Chapter 311: Counterattack Begins (5) |
The white dragon that had been chained had measured over twenty meters in length. Now that it had suddenly shrunk to the size of a puppy, the chains naturally slipped off on their own. Freed, the small white dragon flapped its way over to Serati.
Though it lacked intelligence, it seemed to possess a certain instinct. Perhaps the dragon realized that Serati was the only one here it could trust. The tiny hatchling rubbed against her ankle while trying to hide itself from everyone's eyes.
Serati couldn't help but smile. How adorable.
Yes, it was undeniably cute, and yet she wasn't sure what exactly happened. Judging by everyone's reactions, this kind of transformation wasn't supposed to be possible. Each of them wore expressions of disbelief, frantically trying to make sense of the mysterious situation.
"Any idea why this happened, Lord Kalaf? You're the most knowledgeable here when it comes to dragon biology."
"Not a clue. I haven't the faintest idea."
"And you, Master Diogres?"
"The same. I've gone through every magical theory I know, and nothing explains this."
Everyone was utterly confused—except for Desteran, who remained unwavering in his conviction. "This is the miracle of the goddess! It's a clear sign of the Twilight's prophecy!"
He approached Serati and asked carefully, "I admit I never truly believed in the Twilight Cult or its goddess before… but after seeing this, it's hard to outright deny."
Glancing down at the dragon by her feet, he asked delicately, "Did you… perhaps do something, saintess?"
Serati answered sincerely, "I didn't do anything."
That sincerity came through clearly to Diogres.
"I see." He nodded, still looking down at the dragon. "So you're saying… you're unaware of what you did."
"No, that's not what I meant…"
She tried to explain again, but Diogres had already drawn his own conclusions. No matter how much she denied it, the situation was simply too perfect. The dragon she saved had transformed into an impossible form and now lay curled at her feet.
Even Karnak looked at her with suspicion as he sent her a telepathic message.
—Are you sure this really has nothing to do with you? You didn't suddenly hear voices from above or anything like that?
She retorted instantly.
—Of course not! Of all people, you shouldn't be the one saying that!
Karnak remained dubious.
—Well, still… you were the one insisting we spare the dragon.
—That's not exactly an unusual stance! Sure, we were after its mana more than its bones anyway, so why kill it? Most people would've thought the same, not just me.
It wasn't like she said life was sacred and must never be taken. She had merely suggested avoiding unnecessary killing if possible. If the dragon had harmed anyone or if they were hunting it for meat or scales, she wouldn't have said a word.
Karnak paused for a moment, genuinely curious, then asked her.
—Would they, though?
Was thinking a twenty-meter dragon looked pitiful and arguing to spare it really a common sentiment?
Serati stuttered a response.
—W-well… maybe I've just been desensitized. I've spent so long surrounded by monsters that a juvenile dragon doesn't really faze me anymore…
Meanwhile, the archliches and Diogres were deep in a heated debate, throwing out every theory they could think of with the full force of their magical expertise. They simply knew too much to let it go.
Only Varos, who lacked any magical knowledge, remained detached from the discussion. In other words, he was the only one able to point out the most obvious issue.
"Let's just head back to the manor. Sitting around under the moonlight talking about this isn't going to solve anything."
***
Once their work was done, the archliches left Zestrad. After all, undead lingering in a populated area was rarely a good idea. Karnak and the others returned to the manor alongside Diogres and Desteran.
The following morning, Lapicel and Milia woke up as usual, but were startled upon opening their eyes. Something unfamiliar was snuggled up beside Serati.
"Is that… a baby dragon?"
"Why is that here?"
The two girls were still young, but they knew that dragons didn't leave Dragon Land.
There was no reason to keep it secret, so Karnak explained matter-of-factly. "You know how Master Diogres needed draconic mana to regain his magic, right?"
"Yes."
"So we had some people bring in a dragon for the extraction of draconic mana. That part went fine… but after its mana was drained, the dragon shrank like this," Karnak said.
He had indeed only spoken the facts, just not the whole truth.
So, Lapicel thought to herself, There must've been another secret King's Order mission last night.
As for the dragon shrinking, she brushed it off as something perfectly normal. After all, how could she suspect anything when she didn't know any better? She simply thought it was great that Diogres had regained his powers.
"So, what's going to happen to the baby dragon now? Are you going to raise it, Lord Karnak?" Lapicel asked.
"Technically, not me…" Karnak said, pointing toward Serati. "She's the one who will be raising it."
The baby dragon still clung to her side as though she were its mother, unwilling to leave.
"I get the feeling it's scared of me," Karnak muttered with some annoyance.
Serati let out a dry chuckle. "Isn't that natural?"
Not many creatures would feel kindly toward someone who had been about to flay them alive. Lapicel and Milia curiously approached the hatchling. It wasn't often one had the chance to see a dragon up close.
"It might be scary if it were full-sized, but…"
"Yup. No matter what species it is, babies are always cute."
The baby dragon growled softly as it eyed them warily.
Serati scolded it firmly. "No, Floke!"
Apparently it understood her, as it lowered its head with a guilty look.
Milia tilted her head. "Floke?"
Serati nodded. "Yeah, that's its name."
"Isn't that kind of an odd name? It sounds more like something you'd give a dog or a cat."
Floke was a word that meant snowflake or fluffball. It didn't exactly sound fitting for a dragon covered in scales.
"There's a reason," Serati said with a gentle smile.
She pulled a small gemstone from her sleeve and muttered a short incantation while pointing it at the hatchling. "Illusion spell, activate."
With a small poof! the baby dragon transformed into a fluffy white creature.
Lapicel's eyes widened. "Ah! A cat!"
