An hour later, Veldera City.
"Oi, look at that attire—bet it costs more than my shop," a fish vendor muttered, elbowing the butcher beside him.
The butcher, a burly man with arms like hams, squinted. "And that hair. Black like your blind grandfather's vision. Is he some noble's brat?"
"Could be. Or a noble himself."
"Don't look like any lord I know. Too quiet. Too... sharp."
"Sharp?"
"Like a blade waitin' to be drawn."
The streets of this city were never silent, but today, a strange hush rippled wherever 'he' walked.
It was not a silence of reverence, but one of instinct. The kind of stillness prey offers when a predator strolls into its den.
Kael walked through the city gates like he owned them.
His midnight hair ruffled by the wind, his long coat fluttering behind him, while his boots clicked against the ground with unhurried steps.
His expression was bored, eyes half-lidded, posture relaxed—but there was an unmistakable tension in the air around him.
People felt him before they saw him.
Beside him, Lyra kept her hood—which she had taken out of her stash hidden right outside the city—low and her steps quiet, anxiety coiling in her stomach.
After all, almost everyone in the city knew her. She was like one of the most wanted criminals because the lord was offering a huge reward for anyone who found her.
She noticed every stare, every whisper, every time a guard stiffened at their passing.
A pair of young women sweeping the steps of an herbalist's shop paused, brooms forgotten.
"Who is that?" One whispered.
"God, look at his face. He's like…like one of those temple statues."
"He looked at me—I think I'm pregnant."
The other gasped. "He looked at me, not you!"
Lyra didn't even have to glance at Kael to know he was hearing every word.
He also seemed way too happy.
Although she knew that he was merely excited to see so many people who could talk for the first time, she still couldn't let him do what he was doing.
"Don't encourage them," she whispered.
"I didn't do anything," he said innocently. "I was just walking."
"You were walking like a storm about to destroy the city."
He looked thoughtful. "Hm. Should I tone it down?"
"No, just—don't smile at anyone again."
"I was considering it."
"No."
Kael smirked. "You're no fun."
Honestly, the dragon in human form was having fun.
Seeing the reactions of the people and getting all the attention, he felt like he was alive.
He still wanted to sleep, but he wanted to see if there was anything more interesting in this city.
They passed a fruit stall where an old man blinked up at Kael, nodded slowly, and then made the sign of warding over his chest.
"Demon," the old man muttered, not unkindly. "Or angel. Can never tell the difference these days."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "That one's wiser than most."
Lyra groaned quietly. "Please stop scaring the townsfolk."
"I'm not scaring anyone."
"Then why is that child hiding behind a barrel?"
A boy peeked out from behind a crate of radishes, eyes wide, clutching a wooden sword.
Kael gave a little wave.
The boy screamed and ducked out of sight as if sensing how dangerous the dragon was.
"…Okay, that one might be scared."
They were nearing the central market when the sharp bark of a voice stopped them.
"Halt."
Kael's eyes slid toward the sound without moving his head.
A guard approached—a squat, sallow-faced man with uneven stubble and a permanently annoyed expression.
His armor looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks, and the halberd in his hands was more for show than function.
The guard's gaze flicked from Kael to Lyra, then back again. His lip curled slightly, but he didn't dare let it fully form into a sneer.
"You two. State your names and business in Veldera."
Kael blinked slowly, his voice calm but cold. "We're walking."
The guard stiffened. "Don't get smart with me, pretty-boy. I asked for your names."
Kael tilted his head. "You think I'm pretty?"
"I said—"
"I'm flattered."
The guard's face turned red, though whether from anger or embarrassment was unclear.
"I'm warning you," he growled. "You look like trouble. You don't carry guild tags, no house crest, and no escort. What noble travels like that, huh?"
It was true.
Although Kael's looks could fool the citizens, the guards knew better.
Kael's expression, however, soured.
He didn't like the guard's gaze, especially when he was that weak.
His eyes sharpened—just slightly—but the effect was immediate.
The guard took a step back without meaning to, sweat beading along his temples.
It was like being stared at by something ancient and hungry. The way Kael looked at the guard wasn't like a man staring at another, but a predator looking at its new prey.
The guard gulped, realizing that Kael might be someone important. After all, many nobles liked roaming around without crests or escorts.
