After leaving the Magic Guild branch library with his written notes, Rigel finds Nashira at Coppereye inn. She sits alone at a table in a corner of the dining hall, looking absent-mindedly through a nearby window. The inn was serving breakfast meals to its guests not long ago. Some staff members and a few remaining guests occasionally pass by, but they don't approach. Perhaps it is because of the atmosphere around her or something else? In any case, Rigel is glad that no one else is around.

As he enters the room, Nashira's deep blue eyes focus on him. Her expression is calm and emotionless like normal. He walks up to the table pulls the chair opposite to her.

"May I sit?"

"Certainly. Has something happened?" she responds as if sensing his intention.

"There are a couple of things, but first..."

He takes out a small crystal, a magic catalyst that originally belonged to Nashira, and places it on the table with care. With a finger tap, he lets mana spread inside it and recites a chant, after which the crystal begins to glow. A transparent, dome-shaped mana field is created around the table. All external noise vanishes as the magic takes effect, silencing any sound coming from outside the dome while also preventing any sound from escaping the dome. This arcane magic spell is normally used by nobility who want a private conversation. Of course, Nashira knows its purpose as well.

"It's something related to the mission I just returned from and I'm not really supposed to talk about it, so this kind of privacy measure is necessary" Rigel continues.

"I understand. What is it you wish to discuss?"

"Well, it's about a warrior named Sieglief who is quite good with chaos magic."

While leaving out unnecessary details, Rigel describes his recent encounter with the astoundingly powerful mercenary warrior. He recalls the man's appearance, style of speech and the words spoken, particularly the part about a dragon in the far North.

Nashira listens with silent interest until Rigel finally asks "What do you think?"

"It is quite interesting" Nashira says. "I know nothing of anyone named Siegleif, but a warrior able to use chaos magic is very unusual indeed. I would like to see this person at least once if possible."

"Do you think he might be the person you're looking for? The recipient of the Last Will?"

"It is possible, but I hope that is not the case."

"You hope he isn't the one? Why is that?"

"From what you told me, he is not the type of person I would entrust with the Last Will. I do not believe the Luvitar wished for their legacy to be left in the hands of one whom only desires violence and bloodshed."

"Hm, true. I should add that Sieglief is not a simple battle-maniac. My impression is that he's more sensible than nobles or the average soldier. He fought bravely and with honor. We met as enemies on the battlefield, but he spoke to me as he would to a friend. He's an earnest man, though he's also quite strange."

A look of surprise crosses Nashira's face and then it turns into a beaming smile. Her eyes wander to the floor and then back to him.

"You are rather strange yourself, Rigel. Despite knowing what I am, you trust me and you never try to exploit my goodwill."

"I don't see what's so unusual about that. You kindly shared your knowledge with me and even lent me some of your precious gemstones. You trusted me so of course I will trust you. It doesn't matter that your true nature is different from a human."

Nashira's shakes her head softly. "It may have appeared that way, but I am quite risk-averse. To trust a stranger who suddenly appears before me is something I cannot do. Had you attempted to rob my home, there were ways to stop you. Had you attempted to cause harm, I would have defended myself. At that time when we met, I was curious about you, yet I did not let down my guard." A hint of sadness appears in Nashira's voice with her next words. "Rigel, you may well be the first human ever to approach me without any ulterior motives."

"When you put it like that, it seems I'm the naive one. Sometimes I forget how long you've lived in this world."

"Ah, I did not mean to belittle your—"

"There's nothing wrong with what you said. Actually, it helps put things into perspective. I feel I understand the two of us a bit better now."

Rigel interrupts while his hands shuffle through the stack of research notes he brought with him. The conversation went too off-topic, so he decides to change course and be more direct.

"Actually, what I wanted to say is not about us, but something else. It's regarding what Siegleif said."

"You wish to learn about the dragons?"

Rigel nods. "Anything you can tell me, whether it's about that individual dragon or the dragon race as a whole. I noted down some things I found at the Magic Guild library. Most of them are myths piled on other myths, but I think there's some grain of truth buried inside. The hard part is finding it."

"The dragon race is quite fascinating. As long as it bears no relation to my quest, I can share my knowledge openly."

A fairly long discussion begins where Rigel asks a question or makes suggestions and Nashira answers.

