The fireball missed.

It only left a scorched mark on the innocent ground.

The Mages were Gnollish, so they were far away. The Protagonist didn’t move. Yet, it missed. The opponent missed on purpose.

“This time, I’ll hit you properly.”

Her words carried power.

If the flame came again, he would be dead.

He infused mana into the Magic Ring.

He didn’t know the opponent’s intention, but to survive, he had to fight. If he didn’t fight, he would die.

“Is it recklessness to truly believe you can defeat me? Or is it courage to know that by doing so, there’s even a glimmer of a chance for survival? Whatever it may be, I will wait for you, so reveal all your means of staying alive.”

As the Protagonist prepared to fight, the Dragon smiled. Her hand was not yet raised. She was waiting to see what would happen.

The fact that she needed gestures to use magic was proof. A Dragon could use it without words or gestures.

Black Armor was donned all over his body.

Mana quickly decreased. As much as that, the flow circulating in his body accelerated. He muttered, making that flow move even faster.

Ice Arrows were created. At intervals of two to three breaths, five arrows at a time were created and arrayed around the Protagonist.

The Dragon waited.

Only when the Protagonist had created a hundred arrows did she slowly raise her hand. It seemed she couldn’t wait any longer.

As soon as he saw the black fireball appear, he fired all the Ice Arrows he had created around him.

It was far less than what he had created in the Count’s Territory.

But its power was incomparable to ordinary magic.

The Mages nearby had already retreated. They gaped and blinked their eyes at the sight of over a hundred Ice Arrows.

He didn’t want to use this.

It was a dangerous act.

He exerted power beyond his limits, relying on the effects of the Black Armor. Even if it was Castle, a repercussion came that would prevent him from using Magic for a while.

He wouldn’t use it unless he was in a desperate situation.

Now he was cornered. A Dragon was challenging him to a fight. Compared to the Dragon, the Noble army was laughable.

A concentrated volley of Arrows poured down.

There were over a hundred Arrows. But they were all sucked into a head-sized Fireball thrown by the Dragon.

It didn’t seem like ordinary Flame. Its color was black. Flame of that color, though seemingly weak, was incredibly strong.

As fire and water collided, white smoke rose. What appeared after that was a scene where their Magic had vanished.

Neither her Flame nor the Protagonist’s ice had caused any harm to each other. The Dragon’s expression changed slightly at that fact. Regardless, the Protagonist had blocked the Dragon’s Magic.

But he couldn’t rejoice at that fact.

To block just one head-sized Fireball that she used so casually, the Protagonist had to use power beyond his limits.

It was clear who was stronger.

His stomach twisted from using Magic just now. It hurt more than when he was stabbed in the thigh by the Assassin’s dagger a while ago.

His body collapsed from the intense pain.

The Dragon stepped forward and looked down at the Protagonist with an arrogant gaze. The opponent had the right to be so.

He would die.

There was no way out.

The opponent was too strong.

Many thoughts ran through his mind. He had no idea what wrong the Protagonist had done. Even facing death, only questions arose.

At that moment, someone moved. It was Charlotte.

She aimed the dagger hidden in her bosom at his neck. But she collapsed in the same attacking posture. It was the moment the Dragon spoke softly.

“Everyone, stop.”

When she spoke, no breathing could be heard. It was as if time had stopped. Seeing the pupils of the stopped people roll, it seemed only their body movements had ceased.

The Dragon watched, stopped quite a distance away. It was as if she was waiting. He moved his hand, then opened it. The Protagonist’s body moved.

He had to step forward one more time.

The Dragon was waiting for him. If he remained silent like this, he would die. But no Magic came to mind to confront her.

‘What should I do?’

Even a hundred ice Arrows didn’t work. She was too strong. His head hurt. He shouldn’t think.

He had to use the Magic he learned from Gulla. He gritted his teeth. The pain in his stomach had lessened. He forcibly held onto his sanity.

He chanted the spell.

This time, it worked. He thought it was because he believed he could only survive by memorizing it. The more urgent the situation, the better he memorized advanced magic.

The slowly forming ice grew in size. Some people’s expressions changed, perhaps sensing the unusual flow of mana.

The sunken eyes of a very old man opened. He tightened his grip on his staff and spoke. He could even speak.

“Ice Spear, it’s Ice Spear.”

