Chapter 517: The Day Black-Gold Wings Disappeared

The day after their meeting with Prince Fleue, Ragune—her wounds healed enough for her to move again—returned to Count Graunewald’s residence, where Tauro and the others were staying in the Royal Capital.

“Ragune, welcome home!”

Aeris was the first to notice her friend’s return and rushed to greet her.

Tauro hurried over as well.

Ankh and Zion, still unable to move normally, reached the entrance a little later.

“I’m back. I’m glad everyone seems to be all right… I could do nothing except flee through [Dimensional Corridor]. I’m sorry… Damn it… Just kill me…!”

Ragune felt relieved once she had confirmed everyone’s faces, but her expression remained gloomy.

She must have been worried about Tauro and the others until she could move again.

“It’s okay, Ragune. I’m just glad you’re safe. Are your injuries really all right now?”

Tauro spoke gently, concerned for her.

Without saying a word, Aeris embraced Ragune.

“…I escaped straight to Maria, the [True Saint]. She treated me properly. She wouldn’t let me come back until I had recovered enough, though.”

Ragune answered Tauro as she hugged Aeris back.

“Now we’re finally all together again. But Zion and I still can’t move very well yet, so could you wait for us?”

Ankh said this with a relieved look, glad to see Ragune was well, while admitting his own condition.

“About that… Maria said to call her depending on how things were here. She said the poison the enemy used was unusual.”

“I thought so. I managed to detoxify it, but Zion’s recovery was slow, and it worried me.”

Aeris let go of Ragune and replied with understanding.

“Zion? Are you all right?”

Seeing that Zion still looked pale, Ragune showed concern.

“Then let’s take her up on that offer and bring Maria here.”

As soon as Tauro said that, Ragune opened [Dimensional Corridor]. Tauro used [Spatial Transfer] to reach the Van Dyne Marquisate, brought Maria back with him, and returned almost immediately.

Maria immediately examined Ankh and Zion.

“You’ve done well treating them this far, Aeris.”

After praising her disciple, Maria invoked [True Blessing] to heal the two of them.

Neither was completely recovered yet, but Ankh’s lingering pain eased and Zion’s poor condition from her deep wounds and the poison’s aftereffects improved almost instantly.

“The throbbing pain is gone!?”

“A-amazing! Even after my wounds healed, I still felt unwell, but that’s gone now!”

Ankh and Zion were once again astonished by the abilities of the dragonfolk.

“You used [True Blessing]… Does that mean there was some kind of curse involved too?”

Aeris had been troubled by Zion’s slow recovery despite treating her personally. Realization dawned as she asked Maria.

“Yes. It seems sorcery was woven into the poison itself. I didn’t know it could be used that way either, so treating Ragune took me quite a while.”

“Now that I think about it, the curse placed on the Halagoura territorial capital was also devised by that [Hero]… I should have considered the possibility.”

Maria’s words reminded Aeris of what had happened there, and she regretted not realizing it sooner.

“But now you’ll be able to handle it if the same thing happens again, so that’s fine.”

Tauro encouraged her.

“Then I’ll head back. Ragune, Lord Tauro, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Maria seemed to understand the general situation from their conversation alone. Without asking for further details, she returned to the Van Dyne Marquisate.

With Ragune’s return, they once again held a discussion about what to do next.

They had originally planned to head south, but after Alexa’s attack, Ankh insisted on going north so that he could train in the Dragonfolk Village.

Tauro explained the new plan to Ragune.

“…Ankh’s desire to grow stronger matters. But they say it’s best to challenge the Dragon’s Den while you’re young. The training is unimaginably harsh, so younger bodies and minds are more adaptable and better suited to building the foundation needed to draw out unknown potential. I already built that foundation when I was younger, so I can still challenge my limits now—but Ankh may already be a little old to start from scratch.”

Ragune answered, sounding uncomfortable as she spoke.

“…So age really is an issue… Still, just in case, could I try challenging the ‘Dragon’s Den’ a little, at least by myself? If it doesn’t work, I’ll give up.”

The usually easygoing Ankh was nowhere to be seen; in his place stood a man with a serious expression.

It seemed the fight against the hero had made him keenly aware of the gap in power.

Until then, Ankh had never felt much frustration toward dragonfolk, whose strength was so far beyond human standards that comparing himself to them seemed pointless. But losing to Alexa, another human, and earlier being wounded and forced out of battle by Imperial soldiers—even in an unfavorable matchup—had clearly left him frustrated.

“I thought you at least had enough sense to avoid something like that, Ankh… But if even you’re going, I can’t sit it out either! Ragune, I’ll speak to the chief, so could you arrange for Ankh and me to challenge the Dragon’s Den?”

Taking Ankh’s resolve seriously, Tauro decided to challenge it alongside him.

“Hey, what are you two getting so worked up about? I told you before that if Tauro goes, I’m going too. Ragune and Zion, the two of you can rest in the Dragonfolk Village.”

Aeris had experienced part of that brutal training under Maria, although Maria had told her it was still a comparatively gentle version.

Even so, entering the Dragon’s Den required tremendous resolve. But if Tauro was going, Aeris had no intention of backing out.

“No, seriously, wait! Aeris, you’re more than strong enough as you are!”

Tauro objected outright.

He didn’t want Aeris to become inhuman.

“Wherever you go, Tauro, I’ll absolutely follow. There’s no point stopping me. This is my will—and it’s everything I feel.”

Aeris spoke plainly of her feelings for Tauro.

“…All right. But we don’t plan to stay long. Once Ankh’s foundation is in place, can we stop then?”

Tauro gave in, confirming their plan.

“…So that means I’m going back into the Dragon’s Den too, huh… Damn it… Just kill me…!”

Ragune replied with despair.

“…This time I really wanted to oppose the idea even if it was Lord Tauro’s decision, but I suppose it can’t be helped… Damn it, I’ll live!”

Zion sighed with a truly miserable expression, her usual catchphrase slipping out.

A few days later, the adventuring team Black-Gold Wings vanished from the Royal Capital.

It hadn’t been long since Tauro became the kingdom’s youngest honorary viscount, and the Adventurers’ Guild had already received numerous named requests for Black-Gold Wings. But with no way to contact the team, those requests were all withdrawn. At the same time, rumors began to spread that Black-Gold Wings had died.