Chapter 66

Upon reaching the observatory of the tower, Lexion and a few staff members were already there, observing the sea through telescopes.

“Adelina, it’s dangerous.”

Lexion caught Adelina’s shoulders as she was about to slump to the floor, leaning her back against his chest.

With several people in such a cramped space, there wasn’t a suitable spot for her to sit.

“Queen… Your Highness… I’m… dying…”

Seyra, who had followed all the way up a place where other maids had given up long ago, was drenched in sweat.

Seeing a knight holding Seyra and sharing water, Lexion looked down at Adelina, who was now breathing more comfortably.

“Here. The telescope.”

Lexion allowed Adelina, filled with concern, to look through the telescope Hailyn had brought.

It was much larger and heavier than other existing telescopes, requiring it to be fixed in one spot to view.

“That is…”

“It seems to be a fleet. They removed the roofs of the fishing boats and made it into a gigantic raft.”

Having already identified the object, Lexion held the telescope steady with one hand so she could see better.

“It’s not a raft… They created an artificial island instead of Pale Island…”

Adelina couldn’t take her eyes off the telescope.

‘Who could it be? How could someone think of such a thing?’

The eerie sound of the wind climbing the spire’s stairs heightened Adelina’s anxiety.

“Summon a meeting immediately! Evacuate those within the dragon’s range!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

At Lexion’s command, the staff began to descend from the tower.

“Lexion!”

Adelina, still glued to the telescope, reached back and grabbed Lexion’s collar.

“You need to see this.”

She moved aside, allowing Lexion to take her place at the telescope.

Lexion immediately looked through the telescope to confirm the sea.

“Can we deploy the wyverns right now?”

Through the telescope, a dragon flew over to the artificial island on the blue sea and landed.

“Combat is impossible. However, transport and relocation are feasible!”

“Deploy all wyverns! Evacuate as many people as possible!”

Lexion issued the command and once again looked through the telescope at the artificial island.

The dragon that landed on the artificial island seemed to meet Lexion’s gaze with its elongated pupils, flashing with hostility.

+++

Three hours later, the eastern coastal area of Ernst was filled with dozens of wyverns.

Assist the people’s evacuation! Hurry! We don’t have much time left!

The wyvern knights, already briefed by Lexion before departure, assisted the people’s movement from the far end of the coast.

People gathered in the lobby of the mansion built like a fortress, and men capable of combat ascended the walls with axes and swords.

Children, terrified, couldn’t even cry, trembling as they clung to their mothers.

The first dragon landed in the eastern coastal area of Ernst.

“Mom… I’m scared…”

“Hush… Everything will be alright. Everyone will be safe.”

Children burrowed into their mother’s arms, closing their eyes and covering their ears.

Yet, the horrifying sounds were still audible.

The sound of the fortress walls crumbling under the dragon’s claws, the short screams of people mixed with the bone-chilling roars of the dragon.

“Hush… it’s the sound of the wind. The sound of waves crashing.”

The sound of swans crying. The sound of stars falling…

Mothers whispered, covering their children’s ears, telling them those sounds were not their fathers’.

+++

A warship anchored near the coast of Petrus bore the flag of a golden dragon.

Emperor Grain, standing on the deck, draped his cloak over Isabelle’s shoulders as she looked through a telescope at the distant land.

“Your Majesty, this cloak is meant for the Emperor alone.”

As Isabelle lowered the telescope, attempting to remove the cloak from her shoulders, Emperor Grain shook his head slightly.

“Keep it on. The sea breeze is cold.”

“But…”

“Your contribution is significant. Without you, we couldn’t have retaliated against Ernst so swiftly.”

Emperor Grain raised the telescope again, observing Ernst being trampled by dragons.

“They’re setting off now.”

At Emperor Grain’s words, Isabelle lifted the telescope again, looking in a slightly different direction than before.

‘Adelina, I told you. Lexion will beg me. Soon, he’ll plead for his life at my feet, abandoning you, the fake, to save the real people of Ernst by kissing my feet.’

The cool yet salty sea breeze continued to blow.

Isabelle’s hair, tied high in a single knot, fluttered in the same direction as the dragon’s flag.

+++

Three dragons had landed in the coastal area. Dodging arrows and spears, they trampled everything in sight.

“Lure the dragons with the wyverns! Keep them airborne at all costs!”

Lexion and Stephan, having arrived at the coastal area on wyverns, circled close to the dragons, diverting their attention.

‘They are such sensitive creatures! That’s why they don’t let just anyone ride them!’

In contrast, the wyverns readily offered their backs to the knights of Ernst, whom they had known for less than a month.

Soon, as Lexion had anticipated, the dragons, annoyed by the pesky wyverns, took to the skies, ignoring the knights’ control.

“Don’t let them land!”

Over ten wyverns per dragon persistently attacked, preventing the dragons’ feet from touching the ground.

If they could hold out for just two more hours like this, the dragons would retreat again.

“Your Highness! Look over there!”

Stephan, dealing with another dragon, urgently shouted as he approached Lexion.

“Damn! Five of you follow me!”

Lexion pulled the reins of the wyvern, changing its direction.

+++

“Your Highness! Run!”

The Imperial Knights remaining in the palace of Ernst were in disarray due to the unexpected appearance of the dragon.

“Adelina! This way!”

