A New Identity
After finishing our conversation with Vice Commander Erec Kaid, we returned to the cabin.
By the following day around noon, the Ritual of the Crimson Wind concluded without incident.
Every child had successfully obtained their own hunting token.
Thanks to that, the northern gate of Aulrax was bustling with parents who had come to greet their children.
"Ooh, Philian! My boy! Thank the gods you're safe!"
"Tis! Lennis! Are you hurt anywhere? Are you truly all right?"
"The gods' blessings were with us!"
The news of the monster flood in the hunting grounds had, of course, reached them already.
Their expressions were a mix of relief, anger, and confusion.
The investigation into the incident had only just begun, but—
'They must be burning with the urge to tear the culprits apart.'
A child is more precious to a parent than anything else.
One by one, the children departed in their parents' arms.
"Captain, I'll never forget this favor."
Shark Lobren, who had received the Soul Stone of an Orc Warrior from me, bowed deeply and left without hesitation.
Baruel Hejit was no different.
—Thank you so much, Captain. Thanks to you, I was able to pass the ritual.
His hand gesture carried a genuine, heartfelt gratitude.
He used to glance around nervously with that timid face of his, but now his eyes shone with determination.
"You did well."
I hid my disappointment as best I could.
Ha… such a waste. Truly a waste.
—If you ever need my help, please come find me.
"...Even saying that means a lot. Thanks."
From the start, I had planned to recruit this kid into my party.
First, I'd build up enough affinity during the quest.
Then, once it was over, I'd invite him to travel together.
'But now's not the right time.'
I realized it wouldn't work at this point.
When affinity gets high enough, Baruel is supposed to be the one to ask where the player is headed next.
But right now, he wasn't showing that level of interest in me.
…Why did it turn out this way?
It was because the quest didn't go according to my plan.
Originally, my plan was to personally lead the children from the cabin and charge straight through the Ultra Wave.
With a Flame Barrier wrapped around me,
I'd cut through the monster tide head-on,
creating an intense, cinematic battle.
That was how it should have gone.
Through that shared battlefield experience, I'd intended to forge a tight bond with the young mage.
'…But then Eve had to cause a sudden incident.'
I couldn't even return to the cabin, and my entire plan had to be rewritten.
'Damn it! The "Reveal Tyrbaen's True Identity" event would've been perfect to trigger right there!'
How many things has that girl ruined already?
If only this world allowed me to sue for damages.
For that reason, I had to give up both the "Reveal Tyrbaen's True Identity" event
and the chance to recruit the Genius Mage Baruel Hejit—
…at least for now.
There will be other opportunities later.
For now, I'll settle for laying the groundwork for that future moment.
"Here, Baruel. A souvenir."
I tossed him something just as he was about to leave.
Tak.
—Huh? W-what's this?
The boy caught it, looking puzzled.
Resting on his small palm was none other than the Token of an Orc Shaman—
my personal hunt target.
***
[Accessory] A special token steeped in an exceptionally deep and lingering grudge.
Though faint, it enhances the wielder's affinity with chaos-type mana.
***
I had woken up early that morning to obtain it—
tracking down the corpse of the Orc Shaman that the Chief Priest had hidden away,
rubbing my sleepy eyes as I scoured the forest.
And yet, it had ended up being useless.
—Your Highness has already undergone your coming-of-age ceremony as an Imperial, have you not?
That was what Erec Kaid's adjutant told me as he handed the token back.
They're recognizing my Imperial adulthood?
—I hear Imperial nobles are acknowledged as adults when they graduate from the Young Lords' Palace, correct?
—W-well, yes.
—Then you're exempt from the token hunt. Please, take this back.
—Eh…?
Just like Imperial defectors who joined the Revolutionary Army didn't need to undergo the local coming-of-age ritual—
the same applied to me, Kals, and Tyrbaen.
So all my effort had gone completely to waste.
Ha… I should've just slept in that morning.
'You old codger! You could've told me sooner!'
And so, the Token of an Orc Shaman had no use to me.
That's why I gave it to Baruel instead.
After all, he was studying chaos-based magic.
"...You'll make better use of it than I ever could."
—Captain! I can't believe you're looking out for me like this!
"It's nothing."
—No one's ever cared for me like this before!
The boy was deeply moved, his face filled with awe.
Seeing his overwhelmed expression, I couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Surely, someday, I'll have a reason to borrow his strength.
"See you around, Baruel."
And with that, I turned away—promising to meet again someday.
In the distance, I saw Archbishop Hendel waiting for me.
"..."
His expression was grave as he raised a hand in greeting.
It was probably because of what I'd told him yesterday.
Erec Kaid had said, If there's anything you need, just tell me,
and I'd replied:
—Please open the path to the Sealed Azure Mountain Range.
Now, it was time to hear the answer.
***
Grand Aeolem Church – Bishop's Chamber
"Please wait here for a moment, Your Highness. Vice Commander Kaid will arrive shortly."
After saying that, Archbishop Hendel departed.
The priest's office was simple and orderly.
Tyrbaen had stepped out earlier at my instruction,
so only Kals and I remained seated.
"Your Highness, about that place… the Lair of the Death Dragon…"
Kals looked visibly uneasy.
His thoughts were practically written across his face.
"You're wondering if there's really a dragon there, aren't you?"
"…You read minds now?"
He frowned.
