C446. Return (2)
When Serdea Polanticia received the sudden news and was left completely stunned, muttering nonsensically…
Just as the captain of the Eastern Empire's guard reported, Alon Palatio was receiving a proposal from Contanias.
To be precise, it wasn't even a proposal.
“Please, allow me to serve you!”
It was a shameless plea.
“…What is wrong with that guy?”
“I don’t know either, but—”
Evan whispered, intrigued.
He had also heard what happened between Contanias and Alon Palatio, so the current situation seemed absurd to him.
But even Alon Palatio didn't understand why Contanias was behaving like this.
Not even their last encounter had ended well.
‘….Well, that was more because he decided to hate me unilaterally.’
Alon Palatio felt a deep strangeness behind his impassive expression.
Contanias, who once shouted that he would exterminate his entire lineage, was now crawling before him. It was something he never would have imagined.
And the reaction of Contanias's followers was even stranger.
“Alon Palatio, I think not even they expected it.”
“…I see.”
The knights and servants lined up behind Contanias were horrified.
Knights or not, they all had their mouths open, completely frozen. One of the knights was even blinking repeatedly as if his brain couldn't process the scene.
They were rooted to the spot with an expression that screamed:
“What the hell is wrong with our damn prince all of a sudden?”
Still confused, Alon considered what to ask him.
“…What is the real reason you came so suddenly?”
He threw the question out bluntly.
Although he was a prince, there was no point in keeping formalities when their relationship was already in the gutter.
But—
“I have come to serve the great dragon!”
Contanias bowed his head even lower and shouted it.
Alon Palatio raised his gaze slightly.
The followers continued looking at their lord as if he were crazy.
One even put a finger to his temple and twirled it, as if he were going to insult him at any moment.
…Seeing the atmosphere, it didn't seem like a trap. After thinking about it for a while, Alon Palatio decided to get to the point.
“…I have no idea why you call me that.”
Of course, Alon was not a dragon.
There were both truths and lies in the multiple versions of rumors about him, but there had never been a rumor of “Alon Palatio is a dragon”, so that was completely illogical.
Contanias raised his gaze a little, as if hesitating whether he should say something or not.
Just when Alon Palatio was starting to suspect more, Contanias, as if he had just understood something, nodded with a mysterious expression.
“…The Guardian Dragon told me.”
He approached Alon Palatio and whispered.
Alon Palatio's doubt became even deeper.
‘The Guardian Dragon…?’
The Empire’s Guardian Dragon.
The Crying Dragon.
Alon Palatio knew the Golden Dragon, but he had never met the Empire’s Guardian Dragon.
“…The Guardian Dragon told you?”
He repeated.
And Contanias replied:
“Yes, I heard the story from Lady Arculainisis, who is the Empire’s Guardian Dragon and your daughter.”
He explained it with impeccable courtesy.
The unexpected appearance of that name filled Alon Palatio's head with question marks.
*Ar?
Arya?
Why on earth are you there?*
The same question appeared hundreds of times in his mind.
After listening to Contanias's explanation...
Instead of crossing the Eastern Empire border—completely closed—Alon Palatio decided to head toward the Northern Empire border, which would take three days.
It was a detour, but returning to the Allied United Kingdoms was more important.
While escorting Alon Palatio with extreme devotion under the strange gaze of his own servants, Contanias kept thinking:
‘…No matter how much I think about it, it’s strange.’
He looked at those who were preparing the camp behind him. But what drew his attention the most was Alon Palatio, reading something quietly on one side of the camp.
What seemed strange to him was his identity.
‘…Is he… really a Dragon?’
The Guardian Dragon had told him clearly. That Alon Palatio was her father.
But no matter how much he thought about it, upon reuniting with him, Contanias felt no special presence.
‘…I feel absolutely nothing like “dragon energy”.’
Others might only feel pressure before a dragon, but Contanias had already seen several, so he knew their particular aura.
Oppression and arrogance.
All the magic in the place—no, the entire atmosphere—seemed to exist for that single being.
And the immense magic characteristic of dragons was felt.
But in Alon Palatio, he felt nothing of the sort.
‘Could it be that…’
Contanias began to imagine the possibility without realizing it.
Maybe.
Just maybe, the Guardian Dragon was mistaken.
Part of that suspicion arose from Alon Palatio's reaction. His subtle expressions: that immutable face, but with slight startles in his eyes every time something was said.
