Soon, Leon arrived at the royal palace. Presenting his letter, he was instantly granted a pass to see the King. He walked through the grand halls with his hood covering most of his face and Draken perched on his shoulder. His presence commanded the room as he knelt and bowed before the throne.
"Your Majesty, I received your invitation and have honored it per your request," Leon said.
King Harak seemed pleased with the White Hero's demeanor. Beside him stood his advisor, Luke Vernis, who watched the adventurer with a sharp, calculating gaze.
"You've made us proud, young man," the King declared. "Your act has brought honor to our kingdom, and for that, I shall reward you with one hundred gold coins and the title of Baron."
The title of Baron came with political responsibilities Leon had no interest in. He responded calmly, "Your Majesty, I appreciate your offers and rewards, but I must respectfully decline the title. Though your offer is great, I have found peace in the life I lead now. Please, reconsider my request."
The King paused for a moment. Most adventurers would dive at such an offer, yet the man in front of him refused it without hesitation.
A true hero seeks no reward; he is a man of genuine character, the King thought to himself. "Well then," King Harak spoke, "you shall be given two hundred gold coins instead, and you are free to live however you desire."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I truly appreciate your kindness," Leon replied.
The King ordered the gold to be brought out. Once the two hundred coins were handed to him, Leon bowed once more and turned to leave.
"Hey, hold on a minute," the King's advisor, Luke Vernis, spoke up.
Leon froze. He had been relieved that the King accepted his request, but the advisor's words stirred a sudden internal panic. He turned around, and though his composure did not falter, his heart began to pound.
"What kind of monster is that on your shoulder? It is a rare species that I haven't seen before," Luke asked, his eyes narrowing as he examined Draken.
Leon's mind was suddenly at ease; the advisor simply wanted to know about Draken. Leon bowed again as he spoke. "My apologies, but I am not very familiar with its species. It found me; I didn't find it. I have no idea what species it actually is."
"That's interesting," Luke spoke calmly, his eyes never leaving the small creature. "May I give you a hundred gold coins for it?"
Leon froze. What? He wants to buy it? he thought to himself. He quickly regained his composure and replied, "My apologies, but it is not for sale."
"What about five hundred gold coins?" Luke increased his offer, his voice tinged with a persistent edge.
"Again, my apologies... but what I meant was, I don't intend to sell it at any price," Leon replied firmly.
"It's just a monster... why do you need it so badly?" King Harak asked Luke, leaning in toward his advisor.
"For research purposes, Your Majesty. It may serve a great purpose for the kingdom, especially if it is a new, undiscovered species of dragon," Luke replied, his scientific curiosity bordering on obsession.
"Really? If that's the case, we would like to have it," the King said, turning his attention back to Leon. "Mention any price, and it is yours."
Seeing the King himself get involved, Leon knew it would be difficult to leave with Draken through mere negotiation. He took a deep breath and looked the King in the eye. "Your Majesty, I have another proposal."
"Well, go on," the King replied.
"I would let your advisor have the dragon on one condition: he must defeat the dragon in a fight. If he wins, I'll let him have it. If he loses, I keep it. Do we have a deal?" Leon asked.
The advisor was a high S-rank elemental user who had successfully hunted Black Dragons on multiple occasions. Challenging him with what appeared to be a small, domesticated pet seemed like an insult, but since he was desperate to possess the creature, he obliged.
"I will take on your dragon," Luke said confidently. "But when I win, you won't get any payment at all."
"Well then, we have an agreement," Leon replied.
The stage was set for the match, and every noble in the palace had gathered in the grand arena. Leon had specifically requested a much larger hall for the match; though it seemed odd to the staff, the King had granted the request.
The battleground was prepared, and the advisor faced the small monster with a smug smile on his face, fully believing he would obliterate it in seconds.
As soon as the drum was struck to signify the beginning of the match, Draken didn't just attack—he transformed. He didn't take his humanoid form, but his True Form—the massive, overwhelming majesty of the fully awakened Dragon King.
Standing over three hundred and fifty feet tall was a colossal giant, a world-class calamity, and a mythological disaster. Draken's true form shook the very foundations of the palace and sent a chilling dread into the spines of everyone watching.
They all knew the myths and the legends of the Black Dragon—the indescribable catastrophe born only once every century. They had heard whispers that the Dragon King was defeated by a group of S-rank adventurers, but now, the living monstrosity stared them right in the face.
"It's the monstrosity... how is it still alive?" Luke stammered, falling to his knees. It took an entire army of S-ranks and Legendary ranks to defeat it in the past, and most of them died. But now, someone is capable of taming it? A natural disaster, a calamity so great it leaves only chaos in its wake—the unspeakable titan is right in front of me. Even if the entire kingdom joined forces to face this disaster, we would all lose. But what's more terrifying is that someone was able to make it his pet, Luke thought in a blind panic.
Draken roared, sending shockwaves through the sky. The sheer force distorted space itself, and the ground rolled with the intensity of a massive earthquake.
"I quit! I quit!! I quit!!! Please... save me!" Luke cried out, his pride utterly vanished.
The King and the nobles scrambled for cover. Even the royal guards, who had sworn to protect the throne with their lives, turned and fled. It was a common, historical fact: when a Dragon King visits, no one lives.
Leon called out to Draken to stop. In an instant, the titan shrunk, transforming back into the little monster before flying up to Leon's shoulder. Leon stepped down and walked toward Luke, who was still shaking uncontrollably on the ground.
"Well, you lost. We will be taking our leave now," Leon said. He turned and walked away, his pace steady and calm. No one dared to stop them; no one dared to follow. The entire court was paralyzed by the sight of the "little monster."
"That's goodbye to our quiet life," Leon sighed as they walked out of the palace gates.
"Where do we head to next, Master?" Draken asked.
"Hmm... maybe 'settling down' is the problem. There is no way we will find peace like this," Leon muttered. "Maybe what we need is a change—a new beginning, but not in a fixed place."
"What are your suggestions, My Lord?" Draken replied.
"A new beginning... this time as travelers, or wanderers. We won't have a final stop. We will travel the world, leaving behind only a name: The White One and his Mysterious Beast. What do you think about that?"
"I think it is a great idea to explore the world," Draken replied, his tail wagging slightly.
"Then it's settled. It is time for a new beginning... again. But this time, we are travelers. A party of two: the White One and the Little Monster," Leon said with a smile, staring up at the bright midday sun as they left the Diamond Kingdom behind.
The party of two set off, ready for a fresh start.