Torture the hero, why has the Demon King's castle collapsed again?

No further explanation is needed; Apophis himself reached this terrifying conclusion.

—Did that hero actually unleash a terrifying legendary move in almost an instant?!

And now, they can't even sense each other's presence...?!

Apophis's sword trembled, instantly creating a spatial rift in front of him, unleashing a torrent of violent magic: the plan had utterly failed, there was no need to hide any longer; the most important thing now was to escape the human kingdom's territory!

Fim's eyes returned to their misty emptiness. She turned her head and stared blankly at the dust-shrouded mountains opposite, as if trying to find something else.

However, the promised figure was nowhere to be seen amidst the ruins and rubble... As if relieved, the maid's fluffy skirt swayed slightly.

Nodding, Phim stepped into the spatial rift at Apophis's urging.

Splat!

Just then, a mark shimmering with spiritual light suddenly detached from the greatsword maid's body. Sensing the pure demonic energy unmasked by the power of balance, it seemed to finally realize something—

Did it... follow the wrong person?

The spatial rift, overflowing with demonic energy, gradually healed.

Looking around somewhat frantically, the Mark of the Warrior quickly sensed the last remaining faint trace of divine power within the mountain range…

It flew off in one direction.

On the mountainside, where Fim had been gazing.

Deep within the rubble piled up like ruins, the massive boulder at the top trembled almost imperceptibly.

Deep within the pile of countless rubble, faint, desperate cries for help seemed to emerge from the darkness, peeking through countless cracks and gravel.

"Waaaaah... Help!"

"It's so dark, it's so scary!"

……

All the gates of the capital city of Kuer were heavily sealed off.

At the west gate, Prince Ota, who had arrived on a white horse, reached the foot of the mountain, his lips trembling and pale.

Seeing the ruins, which were not a mirage but had been leveled into hills, Ota collapsed to his knees with a thud, utterly devastated, and let out a pig-like wail:

"This is...who made this?! Holy crap!!!"

"It's so bad! It's utterly bad! Why... why do I always encounter things like this?! I just want to live a peaceful life!" Ota cried his heart out.

"His Royal Highness Prince!"

Not far away, Erwin stumbled over and, seeing Ota's face contorted with misery, felt his heart sink.

"It's the Wolf Mercenary Group! They were just on this mountain! But... there must be someone else!"

"I suspect it's that mole's doing again!"

Erwin asked, his heart pounding with fear, "Your Highness, the Dragon Clan's contract... it wouldn't be in the Dragon Hidden Mountains, would it?"

"Contract, right, agreement?!" Ota snapped out of his daze, his body trembling in panic.

Turning his head, he asked hopefully, "Irwin, do you think it's possible that the paper would remain intact after an attack powerful enough to crush mountains?"

Erwin glanced at the shadow that was growing larger in the distance out of the corner of his eye, and his lips twitched:

"Your Highness, is it possible that you will emerge unscathed from the wrath of an Ice Dragon King?"

A deafening, mournful dragon roar echoed from the horizon—

"Prince Ota, I want you dead!!!"

In the Longzang Mountains, or rather, in what should now be called a mountain hollow, frost began to spread across the surface of a massive pit.

The enormous wings stirred up surging air currents, and a chilling coldness instantly filled the arena. The pure-blooded dragon, as large as a small mountain, stood on the ruins, constantly trying to sense something, its golden pupils gradually losing their luster.

"It's gone...it's really gone..."

"My single life... my freedom... all gone..."

His voice trembled, spreading throughout his body, and then Callest threw his head back, letting out a furious roar: "Ota—!!!"

At the foot of the mountain, Ota shuddered, knowing there was no escaping it, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"Erwin, if I die here today..."

"I know."

Erwin wiped away his tears, his face filled with loyalty, and said, "The Royal Knights will protect the world's greatest princess and support her ascension to the throne! We will strive to eliminate the rebels within the country within three years, capture the rebellious prince Hearst within five years, and restore humanity to its former glory within ten years..."

"I'm not fucking dead yet!!!" Ota roared, interrupting.

"I mean, if I die, you must burn all those dolls in my study and everything in my drawers, and don't let anyone see what's inside... Do you understand?!"

His eyes became incredibly sharp, as if he would die with his eyes wide open in hell if Erwin didn't agree!

"I heard it, I heard it," Erwin urged hastily.

"Prince Ota, you should go quickly."

"You're just hoping I die?!" Ota was furious and cold.

"Uh... no, because I saw that Her Highness the Princess had just ridden up the mountain."

"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier!"

Ota's eyes widened as he watched Carlest's familiar figure approaching on the mountain road, and he took off running up the mountainside.

Calest breathed icy dragon fire, sharpening its massive claws on the gravel. Its golden eyes were filled with rage, and it had already torn those despicable humans to pieces dozens of times in its mind. Hearing footsteps behind it, it turned its head sharply!

however.

