Chapter 215 (1): How Many Secrets Is He Keeping? x2

The giant dragon dove down while flapping its wings, the resulting air currents making rumbling noises. Ahead of him, the resilient spatial rampart burst in the middle like it had been struck by lightning. Amid the loud boom, the dense cracks spread. Although the spatial rampart had not collapsed, it was on the verge of crumbling. With a sweep of the dragon’s tail, it exploded into powder.

Swish—

A white sea of flesh blocked the way. Numerous tentacles rose and swarmed up to the dragon from all directions, grappling it and blocking its way. The dragon slowly opened its mouth, radiating heat as the temperature inside rose. Then a burst of wild, intense flames shot out.

The pillar of fire cut through the cold darkness with radiant light. The thick and powerful tentacles of foamy flesh melted and broke to pieces like papier-mache.

The giant dragon rushed into the white, foamy sea, breathing out fire and opening its maw to bite off the tentacles. The corruptive flesh of an Astral Beast was immediately digested as food once the dragon swallowed it, unable to influence its life essence.

High in the sky—or more precisely, at the bottom of the reversed space, a mysterious man was hiding near the Astral Egg, marveling at the unstoppable giant dragon. “As expected of the Ministry of Magic’s greatest masterpiece. She was born with power that rivals a demigod, and with her life essence, she doesn’t fear the corruption of the Astral Plane...”

“Unfortunately, her birth was incidental and unreplicable, and she only listens to the Lando master and mistress.”

Technically, Megan wasn’t a great dragon, but a sentient magical creature like Do and Julia. The difference was that Do was remade by the

Book of Greed,

and

Julia was a creation that the Goddess of Death had granted the Death Knight, while Megan came from an unknown source, most likely the Astral Plane.

The mysterious figure still remembered that around sixteen years ago, the Ministry of Magic had put in all effort and mobilized almost all legendary mages to study how an artificial great dragon could be created, bringing about an unprecedented miracle in the end.

They created a dragon!

The little female dragon was over fifteen meters long in her infancy. She had powerful thoughts and terrifying offensive power, but not the intelligence to match. She was volatile like a time bomb, which worried the Ministry of Magic’s leadership so much that they debated sealing her.

But they couldn’t.

Even with a hundred chances and following the same process, the ministry couldn’t replicate the great dragon’s miraculous birth. That was why they had settled for mass-producing the dragon-blooded mutants.

The only safeguard the ministry could implement was the magical bomb nestled in the great dragon’s heart. It would kill the dragon if it lost control.

For the next year, the legendary mages tried every way to tempt the great dragon, hoping to contract it as their magical creature, but all of their effort was wasted. Finally, Auston stepped up and managed to lure the dragon into following him home with his silver tongue. Thus, an apprentice maid named Megan joined the Lando family.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Auston was an expert in fooling women and a famous womanizer among the Tulip Families. Outside of tricking a dragon, his most incredible achievement was tricking the Queen—then a princess.

If the King hadn’t vehemently opposed the relationship, the womanizer would’ve gotten what he wanted; even though he didn’t ultimately end up with the girl, it was still a mystery whether he had claimed the Queen’s first night.

They couldn’t possibly ask the Queen’s husband. Besides, the Prince Consort had passed away from illness. It was impossible to get an answer from him.

Auston was able to lure Megan home not only because he knew women, and Megan had been so young and naive then that she mistook him for a kind older brother, but also because of Mrs. Silvia Lando.

The fact that Megan looked almost identical to Silvia in her human form was the best proof. Perhaps it was because their dragon blood attracted each other, or perhaps Silvia’s blood had been used when creating the great dragon. The truth remained a mystery.

In the end, Megan ignored all the legendary mages of the Ministry of Magic and devoted herself to following Auston. She got promoted from an apprentice maid and climbed up the ladder until she became the head butler of the Lando family, replacing Veryl.

She was allegedly Auston’s secretary and lover, too...

The legendary mages believed that Auston, the dragonrider, had gotten his way with her. It was only because of the great disparity between their life essences that no dragon baby was born. The bastard, getting his hands on a teenage girl!

Silvia didn’t think so. She believed that Megan was still pure, and her husband had changed his ways for her. Even though they had been separate for years, she still believed that Auston hadn’t cheated on her.

Back to the present. The white sea overwhelmed the great dragon, but the dragon was unstoppable, making quick work of what the Astral Egg was producing.

