Chapter 42: Reverse Scale
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: Reverse Scale
Valdrova Castle, the heart of the Archduchess’s domain.
Ruri was in the middle of delivering her weekly report to Valdrova.
“The latest update: Lord Ferda has arrived safely in the Empire and is currently engaged in discussions at the Imperial Palace.”
Upon hearing the news of Ferda’s movements, Valdrova exhaled a heavy sigh, the tension finally leaving her massive frame.
— I see. I am glad to hear he arrived safely.
“...Did I not tell you several times? Most monsters wouldn't dare target that carriage.”
The Far East was a forsaken land, largely undeveloped and wild. Consequently, the forests were dense, and where there were trees, there were monsters. The frequency of monster encounters while traveling was more than double that of any other region.
Even so, the chances of Ferda’s carriage being attacked were non-existent.
When the carriage was built, a single dragon scale had been hidden within its frame. Any monster with even a shred of wild instinct would recoil at the mere scent of a dragon’s aura.
Monster attacks were a non-issue, and just in case, Arwen—a knight of Count Consilus—had been assigned as an escort. Their safety was guaranteed.
‘And yet...’
Valdrova could not set her mind at ease. She simply hated the fact that he had left her territory at all.
Even when he was right before her eyes, the Red Dragon Valdrova was prone to anxiety; the thought of him traveling to a land beyond her influence was like a bolt from the blue.
— He is eating well, isn't he?
— There aren't any monsters loitering around him, are there?
— He isn't sick, is he?
These were the questions Ruri had been bombarded with a mere six hours after his departure.
‘She’s fussing over him like a mother hen with a sickly chick.’
Valdrova fretted over him as if he were a fragile creature that might drop dead at any moment.
It was perhaps unavoidable. In the eyes of an immortal who had existed since the dawn of time, an eighteen-year-old mortal was no different from an ant on the ground. Furthermore, Ferda’s constitution was notably weaker than that of an average human.
Ruri had been forced to attach her own spirits to Ferda’s carriage to receive reports every three hours. She utterly loathed this reporting process.
‘She is drifting further and further away from the majesty of a sovereign.’
Valdrova had never been a typical dragon monarch to begin with. Ruri knew both sides of her.
When Valdrova took the form of the Red Dragon, she spoke with a solemn, ancient gravity. Her presence as a solitary guardian commanded a heavy, suffocating tension.
On the other hand, when she took human form, she shed that weight entirely. Her expressions and gestures changed so drastically she seemed like a different person—a pure, vulnerable woman who was the polar opposite of a dignified ruler.
‘I can accept all those sides of her, but...’
Ruri wished that, at the very least, the boundary between the two wouldn't crumble. Yet, the more Ferda entered Valdrova’s life, the more Ruri felt the majesty draining even from her dragon form.
A whirlwind of conflicting emotions crossed Ruri's mind. She wanted her master to be happy, but she also wished for her to maintain her dignity as an Aspect.
‘Ferda.’
Everything had changed because of that man. He was a man she had much to be grateful for, but also much to resent.
“I shall refrain from reporting on his return journey.”
At that, Valdrova shifted her massive body.
— And why is that?
“Since we know Lord Ferda’s path there was safe, there is no need to obsess over the details of his return, is there?”
— ...But could the road back not be equally treacherous?
There she went again, sounding like a grandmother fussing over a grandson.
“Then why don't you go out to meet him yourself?”
— Hmm...
Valdrova let out a low groan and lowered her head. Despite her worries, she was still uncomfortable facing humans. Seeing her hesitate, Ruri drove the point home.
“There is no need to worry so much about Lord Ferda. He may be a child in our eyes, but in human society, eighteen is a full-grown adult.”
— I am aware of that.
“And he is handling the matters you couldn't take care of yourself quite well.”
— I know that too...
“So do not worry. As long as you remain strong, Lord Ferda will never truly be under threat.”
It was just as she was soothing Valdrova that a wind rose within the quiet lair, shaping itself into a white mist. Tormenta, a High Wind Spirit, manifested only a face beside Ruri.
“It seems news of Lord Ferda has arrived. One moment...”
— Very well.
Valdrova adjusted her posture and waited. Ruri, who had been listening calmly, suddenly widened her eyes.
“What? What do you mean by...?”
She blurted out, her voice sharp with shock. Ruri quickly regained her composure, but Valdrova had not missed the lapse.
— What is it?
Ruri did not answer. She focused entirely on the spirit’s whispers.
— Has something happened?
“Please wait a moment, Master.”
