“Look forward to the gift.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“…Then I’ll try to expect something.”

“Please do.”

Watching Rine smile subtly, Evan, standing next to Alon, whispered softly.

“Marquis, you’re lucky, aren’t you?”

“Ugh?”

“Didn’t you seem a little disappointed last time when you didn’t get a birthday gift?”

“…I wasn’t, really.”

Alon replied calmly.

…But Evan wasn’t entirely wrong.

In truth, it did sting a little.

‘…If I hadn’t heard about it, I wouldn’t have expected anything in the first place.’

Of course, he didn’t intend to blame Rine for saying she would give him a gift back then.

A birthday gift depends on the giver’s feelings, and it would be ridiculous for the recipient to demand one.

At that moment—

“You were looking forward to it, weren’t you?”

“Don’t mind him. Evan is just talking nonsense.”

Rine let out a small chuckle.

“Don’t worry, Godfather. This year, I’ll definitely give you a gift.”

After a lighthearted exchange, Alon finally got to the real reason he had come.

“Rine, I read the letter you sent… Do you have any additional information about the ‘Shadow Dragon’?”

Rine’s gaze shifted to Blackie, nestled in the breast pocket of Alon’s coat.

“That’s the ‘Shadow Dragon’, right?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm~”

After pondering for a moment, Rine slowly began to speak.

“After you asked about the ‘Shadow Dragon’, I did some additional research. But honestly, I couldn’t find much more from the resources I had access to.”

“Is that so?”

Rine’s answer left Alon with a peculiar expression.

‘As I suspected from her letter, the ‘Shadow Dragon’ appears to be an even more dangerous existence than I thought.’

The reason he sought Rine’s knowledge on the ‘Shadow Dragon’ since obtaining its egg was simple:

He knew about the library inside Rine’s mind.

That library contained almost all information, excluding things deemed ‘unknowable.’

In fact, even information about the ‘unknowable’ existed in the restricted section of her mental library.

However, those records were sealed, and Rine couldn’t access them due to the constraints of the library’s rules.

Of course, Alon knew how to unlock the restricted section.

But he had no intention of allowing that, for it required accepting the *Five Deadly Sins.*

As Alon recalled this fact, Rine added,

“Still, I did manage to uncover a little information.”

“Really?”

“Yes, though I’m not sure how useful it is.”

She shared the rest of what she had found, and Alon listened silently.

After some time—

“That’s all.”

“Hmm…”

Unconsciously, Alon nodded.

As she mentioned earlier, not all the information was immediately useful.

However, two notable details emerged:

“‘Shadow Dragons’ can ascend to become gods if they fulfill certain conditions as they mature…”

“I’m not entirely sure, but the information I found suggested that, unlike other dragons, ‘Shadow Dragons’ can achieve divinity by overcoming their destructive urges and consuming the profane.”

The first revelation: the Blackie he was raising could potentially become a ‘god.’

The second revelation: Blackie was unlike other ‘Shadow Dragons.’

“Unlike the others?”

“Yes. From what I’ve found, ‘Shadow Dragons’ typically cannot change their forms. This remains true even if they regain their rationality.”

“…So, normally, they wouldn’t be able to take on the shape of a cat, like this.”

“You’re exactly right.”

Blackie was unique.

Alon stared blankly at Blackie.

“Meow?”

The little creature tilted its head innocently.

‘…It’s hard to wrap my head around it.’

Of course, he had seen it transform into other forms and attack.

But since Blackie always appeared harmless in his presence, the idea of its ‘original form’ felt foreign.

As he watched the black cat for a while, a memory surfaced.

‘Then, could it be… when it devoured Rikrakamur… was that part of this process?’

The thought lingered briefly before Alon exhaled in relief.

If Rine’s information was accurate, the ‘Shadow Dragon’ simply consumed the profane, meaning Blackie wasn’t influenced by the nature of the grotesque entity.

‘Even so, it seems a bit different from other ‘Shadow Dragons’. For now, though, I’ll have to be content with what I’ve learned.’

Alon patted Blackie’s head once before turning to Rine.

“Thank you for finding all this information despite the difficulty.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s a request from you, Godfather.”

Rine smiled warmly, and Alon cleared his throat briefly.

There was one more thing he wanted to ask.

“This might be a bit forward, but can I make another request?”

“Of course, what is it?”

Without the slightest hesitation, Rine’s response gave Alon the courage to proceed.

“Could you arrange a meeting with Perion?”

“…Perion? Are you referring to the leader of the *Kalz Mercenary Corps* who settled in Lartania two years ago?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Rine tilted her head curiously.

