Reawakening: Primordial Dragon with Limitless Mana
Chapter 47: Last Perfect

Chapter 47: Last Perfect

"Where exactly in the East are we going?" Rinne asked, her voice low as they rode side by side along the narrow forest trail.

Towering trees loomed on either side, their branches brushing faintly against each other in the morning breeze. Shadows danced along the path, though the sun was high.

This wasn’t a regular road—it was a shortcut. One used mostly by soldiers and seasoned traders. Which meant it was dangerous.

They were prepared, of course. Both had packed for trouble.

Trouble? The forest surrounding them was home to creatures ranked up to Level T—T for Town. In other words, dangerous enough to wipe out an entire settlement if left unchecked.

So yes, they had to stay alert. And quiet.

Hades had insisted on traveling by daylight. Visibility was humanity’s edge—and he intended to use it. Besides, riding for just ten hours a day gave the horses enough rest to avoid exhaustion.

"There’s a town," Hades finally answered. "It’s called Bavech."

Rinne stiffened. A chill slid down her back. "B-Bavech? That’s... that’s a dangerous place, isn’t it?"

Bavech sat right at the edge of the human realm.

The very tip—where civilization ended and the unknown began.

Once, it had been known as the safest place in the East.

Now?

Now it was a death zone, a place few dared to enter.

Yet it still held significance—for one reason.

The Sage.

The same Sage who, decades ago, had forged the pact with the Dragon Rulers. A contract powerful enough to keep the most destructive creatures in existence from turning the human lands to ash.

The only reason dragons hadn’t laid waste to the realms whenever their whims shifted... was that pact.

So why was it no longer considered safe?

Because the Sage was old now. Fading.

And a pact loses its power when one of its contractees disappears.

So yes, Rinne’s apprehension was not only reasonable—it was wise.

"Rinne... sooner or later, we’ll have to face the truth—the pact will disappear," Hades said calmly, his grip on the reins light but steady. "Bavech or not, every human city will eventually fall under threat."

Rinne nudged her horse forward until they were riding side by side. "Do you have something in mind? Are you... planning to meet the Sage?"

Hades let out a quiet chuckle. "No one meets the Sage, Rinne. Every ruler of the human realm has tried knocking on her door. And you know what happened to the ones who tried to force their way in."

Rinne nodded slowly. She had heard the stories.

Her grandmother, who had lived for over four hundred years, had once spoken of it—how even the most powerful men had returned broken... or never returned at all. Tangling with the Sage, she’d warned, was like trying to catch a falling star with bare hands.

Disastrous.

But Rinne had no intention of stopping Hades. If he had chosen Bavech, then he surely had a reason.

She trusted him. Always had.

"Just keep this in mind, Rinne," Hades said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Whatever happens there... I’ll keep you safe."

She felt it—the warmth blooming in her chest. A familiar flutter that came only from him.

Her heart skipped, her breath caught, and her cheeks warmed despite the forest breeze.

Because when Hades said he’d protect her...

She believed him.

Every word.

....

Human nations were scattered across all four directions.

Two of them clung close to the borders—one in the north and the other in the east.

The west and south, however, were hemmed in by vast, untamed oceans.

The city from where they had departed stood in the eastern part of the human realm.

To reach Bavech, it would take seven days at their current pace.

Thankfully, due to the relatively small land area of human territories, long-distance travel rarely became exhausting.

In fact, one could reach the southernmost tip of the realm from its northernmost point in just fifteen days.

But Hades knew the next few days would be particularly silent.

No towns. No settlements.

Only the occasional merchant caravan might appear along the road.

Until then, the forest would be their home.

A small sigh escaped his lips as he watched Rinne swat at her arm—another mosquito bite.

She was busy chopping vegetables for dinner, and soon, she’d be curling up in a stiff, uncomfortable sleeping bag.

He exhaled slowly, his voice barely a whisper.

"...I’m sorry for taking this route. I should’ve thought this through a bit more."

Rinne blinked, surprised by his tone.

Then it clicked—he was concerned for her and their living conditions.

"Don’t be, Hades," she said gently. "This is nothing compared to the training I went through under my grandma."

That caught his attention.

"You’ve mentioned her a lot," he noted, folding his arms across his knees, his gaze soft. "You two must’ve been really close."

There was no hesitation in his question. Not anymore.

Days of traveling side by side had slowly worn down the wall between them.

Rinne smiled faintly, continuing her task as she spoke.

"She... is my everything. I owe her everything I am. She was both the best mother I could ask for and the strictest teacher I could ever endure. She put up with my whining, my failures... and still believed in me. She made me who I am."

Hades’s lips curled into a warm smile.

"It’s a rare fortune to have someone like that in your life."

Rinne nodded, her voice softening.

"I know, right?" She exhaled deeply, the memory sinking into her chest. "There were so many times I wanted to give up. Times when I thought this world was too cruel, too heavy. And every single time I snapped or broke down... she didn’t coddle me. She just smacked me right back into place and pushed me to face it again."

Hades chuckled too, the image oddly easy to imagine.

"You know..." he mused, "I didn’t think Lady Perfect could actually be scared of anything."

Rinne turned her head sharply. "Lady Perfect?"

Hades flinched. "I-I didn’t mean it like that—I mean, it’s what people say, kind of a nickname?"

She blinked again, skeptical. "Never heard it."

Then, squinting playfully, she asked, "So you think I’m Lady Perfect?"

He extended his hand in mock surrender, tone teasing but honest.

"I mean... you’re strong, you’re pretty, you cook well, your hair’s always neat. Is there anything you can’t do?"

"I can’t seduce you," she replied with a half-laugh, half-sigh, putting on a deliberately fake sad face. "I’m a complete failure in that department."

Hades smiled wryly. "Well... you were really close—"

"Huh?! When?!" Rinne suddenly stood up and marched toward him, her face lit with curiosity. "What was I wearing that day? How did I smell? Was it the dress? Was it that time we faked having sex? Tell me, Hades!"

He only chuckled, his silence infuriatingly smug.

And just like that, Rinne had a new mystery to unravel.

One she would absolutely not be letting go of—especially not while curled up in that uncomfortable sleeping bag.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.