[Do you mean to keep conversing?]

Soldrake tilted her head towards Raven’s direction.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I just… Why don’t… Why don’t you stay here? You can rest.”

It wasn’t a strange thing to say, but Raven felt a little flustered.

[Ray is… definitely a peculiar Pendragon.]

Soldrake silently gazed at Raven for a moment before nodding.

[Then I will do that.]

“Okay. You can rest comfortably… Uhhh uh! W, w, what are you doing?”

Raven sprung up in shock.

The armor and dress she was wearing had disappeared, leaving only a thin layer of clothing on her. She gently folded her wings over her body and slid into the large bed as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

[I’m resting, just as Ray suggested.]

“No, then how do I…”

[You and I are companions connected to each other by the pledge of the soul. You can rest comfortably beside me.]

“Well…”

No foreign feelings could be felt from the words of Soldrake, and Raven looked at the bed with troubled eyes.

‘Well, I don’t know anymore.’

“Well, okay…”

He awkwardly climbed onto the bed.

The bed was so big that their bodies were far from touching. However, Raven was feeling far too tense, even tenser compared to the countless battles he had been in. He glanced at Soldrake who was quietly lying on one the other side of the bed.

‘Lying and sleeping on the same bed as a dragon… Huh! What a day..’

Raven’s head was crowded with such thoughts, but his breathing soon calmed into slow, quiet respiration.

After he fell deep into his sleep, Soldrake slowly moved her body. She stared at Raven with her deep, soft blue eyes. She reached out her white hand that was covered in a thin, transparent scale towards Raven and gently swept over his head.

A deep, sweet slumber, better than any sleep he had before, descended on Raven, softening his stiff expression.

***

Rumors about Alan Pendragon spread like wildfire throughout the villages. There was a saying that arrows travelled three hundred meters, but words travelled thirty thousand meters overnight.

The rate at which Alan Pendragon’s rumors spread was unbelievably fast and it completely overshadowed any other rumors.

Word was passed that the bandits outside Bellint Gate were all annihilated, monsters were thrown to the dragon as food, and the terrifying orcs were now trustworthy allies.

It did feel like the appearance of monsters have been decreasing recently, but most of the villagers were doubtful. They struggled long and hard to maintain their lives over the years.

To a village that had endured the constant attacks and hardships for over 10 years, a rumor of the newly revived Pendragon family was just that, a rumor. Moreover, they already knew of Alan Pendragon’s unconscious state, which made the rumors seem even less credible.

The reality was soon to be revealed as the villages outside Bellint Gate were visited by soldiers carrying the flag of the Pendragon family.

“I, Alan Pendragon, speak to the residents of the land! Your land is now safe! I have reopened the mausoleum of our family, and the dragon is once again by the side of the Pendragon Duchy! So I, Alan Pendragon, declare…”

Hearing the soldier recite words from a scroll, the residents threw open the village’s wooden barriers and rushed out rejoicing. The sounds of weeping, shouting, and cheering overwhelmed the soldier’s speech.

The residents crowded the soldiers standing in formation and took their hands, leading them into the village.

In less than ten days, the seven villages outside the Bellint Gate had the flag of the Pendragon family hoisted on the village entrances, and atop of the halls. The mayors and all the heads of each village received the urging message of a mandatory meeting that was to be held at the Conrad Castle and they headed towards Bellint Gate following the soldiers.

Unfortunately, not all of the villages followed the will of the Pendragon Duchy. With 10 years of self-reliance, some villages had already systemized into their own city-estates. They looked at the resurgence of the Pendragon family with suspicion.

But, they knew that if the Pendragon family were to send soldiers to their villages, a huge conflict could arise, hence they left for Conrad Castle with quivering hearts full of worries.

Nevertheless, the joyful news of the Pendragon family’s resurgence after 10 years reached Bellint Gate and the villages, including the village of Lowpool, and finally arrived at Conrad Castle.

“Alas! I, is that really true? Are you sure, completely sure, that Alan succeeded in reopening the mausoleum and making an oath with Soldrake?”

