CHAPTER 179: THE HERMES FAMILY

"Welcome, Princess Elina, Prince Nolan, Young Lady Rafine, and General Luvistar. I, Darel Hermes, extend my warmest greetings to you all."

Rafine, Nolan, Elina, and Luvistar responded with small nods.

They dismounted from their horses one by one and handed the reins to the soldiers waiting behind them.

"My apologies for troubling you to greet us in person, Viscount Hermes. I hope it wasn’t an inconvenience," Rafine said politely as she stepped forward.

Although her status was higher than Darel’s, that didn’t mean she could act arrogantly or without consideration.

After all, Darel was older than her and deserved respect.

"Hahaha!" Darel let out a hearty laugh and waved a hand dismissively. "What are you saying, Young Lady? How could I be annoyed? I’m truly delighted to welcome all of you."

He then turned to Elina and Nolan, bowing his head respectfully.

"Thank you for visiting Thalora City, Your Highnesses. Your presence is an honor for us. I hope you feel at home here."

Elina gave a faint smile and nodded. "You’re too kind, Viscount Hermes. And thank you for the warm welcome."

After exchanging pleasantries, they stepped into the mansion’s courtyard.

"By the way, Viscount Hermes, may I ask you something?" Luvistar said courteously.

"Of course, General," Darel replied with a nod. "You’re wondering about the sea monster, aren’t you?"

"That’s right," Luvistar admitted. "I still haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve heard rumors that it has the shape of a giant snake. Is that true?"

Before he, Elina, and Nolan departed from the palace, there had been no official report regarding the monster’s existence.

That was understandable, considering the Emperor seemed to have no intention of disclosing the matter to other regions—such as the South, North, or West.

Still, Duke Austin had provided Luvistar with some information before their departure for Thalora yesterday.

According to the report, the monster resembled a massive black-scaled serpent, stretching hundreds of meters in length, and had been responsible for destroying ships crossing the Nereus Sea.

However, Luvistar wasn’t fully satisfied with that information. He felt it was necessary to hear directly from Darel, the ruler of Thalora City—the place where the creature had most often appeared.

"Yes, the monster is indeed shaped like a long black serpent," Darel confirmed with a serious expression. "But according to some eyewitnesses, it doesn’t look entirely like a snake... they say it resembles a dragon."

At that, it wasn’t just Luvistar who was surprised—Elina, Nolan, and Rafine also reacted with shock.

"A dragon? Are you certain, Viscount Hermes?" Elina asked, her tone grave.

Dragons were among the original inhabitants of the continent, alongside other ancient races such as Elves, Dwarves, Demons, and more.

But ever since the fall of the Demon Emperor a thousand years ago, humans had come to dominate nearly 90% of the continent, leaving only small pockets of territory in the hands of other races.

Of course, that didn’t mean those races were extinct or fearful of humans—they had simply chosen to retreat into hiding, rarely revealing themselves to the world.

Among all the ancient races, only the dragon race had maintained a continuous presence on this continent.

Long before humans rose to power, the dragons had already established their own empire—the Celestial Empire of Velgranth.

There was never any conflict between the human kingdoms or empires and the Celestial Empire of Velgranth, thanks to a peace treaty that forbade hostilities to prevent large-scale catastrophe.

However, as time passed, humans gradually began to categorize dragons as part of the monster class.

This was evident in how the two dragons that had appeared—one in the northern region and the other in the palace square during the succession announcement—were classified as Catastrophe-Class Monsters.

And now, the revelation that the sea monster was actually a dragon had clearly caught everyone off guard.

"Yes, I’m one hundred percent certain it’s a dragon," Darel said, nodding solemnly. "That creature has scales, two horns, and other features that unmistakably resemble a dragon. Based on that, I’ve concluded it’s a dragon-type monster."

Elina, Rafine, Luvistar, and Nolan fell silent. Their expressions turned grim, as if each of them carried a weight they couldn’t put into words.

"A dragon monster, huh? How interesting," Nolan muttered with a faint chuckle.

Before long, the group arrived at the mansion’s entrance hall and stepped inside, guided by Darel along with his wife and son.

"We’ve prepared rooms for each of you," Darel said respectfully. "Please, take some time to rest. We can discuss the matter of the monster later."

Those kind words brought warm smiles to the faces of Rafine, Elina, and Luvistar.

Afterward, Darel’s wife escorted Elina and Rafine to their rooms, while Nolan and Luvistar were shown to theirs by Darel’s son.

***

"This is your room, Your Highness, General Luvistar," the young man said courteously.

Nolan gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome, Your Highness," he replied respectfully. "If you need anything, please feel free to ask the servants. And if they’re unable to assist you, don’t hesitate to call for me. I’ll do whatever I can to help."

Nolan looked him over from head to toe. The young man was tall, with a handsome face, golden-yellow hair, and eyes of the same hue. Unlike many noble children, he carried himself without a hint of arrogance.

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Thank you," Nolan said with a slight nod.

The young man straightened and smiled before turning and walking away.

"Then, Prince, I’ll head to my room now," Luvistar’s respectful voice came from his side.

"Of course, General. Enjoy your rest," Nolan replied with a faint smile.

Once Luvistar had gone into his room, Nolan stepped into his own and found it quite spacious.

A large, king-size bed sat at the center of the far wall, flanked by two wardrobes on the left. On the right, two windows stood open, allowing sunlight to pour in and brighten the room.

Nolan removed the shoulder cape he wore on his right side and hung it on the rack near the door.

Then, he walked over to the window on the right side of the room and took in the breathtaking view of the sea.

"It’s really beautiful," he thought silently.

The Hermes family’s mansion happened to be near the coast. From where he stood, he could see the white sandy beach and the gentle waves rolling in.

Seabirds soared across the sky, and the scenery was calm and soothing.

Unfortunately, the beach and ocean appeared deserted. There was no sign of life—no people, no activity—as if the coastline had been abandoned.

In fact, according to what Rafine had mentioned earlier, the beach was usually filled with people relaxing, and the sea was often busy with merchant and fishing ships passing through the port of Redhoven, which lay just three hundred meters from the mansion.

A sea monster, huh? I really wonder how powerful it is, he murmured with a hint of indifference. If it doesn’t reach the Catastrophe-Class, I won’t interfere. But if it does... then I’ll have no choice.