Solas Athanasios

Blaise Edinburgh, the current magic tower master, had never witnessed something as bizarre as what was unfolding in front of his eyes. He stood in one place while drowning in astonishment.

'S-solas? Dragon King Solas?!'

Dargon King Solas Athanasios never revealed himself for over hundreds of years. He had stopped meddling in the affairs of the human world for a long time.

But there were more things that concerned Blaise aside from Solas. The person who looked human, yet possessed an inhumane amount of mana was standing at a distance.

'That woman is dangerous...'

His eyes were dead set on Aliana. They begun glowing green as if something had illuminated them.

That was the magic he had come up with. What is its purpose, is what anyone would like to know.

'Just what is this place? Why are there so many dangerous beings here?'

He glanced at Roland and Julianne, trying to judge their strengths. His magic was the type to make the mana contained in one's body visible to him. He gulped down his own saliva nervously.

'They sure are strong...'

He thought as a smile crept on his lips. First Aliana and Jaden, and now Julianne and Roland. They all were strong individuals.

There were countless strong people he had come across till now. None of them managed to get his attention like these people had done.

'But I'm still the strongest...'

Blaise Edinburgh was a genius in the magical world. He had a rare affinity for three elements. If not for his talent, he would've still been some apprentice mage running errands for the magic tower.

Definitely, he wasn't stronger than the Dragon King who happened to have lived for over a thousands of years. That immortal existence wasn't omnipotent one either.

That aside... By then, Blaise had gotten an idea of who exactly the kids were. They were kids of the furious Dragon King.

"Are they the ones?"

Solas spoke as he approached Aliana and Jaden. Jaden was so busy figuring things out that he didn't feel an ounce of fear.

'Dragon King... Magic Tower Master... Roland...'

He counted the irregularities one by one. The story he remembered writing no longer existed. Maybe it never existed since before he entered that world.

'And everything involves the same person.'

He took a look at Aliana before turning his face towards Blaise. She was still holding his hand when he did that.

"Yes! Yes! We are sure of it!"

Jaden flinched as Lilia ran behind him and Aliana. She was pushing them towards Solas while laughing heartily.

"Stop causing them trouble."

Solas said this as he used the black flames to gently lift Lilia and Lyle into the air. He made them stand in front of Jaden and Aliana firmly.

They gasped for the air while trying to get off the oddly familiar feeling on their minds. They were used to being treated like that.

"Did you both forget why we came here?"

Solas had a warm smile on his face. The face that would leave any man envious, looked even more charming.

The proof that was Blaise, who clicked his tongue at that sight. The tears he held back were visible partially within his eyes.

'Are all dragons this handsome?'

As he was thinking that, Lyle and Lilia looked at each other's faces. The words that they thought of were similar.

With the smile they gave each other, their bodies spun around gently. They both opened their mouths in unison.

"Oh. Right!"

They bowed their heads in front of Aliana. Blaise who had no clue as to why they were acting like that, was the most clueless person there.

"T-thank you for saving us earlier. Sister and the masked brother."

They remembered what Aliana had said to them when they first met.

-Remember to pay me back later on.

They had come back to return the favour Aliana did for them. Looking at them, she laughed softly.

"Have you both been well?"

She patted the heads of the kids with both of her hands. They didn't resist her hands. The children's father glared at Aliana for a while.

'This is a problem now...'

He thought while looking at Aliana. He had come to notice the ring on her hand.

The legend that was often associated with it said that the person possessing it will gain blessings and more benefits. That wasn't just legend, but Jaden had almost no clue about that fact.

"Umm. We've been well."

The children giggled. Aliana took her hands off their heads and looked at Jaden.

Then she moved a bit closer to her. Her calm-toned voice rang in his ears.

"Hang on a bit more."

Maybe she was aware that he was feeling tired. Jaden let out a sigh, witnessing the scene quietly.

'I can't even get angry at this point. I want to go back and sleep.'

Jaden was too tired to even talk. Aside from listening to their conversations without saying a word, he did nothing else.

"So you were the one who saved my children... You have my gratitude for that."

