Saving someone!

Watching the men in black chase after the richly dressed young man, Lister had more or less figured out what was happening. It was probably a pursuit sparked by infighting within a family.

This kid probably won't get away. Should I step in and save his life?

As Lister thought this, he followed in the direction the men in black had gone. He liked nothing better than joining in the commotion-a basic requirement for any proper spectator.

"Grandpa Ente, I'll avenge you!"

The richly dressed boy wept as he ran, speaking through gritted teeth. After his mother's death, the First Madam had begun targeting him without restraint, pressuring him at every turn. No one helped him; only the old steward looked out for him. His mother had been an ordinary commoner whom his father had taken a liking to and married as a concubine. She had little family of her own.

The First Madam originally had no son and had only given birth to one a few years ago. After that, she had begun suppressing mother and son. His mother had fallen gravely ill and died, making life even harder for Daidai. Fortunately, as the eldest young master and a mage, he still received considerable care from his father. But a few months ago, his father had suddenly died. The old steward, Ente, later discovered that the First Madam had caused his death. The child she had borne was not his father's, but her lover's. When this was discovered, that lover turned out to be a ninth-level expert and killed his father on the spot. To continue seizing the family fortune, they decided to kill Daidai. After learning of this, the old steward fled with Young Master Daidai, but they had still been caught.

"Young Master Daidai! Why wait? We brothers will give you that chance today!"

The voice of a black-clad assassin came from behind. Daidai turned to look! The two assassins had already caught up.

"You! Where's my Grandpa Ente?" The first person Daidai thought of upon seeing the assassins was the old steward, Ente.

"That old bastard was pretty tough, but we brothers cut him in half at the waist with a single slash. If he'd held us up any longer, you really might have escaped. Don't worry! I'll send you to join him right away!" the leader in black said coldly, gradually closing the distance between himself and Daidai.

"You! I'll fight you to the death!" The boy stopped running and began chanting a magic incantation. Suddenly, six sharp earthen lances emerged, rich yellow-brown light flowing around them.

"Earth Spike Lance Thrust! Dodge!" The leader in black immediately leaped aside, but the other man failed to dodge in time. A sharp earthen lance pierced his thigh.

"An opening! Wind Blade!" Seeing that the man in black had been struck by Earth Spike Lance Thrust, Daidai mobilized the last magical elements in his body. Five wind blades shimmering with blue-green light shot toward the impaled man.

"No! Boss, save me!" the man in black cried out.

"Stop!" the other man in black shouted at Daidai!

The wind blades sliced through the impaled man's neck, and his head fell.

Watching the head hit the ground, Daidai laughed. "Hahaha!" With his magical elements exhausted, he toppled backward and landed sitting on the ground. "Grandpa Ente, Mother, I'll be joining you soon!" he said in despair. With his magical elements depleted, Daidai knew he could no longer escape unless someone came to save him. But this was the Magical Beast Forest. Who would save him? A magical beast? He closed his eyes and quietly awaited death.

"Die, brat!" The man in black charged at Daidai.

Just as the saber was about to strike Daidai, an enormous shape swept past. "What is that?! Ah! My hand!" The saber-wielding man in black had thrown his full strength into killing Daidai and could not pull back. Lister's dragon tail sliced his hand clean off as he swept past. In fact, Lister had shown restraint. Otherwise, it would not have been as simple as severing a hand; even a casual blow could have killed him.

"A Spined Iron-Armored Dragon! How is there a high-level magical beast even on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Forest, and a Spined Iron-Armored Dragon of the dragon race at that?! Run! Get away!"

The man's pupils widened when he saw Lister. Ignoring the pain of his severed arm and whether Daidai lived or died, he immediately shot away in the opposite direction, wishing he had two more legs. Lister watched him flee without giving chase. After all, he was not particularly bloodthirsty.

Turning back to look at the richly dressed boy before him, he thought, Still keeping his eyes shut? Is he really waiting to die? Let me give him a scare.

Lister slowly approached Daidai and stopped in front of him.

When is this kid going to open his eyes? Did he die of fright? Lister opened his mouth and was about to wake him with a dragon's roar when Daidai opened his eyes, his mind full of confusion. Why am I not dead?!

What met his eyes was a dragon two meters tall and roughly ten meters long. Spikes ran along its back from head to tail, making it especially frightening. Two unusual blood-red eyes stared at him. Its scales looked cold and hard, and its huge, gaping maw was open as though it meant to eat him. Daidai froze at the sight of the enormous beast, too frightened to move.

A Spined Iron-Armored Dragon! A true overlord-class magical beast. I never thought he would save me, but it looks like I'm about to become his food anyway. Daidai closed his eyes again to await death.

Watching the boy open his eyes and then close them again, Lister wondered whether he had been scared senseless. After some thought, he decided, I'd better stop scaring this kid for now, before he dies of fright. I'll give him some time to take this in, then try communicating with him.

Lister's idea was to save the boy and have him serve as a guide, so he would not take the wrong route. If he frightened him to death now, it would be a huge loss. He settled down opposite Daidai.

Why hasn't this dragon eaten me yet? Daidai opened his eyes again and looked at the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon before him. The dragon had actually settled down. He showed no desire to eat him and instead seemed to be waiting for him to recover.

Could it be that this dragon really came to save me?!