“Ice Spear?”

“It’s advanced magic. Something every mage aspires to use. It’s also proof of a great mage. To think I’d see someone else besides me in a place like this.”

The old man muttered.

The disciple who heard him speak changed his expression. The way he looked at him seemed different.

He hadn’t even finished half of the spell. This time, the Dragon didn’t wait for him. She sent a satisfied look and then waved her hand.

At the same time, his mouth closed.

The spell also stopped midway. The Ice Spear that had risen in the sky disappeared. As if nothing had happened. It was magic.

A mouthful of blood was vomited from his mouth.

The backflowing mana ran wild as it pleased. Blood poured out like water. His consciousness blurred. He thought he would die if he fell asleep like this.

When the Dragon waved her hand one more time, his body became perfectly fine as if by a lie. All his wounds healed, and the pain disappeared. His mana also calmed down.

The protagonist was on the verge of death. His mind, which had felt ‘death,’ could not escape the shock. He gasped for breath.

The mages around him watched, speechless. When the Dragon told them they could move, their bodies relaxed.

Everything felt like a lie. Only the bloodstains on the floor indicated that there had been a fight. The Dragon approached.

She killed the protagonist and then brought him back to life. He wondered why. He wanted to know the Dragon’s true intentions.

“Why did you attack me?”

“To assess you.”

“Assess?”

“That’s right.”

He was angry at the other party.

After being stabbed by the assassin, the protagonist had overthrown the Thieves’ Guild. The Dragon, who had inflicted even greater pain, did not look good to him.

Looking at the Dragon, his anger subsided.

Her face was one that could quell anger. He thought even someone about to hurl insults would shut their mouth. Her face was intimidating.

He spoke, as if in small defiance.

“I almost died.”

“You were looking at me and thinking impure thoughts.”

He shut his mouth.

If that was true, it was a miracle that he was still alive. The protagonist had imagined even more than that.

He had even imagined having about seven children with the Dragon. If the Dragon had looked into the protagonist’s mind, she would have had to accept killing him not once, but a hundred times.

“Human Mage. You scoundrel whose mind is filled with nothing but women. You foul creature, as if all emotions have been castrated, leaving only impurity. Listen to me. You blocked my Fireball. Since you have paid for the sin born from your wicked thoughts, I shall now bestow upon you a deserved reward. As a price for blocking my Fireball even once, I will teach you one Magic.”

“Magic?!”

It was incredible.

It was Magic used by a Dragon.

She had lived a long life. Much longer than Norkin. If the fairy tale Millia told was true, then it was so.

She seemed to know many lost Magic spells that ordinary humans did not.

He was excited that she would teach him such a thing. He was even more excited because she was so powerful. It was enough to make him completely forget the memory of almost dying just moments ago.

For some reason, the other person looked at him with contempt, but he didn’t care.

It was thanks to what the Alchemist had told him. His wish had come true. Suddenly, he wondered what kind of face the Alchemist was making.

The very old man’s face was crumpled like a squashed tangerine. The Alchemist’s expression while looking at it was extraordinary.

The man, who had seemed expressionless, was now grinning like a devious alley thug. His body was even trembling slightly, to the point of being a little frightening.

When the Dragon spoke, someone stepped forward.

It was a woman dressed as a man. Her expression looked wronged. It seemed even more so because she would have learned it herself if he hadn’t been there.

“I cannot accept this! What am I lacking compared to him? I can fight just like that too!”

“You can block my Magic, can you?”

The Dragon examined the woman. She seemed to be checking if it was true.

The woman seemed unaware.

The Dragon’s Magic was different. If the Human Mage’s power was one, hers was over ten. The size and power were the same Magic, but it was different.

“You are weaker than this one.”

“Me…?”

The very old man stretched out his arm. The woman, who was about to argue further, retreated.

She had a meek-looking face but was fearless. She was still like that even after seeing the protagonist get hit just now. He didn’t know if the protagonist was in her skill level.

The Old Man seemed anxious. Looking at that expression, his disciple’s skill didn’t seem to be that great. The Old Man pulled his disciple and retreated.

The Dragon said,

“Follow me.”

“Where are we going?”

“This is something that must be done with just the two of us in my room. Surely you’re not asking me to teach you magic in a place like this, are you?”