Of course, she had reason to wonder—

There had never been any connection between Alon and Perion before now.

Despite that, the reason Alon sought a meeting with him was that Perion possessed something Alon currently needed.

Perion, the leader of the Kalz Mercenary Corps.

A character encountered after progressing through several quests in the labyrinth city of Lartania in Psychedelia.

Although he outwardly pretended to be human, he was, in fact, an elf from a southern territory of non-human races.

‘Allegedly… he came to Lartania to search for something.’

Unfortunately, Alon couldn’t recall more details.

Perion was certainly among the ranks of formidable figures, but he hadn’t been central to the player’s story.

‘Perhaps he would’ve become a key character if the DLC was added.’

However, Alon never played the DLC.

While the DLC added new content, it reportedly diminished the main story’s enjoyment, so he had avoided it.

As a result, Alon’s perception of Perion was quite simple.

Just a character who provided an item essential for playing as a mage.

“I have something to negotiate with him about.”

Originally, Alon had intended to meet Perion without relying on Rine.

However, he had overlooked one crucial fact: Perion was not someone who could be easily met.

As a player, Alon had naturally encountered Perion while resolving significant events in the labyrinth.

It wasn’t until he arrived in Lartania that he realized how difficult it was to meet Perion, who rarely interacted with others despite being a mercenary.

Of course, Rine casually responded,

“If you wish, Godfather, I’ll arrange a meeting for tomorrow.”

“Can you?”

With an air of ease, she smiled and replied,

“Of course, if that’s what you want, Godfather.”

***

Meanwhile, from beyond the window of Rine’s shop, Merd, Yuna was perched on a tree branch, hiding as she closely observed Alon’s face.

‘Hmm~ He doesn’t seem particularly extraordinary. Why is Red Moon so fanatically devoted to him?’

She even tilted her head slightly in confusion.

Her observation of Alon from Merd’s office window was purely coincidental.

She had come to relay Yutia’s message to Rine and had just happened to arrive during Alon’s visit.

As a result, she managed to catch sight of Alon and Rine together.

After observing the two for a while, Yuna recalled Alon’s earlier remark.

‘His… birthday?’

A birthday.

It wasn’t a word that evoked any special emotions for her, but now it seemed oddly significant.

This was because she’d overheard that the “Great Moon,” whom Red Moon worshiped, had been slightly downcast about not receiving a birthday gift.

…Of course, according to the knight, the Great Moon had shown no expression whatsoever.

Whether the knight’s jest about their close relationship was true or not, Yuna deliberated briefly.

‘…Should I report this to the other moons as well? I’ll have to visit them all anyway.’

Soon, she decided to inform the other leaders that “the Great Moon might feel slightly disappointed if their birthday isn’t celebrated.”

…Perhaps a risky decision.

***

In Alon’s mind, the image of Perion, leader of the Kalz Mercenary Corps, was that of a knight with a strong sense of conviction, despite being a mercenary.

Outwardly, Perion seemed like a knight living a carefree life, but no player saw him that way.

Humorously, while his disguise was convincing, his actions didn’t align with his appearance.

This discrepancy made Perion appear as a figure of unwavering conviction, a portrayal not far from the truth.

In reality, Perion was an elf of the “Pagade,” a rank slightly higher than Master Knights in Caliban.

Having some understanding of Perion’s background, Alon planned to acquire the desired item through negotiation.

…Although obtaining the item Perion needed required venturing into the labyrinth, which would take a few days, Alon concluded it was worth the time for future benefits.

***

The next day, thanks to Rine’s arrangements, Alon moved forward.

“I am Perion of the Kalz Mercenary Corps.”

“I am Marquis Palatio of the Kingdom of Asteria.”

“Ah, yes, I’ve heard much about you.”

“I see…”

Finally, Alon met Perion.

Contrary to his known image of a knight filled with conviction, Alon encountered a man who seemed visibly timid.

“Yes, yes, please speak.”

Perion repeatedly glanced around nervously and avoided direct eye contact during their conversation.

Noticing this, Alon naturally turned to see where Perion’s gaze was directed.

“Is something wrong, Godfather?”

“…Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Feel free to speak, Godfather. Perion has plenty of time today, right, Perion?”

“Ah, yes, that’s correct. I have a lot of time today.”

There, Alon saw Rine smiling.

She calmly watched Perion, who was nodding vigorously.

Suddenly, a rumor Evan mentioned a week ago resurfaced in Alon’s mind.

A rumor that all senior council members had died, leaving Rine as the sole survivor.

Alon seemed to have inadvertently stumbled upon a truth he didn’t necessarily need to know.