"—Yes, the bones described in your notes are genuine. Adult dragon bones do not decompose as quickly as human bones, so they can lie buried for long periods of time. Humans often carve tools from them because their extraordinary resilience."

"What about the legends where dragons breathe out fire?"

"That is true as well, in a sense. Dragons have a very strong natural affinity with fire and wind magic. The 'breath of fire' is just a type of spell that dragons are known to use. The lesser known ability is that of controlling wind, which is what allows their dense bodies to fly. A large adult dragon can weigh roughly the same as 40 adult male humans combined. It would be nigh impossible for such a creature to fly without magic."

"The same as 40 people... Makes sense considering how large they are. I once fought a 4 meter-tall hydra, but that thing was tiny compared to dragons. I'm curious, have you seen the specfic dragon which Siegleif talked about? He called it the Great Dragon or something."

"Although I am aware of the legends, I did not have the opportunity to travel north. I must fulfill my purpose before I can indulge in such exploration."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"So you didn't see it with your own eyes? Then what about—"

The discussion continues for a while in the privacy of their magic bubble. In the dining hall, passersby occasionally glance at the two mages with curious eyes, but of course they cannot hear anything because of sound-blocking spell. Finally, as the conversation nears its end, Rigel arrives at the part he finds most interesting.

"—Dragons were obviously strong beings, maybe the strongest of all."

"A fair assessment" Nashira replies. "Among all living creatures of this world, their might is unmatched."

"That's exactly it though! That's what makes their disappearance so interesting. What could kill creatures of unmatched strength? The most popular theory among scholars is lack of food. A large creature would require an equally large food supply, but from what you told me, dragons could survive years without any food by hibernating. Natural disasters wouldn't kill them easily. It must have been something cataclysmic to wipe them out."

Rigel senses a subtle change in Nashira. Instead of correcting or adding to what he said, she stays silent and waits. There is a disturbance in her calm demeanor, visible only in her aura, as though the topic is uncomfortable for her. Should he change direction and talk about something else? No, that would defeat the purpose of this conversation. The reason why dragons nearly became extinct is too interesting to ignore. Even if Nashira doesn't comment, he at least wants to share his thoughts.

He continues. "Scholars agree that dragons had no natural predators since they were so strong. So if it wasn't predators or lack of food, it may be disease. Some big plague may have been the cause. Well, that's the rational explanation. However, I think common sense is failing us here. Thinking of them as regular animals is wrong. Dragons are extraordinary beings so their deaths must have been extraordinary too. A recent experience has given me some big hints as to what that may be."

Rigel takes out a sheet from the stack of paper notes. While skimming through the text, he glances at Nashira. She still remains quiet, her gaze fixed on Rigel, waiting to see his conclusion.

"I found a curious poem in a book about ancient texts. Apparently these words were translated from the carvings on a stone tablet found buried in the ground. The original text is an old dialect of the human tribes which occupied the lands of Amisos before the kingdom was formed. The text has very little in terms of useful information. It sounds like a prayer or chant, but I think you'll know why I found it interesting."

The translation reads as follows:

Born as mounds of wretched flesh

Scattered like dust beneath our feet

Our faith is strong before the Celestial

Who witnessed the birth of the world

And who shall mete its end

We forsake the gods of old

Just as we were forsook

We offer gifts to the true divine

That which lies beyond space and time

The Abyss to which all are beholden

And to which all shall return

Rise, children of the Abyss

They who devour dragons whole

Carry our souls into the great beyond

And free us from this mortal coil

Let us touch the true divine

So that its glory may spread upon us

From the nameless void, the Celestial came

So that we may be granted audience with the stars

We offer our blind eyes so that we may glimpse the eternal

We offer our hollow brains so that—

Rigel stops before he could finish reading out the text. His wrist is gripped by a thin, soft hand. He looks away from his sheet of paper and is surprised to see a frown on Nashira's face. It looks as though she's in pain, but from what? Even her delicate hand trembles ever so slightly as she lets go of Rigel's hand.

"Please."

She utters only one word, but he understands. Something about the text was deeply disturbing to her. Rigel is confused as to what that might be and isn't sure how to react. The text is quite dark, but he read it in monotone and didn't expect this kind of reaction.

