The moment Elefseria transformed into a colossal dragon, Gildarts nearly jumped out of his skin.
Rowan, however, reacted very differently.
His eyes gleamed.
From Elefseria's words, Rowan had caught something critical. Elefseria hadn't learned Dragon Slayer magic from a dragon, nor through embedding dragon crystals. He had taught himself, using the spellbooks left behind by Irene Belserion.
Which meant one thing.
If Rowan could study those same texts, he wouldn't need to hunt the Five Dragon Gods or risk his life forging dragon crystals. He could learn Dragon Slayer magic the slow, quiet way. With books.
That was exactly what he wanted.
The only obstacle was whether Elefseria would agree.
So Rowan adjusted his tone.
"Master Elefseria," he said earnestly, "to sacrifice your humanity for the sake of the northern continent, to protect its people from dragons… that kind of resolve is rare. I'm truly moved. I swear I'll help you seal the Five Dragon Gods."
The praise landed perfectly.
Elefseria reverted to human form, clearly pleased. "Hahaha, you flatter me. I'm no saint. I just couldn't stand watching dragons slaughter humans anymore. Besides, becoming a dragon isn't all bad. My energy's still excellent, even now."
Rowan sighed, steering the conversation where he wanted it. "Still, if the Five Dragon Gods are even close to that black dragon in strength, then with what we know now… even if we found them, we wouldn't stand a chance."
Gildarts nodded grimly. He felt the same.
"With your current strength, that's true," Elefseria admitted. "But the Hundred-Year Quest has no time limit. You can train. Grow stronger. I'll continue gathering information on the Five Dragon Gods in the meantime."
He paused, then added quietly, "In my prime, I could only fight one of the Six Dragon Gods to a draw. Even sealing it nearly cost me everything. Sending mages to die one by one accomplishes nothing."
Rowan and Gildarts exchanged a glance.
"That sounds reasonable," Gildarts said. "Let's do that."
Rowan nodded as well, then casually added, "In that case, you should head back to the guild first. I'd like to stay here for a while and study Dragon Slayer magic with Master Elefseria."
Gildarts blinked. "You're staying?"
Rowan turned to Elefseria. "You said Acnologia became what he is by slaughtering dragons using Dragon Slayer magic. That proves it's effective against them. I want to learn it. Not just for the quest, but to protect the people I care about."
Elefseria studied him for a long moment.
"Dragon skin weakens ordinary magic," he said slowly. "Dragon Slayer magic does not. It's dragon magic, wielded by humans. But understand this. Once you walk this path, dragon power will erode you. Taste fades. Sleep disappears. The transformation is… cruel."
Rowan met his gaze without hesitation.
"I know. But if the Five Dragon Gods and Acnologia are left unchecked, the northern continent will fall. And after that, they'll return to the eastern continent. My companions are there. I won't gamble their lives."
Elefseria exhaled, then smiled faintly.
"That's not selfishness. That's exactly why I chose this path as well." He nodded. "Very well. I'll teach you. But know this. Learning Dragon Slayer magic from books alone is extraordinarily difficult. None of my former companions succeeded. They all grew old and died as humans."
"I'm good at learning magic," Rowan said calmly.
And he meant it.
If brute force failed, he could always hunt dragons later. As for the risk of full dragonification, Rowan wasn't worried. Dragon transformation required pushing dragon power to its absolute limit over many years. With his unique physiology, multiple bloodlines, and planned Animagus refinement, there were ways around it.
If nothing else, he'd solve the problem before it became one.
Elefseria looked at the small cat, then laughed softly.
"In that case," he said, "let's begin."