Chapter 1566
“There was no clue at all until she was found in the Red Sea?”
“Yes, by the time we captured her traces, a few Breaths have already overlapped. It is just that the radar didn’t detect it in the meantime.”
“It is from the east. She has been hiding on the East Continent.”
At Hayate’s office…
Biban entered one step late. The meeting was already underway. The artifacts filled with ancient languages and formulas flashed, revealing the condition and location of Ifrit.
“Ifrit is Trauka’s child. It isn’t known when she will be eaten, so it isn’t strange for her to hide.”
“The fact that she is back now...”
Just because they were the Tower of Wisdom didn’t mean they could grasp all the actions of the dragons. It was difficult to monitor unless they were active every cycle like the gourmet dragon Raiders, or if they didn’t show explicit signs like the current Ifrit. The dragon radar created by the Fronzaltz brothers wasn’t omnipotent.
“...Did she get her hands on the fragment of Baal’s power?”
“It is likely that this is the case. It is right that a second evil dragon has been born.”
“The Pioneer failed...”
“It can’t be helped. How can he handle it if the opponent is Ifrit, a top grade fire dragon? Grid can’t do it alone even if Ifrit is in a state of great injury.”
“It is my fault. Grid is in trouble due to me.”
Betty’s pale face stiffened. She was like a corpse. It was right for her to lie down in a coffin. The body she hid using a robe was actually a dead body. More than half of it were white bones.
“This isn’t the time to blame yourself. We have to quickly identify Ifrit’s destination... this?” Radwolf suddenly became shocked. His voice trembled as he shot up from his seat. “Ifrit is heading to the west...”
“The west?”
“c.o.kro Island... it is in the direction of c.o.kro Island.”
“It is the Overgeared Empire!”
The Overgeared Kingdom was now an empire. More than two-thirds of the continent had become the territory of the Overgeared Empire. However, most of the areas that could be called key points were concentrated in the west. c.o.kro Island was one of them.
“That guy, Ifrit, is she going to retaliate against the Pioneer...?!”
The reason why Ifrit acc.u.mulated the Breath wasn’t to compete for territory. Indeed, the only lair that Ifrit would covet was Trauka’s lair. She couldn’t challenge Trauka right now even with Baal’s power.
“I think there is a deep grudge. She must’ve been disturbed during the process of gaining Baal’s power.”
“The population density of the Overgeared Empire is the largest in history. More than half of humanity will be destroyed if the Overgeared Empire is targeted by Ifrit.”
In the midst of the turmoil—
“I will go.”
Hayate got up from his seat.
***
“This is real...” Grid muttered in a mesmerized manner as he enjoyed Ifrit’s flight. It felt like he was piercing the sky. It was because very familiar scenery entered his view. c.o.kro Island was visible on the horizon. The intercontinental movement, which was physically difficult to achieve, ended in an instant.
‘Will riding a missile feel like this?’
Grid’s black hair was disheveled and completely blown back. His hair was pushed back, like it was covered in oil. It matched well with his strong impression.
[It is up to here. Humans will be afraid if I approach more than this.]
“Are you being... considerate?”
[Hoh, I see. I stopped because I didn’t want you to be embarra.s.sed based on your position. Is this what people call consideration?]
Ifrit’s huge eyes seemed to curve.
[Overgeared G.o.d. A great person who overshadows the years. Perhaps I have a strange feeling toward you. However, don’t worry. It was a mania temporarily suffered due to the influence of being exposed to Baal’s power.]
“It isn’t mania.”
Grid recalled the days when he was alone. It was a time when he doubted the goodwill of others. It was a time when he felt anxious about being liked by others. It was unfamiliar. It was so unfamiliar that he was afraid and denied it.
“You are perfect and have always been alone, so you might find it hard to understand... today, you received a lot of help from me, so you are grateful. It is small, but you feel some liking toward me. This is a natural emotion, not mania.”
