Compared to Gined, I was like a candle before the sun. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t remember me at all.

‘No, the original story said he always repaid his debts.’

I waited for an opportunity and followed him as soon as he stepped away from the Emperor.

But he wasn’t alone. The senior members of the Sephiroth Holy Knight Order stayed close to him, never leaving his side. Knowing that they were planning to leave for Mount Acheron before nightfall, I grew increasingly anxious.

‘What should I do?’

***

“Commander, someone has been following us for a while.”

A holy knight whispered to Gined.

Gined had already sensed the presence. Judging by the short and quick strides, it seemed to be a woman.

“What should we do? Ignore her or chase her away?”

The holy knight didn’t seem particularly wary. In fact, his voice carried a hint of amusement.

It was understandable, as women secretly following Gined was a common occurrence.

Women who fell for him came from all walks of life—regardless of status, occupation, age, nationality, or race. Even men often clung to him.

“It must be quite bothersome. You can’t even cover your face.”

Ignoring his subordinate’s joke, Gined focused on the presence.

Normally, he would have ordered them to ignore it, but today he felt differently.

The sound of the high heels following him was lively. Somehow, he thought he knew the owner of that sound.

A young female believer with lavender-colored hair and mint-green eyes.

She was a straightforward lady, albeit somewhat self-willed, typical of the authoritative imperial nobles.

— I don’t know exactly what rumors you’ve heard, but they’re probably all true. In fact, they might have been downplayed out of fear of repercussions.

Recalling her candid face, he felt curious.

What could she possibly want to say by following him like this?

Hesitating, Gined stopped walking. The footsteps behind him also halted.

Suppressing a smile, Gined spoke more curtly than usual to his subordinate.

“I’ll handle it.”

***

Unexpectedly, the opportunity came quickly.

Just as they reached a secluded area, the holy knights left Gined and departed first.

When the moment I had been waiting for arrived, my heart began to pound wildly.

Before I could step in front of Gined, he spoke first.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“Ah!”

I nearly collapsed on the spot.

Seeing my reaction, Gined seemed a bit flustered as well.

“Are you alright, Lady?”

“How did you know I was following you?”

“I sensed your presence.”

Well, Gined was both a priest and a skilled knight, so it was no surprise he noticed.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“It may sound absurd and strange, but please understand that I’m not saying this lightly.”

“If that’s the case, I won’t take it lightly.”

His serious demeanor reassured me a little.

I approached Gined.

With each step closer, I could feel my heartbeat rising wildly.

“Could you lend me your ear for a moment?”

Even though no one was around, I still felt uneasy.

Thankfully, Gined leaned down without hesitation. I stood on my tiptoes as much as I could. But the height difference was still too great.

Then Gined leaned even further towards me. Only then could I whisper in his ear.

“I heard that there’s no dragon on Mount Acheron.”

“What?”

Gined looked at me in astonishment. Realizing how close our faces were, he quickly stepped back.

I held my breath, worrying that he might laugh at my words, and waited for his response.

Fortunately, he asked cautiously.

“May I ask the source?”

“I heard it from a friend in the information guild. You know how extensive the Dronay family’s network is. I can’t tell you exactly who I heard it from, but it’s from someone very reliable. I’d stake my family’s honor on it.”

I covered up my poor social connections with the reputation of my family.

“Do His Majesty or His Highness the Crown Prince know about this?”

“They probably don’t. I just heard about it recently myself.”

“Then why are you telling me first?”

Gined looked at me with a slightly skeptical expression. A cold sweat ran down my back.

“Well… I don’t think His Majesty would believe me. As you know, my reputation isn’t very good.”

“For such a trivial reason…?”

“Trivial? Sir Roengreen, you believed in the real me, not the rumors. No one else has ever said that to me. So, I thought you would listen to me.”

What I said to persuade him turned out to be entirely true.

It wasn’t anyone else’s fault. It was all because of the karma I had built up.

I felt a sense of regret about my past. A sigh escaped me.

Perhaps sensing the sincerity in my sigh, Gined thankfully didn’t press me further.

“If what you say is true, it’s not something to be taken lightly.”

“If the dragon really is gone, could the appearance of the monsters be related to that?”

“Most likely. A thousand years ago, when the dragon fell asleep, the impact weakened the monsters living on Mount Acheron, making them docile. Without the dragon, they would gradually regain their original abilities.”

It was just as I had expected.

“So, what should we do?”

“Don’t worry too much yet. I’ll investigate as soon as we reach Mount Acheron.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I wasn’t sure if Gined believed me or not, but just having someone listen to what I had been agonizing over alone made me feel a bit emotional.

“Thank you for listening to me. I thought you would laugh at such a ridiculous story…”

My voice trembled, so I trailed off.

I lowered my gaze in embarrassment.

“Didn’t I say I wouldn’t take it lightly? Besides, this is nothing compared to the help you’ve given me. If you learn anything new, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

The saying that a beautiful heart resides in a beautiful appearance must have been meant for Gined.

Gined Roengreen was the last true priest in this corrupt era.

“Yes, I will.”

I couldn’t show tears in front of someone I barely knew. I deliberately answered more energetically and lifted my head.

Gined was looking at me intently.

‘I hope he didn’t notice my teary eyes. How embarrassing…’

To hide my embarrassment, I forced a bright smile.

Unlike his earlier gentle comfort, Gined turned his head away quickly, almost hastily.

“I must go now. I apologize for not being able to stay longer due to the urgency of the situation.”

Without giving me another glance, he left rather hurriedly.

I hadn’t expected him to smile back, but I hadn’t expected him to ignore me either, so I felt a bit disappointed.

‘Well, at least he made time for me.’

I was used to being ignored, thanks to the Crown Prince. Besides, Gined and I were practically strangers. I should be grateful for even this much.

I turned around, feeling lighter than before.

***

Even after the arrival of the Sephiroth Holy Knight Order, the palace remained in a state of emergency.

The Emperor and the nobles were busy day and night forming an anti-monster unit and devising measures to stabilize the increasingly anxious public.

Father had long given up on leaving the palace.

I, who had been following Father around like his assistant, also spent more time in the palace.

During this time, news finally arrived that the Crown Prince had driven out all the monsters from Mount Acheron and was returning to the palace.

It was certainly good news, but it seemed I wouldn’t be leaving the palace today either.

I headed to the imperial library to learn about how the land changes when a dragon leaves.

The imperial library, holding the largest collection of books on the continent, was the best place to find information.

I stayed in the library until late at night, rubbing my bloodshot eyes as I diligently read through the books.

However, there were very few records about dragons, and since Enril was sealed, dragons had hidden their territories thoroughly, so I didn’t find much. The records were all very old.

Judging it meaningless to search further, I closed the book and looked out the window.

‘He should be back by now.’

Of course, I wasn’t waiting for the Crown Prince. I hoped Gined would return soon and inform the Emperor about the dragon’s absence.

Just then, I saw a group of knights holding torches in the distance.

‘Where is Gined?’

I put the book back in its place and was about to leave the library.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, the door swung open. I stepped back in surprise, and someone swiftly entered. His breathing was slightly rough, as if he had run here. I could see his chest rising and falling sharply with each breath.

At this hour, no one was allowed in the library without permission.

I looked up to inform him of this.

The first thing I saw was a pair of serene blue eyes, like a calm lake. Then I noticed the long silver hair cascading down.