When they killed the goblin and realized there was no money for proof… well, that was karma. “Try to parry that, dense boy—you deserved it, and worse.”
Meanwhile, Prince Rain was reading the report summarizing suspicious incidents from the past three months. After some thought, he concluded the enemy might have already infiltrated deep into their country. He immediately ordered every member capable of Search and Uncover magic to form groups and investigate the designated areas. On top of that, he called for all six Sovereigns, declaring an emergency summons.
Once his men left, Rain berated himself for overlooking the obvious. He couldn’t figure out why the Empire was pulling such schemes. Maybe it had something to do with their refusal to hand over that dungeon the Empire seemed obsessed with. Sure, he knew they wanted the dungeon’s resources—but targeting innocent lives to achieve that? It was hard to accept, though the evidence was piling up.
Back with our protagonist, Noor, he was happily munching food at a stall with Lynn, who pointed out that at least they’d been compensated in the end. Come on, Guild Master—dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow. Sure, he gave them a small “first hunt” gift, but no proper reward.
Noor, meanwhile, wondered how long Lynn planned to tag along. Her family had to be worried sick, after all. Luckily for him, she decided to head home for now, though she promised to help him again if he didn’t mind.
Right then, Rain arrived—no “hi,” no pleasantries, just business. He asked Noor to head to a city in the Mountain District the next morning, with Lynn joining him. Rain promised a carriage, an escort, and payment, though he admitted he couldn’t give many details yet. Noor quickly agreed, saying he just needed to pack. Rain assured him they’d cover all expenses.
Later, the Guild Master chimed in again, telling Noor to relax since it was “a sweet deal.” Honestly, this man is speed-running his way to the “Most Useless Guild Master in Anime” award.
The next day, the journey began. Noor was thrilled—he’d never ridden a carriage before and was excited to see the scenery. Lynn, however, looked crestfallen… so much so that even a dense rock like him noticed. Sadly, with the social skills of a potato, he couldn’t figure out why. She then apologized for her brother burdening him with this request, but Noor brushed it off, saying he was getting paid anyway.
Noor still owed Lynn for the goblin hunt. Cue flashback: Rain had told them the quest’s true destination—the Holy Theocracy of Mithra. The fine print (that only Lynn noticed) made it clear he was actually sending them as scouts, relying on Noor’s hidden strength. Naturally, Noor, being dense, missed all the implications. Lynn, on the other hand, connected the dots and got worried. Moral of the story: blindly following tropes can get you killed.
Back in the present, Lynn admitted she hoped nothing serious would happen. At that moment, Anise reassured them—after all, that was why she was there. But secretly, she recalled the prince’s “emergency order”: if the Royal Capital fell into crisis (which he predicted it would), she was to take Lynn and Noor and flee straight to Mithra. When Anise asked if Lynn knew, Rain had said no—because if Lynn knew, she’d definitely refuse to run. He insisted Lynn’s safety was more important than anything else, and only Anise could be trusted with the task. (Yeah… this is giving off heavy “flag-raising” energy.)
Back to the present, Anise apologized to Noor for dragging him into such serious matters. Of course, Noor—blissfully dense—shrugged it off as “just a simple trip.” To reassure them, Anise demonstrated her Divine Shield, a light barrier that could block weapons and magic alike. Noor, of course, was impressed, thinking she might even rival Gilbert in strength. Meanwhile, he compared himself unfavorably—after all, a single goblin had nearly killed him. (Somebody please remind him he solo’d a Goblin Emperor, thanks.)
Then came another flashback—Anise’s childhood. When she first discovered her power, Oaken had told her her gift could become either a blade that cut everything or a shield that could defend against anything. Later, she was taken in by Sovereign Shield Dandal, who taught her to refine her abilities under the Six Sovereigns.
But the training didn’t erase her fear. Once, she accidentally hurt a friend with her power. Ever since, she distanced herself from others, afraid of repeating the mistake. She thought she had become detached from what people said or did—until she heard the name Noor. Her master Dandal held him in high regard, and that made her… envious. A feeling that only grew stronger when Noor himself appeared before her.
Anise reminded herself sternly not to let emotions cloud her judgment—she was the Shield of Clay’s Kingdom, sworn to protect Lynn with her life.
At that moment, Noor spotted a strange trail in the wheat fields by the road. When he pointed it out, Lynn quickly used her Uncover spell, revealing a huge, bizarre monster hidden under a magic veil.
Meanwhile, back in the capital, all hell had broken loose. Monsters swarmed the city, and the Warrior Corps struggled to hold them off. Rain immediately ordered the Swordsman Troop to block the roads while evacuating civilians. He then warned the king this was only the beginning, which the king grimly agreed with. To make things worse, the Six Sovereigns had already been dispatched to fight monster outbreaks in other regions. Divide and conquer—the enemy’s strategy was painfully obvious. (And yes, I’m still blaming that useless Guild Master. Fight me.)
