Chapter 166

The cave that had concealed the massive body of the dragon crumbles, revealing its overwhelming power.

Its violet eyes gaze down below.

There’s no trace of intelligence at all.

As expected, Sugarado…

Flap.

Two wings filled with a chilling breath spread wide.

Kwahahahaha!!!

A frigid gale rushes forth with the movement of the wings.

Each strand of that wind is laced with sharp magical power.

I soared into the sky, dodging it along with the hatchling.

Only then could I see the entirety of Sugarado.

‘…I didn’t expect a reunion like this.’

It’s probably the same for that guy, too.

[?]

[Is that a monthly report?]

[It really was a monthly report, lol]

[Monthly report, what an unexpected revelation, lol]

[????????]

[What a crazy buff!]

[Is it super strong if it’s critically injured?]

[Can we win?]

[It’s not the empire that’s the problem here.]

[Talikal is going to perish, lololololol]

[Maybe it’s doable in 60 days.]

[We need to form a regular army first.]

[Wow! Monthly report raid!]

[Lolololololol]

[Hasn’t it been almost a year?]

Despite the bustling chat window, my heart remained infinitely cold.

It’s not because of Sugarado’s capabilities.

‘……’

I don’t think I ever heard about Sugarado having a child.

It’s likely a child that was born after I vanished and has been in a frozen state for a long time before being released.

The reason for being in that frozen state is undoubtedly due to facing the threat of death.

“First…”

A blizzard surges.

Every time the dragon’s colossal body moves, the mana around it stirs wildly, and powerful dragon’s breath sweeps over all living beings.

I felt the effects of the breath, but my body isn’t susceptible to mental attacks.

Kuoooh…

In an instant, all the mana in the area converges in one place.

The condensation of mana. Breath.

An ancient dragon race Ice Dragon, and quite possibly a being containing fragments of the demon race.

Even I can’t fully withstand it now.

Fii~!

Thus, I seal it away.

I put aside my clumsy dagger skills and drew my spear.

The breath poured out, and I slammed the spear down.

Kwahhaaaaa!!!

A tremendous surge of mana creates a crack.

Through that crack, the binding of mana intertwines.

Seventeen magical formulas and six powers create a transformation magic formula that ensnares Sugarado.

Flash!

All the magic collapses.

Dragons have various titles, and one of them is the Supreme Master of Magic.

A true master who can nullify all magic with a unique power known only to the dragon race.

Of course, magic from the demon and celestial races is the exception.

The collapsed magic formula regenerates through holiness.

The castle is being recreated once again.

A magic more powerful than before entangles Sugarado once more.

The chains of light wrap around the dragon’s wings tightly, binding its arms and legs.

Kreeeeek!

Finally, the chains wrap around its mouth… no, its neck.

Krrrroooow…

“I… am Sugarado…”

“……”

“The frozen bitter cold…”

“…I know.”

How could I not know this all too well?

[?]

[Lady Lily?]

[?]

[Whoa]

[???]

So just sleep for a moment.

‘Until I make my choice.’

Peeet!

Clank!

■

Letess, holding the title of Count of Talikal, sat in his count’s office, unable to hide his bewilderment.

This was not the original plan.

The original monster was a dragon-shaped creature that only revealed itself during winter.

Claiming to be the ‘Frozen Bitter Cold, White Dragon Sugarado’, it was, in reality, an abnormal creature covered in ice and murky scales.

He had once led soldiers to eliminate the one that drastically dropped the temperature in his territory every winter, but every extermination had proven impossible.

Overwhelming strength and form. Breath that could tear knights apart in an instant.

It was true that it was overwhelmingly strong compared to his forces and could inflict significant damage to the kingdom, but that was all.

‘It’s not a ‘World Boss’ level that affects the entire continent!’

“What on earth is happening…”

Knock knock.

“My lord. We received contact through the official document…”

“Weren’t we supposed to leave tomorrow? Tell them to wait.”

“But Duke Anto and other houses…”

“Get out!”

Thud!

This needs to be managed.

If it is revealed that the count’s house awakened a monster that could shake the entire continent due to territorial greed, it won’t end with just the count’s family.

They might end up rotting in prison for decades or, in severe cases, lose all titles and property, becoming slaves.

No, it’s highly likely that will happen.

‘…Somehow.’

I must solve this situation somehow.

The best way is for Lily to subdue the World Boss directly.

If anyone can do it, it might be Lily, but there’s no way she could take down a ‘Giant Monster’ known as a World Boss alone.

Typically, you need a military unit to tackle such a colossal monster, and numerous nations and renowned immortals have to be mobilized in dozens.

If Lily were to break her contract with Talikal because of this…

If we cut it off…

Gulp.