Solas turned around and saw the people who had collapsed on the floor. Only ten people were standing aside from him. He had exuded too much killing intent.

Aliana, Jaden, Blaise, Julianne, Roland, Lyle, Lilia, Emperor, Lenon, and Claire were the only people who were still conscious.

Solas moved the black flames towards the collapsed people. Those flames would naturally harm those who he considered to be his enemies.

"I will erase their memories of me."

The Dragon King was an existence that possessed immense power. From changing a terrain to manipulating someone's mind, he could actually do anything.

Soon, the flames disappeared as if they never existed in the first place. He looked at Lenon, who was in deep thought.

'I don't remember doing anything like what Lady Rosenstein mentioned...'

He wasn't the one who owned the illegal businesses. Neither did he have any hand in them.

That much he was certain of. But who would explain it to the one whose wraith they had incurred?

"Are you the owner of that place?"

Solas looked down at Lenon, who was still kneeling on the floor. Lenon didn't feel a bit of fear. He slowly opened his mouth.

"I don't remember having anything to do with that pla-"

Thud

As Lenon was saying that, black flames caught him by his neck and crashed him into the wall nearby. Lenon didn't bleed. He was a swordmaster.

COUGH COUGH

He coughed a bit and stayed still. He knew that any resistance would be futile in front of this being.

'Just who...'

He tried to figure out who had done such a cruel thing under his name. There weren't many people for whom he signed documents personally.

He wouldn't have signed some shady papers while doing his work by mistake. He used to read every document very carefully.

His gaze fell on Claire. She stood while biting her nails. Lenon could feel an eerie emotion within his heart.

'Ah... No way... Did she...'

He bit his own lips at the cursed thought. She was the one he trusted the most. There was no way she would've betrayed him.

Lenon thought for a while before opening his mouth. He couldn't think of any other solution to evade the tragedy that might befall him soon.

"Do you happen to have magic that can discern lies?"

He asked while breathing heavily. His throat was still in the grasp of the flames.

"I do."

Solas said as he tightened the grip of the flames around Lenon's neck. Using his hands, Lenon pulled the flames back with all of his strength.

The suffocation he was feeling lightened up. He took in a mouthful of air before speaking up with his right eye closed.

"Then I need you to use it on two people."

A smile glowed on Claire's face upon hearing that. She knew who the two people were going to be.

The last ounce of struggle Lenon was attempting wasn't totally futile. Solas was at least listening to what he was saying.

"On whom?"

Solas looked into Lenon's eyes while emitting killing intent. The bloodlust Lenon felt made him loosen his grip on the flames.

"It's me and her."

Lenon said this while pointing towards the woman, who was smiling brightly. Her smile disappeared with a stunned voice pouring out of her mouth.

"Huh?"

-------

'Why is this happening to me...?'

Claire bit her nails while staring at Jaden and Aliana. As if they were not enough trouble, Lenon went ahead and used his brain.

'If I lose his trust, then I...'

As she was thinking while looking at the back of the dragon king, a voice rang within her head.

-[Calm down, Claire.]

Claire flinched and got back to her senses. She felt relief that the voice was still with her.

Mostly people tend to loose confidence and focus when they feel like they are going through something alone. She was more than grateful for the voice being by her side.

'Just what should I do...? At this rate...'

She thought while trying to hold back her tears. She knew everything that was happening was because of her own actions.

-[You are such a helpless person. Lend me your body for a bit.]

As soon as the voice said it, Claire could feel her vision darken. She definitely fell asleep, but her eyes were open.

The voice within her mind was the one controlling the body now. That was the reason her eyes displayed no signs of fear.

'This situation is indeed dire.'

She thought while looking at Solas. His conversation with Lenon made her feel goosebumps rose on her body.

The same question will be pushed on her soon. At that thought, she couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"Were you related to the abduction of my children?"

Solas asked as his amber-golden eyes glowed along with the thick mana spreading throughout the banquet hall. Lenon bit his lips, trying to put his thoughts into the words.

"I wasn't."

Solas stayed silent on his answer. The grip of flames loosened around his neck, and Lenon fell to the floor.

He turned around before approaching Claire. With every step he took, she could feel her nervousness growing.

