The Dragon half-blood raised his hand and pounded his chest.

“The White Star should consider me to be a failure.”

The White Star had collected Dragon hearts for the Dragon half-blood, however, the Dragon half-blood was only a half-Dragon who could not make it to the third growth phase.

“Wouldn’t the White Star be at least a little bit flustered if that failure shows up in the form of a Dragon to attack him? Heh.”

The Dragon half-blood started to laugh.

He knew how it would be.

Even if he became a Bone Dragon, he would not be able to take the White Star’s life. He was too weak to do that.

The only possible result was that he would die during the battle.

He still wanted to do it.

He looked up at Cale.

The face that had been slightly shocked after hearing the term, ‘Bone Dragon,’ was back to its usual stoic expression.

“Mary.”

“Yes, young master-nim?”

“What does it mean to be a Bone Dragon with free will? I’d like to hear some more details about it.”

“It’s simple.”

Mary responded back with her GPS-like voice.

Cale and Eruhaben’s gazes were focused on her.

“I would create a Dragon with bones and put some magic circles on the bones so that Mr. Dragon half-blood can reside within it. The difference with Sheritt-nim would be that, unlike Sheritt-nim who can maintain her form in the castle, Mr. Dragon half-blood would only have the Bone Dragon form.”

Mary continued to speak while looking at Cale whose thoughts she could not read.

“This is because unlike Sheritt-nim, Mr. Dragon half-blood does not have much life force left so it would not be as effective even if we used magic to maintain his current form. As such, I determined that it would be impossible to maintain his form.”

Cale started to speak.

“It’s obvious that his life force would be low. But won’t it take a lot of mana when you cast that spell?”

Mary turned toward Sheritt for a moment.

“It would take all of Mr. Dragon half-blood’s mana. Sheritt-nim has also agreed to help out.”

Sheritt was hugging Raon and patting his back.

She had a bitter smile on her face as Raon looked up at her.

Raon subconsciously raised one of his paws.

“T, then I will al-.”

However, Raon could not finish his sentence.

It was because Cale asked a question in a cold voice.

“Then if that spell succeeds, the Dragon half-blood would have freedom, unlike Sheritt-nim.”

Cale made eye contact with the Dragon half-blood.

The Dragon half-blood looked into those eyes that seemed as deep as the sea.

“If it is as Mary said, even though you won’t have your physical body, you’ll be able to move around freely.”

The Dragon half-blood started to smile.

“…You don’t trust me.”

Cale had no idea what the Dragon half-blood might do if he could move around freely.

That was probably what he was worried about.

He was concerned that the Dragon half-blood might harm his family once he was free.

The Dragon half-blood was not disappointed to hear this.

In fact, Cale’s cold gaze made the Dragon half-blood feel relieved.

He did not dare to call Raon and Sheritt-nim his family. Cale was by their side and Cale was very thorough about anything that could harm his family even a little bit.

That should be the reason Cale was looking at him with such a cold gaze right now.

But the Dragon half-blood truly felt relieved after sensing this coldness directed toward him.

A gentle voice flowed out of his mouth.

“Yes. Don’t trust me. Cough!”

The Dragon half-blood coughed so hard that his whole body jerked and blood spurted out.

However, he continued to speak.

“Haaaaaaaaa. Haaaa. My attribute is, ugh. It’s light.”

“And I handle dead mana, which is incompatible with light.”

Mary added on.

“I plan on putting dead mana throughout the Bone Dragon’s body in the locations without the magic circles. It is mainly to strengthen the bones.”

Cale could see the smile on the Dragon half-blood’s face become thicker after hearing Mary’s explanation.

She continued to speak in a calm voice.

“They can also be used as bombs. Depending on the situation, we are even able to make him explode to attack our enemies.”

Take an enemy with you as you die.

It was possible to attack the enemies by putting his life on the line.

“Furthermore, should Mr. Dragon half-blood do anything funny, we can use the dead mana for the Bone Dragon’s body…”

She stopped talking for a moment.

It was because she remembered Raon was there.

She would have said that they would be able to destroy the Bone Dragon’s body as they wished. She was going to say that destroying the Bone Dragon’s body would mean the Dragon half-blood’s death, meaning that they didn’t have to worry about him doing any funny business. That was what she was going to say, however…

Mary chose her words wisely in consideration of Raon.

