“Any news?”
“N-No, sir. I gathered information about ‘that side’ as per your orders, but…”
“Even with hints, you still can’t figure it out?”
Bluebeard clicked his tongue and added, “Well, it makes sense. The bastard was exceptionally skilled in that area. Hiding it would be no different. I guess it was still too much for you, Faust.”
“I have nothing to say.”
Faust bowed his head deeply. Bluebeard stared at him coldly for a moment before turning away.
Le had given Faust a quest to investigate the whereabouts of Chiyou and the Arcane Sniper, but Faust’s quest completion percentage was a mere 9%.
He still had three weeks left of the one-month quest, but Faust was frustrated, knowing that the problem wasn’t just about time.
‘Damn it, can’t believe Igor and Pyro didn’t leave a single trace. If only I could use the spirits, I might track down Igor by digging into Czar’s secrets…’Faust’s movements were severely limited as he wandered the old continent, and even if he utilized his abilities to the fullest, there were still constraints on the undead’s movements.
The further they moved away from him, the lower their intelligence became. When the distance widened between the new and old continents, even the carefully crafted summons would turn into mere ‘fodder mobs.’
Thus, Faust himself thought it was a miracle that he had even reached 9%.
In other words, there was only one way to fill the remaining 91%.
“Dame Shin.”
“… What’s it?”
“Why hasn’t Lark logged in?”
The only user who could bring him valuable information.
Faust asked with a frustrated tone, and Shin Nara’s expression stiffened.
“How would I know that? And why are you talking down to me? We’re not that close.”
Shin Nara did not even stand up.
Although she remained seated with her knees together, the slight force in her voice made Faust flinch.
“T-T-That’s— ahem, that’s because we’re on the same boat—no, ms. Shin is right. I apologize.”
The change in rankings caused by Prea’s level-up was a painful event for Faust too.
At the same time, he could still feel how great it was that Shin Nara, who hadn’t been leveling up actively and was mostly with Lark, managed to stay at the 8th rank.
“Lark-ssi has something urgent to handle and won’t be able to log in for a while. If it’s urgent, I could deliver the message outside, but that’s not really the issue, is it?”
“Ugh—! It is urgent. We need to know Chiyou’s whereabouts to— um?!”
“Huh?”
Both Faust and Shin Nara turned their heads simultaneously.
─────────────!
A roar echoed deep in the forest. It was an overwhelming sound that couldn’t possibly belong to a mere beast, shaking all the nearby branches.
“Ho… Onyx has quite some skills.”
Bluebeard was also looking in that direction.
Even Ghibrid, who always had his arms crossed, unfolded them.
For a mere ‘roar’ to elicit such a different response from the Demon King’s Fragments!
“Has he completed it?”
“No, it doesn’t seem that way, Ghibrid. But… it certainly isn’t as dull as it has been.”
Bluebeard was staring into the darkness.
Shin Nara and Faust also followed Le’s gaze.
Footsteps began to be heard from the once silent darkness.
The sound of light footsteps soon turned into that of numerous marchers.
Le had already taken off his hat and tidied his clothes.
To welcome a young girl with sharp focus who finally appeared in the midst of the users and Demon King’s Fragments.
“This is it! Finally, we can communicate, Tiamat.”
“… Le.”
Even though she still appeared as a young girl in human form, Faust could tell. She had changed so much that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was an entirely different being from the girl who could barely speak a short while ago.
“Hmm. The Queen, is it?”
“Ghibrid.”
Ghibrid also gave a light nod toward Tiamat. Tiamat received the greetings from the Demon King’s Fragments.
Then, she pointed at them with both index fingers. Le carefully put his hat back on.
Faust and Shin Nara stood a bit away, unable to move, and watched the scene unfold. They felt something gather at the tips of her fingers.
────────────!!!!
“W-what…
『Bone Shield』!”
“Grrk!? 『Lower Body Enhancement』!”
Beams of various colors shot out. Faust and Shin Nara hurriedly used their defensive and agility-boosting skills to evade, but fortunately, the attack was not aimed at them.
“… This can’t be.”
Shin Nara swallowed dryly.
If they had known, could they have dodged the attack? No, could they have even reacted?
A ‘line’ appeared from Tiamat to the space where Le and Ghibrid had been moments before and extended further. It was as if that part of the dense forest had been completely cleared. Tiamat’s attack had entirely flattened every tree, every rock, and every geographical feature.
* * *
“My Lord, count!”
Faust frantically looked around.
It was evident that simple attacks would not affect the Demon King’s Fragments. Ordinary attacks or skills wouldn’t have caused him any concern.
