The Young Shark

+++

As Doyun fastened his belt, he asked, “How are the scales coming along?”

“Nearly complete. You’ll receive them soon.”

The armor Berden had worn – scales of the Dragon Progenitor.

Doyun had entrusted them to a renowned smith through Winny’s connections – purportedly the only one in the Alliance capable of handling them.

Just as Winny had processed the heart, this artisan was reputedly the sole inheritor of dwarven craftsmanship regarding such scales.

A fortunate stroke, given the dwarves’ hidden whereabouts in this era precluded accessing their skills directly.

Lounging in a chair nearby, Lei whined enviously upon overhearing.

“Dragon Progenitor scale armor… Insane… So jealous…”

Duke Noir lightly rapped Lei’s head with his staff.

“Which is why, you brat, I keep telling you to save up some coin. Didn’t I say a bare-fisted Paladin lacks dignity? Quit splurging on your family and invest in proper equipment.”

“Mmm… Just growing the family business a bit more. It’s so satisfying to rise up and provide, you know.”

“For a warrior, equipment equates to life itself. Procrastinate, and you might as well hang yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

Doyun nodded too. A wise saying he concurred with – equipment did indeed equal life.

As Winny draped Doyun’s chiseled torso with a tunic, she continued:

“But don’t get your hopes too high. The damage was so severe, only fragments could be salvaged – the rest had to be melted down since it was an irreparable item. Maybe enough for gauntlets at best?”

“Even that much is appreciated, given how troublesome the material is.”

“When it’s ready, go pick it up yourself. It’s precious, so meet that artisan face-to-face.”

“Understood. I shall do so.”

Her gaze momentarily traced Doyun’s toned physique as he buttoned up before averting her eyes with a slight headshake, deftly undoing and refastening the buttons herself.

“…Hey. One small request?”

“Of course. I owe you so much already.”

“It was all business transactions – you bear no debt to me. Anyway…”

Winny gazed at Doyun’s chest region, where his heart resided.

“Later when you have time, let me sample your biological data like blood or mana.”

“Didn’t I provide plenty before?”

“That was then, this is now. I’ve never encountered a non-dragon lifeform housing not one, but two Dragon Hearts, you know. Honestly, I’m restraining an intense urge to dissect you on the spot.”

“How terrifying.”

Doyun chuckled wryly.

Upon those words, Duke Noir and Lei froze.

“…Pardon? What did you just say?”

“Dragon Hearts… Two of them? Huh…?”

They knew Doyun had learned the dragons’ mana cultivation art from Tiamat to create a Dragon Heart.

But two hearts? What did that even mean?

Startled or not, Winny continued buttoning Doyun’s outer robe as she spoke.

“I was amazed you managed to absorb that colossal mana quantity… But how did you conceive such an idea?”

“How did you find out?”

“I’ve implanted analysis magic in my eyes. You fashioned a second Dragon Heart within your chest cavity, didn’t you? Even Lady Tiamat who taught you the respiration method would be flabbergasted.”

An unfathomable notion even for an alchemist like herself.

Regarding mana, she sensed Doyun had surpassed even a Master Alchemist like herself by leaps and bounds.

Though already stunned once by her analysis magic, Duke Noir and Lei’s dumbfounded gapes only widened further upon learning this.

“W-, Woah… T-, Two Dragon Hearts…? And within a human body? Is that even possible?”

Lei mumbled in disbelieving envy, utterly awestruck.

“I-, I want… a Dragon Heart too…”

A human housing two Dragon Hearts sounded utterly mythical and surreal.

“I cannot currently utilize the second heart. It merely contains the mana I could not absorb – unusable excess capacity for now.”

Who could so nonchalantly downplay their own groundbreaking second Dragon Heart creation?

The trio licked their lips in amazement at his composed assessment.

“…In any case, congratulations. You bemoaned how arduous growth would be just a month ago, yet now you’ve advanced to realms I can scarcely fathom.”

“You flatter me unduly.”

Doyun calmly donned his outer robe with an impassive expression.

“Then… when will you meet with Elizabeth?”

“Has a time been arranged?”

“She requested ‘as soon as possible’ – seemed quite eager to meet today itself.”

Duke Noir trailed off, leaving the Sir Enoch part unspoken.

Yet Doyun could sense it nonetheless.

‘Unlikely she merely wishes to apologize…’

She clearly had an ulterior motive… But what?

“I’m available immediately.”

“Very well. I shall arrange a venue promptly.”

Doyun nodded.

This meeting would likely determine the Paladin Elizabeth’s future standing.

+++

In the outdoor garden of Duke Noir’s villa, at a patio table.

Doyun and Duke Noir awaited Elizabeth’s arrival, seated across from each other on opposite sides of the round table, with Duke Noir between them in the middle.

“She approaches.”

Elizabeth entered their sensory range.

Slowly strolling into view, she twirled a small dagger around her finger.

Wearing a tightly clinging, highly revealing outfit and carrying a permanently warped smile – the Alliance’s sole Assassin Paladin, the Madwoman Elizabeth.

“Welcome.”

“Tcheh.”

She took her seat, the finger dagger still spinning incessantly.

Duke Noir glanced at Doyun, who wore a faint polite smile – conveying cursory courtesy if nothing else, which Duke Noir found reassuring.

Given past events, he had worried, but Sir Enoch seemed unperturbed as the records stated – magnanimous towards talents.

The two leaned back, appraising each other from opposite chairs.

Though similarly reclined, Doyun propped his elbow on the armrest with a steepled hand, observing her objectively.

In contrast, Elizabeth’s posture exuded casual negligence – a slightly cocked neck and splayed legs as she incessantly spun the dagger around her finger.

Truly contrasting demeanors between the pair.

Elizabeth grinned slyly.

