Santamo, part of Cantum’s vast territory, was a land known for its dense forests and sprawling greenery. As Ian rode atop Fury, surveying the landscape below, he pointed toward a lush expanse in the distance.

“That’s Santamo,” he remarked.

“Shouldn’t we start descending from here?” Galon suggested.

“Exactly. Sir Galon, it would be quite unwise to remain up here for too long.”

Cantum was a country that revered dragons as sacred beings. The sudden appearance of a black dragon soaring through the sky could provoke unpredictable reactions. While there was a chance they might be worshipped, there was also the risk of being seen as disrespectful to the dragon. Such a misstep could cause chaos, and Ian couldn’t afford to jeopardize their mission.

‘If they interpret this as a sign of irreverence…’

Quietly infiltrating Cantum’s factions would become impossible. To avoid unnecessary attention, they needed to land and approach on foot. Nathan, scanning the terrain below, pointed out a small, overgrown path branching off from the main road.

“What about that path over there?”

“It looks suitable,” Ian replied.

It was far from the territory, and the dense forest surrounding the path provided excellent cover, making it difficult for anyone to detect them. Ian nodded in approval.

“Let’s descend there and proceed on foot.”

“As you command, my lord.”

At Ian’s instruction, Galon agreed and turned around. On his back, he carried a bundle of clothes meant for disguises. Ian, Nathan, and Galon quickly changed into simpler attire to blend in with the locals.

“Wait… Why am I dressed as a merchant?” Nathan asked, frowning as he examined his new silk garments.

Unlike Ian and Galon, who were dressed as mercenaries, Nathan’s outfit appeared far more luxurious. Ian smirked.

“Well, Sir Nathan, you’re the smooth talker.”

“Wait… Don’t tell me…”

“Yes. You’ll be the face of our group,” Ian confirmed.

Given Ian’s youth, others might find it hard to take him seriously as a merchant. Galon, being more stoic, wasn’t suited to the role either. Nathan, however, had a knack for persuasion and would play the part perfectly. Nathan let out a sly grin, puffing his chest.

“Once again, I’m the one playing the master, huh?”

But his joy was short-lived.

“Why? Are you planning to make me run errands again?”

“Haha! Of course not!”

Nathan quickly changed his expression and words. He didn’t want to risk another incident like the one at the First Princess’ tent. As they spoke, Galon, now dressed, glanced over at Nathan.

“Keep it reasonable, Nathan,” Galon interjected, his stern tone breaking the moment.

“I’m always reasonable!” Nathan retorted.

“That’s not exactly something to brag about.”

“What was that, you—”

Before their bickering could escalate, Fury let out a low, unusual growl.

Grrrr…

The sound carried a strange weakness that was unlike the dragon’s usual self. Ian turned toward it, his brows furrowing.

“What’s going on?”

There was something off about Fury that he couldn’t quite place. Nathan looked at Fury with disbelief.

“What’s with this guy? Is it hungry?”

“Hungry?”

“I haven’t seen it eat anything until now.”

Ian tilted his head in thought. Fury, unlike the other Seven Sins, behaved more like a living creature. Although it couldn’t speak, it had a physical form and seemed self-aware.

‘Does it need to eat like a regular animal?’

However, Fury had never given any indication of wanting food. Ian was just starting to wonder if he needed to produce feelings of anger himself for Fury to sustain itself when—

Grrr…

With a weak growl from Fury’s mouth—

Poof!

The massive black dragon disappeared in an instant. The creature they were riding vanished into thin air. All that remained was a palm-sized serpent.

Gyu?

Nathan’s eyes widened in horror as he let out a scream.

“What the—?! AAAAAHHHH!”

With the dragon gone, the three of them began to plummet from the sky. Despite the life-threatening situation, Ian stared at the tiny dragon in his hand with curiosity.

“This is interesting. When it runs out of power, it reverts to its original form.”

“Has this happened before?” Galon asked, remaining calm even as they fell.

“Before, it turned back into a tattoo on my body,” Ian replied casually.

The two exchanged thoughtful glances, their conversation far too calm for the situation. They clearly didn’t know enough about the Seven Sins. But Nathan, panicking, shouted at them.

“Is this really the time for a calm discussion?! We’re falling!”

This was no joke. Gravity was pulling their bodies toward the ground at an alarming speed.

Whoosh!

A tremendous wind rushed past them as they fell. Nathan waved his arms frantically in the air.

“Aaaah! Nooo!”

It seemed he was desperately trying to stay airborne for even a second longer. As the ground loomed closer, Nathan panicked and shouted.

“If we hit the ground like this, we’re done for!”

But Ian and Galon remained calm.

“It’s fine. I have the First King’s cloak.”

“What?!”

“With the cloak, I can fly,” Ian explained.

“!”

Nathan turned to Galon with pleading eyes.

