We arrived in the basement, and I saw many reptiles. Despite being in the basement, I could tell they were well treated, from lizards to wyverns.
"How do you like my collection? Surprised?"
In a sense, I was surprised, but not the kind that he expected. I could only nod, not sure how to answer.
"Now onto the research."
In the geass, I had stated that I was allowed to observe what this prince would do to my pet. And if he tried in any way to harm it, I would automatically be allowed to take the saddle and leave. So, if the prince did shady things, I get to leave early.
"Could I get some samples, such as saliva? And a piece of scale?"
I looked at my pet, wondering if it wanted to give him some samples. It then spat at the prince's face, almost making me laugh. What bothered me the most was the expression the prince had made.
My spine tingled coldly upon seeing his aroused face. Even the guard with us had lost some respect for the person he served. The prince then took the spit and put it into his tubes.
"There, now I need some of its scales."
This time I had taken off the wyrm's scale by myself. I don't want to imagine the horrors of the prince.
Taking off the scale was an easy task. I wanted to get this experiment over with and leave. The butler who had gotten me a drink had, and I realized it had some drugs.
Sleeping powders. How original—a reptile bastard that keeps any of the actual owner's pets! Even if these pets were in top condition, that doesn't mean they were safe. I guess I have no choice but to blow this place up. The shady business had already been active, and it was time to leave.
"It's time to go on a rampage."
I needed a new name for my pet. The wyrm had grown, and the castle's basement was now rumbling.
"NO!!! ALL MY COLLECTION!!!"
"HOW COULD YOU!!!"
"How could I? Who asked your butler to put in some sleeping drugs? I have decided to take the saddle, or I will raze this city into the ground."
My giant wyrm had already occupied the castle. I doubt anyone here could beat my pet without sacrificing anything.
Anyway, the contract had already started to take effect. The prince who had signed it had begun to cough up some blood. His vitality has begun to fade, and the youth he once had has disappeared.
"Your Highness!"
The butler and guard tried to feed him a potion, but it was futile as the potion they gave only recovered one's health. The vitality he lost would disappear forever unless he had a potion that would allow him to regain his life span. I wouldn't be surprised if they had any in their treasury.
"So what will be your answer? It's your fault for trying to trick me."
I have given the prince and his attendants an option. Whether they liked it or not, this option held the fate of their lives.
"We will give it to you; after that, leave."
The guard was the one who spoke. He knew he couldn't fight against my wyrm without being harmed. The prince might die, which was something he couldn't afford.
"I don't plan on staying in this city for that long anyway."
Of course, I couldn't trust the guard's words. They had lied before me, even with a geass. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to ambush me or use an artifact that would try to control my pet.
We eventually arrived at the treasury, following the guard who led the way. I was surprised that he had led me here without any other measure. I could easily steal everything without anything stopping me.
As we entered the treasury, I saw the guard was up to something. I figured out what he was after while I searched the treasury. For a guard, he sure is sneaky. I couldn't wait to destroy this city.
"Wyrm! Come under me! With you by my side, I will be unstoppable."
"???"
I knew the guard tried to control my pet, but who would have thought he would try to rebel? Seeing what these people were cooking up was interesting, but the results were disappointing.
"Sorry, but any mind manipulation wouldn't work. You have served your time as a guard, and your role as a rebel was amusing. See you."
"Wa..."
Melvin took a bite and ate the guard's upper body. That's right, rather than calling my pet by its species, I called it Melvin.
"Good job, Melvin."
"???"
Its new name confused him, but he didn't seem to dislike it. From now on, the wyrm will be called Melvin. It had a pleasant ring to it.
With the guard dead, it was time to loot my prize. I had a lot of storage rings. After killing many people, I looted many storage rings to the point where I lost count of how many I had.
It had taken me a few minutes to take everything from the treasury; the castle was now empty, and I wondered how they would react. I know they would be shocked, but how much?
The king and queen of this nation haven't talked to me yet. I will, without a doubt, be considered a criminal. With Melvin's appearance, a large group of guards blocked my path.
"You criminal! How dare you invade my castle!"
Judging from his voice, the king was here. Unlike his son, the king here looked less frail and had a dignified aura.
"Invade? You can blame your son for that. He tried to rob me, and it's only fair that I do the same."
"WHAT!!! WHERE IS HE?"
"Probably somewhere underground."
I couldn't tell what the king was feeling. Was he worried about his son, or was he angry at him? The king was a spirit-looking creature. It was hard to tell his expression from his face.
We were at a standstill. Melvin was behind me, and fighting in this place was too dangerous. The building would collapse if any of us made a big move.
"Melvin, attack!"
Who am I kidding? Why would I care for something like this? I was already branded a criminal, so what's the point of not acting like one?
I had commanded Melvin to attack, and he swung his tail like a whip, attacking anyone nearby.
"ARHHHHH!"
With how much stronger Melvin was, he destroyed the castle's building and made most of the soldiers flee.
The soldier's blood was splattered, and the people who witnessed what had happened were scared shitless.
Surprisingly, the king was unharmed by Melvin's attack. Was he immune to physical attack? That would be the only explanation for why he was fine.
"You're surprisingly tough for a king."
"And you're going to be killed."
"Is that so?"
The king made the first move. Instead of being a spirit, he was more like a gas-like creature. His weird body surrounded me, and from the looks of it, he tried to suffocate me.
"I don't need to breathe. The air these days is too dirty. I like to keep myself clean."
Even in his gas-like state, I could use magic to destroy the gas coming from him. Before I could do that, he made a different move.
The gas-like king had squeezed me tight. I felt the bones in my body beginning to crack, and blood began to flow out of my mouth and eyes. It was a shame that I couldn't be harmed.
"How???"
"Sorry, but I'm an immortal. All your attempts are futile."
Without playing around anymore, I began to curse him. The gas around him began to disappear as he started to fade away.
"What... what did you do to me?"
"I had erased your body. You will begin to cease to exist. You were a fairly interesting opponent—one of a kind. Well, it was nice meeting you."
"You s..."
Before he finished speaking, the king had faded away. My body had once again improved due to my gaining power after defeating someone with this skill. It wasn't much, but it was still something.
"Melvin. Let's find Joanne. We should leave."
We were no longer welcome in this city. Who would have thought that a king would appear in a place like this? This place was small—too small for a country. And to be titled king—what a joke!
Due to Melvin's appearance, all of the residents evacuated. Most of them hid in their own houses, which I didn't mind. Going to the city gate, Joanne was already there.
"Are you finished touring?"
"..."
Joanne stared at me and had an eerie expression. She was pissed at me, from what I could see.
"It's not my fault. The prince of this city tried to drug me and rob me. I only defended myself."
She sighed at my explanation. Even though she knew why I had done it, it was still a horrible act in her eyes. I could only hope this won't make it awkward.
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