Is There No Other Way?
Storeus left the room and walked down the corridor.
He could have stepped onto a balcony, transformed into a dragon, and flown away, but he deliberately chose not to.
There was someone he hoped to encounter along the way.
And, as luck would have it, that very person came into view.
Storeus had never been told what the man looked like, nor had he cared enough to ask.
Yet he recognized him the instant they met.
Gray hair.
Blue eyes.
That scrawny fellow standing there with his head held high had to be Ferda.
Ferda greeted him first with proper courtesy.
"I greet the great embodiment of lightning, Lord Storeus."
Storeus looked down at him.
"So you are the one called Ferda."
"It is an honor that you recognize me."
"You are remarkably skilled at uttering words you do not mean."
Storeus released his aura, attempting to crush him beneath its weight.
Yet Ferda's expression did not change.
He showed no sign of being overwhelmed and calmly met the dragon's gaze.
"I heard the Boss's fiancé was a sickly weakling, but you are even worse than I imagined."
"And with a body like that, you crawled into the Demonic Lands?"
"You do not seem to understand what kind of dragon your fiancée is, insignificant creature."
"How much can one truly know about another person merely by knowing them for a long time?"
"At the very least, I know sides of her that you have never seen."
The attempt to provoke him was obvious.
Even so, Ferda could not completely suppress the stir of emotion it caused.
"You are nothing more than a passing amusement, something she will enjoy briefly before the irresistible flow of time sweeps you away."
"Do you truly believe you can bear that?"
"How long do you think you and Valdrova will last?"
"Ten thousand years."
"Ten thousand years?"
"Yes."
Ferda answered without hesitation.
"She told me that she wished to spend ten thousand years with me."
"So I will remain with her for ten thousand years."
Storeus stared at him in disbelief.
What made the answer even more absurd was that Ferda had not spoken out of mere stubbornness.
There was genuine resolve in his eyes, as though he truly intended to live a life approaching immortality.
"…I thought you might be somewhat different, but it seems fools truly do gather together."
Storeus laughed incredulously.
Then he withdrew the Dragon Fear he had been using to torment Ferda.
"I hear you are after the emperor's head, boy."
"I have no need for the emperor's head."
"If you intend to bring down the Empire, you will eventually have to take it."
Storeus spoke with certainty.
"Olivia will come looking for you soon."
"Help her."
With those words, Storeus walked away.
Strangely, the warning left behind by that impossibly arrogant dragon carried considerable weight.
***
After Flint's expedition returned, they took time to reorganize.
Erika quickly distributed the spoils among the expedition members.
Ordinarily, immediate rewards could diminish long-term motivation, but for now, it was the best choice.
They needed more adventurers.
To attract them, the returning members had to be encouraged to display the treasures they had recovered from the mysterious eastern lands.
The adventurers proudly showed their finds to merchants, inflating expectations as much as possible.
They became bait, drawing in adventurers and merchants who hoped to arrive before the opportunity became too crowded and secure even the smallest share of the profits.
"For now, the other adventurers say they're willing to participate again."
"They must have been put through quite an ordeal. I'm surprised their spirits haven't broken."
"The hardship isn't the issue."
"As far as expeditions go, this was a huge success!"
The reasons were similar to those Erika had explained at the beginning.
First, everyone had returned without any deaths or serious injuries.
Second, the exploration could be completed within a single day.
Third, their very first expedition had produced meaningful information and tangible results.
"We only explored a small portion of the site, so we'll have to go back."
"But we brought this with us, so there's no question that we gained something valuable."
She showed him the map of Gyeonghuigung.
Adventurers normally entered deadly places as though blind.
This map was equivalent to giving them two working eyes.
It could only be considered excellent news.
"Escholeia is also continuing to develop new magitech vehicles."
"After about two more trips, we should be able to clear out everything valuable in Gyeonghuigung and leave."
"I see."
"So we'll begin preparing for the next expedition."
"We plan to depart in two weeks."
"What will you do, Regent Ferda?"
Erika expected an obvious answer, but she asked anyway.
"For now, I will simply keep it under consideration."
"Two weeks isn't much time. You'll need to give me an answer now."
"In that case, I suppose I will not participate in the next expedition."
Ferda answered without the slightest hesitation.
Erika's eyes widened.
"Is it because of Trauma?"
The monster amplified the pain each person carried.
Ferda could not claim it had nothing to do with his decision.
The illusion Trauma had shown him had nearly killed him.
