Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

"Ordinary Great Antler Deer are relatively docile dangerous beasts with weak territorial instincts. As long as they're not provoked, they won't act aggressively," Leon explained as he led the team down the slope. "If these 'Blazing Flame Antler Deer' are simply enhanced with fire attributes without a change in temperament, then we shouldn't need to resort to violence."

Rebecca quickened her pace to catch up to him, looking up at her captain.

"Captain, how do you plan to investigate this herd of 'Blazing Flame Deer'?"

Leon paused, considering his words carefully.

"If Shadow implanted Black Dragon Scales in this many deer, it's unlikely they were able to catch and move them all. They must have set up some kind of lab or experimental facility here in Flaming Valley. If we follow these deer, we might find where Shadow conducted their experiments."

The mention of a potential lead caused a ripple of tension among the group. Leon's team had been pursuing Shadow's trail for years, only to have their leads vanish at critical moments. Shadow's operations were always meticulous and left little trace behind.

Despite orchestrating a century-long war between humans and dragons, Shadow had vanished after the conflict, leaving behind only fragments of a larger scheme. Leon and the Lionheart Guild had pieced together these fragments like a massive jigsaw puzzle. Though incomplete, the bigger picture was beginning to emerge.

This was why the possibility of a Shadow hideout in Flaming Valley ignited a spark of determination within Leon.

The group reached the outskirts of the Blazing Flame Deer's territory and crouched in the tall grass.

Leon raised a clenched fist, signaling everyone to halt. After surveying the deer, he gave instructions:

"Rebecca, Martin, Nacho, bring three sensing mages and three dangerous beast scholars with us. The rest will stay back to avoid disturbing the herd."

"Even though these deer are docile, our numbers might spook them, which could disrupt the investigation. If they attack, provide backup immediately."

Rebecca smirked. "Got it, Captain. But if you're too slow, don't blame me when I take down the whole herd."

Nacho snorted and began selecting the team members. With their small group assembled, they slowly crept through the grass toward the deer.

"Captain, the Black Dragon Scale energy signatures are strong ahead," reported Simmons, one of the sensing mages.

"Understood. Stay alert, everyone," Leon replied.

The deer herd had already noticed their presence. Hundreds of glowing eyes turned toward the approaching group.

"Being stared at by a hundred dangerous beasts isn't exactly comforting," Rebecca muttered under her breath.

Thankfully, the Blazing Flame Deer maintained their calm demeanor. None showed signs of aggression or territorial behavior as the group moved closer.

Leon kept his movements slow and deliberate, spreading his arms to show he was unarmed. His open gesture was meant to signal to the deer that he posed no threat—a necessary step when dealing with intelligent creatures like these.

The others followed Leon's lead, mirroring his unarmed posture.

Just as it seemed their approach would be uneventful, one of the largest bucks in the herd lowered its head, aiming its massive, fiery antlers directly at Rebecca.

"Uh, Captain? I think this thing's about to charge me," Rebecca said nervously, taking a step back and instinctively reaching for the pistol strapped to her thigh.

Leon immediately realized the issue. "Rebecca, drop your /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ guns. Now."

"What?" Rebecca blinked in disbelief.

"Your weapons—drop them," Leon repeated, his voice firm.

Rebecca hesitated but saw the rest of the herd starting to tense up. Swallowing hard, she muttered, "If this thing skewers me, Sis is never going to let you hear the end of it."

With a sigh, Rebecca unstrapped her gun holsters and let them fall to the ground.

The deer didn't relax.

"Come on, don't hold back now," Nacho muttered.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and began pulling more weapons out—another pistol from her waist, a dagger from her boot, a small handgun from her sleeve, and more from various hidden pockets.

By the time she finished, a small arsenal lay on the ground.

Noticing the stunned looks on her teammates' faces, Rebecca shrugged innocently.

"What? It's perfectly normal for a gunner to carry a few weapons, right?"

Leon stared at the pile, convinced she had a pocket dimension hidden somewhere.

"How do you evencarrythat much?" Martin groaned.

"Relax, Martin. Next time, we can play 'How many guns is Rebecca hiding?'" she replied with a grin.

"Shh!" Leon silenced them, motioning toward the deer.

With Rebecca's last weapon discarded, the herd visibly relaxed, their threatening stance fading.

Leon turned to her.

"In the future, leave your stockpile with the backup team."

Rebecca grumbled under her breath, but nodded.

The group moved cautiously closer. The deer resumed their normal behavior—grazing, dozing, and even sparring among themselves.

"Spread out and investigate," Leon instructed. "Report anything unusual immediately."

Leon approached the buck that had initially confronted Rebecca. Its size and antlers marked it as the leader of the herd.

As he watched, he noticed a patch of matted, bloodstained fur on its chest.

The buck shifted its weight, stomping a hoof and lowering its body slightly. This new angle gave Leon a clearer view of the wound on its chest.

"So it's injured," Leon muttered. "But the wound doesn't look like a bite or claw mark. There's no sign of a struggle either."

The realization struck him like a bolt.

"It's trying to remove the Black Dragon Scale implanted in its chest."

The most up-to-date version is on M(VLEMPY)R.

Around the same time, Rebecca and Martin returned.

"Captain, several of the deer are exhibiting self-harming behaviors," Martin reported.

"Same here. Most of the wounds are near their chests, close to their hearts," Rebecca added.

Nacho frowned. "So they're aware of the scales and are trying to get rid of them?"

Leon nodded.

"But here's the strange part: even though the scales are foreign, they don't seem to be disrupting the deer's daily activities. Look at them—they're grazing, sleeping, and even sparring as if nothing's wrong."

"Does that mean the implantation was a failure?" Nacho asked.

Leon shook his head.

"Shadow has a history of eliminating failures. If these deer were failed experiments, they'd be dead by now."

"So what's the explanation?"

Leon's expression darkened as he voiced his theory.

"The Black Dragon Scales might require an activation ritual to fully take effect. If that's the case, Shadow could not only ensure the creatures retain their original temperament but also gain the ability to control them at will."

Before they could discuss further, a shout came from nearby.

"Captain! Nacho! Over here!"

The group rushed to Simmons, who was crouched near the herd.

"What is it?" Leon asked.

Simmons pointed toward the center of the herd.

"Look there."

In the middle of the Blazing Flame Deer was a pregnant doe in the throes of labor.

"Whoa," Rebecca said in amazement. "The Black Dragon Scales didn't stop them from reproducing?"

Martin, however, narrowed his eyes, studying the doe's movements.

"Wait... something's wrong."

Leon's chest tightened as he noticed it too.

"Captain," Martin said grimly, "I think she's having complications. She's in labor... but she's struggling. It looks like she's having a breech birth."