After five days had passed and the city began to stabilize, Arya and Dina departed for the city of Zerio.
At the city gate, Terza and the townspeople waved their hands.
"Farewell, Exone. May you succeed," they said, bowing deeply.
Arya nodded lightly. "Yes, we'll be going. See you."
"See you..." Dina added softly.
However, long before they reached Zerio, rumors had already spread. The wanted posters of Exone issued by King Sekius had been plastered in nearly every city. But that wasn't the only thing shaking the kingdom,the rumor that Exone had declared war against the king was spreading throughout the land.
In markets, taverns, and crowded streets, the talks about Exone never ceased.
"Heh, did you hear the latest news? Exone declared war on the king, and in return, the king spread their wanted posters."
"Who do you support? Exone, or the King?"
"They say Exone is strong, but they're still kids."
"So you support that tyrant king?"
"Not really. I'd rather stay neutral than cause more chaos."
The people were divided into three factions: those who supported Exone, those who supported the king out of fear, and those who chose to remain neutral. However, only one group truly knew who Exone was,the ones who had been saved by Arya and Dina. The servants and eyewitnesses of the brutal massacres of the corrupt rulers had seen firsthand what Exone had done.
In an adventurer guild, tension began to rise.
"We're tasked with hunting Exone?!"
"Why should we get involved in the politics of corrupt rulers?"
"But the reward is huge! You could live comfortably for three years."
"If Exone succeeds in overthrowing the king, we could live comfortably forever!"
"That's true..."
"Does the Guildmaster support this hunt?"
"No way. He's a good person. There's no way he'd make Exone our enemy."
"Then why are their wanted posters still hanging in the guild?"
"They said it's the king's order..."
The money-hungry adventurers began to move. Meanwhile, Arya and Dina had arrived at the nearest city,Teares.
"Alright, Dina. We'll split up here. Let's meet at the city center later," said Arya.
Dina nodded. "Alright. See you."
After parting ways, Arya casually walked into a bar.
"It's been a while since I had a drink..."
As the bar door creaked open, all eyes turned to him.
Arya raised his hand. "Same atmosphere as always. Sir, one glass of beer!"
"Beer?! Wahahaha! Go home, kid!" shouted one of the customers.
The bartender approached. "Kid, you're too young. How about milk instead?"
"I'm used to it, sir," Arya replied calmly.
The bartender clicked his tongue in awe. "Alright. Here you go."
Arya sipped the beer slowly. "By the way, any info about this city, sir?"
"Why are you asking that?"
"I just arrived, so I don't know anything yet."
The bartender sighed. "This city has also deployed soldiers to hunt Exone."
Arya frowned. "But they said the ruler here is good."
"Well, no matter how good a ruler is, he can't go against the king's orders. Besides, he doesn't know if he'll be attacked by Exone or not."
"That makes sense..." Arya took another sip. "Thanks, sir."
"The way you drink... it's like you've been doing this for years."
"I already told you."
The bartender laughed. "Wahahaha!"
"Any other info? Maybe about monsters?"
"Adventurers who drink here said there's a dragon attacking them. Many died."
"Dragon?" Arya almost choked. So there really are dragons in this world? But why had he never heard of them all this time? Was it because he never asked in bars...?
"Sir, do you know the location?"
"Go to the adventurer guild. There should be a poster about it."
"Thanks." Arya placed some coins on the table.
Outside, he muttered, "The ruler is also hunting Exone... and now there's a dragon... Why haven't I ever heard of this? Gamma and Dina never said anything either."
He then walked to the guild.
As soon as he opened the guild door, his eyes landed on the posters showing their wanted faces.
"Whoa... so many posters of us! But... why do we look so ugly here? Who drew this?! Looks nothing like us!"
He walked to the receptionist. "Excuse me, Miss. Any recent info about this city?"
The receptionist smiled. "Recent info? Only about the hunt for Exone."
"If I may ask... why are they being hunted? Does the adventurer guild see them as enemies?"
Some adventurers turned toward Arya.
The receptionist laughed. "Of course not. In fact, many here admire Exone. The only ones hunting are those obsessed with money. And about the posters... that's the kingdom's order."
"Oh, I see... Thanks a lot, Miss! One more thing, I heard a dragon appeared. Do you know the location?"
"To the west, there's a cave. The dragon was spotted there."
"Alright, thank you." Arya smiled and left.
The receptionist stared at his back, muttering, A boy... black hair... around 160 cm... could it be...?
Arya walked outside. "Hmm... so not everyone sees us as enemies... And if the dragon can talk... I want to be friends with it! That would be awesome!"
He headed to the plaza to meet Dina.
At the plaza, Dina was already waiting, munching on food.
"Where have you been, Ar?" she asked while chewing.
"At the bar and guild. As usual, the first thing you look for is food."