[Hmm...]
“It is a feeling that will grow naturally if we continue to interact and communicate in the future. You will feel and understand it clearly someday.” Grid proposed a future for Ifrit. He wanted that power and he didn’t want to miss out on the hard-earned strange fate, and he also felt sorry for Ifrit. He hoped they would be together in the future.
[Continue in the future...]
The future was naturally a guaranteed right for dragons. However, it was different for Ifrit.Her horn was just a temporary reproduction made by Grid. She had already lost her eternal life. Still, she didn’t say this. She didn’t want to say it for some reason.
Ifrit stuck out her long neck. It was a gesture to say goodbye. Grid used the neck as a slide to come down before opening his dragon wings. He intended to fly to be at Ifrit’s eye level, hoping that even a small sympathy would be formed. Of course, it might not be the right answer, but it was an effort to gain more of Ifrit’s favor.
[They are trivial wings.]
Ifrit snorted.
Grid didn’t deny it. He felt like a fly as he spread out his wings in front of Ifrit.
“......”
Grid stretched out his fist. Ifrit c.o.c.ked her head and extended her horn. It was to share a greeting with the shabby horn that didn’t match the huge body.
Tok.
Grid’s fist touched Ifrit’s horn.
“......?” Grid felt a certain hot sensation penetrating his body.
Ifrit explained, [I left a trace of my magic power in you. In the future, many dragons, except for some, will be afraid of you.]
Just then—
[...!]
[......!!]
The system that was stuck, as if it had been lagging, started to work again.
[You are the first to accomplish a feat that doesn’t exist in any legends or myths.]
[Your great achievement will generate the only one t.i.tle, ‘Dragon Knight’.]
[Dragon Knight]
[Rating: Only one
You have a rapport with dragons.
Dragons belonging to the sub and mid-tier dragons won’t antagonize you.
Rather, they will respect you and reproduce ‘Ifrit’s Anecdote.’
The anecdote here refers to when you boarded Ifrit and defeated the three masters.
★ Some dragons can be used as a ‘mount.’
★ Your status will rise dramatically when riding a dragon.
★ All stats will increase when riding a dragon.
The increase in stat values is affected by the stats of the dragon you are riding.
★The skill ‘Dragon Breath’ is activated while riding the dragon.
The Breath’s power is affected by the stats of the dragon you are riding.
★★ A hatchling isn’t included in the targets. ★★]
‘The only one...!’
It was an unfamiliar rating. However, it was definitely above the myth rating. It was clearly a sentence used for Martial G.o.d Chiyou. Chiyou was one of the strongest existences in the current worldview. The effect of Dragon Knight proved the ‘only one’ rating.
No antagonism with some dragons.
Dragons could be ridden.
His status would rise dramatically when riding a dragon.
All stats would increase when riding a dragon.
Additionally, the activation of the Dragon Breath skill.
This... in short, it meant ‘invincible.’ Grid was feeling thrilled when he suddenly frowned.
‘Why is it emphasizing the last effect?’
There were as many as four stars. It went beyond the level of conveying ‘information’ that he couldn’t ride a hatchling i.e. Nefelina, and it had almost a teasing feeling.
‘...It should be an illusion.’
It felt very unpleasant, but Grid controlled his mind. He believed he was reacting too sensitively. The S.A Group might be a bully, but it was the world’s largest company. They might deceive players, but they wouldn’t blatantly mock players...
“I will always remember your traces and cherish them.”
[......]
“...Ifrit?”
[Um... It is strange that my heart feels itchy every time you speak. As expected, mania seems to fit. I am going to leave before it gets worse.]
“Haha... Are you planning to go back to your lair and rest?”
[...Yes.]
There was no lair to go back to. She lost everything to Trauka. Nevertheless, there was no need to explain it.
“Then we’ll be able to reunite in around 100 years time.”
