Chapter 42: Worth More Than a Pet Dragon

Magna’s brain started working fast, like a machine. He was falling into one of his overthinking phases again.

It was the kind of state he usually fell into when he was designing games or writing background lore, wanting to connect every small detail to build a perfect world.

Every scene since he came to this world started playing back in his mind.

All the way back to the very first moment he met Faye and every word they had exchanged.

After that came the moment Titus stepped into his memories, followed by his very first conversation with Celeste.

’Which family do you belong to?’ That was the first question she had asked him.

He also remembered one line she had said to him. ’I can only pity them for being blind enough to throw away a gifted child like you.’

After that was the time Azelith came and used a spell on him, the one he believed was meant to find his true origin.

His thoughts then snapped to everything he had learned about the idea of Shadows in this world.

The hints, the subtle changes in their tone and expressions while talking to him, and the exaggerated hospitality he had received all started to come together, like puzzle pieces forming one clear, frightening picture.

They hadn’t just saved a pitiful orphan from a cave. They believed they had salvaged a discarded asset from a powerful bloodline.

Finally, everything connected to one key question, the one that would answer everything. So he opened his mouth and asked directly.

"Do you want me to become your daughter’s Shadow because you think I’m strong... or because of what you think my bloodline is worth?"

Celeste’s warm, smiling face suddenly froze, and Titus’s approaching footsteps came to a dead halt.

They had already realized the boy was smart. He was smart enough to learn a language on his own, alone in a cave with nothing but a goblin for company.

But learning a language only took a high IQ. It just needed strong thinking skills and the ability to notice patterns.

Understanding human nature, reading hidden motives, and figuring out social intentions took something else. It took EQ.

Having both in one mind was already rare. But an 8 year old having this kind of intelligence was mind-blowing on its own.

On top of that, he also had an absurdly high talent for combat, along with a body built for it, which made him more and more suited to become a Shadow.

Celeste’s frozen, surprised face slowly turned into an even bigger smile. She was starting to realize she had underestimated his worth all along.

She finally understood why ancient families like his were so powerful, always at the top of society in everything.

A Shadow like Magna wouldn’t just protect his Witch on the battlefield but also in the brutal political world of Witches.

Owning a Shadow like him was worth even more than owning a real dragon as a pet.

"Titus, start the funeral." Celeste said, without answering Magna’s question.

She knew very well that no sweet words or promises of a bright future would work on someone like him.

The only way left to win him over to their family now was to give him real, instant results.

Titus kept walking with slow steps, his body held straight, his eyes fixed forward behind his frost helmet.

When he reached the shadow beneath the dome above, he lowered himself onto one knee and slowly placed the body on the ground, lining it up with the other five graves.

Then he rose back up, and without turning his back to the body, he stepped away slowly, keeping his respect for it.

Celeste stepped forward, closing the distance by two steps, and pressed her hands together against her chest. She was about to begin chanting when a childish voice suddenly called out from behind her.

"Wait, wait, I made it, I’m here too!" Faye came running toward them as fast as she could.

She was wearing a white robe like her mother’s, with the same design, clearly meant for special occasions.

Her face was completely red, showing that she had rushed here right after changing her clothes.

Once she reached Magna’s side, she stopped, placing both hands on her knees and bending over to catch her breath.

She then looked up at the faces watching her, her red face turning even redder. "Uh... um... sorry, we can go ahead now."

Magna didn’t say anything. He simply turned his head back toward the mother goblin with a quiet sigh.

He still didn’t know how to feel about everything happening around him, but for now, he decided to just focus on the funeral.

It was hard to tell what Titus was thinking under his helmet, since he hadn’t taken his eyes off the mother goblin for even a second.

Celeste just smiled at Faye, then turned back to where she had left off.

With her hands pressed together against her chest, she closed her eyes and began to chant.

"O Vein of the Living World, River that has flowed since before the First Dawn, Silent Mother of Rain and Sea..."

Her chanting was very slow, her voice blending with the chirping of the birds, turning them into lyrics of nature’s own song.

Magna already knew these were the honorable names of the Matriarch of Life, as well as the opening words of the spell.

He also knew the words that would actually activate the spell were coming next, so he listened carefully, trying to burn them into his memory.

"...Halt your endless journey, and lock this flesh in eternal frost."

The moment her chant ended, all the birds stopped chirping at once, right on her last word, as if the song itself had closed with her.

Beneath the mother goblin, a block of ice began to rise, lifting her body up as it slowly froze over her entire form until she too became a coffin like the others, meant to keep her worn body safe for eternity.