Chapter 86

**※ This episode is a side story.**

When the world goes mad, those who do not go mad cannot fully lead their own lives.

This was a saying applicable anywhere, be it an empire, a kingdom, or even a demonic realm.

People had grown indifferent, even when innocents were stabbed and left to die by robbers on the streets.

It had become customary to bribe bosses or nobles to get promoted.

When an entire family faced starvation, it was taken for granted that the youngest child would be sold into slavery first.

Everyone was aware that none of this was a normal situation, but no individual had the power to condemn the state of affairs.

They simply complied and accepted it.

Among the many human figures surviving day by day by hunting rabbits in the Ciela Mountains was a man who introduced himself as Raven.

In such a chaotic era, although there were many who had lost their sanity, he was certain that no one was crazier than the woman fiddling with pebbles right before his eyes.

“Are you really planning to hunt a dragon?”

“To quell this erosion, I absolutely need a Dragonheart.”

“Ha, it’s easy to say. There are many ways to commit suicide, you know.”

The man scoffed.

The intention to hunt a dragon was akin to challenging an act of godly murder.

And to do it alone.

Watching the woman devour rabbit meat without restraint, Raven decided to lose interest.

‘She must be a crazy woman.’

Was she born mad, or did she become mad due to some circumstance that made it impossible for her to live without insanity?

Raven knew both scenarios were prevalent but couldn’t count all the latter examples.

Most survivors of the horrific war and the disaster called “Erosion” behaved as if their heads were missing screws.

In the midst of all this, the woman’s appearance was the most beautiful Raven had ever seen, drawing his gaze back even when he tried to look away.

“Did you have any trouble getting here? Did someone harass you or something…?”

His question stemmed from genuine concern.

Excessively exceptional beauty was more of a curse in times of turmoil.

The eastern region of Kaizen was a lawless area where even the Emperor’s influence couldn’t reach.

How many women had been raped and buried alive by the uncivilized eastern barbarians who were strong yet ignorant?

No matter how sorrowful it was, the reality was that without the strength to protect oneself, one would end up in a dire situation.

“Do I seem weak to you?”

“Are you confident in your strength?”

“I haven’t gone around getting beaten up. I’ve eaten well. This rabbit meat is quite delicious.”

The woman spat out a bone fragment into the campfire.

Raven poked the dying flames with more firewood to revive the dwindling fire.

Late to the party, the man also grabbed a hind leg of rabbit to take a bite, only to contort his face in distaste.

“Indeed, she’s crazy.”

The meat tainted by demonic energy.

While it was safe to eat in moderation, the level saturated with demonic energy like this wouldn’t lose its bitterness simply by heating it up.

Raven’s gaze shifted towards the woman’s hands, which continued to jingle the pebbles, contemplating whether he would have to skip dinner tonight.

“What’s that stone you’ve been playing with?”

“This? It’s called a marbles.”

“Marbles? I don’t quite get it.”

“It’s a fun game from my hometown. Do you want to see?”

With a swift motion, she threw five pebbles onto the rough earthen floor.

Her pale, slender arms soon emerged from under her robe.

She then showcased a skillful display of throwing and catching the pebbles.

“Doesn’t it look fun?”

“You seem to find enjoyment in everything. Surely, it’s a game that beggar children would like.”

“There’s the advantage that it can be played with stones found on the ground.”

Despite Raven’s teasing remark, the woman brushed it off nonchalantly.

While she threw the stones high up, reaching the height of the trees, Raven questioned her.

“What are those marbles made of?”

“How rude to call them just stones! They’re quite precious, you know?”

“To me, they just look like simple stone fragments or pieces of glass.”

“They’re artifacts, specifically storage artifacts. Each stone contains quite valuable treasures. Want to know what’s inside?”

“Well… it would be a lie to say I don’t. Will you show me?”

Raven had not noticed due to the previous darkness, but upon closer inspection, he realized those were indeed artifacts as she claimed.

“I’ll show you one every time you answer a question of mine. How about that?”

“I’ll do my best to answer to the best of my knowledge.”

The hunter, who was now drawn in by the sweet words stimulating his instinctual curiosity, agreed without hesitation.

The woman seemed to expect this and thought up her first question.

“How long has the Erosion been progressing in the Ciela Mountains?”

“Erosion? Which one do you mean? The one where all the animals turn to stone, or the one where animals turn into demonic creatures?”

“I’d prefer to know about both if possible.”

“I’m not entirely sure about the former, but it seems to have started over three years ago, while the latter began exactly 20 months ago.”

“20 months… got it. That was helpful information.”

“I’m glad it helped.”

The woman infused a marbles with mana and tapped it lightly.

The marbles then clicked and split in half, activating twelve magical glyphs that formed a regular dodecahedron.

She reached her hand into the center and pulled out an unidentified object to show it in the light of the campfire.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a pink diamond ring.”

“All of this is made of diamond?”

Raven exclaimed in admiration.

No one could walk away without feeling greedy upon seeing such an item.

The jewel embedded in the ring wasn’t just the size of a fingertip; it looked larger than a big toe.

It was impossible to dismiss the woman’s words as mere fabrications, as the shoulders and mounting parts of the ring were crafted with unparalleled precision.

