Chapter 539
Clink.

Romandro set the empty bottle down on the desk. Ian, who had been writing a report, looked up and gave a faint smile.

“King Clifford is quite decisive in his actions.”

“Indeed. There’s still plenty of time before the coronation, but he handled things pretty boldly.”

“And what about Envoy Lepin?”

“He was carried off. From what I saw, he really got hammered.”

“That’s for the best. If he’s out of commission, it actually makes things easier for us.”

Though brief and cold, Romandro nodded deeply in agreement. They were short on manpower, and everyone was being stretched thin. If Lepin was bedridden and easing the burden, they could only be grateful.

“That’s true. But I always knew the people of Clifford liked their drink, and wow—they really take it to another level. It’s like their veins run with wine instead of blood. When Lepin collapsed, they just popped open another bottle to celebrate.”

It went beyond expectations—far beyond. Did they even know what it meant to be drunk? Romandro clicked his tongue and lightly tossed the glass bottle toward the fireplace.

Clink!

Flare!

The fire, kindled by magic, melted the bottle without a trace. All the waste from the chamber had been disposed of this way, and no one ever found out. Once Lepin recovered, he’d surely complain about the sobering potion, so a clean cleanup was absolutely essential.

Sober-up potion? Nonsense! Is there any proof? Bariel was ready—prepared to argue that Lepin had drunk alone and made a mistake, and that no one should hold anyone accountable.

“The country’s been unstable for a long time, so they probably haven’t had much chance to enjoy drinking and festivities. It’s practically part of their identity, so it’s a shame. Make sure to tell them not to hold back on wine and food when hosting honored guests.”

“Of course! Clifford isn’t some backwater like Luswena. They’re Bariel’s ally—we should treat them well, no question.”

“By the way, what did Luswena say?”

Ian put down his pen. Since King Clifford had made his move, it was time to examine the other side’s response. Romandro lowered his voice to a whisper.

“As expected, they’re planning to deploy the Black Armor units at the forefront of the war. From Lepin’s tone, it sounds like they’ve already prepared thoroughly. To meet that demand, Dragon scales—kakrin—are essential. King Clifford even confirmed the existence of illegal breeding facilities.”

When a dragon dies naturally, the kakrin is the first to rot away. Dragons live so long that witnessing their death is rare, yet countless armors were made from kakrin? It strongly suggested illegal activity.

Ian slid a thick stack of documents from the corner of the desk—the full text of the Dragon Sanctity Non-Interference Pact. An international agreement forbidding the use of living dragons’ bodies for any purpose.

Having read it before, Ian flipped through the pages without hesitation.

“Since it’s an international treaty, publicizing this is our first priority. When Lepin wakes, he’ll likely report his mistake to Luswena, which would prevent us from finding evidence of the illegal breeding.”

“We need to act fast. But it’ll take time. Notifying all countries, setting a date and venue for a meeting—that alone will take months.”

“Besides, we’re on the brink of war. If all the main Gaia nations join the fight, no one will care about the dragon pact.”

War destroys everything, but some lines must never be crossed: handing a grieving child their severed parent’s head, poisoning food for starving refugees, forcing prisoners to endure dishonor.

“The Dragon Sanctity Pact is certainly a duty to uphold, but in wartime, decisions shift constantly. They’ll hide behind the excuse of war to ignore it. Especially Burgos—they’re friendly with Luswena but hostile to Bariel. They won’t hesitate to break the pact.”

“That makes sense. Unlike usual, wartime alliances will bind them. And if it were just Luswena’s problem, maybe. But if any country receives Black Armor support, they’re all complicit. They’ll collude to deny the treaty.”

“This is a promise and history upheld for centuries. We can’t let it crumble like this.”

It would be better to wait until after the war to hold Luswena accountable. Then, no one would overlook their wrongdoing.

“We should consider this carefully. For now, let’s inform Prime Minister Shatima.”

“Understood. I’ll arrange a meeting immediately.”

“And about Lady Kayla—”

Bang! Boom!

Before Ian could finish, a commotion erupted outside. The sound was different from usual. Romandro instinctively sensed danger and pressed close to Ian.

Tap! Tap!

“Akorella?”

“Ian! You have to see this!”

Crash!

Akorella didn’t wait for a response—she flung the door open. Behind her stood a dragon, its head nearly touching the ceiling, tilting sideways to fit.

Romandro staggered as if about to faint and barely managed to shout.

“Ako! What are you doing bringing that thing inside?!”

“No! You have to see this! Damn it! Luswena bastards, they’re hopeless!”

“What?!”

“Look behind you!”

-Quu?

Akorella tapped the dragon’s side, and it cautiously shuffled its rear inward. Its long tail knocked over the sofa, and Romandro, unable to hold back, collapsed onto it in a faint.

“Is there a problem?”

“Problem? Yes! Ian, look closely. The kakrin on the upper side is noticeably softer than the lower. The color’s much lighter too.”

“Confirmed.”

“Do you know what that means?”

Akorella didn’t wait for Ian’s answer and continued urgently.

“It means it’s been regenerated multiple times—no, dozens of times. The upper kakrin shows clear signs of being stripped away repeatedly. Dragons don’t molt like that, so why would the kakrin peel off?”

“I was just being briefed on that.”

“This is terrible. Judging by the hardness, it’s almost a disability.”