“…We can prevent Mr. Dragon half-blood from doing anything that goes against our wishes.”

“I see.”

Cale stood up from the chair next to the bed.

“I guess you want to pay for your sins.”

The Dragon half-blood flinched his shoulders after hearing what Cale said next.

“And get your revenge.”

The Dragon half-blood had not mentioned revenge at all, but his deepest desire was found out.

The Dragon half-blood wanted to say that he was not just doing this because he was obsessed with getting revenge.

“I-”

“I have a condition you must agree to if I let you do this.”

The Dragon half-blood shut up after hearing Cale’s voice.

The condition he mentioned…

“Throw away any desire of getting revenge.”

It was too difficult to do.

The Dragon half-blood’s shaking pupils took in Cale’s stoic expression.

“The war that is to come is not for your revenge. It is also not for you to pay for your sins.”

“That… Of course I know-”

“For this war, we must focus on protecting and saving as many people as possible.”

The Dragon half-blood closed his mouth.

A battle where they must focus on saving as many people as possible.

“The representatives of every kingdom throughout the Western continent are all gathered in a meeting room right now. Although the goal is to kill the White Star, their number one priority is peace and protecting their territory and the citizens who live there.”

Although they were using words like peace, it was just a battle to protect their land and people.

That was extremely difficult to do.

Cale wanted to find an easy way to achieve such difficult things.

“It is the same for me as well. I am fighting to protect myself and the people around me.”

Land, people, self…

This was a battle to protect.

Cale was tired of battles focused on losing something and didn’t want to fight if he didn’t need to do so.

“Your emotions are useless to my plan right now.”

The Dragon half-blood took a deep breath.

Cale looked at the Dragon half-blood and continued to speak.

“Whether you cast aside your desire for revenge or suppress it… I will happily use you however I want if you can hide that emotion from me and agree to take part in this fight in order to protect.”

In order to protect someone.

The Dragon half-blood’s eyes automatically headed toward a corner of the room.

He could see Sheritt-nim and Raon looking at him.

He felt as if he could not breathe.

He needed to pay the price for his sins and he wanted to get revenge.

That had not changed.

He wasn’t even thinking about living peacefully.

Cale should know that better than anybody.

He was the one who noticed his desire for revenge after all.

However, Cale said that the goal of this battle was to protect something.

‘…Does a bastard like me have the right to protect something?’

The Dragon half-blood could not look away from Sheritt and Raon even though there were many thoughts flowing through his mind.

That was why he regretted his past actions even more such that it made it hard to breathe.

Cale must have noticed it somehow, as he heard Cale’s cold voice at that moment.

“Don’t think about taking it easy. You also should not think about things going the way you want them to go.”

His gaze turned toward Cale.

“This is an important battle where you must continue to move forward regardless of whether your body is destroyed or not. If you are weak, you will have to fight in a different place without being able to see the White Star’s face. You’ll keep doing that until the war ends.”

The war might end without the Dragon half-blood ever seeing the White Star’s face if he was weak.

He might die in the process as well.

“You can give it a go if you can accept all of that.”

Cale then turned away from the Dragon half-blood.

“He, hehe.”

He could hear the Dragon half-blood laughing behind him.

“…I’ve seen things.”

The Dragon half-blood stared at Cale, who was saying that he would fight to protect things, with a piercing gaze.

Cale, who was saying that he would protect himself and his people, always fought for his people and others without caring about himself.

He had seen it as Cale’s enemy and again while standing on Cale’s side.

“Now I get it.”

The Dragon half-blood decided to fight like Cale.

He would suppress his guilt and the desire for revenge that he would carry with him forever in order to fight like Cale Henituse.

Even if he died in the process, this was something he needed to do.

“I wish to give it a try.”

The Dragon half-blood continued to look at the person who didn’t even turn around after he said that.

Cale did not turn back toward the Dragon half-blood. He just started to speak to Mary.

“Mary.”

“Yes, young master-nim?”

“When do you plan on doing it?”

“I plan on doing it whenever I finish the preparations. It will be within the week.”

“It won’t be too difficult?”

“It’s doable.”

Cale nodded his head and that was the end.

He patted Lock’s shoulder once before stepping out through the open door and into the hallway.

“Thanks.”

However, he couldn’t help but stop after hearing someone thank him.

