Chapter 517: The Day the Black-Golden Wings Disappear

The day after their meeting with Prince Fleur, Ragune—her wounds healed enough for her to move again—returned to the Count Graunewt’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.

Ankhand Zion, still unable to move as they wished, arrived at the front door a little later.

“I’m back. I’m glad to see everyone seems to be doing well … I couldn’t do anything but flee through the Dimensional Corridor. I’m sorry… damn it, just kill me already…!”

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 quickly fled to the True Saint Maria-senpai. I received proper treatment there. I was forbidden to return here until I’d fully recovered, 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… True Saint Maria said to call her depending on how things were here. She said the poison the enemy used was special.”

“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 call True Saint Maria.”

As soon as Tauro said this, he had Ragune open the Dimensional Corridor, and used Spatial Transfer to head to Marquis Vandyne’s domain where Maria was, and quickly returned with her.

True Saint Maria immediately examined Ankh and Zion’s condition.

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

Praising her disciple, Maria then invoked True Blessing to heal the two of them.

Though not yet perfect, Ankh—still plagued by pain—and Zion—whose condition remained poor due to the depth of her wounds and the aftereffects of the poison—saw their complexion improve 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 amazed at the greatness of the dragon race.

“You used True Blessing… does that mean there was some kind of curse involved as well?”

Aeris, who had been treating the two herself, had found Zion’s slow recovery suspicious. Realization dawned on her as she asked True Saint Maria.

“Yes. It seems the poison had a spell worked into it. I didn’t even know it could be used this way either, so it took a long time to treat Ragune too.”

“Now that I think about it, the curse that was cast on the capital of the Haragura domain was also devised by that hero… I should have considered it as a possibility.”

True Saint Maria’s words reminded Aeris of what had been, and she regretted that she hadn’t realized 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 be heading back. Ragune, Lord Tauro, I’ll leave things to you.”

True Saint Maria seemed to grasp everything from their conversation alone. Without asking for any further details, she returned to the Vandyne’ Domain.

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

Originally, they had planned to head south, but after the hero’s attack, Ankh insisted on heading north so he could train in the Dragon people village.

I explained this to Ragune.

“…Ankh’s desire to grow is important. But if one is to challenge the ‘Dragon’s den,’ they say it’s best to do so while young. Because of how unimaginably harsh it is, young people are moldable and better suited to laying the groundwork that draws out unknown potential to its limits. I’ve already built that foundation, so I can challenge my limits—but Ankh might already be a bit too old to take it on.”

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 now, Ankh had felt nothing towards the Dragon People, whose strength was so far beyond human reach that comparison felt pointless. But losing to a hero who stood within the same human realm—and being wounded and forced out of battle by Imperial soldiers, even if the matchup had been unfavorable—must have left him deeply frustrated.

“I thought you at least had the good sense to avoid things like that, Ankh… But if even you say you’re going, there’s no way I can’t not go too! Ragune, I’ll talk to the clan 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 fired up about? I already said before that if Tauro goes, I’m going too, didn’t I? Ragune and Zion, you two can relax in the Dragon people village.”

Aeris had experienced a portion of that harsh training under True Saint Maria, though she had been told it was still a “gentler” version.

Even so, going to the ‘Dragon’s Den’ required tremendous resolve—but if Tauro was going, she 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 will 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 to the ‘Dragon’s Den’ again too, huh… Damn it, just kill me already…!”

Ragune replied with despair.

“…This time, I actually wanted to oppose it even if it was Lord Tauro’s opinion, but 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 party Black-Gold Wings vanished from the royal capital.

Not much time had passed since he was awarded the title of youngest honorary viscount, and the Adventurer’s Guild had received numerous designated requests for the “Black-Golden Wings,”. However, with no way to contact them, those requests were all dropped—and at the same time, rumors of their deaths began to spread.