Clack
Skutum fixed his gaze on Adel, unfastening the lock on the greatsword slung over his shoulder.
Clack...
The blade, as tall as Adel himself, scraped against its sheath with a growl like a beast baring its fangs.
"If you're curious, I guess I have to show you."
A crowd had gathered, eyes locked on them, but Skutum showed no hesitation as he moved to draw his sword.
"Do whatever you want."
Adel blew the crumbs of shattered pastry from the street into his mouth and spoke casually.
Thud.
Skutum stepped forward, assuming his stance.
"Stand down."
It was then. Amid the tense standoff on the verge of erupting into violence, they turned their heads.
"He's my guest. Even if you're a high-rank rider of the White Claw tribe, I can't let you harass him."
"......"
Skutum's face hardened slightly. He paused for a moment, let out a low sigh, and shoved the half-drawn greatsword back into its sheath.
Clack.
As the lock clicked shut, he straightened up.
"What brings you out here? It's been decades since you emerged from that crumbling forge. Crul."
The elderly Red Dragonkin blacksmith stood blankly among the young White Claw tribe soldiers, shaking his head in exasperation.
"Have you finally decided to get back to work?"
"I don't take your commissions. Leave him and get out of my shop."
Crul strode out between them and grabbed Adel's wrist.
"Let's go."
But Skutum blocked his path.
Clack—!Shing!!
The White Claw warriors swiftly surrounded them at his signal.
"Who said you could just leave? The White Claw tribe doesn't let challengers walk away."
"Then what? You gonna fight him right here in the middle of the street?"
"Why not? He's already killed one of our tribesmen. Vengeance must be fair. You know that's the White Claw way."
"......Enough of this. There's nothing good for you here."
Skutum sneered at Crul's warning.
"You've lived a long time, huh? Defending a human? That's new."
"Defending a human?"
Crul burst into hollow laughter at the words.
"I'm protecting you lot. Don't pick fights you can't measure. Don't throw your lives away recklessly."
"......What did you say?"
"What else? If you don't want to end up like that, get lost."
Thud—!!!
Skutum's face twisted in rage.
"You bastard...!!"
At Adel's words, Skutum shoved Crul aside and advanced.
"I said stop!!!"
Crul desperately grabbed his shoulder. But the elderly blacksmith was too frail to hold back the vigor of a young warrior.
"Guh?!"
Skutum shook off the grip with all his might. Crul tumbled to the ground, unable to withstand the force.
"Grab that old man."
"......Skutum!!!!"
Shiiiing—!!!!
At his shout, the White Claw warriors drew their weapons in unison.
"Human. You're dying by my hand today."
"Yeah? There's an old saying: elders are never wrong. Kids who don't listen always get what's coming."
Adel gazed at him calmly and murmured.
"Shut up...!!!"
Clang—!!!!
Skutum's greatsword flashed out like lightning, arcing down toward Adel's head.
Whoooosh...!! Boom!!!!
The heavy draw tore through the air, enough to draw gasps from onlookers.
But astonishingly, Adel simply stared at the oncoming blade without moving a muscle.
Thud—!!!
Grind... griiiind...
"......?!?!"
Skutum's greatsword halted right before Adel's face. His full-force strike blocked, he couldn't hide his bewilderment.
But Adel hadn't drawn his sword. Beneath the blade, he looked up at Skutum without so much as a blink.
"Wh-who are you!!"
What had stopped his greatsword was a black spear.
"Heh heh, guests deserve proper courtesy. Skutum. This isn't your Snake Den territory—it's the Kingdom of Zen."
Grind...griiiind...
Skutum pressed down with all his might once more. But the spear held firm, his blade unmoving.
"The master has other plans. As Crul said, we can't have a ruckus here."
"......"
Shing—
He scowled, then withdrew his sword.
"Heh heh heh. Thanks for understanding."
The man who had stepped in front of Adel was an elderly figure with flecks of white in his hair. As Skutum retreated, he chuckled and stroked his mustache, spinning his spear.
'Crusher Sagael.'
Adel knew the kindly-faced old man was a monster who had crushed countless enemy commanders on the battlefield over his long life. He was King Lugal's right-hand man.
The mercenary band led by the Storm King had grown into a kingdom largely thanks to him.
'He looks small, but his rare superhuman strength is the only thing that can match the Storm King's power.'
He appeared like a typical scholar-official, but blocking Skutum's greatsword with one arm proved his strength was far from ordinary.
"I came at the report of a disturbance... We'll investigate what happened. You could come with us... or perhaps pay respects to the Storm King?"
"......Let's go."
Skutum clicked his tongue at Sagael's arrival and turned away with a scowl. Even as a high-rank dragon rider, a one-on-one with the Crusher was no easy feat.
