Chapter 297: Baited.

“The dragon is nesting inside the Wandering Fox Inn in the city. North of the middle district, close to the merchant’s. If she isn’t there, then you might also find her visiting the merchant district, inside a shop called ‘Olive’s Garden.’”

Obese. Fattened to the point of looking like nothing more than a pig. There was an attempt to hide this ugliness through fancy robes and brilliant gemstones, but the spectators could only think of it as gaudy. Like wrapping a slug with golden sheets.

However, none of the servants nor the adventurers would say those words out loud. There was too much Davi to lose if they did. Making an enemy out of one of the Olden Money senators of Estralia, the republic where money was king, was neither good for their pouches nor heads. After all, what was this senator doing with his wealth right at this moment?

He had hired a small army of mercenaries to fight for his cause. To utterly destroy any opposition standing before his goals.

“However, do not even try to slay the dragon. Its mother roosts within also. The last thing my city requires is an angry mother dragon trying to destroy it, and if I hear any of you try to harm the young, I will put down the coins for your head.”

And there was the threat all the mercenaries knew well-enough to fear. The mercenary business in Peolynca was supported by a guild to protect them from unscrupulous clients and guarantee the mercenary would receive their money. However, even then, some employers would still backstab their contracted adventurers, and if there were any evidence for the act, all the guild could do was to blacklist them.

However, this wasn’t the case for a black mercenary. Those who scurry away from the legal mercenary’s guild to participate in Quests sometimes require some silencing. In these, scheming employers could do what they wanted, as you had less protection if you weren’t part of a known mercenary company.

And all the mercenaries here were black for this job. Outside of two parties of hunters.

“Wyvernslayers.” Harrione O’Bloom, the overweight senator, spoke to the group of hunters. “I hope you understand this well. I want you to chase the dragon away. She has a young heart. Perfectly moldable by causing some uproar. Manipulate the crowd. With hatred, you can get rid of her without causing me any fuss.”

O’Bloom had not revealed the true identity of the dragon in question to the hunters. They did not know they were about to encounter the third princess of the Dragon Empire Kargryx, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor. Nor did they know they might anger the second strongest dragon currently alive on Peolynca.

“Are you fucking messing with us?!”

And it showed with the reaction of one of the wyvernslayer parties.

“You brought us here to hunt a damn lizard! And now not only are you not telling us what the hell we’re dealing with but also forcing us to simply scare it away?!” A human archer in his early thirties complained about the Quest details. “Dragons are more intelligent than wyverns, but at the end of the day, both lizards are bad-mannered and ill-tempered. You say ‘fuck you’ in their face, they will respond with their elemental breath to our face!”

B rank hunter Simeon of the wyvern hunting party “Scale Breakers.” Although only a B rank hunter, specialized hunters like Simeon were experts in their particular monster category, sometimes even outperforming more experienced jack-of-all-trade adventurers during a Quest.

However, unlike other monster specializations, being a wyvernslayer or dragonslayer was probably one of the most hazardous job specializations out there. Not only did you have to account for a dragonkin’s powerful elemental abilities and their deadly claws and fangs, but you also had to remember the vast variety of them. A battle with a fire wyvern would play out differently from one with a snow wyvern.

And this became even more apparent going from a wyvernslayer to a dragonslayer. Dragons and drakes had even higher stats compared to wyverns while possessing intelligence similar to a human’s. They were the epitome of a wyvernslayer’s career. Slaying a true dragonkin would guarantee them Quests from numerous influential Quest givers, given they survive each of them.

However, becoming an adventurer was already unorthodox for most people. Becoming a hunter only willing to hunt wyverns and dragons, on the other hand, required you to be committed enough to endure this arduous path. You had to be mad, angry, or a thrill-seeker to willingly face a living fortress of scales and fire capable of destroying parties of even experienced hunters alone.

“What rank is the beast? What element? What elemental weakness does it have? Does it have a weak spot to exploit? There are two dragons, so how can we—”

But the endless question of professional wyvernslayer was too much for O’Bloom’s patience. He didn’t hire these people to slay Hestia, he called them to drive her out of his city. If Hestia were to die at the hands of these idiots, her mother would destroy everything he had built up. He knew very well these “ants” would have no chance against the Empress of Kargryx.

As his face reddened at the wyvernslayer’s words, O’Bloom was about to order the mercenaries to shut his mouth up, but before he could give the order, someone else intervened.