Looking at the human girl who had appeared at his feet, and the rabbit-eared phantom protecting him above his head, the terrifying aura instantly dissipated...

The golden pupils gradually misted, rose, and dissolved, and then—

"Your Highness—I'm suffering, I'm really suffering!!!"

With a loud "waaaah," Calester burst into tears:

Kalia, dressed in an elegant and pure white dress with gold thread, approached Callest's feet. Startled by his appearance, she quickly and softly comforted him, "Callest, don't cry. Tell me what's wrong, I'm listening..."

The massive dragon head bowed low, allowing Kalia to gently stroke its scales. The Frost Dragon King, Callest, buried his face in the girl's chest and sobbed softly.

“I was wrong, I was so wrong… I shouldn’t have asked Mino to be my witness in the first place; if I hadn’t asked Mino to be my witness, the contract wouldn’t have been placed in the Dragon Hidden Mountains; if the contract hadn’t been placed in the Dragon Hidden Mountains, I wouldn’t have gone to the Bachelor’s Night; if I hadn’t gone to the Bachelor’s Night, I wouldn’t have ended up in such a heartbreaking place…”

Chapter 121 A Horrible Truth! And a Despicable Lie!!

Kalia seemed to sense the dragon's sorrow and gently comforted it.

Above no one's head, the illusory image of "rabbit ears" rubbed its ears somewhat awkwardly, then guiltily dissipated into specks of light.

Just as Callest's emotions were gradually calming down under the comforting caress of the sweet, soft-smelling, innocent young girl—

"Dragon! Stop hurting my sister!!!"

Anxious and impatient, Ota rushed onto the field and let out a loud shout.

The girl's innocent eyes and the dragon's enormous pupils turned simultaneously, and the golden vertical pupils seemed to recall something, gradually revealing anger...

Looking at the scene of humans and dragons coexisting harmoniously before him, Ota was slightly taken aback, then caught the increasingly ferocious expression on the face of the Dragon King Callest.

"Haha." Ota chuckled dryly and scratched his head. "Well, I suddenly remembered I have some things to do, so I'll be going now. Don't bother me any longer."

“Ota—!!!” Callest growled through gritted teeth.

"Can you... explain to me what's going on here?" Looking at the cowering Prince Ota, Callest roared, "Come here! Look in my eyes!"

"answer me!!!"

"Why, by sheer coincidence, did the Dragon Hidden Mountains explode on the very day the contract was signed?!"

"Where's my contract?! Where's my huge contract?!"

roar--!!!!

The dragon's roar, filled with fury, echoed throughout the suburbs, silencing all living things. The fear stemming from the food chain made it easy to feel the boundless rage within the dragon's roar.

Ota's back was soaked with cold sweat.

Even if he doesn't understand the situation yet, there's no doubt... it's definitely related to the human camp.

Now that things have come to this, as the ruler of the kingdom and the representative of humanity, he can't very well answer with something like "I don't know" or "I'm curious" to get away with it, can he? He'd probably get sprayed to death by this dragon with a mouthful of ice-cold soda the next moment!

Ota's teeth chattered slightly, and he quickly gave Erwin a look behind him.

Erwin immediately understood and, using the communication token, ordered, "Now, go and burn everything in Prince Ota's study..."

"I didn't say that!!!" Ota's eyes widened in fury.

Turning his head, he knew that Erwin had only just begun sending paladins to conduct exploration and investigation, and there were no more detailed clues yet. But the noble Frost Dragon King did not have that patience, so Ota could only honestly tell him the clues that Erwin had just reported:

"King Callest, the situation is very complicated, but it is speculated that it definitely involves the Wolf Mercenary Group on the outskirts of the kingdom, as well as an extremely cunning and treacherous mole among us humans!"

“Please give us some time, we will definitely find the real culprit…” Ota’s words were interrupted by Callest’s impatient icy blast.

"Where are those Wolf Mercenary Groups you mentioned?"

“The Wolf Mercenary Group…” Ota was stumped.

How does he know where those despicable mercenaries went?!

Lowering his head, Ota could only say, "I don't know yet."

Callest sneered again: "Then who is this mole you're talking about? Where is he now?"

"This...I don't know either."

Ota clenched his fists in frustration. In his opinion, today's scene was most likely caused by that despicable mole again!

“The King of Humanity.” Calest’s tone suddenly turned indifferent:

"I have no patience to wait for your insignificant investigations. Whether it's some mercenary group or some mole, it doesn't matter. What matters is... why do they know where that contract is?"

A chill crept into his icy golden eyes as Callest asked, enunciating each word clearly:

“Prince Ota, have you forgotten—what did you promise me with your bare hands?”

Ota was slightly taken aback, then his face turned deathly pale, and his voice suddenly trembled: