Chapter 280: Chapter 171: Earning the Deposit
"Windsor!" Pound roared from a short distance away, his eyes practically bursting from their sockets.
’Damn it. If I’d known the security was this pathetic, I would’ve bailed from the get-go.’
Baron’s first instinct was to run, but then he saw Windsor trembling before him, clutching her Magic Staff like a duckling in a storm.
Her Dragon Guide was also stunned by the Cyan Flying Dragon’s dive, staring up blankly at the beast.
Baron scanned his surroundings. The Trial Takers were in another group, the heavy hitters hadn’t arrived yet, and the eldest daughter, Isabella, was still sitting calmly on her chair, as serene as a calm sky... ’What a poser!’
Just then, the Cyan Flying Dragon let out another grating, metallic roar. It struggled to spread its tattered, membranous wings, unleashing a fierce gust of wind. Amid the chaos, its ochre-brown Dragon Eyes glinted with an unnatural light.
A wild thought suddenly occurred to Baron.
’The Cyan Flying Dragon isn’t going wild because of some roar—it’s coming for me!’
’Fuck!’
There was no time to think. In a few moments, the Cyan Flying Dragon would be upon him, and Windsor, standing in his way, would undoubtedly become a human shield.
Baron glanced at Isabella and made an instant decision.
He lunged forward, kicked aside the Black Iron Dragon Guide next to Windsor, and shoved Windsor herself out of the way—she was so nervous she’d fumbled her casting and couldn’t use her Magic Cards or Magic. Then... he dropped into a crouch and covered his head with his hands!
Everyone watching held their breath, clearly baffled as to why this Silver Dragon Guide would do such a thing.
Baron heard a roar of wind rush past his ears, followed by a sharp clang of metal.
The sound lasted only an instant before falling silent. Baron opened his eyes to see Isabella holding her spear sideways, its tip pressed against the massive Dragon’s head right in front of him.
A single bead of crimson Dragon Blood trickled down from the very center of the Dragon’s forehead.
Then, something astonishing happened. At the mere touch of the spear tip, the once-frenzied Cyan Flying Dragon instantly prostrated itself on the ground. Its majestic scales flattened in submission, and the pupils of its Dragon Eyes shifted from vertical slits to round orbs. The stump of its tail—severed by Wild Sword Qi—even began to wag incessantly, just like a dog’s.
The Dragon Guides knew what this meant: fear and submission from a Dragon Descendant.
It... It was afraid of Isabella... Or more accurately, it had been completely and utterly dominated by her!
The sudden spectacle blew everyone’s minds. The Trial Takers halted their pursuit. Lucy tapped her chin thoughtfully, while the faces of Jose and Tune darkened. The heavy hitters all exchanged bewildered glances, clearly having no idea what was going on either.
Only Baron knew what had truly happened. And if he kept his mouth shut, no one ever would.
In the instant that Isabella drew her spear and he dropped to the ground, he had glanced at the Cyan Flying Dragon with his Golden Eye.
And that’s when it kneeled.
Elder Pence’s eyes glinted as he said to the Lidton Family Head, "Miss Isabella certainly lives up to her reputation. With that Spear Technique, I imagine she’s completely mastered the Beowulf Family’s Dragon Slaying Skills. What’s more, she’s already a Bronze at such a young age... Given time, she might even break the record Silver Lion Wilder set when he broke through to the Silver rank."
Elder Pence added with a smile, "A shame the Beowulf Family’s Elder Council seems to have already made its own choice."
The Lidton Family Head was enjoying the praise an outsider was heaping on a member of his family, but Elder Pence’s last comment made him pause.
"Elder, you mean to say..."
Elder Pence made no effort to hide his intentions. "Miss Isabella is not yet betrothed, correct? What do you think of Roy, from my family?"
"He’s a Bronze Griffin Knight, twenty-seven years old, and young enough that it’s only a matter of time before he ascends to Silver before he’s forty. A future Elder of the Hestia Family..."
"Miss Isabella may be the eldest daughter, but in truth, she isn’t accepted by the Beowulf Family’s Elder Council because of her mother’s identity. Perhaps..."
Elder Pence left the thought hanging. The Lidton Family Head considered it for only a moment before shaking his head. "No one can give Isabella orders."
"Not even you, the Patriarch?"
"Not even as the Patriarch." The Lidton Family Head watched his eldest daughter, her bearing valiant and heroic as she withdrew her spear from the Cyan Flying Dragon’s head, and sighed.
Pound found Windsor and examined his sister from head to toe. Seeing that she was unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief.
He then brought a very grateful Windsor over to Baron. "Master Jack... thank you for saving my sister."
Baron remained silent. ’Truthfully, I didn’t want to get involved, as it could have exposed my identity. But considering Windsor had thanked me earlier, and since I was the one who dragged her into this mess, I ultimately stepped in—even if I did it in a roundabout way.’
Isabella shot Baron a cool glance and retracted her spear. She paid no mind to the adoring gazes and salutes from the crowd, simply turning to the replacement Priest and saying flatly, "Continue the ceremony."
A dozen or so Dragon Slayers immediately came forward. They once again took up garrotes and long spikes to bind the Cyan Flying Dragon to the platform.
This time, however, the Cyan Flying Dragon neither roared in agitation nor struggled. It was like a vicious dog at the zoo that had been scared witless by the tiger in the next enclosure; it wouldn’t have reacted even if a butcher had placed a cleaver in its lap.
The Dragon Blood was collected and poured into a simple, ancient stone cup.
The Priest began to chant an ethereal prayer. As he did, the blood in the stone cup dissipated into nothing. A light rain began to sprinkle down from the sky, but only over the area where the Trial Takers stood.
The Trial Takers, now damp from the rain, suddenly felt a searing pain on the backs of their necks. When the pain subsided, a blood-red Falling Leaf Mark had appeared there.
According to the whispers in the crowd, this was the symbol identifying a Trial Taker who was participating in the Dragon Hunting Ceremony.
Only Trial Takers who possessed the Falling Leaf Mark were permitted to enter the mountains; not having one meant the Trial Taker was not qualified.
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