"Are you threatening me?" I said coldly to Juelian standing before me.

I’ve despised threats since ancient times. Those who dare usually meet a very, very miserable end.

"Not a threat—we’re negotiating terms," Juelian stammered, cold sweat beading across his skin as he faced me.

"So you believe you’re qualified to negotiate with me?" I asked flatly, my voice utterly devoid of emotion.

"This is the condition! If you don’t spare me, this woman dies!" Juelian declared, pressing the knife against Elle’s neck. His voice carried a trace of both menace and fear.

Judging from how I’d crushed the Aran Empire’s forces and Elder Nie, Juelian knew he stood no chance against this Dreadwyrm. He had no choice but to use Elle as his final trump card.

"Ha ha ha! Fine, Juelian—is that your name? Go ahead and slash. I seriously doubt that little blade can harm Elle." I sneered, ice-cold.

Only a rare few earned the right to bargain with me. A petty human king? Utterly unworthy.

"Don’t push me! I really will— What’s happening?!" Just as Juelian moved to act, a violent surge ripped through his body.

Every muscle went limp. Yet an invisible force held him upright.

Guided by that unseen power, the knife left Elle’s neck—and plunged straight into the guard’s stomach behind him.

"Ah—Your Highness, why—?!" The guard stared in disbelief, clutching his bleeding gut. How had he been stabbed out of nowhere?

"I can’t control my body! It won’t obey me!" Juelian’s face turned ashen. He was powerless.

*Shing!*

He yanked the blade free. The wounded guard collapsed, trembling and clutching his wound.

"Hey!! Stop! No—help!"

Under the force’s command, Juelian pressed the blade tip lightly against his own fingers. His face drained of color. He knew what came next.

His hand slammed down.

A scream tore through the air.

After severing one finger, he rose and began hacking at his own limbs—like a man possessed by self-destruction.

"Elle, are you alright?"

I shifted back to human form and stepped toward Elle and the little girl.

"I’m fine! As expected of Elder Dragon Lord ❤~ I knew you’d save me! But… I made a grave mistake. Please punish Elle however you like—I’ll welcome it willingly, ah~" Elle’s cheeks flushed deeper with every word, lost in scandalous daydreams.

"Who’s behind you?" I asked, glancing at the girl hiding shyly behind Elle. I ignored Elle’s flustered rambling.

The child cowered there, eyes wide with fear yet sparkling with curiosity—undeniably cute.

"She’s my sister, Lanya Moer. Elder Dragon Lord… since you’re here, I’ll be honest: my real name isn’t Elle. It’s Lanyatie." Elle spoke with quiet resolve.

*Lanya…*

That surname tugged at memory. The royal house of the Ice Spirit Clan. Their homeland lay beyond the Wall. I hadn’t heard it in ages.

"I see. We’ll discuss this later. You’ve learned Wing Magic, yes? The memory I gave you included it."

"Yes, Elder Dragon Lord! I’ve mastered over half. My Wing Magic awakened with ice affinity."

As she spoke, crystalline ice wings bloomed behind her. The air turned frigid in an instant.

Such pure ice magic… Truly the purest royal bloodline I’d ever witnessed. A flicker of awe stirred within me.

"Take Lanya Moer. We fly." I suppressed the feeling and spoke calmly. Crimson dragon wings unfurled from my back.

"Yes, Elder Dragon Lord! Moer, come!" Elle scooped up the petite girl.

*Bang!*

I shot straight into the sky. Elle followed obediently.

"Aaaahhh—!" Below, Juelian’s screams continued.

"Um… Elder Dragon Lord," Elle ventured hesitantly, curiosity winning over fear, "what are we doing?"

"Nothing much," I replied with casual indifference. "Just wiping out a nation."