Westminster Bank

But as fate would have it, this was where she ran into Master Jack, who was said to have parted ways with that madwoman, Isabella.

"I’m sorry... but I must refuse."

Faced with another invitation from his ex-fiancée, Baron refused without hesitation.

’If it were just Freya alone, it would be the perfect opportunity to subtly probe her for information about the accusations against him.’

’But upon seeing she was accompanied by several hired Trial Takers and Dragon Guides, Baron realized he wouldn’t get a chance to speak with her in private and decided to forget it.’

’Besides, I have more important things to do right now.’

"Fifty thousand pounds."

"I’m sorry, Miss Freya, but I’m not that kind of person."

"One hundred thousand pounds, cash." Freya pulled out a thick wad of banknotes. "Payable in full, right now."

"But when I decide to be that kind of person, I’m an absolute monster."

Baron turned to her original Bronze Dragon Guide and said, "You’re fired."

Then, to the other Trial Takers, he ordered, "Tie him up."

With one hundred thousand pounds now in his possession, he turned back to Freya. "Miss Freya, my job is to help you get more Dragon Scales, correct? As long as you have enough scales to secure your seat, I can leave once the goal is achieved, no matter how long I’ve been working for you?"

Freya didn’t grasp the hidden meaning in Baron’s words. She just lifted her chin haughtily. "Of course."

"Then this is simple," Baron said. "Everyone, with me."

"Where to?" someone asked.

"To a place with Dragon Scales."

Baron said, relaying the information he was receiving from his Little Flame Demon.

.........

Jiba, a Demon Hunter from the Van Helsing Family who had been separated from Adam while under the guidance of a Dragon Guide, was grievously wounded. He lay on the ground, clinging to life and some freshly stripped Dragon Scales, all while furiously cursing his guide’s incompetence.

Just then, he felt a tremor from nearby. Lifting his gaze, he saw it was another High Tier Dragon Descendant.

He frantically called for the Dragon Guide to lure the beast away, but there was no answer.

By now, the Giant Dragon was lunging at him, its massive jaws wide open. His Spiritual Power depleted and unable to undergo Beastification, Jiba felt a chill in his heart. Fueled by a surge of adrenaline, he brutally stabbed the Scale-Stripping Saber in his hand into the dragon’s oncoming eye.

In turn, he was sent flying by a whip of its long tail, breaking several ribs and nearly blacking out from the impact.

But now, it seemed it wouldn’t matter whether he caught his breath or not.

The Giant Dragon bellowed at Jiba in a rage. Its foul stench reminded him of the fermented auk he’d once eaten while hunting Sirens in Iceland. The Dragon Guide still hadn’t come. Realizing something was terribly wrong, Jiba cursed viciously at both the dragon and the absent guide:

"You think I’d take a French leave?"

He pulled another dagger from his coat. "Don’t you dare lump me in with those French bastards!"

Facing the Giant Dragon, Jiba charged forward fearlessly, thrusting his dagger.

"Magic: Slow."

A crisp, cool female voice rang out. Jiba felt everything around him decelerate—the Giant Dragon’s lunge, its snapping jaws, even his own desperate, sacrificial swing.

He saw two figures dart out from either side, each plunging their Scale-Stripping Saber with flawless precision into the Giant Dragon’s long neck.

The blades didn’t sink deep, drawing little blood. After all, the scales of a High Tier Dragon Descendant could repel a direct strike from even an Alchemy Sword.

Still, the Giant Dragon cried out in pain. As the Magic wore off, it eyed the approaching group, then turned and fled.

His dagger fell to the ground with a CLANG. Jiba, utterly spent, started to collapse, but someone caught him, telling him not to kneel—or at least, not before paying the protection fee.

"Protection fee?"

"Half the Dragon Scales you’re holding. You’re seriously wounded. You’d be dead if we hadn’t saved you."

"Can you bring that Dragon Guide back for me? I’ll give you all my Dragon Scales."

"He ran away. I don’t think he’s coming back."

"These are all the Dragon Scales I’ve gathered. Could one of your Trial Takers escort me out of the mountains? I have to report what’s been happening here."

"What’s been happening?" Freya asked.

