High above the clouds, Ebruhan continued his journey across the continent.
Blue mana flowed around him like a river of light as he crossed mountains, forests, rivers, and borders in a matter of hours.
The mission itself was simple.
The answers were not.
The first allied kingdom welcomed him respectfully.
Their king listened carefully as Ebruhan explained Norvoss's preparations.
Anti-dragon research.
Military mobilization.
Growing influence.
When the meeting concluded, the king sighed heavily.
"We will support Lumeris."
His expression, however, remained troubled.
"But only with supplies and defensive assistance."
"Our own borders are unstable."
"We cannot commit large portions of our army."
Ebruhan nodded.
Even that was valuable.
Not every kingdom could afford to send soldiers.
The second kingdom answered differently.
Their council was divided.
Some nobles feared Norvoss.
Others feared dragons.
A few feared both.
After hours of discussion, their decision finally came.
"We will remain neutral for now."
The answer disappointed many.
But Ebruhan did not argue.
Neutrality was better than joining Norvoss.
The third kingdom surprised him.
Their queen barely waited for him to finish speaking.
"If Norvoss expands again, none of us will remain safe."
She stood from her throne.
"You may inform King Cedric that our banners will answer his call."
That response earned genuine respect from Ebruhan.
Days passed.
Kingdom after kingdom.
Castle after castle.
Meeting after meeting.
Some promised troops.
Some promised food.
Some promised mages.
Others promised only prayers.
And a few quietly began strengthening their own walls.
Because everyone understood the same thing.
Whether war began next month or next year,
something was changing.
One evening, Ebruhan landed atop a lonely mountain ridge overlooking several distant kingdoms.
The sky bright orange beneath the setting sun.
For the first time all day, he allowed himself a moment of rest.
The dragon sat silently while the wind moved through the grass.
Different kingdoms.
Different rulers.
Different fears.
Different plans.
Yet every conversation seemed to circle back to the same subject.
Norvoss.
And dragons.
Ebruhan lowered his gaze slightly.
His thoughts drifted toward Lumeris.
Toward King Cedric.
Toward Leo.
Toward the estate.
Toward Mia.
Especially Mia.
The timing could not have been worse.
A potential continental war.
And a young dragon approaching one of the most important moments of her life.
"...Grrah."
A low rumble escaped him.
For once, there was no enemy to fight.
No battlefield to dominate.
No problem he could solve with claws and strength.
Only uncertainty.
And Ebruhan hated uncertainty.
Far below, lights from distant towns slowly began to appear one by one.
Tiny sparks in the darkness.
The dragon looked toward the horizon.
Then spread his wings again.
There is one more kingdom left to visit.
And time was becoming increasingly precious.
---------
As the sixth stop on his journey, Kingdom of Aegis stood proud among towering cliffs and fortified valleys.
Unlike many of the previous kingdoms, Aegis wasted little time.
The moment Ebruhan finished explaining the situation regarding Norvoss, the council had already reached its conclusion.
The king nodded firmly.
"Aegis will honor its alliance."
"If war comes, our soldiers will answer the call."
Several commanders around the chamber nodded in agreement.
Ebruhan lowered his head respectfully.
"You have my gratitude."
With the meeting concluded, he made his way toward the palace courtyard, preparing to go back Lumeris.
His wings were only beginning to unfold when a voice called out behind him.
"Hold it a moment."
Ebruhan glanced over hus shoulder
A commander was approaching.
Or rather...
the commander.
The figure carried himself differently from the others.
Unlike the armored officers within the council chamber, this man wore a dark leather coat lined with wool around the collar.
A mana revolver rested casually in one hand.
Not a bow.
Not a sword.
Not a spear.
A firearm.
A rare weapon that few kingdoms possessed and even fewer could master.
His appearance made him even more recognizable.
Yellow fur.
Green eyes.
The unmistakable head of a wolf demi-human.
Ebruhan recognized him immediately.
The Phantom.
One of Aegis' most infamous operatives.
An assassin.
A scout.
A battlefield hunter.
A man whose reputation had spread far beyond his homeland.
The wolf stopped a few steps away before giving a casual salute.
"Name's Tai."
