Duke Pendragon

“Hand in marriage? An angel asked a dragon for their hand in marriage?”

[Yes.]

“Huh…”

Raven flopped into his seat in bewilderment at Soldrake’s casual response.

[It is not a big deal. Long ago, when gods were sometimes present on earth, gods and dragons often got together as well.]

“Well…”

Indeed, as Soldrake said, gods and dragons were distant relatives. Since angels were half-gods as the knights of the deities, it would not be too strange for them to bond with a dragon.

“What on earth was going through that… angel… guy’s head when he asked you to marry him?”

Raven stammered his words, a strange, upsetting feeling taking over his heart.

[Seiel is the only angel descended in this world. He seemed to think that the world could become a more peaceful place if he and I, the lord of the dragons, got together.]

“Really? So it wasn’t due to his… feelings for you or anything?]

[Are you talking about the emotion of love?]

Soldrake asked with a tilt of her head. Raven licked his lips in embarrassment before replying.

“Well… something like that.”

[Seiel’s love is solely directed at his creator and master, Illeyna. He should not have any love for me.]

“Hmm…”

Raven felt a little relieved, but also a little agitated at the same time. Soldrake was beyond beautiful in her human form. It was not subjective to Raven. Anyone who saw her, regardless of their age or sex, became overwhelmed at her breathtaking beauty. But to think Seiel did not feel anything towards Soldrake…

Raven felt annoyed for some reason.

“Well, anyways, so you didn’t come to the imperial castle because you felt that the angle, Seiel, would ask for your hand in marriage again?”

[Yes. Seiel is quite persistent. By now he will probably be aware of the existence of the new vein. He will want to marry me even more.]

“…..”

Raven shut his mouth. He was feeling hostility towards a semi-divine existence he had never encountered before. Perhaps noticing Raven’s change of mood, Soldrake looked at him with transparent sparkling eyes and showed curiosity.

[Ray, you seem to be in a bad mood.]

“…You are imagining it.”

[No. I can feel a wave of emotions. If Ray is in a bad mood, I share your feelings. Is it because of the Seyrod child?]

“…..”

Raven’s expression darkened rapidly when Soldrake mentioned Luna unexpectedly.

“A little…”

[All humans die. Ray will die someday. I saw the deaths of all Pendragons. Death is just a process for new life.]

“Yeah, I suppose…”

Raven murmured with a sigh.

Dragons were not humans, and dragons were no different from immortals in the eyes of humans. For Soldrake, human lives were no different from a candle. Some were long, some were short, but all were destined to snuff out one day.

Moreover, she may have a hard time understanding emotions that overcame a human when they faced the deaths of those around them.

But Raven’s guess was wrong.

[However, the way she looked at Ray could be called what Ray just defined as love. A long time ago, I remember that someone had the same eyes when looking at Alex.]

Raven suddenly remembered something at Soldrake’s words.

“Are you… talking about the Queen of Death?”

[That is right. Elsarosa of Alcantia. I have not spoken that name in a long time.]

Soldrake murmured in a quiet voice and turned her head out the window as if reminiscing about the past. She continued with longing eyes.

[Elsarosa headed down the path of death in order to acquire Alex. Then she tried to kill him to keep him by her side forever. Without me, Alex would not have gone to Illeyna’s side. Instead, he would be by Elsarosa’s side as a death knight in the Great Tomb.]

“Sol, that reminds me. I wanted to ask you when you came, but the dagger that killed Luna was Carnion.”

Raven spoke quickly, and Soldrake’s face slowly turned towards him.

[Carnion…]

Raven became a little taken back when he saw Soldrake’s expression. For the time since their meeting, Soldrake was showing signs of agitation. Her normally calm eyes were glistening bright blue.

“Yeah, they were trying to kill me with it, but Luna took the hit instead. Vincent said that Carnion was sealed by you, so can you tell me what happened?”

[Carnion was commissioned by Elsarosa to a servant of Çarcas, and she paid half of her soul in return. She tried to stab Alex with it to make him her knight forever, but I stopped her.]

“The servant of Çarcas you mentioned, is that the one known as the Nameless Necromancer?”

[That’s what the humans call it.]

“Vincent said that he was the owner of Carnion.”

[I made a covenant with Alex to defeat Elsarosa and seal Carnion. At the time, I had to spend half of my mana on it. I sealed Carnion in the depth of the Great Tomb.]

After hearing Soldrake’s story, Raven spoke in a concerned voice.

“Are you saying that the Nameless Necromancer is a sorcerer strong enough to break your seal?”

Soldrake sank into brief thought, then nodded.

[Just like Seiel, who is the knight of the goddess of light, he is the creation of Çarcas, the one who overlooks death. You can say he is strong enough to contend with Seiel.]

“Hm…!”

Raven gulped loudly. After listening to Vincent’s story, Raven had considered the necromancer a formidable opponent. But it turned out that he was much stronger than anticipated, a being on the same level as an actual angel.

“Sol, Luna was stabbed to death by Carnion. What will happen with her soul?”

[The Nameless Necromancer must have retrieved her soul. But you said that they were aiming to stab you with it?]

“Yes, the assassins were targeting me.”

Raven nodded with a somber expression.

All of a sudden, the spirit of Soldrake expanded in an instant.

