All signs pointed to that young Golden Needle Knight. Even the exposure of the Dynasty of Blood's secret plot was likely tied to him in countless ways.
"Do not cling to thoughts of revenge. Today, I will cut off your path here."
Boom!
The instant Marais finished speaking, a violent shockwave tore through the air.
Ansbach narrowed his eyes. The family head had already made his move, lunging straight at him like a hunting cheetah.
Clang!
The sharp Scythe and the heavy Claymore crashed together midair, bursting into a spray of dazzling sparks.
The shriek of grinding steel rang across the battlefield, sharp enough to sting the ears.
Yet after a single exchange, Ansbach stood firm, unmoving. Marais, on the other hand, was forced back several steps before he could steady himself.
He wore a mask shaped after a white-haired noble youth and was dressed in a black hooded robe. His golden, Grace-blessed eyes locked onto his opponent.
He drew in a deep breath, as though gathering strength—or forcing down the turmoil within.
Then he spoke, his voice cold and unwavering.
"Today, I will not allow you to stand in Her Highness's way."
Ansbach narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"I didn't expect someone burdened by such a grave illness to wield this much strength. Admirable. Would you consider joining our Dynasty? Here, even sickness can become a source of happiness."
As he spoke, Ansbach slowly extended a hand in invitation.
"Utter nonsense!"
Before he could finish, an angry shout cut him off.
A flash of steel streaked through the air as the Claymore came down with ruthless force toward Ansbach.
...
On the nearby deck, Nolan and Malenia stood side by side.
As the violent tremors faded, a tightly shut door was kicked open.
A woman stepped out—none other than the Golden Needle Knight Captain.
She was dragging someone behind her. On closer look, it was a crew member.
The sailor hung limp in her grip, lifeless, his body slumping against the deck like a discarded corpse.
Leda shot Nolan and Malenia a glance, then quickly surveyed their surroundings.
Once she confirmed they understood the situation, she casually tossed the body aside.
"Leda, what happened below?"
"Your Highness, unidentified intruders infiltrated the ship. There was an explosion in the lower deck, and the hull has begun taking on water."
She answered without hesitation, a deep crease of worry shadowing her resolute features.
Someone clearly did not want them returning to the Haligtree so soon. It confirmed Nolan's earlier warning—Miquella and Princess Trina were in danger.
But the ship was about to sink. They couldn't fly, and swimming back was impossible.
They would freeze or drown long before reaching shore.
"What should we do?" Leda asked.
Just moments ago, Nolan had been considering transforming into a Flying Dragon to carry the two of them the rest of the way when a faint set of footsteps reached his ears.
A woman approached.
Her features carried both a warrior's sharpness and a subtle allure. Silver hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.
Her figure was slender and poised. Four enormous wings spread behind her, and a long tail trailed across the deck.
Though she bore obvious dragon traits, she looked more human than beast.
Nolan frowned slightly.
He had seen so-called "Dragon Ladies" in the Royal Capital before, but every one of them had looked bizarre in their own way. The woman in front of him, however, was beautiful in a way he'd never seen.
"Do you like what you see?"
She moved fast. In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Nolan, pressing in close, her breath brushing hotly against his neck.
"I do," Nolan replied with blunt honesty.
Besides, this wasn't exactly the kind of situation where you could call someone ugly. Most of the time, mouthing off at a beautiful woman didn't earn you her attention. It earned you a slap.
"Then… how about this!?"
She let out a playful laugh, and the corners of her mouth curled into something sharp and almost vicious as her body began to change.
That delicate, alluring face warped as if under an illusion, rapidly transforming into a massive, grotesque dragon's head.
Her limbs stretched longer and thinner, losing all human proportion.
Her once pale, soft skin was swallowed up at a visible pace by thick, rock-hard scales, like armor forged from stone.
Now that was more like it.
The half-human, half-dragon monster before him finally matched the image of a "Dragon Lady" buried deep in Nolan's memories.
So Ancient Dragons had two forms when taking on a human shape?
The thought left Nolan feeling oddly regretful. If he'd known, he would've paid his respects to the Ancient Dragon deity when he visited the Dragon Church.
He'd really misjudged the Ancient Dragon Knights before. He used to think they must eat anything when they got desperate. Turns out they'd just been keeping the good stuff to themselves and never bothered to mention it.
"Perfect," Nolan said, studying her carefully while stroking his chin in admiration.
"Look at those solid muscle lines. And that scale armor, practically impenetrable. Offense and defense in one body, able to fly and burrow, wielding both dragon and human strength… she's basically a flawless killing machine."
"Ancient Dragon?"
Nolan was just about to continue when his words cut off abruptly.
A crisp, cold snort rang out.
A flash of icy light tore across their vision as a golden blade came down viciously toward the Dragon Lady.
In an instant, steel and light crossed in a storm. With a deafening roar, the massive, sturdy ship was cleaved cleanly in two.
As the hull began sinking even faster, Nolan could only feel helpless. His eyes drifted toward Malenia beside him.
What was this woman doing? He hadn't even finished speaking and she was already swinging. Did she seriously plan on swimming back?
The strike missed.
The Dragon Maiden showed terrifying speed and control. With a single beat of her wings, she was already airborne.
Malenia raised her blade to strike again, but Nolan reacted immediately, grabbing the shoulder of the clone and shouting,
"Malenia, wait! Don't be reckless. She didn't attack us first. She doesn't look like an enemy."
At Nolan's shout, Malenia halted, though her brows remained tightly knit and her expression full of suspicion.
The Ancient Dragon Church stood within the Royal Capital, and its Ancient Dragon Knights had long been one of the main forces resisting the Royal Allied Army.
If this Ancient Dragon had appeared out of nowhere and wasn't an enemy… could she really be an ally?
Malenia's gaze bore into him, but Nolan didn't rush to explain.
He simply tilted his head back, rolling his eyes up toward the shadow cast by that graceful figure overhead.
"And so… Miss Ancient Dragon, we finally meet properly."