In the secret study of his mansion, Alton sat quietly lost in thought.
‘A servant…….’
He knew there hadn’t been a trace of falsehood in Lorenzo’s words.
Lorenzo simply wasn’t the kind of man with enough backbone to dare lie in front of him.
Even so, Alton had beaten him until he talked, just to make certain.
Not that it had produced any particularly useful information.
‘He said Dario Antonio brought him.’
First, he needed to find Dario.
Perhaps he had burned to death along with the duchy.
‘If he’s dead, I’ll find the corpse.’
Just then, the crystal orb flashed.
From the wavelength of mana, Alton could tell who was contacting him.
A smile appeared on the lips that had remained expressionless until now.
“Yeah, son.”
―Father. Are you all right?
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
―I heard that a dragon burned down a duchy in Bellion. Rumors about it have even reached the Empire.
“Don’t concern yourself with pointless rumors. Focus on your training instead. What Star are you at now?”
―…….
“No answer means you still haven’t advanced.”
―I am…… trying.
“If you’re trying and still haven’t even awakened Aura, then there must be a problem.”
―…….
“I’ll replace your swordsmanship instructor.”
―Again? It hasn’t even been a week since I started learning from this one…….
“Enough complaints. I’ll find someone better.”
Alton touched the crystal orb and ended the communication.
His eldest son.
A son with no talent for swordsmanship who hadn’t even managed to awaken Aura yet.
The one child who remained a constant sore spot.
‘That Dario or whatever his name is is already on the verge of becoming a Sword Master, yet my son can’t even awaken Aura…….’
Wondering whether there was something physically wrong with him, Alton had even taken him to the Magic Tower in the Estar Kingdom.
But they had concluded that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his body.
‘My son must be more frustrated than I am.’
If even his father found it this stifling, how much worse must it be for the person himself?
Alton shook his head and decided not to dwell on his son’s problem.
By now, he had almost given up.
It hadn’t been a matter of a day or two.
Nothing had changed for years.
Just then, the crystal orb lit up again.
This time, it wasn’t his son.
It was one of his subordinates.
―My lord. We have a problem.
“What happened?”
―We received a report that a Black Dragon was spotted flying over the Bellion Kingdom.
“A Black Dragon……?”
Bellion and a Black Dragon.
Those two words alone brought a name to mind.
‘Lord Bellacors?’
A short while ago, Alton had informed Bellacors about the Red Dragon.
He had told him that Camiloas had burned Duke Antonio’s territory.
‘Don’t tell me……?’
Alton hurriedly asked,
“Where was he headed?”
―He was seen flying toward Red Flame Mountain.
That was where Camiloas’s lair was located.
‘Did the information I gave him become the spark……?’
Bellacors was undoubtedly going to confront Camiloas.
‘If those two dragons clash…….’
There could be no greater disaster.
Alton’s expression hardened.
***
Red Flame Mountain.
A black shadow descended upon the mountain covered in red rock.
THUD—!
Golden eyes gleamed between jet-black scales.
It was the Black Dragon Bellacors.
[CA—MI—LO—AS—!]
His roar shook the entire mountain.
The voice itself carried mana.
There was no way Camiloas could remain inside his lair after hearing that.
[Is that you, Lord Bellacors?]
His tone was respectful.
He couldn’t possibly act insolent before an Ancient Dragon who had lived for six thousand years.
And yet Bellacors’s eyes were still filled with murderous intent.
Camiloas knew exactly why.
That was why he subtly averted his gaze.
[Why are you avoiding my eyes?]
[Pardon?]
[Look me straight in the eye.]
All Camiloas had to do was turn his eyes back.
But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
[You know too, don’t you? You know what kind of fucked-up shit you pulled.]
[I apologize…….]
[Then why did you do something you’d have to apologize for—!!]
His furious voice echoed throughout the mountain range.
[You know where I live, don’t you?]
[……Yes.]
[The Bellion Kingdom is my territory. Every treasure that comes from it will eventually belong to me as well.]
[……I know.]
[And knowing that, you openly came in and set fire to it?]