There was a chance that Kael was one of them, so—
"…What is your name?" He asked again, this time a little more politely.
Kael, however, wasn't in the mood to talk to the guy anymore. He was someone who hated annoyance—something this guard had spectacularly become.
His fingers twitched.
Lyra noticed it instantly, her eyes widening under her hood. 'He's going to kill him.'
She stepped between them, placing a hand on Kael's chest. "Please," she said softly, her voice even, careful. "There's no need for that."
Kael's jaw tightened. He didn't look at her.
Lyra kept her hand steady and added quietly, "He doesn't know who you are. He doesn't understand. Please, let it go."
A long silence.
The air between Kael and the guard was charged, coiled like a wire about to snap.
Then Kael's hand dropped to his side.
He exhaled slowly. "Fine."
The tension vanished like a sucked-out breath.
The guard swallowed hard, pretending not to be rattled. "Tch. I'm warning you… Don't cause any trouble."
He didn't know that others could already see his drenched back.
"We won't," Lyra still said gently, dipping her head.
The guard turned around and tried to walk off with some semblance of dignity, but his knees—still quivering from Kael's oppressive aura—betrayed him.
Step… wobble…
Then—
SPLAT!
He hurled forward like a felled tree, landing flat on his face with a wet smack that echoed through the courtyard.
His helmet clanged off a second later, bouncing once before rolling dramatically toward a nearby barrel.
But it didn't stop there.
His momentum made his entire armored bulk slide a good half meter across the stone floor, leaving an awkward trail, before his butt ended up sticking comically high in the air.
His legs twitched like a flipped turtle, the groan that escaped him sounding more like a deflating balloon.
A tense silence filled the area as even the vendors froze, glancing at the butt raised pointing toward the sky.
"...Well, at least his ass is bouncy," someone muttered from behind.
"Pff—" Lyra quickly pressed her lips together, fighting the laugh threatening to spill out.
Kael didn't bother. He let out a low, amused chuckle. "Graceful."
The poor guard scrambled up with the clumsiness of a man whose glass-like pride had just been smashed by a stone.
His face was now bright crimson, both from the impact and pure embarrassment.
Dust clung to his sweaty cheeks, his helmet dangling pathetically from one hand.
He spun around, eyes blazing with an instinctive glare aimed straight at Kael—
But the moment their gazes met, the memory of that suffocating aura crashed over him like an avalanche.
His breath hitched. His spine went rigid. His glare crumbled instantly into a tight, awkward smile that screamed, "I have made a terrible life choice."
Without another word, he turned—no, scurried—away, tripping over his own boots twice before practically sprinting out of sight.
From afar, his fellow guards all took a synchronized step back, shaking their heads in silent agreement: "We didn't see anything."
What no one noticed was his expression as he walked away.
There was blood in his eyes as he kept repeating. "I won't let this slide."
Of course, no one could hear it didn't mean Kael couldn't.
It was as clear as day to him.
He could even see the guard going on to hide behind a shop, staring at them, thinking that he couldn't be seen.
'Hm...' He hummed inwardly, and suddenly an idea popped into his head. 'Yeah. That would be interesting.'
Kael turned to Lyra.
"You stopped me."
"I did."
"…Why?"
"I can't let you keep trying to kill every idiot who talks down to you."
Kael gave her a sidelong glance. "You can't always stop me."
"I will try to."
"It will take a long time for you to succeed."
"I have time."
Kael narrowed his eyes, staring at her for a moment longer.
'What is this strange feeling?' He wondered inwardly.
For the first time, even his instincts didn't answer him.
So, he decided to walk forward.
Lyra exhaled and followed, keeping closer this time.
Kael, on the other hand, glanced at the guard standing behind the shop. 'Now should be the right time.'
The next second, Kael's finger twitched, and a wave of wind blew past them.
Whoosh!
The moment it did, the atmosphere froze.
Everything and everyone went quiet.
Not a single word was heard until—
"Ah..." A soft voice left Lyra's lips as she realized that her hood had been blown off.
"Shit!" She quickly put it back on as soon as she noticed every eye on her.
It was as if she thought that if she covered her face again, everyone would forget what they saw.
Kael, however, grinned, because—
"CAPTURE THOSE TWO!!"
The ugly guard from before was already rushing toward them along with a few more of his friends.