The Invisible Onlookers

The three dragons and the kobold entered the cave and sat on the ground. Yaligris conjured a small cloth pouch as if by magic.

Seeing the silk pouch in the Golden Dragon's hand, Jose felt a surge of envy. The little pouch was a spatial item—a Dimensional Bag.

From their conversation, he learned that the Dimensional Bag had belonged to the Golden Dragon before her capture. The Red Nest Matriarch had no interest in a Dragon Hatchling's belongings, so it had fortunately been preserved.

Yaligris took a spotted deer carcass from the Dimensional Bag. The blood on it had not yet dried; it was prey the three dragons had hunted on the way.

"Give it to me."

Jose took the prey, drained its blood, skinned it, and removed the innards. There was no need to start a fire. He breathed Dragon Breath over it and began roasting it, turning it constantly to keep it from heating unevenly.

A minute earlier, the hidden Sanctuary Guardians had seen the three Dragon Hatchlings enter the cave and immediately tensed, placing their hands on their weapon hilts.

Soon, they realized that the three dragons had no intention of going deeper into the cave. Instead, they sat down not far from the entrance.

Captain Oluk could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Guys, don't be nervous. They're just passing through and resting for a while. With the Concealment Magic Array protecting us, they can't see us as long as we don't go out."

Everyone's taut nerves relaxed slightly. The Thief curiously studied the Golden Dragon. "Strange. Why is there a Metallic Dragon in a Five-Colored Evil Dragons party?"

A companion beside him chimed in, "Maybe she was unfortunately captured."

"But don't Metallic Dragon Hatchlings have the protection of their elders?"

Just as everyone was puzzled, the red-haired Captain Oluk spoke. "I heard that the nest of the legendary Golden Dragon, Gilded Edge, and his mate was attacked by the Red Nest Matriarch. Even their hatchlings were taken. At first, I thought it was just a rumor, but now it seems it may be true."

"Gilded Edge?! The Golden Dragon lord said to be richer than a nation?!"

"That's right. Him."

The Thief's thoughts immediately began to race. "Captain, I heard that Golden Dragon lord is filthy rich. If we rescued his daughter, how do you think he'd reward us?"

Captain Oluk was tempted as well, but he quickly drove the childish notion from his mind. He turned to look at the golden diamond atop the Sacred Altar.

That rare golden diamond contained a powerful and mysterious force. Calling it an unparalleled treasure would not be an exaggeration, and it was only one of the many precious materials used to construct the Sacred Altar.

Having spent such a great cost, the alliance had to be planning some important operation. If his personal greed ruined the allied forces' plans and allowed the Red Nest Matriarch to achieve final victory, then he and his family would become sinners against humanity.

Thinking of the terrifying consequences that would follow, his mind immediately cleared.

"The mission comes first. Besides, if the Red Nest Matriarch dared to let her out, how could she have no backup plan? And look at the Crystal Ball in that White Dragon's hand. It detects magical reactions and can sense even subtle magical fluctuations. The moment we start fighting, the Red Nest will receive the news immediately. No one is to act rashly."

The Thief awkwardly rubbed his nose. At that moment, he saw Jose start skinning and roasting the meat, and his expression became wonderfully complicated.

"Look! Why is this Red Dragon doing that?!"

Everyone looked over, their faces filled with surprise.

"I never thought Red Dragons skinned their meat before eating it. Oh! He's roasting it with fire breath. It actually looks pretty convincing! Oh! He even knows how to turn it!"

"Marlene, I think that Red Dragon might actually be a better cook than you."

"Heh, if you think my cooking tastes bad, then cook for yourself!"

"..."

Unlike the others' casual chatter and teasing, Captain Oluk's face held more surprise and gravity.

Spellcasters who acquired spellcasting abilities through later study were all well-read scholars, with at least some knowledge of the many races of Tydanore. Dragons, as top-tier extraordinary creatures, had always been a popular subject of study.

As far as he knew, a Young Red Dragon's Dragon Breath could reach temperatures of over fifteen hundred degrees. Roasting meat with Dragon Breath that hot without burning it meant this Dragon Hatchling's control over his own breath had reached an utterly inconceivable level.

Jose had no idea that he had caught a spellcaster's attention. He sniffed the spotted deer, now golden-brown and dripping with fat.

"Smells amazing."

He tore off a leg and handed it to the Golden Dragon, then tore off another for the White Dragon, Kashi. He kept one leg for himself and handed the rest to the kobold guide.

To the three dragons, the spotted deer was merely a snack. Whether they ate it or not did not matter. But for the kobold, Doug, a full meal would keep him energetic for an entire day, so he needed the food more.

"True Dragon L-Lord, I... I get... get some too?!"

"Enough nonsense! Eat! You need to be full if you want the strength to lead the way!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Doug took the food and began devouring it in huge bites, tears filling his eyes. He wanted to cry.

Kobolds, Lower Dragonkin, were considered worse than pigs and dogs in the eyes of true dragons. O'Neal, in particular, killed them at the slightest provocation. Knowing this, it was not hard to understand Doug's shock and gratitude.

On the other side, the hidden onlookers erupted into an uproar.

"Am I seeing things?! That Red Dragon actually gave food to a kobold!!!"

"Are you kidding me?! Is this really a Red Dragon known for its brutality?!"

"..."

"What a peculiar Red Dragon," Captain Oluk muttered.

Suddenly, he heard the sounds of swallowing all around him. Though the Concealment Magic Array could block light and sound, it could not stop the flow of air. After all, they needed oxygen.

At that moment, fresh air drifted in along with the aroma of roasted meat, stirring their appetites.

The adventurers had seen their share of hardships and would not normally be so pathetic. But to prevent their scent from exposing their location, they had eaten nothing but rations and drunk nothing but plain water for the past few days. Their mouths had long since forgotten what flavor was.

Even the Mage, with all his many tricks, had no solution. He could only comfort them. "Bear with it, everyone. Once we finish the mission, we can enjoy ourselves properly. Think of that generous reward. After this job, we won't have to worry for the rest of our lives."

As they imagined their bright futures, everyone's restless hearts gradually calmed.

On the other side, the three dragons finished eating and waited for their kobold guide to finish.

Waiting around like this was truly boring, so the Golden Dragon casually found a topic. "Where do you think those humans are hiding?"

"No matter where they're hiding, they'd better not let us run into them."

Kashi, whose intelligence was not quite up to the task, misunderstood Jose's meaning. "Y-Yes... yes! If we r-run... run into them, I'll tear them i-i-into eight pieces..."

Kashi continued cursing, and the more he cursed, the uglier it became.

Jose and the Golden Dragon exchanged a glance, each seeing the other's helplessness. The hidden adventurers, meanwhile, were grinding their teeth in fury.

After receiving the White Dragon's warm greetings toward their relatives, the Mage glared angrily. "I really want to tear that stupid dragon's foul mouth apart!"

Before long, Doug finished eating as well. After resting a little longer, the three dragons decided to continue their search.

"Wait here a moment!" Jose said as he walked deeper into the cave.

"What is it?"

"I need to free up some storage."

"Hm?" The Golden Dragon looked utterly confused.

"Oh, it means dragons have urgent needs too."