“Long time no see?”

“Indeed.”

“You’ve been well?”

“Yes.”

“Not me though.”

“My condolences.”

“Kekke. That fucking bastard.”

The dagger she twirled slipped from her finger.

Yet with uncanny precision and vicious force, it flew straight towards Doyun’s brow rather than dropping.

However, a dark void opened before his face, swallowing the dagger effortlessly.

Duke Noir flinched while Elizabeth’s brow twitched slightly.

“What now?”

Without changing his neutral expression, Doyun reached into his robe and retrieved something – the dagger that had vanished into the void.

Still maintaining eye contact with Elizabeth, he flicked his wrist casually, tossing the dagger aside into empty space.

Another void opened, making it disappear once more.

Moments later, a new void materialized right beside Elizabeth’s ear.

Thunk!

The dagger embedded itself into the chair’s backrest, mere inches from grazing her hair.

A few severed strands fluttered down.

“…”

“…”

Duke Noir’s mouth clamped shut, eyes widening at the fleeting altercation.

Leaning back nonchalantly, Doyun muttered expressionlessly.

“Mediocre.”

“…”

Elizabeth’s expression rapidly hardened.

Clack clack, clack-

A mantis perched on the table shuddered violently before keeling over. A bird overhead tumbled out of its nest branch.

A suffocating killing intent potent enough to instantly paralyze ordinary folk clashed intensely between them.

Twisting her grin grotesquely, Elizabeth stuck out her tongue, lightly grazing it with her front teeth – a coppery tang filling her mouth.

“Didn’t I say you remind me of Heineken? Yet where are the senior’s manners, huh?”

“…”

“What? Think you’ll win again?”

Silently, Doyun drummed his fingers against the armrest.

Utterly dominated in the aura clash and goading ignored, Elizabeth’s expression further soured as blood trickled from her incessantly licking tongue tip.

Eventually, with a grating sound:

Grrrk-

Elizabeth pushed herself up abruptly from the chair.

“Enough.”

Yet she halted in a hunched stance.

The tip of an elongated staff now pressed against her nape.

“Elizabeth. Any further unruliness shall not be tolerated.”

“…”

“Return to your seat.”

After briefly considering the drawn dagger in her grip, she meekly complied – an unexpectedly docile response.

A subtle glint flickered across Doyun’s eyes.

Putting down lunatics like her was incredibly easy. Indulge their provocations slightly, and they’d attack without hesitation, justifying retaliation.

Her antics aimed to goad him into providing such an excuse, yet she reined herself in just before crossing that line.

‘So she does have an ulterior motive.’

His index finger drummed against the armrest rhythmically.

With great effort, Duke Noir placated them both.

“…Are you not both esteemed champions representing the Alliance? Surely you can interact cordially without resorting to murderous hostility?”

Elizabeth shrugged dismissively with feigned nonchalance.

“Well, I’d rather not have blades at my throat again.”

Though borderline mocking, her words carried an uncharacteristic mildness for such a deranged woman – she truly wished to avoid further escalation.

Evidently, she harbored some objective motivating this meeting.

Her initial inflammatory comments likely stemmed from mere psychosis rather than calculated provocation.

Yet Doyun’s stance remained unchanged regardless.

Thereafter, under Duke Noir’s mediation, they exchanged superficial banter – her tone extremely discourteous, yet devoid of apparent malice, simply born of innate rudeness.

Despite initial misgivings, Duke Noir grew increasingly relieved by their relatively cooperative attitudes.

Until Elizabeth’s next statement caused his expression to freeze abruptly.

“Sir Duke. The two of us would like to talk privately.”

“…No.”

He flatly refused.

Unlike a month ago, no risk to Doyun’s safety existed regardless of any incident.

Yet his concern lay in any ‘incident’ occurring at all.

Duke Noir had hoped this meeting would foster better relations between them.

“Elizabeth. I advised you to remain civil.”

“It’s not some sinister ploy – just business negotiations.”

“Negotiations?”

It seemed the main subject had finally arrived, piquing even Doyun’s interest.

“There’s something of his I want. A legitimate trade negotiation. So…?”

“…”

Swayed by the ‘trade’ premise, Duke Noir wavered uncertainly.

Like Doyun, he had long sensed Elizabeth’s underlying intentions.

While unaware of the specifics, if negotiations proceeded fruitfully, it would undoubtedly improve relations.

Exchanging a glance with Doyun affirming his willingness to proceed, Duke Noir relented reluctantly.

“…Very well.”

Unable to deny Doyun’s wishes, Duke Noir excused himself.

Immediately, Elizabeth produced a parchment scroll from her pocket with an ominous smile.

“Sign it.”

Her tone carried an authoritative air, yet Doyun first perused the contents.

“…”

However, the preposterous terms caused him to set it down halfway without finishing.

Golden flames ignited from Doyun’s hands, incinerating the contract.

Fwooosh-

Twisting her lips into a grotesquely elongated grin, Elizabeth drawled:

“Wanna die?”

“…”

“I’ll give you another copy. Sign it if you don’t want troubles.”

She proffered another identical scroll.

Summarized, the contents stated:

[Party B ‘Han Doyun’ shall entirely relinquish ownership of the slave ‘Luna (full name to be appended later)’ to Party A ‘Elizabeth’, including all binding seals and management paraphernalia associated with said slave.]

[Party A ‘Elizabeth’ shall provide Party B ‘Han Doyun’ an upfront lump sum of 10,000 gold coins, plus an additional 20,000 gold coins paid in installments over 10 years.]

[This contract shall be adjudicated by the System upon signing, with violators forfeiting their lives.]

[All System mediation fees shall be borne by Party A.]

“Sign it. Or die.”

“…”

Killing intent flared within Doyun’s eyes.