episode_0068

Late morning, after waking up leisurely, washing, and finishing breakfast, I headed towards the knight’s training ground, accompanied by Becky.

Just as I was passing through the main entrance, I ran into Isis, who was coming from the opposite direction.

“Ah! Ruan…”

“Noona-nim. Where are you going?”

“Th-that, Father called me… What about you?”

“I’m just taking a walk. Ever since I came back from the snowy mountain, they won’t let me go outside alone. I have to move around, even if it’s like this.”

It had already been a week since Isis and I were exposed to the White Break and isolated. The shock from that time must have been quite severe, as Ian issued me an outdoor ban. Or rather, he said I had to be accompanied by knights if I wanted to go out. To ease his wariness, and since I had nowhere to go anyway, I had stayed cooped up in my room until now.

“Don’t think too badly about it. Father is doing it because he’s worried about you.”

“I’ll see about that. But I can’t help feeling suffocated.”

“Yes… I understand. B-but, you said you were going for a walk, right? Noona-nim won’t bother you now. See you later!”

“Huh? Wait a moment! Noona-nim!”

Isis, who had been conversing just fine, became strangely restless, then abruptly changed the subject and ran away.

Watching her disappearing back, I tilted my head in doubt.

“Something’s definitely strange, isn’t it?”

Ever since the incident at the hideout, Isis’s demeanor towards me had changed slightly. Sometimes, whenever we happened to meet like this, she would startle, stumble over her words during conversations, and couldn’t even look me in the eye properly. It was like a teenage girl looking at a boy she had a crush on. Of course, there’s no way Isis would love me.

“Hmm…”

As I pondered, I decided to hear someone else’s opinion.

“Becky.”

“Yes, young master!”

“What do you think? About Noona-nim’s behavior. Isn’t it a bit different from usual?”

“Yes. I think it’s different too. But if we’re talking about that, young master, you’re even more so.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Because the young master is so different from the rumors. You don’t look like a scoundrel at all.”

Have I been too lenient? In just a week of sticking with me, Becky had completely adapted. She must be very comfortable, to be able to speak her mind so casually.

‘She says I’m different?’

When I really think about it, I don’t know Isis well either. All I know is what was shown in the game, at best, but the environment then and now is too different. A person can’t always stick to just one reaction, so forcing Isis to only be the way I know her is too selfish.

‘Hmm, that’s right.’

Just as I nodded, satisfied with my own conclusion, a counter-argument came to mind.

‘But wasn’t she fine until we left the hideout?’

Her reaction changed drastically not immediately after the hideout incident, but the day after. If expelling the cold air was the cause, it should have continued from then on, so why did it suddenly change overnight? Clenching my head at the complicated situation, I finally decided to give up thinking.

‘Ugh, screw it, I don’t know.’

Even if Isis’s reaction is strange, it’s not a serious problem, so it’s more comfortable to just let it go. Anyway, if we keep spending time together, she’ll either tell me or I’ll figure it out. Well, if not, then not.

Finishing my thoughts, I quickened my pace, and soon arrived at the knight’s training ground, which smelled strongly of sweat.

I proceeded, simply acknowledging the knights’ greetings with a nod, then knocked on the office door.

Knock knock.

-Come in.

A truly impertinent tone for the eldest son of a marquis. I opened the door and went inside, thinking of using this as an excuse to tease him.

There, Vice-Commander Orca was polishing the gauntlets his adopted daughter, Elena, had given him as a gift.

He lifted his head with an indifferent expression, then froze, startled, when his eyes met mine.

Then he sprang to his feet.

“Ah, no, young master, what brings you here?”

“Is this a place I shouldn’t come?”

“No, sir! Of course not. Please, have a seat. I’ll bring you some tea.”

“No, it’s fine. Just keep polishing your gauntlets and listen. That’s enough.”

“No! Please sit down!”

As I deliberately kept needling him, Orca forcibly grabbed my shoulder and sat me down on the sofa. I briefly considered grabbing my shoulder and feigning pain, but I didn’t have much time either, so I didn’t press the issue.

Soon, Orca brought coffee.

“Here, please drink this.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. So, what brings you here?”

