Aurelia welcomed Yarpin with kind words and took him to the table where the maids and attendants had already laid the silverware and were waiting with towels and kerchiefs. The guild master of the adventurers’ guild walked up the stairs with a resolute air and greeted Lord Sebastian with a half-bow. “Welcome to our humble home, Black Viper,” Lord Sebastian said, greeting the adventurer with a firm handshake before pulling him into an embrace. “It’s good to see you haven’t let the years catch up to you, Lord Sebastian. And please, you may call me by my real name. Only the commoners and rookies call me Black Viper,” the man replied. “Very well, Lester,” Lord Sebastian replied with a polite smile. As Lester let go of Lord Sebastian’s hand, he immediately turned his gaze to Ezra. “I was there at the training arena. You tried well, boy. There’s no shame in failing.” Ezra did not understand whether Lester was trying to genuinely sympathize with him or further rub salt into his wounds.
Even Yarpin’s scheming mind had never expected such a proposal. Lord Sebastian already held the title of the Chief Patriarch of the Dragon Claw clan, and he had always seemed pleased to stay out of politics outside his own clan. “There is a chance that your cousin may be re-elected as mayor. Why would you want to nominate yourself in his stead?” the merchant asked. Lord Sebastian looked straight at him and replied, “Don’t get me wrong. I know my cousin has done a fine job as the mayor of Aranor. But he will be no match for Lord Wilhelm. If Lord Wilhelm decides to run for mayor, only I can hope to oppose him.” “Well, I can’t say that’s too far from the truth,” Lester pitched in, taking another swig from his cup. “Lord Sebastian is quite a popular figure in Aranor. But I can’t say the same about our current mayor, Lord Harwood. Most people only see him as a harmless puppet.” Yarpin ignored Lester’s remark and asked, “May I know why you are so averse to the idea of Lord Wilhelm becomi
The die that Yarpin had rolled to set his murderous plan into motion was now coming back to haunt him, and all he could do was ball his fingers and curse his oversight. Ezra had outwitted him and given him a taste of his own medicine. Seeing his guest so eager to leave, Lord Sebastian stood up from the table to accompany him to the front door, but Ezra stopped him before he could take another step. “I’ll accompany our guest to his carriage. You can complete your meal, father,” Ezra said, urging Yarpin to follow him. Though Yarpin was a cultured man and was known for his refined courtesy, he forgot all about his manners as Ezra’s words kept ringing in his ear. Without even taking Lord Sebastian’s leave, he followed in his son’s footsteps like a frail shadow. As they reached the front door, the clouds gathered overhead burst at their seams, ushering in the first rains of the season. “You are playing a dangerous game, young Lord,” Yarpin spoke in a hushed voice. A crooked bolt of l
The next day, one of Yarpin’s most trusted messengers arrived at the Romanov mansion, bearing two envelopes from the silk merchant. He handed the smaller one to Lord Sebastian but refused to deliver the second one to anyone other than Ezra. A maid was sent to call Ezra from his room, and he promptly arrived downstairs to collect the special package. “Mr. Yarpin wishes to tell you that he had to put in tremendous effort to acquire this gift for you. Please do not sell it to anyone else,” the messenger said, handing the sealed blue envelope to Ezra. “Tell him that I appreciate his effort and that his gift is safe in my possession,” Ezra replied, before shoving the envelope inside his jacket. It was clear that Ezra did not want anyone to know about the blueprint, not even his family. Fortunately, Lord Sebastian was too occupied with the letter he had just unfolded to think about anything else. He read it with keen interest, weighing every word carefully before turning the letter ov
In an unknown location, three robed figures were standing in front of a statue, inside what seemed like a ruined shrine overgrown with thorny vines and moss. The man on the right was bald and stout with a missing ear and smoky gray eyes. His dusty black robes were in tatters, and he walked with the help of a crooked pinewood staff. The one on the left was a middle-aged woman with hazel brown eyes and dirty black hair which cascaded along her shoulders, reaching all the way to her waist. Though she had an innocent face, her eyes revealed the malice stirring within. Standing between them was an elderly man with matted brown locks and a lean face that bore a jagged scar on the left cheek. He was blind in the left eye and his skin was covered in scaly gray patches, which made it appear like he was suffering from some incurable disease. All of them were facing the same direction, their eyes glued to the statue in front. It was the statue of a robed deity with a cowl on his head. In his
Ezra had accepted a challenging task by volunteering to negotiate with the merfolk. His uncle had already failed to impress them, and one more wrong move from him was sure to put the Romanovs on their bad side. Unlike the dwarves, who always had close ties to the Romanovs and trusted Aurelia and Lord Sebastian, the merfolk had only settled in Aranor quite recently. While they were gradually adapting to the idea of living with humans, there were still many obstacles in their way. Before Ezra could even begin to negotiate with the merfolk, he had to get acquainted with their habits, traditions, and beliefs to avoid insulting their culture. This, however, was a lot easier said than done because only a handful of people in Aranor had close ties with the merfolk since most citizens preferred to stay away from these fishy hybrids. Ezra spent the whole morning searching his father’s private library for books on merfolk. And after a great deal of looking, he managed to find two books belo
