For the next two weeks, Eugene led busy days. He was particularly engrossed in various experiments while keeping Raimira, now more dragon-like than before, by his side. Raimira seemed uncomfortable and restless about the decision, but Eugene didn't release her.
Even a hatchling was still a dragon. Though he didn't plan to send Raimira into direct combat as a dragon, he wanted her to assist him in some way while tucked inside the cloak.
"Fire,” Eugene commanded while lifting the cloak.
They had done this dozens of times over the past few days. Raimira obediently opened her mouth, and a scorching breath was unleashed from within the cloak.
Kwaaang!
Ordinary barriers were incapable of blocking a dragon’s Breath. However, what was cast in front of Eugene was a barrier that Sienna had erected personally. As such, the powerful Breath disintegrated upon impact with Sienna’s barrier.
"Perfect." Eugene nodded, satisfied with the results. He never felt a lack of firepower during battles. In fact, Eugene had an arsenal of high-powered weapons and techniques at his disposal.
The Moonlight Sword, the Holy Sword, the Dragon Spear, the Thunderbolt, the Demon Spear, and the Annihilation Hammer — six high-powered weapons in total. Added to that, he also had two techniques — the Empty Sword and Eclipse. His high-powered weapons proved formidable even against the Demon Dragon, Raizakia.
[Ahem….]
Tempest cleared his throat inside the cloak, signaling that he wanted to express his presence. But although Wynnyd was also a potent weapon, it lacked the raw firepower of the other weapons.
[Hamel, I’m just asking…. But you're not thinking of lending Wynnyd to someone, are you? If you are thinking of doing something like that, you better seal it in the treasure vault instead,] said Tempest.
‘Why? Is there a reason to worry?’ Eugene asked.
[Didn't you just recently give the Devouring Sword Azphel to Cyan Lionheart!?]
‘Well…. It's because I don't really need the Devouring Sword anymore,’ Eugene replied with a somber expression.
As Tempest said, he had handed over the Devouring Sword to Cyan a few days ago. The term "handing over" was a bit of a joke because, in truth, Azphel had never belonged to Eugene but to the Lionheart clan.
In the past, he carried the Devouring Sword around out of necessity, but now, he had no real use for it. The advantage of Devouring Sword Azphel lay in its ability to counteract magic, even for non-wizards. Against most wizards, it offered an overwhelming advantage. However, Eugene was now an Archwizard and even possessed Akasha, which allowed him to understand most magic.
Of course, the Devouring Sword had other advantages besides cutting through magic. It could cut magic and then absorb the mana used in the cast magic. In the past, when Eugene struggled with the mana drain caused by the Moonlight Sword, he needed the Devouring Sword to handle it effectively.
But Eugene no longer had mana shortages. Regardless of how long the battle stretched on, he would not run out of mana with the help of Prominence, which made use of the Ring Flame Formula by drawing mana from his surroundings.
Due to this, he no longer needed to use the Devouring Sword. Cyan, on the other hand, relied on Gedon’s Shield, which consumed a significant amount of mana.
Although he had recently climbed to five Stars, which bolstered his mana capacity, he still couldn’t use Gedon’s Shield indiscriminately.
‘I gave the Devouring Sword to Cyan because I believed it suited him. The family head agreed, and Cyan himself wanted it. Besides, the Devouring Sword was never mine to begin with, so it's not really considered as giving, is it?’
[Is that so? I guess you're right. Hamel, I…. No, Wynnyd is the same way. Wynnyd doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the Lionheart clan,] Tempest cried out in fear.
He was worried that Eugene would lend Wynnyd to Melkith if he no longer needed it….
Eugene chuckled after guessing Tempest’s thoughts.
‘Seriously, all the other Elemental Kings have made reasonable contracts, but why are you the only one being stubborn?’
[What, are you saying that since the others are crazy, I should be crazy too?]
Eugene ignored Tempest's outburst and lowered the cloak with his hand.
"Euaagh."
Before the cloak fully descended, Raimira’s head plopped out. Her expression showed discomfort. Today, she had fired her Breath multiple times in a row, which might have been a contributing cause, but her connection with Eugene had also not fully stabilized yet.
"I keep feeling waves of Benefactor’s thoughts," she said.
"I told you it would be like this for the first few days. It'll get better soon,” responded Eugene.
They had to establish a connection of thoughts to receive immediate support during urgent battles. While Mer, as a familiar, could maintain such a connection with Eugene or Sienna without feeling any side effects, Raimira experienced slight nausea from it.
"Think of this lady as a good girl," Raimira said weakly.
"Sure, sure."
"You should compliment and adore this lady."
"Sure, sure," Eugene replied accordingly while petting Raimira's head. If Mer were here, she would have sent jealous glares, but fortunately, she wasn't present.
"I will leave the various calculations of coordinates and other things to Mer while receiving additional support from Raimira,’ Eugene thought of his battle strategies.