Bellacors glared at Camiloas with murderous eyes.
[Why did you do it?]
[There was a reason…….]
[It had better be a good one. Otherwise, this will not end with words.]
[The Prophet came to see me.]
Bellacors fell silent for a moment at Camiloas’s words.
It was as though cold water had been poured over him.
[Who…… came?]
[The Prophet.]
No further explanation was necessary.
There wasn’t an Ancient Dragon alive who didn’t know of the Prophet.
[The prophecy was real? No, more importantly, why did the Prophet come to you?]
[He asked me for the relic. He said he needed to regain his power in order to prevent the destruction of dragonkind.]
The ancient relics are said to have been left behind by the Prophet for the future.
Bellacors possessed one as well.
[And you gave it to him? To some bastard merely claiming to be the Prophet?]
[Yes.]
[What did he look like? Was he human?]
Bellacors wasn’t a foolish dragon ruled entirely by anger.
His attention immediately shifted toward the Prophet.
Any dragon would have reacted the same way.
To them, the Prophet was a savior spoken of only in legend.
As Bellacors seemed to forget his anger entirely, Camiloas could finally breathe a little easier.
[Yes. He had the appearance of a human.]
[I suspected as much from the nature of the relic, but to think he would appear in the form of an inferior human of all things…….]
It wasn’t what Bellacors had expected, but his curiosity remained.
[What proof did he have that he was the Prophet?]
[He used the relic’s power. On me personally.]
No one knew what powers the relics possessed.
Not even dragons.
After all, no one had ever been able to use them.
That was why Bellacors’s golden eyes gleamed.
[What ability? What does the relic do?]
He was curious.
Even after six thousand years of life, the abilities of the relics were something he had never heard of.
[It could…… issue commands to me that I couldn’t resist.]
[Commands?]
[Yes. If he told me to prostrate myself, I did. If he told me to close my eyes, I did. My mind didn’t want to obey, but my body moved on its own. They were Absolute Commands.]
[Huh…….]
Rather than fear, Bellacors felt admiration.
A human who could control dragons.
No.
Strictly speaking, the Prophet merely wore the appearance of a human.
He was a transcendent being.
Either way, it was an astonishing power.
[I’d like to meet this human Prophet at least once.]
[……You’d probably be better off not meeting him.]
[Anyway…….]
Apparently having satisfied his curiosity, Bellacors’s eyes turned vicious once again.
[Why did you burn my territory?]
[Ah, that.]
Camiloas could finally speak with confidence.
He had explained the Prophet’s power.
[I had no choice. It was the Prophet’s command.]
[What?]
[The Prophet ordered me to burn Duke Antonio’s territory. It was a command I couldn’t resist through willpower.]
[…….]
Bellacors fell silent.
This time, he felt as though he had been blindsided.
[So…… you’re saying it wasn’t your will?]
[That’s what I’ve been telling you.]
[Why in the world would he do that?]
[I don’t know why he gave such an order either. Perhaps it was somehow necessary to prevent our destruction?]
It was an excuse meant to justify himself, but Bellacors couldn’t accept it.
[Hey.]
[Yes?]
[Who burned the territory?]
[……The Prophet.]
[No. I’m asking which bastard actually breathed the fire.]
The atmosphere turned strange, and Camiloas once again cautiously watched the Ancient Dragon’s expression.
[That was…… me.]
[Exactly. It was you. So why are you hiding behind the Prophet’s name?]
[I didn’t want to do it either.]
[But you burned it.]
[I told you, it wasn’t my will.]
[You still did it.]
Normally, Bellacors’s anger should have been directed toward the Prophet.
But the Prophet wasn’t here.
Naturally, that anger turned toward Camiloas instead.
It didn’t matter who had given the order.
Bellacors simply needed someone on whom to vent his rage.
[In the end, you’re the one who did it, aren’t you?]
[That is true, but the Prophet…….]
SMACK—!
Camiloas’s head suddenly snapped sideways.
Bellacors’s tail had slapped him across the face.
[L-Lord Bellacors……?]
[You keep bringing up the Prophet because you’re trying to avoid responsibility, don’t you?]
