《Dragonlord》 Ep 0. Prologue Ep 0. Prologue Drip. A drop of liquid streaked down her cheeks, falling unto the pool of filth beneath. Was it blood? Tears? A hallucination? ¡®I need to get up.¡¯ Her trembling legs shifted and waned, struggling to support the rest of her body in the pool of flesh and blood. It was akin to drowning in death. No matter where her eyes fell, death filled her vision: of her brethren, of her allies, of her dear friends. The ground was muddled with their remains, and even the sunless sky was painted in red. She raised her head once more, her gaze sharpening unto the source of this madness. A lone figure, standing in absolute serenity with closed eyes. Their chilling white hair was pulled back like a lifeless river behind them. It was almost as if the figure could not perceive the horror that filled the world surrounding them. The stench of blood, their own bleeding wounds, the translucent chains that her allies died to shackle on them. Her trembling legs began to move again. A single step. Then another. And yet another. One by one, with every step echoing in crunched bones and splatters of blood, she closed the distance between them ¨C fully knowing that she was trampling on the remains of those she once knew. Instead of mourning their deaths, she stepped forward. Instead of celebrating her survival, she chose to throw it back into this hellish conflict. She could no longer tell what it was that was driving her. It wasn¡¯t sorrow, nor hatred, nor revenge. She left those things behind in the midst of this deathly abaddon. Slowly, the figure''s eyes slithered open. Their eyes met hers. But even when their gaze locked, she could not see anything. The figure¡¯s eyes were colorless and emotionless, as if staring into an empty void. They, too, had left it all behind. In the far past that none could comprehend. ¡°Child.¡± The voice emitted by the figure was that of a dry, powerless elder. And yet, there was no voice more terrifying to her. ¡°Serenis.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. As her name echoed throughout their surroundings, she came to a stop. Who was Serenis? Mother. Friend. Starchild. Dragonlord. The ruler of dragons that led the most powerful tribe of this star. The eldest demon that facilitated peace between theirs and humans. But none remained to refer to her as such. At least not here. A coarse, bitter voice escaped her lips. ¡°Do not speak my name.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of every soul on this star¡­you are the least deserving to say that name.¡± A soft sigh escaped the figure¡¯s lips. Standing tall whilst calmly watching her approach, it seemed nothing short of a parent looking down on their rebellious child. And to someone, this whole conflict may be nothing more than that. But to someone else, it was a struggle to break free of their leash. ¡°Why struggle?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Enlighten me, Serenis. Why did this happen? What drove so many of you to let go of the life you were bestowed?¡± Serenis clenched her fists. Her hands bled from the nails digging into her skin. She no longer had the strength to take form and tear off the figure¡¯s revolting mouth off his neck. Reduced to her mere human form, she struggled to even continue breathing. And yet, she took another step forward. The last one she needed to reach the figure. ¡°Because¡­¡± She unfolded her bleeding hand, grabbing the figure by their throat. Her bloody nails began to dig into their skin this time. ¡°We¡¯re¡­alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Unlike you.¡± A figure without even a proper name. An entity simply known as ¡°the First¡±, said to have existed since the dawn of this world, filling the world with life and prosperity. But in truth, it was just a lifeless cog that kept the world turning how it pleased, keeping all lives at the tip of its fingers. She had to but tighten her grip. Then this would all be over. Depleted of mana and chained from every angle, there was no way the First could resist any further. But her trembling arm struggled to do even that. Serenis glared into the figure¡¯s empty gaze. She desperately begged her arm to move, to snap off this wretch¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯re hesitating.¡± She bit her lips. Fresh blood trickled down her chin. What if this isn¡¯t the end? What if they were nowhere near the end? What if this was all just a careful deception, and her brethren died in vain? ¡°Turn away, Serenis. It¡¯s not too late.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the last remark, Serenis¡¯ eyes regained their blue gleam. She smirked, and her trembling lessened. ¡°That¡¯s the first time.¡± ¡°¡­First time?¡± ¡°That you begged for your life.¡± Serenis tightened her grip. A deadly crunching noise followed. When she ripped her hand out of the figure¡¯s flesh, she could feel something splattering unto the pool of blood beneath her. Her eyes scanned the body in front of her. Chained in every limb, its skin purplish and dry from toxins and mana depletion. But it remained standing, even with its head torn off. The dragon let out a chortle laughter, turning away as she dragged her limping body towards a nearby boulder. She collapsed down, leaning her back against the hard surface. She could barely move a finger. With her body torn and broken, there was little doubt that she didn¡¯t have much to live. The bodies of her allies filled her bloody vision. She¡¯d die here, just like everyone else. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡± If only she hadn¡¯t hesitated to join the fray. If only she hadn¡¯t spent her life in peace. If only she had another day to live. All this time, Serenis led a life without any memorable regrets. At the end of her long life, she was finally beginning to realize that that was only because she believed her life to be eternal. If she knew things would end eventually, then surely, she¡¯d have done things different. So many things would¡¯ve changed. ¡®Every star eventually dies.¡¯ And from mere dust and ash, stars are born anew. ¡°¡­¡± She slowly shifted her broken body and lifted her trembling arm. With a fingertip soaked in blood, she began to write on the boulder. Eden. Ivaratus. Arkrana. ¡­ Soon, the boulder was filled with names of the fallen. And at its very last bit, she¡¯d write her own name. Serenis. Here we lie at the summit of our world, freed from the shackles that bound us. Ep 1. What Even Was That?! (1) Ep 1. What Even Was That?! (1) Serenis felt her head buzzing. Distant voices reverberated within her ears. Screams and shouts. Laughter. Shrieks of joy and pain alike. Was she reminiscing? She couldn¡¯t tell. If only her head wasn¡¯t buzzing so much, she could¡¯ve made out what the voices were saying. But she couldn¡¯t be bothered to try and listen. Whatever memory it was that had returned to haunt her, it¡¯d only create more regrets if she listened. The voices slowly began to drown out in silence. ¡®Much better.¡¯ If only she could drift away like this. ¡®So this is what dying is like. It doesn¡¯t hurt as much as I¡­¡¯ Wack! ¡®Thought¡­¡¯ Slap! A surge of stinging pain on her forehead and cheek snapped the last remains of her wishful thinking. Who could possibly be here to slap her at this moment? ¡®Wait.¡¯ What if that last strike didn¡¯t kill the First? Her eyes surged open. ¡°Kh¡­are you still not dead? How-¡° ¡°Deeeeeaaaaaad?¡± Serenis flinched. The voice was neither as dry nor terrifying as the First¡¯s. In fact, the voice was squeaky, childish, and definitely pissed. The dragon blinked a few times as her vision returned surprisingly fast. A little child came into view before her, holding what seemed like a wooden stick. ¡°Did you kill me in your dreams? Huh? Is that what happened? Deeeeeeaaaad?¡± ¡®¡­Who is this child, and why¡¯s he so angry at me?¡¯ ¡°I apologize, there must be some sort of misunderstanding. I was just at a battle, and I must¡¯ve lost consciousness¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you sure were. You¡¯re still in it.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Before Serenis could question the child¡¯s statement, he lifted a thin wooden stick high into the air. Seriously? THAT¡¯S what he was hitting her with? She scorned at the thought. A little child, threatening the lord of dragons with a twig. If that wasn¡¯t a joke, then what was? She calmly wove her hand in front of her as a transparent barrier was cast in place. The twig bashed onto the invisible wall and snapped in half. ¡°Settle down, child. I-¡° ¡°MY WAND!!!¡± Wand? That twig was a wand? Suddenly, she could hear surprised gasps and mutters from her surroundings. Another look, and Serenis finally realized that a hundred others were observing them. And shortly after, she could feel a surge of pain throbbing at her heart. For a brief moment, her limbs felt paralyzed. Symptoms of mana depletion. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right. I shouldn¡¯t have any mana left¡­¡¯ Still, it wasn¡¯t a problem. She could easily suppress a hundred children like this with a flick of her finger. Since her physical body felt fine, she just had to lightly press the child down to suppress him. Then, she could ask him what was going on. But when she lifted her arm to do just that, something seemed strangely off. ¡®Was my arm always this short?¡¯ She ignored the strange feeling and placed her hand on the boy¡¯s stomach, trying to push as light as she possibly could. It should¡¯ve been just enough to knock him down on the floor. Instead, the boy remained standing. ¡®Huh?¡¯ She pressed a little harder. Nothing. Serenis was soon pushing him with every ounce of her strength, and he still wouldn¡¯t budge. The boy began to seethe in anger, his voice practically steaming out of his mouth. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME, YOU LITTLE SHIT?!¡± Serenis saw the boy pulling his leg back, likely to kick her in the stomach. ¡®Immensely slow. I¡¯ll just step to the side, and¡­¡¯ Her thoughts reached that far, until she realized something new again. ¡®¡­Why am I moving so slowly?¡¯ When the realization dawned on her, it was far too late. Serenis felt another jolt of pain in her stomach as she was kicked. She sprawled across the stone floor, coughing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, but you¡¯re going to pay for my wand!¡± Mana depletion at least made sense. Moving slow can still make sense, if she was deathly tired. And she had every right to be, after the battle she¡¯d just been in. But given her pure body density, a tiny human boy being able to send her flying with a single kick was pure nonsense. He¡¯d be lucky if his toes weren¡¯t broken. On top of that, the crowd surrounding them seemed to think this was normal. ¡°Oh¡­I get it.¡± I must be dreaming. This is a weird dream to have before dying. So there can¡¯t be any repercussions for overusing mana, right? Serenis rose back to her feet and angrily stomped her foot onto the stone tile. The entire ground began to emit a brilliant white light in response, its glow spreading further at an unbelievable speed. Alit by the lights emitted from the floor, Serenis¡¯ shadow turned upwards, much akin to a staged horror play. The boy froze in place. An involuntary hiccup escaped his lips. ¡°Has no one taught you any manners, child?¡± Even he could tell something was going terribly wrong. ¡°¡­Wait. We can talk about this.¡± ¡°Of course we can.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°After I drive some manners into your tiny head!¡± Perhaps birds would notice the faint glint in the distant blue skies that followed the dragonlord¡¯s angered outburst. Moments after, a dozen rays of starlight rained down from the skies unto the poor child on stage, threatening to incinerate his body whole. Not that they really did. They just made loud noise and scared the living daylights out of him. Once the rays faded, nothing had changed except the wetness of the child¡¯s eyes and undergarments. He fell backwards from sheer shock, unconscious. ¡°Hmph. Whoever raised you ought to¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ head fell backwards. ¡°Teach you some¡­respect¡­¡± The rest of her body followed suit, collapsing onto the floor. Her heart throbbed in pain, and she could no longer feel her limbs. ¡®Wait. Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ The dragon¡¯s consciousness rapidly faded away. Her eyes closed, and there was nothing but darkness. ¡®It¡¯s been centuries¡­since I had a dream¡­¡¯ Ep 2. What Even Was That?! (2) Ep 2. What Even Was That?! (2) Chirp. Chirp. ¡°Mngh¡­¡± Chirp. Chirp. Chirp. ¡°Mnnghh¡­.¡± Chir- ¡°Ugh, will you be quiet already!!¡± At the sudden burst of anger, the birds quickly flew away from the branch hanging just outside the window. All was quiet again. ¡°Hmph. Finally.¡± Serenis laid her head softly back onto the pillow beneath her and cozily wrapped herself in blankets. She closed her eyes, bathing in the warm sunlight as she prepared to continue her nap. ¡°¡­?¡± Ok, that time she almost fell for it. ¡°What¡­¡± She slowly rose from her sheets. Sunlight. She turned her head to the other side. Humans. A bunch of them. All looking at her with an odd expression on their face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± An uncomfortable silence ensued. Serenis began to wish the birds would come back. ¡°ZION!¡± After what felt like an eternity, it was another human that broke the silence. Dressed in an unmistakable mage garment, a somewhat-tall young man rushed into the infirmary. His faint blue hair that should¡¯ve neatly been tied were sprawled into a mess, the string barely holding the remaining strands of hair together. Upon spotting Serenis, he made his way in large strides. She could read a mix of worry and confusion on his face. ¡°Zion, what happened? Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡­? The two stared at each other, unsure of what¡¯s going on. The mage put one hand over his forehead, the other over the dragon¡¯s. ¡°Hm, you don¡¯t have a fever¡­did you get hit on the head too hard after all?¡± Oh, what a kind, innocent soul. Worrying about the dragonlord being hit too hard with a twig. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. I appreciate the concern.¡± ¡­? Was my voice always like this? Come to think of it, Serenis vaguely recalled hearing the same voice before. Precisely¡­when she screamed at the birds, and at the boy that tried to kill her with a twig. Serenis tried to clear her throat multiple times, but to no avail. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. My voice just sounds¡­odd¡­¡± As she trailed off, Serenis noticed a faint light across the room. It was from a mirror, reflecting the brilliant sunlight. And with it, a reflection of her face. Which wasn¡¯t her face. The dragonlord¡¯s palm instinctively touched her cheek. It was soft, and also extremely small, unmistakably that of a child¡¯s. Then her hair. The beautiful white she knew was nowhere to be found. She instead found bluish strands haphazardly sprawled about. Then her chest. Completely flat, which wasn¡¯t even surprising at this point. Then the rest of her body. Everything was downscaled. A lot. ¡°¡­Zion? You okay?¡± Alright, Serenis. Be calm. Be very, very calm. This is nothing compared to what you¡¯ve been through. ¡°WHAT IN HEAVEN¡¯S NAME-¡± ? ? ? One hour later at a nearby courtyard, after being kicked out of the infirmary. ¡°So¡­my name is¡­¡± ¡°Zion.¡± ¡°And you are¡­¡± ¡°Patrick. How could you forget me?! I¡¯m your guardian!¡± ¡°I apologize. And we¡¯re at¡­¡± ¡°The Magic Institute in Partivine.¡± Wherever in hell¡¯s name that is. ¡°And I am¡­¡± ¡°A dumbass who couldn¡¯t pass the entrance exam for 2 years.¡± ¡°No, not that. The other one.¡± ¡°¡­Human. You¡¯re a human boy, Zion.¡± Serenis didn¡¯t know which part to be more shocked at, the human or the boy. Or being called a dumbass. She stared at her own two hands. They were tiny now. In fact, everything was tiny. Her body, mana reserve, authority¡­they¡¯d all evaporated. When she raised her gaze to meet Patrick¡¯s, warm tears were rolling down her little eyes. ¡°I¡­I¡­I¡¯m¡­tiny¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re crying over?!¡± Despite his shocked response, Patrick hurriedly wiped the tears off the little boy¡¯s eyes. He was just as confused as Serenis, though for a totally different reason. The Zion he knew had no magical talents whatsoever. The boy always idolized Patrick¡¯s work and aspired to become a mage, but he could never cast even the most basic spell properly. This was true¡­until the last few minutes of his mock duel. ¡®Barrier. An invisible one too. And those light rays¡­¡¯ Patrick cleared his throat. ¡°Well, look on the bright side, you won the duel! I¡¯m sure you passed the exam, so you¡¯ll be a student at the institute in no time. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll grow taller soon.¡± ¡°Grow¡­taller¡­¡± When was the last time Serenis grew? She couldn¡¯t remember. Probably centuries upon centuries ago. ¡°Anyways, what even was that?! I don¡¯t remember teaching spells like that to you. Found them in a tome or something?¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± ¡°You know, the barrier? And those lights?¡± ¡°Oh, this?¡± Serenis lightly shifted her foot in the dirt. In response, the surrounding area began to emit the same white glow as before, lighting the world from ground up. ¡°¡­Yeah. That.¡± ¡®The closest thing I can think of are field spells. But those require tremendous amounts of mana, and none of them have anything to do with light¡­¡¯ ¡°I invented it.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡­wait, what?¡± ¡°I invented it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The spell has no name. It¡¯s a mere trick to scare little hatchlings.¡± ¡°¡­Hatchlings?¡± ¡°Children.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zion¡­you¡¯re a child too¡­ But Patrick didn¡¯t bother speaking those words aloud. He¡¯d tried that 30 minutes ago, and to no avail. After the light faded away, Serenis raised her voice again. Well, the voice she was using wasn¡¯t hers, but anyways. ¡°Now will you believe me? I am not this ¡®Zion¡¯ that you speak of.¡± ¡°So¡­lemme get this straight. Your name isn¡¯t Zion, but¡­Serenis.¡± The little child nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re actually a couple thousand years old.¡± Again, the little child nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not a human boy but actually the dragonlord who was just in a battle against the oldest being on this star, and after emerging victorious, you were bleeding to death¡­until waking up in the middle of that duel.¡± ¡°Precisely! You have a good memory.¡± Patrick buried his face in his palms. His headache was getting worse. ¡°¡­Do you see the problem in that story?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yes. That boy was trying to kill me with a twig.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the worst part is, it almost worked.¡± No, that¡¯s not the problem here at all¡­ ¡°¡­C¡¯mon Zion, this isn¡¯t funny anymore. How can you become an entirely different person in a matter of hours? I¡¯m not going to scold you, so stop joking.¡± ¡°How many times must I tell you? I am not joking.¡± ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± As the stranger cleared his throat, both Zion¡­er, both Serenis and Patrick turned their heads to face them. Serenis was indifferent, but a dreaded expression swept across Patrick¡¯s face. ¡°Professor¡­Karas¡­¡± ¡°Long time no see, Patrick. I do apologize for interrupting your conversation. I did not mean to eavesdrop, but I simply couldn¡¯t cross this courtyard without hearing you two.¡± ¡°My goodness, you can speak human tongue? With that head?¡± To be fair, the question Serenis asked was valid. This professor looked like he was suffering from chronic bird transformation. Or a bird suffering from chronic human transformation. He was wearing a suit and had 4 limbs, but that¡¯s about where the similarities ended between him and a regular person. The black feathers, the claws, the beak, none of it helped. But the professor only chuckled, as if amused by the remark. ¡°Fortunately, I can. Now¡­I believe I heard that you¡¯ve suddenly become someone else, yes?¡± ¡°Professor, you don¡¯t have to take him seriously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, Patrick. I¡¯m deeply interested in such phenomena.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. I study this field.¡± ¡°¡­What field is ¡®this¡¯, exactly?¡± ¡°Psychology.¡± ¡°Psychology¡­a study of the soul?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a field?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Since now. I invented it. Stop asking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Somehow, Patrick felt that these two would get along really well. Ep 3. What Even Was That?! (3) Ep 3. What Even Was That?! (3) Patrick watched in befuddlement at the scene unfolding before him. Karas. A renowned mage said to be proficient in any and all elements of contemporary magic, and a respected professor at the largest school of mages¡­ ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡­Was currently performing what seemed like a voodoo ritual on the kid he raised like a little brother for years. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmmmmmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that noise a part of the procedure?¡± No. No it isn¡¯t, Zion. The prof always makes that noise when he sees well-written papers. Although, ¡®see¡¯ may be the incorrect choice of words here, as the professor had both his eyes closed. Instead, he was hovering his glowing hands over the little boy¡¯s back, waving them in opposing circles as if muddling through a pile of unsorted wares. ¡°My apologies.¡± The glow soon faded as the professor withdrew his hands. ¡°It¡¯s an old habit of mine when I embark on an interesting discovery.¡± ¡°Seriously? I thought you make that sound when you look at good papers.¡± ¡°Explains why I never made it when I saw any of yours, hmm, Patrick?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯d been years since Patrick¡¯s graduation, and yet here he was, still being schooled just like before. ¡°Ahem. Anyhow¡­this is a very interesting case. Allow me to elaborate.¡± ¡°Very well. Go on.¡± If Patrick didn¡¯t know any better, he¡¯d think the little boy was the professor, and Karas was the student. ¡°Right now, your soul is neither possessed, nor an amalgamation of multiple souls. It¡¯s a perfect whole. Simply put, no abnormality ails you.¡± Before Karas could continue, Patrick couldn¡¯t help himself from interrupting. ¡°Souls can be in multiples?¡± Both the professor and the little boy turned towards Patrick with a disappointed gaze. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Zion¡­you used to be so cute when you looked to me for help¡­¡¯ ¡°It seems that an explanation is in order for my dear student. Patrick, have you ever heard stories of those who possess multiple personalities within themselves?¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Of course. The maddened.¡± ¡°I explicitly told you not to use that street term in class.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, I must¡¯ve been absent.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m positive you were sleeping. Anyhow, they are individuals who are simply born with multiple souls within their body. In most cases, only one soul remains on the surface level, with all others lying dormant throughout their lives. But rarely, exceptions occur. Such individuals exhibit extraordinary conditions of seemingly possessing multiple persons within one body.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s Zion¡¯s state right now? The other soul woke up?¡± ¡°I told you, that¡¯s not my name.¡± ¡°And I told you, that¡¯s precisely NOT what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry. Continue.¡± Karas shook his head, and Serenis¡¯ sigh followed. Just this morning, Patrick was not expecting such a miserable day. Life had different things in store for him. ¡°Serenis ¨C or Zion, as you keep referring to ¨C possesses a perfectly complete, singular soul. In other words, Serenis is still the same person you knew yesterday, or ten years ago.¡± ¡°Then how do you explain the sudden change? He couldn¡¯t even remember my name.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why it¡¯s interesting.¡± Karas rubbed his beak, scanning the boy from head to toe like an interesting specimen. And for some reason, the little child was acting like this was perfectly normal, as if being gazed at in dismay and awe happened on a regular basis. ¡°The only explanation I can think of is a mistake in the cleansing process.¡± ¡°A mistake in wha?¡± ¡°This knowledge treads into divine studies, but¡­I suppose I could impart you some.¡± Karas snapped his fingers as a levitating chalkboard appeared alongside a piece of chalk. The professor began drawing a triangular diagram, each drawing representing a person, tree, and a dog. ¡°Let¡¯s take you as an example. As of this moment, you are Patrick Parma, an enforcer of the Mage Association. That¡¯s the body your soul currently resides in.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± The professor drew an arrow, leading from person to tree. ¡°When your body dies, the soul returns to the deity of life, and undergoes a process called cleansing. Your identity is essentially erased, resetting your soul back to a state of emptiness.¡± A noticeable frown appeared on Serenis¡¯ forehead, although no interruption occurred. Once again the professor drew another line, this time from tree to dog. ¡°After the cleansing process, your soul is reborn into a new lifeform. In this case, a dog.¡± ¡°Why a dog?¡± ¡°I just thought you¡¯d be much happier as one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Patrick could feel his eyes tearing up. ¡°In the case we have with Serenis, however, there was an error in the cleansing process, and this reset didn¡¯t fully happen; Serenis¡¯ memories weren¡¯t erased, but simply suppressed. And when they resurfaced, her memories likely drowned out what little memory ¡®Zion¡¯ possessed in comparison.¡± This time, it was Serenis who interrupted with a rather unrelated question. ¡°Remind me, what star are we on?¡± ¡°The name of our star? Nerion.¡± ¡°And since when did our¡­lives¡­work like this?¡± ¡°This cycle, you mean? As far as I¡¯m aware, since time immemorial.¡± ¡°This ¡®deity of life¡¯ was around since time immemorial?¡± ¡°Interesting question. The year is only 1030, and our historical records only go that far back. Only the divine would know what was in the distant past before our contemporary times.¡± ¡®1030?¡¯ The number was nonsensical. Humans of her era did keep track of the passing of seasons, but even they never bothered to count the passing time by a literal tally of years. She could only think that it was some new tradition they came up with. ¡°A thousand years then. It¡¯s been this way for a thousand years, at least¡­¡± The frown deepened as Serenis struggled to accept the passage of time. This was all news to her. Deities? There were nothing of the sort when she was alive. In other words, it¡¯d been at least an entire millennium since her battle ended, and these ¡®deities¡¯ came to light. ¡®All that struggle to free ourselves from a godly being, and we¡¯re still¡­¡¯ After an uncomfortable silence, Serenis raised her head to ask another question. ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Serenis shot a glare towards the professor before her, her eyes suddenly exuding a murderous menace. Even though the child couldn¡¯t possibly be of any significant threat, Karas reflexively took a step back. ¡°You said there¡¯s a deity of life. That must mean there¡¯re other deities. How many of these wretches are there?¡± ¡°Zion!¡± Patrick hurriedly clasped his hands over the little boy¡¯s mouth, stammering in panic. ¡°You can¡¯t speak like that, they¡¯re divine beings! Your life is a blessing from them too!¡± Serenis slowly turned her head. Only then could Patrick see the seething hatred within the dragon¡¯s eyes. His clasping hand was tossed away. ¡°My life is a divine blessing?¡± Patrick froze in place. He couldn¡¯t dare talk back, and his body instinctively froze before the deathly gaze of a higher being. ¡°Says who?¡± Ep 4. What Even Was That?! (4) Ep 4. What Even Was That?! (4) Patrick slowly unwrapped his arms around the little child. He didn¡¯t know what to say. When was the last time he saw Zion seething in so much hatred? The menace in his eyes was akin to that of someone who¡¯d lost their entire family to a serial killer. Worse, in fact. ¡°Serenis.¡± The professor had collected himself before Patrick ever could. As the half-crow began to speak, Serenis turned to face him again. ¡°If I recall correctly, you stated that you are a¡­dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­Not ¡®a¡¯ dragonlord. ¡®The¡¯ dragonlord.¡± ¡°The?¡± ¡°I was not one of many lords, but the very first. And I did not live to see the second.¡± ¡°The first¡­¡± While Karas knew little about draconic history, Serenis was sounding like there were multiples of these ¡®lords¡¯ ¨C and considering the lifespan of dragons, Karas couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine when their first lord would¡¯ve been alive. The easiest explanation would be to think that the boy was making this all up, but¡­ ¡®The sheer depth of their soul¡­I¡¯d rather wager they¡¯re telling the truth.¡¯ ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question yet. How many are there?¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes, the deities. There are twelve in total.¡± ¡°Twelve¡­¡± After liberating her world from the clutches of one divine being, twelve more had replaced them. The dragon chuckled at the irony. Perhaps if they didn¡¯t struggle so hard to break free, they¡¯d still just have one leash on their necks, not twelve. The professor cautiously inquired further. ¡°Have the deities¡­done something to you? In the distant past?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t even know who they are.¡± ¡°Then why¡­?¡± Karas wanted to ask why Serenis seemed to hate them so much, but his question was answered before he could finish it. ¡°Because divinity is an illusion.¡± ¡°An illusion?¡± ¡°Are the divine a necessity?¡± Karas paused to think on the matter. He never considered this point. Were the deities necessary? What would happen if they were to suddenly disappear? Both theories and history led to one answer that was spoken by the professor. ¡°No. The world would likely still function as is.¡± ¡°Exactly. Divinity is an illusion used to justify one¡¯s will. Manipulating the world is not a right of the divine, but a ruse to trick the weak into thinking thus. The only difference that separates a god and a mortal is whether you have the power to facilitate your will.¡± ¡®And we gave our lives to break free of that will.¡¯ Serenis didn¡¯t bother adding the last bit. Karas wouldn¡¯t understand it anyways. ¡­Meanwhile, Patrick was no longer following the conversation. ¡®What should I have for dinner¡­chicken? Chicken sounds great. With some salad on the side.¡¯ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His mind was wandering further and further, until¡­ Slap! ¡­Serenis slapped him across the face. ¡°What was that for?!¡± ¡°You seemed distracted.¡± ¡°I- that¡¯s no reason to slap people!¡± ¡°Alright. Then I just felt like it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse!¡± ¡°Oh, grow up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± You¡¯re younger than me¡­and smaller. Karas cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem. Well anyhow, it was a pleasure meeting the two of you. I¡¯ll be seeing you both, I presume?¡± Serenis and Patrick answered in unison. ¡°What for?¡± They blankly stared at the professor in confusion. ¡°Well, first off, Serenis just passed the entrance exam. With astounding performance, might I add ¨C even I¡¯ve never seen a spell quite like what you used on stage. And Patrick, an enforcer meeting is scheduled for later this week. You didn¡¯t forget it, did you?¡± Both of them stared at each other, then back at the professor. ¡°Entrance exam to what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re coming to that meeting? Did you quit being a professor to become an enforcer?¡± Karas rubbed his forehead. It was him getting the headache this time. ¡°First, entrance exam to the Magic Institution¡­literally the institution that owns the courtyard you¡¯re standing on. And for the enforcer meeting, I¡¯m joining to introduce a case that requires addressing by you lot.¡± Patrick was satisfied with that explanation. Unfortunately, Serenis was not. ¡°Magic Institution this, Magic Institution that. What exactly is this Magic Institution?¡± ¡°A school of magic. The largest and the most renowned of this continent.¡± ¡°A school? Isn¡¯t that where little humans go in groups to learn things from bigger humans?¡± ¡°Not¡­per se, but something like that, yes.¡± ¡°Why on earth would I go to such a place? I¡¯m neither little nor human.¡± Even Serenis knew something was wrong with that statement in this moment. ¡°¡­Okay, I concede that I am little and human in the present, but that does not mean I need to learn things from other humans.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I could teach you more about the contemporary era. Like the deities.¡± ¡°Sold.¡± ¡®Sold¡¯? A dragonlord uses phrases like ¡®sold¡¯? Maybe Zion¡¯s personality is somewhere in that little skull after all. ¡°So, I¡¯ll be seeing you both then, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, professor¡­¡± ¡°I suppose. When I have no better things to do.¡± Patrick eyed the little boy suspiciously. What ¡®better things¡¯ could you possibly have to do other than going to school at your age? Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t the only one with this inquiry in mind. ¡°Hm? Have plans already, Serenis?¡± ¡°Certainly. Regaining my strength, reclaiming my body, finding my kin, learning of what happened to the star in the last millennium¡­¡± ¡°Grandiose plans for a little kid.¡± ¡°Say that again, Patrick?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Karas rubbed his beak again. The professor seemed to be taking the little boy¡¯s words at least a million times more seriously than Patrick was. ¡°And how do you suppose you¡¯ll go about accomplishing those?¡± ¡°Finding the remains of my old body would be the easiest way. Failing that, I¡¯ll simply have to collect sufficient mana from the star. If I regain my strength, finding my kin is an easy task, and¡­I have you to explain our star¡¯s history.¡± The professor nodded in agreement, but raised a finger to add one suggestion. ¡°A fine plan, but might I add that I can simply tell you where your kin is.¡± ¡°You know?¡± ¡°Yes. You did say you were a dragonlord, did you not?¡± ¡°I still am. Regardless of my physical body, my identity will not change.¡± ¡°The dragons reside within a secluded area in the northern sections of Mire Forest. While I am unsure what their term would be, we call it the Dragon¡¯s Valley. Directly north from here, albeit quite some distance away.¡± With a determined look, Serenis immediately jumped into the air. And, contrary to Patrick¡¯s expectations, the little boy did not fall back down. Instead, luminescent wings that had grown from his shoulders kept him afloat. Wings that much resembled a dragon¡¯s. ¡®Mana wings? When did he-¡® ¡°Thank you.¡± With the shortest notice of gratitude possible, the tiny figure sped away into the distant skies. Patrick reached out his hand in an attempt to stop little child, but Serenis was out of sight before he could even decide on what to say. ¡°Zion! Er, Serenis! Wait!¡± After realizing the boy had just flown off to the northern edge of the continent, Patrick turned and looked at Karas with a miserable gaze. ¡°Professor! Why would you tell him that?!¡± Instead of answering his question, Karas¡¯ eyes remained glued to the blue skies above for a few seconds longer. When he finally spoke, it wasn¡¯t even remotely close to an answer. ¡°Patrick, do you know how long it takes to travel from here to Mire?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Even with the fastest transportation methods available, it¡¯d take at least three weeks. And that¡¯s assuming no precautions were taken to avoid the dangers on the way. But at that speed, your friend will reach it within the next two hours.¡± The professor looked down at his student and shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re in no place to worry about them.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a child!¡± ¡°No. That is most definitely not just a child, Patrick.¡± Karas¡¯ eyes showed a hint of excitement as he said the next bit. That child¡¯s soul was unlike any other, its depth too deep for even Karas to fully comprehend. ¡°That was an entity possessing of a depth far surpassing the current era. It¡¯s quite possible that they really are who they claimed to be.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane, professor.¡± ¡°Time will tell.¡± They both laughed. It was a rare moment. ¡°Just wait patiently. I¡¯m certain Serenis will return soon.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m never gonna get used to that name. Doesn¡¯t even sound like a boy¡¯s name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Serenis is female.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Serenis. That¡¯s a female dragon. Now that I think about it, you had the incorrect pronoun all along.¡± ¡°¡­Zion¡¯s a boy. Or Serenis, whatever their name is. He¡¯s been one all his life.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see how long that statement stands true. I¡¯m willing to wager that you¡¯ll be wrong by tonight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh, what the hell. Ep 5. What Even Was That?! (5) Ep 5. What Even Was That?! (5) Serenis watched as the scenery rapidly changed beneath her. ¡®¡­So much has changed.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the cities or the civilization that occupied them. Entire landscapes had shifted. If Karas hadn¡¯t confirmed the name of the star, she wouldn¡¯t even be sure what planet she was on. ¡®And if the world changed so much¡­¡¯ Would her kin have remained the same? Entire generations must¡¯ve gone past, but dragons were loath to change. It was one of the reasons why Serenis was so hesitant to join any conflict during her life. Their tribe preferred seclusion, and they had the strength to support their secluded lifestyle. Few could dare question a dragon¡¯s choice of life. And because she knew her kin, Serenis was relieved when Karas had said they lived in seclusion still. ¡®Maybe they haven¡¯t changed that much.¡¯ Maybe, just maybe¡­ They¡¯d still remember her. With a heart full of hope, Serenis sped across the skies. Or at least tried to¡­until she felt a pang of pain in her heart again. ¡®Already?¡¯ Compared to her original body, ¡®tiny¡¯ was not enough to describe her current mana reserve. And normally, she wouldn¡¯t even need to make mana wings. She had physical wings. Once upon a time, anyways. She descended unto the ground every then and there, refilling her mana from the earth. ¡®Oh, how the mighty have fallen¡­literally.¡¯ At least her affinity with the star seemed to remain. If she¡¯d lost even that, she couldn¡¯t dare to cross the continent like this. Refilling her mana from the ground would remain a distant memory. ¡°Just a little more to go.¡± After a few hours¡¯ passing, a mountainous range came into view. Large forests of green stretched behind the range, creating what looked like a valley that bordered nature and civilization. And, albeit faintly, she could sense familiar presences. ¡®That must be it!¡¯ Serenis could feel her heart throbbing, this time from excitement more than a lack of mana. The familiar presence grew stronger and stronger, informing her of their closing distance. ¡­? ¡®Wait, it¡¯s a little too strong, I¡¯m still in the air-¡® Her thought was finished halfway until a lug of metal tackled her in the sky, sending her falling back down to the ground. ¡°¡­SHIELD!!!¡± A large thud echoed throughout the mountain range as she landed on a jagged stone surface like a meteorite. No doubt her body would¡¯ve been smashed to pieces without the rushed shielding spell. She struggled to lift herself upright, but found her body being pressed down by what felt like a heap of metal. She pushed at it with what little strength she had, but to no avail. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Ugh, what is this thing?¡± For a moment, Serenis thought that an actual meteorite had hit her. What other metal-like object could plummet down to hit her in the middle of the sky? However, the silvery grey hair her hand was placed on suggested otherwise. ¡®Wait, it¡¯s a person-¡¯ Suddenly, the million-ton figure took a deep breath with her face still buried in Serenis¡¯ stomach. That alone was enough to creep the dragonlord out, and it certainly didn¡¯t help when the strange figure raised her head, silver eyes gleaming in delight. ¡°You smell nice!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who are you?!¡± Instead of answering, Serenis blankly stared at the figure¡¯s face. Silvery, unkempt hair. Long enough to almost reach her hips. An extremely dense and heavy body that directly defied what their thin figure suggested. Two grey eyes that lightly glowed in light, much akin to pieces of metal. And a haphazard outfit that, judging by its color, was likely made out of the wearer¡¯s own scales. ¡®Arkrana? No, it can¡¯t be. Arkrana died in that battle. And if this really is her, she would recognize my presence¡­¡¯ Arkrana. One of her eldest kins that had an exclusive affinity for metal. She, too, shared the same hair and eyes. And the lack of care in her clothing. But despite the carelessness that reflected on the outside, Serenis knew that the dragon of steel retained one of the most righteous hearts of all her kin. The likely explanation was that this dragon on top of Serenis was their descendant. If the girl was in her dragon form, Serenis would¡¯ve been able to tell better. Alas, dragons had always preferred taking a humanoid form unless the situation called otherwise. Their sheer size often caused numerous inconveniences¡­ ¡­Or so the dragonlord tried to think, watching the girl sniff Serenis from head to toe. ¡®Arkrana¡­your descendent is a pervert.¡¯ ¡°Child, could you¡­move aside? You¡¯re quite heavy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t listen to weaklings.¡± ¡°Weak¡­ling¡­?¡° ¡°You smell nice.¡± The metal dragon¡¯s adamant stance was enough to paralyze Serenis¡¯ thinking for a good few seconds. ¡®When was the last time anyone called me a weakling?¡¯ Quite literally never. Even the First had recognized her as a formidable foe. ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time. Move aside.¡± ¡°Try me, human.¡± Okay, that does it. Serenis took a deep breath, and the smile on her face was now mixed with annoyance and irritation. Lots of it. Humans being unable to recognize her was understandable. They¡¯re just humans. But her own kin? Calling her a weakling? This was no different than a little child spitting on the face of their king. ¡°???.¡± As soon as the dragonlord muttered a short, incomprehensible phrase under her breath, the steel dragon could feel her body reacting to it immediately. Serenis opened her mouth to speak in succession. ¡°Move.¡± The dragon girl¡¯s limbs snapped accordingly, getting up from the dragonlord¡¯s body and standing absolutely still in place. It didn¡¯t take long for her to realize she couldn¡¯t move her own body. And when she tried to open her mouth to speak, she realized that her lips were part of the binding. Serenis slowly rose to her feet, briefly whisking off the dust from her now-tattered clothing. The dragonlord angrily glared at the metal dragon, though not quite out of malice. Just extreme irritation. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Raizel!¡± ¡°Age.¡± ¡°100¡­something! I stopped counting after!¡± ¡°Nest.¡± ¡°Northern valley, not far from here!¡± ¡°Why did you tackle me in the sky?¡± ¡°Your presence, it was¡­it was, um¡­¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°¡­Familiar. Very familiar. I thought you were a dragon!¡± Serenis sighed. 100-something¡­she was just barely an adult. And to Serenis, she might as well be a hatchling still. And the dragonlord couldn¡¯t blame the youngling for feeling familiarity towards her. Even if Raizel¡¯s never met Serenis directly, the dragonlord¡¯s presence would instantly give away her status as a lord to her kin. Or at least as a far, far distant elder. But Raizel didn¡¯t refer to Serenis as either, which would mean one of two things. ¡®Either there aren¡¯t any elderly dragons left, or¡­this one¡¯s a little dense.¡¯ Serenis watched Raizel frozen in place, struggling to move. She looked rebellious at first, but now it looked like the poor child was about to burst into tears. ¡®Probably the latter.¡¯ ¡°¡­You¡¯re free to move. As long as you don¡¯t do anything to harm me.¡± As if released from a century-old binding, Raizel burst into heavy pants. Serenis belatedly realized she wasn¡¯t even letting the poor child breathe. Woops. ¡°Huff¡­huff¡­what was that?!¡± ¡°Draconic speech.¡± ¡°What the heck is that?¡± ¡°A binding spell in the form of spoken words. A form of speech exclusive to the dragonlord towards her kin¡­or, their kin.¡± ¡°Dragonlord?¡± ¡°Yes. Your ruler.¡± Serenis felt rather awkward having to explain this as a third party. Before, she could simply say it was her exclusive authority. Now it wasn¡¯t. But clearly, something about the explanation was confusing Raizel. Her head was tilted, her eyes squinted. ¡°Are you confused because I¡¯m not a dragon?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Then what is it? Something¡¯s clearly confusing you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°We have a ruler?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tell me you have one. Please. Ep 6. Pay Your Respects. (1) Ep 6. Pay Your Respects. (1) As Serenis and Raizel entered the nesting area of their kin deeper in the rocky valleys, the dragonlord could feel multiple presences closing in. Raizel had agreed to guide Serenis into the heart of the valley to find an elder dragon to speak with, and they ended up walking together side by side. Well, if being ordered to say yes counts as agreeing. ¡°I really don¡¯t think I should be accompanying you¡­¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°My kin aren¡¯t too fond of me.¡± ¡°Is that because you tackle them while in flight?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because they¡¯re all weaklings.¡± Serenis raised an eyebrow, intrigued. ¡°Really? The entire dragonkin¡¯s weaker than you?¡± ¡°There are maybe¡­two in the entire kin that could even leave a scratch on me. Everyone else is a weakling.¡± A metal affinity granted lots of things, and peerless defense was one of its most shining features. Arkrana, too, took pride in her nigh invincible scales. But unlike Raizel, Arkrana was never shunned for being exceptionally strong. In fact, it was the complete opposite; whenever small skirmishes occurred between other tribes, her kin looked to Arkrana more than Serenis. Serenis usually settled disputes peacefully, but Arkrana enacted revenge for them in the name of justice. ¡®The strong shall not harm the weak,¡¯ as she would say. ¡®Arkrana¡­you passed down your affinity, why is it that you failed to pass down your righteous heart?¡¯ At least Arkrana never tackled her in flight. Or sniffed her body from head to toe. Serenis felt a pang of sorrow as she remembered life in the old days, but her memories were forced to scatter when other dragons finally showed face. Most of them looked hesitant to meet them directly, merely peeking from a distance. Some of them seemed outraged, some worried. The rage was mostly directed at Raizel, and the worry was mostly directed at Serenis. ¡°¡­You really do have a lot of enemies, child.¡± ¡°I told you!¡± ¡°Yes. Yes you did. But at least none seem keen to attack us, so¡­¡± When Serenis turned her gaze to the side to face Raizel again, she instead saw someone¡¯s angered fist, driving the metal dragon into the ground. ¡®I spoke too soon, didn¡¯t I.¡¯ Boom! A roar of smoke followed the thunderous noise. Serenis watched the scene unfold with an unamused expression, unsure of what to expect from her kin anymore. When the dust cleared, another strange girl was madly stomping on Raizel¡¯s head that was already mostly driven into the stone floor. Despite being in human form, the red scales on her tail and the two horns jutting from her purplish hair made it quite obvious that she was a dragon. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Raizel, are you kidnapping children now?! I told you not to stir trouble with humans! How many times do I have to tell you?!¡± ¡°Actually, she was just guiding me-¡° Serenis¡¯ voice was either inaudible from the stomping, or ignored altogether. Instead of listening, the girl that had suddenly appeared grabbed the dragonlord by her cheeks, examining her left and right. ¡°Gosh, are you okay? You must¡¯ve been so scared. I¡¯m so sorry, I promise I¡¯ll get you home soon.¡± ¡®Actually, if this is the dragonkin¡¯s nest, then this would be my home¡­¡¯ Serenis didn¡¯t bother speaking. No need to complicate matters when the stranger was clearly on her side. But before long, Raizel¡¯s arm burst forth from the ground, grabbing the red dragon by their ankle and slamming her down unto the floor. The metal dragon angrily climbed back up, muttering curses under her breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Actually, you did¡­you tackled me midflight and sniffed me like your dinner.¡± Raizel turned her gaze towards Serenis with a devastated look. Wow, it really does sound like an abduction when you put it like that. The red dragon rose to her feet before long. Her hair was a mess now, as was her black, surprisingly human-like attire. ¡°¡­Sounds like you kidnapped him.¡± ¡°I did not.¡± ¡°Do settle down. It really wasn¡¯t an abduction. I came here of my own will.¡± The girl turned towards Serenis with an even more worried look. ¡°Oh my gosh¡­Raizel, did you threaten the poor boy to say that?¡± ¡°I did not! Why are you accusing me of everything bad that happens around here?!¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re always behind everything bad that happens around here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Interesting. Must be true, seeing how that shut her up instantly.¡¯ Serenis cleared her throat. ¡°¡­No, I really did come here of my own free will. I wish to speak with your lord. This girl here didn¡¯t seem to know where they were.¡± ¡°Lord?¡± ¡°Yes, lord.¡± ¡°What lord?¡± Not this again. ¡°¡­Do dragons not have a ruler anymore?¡± ¡°Well¡­I heard that we did until just a while back, about a hundred years ago¡­but she was a leader, not a lord. And after she died, we never elected another one. I think we only elected one at the time because we were at war. I was still a little child though.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, we did have a temporary war leader.¡± ¡°I also heard that you never listened to her, Raizel.¡± ¡°Because she was always nagging about how I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t do that¡­old hag was crazy.¡± If Serenis could learn one thing from this entire conversation, it was that whoever this leader-figure was, she was not a lord. A kin referring to their lord as an ¡®old hag¡¯ would¡¯ve gotten them killed instantly. Serenis tried to ignore her aching head as she spoke again. ¡°So¡­the dragonkin doesn¡¯t have a lord. Or a ruler.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°See? I told you.¡± Serenis rubbed her forehead. Her entire way here, she¡¯d planned to speak with the current dragonlord about her situation. She was almost positive that the current lord would be a grandchild of hers. She was positive that they¡¯d be able to help her somehow. A millennium may be a long time for humans, but it was only a few generations for dragons. ¡®I¡¯m well aware that changes are usually sudden, but¡­isn¡¯t this a little too much change?¡¯ Serenis let out a deep sigh. The red dragon worriedly looked at her and knelt down to meet her eye level. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not sure who you are, but if I can help in any way, do tell! My name¡¯s Ilias.¡± ¡°I appreciate your concern, but¡­let¡¯s do it the easy way.¡± ¡°The easy way?¡± Serenis glanced around the valley. She could both see and feel dozens of other dragons nearby, watching and listening to the situation at hand like some sort of entertainment. ¡°???.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if they could hear her or not. Draconic speech was a spell, not a command. As long as they were within Serenis¡¯ range of perception, the spell would take effect. And as if to prove her memories correct, dozens of dragons came down in unison, kneeling down on one knee with their heads lowered. Raizel and Ilias joined them at the forefront, kneeling directly in front of the dragonlord. None of them seemed to know what was going on. Except Raizel, who¡¯d suffered the same spell not too long ago. Another sigh escaped Serenis. She hoped that at least some would recognize the spell, the signs of their lord. But now it was painfully clear that the notion of a ¡®lord¡¯ was simply a forgotten piece of history. If it¡¯s forgotten, then nothing but to reinstate it. ¡°Raise your heads.¡± The dragons all raised their heads in unison to meet the little figure¡¯s gaze. Despite being a mere human boy, they could all feel something oddly different. An unrecognizable, and yet, painfully familiar sensation that was driven into their heritage. ¡°My name is Serenis. A former dragon of stars, and¡­¡± She scanned the area for any signs of recognition. Nothing. With a hint of sadness in her voice, she finished. ¡°The first lord of the dragonkin.¡± Ep 7. Pay Your Respects. (2) Ep 7. Pay Your Respects. (2) A chilled breeze brushed past Serenis¡¯ cheek. The sun was beginning to set in the distant skies. But other than the howling winds and the bristling of leaves, the area was dead silent. ¡°I am not here to ask for servitude, nor allegiance.¡± The dragons could do little but to listen. None were permitted to move. Raizel took heart in the fact that they could at least breathe this time. ¡°And if it be against our kin¡¯s wish, I do not plan to interfere with your way of living.¡± Some seemed relieved. Some seemed confused. And yet, more seemed terrified at the fact that there was a being who could bind their brethren at will. Once again, the dragonlord let out an exasperated sigh. ¡®I¡¯m no different than a tyrant like this.¡¯ During her life, Serenis was accepted by all of her kin as their ruler. The kin trusted her, and she trusted them. There was mutual acceptance in her rule. But this was nothing of that sort. She was a stranger that had barged into the home of dragons to suddenly announce that she was their lord. ¡°But, loath as I am to admit it¡­I need your assistance. As you can all see, my flesh is that of a mere human child¡¯s. I¡¯ve lost most of my former strength, and I plan to reclaim it by finding my heart.¡± What separated the first lords from the rest of their kin? There was a very clear distinction between the first lords and their brethren: their lifespan was not finite. Unless deliberately killed, the first lords lived indefinitely, and Serenis was no exception. It wasn¡¯t that their body wasn¡¯t prone to deterioration. However, the first lords possessed a distinct heart ¨C an infinite source of life that restored their deteriorating bodies to its prime constantly, and provided them with more mana than most archmages would ever dream of. Even if her corpse had withered away, Serenis assumed that her heart would still remain somewhere in this world. Although her original assumption that it¡¯d be in the current dragonlord¡¯s possession was proven false. ¡°If any of you know of its whereabouts, I implore you to speak. If it¡¯s in your possession, then I implore you to return it to its rightful owner.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Dead silence. No one had it. No one even knew where it was. The silence couldn¡¯t possibly be false in the premise of her spell that was still in effect. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t have to be an exact location. Even an idea of where such an object may be will do.¡± Finally, the more elderly dragons began to speak. ¡°It may be within the frozen remains of our ancestral kin.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s anywhere¡­¡± ¡°That would be my only guess as well.¡± ¡®Ancestral kin?¡¯ Serenis eyed the dragon that had first spoken. ¡°What is this ¡®ancestral kin¡¯ that you speak of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dragon that is said to have ruled us as a tyrant, many centuries ago. We were never told of its name, but it is said that the dragonkin bitterly resisted their rule, and successfully sealed them at the heart of the valley, forever to remain frozen.¡± Serenis furrowed her brows. A number of theories were forming within her mind as to how such a story would come to be, and none too pleasant. But out of them all, one theory disturbed her in particular. ¡®Please don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s MY remains.¡¯ ¡°Could you guide me to it, then?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Serenis scanned the valley once more. The kneeling dragons were no less uneasy than before. ¡°The rest of you are free to go about your lives.¡± As the spell broke, half her kin immediately took flight into the distance towards their individual nests. Some slowly arose and began to mutter amongst each other. Only the elder dragon that had volunteered to be her guide stepped forward to join Serenis. Though, somewhat unexpectedly, Raizel and Ilias joined him by his side as well. Serenis eyed them oddly, shooing them away. ¡°¡­You two are free to go as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just following my father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going where I want to.¡± At this point, Raizel going where she wanted made perfect sense. But for Ilias¡­ ¡®Father?¡¯ Serenis exchanged glances between Ilias and the elderly dragon. Grey and ruffled hair, beard, sharp gaze, bulky figure¡­ ¡°This is¡­your father?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Bruton.¡± The elderly dragon curtly introduced himself. Despite what had just happened, it seemed he had trouble accepting the tiny human boy as his lord. Understandably so, in fact. But what bothered Serenis more, was¡­ ¡°¡­You two look nothing alike.¡± In fact, Raizel resembled Bruton more than Ilias. ¡°She looks a lot closer to her mother.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m glad I do! Imagine if I looked like you, father. Blegh.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t look that awful.¡± ¡°Yeah? Why don¡¯t you get another daughter who looks just like you?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get going, shall we? The seal isn¡¯t far from here.¡± Bruton hurriedly changed the subject. He curiously looked down at Serenis. ¡°Can you fly?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Large, black wings jutted forth from Bruton¡¯s back. Ilias unfolded her crimson red wings as well, and Serenis used a spell to grant herself the same luminescent wings. Meanwhile, Raizel grabbed Ilias by the waist with both her arms. ¡°¡­Curse it, I should¡¯ve flown off faster.¡± ¡°Still haven¡¯t learned your lesson, have you.¡± Serenis stared at the two younglings in confusion. Noticing her gaze, Ilias let out a nervous laughter. ¡°Oh, this is, um¡­Raizel doesn¡¯t have wings.¡± Doesn¡¯t have wings? How can a dragon not have wings? Actually, before that¡­ ¡°Then¡­Raizel, how did you tackle me midair?¡± ¡°Oh, that? I jumped.¡± ¡°From¡­?¡± ¡°? The ground, of course.¡± ¡°You jumped from the ground¡­to tackle someone flying in the air?¡± Serenis looked towards Ilias and Bruton for clarification. Both of them shrugged at her. ¡°She¡¯s always been like this.¡± ¡°One of a kind, that girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As they took off, Serenis began to seriously worry about her kin¡¯s future. Ep 8. Pay Your Respects. (3) Ep 8. Pay Your Respects. (3) ¡°There it is.¡± At Bruton¡¯s notice, Serenis glanced down. True to his remark, there was a rather strange hollow in the midsts of these woods ¨C and from within it, Serenis could feel a hint of inexplicable chill despite the distance between them. ¡°So¡­the ancestral kin you described is frozen in that pit. Do you not know their name?¡± ¡°No. The name was never passed down.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The four dragons began to descend down into the pit. Although one was a human boy on the outside. Serenis squinted her eyes as an unexpected brilliance greeted her. Even though the sun had almost completely set now, the innards of the pit were brightly lit in a blue light emitted from the enormous figure of ice encased at its bottom. When they finally landed, Serenis took a brief moment to take in her surroundings. The night sky seemed so far distant. Without the stars shining above, she would¡¯ve believed it to be a simple pitch-black ceiling. And beneath the darkness was an endless expanse of blue ice, glowing in the brilliance of its chill. At the centre of this pit was what seemed like a gigantic ice sculpt, unmistakably that of a dragon¡¯s upper body. ¡°Brr¡­it¡¯s so cold in here!¡± ¡°Cold? Seriously? This is cold for you?¡± ¡°Oh shut it, you¡¯re made of metal. I¡¯m sure you can melt, but you can hardly freeze.¡± Watching the two girls bicker, Bruton chimed in. ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t recall you ever sneaking out into the deserts, Raizel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because none of you old bones let me go anywhere.¡± ¡°And since when did that stop you, hm?¡± ¡°Literally never. I can attest it.¡± ¡°¡­You two are just jealous I go places.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not still pouting over not having your parents around, are you Raizel?¡± ¡°Shut it, Ilias.¡± Serenis was hardly paying attention to the chatter going on behind her. She simply took in the scenery, expanding her senses to detect any anomalies within the pit. Unfortunately, the entire pit was an anomaly. ¡®¡­The mana in the air is so dense.¡¯This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. While better than an environment lacking in mana, extremely dense environments like this weren¡¯t exactly healthy either. For starters, they interfered with most forms of mana detection. They could also shift the environment towards an extreme of one spectrum, which for this pit, was undoubtedly its chilling cold. And if exposure was prolonged, overly potent mana could also produce abnormalities to the individuals residing within. But above all else, even Serenis had to admit the grandeur scale of this pit. ¡°Bruton. Even though you said this is a seal, I cannot help but think it as an extravagant grave.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Bruton stepped forward, scanning the ice statue. This wasn¡¯t his first time seeing it, but it certainly was his first time looking at it as a grave. ¡°It very well may be. The pit was considered dangerous, and elders forbade us from ever entering it. Once I was an elder myself, I never did take an interest in exploring the pit myself.¡± ¡®¡­All of you are children to me.¡¯ Serenis only kept the thought in her head as she walked along the narrow cliff of ice, leading closer towards the sculpt. It was almost as if it had been purposefully built to lead worshippers closer to their idol of god. Was this really a seal? And who could this dragon possibly be? Noticing Serenis walking off, Ilias quickly chased after her. ¡°So, um¡­lord? Do you think your heart is in this pit somewhere?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not too certain myself.¡± Something must be causing the extreme mana density in this pit. It could be her heart, the lingering essence of this dragon, the seal that was used on it, or something else altogether. And the easiest way to find out would be¡­ ¡®To ask them directly. Assuming they¡¯re alive.¡¯ Serenis cautiously put a hand against the ice. The chill immediately began to pierce her skin. She grimaced, feeling a surge of mana rushing into her. ¡®It¡¯s too pure.¡¯ Mana could take many forms, and ice was no exception ¨C otherwise, ice magic would never be able to exist. But when said mana¡¯s source was a sealed dragon, it could not possibly be this pure. It¡¯s not like the dragon was awake and conscious to camouflage the color of their mana either. It should¡¯ve been tainted, however faint they may be ¨C either from the dragon itself, or the spell that sealed them. When Serenis retreated her hand, she openly concluded out loud: ¡°¡­It¡¯s a corpse.¡± ¡°A corpse?¡± ¡°Or a very intricate sculpture. Either way, there¡¯s no living dragon that¡¯s sealed inside this pit. It¡¯s been dead for at least five centuries. Which would mean the ¡®seal¡¯ is long gone as well.¡± Seals that imprison a living being wear off when the target dies. This much was obvious. The two girls looked at Serenis indifferently, but Bruton seemed moderately surprised. Shocked, even. ¡°Hm¡­are you sure? Perhaps the mana¡¯s density is interfering with the reading?¡± ¡°Not when I¡¯m in direct contact like this.¡± Serenis showed her hand. It was already starting to turn purple from a bad frostbite. ¡°Which means, your elders wanted to keep younglings away for a different reason.¡± ¡°But why would¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to find out. Raizel?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of some ice touching you, yes?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Good. Go ahead.¡± Serenis pointed at the statue with her thumb, tipping her head towards its belly. ¡°Charge.¡± Bruton furrowed his gaze. ¡°Charge? You don¡¯t mean-¡° Raizel knew exactly what their lord meant as she dashed past their confused elder. With both her arms crossed in front of her head, the steel dragon launched herself into the ice, breaking it open like thin glass. ¡°Woohoo!!¡± Bruton and Ilias speechlessly watched in dismay as Raizel¡¯s figure disappeared into the depths of the sculpt. Serenis nodded approvingly. ¡°Atta girl.¡± The grand dragon of ice now had a gigantic hole punched right through its stomach. It almost looked like a tunnel that had been blown open with gunpowder. Serenis jumped in after Raizel, right into the sculpt¡¯s innards that had been burst open. ¡°...¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two dragons outside stood in a daze as their newest troublemaker followed their original troublemaker into what looked like a heap of trouble. ¡°You know, your mother must be waiting for us outside. I should get going-¡° Ilias grabbed her father by his wrist. He froze on the spot like a criminal that was caught red-handed. ¡°¡­Ilias?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go after them, father! Doesn¡¯t this look exciting?!¡± My dear daughter. I should never have let you anywhere near that crazy metalhead. Ep 9. Pay Your Respects. (4) Ep 9. Pay Your Respects. (4) Ksht. Clang. Thwack! The frozen dragon turned out to be literally frozen to its bones; even its innards were completely encased in ice, and the temperature was even lower than it was outside. The only saving grace was that the ice were glowing brilliantly in blue, keeping the insides alit. Numerous icicles and pillars barred their path, making the area seem like a cavern more than a corpse. But Raizel was fearlessly breezing past the jutting icicles and blocks of ice that were in her way. True to her title as a dragon of steel, even thick ice failed to leave the slightest scratch on her as she effortlessly shattered them apart. ¡®Well, this is convenient.¡¯ Serenis was trailing after Raizel some distance behind. With the metal dragon up ahead destroying what obstacles there were, Serenis merely had to be cautious not to slip on the frozen floors. ¡°Lord! Raizel! Wait!¡± ¡°Ugh, this damn ice!¡± Following the only light glowing in the dark caverns, Ilias and Bruton soon trailed after them, joining Serenis¡¯ side behind Raizel. The dragonlord spared a glance towards the two, beaming an amused grin. ¡°Decided to follow in, did you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, it wasn¡¯t my idea.¡± ¡°Oh come father, you can be a little excited! Aren¡¯t you curious what lies at the end of a place like this? What if there¡¯s treasure?! We could bathe in gold and silvers, just like the dragons in those storybooks!¡± ¡°¡­What sort of storybooks have you been reading?¡± Among the dragonkin, Ilias was well-known for being versed in human affairs. She often visited cities and towns, frequenting various shops and establishments that caught her interest. But not even her own father knew that his daughter sometimes spent entire days holed up in a library reading children¡¯s stories. There was a reason why children liked her. While Ilias stammered to answer her father, Raizel interrupted from the distance. Her voice echoed throughout the frozen walls. ¡°Are we going the right way?!¡± Bruton and Ilias looked towards their lord. Serenis rubbed her chin. ¡®I actually have no clue. But I shouldn¡¯t say that. And there only seems to be one way in anyways.¡¯ For all she knew, they were walking along the dragon¡¯s intestines. It just wasn¡¯t obvious because the place was all frozen up inside and out. ¡°Just keep going, Raizel!¡± ¡°Alrighttt!¡±Stolen novel; please report. Another loud smashing noise echoed as Raizel continued to pave their way inwards. ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡± Bruton asked with a puzzled gaze. Surrounded by darkness and walls of ice, even he couldn¡¯t figure out which way was left in a place like this. Serenis shrugged. ¡°Deeper inside, I suppose.¡± ¡°¡­¡¯Suppose¡¯?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t actually think I know everything, did you?¡± ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Kind of did, actually. Bruton was beginning to suspect he¡¯d committed himself to the wrong leader when his daughter budged in between them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if a monster appears, I can handle it! I¡¯m really really strong!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a picnic, Ilias.¡± ¡°But it is a treasure hunt! Right? Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis chuckled at the young girl¡¯s enthusiasm. Dragons rarely ever encountered something they could call a monster; more often than not, they were the monsters. She never understood the source of energy amongst the younger brood, but the dragonlord appreciated it nevertheless. And fortunately (?), a younger brood even more enthusiastic than Ilias was taking the lead at the forefront. Schluk. ¡°Huh?¡± The steel dragon came to a halt as she felt her entire body dipping in and out of a pool of water¡­except there was no such thing. She turned back around to see the empty air now flickering in waves, like the surface of a trembling lake. And it wasn¡¯t just her that noticed the oddity. ¡°Is that¡­a barrier?¡± ¡°A pretty useless one, if I¡¯m getting through this easily.¡± The group came to a halt, with Raizel separated by the translucent barrier that she¡¯d just crossed. Serenis raised her hand to examine it, but Ilias had other plans. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re getting through just fine, it can¡¯t be anything harmful¡­ack!¡± Ilias boldly walked forward and could feel her body sink in momentarily, only to feel a pang of pain on her head and back as she was bounced back out. She rubbed her head, feeling her horns throbbing in pain. ¡°Hah. Is someone too weak to cross some water?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that! Something just¡­¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Serenis touched the barrier¡¯s surface as it rippled outwards. It really did feel a layer of water was in her way. She reached in further, and could feel her hand escape the sinking feeling as it appeared on the other side. She took a couple steps forward, managing to get through the barrier without any resistance. ¡°Shame on you, Ilias. Even a little kid can do it.¡± Ilias puffed her cheeks in anger and charged at the barrier. Her father reached out his hand to stop her, but was far too late. ¡°Ilias!¡° Szzt! And once again, she bounced right back out with a throbbing pain on her head and back. ¡°Ow, my head!¡± Serenis studied the dragon as she was bounced out a second time. ¡°Hm.¡± The barrier was clearly not materially concrete. If it were, it should¡¯ve been blocking out Raizel and Serenis as well. ¡®What¡¯s different?¡¯ Serenis exchanged glances between Raizel and Ilias, then her own self. ¡°Ilias, are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­My head hurts. Wings too. And my tail.¡± Serenis looked at the youngling rubbing her head in pain. Her hands were rubbing against her horns. ¡®Horns¡­wings, and tail?¡¯ The dragonlord threw another glance at the steel dragon. Aside from Serenis herself who had a human boy¡¯s body, Raizel was the only one who¡¯d hidden all of her draconic features. ¡°Ilias. Bruton. Withdraw your horns¡­and your wings and tail.¡± ¡°All of them?...But I can¡¯t fly without my wings¡­¡± ¡°Just for a bit. Try crossing the barrier without them.¡± Bruton studied his daughter and Raizel. If the barrier was discriminating based on physical differences, their dragon features were indeed the most noticeable difference. Raizel¡¯s morphed form had neither horns, wings, or tail. The elder dragon quickly withdrew his features, rendering him no different from an elderly man in appearance. He then boldly stepped forward, feeling his body sink into the barrier ¨C then back out as he crossed it without any resistance. ¡°Hm. They were the discriminatory factor after all.¡± Ilias grumbled as she withdrew hers as well. She quickly stepped across the barrier after her father. ¡°Racist barrier. Hmph!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilias was right. The barrier was, for a lack of better words, racist ¨C at least regarding physical features. ¡®But why would a site at the home of dragons discriminate the dragonkin?¡¯ Before Serenis¡¯ thoughts could go any further, they were interrupted by Ilias who was frantically reaching over her own shoulders, tapping herself on the back. ¡°What is it now? Can¡¯t scratch your back?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Raizel! I¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I...can¡¯t¡­¡± Ilias¡¯ hands then reached towards her head, then her hips. Finally, both of them fell down as dread swept across her face. ¡°My wings, I¡­can¡¯t bring them back¡­my horns and tail won¡¯t come back either¡­¡± Ep 10. Pay Your Respects. (5) Ep 10. Pay Your Respects. (5) ¡°Hold.¡± Bruton, too, attempted to summon his draconic features. True to his daughter¡¯s words, he found it impossible to summon any of them back. The elder dragon then quickly turned to face the barrier, making his way back to the other side. The barrier offered no resistance. Immediately after, he summoned his draconic features again ¨C successfully. His wings were perfectly intact, as were his horns and tail. ¡°¡­Seems to be the barrier¡¯s doing.¡± Bruton gripped one hand into a tight fist as he drove it into the wall to the left, smashing the ice into bits. If it was the barrier¡¯s effect, the dragon figured that he could simply circumvent the translucent wall by breaking open some space to its side. Unfortunately, what he instead found was not an open space, but an extension of the same barrier. In addition, the ice on the other side was securely intact, as if his strike had no impact across the thin wall of water. Serenis frowned at the discovery of the barrier extending further, and the fact that the ice on their side had no damage whatsoever. She looked towards Raizel, who had been watching the elder dragon. ¡°Raizel. Can you try the same on our side of the wall?¡± ¡°Smash it? Sure.¡± Raizel drove her own fist into the ice from the opposite side. She expected it to shatter effortlessly, just like how the ice had all the way here. Instead, her strike left nary a scratch as the frozen wall absorbed its impact. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Raizel struck again. A thunderous noise echoed from the strike, but no damage was dealt to the cavern¡¯s interior. And again. And again. Nothing. Finally, Raizel garnered a significant amount of mana as she reinforced her arm, driving it into the wall with tremendous force. A small dent appeared on the wall of ice. Then, it soon froze back. ¡°Hah¡­no way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. The ice within this barrier doesn¡¯t seem to be the same as outside; it¡¯s been heavily reinforced with mana.¡± ¡®And not by natural means, either.¡¯ Bruton retracted his features once more and crossed the barrier, joining the three within. ¡°¡­It¡¯d be a wise point to turn back. It¡¯s quite clear the barrier was not built to welcome intruders.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Intruders¡­¡± Serenis thought about the statement. The barrier had discriminated against the features of the dragonkin. That could only mean the barrier¡¯s creator meant to treat the dragonkin as intruders. ¡®Why? What is it about this place that warrants such discrimination against the kin?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not turning back.¡± Surprisingly, it was Ilias that had broken the silence with her sudden announcement. Bruton sighed as he began to reprimand his daughter. ¡°Ilias, this isn¡¯t a trip; this place could pose actual dangers. The mana¡¯s density is unnatural, and you¡¯ve already seen how tough the structure is within. We¡¯ve even been robbed of our wings.¡± ¡°Exactly, father! How DARE they? I have to see what this place is hiding.¡± ¡°What, you weren¡¯t joking, old man? Go home if you want to. I¡¯m not going anywhere until I see the end of this place.¡± ¡°Raizel!¡± ¡°Besides, I like it here. Now you two know what it¡¯s like to live without wings.¡± The dragonlord was still deep in thought. Morphing into a humanoid body was a tradition amongst the dragonkin, and a skill hatchlings learned at a very young age. But even if they were to morph, most preferred to keep parts of their draconic features intact. Conventionally, these features were the horns, wings, and tail ¨C though some kin opted for more or less. But if someone were seeking to take that away... ¡°Ilias.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, lord?¡± ¡°Can you try undoing your morph completely?¡± ¡°Completely? Um¡­¡± Ilias briefly took a moment as she closed her eyes, concentrating on undoing her morphed form. When her eyes opened again, she let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°¡­Sorry. Doesn¡¯t seem like I can do that in here either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I only wanted to check.¡± Whatever was in here, it was not meant for the dragonkin to reach. And if Serenis¡¯ heart was in here¡­ ¡°Any of you are free to turn back if you wish.¡± With that, the dragonlord began making her way forward again. Her steps were much slower to avoid the ice that were now unreasonably reinforced, but she still showed no hesitation in venturing deeper. ¡°Sure, we can leave that geezer behind.¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯m going too!¡± As the two girls trailed after Serenis, Bruton let out an exasperated sigh as he followed after them. ¡°Ilias, Raizel, how about you two go back home. I¡¯ll accompany the lord.¡± ¡°What good would that do? You¡¯re weaker than both of us.¡± ¡°I hate to agree with Raizel, but this time she¡¯s right, father.¡± ¡°How many times have I told you two, with old age comes experience and wisdom?¡± ¡°¡­But isn¡¯t he the oldest one here?¡± Raizel pointed at the human boy, or more precisely, their supposed dragonlord. Serenis merely spared a momentary glance at Bruton and turned her eyes away, continuing down the path. ¡°What¡¯re you so scared of? It¡¯s just some ice.¡± Raizel kicked at the nearby pillar of ice to prove her point. Unfortunately, the pillar lit up in a bright purple light, as if it was angered by the unwarranted violence. ¡°¡­Uh. Woops?¡± Following suit, three spell circles appeared at Raizel¡¯s side, each of them launching sharpened metallic projectiles at the dragon. ¡°Raizel!¡± Clang! Clang! Clang! One of the three iron bolts ricocheted towards Ilias, which she caught inches before her eye. ¡°¡­Woah, that was close.¡± Raizel rubbed her cheek. It was trembling from the shock of the impact, but the bolts had failed to do much more on the metal dragon. ¡°Close for you, maybe. I barely felt that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your head¡¯s made of metal. I bet your brain¡¯s full of it too.¡± ¡°¡­Is that an insult?¡± ¡°See?¡± Meanwhile, Bruton was sighing in relief that neither of them were hurt. But Serenis¡¯ expression hardened as she saw the trap activate. ¡®¡­Any other kin could¡¯ve died to that.¡¯ Could a few iron bolts kill a dragon? Even dragons couldn¡¯t survive large metallic bolts piercing through their heads in their human forms. However, to have such bolts hit their mark would require them to be fired at an extremely close range, or for the dragon to be rendered immobile ¨C neither of which were normally possible. The dragon would also have to remain in their morphed forms until the bolts killed them, lest the metals become tiny stings after their transformation. But this cavern met all of those conditions. The space was relatively enclosed. The excessive mana in the air hindered with detecting such traps, which could then be easily activated at extremely close ranges. Undoing their morph was also blocked. Serenis looked on ahead. The frozen corridor seemed to stretch endlessly like an enormous maw. ¡°¡­What is this place?¡± Ep 11. Pay Your Respects. (6) Ep 11. Pay Your Respects. (6) Raizel pinched her own nose as she was momentarily engulfed in venomous gas. The ice around her became instantly discolored before seemingly beginning to rot away, though Raizel¡¯s skin seemed indifferent to the effects of the toxin. ¡°They really do try hard.¡± Quite some time had passed since the steel dragon had elected herself to take the lead once more, advancing at least several steps ahead of the rest of her group. She¡¯s been careful not to wield unruly violence at innocent icicles now, but the floors and walls had still been littered with traps. Raizel threw her gaze behind her, specifically towards Ilias who had been examining the structures of the cavern ever more carefully. Not for traps, but for secret doors that would supposedly lead her to fulfilling her treasury dreams. ¡°Wanna take the lead there so you can find your gold faster?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­no thanks.¡± Serenis took a deep breath, relieved that the metal dragon still had the spirits to joke. Despite her snarky tone, Raizel had no intention of letting anyone else take lead. Most of these traps had been lethal ¨C even for Ilias, who she knew to be much stronger than the average dragonkin. ¡°Hah. Seriously, are these traps ever going to¡­¡± Another spell circle shone into being beneath Raizel¡¯s feet as she took her next step. The circle that had first been the size of her foot expanded to engulf her entire body, momentarily emitting a blinding light. ¡°What is it no¡­w?!¡± As soon as the spell circle faded, Raizel felt her body growing heavier ¨C and it wasn¡¯t just her perceiving so. The ice beneath her rapidly began to crack. Just moments after, the ice completely gave away to reveal a long pit beneath, leading down to a pool of sizzling lava. Having lost her footing, Raizel reflexively clawed at the pit¡¯s walls. Her nails barely managed to crunch into the reinforced ice, holding her body weight literally by her fingertips. Normally, the metal dragon would have no problem pulling herself right out using one finger if she had to; she was born as a metal dragon, and her physical capabilities had long adjusted to compensate for her weight. But right now, the hand keeping her from falling was madly shaking. Raizel¡¯s body slowly began to descend as her amplified weight dragged her fingers down through the ice. ¡°¡­Raizel?¡± Noting the delay, Ilias quickly dashed forth a few steps to find her friend struggling to keep herself from falling in. The red dragon gripped her friend¡¯s wrist with both hands, finally realizing why Raizel hadn¡¯t climbed back out by herself immediately. ¡°What in the¡­why¡¯re you so heavy?!¡± ¡°Kh¡­if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be stuck here!!¡± Bruton and Serenis soon followed after, looking down the pit that had opened up to find their metal dragon hanging above a pool of deathly heat. Bruton frowned as he noticed what it was beneath them in the pit. ¡®Lava? In a completely frozen cavern?¡¯ ¡°¡­Hey, are you still fine if you touch that? It¡¯d be a lot easier if I just brought over an ice pillar for you to climb out¡­¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°NO! Pull her back up, Ilias! She¡¯ll melt!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­fine¡­!¡± Meanwhile, Serenis couldn¡¯t help but notice how Ilias was struggling to pull Raizel out of the pit. It should¡¯ve been a trivial task for the red dragon; she¡¯d already demonstrated that she could knock her friend down at will. ¡®That spell circle earlier¡­was it a gravity curse? That would explain why the floor suddenly gave away¡­¡¯ Ilias tightened her grip. Raizel could swear she heard a crunching noise snap out of her wrist. ¡°Hey, you could loosen up a tad bit¡­!¡± Raizel¡¯s complaints were drowned out by Ilias¡¯ scream as the red dragon practically swung her friend in a full half circle, throwing the metal dragon behind her into the air. Raizel landed on the ice floors with a gigantic thud, though this time the ice thankfully didn¡¯t crack open beneath her. Ilias fell flat unto the floor afterwards, gasping for air after the physical strain. Bruton rushed towards the metal dragon¡¯s side, kneeling down to examine her. ¡°Raizel! Are you alright?!¡± ¡°¡­My wrist isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis made her way to Raizel and hovered a hand over the metal dragon to examine her state. True to her suspicions, a curse had been inflicted on the youngling. ¡°Bruton.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The elder dragon nodded as he, too, took notice of the curse afflicting the youngling. He likewise hovered his hand over the metal dragon, channeling an overwhelming amount of mana that coursed through Raizel¡¯s body to snuff the curse out of her. ¡°Fix my wrist while you¡¯re at it, old man.¡± ¡°I¡­would if I could.¡± ¡°Damnit all.¡± Raizel slowly rose back to her feet, shaking the wrist that Ilias had gripped. Her hand was still attached to it, but it was just that ¨C attached. She couldn¡¯t feel her hand beyond the broken bones. She shot a glare at Ilias who was still lying flat on the ice. When their eyes locked, Ilias shrugged. ¡°You could say ¡®thank you¡¯, you know.¡± ¡°I could also say ¡®did you have to break my wrist¡¯.¡± ¡°I did. As father said, you would¡¯ve melted if you fell in there. And you can¡¯t even transform in this place either¡­¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Approaching the pit that was now blocking their way forward, Raizel knelt down as she put a hand against her footing¡¯s edge. Large streaks of metal slowly slithered forth from her palm, crunching against one another as they joined to bridge the gap of the pit. She rose to her feet and meant to continue on, but was stopped as the elder dragon put his hand over her shoulder. Bruton shook his head, pulling the youngling back towards him. ¡°Raizel. You are NOT taking lead in that state.¡± ¡°Are you volunteering? Be my guest, but you would¡¯ve died ten times over on our way here.¡± ¡°No. I will from hereon.¡± Serenis stepped forward, eyeing the elder and the youngling. ¡°Do not pit yourselves to further danger. I¡­cannot guarantee anyone¡¯s safety.¡± Bruton looked up ahead. His eyes still couldn¡¯t make out the end of this eldritch tunnel. ¡°I admit I know hardly anything of our old customs, but I would guess that standing by as one¡¯s lord puts themselves at danger is not a commendable course of action.¡± Bruton took a brief moment to focus his mana. He held out his hand as a dark, shimmering figure came to form. Standing before the elder dragon was a shadow of himself, standing on its two feet. ¡°Go.¡± The shadow turned around and began to trudge forward across the bridge Raizel had made. The elder dragon exchanged glances with the three others, only to notice the determination in their eyes. ¡°I¡¯d once again advise you all to turn back, but¡­I don¡¯t believe that¡¯ll be of any use.¡± Raizel shook her head, and Ilias rose to her feet to join her friend. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Serenis looked to the side, guilt gnawing at her from the inside. ¡°¡­I apologize for dragging you all in here.¡± Another sigh escaped the elder¡¯s lips. While Serenis was apologizing, it was clear that the dragonlord had no intention of turning back either. Bruton soon turned to follow his shadow double. ¡°Then we can only hope this corridor reveals its end soon.¡± Raizel quickly paced after Bruton. Ilias began to follow after the two, but stopped momentarily as she noticed Serenis¡¯ stare. ¡°Lord? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s be off.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Serenis began to walk alongside the dragons. Her eyes were first fixed on Ilias, then on Raizel. Even in the past, Serenis hardly knew of any kin that could do what Ilias had just done in their human form. ¡®If she can swing a steel dragon affected by a gravity curse¡­that¡¯s no longer at a level of simply being ¡®strong.¡¯ But more importantly¡­¡¯ Up until this point, they¡¯d been able to break through most traps by the virtue of Raizel¡¯s toughness. She¡¯d genuinely assumed that Raizel¡¯s affinity would allow them to ignore any traps this dungeon could possibly pose ¨C until they encountered the gravity trap that almost dragged Raizel down into a pool of scorching lava. ¡®¡­It¡¯s like the trap was designed specifically to kill dragons with steel affinities.¡¯ The dragonlord internally hoped her suspicions to be a mere coincidence as the four continued to make their way deeper into the cavern. Ep 12. Pay Your Respects. (7) Ep 12. Pay Your Respects. (7) A soft groan escaped the red dragon as she made her way deeper into the icy cavern. She¡¯d long lost track of time since coming in. She could manage being drowsy, but the endlessly stretching walls of ice bored her to no end. ¡°Just how much further is this tunnel¡­? We should be almost at the end, right? It can¡¯t stretch on forever!¡± Raizel rolled her eyes at her friend. ¡°At least there haven¡¯t been any traps since that damned pit.¡± The steel dragon had been fidgeting with her broken wrist nonstop, trying to fix it as if it were a minor bone dislocation. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t, and she accomplished little besides the occasional crunching noises of metal that resonated from inside her bones, which were probably signs that she was making it worse. Ilias glanced at Raizel¡¯s wrist. The occasional screeches of metal began making her bored mind wander to strange places. ¡°You know Raizel, if you were to die, would your corpse rot? Or would it corrode?¡± ¡°¡­All I know is that you won¡¯t even leave a corpse.¡± ¡°Huh? Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Because I would¡¯ve thrown it into a volcano already.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not nice!¡± ¡°And breaking my wrist was?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. I saved you!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait until you need some saving.¡± One would expect Ilias to at least be worried about her friend, but she¡¯d seen her mother healing other kin who were in much worse states. She didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that Raizel would be just fine once they got home¡­although her mother may opt to beat them to barely healable states first for going off the radar the entire night. Meanwhile, Bruton was trying his best to stay serious and ignore the girls bickering right behind him. His eyes were constantly checking on his shadowed double that was walking some distance ahead. ¡®Hm?¡¯ Bruton furrowed his gaze as he stopped the group, holding out his hand. It seemed like his double had momentarily flickered. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Bruton sharpened his gaze at his figure up ahead. In an instant, the shadow evaporated as something cleanly sliced its head off. ¡°¡­Something¡¯s up ahead.¡± A pure white spear had shot out from the left wall ¨C but this time, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary trap. The spear of light rattled like a living being, and from the wall crawled out a luminous humanoid figure, shining in pure white light much like their weapon in hand. Raizel squinted her eyes. Even with her astute experience of picking fights with things, she¡¯d never seen anything of the sort. ¡°¡­The hell¡¯s that?¡± On the contrary, Ilias was boldly stepping forth as she eagerly swung her arms. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? It¡¯s a monster! We finally get to fight things!¡± The glowing figure fixed its grip on the spear, turning towards the group of dragons as it shot its weapon towards Raizel. The dragon easily deflected it with her unbroken arm, scoffing at its audacity. ¡°¡­Well, whatever it is, it clearly doesn¡¯t like us. It¡¯s been a while since anything¡¯s picked fights with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you pick the fights first, Raizel.¡± ¡°Shut up, old man.¡± With its weapon gone, the glowing figure then immediately placed its hand against the wall. In response, the ice throughout the frozen corridors ahead began to glow in a similar light. ¡®¡­That can¡¯t be good, can it.¡¯ The dragonlord¡¯s suspicions were instantly proven true as dozens upon dozens of the glowing clones began to spawn from the frozen walls up ahead, each with their own weapon in hand. Soon, the corridor was practically barricaded with an army of its clones. Raizel rolled her eyes at the sight. Judging from the strength behind the light spear she¡¯d deflected, these things were of no significant threat to any of the dragons here. ¡°Really? First traps, now this?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°As they say, there¡¯s strength in numbers!¡± ¡°¡­Who¡¯s ¡®they¡¯?¡± ¡°I dunno, I read it in a book.¡± Ilias casually replied as she held out her hand. Sparks danced within her palms momentarily before a burst of fire engulfed the corridor ahead, reducing a huge number of clones to smithereens. As soon as the flames fully dissipated, Raizel threw herself into the fray as she drove herself forward with her unbroken arm in front. The metal dragon practically mowed down everything in her way, ignoring the weapons that were harmlessly bashing into her body. ¡°Raizel! Slow down!¡± ¡°Father, you know she¡¯s not going to listen. Hurry!¡± Ilias sped after the charging dragon, smashing the few leftover figures into the corridor¡¯s walls while following her friend. Serenis was about to follow suit, but stopped herself when she noticed Bruton worriedly looking behind them. ¡°Bruton?¡± ¡°¡­Lord. Do you hear that?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Krrrrrr. ¡®Something¡­falling?¡¯ Before long, both of them could feel the corridor tremble slightly. The two warily eyed their surroundings, and soon, the source of the trembling came into sight. A crumbling cavern was chasing the dragons from behind, threatening to bury them alive in a pile of ice. ¡°The cavern¡¯s collapsing? But even Raizel couldn¡¯t¡­!¡± Serenis immediately summoned her mana wings and grabbed Bruton¡¯s hair, pulling him forward hurriedly. ¡°Talk later! Run!¡± ? ? ? Meanwhile, Raizel had slowed herself down after realizing she¡¯d charged far enough for Serenis and Bruton to escape her sight. She was only walking at this point, flicking her fingers at the barricading clones ¨C which still sent them flying. Ilias was also still at her side, blasting their enemies with fire or kicking away the occasional ones that managed to approach them. ¡°Whew! I didn¡¯t know you could sweat in such a cold place.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only sweating because you¡¯re blasting all that fire around.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be sweating too then? I¡¯m doing it right beside you, you know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­huh?¡± In the distance behind them, Raziel could see the two familiar figures approaching them at massive speeds. They seemed even faster than when she¡¯d been charging in blindly. Ilias kicked away another three that tried to hack their axes at the dragons, looking at Raizel with a puzzled expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Just the old bones catching up. Dunno what the hurry is though¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Oh yeah, now that you mention it¡­wait, is lord flying?¡± ¡°Looks like it?¡± When Serenis was close enough, she screamed as loud as she could at the younglings up ahead. ¡°RUN!!¡± Run? From what? Soon after their appearance however, even Raizel and Ilias could feel the rumbling throughout the corridor. The collapsing noise that was closely following their elders was another telltale sign of what was happening. ¡°Huh. Sounds like the entire place is falling apart.¡± ¡°Why¡¯re you so relaxed?! Come on, we need to move!¡± ¡°Pft, it¡¯s just some ice. We can crawl out if we need to.¡± ¡°Maybe in a thousand years, sure! Did you already forget how tough the walls were in here?!¡± ¡®Oh yeah. That¡¯s right, I barely left a dent.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± The metal dragon frowned as the gravity of the situation began to dawn on her. If the ice collapsing behind them was anything like the ones she¡¯d tried to break, there was no telling if even a thousand years would be enough to climb their way out. ¡°RUN!¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Both girls turned to face forward, madly clearing out their enemies as they began to run ahead. Serenis and Bruton soon joined the fray, doing what they could to reduce the enemies blocking their way with fireballs and beams of light. ¡®Is there no end to this corridor?! If it continues like this¡­¡¯ The cavern¡¯s crumbling speed was faster than the dragons making their way through. If they could all summon their wings, or if the waves upon waves of armed figures weren¡¯t blocking their way, things would¡¯ve been different ¨C alas, they had to break through it all nonetheless. If there was one spell the dragonkin would never learn, it was a flight spell. They were simply pointless to the dragons who naturally possessed wings and could summon them at will, morphed or not. Even Serenis was thousands of years old when she¡¯d taught herself how, and that was only because she truly did not have better things to do; but now, it was the only thing that was keeping her from falling behind her three kin. At the forefront, Ilias launched another wave of fire at the enemies ahead. Her gaze sharpened as the smoke cleared up, spotting a speck of light in the distance that became larger and larger as they ran. ¡°There¡¯s it! We¡¯re almost at the end!¡± Serenis bit her lips as she spared a momentary glance behind. The collapsing cavern was practically at the tip of their tails. ¡®¡­We¡¯re too slow. We won¡¯t make it like this.¡¯ And it wasn¡¯t just her that had noticed. While the two girls at the front were busily clearing up the way as they moved forward, Bruton¡¯s heavy expression betrayed his lack of confidence. The elderly dragon faltered. He¡¯d already tried blasting various spells at the collapse behind him in hopes that he¡¯d be able to reduce them to dust, but even the collapsing ice still retained the same toughness as the walls that Raizel had barely left a dent on. He tried to think of a way to buy even a sliver of time, but nothing came to mind. The ice was practically indestructible, and he had no power to slow down the collapse. The elder then finally turned to Serenis, hoping the dragonlord would have a solution. ¡°¡­Is there no way to delay the collapse? Any at all?¡± Serenis nonchalantly looked at the elder. Her human voice was calmer than the situation would¡¯ve deemed appropriate ¨C a little too much so. ¡°There is.¡± ¡°Truly?! What is it?¡± ¡°Keep going.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­???.¡± Bruton¡¯s questioning of her answer instantly concluded as the binding took effect; she simply didn¡¯t have the time to explain. The elder dragon continued his way forward just like before while Serenis skidded to a halt, facing the crumbling walls that were now almost upon her human body. A determined expression crossed the dragonlord¡¯s face. ¡®¡­You can do it, human body. You have to.¡¯ First Dragonlord. Starchild Serenis. The only being to ever be born with a gifted affinity to the stars. Unlike regular affinities such as fire or lightning, the dragonlord¡¯s affinity was a complex attribute that even she struggled to fully realize in her lifetime. What did it mean for one¡¯s affinity to lie with the stars? It encompassed a level of control over the strengths and resources contained by and within a star. Being able to take from the star¡¯s mana reserves was one of them, which she¡¯d made use of all too often since becoming a human boy. Unfortunately, even if Serenis could infinitely refill her mana, her current mana reserve as a human boy was but a mere fraction of what she once held as a dragonkin. As such, her abilities had been severely limited, and she¡¯d instead relied on basic authorities like her draconic speech that required little to no mana at all. But in this moment, as humans would put it: desperate times called for desperate measures. ¡®Work!¡¯ Serenis stomped once on the ice beneath her as the floor began to blaze in a burning white light. Her human heart throbbed in excruciating pain as her mana reserve was instantly drained; her knees gave away and her vision began to blur, severely shaking her focus. The ice above her head began to give away. Moments after, giant blocks of ice crumbled out of the ceiling, plummeting down towards the human boy beneath. Ep 13. Pay Your Respects. (8) Ep 13. Pay Your Respects. (8) ¡°¡­Piss off!¡± Raizel slammed the last of the clones into oblivion as she leapt out of the cursed corridor. A series of heavy pants ensued as she tried to catch her breath from the tireless running. Following suit, Ilias jumped out of the corridor with a blazing trail behind her. The red dragon turned back to see her father following right behind, escaping the narrow corridor after her. ¡°Finally! We made¡­it?¡± Ilias was about to celebrate their escape when she belatedly realized the dragonlord was missing. ¡°¡­Lord?¡± She threw another gaze towards the corridor. The collapsing had somehow came to a halt, and she could see the little boy in the distance behind her, barely standing upright with their shaking legs. ¡°Serenis!¡± Ilias threw herself back towards the corridor to retrieve the dragonlord, but a heavy grip on her shoulder stopped her from doing so. When she turned back, she found her father¡¯s unforgiving hold keeping her in place. ¡°Wha¡­father, let go! Serenis is still in there!¡± ¡°You are not going back in there, Ilias! Look closer!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± At her father¡¯s angered outburst, Ilias studied the corridor more carefully. The crumbling blocks of ice looked like they¡¯d resume their collapsing at the slightest touch. A number of ice blocks were in fact levitating right above the dragonlord¡¯s head, lightly shaking as if they were barely being held in place. ¡°The collapsing hasn¡¯t stopped. The moment you step back in there, you may end up buried as well.¡± ¡°So what?! We¡¯re going to sit here and watch?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bruton failed to answer Ilias, but he didn¡¯t let go of the iron grip on her either. He wasn¡¯t willing to risk his daughter¡¯s life on some stranger they¡¯d just met. ¡°¡­Father, let go.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re not going back in there.¡± ¡°Father!¡± Raizel grimaced, noticing the dragonlord stranded in the corridor. Irritation was evident on her face as the metal dragon kicked her tongue.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± Meanwhile, Serenis struggled to keep her eyes open. She could barely make out the fact that her spell had succeeded, albeit temporarily. ¡®¡­Did they make it out?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t tell. And if she turned around to check, there was no doubt that the crumbling would resume, crushing her underneath. In what little space she could manage, Serenis had temporarily erased ¡®gravity¡¯ altogether. There was no way she could lift this indestructible ice with the amount of mana she had at her arsenal. But if she could simply erase the notion of gravity, then even if the entire cavern had crumbled, the ice would have no reason to fall. But with her mana depletion taking a much heavier toll than she¡¯d hoped, the dragonlord was realizing that making it out herself would be impossible. She could barely stand and keep focus as is, much less turn around and escape. The best she could hope to do was to keep her focus intact for even a second longer so that the three children could escape this corridor. ¡®¡­Nothing has changed. Even then. Even now.¡¯ Serenis never was a wise lord. Many said it in passing, and many meant it. Not once would she disagree with them. In her arrogance and leisure ¨C blinded by the immediate peace laid out before her eyes ¨C Serenis had often made misguided decisions. When she had realized the price of her hesitance, it was far too late. - ¡®Serenis, we need you¡­they need you. Please¡­¡¯ - ¡®To what end? Challenge the First? Even if what you said is true, Eden, your cause is doomed. I will not put the dragonkin at stake to challenge a divine being.¡¯ - ¡®We¡¯ll shed blood regardless. If we act now, we may be able to stop the war from breaking out!¡¯ - ¡®Your assumptions are misguided. Mankind seldom oppose our kin, nor yours. There is no reason for us to throw ourselves into this conflict. There is a difference between bravery and recklessness.¡¯ - ¡®¡­As there is between caution and cowardice. I hope you realize this soon.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m still a coward, Eden. I don¡¯t have the courage to see you again.¡¯ It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault. If even one of us had survived that day. If I had placed my trust in you just a little sooner. If I hadn¡¯t hesitated when you asked my help. ¡®If any of you are still alive. Anyone¡­anyone at all.¡¯ Serenis closed her eyes. The world around her began to rumble once more. It may have been a fitting death for the broken ruler, more so than the end she¡¯d met at the summit. She could hear the younglings shouting something in the distance. A smile spread across the dragonlord¡¯s lips as she realized that they were far away from her. ¡®But, at the very least, we¡­survived.¡¯ Back then, only hatchlings and children were left at the nests with a single elder. The rest of the dragonkin had perished with her at the summit. But if her efforts ¨C if their efforts had at least amounted to a paltry survival of her kin ¨C then at least for her, perhaps their struggle was well worth it in the end. ¡°All of you! Are so! Much! Trouble!!¡± ¡°?! Raizel, what¡¯re you doing?!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see?! I¡¯m saving a life!¡± A metallic object slapped Serenis on the back, coiling itself tightly around her waist. ¡®¡­?¡¯ In her flickering vision, the dragonlord could notice her world turning upside down. The corridor resumed its collapse as the falling ice rapidly chased after her, but the distance between them only grew further as she was pulled away by the strand of metal. Thud! Raizel slammed Serenis unto the floor beside her, knocking the human boy unconscious. She loosened her grip on the other end of the metal coil that Serenis had been bound with, groaning in pain as she tightly gripped her arm. What was the metal coil? Well¡­ ¡°Raizel? Is that¡­okay?¡± ¡°¡­I just ripped out strings of bone from my arm, what do you think?!¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­is Lord Serenis okay? That was a pretty loud thud¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel collapsed onto the ground. For the first time in a very long while, Raizel¡¯s arm was bleeding profusely. Though it was a self-inflicted wound. ¡°What do I care. A couple of broken bones is much better than dying.¡± Ep 14. Pay Your Respects. (9) Ep 14. Pay Your Respects. (9) ¡°¡­Lord? Lord Serenis? Hello?¡± ¡°Although we can¡¯t bury them, we¡¯ll always remember their sacrifice in our hearts. May they find eternal peace in¡­¡± ¡°¡­Father, that¡¯s not funny.¡± Despite his evident joking, Bruton¡¯s hand was hovering over the unconscious boy¡¯s chest, even in this moment. The elder dragon was channeling copious amounts of mana into the dragonlord, restoring what he could. But¡­ ¡®The reserve¡¯s been severely damaged. The spell drained their mana well over the reserve¡¯s limits¡­¡¯ Mana was an intangible form of energy scattered throughout the world. One could find it in the smallest of ponds, the largest of trees, even in the air and soil. And living beings were no exception. Though a myriad of methods were out there, the most conventional way to gain mana was simply through breathing and consuming food. The restored mana is then safely contained within the mana reserve within one¡¯s heart, with any excess being cycled out through breathing. However, Serenis¡¯ body was failing at the ¡®containing¡¯ part. Despite Bruton¡¯s efforts to refill the dragonlord¡¯s empty reserves, what mana was channeled in continued to leak out uncontrollably; it was no different than attempting to fill a shattered pot. Symptoms of mana depletion were often temporary, but that was not the case when the individual¡¯s reserve was practically destroyed like this. For now, Bruton was able to delay the repercussions. But as soon as he stopped the channelling, Serenis¡¯ reserve would wither completely; never again would the dragonlord be able to use any form of magic. Worse, there was no telling what damage it would bring to the physical body without any mana circulating it whatsoever. ¡®But we don¡¯t have anyone that could treat this here. We¡­hm?¡¯ From the corners of his eyes, Bruton could notice Raizel rising up to her feet. A horrifying screeching noise echoed out of her arm. The bones that she¡¯d ripped out of her arm were growing back from within. Ilias couldn¡¯t help but frown at the sight. ¡°Ugh¡­Raizel, what are you¡­you can grow your own bones?¡± ¡°Of course I can.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®of course¡¯?! Bones aren¡¯t kelp, they don¡¯t just grow back like that!¡± ¡°Are you stupid?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s my affinity?¡± ¡°?...Steel.¡± ¡°What¡¯s my bone made of?¡± ¡°Steel¡­oh.¡± Ilias belatedly realized what Raizel was doing. Her bone wasn¡¯t ¡®growing¡¯ per say; the steel dragon was simply making new ones through her own affinity¡¯s magic. ¡°Wait¡­if you could grow your bones back like that, why didn¡¯t you just do that when I broke your wrist? Now that I think about it, couldn¡¯t you have just made the metal with magic instead of ripping your bones out?¡± Raizel made a disgusted expression as she shook her arm in front of Ilias, answering through gritted teeth. ¡°First of all, fixing myself this way hurts like a bitch.¡± ¡°¡­Right. Sorry.¡± ¡°Second of all, you know how slow my spells are. I didn¡¯t have time to lounge around like you.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± By the virtue of her affinity, combined with her lack of reliance on magic, Raizel¡¯s spell speed was abysmally slow compared to the average; she simply didn¡¯t have the luxury of time in the case with saving Serenis.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. After making sure that her arm was functioning again, Raizel temporarily closed the wound she¡¯d ripped open with heaps of metal. It wasn¡¯t exactly an ideal treatment, but it¡¯d do for now; there were more pressing matters at hand. The steel dragon scanned the huge, circular chamber they¡¯d entered. The path they¡¯d come through was now completely blocked with heaps of the collapsed ice. She could see several other paths leading to this very chamber, though she figured none of them were exits, but instead similar paths ridden with traps and ill intent. The only ¡®exit¡¯ was likely supposed to be through the ceiling. Coming through the ceiling was light ¨C unmistakable sunlight. While it was far too high to reach without flying, it would definitely lead them back outside. She then lowered her gaze, focusing in on the object before her. A blue orb was levitating at her chest level at the centre of the room. It continuously emitted a chilling aura, though it did little to bother the metal dragon. It was undoubtedly the source of the pit¡¯s unnatural cold, and the object that supplied mana to all the inexplicable traps and barriers. There was no way any of those were natural phenomena. ¡°¡­This must be what we¡¯ve been looking for then.¡± Raizel grasped it without a moment¡¯s hesitation. She couldn¡¯t feel anything special from the orb other than the overwhelming amount of mana resonating from it; even though there were other objects that could resonate copious amounts of mana, this orb far surpassed the levels of mana-containing objects. She slowly brought it over towards the rest of the group. Ilias shifted her gaze from her father to Raizel as the steel dragon approached them. ¡°Wait¡­what is that?¡± ¡°Probably the kid¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they came here to find, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I mean¡­that blue orb is a heart? Shouldn¡¯t it be like, an organ?¡± ¡°Hell if I know. Probably some lord-thing again.¡± Raizel then looked towards Bruton, who was still trying to salvage the dragonlord¡¯s broken reserve. ¡°Hey, old man. What¡¯s wrong with ¡®em? Is he gonna get up or not?¡± ¡°¡­Their reserve¡¯s been broken. He¡¯ll come to eventually, but¡­their reserve won¡¯t remain intact. There¡¯s no telling what it¡¯ll do to their body.¡± ¡°If this is a heart, then it could fix that, right?¡± Bruton widened his eyes at the question. Raizel was right. Mana reserves were located within the heart. A reserve¡¯s destruction couldn¡¯t be reversed, but if one were to supposedly attain a new heart altogether¡­ ¡°It¡­could work.¡± ¡°Better than ¡®won¡¯t work¡¯.¡± The steel dragon exchanged glances between the orb she was holding, and the boy lying down below. ¡®¡­Do I just shove it down their throat or something? It¡¯s a little big for that though.¡¯ Raizel quizzically lowered the orb, letting it make contact with the dragonlord. Since it¡¯s theirs to begin with, maybe it¡¯ll just sink right in or something. The orb softly began to glow as it touched the human boy. The light became gradually brighter until it was nearly blinding. ¡°Ugh¡­why does everything in this place have to glow?!¡± No one had an answer to that. Ilias merely had a comment that wasn¡¯t spoken out loud. ¡®¡­And something usually goes wrong afterwards too.'' Soon, a surge of mana knocked the three dragons away, sending them flying into the chamber¡¯s walls. Only Serenis remained where they¡¯d been with the gleaming orb, now emitting a blinding radiance that filled the chamber. ¡°Raizel, can you see anything?!¡± ¡°What makes you think I can see anything?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re metal! Doesn¡¯t light reflect right off of your eyes or something?!¡± ¡®Daughter, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works¡­¡¯ Bruton bit his lips as he struggled to keep his eyes open. The burst of light that illuminated the entire chamber refused to fade, and none of them could tell what was happening to Serenis. Truth be told, Bruton wasn¡¯t too fond of the strange little human boy that had barged into their homes, declared himself their lord, and went about thrashing an ancient relic that elders had spoken never to go near. But at the same time¡­ ¡®¡­I don¡¯t feel inclined to hate them.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Bruton trusted every word that came out of Serenis; he¡¯d even wondered if the boy was trying to awaken the tyrant dragon his elders had spoken of. Bruton just found it strangely difficult to distrust or dislike the self-proclaimed dragonlord ¨C especially after what they¡¯d done to stop the collapse from reaching the two girls. Meanwhile, a kindred warmth was coursing through Serenis¡¯ body. The orb really did begin to sink into the dragonlord¡¯s chest as a distant voice echoed within her ears. - ¡®Mother, look! I can roast meat by myself now!¡¯ Even while unconscious, a genuine smile curved the dragonlord¡¯s lips. - ¡®One day, I¡¯ll become a great lord. When that day comes, you¡¯ll have nothing to do but sit back and watch me lead our brethren, mother! It won¡¯t be long!¡¯ ¡®If only I was there to see it.¡¯ Only the first lord¡¯s hearts could survive the test of time. Any other heart would eventually wither away, regardless of its owner¡¯s former strength. As this heart had persisted through the centuries, it had to be her own. This orb was her former heart. And yet, at the same time it wasn¡¯t. When Serenis headed to the summit with her dragonkin, a single elder had remained at the nests to take care of the eggs and the newborn that were left behind. Serenis had hoped that her heart would be in his possession. That he would have retrieved her body, and inherited her heart. She had hoped and hoped that he would still be alive to welcome her return. She desperately wanted to believe in such a future ¨C that the frozen corpse couldn¡¯t possibly be who she thought it was. She¡¯d blinded her own eyes and suppressed her own doubts, but no longer could she do so as the orb began to flood her body with a gentle, longing warmth. ¡°¡­Vulka.¡± As she came to, the dragonlord softly whispered her son¡¯s name. Ep 15. Pay Your Respects. (10) Ep 15. Pay Your Respects. (10) The light that filled the chamber began to slowly dissipate. Ilias was first to lower her arms blocking her vision as the light faded. She noticed something pressing her hips and turned her head to find that her tail had returned, alongside her horns and wings. It was the same for Bruton. The three then turned their eyes to see what the orb had done to the dragonlord. However, standing in the distance was no longer the human boy they¡¯d traveled with. In his place stood someone else entirely ¨C an unmistakable dragonkin, gazing off into the chamber¡¯s walls with her solemn eyes. In the far side of the chamber¡¯s walls were barely readable inscriptions. Without prior knowledge of its existence, one could easily mistake them for mere cracks along the icy surface. ¡®¡¯May the kin forever endure¡¯¡­were those your final thoughts?¡¯ Her son had always been the wiser. His thoughtfulness often caught her by surprise, and Serenis looked to her son for guidance more than she would¡¯ve liked to admit after his growth. And it was that very son who had sealed his mother¡¯s heart into the depths of his own corpse, ridden with traps and barriers to prevent any dragonkin from ever reaching it. ¡®What made you like this, Vulka? You could¡¯ve¡­¡¯ Lived on. With her heart, Vulka, too, could have lived on. Indefinitely. So why was he here as a frozen corpse? Why did the kin remember him as a tyrant? Serenis brought one hand towards her chest. She could feel her former heart within her, once more providing the mana befitting that of the lord of dragons. She knew her son better than any other. With his astute abilities and love for the kin, there was no doubt Vulka would¡¯ve made a fine lord. With Serenis¡¯ heart in his possession, there shouldn¡¯t have been any question of succession either. The dragonlord closed her eyes. There must¡¯ve been a reason. One that she would likely never know of. The only thing she knew was that the resolve she could feel resonating within her heart was a testament to her son¡¯s love for the kin. ¡°¡­Bruton. Ilias. Raizel. Come.¡± Finally at her calling, the three dragons carefully made their way back to her side. It was Ilias who first spoke up. ¡°Lord¡­Serenis? It¡¯s you, right?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The dragonlord nodded at the youngling¡¯s question. ¡°It is. Albeit temporary.¡± ¡°Temporary?¡± Bruton studied the dragonlord carefully at her remark. He could see what she meant by temporary. ¡°You¡¯re using¡­a spell. To be in that form.¡± ¡°Indeed. My true flesh is still that of a human child¡¯s.¡± Raizel scoffed at the questions being asked, kicking her tongue. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be asking if they¡¯re okay first? He¡­or, she was kinda dying a minute ago.¡± A soft smile curved the dragonlord¡¯s lips. Despite the annoyance in the youngling¡¯s voice, she now knew that Raizel only meant well. ¡°I¡¯m alright, thanks to all of you. Especially you, Raizel.¡± ¡°¡­Good, because it was a pain pulling you out of there.¡± Bruton gazed into Serenis¡¯ eyes. Before, he felt it pointless to try and read the little child¡¯s shallow eyes ¨C but now he found it impossible due to their depth. Despite her relatively young physical appearance, Bruton felt as if he were a child once again before her presence. After watching the relic readily sinking into her body, there was no point doubting her anymore. ¡°¡­You really were who you claimed to be.¡± ¡°Doubted my words, did you?¡± ¡°Admittedly¡­yes.¡± A soft chuckle came from the elder dragon as his daughter budged in. ¡°I didn¡¯t! I believed it!¡± ¡°You believe children all the time, Ilias. You don¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Hey, they¡¯re all nice! Unlike you, Raizel!¡± ¡°Says the most violent hatchling ever. I lost count of how many times you kicked me when you were little.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your fault. You kept picking on me.¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s why you burnt down Erikale¡¯s nest.¡± ¡°That was an accident¡­¡± ¡°Ilias, Raizel, stop your bickering. If the lord is our distant elder, then one should exercise utmost respect, and¡­¡± While the three bickered, Serenis closed her eyes once more as she focused her senses outwards. The atmosphere¡¯s dense mana that denied the usage of sensory spells had disappeared when Serenis absorbed her heart. Now with her former reserve returned, tapping into the star¡¯s deepest veins for a cursory read of the demonkin¡¯s trails was once again a trivial task. She may not be able to pinpoint their locations, but a mere confirmation of their survival was all she sought. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Nothing. Serenis couldn¡¯t find a single trace of her old brethren. What she instead found were fragmented traces of the First scattered throughout the star, still persevering to this day. The First¡¯s legacy had endured. Split into pieces, but nonetheless persevering. ¡®¡­We''ve lost.¡¯ Her brethren died at the summit, and in the end, they¡¯d accomplished nothing. None of them had returned besides herself, and their war had ended in bitter defeat. ¡®Vulka.¡¯ My dear child. To tell you the truth, I wanted to believe otherwise. Even though my eyes still remember their deaths, I wanted to believe that they were still alive. I wanted to believe that barely any time had passed. That it couldn¡¯t possibly have been a thousand years. That somewhere on this star, they were all still alive and well. That this corpse couldn¡¯t possibly be you. That¡¯s what I wanted to believe. But I was wrong. I was dearly wrong. Blinded by an imprudent vision, I drove the demonkin to a pointless demise. The divine still occupy this star, and I¡¯ve accomplished nothing. But¡­ Serenis opened her eyes to gaze upon her kin once more. An elder dragon reprimanding the younglings, just as their kin always have. ¡®We¡¯re still here.¡¯ Their kin was still here. While her present was now a distant past, standing with her was the future she and her son had sought to protect. Surely, Vulka, too, would smile if he were able to see them. ¡°Ilias. Raizel. Bruton.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t¡­yes, my lord?¡± Bruton stopped himself mid-lecture as the dragonlord called their names. Raizel and Ilias turned to face her too, though their mouths were tightly shut from Bruton¡¯s lecturing. Serenis met their gaze with a saddened smile, kneeling down on one knee as she motioned for the three dragons to do the same. ¡°¡­Pay your respects.¡± The three dragons hurriedly followed suit in confusion. Unlike at the valley, no spell was binding them to listen this time ¨C but they simply felt that they should. Serenis returned her gaze forward. It was just a hollow, empty chamber now. But it was also the last remains of their legacy. Of their second, and final, dragonlord. Ep 16. Confessions of the Historian: A Legacy Returned Ep 16. Confessions of the Historian: A Legacy Returned Dragonlord Vulka. The latest son of the first dragonlord, and the only dragonkin who would take the mantle to continue the kin¡¯s survival after inheriting the former lord¡¯s position. In a withering world ruled by mankind, the dragon would stand alone in a star of malice. No brethren would save his cause. No ally would support his hardships. No, we would but chip away at his kin, piece by piece. We¡¯ve sworn the dragonkin¡¯s survival. But how that survival looked, was up to us to decide. ? ? ? A hatchling¡¯s cold body dropped before the dragonlord¡¯s feet. Her head was missing, her body covered in burns and cuts. ¡°¡­Why? Why continue this madness, Felicir? We¡¯ve surrendered long ago. The kin that harmed your kind has long perished!¡± ¡°You ask the oddest questions, dragonlord. The girl was spotted much too close to a village. And¡­¡± The winged figure descended with a crooked smile, looking down on the dragon. ¡°The strong do as they please with the weak. There is no reason to be found in this principle.¡± Vulka gritted his teeth, his tightened fists trembling in anger. Wings that mocked the legacies of demonkind. Arrogance that belittled the authorities of a dragonlord. If he could do as he pleased, he would¡¯ve ripped the human before him into a million shreds. But¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Go ahead. Kill me as you¡¯d like. So we can burn the rest of your kin, and you along with it.¡± ¡°¡­Your efforts are in vain. I will do no such thing.¡± ¡°Hah. Will you now? How long will you continue to sit idly, watching your kin subjected to unreasonable torment?¡± The individual¡¯s hypocrisy choked the dragonlord better than any noose. To listen to their tormentor say such things, but still be unable to act, tortured him more than anything else.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®We will endure. No matter the cost.¡¯ ? ? ? ¡°Lord Vulka¡­you can¡¯t be serious!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made my decision.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not even a hundred of us left anymore. We do not grow in numbers as humans do, you know this better than any of us! If we continue like this, the kin will¡­¡± ¡°Perish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And that is why I must do this.¡± ¡°Lord Vulka¡­we¡¯re no longer the hatchlings you think us to be. The kin can fight, you need but allow us! Please, reconsider!¡± ¡°And allow our history to repeat?¡± ¡°¡­Repeat?¡± ¡°A long time has passed, but I remember it like the last moon. My mother, too, challenged the divine together with the kin. Countless demonkin joined the conflict, and I was left behind to care for the young that remained.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°None of them returned. None.¡± ¡°My lord, I¡­¡± ¡°The divine¡¯s grasp on our throats has only grown tighter. We cannot allow history to repeat itself.¡± ¡°Then what of the dead children? What of the countless hatchlings that never saw the day of light, only because the divine deemed us descendants of sinners? Your death will solve nothing. They will continue to pit the children to their doom. If we at least resist before it¡¯s too late, we may yet survive.¡± ¡°¡­You are wrong on one point. The reason they discriminate us is not because we are descendants of those who challenged their authority. No, it is because we are their descendants that they cannot kill us completely, for the demonkin¡¯s legacy binds them against doing so.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°It is because of the heart that yet beats within this body. The heart of the first dragonlord ¨C of my mother. They cannot condone its existence, for it is the last remaining threat that can yet bring down the divine. If we but rid ourselves of it, the deities will leave us be.¡± ¡°¡­Lord Vulka, the heart was our only legacy. You said so yourself!¡± ¡°I did. But a legacy that harms the kin is a legacy better left forgotten.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We must not seek vengeance. The dragonkin¡­they must all come to see me, and the heart within me, in scorn and contempt. So that the old brood¡¯s will is never remembered¡­that their deaths are never mourned or honored.¡± ¡°But Lord Vulka, you are still¡­our lord. Even after your passing, there is none who could replace you as our king.¡± ¡°No. From this moment forth, I am not your lord. From this moment forth¡­the dragonkin will never again remember that they had a lord. Neither their first, nor their second. I am but a tyrant who sought to rule the dragonkin with powers beyond my control.¡± ¡°¡­Vulka!¡± ¡°I leave the heart in your capable hands. When death greets me¡­hide the heart, in a place where the kin will never find. So that no misfortune befalls our children again. So that no kin suffers for our legacy again. That is my last request to you.¡± It was a request. No speech subjected the dragon to do as their lord wished, nor was it an order that one had to dutifully carry out. It was the wish of their eldest, of the kindred dragon that had raised the current kin. ¡°¡­As you wish...elder.¡± After the dragonlord¡¯s death, his corpse was placed in the deepest pits of the dragonkin¡¯s home. The heart, however, was never gouged out of his body. His corpse was frozen to forever remain in place within the homes of the dragonkin, the heart protected by the numerous devices that were meant to deter the kin from reaching it. ? ? ? It was a grave, but it could never be mourned as such. He was to be remembered as a tyrant, the grave to be a seal. If it could deter the future kin from going near the first lord¡¯s heart, then the means would justify the ends. The second lord would gladly accept his dishonor if it meant the kin¡¯s survival. But perhaps, in the distant future, if there eventually came a curious future kin, equipped with both will and aptitude necessary to realize what lied within these pits¡­then surely, they¡¯d lead the dragonkin back to its former glory. Or so the dragon believed. Ep 17. Dear. Be Quiet. (1) Ep 17. Dear. Be Quiet. (1) Bruton looked to his side, studying the figure beside him. Brilliant streaks of white hair glowed faintly in blue, reaching just beneath her chin. Two blue eyes gleamed like the night stars. She was significantly taller, and noticeably more feminine than before. But most importantly, the two black horns jutting forth from her head and the dragon tail covered in pure white scales made sure no onlooker would mistake her origins. Admittedly, morphing smaller features of their human body was an easy task for elder dragons. Facial features, hair lengths, even height or skin color¡­they could largely manipulate it to their heart¡¯s content. But even Bruton had never heard of a dragon being able to alter their physical age and gender at will. On top of that, even her clothes had changed; the previous childish mage robe was nowhere to be found, now replaced with an ornate blue and black dress stretching down to her ankles. ¡®Dragonlord¡­Serenis.¡¯ Bruton¡¯s doubts began to waver at the sight of Serenis¡¯ return to her presumably original form. The human boy that had suddenly appeared at their nest was nothing short of unconvincing, but the figure he now beheld was unmistakably his kin ¨C kin that possessed a depth he could not possibly grasp. Once the dragons rose to their feet again, Serenis broke the silence with a lightened expression as she faced her three kin. ¡°To be honest, I expected questions.¡± The three dragons looked at her uneasily. Ilias was first to speak up. ¡°Can we¡­ask?¡± ¡°As much as you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Bruton briefly spared a glance towards his stammering daughter. Having so many questions, it seemed like she was finding it difficult to choose one ¨C especially before the dragonlord¡¯s looming presence. With the evident regality accompanying her, the younglings found it a tad more difficult to speak their minds freely now; after all, the little boy had suddenly become an unmistakable elder before their eyes. Finally, it was Bruton who interjected. ¡°The orb. It truly was your heart, yes?¡± ¡°It was.¡± ¡°And the tribute just now was¡­for whom exactly?¡± ¡°¡­The dragonkin¡¯s second lord, and perhaps its last. Or if you¡¯d rather, an elder who loved you all dearly.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°The last? But you¡¯re here right now.¡± Serenis let out a soft laugh at Ilias¡¯ question. ¡°I cannot be the first and third at once, child.¡± ¡®¡­An elder.¡¯ Bruton looked towards the ceiling that revealed the morning skies. Had it been anyone else, he would¡¯ve struggled to believe that a loving elder would devise such a wretched place. But if what Serenis was saying was true, then there must¡¯ve been a reason why they deemed it fit to seal the first lord¡¯s heart away in such a location. ¡°Let us talk elsewhere. The sun¡¯s risen, our wings have returned, and¡­if I delay any longer, I fear my life will once again be in danger.¡± Bruton could almost picture his wife, waiting at the door with a gentle smile¡­and a weapon in hand. She hadn¡¯t been present when Serenis had appeared at the valley, and likely had no clue where her entire family had gone. ¡®I truly hope she didn¡¯t wait overnight¡­¡¯ ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go! I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Could literally eat an iron bar right now.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that cannibalism for you?¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± While Serenis couldn¡¯t agree more that they¡¯d stayed here far too long, she looked towards Ilias once more. ¡°One last thing before we depart¡­Ilias, I recall you mentioning that this was a treasure hunt.¡± ¡°Huh? Well, we found the treasure, didn¡¯t we? Your heart¡¯s right where it should be!¡± ¡°But you yourself haven¡¯t gained anything for your efforts.¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s alright. It was fun! I saw lots of cool things, got to fight weird enemies¡­even got to break Raizel¡¯s wrist.¡± ¡°Why¡¯re you saying that like it¡¯s a good thing?¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t get to break your bones every day.¡± The dragonlord snickered at the response. She never could¡¯ve made it this far without the three dragons¡¯ aid. In her eyes, their efforts were worth far more than just praise and gratitude. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that, but it wouldn¡¯t be fair for all of you to conclude this venture as a simple passing of time.¡± Serenis then stretched her arms out slightly. ¡°Expand your senses. With the air¡¯s dense mana no longer present, your surroundings should be much easier to read.¡± ¡°¡­Um¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± The two younglings avoided her gaze at the insistence. Serenis exchanged glances between the two of them, her confusion evident. ¡°¡­Is something the matter?¡± ¡°I, um¡­never quite learned how to do that.¡± ¡°I rely more on my physical senses.¡± With both Ilias and Raizel out of commission, Serenis looked to Bruton. ¡°¡­Bruton, not you too?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m able to read the air¡¯s mana just fine, my lord. Though, I don¡¯t notice anything peculiar nearby.¡± ¡°Are you reading the mana within the other paths?¡± ¡°Why, yes.¡± ¡°With no mana to supply their traps, there shouldn¡¯t be anything peculiar within them. Focus your senses downwards.¡± ¡°Downwards? Hm¡­oh, there indeed seems to be something. They¡¯re¡­¡± A visible frown crossed the elder dragon¡¯s closed eyes. He tilted his head, confused as to what his mana was sensing. ¡°¡­Metals?¡± Serenis snickered as she reminisced how her son would hide his favorite meats under a rock, only to forget about them until they¡¯d rot. It seemed that his habits hadn¡¯t changed until the very end. ¡®Vulka always did hide his most prized belongings beneath other things.¡¯ The dragonlord hovered one of her palms out, facing downwards. White bolts began to crackle at her hand, gathering into a small ball of condensed energy. Soon after, the ball exploded downwards in a torrent of white light, cleanly blasting through the floor¡¯s ice ¨C and a couple more layers of ice behind it ¨C revealing faint glimmers in the distance far beneath. ¡°It¡¯d be foolish to let any go to waste. Come.¡± Serenis¡¯ white wings unfolded as she hopped into the pit she¡¯d created. Ilias followed immediately after without a single question. ¡°Ilias!...You can never exercise too much caution in a place like this¡­¡± Bruton sighed as he, too, unfolded his wings. Until he felt something heavy wrap around his waist. Raizel had attached herself to his side. ¡®¡­Ah. She was exercising caution after all.¡¯ Ilias had learned her lesson on their way here. He hadn¡¯t. Bruton groaned as he struggled to maintain flight with the added weight, descending far quicker than he normally would¡¯ve. Ep 18. Dear. Be Quiet. (2) Ep 18. Dear. Be Quiet. (2) It didn¡¯t take very long for the dragons to make out the source of the glimmer. ¡°Wha-¡° Serenis softly landed, folding her wings back as she began to take in the scenery. She walked along the river of shining metals, noting the size of the chamber they¡¯d landed in. ¡°Hm. Is this all of it? I thought there¡¯d be more.¡± A huge corridor that stretched far further than the chamber that held the dragon heart. Rivers of gold and silver stretched from one end to the other, and piled on top were mountains of various jewelry and coins. ¡°Gold!!¡± Ilias failed to hide their surprise and excitement at the discovery of the river of treasure. Bruton and Raizel landed soon after as they both found themselves at a loss of words. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Ilias dove head-first into the river of gold. When she resurfaced, a handful of gold was within each of her fists. ¡°Father, look! We¡¯re rich!!¡± ¡°Ilias, we¡­don¡¯t even need gold¡­¡± ¡°You can stay poor then! I want it!¡± Bruton turned to Serenis for an explanation as his daughter began to swim through their discovery. ¡°What¡­is all this?¡± The dragonlord shrugged back. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? Treasure.¡± ¡°No, but¡­where is it all from? Did our kin deal with treasures in the past? Or, were tales of gold dragons actually true?¡± ¡°Gold dragons? No such things exist. The closest kin we have to a gold dragon is right here with us, and I don¡¯t believe she can spit out even an ounce of silver.¡± Serenis pointed her finger at the steel dragon who was squatting down, twiddling a gold coin between her fingers. ¡°What? Did you say something?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing, child.¡± Bruton cleared his throat as he faced Serenis again. ¡°Then¡­what exactly is the source of all this gold?