After leaving the Elven Forest on horseback and traveling a considerable distance for two full days, the knights—accompanied by Sveanna—made their way across the Iris Aurora flower field. The petals shimmered in hues of purple blended with golden blue, resembling the colors of the aurora itself, while their leaves softly reflected the sunlight.

  At the center of the meadow stood a massive ancient banyan tree, its natural green leaves thick and lush, with specks of light cascading down upon every leaf. The wind swept gently through the field, causing the grass to sway and carrying a sweet fragrance reminiscent of honey and vanilla. Above them, the sky was brilliantly clear, and phoenixes soared gracefully overhead, as if guiding their journey that day. The sight brought great joy to the knights and the Elven women who accompanied them. Eventually, the leader of the hunting party, Isac Galeon, decided that they would rest there.

  While resting beneath the giant banyan tree, the female knights along with Sveanna cheerfully picked several stems of Iris flowers, weaving them one by one into floral crowns and placing them upon their heads.

  “Wear this, Sasa,” Elisabeth said as she gently placed the flower crown on Sasa’s head.

  “How do I look, Elisabeth?” Sasa asked, striking an adorable pose with two fingers raised as she wore the crown.

  “You look absolutely beautiful, Sasa,” Elisabeth replied, embracing her warmly.

  “You should wear one too, Lula,” Sveanna said as she placed a crown of flowers upon Lula’s head and hugged her affectionately.

  “You look so different—so beautiful wearing it.”

  Lula returned Sveanna’s embrace gently.

  “Thank you so much, Sveanna. You look beautiful as well. You look like an Elven princess.”

  The four women laughed happily, exchanging compliments with one another.

  The male knights, watching from beneath the giant tree, could only smile at the girls’ antics. Monci then teasingly nudged Matias, who was sitting with his head lowered, leaning against the massive banyan tree.

  “Don’t you want to wear one too, Matias? I think it would suit you. If you want, I can make one for you and put it on your head,” Monci joked.

  “No, I’ll be the one to make one for you instead,” Matias replied with a laugh, followed by the laughter of the other knights who overheard the exchange.

  As they rested and admired the beauty of the iris field, their conversation turned to the cursed dragon.

  “Then about Vornahurd and the cursed dragon—are they connected to one another?” Lula asked, opening the discussion.

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  “It’s said that long ago, several knights attempted the same mission we’re undertaking now, but it ended in failure after they encountered a dragon,” one of them explained.

  “According to ancient manuscripts I’ve read, a powerful mystical force always surrounds the area near Vornahurd, and it was that dragon which thwarted the previous knights’ mission.”

  “And our first war general, Jack Laurensius, once carried out this mission as well,” Isac Galeon added. “He managed to return alive, though in dreadful condition. Of the twelve men sent, only three survived.”

  “What did the dragon look like, Hersir?” Thauvin asked his leader.

  “From the story told to me firsthand, the dragon was enormous—its form resembling a mountain, with a roar of terrifying power. Its appearance brought storms, and with its mystical strength, the knights nearby were slain instantly. General Jack and the surviving knights fled immediately to save their lives.”

  “But it’s also said that after killing the knights, it transformed into a human,” Isac Galeon added.

  “Does that mean what Elisabeth saw was the dragon after it had taken human form?”

  “I don’t know. Hopefully, when we eventually meet it, we’ll be able to face it directly.”

  “Sveanna, do you know anything about this dragon?” one of the knights asked.

  Looking around at the knights, Sveanna began to speak.

  “There is a story our Elven people have always believed—a reason why we never set foot on Mount Levuskan, even to this day.”

  “I don’t know how the tale began, but according to my father, Mount Levuskan holds an immense spiritual energy. Whenever someone steps onto its land, the dragon immediately becomes aware of their presence, no matter where they try to hide within the mountain’s domain.”

  “Hersir, should we use tactics to seize Vornahurd?” Matias asked.

  Isac Galeon fell silent for a moment, contemplating a plan.

  “What if, when we reach the territory of Mount Levuskan, we release our horses and send them running in another direction, while we slowly approach from elsewhere?”

  “That’s impossible, Hersir,” Lothar replied. “From what Sveanna has told us, the dragon will surely detect our movements.”

  “What if I become the bait?” Elisabeth suddenly exclaimed.

  The knights and Sveanna stared at her in shock, immediately rejecting the idea.

  “Are you crazy, Elisabeth?” Sasa shouted.

  “You could be killed,” Monci added in agreement.

  Seeing their reactions, Elisabeth remained calm, a gentle smile etched upon her face as she explained her reasoning.

  “With my current talents, it’s impossible for that dragon to kill me.”

  “I have a brilliant plan, so trust me, my friends,” Elisabeth said confidently.

  “But it’s too risky, Elisabeth!”

  “We can’t allow you to be separated from us—especially after we lost Ragan.”

  The lively atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Only the sound of the wind brushing against the grass and the chirping of several light-blue Finch birds playing around the flower field could be heard.

  Moments later, Sveanna broke the silence by speaking of an ancient Elven spell.

  “What if we use the forbidden magic of the Elves?”

  “A spell we only use when our people are cornered or when our lives are in danger.”

  The knights exchanged worried glances at one another.

  “Isn’t that dangerous too, Sveanna?” Breum asked.

  “No. On the contrary, it will help us escape the cursed dragon if it attempts to attack us.”

  “The nature of this magic is defensive, but it requires careful adaptation when casting it. The user must be keenly aware of the situation.”

  “In fact, this spell is so forbidden that our people are prohibited from even speaking its name carelessly, as doing so could activate it immediately.”

  After hearing Sveanna’s explanation of the spell, the knights slowly nodded. Though doubt lingered, they believed that only through this magic could they survive the wrath of the cursed dragon.