The Black Clan was notorious for its cruelty even among dragons.
The fact that Bellacors had settled for a slap meant he was already showing considerable restraint.
Normally, he might simply have killed him.
SMACK! SMACK!
Bellacors slapped him twice, then a third time in succession before glaring down at him.
Camiloas didn’t dare meet his eyes.
[I don’t care whether it was your will or not. What matters is that my territory burned.]
[……I-I apologize.]
[I’ve been treating you favorably because you’re Ignition’s child, and this is what you do? Let yourself get played by the Prophet’s commands?]
[…….]
Camiloas wanted to insist once again that it had been a forced command.
But he quickly abandoned the thought.
Bellacors seemed to have closed his ears completely.
[You reduced to ashes a family that swore loyalty to me and offered tribute for decades? Haa…….]
Apparently still furious, Bellacors slapped him again.
Camiloas staggered, but he endured it and raised his head.
He was fortunate Bellacors wasn’t killing him.
[How are you going to compensate me? How will you make up for the losses my territory suffered?]
[I will give you…… the treasures I have collected.]
[Treasure?]
Seeing interest enter Bellacors’s gaze, Camiloas cautiously offered,
[Would you…… like to see them?]
[Bring them.]
Camiloas flew back to his lair and soon returned.
CLATTER—
All kinds of gold, silver, and treasure spread out before Bellacors.
[Is this all?]
[Pardon?]
[Do not pretend you did not hear me.]
Bellacors glared as though this wasn’t nearly enough to soothe his anger.
Camiloas could only let out a small sigh and make another trip to his lair.
CLATTER—
[I brought everything that was in my lair.]
With piles of treasure spread before him, Camiloas spoke in a choked voice.
[These are…… treasures I spent thousands of years collecting…….]
[Hmm…….]
Bellacors slowly inspected the treasures before finally baring his teeth in satisfaction.
[See? You should’ve done this from the beginning. Then your face wouldn’t have ended up like that.]
[…….]
Bellacors lifted all the treasures into the air with mana, smiled, and spread his wings.
[Watch yourself next time. And stop making excuses about the Prophet ordering you around.]
With those words, Bellacors took flight.
Watching the dragon disappear beyond the distant mountain range, Camiloas ground his teeth.
GRIND—
[I told you it wasn’t my fucking will…… you damned lizard bastard.]
He growled out the words he hadn’t dared say to Bellacors’s face, then returned to his lair.
[…….]
Camiloas stared blankly at his completely empty treasure vault.
[Thieving bastard…… He came here planning to do this from the beginning…….]
Now he understood.
Why Bellacors had kept finding fault with him and hitting him.
Why he had stubbornly ignored every explanation that it had been the Prophet’s command.
He had needed an excuse to steal Camiloas’s treasure.
[Filthy thieving lizard bastard…….]
He wanted to kill him.
If it were only a matter of desire, he would.
But in reality, it was impossible.
Living far longer than Camiloas meant Bellacors had accumulated that much more mana.
Camiloas had absolutely no chance in a direct confrontation.
And even if, by some miracle, he killed Bellacors, that would create another problem.
With the prophecy of their race’s destruction already spreading unease, there was no way the other dragons would look kindly upon two dragons fighting to the death.
[Damn it…… I can’t even kill the bastard because he’s my elder…….]
“Want to kill him?”
At the sudden voice, Camiloas whipped his head around.
An unexpected human was standing there.
[P-Prophet……?]
Why had this human come to his lair?
Rather than surprise, anger rose first.
It was obvious whose fault his situation was.
“I happened to see you and Bellacors earlier. Though calling it a fight is generous. You mostly just got beaten one-sidedly.”
[Why are you here?]
“More importantly, want me to help you? I have a good method.”
[What method?]
“Bring your ear down first.”
When Camiloas lowered his head, Kain whispered,
“Kill Bellacors.”
Camiloas’s eyes widened.
[That is…… impossible.]
“Go fight him. Right now.”
It was an order he couldn’t refuse.
Camiloas’s wings spread on their own.
Regardless of his own will.