Helix explained.

In Leah’s case, her body had been too weak, so he had put his utmost effort into healing her, making her physically suitable for handling magic.

For Karai, dragon blood flowed in his veins from a distant ancestor, allowing him to survive and become a magic user.

The magic school students received Karai’s blood during their treatment, saving their lives while granting them magical abilities.

“But with this recent poisoning incident, we treated so many people that survival alone was considered a great success. Yet now magical abilities are manifesting…”

Helix speculated, “I think he lowered the ratio of dragon mana in the poison. This would decrease the mortality rate while ensuring that those who developed magical abilities would manifest weaker powers. Even with mass healing, a high percentage would still become magic users.”

Leah put her hand to her head. The intention was obvious—to create numerous weak subjects in a foreign country who could be controlled at will.

“So Archaik was trying to create a mass network of spies in Peiren?” she asked.

“That’s right.”

Agreeing with Helix and Leah, Rikeil muttered, “It’s plausible. If they died, the resulting chaos in Peiren would benefit him, and if they lived, he’d have spies throughout the kingdom…”

“He targeted the lower classes specifically to recruit those already full of resentment as his spies,” Master added.

“We need to gather and monitor these new magic users immediately,” Rikeil declared.

Leah shook her head. “No, big brother. I don’t think that’s the solution here.”

Her voice dropped lower. “If he succeeded once, what’s to stop him from poisoning a well in the slums next time?”

A heavy silence filled the room. Master was inwardly astonished.

‘Even our people who’ve spent years in the shadow guilds couldn’t immediately think like that…’

This was the power of her previous life in “Hell Joseon.” Leah continued, “We can’t let people die or imprison every magic user who survives each time. We need to address the fundamental problem.”

“How would we do that?”

“I think I know,” Helix said. “If a stronger dragon or archmage applies pressure with powerful mana, Archaik’s ‘hold’ over his subjects would break.”

***

After her brothers and Master had left, Helix remained to examine Leah, offering to provide her with mana. Chirpy emerged as well, sitting on Leah’s lap and being affectionate.

‘I could fully enjoy this happiness if not for the threat of dragon mana.’

Leah inwardly sighed deeply.

How could they solve this problem?

She felt like putting up a billboard: “Seeking dragon or archmage stronger than Crown Prince Archaik Oken.”

“Among our dragons, Chirpy is the oldest and strongest…”

“Chirp!”

Chirpy proudly cried out, asserting his strength. It was truly the magnificent confidence of a dragon not even a year old.

Leah unconsciously lifted Chirpy up and squeezed his soft cheeks.

“…I think he’d just look cute trying to intimidate anyone.”

“Chirp.”

Chirpy protested. The others haven’t even hatched from their eggs, but I’ve already hatched and can even fly! Kwaang, I know how to roar threateningly too!

“Yes, yes. Our Chirpy is definitely the strongest and smartest dragon.”

“Chiii-rp.”

Watching Chirpy flap his wings in satisfaction, Helix suggested, “Rather than entrusting people to such a young dragon, why don’t you do it, Leah?”

Leah’s eyes widened in surprise.

“But I’m not a dragon. And my magic is still weaker than Archaik’s.”

“You’re the Dragon’s Holy Maiden, so I think you qualify…”

Helix muttered.

When Helix mentioned the Dragon’s Holy Maiden, Leah felt oddly tense and rolled her eyes.

“Leah.”

“Y-yes?”

“What about becoming a Dragonlord while we’re at it?”

Leah dropped Chirpy.

The little dragon, who had been relaxing under her stroking, quickly flew up.

“Chirp! Chiiiirp!”

But Chirpy’s threatening cry went unheard by Leah. She blinked in surprise.

“What? Pardon me?”

“Why are you suddenly being so formal? I meant becoming a Dragonlord.”

“Ah, no… I’m not a dragon… Being an archmage is enough for me!”

Seeing her become stiff and use awkwardly formal speech, Helix felt concerned.

“Don’t worry too much. It’s not like you wanted to become the Dragon’s Holy Maiden in the first place.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

To the hesitant Leah, Helix said, “Thinking about it now, Dragon’s Holy Maiden or Dragonlord—they seem similar to me.”

His expression was so serene as he said this that Leah didn’t know how to react.

“But you said the dragons betrayed you…”

“Humans have betrayed me many times too.”

Humans may have betrayed and backstabbed him, but they hadn’t used him as a barrier mana battery for hundreds of years… Leah felt conflicted but remained silent. Helix seemed to read her thoughts and smiled bitterly.

“Did I ever tell you about the archmage who imprisoned me in an ice magic cave to monopolize my power?”

“No, what a terrible person!”

“There was also a king who claimed to have fallen for me and took his kingdom’s people hostage, demanding to sleep with me just once.”

