When I heard that Veldora had vanished, my first reaction was surprise, but it was quickly followed by a deep sense of suspicion.
*Veldora disappeared?*
I had never encountered any other mbers of the draconic lineage besides Velzard. Even if I set aside Veldanava—who was rely a thought-form—I had practically no contact with them.
However, through Pro, I was aware of Veldora's history. I had heard that he was defeated and sealed by a hero three hundred years ago; for such a being to simply vanish now was highly irregular.
First, to reach the Sealed Cave where Veldora was imprisoned, one would have to traverse the Great Forest of Jura, managed by the dryads. Even then, the path to the deepest reaches of the cave was crawling with monsters. Most notably, the Tempest Serpent—a creature born from Veldora's own magicules—possessed a threat level of roughly A- by Yuuki's ranking. Unless one was a powerhouse on par with or superior to Shizu, reaching the seal would be nearly impossible. And even if they did, the number of beings capable of breaking a hero's seal could be counted on one hand. That left only two possibilities.
Either Veldora had chosen death himself, or he had vanished from the world temporarily with the help of so unknown entity. But the latter seed far too improbable. To erase both the hero's seal and Veldora himself... even for Guy, that would be a daunting task.
Just as I was pondering this, a hypothesis occurred to .
Perhaps soone like had accidentally reincarnated from another world, accidentally awakened in the cave where Veldora was held, accidentally acquired a Unique Skill, accidentally beca friends with Veldora, and then accidentally erased him with that very skill. The probability of such a sequence of events was lower than drawing three royal straight flushes in a row.
No, even if that were the case, would Veldora have simply submitted without resisting?
Veldora had been killed and revived countless tis by Velzard and their other sister, and his personality shifted with every rebirth. I understood that his current persona was free-spirited and fond of humans, so it wasn't entirely impossible. But was there really anyone capable of putting up with a guy like Veldora?
Since brooding alone was pointless, I decided to consult the others. I set off for the White Ice Palace, which towered over the center of the frozen land where Guy resided.
****
Vertis gazed up at the magnificent ice castle for a mont—a structure so beautiful it looked as if it had been carved by a master artist—before opening the gates and strolling through the corridors.
Tap... tap...
As Vertis passed through the halls and opened a door adorned with exquisite carvings, rows of Greater Demons stood waiting, bowing their heads in unison. Each possessed a na and a physical body, having achieved unique evolutions through the use of magic tools. Yet, compared to Guy Crimson, who reigned regally from a chair at the round table, or the six Arch Demons standing by, they were re children.
However, there were beings present far more dangerous than any of them: the two maids attending to Guy. In truth, they were Primordials just like Guy—Misery, the Primordial Green, and Rain, the Primordial Blue. They were Demon Lords, existing on a plane far above the Arch Demons.
Guy spread his arms in welco, as if he had known exactly when I would arrive.
"It's been a while, Vertis. Have you been well? You've grown even more handso since we last t. I might just fall for you."
"I appreciate the sentint, but I'm heterosexual."
"Is that so? What a pity. If you'd like, I could transform into a woman for you."
"I'm not interested. More importantly, I've co to discuss sothing."
"Yes, I know."
Guy smiled and stepped forward, with Vertis following close behind.
They ascended to the highest floor of the castle, entering the ice terrace. It was an open-air space without a roof, yet it remained miraculously free of snow and ice, while a breathtaking aurora shimred in the sky above.
In the center of the terrace, where a sense of coolness and liberation rged, two chairs of ice materialized. Vertis leaned back into one of them without hesitation.
"Ti is of the essence, so shall we get straight to the point?"
"My, my. You've co all this way; why not relax for a bit?"
"I am not as leisurely as you. The Storm Dragon, Veldora, has vanished."
At the news of Veldora's disappearance, Guy showed a rare flicker of surprise. But he wasn't the only one intrigued.
"Oh my, is that truly true?"
A voice as cold as ice accompanied the appearance of a woman who truly embodied the title of Ice Empress. Her skin was as white as porcelain, her eyes were deep blue diamonds that seed to pull one in, and her pearl-white hair flowed softly down her cheeks, contrasting with her striking light-pink lips.
This was Velzard, the White Ice Dragon and Guy's partner.
"Velzard. Surely soone like you would have noticed Veldora's disappearance?"
Knowing the danger of upsetting a woman, Vertis chose his words with extre care.
"My, such high praise. He is my dear little brother, but I don't keep a constant eye on him. Still, you are certain about this?"
"Yes. My skill just confird his disappearance. There is no mistake."
"Indeed... his presence has vanished."
As her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, Vertis provided only the facts. While she found her brother's disappearance puzzling, she wasn't particularly worried. Dragons were beings who would eventually revive sowhere in the world given enough ti. Her only concern was that while mories might be inherited, personalities shifted; she wondered if the reborn Veldora would return to his old, troublemaking ways.
"Veldora possesses more raw energy than Velzard, but he is woefully lacking in the skill to manage it. Above all, despite being a True Dragon, he lacked an Ultimate Skill."
Velzard and Vertis both nodded in agreent. The possession of an Ultimate Skill was the deciding factor in any high-level conflict. No matter how much energy Veldora had, he had always been helpless against his two older sisters, both of whom wielded Ultimate Skills.
Guy and Velzard found the disappearance interesting, but not enough to pursue it further. Just as Vertis prepared to leave, Guy spoke up.
"Wait a mont. There's sothing I've been aning to ask... why do I sense Veldanava's energy coming from you?"
"I was wondering the sa thing myself."
Vertis froze.
At those words, Vertis stopped dead in his tracks. He felt the weight of crimson and blue eyes staring intently at him.
"...I'm not entirely sure."
Leaving them with that vague answer, Vertis distorted space and vanished instantly. His next destination was the House Where Spirits Live, the ho of Ramiris. Upon finding her, Vertis repeated the news he had given Guy, but Ramiris's reaction was the most underwhelming of all.
"Oh, really?"
Ramiris answered dismissively, showing zero interest. She was too busy munching on tea and cookies made with Ericsiller, focusing entirely on the five-hundred-piece puzzle I had gifted her. Leaving her to her hobby, Vertis headed to his final destination: Milim.
The mont he arrived, Milim suddenly threw her arms around him in a tight hug. She had hugged him many tis before, but this felt different. It was as if a child were desperately seeking a parent's love.
"For so reason... you sll nostalgic."
I was flustered by Milim's sudden behavior, but I soon smiled softly and patted her head with my large hand.
"It's alright. You can be as spoiled as you like."
In that mont, they looked exactly like a father and daughter.
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