There have not been any emergency assignments or quest for the past two weeks since I became a Dragon Sage, so seeing an emergency quest is quite a rare occurrence. To add excitement to the mix, it involves rescuing the princess of the kingdom.
Yehanna was already on her way back to my table when the emergency quest happened. She laid down the books she gathered to the table and then looked at me in the eye. "Are we going to accept it?"
"I wanted some action for once."
Yehanna nodded with a smile. "It will be a good change of pace. Let's go!"
We left my briefcase and borrowed books on the table and went to the main library entrance. I do not worry about my things getting lost since nobody is going to steal my awful thesis draft anyways.
As soon as we reached the Quest Board of the main lobby, we saw my fellow Dragon Sage Duke Peterson just ignoring the emergency quest alarm. Duke Peterson is that one bald old man in his sixties, with black oval shades and a gray beard. He's just reading a grimoire with a magical cane in his hand.
I was about to talk to the front desk officer to take the emergency quest, but the old man Dragon Sage grabbed my attention.
"Don't bother accepting the emergency quest, it's not worth it." Duke Peterson said.
"Not worth it?" Yehanna asked with a hostile tone.
"Yes." Duke Peterson played his gray beard. "The credit points you can earn is only five. We're better off researching and studying for our thesis than do a risky quest like that."
"And let the princess die?" Yehanna asked again. Man, she's standing up.
"Precisely. She'd better be dead without us Dragon Sages in the scene. Taking that quest is a big gamble on your name. If you accept the quest and you fail, your reputation as an aristocrat and a sage will hit the bedrock." Duke Peterson laughed. "Princess Amaryllis Viridescia is the twelfth princess anyway, and she won't be inheriting the throne."
I looked around us and noticed that other Dragon Sages heard Duke Peterson's cold speech. All of them agreed as they stayed at their table, studying their books. They don't give a damn shit on the princess.
"This is why I hate Dragon Sages," Yehanna muttered softly, and only I can hear her. She's clenching her fists so hard that she's already shaking. "They are just arrogant elites who only think about knowledge and reputation."
I smiled.
I turned to the front desk officer who is in charge of the Quest Board. I presented by Dragon Sage badge to him, ready to be marked by stamping magic.
"I accept the emergency quest."
Everyone was surprised about my bold declaration. The Dragon Sages studying at their tables, Duke Peterson who got his snarky smile erased, Yehanna who held her heart in shock, and even the front desk officer are all awed.
"Are you stupid?" Duke Peterson exclaimed. "You'll be risking your reputation as a Dragon Sage!"
"Well, I'm something of an idiot myself," I smirked. "But..."
I flapped my Dragon Sage uniform's long coat.
"... A true handsome Dragon Sage like me will not let any princess cry!"
Everybody was dumbstruck. I know I just unleashed a corny line to make them stunned. Some even started to chuckle. It was a domino effect until the whole first floor is bursting out of laughter. Even Yehanna and the front desk man scoffed. The only one who was not entertained was Duke Peterson himself.
"Stupid." The old sage said.
"Well then, if you may excuse me!" I saluted at my fellow Dragon Sage. Then I grabbed my Dragonoid Contractor's wrist and dragged her out of the main library.
We started to run across the corridors, following the emergency exit signages on the way. I know that there are dragon launch pads at the left and right-wing of the Library's main building where a Dragonoid can safely transform without destroying the place.
While running, Yehanna commented on my bold proclamation back in the main library. "You have no sense of shame, have you!?"
"I've lost all my sense of shame ever since I decided to become a jokester flaunting my imaginary handsomeness." I smiled back.
"Well, at least you're honest," Yehanna replied. "It seems that choosing you as my Dragon Sage is the best decision of my life."
We finally arrived at the launch pad, which is very much engineered the same as an underground airfield. The gigantic hatch opened, which revealed the bright blue sky swarming with cumulus clouds. The sunlight shoved upon our faces.
"You ready?" I asked.
"Ready!" Yehanna pumped her fists with energy.
I spread out my right hand, pointing at her chest. By ejecting mana to my fingertips, a golden magical circle with ancient runes materialized on her bosom. Lightning sparked on the magical circle as I had my hand closer to her heart.
"Dragon Seal Unlock!"
There was a brief flash of light.
And when I opened my eyes, I found myself on top of the head of a Cyber Angel Dragon. The humanoid divine dragon coated with white and blue armor made a stance similar to a sprint runner, waiting for my orders.
"Dragon Sage Ulysses Corasell and Cyber Angel Dragon, taking off!"
The ten floating swords that serve as wings of the Cyber Angel Dragon spread out, making a huge rainbow halo on her back. With one kick on the ground, my dragon blasted towards the exit of the launch pad at full throttle. A sonic boom was left as soon as we launched ourselves to the stratosphere.
"What's our estimated time of arrival?" I asked Cyber Angel Dragon.
"Two minutes." Cyber Angel Dragon answered telepathically. "I'm trying to race the speed of sound right now, so it might be less."
While enjoying the scenery of the morning blue skies, I decided to tap on my badge. A ten-page document materialized on my hand which gives the briefing of the situation.
I don't have the luxury of time to be informed of this emergency. I have to read it all as fast as I could.
"With the power of lightning, I command thee, to overclock my eyes and my brain."
I scanned the reports one page per second with an electric buff on my ocular nerves and brain. After ten seconds, I already got all the information I need. I just let go of the papers in the windy skies.
We finally reached the royal castle of the Novum Metropolis, which is located on top of the tallest mountain. The air here is thin, and the plummet of temperature is substantial. We landed at the entrance of the royal castle, in which two guards greeted us with their spears.
"Halt! Identify yourselves!"
I showed them my Dragon Sage badge. In an instant, they became submissive and opened the castle gate for me without even talking.
As soon as I went down from my dragon and stepped on the red carpet, the Royal Guard Captain approached me. "Are you the Dragon Sage from the Library?"
"Yes. My name is Ulysses Corasell. With my authority as a Dragon Sage, I will be commandeering every personnel in this castle."
"Roger that, Lord Corasell! This way!"
I followed the Royal Guard Captain on the spiral stairs until we finally reached the top.
At a distance, I can see the criminal retired knight holding the princess at gunpoint. The soldiers, all equipped with magic-loaded rifles, had the enemy cornered on a ledge of the castle wall. That would be a huge problem if the captor jumped on the ledge with the princess since they are in no way surviving a fifty-meter-tall fall.
I saw a dark magical circle on the princess' chest. Judging from the runes of the circle, it's a remote Heartstopper Curse, which would cause instant death of the princess if the hostage-taker willed it.
If this is a chess game, it would be checkmate. The princess can die by falling from the top of the fifty-meter-tall castle wall, from the bullet of the gun, or the Heartstopper Curse. The princess is guaranteed to die in any way possible.
"H-Help!" The princess cried in the arms of her captor. The princess is a teenager with long wavy silver hair and grey eyes. Her royal dress is stained by blood, but she seems to be uninjured.
I looked around and saw the medics using healing magic on some of the injured soldiers. There are also chalk outlines on the bloodied floor near me. Two of those chalk outlines indicate the shapes of children.
"Let me negotiate with the hostage-taker," I said.
At my command, all the soldiers gave way as I revealed myself to the anxious criminal who's holding the princess at gunpoint.
But before I could introduce myself, there was a loud gunshot.
Blood splattered.
And I fell to the ground.