There was a gradual shift in scenes as Ezra passed the last bakery on this side of town. The brick houses were gradually replaced by old, dilapidated huts and cottages made of wood and clay. This was the older part of town, which had been abandoned three decades ago when Soreta flooded its banks, causing tremendous destruction. The only ones who continued living here were the merfolk since they were amphibious creatures who could swim as efficiently as frogs and even breathe underwater. Most of the merfolk were fishermen and preferred to live close to freshwater rivers and lakes. However, the merfolk settled in Aranor had even dug up ponds within the walls to expand their territory. Ezra soon spotted the leafy shacks built by the merfolk around the two small ponds. Standing around the pond was a group of bipedal hybrids whose upper bodies were nearly fishlike and lower halves resembled the humans. Having rarely had the chance to see the merfolk from up close, Ezra stared at the cre
Ezra had seen his father fishing in Lake Onorio, but fishing in an open river was a lot more challenging. The water currents were strong, and the fish were quite agile and lively. As Glup led Ezra to his favorite fishing spot, the other merfolk watched with keen interest. It wasn’t normal for humans to catch fish alongside them, and most preferred to stay away due to their strange appearances and habits. Ezra knew he could not step out of line as his uncle had already made a mess of things, so he followed Glup quietly and listened to every word that came out of his mouth with extreme patience. “Fish clever and quick. But merfolk more clever and patient. To catch fish, you use lure and wait and wait more. When ripple on water, fish close. When crow feather move, fish trapped. You pull and pull. Bring fish out of water. Simple catch,” Glup explained, using his limited vocabulary. Though the instructions were simplistic and rudimentary, it was enough for Ezra to get started. He watc
Sir Galahar and Servius had been preparing for this day ever since they heard about the Flame Demon sighting outside Avondale. The city’s guard towers had been repaired, and the walls fortified with magic. But the threat marching toward the capital was much larger than they had anticipated.What made things worse was the appearance of the Eye of Doom over the city, which caused widespread panic among the masses. People scurried out of the Arcadium like insects, and those out on the streets rushed homeward to seek shelter within the safety of their houses.Ten squads of City Guards were immediately dispatched to man the walls, and the sirens were sounded from the garrison, spurring the snipers into action.The Mech Defenders were ordered to clear the streets and reinforce the gates while the adventurers were tasked with protecting the guild houses.Servius surveyed the undead army through the magic windows and quickly understood their strategy.“This is not a skirmish. They are going
Shocked gasps escaped from the people in the crowd as Ezra revealed who he actually was. The news of the brutal massacre in Aranor had made its way to the capital many weeks ago, and it was common knowledge that the Romanov family had been wiped out.But seeing Ezra standing there as the living proof of his bloodline subverted all past notions.This white-haired boy had once been hailed as a prodigy across Valaria, but his name had quickly faded from their memory after his tragic accident. But it seemed fate still had one last die to throw, and with the final toss, it had restored his fortunes.The only ones in the Arcadium who knew about the masked devil’s identity beforehand were Tanya and her father. Ezra had revealed his secret to them just last night, but it was a complete shocker for everyone else.Even Queen Guinevere and Princess Aleena had been completely clueless about Ezra’s identity up until now, and this unexpected revelation left him speechless.“So…the dragon still lives
The Duke’s shocking confession turned the whole narrative on its head, spreading further panic among the crowd. Not even Ezra had suspected him to be allied with the necromancers.“Is this another trick of yours?” Tanya questioned, still struggling to make sense of the whole situation. It seemed absurd that a high and mighty noble like Duke Carrington would willingly worship Zepheroth and kneel before the necromancers.But the Duke was quick to clear her confusion. “There is no trick in what I say. I do not worship any Gods, but I understand Zepheroth’s powers cannot be matched by mere mortals. We must kneel before him if we are to survive his reign,” he replied.“So you lied to all of us?” Marquis Desmond’s voice boomed from the distance as he marched into the arena, ready to confront the Duke. “We thought you wanted to protect the king and help the people of Magaravia fight this darkness.”“Fight? How can anyone fight a God?” Duke Carrington retorted in a mocking tone. “Are you even
