Chapter 132

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Chapter 132: The Coming Of The New God

“Mother, come quickly and check on Hipper! After the Paladin’s sword flashed in her eyes, she wasn’t able to open them!”

Back at the villa, Illya anxiously sought help from Iris.

Iris, now seated in the hall with a dragon egg in her arms, looked every bit like a homemaker. Beside her stood a black-haired woman and a fox girl—the very ones who had gone to alert Naya and the others about the battle taking place in the city.

Naya gently placed Hipper in front of Iris and quickly snatched the egg out of her arms.

“Take a look at her eyes, please.”

Although Iris had always looked down on the human princess, Naya saw all races as equal and didn’t adopt Iris’s prejudice.

And Hipper, poor child, tugged at Naya’s heartstrings—how could she not feel compassion?

Iris crouched down before Hipper.

“Tell me what happened.”

“At the time… I tried to use my power on the Paladin, but she countered it with her sword’s light. She even said that it was knights who once felled the vampire clan.”

“I see.”

“My eyes… they sting, and they hurt. I can’t open them.”

Though vampires in this world could withstand sunlight, they still retained the common trait of sensitivity to solar energy. And the Casimir knight’s sword was imbued with sunlight.

Iris raised her hand, gently covering Hipper’s eyes.

“I’m afraid the damage to your eyes is irreversible. The knight’s holy light has destroyed the nerves in your eyes.”

Hipper didn’t fully understand what “eye nerve damage” meant, but from Iris’s tone, it seemed clear her sight might never return.

“Then… What should I do? I… I don’t want to be blind…”

Already unable to taste normal food, Hipper now faced the loss of her sight as well. Would she become useless? Would Illya still care for her?

As she faced this grim reality, crystalline tears began to fall from Hipper’s eyes.

“Hipper…”

Hearing the heartbreaking news, Illya started to cry as well.

She stepped forward and hugged Hipper tightly.

Once again, Hipper’s body was enveloped in warmth. Unable to hold back her sorrow any longer, she buried her head in Illya’s shoulder and softly whimpered.

Naya looked toward Iris, giving her a probing look to ask whether Hipper’s condition was truly untreatable or if Iris simply didn’t want to help.

Iris shook her head.

“Could I take a look, Your Highness?”

This voice…?

It seemed to be the voice of the little fox who had previously ambushed her in the palace.

“I’m an experienced witch with knowledge of alchemy and vampiric lore, I might be able to help you, Your Highness.”

“Please, I beg you, help her!”

Illya immediately released Hipper and gently nudged her toward the black-haired woman.

“Come now, Your Highness.”

The black-haired woman knelt down, resting her hands on Hipper’s shoulders as she carefully lifted her eyelids.

“Ah!”

“Just bear with it a little—I need to see exactly what kind of damage your eyes have sustained.”

Hipper’s pupils had lost all focus, and her eyes looked as though they’d been scorched, tinged with a yellowish hue.

“Fortunately, Your Highness, you carry dragon blood, which grants you powerful regenerative abilities that should prevent your eyes from fully deteriorating. I’ll use alchemy to restore vitality to them, and you’ll still be able to use vampiric powers. Only your optic nerves were damaged, not your magical pathways, so you’ll still be able to wield your vampiric abilities through magic. With some practice, you’ll be able to sense your surroundings with magic, allowing you to ‘see’ almost as if you had normal vision. The only difference is that the world perceived through magic won’t have colors.”

“Really… is that possible?”

“Yes, it is.”

“What do you want in return? As long as I can do it, I’ll do anything if you can heal my eyes.”

“Shall we discuss that when Your Highness returns to the capital?”

The black-haired woman glanced at Iris.

Some things were better left unsaid in front of the Dragon Queen.

“Of course.”

“Hipper, this is wonderful! If you can’t see colors, then I’ll just paint the world with colors for you!”

Illya clasped her hands together, genuinely happy that Hipper could still use her vampiric powers.

“Illya…”

“Hipper, don’t be too sad! They say when one door closes, another opens, right?”

“Mmm!”

Hipper nodded vigorously.