"So what? Anyway, what info did you get?"
Arya tapped her head lightly. "You... why didn't you ever tell me about the existence of dragons?!"
"Dragons? Oh... those creatures that supposedly appear only once every fifty years. Besides, why should I tell you? It has nothing to do with our mission."
"Of course it does! Dragons are extraordinary! Everyone wants to see them!"
"So what would you do if you knew?"
"I'd go see them, and if possible, befriend them!"
Dina glared. "Friend?! Don't joke! From what I've heard, they can't be spoken to!"
"Who cares. Let's go to that cave where the dragon is!"
"Alright, alright... weirdo."
Meanwhile, in the city of Zerio...
Saturn growled softly. "This is Zerio... but where are they?!"
Back to Arya and Dina. They were heading west, passing through a quiet forest. Soon, they found a horrifying sight,many adventurers' corpses lay scattered, some burnt, some frozen, others shattered without a trace.
"So many victims," Arya muttered.
"Yeah... but are you sure? You said you wanted to make it your friend?"
"Of course. If it can't talk, I'll make it understand through battle!"
"Battle maniac."
"Don't compare me to you."
"What?!"
Suddenly, a strong wind blew.
"What's that?! Hey, Ar, look up!"
A huge shadow covered the sky. A jet-black dragon emerged from the clouds, its wings spanning wider than the fallen trees below. Its breath scorched the air.
"Whoaah, it's huge!"
Huffwhohh!
The dragon spewed fire.
"What?! Dodge, Dina!" Arya shouted. "Swap!"
"Wind Step! Whoa, what the hell was that?! Fire that huge all of a sudden?!"
Arya laughed. "Hahahaha, amazing! A real dragon!"
"Stop admiring it, you weirdo! What now?!"
"Alright!" Arya drew two pistols. "Ice Shot! Fire Shot!"
The magic bullets flew, but they barely made an impact. The dragon's body was too massive. Its black scales gleamed, each as large as a human head, its body the size of a three-story house.
Dina, usually eager to fight, now shuddered.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" the dragon's voice boomed, heavy and intimidating. "YOU CAN EVADE MY FIRE AND STRIKE BACK! YOUR MAGIC ENERGY... IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER HUMANS!"
"Whoa, hey Dina! Look! It can talk! The dragon can talk! Wahahaha!"
Dina trembled. "Y-y-yeah! W-why aren't you scared?!"
"Hah?! Why should I be? HEY, MR. DRAGON! I HAVE NO INTENTION TO FIGHT! CAN WE TALK FOR A MOMENT?!"
"TALK?! THEN TALK THROUGH BATTLE!"
Three more bursts of fire roared.
"Woah! Swap! Swap! Swap!"
"Wind Step! Wind Step! Wind Step!"
"Dina! Get away from here! Leave this to me!"
"You're seriously going to fight alone?! Fine! Be careful!" Dina retreated.
"Don't worry! Freeze! Ice Lancer!" Arya attacked. But the dragon didn't flinch.
"TOO WEAK, BOY!"
"Ice Shot! Fire Shot!" Arya fired five times in a row. Still, the dragon's scales didn't budge.
"THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE! ICE!"
The dragon unleashed a massive ice attack.
"Swap! So cold! What the hell is this?! Like a natural disaster! Fine, I'll get serious!"
Arya drew a katana-like sword.
"I'm no swordsman, but this is my strongest close-range weapon! Strength!"
With magic enhancing his body and blade, Arya prepared.
"Prepare yourself, Mr. Dragon! Fire Slash!"
The flaming slash struck the dragon's scales, leaving a scratch.
"UGH! MY SCALE IS SCRATCHED?! NOT BAD, BOY! FIRE STORM! ICE STORM! WIND STORM! SAND STORM! DARKNESS!"
A barrage of attacks rained down like natural disasters.
"What?! Is he trying to destroy the world?! Teleport!"
Arya warped to the city of Oiter.
"Huuhhh! What the hell was that?! Dina! You safe?! Already far away?!"
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! YOU'VE ANGERED A WALKING CATASTROPHE! THE ENTIRE FOREST IS GONE!"
"What?! Teleport!"
Arya returned to the scene. The once lush forest was now a crater of devastation. Fire, ice, sand, and ruin mixed into one.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Arya gawked. "I-I SURRENDER! I GIVE UP! STOP OR THE WORLD WILL END!"
The dragon glared. "INTERESTING BOY... Others flee, but you came back. Others tremble, but you laugh. And now you kneel... Intriguing. FINE! SPEAK. I SHALL LISTEN."
Arya sighed in relief. "Thank you! (Damn, my eardrums almost burst!)"
He began telling everything,his reincarnation, his mission to execute corrupt rulers, and his obsession with dragons since his past life.
