Chapter 87: The Dragon’s Shadow and Peculiar Memories

Within Alastor, the Knights’ Headquarters stood.

Even in the dead of night, the Knights’ headquarters remained brilliantly illuminated, a beacon against the darkness. Knights of various nocturnal races moved through its halls, their laughter and lighthearted chatter weaving a tapestry of relaxed serenity.

Within her office, Roalsa sat in quiet contemplation, her gaze fixed upon a crimson stone resting on her desk. A cup of long-cold coffee sat forgotten beside her hand, its placid surface mirroring the bright overhead lights. As a faint breeze stirred through the room, delicate ripples shivered across the liquid.

“Roalsa, has he replied?”

Olivia pushed open the door, a substantial stack of books cradled in her arms, and settled into the chair across from Roalsa.

Roalsa shook her head.

“Not yet,” she replied. “Perhaps we must wait a little longer.”

“You seem rather anxious. Would you like to rest?”

Ever since her return to the Knights, Roalsa had been confined to her office, her eyes refusing to close even for a moment, all in fervent anticipation of the young man’s reply.

“There’s no need.”

Roalsa waved a dismissive hand, managing to conjure a faint, strained smile.

“There are still innocent people trapped within Fafnir’s cave; I cannot possibly rest like this.”

“Is that so…”

Olivia cast a fleeting glance at the forgotten coffee on the table, then sighed softly. Without another word, she pulled out a book and began to leaf through its pages. From the periphery of her vision, Roalsa caught sight of the title: ‘A Compendium of Midgardian Ancient Creatures’.

Olivia showed no hesitation, turning directly to the page detailing the Fafnir species and immersing herself in its contents.

“Olivia, if she truly is a dragon, what then are we to do?”

“I pray she isn’t,” Olivia replied, shaking her head, her brow furrowing with worry.

Roalsa refrained from pressing further, understanding implicitly the depth of Olivia’s apprehension. Should the young woman known as Fafnir indeed prove to be a dragon, it would unleash nothing short of catastrophic devastation upon the inhabitants of Alastor.

No, more than Alastor alone, the entire kingdom would be plunged into peril.

While Brunhilde had maintained that Fafnir was merely a juvenile dragon, even a young dragon’s might was far beyond what Roalsa and her companions could hope to contend with.

“Roalsa, it seems there’s a reply.”

As Roalsa remained lost in the depths of her contemplation, Olivia’s voice broke the silence, jolting her from her thoughts. Roalsa’s head shot up. The stone on the desk, which had been glowing, was now slowly dimming its light, and a sheet of paper materialized upon its surface. Roalsa snatched it up, swiftly unfolded the missive, and began to read with intense concentration.

“Eyes, red, with pupils bearing patterns akin to a dragon’s. On her wings, red, eye-like markings are visible. Her teeth are uniformly sharp, and her calves are covered in black scales…”

Roalsa meticulously read each word aloud, while Olivia nodded in silent acknowledgment, cross-referencing the description with the ancient text. As Roalsa’s voice grew progressively more strained with tension, Olivia’s own brow furrowed into an ever-deeper knot of concern.

When Roalsa finally concluded reading the letter’s chilling contents, Olivia’s face was already etched with profound unease.

“Well? Olivia, how much matches?”

Roalsa watched as Olivia swallowed uneasily, her fingers beginning to tap a soft, anxious rhythm against the book’s pages.

“One hundred percent.”

“It all matches…”

Olivia finally lifted her gaze, yet even then, she found herself hesitant to draw a definitive conclusion. She desperately wished to believe it was all merely a string of uncanny coincidences.

Perhaps the young man had simply been mistaken.

Yet, how could every detail he described align perfectly with the ancient text?

“Wait, there seems to be more,” Roalsa said, flipping the letter over and continuing to read.

“Furthermore, Miss Roalsa,

Regarding Arebos, though I do not know what it is, Fafnir stated that she wishes to release Arebos, or something to that effect.

She appears to be preparing to grant Arebos a portion of her magic, intending for Arebos to…

…destroy Alastor.”

As Roalsa uttered those final words, both Olivia and she simultaneously met each other’s gaze. In the depths of their eyes, a chilling tableau of surprise, terror, and profound anxiety was vividly reflected.

Following a tense, brief silence, Roalsa abruptly surged from her office, her departure swift and urgent. Moments later, Olivia heard Roalsa’s voice echoing through the headquarters, a clear, commanding call for all knights to assemble.

****

The following day, Aldoran and Qing Yu once again set out for the zoo together. Yet, as they approached its entrance, they found their path obstructed by an impenetrable throng of people.

“Excuse me, what’s happened? Why is everyone blocking the entrance and not going in?”

Qing Yu intercepted a woman who had managed to extricate herself from the dense crowd, posing his question.

“It appears something has occurred. The Knights have sealed off the zoo today, prohibiting entry to all,” the woman explained, inclining her head towards the bustling crowd. “You both ought to leave quickly; it’s certain to remain closed today.”

“Aldoran, it seems our visit to the zoo is off-limits today.” Once the woman had departed, Qing Yu gently took Aldoran’s hand and gestured towards a nearby street-side restaurant. “Perhaps we should find something to eat first?”

Having no immediate alternative, Aldoran readily agreed to Qing Yu’s suggestion, guiding him to an available table within the restaurant.

The restaurant was filled with individuals clad in knight uniforms, rendering Aldoran and Qing Yu conspicuously out of place amidst the sea of official attire.

“Qing Yu, Aldoran, what are you two doing here?”

