The damn Hatchling’s eyes, which were as big as a human, became watery.

And the floor beneath her started to drench, as if someone had poured buckets of water across it.

Leon was just trying to make the Hatchling scared. He had assumed a high and mighty being such as her would just leave the place out of pride.

But no.

Who could have thought she would start crying.

"You... you humans are so mean..."

The Hatchling sobbed even more.

"I was just sleeping in my chamber. I was not even bothering anyone. And then you barged in, and then you scolded me, and then you made me use all my fire, and then... and then..."

She let out another wail.

"And then you made a hole over my roof!"

Leon blinked.

’What the? Is she trying to play the victim here?!’

Clearly she was the cocky one a moment ago.

Well, to be fair, it was him who poked her first.

But still! She literally tried to burn him alive!

"And now... and now my chamber is cold... and snow is falling on my head... and you are scary..."

The Hatchling sniffled.

"Snifuu..."

Leon’s eye twitched.

"Ugh, Stop crying, will ya."

Leon glared at the wailing dragon with all his might.

And surprisingly, she suddenly shut her mouth.

Beside him, Irene poked his shoulder.

"I think this would be enough."

Leon turned to look at her.

"She is just a child, Leon, if you go further it will only make us look bad."

How would Leon even know how to act in front of a child? That thing is a dragon child or not!

’She is still behaving bratty. Haru, let me come out, I will knock this lizard brat down.’

’Calm down, Rumi.’

Did Rumi have some grudge against dragons?

Leon sighed and ignored Rumi.

"...Ahem."

He cleared his throat and stood straighter.

"I will now speak your mother’s message. And I will only say it once, so hear carefully."

He took out a small scroll from his pocket, which he had prepared before coming here.

The Hatchling stopped weeping.

Her golden eyes lifted slightly on the scroll in Leon’s hand.

Leon unrolled it slowly.

"By the time you hear this, the sky is no longer the territory of us Helldorado Dragons. Once known as the unrivaled rulers of the upper skies, we who breathed hellflames across continents, we have long lost our title, our home, our land, our sky, and... our people."

The Hatchling’s pupils contracted.

"By the time this message reaches your ears, my dear daughter, know that I, Lyvara, the Queen of the Helldorados, have been slain, alongside all of our people."

The Hatchling stood up, and the whole icy cave shook with it.

"As the only blood remaining of mine, I hereby free you from your duty."

Leon paused for a moment and glanced up at her once.

He rolled back the scroll and added the rest.

"You shall do whatever you want from now on. Live where you wish. Fly where you please. Find your own purpose.. But, do not think of taking revenge."

She should now realize why after so many centuries none of her family had come to find her.

Why her mother had never been able to give her any more tasks.

Because they had all been slain.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRR!!!"

The Hatchling let out a roar.

But this one was different from before.

It was the roar of pure anger.

The walls of the cave trembled with the force of it.

Irene saw the Hatchling with both her hands placed on her face. She felt the pain that the Hatchling was currently feeling.

Because just like the little Hatchling, she had lost her family too.

This little one might look humongously tall. But in truth, her mind was no different from a small human child who had just learned her entire family was gone.

The roar gradually dimmed down.

Before long, silence prevailed inside the chamber.

The snowflakes continued to fall slowly through the hole in the ceiling.

Leon had deliberately written the line in the letter telling her not to take revenge.

"Human, which tribe of dragon was powerful enough to kill the Helldorado?"

Surely she would still think they were all killed by a dragon of their own caliber.

But little did she know.

It was never a dragon.

Leon’s lips curled slightly.

A strategic plan, one which could lead to victory against the King of Liora himself started to form in his mind.

And with that in mind, he said.

"If you wish to know, then you must set foot outside this place and do as your mother told you to do. As her messenger, I will not speak a word that defies her orders."

He made his first move against the king of Liora.

Beside him, Irene noticed the tone Leon was speaking in.

She had seen that smirk many times on his face.

And when he wore it, it meant he had something devastatingly impressive forming inside his mind.

Although she was interested in knowing how Leon had come up with this whole messenger story, which she suspected had some truth to it except for the part where Leon was the actual messenger.

The things he did were beyond her understanding sometimes.

Though she was confident she would eventually figure it out once she put her mind to it.

With that, she looked at the Dragon and spoke.

"It has just been a day since the city above was freed from a long curse. If you think you need some time to process, try flying over it rather than living here."

She had noticed Leon had been trying to get her out of this place.

The Hatchling looked up at the sky through the hole.

She thought for a few seconds.

"The sky does not belong to us anymore..."

She said quietly before she bowed her enormous head to Leon.

"My mother must have trusted you, Human. I thank you on her behalf for delivering her last will to me."

She raised her head back up and unfolded her wings.

She flapped them once, creating a small storm of air around the chamber.

Then she took flight.

She rose upward, and her enormous body slipped through the hole in the ceiling, and disappeared into the sky above.

Leon and Irene watched her fly away.

A faint translucent screen flashed in front of Leon’s eyes.

[Quest Clear]

[The Rewards will be allocated in 24 hours]

Seeing the message, Leon heaved a sigh of relief.

"Haaah... finally."

As Leon let out his small moment of joy, they once again heard the roar of the Hatchling coming from the sky above.

"R-ROoOOOOOORRRR...!!"

"...."

Both Leon and Irene looked up at the same time.

And saw the black dragon pathetically racing back to this location, stumbling across the walls of the entrance as she came down.

"How? How are every humans this strong!"

She was crying again after she hid herself at the corner.

Irene and Leon had no idea why she returned.

"What happened?" Leon asked.

"A-As soon as I went out and flew up in the sky, a human landed a kick on my head!"

"They what?"

How could she get beaten up by a human again?

"S-she had long demon-like hair! And... and her eyes were as bright as yours!"

She said all of this while looking at Leon.

And soon enough, both Irene and Leon realized who she was referring to.

Leon sighed and waved his hand at her, telling her not to bother.

"It is fine. You have just stumbled upon my big sister."

"Huh?! That is your big sister?!"

"Seriously, what are you people?!"