"It's you?" Ur opened the guild doors and paused slightly when he saw Pasfield standing there. "What is it?"
Through the open doors, Pasfield caught sight of Fairy Tail's current condition. His expression stiffened for a brief moment, but quickly returned to normal.
"May we speak in private?" Pasfield asked politely.
"Sure." Ur knew full well the guild's current appearance wasn't exactly presentable, so he readily agreed.
The two of them found a rather upscale cafe. Naturally, Pasfield was paying.
After taking a sip of coffee that tasted mediocre at best but cost a small fortune, Ur leaned back comfortably. "Go on. What exactly do you want with me?"
Pasfield also took a sip, set his cup down gently, and completed an entire sequence of aristocratic etiquette before finally speaking at a measured pace. "I wonder if Ur has ever heard of the legendary Azure Water?"
Ur's hand passed slightly around his cup. His eyes flickered for a moment before he replied with mild surprise, "Azure Water? You mean the kind of miraculous liquid where adding a single drop to any potion can multiply its effects?"
"Haha… I can't say whether it enhances potions," Pasfield chuckled. "But I do know that with Azure Water, I can brew a magical wine brimming with power."
At the end of his sentence, he unconsciously licked his lips. "So? What does that have to do with me?" Ur remained unmoved.
Though he was indeed somewhat interested in Azure Water, it was no more than mild curiosity.
Hearing this, Pasfield's gaze gradually turned serious. "I hope to obtain the assistance of you, 'Dragon Slayer' Ur Jeld."
"My family has been in the wine business for over a century. One of our most prized products is brewed using Azure Water. But several years ago, the source of our Azure Water was seized by an extraordinarily powerful dragon. We hired powerful mages multiple times to slay it… yet every attempt ended in failure."
"Wait, wait, hold on." Ur immediately cut him off, eyes widening. "You're not asking me to go to Guiltina and slay a dragon, are you? If that's what this is about, you might as well stop right there. I don't have that kind of ability."
Was this a joke?
If he went to Guiltina and the dragon occupying Pasfield's family estate happened to be one of the Five Dragon Gods, Ur would probably die without even making a dent.
"No, no…" Pasfield quickly explained, realizing the misunderstanding. "To be honest, my family has already given up on reclaiming that site. That creature is simply too powerful—far beyond what human strength can contend with."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips, as though recalling the despair that dragon had once brought. "The reason I've come to you this time concerns another source of Azure Water."
"Since losing our original source, our business has steadily declined. So we began searching for new deposits. Recently, someone discovered traces of Azure Water in the Northern River Sea. However…" Pasfield paused, glanced at Ur, then continued.
"Those who found it were attacked by some kind of monster. Only a handful escaped. According to them, the creature that attacked them was very likely… another dragon."
With that final word, the atmosphere between them grew noticeably heavier.
Ur rubbed his brow, feeling exasperated.
Weren't dragons supposed to have gone extinct four hundred years ago? Why were they popping up one after another like they were free giveaways?
After a moment of thought, Ur asked cautiously, "First, I need to confirm something. Is this a true dragon or a drake?"
"Most likely a drake," Pasfield stroked his chin. "Those people weren't particularly strong. If it had been a true dragon, they probably wouldn't have escaped."
"I see." Ur let out a subtle sigh of relief.
If it were merely a drake, that was another matter. Such creatures were still relatively common in this world, especially in the boundless ocean, where no one truly knew what lurked beneath the waves.
Still, even among drakes, there were levels. If it were on the same level as Hitsuya, then even Ur, at his current strength, wouldn't stand a chance.
"So you want me to deal with that drake?"
"Exactly."
"Why me? You must have other options."
"No." Pasfield shook his head. "Though my knowledge of dragons is limited, I know that ordinary mages struggle against such colossal beings. Aside from Dragon Slayers, perhaps only the Ten Wizard Saints of Ishgar would have the power to slay one. But figures like that are clearly beyond my reach."
Ur shook his head slightly.
It was obvious Pasfield, being from Guiltina, didn't fully understand Ishgar. If it were merely a drake, there were certainly people in Fiore capable of handling it; several guild masters alone would qualify. The guild masters of the major magical guilds were hardly pushovers.
But Ur didn't bother correcting him.
He wasn't surprised Pasfield knew about Dragon Slayers. Guiltina differed from Ishgar. Dragon Slayers, there, though few, were not as obscure.
The situation was clear enough. Time to talk business.
"So," Ur said calmly, fixing Pasfield with a steady gaze, "what are you offering? Dealing with that kind of creature isn't exactly simple."
At once, Pasfield straightened in his seat, his expression solemn. "I won't deceive you. I don't currently possess sufficient liquid funds as payment. However… I am willing to offer five percent of my family's commercial holdings in exchange for your assistance."
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TN: Starting from this chapter onwards, dragons and drakes will be used interchangeably throughout the story. Since true dragons are rare, the common ones are sub-dragons known as drakes.
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