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From the moment Lucella stepped into Mount Kuguse, she sensed that something was amiss.

A sensation of being tightly bound and constricted engulfed her entire body.

She felt a tension akin to having a blade pressed against her.

It almost seemed as if thunder lingered in the sky, poised to strike her back.

The mountain brimmed with the dragon aura.

Not only that, but it appeared as if some sort of restraint had been lifted.

Mount Kuguse was nestled between Setulev and Maltgartz, where the combined power of the Regalia held by both nations should have suppressed the land’s inherent power… or so it was believed. However, something had changed.

Beneath the thin surface of the ground, something dreadful swirled. The moment she took a step, it felt as though she might dissolve and vanish.

Deep within the mountain, in close proximity to Kafal’s nest, a space reminiscent of an arena had materialized.

An arena-like space, encircled by jutting rocks resembling “spectator seats,” harbored figures in shades of red and blue, bearing a human form only in appearance, awaiting her presence.

“So you have come. I wondered whether you decided to run.”
“I will not run.”

As Lucella arrived, Shurei smiled, bearing his fangs.

Though Shurei appeared as an elderly man, any trace of feebleness was nonexistent. It seemed as if something, akin to the intensified essence of the mountain’s power, was tightly packed into this human-sized body, ready to explode.

Standing alongside Shurei, the embodiment of the blue dragon in the form of a nobleman, remained consistently sullen.

In the “spectator seats,” two dragons who were seemingly his attendants took on human forms, while Kafal, her main body coiling around the pinnacle of a rock, anxiously watched over Lucella.

“Have you reached a decision regarding our proposition? If I overcome this trial, I request your cooperation…” Lucella spoke.
“Our Sylnir Sea Group has forged a pact with the Dragon King of Belmar. That is all,” the Blue nobleman curtly tossed his words, making it evident that Shurei alone was the one he would negotiate with, paying no heed to Lucella or others.

However, seemingly unsatisfied with that alone, he approached Lucella, his eyes flickering and shimmering like swirling currents as he looked down upon her.

“Hey, human. You said you were called ‘Lucella’. That is the name of Luja’s child. Do you understand the significance of that?”

His mere gaze held so much power it was overwhelming. Seeing Lucella silently standing still, the Blue nobleman’s expression warped.

“It means that you are also related to our group. As long as you hold that name! By adding an insignificant human to our lowest rank, we have become objects of ridicule. Do you comprehend the extent of the detriment it brings upon our group?” He raged. “Kafal bestowed that name upon a human without our consent… There may not have been explicit prohibitions, but that is because no one had anticipated that there would appear a dragon who would do such a thing!”

As Lucella had been completely unaware of everything, she couldn’t help but find it somewhat unjust. However, there were also elements that surprised her and led to a certain degree of understanding.

Lucella had experienced the profound significance of receiving a name from a dragon with her very body. It held deep meaning not only for Kafal and herself, but also for “Lucella’s” father and their bloodline—a fact she had never considered.

Perhaps Kafal’s actions had been impulsive.

Nevertheless, the outcome was that Lucella was alive and standing here now because of that.

“The fact that Mom gave me that name… I will not let it be a mistake.”
“You sure can bark…”

The howling words of the blue dragon made Lucella shiver. She had fought against countless Variants of the mountain and gained strength through devouring their flesh and blood, and yet she still felt fear. It was a physiological fear, having understood the difference in strength.

“Are you done, Blue?” Shurei interjected. “This mountain will soon turn ‘noisy’ it seems. We can not remain here.”
“I know that…!”

The Blue nobleman backed down after Shurei’s remonstration.

He took a single step, leaving ripples in space. The next moment, he was already sitting on top of a tall boulder, looking down at Lucella.

“…So, what does this trial entail?”
“That’s right. First, remove your clothes.”
“Come again!?”

In response to Shurei’s subsequent words, Lucella instinctively wrapped her arms around herself for protection.

His words sounded quite administrative, with no hint of humor.

“W-W-W-Why do I have to be naked!?” Lucella exclaimed.
“Humans truly are peculiar creatures. Getting rid of a single piece of cloth brings them so much shame.”
“I mean—”
“That is your armor, is it not? However, in the trial I impose, it holds no meaning whatsoever. Above all, it would be unbearable for the pride of dragons to witness something of such value ruined meaninglessly. Put it away in a safe place.”

Shurei’s words were not clever jokes; they carried a serious and earnest tone.

As Lucella prepared to face this “trial,” she had donned her familiar adventurer’s attire. But Shurei felt sorry for those clothes.

Dragons were believed to be more intelligent than humans, yet they were not without desires. When it came to amassing and hoarding treasures, the determination of dragons was formidable. This trait was common among dragons. They possessed a discerning eye for valuable and rare items, and they held a deep affection for them.

Furthermore, even if those possessions did not belong to them, dragons abhorred the loss of valuable items. They seemed to harbor the hope of encountering such treasures again in their long lifetimes.

“A-Alright… Thank you for your consideration.” Lucella spoke timidly.
“That ring as well. It is not often that one comes by a ring that allows them to speak Dragonian. Take it off.”

Lucella couldn’t recall discussing the ring, so Shurei must have heard about it from Kafal…

No, he likely deduced it from Lucella’s behavior. Underestimating Shurei’s insight would be a mistake.

Though she felt a strong reluctance to undress while being observed, Lucella mustered the determination to remove her cherished adventurer’s attire.

Folding it carefully, she placed it in a corner of the concave space, creating a makeshift seat. Then, with a delicate touch, she set Giselle’s ring atop it.

—Does this mean that this trial is dangerous enough that even this unbelievably tough armor may be lost?

The adventurer’s attire, primarily adorned in shades of red, was fashioned from the fur of the mountain’s Variants. Its appearance may have seemed like a perplexing and flamboyant outfit, but its hidden power was formidable, impervious to anything but the most resolute attacks. Undoubtedly, it ranked among the world’s most supreme armors.

And yet, Shurei declared it would be “meaninglessly lost.”

As Lucella stood in the path of the summer sun and the dragon aura-infused hot breeze, she felt them caress her bare skin.

It was a sweltering day.

…Or rather, scorching.

An eerie heat seemed to rise from the very ground, enveloping her. It burned beneath her feet, reminiscent of walking on a scalding desert shore. Despite her body’s innate resilience against heat and flames, there was an inexplicable disparity…

Shurei glanced at the clothes and the ring left behind by Lucella, and with a swift gesture, he flicked his finger. Instantly, they were lifted high into the air, caught on the jutting rocks encircling the area. It seemed that this spot was deemed unsafe.

“Now, let us commence,” Shurei announced.
“What?!” Lucella exclaimed, taken aback.

With Shurei’s words, the very ground beneath her began to rumble.

The earth churned and foamed, resembling a cursed marsh releasing toxic fumes.

Simultaneously, an intense heat that seemed to be searing her very soul, engulfed Lucella.

“Humans are XXXXX beings that can only survive by XXXXXX the power of nature using the so-called Regalia, but dragons are different,” Shurei explained. “In the lands filled with the power of flames, dazzling rivers of lava flow. In our group, one is deemed an adult dragon only once they are able to cleanse their bodies in that lava. As for young dragons with XXXX scales and carapace, it would be a life-threatening endeavor.”

Red light seeped out, filling the surroundings.

The ground slowly sank into the dazzling lava, turning the surroundings into a blazing pool.

The place where Lucella stood remained as the sole protrusion with a small enough radius that she couldn’t take a single step.

“…It would prove to be severe for a human body. But try and overcome it.”

As Shurei finished his words, the ground under Lucella also started to crumble, throwing her into the lava.