Blake had already left, saying he needed to properly prepare and teach that self-proclaimed Dragon Slayers organization a lesson. He transformed back into his dragon form and flew straight out of the castle window.
Isabella still stood in place, her hands clasped in front of her. She tilted her head and smiled softly at Leopold.
“Go train, Leo,” Isabella said, her ice-blue eyes blinking. “You have to become the strongest Night Black Dragon!”
“Yeah,” Leopold nodded.
“But to be honest, I haven't eaten yet...” Right on cue, Leopold's stomach let out a loud rumble.
“Hahaha,” Isabella laughed, covering her mouth.
“I haven't eaten in sixteen years either!” Leopold grumbled, turning his face away.
“There are plenty of restaurants in the central square. I'll give you some money...” Isabella lowered her head, rummaging through her pockets for silver coins.
Leopold cleared his throat twice. He paused, then looked back at Isabella.
“By the way, Isabella.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you... want to come along?”
Isabella blinked her ice-blue eyes, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
“...Sure.”
Leopold was momentarily stunned. He had only asked out of politeness and hadn't expected Isabella to agree so readily.
“Let's go then! I'll tell you about our plan to revive the dragon clan along the way!”
“Okay!”
The central square was much quieter than during the day, but it was still lively. Having finished their day's labor, goblins gathered in small groups outside taverns, chatting with clay mugs in hand.
Many children chased each other playfully, weaving through the crowd.
Leopold walked ahead, with Isabella following half a step behind. He stopped after just a few paces, staring at the street-side food stalls offering items he had never seen before—roasted rock worms on iron skewers, fried dough balls coated in honey, and a thick soup brewed from underground river fish.
“What do you want to eat?” Leopold looked at Isabella.
“That,” she said, pointing to the soup pot before turning her head to look at Leopold. “What about you?”
Leopold didn't answer; he had already made his choice.
“Give me three skewers—no, six skewers of roasted rock worms! And four bowls of that soup,” he said to the goblin vendor, adding, “Also, seven portions of fried dough balls, with double honey!”
“...Coming right up!” the vendor replied briskly, turning around to get to work.
Isabella stood beside him, a slight smile playing on her lips. She didn't say anything, simply standing quietly by Leopold's side.
“Hey, Leo.”
“What is it?”
“You ordered so little. It won't be enough to eat.”
Leopold turned his head, locking eyes with Isabella, whose ice-blue eyes had curved into beautiful crescents.
Shoot, he had forgotten he was a dragon. Ordering this little indeed wasn't enough for two dragons to eat...
“...I just didn't want to waste food,” he cleared his throat, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
“Really?” Isabella tilted her head, her tone carrying obvious teasing.
“Really!”
Leopold's ears grew even redder. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to save face, but the vendor had already brought out the first plate of roasted rock worms.
“Let's eat first, let's eat first.” Leopold decisively abandoned the argument, picking up a skewer and taking a huge bite.
The outer shell of the rock worm was roasted crispy over the charcoal, yet the meat inside was surprisingly tender. He took another bite.
“Bella, this is delicious!”
“Yes, yes. If it's not enough, we can order more. Don't be in such a rush.” Isabella held back her laughter and offered her handkerchief. “It got all over your nose, Leo.”
“Oh... okay.” Leopold was stunned for a moment, then took the handkerchief and wiped his face haphazardly.
Isabella had already naturally seated herself on the wooden stool opposite him, her hands resting on the edge of the table as she gently swung her feet.
“Aren't you hungry?” Leopold swallowed a mouthful of soup and looked up to ask her.
“I am.” Isabella finally reached out to take a skewer of roasted rock worm. She took a bite, her eyes lighting up slightly. “...It really is delicious.”
The two dragons sat at the stall on the edge of the square. Above them was the fluorite simulating dusk, and beneath their feet were the smooth stone slabs paved by goblin craftsmen.
The chatter and laughter of the surrounding goblins, the clattering of pots and bowls, and the footsteps of chasing children blended together, forming a strange yet peaceful atmosphere of daily life.
The iron skewer in Leopold's hand dropped. Isabella alone had eaten a whopping thirty-seven skewers of roasted rock worms, thirteen bowls of soup, and twenty-three portions of double-honey fried dough balls!
He was the same; no matter how much he ate, he couldn't get full!
The vendor stood behind the stall, his metal spatula still raised mid-air, his mouth slightly open. He was clearly dumbfounded.
“...Would you like more?” the vendor asked tentatively.
Isabella turned to look at Leopold, her ice-blue eyes filled with a clear sense of expectation.
Leopold patted his stomach. It still felt completely empty—as if all the food they had just eaten had been instantly devoured by some black-hole-like digestive capacity.
“Another... another portion of each?” Leopold extended a finger toward the vendor, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
The vendor lowered his spatula and shook his head with a wry smile. “Guests, to tell you the truth... the ingredients for tonight have almost been completely eaten up by the two of you.”
Leopold cleared his throat and looked down at the silver coin pouch by his feet. Of the money Isabella had given him, three silver coins had already been spent.
“Then let's stop eating,” he put down his iron skewer. “We can take a walk to digest, and I'll talk about our business along the way.”
Isabella nodded obediently and stood up.
The two dragons walked side by side on the paved road at the edge of the central square. The glow of the fluorite had completely transitioned to a dark blue, and the pedestrians on the street had thinned out considerably.
“Bella.”
“What is it?”
“Do you usually eat this much?”
Isabella glanced sideways at him. “I'm not usually this hungry. Today is because... I'm eating with you, so I have a better appetite.”
Leopold choked on his words, unsure of how to respond. He cleared his throat, forcefully dragging the topic back on track. “Ahem... let's talk business. Regarding the dragon clan's revival plan, I have a few preliminary thoughts.”
Isabella walked quietly, turning her head to look at him, signaling him to continue.
“First, we need intelligence. The dragon clan has been in decline for thirteen hundred years. How many survivors are left in the world, where they are distributed, and whether there are any organized settlements—we know absolutely nothing about any of this.”
“Second, we need power. Not individual power, but the power of an organization. No matter how strong a single dragon is, they cannot change the fate of an entire race. We need to find other survivors and unite them.”
“But dragons are proud creatures. They are unlikely to unite,” Isabella said.
“Exactly. But we can use a hen to lay our eggs.”
“What does 'using a hen to lay eggs' mean?” Isabella tilted her head, her ice-blue eyes full of curiosity.
“Goblins,” Leopold raised a finger. “Though they aren't of our dragon clan, they are numerous, widely distributed, and spread across the entire subterranean world.”
“If we can establish a trade and intelligence network covering the entire Eisenberg Mountain Range and even beyond through the Bronzebeard Tribe... then every single mine shaft, every market, and every goblin settlement can become our eyes and ears!”
Isabella's eyes lit up, and she quickly grasped Leopold's line of thinking. “You mean, having the goblins help us find other dragons?”
“More than just finding dragons.” Leopold lowered his hand and continued walking down the street. “They can also help us understand the situation on the surface—the movements of the angels, wars between other races, and even help us conceal our existence.”
“It's just that goblins have no way of learning magic, so their development ceiling is still too low...” Leopold lowered his head. In truth, he had a better choice in his heart.
Isabella suddenly stopped in her tracks, reaching out to pull Leopold back from his deep thoughts.
“Hey, Leo.”
“What is it?” Leopold turned around.
“I...” Isabella bit her lip, finally gathering her courage—
Boom! A massive explosion echoed from the northern side of the capital, cutting off Isabella's unspoken words.
Rate on N.U.
