Chapter 219: The Phantom's Game

Red Copper Dragons are the master comedians among Metal Dragons, and her Phantom had inherited some of that humor.

Greedy treasure seekers might have been annoyed, but Ron and his party hadn't held high hopes for treasure anyway. So, aside from the Hunter, who wore a long face, the others happily accepted this "third treasure."

The instrument, fashioned from an entire cave—or an entire canyon, if you included the gorge outside—couldn't be bought, sold, or used in combat, but it was a remarkable gift nonetheless. Ron and Silvia, who knew a little Dragon Language, were already trying to play it under the Red Copper Dragon Phantom's guidance, with excellent results.

Sera and the others gave it a try, but unfortunately, the barbarian's musical talent was sorely lacking. Even the Red Copper Dragon Phantom tried to block her own hearing against the cacophony Sera produced.

Aive's song in the Elf Language and Victoria's in the Common Language had their own charm, but the instrument was clearly built on a scale for Giant Dragons speaking the Dragon Language. Their mosquito-faint melodies could hardly satisfy an audience.

"You guys are really having fun!" Delaford rolled his eyes furiously, trying to get his companions to notice his displeasure. But unfortunately, no one paid him any mind. The Hunter had no choice but to turn on the Red Copper Dragon.

"Hey, Dragon!" Delaford said, hands on his hips. "I have a question: didn't you say you were bound here by a demon to guard a seal?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" The Red Copper Dragon lowered her head, though she didn't actually need to in order to hear Delaford.

"But your true self ran away because of a threat from the Elf. Isn't that a contradiction? Ron, didn't you hear from that Duke that Laine wasn't aligned with any side?"

"How could he possibly scare you off?"

"Because the one pulling his strings killed Auson Munielp," the Phantom's reply left Delaford speechless. "Yes, I am a bit stronger than my gardener neighbor, but only a bit. Heavens, just thinking about the one who might come knocking makes me tremble all over!"

The Red Copper Dragon said as much, but she showed no sign of fear. After all, she was already dead as a doornail. Even the most powerful being was unlikely to do something as twisted as resurrecting a dragon just to kill it again.

'That would be utterly deranged.'

"Uh, are you saying Gracia lied to us?" Ron signaled his companions to stop their singing. "Gods! But why would she do that?"

'If a Devil Duke has nothing better to do, shouldn't she be plotting to overthrow Asmodis? What's the point of coming all the way out here to trick a mortal?'

"Gracia? You sure know a lot of big shots," the Red Copper Dragon said, sticking out her tongue. "She didn't lie to you. Her perspective was just... different."

"Your name is Ron, right? Alright, Ron, let me ask you something: when you're playing cards, what elements are involved, both at the table and around it?"

"Hmm..." Ron thought for a moment. "Well, for a card game, you naturally need cards and a table. Then you have the players, and there might be an audience."

"That's it?"

"If you aren't gambling, I suppose so."

"You play cards without betting money?!" the Red Copper Dragon asked in shock. "What's the fun in that? I'm talking about a real game, the kind you find in taverns and casinos!"

"Uh, alright. Then add chips to the list. But aren't we getting a bit off-topic?"

"Off-topic? No, no, no," the Red Copper Dragon chuckled slyly. "There's one more element: the Banker."

"The queens of the Farama Kingdom are merely cards in a Demon Lord's hand. Other players previously tried to draw the Elf card for themselves. But this card is different: he doesn't want to be drawn and played. He wants to be a player."

"But the other players, or the audience you mentioned, obviously can't make that happen. So the only one he could make a deal with was the Banker, wasn't it?"

"But let me take a guess... you don't seem to hold this Elf in very high regard. So he probably failed to get a seat at the table and was snuffed out, is that right?"

"We and our friends saw him on his way," Ron nodded. "You're a Phantom, so you should have nothing to fear. Tell us about this Banker."

"A wretched creature that clings to life," Even as a Phantom, the Red Copper Dragon's fear of this topic was palpable. "I may be dead, but you all are still living. For your own safety, I'd better not speak plainly. That one... is incredibly petty!"

"As for the Banker's identity... let me think of a riddle. But promise me you won't try to guess it. And if you happen to figure it out, don't say it aloud. I'm the Phantom of a Red Copper Dragon; I have no intention of harming you or being needlessly cryptic. This is purely for your own good, alright?"

Ron took a deep breath. "Go on. We're listening."

"Hmm, give me a moment to think. I don't have a physical brain, after all... Ah, I've got it." The Red Copper Dragon cleared her throat. "Longer, and longer still, / Dead, and yet not dead. / Its scales reflect no light, / Those it meets find no burial."

"How was that?"

"It's too vague," Ron frowned. He had a guess, but he hoped he was wrong. "I can't figure anything out from that."

"Thank you for the compliment," the Red Copper Dragon nodded, satisfied. "Then my objective has been met."

"On that topic, can I ask one last question?" Ron raised his hand. "This Banker you're talking about... what kind of power would it possess in its own domain?"

"If the Banker isn't strong enough, what's to stop the gamblers from just robbing the house?" The Red Copper Dragon didn't answer directly, but her meaning was perfectly clear.

'Besides,' Ron thought, 'based on what we know, it can easily overpower an old Green Dragon even outside its lair. That alone makes it someone we can't afford to provoke right now.'

"Ron's finished, but I have a question!" Delaford shot up. "Can you draw us a map of the caves? That Teleportation Array is out of power. It'd be better to just walk out than wait for it to recover!"

"Ah, that I'd be happy to do," the Red Copper Dragon smiled. "How about you play one more game with me? After that, it's time for me to return to dust. Just follow the sound of my song and see if you can find the exit. How does that sound?"

"Wait, you're not bound anymore, you don't have to..." Aive started to say, trying to convince her to stay, but was cut off by the Red Copper Dragon's song.

*I must. It is the meaning of my existence. My everything is in the past, nothing to linger for, nothing worth recalling~*

*New friends and old, raise your heads, spread your wings, and explore the unknown world. Your eyes will be my eyes. I will live on, immortal, forever with you~*