"F-Flight Magic... the Clone Technique... and a flawless Transformation Technique..."
Perugius was so shocked that, for a moment, he could hardly find his voice. It trembled slightly as he spoke:
"Th-this is the legendary Primordial Magic that existed only in the age of ancient myths! To think... I would see it with my own eyes!"
Seeing that the fish had swallowed his explanation hook, line, and sinker, Rudeus smiled faintly.
With a thought, he dismissed his clones, resumed the form of a handsome young boy, and floated lightly back to the ground.
"These are merely little tricks to amuse children. For now, it truly would be inconvenient to demonstrate genuine primordial divine arts imbued with the laws of destruction."
He brushed nonexistent dust from his clothes and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, Lord Perugius, is there anything else you need me to prove?"
Perugius stared intently at Rudeus, the fervor and longing in his eyes almost tangible. He asked impatiently:
"Can I learn and use this magic of yours?"
"Of course you can't."
Rudeus clasped his hands behind his back, lifted his chin haughtily, and launched into the ultimate mode of spouting nonsense:
"Only someone who has inherited the Primordial God's authority and acts in accordance with his will can cast Primordial Magic."
"In other words-"
He paused, then spoke each word distinctly:
"I am the incarnation of the Primordial God. In the mortal world, I may also represent-the Primordial God!"
Perugius sank helplessly back onto his throne and murmured in a daze:
"It's truly unbelievable... Does that ancient god from the very beginning of myth really still live...?"
The dragon king, who had lived for a thousand years, struggled to contain the shock churning within him.
When he looked at Rudeus again, his former arrogance and scrutiny had vanished completely.
In their place was the utmost reverence, as though he were facing an equal, or even a superior being.
He spoke again, using the most formal ancient etiquette of the dragon race:
"Since you are the emissary of an ancient god, I beg your lordship, the 'Primordial God,' to forgive my earlier offense."
"However... Laplace's resurrection is a matter of great importance. Since the Primordial God sent you to assist me, might there be a specific prophecy or divine oracle?"
Seeing that the old monster had fallen completely into the trap I had woven, Rudeus smiled faintly and gave an inscrutably evasive answer:
"The will of a god is beyond the full comprehension of mortals."
"The time has not yet come. Revealing heaven's secrets too early would only alter the course of fate."
"Lord Perugius, you need only know that in the final battle to come, I and the power behind me will be your staunchest allies."
With that, he smiled and turned to look at Eris and Ghislaine, who had long since been petrified beside him.
"It's all right now, Eris, Ghislaine."
Rudeus switched back to the common tongue of the Asura Kingdom, put away his air of a religious charlatan, and revealed a gentle, harmless smile.
"I've reached an 'amicable understanding' with Lord Armored Dragon King. From now on, we can stay as guests in this beautiful castle in the sky."
"R-Rudeus...!"
Eris blinked her large eyes, grabbed Rudeus by the sleeve, and excitedly exclaimed in a low voice:
"How did you do that just now? You turned into twelve people in a flash, and then you turned into those masked guys! Was that a magic trick? That was amazing! Teach me! I want to learn that!"
"Uh... that requires an unbelievably precise control of magic. Once we're back in our room tonight, I'll give you some 'in-depth' instruction."
Rudeus wiped away his cold sweat and hurried to placate the single-celled, violent young lady.
Ghislaine slowly released her grip on her sword hilt. But when she looked at Rudeus, her gaze held not only her usual protective concern, but also a faint trace of awe for an unknown powerhouse.
"Rudeus... the secrets you're hiding just keep making me more and more curious."
"Hehe, everyone has a few little secrets they keep to themselves."
Rudeus laughed it off.
Just then, Perugius turned on his throne to look at the black-winged woman standing at his side and gave an order in a deep voice:
"Sylvaril, convey my command."
"As of today, Lord Rudeus and his retainers are the most honored guests of the Chaos Breaker."
"Open the Silver Palace and prepare a dragon race banquet of the highest order. I shall speak with Lord Rudeus throughout the night!"
"As you command, master."
Sylvaril bowed slightly and gave Rudeus a complicated look from behind her mask. Then she walked gracefully over to me and gestured for us to follow.
"Honored guests, please come with me. I shall show you the sights of the Fortress of the Sky."
"Ah, please wait a moment!"
