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Chapter 66: Missing Him on the Nth Day of His Absence

Roy completely understood that Bahamut’s regrets were not without reason.

A moment of mercy had brought more sacrifices from both the human and dragon races.

Even if Nidhogg had not fallen yet, if the potential hazard had been resolved early on, perhaps there wouldn’t have been so many disasters in the future.

Roy closed his eyes and softly said, “What’s done is done; you couldn’t help it back then.”

“Don’t you hate this old man? In a sense, I am also an accomplice in creating this current situation.”

Bahamut’s smile was somewhat sorrowful.

“I couldn’t completely resolve the World-Ending Catastrophe, couldn’t protect my kin, or humanity, and in the end, I planted the seeds of hatred instead.”

To be honest, regardless of the reasons behind the war, Roy couldn’t bring himself to like the dragon race.

Even though he hadn’t lost any close family members directly to the dragon’s claws, the Evil Dragon Society had been sent by the dragons to take his life.

Nobody would like a bunch of folks wanting them dead.

“Whether dragons or humans, I don’t hate anyone. I just can’t bring myself to like those who want me dead.”

“And the only reason I don’t hate the dragon race is that they haven’t taken my close relatives from me.”

“But regardless, the dragon race owes the kingdom too much blood. As a knight of the kingdom, it is my duty to collect what they owe.”

Bahamut did not show disappointment but only let out a bitter laugh, “A reasonable answer.”

“It’s not about personal feelings; now that both sides have drawn swords, only blood and fire remain as the final answers.”

It acknowledged that it had hoped to hear a more dazzling response, yet given the current situation, how could it place upon a mere mortal the things it couldn’t accomplish itself and expect this young man to resolve everything?

Not dwelling too long in sadness, when Bahamut raised its head again, all emotions had been reined in, leaving only solemnity in its gaze.

“Defeating Nidhogg is no simple task; your current power is far from enough.”

“Since the First Era, we established a blood pact with the False King, promising to grant power when necessary. The entanglements between humans and dragons are already tangled beyond clarity, but this promise is another matter.”

As the words fell, Bahamut’s eyes brightened with a dark golden glow, like golden stardust shimmering in the sky.

In that moment, Roy felt his breathing rhythm, heartbeats, and even the waves of his soul synchronizing with Bahamut, as if they were no longer separate.

He was too familiar with this feeling.

Bloodline Resonance.

Bahamut explained, “As you gain more divinity, the power of my soul will become more perfected, allowing you to wield more of the dragon race’s strength.”

“Go and do what you are meant to do.”

No matter the grudges between humans and dragons, Bahamut had never treated him poorly.

Thousands of years ago, it had done its utmost for humanity, and now, it hadn’t gone back on that agreement.

“Thank you very much,” Roy returned a respectful gesture to the former leader of the dragons.

Then, consciousness surfaced, and Roy returned to reality.

Divinity: 5%

Dragon King’s Blessing:

Dragon King’s Might: The pressure from the former Dragon King, which can instantly freeze the extraordinary bloodline of any opponent of equivalent rank, with extra effectiveness against the dragon race.

In the battles against the Evil Dragon Society and the dragon race, Dragon Might had proven its worth multiple times, and now this ability had been greatly enhanced, transforming into pressure from the Dragon King, adding another hope to defeat the dragon race.

The tale of dragons was worth lamenting, but what was in the past was past; Roy felt he had no right to forgive anyone.

As someone who bore the remnants of the Dragon King’s soul, perhaps he could do something for the dragon race, but not at this moment.

Regardless of the reasons, debts must be repaid with blood, and blood and fire were the only answers to this war.

———————

Since the dragon race laid siege, the capital had finally welcomed a rare moment of peace.

The optimistic mood of the people infected the streets, and the knights felt their fighting spirit rekindled; victory seemed no longer unattainable.

However, as the princess who reignited hope, Charlotte was not truly optimistic.

Even though Naz hadn’t explicitly stated it, the sight of him recovering in bed and implying a need to step into a higher level confirmed a harsh reality.

He had reached his limit.

The injuries of the Lionheart King were worse than anyone had anticipated.

The dragon race already held a significant advantage over humanity; now relying on the walls and barriers of the capital, the new reinforcements could only hold the line at best.

But if they were to factor in the high-level fighters, even holding the line would be a luxury.

There were three high-level dragons, while Naz couldn’t fight at full capacity.

Before the next strike from the Seven Great Celestial Dragons, if no high-level fighters emerged, it was all over.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Charlotte shut herself in her room, concentrating her energy to ascend to a higher level.

However, the gap between mid-tier and high-tier was greater than any previous bloodline level disparity.

Charlotte could feel the magic potion completely digested, her bloodline status was excellent, and the primordial flames danced at her fingertips, as natural as breathing.

Even the extraordinary beings birthed from those flames were nothing compared to this.

But even for Charlotte, who had always been regarded as the favored child, it was impossible to transform overnight from extraordinary to mythical.

No matter her determination in recalling the will that had brought her this far, the operation of the extraordinary bloodline showed no signs of change.

From morning until dusk, utterly exhausted, Charlotte finally gave up her attempts, kicked off her boots, and flopped down on the bed, disheartened.

Like a cat that had lost its dreams.

“Sure enough, it’s not that simple…”

Like someone unwilling to accept the passage of time, Charlotte covered her eyes with one arm and couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

What is the heartfire exactly?

It was a question that had troubled countless heirs of the blood of the Red Flame Dragon, and now it left Charlotte deeply troubled as well.

Her father had found the answer in his fierce battle against the blood-red fire dragon.

Her brother had been unable to find the answer even after ten years since stepping into Sequence 5.

So what about her? She couldn’t just learn from Iron Blood and get beaten up by others, could she?

Having never worried about her bloodline level before, Charlotte was now tasting the bitterness of struggle.

If only she could rely on Roy’s Bloodline Resonance, briefly elevating to Sequence 4 to feel the thrill of a breakthrough…

Her heart raced, blood pulsed, and in the moment they resonated, it was hotter and warmer than the flames themselves.

In fact, when she broke through Sequence 6 before, she had managed it by recalling that feeling.

But now, Roy was not by her side.

Charlotte dropped her arm, gazing at the empty space beside her, letting out another sigh.

The sunset painted the room in a melancholy hue.

Even without the help of Bloodline Resonance, if only he could provide a word of encouragement or support at this moment, it would lift her spirits once more.

Thinking this, Charlotte puffed up her cheeks, leaning against the bed, and angrily swiped at the space next to her, “Dummy, why aren’t you back yet?”

Then, her expression under her tousled red hair was washed over with the melancholy of dusk.

“Where did you go when I needed you…”

“It seems you really miss him, huh?”

“!”

The red cat, stepped on its tail, jumped up instantly and looked back at her mother, who had popped up at the door with a cheerful smile. Charlotte felt her cheeks burning like they were being scorched by fire.

 

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