Olasird'arc was in a foul mood.
He had been napping comfortably atop his treasure hoard when a sudden tremor jolted him awake.
His sweet dream shattered, anger flared instantly. Without a second thought, he shot out of the cave, ready to see which reckless fool dared stir up trouble on his territory. Were they tired of living?
He was the White Dragon Lord, after all.
High in the sky, Sephis and the Brightness Dragon Lord paused at the same time and turned toward the distance with interest.
A biting wind arrived first, the temperature plunging as frost spread rapidly across the ground.
Then Dragon Wings beat violently, whipping up a roaring gale. Mist and sand spiraled together as the figure closed in.
"I am the White Dragon Lord!"
The White Dragon Lord raised his head and narrowed his eyes, not even bothering to look directly at them. Every movement carried undisguised arrogance.
His Dragon Aura spread freely, imposing and majestic.
The display left not only Sephis but even the Brightness Dragon Lord momentarily stunned.
If someone didn't know better, they might have thought he was a True Dragon Lord.
After a long moment, the White Dragon Lord began to feel something was off. He glanced sideways, intending to see what was happening.
He had pushed his magical effects to the limit, yet the other side showed no reaction at all.
When he finally looked properly, he nearly jumped out of his scales.
The White Dragon Lord drew in a sharp breath.
By the Dragon God… what was he looking at? A True Dragon Lord!
Seeing the Brightness Dragon Lord smiling calmly, the frost dragon felt cold for the first time in his life. Not the chill of ice, but a bone-deep, numbing cold.
Stiffly, he turned his head toward Sephis beside the Brightness Dragon Lord and sent out a faint sweep of magic.
...
Right. Another existence on par with a True Dragon Lord.
"Um… th-this little dragon didn't mean to disturb you."
"Please… please continue, both of you."
The White Dragon Lord forced his trembling body under control, turned around unsteadily, and spoke before beating his Dragon Wings and fleeing at an astonishing speed.
As he accelerated madly, he kept glancing back. Only when he saw they had no intention of pursuing him did he finally let out a long breath.
Hiss—
He had actually postured in front of a True Dragon Lord.
The more he thought about it, the more shaken he felt. And yet, a strange thrill rose in his chest. This was something he could brag about for the rest of his life.
High above, the two exchanged a look and smiled lightly, and much of the earlier tension faded.
"That one is your target?"
The Brightness Dragon Lord spoke. Earlier, he had sensed that Sephis had left a Magic Mark on the White Dragon Lord, allowing precise tracking.
Considering why Sephis had come here, the Brightness Dragon Lord quickly pieced it together.
The Dragonoid before him had come for the White Dragon Lord. Most likely to capture him.
"Yes."
Sephis glanced at the Brightness Dragon Lord, hesitated briefly, then nodded.
His small move hadn't escaped the other's notice. Since it couldn't be hidden, there was no point pretending otherwise.
Besides, since the other had shown an intention to submit, Sephis was willing to offer a measure of trust.
"Will his life be in danger?"
"No. As long as he cooperates, he'll be fine."
Sephis shook his head and gave his assurance.
Originally, the White Dragon Lord truly would have been in mortal danger. Becoming experimental material for Demiurge required no further explanation.
But things were different now. If winning over a True Dragon Lord was on the table, Sephis didn't mind speaking up to preserve the White Dragon Lord's life.
"Hmm. Back to what we were discussing earlier. Have you made up your mind?"
The Brightness Dragon Lord nodded. Through Wild Magic, he could tell the other party wasn't lying.
"No problem. I just don't have the time for now."
Sephis did not refuse the Brightness Dragon Lord's request. The strong ruling the weak through battle was an eternal truth.
The Brightness Dragon Lord was indeed powerful, but he was no match for Father-sama. In Sephis's eyes, the outcome had already been decided.
With that thought, Sephis looked at the Brightness Dragon Lord, his gaze growing noticeably friendlier.
"Very well."
"When you're ready, come to the Dragon Kingdom to find me. I'll be staying there for some time."
As he spoke, the Brightness Dragon Lord extended a dragon claw, plucked one of his own Dragon Scales, and handed it to Sephis.
"This is my Dragon Scale. You can use it to locate me."
To put the other side at ease, the Brightness Dragon Lord had deliberately left himself with a weakness.
If he broke their agreement, the other party could use the scale to track him down and hunt him at any time.
"And it's a pleasure to meet you. I am the Brightness Dragon Lord."
The Brightness Dragon Lord shifted into human form and extended his hand toward Sephis.
"Sephis. Welcome to The Great Tomb of Nazarick."
Only after watching the Brightness Dragon Lord disappear beyond the horizon did Sephis withdraw his gaze.
"Let's hope you don't do anything foolish."
By revealing the existence of The Great Tomb of Nazarick earlier, Sephis had been making a point. It was a reminder for the Brightness Dragon Lord not to entertain other ideas.
He had a fairly good impression of this unusual True Dragon Lord.
After organizing the information from their exchange, Sephis activated Message.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Far away in the royal capital, Naohara was playing a game with Evileye.
Ever since the last incident, Naohara had noticed a change in the little Vampire's attitude toward him.
For instance, she had been coming over more often lately. She no longer resisted when he patted her head, and from time to time she would stomp her foot or stutter when speaking.
In short, she was incredibly cute.
"Father-sama, it's me."
"Sephis? Weren't you helping Demiurge? What happened?"
On the other end, Naohara sounded surprised. It was rare for Sephis to contact him first.
"Father-sama, it's like this. Just now…"
Sephis carefully recounted everything that had happened, leaving out nothing. When he finished, he fell silent.
"Hmm…"
On the other side of the call, Naohara sank into thought.
The Brightness Dragon Lord?
He hadn't expected Sephis to run into him, let alone that the other party would show intent to submit to The Great Tomb of Nazarick. That was a pleasant surprise.
"You handled it well, Sephis."
"I'll discuss this with Momonga and Herohero."
"It was only my duty, Father-sama."
Sephis remained calm on the surface, but inside he was delighted.
...
In the royal capital, after giving Sephis a few more instructions, Naohara ended Message.
He finished his game with Evileye and escorted her back to her residence.
After that, Naohara activated Message again and contacted Momonga and Herohero. The three of them began a video call.