Rudeus slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering that he might be spending the night at the castle and needed to hurry and let everyone at home know he was safe.
He quickly called Sylvaril back.
Sylvaril turned around in puzzlement. "What else can I do for you, Lord Primordial God?"
"I'd like to send a letter to my friend's family, so they won't worry."
Sylvaril inclined her head slightly.
"Of course. There is a directional teleportation magic circle in the castle. I can take you there."
"No, no, that's too much trouble. I have my own simple method."
As he spoke, he opened his Magic Pocket, and a dark dimensional rift appeared above his palm.
It drew a surprised look from Sylvaril, but she was merely surprised and did not ask any further questions.
After rummaging around, he took out paper and a pen and quickly wrote a letter saying they were safe.
Then he pulled out an exquisite scroll emitting a soft green glow, infused it with magic at his fingertips, and activated it instantly.
Hum-
With a clear whisper, a tiny spirit appeared out of thin air, its whole body shimmering with emerald-green light, as beautiful as a work of art.
It fluttered its nearly transparent cicada wings, leaving specks of light in the air as it flew affectionately around him.
Rudeus held the envelope out to it. The little spirit gave a cheerful chirp, and the light of the wind element around it flared, instantly enveloping the letter.
Then it turned into a streak of green light, tearing through the air in the hall faster than the eye could follow before vanishing in the direction of Philip's distant residence.
"Lord Primordial God, what was that just now...?"
Perugius, a "summoning enthusiast" who had lived for several thousand years, could no longer sit still. His eyes shone like two searchlights.
"Oh, just an ordinary spirit summoning."
Rudeus waved a hand and explained nonchalantly:
"That little fellow was called a 'Wind Letter Spirit.' It's a low-level creation specifically responsible for delivering letters with absolute safety, regardless of distance."
"Absolutely guaranteed delivery regardless of distance? And without the need for a huge magic circle as a medium..."
Perugius's breathing grew somewhat hurried, and even his hands hidden in his sleeves trembled.
"Summoning from ancient times was so ingenious! Lord Primordial God... could you give me one of those scrolls? I'm willing to exchange any ancient treasure of equal value from the Silver Palace for it!"
Watching the thousand-year-old dragon king act like a little boy who had found a discontinued toy, Rudeus felt a secret thrill, but outwardly he gave a magnanimous smile.
"There's no need for an exchange. It's just a little trinket, so I don't mind giving it to you, Lord Dragon King."
Perugius was overjoyed to hear it. He was about to thank him when Rudeus interrupted.
"However..." He deliberately drew out the word.
"However what?" Perugius asked nervously.
"I only need you to do me a small favor, Lord Dragon King."
"As long as it's within my power, I'd be delighted!"
"Lord Dragon King, you've heard that a god's power comes from faith, haven't you?"
"Well... I've heard a little. It's mentioned in the historical records of the dragon race, but it's difficult to verify whether it's true."
"I can swear by my god that it's true. As long as there's enough power of faith, my god can regain his divine power. When that time comes, he'll have enough confidence to change this world's tragic fate."
"Is that so? But am I really capable of helping a god?"
"Of course you are."
"You only need to... spread my god's mighty name."
As he spoke, he pulled another identical green scroll from his pocket and casually handed it over.
Perugius accepted the scroll with both hands, his expression solemn and grateful. "...Thank you very much! For your generosity, you shall be my best friend from this day forth."
As the familiars around them put away their weapons one after another, the oppressive, murderous atmosphere on both sides vanished completely.
Rudeus calmly took Eris's little hand, which was warm and even slightly sweaty from excitement, gave Ghislaine a look, and strode toward the depths of the Silver Palace.
I've successfully raised the Armored Dragon King's favorability for free. Done! Next, it's time to see what the ancient dragon race eats and whether the beds in the Silver Palace are soft enough...
After spending an unforgettable night in the Floating Fortress, the three returned to the lord's residence in Roа the next day through a teleportation magic circle.
For several days afterward, Eris was immersed in an indescribable excitement.
She even became extraordinarily enthusiastic about the morning training she usually hated most, often waving a wooden sword wildly around the courtyard with a series of "whooshes."
She also babbled imitations of the "Dragon God Tongue" Rudeus had spoken that day, proudly declaring to everyone she met:
Her Rudeus was a great being whom even the legendary Armored Dragon King had to rise to greet!