The contract was fulfilled, the criminals were arrested, and Ragni, after quarreling with everyone in the village, decided to leave it. The question of payment remained, and I couldn't shake off the persistent feeling that we would be deceived now.
"Sorry, of course, but we don't have the money to pay you," said the smiling elder mockingly.
"What do you mean, no money? We fought with the dragon to save your village!" I wasn't going to let him off the hook.
"But the money was only with Rikhar, and since he's in prison, we have nowhere to take it from. I apologize."
"No, you don't have to worry. We're glad we could help you, and we understand your difficult situation."
"Katrina, please don't interfere!"
"What's the matter?" The princess frowned unhappily. "As the Guild Master, I've already made my decision."
"What? Give me a couple of minutes alone with this old man, and I'll get every last penny from him."
"Sorry for my companion's rudeness. In fact, we didn't even kill the dragon, and most of the work was done by Ignis. So everything is fine, really."
"Don't ignore me!" I never knew that girls' shoes had such sharp heels.
"Goodbye, elder," said the insolent girl, pushing me out onto the street.
It was time to return to the academy, so we headed for the transit station, but something was bothering me.
"Oh, Katrina, why do you think they are following us?"
"I don't know, maybe they also want to use the services of a coachman?"
"Don't be silly; they can simply fly away from here!"
At a steady pace behind us walked Ignis and Ragni, trying not to overtake us. The sight was strange, especially considering their attire.
"I see you're discussing us," Ignis interrupted with a gentle voice. "Don't pay attention; we're just going the same way."
"Hmm. By the way, Ragni, may I ask you something?"
"Of course. What's the matter?" The dragoness raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"I remember in the cave; you introduced yourself as Ragnalia, the daughter of Ignis, but your mother, during our first meeting, mentioned only Ignis. Is this related to some of your traditions?"
"Well, sort of. You probably know that all dragons descended from five great dragon gods. Each of them had five daughters and five sons, known as the ancient dragons. Since then, all their descendants, the younger dragons, introduce themselves with the name of the lineage they come from. Of course, much time has passed, and many great houses have mixed, but one thing remains unchanged: ancient dragons introduce themselves only by their name, as their scale color already indicates their lineage."
"Hmm. Are you trying to say...?"
"Yes, my mother is one of them. She is the eldest daughter of the dragon god Nihelim, and I am her only daughter."
With an unconcerned expression, Ignis, who was walking behind us, waved her hand in agreement.
"I thought dragons have a lot of free time in life to have more offspring."
"Oh, that. Well, my mom has many responsibilities concerning the state affairs. You understand that after Nihelim's death, someone had to lead the Verania dragons; otherwise, there would be no other option but to move to the empire. My mom has done a lot for all the inhabitants of Verania; for example, she made a peace treaty with the first summoner, allowing dragons to live in areas free from humans and prohibiting humans from hunting dragons that don't threaten their lives."
"So she's like a queen to you?"
"Why do you say 'like'? She is the queen of the black dragons. Do you think she wears that crown just for show?"
Indeed, the tiara on her forehead resembled a crown.
"Hmm. So why did the queen's only daughter live in a small village and make a living by selling potions she prepared herself?"
"Ugh... well... I..."
"Let me explain," Ignis intervened, seeing that her daughter had no desire to continue. "It's probably better to start from the beginning."
"Mama, don't you dare! They have nothing to do with it!" Ragni seemed ready to rush and cover her mother's mouth.
"Oh, but they do have something to do with it, after all, he defeated you," the queen smiled mysteriously.
"It was just a coincidence, and anyway, she knocked me out," Ragni pointed suspiciously and blushing at Katrina.
"Anyway, I'll tell them everything," Ignis continued, ignoring her daughter's protests. "In ancient times, the dragon god Nihelim bestowed upon dragons the ability to take on human form through ancient magic. After that, our society flourished, and culture, laws, and a state emerged, but deep down, we still remain somewhat animalistic and subject to certain natural instincts, such as the desire to spread our wings in the night sky, hunt wild animals, or have offspring," Ignis said with a satisfied smile, and Ragni and Katrina blushed from head to toe. "My daughter has only just begun to mature; she turned 134 years old this year, which is about sixteen in your terms. And I thought it was time for her to find a suitor, or at least a boyfriend. But Ragni was vehemently against it, and partly, it was my fault."
"It was entirely your fault!" Ragni couldn't contain her anger.
"Forgive me, my daughter, but it doesn't change anything. So, I announced the search for a husband for my daughter, and the sons of many noble families came to my palace. But Ragni was as intelligent as she was stubborn. She knew that they only wanted my influence among the dragons. That's when she found one of the ancient laws in the library, which stated that only the strongest dragon could rule. She told me this: 'If he marries me and becomes your heir, let him prove his strength in battle with me.' I had to comply with the ancient laws. Ragni defeated all the suitors who came to the palace; after all, she is my daughter and one of the strongest dragons. And when all the contenders ran out, we had a falling out, and I banished her from the palace, telling her that if she couldn't find a husband among the dragons, she should look among humans."
"Is that even possible?" I was surprised.
"Don't worry about that; dragons in human form are quite compatible with humans," the queen's smiling face seemed capable of breaking walls, yet she didn't even move a muscle. "So, about your battle... Hmmm. Tell me, Krito, how did you defeat her?"
Whoa! Her face was going to crack from that overly wide smile! Now I understood where she was heading!
"Mama! You can't recklessly decide my fate like that. His victory was just a fluke. If I fought him again, he wouldn't stand a chance. And besides, she delivered the last blow!" Ragni pointed at Katrina, shaking with anger.
"Huh? Me? I just happened to hit you on the head in the end; before that, my lightning didn't have much effect on you," Katrina confessed in a bewildered voice.
"Hmm. I never thought that one blow to the head could knock you down. If your former suitors find out about this, they might want to try their luck again."
"No, it wasn't just one blow; I was just a bit tired from the battle with him, and the stone was the last straw."
"Really? A simple human managed to tire you to the point of collapsing from one blow?" Ignis's smile and gentle voice could melt even a stone. "I was observing everything through the ruby on your neck, but I didn't quite understand everything that was happening. Maybe Krito can tell us how it all went?"