“Yes, my lady! I saw with my own two eyes! I saw His Grace Alan taking Soldrake as his companion and taking hundreds of griffons under his command.”

A soldier was kneeling on one knee, his clothing earthed and worn out from the long journey. He was one of the soldiers who had accompanied Raven on his long campaign.

“Oh! Goddess Illeyna! Thank you! Thank you…”

Elena Pendragon, the duchess of the Pendragon, gave a gesture towards the goddess while shedding tears. General Melborn, who stood at the foot of the throne, also wiped his teary eyes and bowed his head.

“Glory to the Family of Pendragon! Honor to the White Dragon!”

One of the nobles that was lined up on the sides of the palace cried out aloud. As if on cue, everyone in the palace raised their voices to praise the family and the dragon.

Elena looked down at the nobles and the knights with tears still in her eyes. They had been there for the last ten years, unchanging in their loyalty. They were definitely lacking in numbers, but looking at their joyful faces reminded her of the ten years of hardship in which they endured.

As the excited cheers subsided, Elena pressed down on her throbbing chest and spoke to the soldiers once more.

“So where is Alan now? When is he set to arrive?”

“He spent last night in the village of Grant, so it seems that he is likely to arrive at Conrad Castle by noon tomorrow.”

“I see…”

She let out a sigh. She had a deep desire to see and hold her son as soon as possible. The soldier raised his head and continued.

“But, my lady. There is something that His Grace wanted me to convey to you.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

The soldier took a moment to organize the words in his head, and spoke in a louder and more confident voice than before.

“His Grace Alan Pendragon also took in the orcs from the Ancona Forest as his friends and companions, and they are accompanying His Grace on his way to the castle. Furthermore, he has taken in a handful of goblins and harpies from outside the gate as his subordinates.”

Gasp!

“O, orcs!”

“Goblins? Harpies?”

The eyes of the nobles widened, and Elena Pendragon jumped up from her throne.

“N, nevermind the harpies and the goblins. Orcs from the Ancona forest… Aren’t they the ones that the late Duke Klein had a friendship with? Are you sure? They are really, really with Alan?”

“Yes! The ones accompanying His Grace to the castle are thirty of the strongest and fiercest warriors of the Ancona Orcs. The hundred or so orcs that are still in the forest are composed of children, women and the elderly. His Grace wants to share all rights to the Ancona Forest with the orcs until the title of Duke passes onto the next generation. He wanted me to ask for your opinion, my lady.”

“Oohh..”

The person with the right to decide was her son. She knew that, and Alan knew so too. As such, it had been him who decided on breaking off the marriage with the Seyrod family. Even so, he still asked for her opinion.

Even if it was a formality, and her input wouldn’t be the deciding factor, she was touched by her son’s consideration.

She was overwhelmed with joy.

“It is the will of my son, and of the official heir of the Pendragon family. How would I have any other thoughts? Wouldn’t you agree, sirs?”

The wise duchess looked around at the nobles. Raven’s respect was passed onto the duchess, and further onto the nobles, the pillars of Conrad Castle.

“We follow the will of the duchess!”

The nobles all bowed and spoke in a unified voice. There was no reason to object from allying with the orcs, who were said to have power rivalling a hundred men each.

Furthermore, even if anyone was opposed, they weren’t foolish enough to voice it on a day of celebration and joy.

“Excellent. Do you have anything more to report?”

Elena spoke, looking down at the palace with satisfied eyes. Then, the soldier’s expression took a strange turn. It was as if he was laughing, but crying at the same time.

He spoke with an awkward expression.

“Well… it’s about the white dragon…”

“W… what about Soldrake?”

Elena was the most knowledgeable person regarding Soldrake in the room. She recalled her own memories of Soldrake which she did not share with anyone else, and her eyes turned slightly grim.

“Soldrake… has taken on a human form.”

“……!”

Elena’s face turned as white as paper.

The nobles were in shock and alternated looking at the duchess and the soldier. Elena silently stood in her place, her appearance frozen like a glistening statue for a moment before regaining her expression.

She spoke with renewed determination.

“Alright. Thank you.”

