The biting chill of the evening air nipped at Dum's exposed skin as he trudged back to their makeshift camp, the weight of the freshly killed boar slung over his shoulder a comforting, if cumbersome, burden. The extra stops, forced upon them by the unexpected rescue of Lord Edward Gorn and his first minister, Herald Bent, had stretched their journey, leaving the sun a distant memory. The forest, a tapestry of deep shadows and whispering pines, held a hushed silence, broken only by the rhythmic crunch of Dum's boots on the fallen leaves.

  As he approached the flickering glow of the campfire, he saw Dee, his silhouette a dark, animated figure against the orange flames, meticulously coaxing the fire to life. The two rescued men, Lord Gorn and Herald Bent, sat huddled on a rough-hewn, moss-covered log, their faces etched with a mixture of shock and exhaustion. They were pale, their eyes wide and haunted, reflecting the terror they had witnessed. They had barely uttered a word since their harrowing escape from the dragon’s fiery wrath, their silence a testament to the sheer, incomprehensible horror they had endured. Dum couldn't fault them. They were, after all, ordinary men, unaccustomed to the raw, primal terror of a dragon's assault. Their eyes, still wide with lingering fear, widened further as Dum unceremoniously dropped the massive boar in front of the crackling fire.

  A low rumble, a primal growl, escaped Lord Gorn's lips, his stomach betraying the polite silence he had attempted to maintain. Dee, ever the pragmatist, chuckled, a warm, resonant sound that cut through the tense atmosphere. "I take it you're hungry?"

  Herald Bent, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and ingrained formality, attempted to regain some semblance of control. "D-Do not speak to my Lord in s-such a casual tone."

  Dum, oblivious to the social niceties, pulled out his hunting knife, the honed steel glinting in the firelight, and began to expertly carve into the boar's flank. The sharp, metallic scent of blood mingled with the smoky aroma of the fire, causing both men to flinch, their bodies recoiling instinctively. The memory of searing flames and the acrid stench of burning flesh was still too fresh, too vivid.

  Lord Gorn, his face a mask of weary resignation, offered a somber smile. "It's okay, Herald. Regrettably, it's probably correct to assume that Gorn is no more. With it also goes my status and title. The one consolation is that the citizens were not caught up in this." His voice was heavy with the weight of lost responsibility, the phantom echo of his city’s destruction ringing in his ears.

  Dee, his brow furrowed in concentration, tried to place the name. "Gorn? I think I've heard of that place before, you know?"

  Dum, his eyes fixed on the task at hand, interjected, "Isn't that the place by the water?"

  The three men stared at him, their expressions a mixture of surprise and confusion.

  Lord Gorn, his voice laced with a hint of bitterness, clarified, "You saved us from Gorn. Remember?"

  Dee, his memory sparked by the mention of the dragon, added, "Yeah. It was the city the Dragon reduced to dust."

  "Oh! That one. That was Gorn, huh?" Dum's voice trailed off, his simple statement a stark reminder of the city's fate, a fate that deepened the somber mood. Edward's shoulders slumped further, the realization that he was truly without a home, without a title, settling heavily upon him. He knew the King of Imperia's relentless pursuit, the unforgiving nature of his wrath.

  A heavy silence descended upon the camp, broken only by the crackling fire and the rhythmic slicing of Dum's knife. The air was thick with unspoken grief and the awkwardness of newfound companionship. Edward and Herald were lost in the ruins of their former lives, while Dum and Dee grappled with the unfamiliar responsibility of their rescued charges. They wondered what their master would say, envisioning praise for their unexpected act of mercy.

  As the meat sizzled over the flames, the tantalizing aroma filling the air, Dum's mind, usually a blank canvas, suddenly conjured a fragmented memory. "Oh! Isn't Gorn where all those refugees came from?" He asked, handing a skewer of roasted boar to a stupefied Edward.

  "Y-You know of my citizens? I mean... my people?" Edward's face was a study in disbelief, a flicker of hope igniting in his weary eyes.

  Dee burst into laughter, a hearty, unrestrained sound that echoed through the trees. "That's the one. Yeah, the citizens of Varona are all refugees from Gorn. I remember now. How did you remember that before me, though? That's a first!"

  "Hey! I'm not dumb, you know!?" Dum retorted, his cheeks flushing slightly.

  A moment of shared absurdity hung in the air, followed by a wave of laughter that washed away some of the tension.

  "Varona? That was the name of the city that merchant was talking about, my Lord," Herald murmured, his aged memory proving sharper than it seemed.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "That's right, Herald," Edward replied, his gaze fixed on Dee and Dum, his voice laced with a desperate plea. "Excuse me, but... Is everyone safe? I mean, are they okay?"

  The two Assassins, their laughter subsiding, paused their playful wrestling in the dirt. "Yeah. Everyone who came to Varona is. We can't speak for those who went elsewhere."

  "Is that where you're taking us? To Varona?" Herald asked, his voice trembling with hope.

  "Yes. We were on our way home anyway and saw the Dragon as we were passing by. You were really lucky, to be honest, and for more reasons than one."

