. It's an evil dragon that turns everything to ash with the heat of hellfire."
Borgos exhaled briefly as he mentioned where Dsiouros resided.
"The desert? I thought it would live near a volcano since you said it was keeping dwarves."
Raon narrowed his eyes at Borgos. While the desert is full of heat, the place where dwarves' talents could be most utilized is near a volcano. He couldn't understand why it was in the desert.
"Because it spreads the heat itself."
Borgos twisted his lips downward.
"The heat? But that would be too intense, wouldn't it?"
Raon let out a low groan.
"It means it doesn't care whether its slaves live or die."
Borgos shook his head, saying that as they knew, dragons viewed other races as insects.
"What a piece of trash..."
Burren bit his lip hard.
"Sigh, why aren't there any decent ones among dragons or archangels?"
Martha shook her head, saying none of the stories her mother read to her as a child were true.
"Yeah. The demon king is nicer..."
Runaan pouted, saying she disliked the angels and dragons.
-Oh, ice cream girl!
Wrath nodded, clasping his hands together as if moved by Runaan's words.
"Well, that's a relief."
Raon let out a small sigh of relief.
"R-Relief? What do you mean..."
Borgos shook his head, wondering what Raon was talking about.
"I was worried I might have mistakenly targeted a good dragon, but I don't need to worry about that."
Raon smiled coldly.
"I mean it's a relief that I won't feel any guilt killing it."
He slowly turned his back, grasping the hilt of the Heavenly Drive.
"Just be prepared."
Raon slightly turned his head to look at Borgos and Vulcan, who had their eyes wide open.
"I'll bring back the red dragon's corpse."
After saying they should get back to work, he descended to Mirtan Village.
"Follow the Palace Master."
At Burren's command, the Light Wind Palace swordsmen followed behind, emanating sharp auras as if they had never been joking around.
"Heh..."
Vulcan shook his head as he took a swig of alcohol.
"These young ones have become properly tempered swords now."
He licked his lips, saying it was admirable just to watch them.
"Indeed."
Borgos nodded.
"Each one of them is a noted sword, no matter who tempered them."
He shook his head in amazement.
"Who tempered them? He's right there."
Vulcan laughed heartily, pointing at Raon's broad back as he walked at the front.
"A master craftsman who's better at tempering swords than we are."
He smiled deeply, recalling the past Raon who had spoken of his goals in front of the charcoal kiln.
"You've still got a long way to go, right?"
Go further, Raon.
* * *
In a gray desert that seemed not just dried up but completely burned, a dwarf with a brown beard hanging like rags was wearily walking, examining the sand.
"It's not here either."
After searching the sand for a long time, the dwarf sat down helplessly and shook his head.
"I wonder if we'll have to turn another forest and mountain into a desert."
He covered his soot-blackened face with his sand-covered hands and shook his shoulders.
"Haaah..."
The brown-bearded dwarf let out a sigh that seemed to carry years of hardship as he lifted his head.
"I have to go. Still..."
He pushed himself up, pressing his fist against his knee.
"It's a hellish journey."
As the brown-bearded dwarf was about to turn back, shaking his chin, suddenly his body sank into the sand as if he had fallen into the sea.
"Ughhhh!"
The brown-bearded dwarf screamed and flailed his limbs, but his feet touched soft ground in just a few seconds.
"W-What is this place..."
The brown-bearded dwarf opened his eyes wide.
'Frost? Why is there frost....'
Blue frost was blazing like flames, creating a wall to block the approaching sand. He had crossed this desert for decades but had never seen such a phenomenon.
"Are you from the Brown Beard Tribe?"
The dwarf quickly turned at the low voice behind him.
"Oh!"
Behind him stood a tall human with golden hair and red eyes. Despite being of a different race, the sight of him was almost blinding.
'What is this sword aura...'
However, even the human's striking face seemed insignificant compared to the vast sword aura felt in his soul.
"Y-Yes, I am. But why is a human here..."
The brown-bearded dwarf swallowed hard as he looked at the golden-haired, red-eyed human and the swordsmen behind him.
"We came after hearing from Chief Borgos of the Gray Hammer Tribe."
The golden-haired swordsman smiled gently and extended his hand.
"My name is Raon Zieghart."
* * *
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the seemingly frightened brown-bearded dwarf.
'He doesn't know my name.'