Back on the road, the monster they had uncovered wasn’t alone. A young boy was with it—clearly forced into something. But when their cover was blown, the Black Death Dragon smacked him aside before facing Noor. While Noor battled the beast, the boy stared in awe at his strength.
Anise pointed out to Lynn that the boy had appeared with the monster, meaning they were together. That last puzzle piece shocked Lynn—because the boy wasn’t just anyone, he was Demon Folk.
Now, Demon Folk looked human but were actually demi-humans who could form mental bonds with monsters at will. That made them much closer to monsters than to people, which is why everyone considered them abhorrent. They were thought to be extinct, but apparently a few descendants still survived.
Lynn recalled Rain’s warning before she left the capital. Meanwhile, Anise explained that Black Death Dragons usually lived in marshlands and rarely approached human settlements. That confirmed Lynn’s suspicion: the boy had manipulated the dragon to head toward the Royal Capital. Worse, the shock of being exposed by the Uncover spell had likely broken his control over it.
As Noor charged in to help, Anise couldn’t believe he’d risk himself for someone like that. She thought it was a foolish decision—and, for reasons she couldn’t explain, it seriously annoyed her. Lynn tried to jump in too, but Anise stopped her, saying she wouldn’t save Noor again.
Noor, blissfully ignorant as ever, simply thought the monster was “not very powerful” and “kind of slow.” (Sure, buddy—nothing screams “not powerful” like a dragon literally called Black Death.)
So Noor tried to hold out until Lynn and Anise arrived. Unfortunately, the “frog-looking” dragon (seriously, it does look like a winged frog) blasted him with a poisonous breath attack. Dodging would’ve meant the kid got fried, so Noor parried it anyway—and immediately got poisoned so badly he could barely move.
That’s when he finally realized: maybe Anise hadn’t been warning him about fighting a frog, but a poisonous frog-dragon. Oops.
Meanwhile, Anise explained to Lynn that poison was the dragon’s real danger. When Lynn tried to rush in, Anise blocked her again, reminding her that the Kingdom’s survival literally depended on her. Then the dragon belched an even bigger breath attack, but Anise blocked it with her shield while apologizing to Noor in her head.
Once the smoke cleared, she saw Noor still fighting—barely standing, but still swinging. She suddenly understood why her master admired him: his philosophy was to protect others no matter the cost, the mark of a true Shield. Sadly, after parrying several more attacks, Noor collapsed, comforted only by the thought that he’d saved the boy.
Cue flashback: the boy controlling the dragon wasn’t evil, just cursed. At birth, some children were branded “cursed” because they could control beasts. Instead of being seen as useful, they were treated like garbage—beaten daily, tortured for fun, and displayed in cages like circus animals. This boy could even read minds, which only made the abuse worse. Despite all the cruelty, he never retaliated and never once wished harm on others—he just wanted to live without being hated.
He just didn’t want to see any more blood.
One day a warden came to the boy’s cell accompanied by monsters and offered a bargain: the boy could be useful to the nation if he went with them and controlled those beasts. The warden promised the Demon Folk would be valued, that the beatings would stop, and that the boy—and even everyone in the prison—would get better food and treatment if he agreed. Refuse, and the torture would continue or get worse. The man wore a magic device on his forehead, so the boy couldn’t read his thoughts, but the warden had a reputation for keeping promises. Hungry and desperate to be useful, the boy accepted.
When the dragon’s seal broke and it attacked, the boy blamed himself—he thought his presence would mean more suffering for everyone. He was ready to die, comforted only by the hope that if he was reborn he might be useful and finally get to eat well. Death never came, though, because Noor appeared and shielded him. The boy was shocked—he didn’t understand why anyone would protect him. Noor fought with everything he had, but the poison and exhaustion eventually overcame him; he collapsed, satisfied that he’d saved the child.
Flashback: the boy’s memory of prison life. Some children—called Cursed Children—were born with the power to control magical beasts. Instead of being cared for, they were treated like animals: beaten daily, put on display in cages, mocked, and tortured. The boy could even read minds, which made every insult and cruelty cut deeper. Still, despite the abuse, he never struck back. He hated being loathed and beaten, but he never wanted to hurt anyone.
Another flashback to Noor: he paid respects at his parents’ graves, then went to the mountains to gather herbs after returning from the Royal Capital training schools. Unsure which herbs were safe, he risked a meal—and got poisoned. He bled and had to cast a low-level heal on himself, coughing blood but determined to keep training. He recovered enough to resume work, only to be bitten by a poisonous snake later. He woke up, realized he felt fine, and—because this is his life—ate the snake that had bitten him. (Probably not in any survival manual.)
