Chapter 148
A sudden, honeyed temptation echoed from somewhere.
Just hearing it tickle the cochlea made Solitas’s heart quiver with curiosity.
That unexpected enticement made him freeze.
“…What?”
He abruptly stopped his self-destruction spell.
Turning toward the voice, he found another human standing there.
He remembered seeing him briefly before he fired his first breath—
the dark-haired man who had been with the silver-haired knight.
“The proposal? From you? To me?”
“Yes. From me, to you.”
Lloyd smiled softly.
“Just as I said earlier. If you don’t mind, I’d like you to hear me out.”
“So you’re saying if I do, I’ll be married within ten years?”
“Yes.”
“And why should I believe that?”
Solitas’s face twisted in disbelief.
He glanced between Javier and Lloyd, standing before and behind him.
“To be honest, it’s tempting enough that I almost want to listen, but there’s no way I can trust you. You’re trespassers, after all. You broke into my dungeon uninvited.”
“Pardon? Trespassers? Oh no, no, not at all.”
Solitas’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Lloyd quickly licked his lips, moistening them.
“We only came here to offer you a good deal.”
“Ha! Nonsense. Then why did you destroy all my magic traps on the way in?”
“To stay alive.”
“What?”
“The traps were so sophisticated, so densely layered, it was… well, lethally so. We had no choice but to disable them just to avoid dying. If that caused any inconvenience, I sincerely apologize. Truly.”
“Wh—what…?”
Solitas was at a loss for words.
That human’s explanation sounded ridiculous, yet somehow reasonable.
And before he could find a retort, the human pressed on again.
“Anyway, that’s how we came this far. All to offer you a truly good proposal.”
“A good proposal…?”
“Wouldn’t you like to learn the art of gem crafting from the best master artisan?”
“What?”
Solitas froze.
His eyes widened.
Lloyd spoke quickly.
“I won’t beat around the bush. Esteemed Dragon, I know your troubles. You lack fine dexterity, don’t you? You’ve struggled with gemstone crafting, haven’t you? You couldn’t amass treasures because of it, and that’s why you remain unmarried.”
“How did you…?”
“It’s a solvable problem. Even if your hands aren’t precise, effort can make up for it. A decade of strict apprenticeship under a true master will do it. You’ll master gemstone crafting easily.”
“W–wait. Hold on.”
Solitas interrupted, eyes wide in shock.
“How do you know I’m clumsy? How do you know I’ve been worrying about marriage? How?!”
He was flustered.
No—completely baffled.
He was a dragon.
He had no contact with humans.
He’d only been an adult for about fifty years.
He had never interacted with humans, other dragons, or any other races.
And yet this human knew his personal concerns so precisely.
A mind reader couldn’t have done better.
‘What kind of human is he?’
It didn’t make sense.
How could that man possibly know?
Was he a ghost?
Or perhaps an elder dragon disguised as a human?
Maybe a supreme archmage or prophet among humans?
Solitas felt a strange blend of wariness and curiosity, caution and intrigue.
Lloyd smiled politely, eyes curving like crescent moons.
“It wasn’t difficult to find out.”
“Not difficult?”
“The Iron Blooded Knight told me.”
“Knight? Iron Blooded?”
“Yes.”
“And who’s that supposed to be?”
“A tremendously powerful knight. Someone capable of sneaking into your dungeon, evading your senses, and leaving without being noticed.”
“Lies.”
Solitas’s nostrils flared.
“You’re lying. No human could do that. No one could enter my dungeon and leave without my knowing. Such a human doesn’t exist.”
“Yes, they do.”
“How?”
“You saw my companion, didn’t you?”
Lloyd gestured casually at Javier.
“You must remember him—he just fought you evenly with a single sword.”
“That’s…”
“And the Iron Blooded Knight is even stronger than him.”
It was true.
In the novel, the future Javier—who bore the title *Iron Blooded Knight*—was even stronger than the current one.
A Grand Master, wielder of six mana circles—[Hexa Circles].
If he wished, deceiving a newly matured dragon like Solitas would be child’s play.
Lloyd continued.
“That knight told me this dungeon existed. He said a dragon lived here with barely any treasure, and that the few gems you had were poorly crafted.”
“So you’re saying you deduced my situation from that story?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd nodded confidently.
“Otherwise, how could I possibly know your troubles?”
Of course, the Iron Blooded Knight was a fabrication—
a character from the novel.
Lloyd was bluffing.
But no one here could disprove it.
And when no one can verify a bluff, confidence becomes truth.
The more confident the bluff, the more it works.
“Hmph.”
Deep wrinkles formed on Solitas’s brow.
Doubt, curiosity, and interest tangled inside his head.
Could this human be trusted?
Could his words be true?
He was skeptical—
but there was one thing he couldn’t dismiss.
‘He’s pinpointed my exact problem.’
His lack of dexterity had stopped him from amassing treasure.
Because of that, he hadn’t married.
And this human mentioned it precisely—
and claimed he could fix it.
That was information no outsider could know unless they’d truly observed his dungeon.
Which meant maybe—just maybe—this outlandish claim was real.
He wanted to confirm it for himself.
There was no real harm in listening.
After some thought, Solitas made up his mind.
“So you came here to offer me a proposal?”
“Yes.”
He’d taken the bait.
Lloyd’s smile radiated sincerity, trust, and charm.
