The wind died down, and the chirping of birds ceased. It was as if the world itself had held its breath in a tense silence. Arterion’s piercing eyes glowed ominously. Inside his open mouth, a faint blue light began to pulse. He intended to unleash his breath and obliterate the humans before him in a single attack. These insignificant beings—mere humans—would never be able to withstand the extreme cold of his breath. But before he could release the attack, Ghislain shouted loudly toward the sky. “Arterion!” For a moment, a hint of curiosity appeared in Arterion’s eyes. The energy he was gathering faltered as he lowered his head slightly. “A human... knows my name?” He had been confined for a thousand years. Even if his name had been recorded in history, there was no way humans could know he had been imprisoned here. His domain was now an inaccessible, forgotten expanse of snowy wasteland. Curiosity stirred within him. Who was this human, and how did they know his name? Ghislain continued. “I am Duke Fenris of the Ruthania Kingdom! The one who brought down the resurrected Salvation Order! I know you are searching for the Adversary!” Arterion’s eyes widened. How could this human know such a thing? But a possibility soon came to mind—his old friend who had been helping the humans. “Could it be... you’ve met Ereneth?” If that were the case, it wouldn’t be surprising that they knew of his goal. Moreover, the statement about defeating the Salvation Order piqued his interest. “You destroyed the resurrected Salvation Order?” Arterion had heard from Ereneth that humans and the Salvation Order were at war. Had the war already ended in the meantime? Suddenly, he recalled Ereneth’s words from before: — There is an exceptional human leader. He acts as if he has foreseen everything and prepares accordingly. “Ah, so you must be that human leader,” Arterion said with a faint smile. He had been surprised when he heard that these humans had fought and even temporarily halted the Rift’s expansion. Though they were weaker than they had been a thousand years ago, to have achieved such feats against the Salvation Order and the Rifts was truly remarkable. He felt a sudden curiosity about this human. Ghislain’s voice rang out again. “I wish to speak with you about that matter! We can assist you!” “Assist me? You, assisting me?” Arterion’s eyes narrowed slightly. This human was intriguing. After a moment’s deliberation, Arterion nodded. “Very well... You seem worthy of speaking with me.” Arterion murmured softly and began to descend. As he did, a dazzling light radiated from his body. When the blinding light subsided, a breathtakingly handsome man with white hair stood on the ground. His presence was so overwhelming that everyone gasped. Step. Step. Arterion, now in human form, approached with unhurried steps. Stopping a few paces away from Ghislain, he spoke in a resonant voice. “I am the eternal ruler of blizzards, the guardian of wisdom, the Lord of Frost, the keeper of the world’s balance, and the last Dragon Lord—Arterion. I will grant you an audience.” Despite the grandiose self-introduction, no one found it out of place. His prideful demeanor fit perfectly with his aura. Behind Ghislain, Kaor finally regained his composure and burst out indignantly. “And I am the Leather King of Ruthania, the Ogre Slayer, and nearly the Cyclops Slayer—!” “Mmmpf!” Belinda quickly covered Kaor’s mouth and dragged him back. Arterion chuckled at the display. “You remind me of an old friend who talked big like that.” Ghislain gave a faint, knowing smile. He had an idea of whom Arterion was referring to. Arterion’s sharp gaze settled on Ghislain. “Are you the representative of these humans?” “For now, yes.” “Is it true that you destroyed the Salvation Order?” “Their main forces are gone, though some remnants remain. We are currently pursuing them.” Arterion regarded Ghislain with a peculiar expression. “For a mere human, you speak with remarkable arrogance. But I will overlook it, as your accomplishments are not insignificant. Now, tell me again why you requested this conversation.” “I heard from Ereneth that you are searching for the Adversary, the so-called King of the Salvation Order. He is our enemy as well.” “And?” “There’s no need for you to harm humans while searching for him. We will assist you in finding him.” Ghislain’s voice was cold and steady. Arterion smirked at his expression. This human knew who he was, yet dared to look at him with such eyes. Arterion glanced around. “Hm...” In the distance, he noticed several small fortresses scattered across the area. There were quite a few of them, all newly constructed. He wasn’t certain of their purpose, but it was clear they had been built to confront him. “Do you intend to fight me?” “If necessary.” 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺 “That would only be if negotiations fail, correct?” “Correct.” The tense exchange made everyone around grip their weapons tightly. A heavy silence settled over the area. At that moment, Priestess Piote timidly stepped forward. “U-Um... I am Piote, a priestess of Juana. Isn’t it unnecessary for us to fight when we share the same enemy? Surely the goddess would not desire such wasteful conflict.” “Fight? A fight only exists between those who are worthy. Do you think you are worthy of fighting me?” “...” It was an immensely arrogant remark, yet no one could refute it. After all, their opponent was a dragon—a supreme and unparalleled being. Arterion sneered at Piote. “Even if your goddess herself appeared, I wouldn’t listen. I no longer believe in worthless goddesses. In fact, I despise them.” “Th-That’s...” Piote was flustered. Dragons were said to be created by the goddesses to protect the world. For such a creation to openly reject its creators—and in such a demeaning manner—was beyond shocking. “How dare you!” Boom! Parniel stepped forward, gripping her mace tightly. As a saintess, she couldn’t tolerate such blasphemy. Divine power radiated from her body in every direction. “Whoa, wait a moment.” Ghislain stretched out a hand to stop her, and Belinda, Gillian, and Kaor blocked her path. Tenant edged closer to Ghislain. Belinda gave an awkward laugh. “He’s just a nonbeliever, right? Different species, different perspectives. Maybe save the inquisition for later?” Kaor chimed in nervously. “Yeah, freedom of religion and all—” Kaor’s voice trailed off as Parniel glared