Eden blinked at the glowing message floating in front of him.
'…One hour, huh?'
He tilted his head slightly. That wasn't a lot of time.
Steven led him through the rows of tents, their canvas flapping lightly in the cold wind.
Torches burned at intervals, painting the area in flickering orange light.
Soldiers moved about — some sharpening weapons, some chatting near the campfires, others too tired to even keep their eyes open.
Eden's eyes lingered on their armor — silver plates with a dark blue crest engraved on the chest.
Lerofey's army, he guessed. It looked disciplined, but tense.
'Something's going on here…'
Steven finally stopped in front of the largest tent — reinforced with wooden poles and draped in fine, deep-blue fabric.
Two armored guards stood at the entrance.
"Wait here," Steven said before walking inside.
Eden crossed his arms, exhaling slowly.
His clothes were still dusty from earlier, and his hair stuck to his forehead.
'….Why is the duke in this kind of place anyway?'
Moments later, Steven stepped out and nodded. "You may enter. Watch your words."
Eden entered quietly.
Inside, the tent was surprisingly elegant — a long desk covered with maps and scrolls, an oil lamp casting a soft glow across the surface.
A man sat behind the desk, wearing a half-unbuttoned uniform with a fur-lined cape draped over his shoulders.
His dark hair was tied loosely, and his sharp grey eyes lifted from the map to study Eden.
"Is this the one?" the man asked, his deep voice calm but commanding.
"Yes, Duke Aher," Steven replied, bowing slightly. "We found him wandering near the ruins. He claims to have been enslaved by the dragon."
Aher leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand.
"A slave of a dragon, hmm? You look too calm for someone who just escaped a monster."
Eden didn't flinch. "I guess I ran out of fear a long time ago."
≤Be mindful of your words, for them you are a commoner and they don't like commoners.≥
Seraph's warning ran through Eden's mind, making him a little more tense.
That made Aher raise a brow. "Bold words."
He gestured for Eden to step closer. "Tell me, boy, what were you doing there? And why should I believe your story?"
Eden thought for a second, his mind running fast. 'Alright, let's play this smart.'
"I was taken by the dragon a year ago," Eden said softly. "She wanted someone who could… talk. I think she got lonely."
A few soldiers in the tent exchanged awkward glances.
"I did everything she asked," Eden continued, his voice steady.
"Cleaned her den, cooked, answered her questions about humans… until today when she ran away leaving me alone."
Aher didn't respond as his gaze fell on the necklace that Eden was wearing.
He pointed at it. "It looks expensive."
Eden instinctively grabbed the necklace. "I..it belonged to my mother."
Aher nodded, but he didn't seem too convinced by his words.
'He can't really sense you, right?'
≤No, he can't do that.≥
Aher leaned forward as he asked, "What are you going to do with your freedom now?"
He looked up, meeting Aher's sharp eyes. "But freedom doesn't mean much when you don't have a home."
Aher studied him quietly for a while. "True," he mumbled. "Having no home to return to is painful."
Eden blinked slowly; he hesitated before he asked, "….Do you plan to hunt her?"
Aher's lips curved slightly. "That's what we do."
Eden drew in a deep breath as he looked at him.
"I want to help!" he said, his voice echoing within the room. "They took away my everything, I want to take everything from them as well!!"
Aher studied him with an unreadable expression, then laughed low and short.
"Spirited. Good." He leaned back, steepling his fingers. "Many claim revenge in the heat of the moment. Few live long enough to carry it out."
Eden met his gaze without flinching. "I'm not asking for glory. I want a chance."
Silence hung heavy; even Steven's breathing sounded loud.
Aher's eyes flicked to the tent flap, then back at Eden. "Bold and foolish." He tapped the desk once. "Very well. I like useful fools."
He unfolded a map and pointed to a rough sketch of the nearby trade road.
"This is the way to the training camp," he spoke. "A group is already marching there, join them."
≤.....≥
Eden could feel that Seraph hesitated to speak just now but he choose to ignore it.
Eden took the map as he saluted like how other soldiers did. "Thank you for your help, sir."
Aher nodded before he waved his hand. "You are dismissed now."
Eden walked out of the place along with Steven, who was just behind him.
As soon as he walked out, a message appeared in front of his eyes.
[Quest Complete.]
[Reward Granted.]
Eden let out a sigh as he rubbed his chin. '…That was easier than I thought.'
"Duke Aher was once a commoner," Steven spoke as he led him. "He also lost his family at the hands of a dragon."
Eden looked at the man's back. "He doesn't show much expression."
"No powerful being does that," he grunted. "That's the basis of power."
Eden nodded as he kept on looking around.
With his work done here, there was no reason to stay around.
'But how should I run away without creating too much problem?'
Eden knew he would have to come back here sooner or later.
So, he didn't want to burn the bridge.
'Maybe I should—.'
Eden's thoughts halted as his gaze moved towards the sky.
"Uh, captain," he spoke, making the man look back. "What is that?"
Steven looked up at the sky before his eyes widened with horror.
"Oh Tchort," he spoke to himself. "IT'S A DRAGON!!!"
Steven's shout sent the camp into chaos.
"DRAGON!!" someone echoed from the other side, and in an instant, the once-calm camp turned into a storm of motion.
Soldiers scrambled for their weapons, tents flapped violently as men rushed out half-armored, and the torches flickered under the sudden gust of wind.
Eden's eyes locked on the sky.
A massive shadow glided across the moon, wings stretching wide enough to blot out the stars.
The air trembled as the beast let out a low, rumbling growl that crawled straight through his chest.
'…Someone you know, Seraph?'
≤…Yes.≥
"Everyone, to your positions!" Steven barked, drawing his sword.
His men moved quickly despite the panic — archers running to the towers, mages forming a circle, and spearmen readying their shields.
Eden ducked behind a wagon as the dragon swooped lower, its scales gleaming like molten bronze in the firelight. Its eyes burned crimson as it opened its jaws—
—and a stream of fire poured from the sky.
The blast hit the edge of the camp, exploding into a wave of heat and light.
The ground shook, tents vanished in flames, and the smell of burning wood filled the air.
Eden quickly turned to look at the back where the tent of the duke was placed.
'Why isn't he coming out?'
He really wanted to see how the strong ones actually fight.
≤You need to get out of here, Eden!≥
Seraph's warning ran in his mind, jolting him back to reality.
He quickly turned to look at the sky…..only for the dragon to stare back at him.
'…Fuck.'
The massive jaw of the dragon snapped open as a huge ball of fire formed.
'Gate!'
Eden screamed as the gate appeared slowly in front of his face.
He opened the door and quickly walked inside.
For the world, it seemed like he just entered the wagon.
The instant Eden stepped through the shimmering door….
BOOOMM!!!
The dragon's roar engulfed the entirety of the wagon.
Steven looked in horror as he saw the entire thing brutally destroyed.
"ABEL!!!"