It wasn't something to brag about, but there were hardly any people on the continent who didn't know his name. Seeing the expression of someone who had never even heard of him, it seemed he had been trapped in this desert for a long time.
'Besides, I've never seen such a thin dwarf before.'
Dwarves typically have short but sturdy builds like tree trunks. But the dwarf before him was so thin he could be mistaken for just a short person.
"Borgos. He...?"
The brown-bearded dwarf called Borgos by name without honorifics. He seemed to hold some position in the tribe.
"May I ask what position you hold in the Brown Beard Tribe..."
Raon narrowed his gaze as he looked at the brown-bearded dwarf.
"My name is Latiru. I am the chief of the Brown Beard Tribe."
The brown-bearded dwarf nodded as he introduced himself as the chief.
"C-Chief?"
Martha's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You seem to have starved a lot."
Burren let out a low groan, as if feeling sorry.
"Want to eat?"
Runaan snatched the snack Dorian was eating and offered it to the dwarf.
"Hmm..."
Raon shook his head as he looked at Latiru again. Honestly, his condition was so poor that he hadn't even considered he might be the chief.
"Can I hear what Borgos said?"
Latiru looked at Raon and spoke in a voice lacking confidence.
"He told us there are dwarves being held captive by the Spear Dragon Dsiouros. He asked if we could save them."
Raon handed Latiru the letter Borgos had written.
"Hmm..."
Latiru read the letter over and over before folding it.
"I understand your and Borgos's intentions. But I cannot accept your help."
He shook his head with a long sigh.
"What is the reason?"
Raon lowered his gaze as he listened to Latiru's thin voice.
"You all thought I didn't look like a chief, right?"
Latiru smiled faintly as he looked not just at Raon, but at the swordsmen behind him.
"W-We're sorry."
Burren bowed his head, as if he had been rude.
"No, I understand. Even I would have thought I was just a beggar."
Latiru nodded slightly as he looked at his own appearance.
"But it can't be helped. Only I and the tribe's executives can come outside."
He sighed, saying only the executives could go outside to find materials.
"Hmm, the reason is..."
Raon let out a trembling groan as he realized what Latiru was saying.
"Your guess is correct. Dwarves are a race with strong attachments to their tribe. So they've taken our tribesmen hostage, making it impossible for us to escape."
Latiru shrugged, saying that's why he personally roams this desert.
"The Spear Dragon Dsiouros is strong and cunning. Even if you're strong enough to kill it, our race will surely be sacrificed."
He shook his head, saying he couldn't abandon even one of the tribesmen who had endured until now.
"I'm sorry. If you had asked for my life instead, I would have given it."
Latiru shook his head, clearly refusing.
"How well do you know Borgos?"
Raon met Latiru's gaze as he mentioned Borgos's name.
"A bit too distant to call a friend, a bit too close to call a colleague."
Latiru shook his head, saying he was someone he could trust. They seemed closer than expected.
"Borgos said the same thing. That's why he asked me to help."
"Hmm..."
He widened his eyes as he listened to Raon's words.
"And we're not just moving for your sake. There's a lot for us to gain, so I hope you'll help us."
Raon bowed, saying not that he would help, but that he needed help.
-Always good with words...
Wrath let out a sigh as he watched Latiru's expression slowly change.
"I promise. We'll behead that evil dragon without a single casualty."
Raon nodded with a tone full of certainty.
"Y-You..."
Latiru swallowed hard as he looked into Raon's eyes. Though they had just met, he felt an inexplicable trust. It seemed to be not just because of Borgos's letter, but because this human's sincerity was palpable.
"Trust him. He's a Transcendent after all."
Martha nodded as she introduced Raon as a Transcendent.
"That's right. Well, a lot has happened, but our Palace Master even beheaded the Black Tower Master."
Burren smiled, saying he would repay the trust.
"Transcendent? Black Tower...?"
Latiru swallowed hard as he looked at Raon.
"I didn't kill them all by myself. But as I said, we can behead the Spear Dragon Dsiouros."
Raon bowed his head again, asking for help.
"No..."
Latiru's chin trembled as he looked at Raon's lowered head.
'I should be the one asking for help...'
Because of his own fear and lack of courage, these people who had come all this way to help were now asking him for help instead. He felt like crying from embarrassment and shame.
"Haaah..."
Latiru closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
"Alright. Then what should I do?"
