Moonlit night.
The cold, desolate sea breeze swept over the Mandala's flags, making them snap and crackle.
Pagliu, known as the "King of the Night Market," apparently either had something on his mind or simply could not sleep. Braving the risk of being roasted crisp by Miss Fairy Dragon's lightning, he knocked on Chen Rui's door before dawn and dragged the bleary-eyed human onto the deck for a drink.
As it turned out, the wine Lord Poison Dragon had brought along was sold out.
A certain Truly Handsome bug had been snoring away in the cabin, yet somehow caught the scent of alcohol with uncanny sharpness. Its nose instantly stretched out, and guided by its sense of smell, it "sleepwalked" onto the deck and joined the ranks of those freeloading drinks.
"Pagliu, take these."
Two objects appeared on the deck: an utterly black flail, and a ring set with an emerald.
The flail was immensely heavy. Had Chen Rui not prepared in advance and placed a cushioning device on the deck, even the Mandala's sturdy deck might have been dented by it.
A Dragon Race divine artifact—the Thunder Flail.
An emerald ring concealing an enormous treasure.
Pagliu frowned. "What's the meaning of this?"
"No particular meaning. That, uh... 'Kelrearo's son'? Hahaha!" Chen Rui raised his brows and lifted his cup with a teasing grin.
"Bastard! I am not—"
The Poison Dragon shot to his feet, but before he could finish, Chen Rui wagged a finger. "Don't rush. Hear me out first."
"Hmph, go on!" Pagliu sat back down in a huff.
"I don't care whether you're Kelrearo's son or some rich second-generation or official second-generation. Anyway, you're Pagliu—the Pagliu I know. A companion I can entrust my life to." Chen Rui shrugged. "But how could the dead-duck dragon I know