Piote boldly voiced his thoughts, observing the others' reactions before continuing.
"We should tell the dragon that we're willing to help. That we're also looking for the adversary. Then there'd be no need to fight the dragon! If we can convince it, we'll gain an ally, won't we?"
Everyone was slightly surprised. It wasn't an idea they had considered before. Even Vanessa, who wasn't particularly fond of fighting, seemed caught off guard.
It seemed their years of resolving conflicts through brute force had narrowed their perspectives.
Of course, not everyone accepted the suggestion with an open mind.
Kaor scoffed and retorted, "Why bother talking? They're coming at us first. Might as well kill it and take its hide. Dragonhide is the stuff of legends."
It was a statement befitting the "Leather King of the North." Despite his cowardly nature, Kaor didn't doubt his victory.
Alpoi chimed in from the side. "Dragon heart, dragon bones... there's so much we could harvest. Why leave it alive? Even a single scale is worth a fortune."
The two, hardened by their time in Fenris, had grown exceedingly aggressive. Particularly when it came to opportunities like dragon hunting, which could bring them fame. If they were asked to fight the dragon alone, however, they'd have fled in an instant.
Angered by their dismissive remarks, Piote turned to Parniel for support.
"Saintess! You wouldn't be thinking only about fighting, would you? We could at least try talking first, couldn't we?"
"Um... well..."
Parniel hesitated. In truth, her thoughts had been preoccupied with figuring out how to shatter the dragon's skull with her mace.
But she was a priestess at her core. Even as the "Saintess of War," her primary duty as the goddess's representative was to preach love and peace.
So, she awkwardly nodded and replied, "That's... correct. Naturally... as a priestess... it is my duty to... at least consider such an option... maybe I was planning to..."
Her hesitant response irked Kaor and Alpoi.
"What's that supposed to mean? That's not like you at all!"
"Can the saintess lie now? What's with the vague wording?"
Parniel stared at them with an impassive expression.
"What. Why."
Her chilling tone silenced them immediately. Kaor and Alpoi lowered their heads, averting their eyes.
Of all people, Parniel was the one they were most wary of. Her influence could lead to an inquisition if she so desired. And her immense destructive power was terrifying—one hit from her could flatten them.
Still, Piote's suggestion was reasonable and worth a try.
But Ghislain remained skeptical.
'Talking with that mad dragon…'
If Ghislain hadn't retained his memories from his past life, he might have readily agreed. But he had faced Artherion firsthand.
Back then, the human alliance had barely managed to assemble an army to combat Artherion's rampage. There wasn't even time to attempt negotiation.
Artherion had been utterly unhinged at the time.
'Come to think of it…'
Artherion had yelled incomprehensible things in his fury.
— Finally! I can kill you!
Though it had been unintelligible then, Ghislain could now guess what it meant.
Those words must have been directed at Yulian, whom Artherion had mistakenly identified as the adversary.
The thought made Ghislain more doubtful. If Artherion saw Yulian, he would attack immediately, just as Erenes had.
Aware of this, Piote addressed Ghislain.
"Artherion won't stay calm if he sees Lord Yulian, right? Lady Erenes didn't, either."
"Exactly. So how do you plan to even start a conversation?"
"Maybe we could... hide Lord Yulian?"
"Hide him?"
"Yes, have Lord Yulian stay out of sight while we try talking to the dragon first. We could say there's someone he resembles, but he must stay calm."
"...Do you think that'll work? He might go berserk at the mere mention of him."
"You mentioned that the dragon and Lady Erenes were friends, right? We can explain that Lady Erenes initially misunderstood but eventually stopped fighting. Then we can propose working together to identify the adversary."
"Hm... persuasion, huh..."
Ghislain had rarely relied on persuasion in his life. The only persuader he had wielded was his spear, aptly named "Persuasion."
Piote urgently added, "If the dragon still insists on fighting, then we fight. Isn't that fair?"
Most of the group, including Vanessa, Belinda, and Gillian, agreed with Piote's suggestion.
"Why not try talking first, as Piote said?"
"I agree."
"It seems worth attempting."
Even Parniel spoke in an unusually solemn tone.
"The saint's words are true. We should always pursue more peaceful methods first."
"..."
Silence briefly settled over the meeting room.
Parniel, who was known for introducing herself with violence, was the most aggressive in battle. Hearing her advocate for peace was jarring. The group stared at her in disbelief.
"What. Why."
Everyone just looked away.
Ghislain pondered for a moment.
Avoiding a fight was preferable. Artherion was on a completely different level of power from anything they had faced before. And this wasn't even his prime.
"Hm..."
Trying to persuade the dragon wasn't a bad idea, even if the chances were slim. But could Artherion truly maintain its composure upon seeing Yulian?
After all, this conflict revolved around Yulian. He was the target and the one most at risk.
Ghislain turned to Yulian and asked, "What do you think?"
"If we can avoid fighting, that would be best."
"And if the dragon insists on killing you?"
"Then I'll handle it alone. There's no need for others to sacrifice themselves."
A typically straightforward answer, yet undeniably Yulian-like.