Illya’s simple words touched her heart. For some reason, hearing Illya’s sweet voice utter those old-fashioned words of encouragement made her want to believe in Illya.

Illya was someone who could bring light and warmth to others.

Iris met the black-haired woman’s gaze.

“Romina, White Jade, stay here tonight. The moment of the new god’s coming is near.”

The black-haired woman’s name was Romina.

After hesitating for a moment, she nodded in agreement.

“Thank you for the hospitality, Your Majesty.”

Earlier, while holding the egg, Iris could feel a stirring presence within, eager to break free.

It would likely hatch tonight.

Once the dragon egg hatched, it would emit a burst of dragon-god radiation. Iris didn’t want to waste this release of energy, which was why she had Naya incubate the egg in the human city.

For Naya, flying all the way back to the dragon palace with such a large egg would be risky—if she dropped it from thousands of meters in the air, it would shatter to pieces. So, she hadn’t minded hatching it in a human city.

Besides, the public opinion in the Kingdom of Dia had already shifted in favor of the dragons, so there wouldn’t be a repeat of what happened in Gerris City, where they were initially met with force.

Even if the humans tried to attack, there wasn’t anything they could really do to harm them.

City Lord’s Hall, Talos City.

The city lord was wracking his brain over the dragons’ presence in the city.

“My lord, what are we supposed to do? The dragons have made such a grand appearance right here in our city.”

The city lord had long been aware of Iris and her companions staying in this city; he just hadn’t expected the Goss Empire’s people to come and stir up trouble.

Wouldn’t it have been better to let these dragons finish their little games and then move on to the next city in peace?

But now, it was too late.

The appearance of dragons had left the entire city in shock, the streets were a mess, and the people of Talos were gripped by fear and unrest.

“What else can we do? Send a few soldiers out there to put on a show, patrol the area, and find some silver-tongued speakers to reassure the public. We’ll cover the economic losses caused by the battle between the dragons and the holy knight.”

The city lord cast a wary glance at his assistant.

Now that the royal family in the palace had essentially become dragons themselves, this country was in complete disarray.

For those at the top, there’s no real stance to be had—it’s all just driven by self-interest.

If the leaders of each country genuinely cared about humanity’s interests, there wouldn’t be so many separate human nations. They’d have united long ago, forming a human federation and throwing all their might into purging the dragons, making humanity the dominant race in this world.

“Yes, my lord.”

No sooner had the first assistant left than another one came rushing in.

“My lord, a delegation from the Goss Empire requests an audience!”

The city lord frowned. Would it never end?

Despite how clear the royal family’s resistance toward the Goss Empire had been, here they were, these shameless delegates, clinging to the Kingdom of Dia.

“Let them in.”

“Yes, my lord!”

A short while later, the Goss Empire delegation entered the council hall and sat across from the city lord.

“My lord, what is your stance on the Dragon Queen’s presence here in Talos City?”

“Honored guests of the Goss Empire, what is your stance?”

“It seems you still don’t understand the reality here. Why do you think so many members of the Dia royal family have transformed into dragon-like beings? Who is the true source of this infection?”

“What if it is the Dragon Queen? Do you intend to provoke her into infecting every last human in this city?”

“So, are you telling us that your stance is to do nothing?”

“It’s not that I’m doing nothing—it’s you who provoked this incident. The Dragon Queen and her companions have been searching for leyline energy throughout the Dia Kingdom, and no one in the cities they visited came down with Dragon Scale Disease. But it’s you, from the Goss Empire, who caused an uproar in the royal palace, clashing violently with the Dragon Queen, resulting in mutations among all present.”

“So you’re saying that if we hadn’t antagonized the Dragon Queen, she would merely be here as a tourist?”

“What else do you expect?”

The city lord’s tone was lofty, he had to follow the prevailing winds of the kingdom.

He knew very well that the Dragon Queen had ulterior motives in coming to the Dia Kingdom, but he was just a minor city lord—how could he possibly contend with a Dragon Queen capable of destroying an entire nation?

As long as the higher-ups didn’t order them to fully apprehend the Dragon Queen, his primary duty was simply to maintain peace within the city.

