Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot
Chapter 103 - 102 - The Armored Figure.

Chapter 103: Chapter 102 - The Armored Figure.

Back in the tavern, the atmosphere slowly settled after the chaos.

The bloodstains on the floor still sizzled with faint residual energy, but no one dared bring it up.

The drunkards had all resumed pretending to drink, even though half their mugs were upside down.

The bard quietly tried to tune his instrument, trembling so much that the strings sounded like dying squirrels.

Behind the counter, Wheat Bread dusted her apron, cleared her throat, and raised her voice.

"Alright, everyone! That guy and his group will be escorted out the back, so no one has to die unnecessarily. Please enjoy your drinks, don’t talk to any squirrels, and for the love of mana, no one should try to follow them."

There were a few nervous chuckles. One drunk tried to raise his mug in salute, only to drop it on his own foot.

But amid the awkward atmosphere, one person didn’t laugh. Didn’t move. They didn’t even breathe, it seemed.

Sitting in the farthest corner of the tavern was a figure clad entirely in dark armor—head to toe.

Gleaming, obsidian-black plating covered every inch of them, save for a narrow visor through which glowed two unmistakable eyes.

Those eyes were red as lava, intimidating to some and enchanting to others.

The armored figure watched the group vanish through the secret hallway.

’Raven Von Vaise,’ they thought, a glint of satisfaction flickering in their gaze. ’Finally.’

They knew who it was.

Heck, they had come to the capital city to meet him.

Not finding him in the academy, the armored figure was returning disappointedly, only to find him here.

Slowly, deliberately, the armored person rose, the giant sword on their back clinking softly as it shifted.

They moved to the counter and placed a heavy pouch of coins on it.

Wheat Bread raised a brow. "You good, mystery tin can?"

The figure nodded once. Then they turned and exited through the front door without a word.

Outside, they examined the carriage tracks on the ground—the marks of its tires.

They crouched, trailing a finger near the markings, and smirked behind the helm.

’Toward the capital... the Academy, then.’

The eyes behind the helmet narrowed with delight.

’Good. I’ll wait for you there, Raven.’

With that, they stood tall, shouldered the massive blade like it weighed nothing, and walked away—each step echoing with eerie resolve.

..............................

Meanwhile, Deep Inside the Vaise Information Network—Capital Branch.

The room was dimly lit, lined with dark wood panels, and a glowing map of the kingdom was etched into the table in front of them.

Crystal screens shimmered faintly on the walls, pulsing with data and missions.

Raven, who was sitting cross-legged on a chair, with Siris curled up beside him like a very dangerous, unhinged housecat, suddenly felt a chill.

’What the fuck?’

He glanced around, feeling that one more trouble was making its way toward him before he looked at Siris.

She hadn’t stopped clinging to him.

She had been sniffing him—

Inhale!

She sniffed again.

Raven gave her a flat look. "...You’re sniffing me."

"I’m memorizing your warmth."

Jessy looked like she was watching a romantic drama movie. "Okay, that’s... something I had never heard before."

Rufus was still processing. "Why is her heartbeat louder than Alex’s warcries?"

Alex shrugged. "I’ve accepted the weird."

Jake and—especially—Lia, on the other hand, stared at all this in silence.

Lia, looking at how close Siris was with Raven and how Raven wasn’t resisting anymore, clenched her fist.

’I was the one who convinced him about the harem matter...’

She lowered her head, her expression bitter.

She didn’t love Raven, but she still felt sore.

After all, despite seeing her naked, Raven’s attitude toward her never changed.

He knew her secret. He knew she was a girl, but he never treated her like one.

Now, he was being lovey-dovey (that’s what it looked like to her) with another girl before her.

It was then—

Cough!

—The man across from them cleared his throat.

He was thin, with a crooked nose, slicked-back grey hair, and long fingers that steepled thoughtfully.

Despite his formal suit, he looked more like a coffin salesman than a spy chief.

"So, to what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from the youngest son of the Dragon Duke, hmm?" He asked, smiling a little too wide.

