Chapter 15: Man, what can I say
However, Elrandir did not show much excitement. He merely asked in a calm tone,
“The three you originally had your eye on—are they among them?”
“Yes, my lord. The three brothers performed exceptionally well.”
“Good. This project is entirely in your hands, and I expect results that will satisfy me. Don’t be like that useless fool Nacho—he was incapable of accomplishing anything. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord,” Scott answered respectfully.
Within Elrandir’s brief words, Scott felt an undeniable weight pressing down on him.
He understood that his superior had high expectations for the Dagger Special Forces. Any mistakes—no matter how small—would be utterly unacceptable.
Elrandir was notorious for his ruthlessness. If the project failed, his subordinates would be discarded like broken chess pieces, suffering the consequences of their incompetence.
Just like Nacho Salaman.
But if Scott could prove himself under Elrandir’s command, limitless power and wealth awaited him.
The world had never been short of gamblers.
And Scott was one of them.
His gaze grew more determined. He was confident that he could seize this opportunity and mold the Dagger Special Forces into the Empire’s most lethal unit.
After a short pause, Scott continued, “By the way, my lord, I have made some progress on the investigation you ordered regarding Tiger Lawrence and Rebecca Clement.”
“Speak.”
“Although I have yet to uncover their movements within the Empire, I did discover a pattern—every three months, they disappear for about twenty days before resurfacing.”
Scott added, “While we still don’t know exactly what they are doing during those twenty days, following this trail might lead to something useful. There is also a high possibility that it is connected to Leon Casmode.”
Upon hearing this, Elrandir nodded subtly.
“Good. Continue the investigation. If you need more personnel, I will assign them to you.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Scott said with a slight bow.
Elrandir’s gaze lingered on the dragon’s severed head within the cultivation chamber.
“After Nacho’s repeated failures, I now understand just what kind of monster the Empire has created. Defeating Leon Casmode head-on is nearly impossible. But fortunately… I have never been one to shy away from using dirty tactics in war.”
Scott’s eyes gleamed with cunning as he responded, “My lord, if I may be so bold, I believe your choice of words is not quite appropriate.”
Elrandir raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how so?”
“Whether something is ‘dirty’ or not is decided by the victor. And, in this battle, the one who will lose is Leon Casmode. A hundred years from now, who will even remember what happens today? People will only pass down your glorious achievements.”
Scott grinned slyly. “As for Leon? Who is that? When historians look back, they’ll see that he was nothing more than a foolish obstacle standing in the way of the Empire’s ascent to greatness.”
Despite knowing full well that Scott was nothing more than a smooth talker, Elrandir still found himself enjoying his flattery.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I must admit, not only are you more reliable than Nacho, but you’re also much better at flattering your superiors.”
“My lord flatters me—I merely speak the truth,” Scott replied with a smirk.
“However,” he added, “if you truly wish to use Tiger and Rebecca to threaten Leon, we may need to wait a while longer. Those two are highly elusive, and our men have had a difficult time capturing them.”
“I know,” Elrandir responded. “After all, Tiger was once one of the top dragon slayers of the previous generation. He left the Dragon Slayers’ Corps for certain reasons and has since chosen to live a quiet life among ordinary people. He understands the Empire’s methods well—it’s no surprise that you haven’t been able to catch him.”
Elrandir’s expression darkened slightly as his mind shifted to another possibility.
“But… even if Tiger and Rebecca are difficult to track down, we can always target someone else.”
Scott quickly followed his train of thought and asked, “My lord, are you referring to Leon’s other comrade—Martin? But Martin is currently clean, and he is also the son of a royal minister. Investigating him would be difficult.”
“No, I’m not talking about Martin.”
Elrandir shook his head.
“In fact… I’m not even talking about a human.”
Scott’s eyes widened slightly. “Not… a human?”
Elrandir nodded.
He raised a hand and tapped his finger against the cultivation chamber before him.
“The owner of this head once told me that dragons, too, have ‘family relationships.’ And right now, the Dragon King of the Silver Dragon Clan—the one Leon is associated with—has a biological sister who rules another clan.”
Scott’s eyes flickered with realization.
“If she is related to the Silver Dragon King… then if she were to run into trouble, Leon would most likely intervene. That would create the perfect opportunity for us to take him down.”
Scott paused briefly before adding, “But after failing so many times before, I believe that if we truly wish to use this Dragon Queen against Leon, we must be certain of our plan.”
“Of course.”
Elrandir tilted his chin toward the dragon’s severed head inside the cultivation chamber.
“He will be our first move—our stone to test the waters.”
Scott’s eyes gleamed with fervor, unable to conceal his growing excitement.
The completion of this technology would mark a major leap forward in the Empire’s power.
It meant they were standing at the threshold of a new era.
“My lord, has the ‘Fusion Ritual’ been completed?” Scott asked tentatively, his heartbeat quickening with anticipation.
Elrandir’s eyes were deep and unfathomable.
“Yes, we are only one step away.”
“As long as we place the head—symbolizing ‘burning’—into the chamber… awaken its dormant will using the power of the Heart-Protecting Dragon Scales… and fuse it with the bodies of countless S-class dangerous creatures…”
“Then we will have created the ultimate weapon of slaughter.”
