Chapter 629 At Dawn
"Put me down. I can walk on my own," Eris gasped, trying to push Arad away.
"You can't just walk on your own, but fight as well. You're powerful enough to beat my half-dragon form. Judging by how you're a half-dragon as well, I say in that, you're stronger than me." He kept walking, ignoring her push, "There aren't that many people like you."
"I did talk with Lydia about this," Eris looked at the dawning sun, "She's the one who first beat me. So I wanted her opinion about using holy magic,"
Arad looked at the sun with a worried face, "About Lydia...seeing her fight before, I can't shake this feeling that she could wake me down,"
"She's slower and weaker than both of us," Eris stared at him, "She might have a far superior control over holy magic than me due to experience, but I doubt that edge would help her win,"
"Alcott is physically weaker and slower than the dragons he hunts, yet he still rips through them like a scythe through wheat." Arad looked at Eris, "You can be as proficient as her,"
"Then I need to rack up experience by fighting monsters and humanoids alike," Eris smiled, "Let's get back. I bet the others are worried."
"Before that," Arad extended his hand into his stomach, pulling two rings, a silver and gold one.
"Oh! My, you had some for me as well," She smiled, extending her hand toward him.
"You saw the rings before," Arad sighed, pushing the gold ring into her finger, and she pushed the silver ring into his right hand.
Arad looked at his fist, it was full of rings, and now he's starting to fill his right fist.
"Too much rings," He mumbled.
"You looked like a wanna-be rich merchant pretending to have a lot of money by wearing jewelry." Eris giggled, hugging Arad's neck as he teleported with her toward the castle, landing on the balcony of the ballroom where he was before.
"You've had quite the dance," Amber said, staring at them as she sat on a chair, pointing at the garden below. Arad looked, finding the ground as dry as the desert.
"Wasn't it just raining?"
"The heat and magic released by your fight almost cooked the capital," She stood, approaching them, "Next time, get even further away before you get down to your business. Don't forget that we aren't humans," She looked at her hand, "You, me, and her, most of us are now monsters beyond human conventions. Collateral damage is still a thing,"
"I know. I wasn't expecting such heat to be released," Arad sighed.
"That was probably my expansion," Eris stood on her own, looking at Amber, "It might not be as hot as yours, but it's still a purple sun."
"Mine?" Amber sighed, shaking her head, "I don't have one, and don't call that an expansion. Igniting the air could be a disaster,"
"I won't let that happen." Zephyr flew in, sitting on Amber's head, "The air is my domain, and I have enough power to make sure you won't burn it,"
"Thanks," Amber sighed in relief.
"Forget about that," Zephyr grabbed Amber by her eyelashes and pulled her face up, staring at her eyes. "How about getting in with Arad, he has money,"
"Don't joke like that," Amber sighed, pulling Zephyr off her head, "I might be a gold digger, but I'm not that cheap," She looked at Arad.
[She can bear eggs now. Being a fire elemental raised her mana stability a lot,] Mom said in Arad's head. What makes a woman unable to bear a void egg isn't age and physical degradation. But it's more magic degradation due to old age, sickness, or an unnatural shift in magic like what happens with wild magic sorcerers.
Amber's magic circuit had degraded due to age and excessive alcohol consumption but transforming into a fire elemental fixed that. The same could be said for Nina. Physically, she couldn't be better, but the strange blood flowing down her veins would get in the way of a healthy egg. So unless she gets rid of it, or fully controls it, she can't bear void eggs.
"But," Merlin showed behind Arad, walking around him, "What about me?" She smiled.
"No," Arad stated, "I know it's possible with a high human, but the magic consumption would be far too great. Your body won't handle it,"
"I know I'm physically weak, but I can compensate with magic,"
"Magic doesn't make you healthy," Arad looked at her, "And you won't do any weird experiments on me?"
"I'll only write a book about void dragon mating rituals and habits," Merlin smiled, staring at Arad with interest, excited to record anything about the rare species of dragon ahead of her.
Arad sighed, walking into the ballroom as the other girls followed him. The guests had already left and he found the rest of the girls sitting inside, drinking tea as they read a large pile of papers with King Baltos.
"What's going on?" Arad asked.
Baltos handed a paper to Arad, "Take a look,"
"A strange monster got spotted at the kingdom's edge," Aella said with a worried face, "Not a single person encountered it and lived, and it had already killed a dozen A-rank adventurers."
"Since when?" As Arad read the paper, his eyes could only grow wide.
Nina approached him, "Two days ago, but it was thought to be a normal monster, and we expected the party of A-ranks to deal with it, but now we lost them."
"So, you want me to take care of it?" Arad put the paper on the table, "Work right after the wedding. This is a bad timing,"
"Judging by how it's moving, its path would cross your land eventually." Baltos looked at him, "I didn't want to push the work onto you, so I wanted to discuss the problem with them first," He looked at the girls, "See if it's something you deal with first. Before asking you for help."
"No matter how strong it is," Arad lifted his hand, his rings reflecting the light, "One pull into my expansion, and it dies," He thought about the cursed pillar he has.
"You'll take the job?" Baltos gasped, "If that's the case, I'll start the preparation,"
Arad shook his head, "No need, I got deal with it quickly and come back," He said, ^I do want to get back to making eggs as soon as possible. I won't take a week's quest.^
"I'll go alone so I can move at top speed, reach and blast it to ash with an expansion, and come back before the sunset," Arad said, and Baltos looked out the window. It's only a bit after dawn.
"You sure? It's dangerous." He looked at him. "At least take someone with you,"
"I'm taking one with me," Arad smiled, thinking of Doma inside his head.
"Go back home with Alcott. I'll be back before you know it," Arad walked toward the balcony, "It's already daytime, so get ready for the night." He whispered to Aella, "Get the other ready as well,"
"She nodded, blushing,"
ZON! Arad teleported into the sky, flying into the sunrise.
****
One week later, no word came back from Arad until a sealed box was delivered to Alina's guild. Nina immediately recognized the box. It's the one the guild sends the remains of adventurers into their homes.
She opened the red later, and her face paled upon seeing the first line written there.
[The Remain of Arad Orion of Alina, S-rank adventurer.]
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