Chapter 390

Fzzzzzzzzzzzt—!

Powerful, pure-white lightning raged through the Sanctuary of Pegasus.

“Unbelievable…! How could the White King respond to the call of such an unholy being?!”

Arpia cried out, unable to accept what she was seeing.

Arms crossed, Rodia watched her and spoke calmly.

“It’s not that unbelievable, is it?”

“What?”

“Well, I know what Kyle’s reputation is like, so I understand why you’d think that way.”

Rodia shifted her gaze toward the realm of Divine Lightning.

“Why do you Pegasi keep fighting for a hope you can’t even see?”

“Do you also think we’re foolish?”

“Not at all.”

Rodia shook her head.

Her sunset-orange eyes stared straight into Arpia’s.

‘Is this dragon really that young?’

Despite her youth, there was a maturity in her presence.

As Arpia scrutinized Rodia—

“The world hasn’t fallen to ruin thanks to noble people like you,” Rodia said.

“And if the reason you don’t abandon that hope is because you believe in that slim possibility that the world will one day be saved… then nothing is unbelievable.”

Arpia’s eyes widened.

“You might not trust him now. But still—believe.”

Rodia met Arpia’s eyes.

“Kyle will perform a miracle.”

“…Have we met somewhere before?”

“Maybe.”

Rodia smiled faintly.

She acted as if she didn’t know, but Rodia knew Arpia very well.

Not just Arpia.

She also knew her Oathbound, Arlene Prilene.

‘Not just acquaintances—close friends.’

Arlene and Arpia had fought as allies in the battle against the Gluttony King Jormungandr.

And more than once, they had thrown themselves into danger to save Rodia.

‘Don’t worry about us—attack! Kyle!’

‘Show us! The hope you spoke of!’

Back when she was still immature, Rodia—possessing Kyle’s body—had spoken of hope to people.

And Rodia’s words had been true.

The world was saved by a great hero and returned to peace.

The scorched world recovered, and countless races bloomed once again into a brilliant golden age.

But to the people of that era, it had sounded like nothing but an impossible fantasy.

Arlene and Arpia had wagered everything on those impossible words.

Even though they had heard them from the Surviving Hero Kyle—someone they could have called an enemy.

Moved by Rodia’s sincerity, they never hesitated to sacrifice themselves to open the path.

‘It still hurts.’

Rodia closed her eyes.

‘Friends I shared bonds with… who saved me countless times… forgetting me.’

She couldn’t simply dismiss them as people from the past.

Whoosh—!

At that moment, the Divine Lightning subsided, and Leo and Albus revealed themselves.

The instant they appeared, all the Pegasi dropped to their knees and bowed their heads.

“Everyone, raise your heads.”

At Albus’s words, the Pegasi obeyed.

“I have made an Oath with Kyle here.”

A murmur spread through the hall.

“Of course, I have not recognized him as a complete Oathbound.”

Albus glanced at Leo.

“He certainly has the qualifications to contract with me, but I don’t yet know what kind of person he is.”

For a Summoned Beast King, meeting the conditions alone was not enough.

They also judged whether the person was truly worthy as an Oathbound—

Whether what he sought was worth supporting.

If they disliked him, they could break the contract at any time.

Leo chuckled at Albus’s words.

“So, Kyle.”

Albus blinked, expression blank.

“You said you would subjugate the Primordial Evil. Do you have a plan?”

“I do. I’ve decided what we need to do first.”

“What is it?”

“Subjugate the Gluttony King, Jormungandr.”

Silence fell among the Pegasi.

It was the name of the most terrifying demon—spoken without a hint of hesitation.

“What… did you say?”

Arpia asked again, as if she hadn’t heard right.

Leo smiled at her.

“Subjugate the Gluttony King, Jormungandr. That’s the first goal.”

—

‘As expected, Arlene Prilene joined without hesitation.’

Walking through the streets, Lysinas reviewed the list of subjugation party candidates.

Arlene Prilene.

Lysinas had befriended her from the first day she arrived in Guardslone.

From the moment they met, Lysinas had seen through Arlene’s essence.

‘Good and order.’

Lysinas had sought countless forms of wisdom since she was young.

It wasn’t only intellectual curiosity.

Dragons had symbols unique to their clans.

For Black Dragons, that symbol was darkness.

And each clan had to become familiar with its symbol.

Fire Dragons and Water Dragons were born in volcanoes and the sea—

And they spent their childhood there.

The same was true of Black Dragons.

To become accustomed to darkness, Black Dragons were raised deep underground from an early age.

Lysinas was no exception.

In pitch-black depths, Lysinas accepted darkness.

Black Dragons protected the world’s order from within the dark.

They did not hesitate to punish those who betrayed the world, and they would sacrifice the few for the sake of the many.

That was how Black Dragons maintained order.

Lysinas accepted it as natural.

She was more gifted than anyone, and many of her kind believed without doubt that she would grow into the King of Darkness.

Then one day—

She was given an early chance to see the outside world, guided by the adults.

Young dragons destined to lead the next generation gathered at the Dragon Clan Council.

And the world she saw there—

Captivated young Lysinas.

‘It was shocking.’

To Lysinas, who had only ever lived in darkness, the world was too beautiful.

‘It was… moving.’

She was overwhelmed by the thought that this was the world she lived in.

And she became curious about it.

