Reuniting with old friends after many years was both joyous and exhilarating, yet figuring out what to talk about was surprisingly tricky.

If everyone’s daily lives had been dull and repetitive, the weight of unspoken words might have left them at a loss. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for Aino and her companions.

After all, two of them had accomplished feats that would forever alter history.

Aino stood quietly, observing the sixty-something Parker and the veiled Alea.

The two returned her gaze, smiling at the unchanged figure before them. Aino remained as petite and slender as ever, her cool demeanor tinged with a familiar trace of mischief.

The pair had endured countless hardships, their bodies bearing the scars of time. As they recalled their earlier journeys, it felt like a lifetime ago. Yet here was Aino, unaltered by the passing years.

It was a truly surreal feeling.

As they had during their journey to the Northern Abyss, the four sat together on the ground, sharing endless stories.

They spoke of how their organization was founded, the early challenges they faced, the people they met, and the dangers they overcame. For miracle-makers like Parker and Alea, their tales could have stretched on for days.

Their wandering took them from Zola’s original form to a lakeside, up a mountaintop, and finally to the plains where they had once spent lazy afternoons together.

“Parker, do you know what a ‘Demon King’ is?”

“No, Master, I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Parker replied after a moment of thought, curiosity glinting in his eyes as he looked at Aino.

Over the years, Parker had transformed from a “theoretical magician” into a towering figure of human magic. With his growing understanding of his master’s nature, he had gradually come to comprehend the kind of being she was.

To the younger Parker, Aino had seemed like a divine being, a godlike figure gracing him with guidance and companionship.

Now, looking back, he recognized her as a human-shaped black dragon—a being once gravely wounded and in recovery. Her identity was no longer shrouded in mystery.

As a high-ranking official, Parker had once eagerly unlocked a book accessible only to humanity’s elite, seeking answers to his decades-long curiosity.

“Pure-blooded black dragon Tananorn first appeared in the Andrew Valley. Known for its violent nature and tendency to devour the strong, it often took the form of a black-haired, red-eyed girl, skilled in magic...”

Parker closed the heavy tome and left the room deep in thought.

The records were unequivocal. Tananorn had brought untold suffering, its actions branding it a calamity hunted by the entire continent. But perhaps its grievous injuries had led to a change of heart, or some pivotal moment had awakened its intelligence.

Regardless, the black dragon who had pulled Parker from the depths of despair was named Aino.

As for whether Aino was still tied to the catastrophic legacy of Tananorn, Parker resolved to keep that question—and its answer—to himself, not even sharing it with Alea.

Returning to the topic at hand, Parker admitted that he had never encountered anything resembling Aino’s description of a Demon King.

“Really?” Aino was surprised.

A world with heroes but no Demon King was unexpected. Perhaps it was called by another name?

However, despite her probing, Parker maintained that the world had never produced a being that matched her description—something powerful, vast in scope, and bent on destruction and slaughter. It seemed evolution itself did not permit such an existence.

“Master, are you suggesting that a creature could emerge whose sole purpose is to destroy the world and bring calamity to all?”

“I don’t know. Let’s just say it was a passing thought. If one does appear someday, you can call it a Demon King.”

Parker stole a cautious glance at Aino, pretending to ask offhandedly:
“By your description, wouldn’t Tananorn fit that role quite well?”

Parker, dressed in a specially made combat-ready robe, exuded an aura of calm authority. Yet here he was, making a sneaky remark while observing Aino’s reaction like a child testing a parent’s mood.

To an outsider, the sight would have been comical.

Aino froze for a moment at his words, then turned to meet his gaze. Parker’s bright eyes reflected nothing but calm and warmth.

It was jarring yet entirely natural.

The pinnacle of human magic, the “Saint” and founder of universal magic—of course, after so many years together, he would come to understand her.

“Ah, yes. But it’s dead now, so there’s no need to count it,” Aino replied.

“The records say it disappeared. Are you certain it’s dead?”

“It’s dead. As long as I’m here, it’s dead.”

Their conversation was carefully hushed, just loud enough to remain unheard by Alea, who was strolling with Zola nearby.

Sitting cross-legged, Parker looked up as Aino stood beside him, curiously stroking his long hair. It was thick and smooth, a far cry from the bald head she remembered.

“Why the long hair? Weren’t you bald?”

“Master, I may be an ordinary person, but for the sake of my work, I need to maintain appearances. Have you ever seen a bald senior magician?”

“Fair enough. But this hair is completely different from before.”

“Of course. With power, anything is possible.”

Parker’s nonchalant response referred to his use of magic to cleanse and rejuvenate himself, which had also improved his appearance.

Yet his words made Aino pause. Raising her hand, she knocked lightly on his head.

“With power, anything is possible, huh? You’re to blame, kid. Human cities are rife with disgusting slave trades.”

Parker blinked, utterly blindsided by the accusation. It felt like the most unjust blame imaginable.

But upon reflection, he realized the truth in her words. His efforts to free human commoners from servitude and strengthen humanity’s power had directly fueled the enslavement of demi-humans.

The vile practice he had silently condemned had, in fact, been enabled by his own actions.

An awkward silence fell over him.

Sensing his discomfort, Aino gently pressed her hand atop his head.

“Alright, I wouldn’t truly blame you. You’ve done remarkable things.”

“...But I’ve wronged the demi-humans. We met so many during our travels—they were so easy to get along with. Do you remember…”

In the presence of his companions, Parker shed the facade of the wise and powerful Saint. His emotions were unguarded as he fidgeted, attempting to stand.

Yet Aino’s hand remained firm, keeping him seated.

“It wasn’t your fault, Parker,” she said calmly. “There’s no such thing as a perfect solution. You saved countless humans from hellish conditions. The consequence was humanity’s growth and its oppression of others.

“You could see it as the natural progression of history.”

Parker frowned deeply before something seemed to click. He asked urgently:
“Master, does the ‘Demon King’ you mentioned relate to this unstoppable trend?”

“Nature doesn’t produce such monsters. But if humanity disrupts the world’s balance, one might emerge,” Parker speculated aloud, his thoughts aligning with Aino’s cryptic remarks.

For years, Parker’s vision had been realized: widespread magic empowering humanity. Yet every time he saw enslaved demi-humans, a nagging unease stirred within him.

Was this the calm before the storm?