¡± ¡°Tributes. From those that worshipped the dragonkin.¡± ¡°Worship? For what reason?¡± ¡°Because to them, we were no different than gods.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°¡­Gods?¡± It was true. For a significant amount of time throughout her rule, Serenis and the dragonkin were revered as gods of sorts, with treasure offers amounting to a daily business. Most were never collected, or even thrown away; dragons had no practical use for glowing metals, and those that liked human riches were far and few at the time. The river of treasure in this chamber, too, is likely just a small token of their legacy. One that Vulka sought to protect and remember, not unlike the heart of his mother. Even if it was only a portion of what they once had. Truthfully, the second dragonlord¡¯s efforts to hide their legacies had effectively deterred the dragonkin from finding what was inside his corpse. Perhaps, if everything went accordingly, their legacies would have lain dormant within him for all eternity. But what good is a legacy if it were to rot alone forever, unbeknownst to all? ¡®You can only hide things for so long from your mother, Vulka.¡¯ Serenis grinned at the thought. No doubt her son would angrily pout at her for taking things he¡¯d hidden. ¡®Perhaps one day, I¡¯ll be able to hear your complaints again. One day.¡¯ ¡°So¡­Lord Serenis?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She turned to face Bruton, who was now holding the two girls in each of his arms. It was almost like a farmer holding piles of wheat that he¡¯d just collected. His daughter now looked just as heavy as Raizel with the amount of treasure that was shoved into her pockets and arms. ¡°It¡¯s only a speculation, but¡­this was a grave after all, yes? Of the elder you spoke of? I don¡¯t see why mountains of treasure would be in it otherwise.¡± ¡°I cannot say for certain, but¡­I¡¯d like to believe so. An extravagant grave that had to be passed on as a seal for reasons beyond our knowledge.¡± ¡°And right now, we¡¯re wading through their¡­corpse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis frowned at the last remark. She hadn¡¯t exactly thought too deeply about that. We kind of are, aren¡¯t we? ¡°Then¡­wouldn¡¯t it be an extreme act of dishonor to¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Blast holes and loot their treasures?¡± ¡°Raizel, I don¡¯t think you were supposed to say that.¡± ¡°Pft, sure. Sorry for saying what everyone¡¯s thinking.¡± The three dragons once again looked to Serenis in unison. She¡¯d practically become their go-to answer box. Serenis forced a confident smile, crossing her arms. ¡°The legacy he left is not his corpse, but the contents within it. The dragonlord¡¯s heart has returned to its rightful owner, and treasures are better in the hands of the living than the stomach of the dead.¡± ¡°Hm¡­that is true. I apologize for asking such a foolish question.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m glad you asked; it was a respectful gesture, Bruton. Now, if you children are done having fun, let us be off.¡± Serenis briskly turned around and unfolded her wings, taking off towards the sky. Ilias hopped out of Bruton¡¯s embrace as she took flight ¨C albeit much more difficult than before, with all the weight she now carried. Bruton grunted as he took flight with Raizel in tow, realizing just how heavy it must¡¯ve been for his daughter to carry the metal dragon before. The dragonlord flew ever so slightly faster than she normally would. But it definitely wasn¡¯t out of guilt. Of course not. Nope. When they were finally outside, the dragons realized they¡¯d come out of the hollow that was the corpse¡¯s left eye ¨C though they could swear the hollow wasn¡¯t there before. ¡°¡­Wait, does that mean we could¡¯ve gone in through the eye this entire time?¡± With Bruton struggling to even keep up, it was Serenis who explained for the red dragon this time. ¡°There was likely a barrier in place. One that both hid the path, and repelled intruders.¡± ¡°A barrier? But I didn¡¯t feel anything just now.¡± ¡°With the heart reclaimed, any device that depended on it as a source of mana would be rendered ineffective, barrier or otherwise. Only when the heart was claimed would the eye serve as an exit." ¡°Aha¡­¡± From here, Serenis could see the huge hole that she herself had ordered Raizel to plow through at Vulka¡¯s stomach. Another pang of guilt gnawed at her as she pointed her finger towards the hole, drawing a swift circle in the air. Following suit, a circle of ice froze over the hole once more, hiding the path they¡¯d paved behind it. Thankfully, none of the other dragons seemed to take notice; Ilias quickly took lead, beckoning towards the dragonlord. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go eat something! After all that¡¯s happened, we might as well have a meal together!¡± As the dragons all began to head back towards the valley, Serenis¡¯ eyes were focused on the clouds. Somehow, she felt as if her son was watching her from somewhere above. If she died and met him there, no doubt he¡¯d be lecturing into her ears for days on end for breaking into his corpse like that. ¡®I hope I don¡¯t die anytime soon. Again.¡¯ Ep 19. Dear. Be Quiet. (3) Ep 19. Dear. Be Quiet. (3) At the ridge of a steep, rocky cliffside was a small wooden door. Handmade by elder dragons centuries ago, behind this door was a cozy nest that housed four dragons ¨C usually. Today, however, a guest was also with the four, and a poor youngling¡¯s sniffling noises filled the interior. At least the other two dragons by the sniffling youngling¡¯s side were managing to keep their faces straight. ¡­Sniff. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Ahem. Aether, perhaps just this once, it¡¯d be alright to¡­¡± ¡°Dear. Be quiet.¡± An elder dragon snapped back at her husband. She was grinning, but the uncomfortably crossed arms or the iron grip on her kitchen knife didn¡¯t really help lighten the mood. ¡°¡­Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Seriously, I go away for just a while to get some herbs, and all three of you just up and disappear?! Do you even know how worried I was?!¡± ¡°Well, there was a reason we¡­¡± ¡°I told you to be quiet, dear.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± The woman¡¯s long, violet hair seemed to angrily flutter as she shot menacing gazes towards the three dragons lined up before her, each on their knees with hands raised in the air. She was an unmistakable elder and, truth be told, weaker in strength than any of the three lined before her ¨C but the menacing aura of authority around her made all forms of strength pointless. ¡°And Ilias! Just how hard did you hit Raizel this time?! I told you two not to fight over and over, and you go doing THAT to her arm?! I could see her bones! Bones!!¡± ¡°But that wasn¡¯t me¡­!¡± ¡°Actually, you did do half of it.¡± ¡°That was to save you though¡­¡± The elder shook her head, then proceeded to point at all the treasures she¡¯d confiscated from her daughter that were neatly piled onto the corner of her kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m not done, Ilias! What¡¯s all this gold?! Are you girls stealing from others now?!¡± ¡°Um¡­we¡­found it on the ground?¡± ¡°We kinda did.¡± Her smile was slowly fading as the younglings answered her with what seemed like nonsense excuses. She turned to the steel dragon this time, who failed to meet the elder¡¯s gaze. ¡°And Raizel! I told you to stay home until I¡¯m back at least five times! FIVE! Didn¡¯t I tell you to come with me if you were going to go out anyways?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just another day of chores.¡± ¡°Zip it! Gosh, what am I going to do with you two. And Mr. Husband¡¯s busy disappearing WITH our troublemakers instead of stopping them. Keep your hands in the air, all three of you!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°¡­Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis watched the scolding from a safe(?) distance, seated at an antique dining table. Every time the violet dragon screamed at the three kin kneeling on the floor with their hands raised, she could feel a pang of guilt stabbing at her reclaimed heart. But she neither dared to interject nor defend the three. It was uncustomary to intervene in another family¡¯s affairs. Yes, that was the reason. Most definitely. After making sure that the three dragons were properly raising their hands in the air, the violet dragon then turned to approach Serenis.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Sorry for the wait. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had guests, I should¡¯ve been here sooner...could I ask for your name again?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no problem at all. My name¡¯s Serenis¡­madam.¡± ¡®Wow, I guess even Lord Serenis is scared of mom.¡¯ ¡®Did she seriously just say ¡®madam¡¯?¡¯ ¡®Even I didn¡¯t expect that.¡¯ ¡°Please, call me Aether. I must admit, I¡¯m a bit embarrassed to show you something like this on our first meeting. They¡¯re a heap of trouble, those kids¡­although I wasn¡¯t expecting my husband to join them. Were you their acquaintance?¡± ¡°Well¡­you see¡­¡± Serenis trailed off as she scrambled for words. And it wasn¡¯t working very well. ¡®¡­Vulka, I miss you. You¡¯d know what to say.¡¯ ¡°She took us to the seal!¡± ¡°True.¡± ¡°Ahem. To be precise, she only took me. You girls simply followed us.¡± ¡°I thought I told you three to be quiet? Or do we want to starve for the whole week?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis squinted her eyes as she noticed just how fast Aether had silenced the three dragons again. One wrong word and it seemed like the angry dragon would level their nest down along with the cliff they were in. ¡®¡­Is Ilias going to grow up like her later? With that strength? That¡¯s quite the frightening thought.¡¯ Before Serenis could imagine the red dragon¡¯s future too vividly, Aether interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Sorry about that. What were you saying before?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, well¡­¡± ¡®¡­They did go through a lot of trouble. For my sake.¡¯ ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m the¡­first¡­dragonlord.¡± ¡°Sorry? First what?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m an elder. Just some elder passing by. I¡¯d been looking for an item I¡¯d lost, and I was able to finally find it again with their aid. The gold was a token of gratitude from me, and¡­Raizel¡¯s arm was also hurt in helping me out of a crisis.¡± ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t appear old at all¡­is a spell keeping your current appearance?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡®Although if the spell was gone, my appearance would be even younger, not the other way around.¡¯ The menace in the air slowly began to fade as the elder dragon nodded at the explanation. It almost felt as if the air was suddenly breathable again. ¡°I see...well, I¡¯m glad the children weren¡¯t up to no good again. At least they weren¡¯t doing anything bad this time.¡± ¡°Yay! So we can stop raising our hands, right?¡± ¡°Hmph. Waste of time.¡± ¡°Whew.¡± ¡°Hands back in the air. All of you.¡± The lowered hands immediately shot back up. ¡°I said you did nothing bad, I didn¡¯t say you did nothing wrong! Are you trying to say there¡¯s nothing wrong with ignoring your mother?! Helping others is a kind gesture, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s okay to forget what your mother said.¡± ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Of course not. A gesture is only kind if you¡¯re willing to accept the consequences that it may entail. A gesture driven by a want for freedom and gratitude is no different from self-satisfaction.¡± ¡°Aww¡­¡± ¡°Also, Ilias?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Zip it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aether sighed in a mix of stress and relief. She was still angry how the three of them had disappeared with nary a note, but she didn¡¯t feel inclined to punish them too much for helping others either. ¡°But since no trouble was being caused this time¡­you can all lower your hands when the food¡¯s ready.¡± From the corners of her eyes, Serenis noticed the three dragons noticeably brightening up in their expressions. ¡®¡­Aren¡¯t they still being punished just the same? Or was she planning to actually starve them?¡¯ She thought her curiosity through for a moment. Maybe they really would¡¯ve starved for a week if they were out and about causing trouble. Aether seemed perfectly capable of making it happen. The dragonlord shuddered at the thought. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a serving for you as well, Serenis. Make yourself at home! Since you¡¯ve come this far, the least we could do is offer you a decent meal.¡± ¡®She speaks exactly like her daughter¡­they really are alike. But¡­¡¯ ¡°Actually¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­I think I¡¯d be a lot more comfortable over there beside those three.¡± ¡°Haha, what are you saying? That¡¯s a silly joke.¡± ¡®No, it really wasn¡¯t a joke¡­¡¯ The dragonlord shook her head with a polite, nervous laughter. She couldn¡¯t admit the honesty behind that statement¡­for various reasons. ¡°Then¡­perhaps I could help you with something? Anything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Hm¡­then, could you sit over there and keep watch over those three? Make sure they don¡¯t lower their hands.¡± The three dragons glared at the dragonlord in unison. For once, she couldn¡¯t meet their gaze. ¡®Humans did always say silence is gold. I can see why now.¡¯ But with what was already said and promised, the dragonlord couldn¡¯t bring herself to back out. ¡°Of¡­course.¡± Serenis awkwardly moved herself to a seat closer to the three dragons on the floor, regretting her offer to help already. She was facing them, but her eyes were looking towards the far distant corner. ¡°Lord.¡± ¡°¡­She told you to be quiet, Raizel.¡± ¡°Do you have no shame?¡± ¡°¡­No. I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Right as her short exchange finished with Raizel, Aether called out from the kitchen. ¡°Serenis? Do you prefer your meat cooked, or uncooked?¡± ¡°Ah¡­uncooked is fine. Thank you.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Even dragons practiced culinary crafts when they could for their meals ¨C although, they didn¡¯t eat as much as one would typically expect in their morphed forms. For Serenis, however, ¡®hunger¡¯ was a meaningless construct. With her heart always keeping her body at its prime, including its state of hunger, there was little reason to eat. Even the sensation of ¡®wanting to eat something¡¯ she¡¯d had since becoming a human had melted away once she reclaimed her heart. Consumption of food was merely another way to kill time, and one that she hadn¡¯t exactly practiced much throughout her life. Even in the previous era she¡¯d only ever eat when hatchlings would bring her food as gifts, oblivious of their lord¡¯s lack of hunger. Naturally, Serenis didn¡¯t think it different this time. It was still a fairly meaningless act that she only partook to accept what gratitude was offered. An act that she¡¯d soon forget about. Or so it should¡¯ve been. Ep 19.5 (Extra). Lover’s Day Ep 19.5 (Extra). Lover¡¯s Day Knock. Knock. Karas set down a set of reports on his office table as he heard the knocking on the door. He briefly glanced towards his calendar to check if he¡¯d forgotten any appointments, but the schedule for the day showed a complete blank. ¡°Hm, odd. Come in!¡± The door slowly creaked open as a small, familiar figure walked in, her amethyst eyes peeking into the office¡¯s interior. Her grey, fluffy kitten ears twitched as she stepped into the professor¡¯s office; she was holding several bags of treats in one hand, and a chocolate donut was comfortably resting between her lips. Her grey hair was neatly tied into a braid behind her, and her casual blue-and-white shirt and shorts attire suggested that the reason for her visit wasn¡¯t anything related to academics. ¡°Pwofeor, ae you buiy?¡± ¡°¡­Light, at least finish your donut.¡± The student closed the door behind her with her shoulder before setting the bags down on the floor. She then quickly shoved the rest of her donut into her mouth, chewing it down and swallowing before speaking again. ¡°Professor! Are you busy?¡± ¡°I-¡° ¡°Of course you¡¯re not, nobody ever comes here except me. I¡¯d know.¡± ¡°¡­What is it, Light.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Free Chocolate Day!¡± ¡°Free Chocolate Day?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever look at your calendar?¡± Karas glanced over at the calendar on his desk again. He hadn¡¯t written anything himself on it, but a small fine print was indeed there beneath today¡¯s date, right below the 14th day of the year¡¯s second month: Lover¡¯s Day. ¡®Free Chocolate Day?¡¯ Karas returned his gaze back to the student before him, specifically towards the bag of goods she¡¯d brought. It was customary to give gifts of chocolate to cherished and affectionate individuals on this day; Light was a popular student among her classmates, and the professor could easily envision her receiving gifts of chocolate from a number of them. It¡¯d make sense if the entire bag was full of chocolate she¡¯d received from her friends and aspiring partners.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I suppose it makes sense why you¡¯d call it free chocolate day. Came to share some of your loot?¡± ¡°Loot? Of course not, they¡¯re gifts for me. Why would I share them with anyone?¡± The cat half crouched down as she began to run a finger through the various bags she¡¯d been holding. Once she found the one she was looking for, she quickly brought it over to Karas, placing the brown paper bag on top of his desk. ¡°Here you go, this is for you!¡± ¡°Hm? Did you not just say they were gifts for yourself?¡± ¡°That one wasn¡¯t a gift. I made it!¡± The professor held the paper bag¡¯s mouth open, revealing an assortment of what seemed like miniature brown slimes that had somehow solidified. They were probably chocolate that had every potential to look pretty once upon a time¡­before being cooked up by Light¡¯s hands. Still, they were gifts nonetheless. The professor beamed a soft grin, though it was difficult to see with his feathers covering his beak. ¡°They aren¡¯t from any stores in this city, that much I can see.¡± ¡°Eh¡­they¡¯re not all that pretty, but they¡¯re good! Try one!¡± The professor hesitantly reached into the bag as he pulled out one of the chocolate clumps. He soon popped it into his beak, savoring the rather familiar taste. ¡°Well? Well? It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Tastes unhealthy.¡± ¡°Of course it does, it¡¯s candy!¡± ¡°That is true. It¡¯s¡­¡± Karas swallowed down the last bits of the chocolate¡¯s nostalgic taste. His eyes longingly stared into the paper bag, then at the student standing before his desk with gleaming eyes. He could almost hear her voice again. An all-too-familiar voice he¡¯d heard in a distant past, a voice that resembled Light¡¯s a little too much. - ¡®If we ever meet again, then it¡¯ll be your turn to be nice to me! Promise, okay?¡¯ Just a few days prior, the professor had encountered a phenomenon of his dreams. An individual soul had recalled the memories of their past life, and continued to be who they once were. While he hadn¡¯t been able to figure out its exact workings, by keeping them near, Karas hoped to ascertain its cause and find a way to replicate it. ¡°¡­¡± He could almost see the overlap in Light¡¯s figure. In her expression. In her expectant gaze. They looked alike, behaved alike, and even looked at him alike. If not for the block of time that separated her two lives, Karas would¡¯ve thought them to be twins. But for now, Light was his student ¨C a dear student who¡¯d come to his office on a holiday to make sure he wasn¡¯t spending it in his lonesome. And it was fine, just the way it is. For now. ¡°¡­It¡¯s good. Better than anything a store could sell.¡± ¡°Really?! Maybe I should try making more then¡­¡± Karas chuckled lightly, running his hand over the girl¡¯s head between her ears. He was thankful, proud, and just a little, sad. ¡°Perhaps. One day.¡± ¡°Not today? You¡¯re fine with just that bag?¡± The professor nodded. His mind was elsewhere and he was answering his own doubts out loud, but Light didn¡¯t have to know any of it. ¡°This is enough. For now.¡± Ep 20. Dear. Be Quiet. (4) Ep 20. Dear. Be Quiet. (4) After their uneventful meal, the two girls had collapsed within their respective rooms. With their stomachs full and their bodies finally able to relax after the tiring night, they¡¯d immediately fell asleep. Serenis quizzically watched the younglings go to their rooms. It didn¡¯t surprise her that Ilias would live in the same nest with her parents, but Raizel had caught her by surprise. ¡°Bruton, does Raizel live here as well?¡± ¡°For quite some time now. She does have her own nest, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been avoiding it ever since her family¡¯s passing.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡®No wonder they seemed so close.¡¯ While the dragonkin were by no means unfriendly amongst each other, there was still an air of respected seclusion between families. However, Ilias and Raizel seemed much too close, even considering their similarity in age ¨C but living within the same nest would explain it all too well. Aether worriedly looked towards the conversing dragons. While they both looked fine, she didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that they, too, were sleep-deprived like the younglings. ¡°Dear, you should get some sleep too. You said you were all awake overnight. Serenis, would you like to use my room for a while as well?¡± ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m still alright, Aether. I¡¯ll sleep at sundown.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright as well. I should be going anyhow.¡± At the dragonlord¡¯s sudden announcement of departure, the two turned their attention towards her. ¡°Already? Where to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m simply returning to where I came from towards the south¡­where I should be, I suppose.¡± Bruton threw the dragonlord a curious gaze upon hearing the answer. ¡°Where you should be¡­would that not be this valley, at the home of our kin?¡± ¡°No. There are things I must still see to.¡± ¡°What things, if I may ask?¡± ¡°¡­I plan to rid the divinities scattered throughout the star.¡± ¡°Divinities?¡± Both Bruton and Aether momentarily froze at the unexpected response. It took a few more seconds for the couple to question the dragonlord¡¯s sudden answer together. ¡°By divinities, do you mean the twelve deities?¡± ¡°Kill them? For what reason?¡± The dragonlord¡¯s eyes shifted downwards, losing focus as Serenis lost herself in thought. ¡°For what reason, you ask¡­¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®I¡¯m not too certain myself.¡¯ Truthfully, Serenis had not a single clue who these deities were. She only knew that they existed, based on the scattered traces of the First she could feel throughout the star¡¯s veins. Perhaps it¡¯s vengeance. Perhaps it¡¯s a desire to erase any traces of the First from this star, just like how the demonkin¡¯s traces were erased. Or¡­perhaps, it¡¯s simply a sinner¡¯s struggle for absolution. For the numerous deaths that still weighed heavily upon her shoulders. ¡°¡­Simply put, troubles from a distant past. Tell me, is there anything these ¡®twelve deities¡¯ have done to our kin?¡± Bruton and Aether looked at each other in confusion before facing Serenis to answer her. ¡°Not that I know of. To be honest, I¡¯ve only heard of their existence.¡± ¡°I could say the same. Our elders did warn us against ever seeking them, saying that there was nothing good to come of it¡­but living in seclusion at our valley, the advice was already accomplishing itself.¡± Both Bruton and Aether were elder dragons at this point. Their lives had doubtlessly stretched for a good two centuries, if not three; the generation of elders they were speaking of, then, couldn¡¯t have been far from the generation Serenis had left at the nests before her death. ¡®Nothing good, is it.¡¯ Were those warnings just a simple note of caution for their younglings? Or was it a result of the dragonlord¡¯s actions in the past? She didn¡¯t know. She wouldn¡¯t know, at least not until she could meet these divinities directly. ¡°¡­If elders were warning you against seeking them out¡­that would mean one could find them by seeking them out.¡± Even though the dragonlord had confirmed the existence of these divinities, even she could not pinpoint their location scattered throughout the entire star. She still needed more information ¨C information that she was promised by a rather peculiar crow. Or man. ¡®Come to think of it, I never quite stopped to learn where that was...hm. Well, no matter. I suppose it¡¯ll appear if I but directly fly south.¡¯ Serenis slowly rose from her seat. As she prepared to leave, Bruton rose to his feet with her. ¡°My lord, if you¡¯ll allow it, I¡¯d be glad to¡­¡± ¡°Stay, Bruton.¡± Serenis held her hand out authoritatively, stopping the elder dragon from following her outside. ¡°There¡¯s explaining you owe to your loved one. And you¡¯ve children to care after.¡± Aether had remained silent, but her quizzical expression explained all too well how strange she found it for her husband to refer to this stranger as a lord. When Bruton finally took notice of this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible. Bruton still remained curious himself: how the dragonlord had returned to life in the body of a human boy, what had happened in her era to warrant such actions against the divine. But he could see that it was no time to be asking such questions. Serenis briskly turned around to leave. She was leaving right now on purpose ¨C while the two younglings were still asleep, while Aether was here to keep Bruton at his nest. ¡®It will be different this time. Never again will I live to see the First harm another kin.¡¯ ¡°Farewell. Do pass my gratitude to the younglings.¡± Serenis opened her wings as the outside air greeted her. She was just on the verge of taking flight ¨C when a strange, unfamiliar sensation would suddenly creep at her from the inside. Throb! ¡®Huh?¡¯ She could feel a stabbing sensation within her insides. Serenis fell to her knees with a pained expression, gripping at her stomach. ¡°Serenis? Are you alright?¡± Both dragons hurriedly rushed to her side as they saw the dragonlord fall to her knees. She adamantly held her hand out, wondering what the sudden pain had been. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡­¡± Throb! Another throbbing had Serenis grip tighter at her stomach. It was taking every ounce of pride to not let out a pained groan, though Aether could plainly see how much pain she was in from the dragonlord¡¯s expression. ¡°Is it your stomach? There shouldn¡¯t have been anything to upset it in the food¡­¡± ¡®¡­Food? Food can cause pain?¡¯ For thousands of years, Serenis scarcely ate anything at all. And for the entirety of her life, she¡¯d lived as a dragonkin. Thus, she had absolutely no way of knowing. That a human ¨C which she very much was, despite her current appearance ¨C should not be eating raw pork. Aether looked at Serenis¡¯ pained expression with a sympathetic gaze. Even Raizel¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t seemed so hurt when her arm was still in its torn, battered state. ¡°¡­Would you like to stay a while longer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis bit her lips. Normally, she would¡¯ve declined; normally, her pride as a dragonlord wouldn¡¯t even allow her to consider going back on her word before the kin. Even if that word was a simple declaration of departure. But that was when she was a dragon, and that was when things were normal. Right now, it was neither. And if there was one thing humans could sense far better than dragons, it was pain. ¡°¡­Please.¡± Bruton awkwardly picked up the dragonlord, carrying her back inside for his wife to examine. Ep 21. I Hate It Here. (1) Ep 21. I Hate It Here. (1) Patrick¡¯s eyes were beginning to close again as he desperately tried to keep himself awake. The moon was once again shining above him in its celestial light, though even that seemed like mockery to him at this point. Only his own arm and a thin strand of sanity was supporting his head upright. He was still in the same courtyard Zion had flown out of. ¡®¡­Twelve be damned.¡¯ It¡¯s been a whole day. He¡¯d slept here last night, and would¡¯ve been kicked out by security had one of them not recognized him as an association enforcer. He considered going home. He considered assuming the boy would just come back home of his own accord. But he couldn¡¯t, not when his now-mentally-unstable brother had flown off into the distance. There was no telling if he even remembered their home address. ¡°Need to¡­stay¡­awake¡­¡± Being in the Magic Institute, most of the passerby recognized him as a fellow mage. But they nevertheless threw curious glances at the dozing enforcer, talking behind his back about how they also might end up having to sleep without a roof over their heads if they didn¡¯t study hard. That is, until a new commotion caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°It¡¯s a dragon! A dragon appeared in the east building!¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°Did someone summon some winged lizard again?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an actual dragon! Like, actual actual dragon! She¡¯s super pretty!¡± Patrick blinked his eyes. His eyes wandered off towards the mob of students racing to the institute¡¯s east building in the middle of the night. ¡®¡­Dragon? ¡®She¡¯?¡¯ Karas¡¯ words began to replay in his mind. - ¡®I¡¯m willing to wager that you¡¯ll be wrong by tonight.¡¯ That night was yesterday, and it¡¯s already passed, but¡­ ¡®It can¡¯t be, right?¡¯ ? ? ? Serenis had landed on a nearby ledge by a familiar-looking building. The pain in her stomach had delayed her more than she¡¯d intended; oblivious to the cause of the stomachache, Serenis couldn¡¯t even figure out how to go about healing herself. If it was even a healable pain. It wasn¡¯t until she finally finished explaining to Aether how she was the first dragonlord now in the body of a human boy, that the elder dragon exclaimed with a brightened expression. - ¡®Oh, it must¡¯ve been the meat! I do recall Ilias saying that humans always had their pork cooked. Now I see what the problem was.¡¯ ¡°¡­Stupid pigs. Never going to eat them again.¡± Serenis was scanning the area for the familiar blue-haired mage or the crow-headed half, but neither were to be found. In fact, she couldn¡¯t even remember where exactly she had left from. ¡®Couldn¡¯t have spared a minute, could I now¡­¡¯ Truth be told, when Karas told her of the dragonkin¡¯s location, the news had blinded her from considering anything else at the time. Resultantly, now she didn¡¯t know where to find him. Or Patrick. Or figure out which courtyard they were in before. Resultantly, she¡¯d simply landed at the most familiar-looking architecture. Though it was difficult to tell at sundown. She glanced downwards. Dozens of little humans had gathered around the courtyard beneath her to see the dragon themselves. Some even opened the building¡¯s windows and peeked from inside. ¡®Hm¡­¡¯ Serenis loudly flapped her wings once, making the institute¡¯s student back off sufficiently. She then slowly floated down until her feet touched the ground. ¡°Say, do any of you know of a crow-headed male around these parts?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Crow-headed? Is she talking about¡­?¡± ¡°Professor Karas?¡± ¡°Has to be, right?¡± Serenis eyed the individual who¡¯d spoken the feathered individual¡¯s name. ¡°Yes, I believe that was his name. Do you know where he is?¡± ¡°Um, he¡¯s¡­in his office still, I think?¡± ¡°Where would that be?¡± ¡°Th¡­that building over there, he¡¯s on the second floor¡­I don¡¯t know the exact room.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sufficient. Thank you.¡± Instead of walking like a normal person and knocking on the door, Serenis opened her wings and flew over to the second level of windows, peeking into each of them. Luckily enough, she found the familiar crow-headed man before long, sipping on his drink while reading what seemed like a report of sorts. Clack. Clack. ¡®Clack?¡¯ Karas first looked towards the door. That was an unusual knocking sound. Clack. Clack. ¡®Wait, the sound isn¡¯t coming from the door, that¡¯s¡­¡¯ The coffee he had in his mouth came bursting out of his beak when he saw that the knocking noise wasn¡¯t from a person, but from a dragon hovering outside his window. He would¡¯ve liked to believe otherwise, but the horns, wings, and tail all pointed to one answer. ¡°What in the hells¡­Serenis?¡± The dragonlord nodded her head outside. The professor quickly opened his window. ¡°Goodness gracious. Could you not have used the door?¡± ¡°I do not expect you to know draconic customs. Do you expect me to know human customs?¡± ¡°Hm. Fair point.¡± After letting Serenis climb into his office, Karas made a shooing gesture to the students below. No doubt the dragonlord¡¯s appearance would cause a commotion. But that was something to worry about tomorrow. ¡°Return to your dorms. Or every single one of you are due for a very special class from me for the rest of the week.¡± The students began to scatter at the professor¡¯s threat. Except one person. ¡°Waaaaaaaaait!¡± Karas pretended not to hear as he closed the office window behind him. He usually commended perseverance in his students, but this was not a good time for it. Meanwhile, the no-longer-student was gasping for breath outside, staring at the window that had just closed above. ¡°¡­Oh, damn it all.¡± Patrick shook his head, making his way towards the building¡¯s entrance like a proper human person. ¡­Meanwhile in the office, Karas offered a seat to the dragonlord as he prepared an extra cup of coffee. ¡°A pleasure to see you again. To be honest, I didn¡¯t know you would return at such a peculiar time. I am assuming that you were successful in your¡­plans?¡± Karas scanned Serenis from head to toe. Had it not been for their earlier conversations about being a dragon, he never would¡¯ve guessed that this white-haired woman was the same person as the human boy he¡¯d met yesterday. ¡°Something like that, yes.¡± ¡°Hm. Congratulations are in order then. Though I have little to offer.¡± He offered a cup of coffee to the dragon, placing it on the small table in front of her. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Coffee. It¡¯s a type of beverage.¡± ¡°I thought the only beverage humans drank were water, milk, and alcohol.¡± ¡°¡­Is that what everyone drank during your era? Anyhow, I do recommend you try a sip. It¡¯s not too bad.¡± Serenis carefully lifted the cup, holding it against her lips. The drink was emitting a deep, delicate aroma that she¡¯d never encountered before. Even with her lack of interest in most cuisine, the scent itself was alluring. ¡°It certainly does seem promising.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t disappoint. And if you¡¯ve time, I¡¯d love to hear more about your¡­for a want of better words, awakening.¡± The dragonlord briefly nodded and was just about to take a sip. When¡­ ¡°Zionnnnnn!!!!!¡± ¡­The office door was literally kicked open, slamming onto the opposite side as Patrick stormed in, huffing for breath. However, his brain failed to properly discern the situation that was being scanned with his eyes. Same old professor Karas with his usual papers and coffee. Typical. And sitting across him was¡­a beautiful white-haired woman, sitting with her tail neatly curled to the side, also drinking coffee. ¡®Sharing a cup of coffee with a woman this late into the night?¡¯ Patrick beamed a delightful grin. ¡°Excuse me for the interruption.¡± He immediately closed the door in front of him, thinking he¡¯d just interrupted a date. Karas frowned from inside the office. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis flicked her index finger as the office door opened by itself. She remotely grabbed Patrick by the hood on his robe, pulling him inside as the door immediately shut itself after him. The professor watched his former student tumble into the room, though his attention was more focused on how it happened than what was actually happening. When the door closed, he slowly clapped his hands. ¡°That¡¯s quite amazing. Very precise mana control.¡± Patrick remained dazed as he rose back to his feet. He exchanged confused glances between the professor and the strange woman. ¡°Professor, is¡­she¡­?¡± ¡°Serenis. Or ¡®Zion¡¯, as you keep referring to.¡± ¡°I thought you had good memory, child. Perhaps I was mistaken.¡± Patrick blankly stared at the dragonlord. A minute passed. Then another. And another. Patrick was still struggling to formulate a sentence, while Serenis finally found the time to try the coffee she was offered. ¡°Mm. The aroma¡¯s very unique. I never thought a drink could be so rich.¡± ¡°It truly is, is it not? If you¡¯d like more, I have plenty.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be wonderful. I appreciate the generosity.¡± Patrick¡¯s lips finally began to speak coherently. ¡°Seriously? A little kid came back as a fully grown dragon woman in a day, and you¡¯re¡­drinking coffee together?¡± The professor and the dragonlord both gave Patrick a pathetic stare. Karas shook his head and shrugged at the confused mage, while Serenis continued to enjoy the drink she was given. ¡°Alright, what do you suggest we do then? Should we report her to the association and have her arrested by the enforcement sector for review?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of that means, but I know it can¡¯t be better than indulging in this drink.¡± Patrick blinked twice, unsure of how to respond to the professor. He WAS an enforcer, and he wasn¡¯t planning to arrest his little brother for a review¡­even though a part of him was screaming that he should. And then his eyes shifted over to the dragonlord, who seemed indifferent as ever about the entire situation. ¡°Zi¡­Serenis, I think you¡¯re missing the point here.¡± ¡°The point?¡± ¡°My little brother just went up and DISAPPEARED.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis kept her eyes fixed on Patrick, though this time out of pure empathy. She could tell he wasn¡¯t kidding around this time. The worry in his eyes were genuine. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I hadn¡¯t considered how you¡¯d feel. Would this make it better?¡± Serenis put her cup down and snapped her fingers. In an instantaneous burst of light, the dragonlord had disappeared; in her place was now the little human boy that Patrick knew so well. And then he started drinking his coffee again. Patrick beamed a bright grin at the sight. ¡®I hate it here.¡¯ Ep 22. I Hate It Here. (2) Ep 22. I Hate It Here. (2) Patrick rubbed his eyes a couple times to make sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming. Or hallucinating. Slurp. There he was. The little brother he knew, drinking coffee in all his little glory. Clack. Serenis placed the cup back down. Her eyes were focused on the blue-haired mage. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Patrick finally managed to answer with a shaking voice. ¡°A glamour spell doesn¡¯t help.¡± Karas studied Serenis, who had returned to the form of the little boy he¡¯d seen during their first meeting. The professor nodded in approval. ¡°Although, that is an impressive glamour spell. Most mages can scarce replicate the details of another entity to your level. Especially those of another race.¡± Serenis glanced towards the approving professor. She shook her head, correcting his last remark. ¡°You both have it backwards. What you were seeing earlier was a spell. This would be the default form.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Patrick frowned as his brain struggled to process what he¡¯d just heard. If the draconic appearance from before was a spell, and the little boy before him now was the default, then¡­ ¡°So you¡¯re still¡­human?¡± ¡°That would be my current physical race, yes. Although, my heart is bound to force gradual changes. This body, too, will eventually become a dragonkin in time.¡± ¡°¡­How long will that take?¡± ¡°That, I have no clue. A handful of years, perhaps¡­or a century.¡± ¡®That¡¯s quite the range.¡¯ ¡®¡­That¡¯s a no-clue alright.¡¯ Patrick sighed in relief. He didn¡¯t know what he was even relieved of, but he felt it nonetheless. The professor widened his eyes as he prompted the dragonlord further. ¡°Very interesting. So you had a glamour spell in place all along then? To keep your draconic appearance?¡± ¡°That would be correct.¡± ¡°Is it not difficult to keep it active for extended periods of time? The strain on your mana must be taking its toll.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve reclaimed my former heart, so such strains are negligible. And¡­¡± Serenis stretched her human arm in front of her. She gripped and loosened her fist several times. ¡°Even at a strain, having my original form feels far more comfortable.¡± ¡°Reclaimed a former heart, you say¡­¡± Karas warily eyed the figure before him, trying to get a read on the mana she carried. If the little boy had been a shallow pond before, Karas now felt as if the dragonlord was a bottomless ocean. Even the few dragons he were lucky enough to behold carried far less mana than his newest coffee friend. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could enlighten me on the workings of this ¡®former heart¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar to an extension of one¡¯s reserves. Specifically¡­¡± While the two conversed, Patrick¡¯s mind was beginning to wander off again. Although this time, his eyes were quite evidently glued on his little-brother-looking-dragonlord. ¡®Yeah¡­they do say, kids all forget about you when they grow up¡­¡¯ But isn¡¯t this a little too much forgetting? According to the explanation his professor had offered yesterday, Zion¡¯s soul was still in that little body somewhere, just mixed into another one that encompassed far more time and memory. Truth be told, he could only assume that fifteen years¡¯ worth of memories would barely be of significance amidst memories encompassing thousands of years. ¡®But still¡­¡¯ While the mage internally pouted, Serenis finished her explanation to the half crow. ¡°...And that¡¯s how it works.¡± ¡°I see¡­if you are equipped with both the knowledge and the mana, I can only imagine what magics you can wield at present.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do for a dragonlord¡¯s magic to be on the level of human sorcery.¡± Karas chuckled. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s only true. I do hope you will hold yourself back against your peers.¡± ¡°Peers?¡± ¡°Yes, peers. At the institute?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When the dragonlord stared at the professor in blatant confusion, he turned towards the blue-haired enforcer who was busily experiencing flashbacks about his little brother. ¡°Patrick. Have you not informed Serenis of anything at all?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­how could I? They were gone the whole day.¡± ¡°¡­Fair enough. It¡¯s a good thing we found out now then. Serenis?¡± The dragonlord threw Karas a quizzical look while he continued to speak. ¡°As you know, I have pledged to inform you of the contemporary era.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware. I do hope it won¡¯t take too much of your time.¡± Karas shook his head. ¡°Not to worry. It is a service I offer here at the institute. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°There are some necessary procedures beforehand.¡± ¡°You humans always did bind yourselves to countless procedures. I see that hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°We do tend to bind ourselves, don¡¯t we? Please, if you¡¯ll look here for a moment.¡± The professor reached into his inner pockets as he laid out a piece of paper on the table. Several lists of items could be seen on it, as well as the big letters that read ¡®first year application.¡¯ ¡°As you can see, you¡¯ll be enrolling in the institute as a new student, which requires several mandatory classes as well as elective classes. And amongst them, what you need is¡­here, History of Magic (I). Specifically, the one I teach.¡± Serenis stared indifferently at the paper. The words were perfectly understandable. What those words actually meant, not so much. Then she looked at Patrick. ¡°Patrick.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Translate it for me.¡± ¡°¡­It means you¡¯ll have to hang around here like the other kids to learn what you want. And that means attending classes, where people like professor Karas will be teaching at. And you know, it IS a place you¡¯ve been dying to go for like, the past ten years.¡± Serenis threw her gaze back towards the half crow, squinting. ¡°Is this truly necessary? I only hoped to learn of the twelve deities you spoke of.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it is. But I can assure you that you¡¯ll learn everything you¡¯d like about the deities and the contemporary era in this manner.¡± Patrick studied Karas blatantly lying his way in front of a supposed dragonlord. If anything, the professor¡¯s audacity was astounding¡­and he simply had to intervene. ¡°¡­Is it though? You could just make some free time and call them up privately.¡± ¡°Patrick.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have a dragon enroll in my class.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Need I say more?¡± ¡®I really, really hate it here.¡¯ ? ? ? Patrick¡¯s steps were heavy as he trudged his way home. On the contrary, Serenis¡¯ steps were fairly lighter. They¡¯d just sat through another hour of lecture about what Serenis shouldn¡¯t do amongst humans. Namely, hiding her identity as a dragonlord, using the name ¡®Zion¡¯ as shown on file, masking her mana, what the first set of classes would entail for the week, and all the nitty-gritty details that came along with being a human. Her final response was simple. - ¡®So be it then.¡¯ Patrick glanced towards the woman walking at his side. His little brother was once again gone, replaced with a dragon who, at Patrick¡¯s fervent request, had hidden her draconic features and changed her attire to the institute¡¯s student uniform. At least this way, no one would look at her and report it to the authorities as a dragon-level hazard. She seemed fairly content with how their meeting with the professor had ended; after all, she was promised all the knowledge she sought from his classes. With her own kin living in their exclusion, it was a rather fortunate turn of events that Serenis had found someone willing to offer the knowledge to her. Not that Patrick cared any of that. He just wanted his little brother to go to school. ¡®If you can call that a little brother. They¡¯re not ¡®little¡¯ or even ¡®brother¡¯ at this point¡­¡¯ Noticing the enforcer¡¯s bittersweet gaze, Serenis faced the mage walking by her side. ¡°Oh, Patrick. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°Waterball spell. You teach it the wrong way. There¡¯s no need to consider the atmosphere¡¯s temperature.¡± ¡°What??¡± ¡®¡­Wait. I taught that to Zion before.¡¯ Patrick had spent a number of days trying to teach his little brother how to use magic, and it wasn¡¯t surprising that he would talk to him about various spells. In fact, magic at large was the boy¡¯s favorite topic whenever they¡¯d spend time together. But¡­ ¡®Waterball? That was at least a year ago. How¡­¡¯ Before the mage could collect his thoughts, Serenis continued to point out the mage¡¯s past mistakes. ¡°I also remember you trying to lie your way out of being able to use Snow Claw. Your explanation had nothing to do with the spell¡¯s actual formulation, and it certainly doesn¡¯t require as much mana as you claimed it does.¡± Patrick¡¯s steps came to a halt. Serenis walked a few further down, then curiously turned to face the mage. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°You¡­remember? How?¡± ¡°Only bits of it. The memories are correct, are they not?¡± ¡°But, I thought¡­¡± Serenis stared back at Patrick, her expression confused and perplexed. ¡°¡­You thought?¡± Patrick shut his lips. He couldn¡¯t dare speak his mind to answer, for fear it¡¯d come true. - ¡®Serenis ¨C or Zion, as you keep referring to ¨C possesses a perfectly complete, singular soul. In other words, Serenis is still the same person you knew yesterday, or ten years ago.¡¯ You were right, professor. He¡¯s still in there. Inside that tiny skull somewhere. ¡°¡­I guess I can let the prof slide this time.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing. I just¡­thought you forgot everything.¡± ¡°It is difficult to remember most things, yes.¡± ¡°...But you¡¯re still Zion, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If you lived as another entity for a single week, could you become it for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°Well, no. It¡¯s only a week.¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s only fifteen years.¡± ¡°...¡± Mixed into the dragonlord¡¯s memories were unmistakable memories of Patrick¡¯s little brother, the life of a fifteen-year-old human boy named Zion. However, her memories as Zion paled in comparison to her memories as Serenis. ¡°¡­But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve forgotten everything.¡± Patrick snorted. The mage hurriedly caught up to the dragonlord and tugged on her cheeks, pinching them with both his hands. ¡°Mngf! Patrick, what¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°I felt like it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no reason to pinch others!¡± ¡°Oh, grow up.¡± ¡°Grow up? I¡¯m older than you. By thousands.¡± ¡°Yeah? Do you remember our home address?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Some responsible grown-up you are. Or actually, maybe you¡¯re TOO grown up and just forgetting things from old age.¡± Serenis beamed back at her newly acquired sibling. In her previous life, she would never have elected to bicker like this, especially with a human. So, surely, the strange warmth she felt when teasing Patrick must be a side effect of her now-human body. ¡°Keep that up and I¡¯ll show you how Snow Claw is actually used.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a combat spell. It can kill people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Enforcers of the Mage Association, by the virtue of their job, required the individual to be an extremely proficient mage. They were required to be adaptable to all sorts of situations, and combat was no exception ¨C especially when it came to apprehending rogue mages. But maybe that was all pointless before a dragon. Ep 23. I Hate It Here. (3) Ep 23. I Hate It Here. (3) In a small neighbourhood just outside the central city of Partivine, an unremarkably small house¡¯s blue roof bathed in the morning sun. It wasn¡¯t luxurious by any means, but it was more than enough for a simple family of two. And it was time to begin their days anew. ¡°Mmngh!...Whew. Glad yesterday¡¯s finally over.¡± Patrick stretched his arms as he made his way out of his bed. The chronometer was ticking just past the seventh hour ¨C the usual time he¡¯d go over to his sibling¡¯s room to wake him up. But then again¡­ ¡°Huh¡­I wonder if their sleeping habits changed too?¡± His sibling wasn¡¯t exactly himself anymore. Or herself? Not entirely, anyhow. Patrick slowly dressed himself for the day and made his way across the small living space to knock on the opposing door. ¡°Zi¡­er, Serenis? You awake?¡± No response. ¡°Nope. Hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Apparently, dragons sleep in too. Patrick swiftly turned the knob, opening the door. ¡°Serenis, wake up! The ceremony¡¯s going to¡­¡± ¡°Mmn¡­¡± ¡°Start¡­soon¡­¡± Patrick trailed off as he squinted his eyes. He then rubbed them a few times. Before, his sibling had been quite small, even for their age. According to Patrick¡¯s memories, the boy had never occupied more than half the bed. But right now, the person lying on top was occupying significantly more of it. The blankets were neatly piled off to the side instead of being used, and in the place of blankets were a pair of pure white wings covering their body. She was curled up like a cat, and the tip of her scaled tail softly brushed against her nose with every breath. The posture did make sense considering the difficulties that may ensue from lying on her back or side, with the horns and wings and all. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Serenis slowly blinked a few times. The dragon unfurled her wings as she stirred awake, revealing the skin beneath. Patrick immediately slammed the door behind him, locking himself out before seeing anything more than he should. ¡°WHY¡¯RE YOU NAKED?¡± ¡°Hmngh¡­?¡± Serenis blankly stared at the door. She nonchalantly slid out of bed to turn the doorknob and open it back up, not wanting to shout through the wood like a certain mage outside was so eager to do. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Of course there- don¡¯t just walk out like that!¡± Patrick practically tore off his cloak and draped it around Serenis¡¯ neck, almost choking her in the process. The fabric fell down to her knees, covering what would be deemed necessary by human standards¡­although the wings and tail made it impossible for the fabric to fall to the same level on her backside. ¡°¡­I¡¯m failing to see the problem. It was you who said to make myself at home.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Did say that, yeah. But I didn¡¯t mean you should walk around buck naked. Especially looking like that. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had to use a spell to¡­look like that?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°And you used it the entire time while you slept?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable regardless.¡± ¡°Ok, fine. Why are you naked though?...And why¡¯re all your dragon parts back?¡± ¡°Need I really produce garments out of magic while I sleep too? In my own nest?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯ve had my ¡®dragon parts¡¯ for thousands of years, Patrick. Even you should know how odd it would feel to suddenly sleep without the limbs you¡¯ve had all life.¡± Patrick buried his face in his hands. He had no idea what that would feel like, nor did he care. ¡®It¡¯s going to be another long day, isn¡¯t it.¡¯This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ? ? ? ¡°Welcome to the institute, first years!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re interested in alchemy, join us at the Alchemy Society!¡± ¡°If you¡¯d like private tutoring on summoning¡­!¡± Serenis sat by herself on a small bench at another one of the institute¡¯s courtyards. Armies and armies of little and big human younglings filled her vision, busily traversing about the stands students had set up across the courtyard to advertise their various groups. They shared in their talks, and activities, and¡­ ¡®Whatever in hell¡¯s name they¡¯re doing amongst themselves.¡¯ The dragonlord had once again hidden her draconic features, much like how she had during her walk home last night. Patrick had insisted that she simply return to being the little boy he knew, but she adamantly refused. - ¡®Patrick, I will NOT return to being a midget again. It¡¯s enough that you called me short once.¡¯ - ¡®You¡¯re still not over that?...Fine, but you do know your files say you¡¯re a human boy, right? At least do something about your¡­well, everything.¡¯ They¡¯d compromised. Serenis had hidden her draconic features, tied her hair with Patrick¡¯s hairbands, shrunk her chest¡­and a little bit of her height. With the rather forgiving design of the institute¡¯s uniform that was practically an oversized black-and-white mage robe, there wasn¡¯t anything that would mark her as female. Not that there was particularly anything that would mark her as male. Everything else had remained the same. ¡®¡­Yap, yap, yap¡­¡¯ Of course, bigger problems were at hand. The dragonlord was audibly groaning as if being slowly tortured to death. She¡¯d thought she knew how loud humans could be, but she never knew how loud their younglings could be when gathered in huge groups. ¡®The owner of this body before my awakening was doubtlessly treading the rivers of insanity. How could any soul possibly want to suffer through this noise of their own volition?¡¯ She wanted nothing more than to summon her wings and fly out of here, but¡­ - ¡®You absolutely cannot let anyone know you¡¯re a dragon, okay? You¡¯re a first-year student named Zion who just enrolled today. Don¡¯t forget that! And don¡¯t you even think about summoning your dragon parts back at the institute!¡¯ Oh, Patrick. You make the most difficult of requests. The admission ceremony of the Magic Institute was well-known for its disorderly commotion. Although the opening speech from the head of the institute was just fine, what followed after were welcoming/socialization events directed by the upper year students before the first classes would begin. Not that Serenis even cared what these events were. Why did dragons prefer seclusion? One may answer with their value of kinship amongst direct family. One may also point to their immense presence that would be difficult to integrate in the societies of other races. But the dragonlord knew the real answer. ¡®This is hell.¡¯ Compared to other human-like races, dragons¡¯ senses were much keener and more sensitive ¨Cthey¡¯re not really a human-like race to begin with. Morphing changed their appearances, not their perception. Thus, having sensitive hearing in places with constant noise was practical torture; Serenis would seriously consider punching another hole through Vulka¡¯s corpse if it would let her out of here. ¡®Come to think of it, I¡¯m not even a dragonkin at the moment; my body¡¯s that of a human child right now. Should my hearing not have deteriorated to their level?¡¯ Serenis stared down at her flattened chest, specifically towards her heart: the only portion of her body that was no different from a dragon¡¯s. There was no doubt that it would gradually change her human body to a dragon, in accordance with the dragonlord¡¯s heart that was beating within her. Eventual changes were to be expected. But she¡¯d hoped that her wings would return first, not her hearing. Unfortunately, attuning to an actual human body was a first even for the ancient dragonlord, and she had no clue or estimate of what the process would look like. And to make matters worse, according to what the crow professor had explained yesterday, she had to sit through an entire hour amidst this courtyard commotion before the staff would direct the students to their first classes. And to top it all off, Patrick had implored over and over for his sibling to move according to the institute¡¯s schedule. Her circumstances only pointed to one answer: another hour of suffering. While Serenis continued to wallow in her little misery, she could hear a few of the individuals conversing as they passed by the groaning dragonlord. ¡°Hey, did you hear about the kid who blew up the stage during the mock duels?¡± ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t that just a rumor?¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s real, I saw it! The kid used some spell, and like, a million light rays crashed down! You should¡¯ve seen it yourself.¡± Rumors have a tendency to grow bigger as more mouths carry their tale. Unfortunately, the dragonlord¡¯s mock duel was no exception; the spell that was essentially a glorified lightshow had suddenly become a spell that blew up the entire stage and knocked their opponent unconscious. And on occasion, after a simple series of unfortunate coincidences, rumors had a tendency to become extremely bloated ¨C much beyond what it would originally warrant. Granted, these coincidences were extremely unlikely¡­but not impossible. Like today. ¡°Zion?¡± The dragonlord slowly creaked her head to face the person that had called out her supposed name from behind her. She was ready to drive away any human youngling had come to bother her further in this nightmare. However, contrary to her expectations, the woman before her was not a youngling. Adorned in a rather extravagant red uniform similar to the color of their hair, the woman fixed her dark flatcap as she examined the student on the bench. She wore a stern expression, much akin to that of an angered elder scorning the kin¡¯s hatchlings. Finding herself at a loss of ways to drive away an adult ¨C which Serenis expected to be one of those ¡®staff¡¯ members that Karas talked about ¨C the dragonlord responded in a relatively tame manner. ¡°That¡­would be me, yes.¡± ¡°My name is Iris Alpid. I¡¯m from the enforcement sector of the Mage Association.¡± As the woman¡¯s actual identity was revealed, nearby students that were able to hear her immediately turned towards Iris, who was now holding out some sort of emblem-embedded identification card to the dragonlord. Then their eyes focused on Serenis, who had just been called by her human name. ¡°Wait, Zion? That¡¯s the¡­¡± Kid that blew up the stage in their rumors. The other students knew the name all too well now. However, all of them were noticing a small discrepancy. ¡°¡­Hey, wasn¡¯t that kid supposed to be a guy? Isn¡¯t that a girl?¡± ¡°Who knows, maybe it is a guy?¡± ¡°I thought he had blue hair. And he looked a lot shorter on stage.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s an enforcer doing with him?¡± ¡°Maybe he used forbidden arts?¡± The enforcement sector was essentially the policing department among mages. To have its members come seeking your presence was never a good sign. Did Serenis know of this? Of course not. The only enforcer she knew was Patrick, and he was far, far removed from the image of a stern police officer. But on the other hand, the woman standing before the dragonlord right now definitely did seem like a stern, unhappy elder. And granted, Iris WAS the elder in their current human context. ¡®Zion¡¯ was only fifteen. After withdrawing her identification emblem, Iris prompted the dragonlord to rise. ¡°Could you accompany me for a moment?¡± ¡°Oh. Of course.¡± Still, Serenis was perfectly content as long as she could get out of this place. She immediately got up from the bench and began trailing after the enforcer. But as the two walked off towards the east building, students would begin to mutter amongst themselves. About the destruction-maniac first year who was now on the enforcement sector¡¯s watchlist. Ep 24. I Hate It Here. (4) Ep 24. I Hate It Here. (4) Iris led Serenis to the second floor of the east building ¨C the very place she had been in just the other night. After coming to the door with a plaque that read ¡®Karas¡¯, the enforcer swung the door open without any warning whatsoever. ¡°Professor Karas. Is this the student you were referring to?¡± ¡°Mm. Yes, that would be her¡­I mean, him.¡± In the familiar office, the crow half was sitting at the same spot he was sitting at yesterday. Though unfortunately, no coffee was offered this time. Immediately after Karas¡¯ confirmation, Iris turned to face the student beside her. ¡°Zion. Do you know of the dragon that appeared at the institution¡¯s east courtyard last night?¡± ¡®That would be me.¡¯ But considering what Patrick had advised the dragonlord earlier, that was probably not the wisest thing to say. So Serenis instead opted for a simpler answer. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°The intruding dragon is said to have appeared in the courtyard before flying into the professor¡¯s office here. Numerous witnesses have already attested to this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­aware.¡± ¡°Professor Karas has been claiming that the dragon was you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the description of this dragon, in fact, does resemble your appearance quite a bit.¡± Serenis locked eyes with Karas in disbelief. For a moment, the dragon thought that the professor had sold her out to some cursory group of human officials. The professor only shrugged back, his apologetic gaze falling towards the enforcer. ¡°As you can see Ms. Alpid, he¡¯s perfectly human. He was simply practicing his glamour spells last night. The wings and such were all results of a spell.¡± The professor wasn¡¯t lying. Depending on how one looked at it. Sadly, the enforcer wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°I¡¯d advise you against speaking, professor.¡± Iris sharply cut the professor off momentarily before returning her gaze to the suspect at hand. ¡°Glamour spells shift one¡¯s appearance, but they require extremely precise calculations and a heavy toll on mana. Further, it was reported that the dragon was seen in flight. The more sensible explanation would be that a dragon is hiding their features, not the other way around.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll have you know, I had those ¡®features¡¯ for thousands of years.¡¯ But again, Serenis kept her mouth shut as her brother had so dearly requested. She merely kept her eyes glued to the enforcer, listening to what she had to say. ¡°Zion. Now that the professor has confirmed it to be you, I will have to confirm your identity as a human. If you cannot demonstrate yourself as such, you will be taken in for further questioning. And professor, you will be placed under immediate arrest.¡± Patrick¡¯s silly smile slowly crept up in the dragonlord¡¯s mind. ¡®Come to think of it, was Patrick not an enforcer as well? How come he never did his job like this?¡¯ Who knows. All that mattered right now was her learning opportunity about the twelve deities was about to evaporate. But before Serenis could even think of a way to escape the situation without jeopardizing her identity, the enforcer proceeded with her investigation. ¡°To confirm your identity, I will ask you to hold onto this for a moment.¡± Iris then produced what seemed like a small, polished yellow stone from her inner pockets, handing it to the student before her. It was barely the size of a regular pebble. Serenis held the piece of rock above her palm, her eyes carefully examining the mineral. ¡°This is¡­¡± The stone began to glimmer in response to her touch. Slowly, Serenis could feel her mana being absorbed into the polished mineral as its color gradually shifted from yellow to blue. Moments after, the dragonlord¡¯s spell was undone ¨C reverting her appearance back to the human boy Patrick had raised for fifteen years. Her height shrank back into what she¡¯d describe as a midget. Her hair was a disarray of blue again, and she was, for a lack of better words, tiny. Her uniform was clearly oversized now as her sleeves stretched beyond her hands, the bottom parts draping across the floor. ¡®¡­It¡¯s that strange stone humans wore as charms in our time.¡¯ Kirium. It was one of the rare minerals that had the capacity to absorb mana. While they were normally used as protective wards against harmful spells, small adjustments to its properties allowed the stone to absorb spells that were already in effect ¨C much like how it had just unmade the dragonlord¡¯s spell that was changing her appearance. Serenis slowly nodded her head in approval. She hadn¡¯t thought of such methods to check her original form. Clearly, humans of this era had advanced their usage of natural materials. Unfortunately, someone else in the room was nowhere near as calm as her. Iris could but stare at the unmistakably human boy in disbelief. Her jaws were involuntarily wide open.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°How¡­¡± Karas observed the situation in amusement, holding in a laughter that was welling up within. ¡®Told you.¡¯ The kirium Iris provided had unmade the student¡¯s spell, reverting him back to a default state unaffected by magic. This meant that the unmistakable human boy before her was indeed his original appearance. But that would also mean that all this time, he had a glamour spell in effect to overhaul his entire appearance. Moreover, the supposed ¡®flight¡¯ that the dragon had performed last night would also be his doing. Iris finally noticed her open mouth, consciously forcing it to close. ¡®¡­It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s particularly skilled with glamour spells. It¡¯s also possible to learn magic that allows flight at his age.¡¯ What was not possible, though, was having the unrealistic amounts of mana that would be required to keep such spells in effect for extended periods of time. Glamour spells had a costly upkeep; even Iris herself couldn¡¯t keep it in effect for more than half an hour. But the enforcer had been watching the dragonlord for at least an hour prior to approaching the student. She¡¯d been present at the institute even before the opening speech had begun. ¡®Mana supplements? No, it can¡¯t be those either. If it were, I should¡¯ve seen him take them.¡¯ The little boy¡¯s appearance she was now seeing struck her as no more than a typical teen. A little less energetic than the majority, perhaps, but she would not see him as particularly notable in a group of other first years. And yet, their mana reserve was already surpassing that of an archmage¡¯s. ¡°How is this¡­possible?¡± Those were the only words Iris could muster. All the preparations she¡¯d made in advance to arrest the professor had been rendered pointless. The dragonlord spared a momentary glance towards the stunned enforcer. ¡°I would advise against pitting others on the same standard as yourself, child.¡± After a small shrug, Serenis put down the piece of kirium on the office table and cast her glamour spell back to return to her previous androgynous appearance. She then nervously cleared her throat, correcting her previous sentence. ¡°I mean¡­enforcer.¡± It probably wasn¡¯t the best idea to call the enforcer a ¡®child¡¯ while being just a teenage boy, lest it sounded like an insult. But Iris didn¡¯t even seem to care about that part. She was still recovering from the shock that this little boy had at least twice more mana to spare than her. After another minute of silence, Iris fixed her cap and bowed apologetically to Karas. ¡°My apologies. In my own unwarranted haste, I had assumed your claims to be false, professor.¡± ¡°Understandably so. In your place, I would find it difficult to believe as well.¡± Iris then turned to the student in front of her, lowering her head once more in an apologetic manner. ¡°And I believe I owe you an apology as well. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused in your schedule.¡± ¡°Oh, not at all. I was quite pleased to be pulled away from all the dreaded commotion.¡± For the first time, the enforcer loosened her expression. He was just a teen, but the boy before her spoke as if he was some disinterested old man. ¡°Out of personal curiosity, from where did you learn to use glamour spell? Your proficiency seems to be quite¡­astounding.¡± ¡°I invented it.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I invented it.¡± It was true; Serenis did somewhat ¡®invent¡¯ the notion of morphing amongst the dragonkin an extremely long time ago. Granted, there was a difference between a dragon¡¯s morph and a human¡¯s glamour spell: the former was a physical skill that required no mana whatsoever, while the latter was a spell that required costly upkeep of mana. However, with the spell upkeep being negligible for Serenis, these two things were no different to her. They were both just ways to change one¡¯s appearance. Sometimes, however¡­truths are harder to accept than lies. Such was the case for the red-haired enforcer that was standing in the office. ¡°You¡­invented it, you say.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°If I recall your profile correctly, you were currently fifteen years old. Am I right, Zion?¡± ¡°¡­Correct.¡± Now that, was a lie. Not that Iris had any way of knowing Serenis¡¯ actual age. ¡°¡­¡± The enforcer contemplated a moment longer. She considered questioning the student further to explain the absurdity of the situation. She considered asking why ¡®Zion¡¯ was electing to change his appearance for such extended periods of time. She considered asking the source of his inexplicable mana that was keeping the spell afloat for so long. But¡­ - ¡®I would advise against pitting others on the same standard as yourself, child.¡¯ The enforcer grinned as she remembered the student¡¯s short remark. Standards applied to most people, but it was painfully clear that the individual before her was not a part of that ¡®most.¡¯ And above all, as long as no harm was being done, there weren¡¯t any regulations against an individual changing their appearance however they wanted to. ¡®¡­Perhaps I really am just jealous.¡¯ Iris closed her eyes. Wasting time was the last thing she could afford to do with her profession ¨C in her books, anyways. Patrick¡¯s may be different. When she opened her eyes again, the suspicion was gone from her expression, replaced with an apologetic support towards the potential genius before her. ¡°I look forward to seeing what sort of mage you¡¯ll become in the future, Zion. While I¡¯m curious why you choose to change your appearance¡­since it¡¯s likely a personal reason, I¡¯ll make sure your original appearance remains undisclosed.¡± The enforcer concluded plainly, waving Serenis and the professor a short goodbye. A glowing blue portal opened up in front of Iris as she took a step forward, emitting an intricate formulation of mana. Serenis had no clue what Iris meant by ¡®personal reason.¡¯ Karas did, and was trying extremely hard not to laugh as he struggled to say his farewells to the enforcer. ¡°A good¡­day to you, enforcer. Ahem.¡± As the woman disappeared into the portal she¡¯d opened, the circle of mana quickly closed back up, leaving only the bookshelf that had always been there. Serenis angrily glared at Karas as soon as the enforcer was gone. ¡°Explain yourself.¡± ¡°Ah¡­haha, ahem. I¡­I apologize.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say it again. Explain yourself.¡± ¡°Your appearance last night had caused quite the commotion among staff and students alike. Understandably so, as you unmistakably had the features of a dragon, and it was the night before this year¡¯s admission ceremony. Someone likely reported your appearance to the association, and¡­the enforcement sector seems to have been sent to check my involvement in the matter, as you were seen flying into my office.¡± ¡°¡­Just this morning, Patrick implored that I never identify myself as a dragon. And it was just yesterday that you implored the same. Could you not have claimed it to be a familiar? Or an illusion?¡± ¡°In fact, I did consider those options. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°After learning that you had actually spoken to the students, I could not use those excuses. I was told you asked them for directions?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I kind of did, didn¡¯t I.¡¯ As Serenis found herself at a loss of words, Karas awkwardly cleared his throat. He briefly glanced at the chronometer in his office before speaking up again. ¡°Anyhow¡­everything should be alright, now that you have been confirmed to be a simple human boy. And with that aside, your first class should be starting soon. Are you looking forward to it?¡± ¡°¡­I do not know. I¡¯ve never had such experiences.¡± ¡°Even as an instructor?¡± ¡°The dragonkin have elders, not instructors. We have families, not classes.¡± ¡°¡­Well, hopefully it¡¯ll prove to be a worthwhile experience then. I do hope you learn something interesting out of them.¡± ¡°Do others impart knowledge of the deities as well? Or of the contemporary era?¡± ¡°Somewhat.¡± ¡®If explaining how modern magic is still leagues behind your millennium-old arts counts.¡¯ Karas swallowed his thoughts. He didn¡¯t want to spoil the classes for Serenis; she¡¯d find out herself soon anyways. ¡°Well, it¡¯s best you get going. The staff outside should begin directing the students soon. Simply follow the one that calls your name.¡± ¡°¡­Both you and Patrick really do treat me like a hatchling at times.¡± ¡°Right now you are, are you not?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis shifted uncomfortably in her position, her expression crossed with a mix of disgust and distaste. The dragonlord could do many things ¨C but pretending to be a hatchling was not one of them. Ep 25. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (1) Ep 25. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (1) Students worriedly stared at their peculiar peer from the corners of their eyes. Some were concerned, some were surprised, and some were contemplating whether they needed to do something about their behavior. Meanwhile, the only adult in the classroom ¨C the only human adult, that is ¨C was trying her hardest to ignore what was going on. ¡°So as you can see, basic spell formulas all contain¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And without the duration variable, the cast could potentially¡­¡± ¡°¡­Zzz¡­¡± As the other students would put it, ¡®that kid on the enforcement sector¡¯s watchlist after massive vandalism¡¯ had their head buried in a pillow of their own two arms, sound asleep on the desk. ¡°Okay, that does it.¡± The instructor swished her wand in the air in a circle, forming a ball of water that threw itself straight across the room before splashing right on the sleeping student¡¯s head. Serenis immediately opened her eyes, rubbing the wetness off as she stirred awake. ¡°¡­Mngh¡­what is it now¡­¡± ¡°Zion, was it? Should you really be sleeping? On your first day of class?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis looked at the instructor in genuine confusion. The woman seemed furious, but for what reason, the dragon could not even begin to guess. ¡°Was sleep not a necessity among all humans?¡± ¡°We. Are. In. Class.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°Do you not see the problem?¡± ¡°¡­No. I do not believe I¡¯m inflicting any harm on you. Or anyone, for that matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of respect!¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t help but scoff at the furious reply that came back. ¡®Respect? From me? To you? A passing frog would laugh in ribbits.¡¯ But the scoffing really didn¡¯t make things better for the instructor. The anger in her tone only intensified. ¡°If you¡¯re so knowledgeable that you don¡¯t even have to listen to the lecture, why don¡¯t you just go outside and sleep, hm? Not like you¡¯ll get anything sleeping here!¡± ¡°Oh. I thought that was against the custom. I appreciate the suggestion.¡± Serenis immediately rose from her seat, turning to leave the lecture hall. Patrick had told his little sibling to stay in the room no matter what during class, but if the ruling individual was suggesting Serenis to do otherwise, she wasn¡¯t going to argue against it. Except Patrick was right, she really shouldn¡¯t be leaving the class. But the dragonlord failed to read between the lines of human mockery. ¡°GET BACK HERE!¡± Serenis stopped in the middle of making her way towards the exit. The supposed human boy turned back around to face the individual screaming in their direction. ¡°Get out, get back, what sort of teaching regimen is this supposed to be?¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll let you sleep as much as you¡¯d like, as long as you can demonstrate that you have nothing to learn from this class.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If you can properly cast this formula into a spell¡­¡± The instructor tossed her wand up above. The wand floated on its own and began to scribble in the air, leaving a faint trail of mana in the form of words, symbols, and numbers. Once completed, a massive spell equation easily stretching over 10 lines was floating above her head. ¡°¡­Then I will concede that you have nothing to learn from here.¡± Serenis stared at the equation in the air for a few seconds. She had absolutely no clue what any of it was saying. Humans and their weird customs. While the dragonlord¡¯s magic was leagues in advance of a typical human¡¯s, a dragon¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t exactly formulated in the same way. The dragonkin depended on their instincts and reflexes; they did not need to complicate matters with precise calculations. Dragons simply used their magic through practice and feeling, much like how one would better their athletic performances through practice.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. On the other hand, humans depended on their capacities to formulate and calculate; to them, magic was a science, not a sport. The way they transmitted knowledge was different: humans considered every variable of a spell, quantified every aspect possible, and formulated an exact replica of what they¡¯ve learned as equations and diagrams. Normally, there¡¯d be no way for a dragon to teach magic to a human, or a human to teach magic to a dragon. But Serenis was not a regular dragon. ¡®¡­Patrick¡¯s shown me all this before.¡¯ The dragonlord began to dig through her memories ¨C Zion¡¯s memories. With fifteen years of human memory serving as her guide, Serenis began to slowly decipher the floating equation line by line. ¡®Lightning, water, fire¡­triangulate at 3rd circle, integrate at 6th arcana¡­¡¯ Slowly, she knelt down to the floor and tapped her finger twice on the wood beneath. Murky clouds began to gather at the ceiling above, and bursts of lightning thundered from within them. Students worriedly looked up as their classroom noticeably darkened. The sunny weather just outside their windows seemed like a whole another world now. ¡°Wait¡­what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Are those clouds?¡± ¡°Eep! It just thundered!¡± Sssst. Soon after, it began to rain. Indoors. Fortunately(?) only on top of the furious instructor. All the students managed to stay dry. Everyone, including the instructor, stared at the dragonlord in shock. Serenis herself remained indifferent as she commented on the equation that had been written out. ¡°Interesting spell. I would advise you add a coordinate variable next time, as you seem to have forgotten it at the 7th line after the minor arcana. Since there was no coordinate, I¡¯ve cast it above you for a better examination.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hey, what did he just say?¡± A few of the students were still trying to figure out what that formula in the air was. A few others were trying to figure out what Serenis had just said. The smart few were preparing to run for their lives, because it looked like the instructor was about to burst in a ball of flames. Meanwhile, Serenis returned to her seat, Dried her spot with a simple fire spell, Nodded at the teacher as if all was well within the world, And quietly went back to sleep despite the thundering clouds she¡¯d summoned. Only the sound of indoor rain filled the ambience. Another five minutes had to pass before the rain would stop to resume class. ? ? ? ¡°Alright, Zion. Then try¡­¡± Zzzt. ¡°I bet you can¡¯t do¡­¡± Ksht. ¡°But can you cast unorthodox spells like¡­¡± BOOM! Half a week had passed in a cycle of suffering. By her 4th and final mandatory class, Serenis had earned the right to permanently sleep through every single lecture thus far, which had all but proven useless to her. The mornings and afternoons consisted of pointless lectures where she had to obtain an approval to sleep through. The few peers that had mustered the courage to talk to Serenis were all answered with resolute silence from the unwaking dragonlord, and none dared to shake their oddest peer awake. The evenings consisted of coming home and answering Patrick about whether the dragonlord remembered all the times they¡¯d spent together ¨C which she did, more than she¡¯d initially realized. She managed to remember their home address as well, though she couldn¡¯t tell if that was remembering or relearning. But the storm had passed, and no more mandatory classes were scheduled for the rest of the week: no more lectures on magic were due. Once again, the dragonlord found herself sitting in a lecture hall, in her not-so-dragon form that she was slowly growing used to, with peers that were mostly too scared to go near the dragon. Even though they didn¡¯t even know she was one. But for once, Serenis was eager to listen. This was the very class she¡¯d gone through all this trouble for: the crow-headed professor¡¯s history lecture. When the mana-fueled door slid open on its own, Serenis¡¯ eyes immediately locked onto the black-feathered figure walking in. ¡®Finally.¡¯ From the distance, she could see that the professor was wearing a rather uneasy expression; after all, he¡¯d been listening to the staff complain all week about this problem kid who was destroying their careers left and right. And he was pretty sure he knew exactly who it was. Karas glanced around the classroom to soon spot his newest, most peculiar white-haired student. But being at the front of the lecturing hall, the professor could easily see just how many eyes were on the dragonlord aside from his own. ¡®¡­Perhaps just admitting to being a dragon would¡¯ve drawn less attention. That way, at least the other instructors wouldn¡¯t have challenged her so much.¡¯ But it was far too late to go back. And the professor¡¯s dream of teaching a reincarnated entity was somehow within reach. Yep, somehow. He cleared his throat, setting the books he¡¯d brought at the instructor podium at the front. ¡°A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Karas, and I will be responsible for teaching you the basic histories of magic in this class.¡± Half the class were listening. The other half were wondering why Serenis wasn¡¯t sleeping this time. Surely, these were the students who¡¯d taken other classes with her already. Karas glanced around the gathered students. Too many of them were expecting him to test the dragonlord, much like the other instructors had earlier in the week. For both his and the class¡¯s sake, it seemed necessary to get the matter handled before continuing further ¨C lest only half the class listen to his lecturing. ¡°Since we seem a little preoccupied¡­before we begin, let¡¯s first briefly assess ourselves and our knowledge.¡± The class expectantly stirred in excitement. Many eyes fell on the professor and the dragonlord alike. Even though Karas had directed the question to the entire class, no one was planning to answer; they instead expected their weirdest peer to pull off another crazy response. ¡°As many of you may know, our contemporary magic is said to be a gift from the deity of mana. It is said that the deity bestowed the star with mana, mankind with magic; this was so that we could persevere through the hardships of our early history, when civilization was still lacking.¡± After a brief pause, the professor finally asked his question. ¡°Do any of you know the true name of this deity?¡± It was an easy question; not all deity names were well-known, but the mana deity¡¯s name was common knowledge amongst mages and aspiring students. Anyone in the class could answer it. Everyone except one. The one person that everyone, even Karas, was staring at. It took a minute for her to realize she was at the centre of everyone¡¯s attention. Serenis looked around the lecture hall with a puzzled gaze. Wherever her eyes fell, several more pairs of eyes were staring back at her. ¡°¡­Is that question directed at me? If I knew such things, I would not be here right now.¡± Ep 26. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (2) Ep 26. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (2) ¡°We need to do something.¡± ¡°I agree. We cannot simply let things continue like things.¡± ¡°Which family does this student heir from anyways?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve actually looked into the matter. Our files indicate that he¡¯s the younger brother of a currently working enforcer. No other family relations.¡± ¡°Hoho¡­and here I was expecting this student to be the secret child of our dear headmaster. A mere enforcer¡¯s little sibling, you say¡­¡± ¡®¡­¡¯ Karas sat himself on the circular meeting table. An emergency staff meeting had been called in to discuss a ¡®very delicate matter¡¯, and summoned in this large discussion chamber were almost every single staff member available within the Magic Institute. But as far as he could tell, everyone here were just joking and gossiping about a student they found troublesome to deal with. The instructors that had attempted to lecture Serenis were busily spreading word about what a ridiculous venture it was to keep her in their class. The rest were intently listening to their stories in growing interest for this supposed genius. ¡°Unmatched talents, I must say. I thought him rude and disrespectful, but I¡¯ve come to realize that he truly is wasting time in our lectures.¡± ¡°What if we were to advance this student to senior levels? In all honesty, I believe that we¡¯re wasting the greatest talents to ever be discovered in our century. Surely the other instructors that have this student in their lectures will agree with me.¡± ¡°I do agree.¡± ¡°As well as I.¡± ¡°Same¡­¡± Karas maintained silence; his opinion didn¡¯t matter with so many instructors¡¯ agreements. Never in the history of the institute has there been a meeting just to discuss how to deal with a first year that enrolled only a week prior. While there have been a plethora of talented individuals in the past, none quite displayed the same level of indifference as Serenis towards the instructors¡¯ materials. Those were geniuses; this was a dragon. And their discussion continued. With so many in agreement of implementing a solution, it was time to discuss what said solution would look like. ¡°But we cannot simply advance a student we deem fit.¡± ¡°It is a fine point. Surely, other students and families will see it as favoritism and find problems in fairness. It¡¯s a lack of equity and fair opportunity.¡± ¡°But what can we do? Gifted individuals are wont to receive benefits. Enduring jealousy is a skill one should retain as a genius.¡± ¡°¡­Fairness, is it?¡± The discussion froze as the last remark was thrown. Despite the man¡¯s soft and gentle voice, his position was that of the headmaster of the continent¡¯s largest school of magic, and one of the only three archmages presently alive. His was an authority none could question in this room. ¡°Then we need but make it fair. We¡¯ll open the opportunity for all students in their first and second years: an opportunity to tackle a very special advancement exam, one that tests whether an individual possesses the necessary skills to warrant skipping their junior years.¡± A monetary silence followed the headmaster¡¯s proposal. Minutes later, one of the instructors carefully began to speak their thoughts on the matter. ¡°Headmaster. While I understand the intent, creating such examination is unheard of in our institute¡¯s history. Especially if the intent is to accelerate a single student¡¯s academic proceedings.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The archmage slowly threw his gaze over the discussion chamber. He could see that it wasn¡¯t just the instructor that had spoken; many instructors were clearly against the proceeding he had suggested. There was a need to make something very clear. The headmaster cleared his throat, shifting his gaze back to the instructor that had voiced his concerns. ¡°Professor Vain. I tend to pick favorites among my students.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°As teachers, we ought to allow talented individuals to spread their wings; it simply won¡¯t do to allow a lion to walk amongst cats. We all know that birthing a mage of higher circles is too difficult a task, and wasting even one such talent is an act worthy of continental contempt.¡± ¡°Headmaster, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°And most importantly.¡± The archmage clacked his cane against the floor. His smile was brimming in newfound excitement. Unlike to other instructors, this new student was nothing but delightful news to the man. ¡°Does this not sound interesting to you all? I¡¯ve been rather bored recently. Such talents are always a welcoming surprise in our careers.¡± The disagreeing opinions were subdued by the time the headmaster finished speaking. Despite the number of disagreeing instructors, there were just as many, if not more, who were in agreement with the archmage. And this time, they¡¯d be the one raising their voices. ¡°It does seem like an interesting proposal to me. A river that does not flow is wont to rot.¡± ¡°Then¡­what should this exam consist of?¡± ¡°I¡¯d personally suggest we incorporate a scaling test to measure their attributes. This student¡¯s data on our records are rather¡­miserable. There has to be an error; else, it¡¯s far outdated information.¡± Karas was still maintaining silence, but his thoughts weren¡¯t. He was perhaps the only one in this discussion chamber who knew that Zion¡¯s files were, in fact, not outdated at all. But there was no need to bring that up right now. ¡°Then, an affinity test should be in the proceedings.¡± ¡°Spell application is a must. That¡¯s the biggest separating factor between the junior and senior years.¡± ¡°I¡¯d incorporate formulaic understanding as well. I¡¯ve seen far too many students with talents for application, but with no understanding of the spell¡¯s actual workings.¡± ¡°Should they not also be versed in knowledge? Their range should¡­¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The discussion immediately died down once again as the headmaster cleared his throat. The instructors looked towards the archmage, expecting him to propose at least the basic structures of a fair exam. But he really wasn¡¯t trying to make it fair. He was more trying to make it interesting. ¡°It sounds like the matter is growing unnecessarily complicated. Why don¡¯t we opt for simplicity?¡± Vain looked towards his employer with evident concern. They¡¯d been working together for years; he could vaguely guess at what the headmaster was about to say next. ¡°¡­Headmaster? By simplicity, you don¡¯t mean¡­?¡± ¡°For the exam qualifications, we¡¯ll only accept students whose highest affinities measure above 90.¡± ¡°90?! That¡¯s crazy!¡± ¡°Quite the high number, I realize. But for a student to be permitted to skip two years¡¯ worth of education, I expect no less.¡± Affinities for each element were measured in a scale ranging from 0 ¨C 100. For an individual to measure 80 or above in any single elemental affinity often meant that they were geniuses in that respective field. 90 was cut-off that could cull out more than half of those geniuses. ¡°And furthermore, the examination procedures will be simple. As it hasn¡¯t been long since the mock duels of the admission exams, everyone should be relatively familiar with it still; we¡¯ll simply hold another series of mock duels.¡± When mock duels once again came to light, voices of concern began to rise. ¡°Amongst themselves? But what could that possibly test?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an effective way to rank the students, but I must say, it isn¡¯t a good method for testing their aptitude in meeting a standard.¡± ¡°I concur, it¡¯s¡­¡± The headmaster chuckled as the instructors began disagreeing left and right this time. A misunderstanding had left no one agreeing with what he¡¯d just said. And, quite frankly, mock duels were a nightmare to manage. ¡°Now, now. I did not mean to say amongst themselves. That would be too tall an order for all of us, and them. The mock duels will be against myself.¡± The voices fell dead silent in a split second. A few instructors began to doubt their own hearing as the headmaster continued to speak his proposal. ¡°We¡¯ll use the kirium pendants for this examination; the goal will be for them to shatter my pendant with their magic while protecting their own. They¡¯ll have to use whatever knowledge they have at disposal to both attack and defend in this scenario; and worry not, for I¡¯ll be holding myself back plenty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The chamber fell silent. Even those that found the proposal ethically problematic kept their mouths shut; they, too, knew that any changes made to the examination would simply translate to additional workload for them. Besides, it was an archmage. Surely, he¡¯ll deal with it. ¡°Any questions? Concerns?¡± ¡°¡­If the headmaster¡¯s looking to the proceedings¡­¡± ¡°None from me.¡± ¡°Well, as long as it doesn¡¯t concern safety precautions¡­¡± Several instructors remained silent, but it was a complete agreement amongst those that spoke. Ethical worries and safety concerns were both drowned out by the staff¡¯s trust in their archmage headmaster. ¡°It¡¯s settled, then.¡± The man pushed himself alright, rising from his seat as he plainly concluded the meeting. The headmaster was wearing a large grin beneath his mustache, but it wasn¡¯t all too visible with his back turned against everyone. ¡°I do look forward to this particular student¡¯s performance.¡± Ep 27. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (3) Ep 27. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (3) ¡°Examination¡­announcement? ¡®Advanced Curriculum Summary Exam¡¯? What the heck is this?¡± A whole crowd of first and second years were gathered around one of the institute¡¯s hallways, right by the bulletin board that now had a brand-new announcement attached to it. The news inevitably attracted tons of students; after all, there had never been an exam that allowed the junior years to skip entire years of education. The first and second years were busy reading and talking amongst themselves about how to succeed, while the third and fourth years were disappointed that such policies hadn¡¯t existed when they were in junior years themselves. Fifth years? They¡¯re probably busy writing papers. But in Karas¡¯ office, there was one student who had absolutely no interest at all. A very peculiar student who was more interested in the coffee offered by the professor than skipping entire years of mandatory courses. ¡°So, ¡¯Zion.¡¯ You really haven¡¯t heard of anything regarding the new exam?¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes looked over to the uneasy professor sitting across the table. She slowly emptied her cup of coffee, taking over a full minute before she¡¯d answer him. ¡°How would I?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s an announcement on the bulletin board¡­and I do believe it¡¯s currently the hottest topic among students.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t look at such things, and I don¡¯t listen to such things.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± The professor shook his head, taking the dragonlord¡¯s emptied cup and filling it back with the fresh brew. Serenis was clearly more concerned with the drink than whatever this exam was. ¡°But since you know now¡­you do plan on taking it, yes? If you¡¯re concerned about your current classes, fear not, for only the mandatory courses are skipped. Electives will stay intact.¡± As Serenis received her new cup of coffee, she held it at her lips and spared a brief moment to look Karas to question him back in her usual uncaring tone. ¡°¡­Why would I?¡± That was the last thing she¡¯d say before relishing in her second cup of the rich coffee taste. Karas attempted to get her attention back, but found himself lacking a plausible method to do so. ¡°Why? That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡®¡­A good point, actually.¡¯ The professor trailed off as he began to realize the dragonlord actually had no reason to take the exam. Her purpose here was to learn of the deities and the star¡¯s history, which she was already accomplishing by being in his class; advancing to third-year level of mandatory classes would affect her little. Karas doubted that the magic lectures here would be able to teach the dragonlord anything, whether it was first- or third-year level; it wasn¡¯t like Serenis needed a graduation certificate, either. What would a dragon do with human-issued certification? As things stood, Karas had no logical excuse to persuade Serenis in taking this exam. And if there was no logic to rely on, then it was time to use illogic. ¡°Hm¡­you see, there¡¯s actually a story that¡¯s kept relatively secret throughout the institute.¡± Serenis once again put down her cup, this time only half-finished. ¡°A secret?¡± Karas had at least partially perked her interest; now, it was his job to seize it with the most plausible story he could offer. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s rumored¡­er, it¡¯s said that the deity of mana, Felicis, walks amongst the students. Of course, it¡¯s said that the deity keeps herself hidden at all times, pretending to be a student like any other. Upon graduation she changes her appearance, enrolls again, and thus the cycle repeats. The deity only reveals herself to the most exceptional of students who display a high aptitude in magic.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°¡­The point being?¡± ¡°Simply, if a student were to accomplish a feat none other were able to in the institute¡¯s history, perhaps even a deity will be intrigued.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re suggesting that this test fulfills such conditions.¡± ¡°Precisely. While it may not be sufficient of its own, it will surely be a step forward.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s gaze dropped to the steaming drink. Her own reflection stared back at her from the cup. What Karas was saying made logical sense ¨C assuming that it was all true. Whether it was true or not was a different matter altogether, and bluntly put, there wasn¡¯t much leads to go off of to begin with regarding the divine¡¯s whereabouts. But on an unrelated note, something else was plaguing the dragonlord¡¯s thoughts. Patrick was her family, at least in part. It made sense that he would care after his kin, just like how Serenis would after her own. But what about the professor across the table? Ever since their first meeting together, his interest in the dragonlord had been quite evident even though they should¡¯ve been complete strangers at the time. If his interest only lied in her soul, then his interest should¡¯ve subsided after the initial reading he¡¯d performed on her ¨C and yet he continued to assist Serenis in her ventures. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡°¡­I understand your point, but there is something I must ask.¡± ¡°By all means.¡± ¡°Why is it that you assist me so? I only sought to partake in your lecturing services, but it seems that you¡¯re eager to press for more than what kindness would warrant.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the professor¡¯s initial silence, Serenis began to elaborate. ¡°Once upon a time, the dragonkin coexisted with mankind. We sought each other for support, and our relationships would inevitably grow close; at first, I, too, thought you no different from such men. However, after a visit to the kin¡¯s present nest, I¡¯ve come to realize that such coexistence is a relic of the past. So I¡¯m failing to see your reasons for helping me thus.¡± The professor remained silent for a while longer as he began to collect his thoughts. He¡¯d expected the dragonlord to find his behavior odd sooner or later; it just happened to take place sooner than he¡¯d imagined. ¡°It seems an honest answer is long overdue. Very well.¡± With a deep breath, Karas began his answer. ¡°As I once mentioned during our first meeting, I am deeply interested in phenomena that surrounds the soul. But to be specific, I admit that what interests me most about your case is your process of reincarnation. Supporting your enrollment was also from my desire to observe your state myself; I aim to research the phenomenon of the soul and disseminate the very workings of your reincarnation process. In doing so, it goes without saying that subjects such as yourself make for an invaluable asset.¡± ¡°Research, you say¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that isn¡¯t to say I plan to place you in any harm, nor use you as a subject in any experiment. I simply wanted to further observe and deduce the causal factors of your return. For example, I¡¯ve since removed variables such as age, race, gender¡­¡± The dragonlord furrowed her brows at the mention of cause. It was a question that she, too, had been remaining ignorant to. How did she come back to life? During their first meeting, Karas had given her a mildly satisfactory explanation: that her reincarnation was an error in the cleansing process by the deity of life. However, that was the only explanation he could think of; in other words, explanations beyond the professor¡¯s knowledge yet remained. Was it really just a mistake? That she just so happened to be the one that was mistakenly chosen by fate to be reincarnated? Not as a dog, or a tree, or a flower, but as a human being? By none other than the divine that she¡¯d strived to eliminate from her star? Serenis, too, had wanted to know. It wasn¡¯t that she disliked her second opportunity; it simply left an ill taste to remain uncertain about how she was brought back to life. And the initial explanation seemed far too unlikely to be the truth. In the end, she had but one answer to give. ¡°So be it then.¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°So be it. Do your research. While I do not understand your methods too well, returning your favors is the least I could do.¡± ¡°¡­Truly? Are you certain?¡± ¡°It appeared to me that you were taking your time with imparting knowledge of the divine. If I were to guess, I would assume that¡¯s due to your lack of trust in me. Is that not so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Karas considered using his curriculum schedule as an excuse, but he couldn¡¯t ¨C not when they were chatting in private like this. The fact that they could chat privately meant the professor could impart all the knowledge he wanted outside of class, if he wished so. He did need time ¨C if he were to truly and properly unravel the phenomenon he was beholding. And by now, Serenis, too, had come to realize this. ¡°I, too, have been far too neglectful of the kin¡¯s current standing with mankind. Expecting trust from a stranger of the current era would be foolish. Do what you will with your research. In exchange, I ask that you do not hide what you seek from me.¡± Karas leaned back on his seat. It wasn¡¯t quite the turn of events he had been expecting, but a pleasant one nonetheless; to have a reincarnated individual agree to his research was the biggest step he had ever taken in his endeavors. ¡°Very well. Then, there is something that I must admit to first.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°The true reason I am recommending your participation in this exam is because¡­I do not teach any mandatory classes for the junior years. But it¡¯s a different story for third years and beyond.¡± ¡°¡­So your entire purpose was to observe me for longer periods of time.¡± ¡°Additional lectures translate to additional opportunities in sharing knowledge, so it shouldn¡¯t be pointless on your part, either. Ah, but that isn¡¯t to say I made up the story regarding the deity of mana.¡± ¡®I¡¯ didn¡¯t make it up. Someone else probably did. Ep 28. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (4) Ep 28. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (4) ¡°Hey¡­you really gonna take this exam? What¡¯re you gonna do if people find out that you¡¯re a dragon?¡± ¡°Do not concern yourself over an impossibility, Patrick. At this moment, I am not even a dragonkin to begin with.¡± After Serenis had suddenly announced her decision to participate in the upcoming special exam, Patrick had taken the liberty to check what this ridiculous exam entailed; after all, early advancement exams like this had never, ever been a thing when he attended the institute. He couldn¡¯t even begin to phrase the shock he¡¯d felt when learning that the exam¡¯s highlight was a mock duel against the Magic Institute¡¯s headmaster, Gio Dugrin. ¡°Serenis¡­the headmaster¡¯s an ARCHMAGE. He¡¯s a mage that¡¯s well past the 9th circle. He¡¯s challenging the 10th!¡± ¡°The circles were your custom of measuring magic users, yes?¡± At least she¡¯d learned something from all the institute lectures she¡¯d attended. But Patrick was not in the mood to celebrate what little Serenis had learned from her classes. ¡°Yeah! Do you get it now? He¡¯s challenging the 10th circle! 10th! That¡¯s a level that can practically make dreams into reality!¡± ¡°You¡¯re far too worried, Patrick. By that standard, I would be at the 50th circle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The mage then looked towards his little sibling with a curious gaze. Serenis neither seemed excited, nor anxious; she seemed herself, just like she always had been. Even the possibility of a duel against one of the continent¡¯s leading mages couldn¡¯t shake her mood. And maybe it made sense that a dragonlord wouldn¡¯t perceive a mere human mage as a threat. The problem was, Serenis was still just an oddball of a sibling to Patrick. He¡¯d never seen her in combat, and true to her words, the dragonlord wasn¡¯t exactly a dragon right now. ¡®So the king of dragons reduced to a little kid¡­versus the epitome of human arts.¡¯ Huh. That actually sounds kinda fair. Patrick cleared his throat. He nervously looked towards his sibling, trying to remain as straight-faced as possible. If there was no stopping it, he might as well enjoy it. Besides, it¡¯s an archmage; surely he¡¯ll take necessary safety precautions. ¡°Say¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you know if they¡¯re selling any audience tickets this time? They did during admission exams.¡± ? ? ? On the day of the promised advancement test ¨C which Karas had done the application in her place ¨C Serenis found herself in a line of hundreds of students in one of the institute¡¯s gymnasiums, waiting their turns to use the scaling device that would decide whether they¡¯d move onto the second portion of the exam. Unfortunately, students were being weeded out left and right at the forefront, all of them being sent away with a disappointed expression on their faces. At the very front of their long line were several older students stationed behind a table: senior years that had volunteered to help with the examination process. They were facilitating the weeding process for juniors not meeting the affinity threshold. So far, a grand total of zero students had met the criterion of 90; the highest had only gone up to 86. When Serenis was finally the first in line, a temporary testing booth stationed by several seniors came to view. A colorless cube-shaped crystal was resting on the table they were at, attached above a thick silver plaque. The metal¡¯s surface was engraved with a translucent display, showing the number zero. One of the senior students beckoned at Serenis to come closer, waving towards the dragonlord. ¡°Next! Would you like an explanation?¡± ¡°I would. What exactly is this assessment?¡± ¡°Sure thing! This is an elemental affinity test. All you gotta do is place your palm above this crystal, and synthesize the element you¡¯re most confident in. It¡¯ll measure your affinity with the element in a number, ranging from 0 to 100. 90¡¯s the minimum requirement to pass.¡± ¡®Interesting. ¡°Most confident,¡± is it?¡¯ Other students that knew her rather peculiar history with instructors curiously watched the assessment process; with the numerous elements she¡¯d already demonstrated mastery over in their lectures, everyone was curious to find out which element their strange peer would test the scale with. Serenis placed her hand above the smooth surface without delay, beginning to channel the element she was ¡°most confident in¡± as told. However, what she¡¯d failed to consider was that this was a manmade device, designed for measuring attributes among mankind ¨C which wasn¡¯t exactly a category Serenis belonged in.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Did anyone point this out to her? Of course not. To begin, the crystal simply turned white in color like it would with any light element user; the device was supposed to change color according to the element being synthesized, and this was nothing noteworthy. But the glow soon began to shudder, then diverge. The light cracked and split into thinner beams, weaving a dim kaleidoscope over the entire gymnasium. What was once a mere colorless shine became millions of prismatic rays, intensifying in its spectral colors as Serenis continued to channel bits of her mana into the crystal. Students, juniors and seniors alike, furrowed their brows and worriedly stared at the display. Something wasn¡¯t right about that light. ¡®Light? That¡¯s light element?¡¯ ¡®What the hell is all this? A rainbow?¡¯ The number on the scale rapidly began to increase, hitting 100 in a matter of seconds. But when the device itself began to shudder, everyone slowly began to realize that something was amiss. Crack. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The seniors facilitating the process watched in confusion as a large crevice form over the crystal. One of them hurriedly poked their heads out and began shouting at the dragonlord. ¡°Let go! Let go!¡± When Serenis let go of the crystal, the surface was letting out heaps of steam; the prismatic light refused to die away, retaining its brilliance long after Serenis had taken her hands off. The scale was still reading 100, and the number refused to go down ¨C even though the scale had immediately reset to 0 when other students had let go of the crystal. The seniors stared at the device, wondering what the white-haired student had just done and, more importantly, whether they¡¯d just screwed up an expensive scaling tool. On the other hand, Serenis merely waited for their response; when none was given, she prompted them first. ¡°Was that satisfactory?¡± ¡°¡­Wha?¡± ¡°I believe you lot mentioned that this was a test of one¡¯s affinity.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡±
  1. Still not going down.
¡°Uh, right. Yeah, you passed! You scored¡­well, maximum. I¡­actually don¡¯t know what element you were attuning it with, but¡­looks like you¡¯re a perfect adapter.¡± Perfect adapter. It was a rare label only given to individuals who attained maximum affinity with a given element, accounting for less than one in hundreds, if not thousands, of proficient mages. One of the seniors picked up the broken scale into his arms. It was still refusing to go back down to 0, and simply waiting didn¡¯t seem like a plausible solution to fixing the problem at hand. He faced the lined students, shouting loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Hey, guys! Sorry for the delay, but we¡¯re going to need a new device. Please wait in line!¡± Assuming there even is one. Hopefully there is. Serenis watched the student hurriedly run off with the device she had supposedly broken. Even though she¡¯d only done as told, she could feel a tiny sliver of guilt weighing down on her. ¡®¡­Perhaps a star element wasn¡¯t the best of choices.¡¯ But then again, they did tell her to choose the element she was most confident in. When Serenis turned away to walk out of the gym and wait for the next stage of the examination, she couldn¡¯t help hearing the lined students chatting about her ¨C though to be fair, it would¡¯ve been odd if everyone remained silent about the sudden appearance of a perfect adapter among their peers. ¡°A perfect adapter? What element even was that? It wasn¡¯t light, was it?¡± ¡°I think it was? What else could it be, some weird mana type? Or a synthesized element?¡± ¡°Who even is that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s that kid who blew up the stage during the admission exams. Zion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s him?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him! He¡¯s in one of my classes!¡± After a while, the dragon¡¯s steps came to a pause beside a peculiar group of students. She turned her head to faced them, addressing their misinformed rumors herself. ¡°I did not ¡®¡¯blow up¡± the stage.¡± ¡°Oh gosh, you heard that?...From all the way down there?¡± ¡°S, sorry¡­that¡¯s just what the rumors said¡­¡± Serenis neither accepted nor declined the apology. She simply corrected them once more. ¡°Again, I did not ¡°blow up¡± the stage. I could, but I never have.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The gossiping group faced momentary silence at the dragonlord¡¯s indifferent confidence. Though, from her perspective, she was merely stating a fact like any other. With growing excitement, several nearby students joined into the conversation. ¡°Hey, what element did you use just now? I thought I saw lights, but then I started seeing like, rainbows.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen anything like that.¡± ¡°Maybe a perfect adapter¡¯s light is different from ours?¡± ¡°That element was-¡° Serenis cut herself off as her human brother¡¯s voice began to echo in her head¡­again. - ¡®You absolutely cannot let anyone know you¡¯re a dragon, okay?¡¯ Star was an exclusive affinity to the dragonlord; it probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to speak of an element that could serve as an identifier in singling her out. Once again, the dragonlord found herself lying against her will to acquiesce to her dear human brother. ¡°...Light. It was light.¡± ¡°Damn, really? Your mana must be special in some way then! I¡¯ve heard stories of people with special mana types, but I¡¯ve never seen one in person!¡± ¡°And you thought you were a genius, Doran.¡± ¡°The real monsters were elsewhere all along, I guess.¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t help smirking at the last remark. ¡®I suppose I am a monster in your standards. Quite literally.¡¯ But before the dragonlord could continue her way out of the gymnasium, another student blocked her way with more questions at the ready. ¡°So you passed, right? Are you scared about the mock duel? It IS against the headmaster¡­an archmage!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I should be scared.¡± ¡°Huh?...I mean, you know that he¡¯s a 9th circle archmage, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said this to others before, but in that standard, I¡¯d be at the 50th circle.¡± ¡°¡­? Is that a joke?¡± ¡°No?¡± The girl that had asked the question confusingly looked around. Everyone else looked just as confused as her. ¡°¡­Is he serious? What¡¯s up with him?¡± ¡°You believe that? That¡¯s just being arrogant. Circles don¡¯t even go up to 50¡­¡± ¡°You might be a perfect adapter, but headmaster¡¯s an archmage! His whole life may as well be magic. Unless he¡¯s holding back, he¡¯s not someone we could ever beat.¡± Serenis shifted her gaze over to the boy that had last spoken. Her eyes now carried a hint of disappointment, as well as bits of mockery. ¡®Whole life, he says. Your whole lives span less than the tiniest fraction of my own.¡¯ ¡°For what reason do you assume that I belong in this ¡°we¡± you speak of?¡± ¡°What?¡± The dragonlord looked around. Practically everyone around her was a student; they were children, hatchlings among hatchlings. She hadn¡¯t minded being with them to attain the knowledge she sought, but being grouped into the same category in terms of ability was a different matter. ¡°True arrogance is to equate yourself to others. Not all beings grow alike, or behave alike. Some don¡¯t even think alike. When you realize that your vision of another has been nothing more than a hopeful dream, it¡¯ll be far too late.¡± When the crowd fell silent, Serenis finally continued her way out of the gymnasium. A bitter taste filled her mouth as she briskly walked past the students around her. She might as well have been talking to a mirror. Ep 29. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (5) Ep 29. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (5) The archmage leaned his chin against his fist, scanning the names of students on the document at hand. A faint smile curved his lips, and his humming filled the otherwise quiet office. After years of witnessing the headmaster¡¯s usual, cranky attitude that choked the office from overwork, their pleased expression and lightened mood was nothing short of shocking to his poor secretary standing by. Heck, his employer was even giggling like a child from time to time. ¡°So a grand total of 14 students met the initial affinity threshold¡­fewer than what I¡¯d expected, admittedly.¡± ¡°An affinity scale of 90 is quite rare, headmaster. And¡­I think many students were rather intimidated that the second portion of the exam was a mock duel against you.¡± ¡°Haha! I do wish they wouldn¡¯t be so intimidated. I¡¯m but an old man nearing his retirement.¡± ¡°¡­You ARE an archmage, headmaster.¡± ¡°What meaning does that title carry? ¡®Tis but a word attached to my name ¨C without my approval at that. I¡¯m but a simple researcher like any other academic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, shall we be off then? It¡¯s time to greet our most talented students.¡± ? ? ? ¡®¡­And it¡¯s barely been an hour since he said that.¡¯ The secretary clenched his eyes, turning away in response to yet another explosion that enveloped the stage in smoke. Aside from the settling dust, a student¡¯s heavy coughs and heaving breaths were the only audible sounds; they dearly held onto the staff in hand with shaking arms, standing behind a barrier spell that had taken the brunt of the impact. On the other side of the arena was a grinning headmaster. His blue overcoat was still perfectly clean; his gloved hands were calmly folded behind his back, with one of them holding onto his cane in a relatively loose grip. A yellow stone was attached to his pendant ¨C the same pendant that was being worn by the opposing student. ¡°Oh? A splendid barrier! Splendid indeed. It¡¯s rare to see lightning-aspected spells used in defensive ways.¡± ¡°This is nothing. I can still¡­!¡± ¡°However, a mage must always remain vigilant. We must always be thinking five ¨C no, ten steps ahead.¡± As soon as the headmaster finished his sentence, another series of explosions burst forth from the floor beneath the student, leaving the poor boy no room to react. When the smoke cleared for the second time, shattered pieces of his kirium pendant dropped to the floor, its fragments bright blue from absorbing the spells that would¡¯ve harmed the wearer. ¡°Persevere in your endeavors. Next!¡± The defeated student retreated from the stage after bowing to the headmaster, his expression mixed with regret and respect. His magic hadn¡¯t even been able to reach the opponent. The secretary brought his pen over to the list in hand, crossing out yet another name. After a long sigh, he approached the stage to inform his employer: ¡°Headmaster. Next student is¡­the last one. Zion.¡± The mage raised his eyebrows. That was the name of the student that had caused the entire examination to take place ¨C and being last on the list meant that they were the first one to pass the first portion, which he¡¯d only heard so much about. ¡®So this student is the perfect adapter that broke the scaling device! My, I do look forward to seeing what they¡¯re capable of.¡¯ Meanwhile, Patrick was sitting at the audience seats with several other students and instructors that had come to watch. While no audience tickets had been sold for this particular event due to its abrupt execution, he¡¯d still managed to gain himself a seat as an enforcer on duty, tasked with making sure that ¡®nothing got out of hand.¡¯ Technically, anyways. Of course, nothing even came close to getting out of hand thus far. The duels had all been one-sided; the headmaster had never even been scratched yet. Patrick scoffed at how the duels had progressed thus far, gazing down on the mage standing in the arena. ¡®I guess that¡¯s only natural. Talented or not, they¡¯re just first and second year students¡­against an archmage.¡¯ Archmage Gio Dugrin. Headmaster of the Magic Institute, and a mage that is said to be challenging the gates of the 10th circle. Every user of magic throughout the continent knew his name, and many aspiring mages looked to him as a role model. Whether these junior years were special or not, there was no way mere students could hope to contest such an individual in a duel. For students, that is. Patrick looked to the other side of the stage, towards the familiar figure climbing the small flight of stairs. He could still remember his little sibling¡¯s admission exam: the boy had climbed the stage sweating his brains out, nervous and lacking in confidence. Now, the same sibling was stepping up to the stage once more, looking and behaving like a completely different person ¨C and obviously without a single hint of hesitation in their eyes. ¡®Yeah¡­I don¡¯t know if we can count that as a ¡®student.¡¯ Don¡¯t get hurt out there, buddy.¡¯ And while you¡¯re at it, try not to hurt the headmaster either. The headmaster greeted his final challenger with a hearty chuckle. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Zion! As you know, my name is Gio Dugrin. You¡¯ve been told of the rules, yes? Standing outside the stage parameters results in instant disqualification. All types of magic are allowed. Your goal is to shatter my kirium pendant, while protecting the one you¡¯ve been given.¡± The dragonlord was indeed wearing the same yellow pendant herself, which had been given to her before the mock duels began. But she hadn¡¯t paid hers any mind; for her, what mattered wasn¡¯t how much the stone would protect her, but how much it¡¯d protect her opponent. And so, Serenis seized the chance to properly quantify her estimate.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°Hm? Yes, do ask.¡± ¡°This stone ¨C how much mana can it absorb?¡± ¡°The kirium pendant? A 4th circle spell will be just about its limits.¡± ¡°Only?¡± ¡°Oh? ¡¯Only¡¯? Hahahaha! My, if you¡¯re by any means worried of my safety, then I assure you that I will keep myself safe. Attack me to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Yes yes, as much as¡­hm?¡± Five distinct patches of mana began to crackle above the dragonlord. The headmaster¡¯s laughter abruptly came to cease as his eyes made out the spells forming above his challenger¡¯s figure. A ball of fire. A streak of lightning. A diamond of ice. A spike of metal. And a rugged stone. Five separate spells of differing elements floated above the dragonlord¡¯s head. Individually, they weren¡¯t anything noteworthy ¨C but when Serenis held her hand outwards, the elements slithered across the air in response, beginning to fuse into a singular orb at her palm. A horrifying screech gnawed at the audience¡¯s ears as the five elements violently resisted their fusion; several spectators had to cover their ears. ¡°What is that thing?!...Is he using five different elements at once?!¡± ¡°¡­A penta synthesis? From a first year?¡± Patrick watched the dragon in horrified silence, fixing the grip on his staff. A streak of cold sweat brushed his chin as the enforcer prepared to shield the audience with a barrier spell. ¡®That¡¯s not synthesis¡­that¡¯s not even a spell, that¡¯s just five different elements forcibly being compressed together. It¡¯s an insanely unstable mass of mana!¡¯ Forcibly fusing different elements was commonly known as a guaranteed way to get a spell to explode on the caster; fusing five was probably a guaranteed way to open a hellgate on the spot. As far as Patrick could tell, Serenis was on the verge of killing everyone in the area, herself included. Contrary to her spectators, Serenis remained indifferent about the unstable orb in her palm; she nonchalantly made a tossing motion as the orange mass launched itself across the air, leaving a steaming trail in its path towards the headmaster up ahead. Gio unfolded his arms, fixing the grip on his cane. Once he confirmed the trajectory of the incoming mana bomb, a pitch-black shadow engulfed the tip of his cane that expanded into a black, void-like rift in the air. A murky sinking sound reverberated from the rift as the dragonlord¡¯s orb sank into the blackened space. Once completely absorbed, the rift closed up and disappeared. Only then did Patrick loosen the grip on his own staff, sighing in relief of the potential disaster that had passed. The archmage let out a nervous laughter. He was smiling, but it was no longer the comfortable, laid-back grin that it was before. ¡°¡­My. You use some interesting spells, Zion.¡± ¡°Focus.¡± As the dragonlord curtly instructed the headmaster, Patrick could see her figure beginning to crack and fade like a broken image. Moments after, she disappeared from sight. ¡®A shrouding spell? Or-¡® The enforcer¡¯s eyes darted over to the headmaster. Just like he¡¯d expected, Serenis¡¯ figure flickered into existence behind the archmage. ¡°Hm!¡± Gio¡¯s cane drew a fiery arc across the air as he swiftly turned around, swinging his enflamed weapon into the student that had appeared behind him. Several spectators gasped in surprise, watching the swing happen almost immediately as Serenis had appeared. ¡°Did he just teleport? That fast?¡± ¡°Not just that, the headmaster read the teleport!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it takes to be an archmage, I guess¡­¡± Unfortunately, the cane cleanly sliced through the dragonlord as her image seemed to once again flickered out of existence. Gio widened his eyes, watching his flaming cane connect to nothing but the floor below. ¡°What? But how-¡° ¡°Focus, child.¡± Serenis seemingly appeared out of the blue, once again behind the headmaster that had turned his back from the last swing. Her right arm was noticeably glowing in a faint blue light as she grabbed Gio¡¯s overcoat, somehow managing to throw the archmage into the air single-handedly. ¡®Reinforcement?¡¯ Patrick clutched his head, wracking his brain to remember whether if he¡¯d ever taught that to his little sibling ¨C and he definitely hadn¡¯t. Reinforcement, by virtue of using mana, was technically ¡®magic¡¯ ¨C and therefore, still within the realm of this exam¡¯s regulation. The problem was, physical reinforcement wasn¡¯t a form of magic mages actually used. Reinforcement was majorly used by hunters who couldn¡¯t properly learn elemental magic. Meanwhile, the spectating students gasped in surprise for a completely different reason. They could understand an archmage reading someone¡¯s teleport in split seconds; what Serenis had just done, however, did not make any sense. Her image had flickered twice in succession, and the archmage¡¯s read had failed. ¡°¡­Alright, now explain what happened.¡± ¡°Two teleports?¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not possible, right?¡± ¡°Hell if I know then.¡± Patrick grimaced at the sight. There was no way a student would be able to follow that. Even an astute mage wouldn¡¯t be able to tell without a careful examination. ¡®The first teleport was just a moving illusion to distract him. While the headmaster was occupied with a teleported fake, she used a shrouding spell and walked the whole way...¡¯ Many intricate spells required complex preparation that could stretch on for hours or days; teleportation was one of them, and for a good reason. What would happen if a mage were to accidentally teleport into an existing terrain? The overlap would instantly split their bodies into countless pieces and kill them. Even with a small miscalculation, one could end up teleporting their arm into a wall, their leg into the ground. A mountain of mages had lost their limbs, or even lives, with one small miscalculation in their teleportation formulas. Hence, it was conventional to prepare the spell for at least an hour, days for longer distances; even then, the spell involved immeasurable risk when sight was compromised. Alas, there was no such risk involved in what Serenis had done. What she¡¯d teleported was an illusory double, not her actual body. The ruse had effectively fooled her spectators and opponent alike while she simply walked over to the headmaster with a shrouding spell, appearing before the archmage to throw him into the air like a playing ball. Gio grinned from the air as he fixed his posture. His mind was racing with excitement and anticipation, but most prominent of all was genuine surprise. ¡°Truly remarkable! Never have I seen an individual use teleportation in such ways!¡° Serenis shook her head in disappointment. It was almost like he wasn¡¯t listening to her at all. Clearly, he¡¯s still not focusing. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± Noticing the student shaking their head in dismay, Gio hurriedly expanded his mana across the arena. Only then did his senses finally pick up spells that were surrounding him. Serenis sighed from below, folding her arms behind her ¨C just like Gio had been doing throughout the entire event. ¡°Have you forgotten your own words? One must always look ten steps ahead.¡± The archmage hurriedly raised his arms to cover his face. With all the time he¡¯d wasted being amazed by the student before him, even he didn¡¯t have enough time to react to the incoming spells he was reading around him. A splash of green liquid burst forth from the ground to greet his fall, and several pillars of metal materialized around him, crashing into his figure in the green poison. The crowd worriedly watched the headmaster become a black silhouette, covered in poison and locked midair by the metals crunching together. With the enormous pillars intersecting into a poisonous mass high above, the scene even seemed like an intricate death row. Poison and steel elements were often used together for lethal purposes; it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if a corpse were to melt onto the floor. The secretary¡¯s gaze was fixed onto his employer¡¯s silhouette. ¡°¡­Headmaster?¡± Gio¡¯s murky shadow began to darken further and further. Drops of black liquid fell onto the floor, gradually becoming a stream of shadows that pooled into a black puddle on the arena. A deathly silence filled the air. The dragonlord¡¯s spells faded away, leaving nothing but her and the archmage¡¯s remains across the stage. Serenis remained still, quietly staring at the puddle ahead. When the crowd was busily wondering how to respond to the scene before them, the dragonlord¡¯s annoyed voice broke their silence. ¡°Do you plan to stay that way forever?¡± Another hearty laughter broke out as the archmage emerged from the mass of shadows. Parts of his overcoat was now torn and molten, and one of his gloves had completely vanished. In exchange, his pendant remained safe and intact. ¡°My sincerest apologies. I hoped to scare you a little, but it seems you see right through my antics.¡± The confidence in the archmage¡¯s expression had all but disappeared. A firm grip on his cane signalled that he could no longer take this mock duel lightheartedly. ¡°Shall we continue?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, Gio¡¯s secretary finally let go of the breath he¡¯d been holding. A part of him was glad to see the headmaster alive. A bigger part of him felt that he deserved a raise for putting up with this man all the time. Ep 30. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (6) Ep 30. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (6) A series of relieved sighs and surprised gasps coursed throughout the spectating crowd. A few instructors that were present grimaced at the sight of the headmaster emerging from the pool of shadows, while students only marvelled at the archmage¡¯s escape. ¡°Hey¡­what spell was that just now?¡± ¡°¡­Nocturne.¡± A 7th circle spell that temporarily transformed the user into a mass of shadows, rendering them impervious to most attacks for a short period of time. At the same time, it was a spell that saw most of its use in war ¨C in a situation that would threaten one¡¯s life. However, the archmage was neither angered, nor ashamed that he had to use such a spell. It was he who had insisted that his challenger attack him to their heart¡¯s content; morals and ethics no longer had a place in this duel after the assurance Gio had given about keeping himself safe. But now, it was becoming all too clear that he shouldn¡¯t have given such ridiculous assurance. When the headmaster emerged from the shadows, not even the slightest hint of confidence remained in his expression. His sweat betrayed the faint smile he was struggling to hold, as did his trembling cane in hand. The archmage slowly raised his eyes to meet the dragonlord¡¯s. His challenger was still standing in place, arms crossed behind their back, watching him with their disappointed gaze. Serenis threw a soft remark, just barely loud enough for the archmage to hear across the stage. ¡°Rest. I will wait until you recover your focus.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Arguably, the correct course of action would¡¯ve been to take the offer. Gio knew better than anyone in the institute that having a level head was one of the most important qualities of a mage; an upset mind tended to cause mistakes, and mistakes tended to lead to even worse outcomes when using magic. Unfortunately, his pride as an archmage was shadowing even that simple rule. ¡°¡­No need.¡± The headmaster raised his cane, pointing its tip towards the student up ahead. In mere seconds, it exploded in a torrent of water, launching straight towards the dragonlord. In response, a pillar of fire blasted forth from Serenis¡¯ side to answer the oncoming deluge. The two spells crashed into each other as an explosive sizzling sound filled the stage, filling it with heaps of steam. ¡®¡­This shouldn¡¯t be happening.¡¯ The archmage¡¯s sweating worsened, both from unnerve and the heat of the clashing spells. His cane began to shudder, struggling to maintain the torrent holding the flames at bay. Water puts out fire; it was a natural rule that even toddlers knew. Water spells had unquestionable advantage when contesting against fire spells. And yet somehow, this junior student¡¯s fire was on par with the archmage¡¯s water ¨C and little by little, Gio¡¯s torrent was losing ground. Struggle as he might, the archmage couldn¡¯t bring his spell to overwhelm the opposing flames as it normally should. He had every opportunity to escape if he¡¯d wanted, but once again, the archmage¡¯s pride didn¡¯t let him drop this contest of strength. Avoiding the onslaught of fire ¨C admitting defeat to a mere junior student¡¯s spell where he even held elemental advantage ¨C was not an option to him. The water continued to give away, but Gio still refused to budge. Soon, an alien sensation wrapped around both his ankles, interrupting the headmaster¡¯s focus. His spell prematurely terminated as Gio looked to his feet. A pair of tree roots had sprouted from the ground, binding both his ankles. They then jerked the mage backwards, making Gio fall face-first onto the arena. Immediately after, the pillar of fire harmlessly blasted past the archmage on the floor. In his daze, the headmaster raised his eyes once again. Serenis hadn¡¯t moved a single step. She didn¡¯t seem to find it odd that her fire had overwhelmed an archmage¡¯s water spell, nor did she seem surprised by the pair of tree roots that had suddenly tripped Gio into forcibly dodging her spell. ¡®Did that student just¡­?¡¯ The headmaster shifted his gaze back towards his ankles. The coiling roots had released him from their binding, retreating back into the ground before disappearing altogether. Gio gripped his hands into a fist. Waves of humiliation set his mind into a frenzy of anger as the mage slowly raised himself again. In the beginning, the archmage could blame his arrogance for not properly discerning his opponent¡¯s aptitude. But after that last exchange, he no longer could ¨C he¡¯d lost in a contest of pure strength, and nothing else. His opponent had even gone the length to save him from his own stupidity in trying to contest a losing fight. The archmage¡¯s mind was cluttering further and further. His focus was nowhere to be found. Against other students, Gio had opted to weave in secondary spells to block his own attacks, just in case they would connect too harshly against the students. Everything had been accounted for, and the duels had been fully under his control. But just now, he¡¯d been on the receiving end of that treatment; as soon as he was about to fall victim to the dragonlord¡¯s spell, Serenis had protected him from her own firestorm. This challenger was far, far surpassing the headmaster¡¯s expectations. Their spells were unorthodox, unexpected, and most of all, lethal. If it continued like this, he just might be the first archmage ever to lose in a contest of magic against a fifteen-year-old. ¡°¡­It seems I shouldn¡¯t be holding back after all.