Valdrova’s golden pupils shifted. She could sense the shift in Ruri's tone.
— What has happened? To my fiancé?
Her patience reached its limit. The Aspect of Power was losing her composure.
Creeeak—.
Her claws dug into the floor, pulverizing the stone.
Rumble—.
As Valdrova’s emotions wavered, the entire cavern shook violently.
— Speak the truth. Tell me what has happened to my fiancé.
The Red Dragon, Valdrova. The power that the Master of Fire and Power had suppressed was beginning to leak out.
Ruri, having finished listening to the spirit, finally spoke.
“It was nothing to worry about.”
— Then what is it?
“It is merely a political matter. The spirit only came to deliver the message quickly.”
— Then my fiancé is alright?
“Yes.”
The tremors in the cave ceased. Valdrova, who had half-risen, let out a sigh of relief and coiled her body back down.
— Then why did you look so serious?
“I was simply concentrating. I apologize for causing you concern.”
— Hmm... I see. No, it is fine.
Valdrova trusted Ruri and calmed her startled heart.
“Then, I shall take my leave. Documents from the territory are piling up...”
— Yes, go ahead.
Ruri exited Valdrova’s lair. She walked in silence, moving slowly out of the cave and into the forest until she reached a signpost and stopped.
This should be far enough.
Once she was certain Valdrova could no longer sense her, she opened her tightly shut lips.
“Tormenta.”
At her call, the High Wind Spirit fully manifested.
— Yes, Master.
“Regarding the message your kin delivered...” Her low voice trembled slightly. “Do you swear there is not a single lie in it?”
Tormenta flinched. Behind Ruri's expressionless, business-like mask, he could feel a deep, hidden agitation.
It was only natural. The news she had heard was not merely political.
— Yes. It is recorded that he was attacked by a Magic Investigator in the Sealed Warehouse and sustained injuries. I received the urgent report and delivered it exactly as it was.
The Regent of the Far East had been injured within the Imperial Palace.
In ordinary human politics, this was something that might be resolved through negotiations and concessions. But the person involved was the one destined to be a dragon’s mate.
‘And he is my Master’s fiancé.’
Valdrova had been shaken just by the suspicion that something might have happened. If Ruri had told her he was injured, it wouldn't end as a simple matter of diplomacy.
‘My Master would lose her reason and move...’
And then the other dragons would move as well. That was a catastrophe that had to be stopped at all costs.
‘Dragons must not move.’
But a Dragon Spawn was a different story.
“I understand.”
Wings sprouted from Ruri’s back. Her silver-shining wings were larger than ever before, spreading out with terrifying power.
Boom—!
With a single flap, Ruri vanished.
The Silver Dragon, Master of Wind and Steel. Known for being impossible to track with the eye once they took flight, they were often called the Silver Comet. As one endowed with that power, Ruri’s speed was peerless.
A stifling emotion kept rising in Ruri’s chest. Why did he enter the Sealed Warehouse? And why did he almost die within the Imperial Palace?
‘Do they hold my Master in such low regard?’
Ruri had disliked the Empire from the start. The 3rd Imperial Prince had approached Valdrova with the intent to use her. As if that wasn't enough, the nobles had used it as an excuse to excommunicate him from his family.
It was an insult. An unforgivable insult.
Yet Ruri had not acted. Not because she didn't care, but because Valdrova hadn't wanted her to. Valdrova believed it was only natural for her to be unhappy, and she had let go of her hopes without clinging to them.
‘And now that he has finally... grasped that hope.’
They dared to put the man who would be the dragon’s spouse in danger?
Grit—.
After flying at full speed for mere minutes, the Empire came into view. The journey that had taken Ferda a week was but a moment for her. Her silver eyes fixed on the Imperial Palace.
‘It doesn't matter what the reason is.’
Someone must take responsibility for this.
The Silver Comet cleaving through the sky plummeted toward the Imperial Palace.
* * *
“Level 1 Alert! All knights and mages in the palace, take note! Enter combat readiness and assemble at the entrance of the Royal Garden immediately!”
The landing site was the Royal Garden.
Knights and mages, caught off guard in their sleep, were rushing toward the location in a frenzy. Ferda walked toward the site, matching their movement. Seeing him walking so calmly, a knight drew his sword and blocked his path.
“Who are you?! I’ve never seen you in this palace before!”
He was a young man brimming with a sense of duty, though he looked a bit clumsy compared to the veteran knights.
“I am Ferda, Regent of Valdrova.”