The spectators who had once eagerly supported Ezra now seemed to regard him as the greatest enemy of the kingdom. The sudden change in their behavior shocked him.“How did they believe him so easily?” Ezra asked, unable to believe what had just happened. “Something is not right.”While it was common for the gullible commoners to be duped by the cunning words of the influential nobles, the change seemed to be too drastic this time. The same crowd that had been cheering for Ezra had suddenly changed sides, almost on a whim, and even the other nobles seemed to be siding with the Duke.Marlin was also surprised by this twist. It was as if Duke Carrington had bought their allegiance with a snap of his fingers.Queen Guinevere stood up to reason with the spectators. “Listen to me, good people of Magaravia. Your beloved Duke is lying to you. King Reginald never intended to sell you to the Lord of Decay. While I agree he may not be the bravest, he is certainly not a traitor.”The Queen though
The Spectral Phoenix let out a piercing shriek that carried its voice across the city, dispersing the gray clouds and illuminating the sky with a brilliant golden radiance.Ezra channeled his magic energy outward and boosted his flying speed, breaking away from the phoenix as it surged toward him.“I have never seen a Spectral Phoenix before. These spirits are primal manifestations of the fire element and are regarded as the most challenging ones to tame. Their flames are undying, and if you get touched by its feathers, it will burn you to ash in the blink of an eye,” Marlin cautioned.Ezra continued flying backward, keeping the phoenix in his sights. But he was so focused on the spectral bird that he forgot all about its owner.Duke Carrington took advantage of this distraction and replenished his magic power with a couple of Superior Magic Restoration Potions before warming himself with the phoenix’s Thermal Radiance ability.Finally free from the numbing effects of the frost, Duke C
Duke Carrington fired a round into the sky to celebrate his victory and turned to the crowd expecting a thunderous applause. But instead of being greeted with cheers and shouts of joy, he was met with a stern silence.“What’s wrong with you all? Are you not happy I vanquished that rookie and offered you a glimpse of my true powers?” he yelled at the top of his voice, staring at the mute spectators. “I am the Champion of Valaria, and I promise Magaravia will be safe in my care.”“So, what are we celebrating?” A voice questioned from behind, wiping the smile from Duke Carrington’s face.“Over there!”“He is alive!”The crowd went berserk with shouts and howls as they spied their favorite Gunner flying near the clouds, holding a sniper in his hand.Duke Carrington clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palms, and turned around to face his opponent.“How did you survive that?” He muttered, trying his best to restrain his rage.“I have been stabbed in the back plenty of times before
Duke Carrington’s eyes widened as he heard the accusation. He could already tell his plans had been leaked, but he could not understand how a stranger could know about his ambitions.“Who are you?” he demanded, staring daggers at Ezra. “The dragon of Aranor,” Ezra replied, staring right back.Before either could speak again, a set of stone slabs and pillars shot up from the ground, redecorating the arena with obstacles and separating the two contestants.The crowd erupted with wild cheers as the brass bell was hammered in the commentary tower, declaring the start of the round.“I don’t care who you are, but that mask is coming off today!” Duke Carrington shouted with full-throated fury, unleashing a devastating volley of Disintegration Rounds from his Rapid-Firing Six-shooter.Ezra ran across the arena, moving from cover to cover as the stone slabs in front of him were punched full of holes. “There is no point running from me. You can’t survive!”Duke Carrington reloaded his second g
The next day, Ezra put on his new attire: a fiery red coat with golden yellow stripes and two split tails. His old demonic mask was replaced with a new one sporting two large black horns and blazing red eyes. To complete the look, Ezra added a black bowtie over a clean white shirt and a pair of red trousers trimmed at the bottom, hanging taut over his jet-black boots.Although Ezra hadn’t cared much about his appearance during the other rounds, this time, he combed his hair back, put on a pair of spotless white gloves, and pinned the dragon brooch to his pocket.Holstering his single-shot flintlock on his right hip, Ezra walked up to the mirror and gazed at his reflection.Ezra still remembered staring at his trembling hands in the mirror in the Romanov Mansion. He was treated like a cripple back then and could not even shoot a target lying straight in front of him. But a lot had changed since then.Magaravia knew Ezra as the Red Devil: a formidable sharpshooter who had defeated the b
Back at the Blackwell Mansion, Ezra was busy at his workbench, trying to craft a new kind of enchanted ammunition for his sniper rifle.So far, Ezra had experimented with all the common metal ingots and alloys and even tried infusing magic crystal shards and dragon scales into them, but to no avail.Each time Ezra tried to craft a new enchanted bullet for his weapon, he would end up with something so brittle and volatile that it would disintegrate as soon as he loaded it into the sniper rifle.“The Celestial Avenger is a Legendary weapon. You cannot load such low-quality ammunition in it and expect it to work just fine,” Marlin barked once more, grinding his teeth in frustration. “I already told you that you need rare metals to craft your round. Try titanium or refined zirconium.”Ezra loaded another newly crafted round into his weapon and watched it explode with a loud bang before finally relenting.“Damn it! I don’t have any rare metals at hand!”“Then perhaps you can ask your careta