Ep 140. Of Course Not. (2)


    Half an hour ago…


    “Huh. So you think he’s made a contract with that Reaper guy.”


    Raizel mused at the dragonlord’s story as she followed after her. Despite the mountain of wolves slung over her shoulder, the youngling’s mind was elsewhere altogether.


    Serenis’ eyes remained glued onto the ground while they made their way back to Chell.


    “Yes. To resurrect someone from the dead, it seems.”


    “Resurrect? How the hell would he do that?”


    “…I believe he plans to recreate the manner in which I returned to life. He was looking to retrieve the dead’s memories…and instill them into a compatible living being.”


    “Huh…well, I guess that makes sense. It’s probably that half girl from before.”


    “…Half girl from before?”


    “Yeah. His…wife, or whatever she was.”


    Serenis frowned at the steel dragon’s unexpected revelation. She turned her head around as they walked to question the youngling further.


    “Karas was engaged? I wasn’t aware of this.”


    “I mean, she’s dead now.”


    “…How do you know this, child? I thought you were on rather ill terms with Karas before.”


    “Well, I, uh…”


    “Yes?”


    “I…might’ve been the one who killed her.”


    “…”


    “Look, it’s not like I’m proud of it, okay? It’s why I’m trying to be nice to Light now.”


    “…What about Light?”


    “Oh, you don’t know, do you? Karas told me it’s the same person. Reincarnated.”


    Serenis immediately halted her steps.


    ‘Light is his partner’s reincarnation?’


    That explained all the special treatment he’d seemed to give her thus far. That also explained why he tended to bring her along everywhere, or why Light was ab le to read the crow’s expression so easily.


    But right now, that was a cause for concern, not relief.


    “…Lord? You okay?”


    Even when Raizel also came to a stop by her lord’s side, Serenis failed to even register the youngling calling her. She instead began muttering under her breath, retracing the thoughts she’d had.


    “…He plans to instill their memories into Light.”


    “Uh…I mean, I guess? Is that really a bad thing though? I don’t like the Reaper bit, but you’re fine the way you are.”


    “…”


    “…? Lord? You okay?”


    In Raizel’s perspective, this was true. In her eyes, dragonlord seemed fine just the way she was.


    But in another’s – for example, Patrick’s – this couldn’t be further from the truth.


    Zion’s memories remained intact within Serenis. but even she couldn’t deny that the dragonlord had seemingly robbed the human boy of his life, claiming it for herself instead. She was only ‘fine’ in Raizel’s eyes because the youngling had never interacted with the human boy from before.


    Best case scenario, the Light they knew would be gone – just like how Zion had seemingly disappeared, replaced with someone from a distant past.


    And worst case scenario, the instilled memories would clash and vie for control – just like Aymeia’s confused, maddened state.


    Either way, if Karas were to carry out his plan, then…


    “…She’d never be herself again. Not as we know it.”


    ? ? ?


    Every now and then, Serenis would entertain this thought on occasion.


    ‘How would things have changed if I never met Karas?’Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    In retrospect, there was no telling how much longer it would’ve taken Serenis to learn of the kin’s survival and the location of their valley. There was no telling how her first meeting with Iris would’ve gone, as well her search for Aldrid, confrontation with Felicir, and even the recent battle against Akeia as whole.


    But in all those instances, the professor had always been hiding much of his actual self.


    Starting with disguising himself as a half to the public, there was his relation to Raizel, his past antics, his connection to the Akeian emperor…


    And lastly, his current goals.


    Nothing was ever clear; nothing was ever set in stone.


    In fact, the dragonlord had little idea what was going through the crow’s head.


    - ‘Why don’t you just kill them?’


    “…”


    It was an advice the other lords had shared with Serenis time and again in the past.


    Their reasoning was simple: if any living being were to get on their nerves, then they were removed. Death was the surest way available to deny any sort of potential aftermath, and frankly, often worked out to be the best measure.


    If the First would defy his death, then she’d kill him as many times as necessary. The same went for Felicir.


    ‘…That’s right. If he’s already gone, then…’


    If Karas would continue to deny his motive to her face, then she merely needed to force the answer out of him.


    If even that won’t work, then she merely needed to remove him from sight.


    Pzt!


    “…? Lord?”


    Noticing the faint sparking noise, Raizel poked her head out to study the dragonlord. And at the end of the youngling’s gaze, she could see Serenis’ hand, clawed and glowing in faint waves of mana.


    Before anyone could react, the dragonlord’s reinforced limb shot forth into the air to grasp around the feathered monster’s throat, lifting him off his feet.


    While the others flinched from the dragonlord’s unexpected response, only her ominous voice echoed throughout the small settlement.


    “You possessed the ability to see souls.”


    “…! Serenis, what-“


    “Nights prior, you spoke the Reaper’s name and called out into thin air. Why?”