“Hey, stop being so enthusiastic about it.” With a strong arm on his shoulder, the archer stopped talking and turned around to a burly man in scaled armor. “Adventurers follow the wish of the client. Slaying a dragon is fine and honorable, but if the mother suddenly tries to kill us all, what are you gonna do about it? I’m not an expert like you when it comes to dragons and wyverns, but even I know not to anger the parents of a young monster.”

“… Sure, Sir Larent.” The archer quickly acquiesced, silencing himself before bowing in apology to O’Bloom.

Yes! This is why I brought in an A rank hunter! Someone that isn’t an imbecile!

O’Bloom’s face brightened up like a sunflower, smiling widely at his decision to hire an A rank party just in case something went wrong. However, a normal A rank party wouldn’t cause him such joy; rather, it was the leader of this party that made him want to dance in glee.

“Sir Larent Antonodius, former member of the Hands of Heaven, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping this mess. Will you swear to drive that ravenous fiend from my city?” Unlike the mercenaries and the wyvernslayer, O’Bloom addressed this man courteously, as if he was speaking with a noble of significant worth.

“Haha, no, please. I am far past my days as a member of the Imperial Knights. His Majesty, the Holy Emperor of Light, probably doesn’t even remember my name or face anymore. I am simply a normal adventurer, like the others of my party.”

The Hands of Heaven, the official name of the Imperial Knights of the Folschreck Empire. The defenders of the Holy Emperor of Light, the swords of righteousness protecting the realm of humans. The superhuman rivals of the Church of Aurena’s Knights of Aurena.

It is said that the Hands of Heaven are the equals of the church’s Knight, that both factions were similar in strength. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. It was propaganda the church created with the approval of the Emperor to not make the Church of Aurena’s look worse in the eyes of their followers.

In truth, the Knights of Aurena could include any brave and ardent warrior of faith, but a position within the Hands of Heaven demanded you to be A rank in strength. As you would serve as the Emperor’s hands and shield, you also had to be a person who could catch his eyes. As such, one’s valor and glory claimed in the name of the Emperor could be ended in a second once your splendor dimmed.

“However, you still are ‘Auegor’s Blade,’ Sir Larent! A masterful swordsman, nay, I say you could have been a sword saint in your prime!” O’Bloom tried to butter up the middle-aged swordsman, but the latter simply dismissed such a claim.

If I am a sword saint, then the world truly does not know the might of one. One who would say that a swordsman in his forties is still only a fledgeling, Larent thought, disliking such flattery.

Larent had only accepted O’Bloom’s quest due to his party’s need for money. They required money as they needed to turn their materials into new equipment. Such was the life of an adventurer.

Neither his companions nor he did proper research into their employer when a messenger came to them with the Quest request. The amount of Davi offered was too enticing. To simply scare off a young dragon wasn’t easy, of course, but it sure beat trying to kill one and its mother.

Really hope this dragon is as kind-hearted as this guy claims.

With the wyvernslayers calmed, O’Bloom directed his attention back to all the mercenaries. Not only did his money flow into this small army, but also the money of six other senators. Senator Plymeir and Urlandor watched their compatriot’s speech, hoping this investment would work out.

It had been four days since they escaped the sudden attack from Saori’s group at their bandit’s base. Sure, Saori and co. weren’t specifically there to assassinate O’Bloom and the members of the Church of the Edjurl, but after their allied demonkin, Hee’Rlak, fought them to a standstill, what else were they supposed to think?

They learned later on that Saori and others were from Aurora, but those later reports also specified that Aurora hasn't made any further moves to track O’Bloom and the Church of the Edjurl down. All the senators concluded that Aurora didn’t know their current location, but they were still wary if the hunter company had overheard their plan at all.

Nevertheless, even if Aurora didn’t know the senators were members of the Church of the Edjurl, they now knew O’Bloom and the other six senators were allies to demonkin. However, getting rid of Hestia was impossible. No, it was possible, but the consequences would be too severe with Melloxtressa around. The sixth Empress of Kargryx was still a gigantic dragon, if the rumors of her size were true.

O’Bloom had already informed the princes of envy about everything, but no answer had arrived in return. Still, their plans couldn’t be stopped at this point. They needed to act now, otherwise the other senators of Estralia would simply kick them out of the senate. If they lost their power now, it would be impossible to take over Estralia politically. All the work O’Bloom had done over the years would be wasted.

“Senator Plymeir, do you really think this is the correct way?” Urlandor asked his only real ally in this group.

House Plymeir and Urlandor were historically friends. The previous heads, as such the respective house’s senators, used to cooperate in most of their business ventures, including ruling the underworld through the Layavete Cartel. However, after their brothers died, the current two took over using O’Bloom’s influence.

