Chương 367: Discussions at Hand

Drago and Siegfried tore through the open sky above Irea, their bodies moving with immense speed as they crossed the distance between the Royal Library and the Royal Guard Tower. The force behind their jump was enough to launch them hundreds of meters into the air, carrying their bodies across the city like living projectiles. Their movements were so fast that even trained observers would struggle to follow them.

To the citizens below, they were nothing more than brief distortions against the clouds, fleeting shadows that vanished almost as quickly as they appeared. The idea that two individuals could casually cross an entire city through nothing but their own physical strength was so absurd that no ordinary person would ever consider it a possibility. Yet that was exactly what was happening.

Two beings who had existed for longer than most civilizations were treating a kilometer-long journey as little more than a short walk. As the Royal Guard Tower came into view, both men adjusted their bodies at the same time. Their legs shifted downward, their posture changed, and they began preparing for their landing. Rather than fighting against their momentum, they allowed their own strength and experience to guide their descent. Drago reached the rooftop first.

The instant his boots touched the stone surface, he lowered himself slightly and listened. A quiet sound echoed beneath his feet. Crack. Thin fractures spread outward from where he landed, branching across the rooftop like a spiderweb. For several moments, Drago simply looked down at the damage. Then, surprisingly, a small smile appeared beneath his beard.

"Still sturdy." He straightened himself and continued toward the entrance. Or rather... The exit. The highest point of the Royal Guard Tower served as both an observation platform and a restricted area where only certain individuals were permitted to move freely. The tower was built to withstand battles that would destroy ordinary structures, yet even it struggled beneath the casual arrival of two beings who had long surpassed normal limits. However, their arrival had not gone unnoticed.

The disturbance traveled throughout the tower. Within the upper quarters where powerful dragons and wyverns rested, countless eyes opened. Massive wings unfolded, claws scraped against stone, and instincts awakened as the creatures sensed unfamiliar presences invading their territory. A series of powerful roars echoed through the tower. One by one, the beasts rushed toward the rooftop. Among them was the largest. A gargantuan crimson wyvern whose size surpassed even many dragons. Inferno.

The enormous creature climbed along the side of the tower, its colossal claws digging into the stone walls as its burning gaze locked onto the two figures standing below. Heat gathered inside its throat, causing the surrounding air to shimmer as flames began forming within its maw. Siegfried raised both hands.

"Oh, come on! Can you seriously not tell we're here for Ares? We're not attacking you, you all know both of us already!" Inferno ignored him. The flames only grew brighter. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Siegfried stared at the creature for several seconds before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Seriously?" Drago glanced back at him.

"You cannot calm a dragon? Even after all these years?" Siegfried looked away.

"Ugh. You know why." He pointed toward himself.

"My acknowledgement. Dragon Slayer." He looked back toward Inferno.

"Every dragon instinctively hates me because of that damn thing." Drago considered this for a moment before nodding.

"I suppose that is true." He turned back toward the wyvern.

"Then allow me." Siegfried raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Drago continued walking forward.

"Calm it." The simplicity of the answer caused Siegfried to stare. After several seconds, he shook his head.

"Of course. Why did I expect anything else?" He stepped aside, crossing his arms as he watched. Drago approached the enormous beast without hesitation. Inferno focused all of its attention on him. The flames inside its mouth burned violently. Its pupils narrowed. Every instinct within the creature told it to attack. To eliminate the threat before it became dangerous. But another instinct stopped it, the closer Drago came... the heavier the atmosphere became.

Drago stopped directly before the wyvern and looked upward.

"I am beyond you, Inferno." His voice was quiet. Yet every creature on the rooftop heard him clearly.

"I am the storm that destroys those who stand against it." His silver eyes sharpened.

"Submit, or be swept away by my fury." For several seconds, nothing moved. The flames inside Inferno's throat slowly began to disappear. The enormous wyvern stared down at Drago, searching for weakness. Eventually, the creature lowered its massive claws. Inferno lowered its head before carefully returning to its quarters. The other dragons and wyverns followed. One after another, the rooftop emptied. Every beast present understood the same truth. This man stood above them.

Siegfried watched the scene with an amused expression.

"Damn."

"I guess the one hundred twenty-third king wasn't exaggerating when he called you the strongest." Drago glanced back. His expression remained unchanged.

"You know as well as I do that any one of us could defeat those creatures. Even if they attacked together." Siegfried shrugged.

"Yeah. But where's the fun in that?" Drago released a quiet sigh. The two continued through the stone corridors of the tower. Along the way, several Royal Guards noticed their arrival. Some bowed with respect, while others simply stopped and stared. Eventually, they reached Ares' office. Drago opened the door without knocking. Siegfried followed behind him, looking around the unfamiliar room. Books filled the shelves. Artifacts rested behind protective barriers. Maps, reports, and documents covered the walls.

Everything about the room reflected Ares' position as commander of the Royal Guard. While Siegfried wandered toward the shelves out of curiosity, Drago approached the desk. Ares remained seated, still working through paperwork. Slowly, the commander raised his crimson eyes.

"You've arrived." Drago rolled his eyes.

"Wouldn't want to miss this. Especially since apparently I am needed." Ares sighed.

"I suppose that is true." He stood from his chair. However, before he could continue, his expression changed.

"Actually... there is something I would like to know." Ares narrowed his eyes slightly.

"And that is?" Drago looked directly at him.

"What is your relationship with my boy? You clearly knew Vale before he lost his memories. So I would like to understand what happened." For several moments, Ares said nothing. Then he answered honestly.

"I don't know." Ares remained still. The answer was not an excuse. Drago studied him carefully before looking away.

"I believe you."

"If your intentions were harmful, you would not be protecting him. So I will not press further." Drago pulled out a chair.

"But understand this. We all care about that boy. If there is anything that needs to be shared... anything that can increase his chances of survival, then tell us." Ares gave a quiet, humorless laugh.

"Survival?" He looked toward the window.

"I think that damn Eidolon is already doing enough of that." The three eventually took their places around the table. Siegfried leaned forward.

"So... what exactly is this meeting about?" Ares remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"As you both know, the Goliath has remained inactive longer than usual." Both men nodded. Siegfried leaned back.

"Yeah, but that isn't exactly unusual. It has done this before." Ares nodded.

"Correct. In isolation, this could simply be another period of dormancy. However... There is always the possibility that this time is different." Drago's eyes narrowed.

"And if the Goliath has disappeared?" Ares hesitated.

"Then we have a problem. The Goliath rests too deep within the ocean for us to investigate directly. The pressure alone would crush most beings before they even reached it." He paused.

"And if that does not kill them... the creatures dwelling below certainly would." Ares looked between them.

"But if the Goliath truly is gone, then protecting Irea falls upon us." Siegfried let out a small yawn.

"Sure, but realistically, what could actually threaten us?" He looked between the two.

"One of us alone could handle almost anything."

"All three of us together?" He shrugged.

"Nothing stands a chance." Ares nodded.

"That may be true."

"However... we have never seen everything that exists within the depths. The Goliath's presence has kept countless creatures hidden. If it is gone... they may finally reveal themselves." The room became quiet. Siegfried remained silent for several seconds before speaking.

"And if they do... they will become corpses. just like everything else that has ever challenged us."