"The Dragon Guides aren’t Dragon Guides," Baron said. "They’re mysterious figures trying to kill Trial Takers by staging ’accidents’ with the dragons. Miss Freya, this is why I told you to bring your Bronze Dragon Guide here, bound."

Freya frowned. "You mean my Dragon Guide is..."

The silent Bronze Dragon Guide was shoved forward. Baron ordered a Trial Taker to remove his mask. The other guides cried out in alarm, insisting that a Dragon Guide must never be unmasked.

Baron said, "Are you the experts, or am I?"

And so, the Bronze Dragon Guide’s mask was removed, revealing a thoroughly unremarkable face.

Just as Baron was about to question him, the Bronze Dragon Guide suddenly uttered the cryptic phrase, "For the Dragon Witch!" and then burst into flames, dying instantly.

He had truly immolated himself. Flames erupted from his chest, burning fiercely. Freya tried to extinguish them with Magic, but her water instantly vaporized on contact, a clear sign that the Fire was far hotter than it appeared.

Watching the body burn, Baron had a sudden realization. The flames were identical to those from the lighter belonging to the Dragon Guide who had killed the other Trial Taker—only more intense. He grew more certain of his suspicions.

When the fire died down, the Dragon Guide had been reduced to a vaguely humanoid pile of charred ash.

"A Dragon Devourer Cultist, one who worships the Dragon Witch," Jiba said, clutching his chest. He had heard the guide’s final words. "I must report this to the Demon Hunter Association."

Baron looked to Freya. With a cold snort, she lifted her chin. "I’ll only take half your Dragon Scales. Escorting you out of the mountains isn’t part of your deal—it’s an act of charity on my part."

’Heh. I didn’t realize her "Northerner" persona was also tsundere.’

’Baron had already mentally categorized Freya as having two different personas. He estimated that the princess of the Lancelot’s Family likely had symptoms akin to Dissociative Identity Disorder. His initial guess was that it might be connected to the Blood Biter, Lankao, and his "Twin" experiment.’

After saying her piece, Freya used a Healing Magic Card to temporarily treat Jiba’s wounds. Then she dispatched a Trial Taker who knew the paths to escort him out.

She didn’t send a Dragon Guide for the simple reason that she no longer trusted anyone hiding behind a mask.

Following the Little Flame Demon’s markers, Baron then led Freya to rescue several more Trial Takers, collecting half their Dragon Scales as payment each time. The mysterious Dragon Devourer Cultists, however, seemed to have been tipped off, as they vanished the moment Baron’s group arrived.

He saved the Pound Siblings again. As usual, the fee was half their Dragon Scales. However, the brother, Pound, who was largely unharmed, started complaining, asking "On what grounds?" and the like. In response, Baron took all of his scales. From the sister, Windsor, however, he took none.

What surprised Baron, however, was that while Freya clearly despised Baron Constantin, she didn’t treat the Pound Siblings with her usual arrogance.

As dusk settled, Baron turned to Freya. "How many more Dragon Scales are you short?"

Freya glanced at the half-share of scales from Jiba in her hand and snorted. "At least this much more."

"Here’s the other half. My mission is complete."

Baron shrugged at Freya’s surprised expression. "Since he chose to leave the mountains, his remaining scales are useless to him. So why not just take them?"

"When did you take them?"

"The moment he said, ’I must report this to the Demon Hunter Association.’"

Baron gave a slight bow. "Well then, Miss Freya, our deal is concluded. And now, I have my own pressing matters to attend to."

"Pressing matters?"

Freya didn’t ask what he was doing. She just gave a cold snort and said, "Then let’s part ways here."

"Don’t forget the five-star review."

"Five-star review? What’s that?" Freya muttered.

But with a wave of his hand, Baron had already disappeared into the night.

’My Flame Demon followed the guides and found the Dragon Devourer Cultists’ main camp.’

’Now, it’s time for me to investigate.’

’Conveniently, the robe I acquired on Ben Mountain—the one marking me as a member of the Dragon Eater Association’s Blood Department—will finally come in handy.’

——————

[Baron Constantin’s (Original Self) Secret Notes:

March 26, 1976 / Wales / Overcast

Lucy said Isabella thinks I’m a fool for always saying such overconfident things.

What does she know? Sometimes you have to say things out loud just to see if you’ve truly made up your mind!]