They had planned to avenge their brothers by destroying the Resurrection and Reajaen Resclave, but little did they know they joined a group where defecting would be impossible. They knew too much at this point. They had seen too much for the Church of the Edjurl to leave them alone.

Their spies had told them that Reajaen was currently sending people to Eshreen village. They weren’t sure how Reajaen managed to learn of their upcoming assault, but they both had a bad feeling it might have come from either an internal rat or from Aurora themselves. They hadn’t voiced their opinion to O’Bloom yet, who fully believed their victory was at hand.

Both senators looked anxious, worried their gut was telling them to jump off this boat before it crashed. “No way would that sly fox Reajaen not prepare herself,” they thought. Still, with all the mercenaries around, including some defected Yanderu Eluseus members they managed to hire, Reajaen would not be able to fight back, right?

“You two.” A voice came from behind a corner.

Both senators froze in place. They knew that voice. That bored, monotonous voice had already seared itself into their minds and souls. That image of the fiery destroyer couldn’t be forgotten. Such a contrast, but both belonged to the same person.

As they turned around, they saw that demonkin of wrath before them. Not anymore in his plain clothes, he finally looked like a warrior. Clad in armor made from the materials of volcanic and desert monsters, specifically to improve and endure against his flames. On his hips was a normal black staff, not used to attack, but to act as a conduit for his elemental weapons.

Unlike his first meeting with Saori, Hee’Rlak was fully equipped with everything he needed to go to war. A demonkin of wrath was controlled by their emotions throughout their lives. Without excitement, or something to anger and frighten them, they would go about their lives in constant monotony.

However, once enough stimuli appeared, their whole demeanor changed. Their demonic bloodline allowed them to control their mana and turn it into one of the many elements, similar to an elemental, though they may only choose one element for their lifetime. Their depression and addiction to the power of their element constantly push these demonkin to constantly seek stimulation of all kinds, but especially fights. As such, demonkins of wrath were called warmongers and troublemakers by even their fellow demonkins, desperately needing such ecstasy for them to escape depression.

“S-Sir Hee’Rlak!” Senator Plymeir said in surprise but before he could speak, Hee’Rlak raised his hand, silencing him.

“I need not hear what you and he were thinking about. I can guess.” His saddened face suddenly morphed, curving his downward mouth into a smile. “I too am waiting for her to return. A trap awaits us. If you two wish to escape now, I would suggest you do. Wipe your hands from this association.”

“W-What?! You want us to defect?!” Senator Urlandor made sure to not trip on his words. He couldn’t make a mistake while speaking, as this could just be a test.

“War is war,” Hee’Rlak answered. “I have nothing against you humans, but I have my orders as a soldier. To find thrill in it is my wish. I have no idea who will win, but if you two aren’t sure about it, then I suggest you leave now. My instincts tell me that wolfkin and her companions were still hiding their real power. That dragon that O’Bloom talked about. I want to fight her! The leader of this group.”

“But what about your master?” Urlandor talked about the giant lightning bolt that covered their escape.

“I told her not to interfere. This is my fight.”

A daredevil through and through, although his honor also told him he had to conclude his battle with Saori. Whether she fought with Tasianna and the others against him. Whether they ganged up on him hundred to one, he would still face them by himself. A thrill like this was hard to find outside of a full-on war.

“As such, do what you want, but do not try to stop this battle. If you try to do so, I will end your life right here, right now.”

The words of the battle junkie shook both of the senators. They nodded. There was nothing more they could do.

And so, without anybody stopping O’Bloom and his small army of mercenaries, three days passed. The day of the all-out war between Resclave and O’Bloom was about to start. Both sides wanted the heads of their opponent.

The black mercenary army was split into two groups. One would engage Eshreen village and retrieve the demonic orb held in the dungeon close by, while the other would go with the wyvernslayers to assault Resclave mansion. With the help of some of the bandits who tried to insult Hestia at the grand opening of the pastry shop and Bistro Aurora, the wyvernslayers made their way to the RV first.

“Hmm? Is this city supposed to be so empty?” The archer, Simeon, commented about how devoid of people the roads of Gleisvale were.

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When they entered the city, they had noticed the usual bustle of a merchant city wasn’t around at the gates nor was it further into the town. Simeon never visited Gleisvale before, but Larent had. He knew this city should be full to the brim like the capital of the Folschreck empire, Riekwelst.

Of course, there were still laborers on the streets, but not enough to call this city a city. Where were the merchants? Where were the street performers? Where were the pickpockets? Many shops in the middle district were closed for the day, and they couldn’t even see a single horse carriage driving rich merchants through the city.

