episode_0122

A Blizzard Dragon appeared, wreaking havoc on the forest.

I know full well that the elves would hate this kind of entrance—and Piene noona would too.

But.

If it were the Blizzard Dragon I knew, this is exactly how it would have made its appearance.

“Who dares summon me?!”

Even its voice was identical to the real Blizzard Dragon’s.

The shadow clone is a creature capable of freely altering its form, so adjusting its vocal cords is no issue.

Mimicking a voice is child’s play.

‘What a useful clone.’

Though its stats are too weak to be of much use in combat,

for other purposes, it’s practically a jack-of-all-trades.

It’s made things a lot easier.

“GROOOOAAAR!!!”

The Blizzard Dragon roared, infused with mana.

It’s a species-exclusive skill that induces a wide-area fear effect—

but since it’s a non-elemental spell,

anyone can use it as long as they understand the principle.

However.

Almost no one outside of dragons ever bothers with roar skills.

Why?

Because it’s a disgustingly wasteful mana dump.

Unless you’re the type to flaunt overflowing mana reserves like a dragon, it’s too inefficient to be practical.

But.

I have the ultimate mana battery—Ellis.

Thanks to the shadow-link magic, I can siphon her mana like a straw while casting spells.

A little mana waste is nothing to me.

“Ughh…” “A… a dragon?…” “What in the…”

‘Works like a charm.’

The elves, struck by the Blizzard Dragon’s roar, trembled in terror—too frightened to even suspect it was fake.

With mana reserves on par with a real dragon,

this imitation was practically indistinguishable from the real thing.

So they couldn’t even question the forest’s destruction.

Against the Hero’s party, they had the confidence to act up, knowing they wouldn’t be killed.

But.

What if their opponent was a dragon?

‘They’d bow their heads.’

Dragons are creatures that could tear them apart without a second thought.

“Ughh…”

The only slight issue was…

Piene noona was also terrified…

Well…

That’s easy enough to brush off.

“It’s fine.” “H-huh?…” “I’m the one who summoned it. Just follow its lead, noona.”

I didn’t tell her it was my clone.

Piene noona is the worst liar in the Hero’s party.

If she knew it was fake, even the elves would notice from how stiff she’d sound.

So.

It’s better to let her believe I summoned a real dragon spirit.

…And with that, the charade begins.

‘I’m not great at lying either, so I’ve been caught by my own people plenty of times…’

But that’s only when lying to friends.

I get awkward when deceiving people close to me.

Call it guilt.

Call it remorse.

I’m the type whose conscience betrays them instantly.

However.

When it comes to lying to enemies?

I’m world-class.

Because no lie is too much for these bastards—my conscience stays perfectly clean.

So I went straight into action.

“To think such a pitiful race would tremble at a mere roar… Tsk tsk… After so long in slumber, to awaken and see such lowly creatures… It sickens me to my core.” “Ghk…”

The elves, who prided themselves as a superior race, twisted their faces in humiliation.

But.

They didn’t dare claim superiority in front of a dragon.

“However… This elf here seems passable.” “M-me?…” “You’re still a lowly creature, yes… but far better than the trash over there.” “Th-thank you!” “In that spirit, I shall grant you an opportunity.” “An… opportunity?…” “A temporary contract.” “A c-contract?! With me?!” “!!!!!!”

The elves collectively gasped, staring at Piene noona in shock.

Just moments ago, they mocked her as a failure who couldn’t even handle spirits.

Now?

She was about to form a contract—

and not with some low-tier spirit,

but a dragon-shaped entity powerful enough to subdue their entire race in an instant.

So?

What does this mean?

‘Imagine thinking someone was a street beggar, only to find out they were hidden royalty. That’s the level of impact we’re dealing with here.’

Oh, right.

Even in the Prophecy RPG, this had some effect.

After all, she did contract with a spirit in the game.

But.

In the RPG, Piene noona’s contracted spirit was a fire spirit.

And since the elves rejected fire magic,

they rejected the fire spirit too.

Result?

They kept looking down on her.

But.

This time?

No chance in hell.

…With that in mind, I manipulated the Blizzard Dragon.

“This is not a formal contract.” “Ah…” “I am but a summoned avatar. My true body resides in a nest at the northern edge.” “The northern edge?…” “Indeed. If you truly wish to contract with me, seek me there. Only then shall I grant you a true pact.” “A true contract…” “Does this displease you?” “N-no! I’m grateful, truly! I just… don’t understand why someone as great as you would offer this to someone like me…” “There is no reason.” “Huh?…” “This is but a game to me.” “A… game?…” “I live an eternal life, akin to a god. Transcending the flesh of a dragon, I exist as a spirit—near-divine.”