“God, I might die…”

First, I need to somehow contact Lily and assess the situation—

Scrreech…

“Who is it? I told you not to come in…”

“Am I not allowed too?”

“…?!”

Bang!

Letess abruptly stood up, his chair crashing back.

The man who strolled in as casually as if it were his own home surveyed the office.

His gaze, wandering through the opulent office, finally landed on Letess.

The true lord of this land.

“Your Majesty, how did you come to such a place?”

“Is there anywhere in Talikal that I cannot go?”

The king of Talikal, Dria von Talikal, brushed past the awkwardly standing Letess and sat down at the most prestigious seat in the office.

A dark knight, like a shadow, stood guard beside him.

The royal family’s assassin, ‘Shadow Sword’.

In an instant, Letess felt as if the blade of a dagger had been pressed to his throat as the authority of the office shifted.

“The empire is right in front of us…”

“Yes?”

“Yet you still woke a World Boss from its slumber? Was the situation in your territory that dire?”

“……”

If asked if it was serious, Letess’s answer would be no.

Of course, the bitter cold that came every year was quite severe for the residents of the territory.

Because neighbors, friends, and family often lost their lives to the freezing temperatures.

However, from the lord’s perspective, it wasn’t that grave of an issue.

The yearly losses from freezing to death or suffering due to the cold were just slightly more than the diverse reasons for suffering faced by other territories.

Moreover, Letess’s family always received royal support as compensation for “disasters.”

Letess gritted his teeth.

If this continues, the fall of his family would be inevitable.

If there’s no escape…

“…It’s urgent.”

“It’s urgent?”

“As Your Majesty already knows, the empire’s demon beasts will soon cover the entire continent. If we do not remove the ‘enemies’ from within first during this situation, the damage will become severe.”

The reason for requesting the immortal named Lily to handle the issues of each territory was also that.

To solve internal problems as much as possible before facing the enemy.

“I understand the World Boss is serious. However, if we just leave that serious World Boss alone, we may find ourselves in trouble, considering our territory is not far from the empire. The empire might directly awaken it and cause chaos.”

“……”

“And…”

Cough. He takes a deep breath.

The sharp tension filling the office diminishes slightly.

The king’s expression has become much more benign than before.

If I can persuade him a bit more like this…

“I believed it would be better to delegate the subjugation to the immortal named Lily, who possesses three Masterpieces and is indeed a capable individual. Of course, though it might be a bit tough for Lily to handle the World Boss, if renowned immortals from Talikal assist, we can quickly deal with it without having to borrow help from other kingdoms…”

I decided it would be better to fly. Of course, the World Boss might be a bit much for Lily, but if the renowned Immortals and Talikal helped, we could wrap this up quickly without relying on other kingdoms…

“That’s unfortunate. That monster is already sealed.”

“…Huh?”

What do you mean…

“Immortal Lily used her great power to seal the World Boss, Sugarado. However, it’s a ‘seal,’ not a ‘subjugation.’ There’s no way to stop the disaster known as the Despairing Cold that will erupt in 60 days.”

“That… can’t be.”

“If Talikal is to avoid freezing over, it will need not just Lily’s power this time, but others’ as well. Kingdoms nearby Talikal are already sending requests for cooperation.”

Do you understand, Count Letess?

“This issue is no longer just Talikal’s problem.”

Now the precious forces we need to fight the Empire are going to have to deal with monsters.

“Not to mention resources. Ah. Were you also against Lily obtaining that masterpiece?”

Clatter.

“Now Talikal must think about what more to give Lily.”

“Your Majesty! I was momentarily mad! That was not my intention at all…”

“Shut up.”

Sre.

A Grim Reaper loomed behind Letess.

Only the Shadow Sword of the Royal Family can use the ultimate technique, Shadow Trajectory.

The cold edge of the blade targeted Letess’s neck.

“Please… spare me…”

“I will deal with the judgment of Count Letess after this matter is settled.”

“Thank you…”

“If you wish to receive even a slightly better trial… Well, I don’t need to say more. I’m off now.”

Thud!

“…He’s dead.”

■

A cold wind blew across the snowy mountains.

People were already bustling around the mountain, and Yena, dressed in light clothing that was completely unfit for mid-winter, doubted her eyes upon arrival.

“Wow… The dragon is really big.”

A dragon so enormous it couldn’t be fully comprehended within her field of vision.

Indeed, the name of the World Boss holds true with its overwhelming size.

What was even more surprising was the sight of her sitting in front of such a dragon.

Her signature blue hair danced in the cold wind, and her pure white clothes, though similar to the snow-capped mountains, were incredibly eye-catching.

Above all, she was kneeling with her eyes closed, facing the spear she had thrust into the ground.

‘…Saintess?’

“Oh, Miss Yena. You’ve arrived.”

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