¡± Another sigh escaped the dragonlord. In her eyes, the archmage was coming to a realization he should¡¯ve had ten seconds into their duel. Though, she couldn¡¯t solely blame the headmaster; being an archmage was an unquestionable title among men, so it was understandable that he¡¯d think lower of a mere junior student. Gio gripped his cane with both hands. Massive amounts of mana focused into his instrument, shining in a brilliant blue light. An equally brilliant blue gleam began to shine high above his head. The light transformed into a spell circle, instantly expanding into a massive ring of blue. With bursts of water and noises of crashing waves, a gigantic blue ship appeared from within the ring of magic, signalling its sail with a deafening horn.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Enormous sails. A majestic bow, adorned with a deity¡¯s sculpt. Its massive hull and frame that were nothing short of its description in legends. Patrick¡¯s eyes widened as he beheld the headmaster¡¯s magic. It was one of the most complex water spells to ever be devised, and one that the enforcer had never managed to execute properly despite his training. ¡®9th circle¡­Sail Atlantis!¡¯ The headmaster¡¯s secretary was just as shocked at the sight, if not more. A genius student unleashing lethal attacks against the archmage was certainly a rare sight, but not impossible if the headmaster was allowing it to happen. That¡¯s genuinely what he thought had happened thus far. But the reverse? An archmage unleashing a 9th circle concept spell against a first-year student? If someone had told him that such things would happen before today, he would¡¯ve wondered what sort of highs they were experiencing. And yet, there he was, watching it happen live in the highest definition available that were his own eyes: an archmage unleashing one of his most powerful spells against a mere fifteen-year-old. On the other hand, Gio himself was no longer perceiving ¡®Zion¡¯ as a mere student. It was a dreadful opponent he had to defeat in order to save his name. ¡®This spell will cover the entirety of this arena. Even you will be hard-pressed to defend yourself-¡® Sszt. A faint sizzling noise whisked past the archmage¡¯s ears, cutting his thoughts midway. A tiny bolt of mana had darted past him ¨C barely the size of a pen ¨C burying itself right into his ship moments before it could set forth. ¡®¡­What was that?¡¯ Gio¡¯s curiosity would soon be answered beginning with a thunderous tearing noise. The condensed mass of lightning-aspected mana proceeded to explode outwards from inside the archmage¡¯s spell, engulfing the entire ship that began to bubble and melt away. Streaks of electricity consumed the concept of Atlantis with violent crackling sounds. Soon, the clashing elements viciously shredded the spell, tearing it apart into useless bits of water. ¡°¡­¡± The crowd neither screamed nor cheered. No one spoke. Gio likewise found himself involuntarily standing still, paralyzed from sheer shock. ¡®How?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like his spell had been counteracted by another powerful spell. It was just a tiny speck of lightning. It should¡¯ve been impossible to answer a 9th circle spell in such a simple manner. In fact, nothing Serenis had done in this duel made sense to him. Beginning with her forced fusion of five different elements, her unorthodox use of using illusions and teleport, physical reinforcement that only hunters and adventurers used, spells that did not seem to have any casting time whatsoever ¨C none of it made sense to the headmaster, or anyone in the spectating crowd. And lastly, if that bolt of lightning had been aimed at him directly instead of his spell, it would¡¯ve killed him without question. Gio audibly gulped in instinctive fear. He stared into the student across the stage. Their soft, relaxed gaze met the archmage¡¯s strained, hopeless eyes. ¡®¡­Am I not a threat to this student?¡¯ Serenis was a stark reflection of Gio himself mere minutes ago. That was how the headmaster had looked to the other students that had challenged him: an unbreakable, towering wall that one could never overcome. Someone that had the ability to defeat their opponent at a moment¡¯s notice, but was instead allowing them to challenge and struggle. He couldn¡¯t even remember the last time he¡¯d felt helpless before someone else¡¯s magic. The headmaster slowly raised his cane once more, sharply gazing into the towering presence before him. The student was no longer the challenger ¨C he was. An ominous mass of blackened light began to swirl around the headmaster, expanding in space to cover the entire arena. Sparkling shadows flooded the arena tiles. Violet orbs crystallized around the dragonlord, dimly glowing in what little light there was in their darkened environment. The world would fall into serene silence. No magic would interrupt this serenity. 10th circle. Ataraxia. A synthesis spell that comprised of five different elements; a field spell designed to subdue all magic within its parameters other than its user¡¯s. The pinnacle of Archmage Gio Dugrin¡¯s magical aptitude. ¡°¡­Without magic¡­even you¡­even you would¡­¡± The archmage was muttering into the darkness like a madman. With his field spell fully deployed, whatever spells the student threw at him would now be rendered ineffective. The obvious solution would be to step outside the spell¡¯s parameters, which would result in an instantaneous loss. ¡®What will he do? Will he cast a field spell of his own? Will he resort to physical combat again? Mana overload? Some sort of removal?¡¯ The archmage madly began to run through dozens of scenarios in his head. Unfortunately, none of them correctly predicted the dragonlord¡¯s next action. After a meager glance around her darkened surroundings, Serenis began to slowly approach her opponent, step by step. In the darkness of the spell surrounding the dragonlord, it was almost as if she was taking a leisurely walk through a starry night. ¡°¡­What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°Uh¡­walking?¡± ¡°I can see that! Why?¡± ¡°Hell if I know!¡± In this moment, Gio wanted nothing more than to parrot the spectating students¡¯ questions. A mage must always look ten steps ahead. In other words, if a mage could not correctly predict their opponent, then they were failing as a mage ¨C and there was simply no way to predict an opponent one could not understand. The headmaster watched the approaching dragonlord in fear. His mind rapidly calculated dozens of spell formulas, preparing to counter whatever magic the student was about to unleash. Despite the field spell that would normally guarantee his opponent¡¯s silence, a cloud of doubt shadowed the archmage¡¯s certainty; if it was this student, there just might be such a spell, one that would completely circumvent his expectations. Any moment now. Any moment, he¡¯d tell himself. But despite the passing seconds, the dragonlord only continued walking towards him. ¡®What¡¯s he planning? What is he-¡¯ In that moment, Gio could feel something odd. An overwhelming sensation flooded his mana sensory, as if several natural disasters were suddenly afoot at once ¨C but all of them were resonating from the same centrepiece, closing the distance from directly up ahead. ¡®¡­What is this?¡¯ What is that? The headmaster¡¯s trembling body refused to respond to the approaching threat. No spells were cast, and his body refused to even turn and run. Nothing in the myriad of strategies he¡¯d devised seemed to carry meaning. For the first time, Gio was properly reading his opponent¡¯s mana. A brilliant flood of light filled his perception, glowing from all corners of the star. If the archmage could but close his physical eyes, this student would fill the entire world he perceived. A colossal monstrosity was approaching him. With each and every step, their presence flooded his world more and more. ¡®¡­This cannot be. This is¡­¡¯ There was no way Gio wouldn¡¯t have noticed a presence so large for so long. The only possible conclusion was that his opponent had kept themselves hidden all along up until this point. Then, the reason why they¡¯d choose to reveal themselves now, was¡­ ¡®¡­An invitation.¡¯ Even Serenis had no means of directly countering an intricate field spell specifically designed to counter magic. She could, but not without destroying a lot more than what it would warrant. So instead, she¡¯d given the archmage a silent invitation. With her eyes gleaming in ominous lights, her every step shaking the atmosphere¡¯s air, the dragonlord was pressuring Gio directly with her mere presence. It was perhaps the harshest way to show another mage the difference that separated them. Or perhaps it was kindness, to give the archmage a reason to stop struggling in vain. ¡®¡­Futile, was it not?¡¯ An ordinary man abided by the laws of nature. A genius could strain those laws at will. But in the rarest of occasions, individuals will be born with the power to rewrite those laws. What meaning did his field spell have? What meaning did his archmage title hold? This individual could likely level the entire city with no more effort than stepping on a wet sandcastle. The only reason his opponent wasn¡¯t doing so, was probably because it¡¯d be a hassle to protect everyone in the vicinity while demolishing his spell. Constructs only held meaning against beings of relatively equal footing. When Serenis finally came to a stop when she was barely any distance away from the frozen headmaster, he let out an empty laughter. His tension loosened, and Gio could practically feel the energy leaving his body. When he unfolded his hand, its broken fragments fell like dust unto the darkened arena floor. His field spell likewise shattered apart, breaking into violet lights that would soon fade into the air. No words were exchanged. None needed to be. The dragonlord had spoken with her actions, and the headmaster had replied in kind. As both of them withdrew their mana, this challenge would reach its conclusion. ¡®¡­It would be awfully rude to decline such a kind invitation.¡¯ The archmage bowed in respect of the entity he could only hope to reach. ¡°I concede. Congratulations on your victory, Zion.¡± ...An amused smile curved the lips of a peculiar spectator watching the duel¡¯s conclusion. Having seen its end, the figure rose to her feet and quietly disappeared into a soundless spell, returning to their usual duty. Ep 31. Youre A What? (1) Ep 31. You''re A What? (1) A student leisurely seated herself in class, listening to the ongoing lecture. Her blank stare and powerless expression were trying to filter out all the quiet chatter going on in the background as she comfortably rested her chin on one hand, but the kitten ears poking out of her long, grey hair would perk up every so often when she heard the name of her peer. She¡¯d then uncomfortably shift her gaze to the seat on her left, where a strange white-haired individual was soundly sleeping in. ¡®¡­My name is Light Torin. It¡¯s a little embarrassing to say this myself, but I¡¯m pretty talented. I have naturally high affinities in three whole elements to begin with, and because I learn things quickly, everyone said that I was a gifted child. A professor at the institute¡¯s always lived next door, so I learned a lot ever since I could, and enrolled at the Magic Institute when I was only¡­how old was I supposed to be again back then? Thirteen? And now I¡¯m already going through my third-year classes.¡¯ Once again, her ears would pick up the familiar name being spoken behind her: Zion this, Zion that. And the occasional headmaster this, headmaster that. ¡®But ever since yesterday, some crazy student has been the talk of the school. Everyone¡¯s been saying his name: ¡®Zion.¡¯ No last name, no well-known family, just¡­some weird person that apparently skipped their entire first and second years. And Twelve bless my dear soul, because it turns out he¡¯s the person sitting beside me right now.¡¯ ¡°Zzz¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Seriously, all these seats and this is the one he picked?! And I thought the rumored student was supposed to be a boy, but this person hardly looks like one, he just looks like a chestless girl! And he¡¯s sleeping in class. Aren¡¯t smart kids supposed to be the ones that never sleep? What¡¯s wrong with him? And the weirder thing is, the professor doesn¡¯t even seem to care that he¡¯s asleep.¡¯ Light slowly brought her finger to her sleeping peer, poking at their pillowed arm. ¡°Hey¡­hey, you. Wake up.¡± The dragonlord stirred awake, faster than she had before. Hardly anyone had dared to wake her up in her previous classes, and when they did, it was for one reason only. ¡°¡­Mnh?...Is it another exam?¡± ¡°Exam? No, I just wanted to ask you something¡­you are Zion, right? That student who passed that weird advancement exam?¡± ¡°¡­That would be me, yes.¡± ¡°Did you really beat the headmaster in a duel? That¡¯s just a rumor, right?¡± ¡°If that outcome was only a rumor, how would I be here, child? I¡¯m here because it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Was that your only question?¡± ¡°Wait, you actually¡­won? What circle are you?¡± Serenis scoffed at the follow-up question. She¡¯d been asked this question by practically every student that had struck a conversation with her since the outcome of her mock duel against the archmage; humans really did like putting a rank to everything. ¡°50.¡± Light¡¯s ears drooped down. She squinted her eyes in confusion, wondering where that response was even coming from. ¡®How is he BS¡¯ing with such a straight face?¡¯ The cat half rolled her eyes. Clearly, her neighbor wasn¡¯t too keen on telling her what circle they actually were. ¡°¡­Sure. I guess you did somehow win in the end.¡± ¡°I did not ¡®somehow win in the end¡¯, I simply won. It isn¡¯t a difficult task.¡± Light beamed back a bright smile at the dragonlord. She could feel her sanity letting go of something important, but it was probably wiser not to dwell on it too much. ¡®Mmk, so he¡¯s a total dick. But that¡¯s normal for a genius, right?...Can¡¯t hurt to be nice, sheesh.¡¯ ¡°Right, right¡­um, I¡¯m Light! Light Torin. Nice to meet you.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Zion. Now, good night.¡± After her short, redundant introduction, the dragon simply folded her arms, buried her head, and went back to sleep. Light was about to chat up her peer, but her plans were instantly foiled as the odd student went straight back to dreamland, preventing her from conversing or asking about their day or anything of that sort. The half girl was still smiling, but she could almost hear something snapping inside her head. Then, Light raised her hand into the air, which the instructor would soon take notice of. ¡°Oh? Have a question there, Ms. Torin?¡± ¡°Professor, the person beside me is sleeping.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The instructor uncomfortably shifted his gaze to the seat beside Light¡¯s. True to her words, the student beside her was fast asleep ¨C and truth be told, the instructor had noticed it a long, long time ago. He¡¯d done nothing about it until now, and he wasn¡¯t about to do anything starting now, either. ¡®What in hell¡¯s name am I supposed to do against someone who bests Gio in a fight? I watched the entire thing, that student shouldn¡¯t even be in a school.¡¯ ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just leave him be, shall we? We¡¯ve lots of material to cover. Now, focus.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As the instructor continued his lecture, Light once again scanned the strange student sitting beside her. Then, she crossed her arms on the desk in a similar fashion and buried her head in her arms, mimicking what he was doing. Good night. ? ? ? ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe I got penalty points for sleeping in class.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­And I can¡¯t believe YOU didn¡¯t get penalty points for sleeping in class.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh come on, say something!¡± ¡°Would you like me to respond? I wasn¡¯t certain.¡± The cat half was angrily trailing after Serenis who was trying her hardest not to pay any attention to the stalking student. After being advanced into senior classes, Karas had practically remade the dragonlord¡¯s schedule; she was merely attending classes according to what the professor had written out for her on paper. But Light steadily followed along, even when Serenis arrived at her next class. And the half girl seemed rather perplexed about it. ¡°Wait¡­you¡¯re in this class too?¡± ¡°Apparently so. I¡¯m only going to classes I was told to go to.¡± ¡°Eh? You didn¡¯t pick your own classes?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Who did then?¡± ¡°An instructor. I believe his name is Karas.¡± As the dragonlord seated herself once again into an empty corner, Light followed after her, sitting right by the dragon¡¯s side. The evident stress in her expression was mostly gone, now replaced with curiosity and interest. ¡°Really? You know Professor Karas too? Personally?¡± ¡°Somewhat.¡± ¡°Huh¡­if you¡¯re his friend, then I guess you can¡¯t be all that bad after all. He lives next door to me! I knew him for a really long time.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Did you know I actually thought he was a monster when I first saw him? Like, how can someone look like that? I¡¯m a half too, but I¡¯ve never seen someone with an animal HEAD! And a long time ago, he actually used to¡­¡± As the kitten began to chat on and on and on about her past troubles and memories with the crow professor, Serenis¡¯ ears began to filter out a majority of what she was hearing. Most of it were idle chitchat, and while she would gladly listen to a hatchling¡¯s fervent chatter, she could hardly bring herself to do the same with non-dragonkin. She was still nodding along as social customs would dictate, but that was the dragonlord¡¯s limit. ¡°¡­You seem to know a lot, clearly.¡± ¡°Of course I do! A bunch of people say I¡¯m gifted, you know!¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t exactly what I meant to say¡­ah, then perhaps you know this story as well. Do you know anything about the deity of mana hiding amongst the students?¡± ¡°Huh? Ohh, so you¡¯re into those types of stories! Sure I do! The seniors told me a while back, but they say that the deity only reveals their true self to the super-exceptional students to test their skills. I heard that the deity either blesses or curses you depending on how you do on that test.¡± ¡°Sounds like the deity is rather ill-tempered.¡± ¡°Haha, I know, right? When this story used to go around, the top-ranking students were actually trying NOT to stand out. Speaking of, I guess you¡¯re in a bit of a pinch if this is true. You stand out more than, like, anyone right now.¡± ¡°¡­I do? Why?¡± ¡°Why? What do you mean ¡®why¡¯¡­? It hasn¡¯t even been a month since you enrolled, and you¡¯re in your third year already. Everyone¡¯s talking about how you bested the headmaster in a duel. And you sleep in class¡­kinda look like a girl, to be honest¡­you talk funny¡­gee, I could go on forever.¡± ¡°So this wasn¡¯t the norm?¡± ¡°¡­? Of course not.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± As their conversation drew to a close, the lecture hall¡¯s door opened to reveal a familiar professor walking in, his pitch-black feathers lightly fluttering in his steps. Light immediately shifted her attention over to the professor and waved her arms, to which Karas returned a brief nod to. ¡°Now now, settle down. Time to begin class.¡± And another day, at another class¡­ ¡°Huh? You¡¯re in this class too?¡± ¡°Apparently so.¡± ¡°Really? Huh, that¡¯s three classes in a row.¡± And yet another class¡­ ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Seriously? Again? You said Professor Karas made your schedule, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your schedule, right? Gimme that for a sec.¡± Light snatched the piece of paper Serenis was holding, briefly skimming the classes marked on it. She didn¡¯t need to stare at it long; it was quite a familiar schedule, anyways. ¡°What the heck¡­four of your classes are same as mine? The only one that¡¯s different is your elective. I took History of Magic already.¡± ¡°I apologize if you find it bothersome. I¡¯ll stay away if I can.¡± ¡°Huh? No no, it¡¯s nothing like that! I just¡­find it a tad¡­weird¡­oh, professor¡¯s here.¡± Once again, the lecture hall¡¯s door would open to as Karas walked in once more. He scanned the room to find Light and Serenis sitting together still, which was a pleasant surprise ¨C it was nice to have his two closest students get along. ¡®Hm, they seem to be getting along. I suppose that was to be expected, though it¡¯s a pleasant finding nonetheless. But¡­¡¯ Karas¡¯ eyes looked away as he felt two pairs of intangible lasers shooting straight through his head. The two students were staring at him in unison; if eyes could talk, they would probably be saying ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ to the professor right about now. ¡®¡­Surely I¡¯m imagining things.¡¯ Or maybe they¡¯re just getting along that well. Ep 32. Youre A What? (2) Ep 32. You''re A What? (2) It was supposed to be an uneventful afternoon. Karas busily flipped through the small pile of assignments he¡¯d issued earlier: an individual reflection on the roots of magic. Most of the assignments were just as expected, and thus, easy to grade. A significant majority of the students discussed the deity of mana, and the various ways magic was used during early eras of civilization. The critical few pointed to historical roots in magical development, but even those were within the realms of what he¡¯d taught, and inevitably, unsurprising. The professor swiftly graded the assignments without pause ¨C until he¡¯d come up on a name that now stood out all too well. ¡®¡­Zion. Never the least surprising, I see.¡¯ The peculiar student¡¯s handwriting was a strange amalgamation of a messy child¡¯s scribbles and an elderly individual¡¯s antique carvings; in a way, it seemed like two different people fighting to write in their own ways. Although the dragonlord¡¯s life experiences tended to overshadow the human boy¡¯s, dragons had little reason to write anything, if at all; what few handwriting experiences the dragonlord had were clearly clashing against the handwriting Zion had practiced for his entire life in that body. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± When the professor moved onto the assignment¡¯s contents, his eyes would begin to scan every word and letter for the first time. The dragonlord¡¯s responses were always intriguing; in fact, what he collected from her every assignment was another piece of history he had yet to discover. As an academic, the dragonlord¡¯s memories were practically a treasure trove, and she proved herself no different in this response. ¡®The origins of mankind¡¯s magic lie in mimicry of the demonkind. It is a mockery to their own heritage to forget its roots and claim the discipline as a gift from the divine.¡¯ ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± Any other student and the professor would¡¯ve thought this response nonsensical, or even heretical. To attribute the origins of one of their greatest disciplines to a mere mimicry of demons was an unthinkable process of thought. But Karas knew that this response encompassed a history far surpassing his lecture. While the professor could not teach anything beyond the past millennium, the dragonlord¡¯s response encompassed a long-forgotten history of their star. In appreciation of his new knowledge, Karas would grade the response with what he felt it deserved most. Not like anyone else will know the response¡¯s contents anyways. But before he could continue his marking, a familiar voice called his name beyond the office door, accompanied by several knocks. ¡°Professor? Can I see you for a minute?¡± Karas pushed the pile of assignments aside as he answered the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The door swung open ¨C a little faster, and a little more violently than he¡¯d normally expect ¨C as his neighbor cat half walked in. The dragonlord was accompanying her, which was a welcoming surprise. At first, anyways. ¡°Light. I see Zion¡¯s with you as well. Did you two have something to ask?¡± In response, the half girl walked up to his office desk and slammed down a familiar piece of paper ¨C the one Karas had given Serenis a while ago. It was the renewed schedule after her sudden advancement into senior years. Karas had known Light for long enough; she¡¯d pick up on his weird little antics every single time. ¡°Pro-fes-orrr? Can you explain what happened here?¡± And he¡¯d pretend innocent every time, with small hopes of getting away with it. ¡°¡­Explain what, exactly?¡± ¡°Four of his five classes are the exact same as mine. The only one that doesn¡¯t overlap is your history class¡­which I already took! You really don¡¯t have anything to say?¡± ¡°¡­I simply recommended my own classes.¡± ¡°Your classes aren¡¯t the only ones that overlap.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°¡­An odd coincidence, that.¡± ¡°Really? If you¡¯re lying, I¡¯m gonna tell mom to never give you any coffee beans again.¡± Karas visibly flinched at the threat. He awkwardly cleared his throat, but the cat half¡¯s glare wasn¡¯t growing any lighter. ¡°¡­Really, it¡¯s a coincidence. The classes I recommended just so happened to be the ones you¡¯re in.¡± ¡°He had no clue what mana biology was, and he wasn¡¯t even interested in biology. Why the heck would you recommend that to him?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t know and wasn¡¯t interested, so¡­I recommended it in hopes that he¡¯d know and be interested.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­wait, that kinda¡­makes sense? I think?¡± A quiet laughter escaped Serenis as she listened to the exchange between the half girl and the professor. She looked towards her questioning peer, beaming in delight. ¡°Simple-minded, aren¡¯t you, child.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that an insult?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a compliment.¡± For hatchlings. It becomes an insult when you grow up. ¡°Why the heck do you keep calling me ¡®child¡¯? I have a name, it¡¯s Light! And you¡¯re not even older than me!¡± ¡°I apologize. Light.¡± Light contemplated for a moment whether her peer was being serious or not, but she soon discarded the thought. A short sigh escaped her small lips as she handed the schedule back to the dragonlord, then returned her gaze back to the half crow sitting in his office chair. ¡°Well¡­if you say so, professor. I thought you were doing something stupid again. Like you wanted to introduce him to me, but you didn¡¯t know a better way to do it.¡± Karas once again flinched. Visibly. Fortunately, Light didn¡¯t catch it; unfortunately, Serenis did. Though, she didn¡¯t bother to comment, simply letting the professor struggle to return a coherent reply. ¡°Of¡­course. No such thing.¡± ¡°Oh, before I go ¨C dad told me to invite you over for dinner later. He said he needed your help making a new dish or something.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I¡¯ll be right by in the evening then.¡± ¡°Okay. See you later!¡± After asking what she wanted and delivering the message she was asked, Light turned to leave the office with her new friend. Serenis was about to accompany Light outside, but was stopped when Karas called the dragonlord by her human name. ¡°Ah, Zion. If you could stay a while longer, I¡¯ve more things to discuss with you.¡± The dragonlord returned a brief nod. Light looked between the two with a quizzical face, wondering what her new friend and neighbor were up to. ¡°¡­Did he fail his assignment or something?¡± The dragonlord couldn¡¯t answer her; it¡¯s not like Serenis knew what happened to those assignments either. It was Karas who immediately shook his head. ¡°Hm? No, no. Nothing of that sort.¡± ¡°Then what else are you two up to?¡± ¡°Hm. You see, Zion¡¯s been helping out with a study of mine.¡± ¡°Eh? A study? How come you never told me? I can help too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Karas¡¯ beak momentarily froze up as he realized he¡¯d dug his own grave. The entire research he was doing was something he¡¯d kept secret for a very long time; research into the soul, or reincarnation in general, would cause an uproar amongst academics. Keeping it secret was of utmost importance ¨C even from the person he was doing the research for. ¡°Well¡­the reason why I never told you¡­is¡­¡± The professor¡¯s eyes rolled over towards the dragonlord. She was staring back at him, but it was clear Serenis wasn¡¯t going to help him out. ¡®Think, Karas! What¡¯s a discriminatory variable between these two that could justify my reasons?!¡¯ A million thoughts brushed past the professor¡¯s mind in split seconds as he formulated his next response. ¡°¡­Because it¡¯s a study that girls cannot help in.¡± Light¡¯s expression crumpled into a cringe; even Serenis was grimacing at the unexpected answer. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas maintained silence. Light slowly walked away from the professor in slow steps, and when she reached the door, the half girl abruptly turned around and waved goodbye. ¡°Uh¡­um, have fun with your study! Bye!¡± The door slammed behind her, leaving an awkward silence in the air within the office. It was Serenis who broke it after Light was fully gone. ¡°Karas.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°If this research requires a genuine male, I cannot help you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ? ? ? Light was quietly munching on her pastries while on her way home. After stopping by the markets for a number of ingredients her parents had asked her to buy on the way back, the sun had already begun to set across the orange horizons. It was getting late and she was only halfway to home, but it definitely wasn¡¯t because she made unnecessary stops to buy donuts. Nope. On another note, the events from earlier at the institute was still bugging her mind. Even though she¡¯d rushed out of the crow professor¡¯s office herself, Light found herself constantly thinking about what Karas was doing in there with her oddest peer. ¡®What kind of study are they doing in there? And what does he mean, girls can¡¯t help?!¡¯ Light¡¯s eyes were glued to the floor as the half girl lost herself in strange(?) hypotheses about what such studies could entail. Her body walked on autopilot for a while until her head bumped into another person, forcing her ideas to scatter as she backed away. ¡°Ow!...Sorry, I wasn¡¯t looking¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it, it¡¯s no problem. A, as long as you¡¯re, a, a, alive.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When the half girl raised her gaze, she could see a scrawny, green-haired man standing before her. He was wearing a dusty lab coat caked in dirt, and his unkempt hair and face were clear signs of just how long it¡¯d been since he¡¯d last looked at a mirror. A twisted smile curved his lips beneath his crooked glasses, and behind them, a pair of bulging eyes were studying Light like one would an interesting toy. ¡°H, h, h, hi¡­have you b, b, been well? D, d, daughter?¡± An ominous shadow crept up Light¡¯s expression as she grimaced at the sight of the man before her. A conditioned fear response began to make her entire body tremble. Her fingers gave away, dropping the groceries onto the floor. Light couldn¡¯t even bring herself to shriek. She simply turned around and bolted in the other direction, never looking back for a second. ¡°I was j, j, just saying h, hello¡­¡± The man lazily scratched the back of his hair, watching the half girl disappear out of sight. His eyes then fell down to the groceries she¡¯d left, picking them up himself. ¡°I¡­I, I guess I could f, feed this to the¡­the p, pups¡­¡± Ep 33. Youre A What? (3) Ep 33. You''re A What? (3) In the darkness of the lab, newborn pups powerlessly whimpered in the cold. Their bony mother covered them with what warmth she could offer, sharing what little life she had to her children. Families of all sorts of animals were scattered throughout the lab besides, though there was hardly any noise. A clowder of rats screeched louder and louder, hungry to feast on the next animal corpse that their owner would toss into their cage. The only noise filling the lab besides them were occasional sounds of laughter. ¡°This, this is¡­t, t, this is it¡­!¡± Within the darkness was a single candle that dimly lit the table it was on, and a scrawny man madly running his hand across the wood¡¯s surface. Scattered about the table were series of bottles, vials, and syringes, and the man would soon take one of the needles into his hand. He then violently grabbed one of the wolf pups, tearing him out of his mother¡¯s embrace. She whimpered in resistance, but amounted to little as the doctor kicked her unconscious. The syringe in his other hand was then immediately stabbed into the pup¡¯s chest. Once its contents were injected into the animal¡¯s heart, the puppy was tossed away, falling onto the cold floors as he whimpered in pain. White streaks visibly bloated out of the puppy¡¯s veins as his body began to expand. The small whimpers became lower and lower and pitch. Parts of the pup¡¯s fur began to harden into white scales, eventually covering almost all of his body. A mound of flesh ripped out of his back into a shape of a torn wing, and the head became distorted and lengthened into a reptile¡¯s jaw. A half-scaled tail stretched further and further until it was the same length of the rest of the animal¡¯s body. Soon, the whimpers had completely drowned out. Replacing the pup¡¯s voice were low growls of a man-sized beast, its blue eyes glowing menacingly in the dark. ? ? ? ¡°¡­Oh hey, what¡¯s gotten into you? You¡¯re not sleeping for once.¡± ¡°My dear brother has informed me that I should be paying attention if I want to pass the upcoming exam for this class.¡± Several weeks had passed since Serenis began attending the Magic Institute as a supposed human named Zion. Most of her time here had been spent sleeping, especially during her first week when classes majorly consisted of magic theories and formulations which she couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to. However, ever since that blasted advancement exam, her classes had completely changed ¨C for the worse, as far as she was concerned. If the stories about the deity of mana were true, then not only did she have to feign the identity of a ¡°perfectly human student¡±, she had to stand out as an exceptional one. And doing so required the dragonlord to ace her exams¡­or at least not fail them. But that task had been so much easier in her first-year classes. Serenis was blankly staring towards the front, where an instructor was busily explaining how different racial biologies affected individual mana circulation. She was listening, and somewhat attempting to register what she was hearing ¨C but Light could tell that her friend wasn¡¯t exactly being successful. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t know everything¡­though, it¡¯s weird you know so little about mana biology when you¡¯re that good at using magic.¡± Throughout their time in lectures together, Light had come to realize a few things about her odd peer. The most obvious was their unquestionable mastery over elemental magic; even in third-year level courses, theories and spell formulations were next to pointless before the genius that could best an archmage in a duel. On the other hand ¨C and the more shocking realization ¨C was their lack of knowledge in almost everything else. Just the other day, Zion had asked her the name of the country they were living in. Or what the Mage Association did. Or what sort of nut a ¡®donut¡¯ was. This lack of knowledge especially became evident in their mana biology class ¨C mostly because the instructor tended to ask a lot of questions to the students in lecture at random. Like now. ¡°So, here¡¯s a question: how are first-generation halves born? Let¡¯s see, how about¡­Zion? Do you know?¡± ¡°? Copulation.¡± A number of students looked away in embarrassment, and another few rolled their eyes at the dragonlord¡¯s answer.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. At least the s-word wasn¡¯t spoken out loud. The instructor audibly laughed at the dragonlord¡¯s response. She shook her head, wiping off her joyous tears. ¡°It¡¯s a common misconception ¨C unfortunately, incorrect. Ms. Torin, being a half yourself, perhaps you know the correct answer? How are first-generation halves born?¡± When Serenis turned to face her neighboring peer, she noticed that the half girl¡¯s body was shaking ever so slightly. Even though Light knew the answer, she found her voice stuck in her throat, making it a struggle to speak it out loud. ¡°Um¡­mana¡­evolution.¡± The instructor beamed back a pleased smile towards the half girl, nodding her head several times as she turned to the chalkboard. ¡°That¡¯s correct! Now, everyone pay attention, as this is an important part that will surely be on your exams.¡± The instructor turned to her chalkboard, writing the phrase ¡®Mana Evolution¡¯ as she began her explanation. ¡°Mana evolution is a phenomenon that only occurs among animal species that possess a heart. As Ms. Torin has pointed out for us, it¡¯s a form of evolution that¡¯s induced by mana. Now, you might be wondering: if all that¡¯s required is mana and a heart, wouldn¡¯t this phenomenon be sweeping the world? The truth is, it¡¯s not so simple.¡± She then proceeded to write three bullet points underneath the phrase: ¡®Heart,¡¯ ¡®Concentration,¡¯ and ¡®Compatibility.¡¯ ¡°Mana evolution requires three distinct conditions to be met by the mana in question. First, the consumed mana must reach the animal¡¯s heart; second, it must be extremely concentrated; and finally, it must match the animal¡¯s affinities and wavelength. The prevalence of this phenomenon is¡­¡± The professor went on to explain additional details of the phenomenon for quite some time, but Serenis¡¯ expression remained quizzical and doubtful. ¡®¡­What in the world even is that?¡¯ Halves, by her definition, were simply those born between two different races. She¡¯d seen enough children between dragons and mankind during her era to know how they were born; she¡¯d thought no different of the various other halves that roamed this human city today, like Karas and Light. To her, an animal ¡®evolving¡¯ into a half was unheard of. Her thoughts remained fixated on questioning the validity of the topic as the lecture went on. In fact, even after the two hours of lecture, she couldn¡¯t get her mind off of the phenomenon ¨C and surprisingly, it seemed like someone else couldn¡¯t get it off their mind either. Light¡¯s usual chattiness had completely vanished as they exited the lecture hall. They¡¯d usually make their way over to Karas¡¯ office together after a lecture, but today the trip had so far been dead silent. While Serenis was perfectly content with their lack of small talk, the dragonlord couldn¡¯t help but notice the half girl¡¯s trembling ever since answering the instructor in class. ¡°Child, is everything alright?¡± ¡°Huh? What? Who, me? Yeah, I¡¯m okay, why?¡± ¡°Look at your arm.¡± When Light looked to her own arm holding the bag strap across her shoulder, she finally realized its constant shaking. She tried to consciously stop it, but to no avail. ¡°Oh, uh¡­it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just a little cold.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still indoors. The temperature hasn¡¯t changed in weeks.¡± ¡°Uh, maybe I¡¯m getting sick then. Come on, move along! You¡¯re gonna do your research-thing again, right?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re going to wait today as well?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Aside from the first day of Karas¡¯ research with the dragonlord, Light had spent every single day in the libraries or nearby classrooms, waiting for the professor to accompany her on the way home. The half girl had claimed that she was just studying harder now that she was in her third year, but Serenis still found it odd; it just seemed like the half girl was refusing to head home by herself, even in broad daylight. The shaking didn¡¯t make it any better. If Light was in fact getting sick, then that should¡¯ve been all the more reason to go home and rest. ¡®Odd for a child who was wont to run straight to their nest before. What¡¯s keeping her here?¡¯ Minutes later when Serenis opened the door to Karas¡¯ office, she could see a giant pile of papers on his office desk. His eyes were only half open, and he waved a weak greeting towards his students as they came in. ¡°Ah¡­Zion. Light. I appreciate you both coming again, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be quite occupied today.¡± ¡°What is all this?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­another professor had to call in due to an injury, and I was tasked with marking some of the assignments their class had. I also have my own classes to care after, so they¡¯ve been piling up a bit. Feel free to head home for today. I apologize for wasting your time.¡± ¡°Is that so? If you¡¯d like, I can wait.¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. It¡¯ll be very late into the evening when I finish, if I even do finish within tonight.¡± ¡°Not a problem. I¡¯ll be seeing you, then.¡± Serenis closed the door without ever entering. She spared a glance to the half girl at her side, who was shaking a little more noticeably than before. And throughout that entire exchange, Light hadn¡¯t said a single word ¨C when she¡¯d usually speak more than Serenis ever would. ¡°Child.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Yeah?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of going alone, would you like me to accompany you home?¡± ¡°Afraid? W, what¡¯re you talking about? Why would I be afraid?¡± ¡°Then will you go home alone? If you¡¯re ill, you¡¯ll need the rest.¡± Light¡¯s gaze fell down to the floor. She had, in fact, been planning to stay however long it took until Karas was done with work. Even though she loathed the thought of having to stay on campus for so long, going home alone hadn¡¯t even been an option she was considering. But she didn¡¯t want to let on that she was terrified of going home alone for whatever reason. Nobody could ever find out. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a¡­small donut shop right next to where I live.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Wanna come try some? They¡¯re really good.¡± The default answer when offered food had always been an adamant ¡®no¡¯ for Serenis. But on occasion, the dragonlord would make exceptions ¨C usually for reasons that had nothing to do with the food itself. She nodded back to the half girl, not at all concerned about what the menu even was. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± The half girl¡¯s shaking visibly lessened as her friend agreed to join her on their way home. After all, as far as Light was concerned, her friend was a genius that could apparently best an archmage in a duel; there weren¡¯t many that could guarantee safety better. Light led the way as they began to head home together in rushed steps. Serenis tried to remain indifferent, but two questions still nagged at her mind ¨C the first being her curiosity as to why the half girl was so against going home alone. And her second question, was¡­ ¡®Again, what kind of nut is a ¡®donut¡¯?¡¯ Ep 34. Youre A What? (4) Ep 34. You''re A What? (4) Thanks to the dragonlord accompanying her, Light had made her way home in much lighter steps, and at a much earlier time than she¡¯d expected. The sun was still shining bright above them when they¡¯d arrived at their destination, and she began to feel silly about having worried so much about going home. Once the two arrived at a street that winded down in a spiral of bleached brick walls, Light pointed towards a small food cart located in a small space between two houses. Its sign simply read ¡®Donut¡¯, being tended by a blonde, average-built man who was busily packing a few pastries into a paper bag he was handing to the customer before him. ¡°There it is! It¡¯s nothing fancy, but I promise it¡¯s really good.¡± Serenis nodded back to the excited half girl. She could care less about these supposed nuts, but seeing Light back to her usual cheerfulness was a relieving sight. ¡®At least she¡¯s not shaking anym¡­hm?¡¯ When the two came closer to the food cart, they could make out the details of the customer standing beside it. Her scaled red tail was wagging left and right as she delightfully munched down on her chocolate-covered pastry in hand. Her two folded wings poked out of the holes of her black jacket, and for once, her purplish hair was neatly tied into a single tail behind her. ¡°¡­Il¡­?¡± ¡°Ilias!¡± Light happened to finish the dragonlord¡¯s word for her, running down the rest of the way as she tackled the red dragon into a tight hug. When Ilias took notice of the girl hugging her, she shoved the rest of her donut into her mouth and gulped it down. ¡°Light! Gosh, look at you! You used to be half my height!¡± ¡°You were gone for so long, of course I grew! When did you come back? Are you gonna stay longer this time?¡± ¡°I just came here today. I¡¯ll be staying a while, I was actually going to ask if you still had¡­¡± The red dragon noticed a rather familiar figure from the corner of her eyes. She slowly turned her head away from the half girl hugging her, facing the awkwardly standing dragonlord a few steps away while finishing her sentence. ¡°¡­Room¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Awkward silence filled the small block; even the man tending the food cart seemed confused by the sudden drop in volume. The two dragons were staring right at each other, unsure of what to say. Well, one of them was genuinely confused who she was looking at, what with the lack of horns and tail and all. And the shrunken height. And a unform that only institute students wore. ¡°¡­Lord Serenis?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light finally began to catch onto the awkward silence, letting go of the red dragon as she glanced between Ilias and her friend a few steps back. The name was unfamiliar, but it was clear that the red dragon was referring to her white-haired peer. ¡°¡­Eh? Do you know each other?¡± Ilias quizzically tilted her head, completely missing Light¡¯s question. She instead approached the dragonlord, studying the figure from top to bottom; despite the similarity between the lord she remembered and the person before her, their figure had shrunk, and their draconic features had all but disappeared. ¡°Wait¡­are you someone else? Or¡­¡± Serenis was too occupied to answer the youngling; her mind was busily trying to formulate an ideal response, but there simply didn¡¯t seem to be any.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡®¡­Should I say yes? No, then Light finds out who I am. If she were to tell the institute staff, then I likely won¡¯t be able to attend Karas¡¯ classes anymore¡­not to mention all the nagging Patrick is wont to do. But if I say no¡­¡¯ As it turned out, the dragonlord didn¡¯t need to respond. Ilias leaned forward and sniffed the air around the familiar figure, affirming her suspicions with a bright grin. ¡°It is you!¡± Serenis¡¯ expression twisted into a frown at the source of her kin¡¯s certainty. ¡®¡­How are these younglings telling me apart by smell?¡¯ Not that Ilias cared. ¡°What happened? You look so different! What happened to your hei-¡° ¡°???.¡± ¡°¡­Mngh? Mmf! Mmf!¡± Light¡¯s eyes thinned further and further as she watched the odd, one-sided conversation continue. The girl could swear she heard her friend muttering something under their breath, but she couldn¡¯t exactly make out what it was; and right after, the red dragon was frantically making muffled noises, as if her lips had been involuntarily sealed by something. Serenis met the half girl¡¯s suspicious stare. The dragonlord¡¯s expression was slightly strained in trying to fake her usual indifference while tapping the red dragon on her back. ¡°She must be mistaking me for someone else. Off you go, Ms. Dragon.¡± ¡°Mngh! Mm nm!¡± As her lord began to push her off, Ilias also turned to Light, frantically shaking her head in denial. ¡°¡­Why¡¯s she muffling like that? You just used a spell, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re imagining things.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you doing?! Undo it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now!¡± ? ? ? A few minutes later, the three awkwardly sat on a nearby park bench, each with their own pastry in hand ¨C although one was as good as new. But even in the midst of their eating, two of them were eager to pout at the dragonlord. ¡°Lord, that was mean!¡± ¡°Yeah, it was mean!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t do much other than look away in guilt. If anything, she should¡¯ve escaped the moment Ilias came into sight. Too late for regrets. Light glanced left and right, studying the dragons sitting to each of her sides. It did seem like they knew each other, although her peer seemed extremely reluctant to admit to it for some reason. Nothing but to ask the talkative one. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with you two, Ilias? You called Zion something else earlier, right?¡± ¡°Zion? Who¡¯s Zion?¡± Light pointed at the dragonlord with her thumb, who was emptily staring at her uneaten donut. It was quite the small reward for all the trouble she¡¯d invited herself into. ¡°Oh, Lord Serenis! Yeah, so she¡¯s-¡° ¡°Wait. Before she says anything¡­¡± The dragonlord reluctantly intervened as she finally faced Ilias eye to eye again. If Light was going to know about her identity anyways, she at least had to make sure something was said about it. ¡°Light. You absolutely cannot tell this to anyone else.¡± ¡°Eh?...Not even Professor Karas?¡± ¡°¡­Except Karas, he knows. But no one else.¡± While Serenis had meant little besides the professor knowing her true identity, unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t how Light took it. She was creative, imaginative, and a tad off the hook after reading too many novels she probably shouldn¡¯t have been reading at her age. ¡®The professor knows already¡­? Wait, is Zion their secret love child?!¡¯ Ilias thankfully interrupted before the half girl¡¯s imaginations could run too wild, a nervous laughter accompanying her sentence. ¡°You see Light, Lord Serenis is our ruler. She¡¯s the¡­uh, the dragonlord!¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Light¡¯s gaze was flung off to her left towards Serenis. Her friend seemed to have no intention of denying it. Then Light threw her gaze back at Ilias, who clearly didn¡¯t seem like she was lying. ¡­And again towards Serenis to press for a confirmation. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s she saying? You¡¯re a what?¡± ¡°My real name is Serenis. Although I¡¯m in a human body right now, I was a dragon a long time ago. I ruled the kin as a dragonlord.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­a lord? Like, a king? That kind of lord?¡± Two nods, no denial. No matter which dragon Light looked at, neither seemed willing to deny or correct what was being said. The half girl had always found her peer puzzling, but this was throwing her confusion across the ocean and back. ¡°¡­You¡¯re joking, right? I mean, you¡¯re attending school. Why would a dragon attend school?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rather complicated tale. But I do have a reason for doing so.¡± ¡°Complicated? But you¡¯re just-¡° Light was about to say ¡®a student,¡¯ but her own doubts began creeping in, stopping her from finishing the sentence as it was. Her peer was surprisingly knowledgeable about magic, and at the same time, shockingly stupid about most common knowledge. Their magical aptitude was apparently greater than even the headmaster¡¯s, and as far as she¡¯d heard and seen, the dragonlord practically used every single elemental magic she knew. They could also sleep for hours through class just fine. And, most importantly¡­ Ilias had just referred to her friend as ¡®she.¡¯ ¡°Wait, so you WERE a girl after all! I knew it!¡± ¡°¡­Interesting that you find that part the most surprising.¡± ¡°Aww, I remember when I first met her. Did you know, Light? Lord Serenis was actually super small, I think she was even shorter than you. She was this tiny human boy, and¡­¡± Light and Ilias began to share all their odd memories of being with the dragonlord. Serenis quietly took a bite out of her own donut, trying to pay as little attention as possible to all the rather shameful memories that were being discussed. Like earlier when the dragonlord had asked Light what sort of nut a ¡®donut¡¯ was. ¡®¡­I haven¡¯t eaten many foods, but even I know this tastes nothing like a nut. Strange how they named it so.¡¯ Ep. 35. Do You Know My Name? (1) Ep 35. Do You Know My Name? (1) The sun was beginning to set by the time the two girls finished sharing tales about their odd mutual acquaintance. Ilias stretched her arms, groaning as she hopped off the park bench. ¡°Oh gosh, it¡¯s getting late now! We better go home before it gets dark out.¡± Light nodded as she likewise hopped off the bench. Serenis eyed the two girls as she rose to her feet after them. ¡°You two are acquainted as well, yes?¡± Ilias and Light looked to Serenis together as they both nodded back in unison. ¡°Ilias used to live with us a long time ago. Professor knows her too!¡± ¡°I spent a few winters in Partivine. After all, it¡¯s a lot cozier than our valley! And I don¡¯t have to deal with an annoying person down here.¡± Light looked towards the red dragon at her remark, curiously parroting the last bit. ¡°Annoying person?¡± ¡°Er¡­just some iron brained snake. Don¡¯t worry about it Light, it¡¯d be bad influence for your fluffy ears!¡± Ilias playfully rubbed the half girl¡¯s animal ears, laughing together like close siblings. Serenis beamed a soft grin at the sight. Raizel had seemed close to the red dragon before as well, but the friendship between the two dragons wasn¡¯t anything like what she was seeing between the Ilias and Light. Once upon a time, it was common to see her kin spending time like this with other races. Some would build their homes around the kin¡¯s nests, later to become devout worshippers and trusted friends. Some would even build families with the kin. Once upon a time, that is. ¡°¡­Well, I best get going before the sun sets as well.¡± Serenis summoned her mana wings as she prepared to take her leave, waving a short farewell to the two. With how late it was getting, walking would likely result in Patrick scolding her about how she shouldn¡¯t stay outside so late ¨C not because there was an actual reason not to, but because that was just the human thing to say to a little sibling. Humans and their weird customs. ¡°Bye, Zion! See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try and pay a visit to the institute with Light later. I still want to hear about why you¡¯re attending a school!¡± The dragonlord returned a brief nod to both. She turned her back and was just about to take off into the air. Until she felt a peculiar mana being synthesized in the distance. Serenis sharply turned her head to the left, her eyes thinning further as she tried to make out the details of a peculiar figure in the distance. A strange creature came to emitting familiar glimmer from its body.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡± Crawling out of the small stream surrounding the park¡¯s edge was a beast covered in white scales. Its elongated jaw, countless teeth, and scaled tale all suggested it to be a reptile of sorts, but its four clawed legs were much longer, almost akin to a dog¡¯s. A mass of pink flesh jutted forth from its back, resembling that of a torn wing. And surrounding the beast were four floating orbs, each glimmering in a prismatic light. Its low snarls and hungry eyes were focused on a passerby on the park¡¯s walkway, who hadn¡¯t yet taken notice of the beast staring at him. Serenis sped through the air, holding out her hand as an invisible barrier formed beside the oblivious man. The orbs above the creature then exploded in bursts of light, shooting forth rays of white magic towards the dragonlord¡¯s barrier. A short scream followed as the spells exploded onto the shielding spell. Serenis¡¯ barrier had given away to the beast¡¯s crashing lights, and its magic managed to inflict minor burns onto its target ¨C which sent the man running for his life afterwards. The dragonlord¡¯s surprised expression soon became a worried frown. Masses of lightning condensed into a pencil-sized bolt above Serenis¡¯ hand as she skidded to a stop before the beast. The lightning zipped across the air and buried itself into the beast¡¯s foreleg, its mana surging outwards to engulf the thing in bursts of heat. The beast helplessly fell to the ground, whimpering in dog-like sounds as it scrambled in the dirt. The prismatic orbs it had summoned soon faded away. ¡®That light just now, that was¡­¡¯ ¡°Lord! One more!¡± Ilias had chased after the dragonlord with her own wings, kicking into the belly of a second beast that had thrown itself onto Serenis from behind. The beast fell backwards with a bone-crunching thud, and the red dragon sparked a ball of fire into her palms to finish off the beasts lying on the ground. ¡°What are these things? Where did they-¡± ¡°Wait, stop! Don¡¯t kill them, they¡¯re just animals!¡± After Light had caught up to the two dragons, she threw herself into Ilias, tackling her waist and making the flames flicker out of the dragon¡¯s hands. The two dragons both threw a curious glance towards the half girl. ¡°Wha¡­Light, what¡¯s wrong? These things can¡¯t be animals, can they?¡± ¡°No animal on this star would even remotely resemble these beasts. These are-¡± Awoooo! As a high-pitched howl echoed from the distance, the fallen beasts immediately rose to their feet. They sprinted away while carrying their limping bodies, disappearing into the large sewer tunnels that the streams led into. Serenis¡¯ eyes remained fixed on the fleeting creatures as they ran past. Her eyes clearly noted the small, crimson spell circles on their necks, hidden amongst their white scales and patches of fur. ¡®¡­Marks? Curses?¡¯ Before the dragonlord could launch herself into the air after the fleeting beasts, a tugging weight around her wrist stopped her from doing so. Light had her fingers desperately wrapped around Serenis while rapidly shaking her head. ¡°I, I¡¯m really sorry, but¡­let¡¯s let them go? Just this once¡­please?¡± Light¡¯s eyes were mixed with fear and guilt as she held onto her friend¡¯s arm. Her entire body was trembling all over again as if her cold had suddenly returned. Serenis returned a perplexed gaze at the half stopping her. ¡°I¡¯m failing to understand your point. Those beasts just attacked civilians.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not beasts. They¡¯re all¡­¡± ¡°¡­All?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all just¡­animals.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Is this what¡¯s been keeping her from home recently?¡¯ Serenis let out a slow sigh. The arm Light was gripping on was madly shaking, and the desperation in the half girl¡¯s eyes clearly stated that the matter wasn¡¯t up for discussion. Aggressive beasts were one thing, but safety concerns for children preceded strange events. And while the dragonlord hesitated, the surrounding civilians were busily reporting the scene to the patrolling members of the enforcement sector. Agents were beginning to gather around the park, and if her encounter with Iris was anything to go by, standing out in the sector¡¯s plain sight was not a good idea. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry child, I¡¯ll do as you say. Head home and rest; Ilias, take care of her.¡± Truthfully, Serenis wanted nothing more than to chase the beasts into the tunnels and discern their makings. The prismatic light they¡¯d used were all too familiar to her own magic, and their white, deformed figures had eerily reminded her of a dragonkin¡¯s ¨C even though neither should be even remotely possible. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to return after they¡¯re home.¡¯ And avoiding the agents would be much easier with someone who knew them through and through, anyways. Ep 36. Do You Know My Name? (2) Ep 36. Do You Know My Name? (2) Serenis arrived home as night settled in. The sun had completely set by the time she opened the front door, and she was expecting another series of scolding from Patrick who likely would¡¯ve come home after work much earlier than her. Parts of her suspicion were proven correct: Patrick had indeed arrived home a while earlier. But work was never truly over for him, which Serenis hadn¡¯t known up until this point. ¡°Patrick. I¡¯m ba-¡± ¡°Woah! Oh hey, welcome back. Uh, sorry, I gotta head out again, I¡¯ll probably see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°This late? Where to?¡± ¡°Dunno, something about monsters appearing in the sewage system? The entire sector¡¯s being called in, we¡¯re regulating all the underground tunnels. I¡¯ll be back!¡± ¡°Wait, I-¡° Before Serenis could respond with anything meaningful, Patrick rushed past his sibling and slammed the door behind his exit, leaving the dragonlord awkwardly standing alone in the empty living space. She stared at the door that had just closed, shoulders sagged in disappointment. ¡®¡­I was hoping that you¡¯d accompany me to those tunnels.¡¯ ? ? ? ¡°Iris!¡± ¡°Oh, good. You¡¯re here, Patrick.¡± The blue-haired mage had arrived at one of the larger entrances to the city¡¯s sewers beneath a stone bridge, now guarded by several of the sector¡¯s agents. A gate of criss-crossed iron rods hung above his head, and no civilians occupied the nearby streets. ¡°I mean, I came as soon as I could. Looks like regulation¡¯s already in place? What¡¯s going on exactly?¡± ¡°¡­What I can tell you right now is that beasts are appearing from the sewers throughout the entire city. Their reported appearances are wildly varying, but they all seem to have white scales covering a major portion of their bodies, and all of them seem to have random animalistic features. Some have even been reported to wield an ability similar to light magic.¡± ¡°A monster breakout then? How¡¯s the regulation status?¡± ¡°Somewhat. All reported beasts in the city have been eliminated, and the sector¡¯s begun regulating every entrance leading into the sewers to guarantee civilian safety. The problem is, there¡¯re way too many gates in the city, and we barely have personnel to spare for an investigation inside. It¡¯ll just be you and me going in.¡± ¡°Nothing new. I¡¯m used to having low headcount anyways.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Hey, you there!¡± As Iris called out to one of the agents by the gate, he hurriedly made his way to the enforcer¡¯s side.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°Continue regulating the gates. If additional beast sightings are reported within the city, prioritize eliminating them first. Focus on civilian safety ¨C we do not have to capture them. I¡¯m heading into the tunnels with Patrick.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Iris briefly nodded towards the agent and looked to the blue-haired mage beside her. Her work expression was as stern as ever as she beckoned her coworker to follow. ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡± ¡°¡­Here we go again.¡± The two enforcers dashed into the open iron gate. Patrick pulled out his wooden staff from his back, swinging it in a small circle around the air. ¡°Lumen.¡± Following the short phrase, the tip of his staff began to emit a faint yellow light, illuminating the path ahead. Fortunately, the canals seemed empty as far as the eye could see. ¡°Huh. Looks pretty clean for a monster outbreak?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll probably be different the deeper we go. Also¡­this isn¡¯t a monster outbreak. These beasts aren¡¯t monsters.¡± ¡°Wait, they aren¡¯t? What are they then?¡± ¡°¡­Two. To your left.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± As his coworker threw out a seemingly unrelated reply, Patrick glanced towards the tunnel to the left. Two beasts were rabidly running towards them, the tunnels echoing in what sounded like rabid barks. Patrick skidded to a halt, slamming his staff down onto the ground. The sewer¡¯s floor lightly trembled, rumbling in sounds of crunching wood. Just as the beasts lunged towards the mage, a pair of thick, spike-like tree roots shot out of the ground beneath, cleanly skewering the attacking creatures to hold them midair. The beasts rabidly struggled to break free, but after a few short whimpers, their bodies became limp as streaks of blood wet the wood piercing them. Patrick winced at the sight of blood. He hadn¡¯t actually expected this outcome. ¡°¡­Huh. They really aren¡¯t monsters after all. ¡°Apparently not. I thought so as well at first, but they seem to be closer to artificial animals.¡± The term ¡®monster¡¯ was commonly passed around as a general term to describe terrifying creatures of all sorts. However, its accurate, biological meaning was limited to a very specific subset of life. Monsters, by definition, were a natural phenomenon where an environment¡¯s mana would sometimes inexplicably clump together to form a lifelike entity; upon death, these entities were simply reduced back into the mana that formed them, only leaving behind occasional mana crystals. As such, monsters did not bleed, much less leave a corpse. In other words, the limp, bleeding bodies signified that these creatures weren¡¯t monsters created from thin air, but actual living entities. Patrick grimaced at the sight of their unnatural figures once more. As his spell faded away, the two beasts fell powerlessly into the sewer¡¯s stone floors, their blood spilling into the sewer¡¯s stream. ¡°Artificial animals¡­? What kind of insane person would¡­¡± ¡°A few years ago, there was a scientist that went missing. Ulberk Eizenhoff. Do you remember him?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that was the runaway we never caught. But weren¡¯t his experiments about inducing mana evolution to make artificial halves? He failed because of the compatibility issue.¡± ¡°Maybe he opted for a different route. If you think about it, a half¡­doesn¡¯t necessarily have to mean half animal and half human.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying these things are animal-animal halves? Isn¡¯t that just a crossbreed?¡± Iris didn¡¯t reply to her friend¡¯s question. She instead examined the beasts¡¯ corpses closer, running her hand against their scaled bodies. ¡®Judging by the sizes of their scales and other common features, the mix likely contains an alligator or a giant lizard. Or¡­¡¯ A monstrous screech echoed throughout the canals as a creature resembling a flying lizard came into view. It resembled the other beasts, with the exception of its much more developed wings ¨C scaled wings that were actually carrying it across the air. A fanged maw was readily open to chomp down on the enforcers¡¯ heads as their distance closed. Patrick wove his staff once more as a wall of giant bubbles took shape between them and the approaching beast. When one of the bubbles caught the creature within, the beast became trapped in the spell, unable to break free. Iris summoned a translucent mana gun into her hand, shooting several times at the screeching creature. The magic bullets cleanly burst the bubble as well as the creature within, its body dropping dead onto the floor. The two enforcers studied the newest body, specifically the wings that had allowed its flight. Its lack of feathers first reminded them of a bat, but the white scales covering the opposing side suggested otherwise. Numerous fangs. A lengthy jaw. Hard scales. Claws. And scaled wings. Iris turned away from the sight, noting the features it had carried. She couldn¡¯t shake off the dreadful thought that was plaguing her mind ¨C especially after hearing the reports of some of these creatures possessing magic-like abilities. ¡®Alligator. Lizard. Or¡­a dragon.¡¯ Ep 37. Do You Know My Name? (3) Ep 37. Do You Know My Name? (3) The two enforcers had reduced their pace to a slow walk. They busily scanned their surroundings venturing deeper into the canals, noting all obstacles, exits, and potential threats nearby. Patrick wove his glowing staff around every then and there, occasionally glancing towards Iris who seemed intent on keeping her attention focused on the road ahead. While the canal¡¯s paths had fortunately been lit by lines of torches, Patrick had kept his staff alit for a better vision in the dim lighting. It had allowed the enforcers to see additional incoming beasts a few seconds ahead, translating to a swifter response ¨C though, swift or not, the frequent encounters were gradually wearing out the two mages. ¡°¡­You know, I feel like we should¡¯ve waited to bring more people with us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can. If we must, we can always escape through my portal spell and call reinforcements after.¡± ¡°I guess. At least so far there hasn¡¯t been anything too¡­huh?¡± Both enforcers stopped midtrack as they saw a looming figure up ahead. The shadow was human in shape, but oddly malformed with extremely broad, scaled shoulders, shrinking down into a tiny waist and even shorter legs. A man¡¯s face was buried in the middle of its chest. Half of it was covered in white scales, and his fanged mouth was groaning in pain. Their height was almost touching the sewer¡¯s ceiling, which was at least twice a grown man¡¯s height. ¡°H¡­elp¡­!¡± A deep frown crossed Iris¡¯ expression. The creature before her was clearly a person, at least in part; but at the same time, it was a beast that they had come to exterminate. ¡®Do we have to capture him without killing? But that¡¯s¡­¡¯ The humanoid beast let out a low, painful cry as dim, white glimmers appeared in front of its shoulders. The lights soon crystallized into two glowing orbs, each sizzling in mana-based energy. ¡°Iris, careful! He¡¯s using magic!¡± Standing on a rather narrow path surrounded by the tunnel walls and the sewer streams, there wasn¡¯t much room to avoid the incoming attack. Patrick hurriedly cast several layers of water shields in front of them, the beams of light exploding onto his barrier. For a moment, the shields held ¨C but the safety was short-lived. One by one the luminous beam of light melted through the layers, until every single barrier would eventually give away. Patrick rushed to dodge the attack as the light scraped the side of his waist. He winced and retreated a few steps, gripping his burn with a pained groan. ¡°Patrick!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. Didn¡¯t expect that to go through so many shields.¡± Iris narrowed her gaze onto the towering figure. Their spell hadn¡¯t seemed to be anything complex, and yet, it¡¯d somehow pierced through several layers of an enforcer¡¯s shielding spell. And while Patrick was swallowing the pain for now, the burn on his side was clearly unordinary; even with a cursory examination, she could see signs of burns, tearing, and frostbites, all at the same time. ¡°¡­Retreat for now.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not thinking about leaving him here, are you? That¡¯s a person in there.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know how many more there will be up ahead like him. We don¡¯t know what magic it¡¯s using either. Go call reinforcements; I¡¯ll handle things here in the meantime.¡± Iris grabbed Patrick by his hood as a blue portal lit up behind them. He tried to resist his coworker¡¯s pull, but the burn on his side made it impossible to do so. ¡°Iris! Wait!¡± Iris threw her friend into the portal, making Patrick strumble out onto the other side right at the sewer gate they¡¯d initially entered from. The surrounding agents immediately took notice of Patrick¡¯s appearance and injuries, hastily approaching the mage. ¡°Enforcer Parma! Are you alright?!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Patrick groaned as he tried to pull himself back up and go back, but the glowing portal had shut itself off immediately after he¡¯d fallen out, cutting off his path. ¡°She closed it?! Why that¡­!¡± ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s Enforcer Alpid?¡± Patrick gritted his teeth as the agent pressed him further. Despite the haphazard array of thoughts in his mind regarding the beast¡¯s magic, there were more pressing concerns for the sector. ¡°¡­Summon all available sector agents and enforcers to this gate. Reduce the regulating personnel to bare minimum, and call for assistance from any available freelance mages at the association! There are people requiring our assistance in the canals. Move!¡± ¡°R¡­right away!¡± ? ? ? Boom! ¡°Tch¡­!¡± Iris ran across the sewer¡¯s corridors, tumbling out of the beast¡¯s magic. She couldn¡¯t abandon the scene as an enforcer, but she couldn¡¯t go forward with the beast-man blocking the way; she was determined to help this individual groaning in pain, but she couldn¡¯t figure out a way to do so. With Iris specifically aiming for non-lethal areas, her attacks amounted to little ¨C but capture attempts seemed impossible with the uncanny magic the figure was wielding. ¡®I can¡¯t just burn him down like the other beasts. Is he moving against his will? How do I¡­¡¯ ¡°Eh, ehehehe! Ehahaha!!¡± An eerie laughter echoed throughout the chamber. Soon, a man emerged from the shadows beside the hulking man-like beast, fixing his glasses in genuine amusement as he stared into the enforcer¡¯s eyes. ¡°W, w, we¡­have a g, guest!¡± ¡°Eisenhoff!¡± A maniacal laughter echoed throughout the corridor as the doctor threw out his arms. The beast groaned in pain beside him, the curse mark behind its back glowing in crimson red. ¡°G, go ahead, my dear c, c, child! M, make our guest feel, h, home!¡± Numerous prismatic orbs crystallized into being around the beast¡¯s shoulder as they all aimed themselves towards Iris. Bursts of magic shot forth, crashing down unto the floor where the enforcer was standing. ? ? ? Ilias and Light were both sitting on a bed with their backs leaned against the wall. Despite the clock ticking way past their usual bedtime, neither of them could sleep; the half girl was hugging her own knees, and Ilias was worriedly watching the little girl sulk about matters beyond the dragon¡¯s understanding. ¡°Light¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just¡­a little cold.¡± While they may not have been sisters by blood, Ilias had treated Light as one over the years she¡¯d spent in this city ¨C but never had she seen the half girl shivering like this. Ilias had her tail securely wrapped around her trembling sister, and she was practically stuck to Light¡¯s side; with how warm the red dragon¡¯s body usually was, there was no way Light could be cold in her current state. ¡°Is it those guys we saw earlier? I¡¯m sure the enforcers will take care of them soon.¡± Ilias winced as she realized that her comment only made the half girl¡¯s mood worsen. Light¡¯s face practically buried itself into her arms as the dragon stammered to correct the previous statement. ¡°Sorry, sorry! Um, what I meant was¡­I¡¯m sure they got away safely?¡± Despite the dragon¡¯s attempts of reassurance, Light knew all too well that the beasts would be annihilated if the enforcers became involved in the case. There was no way they¡¯d let dangerous beasts like that escape the city. ¡®¡­He wouldn¡¯t let them go anyways.¡¯ Ilias made a perplexed expression as she watched her little sister sulk. The poor dragon had no way of knowing what it was that Light was sulking about, but considering how bright the half girl usually was, it couldn¡¯t be a small matter. But one thing had become clear: apparently, Light didn¡¯t want those two beasts to get caught by the sector. The dragon slowly uncurled her tail and rose to her feet, hopping off the bed. Ilias stretched her arms and made her way to the window side; sitting around moping with her little sister clearly wasn¡¯t bettering their mood, nor was she the type to do so. ¡°Stay home with mom and dad. You can do that, right?¡± Light worriedly raised her gaze. The window opened with a soft creak, and Ilias already had one foot planted on the lower ridge, ready to jump outside. ¡°You¡¯re¡­going out?¡± ¡°Mhm. You wouldn¡¯t want the enforcers to catch your friends, would you?¡± Light flinched at the mention of ¡®friends.¡¯ Despite never having described the beasts as such, the dragon seemed certain that the term was accurate ¨C which Light didn¡¯t bother to deny. But still, the beasts shouldn¡¯t have been anything more than abominations that attacked innocent civilians. Even Light knew that much, at least. ¡°¡­What¡¯re you going to do? They¡¯re dangerous. They¡¯re¡­monsters now.¡± ¡°Pft. Don¡¯t you worry Light, your big sister¡¯s really strong! I¡¯ll just drop them off in a forest outside the city or something.¡± ¡°But¡­if you help them, the enforcers will come after you next.¡± ¡°So? Do you want me to stay here instead?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilias faintly smiled as the half girl fell silent. The Light she knew would¡¯ve told her not to go from the very beginning, if that was what the little girl really wanted. ¡°It won¡¯t take long. Who knows? If your friends don¡¯t struggle too much, maybe I won¡¯t get caught at all.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just those two.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Light uncurled herself as she rushed out of her bed, quickly making her way over to the dragon¡¯s side in trembling steps. Only her eyes remained unshaking, staring into Ilias with a determined gaze. ¡°Take me with you. I know where to go.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure? I mean, it¡¯d be nice to have someone who knows the way, but what if your friends aren¡¯t so¡­friendly?¡± ¡°¡­Then my really-strong-sister will keep me safe. Right?¡± A soft snicker escaped the red dragon as she heard Light¡¯s coy answer. Although Ilias still didn¡¯t know why the Light was so fearful, or wanting to help those aggressive creatures, she didn¡¯t really need to know. The dragon trusted her little sister ¨C that the girl¡¯s motives couldn¡¯t possibly be anything bad. Ilias offered her hand, preparing to take flight with a passenger in tow. ¡°Of course she will!¡± Ep 38. Do You Know My Name? (4) Ep 38. Do You Know My Name? (4) ¡®¡­This was what they were capable of.¡¯ Serenis meekly thought to herself as she strolled through the night alone. Without Patrick or Light accompanying her as her usual times outside, she was able to properly examine the city¡¯s scenery now: rows of bright-colored buildings; neat, tidy street of bricks and stone; artificial lights that lit the night as bright as day in its still busy streets. Streams of water soothingly flowed throughout the city, with trimmed trees and patches of flowers decorating the occasional empty spaces. Some parts of the city were undoubtedly built and powered by magic; the rest functioned beyond the dragonlord¡¯s understanding. She had not a single clue how these glorified lamps (read: streetlights) were able to remain alit for hours without magic every single night. It was a worldly difference from the small villages of straw huts she remembered from her own era. The most advanced human architecture she¡¯d seen were castles built of wood and clay, or the occasional stones. When night fell, darkness would swallow the world. But left to their own devices for a thousand years, mankind had accomplished so much more. The star seemed to have turned upright, and the state of human civilization was beyond anything Serenis could¡¯ve imagined. Nothing seemed the same ¨C not their cities, nor their people. Perhaps this was the future that the First envisioned: a future without demonkind and their lords. A world that would never cease to grow in the hands of man. Once, the brethren had been oppressors. They had cared little for what humans could do. Although the dragonkin under her rule had always been the oddities that treated mankind as people, in a typical demon¡¯s eyes, man was insignificant; theirs was a civilization no different than a candle flame that could flicker out at the lightest breeze. Their lives amounted to little. Demons had faithfully held onto that belief. But the world Serenis now beheld was denying her brethren¡¯s beliefs, proving how wrong they¡¯d been for thousands of years. A potential killed under their oppression was finally bearing fruit. ¡®Perhaps they have every right to call us evil.¡¯ As Serenis explored her thoughts, her steps led the dragon back to the park where she¡¯d encountered the beasts earlier. She wanted to explore the sewer¡¯s depth to affirm her suspicions about the origins of those beasts, but when she¡¯d finally arrived at the sewer¡¯s entrance, the dragonlord noticed a pair of humans standing watch ¨C likely the enforcement sector¡¯s personnel. ¡®Hm. I wonder if Patrick¡¯s at another entrance¡­¡¯ But right as the dragon was about to decide on a way to sneak her way in, Serenis could hear small whispers of conversation in a small patch of trees nearby. When she spared a brief glance, a familiar pair could be seen standing behind the shadows of leaves and branches. ¡°¡­Light, I can do a lot of things, but sneaking isn¡¯t really one of them. Isn¡¯t there some secret backdoor to the sewer?¡± ¡°There is, but¡­you¡¯re too big. I don¡¯t think even I could fit through them anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis quietly approached the whispering pair, circling the park to not disturb the agents on guard. ¡°Ilias.¡± ¡°Huh?...Lord Serenis? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± ¡°The same thing you two are up to.¡± The dragonlord shifted her gaze to the half girl beside Ilias. Light was shivering just like before, but the gleam in her eyes clearly showed her intent to stay. In fact, Light seemed to be on her guard, warily staring at her peer. After all, it hadn¡¯t been long since she¡¯d stopped the dragonlord from chasing after her friends into the tunnel. ¡°¡­Did you come back to kill them after all?¡± ¡°If necessary.¡± A tense air filled the atmosphere between the two students. Ilias hurriedly intervened with what little mediating skills she had, stepping in between to stop them from staring each other to death.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Uhm, settle down! We¡¯re just here to, you know, uh¡­capture them. Yeah, capture. There¡¯s no need to kill anyone.¡± ¡°Depending on the circumstances, I-¡° Ilias creaked her head towards her lord. The desperation in the youngling¡¯s eyes immediately convinced Serenis to correct herself. ¡°¡­I was merely curious what those beasts had been. I suppose there¡¯s no need to kill them.¡± ¡°See, Light? It¡¯s fine, she¡¯s not going to do them any harm. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll help us. Riiight?¡± ¡°Of¡­course.¡± The half girl¡¯s distrusting eyes fell on the dragonlord. Ilias¡¯ reassurance did little to do away her suspicions, but at least they weren¡¯t outright hostile anymore. ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Ilias retreated back a step with a relieved sigh. No more death stares was a good start. ¡°Okay, now we just need to figure out how to get in there then. Maybe if I break the ground open somewhere, we could¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Come.¡± Serenis motioned for the two younglings to come closer. She laid a hand around both their waists, and soon, their figures faded out into the scenery. Despite standing exactly where they had been, no one could discern their figures from the background anymore. Ilias simply found the spell useful and interesting. Light was internally freaking out. ¡°Wait, you can use invisibility spells? On multiple people at once?? We didn¡¯t even cover this in class yet!¡± ¡°Ooh, you learn these things in class, Light? That sounds fun.¡± ¡°Quiet, both of you. Come.¡± The three invisible figures quietly walked right past the guards, entering the sewers with ease. Serenis undid their spells once they were some ways in as they reappeared under the light of the hanging torches, standing on the underground canal¡¯s floors. ¡°That was so cool! I guess not everyone gets to be a lord. I wish I could do stuff like that.¡± ¡°¡­No wonder the profs don¡¯t bother waking you up.¡± Despite the chatter, Serenis¡¯ attention remained focus onto the corridor ahead. Only a few torches lit their path forward, and even expanding her mana sensory yielded nothing different from what her eyes could see; in a crowded city like Partivine, the readings yielded masses of mana tightly clustered across a random spread. Other than being within close proximity, it was impossible to tease the clusters apart from a distance. ¡°Now, where to find our two beasts¡­¡± Light likewise stared into the darkness of the corridor. She balled her hands into small fists, shaking her head towards her peer. ¡°¡­There¡¯s going to be a lot more than two. Probably hundreds.¡± The dragons turned towards Light. Serenis simply blinked twice as she noted the unexpected count in silence ¨C but Ilias couldn¡¯t remain calm at the number. When Light had mentioned there¡¯d be more, she was expecting maybe a dozen at most, not hundreds. ¡°Hundreds?! Light, I don¡¯t think we can escape the city with that many¡­¡± ¡°¡­I know. But if we can find the doctor, he might be able to fix them back.¡± ¡°The doctor?¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. The person who made everyone like this.¡± Serenis mused at the remark. It seemed like the half girl had a clear destination in mind. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have the means to find this individual?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­I remember the way there.¡± ? ? ? Numerous mana bullets cleanly buried themselves into the deformed male¡¯s shoulders and legs, but did little besides making the man-like beast groan in pain. And his pained cries of help were barely audible, buried in the laughter of the doctor accompanying him. ¡°Ehaha, hahahaha! H, h, how long can you r, run away, enforcer?!¡± Iris bit her lips as another wave of magic struck at her. Fiery barriers shielded her momentarily, but soon gave away to the rays of light that exploded outwards. The impact sent Iris crashing into the far wall of the canal, pebbles and smoke haphazardly flying about. ¡®¡­Do I have to do it? If I want to capture him without killing, then¡­¡¯ Chirp! Chirp! A sharp pain interrupted her thoughts as Iris looked down at her right hand. A blob of white scales had dug its teeth into her finger, with dozen others following suit behind their leader. ¡®¡­Rats?!¡¯ ¡°Ehahaha! E, e, eat her alive, m, my children!¡± ¡°Kh¡­get off me!¡± A burst of flames shrouded the enforcer¡¯s arm, sending the rats running off from their meal. However, while Iris was occupied with the rats, the groaning beast charged up another beam of light towards her. ¡®¡­Twelve be damned.¡¯ Iris hurriedly spent what little mana she had left as she erected several layers of barriers before her. A few layers gave away as rays of light crashed onto their surface, and only the last layer had managed to hold. The enforcer panted to catch her breath. A hand reached into her inner pockets and plucked out a black pill that was shoved down her throat. She forced herself to rise afterwards, her damaged legs struggling to support the body¡¯s weight. ¡°M, my¡­are you perhaps s, s, short on m, mana?¡± ¡°Shut it. Aldrid made a mistake letting you be born.¡± Iris wove her hand in the air as the path behind burst into flames, incinerating the colony of rats whole. The smell of burnt flesh began to fill the corridor as the enforcer held her ground, glaring into the doctor ahead of her. ¡°Ehehehe¡­hehahahaha¡­g, g, good¡­keep s, struggling¡­!¡± When the doctor snapped his fingers, more glimmers of prismatic light began to shine, this time from within the shadows behind him. A chorus of pained groans accompanied thudding footsteps as two more man-based beasts emerged behind him. ¡®More?!¡­There were more of the human types as well?!¡¯ Iris belatedly opened a portal behind herself to retreat, but rays of light crashed into its entrance, destroying her escape path. Another beam would break the barrier spells she¡¯d erect, and the final one would directly crash into her abdomen, sending the enforcer sprawling powerlessly across the burnt flesh of rodents. ¡°Ehehehe¡­we¡­we did it, my children! Good, good, v, very very good. A human subject is a, a, always, welcome. The doctor approached Iris on the ground, producing a metal syringe from his lab coat. Its milky contents faintly glimmered in the dark as the needle was stabbed into the enforcer¡¯s chest. In her fading consciousness, Iris bleakly noted a burning sensation paving into her heart. Ep 39. Do You Know My Name? (5) Ep 39. Do You Know My Name? (5) ¡°This way.¡± Light led the group of three, navigating her way through the dark sewers with ease as the two dragons trailed behind her. Ilias was practically attached to the half girl¡¯s back, rapidly glancing around to spot any incoming dangers. Serenis was following from a little further behind, studying the sewer¡¯s structure. This place was practically a maze as far as she could tell, but Light seemed to have no trouble finding her way deeper inwards. ¡°Light. You seem accustomed to this structure.¡± ¡°I¡­used to live here when I was a stray.¡± ¡°A stray?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m a first gen half. I used to be a stray cat before.¡± Serenis frowned at the answer as she recalled their earlier conversations. Light had described living with both her parents at home, and being the only daughter that they had. If she¡¯d been born between a couple, it made no sense for her to ever have been a simple ¡®cat¡¯, much less a stray cat. ¡®Was she not born a half? But then, her current mother and father are¡­¡¯ Ilias spared a momentary glance towards Serenis, holding her index finger over her lips. The dragonlord nodded back, maintaining silence as she subdued her curiosity from being spoken out loud. Fortunately, the situation at hand soon pressed for attention, drowning out the dragonlord¡¯s curiosity about her peer. A low growling noise rumbled from ahead with trudging footsteps, soon revealing one of the wolf-like beasts they¡¯d encountered earlier during the day. As soon as foreigners were in sight, the beast threw itself towards Ilias and Light, twisted jaws wide open in anticipation. ¡°Yep, very unfriendly.¡± Just as the beast¡¯s fangs were about to crunch down on the dragon¡¯s head, Ilias took a small step forward. She cupped her hand below and swung it upwards, clutching the creature¡¯s lower jaw and closing its mouth as she held it midair by the chin. The dragon tightened her grip on the struggling beast as she turned to the two behind her. ¡°What now? Do I just knock him out until we find this doctor person?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Hold still for a moment.¡± Serenis approached the suppressed beast and brushed her hand across the beast¡¯s white scales, spotting a red encircled star mark on its neck. ¡®¡­Low.¡¯ A white light glowed at Serenis¡¯ fingertips as she overwhelmed the engraved spell with her own mana, shattering it apart like thin glass. It was an amateur curse spell ¨C one that even regular institute students could break. It was a spell that would only work against animals who had no resistance against magic. Soon after, the beast¡¯s struggling died down, as did its growling. It remained perfectly docile despite the rather rough handling it was receiving from the red dragon. Once the curse was broken, Light cautiously approached Ilias, tugging on her jacket. ¡°Il¡­Ilias, I think you can put him down now.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. He¡¯s calmed down.¡± Light turned to face the creature being held midair. Their eyes met, and she could see its tail wagging left and right in response.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°You¡¯re not going to attack again, right?¡± A whimpering noise could be heard from inside the beast¡¯s closed mouth. Ilias slowly put the creature back down to the floor, letting go of its jaws. ¡°Careful, he¡¯s still¡­¡± As soon as the dragon let go of their mouth, the beast stuck out its tongue and began to pant in excitement of the unexpected reunion. He walked over to Light in slow steps, rubbing its deformed head against her. ¡°Rrghf.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­I missed you too.¡± Both dragons watched the two in confusion. Ilias soon leaned over to whisper into the dragonlord¡¯s ear. ¡°Lord Serenis¡­do they teach you how to talk to animals at the institute?¡± ¡°No. But perhaps Light understands in a different manner.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­How do you discern when your mother is angry?¡± ¡°Mom? I just look at her and I can tell¡­ohh ok, I get it.¡± Serenis stepped forth, crouching down slightly as she examined the docile beast. Not a hint of malice could be felt anymore. It really was acting no different than a regular animal. ¡°Light, I recall you describing these beasts as simple animals. I can see why you would say that regarding its behavior, but I still find it hard to believe with their appearance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Light choked on her words as she faced the dragonlord. Fear and doubt welled up in her throat as she struggled to find the words. She couldn¡¯t keep everything a secret forever ¨C especially after bringing the two dragons so deep into the canals. Sooner or later they¡¯d find out where the half girl was going, and it was probably better to say things earlier than late. But despite her level head¡¯s advice, her lips refused to listen. Then, Light felt a warm hand lightly tapping her back. Ilias was right behind her, grinning down at her little sister. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light¡¯s eyes fell down to the beast beside her. Its slithering tongue was licking the half girl¡¯s hand, trying to cheer up their old friend. ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re¡­experiments. The doctor had always tried to turn us into monsters.¡± ¡®Us?¡¯ Serenis studied the half girl¡¯s anxious expression from the corner of her eyes. Judging from the last response, Light had been a part of these ¡®experiments¡¯ ¨C just with a much different end result than her malformed friends. ¡®But if she¡¯s referring to these beasts as equals, then they too, are¡­¡¯ The dragonlord placed her hand on the beast¡¯s back. There was no need to hear the answer from Light; she¡¯d find out what this beast really was anyways. Faint hints of magic spread from her hand and into the beast¡¯s figure, shrouding it in a phantom-like glow. ¡®Return. That body is not where you belong.¡¯ Serenis¡¯ heart thumped momentarily. The mana ailing the beast began to retreat through the dragonlord¡¯s hand, coursing into her heart. ¡°Zion? What¡¯re you¡­¡± The light surrounding the creature slowly began to grow dimmer and dimmer. Its scales lost their hue, growing dry and brittle before eventually breaking into dust. Its numerous fangs retreated, and their bodies shrunk back to their original sizes. The wing-like flesh jutting from its back retreated into the body, disappearing without a trace. The sight seemed nothing short of a miracle to the oblivious half girl; even Ilias couldn¡¯t hide her surprise when the beast literally seemed to devolve before their eyes. The beast¡¯s silhouette shrunk in the dimming light, eventually revealing a simple grey wolf. ¡°Wha¡­how did you do that?!¡± Serenis retreated her hand from the wolf¡¯s back, examining herself momentarily. It was a tiny speck, but the mana she¡¯d collected was her own nonetheless ¨C otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible in the first place. ¡°This beast¡­no, this wolf was carrying my mana. I simply retrieved it.¡± ¡°Your mana? But¡­¡± As Light trailed off her words once more in confused thoughts, Serenis scanned the half girl from head to toe. Light was a half. According to what she¡¯d said earlier, she¡¯d been a regular animal before ¨C a stray cat. This beast also turned out to be a regular animal, which Light had somehow been aware of all along. - ¡®Mana evolution requires three distinct conditions to be met by the mana in question. First, the consumed mana must reach the animal¡¯s heart; second, it must be extremely concentrated; and finally, it must match the animal¡¯s affinities and wavelength.¡¯ Serenis began to recall the details of mana evolution from their previous lectures: of how an animal could evolve into a half under the right conditions. The instructor had made it sound like a natural phenomenon, but nowhere did she say it couldn¡¯t be facilitated by human will. ¡®¡­Affinities and wavelength must match.¡¯ The dragonlord¡¯s attention remained fixated on the half girl who was staring back with a mix of fear and embarrassment. If these beasts were indeed her equals, and they¡¯d gone through similar procedures under this doctor figure, there was only one reasonable conclusion to draw. ¡°Light. Are these beasts¡­halves?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No verbal response came from Light. Instead, the half girl slowly sunk her head in a nodding gesture , her gaze anxiously dropping to the floor. ¡°But how? As far as I can tell, you yourself are a perfectly proper half. This wolf was nothing of the sort.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­an accident. From years ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A countless trial-and-error approach that sought replications of initial success. Many experiments took this course, and sought incremental progress as better assets and methods would become available; initial successes were often celebrated, then carefully studied for replication and improvement. Of course, prototypes were never celebrated forever. Eventually, even a roaring success becomes obsolete in time. Ep 40. Do You Know My Name? (6) Ep 40. Do You Know My Name? (6) Under the right conditions, an animal could evolve into a half: a concentrated compatible mana had to but reach their heart. Then, could a dragon¡¯s mana work as an evolutionary catalyst? Unlike other races that were born with varying affinities across all elements, dragons were born with only a single affinity: Raizel could never wield anything besides steel, and Ilias could never wield anything besides fire. Therefore, the dragonkin¡¯s mana could never serve as a catalyst; even if high concentrations were to reach the animal¡¯s heart, the compatibility condition would never be met. However, there was one such dragon who possessed a mana, capable of replacing that of every element. Serenis¡¯ star affinity ¨C an element that encompassed all other elements ¨C could, in theory, become an exception. In fact, such an element could possibly function as a catalyst to any and all animals. ¡®But this is no different than describing a parasite to be compatible with its host.¡¯ An evolution induced through such mana could never be natural. The animal would pay dearly for evolving through a catalyst it was never meant to contain; the star-aspected mana would eat away at the owner¡¯s body, forcing the host to deform beyond their limits in an attempt to remodel the body closer to the dragonlord herself. Serenis was confirming this reality with her own two eyes as she made her way deeper into the sewer canals with Light and Ilias. Every time she laid her hands on the beasts to recollect her mana, she grimaced at the feeling; the star-aspected mana coursing through their bodies weren¡¯t properly fused into the blood as mana normally should be. Instead, they were violently crashing through the animals¡¯ internal systems, forcing them into a constant state of deterioration. Further, the curse that forced them into a permanently enraged state only made things worse. ¡®¡­When will this end? Just how many are there?¡¯ After every beast encounter, their party had grown in size as another deformed beast would return to their original animal form. The cubs would follow their parents, and their parents would follow Light who they seemed to know all too well. The cat half was practically leading an army of animals at this point. Ilias glanced towards her lord, who was reverting yet another beast in her grip back into a tiny wolf pup before letting him sprawl over to his mother. Even after hearing that these beasts were actually halves that had gone through mana evolution, the whole process still made no sense to the red dragon. ¡°So¡­Lord Serenis, how exactly are you doing that? You can like, undo a half¡¯s evolution?¡± ¡°These creatures are not proper halves. I couldn¡¯t do the same to someone like Light. They carry my mana, which their bodies are failing to properly contain.¡± ¡°Your mana? Is it special?¡± ¡°...Somewhat.¡± If these animals had evolved through regular means, the mana they used as catalyst would¡¯ve been a perfect fit: it would¡¯ve fused into their systems completely, becoming one whole as was the case with Light. Such evolution couldn¡¯t possibly be reverted again. But for these creatures, the dragonlord¡¯s mana that had functioned as a catalyst was doing nothing of the sort. They were parasitically latching onto the animals, malforming their bodies into monstrous shapes. It was an embarrassment to call this an evolution. ¡®How did these creatures come to carry this mana to begin with? I exercised caution not to use it...¡¯ As the dragonlord lost herself in thought, Light came to a pause. Just up ahead was a small metal door, rusted and damaged beyond recognition; with so little light illuminating the metal¡¯s surface, it would¡¯ve been easy to miss without someone pointing out its location. Light¡¯s trembling worsened, and the animals accompanying her were no different. If not for the half girl leading them, they all would¡¯ve scattered a long time ago. Light herself would never have come this far without two dragons accompanying her. ¡°¡­There. Everyone should be in there.¡± Light¡¯s voice was barely audible. It was almost a whisper, as if she was afraid that someone would hear. Ilias then stepped forward to grip the rusted handle. The air around her began to emit small sparks of flame as the dragon tensed for what would be ahead. ¡°So our culprit¡¯s behind this door, huh? Time to wrap things up and go home!¡± ¡°Um, Ilias¡­don¡¯t¡­hurt the doctor¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ilias blinked in confusion as she turned to face her little sister. Light was a few steps behind, seemingly reluctant to approach the door. After leading them this far to help the beasts infesting the city sewers, it was odd to see the girl so anxious about catching the person responsible. ¡°But wasn¡¯t he the bad guy? We don¡¯t need his help if Lord Serenis can turn everyone back, right?¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s¡­still¡­¡± Various animals let out worried whimpers as the half girl struggled to find her words. Ilias scratched her head a few times as a conflicted sigh escaped her. Soon, the dragon¡¯s expression softened into a reassuring grin, and the surrounding air lost its heat. ¡°Well¡­if you say so. But I¡¯m still going to hand him over to the sector. He¡¯s clearly breaking the rules.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Noting the few nods from her sister, Ilias slowly pushed the metal door open to reveal a large, darkened space. The insides were barely visible with its lack of light; a musky chemical scent was the first thing the dragon noticed, followed by the sight of numerous caged and chained animals, either barely alive or not alive at all. A number of beasts were straddled to the wall, aggressively hissing and growling. What should¡¯ve been a simple storage room had been remodeled into an experiment lab. And finally at one of the corners, Ilias could see a scrawny green-haired man, standing before another person. A woman was tied to a wooden chair, her uniform jacket torn open to reveal the bare skin that was now muddled with small stab wounds. ¡°WHY! WHY! WHY! WHY! W, W, WHY IS IT NOT WORKING?! EVOLVE! EVOLVE!!¡± The man madly repeated a stabbing gesture into his victim¡¯s chest, holding a metal syringe in hand. Even the creaking noise of the opening door had gone unnoticed in his frenzy. The animals behind Light began to lose their docile expressions and friendly whimpers. They instead began to growl, and one of the wolves even began barking out loud. Only then did the doctor finally took notice of the open lab door. His head abruptly shifted to face his numerous visitors. ¡°G, g, g¡­guests?¡± Slowly, one of the so-called guests stepped forward. Light stared into the scrawny figure with a conflicted gaze. ¡°¡­D, daughter? You¡­y, you¡¯ve come back!¡± Light¡¯s small fists were madly shaking in fear. Even now, she wanted nothing more than to turn around and run away. She¡¯d done it before, and she could do it again. She could run like before, and pretend none of this had ever happened. But if she did, then there¡¯d be another of her. And another. And countless others. And not a single one of them would be as fortunate as she had been. ¡°Doc¡­tor.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­I, I told you to call me f, f, father. S, still shy, I see.¡± The man¡¯s gaze then fell to the army of animals behind the half girl. Despite their starved, bony bodies, they otherwise seemed to be in normal conditions ¨C which shouldn¡¯t have been the case. ¡°A, a, all those a, animals¡­are they your, brothers and, s, sisters? H, how did you¡­¡± Ilias furiously gritted her teeth at the man¡¯s shameless demeanor. She knew Light¡¯s parents, and whoever this doctor was, was not one of them. But just when the dragon was about to step forward and intervene, she could feel a short jerk on her sleeve, accompanied by a quiet remark. ¡°She stepped forth on her own. Let her speak.¡± The red dragon¡¯s pained expression met her lord¡¯s gaze. She complied for the time being, repressing the urge to physically knock this doctor back to his senses. Meanwhile, the rest of the animals were slowly rallying by Light¡¯s side. The hesitant younglings and their reluctant parents mustered the courage to stand by the cat half¡¯s side, standing against their supposed creator. ¡°¡­Enough already. I didn¡¯t come back, I¡­came to tell you to stop. Your experiments, turning us into monsters¡­all of it.¡± ¡°S, s, s, stop? W, what do you mean, daughter? If I stop¡­then who will save c, children¡­like you? Who will a, a, allow you all to become¡­p, p, perfect?¡­¡± Then, the doctor glanced to the side to spot a furious red dragon. An erratic grin twisted his lips as he clapped his hands together. ¡°Is that¡­a d, d, dragon¡­? Yes, y, yes! A true d, d, d, dragon! Haha¡­ehahaha! What i, invaluable specimen!¡± The ¡®specimen¡¯ was practically seething in anger. The ground seemed to lightly rumble beneath her feet; if Serenis hadn¡¯t urged the youngling to remain still earlier, this doctor figure might not have a jaw to speak with by now. Light grimaced as the doctor noted Ilias as a specimen. That¡¯s what every living being was to him. And once they were forced into submission, they were children. There were no exceptions. ¡°C, c, cheer up, daughter! F, father forgives you. You¡¯ve brought all your siblings b, back, and even a new s, s, specimen for m, me. Children! Take care of our new f, f, family!¡± Low thudding noises echoed throughout the lab as three figures emerged from the shadows behind the doctor¡¯s desk. Three man-beasts were now in sight, all of them groaning in pain with a human face buried in between their shoulders. Neither the dragons nor Light could hide their shock at the sight. Animals whimpered in fear, hiding behind the half girl¡¯s legs. ¡°Are¡­those...¡± ¡°Lord. That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis twisted her expression in disgust. Standing before them were three unmistakably human entities, suffering from the excruciating pain of the mana they carried ¨C all the while the doctor stood tall and proud amongst them with nary an ounce of guilt. ¡®¡­Were animals not enough?¡¯ Countless species hunted for survival, but sometimes, a hunt¡¯s purpose would simply be to toy with their prey. In the same manner, Serenis could condone humans doing whatever they pleased with animals, at least to an extent. But wielding the same violence against one¡¯s kin was a completely different matter. And using her mana to do so, however little, was a mortifying insult to the kin. - ¡®Serenis, do you truly remain blind to the treachery that is mankind? Theirs is a history of malice, of their unlimited thirst for power. We, the demonkin, have every right to eradicate our star of their disgusting presence.¡¯ Time and time again, other demonlords would question the worthiness of man to walk the star. Serenis had always opposed them while believing in her ideals of coexistence, of the potential mankind held. She¡¯d thought the advancement of their present civilization to be proof of that; they¡¯d been capable of so much more than what they¡¯d shown during the era of demons. Prosperity without sacrifice. Kindness that spread without limit. A timeless cycle of affection and generosity. Despite their malice and despite their greed, humans were just as capable of love and benevolence. And yet, here she was, witnessing the opposite side of the belief she held. ¡®What is it that led to this madness? After our demise, this entire star should¡¯ve been yours to keep. What more could your kind possibly have wanted?¡¯ The beasts began to charge their prisms of magic, aimed towards the seething red dragon. Anger twisted the youngling¡¯s expression as Ilias prepared to suppress the beasts and incinerate the man controlling them. Serenis let out a quiet sigh. A thousand years. So much had changed, and yet, perhaps nothing had changed. When the beasts fired their spells toward Ilias, a translucent dome formed over the youngling, stopping the dragon from launching herself forth. The same dome covered Light and the animals standing behind her, shielding everyone present. Even when the spells crashed into the barrier with thunderous noise, not a speck of their prismatic light managed to seep through. The doctor carefully studied the dragonlord¡¯s spell as it faded away. The dome¡¯s erratic glow was eerily similar in appearance to the spells his beasts had used. ¡°Ho¡­oh? W, w, what is that¡­magic?¡± Serenis did not bother to answer the doctor. She instead held out her hand towards the three groaning figures that were now charging their second rays. ¡®¡­Return.¡¯ A faint ring of light spread outwards from the dragonlord, washing over the lab¡¯s interior. It wasn¡¯t just the three ahead; every single, white-scaled beast in the room began to emit the same, dim glow. Their phantom silhouettes began to lose shape as their figures shrunk, and their scales began to shrivel and retreat. Their alien features rapidly disappeared as clumps of glowing mana slithered through the air, gathering into the dragonlord¡¯s palm. ¡°W, w, what¡¯s happening?! N, no, no, no! C, c, come back!!!¡± The doctor madly swung his arms in the air, trying to grasp at the lights leaving the bodies of his experiments ¨C but no physical barrier would stop them from returning to their owner. His beasts were once again reduced to being regular animals. The three figures that had wielded magic also returned to their normal human selves, collapsing unconscious unto the floor. ¡°H, h, h, how¡­? How, how, how, how? HOW??? Evolution was¡­reversed??¡± Serenis paid no attention to the doctor¡¯s panicked questions. When the light filling the room diminished, she slowly lowered her hand. ¡®There will only ever be one half child to walk the star with my mana. Only...¡¯ The dragonlord slowly began to approach the frantic doctor. When their eyes locked, he could see a familiar blue gleam in her eyes. The glowering menace he¡¯d seen in the eyes of his enraged experiments. Ep 41. Confessions of the Historian: Unfated Ep 41. Confessions of the Historian: Unfated Serenis. Ivaratus. Kelador. Nodhyle. Lucid. Ruda. Eden. The seven eldest and most powerful of demons that led their respective tribes as demonlords, forming the beginnings of demonkind. But it wasn¡¯t always seven ¨C no, that wasn¡¯t how it began. This premise is flawed, for among the seven was one that was far younger. Among the seven was one that was not truly a demon. Among the seven was an error that was never supposed to exist. ? ? ? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come now, there¡¯s no need to look so grim. Was it not just yesterday when you spoke of always wishing to be at my side?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that out loud¡­¡± The young man buried his flushed face between his palms, the blue skies blackening into darkness. Everything about this moment felt surreal; the giant bed of wool and feathers behind his back, the warmth of the dragonlord¡¯s arm on his chest. And the naked body of which said arm belonged to. ¡°¡­Lord Serenis?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is this a dream?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He lifted his hands and turned his gaze to face her again, only to look away after a few seconds. His flushed face changed its expression every single moment, unsure of what to display. ¡°Is something the matter? It seems like yesterday when I heard you say you couldn¡¯t keep your eyes off of my human form.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s because it was yesterday. And I didn¡¯t say your human form, I just said you.¡± ¡°I see. And has that changed now?¡± ¡°No, of course not!¡± ¡°Perhaps I should¡¯ve done away with the horns and tail after all, then?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°¡­You know that¡¯s not what I truly think.¡± ¡°I do, but I¡¯ve come to learn that it¡¯s customary to tease one¡¯s lover. From you, in fact.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He abruptly turned back around, forcing himself to face the dragonlord laying only at an arm¡¯s length from himself. His lips struggled to decide on what shape to take, and his embarrassment was only flustering his face further. Her faint smile made it all the more difficult for him to keep a straight face. ¡°One would think a man loved by the lord of dragons would have a bigger ego.¡± ¡°¡­I might if I deserved it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think yourself deserving of my affection?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­only human. In your long life, I¡¯m just passing soul. You know better than I how long I¡¯ll live.¡± Serenis withdrew her smile. She even seemed slightly annoyed by the remark, making him unable to meet the dragon¡¯s gaze once more; he shut his eyes, regretting how he¡¯d phrased his words. But it wasn¡¯t a lie. A demonlord¡¯s life, as far as he knew, was unending. Compared to that, his life really was but a tiny fraction. And Serenis, too, knew of what would come. His remark wouldn¡¯t have annoyed her so much if he were wrong. He would age and pass away, never to return to her side again. She might even come to forget him eventually, never to remember his name or face. ¡°¡­¡± After a long sigh, Serenis wrapped both her arms around his head, pulling him in as close as she could. Once he was buried in her embrace, the dragonlord softly whispered into his ears. ¡°The name. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°¡­The name?¡± ¡°The child¡¯s name. Would that not do away your worries of being forgotten? Our child will live far, far longer than you ever will. And every time I call their name, I¡¯ll remember who named them so.¡± ¡°T¡­truly? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The man¡¯s worries melted away at the news as he opened his eyes to see the smiling dragonlord again. His mind busily ran through what knowledge he had about names to find something suitable. ¡°Name, name¡­then¡­how¡¯s Adam Junior?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯d pass your own name to your child?¡± ¡°Hahaha. I wish to always remain at your side, if only in name!¡± ¡°Then what of a daughter? I believe Adam is a name only given to male children.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a daughter¡­then¡­¡± Serenis grinned as her lover began to seriously ponder on the matter. With how they were right now, she could wait an eternity for him to answer. If only. ¡°¡­How about¡­Eden?¡± ¡°Eden?¡± ¡°Yes, Eden. It¡¯s quite similar to Adam, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Eden¡­¡± Serenis softly muttered the name under her breath. She closed her eyes and smiled, hugging him tighter. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°¡­Since we¡¯re speaking of the matter, could you promise me one more thing?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Our child won¡¯t be¡­human, will they.¡± ¡°No. That they won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, even after I pass away¡­could you promise me that you¡¯ll take care of them? As fellow kin?¡± The dragonlord quietly closed her eyes. They wouldn¡¯t be the first child she¡¯s had, and they likely wouldn¡¯t be the last. It might even be foolish to give them any special meaning. However, Serenis has only ever had children out of necessity, never out of her own desire. Although she wouldn¡¯t admit it if her life depended on it, Adam¡¯s child would be the first to be born between the lord of dragons and an individual she¡¯d call her lover. That¡¯s all there was to it. That¡¯s all there needed to be. ¡°¡­They¡¯ll be a part of the kin, just as you are. They¡¯ll be the most cherished of all my children. As long as I live, no harm will come to pass this child. I swear it on my name as the lord of dragons.¡± ? ? ? Halflord Eden. Though you were an error, every minute and second you spent under the guidance of our galaxy¡¯s brightest star, is proof of your existence. The reason you were born unto this world, the reason you walked your fate¡¯s course, is because the star wished it so. And the same star yet grieves your death, even after a millennium¡¯s passing. She yet calls your name in silence, louder than any other brethren, Begging for forgiveness from her beloved daughter. Ep 42. Do You Know My Name? (7) Ep 42. Do You Know My Name? (7) ¡°S, s, s¡­stay away!¡± The doctor¡¯s cries fell on deaf ears as Serenis closed the distance between them. He madly rummaged his lab coat¡¯s inner pockets, and when Serenis was just close enough, the man boldly took a step forward as he produced another metal syringe from within. A soundless stab stopped the dragonlord in her tracks as the needle buried itself into her chest. The doctor pushed the device¡¯s rear as he injected the syringe¡¯s contents, letting out a maniacal laughter. ¡°E¡­ha¡­ha, hahaha! Now you are a p, p, part of my family¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Family, you say.¡± ¡°Eha¡­ah?¡± The doctor could only return a confused gaze to the dragonlord. His eyes then fell on the syringe in hand that he pulled out, clearly emptied of its contents. ¡°W, w, w, why¡­is it¡­not¡­w, working?¡± Clink! Serenis slapped the haggard arms holding the syringe, sending the device flying out of the doctor¡¯s grasp. Of course the needle would have no effect on her; the doctor was practically injecting the owner with her own mana. ¡°D, d, did something happen¡­to the drug? W, why is it n, n, not working¡­you, or t, that¡­enforcer¡­¡± A snorting laughter came from Serenis as the doctor¡¯s ignorance continued. ¡°Just whose mana do you think you are using?¡± A momentary crunching sound filled the room as an alien sensation crunched into the doctor¡¯s left leg. When he looked down, an iron rod made of magic had smashed into his left calf, breaking the bones within and twisting his leg in a manner that shouldn¡¯t be twisting in. ¡°Ah¡­HHHHHHCK!!¡± ¡°After harming those of your own brethren, did your heart not suffer even the slightest guilt?¡± Another crunching noise filled the doctor¡¯s ears as his right calf was smashed in the exact same manner. He collapsed to the floor as his legs gave away. And still, not even a hint of satisfaction could be seen in the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. ¡°When others suffered for your sake, did you not have the courage to suffer the same yourself?¡± The doctor frantically wove his arms in denial. His desperate cries filled the lab, bolstered by his desire to survive. ¡°D, d, daughter! Daughter!! Stop this fiend! NOW!!¡± At the doctor¡¯s barked order, Light hesitantly took half a step forward, slowly approaching the wounded man and her peer. The half girl¡¯s voice mirrored the reluctance in her steps. ¡°Z, Zion¡­.I¡­¡± Then, a red tail barred her path. Ilias was worriedly looking at her little sister, shaking her head. ¡°¡­Light. You¡¯re not his daughter.¡± ¡°But¡­I¡­am¡­¡± ¡°Then who¡¯re the people waiting for you at home?¡± ¡°You know they aren¡¯t my real parents¡­I was born here. The doctor made me. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t be¡­me.¡± ¡°¡­Light, being born somewhere doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s your home. And your parents don¡¯t always have to be the people who made you.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°¡­¡± While the youngling lectured her little sister, Serenis flicked her fingers as an invisible grip tugged on the doctor¡¯s collar, pulling him back upright. She turned around and tossed the figure sideways, making him fall onto the floor in front of the two girls. Even then, the doctor was frantically reaching for the syringe that had fell out of his grasp. When he realized that it was too far, he immediately turned to Light. ¡°D, d, daughter! Ki¡­kirrlllr¡­..kill them! Kill them all! Get me, o, o, out!! Listen to me, I, I, I am¡­your f, f, father!!¡± Although Light¡¯s gaze met the doctor¡¯s, she could not hear him properly; the buzzing in her head was beginning to drown out the world surrounding her. Her breathing grew heavy as she struggled to remain focused, and she could feel her obligation as a daughter conflicting with everything she¡¯d grown to be. A long time ago, she wouldn¡¯t have had a choice under the influence of his curse; Light would do as he said, and she wouldn¡¯t have had to think or ponder on what she did. Now, even after years of living free of his influence, she found it difficult to go against his words. She couldn¡¯t even discern what was right. But in her panicked confusion, a soft warmth wrapped around her as Ilias embraced the trembling half girl. The dragon softly patted her little sister on the head, whispering as gently as she could. ¡°Light, I don¡¯t know a lot about family, but¡­I can tell you this for sure. A parent, should mean so much more than just a person who created you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be all there is to being family, right? We¡¯re not related, but you¡¯re my little sister. No one can tell me otherwise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Children should obey their parents. Children owed their parents for the life they were given. Family should care for each other, and never abandon each other. The doctor had drilled those ideas into Light ever since she was able to understand human tongue, and the outside world seemed to agree, at least for the most part. Maybe it was low, even animalistic, to despise a father figure for personal reasons. But who made up those rules? According to the same principles, Ilias was a horrible person. She abandoned her home and family to occasionally live with those of another race altogether, claiming them to be her family despite already having family elsewhere. Light shut her eyes and shook her head, washing the ill thoughts off of her mind. It couldn¡¯t be. Her kind, caring sister couldn¡¯t possibly be a horrible person. All the reverted animals began to leer and growl at the collapsed figure on the floor. The hatred in their eyes spread like wildfire towards the source of their suffering. Unlike the half girl that had desperately held onto human obligations, the animals showed no restraint in displaying their emotions. And, just maybe, they were right in doing so. Light knelt on one knee, facing the doctor with trembling eyes. A pained expression crossed her face as she began to speak for everyone around her, holding an arm outwards to keep the other animals from lashing out against the fallen man. ¡°¡­Doctor.¡± ¡°Daughter¡­! T, there are more needles on my d, d, desk. Hurry¡­!¡± The half girl shook her head in denial, remaining still on the ground. ¡°Why¡­did you do this to us?¡± ¡°W¡­w, what? Do¡­what?¡± ¡°Doctor¡­you said we were your children. But were we really family to you?¡± ¡°O, o, of, of course! All of you¡­are my d, d, dear children! Every, every single o, one!¡± ¡°¡­How come you never paid attention to us? Why did you hurt us?¡± ¡°I, I, I always h, have paid, attention! H, how could I ever h, h, hurt any of y, y, you?¡± ¡°Even when we starved and suffered, you didn¡¯t pay any attention to us. You let our friends and family become our feed¡­you experimented on us.¡± ¡°No¡­no, no, no, no...I¡­I wanted you all to b, b, become, perfect! Yes, I wanted you to¡­become¡­perfect beings¡­¡± ¡°¡­And we weren¡¯t family if we didn¡¯t seem perfect to you. You were disappointed when we evolved to be normal halves. You called us failures when we didn¡¯t turn out to be what you wanted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you didn¡¯t care when everyone else died? Or when I ran away alone, all those years ago?¡± ¡°D, daughter¡­I was just b, busy, at the time. O, of course I cared.¡± ¡°You know¡­before, I thought this was normal. I thought all families were like this. But now I know¡­that not everyone lives like us.¡± ¡°I, I perfected you, daughter! Thanks to me, y, you became, a p, p, person. No parent can d, d, do what I did for y, you.¡± Light shut her eyes. She winced at the remark because it was true; no other person could do what the doctor had done to her. If it weren¡¯t for him, she¡¯d still be a stray cat roaming the sewers. She never would¡¯ve met her parents, or teachers, or any of her friends. But it wasn¡¯t thanks to him she had all those bonds. She¡¯d found those herself ¨C after risking her life to run away from this place. Never for a moment did the half girl miss the life she had here. Her creator had no place in the life she chose. ¡®¡­I wonder if mom and dad found out we¡¯re gone. I hope they¡¯re not outside looking for us¡­¡¯ A soft warmth washed away the pain in Light¡¯s expression. She could imagine her parents at the door, waiting for her to come back with Ilias. They¡¯d be worried, and maybe a tiny bit angry, but simply relieved that their daughters had come back home safe and sound. Surely, they¡¯d welcome them home. Just as always. When Light opened her eyes, her body was no longer shaking. She no longer saw a twisted father figure in her eyes. It was just a delusional man who¡¯d given her the courage to run away and find her life. ¡°Doctor. Do you know my name?¡± ¡°¡­N¡­n, name?¡± ¡°My name. My name is Light.¡± ¡°B..b, b, but¡­I¡­never¡­¡± ¡°When we became family, they gave me this name hoping that I¡¯ll never live in a dark place again. They hoped that I¡¯ll always be a bright person.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My parents¡­gave me this name.¡± Ep 43. Do You Know My Name? (8) Ep 43. Do You Know My Name? (8) Beyond the clutter of items on the old wooden table, Serenis could spot a peculiar black cloth, hiding the item beneath. It was what she¡¯d been looking for ever since coming into this lab ¨C a faint, familiar feeling tugging on her senses, as if a fragment of herself was standing before her. But before unveiling its identity, the dragonlord spared a brief glance over to the others. ¡°Ilias. Take Light and the animals with you outside. And the men that have turned back.¡± ¡°Outside? What about you?¡± ¡°There are things I must still see to here. But with all the animals retrieved, you and your sister have no reason to remain.¡± ¡°¡­Light?¡± When the red dragon turned to the half girl, Light turned to the animals at her feet. Many of them were rubbing their heads against her legs, and even more were softly pushing her towards the exit. ¡®¡­I came so late, didn¡¯t I. Even though I knew you guys were still here all along¡­¡¯ For years, Light had pretended that this place did not exist. She¡¯d cut her ties and suppressed the memories, pretending to be a normal girl like any other. If she hadn¡¯t seen what her friends had turned into, and if Ilias hadn¡¯t been with her to accompany the half girl here, maybe she never would¡¯ve mustered the courage to return. But despite the half girl¡¯s guilt, the animals seemed to pay it no mind. Children from all sorts of species whimpered at their parents, simply eager to leave the foul lab with their families. ¡°¡­Yeah. We should go. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be people to help us outside.¡± When Light rose back up, all the lab animals excitedly ran towards the exit, waiting for the half girl to lead them outside. She spared the dragonlord a curt grin. ¡°¡­Should I be worried about leaving you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be more worried about where to take your friends.¡± ¡°Pft¡­don¡¯t blame me if you get lost on the way out.¡± Given her friend¡¯s identity, their occasional jerk-like behavior was starting to make sense to Light. It was the epitome of those cranky dragons that appeared in storybooks. And Serenis was right; this isn¡¯t where Light wanted to be. With everyone to accompany her outside, it was no longer where she needed to be. They¡¯d saved what animals they could, and other enforcers would eventually reach this place to apprehend the doctor and retrieve Iris. Ilias made an apologetic smile to Serenis as she quickly picked up the three unconscious men in her arms. ¡°Lord Serenis, I¡­would stay, but¡­¡± ¡°Go with your sister. I¡¯ll be along shortly with our enforcer here; her wounds will need tending before she¡¯s moved.¡± The red dragon spared a brief glance towards the unconscious mage on the chair, then towards the doctor. His sullen eyes resentfully stared at the animals leaving the lab with Light, but his broken legs didn¡¯t allow him to do much other than claw at the floor. And even if he could move, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything he could do to threaten the dragonlord. ¡°¡­Alright. See you soon.¡± After the brief goodbye, Ilias quickly followed her little sister outside as her footsteps grew further and further. The doctor desperately began to crawl across the floor. His legs dragged behind him as he crudely made his way towards the door. ¡°W, w, w, wait! D, daughter! My children¡­!¡± Another small crunching noise reverberated throughout the lab as a metal rod formed out of thin air and slammed into the doctor¡¯s skull, knocking him out cold. Serenis couldn¡¯t be bothered to elect a nicer way to silence him. ¡°Sleep. It¡¯ll be over when you¡¯re awake.¡± The dragonlord finally returned her gaze to the cloth. She swiftly uncovered it, and the dim light of the candle illuminated what had been hidden beneath. The removed fabric revealed a pendant, embedded with a blue jewel that was cracked all over ¨C as if it had been pieced together after shattering. Parts of it were chipped at, likely by the doctor himself who¡¯d sampled small pieces to mix into his concoctions. It was the kirium pendant the institution used for their mock duels. A used one at that. Serenis briefly recalled her duel with Gio, but she failed to recall any moment where she¡¯d used a star-aspected spell. In fact, the headmaster had shattered the pendant himself before the stone had collected any of her mana at all. ¡®When did this¡­?¡¯ Then, her memory flashed a little further back ¨C to the day she had awoken in this body, being assaulted by a human child holding a twig. At the end of that duel, the dragonlord had blasted the child with rays of light to scare him. Rays of light, raining down from¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®It made sense that star-aspected mana would meet the conditions for this supposed ¡®mana evolution¡¯. I was curious where a human would¡¯ve obtained it, but¡­to think someone would piece a used spell back together¡­¡¯ Serenis scoffed at the sight; she wasn¡¯t sure whether to call the doctor¡¯s efforts diligent or stubborn. She didn¡¯t even know how the pendant had ended up in his hands, but as far as she was concerned, he could¡¯ve dug it out of a trash can. The dragon snatched the pendant into her hand, this time incinerating it to dust within her grasp. Not a single fragment remained as the mana scattered into the air, diluting into a pure, natural state.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡®Now, with that aside¡­¡¯ When Serenis turned her gaze to Iris, she could see Iris¡¯ pale red eyes silently studying the dragonlord. And when their eyes met, the enforcer finally elected to open her mouth. ¡°¡­Zion.¡± ¡°Were you awake? One moment.¡± The dragon nonchalantly approached the enforcer to stand behind their chair, physically undoing the ropes keeping Iris in place. Once the bindings were undone, Serenis examined the wounds on Iris¡¯ body, only to find them rapidly healing back on their own. The injuries regenerated at unnatural speeds while emitting a faint blue light from the enforcer¡¯s magic, soon disappearing without a trace. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t require aid?¡± ¡°¡­Not at the moment. Were you planning to use a healing spell? Your duel with Gio was a sight to behold, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d also be versed with recovery magic.¡± ¡°I do not know how to heal your wounds, I only meant to prevent them from worsening. Also¡­were you present during that event? I do not recall seeing you.¡± ¡°I was. But that matters little right now.¡± ¡®Does it? I¡¯d rather like to know why you remained silent all along when you were perfectly capable of intervening.¡¯ Serenis swallowed the words as Iris confirmed her body to be functionally normal, rising to her feet. Her usual workface returned, along with her stern, questioning eyes ¨C and they were staring right into the dragonlord beside her. ¡°Zion. I realize we¡¯ve already gone through necessary procedures, but I must ask you again. Are you really¡­human?¡± Serenis indifferently stared back at Iris. The enforcer had tested this before, and there was nothing that should be giving her identity away in appearance. Even Ilias had struggled to ascertain the dragonlord¡¯s identity with her tied hair and lack of draconic features. ¡°I am. As you¡¯ve already proven.¡± ¡°¡­Before today, while your achievements have been extraordinary, they were still within the realms of a genius. I¡¯d long committed myself to disregarding the strangeness of your aptitude in magic. However, the mana you seemed to absorb from the doctor¡¯s beasts¡­and the fact that a dragon refers to you as ¡®Lord Serenis.¡¯ I cannot let these slide.¡± The dragonlord slowly turned away, unable to meet the enforcer¡¯s gaze. She¡¯d thought Iris to be unconscious all along, but clearly, Iris had been long awake since their arrival. ¡®A foolish mistake. I suppose it¡¯s far too late to cover her eyes now¡­¡¯ After a long pause followed by a sigh, Serenis turned to face Iris once more. ¡°My original name is Serenis.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re a dragon. Correct?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, as you seem to be predicting, I am not truly a human. I am of the dragonkin.¡± ¡°Original name¡­is your human identity a stolen one? Where is the real Zion?¡± ¡°Before you. It is not one or the other; I am dragonlord Serenis, as I am a human named Zion.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot tell you much more, for I simply do not know better. This is how it was when I came to.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Zion¡¯ was an individual confirmed to be human through a kirium spell check. At the same time, it was an individual with insensible amounts of mana, an unorthodox usage of magic for a human person, a calm demeanor unfitting of their age, and an appearance that continued to remain altered indefinitely in a rather feminine form. ¡®Logically, it makes sense. It¡¯s a logical explanation.¡¯ But logically, a human person couldn¡¯t simultaneously be a dragon. ¡°¡­Why¡­how come you¡¯re disguised as a human student in the first place?¡± ¡°To learn about the divine and to meet these entities.¡± ¡°The divine?...The Twelve? There¡¯s no guarantee that disguising yourself as a student will allow you to meet a deity.¡± ¡°Perhaps you have a better alternative in mind then?¡± Iris shut her lips. A few ideas came to mind, none very practical. ¡°This disguise may be pointless, but hearing cursory knowledge and chasing fraudulent rumors are still a better alternative to doing nothing.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you want to meet the Twelve in the first place?¡± ¡°To liberate this star.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I wish to liberate this star. I wish for a world without the divine to oppress others.¡± ¡®And later, I wish to tell my brethren that our deaths weren¡¯t in vain.¡¯ It was impossible to tell if the enforcer was taking the remark seriously with her unchanging expression. She instead shook her head, denying the thought altogether. ¡°¡­The Twelve do not oppress us.¡± ¡°Is that an unwavering covenant? Or simply your wish?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All rulers are prone to corruption and depravity. A human king can at least be dealt by humans. If these deities were to suddenly decide that your species are to be eradicated, what can you lot possibly accomplish?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a pointless conjecture. Why would the divine suddenly decide to eradicate mankind? No such thing could happen.¡± ¡°I would love to agree.¡± Another sigh escaped the dragon¡¯s lips as she closed her eyes in reflection. ¡®I, too, wish it was a pointless speculation. I wish there was a reason behind why the First deemed the demonkin unworthy to live. A reason¡­¡¯ For what it was worth, dragons had survived through the millennium. Even though no other demon tribe had survived, Serenis¡¯ own tribe had survived the bloodshed. It was their lord¡¯s duty, then, to guarantee their survival ¨C to care for her children, to eliminate even the smallest possibility of their dreaded history repeating again. ¡°I wish¡­there was a reason behind it all.¡± Iris studied the dragonlord with a perplexed gaze. Her eyes were muddled with doubt, but given her position, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to shrug off their words as a senseless fear. ¡°Then your status as a student¡­was solely to meet the deities? To eliminate them?¡± ¡°I cannot say. I do not know how these deities yet came to be, and what I do thereafter will be decided once I know of their origin. But to know, I must first meet them.¡± The mage let out an empty laughter at the dragon¡¯s remark. Things were finally starting to make sense to her. Not much sense, but still some. ¡°¡­I¡¯m still finding this hard to believe.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t. It¡¯d be far more convenient if you chose not to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that either¡­friendly or not, dragons are still a potential threat to us. Especially if it was their lord.