  Dee's words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the precariousness of their survival. Edward pondered the cruel twist of fate, the impossible question of what might have been. The dragon's attack, a historical cataclysm, had rewritten their lives, erasing their past and leaving them adrift in an uncertain future.

  Dum and Dee

  Saviours of the Lord

  "That was delicious!" The Dragon child shouts from her seat.

  "Indoor voice, please." Anya reminds the catastrophe class monster hidden inside the child's body. I don't know when, but at some point, Anya started to take a real liking to the still unnamed Black Dragon. Who in turn has also taken a liking to her as well.

  "Okay, big sister Anya," she beams a bright smile back at my Rainbow Mage, her teeth still showing remnants of her dessert.

  "Seriously, child," Anya tuts, "we can see your food. Rinse your mouth out, please."

  "Okay." Following Anya's instruction she swills some water round her mouth before swallowing down.

  I'm just sitting here, acting like an unneeded third wheel.

  How did this happen?

  Then again, how does anything happen around here? I made a decision. Still, the Dragon did exactly what it said in the description. My city has quietened down and you wouldn't even think we had been on the subject of a dragon invasion less than two hours ago. The power of peace-inducing Dragons -or Dragon in this case- sure is something else.

  That said, what do I actually do about her now that she's transformed into a person? It's a bit cruel to make her go live on the mountain by herself. Should I summon more Dragons?

  No, not yet. I'll summon more over the next few days as I keep pushing toward Tune. That way she won't be lonely when she does go up there. But for now, I'll wait.

  "Anya, you have a spare room at your place, right?"

  "What!? Yes, but..." Ready to refuse, as she knows what I'm about to suggest, Anya looks at the heart-melting smile on the small child next to her. "Never mind. It will not be a problem. What do you think about coming to live with Big Sister Anya, hmm?"

  "Oh. You can give her a name as well. It will be awkward if she stays without one." I said to Anya.

  "I was just thinking the same thing," she says to me before turning turning to the Dragon child. "Okay then, Lola. What do think about living with me?"

  "Lola!? Is that my name?" She asks, full of excitement and energy. To which my Rainbow Mage nods in response.

  "Oh, I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. Thank you big sister Anya. And I definitely want to live with you instead of on the mountain where Master suggested." Anya stares at me as though I'm some type of evil villain.

  Hey! I said that before I knew she could transform into a human. Even though most of my monsters end up that way. But still! Harsh.

  "It will be lonely up there all by myself. I don't mind if Master orders it, but I'd much rather live with you instead." Anya's brows furrow at that and her gaze intensifies.

  Seriously! I didn't mean it!

  "I was going to summon more Dragons in a few days..." I trail off knowing when to stop with Rainbow Mage.

  Yep. Shouldn't have said anything.

  With a quick "Good luck," to Anya and Lola, I throw a bright smile to Ali as I dash out of the door away from another one of my problems. I know I said I wasn't going to skirt around them anymore, but Anya's a confident and clever woman. She can handle Lola. It's not like our latest family member comes baring any ill will toward the dungeon.

  With the Dragon delegated to my bestie and a full stomach after just having a late dinner at Ali's, I head back to my tower. The evening sun is setting over Varona and all I can think is 'what a day!'

  It's a good thing I kept that 10,000DP back from today’s land acquisitions. We wouldn't have been able to start populating the forest with monsters otherwise. Well, we could have started tomorrow, but who knows what problems might creep up out of nowhere. There's always something.

  I still can't believe Light killed a Dragon with a single attack. Wait a minute! What level is he?

  After pulling up the dungeon menu and searching for their names, which takes a lot longer now that there are so many Assassins, I see that not only has Light reached Level 100, but so has Dropper. Even though she didn't play a part in the killing, unless one of them is being untruthful -which I highly doubt- then she earned experience just for being with her party member.

  What's strange is neither one of them had the usual I'm-ready-to-rank-up glow. So far, every 20 levels a new tier has unlocked, so why hasn't it now? Is it because they're level 100?

  After further navigating the menu to no joy, I'm about to give up when my world turns dark. Which is extremely unsettling because I didn't turn out the lights. My temporary blindness lasts for the briefest of moments before I find myself sitting on a leather chair in a plain, white room. The floor, ceiling and walls are all the same colour and across from me is a man sitting on a chair identical to mine.

  I'm not sure why, but my heart is beating so fast I'm scared that it's going to jump out of my chest. I'm not sure how I got here or how I'm supposed to go about leaving, but that's not what's frightening me. No. Without a doubt, the one causing my palms to sweat for the first time since acquiring a body is the man sitting across from me.

  He has sandy-colored short hair, and bright, blue eyes. Wearing a strange bath robe, the design of which is something I've never seen before, his legs are crossed and he has his arms folded inside the sleeves. Oh, and he's staring directly at me.

  What the fuck is going on here? Who's this guy and why aren't I in my tower? Where are my futon and my cuddlies?

  "So..." One word captivates my attention and compels me to listen. "... I hear you have been calling me a Lazy God?"

  Oh Shit.

  It was bound to come and bite me in the ass at some point, right?