"I'm, uh, sorry. I didn't think it would upset you."

Nashira exhales deeply with her eyes closed, a method of calming oneself. Rigel has never seen her look this rattled. What could upset the woman who was once a legendary figure in the world of magic? The text had religious undertones, but Nashira never showed any behavior that could be considered religious, so there's no reason for her to be acting like this. As he wonders what to say next, she opens her eyes.

"I apologize for losing my composure like this. It is unbecoming of me."

"There's no need..."

She pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts.

"As you said, it is evident why you picked that specific text. Although it briefly mentions dragons, there is another term which you learned during the encounter inside the mines of Tyrin."

"Yes, it's thanks to our encounter with that demon. He was rather talkative and mentioned the 'abyss' which is seen twice in the text. I don't think this is a simple coincidence. Dragons, demons, the abyss... Although I only have a few pieces of the puzzle, everything seems to fit. My conclusion is that demons are the reason why the dragons died out. You said that dragons are the strongest among the creatures of this world. It's well-worded and I know you wouldn't lie, so I thought of a loophole. If I'm right then it implies two things: demons are not from this world and they are more dangerous than dragons, but not necessarily stronger. Having seen a demon with my own eyes, I can definitely believe it. Their existence is an anomaly, incongruous with nature. They do not belong in this world. As for their strength, I didn't see much in that underground cave but it wouldn't surprise me if that demon could bring down a dragon. That's my gut feeling in any case."

Nashira calmly listens to his explanation, showing a hesitant smile at the end.

"To have deduced that much from so little information, I don't know what to say. Perhaps it is due to your intuition and power of observation. Whichever reason it may be, you have arrived at the truth and I hope you will be satisfied knowing this much. If you wish to learn more about dragons, there is no problem, but please disregard their disappearance. I hope you understand, some things should remain buried in the past and forgotten. Curiosity is a good sentiment as it allows one to discover new things. However, humans also have a saying; curiosity killed the cat. I am simply concerned for your well-being."

Well that's ominous, Rigel ponders. It could be seen as a threat, but Nashira wouldn't do such a thing. She's telling me that if I pursue this topic further then I'll get into trouble. Maybe she's afraid that I'll start researching occult practices and end up doing something stupid.

Even if it happened in the distant past, the fate of the dragon race could be hugely significant to those living in the present. If demons really are responsible, then they may represent a threat greater than any other. Is it really wise to ignore such a dangerous possibility? Even assuming they aren't a threat to humans, there is still something of value to learn here. Remaining willfully ignorant goes against Rigel's core values and beliefs.

He considers the idea of forbidden knowledge to be ridiculous. Since his youth, he was aware that the Magic Guild had banned the study and use of certain types of magic, yet the same people who maintain the ban have continued to do research on these forbidden spells. This is something he discovered indirectly since the archmages are secretive about their research, but he is certain of it. The Guild is frequently engaging in activities that they forbid to others.

He realized that what the Guild actually does is squash competition. Knowledge is power after all and the Guild wants to hoard as much as it can get away with. That may be the reason why they became so powerful as to dictate to entire nations how magic should be handled.

At that point, Rigel judged that the Magic Guild is corrupt to the very top, an institution that he must avoid as much as possible. It's one thing for a mage to guard his secrets, it's another to prevent others from acquiring knowledge under threat of violence.

However, I don't think Nashira would do this. She is different from those power-hungry fools. She genuinely cares for the well-being of others, even complete strangers. Even if I disagree, I can't just deny her request. There must be a good reason for it.

It doesn't take much effort to think of a reason. Although the encounter was brief, the image of that black demon is burned into Rigel's memory. To describe it, 'dangerous' is too soft of a word. It was the first time Rigel felt paralyzing fear, the kind of fear that makes one reconsider what really matters in life. After that, he learned that there are more demons like that in the world, hidden from humans. Let sleeping dogs lie, is that it?

"Very well. Since you think it's for the best, then I'll set aside the topic of demons and dragons. Many thanks for answering my questions!" Rigel says with enthusiasm.

She nods and shows a heartfelt smile. "I am grateful to have met such a kind and understanding man. It pains me to have to hide things from you, but I promise that when my quest has ended there will be no further need for secrets. Until then, I hope for your continued guidance."

"I as well."