After ascending the stairs, the duo saw a man standing there, leaning against a wall and scrolling through his phone. But upon hearing their footsteps, he quickly glanced up to see them in front of him.

"Welcome, your room key please," the man calmly demanded, and Jim handed it over without hesitation.

Checking the number written on it, the man motioned for them to follow. They complied as he walked toward a door and pointed toward it.

They sighed and thanked him, beginning to walk in when he stopped them.

"No tip?" the man asked with a nervous chuckle.

"After paying a hundred bucks for just three days, we should still ti…"

"Here you go," Max casually interrupted, stretching out his hand and handing the man a hundred bucks. The man snatched it eagerly and bowed slightly in gratitude.

Pushing Jim into the room, Max closed the door behind them. Outside, the man slowly returned to the wall he had been leaning on and began playing games on his phone again.

Flicking on the light switch, the duo took in the room they had been given.

The room was modest in size but warm and welcoming. A single bed stood against the wall, its wooden frame sturdy and topped with neatly laid sheets and a thick quilt. Beside it, a small nightstand held a candle lamp, its soft glow pushing back the shadows that lingered in the corners.

Across from the bed, a wooden desk and chair were placed beneath a window framed with simple curtains that swayed faintly in the night breeze. The polished wooden floor was partly covered by a small rug, and a wardrobe stood in the corner, its doors slightly creaking when opened.

The air carried a faint scent of pine from the wooden beams, mixed with the freshness of linen, giving the room a comforting atmosphere.

"You know, I wonder why you suddenly are being generous today. What is going on?" Jim asked, his brows furrowed as he watched the dragon walk toward the bed and sit.

"I don't have strength for unnecessary conversations or arguments. I do what I have to do to avoid them," the dragon coldly replied, his gaze sweeping across the room.

Jim sighed in resignation and walked to the other side of the bed, sitting down and twirling his legs absentmindedly.

"But sire…" Jim called, causing Max to pause and turn toward him, a frown on his face. "Right, you don't want me calling you that."

"Before you speak," Max said, still flicking through his system with his mind, examining his skills, "I have something to ask you."

"Sure, go ahead. I will answer truthfully," Jim said, quickly jumping from the bed, grabbing a chair, and dropping it in front of Max before sitting.

"Why do you idolize me so much? Yes, I saved your life when those goblins were about to kill you, because I couldn't stand by and watch you die. If it had been anyone else in your position, I would still have acted.

And about Zach bullying you, I only chose to intervene because he attacked me, and I needed to teach him a lesson. So tell me, why do you really idolize and follow me so much?" Max asked, leaning forward and staring Jim straight in the eyes.

The E-rank hunter sighed, looking directly at the dragon before dropping his head in thought, the weight of his feelings pressing silently in the room. The glow from the lamp flickered across both their faces, highlighting the intensity of the moment.

"That is because you did what no one else ever thought of doing for me," Jim said quietly, making the dragon lift an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Max muttered.

"Do you even know how I ended up in the hunter's association despite being so weak?" Jim asked as he lifted his head, then let it drop again with an exasperated sigh. "I was pitied. The town I lived in had a portal break.

Right in the middle of the town, right where I was. The hunters dispatched there arrived just in time. And because I stood up to some beasts and stopped them from harming a little girl, even when I knew I would probably die, the strongest hunter there invited me into the association.

"With his help and connections, I got the E rank, even though all my assessment results were too poor to qualify. In truth, I didn't even qualify to be a hunter at all. I failed every part of the test. But because of that hunter, I was given a place." Jim paused, his voice steady but low, while Max remained silent, listening closely.

"Unfortunately, that hunter was killed on the battlefield a month after I joined. After that, no one cared for me. My parents dumped me in a waste bin as soon as I was born. The family that took me in maltreated me and the man of the house abused me every day.

"Whatever anyone did for me was always for a reason. Whether I lived or died, no one cared. But you… you…" His voice broke. He lifted his head and tears streamed down his cheeks as his hands clenched tightly on his pants.

Max blinked, caught completely off guard, leaning back slightly as Jim tried to wipe his face but failed to stop the tears.

"You never cared about how weak or useless I was. Even if you try to deny it, you can't hide it. Deep down, whatever you do is for my sake, whether or not you have a selfish reason behind it. You still protect me. You still consider how I might feel.

"When I begged to join your squad, nobody wanted me, but you fought for me until they agreed. When Lana spat on me like I was nothing, you stood up for me. You demanded I be treated like a human, not an object.

"All my life, because I am weak and I look fragile, people assumed I would die sooner or later. Even the groups I was assigned to would wait for me to die first.

It is a miracle I survived this long because I always came back bleeding, barely alive. But ever since I joined your squad, you looked out for me. You didn't treat me like a burden. So tell me, Max… why shouldn't I follow someone as kind and great as you!" Jim shouted, tears pouring endlessly.

"I don't care who or what you are. Dragon or vampire, it doesn't matter. I see you as someone worthy. So until the end, this weakling will follow every instruction you give, no matter what," Jim declared as he dropped to his knees and bowed his head, his shoulders trembling.

"Mehn, such strong loyalty," Pix commented inside Max's mind. "Just the smallest act of kindness from you was enough to bring light into someone's darkness. That alone shows how powerful little things can be."

"Jim…" Max finally spoke, his voice softer than before as he regained his composure. "What if I told you I can fix your weakness? What if I told you I can make you stronger?"

"What?!" Jim shouted, jerking his head up, eyes wide in disbelief.

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