CHAPTER 72: RED DRAGON

When the figure reached the fence, she pulled back her hood.

Silver hair spilled out like moonlight made flesh, cascading past her shoulders. It shimmered faintly in the muted light, each strand catching the essence of dawn’s approach.

Kaelor blinked, briefly caught off guard.

"What are you doing outside at this hour?" he asked, his voice steady but puzzled, the sword still in hand.

The woman’s lips curved faintly, her eyes lit with something close to delight.

"Mildred should be awake by now. I promised to aid her in cooking today," Vi said, her voice light, holding an odd note of excitement that seemed almost foreign.

Kaelor raised an eyebrow. "You... want to cook?"

"Of course." She tilted her chin upward, a hint of pride blooming in her expression. "Once Mildred finishes preparing the meal, I shall taste it, to ensure it’s fit for consultation."

Kaelor’s expression soured immediately. The slight narrowing of his eyes, the twitch in his cheek, he couldn’t hide it.

So that was her idea of aid. Not chopping, not stirring, not washing, just... tasting.

He should’ve known.

As she stepped through the short wooden door, small enough that it only reached her abdomen, her eyes lingered on him. There was something else in her gaze now.

"I don’t know if I’m happy you were the black sheep of House Dravion," she said, voice quiet, yet it rang with weight. "It would mean condoning your past acts. But still..."

Kaelor stopped, his hand tightening briefly on Ignis before he sheathed it with a quiet metallic slide. His eyes met hers.

"Why? I would’ve made an excellent Duke?"

Vi’s silver brows arched faintly, and then she chuckled. Soft and unhurried. A sound like wind teasing chimes.

"You might," she said, stepping further into the fog-dusted yard. "And then my hatred might have found a different target."

Kaelor froze. "You hate Dravions?"

"Well... your father beheaded two of my brothers as his Infernal Savant Cavalry burned everything. They brought down our fort, slaughtered every soldier and every man who dared fight back. He..."

Vi’s voice faltered, not out of fear but from the weight of the memory.

She stared straight into Kaelor’s eyes, her silver hair glinting faintly beneath the moonlight. "He was a great fighter, Kaelor. That night, I understood why the Infernal Savant Cavalry was both feared and revered across the continent. I watched them descend like wraiths of fire, men cloaked in living flame, their warhorses transformed into nightmarish beasts blazing with heat and wrath. Their helmets masked their faces, making them faceless demons of war. They didn’t feel human and we just could not match them."

"You’re here."

The door creaked open, revealing Mildred, her eyes still drowsy, a lantern held firmly in her hand.

"I am," Vi answered with a slight smile, and just like that, the pain and sorrow in her voice vanished, like morning fog chased away by the rising sun.

Kaelor stood still for a moment, silently observing her. He knew of the Infernal Savant Cavalry, how could he not?

One of the most formidable cavalry forces ever assembled, founded by Duke Merlin Dravion himself, the ancient progenitor of House Dravion.

Stories spoke of the day Duke Merlin discovered a strange Focus Crystal unlike any other, the Ignital Crystal. It shimmered with sun-hot energy, a flame untouched by wind, water, or time. It was said to hold a piece of the sun’s wrath. With it, he gained command of flames so potent they could melt stone and boil rivers.

That mastery earned him the name: Red Dragon.

With the Ignital Crystal, he birthed the Infernal Savant Cavalry, soldiers and steeds bathed in its terrible might. Only those whose bodies could endure a fraction of its flame were chosen. The crystal’s influence transformed them into creatures of fury and fire, leaving scorched earth in their wake.

It was said that every Duke of House Dravion wore the Ignital Crystal upon his neck, an heirloom passed from one generation to the next, its fire never dimming despite the centuries.

Yet... what troubled Kaelor now was a quiet thought, how had the crystal not faded with time?

From the fragmented memories inherited from the Kaelor of the past, he could clearly recall its appearance: a dark crimson gem, pulsing like a heart, with glowing metallic veins threaded through it, veins identical to the ones in Vi’s Diamond-ranked Focus Crystal. The resemblance wasn’t exact, but it was enough to plant unease in his mind.

Shaking his head, Kaelor sighed. He turned away from the silent night and entered the house. Whatever secrets the crystal held, whatever legacy the Infernal Savant Cavalry carried, they had nothing to do with a man presumed dead.

He made his way to the bathroom, the stone floor cool beneath his bare feet, then to his chamber and into bed, letting his thoughts fade as sleep slowly claimed him.

....

When it was nearly noon the next day, Kaelor sat in the lord’s hall, enjoying a modest yet richly flavored meal, a steaming bowl of stew filled with tender meat from Jon’s hunt, seasoned with wild herbs and root vegetables gathered by Mildred.

The warmth of it lingered in the air, mingling with the faint scent of woodsmoke and pine drifting through the open windows.

He lifted his head between bites, his wooden ware pausing midair. Across the room, Mildred sat with her usual poise, the worn leather-bound witch booklet cradled in her hands, the same one he had given her earlier that morning. Her fingers traced its edges curiously, a faint frown of concentration on her brow.

’Fuse it with her.’ Kaelor said.

[100 FP deducted!]

Its pages began to flutter wildly as if caught in a storm, though no wind moved. Words ignited, blue flames crackling along the text, burning without consuming. The flames snaked up like ethereal serpents, dancing with intelligence, then rushed forward and slipped between her brows in a stream of living fire.

Mildred arched slightly in her seat, her body stiffening as the power entered her.

The booklet fell from her hands, now blank, its purpose fulfilled.

Moments passed. She breathed heavily, her lips parting slightly as though caught between wakefulness and a dream. Her eyelids fluttered, trembling over shut eyes as the magic settled into her bones and mind.

Then, she opened them.

A gleam, cold and potent, flashed through her gaze.

And just for a heartbeat, Kaelor could swear her pupils shimmered with ancient runes.