Yuric did not quite understand the situation he was facing.
Certainly it seemed like magic, but he could not feel any magic at all. Using dreams in this way was something he had never heard of before.
The dragon, who had been closely examining Yuric, finally realized that he was not the mage of the index finger that it was looking for.
“You… You are another human.”
“Yes, the mage of the index finger has fallen into eternal sleep, and I have inherited his magic.”
“Is that so. It happened then.”
The dragon’s voice was expressionless.
“Excuse me… But what is this? Is it magic?”
“Dragon language magic. I squeezed out my last mana…”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“There is no need to apologize. I can see the legacy of an old friend. And soon, I too will turn into cosmic dust.”
Yuric instinctively sensed that this dragon was the earth dragon they were looking for.
“Have you been here for more than two hundred years?”
“No, I have not been here for long. This place used to be my nest where I lived for hundreds of years. However, to avoid humans, I went deeper. Mage of the index finger. My friend, Titon… He told me to leave this place. The anger of humanity towards dragonkind cannot be stopped by one’s own power.”
The dragon raised its head to the sky and sadly roared.
“Only Titon understood my true intentions. But what can I do? In the end, I ran away. To the depths of the demon mine… and returned. To my homeland. To my nest… At least for the place I die, can’t I choose?”
Yuric felt a slight ache in his heart.
“But I believe the relationship between earth dragons and humans will be restored. I am a bridge of an unfortunate era that must pass through. I am grateful to be chosen. But for my descendants… I hope they do not suffer such pain.”
Yuric bowed his head. Towards this pitiful dragon that transcended a chaotic era.
“I originally wanted to convey this meaning to the mage of the index finger. But he is gone as well. Then, I want to tell you. Another mage of the index finger, chosen by Titon.”
The dragon’s body began to slowly disintegrate.
The dragon stood up and roared powerfully, like a final roar.
“I, Alaldur, have been here! And now, I shall return to being particles of the universe!”
Yuric’s index finger reacted. But it was not a reaction for attack.
The index finger approached the dragon and gently stroked Alaldur’s body.
“Are you there too. Wait for me. I’ll come soon.”
Alaldur exhaled slowly and deeply. And the dragon’s breath gradually stopped.
Space began to distort.
At the same time, Yuric’s waist was bent. As if his body was being pulled somewhere by a rope.
!
And Yuric woke up abruptly from his dream.
No, it wasn’t just Yuric who woke up. Everyone in the campsite woke up when they heard the dragon’s roar.
“Everyone, get ready. It’s a dragon!”
But after a while, the earth dragon did not appear.
Yuric told Cecilia about what he saw in his dream—the dragon he met, and how the dragon dispersed into mana particles just now.
“He said this place was his home, so he came here before he died.”
Cecilia looked confused about how to take Yuric’s story.
“I think I know where his nest is.”
While returning to his original form from the nest, Yuric roughly remembered the path.
Cecilia also understood Yuric’s meaning and went to Sir Stephan to explain the situation. The knight ordered to pack up the campsite.
Thus, the expedition set off into the forest in the middle of the night.
They carefully advanced forward, following the direction Yuric pointed.
After walking for a while, they found a large rock. Yuric tapped on the rock with his hand.
“There’s an entrance under this.”
“Is it really under here?”
“It’s certain.”
The mages already felt the unusual aura of mana.
Although it was a huge rock, if everyone pushed together, they might be able to move it. If not, they would have to use magic or dig a hole next to it.
“Alright, let’s give it a try, kids.”
A dozen mercenaries attached themselves to the rock. Cecilia also helped with one arm.
“One, two, push!”
Everyone strained their necks until their veins bulged. Gradually, the boulder started to move.
“It’s working! A little more!”
With all their strength, they made a hole big enough for one person to enter. Indeed, as Yuric said, there was a passage under the boulder.
Cecilia, holding a glowing magical artifact, cautiously checked for any threats before entering first.
“Come in one by one!”
Yuric entered the passage as the tenth person.
It was undoubtedly the same passage he had seen in his dream.
“It’s the same. Just like in the dream.”
By now, Cecilia couldn’t help but believe Yuric’s words.
The mages spread their mana widely, but there was no sign of life. However, the passage was filled with an overwhelming amount of mana. It was as if a massive ball of mana had completely dissolved.