A grin appeared across his muzzle.
"It's an honor meeting you in person, Ebruhan."
Ebruhan studied him briefly before nodding.
"The honor is mine, Phantom."
Tai immediately winced.
"Can we not do titles?"
He pointed at himself.
"Just Tai."
Then pointed at Ebruhan.
"And just Ebruhan."
The dragon couldn't help finding that amusing.
"...Very well."
Then his expression became slightly more serious.
"So."
"How bad is it really?"
Ebruhan already knew what he meant.
Not the official reports.
Not the council summaries.
The truth.
The dragon looked toward the distant horizon.
"Serious enough for me to personally visit every allied kingdom."
Tai's grin slowly faded.
"...Yeah."
That answer alone told him everything.
He let out a low whistle.
"Then this one's gonna be ugly."
The wolf rested one hand on his revolver.
"Norvoss doesn't strike me as the type to make mistakes."
Ebruhan nodded.
Tai speak again,
"You know..."
His eyes lifted toward the sky.
"I used to think dragons were unstoppable."
Ebruhan raised an eyebrow.
"Used to?"
Tai shrugged.
"Then I got older."
A small grin returned.
"Everything bleeds."
The statement wasn't a threat.
Just a battlefield truth.
Ebruhan actually nodded.
"Correct."
Tai seemed surprised by the answer.
The dragon folded his arms.
"Every army can fall."
"Every fortress can crumble."
"Every warrior can die."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"That is why wise men prepare."
Tai laughed.
"Heh."
"Now that's the kind of answer I expected from a royal protector."
Then his expression became serious once more.
"Well."
"If war comes..."
He tapped the revolver at his hip.
"...I'll make sure Norvoss remembers Aegis."
Ebruhan spread his wings.
"And I shall make sure they remember Lumeris."
The wind began to gather around him.
Tai stepped back as mana surged through the courtyard.
Before taking flight, Ebruhan gave one final glance toward the wolf.
"Stay alive, Tai."
The commander smirked.
"You too."
Then with a thunderous burst of wind, the blue dragon launched into the sky once more.
Tai watched him disappear into the clouds.
The smirk slowly faded afterward and muttered,
"...Serious enough to visit six kingdoms personally."
The wolf looked toward the horizon.
For the first time that day...
he felt genuinely uneasy.
Norvoss was coming.
And if even Ebruhan was worried...
then everyone else should be too.
"Oh boy.. life is a joke eh? Gotta make it good one"
-----------------
High above the continent, Ebruhan soared through the sky.
Clouds drifted beneath his wings while distant kingdoms slowly faded behind him one by one.
The journey was over.
The answers remained.
And none of them were particularly comforting.
The dragon flew silently for a long while.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Evaluating.
Two kingdoms had agreed to send military reinforcements.
One kingdom could only spare weapons, supplies, and rations.
The remaining allies...
Could barely defend themselves.
Some had unstable borders.
Some lacked manpower.
Some simply feared Norvoss too much.
Ebruhan understood their reasoning.
That did not make the situation any better.
A low sigh escaped him.
"...Grrah."
The wind swallowed the sound immediately.
His thoughts drifted toward Norvoss.
Toward Princess Selene.
Toward the preparations already underway.
Anti-mana research.
Military mobilization.
All of it pointed toward one conclusion.
Norvoss was serious.
Very serious.
Ebruhan lowered his gaze toward the forests below.
"Even if every allied kingdom combined their forces..."
His voice was quiet.
"...I doubt it would be enough."
The statement lingered in the empty sky.
Not because Lumeris was weak.
Nor because the alliance was weak.
But because Norvoss had spent years preparing before anyone realized it.
Years conquering.
Years organizing.
Years studying.
Years gathering resources.
Most kingdoms reacted to threats.
Norvoss planned for them.
That difference worried Ebruhan more than army numbers.
The dragon continued flying.
For the first time in a very long while, he found himself wishing he could simply solve the problem with strength.
A monster could be killed.
A rogue dragon could be fought.
An invading army could be burned.
But this?
This was politics.
Preparation.
Strategy.
Patience.
The kind of battlefield where claws alone were not enough.