The dragon roared in laughter. "REINCARNATION, EH?! YOU'RE GETTING MORE INTERESTING, BOY!"
"T-thank you..." Arya covered his ears.
"So, what do you want from me?"
"I just want to be friends! And maybe... learn some things about this world."
"As for humans, I neither know nor care. But about monsters and other species, I know plenty."
"There are other dragons?! What are they like? Are they as cool and as black as you?!"
"You dragon maniac, huh?!" the dragon snorted. "Well, whatever. There are four dragon rulers:
In the west: me, Noctarion, the Black Dragon.
In the east: Pyros, the Red Dragon.
In the south: Aetheria, the White Dragon.
In the north: Aquarix, the Blue Dragon."
"Wooaaah! That's so cool! I can't wait to travel the world to meet them! But by the way... why did you kill humans?"
"WHAT?! WRONG, IS IT?! I WOKE AFTER A LONG SLEEP OF FIFTY YEARS, LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE, AND HUMANS CAME TO HUNT ME! I JUST WANT TO LIVE PEACEFULLY!" His roar shook the ground.
"O-okay... Forgive us... I'll talk to the guild so they won't hunt you anymore."
"And about this forest, leave it. Let it be a reminder to humans to know their limits."
Dina arrived.
"A-Ar! Are you okay?! GET AWAY FROM THAT SAVAGE DRAGON!"
"See? Always treated as an enemy..." the dragon sighed.
"Relax, Dina! I'm fine. We're talking. Put your weapon away and apologize."
"O-okay... Sorry!"
"It's fine."
Arya bowed. "Mr. Dragon... may I know your name and the names of the other dragons?"
"My name is Noctarion, the Black Dragon. The others are Pyros, Aetheria, and Aquarix."
"Nice names. My name is Arya Setya, and this beautiful woman is Dina. Pleased to meet you."
"P-pleased to meet you..." Dina blushed.
Noctarion smiled. "So, what is your goal?"
"We've executed eight corrupt rulers. One more remains before the capital."
"Quite consistent. Human affairs are endless..."
"But if not us, then who else?"
"KUHAHAHA! SUCH MATURE THINKING!"
"By the way, Mr. Dragon. Where will you live now? The forest is gone."
"I can find another. But your promise earlier... make sure humans won't disturb me again."
"How about the forest near Azura City? Its ruler is my friend."
"Is it a good forest?"
"Yes. Plenty of animals, lush, and the people are friendly."
"Then contact him."
"I will."
Arya activated his communicator.
"Hello, Mr. Pirlo. I need a favor."
"What favor?"
Arya explained everything.
"B-BLACK DRAGON?! THAT RULER?!"
"Yes. Can you accommodate him?"
"Alright... but our city just recovered. Can he not consume our resources?"
"Of course, as long as he isn't disturbed," answered Noctarion.
"W-whose voice is that?!"
"The Dragon himself."
"He can talk?! F-fine! We promise not to disturb him!"
"Thank you, Mr. Pirlo."
Arya turned. "Mr. Dragon, may I ride on your back?"
"Me too!" Dina shouted.
"Alright. Climb on."
"Swap! Wahahaha! Your scales are warm and comfy!"
"Wind Step! Whoa! I'm riding a dragon! A ruler dragon at that!"
"Hold on. We'll fly."
"WOOOAHHH!"
"So which way to Azura City?"
"That way, straight ahead!"
"Alright. Let's go."
Below them, townsfolk saw the dragon soaring across the sky.
"W-WHAT IS THAT?!"
"A DRAGON ATTACK?!"
"THE END TIMES?!"
Panic spread.
Arriving at the forest near Azura, Noctarion landed.
"This is the place?"
"Yes. Nice, right?"
"Nice. Thank you, boy."
"You're welcome, Mr. Dragon. And thank you too, for being our friend."
"Me too!" said Dina.
"It's fine. There are indeed interesting humans."
"See you, Mr. Dragon."
"See you."
"Teleport!"
"Teleport!"
Noctarion exhaled with satisfaction. "They can teleport too?! Hahaha! It's been so long since I've felt joy from humans!"
Back in Teares City...
"Huuhh... once-in-a-lifetime experience!" Arya exclaimed.
"Yeah! I can brag about this when I'm old and tell it to my grandkids!"
"Grandkids? Who are you gonna marry?"
"S-shut up! Someday someone will!"
"Of course! Because you're beautiful."
"Hmph..."
"Let's continue to Zerio. Since Noctarion is in Azura now, we don't need to report to the guild, right?"
"Why report? He's already far away!"
"True. Let's move on!"
The journey to Zerio took four days. But on the second day...
Whooshh!
Suddenly, an attack came at them.
"Whoa! What was that?!"
"An attack?! From where?!"
Someone appeared from the trees.
"Finally... I found you, brats!" said Saturn with a face full of rage.