“What a psychopath!”

Seeing Leah fuming with anger, he reached out his hand. She quickly embraced Helix.

“From now on, tell me if any such lunatics appear. I’ll use my strongest fire magic to reduce them to less than ashes.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Though her words were chilling, they sounded only endearing to his ears. Stroking Leah’s back as she nestled in his arms, Helix spoke softly.

“After accepting that you’re the Dragon’s Holy Maiden, I realized something. The problem isn’t whether someone is a dragon or human—it’s those with malicious intentions.”

“…”

“It’s true that Azura and his dragons did terrible things to me, but Chirpy and the eggs are innocent, just like them. So what I truly hate and should punish with my guardian powers… isn’t the dragon race itself, but corrupted dragons like Archaik.”

At Helix’s words, Leah loosened her embrace and looked up at him. Helix met her gaze.

“So, Leah, why don’t you become a Dragonlord and awaken all the dragon eggs?”

“Chirp! Chirp!”

Chirpy flew in circles above them, seemingly in strong agreement.

Me becoming a Dragonlord while I’m at it?

Leah gulped.

“C-can I really do that?”

“Of course. The dragon eggs would want that too.”

“Chirp!”

***

Leah went to see the eggs with Helix. Chirpy accompanied them.

“…Who would have thought dragon eggs would be here.”

“We couldn’t keep them in the Piert mansion in case Archaik invaded.”

The dragon eggs’ nest was in the basement of the old Seigan mansion.

After Yuria was kidnapped and returned, she moved to a new mansion out of fear, leaving this large residence abandoned without a new owner.

Leah had secretly borrowed this place after asking Yuria.

“Still, the nest is well-maintained and clean.”

“The air seems good despite being underground.”

“Chirp.”

Chirpy nodded in agreement.

“Phew.”

Leah took a deep breath and looked ahead.

She felt as though the dragon eggs placed on the sand brought from the desert were looking up at her expectantly.

“Little dragon babies, it’s time to wake up.”

“Chirp.”

Chirpy cried in agreement.

“Chirp chirp.”

Wake up and cast your vote for Holy Maiden Leah. The Holy Maiden will love and protect us.

“Chirp? Chiiirp?”

Chirpy hesitated. Leah and Helix understood too.

It seemed one of the eggs was questioning whether they should support Archaik, a true dragon, rather than Leah, a human. Helix unconsciously emitted threatening mana.

“…If you become an evil dragon, I, as a guardian, will step in.”

“…Chirp.”

See that? The silver human is a scary human. He’ll drain all your mana.

One of the eggs seemed to tremble. A hatchling broke through the shell with a cracking sound.

“Chirp.”

“Chirp.”

Chirpy approached the blue hatchling who supported Leah and solemnly patted it with his front paw. Well thought, little brother.

Crack. Crack.

Other eggs moved too, and hatchlings poked out their heads.

One had liked Leah’s warm mana since they were in the desert, another recognized Leah as their leader when she held Azura’s staff, and another appreciated how she looked after them and made sure their mana wasn’t depleted.

The hatchlings chirped their support for Leah.

Suddenly finding herself the leader of a group of large chicks, Leah covered her face. She felt responsible for guiding and protecting these unexpectedly cute creatures.

Sensing her emotions, the hatchlings surrounded Leah, chirping happily.

Helix smiled too.

“Congratulations on becoming a Dragonlord, Leah.”

“…Being congratulated by the Guardian makes it feel real.”

***

At that moment, in the Imperial Palace of Oken, Archaik sat beside his original body.

A dragon that had endured experiments for ages and recently suffered a great wound. Its body was tattered, unlike what one would expect from a newly matured dragon.

“Phuuu.”

With every breath, he could feel the original soul of Prince Archaik struggling to postpone its end.

The end was approaching.

Suddenly, Archaik sensed other dragons awakening far away. He also felt that they had acknowledged the Holy Maiden as their Dragonlord.

“…A human as the lord of dragons.”

It was laughable. Archaik let out a derisive chuckle.

Those were the eggs his Snake Knights had been searching for under his orders. In the end, they couldn’t find them, and the other side awakened them first.

‘Could I have found them first if I had gone myself?’

He couldn’t leave Oken at this time and had entrusted the task to his subordinates, but the real reason he hadn’t gone was different.

He feared his original body might be attacked again, or that he might confront Helix while trying to take Leah Piert, or that if he brought the eggs back, they too would become experimental subjects for the imperial family.

“…”

Archaik tightly closed his tired eyes, then opened them. The awakened dragon—the original prince—spoke to him.

“…You now have only one pact with me.”

“…”

“Keep your promise.”

“…I will.”

The Crown Prince smiled coldly.

“The time has come.”