“The Dia Kingdom has become so lax in its defenses against the dragons! Are you trying to turn into the next Kingdom of Ed?”

One of the envoys suddenly slapped the table and stood up, furious at the city lord’s indifferent attitude.

“If you want to voice such concerns, take them to the royal palace in Boros City. Complaining to a mere city lord is pointless.”

“Talos City is already surrounded by the elite knight regiment of the Goss Empire. My lord, I strongly advise you to cooperate with us. Once we’ve captured the Dragon Queen, your Dia Kingdom might still have a chance to seek favor with the Goss Empire.”

“What kind of cooperation do you require?”

“Mobilize the entire city’s forces to surround the Dragon Queen. Stall her for as long as possible. The Goss Empire will handle any difficulties that arise.”

The city lord fixed the delegation with a long, piercing look.

“I won’t put the lives of everyone in this city at risk. If the Dragon Queen becomes enraged, the city won’t survive unscathed.”

“City Lord of Talos, we’re not requesting your consent. We are ordering you.”

“…”

Seeing the delegation all rise in unison, the city lord sensed that things were taking a dangerous turn.

“You had better think carefully. If you lay a hand on me, it means that your Goss Empire is formally declaring conflict with the Kingdom of Dia.”

Now, anyone with eyes could see that the royal family of the Dia Kingdom had the dragons backing them.

If the Goss Empire acted recklessly, the dragons would certainly intervene.

“A puppet regime of dragons is nothing to fear!”

……

“My lord, I hope you will do everything in your power to hold the Dragon Queen back and prevent her from leaving Talos City.”

The messenger reported the news they had brought from the Goss Empire’s high command to Semiya.

Watching them leave, Semiya stood still for a long time, the worries in her mind lingering endlessly.

The appearance of the “Dragon God” had pushed the Goss Empire to accelerate its conquest.

If the Dragon Queen was allowed to escape, and the Dragon God grew to full strength, things would become irreparably dire.

According to the information Semira had provided earlier, the Dragon God was likely the child that the silver dragon was carrying.

Illya had once told Semira that the silver dragon came to venture while pregnant.

The Dragon God radiation from Boros City had also emanated from that silver dragon.

From what the silver dragon had shown this morning, she had likely already laid her egg.

Now, it is in the incubation phase.

Historical records described how the Dragon Transformation Cult would raise the newly born Dragon God high into the air, only for the coming Radiant Knight to strike with the Abyssal Blade, ending the Dragon God’s life while still in the cradle.

“Semiya, are you sure you still want to keep fighting for the Goss Empire?”

Suddenly, a voice broke through Semiya’s deep contemplation.

It was her brother, Henas.

If it hadn’t been for Henas’s help last time, she might have already been killed by the Dragon Queen.

“This is the mission of a Casimir knight.”

Semiya clenched her fists.

“They’ve already written you off as a pawn.”

“I don’t care.”

Semiya believed that her brother, Henas, should have been the strongest knight.

She and her brother had trained in swordsmanship together since childhood, and she knew his true strength.

However, her brother never cared for such titles. After Henas refused to become a Casimir knight, he was expelled from the Casimir family and became a wandering knight who roamed, helping the common people wherever he could.

Henas knew he couldn’t change the state of the Goss Empire, so he focused on aiding the lower class.

Had it not been for Semiya having to face the Dragon Queen, he wouldn’t have even considered returning to the Casimir family to take a look.

This time, when his sister was sent alone with a few disposable cannon fodder knights to search for the Dragon Queen, Henas feared Semiya would die in battle, so he had followed her all the way, though he wouldn’t intervene unless absolutely necessary.

“Have you heard the story of the Flame Knight?”

“Hmm.”

“Legend says that the Flame Knight was turned into a dragon, but he still stuck to his knightly ways, killing countless members of the Dragon Cult. In the end, he died in the name of his own faith.”

“……”

“Henas, your choice wasn’t wrong. The victories of the Flame Knight and the Radiant Knight were built on the lives of millions. They may seem to have protected nothing, but I believe they protected the glory of knighthood. And glory must always have fuel to burn. Even though I know I am just a part of that fuel, I will still unflinchingly follow in the footsteps of those who came before me.”