    At first, Karas clawed at the hand that held him while questioning the dragonlord’s actions. But as soon as Serenis’ last statement rang into the air, his entire figure seemed to freeze.


    And, simultaneously, Light and Ilias – who’d initially meant to approach Serenis and stop her – also froze midway.


    “…What…? What are you saying?”


    The half girl spoke her question in a shaking voice.


    Unfortunately, the dragonlord’s next words weren’t an answer to her question.


    “Shall I make a guess? Felicir’s passed, and yet you called his name as if he were at your side. Then, the answer’s rather simple: the Reaper’s soul yet remains, lingering at your side.”


    “…”


    “And every action you take is according to the contract between him and yourself. If worse has come to pass…then perhaps you’re nothing more than a puppet already.”


    The professor’s clawing hands soon slipped down from the dragonlord’s arm.


    He then spared a brief glance towards Light before closing his eyes to give his answer.


    “…The conclusion you’ve drawn is free of error. Therefore, I will not raise any arguments against it.”


    “…”


    “I thought I’d hid it quite well thus far. To think that you of all people would’ve heard me that night…I suppose I should’ve been more careful.”


    The more Karas spoke, the more Serenis’ expression twisted into a frown; the more she listened, the harder she clenched her teeth.


    In one corner of her mind, she’d wished for denial instead.


    And because the professor had so easily admitted to his antics, it was all the more infuriating.


    “…Are you even the Karas I know?”


    “If you’re asking whether Felicir had control, he does not – even the Reaper can’t accomplish much as a mere soul unless I allow it.”


    “Then for what reason would you form a contract with a mere soul? What could you possible want from a passed divinity?”


    “If you’ve heard me that night, then surely you know. What I seek is the Archive – and only the Twelve’s ruler could lead me to it.”


    “…”


    “And it may be difficult for you to believe…we’re merely seeking to save those we yearn to save. The contract we’ve formed brings no harm to either party.”


    “…Save those you yearn to save?”


    Scoffing at the last bit, Serenis violently released the hand that held Karas, throwing him down to the ground.


    Soon, an angered outburst followed.


    “And you seek to sacrifice another’s life for that purpose? You know full well what your antics will lead to, Karas. Have you no respect for the living?!”


    Grab!


    As her arm jerked back from a sudden pull, Serenis finally turned to face Light, staring back at her with trembling eyes and a forced smile.


    “…Hey…come on, what’s going on here? What are you two talking about…?”


    “…”


    Light received no response from the dragonlord other than her bitten lips.


    Instead, the answer to her question came from another dragon behind her.


    “Pretty obvious by now. Your teacher’s decided to side with the Reaper and kill you.”


    “…Huh?”


    “He’s basically trying to overwrite you. Just like how lord replaced whoever she was before.”


    “…What…are you…”


    Approaching the half girl with heavy steps, Raizel briskly grabbed Light by her waist before she could question the youngling further. And, in one swift motion, the steel dragon tossed the girl behind her head.


    Though of course, Ilias managed to catch the falling half girl just fine.


    Faced with both Serenis and Raizel standing before him, Karas met the dragons’ glare midair as he slowly rose back to his feet.


    “…That’s quite the stretch. I’ve no intention to kill Light in any way. Her present self will merely be added onto her past self; Serenis, you’re no different.”


    The dragonlord’s eyes painfully narrowed at the comment.


    Although it depended on one’s perspective, it was an undeniable truth that Serenis had seemingly robbed ‘Zion’ of the life he deserved. Even though the boy’s memories were intact within the dragonlord, no one would agree that the individual standing here was a human boy named Zion.


    Karas then turned to face Raizel, staring back into the youngling’s eyes.


    “Raizel, if you could bring back your mother through another dragon, then would you not do so as well?”


    “Why the hell would I do that?”


    “…Uh?”


    Crunch!


    The steel dragon’s foot soon planted itself into Karas’ stomach with a violent crunching noise, sending the feathered monster sprawling onto the snow once more.


    “If you were gonna miss them so much, you should’ve tried harder when they were alive. But you didn’t even stand up to me back then. She saved you while you were busy giving up.”


    “…Cough…haha. After all the time you’ve spent at Serenis’ side, I expected a different response from you. She’s been through much the same process.”


    “That was an accident.”


    “…”


    “And what you’re trying to do is murder.”


    Scoffing at the scrambling professor, Raizel then beckoned to all the warriors surrounding them.


    “All of you, get over here. You said you guys were going on a monster hunt, right? You can start with the nearest one then.”


    “…Raizel, you-“


    “Don’t you worry, you scum. A good beating usually knocks some sense back in.”


    It was true to an extent.


    Historically, those who were thrashed around by Raizel did present a change in attitude thereafter.


    A series of screeching noises filled the atmosphere as Raizel cracked her knuckles. The youngling approached the fallen crow with an eerie grin, her each step smashing the snow and dirt underneath.


    “Brace yourself. She’s not going to save you this time.”