Westminster Bank

Baron Constantin drew his Dragon Spear. He was a Dragon Knight bonded to the Pure-blood Ancient Dragon Wax Dragon Bad, and had already reached the Bronze Tier...

Howard was stunned for a moment when he heard the news from the secretary.

Governor Hoover immediately stood up and said to his secretary, "Send the head of Westminster Cathedral in Wales to the Beowulf Family! We must protect our S Level specialist!"

"And tell those old bastards on the board of directors to ring the Announcement Bell. Say that I have something important to announce to them. The meeting is scheduled at the Shaman Cafe on the Thames River—the one next to Saint Paul’s Church. Remember to tell the staff not to add sugar to my coffee."

Then, Hoover looked at Howard. His old face twitched, but he still said, "Howard, I’ll go with you to Westminster Abbey in London. I feel the procedures for Mr. Baron’s official induction into the Abbey are still not quite adequate."

Howard, having heard what the secretary said, was no longer in a hurry. He smiled and retorted, "But Governor, you just said he couldn’t be given A-level clearance. Logically speaking, an induction process at this level shouldn’t require your personal attention."

"My saying he couldn’t be given A-level clearance was out of respect for Constantine. Perhaps only an even higher rating could barely be worthy of our exceptionally talented containment specialist."

Hoover used a ring on his hand to draw a golden portal and stepped through it into the governor’s office at Westminster Abbey, London. The moment he stepped into the office, his Taoist robe instantly transformed into a sharp, custom-tailored suit. His once-drooping eyebrows were suddenly trimmed short, making him look much more energetic.

He was still an old man, but at least he was an energetic old man.

Governor Hoover walked to his desk, lit a cigarette, and blew a puff of smoke at Howard, who was still outside the portal. "Leave the board of directors to me," he said. "I’ll tell those old geezers to approve a higher level of clearance."

Howard gave a wry smile. His governor was even more shameless than he was.

***

In the plaza, while some Griffin Knights had split off to pursue the Dragon Knight, the remaining ones began to search the area and handle the fallen Trial Takers.

Elder Pence dismounted his Griffin, his gaze sweeping over the pile of bodies for a moment. Then, he pulled aside the Knight Commander in charge of the search and asked where the body of the Dragon Devourer Cultist who had impersonated the Baron was.

The Knight Commander, in turn, pulled over a passing Knight.

The Knight was a rookie who had just become a Griffin Knight. After performing a knightly salute, he reported solemnly:

"As per the search directive, we have found the bodies of 6 Trial Takers, 5 Dragon Guides, and 11 Dragon Devourer Cultists. The body of the Cultist who impersonated Constantine has not yet been located."

Elder Pence’s expression darkened swiftly. He dismissed those around him and walked directly to Roy’s body, which was covered by a white sheet. A flicker of desolation crossed his eyes.

He then gently lifted the white sheet. A nearby Knight saw the gesture but didn’t think much of it, assuming only that the Elder was overcome with grief and wanted to remember his junior’s face.

Elder Pence’s gaze fell on Roy’s empty chest cavity. He reached out a hand to probe it, and his entire body froze.

He stood up and ordered, "Take Roy’s body back to the Hestia Family! Preserve it in a freezer. Quickly!"

One Knight accepted the order, but another stepped forward to block them. Pence flew into a rage, about to reprimand him, but he froze when he got a clear look at the Knight. It was the Vice-Commander of the Griffin Knight Order, Jill Hestia—the eldest son of the Hestia Family and Roy’s older brother.

Jill lifted the white sheet, staring at Roy’s face for a long moment before letting it fall. His expression desolate, he watched the Griffin Knights lift Roy’s body and spoke to Elder Pence, his voice hoarse:

"Was it Baron Constantin who killed Roy...?"

Elder Pence heaved a deep sigh. "Who would have thought the rumored Bloodless would become a legendary Dragon Knight."

"So what if he’s a Bloodless? So what if he’s a Dragon Knight...? That doesn’t give him a reason to kill wantonly," Jill said. "I will capture him and hand him over to the Law for Judgement, even if it takes everything I have."

With that, he mounted his Griffin and flew off, following the Griffin Knights who were transporting Roy’s body.

The Hestia Patriarch approached then, his face also wearing a sorrowful expression. But the sorrow vanished the moment he saw Elder Pence, his features instantly becoming as smooth and blank as a fresh sheet of paper.

"Did the plan fail?" the Hestia Patriarch asked. "The members of the Beowulf Family are all still alive... But I can’t blame you for that. Who would have expected that despicable Bloodless to be here?"

"No," Elder Pence said, shaking his head. "The plan can now be put into motion."

"What do you mean?" A subtle flicker of emotion crossed the Hestia Patriarch’s face.

"Roy was killed by a Dragon Spear, so he has been suffused with a sufficient amount of Ancient Dragon Aura," Elder Pence said. "As long as we can find a Dragon Body capable of withstanding the Ancient Dragon Aura, the ritual can bring him back to life."

"Where can we find a Dragon Body?" asked the Hestia Patriarch.

The Elder didn’t reply. Instead, he gazed toward the edge of the plaza at the receding Dragon Tide and said, "This is the Dracul Mountain Range."

The Hestia Patriarch understood. "Then I’ll leave it to you."

***

Dewey woke up on the back of a dragon. A cloth was tied over his eyes, so he couldn’t see a thing. However, from the fierce wind whipping against his face, the noise around him, and the occasional tremors beneath him, he could roughly guess that he was on the back of some kind of Dragon Species.

’Have I been kidnapped by Constantine to be used as a hostage?’

Dewey quickly searched his memory for the moment he lost consciousness.

’I went forward with Adam, intending to help the arriving Griffin Knights take down the Lawbreaker. The fight was intense.’

’Then, caught off guard, I was hammered by the Lawbreaker with a single blow that made me cough up blood. To save face, I pretended to faint... and then I ended up actually passing out.’