“It’s just past the lunch bell.” Larent noted, and his party members agreed. Some of them even felt hungry from the lack of people around.

It felt weird to both Simeon and Larent. Their instincts, honed through years of being adventurers and fighters, told them something was awry. As if there was a trap. They wondered if the other mercenaries also felt the same.

When they reached the inn where Aurora’s RV was parked, they learned from the innkeeper that all of Aurora had gone to work, which O’Bloom’s bandit guide noted was their pastry shop and eatery. The two hunters also asked why the city was so empty at this moment.

“Ah, you probably haven’t heard about it. The temples and their priests have called for everybody to converge into a moment of prayer. Ah, I believe the young priestess of Goddess Aurena was also invited. Such a rare event, I must say, since the Temple of Mercurias rarely interacts with the others.”

It still surprises me how little the people of Estralia pray to the Goddess. Something like this would be impossible in the Empire, Larent thought, still unable to believe Mercurias’s popularity. If the god had been a member of the pantheon of light, he would have accepted it better, but such was the world.

The group checked the RV for a moment, wondering if somebody was hiding inside. The bandit suggested breaking in it, but both hunters rejected that idea. Although having learned the reason for why the city was so empty, they thought it was too much of a coincidence. On the day of the attack, something this weird happened?

Of course, maybe they were simply overthinking it.

After they arrived at Olive’s Garden, they were baffled at how that shop was also closed. The “Closed” sign was clear to see. However, what wasn’t close was the door next to the building. A pair of laborers just rushed in, shouting “Shit, we’re gonna miss it!”

The bandit guide told them that was the entrance into the eatery of the dragon. In other words, it was another one of the “lairs” she could enter. With nowhere else to go, they decided it was the only path left.

After all the hunter’s readied their weapons in case they got into a fight, the bandit guide once again warned them to chase the dragon away, not to kill them. Simeon accepted it reluctantly. He was another wyvernslayer with a terrible experience with dragonkins, having seen his village in the Empire destroyed by a wind wyvern. Years later, the wings of that wyvern were made into his bow.

As they opened the door, against their expectations, an angelic choir suddenly erupted from the gap. As they peered inside, they noticed the shining black floor in front of them and a queue of humans and beastmen slowly entering through another door.

Why is there a choir? And is this obsidian? Larent touched the ground before checking his sides. Once he determined it was safe, he told the others to enter.

There, the hunters’ jaws went agape as they saw the room furnished with tables and chairs. The walls also had manatech lamps illuminating the area, making the obsidian-colored walls and floor look even more mesmerizing. They also saw a sign on one of the tables.

“Don’t hurt, steal, or threaten anybody. You will be kicked out if you do. Otherwise, please, enjoy the show!” it said.

There was confusion amongst the hunters. Why was such a sign here and why did it say those words in front of a dragon’s lair?

As they wondered what was happening, they noticed other people entering and ignoring their group. These people immediately picked up bulb-like items from a box full of them and left through the only other door in the room, immediately letting in the loud choir.

The hunters looked at each other and agreed they had to move. They didn’t pick up any of the bulbs but entered the next room directly, where they saw something they would have never expected.

“For all the life on Peolynca ♫

Our hymn is directed to you ♫

For the Origin Gods watch over us, so pray we do in their names ♫

For the love they gave us, all year long ♫

Soooo… hear as we say, for love of your life. ♫

Make peace, not war ♫”

A gigantic cavern made entirely out of obsidian-colored walls and ground, decorated to make it look homely. Around them were hordes of humans and beastmen, either standing or sitting as they watched something happening in the middle. Where the sound of the choir came from.

Moving through the moveable pass in between each group of people, they noticed some of them releasing that bulb from before, where it floated into the air and blossomed, releasing brilliant green, red, and yellow lights. Simeon couldn’t help but stare in shock, as this wasn’t what he expected to see today.

This is obviously a dragon’s lair! Why are the people here?! Were they brainwashed?

On the other hand, Larent was thinking of something else.

This song… It isn’t one I know, but the practice and melody is definitely a liturgical song. I feel like I’m in a temple. Now that I think about it, I haven’t visited the local temple yet. I must make my prayer to thank the Goddess for guiding my party to success in the last Quest.

After a while, where every hunter was made aware of how truly humongous this place was, they noticed the origin of the choir. An elevated stage was in the middle of it, where multiple people were standing.

Larent noticed multiple people in robes, people of faith, standing in a row while singing the choir, while a red-haired person in a white-red priest robe directed them. Like a conductor for an orchestra. However, as he looked closer, he noticed this person having horns on their head and a crimson-scaled tail peeking out from the bottom of their robes.