Behind every knightly legend lies a dark fairy tale soaked in blood.

But history always beautifies the deeds of these knights.

Like stars surrounding the moon, they are seen as the protagonists of the story.

Yet, if one knight could truly defeat the dragons and the Dragon God, who could destroy the world with a mere snap of the fingers, then this world would already be ruled by humanity.

But people still need these heroes—bright, shining human protagonists who bear ideals and who, time and time again, jump into the furnace of glory, following in the footsteps of those who went before them.

“I respect your choice.”

Henas turned and left.

He departed from Talos City.

Looking up at the sky, he gazed into the distance.

The white clouds and sunlight reflected each other, gleaming brightly.

Henas felt the intense heat in the palm of his hand as he clenched his fist.

[Apollo High-Energy Ray Cannon]

The Casimir knight’s ultimate strike.

The elite knight regiment of the Goss Empire had been planning this massacre for some time, and the holy knights were merely fuel for the fire.

Would his sister become the legend of knights told in legends?

Henas let out a soft sigh.

…….

Nightfall.

Standing outside the villa where Illya and the others were staying, a holy knight held his sword and gazed at the bright moon.

After the Goss Empire’s envoy kidnapped the Lord of Talos City, they imposed a city-wide lockdown, with Goss Empire mages setting up a no-fly barrier in the sky.

They planned to catch the prey in the trap.

Inside the villa.

Having heard Iris mention earlier that the egg might hatch tonight, Naya hadn’t slept all night. She was in her room, holding the egg in her arms.

She waited, second by second, as time passed.

Iris was sitting beside Naya, keeping her company.

Illya and Hipper had laid out bedding on the floor and fallen asleep, while Flanna and Bella were called outside by Illya to keep watch.

They were aware of the situation in Talos City.

But for Iris and Naya, neither had any intention of fleeing. Even if one hundred Casimir knights showed up, they would never be able to trap them.

Right now, their entire focus was on the egg.

“Iris, the egg… it’s vibrating.”

Naya nudged Illya with her shoulder.

Iris lowered her gaze to Naya’s lap, where the dragon egg lay.

She reached out and touched it, feeling the vibrations coming from within.

Then, cracks began to appear on the shell.

Naya thought the cracks would spread slowly, but unexpectedly, after the first crack appeared, the dragon egg suddenly burst with silver-white light.

And with the egg’s vibration, a spatial shockwave was triggered.

“What’s happening?”

Illya was startled awake by the tremors, as was Hipper, who was nearby.

The two little girls, lying on the floor, stared blankly at Naya’s direction on the bed.

Even though Hipper couldn’t see, she could feel the intense energy fluctuation coming from Naya’s direction.

“Wow! The house is going to collapse!”

The tremors grew stronger. Illya tightly held Hipper in her arms.

“Iris, this…”

Before Naya could finish speaking, the light flooded everything.

“What’s going on?”

She couldn’t see anything.

All she could see was a vast white expanse.

“My egg, my egg!”

Even though she couldn’t see, Naya could feel the egg flying out of her arms.

With dazzling silver light, it broke through the ceiling and flew into the sky, piercing through the no-fly barrier above.

“Iris!”

Naya pushed the red-haired dragon girl beside her.

“We just need to protect her.”

The egg stayed suspended in mid-air, not flying any higher toward the sky.

Illya and Naya climbed to the roof.

The silver egg seemed to be a bright moon that had fallen from the sky, radiating a vast lunar glow like a waterfall.

It resembled a supernova explosion, lighting up the entire Talos City as brightly as daylight.

The intense spatial shock woke up the people of Talos City, who were deep in sleep.

Residents opened their windows, gazing at the new crescent moon that appeared in the sky.

Each crack that appeared in the eggshell triggered a tremor, simultaneously releasing even more intense light.

“Naya, don’t worry. The egg’s hatching is inevitable. No one can stop the eggshell from cracking. We only need to patiently wait for the descent of the Star God.”

Naya nodded.

She summoned her holy spear.

With such a commotion, the holy knights would surely come to stop them.

She had to prepare for battle.

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