* * *
“Can I stop this? No… I can’t.”
The mage took slow steps back, retreating from the emperor, who was laughing like a madman.
Desperate to find another solution, his gaze landed on two individuals at the far edge of the scene.
The last survivor of the Zelda clan, thought to be extinct, and the Northern Blade, bearing the blood of a dragon.
The mage hesitated briefly, his lips parting as he prepared to call out to them.
“……!”
From a distance, the feral cry of a beast pierced the air, so menacing it made his spine stiffen.
The tension in the room spiked.
As the mage seemed ready to say something, the Duke reached into Ed’s cloak, searching for the necklace around his neck.
His intent was clear: to activate the magic imbued within and send Ed to safety.
But before he could proceed, a warm hand covered his own.
When the Duke looked up, he saw Ed shaking his head, as if to say, “Don’t.”
“Your Grace, I know you’ve enchanted this necklace.”
“……”
“And I’m sure you’ve already planned the safest way to evacuate me. But if you’re not coming with me, I’m not leaving.”
Ed’s voice was steady, unwavering, as he continued.
“At times like this, I need to stay by your side.”
Ed refused to feel powerless again.
He wanted the Duke to know that he was there, standing beside him.
When the Duke had ventured out to subdue the beasts of the North, and all contact was lost, Ed could only wait, clinging to hope for his safe return.
Though he believed the Duke would come back unharmed, the torment of being left behind, unable to do anything, had been unbearable.
Just as the Duke wanted to protect him, Ed wanted to protect the Duke.
“So, Your Grace…”
“……Ed.”
Their emotions aligned as their hands clasped tightly.
At that moment, a dark shadow fell over them.
Someone screamed.
“A dragon! A dragon!”
From the dense black mist rising into the sky, a dragon emerged, circling above the skeletal remains of the glass ceiling.
The Duke and Ed looked up at the night sky.
The dragon, pitch-black as if born from the void, exuded an overwhelming aura.
Its massive form spiraled downward, approaching the hall as its golden eyes scanned the room, searching.
Each blink revealed its thin, membrane-like eyelids sliding horizontally.
Those who had never seen a dragon’s gaze up close fell to their knees, trembling or screaming in terror.
Its emaciated frame, wrinkled but impenetrable scales, razor-sharp talons—everything about it was monstrous.
But most terrifying of all was its grotesque face.
The left side of its face lacked scales, exposing bare white bone, while black, viscous liquid, resembling blood, dripped from its jaw.
“……”
The liquid sizzled upon contact with the floor, emitting smoke and a harsh, acrid smell.
Amidst the chaos, golden magic surrounded Ed, forming a protective barrier.
Startled, Ed turned to the Duke.
“Your Grace, are you alright? With the restraints on your wrist, you shouldn’t be able to use magic—how did you?”
The Duke glanced at the magical binding still wrapped around his wrist.
“Earlier, when I healed you, I sensed some of your power flowing into me. Since you’re unaffected by the restraints, I figured I might not be either.”
Before they could dwell on this revelation, the faux Duchess, now unmasked, threw off her veil and spread her arms wide.
The dragon, which had been surveying the scene, stopped its movements and thrust its snout into the hall, opening its jaws wide.
“……!”
The Duchess’s body crumbled like a castle of black sand, revealing a dark red core that rolled across the floor.
Ed’s eyes narrowed.
“…Could it be a beast’s core?”
The Duke, who had spent years hunting these monsters, immediately recognized it.
As he moved to secure the core, the dragon unleashed a jet of black flames, blocking his path.
At that moment, a protective barrier shielded the Duke.
He turned to see Ed, arm outstretched, manipulating the water from the hall’s fountains to surround not just him but everyone in the room.
The Duke looked at the shimmering shield in awe.
Its surface rippled like a giant bubble, emitting a faint sound of water splashing.
When he touched it, the hastily created barrier disintegrated into droplets, soaking the floor.
The commotion escalated as the Duke confirmed Ed’s safety, but Ed’s urgent voice cut through the noise.
“Your Grace, the black dragon!”
The dragon inhaled, sucking up the beast core along with the surrounding air.
Crack!
The sound of its transformation was accompanied by a terrifying roar, shattering the glass walls of the hall.
The dragon, now fully merged with the core, opened its jaws once more, ready to unleash its fury on the gathered crowd.
Desperate to protect everyone, Ed instinctively raised his hands, directing his focus toward the fountains.
But the water was nearly depleted from forming the earlier barriers.
Scanning the room, his eyes landed on the shattered remains of wine and champagne bottles, their contents pooling on the floor.
“Don’t doubt yourself. You can do this.”
He swept his hand, pulling not just the remaining water but the spilled wine and champagne into the air.
A protective shield, shimmering in hues of red and gold, enveloped the people, blocking the dragon’s flames just in time.
“It worked! No one was hurt!”
The dragon roared again, its body swelling grotesquely as it absorbed the core’s full power.
The beast’s skin cracked and tore, each break unleashing a flurry of chaotic energy.
The room was filled with gasps of terror as the dragon ascended into the night, wings beating furiously.
The chief mage’s face twisted in despair as he muttered under his breath.
“The core was separated to keep the beast under control through black magic… but now…!”
The reason for extracting the core from the monster and embedding it into the fake duchess was to control the monster easily using dark magic.
The mage turned his head to observe the emperor.
Stripped of his will, the emperor was unresponsive, even in such dire circumstances.
This was a serious problem.
If the emperor still had his will, the issue could have been resolved by simply removing the duke.
But if not, everyone here—and perhaps the entire empire—was in grave danger.
It wouldn’t be difficult to escape with just his own life.
Yet, the reason the mage hesitated was because of his greed.
‘Neither the duke nor that man Ed knows I annihilated the Zelda clan. If I abandon the emperor and clean up this mess, I might still be able to retain my position.’
The mage’s thoughts wavered toward the duke.
When a ship begins to sink and water floods in, isn’t it only natural to jump to another vessel before it’s too late?
Sensing the mage’s internal conflict, the duke spoke to him.
“Release the restraints.”
The duke, using Ed’s power that had permeated his body when he first encountered the black dragon, tried to summon his dragon.
However, another restriction on the restraints prevented the summoning.
Although the duke found it easier to control the power coursing through his body compared to before, he still couldn’t summon the golden dragon, Luan, at the moment.
His plan was to summon Luan once the beast had ascended to the skies, entrust the black dragon to it, and focus entirely on protecting Ed.
“Hurry.”
When the duke urged him again, the mage, having completed his calculations, bowed his head toward the emperor.
His gesture barely concealed a facade of feigned respect, a stark contrast to his previous demeanor.
“Then, Your Majesty, given the urgency of the situation, I shall release the duke’s restraints…”
But before he could finish, the emperor chuckled dryly.
“Hah, yes, I’ve acted far too late.”
“…What? What do you mean—?”
The mage’s instincts screamed that something was wrong, and he tried to retreat.
But the emperor smirked and struck the ground with his royal scepter.
In an instant, black smoke sharpened into spikes and pierced through the mage’s chest.
“Guh—!”
* * *
