Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

Meanwhile, around the exact same time, inside the capital city of Minatheras Kingdom, two adventurers walked into a tavern. They pulled up chairs at the bar and ordered drinks. Once their beverages arrived,

”Thank goodness... there’s been no movement from that northeastern forest stampede anymore. Everything’s clear,” one adventurer remarked.

”Yeah, but... the mountain past the forest completely vanished! Didn’t you catch that massive, glowing dome of light out in the northeast earlier?” the adventurer beside him asked.

”No... I just got back from a southern dungeon crawl. What actually happened?” the first adventurer inquired.

The second adventurer recounted what he’d seen, describing how people had scrambled into defensive formations at both the northern and eastern city gates. He described a pillar of blinding light followed by an expanding dome-shaped blast that hung in the air for quite some time, mentioning he could still feel the sheer heat and shockwaves surging from its massive radius.

”Whoa... for real?” the first adventurer asked, wide-eyed.

”If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it either. Right now, the guild is running a full investigation alongside the royal guard,” the second replied.

As the two adventurers chatted casually, a young man sat right beside them downing his drink. He was strikingly handsome with golden armor and messy blond hair. He slammed his tankard onto the counter so hard that both adventurers stopped talking and turned to look at him.

”Oh, hey Rene! You here alone?” the adventurer sitting with his back to him asked.

”Yeah... now shut up, you’re bothering me,” Rene snapped bitterly.

An awkward silence instantly fell over the bar. The second adventurer leaned in and whispered to his buddy.

”I heard his party broke up. We better give him space, he looks completely unhinged and drunk,” the second adventurer whispered.

”Right... let’s just grab a table over there,” the first whispered back.

Both adventurers slipped off their stools and walked away without another word to Rene, settling at a table far from the bar with their drinks. Rene had heard every word of their hushed conversation. He downed the rest of his drink in one gulps, then slamming his mug against the wood once more.

”Hey! Another round of ale!” Rene shouted.

Behind the bar, the tender simply observed Rene, his eyes bloodshot, hair unkempt and wild, paired with a scruffy, overgrown beard. Without saying a word, the bartender refilled the mug straight from the ale barrel and slid it over to Rene, who immediately snatched it up and gulped it down.

”Hmm... well, well, well. Daydrinking already?”

Hearing a girl’s voice, Rene glanced back. His eyes widened at the sight of a beautiful girl with a smudged face and messy shoulder-length brown hair. She wore goggles pushed up on her head, a white tunic layered under a blacksmith’s apron, and a heavy tool belt slung around her waist.

”Aria,” Rene grunted.

Aria looked around, scanning the room to inspect her surroundings. She glanced over the tavern patrons before turning her eyes back to Rene.

”Hey... where’s Dion?” she asked innocently.

”No idea... our party disbanded,” Rene answered bitterly.

”Oh... I see. Do you know where Dion went?” Aria asked.

”Don’t know, don’t care,” Rene replied sharply.

”Hmm... okay then. By the way... what’s your name again? I just know you as the guy who always hung around Dion and Luna,” Aria remarked casually.

Rene didn’t offer a verbal reply, but creak! his knuckles turned white as he gripped his tankard so tight the handle groaned under the pressure. Aria, completely oblivious to his boiling rage, simply pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

”What’s your problem? If you don’t want to introduce yourself, fine. I was just asking about Dion. Bye,” Aria said casually, turning on her heel and strolling out the door.

The moment Aria stepped outside, Rene chugged the rest of his ale. Thud! He slammed his glass back onto the table, this time cracking the wooden countertop. The bartender merely shook his head in silence, clearly tallying up the damages on his mental tab.

”Damn it... why is everyone looking for Dion?! What’s so great about him?! Why did I lose to him?! I’m an SS-rank Sword Saint... what is he?! A no-rank nobody with some weird, freaky class... damn it... damn it all! I’m hitting a dungeon right after this... I’m going to vent all this rage,” Rene thought to himself, his jaw clenched, teeth grinding, and his eyes burning with deep hatred for Dion, completely ignoring the fact that he knew just how terrifyingly strong Dion actually was.

