“The monster… it’s dead.”
Sir Verren turned his gaze from the sky and looked at him squarely. “Good.”
Verren regarded him for a moment longer before adding, “Don’t worry. The Kingdom will reward you for your effort and support.”
Michael’s lips curled faintly into a wry smile. “Yes…”
He didn’t know how to say he had earned a lot of benefits already.
Michael found it strange—he’d imagined needing to explain everything in detail, maybe argue his reasons, and face suspicion. But none of that happened.
The conversation had flowed far easier than expected.
It was probably because he was talking to Verren.
If it had been the Princess…
“After my deal with Mage Lian, I should start considering a relocation…”
“There’s also the issue of my rank advancement….”
“Hmmm….. there’s that tower too…..”
********
The Capital of Lionheart.
Even though a few days had passed, no one seemed to be aware of the massacre that had occurred in the Everlong Forest.
These days, the only thing people were talking about was the competition hosted by the Duke of Evermoon.
It was finally about to begin.
The Capital of Lionheart was bursting at the seams with energy.
These days, the normally lively streets had turned into a festival ground.
The Evermoon Competition.
Rumor had it that the grand prize wasn’t just riches—it was the hand of the Duke’s daughter.
The declaration had sparked chaos.
Whether it was a political move or a test of strength, the result was the same: a tidal wave of participants flooded the capital.
Young men from every corner of the kingdom and beyond arrived in droves—swords at their hips, pride in their chests, and ambition burning in their eyes.
Some wore polished noble attire, bearing crests of minor lords or rising houses.
Others wore humble travel leathers, seasoned by dust and blood.
Foreigners, too, joined the fray, easily spotted by their distinct armor styles or the strange animals that followed them.
The guards at the capital’s gates had tripled, and inns ran out of rooms within hours.
The Duke of Evermoon was no ordinary man.
And his daughter?
She was known as the Evermoon Rose. Graceful, intelligent, and said to be as terrifying with a blade as she was charming with words.
Many saw the competition not just as a tournament, but a rare path to power through marriage.
Meanwhile, betting houses had already opened odds on who would win.
The common folk gossiped endlessly.
Some swore the winner would be the noble families. Others insisted it would be a dark horse—someone unknown, someone unexpected.
In a certain grand mage’s study room, Michael was currently having a discussion with Mage Lian.
And no, it wasn’t about the competition, but rather about the incident that happened a few days ago.
Michael was here once again to reap another wave of benefits from the kingdom.
Michael sat across from Mage Lian, sipping his tea, when the mage finally spoke. “Thanks to your support during the mission in Everlong Forest, the kingdom has decided to reward you with 500 golden papers.”
Michael paused mid-sip. A golden paper was worth 1,000 gold coins, and he hadn’t even spent the last one the kingdom had given him. Now, he was receiving another large sum. But that wasn’t all—Mage Lian wasn’t done.
“When you came to me last time about selling your monster corpses to the kingdom, there’s now a response. However, it’s not exactly what you might have expected,” Mage Lian continued, his tone slightly off.
Michael raised an eyebrow.
“The kingdom is finding it hard to purchase hundreds of Grand-tier monster corpses. Even with all their resources, it’s a difficult proposition.” Mage Lian turned to Michael, his expression oddly scrutinizing.
Michael pretended not to notice. “I see,” he said smoothly.
Mage Lian set his cup down gently. “However, it’s not like they plan to take it from you for free.”
Michael narrowed his eyes.
“They’re offering you something else—something that can’t be bought with money.” Lian’s voice lowered slightly, as if revealing a secret. “The opportunity to enter the Ancestral Dragon Pool.”
Michael stilled.
“And… a separate reward of 200 golden papers, should you accept,” Lian added.
Now Michael looked up, meeting Lian’s gaze. “That pool… what exactly is it?”
Lian leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Do you remember the statues in the inner city plaza? The towering ones of the Third King and Queen?”
Michael gave a slow nod.
“They weren’t placed there just for decoration,” Lian said. “Green City wasn’t always our capital. A few centuries ago, it was just forest and wild land. But then the Third King of the Lionheart line slayed a dragon here.”
“And that’s why the capital moved here, yes?”
“Exactly,” Lian said. “With the dragon’s blessing, this land’s mana density surged. However what most people don’t know is that the queen then, a grand formation mage, also built an immense array to contain and refine part of that energy into what we now call the Ancestral Dragon Pool.”
He paused, letting the words settle.
“It’s a pool of pure, dragon-infused mana. A holy land for advancement. Even the royal heirs only enter it once in their lives—and only during their greatest bottlenecks.”
Michael’s heartbeat quickened.
“Bathing in that pool can strengthen your foundation, elevate your body’s affinity with mana, and even help awaken dormant bloodlines,” Lian said softly. “It is, without exaggeration, a miracle for anybody.”
Michael didn’t respond immediately. His thoughts ran like wildfire.
Lian raised a brow. “You look conflicted. You shouldn’t be. Entering the pool is a privilege offered only to a handful in each generation. You earned it. And there’s no guarantee the offer will remain if you delay.”
Michael looked down at his teacup.
He finally looked up, his expression unreadable. “Please give me time to consider it.”
Mage Lian smiled faintly. “Just don’t take too long. The royal family doesn’t wait forever.”
Outside, the city buzzed with excitement over the Evermoon Competition.
Inside, Michael sat quietly, weighing the worth of a nation’s fortune.
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