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Quickly, news of a spy in the city was reported to the kingdom's upper echelons, and the entire city entered a state of lockdown. Tiefling guards were urgently mobilized, appearing at every major transit point, while wyverns patrolled the skies, searching for suspicious individuals.

Several spellcasters were also dispatched across different districts to use divination magic to track down the intruder's trail.

Langpu was very interested in this uninvited guest. After all, according to the description from "Nocturne," the intruder was a powerful spellcaster, at least capable of casting fourth-level spells.

In a corner of the southern district of Northwind Fortress, a regiment of hobgoblin soldiers patrolled, but they did not notice that what lay before them was an illusion, not the real scene.

Behind that illusion, Olivia was using magic to tend to her wounds, trying to quell the corrupting poison.

Polymorph was a sophisticated spell from the inside out, and taking on a humanoid form was often when a dragon was at its most vulnerable. Many silver dragons in history had been ambushed and killed while maintaining their humanoid form, and Olivia had no intention of becoming one of them.

Keeping a close watch on the patrols coming and going, Olivia thought to herself.

In the distance, the cries of wyverns echoed in the sky. If she stayed here any longer, her position would be exposed.

"I must leave this city."

"If I delay any longer, it could attract that red dragon."

Light flickered in Olivia's blue-grey eyes, allowing her to see everything around her and make the most rational choice.

"Damn anti-magic field."

She muttered under her breath.

After a long and complex process of constructing the spell's matrix, Olivia finally activated Greater Invisibility, once again turning completely transparent.

But just as she moved past the gate, intending to leave the city, the magical detection alarm at the gate blared loudly, runes flashing.

The spellcaster assigned to guard the south gate shouted, "Surround this area! Someone's casting magic!"

Hobgoblin soldiers immediately encircled the gate, sealing it tightly, while the mages cast detection spells, revealing Olivia's hidden form.

"Damn it!"

Olivia clenched her teeth.

She had to admit, the defenses here were far more stringent than she had anticipated, catching even her off guard.

The hobgoblin soldiers found their target and quickly fired their guns, dozens of bullets flying toward her. In the sky, wyverns swooped down, eager to claim the credit for capturing the intruder.

The scene quickly descended into chaos.

"Roar—"

Olivia let out an uncharacteristically fierce roar.

Finally, her body began to shimmer with faint arcs of mana, and the figure cloaked in robes swelled dramatically, billowing with white smoke.

Silver, metallic scales, two smooth, gleaming horns, and the frills that crowned her head and ran down her neck to the tip of her tail.

When the smoke cleared, the slender girl was gone, replaced by a true silver dragon—a being second only to a gold dragon among the metallic dragons.

Without hesitation, the silver dragon beat her wings, generating a fierce gust of wind, lifting herself into the air.

"Ah!"

"What is that?!"

"A dragon! That's a dragon!"

"What a wind!"

Below, the hobgoblins were thrown into disarray by the gust, scrambling on the ground. The wyverns, too, were sent into a panic, swirling about in midair.

Olivia took the opportunity to soar away, escaping the city that had proven so perilous for her.

On the city walls, Langpu looked up at the sky, his eyes fixed on the silver figure in the distance.

"A silver dragon?"

"Seems familiar."

Langpu rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

......

"Boom!"

Dust flew up from the ground.

Olivia landed heavily, transforming back into her human form.

In the Ember Kingdom, a silver dragon's true form was far too conspicuous. She would never have revealed herself unless she had no other choice.

"I was actually discovered."

Olivia frowned deeply. She had never imagined this city would be so challenging.

She removed her hood, revealing her delicate features.

Staring toward Northwind Fortress in the distance, Olivia clenched her staff tightly, her blue-grey eyes filled with determination.

"The Ember Kingdom, what kind of place is this, really?"

"Even simple and honest farmers are bound to their war chariot, willingly aiding the evil dragon, defending him."

"It's hard to believe."

Olivia couldn't help but murmur.

At that moment, a golden light interrupted her thoughts. In the sky, a golden illusion appeared, resembling a sun—a sign only perceptible to dragons.

"Is that...?"

Olivia's eyes widened in surprise, her face lighting up with overwhelming joy, almost to the point of leaping in the air.

"It's Angel's signal!"

"He might still be alive!"

Over the years, Olivia often thought of the words spoken to her by Angel, the golden dragon. Those parting words had become a heavy burden on her heart.

But this familiar signal was a glimmer of hope. Perhaps her kin... truly was still alive.

However, as Olivia looked towards the source of the signal, her expression stiffened.

—It came from the Steel Dragonwing Palace.

The very lair of the "Ember King," the place rumored to be the most dreadful lair of monsters, from which no one had ever come out alive.

Why would the golden dragon's message come from there?

Was the slumber just an excuse, and the red dragon had already been gravely injured, presenting a chance to kill him?

Or perhaps, had Angel found a way to bind the red dragon and save all of Anzeta?

But all these were only Olivia's speculations. If anything went wrong and the red dragon awakened, she would face certain doom.

Silver dragons and red dragons were natural enemies.

The battles between these two types of dragons were fierce and deadly, though silver dragons generally prevailed, often because they had companions to fight by their side.

This time, she might be alone.

Olivia stood there, lowering her head slightly, her slender fingers tightly gripping her staff, hesitation clear in her expression.

The radiant figure of Angel, just before he left, seemed to appear before her eyes once again. His powerful voice echoed in her ears.

"I will bring true justice and order to all of Anzeta, and even all of Erezaghe. This has been my goal, even if it costs my life."

"... Olivia, when the time comes, I will leave behind a message here, telling you what I learned at the cost of my life about that red dragon."

It seemed she had made up her mind, murmuring to herself.

"I promised you, I will see this through."

"I am not alone."

Finally, Olivia raised her head, her beautiful blue-grey eyes gleaming with unyielding determination, just like the golden dragon when he bid his solemn farewell.

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