Akorella clenched her teeth and muttered. Dragons are supposed to withstand cold snow and scorching heat, but this one’s condition is hopeless—like a fish dying out of water.

Romandro, who had just recovered, stood unsteadily and asked.

“Looks fine on the outside, but is it really that bad?”

“Imagine plucking out Romandro’s hair dozens of times until he’s bald. Would his scalp be okay?”

“Ugh!”

Startled by the analogy, Romandro instinctively covered his head. Thinking of it in human terms was truly horrifying.

“And there’s more—”

“More? There’s more?”

“I don’t know what exactly, but this one isn’t purebred.”

“Huh?”

Akorella pulled out a report from her pocket. The ink was smudged, as if freshly scribbled.

“Ten years ago, when we analyzed kakrin material, the chemical reactions were completely different. It looks like the exterior is dragon, but the composition is something else. Look at this! The front scales are all burnt!”

“Oh, you’re right.”

Because it was already in rough shape, it hadn’t been obvious. Akorella’s hands trembled as her eyes flashed.

“We need a dragon expert to treat it. Otherwise, it won’t survive long.”

“So that’s why they set the ten-year limit.”

They must have been certain it wouldn’t live that long. Ian gently stroked the dragon’s brow and asked again.

“Do we know what it’s mixed with?”

“No. Not yet. It’s the first time we’ve seen anything like this. If it was for scale harvesting, it was probably mixed with something that has strong regenerative abilities.”

“Ian, when Lepin wakes, shouldn’t we protest and send it back immediately?”

-Quu?

The dragon reacted sharply to the word “send back,” rubbing its head eagerly against Romandro’s stomach. Romandro panicked and collapsed sideways again.

“We won’t send it back. Luswena handed us this evidence of their crime.”

“Yes, I agree. We have to save it by any means and show them what we’re capable of. What were they thinking sending this? Did they think it wouldn’t be discovered? That’s even worse! Who do they think I am?”

“They probably didn’t care if they got caught.”

It was proof they were betting everything on the war. As Ian feared, no one would bother with the dragon pact right now.

So they planned to harvest as many scales as possible to invest in the war and seize the advantage. If they win, it will be on the backs of the Black Armor, and no one will dare mention Luswena’s wrongdoing.

“Wait! So when the war breaks out, it’s just me and this thing staying behind at the palace’s magic department?”

Suddenly, Romandro, who had collapsed on the sofa, raised his hand in alarm.

“If this isn’t a pureblood dragon—meaning, not the kind of dragon defined in the treaty… wouldn’t it be okay to send it into battle with us? If we put it on the front lines, the issue would blow up so fast that Luswena wouldn’t even have time to react!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Think about it. Our enemies will blame us, sure, but once they realize this all stems from Luswena’s illegal actions, cracks will start to form on their side too, right? Dragons fly high in the sky and carry a lot of symbolism—it could really work to our advantage! Ahh! Don’t lick me! Please!”

Romandro crossed his arms and pleaded, causing the dragon to hesitate. But when Akorella patted its side reassuringly, the dragon perked up again and rubbed its head against Romandro’s stomach.

“Well, that actually sounds plausible. If Bariel’s forces get a boost from a dragon, the enemy will blame Luswena. They’ll ask why she brought such a problem on us.”

“Right? Exactly! That’s what I’m saying!”

“But the kid’s so gentle, hmm…”

Akorella rested her chin on her hand and scanned the dragon up and down. The dragon blinked with a slightly downcast expression. Then she gave its side a firm smack and shouted,

“Don’t get discouraged, you little rascal! It’s not your fault!”

-Kyuu!

“Beric’s helping out, so there’s no way you’re not useful too, right?”

-Kyuu!

Ian paused to think.

Putting aside the fact that it would help Bariel’s forces, deploying a dragon as a weapon of war could draw international condemnation.

But that criticism would be based solely on treaty violations. As Romandro pointed out, the Dragon Non-Aggression Pact only defines ‘dragons’ as pureblood dragons. There’s no clear mention of ‘hybrid dragons.’

And—

“Even if it’s a hybrid, a dragon is still a dragon. The skies are far more comfortable for it than for us, who are unprepared and clumsy.”

Ian nodded, seeing the merit in the suggestion.

“Understood, Romandro. Please prepare a report on this. I’ll submit it to His Highness Jin by the end of today.”

“Today? Ah, yes. Today’s good. Like Prince Clifopod—decisive and all.”

A flood of tasks rushed through Ian’s mind, but what could he do? He didn’t have the confidence to handle the dragon alone without the mages. If anything, it was better to have things expand like this.

“I’ll also instruct the Dera tribe to make specialized protective gear for the dragon. It will be used for propaganda, but since it’s a vital asset, they need to focus on durability.”

“Got it. I’ll make sure that’s delivered by today as well.”

“Put some muscle into it! The world isn’t easy, but you’ve got to show them you’re not easy either!”

-Kyuuuu!

With Akorella cheering from the side, the dragon lifted its head proudly and opened its mouth.

Then, in an instant, a torrent of scorching flames burst forth.

Fwoooosh!

“…!”

“…?”

The three of them froze as if time had stopped, staring at the dying embers.

I thought dragons’ powers disappeared back in Gaia’s early days?

“What the—hey, you—”

Akorella’s mouth moved, but before she could finish, the dragon bared its black teeth in a grin.

-Kyuu?