Chapter 83
The stormy wind didn’t move wildly.
Instead of scattering in every direction, it moved with precision, as if it had a will of its own.
Following its flow, the dust that had filled the entire hall didn’t spread or leak out but instead gathered neatly in one place.
“Wow!”
Chad looked on with admiration and asked with sparkling eyes.
“Dragon! How did you just do that?”
“What do you mean how? I just did it, and it worked.”
“Just did it?!”
“Yeah. For some time now, whenever I see pebbles or sand, if I say ‘Gather!’ they gather. If I say ‘Scatter!’ they scatter.”
The young dragon had discovered this change while playing around alone out of boredom.
Chad tilted his head.
“So you just gave a command, and the dust moved? That looked like real magic!”
“Yep. Can’t you do it?”
“Of course not. Even adults can’t do something like that.”
For ordinary demons, it was impossible.
What had just happened was a dragon’s innate Dragon Word Magic, instinctively unleashed by a hatchling.
The young dragon had begun releasing its overflowing mana outward.
If Kalisud knew that this noble Dragon Word Magic had been used just to sweep up the floor, he would faint in despair.
Still, thanks to that, a job that normally would have taken an entire day was finished in moments.
“Chad, untie that bundle. My claws can’t manage knots.”
The boy did as he was told.
As the cloth was untied, brilliant desserts were revealed.
“Let’s eat!”
“Yes!”
The dragon and Chad enjoyed snack time together.
“Wow! It melts in my mouth!”
“Labo really is the world’s greatest chef!”
Chad was in bliss.
The desserts were on another level compared to anything he had ever eaten.
For example, even the tart he was holding now was special. The butter was of the highest quality.
The fruits, sugar decorations, and cream were all fresh and luxurious. The baking was perfect—the crust crisp, the inside soft and melting.
As Chad enjoyed the moment with delight, the dragon suddenly asked:
“But Chad.”
“Mmph… Yes?”
“What about the mission I gave you last time?”
“Mission? What mission?”
“I told you to come up with a name worthy of a great dragon like me!”
“Uh!”
Chad froze with a half-chewed cookie in his mouth.
He was completely unprepared.
How could he think of a beautiful, grand name for a sacred dragon worshiped by the entire territory?
“You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
The hatchling fixed its round, gleaming eyes on him.
They were already big eyes, but now they seemed even larger.
This is bad!
Chad couldn’t admit that he hadn’t done anything.
His eyes darted nervously to the dessert in the dragon’s small claws.
The dragon especially liked pies, since it had packed many pastries of that kind. Chad knew what pies were—though these were of the finest quality.
No time to think. In panic, he blurted out:
“…Pie!”
“Pie? What does that mean?”
The dragon asked with curiosity, clearly not even knowing the name of the dessert it was eating.
Chad’s brain raced desperately.
What words start with Pie…?
Then suddenly—
“Ah!”
A memory flashed. His mother had once told him old stories at bedtime. One of the names came to mind.
“Pyaakia!”
“Pyaakia?”
The dragon repeated the name over and over, liking the sound.
“What does it mean?”
“It’s a paradise across the sea. That’s what I heard.”
“Paradise? And what’s that?”
“It’s a land where no one starves and everyone is happy. The trees grow as tall as the sun, and gold springs up from the ground like water.”
Chad didn’t remember the story clearly, but roughly that was how the legend went.
Then, puffing his chest, he shouted:
“Pyaakia! Shortened to Pie! What do you think?”
“Pie?”
The dragon fell into silence, deep in thought.
Chad gulped nervously.
“Hmm!”
Finally, the hatchling smiled.
Imitating Richmond’s tone, it declared:
“Good. I like it! From today on, call me Pie!”
And so, the hatchling had a name.
Cecile’s Atelier
“Today, let’s do performance testing.”
Ariella arrived with soldiers.
“I really hope it works well this time.”
From Cecile’s workshop, soldiers carried out heavy weapons and armor: long swords, spears, armor, gauntlets, metal boots.
All had small magic stones embedded in them.
Ariella stroked one of the stones.
“They’re enchanted, right?”
“Yes, these are finished products.”
“Then let’s test the weapons first.”
At her command, the soldiers lined up in the yard.
The hole where the Dead Eater had once burst through was now completely repaired.
Each soldier aimed their weapon at a thick log to test its sharpness and strength.
“Begin!”
The soldiers swung their weapons.
But—
Thunk! Thud!
Instead of cleanly splitting the logs, the sounds were dull and heavy.
“Ugh!”
The first soldier’s sword got stuck halfway in the log and wouldn’t cut through.
He struggled, trying to pull it out, but it wouldn’t budge. Finally, he had to press down with his foot and strain hard.
“This sword has Sharpness enchantment, but it’s no better than a normal blade!”
Another soldier tested a spear with a thrust.
But instead of piercing, the spear bounced off the log.
“Whoa!”
He staggered back, leaving only a small scratch on the log.
“It won’t pierce at all!”
Ariella’s face fell with disappointment.
Cecile lowered her head, her cheeks burning red.
“I’m sorry. I really tried to make it right. Maybe I miscalculated… or the process went wrong.”
She seemed completely lost.
Ariella frowned.
“Are all the weapons like this?”
“Yes… The functions are weak. Honestly, unenchanted weapons might be better.”
Ariella shook her head.
“This is hopeless. Then forget weapons—let’s test the armor.”
“Should we put it on the soldiers?”
She hesitated.
“That was the plan, but no. What if this enchantment also fails? The soldier could be hurt badly.”
She glanced at Cecile with suspicion.
“If the armor is as useless as the weapons, someone could die.”
“Please trust me this time! The armor is definitely good.”
But Ariella coldly shook her head.
So instead, the armor was strapped to a log for testing.
“You said it has Counter-Magic enchantment?”
“Yes! No matter what magic hits it, the armor will reflect it back at the caster!”
Cecile spoke with confidence.
“Then I’ll test it. Shield!”
Ariella cast a defensive spell on herself first, just in case.
Then she pointed at the armor and cast a spell she had learned from Richmond.
“Water Ball!”
Moisture gathered in the air, forming into a ball.
She had once used it just to splash Ludwig awake, but this was originally an attack spell.
This time, she added force, making it spin violently before hurling it at the armor.
Bang!
The result—
“Ah!”
“Oh no…”
Cecile and the soldiers groaned together.
The spinning Water Ball went straight through the armor’s chest.
The Counter-Magic enchantment didn’t activate at all.
“If a soldier had been wearing that, it wouldn’t just be the armor. His chest would have been pierced too.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Cause of death: performance test? Do you know how humiliating that is?”
“….”
“If the quality is bad, you should ask for more time instead of handing me failures.”
Cecile couldn’t even raise her head.
“This is unacceptable. The orcs will attack the border again soon. And we have nothing usable?”
Her voice was cold and hard.
Cecile looked utterly crushed.
“I have no excuse.”
“I was embarrassed in front of the soldiers. Come inside—we need to talk.”
Ariella led her back into the atelier.
The soldiers stayed outside, cleaning up the useless failures.
Once the door shut—
“…That should do it, right?”
Ariella’s eyes suddenly changed.
The anger vanished, replaced by a sly, amused look.
Cecile, who had looked miserable, also relaxed.
“Ariella, where did you learn to act like that?”
Her shameful expression was gone.
“I was more worried you’d really cry, Cecile.”
“Maybe I should’ve cried for real. Next time, I’ll put onion juice under my eyes.”
The two of them chuckled together.
At that moment, Richmond’s voice echoed in Ariella’s head.
He had sent a message spell.
— The situation is over. The spies from Delac who were secretly watching have withdrawn.
