Chapter 254: Sixty-Fifth Floor, Dragons’ Grave (2)

[Complete the Beastfolk Alliance’s request. Time remaining: 165 hours 59 minutes.]

Surrounded by the tavern’s lively atmosphere, Langley and I had a long and pleasant conversation. Though I didn’t obtain much direct information, I was able to piece together small fragments to form a better understanding of this world.

First and foremost, Balaran was a massive metropolis located at the very heart of the continent. Because of this, it was a hub of activity, and adventurers and mercenaries constantly passed through it.

That explains why there are so many of them around.

In that sense, Langley’s choice of meeting place was perfect. A beastfolk dressed as an adventurer talking to a robed figure wouldn’t attract a single suspicious glance in a place like this.

Its central location also made it easier to travel anywhere across the continent.

Aside from that, Langley’s request was relatively simple: she wanted me to recruit the dragonkin into the Beastfolk Alliance.

I had to admit that the term dragonkin had caught me off guard at first. The floor’s title had led me to suspect that dragons would be involved, but I struggled to picture what dragonkin specifically looked like.

Or should they just be called dragonfolk?

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

I wasn’t sure which term was correct, but it didn’t really matter. Names were irrelevant, considering they were somewhat obfuscated by a layer of translation. What really mattered was their nature.

Stories usually frame beings with dragon blood as independent, self-righteous, and uninterested in others.

Even so, it seemed that the dragonkin maintained their own community. I assumed it was to preserve their culture, given their presumably small numbers.

What stood out, however, was that the dragonkin held a higher status than dragons. That genuinely surprised me.

How can dragons be nothing more than domesticated beasts used as mounts in this world?

According to Langley, dragons had once been a mighty species in the far past, but they had gradually degenerated. To be precise, this shift occurred following the Great Demonic War.

According to Langley’s hypothesis, all the pure dragons had perished, leaving only malformed and weaker descendants.

Of course, to get a share of all this information, I had to act like an idiot. Every time I asked a question, she looked at me like I was some kind of dumbass.

In the end, I brought up an excuse I had used before, claiming that I had grown up in the mountains, raised by a crazy old man who taught me nothing but how to swing an axe.

To my surprise, the excuse worked. I even earned a look of pity from Langley.

Thankfully, although the request feels complicated, it also feels oddly straightforward.

The Beastfolk Alliance had entrusted me with the task because the dragonkin had flatly refused their invitation. Their innate arrogance led them to look down on all other races.

Yet despite this, they had made a counteroffer. If the Alliance could retrieve an ancient legacy left behind by their ancestors, they would consider cooperating.

Tch. What a bunch of lunatics.

Even the dragonkin themselves had no idea what this so-called legacy was or where it was located. Hearing that, I couldn’t help but be baffled. If they didn’t want to join, they could have just said no. Why dangle some impossible condition just to waste everyone’s time?

Personally, I would have told them to shove it and move on.

Unfortunately, the Beastfolk Alliance didn’t have such a luxury. An alliance between the majority of the beastfolk wasn’t enough—they wanted to unite all beastfolk under one banner, dragonkin included.

Even if they manage to retrieve the so-called legacy...

I couldn’t help but ask Langley whether a union forged that way would truly last.

She remained silent at my question, offering only a cryptic smile. It looked like she had already considered that same doubt. Perhaps she was looking toward the future, treating this mission as a way to build a foundation of trust.

Anyway.

According to the Beastfolk Alliance’s conjecture, this alleged “legacy” was most likely hidden within the Dragons’ Grave. It was the site of the final battle in the Great Demonic, where thousands of dragons had perished.

The real problem, however, was how large it was.

If the Beastfolk Alliance had been able to draw such a conclusion, then surely the dragonkin had as well. They had to have already scoured the place themselves.

The process of uncovering this so-called legacy wouldn’t be easy.

Also, I wasn’t exactly known for my ability to track things down, especially without Yoonie or Doppy.