¡± ¡°And what purpose would that serve? I do not oppose mankind.¡± ¡°¡­A questionable statement, but I¡¯ll take it. If you¡¯re not keen on destroying us, then could you lend a hand with cleaning up the mess here?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t need it. You have plenty more hands on the way.¡± ¡°? More hands?¡± Serenis glanced towards the open entrace of the lab. She could hear a series of footsteps rapidly growing closer; leading them a short distance away was a rather familiar presence. ¡°¡­They must¡¯ve met halfway.¡± ? ? ? A few minutes ago¡­ ¡°Uh¡­what is all this?¡± ¡°Um¡­you see¡­well¡­¡± Rghf? Nyan? Chirp? ¡°¡­We¡¯re¡­um¡­lost animal friends?...¡± Light stammered to answer the enforcement sector¡¯s agent who was curiously studying the group of animals behind the half girl. They¡¯d only made it halfway out of the canals until they encountered the huge group of mages. The agent slowly drifted his gaze from the half girl to the dragon following her. Three bodies were neatly piled on top of her shoulders. ¡°¡­Are those people you¡¯re carrying, miss?¡± Ilias darted her gaze from the questioning agent, then at Light, then back at the agent. ¡°Oh wait, you¡¯re talking to me? Uh...yeah! They couldn¡¯t walk, so I¡¯m carrying them outside.¡± The agent squinted his eyes as he noticed the familiarity of the people being carried by the red dragon. When he approached her to inspect them closer, the agent could make out their identities. ¡°Wait, this is¡­James Welsh? William Keller? These are people who¡¯ve been missing for months!¡± As the group of mages began to mutter amongst themselves, a peculiar enforcer pushed through their midst, walking up to the front. His hand was firmly gripping on his bandaged side, limping forward using his staff as a cane. He first confirmed the missing individuals being carried by the dragon, then the half girl who was worriedly looking at him. ¡°Move, let me see. What¡¯s going on? How¡¯re you guys coming from the inside? All the sewer gates should¡¯ve been under surveillance.¡± When the dragon found herself lost for words, Light began stammering out an answer in her stead. ¡°¡­Sorry, we¡­snuck in¡­¡± ¡°Snuck in? What happened in there?¡± ¡°Uh, everyone here had turned into monsters¡­but my friend turned them back using magic. He told us to leave first and that he¡¯d be right along, so¡­¡± ¡°Friend? Friend who? What¡¯s their name?¡± ¡°Zion. He¡¯s my friend at the institute.¡± ¡°Zion?¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± ¡°¡­My little brother Zion?¡± ¡°Uh¡­huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Where is he right now?¡± Ep 44. Lords Are Mean. (1) Ep 44. Lords Are Mean. (1) ¡°Ugh¡­never thought I¡¯d work as an animal guide at two in the morning.¡± ¡°Interesting that you sound so tired. Iris did most of the work.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Patrick glanced at his little sibling from the corner of his eyes on their way home. Despite having worked for hours finding homes for all the animals and the missing people that had been found, the dragonlord didn¡¯t sound tired at all. ¡°¡­You¡¯re in a better shape than I thought. According to your friends, you were fighting beasts, apprehending Eisenhoff¡­all that cleanup afterwards¡­you oughta be a little tired after all that.¡± ¡°Again, Iris did most of the work. She held those portals open for hours on end while we merely walked back and forth guiding the critters outside.¡± ¡°¡­Come to think of it, didn¡¯t you say you can use every magic element? How come you can¡¯t use portal spells?¡± A judgmental stare was the first answer Patrick received. The verbal answered that followed showed no restraint in hiding Serenis¡¯ disappointment. ¡°¡¯Can use¡¯ and ¡®do use¡¯ are different, Patrick. I am not omnipotent. Such spells did not even exist in my time.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Picking up the pieces after Doctor Eisenhoff¡¯s arrest had wrapped up quite smoothly through the sector¡¯s work overnight, especially with Iris¡¯ help. The animals that had escaped the lab with Light were either transported back to the wilderness or care facilities. The missing people that were found had to be sent back to their homes ¨C and in such instances that required massive amounts of traveling by large number of people, a portal spell came in all too handy. Which, to Serenis, was unheard of. The spell itself was doubtlessly a human invention, likely developed to minimize the risks involved with teleportation spells. ¡°It¡¯s pleasantly surprising that humans have advanced magic in some ways.¡± ¡°Portals aren¡¯t all that great, though. Difficulty is one thing, but they cost way too much mana to use. It¡¯s even less efficient than teleporting, so not many people pick it up in the first place.¡± ¡°Is that why you never learned it yourself? Because it¡¯s too difficult?¡± ¡°¡­No. I just don¡¯t have the right affinity for it.¡± ¡°A convenient excuse, that.¡± ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t use it either!¡± ¡°The kin can fly. Unlike you, we¡¯re not abysmally slow without magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Patrick¡¯s hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the night sky, casually avoiding the judgmental eyes staring at him from the side. Another day, another case closed, no notable casualties besides his own injuries. It was a decent night already. No need to make it worse by arguing with a dragon. ¡°¡­By the way, what made you leave the house anyways? I get the whole thing about this Light-girl being related to Eisenhoff and that dragon girl going with her, but it didn¡¯t sound like you had anything to do with the case.¡± ¡°That doctor figure was making those abominations using my mana.¡± ¡°Your mana? How¡¯d he get his hands on that?¡± ¡°He possessed a stone that held some of it.¡± ¡°A stone? We didn¡¯t find anything like that in his lab.¡± ¡°I destroyed it before your arrival.¡± Patrick slowly nodded his head. If it was anyone else, he might¡¯ve questioned why their mana was inducing evolutionary disasters, or what their mana was even doing in the hands of a mad scientist ¨C but he¡¯d long figured that questioning such things about his little sibling answered little to nothing. The best course was to nod and move on. ¡°¡­So your mana was inducing the evolution in all those animals then. Interesting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an embarrassment to call their suffering an evolution. Animals were not meant to carry such mana.¡± Serenis bit her lips as she finished her last sentence. ¡®¡­Animals are not meant to evolve into halves in the first place.¡¯ During her first meeting with Karas, Serenis had thought him to be a peculiar-looking monster. When she¡¯d laid her eyes on the numerous halves in the city, she¡¯d thought them all to be some alternate version of mankind. These so-called ¡®halves¡¯ were different from halves she knew.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Half demon, half man. That¡¯s all halves had ever meant to Serenis: halfbloods that were shunned by man and demon alike. They¡¯d band amongst themselves to become a tribe of their own, led by her own daughter that would later come to be known as halflord. - ¡®My place isn¡¯t with the dragonkin, mother. They need me, just as the kin needs you.¡¯ The dragonlord brooded in silence amidst the haunting memories. The walk home felt longer than it should have. When did the halflord stop calling her mother? She couldn¡¯t remember. She didn¡¯t want to. ? ? ? After the long night drew to a close, Serenis was greeted with another morning sun, and another day of schooling. After what had transpired the night before, she¡¯d been worried about Light¡¯s condition, but¡­ ¡°You know, a few years ago I used to ask Ilias to carry me on her back all the time. Flying was super fun! But this one time, we went up really high and it was SO cold. I don¡¯t know how she manages to stay warm up there.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡°My parents were freaking out because we were so high up. Both of them aren¡¯t fond of heights¡­now that I think about it, I wonder if there are dragons that are scared of heights too? I heard baby birds can be scared of heights, so maybe baby dragons are the same?¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± As per usual, Serenis was barely listening. Contrary to her worries, the half girl was completely back to her old, chatty self ¨C Light¡¯s small talk once again occupied the vast majority of the dragonlord¡¯s hearing throughout their day. If anything, the little girl seemed even more eager to talk than before. Once again, Serenis was realizing silence is gold. Meanwhile, Karas was busily continuing his history lecture, highlighting the final bits of a century-old war amongst humans. The crow-headed professor spared a momentary glance towards the dragon in his class, and began to add on an extra bit about the dragonkin¡¯s involvement in it. ¡°Now, when the Akeian empire rose to power and devastated the continent, many remaining factions rallied to resist their advances. What we don¡¯t commonly note is that the empire not only challenged nations, but dragons. The kin¡¯s seclusion was temporarily terminated as they joined the fray under their leader against the empire¡¯s advance.¡± Karas cleared his throat. He looked to the class, scanning the room for any bright students. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if any of you know this. What is the name of the dragon that led their kin during this period?¡± Serenis began to recall her brief quest on finding the current dragonlord. Raizel and Ilias had spoken of this particular subject. ¡®This must be that dragon the younglings had spoken of.¡¯ During their first encounter, the younglings had told Serenis of a war leader that was elected among the kin. Or, in the words of the steel dragon, the ¡®crazy old hag.¡¯ Unfortunately, the name hadn¡¯t been mentioned. Silence momentarily befell the room as other students failed to answer the question as well. The question practically had nothing to do with human affairs, nor the history of magic; there was no way a normal student would know such things. But when silence continued on, a familiar voice soon spoke up from outside the open window. ¡°Ephea.¡± The class turned towards the source of the noise in unison. A peculiar individual stood outside, peeking inside with their crimson eyes. Her light purplish hair was a mess from flying. Her scaled red tail wagged left and right in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s Ephea. Father told me her name before.¡± Ilias stood outside the classroom window, her eyes fixed on Serenis who was fortunately(?) sitting right next to it. When their eyes met, the youngling rapidly waved her hand from the other side of the window towards both her lord and her little sister sitting beside. It was almost as if she was reuniting with family she hadn¡¯t seen in ages. Light¡¯s eyes twitched in disbelief. Her sister had spoken then and there of wanting to visit the institute, but not even in her dreams did the half girl expect the visit to take place in the middle of class. ¡®Does she not know she can¡¯t just intrude like that?!...Wait, she¡¯s a dragon, she probably never went to school¡­I guess it¡¯s kinda normal¡­¡¯ Then, the half girl¡¯s eyes slowly shifted over to the fellow student beside her. A dragon who, for some reason, was attending a human institution. ¡®¡­On second thought, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s normal anymore.¡¯ Meanwhile, the other students were each under a small panic attack of their own. An odd peer, they could grow used to. Students schooling teachers, they could grow used to. Dragons outside their class window? Nope. Following Ilias¡¯ sudden interruption, a pair of the institute¡¯s security members appeared in the distance, running after the dragon standing outside. ¡°There she is!¡± ¡°M¡­miss! You can¡¯t intrude ongoing classes like this!¡± Ilias turned to face them in dismay. She raised her hands defensively as she stammered to answer. ¡°Huh?¡­But I¡¯m outside!¡± Once caught up, the two threateningly raised their staffs at the dragon girl. Serenis watched the scene unfold in mild amusement. ¡®Do they actually think that¡¯s threatening to her?¡¯ She still vividly remembered Ilias pummeling a steel dragon into the earth with a single strike. The youngling could probably level the entire facility here if she wanted to. One may question why the institution¡¯s security had elected to challenge a dragon with only a single pair of security guards, but truthfully, the pair was doing what they could; the question should be where the rest of the security was, while the only two that had shown face were shivering as if they were trapped in a blizzard. At least these two were trying to do their jobs properly. One of them opened their trembling mouths, barking out a response that could¡¯ve sounded much better without all the stammering. ¡°O-outside or not, you¡¯re disturbing the class. This is n¡­n¡­now allowed!¡± ¡°Now allowed?¡± ¡°I meant not allowed!¡± Ilias puffed her cheeks in discontent. Then, she turned towards the window and spoke to the class in its entirety. ¡°Am I really that disturbing? I¡¯ll be quiet out here, I won¡¯t say anything anymore¡­¡± Normally, one would expect her to look towards the instructor to give her such permissions. Failing that, the two securities. Instead, Ilias¡¯ puppy eyes were directed towards a very uncomfortable pair of students who were both trying their hardest to say ¡®I have nothing to do with this situation¡¯ through their expressions. It was perhaps the very first time where Light had so adamantly refused to meet her big sister¡¯s gaze. Puzzled by the evident lack of attention, the red dragon pressed further. ¡°Light? Lord S-?¡° ¡°???.¡± ¡°¡­Mnf? Mngh!¡± Ilias¡¯ mouth immediately shut itself, cutting her off mid-sentence. Her muffled voice tried to formulate additional words, but to no avail. The dragonlord would¡¯ve preferred not to use the binding spell again, but she had to ¨C for fear the youngling would destroy her human ruse. Serenis glared at the red dragon outside, dearly wishing that no one had heard what she¡¯d just whispered under her breath. Or was about to whisper under her breath. ¡°Go. Away.¡± As the binding took effect, Ilias¡¯ crimson wings spread out in an instant as she took flight, soaring off into the distance. ¡°¡­¡± The securities watched Ilias fly away, relieved that they were successful in accomplishing their jobs. Though, neither of them were exactly sure how they did it. Tap. Tap. After tapping the chalkboard twice to regain attention, Karas nonchalantly continued his class as if nothing had happened at all. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s resume class, shall we?¡± Dragons in his class? Nothing new, happens every day. Ep 45. Lords Are Mean. (2) Ep 45. Lords Are Mean. (2) ¡°Ah, Enforcer Alpid. I didn¡¯t expect you to be back on duty so quick.¡± Iris was in the midst of scanning the documents piled on her desk. She didn¡¯t even bother to look up at the agent who¡¯d walked into her office as she replied. ¡°If I can work, I work. Especially when we¡¯re down a person.¡± Unfortunately, despite Patrick¡¯s insistence of being fine, he¡¯d been laid off until he was fully recovered. The mage hadn¡¯t been able to be healed like Iris: various ailments and wounds that had suffered too long couldn¡¯t be healed through magic. ¡®Although by that logic, I shouldn¡¯t have been healed either, but¡­¡¯ The enforcer¡¯s thoughts trailed off as the agent placed more documents on her desk. Only then did Iris pay some attention to him, eyeing the new files from top to bottom. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the files we have on the red dragon and the two students from last night. The chief¡¯s worried about Eisenhoff¡¯s information leaking out through them.¡± Iris scoffed at the supposed ¡®worry¡¯ as she skimmed the papers. It contained their appearances, addresses, frequented establishments, and even the details of people they lived with. And, somewhat to her expectation, Zion¡¯s file displayed an image of a blue-haired boy. He looked nothing like the feminine white-haired student she¡¯d been seeing time and time again. ¡°So basically, the chief wants me to go silence them.¡± ¡°¡­He wanted to keep Eisenhoff¡¯s arrest a secret, with him being a runaway criminal and all. It could lead to the general public questioning the capability of the enforcement sector¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. Of course he¡¯s worried about saving face.¡± Iris crumpled the document in her hand, flinging it into the trash can. The vexed enforcer then rose from her seat, scowling at the agent. ¡°Locations?¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re planning to go immediately, the red dragon¡¯s last sighting was near Ilm Street, entering Rockfeller Tavern. Both students are still at the Magic Institute.¡± Iris immediately opened up a portal behind her, connecting her office to the reported tavern. She dismissively wove her hand at the agent, disappearing into the spell. ¡°Go tell the chief I can¡¯t wait for him to retire.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ? ? ? Ilias was on the verge of tears as she gulped down her 15th mug of beer. ¡°¡­Lass? Y¡¯alright?¡± The tavernkeep worriedly looked at the dragon girl as he brought out a 16th from the bar. The red dragon put down her emptied mug, looking at the burly man with teary eyes. ¡°¡­She didn¡¯t have to send me off like that¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I just wanted to see what a class was like! Do you know how lonely I was at home?! And even my sister looked away¡­it¡¯s only been a few years, and she¡¯s grown so cold. I bet it¡¯s that stupid institution¡¯s fault.¡± Ilias was practically bawling as she snatched the 16th mug from the tavernkeep¡¯s hands, gulping it down in one go. The keep shook his head as he watched the red dragon drink herself to oblivion. ¡®I¡¯ve seen a lot of crazy drunkards, but never have I seen a dragon become one.¡¯ After the mug showed its bottom, Ilias¡¯ head fell onto the table alongside the emptied cup, her drooling voice reverberating into the wooden table beneath her face. ¡°¡­Lords are mean.¡± ¡°Uh¡­right, landlords. Can never get ¡®em off your back.¡± The red dragon angrily raised her head, pouting back at the unrelated response. ¡°She¡¯s not a landlord! She¡¯s a lord!¡± ¡°Aight, I¡¯m done here. Anyone else wanna give it a try?¡± The tavernkeep glanced back at the other patrons filling the tables. Everyone either shrugged, laughed, or ignored him. Some shouted towards the drunken dragon from across the tavern floors. ¡°Not a worry, lass! You¡¯ll find someone else!¡± ¡°Yeah, forget about ¡®em!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t sound like she was talkin¡¯ about a love affair¡­¡± Truth be told, this wasn¡¯t Ilias¡¯ first visit at this tavern, nor was it her first time drinking here. But it definitely was her first time drinking like a whale while sulking over¡­well, anything. ¡®Light used to be so cute back then. We went everywhere together...can¡¯t believe she let Lord Serenis send me off like that.¡¯ To be fair, Light had told Ilias over and over that the dragon couldn¡¯t accompany her to school; that just wasn¡¯t how it worked. Unfortunately, for the dragon who¡¯d never attended a school, that message only translated to ¡®it¡¯s fine to come as long as you¡¯re not accompanying me there.¡¯ Which still wasn¡¯t how it worked. While the youngling reflected on their adamant refusal of her presence, a red portal suddenly opened up by the far wall as Iris swiftly jumped out of the glowing light, spotting Ilias immediately. ¡°Now, where¡¯s¡­huh?¡± The dragon raised her head to order a 17th helping. ¡°Hey keep¡­gimme another.¡± ¡°Aye, right away.¡± Just as the tavernkeep was about to fetch the dragon her 17th cup, Ilias tugged on his shirt. She reached into her jacket¡¯s pockets, producing a gold coin from inside. ¡°Oh yeah¡­here. Coin.¡± ¡°Ah shucks, I told you that you paid ¡®nuff for at least 50 beers now!¡± ¡°Hehe, who cares¡­I¡¯m rich¡­lord made me rich¡­¡± ¡°Pft. Aight then, lemme getcha somethin¡¯ to eat with all that liquor.¡± ¡°Thank yoouuuu¡­.¡± Iris blinked in confusion. She could clearly see the dragon¡¯s red tail and horns; it was definitely the dragon she¡¯d seen last night, the one she had on file. What she hadn¡¯t expected was to find the dragon drunk and delirious. ¡®¡­Then again, what else would someone do at a tavern.¡¯ Meanwhile, the not-so-drunk patrons were all staring at Iris. Being citizens of Partivine, they knew the enforcer all too well for being one of their most accomplished local officers. With her flashy appearance and all, they were expecting her to do something. But Iris simply stood there, shoulders sagged while picturing how talking to a drunk dragon would go. If talking to drunk humans was anything to go by, it wasn¡¯t going to go well. She¡¯d elected to see Ilias first because she didn¡¯t want to interrupt the students being lectured, but clearly, better life decisions could¡¯ve been made. The enforcer slowly reached her coat¡¯s inner pocket, producing a small glass jar filled with tiny black pills. She plucked one out and threw it into her mouth, crunching down with a distasteful look as strode over to the red dragon. ¡®I need a raise. I¡¯m not getting paid nearly enough for this.¡¯ Ep 46. Lords Are Mean. (3) Ep 46. Lords Are Mean. (3) Patrick fixed his composure in heavy breaths in the practicing fields, wiping off the sweat on his forehead. Piles of broken practice targets were littered around him, with blocks of shattered ice every then and there that gradually faded away. - ¡®And it certainly doesn¡¯t require as much mana as you claimed it does.¡¯ The enforcer bit his lips as he remembered what his little brother¡­or, sister?...sibling, had said. ¡®Damn it, ¡®doesn¡¯t cost as much mana¡¯ my ass! This spell¡¯s going to kill me before I pull it off.¡¯ Turns out he still couldn¡¯t use a Snow Claw spell properly. He was making progress, but at a snail¡¯s pace. ¡®The formula isn¡¯t even that hard¡­do I just have to wait for my reserve to grow? How do I¡­¡¯ ¡°Ah, Parma. There you are.¡± Patrick turned around to face the individual calling his name. It was one of the enforcement sector¡¯s agents, specifically one of the personnel that handled reports. ¡°Oh, hey. Didn¡¯t come to kick me out, did you? Didn¡¯t look like the training grounds were booked.¡± ¡°Haha, nothing like that. Though, are you alright practicing with your injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Figured I¡¯d come practice a spell I¡¯d been working on before, now that I have some time and all.¡± ¡°Diligent as ever, I see.¡± Patrick momentarily teared up as the compliment reached his ears. Somehow, it felt like an eternity since he¡¯d heard one. Surely he was imagining things. Not that the agent knew what was going on inside his head. He briefly glimpsed at the last remains of the dissipating ice before looking at Patrick again. ¡°Which spell?¡± ¡°Uh¡­Snow Claw.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that an 8th circle spell? I didn¡¯t realize you were so proficient in ice magic.¡± ¡°Long way to go, still.¡± The enforcer groaned, shrugging as he answered. A mana shortage wasn¡¯t exactly a problem he could fix overnight. ¡°Anyways, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Ah, you see, the chief had a job for Iris in the cities. I believe she¡¯s gone to interrogate the dragon from last night. But¡­ ¡°But?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t heard back from her for the entire day.¡± ¡°¡­The whole day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. There hasn¡¯t been any additional incident reports, but¡­as you know, it¡¯s not like Iris to go silent for so long.¡± Iris Alpid. She was undoubtedly the most active and hard-working of Mage Association¡¯s enforcement sector, and also a person who strictly lived by paranoid regulations that she¡¯d set for herself. She reported at least twice an hour on scene through magic, and that was assuming she didn¡¯t already wrap up the case in that time.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. However, Patrick still frowned at the request. While it was worrying news, it wasn¡¯t something that should¡¯ve been reaching him in the first place. ¡°And¡­you want me to check on her? Aren¡¯t others around?¡± ¡°Other enforcers aren¡¯t currently available, and agents never manage to keep up with Iris, so¡­unfortunately, yes. I know you¡¯re on leave, so this is only a personal favor. You¡¯re free to decline.¡± ¡°All the other enforcers are gone? What¡¯s Ray and Simon doing?¡± ¡°Simon was spotted sleeping on a park bench.¡± ¡°O¡­kay, where¡¯s Ray?¡± ¡°At the park, arresting Simon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ? ? ? ¡°Can you believe it?! Hide this, silence that¡­who does he think we are, journalists?¡± ¡°Aww, sorrryy to hear thattt¡­sounds like that chief personnn jus doesn¡¯t leave you alonee...¡± ¡°Right?! If he wanted the sector to look useful, he should make himself useful first!¡± ¡°Uh huh¡­uh huh¡­¡± The tavern¡¯s patrons were much quieter than usual. Partially because there was both a dragon AND an enforcer in there with them, and partially because it was entertaining to watch the intoxicated enforcer drunkenly talk behind her boss¡¯ back to an equally drunk dragon. Just an hour ago, Iris had rushed out of her portal to ¡®talk¡¯ with Ilias about keeping quiet regarding last night¡¯s events ¨C only to find out the dragon was too drunk to understand full sentences, let alone go somewhere quieter. Being on duty, Iris had reluctantly walked up to the red dragon in the off chance that she¡¯d be sensible enough to converse, but¡­ - ¡®Ilias?¡¯ - ¡®I¡­can¡¯t believeee¡­they told me to go awayyy¡­¡¯ - ¡®¡­That¡¯s very disheartening, but I believe my question was if you had a moment to talk.¡¯ - ¡®Kids grow too fasttt¡­don¡¯t you think soo?¡¯ - ¡®¡­Sure. You know, why I don¡¯t I just come around another day, seems I picked a bad time¡­¡¯ - ¡®Are you leaving me toooooo??¡¯ - ¡®What? No, I¡­¡¯ - ¡®C¡¯monnnn, have a seat!¡¯ - ¡®I really shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m on duty-¡¯ - ¡®Keep, two more! On mee!¡¯ - ¡®Aye aye!¡¯ - ¡®¡­Well, I suppose a drunken dragon could be potentially dangerous¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Crossing his arms, Patrick looked at the tavernkeep in disbelief. The burly man was looking away, whistling innocently from the questioning eyes of the enforcer beside him. ¡°¡­Seriously? ¡®Aye aye¡¯? You gave alcohol to an enforcer on duty?¡± ¡°Hey, I deliver what¡¯s ordered, I ain¡¯t got no business worryin¡¯ about whether my customer¡¯s on duty or not.¡± Patrick rubbed his aching forehead. As far as he was concerned, those who strictly bound themselves with regulations at a paranoid level were often trying to keep themselves away from certain behaviors. Just once, there was a time when Patrick drank with Iris ¨C and that was the day he learned what hers was. That woman could NOT control her drinking habits when exposed to alcohol. ¡®And out of all the people she could be drinking with¡­¡¯ Patrick¡¯s gaze shifted from his coworker to the dragon sitting on the neighboring chair. Admittedly, after last night¡¯s happening, both Iris and Patrick had grown a bit closer to the rather friendly red dragon. ¡®But that still doesn¡¯t mean you should be drinking with her on duty, Iris¡­¡¯ Patrick slowly made his way to the two drinking women, loudly clearing his throat as he stared at his coworker from the corner of his eyes. His tone was unusually oppressive as the mage tried to feign at least some form of dignity for their jobs. ¡°Enforcer Alpid. You¡¯re on duty.¡± ¡°¡­Patrick? Weren¡¯t you on leave?¡± He snatched the mug of beer away from Iris¡¯ hand. ¡°Yes, I still am. And you aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hey! Gimme that!¡± ¡°Are you drunk?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just keeping watch over the dragon¡­¡± ¡°Really? Because you don¡¯t need beer to keep watch, and I heard you haven¡¯t reported once since leaving.¡± ¡°¡­Just gimme that.¡± ¡°No.¡± Ilias drowsily watched the two enforcers fight. The alcohol had almost knocked the dragon off her senses by this point. ¡°Aww, don¡¯t fight¡­I¡¯ll buy you another one¡­¡± Iris made a sheepish smile towards the dragon, nodding her head in approval. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the sweetest thing? I¡¯ll make sure your name gets taken off our list later.¡± Patrick squinted in disbelief at his flushed coworker. ¡®Holy Maker, she¡¯s practically giggling. She¡¯s totally drunk. She sounds totally sober but she¡¯s totally drunk. She¡¯s spitting nonsense.¡¯ Patrick swiftly took hold of the staff hanging on his back. The staff¡¯s head began to glow in a shimmering green light as he tapped it over his coworker¡¯s head, putting her to sleep. ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s cooool¡­your staff is all glowyy¡­¡± And that was the last thing Ilias said before her head also fell into the table, falling asleep on its wooden surface. ¡°¡­¡± With the drinking pair now knocked out, Patrick looked towards the tavernkeep. The man was looking back at the enforcer with a pleading gaze. ¡°¡­Take ¡®em both if you can, will ya? Ain¡¯t no one gonna move that lass outta her table. I ain¡¯t kiddin¡¯ when I say I¡¯ve seen her sneeze flames before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I really should¡¯ve just stayed home.¡¯ Ep 47. Lords Are Mean. (4) Ep 47. Lords Are Mean. (4) Upon Serenis¡¯ return home in the afternoon, a rather peculiar scene greeted her beyond the front door. The house she lived in with Patrick was an ideal size for the two of them: two separate rooms, with a comfortable living space that separated them including the kitchen. Two opposing couches filled the space, with a low, large wooden table in between. But right now, both couches were occupied by rather familiar figures. With his usual spots occupied, Patrick was sitting by one of the stools at the kitchen, greeting his little sibling who¡¯d just walked in. ¡°Uh¡­welcome home.¡± Serenis looked towards the dragon filling one of the cushions. ¡°¡­What¡¯s she doing in our nest.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± She then turned her gaze over to the opposing cushion, noting the female enforcer occupying it. ¡°¡­And what¡¯s she doing in our nest.¡± ¡°You see¡­¡± To make matters worse, a peculiar scent filled the household, one that even the dragonlord could recognize from her era: that odd drink every race seemed so keen to drink to their deaths, especially on celebratory occasions. Or depressing occasions. ¡°Is bringing intoxicated women to one¡¯s nest a new human custom?¡± ¡°NO!! Of course not!¡± ¡°Then explain what this is.¡± Serenis sarcastically wove her hand across the air towards the two sleeping figures. Ilias and Iris were sound asleep, reeking of alcohol. ¡°So you see¡­Iris, I guess I¡­caught her slacking? I took her back to work, but they told me to take her away since it was time for her to be off anyways¡­and I have no clue where she lives.¡± ¡°¡­And Ilias?¡± ¡°She, uh¡­fell asleep at the tavern, and the tavernkeep couldn¡¯t move her out of the table, so¡­¡± ¡°So you decided that it¡¯s a good idea to bring them here after intoxicating them.¡± ¡°They were already drunk when I found them! And what else was I supposed to do?! It¡¯s not like I know where either of them lives!¡± The dragonlord shrugged in response. ¡®Well, I know where one of them nests, at least.¡¯ Serenis wasn¡¯t particularly concerned as long as Patrick wasn¡¯t doing any harm to them; what did concern her, however, was Light going home to find that her big sister was nowhere to be found. The half girl had bolted home in guilt about sending Ilias off like that earlier. And to worsen the dragonlord¡¯s own guilt, her brother spoke up once more as he pointed at Ilias. ¡°And by the way, the dragon girl¡­Ilias? She kept muttering ¡°lord¡± this, ¡°lord¡± that in her sleep. Isn¡¯t that you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis neither denied nor confirmed the mage, instead simply looking away. And Patrick only pressed her further. ¡°It IS you, isn¡¯t it? Dragon¡¯lord¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± ¡°What did you do?? Come to think of it, how do you even know each other anyways? Sounded like you two knew each other even before last night.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rather long tale. I¡¯ll tell you another time.¡± Sighing, the dragonlord walked up to Ilias and wove her hand in the air. The young dragon¡¯s body began to slowly float upwards, and Serenis gently carried the levitating youngling towards the front door, waving dismissively at Patrick. ¡°I¡¯ll be a moment.¡± ¡°Wait, where¡¯re you going?¡± ¡°Her nest in this city.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You know where she lives?¡± ¡°I do. It¡¯s next to a dinery cart that sells nuts.¡± ¡°Nuts?¡± ¡°Donuts.¡± ¡°¡­? That¡¯s not a nut.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°¡­??...?¡± Serenis didn¡¯t bother clearing up Patrick¡¯s confusion, disappearing out the door with Ilias. Patrick shook his aching head. His gaze drifted back over to his sleeping coworker as he muttered a few words in an exaggerated, agonized voice. ¡°¡­Get up, Iris. I¡¯m the one supposed to be on leave, not you.¡± ? ? ? After a while, Patrick was leisurely leaned back on the opposing couch from Iris. He held a small book in hand, reading up on a biography of previous archmages. He¡¯d first began the read in hopes of gaining hints on reaching higher circles as a mage, but even historically, there were only so many individuals that had reached the level of archmage. Even reaching the 8th had taken the enforcer years after graduation, and higher circles were notorious for being exponentially more difficult to achieve. ¡®¡­¡¯50¡¯ my ass.¡¯ Patrick¡¯s little sibling had jokingly ¨C well, probably jokingly ¨C claimed to be at the 50th circle before. But this system of measuring magical aptitude ended at 12, with the 12th circle being a measure to describe the deity of mana herself. There was nothing beyond that in conventional measurements. Then again, his sibling wasn¡¯t exactly conventional. The book closed shut. Nowhere in this book would the author have written how to become a dragon or an archmage. The mage sighed, placing it down on the table as his gaze drifted towards the other couch. Iris was still laying on her side. Her posture remained the same. Nothing seemed to have changed at first glance. But her two ruby eyes were wide open, staring into her friend. Which Patrick freaked out about immediately. ¡°HOLY MAKER- if you¡¯re awake, say something!¡± Iris¡¯ expression remained absolutely static. When she slowly opened her mouth to speak, the enforcer¡¯s tone was oddly different than usual ¨C the usual work tone had been replaced with a sentimental, reflective voice. ¡°Patrick. You were aware, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°? What?¡± ¡°That your little brother¡­¡± Iris slowly fixed herself upright, straightening her jacket as she stood back up. Her eyes remained fixed on her friend, and her previous drunken self was nowhere to be seen. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t who they claim to be.¡± Patrick belatedly realized he shouldn¡¯t have been blabbering about the whole ¡®lord¡¯ deal in Iris¡¯ presence, asleep or not. But what really didn¡¯t make sense, was that Iris was taking that short previous remark seriously ¨C as if she only seeking confirmation to something she already knew. ¡°¡­No clue what you¡¯re talking about. Were you dreaming?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep, Patrick. Nor was I actually drunk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what all the alcoholics say.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two enforcers were staring at each other in silence with expressionless faces, but both of them knew the other was simply hiding what was really going on through their heads. If Patrick had known about his little sibling¡¯s identity beforehand, then it was a serious breach of duty to have remained silent about their false profile. And Iris was the last person to let such things slide. But Patrick then quizzically tilted his head. Iris wasn¡¯t saying a word, instead only staring at him like a statue. ¡®Where¡¯s the usual questioning? Where¡¯s the usual ¡®You¡¯re under arrest¡¯ phrase?¡¯ When the female enforcer finally opened her mouth, the words weren¡¯t anything Patrick had expected. ¡°¡­First¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°? What?¡± ¡°Starchild, protector, second...heart¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Patrick to realize his friend wasn¡¯t even talking to him as her eyes dropped to the floor. She was muttering to herself, almost as if he wasn¡¯t there at all. And he had absolutely no clue what his coworker was muttering under her breath. ¡°Uh¡­Iris?¡± ¡°Human, dragon¡­protector¡­how¡­¡± ¡°¡­Iris? You okay?¡± ¡°Human, dragon¡­wait, human. Human. That¡¯s it!¡± The muttering enforcer regained the gleam in her eyes as she came to her own conclusion. She finally seemed to take note of Patrick again as she pointed her finger at him; unlike the enforcer¡¯s usual stern demeanor, Iris wore a faint grin on her face, her tone noticeably elevated. ¡°Patrick, you get along with Zion, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­I guess? Why?¡± ¡°Great. Thanks. Sorry in advance.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Just when Patrick was beginning to think the alcohol had done something critical to his friend, layers of thick, pure mana flooded the living room in seconds. The mana in the air suddenly grew overwhelmingly dense, almost to a point where Patrick felt like he¡¯d be crushed by the pressure surrounding him. When Patrick tried to speak, the mage found his voice completely choked in. His trembling arms struggled to pull the rest of the body upright in an attempt to rise, but the effort was futile under the invisible weight over him. Meanwhile, Iris stood perfectly content under the same pressure. She nervously paced about the room, sparing occasional glances towards her choking friend. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Patrick. You¡¯ll be a step closer to archmage if you manage to live.¡± The pressure worsened as the surrounding mana began to crack into Patrick¡¯s body, soon rushing into him in gigantic waves. It was hardly any different from water rushing into his lungs while drowning; his heart quickened uncontrollably while trying to regulate the sudden influx of mana, but his human body could only handle so much. His body soon became limp as his consciousness was, quite literally, snuffed out. Iris casually walked over to fix her limp friend¡¯s posture so that he was lying down straight on the couch. Although Patrick was only unconscious, the practice seemed nothing short of Iris preparing to place him in a coffin. ¡°Hopefully your sibling isn¡¯t anything like mine.¡± Or else, Patrick really might end up in a coffin soon. The standing enforcer stretched her arms as she felt the atmosphere¡¯s mana coursing about her. After years of living in regular environments, the dense atmosphere even felt nostalgic in a way. ¡°Say Patrick, do you remember how long it¡¯s been since we graduated?...Oh right, you can¡¯t talk right now. My bad.¡± Iris began to reflect on her years spent as a student at the Magic Institute. Although she¡¯d never been caught, she was a ball of trouble in that place. ¡®¡­Disguising as a student to meet a deity, huh? Might¡¯ve actually worked a couple years ago.¡¯ ¡°Pft¡­haha.¡± Enforcer Iris Alpid, an alumnus of the Magic Institute who joined the enforcement sector immediately after her graduation with astute skills and understanding in magic. But little was known about her background, and even less about her history before enrolment. ¡°You know Patrick, I know you can¡¯t hear me right now, but I never liked my name. I like ¡®Iris¡¯ a lot better. It sounds so¡­normal. Don¡¯t you think so? ¡®Felicis¡¯ just sounds like a demon¡¯s name.¡± Ep 48. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (1) Ep 48. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (1) Click. Even though Serenis opened the door just as usual, the wood met intangible resistance as she pushed against it. Something was off about the air resonating from her nest¡¯s interior ¨C as if the space had secluded itself into a different region altogether. Waves of pure, thick mana coursed about her as Serenis walked into the living room. The air was heavy and dense beyond reason; those with lower mana capacities would doubtlessly be crushed under the pressure. ¡°There you are. Welcome back.¡± Serenis turned to the source of the voice. Contrary to her hopes, it wasn¡¯t Patrick who had greeted the dragon¡¯s return. Iris curtly wove her hand, sitting by one of the couches. The dragonlord¡¯s eyes narrowed as her sibling also came to view. Beside the female enforcer was Patrick, lying unconscious with a contorted expression and heaving breaths. ¡°¡­Is this your doing?¡± When Serenis was just about to approach the grinning enforcer, Iris held out her hand in a stopping motion. Her other hand was gently placed on Patrick¡¯s forehead. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat on the other side? I¡¯m keeping his heart from bursting, but I just might slip my hand if you come too close. You should know how dangerous an environment like this is for humans.¡± A horrifying glare pierced Iris¡¯ figure as soon as she made her request. Serenis spoke through gritted teeth. Her fists tightened as waves of mana violently rippled out of her own heart. ¡°¡­Should it happen, you will live the same fate.¡± ¡°Good, so this threat does work. I was worried you wouldn¡¯t care.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be so angry. I just wanted to have an honest conversation with you, Starchild.¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes momentarily flinched as she heard what Iris had referred to her as. ¡®¡­¡¯Starchild¡¯?¡¯ ¡®Starchild¡¯ was a title that dated back to the dragonlord¡¯s own era. In the present, hardly anyone even knew that dragons had a lord, much less said lord¡¯s titles. The enforcer simply watched the contemplating dragonlord in amusement. She opened her mouth again before Serenis¡¯ thoughts could reach too far. ¡°Starchild. I have lots of things to tell you right now, but first¡­I¡¯d like you to swear to never speak of anything that¡¯s said in this room tonight. And I¡¯d prefer if you swore on your actual name, not ¡®Zion.¡¯¡± Serenis¡¯ glare remained furious as enforcer continued to speak. Small doubts began to plague the dragon¡¯s mind as Iris hinted at the dragonlord¡¯s actual name. ¡®...She knows. But how?¡¯ Unfortunately, all peaking curiosities had to be subdued. With her family held hostage, questions could not take precedence. Slowly, Serenis walked towards the opposing side, seating herself with a furious scowl. ¡°¡­I swear. On my name as Dragonlord Serenis.¡± The enforcer nodded back, sighing in both relief and satisfaction. Iris closed her eyes as her figure faintly began to glimmer in blue. The light soon engulfed her entire body, rendering her into a glowing silhouette. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Iris Alpid, an enforcer of the Mage Association¡¯s enforcement sector. And¡­¡± Iris stretched out her arm and snapped her fingers. Following the noise was an explosion of the shrouding light, scattering in faded fragments to reveal a completely different person underneath. The enforcer¡¯s uniform-like clothing had been replaced with a long, fluttering white robe that was worn over her black dress. Despite the blue ornament bands keeping the waist and arms tightened, the sheer length of her clothing made them drag unto the floor. Her hair grew tenfold in length, and the red in her hair and eyes were replaced with a bluish black color. A benevolent smile curved the figure¡¯s lips, but it only came across as off-putting for the dragonlord. Serenis hadn¡¯t known Iris for long, but even she knew that the enforcer wasn¡¯t the type to smile so often like that. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not the only one using a spell to change appearances all the time. My original name is Felicis ¨C or as you¡¯d know it, the deity of mana.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dragonlord remained static. The aura radiating from the figure was unmistakably that of the First¡¯s ¨C shrunken and fragmented, but nonetheless the same.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Uncomfortable silence ensued. When the dragonlord¡¯s lack of reaction stretched on, the deity awkwardly cleared her throat. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t seem too surprised.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve called me by an ancient title. I expected something of the sort.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true¡­I suppose people don¡¯t really remember ¡®Starchild¡¯ anymore, do they?¡± Truth be told, Serenis was plenty surprised ¨C just not in a good way. And the situation at hand was quickly killing whatever surprise there was to feel. ¡°¡­It was only a rumor, then. The story about the deity of mana disguising themselves as an institute¡¯s student.¡± ¡°Oh, about that¡­that¡¯s not completely false. I really was a few years ago. But I got a little caught up in it this time, and before I knew it, I¡­¡± Another burst of light momentarily exploded outwards from the deity¡¯s figure, returning to the form of the familiar, red-haired enforcer. Only the unnerving grin on her face remained the same as Iris comfortably leaned back on the couch. ¡°¡­Became a graduate and found myself employed.¡± ¡°And the reason for this revelation?¡± ¡°To hopefully rid that malice of yours against us. Or me, specifically. Soften up a bit, will you? I¡¯d invite you to drink, but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have anything on me right now.¡± Serenis gritted her teeth. To ¡®soften up¡¯ was a ridiculous request given the current situation. The dragonlord¡¯s eyes drifted towards her unconscious sibling. If the figure before her were to allow the surrounding mana to take their natural course, its flux would burst Patrick¡¯s heart in an instant. Only the deity¡¯s will was keeping his heart alive and beating. And that, was subject to change at any given moment. ¡°I believe the only violence being wielded here is you holding my brother hostage.¡± ¡°¡­I do apologize on that matter. I¡¯d prefer if no harm fell on him myself; Patrick¡¯s been a good friend for years. But with you, however¡­after our little conversation at the sewers, and after watching you fight Gio, I thought a little insurance couldn¡¯t hurt. You didn¡¯t exactly sound very fond of us deities.¡± Serenis scoffed at the claim. But internally, she knew the statement was true. If Patrick wasn¡¯t tiptoeing with life, the divinity before Serenis would¡¯ve been incinerated long ago. And maybe the house with it. The enforcer once again warily studied the dragon¡¯s expression. ¡°Starchild. You actually have no idea what we are, do you? We¡¯re not divine beings, but simple mortals who happen to have a little more than others.¡± Serenis remained expressionless as Iris stated the obvious. Even if everyone else remained ignorant, the dragonlord knew that divine entities weren¡¯t truly ¡®divine¡¯ ¨C though, the mere fact that one would admit to it was a surprise. ¡°I was not expecting such humble words from a self-proclaimed deity.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get something straight. I never proclaimed myself as a deity, nor do I have any intention of living as one. I¡¯d much rather live a normal life as enforcer Iris Alpid.¡± On the surface, the deity¡¯s words were heartening. Her honest attempt to clear the name may even have come across as courageous under different circumstances. Iris¡¯ revelation as Felicis had, admittedly, allowed her claims to weigh more than they would coming from a mere human soul. But in the brief moment where the enforcer had revealed her true form, Serenis had recognized the unmistakable presence radiating from within her. ¡®¡­The First is still...¡¯ Small and broken, but of equal origin. If Iris was only a lesser version of the First in hiding, then there was no room for compromise. The only saving grace was that the deity had taken the liberty to converse, even if it meant risking a violent recoil from the dragon. She¡¯d taken the liberty of taking Patrick hostage in an attempt to speak to Serenis ¨C an otherwise unnecessary measure unless there was something to obtain from conversing. ¡°The First¡­this revelation isn¡¯t all you wished to say, was it? You wished to hear something from me.¡± ¡°Ridding you of your malice seems like a necessary step before we get there.¡± ¡°You are a fragment of the entity who annihilated my brethren. Even you should know how ridiculous that is.¡± ¡°¡­Understandable. I suppose I should clear that up as well.¡± When Iris placed her hand above her chest, a dark, blue brilliance shone for a moment as a jagged piece of stone seemed to materialize in her hand. She then plainly laid out the piece for Serenis to see. ¡°This is why you keep referring to me as a fragment, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­This is¡­¡± ¡°No point hiding it from someone who can recognize his presence. It¡¯s a piece of the First¡¯s heart.¡± Serenis exchanged her gaze between Iris and the shard she held. True to her words, the dragonlord could feel the First¡¯s presence in the room again ¨C but it was radiating from the item the deity was holding, not Iris herself. ¡°Then, you are¡­¡± ¡°A human. Old, but nonetheless, human ¨C who has nothing to do with the First.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The era of demons had ended with the demonkin¡¯s demise. A millennium had passed since, and mankind had long forgotten the histories of the olde that ruled their star. But right now, sitting before Serenis was a mortal who still remembered that era. An individual who yet carried the remains of the First. A mortal who yet called her Starchild. Quiet words escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­A human¡­but not a human of this era.¡± Demons had become a myth. Even the kin had forgotten the notion of lords. To remember her ancient title, one¡¯s age would have to far surpass just a few centuries. Iris let out an exasperated sigh at the remark. When she pressed the blue shard into her chest again, the fragment sunk right back into her, the First¡¯s presence fading with it. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s been an entire era¡­we, the Twelve, are relics of the past. I suppose you could say we¡¯re the former mankind.¡± A few minutes passed in silence as the revelation sunk in for Serenis. The First had never spoken of the origins of his divine authorities. Hence, it hadn¡¯t occurred to Serenis that his heart would be its source. ¡®To think that the First¡¯s legacy would continue¡­in the hands of man¡­¡¯ In retrospect, it may have been an obvious outcome. As her heir, Vulka had inherited the dragonlord¡¯s heart, which Serenis now carried herself. But without a proper heir to inherit the First¡¯s, anyone could¡¯ve obtained his heart after his death. Mankind¡¯s greed was infinite. Perhaps this was a natural outcome. But¡­ ¡®¡­For what did we struggle so? Is this what we gave our lives for? We¡­¡¯ Seeing the draping gloom over the dragon¡¯s face, Iris tapped on the table, once again pulling Serenis out of her thoughts. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? The reason we¡¯re regarded as deities, despite being fellow man who simply carry a piece of divinity within us?¡± ¡°¡­What I do wish to know is the reason you¡¯re choosing to speak of this matter.¡± ¡°To be blunt, it¡¯s because I have a favor to ask. But to ask it, I need your trust. And to earn that trust, explanations are in order.¡± ¡°Holding one¡¯s family hostage is not an ideal method to earn trust. Nor is it an ideal method in asking favors.¡± ¡°¡­I agree, but the method is still superior to dying. And I would be dead if I hadn¡¯t taken Patrick hostage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The room momentarily fell silent. Once again, Serenis couldn¡¯t deny the statement. Iris dismissively wove her hand, pushing the topic aside. ¡°Your sacrilege was not liberation, Starchild. Nor was it the end of the demon era. The First played no part in the remaking of this star.¡± ¡°¡­Remaking? The star was remade?¡± Iris solemnly nodded in response. She threw her gaze to the ceiling, reminiscing a distant past. A thousand years. It¡¯d been a thousand years already. ¡°This is a rather old tale now. How should I begin¡­¡± Ep 49. Confessions of the Historian: A Divine Will Ep 49. Confessions of the Historian: A Divine Will Once upon a time¡­yes, there was such a time. A time when we were all mortals. Once the demonkind¡¯s sacrilege became known to man, it did not take long to discover the heart that lied within the remains of the First. Weak as we were, each sought to claim the divinity for themselves¡­and proved that we were incapable of containing it whole. Piece by piece we tore the heart apart, until they would become the twelve fragments that we could contain. Lost in our craving, we deceived one another. Betrayed one another. Our weapons slashed and hacked through rulers and peasants alike. To attain divinity¡­to transcend the bounds of man, we long abandoned honor and dignity. But our conflict was short-lived. No, barely a decade had passed since the beginnings of this war for divinity. Until¡­ ? ? ? ¡°The divinity of death doesn¡¯t protect the carrier from death itself¡­ha, it¡¯s almost comedic how this has turned out.¡± ¡°Kh¡­h¡­how...?¡± The emperor powerlessly gripped the blade buried in his abdomen. His shaking, bony arms tugged on the metal, but the weapon only slid further and further into his body. Holding the weapon¡¯s hilt was the empire¡¯s court mage. A satisfied grin was decorating his pale face. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, emperor? The shard of life you thought so little of, was actually the sole power that could exempt one from death itself. What are you without your authority over death? Nothing. You¡¯re just a powerless old man.¡± ¡°Felicir¡­! You¡­you would dare¡­!¡± ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Felicir twisted the grip on his bloodied weapon, forcibly jerking it to the side. The rusted metal hacked through the fingers that held its blade, then through its victim¡¯s bones and organs to appear out from the side with splatters of blood. Royal blood began to pool unto the marble floors of the throne room. Soon, a corpse powerlessly splashed onto the crimson liquid below, his eyes drained of their light. ¡°And that, is why status doesn¡¯t mean a damn, your radiance. Maybe you¡¯ll remember it in your next life.¡± Felicir stabbed his blade into the emperor¡¯s lifeless body once more, this time nearer towards his chest. The blade slowly carved into the flesh until it met resistance, and the court mage swiftly slashed out what he was looking for. He threw his weapon off to the side; it¡¯d served its use. Bloodied hands rabidly tore off the pieces of meat to reveal a black, jagged stone. The mage briefly wallowed in its eerie black light, his grin widening at the fruits of his success. ¡°It¡¯s too bad you can only contain one at a time. I¡¯ve grown quite fond of life and mana, but I guess all good things come and go¡­¡± Felicir threw his gaze over his shoulders. ¡°Felicis, come here.¡± When her bloodied brother beckoned, Felicis slowly stepped out from the pillar she was hiding behind, approaching the court mage in wary steps. The siblings¡¯ servant was trailing a few steps behind Felicis, equally wary of her crazed master. Felicir snickered at the sight of the two approaching women. Both his sister and their servant had always been afraid of him for some reason, and he¡¯d never understood why; in this day and age, family looking out for one another was rare, and even rarer for servants. Even though an affectionate brother and owner like him should¡¯ve been a blessing, they¡¯d always been reluctant to reciprocate the affection. ¡®Perhaps this will change things?¡¯ When they were right by his side, Felicir first reached into his black coat, producing another jagged fragment that glowed in blue. He held it out towards his sister, offering the stone. ¡°Here, take it. It¡¯s yours now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­um¡­¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When Felicis hesitated to accept the gift, her brother grabbed her by the wrist to practically shove the divine¡¯s shard into her hand. She gripped the stone with trembling fingers, and only then did Felicir let go of his sister with a satisfied expression. Once that was finished, the court mage held his hand over his own chest as another fragment emerged from within, glowing in its golden radiance. The shard of life that had allowed him to challenge their emperor revealed itself in his bloodied hands. ¡°Now then. Aldrid.¡± ¡°Y¡­yes, master?¡± ¡°Here, take it. This is yours.¡± ¡°But Master Felicir, I¡­¡± ¡°Take it. I wouldn¡¯t trust it with anyone else. Life and death are bound to conflict with one another, but we don¡¯t have to do that, do we? Let¡¯s take things easy, help each other out.¡± The woman¡¯s hesitance slowly disappeared as she accepted the divinity shard. She firmly held it with both her hands, bowing her head. ¡°Th¡­thank you. Thank you¡­¡± Felicir nodded approvingly as his servant graciously accepted the gift. He then held his newest prize above his chest, letting the death shard sink into his body in place of the one he¡¯d taken out. ¡°Hm¡­doesn¡¯t feel very different. Good riddance.¡± But before any of them could celebrate the occasion, the throne room¡¯s door burst open as an army of soldiers flooded in. A tall man adorned in jeweled armor led the group, holding a lavish, golden sword in hand. The emperor¡¯s corpse was on the floor ¨C as expected. He raised his weapon high into the air, trying his hardest to fake an angry outburst. ¡°F¡­father! Felicir, to think you¡¯d lay your hands on his radiance¡­men, to arms! As the rightful heir to the throne, I shall take father¡¯s place after this wretch¡¯s death!¡± Felicir merely snickered at the sight. Dozens of soldiers drew their blades, and the prince proudly stood in place. He was practically a little child waiting for his birthday gifts. The royalty¡¯s thirst and excitement were all too clear on his face. Once the court mage fell, the throne would be his to take, the empire his to rule. ¡°Shitheads. I don¡¯t know why you waste your lives like this, you and your father both. Playing nations with power like this¡­do you not know what ¡®divinity¡¯ means? It¡¯s a God¡¯s fragment. You wasted your lives ruling nations when you could¡¯ve been ruling the world itself.¡± The prince scowled at the insult. He swung his sword in the air, this time in actual anger. ¡°Kill him! The one to bring that wretch¡¯s neck will be handsomely rewarded!¡± Metallic footsteps marched against the marble floors. The soldiers rapidly advanced towards the court mage with murderous intents. But Felicir himself was neither disturbed, nor fearful. The mage only grinned in amusement, playfully holding out his hand; a finger lightly touched on his thumb as he prepared to snap his fingers. Moths to the flame. Every single one of them. ¡®Three¡­two¡­one¡­¡¯ ¡°Go to hell.¡± When Felicir¡¯s fingers snapped, the advancing soldiers seemed to freeze in time as they suddenly came to a standstill. The prince watched them in confusion, frantically waving his sword in the air. ¡°What¡¯re you all doing?! Advance! Men, advan-¡° The prince¡¯s voice died out. Sounds of falling swords and shields instead filled the chamber, followed by armors thudding against the floor. The prince fell to his knees. The light in his eyes began to dim, and his beating heart grew slower and slower. He couldn¡¯t speak. He couldn¡¯t resist. In his blurring vision, the only thing he saw was death itself, mockingly laughing at his disgrace. Soon, the prince¡¯s body grew completely limp as his armor crashed unto the floor. Deathly silence filled the room as the court mage examined his work. A deluge of royalty and their proud knights, each snuffed of their life. A testament to where they belonged in comparison to the authority Felicir now held. ¡°Now, how did the saying go again? ¡®Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair¡¯¡­right? If only you could.¡± Felicis and Aldrid were embracing each other, trying to calm their trembling. Neither of them were relieved nor awe-stricken at the sight of their dead enemies. Only a muddled fear filled their minds, of what the man beside them had become. Slowly, Felicis opened her mouth. ¡°Brother, is¡­is this¡­okay?¡± ¡°Hm? My, are you looking out for me? Don¡¯t you worry, Felicis. We¡¯ll live ¨C all twelve of us will live. Oh, and maybe a few dragons¡­I did promise the dragonlord, after all. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re of any threat now anyways.¡± Felicir¡¯s ominous gaze then shifted over to Aldrid, who tightly held onto her fragment in hand. The mage briefly tipped his head, urging her to take it into her body. ¡°Use the shard, Aldrid. You¡¯ll have to learn how to use your authority of life. The reset can wait until then.¡± ¡°Master Felicir¡­by reset, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Think about it. As long as we have the First¡¯s fragments, others that know of their existence will always be after our throats. We may not age with our divinity, but we¡¯ll have to spend our days defending ourselves from lower beings.¡± ¡°But¡­the shards are hardly a secret now. Everyone knows of their existence.¡± ¡°Exactly! Everyone knows of their existence. So, we¡¯ll just get rid of everyone.¡± An ominous shadow crept upon Aldrid¡¯s eyes. ¡°Get rid¡­of everyone?¡± ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll kill them, every single one. Man, demon, beast, animal¡­even plants and insects.¡± Aldrid¡¯s jaw slowly dropped open as she realized what her owner was saying. Felicis couldn¡¯t hide her astonished expression, either. The world seemed to darken as she imagined her brother¡¯s words coming to pass. He was serious. If anyone would, he would. A planetary genocide to sever the past. ¡°Once everyone¡¯s dead, you¡¯ll be the creator of all life, Aldrid. You¡¯ll shape life anew ¨C life that will walk our star.¡± Felicir spread his arms in an exaggerated gesture. A burst of laughter came forth as he spoke his vision. ¡°We¡¯ll draw the sky anew. We¡¯ll make the land anew. We¡¯ll create new oceans. New lives will walk our reformed star, and new laws will govern our world. The dragons will remain oblivious in their seclusion, and none will be left to tell the tale of our divinity¡¯s origin.¡± The court mage¡¯s heaving laughter came to an end. An ambitious voice muttered the last bits of their future. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll truly become gods¡­deities.¡± ? ? ? Every vision, realized. Every dream, achieved. From dusts of war, we built our star anew. In this paradise built by the twelve victors of their time, ours is the remains of an era long past. The Reaper. The Magician. Mother Nature. The Sky, The Land, The Sea. The Stars. The Clown. The Judge. The Maker. The Hermit. And¡­the Historian. Ep 50. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (2) Ep 50. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (2) ¡°¡­And using our respective divinities, we remade the star according to Felicir¡¯s vision. I suppose that was the true end of the demon era.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A deep frown crossed the dragonlord¡¯s face. Her eyes emptily stared down into the wooden table between her and Iris as memories flashed before her, both past and present eras alike. Why was it that only the dragonkin survived through the millennium? The dragons¡¯ survival had remained an unexplained fortune until now. Among the seven demon tribes, it was odd that no other tribe had survived besides her own. Serenis had entrusted Vulka with the kin¡¯s survival, but surely, the other lords would have done the same; surely, they would¡¯ve left behind something to continue their legacies. None of them would amount to anything. The legacies of other tribes had died with their knowledge of the divine. All who remembered the previous era ¨C all who knew the truth of the Twelve¡¯s divinity ¨C had been erased. Then, and only then, would the Twelve truly come to be revered as genuine deities by the new life they created. ¡®...By the will of a single mortal¡­¡¯ Man and demon alike had perished. Serenis couldn¡¯t recognize the scapes of her own world. The home she cherished had been cleanly erased from history, its only remains her few surviving kin and the twelve deities. The dragonlord¡¯s hollow laughter echoed throughout the house. What exactly was it that she severed at her world¡¯s summit? ¡°The demonkin, we¡­surrendered our future. Ever since the First manipulated mankind with gifts of power to annihilate our kin, our fates had already been decided.¡± ¡°¡­A number of heroes rose to power through divine selection. I do remember that.¡± ¡°We instead challenged the First himself, knowing we were marching to our deaths. But what choice did we have? A divine will had cast us aside. It was our only course of action¡­for our future did not exist.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And in that deathly abaddon, we held onto hope. Hope that we would at least liberate our children from divine will. That even after our demise, the surviving younglings would prosper.¡± But fate had laughed at their futile efforts. A meager survival of a single tribe was not what they had fought for. The present world was not what any of them had fought for. Demonkind challenged their creator. They gladly gave their lives, knowing there was no recourse. The dragonlord had marked the end of their conflict with her own hands. And yet, their destination had remained the same. With or without the First, their era had come to a close. Their world had vanished, never to be remembered again. ¡®¡­It was all meaningless, was it not?¡¯ Iris studied the agonizing dragon. Serenis¡¯ twisted expression seemed moments away from bursting to tears, but only broken laughter came forth from the dragonlord. Even the dragon¡¯s threatening presence had all but dissipated. The deity cautiously broke the silence, attempting to regain her attention. ¡°When divine selection began¡­we were simply told that demonkind was evil that plagued the star. That they were to be cleansed from this world. But this wasn¡¯t actually true, was it? What was the actual reason behind the First¡¯s decision to eradicate demons?¡± Why end demonkind? ¡®They, too, were his creations. Did he not care for them? And why elect mankind to annihilate them?¡¯ Even to Iris, a God that had remained neutral for eons suddenly siding with half of his creations to annihilate the other half was an odd turn of events. With a demonlord to answer her now, it was sensible to question why. But at the same time, the enforcer¡¯s curiosity would never amount to much. Serenis merely snorted in ill amusement as she gave her answer. ¡°The reason? There is none.¡± ¡°¡­None?¡± ¡°None. Perhaps he simply didn¡¯t take the demonkin¡¯s growing influence too kindly. Perhaps¡­he simply wished to reign absolute. As he always had.¡± The dragonlord could still hear his words. In the bloody pools of her brethren, the First had questioned their motive. - ¡®Enlighten me, Serenis. Why did this happen? What drove so many of you to let go of the life you were bestowed?¡¯ Survival. Ironically, demons had marched to their deaths for the sole purpose of survival. When they¡¯d realized that the ¡®life¡¯ they were bestowed had reached its end, they sought to extend it ¨C even if that meant defying the will of their creator. Serenis gritted her teeth. The price they paid for challenging a divine¡¯s reign had costed them their whole world. When the dragonlord raised her head, hateful eyes glared into the deity before her ¨C the former mankind that should¡¯ve inherited the star. ¡°Were you and your kind not the same? At the end of our quest, we thought our star liberated. But when we fell at the summit¡­when all those who stood above your kind vanished, your blades then pointed at one another and drove the star to its death. All so that the surviving few could reign as divinity.¡± Iris looked away. Guilt welled up within her, but even more prominent was her own frustration over their bloody history. ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t my intent to make the star anew.¡± ¡°Was it truly not your will? Then why is it that you failed to challenge your brother?¡± ¡°If I challenged him, then-¡° ¡°You would have been put to death. Just as we have.¡± ¡°¡­It would¡¯ve been a pointless death. I wouldn¡¯t have changed anything.¡± ¡°And yet, even beasts challenge the hunters to protect their children.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite her defensive stance, Iris, too, was a survivor of the past. She knew that none of the Twelve were exempt from the sin of ending their own era. They were either bystanders of a worldly genocide, or accomplices of its perpetrator. It was a burden that was meant to be forgotten. In Felicir¡¯s design, their sins would die with the old star, and the Twelve would have no reason to remember their treacherous pasts.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But even after a millennium¡¯s passing, among the twelve deities still remained a human soul. A human who still remembered their actions, and all the lives that were lost in their design. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, Starchild. I¡¯m neither strong, nor as determined as you are. Despite knowing what was right, I failed to act on it.¡± Determination sparked anew as Iris raised her eyes to meet the dragonlord¡¯s menacing glare. It only took a few moments for her to take her shard of mana out once more, tossing it onto the table like a piece of junk. After a thousand years, it was long past the time to face the consequences of what they¡¯d done in the name of divinity. ¡°But know that it wasn¡¯t because I wished to live in this pathetic eternity. I really just had no means of destroying this bloody fragment.¡± ¡°¡­Then¡­¡± Iris nodded. A faint smile curved her lips as she confirmed the dragonlord¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Go ahead. Destroy it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The enforcer¡¯s words still rang hollow to Serenis. In the paradise the Twelve had built for themselves, the dragonlord doubted their every word. In her eyes, Iris had no reason to act against her brother, nor to forfeit her divinity. ¡°¡­Your future is guaranteed. This world is yours to rule, and your brother clearly has no intent of harming you. Why is it that you challenge this premise?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I had no intention of becoming a deity to begin with. I prefer being human.¡± Serenis widened her eyes at the unexpected confession. Iris only continued, shrugging at the dragonlord¡¯s surprise. ¡°Never for a moment did I wish for eternal life or some divine rule. My only wish was to live a normal life with others, age and die like any other. I¡¯m tired of this whole divinity crap, I¡­¡± The enforcer¡¯s gaze fell to the floor, hiding the bitterness in her eyes from being seen. In the distant past, she¡¯d once chosen to accept her role as the deity of mana. She thought it the only way to survive her brother¡¯s genocide. But with reverence came solitude. No longer could she truly belong amongst others. For a thousand years she¡¯d lived as a fake ¨C and she would for all eternity under her brother¡¯s reign. ¡°¡­I just wished to be normal. Time and time again, I considered simply throwing my divinity away, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even though the enforcer failed to finish her sentence, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine the consequences of Iris throwing away her divinity. Without the means to destroy the fragment for good, even if Iris were to cast her shard aside, the divinity of mana would continue to exist. If the deity were to throw away the First¡¯s fragment, there was little doubt that another would discover its usage. Mankind would once again learn the origins of divinity. The paradise that was built would fall to ruin. Once again their blades would point at each other to claim the First¡¯s fragment for themselves, and the star would plunge itself to another cycle of conflict. ¡®And once again, Death will reset its state.¡¯ Once again, mankind¡¯s greed would perish with them in the Reaper¡¯s onslaught ¨C for fixing a problem was far more difficult than simply killing it, at least to the deity of death. Iris closed her eyes shut. Many strove to be rulers ¨C to be kings and queens, gods and deities. Humans were especially emphasized in this trait, but demons were also similar in this regard. Power was an alluring perspective for all races. However, the odd few strove for just the opposite. They sought to be normal and unremarkable, to be just as everyone else were. ¡®It wasn¡¯t meant to be. It never was.¡¯ The divinity Felicis had been given was not power or authority. It was just a nightmare catalyst that reminded her of all the life they¡¯d trampled to be in their current positions. And to Serenis, she could admit this weakness. The dragonlord alone was the only remaining entity that she could confess and pray to. ¡°...I cannot challenge death, or free the star from his threat. I can¡¯t even free myself from this dreaded fragment. But you could, can¡¯t you? You can destroy divinity. You¡¯re¡­¡± A demonlord. The lord of dragons once revered as a god herself. Iris¡¯ voice melted away into silence. In the surrounding madness, righteousness was no longer right. With eleven others standing at length, Iris could not hope to accomplish anything against her odds. Even suicide was not an option, for her abandoned divinity would doubtlessly reinstate the conflict that once killed their world ¨C that is, if Felicir was even willing to let her die. But unlike her, Serenis was a demon. A lord of the star¡¯s most powerful tribe. The ¡®how¡¯ didn¡¯t matter. If the figure before her was truly a demonlord that had succeeded in killing the First, then surely, they¡¯d be capable of doing it again. Surely, a dragonlord could answer to a single human¡¯s prayer. Slowly, Serenis reached out to grasp the piece of divinity into her own hand. But instead of destroying it, the dragonlord looked to Iris once more. A bleak, soulless response was the only answer she had to the deity¡¯s wishes. ¡°I can destroy your divinity. But I¡¯m afraid I cannot kill your brother.¡± The desperation in Iris¡¯ eyes were met with the dragonlord¡¯s hollow gaze. The enforcer failed to hide the disappointment in her voice as she tried to deny Serenis¡¯ words. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not possible. There must be a way. You succeeded in killing the First¡­he must¡¯ve possessed the same divine authority. You must¡¯ve found a way to circumvent it.¡± ¡°The demonkin yet lived at the time. One of us possessed the means to deceive and elude the First¡¯s authority over death. With them no longer with us, I do not have the means to challenge it.¡± ¡°...¡± Silence filled the room as Iris dropped her gaze. A few minutes had to pass before Serenis would break the silence again. ¡°Why is it that you seek my aid? Clearly, Felicir himself found a way in this other divinity¡­of life. Surely, asking for their assistance is the simpler method.¡± ¡°¡­Unlike you, Aldrid has no reason to challenge Felicir. She was his servant, ever since our days as humans.¡± ¡°A contract made by humans persisted into your days as deities? Nonsense.¡± Iris grimaced at the remark, answering in a powerless voice. She dearly wished Serenis to be right, but it just wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°¡­There may not be a contract binding her to his will, but Aldrid is wont to remember those she owe. She owes the lives of both herself and her sibling to Felicir. She won¡¯t challenge him.¡± ¡°And yet¡­you¡¯re convinced that I will?¡± ¡°¡­I am.¡± Once again, the enforcer opened her eyes. Her tone regained its seriousness as she spoke. ¡°Do you remember the reason Felicir allowed the dragons to survive?¡± ¡°If I recall correctly¡­you said it was because we were no longer a threat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. The second lord was promised the dragonkin¡¯s survival by Felicir himself. But in exchange, the second lord had claimed that their first lord¡¯s heart would be destroyed. But¡­the heart wasn¡¯t actually destroyed, was it? It¡¯s currently in your possession.¡± Iris sharpened her gaze as she continued her explanation. If there was one thing she could ascertain as the deity of mana, it was this. ¡°As soon as Felicir discovers that their covenant had been broken, he will doubtlessly kill the dragonkin for good ¨C and you with them.¡± ¡°¡­Was holding my brother hostage not enough?¡± The enforcer shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to threaten you. This is simply the plain truth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And¡­it¡¯s not all hopeless. Although I did hope that you¡¯d have the means to challenge death yourself¡­¡± Iris took a deep breath in an attempt to collect her thoughts once more. There was still a path forward. A path that had been denied from her, but a path that still remained open for the dragonlord to walk. ¡°I cannot convince Aldrid to challenge Felicir. None of the Twelve could. But, you¡­if you¡¯re truly the Starchild herself, you alone should be able to.¡± ¡°I do not even know this ¡®Aldrid¡¯ you speak of.¡± ¡°You may not know Aldrid, but Aldrid knows you. There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you meet her. I guarantee it. So, please¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A long sigh escaped Serenis¡¯ lips. The First¡¯s divinity still occupied this star. And her return to life had, ironically, put the kin¡¯s lives at risk. ¡®¡­It¡¯s not a question of choosing to help or not. The kin cannot risk the divinity of death to exist.¡¯ No life on this star was safe. As long as this madness of a deity continued to rule over them, the star itself was prone to timeless extinctions. In the end, Iris was right; in her duty as a lord of dragons, Serenis did not have a choice. With no other lords remaining to challenge divinity and protect the demonkin, the task fell solely to her. But, most importantly¡­ ¡®¡­This was the reason behind Vulka¡¯s death.¡¯ The reason her son had chosen to abandon her heart, the reason Vulka had chosen to become a dishonored tyrant ¨C was nothing but a mere, crazed human. ¡°Death. Divinity of death¡­¡± Serenis quietly parroted the words to herself, reminiscing her battle at the summit. The First was, by no means, almighty. Despite being the only entity that could be referred to as a God of their star, the First had still fell short to omnipotence. Otherwise, demonkind would never have succeeded in their quest. But at the same time, his divine authority over death had been nothing short of terrifying. Countless lives flickered out of existence at a small flick of his wrist. One gaze into the distance, and his vision would be emptied of all life that filled it. It was the only authority that disallowed a ¡®battle¡¯ to even be established. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s a small fortune that the First¡¯s divinity was split into twelve fragments. Without Lucid, this ¡®Aldrid¡¯ would be the only possible solution...¡¯ In the end, there simply was no other choice. Futile or not, Serenis could not idle with literal death looming over the horizon. ¡°¡­I will have to meet this deity of life myself.¡± Iris¡¯ eyes gleamed at the conclusive tone of the dragonlord¡¯s voice. ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°I will take your word. I cannot allow this supposed deity of death to exist. However.¡± Serenis threw Iris¡¯ shard back to her, which was caught midair. The enforcer stared at the dragonlord in confusion. ¡°¡­Why return this to me? Were you not seeking to liberate the star from the divine?¡± ¡°I am. And I will. However¡­¡± The dragon closed her eyes. She¡¯d gladly risk her own life to fulfill her duties ¨C but not at the expense of risking the star¡¯s future. If the deity of mana was a genuine obstacle for her brother¡¯s madness, then there was no reason to remove it prematurely. ¡°¡­To destroy your divinity right now would be foolish. I cannot guarantee my own success. Should I fail, then¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ sentence faded into the silence surrounding them. Iris, too, remained quiet. There was no need to finish. Ep 51. Confessions of the Historian: The Price of Peace Ep 51. Confessions of the Historian: The Price of Peace Hero. It¡¯s a pleasant title. At times, a warrior of unquestioned valor. At times, an inventor of astounding genius. At times, a protector of unyielding resolution. Their accomplishments build their lives, and such lives are remembered as heroes. However, a hero cannot be birthed by accomplishments alone ¨C for a hero always requires an adversary. Whether it be an enemy on the battlefield, the hardships of their people, nature itself¡­ Or, at times, evil foretold by divine will. ? ? ? ¡°Hm? A foreigner?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A proud warrior came to a halt as his sabatons made a rugged metallic noise upon the rocky valley floors. He scowled at the sentry who¡¯d referred to him as a mere ¡®foreigner.¡¯ When the warrior scanned the man that stood before him, he could plainly see their two horns jutting above their head. A black, scaled tail stretched behind them, as did their dark grey wings. Despite their human form, the individual was clearly a dragon. And behind the dragon, countless people, humans and dragons alike, bustled about through their days ¨C almost as if it were a regular human village. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Ah, this must be a rather odd sight for a foreigner. There¡¯s nothing to be wary of. The outskirts of our nest shouldn¡¯t be any different from your own villages.¡± ¡°Nest¡­?¡± The armored warrior glared at the dragon that stood guard of this supposed ¡®nest.¡¯ A demon was standing guard in front of an encampment containing humans. More often than not, such occurrences only indicated slavery taking place. Everything was distasteful in the warrior¡¯s eyes. The dragon¡¯s crossed arms, their attitude as an equal, or the human woman at his side. Any of it. ¡°All demons stoop to the same level, I see. Reaping the fruits of our subjugation?¡± ¡°¡­What? No. We simply live together in these parts.¡± A few villagers picked up the commotion at the entrance. A number of them even approached the armored man, correcting the warrior¡¯s statement. ¡°That¡¯s going too far. The dragons are fellow villagers to us. Be careful with your words, stranger.¡± ¡°Yeah! Uncle Betel¡¯s super nice!¡± The human villagers¡¯ words seemed to fall on deaf ears. The warrior clenched his fists in anger, glaring at the black dragon before him. ¡°Even children¡­!¡± The dragon rolled his eyes, letting out a tired sigh at the angry figure before him. The foreigner was clearly filtering everything he didn¡¯t want to hear. ¡°Listen, it may be hard to believe if you came from other parts, but this is how we live here. We-¡° ¡°Silence! Damned demons. After subjugating our bodies as slaves, now you seek to subjugate our minds?!¡± The warrior unsheathed his blade, pointing its gleaming edge towards the annoyed dragon. The villagers hurriedly took a few steps back, pulling their children away from the armed man. The dragon himself frowned and gently shook off the woman clinging on his arm, motioning for her to stay away. The armored man didn¡¯t seem to care. The anger in his eyes only intensified. ¡°My name is George Goldcrown, a divine hero chosen to slay the world¡¯s evil! I will slay every single one of you and free these villagers!¡± The man didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment before swinging his sword in an attempt to cleave the dragon before him. The dragon hurriedly retreated a few steps as the metal slashed past his face. ¡°¡­This bastard¡­!¡± The warrior disallowed the dragon from retreating. He pulled back his free arm and dashed forward in split moments to smash his fist into his enemy. A quick retaliation followed as the dragon kicked the armed figure back. The two struck at each simultaneously, sending each other flying across the distance. The warrior crashed into a boulder outside the village, the dragon into a nearby structure. Several screams followed as villagers began to flee from the scene. The woman that had been standing beside the dragon earlier screamed in panic. ¡°A¡­are you alright?!¡± When the dust settled, the warrior fixed his grip on his weapon as he pulled himself back. ¡°This is nothing. I¡¯m-¡° It didn¡¯t take long for the man to realize that the woman¡¯s question hadn¡¯t been directed at him. The woman was busily tending to the fallen dragon. ¡°Betel! Your eye¡­!¡± The black dragon slowly emerged from the broken remains of the structure he¡¯d crashed into. One hand covered his slashed right eye that was soaked in blood. ¡°¡­Haha, it¡¯s bearable. I¡¯m glad there wasn¡¯t anyone in the storage.¡± ¡°W, wait here! I¡¯ll bring others in a moment!¡± The warrior gritted his teeth as he watched the woman run off into the distance, deeper into the village. His sabatons furiously slammed into the ground as he approached the dragon again.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Calling on your brethren through your slaves? You¡¯re a disgrace as a warrior, demon.¡± Betel shook his head. He didn¡¯t even know what to say at this point to the delusional figure. When he was only a few steps away, the warrior proudly raised his weapon into the air, gripping the hilt with both hands. Its blade shone in a brilliant golden light, crackling in heated energy. ¡°Holy light, give me strength!¡± Betel narrowed his eyes as he braced for the oncoming attack. This human¡¯s might was far beyond anything he¡¯d seen in mankind, but he couldn¡¯t risk avoiding the conflict ¨C behind the dragon was their home and children, and he¡¯d been tasked with protecting it from intruders. Although, no one had expected the intruder to be a human. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± After kicking his tongue, black scales rapidly began to replace the dragon¡¯s skin. His pupils sharpened into a beastlike shape. The dragon¡¯s body rapidly expanded in size as he stretched one arm forward in an attempt to stop the swing altogether. With a tremendous roar, the warrior swung down his sword at the demon before him. ¡°DIE!!¡± ? ? ? Following a series of hurried footsteps, a woman burst into an elder dragon¡¯s shelter. ¡°E¡­Elder Arkrana!!¡± The steel dragon¡¯s gaze drifted over. She dropped the tome she was reading, turning to her panting guest. ¡°¡­Burnet? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Th, there¡¯s someone attacking Betel! He¡¯s already hurt badly¡­!¡± Arkrana immediately rose to her feet. Her expression hardened as she approached the woman. ¡°An attack?! Is it the griffins again?¡± ¡°No! It was a¡­.it was a human person!¡± ¡°¡­A human? Why would-¡± ¡°Please, hurry! I¡¯ll call on Pallas!¡± The steel dragon noted the hurry in the woman¡¯s eyes, realizing she wouldn¡¯t have time to hear an answer. Nodding back, Arkrana briskly exited her small shelter as gleaming wings stretched out of her back with a crunching noise. Soon after, the dragon kicked against the ground, launching herself into the air as she blitzed across the sky. Far up ahead, she could see a patch of black scales at the village entrance: for some reason, Betel was in his dragon form. ¡®What happened? That¡¯s going too far to deal with a mere human-¡® As their distance rapidly closed, Arkrana could see the black dragon¡¯s stretched, severed arm. His head and chest were covered in blood, and a grinning human triumphantly stood over Betel, one foot planted in the dragon¡¯s head. ¡°Haha! Just as I thought, even a dragon pales in comparison to the might of the divin-¡° The warrior felt something cold and heavy clasping his head from the side. An ominous, metallic voice screeched into his ears. ¡°Die.¡± Arkrana¡¯s momentum carried her hand forward as her feet crashed into the ground like a meteorite beside their assailant. Before the warrior¡¯s body could even decide on a reaction, the iron grip around his head tightened and twisted, ripping it off of his body. The elder dragon smashed the headless warrior¡¯s body out of the way. She rapidly ran her hand over the black dragon, trying to wake him up. ¡°Betel! Betel, are you alive?!¡± A low rumbling followed as the black dragon¡¯s remaining eye slowly opened. ¡°...Elder¡­Arkrana.¡± ¡°Hold on. Burnet¡¯s gone to call on Pallas! Bear it just a while longer.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­you¡¯re far too concerned, elder. I¡¯m no longer a hatchling. A scratch or two won¡¯t¡­¡± Crunch! The black dragon never managed to finish his sentence as a gigantic pillar of ice smashed into his scaled neck. A second one soon followed, skewering through his upper body. Arkrana stared at the glimmering pillars in a daze. ¡®¡­Ice?¡¯ Finally, the steel dragon¡¯s ears picked up a series of small footsteps from behind. When she turned her head, three more figures were in the distance, standing above a low, rocky cliff. ¡°Got one!¡± ¡°Damn it, did they get George? Told him to not run ahead like that¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! It was always do or die anyways. Our enemies are dragons, put your lives on it!¡± The three humans were glaring at the metal dragon with evident hatred. Arkrana herself returned a blank stare, unable to understand what was going on. ¡®Humans are attacking us?...Why?¡¯ As the three descended the cliff to approach Arkrana with their weapons raised, one of the villagers that had been watching from a distance finally threw himself towards the oncoming party, trying to stop their advances. ¡°S, stop! Why are you doing this?!¡± One of the three shook their heads as they forcibly moved the man out of the way. A determined look spoke of their spirit as they answered. ¡°Fear not! We¡¯ll free you of the demon¡¯s clutches ere long!¡± Meanwhile, the mage in the party raised her staff up high, chanting something under her breath. Several spikes of ice once again formed above her, launching themselves straight towards the two dragons in the distance. Arkrana raised one arm to eye level. Layers of metal grew out of her limb to form a web-like barrier, shielding her and Betel from the spell. In the gaps of the expanded metal, the elder dragon¡¯s furious eyes glared into the figures attacking her kin. ¡°Humans¡­do you realize what you¡¯re doing?¡± A hulking man stepped forth in response, threateningly pointing his halberd at the steel dragon. ¡°Ours is but to slay all evil that plagues the star! That, is the holy mission entrusted to us heroes!¡±¡± The steel dragon let out a sarcastic snort. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡®Evil? Us? You would call the dragonkin evil?¡¯ But before she could answer, a volley of arrows rained down upon the metal dragon, each emitting a fiery glow. One by one they began to burst upon impact, covering the elder in a series of small explosions. Arkrana walked forth, ignoring the smoke and fire. Mere arrows coated in flames weren¡¯t of any threat to the steel dragon. The web-like metal that had grown out of her limb retreated back, reforming into a blade-like shape with a deathly screech. An ominous gaze swept the field as Arkrana approached the party of heroes. Each step was accompanied by an echoing thud as the steel dragon¡¯s weight beared down on the earth beneath. ¡°¡­You damned insects.¡± ? ? ? The woman¡¯s desperate cries echoed throughout the valley. ¡°Betel¡­Betel!¡± Arkrana turned away from the motionless black dragon. Her eyes fell on another elder dragon on his knees, busily running their hand over Betel¡¯s breathless body. ¡°Pallas¡­couldn¡¯t you do something?¡± The elder dragon frowned as his eyes met Arkrana¡¯s. He slowly rose back to his feet, shaking his head in dismay. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arkrana. The ice has pierced both his neck and heart. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Arkrana bit her lips. If their eldest healer deemed one beyond saving, that was the end of it. Meanwhile, the woman¡¯s tiny hands desperately clawed against the black dragon¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t even hear the elder dragons conversing behind her. Before, Betel would easily awake when she rubbed him between his eyes and snout. He¡¯d complain about being ticklish, and drench her from head to toe with one lick. Now, the dragon remained motionless. His eyes refused to open as they would before. ¡°Betel, please¡­you promised you¡¯d be here forever. How could you leave like this? How could you leave before me¡­¡± Pallas, too, turned his eyes away from the grieving woman. Times like these, he cursed his own hearing. ¡°¡­Arkrana, was it the griffins again? We¡¯ve quarreled from time to time, but this is¡­¡± ¡°They were humans.¡± ¡°¡­Humans?¡± ¡°Yes. All four of them.¡± ¡°Humans attacked us? What reason could they possibly have to attack us?¡± ¡°I do not know. They screamed of a holy mission of some sort.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy shadow crept up Pallas¡¯ face. One hand clasped his lips as he began to recall a few recent events. ¡°A holy mission¡­? If this is the war Eden warned us of¡­¡± ¡°Silence, Pallas.¡± Arkrana¡¯s gaze sharpened into a glare as she cut off Pallas¡¯ words. ¡°Do not make unfound assumptions. The war between humans and demons have naught to do with us; the lord has spoken to us of this on multiple occasions. Humans have no reason to attack us.¡± ¡°But¡­if the war is expanding into our nest, then perhaps we should also¡­¡± ¡°There is no ¡®but.¡¯¡± The steel dragon completely turned her back as she began to walk away from the scene. She spat her next few words reluctantly, repressing the urge to rush to their lord¡¯s side. ¡°We will remain neutral. Lord Serenis herself has ordered thus.¡± We will maintain our peace. Just as we always have. ? ? ? Countless heroes challenged your kin, dragonlord. Countless heroes fell to your kin. However, the same could be said for your children. Heroes continued to emerge, and in their unexpected might, countless dragonkin fell to their blades. To you, we were doubtlessly the evil that plagued your home. We were the antagonists that destroyed the peace you struggled to build. But these records will forever mourn the fallen heroes. These records will forever celebrate the heroes chosen by the divine. They will be remembered as the brave and the honorable who risked their lives to slay the evil dragons. For history, is always written by the victors. Ep 52. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (1) Ep 52. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (1) Patrick gripped his neck, trying to rub the soreness of sleep. When he forced his eyes open, the familiar living room¡¯s ceiling greeted him as sunlight beamed through the windows. ¡°¡­What in hell¡¯s name¡­¡± As soon as he turned his head, the mage could see his little sibling on the other couch, staring at him with evident worry in their eyes. Which was, honestly, pretty freaky. ¡°¡­Z¡­Serenis? You okay?¡± After seeing weeks on end of their rather callous, unforgiving attitude, the worry in Serenis¡¯ eyes almost seemed doubtful. But when she realized her brother was awake, Serenis hurriedly rose from her seat, crouching down on the floor before him as she examined Patrick¡¯s state. ¡°Such questions are better suited for yourself.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s hand lightly hovered over Patrick¡¯s chest, confirming the heartbeat beneath. It was alive, that much she could tell ¨C though besides that, the dragon barely knew anything about human biology. ¡°Does it hurt anywhere? Should I bring you to those human healers?¡± ¡°¡­You mean doctors?...Uh¡­¡± Patrick pushed himself upright. His body had felt somewhat heavy when he was lying down, but strangely, it didn¡¯t take much effort to rise. Even the soreness in his muscles quickly dissipated as he fixed his posture. ¡°It¡¯s fine, think I just slept badly. What happened? Why am I asleep on the cou¡­¡± The mage slowly trailed off his sentence as memories came flooding back. Specifically, his peculiar coworker who¡¯d eerily beamed at him before the surrounding pressure knocked him unconscious. ¡°¡­Iris!¡± When Patrick belatedly remembered the culprit and darted his gaze around the room, his coworker was nowhere to be found. Only Serenis was present, sighing in relief as she tapped his arm a few times. ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Do you even know what happened?! She used some sort of weird magic, I almost died! And-¡° ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± The mage¡¯s frowned deepened as he heard his sibling¡¯s answer. ¡°¡­You are?¡± ¡°I am. Once you were risen, she¡¯s asked me to apologize to you in her stead. I would tell you the details, but¡­¡± ¡°But? But what?¡± ¡°¡­But I swore not to tell you the details.¡± ¡­? ¡®Wait, so what really happened then? That wasn¡¯t a dream, was it? Where did she get all that mana from?¡¯ Evident confusion muddled Patrick¡¯s expression. He¡¯d expected his little sibling would provide him with an explanation as to how Iris had been able to use wield such overwhelming amounts of mana, but clearly, she had no intention of giving him the answer ¨C which only made him complain more. ¡°¡­What the hell. If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t you not be telling me anything in the first place then?¡± ¡°I never swore to keep silent about the swearing.¡± Patrick squinted his eyes at the audacity of his sibling¡¯s reply. He didn¡¯t know whether he should be thankful or not that the dragonlord was telling him this. On the other hand, Serenis¡¯ concerns quickly disappeared as she confirmed Patrick to be perfectly himself as usual. She¡¯d worried that the deity would¡¯ve left lasting ailments on her brother, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®¡­I suppose that¡¯s one more evidence of honesty.¡¯ Iris had mentioned having no intention of harming Patrick. Indeed, she¡¯d selected a rather shrewd way of holding her coworker hostage, even though the deity should¡¯ve had dozens of simpler options. In fact, Serenis could even feel a noticeable growth of Patrick¡¯s mana reserve ¨C likely from his prolonged exposure to crunching levels of the deity¡¯s mana. ¡°Feel free to ask Iris on your own time. But as far as I can tell, she truly had no intention of doing you any harm.¡± ¡°After knocking me out with mana that totally could¡¯ve killed me?¡± ¡°But it didn¡¯t, did it?¡± ¡°¡­¡° ¡°It¡¯s the most inconvenient, tiring method possible in snuffing someone of their conscious. Perhaps she really did want you to grow, and nothing more.¡± ¡°¡­You know, I thought you were going to take my side for once. With that worried look and all.¡± ¡°I am on your side. I am currently congratulating your growth as a mage.¡± Patrick raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. His arguments never seemed to get anywhere ever since his sibling had turned into a dragon. ¡°You know what, fine, I give up. I¡¯ll go talk to Iris myself. That aside, shouldn¡¯t you be at school right now?¡± ¡°While you¡¯re unconscious? That¡¯s the least of my concerns.¡± ¡°¡­I feel like I should be moved, but somehow I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Serenis rubbed her chin, ignoring her brother¡¯s response as she thought her own statement over. Her entire reason for attending the institute¡¯s classes had been to learn of the divine and meet them herself. However, both of them had accomplished themselves last night. And if meeting the deity of life required her to leave the city, she simply wouldn¡¯t be able to attend in the first place. ¡°¡­It seems like an opportune time to leave the facility.¡± ¡°Wait, leave the facility? What facility?¡± ¡°The institute. What else?¡± ¡°¡­LEAVE? You mean like, taking a break?¡± ¡°No, I plan to drop the practice altogether.¡± If the earlier news was confusing for Patrick, this news was outright shocking. And he really couldn¡¯t hide it, expression or words or otherwise. ¡°¡­ Why???¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned all I wished to learn. To attend further would be nothing more than a waste of precious time.¡± ¡°But¡­but-¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®It hasn¡¯t even been a year and my sibling wants to quit school.¡¯ Even worse, Patrick didn¡¯t have a sound counter to the dragonlord¡¯s argument. ? ? ? Knock. Knock. Karas quizzically glanced over from his cup of coffee towards the door. It hadn¡¯t been long since he¡¯d arrived at the office himself. ¡°Hm? Come in.¡± The professor¡¯s eyes widened slightly as the familiar dragonlord walked into his office. She hadn¡¯t been present in the class that had ended a short while ago. ¡°¡­Serenis? I was wondering where you¡¯d gone today.¡± ¡°Another matter required my attention.¡± ¡°I see¡­have you come to ask what today¡¯s lecture was about?¡± The professor¡¯s hopes began to surge at the thought of a dragon so diligently attending his class. Most students who skipped classes never bothered to learn the materials they¡¯d missed. Unfortunately, said hopes were crushed underfoot in mere seconds. ¡°No. I¡¯ve actually come to ask the required procedures to leave this facility.¡± A small amount of beverage trickled out of the professor¡¯s beak at the unexpected reply. It was plain she wasn¡¯t talking about simply leaving the physical building. ¡°¡­Leave? So suddenly? Why¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gained the knowledge I wished to learn.¡± Karas blinked twice, unaware of where this sudden change was coming from. Unlike Serenis, he was nowhere near gaining all the knowledge he wished to learn from his research with the dragonlord. ¡°The procedure¡­well actually, before that, must you leave the institute completely?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ll be leaving the city in a short while, continuing the practices here simply won¡¯t be an option.¡± ¡°Leaving the city? May I ask where to?¡± ¡°To the central forests.¡± ¡°Central forests¡­Aldrid Forest? Why-¡± ¡°To find the deity of life.¡± The professor fortunately wasn¡¯t holding any coffee in his beak this time to spill out in shock. He quickly inquired back, questioning the statement. ¡°¡­How? The forest may be named after the deity, but it¡¯s only a name. Whether Aldrid is truly there is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recently heard otherwise. From a rather dependable source.¡± Surely, one of the Twelve was a dependable source for the rest¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Karas closed his eyes, rubbing his beak in contemplation. Despite being in the name, Aldrid Forest was just a large forest located at the centre of the continent ¨C or so it had been known as. It was said that it was only named after a deity due to its sheer size. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®But if Aldrid was truly there, then¡­a deity of life¡­would surely hold the secrets of reincarnation.¡¯ ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡± The professor looked towards Serenis once more. She was as indifferent as ever, but he¡¯d come to realize that her indifference was only a sign of confidence and certainty. Simply put, she wasn¡¯t joking ¨C that much, he could plainly see. ¡°Instead of leaving the institute¡­there is an alternative.¡± ¡°An alternative?¡± ¡°Yes. One that will allow an extended leave without penalty.¡± ¡°Interesting. I didn¡¯t realize such a thing was possible.¡± ¡°It is. We only need to file your leave as an educational workshop. However¡­¡± Karas dramatically extended his sentence with a pause as he raised his finger into the air. ¡°There¡¯s a small caveat.¡± ¡°¡­And that is?¡± ¡°A staff member must be accompanying the student.¡± ¡°¡­Then wouldn¡¯t leaving be more¡­¡± ¡°I!!!¡± Karas slammed one hand on the table, effectively preventing the dragonlord from asserting that leaving would be far simpler. A quizzical frown instead crossed Serenis¡¯ expression as she stared at the professor. ¡°¡­¡¯I¡¯?¡± After a brief pause, Karas met the dragonlord¡¯s gaze to finish his statement. ¡°¡­I will accompany you to the central forests.¡± Ep 53. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (2) Ep 53. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (2) ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I-¡° ¡°Please. Allow me to accompany you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes remained locked with the professor¡¯s in silence. In her eyes, a lot of people were seemingly going haywire all of a sudden; first Iris, now Karas. ¡®Whatever¡¯s the matter with him? Seems like a rather exaggerated reaction.¡¯ At least the professor already know Serenis¡¯ identity as a dragonlord. Any other instructor, and she would¡¯ve declined in a heartbeat. ¡°¡­Do as you will. But I plan to leave within tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll finish the files and make necessary arrangements within today. You¡¯ll need but call on me, and-¡° Knock. Knock. Both Serenis and Karas¡¯ eyes shifted over towards the door. With the dragonlord already present with him, it was easy to guess who was behind the knocking for the professor. ¡°¡­Come in.¡± When the door creaked open, Light expectantly popped into the office. Ilias was trailing behind the half girl to close the door. ¡°Professor!...Wait, Zion, you¡¯re here too? Where were you earlier, skipping class?¡± ¡°At my nest, looking after my brother.¡± Serenis then shifted her attention over to the red dragon, happily waving at her from behind Light. ¡°¡­I see you brought Ilias with you now?¡± ¡°Well, class was done a while ago, so we went on a little tour around the campus. We popped by to say hi to the professor, but we didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be here too. Ilias enthusiastically nodded at the remark. If the office had been any smaller, her tail would¡¯ve been knocking things over left and right. ¡°Lor¡­I mean, uh, Zion! This place is so cool! It has tons of people using all sorts of magic. There¡¯s even a place where you make poison!¡± Light let out a nervous laughter as she corrected her sister. ¡°Potions, Ilias. Potions.¡± ¡°¡­Oh. Yeah, that! And apparently we¡¯re super popular, everyone¡¯s staring at us wherever we go.¡± Karas watched the ongoing conversation in silence. He¡¯d seen Ilias then and there, living in the neighboring house and all ¨C but this was the first time the dragon was physically in his presence. And even he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of Ilias, who was plainly a dragon ¨C unlike Serenis who hid her features most of the time. ¡®Well, she IS a dragon¡­it¡¯s not an everyday sight.¡¯ Meanwhile, Serenis was nodding towards the youngling like an approving mother. Unlike literally everyone else on campus, seeing a dragon was the least surprising thing for her. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enjoying your time here, child. Also, you¡¯re free to call me as you normally will.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Huh, really? But Light said you were trying to be¡­uh¡­¡¯Zion¡¯?¡± ¡°Everyone in this room knows who I am.¡± When everyone nodded in unison, Ilias let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Ohh. Well, that¡¯s a relief! I¡¯m so used to calling you Lord Serenis.¡± On the other hand, Light begged to differ. The notion of ¡®lord¡¯ was still alien to the half girl who was looking at Serenis with a conflicted expression. ¡°¡­I¡¯m never gonna get used to that name. I still like Zion better.¡± ¡°Do as you will, the both of you.¡± After a few brief nods towards the shrugging dragonlord, Light raised her previous question once more. ¡°So, whatcha doing here with the professor? More research?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯ve only been conversing about the necessary procedures to leaving the institution.¡± ¡°Aha. Leaving the institu¡­tion¡­¡± ¡­? When the half girl belatedly processed what she¡¯d heard, the pitch of her voice soared upwards. ¡°You¡¯re leaving the institute?! Why?!¡± ¡°¡­Interesting, I wasn¡¯t expecting such heated responses. Is it truly that surprising?¡± ¡°Of course it is! Who leaves school in the middle of the semester like this? Are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°Not that I know of.¡± ¡°Then why¡¯re you leaving??¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve learned what I wished to learn. And I must be elsewhere in a short while.¡± ¡°Elsewhere? Where-¡° The professor loudly cleared his throat, cutting the half girl¡¯s bursting questions midway to clear her misunderstanding. ¡°Now, now, settle down. Serenis isn¡¯t ¡®leaving¡¯ the institute, per se. She¡¯ll simply be attending a workshop in Aldrid Forest.¡± Light¡¯s curious eyes turned to Karas this time. That answer didn¡¯t exactly make sense to her, either. ¡°A workshop? Didn¡¯t those need staff approval? And a supervisor?¡± ¡°I approved it. And I¡¯m supervising.¡± ¡°Eh? What about the classes you¡¯re teaching right now?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure the headmaster will take care of them.¡± ¡®Though he¡¯d hate to admit it, even Gio should know how valuable a student like Serenis is. He¡¯ll do whatever he can to keep her enrolled.¡± While Karas¡¯ irresponsible thoughts muddled his mind, Light rapidly darted her eyes between the professor and Serenis. When she finally rested her gaze on the dragonlord, the curiosity in her expression was slowly turning into doubt. ¡°What the heck¡­is this for real?¡± Serenis returned a curt nod at the question. ¡°Apparently so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Workshops were usually planned months ahead of time, and carefully coordinated with instructors for review. In all fairness, Light had every right to be confused by the sudden news. And the confusion was only worse for the red dragon who¡¯d never attended a school. Ilias turned to her little sister, quietly whispering her question into the half girl¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­Light, what¡¯s a workshop?¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­it¡¯s where a supervisor gets together with students to teach them work experience outside of school.¡± ¡°Outside? Can we follow them?¡± ¡°No, we¡­wait a sec, can we?¡± Light turned to Karas, who¡¯d vaguely heard Ilias¡¯ question. The half girl couldn¡¯t tell if the professor was sweating underneath all his feathers, but it sure seemed like he was. ¡°Professor, you can take more than one student to a workshop, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­well¡­I really¡­¡± While Karas scrambled for words, Light pressed her statement further. ¡°You said you¡¯re heading to Aldrid Forest, right? That sounds fun! Take us with you!¡± ¡°No well, this is-¡° ¡°Aww c¡¯mon, it¡¯s just another name on some paper!¡± The professor nervously cleared his throat as he avoided his student¡¯s gaze. Even the dragonlord¡¯s judgmental stare would be better than Light¡¯s eyes gleaming in excitement. He gave an answer with what little logic he had remaining. ¡°Well, you see Light, I really shouldn¡¯t. For one, Ilias isn¡¯t even a student-¡° ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about me. If you¡¯re just going to a forest, I can follow along on my own, no need for you to take me anywhere.¡± ¡­And just like that, Karas¡¯ last remains of logic were destroyed under the red dragon¡¯s reassurance. Serenis glanced around the chaos. ¡°¡­Well then. This is growing pleasantly out of hand.¡± Everyone present in this room knew who she was. At the very least, if Aldrid was truly as benevolent as Iris and the books made the deity out to be, there shouldn¡¯t have been any danger involved in taking them along. Finally, the professor gave in. He simply didn¡¯t have a good reason to turn down Light¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­make the necessary arrangements.¡± ¡°Yay! Workshop! Zion, Zion, raise your hand!¡± Serenis curiously stared at her half peer, slowly raising one hand into the air. ¡°Hand? What for-¡° ¡°High five!¡± A loud slapping noise filled the office as the half girl excitedly slapped the dragonlord¡¯s palm. Serenis soon lowered her hand, quizzically watching her peer bounce in excitement. ¡°Do you regularly slap others when you¡¯re exhilarated?¡± ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t you know what a high five is?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°You do it with someone else when something exciting happens! It¡¯s where you raise your hands and slap them against each other!¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The dragonlord stared at her palm. The lasting shock from the slap was slowly fading away. ¡®Hurting each other even in the face of good fortune¡­humans develop the strangest customs.¡¯ A brief nod followed as Serenis internally noted the new term. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Only Ilias was staring at the dragonlord in evident worry. A long time ago, she¡¯d heard the exact same explanation herself ¨C which wasn¡¯t the clearest one out there for a dragon. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t think she understood that right¡­¡¯ Ep 54. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (3) Ep 54. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (3) ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°But-¡° ¡°Absolutely not!¡± ¡°Listen, I-¡° ¡°You¡¯re fifteen, Zion! Fifteen! You think I¡¯m gonna sit around and watch you become a homeless delinquent?! You¡¯re absolutely NOT dropping school!¡± Patrick was adamantly shutting off any and all opposition from his sibling this time. With both his arms and legs crossed defiantly, it was as if his entire body was screaming there was no room for debate. Not that Serenis was trying to make it a debate. If anything, she¡¯d come to make an announcement. ¡°Patrick. Iris has informed me that-¡° ¡°Iris? That reminds me. Who taught you to trust a stranger?¡± ¡°¡­Stranger? I cannot tell you the details, but she¡¯s-¡° ¡°I already talked to her while you were gone! I know what you did!¡± ¡°¡­Do you?¡± ¡®Because I do not.¡¯ Serenis frowned at her brother¡¯s unmoving attitude. It was almost praiseworthy given his usual passivity ¨C if it wasn¡¯t against her. ¡°And pray tell, what did she tell you exactly?¡± ¡°That I fell unconscious from her mana pills exploding. And that you begged her for information on finding deities.¡± ¡°¡­I did not BEG!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter! What¡¯s a deity got to do with skipping school?! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a dragon or not, you¡¯re still a fifteen-year-old kid to me! You are NOT dropping school for some wild goose chase!¡± An exasperated sigh escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to care that Iris had lied to Patrick. Would her brother¡¯s iron will make a difference? Absolutely not. Serenis was perfectly capable of leaving the city, with or without Patrick¡¯s approval. ¡®¡­But I would prefer if he did approve.¡¯ ¡°Will everything be alright as long as I¡¯m not ¡®dropping¡¯ altogether?¡± ¡°Yeah, you need to graduate, you know! Whatever you do in the future, you still need at least some education!¡± ¡°Then your worries are ill-founded. Karas has spoken of making arrangements so that I stay enrolled. I believe he said he¡¯d replace the current schedule with¡­a ¡¯workshop.¡¯¡± There weren¡¯t any crickets chirping in the house, but if there were, now would¡¯ve been a good time to chirp. Patrick finally broke the awkward silence, his head tilted in confusion. ¡°¡­A workshop? Alone?¡± ¡°Karas will be accompanying me. Light and Ilias will be coming along as well.¡± ¡°¡­That half girl and the red dragon?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Patrick didn¡¯t need an explanation on what a workshop was. He¡¯d attended the same institute, attended the same classes (sort of), and went through the same program (kind of). Workshops were special opportunities given to exceptional students that guaranteed credits, as well as learning and work experience. And just like that, Patrick no longer had an excuse to stop his little sibling. ¡®¡­Well, shit.¡¯ Truthfully, he¡¯d spoken out harder than he would for fear Serenis would wind up in something dangerous again. While it hadn¡¯t resulted in anything serious last time, Eisenhoff¡¯s case was a city-wide infestation of monstrous halves; no sane person would allow a fifteen-year-old to handle such cases. Patrick sighed, finally groaning out something that wasn¡¯t a ¡®no.¡¯ ¡°¡­Where¡¯re you going? For this workshop.¡± ¡°To the central forests.¡± ¡°Central? You mean Aldrid Forest? That place is huge¡­you¡¯re going to search for a deity in the middle of nowhere? That doesn¡¯t even sound safe.¡± ¡°According to Iris, it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A second set of awkward silence settled in as Patrick found himself at a loss of words. The mage had known Iris since his very first year as a student at the Magic Institute. Although they hadn¡¯t been close back then, she¡¯d always come across as an oddball of sorts. But sending his sibling on a wild goose chase across the continent wasn¡¯t just being an oddball. For a lack of better words, it was straight madness. Deities weren¡¯t beings that one could just ¡®meet¡¯ out of the blue.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. At least, not in Patrick¡¯s head. ¡°¡­Not convinced. And even Professor Karas can¡¯t guarantee your safety in a place like that. People go missing in there every year.¡± ¡°Patrick, in case you¡¯ve forgotten yet again, I am a dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­Sure, but you¡¯re also my little brother. Sister. Sibling. Whatever. You¡¯re fifteen.¡± To be fair, he wasn¡¯t wrong. Patrick once again groaned at their impasse. Deep inside, he knew that Serenis would probably go regardless of what he said ¨C that much seemed clear, with how long the dragonlord was keeping this argument going. And, as per usual, it¡¯d be him doing the compromise. ¡°¡­Fine. Let¡¯s do it like this then. Sounds like you¡¯re gonna go whatever the hell I say anyways, right?¡± ¡°In all fairness, if you were to claim that my sudden absence will result in a horrible death for you, I¡¯ll reconsider.¡± ¡°Why the hell would I die a horrible death?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯ll reconsider.¡± ¡°¡­Sure. You know what though, I¡¯ll just come with you. At least that way I can drag you back out when I need to.¡± ¡°You? Drag me? How?¡± ¡°What, you think I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°¡­Fine, I probably can¡¯t. But it¡¯ll at least be better than sitting at home wishing I could drag you out.¡± ¡°Do you not have your own work to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on leave. I¡¯m injured.¡± ¡°¡­I thought you have fully reco-¡° ¡°Kh! The burns are still!¡± Patrick cut off the dragonlord¡¯s sentence as he twisted his body, dramatically gripping his bandaged side. He eyed Serenis from the corner of his eyes, watching for her reaction. ¡°¡­¡± The dragonlord¡¯s expression twisted into a cringe at the obvious act. And Patrick did not care. ¡°There, I¡¯m sick. Happy?¡± ? ? ? ¡°So¡­Zion, this is¡­¡± Iris warily scanned all the people that had gathered around at the institute¡¯s empty courtyard. Dragonlord Serenis. And¡­ An institute professor, a little half girl, a red dragon attached to said half girl, and a fellow enforcer that¡¯s supposed to be on injury leave. But Serenis only returned an indifferent gaze as she answered Iris. ¡°It doesn¡¯t particularly concern you, does it? You won¡¯t be accompanying us.¡± ¡°¡­Well, no¡­¡± ¡®If Aldrid tells Felicir that I¡¯m up to something, things won¡¯t go pretty. But¡­¡¯ Iris¡¯ eyes focused on her coworker. Patrick was leisurely leaning on his staff with one arm wrapped around it. It was still being used like a cane, just like yesterday when she¡¯d lied her way out of his accusations of her murder attempts. Patrick curtly waved his hand. ¡°Yo. Long time no see.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s barely been a day, Patrick. And weren¡¯t you on leave due to your injuries? If you¡¯re fully recovered, you should be returning to work, not-¡° ¡°Ugh, my head! If only someone didn¡¯t let their pills explode at my face¡­!¡± Iris¡¯ eyes thinned as her friend¡¯s sudden complaints of pain. Patrick had suddenly twisted his body, clutching his head in faked symptoms. Did Iris know Patrick was acting? Of course she did. The pills she carried weren¡¯t actually designed to recover mana, but suppress it. They were deadly poison that could cripple a person¡¯s mana reserve for life, and she¡¯d constantly consumed them to effectively hide her identity as Felicis. But she couldn¡¯t say that out loud. And because she couldn¡¯t say that out loud, she couldn¡¯t question Patrick¡¯s obvious act. And if she couldn¡¯t question it, there was only one thing she could do. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Patrick immediately fixed his posture upon hearing Iris¡¯ apology. Shamelessly. ¡°You should be.¡± Iris shook her head in dismay. Karma was getting back at her. She turned to Serenis once more, gesturing towards the rest of the group aside from her coworker. ¡°Then, these people are¡­¡± When Serenis looked to them, the group began to introduce themselves. ¡°A pleasure to meet you again, enforcer. As you know, my name is Karas. I¡¯ll be the supervisor for the length of Zion¡¯s workshop. And this over here is Light, a fellow student that will be accompanying us. The dragon over there is¡­¡± Ilias wove her hand. After a night of work together and an afternoon of drinking, the enforcer was no longer a stranger to the dragon. ¡°Hi, Iris! Good to see you again!¡± Iris returned a quizzical stare at the enthusiastic red dragon. ¡°Ilias?...Why is a dragon¡­¡± The professor awkwardly cleared his throat, pulling Ilias closer. ¡°She¡¯s¡­here as a guardian and a safety precaution. For the two students.¡± ¡°¡­Guardian?¡± ¡®A dragon is a dragonlord¡¯s guardian? Shouldn¡¯t it be the reverse?¡¯ The enforcer hurriedly leaned into Serenis¡¯ ear, whispering to make her words only audible to the dragonlord. ¡°What in heaven¡¯s name is going on? Weren¡¯t you going alone? You couldn¡¯t possibly need all these people with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem. Do human children not help their elders from time to time as well?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re fifteen on file.¡± ¡°They know who I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the two seemed to finish whispering each other, Light budged in between them, excitedly glancing at her friend and the red-haired enforcer both. ¡°Your name was Iris, right? Are you coming along too?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯ve¡­only come to give brief directions to Zion over here.¡± ¡°Directions? From an enforcer? The professor said we¡¯re gonna be looking for a deity, was that actually true??¡± ¡°¡­It is.¡± Light¡¯s eyes sparkled in amazement at the female enforcer standing before her. ¡°Wow, enforcers know all sorts of things! Even Professor Karas said he doesn¡¯t know where deities are!¡± Patrick was internally crying at how the half girl continued to highlight Iris¡¯ job. Little did she know, he had the exact same profession. On the other hand, Karas also joined in, emphasizing Light¡¯s curiosity. ¡°I¡¯m quite curious as well. If I may, where did the sector obtain such classified infor-¡° Iris plucked out a piece of paper from her coat and shoved it into the dragonlord¡¯s hand. She practically shouted her final comments as a portal abruptly appeared behind her. ¡°As there¡¯s a brand-new case I have to get to, here¡¯s the paperwork you can read on your way! Best of luck.¡± The enforcer disappeared moments after into her spell. As the portal closed back, Karas disappointingly kicked his tongue. ¡°Hm. So much for that.¡± Ilias, Patrick and Light all looked towards the professor in unison, sharing the same judgmental stare. ¡°Aww, she ran away¡­¡± ¡°Yep, totally an escape. I know her well enough to tell.¡± ¡°Professor, how could you?¡± ¡°?! That was my fault?¡± Serenis sighed as she opened up the crumpled paperwork in her hand. She only needed a brief skim to figure out their destination. ¡°Enough. Let us be off.¡± Light quizzically stared at her peer, glancing around the empty courtyard. ¡°Come to think of it, how¡¯re we gonna get to Aldrid Forest? Are we borrowing a carriage or something?¡± ¡°? By flying, of course.¡± ¡°¡­We are? Can everyone fly here?¡± The half girl glanced around at the people around her, specifically towards the professor. As far as she knew, Karas never used flight spells. Karas coughed nervously, looking away from the half girl¡¯s expectant gaze. ¡°¡­While I can use flight spells¡­there is a limit to keeping up with a dragon¡¯s speed.¡± Karas then glanced towards his other, former student. Patrick also had the ability to use flight spells, but neither he nor Karas had been born with wings or flew on a daily basis. There was no way either of them could keep up with the two dragons in party. Serenis belatedly looked around. She hadn¡¯t considered this when agreeing to their company. Just as the dragonlord began to regret not asking the deity of mana to make a one-way portal to the forest, Ilias stepped up and tapped herself on the chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I can carry everyone!¡± Her little sister worriedly looked to the dragon. ¡°Everyone?? Won¡¯t that be tiring for you, Ilias?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fiiine, I¡¯ve carried way heavier things before! But I¡¯ll have to transform to carry everyone, and other people will probably get scared if I transform here, so¡­let¡¯s get out of the city first?¡± When the youngling looked to Serenis for approval, she returned a firm nod at the suggestion. She was quite eager to get out of the city herself. ¡®There wouldn¡¯t be a reason to keep up this human ruse outside.¡¯ Ep 55. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (4) Ep 55. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (4) Splash! ¡°Groorgh!!¡± ¡°Die! Crunch! With a predatory gleam in her grey eyes, Raizel¡¯s head slowly emerged from the river¡¯s surface. A gigantic fish was attached to her arm, its underbelly skewered by the arm buried within it. The dragon kicked her tongue as she slowly dragged her feet across the water. Even in her morphed human form, her affinity made it impossible to swim; instead, Raizel was forced to slowly walk the riverbed ashore. Hopefully, this fish would prove worthwhile. A trail of blood and water followed as the steel dragon trudged unto solid land once more, seating herself on the rocky riverbank. After ripping her arm out her prey, the fish squirmed a few additional times with what life it had, but the dragon nonchalantly bit into its flesh. A clump of meat was torn off as the dragon began to savor her hunt. But it didn¡¯t take long for Raizel¡¯s expression to twist in disgust. ¡°Tastes like dirt.¡± A distasteful glare met the fish¡¯s soulless eye as Raizel began an unwarranted staring contest with the dead animal, internally cursing her hunt for its poor taste. However, the cursing came to an abrupt end as she heard the rustling of bushes nearby. Raizel darted her gaze over her shoulders. Contrary to her expectations, it wasn¡¯t a wild animal that had chased the scent of blood. A blonde woman was instead peeking at the dragon from behind a tree, her blue eyes glimmering in excitement. When she noticed that the dragon was looking at her, she let out a nervous laughter, scrambling for something to say. ¡°Oh. Um, hello!¡± ¡°¡­The hell?¡± Raizel squinted her eyes, studying the strange individual. For others, it might¡¯ve been strange to see someone wearing a simple robe without any baggage in the middle of the wilderness; Raizel, she could care less. It was just another ordinary human in her eyes. The dragon¡¯s eyes then fell on the fish that was as big as their spectator. Soon, she offered it towards the nervous stranger. ¡°What, you hungry? If you want, you can have it.¡± ¡°Oh, no no, nothing like that. It¡¯s just¡­I was surprised to find a dragon outside the valleys. May I ask what you¡¯re doing in a forest like this?¡± The dragon sarcastically rolled her eyes at the question. ¡°Great, now even humans are trying to decide where I can go. What, am I not allowed here?¡± The woman softly shook her head as she stepped out from the tree, approaching Raizel to stand only a few steps away. Offending the dragon was the last thing she wanted to do. ¡°Forgive me, of course you¡¯re free to come and go as you please. I was just curious.¡± Raizel didn¡¯t mind the distance, instead returning to eating her dirt-flavored fish. Disgusting or not, food was food, and she was hungry. She spoke again with a mouthful of meat. ¡°Valley this, valley that¡­I don¡¯t know how the old bones manage to hole up in there for centuries. There¡¯s a whole world outside of that place.¡± At first, the dragon¡¯s words seemed to surprise the woman. But her lips soon curved to a smile as she began to nod in agreement. ¡°Haha¡­you¡¯re right! It seems I was being thoughtless. Do excuse me.¡± A few minutes passed without further words being exchanged. The steel dragon continued to eat her meal, and the woman continued to stare at the dragon in silence. ¡®¡­?¡¯ The steel dragon glanced back at the stranger with a perplexed gaze. As far as Raizel was concerned, the woman should¡¯ve long fled by now. Admittedly, with Raizel¡¯s lack of draconic features in her human form, there were times when others mistook the dragon for a human hunter ¨C but this wasn¡¯t one of those times. The woman had clearly referred to her as a ¡®dragon.¡¯ ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you gonna leave?¡± ¡°Ah, does my presence bother you? It¡¯s just, it¡¯s been a very long time since I¡¯ve last seen a dragon¡­¡± ¡°How did you even know I was a dragon? I don¡¯t look like one in this form.¡± ¡°Hm¡­I just know. It¡¯s a special trait I have.¡± Raizel narrowed her eyes as she studied the strange spectator. ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite unusual for a human. The ones I find run away at the slightest sight of blood.¡± ¡°Violence, too, is part of nature. One cannot expect a predator to live without hunting, lest they die of hunger.¡± ¡°Yeah? And what if you¡¯re the next hunt?¡± The woman only let out a playful giggle at the threatening question. Despite Raizel¡¯s unnerving tone, she didn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest. ¡°Mm¡­while I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll happen, if I do end up as a dragon¡¯s hunt¡­then I¡¯ll have to fulfill my role as prey, and run for my dear life as best as I can.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The dragon snorted in amusement at the answer. It was the last thing she¡¯d expected to hear from a human. ¡°You talk like our old bones.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that a compliment? Thank you.¡± A faint smile appeared on the steel dragon¡¯s face as she studied the woman grinning back at her. Raizel returned to her fish, but continued to converse. ¡°¡­If you aren¡¯t gonna leave, then sit down. It¡¯s distracting when you¡¯re standing like that behind me.¡± ¡°Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± The woman quietly took a few steps closer as she seated herself beside Raizel. Correction, not just ¡®beside.¡¯ She sat right beside the steel dragon. To the point where their arms were touching. Raizel stared at the stranger in disbelief. At this point, the woman¡¯s gall was praiseworthy. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°What kind of human¡­you know what, screw it. Never mind.¡± The steel dragon elected to ignore the woman¡¯s lack of care for personal space or safety. Whether it was bravado or a mindless lack of fear, the dragon could not bring herself to care. Unfortunately, the woman seemed determined to not let herself be ignored, her hands beginning to caress Raizel¡¯s upper arm. ¡°My, your arm¡¯s so tough. It doesn¡¯t feel like hardened skin, but it¡¯s not scaled, either¡­is steel your natural affinity?¡± Raizel choked on the meat as clumps of it came flying out of her mouth into the pebbles below. When the dragon continued to cough, the woman worriedly rubbed her back. ¡°Oh dear, are you alright? Here, have some water.¡± Normally, one would expect an offer of water in a bottle or the like. Instead, the woman hovered her hand over the ground. A tall, smooth green pillar suddenly sprouted forth; if not for the occasional leaves clinging on its sides, Raizel wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell it was a tree. The woman snapped the bamboo in the middle afterwards, offering a piece of it to the steel dragon. When she saw clear water trickling inside the hollow innards, Raizel snatched it out of her grasp, gulping it down. Only when she finished did the dragon find her voice again. ¡°Pff¡­the hell are you? A minute sitting down and you can tell my affinity?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m quite knowledgeable when it comes to dragons. I¡¯m sure I know more than most scholars.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph. You mages and your fancy antics.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m not a mage, though.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The dragon quizzically tilted her head, flicking her chin towards the broken bamboo tree. ¡°Then what the hell¡¯s that weird tree? Isn¡¯t that magic?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­let¡¯s say it¡¯s something like sorcery.¡± ¡°¡­Peculiar, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a compliment.¡± ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t? But simply receiving recognition from a dragon is something to celebrate.¡± Raizel slowly began to realize what it might¡¯ve felt like for other dragons to talk to her. There was just no way to get through to this woman¡¯s head. ¡°¡­Sure. You can celebrate being recognized as the most daring human I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°Haha, forgive me if I¡¯m being bothersome. The people find me rather uncomfortable to speak to, you see.¡± ¡°You talk as if I find you comfortable.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not uncomfortable, then¡­¡± ¡°? Then what.¡± ¡°Would you mind I feel your hair, just once? I really want to know if your hair is as tough as your skin!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ? ? ? A red dragon soared across the skies in her fullest form. Three people hung onto her back, and another individual was flying at her side with wings of their own. Karas studied the scenery around him from Ilias¡¯ back, then Serenis who was flying beside them. Their sheer speed was one thing to be surprised about, but the dragonlord¡¯s proper form caught his attention even more. Light was also at his side, her eyes fixed on the dragonlord flying beside them. With proper wings and horns and all, added onto the ornate dress she wore, her peer really did seem like a dragon now. ¡°Zion really was a dragon, huh? I think that¡¯s actually the first time I¡¯ve seen him in something other than the institute uniform.¡± The professor squinted his eyes as he looked to his half student. She was the only one that still treated the dragonlord as a male, human peer. ¡°Light, I believe Serenis has told you her proper name and identity?¡± ¡°Yeah, he did. But he said I can keep calling him Zion if I want to.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± Mild curiosity began to form within the professor¡¯s mind. ¡®Wait. Then what does Patrick call Serenis? Does he still refer to the dragonlord as his brother?¡¯ But when Karas¡¯ eyes found Patrick, he soon realized that the enforcer was much too occupied to be answering his questions. Patrick was hugging Ilias¡¯ scales, lying down flat as he tried to absorb her warmth. He was keeping a dome-like barrier with magic to prevent any of them falling off of the dragon¡¯s back, but freezing to death seemed more likely than falling to death now. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe how cold it is up here.¡± Light audibly laughed at the shivering mage. Having flown with Ilias from time to time, the altitude wasn¡¯t nearly as bothering to her. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it!¡± Meanwhile, Serenis was also glancing towards the red dragon and her passengers, checking their state from time to time. When Ilias noticed her lord¡¯s eyes staring at her, the youngling looked back with a puzzled gaze. ¡°Lord? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. I was merely thinking that I had never seen your true form until now.¡± ¡°Ohh. Yeah, I get easily hungrily like this, so I don¡¯t transform that often. But right now it¡¯s a necessity, so!¡± ¡°A necessity¡­¡± ¡®You¡¯re able to call accommodating three others, all of different races, a ¡®necessity.¡¯¡¯ Serenis beamed a proud smile back at the youngling. ¡°You¡¯re right, child. We¡¯re very fortunate to have you with us.¡± ¡°Hehe. By the way, where do we go once we get to the forest? Did Iris give you a map or something?¡± Serenis shook her head. She¡¯d take out the document and show Ilias, but the paper would likely rip from the all the wind rushing against them. ¡°They were directions to finding an individual who could provide us with further guidance. We first need to reach the northern edges of a large lake in the forest, and¡­from there, find a cabin underneath the tallest tree in the area.¡± ¡°Ooh, ¡®tallest tree¡¯? Sounds like a place where a deity would be!¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± When Patrick overheard the ongoing conversation between the dragons, he peeked out from Ilias¡¯ back as he chimed in. ¡°Wait a second, tallest tree by the lake? If you mean Eterra Lake¡¯s northern boundary, that¡¯s¡­¡± Serenis glanced towards her contemplating sibling. ¡°Patrick, do you know of this location?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think that¡¯s¡­where Mr. Lairaff lives?¡± The dragonlord failed to recognize the name. However, it did pique the professor¡¯s interest as Karas looked to his former student. ¡°Lairaff? Are you referring to Otoka Lairaff?¡± ¡°Yeah, him. I found out by coincidence too, he apparently lives in a cabin just up the lake.¡± Light quizzically tilted her head, sharing the dragons¡¯ confusion. ¡°Otoka¡­Lairaff? Who¡¯s that?¡± Karas turned to Light, clearing his throat once before he began to answer. Teaching habits never went anywhere. ¡°Light, you know that three archmages currently reside within our continent, yes?¡± ¡°Mhm. Our headmaster¡¯s one of them, right?¡± ¡°Precisely. One of them is our Headmaster, Gio Dugrin. Mage Association President, Alma Seine, is another. And the last of the three is a mage named Otoka Lairaff. His whereabouts have been a mystery after his retirement, but he was once a famous mage uncontested in the field of plant-based magic.¡± ¡°Eh¡­a person like that is living in a forest cabin? Why??¡± Karas shrugged. He looked to Patrick once more to answer in his stead, but even the enforcer didn¡¯t have a plausible answer, only speaking of what he remembered. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯ve no clue either. I just happened to see him there by coincidence. He didn¡¯t exactly seem fond of talking, and I couldn¡¯t really stay for long because I was on duty.¡± Light puffed her cheeks at the rather disappointing answer. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re on our way to seeing this ¡®Otoka¡¯ person then? Not the deity of life?