No sooner had they settled than a figure took the seat beside Aldoran—none other than Olivia herself.

“We were planning a visit to the zoo,” Qing Yu responded, then promptly lowered his gaze to intently scrutinize the menu, effectively ceding the conversation to Aldoran.

“Speaking of which, Miss Olivia, has something happened at the zoo? I heard it’s been sealed off.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Olivia replied without hesitation. After all, Qing Yu and Aldoran had previously cooperated with the Knights, and Olivia held a considerable degree of trust in them.

“It concerns Fafnir.”

“Fafnir?” Hearing the name, Qing Yu immediately looked up. “What is it, Miss Olivia? Has Fafnir appeared at the zoo?”

“No, that is not the case,” Olivia clarified, shaking her head. “It’s a letter Brunhilde dispatched just recently. He reported that Fafnir intends to unleash Arebos, the colossal dragon housed within the zoo.”

“Therefore, as a precaution, we’ve deployed additional personnel to maintain round-the-clock vigilance at the zoo.”

“But hasn’t Arebos already lost all its magical power?” Aldoran immediately questioned.

“By all accounts, even if it were unleashed, it should be incapable of inflicting any harm.”

“That is true, but what if Fafnir decides to share a portion of her energy with Arebos?”

“Share a portion of her power?”

Aldoran’s brow furrowed in thought.

“What is she trying to do?”

“We are uncertain. Brunhilde stated her intention is to lay waste to Alastor, yet her motives remain entirely unknown to us.”

“I understand…” Aldoran mused, biting her lip thoughtfully for a moment.

“Miss Olivia, are you also here for security today?”

“Indeed, that is correct. I’ve brought my contingent to relieve the other teams; all those seated here are my subordinates.”

“I see. In that case, I won’t disturb you further.”

A simple, uneventful lunch followed. Once their meal was concluded, Aldoran and Qing Yu took their leave.

“Wait, Miss Aldoran,” Olivia called out just as Aldoran was about to depart. She stepped forward, extending a small note to Aldoran.

“Fafnir’s characteristics are exactly as Eden described.”

“Mhm.”

Aldoran accepted the note, then, accompanied by Qing Yu, made her way directly back to the inn.

Aldoran resolved to seek out Eden, hoping to glean further information from him.

Arriving at Eden’s door, Aldoran offered a gentle knock. ‘Mr. Eden, are you there?’ she inquired softly. An immediate response came from within.

“Please, come in.”

With a soft ‘click,’ Aldoran slowly pushed open the door, her gaze falling upon a rather confined room. There, Eden was crouched on the floor, meticulously rummaging through a wooden chest.

The surrounding floor was littered with an assortment of collars, handcuffs, and other such peculiar items.

“Th-that, Eden?” Qing Yu’s face immediately flushed crimson as he stared at the objects on the floor.

“Oh, my apologies, my apologies. The room is quite a mess. Please, make yourselves comfortable wherever you can.”

Eden, however, exhibited not an ounce of shame, continuing his search through the chest as though utterly oblivious. Qing Yu, his face still burning, could only direct his gaze to other corners of the room.

Adorning Eden’s bookshelf was an oil painting, portraying the serene back of a golden-haired young woman. Beside her sat a young man with hair like spun silver. Both were depicted nestled within a vibrant flower patch, their gazes united toward a distant horizon.

“Um, Eden, isn’t this… a bit inappropriate?”

“It’s fine, really. I just take them out occasionally to reminisce about the past,” Eden said, tossing out a pair of leg shackles from the box. “If you, dear Aldoran, and dear Qing Yu, wish for them, I can give them to you, you know.”

“Oh, indeed, I often used these on my beloved husband. She is quite open-minded, and I particularly enjoyed using collars on her. Would you two care to learn how? There are quite a few applications, you know.”

With each word Eden uttered, Qing Yu’s face deepened to an alarming shade of crimson.

“Um, Eden, you’re not a sadist, are you?”

“A sadist? What precisely is that?” Eden inquired, lifting his head to regard Qing Yu with an expression of genuine curiosity. “I merely find these items rather amusing, you see. In truth, my beloved husband also employs them on me.”

“Ah, but she much prefers it when I’m the one to restrain her. She especially adores it when I fasten this collar upon her.”

“Therefore, my dears Qing Yu and Aldoran, there is absolutely no need for embarrassment. Simply indulge in whatever desires stir within you. Should you find yourselves in need of any of these items, I would be delighted to bestow them upon you.”

“E-Eden, don’t you ever get embarrassed…?”

Qing Yu felt as though his head might spontaneously combust.

“There is nothing at all to be ashamed of; these are all my treasured memories,” Eden declared, then produced two yellowed books from the chest. “And my memories aren’t solely comprised of… ‘naughty’ things, you understand.”

“In truth, my memories also include her poems, her paintings, the doll she gave me…” Eden’s words cascaded forth, a rapid succession of cherished nouns.

Qing Yu noticed that throughout this outpouring, Eden’s face remained illuminated by a beatific, happy smile.

“Speaking of which, Eden, your husband, she…”

“Now then, my two guests, what brings you here today?”

Qing Yu was about to inquire further, but Eden deftly cut him off after only the first few words. Eden meticulously gathered his scattered items, neatly arranging them back into the wooden chest. He secured the lock, then settled onto his bed.

A colorful slime, seemingly from nowhere, sprang onto Eden’s lap. Eden chuckled softly, stroking the slime as he looked at Aldoran and Qing Yu.

Aldoran, having settled herself, offered a slight bow to Eden.

“I have come to ask about Fafnir.”