"For a Fatih, there is no good or evil, as pragmatism is of paramount importance in state governance. Of course, since the concepts of good and evil will always exist in the hearts of the subjects, a Fatih must know how to use these concepts to his advantage."
-An excerpt from Ethics for a Fatih
Draklon's speed allowed them to reach the area quickly. Unlike Albiria, who enslaved powerful creatures and filled her territory with them, the creatures in Draklon's domain had rather average individual strength.
While dragon-blooded creatures like the drakes, who lacked the intelligence and legacy of true dragons, were in the minority, it was possible to see muscular kobolds maintaining the area everywhere. Their bronze skin and scales indicated that they descended from Draklon's lineage.
These kobolds had a much taller average height than their typical sixty to ninety centimeters counterparts. The shortest among them stood at one hundred seventy centimeters, and a few two-meter-tall kobolds were seen directing the others around.
Moreover, the dragon blood in them was more dominant than in an average kobold, and they had an aura that almost qualified them as dragonborn. Their disciplined and orderly demeanor suggested that their level of civilization surpassed that of a northern clan. Armored kobold soldiers, who were clearly recognized as such, patrolled the mountains and hills, while watchtowers provided a wide field of vision. This answered Ülgen's doubts about how Draklon's domain remained standing without being pillaged, despite the attacks from the minions of two white dragons.
They seemed content and ambitious – which increased Ülgen's respect for Draklon. The young Fatih was once again glad he had decided to communicate with Draklon instead of trying to escape. When his power reached higher levels, Draklon and the kobolds trained under his command would undoubtedly be of great benefit to him.
"Alright, little friend, you can get off now." Hearing the bronze dragon's words, Ülgen jumped to the ground, still holding the frozen black knight.
The bronze dragon also transformed into a humanoid form and landed on the ground. His form was that of a brown-haired, hazel-eyed man in his middle age, with dark skin. He stood nearly two meters tall and wore clothes reminiscent of the nobles from the central lands. There was a stark contrast between him and Ülgen, who resembled a typical northerner.
"Look, little friend, this mountain rich in metal resources is my home." Draklon gestured to the snowy mountain that rose up to a thousand meters, a slight smile on his face. It was clear he loved his home.
Ülgen nodded respectfully. "Truly a home befitting a bronze dragon of your power, Elder Draklon." Then he noticed a dozen silhouettes at the entrance of the mountain. "Moreover, you even have 10th-degree dragonborn as your special guards. The creatures in your territory are very fortunate to serve under you."
A dozen armored and halberd-wielding dragonborn, each standing three meters tall, remained motionless at their posts. It was clear they had been trained to suppress their auras to avoid revealing their true strength, but Ulgen couldn't be fooled. From the quality of the metal in their armor, it was evident that despite Draklon's need for metals, he didn't hesitate to be generous with his people.
"You may not be a silver dragon, but you have a silver tongue, little friend! Hahaha!" Draklon's mood improved with the compliments. "Let's head inside. In my lair, there's an area that blocks magical interference and severs magic-based connections." With a wave of his hand, Draklon signaled the dragonborn to stand aside.
The inside of the snowy mountain was a thousand times more orderly and beautiful than his mother Albiria's careless lair. Various metals covered the walls and floors. The moment they entered, Ulgen felt a significant increase in Draklon's power. This didn't surprise him much, as most dragons adapted their lairs to be most advantageous for themselves, ensuring they could retaliate in their strongest state in case of enemy attacks.
Interestingly, Draklon's lair also featured a blacksmith area specifically for dwarves. Dwarves, who lived east of the Eternal Mountains that split the central lands, were exceedingly rare due to their lack of adventurous nature. Yet here, in the lair of a bronze dragon thousands of kilometers away from the mountain range, about thirty dwarves were industriously working ores.
Noticing Ulgen's curious gaze, Draklon offered a brief explanation before passing the dwarves' forge. "They are members of a guild that signed a contract with me after I did them a small favor in the east."
The young Fatih nodded in acceptance of the bronze dragon's answer. However, seeing the dwarves sparked another idea in Ulgen's mind. A trip east seemed necessary in the future.
After advancing further, they passed what was likely Draklon's grand hall where he took his dragon naps and entered a relatively small, rune-surrounded room. The small size was relative to dragons. The room was comparable in size to the chieftain's hall in Hvítreiðr.
