Chapter 63 …
Ikael felt like he finally understood.
Why the Desert Dragon had become so enraged over a single fragment of bone.
And what it truly needed.
“Desert Dragon, you need me, don’t you?”
-
Wha… what?
The Desert Dragon was momentarily taken aback but recovered quickly, responding as if nothing had happened.
-
You crazy brat. Do you want to rot in the endless desert hell?
“Shut up, you without a body.”
-
What did you say!!!
The Desert Dragon exploded with anger.
But unlike before, it couldn’t drag Ikael into the other space and could only gnash its teeth in frustration.
As expected.
Ikael quietly watched the Desert Dragon’s molar, which had rolled far away.
That’s it. A bodiless Desert Dragon can’t exert its full power. Earlier, it could only act because I was holding its molar.
One by one, Ikael’s hypotheses were proving correct.
When he had been pulled into the other space, he had deliberately provoked the Desert Dragon.
Mocking it about not having a body, to test its true feelings.
And it had worked perfectly.
The Desert Dragon would rage every time its body was mentioned.
If it weren’t true, it wouldn’t have gotten that angry.
Like a raging disaster, the Desert Dragon was terrifying in its simplicity.
And then…
-
Ha! Kids these days are unbelievable. If it were me, the moment I got a razor, I’d have slit Kairun’s throat.
At that moment, Ikael was completely certain.
The Desert Dragon hasn’t refrained from using its power—it simply couldn’t.
Because it had no body.
Its burning hatred could have easily killed Kairun outright. But to do so, it first needed a body capable of wielding even something as simple as a razor.
Even while Ikael was lost in thought, the Desert Dragon continued grumbling.
-
Damn brat! I’ll kill you. I’ll start with you!
“If you can, go ahead. You’re just parasitizing my body.”
-
!!!
The Desert Dragon was left speechless.
Just as it borrowed power from Ikael, Ikael was lending it a body.
That’s why it panicked when I stabbed its heart in the other space.
Dying in that space wouldn’t immediately kill its real body, but leaving it like that would be extremely dangerous.
No matter how ruthless the Desert Dragon was, it didn’t truly wish to die, so the only option was to break the other space.
Being seen through so quickly left the Desert Dragon not just baffled, but utterly stunned.
-
Y-you… you damn slave brat!!!
Clap.
Ikael clapped his hands once.
It was time to redefine their relationship.
“Shall we correct that? Not ‘slave,’ but ‘contractual relationship.’”
-
What?
A relationship where both parties had mutual needs.
It could no longer be called a master-servant relationship.
Creak—
Ikael opened the treasure vault’s door and stepped out.
He checked the time, thinking a long while had passed, but only a little over thirty minutes had elapsed from entering and leaving the vault.
Time in the other space flowed differently from the outside world. Naturally. Yet the sensation of being tossed about by the sandstorm remained vivid.
Terrifying creature, that Desert Dragon.
Ikael couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
If it could unleash that much power from a single molar, how monstrous must its full strength be?
Which made it even more important not to take the contract lightly.
Ikael and the Desert Dragon were still bickering over the terms.
-
The word “slave” absolutely cannot be removed!
“Shut up.”
Because only Ikael could hear the Desert Dragon, he stayed holed up in the room to converse and strictly forbade any servants from entering.
-
…Even so, I’m older than you. Doesn’t it make sense for you to be called a slave?
Hmm.
The Desert Dragon was stubborn beyond reason.
Honestly, Ikael didn’t care about superficial titles, but the Dragon’s insistence made him reluctant to simply comply.
They argued for hours until the sun set, finally exhausted.
Haaah.
It had been an exhausting day.
Even in the other space, dealing with the Desert Dragon was tiring.
Lying on a soft blanket, his body melted into comfort.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, a sudden commotion erupted outside.
“…You cannot enter!”
“Shut up!!”
Bang! Crash!
An uninvited guest burst in. It was Isitor.
“Ikael, you bastard!!”
“…What?”
Whether he understood Ikael’s irritation or not, Isitor pushed past the servants in a hurry.
“Tell me straight. Is the news true? Father… father…”
But Isitor couldn’t finish his sentence.
Whish— Whoosh—
A magical sword was suddenly pointed at him. Isitor nearly got stabbed.
Even just aiming it carried immense pressure.
“Brother. Who said anyone could just barge into the room?”
Isitor couldn’t even think to argue.
Normally, he would have backed down at this point, but now there was something important to confirm.
“The—then tell me if the rumor is true. Father is taking you to the Gem Mountains!!”
Frustrating. So frustrating I could die!!
Isitor could not stand it. He had suffered for glory in the guild’s campaign, yet only unlucky Ikael got the reward.
