MTLNOVEL Chapter 74: Arrived
Luna had been glued to him ever since last night.
Her eyes were closed, head resting on his shoulder as they sat in the small eatery.
Hades didn't mind her closeness. If anything, his love for her seemed to grow with every passing moment.
"I don't know if it's just my heart talking," she murmured, looking up at him, "but since last night… my love for you has shot through the roof. Is it because of the mark?"
Hades shrugged lightly. "Could be. There's no burning now, right?" He leaned closer, checking her neck.
A faint pattern of glowing embers marked her skin—subtle, yet unmistakable. It was the sign of a dragon's claim.
His inner voice whispered that any dragon with half a brain who saw Luna would recognize the mark… and know it led back to him.
In that moment, Hades had essentially announced to the world that he was a dragon—through her.
He didn't regret it. But it made one thing certain—he would grow stronger, strong enough to protect his mate no matter the cost.
"After breakfast, let's visit the temple," he said.
Luna's expression grew serious, and she gave a small nod.
Their food arrived, and they ate a light meal—or at least Luna did. Hades's idea of "light" was still enough to overwhelm a normal stomach.
Not long after, they left the inn and made their way toward the temple.
….
"Vermion is dead?!"
The man with long black hair froze at his desk, the quill in his hand pausing mid-stroke. His voice was sharp with disbelief as he turned to the messenger.
"Wasn't he only sent to threaten those people trying to drag the Sage into their cause? Why did he engage?"
The Sage was a neutral force—too valuable for either side to lose. That was why the faction she had made a pact with always kept her away from human conflicts.
So when several convoys dared to appear at her doorstep, the alliance had dispatched a few dragons under a Duke-ranked commander to deliver a warning… nothing more.
Never in his worst imagination did the man think over half of them would be slain, with Vermion himself among the dead.
"I saw him fighting a human teenager, your lordship," the scout reported quietly. "Toward the end… he released a faint draconic aura."
The man's brows knit together. "A dragon… in human skin, hiding as a weaker race. Suspicious." He drummed his fingers on the desk before asking, "So—was he the one who killed Vermion?"
"No, your lordship. The pretender only managed to wound Sir Vermion. Someone else… finished him. Beheaded him. Forgive me, but I couldn't see their face."
The man leaned back in his chair with a slow, weary sigh. "If they could hide from your eyes, they're not human. And if they're not human…" His gaze sharpened. "…why protect a fake?"
This was already far messier than he had expected when the news first arrived.
After a long silence, he spoke again, his voice carrying a cold edge.
"Find out if that boy truly is a dragon. If he is… send someone to test him. But make sure this time, he faces his foe alone."
The air seemed to chill as he added, "And if he proves himself worthy… I'll bring him into the ranks."
….
By morning, both of them felt reenergized. The warm meal in their bellies only made the half-mile walk feel like nothing.
They chatted along the way—mostly about fragments of their past—until the grand entrance the carriage driver had mentioned finally came into view.
It was a massive semi-circular gate, arching up to nearly thirty feet. Time had claimed its surface; green moss clung stubbornly to the stone, yet the structure still stood firm, defying decay.
Strange letters were carved into the archway, their curves and flourishes unfamiliar to Hades.
But the girl beside him seemed to recognize them at once.
"Here begins the path where the soul sheds its dust… and finds its light," Luna read aloud.
Hades raised a brow. "You can read the Elven language?"
Luna's lips curved in a faint smile. "I had too much time on my hands when I trained with Grandma. So, I learned a few languages."
Hades couldn't help but be impressed.
They stepped closer to the gate, where two soldiers stood guard—one on each side.
"Entry for two," Hades said, reaching into his pouch for the four silver coins the carriage driver had told him about.
But the soldier shook his head. "Twenty silver coins."
Hades blinked. "It only cost two before, didn't it? We're not foreign tourists for you to scam."
Well… they were. But there was no need to be completely honest about that.
The soldier let out a weary sigh. "This isn't a scam. Entry fees went up because business in the city has been in decline."
Hades's brows frowned…he has heard about it.
In the end, they had no choice but to hand over the asked money.
"How much do we have left?" Luna asked in concern.
However, "Enough to last for several months. Don't worry." There were more than twenty five hundred gold coins in reserve. As such, Hades wasn't in a rush to earn more.
They soon entered the most ancient town of the nation.
Samaran City.
"...woah," Luna exclaimed as she stepped into the city, "...mana here is quite dense."
Hades could feel the air a bit heavy here but he couldn't sense Mana as vividly as her.
"Well, an ancient dragon resides here." He said while looking around.
Unlike usual human towns, this place was surrounded by greenery.
Trees were left as they were, and houses were built in the space between them.
Hades spotted several tree houses as well, and there were people living in them.
Winding stone paths, worn smooth by centuries, led past graceful wooden houses with curved roofs and flowering vines.
Clear streams ran through the streets, their soft trickle blending with the gentle hum of birdsong.
The air smelled faintly of blossoms and fresh rain, and every corner seemed to hold a calm, timeless beauty—as if the town had been dreaming in peace for a thousand years.
"It's peaceful here." Luna muttered under her breath as she walked by his side.
"Right…" Hades nodded as he looked at the market which was barely populated.
There were barely any tourists here and several shops hadn't opened even though the sun was high in the sky.
'If things continue like this, Torseque would lose its main focal point of tourism.' Hades sighed under his breath as he advanced towards the ancient temple.
He was curious to see the shelter where a Primordial being resides.
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A/N:- Thanks for reading.