***

Later that evening, Dion, Luna, and Mei stood right outside the cave entrance. ”Kyuuu!” Gina fluttered out toward the open air in front of the cave. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light and thick smoke enveloped her body. Dion, Luna, and Mei’s eyes went wide as the dragon that looked so tiny and cute just seconds ago completely transformed into a massive, fully-grown dragon, though her body was roughly the size of her mother’s arm when it had reached through the seal.

Gina, whose face now looked fierce and menacing like a true black dragon, turned to look at Dion, Luna, and Mei. Her eyes remained identical to her baby form, only slightly less round and innocent.

”Grrrrr,” Gina let out a soft growl as she gazed down at Dion.

Dion rubbed his head, then looked up at Gina with a serious expression.

”You want us to ride on your back?” Dion asked.

Gina didn’t speak, but she gave a firm nod, keeping her eyes fixed on Dion. Dion turned to Luna and Mei, who looked just as stunned as he was.

”Hey... she’s telling us to climb onto her back. Let’s go,” Dion urged.

”Uh... are you sure?” Luna asked hesitantly.

”Positive. She’s speaking directly into my head,” Dion replied.

”Um... alright... come on, Mei,” Luna said, finding her footing.

”Yeah... okay,” Mei replied stiffly.

Dion helped both girls climb onto Gina’s back, then scrambled up himself, taking the front seat before the two girls lined up behind him, Luna right behind Dion, and Mei bringing up the rear.

”Alright... we’re set,” Dion said.

”Graaaor!”

Gina snapped her wings wide, launching them straight up into the night sky. Once they cleared the deep ravine, swoooosh! Gina zoomed off at high speeds in the direction Dion pointed out. Luna wrapped her arms tightly around Dion’s waist, while Mei clung onto Luna’s waist without daring to glance down even once.

Once they reached a comfortable cruising altitude above the cloud cover, Gina eased her pace. Dion, who had been tensed up, finally relaxed a bit. He felt Luna still holding onto him tightly.

”Are you two doing alright back there?” Dion asked over his shoulder.

”We’re fine... but this is my very first time flying like this,” Luna replied.

”Oh... same here,” Dion admitted.

”Mei’s doing okay too, though she answered by bumping her forehead right into my back,” Luna added with a soft chuckle.

”Glad to hear it,” Dion said with a sigh of relief.

”So what actually happened back there? How did you know she was a female, still a baby, and not the real Gemmeth?” Luna finally brought up the question.

”Hmm... well, it goes like this,” Dion began.

Dion explained that when he stood before Gemmeth, who had only managed to poke half her head and two massive arms through the rift, they had actually conversed telepathically while he was in his Ancient One persona. Gemmeth recognized the Ancient One and had no intention of fighting him. She was willing to accept being sealed away forever without ever breaking free again, but she begged the Ancient One for just one thing: to spare her newborn offspring.

Dion, who didn’t fully grasp the situation at the time, had turned back to ask Cleo, who was just as confused as everyone else. So he told Gemmeth that as long as her child didn’t destroy the world, he was fine with taking the little one along. That was why Gemmeth shattered her own seal, sacrificing herself to remain trapped forever. In exchange, a tiny dragon appeared before Dion’s mind and that little dragon was Gina.

”If that’s what happened, why didn’t you just explain all that to Cleo?” Luna asked.

Dion went quiet for a moment. His mind flashed back to his Golden Retriever on Earth, a loyal companion who had been by his side long before he ever got married, only to be stripped away by his ex-wife as an emotional support animal for their kids. Dion turned his head to glance at Luna.

”If I told her the truth, they would’ve executed her... I couldn’t let that happen,” Dion said softly, gently patting Gina’s scales.

Luna didn’t offer a verbal reply, but she pulled Dion into a tight embrace from behind. Dion could feel a warm sensation spreading across his back despite the freezing high-altitude air. Luna smiled behind him, then softly recounted the entire story to Mei. Naturally, Mei beamed with a warm smile as well, clinging close to Luna. Both of their faces wore an expression that silently said, ”Yep, that’s Dion for you.”