¡± Only one person could answer the question, and that was the person that had read the directions Iris gave. When Light looked to Serenis, the dragonlord spoke her answer for everyone to hear. ¡°¡­It¡¯s one or the other.¡± ¡°One or the other?¡± ¡°Either this archmage knows how to meet the deity of life, or¡­they are the deity of life.¡± Map(s) Hi, everyone! First of all, hope I didn¡¯t confuse anybody into thinking it¡¯s Friday, because it¡¯s Saturday. And this story isn¡¯t supposed to have an entry on Saturdays. As you can tell from the title (can you?), this isn¡¯t another Ep entry. Instead, I decided to take the opportunity to do an¡­administrative thing about maps. Something I should¡¯ve done long ago, but kinda forgot about. Watch me make a typo here too, that¡¯d be hilarious. The Administrative Thing: Maps The world of Nerion ¨C yes that¡¯s the world name, I know it hardly comes up because everyone just keeps calling it ¡®star,¡¯ looking at you, Serenis ¨C is largely divided into four different continents, each with their own respective maps. These were made¡­idk, like, 3 years ago? 4? Something like that. I probably should¡¯ve attached them somewhere much earlier, but better late than never, right?Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Anyways, here¡¯s one of the four! Currently, the characters are on the continent of Wayla. The two attachments are just different versions of the same map: one¡¯s just a parchment version of the other. Other continents will get attached here too as the story moves along. Raw Link: https://i.imgur.com/Up4thLl.jpeg Raw Link: https://i.imgur.com/sOeNMLy.jpeg Raw Link: https://i.imgur.com/WtueToJ.jpeg Ep 56. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (5) Ep 56. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (5) A golden sunset illuminated the forest as Ilias descended by the lake¡¯s northern edge. When all her passengers were safely on ground, the youngling shrunk to her usual humanoid appearance, gripping her grumbling stomach. ¡°¡­I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been flying for hours, after all. Here!¡± Light rummaged through one of the baggage as she produced a piece of dried meat from within for her sister. It wasn¡¯t enough, but it¡¯d do until they settled down to camp or otherwise. While the dragon powerlessly chewed on the food, others were studying the surrounding landscape. One particular stream was stretching northwards from the lake, leading deeper into the forests. Patrick narrowed his eyes as he noticed the cleanliness of the riverbank leading upwards. Strangely enough, he could see a pebbled path alongside the riverbank, lacking any vegetation whatsoever. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re at the right place. Just up this stream should be where we¡¯re looking for. We can walk the rest of the way, shouldn¡¯t be far from here.¡± When the enforcer beckoned to others, Serenis simply nodded as she began to walk wordlessly along the trail. Ilias was dragging herself along, with Light pushing the red dragon from behind with what strength she had. Meanwhile, Karas observantly studied the surrounding as the group made their way up the stream. Despite the decades it¡¯d been since his last stay within a forest environment, old habits were slowly creeping back as he sniffed the air. ¡®¡­Something smells rotten. As if¡­¡¯ ¡°Ew, is that fish?¡± Patrick¡¯s disgusted comment made everyone look to the side. A giant fish, almost the size of an adult male, was rotting by the riverbank. Smaller animals and insects were beginning to feast on its remains. Karas narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out what it exactly was. Despite its bloody underbelly, the head remained intact for the professor to discern its species. ¡°¡­A rivergill?¡± Patrick curiously turned to Karas, raising a brow at the comment. ¡°That¡¯s a rivergill? Isn¡¯t it too big? I thought those were supposed to be the size of your fingers.¡± Upon the enforcer¡¯s questioning response, Karas took a brief moment to realize it was an opportune time to fulfill his role. Although everyone could hear him fine, he specifically turned towards Serenis and Light as he spoke. ¡°Since this is a workshop, let¡¯s go over some forest habitat that concern mages. As Patrick just mentioned, rivergills often grow no bigger than the size of an adult¡¯s finger ¨C but in fact, this is due to the numerous predators that seek them for food. When left in an ideal environment, rivergills have been confirmed to grow indefinitely.¡± Ilias glanced over to the fish as they walked by its carcass. Right now, the only thing she could think of was finding another one of that size and eating it. ¡°¡­Are they good?¡± However, the professor shook his head. ¡°Rivergills are known to have a very peculiar taste. As they grow older and larger, their growth in size renders them impossible to live on small amounts of fish and insects ¨C they instead tend to consume clumps of dirt whole, digesting what nutrient there is and expelling components they don¡¯t need. So, to answer your question¡­¡± The professor took a momentary pause as he looked towards the starving dragon. ¡°¡­Bigger rivergills tend to taste like dirt.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Light burst into laughter at the red dragon¡¯s evident disappointment. She then looked towards her professor, pointing at the river beside them. ¡°Do they still get hunted when they grow so big though?¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Larger rivergills are often captured by hunters. Although their taste isn¡¯t anything remarkable, their nature-friendly diet make their livers good components in alchemy practices. A rivergill¡¯s liver is, in fact, a primary ingredient in recovery concoctions, as well as various medicine.¡± ¡°So, that big one died to a hunter too?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but it isn¡¯t too likely for that one. A hunter should¡¯ve skinned and procured their remains instead of abandoning the carcass like that.¡± ¡°Eh? Then what killed it?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± The professor shook his head. He shrugged, and looked towards the darkening depths of the forest surrounding them. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ? ? ? ¡°Is this the place we¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°Looks like it? I mean, look at the size of that tree. I can¡¯t even see the top from here!¡± As Light and Ilias conversed, their gaze slowly rose upwards to see the towering height of the giant oak tree in the clearing. It was taller than any building they¡¯d seen, its bark seemingly conjoined by roots of multiple different plants. Meanwhile, Patrick¡¯s eyes drifted from the two chatting sisters, then to the tree, then to the wooden cabin that shared the clearing with it. A definitive manmade structure, and if memory served true, Archmage Otoka Lairaff¡¯s home. ¡®Guess I¡¯ll try talking to him first. Wonder if he¡¯d remember me though¡­¡¯ But just as Patrick approached the wooden door to give it a few knocks, a series of metallic thudding noises drowned out the enforcer¡¯s knocking. The noise grew louder and louder, and the door soon swung open, revealing a silvery figure within. Her neck shrieked in metallic screeches as she stretched, expression filled with annoyance. ¡°What¡¯s with all the damn noise? What do you want?¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯re louder than any of us here.¡¯ Patrick blankly stared at the grey figure that had suddenly appeared before him. The only thing he knew was that this woman wasn¡¯t the old archmage he was looking for. Meanwhile, Ilias cringed her eyes at the sight. She pulled on her right cheek until it ached in pain, letting go once she¡¯d confirmed that it wasn¡¯t a dream. Light frowned as she watched Ilias torture herself. ¡°Ilias? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The silvery figure darted her gaze as a familiar name slipped out of the half girl. Only then did she spot the red dragon in the party, mirroring the disbelief in their eyes. Finally, Serenis poked her head from behind Patrick to spot the familiar dragon at the door. ¡°Oh. Hello, Raizel.¡± ? The metal dragon blinked and rubbed her eyes several times. But no matter how many times her vision darkened and returned, the dragonlord remained standing in place, staring quizzically at the youngling before her. ¡°¡­Lord? What¡¯re you doing here with humans?¡± ¡°We¡¯re searching for a human by the name of Otoka Lairaff. Though, I could ask you the same ¨C this isn¡¯t your nest, is it?¡± ¡°¡­No. But some weird human dragged me here.¡± Slowly, Ilias¡¯ mouth opened up as she looked at her friend, her eyes still muddled with disbelief. ¡°Really? The great Raizel was dragged here by a human? Sounds like a pre-tty bad joke to me.¡± A crunching noise of metal rang out from Raizel as she gripped her hands into a fist. She was grinning ¨C and not in a pleasant way. ¡°Ilias, I will literally bury you.¡± ¡°Pft, as if you can!...Actually maybe you can, I¡¯m starving right now¡­¡± ¡°If you want some fish, there¡¯s one by the river.¡± ¡°Oh, that was you? The professor said that fish tastes like dirt though¡­and it was already rotting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± ¡°Wait, what do you mean?! You wanted me to eat dirt?!¡± Light, Karas and Patrick backed off as they watched the dragons bicker. The half girl looked towards her professor, pointing at the three by the cabin door. ¡°Professor, do you have some sort of dragon magnet? Weren¡¯t dragons supposed to be rare?¡± ¡°I believe Serenis is the magnet. And we just happen to be accompanying said magnet.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­what he said.¡± The three simply waited for the dragons to finish their fighting. However, another pair of footsteps rustled from behind, and the group turned to see two others approaching the clearing. A strange woman was accompanied by an elderly mage, holding a basket of small fish to her side. She widened her eyes in surprise at the unexpected party. ¡°Oh, my. It seems we have even more guests, Mr. Lairaff. Dragons too!¡± The old man beside her groaned in internal pain. His small paradise was turning into a dragon¡¯s lair, and he wasn¡¯t liking a single part of it. ¡°My lady, I¡­don¡¯t believe we can accommodate so many guests¡­¡± Translation: please kick them out. However, the old man¡¯s unspoken wishes went unheard as the woman replied to him. ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find a way. It¡¯s been all too long since we¡¯ve had so many guests.¡± Karas immediately narrowed his eyes at the two approaching them, specifically towards the blonde woman. She may not have seemed particularly remarkable to others, but he could vaguely see the similarity between her and the scriptures he¡¯d read time and time again. Besides, no sane forest inhabitant would walk the depths of the woods in a robed attire like that. Or wear jewelry on their ears. Or be barefoot. When the woman noticed the professor¡¯s gaze, a benevolent smile curved her lips as she came to a stop before the feathered individual. ¡°Can I help you, lifeless one?¡± ¡°¡­Deity. Aldrid, yes?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes briefly fell on Patrick and Light, then back towards Karas. An amused expression began to appear on her face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an interesting one? A lifeless being who knows the deity of life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas lowered his stance, his gaze sharpening into a glare. He hadn¡¯t expected the deity to single him out as ¡®lifeless,¡¯ but if that was grounds for her to not be fond of his presence, then that could only mean trouble. Even the dragons¡¯ bickering died down as they began to take notice of the two strangers that had appeared. When everyone fell silent, Aldrid slowly began to raise her hands. ¡®I wasn¡¯t expecting to we¡¯d find the deity this easily¡­if she attacks, then-¡® The deity clapped her hands together, beaming in joy. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll need a much bigger table tonight! Please, come on in.¡± Ep 56.5 (Extra). Clown Jester Ep 56.5 (Extra). Clown Jester A woman ran as fast as her legs could carry her, ignoring the trail of blood that her bleeding feet were leaving behind. She couldn¡¯t let the pain slow her down ¨C not with her little daughter, barely a year old, in her arms. She screamed for help, but her words were soon drowned out by an even louder voice behind her. Her husband chased after her in drunken steps, swinging his emptied bottle of ale like a club. His slurred, anger-filled shouts echoed through the night, but not a single villager came to the woman¡¯s rescue. Someone else will look. Someone else will check. Surely, someone else will help this poor woman and her child. ¡°But they don¡¯t, do they?¡± When the woman abruptly turned a corner, standing before her was another child. His voice was young and immature, and yet, he clearly wasn¡¯t an ordinary child of the village. He was slightly shorter than the woman herself, and looked no older than maybe thirteen or so. However, decorating his body were lavish, presumptuous items that no villager could ever afford in these parts; his oversized, blood-orange overcoat was adorned in intricate patterns and decorations of gold, being worn over a violet linen undershirt whose fabric seemed to glow in the dark. A pretentious hat of the same orange hue was over his head, adorned with several feathers of sparkling rainbow colors. When the boy tipped his hat slightly, the woman could see a pair of mesmerizing green eyes, gleaming in the dark. She remained standing without even realizing that her running had ceased ¨C and soon, her husband was behind her, approaching threateningly with his swinging bottle. ¡°YOU BITCH!! HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME RUN?!¡± The woman didn¡¯t seem to pay her husband any mind. Instead, her eyes remained locked with the boy¡¯s before her. He held out his hand with an expectant grin. ¡°Go. You can do it.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The woman slowly nodded as she handed her babe over to the boy. He gently embraced the child with both arms, and the woman turned around to face her approaching husband. Her eyes gleamed in an eerie green light as she met the man¡¯s angry bursts head-on. ¡°KNEEL, BITCH! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN YOUR PLACE?!¡± When he was close enough, the husband raised the glass bottle into the air, swinging it down into the woman¡¯s head. If this killed her, then she deserved it. But contrary to the man¡¯s intent, his wife stepped to the side all too easily. His swing fell on nothing as the man fell forward, losing his balance from the unexpected lack of impact. The glass shattered against the street¡¯s barren floors, and his face fell right into one of its broken shards. A horrifying scream filled his throat as the broken pieces scraped against his eyes and face. But before he could get up, the woman plunged one of the broken glasses into the back of his throat, creating a fountain of blood as her husband soon fell limp. ¡°My, look at your mother. Isn¡¯t she brave?¡± The boy gently cradled the daughter in his arms. Her delightful laughter filled the night, almost as if the baby knew that her biggest threat in life was no more. When the mother turned to face them again, a horrifying, bloodied face was all they could see. But when the baby began to tear up in fear, the boy gently tapped her forehead, melting away the fear in the child¡¯s eyes and replacing it with another series of delightful laughters. ¡°There, there. Be nice to your mother.¡± The boy offered the babe back, but the woman took no action to retrieve her daughter. Instead, her face also contorted in fear as she slowly backed away from the grinning boy before her. ¡°Who¡­are you? What did you do to me? I, I just¡­my husband, he¡­!¡± ¡°My, my. Why so scared? This is what you wanted all along.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! What sane woman would want to kill their husband?!¡± ¡°Apparently, you.¡± ¡°You did something to me!¡± ¡°I did. I urged you to do what you wanted to do most.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. There¡¯s no way this is what I wanted. I¡­¡± ¡°Come, smile. Today¡¯s supposed to be a joyous day, filled with laughter.¡± As soon as the boy finished his sentence, an involuntary smile spread across the woman¡¯s face. Her fear and horror soon melted away as she beamed back a motherly grin. ¡°There, isn¡¯t that so much better? I¡¯m sure your daughter appreciates it. Here, you can take her back.¡± ¡°Oh¡­thank¡­you¡­¡± The woman retrieved her babe, cradling the little girl as she began to walk back home. The boy remained standing in place with the woman¡¯s abandoned husband, bleeding away in the middle of the street. Soon, the dogs and ravens would come to feast on his body. The boy¡¯s lips curved in a snarky grin as he looked to the warm corpse. ¡°Even I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d go THAT far. You¡¯re quite the scum, aren¡¯t you?¡± The boy laughed at his own words as he crouched down, staring into the dead man¡¯s lightless eyes. He solemnly closed their open eyes before turning around to leave. ¡°It was just a jest, my friend. I am a Clown ¨C surely you understand.¡± Ep 57. Just Like Before. (1) Ep 57. Just Like Before. (1) Usually, nights tended to be peaceful around Otoka¡¯s cabin. Just yesterday the old man¡¯s evenings had comprised of nothing but leisure teatime shared by an occasional animal guest at the porch of his cozy home. Unfortunately, the archmage found nothing of the sort tonight. Whenever he¡¯d bring the teacup to his mouth, a brand-new gasp of excitement and surprise from inside the cabin would shake his drink. Or his nerves. What was going on in the cabin? Well¡­ ¡°You¡¯re a deity?!¡± ¡°Mhm! Nice to meet you, little one. My name is Aldrid.¡± Light stared in awe, scanning the blonde woman from head to toe. It was nothing short of rude, but Aldrid paid it no mind as she watched the half girl look for any clues that would give away the deity¡¯s identity. Aldrid responded in kind, holding out her hand as a small, tiny seed materialized into the palm. The seed then split open as a budding stem reached outwards, soon blooming into a beautiful white poppy that was handed to the half girl. Meanwhile, Patrick was stressfully leaning his chin onto his hand. He¡¯d checked several times to see if he¡¯d been dreaming. ¡®¡­Am I being dumb, or were deities always this easy to meet?¡¯ Aldrid, deity of life ¨C commonly dubbed as Mother Nature herself, said to have birthed all life that exists on the star. She was better known than most of deities, and popular enough to even have a forest named after her, but nowhere in her stories did it say she literally lived in it. Karas wasn¡¯t much different, mirroring Patrick¡¯s disbelief and confusion. Despite having identified Aldrid herself, he wasn¡¯t expecting her to be THIS easy to find. When the deity noticed their bewildered expressions, she returned an apologetic grin towards the two mages, bowing her head slightly. ¡°I apologize if I don¡¯t quite appear as a deity. I do usually keep it to myself, but¡­I really couldn¡¯t with all the kin¡¯s guests we received today. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, please do keep it a secret that I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°¡­Uh huh.¡± ¡°Of¡­course.¡± Aldrid beamed a satisfied grin back at the two. She rose from her seat and looked to the archmage sipping on his tea, clapping her hands as she urged him up. ¡°Now then! It¡¯s getting late, Mr. Lairaff. We better eat before it gets too dark!¡± The old man was smiling on the outside, but he was grumbling, pouting, resisting, and reluctant on the inside. Nevertheless, he rose to his feet to prepare for dinner. The preparation would hardly be for himself tonight. ? ? ? Archmage Otoka Lairaff. An individual whose age was now tallying beyond its third digit, he was an unquestioned expert in the field of plant- and earth- based magic, a pioneer of the field that designed numerous spells, and also a former headmaster of a school of arts. Although, now he was just an old man doing chores at the back of his yard. The archmage grumbled as he rubbed his aching back, slamming his staff into the ground. Mounds of dirt, wood and stone seemingly sprouted from beneath, building upwards as they gradually formed walls and pillars, windows and doors. As he did so, Otoka couldn¡¯t help his eyes from constantly looking over towards his cabin, picking up on the occasional bits of chatter going on from within. Being kicked out of his own house was one thing, but right now, he was glad not to be in there with the rest. ¡®¡­Good heavens.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how crowded it must be in there. Usually, the cabin¡¯s dinner table was only occupied by Otoka himself; on occasion, Aldrid would accompany him. But somehow, it¡¯d ended up with a grand total of five tonight, being occupied by two dragons, an enforcer, a professor, and Aldrid herself. And even that was only because the table didn¡¯t have room for Light and Ilias, who were instead sitting on feathered cushions.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Ironically, the profound unease of the archmage outside went unnoticed; as dinner went on, Aldrid was even beginning to forget the man¡¯s existence. She was too busy marvelling at all her guests that had come to visit, specifically towards the white-haired dragonlord before her. ¡°So, your name was¡­Serenis? Is that correct?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Aldrid delightfully nodded her head. She glanced over the cabin¡¯s interior, noting all the people that had accompanied the dragonlord. ¡°You have a very interesting group with you! A human, a half, monster, dragon¡­¡± ¡°¡­I did mean to come here on my own, but¡­¡± ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m glad you brought so many others with you. We rarely see guests, so having such a crowded dinner table is a welcoming surprise. Otoka would¡¯ve liked to disagree about visits being pleasant; being sandwiched between dragons in his own home was nothing short of terrifying, even for an archmage. But then again, he was outside, so what do we care. The deity excitedly continued her chitchat, unaware of her old friend¡¯s internal turmoil. ¡°And to think we¡¯d have dragons as guests! It¡¯s hard to come by even one in a hundred years. I do hope the food is to your liking.¡± Upon hearing the comment, Serenis looked down to the numerous dishes prepared across the table. While they were filled to the brim with all sorts of fresh foods from the forest, among them was a peculiar soup that contained numerous vegetables ¨C but its most notable part was the peculiar scent of its orange broth. Slowly, her eyes drifted over to Karas, pointing at the soup in specific. ¡°Karas. What do you call this dish?¡± The professor looked to the dragonlord in surprise. It was the first question she¡¯d ever asked that he found difficult to answer. ¡°...I must admit, this is the first time I¡¯ve come across such peculiar broth. I¡¯m afraid I do not know its name.¡± Serenis briefly glanced towards Patrick, but the uncertainty in her sibling¡¯s eyes said much the same. They didn¡¯t know what this dish was. When the dragonlord¡¯s eyes fell back to the blonde woman, Aldrid was worriedly staring back at the dragonlord. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it not to your liking?¡± ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± Serenis remembered this scent. She may not have tasted the actual broth as often, but once upon a time, it¡¯d been quite easy to come by ¨C in the depths of her nest, among the dinner tables shared by kin and man alike. ¡®¡­I can understand that a mere recipe would be lost in time. But to think a deity would remember it¡­¡¯ Iris¡¯ assurance had proven right: even when Serenis revealed her identity, Aldrid seemed to pose no ill intent ¨C at least on the outside ¨C towards her. In fact, the deity of life even seemed to have a strange attachment to dragons and their old customs. However, a sudden cough marked the end of their conversation. ¡°Ahem!¡± Before Aldrid realized, Otoka had entered from the back to once again stand by the deity¡¯s side. He loudly cleared his throat to gain her attention, reporting the results of his work. ¡°My lady. The preparations have been complete.¡± ¡°Oh my, that was rather quick. Thank you, Mr. Lairaff.¡± Aldrid turned back to Serenis, sparing a brief glance towards others in the process. Everyone was just about finished with their food. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, so why not head to sleep for today? It¡¯s a bit rushed, but we¡¯ve made some preparations to accommodate everyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The archmage internally grumbled at the deity¡¯s remark. The ¡®we¡¯ part was questionable. ? ? ? And sometime later, outside the cabin¡­ ¡°Wow! A whole house is here now!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s huge!¡± Light and Ilias excitedly approached the new structure behind the cabin, scanning the sudden appearance of the wooden lodge left and right. The archmage was proudly rubbing his beard as the two girls marvelled at his work. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Nothing at all.¡± Karas also stepped outside as the lodge came to view. The professor curiously opened his mouth, glancing between Otoka and the lodge. ¡°Is this¡­magic?¡± ¡°Why, yes.¡± The archmage met Karas¡¯ gaze. At least someone here could appreciate what his work truly was as he excitedly added additional explanations. ¡°It¡¯s merely a slight alteration of existing spells. Plant, earth, what have you.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t believe this is anywhere near ¡®slight¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Haha. What else would a retired man do in with all the time he has? This just happens to be what I waste my days on.¡± Karas¡¯ curiosity only grew at the answer. As far as he knew, there was no spell that came even close to creating a proper shelter like this. Moreover, all spells were temporary. While the effects caused by magic may last forever, spells themselves were ever fleeting. Naturally, this wooden lodge, too, should¡¯ve been bound to disappear. ¡°Is it not a heavy strain on your mana to maintain such a spell? I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯d be able to keep something like this overnight.¡± ¡°Ah, a sharp conjecture. What you fail to realize is that while I did use magic to make this lodge, the materials are genuine.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Magic replaces the work, not the materials.¡± Karas slowly nodded his head as he appreciated the lodge¡¯s design once again. The explanation was beginning to make sense ¨C although, that would mean that Otoka had used magic to collect and process all the materials from the environment, which sounded much, much more difficult. ¡°¡­Interesting. I will do well to remember it.¡± ¡°Good. Now, off with you lot.¡± The professor made a respectful bow as he followed the rest of the group inside, trailing after everyone as they opened the door to reveal a huge, intricate design of the lodge¡¯s interior. A couple audibly gasped in amazement. However, Patrick remained unconvinced as he scanned the others in dismay. ¡°¡­Okay seriously, I can¡¯t be the only one who¡¯s shocked by all this. Cool spell, sure, but is that really the issue here? We were all tired and hungry, I get that ¨C but why does no one seem surprised that we just met a deity?¡± Raizel scoffed at the question as she threw herself flat onto the floor, beginning a series of answers that followed. ¡°Who cares what that girl is? She had food and it didn¡¯t taste like crap.¡± ¡°¡­For once, I agree with Raizel. She gave us dinner, she¡¯s a nice person.¡± ¡°At least she wasn¡¯t a jerk like Zion when I first met him.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be used to this by now, Patrick. Serenis herself is an anomaly of a being. The Twelve have been historically confirmed to be real numerous times, while demonlords have amounted to myths and legends.¡± The enforcer shut his mouth; these people were all crazy. Then again, some of them weren¡¯t even ¡®people.¡¯ As everyone explored the lodge¡¯s interior and found their own spaces and rooms, Patrick remained in the lobby, glancing towards the closed door. Someone wasn¡¯t here yet ¨C someone rather important. ¡®¡­Speaking of, where did our anomaly go?¡¯ Ep 58. Just Like Before. (2) Ep 58. Just Like Before. (2) While the rest of the group entered the lodge Otoka had built for them, Serenis had remained outside, following Aldrid deeper into the woods. It was better that they remained oblivious of the true purpose of her visit, and for that, a little privacy was needed. Eventually, Aldrid came to a stop by a small pondside. A gleaming moon was reflected on the water surface, and joining it was a little hare that skipped over to the deity¡¯s side to rub its cheek against her ankle. After earning a few playful scratches against its chin, the little critter was sent off to its home. Serenis looked towards the deity standing beside her. The blonde woman seemed as comfortable as ever, just like the nature that surrounded her; not even a dragonlord¡¯s presence seemed to bother her one bit. ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t expecting a divinity to be living in such plain sight.¡± Aldrid returned a soft smile at the question. ¡°I do tend to hide from regular people. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to remain hidden with guests from the dragonkin.¡± ¡°You seem rather fond of us?¡± ¡°Quite. Very much, actually.¡± Aldrid warily eyed the individual beside her. This particular dragon had claimed themselves to be ¡®Serenis,¡¯ but her doubtful stare betrayed the deity¡¯s thoughts. ¡°However, you alone are different. You aren¡¯t truly a dragonkin, are you?...You¡¯re a human. And yet, you aren¡¯t exactly that, either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis remained silent at the remark. It wasn¡¯t odd that someone could see through the dragonlord¡¯s disguise. With careful observation and astute aptitude, it wasn¡¯t impossible to figure out that she was using a spell to retain her current, draconic appearance. But Aldrid¡¯s comment had encompassed more than just that. ¡®A human, and yet not a human¡­¡¯ The deity¡¯s faint smile became more pronounced as she began to describe her memories. ¡°If I remember correctly¡­she had long transcended the realms of human magic. ¡®Her descent illuminates even the darkest of nights, and all would hail or flee.¡¯¡± Serenis narrowed her eyes. ¡®¡­Rites?¡¯ While Aldrid was avoiding an explicit mention, the deity was unmistakably describing the dragonlord herself ¨C in the words of ancient scriptures, no less. But at the same time, the piece of history Aldrid was recounting shouldn¡¯t have been well-known. Given Serenis¡¯ tendency to remain within the kin¡¯s nests, the dragonlord wasn¡¯t nearly as famous (or infamous) as the other demonlords among humans. ¡®Unless¡­¡¯ Finally, Aldrid came to her question. Her tone was raised, and authority was evident in her voice as she spoke. ¡°¡¯Serenis.¡¯ To you, who remain both dragon and human, I ask¡­what exactly are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t asking ¡®who¡¯ Serenis was. Instead, the deity had asked ¡®what¡¯ she was. A long silence had to pass before the dragonlord would finally give her answer. ¡°¡­I am a dragon. Dragonlord, Serenis.¡± ¡°Are you? Then, can you tell me who I am?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dragonlord¡¯s resolute eyes locked with Aldrid¡¯s. The woman had already confessed to being a deity ¨C that couldn¡¯t have been the answer she was looking for. According to Iris, the Twelve were formerly of mankind. Then, Aldrid too, should doubtlessly have been a human before attaining her divinity. ¡®A human particularly attached to the kin. A human who remembers our custom and history. And even myself.¡¯ To mankind as whole, Serenis was lesser known among the demonlords. However, there was a very specific subset of them that knew her all too well.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Villagers of the valley. You lived with us as part of the dragonkin.¡± ¡°And your latest son¡¯s name was?¡± ¡°¡­Vulka.¡± Aldrid¡¯s grin widened as she nodded her head at the dragonlord beside her. If this individual had been a fake, then hints or no, they wouldn¡¯t have known the answer to those two questions. ¡°My, it really is you. I honestly expected otherwise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Dragonlord Serenis¡­the person who sent you here was ¡®Iris,¡¯ yes?¡± ¡°¡­It was.¡± The deity quietly snickered to herself as she began to process the situation. If the dragon beside her really was the Serenis she knew, then she could vaguely guess why Iris had sent the dragonlord her way. ¡°I never thought a day would come where I¡¯d be chatting with the Starchild myself. To be honest, I¡¯ve long thought you dead.¡± A peculiar memory flashed by Serenis¡¯ eyes. She began to recall her first meeting with Karas, and what he¡¯d told her about reincarnation ¨C how the deity of life was likely responsible for her second life. But if that were the case, then Aldrid¡¯s comment did not make any sense. In fact, Aldrid should¡¯ve known who the dragonlord was all along. Serenis looked towards the deity in confusion. ¡°¡­Was my reincarnation not your doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Reincarnation?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, you were the entity responsible for leading the soul to another life following its death. I believed you to be the facilitator of this second life.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Aldrid grumbled in unease at the dragonlord¡¯s remark. It took a few moments for her to decide whether to confirm or deny the statement. ¡°That¡¯s not wrong in entirety, but¡­there does seem to be a misunderstanding. I cannot interfere with a dragon¡¯s soul. To be precise, I cannot interfere with a demon¡¯s soul ¨C for they aren¡¯t quite my creations.¡± Serenis widened her eyes at the new knowledge. Coming from the deity of life herself, the information couldn¡¯t possibly be inaccurate. ¡°Then¡­this life is¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Aldrid curiously studied the confused dragonlord. While the deity couldn¡¯t confirm nor explain Serenis¡¯ reincarnation either, she could clearly see that the dragon¡¯s confusion was genuine. ¡°So you really were dead after all?...I was wondering how you¡¯d ended up in such an odd state.¡± Serenis shot an unamused glare. ¡°You truly had nothing to do with this?¡± ¡°Of course not. If I had such authorities, I would¡¯ve reincarnated you centuries ago.¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes soon lost their menace as her gaze fell back down, accompanied by a long sigh. Not even the deity of life could explain how she¡¯d returned to life. Aldrid only beamed back at the pondering dragon. ¡°¡­Although, if I could, I probably would¡¯ve brought back Elder Arkrana first. We never did see you often, my lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dragonlord maintained silence. Knowing how she¡¯d spent her final days in neglect, she had nothing to say to the last bit. Bittersweet longing filled Aldrid¡¯s eyes as she continued. ¡°Even when we needed you most, you never did come to our aid. Even though we fought so much¡­even when those heroes pillaged our homes and killed the kin, it was always Elder Arkrana who fought for us.¡± Serenis¡¯ gaze fell to the floor. She had absolutely nothing but guilt regarding the days Aldrid was describing. And if the deity knew this much, then there really was no denying that she¡¯d been a part of the kin during those olden days. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. At the time, I¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know, did you? What was happening to us at the outskirts?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know. She couldn¡¯t. Arkrana herself had spoken nary a word to the dragonlord of the heroes that invaded their nest¡¯s outer areas. ¡®¡­No. Even that is but a mere excuse.¡¯ Even in those times, her daughter hadn¡¯t hesitated for a moment to warn the dragonlord of their future ¨C of all the blood they would shed for choosing to idle in peace. Eden alone warned her over and over, even though their words had fallen on deaf ears. ¡®¡­You were right, once again. I should have listened to you.¡¯ But it was too late to regret things now. What Aldrid was speaking of was a distant past that they could no longer change. ¡°Did you know, my lord? The heroes never did think of us as anything more than your victims. When you left with the rest of the dragonkin, they dragged us out of the nest. They destroyed our homes and sent us away, claiming they were ¡®saving¡¯ us.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°We were sent to human cities and abandoned there. All of our belongings were taken and burned. We were supposed to survive on our own, forever thanking the heroes that ¡®saved¡¯ us from your evil clutches.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The adults did whatever they could to earn a living, but¡­it didn¡¯t work out so well. People weren¡¯t too welcoming of us. They called us traitors, dogs of the demonkin.¡± Despite the contents of her words, Aldrid retained her grinning expression as her eyes gazed upon the moonlit sky. She neither seemed bothered, nor regretful, of everything that had transpired. ¡°In the end, a lot of us ended up dead¡­sometimes killed, or forced into slavery. Looking back, life really was quite difficult back then.¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t say a word. Even if she¡¯d had a hundred lips, none would speak a single phrase. To her, every single inhabitant of the kin¡¯s nest was part of the dragonkin. The deity before her, too, was doubtlessly a part of her family. Perhaps seeking peace, in of itself, was a mistake. When Serenis had realized that she could not maintain their peace, the dragonkin had already paid too heavy a price for their idle days. Finally, quiet words escaped her lips, tainted in guilt and regret. ¡°¡­You must have resented me.¡± The deity slowly turned her head to face Serenis once more, but the dragonlord¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the forest¡¯s floors. Once upon a time, Aldrid had wished to see Serenis suffer as she had. But seeing her former lord agonizing over her past actions, Aldrid was beginning to realize that those desires had all but disappeared from her. ¡°There certainly was a time when I did.¡± Aldrid completely turned her body, leaning forward to peek into the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. Only then did Serenis meet the deity¡¯s gaze ¨C to see the smile curving the woman¡¯s lips. This wasn¡¯t what Aldrid had wanted to say. This wasn¡¯t the story she truly wished to share with her former lord. ¡°When I was much, much younger, I used to wonder what sort of luxuries were keeping you holed up so deep in the kin¡¯s nest. I even stopped praying to you. But¡­whenever I felt bitter, Elder Arkrana would always tell me that you were just being careful. That, if the dragons were to side with the other demons and war against mankind, those of us living in the nest would no longer trust the kin. She¡¯d tell me that in order to keep the peace we¡¯d built together, the kin couldn¡¯t attack humans.¡± Serenis bit her lips. The Arkrana she remembered would do something exactly like that. The righteous elder would reassure everyone around her, all the while trying to lessen the burden on her lord¡¯s shoulders. Even if it was the wrong thing to do. Ep 59. Just Like Before. (3) Ep 59. Just Like Before. (3) Aldrid audibly laughed at her own story. The past she¡¯d lived was nothing but irony to her future self. ¡°Isn¡¯t it ironic? Even though our homes were under constant attack, the kin could never attack back because they were being considerate of us. They let us be attacked for our own sake. The truth is, we would¡¯ve been just fine siding with demons for the kin. No one knew that many of us would rather die with our family than live on our own.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­But even then, Lord Serenis, I know you thought of us as family. The kin really did treat us no different than their own. Besides, Elder Arkrana always told me that the only reason she remained at the nest¡¯s outskirts was because you asked her to protect us. How could I resent you after that?¡± Serenis rolled her hands into trembling fists. Even though the deity no longer held any resentment towards the dragonlord, Serenis herself couldn¡¯t forgive what she¡¯d done to her kin. It wasn¡¯t just the dragons. Everyone had suffered in their own ways, and their lord had never lived up to her responsibilities to protect them. ¡°¡­It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m afraid there isn¡¯t anything else I could say¡­¡± Aldrid slowly placed her hand on the dragonlord¡¯s shoulder. A gentle warmth spread throughout the dragon¡¯s body as the deity whispered back. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I know you didn¡¯t mean ill. It wasn¡¯t on purpose, right?¡± ¡°¡­I still failed you all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I do mean it. And¡­while those were difficult times, I even became a deity now, see? The dragonkin managed to survive the era, too.¡± Deity. Aldrid¡¯s words reminded Serenis of the entire reason she¡¯d come to this place. ¡®Deity¡­that¡¯s right. She, too, is a deity.¡¯ Serenis had momentarily forgotten ¨C that Aldrid, too, was one of the twelve survivors of the past. She, too, was a facilitator of the star¡¯s remaking. The dragonlord raised her head once more, finally meeting the deity at eye level. A conflicted expression rested on Serenis¡¯ face. ¡°Then, when the star was remade¡­you, too, have¡­¡± Aldrid retreated her hand, shrugging at the response. Clearly, the dragonlord already knew of what had become of the world after her death. ¡°Shameless, aren¡¯t I? I was a bystander too. When our world fell apart, or when Lord Vulka suffered by himself¡­I didn¡¯t do anything. I only watched as Master Felicir did as he pleased.¡± ¡°¡­According to the Iris, you alone could stand before the deity of death.¡± ¡°Mhm. She¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why was it that you allowed the star to die? Was it revenge against all those that plagued your life?¡± Instead of answering right away, Aldrid first smiled back at Serenis. Now that it was her turn to admit to all her wrongs, she found it difficult to part her lips. ¡°¡­To be honest, I was afraid of standing out. You see, even though Master Felicir can¡¯t kill me, others still can.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And¡­I was scared. That, if I died, others would die with me.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°With you and Lord Vulka gone, there wasn¡¯t anyone to protect the remaining kin anymore. No one else is here to protect my family or the remaining hatchlings. I was scared of what would happen to them if I were gone.¡± The deity¡¯s hand slowly hovered over her own chest, grasping at the skin beneath ¨C doubtlessly where her shard of divinity laid within. ¡°Haha¡­sorry. It¡¯s a rather poor excuse for what¡¯s happened. I sound like a child, don¡¯t I?¡± Was it childish?The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Certainly, a person could be viewed as such for prioritizing the ones they cherish over what was morally right. If Aldrid was childish for choosing to live with her family and kin instead of fighting for the rest of the star, then she was willing to accept that. Serenis couldn¡¯t agree, nor disagree. The dragonlord had no right to judge the woman beside her. Unlike Serenis, Aldrid had made a choice to protect those she cherished ¨C and had succeeded in doing so. An empty laughter came forth from the dragonlord. Her decision had been to not make a decision ¨C and that had robbed her of everything, cherished or not. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve nothing to blame yourself for.¡± ¡®If anyone is at fault, it would be myself. For pitting you into such a position.¡¯ Aldrid quietly snickered at the answer. For centuries, she¡¯d wanted to hear those words ¨C but unlike before, she had no one to pray to, no one to look for guidance. Even when she answers the prayers of others, no one had been able to answer the deity¡¯s own prayers anymore. ¡°¡­I never understood what it meant to be responsible for others before I became a deity. Being torn between decisions, regretting what you¡¯ve done¡­but Lord Serenis, you probably felt this way all your life. Always worried about everything, always worried about what to do. You¡¯ve carried this responsibility all your life.¡± Sometimes, keeping one¡¯s position was the only course they had. To stand one¡¯s ground for all eternity, protecting what little they could. To make sure that nothing ailed those they loved, even if it meant accepting the treachery of their present. Though Serenis had later realized that her decisions had been a mistake, she could at least say in confidence that it wasn¡¯t out of sheer ignorance or a lack of contemplation. Aldrid was the deity of life. At the same time, she was a dear child of the dragonkin that knew and understood Serenis as an individual. ¡®¡­However¡­¡¯ Serenis abruptly took a step back as she distanced herself from the deity. Her expression was torn between guilt and pain alike, and her eyes didn¡¯t seem to know which emotion to focus on. Aldrid worriedly watched the dragonlord, confused by the abrupt distancing. ¡°Lord Serenis?¡± ¡°¡­I am no longer your lord.¡± It was only right that she drew the line here. The past remained in the past ¨C eras had changed, and Aldrid was no longer a mere human child. They could not return to those olden days. Serenis needed Aldrid¡¯s help to defy the divinity of death, but not at the cost of forsaking another kin. If the dragonlord had to use coercion, she gladly would, and be despised for it fairly ¨C it was a better alternative to unfairly relying on a past, severed connection. ¡°I seek to liberate this star and destroy divinity. I¡­am your enemy.¡± A moment of uncomfortable silence settled in as Aldrid kept her eyes fixed on the dragonlord. ¡°¡­You are, are you?¡± Then, the deity only let out a relieved sigh at the dragonlord¡¯s sudden claim. She even began to laugh as she replied. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I knew that already? Of course you oppose us. I¡¯d expect no less from our lord who slayed the star¡¯s tyrant.¡± When Aldrid hovered her hand over her chest again, a golden brilliance illuminated the night as the fragment of divinity materialized into her hand. When the shard of life was completely out of her body, she slowly knelt down on one knee, placing it down on the ground before her as one would an offering to their lord. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯d forfeit your divinity?¡± ¡°Why not? With you around, I don¡¯t have to protect the dragonkin anymore. It¡¯ll be a little harder to look after my own family, but I¡¯m sure I can manage. We humans cannot destroy divinity in any way, but you¡­you can destroy the First¡¯s body. You should be able to destroy this shard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis hesitated to step forward. Even though Aldrid¡¯s argument was sound, the dragonlord couldn¡¯t simply destroy the divinity of life ¨C for reasons that both of them knew all too well. Aldrid snickered as she watched the hesitating dragonlord. ¡°You didn¡¯t actually find me to destroy my divinity, did you? You came here to seek help in defying Master Felicir¡¯s authority.¡± ¡°¡­You knew?¡± ¡°It was quite obvious the moment you said ¡®Iris¡¯ sent you. Since she can¡¯t convince me to oppose Master Felicir, she probably asked you to do it in her stead ¨C that you¡¯d be able to persuade me otherwise.¡± Aldrid¡¯s smile widened as the dragonlord failed to deny her words. The deity began to skim over what she remembered of the deity of mana, tracing her old memories of Felicis. ¡°Did you know? Lady Felicis speaks as if she could, but even if she were actually given the chance, she couldn¡¯t ever bring herself to kill Master Felicir. She¡¯s more frail than she realizes. Even though she knows what¡¯s right in her head, her heart never agrees.¡± ¡°¡­Then, what of yourself?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you and your son also owed your lives to this ¡®Felicir.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­I suppose. Since he was the one who gave us our divinity shards.¡± The dragonlord grimaced as Aldrid openly admitted to the suspicion. ¡°Then, even for you¡­opposing him would be difficult.¡± ¡°I would be lying to say I don¡¯t feel indebted to Master Felicir, at least in part. But, lord, to tell you the truth¡­¡± The deity cut off Serenis¡¯ words as her eyes fell down to the shard of life on the floor. Even its golden brilliance meant so little before the Starchild. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve spent a millennium as Master Felicir¡¯s servant ¨C as the deity of life ¨C I still remember my life before that too. And I was much, much happier back then. When I lived together with my family, together with the dragonkin, in the home of our nests.¡± Aldrid retrieved the fragment into her palms. She rose to her feet, beaming a bright, genuine smile towards the dragonlord. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly help you, my lord. After all, you just might be the only person that could change our star now. But you have to promise me something in return.¡± A brief pause ensued as Aldrid closed her eyes. Just like Felicir, she, too, had a dream. A vision she wanted to realize that could never come to pass until he was gone ¨C a world that could never come true without the lord of dragons. ¡°When everything¡¯s over¡­could you promise to rebuild our nest? As a home where man and dragonkin can live together, just like before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Would a day like that come? Even Serenis couldn¡¯t say. But if a day did come where duty no longer bound her, then she¡¯d wish for nothing more than just that. To return, even in part, to the nest she so dearly missed. Where man and dragon alike would live and laugh in harmony. ¡°¡­I will. You have my word.¡± Ep 60. Just Like Before. (4) Ep 60. Just Like Before. (4) The moonlight faintly shone through the gap of the wooden walls. The world was as dark and as silent as it possibly could be, and the room of the magicked lodge was nothing short of comfortable. Everyone should¡¯ve been asleep by now ¨C even the dragonlord who¡¯d entered the lodge much later than others for whatever reason. ¡°¡­¡± But squirm and shuffle as he might, Patrick couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Troubles were plaguing his mind, and none that he could do much about. Everything had been so chaotic since his little brother¡¯s entrance exam to the institute. - ¡®If you lived as another entity for a single week, could you become it for the rest of your life?¡¯ The mage snorted as he reflected on the dragonlord¡¯s words. Serenis was right; after living as Patrick Parma for decades, he couldn¡¯t just ¡®become¡¯ someone else over a single week. And to her, his little brother Zion had been that someone. Weeks prior, Patrick had spent a number of days reviewing his little sibling¡¯s memories, who was now supposedly a dragonlord ¨C and every single word she spoke of her past indicated her extreme age. It was only natural that her identity as ¡®Zion¡¯ would be mostly drowned out. ¡®I mean, it¡¯s not like I wanted to believe him¡­or, her.¡¯ In the past, Patrick had taught his little brother Zion almost every aspect of magical theories during their time together. And, to his surprise, they¡¯d found that most of the theories the enforcer had taught the little boy still remained within Serenis¡¯ head. Zion¡¯s memories were definitely inside her. But his little sibling was no longer just ¡®Zion.¡¯ The dragonlord possessed his little brother¡¯s memories, but also so much more ¨C her own memories, her own affinity, and even her own former heart. ¡®And now you go around sweeping trouble left and right. Flying to a forest across the country, looking for a literal god. Pft.¡¯ Before they departed Partivine, Patrick hadn¡¯t really been able to articulate why he wanted his little sibling to stay enrolled. Despite recognizing the time waste that it was for the dragonlord, or how the forests may pose no danger to her at all, the mage had still wanted Serenis to stay at the safety of their home and attend school as normal. But as Patrick continued to reflect on the matter, he was slowly beginning to realize why. ¡®I just¡­¡¯ Click. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± The mage glanced towards the door. He could swear he heard a clicking noise outside just now. ¡®Did the front door just open?¡¯ As he listened carefully, he could hear someone¡¯s footsteps shuffling at the doorway before a second click. Silence ensued afterwards. Patrick slowly rose from his bed, swishing his finger in the air as the tip lit up in bright blue to illuminate the dark room. While he didn¡¯t have a chronometer with him, he could plainly tell how late it was from looking through the window-like gap in his room. ¡°¡­¡± The mage slid out of his bed, following after the person that had just left the lodge. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ? ? ? ¡°¡­Hey. Why¡¯re you up so late?¡± Serenis turned her head slightly to spot Patrick, exiting the house after her. ¡°I could say the same to you. Is it not well past your sleeping hours?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll live. I need to stay up pretty often when I¡¯m working on cases anyways. But you¡¯re still a kid on the inside, aren¡¯t you? You need sleep. Or you¡¯ll stump your growth.¡± Serenis softly smiled at the jest and returned her gaze towards the sky. Unlike indoors, the forest was brightly lit with countless stars. The moon was almost at its full. Patrick walked up to the dragonlord¡¯s side, also fixing his gaze upwards. The glimmering night sky seemed a lot brighter than what he remembered. ¡°Patrick.¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Am I not different from the sibling you remember me to be?¡± ¡°¡­You are. A little too much, to be honest.¡± Serenis dropped her gaze back as she faced the mage beside her. ¡°Then why is it that you still treat me as such?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Patrick¡¯s gaze met the dragonlord¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to make another joke. Her expression was inexplicably apprehensive; regretful, even. Something he¡¯d only seen on his job when he met people who deeply regretted their actions. For they, too, knew what their actions had done to others. To be fair, there were times when Serenis had worn this expression ¨C in fact, she wore this expression quite often. But Patrick had seen the dragonlord doing so in silence, brooding over events past his understanding. It was never in his direct presence. ¡°Because you¡¯re still my little sibling. You¡¯re family.¡± That was the only answer Patrick had to give to the dragon beside him. Serenis closed her eyes as she reflected on his words. ¡°¡­Patrick. Hide it as I might, right now I am unmistakably human. Even the smallest blade could pierce my skin, and the shallowest toxins could still ail me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you all of a sudden? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared? In human standards, you¡¯re a walking disaster. If any human¡¯s going to live a knife to the gut, it¡¯s you.¡± A small laughter escaped the dragonlord. ¡°Perhaps. But despite being a human¡­I still mourn the demonkin¡¯s demise. The loss of my old home. I am a human who wishes for demonkind¡¯s prosperity.¡± ¡°¡­You know, people don¡¯t even think demons exist nowadays.¡± ¡°But if they did, could we exist in harmony? Or would we fight until one subjugates the other, just like the past?¡± When the dragonlord¡¯s pensive gaze fell towards him, Patrick likewise looked to his side to meet her gaze. And when he did, she¡¯d add: ¡°If I were to live as a demonlord, would I still be your sibling?¡± Even though Serenis had once facilitated the dragonkin¡¯s coexistence with man, the people that resided within the kin¡¯s nest were far and few compared to the rest of mankind. With the infamy of other tribes, demonkind itself had become beings to avoid at all costs for most. And, somehow, this custom had still persisted into the present; worse, in fact. With no reality to confirm or deny their imagination, mankind were free to depict demons as ideal antagonists of their every tale. Even dragons weren¡¯t free from this rule; for most people, they were entities to be feared and kept far away, lest they accidentally trample the lives of anyone who comes near. But to rebuild her old home, Serenis couldn¡¯t continue to live as Patrick¡¯s little brother Zion. Given the choice, she¡¯d doubtlessly choose to be Dragonlord Serenis without a moment¡¯s hesitation ¨C and someday, she¡¯d have to make the choice. Surely. ¡°...Hm.¡± Patrick squinted his eyes at the last remark. Something was bothering him about that statement, but it took a few seconds for him to realize why. ¡°So you¡¯re worried because you¡¯re not totally human? If that¡¯s what¡¯s keeping you up, then you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about. You¡¯re forgetting the most important thing.¡± ¡°¡­Am I?¡± ¡°Yeah. You do realize Ilias has been staying at the city with other people just fine, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go be a dragon all you want, you¡¯re still my family ¨C and to Light, so is Ilias. Sure, people are a little careful around her because she¡¯s a dragon, but it¡¯s not like anyone actually hates her. You can grow horns and wings and what have you overnight, you¡¯re still my little brother too.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. If you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, then you¡¯re not in the wrong. Who cares if you¡¯re a dragonlord or a student or both at once?¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t meet Patrick¡¯s eyes anymore, but a faint smile curved her lips as she thought about what he¡¯d said. Fifteen years was practically a tiny span of time for the dragonlord. If anything, she should¡¯ve been able to brush off Patrick as a passing stranger still. And she¡¯d been thinking it as an inevitability if she was to choose to her former position as a dragonlord someday. But clearly, one¡¯s past or future bonds did not have to invalidate the bonds of the present. Despite having said that there was no distinction between Serenis and Zion herself on multiple occasions, the dragonlord had found herself struggling to choose one of the two ¨C when it shouldn¡¯t have been a worry in the first place. No doubt that it¡¯d be the same for her supposed older brother. Patrick was grinning at his old, little sibling. Just as he always would. ¡°So stop worrying and go get some sleep, kiddo. It¡¯s late.¡± ¡°¡­Patrick, my actual age is-¡± ¡°Oh shush, I don¡¯t wanna hear how old you ¡®were.¡¯¡± The mage grinned back, petting the dragonlord on her head. She wasn¡¯t the little boy he knew so well anymore, but Patrick found things no different. Serenis was still his little sibling. And that was enough for him. Ep 61. Get A Life, Will You? (1) Ep 61. Get A Life, Will You? (1) ¡®My name is Otoka Lairaff. I am but a retired old man, living out his remaining life in peace .¡¯ Boom! ¡®Recently, however¡­a new worry has been troubling my mind.¡¯ ¡°Get back here! I¡¯ll kill you!!¡± ¡°¡¯Get back¡¯?! What do you think I am, crazy?!¡± ¡®Correction. A new worry has been troubling my mind a LOT.¡¯ Crunch! ¡°You talked behind my back?! How dare you?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, did I?! You ARE a metalhead!!¡± Fwoosh! Slash! ¡®¡­Good heavens.¡¯ Otoka shook his head, feeling his entire house rumbling from yet another earth-shaking impact. The dried herbs he¡¯d been sorting to prepare for his craft fell into disarray yet again. ¡®A living hell has descended unto my peaceful paradise. Yes, it all began with the arrival of these lizar¡­I mean, these dragons. I should¡¯ve built their lodge far, FAR away from home.¡¯ Too bad he didn¡¯t. The archmage chuckled satirically, rubbing his beard in an attempt to calm himself down. ¡°Great Magician¡­grant me strength to finish this task so I can drive the damned lizards away from my beautiful home¡­¡± A few days ago ¨C the night when their guests had arrived ¨C Aldrid had called him in private to ask him a favor, and it wasn¡¯t exactly small. The deity had, apologetically, asked for the archmage¡¯s help in constructing a rather peculiar item. A ridiculously difficult one, to be precise. But what could a mere mortal do? Turn down a deity¡¯s request? As if. Admittedly, the creation process itself wasn¡¯t too difficult; he wasn¡¯t an archmage for nothing. However, what really troubled him were acquiring all its ingredients, for some were notorious for being difficult to obtain. Aldrid could provide most ingredients that could be found in nature, but some of these were impossible to procure from the wilderness. It required an actual person to go about procuring it themselves. But by then, the lodge behind his cabin would probably be in smithereens. Along with his cabin. And probably the rest of the surrounding forest. The elderly mage rose from his seat, temporarily abandoning the assortment of herbs. He habitually tapped his aching back, making his way over to the ruckus behind his home. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Like telling. ? ? ? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Much better.¡± Everyone had gathered at the lodge¡¯s lobby once more. The destruction caused by Ilias and Raizel were busily being mended by archmage who had arrived, and Serenis was glaring at the two subdued younglings. As soon as Otoka gave the merest hint at needing peace and quiet for his craft, Serenis had silenced the two girls with a single phrase of some sort ¨C on their knees, hands raised high into the air. They were still glaring at each other, though. The dragonlord sighed in dismay as she watched over the two dragons before her. For some reason, these two fought like children when they were together. They¡¯d been here for almost a week, and not a single day had gone by quietly. Light, who had been hiding behind the professor during the entire fight, guiltily poked out her head. The whole reason the two dragons had fought this time was because Light mentioned what Ilias had told her of Raizel ¨C which weren¡¯t exactly compliments. As always, her odd peer had shown up soon after the two dragons began fighting to silence them all too easily ¨C albeit a little earlier than usual this time. Usually, the dragonlord had let them fight it out until it seemed like they would hit someone else. ¡°You know Zion, I¡¯ve been wondering¡­what sort of magic are you even using to do that?¡± ¡°This is not magic, but an authority. A dragonlord¡¯s authority.¡± ¡°Authority? How does that work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no different than your ability to breathe air. It comes naturally.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t get it. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Meanwhile, as Otoka finished the last of the repairs, he spared Serenis a brief gaze. ¡®Damned lizards. Wouldn¡¯t have hurt to do that before the fighting began.¡¯ Being especially careful not to let his internal grumbling show, the archmage approached the group, reining in his overflowing hypocrisy as he began to speak. ¡°Ahem¡­thank you for gathering. I appreciate your time.¡± ¡®Though none of you really do anything.¡¯ It would¡¯ve been so much easier if Aldrid had asked them to do something productive. Alas, the deity had only asked the group to wait freely while the archmage did all the work ¨C which was NOT how this was gonna go. ¡°The reason why I have called on you all is because of an item I¡¯ve been constructing at Lady Aldrid¡¯s behest. While we¡¯ve both been working tirelessly to gather the necessary ingredients, I¡¯ve since figured that it would be much easier with the help of esteemed individuals such as yourselves. I would personally procure the ingredients myself, but as I must remain here and tend to the initial makings of the item¡­I would like to ask for your assistances.¡± Serenis was the first to acknowledge the archmage¡¯s words. Although she had been the one who asked Aldrid for help, it didn¡¯t sit right to idle by while the deity prepared everything for them. ¡°Do ask freely. I do appreciate all the work you¡¯ve been doing.¡± Otoka briefly cleared his throat, acknowledging the dragonlord¡¯s offer. ¡°Why, thank you. Then, before we begin¡­is anyone here versed in alchemy? Even a little is enough.¡± Karas and Light looked at each other, then towards Otoka. ¡°I¡¯ve some experience in the field. Albeit short, I have studied alchemy before.¡± ¡°Um¡­I took some alchemy classes, does that count?¡± Otoka looked to the two volunteers, firmly nodding his head. ¡°I was merely looking for helping hands; expertise isn¡¯t a big concern.¡± The old man then looked to Patrick and the dragons, opening a tome he had brought with him. ¡°Now that we¡¯re no longer short-handed¡­the ingredients. I don¡¯t believe it¡¯ll be too difficult.¡± ¡®Considering half of you are literal monstrosities that crash and burn the house on a daily basis.¡¯ Otoka flipped through the pages. Eventually, his old fingers stopped at a section depicting a snowflake-like crystal. ¡°The first ingredient we need is a nixium crystal. It¡¯s a type of mana crystal only found in the Inosis range; often shaped like a snowflake, it is pure white in color and tends to radiate cold. While it is extremely rare to find in natural environments¡­there is a peculiar source that almost guarantees its appearance.¡± Karas¡¯ eyes gleamed as he took note of the information written on the tome. ¡°Ice golems, is it?¡± ¡°Hm! That¡¯s correct.¡± Otoka flipped the page over, the tome now depicting a hulking black golem armed with plates of ice and a frozen spear. ¡°Despite nixium¡¯s rarity, the ice golems of Inosis often carry the crystals. However, because of the harshness of their habitat and their severe aggression against intruders, they¡¯re not often hunted, and nixium¡¯s supply always remain close to none.¡± As the archmage finished his explanation, he fixed his gaze onto Ilias ¨C who was still maintaining her posture in silence. ¡°I would like to ask our red dragon to procure this nixium.¡± When the youngling was prompted, Serenis took a moment to release the red dragon from her bindings, letting her speak once more. ¡°Pfah¡­sure, I can get that for you! Inosis isn¡¯t too far from here.¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t too far, she says. Blasted lizards.¡¯ The archmage swallowed his comment to instead return a delightful nod. Despite his level head optimally assigning these tasks, he truthfully wished that Ilias would take as loooooong as possible. ¡°Very well. Next, we need¡­this, a patch of alem dust. It¡¯s a peculiar type of mineral found on extremely deep ends of fresh waters; in fact, there¡¯s some at the very bottom of Eterra Lake. They only tend to form in locations of immense pressure and little light, and it makes it very difficult for regular gatherers to procure.¡± Otoka¡¯s gaze once again drifted away from his tome, this time towards Raizel. ¡°For this, I would like to ask for assistance from our steel dragon.¡± The first thing Raizel said after being released from her binding wasn¡¯t exactly the ideal response Otoka had in mind. ¡°Now you want me doing HUMAN chores? Forget it, geezer.¡± A brief sigh escaped the dragonlord; she¡¯d expected something like this from Raizel. Serenis instead turned to Otoka herself. ¡°I will go. Diving into the depths of a lake shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡± ¡°Ah, my apologies, but I¡¯m afraid I cannot allow that. Lady Aldrid has specifically asked of your presence for another task.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes fell back on the metal dragon at her side. They¡¯d all seen the size of Eterra Lake during their flight to the forest. Its massive size easily rivalled that of an entire city, if not several; even in a rough estimate, the water pressure at its bottom would be enormous. Serenis was likely the only person in the group that could withstand such environments through magic. And the only other person that could withstand such environments bare, was¡­ ¡°¡­Raizel. I¡¯m afraid I must ask of you as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The steel dragon twisted her face in reluctance. Defying a human and defying an elder were two different things; defying an elder, and defying an elder she liked, were also two different things. ¡°¡­Tch. Fine.¡± Serenis beamed at the youngling as she reluctantly accepted the request. Otoka was internally rolling his eyes, but he nonetheless flipped the tome to its next page. ¡°And finally, we have¡­¡± Patrick widened his eyes at the picture on the tome. Even he could recognize that one. ¡°Huh? Ethensia sap?¡± ¡°Oh? So you know what this is, young man.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t these pretty common? I have a friend who uses them all the time when making her mana pills.¡± ¡°Mm, precisely. The sap act as an adhesive between mana and other materials, making them a staple ingredient in alchemy for us mages.¡± ¡°These aren¡¯t that hard to get though? Even if you just go to the markets-¡° Finally, the problem dawned on Patrick. ¡®Oh. Right, there aren¡¯t any markets here.¡¯ The archmage nodded his head, noting the dawning realization on the enforcer¡¯s face. ¡°Unlike most saps, ethensia¡¯s sap is only useful after the tree has died; Lady Aldrid cannot provide us with such. And while they are collected in bulk in various cities across the continent¡­unfortunately, they are next to impossible to find in nature, and there aren¡¯t any markets where we are. In addition, the sap is forbidden from being sold to individuals without a mage license, as they can also be used to create mana-based explosives.¡± Patrick looked around the lobby. The only individuals that possessed proper mage licenses were himself, Karas, and¡­maybe Otoka, if the archmage¡¯s hadn¡¯t expired yet. However, Karas had already been elected to tend to alchemical practices here, and Otoka was responsible for the crafting itself ¨C which left Patrick the only remaining candidate. ¡°¡­Guess I¡¯m up for that, huh?¡± ¡°Yes you are, young man.¡± ¡°Hm. I guess the nearest place from here is¡­Inosis or Rosa? Both are kinda hard to get from here¡­¡± Ilias called out to the contemplating enforcer, tapping him on the shoulders. ¡°If you¡¯d like, you can come with me to Inosis! I can carry you there.¡± ¡°Oh hey, that works. Any town with a market works for me. I can try help you with the golems too.¡± Otoka nodded in approval as the last of the ingredients was assigned to someone else. Finally, he turned to Serenis, who was staring back at the archmage with a rather solemn look. The old man chuckled at the sight, trying to soften the dragon¡¯s mood. ¡°No need to be so alert, dragonlord. I don¡¯t believe Lady Aldrid is planning anything difficult for yourself. If you¡¯ll accompany me, I believe she¡¯s waiting for your presence at the cabin.¡± Ep 62. Get A Life, Will You? (2) Ep 62. Get A Life, Will You? (2) ¡°¡­You know, I¡¯m starting to think it would¡¯ve been better if I went to Rosa instead of here.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you have to travel a lot then?¡± ¡°Traveling sounds a lot better than¡­this.¡± Patrick leapt down from Ilias onto the snow-covered field. The mage could see the town gates just up ahead, which he slowly began walking towards. In all fairness, it was a nice day. The snow was beautifully decorating the earth, and not a single cloud blocked the sun¡¯s rays that made them gleam like diamonds. ¡®Would be nice if that¡¯s all there was to it.¡¯ The enforcer winced as his cloak fluttered against a sudden, chilling breeze, which he quickly took hold of to wrap around himself again. He hadn¡¯t cared to dress any warmer than usual for their visit to the forest; suddenly being flown over to a snow-covered mountain range wasn¡¯t anything he¡¯d prepared for. The mage looked over to the red dragon accompanying him. If anything, it should¡¯ve been worse for her; at least Patrick wasn¡¯t wearing shorts. But strangely, the dragon didn¡¯t seem bothered one bit. ¡°So, Ilias, uh¡­aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°Cold? I don¡¯t get cold easily. Takes a lot more than this for me to feel cold!¡± ¡°Are dragons immune to cold or something?¡± ¡°Not really. But my affinity¡¯s fire, so I can keep myself warm pretty easy. Must be really cold for you, huh?¡± As soon as she finished her piece, Ilias¡¯ tail swung behind Patrick, tightly wrapping around his waist. The dragon grinned at the sight of her new friend sighing in relief from the permeating warmth. ¡°There, better?¡± ¡°¡­Sure. Other than the fact that I look like a slave being apprehended old-school.¡± ¡°Better than freezing, right?¡± ¡°¡­I guess?¡± Soon after, the pair was stopped at the gates by a sentry ¨C who needed a minute to process what he was looking at, and another few minutes to be convinced that Ilias wasn¡¯t holding Patrick hostage. He only let them through once he saw Patrick¡¯s enforcer identification. Even then, the sentry threw odd glances at the pair until they were gone from sight. Oh well. ? ? ? Otoka plunged the rear end of his staff into the boiling cauldron. He began to stir it clockwise, taking care to keep the speed consistent. ¡°The scalium, if you will.¡± As soon as the archmage spoke his next ingredient, Light brought over the bowl of pre-powdered mineral, sifting the contents into the murky contents of the cauldron. The liquid began to simmer in response, and Otoka threw a brief glance towards Karas after. ¡°Now, keep the heat consistent. It needs to stay perfectly still.¡± The professor was sitting by the cauldron¡¯s base with both hands stretched towards its lower end, keeping a roaring fire alive through magic. He briefly nodded back to the archmage, focusing to keep the fire spell at its current level. Meanwhile, Serenis and Aldrid were watching it happen live without lifting a finger. And the dragonlord wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable with the whole situation. She looked towards the deity who, as far as she could tell, didn¡¯t exactly seem to be doing anything. ¡°¡­Aldrid. Explain what this is again, will you?¡± ¡°Of course! Mr. Lairaff¡¯s crafting an item for us that¡¯ll be able to house small bits of divinity. Once I share my own divinity into the finished product, it¡¯ll act as a defensive ward against the divinity of death.¡± Serenis returned her gaze back towards the boiling cauldron. She knew too little about alchemy to properly tell, but as far as she could see, Otoka was cooking, not crafting. Then again, he was putting rocks and grass into the mix, so what did she know. A brief sigh escaped the dragonlord as she watched the others working tirelessly to complete this craft. On the night they¡¯d first spoken, Aldrid had offered Serenis to take her divinity shard whole. And, as much as the dragonlord loathed the thought of carrying a piece of the First within her, it was the easiest solution to rendering her impervious to the divinity of death. However, what resulted from the attempt was a fierce resistance from her own body. The golden shard had violently refused to synthesize with the dragonlord. If Serenis had forced it so, one of the two would have broken: the shard, or herself. - ¡®That¡¯s strange. Lord Serenis, you don¡¯t happen to be carrying a divinity shard already, do you?¡¯ - ¡®No such thing. I only have my former heart.¡¯ - ¡®Your former heart¡­? Do you mean your dragon heart?¡¯ - ¡®Yes. Why do you ask?¡¯ - ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why. You see, a human body can only carry one shard at a time. If you¡¯re truly in a human¡¯s body right now, and your former heart works similarly to the First¡¯s fragments, then it makes sense that your body is refusing to accept another one.¡¯ And so, the alternative Aldrid had devised was to share a piece of her divinity through a small artifact ¨C which everyone was working tirelessly to make. Otoka had tasked everyone with either helping the craft or delivering ingredients; Aldrid was also responsible for its finishing touches. However, Serenis remained idle beside the deity of life. An uncomfortable gaze fell onto the blonde woman. ¡°¡­I believe you said there would be something for me to do as well.¡± ¡°There is!¡± Aldrid pulled on her chair as she turned to face the dragonlord, scooting herself closer. Her eyes were beaming with delight and excitement. ¡°I¡¯d like you to tell me everything that¡¯s happened to you. Reincarnation and all.¡± ¡°¡­How exactly does this concern the craft?¡± ¡°It makes the deity of life more willing to help.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And who knows? Maybe I can figure out how you were able to live again.¡± Serenis furrowed her brows at Aldrid¡¯s blatant audacity. It was a threatless threat; one she couldn¡¯t wriggle out of. A brief sigh followed as the dragonlord answered. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°Oh, and do try not to hide any details. I promise I won¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Serenis began to trace her memories. It¡¯d been a while since she¡¯s had to remember the day of her awakening. ? ? ? ¡°I see¡­so you¡¯re actually a student named ¡®Zion¡¯ right now.¡± Aldrid nodded her head as she reflected on the dragonlord¡¯s story. There were some obvious parts, some extraordinary parts, and also some nonsensical parts ¨C but overall, the story explained quite well how Serenis had wound up in the forest. Meanwhile, a poor half girl was audibly groaning by the cauldron, mixing its contents with a long, oversized metal ladle. Her arms were beginning to tremble from all the stirring. ¡°Ugh¡­this is unfair¡­¡± ¡°¡­Think of it as a part of your workshop, Light. Unfortunately, we¡¯re not dragons. Or an archmage.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t help, professor.¡± ¡°Would you rather I lecture you on how scalium reacts when left to rest in heat?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they corrode?¡± ¡°Yes, and they emit toxic substances. If that happens, it¡¯s quite likely that we¡¯ll have to start all over again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light fell silent as Karas lectured her from the cauldron¡¯s base, sitting in the exact same position as before. While he would¡¯ve traded places with his groaning student, Light had almost no affinity in fire magic, and even lesser expertise with keeping a fire spell alive and steady. Otoka was leisurely sitting by the side, supervising the craft. After his old arms had given away, he¡¯d asked Light to continue the stirring in his place ¨C but she was clearing reaching her limit. ¡®Well, it¡¯s been a good hour. I suppose she¡¯s done what she can.¡¯ And, most importantly, Light was pretty much the only person here that he actually felt bad for. At least somewhat. ¡°That¡¯s enough stirring for now. Fetch more limen leaves from outside, will you, child? There should be a few trees just up the hill behind the cabin.¡± ¡°Finally!!¡± As the archmage took the ladle from her hand, Light let out an exasperated groan as she stepped back, rapidly nodding her head. Her legs strode over to the door in lightened steps, but her powerless arms had to struggle for a few seconds against the doorknob before she could exit the cabin. Aldrid let out an apologetic laughter as the half girl exited the cabin. She turned to Serenis afterwards, new interest perking in her eyes. ¡°So, Lord Serenis. You told me how you met everyone, but how come they followed you all the way here?¡± ¡°They had their own reasons; I simply happened to be a trigger. I believe Light only wanted to skip her classes when deciding to follow along.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­is that so? For a moment, I thought you were recruiting allies or something.¡± The dragonlord let out an ill laughter at the comment. She knew all too well what it was like to challenge a divinity ¨C especially to the death. ¡°¡­Against a deity of death? All of them would die at the wave of a hand.¡± ¡°But at least one person is free from such constraints, right?¡± Serenis furrowed her brows at the comment. ¡°Free? Who?¡± ¡°The professor over there? He isn¡¯t exactly alive, right? Even Master Felicir can¡¯t ¡®kill¡¯ someone who isn¡¯t living.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis curiously looked over towards Karas, who was far too focused on his task to listen to their conversation. She couldn¡¯t understand what Aldrid was saying. ¡°What exactly do you mean, child? He looks plenty alive to me.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s a monster though?¡± ¡°¡­Monster?¡± ¡°Mhm. Or, perhaps you¡¯re more familiar with the term ¡®manaspawn¡¯? They¡¯re the same thing, really.¡± Manaspawn was just an older term. Monster, which was a term more commonly used by man, was perfectly synonymous. But that wasn¡¯t the issue at all. Serenis squinted her eyes as she spared a brief glance at the focused professor, then back at Aldrid. ¡°Karas¡­isn¡¯t a half?¡± ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No?¡± She didn¡¯t know. There was no way Serenis would¡¯ve known when Karas went around claiming to be a crow half, looking like a crow half, and being indicated as a crow half on file. But what¡¯s a file¡¯s worth before a deity of life? Aldrid darted her gaze between Karas and Serenis. She briefly rose to her feet, approaching the professor to gain his attention. ¡°Excuse me. Professor Karas, was it? If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­what race are you?¡± ¡°¡­Hm?¡± When Karas looked up from the fire to meet Aldrid¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t find a single hint of curiosity in the deity¡¯s eyes. She was clearly asking a question that she already knew the answer to. ¡°¡­I believe you would know the answer already, Deity Aldrid.¡± ¡°Perhaps. But do others?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis curiously observed the professor as his gaze gradually shifted over to her. When their eyes met, she could see a glimpse of guilt in the crow¡¯s eyes. A sigh followed suit as Karas began his confession, speaking loud enough to be heard by the dragonlord. ¡°First¡­Serenis, I¡¯d like to ask you to keep this a secret.¡± ¡°¡­? Were you truly not a half?¡± ¡°No, I am not. In truth, I am a monster ¨C a mana phenomenon.¡± ¡°And you hid it all along? For what reason?¡± The professor chuckled at the dragonlord¡¯s question. In a way, it was almost innocent. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to find a reason not to hide it. Monsters are wont to be feared and discriminated ¨C the notion of monsters is still that of dangerous beasts. Had I revealed my actual race, my position as an institute professor would have been impossible.¡± ¡°¡­Impossible¡­¡± Serenis reflected on her own era as Karas¡¯ explanation sank in. True to his words, monsters never had much positive connotation to them, past or present: a large majority were no different from dangerous, vicious beasts. In fact, because a monster¡¯s death left behind crystallized mana rather than hide and meat, their reputation was considerably worse during the dragonlord¡¯s era. ¡®But how exactly does that relate to one¡¯s state of living?¡¯ Soon, the dragonlord shifted her gaze back to Aldrid. ¡°¡­Child. Whatever did you mean that he isn¡¯t alive?¡± The deity cleared her throat to explain her earlier statement. ¡°A monster is closer to a natural phenomenon than a living entity. It¡¯s similar to¡­say, a storm. Or a wave. While they exist, they cannot truly be described as ¡®alive.¡¯ A state of death would imply that the soul has been severed from the body, but because monsters possess no soul, there is no sense of death in them. Just like how we are able to break a wave, but not kill it.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± An ominous glint radiated from the dragonlord¡¯s eyes as a rather evil grin curved her lips. When she turned to face the professor once more, Karas began to sweat profusely. He quickly added onto Aldrid¡¯s explanation in case the dragonlord was perceiving him to be immortal. ¡°¡­While I don¡¯t quite understand where this topic is coming from, a monster is not immortal. We may not possess a lifespan, but we still ¡®die¡¯ when our bodies are sliced in half.¡± ¡°Not a worry. The demonlords of olde were just the same.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis also rose from her seat to approach the professor. The flame beneath the cauldron began to flicker as Karas¡¯ focus waned, but even Otoka was too scared to intervene in the middle of a dragonlord¡¯s work. The dragon knelt down on one knee to speak to the professor at eye level. ¡°Karas. I could not say this when Patrick was present, but¡­my current aim is to eliminate the deity of death.¡± ¡°??? Wh¡­is that even possible?¡± ¡°It is. The very craft you¡¯re working on is a ward that will protect its wearer from the divinity of death.¡± Karas briefly darted his gaze towards the cauldron, then back at Serenis. Despite his relative proficiency in alchemy, it¡¯d always been a mystery what this thing was ¨C and why Otoka had suddenly enlisted every single one of them for help. When the professor¡¯s eyes turned back to her, Serenis continued. ¡°However, Aldrid has just told me that monsters, like yourself, are wholly free from the divinity of death even without such items ¨C for you are not truly alive.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s strangely sounding as if you wish for me to challenge a divinity.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± A long silence followed as the professor¡¯s dubious eyes tried to find the joke in Serenis¡¯ statement. As per usual, there were none. ¡°¡­Do you take me for a madman, Serenis?¡± ¡°Not at all. You were so eager when I told you that I was headed to see the deity of life. This shouldn¡¯t be that different.¡± ¡°This is entirely different. Meeting a deity and challenging a deity are completely different things. And according to historical records, the Reaper is nowhere near as benevolent.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± When the two came to an impasse, Aldrid quickly intervened in the middle as she put herself between her lord and the professor. ¡°Come to think of it, professor, what exactly was the reason you wished to see me?¡± ¡°Oh. I, well¡­I thought¡­that perhaps, a deity of life would hold the answers to my research.¡± ¡°Research? What research?¡± A brief silene ensued as Karas contemplated on speaking the answer. But if he didn¡¯t, then Serenis likely would anyways. ¡°¡­A research on souls. And the phenomenon known as reincarnation.¡± ¡°Huh? But reincarnation shouldn¡¯t even be possible for you, given how you don¡¯t possess a soul to begin with¡­¡± ¡°The research wasn¡¯t particularly for myself, per se.¡± ¡°Oh¡­that makes it obvious then. There¡¯s been a few like yourself throughout the past. I¡¯m guessing a loved one passed away? Someone you wish to reincarnate?¡± ¡°¡­Something like that, yes.¡± ¡°Welllll¡­.¡± Aldrid dramatically stretched her audible pondering, tapping on her cheek. A mischievous grin was on the deity¡¯s face when she spoke again. ¡°It¡¯d be difficult to find the soul of your loved one in the first place¡­but even before that, reincarnation is a manipulation of the soul. Not only does it delve into realms of divinity, but it¡¯s against the laws of nature. I¡¯m afraid I shouldn¡¯t really be telling you its workings.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the professor¡¯s evident disappointment became clear in his eyes, the deity slipped a small snicker as she continued. ¡°Then again, it IS a realm I oversee, at least regarding contemporary life. I suppose I could share its workings with you. However, such knowledge will inevitably come at a very high cost.¡± ¡°A cost?¡± Aldrid returned a firm nod. She gestured over to the dragonlord standing beside her. ¡°How about it? Perhaps you¡¯re feeling a little more like a madman now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, shit. Ep 63. Get A Life, Will You? (3) Ep 63. Get A Life, Will You? (3) ¡°Got your sap?¡± ¡°And a coat.¡± Patrick replied to Ilias in a muffled voice through his newly acquired scarf and coat, walking down the wide market streets beside the red dragon. He hadn¡¯t exactly expected himself to go on a shopping spree for winter clothes in the middle of summer, but it was what it was; after all, it was practically winter all-year round in Inosis. The enforcer spared a brief glance at the leather sack over his shoulders, bundling a number of bottled ethensia saps within. Easy ingredient was off the list. ¡®Time for the tough one. Although¡­¡¯ When Patrick nervously looked towards the red dragon, her steps were as light as ever ¨C which was odd, because her bare legs seemed like they would freeze any minute now. Except they didn¡¯t. Ilias remained indifferent to the cold. Her only focus was on their next destination ¨C she¡¯d looked forward to meeting these supposedly-dangerous-monsters in person. ¡°Alrighty, time to get that crystal! Where were these golems again?¡± ¡°From what I heard, the ice golems in Inosis are usually spotted on flatter areas east of town. They¡¯re pretty big, so they gravitate towards terrains that don¡¯t have any obstacles.¡± ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s useful. You know a lot!¡± ¡°I mean, I just asked around while I went shopping. Though¡­out of curiosity, what were you planning to do if I wasn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°Probably fly around until I find one?¡± Patrick squinted his eyes at the dragon¡¯s answer. ¡°¡­Wait, fly around? The entire mountain, you mean?¡± ¡°Yeah! Why?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing. Never mind.¡± Patrick himself would probably take weeks to even make a brief scan around the entire mountain. When one could zip around the air and ignore the cold, not so much. ¡°Well, anyways¡­it shouldn¡¯t take that long to get to where they are. Merchants were saying that they¡¯re not too far away from the town gates, so we-¡° Before Patrick could finish, Ilias abruptly wrapped her tail around the enforcer¡¯s waist, lifting him off his feet. He was practically dropped into a bridal carry as the red dragon¡¯s wings spread open to take them into the air. ¡°Why walk when you can fly?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t WANT to fly! Can you at least transform back into a dragon or something?!¡± ¡°Oh psh, that¡¯s a waste of energy. I can carry one person in this form just fine! I used to fly all the time like this with Light!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the poin-¡° The enforcer¡¯s defense fell silent as Ilias kicked off the ground, taking into the air again with the mage in tow. A streak of tear was rolling down Patrick¡¯s face while the cold mountain air rushed past him. ¡®¡­I hate it here.¡¯ At least only a few people were there to see him being carried off. Only a few. ? ? ? Serenis beckoned the professor over as she stopped at the middle of the woods. Contrary to the crow¡¯s expression, she seemed indifferent as usual. Karas reluctantly followed as he pushed against the brushes blocking his path. ¡°¡­Serenis, is this necessary?¡± ¡°Knowing the strength of your allies is the first step to every war.¡± Or so she heard ¨C a rather long time ago from a particularly war-crazed acquaintance of hers. When Karas hesitantly stood some distance away, she also added: ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll only defend.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be unfair?¡± ¡°¡­Would you rather I attack, then?¡± ¡°¡­¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Karas considered himself a veteran when it came to war. The experiences he¡¯d accumulated in his previous occupation offered vast knowledge in battle, far superior to an average person¡¯s. Serenis was not an average person. A few images quickly flashed by Karas¡¯ mind ¨C of Serenis¡¯ duel against the institution headmaster, specifically. When the professor realized what he was suggesting, he quickly shook his head. ¡°Good point. No.¡± The professor briefly looked down onto his hand, gripping it into a fist before loosening it again. Before embarking on this trip, he¡¯d fully expected having to fight something to defend themselves in the forests ¨C but Serenis wasn¡¯t exactly the opponent he imagined to be standing on the other side. He¡¯d expected a wild boar or another monster, not a dragonlord. ¡°But¡­as your instructor, I do feel obliged to say that I¡¯m quite far from an actual mage when it comes to combat. I may be disappointing if you were expecting an orthodox mage like Gio.¡± ¡°How kind of you to let your enemy know such things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of a response, the professor briefly bent down, picking up a broken branch from the ground. It was an unremarkably simple stick, just about the length of his forearm. But as Karas held it upwards, thin mana threads coiled around the branch, layering on top of one another until the branch was reshaped into an eerily glowing shortsword. ¡°Serenis. From what I recall, you¡¯re familiar with mana reinforcement. Yes?¡± The dragonlord returned a brief nod back. She¡¯d displayed such when she¡¯d thrown Gio single-handedly. However, she could clearly see that the weapon in Karas¡¯ hand wasn¡¯t just a mana-reinforced stick; he¡¯d seemingly reformed its structure altogether. ¡°¡­But what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t reinforcement.¡± ¡°It is, actually. But it¡¯s certainly not the traditional way to do it.¡± As the professor acknowledged Serenis¡¯ conjecture, he wove his shortsword in the air. Several more strands of mana whisked along its edge and fell to the ground, layering on top of various stones and leaves. ¡°Traditional reinforcement does not change an object¡¯s structure; it only fuels them with mana to strengthen their make. However, the more modernized method is to physically build on an object¡¯s structure to a desired strength and shape. Like¡­this.¡± Karas then proceeded to swing his shortsword high into the air. This time, dozens of mana strands exploded outwards from his hand and coiled around the weapon again, reshaping it into a monstrous black hand that reached above Serenis¡¯ head. Without warning, the looming shadow clawed downwards at the dragon beneath. Still, Serenis refused to move; only her eyes remained fixed on the oncoming attack. Moments before the claw¡¯s tip reached her forehead, an equally giant mass of ice burst forth from the side, smashing into the shadowy limb and knocking it into a tree off to the side. Both spells faded as Karas¡¯ branch returned to being the unremarkable stick it was before. However, the professor was already running towards Serenis, this time with a handful of dried leaves. ¡°Traditional reinforcement is a replacement of energy to mana; it cannot incorporate elements. But in the modern way, it can.¡± Karas flung the leaves in his hand. Instead of haphazardly dancing about in the air, each one began to take different, solid forms, reshaping into bladed forms of ice and fire that shot across the air towards their target. Serenis deflected the flurry of elemental leaves with a blast of wind, throwing the projectiles off their path. But when the leaves powerlessly fell to the ground in their original shape, Karas was almost upon the dragonlord with another branch in hand, this time being held with both hands. ¡°Lastly ¨C traditional reinforcement and modern reinforcement can be used in conjunction.¡± The branch in his hands was rapidly reshaped into a towering greatsword. Karas raised the weapon high into the air as streaks of mana flashed across his arms and the blade¡¯s surface, strengthening their structures before slashing downwards. At first, Serenis erected several metal pillars to bar the blade¡¯s path. A thunderous noise rang throughout the forest as they clashed. But the dragonlord narrowed her eyes when the metals began to crack and shudder. She then leapt backwards as Karas¡¯ weapon crushed through the iron bars and into empty soil, cutting deep into the earth. Once the weapon returned to being a simple stick, the professor tossed it aside, shrugging at his unharmed student. ¡°And that, is how hunters engage in combat.¡± Mages could not skip calculating and formulating when using spells. Even Gio, despite his expertise as an archmage, could not entirely skip such procedures. On the other hand, active hunters faced lethal dangerous in the form of monsters and beasts; their lives were often decided within split seconds, and because of this, they¡¯d devised ways of using mana without calculating. That was reinforcement: using mana to fuel their physical bodies, which were readily available without having to be calculated or formulated. What Karas had just demonstrated was a step further. Instead of using the readily available physical body, the professor had used sticks and leaves as medium; none of which needed calculating, but available nonetheless. Still, Serenis quizzically tilted her head. The real question, was¡­ ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you a mage, Karas?¡± ¡°I am. But no man is limited to being only one thing at a time.¡± Admittedly, Karas had sufficiently demonstrated reinforcement¡¯s practicality to her. Serenis had initially planned to not move a single step from her original position ¨C she had truly meant to ¡®only¡¯ defend. Making her physically avoid an attack was already a remarkable feat. And it wasn¡¯t just the dragonlord who was aware of this. Karas gave another shrug towards his student. ¡°And, quite frankly, I didn¡¯t see a point in contesting you as a mage. At least this way, you¡¯ve learned something useful in your workshop. Yes?¡± Serenis wore a light smile as she nodded back. ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°Good. Now, if you¡¯d like, I can also teach you how-¡° Thwack! A sudden thud interrupted Karas as a twig flew across the air, smacking right into his face. He fell to his knees with a pained grown, rubbing the part that had just been hit by the branch. ¡°ARE YOU TWO FIGHTING?!¡± Light emerged from the brushes to approach Karas following the high-pitched scream, holding a basket of limen leaves in one hand. Her other hand was already holding onto another branch she¡¯d picked up on the way here, though it was yet to be thrown. For now. Karas quickly raised his hands defensively, shaking his head. ¡°No no, you misunderstand, Light. We¡¯re not fighting.¡± ¡°Then what was all that noise? I swear I heard something break and explode.¡± The half girl glanced around the area. Clear signs of destruction were evident in numerous places ¨C especially the ground before Karas, which had a huge cut running across. ¡°Don¡¯t lie, professor! I mean, just look at the place!¡± ¡°I was¡­teaching magic to Serenis.¡± ¡°Wh- but not me?! That¡¯s even worse!¡± Karas darted his gaze towards the dragonlord for help. Unfortunately, the only help he got was a shrug. The professor slowly turned back to face his angry student. If he told Light the actual reason behind their little sparring, then he¡¯d have to tell her their whole venture about challenging the deity of death ¨C which was NOT going to happen on his watch. Karas practically sighed out his next answer. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. We were actually fighting.¡± Ep 64. Get A Life, Will You? (4) Ep 64. Get A Life, Will You? (4) Hunting ice golems with Ilias was teaching Patrick lots of things. For starters, he¡¯d realized that he can comfortably cast Snow Claw now; it wasn¡¯t as apparent before, but the growth of his mana reserve was extremely noticeable in combat. Though he would¡¯ve struggled to handle even one golem on his own before, the enforcer now found himself well and fine after hunting three. The second thing he was learning today was that, apparently, ice can catch fire ¨C which didn¡¯t make all that much sense, but eh, what did he know. Patrick watched as another chunk of the golem¡¯s torn ice armor crashed into the frozen ground, soon dissipating into bits of mana. Bits of snow pelted at his face, drenching the mage in water. ¡®¡­Right. THIS is what actual dragons are like.¡¯ When Raizel and Ilias had fought every single day back at their lodge, Patrick had thought them to be oddities for punching and breaking things. Serenis, who always seemed calm and collected, came across as a typical dragon to him. However, what Patrick hadn¡¯t fully perceived was that Serenis, despite her identity, was currently human; she possessed her former heart, but not the rest of her former body. Naturally, the dragonlord¡¯s physical prowess wasn¡¯t anything remarkable. Simply put, Raizel and Ilias were normal. Serenis was the weird one who always relied on magic. Patrick narrowed his gaze once more. In the distance, an innocent youngling was seemingly having the best time of her life. Ilias was attached to a golem¡¯s arm, her laughter echoing throughout the snowy field. She plunged her blazing hand into the monster¡¯s chest, melting through the frozen armor with a violent sizzling noise. The golem groaned, stumbling left and right in pain while trying to tear off the tiny dragon with its other arm. In all fairness, Ilias was barely the tenth of the golem¡¯s size in her human form: it seemed all too easy of a task to tear off the tiny youngling from its body. But instead, the golem¡¯s arm would never make it to Ilias. Noting the towering arm behind her, Ilias swung her tail to cleanly break off the limb reaching for her. A massive, arm-shaped block of ice was pitched across the sky; hopefully, it¡¯d dissipate before crashing down unto a poor tree. Ilias let out another playful laughter as she continued to ¡®hunt¡¯ the golem. Though, Patrick could swear she was torturing it on purpose. ¡®It¡¯s almost like watching a cat playing with mice¡­except the sizes are reversed.¡¯ Soon, the dragon climbed the golem to its shoulder, poking her finger into its head. The monster began to panic as molten hollows formed on the side of its frozen helm from the dragon¡¯s heated fingertip. Unfortunately, predators rarely cared for their prey¡¯s panic. Finally driven to its wit¡¯s end, the golem pulled back its head and slammed it into its own shoulder, breaking off its remaining arm in entirety ¨C shoulder and dragon and all. As soon as Ilias was off, the armless golem immediately turned and began to flee. The red dragon landed onto the snow beside Patrick, brushing the bits of snow that had splashed onto her clothes. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s smart! Even knows how to run away.¡± ¡°¡­Ilias, I don¡¯t think you realize how terrifying it is to have a dragon attacking you.¡± ¡°But Raizel attacks me all the time though. Violently, too.¡± ¡°You know what? Never mind. Look! It¡¯s getting away!¡± ¡°Oh! Right!¡± Ilias pulled back her right arm, her fingers curling into a claw-like shape. Three streaks of fire sparked into blazing spears above the red dragon, readying themselves to be thrown.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. When she swung her arm in a throwing motion, the flaming spears launched themselves straight across the air ¨C towards their fleeing target. The golem had never made it far, given its usual slowness and the snowy terrain. The blazing spears cleanly struck its back, skewering the monster completely before exploding from within to reduce the golem to smithereens. Its hulking figure crumbled apart, soon dissipating into faded mana. Only bits of white crystals were left in the explosion¡¯s wake. Ilias excitedly ran over and picked up her prize. She momentarily admired the flake-like crystals before waving them towards Patrick. ¡°Got two more! This is fun!¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Sure was.¡± Patrick made an audible gulp as he swore never to cross Ilias in his life. Ever. ? ? ? Light was skipping forward in lightened strides back towards the cabin. Serenis and Karas followed behind her, with Serenis occasionally sparing worried glances toward the professor. Karas was busily rubbing the feathers on his head, shriveled from all the pulling and poking that had happened only moments ago. It was a sorry sight, to say the least. ¡°You could¡¯ve defended yourself, Karas.¡± ¡°¡­Unfortunately, that only results in worse consequences in the future.¡± ¡°Worse consequences?¡± ¡°A cease in my precious supply of coffee beans. Compared to that, a scratch or two is nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis then stared at light, who seemed to have been somehow energized after lecturing (or, torturing) her professor about why he shouldn¡¯t use magic on his students. She¡¯d poked and pulled on his feathers countless times in the process ¨C seemingly out of fun ¨C though the half girl had insisted it was to reprimand him. Hopefully, it was in good spirit. Hopefully. After awkwardly clearing her throat, Serenis changed the subject at hand. ¡°So, Karas. Were you a hunter before? You seemed rather accustomed.¡± ¡°Not¡­quite. I learned the practice from¡­¡± Silence befell as the professor trailed off. His eyes drifted towards the half girl up ahead, gazing into her figure for quite some time before he answered Serenis. ¡°¡­An old acquaintance.¡± ¡°¡­? Does that acquaintance happen to be Light?¡± ¡°Haha, no, not at all. She¡¯s since passed away.¡± Serenis opened her mouth to inquire further, but soon closed it back. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything with the somber look drawing over Karas. They walked the rest of the way in silence, with Serenis reflecting on the professor¡¯s drive for reincarnation research. When the three finally made their way back, Light swung the cabin door open with a hearty greeting. She quickly scanned the interior to find Otoka stirring the cauldron¡¯s contents once more. ¡°We¡¯re back! Mr. Lairaff, I got your leaves!¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah¡­fine timing.¡± The archmage momentarily stopped his stirring, beckoning Light over to his side. ¡°My back was just starting to hurt. You can take the ladle again then.¡± ¡°Bye!¡± An immediate response came from Light, actions following suit. She dropped the basket in hand and took a few steps back, slamming the door shut behind her. Serenis and Karas awkwardly remained standing, looking towards the closed entrance. ¡®¡­Well, that was quick.¡¯ Slowly, the professor likewise reached for the knob ¨C before he¡¯d get dragged back to work too. However, vines sprouting from the floor wrapped around his ankles to drag him towards the cauldron, with Otoka giving a rather menacing glare towards the crow. ¡°¡­She can leave, but you need to stay. I¡¯ll need the fire again soon.¡± ¡°¡­Of course. I wasn¡¯t thinking about leaving. At all.¡± The dragonlord watched the professor being dragged back to work, wondering if it¡¯d be better for her to replace him. However, the last time she¡¯d offered, the archmage had adamantly refused ¨C mostly because Aldrid had looked at the old man with a I-dare-you-to-make-her-work glare when it happened. This time, Aldrid¡¯s eyes were pressuring for a completely different reason. The deity was wearing a sullen expression as she weakly greeted the dragonlord¡¯s return, beckoning her over. ¡°Lord Serenis, could I speak to you for a moment? In private.¡± ¡°¡­? Of course.¡± After exiting through the backdoor to gain sufficient distance from the others, the deity apologetically lowered her head. ¡°Sorry. There might be a problem.¡± ¡°Has something gone wrong in the craft?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s proceeding apace ¨C making the ward won¡¯t be a problem. It¡¯s just¡­I haven¡¯t been able to locate Master Felicir at all.¡± Serenis¡¯ expression hardened at the news. ¡°You sounded rather certain that you¡¯d be able to find him before.¡± ¡°I did. I can normally find him quite easily. Wherever he goes, deaths tend to occur through rather¡­unnatural means. If I but focus, I can sense such loss of life quite easily. But recently¡­nothing like that has happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The deity of life had been the only lead she had in locating this ¡®Felicir¡¯; even Iris hadn¡¯t sounded like she knew where her brother was. If Aldrid couldn¡¯t locate Felicir, then there basically wasn¡¯t any lead as to where their target may be. However, Serenis couldn¡¯t afford to let her disappointment show. Not when Aldrid had been of substantial help already. ¡°Raise your head. It¡¯s nothing to apologize for.¡± ¡°But¡­I promised I¡¯d help you, and¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been plenty of help already, child. Once the ward is completed, I can simply look for him myself.¡± When Aldrid raised her head as told, she could see a reassuring smile on the dragonlord¡¯s lips ¨C which only made her feel sorrier for the failure. ¡°I cannot say for certain, but it may be that he¡¯s with the other deities. There really isn¡¯t much else that would occupy him...¡± ¡°Is it not a good thing if he¡¯s too occupied to kill lives as he pleases?¡± ¡°Well¡­you see, when the others call for Master Felicir¡¯s presence, it¡¯s usually to consult him about strange individuals ¨C ones that they deem a threat to themselves, necessary for removal. Like¡­¡± Aldrid audibly gulped as her eyes filled with worry. She hoped that it wouldn¡¯t be the case, and she even knew that Felicir had no way of knowing about Serenis¡¯ return yet ¨C but somehow, she couldn¡¯t shake off the ill feeling that the deity of death was already alert and aware. ¡°¡­You.¡± Ep 65. Get A Life, Will You? (5) Ep 65. Get A Life, Will You? (5) Raizel trudged alongside the flowing river as Eterra Lake once again came to view. ¡°Tch. Damned mages, telling a dragon what to do¡­¡± Admittedly, the steel dragon could care less about what a human told her ¨C heck, she hardly cared what elder dragons told her. But when it came down to Serenis, she found it strangely difficult to decline or ignore. The dragon came to a stop before the edge of the lake. Otoka had told her that this ¡®alem dust¡¯ was found in discolored portions of the lake¡¯s floors ¨C along with instructions on how to get them without damaging their quality. All she had to do was dive in, grab them, and return. ¡®Yeah, return. Easier said than done.¡¯ Raizel did not know how to swim. Swimming necessitated one to stay afloat, at least to some degree. But with a majority of her body comprised of metal, all Raizel was capable of was sinking to the bottom. Floating back up was out of the question, and so she¡¯d always chosen to walk her way back ashore from bodies of water. ¡°Well, better get it done and over with¡­¡± After lowering her stance, Raizel kicked herself off the ground as she leapt across the water. Her fall refused to break for quite some time as she soared across the lake¡¯s length ¨C when the dragon eventually did crash into the water¡¯s surface, the land behind her had become tiny. Raizel kept her eyes wide open as she rapidly sunk into the water. Darkness welcomed her from below like the gaping maw of a giant monster, but even with minimal amounts of light, the dragon could make out the details beneath her feet ¨C and sinking quickly was rather helpful when she could hold only her breath for so long. When her feet touched solid surface, Raizel began to drag her heavy body across the lake¡¯s floors. The huge pressure was making her abysmally slow, but she had little time to spare idling around in this airless environment. As soon as she spotted a discolored location, the dragon drove her claws into the ground itself. She could care less about the archmage¡¯s careful instructions on how to pick up some mounds of dust. When Raizel lifted her arms, a giant chunk of the ground lifted itself in entirety. ¡®Now, to get back up there¡­¡¯ Raizel slowly turned her head upwards. She couldn¡¯t even see the surface anymore. ¡°¡­¡± The dragon then turned around, taking a step back towards the direction she¡¯d jumped from: an abysmally slow step that would likely take her days, if not weeks, to carry her back ashore. Unlike other streams and lakes, this particular lake was significantly deeper, the pressure unexpectantly ¨C and exponentially ¨C stronger. She¡¯d initially planned to run the way back in an instant. That was obviously out of the question now. ¡°¡­¡± Clusters of air bubbled out of the dragon¡¯s mouth. Raizel considered herself relatively good at holding her breath, but she was far from living with the fishes; being a dragon didn¡¯t exactly come with superb lung capacities.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ ? ? ? Serenis quietly sighed as she took Aldrid¡¯s worry into account. It¡¯d been quite some time since her awakening ¨C it wouldn¡¯t have surprised her if a deity of death had become aware of the dragonlord¡¯s renewed presence. ¡°¡­I suppose it¡¯s only natural that a deity of death would know. I¡¯ve defied death, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­not true!...He couldn¡¯t have known, or else he would¡¯ve come to you the moment you awoke. Even I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d returned to life.¡± Aldrid began to course through her memories of the other deities ¨C specifically the ones that could¡¯ve recognized Serenis¡¯ return. Truth be told, most of them couldn¡¯t possibly have known. ¡°The only one that could¡¯ve sensed that something was amiss is Lady Felicis, and only because you carry so much mana. The others couldn¡¯t have¡­¡± The deity trailed off her words as she belatedly remembered who was standing before her. Serenis. Lord of dragons, commonly referred to as ¡®Starchild¡¯ by the people of their era. ¡°¡­Lord Serenis, did you use star-aspected magic since your return?¡± ¡°On occasion, yes. Why?¡± A dreadful look washed over Aldrid¡¯s face as she heard the answer. Besides the deity of mana, there was, in fact, one other that would recognize that something was amiss. A peculiar deity that hardly anyone ever saw, one that would¡¯ve been forgotten had they not seemed to share the dragonlord¡¯s affinity. ¡°¡­Oh, dear. There¡­might be another one¡­¡± ? ? ? A black tear ripped through the darkness of the frozen cavern. Two men stepped out of the dimensional gate, their breaths letting out chilled steam in the immense cold surrounding them. One of them wrapped his feathered wings around his body, studying the icy hall. At the edge of the cavern¡¯s depth was a small, horned silhouette sitting on its glimmering floors, staring into a frozen dead end. She seemed rather reluctant to turn around and face her guests. The winged figure slowly approached the girl ahead, waving his hand in greeting. He cared little if she could see him or not. ¡°Aymeia, you could do better than to ignore me like that ¨C especially when you¡¯re the one who asked for my presence.¡± However, a dry response was all that was returned to him. ¡°Don¡¯t come near me, Felicir. I¡¯ll kill you.¡± The winged figure halted his steps as he remained standing some distance away. A thin smile curved his lips. ¡°Not the friendliest greeting I¡¯ve heard, but not the worst. I¡¯ll take it.¡± Silence ensued as neither of them spoke a word. When it stretched on, the other, elven figure who¡¯d tore open the gate began to shiver, impatiently tapping his cane on the cavern¡¯s icy floors. ¡°You two wouldn¡¯t happen to mind continuing your conversation, yes? I¡¯m eager to leave as soon as I can. Might I remind you both that I¡¯m not too fond of ice and cold.¡± Felicir smirked at the remark, shrugging back at the complaining elf. There wasn¡¯t much he could do other than urging Aymeia to speak. ¡°You heard him. We¡¯ve been kind enough to come to your dreaded lair ¨C state your business, Aymeia.¡± The girl still refused to move, nor turn to face the two men. However, she did return an answer, this time in a less hostile voice. ¡°¡­Something¡¯s wrong. There¡¯s another being that the star is responding to.¡± ¡°Could be just another peculiar manaspawn, no?¡± ¡°Not possible. I can¡¯t interfere. They¡¯re more attuned than I am.¡± Felicir snorted at the explanation, soon bursting into laughter. ¡°YOU can¡¯t interfere? Did someone pickpocket your divinity? I worked hard to get you that, you know.¡± When the girl finally turned her head, a menacing red glow illuminated her eyes. A tiny orb of fire formed above the two men, which soon expanded into a small replica of the sun. The burning sphere sizzled against the cavern¡¯s surface, threatening to descend on the visitors¡¯ heads. Droplets of heated water began to drop down, melting away at the cavern¡¯s floors. The deity of death defensively raised his hands. ¡°It was just a joke. No need to be so unfriendly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand jokes.¡± ¡°I¡¯d tell you that it only makes it better, but you probably won¡¯t get that either, will you?¡± When the miniature star blinked out of existence, Felicir lowered his hands, widening the grin on his face. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl. Location?¡± ¡°Southern edge of Wayla. Partivine.¡± ¡°Partivine? Why, that¡¯s wonderful. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen my dear sister.¡± ¡°She hates you.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just her way of showing affection.¡± The winged figure turned to leave, beckoning over his friend. The elf readily nodded towards Felicir, tearing open a new gate before hurriedly throwing himself across the portal first. The deity of death spared one last glance towards the girl before leaving. ¡°Aymeia, this may sound odd coming from me, but get a life, will you? You don¡¯t have to follow the dragonlord THAT closely.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Haha. Alright.¡± Ep 66. Get A Life, Will You? (6) Ep 66. Get A Life, Will You? (6) Light approached the giant lake, marvelling at the size of the water. She¡¯d only been able to take a brief look when they¡¯d first arrived; now, she could take in the grandeur of the continent¡¯s largest lake at leisure. ¡°Woah¡­I can¡¯t even see the other side!¡± The beautiful nature view was beginning to wash away the guilt of running away from work. The half girl went about searching for a comfortable place to sit and relax ¨C if she was going to skip out on working, she might as well make good use out of it. After finding a cozy shade underneath a nearby tree, the half girl put her back against the bark, slumping down on the floor. In the comfort of her refreshing surroundings, Light slowly closed her eyes, her hair rippling against the passing breeze. A slow, shallow wave broke into the shore with a faint, calming noise. It was almost felt like an oceanside vacation. Almost. ¡°¡­Wait¡­what?¡± And finally, Light kindly reminded herself that she was, in fact, at a lake. Light slowly opened her eyes again. Another wave crashed ashore, this time a little harder than the last. When she raised her gaze to follow the crashing waves to their source, she could see the lake rippling from afar for no apparent reason. Soon, the ripples became rumbles, and waves were no longer calming. Even the ground began to echo with a faint thudding noise. ¡®Uh oh. Uh oh. Uh oh. Right, I¡¯m in the middle of nowhere. What was I thinking?!¡¯ Ilias was not with her right now; no one was. If the source of the lake¡¯s tremor was a monster, then she had to get out of this place immediately. That¡¯s as far as her thoughts went until a glimmering scaled head exploded out of the surface, pelting large amounts of water all over the riverside. In her hurried panic, Light immediately rose to her feet, covering her face as water splashed everywhere around her. A monstrous reptile had emerged from the water with a large¡­something¡­held in its maw. A high-pitched shriek filled the forest, scaring away the resting birds that fluttered out of the area afterwards. ¡®What IS that?! Is that a snake?!¡¯ It was grey, it was scaled, it had two large fangs digging into whatever the hell it was holding in its mouth, and Light couldn¡¯t see anything other than its long neck and smooth head ¨C which was already at least three times her height. In all fairness, it did look like a giant snake. It wasn¡¯t, but it looked like it. The ¡®snake¡¯ turned its head towards the shrieking voice. When the trembling half girl came to sight, a muffled voice came from within its metal scales. ¡°Kii, rewaa.¡± (Kid, relax.) That didn¡¯t exactly come out right ¨C not with all the dirt muffling their voice. But Light could recognize the tone and sound, even if individual words weren¡¯t too distinct.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Thudding steps echoed throughout the forest as the monstrosity showed the rest of its body. Clawed limbs finally revealed themselves from out of the waters, and Light¡¯s panic slowly began to die down. ¡°¡­Raizel???¡± The dragon nodded her head as she walked back ashore. When she was completely out of the waters, her figure momentarily turned into a murky grey silhouette, reducing in size until the familiar steel dragon returned to her human form. The huge pile of dirt she¡¯d been holding in her maw dropped down to her raised hand, making a pseudo dirt roof over the dragon¡¯s head. Raizel spat off to the side with a disgusted expression, trying to rid the dirt taste in her mouth. ¡°Ugh. Can¡¯t believe I had to do that¡­huh?¡± When their eyes met, Raizel could see Light staring back at her, dumbfounded. ¡°Something wrong? You¡¯ve seen Ilias transform already, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­you¡­¡± Light scanned the steel dragon from head to toe. It¡¯d occurred to her before, and she¡¯d passed it off as personal preference ¨C but now that she¡¯d seen Raizel in her original state, the half girl began to realize that it wasn¡¯t a matter of preference at all. ¡°You don¡¯t have¡­wings? Or horns?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How come? Didn¡¯t all dragons have them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light winced in fear when saw Raizel¡¯s expression hardening at the question; the steel dragon already had a bad temper to begin with. When Raizel approached her in silence and hovered her hand over the half girl, Light wrapped her arms over her head in panic, closing her eyes shut. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I won¡¯t ask again! Promise!¡± The steel dragon snorted at the panicked reaction. Her hovering hand softly plopped down on the top of Light¡¯s head, patting her hair into a mess. ¡°Kids don¡¯t need to know stuff like that.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± At the unexpected lack of violence, Light slowly opened her eyes again. She lowered her arms, staring into Raizel with a quizzical gaze. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to hit me?¡± ¡°What? No. Do I look like I will?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°...¡± After a ¡®friendly¡¯ session of hanging out by the riverside, the two later returned to the cabin together. Otoka¡¯s craft proceeded apace as his assigned ingredients were collected one by one; eventually, it came to be a simple waiting game. As soon as it was finished, Serenis could head back to the city with Karas. Surely, a few days¡¯ waiting wouldn¡¯t make a big difference. Surely. ? ? ? An elven figure rushed out of his dimensional tear, letting out a satisfied sigh once all the ice was gone from sight. Felicir stepped out of the gate behind him. A breath of warm, fresh air greeted their entrance; the vibrance of the city below was nothing short of welcoming after their visit to the frozen cavern just now. ¡°Ah, much better. I will never understand why Aymeia chose the dreaded north as her lair. She really ought to be like your sister more.¡± ¡°Come now. The cavern¡¯s rather pretty without the cold ¨C which she can¡¯t feel.¡± Felicir scanned their surrounding once more, noting the small hill they were standing on. The city of Partivine stretched before them, brimming with life and activity. ¡°Though, my dear sister does have good taste. It truly is a lovely city.¡± The elf smirked at the hollowness of the death deity¡¯s comment. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that the harbinger of doom has arrived, then.¡± ¡°Haha. Come now, there are plenty others that fit the description better than I.¡± ¡°¡­I beg to differ, ¡®Reaper.¡¯ You leave nothing but death in your steps.¡± Felicir¡¯s eyes narrowed at his friend¡¯s remark. Though it was more of a factual statement than an insult, it still unnerved the winged figure just the same. ¡°Strange. If that was true, you should¡¯ve been long dead, Clyus.¡± The elf winced, sensing the hostility behind his grinning friend¡¯s voice. He awkwardly cleared his throat, turning his eyes away. ¡°¡­Apologies. Let¡¯s go find your sister.¡± After snorting at his friend¡¯s hurried change of subject, Felicir began to descend the hill, heading towards the city¡¯s heart. He didn¡¯t know where Felicis was, but she¡¯d always been easy to find ¨C for him, anyways. ¡°I do wonder how she¡¯s been. I simply can¡¯t wait to find out.¡± ¡°¡­How are you planning to find Felicis exactly? Doesn¡¯t she live with a human disguise?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really simple. We just ask any civilian where she is.¡± Clyus frowned at the certainty in Felicir¡¯s voice. The deity of death¡¯s solution seemed much too simple ¨C and not exactly effective for locating someone in disguise, either. ¡°And if they don¡¯t know¡­?¡± The deity of death shrugged back at his elven friend. ¡°Then they die, and we move onto the next one.¡± The elf pursed his lips, imagining how that would go. He slowly nodded his head in acknowledgement. ¡®And he wonders why people call him the Reaper.¡¯ Ep 67. Hide Well, Hide True. (1) Ep 67. Hide Well, Hide True. (1) An elderly couple came to a stop before the approaching young man. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The figure was wearing a pleasant smile; charming, even. It was a typical, humble beginning of a conversation. Aside from his small, black wings, the young man didn¡¯t particularly strike them as odd. But Clyus begged to differ. It¡¯d been decades, if not centuries, since he¡¯d last seen Felicir in the presence of non-deities; watching his friend approaching civilians so humbly was quite unnerving to the elven deity. Although, Felicir himself cared little for what his friend was thinking, continuing the conversation with the couple. ¡°If I could have a moment of your time. Do you two know where the mana deity is?¡± The man blinked in confusion. He strained his ears to hear better, even though Felicir¡¯s words were quite clear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you say?¡± ¡°Felicis. Do you know where she is?¡± Confirming that he¡¯d heard right the first time, the old man frowned, backing off a step from the young man before him. What he once thought was a charming smile now seemed like a madman¡¯s grin. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Felicir then turned to the man¡¯s wife, beaming the same grin towards her. ¡°And how about you?¡± The woman softly chuckled at the question. ¡°My, what a strange question you ask, young man. Though, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know, either.¡± ¡°¡­¡¯Young man¡¯?¡± Felicir burst into a hysterical laughter at the response. It¡¯d been a long while since anyone had called him ¡®young¡¯ ¨C or man, even. It¡¯d always been deity this, Reaper that. ¡®I should really descend more often. My last visit was¡­¡¯ Centuries ago. And some would consider even that too often. ¡°Thank you, that was rather entertaining. It¡¯s a shame you don¡¯t know though.¡± Just before the Reaper could proceed to his next step, the woman interrupted him once more, this time with a more useful bit of information. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­I do recall my son saying something a while ago¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I believe¡­he said that the deity of mana was at his school. Though, I¡¯m sure it was just a children¡¯s tale.¡± ¡°And what school would this be?¡± ¡°Interested, are you? The Magic Institute¡­just over the corner at the end of that street.¡± The woman pointed towards one of the connecting streets. She innocently beamed a motherly smile towards the deity of death. Felicir beamed back at the woman, petting her like an elder would a child. To the oblivious spectator, seeing the elderly lady being treated like a child by someone seemingly so young was quite the odd sight. ¡°Thank you. Sweet dreams.¡± ¡°Mm¡­?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes tiredly blinked a few times, and soon closed shut. It didn¡¯t seem too different from simply falling asleep. Her legs fell limp, and she powerlessly fell down. The man hurriedly held his wife, glaring at the winged figure with a furious gaze. ¡°What was that?! What did you do?!¡± ¡°My name is Felicir. That answers both, does it not?¡± ¡°¡­.Fel-¡° The man¡¯s elderly voice soon died out. His wife was the first to fall unto the street floors as his arms gave away. The deity¡¯s unnerving grin was the last thing that filled the elderly man¡¯s vision. He followed suit after his wife, falling to his knees before crashing unto the hard stone surface to sprawl over by her side. ¡°¡­They really ought to know my appearance better. I¡¯ve never been fond of hoods, and I¡¯ve never held a scythe¡­and yet, they assume I would.¡± Felicir beamed a satisfied grin towards Clyus who was standing a few steps away. ¡°¡®Magic Institute.¡¯ That does sound like a place where Felicis would be at, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Clyus glanced from side to side; several passersby that had taken notice of the fallen couple were beginning to talk. A whole crowd would gather before long.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The elf kicked his tongue. He briskly walked over to his friend, pulling Felicir along with him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°My, you¡¯re rather in a hurry.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m not fond of crowds.¡± Felicir snickered at the reply. ¡°I suppose you are. Hermits do run away an awful lot.¡± ? ? ? One hour. It¡¯d taken exactly one hour. Clyus threw a brief glance behind. Rows of cold, lifeless bodies filled the silent hallway, leaving a trail of death behind the Reaper¡¯s steps. Ever since some sort of danger announcement, everything had gone silent within the buildings. A hundred lives had perished in the last hour ¨C if not two. When the elf returned his gaze forward, Felicir was nonchalantly singing a soft tune to himself. The deity of death was comfortably strolling the deathly corridor towards his next set of victims. Harbinger of doom. Disagree as he may, Clyus struggled to think of anyone that came even remotely close to fitting the description as well as his winged friend. And soon, Felicir arrived at the following classroom. However, genuine surprise filled his expression when the door refused to budge; the Reaper turned to his elven friend, the evil in his grin was thickening by the minute. ¡°My, they locked the door. Whatever should we do?¡± ¡°¡­Would you like me to get you in?¡± ¡°Oh please, it was a joke.¡± Felicir turned towards the locked door, raising his voice higher to be heard from within. ¡°Felicis, in case you¡¯re in there ¨C I¡¯ll count to 3.¡± After his brief announcement, the deity of death raised his hand. One finger lightly touched on his thumb, and a quiet count began to tick through his muttered voice. ¡°Since we can¡¯t see the inside, shall we make it a little louder this time? 3¡­2¡­1.¡± A snapping noise followed. Immediately after, the door smashed open from the inside. A bludgeoned student burst out of the door, crashing into the opposing door before sprawling into a bloody mess. When the deities turned to the opening, they could see their victims wildly moving about. A maddening scene ensued within the class. Several students were growling like beasts, beating and clawing at their friends. Several others held makeshift weapons in hand, bludgeoning each other with chairs or broken pieces of their desks. Over half of them lied motionless on the floor. The instructor¡¯s body was limply sagging on the window by his neck, his neck skewered and torn by the broken pieces of glass underneath. Felicir observed the deathly parade with a disappointed grin. ¡°I suppose she wasn¡¯t in there. How many does that make? I-¡± ¡°Watch it.¡± Clyus interrupted his friend, flicking his cane in the air. The black mana bolt zipping towards Felicir¡¯s oblivious figure immediately disappeared from sight, reappearing ways off behind them before harmlessly crashing into one of the walls. The Reaper slowly turned to face the source of the sudden attack. An amused grin was eerily curving his lips. ¡°My, that could¡¯ve killed me.¡± ¡°A shame it didn¡¯t.¡± The reply came from an elderly man. Although their voice sounded calm, Felicir could make out the anger being held back in his tone. The man came to a stop to stand before the two deities with evident hostility in his eyes. ¡°I cannot allow this to continue.¡± Felicir raised a brow at the stranger¡¯s audacity. Oblivious they may be, it was still quite daunting to think a human was deciding what was allowed or not for him. ¡°Really? And who are you to decide that?¡± ¡°¡­My name is Gio Dugrin.¡± The mage fixed the grip on his cane, raising it to eye level. Security personnel had long perished in the first hour. Now, it fell to him to stop the assailants ¨C at least until the enforcement sector would arrive. ¡°The headmaster of this institution.¡± The deity of death slowly clapped his hands, nodding in acknowledgement of the mage¡¯s bravery. He also took a step forth, mockingly bowing his head to introduce himself. ¡°Felicir. Deity of death.¡± ¡°¡­Or so you claim.¡± Gio briefly glanced to the side towards the last classroom that fell victim to the two terrorists. Every single person was now motionless on the floor, the classroom¡¯s floor haphazardly painted in streaks of blood. ¡°The Twelve would not stoop to your lowness. Nor would they claim so many innocent lives.¡± Felicir struggled to hold in his laughter. He turned to Clyus with a maniacal grin, pointing at the headmaster with a hysterical look. ¡°He has an awful lot of faith in us. I almost feel sorry to break his fantasy.¡± The elf sighed, shaking his head. Even though he knew it wouldn¡¯t matter in the end, Clyus wanted nothing more than to hide his face and run from the unwanted attention. ¡°¡­In all fairness, I haven¡¯t killed a single life since arriving here.¡± ¡°In all fairness, you brought me here.¡± ¡°Pft.¡± Gio¡¯s expression hardened at the terrorists¡¯ idle conversation. The only reality that mattered was that these two individuals were holding a massacre ¨C in the very facility he was responsible for. The archmage¡¯s cane crackled in thickening black bolts. When he swung forth, they exploded outwards in waves of lightning, swallowing the corridor ahead and the two men up ahead with an explosive sound. But when his spell faded, the two were nowhere to be seen. ¡®?! Where¡­¡¯ As the headmaster rapidly scanned his surroundings, he felt a hand dropping onto his shoulders. He darted his gaze to see the death deity¡¯s devilish grin. ¡°Quite the talented mage, aren¡¯t you?¡± Instead of answering, Gio plunged the rear end of his cane into Felicir¡¯s abdomen. However, the weapon instead sank into a small crack in the air between him and his enemy; the mage immediately let go of his cane, backing off a few steps. The cane was soon swallowed whole. The crack disappeared without a trace afterwards, vanishing from sight with his weapon in tow. ¡®¡­Magic? But I didn¡¯t sense any mana usage?¡¯ Felicir smirked at the archmage¡¯s evident confusion. He pointed towards his elven friend with his thumb, casually turning the blame. ¡°Do forgive me if you were expecting a fair duel; in my defense, I only govern death. You can blame Clyus over there for the loss of your beloved cane.¡± ¡°¡­The Reaper may imbue death, but he does not toy with the living like you. You¡¯re a mere terrorist, feigning to be divinity with strange magics to control others into killing and dying.¡± Not a single existing scripture told of Felicir¡¯s ability as anything more than the power to imbue death unto the living. In fact, even that was majorly a concept from children¡¯s stories. Resultantly, mankind had remained oblivious to who the Reaper truly was. They couldn¡¯t ¨C not when none lived to tell the tale. ¡°Oh, you poor thing. You don¡¯t understand what it means to rule over death.¡± Felicir proudly his arms. No other mortal even came close to his understanding of his own domain. But he still told it regardless, time and time again. Perhaps one day, someone would come to understand ¨C and remember, without dying at the end. ¡°Have you not yet realized, dear headmaster? Death is not a singular event that marks the end of your life. No, what you call life is merely a process of dying. That is, to say¡­¡± Felicir beckoned his hand towards Gio. Immediately after, the archmage could feel his body completely falling out of control, beginning to walk towards deity against his will; he stopped before the Reaper and fell to his knees, shuddering at his own helplessness. The Reaper benevolently smiled down at the mage kneeling before him. He grabbed the man by his hair and forcibly raised their gaze to meet his own. ¡®¡­This isn¡¯t magic.¡¯ The headmaster could see the deity before him; he could hear their voice, and feel their grip. But despite his screaming senses, he couldn¡¯t so much as lift a finger. No one was born equal. And yet, all were equal before the end that loomed over them. ¡°I am death; I am the days you live. How you live those days, and how you reach your end, is mine to decide.¡± So look up, and behold. Death comes. Ep 68. Hide Well, Hide True. (2) Ep 68. Hide Well, Hide True. (2) Ray stormed into Iris¡¯ office, carrying another pile of documents in hand. Angered steps carried him across the room before the enforcer would throw the pile of papers at his coworker¡¯s face. Dozens of reports fluttered about in the air as Ray let out an angered outburst. ¡°Enforcer Alpid, this can¡¯t possibly be someone¡¯s joke! We have to go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°IRIS!¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not going!¡± When Iris slammed her fists into the table in an equally angered manner, Ray could only stare back at his coworker in confusion. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯ Normally, she would¡¯ve been the first one gone. Reported deaths of students and staff at a schooling facility? This regulation-paranoid woman would fly out the door. But strangely enough, the red-haired enforcer remained in her office. She was refusing to even get up for this case. Ray let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°What¡¯s your problem, Iris? Am I missing something here? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re suddenly afraid of dying?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not afraid of dying, Ray.¡± She wasn¡¯t afraid of dying. Or, more precisely, hardly anything in the world could kill her. Not that it was really helping her case against her furious coworker. ¡°Then what the hell¡¯s wrong with you today?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­He¡¯s here. It¡¯s definitely him.