For the next four days, Zayden was consumed by the investigation. He interrogated every single person present in the mansion.
The banquet remained cancelled until he uncovered the culprit. Nobles gathered in the garden, whispering about the mysterious dead body, and rumors began to spread—perhaps the mansion was haunted.
At last, Zayden found the killer: it was one of Duke Danman’s knights. Rather, he surrendered and claimed it was an old grudge against the servant.
"We used to work together. He tried to mark my omega. When I saw him that night, I couldn’t help but attack him. I didn’t realize when he... died."
At first glance, it was disguised as an accident. Unintended consequence of his anger.
However, Zayden’s eyes caught the Duke’s sneer—he had orchestrated everything to ruin the banquet. The sleeping draught had ensured no one would be awake. Even the servants had been fed food laced with it, and the entire household had fallen into a deep, unnatural sleep until almost dawn.
Meanwhile, the knight had killed the servant and placed the body in the forest, leaving it for someone to discover. A guard had found it first. By then, the effect of the drug had worn off, and the nobles awoke, startled and confused, unaware of the full extent of the Duke’s scheme.
However, there was no proof of Zayden’s suspicions. Nor did the servant claim he had acted under the Duke’s orders.
Duke Danman’s knight was imprisoned in the dungeon, although he confessed. Some demanded his execution, but Zayden needed him—just in case he later decided to speak against the Duke.
Zayden sat in the garden, observing the nobles. He already wanted this to end. Yet, there was still one night remaining until the conclusion of the banquet.
"Tomorrow, the last night of the banquet will take place. I hope everyone attends," he announced.
The guests exchanged glances before nodding.
"Who would not come?"
"It will be amazing, like the first two nights..."
Zayden noticed their curious gazes. They were searching for something—someone. Although they didn’t tell him what it was, it left him wondering.
After three days of searching, Ren finally arrived at the village indicated on the map.
On the way, he had encountered countless wild animals, just as the General had warned him.
He fought most of them, using his powers despite himself. The moment he looked into their eyes, they fell to the ground, lifeless. Green strings turning into black ones was a sight he had almost forgotten.
Then he would grab the small dagger he had brought, cut them, and use a fire spell to cook and eat them. Other times, he faced monsters taller than him.
It was hard to meet their eyes. He had to use the few spells he knew, dodging their countless attacks.
A few times, he was injured, his skin opening, blood running from the cuts. He had brought painkillers to dull the burning sensation. Most of his clothes were already torn, so he kept one still intact to wear when he returned to the mansion with his child.
Before him, all he saw were ashes and half-burned houses.
He frowned, stepping closer to examine the ruins.
"What happened here?" he mumbled, eyes narrowed.
He lifted a few burned wooden chairs and tables, finding no sign of a living being. His pulse quickened. Had he arrived too late?
No, no. Nothing happened to my baby.
He reassured himself and moved further from the village.
"You said it was in a cave, right?" he murmured, searching for any sign of a tunnel that could be called a cave in this vast forest.
As he strode further into the valley, he noticed a few rocks on the ground. Following the path, he stopped at a large cave—like a den. Too large for tigers or any other savage beasts.
Pulling out his dagger from his bag, he entered the area. He looked around—it appeared to be a—
He paused. He looked at the parchment. The place marked had the same shape as where he stood, close to a large stone wall, surrounded by trees—this was it!
In the legend on the map, a dragon was drawn—it was a dragon’s lair!
He chuckled, then laughed softly.
"M-My baby!" The words barely left his mouth, trembling with a panic he could barely contain.
He clawed at every corner of the lair, digging among heavy rocks, lifting stones, tossing rubble aside—hoping, praying, but finding nothing. Blood gushed from his hands, staining the dirt and stones as he dug with frantic desperation. The source of this content ɪs novel⟡fire.net
"W-Where... where is it?" he muttered, voice cracking, tears stinging his eyes.
"W-Where is it?" He ran over and over, frantic, his hands staining the rocks red, his chest tight as though it would crush him from the inside. His breath came in ragged, desperate gasps, heart hammering as he raced through the dragon’s den.
"No, no. It can’t be... M-My baby..." He sank to his knees, collapsing to the ground, sobs wracking his body. Tears streamed down his face, unrelenting, like a child who had lost the world’s most precious thing.
"No," he forced a laugh, his fingertips shaking. "Y-You can’t do this to me!" he screamed, eyes wild, glaring at the sky as though cursing the Gods themselves. "How could you! Give him back! Give him back to me!"
As if to answer his curses, the sky rumbled, dark clouds hovering above him.
"You all fucking hate me, don’t you? All of you," he sobbed, biting his lips until they bled. The metallic taste mixed with the rain on his tongue.
Rain poured down, each drop slapping his skin like a warning, soaking through his clothes. His body trembled—not from cold, but from fear. The fear of losing what little he had left.
The wind whipped around him, carrying the scent of wet earth. And today... he lost the last thing he could cling to. The only reason he had stayed alive. His chest tightened, suffocating him, as if the sky itself punished him for daring to hope.
He pressed his hands to the ground, letting the rain wash over him. His body ached, trembling from the cold and the sobs that wracked his chest.
Yet, slowly, he forced himself upright. He began moving—forward, away from the ruined lair. He didn’t know where he headed but he couldn’t stay here. There was nothing left here.