The Dragon Descends
The announcement rang out with pompous formality.
“His Imperial Majesty, the Sun of the Empire, Emperor Aeron de Khan Megalopolis has arrived!”
I was shamelessly digging around in my ear with a pinky when the day’s true star finally made his entrance.
“Guess I should head back.”
I glanced toward the main hall and muttered under my breath.
“Undine, I need to return to the party, so keep that guy entertained for me, would you?”
“Yes, Master. How long should I keep him trapped?”
“Until the party ends.”
“Gurgle! Glub!”
“Release him once I get back.”
Lasshamu was submerged in water, but it was crystal clear, so our eyes could still meet. He made desperate gestures begging to be freed, yet if I were going to let him out so easily, I never would have trapped him in the first place.
“Make sure he doesn’t die. Let him breathe every once in a while.”
“Understood!”
Undine’s bright, sunny reply instantly lifted my mood.
“That guy is the younger brother of your nemesis. Remember? The bastard who sliced you clean in half with his sword aura.”
“Ah, that swordsman?”
“Exactly! The redhead.”
“I don’t really consider him my enemy though…”
“Undine. My enemy is your enemy, right?”
“…Of course! Then he is my nemesis! What a terrible person!”
While I was bantering with Undine, Lasshamu thrashed desperately to escape the water. Once you were inside, though, breaking free was nearly impossible.
Because my growth was Undine’s growth, and our Unbinding had become far more solid than before.
Besides, he couldn’t exert his full strength while unable to breathe. Struggling inside water—which absorbed impacts so well—was utterly pointless.
I hoped he’d realize that soon.
Before leaving the balcony, I gave him a short farewell.
“Well then, goodbye, Lord Pedri.”
“Glub glub!”
“And please send my regards to your brother.”
I blew him a heartfelt kiss and headed back to the party with a spring in my step.
I’d left the precious son of a ducal house trapped in water, but I wasn’t the least bit afraid. Once the party ended, I’d return to Dmitry and never see him again. And there was no way he’d want to spread the humiliating rumor that he’d been defeated by a woman.
“Kyahaha!”
“Master, you seem to be in a suddenly good mood?”
“Feels damn good.”
“If that guy had to be charged with any crime just now…”
“It would be forgetting this body’s existence! And having red hair!”
“It just looks like you’re venting old grudges against Robenin.”
“What? You think I’m that much of a psycho… Well. Now that you mention it, maybe I am.”
Rai could be surprisingly sharp sometimes.
As soon as I stepped out of the balcony, I saw the emperor ascending the platform.
A golden throne gleamed atop it. Flanking the throne stood imperial knights in full armor—the only people in the entire party allowed to carry swords. Unlike Lasshamu, who had been wearing formal attire, they were armed and radiated a stern, watchful aura. Their sharp gazes swept over the crowd, ensuring no one approached the emperor more than necessary.
The weapons ban was obviously for the emperor’s safety, but it also protected the guests. This party was so prestigious that if even a tenth of the attendees vanished, it would send shockwaves across the entire continent’s political landscape.
If we’re talking pure rank, I might be the lowest-status guest here.
The daughter of a baronial house held exactly that position—barely noble.
I strolled casually toward the platform. In front of it, crowds of distinguished guests had gathered to hear the emperor’s speech. Somewhere in that sea of people was Dikel III. I needed to find him.
“Rai, look for the king.”
“There are way too many people. Can I lift my head a bit?”
“Absolutely not.”
Finding a king among this throng of extravagantly dressed nobles was an eye-straining task. I grumbled as I pushed through the crowd.
“Excuse me. Coming through, just a moment.”
Everyone was too fixated on the emperor’s every move to clear a path. I couldn’t exactly shove people aside either—they were all holding glasses of wine. Worst of all, the dress and heels made every step feel like torture.
“Ugh, I really hate dresses. So uncomfortable. And these shoes are absolute garbage.”
“You have to endure it during the party, don’t you?”
“They’re pretty, but I never want to wear them again.”
I grumbled at poor Rai while scanning the crowd for a familiar face. After forcing my way through the dense mass of people, I finally spotted the king.
I tried to move closer, and our eyes met. He confirmed my location with a small nod. It meant I could stay where I was, but I still wanted to fulfill at least some of my duties as his attendant.
“His Imperial Majesty will now deliver a commemorative address. All guests, please pay attention.”
Damn it. I was so close, but now I couldn’t move. It would be rude to walk around while the exalted emperor was speaking.
Tsk.
I stopped, folded my arms, and stared toward the emperor. I should have brought a glass of champagne. This was obviously going to be a long one…
“Today, on this occasion…”
The emperor had just opened his mouth. He hadn’t even finished his first sentence.
BOOM!
A heavy presence suddenly shook the air.
Almost simultaneously, a violent surge of mana—no, something powerful enough to be called a wave—slammed down across the entire hall. Those who couldn’t sense mana collapsed without understanding why.
Something suffocating swept through the party and crushed everything in its path. I whipped my head around, horrified that some lunatic would dare cast such a wide-area spell right in front of the emperor, desperately searching for the source.
A faint vibration traveled up through my feet. The ground itself was trembling violently from some unknown force.
THUD!
THUMP!
CRASH!
The earth-shaking booms grew louder and louder. The ground shook again and again like an earthquake, but the rhythm felt more like the footsteps of something enormous.
I couldn’t even begin to guess what it was.
Not until Rai’s voice screamed in my head.
“Dragon!”
CRACK!
Before I could even process the word, the ceiling began to collapse. Chunks of stone and a massive chandelier rained down from above. Oh my god!
“Kyaaaaah!”
One woman let out a bloodcurdling scream. I couldn’t blame her. The ceiling was shattering as easily as an eggshell.
In the grip of a colossal, scale-covered reptile.
“Found you! You pathetic humans.”
Through the shattered ceiling, it glared down with glowing eyes. Its pupils were long and slit-like, rolling slowly. Yet each one was as large as a human body.
It was surreal. And yet terrifyingly real.
That was when the screaming truly began—endless, overlapping shrieks erupting from every direction.
“Aaaaaagh!”
“Eeeeek!”
“It’s a dragon!”
Ah. I suppose I should finally admit it.
Just how ridiculously unlucky I truly am.
Everywhere I go, a once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe always seems to follow.