Chapter 6: Dragon's Dream (4)
"Welcome, members of Blue Rose!"
A towering middle-aged man spread his arms wide to greet them.
His immense frame was hard to believe belonged to a mere human.
Even through his formal attire, one could clearly see the signs of a body honed through relentless discipline.
The sheer intensity of his presence filled the room, leaving everyone breathless.
He was the current head of Dragon's Dream, a man who may have surpassed even the realm of heroes—perhaps even broken past the domain of irregulars.
And for Blue Rose, this was their first time seeing him in the flesh.
"I am... well, though it's far more honor than I deserve, I currently serve as the sixth Clan Head of Dragon's Dream—Monkyspanner El Dragondream. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh my... what a man…"
Gagaran let out an involuntary sigh of admiration, her voice trembling slightly at the low, commanding tone that echoed through the hall.
Before her stood the man of her dreams—every inch the ideal she had long fantasized about.
That massive, powerful physique looked even more trained than that of the kingdom's famed warrior, Gazef Stronoff.
She was utterly captivated.
And that rugged face! A wild, rough charm that would put any mountain bandit to shame—those bushy sideburns, that thick beard! Gagaran was convinced: she had met the man of her life.
While Lakyus and Evileye subtly averted their eyes, and the twin ninja sisters mumbled under their breath, things like "Ugh…" or "Half-ogre?"—Gagaran blushed like a maiden in springtime.
Usually, when people called her things like "Virgin Hunter," "Man-Eater," or "That's not a chest, that's a pec deck," she would simply laugh and beat the offenders half to death. But at this moment—she was simply a woman. Nothing more.
Her face flushed bright red—so much so that anyone with normal emotional processing would look away out of secondhand embarrassment.
Unfortunately for the ninja sisters beside her, they didn't, and were thus subjected to the full view, both groaning in unison. "Ugh."
"Umm… Clan Head of DragonDream, sir?"
"Please, just call me Monkyspanner, Miss Gagaran of Blue Rose."
"Oh my gods!"
Gagaran immediately buried her face in her hands.
"Miss"? She couldn't even remember the last time someone had called her that.
Everyone who knew her treated her as a hardened warrior, never as a lady. And whenever her femininity was mentioned, it was usually in jest or derision.
But this ideal man—he saw her as a woman.
She could feel her world being painted in rose hues. Her memories of making countless men cry faded into oblivion. From this day forward, she would walk a straight path—toward her ideal.
"Gagaran! Gagaran, snap out of it!"
"Y-Yeah, get a grip! You can't afford to embarrass us in front of Lord Monkyspanner!"
Evileye and Lakyus hastily grabbed Gagaran from both sides and shook her back to her senses.
Sure, the man had a rather... unique name, but his strength was undeniable. He was the head of the Great House—clearly someone beyond the realm of even elite irregulars.
Acting disrespectfully before someone like that could spell disaster. Even Blue Rose wouldn't walk away unscathed—
"Bwahaha! Oh, come now. It's only natural for strong men to attract fine women! I don't mind if you fall for me—don't worry yourself over it!"
"A fine woman, you say… Lord Monkyspanner, you flatter me…"
"He's not kidding," muttered one of the ninja twins with a deadpan voice. "That's 100% sincere."
Evileye and Lakyus, now supporting the dazed Gagaran, forcibly sat her down and quickly took their own seats as well.
Monkyspanner, still chuckling, gave a few polite coughs and then took his seat opposite the five members of Blue Rose.
"Well then, introductions are… already done, I believe. We know each other well enough, so I hope you won't mind if we skip the formalities and get straight to the matter at hand. I'd love to offer a proper meal, but unfortunately, both your side and mine are quite busy these days."
"I-I'm not busy at a—!"
"We appreciate your hospitality. Let's get straight to business!"
"I'm already tired…"
"Same…"
"For once… I completely agree…"
Lakyus had quickly clamped a hand over Gagaran's mouth and replied without pause. Next to her, the ninja twins collapsed over the table, their jaws resting on the wood in clear exhaustion. Even Evileye, despite her mask, looked visibly drained.
As expected from the Clan Head of the Great House—he had flipped Blue Rose upside down in just a few minutes.