At Orca’s question, I took a sip of the excessively sweet coffee – whose taste it reflected, I wondered – and opened my mouth.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor? What is it?”

“Let’s go to the snowy mountain together tomorrow.”

Currently, I am under an outdoor ban. Since I can’t go out without an escort of knights, I was trying to ask Orca. If he came along, I wouldn’t need to drag a bunch of knights around. But there’s no way he would readily accept.

“No, sir. Are you trying to go to the snowy mountain after experiencing such an incident just recently?”

“I have something to do. It’s not dangerous, so don’t worry.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Hmm… Is it really impossible? No matter what?”

“Yes! It’s impossible even if the sky falls!”

As if he were the epitome of a loyal knight, I could feel a strong will emanating from Orca as he declared in a solemn voice.

I narrowed my eyes.

“You’d better accept it.”

“Threats won’t work! My will won’t waver!”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“Then, can I tell other people that Elena is pregnant?”

“Of course—Huh? No, young master, how do you know that…!”

Orca, who had been confidently proclaiming, belatedly understood the meaning of my words and was aghast.

His eyes trembled as if an earthquake had occurred.

‘It’s certainly a shock.’

To get your adopted daughter, whom you raised since childhood, pregnant! If people found out, it was obvious how much they would point fingers. Even if it wasn’t Orca’s doing, but Elena turning the tables on him, the perception wouldn’t change much.

I whispered with a despicable smile.

“Orca. How I know isn’t important. What’s important is that our Vice-Commander shamelessly violated his adopted daughter. Isn’t that right?”

“Ah, no, sir! It’s not like that! Elena and I are….”

“What’s not? Then can I just say it? Huh? That Orca’s child is growing inside Elena’s belly? Are you saying it’s fine since it was going to be found out eventually anyway?”

“Th-that’s not it… Ugh!”

To face the public’s condemnation, or to bend his own convictions. At that crossroads, I decided to help him.

“Orca. Think of Elena and the child. That paltry conviction isn’t more precious than family, is it? Right?”

“Young master….”

“So what are you going to do? Did I ask you to help me with some crime? We’re just going to the snowy mountain. That’s all. If we don’t get caught, nothing will happen.”

As I gently coaxed him, like a devil tempting, Orca finally succumbed.

He lowered his head to the floor.

“Understood. I will accompany you to the snowy mountain.”

“Good. You should have done that from the beginning. Let’s not make things too complicated. I’ll tell Father we’re going to sightsee in the bustling district, so keep that in mind.”

“…Yes.”

Hearing his reply, I rose from the sofa.

And just before leaving, I took out a prepared box from my subspace pocket.

“Take this.”

“This is….”

“It’s baby stuff. I put in toys and shoes and things like that.”

“Huh? Young master, why….”

“Just think of it as a reward for granting my favor. Congratulations on the pregnancy. Then I’m leaving.”

It’s often more impressive when a bad person does one good deed than when a good person does good deeds. I left the office, leaving Orca’s touched gaze behind.

‘Now the preparations are complete.’

Tomorrow, I will clear the Red Dragon’s Lair.

***

The next day, Orca and I bundled ourselves tightly in winter clothing and headed for the snowy mountain.

I stood in front of the red flower field I had found just before the White Break occurred the other day, tracing the remnants.

“Young master. Is it here?”

“Wait a moment. I’m looking for it. This way!”

Moving along the familiar terrain, we found the lair’s entrance in just 30 minutes.

Completely frozen due to the long-falling snow, it looked like an ice wall from the outside, but when we broke it, a half-collapsed wall appeared. Beyond it, a hallway with luxurious interior decoration could be seen.

“Young master. Where on earth is this place?”

“Be alert. This is the Red Dragon’s Lair.”

At my words, Orca’s eyes widened. He was so surprised that his eyeballs looked like they would pop out of their sockets at any moment.

“No, a Red Dragon? You’re going to enter such a place? No, sir! Let’s run away quickly!”

“Calm down. Do you think I want to die? The Red Dragon died ages ago, so don’t worry. We just need to be careful of the guardian soldiers the dragon left behind.”

I only brought Orca along to deal with those guardian soldiers.