Raven ignored the tone. "Information. On some noble families."

"Of course. But before we get to that..." The man’s fingers twitched, eyes glinting. "May I inquire... those scales you used earlier? They were fascinating. Almost identical to Lord Argon’s rumored Draconic Scales. Are you, perhaps, inheriting—"

"Is this an interview?" Raven interrupted, his eyes sharpening.

The man didn’t flinch. "Just curiosity. You understand... Anything related to the Duke’s line is of great importance. Especially if there’s a connection to—"

Raven, however, wasn’t in the mood to have a chat with this guy, so he turned his head toward his group.

It was one glance.

But the response was way more than that.

Jake stood. Jessy pushed her chair back. Alex cracked his knuckles. Rufus placed a hand on his sword.

Siris, of course, still attached to Raven like a limb, didn’t even stand. She just drew her bone dagger while hugging him.

As for Lia, well, she was a bit late to react, but after she did, she stood with the group, not wanting to be left out.

Even Nibbles, still above Alex’s head, now had a small wooden sword in his hand.

No one knew where it came from, and no one cared if it was wooden.

Nibbles’s determination was enough to scare even demonic beasts. Above all, he had two full squads of elite squirrel soldiers hidden in the shadows, ready to move.

One command from him and everyone in the room would know the power of the elite squad of Acornia, the squirrel empire.

The tension in the room, however, exploded.

From the shadows, ten separate auras suddenly flickered. Assassins. Hidden and silent.

Now, they were uncertain.

They weren’t sure if they were supposed to protect the chief... or submit to the dragon heir.

If that wasn’t enough, there was the prince of the Hector kingdom in Raven’s group.

A wrong move could cause a war.

The man held up a hand, trying to defuse things with a chuckle. "Surely we’re not—"

Raven, however, tilted his head.

Calmly.

Coldly.

Then, he said, "Come out. Or I’ll kill this guy."

Silence.

Then, from the back corner of the room, a mana ripple flared.

From the shadows walked out... an incredibly average-looking woman. She had shoulder-length brown hair, medium height, and a bored expression.

She wore a simple tunic as if she were a bakery worker.

But the pressure she gave off?

Every member of the group stiffened—except Siris, who was muttering "die-for-you-live-for-you-sniff-you" softly under her breath.

The woman sighed deeply, dragging her feet over. "Ugh. I told you guys this act wouldn’t last long."

She stood in front of the group, her expression sour as unripe plums.

No one moved.

The assassins in the walls? Still holding their breath.

For a while, the silence remained.

But soon, Raven narrowed his eyes. "Is this how you greet your master?"

The woman flinched. Her teeth ground.

Then, very slowly, very reluctantly... she bowed her head.

"...Master Raven," she said through gritted teeth. "Welcome to the Capital’s Shadow Branch."

Jessy blinked. "Wait... she works for you?"

Raven leaned back in his chair. "She doesn’t work for me. She had to work for me, as she is my slave."

"Yeah," the woman muttered. "I was forced to become one."

"Oh please," Raven rolled his eyes. "It was your fault for making a risky move."

"...fuck."

She had nothing left to say.

She couldn’t counter those words.

After all, she ended up in this situation because of her recklessness.

Siris stared at her, expression emotionless. "I will accept you if you’re loyal."

"Thanks?" the woman replied dryly.

Jessy just mumbled, "This group’s HR department is going to combust."

Raven finally sighed. "Now that we’ve dropped the acting, tell me what I want to know."

The woman crossed her arms. "Fine. But I want hazard pay."

"You’re salaried through my family."

"Still. Mental hazard pay. I feel like I’ve been sniffed six times since you walked in."

Siris looked at her. "You’re not special. I only sniff Raven."

Raven rubbed his temples. "Can we not make this a thing?"

"She already did," Jessy said flatly.

As the group settled, the woman shook her head, gesturing for the ugly man to move back, and he did just that.

Then, she sat on the seat, curious about what the rumored greatest genius of the Vaise family would want to know.