Another thing showed up, wrapped in magic leather and sealed with old wax.
"This scroll has a breathing technique that I came up with over hundreds of years."
"It will help you deal with the stress of syncing up with your strong warriors, and your body is too weak right now to support the borrowed power you're channeling."
"This technique will gradually make that foundation stronger."
[Item Acquired: Dragon's Key Scale]
[Item Acquired: Ancient Dragon Breathing Technique Scroll]
[Quest Available: Conquer the Ruins of Searing Fang]
[Recommended Level Range: 8-20]
[Difficulty: Scaling to party composition]
Azurath raised his wings. "Farewell... and I'm hoping that someday, we can meet again to help each other even more."
"Thank you so much for all of this! I'm going to use it wisely!" Lucian said while raising his fist.
After that, the three dragons left peacefully, and the crisis was over. Azurath used magic to carefully carry the eggs, while the female dragon stayed close by to protect them as an aunt, and the scarred male took up a careful rearguard position.
They flew away into the sky, going northeast toward their mountain home.
Villagers came out of hiding, confused but very relieved. The immediate threat had vanished, and the fearsome dragons had managed to escape without causing any harm.
Marshal's voice was strong and sure. "Now's the perfect time for us to deal with the person who made this whole thing happen."
"Yeah... he needs to pay for his actions."
Lucian marched back into the guild with both warriors on either side of him to protect him. People followed out of curiosity, and the crowd grew.
There was no way for Guild Master Marcus to escape.
Everyone in the room could hear Lucian clearly when he spoke. "You ordered the murder of an intelligent being, Guild Master Marcus!"
"You stole children to sell for your own gain. With that action, you put this whole town in great danger because of your greed."
The crowd were shocked and angry as they watched.
"What?! What did he do again!?"
"Stolen Dragon CHILDREN?!"
"We almost died because he wanted gold so badly!"
As the full truth spread among the witnesses, Marcus's reputation fell apart in real time.
"W-Wait, no, I-I can explain...!" Marcus starts panicking.
Marshal stepped forward, and because of her military training, her voice naturally had authority. "In the Sunforge Legion, this would be a court-martial offense."
"The usual punishment would be dishonorable discharge at the very least, with full restitution of damages to the people affected."
"You're lucky I'm not in charge anymore, because you would have been executed for putting civilians in danger on purpose right HERE!"
"You are no longer the Guild Master." Lucian gave his decision. "This takes effect right away."
"All the money that would have come from selling those eggs will instead be used to fix up the town and pay victims."
"You are also not allowed to take any adventurer quests for at least six months."
"Take that time to really think about what it means to be an adventurer instead of a bandit."
Marcus tried to speak up, but the crowd's quiet approval drowned him out. People who used to be adventurers in the room nodded in agreement, showing that they were not happy with how things had been run.
Lucian showed his letter of recommendation with an "A" grade. "I have the power to make this decision according to the rules of the adventurer guild."
"Does anyone here disagree?"
And the room was silent. No one questioned him, especially since an SSS-rank warrior was clearly backing him up.
[Reputation in Riverhold: Honored → Revered]
[Title Earned: "The Just Master"]
[Effect: NPCs significantly more likely to trust your judgment and requests]
The town council formally paid out the quest rewards that afternoon. The town council awarded five thousand gold for completing the dragon investigation and an official letter of recommendation with an A rank.
An extra two thousand gold was given for ending the crisis peacefully, without any deaths.
Lucian now had 8,500 gold coins, which was a lot of money compared to how poor he had always been.
Marshal ensured that the equipment was in good condition before entering any dungeon. "Your armor looks really bad right now, so now is the best time for us to fix it immediately, without any questions."
...
They went to see the town's best blacksmith, a grumpy dwarf who looked at Marshal with both professional respect and fear.
He bought a steel longsword for 800 gold, which was rated as uncommon quality. This replaced his basic beginner's sword with something that could handle real combat.
Reinforced chainmail, which costs 1,200 gold and is of uncommon quality, offers real protection instead of leather that barely slows down attacks.
Combat boots with a rating of uncommon quality for 300 gold, enchanted to make you more mobile and give you sure footing.
Ten healing potions for 500 gold, which could save lives in an emergency.
It costs 200 gold for camp supplies for long trips, which include a sturdy tent, bedrolls, and cooking gear.
And now it's 5,500 gold left.
Even though Glacielle didn't want anything, Lucian insisted on getting something for her. "You've been fighting with broken armor and no upgrades, so I'm buying something as my gratitude for you, alright?"
He bought a Frost Crystal Necklace with a rare quality rating for 1,000 gold. The enchanted jewelry gave a 15% boost to ice magic power and a 10% boost to mana regeneration.
When he put it around Glacielle's neck, her eyes really did get bigger. "Master... you didn't have to spend this much on me."
"Partners look out for each other," Lucian said simply. "You've always kept me safe... so let me do the same for you."
[Bond Level Increased: 4.5 → 5.0 Hearts - MILESTONE ACHIEVED]
[New Ability Unlocked: Frost Bond - Special Connection]
[Effect: Can sense each other's condition and general emotional state even at distance]
[Note: This bond has transcended basic system mechanics]
Marshal watched the exchange with what might have been approval behind her usual stern face. "I'm surprised you're not completely clueless about how to deal with people, rookie."
"Building real loyalty through real care instead of manipulating the system. That's the right way to lead."
It was probably the most real compliment she had ever given him.
...
They camped outside of town that night so they could train in private. Marshal set up the area with military precision, making sure that everything was in the right place for maximum efficiency and quick access when needed.
"I need to know your limits before we try any dungeons," she said. "I need to know exactly how much you can take under pressure."
First came the basic drills. The exercises included push-ups, sit-ups, and running laps to maintain physical fitness.
Lucian had a hard time, but he did finish everything, just. Marshal kept track of things in his head.
"The body of a normal human, as expected, will improve with time and a high pain tolerance."
Next came the basics of combat. Marshal fixed his grip on the sword, his stance, his footwork, and his balance.
"Fighting isn't just about raw strength! It's about being efficient, using the right leverage, and not wasting energy on moves that don't matter."
Glacielle helped show how to do the techniques, and her movements were smooth and practiced, unlike Lucian's clumsy tries.
Then the real test began.
"Now we deal with the real problem," Marshal said, her voice becoming very serious. "You've successfully synced with Glacielle."
"Her power level isn't too much for you to handle, but you'll need to sync with me eventually for certain situations."
"Let's see if you can even handle ten percent of my full strength."
"Wait, only ten percent?!" Lucian asked, getting scared all of a sudden.
"We start very small, rookie."
"Trying to do too much too quickly can hurt your spiritual foundation for good."