¡¯ Iris gripped her fists tighter. Her nails dug into her bleeding palms, but her head was too occupied with other thoughts to even notice. Felicir rarely killed others in slow and painful manners; he could hardly be bothered. If there was someone he needed to kill within Partivine, the deity of death would¡¯ve killed the entire city in a heartbeat. Doubtlessly, the only reason he was going through the trouble of terrorizing civilians bit by bit was because he didn¡¯t want his sister to accidentally die in his onslaught. ¡®¡­Is there even a ¡®correct¡¯ choice?¡¯ She could head there right now. She could fulfill her role as Iris Alpid, as an enforcer of the Mage Association. She could at least attempt to apprehend the city¡¯s terrorists, and die an honorable death in her line of duty. She could fulfill her role as Felicis, as the deity of mana who aided mankind in overcoming their hardships. If she openly opposed her brother to protect this city, then she could at least put a temporary stop to the massacre. She¡¯d still likely die, and the rest of the star may enter another bloody conflict over the ownership of her divinity, but it was still a choice nevertheless. Lastly, she could fulfill her role as the Reaper¡¯s little sister. If she but showed face and clung to his side, everyone else could die painlessly instead of suffering the Reaper¡¯s onslaught in searching for his dear sister. Or perhaps there was another choice altogether ¨C one that she was failing to see.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Iris couldn¡¯t even make out what it was that she wanted to do herself; if she could, she wanted to look to a higher entity for guidance. Just like how numerous mages would pray to her, she, too, wanted to pray to someone. Unfortunately, no higher entity existed above the Twelve. At least, not in the last thousand years. Until¡­ ¡®¡­Serenis.¡¯ Not long ago, an exhilarating sense of relief had washed over the contemplating enforcer. To her, the dragonlord¡¯s appearance had been nothing short of a miracle ¨C even more so when she discovered that Serenis¡¯ goal was to rid the star of the Twelve. She¡¯d hastily thought that her centuries of prayers had finally been answered. Perhaps, after a thousand years of the Reaper¡¯s oppression, someone had finally decided that it was enough. Perhaps that someone had sent the dragonlord to Iris so they could work out a solution together, and free her from the cursed role of being a deity. Or maybe all of that was just her own wishful thinking. As each report rapidly increased in estimated deaths, her miracle was slowly shattering apart. ? ? ? Clyus reluctantly returned the cane to the headmaster. The mage dutifully accepted it with a soulless expression, immediately turning afterwards to face Felicir. The elf watched the two with an uneasy gaze. He couldn¡¯t even begin to make out what was going on behind the Reaper¡¯s unnerving grin. Finally, Felicir¡¯s lips parted once again. ¡°Gio, was it? Whatever should I make you do for challenging a divinity?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I know. How about you do the work in my stead? A rather lofty punishment for attempting to murder a deity, isn¡¯t it? Unlike me, you won¡¯t even have to worry about harming my sister. No mage could threaten the deity of mana herself.¡± No response came from the headmaster; none were permitted. Felicir pointed down the corridor, urging his newfound toy onwards. ¡°Go.¡± Gio¡¯s body visibly shook in resistance. But tremble as they may, his legs soon turned him around, forcibly carrying the archmage down the corridor in slow, broken steps. ¡®¡­What¡¯s happening?¡¯ His steps came to a stop next to another classroom¡¯s wall. The cane he held lightly touched on the surface. ¡®¡­Run.¡¯ A sizzling black light began to glow from the head of his cane. Hundreds of ice picks crystallized into being above his head at the same time, each the size of a small nail. ¡®Run!¡¯ The black light then began to spread rapidly, enveloping the entire surface. The wall soon melted away in the liquifying black light, revealing a classroom of students and their instructor crouched beneath their desks. They were maintaining a deathly silence in place. It was all according to institute regulations: under prominent threats, all students and instructors were to remain still and silent indoors until the danger was properly handled by security. ¡°¡­¡± There couldn¡¯t possibly be anything worse they could do in this situation. But now, it was too late to tell anyone to do otherwise. Everyone in the classroom stared at their headmaster in confusion. Some of the students seemed relieved at the sight of their familiar headmaster; some were alarmed at the numerous pieces of ice over the archmage¡¯s head. The instructor, too, was just as confused as her students. ¡°¡­Headmaster?¡± ¡®RUN!!!¡¯ The headmaster¡¯s tongue refused to speak his thoughts. Instead, one of the ice nails flew forth, burying itself into the instructor¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­Ah-¡° Before any blood could even spill out from the small wound, the buried ice burst into numerous frozen pillars, stretching in every direction from within the instructor¡¯s body; their flesh spilt over the classroom¡¯s interior, a bloodied ice sculpt replacing where their head had once been. The headless body sank to the floor, spewing a river of blood from its torn neck. Several students screamed, and several more frantically fled towards the door. Unfortunately for them, several hundred nails of ice were still at the ready, each one beginning to fly across the air towards the panicking students. Gio helplessly watched his own spell unfold. Each nail found their mark ¨C every single one, without fail. Every crunching noise silenced another scream with an explosion of red, but the headmaster couldn¡¯t turn away, nor close his eyes ¨C not until there was no one left to scream. Bits of torn flesh covered the interior. Bloodied pillars of ice decorated every corner of the lecture hall, each sculpt once a living student. Felicir slowly clapped his hands. To him, it was nothing short of a splendid performance art: a classroom of students turned into a brilliant frozen garden, artistically painted with crimson streaks. When the death deity approached Gio, the headmaster¡¯s eyes painfully trembled. Despite his desperate wishes to turn away, Felicir was denying such comforts. ¡°The road to atonement isn¡¯t easy to walk, is it?¡± ¡®¡­Stop this.¡¯ Felicir gestured over to the remaining length of the corridor. He tapped on the mage¡¯s back, beaming a genuine grin of encouragement before walking on ahead with Clyus. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you can do it. I¡¯ll be waiting at the end.¡± ¡®Stop this. Stop this! STOP!¡¯ A few minutes passed until the two deities disappeared from sight. When they were gone, Gio¡¯s legs once again began to walk down the empty hallway ¨C towards the next classroom in sight. And he would, again. And again. And again. Until he would eventually reach the atonement that awaited him at the end. Ep 69. Hide Well, Hide True. (3) Ep 69. Hide Well, Hide True. (3) Divinity was a loose term; being broken shards of one whole, one could even say it was ridiculous for each shard to contain equal amounts of the original¡¯s essence. And yet, Clyus couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that one was overly ¨C extremely ¨C unbalanced. Another series of high-pitched shrieks rang out from the halls behind them; the building occasionally rumbled in unison. After each brief silence that followed, the shrieks would repeat all over again. The elf meekly glanced over to his grinning friend. The deity of death was no longer bothering to check each room, instead leaving it to Gio to kill everyone in his stead. ¡°Felicir, I didn¡¯t realize you were capable of controlling others.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of answering right away, Felicir glanced over to the far wall. He slowly came to a stop, his eyes fixed on an illustration of the Twelve. The Reaper was always depicted as a faceless, hooded figure, holding a scythe in hand. Most other deities weren¡¯t too accurate either; in fact, most of it was according to how mankind imagined them to be, of what little they knew of them. ¡°Unfair, isn¡¯t it? That a divinity of death would grant one authority over life as well. One would think it better suits Aldrid.¡± From the moment they¡¯re born, all lives begin to die. No predecessor of his divinity had fully grasped at this truth. Death was not a singular event, nor was it a state of being. In the Reaper¡¯s eyes, what people referred to as life was merely a lengthy process of dying. ¡°Birth is a death sentence. We may wish to be immortal, but the truth is, no one is ¨C not even us, Clyus.¡± ¡°¡­A rather despondent thought, that.¡± ¡°And our unfortunate reality.¡± The Reaper shrugged towards his elven friend. Felicir considered the Twelve as divine more than anyone else ¨C but paradoxically, he also knew better than anyone else that they would never truly transcend their mortality. ¡°We¡¯ve spent the last thousand years shaping this star; it¡¯s quite a decent world now. But in those years, have you spent any of them wondering how we¡¯d die?¡± ¡°I do believe Aymeia came quite close to killing herself then and there. That could very well be our first precursor.¡± Felicir snorted in amusement. Suicide was, in fact, quite a likely outcome for some of them ¨C despite all the troubles he¡¯d gone through to prevent such outcomes. ¡°I¡¯ve worked tirelessly to hold ourselves together, Clyus. You may not believe it, but I truly did work hard to mediate our troubles and rid us of our worries. But how long will this continue?¡± ¡°¡­Forever, as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± ¡°Forever is a long time, my friend.¡± Despite their respective divinities, not a single one of them could foresee their end. There was simply no telling how long the Twelve would continue to exist in their current manner ¨C and Felicir was no exception. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then sometime into the future. If not his own hands, then someone else. If not someone else, then something else entirely. Such a day would come. As long as he lived, then one day, death would inevitably claim its incarnation. ¡®And when that day comes¡­¡¯Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The Reaper¡¯s death would mark the end of the Twelve¡¯s reign. Of that, he had no doubt. ? ? ? A team of enforcement sector¡¯s agents cautiously made their way into one of the Magic Institute¡¯s buildings. The only people they¡¯d seen were the numerous dead bodies haphazardly spread about in the courtyard; even the hallway was filled with a deathly silence. One of the agents slowly spoke up to the elf enforcer leading them. ¡°¡­Enforcer Atlius? Isn¡¯t Enforcer Alpid coming with us?¡° The leading enforcer gritted his teeth. He shot a glare towards the questioning individual. ¡°Shut it. Were you planning to be her lapdog until retirement?¡± ¡°I¡­no, sir!¡± ¡°Focus on the job.¡± Ray Atlius, He was by no means as famous as his red-haired coworker, but he, too, was an enforcer of the association just the same. He¡¯d often handled longer cases that involved damaged assets more so than persons and terrors, but with Iris absolutely refusing to leave her office, he¡¯d elected himself to handle this case with all the personnel he could muster. ¡®The association will deal with her later. Lives take priority.¡¯ A series of faint screams rang forth from the distance. The elf enforcer narrowed his eyes, darting his gaze towards the sound¡¯s source. He could see another the building across from theirs outside the window. Two men were walking out of its side: a black-winged half, accompanied by an elf. It fit the exact description of their likely targets that had been seen moving into the institute before the explosion of reported deaths. Ray immediately wove his hand towards the wall. A violent gust of wind smashed through the bricks, opening a path for the enforcer to confront the two terrorists. ¡°Move!¡± With a quick shout towards his team, Ray burst out of the wall he¡¯d opened first, racing towards the terrorists. The two deities watched in confusion as members of the enforcement sector flooded out of a broken wall by the opposing building. The elf in lead was especially remarkable, with their eyes madly fixed on the two targets he was speeding towards. Felicir looked towards Clyus, pointing at the charging enforcer with his thumb. ¡°I thought you were making sure no witnesses could escape the facility? They seem quite aware of what we¡¯ve done here.¡± ¡°I did. But there isn¡¯t much I can do about witnesses that are outside.¡± ¡°¡­Fair enough.¡± The enforcer threateningly raised his hand; the two men¡¯s conversation just now was all the confirmation he needed. Ray cast his spell without any hesitation. Swirling winds began to gather around the two deities to form a miniature cyclone, swallowing their figures whole. The blasting winds trapped them in the destruction¡¯s wake. Once the spell successfully found their targets, the enforcer barked out his next orders. ¡°Fire! Now!¡± Several agents quickly cast fire-based spells that were launched into the enforcer¡¯s wind prison. The fires were swallowed into the cyclone without resistance, turning the spell into a raging firestorm. ¡°Containment!¡± Several other agents stepped forth, erecting barriers of water that kept the firestorm¡¯s destruction contained in its location. Ray watched the scene unfold with nary a blink. He didn¡¯t even move an inch until he felt someone tap on his shoulders. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too much?¡± The angered enforcer turned around, scowling at the question. ¡°Do you not understand the gravity of the situation? We¡¯re-¡° Resting on his shoulder was the rear end of a black cane. Holding its handle was the white-haired elf he¡¯d seen accompanying the winged figure from earlier ¨C an individual who should¡¯ve been trapped in the raging firestorm. Ray widened his eyes, astonished by the assailant¡¯s appearance behind him. What followed thereafter, only spanned out through a split second. The enforcer couldn¡¯t afford the luxury to be surprised. He¡¯d immediately slapped the cane off his shoulder, reaching towards Clyus¡¯ throat with his bare hands. He¡¯d fully intended to grip it whole and let another spellcast burst the assailant¡¯s head. But instead of the deity¡¯s throat, the enforcer¡¯s momentum instead carried his hand into an open crack in the air between the two. His arm sunk into a sizzling mass of liquid fire; his eyes could see a glimpse of flowing lava on the other side of the crack that had opened. When Ray pulled back his arm in scorching pain, nothing remained of his limb a few thin strands of molten bone. Clyus¡¯ expression crumpled at the hideous sight. ¡°Now that, looks rather painful.¡± The enforcer gritted his teeth. He darted his gaze behind him to scream his next set of orders to his team. However, not a single one remained standing. Every agent laid motionless on the ground, and standing amongst them was the winged figure from before, staring at the two elves with a benign smile. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just perfect? I was just starting to wish there¡¯d be someone else we could use.¡± Felicir raised his hand towards the enforcer who was painfully holding onto his molten limb. Evil intents muddled his face, and Ray shut his eyes in anticipation of his coming death. Instead, an alien sensation washed over his body. The enforcer felt his expression loosen. Despite the burning pain of his molten arm, his body no longer felt the need to hold onto the pain. Ray blankly stared at the Reaper¡¯s figure. When Felicir¡¯s lips parted, he immediately realized what was going on. ¡°Go. Kill anyone you can find.¡± ¡®Mental interference?! When did-¡® The ¡®how¡¯ didn¡¯t matter ¨C not when Ray¡¯s limp body was already turning towards the gate, back towards the city. Just as he was told. Felicir watched the enforcer take his leave. The deity let a soft smile curve his lips as they sang a comforting tune. ¡°Hide well, hide true¡­¡± Hopefully, the winds would carry his voice towards the city ¨C towards their target. ¡°¡­Death is coming for you.¡± Ep 70. Hide Well, Hide True. (4) Ep 70. Hide Well, Hide True. (4) Otoka stared into the cauldron. ¡°And that should be enough¡­¡± After the third day, most of its contents were gone. Only a small, yellow quartz remained brilliantly glowing inside after having absorbed all the liquids that had once been present. The elderly mage reached inwards, taking the gem into his hand. Despite being left untouched for days, the stone still emitted a faint warmth from within. When he turned around, Serenis and Aldrid were both anxiously staring at the old man. He wordlessly handed it over to the deity, who accepted the stone into her hand with a firm nod. ¡°It¡¯s suitable. Thank you, Mr. Lairaff.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re most welcome, my lady.¡± Aldrid firmly grasped the stone. The deity wasted no time in letting golden lights pour out of her hand and into the gem¡¯s innards, filling it with bits of her divinity that the gem would now be able to contain. Normally, she would¡¯ve liked to celebrate ¨C blessing others through gifts of her divinity was historically a joyous occasion. Their recipients had often been rulers or heroes who¡¯d live long, prosperous lives free of disease and full of joy. But this time, the recipient considered themselves nothing alike. One brief glance into the dragonlord¡¯s eyes, and such thoughts would immediately vanish. Serenis was a ruler in name ¨C but truthfully, she ruled nothing. Everything she¡¯d once ruled disappeared in a distant past. She¡¯d failed her kin, and those that could be considered heroes among the demonkin were all dead because of her. Then, it was only natural that this artifact wouldn¡¯t ever be a celebratory gift. Aldrid could vaguely guess at what this item would mean to the dragonlord. She might as well as have handed Serenis a knife to fight with. ¡°¡­Lord Serenis.¡± Aldrid wore bittersweet smile as the golden light dissipated. She took a brief moment to thread the stone with a prepared string, turning it into a small bracelet before it was offered to the expressionless dragonlord. Serenis dutifully accepted the accessory, wrapping it twice over her left wrist. She didn¡¯t even bother to meet Aldrid¡¯s gaze; her silence on the matter was making the atmosphere heavier than any word ever could. And when Aldrid couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she bit her lips and abruptly gripped her lord by their shoulder. Only then did the Serenis raise her eyes to meet the deity¡¯s gaze, and only then was she able to speak honestly. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve discussed this before, child. You¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your responsibility.¡± Over and over, Serenis had recounted the same phrase countless times. Demonkind¡¯s extinction wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault but her own. The reason a figure like Felicir was able to rise to power at all, wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault but her own. Serenis still didn¡¯t know how or why she¡¯d come back to life ¨C but her own purpose remained clear nonetheless. ¡®¡­Death wasn¡¯t enough.¡¯ The First¡¯s divinity still remained in her world. If she¡¯d been even a little more like the other lords, the demonkin might not have died in vain. Dying a single horrible death hadn¡¯t been enough to atone. For the numerous lives that suffered and perished beneath her ignorance, it didn¡¯t make sense to rest after one single death. Then, perhaps the condemned had been brought back to life ¨C to make things right again. Despite her time here, this era was still just a dream to Serenis: a far-fetched fantasy that should never have occurred. But unlike her, this era was reality for those who lived into the present. Deities or not, it was home to everyone occupying the star in this very moment. Nothing bound them to care, or even remember, of what had happened all those years ago. Just as Felicir had intended, demonkind was reduced to myths and legends; not even their few descendants had remembered how things once were. And yet, Aldrid struggled to accept the reality of her lord¡¯s decision. ¡°¡­But I want to help you. You even meant to take the professor with you!¡± ¡°It was a foolish thought.¡± Without realizing, Serenis had equated the Twelve to rulers of their own domains; lone tyrants of their respective areas, just like the First. And so far, Serenis had been fortunate enough to meet two divinities, neither of which opposed her return to life.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. But the Twelve were not rulers, nor were they reflections of the First. They were people ¨C and nothing but sheer luck had allowed Serenis to meet those who remained alone. There was nothing to guarantee that the next divinity she encountered would also be alone. Indeed, it was quite likely that they wouldn¡¯t be. If the deity of death was in the company of other divinities, there was no telling what would be at stake. ¡°I may have taken you or Karas if the divinity of death was alone. But in the event he isn¡¯t, I cannot risk taking others I cannot look after.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You won¡¯t have to keep me safe, I won¡¯t burden you. I¡¯m not even from this era! I¡¯m still-¡° ¡°You both have your entire worlds to lose. I do not.¡± Aldrid and Karas had both built their lives according to this era; the same went for Iris. All of them had new homes and bonds to live in and cherish. They all lived in the present. Serenis, alone, lived in the past. This was not her home. Neither Patrick¡¯s house in Partivine, nor the dragonkin¡¯s nest in the valleys, were her home. This star was no longer the home she loved and remembered. She¡¯d returned to life to finish what her kind had begun. In this alien world, her purpose was to give meaning to their deaths; if the demonkin¡¯s former world was no longer within reach, then she¡¯d honor it with a proper conclusion of their conflict. Honor. Vengeance. Freedom. Or perhaps even fate. They were all abstract ideals. Ideals that no one else deserved to die for. ¡°¡­There¡¯s still every chance that our fears are unfounded. I¡¯ll return ere long if nothing ails the city.¡± Serenis opened the cabin door, revealing the glimmering dawn skies. It was still fairly dark, and everyone else were sound asleep ¨C but she had no time to wait for sunrise, nor to say farewell to others. If nothing had happened in Partivine, she¡¯d simply return and search for a way to find the deity of death with others. If Felicir was there, then she needed to destroy his divinity. And if other deities were also there, then theirs as well ¨C just like how she should¡¯ve, one thousand years ago. ¡°¡­¡± Twelve more steps until she could rest. And, more often than not, the first is always the most arduous. ? ? ? ¡®¡­Where am I going?¡¯ As Gio¡¯s legs began to carry him out into the courtyard, he found himself unable to look behind the road he walked. His body was still moving of its own accord, unbound by its owner¡¯s will. Perhaps it was for the best that he could no longer turn his head. Even the sight of his cane¡¯s bloodstained tip was driving the archmage towards insanity. He merely continued walking forward towards the exit, trampling over numerous corpses sprawled across the courtyard. Students that happened to be outside upon the deity¡¯s arrival, security that had rushed to control the situation¡­and even enforcement sector¡¯s agents that had come to help. No one had survived. And unlike everyone Gio had killed, their bodies were clean, their expressions peaceful; it was a stark contrast between the fearful, bloodstained students he¡¯d left behind in the building. Even though neither were alive, the Reaper¡¯s work almost seemed humane compared to his own. And just up ahead was the very same deity, waiting for his arrival. Felicir welcomed the archmage with a proud smile. ¡°Impressive, headmaster. I thought at least one other person would be able to stop you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The deity of death took a brief moment, scanning the archmage and the destruction he¡¯d left behind. Overwhelming amounts of death reeked from the archmage, as well as the entire facility. Several buildings had partially collapsed, some in entirety. Stains of blood could be seen in numerous windows, and an eerie silence filled the area. Satisfied, Felicir put a hand on Gio¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Seems we¡¯re done here. I did take the liberty of killing any escapees, so you need not worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now¡­do you think you¡¯ve atoned for your sins yet, headmaster?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh, that¡¯s right. I forgot to allow you to speak.¡± A dark glint brushed past Gio¡¯s figure as the archmage felt a small bit of his body returning to his control. He still couldn¡¯t move, but he found himself at least able to speak. However, he no longer needed to question who the winged figure standing before him was. He no longer needed to tell anyone to run away. Even if he had been able to before, they wouldn¡¯t have made it far anyhow. The Reaper himself had condemned them to death; even a child knew that struggling was futile under such circumstances. It no longer mattered if it was fair or just. It probably didn¡¯t even matter if the winged figure was truly as divine as people made him out to be ¨C for mankind firmly believed that the Twelve¡¯s will had always been for the greater good, that their actions were just without question. But after delivering a deity¡¯s judgment himself, all Gio could think of was escaping this nightmarish reality. ¡°Kill me.¡± ¡°You wish to die? So soon?¡± ¡°¡­Please.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± While Felicir contemplated on the archmage¡¯s request, Clyus grimaced at Gio¡¯s lifeless eyes. He was alive, but he may as well not be. And that alone was a reason enough for the deity of death to deny his request. ¡°No, no¡­this isn¡¯t how your tale ends, headmaster. You¡¯re capable of so much more, are you not? It would be a shame to not honor you with another divine quest.¡± The Reaper then pointed towards the institute¡¯s gates, just a few steps away. The city of Partivine stretched outside as far as the eye could see. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent one, but it probably won¡¯t be enough, will it? It¡¯s a rather big city, after all. Why don¡¯t you go help him out?¡± Even though Felicir didn¡¯t specify what this ¡®help¡¯ was, Gio could clearly tell what the deity meant from their unnerving grin. ¡°¡­No¡­please, no more-¡° ¡°Ah. Right, that wasn¡¯t a quest. That was an order.¡± Gio¡¯s lips immediately sealed back. His legs once again began to carry him forward, outside the institute¡¯s parameters. He could faintly hear the crumbling noise of buildings and towers up ahead. And mixed in their midst were unmistakable screams of Partivine¡¯s civilians. ? ? ? Magic was a divine gift. It is said that, during the dawn of time, mankind struggled to survive against the numerous threats they faced. With meager stones and clubs, they could not fend off the beasts and monsters that plagued their homes. And so, a deity had descended into their realm. She¡¯d gifted mankind with knowledge on how to use the essence that filled their world. The essence would later come to be known as mana, her gift as magic. It was a tool for survival. However, like many other tools at their disposal, mankind had found a way to turn their divine gift into a vicious weapon. Magic had become a staple tool for murder and war. ¡®¡­Perhaps all of this is divine judgment. For misusing the gifts we were bestowed.¡¯ Every time Ray swung his arm, another headless civilian collapsed onto the floor, their necks sliced open by an invisible blade of wind. Those who fled were rooted in place by coiling vines rising from beneath their feet. Adults and children alike helplessly stood in place, waiting for another blade of air to end their lives. The enforcer¡¯s vision began to blur. The murky red liquids filling the streets were drowning his vision, and his veins darkening from mana depletion were becoming more and more visible. But even so, the enforcer could not stop himself from moving forward. He merely wished that the next throb of his heart would finally kill him, again and again. ¡®¡­Any moment now. Any moment.¡¯ Iris would appear with the rest of the sector to stop him. Their most accomplished enforcer would put an end to this madness, and apprehend the terrorists without breaking a sweat. It was just taking a while because she was preparing the plan so thoroughly; any moment now, and Ray¡¯s worries would be proven pointless. In Ray¡¯s mind, no other explanation existed as to why she was still nowhere to be seen. This had to be the case. It had to be. It wasn¡¯t, but it had to be. Ep 71. Who Are You? (1) Ep 71. Who Are You? (1) The crowd busily fled into the deeper parts of the city towards the Mage Association. There, they could seek help ¨C there, they could find shelter. ¡­From the numerous maddened mages that were slowly approaching from behind. A seemingly random selection of mages had begun killing everyone in sight ¨C and among them was the green-haired elf who¡¯d led a team of agents as the city¡¯s enforcer. Ray found his legs slowly giving away. His heart was beating slower and slower, and half his casting began to break midway. Each heartthrob hurt more than the previous, as if his heart would burst at any moment. And when his next victim came to sight, an eerie smile curved the elf enforcer¡¯s lips. Up ahead was an elderly man, struggling to rise after having been pushed over by the fleeing crowd. One more. One more, and that would do it. As expected, the enforcer¡¯s hand raised itself into the air. Thin strings of air condensed above his palm, forming a swirling sphere of sharpened winds. ¡®Finally¡­finally.¡¯ His trembling arms powerlessly tossed the spell towards the elderly man. The sphere exploded into a dozen blades, eviscerating the struggling elder. Following the elder¡¯s pained cry, a suffocating throb clenched at the enforcer¡¯s heart. The beating turned into small shudders, lightly shaking his organs from within ¨C but this time, his body¡¯s struggles wouldn¡¯t prevail. The echoes of his pulse grew distant, eventually drowning into silence. In the dimming vision, a sense of relief washed over the enforcer as the ground rapidly closed in on him. ¡®¡­It¡¯s finally over.¡¯ Just like the elder he¡¯d murdered, Ray, too, collapsed onto the floor. Heaving breaths soon faded away into silence. But even then, the archmage that had been walking by the enforcer¡¯s side felt nothing but despair. Despite having no control over his own body, Gio¡¯s senses remained intact. Unlike the others that had fallen under Felicir¡¯s control, he wasn¡¯t even close to depleting his reserves yet. ¡®¡­How much longer will this continue?¡¯ The only individual that could answer him was far, far away, watching his advance with increasing interest. ? ? ? Felicir stood over the roof of an enormous church, musing at the sight below. Only one of his enlisted pawns now remained standing; the first two had, ironically, lasted the longest. But the death of his pawns didn¡¯t bother the deity in the slightest. Instead, what bothered him was that Felicis still hadn¡¯t appeared before them. ¡°I¡¯m quite surprised she still hasn¡¯t shown face.¡± ¡°Perhaps she isn¡¯t in the city?¡± Clyus answered from Felicir¡¯s side, glancing over the fleeing civilians. Half of Partivine were now devoid of life; the occupants had all died in the Reaper¡¯s onslaught, or fled their homes altogether. If the deity of mana really lived here, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t have figured out what was going on. And yet, Felicir remained unconvinced. ¡°¡­No matter.¡± Whether his sister was here or not, the city had to be wiped out regardless. Finding Felicis had only been a stepping stone towards this goal ¨C but there were ways to circumvent it. The death deity glanced towards the elf standing beside him. ¡°You¡¯re controlling the city¡¯s parameters, yes?¡± ¡°Since we arrived. Nothing can get out.¡± ¡°Good.¡± It wasn¡¯t apparent, but Clyus had set a one-sided dimensional dome over Partivine, preventing anyone from exiting the city¡¯s parameters. Even now, numerous civilians were at the city¡¯s gates, pointlessly smashing at the invisible wall with their spells and weapons. A satisfied grin spread across the Reaper¡¯s lips. His gaze drifted over to Gio, halting the archmage in place to prepare their next spellcast. ¡°It seems the stage is set. Time to end our little hunt.¡± ¡°¡­Hunt?¡± ¡°A splendid tool for driving our prey into a corner, isn¡¯t he? To reiterate your words¡­¡± When the Reaper raised his own hand into the air, the archmage in the distance slowly raised their own cane upwards. Lengthy runes began to circle around Gio, creating a small, fiery sphere that launched itself into the sky. After disappearing into the clouds, the sphere spanned out into an enormous ring of runes above; a hideous thundering noise echoed amongst the clouds, as if an earthquake was occurring midair.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. And soon, the sound¡¯s source revealed itself. Emerging from the floating ring was a massive surface of stone. It rivalled the size of an entire district, its massive volume slowly surfacing right above the remaining half of Partivine ¨C the half that everyone had been driven into. Sparks of fire glittered around the stone surface, lighting the massive rock aflame. Felicir¡¯s grin widened at the sight of the meteor¡¯s appearance. Even if she were nearby, his sister could protect herself ¨C even from a massive spell like this. But the same could not be said for everyone else besides. ¡°¡­An archmage is no different than a walking disaster.¡± ? ? ? Serenis sped through the morning sky; the sun had long risen during her flight. And after hours of flying, Partivine was finally coming to view. Although the city was still merely a large speck in the distance, small bits of smoke and steam seemed to arise from its interior. Everything seemed to be just the way they were. In appearance, that is. The dragonlord grimaced, raising her gaze upwards. In the mass of clouds hovering over the city, she could glimpse at a large shadow hidden in their midst. ¡®¡­Mana?¡¯ Serenis was still extremely far away in physical distance; normally, she shouldn¡¯t have been able to sense anything through mana sensory. But whatever was hidden amidst those clouds contained enough mana to irk at her senses, even from this distance. And soon, the clouds began to shift and split as the shadow grew larger in size. A rocky surface then came to view, as well as the giant magic circle hovering over it. A burning meteor was beginning its descent unto the city. ¡®¡­A meteor spell?...Why? No, how?¡¯ Serenis furiously gritted her teeth. Whether that meteor was a deity¡¯s doing or not didn¡¯t even matter in the moment; the reality was that someone, or something, was attempting to destroy the city whole. That, and the fact that Iris, for whatever reason, was not preventing the meteor¡¯s descent. The dragonlord immediately steeled her heart. In order to reach Partivine and stop the meteor in time, she¡¯d have to gamble with fate in teleporting through the remaining distance ¨C and staying alive. Even without mana constraints, the spell may very well send her body into the ground, or split it in halves between a thin wall. Then, Serenis soon realized just what it was that she was committing herself to. ¡®...It¡¯s just a city of humans.¡¯ Partivine was a manmade city; Serenis wasn¡¯t its ruler, and it certainly wasn¡¯t the dragonkin¡¯s home. With both Serenis and Ilias gone, not a single dragon remained there. Not even Patrick, Karas, or Light were present. The city¡¯s remaining inhabitants were irrelevant, replaceable lives to the dragonlord. Saving a bunch of humans had nothing to do with her current goal of eliminating divinities. It was unreasonable to risk her life for such people. ¡°¡­¡± Logically, at least. ¡®¡­I still haven¡¯t changed.¡¯ Serenis gripped at her heart. In the distant past, she¡¯d turned away just like this, time after time. Her pride as a facilitator of peace had hid her ugly selfishness. She¡¯d clouded her own judgment to later invite horrifying consequences upon her kin. And amongst the numerous lives that had suffered for her ignorance, one particular figure continued to linger in her mind. - ¡®Then I guess this is where we part ways¡­Serenis.¡¯ ¡°¡­It was then.¡± That¡¯s when her daughter had stopped calling her mother. ¡®Liberate the star. Eliminate the tyrant. Free our future from shackles of divinity.¡¯ It was a cause that had unified demonkind. It was a cause that had made their warring tribes unite as demonkin ¨C for everyone had strived to save their future just the same. But what drove the present dragonlord was nothing as grand. There was hardly any future left to save; with a majority of the demonkin no longer with her, their unified cause had turned hollow and meaningless. And yet, she had to carry it forth. She had to realize its end and complete what others had sought ¨C for in it, she sought something else altogether. For what Serenis truly desired, was¡­ ¡®¡­For you¡­to¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± She could almost see their disappointed eyes. Hear their disappointed voice. A violent wingbeat stopped the dragonlord in course. She took a deep breath, narrowing her gaze onto the small space between the descending boulder and the city beneath. The dragonlord¡¯s figure blinked out of existence, reduced to a stream of mana that was instantaneously carried forth. ? ? ? ¡°Daddy, look! A shooting star!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± When the little boy excitedly pointed towards the sky, his father likewise raised his gaze upwards to see the source of his excitement. He first doubted the son¡¯s words ¨C it was still broad daylight, and it would¡¯ve been strange to see a comet at such times. His son¡¯s source of unnatural excitement soon came to sight. A gigantic mass of stone was emerging from the clouds above. Surrounded in flames of white and orange, it really did look like a star ¨C a falling star, in its literal sense. And, thanks to its brightness, the man could clearly make out its size. The rock¡¯s size rivalled that of the very district she stood in ¨C larger, even. Its massive shadow began to cast over the very markets they were standing in. The man¡¯s grip on his son¡¯s hand instantly tightened. He began to pull him backwards in panic, and the boy watched him in confusion. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°¡­We¡­need to get away.¡± ¡°But what about dinner? Home¡¯s that way!¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for that! Come here, Alf!¡± The man immediately tossed aside their groceries to instead carry his son. He began to run in the other direction as fast as he could, causing the surrounding crowd of the marketplace to also look towards what he was running away from. A massive volume of stone, lit aflame in its descent ¨C headed straight towards the very place they were standing on. The crowd soon fell into a huge panic, fleeing from the markets in unison. People deserted their goods, merchants their shops; they pushed and slammed against those who were too slow to realize what was above them. But even when the entire city was falling into panic, one peculiar mage stood in his lonesome far in the distance, looking up towards the meteor he¡¯d casted. ¡®¡­Great Magician.¡¯ As the stone¡¯s surface filled more and more of his vision, Gio¡¯s legs no longer carried him anywhere else. His body simply remained rooted on the spot, waiting for the meteor to crash down on its caster ¨C although, when the stone would touch the ground, it wouldn¡¯t just be him dying in the destruction¡¯s wake. Never before had Gio wished his reserve to be smaller ¨C for him to be a lesser mage than he was. Ironically, the heights that he¡¯d strived for as a mage turned out to be no different than a killer sharpening their knives. And as a result, thousands had already died in his hands. And thousands more would, as soon as that meteor would hit the ground. Perhaps being crushed underneath his own spell was a fitting end. ¡°¡­¡± The city¡¯s only archmage had turned against its civilians. The enforcement sector had suffered heavy losses to the Reaper himself, and for some reason, what personnel they should¡¯ve had remaining were nowhere to be seen. ¡®Hopefully¡­they¡¯re simply too occupied with evacuating the civilians.¡¯ That¡¯s all the archmage could hope for as he stood in place, staring at the oncoming meteor. He could see various spells being fired at the descending mass then and there ¨C doubtlessly from other mages that were trying to stop the approaching disaster. But when the meteor continued its descent undamaged, the magics soon stopped altogether. Gio couldn¡¯t blame them for abandoning their efforts. Struggling to destroy it was, to his and everyone¡¯s eyes, futile. ¡®¡­Deity Felicis. If you are truly watching us¡­¡¯ The fall only quickened over time; even when Gio could feel the air rapidly heating around him, he found himself unable to even blink. All he could do was recite the people¡¯s prayers within his mind. Surely, countless others would be reciting the exact same phrase towards the sky. ¡®Bless us with your wisdom. Guide us, in your undying light.¡¯ Would the deity of mana hear their soundless prayers? Perhaps she will. Perhaps she won¡¯t. Perhaps someone else will. ¡­Or perhaps no one will. That was the archmage¡¯s final thought before a burst of light filled his vision. Ep 72. Who Are You? (2) Ep 72. Who Are You? (2) Magic was a science: its formulations and equations, combined with necessary affinities and aptitudes, made it more difficult than most other academic disciplines known to man. One small calculation mistake, and some spells could take the caster¡¯s life in a heartbeat. Teleport was one such spell; hence, its usage necessitated obsessive levels of preparation to guarantee safety¡­for a normal mage, that is. Dragons never learned magic quite the same. In fact, to state magic as a science was ridiculous for the demon tribe. There were no formulas or equations; to them, instinct overruled their mana¡¯s flow. Serenis was no exception. Even though her memories as Zion and her days at the institute had allowed her to become quite versed with human ways of casting spells, she still largely depended on her instinct and intuition rather than calculation ¨C especially when she had so little time to think and prepare. The dragonlord mused at the situation at hand. It might¡¯ve been foolish to risk her life in saving a city of humans. Some may frown at the sight of a demonlord going such lengths to save meager human lives; others may simply laugh at her stupidity. But even if everyone else mocked this decision, her daughter would be smiling back at her. Eden would, without a doubt, nod their head in approval. She wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to risk her life in saving those she could. ¡®¡­And neither will I.¡¯ ? ? ? The blinding light shrunk into a trail of mana fragments before Gio¡¯s eyes. When he followed the fading trail, a white-haired woman had appeared at its end. ¡®¡­A teleport spell? But her arm-¡® ¡°Hff¡­.¡± Serenis immediately opened her eyes as soon as she felt her body whole again; the surrounding scenery of the marketplace indicated that the teleport had carried her to the approximate area she¡¯d wanted. However, she could also see that her lack of preparation and practice, combined with her haste and extreme distance, had taken their toll on the spell. The dragonlord bit her lips, holding back a pained groan within. Her right arm had overlapped into the rubbles of a fallen building up to her shoulder, crushed amidst its broken pieces. But even now, the meteor above was fast approaching. ¡®¡­There¡¯s no time.¡¯ Serenis¡¯ left hand held a firm grip over her right shoulder. After a deep breath, she jerked her body outwards, tearing it away from the fallen rubbles. A hideous squelching noise accompanied the jerk. After tearing off her own limb by force, Serenis quickly mended the wound with a thin crystal surface to at least stop the bleeding. The throbbing pain, she could ignore.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. She raised her gaze upwards, and her remaining arm followed suit. Serenis could feel the rising heat through her skin now; if she were to destroy the meteor whole, no doubt that its pieces would fall and wreak havoc just the same. Destroying the spell was not enough; it had to be erased. Completely. And in the heat of the moment, Serenis fell back on her most intuitive form of magic. ¡®¡­I know this is selfish.¡¯ The blue of the skies dimmed away, fading into the dark. Only scattered stars remained glowing above, beaming their brilliance towards the city below. ¡®But with this, I hope¡­at the very least¡­¡¯ As if in response, the ground beneath Serenis¡¯ feet began to burn in a soft, prismatic brilliance. ¡®¡­That you¡¯ll look at me.¡¯ A circular pit soundlessly crumbled open before the dragonlord. A pillar of light burst forth from within to meet the approaching disaster, spreading itself thin to encase the burning mass of stone in its comforting glow. ¡®Just like before¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t long until the meteor completely stopped its descent, held just above the city by a layer of dim starlight. When Serenis gripped her raised hand into a fist, the shrouding light burned into a blinding radiance. A low rumbling noise echoed from within, as if the entire mass would burst any moment. However, the rumbling instead began to die down, the light gradually dimming away. The massive sphere of starlight grew smaller and smaller. And soon, it would vanish altogether ¨C as if the approaching disaster had only been a dream. Serenis lowered her arm. The dragonlord stood alone, her figure alit by the starlight shining down from the unnatural night sky. ¡®¡­And allow me to apologize.¡¯ ? ? ? ¡°¡­What the hell¡­was that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Both Felicir and Clyus uncomfortably shifted their gazes away from Gio. A lone woman was standing some distance away from the archmage, her figure brightly lit by the stars above. The death deity¡¯s expression contorted in distaste. It wasn¡¯t Felicis ¨C of that, he had no doubt. Of all the things his sister would disguise herself as, a dragon was not one of them. Nor would she ever rid herself of an arm from a miscalculation in using a spell. But then, who was that? A white-haired dragon had seemingly appeared out of nowhere ¨C which was already against their tendency to seclude. Furthermore, this dragon had all too easily destroyed the archmage¡¯s meteor in a matter of seconds using the strangest spell Felicir had ever seen. ¡®¡­No, she didn¡¯t just destroy it. She erased it.¡¯ With an affinity that clearly didn¡¯t belong to basic elements. What transpired just now was nothing alike magic, even in the Reaper¡¯s eyes. No. If he were to describe it with a single word, it was more like¡­ ? ? ? A small boy sloppily wiped the tears off his mother¡¯s face. After witnessing the numerous victims that were slaughtered by those influenced by Felicir, the woman had ran away with her son as far as she could. She¡¯d ignored the deathly screams constantly ringing from behind, desperate to save her son and herself. And soon after, she¡¯d despaired at the shadow of the falling meteor cast over her city. Her legs had given away, hope lost in the darkness of the coming doom. Even now, her shaking eyes still remained fixed on where the burning meteor had been. But despair wasn¡¯t what filled her heart anymore. Nothing was there anymore. Nothing at all. Silence filled the numerous crowds that had been frantically fleeting from the approaching disaster. Some had struggled in vain to leave the city; some had given up hope. Some had fled as much as they could, while some, like the boy¡¯s mother, had fallen to her knees to pray. She¡¯d pleaded for someone ¨C anyone ¨C to save their city from the descending disaster. And, as if in response, the sky had fallen dark. A pillar of light had swallowed the oncoming meteor, and when the light disappeared from sight, so had the spell within it. The world still remained dim, but it wasn¡¯t the meteor¡¯s shadow that was cast over them anymore. In its place was a comforting night sky, alit by hundreds of glimmering stars. It couldn¡¯t have been the work of a mage. It couldn¡¯t have been magic. No. It was more like¡­ ¡°¡­A miracle.¡± A lone voice echoed from somewhere amongst the crowds. The speaker¡¯s feelings spread like disease amongst the people, their voices gradually rising to a unified opinion. The woman, too, softly muttered the same word under her breath. That was it. That¡¯s what it was like. What she¡¯d witnessed was nothing short of a miracle. Ep 73. Who Are You? (3) Ep 73. Who Are You? (3) Iris¡¯ eyes remained fixed on the empty night sky. The falling meteor had disappeared without a trace outside her window, but the enforcer remained blankly staring into the distant darkness. Even from within her office, she could hear numerous voices within the association building. Many were mages that had erected layers upon layers of protective barriers in hopes of surviving the meteor¡¯s impact ¨C even though realistically, they knew their chances of survival were abysmal from a spell of that scale. Indeed, it didn¡¯t matter if they were within or outside the building. Everyone was staring outside, towards the same empty space in the air where the meteor had disappeared. A star-filled night sky. A pillar of light that didn¡¯t belong to light magic. Numerous voices of relief and celebration to their averted disaster. In their unexpected survival, people began to praise the divine for their miracle. Just like they always had for occasions they could not explain. Felicis, deity of mana. A friend of mankind and the epitome of magic. Numerous mages were speaking Iris¡¯ true name. They were celebrating the cowardly deity who¡¯d invited the disaster here in the first place, thanking her for a deed that she took no part in. To them, the disappearance of the meteor had seemed like divine protection cast by the deity of mana herself. But Iris herself knew who exactly who was responsible for this miracle. ¡°¡­She¡¯s here.¡± The enforcer burst out the office door, rushing towards where the pillar of light had been cast. She could hear a few voices calling her name in surprise, but she ignored them all to exit the building and run forward. She didn¡¯t have a plan in mind; she didn¡¯t even care if Felicir was there or not. In fact, she didn¡¯t have much of a thought at all. She simply ran ¨C as fast as she could, towards where her faith now lied. ? ? ? The darkness began to fade, the darkened sky soon reverting back to its original blue color. The glimmering stars were drowned away in the glowing sunlight. Serenis sighed in relief, only to feel a sharp pain from her missing arm tearing her breathing apart. She winced in agony, shutting her eyes to hold back another scream. But this time, she could grin and bear it in the end. This time, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason to regret her decision. ¡®¡­I¡¯m alive, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ That¡¯s all that mattered. She wasn¡¯t too happy about her missing arm, but she¡¯d suffered far worse before death. Compared to then, this was hardly anything noteworthy ¨C especially considering what she¡¯d achieved. And unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have time to relish in relief anyhow. Her mana sensory screamed in oncoming danger, making Serenis throw herself back a few steps. Streaks of black lightning struck at where she¡¯d been standing, breaking the brick floors into pieces. When the dragonlord followed their tracks, a familiar headmaster was standing in the distance, his cane sizzling from the spell that had been cast just now. ¡°¡­Gio?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°¡­¡± The headmaster¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Serenis in silence. Gio didn¡¯t know who this dragon was, nor did he know how she knew his name. But he had a faint idea. This strange dragon shared a striking resemblance to the peculiar student that had enrolled this year at the institute, both in appearance and the strangeness of the magic they used. And, thinking back, he hadn¡¯t seen this particular student during his onslaught; Karas had taken said student away on a workshop few days prior. ¡®You¡­¡¯ He wanted to open his mouth. He wanted to ask who she was, and confirm whether his suspicions were true. If they were, he wanted to ask why they¡¯d returned. But above all that was an intrusive thought that was muddling his thoughts. ¡®¡­You could stop me.¡¯ If this dragon really was the student in his mind, they could stop him. If anyone could, it¡¯d be them. The archmage struggled against the divinity that bound his will. His entire body shook and trembled in resistance, honoring the Reaper¡¯s will to kill everything in sight all along. Naturally, even with all his willpower, Gio could not stop himself from attempting to kill the dragonlord head-on. His body absolutely refused to stop its onslaught. ¡°¡­Kill¡­¡± But he did manage to speak ¨C just two words. A short phrase that explained his heart better than any other phrase. ¡°¡­Me.¡± Immediately after, Gio swung his cane once more. Another series of black lightning shot forth towards Serenis, bouncing off harmlessly before an invisible barrier. The dragonlord stared in confusion at first. Then, the scenery behind Gio came to sight. The meteor hadn¡¯t struck, and yet, numerous buildings remained crumbled behind the archmage. In fact, she¡¯d lost her own right arm to one of them. And spread throughout their midst were countless bodies. Many were headless; some were eviscerated or burnt beyond recognition. Only the pooling blood and mounds of flesh sprawled across the rubbles spoke of what they once were. ¡®¡­He did this?¡¯ Serenis hadn¡¯t known the headmaster for long. But at the very least, she knew that he wasn¡¯t an individual who¡¯d suddenly commit himself to facilitating a massacre; he was a proud mage who constantly sought to better himself and his students. He may have been prideful, and even arrogant at times, but he was far from murderous. At first, the dragonlord expected a malicious spell to be controlling the headmaster. But she sensed no magic ailing the archmage. And yet, here he was, wielding unruly amounts of violence towards every living being he could find. ¡°¡­¡± Serenis could see a glimpse of herself in his eyes. Even though the man couldn¡¯t speak, the guilt weighing his mind was all too plain to see: a crushing guilt that threatened to annihilate his conscious at the slightest opportunity. ¡®¡­Very well.¡¯ The dragonlord began to approach Gio in slow steps. A flurry of spells continued to be fired at her in succession, but none managed to reach behind the invisible barrier surrounding the dragonlord. A prismatic sphere of mana materialized into Serenis¡¯ palm. She didn¡¯t know how or why this had happened. It didn¡¯t matter in deciding what to do ¨C not when the facilitator¡¯s guilt was pressuring him into wishing for a death penalty. When their distance closed too much, the tip of Gio¡¯s cane glowed in an eerie black light. He plunged it into Serenis¡¯ barrier, the cane¡¯s darkness attempting to spread over the protective layer that covered the dragon before him. But instead, the barrier shimmered like a prism, resisting the archmage¡¯s spreading magic. Its prismatic glow began to swallow Gio¡¯s cane in reverse, rendering the cane useless as a medium of magic. The dragonlord¡¯s empty gaze fell upon her headmaster¡¯s desperate eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve changed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t their first duel. Knowing the archmage, he was wont to disallow any approach whatsoever. This was especially true when he¡¯d already seen what Serenis was capable of in their last mock duel. If he was truly in his right mind, Gio should¡¯ve been maintaining his distance like any proficient mage would to attack their opponent without being attacked back. If he was truly in his right mind, Gio would¡¯ve taken the fight much more carefully. He wouldn¡¯t have even exposed himself in plain sight to begin with. ¡®In other words¡­¡¯ He wasn¡¯t in his right mind. Serenis then released the prismatic sphere from her hand, letting it hover towards the archmage. The ball exploded in a brilliant flash of light before his eyes, drowning his figure whole. ¡°¡­¡± When the light dissipated, Gio laid motionless on the ground. Only his chest continued to rise and fall from calm, shallow breaths. Serenis stared down at the archmage at her feet with a bitter expression. She¡¯d allowed Gio to live on purpose. She¡¯d purposefully allowed a tiny fragment of her mana to sink into the man¡¯s system. It was a miniscule amount, insufficient to cause any monstrous transformations like it had with Eisenhoff¡¯s experiments. However, it would be enough to jam his systems from synthesizing mana, at least for a while. This way, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use magic to cause any further harm on anyone for the time being. ¡°¡­Sinners like us do not deserve death.¡± ¡®Not until we make amends for our wrongs.¡¯ Serenis turned her head away from the headmaster to then face the person approaching from behind. When Gio awoke, hopefully he¡¯d be better suited to talk. Much like the winged figure that was approaching her with a mocking grin on their face. Ep 74. Who Are You? (4) Ep 74. Who Are You? (4) The first thing that struck Serenis¡¯ mind was the strangeness of the situation. Mere minutes ago, this entire city was on the brink of disaster. The civilians that had once occupied the marketplace she stood in had long abandoned their shops and homes to flee. The second thing that struck her mind was the malice of the approaching individual. In the emptied streets, a lone man was walking ever so calmly towards the dragonlord. A thin, vicious grin was on his face ¨Cas if he couldn¡¯t wait to cut down an old archenemy. ¡°¡­Once.¡± The winged figure began to speak, his steps coming to a halt some distance away from Serenis. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it, just once in my lifetime. A night sky that drowned daylight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis studied the winged figure. A sense of familiarity began to creep within her mind. His attire resembled that of a mage¡¯s ¨C in fact, his appearance overall resembled the attire worn by the Magician herself. His black, feathered wings and malicious smile were nothing like her, but circumstances still pointed to only one answer. ¡°¡­Felicir.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Felicir¡¯s grin widened as his name was spoken by the dragon. He threw his head back, a frenzied laughter escaping the deity. ¡°Ha¡­haha! Hahahaha! To think the only individual who recognizes me would be a dragon¡­that¡¯s quite ironic. Should I guess at who you are as well?¡± The Reaper stretched one arm forward. A blackened hue wrapped about his hands like venomous vapor. This was Aymeia¡¯s concern. It had to be. ¡®A white-haired dragon who wields the star element¡­an individual who¡¯s more attuned to the star than Aymeia herself.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? The first dragonlord.¡± Immediately after the Reaper¡¯s vocal conclusion, the black vapor surrounding his arms drifted forward, washing over the silent dragonlord¡¯s figure. Felicir began to approach Serenis once more afterwards, this time barely leaving any space in between them. ¡°But how is it that you¡¯re standing here? Did a miracle resurrect you from the underworld? Your rotten flesh was burnt to dust. Your heart should¡¯ve been destroyed by your own son. Or was all of that faked in your desperation to live?¡± When the black hue faded away after being absorbed into Serenis, the Reaper could see the dragonlord¡¯s silent, piercing glare. Contrary to his expectations, Felicir couldn¡¯t see a hint of fear in the dragon¡¯s eyes ¨C even though she¡¯d recognized who he was. His malicious grin soon twisted into a distasteful scowl. ¡°You should¡¯ve remained holed up in your little valley, dragonlord. Look at you now, exposed and enslaved. The demonkin would laugh at how their mighty has fallen.¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes visibly twitched at the remark. ¡®¡­Enslaved, is it?¡¯ Serenis quietly noted the deity¡¯s words. Finally, she opened her mouth. ¡°Gio¡­the meteor¡­the deaths that reek of this city¡­was it all your doing?¡± ¡°¡­My doing? Please. None of that would¡¯ve ever happened if you hadn¡¯t crossed the boundary.¡± A mocking laughter slithered out of the Reaper¡¯s lips. ¡°Innocents only died because you were hiding in their midst. The reason they died is because you¡¯ve crossed your boundary, dragonlord. I merely took the liberty of handling the situation.¡± Even at this point, Felicir hadn¡¯t realized ¨C that he¡¯d never permitted Serenis to speak. That the dragonlord who should¡¯ve been under his absolute control was freely speaking her mind. That the gem hanging on her remaining arm was emitting a golden, brilliant glow. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Serenis merely returned an emotionless answer to the Reaper, accompanied by an equally emotionless gaze. And as soon as her answer was given, rows of prismatic chains burst forth from behind the winged figure, securing his legs and arms in place. Felicir¡¯s eyes jolted wide. Even without lowering his gaze, he could feel the magicked bindings taking hold of his body.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®What? How is she still using magic?¡¯ His internal question was soon answered as Felicir took note of the glowing bracelet on Serenis¡¯ remaining wrist. When he finally took the time to properly study the artifact, he could sense a distinct aura resonating from the gleaming gem. An aura that opposed him through mere existence: the opposition of death itself. The essence of life that protected its wearer from death¡¯s will. ¡®¡­Aldrid!¡¯ Felicir¡¯s thoughts were short-lived. When his attention returned to the dragonlord, a pair of glowing blue eyes were staring back at the Reaper. Even though Serenis was in her human form, Felicir¡¯s eyes felt as if he could see an illusory image looming behind the dragonlord¡¯s figure. A massive white dragon was towering over, staring down the Reaper with a horrifying glare. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve destroyed our legacy. You¡¯ve destroyed our home. Even the second lord gave his life to protect the kin from your malice.¡± Serenis¡¯ hand slowly reached towards death¡¯s throat. ¡®Our legacy died in your hands.¡¯ Just like it had a thousand years ago ¨C as if to say it wouldn¡¯t be any different this time. ¡®¡­And with your death, will begin anew.¡¯ The dragonlord¡¯s mana-infused grip slowly closed in on the Reaper¡¯s throat. Until she crushed all that remained between her fingers, she wouldn¡¯t let go. But she couldn¡¯t feel, nor hear, the expected crunching of bones and flesh. Instead, her outreaching hand was gripping at nothing ¨C beyond a small, black crack that had opened in the air between her and Felicir. ¡®¡­This is¡­¡¯ Another series of mocking laughter exploded forth from Felicir. Several similar cracks formed in between the links of Serenis¡¯ magicked chains, cutting them clean to release the captive Reaper. A loud sigh could be heard off to the side. ¡°You can never be too careful before a demon, my friend.¡± An unfamiliar voice. When Serenis turned her eyes, she could see an elven figure walking out of a gate of sorts ¨C a larger version of the tears that had surrounded Felciir moments ago. Once it closed back, the elf slowly approached their winged friend and the dragonlord before him. Serenis, too, began to realize how ignorant she¡¯d been. The two men were very much present before the dragonlord. She could see their figures, hear their voices. However¡­ ¡®¡­Those cracks.¡¯ To be precise, they weren¡¯t simple cracks; similar as they may be, they weren¡¯t even portals. No portal spell would sever a chain simply by forming between its links. Serenis knew exactly what they were. And because she did, she couldn¡¯t help but scowl at the second deity¡¯s appearance. Clyus briefly tipped his hat, giving a curt smile towards the dragon before him. ¡°Forgive me for the interruption. It¡¯s quite troublesome for us if he dies, you see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± During her previous life, Serenis had challenged the First with the rest of the demonkin. Even though she¡¯d been the latest to arrive, she¡¯d witnessed almost everything she could about the divinity¡¯s capabilities. Death had been the First¡¯s most capable, lethal weapon. And his most capable, protective shield, had been¡­ ¡°¡­Space.¡± Clyus visibly flinched at the dragonlord¡¯s phrase. He returned a questioning gaze, hoping he¡¯d misheard the dragon¡¯s voice just now. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry?¡± Serenis didn¡¯t bother to clarify. Instead, her mind busily scrambled for a solution in addressing her newest enemy. But unlike before, her brethren weren¡¯t here to help the dragonlord circumvent this divinity¡¯s protection. The Reaper watched the dragonlord¡¯s silent contemplation with an amused gaze. He then spared a brief glance towards his elven friend. Clyus, the Hermit. Unlike the other members of the Twelve who were given their titles by mankind, the elf¡¯s title had been given to him by the rest of the deities. The elf could never attain one from the people ¨C not when he would always flee the scene at even the slightest recognition. Admittedly, there were a number of other deities that weren¡¯t very well-known amongst the people; some were lost in history, some more unknown than others. But Clyus was the only one whose identity had remained so thoroughly unknown. In other words, hardly anyone knew what his domain was. Not even the Twelve fully knew the elf¡¯s domain except Felicir. But because he knew, the Reaper was all too certain of their safety. Even before a demonlord, their invulnerability should¡¯ve been a given. For, Clyus¡¯ domain was¡­ ¡®¡­Space.¡¯ To an extent, mages could mimic Clyus¡¯ travelling capabilities through their portals. However, what Clyus wielded wasn¡¯t a simple portal spell; he could, quite literally, manipulate spatial areas as he pleased. After all, no portal spell could sever a chain simply by forming over it. At Clyus¡¯ behest, the very fabric of their world could be cracked open. Spatial connections could be severed at a moment¡¯s notice, and distant areas could be connected just the same. When such spatial disturbances were thinly worn over their body, nothing could so much as even touch them ¨C much like how Serenis¡¯ grip had been unable to reach the Reaper¡¯s throat. A streak of lightning shot forth from Serenis¡¯ side towards Clyus. However, the spell harmlessly sunk into an orange crack over his shoulder, reappearing down the block to instead crash into a building. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter what sort of magic Serenis would attack them with. She might as well have been firing her spells at the moon. The dragonlord gritted her teeth. She slowly raised her remaining arm again, this time preparing hundreds of various spells to be fired in succession ¨C maybe one of them would find its mark. But before her spells were released, a blue portal appeared from behind her ¨C accompanied by a rather familiar, but unexpected voice. Truthfully, she¡¯d expected Iris to walk out of the portal. Instead, it was someone she¡¯d abandoned of her own accord. ¡°Review time.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I do hope you remember our unit on coordinates¡­¡¯Zion.¡¯¡± Karas casually stepped out of the portal, almost as if he were walking into his usual classrooms. His eyes briefly scanned the building Serenis¡¯ spell had crashed into, then towards Clyus¡¯ shoulder where the spell was supposed to land. He didn¡¯t need long. The professor reversed the calculation in a matter of seconds. ¡°Your coordinates are 5.66 at first arcana, 1.98 at second. Let¡¯s see if your aim¡¯s still as good as before.¡± Both Felicir and Clyus quizzically stared at the professor. This strange, feathered individual had seemingly waltzed in to start speaking gibberish to the dragonlord. But Serenis knew exactly what he was saying. She didn¡¯t bother questioning how or why Karas had suddenly appeared at her side. She instead focused her gaze over to the far right, aiming an orb of fire that launched itself towards a seemingly random lamppost off to her right. Clyus narrowed his eyes, watching the dragonlord¡¯s oddly aimed cast. He didn¡¯t understand what she was doing, but his intuition was telling him that something was going wrong ¨C extremely wrong. As if to prove the deity¡¯s thoughts correct, the flaming sphere blitzed across the air, only to vanish before ever reaching the lamppost. ¡­And reappeared right above Clyus¡¯ shoulder, exploding into a mass of flames upon contact. Serenis widened her eyes at the turnout. For the first time ever, she looked to her professor with an awe-inspired gaze. Karas returned a proud smile, tapping his head twice. ¡°Last time, I showed you how hunters engage in combat. This, is how mages engage in combat.¡± Ep 75. Who Are You? (5) Ep 75. Who Are You? (5) When the demonkin had challenged the First, he, too, had protected himself by covering his body with dysregulated tears in space. To the demons that challenged him, it¡¯d seemed like he was impervious to whatever they¡¯d do; their attacks would never reach him, instead falling on random, irrelevant locations. Sometimes, their own attacks would fall on their own kin. But even then, it still meant that somewhere within their world, the First¡¯s body was continuing to exist. Even if the First were to disfigure shards of their world in a chaotic manner, it still meant that some irrelevant location within their would still contained the First¡¯s body. It was a spatial disarray, not a cessation of existence. Then, all they had to do was find where the pattern in the disarray. ? ? ? ¡®This¡­can¡¯t be happening.¡¯ Clyus¡¯ body madly trembled in pain. His hand desperately clinging onto the massive burn wound on his shoulder. But his attacker had no intention of stopping with just that. ¡°There you are.¡± A dozen other spells materialized above Serenis¡¯ head. Once again, every single one of them were aimed at the same lamppost she¡¯d fired at previously. When the Reaper finally grasped at the situation, he screamed out to his friend in response. ¡°Clyus, undo the manipulation! Now!!¡± Serenis¡¯ spells sped across the air, and Clyus simultaneously swung his cane. Several explosions followed suit, ringing throughout the marketplace. When the sounds ceased, the lamppost had been reduced to dust. Clyus let out a relieved sigh when he noticed that his body had remained untouched this time. But still, it didn¡¯t change the fact that a deity¡¯s spatial manipulation had been read in a matter of seconds. Karas wore a faint smile. It was in stark contrast to the scowl Felicir wore. ¡®..Doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Felicir raised his hand, staring down at the professor with an ominous glare. Whoever they were, the Reaper could merely reduce them to his pawn ¨C as long as they were alive. But when the Reaper¡¯s black vapor washed over Karas¡¯ figure, the professor merely tilted his head, staring back at Felicir with an amused look. ¡°¡­You must be the Reaper. Not working as intended, is it?¡± Meanwhile, the deity of death was failing to process the situation at hand. Once again, the deity¡¯s divinity was failing to take hold of his enemy. And unlike Serenis¡¯ case, this professor wasn¡¯t even wearing an artifact that contained Aldrid¡¯s divinity. ¡®To hell with it all.¡¯The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The Reaper kicked his tongue. Despite the professor¡¯s appearance, it immediately became apparent that they weren¡¯t a living half, but a mere lookalike monster. He frantically turned his head towards the elf, hissing out his next few words. ¡°Clyus¡­we don¡¯t need the dragonlord. Just kill them.¡± Having a demonlord under their control would¡¯ve been a priceless, unimaginable asset. And it¡¯d seemed quite possible when Serenis was alone ¨C when she had no ways of touching them. But if she had an ally capable of reading Clyus¡¯ trickery, then the chance was much, much slimmer. Especially when said ally was also impervious to Felicir¡¯s divinity. Clyus painfully gripped his cane. ¡°Kh¡­hff¡­fine.¡± Even now, the elf wanted nothing more than to run away; he wasn¡¯t the type to stay and fight for glory and honor. But Clyus also knew that if he were to make even the slightest attempt at abandonment, then the very next life Felicir would claim would be his own. And so, he forced himself up. He forced his gaze to meet the dragonlord¡¯s, raising his cane to draw a line across her waist. One tear across the air, and it would cleanly sever her body in half; demonlord or not, his divinity couldn¡¯t be blocked by any means. Mere shields and barriers held nothing against a spatial tear. But unfortunately, the tearing itself could be stopped before ever taking effect. And, unbeknownst to the two opposing deities, Karas was already aware of this fact. The professor briefly glanced behind him ¨C towards the spell that was still in effect. ¡°The manipulation¡¯s undone. I believe you¡¯re better suited for this.¡± The portal he¡¯d walked out from STILL hadn¡¯t closed. And when the professor finished his sentence, a loud crunching noise came from within ¨C as if something heavy had kicked themselves against the ground. Karas beamed a bright grin, shaking his head at Serenis with a low chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t know how difficult it was to make her sit still.¡± ¡°¡­¡¯Sit still¡¯? You don¡¯t mean-¡° Serenis¡¯ thoughts were completed real-time. A metallic silhouette burst out from the portal with a crunching thud; massive momentum carried the figure forward, her right arm stretched outwards. It might as well have been instantaneous. Clyus couldn¡¯t so much as even perceive the dragon lunging at him ¨C until Raizel¡¯s hand buried itself right into Clyus¡¯ face with a painful crunching noise. The elf couldn¡¯t even muster a pained scream. The unforgiving grip over his head only tightened further, demolishing his face whole. Raizel let the momentum carry her forward a while longer. After coming to an abrupt stop with a loud stomp, the youngling swung her arm downwards, driving Clyus into the ground with a gigantic explosion of stone and dirt. When the dust would clear, Serenis could see the elf buried upside-down into the depths of a small crater. His legs were twitching, but he didn¡¯t seem capable of coming out anytime soon¡­or ever. But she couldn¡¯t celebrate. When she belatedly realized that Raizel shouldn¡¯t be here with them, Serenis immediately turned her gaze, fear rapidly welling up within her chest. Unlike Karas, Raizel wasn¡¯t immune to Felicir¡¯s divinity. But when Serenis had remembered this, it was far too late. Felicir¡¯s vapor was already upon the metal dragon, readying to swallow her figure whole. ¡°RAIZEL!¡± Once Felicir took hold over the youngling, she¡¯d be his to control. Felicir could kill her at a moment¡¯s notice; worse, he could make the steel dragon turn against Serenis herself. But even in the face of the Reaper¡¯s dreaded divinity, Raizel only let out a demeaning scoff. ¡°Make yourself useful.¡± Raizel immediately reached onto the back of her neck, plucking out a small ladybug that had been attached to her nape. She then held it between her fingers like some sort of charm before the oncoming vapor. A golden light consumed the insect, its silhouette rapidly growing into a humanoid shape. Soon after, the lights shattered apart to reveal Aldrid in its place ¨C with minimal dignity, being held by her collar like a some sort of shield and all. ¡­Which was, unfortunately(?), exactly what she was at this moment. The black vapor washed over the two figures, only to dissipate before the deity of life¡¯s essence surrounding them. Raizel let out another audible scoff, giving a mocking grin back towards the Reaper. ¡°Easy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis finally let go of her breath. She¡¯d been holding it without even realizing. The entire scene had lasted for a minute at best. And yet, it felt as if an eternity had passed in the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. Even though the danger had seemingly passed, her heart was thumping faster than ever before from fear of losing another kin. Karas beamed an apologetic smile towards Serenis. ¡°¡­You see, when Raizel found out where you¡¯d gone, she kept insisting that she¡¯d come with us. We tried to stop her at first, but then we realized that¡­there actually is a second ward she could use.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s not a ward, Karas. Not that it mattered. ¡°¡­Ha. Haha.¡± Serenis let out an involuntary laughter. Because Raizel wielding Aldrid as a shield was funny? Partially, but not quite. The dragonlord simply found it humorous. The realization that was dawning on her should¡¯ve occurred so long ago, and yet it never had ¨C until now. ¡®¡­I¡¯m not alone, am I?¡± Ep 76. Who Are You? (6) Ep 76. Who Are You? (6) The deities of space and death were, from their very beginning, untouchable. Clyus¡¯ divinity alone had rendered them invulnerable in almost any scenario; he could separate, isolate, and manipulate space at will. In the rare case that an individual could see through the elf¡¯s manipulation, Felicir was able to subdue their threats. The two deities¡¯ authority had remained unquestioned throughout time. But now, that history was announcing its end before their very eyes. Felicir awkwardly stood in place. His eyes emptily scanned the surrounding area, letting his thoughts process the situation at hand. The deity of life ¨C who should¡¯ve been nothing more than a faithful servant to him ¨C was suddenly standing in opposition to her owner. A lowly monster ¨C beings that were practically no different from beasts ¨C was reading a deity¡¯s spatial manipulation, and holding their ground against the Reaper himself. The dragonkin that he¡¯d allowed to last were now standing with their resurrected lord, hungry to kill the divinities that had claimed the world in their lord¡¯s absence. ¡®It seems like yesterday when I was standing on that side¡­¡¯ Serenis, Karas, and the Raizel-Aldrid pair were all impervious to the Reaper¡¯s divinity. In other words, to them, Felicir was no more than a mere human. In reflection, his current position wasn¡¯t all that different from the emperor he¡¯d first taken the divinity of death from ¨C especially with Clyus no longer able to provide him with any sort of protection or escape. Even though Felicir had never considered that aged imbecile of a ruler to be his equal, somehow he¡¯d still wound up in the same position. Serenis¡¯ calm voice struck at the Reaper¡¯s ears. ¡°Anything you wish to say?¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Not a hint of fear could be found in the dragonlord ¨C not her voice, nor her eyes. If anything, Felicir could hear a hint of relief from her words. ¡®How nostalgic.¡¯ After an exasperated sigh, the Reaper raised both his hands into the air in a surrendering gesture. ¡°I¡¯ll admit¡­I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be so well-prepared, dragonlord. A monster, a dragon¡­and you somehow even managed to bribe Aldrid.¡± The deity of life winced in silence at the Reaper¡¯s choice of words. On the other hand, Serenis merely raised her left hand to face its palm towards the Reaper, a glowing orb of starlight materializing before her. ¡°A poor choice for one¡¯s final words.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose only death awaits the defeated. But see, it¡¯d be quite the shame to die alone.¡± When Felicir tapped the ground with his foot, Gio¡¯s unconscious body began to twitch and jerk by Serenis¡¯ side. Following suit, bubbles began to foam over the headmaster¡¯s mouth with a pained groan. When others took note of the groaning archmage, the Reaper curved his lips in a thin smile. ¡°My divinity is practically limitless. You should know this already, dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­And your final act is to take another life with you?¡± ¡°Ha! No, that would be far too little. If I were to die, I¡¯d like the world I made to accompany me.¡± Serenis visibly flinched at the threat that was layered into the statement. ¡°¡­Rubbish. Even you couldn¡¯t kill the entire star in such a short time.¡± ¡°Would you care to find out? I¡¯ve done it once, I can do it again. I wouldn¡¯t even have to spare the dragonkin this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A deathly malice welled up in Serenis¡¯ eyes. However, as soon as she took note of the fear in Aldrid¡¯s expression, her heart began to sink. It wasn¡¯t a bluff. The fact that Aldrid was remaining silent with such a fearful look only meant that the Reaper was perfectly capable of his claims: the crazed deity before them really could eradicate all life on the star in a heartbeat. ¡®¡­Again.¡¯ Those that were under Aldrid¡¯s protection would be spared. Monsters like Karas, and non-living objects, would also be spared. But what about everyone else? Not a single exception would be made. Man or dragon, insect or plant ¨C nothing would be spared. The millennium-old genocide would plague the star once again, and the present world would vanish. Serenis¡¯ eyes shook under the weight of the ensuing silence. ¡®¡­¡¯Liberate the star¡¯?¡¯ Was that really the right decision to make? Duty? Liberation? Of course they were important. But sacrificing the present to fulfill them was a decision only a madman would make. If none were to survive the present, then the future that followed carried no meaning. ¡°¡­¡± Felicir could see the dragonlord¡¯s hand trembling in predicament. Her spelled orb was beginning to tear apart. An eerie grin of satisfaction formed over the Reaper¡¯s expression. It was a hollow victory, but in the end, he¡¯d survive. And as long as he survived, there¡¯d be another chance to deal with the looming threat before him. ¡°Give up, dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I swear I won¡¯t lay a finger on your kin. I do honor my promises ¨C as I have to your son.¡± Despite the evident reluctance in her eyes, Serenis slowly began to lower her trembling hand. The spell she¡¯d formed began to die away without ever firing at its target. ¡®¡­I win.¡¯ As long as he lived, Felicir could devise a new way to eliminate their target. Now that he knew exactly what they were dealing with, he even had an excuse to enlist every other deity in killing the dragonlord. There were at least dozens of ways to render Aldrid¡¯s protection ineffective, and a million more to kill the demonlord before him. Or perhaps he could simply threaten her to suicide by taking her kin hostage ¨C just like he had with Vulka. Felicir clasped his own mouth. He couldn¡¯t hide the triumphant joy on his face otherwise. But just when the Reaper was about to relish in his small victory, a meek voice came from within the portal that was still glowing behind them. ¡°¡­He¡¯s bluffing. He wouldn¡¯t.¡± Felicir widened his eyes at the familiar voice. It was a voice that he shouldn¡¯t have been hearing in that moment. ¡°¡­Felicis?¡± There was no mistaking it; it was the deity of mana¡¯s voice. If anyone would recognize it, Felicir would. It was his dear sister¡¯s voice. And from the other side of the portal, the deity of mana was biting her lips. She had to internally scream at herself over and over just to move her lips. ¡®I can¡¯t run away forever.¡¯ Felicir¡¯s divinity had no limit on the number of lives it could take; one flick of his wrist, and killing the city would¡¯ve been a trivial matter for him. But despite this, he¡¯d went through the trouble of going to the institute to manually facilitate a massacre. He¡¯d went through the trouble of employing humans to slowly do the work he could¡¯ve done in a split second. And the deity of mana finally spoke the reason out loud. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t kill the star. Not when he doesn¡¯t know where I am.¡± ¡°What? Felicis, why would you-¡± When his sister finished her sentence, the triumphant grin on the Reaper¡¯s lips immediately disappeared. A new realization slowly dawned on him. ¡®She¡¯s not talking to me to begin with. She¡¯s talking to¡­¡¯ But Felicir¡¯s realization was far, far too late. Before he could even finish his thoughts, a piercing light burst forth from Serenis¡¯ orb, punching straight through the Reaper¡¯s heart. Heaps of blood spewed out from his chest. Dissolved in the crimson liquid were the black fragments that he¡¯d so preciously kept throughout the last millennium. Blood trickled down from Felicir¡¯s lips. He staggered back a few steps, spilling streaks of blood from his chest. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Even now, the Reaper could make his words come true. Before the divinity from his broken shard would fully leave his body, he could still make one last act. One small gesture, and the world itself would accompany the Reaper to hell. But the thought hadn¡¯t even struck his fading consciousness. His sister was right; Felicir still didn¡¯t know where Felicis was. And if he indiscriminately killed every life on the star, he¡¯d be killing his own sister. He¡¯d long become a deity, and yet, the last bit of humanity left within was preventing him from crossing that trivial boundary. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­Haven¡¯t I always known¡­¡¯ In this entire world, there was only one person that death could never kill. And on this star, there was only one person that could truly kill death. ¡®¡­That it would end like this?¡¯ ? ? ? Aymeia slowly opened her eyes. Once again, a strange sensation was tugging at her entire body. ¡®This again.¡¯ Something didn¡¯t feel right. As a deity that governed over celestial bodies, Aymeia could create and manipulate celestial bodies at will. For a thousand years, she¡¯d thought that was all there was to her divinity ¨C just like the other members of the Twelve. But recently, the very star she stood on seemed to grow further and further distant; alien, even. It was almost as if a higher entity was slowly robbing her of her domain. Before, whenever she touched into the star¡¯s depths, she¡¯d felt nothing but hollow serenity; after all, the star they occupied was an object, not a living creature. But strangely enough, she could now feel a churning will resonating from within, almost as if it were alive. Grief. Regret. Overwhelming desires that were being held back by a conscious will. And right now, that will was slowly transforming the world they stood on. For the very first time, the star itself seemed to be screaming back at its oppressors to cease their toying. A quiet whisper came forth from the deity. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± No answer came back. Her small voice faded out into the cavern¡¯s depth. But surely, they heard her question. And surely, they¡¯d know the answer. Ep 77. Confessions of the Historian: Answer in Death Ep 77. Confessions of the Historian: Answer in Death If there was a God, a true divinity possessing of omnipotence¡­ Then such a being would, undoubtedly, wish to wash their world of us. Mankind is condemned to a life of suffering and hatred. Such is our punishment for the maddening world we have created together. Then, the only key to redemption, is truly a simplistic one: to not be punished, one must simply become the punisher. One must become the God that washes away all our sins. ¡­Is that not the conclusion you reached, one thousand years ago? ? ? ? How many people were there that day? Were they dressed proper? Were they rich or poor? Kind or selfish? The adults could answer these questions. Their father could easily answer these questions. But the little girl merely hung to the stone tablet. On that day, she hadn¡¯t the mind to care about petty details like that. She¡¯d embraced the stone, her agonized cries drowning out the world around them. Of course, no one else was crying. Even in a strange ritual like this, their status disallowed them from grieving in plain sight. That, or¡­no one was grieving to begin with. ¡°Felicis.¡± Even when an elderly voice would call the little girl¡¯s name, she wouldn¡¯t even so much as look towards her father. Instead, everyone else at the ritual would mockingly look at the ignored noble. They¡¯d all voice the same opinion in unison in their demeaning voices. ¡°Perhaps she didn¡¯t hear you through all her bawling.¡± ¡°True discipline only shows in turbulent times like these.¡± ¡°She is a little young to know proper manners.¡± ¡­Manners? Was that really what¡¯s keeping all of them from mourning before someone¡¯s grave? Sadly, it didn¡¯t matter to the noble. He merely returned a faked, apologetic smile to his colleagues, and would call his daughter¡¯s name again. ¡°Felicis! Cease your crying. Remember your place.¡± Only then did she look at the man behind her. ¡°What place?¡± Her question wasn¡¯t out of curiosity or confusion. Instead, layers of deep-seated hatred were forming her speech as she talked back to her father. ¡°You killed her. I¡¯m a murderer¡¯s daughter.¡± A few of the adults audibly laughed at the little girl¡¯s hateful remark. They quickly ceased their sounds out of politeness, but to them, Felicis¡¯ words were merely hilarious. They could laugh over this. Unlike their father. Felicir remained silent. But when he glanced to the side, he could see their father¡¯s unmoving eyes, slowly thinning out to hold back an angered outburst. ? ? ? The little girl¡¯s screaming filled the mansion for quite some time. Every time the cane was swung unto Felicis, their father demanded silence each time ¨C and yet, she¡¯d always scream something back. She¡¯d call him a murderer and hypocrite. ¡®Why¡¯s she doing that?¡¯ In Felicir¡¯s eyes, it almost seemed as if his little sister was inviting their father to wield further violence. If she¡¯d complied obediently, then the beating might¡¯ve ended by now. Instead, even when Felicis could barely open her bleeding eye, the other still retained its hateful glare. The countless bruises and bleeding wounds did little to kill the little girl¡¯s spirit. She¡¯d bitterly curse at being born into this wretched nobility, under the murderer that claimed to be her father. And it would continue on for hours on end. Felicir stayed silent all the while, watching it unfold as told. And when his sister¡¯s screaming finally fell silent, their father would grab the girl by her collar, tossing her like one would a dead animal. She¡¯d collapse in front of her brother, motionless in her thinned breathing. ¡°Do not let your unruly sister influence you, Felicir.¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± ¡°Take her away. And do not serve any food to her this week.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She was barely 10. It was too early to act an adult. ? ? ? The first thing Felicis saw when she came to was a worried servant, caring after the little girl as gently as possible from the bedside. Although her body still screamed in pain, it was still far less compared to what it had been when she was awake. But even that gentle care felt repulsive to Felicis. ¡°¡­Go away!!¡± She swung her bruised arm sideways, knocking off the medicine that was held in the servant¡¯s hand. The woman momentarily flinched, but soon quickly retrieved the medicine that had fallen unto the floor. Felicis began to well up in tears. Not long ago, it would¡¯ve been her own mother at the bedside. She¡¯d never see that sight again. Ever. ¡°Who do you think you are?! You¡¯re not mother, Aldrid. You¡¯re a nobody!¡± After picking up the medicine once more, the servant apologetically returned to the little girl¡¯s side. She was lowering her posture to meet Felicis¡¯ hateful glare, returning a saddened smile at the angered outburst. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Felicis¡­but you still have to treat your wounds. Otherwise, you¡¯ll scar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her mother had always told her to be careful not to trip on her dress. She¡¯d hold the little girl¡¯s hand, pulling her up whenever it seemed like she¡¯d fall. - ¡®Be careful, Felicis! Can¡¯t have our little princess getting hurt now.¡¯ - ¡®But even if I get hurt, you¡¯ll make it better! Right, mother?¡¯ - ¡®Haha¡­of course. Always.¡¯ She¡¯d never hold that hand again.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She¡¯d never see that smile, or hear those words again. ¡®¡­You lied to me.¡¯ It¡¯d been a lie all along; Felicis just hadn¡¯t realized it until now. Her mother had been lying to her all life. She wouldn¡¯t always be here to make things better. She¡¯d leave forever without even saying goodbye to her children. And to some, that sudden reality was too much to bear. ¡°¡­Why did you die, mother¡­¡± Felicis hugged her knees, quietly returning to her sobbing. Aldrid gently held the little girl in her arms, providing what little comfort she could. And meanwhile, Felicir remained outside his sister¡¯s room, leaning his back against the door. The boy¡¯s eyes emptily stared upwards into the ceiling. His mind lingering on the question he¡¯d just overheard. Why did she die? ¡®Because she was weak.¡¯ Their mother had died because she was weak. Felicis was beaten because she was weak. Aldrid couldn¡¯t do much because she was weak. Felicir couldn¡¯t even protect his sister ¨C because he was weak. The weak were destined to live this way. They¡¯d live as those in power pleased for what little kindness they could dig out of them. And because the world was this way, everyone hurt and stole from one another. They scrambled for what little they could salvage to rise to power themselves ¨C for once they did, they would finally attain the right to live as they pleased. Their mother had wished that her children wouldn¡¯t live in such a world. ¡®But if you wanted that wish to come true¡­then you shouldn¡¯t have died like this, mother.¡¯ The weak¡¯s lives were decided by their superiors. And quite often, their deaths were also decided by their superiors. ? ? ? Aldrid once again opened the door. She carried a tray of food in her arm, which was placed down beside Felicis¡¯ bedside. ¡°Lady Felicis. It¡¯s not much, but¡­¡± The little girl¡¯s empty gaze fell on the food for a moment. But she soon turned away, shaking her head. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not eating.¡± ¡°Huh?...Is it because of your father? Don¡¯t worry, this is my own food. He won¡¯t-¡° ¡°I¡¯m not eating!!¡± Felicis¡¯ gaze fell to the blankets beneath her eyes. Drops of tears began to soak into the fabric. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to die anyways.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not true. Why would you die?¡± ¡°Probably beaten to death. By that crazy murderer.¡± ¡°Lady Felicis! That¡¯s-¡° Before Aldrid could finish her sentence, the door swung open without warning to reveal two figures. Felicir was standing outside the room, and at his side was their father, glaring at his daughter with a murderous gaze. ¡°Felicis.¡± Felicis winced at her father¡¯s oppressive calling. Her little body began to tremble, but the noble nonchalantly began walking towards the bed, hand raised high into the air. Both Aldrid and Felicis clenched their eyes. They didn¡¯t need to be told what was coming ¨C and soon, a loud crunching noise filled the room. But contrary to their expectations, the little girl couldn¡¯t feel anything hitting her head. When she slowly opened her eyes, Felicis saw her elder brother, standing in between her towering father and herself. The man¡¯s angered gaze was falling short of his daughter, instead falling down on his son, bleeding on the head from the hit he¡¯d taken in his sister¡¯s place. ¡°What is it, Felicir?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be quite remiss of you to continue, father. She¡¯ll really die if you go any further today.¡± ¡°Hah. Remiss? Are you threatening your own father?¡± ¡°Not at all. I-¡° The boy¡¯s words were interrupted by another thick smashing sound on his temple. He fell sideways on the floor from the sudden impact, feeling a streak of blood crawling down his face. Though, his father cared little for it. ¡°You¡¯ll take it in her stead then.¡± The boy didn¡¯t even return an answer. He instead rose to his feet, standing still for his father to once again knock him down. He took the beating in absolute silence; not even a single groan escaped the boy¡¯s lips. But eventually, even Felicir couldn¡¯t bring himself to rise. After an hour of repeatedly being knocked down and rising back, the boy¡¯s shaking legs were refusing to support his body any longer. And when the boy couldn¡¯t get up, their father would once again turn his eyes towards the shuddering girl on the bed. He took a step forward, bloodied hands reaching towards his next victim. But immediately after, the noble felt a small tug on his ankle. When the man lowered his gaze, he could see Felicir wrapping his trembling arm around his leg, preventing him from approaching his daughter. The noble scowled at his son; it was a trivial hold. He turned to kick his son away. That is, until he saw the pair of eerie blue eyes. In the midst of blood and hair shading over them, a deathly gaze was glaring back at him. ¡°¡­I can continue.¡± Those were the first words the boy had spoken since his beating began. When Felicir crawled back to his feet, the noble had to consciously gulp down in inexplicable fear. The boy shouldn¡¯t have been able to get up ¨C he had no reason to. He shouldn¡¯t have had a reason to. A momentary silence ensued. The noble turned away from both his children, scowling at the blood that had splattered onto his own clothes. ¡°Well, perhaps that¡¯s enough for today.¡± Felicir remained rigidly standing. He waited in place for his father to leave the chamber, and his footsteps to grow distant. Only then did the boy let out a small, relieved sigh. His legs gave away once more, making him slouch back down against the wall. Felicis leapt out of her bed. She hurriedly carried her limping body over to her brother, kneeling at his side with a teary expression. In his ringing ears, Felicir could vaguely hear his sister¡¯s crying. She seemed to be apologizing to him for some reason, but he couldn¡¯t make out exactly what it was for. Instead, he merely lifted his hand to caress his sister on her head. It probably wasn¡¯t even remotely close to what their mother had done for her daughter. But this was all he knew. If there¡¯s one thing his mother had taught him, it was that success and prestige weren¡¯t the only values in this world ¨C that sometimes, simple acts and intangible ideals could carry just as much meaning. Their mother had possessed something far more valuable through her children. What it exactly was, he couldn¡¯t tell ¨C but she did teach him how to keep it, and cherish it. ¡®What did she used to say? She said¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­Don¡¯t get hurt, Felicis.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get sick.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. I won¡¯t¡­¡± The little boy beamed a soft grin through his bleeding lips. As Aldrid busily began tending to his wounds, Felicir¡¯s mind faintly began to grasp at what their mother might¡¯ve wished for in her children. And, inevitably, his next question began to linger in his mind. ¡®¡­What would that take?¡¯ ? ? ? After whole years, Felicir still found himself still pondering over the exact same things he¡¯d pondered over as a child. At first, it was simply because he was told to. He feigned kindness. Acted loyalty. To behave as taught wasn¡¯t any more difficult than learning how to read and write. - ¡®Felicir. When our crusade ends, this entire city will belong to our family.¡¯ That¡¯s what his father would tell him. Even though the man had never taken part in this so-called ¡®crusade¡¯ that had spanned throughout the last few years, he¡¯d boast humanity¡¯s work as his own. Demonkind¡¯s fall was, in his words, a work of his people ¨C and therefore, his own. Was it rubbish? Probably. But Felicir didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d grin and nod, just as he was taught. And then, his father would always say¡­ - ¡®Excel. Become a man deserving of my city, Felicir.¡¯ Again, he¡¯d grin and nod. Excelling wasn¡¯t difficult. Compared to the small effort it took to fulfill his father¡¯s expectations, the prize he¡¯d one day inherit was far more valuable. He was taught to chase success. Just like his father, Felicir knew painfully well the value of prestige and power ¨C that they were valuable assets, far outweighing the lives of commoners. However, the boy also knew the value of what others couldn¡¯t see ¨C just like his mother had. Unlike his father, she wouldn¡¯t have traded the world for her children. His mother had possessed something intangible through him and Felicis ¨C something that was of priceless value, and yet remained outside of even their father¡¯s grasp. Then, who was right in the end? Which parent was he supposed to truly take after? ¡®¡­Hm.¡¯ Felicir mused at the thought. Everything that belonged to his father would one day become his. As the only heir, that was just a plain truth. But that wasn¡¯t even remotely close to the future his mother had wished in her children. Of that, he was certain of. She wouldn¡¯t have wanted them to live the exact same lives as their parents had. She wouldn¡¯t have wanted them to live in this cursed world, among the cursed people that inhabited it. If she could, she would¡¯ve rebuilt the world for her two children. ¡®Isn¡¯t that right, mother?¡¯ ¡°¡­One day, it¡¯ll come true.¡± Quiet words escaped Felicir¡¯s lips as he stood before his father in the noble¡¯s office. A silver gleam shone out of his wrist, revealing a sharpened dagger that was then suddenly driven into the noble¡¯s chest. Fresh blood pooled out of his father¡¯s newest wound. The man widened his eyes in surprise, but all he could see was an unnerving grin on his son¡¯s face. ¡°Felicir, you¡­? Why¡­?¡± They were poor choices for a noble¡¯s final words. But being his father¡¯s last question to ever be asked, Felicir felt the need to answer. Why? Was it to steal his father¡¯s power and prestige? Not really. Was it vengeance? Not really that, either. To achieve justice? As if. It was just the most efficient way forward; that¡¯s all there was to it. His father was an obstacle in the path he¡¯d chosen, and so, the noble had to be removed. They were wasting precious time and resource, after all. The sooner they were gone, the better. But unfortunately, this coward of a noble wouldn¡¯t understand that. So instead, Felicir returned an answer that his father would understand. Even if it was a ridiculous one. ¡°Ah, apologies. I slipped my hand.¡± Felicir then ¡®slipped¡¯ his hand once more, slashing the blade sideways. The victim¡¯s exposed heart pumped out streaks of blood onto his chair and floor, its beating diminishing further and further. Once the noble¡¯s breathing completely ceased, Felicir casually slipped his bloodied hand into the inner pockets of his father¡¯s overcoat. He plucked out an antique iron key, which he then used to open the lowest drawer of his father¡¯s office desk. A jagged stone was emitting a brilliant blue gleam from within. Felicir took it into his hand with a devilish smile on his face, letting the fragment sink into his body without resistance. ¡°There we go.¡± Unlike his father, he wouldn¡¯t chase after what others had told him to chase. And unlike his mother, he wouldn¡¯t settle for what he already did have. Not until the very world would rest on his palm. Only then could he break them free from this cursed place ¨C from all the cursed things that surrounded him and his family. For that ideal, nothing was too much. The ends would justify the means. ¡®Isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ If it weren¡¯t, then surely someone would¡¯ve told him so. ? ? ? To remake one¡¯s world. To raise one¡¯s family to levels of divinity. And to continue that world by eliminating everything that threatens it. Perhaps it was only natural that you would come up with such a solution. It¡¯s a simple, efficient answer. Considering your efforts, one could even call it selfless. But, I wonder¡­how did you reflect in your sister¡¯s eyes? How would you have reflected in your mother¡¯s eyes? If either had told you that your methods weren¡¯t right ¨C and showed you another way forward ¨C would things have changed? ¡­ Your tale ends with this page, Reaper. But even in your long journey, I could not find an answer to your question, and thus I must leave it empty. Your claimed that your ideals were not your own. But your ideals were not your sister¡¯s. And your ideals were, unfortunately, not your mother¡¯s. ¡­I do not know whose ideals you were chasing. I¡¯m afraid no one will. The Dreaded Hiatus Announcement The Dreaded Hiatus Announcement (Yes, that''s the title I''m going with) Brain Cell 1: Yay, part 1¡¯s Over! Brain Cell 2: Ooh, really? Out of how many? Brain Cell 1: I dunno, 26? Brain Cell 2: You [Redacted] piece of [Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted] I¡¯ll [Redacted] [Redacted] your [Redacted] and [Redacted] [Redacted] your [Redacted] ¡­ I¡¯m joking. ? ? ? Hello, this is Pb! No, not Lead (Pb), Praybird (Pb). I¡¯m just too lazy to type my username. C¡¯mon, I wrote like 100,000 words here, lemme shorten things. Anyways, look at that, part 1¡¯s over! I heard lots of horror stories about first-time writer fails, thought I¡¯d be joining that bandwagon in the first week or two¡­glad I made it this far, at least. But the reason I¡¯m writing yet another first-person letter to you all is because¡­ ***Hiatus.***The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Uh huh, that¡¯s right. To be honest, I need to confess something here. I¡¯m all out of backlog. And maybe my HP bar too. Wait wait wait, hear me out. I had backlog, I swear! I wasn¡¯t even planning to take a break between part 1 and part 2. The reason why I ran out of them is¡­I, uh¡­I kinda scrapped them all. You see, I was lying down on my bed to sleep. But then a braincell started yapping about the backlog story. It kept yapping so I got up, read the backlog, and thought: ¡®Wow! This makes no sense!¡¯ ¡­So I threw them out. A few medical issues have been nagging at my tail too, and¡­I haven''t been able to write as fast as I''d like to. With all that said, I thought a hiatus is necessary to slack off rebuild some backlog and recharge. But knowing myself, if I don¡¯t give it a date I¡¯ll probably wind up procrastinating forever, so¡­here¡¯s the return date to pressure myself into being a functioning person: Dragonlord¡¯s next entry will come around on Monday, May 13th! Hopefully there won¡¯t be any further issues and things will proceed as usual thereafter. If I suffer a heart attack in the meantime, I¡¯ll let you know. What¡¯s that? How am I going to let you know if I have a heart attack?...I¡¯ll go find a new one or something, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll still be around in the meantime. If you¡¯ve any questions or extra things you¡¯d like to see, feel free to let me know! Otherwise, I¡¯ll see you all in¡­idk, the next hiatus, I guess? -Pb And since I don''t want to end on a boring note, he''s a small part 2 spoiler written off the top of my head: "What is it that you truly desire, dragonlord?" "...I..." Serenis clawed at her crying eyes. The guilt that had bound her for so long seemed to melt away at the boy''s benign words. When the dragonlord rose back to her feet, a light smile was curving her lips. She creaked her head back, eyes gleaming in an eerie green light. "...I wish this world would cease to exist." Ep 78. Live. (1) Ep 78. Live. (1) It was a strange occurrence: a millennium-old reign had come to an end over the course of a single day. Because it was an easy feat? Couldn¡¯t be. He was death, the Reaper, and a practical king among the twelve divinities. Even among the other deities, Felicir¡¯s fall had seemed like an impossible dream. The means to kill the Reaper were few and far between. The means to stop him were even less. Considering the intervention of other deities, standing against Felicir was equivalent to suicide. ¡®¡­And yet it happened¡­somehow.¡¯ Iris¡¯ eyes scanned over her surroundings. The afternoon sun was brilliantly shining down upon Partivine¡¯s busy streets ¨C though, they weren¡¯t exactly busy in a typical way. The enforcer let out a small sigh, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Things were finally beginning to clear up. Nearly half of Partivine had been destroyed by numerous mages under Felicir¡¯s influence. A week prior, these streets had been filled with death and ruin; in the days that followed, wails of grief and loss had filled them. Now, even those were all but gone. The sunlit streets were instead replaced with sounds of clanging hammers and grunts of construction workers. One of the said workers then made their way over to the red-haired enforcer, pointing at a pile of wooden beams behind him. ¡°Enforcer Alpid? We¡¯ll need to move the remaining materials to the next district¡­¡± ¡°Of course. Here.¡± With a wave of her hand, a glowing blue portal shimmered into being beside them. As if on cue, several workers gathered around the pile in pairs, lifting the beams to bring them over to their next workplace through Iris¡¯ portal. Soon, the streets were emptied of its workers. Where they¡¯d left, Iris could see rows of simplistic wooden buildings now replacing the street¡¯s ruins. ¡°It¡¯s only a temporary fix, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too bad, is it?¡± When Iris turned around towards the sudden voice, Patrick was curtly waving his hand, approaching his coworker from behind. ¡°Did you get some sleep last night? Iris?¡± Iris furrowed her brows at her friend¡¯s overemphasis on her name. And it worsened when she realized just how silly of an expression Patrick was making as he said it. ¡°¡­No, but I¡¯m fine. Also, are you doing that on purpose?¡± ¡°You bet I am.¡± The red-haired enforcer clasped her aching forehead, followed by a regretful sigh. The reason behind her friend¡¯s teasing behavior was quite simple. Now, even Patrick knew who Iris really was. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that our esteemed coworker was a literal god? I¡¯ve been wondering how you knew where to find the deity of life, but that all makes sense now.¡± ¡°Please shut up. I swear someone¡¯s going to hear us.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that? This entire city worships you.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t deserve it.¡± On that day, all Iris had done was open the way for others. The moment she knew of Serenis¡¯ presence in the city, Iris had hurried to make her way to the dragonlord¡¯s side ¨C but despite her haste, she could never actually bring herself to join the fray. To be precise, even though she¡¯d reached the vicinity, the enforcer couldn¡¯t bring herself to intervene. She knew that her presence would be nothing but a burden to the dragonlord. The Reaper could suppress her in an instant. It would¡¯ve been a trivial task for him to then turn his sister against Serenis. Iris¡¯ divinity offered no protection from the Reaper¡¯s control.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Because of this, the enforcer¡¯s decision had been to instead seek out those that could help: namely, Aldrid. At the very least, the deity of life wasn¡¯t vulnerable to Felicir¡¯s influence. And truth be told, this decision had been on point. When Iris reached the deity¡¯s cabin to explain the situation at Partivine, she¡¯d not only found Aldrid herself, but several others that were willing to help the dragonlord; in the end, the decision to seek out the deity of life had resulted in an ideal outcome. Unfortunately, travelling across the entire continent with a single portal spell also came at a cost: it warranted an explanation as to how she was doing it, because no living mage should¡¯ve been able to do anything of the sort. The enforcer had to explain her actual identity to those that were present ¨C including Patrick, who was so casually shrugging back at her this very moment. ¡°And why don¡¯t you deserve it? Aren¡¯t you used to people thanking you for everything? Now that I think about it, our workplace pretty much has thank-you letters to you all over the wall.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Haste makes one careless, and carelessness can lead to disastrous consequences. Like right now. Then again, perhaps it was only natural to tease a friend who turned out to have been a superstar all along. ¡°¡­I should¡¯ve knocked you out again before I said anything.¡± Patrick laughed off the comment, waving his hands defensively. Iris had already knocked him out once before, and he sure didn¡¯t need a second helping. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop. Anyways, go get some rest ¨C that¡¯s what I actually came to say. We¡¯re almost done with the basic setups anyways. I can cover.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go see if the chief needs any-¡° ¡°Woah woah woah, give yourself a break, seriously. I know you barely even slept the last few days. A person needs to rest if they wanna function, you know?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­not exactly a ¡®person¡¯ in the conventional sense¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When an awkward silence settled in between the enforcers, Iris briefly cleared her throat to continue the conversation. ¡°Ahem¡­that being said, I could say the same to you, Patrick. You¡¯ve been doing enforcement work alongside relief work and construction, haven¡¯t you? I hardly saw you taking a break.¡± ¡°Eh, I got some shut-eye at one of the refugee tents earlier. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°At a tent? What about your house?¡± ¡°Gone. Blew up. Being rebuilt.¡± ¡°¡­You could¡¯ve at least used the association chambers. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d let an enforcer use one.¡± ¡°Nah¡­I¡¯d rather not.¡± When Patrick¡¯s expression grew grim, Iris belatedly realized that she¡¯d misspoken. Being located near the centre of Partivine, the Mage Association had remained relatively intact through the Reaper¡¯s onslaught. The remaining personnel had busily went about setting up temporary camps for those who¡¯d lost their homes, but a select few were given permission to use the empty chambers within the association building itself. The enforcers that worked for the association were included, but¡­ Right now, Serenis was there. One week had passed since Felicir¡¯s passing; and throughout that week, Patrick had avoided speaking a single word with his sibling. He went out of his way keep himself busy with the city¡¯s repair work. Of course, Patrick wasn¡¯t the only one who was making an effort to contribute to the city¡¯s recovery. Karas was burdened with addressing the fallen Magic Institute; Raizel was (at Serenis¡¯ fervent request) working to clear up the ruins and rubbles, Otoka was helping with various reconstruction processes, and even Aldrid had gone out of her way to treat those who had been in critical conditions. Iris had returned to administrating the enforcement sector in its entirety while also overseeing the city¡¯s repair progress. But unlike the others, Patrick¡¯s motives weren¡¯t purely a devotion to his job. Instead, what motivated him right was escaping the situation that loomed behind him. ¡®¡­As if I could see her right now.¡¯ Even Patrick had come to realize how little Serenis seemed to care about her own well-being. Under normal circumstances, it might¡¯ve been something to scold one¡¯s little sibling for: to be more careful, to never do something so reckless as challenging a deity alone. But ironically, that recklessness had prevented their city¡¯s demise. That recklessness had saved countless lives. Deities of life and mana had supported Serenis¡¯ decision, providing what aid they could in her endeavors. They¡¯d protected his little sibling from the Reaper¡¯s grasp. ¡°¡­¡± Patrick¡¯s little sibling was human, and yet, a dragon; family, and yet, a demonlord. And while said sibling was out protecting their city¡­ ¡®¡­I did jack shit.¡¯ Whatever happens, Serenis was his little sibling; whatever happens, Serenis was family to him. But such thoughts only watered Patrick¡¯s worries. Did a person like him have the right to reprimand his little sibling? Was it truly right to tell a person ¨C who¡¯d risked their life and sacrificed their arm to save countless others ¨C that they shouldn¡¯t have done so? ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Patrick sinking deeper into contemplation, Iris guiltily looked away. She felt that she should¡¯ve known better ¨C especially as someone who knew exactly what it was like to have clashing morals prevent one from speaking to their sibling. ¡°Um, sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up.¡± ¡°Haha, what¡¯re you apologizing for? I just need to think on things a bit more. Go get some rest, Iris. You¡¯ll need it later.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Even as Iris opened up a new portal to leave the area, Patrick¡¯s gaze remained fixed towards somewhere else ¨C towards the empty streets where his house had once been. Perhaps, just like his house, his past life had crumbled without him ever realizing it before. Only now was it beginning to dawn on him. And just like the house that would be built anew, his life may also need a complete overhaul. Serenis had made it quite clear that she couldn¡¯t simply live as his little sibling Zion; if anything, she was much closer to her identity as a dragonlord. That much was painfully clear. Before, Patrick had thought that everything would be alright as long as he continued to treat Serenis as family. He hadn¡¯t been able to see the significance of the matter until now. ¡®¡­Things can¡¯t stay the same, can they?¡¯ His little sibling had drastically changed. He, too, had to change in accordance. Living as a dragonlord¡¯s brother would be quite different from the life he¡¯d led up to this point. Ep 79. Live. (2) Ep 79. Live. (2) Karas spared an apologetic glance towards the elderly archmage. Otoka was busily waving about his wooden staff, summoning heaps of wood and stone that seemed to carve and polish themselves before melding into the broken walls and floors. The elder audibly groaned every once a while and tapped his back, though whether that was from genuine pain or pure habit remained a mystery. ¡°¡­I apologize for the trouble, Mr. Lairaff.¡± ¡°No work will get itself done.¡± Ever since the Reaper incident, the Magic Institute had been nothing short of haunted; while a number of agents from the enforcement sector came to collect the numerous bodies that were littered in its grounds, nobody dared to approach the school thereafter. Resultantly, the buildings had been left abandoned in their broken, bloody mess. Of course, once the rest of the city¡¯s repairs were finished, there would eventually come a time when personnel would reluctantly be tasked with clearing the building ¨C but that would at least take weeks, if not months. And it hadn¡¯t sat right for Karas to leave the building in such a state for so long. At first, the professor had taken it upon himself to at least clean the institute¡¯s interiors of blood and rubbles; it wasn¡¯t like he had any skills in construction. But when Aldrid tasked Otoka to help him out in the endeavor, it soon became apparent that the archmage¡¯s mastery in magic rivalled the efficiency of having dozens of workers working simultaneously. With Karas to inform the archmage of the institute¡¯s proper design, the building had begun to rapidly regain its former appearance. Now at the morning of their one-week mark, the two were almost finished with restoring entire facility. With a tap of his wooden staff on the ground, Otoka summoned a handful of sand that began to crystallize into a glass window. The archmage spoke while his spell began to take form. ¡°¡­Karas.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Professor Karas¡­haha. Indeed, it has a nice ring to it.¡± Karas quizzically tilted his head. He soon realized that the archmage wasn¡¯t speaking to him, but instead muttering to themselves. ¡°¡­Mr. Lairaff?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much better than your previous name.¡± When the glass window finally finished its formation, the elderly mage turned to face the professor¡¯s curious gaze. He carefully rubbed his beard, nodding his head in quiet reminiscence. ¡°Yes, yes¡­I remember now. Forgive me, my memory has been growing worse by day. It takes a while to remember such old memories. Had I recognized you sooner, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to ask petty chores.¡± Karas mused at the archmage¡¯s sudden recognition. With literal dragons and deities previously occupying his attention, it was understandable that the archmage had glanced over a mere institute professor. However, that unfortunately no longer seemed to be the case. Though scattered and haphazard, Otoka¡¯s muttering did make sense when pieced together ¨C which wasn¡¯t a good sign. But Karas remained expressionless, faking a tone of indifference in his answer. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not sure what you mean by such. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met before.¡± ¡°That we haven¡¯t. But how could I not know? Your name once echoed throughout the continent.¡± ¡°¡­My name is Karas.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°It is. But was it always?¡± ¡°¡­¡± An uncomfortable silence ensued. The archmage only grinned back, letting out a soft chuckle. ¡°Times have truly changed, haven¡¯t they? How did you come to be a professor in a human city, I wonder? How did the infamous dominator come to be a dragonkin¡¯s aid?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid there isn¡¯t much to tell.¡± ¡°Har har¡­I suppose I am in no position to question. I only hope that you¡¯ve found your salvation.¡± After another series of chuckles, the archmage quietly moved his steps down the hallway. ¡°Feel free to take your leave. This old mage can handle the remaining work.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas briskly turned around, walking away in the opposite direction. ¡®Have I found my salvation?¡¯ Considering the life he¡¯d lived before becoming a professor, it wouldn¡¯t have been odd to find himself in a much worse position. If his current life wasn¡¯t salvation, then Karas felt that it was at least something close. ¡®¡­Isn¡¯t that right, Raizel?¡¯ ? ? ? Creak! ¡°Tch.¡± Raizel wore her usual scowl as she stormed out of the Mage Association. Morning sun greeted the steel dragon as she made her way through the rows of tents in the courtyard ¨C which had long become a shelter for those who¡¯d lost their homes and families to the Reaper¡¯s onslaught. Admittedly, Raizel scowled in annoyance quite often. But it had been growing steadily worse the past few days. Why? Well¡­ ¡°Miss Raizel! Miss Raizel!¡± A little boy ran over to the steel dragon with his limping, bandaged leg. Though a doctor had told him to lie still for a while longer, he¡¯d long forgotten such warnings the moment Raizel showed face. ¡°What.¡± ¡°Did you know, did you know? The person that saved us from the meteor wasn¡¯t Deity Felicis, it was actually a dragonlord! Papa told me yesterday!¡± ¡°I know, kid. I¡¯m a dragon. That¡¯s my lord you¡¯re talking about.¡± As soon as Raizel affirmed the little boy¡¯s words out loud, listeners from various tents began murmuring amongst themselves. ¡°Even a dragon is vouching? Then the rumors about the dragonlord were true!¡± ¡°I told you so! Aldrid herself said the very same when she was treating my wounds.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the lord of dragons still a demonlord? Why would a demon king save humans like us? I thought they were heartless monstrosities.¡± ¡°You dimwit, we¡¯ve never even seen a demonlord before. Have you even read anything about them beside your son¡¯s bedtime stories? Obviously the crap about demons was wrong all along!¡± ¡°Aye, there¡¯s some truth to that. You lot should¡¯ve seen that Ilias lass at the tavern, girl''s just a typical drunkard¡­I can¡¯t imagine her king being some bloodthirsty warmonger.¡± ¡°Not only that, as I recall, there was one time where¡­¡± A dragon¡¯s hearing is quite sensitive. Raizel was known especially well for having keen senses among her kin ¨C enough to hear all that low chatter regarding Serenis and the kin. Eventually, the steel dragon turned her head to snap at the talking men. ¡°Keep talking shit about us and I¡¯ll bury you all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When things quieted down around her, the steel dragon finally began to drag herself towards the ruined districts of the city. ¡°Tsk¡­what am I even doing here¡­¡± Steel dragon Raizel: a youngling known among her elders as the problem child that never listens to others, and one of the few dragons who could list wielding violence as a hobby. There had never really been any repercussion for her unruly behavior; ever since she¡¯d fully grown, no one could truly punish her for anything. But recently, a new weakness had been budding anew within the dragonkin¡¯s problem child. - ¡®You want me to do human chores AGAIN? Forget it. Even for you, I am so not doing it.¡¯ - ¡®I see. That¡¯s too bad then.¡¯ - ¡®¡­Wait, that¡¯s it?¡¯ - ¡®What more would there be? Rest, child.¡¯ - ¡®Huh? Uh¡­I mean¡­¡¯ - ¡®It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll ask Ilias.¡¯ - ¡®Ilias? Why Ilias??¡¯ - ¡®I alone won¡¯t be sufficient, and you and Ilias are the only ones I could ask this of. But since it seems that you¡¯ll be preoccupied, I¡¯ve not much other choice.¡¯ - ¡®¡­Fine, I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it! Don¡¯t go asking her, I¡¯ll do it!¡¯ Raizel knew all too well that Ilias would gladly do their lord¡¯s favor ¨C especially if it was helping Partivine¡¯s civilians. The steel dragon could very well have let Serenis enlist the red dragon for help instead. ¡®But then I look bad in comparison, damnit.¡¯ Strangely enough, the steel dragon didn¡¯t want to get on her lord¡¯s bad side ¨C even if it meant humiliating herself by helping humans with their meager chores. And so, she was out in the ruined districts once again, clearing up the rubbles and participating in bringing new construction materials to the scene. Truth be told, all of it was cakewalk given Raizel¡¯s strength ¨C not to mention the lack of danger given her steel affinity. The first few days had been majorly comprised of retrieving people out of the fallen buildings. With the dragon using her affinity to prevent the wreckages from further collapse, everyone had been thus far retrieved without suffering a single additional scratch. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, not every person she brought out of the rubbles were alive. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve been rescued, not retrieved. Indeed, most had been corpses. ¡®¡­Should check on her again sometime.¡¯ On the first day, Light had begged the steel dragon to clear the rubbles of her house; Ilias couldn¡¯t do it as safely as Raizel could. But unfortunately, the request had only led to undesirable revelations. For some, it¡¯d been a whole week; for some, it¡¯d only been a single week. A single week, since their loved ones were found as bloodied corpses. Ep 80. Live. (3) Ep 80. Live. (3) ¡°Bye mom, bye dad! We¡¯re off!¡± The couple looked to each other, then towards their little daughter rapidly waving her hand at the door. Her kitten ears were perking up in excitement ¨C which was adorable ¨C but they couldn¡¯t help worrying about the distance between their home and their daughter¡¯s supposed destination. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like Light was going alone; a trusted professor was accompanying their daughter, as well as an actual dragon that the couple had come to regard as their second daughter. The mother was the first to respond. ¡°You girls be careful out there, okay?¡± ¡°We will! Ilias said she can bring us back whenever too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Torin! I¡¯ll make sure Light stays safe.¡± The father chuckled at the dragon¡¯s confidence. He was nodding his head, but his eyes were solemnly staring into Ilias. ¡°You be careful out there too, Ilias. You¡¯re both just as important to us.¡± The red dragon sheepishly scratched her head at the request, compliantly nodding back. ¡°Ehehe¡­I will.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon. Promise!¡± Even as the two grew distant, the couple remained at the doorstep, waving their hands back at their two daughters. Only when their figures completely disappeared did they close the door, heading back inside. ¡°I wonder how long they¡¯ll be gone for?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­longer than a week, I hope.¡± ¡°Thomas! Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Ilias is fine, but Light is still a child. She needs to grow used to living without us.¡± ¡°Oh, psh. You worry too much. There¡¯s still plenty of time until that happens! And even when it does, I¡¯m sure Light will still be living just a few minutes away from us. She loves this city.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± The couple both looked towards the closed door, then back at each other. A short laughter escaped them both. ¡°¡­I already miss them.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. So do I.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ It hadn¡¯t been long since then. No, it really hadn¡¯t been long since then. ? ? ? Drip. As usual, it began with a single droplet of water falling from the sky. And, as usual, it didn¡¯t take long for the drop of water to become a sudden rainfall. ¡°Aw. It¡¯s raining¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t particularly cold. They were in a tent, and whenever it grew even a little cold, Ilias would always wrap her tail around the little girl beside her. But contrary to her usual vibrance, the red dragon¡¯s eyes were full of concern, worriedly looking towards the half girl sitting beside her. ¡°Light¡­are you okay?¡± ¡°Mhm! I¡¯m not cold at all.¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilias opened her mouth to say something, but soon closed it back without another word. ¡®It¡¯s only been a week¡­¡¯ She was smiling. Just like always, just like she always had, the half girl¡¯s lips were curved into a bright, cheery smile. Even though it¡¯d only been one week since she¡¯d held her parents¡¯ lifeless bodies. ¡°Ilias, I¡¯m really okay. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°¡­Light¡­¡± Her school had been destroyed ¨C along with almost everyone she knew there. The home she should¡¯ve returned to had crumbled down. The parents that should¡¯ve been there to welcome her back were instead crushed underneath the rubbles of their house. Under such circumstances, was it really normal to be ¡®okay¡¯? ¡°I don¡¯t even have to go back to school¡­it¡¯s like I¡¯m on vacation! Hehe.¡± When things began to seem terribly off to the red dragon, someone¡¯s head suddenly poked into their tent. ¡°Hey, kid.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡®Raizel?¡¯ As soon as the steel dragon spotted the half girl within, she wordlessly motioned with her hand for Light to come along. ¡°¡­?¡± While puzzled, Light rose to her feet to follow the steel dragon outside. Ilias was likewise getting up to come along ¨C until her friend¡¯s cold voice stopped her midway. ¡°Ilias, you stay here.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Just stay, you dumbass.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s uncalled for! What¡¯re you-¡° Before Ilias could even finish her response, Raizel briskly pulled Light out of the tent. After giving one final glance at her friend, the steel dragon¡¯s footsteps began to grow distant.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°¡­What was that for?¡± Left alone, Ilias plopped back down onto the small mattress, grumbling beneath her breath. Raizel and Light¡¯s footsteps were fading out into the falling rain outside. ¡®¡­You didn¡¯t have to look at me like that.¡¯ ? ? ? ¡°Hey, um¡­where¡¯re we going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡± ¡°I could at least bring an umbrella or something¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be better off without one.¡± After her last few words, Raizel merely led the half girl, walking through the rain indifferently. Light likewise followed the steel dragon without any further comments for a long while. But when she began to realize the direction they were headed in, Light couldn¡¯t help but slow down her steps. ¡®Wait, if we keep going this way¡­¡¯ The city cemetery was right up ahead. An outsider ¨C a dragon at that ¨C was casually making her way towards it. Ironically, the person hesitating to follow was Light, who¡¯d lived in Partivine all her life. Realizing that the half girl wasn¡¯t following along anymore, Raizel came to a stop after a few steps, turning to face behind her. ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Why are we¡­going in here¡­¡± ¡°You know why.¡± Immediately after, the steel dragon made her way back over to Light, grabbing the half girl by her collar and dragging her along into the cemetery. Although Light did make an effort to resist, she was nowhere near strong enough to free herself from the dragon¡¯s grasp. ¡°Wait! I really don¡¯t need to come here, I-¡° ¡°Yes you do.¡± Raizel turned her head to lock eyes with Light¡¯s once more. The little girl¡¯s hesitant gaze was soon overwhelmed by the steel dragon¡¯s pressuring stare ¨C a stare that seemed to remind her that she should¡¯ve been here long ago. And after a few minutes of being dragged along, the two finally reached their destination. When Raizel let go of the half girl, Light scanned their surroundings to soon notice a clean, brown headstone embedded before them. Though, it wasn¡¯t really ¡®stone,¡¯ per se. ¡°¡­Is this¡­bronze?¡± ¡°It lasts longer than stone.¡± A heap of metal had been carved into the shape of a headstone, placed before two small, grassy hills behind it. Raizel then knelt on one knee, bringing her fingertip towards the metal plate. ¡°Go on. Say their names.¡± ¡°¡­Names?¡± ¡°Of your parents.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy shadow crept onto the half girl¡¯s expression. Her small pair of eyes began to shake as they stared into the rain-drenched metal. ¡°¡­No.¡± Light¡¯s little hands rolled into trembling fists. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. You¡¯re¡­going to write it down.¡± Although Light was to slowly beginning to step back, this time Raizel neither looked back, nor arose to stop the half girl. She merely knelt in place while giving her answer. ¡°Not writing their names won¡¯t make your parents come back alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll just make things worse for you. And your parents won¡¯t even have a proper grave to their name.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel let out a small sigh at Light¡¯s lack of response. She could understand wanting to turn away. She could understand not wanting to accept how things were. She could understand wanting to pretend that everything was alright, and genuinely believing that things would really become alright somehow. But reality wasn¡¯t like that. An untreated wound was wont to fester; an avoided duty was wont to become regret. And in that case, it was better to face things sooner than later. Or never face things at all. Ever. ¡°I can kill you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If you¡¯d like, I can bury you too, right here beside your parents. I promise it won¡¯t hurt at all.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Light¡¯s voice soon trailed off. Her gaze dropped to the ground as she lost herself in thought. ¡®¡­Really?¡¯ To the oblivious, the dragon¡¯s words would¡¯ve been nothing but ominous. Depending on the listener, it was practically no different than a sudden, unwarranted death threat. But in her current state, Light could tell that the dragon was actually speaking out of kindness. Even in this very moment, the little girl was wishing that she were dead just the same. ¡®If I die¡­¡¯ Maybe it¡¯d be painful. Or maybe it won¡¯t. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have to keep forcing herself to grin and bear things. Maybe, just maybe, she¡¯d get to see her parents again. Even without sharing any words, Raizel could read the half girl¡¯s thoughts like a book: they were the exact same thoughts she¡¯d had every so often. They were thoughts that had plagued her mind for decades. However, Light still shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to, but she did anyways. ¡°But¡­I can¡¯t just¡­die. I survived, so¡­I should be thankful¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what everyone tells you, isn¡¯t it?¡± A hollow, demeaning laughter escaped the dragon¡¯s lips. ¡°Your whole world¡¯s crumbling apart, and everyone just yaps at you to ¡®be thankful.¡¯ Are you really though?¡± To an outsider, the circle of destruction that befell the Magic Institute was a horrible tragedy. But to someone who¡¯d spent their lives at the very centre of that circle, it was considerably worse: no different than their entire world crumbling apart. Home, school, family, friends, teachers and neighbours ¨C not a single thing had remained intact. ¡°¡­¡± In the past week, Light hadn¡¯t spoken her mind a single time. She¡¯d felt so disgusted by her own thoughts that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to share them with others. But when Raizel began to plainly speak the half girl¡¯s thoughts out loud, Light¡¯s eyes were finally beginning to water again. - ¡®I¡¯m glad you survived. That¡¯s very fortunate.¡¯ Fortunate? What is? - ¡®Thank goodness you¡¯re alive!¡¯ What¡¯s there to be thankful for? What¡¯s so positive about all this? ¡®Why are you all saying such things to me? I feel horrible. I wish I died with everyone. I didn¡¯t want to be left alone like this¡­¡¯ Light had hated the way her mind perceived things. She¡¯d hated that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to agree with what the adults were telling her. And because she couldn¡¯t, she¡¯d pretended that she was alright. Because she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak her mind, she¡¯d merely smiled as she as always would. But truthfully, she hadn¡¯t agreed with what anyone was saying for even a single moment. Glad about surviving? ¡°¡­I¡¯m not.¡± After quietly speaking her mind, Light finally came to Raizel¡¯s side, getting on her own knees. Trembling arms embraced the cold headstone before her. Heaving breaths and inaudible words were mixed into the little girl¡¯s sobbing. ¡°¡­¡± To be honest, nothing was okay. To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to pretend that things were okay. I wanted to hold onto them, Bitterly curse at everything, And just cry here all day. ? ? ? How long had it been? Even though the rain had been soaking her for so long, she didn¡¯t feel cold in the slightest. Even though she¡¯d been crying here for so long, the pain in her chest hadn¡¯t lessened in the slightest. It wasn¡¯t that it had ¡®only¡¯ been a week. Light was already a week too late. It was time she¡¯d spent running away. It was time she¡¯d taken to face reality. And it may have taken a lot longer had Raizel not dragged her out here. No. It definitely would have taken longer. Far, far longer. ¡°¡­¡± When the steel dragon lowered her gaze, she could see the half girl, still sobbing by their parents¡¯ graves. It¡¯d been hours since Raizel had stepped back for Light to grieve alone. A quiet, whimpering voice slithered through the falling rain. ¡°If I die¡­will I get to see them again?