Chapter 29: The Golden Dragon Queen’s Eye

“Faltis, what exactly does this mean?”

Eileen was utterly bewildered. Could weapons truly transform into a dragon’s essence?

Faltis simply raised her hand.

A thunderous rumble echoed.

A gigantic dragon’s claw burst forth from the earth. Grasped firmly within its center was a golden vertical pupil, identical to the one adorning Faltis’s weapon, Nayarin.

“Is this—?!”

“It’s the Golden Dragon Queen’s other vertical pupil,” Faltis explained. “It can be used to repair your weapon.”

“No, this is far too precious!”

Forget the Golden Dragon Queen’s vertical pupil; even an ordinary Dragon King’s pupil was a priceless artifact in the Empire, impossible to obtain at any cost.

“It would just sit there, so it’s better to give it to you,” Faltis said, taking Eileen’s hand and pressing it onto the shattered hilt of Durandal. “There, now accept it with gratitude.”

Eileen struggled, desperate to pull away, but found herself unable to break free. “Please don’t, Faltis!”

“Since its master has already transformed into a dragon, then the weapon should follow its master and become one too,” Faltis murmured, stroking Eileen’s cheek.

The golden vertical pupil shimmered with an eerie light, adhering itself to the sword hilt. Slowly, the shattered blades began to reform.

Faltis released Eileen’s hand.

Eileen felt a scorching sensation on her hand, and though she wanted to let go, she found she couldn’t. Durandal clung to her, refusing to be shaken off.

Even more alarmingly, Eileen’s heart pounded violently.

Dragon scales began to sprout across her body, and her tail thrashed wildly against the ground.

“Boom! Boom!”

The cave threatened to collapse at any moment.

“Ahhh!”

Eileen screamed in agony as blood continuously seeped from the dragon scales, staining her maid uniform crimson.

‘I can help you lift the curse. I can help you kill Faltis!’

A strange voice echoed in Eileen’s mind. She opened her eyes to see the illusory shadow of a dragon.

It was the Golden Dragon Queen, slain by Faltis.

‘I know you harbor resentment. She’s the one who turned you into this. She’s been toying with you, tormenting you all this time!’

‘I can grant you the power to kill her. Close your eyes and accept me!’

The lingering shadow relentlessly tempted Eileen.

‘Indeed, I don’t fully trust Faltis.’

‘Alright!’

‘But if it comes down to you or Faltis, I’d still rather trust Faltis.’

The shadow, enraged and humiliated, transformed into a golden streak and lunged towards Eileen’s chest.

Faltis watched Eileen, her brows furrowed, a rare look of concern gracing her face for the first time.

“Was I too hasty?” Faltis took a step forward.

Even if the previous Golden Dragon Queen had been dead for fifty years, and purified in this place for fifty years, a calamity-level dragon seemed far too overwhelming for Eileen.

While Eileen had once been an S-rank Dragon Slayer, no S-rank dragon-slaying squad had ever defeated a calamity-level dragon since the Empire’s founding. It was nothing more than an imperial lie.

Faltis raised her hand, ready to intervene at any moment, even if it meant destroying the Golden Dragon’s vertical pupil. She placed her hand on Eileen’s chest.

“The dead should rest peacefully in their graves.”

A faint golden light emanated from her hand.

Just then, Eileen’s eyes snapped open. They were unsettling, her purple irises now bloodshot. She trembled, appearing on the verge of collapse.

Eileen seized Faltis’s hand. “Are you worried about me, Faltis?”

“Eileen?”

However, the moment Eileen finished speaking, she lost consciousness, collapsing into Faltis’s embrace.

Durandal, now fully reforged, stood quietly. Its silver blade gleamed, its golden hilt exquisitely ornate, and a closed eye embedded within it hinted at a profound mystery.

Faltis gazed at Eileen in her arms. She was curled up, her lips pale and trembling slightly.

Faltis gently smoothed Eileen’s hair. “She truly is the one I set my sights on.”

Eileen opened her eyes, staring at a ceiling that was both familiar and strange.

It was familiar because she saw it often, yet strange because this was not her room.

‘Never mind,’ she thought. ‘I must be dreaming.’

Eileen closed her eyes again, hugging her dragon tail, and snuggled deeper into the covers, drifting back to sleep.

“Clatter!”

The sound of bedding striking a plate rang out.

Eileen’s tail suddenly shot upright, flinging the covers to the floor. She sat up abruptly, seeing Faltis elegantly crossing her legs, sipping tea, and watching her.

“Faltis?!” Eileen scrambled to her feet. She was wearing Faltis’s pajamas, which were a little loose.

Even a slight movement would reveal Eileen’s fair skin.

“Awake now?”

“I’m so sorry, Faltis! I overslept!” Eileen quickly apologized.

“Tell me, Eileen, have you forgotten something?” Faltis prompted.

“Forgotten…?” Eileen pondered, her gaze catching sight of a black armor and a sword on the table.

“I went to the Dragon’s Treasury with Faltis, saw the armor and Durandal, and then…” Eileen looked up. “I passed out?”

“My little maid seems quite fond of sleeping,” Faltis teased.

Eileen scratched her head, feeling a little embarrassed. “I apologize, Faltis. I’ve caused you trouble again.”

Faltis waved a dismissive hand. Merely passing out was already impressive. The strength of the previous Golden Dragon Queen was devastating to those of the Dragon King level.

Eileen’s ability to succeed on her own was truly remarkable.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about; you’re very capable,” Faltis said, offering Eileen a rare, direct compliment.

“No, no, not at all,” Eileen demurred, shaking her head.

Yet, her wagging dragon tail betrayed her true feelings.

Faltis smiled faintly, choosing not to expose her. And, it seemed, making Eileen happy was such a simple thing after all.

“Try it out,” Faltis said, tossing Durandal to Eileen. “Your new weapon.”

Eileen gazed at Durandal in her hands, its original appearance now completely transformed. The silver blade exuded a cold gleam, the golden hilt displayed a regal splendor, and the tightly closed eye hinted at a touch of mystery.

Eileen infused it with magic, and the pupil slowly opened, revealing not a vertical slit, but a brilliant ruby.

“I knew you didn’t like the look of an eye, so I improved it a little for you. What do you think?”

“Thank you, Faltis!” Eileen exclaimed,into Faltis’s embrace in a ‘dragon crash.’

This was, in every sense, a weapon crafted for humans.