Curious about why I had been entrusted with this mission in the first place, I asked Langley. After all, Nameless wasn’t famed for his ability to uncover lost relics but for his brute strength.

Langley simply answered, “The Dragons’ Grave was cursed after the Great War. Nothing grows there anymore. It’s a wasteland, completely abandoned.”

She continued to explain that, because of the lack of supervision, it became a gathering place for the worst criminals on the continent. Only the strongest survived there, fighting and killing amongst themselves.

My primary role would be to act as her escort. According to Langley, they had chosen me because I had taken down a Sheath.

Of course, Ryun’s influence likely played a role as well.

That part of the mission didn’t concern me since I had no doubt I could handle whatever threats came our way. However, the mere thought of finding the damn legacy irritated me.

What if it doesn’t exist in the first place? The legacy could be nothing more than a pretense. Wait, maybe I will need to subdue the dragonkin by force?

That was a possibility, too.

Whatever the case, something in my possession made this entire situation much simpler.

Good thing I stored both of the dragon scale tokens in Mung-chi.

From what I had gathered, Herkest and Sarkeiz were ancient dragons that many dragonkin still revered. It was highly likely their tokens would be enough to gain the dragonkin’s favor.

If there really wasn’t a legacy, I could potentially persuade them using this token.

And if that doesn’t work... well, I can always try the good old-fashioned method.

I wasn’t particularly worried. Every trial had a solution, and this time, I had at least two alternative methods in case the first didn’t pan out.

***

[Complete the Beastfolk Alliance’s request. Time remaining: 156 hours 55 minutes.]

The next morning, as we ate breakfast, Langley slid a small bronze-colored token across the table. It was about the size of my palm.

“This is a mercenary badge.”

“Appreciate it.”

A strange emblem engraved with the number one was prominently displayed in the center of the badge. Judging by the design, I assumed this was the highest rank badge.

Once I had grabbed the badge, Langley explained, “From this moment on, we are mercenaries who were doing a job near the northwestern border of the Karden Mountain. Officially, we’re a couple. I’ve already taken care of the paperwork at the guild, just in case.”

I listened carefully as she went over the additional details.

Despite having joined up the night before, we hadn’t departed until morning due to the sheer distance we needed to travel.

The Dragons’ Grave was located in a canyon to the far southwest of the continent. If we wanted to get there quickly, we had to take a dragon carriage, a form of transportation exclusive to large cities.

When I asked if we should get moving, she simply replied, “The dragon carriages in Balaran don’t operate at night.”

At that, I shut my mouth.

I guessed they were something akin to carriages mounted on dragons, designed for long-distance travel.

Kind of like an airplane, huh?

Honestly, if that was the case, we could have just met during the day instead. Regardless, I wasn’t in any position to complain. The tower set the stage, and I simply had to move according to the circumstances given to me.

“If you’re done eating, shall we head out?”

“Let’s go.” I rose from my seat and followed Langley out of the tavern.

Since I wasn’t familiar with the city’s layout, I let her lead the way.

As expected of a city known for its adventurers and mercenaries, the streets were bustling despite how early it was in the morning. Warriors were preparing to embark on new quests, while merchants eagerly advertised their wares.

I took in the scene before me.

It struck me just how different each world in the tower that I traveled through was. Even though they all tended to share a somewhat medieval backdrop, no two were exactly alike.

Clothing, architecture, food, culture, and even the inhabitants’ demeanor varied. To be honest, as long as they didn’t look completely alien to me, I simply regarded them as humans.

Lost in observing the unfamiliar streets and people, I soon found myself standing before the city gates. We presented our mercenary badges, paid the toll, and passed through without issue.

As we stepped outside the gates, a massive structure off to our right came into view. Blocked by only a flimsy wooden fence, dragons harnessed to carriages stood waiting.

They were different from the dragons I was familiar with. They were certainly large, but far smaller than both Sarkeiz and Herkest—a clear sign of their gradual degeneration.

