Chapter 21. Dragon heart? Secured!

The townsfolk erupted with cheers as Shina and her caravan finally returned to town. Kids ran to greet the wagons, merchants hustled to peek at the goods, and the air filled with excitement.

I turned to Lucia, leaning back in my chair. "Maybe we should hold a festival today to celebrate. What do you think?"

Lucia froze mid-step, staring at me as if I'd lost my mind. "Master, there's a dragon in the periphery, and you're talking about a festival?"

"Ah... haha," I mumbled, scratching the back of my head. Oh, yeah. That little detail.

"Right, you're right." I nodded sagely, like I hadn't just suggested hosting a feast while a giant winged demigod was potentially planning our demise.

As if on cue, a series of thunderous gunshots echoed in the distance, followed by the earth-shaking roar of a very, very angry dragon.

I stroked my chin. "Hmm. I wonder how Hansel's going to handle that thing. I just read that dragons are born as demigods, you know."

Lucia turned to me, pale as a ghost. "Master... what if Hansel fails? We could be facing the wrath of a dragon and its kin!"

"Lucia," I said, raising an eyebrow, "shall we flee to Aetheria Kingdom and start a new life? It'd be a fresh start. We could run a quiet bakery or something."

Her face twisted in a mix of shock and panic. "Master, please! This is serious! We need a plan, not jokes about running away!"

I sighed dramatically. She just rejected me , Right? Right? But outwardly, I gave her my best calm and collected smile.

"Of course, Lucia. A plan. Absolutely."

---

Before Lucia could lecture me further, Shina approached, looking utterly defeated. She dragged her feet like she'd just hiked across three continents, and her eyes were glistening, dangerously close to tears.

Following behind her was Barns, scratching his head awkwardly, the universal sign of guilt. Yep, whatever was wrong, Barns was definitely involved.

"Lord Ace," Shina began, her voice trembling, "I'm grateful for all the potions you prepared, but isn't this... too much?"

"Eh? 10,000 is too much?" I asked, tilting my head.

Shina's expression crumbled. "It's not 10,000. It's over two million mana potions!"

Ah. That explained the tears.

I coughed lightly, trying to appear serious. "Shina, I believe in you. It's just a bit more than usual. You can handle it."

"Only a bit?!" she cried. "It's enough to flood the town square!"

I turned to Barns and Lucia for help. Barns avoided eye contact entirely, suddenly very interested in the floor.

Lucia, however, cleared her throat nervously. "Well... Master, we, uh... we noticed how much you were investing in potions, so we thought we'd, you know... scale up production."

"Right," she continued, fidgeting, "Moh! and you gave us so much gold... What else were we supposed to do with it? Swim in it?"

Her exasperation was almost comical. Between Shina's watery eyes and Lucia's flustered rant, I could feel the weight of their frustration pressing down on me.

I sighed dramatically. "Okay, okay. Everyone calm down. Barns, go fetch some celebratory drinks. Lucia, Shina—stop crying, please. You're ruining my reputation as the town's fearsome overlord."

Lucia narrowed her eyes at me, clearly unimpressed. Shina sniffled but didn't argue further.

---

Meanwhile, thunderous roars and distant gunshots reminded me of the whole dragon situation.

"Lucia," I said, leaning back in my chair, "do you think Hansel's okay? I mean, I just paid him an obscene amount of mana crystals. Surely, he's not about to ruin his perfect record, right?"

Lucia shot me a look that could pierce steel. "Master, maybe instead of worrying about Hansel, you should focus on what happens if he fails. Dragons are not known for forgiving insults, you know!"

"Relax, Lucia," I said with a grin. "Hansel's got this. And if not... well, at least we've got two million mana potions to throw at it."

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. Some people just can't appreciate good humor.

---

The next day,

The morning light filtered into my room as I yawned, stretching lazily. The sounds of explosions and occasional roars from the dragon fight still echoed in the distance.

A full day has passed, and they're still at it, I thought. Demigods sure are built different... endless stamina and all.

Lucia arrived, her expression as grim as ever. She carried that perpetual look of someone preparing for the end of the world.

"Lucia, always worrying like that will give you wrinkles. I hear phoenix blood is great for rejuvenation. I'll get you some, alright?"

"Master, this isn't the time for jokes about mythical skincare routines!" she snapped, crossing her arms. "Hansel needs to push that fight further away. They're powerhouses capable of wiping out entire kingdoms, and their battle is creeping closer to the town!"

"Relax," I replied with a grin. "Hopefully, they don't get too serious, or we'll just evaporate without even realizing what hit us."

I chuckled at my own joke, but Lucia didn't seem to find it funny.

Seeing her frazzled state, I decided it was time for a change of scenery.

I stood, walked over, and took her hands.

Soft. Very soft. Is this the first time I've held her hands? Comforting, I should do this often..

Without saying much, I led her out of the room and brought her to my favorite place: the money-counting room.

A room made entirely of mana crystals, each one glowing faintly and casting calming reflections all around. Barns had once claimed the ambiance was therapeutic, and I wholeheartedly agreed.

"Sit here," I told her, guiding her to one of the chairs. "Relax for 30 minutes, and don't come out until you feel calmer. Master's orders."

Lucia opened her mouth to protest but hesitated, her shoulders slumping in defeat. As I left, I could hear her muttering something about my strange priorities.

---

Hansel and the dragon stood across from each other on a desolate battlefield that had once been a lush forest. Now, it was a wasteland of flattened mountains, newly formed lakes, and charred earth.

The two demigods had been trading blows since last night. Hansel's bullets now carried magic circles, each one radiating destruction, while the dragon's fiery breaths were also reinforced with intricate magical runes.

Every attack they launched clashed midair, cancelling each other out with massive explosions. Occasionally, though, a stray shot or breath would miss its mark, obliterating whatever unfortunate landmark lay in its path.

A mountain? Flattened.

A valley? Now a lake.

An unclaimed piece of wilderness? Probably an ecosystem in the making.

Their battle was less of a fight and more of a territorial dispute with mutually assured destruction.

The dragon, wary of Hansel as the new face among grade 5s, was unwilling to back down. But she was also testing the waters, unsure of this intruder's true strength.

Finally, Hansel broke the stalemate.

"I can pay tributes yearly for this section of land," he offered. "Name your price."

The dragon, mid-preparation for her next attack, scoffed. "Do you think I lack gold, human?"

"Mana crystals," Hansel replied without missing a beat.

The dragon paused, intrigued. "How many?"

"1,000."

"That's too little."

"10,000," Hansel said, raising an eyebrow. "No more."

The dragon mulled it over before nodding. "Agreed."

Hansel internally smirked. Good thing I'm not the one footing the bill.

With the territorial matter settled, Hansel decided to move to the main reason he was here.

"Now," he said casually, "how much to borrow your heart for a day?"

The dragon's eyes flared, her golden scales shimmering with rage.

"Are you mocking me?" She roared, her body beginning to glow as she prepared to transform into her full dragon form.

"100,000 mana crystals," Hansel replied calmly, as if he hadn't just made the most outrageous request in history.

The dragon's transformation halted midway, her form flickering as her mind tried to process the sheer audacity.

Before the dragon could gather her thoughts, Hansel upped the ante.

"150,000," he said firmly. "Take it or leave it. It's only for a day, and I give my word that there will be no tampering."

The dragon hesitated, her nostrils flaring with anger and confusion. After a tense silence, she finally grumbled, "Fine."