Smolder plundered a total of 365 gold coins from Duke's manor, more than what he had saved over many years. Unable to fit them all in his saddlebags, he had to tie a pouch to his back.
After the night's events, Smolder was in high spirits, even humming a tune as he briskly headed west.
Dragons have excellent night vision, making the dark nights no different from daylight for them. Smolder had traveled like this for the past few days, walking non-stop for months without rest if necessary, though he would need to sleep for a month afterward to recover.
After walking for a few more hours and noticing the moon beginning to set, Smolder stopped, lit a campfire on a comfortable patch of grass, and lay down to sleep.
When Smolder awoke, the day had brightened, and the campfire had burned out, serving as a simple alarm clock with added fuel to last a few hours.
"Who's there? Come out!" Smolder suddenly called out.
A few seconds later, a man stepped out from behind a tree. Smolder frowned, recognizing the mercenary as one of the few who had brushed past him during yesterday's encounter with the fire dragon.
"Gr...Great Dragon, I mean no harm..." the nervous young mercenary stammered.
Smolder nodded. If there were any malicious intent, he wouldn't have asked but would have breathed fire instead: "What do you want?"
"My name is Aike. I've always admired dragons, and yesterday, when I saw you with that fire dragon..." the mercenary rambled.
Aike had not run far but had witnessed Smolder's interaction with the fire dragon, seeing how easily Smolder had subdued the formidable beast, turning his admiration into worship.
"Oh, well, thanks for your admiration," Smolder smiled, "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," and he started walking away.
"Wait! You killing Duke Fran might bring you trouble," Aike quickly said.
"Trouble?" Smolder scoffed, continuing to walk.
"The soldiers who ran away went to Bordeaux City. Afterward, the city lord issued a 300 gold coin bounty for your capture."
"I'm only worth 300?" Smolder shook his head dismissively.
"I heard that the Gold-tier hunter George is preparing to come after you!" Aike said urgently.
Smolder turned around: "And how come you're faster than him? Are you a Platinum-tier hunter?"
"I..." Aike was at a loss for words: "I traveled through the night... Wait, if George is coming, he should have arrived by now..."
"Is that him up ahead?" Smolder suddenly asked.
Ahead on the road stood a large, fully armed man. He wore chainmail, leather gloves, and thick boots, holding a steel greatsword and carrying a crossbow and a string of throwing knives. His rugged appearance exuded a fierce aura.
"That's him," Aike paled, seemingly frightened by George's fearsome reputation.
"Hello, red dragon," George greeted, his voice surprisingly gentle compared to his appearance.
"Hello," Smolder nodded, "What do you want?"
"You already know," George smiled, "Bringing you back to Bordeaux City nets me 300 gold coins."
As he spoke, George was ready to spring into action, expecting a typical dragon response that would lead to a fight.
"What if I give you 300 gold coins?" Smolder proposed, shocking everyone.
George and Aike were stunned into silence.
Smolder dropped his pouch, spilling gold coins onto the ground.
"Put away your weapon. I have no intention of fighting," Smolder stated calmly.
George hesitated, then lowered his sword: "Are you really a dragon?"
"Undoubtedly," Smolder shrugged, "Though currently wingless, I assure you I am a red dragon."
"Why would you give up gold coins? Dragons are known never to part with their treasure!"
"Now you've seen one," Smolder glanced away, then back at George, "I've thought it over. I didn't intend to kill Duke Fran, but it happened. Perhaps I shouldn't keep these coins."
"Do you want to know why the fire dragon targeted Duke Fran? Because he stole the dragon's egg. I just helped retrieve it."
"All I've said is true."
After a moment, George sheathed his sword: "Red dragon, I'll pretend I never saw you today." He walked past Smolder towards Bordeaux City.
Smolder was left bewildered by George's sudden departure. Just moments ago, George insisted on the bounty, and now he walked away without taking the gold. Smolder wondered if his words were that persuasive or if he had some kind of protagonist's aura... nonsense.
Regardless, it was a good outcome. A major problem was resolved without loss, and Smolder cheerfully collected the gold coins, all 360 of them.
Turning to see Aike still standing there, Smolder asked, "Why are you still here?"
"Ah, um, well?" Aike snapped out of his daze.
"Go home. I don't need a human following me," Smolder said, slightly irritated.
Aike opened his mouth to protest but ultimately said nothing, casting a longing look at Smolder before reluctantly walking away, glancing back repeatedly.
Smolder sighed in relief. From the moment he saw George, he knew he couldn't win against him. Faced with the choice between his own safety and the gold coins, Smolder chose the former. For a moment, he even considered summoning Hilse for help. Luckily, the situation improved unexpectedly, and a major crisis was averted.
Reflecting on the cause of the trouble, Smolder realized he should take a different route.
Leaning against a tree, Smolder opened his map, scanning the routes.
After a while, Smolder nodded decisively, "This is the one!"