"What do you want to do?"
Facing Aegon's question, Irene's contemplation lasted only a brief moment.
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs, chin propped up in her palms, and smiled: "Same as my previous answer, which is, well, sure, since I'm not your match anyway."
Not a very serious or solemn answer, but it meant she didn't want to deal with the changes happening to Aegon.
Aegon glanced at her with a slightly strange look, then nodded. "I'm satisfied with that answer."
Irene gazed into Aegon's eyes. "And even now, whether you want to control the world or destroy it, at least, I'll stand by your side."
Aegon shrugged. "I have no intention of destroying the world. Controlling it? Not interested."
A hint of a smile flickered subtly across her face, softening her expression even more than she realized.
"I guessed that too."
She had guessed that Aegon had no interest in destroying the world. Even if he wanted to, neither the Albares Empire nor the Ishgar could stop him.
Even though she had been betrayed by the people of Doragunov Kingdom before, she only found it hard to trust humanity, not to hate the world and want to destroy it.
Of course, her words were sincere. Even if Aegon did have such thoughts, she would still choose to stand by his side without hesitation.
Grateful for Aegon helping her with the side effects, and being the first to compliment her beauty, even the original Black Dragon only targeted the Dragon Tribe and Dragon Slayers, not the destruction of the world.
Otherwise, Ishgar and Alakitasia would have been destroyed long ago. Aegon had even less reason to have such thoughts, as destroying the world would serve him no purpose.
Aegon tapped the table with his index finger. "Although I have no intention of destroying the world, hmm... but there may be others who have intentions toward me."
Irene looked into Aegon's eyes and said gently, "Are you referring to Zeref? Even if it's Zeref, although I won't take action against him, my answer remains the same; I'll stand by your side."
Irene remembered the conditions she had previously agreed upon with Aegon.
Her voice was not loud, but the simple phrase "I'll stand by your side" was enough to express her attitude.
Aegon smiled. "Isn't Zeref no longer referred to as 'Your Majesty'?"
Irene met Aegon's gaze, her eyes suddenly brightening. "To be honest, Zeref is my benefactor, and I'm not inclined to fight him, but between you and him, I still have to make a choice."
Aegon's expression seemed to change for a moment. After a while, he said, "Not just him, there are also the Five Dragon Gods of Guiltina in the Northern Continent, and perhaps adversaries on unknown continents."
Although strictly speaking, Aegon was no longer the Acnologia he used to be, but for these people, there was no difference; he was still the Black Dragon.
Irene's chest subtly rose and fell. "Wait, the Five Dragon Gods? What are they?"
Aegon shook his head. "The dragons of Guiltina in the Northern Continent, they have that title, but I don't know the specifics."
He only knew about these dragons roughly from the game, unaware of their specific abilities and strengths. Moreover, with the changes happening in the world, who knows if new dragons or races might emerge.
Even Selene, he only paid a bit more attention to her initially because she was pretty, remembering her name only because it was similar to the Moon Goddess Selene.
Irene answered without hesitation, furrowing her brow, "The Five Dragon Gods, huh... I see."
In the world, there are people who are naturally cold-hearted, and there are those who value kindness greatly, and Irene belonged to the latter.
If the Five Dragon Gods posed a threat to Aegon, she would not hesitate to help him eliminate them.
After rubbing her forehead with her hand, Irene turned slightly and said, "Heine, Juliet."
"Irene-sama." Both of them stepped forward, nodding slightly.
Irene, like a queen giving orders, commanded, "Go gather all information about the Five Dragon Gods of Guiltina, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, remember, everything, even rumors and gossip."
"Yes!"
Watching Heine and Juliet's figures disappear, Aegon then looked at Irene. "Isn't this a bit exaggerated..."
He felt it unnecessary to be so nervous. He didn't stop Heine and Juliet to avoid embarrassing Irene.
Irene's expression became slightly serious. "No, even if collecting the information may not necessarily be useful, it's better than doing nothing. And... ever since I noticed the changes in the world, I have a strange feeling that this world is far from simple... of course, I hope it's just my imagination."
Aegon furrowed his brow, curious. "Imagination?"
Irene remained calm, her lips parted slightly. "Gods."
Aegon raised an eyebrow, nodding thoughtfully. He was convinced by her words.
"All right, you're right."
Previously, he was somewhat arrogant, relying on his own strength. But Irene reminded him that there might indeed be gods in this world.
Irene smiled as she gazed at Aegon. "You're more persuasive than I imagined."
Aegon chuckled. "I think it depends on the person."
Irene and he exchanged a glance. This woman, who usually seemed cold, smiled mysteriously, propping her legs up on the back of the chair.
"You know how to seize the opportunity," she said.
Aegon smiled too, seemingly implying, "I'll take that as a compliment."
Irene just watched Aegon silently, then smiled and shook her head before leaving without a word.
Watching Irene's departing figure, Aegon was left alone to contemplate...
Initially, he sought out Irene because of her beauty and strength, thinking that after winning her over, besides the desires between man and woman, her considerable strength would be of great help to him. But as their relationship grew closer and they became more familiar with each other, Irene began to consider him more and more, making him realize that he was beginning to like her more and more...
"What should I do? Suddenly feeling more and more reliable, what should I do."
That being said, after Irene's reminder, Aegon suddenly realized that this world was different from his own. After all, as a staunch materialist, he had come to Earthland, where even the simplest animals and plants contained magic.
Moreover, it seemed that there were indeed gods in this world; not to mention distant ones, there were even gods nearby, like the God of Life and Death, Ankhseram, and the God of Time, Chronos...
One thing after another reminded him that this was a fantasy world with magic...
"Irene is right, I shouldn't be careless..."
He quickly made a decision, getting up and leaving Irene's office.