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Light to hear the dragon¡¯s cold, indifferent answer. Despair carried within it a power to overturn the most basic of reasons. All life feared death. However, to an individual lost in despair, even death could appear as hope. The notion of escaping their reality may appear warm and comforting. But that couldn¡¯t be. ¡°Once you die, there is no ¡®after.¡¯¡± Death is not a severance of life¡¯s pains, but a severance of life itself. There can be no hope or despair afterwards; there is no future after one¡¯s death. Death is not a unit of hope or despair. It¡¯s merely a closure. ¡°¡­¡± Light¡¯s small hands gently caressed the nameless headstone. If they were here, they¡¯d do everything they could to raise their daughter¡¯s spirits. If they were here, they¡¯d ask her to live no matter what. They weren¡¯t here. But even so, they were right here with their daughter. Then, in a calmer voice then before, Light softly recited two distinct names. It was barely audible, and others may have missed it amidst the rainfall, but Raizel didn¡¯t fail to pick up what the half girl was saying. ¡®Thomas Torin. Catherine Torin.¡¯ Raizel then wordlessly approached the headstone, kneeling down once more. Her sharpened fingertips silently cut into the metal to carve out the recited names. And once the two names were engraved before her, Light once again burst into tears. One could describe it as being weak. One could describe it as being na?ve. But in the dragon¡¯s eyes, the little girl before her appeared stronger than anyone she¡¯d ever seen ¨C even more than Raizel herself. The little girl before her had chosen to live. And that alone was something to be commended about. ¡°Live.¡± Raizel rose back to her feet, throwing a few final words before leaving. ¡°And if you don¡¯t think you can take it anymore, then come see me anytime.¡± She didn¡¯t necessarily wait for Light to answer her. She merely turned around, trudging along the rainy paths to leave the cemetery ¨C towards the black, feathered figure up ahead, hiding their eyes beneath the equally black umbrella they were holding. Once the distance between them closed, Raizel scoffed at the figure before her. ¡°Watching all along, were you? Your taste is just as bad as before.¡± ¡°¡­Do excuse me. I tend to worry quite a fair bit.¡± ¡°Worry about your own life. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t stand before me.¡± ¡°Well now¡­that¡¯s not a realm of worrying, is it? If you were to ask me to die, then I simply should.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two exchanged uncomfortable gazes with each other. But before long, Raizel merely passed by the professor¡¯s side. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna go, go now. The kid¡¯s going to catch a cold.¡± ¡°¡­Raizel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The sudden words of gratitude took the dragon by surprise, making Raizel throw a distasteful, almost disgusted expression towards Karas. She then kicked her tongue as usual, leaving the professor with a curt wave. ¡°¡­Yeah, sure.¡± Ep 81. Confessions of the Historian: Vengeance Ep 81. Confessions of the Historian: Vengeance Dragonkin. The only surviving demon tribe in our era of man. By the sheer virtue of their race, each dragon wields immense strength and magic far beyond human comprehension. From child to elderly, from the very beginnings of our era, every soul knew not to cross a member of the dragonkin. Such is the way we raised our people. Hence, it was only natural that they would find the empire¡¯s actions absurd. That a mere rising empire would declare war against the icon of fear, That mankind would challenge demons without the aid of divinity. ? ? ? One hundred years ago, the rising empire of Akeia had dominated the northern half of Wayla. It was a period of time known as the Empire Age. However, this ¡®age¡¯ barely lasted two decades; shorter, in fact. In regards to time, it was appalling to call the period a separate age in history. And yet, those who lived through those times refused to acknowledge the timeframe in any other way. The Empire Age was a period of ambition led by an archmage that sought to dominate Wayla. The bloody conflicts that filled this period could not be equated to any other periods in history. At the same time, the Empire Age was a period of hope: hope that mankind would be able to prevail against their fears. Hope that mankind would be able to conquer the only remaining demon tribe, and truly claim themselves as rulers of their world. Alas, the Empire of Akeia failed in their conquest. They fell short against the continent¡¯s united front, and ultimately fell apart. Many historians attribute Akeia¡¯s fall to the influence of dragons ¨C that the empire had suffered irrecoverable damage in their battles against the dragonkin. They claim that Akeia had failed in transcending the bounds of man, that mankind still paled in comparison to the surviving demon tribe. But this wasn¡¯t correct. Akeia failed in their conquest to dominate the continent. They did not fail in bringing the dragonkin to their knees. ? ? ? ¡®Akeia is treading towards its own doom.¡¯ ¡®Their leading archmage had gone mad.¡¯ ¡®The empire¡¯s leader is actually a dragon himself.¡¯ Countless unfounded rumors still echoed clearly within the soldiers¡¯ minds. Despite the empire¡¯s might, even they had to admit their doubts about this particular campaign. However, the entire army was a mere tool. They were all soulless instruments, and their orchestrator was the only one with the freedom to wield them. Even the empire¡¯s commanders possessed no freedom to question or defy their ruler. And that ruler had gone mad. Or at least, the soldiers thought he had when they were told to march straight into the dragonkin¡¯s nest. But their doubts were nowhere to be found anymore. Their emperor was standing at the forefront with the army¡¯s commander to his right. The soldiers couldn¡¯t see much aside from their emperor¡¯s black mage coat and lengthy, bleak-colored hair wildly fluttering about; their commander didn¡¯t exactly have a striking appearance either, with his black, feathered body wrapped in a tattered black cloak. What instead filled the soldiers¡¯ vision were two enormous grey figures. The army¡¯s two leaders were holding their ground against a pair of towering dragons before them. Not a hint of fear could be found in either¡¯s eyes. The emperor merely glanced over to the commander at his side. A hatchling was being held by her throat in the commander¡¯s grasp, gasping for breath. She clawed at the shadowy limbs that held her in place, but to no avail; the hatchling was still just a child. Then, Akeia¡¯s ruler respectfully bowed his head before the two grey dragons. ¡°Gatekeepers of the valley, I presume. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Amadeus Lavnore ¨C Emperor of Akeia, and the only archmage of this continent.¡± When he looked to the figure on his right, the black-feathered commander likewise lowered his head. ¡°Xar of Akeia. The commander of this campaign.¡± A low, screeching growl rang throughout the valley¡¯s outskirts in response. The dragons bared their fangs, staring down at the figure with a deathly menace. But contrary to their wishes, neither dragon could crush the two figures underfoot ¨C for the hatchling Xar held was their only child. Finally, one of them spoke in their rumbling voice towards the emperor. The surrounding mountains seemed to quake in their angered words. ¡°¡­What is it that you desire, human?¡± ¡°A pleasantly receptive answer. Allow us to answer in kind.¡± Unlike the army behind them, Amadeus maintained an indifferent attitude. He was trying to fake confidence, yes ¨C but his craving of knowledge was far surpassing the desire to flee. ¡°Xar. If you will.¡± At his ruler¡¯s behest, the commander¡¯s free hand became engulfed in orange flames. Then, Xar swiftly plucked at the hatchling¡¯s left horn, his fingers melting into its bony structure. A weak, pained screech struck at her parent¡¯s ears as the hatchling¡¯s horn was torn off. A horrifying bellow shook the valley. The parent dragons howled in anger, but neither of them could do much other than listen to their daughter crying out in pain. The commander¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t fixed on the victim he held; instead, Xar¡¯s eyes were fixed on her towering parents. The moment the two dragons made any action to free their daughter, she¡¯d die in his grip first. Amadeus burst into laughter at the dragons¡¯ reactions ¨C or, lack thereof. ¡°A wise choice, and a pleasant finding. So the dragonkin do harbor affection for their children like any other¡­while also possessing sufficient regulation to control rash behavior. That¡¯s quite the intriguing find already.¡± ¡°¡­Let go of her. And I will grant you a painless death.¡± The father¡¯s oppressive voice was enough to make the soldiers shudder in fear. However, Amadeus himself snorted in amusement. ¡°Not sufficient intelligence, might I add. It would¡¯ve helped if you could discern the party that has the upper hand in a negotiation. Allow me to present to you a second reminder, then ¨C Xar?¡± Xar¡¯s fingers once again lit aflame. He repeated the exact same actions as before, tearing off the hatchling¡¯s right horn as well. And yet, neither parent could still so much as lift a finger; this time, the mother¡¯s cry was louder than her child¡¯s. ¡°Stop! STOP! Why are you doing this? We have caused no harm to your kind!¡± Amadeus nodded his head. A bemused grin curved his lips. ¡°No, that you haven¡¯t. But I would like to find out how far a dragon would go for their children.¡± Then, the emperor pointed at the hatchling¡¯s wings. ¡°Next will be her wings. If you¡¯d like to see them remain attached, I suggest you both morph into your human forms.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The mother was the first to comply. Her grey, draconic figure silently shrank before Akeia¡¯s ruler, reducing her into a sobbing silver-haired woman. The emperor¡¯s gaze then drifted over to the father. ¡°I believe I said both.¡± ¡°Human, you would dare¡­!¡± ¡°Very well. Xar?¡± Another terrible screech echoed throughout the vicinity, this time sharper than the two previous. The scream was accompanied by a violent tearing noise as the commander gripped the hatchling¡¯s tiny left wing, tearing it off of her back. After another series of furious growling, the father¡¯s figure was likewise reduced. The silver-haired couple stood side by side, their figures reduced to the size of mere humans. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve done as you said. Let her go.¡± ¡°Please let her go¡­please¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Once again, Amadeus spared a moment to look at the hatchling in his grasp. Thick tears were rolling down from her eyes as she whimpered in pain. He then shifted his gaze to the army behind him. ¡°Dragons aren¡¯t so terrifying like this, are they?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer.¡± ¡°NO, SIR!¡± When the army answered in unison, Amadeus approvingly nodded his head. He finally turned his attention back to the couple before him. ¡°Still, we have only just reached equality. You two yet stand tall before a king. Alas¡­¡± Before, the two dragons had stared down at his army in their towering gaze. ¡®But just how low will they stoop down to?¡¯If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Amadeus then pointed down at the ground, still speaking in an indifferent voice towards the dragons before him. ¡°Kneel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The mother failed to hide her teary expression as she lowered herself to her knees. And unlike last time, the father immediately followed suit. ¡°¡­Are you satisfied now?¡± The father¡¯s furious glare locked with the emperor¡¯s condescending gaze. The dragon¡¯s entire body was shaking in anger all over. ¡®Hmm¡­surprisingly docile. I wasn¡¯t expecting the male parent to go this far.¡¯ Then, Amadeus pointed towards the shaking male dragon. ¡°I would like you to now kill yourself.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will only repeat myself once. I would like you to now kill yourself. Rest assured, I will not ask the same of your wife.¡± ¡°¡­You¡­!¡± ¡°Hesitant, are we? Very well. Xar?¡± ¡°NO!!!¡± When the mother realized what the commander was about to do, she pleadingly reached towards her daughter, shouting at the top of her lungs ¨C but Xar didn¡¯t even so much as flinch at the dragon¡¯s pleas. His hand gripped at the hatchling¡¯s remaining wing, twisting it off of her back. The hatchling in his grip only let out weak whimpers at this point. She was barely holding herself conscious. Amadeus beamed a bright smile towards the father. The emperor slowly clapped his hands, coating every word with spite and sarcasm. ¡°Are you satisfied, dragon? You just robbed your daughter of her ability to fly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Next will be her arms.¡± The father¡¯s seething eyes finally lost their light of anger. He gave into the creeping despair, and turned apologetically to his wife. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Ludin. Take care.¡± After his short-lived apology, the dragon hovered his hand in front of his opened mouth. A sharp metal pillar burst forth from his palm, skewering him through the back of his throat. The body then fell forward onto the ground. The dragon had killed himself in mere seconds. And even then, Amadeus merely watched in amusement, nodding his head at the newfound knowledge. ¡°So that¡¯s how a steel dragon circumvents their affinity¡­I suppose your innards aren¡¯t as tough as your skin. And your bodies don¡¯t morph back after death, do they? Interesting.¡± And soon after, the commander noticed the mother dragon lowering her head even further. She was practically prostrating before the emperor. ¡°¡­Please. Please let her go¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The emperor then turned to the army behind him. He gestured for them to come forward, pointing at the dragon before them. ¡°Kill her.¡± ¡°¡­But sir, our blades don¡¯t work against her. Magics scarce leave a scratch.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. But it¡¯s a precious opportunity to find any weaknesses the dragonkin may have.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Avoid the insides of her mouth ¨C that we already know. Do everything you can otherwise. You have until sunset.¡± ¡°Y¡­yes, sir!¡± When the emperor turned back towards the female dragon, he lowered his head once more, this time speaking in an apologetic tone. ¡°This will be the last ordeal. As long as you don¡¯t resist, your daughter will be freed at sunset.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I do hope you manage to live.¡± Following suit, the soldiers rushed forth of their emperor, each smashing their weapons and firing their spells at the helpless dragon. The mother merely remained in place, taking the attacks without resisting; even when a few managed to pierce her skin and break her bones, she could scarce feel any pain in the presence of her overwhelming grief. In her hazy, tear-filled eyes, she could see her daughter pleadingly looking back at her. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Raizel. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Be strong. Live on. Don¡¯t ever be like us. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t let anyone ever tell you what to do.¡± The mother never did make it unto sunset. She¡¯d hung unto dear life even when she¡¯d bled enough to die at least a dozen times over ¨C but when one of the soldiers drove their spear into her eye, her body finally gave away. After the soldiers marched forth with their emperor, Xar remained behind. He quietly set down the crying hatchling unto her mother¡¯s motionless corpse. ¡°Raizel, was it?¡± The hatchling didn¡¯t answer back. She held unto her mother¡¯s cold body, whimpering in pain and grief. Xar sighed at the sight. He briskly exited the scene, following after the rest of the army. ¡°¡­I will remember your name.¡± ? ? ? One century. Was it a long time? For some, it was enough to be born, age, and die. For others, it was barely enough to reach adulthood since their helpless hatchling days. A dozen trees collapsed around the camp, blasting away the surrounding mist and effectively trapping the two within. And emerging from the broken trees was a giant steel dragon, her eyes flooded with a deathly menace. ¡°If you wanted to live, you should¡¯ve ran away further.¡± Down beneath, a shivering half girl was holding a crossbow in hand, aimed at the towering dragon¡¯s head. But her entire body was shaking in fear and shock from the dragon¡¯s sudden intrusion. And beside her was the black-feathered figure that Raizel had come to find. Xar stared back at the dragon. A brief sigh escaped the figure as he arose to his feet. ¡°Stand back, Rien. Do not attack her.¡± ¡°What are you saying?! That¡¯s a dragon! Even you can¡¯t hope to win!¡± ¡°Exactly. Neither should you.¡± The feathered figure briskly walked past his company to stand alone before the steel dragon. He raised his gaze upwards, remaining still in place as he spoke. She was nothing like the last time they¡¯d met, but Xar had no trouble recognizing who this hornless, wingless grey dragon was. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Raizel.¡± ¡°¡­You fucking scum.¡± In the instance that followed, Raizel reduced herself into her human form, lunging forward to grip at Xar¡¯s throat. She knocked him down onto the ground and held him in place, using her other hand to grip at his arm. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair if I killed you easily, would it? I¡¯ll return the favor to you. Limb by limb.¡± The feathered figure remained motionless on the ground. He neither fought back, nor begged for his life; only a solemn stare was being offered to the dragon before him. Instead, it was the half girl that did the begging in his place. After abandoning her crossbow, Rien hugged the dragon¡¯s metal arm that held Xar in place. ¡°Wait, please! We¡¯re sorry if we intruded your home! We¡¯ll leave right now, so please! Have mercy!¡± ¡°Mercy?¡± Raizel creaked her head to face the half girl. The overflowing menace in her eyes were now seeping into the half¡¯s gaze as well. ¡°To a scum like this? What are you, his wife?¡± At first, it was Xar who tried to answer the question. ¡°No, she¡¯s just-¡° ¡°Yes!! Until his words were abruptly cut off by the half girl shouting her answer. The feathered figure stared at her with a bewildered gaze, but she didn¡¯t even seem to notice. She only continued her speech. ¡°I¡¯m his wife. He¡¯s important to me. Please have mercy¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! We¡¯ve barely met. She¡¯s not related!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel stared down at Xar. For the first time, the feathered figure¡¯s emotions were visibly showing. It was fear. And it was panic. Raizel loosened her grip on the feathered figure below her. An evil grin curved her lips. ¡°I changed my mind.¡± For a moment, Rien actually believed that Raizel had decided to let them go ¨C until the dragon¡¯s iron grip fixed itself around her throat instead. The half girl choked on her breath as Raizel rose back to her feet, lifting Rien off the ground to hold her in the air by her neck. ¡°There. This is fairer, isn¡¯t it?¡± Xar raised himself off the ground, only to see the one sight he hadn¡¯t hoped to see. Rien was squirming in Raizel¡¯s grip, gasping for breath in the iron grip that held her. ¡°¡­Raizel, she has nothing to do with this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Following suit, Raizel used her free arm to grab at the half girl¡¯s upper left arm. The evident despair in Xar¡¯s eyes made this all the more pleasurable for the dragon. Before the feathered figure could say anything at all, the dragon tightened her grip with a crushing force, tearing off the arm from Rien¡¯s body in one swift motion. But even when a sharp shriek of pain filled the surrounding forest, Raizel only smiled down at the groveling black figure before her. This was so much better than the emotionless eyes she¡¯d seen when threatening his life directly. ¡°Raizel¡­she¡¯s innocent. She has nothing to do with us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill her.¡± Then, Raizel proceeded to tear off the half girl¡¯s remaining arm. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t be fair if I ended it at that, would it? After all, you did it four whole times to me before killing my parents.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the creeping despair, Xar couldn¡¯t even bring himself to formulate an answer. The dragon was right. Given what he¡¯d done to Raizel, Xar had absolutely nothing to say. But once again, it was Rien that turned to address the steel dragon. The half girl pressed down her urge to cry, pressed down her urge to scream, and instead mustered the last bit of her strength to speak as politely as possible. ¡°¡­If¡­you kill me¡­will you let him live?¡± ¡°¡­Hah. What??¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­die in his stead¡­so, please¡­¡± Raizel¡¯s joyous expression turned to a scowl at the half girl¡¯s unexpected intervention. ¡°No. He dies today.¡± Rien bit her lips at the dragon¡¯s adamant answer. But still, she hadn¡¯t fully given up. ¡°¡­If¡­if you let him live, you¡¯ll hurt him more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°¡­To him, living will be punishment. He¡¯ll spend the rest of his life agonizing about how I died because of him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Letting him live¡­will be your greatest revenge, dragon.¡± The half girl meekly turned her head towards the feathered figure staring at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?...Xar?¡± ¡°¡­No. No, that¡¯s not true.¡± Xar turned to Raizel in a panicked voice. ¡°She¡¯s lying, she has nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± An amused snort escaped the metal dragon as she exchanged glances between Xar and Rien. The feathered figure¡¯s panic didn¡¯t go unnoticed ¨C as well as the desperation in his lying eyes. Raizel once again fixed her gaze on Rien. ¡°What do you know? Seems like you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°RAIZEL!¡± Raizel let go of the half girl in her grip, letting her fall back unto the ground. The dragon then kicked Rien towards Xar, making the her stumble forth. And moments before the feathered figure could catch his stumbling lover, iron claws pierced through the half girl¡¯s abdomen, stopping inches before reaching Xar as well. Raizel¡¯s menacing glare stared from behind the figure she¡¯d just killed. ¡°Congratulations, scum. You get to live.¡± When the dragon¡¯s hand slid out of Rien¡¯s body, the half girl finally fell forward into Xar¡¯s embrace. He helplessly held his dying lover. ¡°Rien¡­why¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ehehe.¡± She was beyond saving. After watching countless deaths on the battlefield, Xar knew this better than anyone else. The half girl merely laughed back at the figure holding her. A few words were all she could whisper in her dying breath. ¡°¡­Live¡­¡± ¡°¡­Rien.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not¡­a monster¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the light to fade from the half girl¡¯s eyes. But Xar remained motionless, holding her corpse as if she would wake up again any moment. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± Raizel scowled at the sight, kicking her tongue in annoyance. She¡¯d been overjoyed when she saw Xar¡¯s eyes filling with despair, but that joy was all but gone now. Something about this outcome didn¡¯t sit right with her. And yet, she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was exactly. The steel dragon merely turned away to leave ¨C the scene was no longer as entertaining as before. ¡°Fuck off. Don¡¯t ever come near the valley.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And if I ever see you again, you better be living a miserable life. Else I¡¯ll ruin it all over for you.¡± ? ? ? Compared to the century their initial reunion took, only a handful of years had passed until their second. Raizel was the last person he¡¯d expected to see when their group had arrived at the forest cabin. But for some reason, the steel dragon had refused to acknowledge his presence. She¡¯d recognized Ilias right away, and she¡¯d even recognized Serenis. But she paid no attention to him whatsoever. At first, he¡¯d thought that Raizel was failing to recognize who he was ¨C but that couldn¡¯t possibly have been the reason. After all, she¡¯d recognized him right away during their last reunion. A mere change of attire couldn¡¯t have been it. Then, he¡¯d thought that Raizel had forgotten who he was ¨C that their last reunion had exhausted the dragon of her spite, and allowed her to forget his existence. But that couldn¡¯t possibly have been it either. After all, her lack of horns and wings should¡¯ve served as constant reminders of his existence. And when he couldn¡¯t come up with any other hypotheses, he¡¯d elected to confront the dragon directly. With Raizel spending plenty of time by herself, it wasn¡¯t difficult to pick a time when he¡¯d find her outside the lodge while everyone else was asleep. Karas cautiously approached the steel dragon who was lying flat on the grass by the riverbed. She didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything special ¨C even when she should¡¯ve noticed him approaching long ago. ¡°¡­Raizel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Raizel¡­surely you recognize me.¡± The dragon shifted from her position, looking at her visitor from the corners of her eyes. She then groaned out a tired sigh to stand upright, facing the professor eye to eye. ¡°Of course I do, you scum.¡± ¡°¡­I must admit, I¡¯m not leading a miserable life.¡± ¡°So what? Did you come here to ask your life to be ruined?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d¡­prefer if you didn¡¯t, but¡­I felt obligated to tell you all the same.¡± ¡°Fine. Here.¡± The dragon indifferently swung her leg forward, planting her foot into the professor¡¯s stomach. The kick lifted Karas off his feet and flung him towards a nearby tree, making him crash into the bark with a giant thud before flopping down onto the dirt beneath. ¡°Kh!...Uugh¡­¡± ¡°There, happy? Need another?¡± ¡°¡­No, but¡­is this really enough?¡± ¡°Sure. I quite like it this way, anyways.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°You being our lord¡¯s lapdog. Isn¡¯t that basically what you are now?¡± ¡°I¡­am her teacher¡­¡± ¡°Never said you weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raziel let out a tired yawn, almost as if their conversation right now barely mattered to her at all. She then threw her gaze towards the lodge where others were sound asleep. ¡°Oh, since you¡¯re here. That half girl, is that who I think it is?¡± Karas¡¯ eyes shook momentarily. His entire body visibly tensed and hurriedly rose to its feet ¨C a sight which Raizel only laughed at. ¡°Oh, relax, I won¡¯t hurt her. I¡¯m just curious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas clenched his eyes. There was no point in lying ¨C nor did he have a right to. Not to her. ¡°¡­It is.¡± ¡°Hah! That¡¯s pretty funny.¡± The dragon then casually lied down on her back once more. A gentle breeze brushed past the forest as Raizel stared at the glittering night sky. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re done here, get out of my sight.¡± ¡°¡­R¡­right.¡± She didn¡¯t bother watching Karas leave. She merely continued staring into the sky, swallowing the discomfort welling up within her. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was Light¡¯s voice or Rien¡¯s voice that she was hearing echoing inside her head. After all, they sounded pretty similar. And looked pretty similar. Identical, even. And it didn¡¯t sit too nicely for Raizel, especially after Karas¡¯ verbal confirmation. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Raizel kicked her tongue. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep, but she felt that old memories would return to haunt her dreams tonight. And in those dreams, someone was always dying. Usually, she¡¯d be the one watching them die. But on rare occasions, she would be the one killing them. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­Wouldn¡¯t hurt to be a little nice to her.¡¯ ? ? ? In this world, there are no heroes; there are no villains. Every individual possesses their own righteousness at heart. And thus, the cycle of hatred continues. Hate breeds hate. Vengeance births vengeance. Once, we killed the star to break this cycle. The hatred that filled this world were to die with all life that harbored it. Such is how the Twelve came to be. But I wonder, in your short life¡­ Have you found a different solution? Ep 82. You’re Leaving? (1) Ep 82. You¡¯re Leaving? (1) When speaking on the topic of ¡®healing,¡¯ one would commonly think of a medical treatment involving various herbs and remedies. In the case of mages, they may even think of healing spells that take from their various elements. And that was exactly why Serenis was having trouble perceiving this process as ¡®healing.¡¯ ¡°¡­Child, are you certain that this is¡­¡¯healing¡¯?¡± ¡°Well¡­I do suppose it¡¯s closer to creating.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Worry not, my lord. I¡¯ve done this time and again, it¡¯ll be done before you know it. We can discuss our next steps afterwards.¡± The past week had been complete chaos for the deity of life. It wasn¡¯t every day the Reaper showed up with another deity to wreak havoc on a human city; it also wasn¡¯t every day that Mother Nature would appear in said city to help recover the damage that had been dealt. Under the overwhelming amount of attention she received, Aldrid had busily gone about treating those that were in conditions beyond contemporary healing ¨C while also answering the civilians¡¯ curiosity as to who had actually saved them. Though, that was mostly her correcting everyone that it was the dragonlord that had destroyed the meteor, not Felicis. And the week hadn¡¯t been any quieter for Serenis. She was called to and from almost every city official, being thanked, investigated, and at times, revered as Partivine¡¯s savior; though many didn¡¯t take it too kindly that their savior was a dragon and a demonlord, such complaints were soon extinguished before the presence of a growling steel dragon that accompanied Serenis then and there. Truth be told, Aldrid had meant to see to Serenis first and foremost. But with so many others needing her assistance, combined with her lord¡¯s continuous assurance that she was fine for the time being, the deity of life had no choice but to repress her urge to tend to her lord first. Resultantly, it¡¯d taken an entire week until she finally found the time to call upon Serenis once again. And now finally within the privacy of Aldrid¡¯s chamber ¨C provided by the Mage Association for her stay within the city ¨C the deity of life and her lord were finally sitting side by side on the bedside, with Aldrid committing every speck of focus into the current work at hand. After the deity had asked Serenis to undo the spell altering her appearance for some sort of treatment, the dragonlord now sat on the bedside as a simple human being without a single layer of magic covering herself. In the meantime, she was to sit and remain absolutely still¡­or at least, her right shoulder was to remain absolutely still. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s been quite some time since I removed the spell.¡¯ Ever since that time when Iris had removed her glamour spell by force, Serenis¡¯ appearance had never reverted back to being a human again; even at the expense of keeping up her spell at all times, having the appearance of her old self had been much more comfortable. But through Aldrid¡¯s insistence on its necessity for the procedure, the dragonlord had finally undone her magic. However, Mother Nature¡¯s treatment was, ironically, not very natural; it was mostly Aldrid running her hands over the dragonlord¡¯s now-nonexistent limb, seemingly making it grow back out of thin air. Or at least, that¡¯s what it looked like. When Serenis lowered her gaze, she saw neither medicine nor magic. Instead, she could see a layer of flesh gradually growing around the bones of her right forearm: Aldrid¡¯s gentle touch, accompanied by its golden brilliance, was slowly remaking the dragonlord¡¯s limb bit by bit. It was a rare moment where one could behold the divinity of life in its purest form. Albeit partial, it was a creation of life. But even so, Serenis couldn¡¯t help herself from narrowing her eyes in doubt and confusion. There technically wasn¡¯t anything odd about Aldrid being able to create a human arm: most life that walked the current star were the deity of life¡¯s creation. In that sense, there was nothing odd about this process of healing. What did seem weird, was¡­ ¡®This arm, it¡¯s somewhat¡­¡¯ Bigger. And thinner. Compared to what Serenis remembered having as a human boy. It wasn¡¯t that Aldrid was making her arm in poor design; the deity was making it according to its left counterpart. But even so, it still seemed odd in Serenis¡¯ eyes. In fact, the dragonlord felt something off about her entire body. It¡¯d changed so much in both size and shape that she could plainly feel the differences. Admittedly, human children tended to grow and change at immense speeds. If the change she felt was a result of natural growth that had occurred over the past few months, then there might not have been any reason to be shocked or surprised. But non-human parts had also grown. That, was not from natural growth. ¡­And it was garnering a lot of attention from a certain red-haired enforcer that had joined them just a while ago. When Iris kept stealing glances then and there, Serenis turned to face the enforcer. Their eyes locked in air as the dragonlord¡¯s oppressive gaze met the enforcer¡¯s. ¡°If there¡¯s something you would like to speak, then speak.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡­well¡­¡± After a small delay, the enforcer hesitantly began to speak her thoughts. ¡°¡­Serenis. If I remember correctly, without your glamour spell, you were¡­a human boy.¡± ¡°I was.¡± ¡°But now you¡¯re¡­well¡­¡± Zion Parma. Enforcer Patrick Parma¡¯s little brother. ¡­Was nowhere to be found, and instead replaced with a strange-looking girl in their place. Their once bright blue hair had seemingly been bleached white. There were even two small, black horns growing out from each side of the head. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she also has a tail growing behind her there.¡¯ Iris asked with her face muddled in uncertainty. ¡°Are you sure you undid your spell?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then why do you have horns growing on your head? And your whole body, that¡­voice¡­no matter how you look at it, you¡¯re just a smaller version of ¨C well, you.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s due to the heart.¡± ¡°The heart? Your heart?¡± Serenis returned a brief nod to the enforcer¡¯s questioning gaze. The heart she possessed wasn¡¯t a regular human¡¯s heart, nor was it a fragment of the original like the Twelve¡¯s divinities. It was the dragonlord¡¯s heart in all its former glory. In the passage of time, it was a given that the heart¡¯s immense presence would gradually encroach upon the human body that housed it. To be precise, the heart was inducing a gradual change in the body to resemble its former owner. ¡°The heart will gradually change this human body to my original form. Though, I do admit it¡¯s faster than what I¡¯d expected.¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t just ¡®fast.¡¯ Although Serenis hadn¡¯t exactly tried living in other people¡¯s bodies before, the speed at which her current body was changing was almost concerning. ¡®I do hope this is normal. I wonder if there¡¯s something I did to influence the pace¡­¡¯ And while Serenis lost herself in unfounded worries, Aldrid finished her work, wiping her brow with a satisfied smile. ¡°It¡¯s done! Lord Serenis, could you try moving your arm?¡± When Serenis returned her attention to her new arm, the first thing she noticed was the absence of pain. A new limb was filling the void of her right arm as if it¡¯d always been there, bending and moving according to will. ¡°¡­This is quite impressive. Not even Pallas could do something like this.¡± ¡°You are a human for now, after all. I couldn¡¯t create a dragon¡¯s arm like this. If only I knew how, I¡¯d¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. As I¡¯ve said, this body will gradually change in time.¡± ¡®And eventually, I may be able to reclaim my body as dragonkin.¡¯ Serenis let out a small snicker at the thought of reclaiming her original form in full. Not only would she no longer need a spell to keep her horns and wings in place, she could reclaim herself as dragonkin in her original, draconic state ¨C which her current brother probably wouldn¡¯t be too delighted about. And as Aldrid finished her work, Iris also let out a relieved sigh. The red-haired enforcer wore a conflicted expression as she looked towards the deity of life. ¡°Um¡­thanks, Aldrid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re most welcome, Lady Felicis. Or, perhaps I should say¡­Lady Iris.¡± ¡°¡­To be honest¡­when I went to you to ask for your help, I thought you¡¯d kick me out right away.¡± ¡°Kick you out? Why would I do that?¡± ¡°You¡­don¡¯t like me that much.¡± ¡°Huh? Since when?¡± The two deities exchanged confused glances with each other for a minute. Finally, Iris broke the awkward silence that ensued. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No? Why would I not like you?¡± ¡°Well, we¡­aren¡¯t exactly friends¡­I didn¡¯t treat you all that well, and¡­I¡­did some things to you before¡­and¡­¡± As the list went on, Serenis curiously looked at the speaking enforcer. ¡°¡¯Some things¡¯?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s¡­¡± When Iris failed to even meet the dragonlord¡¯s gaze, it was Aldrid who stepped in to explain, laughing as she recounted an aged tale from the past. ¡°Haha. You see, my lord, Lady Felicis was quite a handful when she was little. She was always angry, always grumbling about something.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis stared harder into the enforcer¡¯s embarrassed eyes. And yet, she couldn¡¯t even begin to picture an angry child over the deity of mana. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t imagine.¡± Aldrid nodded in agreement; if she hadn¡¯t seen it with her own eyes in the past, she¡¯d also have trouble believing how the enforcer had once been. ¡°I don¡¯t know where all that energy came from in her small body. She¡¯d kick and toss in bed, break her plates, tear her clothes¡­she used to curse a lot too. Though, she¡¯d always settle down whenever Master Felicir came around.¡± When the Reaper¡¯s name was spoken, Iris visibly flinched. Aldrid worriedly looked towards the enforcer with an apologetic gaze. ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m sorry. That was careless of me.¡± ¡°¡­No. Don¡¯t apologize.¡± Her brother was dead, and he¡¯d deserved nothing less for the lives he¡¯d killed. Iris had wished for it herself. It would¡¯ve been hypocritical of her to feel remorseful. ¡°If anything, I should be the one apologizing. To both of you.¡± Both Aldrid and Serenis looked at the enforcer in confusion. But instead of meeting their gaze, Iris shut her eyes with a guilt-ridden expression. ¡°I¡­should¡¯ve done more to help.¡± Aldrid remained silent. This time, it was Serenis who answered. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t brought the others, I may not be alive to speak with you right now.¡± Serenis had no proper way of addressing Clyus¡¯ spatial manipulation on her own; without Karas¡¯ timely aid, the elf deity would¡¯ve had no trouble splitting the dragonlord¡¯s head from her body. She had no way of calling out the Reaper¡¯s bluff when he threatened to kill the star, either. It was the enforcer before her that had made it all possible. And there was no telling what would¡¯ve happened if Iris hadn¡¯t done what she had. ¡°So there¡¯s no need to apologize. I¡¯m grateful for what you did.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When even Aldrid looked to her with a comforting smile, Iris¡¯ gaze fell back to the floor. The star¡¯s oppressor had died; from hereon, no one would die at the Reaper¡¯s whim, nor would anyone have to shudder in fear of their world dying once more. It was an achievement worth celebrating. And It would¡¯ve been so convenient if the deity of mana could share the victory just the same. Alas, the more she tried, the more it became apparent of what she¡¯d done. ¡®I killed him.¡¯ Without her working against her brother, Felicir would still be alive. Aldrid never would¡¯ve been able to come to Partivine; Serenis would¡¯ve died to Clyus; the city of Partivine would¡¯ve been cleanly erased, and eventually built anew. Time would go on as always, and nothing would¡¯ve changed. Not for the better, nor for worse. ¡®Ha. I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯m feeling right now.¡¯ Iris let out a hollow sigh. As Felicir¡¯s little sister, perhaps she should¡¯ve been lost in grief, mourning her brother¡¯s death. As the deity of mana, perhaps she should¡¯ve been worrying about the future of the Twelve, and what this would entail for the star. And as an enforcer of the Mage Association, perhaps she should¡¯ve been celebrating the people¡¯s survival, helping them however she could. She wasn¡¯t doing any of those in earnest. She couldn¡¯t. ¡®¡­If I had talked to you from the very beginning¡­if I hadn¡¯t been so scared all those years ago, would things have been different?¡¯ Maybe. Just maybe, none of this would ever have happened. An amused snort came forth from the enforcer as she reminisced everything that had happened over their divinities. She slowly hovered her hand over her chest. ¡°Did you know, Serenis? When our divinity shards aren¡¯t housed inside a living person, they tend to corrupt their surroundings. They eventually draw people in, and someone always ends up finding them.¡± ¡°¡­I do know what you mean.¡± Vulka¡¯s grave had frozen over due to the dragonlord¡¯s heart. Surely, the First¡¯s heart wouldn¡¯t exactly be healthy for the surrounding environment, either. But Iris nonchalantly continued her sentence, plucking out her own divinity shard and tossing it onto the table in front of her. Following suit, the red-haired enforcer¡¯s own glamour spell vanished in an instant, changing her back into who she¡¯d always been. Felicis wore a bittersweet smile. Her eyes were ruminating on everything that¡¯s happened since the glowing blue shard had come into their family¡¯s possession. At first, her brother had tried to absorb more than one. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find out that a human body couldn¡¯t house more than one shard. Then, he¡¯d tried to hide them in a place where no one would find. But soon, Felicir found out that no matter where he hid the shards, they corrupted their surrounding environment to an unrecognizable degree; even the most discreet location became a blatant giveaway. Then, he¡¯d tried destroying them. He¡¯d tried everything from cutting and hammering, to hitting them with a meteor or throwing them into a volcano. Nothing worked. No matter what he tried, the shards had been indestructible. There simply didn¡¯t seem to be a way to monopolize divinity as he wished. ¡°¡­To keep the divinities under control, he went out of his way to find 11 others that he could entrust the shards to. But we don¡¯t have to do that anymore, do we?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes fell to the blue fragment resting on the table. Before, the dragonlord had denied Felicis¡¯ request to destroy the divinity of mana; there was no guarantee that Serenis would succeed in her quest, and she couldn¡¯t risk losing a supportive divinity in case she¡¯d fail. If she were to fail, then at the very least, Iris needed to remain alive ¨C so that the deity of mana could chance upon whoever she¡¯d meet next that could be entrusted with the same task. Even now, there were still 8 other divinities remaining aside from the ones Serenis had encountered. It may be premature to destroy one they could use. But¡­ ¡°I take it that you¡¯re set on this decision.¡± When the dragonlord raised her gaze, Felicis returned a firm nod. Felicis was no longer human. Over the last thousand years, ¡®Felicis¡¯ had become a divine entity. Then, to live as a human being once more, it was only natural that she¡¯d have to abandon who she was: name, and everything else besides. Serenis kept her eyes locked with the deity¡¯s for a while longer. But no matter how hard she looked, the dragonlord couldn¡¯t find a single hint of hesitation in their eyes. ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Finally, Serenis took the blue fragment into her grasp. A faint light shone from the hand that held the divinity of mana. The light then began to intensify. Audible cracking noises filled the chamber¡¯s interior. ¡®The deity of mana dies today.¡¯ Soon, the blue fragment burst within the dragonlord¡¯s grasp in a brilliant flash of light. When she loosened her grip, blue particles slipped out of her hand, fading away into the air. ¡°Live free, Iris. From henceforth, you are no longer divinity.¡± Ep 83. You’re Leaving? (2) Ep 83. You¡¯re Leaving? (2) Serenis watched the two deities in front of her. Correction. One deity, one enforcer. Iris was trembling all over in a panicked fear ¨C while Aldrid¡¯s fingertip was slowly closing in on the enforcer¡¯s left eye. If anything, it was the quite entertaining sight. ¡°Hold still! You don¡¯t want me poking your eyes, do you?¡± ¡°¡­Aldrid, I don¡¯t think I want to do this anymore¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? I could stop, but you¡¯ll have to live the rest of your life with odd-colored eyes.¡± When the dragonlord snorted in amusement, Iris ¨C who had reclaimed most of her appearance as the usual red-haired enforcer ¨C angrily pouted back at the laughing dragon. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Serenis.¡± ¡°I beg to differ.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite announcing that she¡¯d live out the rest of her life as the human enforcer named Iris Alpid, there had been two glaring problems in the enforcer¡¯s statement: ¡®Felicis¡¯ actually looked nothing like Iris in her original state, and she no longer had an unlimited mana reserve to keep her appearance changed. Nobody would recognize the girl as their city enforcer, and using a glamour spell would exhaust her mana in under an hour now. Alas, the solution Aldrid had proposed was quite simple. - ¡®I could permanently change your appearance. That would make things easier, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡­Again, Aldrid was the deity of life. Technically speaking, there was nothing weird about her being able to create ¨C or transform ¨C a human¡¯s body. And that¡¯s exactly what Iris was now: a human. What was weird, though, was¡­ ¡°¡­Lady Felicis, I need your eyes open.¡± ¡°¡­Your finger¡¯s too close.¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t poke you. You already did it once, one more time and we¡¯ll be done.¡± ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Serenis watched on as the enforcer struggled to keep her eyes open. Once, the enforcer had come across as stern, strict, and ruthless to Serenis ¨C but said workaholic was nowhere to be found in the deity of life¡¯s presence. Interestingly, even though their difference in age should¡¯ve been negligible given the millennium they¡¯d spent as deities, their relationship as caretaker and child from the past era seemed to have persisted into the present. ¡®Despite being so prone to change¡­some things never do change.¡¯ Puzzling as it was, that was how mankind had always been. ? ? ? When Aldrid was finished with work, the familiar red-haired enforcer was once again in the room with them, rubbing the phantom pain out of her eyes. She rapidly shook her head, forcing herself to rise before embarrassing herself further. ¡°Right, um¡­thank you, Aldrid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I suppose I should call you Lady Iris now, hm?¡± ¡°¡­Please drop the ¡®Lady.¡¯ You¡¯re older than me, too.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re both over a thousand years old. What difference does a decade or two make?¡± ¡°¡­¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°And besides, you¡¯re a mere human now. Should you really be telling a deity what to do, Lady Iris?¡± As Aldrid quietly snickered to herself, Iris¡¯ expression gradually twisted into bewilderment. The enforcer then turned to Serenis, pointing at the laughing deity. ¡°Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t your goal to destroy every divinity? What about hers?¡± ¡°Aldrid and I have already agreed to withhold destroying hers until the other divinities were first dealt with.¡± ¡°Wait, then mine was¡­?¡± ¡°You wanted yours destroyed, did you not?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iris let out a long sigh. Serenis was right: the enforcer had blatantly stated so, at least twice, to the dragonlord before her. She¡¯d wanted to rid herself of that cursed reminder as soon as she could. But apparently, it also came at the hefty cost of becoming ¡®a mere human.¡¯ After clearing her throat, the enforcer intentionally changed the topic at hand. ¡°¡­Right. So, Serenis. What do you plan to do from hereon? I do believe you¡¯ve finished what you meant to accomplish in Partivine.¡± Upon hearing the question, Serenis briefly closed her eyes. It was a question that had lingered in her mind ever since Felicir had been dealt with. It was also something she¡¯d discussed in length with Aldrid before. At core, her goal remained the same: eliminating the star of its divinities. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to Astellion.¡± ¡°¡­Astellion? The northern continent?¡± ¡°Aldrid has informed me of a divinity that can sense my presence, and that they reside somewhere within the northern lands. Though, as we do not know their exact location, our first destination will be¡­¡± The dragonlord trailed off her words, turning her gaze towards the deity of life. Aldrid added on to finish the sentence for her lord. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading to see Rozerre first. I do know where the boy is, and he could probably tell us where the other deities in Astellion are.¡± Rozerre. The Clown, deity of emotion, and as Iris knew it, Aldrid¡¯s only son. It made sense to seek him out before meeting the other divinities. After nodding towards Aldrid, the enforcer once again met the dragonlord¡¯s gaze. ¡°So Astellion, then¡­are the others coming with you again?¡± Serenis shook her head. ¡°For now, only Aldrid will be accompanying me. I do plan to inform the others of where I¡¯ll be, but whether they follow or not is their choice.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± A relieved expression dawned on Iris¡¯ face ¨C which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the dragonlord. ¡°And Iris, you especially don¡¯t have to be accompanying us; you¡¯ve finally obtained the life you wished for. Forget about the deities and live your life how you see fit. With the divinity of space no longer present, the city shouldn¡¯t be in any immediate danger.¡± The enforcer lowered her gaze, her head sinking down in shame. Serenis being able to see through her was embarrassing, but the appreciation she felt was far larger. ¡°¡­Thank you, Serenis.¡± It might¡¯ve been odd to thank someone for destroying their immortality. But Iris felt genuine gratitude all the same, and even greater was the sense of relief washing over her. Her shoulders were much lighter than they had been as the deity of mana. The dragonlord beamed back a small grin at the relieved enforcer. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ? ? ? And later that day, Serenis and Aldrid visited one of the refugee tents outside ¨C the one that belonged to Ilias and Light. As expected, the two were still far from their usual upbeat selves, which only became more evident when Serenis conversed with them. ¡°¡­I see. It seems you¡¯re settled on your decision, then.¡± ¡°Sorry, Lord Serenis. I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to apologize for. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve decided to remain.¡± Serenis turned her gaze towards the corner of the tent. Light was curled up on a small mattress, hugging her knees while Ilias¡¯ tail wrapped around her. The half girl¡¯s eyes were red and swollen, and it was all too easy to guess why. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Light.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± Time was barely passing for Light; to her, she still felt that she could walk out of this tent and head home, and her parents would be there to welcome her back. But whenever she tried to imagine such an occasion, their graves would flash before her eyes to scatter such thoughts away. With their little sister so despondent, it was only natural that Ilias was electing to remain at her side. Which was probably for the best. ¡®And from what I¡¯ve heard, Karas will be busy with managing the broken institute¡­¡¯ Numerous mages that had gone on an involuntary rampage under Felicir¡¯s will were put under arrest, including the institute¡¯s headmaster; aside from Karas, there were hardly any personnel left to pick up the pieces. Of course, Iris was busily running about to prove their innocence and settle the matter, and said mages will eventually be proven innocent. Their arrest was a temporary measure in order to prevent any further breakouts while simultaneously confirming that they were no longer under the Reaper¡¯s influence. But that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that Gio would return to his previous position. Even though they had all been under the Reaper¡¯s influence, Gio suffered the worst of its consequences. Unlike the others, attempts to suppress the archmage failed countless times until Serenis¡¯ arrival; as a result, he¡¯d massacred hundreds of his own colleagues and students, and countless civilians besides. It wouldn¡¯t have been odd to see the archmage driven to insanity. Under such circumstances, imprisonment was the least of Gio¡¯s concerns. ¡®I suppose that leaves¡­Raizel and Patrick.¡¯ Serenis didn¡¯t have a clue how the two would react to the news of her departure. Patrick had avoided his little sibling for the entire week. She couldn¡¯t exactly tell what was making him avoid her so profusely, but she felt that it was necessary to at least tell her sibling where she was heading. As for Raizel¡­ ¡®¡­I wonder what she¡¯d do?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like the steel dragon would remain in the city; it wasn¡¯t her nature to mingle with humans, nor did she seem to have grown any fond of this place. But she wasn¡¯t exactly the one to follow orders, either ¨C though she did seem strangely inclined to listen to her lord. ¡®I suppose I¡¯ll know in time.¡¯ Nothing but to talk to them and find out. Ep 84. You’re Leaving? (3) Ep 84. You¡¯re Leaving? (3) It didn¡¯t take long for Serenis to find Raizel in the unrepaired streets. The youngling¡¯s mana was practically a glowing beacon in the empty district; although Raizel wasn¡¯t particularly versed in magic, she was a dragon nonetheless, and the mana she carried couldn¡¯t be compared to regular civilians. ¡°Raizel.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Upon hearing the now-familiar voice, Raizel immediately tossed away the heaps of iron beams in her hand to let them collapse unto the floor. She quickly turned around to direct her attention at Serenis, scanning over the dragonlord¡¯s figure ¨C especially the arm that had previously been missing. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Looks like you¡¯re doing well. That goldie finally fixed your arm?¡± ¡°¡­¡¯Goldie¡¯¡­?...If you mean Aldrid, she has, yes. It was rather fortunate that she could.¡± Serenis looked around their surroundings. Although the district wasn¡¯t exactly filled with intricate buildings and lively civilians like before, it wasn¡¯t filled with death and rubbles, either. ¡°I must admit, I was somewhat worried with asking you to clear the streets. But I see those worries were misguided now.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just some cleanup. Am I really that undependable?¡± ¡°Haha, of course not. I was simply amazed by the job you¡¯ve done.¡± Serenis approached the pouting steel dragon to give a few commending taps on her back. Interestingly enough, the youngling¡¯s sulking expression seemed to melt away at the touch. Even her voice had softened up noticeably. ¡°¡­If you have something else I need to do, just say it. I can do it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I need to ask of you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? Then what¡¯s the visit for?¡± ¡°I came to tell you that I¡¯ll be leaving the city soon.¡± Raizel¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected answer. After a minute of processing, the steel dragon spoke up once more. ¡°¡­You¡¯re leaving? To where?¡± ¡°To the northern continent. Aldrid¡¯s informed me that I should be able to find other divinities there.¡± ¡°Blegh¡­you¡¯re going across whole continents?¡± ¡°I am. You¡¯re welcome to remain if you wish; Ilias has said that she¡¯ll be staying in the city as well.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t to the same degree as Serenis, Raizel, too, had become a celebrated figure throughout Partivine: the steel dragon was regarded as a hero that partook in stopping the Reaper¡¯s terror. And although she barely cared for attention, at least here, the youngling didn¡¯t have to worry about having a place to sleep, or food to eat. Not that she worried about either in the first place. ¡°What, you think I¡¯m crazy? Ilias can mop around all she wants, I¡¯m getting the hell out of here.¡± ¡°¡­I figured you¡¯d say that.¡± Raizel impatiently tapped her foot on the ground. She was already picturing Serenis flying up north ¨C along with how fast she could chase her lord. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°So, basically¡­you¡¯re telling me to follow you up north, right?¡± ¡°Huh? No, that wasn¡¯t-¡° ¡°Works for me, I wanted to get out of here anyways. Can we leave now?¡± Serenis let out a brief sigh. She shook her head, holding Raizel¡¯s shoulder to stop the marching youngling in place. ¡°¡­Now, hold on, child. You¡­can¡¯t fly, can you? I could manage carrying Aldrid in this body, but that wouldn¡¯t exactly be plausible in your case.¡± ¡°Oh pft, don¡¯t worry. I can just run.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A small memory suddenly flashed before Serenis¡¯ eyes ¨C of her first, memorable meeting with the steel dragon before her. Of the small panic she¡¯d felt when Raizel had tackled her during flight by simply jumping off the ground. ¡®Could Arkrana have done the same?...Probably not.¡± Dragons possessing steel affinities tended to have severe limitations in moving or jumping due to their weight. They required a few times the strength that other dragons would normally need to move about; this aspect even tended to hinder learning how to fly amongst their hatchlings. ¡®And Raizel¡¯s lived without her wings. There must¡¯ve been a need to compensate.¡¯ It was probably the secret behind Raizel¡¯s unnatural physical strength. Even across other lifeforms, it wasn¡¯t rare to see certain traits evolving in a way to compensate for what the body was missing. ¡®But if that¡¯s indeed the case, then¡­I wonder¡­¡¯ After a brief contemplation, Serenis fixed her gaze on the grey youngling. When she¡¯d first learned of Raizel¡¯s missing wings, a passing thought had briefly brushed her mind; now, the dragonlord had ample time to make it reality. ¡°Raizel. As capable as you are, it isn¡¯t plausible to keep up with a flight¡¯s pace through running. Especially when the distance is as sizeable as it is this time.¡± ¡°¡­Tch. So I shouldn¡¯t come then?¡± ¡°What I mean to say is¡­¡± Serenis then pointed skyward to add the next bit: ¡°I¡¯ll teach you, child. It¡¯s never too late to learn how to fly.¡± ¡°¡­? The hell are you saying? You know I don¡¯t have wings.¡± ¡°You can make them.¡± When the youngling stared at her with a ridiculed expression, Serenis cleared her throat to explain in detail. ¡°Unlike other dragons, a steel dragon¡¯s wings are of simple make; In the case of your ancestors, their wings had always been nothing more than a collection of metallic fragments. Hence, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with recreating your wings through magic. You can manipulate metals, can you not?¡± ¡°¡­I guess?¡± A dragon possessing a fire affinity didn¡¯t exactly have wings of fire; a dragon possessing a water affinity didn¡¯t exactly have wings of water. They could use fire and water magics respectively, but if their wings were entirely comprised of such elements, then¡­well, they wouldn¡¯t have been very useful. But dragons possessing a steel affinity were exceptions to this rule. Their wings were, quite literally, comprised of the very element they could manipulate. The shape of the wings might¡¯ve been complex, but the comprising materials were just pure metal. ¡®So there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with just making them anew.¡¯ Serenis had already seen Raizel using her steel affinity to create various structures. Creating something as intricate as wings would no doubt be a difficult task, but it was still possible nonetheless. ¡°Wings made of magic will only be temporary, but you should be able to make them anew every time you need them. I will teach you the form they take.¡± ¡°¡­Seriously? You can do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel¡¯s heart began to pace in silence. The steel dragon had lived nearly her entire life without wings. Before she¡¯d lost them, she¡¯d been too young to learn; when she was old enough, she hadn¡¯t any parents to teach her. The parents that should¡¯ve been around to teach their daughter were long dead. No other steel dragon remained in the kin besides Raizel. For an entire century she¡¯d despaired in secret, ruminating on how she could only look unto the skies while others took flight. But now, the dragonlord before her was boldly claiming that they could change all that. Serenis¡¯ air of indifference made it all the more convincing, as if it¡¯d be no trouble at all. Raizel¡¯s body lightly trembled. An involuntary laughter escaped her lips. And Serenis, beholding the youngling¡¯s sudden change, couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes in panic. ¡°Raizel? Are you alri¡­are you crying?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, child?! You don¡¯t have to learn! It wasn¡¯t my intent to force you, not in the slightest. If flying seems daunting, then-¡° ¡°I¡¯ll learn.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Raizel wiped her tears in silence. She couldn¡¯t tell what was making her cry. ¡°Teach me how to fly. I¡¯ll learn.¡± From the very beginning, her lord had felt strangely familiar to Raizel; she¡¯d sniffed Serenis from head to toe back then, trying to figure out why that was. And after all this time, the youngling finally began to realize the root of this familiarity. It was that weird, pleasant scent plucking at her senses whenever Serenis would come near. She just hadn¡¯t been able to remember it until now. It¡¯d been such a long time. She couldn¡¯t even remember their faces anymore, but¡­ ¡®¡­They had a similar scent, didn¡¯t they?¡¯ Ep 85. You’re Leaving? (4) Ep 85. You¡¯re Leaving? (4) The two dragons stood outside in the grass, facing the stretching, empty plains before them. Before beginning the flight lessons, Serenis had led Raizel outside of the city first, lest the youngling reduce the city back to rubble while practicing. ¡­And it¡¯d already been an hour since. Perhaps two. Raizel didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be easy to learn how to fly; things had often been difficult for the steel dragon due to her massive weight, if not outright impossible. Swimming was one example, and she didn¡¯t think flying would be any easier. But before the steel dragon even took her first attempt at flying, the youngling was already beginning to question the practice. Raizel couldn¡¯t help but claw at her back from the strange sensation creeping behind her ¨C at the metallic wings sprouting out of her formerly empty backside. Despite being her own magic, it still felt nothing short of alien. It was practically no different than magically growing two new arms. ¡®¡­Come to think of it, lord¡¯s been going around like this all the time, huh?¡¯ On top of the alien sensation, constantly maintaining the spell in place was having a noticeable toll on the Raizel¡¯s mana reserves. She could manage them for shorter windows of time, but it¡¯d be impossible to keep them up all the time like Serenis did. But that aside¡­ ¡°Lord? If I¡¯m going to learn flight anyways, isn¡¯t it better to learn in dragon form?¡± Serenis shook her head at the youngling¡¯s question. ¡°Then your wings will also have to grow in size, which would make the spell far more difficult. It¡¯ll be harder to maintain as well.¡± ¡°Ahh...¡± ¡°So do try to limit your flight to your current form.¡± After a brief nod, Raizel turned her head to glance over at the wings sprouting from her back, making sure their form matched the dragonlord¡¯s description. But truth be told, even though she¡¯d shaped them exactly as told, the youngling couldn¡¯t rid of the feeling that her lord was teaching it wrong. The wings she¡¯d made weren¡¯t anything like what Raizel had seen on other dragons. ¡°But lord, is this¡­right? You sure wings are supposed to look like this?¡± ¡°In your case, they are.¡± Behind the youngling¡¯s back were two thin, beam-like metallic structures stretching sideways to replicate the wingbone. Beneath said structures were hundreds of smaller metallic pieces cascading downwards, their arrangement reminding Raizel of a bird¡¯s feathers. But as far as she knew, dragons had no feathers. When Serenis noticed Raizel¡¯s doubtful eyes, she spread her own spelled wings outwards, pointing at them for the yougling to compare. Unlike Raizel¡¯s, the dragonlord¡¯s wings lacked the feather-like features beneath their skeletal structure; instead, a clean, flat surface was all there was. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re more familiar with the kin¡¯s wings having a smoother appearance like this. It¡¯s true that a typical wing looks to be a flat surface, folding and spreading at will. But child, can you imagine what would happen if it were made of metal?¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± It was a common misconception. A typical dragon¡¯s wing could spread and fold as necessary, but those weren¡¯t made of metal. If the same were done to a flat metal surface, it wouldn¡¯t fold ¨C instead, it would break. Hence, a steel dragon¡¯s wings had always possessed a distinct shape: they were comprised of numerous smaller pieces instead of being one flat surface. It was a necessary trait for them, lest their wings become dysfunctional. ¡®¡­I never knew our idle conversations would become so useful, Arkrana. What began as mere curiosity is changing the life of your descendant.¡¯ Having spent most of her life holed up in the dragonkin¡¯s nests, the dragonlord practically knew everything there was to know about her kin, including the way of life among other dragons. Ironically, the knowledge had become much more useful after losing so many of them. And when Raizel finally finished forming her wings with a dull acceptance of their shape, Serenis beamed a satisfied smile at the youngling.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Just so. You learn fast, child.¡± ¡°¡­This is fast? I feel like we¡¯ve been out here for hours. And these things still feel hella weird.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only to be expected. Making intricate structures through magic is always difficult. Also, you¡¯ve grown two new limbs that you¡¯ve never used before; it¡¯s not surprising that you find the feeling odd.¡± The dragonlord circled Raizel once more, scanning the wings on her back with another approving nod. They weren¡¯t any different from the wings of her ancestors. ¡°Even if it feels foreign for now, your instincts should allow your senses to ease in time. First, try spreading them outwards.¡± ¡°Ehm¡­¡¯kay¡­¡± Raizel momentarily wriggled her back and shoulders. The metal wings lightly shook in response, slowly creaking outwards to spread out to each side. ¡®Good. Seems like she can move them at will.¡¯ After confirming that the youngling could properly move her new limbs, Serenis then pointed upwards. ¡°Well done. Now, since ancient times, dragons of steel have always struggled to fly; they have always been the slowest to learn among the kin. Why do you suppose that is?¡± ¡°¡­Because we¡¯re heavy?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± After another brief nod, Serenis lightly jumped into the air. Occasional wingbeats kept her afloat, hovering in the air as she looked down at Raizel. ¡°Most dragons are able to remain afloat just by the strength of their wings. Unfortunately, this is impossible for dragons possessing steel affinities; they can only remain in flight when maintaining sufficient speed.¡± ¡®And to gain this initial speed, it was necessary to kick off the ground with sufficient force¡­which hatchlings were often lacking in.¡¯ Wings alone couldn¡¯t allow a steel dragon to remain in flight. Because they required a burst of initial speed, steel dragons have traditionally needed to reach near-adulthood to even attempt at flying. Not that it would pose a problem to the steel dragon before her. Serenis then pointed towards the stretching plains before them. ¡°Unlike the others, you cannot depend on your wings alone to fly. Instead, think of them as tools that can continue your leap indefinitely.¡± ¡°Leap? So the whole key to flying is¡­jumping?¡± ¡°Precisely. Try jumping as far as you can with your wings spread open ¨C with proper form and posture, you should be able to feel a slight floating sensation in your body.¡± ¡°¡­Sounds complicated, but¡­eh, guess I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Raizel¡¯s wings then began to cycle between folding and spreading, creaking in metallic noises each time. Once the dragon had a firm grip on moving them according to will, she fixed her eyes towards the empty plains stretching ahead. And finally, a thunderous explosion of sound and dust shot the youngling into the air. Serenis watched the grey figure speed off in an arc into the distant skies. A small crater had formed where Raizel was previously standing. ¡®¡­It seems she¡¯s already above Arkrana in raw strength.¡¯ Despite her age, Raizel¡¯s skills in both flight and magic were underdeveloped; normally, she should¡¯ve already known how to fly, and Serenis shouldn¡¯t have had to teach her how to make those wings step-by-step. Despite most kin taking the two skills for granted, the steel dragon hadn¡¯t had anyone to teach her either of them. But in exchange, Raizel¡¯s physical capabilities were far surpassing that of others ¨C even compared to steel dragons that had existed in the past. ¡®She need but learn, then. And she does seem eager to learn anyhow.¡¯ The dragonlord¡¯s worries had turned out to be pointless concerns. Contrary to Serenis¡¯ expectations, it wasn¡¯t that Raizel had refused to learn; she simply hadn¡¯t been able to. Now with a teacher to guide her, the youngling was right there, doing her best to follow through with what was being taught. As if to prove the point, Raizel soon plummeted into the distant plains with a thunderous noise. Even though her figure was merely a faraway speck, the sound was still audible. And of course, she remained completely unscathed. It didn¡¯t even take long for the steel dragon to pace back to Serenis¡¯ side. ¡°¡­Lord!¡± ¡°Mm. How was it? It was only your first try, so-¡° ¡°This actually works! It goes way further than when I normally jump!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®Truly? Already??¡¯ The dragonlord¡¯s surprise went unnoticed in the youngling¡¯s excitement. She paced around like a hatchling learning how to fly for the first time, eagerly flapping her wings. ¡°You were right, it does kinda feel like floating! What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°R¡­ight. Now you need but maintain that feeling. Flight is simply combining the jump with occasional wingbeats to keep yourself in the air.¡± ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so easy. I¡¯ll try again!¡± ¡°¡­Do be careful now.¡± ¡°Pft, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve crashed worse. Be back!¡± When Raizel once again leapt into the air, the curiosity in Serenis¡¯ expression grew tenfold. ¡®¡­Did Arkrana not say that it took her weeks to acquire her first sense of flight?¡¯ There were largely two reasons why steel dragons had trouble learning how to fly: the first reason, as Serenis previously mentioned, was because they lacked the strength to take off during their younger years. The second reason was, because steel dragons could not stay afloat in place with just their wings, learning how to fly consisted of a series of skyward leaps that ended with a crashing fall. This self-harming behavior had to be repeated until they eventually learned how to stay afloat. Unbeknownst to Serenis and Raizel, this second reason had been a formidable obstacle for many steel dragons. In their younger years, fear of falling tended to slow them down, preventing the younglings from reaching sufficient speed in their leaps. Regardless of race or affinity, jumping into the sky only to plummet back down wasn¡¯t exactly the most pleasant activity. Reversely, with an overload of strength and a complete lack of fear, learning how to fly was cakewalk. ¡°¡­¡± A soft smile curved the dragonlord¡¯s lips. Raizel was once again approaching her from the distance with excitement all over her face. ¡®¡­She¡¯s grown well. It couldn¡¯t have been easy.¡¯ In part, Serenis felt proud; in part, she felt sorry. She couldn¡¯t rid herself of the feeing that her past ignorance had resulted in the present kin¡¯s suffering. And if only she¡¯d known how happy Raizel would be to learn flight, she would¡¯ve mustered the time during their very first meeting to teach the youngling. When Raizel once again stood before her, Serenis reached out her hand, gently petting the youngling¡¯s head. ¡°? Lord?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh? For what?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of explaining, Serenis merely beamed back at the youngling¡¯s puzzled gaze. It only confused Raizel further, but she didn¡¯t bother asking further. What if Serenis stopped smiling because she asked? It wasn¡¯t worth the risk. Ep 86. You’re Leaving? (5) Ep 86. You¡¯re Leaving? (5) ¡®Well, now that she¡¯s occupied¡­¡¯ Serenis turned around to face the city wall that separated her from the interiors of the city. And above the towering ramparts, she could see the familiar blue-haired enforcer looking down at the two dragons below. He hurriedly turned away when their eyes met, but it was too late. Serenis summoned her wings anew and leapt into the air, making it to the top in one swift motion to land on the ramparts and grab her fleeing sibling. ¡°Patrick.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Oh.¡± ¡®Wow, she REALLY climbs fast.¡¯ Patrick could suddenly understand Raizel¡¯s grievances about not having wings her entire life. Though, side thoughts soon melted away when he noticed the conflicted gaze on his sibling¡¯s face. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I came to Partivine without telling you first. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d agree with going. But there¡¯s no need to keep avoiding me like this; if you¡¯re upset, then simply say so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Well look at that, she has it all figured out already.¡¯ Uh, wait, that¡¯s not it¡­ ¡°¡­Upset? What¡¯re you talking about? Why would anyone be upset at our local savior?¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with this.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Patrick¡¯s eyes thinned into a pained resolution. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking things over a bit¡­and I¡¯m starting to realize I had it wrong all along. You¡¯re not a kid anymore.¡± ¡°¡­? What are you saying?¡± ¡°Literally what I said. You¡¯re totally different now, but I¡¯ve still been treating you like a kid. When really¡­¡± Patrick¡¯s wasn¡¯t wrong to assume Serenis as a child, per se; her physical body still did belong to a mere fifteen-year-old. But even so, it was painfully clear that that was no longer a reason to be treating her as a child. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t need me anymore. It¡¯s just how things are ¨C you¡¯re my little sibling, but you¡¯re also a dragonlord. You keep going off doing ridiculous things, but you still manage just fine.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know what Iris said when she came around to get Aldrid that day? She told me not to come. Said I¡¯d be a burden.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure she was only worried about you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what being a burden is.¡± An uncomfortable silence ensued. One could call him a burden. Patrick couldn¡¯t even protect himself from Felicir¡¯s divinity, much less help his little sibling. As was the case with Gio, his aptitude in magic wouldn¡¯t have mattered in this case. But Serenis hadn¡¯t thought of her brother as a burden, or anyone else for that matter; even when Raizel had suddenly appeared at the scene, fear had taken precedence. Serenis had seen more than enough of her loved ones perishing before her very eyes, and she¡¯d feared it¡¯d happen all over again. Finally, Patrick turned away from Serenis, shrugging the discomfort off of himself. ¡°Meh, listen to me, complaining to a little kid.¡± ¡°Patrick, I-¡° ¡°I¡¯m just not sure. About how to treat you and all. But this is my problem, so¡­¡± He¡¯d thought he knew. He¡¯d thought that if he treated Zion as he always had, then everything would be the same as always. Now, Patrick was realizing how na?ve that thought had been. He was realizing that he couldn¡¯t stand in Serenis¡¯ way simply by the virtue of being a worried elder brother. After another minute of silence, Serenis spoke up once more. ¡°¡­Patrick. I¡¯ll be heading to the northern continent soon.¡± ¡°Northern continent? All the way to Astellion?¡± ¡°Aldrid¡¯s informed me of another divinity residing there, one that¡¯s able to sense my presence. I plan to find this divinity.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Patrick narrowed his eyes, Serenis quickly added: ¡°¡­It won¡¯t be as dangerous as last time. I¡¯ll be meeting with Aldrid¡¯s son first and foremost; both Aldrid and Raizel will be accompanying.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what the whole jumping was about¡­was wondering what you two were up to outside.¡± Serenis returned a brief nod. ¡°That¡¯s correct. So if you¡¯d like, you could also-¡° ¡°I¡¯m staying here.¡± Patrick looked back at his sibling, shrugging in his usual joking demeanor. Her widened eyes and open mouth blatantly portrayed the dragonlord¡¯s shock. ¡°You¡¯re¡­staying?¡± ¡°Of course I am. I can¡¯t just leave all the time, you know. Do you know how much work there is still? We need to take care of damage compensations, regulate all the petty thefts occurring at the ruined districts, administrate and reorganize the sector¡­if I disappear too, Iris is gonna die from overwork.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t say a word in retaliation. As an enforcer of a city in recovery, staying was in fact the most intuitive, logical choice for Patrick to make. It made perfect sense. Then, the disappointment Serenis felt within was probably rising from something outside of her logical mind. ¡°I¡­see.¡± ¡°Exactly. So you stay safe out there.¡± ¡°?...You¡¯re not going to stop me?¡± ¡°Why would I? A dependable person is going with dependable people.¡± As always, Patrick reached out his hand, ruffling his little sibling¡¯s hair all over. A wide grin was being worn over his lips. ¡­Just as always. ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta make sure you have a home to return to. Our house got blown up too, you know. ¡°¡­¡± Serenis hardly possessed memories of being touched on the head by someone else. It was difficult to imagine an individual daring enough to pet the lord of dragons, past and present eras combined. But surely, it was always like this. It was a fading memory, but it had always been like this. Somewhere in her mind, she¡¯d missed this worried, trusting touch. And soon after, Serenis raised her left wrist to undo the string wrapped around it. The bracelet Aldrid had made for her lord was warmly glowing in the sunlight as it was handed to Patrick. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°Would you not need it more? Aldrid¡¯s told me that her blessing ensures the well-being of their human wearers. And frankly, I will have her at my side anyhow.¡± ¡°¡­Pft.¡± After accepting the golden stone into his own palm, Patrick was wearing a bright smile ¨C a smile Serenis had missed more than she realized. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Serenis. Come back soon.¡± Ep 87. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (1) Ep 87. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (1) Next sunrise, Aldrid and Raizel accompanied the dragonlord making her way towards the Mage Association¡¯s exit. ¡°My lord, are you sure you¡¯re alright? It wouldn¡¯t hurt to rest a bit more¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I feel no different than before.¡± Despite Aldrid¡¯s insistence on rest, Serenis couldn¡¯t feel the need for it; unlike the deity¡¯s worries, her new arm felt as if it¡¯d always been there. Instead, the dragonlord wanted nothing more than to head off as soon as possible so that she could return that much sooner. But when the dragonlord opened the association¡¯s gate, an unexpected scenery slowed her steps to a gradual halt. ¡°Lord Serenis!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis scanned the courtyard with a puzzled gaze. It wasn¡¯t just a single person calling her name; before her very eyes was practically a sea of people, calling her name in unison. With a proper title to boot. Men and women, children and elders alike were standing in the courtyard to address the dragonlord¡¯s appearance; it seemed like every single refugee the city had to offer had gathered here. Every single one was waving their hands, expressing their gratitude, and wishing good fortune on the dragonlord before them. Meanwhile, Serenis herself hadn¡¯t expected anything of the sort. ¡°¡­What in¡­¡± ¡°Huh, look at that. They really did come out.¡± At the steel dragon¡¯s disinterested remark, both Serenis and Aldrid turned their heads towards her. ¡°¡­Child, what¡¯s going on?¡± Despite the pair of puzzled, suspecting stares, Raizel merely shrugged in response. ¡°Some kid asked me what I¡¯d be up to today, so I told him I¡¯m going to the northern continent with you. Everyone started freaking out when I said that.¡± ¡°Then this is¡­¡± When Serenis scanned the gathered refugees once more, she could now make out the fact that many were holding something in their hands: coins, pouches, all sorts of foods and flowers caught her eye, with their holders shouting towards the dragonlord. ¡°Lord Serenis, take these! They¡¯re coin from Astellion!¡± ¡°Thank you for saving our family!¡± ¡°Serenis, will you marry me?!¡± ¡°Huh? Who the hell said the last one?¡± ¡°¡­Pft.¡± As Raizel shot angry glares at the gathered people, a hint of laughter escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips. ¡°Even though they couldn¡¯t be doing very well themselves¡­¡± Beaming a bright smile at her lord, Aldrid gestured forward with her hand. ¡°The people may not be well-off, but at least they¡¯re alive in one piece. And they have you to appreciate for that.¡± Following the deity¡¯s gesture, the sea of people split into two like magic, creating a path towards the courtyard¡¯s exit. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, my lord, most of us wouldn¡¯t be here right now.¡± ¡°But¡­what caused this incident to begin with was-¡° ¡°The Reaper.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± The whole incident that befell Partivine had been Felicir¡¯s attempt to eliminate the dragonlord from his world. At least in some ways, Serenis had felt responsible for the city¡¯s misfortune.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Had she not reincarnated, Had she not come to this city, Had she been even slightly more careful in using her star affinity, Felicir may never have descended upon Partivine. The incident wasn¡¯t necessarily her fault, but it was clear that Serenis had been the initial trigger. Then, was their gratitude misguided? Would their appreciation immediately disappear if they were to learn that Serenis had triggered the whole incident? ¡°You¡¯re thinking the same thing as Lady Iris, aren¡¯t you? That you don¡¯t deserve their gratitude.¡± Aldrid interrupted the dragonlord¡¯s thoughts with a sheepish smile. The deity graciously accepted one of the flowers being offered, and held it out to her lord. ¡°We¡¯re not blind, my lord. We may be weak and foolish at times, but we can at least discern when someone wants to harm us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And we can also discern when someone wants to protect us. Cause is important, but so is intent.¡± At Aldrid¡¯s words, faint memories flickered before the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. - ¡®Just like how you can¡¯t abandon the kin, I can¡¯t abandon them either, Serenis. I¡¯m sorry if this isn¡¯t how you wanted me to grow, but I hope you know I didn¡¯t mean ill.¡¯ - ¡®It¡¯s the thought that counts, mother. And I¡¯m sure she knows yours.¡¯ Was that really the case? ¡®I¡¯m still not sure.¡¯ But it must be true. After all, her children had never lied to her. So it must be true. ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± At least this time, she didn¡¯t hesitate. At least this time, she¡¯d made a choice. Even if it wasn¡¯t the correct one. And knowing them, they¡¯d surely be smiling ¨C just from that alone. ? ? ? It didn¡¯t take long until Serenis took into the air with Raizel, Aldrid in tow. Although she¡¯d initially assumed that it¡¯d take some time to sort through all the gifts that were being offered, most of them were politely declined by Aldrid ¨C and Iris later joined the scene to shove most of them into her portal. God knows where that led to¡­figuratively. And by the end of the day, the three had flown quite some distance before deciding to rest at a small forest clearing across the continental border. Although Raizel couldn¡¯t fly all the way to Astellion¡¯s northern edge in one flight due to her limitations on mana, they¡¯d at least come halfway. ¡®Even for a grown dragon, it couldn¡¯t have been easy to keep a spell in place all day while flying. Especially if they¡¯re not versed with using magic¡­¡¯ Serenis glanced over to the steel dragon who was lying flat on the grass of the forest floor, panting for breath. When their eyes locked, she beamed a proud smile at the youngling. ¡°Rest, Raizel. You must be tired.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry. I¡¯m slowing you down, aren¡¯t I.¡± Serenis barely managed to press down an urge to laugh. Not in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she¡¯d hear an apology coming out of Raizel¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s alright, child. We¡¯re going plenty fast enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Truth be told, this was the first time Raizel had ever used a spell for this long; she¡¯d temporarily fixed herself or used her affinity to create temporary tools to wield, but even those had only lasted for a few hours at best, not an entire day. And before the dragonlord¡¯s intervention, no one had been able to teach the steel dragon how to efficiently manage her mana. Taking such points into consideration, the youngling¡¯s performance was nothing short of stellar. After another minute of catching her breath, Raizel spoke up once more. ¡°Why¡¯re you trying to kill the deities anyway?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have a particular inclination to kill the deities, child. I¡¯m only aiming to eliminate their divinities.¡± ¡°Divinities, then. Why¡¯re you trying to get rid of them in the first place?¡± ¡°I suppose I¡¯ve never told you, have I? It¡¯s to liberate the star from divine influence.¡± ¡°¡­Liberate, huh.¡± Given how free-spirited she tended to be, Raizel could understand her lord¡¯s intent to a degree. After all, she was the least among the kin to willingly accept oppression. But even then, Serenis¡¯ actions did not wholly make sense to the youngling. ¡°Is that really all there is?¡± ¡°Why do you ask? Does it seem odd to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­you don¡¯t really look like someone who wants to ¡®liberate¡¯ things.¡± Serenis¡¯ lips curved into an amused grin at the youngling¡¯s remark. ¡°Is that so? What do you suppose moves me then, child?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t an easy question to answer. Even when her lord smiled, it¡¯d always seemed strangely strained; even their usual indifference sometimes seemed to be forced. The emotion being evoked by Serenis¡¯ demeanor wasn¡¯t something Raizel could easily label ¨C it wasn¡¯t a feeling she was used to. ¡®Wait¡­that¡¯s not true, is it?¡¯ Raizel had felt something similar ¨C quite recently, in fact. Pretending a forced kindness to turn away from direct confrontation, unable to hide the discomfort welling up within. If she remembered correctly, it was¡­ ¡°¡­Guilt?¡± Upon hearing Raizel¡¯s answer, the dragonlord widened her eyes as if she hadn¡¯t expected the answer from the youngling before her. And when Serenis failed to return a verbal answer, Raizel spoke up once more. ¡°Wait, is that actually right? Did you do something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­I did.¡± Too much. She¡¯d wronged too many to count, and they¡¯ve all paid the price in her stead. Instead of suffering the most miserable death among her kin, she was well and alive ¨C almost as if her children had paid the price in her stead. And while Aldrid drooped her gaze at the evident misery in her lord¡¯s eyes, Raizel remained indifferent. She instead raised her voice even more. ¡°Then what¡¯re you gonna do when you¡¯re done with this whole liberation-thing?¡± ¡°¡­Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just wondering if there¡¯s something you actually want to do. For yourself, I mean.¡± ¡°For myself?...¡± If she could, Serenis would go back in time. A thousand years ¨C more, even ¨C if only to fix all the mistakes she¡¯d made. She missed her children. She missed the other elders. She even missed the other demonlords that would break into petty fights every so often ¨C none of which she¡¯d ever see again. ¡®Is there anything I truly wish to do?¡¯ Nothing really came to mind. The only thought that briefly brushed past wasn¡¯t something she could speak out loud. Ep 88. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (2) Ep 88. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (2) After spending another day in flight, Serenis¡¯ party was able to arrive at Hilia by sunset. It was a small village to the northeastern edge of Astellion, and according to Aldrid, it was also the village that housed her son Rozerre: the deity of emotions. ¡­Or, was supposed to, anyways. So far, Serenis¡¯ encounters with divinities had taken place in seemingly unremarkable locations. The city that housed the deity of mana was just a typical city, and the forest that housed the deity of life was just a typical forest; she hadn¡¯t even known that a deity resided in either location at first. ¡®So what is it with this place, then?¡¯ It was a small village: a typical, rural settlement surrounded by nature, with its people dependent on their agriculture to make through their winters. At first, Serenis had even considered keeping herself disguised as a human again, lest she scare off the villagers with her appearance. But her worries soon proved to be pointless when the dragonlord realized just how odd Hilia¡¯s villagers were. For example¡­ ¡°Why, if you¡¯ll excuse my lips, fair maiden!¡± Yet another young man walked up to the dragonlord, bending down on one knee to kiss the back of her hand ¨C and, just like the dozen times before, Raizel began audibly growling. It was mildly amusing at first to watch the steel dragon¡¯s reactions, but after a dozen or so repetitions, this never-ending nonsense was beginning to tire everyone out. And yet, the oblivious man raised his fascinated gaze, brash voice oozing with unfounded confidence. ¡°Please, will you bear my chi-¡° ¡°Off with you. And do not return.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The only saving grave in this maddening village was that when told to run off, the villagers do run off without a single complaint. As if nothing had happened at all. Once the man disappeared from sight, Serenis turned to Aldrid with furrowed brows. ¡°Aldrid, is this normal in these parts?¡± ¡°¡­Probably¡­not?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Normal to ask strangers to bear your children? Yeah, probably not. ¡®Deity of emotions¡­is this their doing as well? Have they ridden the people of their inhibitions?¡¯ First few encounters, they could pass it off as a strange occurrence. But at this point, even Aldrid had to admit that her son had probably done something. Something not exactly healthy at that. ¡°¡­I apologize for the trouble, my lord. I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean ill. I¡­think he might¡¯ve made the villagers a tad too courageous¡­¡± ¡°Whatever your son¡¯s intent was, it seems he had no mind to fix the result.¡± Meanwhile, Raizel¡¯s scowl deepened further and further. She didn¡¯t like humans approaching her to begin with, but humans approaching Serenis was much, much worse. ¡°Can I wipe out the village yet?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s going too far, child.¡± The strangeness of the villagers did come with a single positive, and that was the fact that they were extremely welcoming of their three visitors. Nobody seemed to mind the fact that one of them clearly weren¡¯t human ¨C it didn¡¯t even seem like they were perceiving Serenis as a dragon, but rather an odd half of some sort. Nobody seemed to mind answering any questions they had either, including where to find this supposed deity of emotions. ¡®Though, I¡¯m curious why a deity would expose themselves as such¡­¡¯The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Iris had disguised herself as a human for decades, if not centuries. Aldrid had voluntarily removed herself from civilization. But this so-called deity of emotions had apparently gone about publicizing his whereabouts to every single villager. And when the three finally arrived before the tavern Rozerre was supposedly at, Raizel¡¯s expression immediately distorted into a heavy frown. ¡°¡­Lord, don¡¯t you hear something weird from this place?¡± ¡°It is a human establishment. It¡¯s bound to be loud.¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­like¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know once we enter, no?¡± The first mistake Serenis made was not listening carefully to the surrounding noise. The second mistake was assuming establishments will function as normal in this oddity of a place. When the dragonlord swung the doors open, the blatant obscenity came to sight. Numerous men and women were drinking and cheering together, and a select few were using the tables as stages to perform performing all sorts of acts on top. And among those ¡®acts,¡¯ a few were acts that definitely shouldn¡¯t have been out for public view. ¡­And following suit, Serenis closed the tavern doors. Without ever taking a single step inside. ¡°¡­Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t hurt to do away with just this one establishment.¡± Before Raizel could make the dragonlord¡¯s mutters reality, Aldrid took a step forward. The deity shook her head, letting out a heavy, motherly sigh. ¡°Stars above¡­excuse me for a moment.¡± The deity of life briskly walked past her lord. She stepped into the madness of the inn without a moment of hesitation, closing the door behind her. Serenis stared at the closed door with evident disgust, but even that soon faded away when Aldrid¡¯s angered voice rang out from the interior. ¡°HAVE YOU ALL GONE MAD?!¡± The world seemed to momentarily quiet down afterwards. A low rumbling noise followed, and the ground itself seemed to shake for a minute. And soon after, the tavern doors were thrown open by an explosion of tree roots. Each were binding limb and torso of a small, lavishly dressed boy. Aldrid stomped out afterwards, furious gaze piercing the bound boy. ¡°Rozerre! Is this what you¡¯ve been up to in my absence?! Have you lost your mind?!¡± ¡°But mother, they¡¯re all adults¡­! It¡¯s not like any kids are there, surely it doesn¡¯t¡¯-¡° ¡°YOU are a kid! You!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m over a thousand years old?!¡± ¡°Shut it!¡± Along with Aldrid¡¯s yelling, the roots binding Rozerre in the air began to tighten even further, choking out what air he had. ¡°#&$)@%^¡­!!! Wait, wait, we can talk about this!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis and Raizel watched the spectacle unfold. There were several ways to interpret what was going on, but the most sensible explanation was a mother scolding her son. In a mother¡¯s eyes, their child is forever bound to be just that: a child. Surely, even a thousand years wouldn¡¯t change that simple notion. But then again, it didn¡¯t exactly take a mother to see that this ¡®Rozerre¡¯ was a literal kid. ? ? ? ¡°My apologies¡­I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t apologize enough. I didn¡¯t raise my son properly¡­¡± ¡°Mother, we¡¯re deities. Who even are these people? If anything, they should-¡° ¡°Rozerre¡­PLEASE be quiet.¡± ¡°Fuaaahyne¡­¡± Even though the tavern had been emptied of its performers and spectators, the sight filling Serenis¡¯ eyes was no less ridiculous: a rebellious child deity was pursing his lips while sitting with crossed legs and arms, a mother deity at his side was apologetically bowing her head over and over again, and an annoyed steel dragon was scowling in evident distaste by her side. ¡®Even a skilled clown would struggle to recreate this level of absurdity.¡¯ After an exasperated sigh, the dragonlord began to speak ¨C specifically towards Rozerre. ¡°I must ask¡­what exactly is it that you did to the villagers here?¡± ¡°It was just a jest. I merely made them do as they please.¡± ¡°A jest?...Whatever do you mean, ¡®as they please¡¯?¡± ¡°I simply encourage them to live as they want, honest and truthful. It¡¯s better than living behind a million lies, isn¡¯t it? How about it? Perhaps you could also¡­¡± ¡°ROZERRE!¡± When Rozerre¡¯s eyes began emitting a greenish glow, Aldrid briskly intervened, and¡­stabbed her fingers into her son¡¯s eyes without any hesitation whatsoever. ¡°How dare you try to use your divinity? You¡¯re before the lord of dragons. Behave yourself!¡± ¡°AAAACCKKK! Mother!! You can¡¯t just stab my eyes like that!! I¡¯ll go blind!¡± ¡°Have you forgotten, Rozerre? I am the deity of life. Making you a new pair of eyes isn¡¯t much trouble at all.¡± At Aldrid¡¯s remark, Serenis narrowed her own eyes into a frown. Even though Aldrid¡¯s words weren¡¯t directed towards her, the fright of the comment almost felt as if her own eyes had been stabbed. The deity may as well have said ¡®I¡¯ll stab you as much as I want.¡¯ After a minute of frantic rubbing, Rozerre looked towards the dragonlord with tear-filled eyes. ¡°Dragonlord this, dragonlord that¡­is this the dragonlord you¡¯ve been preaching about all these years, mother? I thought they were dead?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve reincarnated in a human¡¯s body.¡± ¡°¡­What? That¡¯s utter bullshi-¡° When Aldrid raised her fingers again while beaming a warm smile towards her son, Rozerre hurriedly corrected his words. ¡°Uh, I mean, of course! Makes perfect sense! Your soul must be extremely resilient!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So¡­what brought you all here?¡± Rozerre¡¯s expression regained its seriousness. After turning towards Aldrid, he added in a worried voice: ¡°It must¡¯ve been something important if you came all the way here, mother. If you came this far, then Felicir would also¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, the village won¡¯t be in any danger. Master Felicir¡¯s passed away.¡± ¡°Huh?...The Reaper¡¯s dead? Wait, how?¡± When Aldrid gestured over to Serenis once more, the doubt in Rozerre¡¯s eyes were finally replaced by a mix of awe¡­and bewilderment. After rapidly glancing between Aldrid and Serenis, he quietly muttered his next few words. ¡°¡­Is this some sort of an elaborate joke?¡± Ep 89. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (3) Ep 89. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (3) Thwack! ¡°Ow! Mother, what made you so violent?!¡± Rozerre rubbed at the ringing pain on his forehead, reddening from the flick it¡¯d just suffered. However, his mother only crossed her arms in discontent. Her expression read no remorse whatsoever. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve already told you to behave yourself, Rozerre.¡± ¡°Bloody hells¡­a thousand years and I¡¯m still being told to behave¡­¡± ¡°Growing older is all the more reason to behave!¡± After another few minutes of bickering, Rozerre finally managed to return his attention to the dragonlord across the tavern table. ¡°¡­Fine. Let¡¯s say you really are the lord of dragons. Even though it¡¯s utter nonsense, let¡¯s also say you really did kill the Reaper. But the real question yet remains.¡± Rozerre took a moment to pull Aldrid closer to his side. Once the two were a few steps further from the dragons, the child deity asked his question with a narrowed gaze. ¡°Why did you kill the Reaper?¡± Aldrid visibly flinched and her expression grew grim, though she didn¡¯t quite intervene as fast as previous times her child had outspoken. Instead, it was Rozerre who turned his gaze and spoke to her first. ¡°Mother. Unlike you, I have neither lived with the dragonkin, nor do I think of them as family. The times of coexistence you spoke of never existed in my memory. Man and demon have always been enemies; we killed, or we were killed. Now you¡¯re telling me that a demonlord has not only returned to life, but slaughtered death itself? What guarantee is there that she won¡¯t simply kill us as well?¡± While Aldrid struggled to answer, Raizel¡¯s claws let out a bone-wrenching screech. Her furious scowl deepened further as she took a step forward, fully intent on making Rozerre¡¯s words come true with her own hands. ¡°If you want to be enemies that badly, then-¡± But as per usual, Serenis held the youngling by her shoulder, stopping the steel dragon in place. She shook her head, reining in the Raizel¡¯s anger. ¡®I did hear Aldrid birthed her son after being forced out of the kin¡¯s nest. I suppose this is only natural¡­¡¯ Aldrid¡¯s trust in the dragons was practically a given; she was born and raised among the kin, and had spent a significant portion of her human life among numerous dragons. The deity of life may as well have been a dragon herself, if only at heart. Conversely, Rozerre was born and raised among humans; he had no personal ties to the dragonkin. The demons he¡¯d seen were all enemies of mankind, enslaved or beheaded in a series of bloody carnivals. When taking this difference into consideration, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Serenis to understand where the little boy¡¯s suspicion was coming from. ¡°You¡¯re right, child; you¡¯ve no reason to place your trust in me. But my goal is to eliminate the divinities you possess, nothing more.¡± ¡°So you already know about the shards, then. I can only assume you¡¯ve already gotten to destroying a number of our divinities¡­that would explain the recent heartaches. They¡¯re all dead now, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­The deity of mana has forfeited their divinity, and yet she still lives on.¡± ¡°Hmph. So in other words, you¡¯d kill us if we aren¡¯t willing to forfeit our divinities.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s correct.¡± Serenis let out a small sigh. There was no point in coating her purpose with delicate words. ¡°Your divinities as no more than fragments of disaster in my eyes. I do not care for order, but I eventually seek to destroy all twelve without exception. If necessary, I will not hesitate to kill the bodies that house them.¡± Rozerre¡¯s expression remained hardened at the dragonlord¡¯s declaration. It wasn¡¯t because the dragonlords words were threatening; despite the death threat that had been woven into her words, Serenis¡¯ declaration simply boiled down to an insistence of forfeiting one¡¯s divinity. Assuming that the dragonlord could truly destroy his divinity shard, then abandoning it wasn¡¯t that daunting of a task for Rozerre; unlike some of the others, his domain had never occurred to him as being particularly useful. And with their divinities gone, there was little doubt that he¡¯d once again be allowed a peaceful life with Aldrid as mother and son instead of being deities. But still, Rozerre¡¯s worries stretched much further than the surface meaning of what was being spoken. ¡®This is nonsensical. What¡¯s the intent behind this?¡¯ Rozerre was a deity that ruled over the domain of emotions; if Serenis had been lying, the woven deceit should¡¯ve been evident in his eyes. Indeed, the boy was quite certain that the dragonlord was only speaking the truth. Alas, he had no way of knowing whether Serenis was speaking the whole truth or not. A half-spoken truth often proved to be deadlier than an outright lie. And because the boy knew this so well, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to fully trust the dragonlord. ¡®There¡¯s no guarantee she doesn¡¯t have ulterior motives. For example¡­¡¯ After concluding his thoughts, Rozerre cautiously began to speak to Serenis once more. ¡°¡­No demon tribes remain other than the dragons. Should the Twelve also one day disappear, none will be capable of opposing you.¡±Stolen story; please report. ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis furrowed her brows at the sudden remark. She hadn¡¯t necessarily thought of the consequences her endeavor would bring ¨C of what would come after her quest. But in the eyes of an oblivious child, being a demonlord alone was something to be cautious of. That title alone carried a weight that could crush their future underneath. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank, dragonlord. It sounds like to me you¡¯re just looking to replace us as a god yourself.¡± ¡°¡­I have no intention of raising myself to such positions. I merely seek to finish the quest that our kind began.¡± ¡°Do you now?¡± Rozerre briefly turned to face his mother. The cynical look in his eyes plainly showed the boy¡¯s lack of faith in Serenis¡¯ words. ¡°Am I to trust a demonlord, mother? One that may very well eradicate mankind once we step down?¡± ¡°Rozerre, Lord Serenis is not like the demonlords you know of. She¡¯s never harbored ill intent towards us.¡± ¡°You speak as if that demon matters to you more than the rest of mankind, mother. Is that because you can create us as you please?¡± ¡°Rozerre!¡± ¡°I merely speak for humanity. If the demonlord truly harbors no ambition to godhood, then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem with using divinity to confirm her intent, yes?¡± Before Aldrid could deny her son again, Serenis interjected. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± ¡°But Lord Serenis, placing yourself under a divinity¡¯s influence is¡­!¡± ¡®¡­Revolting.¡¯ After having gone through the worst of divinity¡¯s ends with the First, willingly placing herself at a divine being¡¯s mercy was unimaginable. But she had to make an exception here. It was seemingly the only way to gain Rozerre¡¯s trust ¨C but more importantly, even if their positions were swapped, Serenis knew that she would have done just the same to ensure the safety of her kin. ¡°He merely seeks to ensure his kind¡¯s safety. We¡¯ve no right to deny him.¡± Then, Serenis briefly glanced towards the steel dragon at her side. The youngling had kept silent for fear her temper would worsen her lord¡¯s reputation, but allowing a divinity to influence her lord wasn¡¯t exactly a welcoming enterprise to Raizel, either. When the two dragons locked eyes, Raizel¡¯s scowl only deepened. ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to let that kid do what he wants? What if you end up like those villagers?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just as afraid as you are, child. And so, I implore you ¨C if something does go wrong, do care to put me back to my senses.¡± ¡°¡­How?¡± ¡°In any way you see fit.¡± When Serenis smiled at the youngling, Raizel responded with a bewildered snort. But in the end, the steel dragon could only answer to her lord¡¯s trust in kind. ¡°¡­Fine. But don¡¯t blame me if you wake up with a broken bone or two.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll manage.¡± ? ? ? Rozerre took a moment to explain how the questioning would proceed. First, the boy would use his divinity on Serenis to control for her inhibitions. Then, a simple question would follow ¨C a question that would check whether the dragonlord harbored any intent to become a divinity herself. Rozerre would withdraw his influence thereafter, and everything would return to normal. It was a simple, quick questioning. Nothing else would happen. "A simple procedure. Very well.¡± After a moment of absorbing the explanation and nodding her head, Serenis raised her gaze to face the deity of emotions once more. Rozerre briefly closed his eyes in response, then opened them to reveal the reminiscent, eerie glow. ¡°¡­My name is Rozerre, the deity of emotions. By my divine authority, I will hear an honest answer from you.¡± Rozerre¡¯s emerald eyes locked with Serenis¡¯ gaze, and her eyes soon began mirroring the greenish glow. Soon after, the boy spoke his question in a low, cautious voice. ¡°Dragonlord Serenis. Do you truly have no intention of becoming a divinity?¡± ¡°¡­I do not.¡± Once the answer was spoken, Aldrid sighed in relief. But contrary to her expectations, her son continued his questioning. ¡°Then, for what reason do you seek to eliminate divinity?¡± Before he heard the dragonlord¡¯s reply, Rozerre could feel a sudden tug on his shoulder. When he turned his gaze, he could see Aldrid pulling at his shoulder, her expression muddled with worry. ¡°Rozerre, what are you doing? You¡¯ve already heard the answer you wanted!¡± ¡°A single answer is insufficient, mother. It¡¯s a demonlord ¨C one could never exercise enough caution.¡± ¡°¡­But this is wrong. No matter what answer you hear, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Please, step aside. This is for our own sake.¡± After shaking off his mother¡¯s hold, Rozerre once again faced Serenis directly. Only then did the dragonlord speak her answer to the question. ¡°¡­To be forgiven. By those who are no more.¡± Raizel narrowed her eyes upon hearing her lord¡¯s answer. It was a response she¡¯d somewhat expected, but it was also a response that she wished she wouldn¡¯t hear. Nevertheless, Rozerre continued after only a brief nod. A momentary blink intensified the hue in his eyes, mirroring its effect onto Serenis¡¯ conscious accordingly. ¡°One final question then. Dragonlord ¨C what is it that you truly desire?¡± Once the question was asked, everyone¡¯s gaze fell upon Serenis in unison. As reluctant as they were to admit, both Aldrid and Raizel also wanted to know the answer to this question. But unlike the previous two questions, Serenis failed to give a coherent answer. ¡°¡­I ¡­¡± ¡°Anything at all. If it¡¯s difficult to speak in words, feel free to show it as well.¡± At Rozerre¡¯s continued urging, Serenis¡¯ expression began to contort. Her body began to tremble, and her hand was slowly raised unto her face, perilously clawing away at the eyes. ¡®¡­What I truly desire?¡¯ To return. Time and again, Serenis had wished to return. Back to the home she so dearly missed, back to her longing home, back to the sides of those she cherished. If she could return to those precious days more again, she could gladly suffer any fate. But that was no longer possible. Now, the past was nothing more than a fleeting dream. Serenis¡¯ trembling body was proof of her dream¡¯s pointlessness ¨C of the things she¡¯d known, but had chosen to ignore all along. The world she loved, was already long gone. Regardless of what she would do now, her brethren could never forgive her from their graves. ¡®Redemption is not what lies at the end of this road.¡¯ What waited her at the end were the same regrets, the same painful memories. What waited her was a grim future in a foreign star that only served to remind her of her failures. Every time she¡¯d gaze upon its lands, she¡¯d remember how different it had once been. Every time she¡¯d gaze upon its people, she¡¯d remember the brethren that should have been in their place. And when Serenis would gaze upon her kin, she¡¯d never be able to see them as they were. Even now, Raizel¡¯s worried eyes weren¡¯t visible to Serenis at all ¨C what she instead saw was Arkrana, staring back at their lord with a resentful, lifeless stare. ¡®If absolution isn¡¯t to be¡­¡¯ The guilt and duty that had held Serenis thus far began to diffuse and melt. Replacing them now was a single desire, raising its ugly head amidst her expanding greed. When the dragonlord¡¯s eyes began to well up in tears, only then did the others begin to realize that something was amiss. But by then, it was too late. Slowly, and ever so quietly, a trembling voice slipped out of the dragonlord¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­I wish this world would cease to exist.¡± As her sentence finished, the dragonlord¡¯s body became encased in layers of dim, shimmering lights. But even at this point Rozerre and Aldrid remained frozen in place, unsure of what exactly was going on. The first to react was Raizel. ¡°What¡¯re you two idiots staring at?! Get out!¡± As soon as Raizel bolted out with a deity in each arm, the tavern became engulfed in a blinding glow. An explosion of starlight obliterated the structure without a trace, leaving Serenis standing alone in the molten crater. The dragonlord¡¯s gaze was locked onto the darkening night sky. Her figure was emitting a luminescent glow, almost as if she were a fallen star herself. Raizel let out a hollow laughter at the sight of her lord¡¯s silhouette, barely visible amidst the layers of opulent mana around them. Though the steel dragon was hardly versed with magic, even she could feel the intensity of Serenis¡¯ towering presence right now. For the first time since reaching adulthood, the youngling¡¯s body was shaking in fear. Survival instincts that had remained dormant throughout the entire century were suddenly flaring back to life, screaming at their owner to flee. ¡°¡­Seriously. Give me a break.¡± Ep 90. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (4) Ep 90. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (4) Demonlord: an arbitrary title commonly perceived as a myth. Despite its former reputation, many perceived the very word as a childish concept in the present. Why? Because it was ridiculous. Non-divinities wielding powers rivalling, or surpassing that of present deities ¨C the very concept was nonsensical in the contemporary era ruled by mankind. To believe in the existence of such beings was no different from believing in fairy tales. But here they were, forced to believe it before the reality unfolding in their eyes. Crack! The very earth began to crack and shatter from the flood of prismatic lights seeping into its surface. Serenis¡¯ figure had long become blurred out in blinding radiance, turning her into a shimmering, luminous sphere. For the first time, Raizel found herself struggling to even approach an individual before her. She instead shot her glare towards the child deity standing behind. ¡°The hell did you do?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve merely drawn out their true desires! This is-¡° Slap! Rozerre¡¯s response came to a premature end with a stinging pain on his cheek. Even Raizel widened her eyes at the unexpected sight. And beside the boy was his mother, glaring at Rozerre with a conflicted, miserable gaze ¡°What have I told you, Rozerre?! I told you to stop!¡± ¡°But mother, leaving a danger like that unaddressed is-¡° Raizel interjected before their conversation could continue much longer, frowning as she pointed at the growing sphere of light before them. ¡°Talk later. Do something about that first.¡± Even while they conversed, the light surrounding the dragonlord was swallowing more and more of the area, spilling further and further unto its surroundings. But Rozerre merely dodged the steel dragon¡¯s gaze, stammering in his answer. ¡°That¡¯s¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Well what?¡± ¡°You see, to undo it, I¡­need to look into their eyes again¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ body was completely encased within a blinding light. The three could barely make out the dragonlord¡¯s silhouette, much less her eyes. And after a heavy sigh, Aldrid stepped forward with a deepening frown. Even her divinity of life offered little protection against the dragonlord¡¯s deluge of radiant destruction. But she nonetheless stood her ground, using her divinity to regenerate the skin constantly dissolving from her flesh. ¡°¡­I will do what I can. Rozerre, make sure the villagers don¡¯t come near.¡± ¡°Do what, mother?! That¡¯s a living disaster! Even you couldn¡¯t-¡° ¡°BECAUSE WE HAVE TO! Do you hear me, Rozerre?! We¡¯re deities, now act like it!¡± ? ? ? ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°¡­Mm¡­¡± When Serenis opened her eyes, a pair of blue eyes similar to her own were looking down at the waking dragonlord. Strands of brown hair were streaking down from her grinning observer, lightly caressing her cheeks. ¡°¡­Eden?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Serenis bolted awake, raising herself to take in her surroundings. And when she did so, an all-too-familiar scenery revealed itself before her. The dragonlord was above an ornate bed of feather and stone, far too large to be of human make; surrounding her was a vibrant valley of humans and dragons alike, going about their lives as one people. And most importantly, sitting beside her on the oversized bed was her daughter, studying their mother ever so casually. ¡°Eden? How¡­? Where are we?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re at home.¡± ¡°¡­Home?¡± ¡°The valley, mother! The dragonkin¡¯s nest! Where else would we be?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once again, the dragonlord took in her surroundings. True to her daughter¡¯s words, the landscape in her eyes was indeed the home of her own kin. And it wasn¡¯t the nest she¡¯d seen last with Raizel and Ilias, comprising only of a few dozen dragons. Hundreds and thousands of dragonkin were here, filling the valley with vibrance and laughter ¨C it was the true ¡®home¡¯ that she so fondly remembered. Everything seemed to be at peace. Reincarnation, the Twelve¡­the end of demonkind, the First¡¯s betrayal¡­and even her daughter¡¯s departure. It was as if none of it had ever happened. ¡®But then, all of that was¡­¡¯ When Serenis¡¯ eyes began to well up with concern, Eden abruptly clasped the dragonlord¡¯s face with a hand on each cheek, forcibly turning her mother¡¯s gaze towards her. ¡°Mother, stop!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking ill thoughts, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t know why no one else can read your face. You may as well have it written on your forehead.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡± With a delightful smile, Eden held her mother in a loving embrace. The girl¡¯s hands were gently caressing her mother¡¯s back in a warm, consoling touch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®A dream?¡¯ Compared to what she was currently seeing, the dragonlord¡¯s fading memories were nothing short of a nightmare. And soon, Serenis likewise embraced her daughter. A warmth she thought she¡¯d never feel was coursing through her hands once more. ¡°¡­I suppose¡­it was just a horrid dream.¡± ¡°Mother? Are you crying?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing to be concerned of.¡± ¡°Pft. Lying to me again? What¡¯s wrong? What kind dream was it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Eden pulled back to look at Serenis in the eyes, the dragonlord only dropped her gaze. She couldn¡¯t bear to meet her daughter¡¯s eyes right now. Too many things had happened. And while she didn¡¯t want to remember a single one, if she were to pick the worst of them all¡­ ¡°¡­A dream¡­where you left. And never returned home.¡± ¡°Ehh? Why would I do that?¡± ¡°Because¡­I failed to protect you. That¡¯s why¡­¡± When the dragonlord failed to continue her words, Eden remained silent for a moment longer. But soon, the silence was replaced with an ominous, distorted voice. ¡°Failed? Don¡¯t lie, mother.¡± Sernenis hurriedly raised her gaze upon hearing Eden¡¯s distorted voice, but the warmth in Eden¡¯s eyes were long gone. Amidst the strands of her daughter¡¯s blood-soaked hair, the only thing she could see were two pitch black hollows leaking in tears of blood. ¡°YoU kNeW I wOuLd DiE. YoU kIlLeD mE.¡± ¡°¡­Eden.¡± Sunlight waned, and the sky darkened into crimson above. The vibrance of the surrounding valley all but disappeared; the world was instead filled with old friends and allies drenched in blood. This, too, was a familiar scenery. In the sea of blood where their final battle had taken place, demonkind resentfully cursed the dragon that had caused their death. ¡°Do you even deserve to dream?¡± ¡°Sinner. Sinner. Sinner. Sinner.¡± ¡°If only you¡¯d listened, we wouldn¡¯t have died like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault, dragonlord. You¡¯re the reason we all died here.¡± ¡°Why do you get to live? Why are you the only one alive?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her breaths grew sparse, and Serenis¡¯ gaze fell to the ground once more to avoid their condemning eyes. But even then, her own, bloody reflection began to speak from the sea of blood beneath. ¡°Do you still wish to liberate this star? Even though it no longer belongs to us?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve actually been jealous, have you not? Of the vile insects infesting the world you¡¯ve lost.¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s¡­not¡­¡± ¡°Duty? Demonkind¡¯s quest? Rubbish. What you¡¯re doing is enacting petty vengeance, nothing more than comforting your sorry self. And you will never find comfort until every life around you perishes.¡± ¡°No¡­that¡¯s not true. That cannot be true. I¡¯d never-!¡± The reflection beneath smirked back at Serenis, fading away thereafter. The world itself followed suit, melting away into nothingness ¨C and soon, Serenis found herself alone in the darkness of an endless void. There was nothing to see here. Nor anything to hear. Nor anything to feel. But even so, she didn¡¯t feel particularly saddened or lost. No, what she felt was relief ¨C that the world surrounding her was gone, and her nightmare had come to an end. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What I truly desire, is¡­¡¯ ? ? ? The deity of life stood her ground, sweating profusely with her hand held against the lights rushing out from her lord. She was using every ounce of divinity she could muster to suppress the growing mass of light flooding out of Serenis, but Aldrid¡¯s abilities proved to be of little use. It was never a very combative divinity to begin with. No matter what Aldrid summoned to encase the dragonlord ¨C trees or vines or otherwise ¨C the prismatic lights melted through every single one before they could so much as touch Serenis. ¡°Stop. Just get out.¡± Unable to continue remaining idle before the deity¡¯s futile efforts, Raizel gripped Aldrid¡¯s shoulder, forcibly pulling them back. The steel dragon gritted her teeth. She forced herself to then take a step forward, using her arm to cover her eyes from the blinding rays. ¡°Lord, calm down!...Can you hear me?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Fucking hell. I guess not.¡¯ When Raizel took another step forward, the dragonlord¡¯s magic began to seep directly into her skin. With a violent sizzling noise, even the steel dragon¡¯s body began to rapidly melt and rot away. ¡°Lord!...Lord Serenis!¡± ¡°¡­Wh¡­¡± The silhouette up ahead slowly began to turn towards the steel dragon¡¯s voice. Despite the light obscuring most of the dragonlord¡¯s features, Raizel could at least make out Serenis¡¯ contorted expression. Streaks of tears were falling from a pair of murky eyes. The ringing voice was devoid of hope, lost in its own longing and sorrow. ¡±¡­What meaning is there to any of this?¡± Ep 91. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (5) Ep 91. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (5) In the depths of a frozen cavern, all she could do to pass the time was reading the state of the star. But even so, never once did it cross Aymeia¡¯s mind that she should leave this cavern. The countless, endless sensations and emotions felt through the star¡¯s breath ¨C the very premise of reading the star, resonating with its very essence ¨C was an activity that could keep the deity entertained for all eternity. Alas, just recently, Aymeia had begun feeling alien sensations through this reading: instead of the star itself, she felt that she was resonating with a specific individual. She¡¯d even called upon Felicir to resolve the issue, but whatever the Reaper was doing wasn¡¯t fixing the problem she was facing. And today was a particularly dreadful day. The emotions crashing into Aymeia¡¯s body felt sharp and twisted to a repulsive level, crashing upon her in unending waves. ¡°Urpgh¡­blrgh¡­!¡± The resentment and misery coursing through her body warped Aymeia¡¯s insides into a twisted mess. Even though nothing was happening to her directly, the deity¡¯s entire body screamed in pain: every vein seemed to burst in heated pressures, every bone shattering into frozen fragments. Every thought seemed to drown in a baseless despair. And worst of it all was that she had no way of breaking free. As the deity of the star, she was bound to this resonance ¨C this unending misery coursing about her. ¡°Stop¡­! Stop, just stop this¡­!¡± The deity had long lost control over this, alien, but familiar, sensation. All she could do was smash her fists into the cavern¡¯s floors, begging for this torture to end. ? ? ? ¡®I can¡¯t lose them again,¡¯ is what she¡¯d thought. She¡¯d told herself the same thing over and over again. It was the only way she could keep her mind at peace, lest she resign all reason to instinct. She was the lord of dragons. Dead or not, she had a duty to protect her kin. It was her responsibility, a priority she could never turn away from. But conversely, nothing else had ever been Serenis¡¯ priority. For the kin. For a greater cause. For the future far ahead. Her entire past was ridden with decisions she¡¯d made for the sake of greater good. She could no longer remember what it meant to be selfish; perhaps she never even knew how in the first place. She¡¯d spent thousands of years in the same manner, going as far as hiding the few moments where she¡¯d exercised even a hint of selfishness. She¡¯d thought it was only right to repress herself as a ruler. Then, perhaps it was no surprise that Serenis¡¯ selfish desires ¨C after having been sealed away for thousands of years ¨C were far surpassing even their owner¡¯s wildest imagination. ¡®Something like this would never be understood.¡¯ But there was no need to be understood. ¡®Something like this could never be righteous.¡¯ But there was no need to be righteous. But, even so, even if nothing else would come to matter¡­at the very least¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Someone was calling out to her. Serenis turned her head and focused her eyes. Even in a world drowning away in white, there still seemed to be something ¨C someone ¨C calling out to her in a distant voice. Stop. You¡¯ll regret it. This isn¡¯t what you want. ? ? ? The prismatic radiance surrounding Serenis also began to wane and tremble, lost in the turbulent emotions of their source. In the violent sea of starlight, Raizel had halted some distance away from the dragonlord, unable to approach any further without risking her life. ¡°Khh¡­lord! Get a hold of yourself!¡± If she were to turn back, there was no telling what would happen to Serenis. But if she were to go forward, it was all too obvious that the steel dragon would be reduced to a traceless speck of dust. And even so, Raizel had no intention of leaving Serenis in the first place. Then the only option she had available was relying on faith: faith that the dragonlord wouldn¡¯t ever actually kill her. Perhaps it was a misplaced trust. One could even call it blind faith. But¡­ ¡®You were willing to give your life away. And now this?¡¯ In the depths of Vulka¡¯s grave, the dragonlord had once given up on her life for the sake of just three of her kin. Even though Raizel had spent her life being abandoned and pointed at, Serenis alone had been willing to resign their life for her sake.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡®¡­There¡¯s no way this is what you want to do. Humans aren¡¯t worth trusting anyways.¡¯ The deities that humans revered so, and the so-called ¡®divinities¡¯ that they wielded, probably weren¡¯t all that trustworthy either. It wasn¡¯t like Raizel ever thought things through anyways; she had lived as she pleased, and was planning to continue doing so. Following suit, the steel dragon threw herself in the flood of light. Her body instantly began to disintegrate, but she had no time to pay it any attention. She gathered the last bits of her scattering strength to pull back a fist above her shoulder. And as their distance closed, the dragonlord¡¯s faint figure became clearer and clearer. ¡°Lord!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When their eyes finally met properly, Serenis grit her teeth, painfully clawing at her own heart. The¡¯ raging lights immediately faltered in response, dimming forthwith into thin, fading strands ¨C as if to say they¡¯d never harm the dragon before her. The searing pain over Raizel¡¯s skin melted away as if they¡¯d never been there. ¡®Wait, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d-¡® Despite the dragonlord¡¯s immediate withdrawal, Raizel was already at the mercy of her own momentum. And soon following through, the youngling¡¯s fist buried itself into its target¡¯s face. The remaining lights shattered apart as Serenis¡¯ body was thrown across the distance. After crashing into a massive tree up ahead, the dragonlord¡¯s motionless body slid back onto the ground. Raizel sunk to the ground, panting from both exhaustion and residual panic of the passed disaster. ¡°¡­Hah. Okay, whatever.¡± When Raizel meekly lowered her gaze, she could see the ground Serenis had been standing on: a giant paved crater, letting out strands of glowing smoke. Nothing else was there at all ¨C no wood, no stone, not even a single fragment of rubble. It was as if a spherical volume of space had been removed from existence. If Serenis had been left alone, then that crater might¡¯ve been as large as the village itself. Or, according to the dragonlord¡¯s spoken wish, it may have even been the entire star. ¡°¡­¡¯I wish this world would cease to exist¡¯¡­?¡± Raizel quietly muttered Serenis¡¯ wish herself. She then let out a heartless laughter. It was ridiculous; a wish like that could never be real. In fact, the whole event that¡¯d just transpired seemed far removed from reality. And Rozerre, too, shared the steel dragon¡¯s sentiment; the deity of emotions was even more confused than Raizel was. After all, his divinity had never caused a violent breakout like this. Everyone had simply become slaves to their desires, often devolving into the level of wild animals ¨C no one cried themselves to oblivion in an attempt to destroy the world. But Aldrid merely looked at her confused son with a dejected expression. ¡°Rozerre, undo your divinity¡¯s influence.¡± ¡°Mother, I¡­¡± ¡°NOW. This is not a request.¡± ? ? ? When Serenis opened her eyes once again, a starry night sky filled her vision. A light, cold breeze brushed past, alerting the dragonlord that she¡¯d woken up in reality this time. ¡®¡­But why am I lying down?¡¯ When she raised her upper body, the first thing Serenis noticed was a sudden, startling pain pulsing from the left of her chin. She immediately brought her hand towards the pain¡¯s source, but there weren¡¯t any noticeable wounds or fractures. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, goldie fixed you up already. Said the pain will go away after a while.¡± When Serenis turned towards the source of the voice, she could see Raizel sitting off to the side. The youngling seemed strangely agitated for some reason, sitting with her back turned to avoid Serenis¡¯ gaze entirely. The dragonlord blinked in confusion, continuing to rub her aching chin. ¡°Fix me up? What was-¡° Soon enough, a passing memory flickered before her eyes ¨C of the youngling¡¯s fist that had filled her vision before blacking out. She remembered the audible crunching noise as they made contact, and¡­the nothing that followed. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± After remembering why she¡¯d been lying on the ground unconscious, Serenis, too, avoided Raizel¡¯s gaze. After the initial reminiscence, a flood of memories were rushing back to her. ¡®Goodness¡­what have I done?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After another minute of awkward silence, Serenis quickly changed the subject at hand in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. ¡°¡­Has Aldrid gone somewhere? I don¡¯t see her with us.¡± ¡°She went off with her kid, checking the villagers or whatever. Think she¡¯s pretty angry over what he did to you.¡± ¡°¡­Ah. And¡­well¡­are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Serenis remained quiet after failing to change the subject, Raizel let out a brief sigh before breaking the silence herself. ¡°Lord.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, child?¡± ¡°Did you really mean it?¡± ¡°¡­Mean what, exactly?¡± ¡°That you want this world gone.¡± Raizel turned her head, glancing at her lord from the corners of her eyes. And, unusually so, the youngling¡¯s gaze was filled with genuine concern. But Serenis merely let out a hollow laughter, raising her gaze skyward to avoid Raizel¡¯s. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not too sure.¡± It was a divinity¡¯s work. Serenis knew better than anyone that denial wouldn¡¯t get her anywhere. But even so, the reason why she¡¯d refrained from affirming the steel dragon¡¯s suspicion, was because Serenis wasn¡¯t too certain of her desires herself. ¡°¡­At times, such thoughts did cross my mind. That the current star¡­is far too different from the star I remember.¡± The children and elders that had called her their lord were all entities from a thousand years past. The dragonkin that referred to Serenis as such today were limited Raizel, Ilias, Aldrid, and perhaps Bruton at best. None of them were here anymore. Her son and daughter that she so dearly missed, her lover who¡¯d long passed away, the kin she so fondly remembered, even the other demonlords that would jokingly cause floods and earthquakes in their quibbling arguments. Under such circumstances, what meaning did this star carry anymore? ¡°Although I am fully aware that I am wrong to do so, at times, I cannot help but resent those living the present...and what this world has become.¡± Even though Serenis had wanted to beg for forgiveness, there was no one left to forgive her anymore. Despite the bonds she¡¯d found anew in the present, they couldn¡¯t compare to the thousands of years she¡¯d lived in the era before. And, at times, she¡¯d felt betrayed ¨C of how the present had stolen the past from her. But Raizel merely snorted at her lord¡¯s words. Soon, the youngling was audibly snickering. ¡°Well, what do you know. And I thought you had no feelings.¡± The youngling briskly raised herself off the ground. She then approached Serenis in awkward steps before kneeling behind their back, wrapping a pair of hesitant arms around the dragonlord. ¡°Raizel?¡± ¡°¡­Do you hate me too? Because I¡¯m not from your time?¡± Serenis softly smiled at the youngling¡¯s question. It would be beyond foolish to harbor resentment towards her own kin merely based on the fact they were associated with the present. In fact, the only ones that could be held accountable for the current state of the world were the Twelve, and Serenis herself. ¡°¡­No. Of course not.¡± After a relieved sigh, the steel dragon mustered the courage to speak a few more words. ¡°¡­When you¡¯re done with what you¡¯re doing, come live with me at the nest.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was like before, but this star¡¯s not too bad, either. I¡¯ll show you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel could only handle so much of the awkward silence that ensued. When she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, the youngling tightened her arms around Serenis¡¯ neck in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, say something, damnit!¡± ¡°But, your¡­arms are¡­!¡° In the way, preventing her from speaking. But Serenis never got to finish that thought with Raizel¡¯s embarrassed breakout. ¡°You know what, never mind, I don¡¯t wanna hear it! Just shut up as usual and do whatever the hell you want!¡± Things were different. Compared to how things once were, so much had changed. But perhaps, things weren¡¯t so bad here in comparison. At least, Raizel hoped that her lord would think that way. And it wasn¡¯t just Raizel. A number of others had felt the same. ¡®¡­One day, I hope you can call this place home too.¡¯ Ep 92. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (6) Ep 92. What Is It That You Truly Desire? (6) Off in the outskirts of Hilia, the deity of life stood cross-armed and defiant, glaring down at her stammering son. The benevolent smile she wore when checking on the villagers was nowhere to be found. Rozerre avoided his mother¡¯s gaze as best as he could, but he couldn¡¯t avoid the confrontation altogether. ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­um¡­¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, mother. I did not mean to put you in harm¡¯s way.¡± Rozerre quickly lifted his gaze, hope sparking in his eyes as he continued his defense. ¡°But now that¡¯ve learned of the dragonlord¡¯s innate danger, we need but come up with a solution to address it! Is that not so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A pained, groaning sigh escaped the deity of life. She shook her aching head, her anger slowly transforming into a mix of stress and disappointment. ¡°Rozerre. I believe I¡¯ve told you to not misuse your abilities hundreds of years ago.