Rider's Wife

"Welcome back, Rider."

Darnic opened his arms wide, revealing a sincere smile to Arkhan who had just arrived.

Half of this was because Arkhan had defeated Lancer of Red, showcasing his power. The other half was due to the presence of Ruler, who was looking around with curiosity behind him.

"But, who's this..."

Darnic's gaze couldn't help but shift towards the stunning and aloof black-haired woman standing almost inseparably close to Arkhan. His eyes showed clear curiosity.

He remembered that there shouldn't have been such a woman by Rider's side before, and their intimacy was an eye-opener for him.

"She's my wife." Arkhan said casually while holding Nidhogg's small hand intimately.

Darnic raised an eyebrow, confused.

'Wife? What a joke, when Rider was summoned, there was only him—'

Suddenly, as if a lightning bolt struck his mind, Darnic's expression stiffened.

His head, like rusty parts, turned inch by inch toward Nidhogg. His gaze slowly swept over her black hair, black eyes, and black dress.

'No way... No matter how you think about it, this is too unbelievable. How could that legendary dragon be...'

As if noticing Darnic's gaze, Nidhogg suddenly raised her head to look at him. The once ordinary black pupils instantly transformed into cold and ruthless vertical pupils, like a bottomless abyss that could swallow all light.

Even as a mage with 'Grand' rank, Darnic couldn't help but be startled by this gaze. Instinctively, he took a step back, drawing puzzled looks from Jeanne.

"Alright, I brought the person back to you; the rest is up to you." Arkhan waved his hand nonchalantly and turned, leading Nidhogg inside the Fortress of Millennia.

"Ohh... Okay..." Darnic stared blankly at Arkhan's retreating figure, involuntarily giving him a thumbs up in his mind.

Once, he thought Servants like Saber-class were the only ones deserving the title of heroes. Now, he finally understood that Rider-class was the true hero.

"Umm... Aren't you coming with us?" Jeanne asked somewhat nervously toward Arkhan's retreating figure.

"Darnic is in charge here. If you need anything, just ask him. I've got some things to take care of." Arkhan responded calmly without even looking back.

"Ohh... I... understand..." Jeanne lowered her head, feeling somewhat disappointed for some reason. When Arkhan left, an indescribable sense of loss crept into her heart.

Seeing this scene, Darnic thoughtfully glanced at Jeanne.

As a seasoned veteran approaching a hundred years, he naturally could see that this French saint had a quite special feeling toward Rider.

'Maybe... This could be used as a bargaining chip to bring Ruler to our side...'

Darnic's eyes narrowed slightly, but suddenly, a pair of cold, emotionless black vertical pupils appeared inside his mind.

He shivered slightly, quickly extinguishing his earlier idea. If that dragon in human skin sensed his intentions, this fortress would probably turn into magma by tomorrow morning.

'It seems like I have to rely on myself after all...'

Darnic sighed softly in his heart, and shortly after, a familiar smile appeared on his face. He courteously gestured toward Jeanne.

"Please, Your Excellency Ruler, allow me to personally guide you through this place. I'll answer any questions you have, without holding anything back."

"Well, thank you for that, Lancer of Black's Master." Jeanne withdrew her gaze from Arkhan's already far figure and followed behind Darnic.

===

"Darnic is our ally, scaring him like that isn't cool."

Arkhan spoke as he walked through the spacious corridor, gently running his fingers through Nidhogg's silky black hair. He couldn't overlook her earlier subtle actions.

Hearing her husband's reprimand, Nidhogg wrinkled her delicate nose, full of disdain.

"Hmph, I just can't stand that guy staring at me all the time, no manners at all. Just scaring him is me being merciful; otherwise, I would have spat black flames on his damn face long ago."

Hearing her spicy answer, Arkhan chuckled helplessly.

Nidhogg's temperament had undergone significant changes in human society, but as a great dragon equivalent to gods, her pride remained undiminished. She just didn't usually show this side to familiar people.

*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*

Some crisp footsteps soon echoed and approached, Arkhan looked up to see a familiar pair approaching from the opposite direction.

Saber Siegfried and his Master, Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia.

Seeing Arkhan, Gordes seemed to recall something unpleasant, his face turned ugly, and subconsciously hid behind Siegfried.

As Arkhan approached, Siegfried's eyes lit up.

Siegfried was about to say something when a strong unease, a shiver from deep within his blood, surged again, even more violently than before. Faintly, he could hear the wailing of Fafnir in his ears.

Following his instincts, he subconsciously turned to look at the seemingly harmless and beautiful woman beside Rider, only to find her looking at him with an intriguing gaze.

"Heh~ Quite interesting... I heard a long time ago that a human killed the one guarding Das Rheingold, and the said human gained an invincible body in return..." Nidhogg scrutinized Siegfried. "But the curse of Das Rheingold is not easy to endure. Don't you regret it?"

Hearing her question, Siegfried remained silent for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

"This power allows me to help more people." Siegfried answered in a low voice.

"Help more people...?" Nidhogg tilted her head in confusion. "Is that really necessary? With such immense power, you can do whatever you want. Why bother with those thankless tasks?"

"Because that is the purpose of my existence." Siegfried pressed his chest, eyes showing determination. "It's also the meaning behind gaining this power."

"Even if it means trampling on your own dignity?" Arkhan suddenly chimed in.

"..." Siegfried lowered his head, staying silent.

"Think it over, Siegfried. Kindness itself is not wrong, but an excess of it only brings greater evil. If even your own will no longer exists, what will you have left?"

Arkhan glanced meaningfully at Siegfried.

"Without understanding this, the curse of Das Rheingold will never fade from you, and the tragedy will keep repeating."

With that reminder, Arkhan led Nidhogg past Siegfried, leaving the latter standing silently like a statue.