Outer Perimeter of the Manju Base

A luxurious sedan sped along the road leading to a military warehouse. Behind the wheel was Darulma Doon, showcasing surprisingly smooth driving skills for a dwarf as he made his way swiftly toward the warehouse.

The road was military-controlled, which meant he couldn’t go as fast as he wanted. They encountered checkpoints nearly every three minutes.

“Fourth checkpoint already,” Darulma sighed, watching another barrier rise with a red stop signal.

“Korean soldiers have no sense of restraint.”

Considering the rarity of the items stored at the warehouse, it was understandable that they’d be highly coveted… but this was a little too blatant.

As the soldier approached, Darulma waved him off with a casual gesture and glanced at the rearview mirror.

• “I swear, Lord Howe Academy has it all!”

• “Is that so?”

• “There’s a water train route to Sydney, an airstrip, and even a temporary dimensional gate at the senior dorms. I mean, it’s…”

 

The Saintess was enthusiastically sharing stories about the academy, while Cheon Yeomyeong, uninterested, toyed with his phone without looking up. Darulma recalled what had happened just a short while ago.

The Saintess had handed Yeomyeong an application form, inviting him to join her at the academy, only for him to decline with a simple “I don’t need it.”

The Saintess didn’t seem disappointed or surprised by his refusal; in fact, she’d chuckled as if she’d expected it. But Darulma, who’d been observing from beside them, was left with a nagging question.

Why? It didn’t make sense. Yeomyeong had no lack of talent, youth, or financial means.

Joining the Saintess at the academy was a golden opportunity, promising both fame and glory. Many corporations and governments would undoubtedly jump at the chance to recruit him… yet he’d turned it down.

Darulma adjusted the rearview mirror to study Yeomyeong’s face.

'…It’s not as if he’s entirely above desire.'

He’d swallowed the World Tree’s fruit whole and claimed ownership of all the items from this expedition. Judging by Yeomyeong’s actions, he was no saintly hero who’d transcended worldly desires. If anything, he was only moderately less greedy than other superhumans or mercenaries.

‘Hero…?’

Why am I even thinking like this? Darulma shook his head, slightly confused.

Am I just tired? A hero… what nonsense.

Then, in the mirror, he met Yeomyeong’s gaze. Through half-closed eyes, his calm golden eyes observed Darulma intently.

Startled, Darulma quickly looked away, feeling a pang of embarrassment.

“Inspection complete. You’re clear to proceed.”

The checkpoint was cleared, and Darulma pressed down on the accelerator.

For some reason, Yeomyeong’s gaze lingered in his mind.

‘Why am I feeling this way?’

He shook off the stray thoughts and refocused on driving.

“Darulma.”

After a long silence, Yeomyeong finally spoke up.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Are you alright?”

“What do you mean… oh, the checkpoints? Don’t worry about those. I’ve long known what to expect from the Korean military.”

“I wasn’t talking about that. I meant… physically.”

“I’ve been busy lately, so I haven’t been sleeping well. Do I look that tired?”

Avoiding Yeomyeong’s eyes, Darulma replied evasively. Yeomyeong looked at him quizzically but didn’t press further.

“…If you feel anything unusual, please let me know.”

With those words, the group arrived at the warehouse.

 

The warehouse was surrounded by tight security—thick steel doors, high walls, and heavily armed soldiers greeted them.

As soon as they got out of the car, an officer approached them.

“Welcome to the Fourth Warehouse of Manju Base.”

“It’s been a while, Colonel Jung.”

“It has, Mr. Darulma. And greetings to you, Saintess. I’m Colonel Jung Mincheol, responsible for guarding this warehouse.”

Colonel Jung saluted the Saintess with a formal gesture, which she acknowledged with a slight nod. However, he barely spared a glance at Yeomyeong, who exited the car last, treating him with obvious disdain.

“If you’d informed us in advance, the Commander would have come to greet you himself. Unfortunately, I’m the only one available to receive you at the moment.”

“Why would I need to announce my visit just to check on my own property?”

“Your property… yes, of course. The dragon belongs to you, Mr. Darulma.”

“Lead the way. We’d like to inspect it first.”

Unlike his evasive demeanor toward Yeomyeong earlier, Darulma now exuded the authority of a wealthy industrialist, commanding the Colonel with ease.

