[You have received a task from Defender of Divine Glory.]

[Protect Sestia.]

[Reward: Acknowledgement of the Supreme Dragons.

Penalty: Destruction of the world.]

Ocean wasn’t expecting the sudden appearance of not one but two Supreme Dragons in his territory. He had always kept a possibility in mind that if a Dragon were to arrive in Sestia they might be full well capable of destroying the kingdom after knowing that the Aqua Dragon was killed by its founding King. But to actually have a Dragon come by seeking that Dragon and appear so hostile from the beginning was approaching the worst case scenario territory.

The notification of the task was a guarantee that if he failed now, everything would be for naught and the ones who would destroy the world wouldn’t be demons but Dragons.

However, Ocean had a plan. He wondered if manipulating a Dragon would work.

Ocean decided to lead the two Dragons to the mountain where his- his predecessor’s lair was.

"Your wings seem different." Ocean turned his head looking at the silver haired Dragon.

"Yes," he spoke.

"What kind of wings are they?" He asked.

"Artificial wings." Ocean lied.

He heard the female Dragon who carried the essence of Frost scoff at his answer while the male one hummed.

"You’re bound by secrecy, huh."

Ocean’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the two. The female Dragon appeared smug as she looked at Ocean. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"What?" She asked, "Why do you think we’re on the move. We know what’s going on."

Ocean was shocked, he hadn’t expected anyone other than himself to know about the system and his mission but these two Dragons seemed like they knew something.

He wanted to ask them more but the notification popped up instantly.

[Warning. The Host is forbidden from disclosing confidential information.]

Ocean sighed, not even willing to argue with the system.

Besides, he didn’t even know that the name of the Dragon who had blessed himand gave his mana heart was Aeltharos. Finding that out after so many years was a strange feeling, Ocean hadn’t thought much about that Dragon but these two surely had a close bond with him.

Ocean landed on the ground softly with the two Supreme Dragons behind him. He glanced once at them before he walked inside the cave entrance wordlessly.

"Where are you taking us?" The female Dragon asked.

"My lair." Ocean spoke.

"With your tone I had assumed you were taking us to a place where we could fight." The male one said.

Ocean almost rolled his eyes, if he were as reckless he would have done that he hadn’t fought a full-fledged Dragon before and he could sense that these two were too strong, if they were to learn about their fellow Dragon’s death then they would go berserk and destroy Sestia in a heartbeat.

"I prefer cordial talk instead of fights." Ocean spoke as he led them deeper into the mountain.

After a few minutes, he reached before the mana barrier and then stopped, turning to the two Supreme Dragons.

"May I know your names?" He spoke.

"You haven’t given yours yet, child." The male Dragon reminded.

"And what’s that illusion you’re covering yourself with?" The female one snapped.

Ocean turned to them fully and reached up to his earstud.

"I apologise for this, it’s my disguise." He spoke as his body was enveloped into the mana glow.

As the glow faded, his hair turned longer, snowy white, and body turned petite and curvy. Reina now stood in place of Ocean dressed in her usual assassin’s outfit with Ocean’s signature black coat with the Dragon’s insignia.

When Reina opened her mouth she saw the two Dragons staring at her.

"Our youngest seems to have quite some tricks." The male Dragon spoke, impressed.

She curtsied before the two introducing herself, "Welcome to Sestia, I am Reina Minerva Aurelius, daughter of Duke Aurelius and Scion of Supreme Aqua Dragon."

The two Dragons looked at her and she could feel their gazes on her bowed head.

"There’s one lesson that you should learn firsthand, youngest." The male Dragon spoke.

Reina straightened up feeling his eyes going sharp, gleaming dangerously as he brought up his fan to cover the lower half of his face.

"Don’t ever bow your head before anyone." He spoke with the hint of iciness in his tone.

"She’s half human, what do you expect?" The female one sighed.

"I’ll keep that in mind." Reina said, "Your names please."

The male Dragon smirked, "I’m Caelthir, Fifth Supreme Dragon of Wind. You can address me as Kin Caelthir."

Reina nodded before she looked at the female Dragon.

"I’m Isyrrha, Seventh Supreme Dragon of Frost. I’m older than you so, address me as Kin Isyrrha."

Reina gave a nod before she turned and placed her hand on the mana barrier, whispering the permission spell.

After she was done, she gestured for the two to walk inside.

"Quite elaborate." Caelthir spoke as he walked in looking around the lair which was more like a human laboratory with the blue mana stones growing all over the place.

"Is this really your lair?" Isyrrha asked.

Reina pursed her lips, "Yes, it was given to me."

Isyrrha turned to look at her, her eyes resembling icy chips.

"Where is Aeltharos?"

Reina inhaled and exhaled deeply before walking past them deeper into the lair.