His thoughts eventually drifted toward Mia.
A small black dragon sitting in a tree.
Scared.
Trying not to show it.
Ebruhan closed his eyes briefly.
Of all possible moments...
Why now?
Why did her growth phase have to arrive now?
Why did Norvoss choose now?
Why did everything seem determined to happen at once?
The dragon opened his eyes again.
Far in the distance, the borders of Lumeris were beginning to appear.
A faint smile eventually touched his face.
Small.
But genuine.
"...Then we will simply have to become enough."
The wind roared around him.
His wings beat once.
Twice.
And the blue dragon accelerated toward home.
---------
After nearly a full day of continuous flight, the familiar walls of Kingdom of Lumeris finally appeared on the horizon.
Normally, even Ebruhan would have rested first.
Not this time.
The moment his claws touched the palace courtyard, he transformed back into human form.
His clothes were dusty from travel.
His face showed clear exhaustion.
Even his normally immaculate hair was slightly disheveled.
The palace guards immediately noticed.
One of them stepped forward.
"Sir Ebruhan, should we prepare a room for your rest?"
Ebruhan shook his head.
"No."
"The king first."
Without another word, he continued toward the palace.
Minutes later.
Inside the royal council chamber.
King Cedric looked up as the doors opened.
"Ebruhan."
The king immediately noticed the dragon's condition.
"You look exhausted."
Ebruhan gave a small nod.
"I am."
That honest answer actually surprised several advisors
Usually Ebruhan would simply say:
"I am fine."
Then continue working.
But this time even he looked worn down.
Cedric frowned slightly.
"You should have rested first."
"The report can wait."
Ebruhan slowly approached the council table.
"The report is more important."
The king already knew arguing would accomplish nothing.
So he simply sighed.
"...Very well."
Ebruhan pull out several documents and notes from his inventory and placed onto the table.
Then began speaking.
"I visited six allied kingdoms."
The room immediately became attentive.
"Two kingdoms agreed to send military reinforcements."
A few officers visibly relaxed.
"One kingdom can only provide weapons, supplies, and rations."
The relief lessened slightly.
Ebruhan continued.
"The remaining kingdoms cannot commit meaningful forces."
Silence followed.
One advisor frowned.
"Cannot?"
"Or will not?"
Ebruhan's expression remained neutral.
"Both."
The answer made several nobles unhappy.
The dragon continued calmly.
"Some lack manpower."
"Some have unstable borders."
"Some fear Norvoss."
"Others can barely defend themselves."
King Cedric quietly absorbed the information.
Then asked the question everyone was thinking.
"And your conclusion?"
Ebruhan was silent for a moment.
Long enough that the room became uneasy.
Then he finally answered.
"Norvoss is preparing for war."
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
A statement.
Not a theory.
The atmosphere immediately grew heavier.
Ebruhan folded his arms.
"They are studying dragons."
"Gathering specialists."
"Hiring dragon hunters."
"Researching restraint methods."
A few nobles exchanged worried looks.
One general muttered:
"They truly intend to challenge dragons..."
Ebruhan nodded.
"They do."
The dragon's golden eyes swept across the room.
"And they are taking it seriously."
King Cedric slowly leaned back in his chair.
"What about the alliance?"
For the first time, Ebruhan looked genuinely troubled.
"...Even if every allied force arrives."
The room became silent.
"...I am not certain it will be enough."
Nobody spoke.
Because those words carried enormous weight.
Not from an advisor.
Not from a noble.
From Ebruhan.
The royal protector.
The dragon who rarely doubted anything.
Cedric remained thoughtful.
Then eventually he nodded.
"Understood."
The king stood slowly.
"Then we prepare accordingly."
His voice remained calm.
Steady.
The voice of a ruler refusing to panic.
"We shall assume no one is coming to save us."
"We will strengthen ourselves instead."
Several officers straightened immediately.
Orders would soon follow.
Plans would soon begin.
The kingdom was entering a new chapter.
Meanwhile, Ebruhan finally felt the fatigue catching up with him.
For the first time since returning home, he allowed himself a small exhale.
The report was delivered.
Now...
he needed to check on a certain black dragon.
..