Dragons were a remarkable existence, revered across the lands. They were usually ridden only by those from high‑grade territories, and for anyone from a low‑grade territory to own such a beast would invite the descending wrath of the higher realms.
Salza had wisely referred to the dragon as her friend, for he had once heard of someone being beaten nearly to death simply for calling such a creature a mere beast. He wasn't about to test whether that tale was true.
Although Kate appeared courteous, he knew better than to let careless words stir her the wrong way. It was safer to tread with caution.
"No need to worry, Commander. I'm here for a friend. He must have been expecting me all this while." Kate said with an unusual smirk, her silvery eyes darting toward a specific direction.
Here for a friend? Salza was rather surprised as his thoughts churned uneasily. He didn't dare to accept that, instantly sensing something was wrong. He contemplated who among the warriors could possibly have drawn the attention of the Young Miss, but no one came to his mind. After all, they were all warriors of Sand‑Scale, and he knew each of them thoroughly.
Then he noticed her gaze fixed in a particular direction. The others around him had also turned, their eyes gleaming with peculiar curiosity. Salza directly followed their line of sight, and his eyes darkened, seemingly baffled. Isn't that my son that they were all staring at!
How could this be? When did he become friends with the Young Miss? Salza's heart sank. Knowing his son, he had never liked the idea of forming close bonds, even when forced to. Words seemed to fail him every time.
Salza's expression tightened as he asked courteously. "Hehe… Young Miss is truly insightful. My son never told me he had a friend. Are you certain he is the right one? Is he truly the one you are looking for?"
"Yes. That's him," Kate replied with the same smile. "His name is Blood?! What a strange name. I don't have many friends, but your son could be counted among the very few. He must have avoided telling you, thinking you wouldn't accept it." Her tone was calm, yet enshrouded in a mischievous whisper, as she flashed a knowing smile at Blood.
Salza's mind quietly raced back to what his wife had once told him about Blood's encounter with this lady. Surely that wasn't the reason for her return… was it? He still refused to believe they were true friends.
From the beginning, Salza had been communicating with Galock, seeking clarity on whether such thing as friend was even possible, but his reply was far from reassuring.
The two had only just met, and the chances of them becoming genuine friends were slim. Salza couldn't deny any longer that something was indeed amiss.
Salza's expression grew complicated, his brows furrowing as he finally spoke. "I hope my son didn't misbehave. Do not worry, Young Miss, I will make sure to put some sense into him when we return home." Salza seemed unwilling, letting his son to go with her.
Kate shook her head lightly. "No, that wouldn't be necessary. He has been overly friendly. It's just that our scheduled meeting was yesterday, and he wasn't there. When I heard he had participated in the war, I understood. I only came to tell him some things, if you would allow me."
Her words appeared harmless, but then she added something that made every warrior's eyes widen. "Perhaps he still hasn't told you, but we've been together throughout the time he was declared missing—along with his servant. We were busy with certain matters and didn't know about the missing order. Though he was worried all that time."
She then turned sharply toward Blood as her silvery eyes flashed with restrained anger. "You suddenly left without telling me. I didn't know you were going to participate in the war. How unreasonable was that decision?"
Blood was obviously baffled, his expression conflicting against the Young Miss's words. She seemed to know only how to amplify his troubles. He had never once taken her for a schemer, yet her statements twisted the situation in ways that he couldn't control.
A meeting? To hell with the meeting, he thought bitterly. Her claim that they had been together for days displeased him, though it conveniently explained his disappearance. In truth, he had been worrying about how to answer when asked latter, and now she had provided him with a solid shield. He couldn't deny that her words were unexpectedly helpful. Still, had he told his father a different story beforehand, he would have been doomed.
Salza and the others were equally stunned. He hadn't yet found the time to properly ask Blood about his strange disappearance. He was intending to discuss it at home. But now—was it true that he had been with the Young Miss all along?
Even with this, Salza's heart remained unsettled. He wanted to decline her request outright, but he couldn't. She was the Young Miss, after all. Though he knew she would never harm his son, something about the situation felt ominous.
Salza's gaze lingered on his son, as he asked. "Son, what do you have to say?"
Blood's face turned dull, his thoughts seemed to be collapsing. He nearly cursed aloud when the matter was finally shoved upon him. He had wanted to avoid meeting her for now, uncertain of what the vicious young miss was truly planning. It was clear she wanted to draw him away.
Nevertheless, considering he had done nothing directly wrong to her... Ahem, aside from the irreversible backlash of the contract, he was absolutely clean.
Besides, he still harbored the plan to one day bring her in as his follower, though he had yet to meet her criterion. He couldn't keep running forever, could he?
"Father, there's nothing to worry about. We've been friends for some time and have been together ever since, even though she didn't dare to ask my name. There's nothing to worry about. I will be back in a bit." Blood said, forcing composure into his tone before walking toward her.
Kate's gaze tightened slightly, before she gave a slight bow, and together they departed.
The warriors were beyond astonished, their eyes glittering as they gazed at Blood's retreating figure with disbelief. That man had become close with the fearsome lady! They held their breaths, unwilling to believe their eyes.
The massive dragon lowered its head, allowing Kate to climb with ease.
"Are you going somewhere?" Blood asked, as he watched her mount the beast. "You said we would talk—are we going to do that on the dragon?" He almost stepped back, feeling its insidious aura.
It was his first time seeing a dragon up close, and its mere presence disturbed him. Its breaths were frosty, chilling the air around it. Anyone who stayed too near would feel the cold seep into their bones, unless they possessed the strength to endure it.
The dragon rolled its eyes at Blood, leaving him baffled. It seemed unwilling to allow such an ant to approach, let alone sit on its back.
Blood was amazed, and a thought occurred to him.
Jade Eyes…
Letters glittered across his vision—
[Moon Sabre Frost Dragonkin]
[Race: Frost Dragonkind]
[Cultivation Realm: Entrance Realm Stage 5]
[Skills: Frost Flap, Rapid Sabre Pick, Frost Destroyer, Flash Stroke, Sabre Entrapment, Twilight Flop…]
[Bloodline Grade: Pink (high)]
Blood was left utterly speechless as the information unfolded before him. The beast seemed to be a formidable existence.