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55.

Why had the Snowland King drawn the Empire into this conflict?
To obtain adamantite ore—the hardest mineral ‌‌‌‌in the world—that would emerge from slaying the Flare Dragon.
His calculation was to exhaust the Imperial Army's strength on subjugating the lesser beasts, while his own forces would concentrate their efforts solely on the Flare Dragon's subjugation.
'He was planning to claim that his forces had earned the greatest merit in the subjugation, wasn't he?'
My prediction proved accurate—the Snowland King's cheek twitched slightly.
As though displeased with how matters were unfolding. ‌‌‌
"After all, this region was originally promised to Snowland for our management! We're already embarrassed by how much the Empire has assisted us—why would we ask them to sacrifice ‌‌‌‌further?"
At the Snowland King's words, Cassian Artez smiled brightly.
Though it was our Emperor himself who ‌‌‌flinched at that gaze.
Having experienced countless times how his son's smile often preceded situations he'd need to mediate, His Majesty had learned to recognize ‌‌‌‌the pattern well.
Yet the Emperor soon realized the target of Cassian Artez's attention wasn't himself, but the Snowland King, and he cast a look that seemed almost pleased.
He offered Cassian Artez a warm smile tinged with anticipation.
Of course, my superior—someone who never lost when it came to cunning—was perfectly prepared.
"Please don't speak such discouraging words, Your Majesty. The Snow Kingdom Army are already our comrades-in-arms, are they not?"
Cassian Artez gazed lightly upon the Snow Kingdom Army ‌‌with an emotional appeal.
"Since the Imperial vanguard has already ascended ahead, raising both our combat readiness and morale against the beasts, it is only fitting that we take the lead—a choice ‌‌that will ‌‍‌minimize casualties for all."
He distributed the subjugation plan we had meticulously completed through our back-and-forth discussions, spreading it among those present with a flourish, and began his presentation. ‌‌
It took less ‌‌‌than twenty minutes before ‌‌‌‌the Snowland King's eyebrows—which ‌had never once drooped in defeat—sagged completely.
After all the presentations concluded, our Emperor graciously:
"Ha ha, Snowland King! With such thorough preparations from the Second Prince, it seems we might simply enjoy some wine with the flame lizard as appetizer—what do you think?"
He also didn't forget to vent his accumulated frustrations.

*

'It seems the Fourth Prince is working diligently in the Capital City to execute the supply plan you've established perfectly.'

Before our departure, the Emperor spoke those words to us.
It was his way of acknowledging the Second Concubine's contribution ‌‌‌in providing information about the adamantite ore.
'With this, the Second Concubine should become somewhat safer ‌‌‌‌from the First Empress's threats.'
Since the information about the ore hadn't appeared in the original work, I had no knowledge of ‌‌‌it—so the credit truly belonged entirely to the Second Concubine.
However, when I heard that story, I asked the ‌Second ‌‌Concubine with some concern.

'But wouldn't Snowland suffer losses this way? Are you certain about this?'
'The ones who sold me out first were Snowland and my brother.'

She answered in an ‌‌‌emotionless tone.

'Moreover, the history of when Snowland obtained adamantite ore is nothing short of horrific. Conquest, expansion... My brother and late father call it an age ‌‌‌of ‌‌‌glory, but.'

The Second Concubine clicked her tongue with a bitter expression.
The adamantite ore could not be kept entirely within Snowland—someone would smuggle it out, another would hide it, and ‌perfect military might would inevitably crumble.

'And when ‌‌‌‌the balance of power shifts back? Cruel conquest begets vengeance, and those sacrificed in the process are people like me—princesses—and ordinary citizens.'
'Second Concubine, Your Highness....'
'So I harbor no regrets. ‌How could I not know my brother's nature? Above all, he will deliberately drag out the subjugation, steering it away from slaying the Flare Dragon and toward sealing it instead.'

As I listened to her words, I recalled a brief exchange from the original ‌‌‌work's side story, after the dragon subjugation had ‌‌concluded.

'I ‌‌heard the Snowland King abdicated and withdrew from the world.'
'Because of the Flare Dragon subjugation?'
'He said it was shameful for a sovereign to entrust matters of his own responsibility to another nation.'

At the time, I had merely thought it a side story device—a mechanism to diminish neighboring powers and establish a peaceful Empire.
The Second Concubine had just revealed the hidden truth behind the Snowland King's intentions.

'Adamantite ore is formed only when touched by the breath of the Flare Dragon. That is why ‌‌Snowland has always made excuses—insufficient resources and the like—whenever other nations attempted to slay the dragon, choosing only to seal it.'