The next day, Noor caught another snake and let it bite him—because that’s what normal people do before breakfast. To his delight, the poison spread more slowly than before, and he happily concluded he was building tolerance. He even thought he might unlock a new skill that way. (Spoiler: he didn’t.) Instead, he just developed a taste for poisonous things. The result? He could eat them without issue… aside from occasionally vomiting a little blood. Minor detail.
Back in the present, Noor got back on his feet, convinced he’d survived the dragon’s poison thanks to his self-made “anti-poison training program.” He also admitted to himself that the dragon looked delicious, which was honestly all the motivation he needed.
He dodged another attack and thought, “Yeah, I spat a little blood earlier, but that’s nothing new.” When he checked on the boy, he was relieved to see him alive, thanks to the detox effect of his low-level healing spell.
The battle resumed with Noor parrying every strike, forcing the dragon to damage itself with each blow. The kid looked on in awe, marveling at how this man could solo such a terrifying beast. Finally, the dragon gathered power for an enormous breath attack—the frog’s ultimate All-or-Nothing Death Strike. But before it could release it, Noor parried the attack, making its head explode like an overripe watermelon. Anise, Lynn, and the boy were left utterly speechless.
After the dust settled, Noor inspected the massive corpse. Sure, it was dangerous, but all he could think was how tasty that “giant frog” must be. He turned to the kid and asked if he was okay, then wondered how he had even gotten there. The boy admitted he was the one who brought the monster, because he had promised to lead it to the city.
That shocked Noor—not because he realized the implications. No, advanced deduction like “the frog was meant to attack the city” was beyond him. Instead, his brilliant reasoning concluded the obvious:
“This frog was probably meant to be eaten.”
In the end, Noor assumed the boy had been traveling incognito to stay safe and avoid getting robbed. As for the poison, he figured a large city would have the proper techniques to handle it. In his mind, those “frogs” were probably raised like cows on a farm. His delusions went so far that he felt guilty for ruining the boy’s precious delivery. Honestly, someone should clarify things for him—but watching him suffer is way more fun.
He apologized to the boy and even offered to pay for the “damage.” The boy flusteredly refused, insisting it wasn’t necessary. Then Noor asked how he had gotten the frog there. The boy revealed he could control monsters. Noor’s eyes practically popped out of his head. “That’s amazing! Are there others in the world who can do that?” he asked.
The boy, confused, said it was something he’d been born with. Noor, undeterred, exclaimed, “That’s a talent gifted from the heavens!” The boy, on the verge of tears, finally admitted he was a demon folk and explained that all demon folks could do that.
Immediately, Noor launched into a flurry of imaginative plans he would’ve executed if he had that ability. The boy, surprised by Noor’s sheer audacity, asked if he wasn’t afraid of him. Noor shrugged. “Some people might fear or hate that power, but honestly? That’s super useful. Ignore the haters.”
Hearing this, the boy began crying—for the first time, someone told him he could be useful. Noor reflected that, unlike himself, the boy had been blessed with a truly remarkable talent.
Soon after, Lynn and Anise arrived. Noor assured them he was fine, thanks to his poison tolerance. Still, Lynn couldn’t believe he had survived. After all, the poison wasn’t just any toxin—it also carried Mana, an extreme kind that could even corrupt the soil. The only way to survive a direct hit from that stuff was to have a sacred Spirit Instructor.
The Sovereign of Salvation had once shown Anise a technique honed like a saint’s body and mind. It purified everything it touched—a perfection Noor had finally glimpsed at the end of his unconventional training.
Afterward, Noor introduced the boy to the ladies, who immediately went on high alert. In a very, very convoluted chain of deductions, Anise and Lynn realized the boy was a slave manipulated by some mysterious person to attack the city. Naturally, no one bothered to explain to Noor why demon folks were hated—or even that people hated them at all.
Undeterred, Noor told the ladies he wanted to give the boy a ride to the nearest city. At first, Lynn hesitated, but then she remembered her father’s advice: don’t be swayed by rumors, trust your own eyes. She agreed. The boy then introduced himself as Rolo. Lynn Astin asked if they could take him along, but Anise was about to refuse. Noor quickly intervened: if there wasn’t room for her, he could take the boy’s spot in the carriage.
Anise explained that demon folks weren’t allowed entry into the Holy Theocracy of Mithra, their destination, which made taking him along complicated. Leaving him behind, however, would make survival nearly impossible. Just as they were mulling over the dilemma, a mysterious warrior appeared.
