NOVPUB"Father told me to befriend His Highness Velen. I thought I'd have to wait until we delivered the magic dragons to see him again, but I didn't expect the opportunity to come so soon!"
"And since His Highness calls himself a spendthrift showoff tycoon, to win his favor, I have to become one too!"
Drogos took a deep breath. "That's why I've decided to take a gamble!"
"A gamble? What kind of gamble?"
Seeing the madness in Drogos's eyes, the Iceflame Senator immediately felt uneasy.
"If His Highness truly helps us retrieve the stolen Darknight Dragon Egg…"
"I plan to roast it and offer it to him as a delicacy!"
Drogos spoke his insane plan out loud.
"Heavens above!"
"Young Master, are you insane?!"
"That's a Darknight Dragon Egg! There were only two in all of Dragon's Defile—and one was stolen! You actually want to roast the last one?!"
"Not even the most extravagant spendthrift would go that far!"
The Iceflame Senator was completely dumbfounded.
"Insane?"
"Didn't His Highness just spend a hundred units of colossal Universe Dragon Glass for a single magic dragon? Is that normal?"
"His Highness isn't just a regular showoff—he's a spendthrift showoff tycoon! If we want to earn his goodwill, the ordinary approach won't work!"
With that, Drogos turned and headed back to the carriage, unwilling to argue further.
"He's lost his mind! Completely insane!"
"Betting an entire Darknight Dragon Egg based on a guess... If the Dragon Lord finds out, he'll break his legs!"
The Iceflame Senator was anxious beyond words.
"When the time comes for me to buy that egg, I wonder how shocked he'll be."
Watching Drogos return, Velen couldn't help but laugh to himself.
He was already planning to replace the current Jade Dragon with the Darknight Dragon once he obtained it.
"This might just be the craziest decision I've ever made…"
"I wonder how His Highness will react when he sees me roasting a dragon egg."
Drogos glanced at Velen, who was finalizing the navigation route on the magical map, and felt increasingly anxious.
A little while later…
"Drogos, are you really not a spendthrift showoff tycoon?"
After Velen had fallen asleep, Stiegler leaned over and whispered.
"Huh?"
Drogos froze, then gave a wry smile. "Lord Stiegler, I'm really not. But… I do want to become one now—just to experience that kind of joy."
"You want to become a spendthrift showoff tycoon too?"
"If you want to experience the joy, you have to learn how to burn money the right way!"
"I'm currently learning from His Highness. Becoming a qualified spendthrift tycoon is no easy task!"
Stiegler lowered his voice. "I think His Highness sees potential in you—he might want to keep you by his side. Whether you can grasp this opportunity depends on you."
With that, he fell silent.
He had said this because Velen once remarked, "Too bad you're not a spendthrift showoff tycoon—otherwise, I'd keep you close."
"To place such a huge bet after a brief encounter..."
"This will either be a once-in-a-lifetime chance or end with me having my legs broken at home…"
"Even if I lose the bet, at least I'll get a taste of a Darknight Dragon Egg. Not a total loss!"
Having heard Stiegler's words, Drogos's resolve only grew firmer.
The Next Morning
The dragon carriage hovered high above a mountain ravine. The Iceflame Senator leapt down.
Soon, fierce waves of magical combat surged from below.
Stiegler, who was still driving the carriage, glanced down anxiously. "Drogos, do you think the Iceflame Senator will be okay?"
"Relax. That egg thief isn't his match."
Despite what he said, a flash of worry crossed Drogos's eyes.
Ding! Reminder to host:
Kent is constantly using the Darknight Dragon Egg as a shield. To protect the egg, the Iceflame Senator has begun falling behind. If this continues, the dragon egg you want to purchase may be shattered!
Velen, who was mid-battle with seven elven princesses in a dream, was abruptly awakened by the system notification.
"Send in tycoonthe Guardians to check it out."
Eyes still half-lidded from sleep, Velen issued his command to the system.
In the ravine…
"Hahaha!"
"Iceflame, you old fossil! So what if you found me? You don't dare destroy this egg!"
Kent laughed maniacally, holding the two-meter-long dragon egg high with one hand.
The Iceflame Senator was visibly injured.
The clash between frost magic and dark energy blanketed the entire ravine in mist and gloom. Waves of battle intensified.
"If you take even one more step, I'll crush this egg!"
Kent sneered, holding the massive Darknight Dragon Egg aloft while conjuring highly corrosive dark energy in his other hand.
The Iceflame Senator froze, his expression grim.
He couldn't afford to take the risk. The Darknight Dragon Egg was too important to Dragon's Defile. Even the slightest damage would make it impossible to face the Dragon Lord.
"Kent, hand over the egg. Dragon's Defile may spare your life."
The Iceflame Senator growled coldly.
"Hah! Spare me?"
Kent burst into laughter. "You've hunted me for three whole months, and now you want to negotiate? Too late! Either let me walk free, or—"
He applied slight pressure with his fingers.
Tiny cracks immediately began spreading across the egg's surface.
The Iceflame Senator's pupils constricted. "Stop!" n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
High in the sky, inside the dragon carriage
Velen yawned and rubbed his eyes. "They're still fighting?"
Stiegler stared nervously down below. "Your Highness, it looks like the Iceflame Senator is being threatened. That thief is using the dragon egg as a shield."
"Oh?" Velen raised a brow, then smiled playfully.
He closed his eyes and said in his mind: "System, send tycoonthe Guardians to handle it."
"Ding! tycoonthe Guardians deployed."
Back in the ravine…
Kent, still cackling and boasting, suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"Who's there?!"
He spun around—but all he saw was endless darkness.
The next second, a pale hand reached out from the shadows and gently touched his shoulder.
"You—"
Kent tried to speak, but found that his voice was gone.
No—more than that.
His entire body was disintegrating. Starting from his shoulder, blood, bone, and mana turned to black ash and vanished without a sound.
Three seconds later, Kent was gone. Not even a trace of his presence remained.
Guardian One reached out with one hand and caught the falling Darknight Dragon Egg. With a flicker, he appeared in front of the stunned Iceflame Senator.
"Take it."
His voice was icy and devoid of emotion.
"…?!"
With just one move… the evenly-matched Kent had been erased?
The Iceflame Senator's body went rigid. He even forgot to breathe.
He had never felt such terrifying pressure before. This black-robed man was definitely at demi-god rank… maybe even stronger.
"Th-thank you for your assistance!"
The Iceflame Senator took the egg, voice trembling.
Guardian One said nothing. In the next instant, he vanished.
But the Iceflame Senator thought he heard the man mutter, "…So boring."
The dragon carriage slowly descended into the ravine.
Velen jumped down and stretched. "Is it over?"
The Iceflame Senator, still holding the egg, looked at Velen with deep reverence. "Your Highness… that black-robed powerhouse was…?"
"Oh, just one of my guards," Velen replied casually. "The egg's not broken, is it?"
The Iceflame Senator hurriedly inspected the egg, then let out a breath of relief. "Just a few superficial cracks on the surface. It won't affect the hatching."
Drogos finally snapped out of his shock. He stepped forward quickly and gave a deep bow. "Your Highness, no words can express our gratitude!"
"From this day forward, Dragon's Defile is willing to form an alliance with the Endless Sanctuary!"