Though he seemed cold and emotionless, his actions always demonstrated selflessness. He fought and saved others without expecting anything in return, nor did he espouse grand ideals.
He simply did what he thought was right, as naturally as breathing.
This made him difficult to read, but one thing was clear: such a person couldn't be the adversary.
Ghislain nodded, having anticipated Yulian's response.
'Truly... could he be the reincarnation of the hero?'
If anyone seemed like the reincarnation of the hero who saved the world and sealed the demon realm with the saintess, it was Yulian.
But then, who was the adversary?
'Hmm, it couldn't be me.'
Remembering the dream made Ghislain uneasy again. Still, if he were the adversary, the saintess wouldn't have appeared in his dreams to help him. He convinced himself it wasn't him.
Besides, the power Erenes mistook for the adversary's came from Dark. That hadn't existed in his past life.
'And there's no way Dark could be the adversary.'
— What's wrong with me?!
'Don't eavesdrop.'
— Eek!
Dark retreated deep into Ghislain's subconscious.
The existence of Dark also raised questions. There was undoubtedly a connection, as if everything was intertwined—Yulian, Artherion, and even their encounter seemed part of a greater design.
"Ha..."
After organizing his thoughts, Ghislain nodded and spoke.
"Proceed with the preparations for battle as planned. We'll ensure everything is ready for a perfect fight before attempting any dialogue."
Everyone's faces brightened at these words. As Piote had said, avoiding a fight would be ideal.
Still, they couldn't afford to let their guard down. They had to keep strategizing ways to deal with the dragon in case negotiations failed. If they ended up fighting, they needed to subdue the dragon with minimal casualties.
With that, the meeting resumed. However, Ghislain couldn't shake the heaviness in his heart as the discussions continued.
It was because of the scenes that had been replaying in his mind for some time now.
'That painting.'
He had seen it when they had occupied Eclipse and spoken with Ernheart.
Ghislain had glimpsed the painting behind him.
A grotesque image of a massive serpent trampling and devouring people.
Painted in bloody hues, it depicted a monstrous being that seemed like a fusion of a rift beast and a dragon.
— It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a prophecy. Everything unfolded exactly as the dream foretold.
Ernheart had claimed to know the future, speaking as though he had experienced it before—much like Ghislain himself.
Could that disturbing painting have been drawn from a vision of the future? It was entirely out of place in the noble, elegant castle.
'Could it be... Artherion?'
The creature in the painting didn't match Artherion's appearance. They were only vaguely similar.
Ghislain was confident they could take down a dragon. In his past life, they had managed to do so despite significant losses. His priority now was to prevent such devastation from happening again.
But still…
He couldn't shake the ominous feeling that this situation was somehow connected to Ernheart.
***
Crack...
Another of the black chains binding Artherion disappeared.
Only two chains remained.
But Artherion felt little joy. Or more precisely, he wasn't fully aware of it.
"Ugh…"
Straining to open his massive eyelids, he muttered to himself.
"So, I've fallen asleep again…"
As the chains loosened, strength gradually returned to his body. Though he wasn't yet at his prime, time would restore him.
Yet, he kept slipping into unconsciousness without meaning to—an impossibility for a dragon of his transcendent power.
No matter how he examined himself, he could find no abnormalities. On the contrary, his strength only seemed to grow.
"Perhaps it's longing for the past…"
Each time he unintentionally drifted into sleep, Artherion's consciousness was drawn into the realm of dreams.
As memories of the dreams surfaced, a faint smile played on his lips. Beneath that smile lay an indescribable, deep yearning.
The battles had been grueling. Endless, seemingly eternal wars. The pain and sorrow of those harrowing battlefields still weighed heavily on his heart.
Yet, paradoxically, those agonizing moments had become his most cherished memories.
"Yes... you were companions who could stand alongside me."
The saintess, the hero, and their companions.
Artherion had shared a bond that transcended species with them.
The vivid images of their laughter, tears, and battles together replayed in his mind. Those radiant moments felt as real as if they were happening before his eyes.
These memories were indelibly etched into his heart, like scenes from an ancient painting.
As Artherion opened his eyes and returned to reality, his chest felt heavy.
Overwhelmed by this crushing longing, he yearned to return to the dream once more.
It was the only solace for the emptiness consuming him.
Artherion closed his eyes again, his parched voice murmuring.
"Erenes… did we not save the world… did we not succeed in sealing the demon realm…"
As sleep overtook him, his voice faded to a whisper.
"Was our choice… the one the saintess wanted… to slay the adversary…"
Lost in his foggy thoughts, he muttered incoherently to himself.
This phenomenon was unheard of for a dragon.
Dragons, known for their supreme existence, possessed unparalleled mental fortitude. Without it, they wouldn't survive their eternal lifespans.
Yet Artherion, half-mad, had already lost clarity of judgment. He couldn't even question the strange occurrences happening to him.
Or rather, he had fleetingly noticed them at times.
As he drifted back into sleep, a powerful question struck his mind.
'Why… am I sleeping…'
'What am I doing…'
'This is not my will…'
Artherion struggled to open his eyes again. As the questions surfaced, warning signals reverberated through his senses.
And with them came the most critical question of all.
'How… did I know the adversary had returned?'