But now?
The sudden attack by the Queen of the Chromatic Dragons was powerful enough to startle Faust, who was the first user to contract with Bluebeard.
“Count―”
Shuuuuuuuuuuuuu―!
As Faust looked around, Bluebeard and Ghibrid descended from the air and landed.
“Hooo… That’s quite unsettling, Tiamat.”
“Do you wish to return to being a lump of meat?”
Bluebeard, landing without stirring a speck of dust, and Ghibrid, causing the ground to tremble with his landing, displayed completely opposite auras, but their expressions were the same.
Tiamat also did not show any sign of panic. She moved her arm to point at Ghibrid and Bluebeard again. As the tension between Tiamat and the Demon King’s Fragments reached a boiling point, Onyx spoke up.
“Le. How dare you speak such words. Why… why would you contaminate the Queen’s being with impurities!”
For a brief moment, Shin Nara and Faust saw Onyx’s eyes glance at Tiamat. It was apparent that speaking out was the only option to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, which was why the Black Dragon chose to intervene.
Bluebeard looked at Tiamat and Onyx for a moment before striking his forehead with a loud smack.
“Ah! Onyx! Didn’t I tell you beforehand? It was unavoidable.”
“Shut up.”
As Bluebeard jested, Tiamat’s brow furrowed.
The beam, which gathered on his fingertip and shot out like a breath, was cast with an absurdly short casting time, yet even faster was Le’s mouth.
“No! Seriously! What could I have done back then? Huh? There wasn’t a single one of your children, Tiamat! I, too, expended quite a bit of mana. You would know that better. Is it even possible for a being like you to emerge into this world with the expulsion of ordinary mana?”
As Le pointed to his abdomen, the front of his white shirt began to turn blue.
In truth, that wound was from a battle with Bahamut and had nothing to do with Tiamat, but as Tiamat hesitated to attack, he spoke even faster.
“From the start, would you have even been able to awaken without me? Is it right to treat the person who summoned you this way? Upon hearing the news that Onyx and your children were coming, I went to ‘greet’ them, hence the opportunity to partially share the pain of your true form. If you disagree, feel free to shoot me.”
Faust and Shin Nara were startled.
Bluebeard would speak like that? His specialty was subjugating through force when words failed. But now, he was using his own life as a bargaining chip for persuasion.
‘Could it be— Tiamat is stronger than Bluebeard?’
‘Due to the wounds from the battle with Bahamut— no, even so, for him to speak like that with Ghibrid present…’
It was possible because the Chromatic Dragons were together, but either way, Le had effectively acknowledged Tiamat as the strongest in the room.
However, Bluebeard did not look the least bit servile.
As Tiamat refrained from attacking Bluebeard, Onyx spoke up.
“… Couldn’t you wait for us, Le?”
“Indeed! The only one who approached and conversed with me was that ‘impurity’ that Onyx, you referred to! So naturally, I used his head! Otherwise? Should I have waited until you all arrived… to gift Tiamat with Onyx’s head instead?”
“That’s going too far!”
“Quiet.”
Onyx was about to erupt in anger, but Tiamat silenced him with a single word.
She glanced back and forth between Le and Ghibrid.
“Fine. Whatever nonsense you spout, this chimera wriggling in my head will not move according to your whims.”
“There was never such an intention.”
“Hmph.”
As Le slowly bowed his head, Tiamat snorted.
Her confidence that she could devour two Demon King’s Fragment at any time was evident in her words and demeanor.
‘Chimera…?’
Faust tilted his head in confusion.
During the fight between Kijung, Lee Jiwon, Bluebeard, and Ghibrid, he had been in the eastern New Continent.
Since chaos ensued right after his return, he wasn’t aware of Tiamat’s current situation.
As Tiamat stepped into the darkness, Onyx approached Shin Nara.
“Woman.”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Call Lark. The time is near. The queen’s pain alleviation is over.”
“Pain — understood. I’ll summon him immediately.”
“Wait. Before that.”
As Shin Nara was about to rise, Tiamat called her.
“Yes?”
With a slightly tense expression, she looked at Tiamat.
Tiamat stared at Shin Nara and Faust for a moment before turning her head somewhere.
“Nobody knew ‘those’ existed until now?”
“Um? What do you mean, tiama—”
Swoooooooosh———!
Before Bluebeard could finish his question, Tiamat pointed her finger somewhere.
When the beam firing from her fingertip lit the night, there was a faint sound of something evaporating in that direction.
TL’s Corner:
So Tiamat was the one who found the dark spirits!
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