— — — — — —
Ryo and Leticia turned at the sound of the voice and found themselves facing Sala Doltrake.
The new leader of the Draco Greif Alliance stood there in a pristine white evening gown, delicate gold jewelry adorning her forehead and neck. A glass of red wine rested lightly in her hand as she smiled at the two of them.
Seeing her, Ryo kept his arm linked with Leticia's and greeted her with a smile."Been a few days. You look even more stunning than before, Miss Sala."
"Please, spare me the teasing." Sala awkwardly brushed a hand through her freshly styled hair.
This kind of refined elegance didn't suit her at all. Compared to this restrictive gown, she much preferred something practical—like the combat-ready shorts she usually wore.
"If Garol hadn't insisted, I wouldn't be caught dead in this outfit."
She grumbled, then cast a sidelong glance at Ryo. Her eyes flicked to the way his arm was entwined with Leticia's, and a playful smile tugged at her lips.
"Too bad he couldn't make it tonight. If he saw this, he'd probably be shocked. The cold, untouchable vampire queen finally having her first taste of romance?"
Leticia tried to pull her hand back in embarrassment, but Ryo held onto it.
"Speaking of which, I owe you an apology," Ryo said, turning back to Sala. "For all the times I had to reschedule our meetings lately."
Over the past few days, he had invited the Draco Greif to talks more than once, only for each attempt to be derailed by some major incident.
First, the arrival of Dipankara buddha. Then, the Ouroboros visit. One thing after another—he had half-expected their newly reestablished allies to lose patience.
"Oh, come on." Sala rolled her eyes. "We're not idiots. When a bald monk that big shows up making trouble, we can tell what kind of mess you're dealing with. Honestly, it's a relief you didn't blame us for not stepping in."
Dipankara hadn't exactly been subtle. And setting him aside, there had also been Indra… and the Asura Queen who ambushed him. Monsters like those weren't something the Draco Greif could afford to get involved with.
Not helping an ally in trouble was one thing. Helping and getting wiped out in a single move was another.
If Ryo hadn't asked Kurousagi to postpone the meeting, Sala would have been in an unbearably awkward position.
Hearing that, Ryo let out a sigh. "To be honest, I don't even know why trouble keeps finding me."
That earned a snort of laughter from Sala. "Wow. You really have a way with words."
After a bit more casual banter, Sala finally got to the point. "So… about this divine conflict. Can the Draco Greif take part?"
"You're sure you want in?" Ryo raised a brow. "This isn't some harmless game."
Sala shrugged."Don't have much choice. The Dragon King Court is offering too much to pass up."
That made things click for Ryo.
Sala was a descendant of the Stellar Sea Dragon King, Seikairyuuou. It was no surprise that she had ties to the Dragon King Court.
Glancing around, Ryo spotted Mandora Doltrake off in a corner, downing wine in one go as Salamandra's representative.
"I thought Salamandra was the orthodox line of Seikairyuuou," he said, expression turning curious. "So why is the Dragon King Court backing you instead?"
Sala shrugged again. "Old history."
She took a sip of wine and explained casually:
"Back then, our ancestor—Seikairyuuou—faced off against the leader of the Dragon King Court. He lost and fled to the North Area to start anew. His descendants took on Western-style names to blend in with the local pantheons."
"That's how the name 'Salamandra' came to be."
"Because of all that, the Dragon King Court's never been too fond of my original faction. I'm kind of an exception. Garol has connections with them, and since I'm acting as an individual, I slipped past the usual bias."
Ryo chuckled. "So what you're really saying is… the Dragon King Court wants to keep Greece under control too?"
Sala glanced around before lowering her voice, "More precisely… Zeus."
"I've heard the Dragon King Court has already been in contact with the god of fire and the goddess of wisdom."
Hephaestus and Athena.
Ryo blinked, suddenly feeling a bit impressed.
"How many spies have they planted here, exactly?" he muttered.
Sala spread her hands. "No idea. But Garol did have me memorize a few key figures."
"Oh?" Ryo leaned in slightly, interested.
Sala stepped closer and began pointing people out.
"By the first buffet table—that bald old man with the white beard? Leader of the four-digit community [Fire of Wisdom]. Rumor is they're backed by the Titans Prometheus and Epimetheus."
Ryo followed her gaze and met the eyes of a blue-eyed, white-robed elder. The man noticed him and gave a polite bow with a smile.
"Over by the orchestra, on the sofa—the one wrapped head to toe in bandages. That's the leader of [Underworld Gate]. Backed by Nephthys, one of Egypt's Nine Deities. Apparently she has a serious grudge against Zeus."
Ryo's attention shifted to a slender figure wrapped in gray bandages, their gender and features completely obscured.
"On the dance floor—the red-skinned oni. Leader of [Abundance]. They're tied to Baal, the chief god of Canaanite mythology. Yes, the one who shares a name with… you-know-who."
Ryo spotted a muscular, bald man with black horns and crimson skin, dancing with a partner of similar appearance.
"And on the balcony—those people over there. The leader is from the [Five-Colored Dragon Court]. Said to be a subordinate of the dragon mother Tiamat. Another one who's got a history with Zeus. I even heard the current leader almost got… taken advantage of by that shameless king of gods."
Ryo looked over—and froze slightly.
A pink-skinned… lizard person.
He stared for a moment, expression growing increasingly odd.
'That's the one Zeus went after?'
Well… credit where it's due, I guess.
Sala continued introducing a few more figures before taking another sip of wine to wet her throat.
"Those are the main ones Garol told me to watch. They all have serious influence in their regions. Not Floor Rulers, but only because they don't want the position—not because they lack the strength."
"As for the rest… there are just too many communities here. I can't recognize them all."
Ryo nodded slightly—but his eyes had already picked out several familiar faces in the crowd.
A handsome man with bull horns, standing beside a figure who avoided his gaze—Bull Demon King.
A woman in a red dress smiling at him—Lamia.
A young man in white robes, still carrying a hint of innocence—Kalki.
And even… Scathach, who had changed her hairstyle into twin tails and didn't bother disguising herself at all.
Good grief…
Those were just the ones he recognized. How many more were hiding their identities with concealment techniques?
And he was about to give a rallying speech in front of all of them.
The thought made him feel both awkward… and strangely excited.
After a while, Leticia leaned in and murmured by his ear, "It's about time."
Ryo gave a small nod, straightened his suit, and walked toward the platform where the musicians stood.
The music gradually faded.
In that instant, every gaze in the hall turned toward him.
For that moment—
Ryo stood at the center of everyone's attention.
.
.
.