Dragonewt? Lizardmen?

It didn’t matter. Either way, it was a scalekin. In other words, this was either their target, or somebody who knew where the dragon was.

“Thank you very much!” A girl’s clear voice resounded inside this place, reaching everybody’s ears. “Please, give a round of applause to a wonderful starting piece from the temples of Gleisvale! Goddess Aurena, Goddess Plesia, Goddess Zephira, Goddess Crustacia, God Marsven, God Shi— Danteno, and God Mercurias. In their name, I shall dedicate today’s show!”

“Sir Larent, that must be her!” Simeon grabbed Larent’s shoulders as the red-haired priestess turned around to the cheering crowd, revealing herself as Hestia. “You, that is the dragon in her dragonewt form, right?!”

“Ark! Yeah! Fuck me, let go!” the bandit confirmed.

Before Simeon or Larent could say anything, Hestia’s speech continued, “As I mentioned at the beginning, this is the very first dimensional idol concert of Peolynca! I dare a mage challenge me in this! Regardless, I would like to welcome all of you once again to the Artorias-Gleisvale concert.”

Dimensional? Larent’s eyes widened. How could he have not noticed this sooner?

This cavern here, how was it possible for such a huge place to fit inside that small building they entered? Hold on, was this even the same place? They didn’t go down any stairs so it was impossible for something like this to exist. However, when he heard the word “dimensional,” he finally realized the answer to this mystery.

Space-Time Magic! Does this dragon know how to use it?!

“This is bad,” Larent thought aloud.

As his instincts told him, they had wandered into a trap. But before he could say anything, the shrill cries of griffons and hippogryphs filled the area, drawing his attention towards them.

There, he saw a small wall separating the crowd. On the other side, he saw multiple griffons and hippogryphs flying around with their riders on them. There were also some gargoyles in the air, which he presumed belonged to either mages or nobles. Regardless, it looked like these people were watching the show from up there. Were there not enough seats?

His eyes also noticed the giant diamond-like shield ingrained in the obsidian wall behind that group of griffons. Was that thing always there? Where was such a large diamond gotten? It felt large enough for even an ancient dragon or leviathan.

“Sir Larent! Focus! We need to beg—” Simeon wanted to start the Quests, but Hestia’s voice once again drowned his out. Nothing could overshadow her voice while she had [Aerokinesis].

“Please, enjoy yourself! The concert part is about to begin, so, if anybody is hungry or wants to buy some splendidly-made merchandise made by my friends, then please be ready! The merchants are coming out!” The girl curled up her hands into fist before placing them on the ground.

Spots on the floor suddenly began to glow, looking similar to lava to the experienced Larent. In the next moment, that obsidian ground opened up and people manning stands suddenly arose from it. Immediately, they began to announce and promote their products, giving Larent the experience he had been expecting from Gleisvale from the beginning.

The sound of merchants working while customers came over to buy their products was far louder than he had thought. After a few seconds, soldiers with the house emblem of House Helvas and Greenveil suddenly appeared, beginning to control the crowd like town guards.

“As I mentioned in the sign before you entered, please, do not hurt, steal, or threaten anybody! Whether you paid or didn’t for your spots, it doesn’t matter! You are inside my home right now, and I will have people kick you out! This is a place for you to enjoy yourself! This is an idol concert!”

Cheers came from the side with griffons, calling out “Hestia! Hestia! Hestia!” as she warned everybody. It was as if they were used to this sort of event.

“However, before we begin the concert. I have to direct our attention to a few new entries! Take a look, peeps!” The spotlights on the stage dimmed before turning on around the hunters, drawing everybody’s attention to them. “Our ‘wyvern and dragonslayers!’ No idea if they actually came here to kill me or something, but I do hope they don’t!”

““““Booooooooooo!””””

Displeased sounds coming from both sides erupted in the cavern. All was directed at Larent’s and Simeon’s group.

What is this?! Larent panicked a bit. This has never happened to me ever! Why are they booing me?!

“Come on people!” However, before it could become worse, Hestia stopped them. The spotlight was back to her. “As I said, no threatening! Alright? Let my bodyguards deal with them. You guys are here to be entertained! As such, Misters and Misses hunters, I do welcome you to my concert! I am Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor! The dragon you were looking for!”

Kargryxmor?! The dragon god?! Larent’s mouth went agape.

“Shit!” And Simeon spoke his thoughts out loud. “We’ve been had!”

They were lured in like fish.

“Make peace, not war, people! Let the show begin!”

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