At my explanation, Orca seemed to finally regain his composure and stopped his fussing. However, as his surprise faded, he seemed to have a question this time.

“But young master, how do you know such things? I’ve never even heard it from the Family Head-nim.”

“I saw it in an ancient book in the warehouse. I found it by chance.”

“Oh! That’s amazing.”

“Enough with the admiration, lead the way quickly. Others might see and follow us.”

“Yes! Understood. Leave it to me!”

After our brief conversation, we slowly entered further into the hallway.

‘Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to have noticed.’

I followed behind Orca, quietly letting out a sigh of relief.

There was an error in my explanation. It was how I knew the location of this place. Even if the entrance was written in an ancient book, that wouldn’t be the reason. Because as you can see, this was just a corridor, not the official entrance. The real entrance is actually at the summit of the snowy mountain. More precisely, in a crater covered in ice that can no longer be found. In other words, this place was originally a volcano, and it only transformed into a snowy mountain because all its heat was stolen due to the Red Dragon’s research. And what I came for was precisely the fruit of that research.

While I was lost in various thoughts, we had advanced quite deeply, and finally encountered one of the lair’s guardian soldiers.

The guardian soldier was a golem. The 5-meter-tall creature made of black metal emitted beams of light from its eye sockets and approached us with heavy movements.

“Young master! It’s an enemy! Step back!”

Orca quickly stepped forward and shouted.

He didn’t flinch at all against the golem, which possessed an immense presence. He merely assessed its level, then nimbly darted in, unleashing a brilliant sword-light to hack at the golem’s entire body.

Before 10 seconds had passed, both of the golem’s legs were severed, and its core was pierced.

Thud!

The golem collapsed helplessly. The shining beams from its eyes extinguished, and it was reduced to a mere lump of metal.

‘As expected of Orca.’

I nodded with satisfaction. I had expected it, but as expected, Orca’s combat prowess was more than sufficient to clear the lair. It seemed we could go straight to the laboratory where the elixir was.

I collected the golem’s remains, and with Orca leading the way, we continued deeper.

The guardian soldiers we encountered along the way were varied. From golems to gargoyles and living armor, all sorts of magical creatures existed.

“This is incredible. As expected of a dragon, both the materials used for the guardian soldiers and the level of magic inscribed are excellent.”

“That’s why it’s even better. I should take these and sell them at the magic tower.”

While earning a decent side income, we proceeded with the raid for about 2 hours, finally arriving at the door believed to be for the research lab.

“This room… something is unusual about it. We should be careful.”

“Right. Open the door.”

“Understood!”

Contrary to our worries, the door opened easily. And the moment Orca fully opened the door, an intense light burst forth before our eyes.

Flash!

An enormous amount of light swept through the surroundings once, and when my vision returned to normal, I had been transported to an unfamiliar space.

Orca was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a woman stood directly in front of me, a little distance away.

Fiery red hair and eyes. Her beautiful complexion and toned, firm physique were very attractive, but the pair of horns growing from her head, a long lizard-like tail, and vertically slit pupils revealed that she was not human.

Born from a dragon’s tooth as a medium, a magical creature that devoted its entire life to its creator.

‘Dragon-tooth Soldier.’

I had expected it, but it seemed the final trial was unavoidable.

In the game, since only one representative character moved, I thought if I sent Orca first, I wouldn’t get caught up in the trial, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“Tsk! I had a feeling.”

Moreover, in typical trials, a Dragon-tooth Soldier of the same level as the intruder who entered this place is summoned. But the problem is that even the weakest Dragon-tooth Soldier has a minimum level of 200. I have to fight a Dragon-tooth Soldier that is a whopping 100 levels higher than me.

Just as I clicked my tongue softly, the Dragon-tooth Soldier pointed its spear and majestically declared.

“Intruder. Prove your worth.”

To those who prove their worth, glory shall be given! The Red Dragon Vulcanus, unable to let go of the research he could not complete even until the moment of his death, devised such a system. Hoping that the one who overcomes the trial would complete his research.

‘I’ll complete that research.’

Although it would be a little different from what he wanted.

“Alright, I’ll rape you.”

For reference, the body of this Dragon-tooth Soldier was created based on its creator.