"You're sure you're not suffering from Prophet Syndrome?"
"Who knows?"
That wasn't the important part right now.
To his question about whether a real dragon existed in that lair,
I could only answer one way—
"Of course there is. It's a lair, isn't it?"
"D-Dragon? There's really a dragon there? You're joking, right?"
"Joking? Not at all. Think about it—if a dragon doesn't live in a dragon's lair, who would? You?"
"I—uh—that's… well, I guess that's true, but still—!"
Watching Kals's expression crumble by the second, I couldn't help but burst into a laugh.
Even for this loyal young knight, the mere existence of a dragon was enough to induce panic.
***
[Monster] A mysterious magical being born with immense magical power. A mature dragon possesses combat power equivalent to an 8- to 9-Star rank, and only grows stronger with age.
***
'Since they have no fixed lifespan, they're theoretically capable of infinite growth.'
According to legend, the entire continent was formed from the corpse of an ancient dragon that had lived for a million years.
Of course, I considered that just a piece of the original game's exaggerated lore…
"Do you truly intend to go there, Your Highness?"
Apparently, Kals did not share that view.
I smiled quietly at him.
"Why? You scared?"
"S-scared? N-nonsense! How could I, a proud member of the Royal Knights, fear a mere magical lizard!"
Yet despite his bravado, his face was turning pale.
'Adorable.'
He knew as well as I did—
that a dragon could roast a 6-Star knight alive without breaking a sweat.
"Kals, your face is turning blue. Does that mean you want to fight a Blue Dragon?"
"Wha—B-Blue Dragon?! The ruler of the tides?!"
"Hmm. Turning white again, huh? So Blue's not your style. How about a White Dragon then? The one that commands blizzards?"
"Uwaaaah! Please stop!"
"Hahaha!"
After teasing him enough, I finally decided to tell him the truth.
"Relax. There's no adult dragons in that lair."
"...Pardon?"
"It's the resting place of dying baby dragons."
"...!"
The hatchlings—also called wyrmlings.
Unhatched baby dragons still inside their eggs were the true inhabitants of the Lair of the Death Dragon.
"There's no terrifying elder wyrm in there that we couldn't handle. You can rest easy."
"So the name 'Death Dragon' refers to… the dead young dragons there?"
"Right. Dragons regulate their own population, you see?"
Once the total number of their kind exceeds a certain threshold, every egg laid thereafter is disposed of by natural law.
Because of that, that space contains only abandoned eggs and hatchlings left to hatch alone.
Kals frowned deeply at that explanation.
"That's strange. Are you saying a mother dragon would just let her offspring be taken?"
It was hard to grasp with human sensibilities.
But as we'd seen during the Ritual of the Crimson Wind, even humans sometimes cast aside their own children.
Sometimes so coldly it's hard to believe they share the same blood.
'I know that better than anyone.'
I explained briefly.
"So when rivals come to steal those eggs or hatchlings, the dragons end up fighting each other to the death."
Clashes between the enforcers who uphold the species' rule and the mothers trying to protect their young were inevitable.
After those bloody duels, the stolen eggs and hatchlings are abandoned in that nest.
"Not killing them directly must be their final act of mercy, then."
"Probably. They're still of the same kin, after all."
"How dreadful."
Kals shook his head with a complicated expression.
It couldn't be helped—
even if dragons were intelligent, they were still a different species altogether. Humans couldn't fully comprehend them.
Anyway…
"I'm going in there to claim my dragon."
The quest known as 'With the Dragon.'
That quest automatically begins the moment you enter the Lair of the Death Dragon.
'Break through the labyrinth created to repel intruders, obtain the dragon's egg, and that's it.'
Once the egg hatches later, the newborn hatchling imprints on its rescuer through the Bonding Effect, recognizing them as its parent.
This information was common knowledge, and every year countless challengers flocked to the Azure Mountain Range seeking that lair.
'But they all either died or came out insane, didn't they?'
As a result, almost nothing was known about the labyrinth's structure.
Even so, reckless young men kept dying in their attempts.
To prevent further meaningless deaths, the Revolutionary Army's leadership eventually sealed off that section of the Azure Mountains.
'But that only applies to NPCs.'
Players trusted by the Revolutionary Army could gain access to the Azure Mountain Range.
It was brutally difficult, yes—but not impossible for a player.
Especially for someone like me, who'd mastered every inch of this game.
"I can handle it."
I folded my arms and smiled faintly.
"Even if the Revolutionary Army refuses to open the mountains for me…"
It didn't matter.
"I'll sneak in anyway."
There were plenty of ways—risky, but possible.
'A hatchling is the greatest reward I can obtain in this city.'
So I had no intention of giving up.
"...Understood. I'll follow you, Your Highness."
"Thanks."
We both nodded at the same time—
When suddenly—
"My apologies, Your Highness! Have you been waiting long?"
The door to the bishop's chamber swung open, revealing an elderly man gripping a staff.
"I was occupied with meetings through the night."
Vice Commander Erec Kaid strode toward us, looking utterly exhausted.
Yet his eyes still gleamed sharply.
"So—what's the conclusion? Have you decided?"
"Yes, we have."
I swallowed dryly, focusing on his wrinkled lips.
He smiled.
"We'll open it for you."
Just as I was about to cheer, a glint of shrewdness flickered in the Archmage's eyes.
"But… there is one condition."
…A condition?
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