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Chapter: 1
How to Pick Up a Kind Dragon’s Ball
Long ago, there was a dragon who looked upon the human world with interest.
The dragon, named Mither, became the first king of a chaotic continent.
As time passed, the continent eventually split into two nations:
The vast empire embracing the desert—Astoria.
And the smaller yet nature-blessed kingdom overflowing with greenery—the Kingdom of Rivendell.
Between them lay Bersilia Island, home to the peaceful descendants of the dragon race—known as the Jewel Clan.
Years later…
Astoria’s soldiers suddenly descended upon the island and utterly destroyed it.
Even the Jewel Clan, known for their powerful magic, was helpless before the armed troops.
On that blood-soaked night, only one girl survived.
She was discovered late by a knight of Rivendell and taken to the kingdom.
Burning with vengeance, she swore to kill the Emperor of the empire that annihilated her home.
Since she possessed no magic, she chose the only path she could—
To become a knight.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The man who read the document Sia handed him spoke in a voice cold enough to freeze the air.
Sia flinched for a moment but steadied her voice and continued.
“I applied for the knight selection exam—and I passed. That means I’m no longer merely a cadet. I am now officially a kn—”
“No. I never granted you permission to apply. Or did you cheat behind my back?”
The Rivendell Military Academy.
It trained those with potential to become future knights, and Sia had lived there for years.
And this man was both her guardian and an instructor at the academy—
“…Instructor Riegless, I believe your words are out of line. I was given direct authorization from Prince Ulysses to take the exam. I passed fair and square, and this is the proof.”
Gilliard Riegless.
He was the one who rescued Sia, a survivor of the Jewel Clan, when she was attacked by the Empire as a child.
To Sia, he was her lifesaver, her guardian, and her teacher.
She endured all his harshness because she believed becoming a knight would be the first step toward revenge.
But he crushed that hope completely.
Without the instructor’s recommendation, no matter how talented, no one could take the knight exam.
And when he refused to explain why, Sia had grown exhausted from pleading—
Until the prince personally stepped in.
She took the exam and obtained her certificate proudly.
She thought that with the prince’s backing, he would have no choice but to accept it.
“…Do you really think you could successfully get revenge? Instead of wasting time with idiocies like vengeance, it’d be better if you married some rich old man.”
Something inside Sia snapped.
He had always been cold.
So cold she sometimes wondered why he even volunteered to become her guardian.
Over the years, he left countless wounds in her heart—big and small.
And now, the way he sneered “rich old man,” felt like he truly intended to break her completely.
“…Are you telling me… to get married?”
“I don’t know if becoming someone’s second wife counts as marriage, but he’s rich. He’ll probably buy you a dress if you want. I’ll even prepare a carriage tomorrow, so pack your bags—”
SMACK!
His words were cut short.
One side of his face swelled bright red where she had struck him.
Ignoring the blood trickling from the scratch near his eye, he slammed an old man’s portrait from his desk onto the floor at her feet.
“Look closely, Ermodian. This is my answer. Even if a blade is pressed to my throat, I will never help you.”
The prince’s certificate was torn to shreds before her eyes.
The entire moment felt unreal, like a distant dream.
After that, Sia’s memory blurred.
All she clearly remembered was shouting curses at him while he yelled back, just as furiously.
Soon after, Sia joined Prince Ulysses’ knight order.
She buried away her lonely, painful years and faithfully followed the prince’s commands.
If she continued like this, one day her sword would reach the Emperor’s throat.
And one day, she would show her guardian just how wrong he’d been.
That was her hope.
But she never imagined she would reunite with him five years later inside the cold prison of the royal palace.
In a narrow underground cell where not even a sliver of light could reach, Sia breathed shallowly.
Her body—broken from endless torture—barely had strength left to move.
Just as she waited for time to pass, chaos erupted in the dungeon.
Then the heavy door burst open, and a tall man rushed inside.
Recognizing him, Sia whispered in disbelief.
“…Instructor?”
“Stand.”
He supported her trembling body and helped her up, immediately leading her out.
Seeing the unconscious guards and blood all over the corridor, Sia finally understood.
“Why…?”
“There’s no time.”
Following him, she climbed the stairs.
The outside world she hadn’t seen in so long was completely blanketed in falling snow.
Riegless lifted her onto a waiting horse and mounted behind her.
“There! We found them!”
Arrows flew past as Riegless kicked the horse forward.
He headed toward the forest behind the palace.
He knew the terrain well and rode swiftly, but the pursuers were relentless.
Just when the thunderous hoofbeats surrounding them felt overwhelming—
The horse let out a shrill cry.
“NEIGH!”
An arrow struck its hindquarters, and it collapsed into the snowy ground.
Thrown into the snow, Sia heard footsteps and looked up.
An imperial soldier stood before her, sword raised high.
“Die, traitor!!!”
“Sia!”
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Something warm splattered across Sia’s face.
Bright red… carrying the stench of blood.
Moments later, she realized—
It was Riegless’ blood.
“Gah—!”
The soldier whose neck he slashed collapsed into the snow.
Riegless ripped the sword embedded in his chest free with a groan.
“What… what are you doing…?!”
“Move… we have to move… there’s no time…”
But he stumbled, unable to go any farther.
Sia caught him before he fell.
“Instructor!”
Using the last of her strength, Sia laid him across her lap.
Blood from the wound near his heart soaked through his clothes and dyed the snow beneath them crimson.
He coughed heavily, spitting blood.
The sight made her chest ache unbearably.
“Why… why did you do something so reckless?”
He slowly opened his eyes.
Even in pain, the golden irises hidden beneath his lids still shone faintly…
Like two bright full moons.
Just like she remembered.
“Please… answer me… Instructor!”
Her scream was swallowed by the snow, but he surely heard her.
He exhaled weakly.
A faint smile touched his blood-stained lips.
Like the moon fading behind clouds…
The light in his eyes dimmed.
Staring blankly at her, he murmured—
“From the moment… you came into my life… I haven’t… slept peacefully… even once…”
“….”
“Maybe… now… I finally can…”
With those last words, the full moons disappeared completely.
He never opened his eyes again.
Sia stared at his face, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry.
Her gaze fell upon the scar beneath his closed eye.
She had hated him… even wished he would just die.
Even after witnessing everything drenched in blood, she sharpened her blade in anger at how he kept obstructing her life.
She swore countless times she would one day triumph before him.
But now he was simply gone.
In the most senseless, incomprehensible way possible.
“…Found them!”
A shout rang out.
Before she could react, cold steel pressed against her, and she collapsed atop his body.
Someone approached through the soldiers holding torches.
A white cloak fluttered in the snowy wind.
The blond man knelt before her, meeting her fading gaze.
Through her blurring vision, she saw sorrow filling his blue eyes.
“Sia Ermodian… my loyal knight.”
He gently stroked her hair.
“I never intended to abandon you. I truly wanted to save you…”
His voice trembled. She could hear his grief.
“Please forgive this foolish lord of yours. Now… rest.”
Twenty-seven years of a life lived only for revenge.
Where had it all gone wrong?
Was it delusional to think she could ever kill an emperor?
As her consciousness faded, she stared at the blood-soaked face of her guardian.
Like the dragons who reincarnated through cycles of life…
If she were given just one more chance…
“Next time… I will definitely…”
Her unfinished words dissolved into silence
As darkness swallowed her completely.