This was speculation based on the gourmet dragon Raiders waking up in a 100 year cycle. 100 years was a very long time for Grid. It was a future that would happen in 33 years of real time.
For Grid who was feeling sad, Ifrit shared even sadder information. [100 years is too short. I don’t know when it will be, so you don’t have to wait.]
“I see...” It seemed that it would take a very long time for the original horn to recover. Grid was convinced. He shook off his disappointment. As the encounter with Ifrit proved, relations.h.i.+ps sometimes came without warning. There was no law that it couldn"t be the same for reunions.
Grid said his farewells politely, “Then... goodbye.”
Ifrit turned away without any further words. A flap of her wings created a storm as she left. The atmosphere howled. It was a howl suggesting the end of Ifrit. However, Grid didn’t notice. The tower members, who were looking at Grid with awe from a distance, also failed to predict what was about to happen.
It was normal. Humans didn’t understand dragons. Therefore, they were unpredictable. This was why all dragons were abnormal from a human perspective.
“Grid... you...?”
“Eh...?”
Grid turned back with surprise. All the tower members, including Hayate and Biban, had arrived at the scene. They were even all riding on the shoulders of the magic machines.
“Are you going to war?” Grid asked in a dumbfounded manner.
“You became friends with a dragon?” Betty asked back in her distinct, low tone.
The other tower members were silent. They had mesmerized expressions and couldn’t shut their mouths. Even the n.o.ble Hayate, who was like the specimen of an aristocrat, was unable to manage his facial expression.
“Ah, yes... probably... somehow...”
“Why? I asked you to destroy Baal’s power fragment. How did you become friends with a dragon?”
“That... I also don’t really know... I’m sorry...” Grid apologized for the incident.
The tower members had devoted their whole lives to protecting the world from dragons. They sacrificed everything because of the dragons. Confessing to them that he became friends with a dragon... he felt a strange guilt.
“Huh? Don’t be sorry. Well done. Thank you.” Betty shook her head. Then she approached Grid and hugged him.
“Great! It is praiseworthy.”
In fact, the expression ‘was embraced’ was appropriate. Betty’s height was a bit over 140 centimeters, so it couldn’t be helped structurally.
[Affinity with the 4th Seat of the Tower of Wisdom, ‘Betty,’ has reached the maximum.]
“Hah...”
The tower members were even more fl.u.s.tered than Grid. Even the tower members, who had been with Betty for hundreds of years, had never seen her showing liking for someone.
“...Why are you saying this now?” Biban was speaking nonsense again.
“Why did you become friends with Ifrit?! Why didn’t you say it in advance?!” Biban shouted while his legs were trembling.
It was the aftermath of a tide of relief. In fact, he had intended to fight against Ifrit with all his strength. He intended to help Grid and the Overgeared Empire, even if it meant revealing the existence of the Tower of Wisdom or giving his life. It was natural to feel responsible now that the tower had plunged Grid into a crisis.
However, the situation was cleared up and this overshadowed his determination. He felt both happy and empty.
“No, what are you saying...?” Grid grumbled while unaware of Biban’s inner thoughts.
It was a peaceful scene. The tower members started to regain their smiles one by one when Hayate made a suggestion, “Why don’t we go back to the tower? There are many things I want to hear from you.”
“Yes.”
Grid followed behind the tower members. They flew high into the sky.
At this moment—
———!
The world shook. Whirlpools appeared in the rough sea and c.o.kro Island experienced turbulence like it was a s.h.i.+p. This wasn’t the end. The entire continent beyond c.o.kro Island started to shake. It was the moment of a tectonic s.h.i.+ft. A huge power was changing the position of the entire continent.
Radwolf reflexively confirmed it with the dragon radar and fell silent for a moment. “Ifrit... she has died...”
“......?”
“Trauka also seems to be seriously injured.”
“......”
The energy slipped out of Grid’s body. He recalled Ifrit’s last expression.
The slightly curved eyes.
In hindsight, he was sure that it was a smile.