54

Id ran a couple of more kilometers with Spica in his arms to the cave's exit. Upon arriving at the basin, Id tried to grasp the current situation. A gold dragon was lying on its stomach with its head on the ground in the center of the basin. Id saw the gold dragon opening its right eye for a moment and closing it again. As he tried to step out of the cave to approach the dragon, an unfamiliar voice was heard in his mind.

<< Don’t come out of the cave. I am gold dragon Vega. I’m using Telepathy now. You don’t have to talk to me as I can read your mind. >>

Spica whispered to Id to put her down. Vega’s voice was heard by the two at the same time. As Spica stood next to Id, Vega’s voice was heard again.

<< Spica, why were you in his arms? Are you injured? No, there’s no time, so I’ll read your memories. Don’t resist me reading your memories. Get rid of distracting thoughts from your mind and stay still. >>

Vega, who read Spica and Id’s memories for a while to understand what happened to Spica, continued.

<< Id, it is incredible for you to enter the State of Harmony with a human body. Although I have lived for more than three thousand years, I couldn’t reach that state yet. >>

A question came to Id’s mind when he heard Vega’s comments.

‘Do dragons enter the State of Harmony?’

<< There is not only the State of Harmony but, furthermore, the State of Ultimate and the State of Myth for dragons to reach. There’s not much time left for me, so hear the details from Spica later. >>

Vega concentrated the manna circulating in her body on her brain to demonstrate Telepathy, which drastically drained her vitality.

<< I’ll be straightforward. I want to conclude a contract with you, Id. If I die and Spica doesn’t get my help, it’s improbable that she, still a mere hatchling, will survive and awaken to become a true dragon. But fortunately, Spica is over two hundred and seventy years old, and I have already given her almost all the knowledge she needs to learn as a dragon. Now, if she trains properly only for a few more decades, her Dragon Heart will mature enough, and perhaps she will be able to awaken to a dragon without me. You’re a human who entered the State of Harmony on your own, so I believe you can help Spica awaken. If you swear to protect Spica until her awakening and to help her awaken, I’ll give you my Dragon Heart. >>

Dragon’s scales were made of metallic components that were hard enough to become material for various weapons and armor. Although the gold dragon almost died and could not physically resist at all, dismantling its scales on the neck took a long time. James Cronos unsheathed his sword and climbed onto the dragon’s neck since he could not just watch the slow process. His sword was a magic sword made by the legendary Grand Wizard Rigel, one of the three founders of the Icarus Empire, which was the heirloom of the Cronos family. The Duke of Cronos had given the magic sword, entrusting James with the dragon hunt. James shouted an initiator to activate the magic sword.

“Power Up.”

The magic sword made of meteoric iron vibrated as it turned red. One of Vega’s scales fell off as James swung down his magic sword. Vega’s Telepathic Connection was interrupted for a moment by the pain of detaching her scale but soon resumed.

<< If I die, my Subspace Pouch will disappear, and the treasures in it shall be revealed. I don’t want to give my treasures as well as my Dragon Heart to these savages. So I’m going to put my Dragon Heart into my Subspace Pouch and hand its ownership over to you. Will you swear to make a contract with me? >>

When a few more scales fell off the gold dragon’s neck, the flesh under the scales was revealed. As James split the flesh, the Dragon Heart was exposed to the outside. It looked like a giant ruby about the size of a watermelon.

<< As you see, we don’t have much time, Id. Make a quick decision. >>

Vega’s right eye opened again and watched Id. Looking at Vega’s light brown eye glistening, reflecting the sunshine, Id made the decision. He thought in his mind.

‘I’ll protect Spica while I’m alive, and also, although I’m unsure if it’s something I can do, I’ll do my best to help Spica awaken as a true dragon. I swear on the name of my late master Andrew Adelian.’

When James tried to swing his magic sword to completely separate the Dragon Heart from the dragon’s neck bone, it shone brightly and rose five meters up into the air. And then, a dark shadow suddenly appeared in the air and swallowed the gold dragon’s Dragon Heart. The shadow flew rapidly toward Id and disappeared over his head.

<< Now, the possession of my Subspace Pouch was handed over to you. If you just think of your Subspace Pouch in your mind, you’ll be able to open it. Take Spica and leave here. >>

Vega’s right eye was closed again, and her head tilted to the left. Spica and Id noticed gold dragon Vega was dead. While the mages from the Icarus Wizard Tower and the Knights of the Black Bear Order searched the dragon’s lair, Benjamin and Count Henderson were standing at the entrance of the dragon’s lair, watching what happened in the basin. Benjamin’s eyes naturally followed the dark shadow’s movement and met Id’s. Benjamin did not know what was going on, but he quickly noticed that he was not in a situation where he could talk to Id. As Benjamin circled in the air with his indicative finger, Id nodded to him, understanding what he meant. And then Id turned around and ran into the cave, holding the weeping Spica in his arms. Benjamin shared the thoughts with Id that it would be better to talk to each other later through the magic communication. Count Henderson asked Benjamin.

“Do you know them?”

“The young man is my lifesaver who saved my life not once, but It’s my first time to see the girl. I think James will ask the Black Bear Order to help him chase the young man. What are you going to do?”

“The Emperor sent me here to keep Cronos in check. We will take the gold dragon’s treasure as we intended, and Cronos won’t obtain its Dragon Heart, so the best results came out. There’s no reason for me to help Cronos. The Black Bear Order has to go on a southern expedition, so I have enough excuses not to help James Cronos.”

Looking at Count Henderson grinning, Benjamin was relieved. Since the gold dragon almost destroyed the Griffin Order from the Cronos Duchy, it would be improbable for James to track down Id immediately if the Black Bear Order did not cooperate with him. Since the dragon’s lair was so far from the Cronos Duchy, Id would have already gone far away by their reinforcements’ arrival, even if James asked for support through magic communication. However, as more than a half of the Empire’s nobles stood on Duke Cronos’ side, Benjamin was worried about how long Id could escape from their pursuit.

James Cronos was out of his mind for a while because of what happened in front of him so unexpectedly. However, after a while, he urgently asked Count Henderson and Benjamin for cooperation as they forecast.

“Most of the Griffin Knights are killed or severely wounded, as you’ve seen, so I need your help. Support me some men to track down those who took the Dragon Heart and ran away.”

Count Henderson shook his head firmly.

“The dragon hunt of the Black Bear Order and me is over. We have finished our assignments entrusted by His Majesty, so we will withdraw as soon as we find the dragon’s treasure. The Black Bear Order must leave for the southern expedition with me, so there’s no more time to delay.”

Benjamin said after Count Henderson.

“The Icarus Wizard Tower lost one of the three seven-circle Wizards and six six-circle mages, which are losses hard to recover. So we’ll leave as soon as we find magic books and magic reagents.”

James, who was lowering his head listening to their refusal, ordered the survivors of the Griffin Order.

“Two apprentices remain here to guard the dragon’s body until the reserve forces come, and the rest follow me.”

As James Cronos jumped into the cave where Id disappeared with Spica, two Knights and three apprentices followed him. A Knight took the lead with a torch, but moving fast in the dark cave was not easy. Furthermore, it was difficult to raise their speed recklessly because there might be an enemy’s raid in the dark cave. James had a feeling that the cave would continue endlessly. After meeting a fork road in the cave, James finally concluded that it would be impossible to track down the man who stole the Dragon Heart only with the remaining members of the Griffin Order and took out a communication crystal from his backpack.