"You alright?"
Sagael helped up the fallen Crul.
"I'm fine."
But Crul brushed off the assistance. He turned to Adel.
"Let's go. You said you had a commission?"
For some reason, Crul seemed even more eager to leave with Sagael present than with Skutum.
"We can't just let him go, Crul."
"What are you talking about? You saw it. Those White Claw bastards picked a fight with the kid."
"I did."
Sagael smiled faintly. His eyes smiled too, but Adel could tell the gaze pierced right through him.
"I also saw the boy kill one White Claw warrior and cripple the rest."
"......"
"They're not human, sure, but it's still murder in the kingdom. Can't overlook that."
"Since when was this mercenary kingdom so orderly? And you let White Claws roam your streets?"
"Rules and politics are different. Understand, Crul. At least the Storm King shows you grace by letting you stay."
Crul snorted at Sagael's words.
"They keep me around 'cause they want something. Grace my ass... Sagael, you've gotten old. The guy who let his spear do the talking is yapping away with that three-inch tongue."
"Heh heh. I've stepped back from the front lines. Just handling kingdom affairs now."
Sagael replied leisurely, as if used to Crul's provocations.
"But that piques my interest. No one commissions you... and now it's this kid?"
He leaned in.
"I'm Sagael, in charge here. May I have your name?"
"More polite than those pale lizards. I'm Adel. Adel Temir."
"......Temir?"
"Eighth son of the White Ghost."
Sagael's eyes widened in surprise.
"Heh heh, no wonder he didn't seem ordinary. Blood of the desert conqueror."
"Not blood. Just a debt of gratitude."
Sagael nodded as if understanding.
"I see. But even a son of the White Ghost can't walk away from murder. You'll need to face judgment at the palace."
"Of course. But not now."
"......What?"
"If guests must show guest courtesy, hosts should show host courtesy. As you know, I have business with Crul."
Adel met his gaze.
"And they picked the fight. The outcome wasn't pretty, but I don't need to delay my work to go with you."
"......You mean that?"
"Of course. If you'd arrested all the White Claws here, it'd be different."
"......"
"I'll come see you after the commission."
Sagael's eyebrow twitched subtly, unseen. The boy's brazen attitude must have irked him.
"Haha... Surprising, but the son of the White Ghost might pull it off. Then consider my position. Come to the palace when you're done. I'll report to Lugal."
"Sure."
Crul couldn't help clicking his tongue at Adel's unflinching confidence, even before Sagael.
"Can't predict you at all. You got two hearts or something?"
"Not hearts. But I do have two of something else."
"......Huh?"
Adel smirked at the tilting Crul and started walking.
* * *
"Are you insane? What were you thinking, picking a fight with White Claws?"
"Picking a fight? They started it, Crul. You saw."
"Even if they did, you pick your battles. Kid. Fighting like that willy-nilly—you planning to wage war solo?"
"Well, if I have to."
"Never at a loss for words, huh."
Crul shook his head at Adel's reply.
"......Anyway, you're heading to the Cove?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow, on the ship led by Pausa."
Back at Crul's forge, Adel pulled two special coins representing 100,000 gold from the guild and placed them before him.
"......Pausa? That braggart?"
"Yeah. Seems Leviathan's Sea Wave Island got lost there. Going to find them."
"Walking into the Forbidden Zone willingly... You're not right in the head."
"Piercing the fog's easy. It's not the sea—it's a lake with an end. The problem's the inhabitants."
"That's why you need Kasan's traps."
"Exactly."
"Even as Garon's contractor, fighting Cove savages is suicide."
[Hey, red lizard.]
It was then. Kalderet, standing beside Adel, called out to Crul.
"You..."
[All your narrow eyes see is a mid-god of flame? Can't even spot me? No wonder you lost the war.]
Crul remembered the black wolf that had bantered with Garon when Adel first visited. He'd thought it just had glossy fur, but now it spoke to him directly—he couldn't hide his shock.
[Cove savages? Whatever crawls out, I'll rip them apart with my claws.]
"......!!!"
Crul swallowed dryly at the sharp aura washing over him.
"Th-that..."
He was too stunned to continue.
'An ancient god...? This is ridiculous...'
Despite his long life, this moment shocked him more than his tribe's fall.
"Going to the Cove's no issue. The real problem seems to be you, Crul."
"......"
"What happened after the dragon wars? Why's the Storm King letting White Claws strut around his turf?"
Adel eyed him.
"And what do they want from you?"
"......It's a tangled mess from 200 years ago. Nothing for you to meddle in."
"Who knows."
Adel met his gaze.
"What takes one person 200 years might take another less than a day."
He smiled.