"He was telling the truth. Now it's your turn. Were you related to it or not?"

She had a cold sweat on her forehead. She spoke in a trembling voice.

"I-i wasn't."

Solas glared at her furiously and then closed his eyes. He walked up to Aliana.

"It seems I've caused you unnecessary trouble. I shall settle this matter on some other day."

Solas was the Dragon King. It would harm his honour if he actually apologised directly. So he was going around in circles about it, and Aliana understood it precisely.

"It's fine."

She said this while tightening her grip on Jaden's hands. Her words didn't end with what she said.

"May I ask for one more favour in return?"

Solas nodded without opening his mouth. He was curious what she would ask.

"We plan to leave this place soon. We might need you to interfere if someone comes in our way."

Aliana smiled while glancing at the Emperor. His pale face was slightly red with anger.

"As for him... he is not the crown prince anymore."

She said this while looking at Lenon, who looked as if he were feeling relieved. Solas smiled and nodded. He thought conversing with them would only waste both of their time.

'What just happened?'

Claire had returned to her senses. The voice in her mind replied to her.

-[Noyhing much. I just bypassed his magic.]

Claire had a confused face. She didn't know what she meant.

'Bypassed? What do you mean?'

That term was somewhat new to her. At least, she never remembered having read that word in some book before.

Her whole confusion on one side, and the current situation on other. The perplexity of her circumstances made her eyes wander around.

Her gaze met Aliana's, which happened to be looking right into her eyes. She could feel a chill run down her spine.

'What...?'

Suddenly, Claire heard the voice inside her mind say something. Her face turned pale.

-[She knows about us. Be careful.]

Claire was hiding from everyone the fact that she could hear the voice of someone within her mind. No one knew about it.

'What do you...'

The question she wanted to ask to the voice never got completed. What she was feeling at that time was pure nausea.

Cold air slowly surrounded her body. Solas spoke while glaring at her, coldly.

"Anyway... Who are you?"

He noticed how the air around Claire suddenly changed. Claire couldn't open her mouth. Her face became pale.

"I-"

As she was about to speak, Aliana stood in front of her. Was she trying to protect Claire?

"It's too late now. Why don't we talk about this later?"

Aliana said this while pointing towards the darkness visible outside the entrance. The door hiding the darkness was no longer there.

"Indeed."

Solas glanced outside and then looked at Aliana. She had a mysterious look in her eyes. She was smiling.

"Ah... I see."

Solas laughed lightly while picking Lyle and Lilia up in his arms. They were both yawning as it was already their time to sleep.

It seemed like delaying it any further wasn't any good for him either. He slowly let them place their heads on his broad, muscular chest.

"I shall take my leave now."

Solas disappeared into thin air with those as his parting words. Aliana looked at Jaden's face an with a smile.

He would've felt chills if not for what she said next. Those wprds were bliss for him who was more tham just tired.

"It's almost done."

He could feel his hand getting pulled by her. To which he never resisted even a tiny bit.

When Jaden was getting drowsy, a sudden voice made him flinch. They had almost forgotten about some people.

"Alia, young man. You both should head back. We will take care of the rest."

Roland said this while pointing his thumb towards sleeping guests. He watched them walk away.

"Jaden."

Julianne opened her mouth as the two were walking away quietly. Hearing her words, Jaden didn't showed a shred of reaction.

He simply stood at one place, staring at his feet. He could feel a heavy weight on his back listening to her.

"I will wait for your explanation."

She had no idea what exactly had happened between them for such a huge commotion to occur after the very first day of their meeting.

She turned around while dragging away Blaise by his robe. He was so amazed to witness the events that he couldn't move.

As for Lenon, he stood up and followed Claire's steps quietly. He was busy trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Oh. Right."

Aliana suddenly stopped, facing towards the woman nearby. She smiled at her whose steps came to a stop.

"We need to have a talk about some 'deep secret'. Don't you think so...?"

The woman was afraid of Aliana's smile too. She looked at Jaden's disinterested face.

Aliana was speaking while looking into the woman's nervous eyes. She felt chills run down her spine when she heard the cold voice.

"Lady Belcher."