Ziiing–!
'Ugh.'
Yulian clutched his head for a moment. The woman's words made his head feel like it was about to split apart.
Gritting his teeth, he asked again.
'What are you talking about?'
The woman gave no answer to Yulian's question. She simply faded slowly into the darkness.
Only then did Yulian realize—this was not an entity he could interact with.
It was merely an illusion projected by the energy that had invaded his mind.
He didn't know who the woman was, but he had a guess.
'The Saintess from a thousand years ago?'
The woman wore a necklace around her neck. He had seen that necklace before.
"A holy relic."
It was a holy relic Ghislain had obtained after seizing the Kingdom of Lutania. Yulian remembered it because Ghislain always wore it.
That necklace emitted an inexplicable light on the day he and Ghislain first met. It hadn't done so since then, but such a bizarre occurrence was unforgettable.
Yulian let out a sigh without realizing it.
Something incomprehensible had happened to him. He considered consulting Ghislain but quickly dismissed the thought.
'It must be a coincidence.'
Yulian knew Ghislain had locked eyes with him for a moment, but he didn't think Ghislain could see this formless energy.
Ghislain had likely only checked on him to see if he was ready for the next attack.
Yulian had always solved problems on his own since childhood. Asking others for help was still unfamiliar to him.
Besides, everyone was celebrating their victory over the dragon. There was no need to alarm them with uneasy news.
To think the mad dragon's energy had transferred to him—it was undeniably unsettling.
And yet, one more thing weighed on his mind.
Yulian raised his hand and stared at it.
'Why did I do that?'
Artherion had clearly been saying something. Ghislain seemed eager to hear it.
They could have killed him after listening, but at that moment, Yulian felt an overwhelming urge to kill him immediately.
So he struck.
'…Dangerous.'
Acting so impulsively—it meant his thoughts and body had not been entirely under his control.
Even if the urge had been strong, he should have thought it through again. He always had. He had always evaluated situations calmly and made rational decisions.
This had never happened before. Not once had he felt such intense 'hatred,' even for a fleeting moment.
"…"
After contemplating briefly, Yulian shook his head. He resolved to observe himself more closely.
He needed to figure out the nature of this energy.
He could not allow it to influence him. He was confident he could resist it.
Yulian raised his head and looked ahead.
"Whoooaaa!"
"We won!"
"We killed the dragon!"
Everyone was celebrating their victory. Given that they had defeated such a formidable foe, it was understandable.
Ghislain seemed even more remarkable. How had he prepared so perfectly for this?
It was as if he had fought a dragon before, knowing exactly what to expect and how to counter it. Yulian knew he wouldn't have been able to do the same.
'You really are incredible.'
Despite facing hardships, Ghislain had never failed even once. That was why Yulian could always trust and follow his judgment.
If something went wrong with him, Yulian thought, Ghislain would surely find a way to fix it.
Yulian looked at Ghislain, who was sitting down.
Ghislain was smiling as he watched the people celebrate. Then he turned his head and met Yulian's eyes.
With a grin, Ghislain raised his thumb.
Yulian couldn't help but smile at his ever-unshakable demeanor.
***
Alpoi was dreaming.
It was a dream he had occasionally since childhood, one that fueled his delusions.
— Karr-rak!
A very young version of himself was wobbling around a grand mansion.
The mansion was incredibly large and luxurious. Its shape was somewhat blurry, but not unrecognizable.
A large man approached and scooped up the toddler, rubbing his face against Alpoi's.
— Karr-rak!
Alpoi burst out laughing, and the man holding him shouted joyfully.
— This little brat is mine! Ah, my cute little pup...
In the dream, it felt perfectly natural, but waking up always left Alpoi feeling uneasy.
The man's speech didn't sound like that of a refined noble.
Still, Alpoi pretended not to care. People told him it was just a meaningless dream, but he refused to accept that.
He clung to the belief that the dream was a memory from infancy—proof of his noble lineage.
Whenever he had this dream, it always ended the same way: being swept away in water and sinking.
He used to wake up startled, but this time was different.
Crack!
The water froze solid into white ice. As he cried out in fear, a massive face appeared.
Grrr...
It was a dragon, staring at him with glowing red eyes.
The dragon opened its mouth as if to devour him.
"Aaaah!"
Alpoi woke up screaming, drenched in cold sweat.
Realizing it was just a dream, he felt a bit relieved.
"He's awake!"
Someone shouted beside him, and people crowded around his bed.
Alpoi blinked a few times. Countless people were looking down at him, making him extremely uncomfortable.
"What the... what are you looking at… damn it…"
Muttering weakly, Alpoi suddenly widened his eyes as clarity returned.
"The, the dragon?"
As he shot up and asked, the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Yeahhh! Alpoi is awake!"
"Dragon Slayer!"
"Alpoi! You saved us!"
"You idiot, are you okay?!"
Flushed with embarrassment, Alpoi stammered.
"D-Did we kill the dragon?"
Vanessa grabbed his hand tightly.
"We did! Thanks to you, Lord Alpoi!"
Jerome, looking amazed, chimed in.
"You were incredible! How did you do it?"
Vanessa and Jerome had been stunned after hearing what had happened.
They had only expected Alpoi to briefly dispel the dragon's magic. That was the most they'd hoped for.
But it turned out the dragon's spell was far more complex—a continuous magic that altered the environment.
