The Dragon Lord's Aide Wants to Quit [BL]

Never again.

Orien Vathros made that vow right then and there. He wouldn’t skip training again unless there was a very good reason.

Because as he clung to what little reserves he had left, it became painfully clear that he wouldn’t have survived even the first attack if he had never left the Nest.

It definitely wasn’t him venturing out of his own volition, but had he not been thrust into a different place with different companions, he would’ve never been able to hold out like this.

"Arghhh!"

His boots screeched against the pavement as he poured everything into his defense. In that random robe and much taller polymorphed form, Orien forced himself to mirror his uncle’s stance as best as he could.

But beneath the flimsy safety of that hood, his jaw was actually clenched tight, his muscles trembling as he tried to repel the full force of the fifth dragon’s breath aimed straight at the MBE.

His foot slid back an inch.

Then another.

The ground beneath him, once smooth and pristine, cracked under the pressure. Stone dented where he stood as the relentless attack bore down on him.

Clearly, training or sparring was one thing.

But unfortunately, this was no training.

By default, even angered dragons would hold back from outright killing for fear of facing the wrath of the dragon lord at the very least.

Of course, the already volatile beings would likely fail at controlling themselves, resulting in considerable damage, but even then, there would be signs of their attempt to show some restraint.

However, Orien didn’t get that feeling from this dragon at all.

This red dragon wasn’t even threatening him. It was simply attacking with no restraint, just rage.

Pure, unfiltered rage.

What could have possibly driven a dragon to such extremes that even a dragonling as unhinged as Orien deemed him beyond reason?

Maybe they would have figured something out faster had the golden dragonling been allowed to think for longer.

But as luck would have it, he ended up getting ripped from his thoughts because his opponent suddenly shifted.

For a split second, he tried to consider the possible ways things would go, and decided that it would probably redirect its attack.

He was wrong.

Instead, the dragon spread its wings and beat them forward, sending a violent gust crashing through the air. The wind sharpened as it moved, turning into slicing currents that raced toward the people behind him.

Toward someone who had been busy trying to assist the people who still couldn’t make their legs work.

Toward Liam.

Orien’s eyes widened in panic as he saw the little sprite hauling people toward the entrance, shielding them with his extremely small body.

No.

Orien couldn’t move.

If he stepped away, even for a moment, the flames would surge forward. With the added wind, the fire would only grow stronger and spread faster toward all of them, including Liam.

There was only one thing he could do.

Use more mana.

Even if it drained him dry.

But in truth, the decision came before all those calculations could fully form. His body acted on instinct, pushing past everything that told him to preserve himself. A dragon was meant to concern itself with no one else’s safety.

But the golden dragonling ignored that.

He forced more power out, trying to extend a shield toward Liam while still holding back the main attack.

Every part of him screamed.

His vision blurred. His body shook under the strain.

And still, he pushed.

But before the wind blades could even reach their target, before they could so much as knock anyone off their feet, something else appeared.

A barrier.

Way in front of Liam.

But at that scale and size? Definitely not the one Orien had been trying to shield the little sprite with.

Worse, he wasn’t sure why that barrier didn’t seem to be blocking, but more like absorbing...?

"...???"

__

Safe to say, all across Eryndra, people and factions alike were stumbling into unexpected boons.

Some uncovered the source of rot that had long gone unnoticed. Others found themselves protected at the last possible moment. There were those who finally located missing targets, and those who, by sheer chance, discovered the key to unlocking what they had been chasing all along.

It almost felt as if everything had aligned.

As if success had been handed out all at once.

But what should be done when the success of some was to the detriment of someone else?

Like the Chancellor, who could hardly believe his luck.

Standing on a distant ridge, ideally far enough from the chaos, Malrik let out a laugh. It wasn’t joyous. It wasn’t even relieved.

It was jagged. Unstable. The kind of laugh that came from someone who truly believed the world had finally started moving in his favor.

Fate.

This had to be fate.

Even the gods must agree by now that he was the one meant to rise. The one who deserved to become the true Dragon Lord.

Imagine if he hadn’t lingered a little longer...

If he hadn’t chosen that useless attendant...

Malrik clicked his tongue, though the smile on his face didn’t fade.

Tavos didn’t seem so foolish anymore. Not when that same idiot had led him to something far more valuable. Who would have thought that a small investment like that would pay off this well?

To think that he had almost missed it.

See, when he first sensed the blue flames, he hadn’t thought much of it. They were near the Ministry of Balance and Enforcement after all.

Then again, of all the places that rogue dragon could go to, did it really have to be the MBE?

That damned place.

Now, instead of simply taking the target by force, the Chancellor couldn’t even involve himself in the very capture, but was forced to wait it out like the coward that he believed he wasn’t.

Unfortunately, the nature of his position demanded it.

"You. Lure him farther away from the tower."

"M-master...!"

Even Malrik knew that was close to impossible, but it needed to be done no matter what.

With Kael Dravaryn present, he had to suppress everything. His mana, his presence, even his intent. He relied on an artifact just to remain concealed, and even then, he couldn’t risk getting any closer than three mountain ranges away.

Any nearer, and the existence of an empty mana field alone might give him away.

"Tch!"

"You. Move!"

"If his interest fades, he’ll kill the target."