“I don’t think there is any need to thank me for this, Sheritt-nim.”

“I know. I still wanted to say it to you.”

Sheritt had a gentle smile on her face.

Raon was squirming inside her embrace.

Cale responded back in his normal tone.

“Please enjoy your chat. Raon, come back as soon as your chat is over.”

Cale nonchalantly added on after seeing Raon tilt his head in confusion.

“We need to eat.”

“Heh.”

Raon finally started to smile.

“I got it, human! I will find you after I finish my chat with my mom and the Dragon half-blood!”

Cale nodded his head and walked out.

Eruhaben was standing next to him.

“Are you not going to say with them, Eruhaben-nim?”

“There’s no reason for me to be there.”

Eruhaben peeked toward Cale and nonchalantly made a comment.

“I’m debating helping them with my mana as well.”

“Why don’t we ask the other three Dragons as well?”

“…Hmm?”

Eruhaben looked confused as his eyes opened wide to look at Cale.

Cale shrugged his shoulders.

“Wouldn’t it lower the burden on each Dragon and be more effective if there is mana from six Dragons instead of three?”

“That is true.”

“And…”

Eruhaben flinched after making eye contact with Cale.

“You should worry more about yourself than the Dragon half-blood, Eruhaben-nim.”

“Huh?”

“I still have the jar.”

It was cracked, but Cale still had the jar with life force.

That item would be used to extend Eruhaben’s life.

Eruhaben had rejected it, but Cale was planning on making Eruhaben take the life force in the jar no matter what.

“Heh.”

Cale started to smile.

Eruhaben suddenly felt as if his back was getting cold.

“Please drop your guard. The moment you drop your guard will be when your life is extended.”

Cale was the first one to give Eruhaben chills like this during his close to 1,000 years of life.

“…That is an extremely scary threat.”

“It is not a threat. So please, please, drop your guard.”

The way Cale was smiling looked completely identical to Raon.

Although Eruhaben knew that this was touching and a good thing, he felt as if an unknown sense of unluckiness was coming to him in buckets.

He tried to say something but Cale was quicker.

“Are Duke Fredo and Solena here?”

“Huh? Yes. They are. We moved them here because we couldn’t continue to leave them in the Henituse territory.”

“Mm. I guess I should go visit.”

“I’ll lead the way. It’s not that far.”

Eruhaben pointed in the opposite direction from where the Dragon half-blood had just been.

“That room is where Duke Fredo is, and Solena is in the room next door. Mary has been looking after them until now.”

“Mary seems to have been quite busy.”

“Mary is the best among us when it comes to dead mana and things related to that attribute.”

Cale followed Eruhaben and arrived at the last room on the other side.

“Duke Fredo did not regain his consciousness even when you left to go to the capital.”

“That is weird. I heard that his recovery rate is very quick.”

“I agree.”

Screeeech.

Eruhaben turned the door knob and air that was colder than the hallway flowed out of the room.

“Mm.”

Cale could see Duke Fredo lying there with a pale expression on his face.

“Solena has not regained consciousness either. They look fine and have passed the dangerous situations so I’m not sure why they aren’t waking up.”

Cale approached Duke Fredo while listening to Eruhaben.

Duke Fredo was lying on the bed and breathing normally, however, the way he had his eyes closed made it seem as if he would not ever wake up.

Cale started to frown and started to speak.

“Mm. Duke Fredo needs to hurry up and wake up so that we can get information on where the White Star is right no- ugh!”

“Cale!”

It was at that moment.

“What the hell?!”

Cale almost fell forward because a strong force had pulled at him.

“Cale, are you okay?”

Eruhaben quickly supported him while Cale looked at the body part he was being pulled by.

It was his wrist.

“…Duke Fredo?”

Duke Fredo, the one who had been lying here as if he was dead, was the one who had grabbed Cale’s wrist.

Cale’s eyes looked toward Duke Fredo.

“Oo…ooooooooo…….”

His eyes were still closed as he barely managed to open his mouth to get a single word out.

“…Blood……”

‘Blood?’

As Cale was about to frown…

“…Pa…na…ce…a……”

Panacea blood.

Duke Fredo had told Cale about it in the past.

‘Your blood is very good for Vampires. Taste, nutrition, healing properties. It is a panacea.’

Cale started to speak while thinking about that moment.

“Fuck.”