A Black Dragon could release not only Breath but also poison. While Raimira's poison might not be as potent as Raizakia's, it could still be amusing to use against many demons.
‘Although her Draconic…. For now, it’s stronger for me to cast spells than for her to use Draconic.’
"Benefactor, never underestimate the strength of a dragon, of this lady," Raimira said, reading Eugene’s thoughts.
‘True, I can even use her tail as a shield during critical moments—’
"Stop, don't say such terrifying things." Raimira jumped out of the cloak, tearful and upset.
"That bastard, Raizakia, did just fine transforming his arms and legs into his tail and blocking attacks. Can’t you do something like that?” asked Eugene.
"The scales of this lady are not as sturdy as those of the Black Dragon. And I cannot polymorph as quickly as the Black Dragon either."
Raimira's face turned pale, and she staggered back. Eugene felt a bit disappointed and waved his hand to reassure her.
"There's nothing more to adjust, so go and have fun,” Eugene said.
"Are you sure I can go?" asked Raimira.
"Yes."
The color returned to her pale face. Raimira grinned and pointed toward the mansion.
"Lady Ancilla said she'll help choose clothes for this lady."
"Sure, sure."
"This lady has noticed with her keen senses. Lady Ancilla seems to like me a lot."
"Lady Ancilla has a fondness for young ones," Eugene agreed.
As Eugene thought, Ancilla had taken a liking to Raimira. Just like when Mer first arrived at the Lionheart mansion, Ancilla would give Raimira treats and buy her clothes whenever there was an opportunity.
‘She seems to be getting along well with Sienna too….’
Eugene found it somewhat surprising that Ancilla and Sienna were getting along so well. He had thought that the two of them would maintain a distance.
And…. Was it just his imagination? Lately, whenever he crossed paths with Ancilla at the mansion, he felt an odd gaze from her.
"Is everything settled now?" After Raimira had left for the mansion, Kristina, who had been nearby, approached with a smiling face.
"Yes."
The process of reinforcing Frost with the Dragon Heart they received from Ariartel had been finished a few days ago. Raizakia’s corpse had been completely purified as of yesterday. Eugene had finished making adjustments to the connection between himself and Raimira.
There was nothing left to do in the mansion.
"We can leave tomorrow," Eugene declared.
***
Eugene examined his identification card.
It wasn't forged, nor was it a blank one controlled by the Yuras Papacy. It was a genuine identification card officially issued in Kiehl. Eugene had requested it directly from Straut the Second.
~
—Please…. Don't just rush into the palace like this. Even if you are an esteemed hero of the past, there are necessary procedures to meet the emperor, you know. And... an identification card? Surely, it's not for engaging in wrongdoings, is it?
—I am Hamel, and she is Sienna. Why would we do something bad?
—Then why do you need an identification card...?
—You won’t need to worry about it. Just issue it.
~
Unlike three hundred years ago, in the current era, most people possessed identification cards, and they had become widespread. Without an identification card, one couldn't use the warp-gate, and if they failed to present their identification card during inspections, they would be immediately arrested.
It made sense. With the installation of warp-gates, long-distance travel became incredibly convenient, especially inter-kingdom travel. It would create a chaotic world if anyone couldn't distinguish between citizens and foreigners due to the lack of identification cards.
In such a world, fame had too many disadvantages.
Eugene, Sienna, and Kristina were famous, but their fame had become too overwhelming. Once the three left Kiehl and entered Shimuin, the news would immediately spread to the royal family.
What would happen next?
They would be under constant surveillance or face interference. And most likely, even Iris would get wind of their whereabouts.
Regardless of how arrogant Iris was, she would try to hide if Sienna entered Shimuin.
That was not what Eugene hoped for.
The most ideal scenario would be to ambush Iris while she was unsuspectingly committing raids as a pirate. They should catch her by surprise and immediately cut her throat, leaving no room for her to escape.
‘It won't be as easy as we hope,’ said Eugene.
[Naturally, it won't be,] Mer responded with a chuckle from inside the cloak. [It's not the first time you've concealed your identity, right?]
‘That’s right? It was the same when I went to Nahama, Samar, and even Helmuth.’
[I don’t know how you acted in Nahama and Samar. But as far as I know, in Helmuth…. You didn't bother hiding yourself much. You pretended to conceal your identity, but when things got dicey, you revealed yourself immediately!]
Eugene winced and closed his mouth. It was undeniable, and the same had happened in Nahama and Samar. With Kristina's help, he had used blank identification cards, but….
‘That…. It wasn't my fault. It was Vermouth's fault.’
[Why are you bringing Vermouth into this?] Mer asked.
‘Well, the Lionheart family became so famous because Vermouth raised them too much, don't you think? Yes? If I were born in some ordinary, insignificant family instead of the Lionhearts, I wouldn't need to put in so much effort to conceal my identity, right?’