Just then, a maid entered the room and quietly set down tea and snacks for six before slipping away.
The ninja twins remained slumped over the table, nibbling on cookies, while Gagaran still gazed dreamily at Monkyspanner, eyes sparkling like a girl in love.
It was chaos incarnate.
Evileye, who as an undead should never feel such things, clutched her forehead beneath her hood. It felt like she was developing a headache.
"Hmph. Well, it looks like everyone's calmed down. Shall we get to the heart of the matter?"
"Yes, please do."
"You're already aware of the strange incidents happening throughout the kingdom, I presume? These events, which may soon affect the nation itself."
"What exactly do you mean by strange incidents?"
"Exactly what it sounds like—anomalies."
With a flick, Monkyspanner pulled a single document from the stack beside him and handed it to Lakyus.
The moment she scanned the page, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Most of the incidents listed were ones she already knew.
In fact, not knowing them would be more suspicious—commoners in the royal capital had heard of them too.
But the level of detail here was far beyond anything she had seen. Some entries even included information that clearly shouldn't be known by the public—or perhaps, shouldn't be known at all.
"Th-this is…"
"It's a summary of recent events. The ghost ship sightings along the highway near the Katze Plains, the disappearances of entire villages across the kingdom, the undead invasion of E-Rantel, and most recently, the appearance of a vampire near the city outskirts. Every last one of them is a potential national-level threat."
He waved a hand casually.
"Granted, powerful undead showing up near the Katze Plains isn't new. The village disappearances were the handiwork of the Theocracy, and the undead invasion was carried out by a heretical cult called Zurrernorn. All of that's been confirmed. Still, something doesn't sit right with me—that's why I summoned you."
"But… wasn't the village disappearance explained as the work of a notorious bandit gang? Didn't Warrior-Captain Gazef Stronoff defeat them already?"
"Hmm? Ah, that was a cover story. Likely fabricated because the Theocracy's hostility toward the kingdom couldn't be officially acknowledged. Either Gazef glossed over the truth himself, or someone higher up decided to hush it. And frankly, that mission always smelled like someone was targeting Gazef on purpose, if you ask me."
His tone was offhand, almost dismissive—but the implications were heavy.
Lakyus gripped the paper so tightly it nearly tore. She wanted to believe it wasn't true. That the Theocracy had committed mass slaughter in a kingdom village… If that truth came to light, the kingdom might fall into chaos.
Blue Rose had clashed with the Theocracy once before.
Their elite force, the Sunlight Scripture, had attempted to wipe out the village of Ein.
The two groups had fought, inflicted damage on one another, and ultimately withdrew.
But even then, Lakyus had thought it a small-scale skirmish—not a full-blown declaration of war.
But if the conflict had grown to the national level, then the balance of the world itself was teetering.
The Re-Estize Kingdom had only been able to endure the pressure of the neighboring Empire thanks to the presence of the Theocracy on the opposite border—there was always the hope of their intervention if things got out of hand.
And now to hear that the Theocracy was working to destroy the kingdom?
The despair of it left Lakyus trembling.
"H-how do you even know all this…?"
"Oh, nothing special. Let's just say my ears are sharp enough to catch whispers from even the deepest corners of the royal palace."
A cold sweat formed on Lakyus's brow.
Monkyspanner's words meant that he had agents embedded throughout the capital—perhaps even at the heart of the government. And the fact that he could say it so casually meant only one thing:
He wasn't worried if they found out.
There was no point in resisting, no use in overthinking.
This man—head of the Great House, someone even the Empire and Theocracy wouldn't dare provoke—had power that rivaled or even exceeded the kingdom's own ruler.
Lakyus couldn't help but wonder if there were more people loyal to him than to the crown itself.
He possessed power that transcended national authority. And he deserved it.
Of course, that also meant the kingdom—already shaky at best—might not be worth pledging loyalty to anymore…
She thought of her friend, Princess Renner, and smiled bitterly to herself. Her stomach twisted. She sipped her tea to calm her nerves.
"And now, you—" Monkyspanner's eyes locked onto Evileye. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the vampire sighting, would you?"
In that moment—Evileye, who had been silently observing the one-sided exchange between Lakyus and Monkyspanner—felt a chill run down her spine. His piercing gaze seemed to cut right through her hood and mask.