***
There was an explanation for why and how the dragon had been transformed into a cat.
Karnak had been conflicted over this sudden rejuvenation of the dragon. He muttered, "What now?"
Originally, the plan had been simple. The dragon would be released into the northern monster-infested lands after having its draconic mana absorbed. It would fend for itself, eat a few monsters, regain its strength, and eventually find its way back home.
However, now that it had turned into a hatchling, if they released it in the north, it would undoubtedly end up becoming monster food. In Dragon Land, the dragon might stand a chance even as a hatchling. After all, this white dragon had once grown up there too.
But tossing it into a completely foreign environment and hoping it would survive? That was pushing it.
Serati offered a suggestion. "Can't we just take it back to Dragon Land ourselves?"
Karnak shook his head. "You want me to send people all the way back there? That'd delay everything."
The four elders of the Twilight Church were already swamped cleaning up leftover business. Sending them to Dragon Land again just to release one dragon felt excessive. Karnak's group couldn't go themselves either. It was too far, and the northern route was impassable to the living.
Karnak also had another reason for refusing. "I kind of want to keep it around and study what happened."
Serati glared at him. "You're not thinking of dissecting it, are you?"
Karnak scowled. "What kind of monster do you think I am?"
Serati asked, looking suspiciously at Karnak. "Well, even you wouldn't go that far. Right?"
"I've only got one sample. You think I'd dissect it right away? Obviously I'd wait until I've gotten all the data I could out of it first," Karnak explained calmly.
Serati asked, "So you are planning to eventually?"
Karnak responded, "If it's necessary."
Serati felt a renewed sense of conviction. I have to stop him. I must stop him. No matter what, I'll stop him.
Still, even if they kept the dragon nearby, it raised another problem. They couldn't raise it at the Zestrad manor. Karnak's group didn't even stay there regularly. They were on the move more often than not. And they couldn't very well leave the hatchling in the care of the old butler and house staff alone.
"If it were truly a baby dragon, that might be fine, but that thing was originally a juvenile dragon, wasn't it?" Karnak reasoned.
It was a creature that, for reasons unknown, had shrunk. And who could guarantee that, for reasons equally unknown, it wouldn't suddenly grow back to its original size?
Varos nodded. "If we're not careful, the entire Zestrad Territory could end up in ashes."
"Not ashes, more like a frozen hellscape. It's a white dragon, after all," said Karnak.
Still, taking it around openly would obviously draw far too much attention. And Karnak had no intention of becoming the subject of unnecessary gossip.
Karnak frowned. "This is a headache. What should I do about it?"
The one who solved this problem was Diogres, who had recovered his power as an archmage. Surprisingly, unlike Karnak, Diogres showed little attachment to researching baby dragons. It was understandable, considering the greater issues piled up before him.
"Worried about the baby dragon, are you?" With a gentle smile, he solved the problem in the simplest way possible. "Then it just needs to stop being a baby dragon, doesn't it?"
He cast an illusion spell to disguise its outward appearance as a pure white cat. Instead of Karnak's usual illusion-type magic, Diogres used light magic to overlay an actual form, allowing everyone to see the same thing.
"And if we change its cry with a transmutation spell, that's that." The dragon's low rumble turned into a meow.
Diogres made a chilling comment as he watched the white cat floating gently through the air. "But it seems I can't do anything about its ability to fly with magic alone. Cutting off the wings would be a bit much, wouldn't it?"
Serati quickly jumped in. "I'll take care of that!"
She cut thick fabric to make a body cover, then dressed the baby dragon in it, completely covering its wings. The dragon appeared uncomfortable at first, but it soon adapted. It seemed to follow along without much thought since it was Serati's doing.
"Now it really looks like a cat, doesn't it? But why a cat of all things? It could have been a dog," Serati questioned.
"If it were a dog, it might raise suspicions, you see," Diogres answered. A creature that looked like a dog but acted like a dragon? "How does that sound? Feels a bit off, doesn't it?"
Serati nodded. "Yes."
Then what about a creature that looked like a cat but acted like a dragon? "Oh, that's just a normal cat."
Cats were inherently unpredictable creatures, so no matter what it did, it wouldn't seem particularly suspicious.
"Of course, it would feel stifled if it had to stay transformed all the time, so we'll need to let it return to its true form occasionally. Here, take this," said Diogres while giving Serati an item.
She asked, "What's this?"
"An item imbued with illusion magic."
It was as expected of an archmage. No sooner had he regained his power than Diogres grabbed a gem he had lying around and swiftly crafted a magic item.
It was something that would have made any other mage gape in shock, but Diogres did it with casual ease, smiling calmly. "Give it a name while you're at it. It'll be easier to take it around that way."
***
An inexplicable thing had drawn their attention sideways, but in any case, Diogres had finally regained his power. In other words, a tenth-circle archmage had joined their side.
Diogres expressed his gratitude. "It's not that I approve of the Twilight Cult or necromancy. But I'm not the sort to forget a debt, either."
No one could say what would happen later, but for now, Diogres had no intention of making an enemy of the Twilight Cult. He had a greater foe to face, the Cult of the Black God.
"During the process of using draconic mana to break the seal, I also learned how to counter Elezar's magic. I won't be taken down so easily again," he said confidently.
On top of that, Desteran and Search Black had come along as unexpected bonuses, further strengthening their forces. If one added the expanded power of the Twilight Cult, the influence of the Strauss family, Karnak's fame spread across the Seven Kingdoms, and the connections of the Church of the Seven Goddesses…
"It's all coming together nicely." A deep smile spread across Karnak's lips. "It's about time we went head-to-head with those Tesranach bastards in earnest."