After 5 years, Sargan's true intentions became apparent. Sargan had planted spies among the merchants he sent, infiltrating his men into the country's interior and attempting to incite the people as much as possible. Furthermore, he had successfully established a vast network of information. Flarka noticed this but did not break the agreement; instead, he imposed restrictions on the merchants. They were no longer allowed into the city but accommodated in roadside inns, where their goods were accepted before they were sent back. Sargan grew uneasy with this situation, and the tone of his letters became harsher. In recent times, Northern pirates had started attacking the empire's islands. Although Sargan claimed they were also facing similar attacks and that the pirates acted independently, it was evident that things were under his control.

During these naval battles, Jhadol repeatedly proved his worth. With his sharp intellect, he achieved consecutive victories in the maritime conflicts. However, facing different pirate groups in each battle started to wear down the navy. Today, Jhadol stood up to address these matters.
The admiral was a middle-aged man with tousled hair. He shaved regularly and dressed elegantly. He was highly skilled and not only a competent commander but also a formidable warrior. In recent clashes with the Northerners, he had demonstrated his value and managed to impress the king. However, the toll these battles took on him was evident. After adjusting his jacket, Jhadol began handing the reports one by one to Kierra.

"My king, during the week you went hunting, the Northern pirates attacked Sakiz Island at the outermost edge once again. Our security network, due to constant attacks, has been weakened. The replacement ships that arrive are getting damaged until our repaired ships are ready. If this continues, we may lose our dominance in the region."

"It seems that Sargan has gained access to the Angel Sea and even more distant areas. With numerous ships passing through the strait, it is often difficult to distinguish between merchant and pirate vessels."

"The only way we can overcome this situation is by increasing our number of ships, but we are not in a position to provide the necessary financial support for that. We need to shift our focus to the southern borders. Let's gradually withdraw from the region. Your priority should be to ensure the security of our shores. We cannot confront those men at sea. Do your best to keep the war away from our coasts, but don't venture too far away from them either. For now, we have no choice but to surrender the seas to Sargan."
Flavia could no longer maintain her silence in the face of these words and shouted as she stood up, "This is literally accepting defeat! How can you say that?"

Flarka could see from the eyes of the others in the room that they were thinking the same thing. After taking a deep breath, he said, "Believe me, you can't imagine how much it pains me to utter this sentence. But we are talking about a dragon attack here. Maybe I can't bring back the golden age to this kingdom, but no previous king had ever faced a dragon threat. The safety of the civilian population is what matters. We will redirect our military strength and treasury support to the south. Our only connection with the seas will be Angel Castle, but this is a risk we have to take."

The group was far from pleased with this development. No one dared to speak out. Flarka turned to Kierra and asked about Sakha's condition. Upon learning that Sakha was conscious, he ordered him to bring him here. After a short wait, Kierra brought Sakha inside, holding onto the chains on his arms. Nobody in the room felt the need to hide their hostility towards Sakha.

When Sakha stood in the middle of the room, the whole group watched him from bottom to top. Rhadam was the first to speak up: "Today, I buried 30 good men. Men who died because of you. They were loyal soldiers who loved their homeland and left behind families."

"I wasn't the one who drew my sword first. I came here to help all of you," Sakha replied. He felt no slightest hint of guilt for the massacre he caused. When he locked eyes with Rhadam, the indifference and threat in his eyes only fueled the hatred everyone felt towards him.

Marek cursed quietly. Jhadol remained silent. The seers, on the other hand, stood up as soon as they saw Sakha and watched him with excitement. Flarka turned to the seers and asked, "What can you tell me about this man?"

Zeis stepped forward, taking Sakha's hand and began to speak. "Ah, this is the man I've seen in my dreams. But his face is so clouded. He has witnessed a great devastation, a great loss... The hatred growing within him is at war with the goodness he was born with. It has made him unbalanced. He has been on the roads for a long time, yes, I see that. He has lost his way, then found it again, only to lose it once more. Despite the burning fire of great hatred within him and the goodness within him significant deeds thus far, but what destiny has in store for him is not yet finished. Ah, no. You haven't completed your mission in this world, my child."
relentless destruction that follows him,

Marek leaned toward Rhadam and whispered, "I didn't understand a thing." Rhadam shared the same sentiment. It seemed that Flavia was the only one who appeared to comprehend what was happening.

Zeis continued to look into Sakha's eyes. It seemed that what he saw there had astounded him. Without averting his gaze from Sakha, he spoke again, "I am not the only seer who has gained your trust, am I?" Sakha remained silent, observing the seer. After the last question, he averted his eyes and started looking around. A perplexing smile appeared on Zeis' face. He resumed his seat without further speaking and spent the following hours silently observing Sakha.

Flarka took over the conversation and turned to Sakha, saying, "We had a rough start, I admit. Although I can't forgive you for what you've done, it seems I have no choice but to trust you," he said and ordered for his hands to be untied.

The soldiers uneasily unchained Sakha. After rubbing his hands for a while, Sakha spoke up, "My name is Sakha. I was born and raised in the North. Ten years ago, a fire dragon attacked my homeland. It destroyed my home and my people. That day, I swore an oath of revenge and set out on a journey to find and kill the fire dragon. For the past 10 years, I have traveled the world tirelessly, relentlessly, never giving up. I have learned everything I could about dragons and all other creatures from the outer world. But I realized that I won't gain any more knowledge until I came here. So, my path led me here."

