"Sovereign Lord, Fort Gael has been taken as you commanded."
"Oh? So soon?"
Mohg opened his eyes, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he looked at Holuf standing before him.
"Yes... even I was somewhat surprised. The Kouler Dynasty forces stationed there were... utterly pathetic."
Holuf's expression was a bit strange. After all, he had personally witnessed the fierce and hardy nature of the people in central and eastern Caelid. He had expected to face a disciplined, iron-willed elite force, but instead... they had crumpled like paper.
"Hmph... I suppose that is a good thing. Have Pilar assign some of his kin to find miners and begin work on the tunnel... No, wait. I'll go to the tunnel and inspect the situation myself first."
A thought occurred to Mohg. He rose slowly from the pool of blood, the liquid cascading off his form.
"But Sovereign, the state of your body..."
"It matters not. I merely overexerted my strength before. Now that I've absorbed that Blood Crystal and taken these recent sacrifices, my physical power has recovered by seventy or eighty percent. I am only lacking in the accumulation of Faith and the gathering of spiritual energy."
Mohg shook his head at Holuf, dismissing the concern.
The remaining two aspects—Faith and spiritual energy—were a matter of steady, incremental progress. However, spiritual gathering could be accelerated through more sacrifices and active absorption. As for Faith... that would require his subordinates to work harder, or for him to personally hunt down powerful offerings to earn the favor of the Formless Mother.
To put it simply, it was about time he went out for a stroll.
Soon, the Larval Tears within Mohg's body began to churn, shifting his form back into a human guise.
However, this transformation was far from perfect. Two horns still protruded from his head, and patches of grey scales were visible on his skin. Even his physical size wasn't as compressed as it usually was.
"Hmm? This is... likely damage from the explosive release of power in the last battle... It seems I need to make a trip to Nokron or Nokstella as soon as possible..."
Mohg murmured to himself before looking back at Holuf.
"Let's go. Lead me to Fort Gael. Oh, and bring Eboral along. I recall she has mastered her transformation ability, yes?"
"Yes, Sovereign. I shall send word to Eboral immediately."
Holuf bowed and stepped backward away from Mohg. Once he had reached a respectful distance, he turned and made a sharp gesture. A shadow flickered, and a subordinate appeared instantly to receive the order.
"Lord Mohg..."
When Eboral appeared before Mohg, she immediately averted her eyes, shifting her feet nervously. Mohg looked at the dragon girl, clad in a suit of black armor, and felt a surge of amusement.
"Eboral?"
"Yes..."
"This is unexpected. Since when did your personality become so... demure?" Mohg asked, barely suppressing a smile.
"Well... you see..."
Eboral scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed. To be honest, she had initially been repulsed by the Mohgwyn Dynasty. Despite having the Blood Blessing planted within her, she had yearned for her old life.
But after living in the Dynasty for a while, she realized... this place was actually quite nice.
Because of her massive true form, a single shipment of grain could last her for days. During the periods when she wasn't transporting supplies, she was essentially on permanent vacation. The Mohgwyn Dynasty never restricted her freedom too much, so long as she didn't leave the underground world.
Furthermore, all her food was guaranteed. She didn't even have to go out and hunt. Combined with the Blood Blessing and the dragon blood in her veins, her strength was growing at a rate far faster than it ever would have on the surface.
In short, Eboral was so content with her new life that she had no desire to return to the Dragonbarrow. There, she would be bullied by stronger dragons and forced to hunt for every meal. Compared to that, the Dynasty was a paradise.
Well, it would be a perfect paradise if Lansseax wasn't around. Lansseax didn't do anything truly terrible to her, but she did enjoy "bullying" her from time to time.
Bullying in every sense of the word.
But it wasn't constant. Eboral was almost starting to get used to it.
"Never mind. You can explain later. We are going to Caelid. If you wish, you can even stop by the Dragonbarrow to visit."
"No, thank you!"
Eboral replied with sudden, stern resolve. She was perfectly happy with her life in the Mohgwyn Dynasty. She wasn't going back, lest the Mother of Dragons catch her and drag her back to the nest.
Indeed, she had entirely forgotten her past as a member of the dragon flight; she now considered herself a citizen of the Mohgwyn Dynasty.
Wait... is this what humans call 'forgetting one's roots'? she wondered.
"Is that the lord of this place?"
"How should I know? I've never been here before. But looking at those clothes and that gut... it's probably him."
The sun had risen as usual. Under the combined light of the Erdtree and the sun, the shadows of night were chased away. The sounds of battle at Fort Gael had long since faded. The corpses inside and outside the fortress had already been cleared.
The remnants of the Fort Gael garrison had, under the management of Kazim and his men, accepted their new lot. They were now reservists for the Mohgwyn Dynasty. However, they were required to undergo a new round of training and were currently being sent into the Gael Tunnel to begin mining operations.
The soldiers didn't have much to complain about. From what they had seen of the Mohgwyn Dynasty's methods, their future looked far brighter than it ever had under the Kouler Dynasty.
In the village outside the fort, two villagers—the same ones who had been discussing the battle earlier—were now following Kazim's orders to issue a summons to all residents of the territory. They were to gather at Fort Gael to witness the fate of their former oppressor.