Seeing them restrained with collars secured around their necks, like domesticated animals, left me feeling an odd sense of pity.

Passing by mercenaries preparing to set out, we made our way toward the dragon carriage station.

I guess regular mercenaries don’t use these things.

It made sense. If these carriages were the medieval equivalent of an airplane, they wouldn’t come cheap.

Langley stepped up to the ticket counter, handed over some money, and returned with two tickets.

“They’re departing in twenty-five minutes.”

“Yeah?”

“Should we sit while we wait?”

“May as well.”

We took a seat on one of the benches near the station and waited for our carriage.

Since we weren’t exactly close, an awkward atmosphere hung between us. It probably looked just as uncomfortable to outsiders.

Should I break the silence?

Just as I was considering it, a familiar face walked through the entrance—Parein.

I spotted him first, with Langley noticing him only a moment later. Though she didn’t visibly react, I sensed her heartbeat quicken for a second.

Ugh, great.

The situation had gone from awkward to annoying in a flash. Moreover, running or hiding was already out of the question now.

Even though we were sitting angled away from the entrance, Parein was a top operative. With how few people were around, he would notice us as soon as we moved.

For a brief moment, I considered using Shadow Veil, but then quickly dismissed the thought.

A beat later, Parein’s gaze locked onto us.

Ugh.

He spotted Langley first, and for the briefest moment, I caught the flicker of joy in his eyes. A second later, that joy twisted into something darker—a simmering mix of anger and resentment.

Now that I knew they were former lovers, I could read the shift in his expression all too clearly.

A sharp breath resounded from beside me as Langley braced herself.

Parein’s gaze slowly moved from her and landed on me. His eyes widened to their limit.

In that instant, I could see the betrayal in his face. Not because I had rejected his request and accepted Langley’s instead. No, what hurt him was the fact that I was with her.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. It isn’t like that.

For about three seconds, Parein stood frozen as he stared at us.

Then, as if his brain had finally caught up, his expression hardened, and he began striding toward us. With each step, his face shifted, giving way to a practiced nonchalance.

“Well, well. Fancy seeing you here. What are the odds?”

I honestly had no idea what to say. Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I somehow still felt guilty.

In the end, I settled for a silent nod.

“So. It seems like you had time after all, and here I thought you were too busy training and dealing with that corpse.”

There was a pointed barb in his words.

Come on, man. Don’t do this.

I sighed internally. “It’s not what you think.”

“Oh? And what exactly do I think?”

This was a trap. If I answered, I would only be confirming whatever ridiculous conclusion he had already reached.

Parein scoffed and shook his head. “So, what? You two actually fell for each other?”

“Senior!” Langley snapped, visibly angered.

Parein paid her no mind, his attention locked onto me. “What? Did I say something untrue?”

Langley clenched her teeth as she tensed. So did Parein. Frankly, so did I.

At this point, I was just irritated. I understood that they had history, but that didn’t mean I wanted to get involved.

Really, I do understand what you are going through.

This same shit had happened back on Earth, too. A pair of my friends who were dating broke up, and then suddenly decided it was my fault somehow. Once, I even got dragged into a massive argument over nothing. That friendship ended right then and there.

I exhaled slowly, then called his name. “Parein.”

My voice had come out much colder than I had expected—maybe because this whole scenario reminded me too much of old, pointless drama.

He flinched slightly at my serious tone.

“I took on this job because we ran into each other. That’s it. Look at us. We’re literally sitting apart. If you’re just here to stir up shit, then fuck off.”

Parein opened his mouth, hesitated, then abruptly turned on his heel and strode toward the ticket counter.

Good.

I really hoped he wouldn’t end up on the same dragon carriage as us.

Unfortunately, something told me this wasn’t over. I couldn’t exactly attack him outright, either. Not when he deliberately chose a seat dead center in the waiting area, where he had a clear view of us.

Sure enough, as I feared, the moment they called for boarding and I rose from my seat, Parein stood as well.