That night, with her daily tasks finally complete, Milayna at last had the chance to sit down and listen to Ketal’s story. She sat across from him in a quiet parlor of the Akasha family estate, the light of the lanterns flickering softly across her face.0

She listened in growing disbelief as Ketal recounted the events of the past several days: the quest from the Wandering Merchant, the journey to the dragon’s lair, the battle that had nearly shattered the world itself, and the final confrontation with Ignisia, the legendary Elder Dragon.0

When he finished, she was silent for a long moment, trying to process everything she had heard. Then, her voice trembled. “You mean… you actually killed a dragon?”0

Ketal nodded, utterly calm. “That’s right.”0

For Milayna, the words carried a weight that almost seemed to bend the air around them. To kill a dragon meant only one thing.0

She spoke again, almost in awe. “A… Dragon Slayer.”1

Ketal looked momentarily surprised, then broke into a sheepish grin. “Ah. I suppose that does make me one, doesn’t it?”0

He had been so focused on the battle itself, and then the aftermath with Ignisia, that he’d completely forgotten the legendary title that now belonged to him.0

Milayna just stared, wide-eyed. The mere thought of the title, Dragon Slayer, was enough...0