Colonel Jung, with a slightly displeased expression, led them forward.

The moment they entered the warehouse, a massive presence greeted them.

Red scales, wings that stretched across the entire facility, a massive tail folded under the bulk of its body—the dragon lay bound by iron restraints, sedated with an overwhelming dose of tranquilizers and sleeping agents.

The Red Dragon, Orsse Tabul, who had nearly burned Manju to the ground.

Though deeply asleep, the dragon’s breathing was steady, and its wing and leg wounds had mostly healed, a testament to its fierce vitality.

'…Isn’t this dangerous?'

Noting the dragon’s regeneration, Yeomyeong frowned slightly. He’d heard rumors that the government was keeping it alive, but he hadn’t expected it to be healing as well.

Without concern, Colonel Jung led the group up to a watchtower overlooking the dragon, proudly gesturing to the scene below.

“What do you think? This is Korea’s dragon-capturing equipment.”

“Dragon-capturing equipment?”

Hunting dragons had been outlawed for years, and yet they still maintained such devices?

It was almost as if they were proudly declaring, “We’re serious about dragons!” Darulma shook his head with disbelief.

“Well… it is impressive.”

“Glad to hear you think so.”

After a few pleasantries, Colonel Jung spoke in a low voice.

“Mr. Darulma, if it’s not too presumptuous, I’d like to discuss the ownership of the dragon’s remains. Especially with the Saintess present.”

“Ownership? What are you talking about?”

“I’m referring to the byproducts from the dragon’s butchering. The military doesn’t need much. Just… the entire tail would suffice.”

It was an audacious request. Darulma raised an eyebrow and looked over at Yeomyeong, whose expression mirrored his own surprise.

“Please understand that this is our minimal request.”

“Minimal? That sounds like you’re saying there’s even more absurdity in store.”

“Do you remember the treasures around the dragon?”

At his words, one of the soldiers quickly left and returned with a box marked [SECURE STORAGE].

Inside was the treasure bag Pasoon had carried, the Royal Seal, and the Uragan’s Handle.

Darulma’s face darkened upon seeing the contents.

“…Why are these here? I specifically requested their return.”

“Mr. Darulma, these treasures were secured by the military. Unlike the dragon, the military does have a stake in these items.”

“A stake? They’re all items we obtained from fighting the dragon, and some are personal possessions of our mercenaries. No legal system would recognize a military stake in such a case!”

Despite Darulma’s heated protest, Colonel Jung simply smiled.

“You’re free to take it to court if you wish.”

Court? Darulma scoffed.

“You mean dragging this to the Korean judiciary rather than the international courts, so you can drag out the case for years, all the way to the Supreme Court? Is that it?”

“As I said, this is only if you wish. If you surrender just the tail, the military will relinquish all claims on these treasures immediately.”

“…You think Doongan Heavy Industries will tolerate this outrage? We even covered all the military deployment expenses!”

“Mr. Darulma, please understand that this is the military’s most generous concession.”

Colonel Jung turned his attention to the Saintess.

“Saintess, please be aware that threats like last time will have no effect here.”

Perhaps he was still bitter about losing Kahhal Magdu’s rib, as there was a faint trace of animosity in his eyes. But the Saintess paid him no mind.

“In any case, Mr. Darulma, I hope you’ll consider this carefully. The Korean military values good relations with both Doongan Heavy Industries and the Seonjook Mercenary Group, who defeated the dragon…”

Colonel Jung’s voice trailed off as he noticed something odd.

Darulma and the Saintess were no longer looking at him. Their attention was directed toward a certain mercenary instead.

Taking a moment to assess the situation, Darulma spoke.

“Yeomyeong, what’s your decision?”

“…So you dragged me here knowing this would happen? I’m disappointed, Darulma.”

“No, no, it’s a misunderstanding! I only expected them to ask for a claw or a couple of teeth.”

Darulma stroked his long beard.

“But to ask for the whole tail! Just for handling transportation? Who could have predicted they’d be so shameless?”

It was then that Colonel Jung began to grasp the odd nature of the conversation. Why was Darulma, a corporate tycoon, deferring to this mercenary?

Who was this mercenary, anyway?

Studying him carefully, he felt a flicker of recognition. A young mercenary with golden eyes… could it be?

“Mr. Darulma? Who is this mercenary?”

