Chapter: 308
After extracting blood from three dragons, I finally arrived at the cave housing the golden dragon. As I jabbed at the last creature, I sensed that it would be a rough ride compared to the others, and sadly, I was right.
It was brutal. The intensity was beyond what I faced with the previous three, and I had to give it everything I had to pierce its scales. Maybe that’s why my hands were still trembling.
“Is it all done?”
Just as I was transferring the blood from the blade into a vial, a deep voice echoed overhead. Despite its size, even the dragon’s softly spoken voice resonated throughout the entire cave.
“Yes, it’s all done. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Of course. It’s only natural for a child to heed a parent’s promise.”
The dragon moved its head, which felt like a friendly gesture. Humans could only look up while trying to decipher what it was doing, but I could tell it was being friendly.
Since the founding of the Empire, detailed records about dragons have been maintained. Information about which dragon resides in which region, their age, temperament, favorite food, and any reasons for relocating have all been documented. This thorough record-keeping has allowed the Empire to coexist with dragons without conflict.
This dragon, born around 300 years ago, is particularly friendly toward humans, especially the Livnoman family.
“By the way, Corbus—how’s that child doing these days?”
While watching the team members transfer the vials, the dragon asked, as if it had just come to mind, causing me to stiffen involuntarily. Calling the Emperor by his first name so casually and treating him as merely a child—if this was treason, it’d be justified, but this dragon definitely had the standing to say such things.
“He’s been handing over tasks to the Crown Prince. I believe he’ll abdicate soon.”
“Ah, is that so? Humans age quickly, don’t they?”
I could only remain silent at its lamenting words. It’s a bit exaggerated to say it’s been fast, considering the man has held the throne for decades.
However, this dragon has witnessed the reigns of all the emperors since the time of Emperor Amanca. After every coronation, the emperors would visit this dragon with a few trusted aides.
While it seems excessive for the emperor himself to make a visit, I suppose it’s unavoidable.
“How envious. That child will soon see his father.”
This dragon is the child of Emperor Amanca. It is also the only offspring of the dragon lord who fought alongside Amanca on the battlefield, making it a special being for both the Empire and the dragons.
“Oh my, I’ve spoken strangely about a child who has nothing to do with this.”
For a moment, the dragon fell silent, lost in memories, and waved its tail, causing a pile of objects to appear in front of me.
“There should be a reward for labor. Here are my scales and claws. Take them all.”
“…Huh?”
Its unexpected words made me respond hesitantly. Dragon scales and claws are incredibly valuable materials, equating to the worth of blood. However, unlike blood, which can be extracted regularly by piercing through, acquiring whole scales and claws requires waiting for the dragon to molt.
Unfortunately, the molting cycle is random. Plus, dragons aren’t keen on their own discarded remains, so as soon as they molt, they usually burn it away.
“I molted two years ago. I held onto these since I figured you’d be coming soon.”
Yet, this dragon endured its distaste and gathered them.
“Thank you. I will use them wisely for the Imperial family and our Empire.”
“It’s alright. This is a gift for a hard-working child, so feel free to use it as you wish.”
With that phrase, I stared blankly at the dragon.
“Use it as I wish?”
*
“…So you brought this for me?”
“Yes.”
Seeing the glimmer in the Fourth Manager’s eyes, as if he were fishing for compliments, made me chuckle. When I saw him covered in scales and claws, I thought he’d turned into a dragon slayer, but it turns out he just made a peaceful transfer instead.
“The Minister of Special Affairs also said any byproducts gained during missions belong to the field officers.”
After a brief awkward silence, the Fourth Manager hurriedly added explanations. I figured he thought I was contemplating whether it was okay for me to take this stuff. I wasn’t quiet because of that, though.
“Thanks! I’ve never handled something like this before in my life.”
I affectionately ruffled the Fourth Manager’s hair. It was a bit embarrassing, but it’s true that getting valuable items for free is just fantastic. Dragons might readily give blood, but they usually don’t offer anything else.
Honestly, if I were in their position, I’d feel the same. Sure, humans might donate blood, but they’d likely throw a fit if you tried to peel their skin or yank their nails. Dragons would probably give you a disdainful look at the mere suggestion of taking a scale.
“Uh, Master, if it’s alright, maybe a hug…?”
I kept ruffling his hair, and the Fourth Manager hesitantly spoke up. Surprising! Despite having a BPM comparable to Marcilio, he was the one to initiate conversation.
But that meant he was courageous, which was commendable. It’s admirable to see someone embrace their vulnerabilities and push through.
“Alright. If Penelia wants it, I’ll definitely oblige.”
So, I pulled him into a hug. To be honest, I would’ve probably done it first if he hadn’t asked.
