Prince Henry's death was so sudden.
The public hadn't even recovered from the scolding of the Roman Sword when the Kingdom's first heir was burnt to ashes.
Bewilderment, terror, unease...
All sorts of expressions surfaced on their faces.
The nobles, however, were much calmer.
With grave expressions, they whispered to each other, asking if anyone had clearly heard what Prince Henry had said before he was killed.
The public might not have caught on, but the nobles, who were closest to the scene and wielded transcendent powers, had already realized that Prince Henry must have been silenced.
The one who took action...
It seemed they didn't want a certain name to be revealed!
"Cast...? What Cast?"
"I don't recall hearing a name like that..."
"No, he probably didn't finish speaking, it might only be half, and it could be a surname as well."
Whispers filled the air as the nobles pondered.
At the same time, some made the connection to the Castel family who had attended the ceremony.
Many gazes shifted over the viewing platform, searching for "Lord Charlotte."
However, when they found "Count Castel," they were stunned.
At some point, "Count Castel" had been intercepted by a maid.
The maid bore the Castel family's crest, clearly Count Castel's personal servant. Yet at that moment, she stood coldly in front of him, her icy voice devoid of any emotion:
"You are not Lord Charlotte."
"Who are you? How dare you impersonate her? Where is Lord Charlotte?"
The nobles were all bewildered.
Before they could react, the maid let out a non-human howl and charged at Count Castel.
Seeing the maid rushing toward him, Count Castel's expression changed, and he produced a magic wand from nowhere, quickly chanting a spell.
A terrifying oppression erupted, and dazzling magic power swept out like a heatwave from the center of the two, blowing the nobles away.
When the brilliance faded, and the nobles clumsily rose to their feet, both "Count Castel" and "the maid" had completely changed their appearances.
The viewing platform was utterly destroyed.
Upon the ruins, "Count Castel" had already changed her attire at some unknown time.
Her gown had turned into a long mercenary robe that seemed ill-fitting, her face was pale, and she panted heavily, raising the magic wand high, warily eyeing the hulking figure before her.
That truly was a "hulking figure."
The oppression of a figure towering over ten meters tall was immense; the slick, black scales reflected a ghostly glow in the sunlight, while the fierce and terrifying dragon head with sharp horns announced its identity to the world...
That... was a Black Dragon.
"A dragon! It's a dragon!"
"How can there be a dragon here!"
"Run... run for your lives!"
In the square, the crowd fled in terror at the sight of the sinister Black Dragon.
The nobles weren't faring much better.
Some so cowardly, they wet themselves at the dragon's might, while those who could still move beat a hasty, tumbling retreat...
However, some stronger Transcendents quickly realized what had just happened.
"Black... a Black Dragon?"
"Just now... wasn't there a maid? She turned into a Black Dragon?"
"No... she was a Black Dragon all along! Disguised as a human!"
These powerful nobles reacted quickly.
They rapidly gathered together, drawing their weapons, and alongside the belatedly arriving Royal Knights, they confronted the Black Dragon.
But the Black Dragon's gaze did not linger on them.
Its blood-red slit pupils were still coldly fixed on the panting "Count Castel," and its pupils showed intense anger:
"That attire... you are a mercenary from Eastern Yonette!"
"You people... showing up here, you're really seeking death!"
"Count Castel," realizing something upon seeing the Black Dragon's angry expression, looked disbelievingly at a scar on the wing membrane of the dragon from Odosia, her eyes widening:
"That scar... it's you! It's actually you! You are the Heavenly Catastrophe Dragon from twenty-one years ago!"
Twenty-one years ago?
Heavenly Catastrophe Dragon?
The surrounding nobles were taken aback, some with better memories quickly recalling old news about the Black Land's Black Dragon that had ravaged Eastern Yonette years ago.
"It's bad! It's that one, the evil Black Dragon!"
"Defense Array! Activate the Defense Magic Array!"
"Deploy the Magic Energy Formation! Knights! Deploy the Magic Energy Formation!"
The Royal Knights sprang into action, encircling the Black Dragon as magical light gradually glowed, enveloping the Black Dragon.
Roman Square was well-defended; the previous incident was too high-level for the Royal Knights to engage, but against a Black Dragon that was not quite legendary, they still had plenty of experience.
After all, if rumors were true, this Black Dragon's strength had been greatly reduced, no longer as terrifying as when it had besieged the city years before.
Magic light blossomed, and the Royal Knights formed a Magic Energy Formation, completely sealing off the Black Dragon.
As the Black Dragon gazed at the Royal Knights surrounding it, a fierce gleam flashed in its eyes.
With a long howl, it opened its mouth wide, a terrible Dragon Breath forming within.