But neither could he say it was the main reason.
"No."
"I learned that there is much to be gained from the Demonic Lands."
What failed to kill him only made him stronger.
His Shadow Circle had reached the Second Circle.
His Red Circle had reached the Fifth.
As for the sheer amount of mana circulating through his body, it was already approaching the level of the Sixth Circle.
Ferda was also an experienced mage, capable of using spells difficult for ordinary Fifth-Circle mages with ease.
He would undoubtedly be useful during future expeditions.
And if he ventured deeper into the Demonic Lands, he would likely become even stronger.
But that opportunity was not unique to the eastern frontier.
Ferda had already found the answer he needed.
And that answer was not somewhere far away.
Searching for another answer after already finding one would only create confusion.
"Just to make sure…"
"Yes?"
"There really isn't any other reason, is there?"
"…What exactly happened while I was unconscious?"
Erika could not answer.
"Understood."
"Then we'll select another mage as a candidate."
"Very well."
With that, she let Ferda leave.
Once he was gone, Erika could not help feeling disappointed.
'He was extremely capable…'
She had never said it aloud, but Ferda was far more competent than the middle-aged mage they had brought along.
'I thought he would reach a new level soon…'
'I never expected it to happen during the expedition.'
Because Erika had learned magic through human training methods, she understood exactly how difficult such progress was.
She was a Sixth-Circle archmage herself, but that had only been possible because she possessed far more time than any human.
'He probably only began training seriously after reaching adulthood…'
To reach the Fifth Circle in the span of a single year…
It would have been impossible with a Blue Circle.
Even with a Red Circle, it was almost unthinkable.
'And the reason he managed to reach the Fifth Circle was…'
The armored knight.
And the Hall of Yin and Yang.
No matter how she tried to imagine it, only disturbing images came to mind.
"I must be losing my mind."
Should she cast a memory-erasing spell and remove the entire imagined scene from her head?
Perhaps enduring the side effects would be preferable.
'Or maybe I should make Ferda remember it instead…'
'No, that would be torture.'
If a man who already had a fiancée remembered such a humiliating scene, the shame might drive him to do something extreme.
Best not to think about it.
Erika pushed the distracting thoughts aside and resumed writing her report.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
Someone entered the room.
When Erika raised her head, she flinched in surprise.
The very person who had been at the center of her indecent thoughts moments earlier—the armored knight—had walked into her office.
"What brings you here?"
He approached carefully and handed her something.
The neatly folded sheet of paper filled her with an inexplicable sense of dread.
—Letter of Withdrawal
Her ominous feeling had been correct.
"You intend to quit?"
Nod, nod.
Erika stared at the letter and thought,
'What in the world happened inside that damned Hall of Yin and Yang?'
Had the two people trapped inside confirmed their love and decided to run away together?
Before that absurd and filthy thought could further contaminate her mind, she asked politely,
"Why?"
Her tone was slightly more aggressive than it had been with Ferda.
Of course, the armored knight did not answer.
Silence lingered between them until Erika finally spoke again.
"No."
She pushed the letter back toward him.
The armored knight gestured as though asking why.
"You contributed more than anyone else during this expedition. That is why."
"…?"
"You nearly killed me, and you are dangerous."
"But those are both extremely minor issues to me. Do you know why?"
"…"
"Because your contribution to this expedition was greater than anyone else's."
Erika had concluded that she could replace Ferda's role herself.
The armored knight, however, could not be replaced by anyone.
Even the belligerent Jonathan Sina looked like fragile glass beside him, something that would shatter the moment it suffered a single crack.
The armored knight hesitated briefly before pushing the withdrawal letter back across the desk.
Unable to endure the frustration any longer, Erika said,
"Sir Knight, perhaps it is time you started speaking."
"…!!"
"I know you have not taken a vow of silence."
"You follow neither a religion nor a liege lord."
"How long did you think we would continue pretending not to notice?"
"If you have a legitimate reason, I will accept your withdrawal."
"But everyone is struggling right now. If you leave, there is nothing we can do."
Erika crossed her arms and legs.
Her posture declared that, no matter what he tried, there would be no way to persuade her.
In truth, it was little different from a threat.
But Erika had little choice.
The armored knight was driving her mad.
She desperately needed him, yet at the same time, she was consumed by curiosity about him.
Until now, Erika had always investigated him while carefully respecting certain boundaries.
At least, she believed she had.
That changed when she saw the Thunder Dragon Storeus retreat without causing trouble.