He really seemed like someone who knew nothing about the Guardian Dragon.
And above all, what the Guardian Dragon said did not match what he had investigated.
According to his investigations, Alon was simply the third son of a count, with nothing extraordinary.
But even knowing all that, the Guardian Dragon's words were absolute.
That is why Contanias rushed toward the Eastern Empire border to ask for forgiveness and offer his loyalty to Alon Palatio.
But if the Guardian Dragon was simply mistaken…
“Ugh…”
Contanias's expression twisted in irritation and hatred.
He remembered the scene from a moment ago.
Him, bowing his head without any dignity before Alon Palatio.
While he looked at him sideways with disdain and narrowed eyes—
Znnn…
Contanias saw something strange.
Near Alon Palatio's camp, various things began to float slowly.
He stood watching, surprised by the surreal scene.
And suddenly—
KWAJIK! KWA-DRDRDRRK!!!
“!?”
The previously quiet space shattered all at once, absorbing everything around it.
Rocks, soil, trees, brush.
As if nothing would remain, everything was sucked in as if gravity had been reversed.
The knights and servants, who were preparing the camp, stood petrified looking at the sky.
And, shortly after, they all opened their mouths in horror.
Above Alon Palatio's head… A meteorite so large was materializing that, if it fell, it could wipe out everyone present in an instant.
“What the hell—?”
Contanias barely managed to utter. And just then, the huge meteorite began to slowly dissolve and disappeared.
Contanias's expression became docile again in an instant.
Meanwhile, the cause of it all, Alon Palatio, said calmly:
“Oh, it seems Blackie can finally use his skills.”
“That’s right. Apparently, starting from level 2 he cannot use the skill directly, he has to learn it first.”
“Even so, the simple fact that he can use it is incredible. Although it is much smaller than what we saw that time… Anyway, it is surprising. Honestly, I didn’t think Blackie could imitate a Law.”
“It is different from the direct use of a Law. Blackie needs to use mana for it.”
“Hmm… So you guys can use Laws without any cost, but he needs to burn mana as fuel.”
“Something like that. Of course, I don’t know if it will be the same with other Divine Bloods.”
[Kyuu—]
Alon Palatio was petting Blackie as if he were proud of him.
Contanias, now completely calmed down, watched them pass.
After finally crossing the Northern Empire border, Alon tilted his head slightly.
“I appreciate your help.”
“No, please! It is an honor!”
Contanias bowed his head immediately, almost trembling.
Compared to the man he had seen in the Seeker of the Path’s Tower, he seemed even more servile than a few days ago.
Alon Palatio was bewildered.
“It definitely feels a bit embarrassing to see him like this.”
“I think so too.”
He probably heard Penia and Evan’s comment, because Contanias's smile cracked for an instant.
‘Seems like it is him after all.’
After some short farewells, each went their own way.
Or rather, Alon managed to break away only after repeatedly rejecting Contanias's proposal to escort him to the Allied United Kingdoms.
‘…Actually, I wanted to visit Ar before leaving.’
He remembered Contanias's words: Ar was now the Empire’s Guardian Dragon.
He didn’t know how or why Ar had come to become the Empire’s Guardian Dragon.
But if he visited the Northern Empire’s capital, his return to the Allied United Kingdoms would be delayed by more than half a year. He decided to return first and then come back to visit her.
“By the way, Alon-nim.”
At that moment he heard Penia's voice.
“What is it?”
“Ar… how do you think she became the Guardian Dragon?”
“…How, you say...”
“Yes, it’s just… how to put it? She was always a girl with a very soft heart, don’t you think?”
Penia expressed the same doubt he had.
Alon Palatio remembered Ar.
…And the only thing that came to his mind was seeing her crying.
“…That is true.”
He nodded unintentionally.
A week later, after advancing through the Northern Empire heading to the Allied United Kingdoms…
“Alon-nim. When passing through a town, we received information from the spy guild. And the news is not simple.”
“Not simple? What is it?”
“…Do you remember that time? That group called ‘Star Root’.”
“I remember.”
“It seems their faction grew much more than we imagined.”
Evan brought new news.
And at that very instant…
In the Eastern Empire, Princess Serdea Polanticia—
“……Wait, is that true?”
“We verified several times before informing you, so… yes. It seems he is—”
With a completely blank expression.
“…The father of the Guardian Dragon.”
“The… father of the Guardian Dragon…?”
She was listening to even more surprising news.