He wanted to give salvation to the children who had been born into slavery under that dragon, even if he couldn't save himself. He gave his answer to Raon's request, prepared to die.
"Please tell us the exact location of the dragon and the layout of its lair. Live normally in the lair, and when we make our move, bring all the tribesmen out."
Raon nodded, saying that would be enough.
"Is, is that really all? Don't we need to pierce the dragon's scales or something..."
"That's not necessary. Just come up to the surface."
He nodded, saying they would take care of the rest.
"Well, alright. The location is..."
Latiru gave detailed information about the location and scale of the lair where the Spear Dragon Dsiouros was hiding.
"This is sufficient."
Raon nodded after drawing the dragon's location and a map of the lair.
"Then we'll come tomorrow."
"T-Tomorrow?"
"Yes. Dragons are cunning creatures. If we delay, it might cause problems."
"I, I see. Then..."
Latiru blinked his eyes as if he still couldn't believe it, then left for the lair.
"There are bastards everywhere."
Martha gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
"The dragons I read about in books were mediators who protected the world..."
Burren shook his head, saying he was becoming more and more disappointed.
"Yeah. They're worse than lizards..."
Runaan also lowered her eyebrows, calling them unlikeable.
"This isn't the time to be insulting lizards, you know?"
Raon shook his head as he looked at the three squad leaders and the swordsmen behind them.
"Don't we have little time to make a plan?"
He waved his hand, saying he wouldn't start moving right away.
"R-Right..."
"That damn Palace Master said he wouldn't help."
"Meanie..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan let out short sighs.
"Come on, let's gather. We need to have a meeting first."
Trevin clapped his hands, calling the others.
"Let's think about how to rescue the hostages first."
"It won't be easy. There's only one way out."
"And it's narrow too."
"Then we need to lure the dragon out..."
"If we lure the dragon out first, we can't ambush it. We need to use the element of surprise if we're going to catch it ourselves."
The swordsmen began a serious discussion, each offering their opinions.
"Hmm..."
Raon hummed a tune with his arms crossed as he watched.
-This guy...
Wrath frowned as he saw Raon enjoying himself.
-He’s got that look in his eye.
* * *
The next day at noon. The Light Wind Palace swordsmen were digging a tunnel in the desert, moving towards the Spear Dragon Dsiouros's lair.
"Is this really the best plan?"
Raon smacked his lips as he followed behind the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.
"We have no choice. The exit is too narrow. We need to make a path first if we're going to rescue all the hostages."
Martha shook her head, saying they could all die if the dragon moved first.
"That's right. We have no choice but to rescue the people from inside, then block the dragon's attacks while we escape."
Burren threw sand backwards, saying that was the best option.
"Honestly, I'm not sure..."
Runaan nodded slightly, saying she was just following Burren and Martha.
"Now that we know the dragon's location and the layout of the lair, we should use that advantage."
Trevin waved his hand, saying this method seemed best for now.
"Alright, everyone be quiet now. We're near the lair."
Burren exhaled briefly as he looked at the map. The other swordsmen nodded, closing their mouths.
"Hmm..."
Raon shook his head with his arms crossed.
"No matter how I think about it, this isn't right."
He rose to the surface on a layer of frost after sensing the presence inside the lair right in front of them.
"Hey!"
"Raon!"
"Huh!"
After flashing a deep smile at the screaming Light Wind Palace executives, he went up to the desert surface. A huge sand mountain appeared before his eyes. The Spear Dragon Dsiouros and the dwarves were gathered below it.
"Haaah..."
Raon took a deep breath and opened his mouth as wide as he could.
"You lizard bastard hiding in the desert! The warriors who will kill you have arrived! Come out right now!"
At his roar-like shout, the desert sand was swept away and the sand mountain shook as if it would collapse. A massive surge of mana began to rise from inside the sand mountain, as if responding to Raon's shout. It seemed the Spear Dragon Dsiouros was about to reveal itself.
"Aaaaah!"
"You crazy bastard!"
"Why is he really doing this!"
"Why are you going crazy after agreeing the plan was good!"
The swordsmen screamed as they watched Raon suddenly go berserk.
-I knew this would happen...
Wrath shook his head, saying he could see the madness in Raon's eyes.
'You know too.'
Raon twisted his lips into a smile as he watched the red scales slowly revealing themselves from beneath the sand mountain.
'Their method won't save the hostages.'