After everyone entered the passage, the expedition slowly proceeded along it. These were the first people to ever enter a dragon’s nest.
“I never thought I’d actually enter a dragon’s nest in my lifetime.”
“A few years of free beer, right?”
After walking for a while, they finally reached the end.
Cecilia cautiously entered, making sure her footsteps were quiet.
But inside, it was empty. There was only something piled up in the center of the nest.
“Scales…”
“If the earth dragon is dead, then…”
It was common knowledge that when a dragon died, only its scales remained.
As the expedition approached, they saw piles of shimmering scales.
“The earth dragon… is dead!”
Everyone cheered, relieved. Even though it was an earth dragon, it was still a dragon. If they had fought properly, many would have died or been injured, but since the mission was completed without incident, it couldn’t have been better.
Of course, Yuric, who witnessed the dragon’s last moments, couldn’t cheer like the others.
Yuric prayed for the dragon’s peaceful afterlife, having become particles of the universe.
“I will carry your will. May you find peace in the universe.”
*
The expedition that took on the task of eliminating the earth dragon safely returned to the city, carrying a full chest of scales.
The scales of the earth dragon were not as valuable as those of a flying dragon, but they were still rare and precious materials.
The Duke invited the Golden Dragon Mercenary Corps to his castle. While it was partly to commend them, it was also to show the citizens the resilience of the Duke’s family.
The Duke specially organized a banquet. The mercenaries, forced to wear tuxedos, naturally looked out of place. Their attention was solely on the delicious food and free drinks.
However, even the title of squad leader and Cecilia’s grace and elegance couldn’t hide her presence. The mercenaries, drinking casually from afar, marveled at how different they were from the mercenaries.
While all eyes were on Cecilia, the women’s gazes were drawn to Yuric.
Yuric, standing in a tuxedo with a kind smile, was so charming that he immediately captured the attention of the maidens.
“You’re lucky, kid. If you wanted to, you could even tease some noble maiden. Then you could spend the rest of your life drumming your belly…”
“Haha, that’s not appropriate for a mage.”
“Forget the mage, you can dump her at times like this!”
The mercenaries repeatedly advised Yuric, saying that one should seize the moment in life. Of course, Yuric smiled and listened with half an ear.
Then Captain Cecilia approached them, asking if anyone wanted to sing or dance. Someone pushed Yuric’s back. “Eh?” Yuric stepped forward.
“Shall we go?”
“Yeah…”
The two handsome figures stepped onto the dance floor.
“The captain… I’ve never danced before.”
She smiled mysteriously and naturally led him by the hand.
“Leave it to me.”
Then she danced, and he naturally followed.
After a short dance, they both bowed respectfully to each other. Returning to his spot, Yuric took a glass of champagne and went to the terrace to cool down.
Not long after Yuric went to the terrace, Cecilia also came out to the terrace where he was.
“Oh, captain.”
“These ill-fitting clothes are uncomfortable.”
“Not at all. You look beautiful.”
“…Thank you.”
Cecilia leaned slightly against the terrace railing. She gazed at the beautiful night scenery quietly and spoke.
“The Duke offered me a scale. Of course, I plan to distribute it among everyone.”
“That’s good.”
“…Will you really do it?”
Cecilia asked Yuric for his opinion. He answered without hesitation, as if he didn’t need to think about it.
“Yes.”
“Alright. Then I’ll give you my share as well. Since you need it more.”
“Thank you.”
“Gratitude is something I should express.”
Their gazes met.
“In case anything goes wrong, I won’t blame you. So don’t worry.”
“I will make sure nothing happens.”
He held her hand, which was resting on the railing, tightly with his own.
“I will fix it.”
For a long time, the two looked at each other with burning eyes.
Just then, a mercenary came to fetch the captain and opened the terrace door, catching sight of the scene.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Ahem…”
The mercenary quickly closed the door.
When the two left the terrace, the mercenaries looked at them with curious eyes.
“It’s the perfect timing for them.”
“That’s not it. We have our reasons.”
“They have their reasons, huh, hehe.”
They alternated glances between Cecilia and Yuric, grinning.
After the banquet ended, people went back to their rooms.
As Cecilia settled in bed, she recalled the events on the terrace.
Yuric’s firm declaration, holding her hand and saying,
“I will fix it.”
…Cecilia’s ears felt slightly warm.
