"The situation has changed now."

The Hanged Man said, "Black Steel... No, Ignatius Vortigern, can you defeat this man?"

Black Steel felt a chill all over. He knew very well that what was before him was just an illusion; Ethan wasn't really there. However, the suffocating unease relentlessly invaded his dreams.

And after the Hanged Man made him see through the illusion, Ethan, who had his back to him, finally turned around.

His figure was flickering, and at this moment, Black Steel finally saw Ethan's face. It was nothing like a human or any creature he had ever seen before. His face was reduced to three cold red numbers—404.

...............

On the other side, after a loud dragon's roar, the atmosphere at Black Steel Manor turned awkward.

An adult black dragon descended from the sky. Its roar caught the attention of the Royal Capital patrol guards, and more and more summoners headed to the source of the dragon's roar, including members from the Royal Summoner Association.

Everyone knew this was Black Steel's abode, and they knew that this adult black dragon from the sky had been Black Steel's companion, aiding him in defeating countless opponents, making him an invincible presence in the eyes of summoners. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Only a few of the manor's dragon maids knew that this giant dragon was merely Black Steel's servant, and as the King of Black Dragons, Black Steel was far stronger than any adult giant dragon.

Therefore, this adult giant dragon had a clear sense of its role. Its loud roar was meant to cheer for its master and intimidate these insignificant creatures through sheer presence. However, the plan encountered some hiccups; for instance, just as it roared, Black Steel was sent flying by the wolf girl with a punch.

Yes, sent flying.

Faster than a dragon's flight speed, like an object thrown with great force into the sky.

Thus, a new problem emerged.

If even the master was not a match for this human, then what could it, being just a participant in creating atmosphere, do at this moment?

More importantly, even the person giving orders was nowhere to be seen now.

Should it engage?

The black dragon in the courtyard fell into deep confusion, its keen animal instincts telling it to retreat. However, that loud dragon roar had already been let out; if it left just like that, it would disgrace the entire black dragon race.

While the black dragon was pondering, the situation worsened.

The loud dragon's roar had attracted both the patrol team and the Royal Summoners, who also found the uninvited guest in the courtyard. A pair of eager eyes fell on its back, eyes that looked upon a savior.

As Black Steel's personal atmosphere participant, it was considered the strongest magical creature in human eyes.

And now, all those people who arrived bearing this news were under its protection.

At this moment, the black dragon's gaze became incredibly determined—if even the strongest of them retreated, who would protect this country?

"You..."

However, the next moment, it heard Ethan's voice. The human was slowly walking toward it, not saying much, but from his eyes, the black dragon seemed to see a madness that wanted to destroy the surface of the Royal Capital.

An enemy attempting to overturn the entire Kingdom!

Could it, as a hero, abandon these humans and run away alone?

Yes!

The black dragon took just one second to weigh the pros and cons.

As the saying goes, after reaching the peak, a decline follows. Under the rule of the Crimson Queen, this Kingdom had been sustained for a millennium, but now the Kingdom's interior was as stagnant as a dead water. A true hero would not collude with these corrupt royals!

...

In fact, after that loud dragon roar, Ethan also found himself in an awkward situation.

'Black Dragon (Dragon/Fire), Level: 99'.

Clearly, this adult giant dragon was Black Steel's partner. He was prepared to send it and Black Steel to work in the same city, but after the battle roar, the black dragon quieted down, standing blankly as if in a daze, its eyes warm and innocent, yet flashing with countless thoughts.

This was clearly an adult black several meters high, yet Ethan saw a goofy aura in its eyes.

Moreover, this goofy one's offensive intentions were gradually diminishing, making him somewhat reluctant to let Other Shore deal a heavy blow to it, and now he even saw the goofy one casting a pleading gaze at him.

"You... are actually a singer, aren't you?"

Ethan was silent for a long time, and finally thought of something to say.

In that instant, the goofy one's eyes lit up, a look as if seeing you coming home from work with several chicken legs.

"Awoo—!"

It raised its neck, letting out another dragon roar that resounded over the Royal Capital.

"Awoo, awooo—!"

On this day, the people of the Royal Capital, like Ethan, experienced for the first time the song of the dragon race. Yet, in reality, they couldn't understand dragon language and didn't know what feelings this black dragon wanted to express through its song, the only judgment being that it sang with great vigor.

Perhaps overly enthusiastic.

After the song, the goofy one even started wagging its tail with excitement, inspired by the black dragon. The dragon babies, which Ethan rescued from the underground lab, also crawled out of the manor, leisurely gathered together, causing the summoners who gathered upon hearing the news to stare wide-eyed—they had never seen so many young dragons!

And they seemed to be docile and friendly to humans. If they could train them to be their partners, the road as summoners would surely be smooth!

The goofy one ignored the people behind it and scrutinized Ethan carefully.

Could it be...

This human is actually a good person?

Upon careful consideration, before acting, he did seriously discuss with the master about the upbringing and education of the dragon babies, appearing to be a capable and responsible Summoner.

The human and dragon faced each other in the courtyard for a long time, and suddenly Ethan thought of something, asking Rowena to fetch the roasted meat from her "storage", selecting the largest roasted pig knuckle to offer to the adult giant dragon.

The goofy one bit into the roasted pig leg without any psychological burden, its amber vertical pupils narrowing to a slit.

Misunderstanding resolved.

It knew Ethan must be a good person; how could a villain possibly carry a roasted pig knuckle meant to feed magical creatures? Only Summoners who cared for magical creatures and tended to them meticulously would be so well prepared.

Moreover, thinking back, it internally opposed the master's treatment of the dragon babies. Now that a righteous person stood up to speak out, if the master could see the error of his ways, it would certainly be for the best.

Decision made.

"Awoo!"

With the roasted pig knuckle now in its belly, the goofy one made a decision.

Before the master returns from his trip, it will fully support Ethan in becoming the new head of the manor!

"**! The black dragon has turned traitor!"

"That despicable human must have drugged that roasted pig knuckle!"

"But let's be honest, that roast pig knuckle looked really delicious, got me feeling a bit hungry."

"Turns out dragons like eating roast pig knuckles?"

As the goofy one turned around, eyeing the gathered patrol team and Royal Summoners, the summoners suddenly realized they actually had important things to attend to today and scattered under excuses like "not feeling well", "family emergency", or "meal time".

For the goofy one's full support of Ethan as the new head of the manor, the dragon maids were naturally in full agreement, though they were still a bit dizzy, not yet recovered from the fact that Black Steel was sent flying by Ethan's wolf with a single punch.

That evening, an astonishing piece of news spread rapidly through the Royal Capital.

The most powerful Summoner in human history, the president of the Royal Summoner Association, Ignatius Vortigern, had been defeated.

This signified the arrival of a new era.

Yet no one knew where the waves of this new era would carry them.

The people of the Royal Capital spread the word, and by midnight, someone finally gathered further details.

Combining insights from "The Cuckoo's Daily" and news from Moon Forest City and Misty Forest County, they realized one thing.

——This era is named Boss Sakaki.