The two Dragons followed her until she walked deeper and deeper into lair, at some point, the lair appeared more raw and natural with larger mana stones jutting out of the walls.

Reina stopped before the large crater where she had met the Supreme Aqua Dragon years ago.

"What is this place?" Isyrrha spoke and Reina turned to her.

"The resting place of Supreme Aqua Dragon."

"Resting place?" She frowned while Caelthir went still.

Reina faced them with a calm expression, "I met him at this spot right years ago... His remaining essence, and he granted me his Mana Heart making me his progeny."

Caelthir’s eyes widened while the air around Isyrrha froze.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Reina glanced back at the crater.

"He’s dead."

The lair was still and dead silent for a long moment before Reina felt the two Dragons Presences exploding all over the large cavern.

Reina saw the notification of the Shield of Invulnerability activating popping up to keep her from getting crushed from the sheer pressure the Presences would be casting on the surroundings.

"How is this possible? And when did it happen?" Isyrrha whose arms had started turning into claws asked.

"Around five hundred years ago," Reina said, "... The founding King of this kingdom slayed him."

Reina knew telling them this was equal to giving them a reason to destroy the kingdom.

"A human slayed our Kin." Isyrrha sneered. "Are you lying?"

Reina shook her head, "I’m not."

"How is that even possible?! How could a weak human kill a Supreme Dragon?!" She shouted making the walls of the cavern shudder.

Reina used telekinesis to keep the cavern from getting damaged.

"Unless that human was possessed by a demon." Caelthir spoke and looked at Reina.

"Tell us the truth, youngest."

"I only know what he showed me through his memories." Reina was maintaining her calm as even a tiny crack would lead to consequences.

"You’re quite bold, telling us that our Kin was slayed by the King of this kingdom. How is this kingdom even standing?" Caelthir spoke while Isyrrha turned.

"Quit asking her, she’s a human herself. I’ll destroy this whole damn kingdom, how dare they thrive on our Kin’s blood." Her body was starting to transform as she spoke.

"The present generation has nothing to do with it, Kin Isyrrha. I request you to calm your anger." Reina spoke.

"Calm my anger?" Isyrrha glared back at Reina.

"You say that after telling me a human killed my Kin?"

Within a split moment, Reina’s back was slammed against the wall of the cavern and her throat was gripped with the crushing strength of the Frost Dragon.

"You humans are truly despicable," she sneered into Reina’s face.

The passive skill was still up so, Reina wasn’t in any pain but she needed to calm this triggered Dragon before she destroyed her years of hard work.

"Your Kin’s heart still beats within me, Kin Isyrrha. He had bestowed his essence to me and asked me to fulfill my responsibility. If you wish to destroy this kingdom, you will have to destroy me first."

Reina’s face was a mask of stoicity but her eyes exposed the emotions.

Isyrrha growled gripping tighter and Reina narrowed her eyes, the Shield of Invulnerability had some drawbacks, it couldn’t withstand a divine attack or a Dragon’s attack but considering that Isyrrha’s attack wasn’t having much effect meant only one thing to Reina. Isyrrha was holding back, even when she had attacked her above Eldarf and even here.

Reina reached out and held Isyrrha’s icy wrist gently.

"I am sorry," she spoke softly, "I... can’t say I understand your pain but... I’ll still implore Kin Isyrrha to respect Kin Aeltharos’s last wish and let me finish what I started."

Isyrrha glared at Reina before she let go of Reina’s throat.

Reina brushed her neck gently before watching as Isyrrha stared at the crater with the unshed tears glistening at her glassy eyes.

Reina stood silently before she glanced at Caelthir who stood there with his arms crossed and his fan covering half his face, his diamond-like eyes were fixed on Reina.

The notification of the task being fulfilled had appeared yet, so Reina was still on edge. Caelthir’s lips moved without any sound but his voice reached her ears through the air.

"You’re quite a smart human,"

Reina tilted her head slightly "You knew she was holding back that’s why, you used Aeltharos’s name to stop from wrecking havoc. But what will you do of me?"

Reina’s eyes narrowed a little, "I can just request for your and Kin Isyrrha’s magnanimity. There are lives here which I must protect."

Caelthir smirked, "You could have used the authority you have youngest,"

Reina’s eyebrows twitched, "What?"

"Even if you hide it, I can see the blessing of our Dragon God on you. His Presence is guarding you. It makes me curious. How did you come to have his blessing?"

Reina shook her head, "I haven’t met him, but one day I just got a- I realised that I had his blessing."

Caelthir’s eyes narrowed, "Interesting."

[Congratulations! Task Completed.]

[You are now Acknowledged as one of their own by Supreme Dragons of Wind and Frost.]

Reina almost breathed a sigh of relief, hoping she and the kingdom just avoided a death flag.

But the future still had some more unexpected turns that she failed to calculate at that time.