Chapter 26: The Dragon’s Treasury and Lingering Spirits

Eileen Calibot left the Golden Dragon Temple and arrived at the place where she had previously dueled Faltis Calibot.

“What astonishing destructive power,” Eileen mused, gazing at the mountain before her that had been cleaved in two.

Even though Faltis had unleashed a Great Magic, she had done so without any incantation, employing rapid casting instead.

Despite this, Eileen had been utterly incapable of retaliating.

Frankly, Eileen could not even begin to fathom the true, terrifying might of a Great Magic fully chanted by Faltis.

Was it a blessing, then, that she was not currently Faltis’s adversary?

‘…’ Eileen realized that, imperceptibly, she had grown accustomed to considering things from the dragons’ perspective.

In the past, such a thought would have been unthinkable, even if it meant her death in battle.

“Alas,” Eileen sighed, shaking her head vigorously, trying her best to banish such thoughts.

She harbored a deep fear.

She feared she would truly forget her identity as a Dragon Slayer.

Eileen retrieved an amethyst orb. Biting her finger, she let a drop of crimson blood fall onto the crystal, which then pulsed with an eerie glow.

Indeed.

The Dragon’s Treasury was not accessible to just anyone, nor was its location easily found.

As Eileen channeled magic into the crystal orb, strange, winding patterns slowly emerged upon its surface.

Though convoluted, Eileen, having lived in the Golden Dragon territory for so long, recognized them as a map route.

Eileen had visited the Dragon’s Treasury once before, but Faltis had guided her then.

It was not that Eileen had forgotten the way; rather, Faltis had mentioned that the Treasury’s location constantly shifted, necessitating this method for pinpointing it.

However, Faltis had omitted one crucial detail: only royal blood possessed this effect.

“Is it… this place?” Eileen wondered aloud, after spending an hour circling the mountainous region, following the map’s winding path.

She had returned to her starting point, the nearly flattened mountain range.

Faltis was already standing there.

“You’re a little slow in arriving,” Faltis remarked.

“The map dictated it,” Eileen replied with a helpless shrug.

The destination was right there, yet the map insisted on a convoluted route, making Eileen search for an extended period.

“Come with me,” Faltis said, raising her hand.

“I cannot enter, Lady Faltis,” Eileen stated, remaining rooted to her spot. This area was a forbidden zone within the Golden Dragon territory.

Only successive Dragon Kings were permitted entry.

“If I say you can, then you can,” Faltis insisted, taking Eileen’s hand.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, Faltis chanted an obscure, arcane incantation. As she raised her hand, a golden barrier suddenly materialized before them.

The golden barrier slowly dissipated, revealing a winding, narrow path that stretched before Eileen.

Standing there, she could not discern its end.

“Let’s go, Eileen.”

“Mm…” Eileen felt like a docile girlfriend at that moment.

Faltis’s hand felt so soft, and being held by it seemed rather pleasant.

Thump, thump, thump!

They trod upon smooth stone steps, venturing deeper into the path.

Throughout their journey, Eileen remained largely silent.

She felt a slight discomfort in this place, as an incessant Dragon’s Might surged towards her. She could perceive the lingering afterimages of colossal dragons flying in the air.

But soon, a soft golden light enveloped Eileen, easing her burden considerably.

“Lady Faltis, why don’t we just fly up?” Eileen asked, letting out a sigh of relief, finally freed from the need to resist the strange Dragon’s Might.

“Indeed, why don’t we?” Faltis replied with a faint smile.

With a wave of her hand, a colossal dragon crafted from ice surged skyward.

However, the ethereal dragon shadows swiftly tore the ice dragon to shreds.

“This place forbids flight.”

Eileen trembled. Even if it was merely an ice dragon conjured casually by Faltis, it was not something that could be so easily ripped apart.

These dragon shadows… each possessed at least the strength of a Dragon King.

“Are those dragon shadows the guardians of the Dragon’s Treasury?” Eileen inquired.

‘…’ Faltis suddenly chuckled.

“What is it, Lady Faltis?” Eileen wondered, finding nothing particularly amusing about her question. Was it not perfectly normal for a treasury to have guardians?

“You are truly, adorably naive,” Faltis said, pinching Eileen’s cheek.

“These are the souls of successive Dragon Emperors or challengers who were slain, sealed within this place,” Faltis explained.

As she spoke, several golden, ethereal dragon shadows watched her intently from the side.

“Could this be…” Eileen murmured, gazing at the dragon shadows and sensing their palpable resentment.

“Those are the challengers who fell by my hand, and that one,” Faltis indicated a phantom clearly larger than the others, “is the previous Golden Dragon Queen. So, in truth, calling them guardians isn’t entirely wrong.”

No wonder that particular phantom harbored such deep resentment towards Faltis.

Moreover, this place was utterly unknown to Eileen.

Every Dragon King, during their lifetime, possessed at least Calamity-tier strength. Even in death, their lingering power remained at a terrifying Dragon King level.

It was no exaggeration to say that if all these departed souls were unleashed, the empire’s first line of defense might not even last a single day.

It seemed the empire’s so-called dragon slaying was nothing more than child’s play; without a hidden ace, it would be a completely one-sided battle.

“Perhaps, one day, I too will appear here,” Faltis suddenly mused.

“?”

‘No…’ Eileen’s heart instinctively recoiled from the thought, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Faltis’s hand.

“How could that be? Lady Faltis is so powerful, how could anyone possibly defeat you?”

Faltis felt the pressure on her hand. She looked at Eileen, seeing the worry etched on her face. Eileen truly wore her heart on her sleeve.

“What? Are you worried about me? If I were defeated, perhaps you could revert to being a Dragon Slayer, and you wouldn’t have to be my maid, constantly being teased by me,” Faltis said.

“I… I’m not worried about you! I just… I just hope that the one who defeats you is me! I will have my revenge! Only I can defeat you!” Eileen declared.

‘Yes! That’s right! That must be what I’m thinking. Only I can defeat Faltis!’

“Alright, then I shall look forward to seeing if you make any progress,” Faltis replied with a soft smile.

‘Indeed, a maid will inevitably come to resemble her master, is that not perfectly normal?’