Hailyn led Adelina out of the queen’s palace and ran towards the stables.

Although they hadn’t had time to change out of their dresses, both were wearing comfortable shoes, making it not too difficult to run.

‘How! How did it reach the palace?’

Even while running, the question lingered in Adelina’s mind.

‘The distance between the artificial island and the capital is over four hours! It’s impossible to fly directly here!’

Even if it flew directly, it would have to fly for over six hours…

‘The artificial island! There must be another one elsewhere!’

Adelina gritted her teeth, pulling her dress up to her knees as she ran.

‘It’s my fault! I didn’t think of this!’

How could I be so foolish?

Not considering that Isabelle, who conceived the idea of the artificial island, would create another one elsewhere, not just beside Pale Island!

Adelina saw her shadow being swallowed by a larger shadow as she entered the stables.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

While she caught her breath, Hailyn led two horses to the back door.

Once her breath steadied, Adelina followed Hailyn, opening the back door just slightly to peek outside.

People were bleeding everywhere, injured by the dragon’s claws.

With all the knights dispatched to support the eastern coast, only a few knights remained in the palace.

“Madam! Come with me!”

The knight atop the dragon shouted confidently, as if he were the Grim Reaper.

The dragon took a deep breath, seemingly catching her scent.

It felt as if her location would be discovered any moment.

‘Even if it flew from a nearby location, this dragon could hold out for at least two more hours!’

Two hours… enough time to kill everyone in this palace.

‘What should I do? How can I save the people?’

Adelina tightened her grip on the reins.

“No, Adelina. It’s too dangerous.”

Hailyn, frowning deeply, shook her head, trying to take the reins from Adelina’s hands.

“Aaaah!”

Simultaneously, a horrifying scream echoed from outside.

The dragon trampled people like toys.

“Hailyn.”

“Please… Adelina…”

Adelina called Hailyn’s name with a forlorn smile, then immediately mounted the horse and burst through the door.

“Hey! Dragon! Catch me if you can!”

She shouted loudly at the dragon, clad in armor that gleamed in the sunlight.

+++

“If I die prematurely, it’s all because of you, Lady Adelina!”

“Don’t talk to me. I feel like I’m going to die!”

Adelina and Hailyn rode their horses madly into the forest behind the stables.

The dragon, flying after them, landed at the forest entrance, flaring its nostrils as if sniffing for them.

“Deeper in!”

The two entered a densely wooded area.

Perhaps because of the dragon, not a single beast emerged from its hiding place in the forest.

Whenever they heard the dragon’s breathing, a chill ran down their spines.

It felt as if the dragon’s eyes were right beside them, causing them to constantly look around.

The moisture emitted by the forest’s plants felt like the dragon’s breath, making goosebumps rise from their legs.

Their hearts pounded so loudly it seemed the dragon would hear it any moment.

With a loud crack, the trees in front of them toppled sideways as if struck by a massive boulder.

“Gasp!”

“Found you, Madam.”

The dragon knight, continuously toppling trees around them with the dragon’s feet, smiled brightly.

The horses, confronted by the dragon, were so startled they shook their heads and retreated.

“Over there.”

Hailyn whispered softly, calming the horse, and Adelina tightened her grip on the reins.

“I’m the Queen of Ernst, you idiot!”

Adelina shouted loudly, riding towards the gap between the dragon’s front legs.

“Why do you keep provoking it!”

Hailyn, guiding the way between the dragon’s legs, shouted in exasperation.

“I don’t know! It’s desperation!”

As Adelina rode, dodging the dragon’s swinging tail, she heard the furious shout of the knight from behind.

“Die!”

The dragon’s massive foot came down as if to crush Adelina’s head.

+++

“Adelina!”

As soon as she heard her name being called, a rope descended before her eyes.

“Lexion!”

As soon as Adelina grabbed the rope, her body was swiftly lifted along with it.

“Hold on tight!”

Lexion, tied to the wyvern’s body, pulled the rope with both hands.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

The enraged dragon knight and the dragon closely pursued them.

“Aaah!”

As the dragon approached with its mouth wide open, seemingly ready to devour the wyvern, the startled wyvern twisted its body.

“Hold on!”

Lexion, flipped upside down, tightly squeezed the wyvern’s body with his legs, continuing to pull the rope.

“Just a little more!”

The wyvern instinctively avoided the dragon, swiftly changing directions.

Lexion’s legs, tightly gripping the wyvern’s body, trembled.

“Lexion…”

The strength in Adelina’s hands, gripping the rope, gradually weakened. Each time the wyvern changed direction, her whole body swayed, threatening to lose her grip on the rope.

‘Lexion… why go this far…’

If the rope tied around her waist came loose, both of them would inevitably crash to the ground and die.

If the wyvern was caught by the dragon and fell, Lexion, tied at the waist, would plummet to the ground as well.

“Almost there!”

Only a hand’s breadth of rope remained.

Lexion’s face, with his head hanging down, was flushed as if it would burst from the blood rushing to it.

His eyes were filled with nothing but red, as all the blood vessels had burst.

“Adelina!”

Lexion gritted his teeth and pulled the last hand’s breadth of rope.

Their hands found each other like magnets.

“Aaah!”

Suddenly, as the wyvern sharply changed direction, Adelina’s body rose higher than the wyvern.