Aegon and Selene didn't linger long. Soon, they left the skeletal castle, taking Misaki and Kiria with them.
This castle wasn't exactly to Aegon's taste—it was too gloomy and much smaller than Dragonhold, looking completely out of place beside it.
Besides, if the Kirin group needed a base for recruiting new members, it made more sense to leave this castle for them instead of taking it along.
"Nice work, Misaki. Do you want a reward? You can ask Selene or Irene," Aegon offered.
Misaki twisted a lock of her braided hair around her finger, looking a bit shy. "No… I want a reward from you, Lord Aegon."
Aegon looked slightly puzzled.
"From me? Well, I'm probably the poorest person in the manor… Fine, let's hear it."
"Just stand here, Lord Aegon," Misaki said with a soft blush on her cheeks. She took a deep breath, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked over to him in quick steps. Rising on her tiptoes, she gave him a quick, light peck on the cheek before pulling back.
Selene's expression instantly turned playful, while Kiria's face froze in shock, a loud scream escaping her. This was nothing like the Misaki she usually knew.
"What kind of reward is that?" Aegon caught Misaki, who was about to make a run for it, her cheeks slightly red.
Misaki didn't resist; with a gentle pull, he drew her into his arms, leaving her gazing up at him in surprise, blinking her eyes in confusion.
The warmth of Aegon's hand made her head feel fuzzy, her heartbeat quicken, and her cheeks grow hot. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. She stared up at him with wide, surprised eyes as he leaned forward, his warm breath brushing her ear.
"Now that's a reward."
Their lips met, passionate and intense.
"Don't watch. You can't handle it," Selene said, covering Kiria's eyes with her hand.
"No, lady Selene, please! I want to see!" Kiria protested, peeking through her fingers, her face flushed.
"Wow! Misaki's making a bold move!" Kiria exclaimed as she saw a bit through the gaps. "S-She's going on the offensive!"
"Seriously, are they breathing at all?" she marveled, watching their unbroken kiss.
"Why are you narrating this?" Selene sighed, somewhat amused by Kiria's peculiar commentary.
Aegon and Misaki didn't drag things out. As soon as Misaki seemed out of breath, he let her go, gazing into her eyes shaped like twin crosses.
"From now on, you can call me Aegon or whatever you like."
Blushing deeply, Misaki's lips parted, her breath warm. "But I still want to call you Lord Aegon."
"Fine by me."
Though they didn't go any further, Misaki's affection level shot up to 90, just below the maximum of Irene, Selene, and Catherine, and near Mira's 95.
With a smile, Selene looked at Aegon and the flushed Misaki. She laughed softly, "Alright, shall we head back? Unless… you want to stay here?"
"No, no!" Misaki shook her head fervently, her ears burning red.
It didn't take long for her to calm down. She reached out and held his warm hand, intertwining their fingers.
Aegon turned to her with a smile. "Let's go back."
"Alright." Misaki's cheeks flushed again as she nodded, still a little dazed.
---
Unexpectedly, the dragons Nebaru and Rhys left without warning. But going after them would be a waste of time. As Misaki saw it, they weren't much of a threat.
Before they could return to Ishgar, however, they had an unexpected encounter.
A mighty roar echoed through the mountains, reaching Aegon and Selene's ears from miles away.
Selene nodded thoughtfully. "That's a roar of victory. Likely, it just defeated its opponent."
They soon came upon the sight of a blood-soaked White Tiger Dragon, standing atop the corpse of a massive, unidentified beast, roaring triumphantly.
The difference in size between the two and the outcome was quite surprising.
The White Tiger Dragon wasn't particularly large, standing upright at around five meters tall, with a wingspan just under ten meters. Though it had white fur with tiger-like markings, it didn't resemble a tiger entirely, which is how it earned the name "White Tiger Dragon."
Its appearance wasn't all that impressive compared to a true tiger, but Selene held the White Tiger Dragon in high regard.
"If the Celestial Sound Dragon is the fastest in the sky, the White Tiger Dragon is probably the fastest in close combat."
Of course, that excluded Aegon, who, after reaching level 90, could move at speeds surpassing Mach 3 thanks to his skill "Mach Strike." Not that it mattered much—Selene's spatial magic was even faster.
Selene, like Aegon, was an anomaly; not every Moonfox Dragon could do what she could. Even among Moonfox Dragons throughout history, she was one of the few exceptional ones.
Though, Aegon believed she was simply being modest—Selene was likely unparalleled.
The White Tiger Dragon displayed its impressive speed, wildly slashing at Aegon's scales with its razor-sharp claws.
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Its movements were so swift that even Dragon Slayer Mages like Misaki and Kiria couldn't keep track of it.
With its claws empowered by metal magic, it had a piercing sharpness.
Unfortunately, Aegon was its opponent; despite its rapid attacks, all it managed to do was create sparks on his scales.
The moment the White Tiger Dragon paused to catch its breath, Aegon swung his tail, knocking it aside. In a final blow, he pinned the struggling creature beneath his claws.
As the dragon refused to submit, Aegon granted it a swift end.
After splitting up to cover more ground, Aegon earned 770,000 experience points and gained a dragon heart from the White Tiger Dragon.
Selene even collected its blood, prompting Kiria to ask curiously.
Selene explained, "I want to try using dragon blood to enhance my White Tigress."
The tigress, Snowball, had been living quite comfortably at the manor under Selene's care. She'd grown to about seven meters in length but had stopped growing.
"Oh, it's for Snowball!" Kiria said in realization, having thought Selene might have other plans…
The White Tigress, with the intelligence of a six- or seven-year-old child, didn't attack the manor's maids or horses and was usually free to roam.
Kiria and the others would often play with the tigress; its soft fur was irresistible.
For the White Tigress, the difference between a full feast and steady meals was crystal clear.