That single event had shattered the scales by which Erika measured everything.
She could no longer suppress her curiosity.
"If you are hiding a secret, I swear upon my name that I will protect it."
"Until you tell me, I cannot accept this letter."
At the mention of her name, the armored knight appeared to hesitate.
Then his body moved as though he had made a decision.
Erika assumed he was going to retrieve the withdrawal letter from the desk.
Instead, he did something far beyond anything she had expected.
The armor that defined his identity began to come off.
It was not removed one piece at a time like ordinary human armor.
Instead, it tore open as though a butterfly were emerging from its chrysalis.
The armor split apart, and what had been concealed within it emerged with graceful ease.
Erika's eyes, which had been narrowed arrogantly only a moment before, widened like full moons.
What she now saw before her was—
Two pairs of horns.
Crimson hair.
Golden eyes.
She looked exactly like the Valdrova Erika had seen long ago.
Erika's mind went completely blank.
She could no longer think.
No.
This could not be real.
Trauma must have secretly infiltrated her office and attacked her.
There was no other explanation.
The figure that had emerged from the armor cautiously asked,
"Could you… possibly make an exception?"
Even that timid tone sounded familiar.
In her dragon form, Valdrova appeared solemn and dignified.
But in human form, she spoke like a shy, nervous woman.
The facts striking Erika's eyes and ears could no longer be denied.
Erika slowly rose from her seat.
"Um… Erika?"
"No, Eri…?"
Erika stepped before Valdrova.
Then her height gradually decreased.
She dropped to her knees and respectfully clasped her hands together.
In stark contrast to the quiet movement of her body, her voice thundered through the room.
"PLEASE FORGIVE THIS MAIDEN'S INSOLENT CONDUCT!"
It was said that when humans faced death, their lives flashed before their eyes.
Having encountered death countless times, Erika had always believed that to be nonsense.
No matter how close she came to dying, the only face that ever appeared in her mind was Iorga's.
But this time was different.
Memories of the past raced through her head.
They began from the moment she had first met the armored knight.
Erika searched through every encounter, trying to identify every place and every moment in which she had done something wrong.
Why had she not realized it sooner?
Only a dragon could stand against another dragon.
"Um…"
Valdrova looked down at Erika and spoke.
Erika had released her fully human appearance, revealing her horns and tail as she maintained her posture of apology.
"I truly don't mind, so… could you please stand up now?"
"No!"
"Please allow me to remain like this!"
"It is the only way I can feel at ease!"
"Mm…"
'But I'm the one who feels uncomfortable.'
Valdrova could not bring herself to say it.
"I should have realized the moment you refused to wear ordinary armor."
"But because this foolish and ignorant maiden failed to recognize you, I dared to treat such an exalted person in that manner…!"
"I really am fine, so you don't have to worry…"
Erika looked ready to burst into tears, while Valdrova had no idea what to do.
Her awkward hand simply kept brushing down the side of her leg.
"Um… Forgive my impudence, but…"
"Yes?"
"Since when did you know that I was Iorga's child?"
"Since when…?"
"From the beginning?"
"I-I see…"
Erika felt as though she might cough up blood.
Valdrova had known she was Iorga's child from the very beginning, yet had still obeyed all her commands and carried out every task she was given.
Then Erika suddenly remembered what had happened when Storeus appeared and made his demand.
"Then… when you stopped Lord Storeus from forcing me to kneel…"
"That?"
"It was because you are Iorga's child."
"W-Was that the only reason?"
"Mm."
All that… just for that?
No other dragon would have done such a thing.
If someone was not their own child or family, they would have stood by whether that person was forced to kneel or had their head driven into the ground.
Valdrova smiled gently.
"If Iorga found out that Storeus had forced you to do such a thing, she would be sad."
"That can't be…"
Erika gazed up at Valdrova.
A smile she would ordinarily have dismissed as vacant and foolish now appeared incredibly noble.
As she thought that, memories of her conversations with Iorga surfaced in her mind.
—Valdrova really does behave exactly like a lizard.
—Indeed she does!
—She acts so foolishly that everyone takes her for a gullible idiot.
—Exactly! Everything she does is just so—
"Cough!"
"A-Are you all right?"
"O-Of course…"
There was a saying that one's past deeds would eventually return to haunt them.
At that moment, Erika's past deeds were relentlessly striking her in the stomach.
READ MORE CHAPTERS HERE : https://beastnovels.com/