“It’s named Agnes’s Tear, the most cherished treasure of the current Empress of the Praha Empire.”

“E-Empress?”

“I wore it for a while because it was pretty, but honestly, once you wear it, it’s just unbearably heavy and uncomfortable.”

“Don’t joke with me. How do you have something like that?”

The woman stared at Raven intently.

“May I ask my next question?”

“…I’ll hear it.”

Raven, sensing an inexplicable pressure, swallowed his saliva and assessed the atmosphere.

“Even if it’s the animals, how can you defend against the Erosion?”

“That’s because all the residents receive Magical Device Regulation training.”

“Are you talking about Aura Hearts?”

“It’s a small device attached below the Aura Heart, but I don’t know its exact name. The doctor just did it for me. Thanks to that, I can travel through places with weaker demonic energy without any issues.”

“You must have had an excellent doctor.”

“He was beyond exceptional.”

The woman then pulled out her second artifact.

This time it was a stamp that shone with golden light; the intricately carved phoenix stood out distinctly.

“It’s a seal. It looks expensive just by glancing at it since it’s covered in gold.”

“I’m not sure if it’s expensive. I don’t think it could be sold.”

“What do you mean? It could easily be sold to a golden statue!”

“Would he buy this? It’s a royal seal.”

“Royal seal? The same one I think it is?”

The woman took out a burned piece of charcoal and rubbed it on the bottom of the seal, leaving smudges on the rough surface.

Raven belatedly tried to intervene, questioning the strange behavior towards the precious item, but the woman was unfazed.

In turn, she took out a piece of paper from her pocket, unfolded it on the ground, and stamped the seal down hard.

The unique name of the sole ruler of the Kaizen Empire was engraved in runes on the paper.

The seal began to glow as it entered the procedure to verify the effectiveness of the paper.

However, midway, the woman placed the royal seal back into the artifact, causing Raven to miss the procedure’s conclusion.

“Can I ask my third question?”

“…”

“Can I ask my third question?”

“Go ahead… I mean, please do…”

Cold sweat trickled down Raven’s back.

This woman was undoubtedly insane. But the problem was, she was dangerously unpredictable.

With the Empress’s ring of the neighboring nation and now the royal seal of Emperor Airogen appearing, he finally started to understand the situation he was in.

She was not an ordinary person. No, he felt that if he made a wrong move, he might end up dead.

“How long has it been since the Blue Dragon returned to its lair?”

“How am I supposed to know that!”

“Aren’t you a hunter?”

“About… a year and a half? No, it probably hasn’t been two years…” This was my guess.”

“Any basis for that?”

“The habitats of monsters, including orcs, shifted drastically during that time.”

“Excellent reasoning. That was helpful.”

Although Raven didn’t want to know more about the things contained in the artifacts, the woman persistently displayed the third item.

“You won’t recognize this just by looking at it, so I’ll explain. It’s called ‘Key to Heaven,’ the only means to access the treasures of the Alphenheim Papal treasury.”

“Why do you have this… what on earth are you?”

“That’s my fourth question. So, where can I find the Blue Dragon’s lair? Since time is running out, it’s best to answer quickly.”

“I’m not sure! The dragon’s lair isn’t fixed in position, is it?”

“I know that. That’s why I’m asking you. Haven’t you ever seen an empty lair?”

“Uhm… well… there was an incident ten years ago where a lord sent his troops searching for a dragon lair and ended up being annihilated. I believe it’s located to the northeast from here.”

“That’s a somewhat disappointing answer, but it can’t be helped. Now, this item must be really interesting. Unlike the others, it took quite a bit of trouble to steal.”

Were the items previously showcased just picked up off the street?

Raven’s remark fortuitously passed over the woman without reaching her ears.

A pendant glowing ominously with a crimson hue appeared.

“It belonged to the Demon King Alzahab. I don’t know its purpose yet, but it must be very precious since I’m being hounded for it like this, right?”

“Can I take my leave now?”

“No, since you’ve come this far, you must see the last item.”

“I’m not even curious about that anymore, so I’ll…”

“Sit.”

The woman commanded in a low but firm voice.

However, as Raven attempted to ignore her and escape, she kicked him in the back without any hesitation.

Raven, rolling into the mud, expressed his grievance.

“I’m quite busy too! I did this cooking and provided shelter for you since I heard you were crossing the Ciela Mountains without any camping gear! But you repay my kindness like this!”

The black hair of Princess Esteria turned golden, regaining its original color.

Her irises shone brightly in golden light.

“This is the last question. I’ve heard news that a notorious wanted criminal, infamous for committing multiple murders and rapes, has been hiding in the Ciela Mountains. Where can I find the half-dragon Craven Gordon, known for his blue blood?”

To hunt the parents, first find the offspring.

This was one of the cruel tactics the Empire employed against the princess.

“It seems you’re unwilling to share that information.”

“……”

No sane person could reside in the Ciela Mountains.

The gazes of the princess and the hunter crossed and intertwined.

It wouldn’t take long until all of Craven Gordon’s body was covered in scales.

The two wanted criminals clashed against each other.