She gave a nod, and spoke while scanning the crowd.

“Prepare to greet the brave warriors who gave it all for the family. Tomorrow, I will personally make my way down to the village of Lowpool and greet the duke, warriors, and the guardian of the family.”

“We follow the will of the duchess!”

***

The village of Lowpool was located in the vicinity of Conrad Castle and had been bustling with life since dawn.

The news of Alan Pendragon’s success in the mausoleum and the Ancona Forest had already permeated through the village. Everyone knew of his accomplishments with Soldrake and the Ancona Orcs.

Apparently, the duchess herself was coming out to greet His Grace, and the minister of Conrad Castle had distributed one hundred gold coins to all the pubs and the restaurants to provide free meals for everybody.

Five differently colored flowers were sprinkled on the main road, and three thousand residents, regardless of age or gender, gathered to talk about Alan Pendragon and his expedition.

When the sun was situated right in the middle of the sky, the duchess and her two daughters came down from the castle with an escort of knights and soldiers. They rode in a roofless carriage, and they casually waved their hands at the crowd.

“Whooooooaaaaaaa!”

Even though she was in her mid thirties, Elena’s noble and elegant beauty was still evident in her face, and her two daughters had inherited the good looks. The residents went wild and cheered at the passing duchess and her two daughters.

As usual, Irene Pendragon waved shyly at the crowd with a pure smile, while Mia Pendragon hung her face low and hugged her rabbit doll, her face blushing red with embarrassment at the people’s gaze.

“Mia, wave to the people of our land.”

“……”

Irene spoke to Mia encouragingly, but Mia was still hesitant to raise her face.

She was always kind to Mia, Raven, and their mother even though she was rather arrogant and tricky towards others. It was hard for Mia to even make this trip outside of the castle.

Even in the castle, she rarely left the palace unless she was accompanied by her brother or sister. This trip was a great challenge for her.

Nevertheless, she prepared herself and made the trip, holding onto one reason, and one reason only.

Ring! Ring!

Then…

Mia Pendragon’s ‘reason’ was about to reveal himself amidst the deafening cheers.

A gate, located in the middle of the high outer walls, slowly fell down.

Boom!

The wide-spread bridge settled down on the ground, and a colourful dragon emblem slowly emerged from the other side. Elena and Irene Pendragon stared at the emblem, no, they stared at what was beyond the emblem, with trembling eyes.

Even Mia poked her head out of the carriage despite the embarrassment. The gazes of the three ladies and the crowd all fixated in one place.

From the shadows of the gate, a figure in a white armor grew closer and closer, riding on the back of a stallion.

But it wasn’t just one person on the back of the horse.

The man was still the same as when he had left, proudly standing upright in his white armor. But another person was accompanying him, a woman with an appearance that was exquisite and marvelous. Her beauty was indescribable.

Whoosh!

“……!”

The brief silence turned into awe.

A dazzling pair of silver-white wings unfolded behind the person who rode with Alan Pendragon. The ‘being’ floated off the ground and hovered beside the horse, her wings shimmering with silvery lights.

In the silence, Raven took off his helmet and met the gazes of the three ladies. Elena shakily gave a reaffirming nod to Raven, to which he responded in kind, and then looked around at his subjects.

He began to exclaim to the people.

“Look and see! Pendragon has emerged victorious! The white dragon is once again with Pendragon!”

A white-silvery light started to gather around the mysterious woman, growing larger by the second. The light started to grow and slowly rose into the air. All eyes were on it.

Whoosh!

Intense light was radiated from the figure, and all the humans quickly flinched. They were quick to cover their eyes from the blinding light.

Once they opened their eyes once more, they could make out a large, overwhelming presence in the sky. It started to slowly spread open its wings, casting a dark shadow on the entire village of Lowpool.

“Sol…. drake…”

Elena spoke the name of the supernatural being that wielded control of the light and the dark. The most powerful being on earth, the guardian deity that was contracted to the Pendragon family. The humans looked up in awe and shouted in elation.

“Whooooaaaa!!!!”

It was the return of Pendragon and Soldrake.