The spacious courtyard gave no hint of the true number of guests, but once inside the house, it beca clear that an imnse crowd had gathered.
"Excuse , sir. Are you looking for sothing?"
Jenkins mingled with the crowd, his eyes scanning everywhere. He couldn't shake the suspicion that this was all a conspiracy, a plot by the silver dragon and the princess to lure enough people for so horrific blood sacrifice. Yet, as he looked around, he could find nothing out of place. Leaning against a wall, he waited for the situation to change, when he was interrupted by a voice at his side. He turned to see the princess and her two servants.
They had been handing out blankets and food, and must have noticed him observing the crowd with nothing to do, which prompted them to approach him.
"I'm looking for... my cat. It wandered off just now... But don't worry. The cat may be a bit dim-witted, but it's very cautious. I'm sure it's found a better hiding spot than this."
"A pet cat?"
the princess asked, then added cautiously:
"Although I'm not a native of Black Town, I am aware of the local tradition of revering cats. It's an ancient belief, nearly as old as the town's history. So please, be careful not to say anything disparaging about them, or you might offend the townspeople."
For so reason, she seed quite willing to continue the conversation, and Jenkins, for his part, was happy for the distraction. His primary goal, of course, was to ask the princess—the one who had married a dragon—if she knew anything about the "Dragon Slayer." But it appeared she was unaware, and she didn't seem to think slaying a dragon was even possible.
Having lived in the castle for so ti, she was familiar with so of the local legends. When Jenkins finally managed to steer the conversation toward the town's more terrifying stories, the princess shot him a peculiar glance.
"Actually, the dragons attacking us ca because of those stories."
Long, long ago, in an era so distant that even the dragons have no mory of it, a creature of legend was born upon this very land. Its birth permanently altered this place. So long as it exists—regardless of its location, or whether it resides in the material world—its power will forever influence Black Town.
Many ancient beings who knew this legend flocked to this land, hoping to find that power and use the legendary creature's strength to elevate themselves, to transform their very being. Throughout history, countless exotic species, and even humans, have attempted this. But to this day, only the local silver dragon lord, Anathasia, has succeeded.
"Wait, why does the silver dragon lord have such a feminine na... No, that's not important. Are you saying the silver dragon lord discovered this land's deepest secret and took control of it?"
That the bride would so readily share such crucial information left Jenkins both stunned and deeply confused.
He looked suspiciously at the princess, still in her wedding attire. She t his gaze calmly:
"You are no ordinary person."
"Are you accusing of not going out to fight?"
"Of course not. Whether you choose to protect this place is your own decision. But I believe you can resolve this situation."
"You think I'm that powerful?"
"I don't know about that, but I can see you share a profound connection with this town. On many nights, when Anathasia returned from the cave leading to the underground city, she carried an aura similar to yours. Your bond with this place is extraordinary. That alone is enough for to take this risk and ask for your help."
With those words, the young princess dismissed her attendants and offered Jenkins a respectful bow. Jenkins, of course, knew exactly how deep his connection to the town ran. In the span of a single night, he had experienced its history from modern tis to antiquity and had encountered its deepest secrets on several occasions.
"Alright then, but what's in it for ?"
Jenkins didn't actually mind helping. Since the "Dragon Slayer" was a no-show, he figured he might as well play the part himself. He was only asking for a reward to establish a proper reason for his involvent; after all, helping others for no reason at all could be a dangerous proposition.
The princess looked at Jenkins with an expression of pity. After a long mont, she raised a hand and pointed to herself:
"If you can save Anathasia, I am willing to..."
"That's enough, don't say any more. If I actually succeed, you and that silver dragon lord of yours can just treat to a al."
Jenkins was quite certain he was no match for a swarm of dragons. Even back in his own ti, he wouldn't be a match for them under normal circumstances, let alone in this era, where he couldn't feel the Sage's power at all.
In this era, it was highly likely the Sage had not yet ascended to beco a Righteous God.
Sword in his right hand and staff in his left, he traversed the ruins of a shadowy corridor until he reached the shattered gates of the dragon hall. He tilted his head back, gazing at the swarm of dragons in the sky and the chaotic sprays of energy and spirit.
"Damn it all, why do I have to go through things like this?"
Muttering to himself, he swung his staff sharply at the sky, deflecting a descending lightning bolt back the way it ca. With a furious roar, he activated [Cat's Grace] and [Titan's Power], leaping into the air at incredible speed. With a mighty swing, he struck a green dragon that had spotted him and was diving, sending it hurtling into the distance.
"Yeah, I'm definitely outmatched..."
Landing back on the ground, he braced his hands on his knees, catching his breath. He shook his wrists and gazed up at the countless dragons. He couldn't even fly. His [Sacred Unicorn Summoning] ability called a specific unicorn, not a random one from the species. It was painfully obvious that in an era this ancient, his mount hadn't even been born yet. Even in his own ti, it wasn't a foal, but it wasn't particularly old either.
"What would happen if I tried to summon the unicorn now?"
A curious idea popped into his head, but he shook his head and dismissed it.
He wasn't alone. Many other Benefactors attending the wedding feast were in the courtyard, fighting the dragons. The average power level in this era seed slightly higher than at the end of the 18th Epoch—evidenced by the fact that most of them possessed the ability to briefly hover. Jenkins realized with so embarrassnt that he wasn't being of much use. Just then, he saw the silver dragon lord, beset by three ancient dragons, plumt from the sky. She crashed behind the castle, toppling half of a side tower. He imdiately ran over, hoping to heal her wounds.
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