“Ahhh—”
With a sound like he was holding back a breath, the Fourth Manager wrapped his arms around my back. There was a slight tremor, but I chose not to pay it any mind. I could feel his determination to hang on for dear life.
Worried about the Fourth Manager and his lack of skinship skills, it was a relief to see his progress.
“You worked hard to pierce those scales. Do you have time to eat dinner together?”
“Yes, yes… of course!”
Seeing him hurriedly nod made me think he wasn’t lying. I mean, he never lies in front of me, so there’s that.
“Hey, Master? If it’s okay, can we invite Erzhabet too—”
“I met Erzhabet during lunch. You don’t need to worry.”
Seeing him care for his friend, the First Manager, made me smile.
“So they really are friends after all.”
The First Manager had already informed me about when the Fourth Manager would arrive. It seems genuine friendship is a heartfelt affair. I was even touched watching the duel between Sara and Count Horfelt recently, so this was just the cherry on top.
Dinner itself ended find and dandy. The usually quiet Fourth Manager became even quieter when chewing food. Still, whenever I managed to spark a conversation, he diligently replied to keep it going. Today, with him likely knowing it would be a while before we could meet again, he was probably eager to talk.
As a result, our meal concluded pleasantly, though there was a stir at the end.
“I cannot accept this! How could I dare to take something so precious…!”
“No, you brought this in the first place.”
It was quite the commotion regarding the scales and claws the Fourth Manager had received as compensation for his labor. No matter how I thought about it, taking it all for myself felt a bit wrong, and so I decided to return half of it to him.
Naturally, the Fourth Manager firmly refused—
“Just having a scale increases magical resistance, doesn’t it? Share some with the team.”
When I mentioned Mukgwangdae, he finally accepted. For the Fourth Manager, Mukgwangdae is practically family. Plus, for a team that scurries around without care, having a charm that boosts magical resistance is too good to pass up. Everyone would be delighted if they got it for free.
Of course, I insisted he turn the claws into weapons. If a dragon’s claw is the material, even the finest blacksmiths would beg to be allowed to work on it, throwing money at it. Weapons made from that would far surpass the sword I gifted him.
“I will repay my Master’s grace.”
“Your mere presence is already plenty of repayment, so don’t feel burdened.”
“Yes, yes, I understand…!”
After a bit of commotion, I sent the Fourth Manager, who kept bowing out of gratitude for something he brought himself, on his way and looked at the remaining pile of byproducts.
‘What should I do with the rest?’
I pondered. If there wasn’t much left, I could’ve just swallowed it whole, but it was just enough to be considered generous, so that’s out of the question. Hoarding such treasures would lead to either a bloated belly or a split lip.
‘…Should I pass it to the Crown Prince?’
After a moment of contemplation, a somewhat decent idea popped up. Why not just throw it his way? I thought maybe giving him half would suffice.
Sure, let’s just call it a congratulatory gift for his wife’s pregnancy. Even if I didn’t procure these items, aren’t we basically one in heart as lovers? It wouldn’t hurt to bask in the glow of praise in place of the Fourth Manager.
Or so I thought.
“Executive Manager.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“What kinds of accessories can we make with these scales?”
Until I met the thoroughly insane Crown Prince.
Upon entering the Crown Prince’s Palace to find him looking puzzled at my visit, as soon as he laid eyes on the scales and claws, his eyes widened in shock. No matter how royal one is, dragon byproducts aside from blood are not easy to come by.
Moments later, that astonishment turned to a bizarre manic glint. Considering he was already talking about accessories at the sight of the scales, this wasn’t just some average kind of crazy.
‘What a lunatic.’
The words almost tumbled out of my mouth before retreating. After all, while this dragon isn’t a direct ancestor of the Crown Prince, isn’t it a child of the founding ancestor? Some could even view it as a distant relative to that esteemed heritage.
At the same time, I felt like I’d burst out laughing. Just how much annoyance had the Crown Princess dealt with to dream of dragon scale accessories? I could picture her giving him an earful as soon as I left the palace. A sense of calm washed over me.
“How about sending claws to the Vice-Captain to make a weapon instead?”
However, keeping the highness from going off the deep end fell to me as the subordinate. Before this accessory catastrophe was set in motion, I suggested a more reasonable route.
Given the Crown Princess’s nature, she likely wouldn’t calm down just because she was gifted an accessory. She’d probably blow up asking what kind of mischief was done with such rare materials. So it’d be more sensible to secure the Vice-Captain, the craftsman, instead.
“That’s a great idea. As expected of the Executive Manager.”
Fortune smiled upon me, as the Crown Prince nodded, seemingly satisfied with my more viable suggestion.
What a fool. When you ascend the throne, be sure to apologize to that dragon.
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