As he wet his lips again, Javier couldn’t help thinking—
‘The Iron Blooded Knight, huh.’
He’d heard that name before.
Lloyd had mentioned it once, in passing.
‘Who could it be?’
Lloyd had said that knight was stronger than him.
But he’d never heard the name anywhere else.
‘A swordsman training in secret, perhaps? Still… why would such a man secretly aid Lloyd?’
Someone stronger than himself, secretly working with Lloyd—
it didn’t quite add up.
‘Strange. And Lloyd never leaves my sight long enough to meet anyone.’
Had he been meeting him while Javier slept?
The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Yet Javier didn’t believe the Iron Blooded Knight was just a lie.
Because he knew Lloyd’s nature.
‘He’s not the type to act without solid information.’
To Javier, Lloyd was stingy, petty, and scheming—
the kind who’d never risk a loss.
Which also meant he was meticulous and cautious.
‘Lloyd wouldn’t act on flimsy plans. He must have verified information about this dungeon beforehand—from someone trustworthy. Then he built this whole plan around it.’
That must be how this moment came to be.
‘So that means this Iron Blooded Knight really exists… whoever he is.’
Javier’s curiosity deepened.
At the same time, he felt a strange admiration for Lloyd.
‘He built this entire situation from that intel.’
He’d brought Javier to fight the dragon.
Had Javier subdue him.
Crushed the dragon’s arrogance.
Then, using that advantage, he now dangled a tempting offer.
‘That tongue of his… it’s a weapon.’
But it wasn’t just talk.
It was precise, calculated persuasion—
words unleashed only when every condition was perfect.
That was why it worked every time.
‘What a terrifying man… and what a pitiful dragon.’
Javier looked at Solitas with faint pity.
The dragon was already half-ensnared by Lloyd’s silver tongue.
“As I said, you’ll learn the craft of gem-cutting from the best. You’ll become his apprentice.”
“An apprentice? To a master artisan?”
“Yes. Fortunately, such a person lives in my territory.”
“Who?”
“Royal Dwarven Artisan, Wells Cogidus.”
“Dwarf? Cogidus?”
Solitas’s eyes flickered.
A dwarf artisan—he didn’t even need to hear more.
That was as good as saying “the best.”
“So… you’re saying I should become that dwarf’s apprentice and learn gem-crafting?”
“Yes. I hope your pride won’t be an issue?”
“…Hmm.”
It did sting his pride a little.
But Lloyd’s next words changed his mind.
“Swallow that pride, and you’ll have a girlfriend. You’ll be rich. You’ll get married, enjoy your honeymoon, have kids, and live happily ever after.”
“Really? I get to go on a honeymoon too?”
“Of course!”
“……”
Solitas’s breathing grew louder.
But, as a dragon, he quickly regained composure.
“Hmph. A good offer, but I’m still suspicious.”
“Suspicious? Of what exactly?”
“It feels like you’re giving too much for free. Surely, you want something in return.”
“Of course. I was just getting to that.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Yes. I’ll be straightforward. Once a month, I’d like you to use your breath near my estate.”
“…My breath?”
“Yes.”
Solitas frowned.
What on earth did he mean by that?
Lloyd explained.
“I’m constructing a great aqueduct near my estate. It’ll separate and treat wastewater and sewage through an underground system.”
“And?”
“As a result, it’ll produce large amounts of sludge.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“Yes. You’ve guessed it.”
“You want me to burn the sludge with my breath?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd nodded.
“The volume’s far too much for humans to handle. Dangerous, too. But with your breath—it’ll take ten seconds. Enough to turn it all into ash.”
It was true.
There was no practical human way to dispose of such quantities.
Even royal magicians couldn’t manage it.
‘The [Hellfire] spell? Not enough.’
Sure, it was hot—but short-lived and too localized.
It couldn’t handle mass sludge.
It would just scatter filth everywhere.
But a dragon’s breath?
‘The temperature’s on a different level.’
Its range, its intensity, its duration—utterly unmatched.
One breath per month.
That’s all it would take to reduce the sludge to ash.
‘And then the ash becomes fertilizer.’
That was Lloyd’s plan.
To make his proposal irresistible, he drove in the final nail.
“If burning sludge sounds too unpleasant, I understand. You can always decline—and live alone forever in this dark dungeon.”
“……”
Forever solo.
That phrase stabbed Solitas’s heart like a dagger.
‘D-Damn it.’
The Red Dragon wrestled with his thoughts.
That human’s offer—
it required swallowing his pride twice.
He’d have to apprentice under a dwarf artisan.
He’d have to burn human waste.
But if he endured that much?
‘Then I could finally walk the path of happiness.’
He could have love, marriage, and success—
the very dreams he’d longed for.
‘Maybe… I’ll try it.’
Solitas’s heart wavered.
He didn’t know that in the novel *Iron Blooded Knight*, this very version of himself would later clash with Javier in the Elven Forest, lose his horn, suffer a fatal wound, and die miserably five hundred years later.
For now—thanks to Lloyd—his destiny had changed.
And Solitas made his decision.
“Fine. I’ll accept your offer.”
“A wise choice.”
Flutter!
Lloyd smiled brightly and pulled out a sheet of paper.
The symbol of capitalism, prepared meticulously for this very moment.
A contract—
the kind even dragons couldn’t escape.
More binding than any magical oath.
An [External Labor Contract.]