“Hey! Say something! Are you just going to let the prince survive alone?!”

“I’ll be fine. With an indomitable oath, this height is manageable.”

“What about me?!” Nathan shouted in protest, feeling it was unfair.

At the speed they were falling, he imagined himself ending up like a flattened fish. While Ian and Galon might survive, Nathan doubted he’d be as fortunate. Yet, despite his protests, Ian remained as composed as ever.

“I believe in you, Sir Nathan. You’ve got this!”

“Wha—?! What does that even mean?!”

But there was no time for further argument. The ground loomed closer and closer in Nathan’s view.

‘I… I’m really going to die. If I had known it would end like this…’

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut and screamed with all his might.

“Save me, First Princess!”

Suddenly, a rush of wind swept past him.

Whoosh!

Nathan felt a strange sensation. Amid the cold wind whipping against his face, there was something warm and comforting wrapping around him. He quickly opened his eyes, and a strange sight greeted him.

“Huh?”

It was Ian’s cloak. The cloak had somehow reached him and slowed his descent, giving him a sensation of floating in mid-air. Relief barely had time to register before worry overtook him.

“Prince! What about you?!”

The cloak was Ian’s means of survival. To survive a fall from this height, he needed that cloak to fly. But Ian was nowhere to be seen beside him.

“Prince?”

Nathan soon found him. Without the cloak, he was plummeting below. Next to him was Galon, arms crossed, descending alongside.

“Galon! You crazy bastard!”

Unlike Nathan, who had been flailing in desperation moments earlier, Galon appeared completely at ease, maintaining an upright posture mid-fall. His expression was stoic, exuding confidence. It was clear he intended to rely on his invincible ability to withstand the impact.

But then, in that moment—

Clang! Clang!

“Kill him!”

“Focus on the prince! Surround him so he can’t escape!”

“Hmm?”

Nathan’s ears caught the sounds of combat. Looking down, he realized the commotion was coming from the direction they were falling toward. Ian and Galon seemed to have noticed it too and were deliberately descending toward the source.

But that wasn’t the most urgent matter at hand.

“Prince! What on earth are you planning to do?!”

The real issue was Ian, who had given up his cloak to save Nathan. Why would he do something so reckless? Clicking his tongue in frustration, Nathan made a decision.

“You should go back to your master.”

Without hesitation, Nathan flung the cloak downward toward Ian. As for himself, he steeled his resolve.

‘Can I survive this?’

No, it wasn’t a question anymore—he had to survive. Looking at the rapidly approaching ground, he steeled his resolve. He wasn’t the same man who used to run from reality and hide. Now, he was ready to take a step forward. Besides, the cloak had already slowed his descent significantly, and if he timed it just right, he might manage the landing.

“For the first time in a long while, I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

His body began to glow.

***

“Kill the prince at all costs!”

“Drive him into a corner! Surround him so he can’t escape!”

Seventh Prince As was fiercely battling the enemies alongside his soldiers. His brows furrowed in irritation.

‘That crazy old man… What was all that talk about a savior coming to help me?’

It had all started the previous day with a meeting with an old fortune-teller. This fortune teller had claimed to foresee Leonic’s future and gained his trust with his impressive predictions.

‘Even my meticulous brother Leonic trusted him, I naturally believed as well.’

The fortune-teller had told As:

“Tomorrow afternoon, take the small path in Santana, and you will meet someone.”

“Someone?”

“A benefactor. They will aid you. As long as they are with you, you’ll have nothing to fear.”

But now, as As faced the grim reality before him, there was no sign of any so-called benefactor. Instead, assassins surrounded him on all sides, their ambush perfectly executed.

“Y-Your Highness! Take cover—urk!”

“Form a defensive line! Raise your shields!”

“But, Captain! The enemies are using poisoned darts—cough!”

One by one, As’s soldiers fell, unable to hold off the relentless assault. Cold sweat trickled down As’s face as the realization set in: their position was hopeless.

“Please, Your Highness, escape while you still can!”

“We’ll hold them off here!”

But escape was impossible. The enemy had already blocked every exit.

“Surrender, Prince As,” the enemy leader called out.

“If you surrender now, I promise your soldiers will be spared.”

As shook his head resolutely.

“Ridiculous. Do you really think I’d believe that you’d spare my soldiers after killing me?”

“If you don’t believe me, what will you do? Will you let everyone die here?”

“If I must die… I’ll make sure to take at least one of you with me,” As growled.

He understood the truth. This was no ordinary assassination attempt—it was an execution of a royal. These men had no intention of sparing anyone. If he surrendered, it would only hasten their deaths.

“No matter what, we must break through here. Only then can we avenge those who have fallen!” As shouted, rallying the few remaining soldiers around him.

“We will protect you, Your Highness,” they vowed, their voices trembling but determined.

The enemy leader smirked at their resolve.

