With that, Gray took the knight's sword from Nora's hands and held it up with both hands.
"Oh dear, he works for me, I pay him a salary, we're even..."
Ed shook his head as he spoke, seemingly disapproving of Xilǐ'er's actions.
Doesn't he want this sword?
The moment this thought crossed Gray's mind, he felt his hands instantly become much lighter.
She glanced up and saw that Ed had already taken it in his hand, so fast that she hadn't even noticed.
"However, since it's Xilǐ'er's kind gesture, I'll reluctantly accept it."
Ed spoke in a deliberately exaggerated tone, as if trying to ease the tension between himself and Gray.
Perhaps influenced by Muller, Gray was much more respectful this time than last time, but there was no need for the Second Holy See to do so.
Upon hearing Ed's boastful remarks, Gray was taken aback for a moment, but then burst into laughter.
After a few laughs, the atmosphere in the study eased considerably.
Seeing that the two no longer looked down but instead turned their gazes toward him, Ed finally achieved his goal.
Meeting the gazes of Gray and the other man, Ed ripped the leather scabbard from his knight's sword, gripped the hilt with one hand, and raised it high—
In the dreamlike, ethereal blue light, a semi-transparent dragon-shaped figure slowly emerged.
"Ah?"
Seeing this, both Gray and Nora looked as if their jaws had dislocated.
They knew the sword was valuable, but they never imagined it was this valuable.
However, the thought that they were both complete Psionic Energy idiots quickly put Gray and Nora at ease...
After all, even if such a valuable item fell into their own hands, or was even handed over to the higher-ups of the Graycast Corridor, how many people could truly unleash its full power?
But what happened next was even more shocking.
The couple initially thought that the illusory dragon shadow was a manifestation of some kind of Psionic Energy Circuit being activated, or a special effect before using a special technique to attack.
But then the dragon shadow suddenly moved.
Although they could only vaguely make out the outline of the upper half (front half) of a giant blue dragon, the two could still discern the dragon's movements.
That was a gesture of worship towards the boy in front of him.
"We've finally arrived! Little dragon Noya, from now on I'll be following you, Master! Waa...
The Blue Dragon soul's choked sob didn't make a tangible sound, but it entered Ed's mind directly.
He rubbed his temples and looked at the dumbfounded couple in front of him, asking:
"Did you hear something?"
Grenora exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison.
"No, there seems to be a slight 'buzzing' sound, but that's all."
"I see."
Ed sighed inwardly, realizing that high Psionic Energy Compatibility did indeed have its advantages, as did low compatibility.
Ed now like the only guy in a horror movie who can see ghosts; most people around him would probably think he's lost his mind.
He thought for a moment and looked at the enormous yet illusory dragon shadow:
" Noya, right? Can you shrink a little? You could try to solidify a bit, making your size smaller. That way, you'll not only consume less Psionic Energy, but other people should be able to hear you when you speak."
"Maintaining this state must be very taxing on you, right?"
"Ah?"
The illusory dragon shadow stopped sobbing, its large, almost imperceptible eyes looking innocently at Ed:
"My lord, no, master, won't you grant me Psionic Energy?"
Give you Psionic Energy?
You stinking outsider, trying to beg for food at our Second Holy See?
Ed's face instantly darkened, and he looked at the illusory dragon shadow and asked:
" Noya, how old are you this year?"
"Six months old? I've only been dead for less than six months."
"No, that's not it. Aren't you the Blue Dragon? How old are you?"
"... Well, that's been about fifty years since I was born..."
"Then you're fifty years old."
Ed said with certainty:
"According to the rules of the kingdom and the empire, one is considered an adult at the age of fourteen, so Noya, you are already an adult dragon."
"This is the Second Holy See. In the Second Holy See, every adult—no, every adult intelligent life—must work."
Do I need to work too?
"Yes, all intelligent life would starve if it didn't work."
Will I starve to death too?
"Right."
"Woooooooooooooo~"
A sound of boiling water came from within the illusory dragon shadow.
"But don't worry, the Second Holy See has a strict and comprehensive system. You can retire after reaching a certain age, and once you retire, you don't have to work anymore. You'll also receive enough security to live comfortably."
"Excellent! My lord, no, master, when may I retire?"
"You can retire at sixty."
"Really? So I only need to work for ten years to get this job security!"
"That's not how it's calculated."
Ed poured cold water on the dragon soul's excitement:
" Noya, I ask you, how old were you when you died?"
Fifty years old.
"Does age stop increasing after death?"
"It seems so."
"So, you'll always be fifty, is that okay?"
"Is everything alright...?"
"Then you should keep working, after all, you'll never be sixty, right?"
Ed smiled and pressed on.
"Right, right? That can't be right..."
Ed put on a stern face.
"Yes, that's right."
Ed smiled.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu~"
The sound of boiling water filled the air again, but the couple, whose senses were dulled, only saw Ed talking to himself, his facial expressions becoming increasingly varied.
Noticing the way the two men were looking at him like he was an idiot, Ed coughed lightly:
"I understand the situation. You've come from afar, so please rest well today. The food and other supplies you need will be delivered to the Antasia the Dragonborn later. Tomorrow, I will take the experts to take a look at the fortress."
"Okay, we understand."
Grenora felt as if she had been granted a pardon. After thanking Ed again, she left his study.
The room fell silent again. Ed stroked the knight's sword and said earnestly:
" Noya, now that it's just the two of us here, I'm going to show you some things that only adult dragons can do."
"Ah, what is it?"
Ed opened his desk drawer and took out a blank contract:
"It's a labor contract with unfair terms."
"... Owner..."
"What's wrong?"
"Is it too late for me to go back to the stinking puddles in Klaf City?"
What do you think?
Ed picked up his charcoal pencil and began drafting the terms of the contract. At the same time, in the Obsidian Bank not far away, a pair of black and gold eyes suddenly opened.
Flames shot into the sky; players near the castle only saw a crimson flash streak across the horizon before disappearing completely.
At the entrance to the castle's study, Muller suddenly found himself embedded in the wall at the end of the corridor, his clothes and a layer of flesh charred black.
The wooden door was pushed open, making a creaking sound.
Who is it?
Ed's one eye glanced casually and spotted the expressionless Seraphina.