“Hurry and explain. What trick did you pull to make Father take you to the Gem Mountains!!! Until now, only Excitor has gone there!”
“……”
Ikael didn’t respond.
Flinching, Isitor wondered if he’d crossed the line.
“Don’t play dumb… I overheard it in Father’s office…”
Technically, Isitor had simply visited Kairun’s office to request his deserved guild reward, overhearing the comment by chance.
But Ikael gave no reaction.
What’s his deal now?
Ikael sat quietly on the bed, staring at him.
With an expression that seemed slightly menacing, Isitor felt fear.
“Wh-what… brat?”
He stepped back. Ikael was actually staring at the tip of his magical sword.
Clench.
Ikael gripped the sword.
A strange sensation spread through him.
It’s light.
The magical sword felt light.
He had grabbed it out of anger at Isitor’s intrusion, yet the feeling in his hand was completely unfamiliar.
Has it ever been this light?
The blacksmith Denta had told him the sword would feel lighter as he grew stronger.
Whoosh!
Ikael swung the sword lightly.
“Ugh!”
Isitor leapt back, startled.
“Sp-spare me, use words!”
But Ikael seemed deaf to it.
Swish, Slash!
Ikael stepped off the bed and began swinging the sword.
Though it still looked like a crude chunk of metal, the air it cut was cleanly severed.
Light. Light.
Despite his pajamas and standing on a carpet, his movements were powerful.
He looked like someone who had just been collapsing from fatigue.
Though his mouth was tightly shut, some strange exhilaration shone on his face.
He sensed he would soon need the sword in actual combat.
Last time, I could handle trolls with just a longsword. But with a magical sword…!
Clack, clack!
The strikes continued.
Isitor now had to dodge frantically.
“Stop it, Ikael!”
The next morning.
“Good morning, Young Master Ikael!”
“Morning!”
Ikael woke easily. Despite staying up late practicing with the magical sword, he felt perfectly refreshed.
Just as he was getting dressed, he was suddenly summoned.
“Young Master Ikael, the Head of the House requests your presence.”
“Father?”
Ikael immediately went to Kairun’s office.
He had hoped it would be brief so he could continue training, but it seemed unlikely.
“Ikael. Come with me.”
“As you command.”
“We are going to the Galapa Gem Mountains.”
He realized he had heard something similar in his sleep the previous night.
So that’s what Isitor meant by the Gem Mountains.
The Galapa Gem Mountains were Kairun’s personal territory, filled with incredible jewels.
If it weren’t for Kairun owning it, countless thieves would swarm it. Any rare gem appearing in the empire likely came from the Galapa Mountains.
Even other guilds coveted it, so it was forbidden to enter casually. Yet Kairun was taking Ikael there.
“Do you dislike it?”
“…No, just unexpected.”
Until now, only the eldest son, Excitor, had been there.
Why all of a sudden…
Ikael followed Kairun, keeping the question aside.
Whoosh—
The mountains were treacherous. Without teleportation magic, it would have taken at least a month to reach.
“A fine mountain range, isn’t it? Sometimes it’s best to hide overly beautiful things.”
“…Yes.”
Indeed, the mountains seemed ordinary at first glance, with lush forests.
Until Kairun raised his sword.
Swish—
With the slightest movement, Kairun sharpened the blade.
Then, the impossible happened.
Crash!!!
No…!
The ground beneath Ikael shook violently.
Dust and sand stung his eyes, yet he couldn’t even blink.
Whoosh—
A massive hole opened at the base of the mountain.
This easily…!
It was absurd. To pierce a mountain that had stood for thousands of years with a single, simple sword motion.
From that strike, one could feel how much power was concentrated in a single slash.
Shatter—
Jewels fell like dust from the cleanly cut surface.
The prized gems of the empire were now floating in the air as powder. Wherever Kairun’s strike landed, the jewels were perfectly sliced.
Before Ikael’s amazement faded…
“Can you do it?”
Kairun asked.
Thump. Thump.
Can I do it?
Ikael felt frustrated. In his previous life, he had reached the rank of a 7-star knight, and in this life he had achieved great accomplishments.
Yet he couldn’t even respond to Kairun’s question.
It made him furious.
Kairun smiled faintly.
“I will go to the Bronze Castle first.”
Spot.
With a single phrase, he teleported away.
Left alone, Ikael silently stared at the gaping hole.
-
Slave. Standing there to die? I told you to cut its throat already.
But the next moment…
Even the Desert Dragon fell silent.
A tremendous heat radiated from Ikael’s body. Pure, blazing anger.
Thud—
Ikael gripped his sword tightly.
I knew you couldn’t do it.
“Uaaah!”
Crash!
The Galapa Mountains shook with the sound of a massive fissure.