The general who had attempted to flee through the secret passage had been caught by Faide and captured alive. His final fate was to be hanged from the top of the fortress walls as a grim warning.
Meanwhile, the activities of the Mohgwyn Dynasty had caught the attention of the Storm Dynasty. The commander stationed at the Caelid outpost had already sent word of the situation at Fort Gael back to his superiors.
Mohg arrived at Fort Gael led by his men. Though he didn't appear in his full regalia as the Lord of Blood, he wore an opulent robe and light armor in the Dynasty's style, mounted atop a massive black warhorse.
The sight caused the people lining the road to stare. Mohg wasn't quite used to the attention—especially the whispers regarding his dragon-like features.
However, the locals weren't as shocked as one might expect. This was largely due to a faction in southern Caelid: the Dragon Communion.
On this complex continent, this ancient sect had not faded away; rather, it had grown stronger. They worshipped the Ancient Dragons but hunted the lesser wyverns, performing the Ritual of Dragon Communion to gain their power. Because of the Mother of Dragons, they didn't dare venture too deep into the Dragonbarrow, but they often collaborated with other Caelid factions to hunt stray dragons.
They craved dragon blood and hearts; the local factions craved the scales, hides, and bones. Often, their interests aligned, as everyone wanted to keep the dragon population in check.
Soon, Mohg reached the gates of Fort Gael, surrounded by his Blood Warriors. Eboral followed, looking around with curiosity. This was her first time observing humans from this perspective and with this identity.
The Blood Warriors guarding the gate immediately saluted, hands over their hearts.
"Sovereign Lord."
Inside the fortress's council chamber, Mohg met with Kazim and Faide.
"Mhm. Rise. I am very satisfied with your performance." Mohg's eyes held a rare glimmer of approval.
"To serve the Sovereign is our honor!" Kazim and the others replied in unison before standing.
"Based on your merits, you shall all receive rewards. Discuss the details with Holuf. For now, tell me about the Gael Tunnel."
"Yes, my Lord."
Kazim nodded and waved his hand, dismissing the others. The warriors saluted and filed out, leaving only Kazim in the room. Mohg realized Kazim must have found something specific in the tunnel, and his curiosity piqued.
"We did indeed make a discovery in the Gael Tunnel. Initially, it was just... common miners, some Misbegotten kept as slaves, and the guards... until we reached the depths of the tunnel, where mining hadn't yet progressed..."
Kazim's expression turned grave.
"A monster dwells there, the likes of which we have never seen. I... I don't know what to call it. It is gargantuan, surrounded by an aura of magma... and it even wields a weapon in its grasp."
Mohg's eyes lit up. He knew exactly what it was. He had found what he was looking for: a Magma Wyrm.
The Magma Wyrm was a creature of the dragon-type, and one could gain its power through Dragon Communion, but it wasn't a dragon in the traditional sense. Though they had wings, they could not fly, relegated to crawling upon the earth. Though they had the bodies of dragons, they were hideously deformed. Though they possessed immense power, they had lost all reason.
Such was the Magma Wyrm—a tragic byproduct of Dragon Communion. It was the end point for all who partook in the ritual. If one consumed too many dragon hearts, they would eventually lose their humanity and transform into a mindless, crawling beast.
"Well done, Kazim. Once I have dealt with the situation in the tunnel, I shall grant you a new blessing."
Kazim's face broke into a grin of pure joy. "I thank the Sovereign for his grace!"
Mohg nodded and turned his gaze toward Eboral.
"Let's go. Come with me to the Gael Tunnel."
"Huh? Me?" Eboral's eyes went wide as she stared at Mohg in disbelief.
"Who else?"
"Um... I really don't think that's necessary... hehe..." Eboral gave a nervous, sheepish laugh.
"Do you think I am asking for your opinion?" Mohg asked, glancing at her.
Eboral's face fell. With a dejected sigh, she hung her head and trudged after him.
"Sovereign Lord, do you require me to lead the way to the depths?" Kazim offered.
"No. Eboral and I are enough." Mohg shook his head. Fort Gael had just been seized and needed an administrator. Besides, if a Magma Wyrm was more than he and Eboral could handle... having Kazim there wouldn't change the outcome.
"Understood."
Kazim handed Mohg a map of the tunnel's layout, marking the approximate location of the beast. It was only an approximation, as the area the Wyrm inhabited was unmapped and undeveloped.
As they arrived at the entrance of the Gael Tunnel, Mohg suddenly turned to Eboral.
"Eboral, have you ever seen a Magma Wyrm before?"
"Hmm? A Magma Wyrm? Why are you talking about those disgusting things?"
Eboral was genuinely confused. She hadn't realized that the monster Kazim described was a Magma Wyrm. She had only refused to go because she instinctively felt it would be dangerous and a lot of work.
"Wait... you weren't listening to my conversation with Kazim? The creature in the depths is almost certainly a Magma Wyrm, and likely an old one at that."
"WHAT?!"
Eboral's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She spun around and tried to bolt back toward the exit, but Mohg reached out and caught her firmly by the collar.
"Hey! Let go! I might look down on those half-breeds, but their strength is no joke!! I am not fighting a monster that has probably slaughtered dozens of my kin!!!"
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