While Ulgen marveled at the runes, Draklon began to speak. "As long as we are in this room, the chances of interference from the person you suspect to be a dark mage are very low." He then moved to a corner of the room and activated a hidden circuit in the wall.
After some clattering and scraping sounds, circles suitable for drawing runes emerged in the center of the room. Ulgen nodded gratefully to Draklon, appreciating the assistance in an otherwise tedious task, and placed the frozen body of the black knight in the center of the circle, beginning his work.
Draklon couldn't help but be surprised seeing Ulgen use his own blood to draw the runes. The astonishment was not because of a mistake but because dragon blood, with its high affinity for supernatural energies, was one of the finest materials for rune crafting. What was surprising was a fifteen-year-old dragon hatchling using his own blood without hesitation.
Moreover, his precision in drawing the runes was exceptionally high. Even a human who had dedicated their life to the mysteries of runes could only exhibit such precision after decades of work.
While the bronze dragon pondered silently, Ulgen finished drawing the runes and rested to replenish his blood. Even though Draklon mentioned the low likelihood of magical interference from the outside, he couldn't lower his guard. Anyone with a high perception of fate tended to act in dangerous and exceptional ways. The one called "Master" was also part of this category.
Draklon pulled out a high-energy fruit and tossed it to Ulgen. "Eat this; it will help replenish your energy and the blood you've lost."
Recognizing the fruit as a dragon apple, a rare luxury in the northern glaciers, Ulgen responded, "Thank you, senior. I won't forget your kindness," and ate the apple in one go.
As the large amount of energy from the apple dispersed throughout his body, it didn't take long for him to heal and return to peak condition. Placing his palm on the frozen body of the black knight, he closed his eyes and began chanting magical words.
Mind probing magic was among the most easily used spells across many planes due to the universal nature of the soul. Nearly all Fatihs raised with millions of years of heritage mastered this kind of mind-based magic in the academy. Their energy-based forms before body possession particularly gave them an advantage in learning such spells.
As the magical words activated the crimson runes, the frost from the black knight's body began to melt. Ulgen's palm on him emitted a white glow as the young Fatih entered the mind of his enemy.
Unlike Olpar's mind dimension, which was dark with small walls, the black knight's mind dimension was a training ground for knights. A young and cheerful man was swinging his sword with determination.
"How interesting, so this is what he was like before becoming a black knight… or being forcibly transformed into one. Wait a minute!"
Calmly approaching the young man, Ulgen suddenly stopped in shock and punched the ground. The full force of the punch, which shook the training ground and caused the young man to fall, targeted a worm-like green creature trying to emerge from the ground.
"Kehkehkeh! Arrogant dragon spawn, you should not have entered here with your soul!" The worm shattered and transformed into a green humanoid resembling the black knight, then swung its spear, sending Ulgen flying meters away.
"Hah, I should have known something was wrong when the body remained unresponsive!" Ulgen's eyes were filled with intense disgust as he looked at the vile creature before him. "How dare you, a parasite born from the fusion of magic and flesh, act so arrogantly toward a noble being like me!" The young Fatih began to walk as his mental power, strong enough to challenge even an adult dragon, shook the dimension.
"W-What! A dragon hatchling shouldn't have such powerful mental strength!" The parasite, trying to counter with its own mental power, had terror in its red eyes. "No, I am a powerful being who has lived for decades! No one but my master can defeat me in this spirit realm!" The parasite, realizing the severity of the situation, attempted to impale the young man struggling to regain his balance on the training ground with its spear.
However, it had underestimated Ulgen's mental power. The spear, which was about to pierce the young man who tried to block it with his sword, suddenly began to freeze. Ulgen opened his palm, creating a barrier that protected the human and the training ground from the effects of the battle. He then swung his hand upward, causing the parasite to be flung into the darkness.
"Well, there's still hope for this child." Smiling at the young knight who looked at him in astonishment, Ulgen launched himself into the darkness with killing intent in the next moment.
While mental dimensions had their limits and damage there could harm the mind, it could heal unlike damage that could occur at the core of the mind. This was Ulgen's intention as he launched a full-strength attack on the parasite in its knight form within the darkness.
The black knight didn't have the strength to counterattack, nor even to defend himself. With each blow, his body shook, and his armor shattered. The glorious life he had led since his creation flashed before his eyes. As the end approached, his mind was filled only with the desire to live, and he knew of only one being who could save him.
"Master!!"