at him. Grinding her teeth, Parniel reluctantly lowered her mace. As a saintess, she couldn’t let such words slide, but she also didn’t want unnecessary casualties. She glared at Arterion, trying to calm the storm within her. Arterion, amused, spoke again. “Judging by your aura, you’re a saintess, aren’t you? The saintesses of this era are truly lacking. You can only use the power of one goddess.” “Speak no nonsense. A saintess is chosen by one goddess alone.” “Hmm, so the goddesses are still incapable of wielding their full power.” “Silence!” “But... I sense another saintess among you.” Arterion ignored the growling Parniel and turned his gaze to Piote. Piote, startled, stammered, “I... I’m not a saintess, though?” “What nonsense is this? Though weaker than hers, I sense a fundamental power within you.” “I... I’m a man,” Piote said hesitantly. “...” Arterion froze. A man could not be a saintess. And yet, there was no mistaking the aura emanating from Piote—an essence strikingly similar to that of a saintess. This was incomprehensible. For the Dragon Lord, who prided himself on infallible wisdom, to mistake the presence of divine energy? Moreover, no matter how he looked at Piote, the figure appeared entirely feminine. Not simply an attractive man but unmistakably... a woman. Unintentionally, Arterion asked a foolish question. “Why do you look like that?” “...I don’t know,” Piote replied with a sullen expression. It wasn’t his fault that he looked like this, yet here he was being misunderstood—even by a dragon. It was utterly unfair. The tense atmosphere eased as laughter erupted around them. Those nearby tried their best to stifle their chuckles. Arterion, observing the humans’ reactions, let out a hearty laugh of his own. “The human world truly has changed a great deal.” Though there was tension in the air, there was also a peculiar ease among these humans. Their composure suggested they were ready to fight him if necessary. Even a thousand years ago, it was rare for anyone to show such resolve before a dragon—only heroes and their companions dared to act this way. Nostalgia buoyed his mood, and Arterion waved his hand. A small table and chairs materialized between him and Ghislain. They seemed to appear out of thin air, though in truth, they were pulled from a spatial rift. “Sit. I’ve decided I’d like to hear you out.” Ghislain calmly took his seat. Arterion fixed him with an intent gaze and asked, “Now, tell me—how can you be of help to me?” “...” Ghislain remained silent for a moment. As expected of a dragon, the pressure Arterion exuded was immense, laced with a palpable killing intent. It was a test. Ghislain drew upon his mana, not to release it but to endure. He held his ground, standing firm against the oppressive aura. “Ho...” Arterion murmured in faint admiration, his gaze growing more curious. Ignoring the dragon’s scrutiny, Ghislain began to explain carefully. “We’re also tracking the remnants of the Salvation Order. Rather than tearing through the continent yourself, it would be far more efficient to utilize us. We’ll send people to every corner of the land to search for traces.” He emphasized that the allied forces could assist Arterion in many ways. Arterion listened intently. It wasn’t a bad proposal. In fact, it was more reasonable than his own plan. Finding the Adversary alone wasn’t easy. If the Adversary chose to hide among humans, it would be nearly impossible to locate him. However, humans were scattered across the continent. Using them would make it much easier to find the Adversary, even if he tried to conceal himself. Arterion nodded. “Your proposal is flawless. I see no reason to reject it.” It was an earnest admission. Why would he refuse when this could achieve his goal faster and more conveniently? Hearing his agreement, the humans around him breathed a collective sigh of relief. Negotiations had gone far more smoothly than expected. Some even wondered why Ereneth had been so worried. But Ghislain remained on edge. Something feels off, he thought. Though Arterion exuded an overwhelming presence befitting a supreme being, there was something unsettlingly erratic about him. Especially those eyes... In his past life, Ghislain had never been this close to Arterion in human form. He hadn’t noticed before, but now he saw it clearly. Faint streaks of red marred the dragon’s otherwise brilliant blue eyes, as if blood vessels had burst beneath the surface. This creature... Is he truly sane? In his previous life, Arterion had been a mindless force of destruction, earning the title of the Mad Dragon. There had been no room for negotiation, no reason for dialogue. The united forces of humanity had fought with all their might to kill him. Conversations were irrelevant then. Even now, traces of madness seemed to flicker in Arterion’s gaze, faint but unmistakable. Arterion, having nodded a few times as if in agreement with his own thoughts, spoke again. “So, I am to follow you? When do we begin?” He paused mid-sentence, his expression shifting abruptly. Once more, his thoughts clouded as if veiled in fog. It was like the sensation of insects crawling under his skin. As he focused on the feeling, a cascade of unrelated thoughts surged into his mind. Wait, why was I heading to the Turian Kingdom? What have I been doing all this time? I had a purpose, didn’t I? He had set out to find the Adversary. To kill him. There was no need to rush now, though. The humans had offered to help. Yet... shouldn’t he still go? Arterion mumbled vacantly, “...Yes, because the Adversary is there.” “What?” “I must find the Adversary and kill him.” “We already said we would help you with that.” “A good proposal. But...” Arterion’s words trailed off. He looked directly at Ghislain, his expression unreadable. A heavy silence settled over the area. Slowly, Arterion began to speak again. “However, I find myself wondering something.” “...” Crack! Arterion’s mouth twisted unnaturally, stretching into a grotesque smile that reached his ears. His blue ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ eyes had turned a deep, malevolent red. Suddenly, the surrounding area was overwhelmed by an icy, suffocating chill. “Why should I bother keeping insects like you alive? Wouldn’t it be simpler to kill you all?” Simultaneously, Ghislain drew his sword in a flash of movement. Without a moment’s hesitation, he aimed directly for Arterion’s neck.