The consciousness of the Black Wing Duke fluctuated erratically. He would suddenly regain awareness, only to just as quickly fall unconscious again, a cycle that repeated multiple times. Each time his consciousness flickered, he noticed the environment around him shifting. No, what changed was not the environment but the enormous scales.
At first, the golden scales exuded a menacing aura, pressing down on all sides with an overwhelming sense of oppression. In the next moment, that energy was completely subdued, becoming eerily calm.
Thud… Thud…
It wasn’t long before the pounding that sounded like a heartbeat woke the Black Wing Duke again. The source of the sound was the golden scales. From the golden scales, transparent blood vessels extended, forming a design as they spread out. The scale was so enormous that he couldn’t see its entirety, but instinctively, he knew it was in the shape of a dragon.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
When the initially slow heartbeat became noticeably faster, the Black Wing Duke opened his eyes again. The golden scales were undergoing yet another transformation.
‘A jewel?’
Each time a crimson-streaked jewel pulsed intensely, the transparent blood vessels responded by releasing a tremendous energy. By this time, the dragon’s form was properly outlined in golden borders. His consciousness submerged once more, and when he opened his eyes again, golden eyes stared back at him.
It was Lady Roswell.
“I injected a slightly diluted hemotoxin, but you seem to be coping better than I expected.”
Welcoming the Black Wing Duke with a crescent-eyed smile as he woke from his stupor, she glanced back at the increasingly defined form of the dragon.
“How is it? Isn’t it quite remarkable? I was amazed too. To see a transcendental being, despite being merely a part of a body that died thousands of years ago, devour the mixed and impure transcendent gene over such an extended period. Makes one wonder… Could this be a life response unique to transcendental beings, or is it exclusive to dragons? If it’s the latter, I might be a bit jealous.”
The Black Wing Duke couldn’t fully register her words, yet within his muddled consciousness, he realized whom the dragon was absorbing the transcendent gene from. An individual born with an unusually pure lineage in the kingdom’s history.
The Crown Prince—
“Of course, I will keep my promise. Once all the transcendent gene is extracted from His Highness the Crown Prince, his bloodline’s power will no longer run amok, resulting in self-imprisonment. Doesn’t it bring a sliver of hope?”
Though words didn’t easily pass his lips, the Black Wing Duke’s eyes questioned Lady Roswell. Could she guarantee the Crown Prince’s survival after all the transcendent gene had been drained?
Lady Roswell responded with a bright smile.
“Maybe.”
With a slight sense of relief, the Black Wing Duke closed his eyes.
Thud──!
When he next stirred, the image of jewels and scales had vanished. Only a dazzling golden light remained, a signal that the dragon’s resurrection was imminent.
“Yes, it’s not long now. My heart is pounding too. To think that some part of a transcendental being, having endured thousands—no, even more than that—of years, will meet another part of itself and resurrect. What kind of being will it turn into? Will it revive with its original identity intact, or will it be a mere shell without memories? What do you think, Black Wing Duke?”
“……..”
“Hmm… This time, are you worried about His Majesty? Don’t worry. His Majesty is by the side of the Crown Prince, whom he cherishes dearly, so there’s no need for concern. Oh, wait.”
Lady Roswell grinned with innocent glee, as if she had found a delightful toy.
“Quite the interesting interlopers you’ve let inside. Even I was surprised at first. Who would expect to sense a divine presence in Argon’s capital? It seems at least a paladin of apostle-rank has entered the royal palace. Not that I knew what was happening outside, being trapped here.”
A paladin of apostle-rank? The Black Wing Duke thought of the two paladins accompanying the barbarian. Were they really such impressive figures?
“Did you not know either? That’s surprising. A paladin adored by a god would be highly esteemed even in the Holy Sanctuary. What business would bring such a person to this border kingdom—I was wondering, but it seems I might have to ask them directly.”
How?
“When conducting experiments, there come times when you unavoidably need test subjects. Fortunately, his Majesty sent me prisoners who were scheduled for execution. Those who mutated during the process are helping me in various ways.”
The Black Wing Duke recalled the ‘Lizardmen monsters’ that had appeared from the underground prison.
“Fufu. If you look closely, they have their cute aspects. They follow my orders so well…”
Are they strong enough to face apostolic-level paladins? The Black Wing Duke questioned, to which Lady Roswell shook her head.
“While their enhanced physical abilities due to the side effects of the transcendent gene allow them to easily overwhelm ordinary humans, they couldn’t take on a paladin favored by the gods. But they can at least slow them down. Besides, I made a few additional tweaks. It’s pitiful, really…”
Shortly, the smile on Lady Roswell’s lips faded. Did something upset her? No, the Black Wing Duke realized, she seemed more delighted now than before.
“Do you feel it?”