That was when she began to explore everything within it.

The more she learned, the more affection she felt.

She believed without doubt that everything in this world had value.

And around then—

She began to reject the Black Dragon’s values, which demanded cutting away whatever was deemed unnecessary for the world.

And then…

Disaster struck the era.

The world Lysinas had been so curious about began to collapse.

It lost its light and hope, becoming a world filled with darkness, despair, and lamentation.

So Lysinas made a vow—

To return the world she loved to what it once was.

She pored over ancient texts to subjugate the Primordial Evil.

And she learned about Erebos.

‘An existence comparable to a god. And an existence that was pushed out of this world—built over a long span of time under the gods’ order.’

The reason the demons born from Erebos had not been eradicated even in the Age of Gods—

Was because even the gods could not eliminate Erebos.

‘If the gods are light… then Erebos is darkness.’

Light and darkness.

They could never coexist, yet they could not be separated.

Then the order established by the gods collapsed.

Erebos’s Calamity Flame blanketed the world.

The gods could not set foot in the lower world, and the world moved toward destruction.

Just as the gods hated Erebos, Erebos hated the gods.

But they also knew they could never completely erase one another.

That was why the gods bound darkness under their order.

But Erebos did not.

The Primordial Evil chose to burn everything and disappear—

Because he knew that was the only way to annihilate the gods he hated.

‘If you live under the order established by the gods… you cannot defeat Erebos.’

So Lysinas searched.

For a hero who could save the world.

A miraculous hero free from the gods’ order.

That was how she found the Surviving Hero, Kyle.

‘Mana with pure characteristics, unbound by anything. And because of that, an unprecedented All-Class.’

An existence outside the world’s order.

If Lysinas’s prediction was correct, Kyle was Erebos’s natural enemy.

The hero she had been desperately searching for.

‘But the man I finally found was nowhere near a hero.’

So Lysinas couldn’t recklessly claim that Kyle had the power to defeat Erebos.

The elven genius mage Luna.

The beastmen’s Azure Guardian Agon.

The dwarven blacksmith Dweno.

The three companions chosen for the journey were heroes who would open the path to reach Erebos.

‘And myself as well.’

She could suppress the Calamity Flame that never went out, but she could not defeat it.

‘Only Kyle can defeat Erebos. In the end, he will take on the most dangerous task.’

Which meant he would have to sacrifice himself for the world.

Lysinas was willing to give her life for the world.

But not everyone could do that.

‘If Kyle changes his mind and refuses to fight Erebos… the world cannot be saved.’

Kyle was the only hope.

That was why Lysinas hid Kyle’s Mana trait.

There was no guarantee Kyle felt the same urgency she did.

Lysinas clenched her teeth.

She remembered herself smiling nobly, holding out her hand, and declaring she would definitely save the world.

Disgusted with herself, she mocked herself.

‘In the end… am I just an inevitable Black Dragon?’

Sacrificing the few for the many—

It was no different from the Black Dragon values she had hated so much.

Shivering at herself, Lysinas returned to the inn.

And she paused when she saw three people waiting—having set the table for a meal.

“Who are those two?”

With a slightly flustered expression, Lysinas looked at the young dragon girl staring at her with sparkling eyes.

“Hello! Lysinas! I’m Rodia! I’ve admired you for a long time!”

“…I’m not a dragon worthy of admiration. I’m also called a fool.”

“Yes! Don’t worry! From now on, I’ll burn everything that dares speak such sacrilege…”

“Shut up.”

Leo sighed and pressed Rodia’s head down.

Then he looked at Lysinas.

“She wants to come along on our journey.”

Leo smiled and glanced at Albus.

“And this one is…”

-Hmm. The White King?

Katariu appeared above Lysinas’s head, curling his lips.

“Nice to meet you, Flame Emperor.”

-The noblest being formed a contract with such an impolite human. Unexpected.

Albus replied to Katariu evenly.

“Because Kyle’s voice reached me.”

Lysinas stared at Albus, then quickly grabbed Leo by the wrist.

She dragged him outside the inn and demanded,

“How did you form a contract with the Pegasus King?”

At her question, Leo answered.

“You already know. About my Mana trait.”

“What?”

Lysinas’s eyes widened.

“You… knew?”

“Yeah.”

Leo said calmly.

“I also know that’s why you chose me.”

Leo smiled.

“…Then you know you’re the one facing the most danger, right? So why did you come with me?”

“Because I believe you will lead the world to salvation.”

Lysinas drew in a sharp breath at the unwavering answer.

“Don’t worry too much, Lysinas. We’re going to save the world.”

Leo said firmly.

“I’m ready. So don’t hesitate. We just need to… move forward.”

Leo knew—

That Lysinas, smiling as if nothing troubled her, was anxious about the uncertain future.

So he wanted to give her hope.

‘Just like I received.’

Leo smiled, patted Lysinas’s shoulder, and said,

“Let’s go back in. You’ll like that Rodia girl too.”

“Yeah.”

Lysinas nodded with a smile.

‘Kyle is the hero I’ve been searching for.’

That thought surfaced suddenly.

If Kyle truly was the hero she had searched for—

Then she had to do everything she could to support his path.

Then…

“Yes. Kyle. You will definitely save the world.”

‘I have to become Kyle’s shadow.’

(T/N: I just realized, Lysinas would be the perfect hero for Shadows right?)

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