"W-why would you ask me about that…?"
"Out of all the recent incidents, the vampire one feels… off. The others all had a clear cause and perpetrators. But not this. The so-called vampire left behind only destruction. No body, no relics, no loot. Supposedly it was defeated, and yet nothing remains. And something tells me you might know a thing or two about that, hmm?"
"I—! I don't. But…"
Evileye tensed.
Why was he looking at her while talking about vampires?
Could it be…?
Had her identity been exposed?
No… there's no way.
This mask was a legendary artifact—crafted over 200 years ago by a friend. Not even a hero who surpassed the standards of the "Outliers" should be able to see through it.
And yet, that gaze—firm and unrelenting—was shaking Evileye's certainty.
She instinctively readied herself to bolt at any moment. She had no intention of fighting; not because her equipment was incomplete, but because… she couldn't picture herself winning.
The head of Dragon's Dream, said to be descended from the bloodline of dragons—his strength might very well exceed the realm of Outliers.
Evileye steadied her trembling body, awaiting his next move.
It was then that Lakyus interjected.
"U-Um… Was all of this what you summoned us for?"
"Hmm? Ah, something like that. As the kingdom's top-rated force, it's only right that Blue Rose be kept in the loop. Hope I haven't burdened you?"
Lakyus nearly screamed, "Burdened?! That's an understatement!"
To learn that the Theocracy harbored hostility toward the Kingdom—she never wanted to know that, even in her worst dreams. It would've been so much better not knowing.
But now that they did know, there was no turning back.
Lakyus felt a crushing mental fatigue settle in.
At times like this, she envied the undead—Evileye—who could always maintain a calm and rational state of mind. But even she was now clutching her head, her mask trembling.
Apparently, even the undead weren't immune to stress.
The rest of Blue Rose was no better.
It had only been the length of a single tea break, and yet the ninja twins were slumped over like corpses, Gagaran was still in a lovestruck daze, and Evileye looked downright miserable.
Lakyus desperately wanted to get out of here.
"Haa… Well then, if you'll excuse us…"
"Ah, there's one more thing."
"…Yes?"
She almost blurted out, "What now?!", but just barely held herself back.
"I've heard a new Adamantite-ranked adventurer party has recently emerged. Do you happen to know anything about them?"
"You mean Darkness?"
"Yes, them. If you happen to cross paths with them, I'd appreciate any information you could share."
Lakyus gave him a puzzled look.
Darkness—a newly-formed adventurer team of just two members. In the span of a mere couple of months, they had climbed from Copper to Adamantite class—an unprecedented feat.
Their achievements were frankly unbelievable.
Resolving the undead outbreak in E-Rantel, annihilating an alliance of goblin tribes, harvesting rare medicinal herbs, subjugating the King of the Forest, slaying the colossal Basilisk Gigant, purging an undead battalion in the Katze Plains, and even eliminating a vampire near E-Rantel… Some of these incidents had the potential to escalate into national crises.
And they accomplished all of that—in just two months.
In fact, over half of the events listed in Monkyspanner's earlier documents were the work of Darkness.
So why was he so interested in them?
"…Is this a formal request?"
"Indeed. You'll be compensated according to the intel you provide. Consider this your advance payment."
He reached under the table and pulled out a heavy leather pouch, placing it before Lakyus.
She opened it slightly—and was immediately blinded by the dazzling white-gold gleam.
It was filled with platinum coins, issued by the Theocracy.
Lakyus's hand trembled as she held the pouch.
This amount alone was comparable to the annual budget of a small city.
Even as an Adamantite-class party, Blue Rose had never received a request of this magnitude.
Was Darkness really worth such an outrageous sum?
Sure, their feats were incredible… but…
Lakyus hesitated, her hand hovering awkwardly over the pouch.
"…Your answer?"
Monkyspanner's tone was casual, but there was a pressure behind it that left no room for refusal.
"…Why us?" she asked quietly.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Why go out of your way to entrust something like this to us? With your power, surely you could gather any intel you wanted on Darkness. With the name Dragon's Dream, even digging into a newly minted Adamantite party wouldn't be difficult…"
"You're not wrong," he nodded. Then paused. "…But I'm hesitant to approach Darkness directly."
