Valerius adjusted his stance, and the joy immediately returned to his face...
The men around him began whispering among themselves.
"Oh, that beautiful girl came to see him again."
Another one sighed...
"Lucky bastard... Imagine a beautiful woman crossing the entire city just to see you. That must feel amazing. Even my own family never bothered to visit me once..."
A third soldier quickly hushed him...
"Shh... Quiet, or he'll hear you."
Valerius walked toward the entrance and found Raya waiting impatiently.
"Vaaal!!!"
she shouted loudly in front of everyone...
Embarrassment immediately covered his face.
"Could you lower your voice??? That's a nickname only we use!!!"
Raya burst into laughter as she looked at his reddening cheeks.
"Hahaha... You're such an idiot, Vaaal!!!"
She deliberately raised her voice even louder...
Valerius lowered his head even further as his embarrassment only grew...
"Hehe... Even after all these brutal years of training, you're still adorable whenever you get embarrassed..."
Annoyed, Valerius raised his voice at her while she continued laughing...
He then asked why she had come.
"Hehe... Of course I came to check on Kraj's future ruler..."
Valerius let out a weary sigh...
"Ah... Raya... This conversation again? You already know that isn't my goal."
She lightly punched his shoulder with a teasing smile.
"You're still as dense as ever."
"Many people want to see you become the ruler of Crag. Especially now that rumors say Lord Grim is beginning to grow old."
"You know our traditions."
"The strongest deserves leadership... and everyone's loyalty."
"Aren't you the strongest person in all of Crag???"
"You're one of the very few capable of mastering three different sources of power, Val."
Valerius quietly sighed before looking at his arm...
"They all see me as their savior..."
"...Can I really carry that responsibility???"
"I only wanted revenge against the dragon that killed my father."
He slowly turned away...
...And so I would never have to see you cry again, Raya.
At that moment, one of the soldiers called out to him.
Without saying another word, Valerius simply waved his hand and walked away...
Raya smiled gently before leaving as well...
As she walked away, his earlier words echoed inside her mind.
The real reason I came...
...was simply to see you, you idiot.
The scene shifted to the main hall of Griem's palace.
Griem sat alone, completely overwhelmed by countless thoughts.
Have I already become too late...???
Why hasn't that dragon attacked again since then...???
What kind of dragon is it...???
Was that boy's father telling the truth...???
...Am I still worthy of ruling Crag???
His thoughts were interrupted.
"My Lord Griem!!!"
Griem immediately looked toward the voice... oh Scythe... Thank...
"You truly are someone I can rely on, Scythe."
"I don't think I'll ever worry about Kraj as long as it's under your protection."
"You've restored its reputation."
A faint smile appeared on Scythe's face.
"Don't worry, Lord Griem."
"Crag's future is my future as well..."
"I won't sleep peacefully until I see it return to the city I admired as a child..."
"...However, there is one thing I must disagree with you about..."
Griem tilted his head in confusion, waiting for him to continue...
"My Lord..."
"I don't believe someone as ordinary as myself is fit to rule a great city like Crag."
"Yes, I'm strong."
"Perhaps no one in Crag can defeat me in a one-on-one battle..."
"...but that doesn't mean I'm suited to lead."
Griem covered part of his face with his hand and groaned...
"Ahh... You're making me anxious again..."
Scythe narrowed his eyes...
No one can defeat me...???
Maybe...
But that young man... Valerius...
He's becoming something truly terrifying.
Several days passed...
Finally, Griem announced the departure date for the expedition to eliminate the dragon.
The announcement threw not only Crag but even the neighboring cities into an uproar...
Preparations reached an unprecedented level...
Valerius stood at the city's massive gate alongside his squad of twenty warriors.
It was the very same place where the previous expedition had once departed...
...never to return...
As captain, Valerius was supposed to lead the group immediately.
Yet he remained standing, waiting for someone.
Raya...
She finally appeared, running toward them while trying to catch her breath.
The moment their eyes met, they exchanged warm smiles...
"I made it."
The people of Crag had long begun calling them...
the perfect pair...
One of the soldiers laughed.
"Hey, Val!!! That girl is perfect for you!!!"
Valerius immediately smacked the back of the man's head...
"Shut your mouth!!!"
Everyone burst into laughter while Valerius stood there, completely embarrassed...
The squad finally departed.
Hours passed as they marched toward the unknown.
None of them knew where they were heading.
They continued walking farther and farther away from civilization.
Gradually...
Doubt began spreading among the soldiers...
"Is there really a dragon???"
Another replied,
"I've never even seen one in my entire life..."
Voices grew louder.
Arguments broke out.
Meanwhile...
Valerius remained completely focused...
Suddenly...
He raised one arm.
Silence.
Everyone stopped.
"...Something's nearby..."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Some of the men started panicking.
Even so...
Valerius insisted they continue.
Their footsteps grew slower.
Heavier.
Something was there.
Something enormous.
Something overwhelmingly powerful.
Then...
As suddenly as the presence had appeared...
It vanished...
The soldiers immediately erupted into chaos once more.
"Maybe we're imagining it!"
"It was probably just a bear!"
While everyone argued...
Valerius took several steps forward alone.
...
And then...
He saw it.
Sleeping peacefully before him.
Its enormous body resembled weathered stone.
Countless twisted ridges covered its massive frame.
Its scales were a pale, lifeless brown.
Its fangs alone looked capable of tearing apart anything that stood before them.
...
A dragon...