“Ferda Valdrova? Ah! The one who was supposed to arrive today... My apologies for not recognizing you, Regent!”
“It’s fine. Are you all assembling in front of the Royal Garden?”
“Yes. It’s a Level 1 Alert, so please, would you take refuge in your room?”
“That’s a good idea, but it might be better if I go with you.”
“Pardon?”
“Guide me to the Royal Garden. I don’t know the layout well.”
“I cannot. This is a Level 1 situation; you could be in danger, Regent.”
Ferda realized then. This boy had no idea what was actually happening.
“You all are already in danger because of me.”
“Because of you, Regent...?”
His face showed he couldn't grasp the meaning at all. Ferda sighed at the foolish expression.
“What is your name?”
“Ah, I am Malcolm. I’m from Peach Hill, so I don't have a surname.”
“Right, Malcolm of Peach Hill. Don't try to understand with that meager intellect of yours. All you need to do is guide me to where we need to go.”
“B-but, I have a duty to protect the subjects of the Empire...”
“You’re a difficult fellow to talk to. Would you rather lose your life, or would you rather end this on better terms?”
“I came here prepared to lay down my life.”
“...”
He was more stubborn than Ferda had imagined. It was a rule of thumb never to associate with those who wouldn't listen to reason.
“I’ll just find my own way.”
“Wait, you can't go that way! Really...!”
Leaving Malcolm behind, Ferda moved on. Malcolm kept protesting, but he didn't dare lay a hand on Ferda, so he just hovered nearby like a nervous shadow.
In front of the Royal Garden—specifically, at the entrance leading into the palace—a massive force of knights and mages had gathered.
“3rd Knight Order! Close-order square formation!”
“5th Knight Order! Form the wing formation!”
They moved according to the Knight Commander’s orders, blocking the entrance.
“2nd Mage Division! Prepare defenses!”
“3rd Mage Division! Prepare bombardment magic!”
The mages finished their preparations, wands leveled at the intruder.
“Intruder moving! They are heading for the entrance!” a mage maintaining a detection spell shouted.
“All forces! Ready positions!!”
The tension was palpable. Before them stood a wall made of thick rose vines. A moment later, a flash of silver light flickered in a perfect rectangle. With the flash, the vine wall collapsed like a cut door.
The intruder appeared.
The one who stepped through was a silver-haired girl in a maid uniform.
‘It’s Ruri.’
It was just as Ferda expected. If there was an intruder in the palace, he knew she would be the first to arrive. However, she looked different than usual.
Silver wings flared from her back, and a thick tail protruded from beneath her skirt. A pair of horns shaped like lightning bolts extended from her brow. She radiated a dense aura that triggered an instinctive, primal sense of threat.
“A-A Dragon?!”
Someone’s cry caused morale to plummet instantly. Those who had never seen a dragon, let alone a spawn, were overwhelmed by the sheer pressure.
“Do not be afraid! The opponent is merely a Dragon Spawn!”
Dragon Spawn. Servants of dragons created through an Ascension Ceremony with dragon blood. Each was equivalent to a master knight, capable of slaughtering groups of human soldiers with ease.
The commander shouted to bolster morale, but even he couldn't take the situation at face value.
‘A Dragon Spawn destroyed the Royal Archmage’s barrier in a single blow?’
The Imperial Palace was the most secure location humans had ever built. The magic circles preventing aerial drops were triple-layered and self-reforming. That girl had single-handedly shattered a barrier that even meteors couldn't penetrate.
‘And can a Dragon Spawn even produce this much Dragon Fear?’
This was the factor that paralyzed the knights. Dragon Spawn were not supposed to be able to manifest Dragon Fear. Yet, this girl was radiating it in waves.
Like a dragon whose Reverse Scale had been touched.
Hands and feet trembled; cold sweat poured down. The formations were on the verge of collapsing, and some mages lost their focus entirely, their spells fizzling out.
“Ugh...”
Malcolm, who had been hovering nearby, couldn't withstand the Dragon Fear and collapsed. At the same time, his eyes witnessed something unbelievable.
‘How can the Regent be so calm?’
Ferda wasn't even breaking a sweat. He was the only one standing perfectly still on his own two feet. Seeing him stare straight at the intruder without wavering was awe-inspiring.
“Did you say your name was Malcolm?” Ferda casually asked.
“Pardon? Ah, yes... T-that is correct.”
“You were right.”
“Pardon?”
Ferda’s gaze was fixed on Ruri. Ruri’s eyes were locked onto him.
“I might actually be in danger.”
She was absolutely livid—and her fury was directed straight at him.