He rubbed his chin, looking troubled, then continued.
"Doesn't it strike you as odd? They defeated a powerful vampire—yet every other party that went with them was completely wiped out. And there's little to no evidence left behind. Supposedly they unleashed 8th-tier magic, but the circumstances are suspiciously vague. Not to mention, that vanguard of theirs, the warrior called Momon—he never removes his helmet. Never eats. Never drinks. No one's even seen his face. Don't you think that's just a bit too suspicious?"
Lakyus nodded slowly.
She too had always felt something off about Darkness. Their explosive rise, their opaque background—none of it added up.
Their achievements were so absurd that no one dared to question them, but the stench of mystery around them was unmistakable.
Even in E-Rantel, information was scarce. It felt like the Guild itself was controlling the flow of intel.
But Adamantite-class adventurers influence national power. A thorough investigation was more than justified.
"Miss Lakyus," Monkyspanner said firmly, "know this—both I and Dragon's Dream work for the peace of this kingdom… and the world. But these Darkness individuals? I can't make that call yet. I'd love to meet them in person, but I don't want to risk alarming them unnecessarily. You see, our name… is far too heavy."
"…I understand."
If one were to ask which name carried more weight—Dragon's Dream or Blue Rose—anyone would choose the former without hesitation.
How could a noble house that works for the safety of the world possibly be compared to a mere adventurer party?
"And… ahem! One of the reasons I chose your group, aside from your Adamantite rank, is because you're a party composed entirely of young women. I figured your beauty would help lower their guard."
"…Is that so."
An all-female adventuring party—Lakyus's expression darkened for a moment.
In a rough and dangerous profession like adventuring, being comprised only of women naturally attracted rumors, some of which bordered on slander.
But they had grown strong enough that their gender no longer defined them.
And yet, even as Adamantite-class adventurers, they still received this kind of treatment?
In that moment, Lakyus couldn't help but wonder if it had all been worth it. A wave of self-loathing washed over her.
But she couldn't refuse the request either.
Their equipment—especially their magical items and consumables—was tremendously expensive.
Even with their elite status, there were times when they struggled with funding.
And the amount Monkyspanner had presented as an advance was staggering, even to someone born into nobility like Lakyus.
Besides, the request wasn't some monster-slaying suicide mission—it was intelligence gathering.
Lakyus could feel her pride wavering under the weight of that money.
And in the end… she pulled the pouch filled with platinum coins toward her.
"…Very well. We'll take the request."
Monkyspanner smiled warmly—and in that moment, Lakyus found him insufferably irritating.
The meeting concluded, the contract signed, and Lakyus gathered her companions.
The ninja twins, having rested comfortably, casually stuffed the remaining sweets into their pockets.
Evileye rose quickly, visibly tense. But Gagaran… showed no signs of moving from her seat, as if she hadn't absorbed a single thing that had just happened.
"A-Ah, Lord Monkyspanner… if you ever have some free time—"
She even had the gall to say that. Lakyus felt her patience reaching its limit.
Surely the great Water God was watching over her.
She remained composed—for now.
Monkyspanner, grinning, stood up and flexed.
His upper body rippled, massive muscles pressing visibly against his clothing, practically throbbing.
Gagaran let out a delighted whoop, while Lakyus, Evileye, Tia, and Tina all looked away as if they'd seen something they could never unsee.
"Ha ha! Lady Gagaran, if you wish to be a woman worthy of me, you'll need to strengthen that frail little body of yours!"
"F-Frail…?"
"…Shock. Terror. Chaos. Incomprehensible."
With those final mental blows to Blue Rose, Monkyspanner laughed heartily as he teleported them away.
The "Great House" truly lived up to its title—even to the bitter end. Blue Rose would never forget this moment… for many, many reasons.
Just seconds later—
The boisterous, radiant grin disappeared from Monkyspanner's face like a lie.
"Ugh… what a pain."
Much like Blue Rose, he too was exhausted.
Pretending to be someone he wasn't—it made his muscles itch with irritation.
Absentmindedly, he twitched his furry, club-like tail—previously hidden under the chair—and used it to scratch his back vigorously.
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