Not entirely a lie.

The Blizzard Dragon in the Prophecy RPG said the same.

“Yet… immortality is not all bliss. I’ve lived so long that I’ve exhausted all joys. My existence has grown dull.” “Yeah. Live too long, and even the fun things get boring.”

Serena, standing nearby, nodded in agreement.

Anyway.

I kept manipulating the dragon as I spoke.

“Beings like you are the sparks that reignite my life.” “M-me?…” “Yes. You are far too weak to wield my power. Yet, that very weakness makes you fascinating.” “Fascinating?…” “Indeed. I am too strong—life bores me. But you? You are so weak that your life remains… entertaining.”

The Blizzard Dragon glanced at the elves.

“Take those worms, for example.” “Huh?…” “So pathetically weak, they spent their lives groveling before such insects. KHAHAHAHA! How amusing!” “Th-that’s… amusing?…” “Of course! Clearing the obstacles from my future companion’s path? There’s no greater joy!” “Ah…”

Exactly.

The Blizzard Dragon loves revenge stories.

It revels in descending personally to annihilate every last tormentor of its chosen protagonist.

The key?

The protagonist must be pure-hearted.

A righteous hero, aided by

a badass dragon that crushes evil.

Ahh…

What a glorious tale.

…Such is the Blizzard Dragon’s taste.

So?

How did Ellis contract with such a dragon?

Wasn’t she too strong to need its power?

No.

By the Blizzard Dragon’s standards, even Ellis was weak.

At least, in the Prophecy RPG.

‘Now, though… Hmm…’

Ellis has grown so strong she could probably defeat the real Blizzard Dragon in a fight.

No need for contracts now.

‘Or… maybe?’

They could still clash, with the dragon declaring, “You’re the first to surpass me!” before forming a pact.

‘Well… That’s not important right now.’

The key point is this:

The Blizzard Dragon adores helping protagonists crush their villains.

So?

Who’s the villain in Piene noona’s story?

‘Obviously, the elves.’

…With that thought, I made my move.

“My delight lies in eradicating the evils that bar my companion’s path! And now, I see such filth before me! Come! Contract with me, and let us revel in this pleasure!” “Eeek!…”

The elves paled, staring in horror.

Suppressing a laugh, I proceeded.

“The temporary contract shall be sealed with a fist.” “Ah!… Y-yes!” “Offer your hand.” “Yes!”

Piene noona hesitantly raised her fist.

Tap.

The Blizzard Dragon slowly met it with its own.

In that instant—

The surroundings froze as the dragon unleashed a deafening roar.

“GROOOOAAAR! Behold these wretched fools! They dare call themselves noble, yet act as the most vile of creatures! Such disgrace!!!”

This roar carried an even more potent fear effect than before.

Even a temporary contract is still a contract.

And when spirits contract, they share fragments of memory.

So the Blizzard Dragon now “knew” Piene noona’s past.

…Or so the act went.

“I despise vermin like these the most! Hypocrites who preach purity while wallowing in filth!”

The dragon turned its head.

“Yet… I adore their appearance.”

Why?

Isn’t it obvious?

“Because crushing them is my greatest joy.”

The Blizzard Dragon summoned an army of ice knights.

Using Ellis’s mana, I materialized 100 ice knight puppets,

then controlled them via the shadow clone.

“Are you prepared, villains?!”

The knights raised their icy clubs in unison.

“Insects. You should be grateful for my companion’s mercy. She does not wish for your deaths—so I shall grant you… leniency.”

I won’t kill them.

But.

As long as they live, anything else is fair game, right?

…Or so I thought—

“Dragon!” “What?” “Don’t hold back! I can revive them if they die! Go wild!” “Oho… Delightful words.”

Hearing Ria’s declaration, the Blizzard Dragon grinned.

“I adore unrestrained violence!!! CHARGE, MY KNIGHTS!!!” “““ROOOOAAAR!!!””

The knights roared, clubs raised, as they surged forward.

“R-run!!!”

The elves tried to flee—

Ping!

But Ria’s massive barrier trapped them.

“Running? Not until you pay for laying hands on my master.”

Ria’s smile was icy.

Damn.

Just told her to drop the crybaby act, and she flips like this?

Good.

This is the comrade I know.