Having gathered all the materials, the old draig goes out in a hurry. She is practically running. Only when does she out does the young draig with her finally speaks. His low voice makes him sound like a ghost. His voice is now completely different from the forest, just like the old draid.

“You, cursed one, what have you done to cause our matriarch to act like this?”

“I simply gave her what she needed the most.”

“The matriarch doesn’t need anything. She is complete and supreme.”

Just from this remark, Lekas immediately understands what type of person he has in front of him.

‘Stupid fanatic’.

The draigs are a closed society with about no external contact, it is not surprising for them to see their matriarch, the most powerful among them, as the ‘most powerful’, though she couldn’t be compared to most of the powerhouses in the world, especially dragons.

Seraphin and her father are the only one left out, they feel completely out of place and can only pray that everything will soon end.

***

One hour later, the old draig returns, holding a different cane now, white this time.

“Let’s go.”

Lekas and the others follow her outside, only to find a big circle made of blood on the ground. Seraphin doesn’t want to imagine the origin of the blood. There is a triangle inside the big circle and a square inside the triangle. The triangle of blood is surmounted by drake’s skulls whereas the square is surmounted by drake’s hearts.

“Enter and we will begin.”

Seraphin looks at the old draig with disbelief. She has to enter that? This ominous-looking something that she cannot even describe? No, no way.

“No way.”

She backs away a little.

“Hurry up. We don’t have all the time in the world. W-”

The young draig also speaks but the old one’s look instantly closes his mouth. Lekas was reminded of the scene in the god’s realm.

“Do you not trust me?”

Lekas speaks to Seraphin. He thinks he has to be the one to convince her. But he is utterly and completely rejected.

“No, I don’t trust you at all! All this could very well be an attempt to turn me into a demon.”

“Eh?!! But I-“

“I don’t want to hear it! I am not doing this!”

Turning as if she wants to leave. Seraphin then faces her father, who is behind her. He looks at her with profound and sincere eyes, then speaks.

“Do it, my daughter. I know you are stronger than this. And if it is really a trap. Don’t worry, your father will take care of it.”

Seraphin’s eyes become wet and tears are on the verge of falling but then, she looks at her father, who nods like he understands what she wants to say. She then turns to the stranger and gives him a harsh and icy tone of voice.

“Know that if anything happens to me or my father, you can kiss goodbye to whatever kind of wedding you had planned. YOU HEAR ME?!!”

“Loud and clear.”

The stranger sounds so confident Seraphin’s confidence gets boosted again. She then advances and stands in the middle of the square. A dark fog then appears and engulfs her. Then a powerful whirlwind appears. A whirlwind powerful enough to make Lekas create a barrier to protect Hithindil.

“Tch. It is not going to be easy after all.”