Dispelling it temporarily wouldn't have sufficed. It required a sustained mana battle with the dragon or an overwhelming burst of power to shatter it completely.
Even with exceptional skill, it was impossible for someone at the 5th Circle to achieve that.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
Hearing their words, Alpoi raised his nose high and boasted.
"Hmph, only I could pull that off."
Though he acted confident, Alpoi himself didn't understand how it happened.
At the time, he had felt that dispelling the magic was impossible and believed he was going to die. He had simply poured all his mana against the dragon out of desperation.
Then it worked after all.
Should he say it was fitting for a man who had defeated a goddess?
Alpoi wore an arrogant expression, but this time, no one criticized him.
Instead, everyone showered him with praise, making the area unbearably noisy.
"Alpoi! Alpoi!"
"I knew you could do it!"
"I can't believe this annoying bastard pulled off something so amazing!"
Ghislain also placed a hand on Alpoi's shoulder and laughed.
"Hey, Dragon Slayer. This time, we really won thanks to you."
"Hmph! I beat a goddess, so a dragon was nothing!"
Thud!
At the heavy sound, Alpoi turned his head. Parniel was glaring at him, her mace planted firmly in the ground.
Alpoi immediately lowered his gaze. He had been so excited that he forgot he shouldn't make such remarks in front of Parniel.
Quickly changing the subject, he decided it was time to claim some credit and ask for a reward.
"Anyway, it's true we won because of me, right?"
"Of course. Without you, we'd all be dead."
Ghislain was someone who always rewarded contributions. Knowing this, Alpoi brought it up right away.
"T-Then give me a reward."
"A reward? Sure, name it. As long as it's within my power, I'll make it happen."
Encouraged by Ghislain's easy going response, Alpoi spoke boldly.
"I want to be free from slavery! Give me my freedom! I want to live as a free man like everyone else!"
"Oh…"
People's faces lit up with interest at Alpoi's request.
Of course, before doing anything else, he needed to get rid of his slave status. Otherwise, no matter how much fame or money he earned, he would still be just a slave.
"Hmm…"
Ghislain crossed his arms and thought for a moment.
Looking back, Alpoi had always displayed peculiar talents. He had quietly provided mana support during the war, helped capture Queen of Greggs in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, and maintained order in the territory, even catching runaway slaves.
Even though his intent had been rebellion, the results had turned out well.
And now, he had performed a miracle during the dragon hunt.
Letting such a strange yet capable person go would be a waste.
So Ghislain set a condition.
"Alright. But you'll stay in our territory until the continent stabilizes, acting as the head of the Mage Tower branch. I'll release you from slavery."
"Yeahhhhhhh!"
Alpoi clenched his fists and shouted. His slave contract had gradually extended over time, reaching more than 300 years. But now, he was finally free from slavery.
Even though he would still be tied to Fenris Territory, his status would be different. He could retire and live comfortably if he wanted.
Most of the dangerous work was already done. The Salvation Church had collapsed, and the dragon was dead.
The chances of facing more danger in the future were slim.
'I'll never fall for Claude's schemes again!'
Alpoi vowed to himself. No matter what Claude proposed in the future, he planned to refuse outright.
Everyone congratulated Alpoi after Ghislain's declaration.
"Wow! Alpoi is finally free!"
"I thought this bastard would be a slave forever!"
"Amazing, truly amazing! You persistent little rat!"
"Congratulations, Alpoi!"
The crowd laughed and celebrated. Honestly, Alpoi had only been a slave in name. His attitude and actions had never matched the title.
Even though he would still be stuck in Fenris Territory and likely continue working on construction sites, Alpoi was ecstatic.
His slave status had caused countless obstacles in his life.
More than anything, he felt different. Alpoi burst into laughter and shouted,
"I'm freeeeeee!"
This event earned Alpoi overwhelming praise from the people. They no longer looked at him with disdain.
By slaying the dragon, he had gained the honor he had always longed for. His fame was sure to spread far and wide.
Alpoi had achieved a great feat.
After congratulating him, Ghislain addressed everyone.
"Alright, since we've all worked hard, let's take a few days to rest."
There was no immediate urgency. The troops prepared to withdraw while enjoying food and rest.
They had remained here for quite some time, and reports from allied forces continued to flow in about the suppression of the remaining rebels.
"Hmm, things are going smoothly."
With the fall of the Kingdom of Artrode, hunting down the remnants wasn't difficult. The power gap was too great, and the few remaining high priests had already fled.
Those who had participated in the dragon hunt could return to their territories without concern.
Ghislain looked somewhat relieved.
"This war is almost over."
As he moved toward Sardina Kingdom, the center of the alliance, he maintained contact with the various armies.
He wanted to identify any lingering threats before proceeding with the next steps.
Meanwhile, news of the dragon hunt reached the armies.
Claude also received the news about Alpoi.
Gripping the letter tightly, Claude trembled with rage.
"Alpoi… earned merit in the dragon hunt and was freed from slavery?"
The shocking news made him feel dizzy.
"H-How could this happen…?"
The thought of Alpoi escaping slavery on his own was intolerable. He was so jealous it felt like he might go mad.
Unable to think straight, Claude clutched the letter tightly and shook.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he clapped his hands.
"Aha."
Wendy looked at him with a blank stare as he flashed a devilish grin.
"Then I just have to turn him back into a slave, right?"
Wendy clicked her tongue coldly, her eyes frosty.
As expected, this man was not sane.