The Black Wing Duke nodded in affirmation. Despite being in a state where all senses were paralyzed, he somehow felt the flow of the battle occurring inside the fortress. Black Wing Duke thought it was as if Ms. Roswell’s senses were being transmitted to him. As if part of his nervous system had connected with hers when his abdomen was pierced.
“Amazing. It seems simple physical abilities are nearing the power exuded by superhumans. The waves of holy power are not meeting my expectations.”
It was just as she said.
The large and small spheres of light stirring up inside the fortress, the power of the paladins was overwhelmingly dominant compared to the holy power they possessed. He could feel Ms. Roswell’s children, who had gained greater strength by drastically shortening their lifespan through the rampage of mutated genes, being helplessly pushed back.
At an overwhelmingly fast pace—.
“Hmm. Are they conserving their holy power for future battles? If so, it means they’re at least at the vice-commander level of the paladins. They would need to be that strong to consistently overpower the children with pure physical abilities.”
The Black Wing Duke agreed with her thoughts.
No, a brief thought crossed his mind that it could be the work of someone other than the paladins, but it was soon buried and scattered. He wanted to fully concentrate on the aftermath of the battle felt through the connection with Ms. Roswell. He hoped those fighting above would stop her.
“Such audacious imagination you have.”
If the dragon revives, not only Argon but the entire continent will be thrown into chaos.
“Truthfully, I don’t want to die at the hands of a rampaging transcendent either. But I think we’re just missing a few parts. Of course, even if it’s incomplete, we’ll be able to properly grasp the power of the transcendent genes. We’ve gained quite a lot already.”
The Black Wing Duke was surprised by the emotions conveyed through the connection with her.
Amazingly, he didn’t sense any malice from her. She genuinely did not desire the resurrection of the dragon that had once oppressed the ancient mortals. Instead, he felt a deep yearning to explore the resurrection process and gain something from it.
“I’ve said it from the beginning, haven’t I? I am following His Majesty the King’s request to save the crown prince. Of course, it’s not wrong to resolve my personal curiosity in the process. Ultimately, his Majesty will have his wish fulfilled, in whatever form that may be.”
This was also sincere. But Black Wing Duke couldn’t help but raise a question. If the dragon were to revive, even in an incomplete state, it would cause great damage. To this, Ms. Roswell answered with pure curiosity.
“Is there a problem?”
Her question was so innocent and devoid of any malice that the Black Wing Duke was momentarily at a loss for words.
“To remove the transcendent gene that made the crown prince seclude himself, using the original to induce the absorption of the transcendent gene was the only method. And I simply performed the only method as requested by His Majesty the King. What’s wrong with satisfying my minor curiosity through that process?”
Once again, the Black Wing Duke was at a loss for words.
She was right. Fundamentally, the cause of the dragon’s resurrection was the king. In an effort to save the crown prince, the king had spared no means, and Ms. Roswell merely fulfilled the king’s wish, albeit bringing about the extreme consequence of the dragon’s resurrection.
It reminded him of the tales of witches who grant people’s wishes.
Granting wishes in ways entirely different from what the wisher intended—.
However, the difference between witches and Ms. Roswell was that witches were filled with malice, while Ms. Roswell had none.
“Hmm. It’s such an intriguing topic that I got a bit carried away.”
Black Wing Duke was suddenly startled. The presence of intruders, who had been dispatching Ms. Roswell’s children, was already close to the entrance of the forbidden area. But could they reach the forbidden area? Royal blood was needed to enter. Ah, there was Delphina.
“If Her Highness the Princess took the risk, opening the forbidden area wouldn’t be difficult.”
She was right. Even with a faint royal bloodline, the door to the forbidden area could be opened. Delphina, though less significant compared to the crown prince or Alan, was still sufficient to open the door—.
Bang—!!
But the intruders opened the entrance in a way they hadn’t imagined. They broke the entrance of the forbidden area by force. Black Wing Duke thought it was a truly barbaric and extreme method. Khan, that fellow. Regardless of the situation, destroying a place akin to a royal sanctuary was outrageous.
“What? What did you just say…?”
Ms. Roswell’s bewilderment was palpable, and Black Wing Duke felt puzzled by it. He couldn’t tell which part of his thoughts had surprised her.
“Say it again. Who did you say?”
Black Wing Duke tried to recall his earlier thoughts, but his muddled mind wouldn’t allow it. Instead, his consciousness focused on the intruders appearing in the forbidden area’s passage. This was due to Ms. Roswell’s senses, not his own.
And the emotions conveyed confused Black Wing Duke. A faint sense of shock mixed with overwhelming euphoria. Two seemingly incompatible emotions blended together. The person who had forcefully broken the entrance to the forbidden area, cordi Khan, uttered Ms. Roswell’s name with a voice full of trembling.
“Tilly?”
TL’s Corner:
There had been mentions of Tilly before, and now we meet her.