Chapter 68: Contacting Celdric

After leaving Rowena’s study, Alaric found Zephyr inside one of the smaller training halls.

The baby dragon was attempting to maintain Titan’s Might and Obsidian Scales at the same time, but Alaric could tell that he wasn’t putting much effort into it.

Whenever one of the techniques collapsed, Zephyr would spend an unnecessarily long time resting before trying again. He was as lazy as fuck.

I guess promising him compressed mana from Mana Compression Pearl wasn’t enough.

Since the carrot wasn’t enough it’s time to use the stick.

Alaric watched two attempts before entering the hall. "I have found a possible direction for investigating the people behind your imprisonment."

Zephyr’s lazy attitude disappeared when he heard that.

He cancelled the Body Technique he had been using and turned toward Alaric with an unusually serious expression.

"Who were they?"

"We don’t know yet. Rowena recognized some of the notations I remembered from the laboratory records.

"They are used by an organization on the Central Continent called the Blood Origin Hall, but that doesn’t prove the organization ordered your imprisonment."

Alaric explained the other possibilities, including a subordinate power, an independent supplier or a member of the Blood Origin Hall acting without permission.

Since the original documents had been destroyed, they currently only possessed a direction for investigation rather than enough evidence to accuse anyone.

Zephyr remained silent for several moments after hearing everything.

"So I have a chance to take revenge on people who might be after my blood?"

"Probably. We can investigate after reaching the Central Continent, and there is also an organization there called the Dragon Sovereign Alliance. If we gather enough evidence, they might help us find the people responsible."

Zephyr had taken revenge upon the Mage, Knights and Squires who kept him chained, but those people had only been operating the laboratory.

"When are we going to the Central Continent?" Zephyr asked.

"That is the other reason I came here. Rowena is arranging for an artifact vessel belonging to the Meridian Court to take us across the Divine Sea. Mira will probably accompany us, along with the others I decide to bring."

Zephyr didn’t need much time to make his choice.

The people he trusted were leaving, his unknown enemies might be on the Central Continent and the Dragon Sovereign Alliance offered him a chance to meet members of his own race.

The knowledge inherited through his bloodline had taught him plenty about dragons, but he had never actually met another dragon in his life.

"I’ll come with you," Zephyr decided. "Someone needs to make sure you weak humans survive the journey."

"I never said that I would take you."

The baby dragon looked at him with his big golden eyes going wide, wondering if he had heard incorrectly.

Alaric gestured toward the training floor. "I am not taking a dragon who can’t even maintain two Body Techniques. You can stay here and continue practising magic while the rest of us cross the Divine Sea."

"You can’t leave me here after telling me that the people who took my blood might be on the Central Continent!"

"I can, and I will unless you complete your training."

Zephyr’s wings spread in outrage while his tail struck the floor. "This is unreasonable! I am already a Mage and a Knight, while you only became a Knight a few days ago. I can use more Spell Models than you can even recognize!"

Technically not true. I know many Spell Models from Tales of Golden Era, but yea, the me in this life indeed hasn’t seen many Spell Models in action.

Alaric thought before replying.

"That has nothing to do with your current training. Maintain two Body Techniques together for at least ten breaths and you can come."

The quest says ten breaths anyway, enough to use it in combat.

"I don’t even like the Body Path! It’s useless! Magic is supreme!"

"I don’t care."

Zephyr continued complaining for several minutes.

He argued that his magic was far more useful, claimed that practising two Body Techniques together was a waste of time and even threatened to fly across the Divine Sea by himself.

When Alaric reminded him that even Dominions struggled to cross it, Zephyr changed his argument and claimed that he could remain invisible throughout the journey.

"The creatures inside the Divine Sea don’t need to see you before eating you," Alaric replied. "You can either complete the training or remain on the Southern Continent."

Alaric had no intention of abandoning Zephyr in a place which might soon fall into chaos, especially when the baby dragon was a genius connected to his System.

His only intention here was to threaten him into action.

After another round of complaints, Zephyr returned to the centre of the training hall with an aggrieved expression and began circulating mana.

Titan’s Might strengthened his small body, while Obsidian Scales caused his black scales to become thicker and harder.

The two circulation patterns interfered with each other after several breaths, but Zephyr corrected the unstable section instead of allowing one technique to collapse like before.

Alaric nodded with satisfaction and left him to continue practising.

This baby dragon needs an absurd amount of pushing whenever something isn’t related to magic.

His next matter involved Celdric and Velan.

Alaric entered a private room and used the communication method Celdric had left behind. The connection took some time to form, but the Paragon Knight’s voice eventually came through.

"I didn’t expect the Orlen family to use my offer this quickly."

"I’m not cashing in the favor. In fact, after this, you might owe me even more. I need you to keep this conversation private before I explain anything," Alaric said. "The matter involves dangers beyond the Paragon realm."

Celdric became more serious and gave his word that he wouldn’t reveal the conversation.

Alaric then explained Rowena’s suspicions concerning the coming unrest, although he didn’t mention Vharaketh, Alice or the true origin of his own body.

He also explained the arrangement with the Meridian Court and offered passage to both Celdric and his disciple.

"I appreciate the warning, but I won’t be leaving the Southern Continent," Celdric replied after thinking about the offer.

Alaric had hoped that another Paragon would strengthen their group, but Celdric didn’t have the same reasons to escape as Rowena.

"I don’t possess a territory someone can attack, an organization I need to defend or a political position that can be used to drag me into their conflict," Celdric explained. "Everything important to me can be carried inside my spatial ring."

An unaffiliated Paragon with no permanent residence was also difficult to control.

The powerful factions couldn’t threaten his territory, pressure his organization or use political responsibilities to force him into a particular position.

"If the situation becomes dangerous in one region, I can leave before anyone traps me there.

"The coming disorder will also create opportunities which would normally remain controlled by kingdoms and larger organizations."

Celdric understood that remaining was a gamble, but it was a calculated gamble made by someone who had spent most of his life travelling alone.

He believed he could benefit from the unrest while avoiding the factions powerful enough to threaten him.

However, Alaric’s greatest concern had always been Velan.

Leaving the boy attached to a Paragon who intended to move through a continent filled with conflict could easily drag him into the entire mess.

If something happened to Velan after Mira had only recently discovered that he was alive, Alaric didn’t know what it would do to her mental state.

Celdric seemed to reach the same conclusion without Alaric needing to argue.

"My calculations apply because I have nothing others can use against me," he said after a long silence. "Keeping a child beside me would change that. Velan cannot escape the people I can escape, and anyone who learns that I care about him could use him as leverage."

Celdric therefore agreed to send Velan with Alaric’s group while remaining on the Southern Continent himself. He would bring the boy to House Orlen before their departure.

Once the conversation ended, Alaric found himself thinking about something else.

Celdric had taken Velan as his disciple because of the boy’s unusual talent in movement. When Velan arrived at House Orlen, Alaric would finally be able to meet him personally.

Could Mira’s little brother be another genius recognized by the System?