“You probably know already. His name is Cheon Yeomyeong, the mercenary who played the most significant role in taking down the dragon.”

Cheon Yeomyeong. Hearing the name, Colonel Jung involuntarily clenched his fist.

The very man who had seized the dragon’s rib from the military and severed Jung’s subordinate, Jeong Mapil’s, arms.

Recalling the exorbitant expenses poured into healing Mapil, his resentment simmered. Struggling to maintain composure, he spoke.

“Ah, the rising star. I didn’t recognize him. But… the most significant role in taking down the dragon?”

“Commander Kwon said all the dragon’s wounds—its wings, legs, and eyes—are his handiwork.”

"…."

“In terms of the dragon’s share, most of it belongs to him.”

Most of it belongs to him? Colonel Jung blinked in disbelief.

Some journalists had indeed written that a rookie mercenary had defeated the dragon, but… that was actually true?

'What utter nonsense… This dwarf has taken the joke too far.'

Suppressing a racially-charged insult, he decided to play along with Darulma’s ruse. No matter what game they played, the military was intent on getting that tail.

“Ahem, then I suppose I’ll have to deal with this gentleman directly.”

Feigning politeness, Colonel Jung cleared his throat and addressed Yeomyeong in a markedly haughty tone.

“Cheon Yeomyeong, the military’s position remains unchanged. Surrender the dragon’s tail, and we can all leave on good terms.”

Yeomyeong didn’t respond immediately. He tilted his head, regarding Colonel Jung, then glanced toward the dragon outside.

“Let me be clear—the military’s offer is as generous as it gets. Even if you delay, our stance will not…”

“Let’s release it.”

“…What?”

“Isn’t the dragon a protected species under international law? Why not just let it go?”

…What the hell was he saying?

Confounded, Colonel Jung turned to Darulma, who was watching Yeomyeong with a look of admiration.

The Saintess, too, was smiling, clearly amused by the exchange.

“I support that. I’ll leave my share entirely to Yeomyeong.”

With the Saintess’s endorsement, all eyes turned to Darulma. He gave Colonel Jung a subtle look.

“Well, if the Saintess is willing to show such mercy, the mercenary group has no choice but to agree.”

“So, that concludes the matter of the dragon. Let’s go start preparing for court, shall we?”

Was this a threat or sincerity? While Colonel Jung was deliberating, Yeomyeong turned to leave.

“W-wait!”

Just before the group exited the watchtower, Colonel Jung called after them.

“Darulma! You can’t do this! This dragon was lawfully hunted! And now you’re just… releasing it?”

“…Technically, the one suggesting it is our young friend here.”

“Do you even realize what you’re saying? A mere rookie brought down the dragon? There’s a limit to mocking the military!”

Colonel Jung’s shout drew the attention of nearby soldiers, who turned their wary eyes toward the group.

Despite the heavily armed soldiers’ stares, Darulma simply shrugged.

“Well, facts are facts. If you don’t believe me, you could always ask the dragon. Ah, but you’ll need to wake it up first. Then you can ask.”

Only then did Colonel Jung realize that Darulma was serious. Was it… was it true?

If it was, and they really did release the dragon…

The military would need someone to blame for it.

And that scapegoat would be none other than… himself, the officer who had provoked Darulma.

The military would never forgive him for it. Dishonorable discharge would be the least of his worries; he might be posted to the farthest front line in North Manju and “cleansed” as punishment.

'…I can’t let that happen.'

Colonel Jung’s gaze darted anxiously. He looked over the soldiers assembled around him.

The troops stationed to guard the dragon’s warehouse, mobilized by his superiors.

There were more soldiers than he could count. Including those outside, there had to be at least a hundred.

A hundred soldiers. The realization sparked an idea.

'With this many troops… it’s worth a shot.'

His thoughts no longer lingered on the repercussions of killing the Saintess or the dwarf tycoon.

So be it. As long as they didn’t die, it’d be manageable.

After all, if he was going down anyway, he might as well go down swinging.

'Kill Yeomyeong and detain the Saintess and Darulma.'

Backed into a corner, Colonel Jung acted swiftly.

He pulled out his emergency alert remote and a pistol, aiming directly at the back of Yeomyeong’s head.

Just as Yeomyeong sensed something amiss and turned his head…

Bang!

The gun fired.