Chapter 2: Irene

Earthland is a world of magic, where the ratio of magicians to ordinary people is roughly 1:9.

All humans here possess some degree of magic power, though the amount varies, and to most people, being a magician is just another profession.

Arriving in a human town, Aegon noticed that the magic power within most of its inhabitants was pitifully low.

However, the first impression the town gave him was that the residents did not seem to be living under the constant threat of war.

He randomly picked a shop to gather some information.

The bald man behind the counter looked at him suspiciously. "What? Say that again?"

"Where is this place?"

"This is a town in the Kingdom of Bergland, Granser."

"And what year is it now?"

The bald man stared at Aegon for a long time before deciding to answer.

"It's the year X777. Are you here to buy weapons? If not, don't waste my time."

A silver coin flew towards him, and he instinctively caught it. Holding the coin, the bald man's eyes lit up, and his attitude changed instantly.

"Any more questions? Ask away!"

The currency in Ishgar is J, but silver and gold coins can also be used. This silver coin was worth 10,000J, enough to buy several standard weapons.

...

"Ishgar, July 7th, X777?"

Aegon had gathered a lot of information from the bald man. He was currently in the central part of Ishgar, within the Kingdom of Bergland.

Looking at the map in his hand, he was somewhat surprised.

"Ishgar is this vast."

Ishgar's area was much larger than he had imagined, with a marked size of 8 million square kilometers, and this was just one continent.

Ishgar had twelve kingdoms in total, with the southwestern Fiore Kingdom spanning over 10 million square kilometers, but it was considered a medium-sized kingdom in Ishgar.

The Kingdom of Bergland, where he was currently located, was more than ten times the size of Fiore, and it was home to the Magic Council's headquarters.

The Magic Council's headquarters were located in the capital of the Bergland Kingdom.

"So, the first destination is set."

The distance between Ishgar and the western continent of Alakitasia was vast.

Even flying at nearly Mach 1 (about 1225 km/h in air), it took Aegon a long time to get here.

He was puzzled.

The black dragon of the western continent often traveled here, which did not match his memory of the distance, especially since his flight speed had increased.

The Alvarez Empire, a vast empire established on the western continent by the black magician Zeref, who was as infamous as the black dragon.

In the capital, Vistarion.

In an instant, the sky changed dramatically, with strong winds howling, and what was once a clear sky was now covered with dark clouds.

The pupils of Magic King August contracted sharply as he gazed at the sky, murmuring softly, "A dragon?"

Roar—

A thunderous roar exploded over Vistarion's sky.

A black dragon silhouette swiftly moved through the clouds, its body slicing through the mist, its tail dragging the airflow.

August transformed into a red light, instantly arriving at the palace's observation deck, gazing at the sky, locking eyes with the black dragon silhouette in the clouds.

A terrifying sense of oppression emanated from the black dragon's scarlet eyes, its body concealed within the mist.

"Black Dragon... Acnologia?!"

Roar!!!

The thunderous roar echoed again in the sky as Aegon roared, loudly announcing his arrival!

The powerful airflow ruffled August's hair and beard. Although his hand gripping the magic staff was stiff, he remained calm.

He was the Master of Great Magic, the Magic King August, one of the Empire's two shields!

Since their emperor Zeref was not in the Alvarez Empire, it fell to him to deal with the black dragon!

August stared directly at the black dragon, his gaze unwavering.

"May I ask why Black Dragon is visiting the Alvarez Empire?"

"Irene Belserion, where is she?"

August detected a hint of nonchalance in Aegon's voice.

August cautiously asked, "She's not in Vistarion. May I know why you are looking for her?"

"You only need to tell me where she is."

Why is he looking for Irene? August was in a dilemma.

If he refused to answer the black dragon, the Alvarez Empire might be reduced to ashes, but if he revealed Irene's location, would she be in danger?

"I won't kill her."

Aegon's words surprised August. He sighed and chose to answer.

"Achilos City, about 1,500 kilometers southeast of the capital."

"Good!" Aegon roared, like a lazy yawn, circling the sky a few times before flying southeast.

From his appearance to his departure, it took only a few minutes, but the black dragon had left an indelible impression on August and the lurking Larcade and Bradman!

"No wonder His Majesty fears the black dragon so much..."

The thunderous roar still echoed in his ears as August watched Acnologia's departing direction with a thoughtful expression.

"What exactly is he seeking Irene for? No matter, I should notify Irene immediately."

...

It was past midnight, and a beam of sunlight shone through the window into the hall, outlining a woman's figure clearly.

She appeared to be in her late twenties, her smooth and fair skin matched by a delicate oval face. Beneath her red bangs and braided hair were exquisite features, with pink lip gloss on her lips. Most striking were her eyes.

Her clear pupils reflected the sunlight, appearing especially bright, and the light pink lip gloss gave an impression of a subtle smile even when she wasn't smiling.

She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, so beautiful that one might fall in love at first sight.

Irene remained expressionless, nodding slightly. "I understand."

Ending her communication with August, Irene leaned back on the sofa, crossing her legs, lightly tapping her lower lip with her forefinger.

"Why is the black dragon suddenly looking for me? Could it be he knows about my transformation into a dragon?"

Irene

She couldn't fathom any connection between her and the black dragon. At most, they both studied Dragon Slayer Magic, and she had heard of the black dragon hunting dragons.

Juliet, who had transformed from a sword into a human through Irene's personality attachment magic, looked at Irene nervously.

"Lady Irene, are you... not going to escape?"

"Heh."

Irene chuckled, shaking her head without answering.

After fully transforming into a dragon, the side effects of the dragon's power had been plaguing her: sensitivity to cold, loss of taste, insomnia, tormenting her to the point she no longer felt human.

She had tried various methods but found no solution.

As for escaping?

She had no such thoughts, even feeling a bit resigned, thinking it might be better to face the black dragon and end it all.

'The Emperor helped me turn back into a human from a dragon, so maybe this is my way of repaying him. If I can be freed like this, wouldn't that be nice?'

Juliet, usually serious, was unusually earnest. "No! You gave me life, Lady Irene. I will never leave you!"

Heine, more composed, nodded solemnly. "Neither will I."

Irene smirked. "Fine, no need to be so tense. As long as there's no fight, he won't discover my identity as a Dragon Slayer."

Left Heine, right Juliet.