Heedless of the chaos around him, Cale was grappling with a problem of his own.
‹This is weird, human,› Raon said, equally disconcerted.
Cale held a small box. This was what the lions strove to protect—the same thing they’d sought to covertly pass on to House Seca. Now that Cale had seen what was inside, he was at a loss.
It was a crown, though that wasn’t the shocking part.
‹Human, I’m sensing your power in this thing—you know, the one that makes you seem as strong as my front paw every so often! I feel the same thing here! Did they steal something from you? They’re terrible people!›
The crown was white.
“Raon…doesn’t this crown look familiar?”
‹Hmm?› Raon fell silent for a moment. Then he was so shocked that he dropped his invisibility, shouting, “The black swamp!”
Yes, this white crown had belonged to the dragon corpse in the black swamp. The moment he’d touched it, Cale had obtained the Dominating Aura, the Ancient Power that seemed designed for scammers.
A different voice from the stone guardian’s resounded in Cale’s mind. Though he hadn’t heard this particular voice for a while, he did recognize it. Cale recalled what it had said before: “Do you know the easiest way to take away your enemy’s breath? The answer is fear. Use it well! Sometimes even bluffing can save your life. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!”
The voice belonged to the former owner of the Dominating Aura. For the first time in months, it spoke up. “That crown has a taste for dragon blood.” It said nothing more after that. The Scary Stone’s owner also remained silent.
Cale glanced at Raon.
“What’s up, human?”
“Let’s throw this away.”
“What?”
“Actually, never mind. We don’t want them picking up our trash.”
Raon had never seen Cale scowl at a valuable item. The crown was even adorned with a large gemstone.
When the black dragon tilted his head in confusion, Cale asked gravely, “Should I smash it?” This was the first time he’d picked up something he didn’t like.
Startled, Raon placed his stubby paw on Cale’s shoulder. “Human, this is worth at least a thousand—no, ten thousand apple pies!” He pointed to the gemstone. “Look at this jewel!”
Still, Cale’s frown persisted. Raon cocked his head this way and that, unable to make sense of it.
“Your aura is flowing out of this crown! I’m sure it’ll help you! You’re weak. You need to get stronger!”
Why the hell would I want to get stronger? Cale grumbled inwardly, his brow creasing at Raon’s words.
“I don’t need it. Won’t you always be with me?”
Choi Han, Ohn, and Hong as well—he had plenty of strong people to take advantage of. Why would he level up and spill his own blood in combat?
When the black dragon didn’t respond, Cale looked pointedly at him. Raon flinched, then burst out, “Of course I’ll be here! If you go somewhere without me, I’ll never forgive you!”
He’s six now, but he hasn’t changed since he was four.
Cale pushed away the dragon invading his personal space, closed the box, and stuffed it into his bag. He didn’t lay a finger on the crown.
This is just baggage. Cale made a mental note to show it to Erhaven when he went home, after completing his business in Karo. He did have one question, though. Why does Arm have this crown?
Now that he thought about it, the ones who’d taken dead mana from the black swamp had also belonged to the secret organization. An idea flashed through Cale’s mind, bringing with it an unexpected stab of annoyance.
Would Arm really have given Marquess Sten a remarkable creature like a dragon as a mere bargaining chip? Those bastards have connections with the Empire and the northern alliance. Why would they care about networking with a noble from a tiny kingdom like Rowoon?
“Human, why are you frowning so much? You look like a squashed apple pie!”
Cale’s scowl deepened at Raon’s comment as he continued to think this through. What if the secret organization planned to snatch the dragon away once he grew up? Arm was definitely capable of that. When Cale considered the matter in those terms, this crown and even Raon were probably pawns in a sinister plot.
“These scumbags might just be even worse than I am,” Cale mumbled, irritated.
Raon’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Hey! You may be a scammer, but you’re reliable and good deep down! Don’t go thinking you’re a bad person!”
Cale held back a sigh at Raon’s nonsense. Ignoring the dragon’s persistent glances, he turned the doorknob. Click.
On cue, Raon turned invisible again. Cale’s next command gave him a shock: “Blow this room away.”
Blow it away?! Raon thought, wings fluttering.
“On second thought, don’t do it.”
Cale had considered destroying this place, then changed his mind. There were innocents working for the duke’s estate.
He threw the door open to find a mess waiting for him.
“Urgh!”
A strike from Choi Han’s scabbard wrenched Edrich’s shoulder. Gronica took the opportunity to flick her whip at Choi Han, but the worn-out weapon was easily sliced in half. She cried out as the pieces clattered to the floor.
Meanwhile, one of the knights lost his sense of direction and collapsed. “I-I can’t see anything!”
He groped about in search of solid ground, and his hand landed on someone else—his quivering comrade, who’d been paralyzed by the poison. When the man groaned, the fallen knight gasped and yanked his hand away.
As he did, he heard a meow eerily reminiscent of laughter. “Mee-hee-heow.”
With a muffled cry, the knight clamped his hand over his mouth to avoid inhaling any poison.