The thought of just the two of them made him feel strange. He shook his head. Strange thoughts kept coming to him. The Dragon’s face was so beautiful.

She could see into his mind, so he couldn’t even think freely. It was uncomfortable.

“I need to meet the King.”

“The King?”

“I’m going to receive a title this time.”

The Dragon seemed to think for a moment.

His gaze went to her chest. It felt as if he was being sucked in.

Her chest was larger than Amelin’s. He even thought it would be nice if she could share some with Charlotte. He quickly averted his gaze.

The Dragon didn’t notice. Perhaps she overlooked it.

“There’s a proper order for everything. I will wait for you. But it’s best not to keep me waiting too long.”

The woman went up the stairs. She seemed to be returning to her room. He breathed only after she disappeared.

He felt good thinking about receiving instruction from the Dragon. He was excited to see what magic she would teach him.

It definitely seemed like it would be incredible magic.

He might even learn something more amazing than Golem Magic. Right now, even Golem Magic was something others were desperate to learn.

The Old Man, who had retreated far away, looked on with envious eyes. His disciple bit his lip, seemingly jealous.

It was satisfying that the Old Man, who had only shown slight interest in Golem Magic, was now looking like that. He felt that the protagonist had seized an incredible opportunity.

“Rael! Are you okay?”

“Lorina.”

“You, what? You fight incredibly well. Is this really the guy I knew?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t know it was this much. You couldn’t even defeat a few mercenaries back then.”

Lorina spoke of the old days. It was the time when they arrived at the Castle following Dorian. It was a story from a time when he could only throw a water mass the size of his head.

“How long ago was that? I even fought against nobles recently.”

“I thought you were active in battles between nobles. I didn’t think you’d fight alone and win. Who would think that?”

Lorina’s expression brightened with relief, seeing that this side was intact.

“Were you worried?”

“No, I wasn’t. I don’t like you. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

She turned her head away sharply. Her nape was slightly red. She was lying. I thought I’d tease her about it later.

I turned my head.

On one side, Charlotte was slowly getting up. I excused myself to Lorina and quickly went to Charlotte, helping her to her feet.

“Are you okay?”

“I am fine.”

Charlotte moved her body.

She still didn’t seem to be moving properly.

I was grateful.

She was dependable. She attacked the Dragon for the Protagonist. She was a woman who would risk her life for a man.

“What if you had died?”

“I couldn’t help it; I thought it would be lonely at night without you.”

My face grew hot.

It was a remark I feared others would hear. I thought the Protagonist spoke confidently, but they were lacking compared to Charlotte.

“Truly amazing. To have found favor with the Dragon. I thought your skill would be enough, but you were even more incredible. You’ve become truly remarkable.”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

Charlotte’s praise made me feel good. It felt like she wasn’t just praising the Protagonist’s skill. I saw her gaze subtly drop.

It was too obvious.

“What did the Dragon say?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t he tell you not to have such base thoughts?”

“I, I don’t know either.”

I turned my head.

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed.

“Hmph. Are you playing innocent? You don’t need to look at her. If you can’t bear it, tell me.”

“It’s not like that.”

His face gradually turned red.

He didn’t know what would happen if Protagonist couldn’t hold back.

Charlotte seemed to be looking his way.

But Amelin wasn’t. At first, she seemed worried, but as soon as she confirmed his body was fine, she hit him with her staff.

“Ow, ow. Don’t hit me. It hurts.”

“You deserve a beating. Of all the places to look, why are you thinking such things while looking at the Dragon?!”

She spoke and hit him with her staff. She seemed even angrier that he was distracted despite her being there.

He had nothing to say.

In a way, it was a relief.

They couldn’t read his mind.

If they knew that Protagonist had made seven Dragons and children in his mind, he felt like he would have been hit by a Fireball. He might have been half-dead.

He appeased her.

Taking care of Protagonist’s women. This was also a man’s duty. If he didn’t do it properly, he would be stabbed with a sword.

Only after he opened his arms and embraced her did her anger subside. Even she seemed embarrassed to be hugged in front of people.

He also told her she was the most beautiful.

He had heard Mercenaries say that women liked such words. It worked.

He looked to one side.

Soldiers appeared, shouting. It seemed the King was appearing.

The Nobles moved to their places. Protagonist also rested for a bit before getting up.

He had to go meet the King.