Noctis stared intently at the surface of the sea and exhaled a heavy breath.
“This doesn't make sense...”
He closed his eyes first, carefully examining the fluctuations of mana within his body, before glancing down at the massive staff in his hand and staring intently at the amber gem embedded in it.
“That guy's spell clearly looked like a Tier 5, so why was he able to hold me off for so long...?”
“And how could he possibly have that much mana...?”
Noctis clicked his tongue.
Could that guy have used forbidden magic too?
He raised his staff above his head, twirled it, and immediately pointed it back toward the sea.
Suddenly, he froze, as if noticing something unusual.
The giant dragon was gone.
“Did she take human form and escape...?”
“Damn it, that confinement space should have held out a bit longer!”
“Did I miscalculate the time?”
After pondering for a moment, Noctis ran a hand through his hair in frustration and finally lowered his staff.
“Who would have thought that after all your preparation, it would all go down the drain?”
Noctis turned his head and let out a soft chuckle.
“And here I was wondering who it was...”
“It really has been a long time, Chief Arbiter.”
The old man nodded slightly. “You certainly made quite a scene today.”
“Now, the entire empire knows that legendary creature has reappeared. Quite a few people want her for themselves...”
“After all, no one can resist the temptation of a mythical beast.”
Noctis shrugged indifferently. He tossed his staff in front of the old man, stepped onto the corpse of one of his believers, and ripped out the corpse's heart.
Staring at his blood-stained right hand and the heart that had long since stopped beating, Noctis expressionlessly brought it to his mouth, took a bite, and began to chew.
Startled by the gruesome sight, Lance stared for a moment before smiling. “You really are...”
“...disgusting.”
“Whenever I encounter something disgusting, I like to find something else to distract myself,” Noctis replied nonchalantly.
“Like this, for instance.”
Without giving Lance a chance to speak, Noctis continued, “Cut the act. The only reason you came looking for me is because you have your eyes on that dragon.”
“It truly disgusts me—a bunch of hypocrites hiding in the shadows, trying to steal the fruits of someone else's labor.”
Lance did not deny it.
“But you failed, and you even lost—”
“Failed?”
Noctis tossed the half-eaten heart aside and sneered. “Did you honestly think I planned to subjugate that giant dragon here and now?”
“Taming that beast would have been nice, of course, but that wasn't my only goal from the start.”
Seeing Lance's bewildered expression, Noctis nodded with great satisfaction.
“The dragon's strength was indeed beyond my expectations, and I certainly didn't expect the Blessed to actually be here...”
“But none of that matters.”
“I don't like to guess what other people are thinking, nor do I care to decipher their plans...”
“No matter what, as long as they play their parts in my script, that's enough.”
Noctis pointed into the distance. Lance followed his gaze.
It was a massive venue surrounded by countless magnificent buildings.
“That is my next stage.”
Lance frowned. “Are you referring to the compass?”
“Of course.”
Noctis stretched and yawned. “The auction begins in a week.”
“When the time comes, that dragon will definitely show up.”
“After all, her sole purpose in coming here was to keep the holy spear out of human hands, and that Blessed guy likely has the exact same goal.”
“But can that dragon really recover in a single week?”
A cunning glint flashed in Noctis's eyes.
“Dragging her wounded body to the auction venue, she will be nothing more than a beast ripe for the slaughter.”
Lance was slightly surprised.
“How do you know she will—”
“Oh, that is a secret, my dear Chief Arbiter. By the way, how is your investigation into Wesley going?”
Lance shook his head. “The man still hasn't made a move, but...”
“But?”
“But his Xavier family has indeed been planning a major event recently. I'm just not sure if it's by his command.”
Noctis narrowed his eyes. “Does it have to do with Sevis?”
Lance shook his head.
“I'm not sure, but it seems to be a wedding. As for who they're marrying into, it's still unknown. They haven't leaked much information.”
“Let's put that aside for now. How do you plan to secure the compass?”
At the mention of the compass, Noctis burst out laughing.
“I know you all want that compass, but money won't buy it.”
“The auction is merely a formality...”
Noctis took the staff back from Lance, staring obsessively at the amber crystal embedded in it.
“Did you know? Artifacts of the Goddess all share a certain trait.”
“And that is...”
“Things of the same origin and nature will always attract each other.”
“That compass and this staff are both creations that received the Goddess's blessing a thousand years ago.”
“They are like siblings. When they meet, they will throw themselves into each other's embrace, regardless of the consequences.”
“Heh, isn't that touching?”
A gentle smile played on Noctis's lips, but his eyes were filled with bone-chilling frost.
Lance instantly understood his plan.
He was going to use the dragon to throw the venue into chaos, and then snatch the compass using a method no one could stop!
However, Lance quickly spotted a flaw.
“What if someone else also produces an object of the same origin as the compass?”
As if hearing the funniest joke in the world, Noctis clapped Lance on the shoulder, laughing as he shook his head.
“Do you think just anyone can get their hands on the Goddess's artifacts?”
“Besides, the only things connected to that compass are this staff and the holy spear.”
“If someone could produce that holy spear—even just a single fragment of it—the resonance it triggers would far exceed that of the compass. I'm afraid even my staff would be irresistibly drawn to it and snatched away.”
Noctis sighed, then smiled. “After all, that holy spear is the mother of these two.”
“But unfortunately, we need that compass precisely to guide us to the hidden holy spear.”
“Chief Arbiter, you worry far too much.”
Noctis chuckled lightheartedly.
“How could anyone possibly possess the holy spear before it has even been found?”
...
Angelica dragged her wounded body, walking step by step through the pitch-black cave.
She pulled her tail around to the front and touched the charred portion, her expression full of distress.
“I went through so much trouble to groom it before coming here...”
“Oh well, what's the point of holding a grudge against a mere human?”
She tossed her usually well-maintained tail aside. A faint smile appeared on her face, and she couldn't help but let out a series of soft, cheerful hums.
Despite having just taken a severe beating from Noctis, she actually seemed quite...
happy.
Rate on N.U.
