Despite a bit of a commotion, the dragon hearts were eventually absorbed by Carla, Elisha, and Iris.
Fortunately, Fafnir’s lab was spacious and quiet enough, making it ideal for concentration.
Watching the three settle down with a comfortable distance between each other, I shrugged.
“Shall we step out for a bit, Professor Iona?”
“Yes, yes. It’s not like anyone else will come here, so we don’t really need to stay on guard!”
“Ah, we just have other things to take care of ourselves.”
“What is it, what is it? Don’t tell me it’s something naughty?!”
“Why does everything lead to that conclusion... Huh? Well, I guess it is kind of naughty.”
“...”
As I confirmed, Iona blinked her blood-red eyes, apparently not expecting that it was true. Just a passing thought, was it?
I chuckled awkwardly and continued.
“I told you, right? I’ll let you drink my blood in my dragonized state. I’ve only recently learned how to use it, so I don’t know how it works or how I’ll change.”
“Oh?”
Only then did Iona nod as if she understood.
It’s practically a given that when you gain something new, you test it right away. That way, I could assess how far I could go and how well I could fight.
It was common sense back in the gaming days, but now, with the system support allowing me to act as I imagine, it’s become even more important.
Moving as I imagined meant my limitations were also set by my imagination.
There’s nothing more foolish than struggling alone without utilizing my full potential.
Having sparred with me numerous times, Iona, who was aware of my innate sense similar to absolute perception, agreed.
“Yeah, yeah. That’s certainly an important thing. Alright, a light spar, then?”
“Rather than sparring, just help me push myself to the limit.”
“Same thing!”
“...”
A foreboding feeling crept up, but there was no other option.
“Urgh.”
“Oh. Are you finally done, Brother?”
While I was busy sparring with Iona, and the other three were busy absorbing the dragon hearts, Helena had no choice but to quietly observe from the corner. ɽ
As soon as the spar ended, her face brightened up, and she trotted over.
“Ugh...”
“Brother...?”
The problem was that I didn’t have the energy left to respond to Helena, who must’ve been bored alone.
Watching me make strange, zombie-like sounds, Helena tilted her head in confusion.
Seeing my state, Iona, surprisingly looking even more refreshed than before, explained on my behalf.
“First things first. Can you heal him? The side effects seem a bit more severe than expected.”
“Oh! Just a moment, Brother. I’ll heal you right away.”
Holding her medallion, Helena recited a prayer in a small but clear voice.
Not long after, a bright light burst forth and enveloped my body.
Shing.
With each wave of light absorbed, my physical state visibly improved. But while I could now speak properly, I was still far from fully recovered.
Sighing deeply, Helena held my hand, looking at me with concern.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I nodded at Helena, who was giving me a serious look.
Perhaps the warm atmosphere between Helena and me didn’t sit well with someone else.
Iona, who had been silently watching, suddenly grinned and clung to my back.
“Hey, hey. Yandel. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“Huh?”
Something to say to her? I hadn’t done anything wrong, so why did I suddenly feel anxious?
Noticing my nervousness, Iona giggled and whispered the answer into my ear.
“I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not it! I mean... I want you to ask me how I feel, too.”
“Oh.”
Of course, I’d seen up close how much Iona enjoyed biting into my dragonized neck, but since she asked so directly, I decided to humor her.
“...Did you like it?”
“Yeah. So much that I want to do it every day.”
“...”
That sounded oddly suggestive.
“I’m not just saying that. Really, for someone like me, regular blood barely registers anymore, you know? But this time, just a few sips gave me an intense reaction!”
“Wow... That much?”
Iona wasn’t just talking about a power boost.
It meant that her status as a vampire had reacted. Things like the purity and dominance of the blood, you know?
Even though she hadn’t created clan members, she was already at a level comparable to a Lord, so would she grow even stronger here?
It’s hard to imagine what might happen. In H&A, there was no status higher than Lord.
Anyway, after receiving Helena’s healing and having a brief discussion with Iona about using dragonization and blood-drinking intervals...
Just as the healing was finishing up, the three who had absorbed the dragon hearts began to come out one by one.
Their aura had noticeably changed, a fitting reward for the dragon heart. Smiling contentedly, I asked Iona.
“You remember the coordinates here, right?”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ve taken proper notes so we can return anytime without needing to pass through a portal.”
“Though considering it’s already been raided by those cultist scum once, we probably won’t need to come back... but you never know.”
I took one last look around Fafnir’s lair.
Everything started here.
Fafnir’s final obsession, Hero and Academy, and my life as Yandel all trace back to this place.
Maybe someday, if I defeat all the Evil Gods and purge the cultists.
Then, returning here wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Over the ruined scenery, the grandeur of its prime that I’d once seen in my memories seemed to overlap.
It vanished like a mirage when I blinked.
Shaking my head, I turned back to Iona.
“Let’s head out now.”
Iona nodded silently.
Moments later, dark crimson magic flared up, and a familiar wave of nausea swept over us.
It was magic, not from a dragon but from a person.