"I can't say that you have been very welcoming either. You have been trying to kill me since the moment you first laid eyes on me," Sakha responded with an indifferent attitude. Sakha's demeanor further infuriated everyone in the room. Flarka slowly rose from his throne and began walking towards him. The sounds of his slow steps echoed in the throne room. Flarka's deliberate pace also roused the commanders, who formed a tight circle around Sakha, awaiting any order that might come. Flarka began speaking without averting his gaze from Sakha.

"At this moment, your fate hangs on two words that will leave my mouth. Master Zeis says we should trust you. Forgive me, but I will never trust a Northerner."

"We have had our fair share of trouble with Northerners in recent years. And now, at the brink of war, a Northerner follows me for days and then offers assistance, claiming it's to seek revenge on a dragon. A dragon! Why should I trust you? Give me a single reason why I shouldn't take your life."

As Flarka spoke, his voice grew louder. When he finished his sentence, it seemed as though his voice echoed throughout the building. Even the seers hesitated to make any comments when Flarka became so enraged. Everyone in the room held their breath, anticipating what would happen next, fearing Flarka's wrath. However, Sakha showed no signs of tension. He started speaking with a slight smile.
"After all, I haven't been wandering aimlessly for ten years. I have traveled to all countries and seen all cities on this planet. Unfortunately, the creatures you have been fighting here for years are nothing more than children's tales in the rest of the world. In this world, I am the only person who knows your real problems and can support you. My only concern is being able to kill creatures. The more I can kill, the more peace I find."

When Sakha finished speaking, he turned confidently towards Flarka. Both sides looked at each other without uttering a word, as if weighing each other. Kirra, seemingly displeased with the situation, began slowly moving towards Flarka. At that moment, Flarka held his head and stepped back, pacing back and forth in the room before leaning on the table. He contemplated everything that had transpired, weighing it in his mind and trying to make the right decision.

While Flarka pondered internally, all the commanders watched him with great curiosity. Finally, when he raised his head and turned back to Sakha, the threat in his eyes had given way to helplessness.

"Yes, because you were unaware of the dragon threat you were facing, weren't you? I had no knowledge of the seers in the palace. I thought I could be the only one to provide you with that information."

Sakha, finally satisfied with the direction of the conversation, tried to approach Flarka with his shoulders held high, but Rhadam blocked his path. However, when Flarka instructed them to step back, they all retreated to their original positions. Sakha walked to the center of the room and began answering the question.

"You know those children's tales I mentioned? They all say that wherever dragons approach, there is an increase in outbreaks, famine, and natural disasters. Everywhere. In most countries, these are now considered superstitious beliefs. Recently, I started investigating regions where infectious diseases are prevalent. Through extensive research, I learned that your country exhibits all the symptoms."

"And have these symptoms been observed in your country too?" Sakha hesitated for a moment at this question, took a deep breath, and answered with great sorrow.
"Yes, all of them."

Sakha's words made Flarka and Rhadam lock eyes. Rhadam's face turned pale again, and he could only watch silently. Flavia murmured, "So it's true. These are truly signs of dragons," his voice barely above a whisper, consumed by fear. Fear permeated every inch of his being, causing his entire body to tremble. The room was instantly filled with a deep sense of despair and helplessness.

Kierra slumped into the first chair he found. Marek slowly leaned against his shoulder. Jhadol turned to the seers as if seeking solace, but they too had lowered their heads in despair.

"Shortly, I will take you to a hidden place. But first, we need to resolve the issue of trust between us. What can you tell me about your country?"

"We are trying to trust each other here, aren't we? I need to verify some things to be sure you're telling the truth. Besides, I lost 30 soldiers because of you. You owe me that much."

"The name of the country is Alkar. Our lives pass by trying to survive on an isolated island off the shores of the Gray Ocean. Long ago, unknown barbarians set foot on our island, severed our external world connections, and enslaved the people by isolating them completely. However, after years of war, we regained our independence. The country is now ruled by a warrior named Sargan, known for his prowess in battle. When I escaped the country, no one had yet managed to establish contact with the outside world. I have no idea how they managed to reach here."

"I bought a fishing boat and sailed east as far as I could. When I didn't come across any land, I turned the helm south. I miraculously survived all those waves and storms. Just when I thought I had made it, I encountered a pirate ship. Of course, I learned much later that it was a pirate ship. You can understand that I had to learn the meaning of the word 'pirate' first. By sheer luck, I escaped from them as well, and my adventure began."

Flarka realized that Sakha unknowingly became a great inspiration for maritime expeditions in his country. Although his anger had not completely subsided, Flarka had started to develop a genuine respect for him.

"My country is located at the point where the Arctic Ocean and the Gray Ocean merge. Half of our land is always covered in ice. The other half receives rain for half of the year. Therefore, the crops we can grow are limited. Our agricultural areas are restricted. The population that the continent can sustain is fixed. Until recently, we have been constantly at war, and we never had time to consider such issues. However, there is more peace in Alkar than ever before. This has brought to light the problems we have neglected until now."

"So, they set sail into the seas to find new habitats," Flarka thought aloud. Then she turned to Sakha again and said, "I believe we trust each other more now," and ordered for Sakha to be taken to the laboratory. She then got up herself, and the meeting swiftly moved to the laboratory.