[Huh…?]
‘Also, these damn gray hair and gold eyes are too distinctive. They're clear giveaways that shout, 'Ah, he's a Lionheart!’’
[Yes, well…. That's true.]
‘And another thing! The White Flame Formula is also too distinctive. With these characteristics, I can't hide even if I wanted to. I inevitably end up exposing my identity.’
[You're quite something. So, in the end, you're unfairly treated, right?] Mer said sarcastically.
A mocking tone was evident in her voice. Eugene reached into the cloak and pinched Mer's cheek.
‘But this time will be different. This time…. It must be done discreetly, and I will make an extra effort to conceal my identity.’
Iris had been able to expand her pirate operations so quickly because Shimuin allowed her to do so.
Iris raided trade ships from other countries and extorted tolls, and those dirty funds flowed as bribes to the Shimuin royal family. The navy, responsible for capturing pirates, did not invade Iris' territory as they also received bribes.
Shimuin's tolerance of Iris was not solely due to bribes. Shimuin wanted to control the overflowing pirates in the sea through Iris. Additionally, they coveted Iris' power. What Shimuin desired was to trade with Iris and incorporate her power into the nation's strength.
Of course, Shimuin didn't achieve the desired relationship with Iris. In the end, Iris completely broke free from Shimuin's control and was now raiding not only foreign countries but also Shimuin's own merchant and cargo ships, as well as facing off against the navy.
However, just because they had become enemies didn't mean that all ties between Shimuin and Iris had been severed. Eugene didn't think that was the case.
Many of the officials who had taken bribes would have been purged.
However, the desire for bribes was insatiable, no matter the era. Even if certain officials were prosecuted, there might be others currently accepting bribes from Iris in exchange for providing information.
And…. What about targeting the royal family, who also received bribes? They couldn’t have been thoroughly purged, either.
‘If Iris somehow finds out and goes into hiding, it will be quite troublesome. The sea is vast, you know. So, this time, I will do my best to conceal my identity until the most critical moment,’ Eugene explained.
[Indeed! You plan to do so this time.]
‘Yes, just like her.’
Eugene turned his head and stole a glance at Sienna.
The remarkable wizard was in front of the mirror, trying to change her appearance by dyeing her purple hair black and altering her hairstyle.
"You two should change too!" Sienna turned her head and suddenly spoke. "I did some research, and it seems that Shimuin is a nation with a lot of racial diversity."
"That must be true. It's a place where various knights, mercenaries, and merchants gather,” responded Kristina.
"Exactly! So, we have several options. How about it? Kristina, since your skin is fair, why not change it entirely to black?" Sienna suggested.
"What?"
"If you change your skin to black, no one will think you're Saint Kristina Rogeris, right?" said Sienna.
"If Lady Sienna changes her skin color first, I'll consider it,” said Kristina.
Naturally, Sienna had no intention of doing so. She glanced away and examined herself in the mirror.
"Hmm. My hair will be black, and what should I do with my eye color?” she questioned.
"Just leave your eye color as it is. There's no need to change it," responded Eugene.
"Does that mean my current eye color suits me best? Huh?" Sienna asked.
"Yeah, that's right,” said Eugene.
"You answer so soullessly."
Sienna pouted and looked back at the mirror.
Should she let her hair down or tie it up? If she tied it up, what style would be best? Sienna pondered these questions while the carriage continued to move. Finally, the group arrived at Kiehl's warp-gate.
"What will you do about Lady Ciel?"
Sienna had heard stories about Ciel from Gilead. Currently, Ciel was gaining popularity in Shimuin, leaving a mark under her name.
Many knights and mercenaries visited Shimuin due to a unique law in the country.
Those who came to Shimuin as knights or mercenaries could register themselves as gladiators. Once registered, they were allowed to participate in the various arenas throughout Shimuin. While some arenas in remote areas may involve lethal duels, most battles in the central arenas resembled a showmanship-filled sport rather than a fight to the death.
Although it was considered a sport, winning in the arena required considerable skill. The gladiator's value was determined by the points earned from victories, and their ranking was based on these points.
In a way, it reminded Eugene of the hierarchy battles among demons, but unlike the hierarchical system distinguishing demon ranks, the gladiator ranking only applied to those who had registered as gladiators in Shimuin. The higher the ranking, the more benefits one could enjoy.
This was why knights and mercenaries from other countries sought to build their reputation in Shimuin. By registering as gladiators, they could accumulate valuable combat experience without worrying too much about death.
Shimuin’s Twelve Finest referred to the twelve highest-ranking gladiators.
The Silver Lion, Carmen Lionheart's disciple.
The youngest among Shimuin’s Twelve Finest.
Ranked 7th — Ciel Lionheart, the White Rose.
"We should meet her, but... it doesn't seem like we can approach her openly."
The White Rose, was it?
'The Blood Lion sounds better.' Eugene genuinely believed that.