“It seems their spirit hasn’t broken yet. Don’t engage directly—fire at them from a distance.”

“Archers! Ready!”

Creeeak!

The enemy archers strung their arrows, executing a cunning scheme to tarnish As and his soldiers’ final moments. And then, ultimately,

“Fire!”

A storm of arrows rained down on As and his men. His soldiers raised their shields desperately to protect him, but—

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Ughhhh!”

“Your Highness!!”

One by one, his loyal soldiers fell, shielding him from the onslaught. Yet, As managed to survive. Thanks to the brave soldiers who threw themselves at danger to protect him, he still stood. Now, only a handful of soldiers were left.

As bit his lip as he watched his soldiers fall to defend him.

“Is this the end?”

“Your Highness!”

“Not yet. There are still some of us left.”

The surviving soldiers gritted their teeth, determined to resist despite the relentless rain of arrows. However, As shook his head solemnly.

“My elder brother, Crown Prince Leonic, is gone, and now the world has turned against me. Yet… I’ve survived.”

“Your Highness…”

“I’ve endured this far, striking down those who sought my life, all thanks to your sacrifices,” As continued. “But now… I see no path forward.”

“…”

Silence filled the air as they realized their retreat was blocked, and there was still a long wait until reinforcements arrived. No matter how much they wanted to escape—

there was no way through the enemy’s encirclement. And the worst…

“Don’t you realize?” As said, breaking the silence. “The knights on the other side haven’t even shown their full strength.”

“But that’s only because they’re relying on underhanded tactics!” one soldier argued.

“Yes!” another chimed in. “If it weren’t for their poison, Sir Han would still be standing tall, protecting us!”

The soldiers gritted their teeth. They had no choice. While the enemy’s knights were still standing strong, theirs had all perished. The first to die were those who consumed food laced with poison, given by concealed enemies pretending to be allies. Even their strongest knight, Sir Han, had been poisoned and was unable to recover.

It was at that moment that the enemies made their final offer.

“Perhaps it’s time for you to surrender,” the enemy leader called out.

The soldiers, many of them wounded and pierced by arrows, were in no condition to continue fighting. As clenched his teeth and stepped forward.

“Remember your promise,” he said coldly. “End this with just me.”

“Of course,” the enemy leader replied with a smirk.

But the enemy didn’t rush forward. Instead, they maintained their distance, holding their spears at the ready with cruel smiles plastered across their faces.

“Before that,” the leader added, “would you kindly toss the ring on your finger to the ground?”

As froze, his eyes widened in shock.

“How do you know about that?”

The enemy leader’s smirk deepened.

“I’ve been by Your Highness’s side all this time. How could I not know?”

Grit.

A single drop of blood trickled from As’s lips at the traitor’s smile. His final plan for self-destruction had been thwarted by the enemies.

The [Ring of the Firestorm].

It was a powerful artifact left behind by an ancient mage, capable of unleashing devastating flames that would engulf everything in its radius—including the user. It was a weapon of last resort, and the enemy clearly understood its destructive potential.

That was why they hadn’t rushed him. They were waiting, keeping their distance, knowing the danger the ring posed.

As’s face twisted in rage as he yelled, “If that’s how it is, I’ll take you all with me to the underworld!”

Not waiting for a response, he charged forward, aiming to bring the enemy within range of the ring’s deadly power.

But then—

Thud!

The enemy leader raised his hand, and—

Creak!

Dozens of archers took aim at As.

It was clear they intended to turn him into a human pincushion before he could reach them. As, knowing this, ran forward with even greater desperation.

‘Just one step… just one step more!’

At that moment, the enemy leader smiled.

“Fire.”

As his hand fell, the archers released their arrows.

But before the arrows could reach their target—

Boom!

A thunderous crash shook the ground as something—or someone—plummeted from the sky, scattering the archers like leaves in a storm.

As skidded to a halt, his eyes wide in disbelief.

“What the…?”

Before he could process what had happened, another figure descended from above, streaking through the air like a comet.

Swoosh!

With a single, fluid motion, the newcomer’s blade arced through the air, cutting down the remaining archers with deadly precision.

When the dust settled, As finally got a clear look at the two figures.

The first was a man, half-buried in the ground, his arms crossed as though he hadn’t just fallen from the sky. The sheer impact of his landing had annihilated more than half of the enemy archers.

The second was a younger man, around As’s age, standing confidently with a bloodied sword slung over his shoulder.

It was Ian.

Thud!

With the royal sword, bloodied and slung over his shoulder, Ian looked at As and said, “Need some help?”

Without thinking, As nodded. Somehow, he instinctively knew who this man was.

‘It’s him.’

He was the savior the fortune-teller had spoken of—the one who would not only save his life but also change his future. He was the one who would bring death to those who had been toying with him until now. At As’s silent acknowledgment, Ian’s grin widened.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read