[Now I know. The servant of Çarcas was attempting to turn Ray into the head of his army.]

“What…?”

Raven raised his eyebrows at Soldrake’s word. His partner seemed genuinely angry, and the Spirit of the White Dragon was rampaging around the room, unfiltered.

[The servant of Çarcas attempted to do the same to Alex by impelling Elsarosa. Pendragon is a human family that carries the blood of the ancient dragons. If Alex, and if Ray’s soul were to fall into Çarcas’s hands, the servant could resurrect the Black Dragon.]

“Black… Dragon?”

The only black dragon Raven knew of was Amuhalt.

But it was clear that Soldrake did not refer to Amuhalt when she spoke of the Black Dragon. When she had muttered those words, her voice contained an unsheathed anger.

[The Black Dragon are brothers who have already finished their lives on earth. Their souls have ascended to the edge of the heavens, to the garden of the gods. But their bodies and mana are still contained deep in the veins. If one is to awaken it, they will bring forth the Black Dragon that has lost its reason.]

“Then since Luna died instead of me, we should not have to worry about the Black Dragon, right?”

[I am not sure. That child loved Ray, just as Elsarosa loved Alex. Maybe the child’s soul…]

Soldrake blurted the end of her words, unlike her usual self. However, she soon regained a solemn expression and continued.

[The servant of Çarcas may resurrect Elsarosa with the soul of Luna Seyrod.]

“…..!”

A shocked expression appeared on Raven’s face.

***

“Go ahead, Baroness Conrad.”

“But he is still conversing with Lord Soldrake… Besides, he must be feeling upset because of what happened to Lady Seyrod…”

Lindsay bowed her head and slurred off at Irene’s urging. She had already noticed that Luna had a heart for her heavenly husband. But they had already broken off their engagement, so nothing could be done. Every time Lindsay saw Luna, she felt a little down as well.

Luna had a calm personality and never ignored her for who she was. Even though Lindsay was originally a maid and came from a common background, Luna accepted her for who she was.

Lindsay even had clandestine thoughts that it might be okay if Luna was accepted back as the official wife. So when she heard news that Luna was killed by assassins, Lindsay was appalled. Moreover, she had died on behalf of the one she loved.

And to go to his side right now?

She could not do such a thing to Luna as a fellow woman. Luna had proved her love through  her death.

“That is why you should be comforting him right now. How sad do you think brother is because of Sister Luna’s death? At times like these, you need to stay by his side. And it’s better for it to be you than me.”

Irene spoke heartfelt words. She had been on good terms with Luna. As relatives, they got along pretty well. Luna’s death came as an overwhelming tragedy for Irene as well. But rather than grieve over Luna’s death, Irene was more worried about her brother.

For her, the center of the world was her brother, and she could not imagine a world without him. Irene pressed down on her heart and shook herself from such thoughts. She continued with a serious expression.

“The living must live on, baroness. As the lady of Pendragon, there is only one thing you have to do right now.”

Irene spoke in a strict tone, and Lindsay lifted her head with a flinch.

“Ah…!”

The young Pendragon’s eyes were red and her lips tightly sealed. She was holding back waves of tears from gushing out. As the eldest daughter of the Pendragon Duchy, Irene was trying to overcome her grief and fulfil her responsibilities.

“I understand. My thoughts were lacking. I will do as the lady says.”

She was also a lady of Pendragon. Although she was a concubine, she could no longer act in shameful ways.

“Great. I am glad you came through.”

Irene smiled gently at Lindsay, and Lindsay finally got up from her seat and headed to the office where Raven and Soldrake were.

“Hooh…!”

After taking in a deep breath, Lindsay grabbed the doorknob and tapped it lightly.

Knock knock!

“…..!”

But no answer came from the office.

Lindsay became a little curious and grabbed the doorknob to repeat the gesture.

Then.

“Who is it?”

The door burst open, and the face of her beloved came into view. Lindsay froze on the spot.,

“Hmm? Lindsay, no, if it isn’t Spouse Conrad? Come on in.”

“Ye, yes.”

Lindsay nodded hastily before carefully slipping into the office. Contrary to her expectations, Soldrake was nowhere to be seen.

“Soldrake went away for a while on business. Get comfortable, take a seat.”

“Yes, Your Grace…”

Lindsay’s thoughts were instantly seen through, which made her blush. She sat quietly in a chair.

“Yes, what’s going on? I was thinking of calling you and Irene anyways.”

Raven’s voice was blunt. It was due to the many stories he heard from Soldrake. But Lindsay could not have known it, and she shrivelled even more. The courage she mustered seemed to have flown away in the wind.

“Well, I… I thought that your grace might be in a bad mood… I knew it was pretentious, but I wanted to cheer you up…”

She managed to speak up while tears threatened to fall.

There was a moment of silence.

But even an instant felt like an eternity of torture for Lindsay.

What if her beloved became angry?

Did she do something needless? He did not have feelings for her yet…

All kinds of thoughts passed through her head. But she did not cry. Rather, she was going to raise her head proudly.

No matter what anyone said, she was the lady of Pendragon, Baroness Conrad.

Shhk.

A big hand full of wounds appeared in front of her face.

“Ah…!”

Lindsay’s tearful eyes opened in surprise.

Her beloved’s warm hands were patting her head.