Behind the dragon, Silvia the dragonrider projected divine green light through her lances and greatswords. Vines took root and shot up, growing by stealing the vitality of the Astral Plane. The projection of the Goddess of Nature danced, Her fluttering long robe suppressing the white sea and preventing it from taking shape.

Due to the Astral Egg, though, the white sea was endless. No matter how the dragon and dragonrider attacked it, more white tissues would be generated to replenish it.

The main house of the Lando Estate soared quickly, already out of their sights. The great dragon shot red light out of her eyes, the terrifyingly hot rays cutting through space and forging a passage through the white sea.

The darkness within the space grew heavier. Sensing the danger, Silvia reassured Megan and told her to calm down. She opened her Eyes of Nature’s Contract and looked down, spotting a dark figure near the Astral Egg.

“There!”

Growling, the great dragon flapped her wings and dove down, smashing into the spatial rampart blocking her way once more. Her tremendous presence was an intimidating sight.

The mysterious man didn’t intend to stay for a fight. He wouldn’t gain anything from antagonizing both dragons since he had completed the mission of separating them and Auston. He backed away and vanished into the Astral Egg.

The great dragon unleashed her fury upon the egg, smashing the magical barrier and hurtling into the black cavity in the egg’s pointy side.

***

Meanwhile, two black-haired men stared at each other in the study. Even the not very bright blonde girl realized that Megan and Silvia had fallen for the enemy’s trick, banished to a different dimension.

Tick!

The minute hand of the clock on the wall moved. It was seven o’clock at night. The space around them suddenly became distorted.

Without hesitation, Wayne grabbed Veronica and pulled her into his arms. Auston went up with his silver coin in one hand and his other hand clutching Wayne’s shoulder, hopping on the ride. Refusing to take him along, Wayne kept kicking him.

Master and Megan are fighting the enemy for the family’s future. Can’t you be strong as the head of the family?

Splitting up would be unwise. We’ll be playing into the enemy’s hand. I can’t repeat the mistake when Silvia and Megan have already fallen for the trick.

Piss off, and don’t stop me from protecting Veronica. She and I are the future of the family.

I’m the current head of the family, so I have the final say.

Wayne pressed his elbow to Auston’s neck to push him off, while Auston tightened his clutch and refused to let go even as his face was getting smashed.

Like father, like son.

Veronica rolled her eyes. Not a single man in the Lando family was dependable. It was her greatest mistake not to have jumped out of the window earlier. She didn’t want to be alone with these two pieces of trash if possible.

Tick!

The minute hand moved slowly. The spatial disturbance receded, and the three of them returned to the study. Wayne pulled his elbow back, and Auston pulled his hand back. They each brushed their tousled hair into the slicked-back style, as if they hadn’t been grappling like children a moment ago.

(눈‸눈)

You’re actual father and son, aren’t you?

Veronica pouted.

Just tell me, am I adopted?

She pushed Wayne away and reached for the framed family photo on the desk. With a crack, the entire desk was split. The framed photo seemed welded to the desk. Moreover, everything that should be movable was fixed in place, including the sofa, chairs, and tea cups.

“It’s a spatial projection. Be careful. The Ministry of Magic has many tricks in its repertoire. We’re no longer at the Lando Estate.” Auston had made himself presentable again. The silver coin flitted from finger to finger like a butterfly. He narrowed his eyes at Wayne. “The enemy—no, the demon has purposefully drawn Silvia and Megan away, which means that their actual target is right here... It’s not me or Veronica. It has to be you, Wayne!”

Wayne was hiding many secrets. Auston knew some of them, but only a small part. While they were in danger, the danger also presented a rare opportunity.

“How can I be the target?” Wayne threw his arms around Veronica in fear, his heart sinking.

It was a possibility. The demons had crossed the ocean from Franc for the Death Knight, and after their first failed attempt, they spent a few days stealing from the Ministry of Magic, all in preparation for another attempt.

What a coincidence. The Death Knight was in the Lando Estate.

Beads of sweat streaked down Wayne’s forehead. The logic was sound, and the evidence was sufficient. He couldn’t come up with a counterargument.

He had been exposed as the Death Knight!

But it didn’t make sense. He had been hiding himself so well. There was no reason—

Oh!

Wayne’s pupils contracted as he sucked in a breath. It was the Headless Knight. The Headless Knight had sold him out.

The demon knew that he was the Death Knight from the beginning!