The Snowland King's conduct in the side story appeared to be the fate of one whose dreams of conquest had been utterly shattered.
In the original work, after the subjugation ended, Cassian had even destroyed Laire entirely and sealed it, rendering it inaccessible to all.
I had wondered how the ‌‌‌Flare Dragon alone remained real in an age when even Mages and Temple Priests lost their power, and now that I understood the reason, some of my frustration ‌‌‌‌lifted.
'Why the Flare Dragon alone, unlike other dragons in history, lost its dignity and became like a low-tier monster.'
In any case, combining the information the Second Concubine had provided with the ‌‌‌fragmentary details from the original work, I gladly decided to claim this adamantite ore for myself.
Not for the Empire, but for Cassian.
As I headed toward the battlefield with Cassian, I spoke to him.
"Please achieve an overwhelming victory, Your Majesty."
"Hmm, are you putting pressure on me?"
Though he spoke thus, not a trace of burden crossed his face.
Instead, he brought my hand to his lips and whispered tenderly.
"Of course I must—the goddess of Winter Palace's victory stands at my side."
‌‌‌‌
*

My entire field of vision blazed with a brilliant crimson inferno.
'The original work's description was certainly ‌‌‌vivid enough.'
Heat that felt like it would incinerate my lungs, shields melting ‌away—I finally understood why such descriptions had been used.
Of course, we were only overwhelmed by the visual assault; everything else remained intact.
"Your Highness will maintain a personal barrier in the rear. The Holy Knight Order and 8th Squad, please ‌‌‌‌ensure no monsters approach His Highness."
It was thanks to Wesley that ‌‌‌we had such solid support at our backs.
Wesley ‌‌winked at my instructions.
Though that was brief—soon his bright eyes were meticulously scanning the roaring Flare Dragon.

'Once the subjugation ends, please, please!! let me extract the reverse scales myself! I've been training hard all this time, wondering if a day like this would ever come.'

Just ‌‌‌‌before we entered the subjugation, he had earnestly requested that I conduct the operation carefully to ‌‌‌minimize damage to the dragon's scales, assuring me he could maintain the barrier indefinitely.
Well, we had no reason to refuse Wesley's request.
Each of the dragon's scales was sturdier than most ore and excellent for crafting armor.
So I intended to finish this subjugation quickly before the Snowland Kingdom could send reinforcements, ensuring all the valuable resources fell to Cassian Artez.
I too harbored selfish ambitions no less than Wesley as I proceeded with the next set of instructions.
"Your Highness Cassian will lead ‌‌‌the vanguard—please focus on offense. I trust you can handle all the defense yourself!"
At my words, Cassian chuckled softly and mouthed, 'You're being awfully harsh on me.'
"Everyone else, please alternate between defense and offense in pairs of two, maintaining the heat distribution as previously instructed."
The moment I finished my orders, the knights moved in perfect unison.
Their experience from being drilled by Cassian and fighting together ‌‌while climbing the Snow Mountain shone through.
Kwaaaaaang—!
The Flare Dragon's eyes flashed with golden light tinged in crimson as it extended its claws and brought them crashing down.
Cassian surged forward to the vanguard, and ‌‌‌‌with his first strike, he wrapped his sword in aura and deflected the dragon's descending force.
The knights caught in the trajectory of those claws, facing reduced force, easily defended by pairing up.
Cassian did not miss the opening that appeared.
While the knights held their defense, he leaped up the ‌‌dragon's leg and swung his sword, now wreathed in a thicker layer of aura.
With a single strike, only the dragon's scales were cleanly severed and sent flying.
"Wooow...! The perfect luster of those scales shifting by angle! So you truly are worthy of standing beside Roselita Salice!"
Wesley's admiration followed in turn.
The ‌‌‌battle was not swift, but it proceeded methodically as planned, without major incident.
"2nd Squad, withdraw the wounded and receive treatment first. This isn't the moment to push through."
Wesley swiftly healed each minor wound as they fell back, and whenever unexpected attacks came—
"Next, there's a high probability of a ground-shaking attack using the hind legs."
As a dragon enthusiast, I rattled off the pattern, allowing immediate countermeasures.
"The second breath attack is coming soon—cluster together for defense! Your Highness, evade on your own!"
And ‌‌I fulfilled my role faithfully, drawing ‌‌‌‌on the information about the Flare Dragon I had studied beforehand and confirmed once more ‌‌with Wesley.
Thanks to the knights' disciplined movements, the dragon subjugation entered its final phase right on schedule.
Krrrrrrrrung—!
The Flare Dragon let out a high-pitched ‌‌‌‌cry as it rose to its feet.
"Watch out—don't get swept away by the gale!"
The moment I shouted the warning as the dragon's energy began to wane, Cassian Artez leaped skyward, using the howling wind to his advantage.
Though invisible ‌to the eye, Cassian Artez found the precise points where the currents interlocked with uncanny precision, as if treading upon invisible footholds.
Bounding higher and higher, he channeled his aura to its maximum output, wreathing his blade in radiant power.
In the moment when violet light—the very hue of his eyes—blazed with unprecedented intensity, he unleashed his entire ‌‌body's elasticity into a sweeping arc toward the dragon.
The instant I believed it to be the finishing blow.
"Roselita!!"
"Roselita?!"
Wesley Morel's cry, linked with Cassian Artez's, suddenly faded from my ears.

—I have waited for you, keeper of ‌‌‌‌‌the key. ‌‌‌‌‌

My vision flooded with crimson-gold light.
This dragon has lost its mind! ‌
...This pattern—it exists nowhere in the original work, nor in any historical record.

---------------
Brought to you ‌‌‌by Valir Scans! To support ‌our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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