Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

“Muse...”
“Moon… Aurora...”
“Noa...”
“Rosvisser… Rosvisser… Rosvisser—cough, cough—”
A fit of dry coughing jolted Leon awake from his dream.
Sitting up, he rubbed his chest and immediately felt parched. Reaching for the water jug beside him, he uncorked it and took a long drink.

But midway through, he froze, noticing three ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) pairs of eyes staring at him.
“Muse: 287 times. Moon and Aurora: 293 each. Noa: 301 times,” Rebecca reported with a straight face, holding a small notebook.
“And Rosvisser is the clear winner with 519 mentions, far outpacing second place.”
She added, “That’s even one more than when you first came back to the Empire a few years ago!”

Leon set the jug down, wiping his shoulder. “You actually kept track of something from that long ago?”
“Of course. Captain, you rarely say anything even remotely interesting, so when you do, I have to remember it.”
Leon chuckled, shaking his head. Standing up, he brushed the dust off his clothes.

The dry, scorching air surrounded him, and the constant repetition of names in his sleep seemed to fulfill Rosvisser’s playful demand to always have her in his heart and dreams. Unfortunately, it had wreaked havoc on his throat—it felt like his lungs had just endured a smoky battlefield.
Luckily, the Lionheart Guild had set up camp near a water source. It had been two weeks since Leon arrived at the Flaming Valley’s border, and the guild members were already familiar with the area’s terrain.
They spent their days combing for clues about the Black Dragon Scales and “Shadow” and their nights staying vigilant.

This oasis was rare in the arid, yellow-brown desert-like region, making it a prized resource fiercely contested by animals and dangerous beasts alike.
Occasionally, unfamiliar dangerous beasts would intrude on the camp. At first, these encounters were troublesome, but everything changed when they discovered Black Dragon Scales on one of the attackers.
Following that lead, the guild tracked the source and made significant progress.

They eventually located a gathering site of dangerous beasts, where the guild’s sensing mages confirmed that every creature there had been implanted with Black Dragon Scales.
Leon planned to investigate the site thoroughly today.
As the sun rose, casting its blistering heat over the already scorching valley, Leon and his team climbed to a vantage point. Below lay the gathering of beasts implanted with Black Dragon Scales.

“Every beast we’ve encountered with Black Dragon Scales so far has been more aggressive and significantly stronger than normal,” Nacho said, joining Leon at the edge and observing the creatures below. “But these beasts seem much calmer. I wonder why.”
Leon thought for a moment before turning to Martin.
“Martin, do we have any records on these beasts?”
The Southern Continent was sparsely populated, and Leon had never been here during his campaigns.
Martin, clutching a thick book, flipped through its pages rapidly.
“Yes, I found some detailed information on this group last night,” he said, stopping at a page.

“We’re looking at a species called the ‘Blazing Flame Antler Deer.’ They’re native to the Flaming Valley, a species that emerged approximately 1,300 years ago.”
Leon raised an eyebrow.
“We have something called the ‘Great Antler Deer’ back home. Are these related to them?”
Martin skimmed further before answering.
“According to records, a long time ago, a population of Great Antler Deer migrated southward, eventually settling in the Flaming Valley.

“Because the valley was formed from the remains of the ‘Flame Demon,’ which left behind powerful fire-elemental energy, these deer adapted over generations, evolving into the ‘Blazing Flame Antler Deer.’ This phenomenon is widely accepted among dangerous beast researchers.”
Leon nodded thoughtfully. He’d seen similar cases of evolution driven by environmental factors before.
He recalled an incident with a pair of Six-Winged Dragonhawks that had stolen a dragon fruit intended for Rosvisser during her pregnancy with Muse. After a chaotic chase, Leon not only retrieved the fruit but also left some for the dragonhawks. To his surprise, the pair eventually evolved into a dragon-empowered subspecies.

After Martin’s explanation, Leon remarked,
“It seems the Flame Demon must have been an incredibly powerful dangerous beast in its time, strong enough for its residual energy to drive such evolution.”
He paused, his expression turning contemplative.
“Still, the speed and extent of these creatures’ evolution resemble something I’ve only ever seen in dragons.”
It was clear the Flame Demon had possessed immense power in life.

But of course, as Leon quipped internally:
There’s nothing a Dragon’s Roar can’t solve. And if there is? Just use another one.
“Let’s focus on understanding these fiery antlered deer for now,” Leon said.
Rebecca crouched, resting her elbows on her knees as she peered at the herd below.
“Martin, does your book say anything about their temperament?”

“It does,” Martin replied.
“Unlike most dangerous beasts in the Flaming Valley, which are aggressive, the Blazing Flame Antler Deer have retained their original docile nature. They prefer to avoid conflict.”
“But they all have Black Dragon Scales implanted,” Rebecca pointed out. “Based on what we’ve seen, creatures with the scales become more aggressive. How does that make sense?”
“Could it be that the deer are resistant to the scales’ influence, allowing them to maintain their original temperament?” Nacho speculated.

The group exchanged uncertain looks, none of them having a clear answer.
After a long silence, Leon finally spoke.
“The Black Dragon Scales are highly corrosive, even for a Dragon King. These deer aren’t inherently strong enough to resist that level of power. So no, I don’t think that’s it.”
Nacho frowned thoughtfully. “Then what’s your theory?”

Leon’s lips curled into a small smile.
“Do you remember the corpses of those beasts we found in the Moonlit Forest? Their chests were all blown open. At first, we thought it was battle damage. But after investigating further, we realized that those creatures had been implanted with Black Dragon Scales. Unable to handle the scales’ power, their bodies eventually exploded.”
“The implantation technique back then was far from perfect,” Leon continued. “But recently, we’ve encountered beasts that are stronger and haven’t been destroyed by the scales. That means Shadow’s experiments have made significant progress.”
Rebecca nodded. “But that still doesn’t explain why these deer are so calm.”

“Exactly,” Leon said, gesturing toward the herd below.
“These deer may represent Shadow’s ultimate goal: creatures that can harness the Black Dragon Scales’ power without losing their minds.”
The group fell silent as they absorbed Leon’s deductions.
Rebecca broke the silence.
“Captain, does this mean we’re getting closer to Shadow?”

Leon didn’t answer immediately, his gaze heavy as he stared into the Flaming Valley.
“Theoretically, yes. We’re close. But…”
He trailed off, his unease palpable.

Leon rarely doubted his chances of success before starting a mission.
This time, he could only hope his instincts were wrong.