¡± ¡°This was not a ¡®misuse¡¯! You¡¯ve seen it yourself, mother ¨C that dragon is dangerous. They¡¯re a threat to mankind!¡± ¡°¡­When will you ever mature?¡± Despite his reluctance, the little deity swallowed his words. His mother¡¯s disappointed eyes were filling with sorrow, and he couldn¡¯t even hear the slightest anger in her voice. After all, Aldrid knew that this wasn¡¯t something she could hope to address by being angry at her son. Deep inside, she knew that Rozerre¡¯s growth ¨C or lack thereof ¨C was largely due to the absence of a parental figure. A role that she¡¯d been unable to fulfill until now. ¡°¡­Rozerre. If everyone were to live as they truly pleased, our star would have long perished in war and bloodshed. As one grows into an adult, a parent¡­a ruler, responsible for so much more than themselves¡­there comes a time when we must repress our desires and abandon our dreams. For the sake of those we¡¯re responsible for.¡± ¡°¡­But those are lies. Falsehoods that mask who they truly are.¡± ¡°Do you think one¡¯s desires define the individual? That¡¯s not true at all. Those who live as they truly please are few and far between. At times, one¡¯s duty and responsibility are able to define the individual far better than their wants. Rozerre, you still haven¡¯t come to this realization.¡± ¡°¡­Even if what you say is true, mother, it does not change the fact that this dragon is an impending crisis. Should they finish their quest of destroying divinities, what guarantee is there that they wouldn¡¯t follow through with destroying the world afterwards?¡± ¡°If she were planning to destroy this world as you claim, why would she bother finding us one by one? She may as well have destroyed this star, and us along with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± As her son trailed off their words, Aldrid¡¯s gaze drifted over to the distant skies. ¡°She¡¯s subduing her own desires, Rozerre. For she places others far above her own self.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was nothing Rozerre could say back ¨C especially because he knew, at least somewhat, that the dragonlord wasn¡¯t exactly the typical ¡®demonlord¡¯ he had in mind. Having a hidden desire involving violence was hardly a surprise for the deity of emotions. Although the sheer strength behind Serenis¡¯ response was beyond his imagination, he¡¯d seen plenty of violent responses in response to the same question before. Assault, murder, slavery, rape¡­the depravity Rozerre had seen in mankind through his divinity was nothing short of wicked.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Indeed, the truly extraordinary part was that Serenis had withdrawn her magic through her own free will. When Raizel had leapt into the deluge of light, the dragonlord had unmistakably withdrawn her mana to save the steel dragon. If Serenis truly desired to destroy this world, then it was nonsensical to withdraw her magic in any way. Indeed, as far as Rozerre concerned, the dragonlord should¡¯ve been out to make her wish come true by any means necessary ¨C regardless of how many died, regardless of the destruction she¡¯d cause in the process. Her rampage should never have stopped until Rozerre¡¯s divinity wore off, or her eventual death. But Serenis had reined herself back, much less achieve her desires. Even if Raizel¡¯s recklessness had somehow factored in, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to say that the dragonlord had stopped her rampage on her own. ¡®¡­In a state of ever-expanding greed, no less.¡¯ It was a part of the questioning that had gone unmentioned. In an attempt to bring out the deepest facets of the individual, Rozerre had not only erased their inhibitions and amplified their honesty, but intensified their greed hundredfold. No one should¡¯ve been able to rein in their desires under such circumstances. Rozerre had used his divinity to test the dragonlord¡¯s intentions and emphasize the threat that she was. Alas, all he¡¯d done was prove that even excessive levels of greed could not drown out Serenis¡¯ sense of duty as a ruler. And finally, the deity of emotions raised both his hands in a surrendering manner. ¡°I¡¯ll admit defeat, mother. I was wrong. Not all demons were the same after all¡­I suppose.¡± ¡°¡­I told you so.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d actually take those words to heart, did you? After all the blood we shed to the griffins and behemoths?¡± ¡°When Lord Serenis was alive, the other tribes never managed to hurt those within the dragonkin¡¯s nest. They couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Not even once?¡± ¡°Not even once.¡± ¡°¡­Hard to believe, that.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the truth, Rozerre. That¡¯s how Lord Serenis has always been. That¡¯s how the dragonkin always has been.¡± Her unwavering trust would never have formed otherwise. Unlike her younger self, Aldrid now knew what sort of king their lord had been. Now, she knew that Serenis would prioritize her brethren over anything ¨C even if it meant killing herself within. And because her lord was such an individual, she wanted to gift them a reason to live on. Even if it meant pressing them into hollow promises, Aldrid wished for Serenis to remain alive. Had they been here, the rest of the kin would doubtless have done the same. ¡°Now, I¡¯d advise you to go apologize to Lord Serenis before it¡¯s too late. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll-¡° Boom! As a loud explosion cut off Aldrid¡¯s words, the two deities looked towards the sound¡¯s source. The trunk of a massive tree slowly angled downwards before crashing onto the ground. The deity of life shot another glare at her son, to which he defensively raised his hands against. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t do anything this time!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then who did? ? ? ? Meanwhile, at the capital city of Zeria¡­ ¡°Your majesty, a word from the Grand General. Preparations for the upcoming campaign are proceeding apace. The army will be ready to march westward before the next moon.¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± The Akeian emperor slowly opened his eyes. His low, piercing gaze seemed to stare into his subject¡¯s very soul as he spoke. ¡°With this, the continent itself becomes our nation.¡± ¡°¡­Forgive my brashness, your majesty, but if she were to interfere¡­¡± ¡°That is no longer a concern.¡± ¡°¡­Has the Grand General succeeded in finding a countermeasure?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the emperor¡¯s dreary eyes sharply thinned, the subject hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°F, forgive me. I¡¯ve misspoken.¡± ¡°Do not doubt the empire. You need but follow.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, your majesty.¡± ¡°Go. I¡¯ve matters to tend to.¡± The kneeling subject hurriedly raised himself, swiftly exiting the throne room before evoking his emperor¡¯s wrath. A light breeze brushed into the chamber as the door creaked to a close, and following suit, a cloaked figure suddenly stood before the emperor¡¯s throne. The emperor raised himself from his seat, meeting the figure eye to eye. But he soon closed his eyes in reluctance and lowered himself unto the floor, prostrating before the cloaked figure staring down at him without any care for his pride as the empire¡¯s ruler. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡¯Do not doubt,¡¯ is it? You¡¯d use my words to your subjects?¡± ¡°My deepest apologies. I will gladly accept any punishment.¡± The cloaked figure scoffed at the emperor¡¯s immediate submission. ¡°One does not punish a tool. They are merely discarded.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Play your part, Lavnore.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, my lord.¡± The emperor continued to prostrate in silence, but his lowered stance no longer gnawed at his towering pride. His mind was instead filled with thoughts of his impending success. ¡®With this¡­Astellion itself falls under the empire¡¯s rule. We¡¯ll finally have the power to raze the south¡¯s wretches to cinders. For the great emperor¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± The cloaked figure soon turned his back against the prostrating emperor, facing the scenery outside. An endless expanse of cityscape and water comprised the superb view outside. War had once broken the empire, but war had salvaged its remains to even greater glory. The effort they¡¯d made to use archaic remains into weaponry had paid off greatly. After all, what did it matter whose remains they were? Lifeless bodies were nothing but soulless objects, items that ought to be used. Even if it once belonged to a lord of the demon tribe. Such histories were meaningless before a greater purpose. In truth, the figure cared little for the empire itself. Wealth, land, power, authority ¨C they didn¡¯t need any of it. Even this prostrating emperor¡¯s revolting presence was only being condoned for the sake of achieving their goal. ¡®¡­With this, the last demonlord shall meet their end.¡¯ And mankind¡¯s oldest desire will finally be realized. Ep 93. Its Not Too Late. (1) Ep 93. It''s Not Too Late. (1) 10 minutes ago¡­ ¡°¡­Think they¡¯re afraid of us?¡± ¡°That does seem to be the case.¡± Once the sun had risen, the two dragons busily went about refilling the expansive crater Serenis had made last night which had become a little too noticeable in daylight. Several villagers were now also out and about, a majority were simply gathered around to watch the village¡¯s two strange guests. And every time Raizel glanced at them, they¡¯d hurriedly turn away around to avoid the youngling¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­I get that they¡¯re scared, but what¡¯s up with them just watching us like animals?¡± ¡°Who do you suppose told them what we are, child?¡± ¡°Goldie?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Serenis stared at Raizel with thinned, disappointed eyes, the youngling shrugged and reluctantly correct herself. ¡°¡­Fine. Aldrid.¡± ¡°And what do you suppose Aldrid is to these villagers?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t she one of those deity sh¡­oh.¡± With Rozerre¡¯s unsettling influence now washed away, the village was just as Serenis had expected: wary and cautious. A rural village was wont to be on guard of non-human visitors, especially if they¡¯d just blown up the town¡¯s only tavern on their night of arrival. Aldrid had checked for villagers to make sure no one had been harmed by last night¡¯s events, but if the deity had gone around telling them who the two dragons were while she did so ¨C which did seem to be the case ¨C it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising to see the farmers gathering their pikes and axes to drive out the two dragons. Alas, while the two dragons were rather unwelcomed guests, they were also the company of a worshipped deity: the villagers couldn¡¯t dare to drive them away, but no one was brave enough to welcome them with open arms, either. The result was the current awkwardness where everyone was warily watching from a distance, too scared to approach any further. ¡°Meh. Still better than what it was yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­Hm. I suppose.¡± Serenis snickered at the youngling¡¯s grumbling. True to her words, the villagers¡¯ alertness was much better in comparison to the jarring brashness they¡¯d experienced the day before. As some would say, silence was golden. But even that silence was soon broken by a low, authoritative voice that split the crowd in half. ¡°Excuse us.¡± As the gathered villagers made way, a group of four men, all dressed in black-gold military armor, appeared from their midst. One of them was on horseback, his gaze focused on the two strange individuals repairing the paved ground. ¡°Sir. They match the reported descriptions.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± After narrowing his eyes further, the leading officer quickly dropped off his mount to approach the dragons before him, the other men following closely behind. The man in lead didn¡¯t seem bothered one bit as they came to a stop before Raizel¡¯s glaring eyes. ¡°The hell do you want?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a brief scan, the officer shot a demeaning look towards Serenis before turning to address Raizel. ¡°Two nights prior, a pair of winged figures ¨C a human, accompanied by a half ¨C were spotted flying across the continental border. Numerous witnesses pointed to the invaders¡¯ destination being in the direction of this village.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Invaders will not be condoned. Unless proven otherwise, you are both guilty of trespassing the empire¡¯s borders.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It took Raizel a minute to realize the ¡®human and half¡¯ in the officer¡¯s description were referring to her and Serenis. Apparently, dragons weren¡¯t even an option in their mind.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. But even with that realization, two things baffled Raizel: one, despite the villagers being perfectly aware of what she and Serenis were, none of them seemed keen on stepping up to inform the four soldiers. And two, the steel dragon recognized the moon-piercing sword crest embedded unto their breastplates. ¡®¡­Isn¡¯t that¡­¡¯ But even as the steel dragon glared at the men with sickened eyes, they were too lost in their idle chatter to even notice. ¡°You sure they¡¯re the right ones? Neither of ¡®em look capable of using magic to fly.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. As long as we have someone to hold responsible. Even if they aren¡¯t, nobody¡¯s gonna care about outskirt folks like these.¡± ¡°We can just turn in the girl and sell the half ourselves, can¡¯t we? Their price¡¯s been rideiculously high since the army bought most of ¡®em.¡± Once Serenis¡¯ empty gaze met one of the soldiers hungrily staring at her figure, she briefly scanned her surroundings once more. Seeing how reluctant the villagers were to intervene, she could guess that the four men before her were of at least some authority. And apparently, said authorities were keen on selling the ¡®half¡¯ before them to a market as if they were selling potatoes. But even more concerning was the seething hatred in Raizel¡¯s eyes. Seeing the youngling holding back an unusual amount of anger, Serenis gently touched Raizel by her shoulder with concerned eyes. But the steel dragon was quick to shake off the hold, not even bothering to look back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just gonna ask them something.¡± When the steel dragon took a step closer the leading officer, he was staring back at the two dragons with a most peculiar gaze. The second glance he spared towards Serenis was even more demeaning. ¡°A human girl, concerned about a half? That¡¯s rather curious.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m gonna ask you once. If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll kill you all.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The four threw the youngling a confused, mocking look. Upon hearing the threat, the lead officer instinctively fixed the grip on the hilt of his sword, unsheathing a small bit to let the sunlight reflect off of its dim, hazel blade. But Raizel only scoffed at the weapon in response. Following suit, a giant, scaled mass of metal was flung out of the steel dragon¡¯s back, bashing onto a massive tree far behind her. After suffering a brutal wound to its trunk, the tree sunk down to the ground with a deafening thud beside Raizel¡¯s enormous tail, causing the nearby villagers to flee in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t even try.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­And that was all that was needed for the officer to sheathe his blade back in. After the noise of the falling tree whittled down, the steel dragon hissed her question in a furious voice. ¡°Are you four from the empire?¡± ¡°¡­We¡­¡± The officer audibly gulped in fear. A terrifying realization began to settle within him as he studied the metallic tail, accompanied by a paralyzing fear of what he was talking to. To make matters worse, he wasn¡¯t certain what answer was appropriate here. Unfortunately, lying was useless with the crested armor they wore. And even if he were to fool Raizel for the time being, all it would take was one native to recognize their crest. ¡°¡­We¡­are.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel took a heavy step forward, ground lowly rumbling beneath her foot. The men behind the leading officer began to step back in fear, though they all knew that running away was futile before the entity they faced. However, moments before Raizel could swing her summoned at their heads, the youngling felt a firm grip pulling back at her hand. When she turned around, Serenis was looking at her with pained eyes, shaking her head. ¡°¡­Stay your hand, child.¡± ¡°Lord, they¡¯re all from that same damned empire. You might not have been there, but they came at us first!¡± ¡°If they truly were responsible for the kin¡¯s misfortune, then I will punish them in your place. Do not sully your hands.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Another minute passed by as Raizel contemplated between shaking off Serenis¡¯ hold against listening to her. The youngling frowned in conflicted anger, but eventually lowered her hand and turned away from the empire¡¯s soldiers. ¡°¡­Tch. Fine.¡± After reluctantly withdrawing her tail, the steel dragon shot the soldiers another glare. Serenis instead stepped forth, her gaze lowering towards the leading officer¡¯s waist. She then reached forward, gripping the hilt of the officer¡¯s weapon before swiftly pulling out the blade without permission. A dim glow shone from the metal, its smooth, brown surface bathing in sunlight. ¡°¡­? What are you¡­¡± Serenis then summoned a ball of fire into her other hand, dipping the blade straight into its glow. But instead of melting or cutting through the spell, the magicked ember was reduced into bits of harmless mana as soon as the blade made contact. It only took moments before the spell dissipated into thin air. Finally, Serenis raised her pressuring gaze to meet the officer¡¯s. ¡°Where did you acquire this blade?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a weapon given to all officers of the empire.¡± ¡°¡­Where did its make hail from?¡± The officer opened his mouth to answer, but closed it back without a word. His eyes darted around nervously before he stammered out his next answer. ¡°I¡­cannot tell you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t regular metal. In fact, it wasn¡¯t even metal to begin with. If anyone would know, the dragonlord would. - ¡®Hey Serenis, look! I made your daughter a ring from my shell!¡¯ - ¡®¡­I am NOT giving her to you.¡¯ - ¡®What are you saying?! It¡¯s not THAT kind of ring! Hey princess, tell your mother she¡¯s wrong!¡¯ She ran her fingertip across the blade¡¯s length. Unlike the rugged warmth she remembered, it was cold, and unnaturally smooth. ¡®¡­What¡¯s your shell doing in a human¡¯s possession?¡¯ A long sigh escaped the dragonlord. No demon remained on this star aside from her own kin; if her gargantuan friend was still alive, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t have been able to sense his existence at Vulka¡¯s grave. Then, this weapon was merely a piece of his corpse. A corpse that humans had somehow acquired to wield for themselves. That had to be the case. ¡°What does your nation seek to accomplish with weapons like these?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid cannot tell you that, either. Kill us if you must.¡± ¡°¡­No matter.¡± Neither Serenis nor Raizel had the ability to make someone speak their mind. Threats and tortures could supposedly go a long way, but Serenis wasn¡¯t too keen on employing such methods herself. And she didn¡¯t need to. A far better option was right there, hurriedly approaching the dragonlord with his mother. Ep 94. Confessions of the Historian: Ruler of the Seas Ep 94. Confessions of the Historian: Ruler of the Seas The ocean¡¯s strongest creature? A large shark, perhaps. Or an enormous whale. Or perhaps a titanic, eight-legged monster residing within the water¡¯s depths. Once upon a time, however, this question was not worthy of discussion. The ruler of the seas was far beyond the might of such insignificant creatures; through his sheer size alone, he could flood the continents and trample its mountains. Admittedly, he did no such thing. He could, but he did not ¨C for fear he¡¯d incur the wrath of his dear friend. Though, they never were more than that. ? ? ? ¡°Excuse my intrusion, Lord Serenis! Urgent news!¡± ¡°¡­Hm?¡± The discussion halted midway as Serenis, alongside numerous elders, fixed their attention on the man who¡¯d just burst into the lair. His heavy breathing was a telltale sign that something had happened ¨C enough to intrude upon an elders¡¯ meeting. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, child? Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fine, my lord. But Eden, she¡¯s¡­she¡¯s disappeared.¡± ¡°¡­Disappeared?¡± An audible gasp swept across the gathered dragons at the news. Serenis rose to her feet, briskly making her way over to the news¡¯ bearer. A heavy frown crossed her face, her expression ridden with disbelief. ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s still a mere hatchling, dozens were looking after her. How could she have disappeared?¡± ¡°W, we¡¯re not sure¡­she was there one moment, but somehow she was gone the next. We¡¯ve looked everywhere, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dragonlord silently walked past the man, leaving the gathered elders behind her. Nobody dared to stop their king as a pair of white wings spread forth, taking her into the air. And soon after, a second dragon rose to their feet. After glancing around the other elders who were fidgeting in place, she began to shout with a displeased look. ¡°Are you all just going to sit there and idle by?! A child¡¯s gone missing!¡± ¡°¡­Settle, Arkrana. We don¡¯t even know where she¡¯s gone to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And we still haven¡¯t finished discussing what to do about the behemoths.¡± The steel dragon gritted her teeth. She smashed the stone table they were gathered around, glaring at the other dragons around it. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re all going to do when your own children go missing?! Sit here and talk about other tribes?!¡± ¡°Well¡­that child¡¯s just a half.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Eden may be the lord¡¯s child, but she¡¯s a mere half. She couldn¡¯t have left the nest of her own accord, someone must¡¯ve taken her on purpose. And if that¡¯s the case, then she¡¯s likely already¡­¡± An unsettling silence settled amongst the dragons. A few quietly nodded in agreement as they added their own thoughts. ¡°If anything, this is all the more reason to discuss what we¡¯ll do and move together as kin. Surely it¡¯s the behemoths behind this incident as well.¡± ¡°I agree. Searching for that little child will only be a waste of precious time.¡± ¡°That does seem to be the wisest choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Eden was born, everyone had celebrated the birth of the dragonlord¡¯s heir ¨C but in truth, many had worried that the half child would one day inherit Serenis¡¯ role as dragonlord. A half rising to the position of their ruler was unimaginable amongst numerous dragons. And, quite frankly, a significant portion of the kin had wished for something like this: for the child to simply ¡®disappear¡¯ before growing to age. Even though they had no particularly ill feelings for Eden herself, it was thought that the child¡¯s death would best serve the kin¡¯s future down the road. Outright weaklings ¨C such as humans ¨C were far easier to spare compassion for. A missing human child would better motivate these dragons to get up. Eden had been in an odd limbo given her race and position as heir. ¡®And that¡¯s why all of you are disgusting.¡¯ Arkrana turned to follow her lord and join the search. She spared a brief glare at the dragons behind her before taking into the skies. ¡°¡­At least the behemoths aren¡¯t hypocrites. You lot are so much worse.¡± ? ? ? A long, long time ago, there existed a demon tribe known as the velks. They were the only tribe whose homes lied underwater, and also the largest among demonkind as whole: an average velk rivalled the size of a small mountain. With four short limbs, a body-encasing shell and a jagged head bearing dozens of gigantic teeth, the tribe was the ocean¡¯s most horrifying terror¡­at least in appearance. Though, their namesake was far smaller compared to their actual terror, and the tribe cared little for fame. They were the only intelligent creatures within the ocean, and being famous amongst landwalkers did little to serve them when they spent most of their time underwater. But every now and then, some would climb unto land to bathe in sunlight. Though, because their emergence from the ocean often resulted in tidal waves flooding the land, the tribe had heard centuries of complaints from others. Eventually, their lord had compromised: that his tribe would to reduce their forms to a human-like appearance on land. All of that is to say¡­should one spot a peculiar individual bathing in the sun by the seashores, it was often best not to interrupt their rest. For they could potentially be giant tortoises that could stomp a village underfoot. Unfortunately, the little half girl didn¡¯t know any of that. ¡°Wooooah, this lake is so big! I can¡¯t see the other side!¡± Eden happily ran about the sandy beaches, running towards the wavy waters. The glimmering ocean was so mesmerizing that she failed to notice the brown-scaled figure, half-buried in the sand¡­until she trampled over their face. Accidentally. ¡°¡­Bgh!¡± After feeling something squishy beneath her feet, only then did Eden turn around to check the source of the sudden grunt. The man she¡¯d stepped on was now sitting upright, painfully rubbing his nose while glaring at the little girl before him. ¡°You little runt¡­are you blind?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Eden dismissed the fury in the stranger¡¯s eyes, instead focusing on studying his odd features. He was in a humanoid form, but he clearly wasn¡¯t human ¨C though, he wasn¡¯t exactly a dragon either. His scaled tail was much thicker than the dragon tails she¡¯d see at her nest, and his arms were similarly covered in scales. His shriveled brown hair was in a wavy mess, though that may have just been because Eden had just stepped on his face. But most importantly¡­while he fortunately had a pair of pants over his legs, he had no clothes from the waist up. And nobody in the nest had ever walked around like that. At least not in front of Eden. ¡°Woah! You¡¯re naked!¡± ¡°What?! No I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not wearing anything! I can see your chest!¡± ¡°¡­Listen here, you little runt. I¡¯m a velk, I don¡¯t need to follow your stupid human customs. The only reason I¡¯m even wearing anything at all is because a friend keeps yapping at me to wear clothes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a velk?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of velks?...At all?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯ll be damned.¡± After stretching his neck a few times and dusting off the sand from his body, the man finally gave the little girl a proper scan. Only then did he notice the two black horns protruding from her head ¨C though he didn¡¯t see any other non-human features on her besides that. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He took a step closer, lifting Eden by the back of her dress like a fish he¡¯d just caught. He spun her left and right, but he couldn¡¯t find any telltale signs of her tribe beside the horns. ¡°No wings, no tail, no weird skin color¡­the hell are you?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Eden!¡± ¡°Not that. What tribe are you? You¡¯re not human.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a dragon!¡± ¡°¡­No you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°Yes I am!¡± ¡°Uh, no you¡¯re not. I know what dragons look like. I don¡¯t see any wings or tail on you, and a runt like you couldn¡¯t possibly have learned how to hide them already.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°I¡¯m not a runt! I¡¯m Eden!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, sure.¡± Even now, the velk was pondering whether he should simply swallow the little girl whole before continuing his nap. The beach they were on was in an extremely remote location, and little girl or not, he despised the thought of others intruding his private cove. But then again, it¡¯d be pretty troublesome if her parents were to start complaining¡­especially when he wasn¡¯t even sure what tribe the girl was even from. ¡®Meh. Can¡¯t hurt to ask.¡¯ If she turned out to be some inconsequential lost orphan, he could always return to his initial idea then. ¡°Where¡¯s your mom and dad?¡± ¡°Mom told me dad¡¯s somewhere far away. Mom is¡­¡± Eden looked around innocently, checking if her mother was anywhere nearby. When she found no one else in the vicinity, she beamed an innocent smile at the man holding her in the air. ¡°Somewhere!¡± ¡°¡­Somewhere where?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! But she¡¯ll be here soon, she always finds me!¡± ¡°As if. I don¡¯t know how you got here, but I doubt your mom will find you. Nobody knows about this place but me¡­and you, I guess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Mom can do anything!¡± ¡°Anything? Pft. What, is your mom a demonlord?¡± ¡°Uh huh! She¡¯s a dragonlord!¡± ¡° ¡­?¡± The velk furrowed his brows. He carefully lowered the little girl back unto the ground, bending down slightly to look into her eyes. Deep blue. Sure, maybe not all that rare of a color, but still a frightening similarity when put to perspective. ¡°Wait a second. Your mom is¡­Serenis? You¡¯re her daughter?¡± ¡°Uh huh!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man scratched his head in annoyance. Eating her was now off the table. ¡®Damnit, that¡¯s right, I think I did hear that her daughter was a half¡­¡¯ He then looked off to the surrounding cliff behind them. The rocky structure was towering above them, surrounding the entire cove; there was no way to Eden could¡¯ve gotten here by foot without plummeting to her death. ¡°Hey, runt, how¡¯d you get here? Did you fly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not runt!¡± ¡°Fine, Eden. Did you fly?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°Did you swim?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°How the hell did you get here then?¡± ¡°I dunno!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mister, you look angry. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°YOU! You¡¯re what¡¯s wrong, damnit!¡± ¡°Eh¡­is it because I stepped on you? I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t just eat Serenis¡¯ daughter and pretend nothing had happened. If she were to find out, that¡¯d probably be the day a new velklord came to power. And even if she never did find out, he¡¯d probably die of guilt. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I like your mother.¡± ¡°You do? Are you going to marry her?¡± ¡°¡­A little late for that, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I dunno!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The velk let out a long sigh, placing his hands by his waist. He could move fast within the waters, but he was abysmally slow on land ¨C taking Eden back to the dragons¡¯ nest would take days on foot, if not weeks. But he couldn¡¯t take Eden into the water either, else she¡¯d drown. ¡°¡­Guess you¡¯re stuck here for a while.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom will find us soon! She¡¯ll rescue you too!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need rescuing! Who do you think I am?!¡± ¡°A homeless person?¡± ¡°What?! How?¡± ¡°Well, you only have half your clothes¡­and you were sleeping in dirt.¡± ¡°Listen, I¡¯m a velk. The ocean IS our home. You see all that water in front of you? That¡¯s where we live. That¡¯s all my territory.¡± ¡°But people can¡¯t breathe in water! I tried!¡± ¡°Yeah, YOU can¡¯t. Not even your mother can breathe underwater. That¡¯s OUR thing.¡± ¡°Hrmm¡­then why were you sleeping in dirt?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s called sunbathing.¡± ¡°Sunbaiting?¡± ¡°Here. Lie down.¡± The velk sat back down onto the sand, tapping the spot next to him. Eden plopped down onto the ground herself, rolling around in the strange, shiny dirt. Which is called sand, but she didn¡¯t know that. ¡°It¡¯s warm! This feels nice!¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s nice to be somewhere warm when you spend most of your time in water. It gets cold every now and then, you know?¡± ¡°Aww¡­you don¡¯t have blankets at home?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°No wonder you¡¯re cold.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were lots of things to say, but nothing Eden would really understand. So the velk instead kept his mouth shut, lying back down beside the little girl himself. ¡°Just sleep. Maybe your mother will find you by the time you wake up.¡± ¡°But I already napped today.¡± ¡°Nap again.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s bad! Mom told me sleeping too much is bad for your health!¡± ¡°¡­Seriously? She used to sleep the most among all of us. Times have changed, huh.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s all of us?¡± ¡°The lords. You know, tribe leaders. Like your mother.¡± ¡°I dunno what that means. I only know dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯re kings. Your mother is the king of dragons. I¡¯m the king of velks.¡± ¡°Mom¡¯s a king?¡± ¡°Queen, then. Whatever you wanna say. They¡¯re human words, anyways.¡± ¡°Does that make me a princess?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­yeah, I guess it does.¡± ¡°Oohhh.¡± The little girl giggled at her newfound knowledge. She¡¯d only read about kings and queens in storybooks, but they¡¯d always appeared as wealthy, powerful figures. Their sons and daughters were often heroes and the main focus in various stories. And apparently, she¡¯s one of them! ¡°Thanks, mister! You taught me something!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t taught me the important thing yet!¡± ¡°¡­Great. Now what?¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me your name.¡± ¡°My name?¡± The velk opened his eyes and glanced at the little girl to find her on her side, staring intently into his figure. He snorted in amusement at the little girl¡¯s audacity ¨C he couldn¡¯t even remember the last time someone had demanded a name from him. ¡°My name¡¯s Kelador. Velklord Kelador.¡± ¡°Kell-la-door.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Remember it well, princess. There aren¡¯t many who can call me by name.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­¡± The velklord closed his eyes once again, sighing in satisfaction. His mind slowly began to wander off as sleep crept over his body once more. Until Eden shook it off from him. ¡°Kelador. Kelador.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s my name. You don¡¯t have to keep repeating it. And stop shaking me.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Really? I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kelador reluctantly opened his eyes. Though he¡¯d never had a child of his own, he¡¯d always wondered why the others complained about having one. It was slowly starting to make sense. ? ? ? After a few minutes, Kelador burst out of the water with a loud splash. He trudged back ashore, tail wrapped around copious amounts of fish that were dropped ashore in front of Eden. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Ooh. What are these?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen fish before?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°Huh. Well, they¡¯re called fish. Little critters who live in the water. Though, some grow pretty big.¡± ¡°Really? How big?¡± ¡°Big enough to fit you right in their mouth.¡± ¡°Wha?!¡± Eden immediately backed off from the flopping fish on the sand. She eyed the creature warily, newfound fear in her eyes. ¡°¡­Fish are scary.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, these ones don¡¯t grow that big. You need to go pretty deep to find fish that size.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re not going to eat me?¡± ¡°Of course not. They¡¯re your food, not the other way around.¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡± After hearing the velklord¡¯s reassurance, Eden knelt down to grab the flopping fish. But her attempts were proven futile as their slippery bodies slithered out of her grasp each time, making it impossible to grab one. Soon, the half girl turned over to face the velk with a teary expression. He was already lying back down on the sand, eyes closed in a likewise futile attempt to sleep. ¡°¡­Kelador¡­¡± ¡°¡­What is it now, princess.¡± ¡°They¡¯re too slippery.¡± ¡°¡­Just wait for them to dry.¡± ¡°They¡¯re also being covered in dirt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s sand, not dirt. And what¡¯s the problem with that?¡± ¡°Eating dirt makes you sick.¡± ¡°Wash them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s going to make them slippery again though!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The velklord raised himself back up with an audible groan. He stole several glances at the bundle of fish and Eden, rising to his feet afterwards. ¡°Fine. Gimme a minute.¡± Kelador quickly made his way to the cliffside, chipping at the stone surface to tear out a long, flat piece of rock. He brought it to the half girl and set it down, proceeding to skewer one of the flopping critters with his finger by the head. ¡®Halves and their picky eating¡­you owe me, Serenis.¡¯ Once the fish was dead, the velklord swiftly sliced off their head and tail before proceeding to skin the meat. After shredding the flesh to little boneless slices on the stone surface, he finally invited the little girl back over to eat. ¡°Here. No problems now, right?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ¡°¡­What now?¡± ¡°Mom told me not to eat raw meat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she fed you land animals. Raw fish are fine.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, really. Trust me, I know better than your mom when it comes to ocean life.¡± ¡°Mm¡­okay, if you say so!¡± It wasn¡¯t long until Eden began nibbling on one of the slices. Soon, she pushed the whole slice into her mouth, chewing and swallowing with a delighted expression. ¡°Fish taste funny! They taste like wind!¡± ¡°What does that even mean¡­?¡± ¡°And they¡¯re squishy!¡± Kelador watched with crossed arms as the little girl continued to eat her meal. A thin smile curved his lips before he laid back onto the sand. ¡°¡­As long as you like it, princess.¡± ? ? ? Kelador enjoyed a moment¡¯s respite as Eden ate. She woke him then and there out of boredom, dragging him along into the shallow waters to play with her ¨C and fetch her while he was at it if she ever went too deep. It took quite some time before the half girl would tire herself out and return to the sand. But once the sun began to set, a new problem arose. And, as per tradition, the velklord was shaken awake to address it. ¡°Kelador. Kelador.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°Are you cold?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Really?...I am.¡± When the velk opened his eyes, a shivering little girl came to sight. Her dress lightly fluttered about in the chilly night breeze, and the sun was no longer present to warm her back. Even the sand beneath their feet were ice cold now. Of course, a velk hatchling would¡¯ve been fine in Eden¡¯s place. They spent their entire lives in cold water; a little night chill was nothing to them. But Eden wasn¡¯t a velk, and she wasn¡¯t even a dragon. At least not in full. ¡®Why you gotta do this to me, Serenis¡­¡¯ Once again, the velklord rose to his feet with an audible groan. He began walking towards the murky waters, stretching his neck left and right while more and more of his body gradually sank into the water. ¡°Wait here.¡± ? ? ? And another hour later¡­ ¡°EDEN!!¡± A gigantic thud shook the entire cove with a monstrous sound. Kelador jolted awake and looked up to find a white dragon standing before him, their figure lightly shimmering in the darkness of the night. Soon after, their body briefly flashed in white before being reduced to a much smaller form. The panting dragonlord frantically looked left and right for her daughter which she could feel nearby, and when she couldn¡¯t find her daughter, began glaring at the velklord before her. ¡°Where¡¯s my daughter, Kelador?! If you did anything to her¡­!¡± ¡°Woah woah woah, calm down. She¡¯s right over there.¡± The velklord innocently pointed to a large clam off to his side, easily big enough to house a person or two inside. Serenis immediately made her way over and burst it open by tearing off the top half, waking up the girl soundly sleeping within. ¡°Mmh¡­mom¡­?¡± ¡°Eden!¡± After embracing the little girl in her arms, Serenis once again began glaring at the velklord beside her. As far as she was concerned, there was no way in hell Eden could¡¯ve ended up in a clam¡¯s mouth at a lone cove like this. They weren¡¯t even close to the dragonkin¡¯s nest. ¡°Kelador, you better have an explanation for kidnapping my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­Ok, there¡¯s a huge misunderstanding here. I didn¡¯t do jack, your daughter just appeared out of nowhere! This place was supposed to be MY private resting spot, not hers!¡± ¡°Is that the best story you could come up with? After feeding her to some odd ocean creature?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t FEED her to the clam, your daughter was freezing so I tucked her inside somewhere warm! The hell was I supposed to do, dip her into the ocean? You know I can¡¯t make fire!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just ask her! She¡¯s right there, you know!¡± Serenis¡¯ furious glare loosened into a distrustful stare. She then lowered her gaze to the half-asleep daughter in her arms, gently rubbing the little girl¡¯s back. ¡°Are you alright, Eden? What happened?¡± ¡°Mmh?...Em¡­Kelador taught me sunbaiting.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°And I ate fish¡­it tasted like wind. And then I played in the big salty lake, and¡­I slept in a really weird bed¡­hehe¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a clam. Both of you really need to work on your ocean knowledge.¡± Despite the velklord¡¯s pouting, Serenis completely dismissed his words. The smile on her daughter¡¯s face was all she could see right now, their small laughter all she could hear. ¡°¡­Is that so? It sounds like you had a fun day.¡± ¡°Mhm!...¡± Serenis cuddled the little girl a moment longer, letting her daughter fall back asleep in her arms. She then turned to Kelador, lowering her gaze apologetically. ¡°¡­I apologize for the misunderstanding. Thank you for taking care of her.¡± ¡°Just a thank-you? You owe me big time, Serenis.¡± ¡°¡­Of course. Would you like anything in return?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kelador also lowered his gaze to study the little girl in Serenis¡¯ arms. A complicated mix of emotions welled up within, but he managed to grin back to the dragonlord ¨C as he always have. ¡°Come with your daughter again sometime.¡± ¡°Here? To this shore?¡± ¡°Yeah. You both ought to know a little more about the ocean. Seriously, how do you not even know what a clam is?¡± ¡°¡­Is that what that bed is called?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a¡­you know what, sure, let¡¯s go with that.¡± Serenis blankly stared at the pouting velklord a while longer. A faint smile eventually curved her lips, and she nodded back to her old friend. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be sure to visit again soon, then.¡± This was Eden¡¯s first meeting with a demon outside of the dragonkin. It was also her first notable meeting with a demonlord other than her mother. And it was also the day Kelador¡¯s personal resting spot became a not-so-personal family picnic spot. ? ? ? You were a fool, velklord. You knew you could never stand at her side, and yet you strived for the impossible. Had you given up on this futile prospect, perhaps the error wouldn¡¯t have grown to what it was. Perhaps you¡¯d still be alive, together with your beloved friend. But you chose to support their growth. And you chose to risk your kin for the erroneous dreams you nurtured within them. Surely, you knew your life would never amount to anything when making these choices ¨C when you yourself volunteered to be their tool. Perhaps the only difference now is that your wielders have changed to humans. Ep 95. Its Not Too Late. (2) Ep 95. It''s Not Too Late. (2) ¡°Lord Serenis! Are you alright?!¡± ¡°Aldrid.¡± It wasn¡¯t long until the deity of life came rushing back to her lord¡¯s side, son in tow. It also wasn¡¯t long until she noticed the four armored men, all on their knees before the dragonlord who was now holding a strange, bronze-like sword. ¡°What happened? We saw a tree falling down and came as fast as we could¡­who are these men?¡± ¡°Men from the empire. Empire of¡­¡± When the name escaped Serenis, she looked towards the kneeling lead officer. He quickly turned towards the blonde woman who¡¯d just arrived, stammering to finish the dragonlord¡¯s sentence for her. ¡°Akeia. The Akeian Empire.¡± The officer¡¯s answer was met by two distinct replies. ¡°Akeia?!¡± ¡°Hm. Nothing unusual, I suppose.¡± The staggering difference between the two deities¡¯ reactions left everyone puzzled. Rozerre soon looked towards his mother, nonetheless confused by his mother¡¯s surprise. ¡°You sound surprised, mother.¡± ¡°Of course I am! Did the empire not fall in the last century? How are they still¡­?¡± ¡°¡­? Is that how it¡¯s known in Wayla? The empire¡¯s resettled to Astellion during its verge of collapse and has regrown to power over the last century. In fact, they now control most of Astellion¡¯s land.¡± Aldrid was still frowning after hearing her son¡¯s explanation. The casualness in his tone was almost unnerving. ¡°¡­Rozerre, the empire¡¯s soaked Wayla¡¯s history in blood throughout their reign. Their appearance had always followed with bloodshed.¡± ¡°..Weren¡¯t we to remain impartial to such acts? Mankind will always find a reason to despise each other. You were in favor of their nature, mother.¡± ¡°When did I ever¡­?¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t in favor of their bloodthirsty nature, you should¡¯ve made them better. Failing that, you should¡¯ve intervened during the era¡¯s beginning. Is that not what a creator ought to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®That was only¡­because¡­¡¯ Aldrid opened her mouth several times to defend herself, only to find herself absolutely speechless. When no words came from the deity of life, her son pursed his lips, shrugging at the sight. ¡°Whatever your reasons were, you cannot deny that you left things as they were for an entire millennium. And besides, you-¡° ¡°Enough.¡± Rozerre choked on his words from the collar of his clothes suddenly tightening around his neck, being pulled off to the side. He turned to see Serenis dragging him closer to their side, staring down at him with a cold, unforgiving gaze. ¡°¡­Dragonlord? What is it?¡± ¡°I require your assistance. I must hear about the make of this blade from these men.¡± ¡°? Now, that¡¯s no way to ask for help, is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a brief silence, the dragonlord gave in with an exhausted sigh. ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± It wasn¡¯t long until Serenis dropped to her knees before Rozerre. Her gaze fell to the floor, just like others have before her in the past. ¡°Please. I must know of this weapon¡¯s origin.¡± Rozerre stared down at the kneeling dragonlord with widened eyes; he hadn¡¯t expected her to react so quickly. A sheepish laughter escaped the boy as he relished in his newfound superiority. ¡­Which didn¡¯t exactly last very long as he soon felt a cold, iron hand tightening around his shoulder from behind. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Neither Rozerre nor Raizel said a word to each other. The boy merely stared at the steel dragon¡¯s deathly stare from the corner of his eyes, gulping down a chunk of fear. Death threats don¡¯t work against individuals of outstanding loyalty. But they sure do against an old, little, immature kid. ? ? ? It wasn¡¯t long until one of the village¡¯s unused sheds was turned into a pseudo-prison. It also wasn¡¯t long until two dragons walked out of it with a small, frazzled deity of emotions following behind them.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°¡­Wouldn¡¯t mother be the better choice? Even I could keep watch over a few men.¡± ¡°Aldrid does not know about this continent as well as you do.¡± ¡°Ok fine, but can that metal dragon at least not be around while we talk? Or perhaps she could do the watching instead?¡± Unfortunately, making Raizel watch over the empire¡¯s soldiers was out of the question. If that were to happen, Serenis had no doubt that she¡¯d later return to find the soldiers killed in all sorts of horrendous ways. Following suit, Raizel immediately shot back another glare at the little deity pointing at her. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± ¡°Do you realize how unnerving it is to walk side by side with impending doom?¡± ¡°Keep yapping and that impending doom¡¯s gonna fall right on top of your head.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis disregarded the bickering while she made her way over to a secluded clearing, outside of the villagers¡¯ earshot. She doubted that Hilia¡¯s inhabitants would care about what they talked about, but it would¡¯ve been problematic for those empire soldiers to hear them. ¡°¡­This should be far enough. First¡­¡± The dragonlord then tossed the officer¡¯s sword over to Raizel. The steel dragon caught it in her hand, quizzically looking back at her lord. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°Break it apart, if you will.¡± ¡°¡­Break it apart? Wasn¡¯t this your friend¡¯s shell or something?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s merely a small fragment. And I only seek to prevent it from being misused by others.¡± In fact, Serenis would¡¯ve done it herself had she been whole and hail. But it would be rather problematic if even a small piece were to enter her system, which was quite possible with how fragile her current skin was. And the weapon was practically indestructible through magic. Raizel glanced down at the gleaming blade, shrugging in response. ¡°Meh, alright then. Don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Do break it into very small fragments. They otherwise retain their magic-voiding quality.¡± While the steel dragon began crushing the thin blade into dust in her palms, Rozerre gave a curious glance towards the dragonlord. ¡°Interesting how you say ¡®misuse,¡¯ dragonlord. I thought you¡¯d be all for someone dirtying their hand in your stead. Or perhaps you despise the prospect of having your prey stolen?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were several things that had become clear after questioning the empire¡¯s soldiers. First, they truly did not know what the peculiar sword had been made of ¨C such information was only known among the highest of ranks. The four soldiers merely referred to the sword¡¯s material as ¡®celestial bronze,¡¯ which was otherwise assumed to be just a peculiar type of metal in their eyes. Second, said material was being procured from a set of rocky mountains to the north. Serenis could vaguely guess at what these ¡®mountains¡¯ actually were, but she hadn¡¯t bothered to comment until confirming the inkling herself. And finally, the empire had been busily equipping their soldiers with antimagic weapons and gathering their troops at a fortress located to the empire¡¯s western edge. According to the lead officer, they had but one purpose: to invade the western lands of Asarda, and bring down the deity of stars. ¡­Except, none of that really made sense. The Twelve were worshipped as keepers and protectors in various regions, but their existence was still largely within the realms of myth and faith. One did not live out their days thinking a deity would keep their homes safe from an invading empire; one did not invade others thinking a deity would stand in the way of their advance. But for some strange reason, the Akeian Empire was so certain of Aymeia¡¯s presence there that they were preparing an entire army to battle the deity. And they were so knowledgeable that they knew exactly how to combat their enemy, and where to go about finding the necessary materials. None of which humans should¡¯ve been knowledgeable about. But alas, somehow they were. Rozerre wracked his head in annoyance. Although he was in favor of remaining impartial to whatever bloodfest humans facilitated, things were different when a deity was directly involved ¨C as an enemy, no less. ¡°Well, this is quite worrying. After all the trouble we went through to hide it, it wouldn¡¯t do for humans to learn of the shards again.¡± ¡°¡­Trouble, is it?¡± When the dragonlord glanced at the boy with doubtful eyes, he retorted back with an equal amount of doubt and annoyance. ¡°What? It was a necessary measure, people would never have stopped killing each other for the divinity shards. Even if Felicir hadn¡¯t killed the star, mankind was steadily heading towards the same doom anyhow. Our divinities may have gone to much worse individuals in the end.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the Twelve had all agreed on disallowing humans from learning our origins. But if they really do manage to kill Aymeia, then all that effort goes to waste¡­¡± Serenis let out another sigh, and Raizel rolled her eyes from the side. It was pretty clear there wasn¡¯t any talking around this little boy¡¯s head, nor was he interested in learning where the empire may have acquired such information. Instead, the dragonlord proposed a solution to his problems. ¡°If I were to destroy this deity¡¯s shard, would that not solve the problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, dragonlord. Do you even know where Aymeia is?¡± ¡°¡­No, but I was hoping that you would.¡± ¡°I do not. Nobody knows where that woman is. I bet she¡¯s holed up somewhere and hasn¡¯t seen the light of day in centuries.¡± ¡°You mean, nobody SHOULD know.¡± Raizel abruptly interrupted the conversation, dusting off the final remains of the broken blade from her hands. She exchanged glanced with Serenis and Rozerre, simplifying their entire argument in her own way. ¡°You two make it sound hella complicated. If the empire¡¯s heading somewhere to kill this deity, then they obviously know where they¡¯re going, right? Those useless soldiers might not know, but their emperor has to.¡± ¡°¡­What are you saying, child?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying, just raze them to the ground and make the emperor spit out where this deity is. And then go destroy their shard or whatever.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You wanted to find out what happened to your friend anyways, didn¡¯t you? Their emperor will probably know that too.¡± Truth be told, Raizel was all in for anything that had to do with razing the empire to the ground. And Serenis didn¡¯t see a much better option than the one being proposed, either. The only one who was even remotely against the idea was the deity of emotions, staring at the two dragons in bewilderment. ¡°¡­Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The empire isn¡¯t some neighborhood house. You can¡¯t just hope to burn them to the ground and get away with it, they have thousands upon thousands of troops at the ready!¡± Neither dragon seemed bothered by the prospect. Though, Serenis was at least kind enough to answer the boy with a remotely logical answer. ¡°We need but meet this emperor of theirs, no? There¡¯s no need to harm their soldiers.¡± ¡°The emperor is at the very heart of the empire! You¡¯re not thinking of intruding the capital, are you?! Even if their troops are gathering west, he¡¯s bound to have an entire army protecting him!¡± ¡°Interesting. Where is this capital you speak of?¡± ¡°¡­Zeria? It¡¯s southwest from here, at the centre of Astellion...wait, that¡¯s not important!¡± Serenis shrugged back at the deity, then looked towards the steel dragon. Much like herself, the youngling didn¡¯t seem worried in the slightest ¨C in fact, Raizel looked more excited if anything. ¡°How about it, child? Do you see any problems with meeting this emperor?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good. We leave tonight.¡± Rozerre gulped in fear at the prospect of these two invading the empire¡¯s capital. Whether that was possible or not didn¡¯t even concern him ¨C what concerned him more was the fact that he, a deity, had just enabled two monstrosities to attack mankind. Which he was supposed to be protecting, at least in appearance. And, as a last resort, the boy turned to the only argument he could think of that could deter the two dragons. ¡°¡­Wait. Even for the dragonkin, wouldn¡¯t it be troublesome to turn the entire empire as your enemy? If your goal is finding Aymeia, perhaps you two could work with them instead?¡± ¡°They killed my parents.¡± ¡°And defiled my brethren¡¯s remains. We are already enemies.¡± ¡°¡­¡± You¡¯re right. Have it your way. Ep 96. Its Not Too Late. (3) Ep 96. It''s Not Too Late. (3) Once the matter was settled between Rozerre and the two dragons, he was quick to rush back to the shed his mother was at. It was an odd sight to see a thousand-year-old entity tugging on their mother¡¯s robe, but at the same time, it seemed only right given his small stature. ¡°Mother, the dragons are crazy! They¡¯re going to invade the capital!¡± Aldrid merely sighed in response, grinning sarcastically at her own son. She turned towards the two dragons walking into the shed behind Rozerre, and neither of them seemed keen on denying the boy¡¯s words. ¡°¡­Lord Serenis. You¡¯re decided on your next destination? Is that where Aymeia is?¡± ¡°No, unfortunately not. But we may be able to find someone that does know of their whereabouts at this¡­capital.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? Well, I¡­better prepare to leave, then.¡± At Aldrid¡¯s declaration, Rozerre stared at his mother wide-eyed. He pulled on her sleeves even harder, preventing the deity of life from taking a single a step away from him. ¡°Mother, what are you talking about?! You¡¯re not thinking of going with them, are you?!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Rozerre. I¡¯m quite well-known, even among the Twelve. I¡¯m sure the people will be far more willing to speak in my presence.¡± ¡°I could care less what humans normally do, but this time the empire¡¯s looking to march right into Aymeia¡¯s lair to kill her! What guarantee is there that they won¡¯t do the same to you?!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure Lord Serenis will keep me safe. If I can help, I should.¡± ¡°In what world?! You¡¯re not a dragon, you have no obligation to help them!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Serenis watched the two deities argue in silence. Although their topic of conversation was somewhat farfetched, it was still just another form of a child nagging their parent to stay with them; given that they¡¯d been separate for hundreds of years, it may have been a reasonable response for Rozerre. If anything, the dragonlord was surprised the boy was at least trying to persuade his mother instead of throwing an incoherent tantrum about it. But what caught her attention most was the reluctance in Aldrid was showing. Even if others failed to catch the odd shadow in the deity¡¯s eyes, it didn¡¯t take long for the dragonlord to take note of it. And finally, Serenis broke their argument with a simple solution. ¡°Stay, Aldrid.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Both deities blankly stared at the dragonlord. Both their mouths were open, though one was out of joy, the other out of shock. ¡°¡­Lord Serenis, I can come! I¡¯ll talk matters out with Rozerre, so-¡± ¡°I will not repeat myself again. You will stay with your son.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°And take your son outside. I¡¯ve more questions to ask these soldiers in private.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This time, it was Rozerre who stared at the dragonlord with a quizzical gaze. ¡°Wait, what do you mean? Don¡¯t you need me here to ask them things? If I leave, they won¡¯t- woah!¡± It wasn¡¯t long until the boy was felt his mother¡¯s arm wrapping around his waist to lift him into the air. She then left the shed with nary a word, closing the door behind them. Raizel stared at the shut door for a while longer before turning to her lord. As far as she could tell, Serenis was doing nothing but staring at the other wall. ¡°¡­Lord? Weren¡¯t you going to ask them things?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Serenis turned towards the four soldiers, two were fast asleep. One was facing the corner in brooding silence, and the lead officer was staring at them with crossed arms and sealed lips. ¡°¡­No. I¡¯ve nothing further to ask of them.¡± ¡°? Then why¡¯d you kick ¡®em out?¡± ¡°¡­¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Serenis smiled back at the questioning steel dragon. She gently rubbed Raizel on her head, returning a rather vague answer to the question. ¡°They needed it.¡± ? ? ? When they were sufficiently far away from the shed, Aldrid put Rozerre back down on the ground. By the time she thought to scan her surroundings, the deity of life belatedly realized she¡¯d long left Hilia¡¯s parameters without realizing. But Rozerre didn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest. Instead, the boy¡¯s glimmering eyes were worriedly gazing upon his mother. ¡°Mother¡­you¡¯re not still thinking of leaving, are you?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose not. Lord Serenis has told me to stay, after all.¡± ¡°So you¡¯d leave if you could.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rozerre crossed his arms, sulking eyes turning away from Aldrid. He kicked the dirt in frustration, watching its bits fly into the distance. ¡°You didn¡¯t even miss me, did you? You clearly have other things that take priority.¡± ¡°Rozerre. That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s small wonder you told me to leave your side all those years ago. You never wanted me around to begin with. I bet you never would¡¯ve come if your stupid lord wasn¡¯t after my shard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a soft thud, Aldrid knelt to the ground, arms gently wrapping around Rozerre¡¯s figure ¨C not to take him away or reprimand him in any way, but to simply embrace her son. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. You must¡¯ve been disappointed.¡± ¡°Disappointed?¡± Rozerre threw his mother¡¯s arms off his side, turning to face her once more. A hint of malice was mixed into his angered voice. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say? You cast me away centuries ago, and you think I was just ¡®disappointed¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­Rozerre¡­I had to back then. I didn¡¯t tell you at the time, but I was¡­¡± ¡°Being threatened by the Reaper?¡± Aldrid¡¯s words were cut short when her son finished the sentence for her. Her thoughts completely blanked out at her son¡¯s abrupt interruption. ¡°¡­You¡­knew?¡± ¡°That the Reaper was threatening to kill me if you didn¡¯t listen to him? Of course I did. When you told me to flee to Hilia, did you seriously think I listened just because I was being a good son?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡± ¡°I knew exactly what was going on, mother. I¡¯m not stupid. But, I thought¡­¡± Rozerre bit his lips. The boy¡¯s gaze fell to the ground, hesitantly admitting to what¡¯d disappointed him the most about their reunion. ¡°When we saw each other again¡­I thought it¡¯d be because you missed me. Not because you needed me to serve your stupid lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A long silence followed thereafter. In truth, Rozerre had anticipated his mother to retort back with a series of lectures on how he shouldn¡¯t be behaving like a child, that serving the dragonlord was only natural given her birthplace. He¡¯d expected to be reprimanded, but still spoke out of line regardless. But when the silence stretched on for far too long, Rozerre cautiously raised his gaze back up to see a pair of teary eyes staring back at him. ¡°Wh¡­mother?!¡± ¡°¡­ry...¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the mere age of 10, her son had been given his divinity. He hadn¡¯t even known what it was at the time. On the other hand, Aldrid had known exactly what would happen. She knew Rozerre would never grow to be an adult, and she knew he¡¯d never be able to make friends of his age. She knew he¡¯d become an unaging oddity that would never have a connection to anyone outside of his mother ¨C the very mother who¡¯d later cast him aside for centuries, only to return without so much as a ¡®I missed you.¡¯ ¡°¡­I wanted to keep you safe.¡± Rozerre¡¯s eyes darted from side to side in a small panic; making Aldrid burst into tears wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d been aiming for at all. He frantically came back to his mother¡¯s side, trying to look into her eyes. ¡°And you did! I know you meant well, I, I didn¡¯t mean to make you cry, I just¡­¡± Aldrid shook her head. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, her gaze fixed on the ground beneath. ¡°¡­I was being foolish, wasn¡¯t I.¡± ¡°No, you¡­made the right choice. The Reaper was at our throats. You had to send me away.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t want to be sent away, did you?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t the right choice.¡± Unlike Rozerre, Aldrid could not read emotions at will. Their one-sided understanding was inevitable the moment her son attained his divinity. Rozerre couldn¡¯t have cared less for his own safety. He¡¯d only remained in Hilia for his mother¡¯s sake ¨C for his poor mother who had once been torn between her son and her duties as a deity. Staying apart for centuries was perfectly worthwhile for him if it meant his one and only family could be happier. But from the opposing perspective, Aldrid had pushed her son away ¨C against his will ¨C to better her own position. Keeping Rozerre safe was something she¡¯d wanted, not him; her son had wanted to remain at her side, even if it meant he¡¯d die for it. Unfortunately, such thoughts hadn¡¯t even crossed her mind at the time. Finally, the deity of life faced her son once more with her usual warmth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I forced you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I failed you.¡± In her haste to keep the boy safe, Aldrid had overlooked how important her son¡¯s happiness had once meant to her. In her duties as deity and dragonkin, she¡¯d overlooked how important it was to be a mother to her son.. A miserable survival wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d wished for in her son. Making him feel cast aside and unimportant wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d wished for in her son. No, what she¡¯d really wanted to say was¡­ ¡°¡­I missed you.¡± When Death was no more, all I wanted was to see you again. When I saw you, all I wanted was to hold you again. I missed you, so very much. ? ? ? ¡°Lord.¡± ¡°Yes, child?¡± ¡°Are we just gonna sit here all day?¡± ¡°Just a while longer.¡± At this point, Raizel was slouching on the floor, back against the wall and eyes fixed on the ceiling. The youngling was almost jealous of how indifferent Serenis could be. ¡°¡­What¡¯re we even doing here?¡± ¡°Waiting for the parent to speak to their child.¡± ¡°You mean goldie? Wait, is that why you told them to leave?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Raizel snorted at her lord¡¯s gesture. Though, it was a shame the youngling had to remain trapped in a tiny shed for that gesture to be made. ¡°Pft. What¡¯s she gonna say now, ¡®you can¡¯t talk back to your elders¡¯? I used to hear that one a lot.¡± ¡°¡­Not quite. I¡¯m sure she has more to speak on how she feels about her child.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to say? She loves the kid. It¡¯s practically dripping out of her eyes.¡± ¡°It may not be so obvious to those involved.¡± The youngling rolled her eyes at first, only to realize that Serenis had actually meant what she said. The steel dragon then tilted her head quizzically while asking her next question. ¡°Really? You think that kid can¡¯t tell?¡± ¡°Likely not.¡± Of course they wouldn¡¯t know. Reading and understanding what was being read was a completely different matter; even if one could read another¡¯s emotions, some things still remained out of reach. Serenis closed her eyes, curving her lips in a reminiscent smile. ¡°¡­If the parent never shows it, how will their children ever know?¡± Ep 97. Its Not Too Late. (4) Ep 97. It''s Not Too Late. (4) The day passed by rather quickly as Serenis busily went about picking up the pieces before leaving ¨C the first of which was deciding on what Aldrid and Rozerre would do. Though, truth be told, the dragonlord had no intention of letting either of them follow her to the capital. It was clear Rozere wasn¡¯t willing to go regardless of the circumstances. Aldrid had reluctantly volunteered to accompany her lord yet again, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to persuade the deity of life to do otherwise. The verbal reason was that it¡¯d be troublesome for a deity to openly turn against a particular nation; the underlying reason was because Serenis could clearly see the reluctance in Aldrid¡¯s eyes to leave her son again. And by nightfall, Serenis was standing alone at Hilia¡¯s entrance, waiting for Raizel to arrive. But instead of the youngling, the deity of life was first to see her lord¡¯s departure. ¡°Lord Serenis.¡± ¡°¡­Aldrid. You¡¯re not with your son?¡± ¡°Haha¡­I tried, but I¡¯m afraid he wasn¡¯t keen on seeing you again. I think he¡¯s still somewhat scared of you.¡± ¡°I cannot blame him. Not after what I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Aldrid¡¯s eyes remained locked with her lord¡¯s. Serenis studied the deity¡¯s odd gaze, seemingly mixed with relief and grief. ¡°Are you still concerned about remaining here? I assure you I¡¯ll return before long.¡± ¡°Oh¡­no, it¡¯s not that. I do trust that you¡¯ll be alright, my lord.¡± ¡°¡­Is it because of your son¡¯s earlier words, then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A brooding silence replaced Aldrid¡¯s verbal affirmation. Ever since Rozerre had spoken of Aldrid¡¯s design in mankind¡¯s evil nature, she had never been at ease. Half out of guilt, and half out of loyalty, the deity of life began to speak her thoughts. ¡°Back then¡­I was being selfish too.¡± ¡°¡­? What do you mean, child?¡± ¡°Master Felicir had wanted exact replicas of what mankind was before. Ashamed as I am to admit, I could never quite stand up to him¡­¡± ¡°The other divinities were sided with the Reaper, I¡¯ve heard. You had no choice.¡± ¡°¡­They weren¡¯t in the beginning. Many were sided with me, actually¡­the majority wanted a new design. A kind-hearted race that would never nurture a glint of evil.¡± ¡°? Then why¡­?¡± ¡°Master Felicir threatened to kill Rozerre.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­In the end, it was me who chose to listen. I wove evil into mankind¡¯s heart. I knew what I was doing, but¡­I still did it.¡± ¡°¡­Child, no one is going to fault you for protecting your son. And you did not worsen the star; you simply recreated life as they were.¡± Aldrid beamed back a pained smile at her lord¡¯s kindred words. ¡°That¡¯s not true, my lord. Do you know why halves are the way they are now?¡± ¡°¡­Halves?¡± In the previous era, ¡®halves¡¯ were a race comprised of those born between man and demon. Now, the meaning has changed to those whose heritage hails from man and animal. The difference had always struck Serenis as odd, but she¡¯d never been too keen on knowing why. She¡¯d merely thought that it was¡­ ¡°¡­Because demonkind had passed away, and you did not possess the ability to create them anew. Is that not so?¡± Aldrid shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s only half of the truth. If that were the only reason, it would¡¯ve made more sense to not create them altogether. But I went as far as incorporating Lady Felicis¡¯ help just to birth the first few.¡± ¡®¡­Mana evolution.¡¯ If halves themselves had been Aldrid¡¯s design, the mana phenomenon that created them were doubtless attributed to the deity of mana. Upon seeing the dragonlord¡¯s confused expression, Aldrid continued with supplementary details. ¡°Master Felicir wanted a race of similar intelligence to mankind, but of lower status. Looking back, I believe he wanted to raise humans to the status demonkind once retained, just like how some tribes enslaved humans. So from the beginning, halves were created to serve humanity the same way¡­I designed an entire race to serve as inferiors.¡± ¡°¡­But that hadn¡¯t been the case in Partivine. Halves seemed to be treated as man¡¯s equal.¡± ¡°Partivine¡¯s special in that way. The people there worship the deity of mana, so naturally, anything that had her hand in their creation ¨C including halves ¨C are seen in a much better light. Halves don¡¯t receive anywhere near the same treatment elsewhere. As you¡¯ve heard from those soldiers, it¡¯s perfectly acceptable for halves to be enslaved and sold as objects here¡­as well as most other regions throughout the star.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Humans and halves being targets of discrimination was an ancient convention that persisted throughout the demon era. In all fairness, the dragonkin were the oddities among demonkind for remaining neutral to all races. The other lords had seen their brethren¡¯s exercise of violence against man a given right as the superior race. Ironically, they¡¯d served as examples of how a race of power ought to live. The example they¡¯d set had persisted into the present, leading to a world where a new set of victims were serving a new race of power in the exact same fashion. After a quiet sigh, Aldrid began to rummage the insides of her robe while she spoke. ¡°By the time I thought to separate from Rozerre and hide him away, it was too late. If I¡¯d been willing to part with him early on, then¡­perhaps it wouldn¡¯t have come to this. In the end, I failed as mother and deity both.¡± ¡°¡­Aldrid.¡± ¡°But¡­it¡¯s not too late. To try being a mother again.¡± After producing an orange gem from her robe, Aldrid gently placed the stone above both her palms, offering it to the dragonlord with a respectful bow. ¡°Thank you, Lord Serenis. I couldn¡¯t have met him again without your help.¡± Serenis blinked curiously as she took the glowing gem into her hand. It was similar enough to the previous iterations for her to guess at what it was. ¡°This is¡­your son¡¯s divinity?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. When Aldrid raised her head once more, the concern in her expression had changed to an adamant resolve. She nodded to her lord, beaming a longing smile. ¡°It¡¯s long overdue, but¡­I¡¯m going to raise him again. Not as deities, but as mother and child.¡± ¡°¡­Are you certain? If he wants to keep it for the time being, then¡­¡± ¡°He wanted to get rid of it.¡± A soft sigh escaped the deity of life. She¡¯d always seen her son as peculiar, but in truth, perhaps she¡¯d been misunderstanding him from the very beginning. ¡°Isn¡¯t it ironic? Even though I knew just how much Lady Felicis suffered from being forced into her position, I did the same to my own son. But he could never tell me how troubled he was¡­I was a terrible mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­So from now on, I¡¯m going to try harder. I¡¯m¡­going to try and make it up to him. I¡¯d hate for his entire childhood to be nothing but sacrifice.¡± ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Serenis¡¯ gaze fell to the orange gem in her grasp. A faint glow began to shimmer from her hand, slowly melting the divinity within ¨C though this time, the dragonlord was struggling to repress a pang of jealousy welling inside. ¡®If they were still alive¡­¡¯ They weren¡¯t, and so, it was a pointless conjecture. But Serenis couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she could restore the relationships with her own children as Aldrid have. Perhaps it¡¯d be an effort in vain. Perhaps her children would bitterly curse their mother for abandoning them so. ¡°¡­¡± In a momentary burst of regret, Serenis clenched her fist into a tight grip, shattering the gem with a brilliant flash. After its dust faded into the air, the dragonlord hid her longing beneath her usual fa?ade. Watching her son¡¯s divinity disappear from sight, Aldrid met her lord¡¯s gaze once more, hope and uncertainty mixed in her eyes. ¡°Lord Serenis¡­you¡¯ll be back, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Of course I will, child. I haven¡¯t forgotten our promise, and I¡¯ve yet to collect your own divinity. Until that time comes, use it well to nurture those around you.¡± ¡°I promise I will.¡± After another minute of exchanging wordless gratitude, Serenis turned to scan the surrounding vicinity. Knowing who the dragonlord was waiting for, Aldrid likewise looked around the surrounding area ¨C they¡¯d both thought that Raizel would be here by now. ¡°¡­You¡¯re waiting for Raizel¡¯s arrival, right? I wonder where she¡¯s gone¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Mere moments after Aldrid¡¯s question, Raizel emerged from the forests Serenis was looking towards. The youngling was quick to summon her wings, readying to take flight. ¡°Sorry, had to do something. Are we good to go?¡± ¡°As long as you are, child.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± After lowering her stance, the steel dragon leapt into the air with a deafening sound from kicking off the ground. Serenis likewise summoned her wings, sparing one last look towards the deity of life, smiling back all the same. ¡°Take care, my lord. I¡¯ll be waiting for your return.¡± Instead of a verbal reply, the dragonlord return a grinning nod before taking off into the air. Aldrid watched the two dragons disappearing into the night sky, and once they were gone, turned towards one of the wooden houses behind her. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to hide like that. She probably knew you were right there.¡± ¡°¡­Really? How?¡± ¡°Well¡­your foot¡¯s sticking out, Rozerre. Have you not noticed?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Aldrid softly snickered to herself at the sight of When her son hurriedly jumped out from behind the building in panic. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s mean, mother.¡± ¡°Was it? Why¡¯re you smiling then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After exchanging a mutual laughter, Aldrid made her way over to Rozerre¡¯s side, taking him by the hand with a gentle pull. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go build ourselves a home before it gets too late. Now that you¡¯re not a deity anymore, you¡¯ll need all the sleep you can get!¡± ¡°¡­Maybe for me, but you don¡¯t need sleep at all, do you? You¡¯re still¡­¡± ¡°Needing and wanting are two different things, Rozerre. Or maybe you¡¯re too old to sleep with your mother now? Is that it?¡± ¡°¡­One day you¡¯re telling me to behave like a deity, next you¡¯re treating me like I¡¯m 10 again¡­¡± Even while her son pouted at her side, Aldrid couldn¡¯t stop smiling at the little figure following along her steps. She was finally beginning to remember just how much she¡¯d missed walking like this with her son. And this time, she wouldn¡¯t ever have to forget it again. ¡°¡­That reminds me. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aldrid came to a brief stop, lowering herself to meet her son¡¯s eye level. She gently caressed his cheeks, making the proudest smile she ever had. ¡°¡­Mother?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry I pushed you away. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t understand your troubles. I¡¯m sorry for leaving you alone for so long.¡¯ After a long silence, Aldrid quietly whispered to her son. ¡°I love you. I always will.¡± ? ? ? Slurp. ¡°¡­?¡± When Serenis glanced towards the youngling flying at her side, she could see Raizel profusely licking her lips. Upon a closer look, the dragonlord could see hints of red surrounding the steel dragon¡¯s lips. ¡°Raizel? Did you eat something?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh, yeah, got a little hungry. Went on a little hunt before we left that place.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Raizel nodded back, facing forward again while consciously telling herself not to lick her lips. She much preferred her lord not questioning the matter further. Technically, she wasn¡¯t lying. What she ate were no different from animals. ? ? ? Half an hour ago¡­ ¡°Sir¡­how are we ever going to escape?¡± ¡°If what we heard are all true, then¡­that was an actual dragonlord. And with them was another dragon, and two deities to boot¡­¡± ¡°¡­And they got everything they wanted out of us. We all know what useless prisoners become.¡± ¡°Silence.¡± The lead officer pulled on the tree roots wrapped around his wrists, binding him to the shed¡¯s floor. Unfortunately, the plant refused to give way whatsoever. Gritting his teeth, he turned towards his three complaining soldiers. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of whether we can or cannot ¨C we MUST return to the empire and inform them of the dragonlord¡¯s existence. The emperor¡¯s waged war against the dragonkin before¡­he will know what to do.¡± ¡°But sir, escaping from here is¡­¡± ¡°Do not lose hope, Elgade. If you die, your brother will kill all of us.¡± ¡°¡­Yes sir.¡± ¡°Besides, your own wedding is just up ahead, isn¡¯t it? I understand that you¡¯re worried, but the deity of life is known to be the most kind and benevolent of the Twelve. If she meant to kill us, she would have done so long ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Our chance will come. Until then, imagine how handsomely we¡¯ll be rewarded for playing a part in slaying the lord of dragons herself ¨C when we become nobility, this will all be a mere story to tell over a couple drinks.¡± Boom! Just when the officer¡¯s words were beginning to convince his men of their bright, golden future ahead, the shed¡¯s door was bashed open by an iron hand. The men froze in fear at the sight of the steel dragon. Among the four they¡¯d seen, this one seemed to be the least forgiving ¨C and also the most dangerous. ¡­Which is why they were all the more shocked when the dragon grabbed the tree roots binding them, tearing it to pieces in her hand. The freed soldiers stared at Raizel in unison, confused by her sudden actions. The lead officer rubbed his wrists a few times before getting up to his feet, facing the youngling eye to eye. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Not much. Lord told goldie to let you all go tomorrow, so thought I¡¯d do the job today.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The officer¡¯s suspecting eyes stared into the smiling dragon a moment longer, but he wasn¡¯t going to pass up on this chance. After all, his voice had been relatively low, and he hadn¡¯t said a word after Raizel had entered; surely she couldn¡¯t have heard him from outside. He turned to his men and exchanged brief nods, the group hurriedly making their way towards the door afterwards. ¡°Thank you, dragon.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Raizel watched them disappear into the woods. They clearly weren¡¯t heading to the village; instead, the soldiers were planning to go through the woods and find another way back to the empire¡¯s forefront. ¡®Fine by me. Makes things a lot easier.¡¯ The steel dragon soon followed after the men, making sure to tear off the door and break bits of the shed¡¯s floors with her foot before leaving. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t look like they struggled to break free. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Soon after realizing they were being stalked, the lead officer came to a stop after a few minutes. He looked back to see Raizel following after them in leisure steps, wearing a rather ominous smile on her face. ¡°¡­Dragon? Is there something you need from us?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Raizel glanced back at the distance they¡¯d walked. They were quite far from the village ¨C likely far enough for a little noise to go unnoticed. ¡°There¡¯s something I meant to ask you four.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Your emperor. Is it the same guy from before?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The four soldiers confused looks with each other. The lead officer once again stepped up, this time answering in confidence. ¡°As far as we¡¯re aware, the ruler of Akeia has always been Emperor Amadeus Lavnore. We were told Akeia¡¯s ruler has never changed once. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± The youngling scoffed at the answer. Humans didn¡¯t live very long, but it wasn¡¯t exactly impossible for them to last a little over a century. This was especially true with mages of higher circles, Otoka being one such case. And in turn, that meant that the current Akeian emperor was still the same emperor Raizel had faced as a hatchling; every soldier before her were his underling. ¡°¡­Lord was gonna let you four go anyways, and she¡¯s never gonna find out anyways. The rest will think you ran away on your own¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What, you didn¡¯t seriously think I¡¯d let you scamper off and tell on your bloody emperor, did you?¡± ¡°Wh-¡° Before the officer could respond, Raizel¡¯s figure became encased in a sphere of grey scales. A giant, reptilic head burst forth afterwards, crushing the man between its fangs before swallowing him, armor and all. Two began to run away in panic. One fell to his knees, looking up at the towering figure to beg for mercy. ¡°D, d, dragon, I swear I¡¯ve never done anything to your kind. I have a bride waiting for me at home, I-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± The moment the empire had drove their blades into her mother, what they had to say didn¡¯t matter. An empty laughter escaped from the man¡¯s lips as Raizel¡¯s looming shadow crept over his figure. The laughter abruptly died when the youngling¡¯s jaw snapped shut with sounds of crunching bones and metals. She then looked into the distance with a bloodied maw, head slightly raised above the treeline. It wasn¡¯t long until she found the two men running away in the distance. ¡°¡­Idiots.¡± If they wanted to live even a second longer, they should¡¯ve at least discarded their armor. Ep 98. Ludin. (1) Ep 98. Ludin. (1) ¡°Talk about crowded. The place is pretty much an ant colony.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stretching before the two dragons standing on clifftop was a beautiful landscape occupied by a vibrant city built upon the hills by a glimmering inlet. Despite the distance between them and the city, Raizel could still make out the numerous bodies busily moving about in its streets over the capital¡¯s walls; although Serenis couldn¡¯t make out nearly the same level of details as Raizel, she could clearly see that Zeria was, in fact, just a larger version of any other human settlement. ¡®¡­I expected a war post of sorts.¡¯ Though, despite the city¡¯s unexpected beauty, Serenis couldn¡¯t bring herself to think very highly of the sight. If the empire¡¯s army dwelling within were equipped with Kelador¡¯s shell, then that was already of significant threat to her current self; further, she scarce had compassion to spare for a nation that would willingly attack her kin and defile her friend¡¯s corpse. Meanwhile, Raizel turned towards Serenis after finishing her own observation. ¡°So? Can we bust in now? The emperor¡¯s bound to be holed up in that huge palace at the top.¡± ¡°...¡¯Bust in¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah. You know, just go in, think later. You even taught me how to fly, I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t just head straight in there.¡± ¡°¡­Right. I¡­suppose we could.¡± It was a nation that had wronged her kin and friend both. And yet, something about the prospect of attacking the capital irked at Serenis¡¯ conscience. Something she couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on. Noticing the dragonlord¡¯s hesitation, Raizel spared a momentary glance towards the dragonlord, crossing her arms in annoyance. The youngling¡¯s voice betrayed a hint of sarcasm, looking off into the distance. ¡°You feel sorry for them, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°No, I get it. You weren¡¯t there when it happened, so you¡¯re not all that angry about it. But¡­¡± The steel dragon summoned her wings, metallic shards glittering under the sunlight. Her feet dug into the ground beneath her as Raizel prepared to leap. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t blame me if you find the emperor dead. I¡¯m not as nice as you are, lord.¡± It wasn¡¯t long until Raizel¡¯s figure disappeared from sight, her body speeding off into the distance to become a speck in the air. Serenis watched the youngling soar across the distance towards the obvious palace located on top of Zeria¡¯s largest hill. And still, she hesitated to chase after Raizel. ¡®What is this reluctance I feel?¡¯ Despite being against harming innocents, Serenis, too, had scarcely any compassion to spare against people of a nation that harmed her brethren. And if she were so against harming the innocent, then it was merely a matter of ignoring them and heading straight to capture the emperor. She could simply subdue and release the others, just like she had with the four soldiers at Hilia.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The dragonlord shook her head, summoning her own wings to follow after Raizel. Whatever it was that was bothering her conscientious, surely it wasn¡¯t worrying about right now. Surely. ? ? ? ¡°Hey¡­what is that?¡± ¡°Meh? What¡¯s what?¡± ¡°Up there! Do you see that? That thing flying towards us!¡± ¡°¡­You okay? Did you drink too much last night?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke! Look up, damnit!¡± ¡°What¡¯s-¡° Before their conversation continued any further, Raizel retracted her wings, letting her body freely fall down. It took no time at all for the youngling¡¯s body to plummet down onto the palace ramparts, straight towards the conversing, oblivious soldiers. And before he could ever look up, a heap of metal crushed one of the two guards underneath in its deafening landing, breaking off his skull and neck along with a significant portion of the stone he stood on. Once the dust cleared, Raizel rose to her knees, whisking off the dirt and pebble on her body. ¡°Haha, that was fun. I could get used to that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The remaining soldier dropped his spear, taking a few cautious steps back in fear. He soon came to a stop when his back touched the rampart¡¯s other edge, bits of stone falling towards the steep fall behind him. Raizel then turned towards the frozen soldier, beguiled smile on her face. ¡°Hey. Where¡¯s your emperor?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­he¡­uhm¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know? That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll ask someone else.¡± Raizel nonchalantly approached the trembling soldier, cornering him against the rampart¡¯s edge. She nudged her chin with an amused smile, gesturing towards the empty space behind him. ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for? Not gonna run away?¡± ¡°R¡­run away? But there¡¯s¡­nothing behind me¡­¡± ¡°Pft. What, you¡¯re scared of heights?¡± ¡°If¡­if I fall from here, I¡¯ll die¡­¡± ¡°Won¡¯t know ¡®til you try. Here, I¡¯ll even help you.¡± Raizel fixed her grip on the soldier¡¯s head, pulling him up by force. She then tossed him off the ramparts, letting the soldier plummet down to the ground far beneath the palace walls. When his distant scream abruptly ceased after a loud crunching noise, Raizel snorted out a laughter. His body remained motionless in the bloody pool beneath. ¡°Huh. What do you know, you were right.¡± A series of screamed orders and yelling followed suit. Dozens of ringing noises began to echo throughout, warning the palace occupants of their newest intruder. But instead of waiting for Serenis¡¯ arrival, Raizel instead elected to make her way into the structure¡¯s depths, hopping down onto a large courtyard within the castle walls. Just this once, it was better to be alone ¨C lest the dragonlord prevent her from doing as she pleased. When armed soldiers began pouring in to surround the steel dragon, she couldn¡¯t help but notice the odd, bronze-like glint in their various weaponry. According to what the dragonlord had told her, those weapons could effectively null magic. ¡®So what?¡¯ Unlike Serenis, the youngling had no need for magic when it came to combat. She only needed her own body. A body that could ignore the scathing of swords and spears. A body that could ignore the hail of arrows and magic. A body that could trample these insects underfoot, just like her parents would have if their daughter hadn¡¯t been taken hostage. ? ? ? ¡°¡­What is this noise?¡± ¡°Seems we have an intruder in the palace.¡± Boom! ¡°Oh my, that was a rather loud one. I think a tower or two fell to that.¡± The court mage let out a pleasant laughter; the emperor only returned a cold stare at his advisor¡¯s unserious attitude. ¡°Elgade.¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty?¡± ¡°Do not disappoint me.¡± ¡°Why, of course. I¡¯ll tend to the intruder myself as soon as you step through.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± ¡°Make haste now. He won¡¯t be pleased if you¡¯re late to his calling.¡± The emperor soon turned away from the court mage, stepping into the shimmering disc of violet light in front of him. When the glowing portal disappeared along with the emperor, the mage lowered his staff, letting out a quiet sigh. ¡°I suppose I should get to it¡­¡± After fixing his robe, the mage exited the throne room, making way towards the source of the noise. Even from here, he could feel the massive mana presence rampaging just up ahead. He could hear it too, roaring and tearing the palace to shreds. ¡®I wonder how long they¡¯ll last this time?¡¯ If this was a bad day, 5 seconds. If it was a good day, maybe 6. Ep 99. Ludin. (2) Ep 99. Ludin. (2) Unlikely stories of heroes prevailing against impossible odds often inspired grandeur dreams within children. A number of them continue to dream the same dream, imagining a day where they would one day become the hero in their childhood tales. Unfortunately, no such miracles were occurring so far. The grey, silver-haired figure they¡¯d seen was no longer anywhere to be found. In her place was a giant metallic reptile, killing off at least a dozen with every swing of her arm and tail. Countless soldiers mindlessly jabbed their weapons into the dragon¡¯s scales, only for them to fling right off her body. The smart few began to cast fire spells and nock flaming arrows given their intruder¡¯s metallic make, but their attacks amounted to little before her massive size. ¡°Where¡¯re the elite squadrons?! Get them all in here!¡± ¡°This is all the men we have!¡± In preparation for the oncoming campaign, a majority of the empire¡¯s elites had been stationed on the western front; those that yet remained in the capital were the lucky few that had been selected for their rather lacking prowess in battle. Of course, they were still loyal to their ruler, and valiant nonetheless. But they were nowhere near the level of strength to alter the course of battle against a dragon. That was, except for a single individual whose hands had been entrusted with the empire¡¯s capital. ¡°Now, now, move aside. I appreciate your efforts, but knowing when to retreat is just as important as knowing when to fight.¡± The soldiers quickly made way, backing off in unison from Raizel as their court mage showed face. Only he alone stepped into the courtyard to meet the steel dragon¡¯s glaring gaze while the rest began to step away from their massive enemy. ¡°¡­A rather peculiar intruder we have. Could I help you, large one?¡± The mage¡¯s voice was impeccably polite, and all the more sarcastic because of it. Raizel snorted in amusement at the man¡¯s seemingly baseless attitude. ¡°Pretty confident for a human.¡± ¡°I try my best.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your emperor?¡± ¡°Why, I just sent him away to safety. Were you looking for an audience with his majesty?¡± ¡°¡­So he¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°No. That he isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± An eerie smile curved the dragon¡¯s mouth upon hearing the court mage¡¯s answer. Instead of pressing him further for where the emperor had gone to, Raizel instead elected to remain silent. If the emperor wasn¡¯t here, then she didn¡¯t need to worry about killing him accidentally before Serenis¡¯ arrival. ¡®Though, where is she anyways? Thought she¡¯d be right behind me¡­oh well.¡¯ When their short conversation came to an end, Raizel drifted her ominous gaze towards another neighbouring tower before slamming her body into it. Soldiers that were in the way were crushed underfoot, and the tower¡¯s spectators couldn¡¯t so much as even scream when the mass of metal came ramming into their face; after remaining relatively stationary in the courtyard, no one had expected the dragon to move about so suddenly.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. But even when the soldiers began retreating further back, the court mage merely grinned at the sight, raising his glowing staff into the air. ¡°And here I thought Stoneskin was an impeccable spell. It seems yours is far more durable, large one.¡± Instead of an answer, Raizel¡¯s arm dug into the tower¡¯s crumbling rubbles with her hand. Her claws emerged with a heap of bloodied stone that were then hurled towards the grinning court mage. His glowing staff shimmered brighter, its tip releasing glittering violet particles from the embedded gem. They then began to explode in a series of fireworks upon intercepting the stone projectiles, reducing it all to harmless dust. But the court mage¡¯s successful defense allowed little respite. Raizel¡¯s claws came upon him directly thereafter, threatening to crush him underneath. ¡°A little more to the right, if you would...ah, I suppose this will do.¡± With a brief tip of his staff, the court mage summoned a large boulder to smash into the dragon¡¯s forearm. While the rock shattered apart without so much as leaving a scratch, it did alter the claws¡¯ trajectory slightly ¨C enough to make them skid past his robe and sink into one of the few remaining exits leading out of the courtyard. The mage then began to pace across the wasted grass towards the courtyard¡¯s opposing side, giving a curt nod towards the metal dragon. ¡°Slow, aren¡¯t you? A little slower and I just might be able to step out of the way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although no verbal answers came back, a giant metal limb did come swinging across the courtyard, scraping at the remaining structures in a circle at the court mage¡¯s height. A quick duck did save his life, though the circular swing destroyed what exits that remained. The youngling slowly turned her head, grinning at the remaining soldiers scattered near the crumbled exits. Dig as they might, there was no way they were removing the rubble in time to escape before Raizel would get to them ¨C and the same went for the court mage. ¡°And where¡¯re you gonna run to now?¡± The court mage snickered at the youngling¡¯s victorious tone. He rose back to his feet, using his staff for support. ¡°I wasn¡¯t running away, per se¡­¡± He scanned around the ruins of the crumbled palace. Most soldiers had either escaped the courtyard or died in Raizel¡¯s rampage, leaving only a handful to shiver in fear. When his staff swung across the air once more, a wave of cold, ominous air spread across the courtyard. The soil began to rumble and split, as did the rubbles of the ruined towers. And soon after, skeletal hands emerged from within them. They desperately clawed at the ground, digging their way out to emerge with their torn, lifeless bodies. ¡°¡­¡± Raizel winced at the sight. As far as she could see, literal corpses were moving about; most were broken and battered, with many missing a limb or two, or even a head. But they were still moving nonetheless. And even worse, the skeletal figures began to encroach upon the living. An entire army of undead clawed their way onto the remaining soldiers, clawing and biting them to death. Resist as they may, the skeletons refused to stay down; hacking and slashing did little to stop their advance as the soldiers fell prey to moving corpses of their own allies. When the courtyard became devoid of living except himself and his only enemy, the court mage beamed a wide grin towards the steel dragon, slamming the staff into the floor beneath. ¡°I can¡¯t risk having any witnesses, you see. And they¡¯re far more useful this way.¡± Raizel quizzically lowered her gaze at the mage. Skeleton or not, these things possessed no threat to her whatsoever; in fact, the army of undead ceased their fire-imbued attacks, which had at least managed to annoy her. Now, even that was gone. ¡°If you mean equally useless, I agree.¡± When the steel dragon returned her attention back to the court mage, he was invitingly stretching out his hand towards the metal dragon. Despite his stacked odds, the mage seemed perfectly at ease as if he was used to the occurrence. ¡°No, they were quite useful. They robbed you of your attention until our guardians¡¯ arrival. That¡¯s quite plenty.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°How will you fare, I wonder?¡± His staff glowed brighter in its eerie violet light. A silvery hand emerged from beneath the ground before him, and he quietly whispered a single phrase, almost as if he were uttering a spell. ¡°Ludin.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Raizel smashed her limb unto the ground, right over the court mage¡¯s head. Whatever he was trying to do, she didn¡¯t want any of it. But instead of soft human flesh, the dragon¡¯s claws smashed into something metallic that had emerged from the ground beneath. Between her claws, Raizel could see a grey, dusty woman in front of the court mage, shielding them from Raizel¡¯s claws with their bare arms. ¡°Be honored, large one. Not many are given the chance to see Akeia¡¯s guardians.¡± ¡°¡­Guardian?¡± The youngling¡¯s angered scowl melted into a miserable, pained expression. Vicious snarls threateningly slithered out between her fangs, but Raizel¡¯s arm was already giving away in strength. A single, lifeless eye met the steel dragon¡¯s gaze. The torn woman wore no expression whatsoever, nor did she speak a word; alas, the youngling didn¡¯t need anything more to recognize who the woman was. ¡°¡­¡± Soon after, a pained howl rang throughout the entire palace. But it did little to alleviate the frustration welling up within its screamer. Ep 100. Ludin. (3) Ep 100. Ludin. (3) Had Raizel used all her strength, she could¡¯ve easily crushed the woman along with the court mage before her. But no matter how hard she tried, her trembling claws refused to do as she wanted. ¡®You¡¯re¡­still¡­¡¯ Amidst the dragon¡¯s quivering thoughts, the court mage¡¯s cold, demeaning voice seeped in. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? The dead are wont to rot and spoil, weakening them far beyond what they once were. But to think there would be a body invulnerable to time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­That¡¯s a corpse?¡¯ True to his words, the woman¡¯s body was covered in scars; even considering their race, their body was far too lacking in color. One eye was completely empty, and even their remaining eye showed no sign of life. But even so, the woman was holding up her arms, shielding her summoner from Raizel¡¯s claws. ¡°Well then, guardian ¨C do take care of our intruder.¡± As soon as the court mage uttered his command, the specter threw Raizel¡¯s paw off of her arms. She then leapt into the air to claw at the youngling¡¯s neck, gouging out bits of flesh and blood from in between their scales. But Raizel was failing to even register her own pain, much less retaliate to the attacks. ¡°¡­Hey. Get a hold of yourself.¡± The youngling¡¯s words fell on deaf ears. As the woman¡¯s claws began to dig through Raizel¡¯s scales, she let out another pained howl into the air. The youngling then snatched the woman from her body in between her jaws, smashing them into the ground. ¡°WAKE UP!!¡± The woman plummeted unto the courtyard with a deafening noise, but not a single groan could be heard. When the specter instead began to tear at the jaws holding her in place, Raizel simply let go of the woman, shrinking back into her human form.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The youngling then placed one hand above her chest, pleading at her enemy with a pained expression. ¡°¡­Is it because you haven¡¯t seen me for so long? Look, I¡¯m Raizel. I¡¯m your¡­daughter¡­¡± But instead of a proper answer, Raizel instead received another set of claws being swung at her face. The youngling angrily deflected Ludin¡¯s arms, raising her torn voice once more. ¡°Say something!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The court mage smirked an amused grin from afar, studying the exchange between his minion and the shrunken intruder. ¡®¡­My. What a day.¡¯ Among the empire¡¯s numerous possessions, the two unweathering dragon corpses had always a hidden, iconic asset. Unlike any other remains of a living entity, these two bodies persisted through time without any decay whatsoever. And the existence of these two bodies had proved to be a priceless asset for Silas, one of the few remaining necromancers of the star ¨C enough to place him in the position of court mage despite his young age. As long as the two dragons¡¯ corpses were in the empire¡¯s position, he had been nigh invincible against any threat he¡¯d face. As long as the mage remained within the grounds of this palace, he could summon them at will and bend him to his own bidding. ¡®And our monstrous intruder is claiming to be their daughter. Which means¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­You must be a dragon. I was rather unsure with your lack of horns and wings, but to think a dragonkin would appear in Astellion¡­¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± When Raizel spun her body, a giant metal tail instantly grew forth, swinging down towards the court mage¡¯s head. Though, before it could make contact, Ludin slammed herself into her daughter, throwing the youngling and their tail far off across the courtyard. ¡°My, my. How violent.¡± ¡°SHUT IT!!¡± Raizel arose from the ground once more, retracting her tail to gain every ounce of speed she could. She then leapt forward, leaving Ludin far behind to pounce on the grinning mage directly instead. But unfortunately, standing in her way wasn¡¯t just Ludin alone. Clang! Raizel¡¯s claws violently screeched against another metallic surface of her second blocker. When she saw the man¡¯s visage, Raizel let out a sarcastic laughter. She couldn¡¯t even decide which expression to make. ¡°¡­Of course you¡¯d be here. There¡¯s no way it¡¯d be just her.¡± Regret and humiliation alike flooded into the youngling¡¯s heart as she retreated back a step. Her hands began to shake, and even a tight grip couldn¡¯t stop their trembling. Her proud father was standing before his very own daughter. When Raizel turned her head, her one-eyed mother was staring back at her with an emotionless gaze. ¡°Hah¡­¡± Raizel loosened her body, letting out an exasperated sigh. Her own father was protecting the wretched mage before her, her own mother brandishing her talons while approaching from behind. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Well, look at that. The old bones were lying to me after all.¡¯ A hundred years ago, Raizel was powerless to stop the empire from harming her parents. Likewise, she had been powerless to safeguard her parents¡¯ remains; in fact, Raizel never even knew where their remains had gone to. The elders had only told the youngling that her parents had been properly sent off ¨C whatever that meant. If only that were true. When Raizel raised her gaze, brilliant skies filled her vision. A clear, cloudless blue sky, almost as if to say nothing bad would happen. ¡®¡­I guess lord¡¯s not coming.¡¯ Raizel took a moment to wipe her eyes, steeling herself firm. Good riddance, she thought. This may even be for the best. After all, she would rather die than to show something like this to Serenis. Ep 101. Ludin. (4) Ep 101. Ludin. (4) Raizel blankly thought to herself, scanning her surroundings once more. Her father was still firmly standing before her, protecting the court mage behind him; her mother was approaching closer and closer, readying to attack. ¡®I know. I¡¯m not stupid.¡¯ Her parents were long dead. What she was seeing weren¡¯t her parents who¡¯d returned to life, but their dead bodies being manipulated by a human mage. They weren¡¯t failing to recognize their daughter. It was just impossible to begin with. And when her last spark of hope withered away, it only took a moment for the youngling¡¯s longing to turn to menace. ¡°¡­Come to think of it, we never fought, did we?¡± After gripping and loosening her fists several times, Raizel left behind her heavy heart, forcing out a smile instead. She¡¯d entertained herself on numerous occasions through picking fights with other dragons; there was no reason to think this was any different. If anything, it was easier. These two weren¡¯t anything like their old selves. ¡®This is nothing new. Nothing new¡­¡¯ When her mother¡¯s claws came rushing from behind, Raizel swiftly tilted her head to dodge the strike. The youngling¡¯s fist shot upwards to bury itself in Ludin¡¯s face, and she immediately took a step forward to kick at her father¡¯s jaw after, sending them both flying off to the side. After both specters were blown across the courtyard, Raizel threw a deathly glare towards Silas. ¡°Just you wait. You¡¯re right after these two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silas blinked in a burst of confusion and fear, watching the youngling walk away from him and towards her parents. ¡®¡­Was she not far weaker mere moments ago? Not even a dozen soldiers could make the guardians budge¡­¡¯ Of course, the battle wasn¡¯t quite over; the dead were already back on their feet, ready to strike at the necromancer¡¯s opponent. As long as their bodies and their summoner¡¯s mana held, they would never stop. The problem was, even Silas struggled to maintain control over the two dead dragons for very long. In exchange for being exceptionally strong compared to regular specters, maintaining control over the two steel dragons was burdensome even for the empire¡¯s court mage. And to make matters worse, Raizel was no longer toying around as she had against the soldiers. She, too, knew that destroying their bodies and ending their misery was all she could do. Boom! The two lunging specters were grabbed by their heads and nonchalantly thrown into the courtyard¡¯s walls once again. As creeping terror began to overtake the court mage¡¯s mind, he rapidly scanned his surroundings, searching for an available exit. ¡®This isn¡¯t a matter that will settle itself in mere seconds. I need to¡­¡¯ ¡°I told you to wait.¡± In response to the ominous voice echoing in his ears, Silas¡¯ body froze in fear, his composure beginning to crumble away. When he turned his head, he could see Raizel slowly approaching him from afar with a bored expression, as if the two corpses were of no threat to her whatsoever. ¡°¡­This is impossible. Even if you¡¯re a dragon yourself, it¡¯s two against one. How could-!¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Seriously? Numbers? That¡¯s what you were counting on? What a fucking idiot.¡± As Raizel responded, a gust of air blew across the courtyard; both specters had emerged from the rubbles once more to protect their summoner and eliminate the threat at hand. A mother falling down towards her daughter¡¯s head, claws poised to tear it off; a father lunging from behind his daughter, aiming to pierce through her heart. Both were quick, and remarkably strong. Had a regular dragon been in Raizel¡¯s place, even in their proper forms, they would undoubtedly have struggled to fend off the two specters. Piercing their defense alone was a daunting task for many. But Raizel wasn¡¯t exactly a ¡®regular¡¯ dragon. For decades, Raizel had been the dragonkin¡¯s biggest problem child, often clashing against her friend for the title of being the strongest dragon alive. Despite her vulnerability to elements like fire, there was no dispute to Raizel¡¯s physical capabilities being far above her other kin. In comparison, her opponents were a pair of old, dead dragons locked in their reduced forms, robbed of their magic and experience. Struggling against them was unimaginable for the youngling; as long as she was willing to swallow down her hesitant heart, the entire fight was nothing to make a big deal out of. ¡®¡­Laugh it off. This isn¡¯t a big deal.¡¯ Every time she¡¯d strike at her parents, Raizel could feel something snapping inside her own head. She may as well have been hitting her own self. But if she stopped here, then no one else would ever come to release her parents from this absurd fate. The kin¡¯s elders certainly wouldn¡¯t risk it; Raizel had never understood it herself, but they were all deathly afraid of the empire for some reason, even though they¡¯d never tell her why. So, if no one else would, she would. And no one could tell her to live otherwise. Clang! After stepping to the side, Raizel grabbed Ludin by the throat, using them as a shield to block her father¡¯s lunge. Another step forward knocked the male dragon off balance, and the youngling was quick to stomp down on his chest. Holding one by the throat, another beneath her feet, Raizel finally let go of the breath she¡¯d been holding. She could feel the specters¡¯ claws digging into the arm and leg that held them, but she couldn¡¯t care less about physical pain. ¡°You know¡­I barely think of you two now.¡± Compared to the life she¡¯d led quarreling with others at the nest, recent events were nowhere near as hectic. In fact, the last few months had been the most docile period of Raizel¡¯s life: she¡¯d listened to others, worried for others. She¡¯d even cried on occasion. It wasn¡¯t that anyone had told her to live this way. Even though she could¡¯ve returned to the valley at any point, she¡¯d chosen otherwise of her own accord. Here, she¡¯d found someone who was willing to show kindness; kindness not of fear or sympathy, but of pure affection. And in a hopeful wish to lessen their misery and longing, Raizel had accompanied them all the way here. ¡°So go away already. I never want to see either of you again. I¡­¡± Raizel tightened the grip on her mother¡¯s throat, pressed down the foot buried in her father¡¯s chest. Her own claws dug into their metallic skin, and the specter¡¯s chest beneath her began to crook and break from the weight bearing down on it. ¡°I don¡¯t need you two anymore.¡± A cherished memory. That was enough. With a violent screech, her claws tore away her mother¡¯s throat, severing head and body; her father¡¯s chest became demolished underfoot, wrecking the ground beneath. The headless dragon refused to move after collapsing unto the ground, and her husband¡¯s body was crippled beyond functioning. The bodies soon lay motionless, crippled and emptied of their supply of mana. ¡°¡­¡± After a long sigh, Raizel quietly rubbed at her eyes. Even though the specters hadn¡¯t shed a single drop of blood, she somehow felt filthier than she ever had before; even though her wounds were barely anything of note, the encounter had hurt her more than any other. When the steel dragon returned her gaze to the manaless court mage afterwards, his body froze in the middle of removing the rubbles covering a courtyard exit. A wide grin spread across Raizel¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t know how to run away, do you?¡± ¡°¡­Bloody hells.¡± ¡®If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve left the palace through his portal too¡­¡¯ It was too late for regrets. Teleportation was useless with the surrounding rubbles limiting his vision, and Silas didn¡¯t possess sufficient mana to escape in the first place. After approaching the cornered mage, Raizel grabbed him by his hair and forced the mage up to their feet, whispering in an ominous voice. ¡°Now¡­how many pieces should I rip you into?¡± ¡°W, wait! If you let me go, I¡¯ll tell you the emperor¡¯s location!¡± ¡°Emperor?...¡± After a moment of disinterested staring, Raizel burst into laughter. ¡°Hahaha! Seriously? That¡¯s the best you have?¡± ¡°Anything!...Anything you¡¯d like. I can offer you anything you¡¯d want from the empire. Anything at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With her free hand, the youngling softly held Silas¡¯ right thumb. But she then proceeded to twist it off, breaking its bones and ripping the flesh. After shoving the torn finger into the mage¡¯s mouth, she glared into their eyes, hissing out her next response. ¡°I already told you what I want.¡± ¡°¡­Wh, wh, what did¡­¡± ¡°How many pieces should I rip you into?¡± ¡°¡­One?¡± A demeaning snort escaped Raizel, twisting her lips into an evil grin. ¡°Wrong answer.¡± Ep 102. Confessions of the Historian: Problem Child Ep 102. Confessions of the Historian: Problem Child A problem child is defined not by themselves, but by the world around them. When the child fails to meet the expectations of those around them, they are thereby regarded to be a defect, possessing a problem in one or more aspects. From birth, children are predicted of their future; the closeness they share to their predicted selves is what dictates how they are viewed. An expectation to look a certain way; an expectation to learn certain things; an expectation to behave in certain ways. The areas are endless, and reasons likewise endless to regard a child as problematic. ¡­You were expected to fall, drowning in misery of your hopeless future. You were to become the lowest of your kind, forever to remain alone and behind. Alas, you failed to meet this expectation. And that was reason enough for others to regard you as a problem. ? ? ? ¡°Xar. You took longer than I¡¯d expected.¡± ¡°¡­My apologies.¡± ¡°Nothing to apologize for. It wasn¡¯t too difficult here, anyhow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xar emptily stared into the barren landscape stretching before them. The flourishing valleys had turned barren over a single night, the only saving grace the lack of discoloring on the soil they stood on. And standing beside the Akeian commander was the empire¡¯s only emperor, triumphantly holding up the prize he¡¯d come for between his fingers. A small, golden jewel of the wooden ring reflected the dawning sunlight. ¡°¡­I take it you didn¡¯t use true magic.¡± ¡°Why? So you could learn it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a momentary pause, the emperor burst into laughter. Even though he couldn¡¯t read Xar¡¯s expression, it was easy enough to guess at what he was thinking at times. ¡°I kid. There was simply no need; the dragons weren¡¯t as big an obstacle as I thought they¡¯d be. Many were busy running away instead of fighting. And it wouldn¡¯t do to destroy their invaluable remains.¡± ¡°¡­But then, the reason behind experimenting the dragonkin¡¯s weakness was¡­¡± ¡°Amusing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± After fitting the ring around his finger, the emperor turned to his commander, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m not very fond of them, Xar ¨C dragons, elves, what have you. I could never get used to their undeserved, mighty attitude. Blindly believing themselves to be the superior race¡­and look where that got them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amadeus Lavnore. An individual said to be the greatest mage to ever walk the star, but also to be the worst mage to ever be born.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. After the birth of his empire, Lavnore became the first ruler to be of a mage background. However, the man possessed neither prudence nor grace: qualities that were thought to be a given amongst all wielders of magic. Due to the emperor¡¯s unquestioned rule and incomparable strength, it didn¡¯t take long until he was called a dictator, not just of his own empire, but of the continent itself. Even though he was barely of age, and certainly not at an age to be regarded as king. ¡°Speaking of¡­Xar, what of the keepers¡¯ remains?¡± ¡°¡­I left them be?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Look, can¡¯t you see all those soldiers working away to fit those sliced dragons into their inventories?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I realize they won¡¯t be as valuable given they died in their reduced forms, but you never know when we¡¯ll need such specimen. Go retrieve them both.¡± ¡°¡­Their daughter should still be with them.¡± ¡°So? Kill her then.¡± ¡°¡­As I recall, you promised that the hatchling would be spared.¡± ¡°I did. You did not.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Kill the offspring and retrieve the bodies, Xar. Apparently, those three were the last of the steel dragons ¨C it wouldn¡¯t be bad to end their legacy here altogether.¡± Though Xar intended to respond against the idea, the emperor¡¯s cold gaze clearly stated that the matter was not for discussion. And finally, the commander let out a surrendering sigh. The choice wasn¡¯t his to begin with. ¡°¡­As you wish, your majesty.¡± ? ? ? When Xar lowered his gaze, the two steel dragons were lying on the ground, just as they had when he¡¯d left them. Their hatchling was also above her mother just as he¡¯d left her, asleep after exhausting herself from crying. ¡°¡­Hm.¡± No ravens had come to peck away the dead; no wolves had come to feast on the bodies; no dragon had come to save the remaining child. Not a single life had come prior to the commander¡¯s return. ¡®They already take you for dead, don¡¯t they.¡¯ When the commander stretched out his hand towards the small dragon, she held tighter onto her mother¡¯s body, feeling the approaching threat even in her unconscious. Xar frowned at the sight of her little hands desperately clinging to the lifeless body. ¡°¡­¡± There was no reason to keep this hatchling alive, especially if her own kin had given up on her. Especially when considering how problematic steel dragons could be when fully grown. But instead of coming here himself, the emperor had elected to send Xar. Alone, at that. Reversely, that meant the man cared little for what the commander actually did here. ¡°¡­I suppose we¡¯ll be enemies when we meet again.¡± When Xar loosened his arm to carefully wrap it around the hatchling, Raizel¡¯s body eased noticeably as she was lifted off from her mother¡¯s corpse. The sight of hatchling¡¯s ease viciously gnawed at the commander¡¯s conscience. He turned his head, scanning the valleys stretching behind them. ¡®If they¡¯d run away, then they¡¯d be at¡­¡¯ ? ? ? ¡°Is that everyone? I¡¯d better hurry ba-¡° ¡°Hold, Bruton.¡± The black dragon turned his head when he felt his friend grabbing his shoulder. They were shaking their head, pulling him back from taking off into the air. ¡°¡­It¡¯s too late. You know it just as well as I do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fresh blood spilt from Bruton¡¯s bitten lips. Even though it¡¯d been for the sake of protecting the fleeing children, he couldn¡¯t rid himself of the feeling he¡¯d just abandoned his comrades to save his own life. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless, my friend. Think how sad Aether will be when you¡¯re not there to raise your newborn.¡± ¡°¡­Right¡­¡± The black dragon let out a long sigh, turning around to return and join the others. But just as he did so, a cold, freezing breeze brushed past his wings from behind. The black dragon immediately tensed, swinging his arm coated in flames. But where he¡¯d expected an enemy to be, nothing was behind him. Or, to be more specific¡­something was behind him. It was just too small for him to see immediately. ¡°¡­What was that? The wind just now, that was-¡± ¡°Bruton, beneath you¡­¡± When the two elders lowered their gaze, a sleeping hatchling came to sight, her little tail coiled around her snout. She seemed to be whimpering, but neither could make out what she was saying in her sleep. ¡°Raizel? How is she still¡­?¡± ¡°L, let us make haste! We can¡¯t afford to keep a child out here.¡± ¡°¡­R, right.¡± Bruton held the steel dragon in his arms, taking flight to return to where the remaining kin were. Though he didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d been able to appear behind him so suddenly, keeping the remaining children safe was their first and foremost concern. And when he held her close, the old dragon could finally make out the hatchling¡¯s words. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t go out alone again¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t leave¡­¡± ? ? ? Perhaps it was the very sympathy that bound you to the dead. Despite your iron will to move forward, others bound you to your loss, wishing you would sink beneath their feet. ¡­ A small recognition. A token of kindness. That was all that was needed to relieve you of your pains. So turn away, and never look back. Nothing lasts but my own will. And so, you must leave them behind. You cannot take them with you. Ep 103. An Even Worse Monster. (1) Ep 103. An Even Worse Monster. (1) When Raizel had first taken off for the imperial palace, it wasn¡¯t long until Serenis took flight after the youngling; despite the distance between them, it was only a few seconds difference considering their flight speed. But before even a minute had passed in the air, Serenis caught a glint of light from beneath, within the hills the palace stood upon. Soon, a large spear shot forth from below towards the dragonlord. Of course, it wasn¡¯t very difficult to block with a simple shielding spell; at first, Serenis thought of it as nothing more than a particularly observant sentry catching them in their flight. But when a dozen more were thrown at her from beneath, even the dragonlord was forced to look down at the steep hill below. ¡®What are these spears? Where¡­¡¯ When she lowered her gaze, a speck of black came to view, hiding amongst branches and leaves. An individual cloaked in black was holding yet another spear in hand, his stance fully prepared for another throw. ¡°Fall, Aymeia.¡± A sinister voice resonated into the dragonlord¡¯s soul, and a spear throw quickly followed it. ¡°¡­Aymeia?¡± Although she questioned the voice, Serenis¡¯ shielding spell remained unscathed, and the dragonlord expected this throw to be deflected like any other; a dozen other attacks had already proved futile against it. And this was precisely why Serenis failed to recognize ¨C that the deflected throws had clouded her judgment, preventing her from noticing the bronze-like glint of this spear¡¯s head. ¡°¡­!¡± Her spell was neither destroyed, nor pierced through. The shield she¡¯d erected simply disappeared as if it had never been there to begin with, and the thrown weapon continued its trajectory to bury itself into Serenis¡¯ shoulder. The spells that had maintained her wings and appearance ceased their functioning, making the dragonlord fall out of the skies. Only a handful of snapping branches broke the fall to prevent a fatal outcome. ¡°Hff¡­¡± Serenis suppressed a pained groan as she struggled to get back on her feet, gripping at her bleeding shoulder where the weapon was lodged. But before Serenis could even begin to recover, a series of rustling noises were soon followed by her assailant¡¯s appearance. A tattered, dusty cloak covered the entirety of his face and body; even his hands were wrapped in worn bandages, preventing even a single patch of skin from showing. Their echoing voice was the only distinguishing trait the assailant possessed. ¡°So I didn¡¯t imagine it. What is that regressed appearance, Aymeia? Has your body finally begun breaking down after all these years?¡± ¡°¡­I am not Aymeia.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The assailant returned no verbal reply to the pained answer Serenis croaked. Instead, he gripped the spear buried into the dragonlord¡¯s shoulder, ripping it out with a vicious noise as her spewing blood wet the dirt beneath. Serenis gasped in pain, gripping at the open wound. The man then brought the bloodied speartip to the dragonlord¡¯s neck, pressing it against her bare skin. ¡°Then that is all the more reason to extinguish your soul. This world has no need of such stained souls.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although the assailant¡¯s nonsensical words were mildly concerning, a far more pressing concern occupied the dragonlord¡¯s mind. ¡®Kelador¡­your shell¡¯s still a nuisance.¡¯ As Serenis turned her attention away from her shoulder, the bloodied spear came to view, clearly of the make of her friend¡¯s shell. Ever since the peculiar weapon had wounded her, Serenis¡¯ mana was failing to synthesize; even the smallest clump would dissipate before a proper spell could be formed. Her capacity in magic meant little when she couldn¡¯t even form the simplest of spells. If she¡¯d been careful of it from the beginning, it may have been a trivial matter to subdue the individual before her ¨C but with her biggest tool now robbed of her, there was little the dragonlord could do in her current body. ¡®¡­Foolish. I, of all, should¡¯ve known better.¡¯ Considering how Raizel had flown straight towards the palace, there was no way the youngling would know the situation here ¨C especially considering her hatred towards the empire. She may as well have been half-blind. As Serenis wracked her head for a solution, her assailant was the first to break the silence.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°¡­I suppose you really aren¡¯t her. Your soul is far more vile. How sickening you are, sinner.¡± ¡°¡­Sinner?¡± The man continued, ignoring the dragonlord¡¯s response. He was merely muttering to himself. ¡°Your soul is not that of a man turned demon; no, rather, you possess both in coexistence. A treacherous balance, threatening to swallow the man within¡­¡± Even if no one else could see it, he could. The soul lying before him was, in all aspects, a threat to the star. ¡°¡­Unworthy.¡± Finally, the assailant slashed his spear sideways, cutting the dragonlord¡¯s throat open. Cut off in both voice and thought, Serenis¡¯ body limply feel backwards. She sunk unto a tree behind her, unmoving. The cloaked figure scoffed at the sight of the fatal wound that was inflicted upon the dragonlord. Soon, he stretched out his free hand into the air. ¡°Do not fear. After sufficient cleansing, you will-¡± The assailant stopped himself midsentence. When the dragon¡¯s hand once again began to twitch despite her fatal injuries, he retreated his hand, fixing the grip on his spear. He warily poised for an incoming attack, preparing himself to retaliate. But instead, Serenis merely brought one hand towards her wounds. Pure, orange light radiated from her palm, rapidly closing her bleeding wounds. Soon, she even began speaking to him again. ¡°¡­Threatening to swallow me, is it? You say the strangest things. She would never.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The cloaked figure remained still in a poised stance. Despite his initial thought of striking the dragonlord over and over again, he merely stood in place, unsure of who ¨C or what ¨C was speaking to him. ¡®¡­Something¡¯s changed.¡¯ The overwhelming darkness of the dragonlord¡¯s demonic soul had instantly yielded the moment it was struck, giving reign to the small light glowing from within ¨C a tiny glimmer that unmistakably belonged to mankind. What the assailant had perceived to be a soul held in captivity had suddenly prevailed under the life-threatening circumstance to save its demon captor. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not of Nature¡¯s creation. Who are you? WHAT are you?¡± ¡°A relic of the past.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After her wounds closed, the dragonlord raised her gaze towards the assailant¡¯s shadowed visage. Unlike her usual self, she was beaming a soft grin towards the figure while she spoke. ¡°She means no harm. I¡¯ve no qualms allowing her to exist alongside myself. Is that not sufficient to permit her existence?¡± ¡°I cannot. What binds you is a demon¡¯s soul. My duty is to cleanse you of it.¡± ¡°Even if I wish otherwise?¡± ¡°That is not for you to decide.¡± ¡°¡­Very well.¡± The dragonlord raised herself unto her feet, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, if only for a moment. A moment was all that was needed. ? ? ? ¡®Do you hear that, Serenis? We¡¯re bound in both body and soul. Isn¡¯t that interesting.¡¯ No response. Then again, it was merely a thought: a message thrown into the depths of an endless abyss. Perhaps she¡¯d hear it, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t. But at the very least, he could hope that she would. ¡®Our death was not your fault. Even now, I wish you¡¯d abandon this quest...¡¯ Their conflict had ended in the previous era. Countless had died for its conclusion, including Serenis herself. Yet, the dragonlord still persisted, continuing her daughter¡¯s will after a millennium¡¯s passing. And if she wouldn¡¯t do as he wished, then the least he could do was support the dragonlord¡¯s wishes. ¡®¡­May the stars forever shine upon your path.¡¯ Once again, he would retreat into the depths of the dragonlord¡¯s conscious ¨C this time much further than before. ? ? ? When Serenis came to once more, she was on the ground, slouched against a tree. The fresh blood coating the grass around her clearly told that she hadn¡¯t imagined the last fatal strike. But when she rubbed her neck, she didn¡¯t feel a single hint of pain ¨C the wound had disappeared, as if it¡¯d never been there. Her shoulder was likewise fully healed, even though she could clearly remember agonizing in pain from the open wound. Unfortunately, not everything was so merry; her assailant was still standing before her. After fixing his grip on his weapon, the cloaked figure thrust his spear forward at an unbelievable speed. With no time to dodge the attack, Serenis hurriedly put her hands forward, gripping the speartip to stop the weapon mere inches away. But weirdly enough, the whole act was effortless now. Her hands felt fine holding the weapon¡¯s blade; not a drop of blood could be seen, nor was she struggling to hold it in place. Serenis narrowed her eyes. Her own hand seemed and felt alien, glimmering in a strange, familiar white color. ¡®¡­Scales?¡¯ Suddenly, Serenis could feel a loud thump in her heart. The dragonlord¡¯s body violently convulsed, her innards painfully twisting out of shape. Her thumping heart quickened as if it would burst at any moment, and her human body desperately resisted against the change being forced unto it. Pure white scales began to form over the dragonlord¡¯s hands that held the spear in place. Alarmed, and equally confused as the dragonlord, the assailant attempted to withdraw his weapon ¨C only to find it impossible to do so with Serenis gripping its tip. When the speartip completely shattered, the cloaked figure abandoned his weapon, cautiously retreating back a few steps. ¡°¡­¡± Serenis had no attention to spare for her retreating assailant. She heaved in ragged breaths, pure white scales beginning to encroach upon various parts of her exposed skin. A pair of sizeable wings newly sprouted on her back, along with a tail of the same color. The blue glint in her dishevelled hair had noticeably faded, and the small specks of black on her head had grown to a pair of large black horns. It wasn¡¯t that she¡¯d fully regained her proper form as a dragon; but even so, the eyes that stared into the darkness of the assailant¡¯s cloak were no longer that of a human¡¯s. Instead, a long, sharp pupil extended across her blue iris. It didn¡¯t take long for the cloaked figure to alter his judgment of the woman before him. ¡°¡­A sinner¡¯s soul that can forego its human origin at will. It seems you were never quite human to begin with. A marvel that such an abomination is able to exist.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t like Serenis particularly understood the situation any better. As far as she was concerned, she¡¯d suffered a fatal attack, only to return to her senses in a fully healed state. Her half-baked dragonkin body had then set her heart on an unconscious rampage, rapidly regressing the dragonlord to her original form. But whatever the cause of this event was, she had no time to question it before the imminent threat. After steeling herself for the second phase of their confrontation, Serenis glared into the shadow of the figure¡¯s hood. ¡°¡­Call me what you would.¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to deny the man¡¯s words. This whole venture was nothing more than a blind search for redemption. ¡®¡­So I cannot rest. Not until this conflict sees its end.¡¯ Though she¡¯d somehow quickened her transformation into dragonkin, there was no telling whether her body would continue to tolerate the sudden change. No good would come out of prolonging things. Serenis pulled back her arm, readying to engage. The newly grown scales and claws clearly attested to her inhuman birth. ¡®¡­Serenis.¡¯ A vague, distant voice seemed to mutter from the edges of her consciousness. But she could hardly afford to concentrate on it. She couldn¡¯t afford to discern if it was even real. Ep 104. An Even Worse Monster. (2) Ep 104. An Even Worse Monster. (2) A newborn soul is a pure, shallow existence ¨C for it possesses no experience or memory to alter it. But once born, the life one leads affects the soul in a myriad of ways: whether that be its depth, purity, color, shape, or something else altogether. A commonly known rule was that a good deed purifies the soul, while an evil deed taints it black. However, this was a rule that was purposefully distorted to sway children in favorable ways. Good and evil were subjective matters to begin with; none could serve as an arbiter of right and wrong. In the passing millennia, a piece of the original rule had been lost in time: The standard of good and evil is the soul itself; the morals of their possessor. It did not matter what action one would take. As long as they perceived it as virtuous, then it was so; if they perceived it sinful, then it was so. Hence, the purity of one¡¯s soul was actually a meaningless trait. It was dictated not by an absolute standard, but simply by one¡¯s beliefs. However, this did not stop a certain few from judging another by the purity of their soul. ¡®¡­Dark.¡¯ In the assailant¡¯s eyes, the dragonlord¡¯s soul was a conundrum. A darkness of immeasurable depth, blackened beyond recognition. He may as well have been staring into an abyss. But even in that endless void, an undeniable light gleamed from its core. A pure, innocent light of a human soul, embracing the darkness that surrounded it. And that very light ¨C the light he believed to be the origin of the woman standing before him ¨C was beginning to flicker, as if it would disappear at any moment. ¡°¡­Curious.¡± After discarding his broken weapon, the cloaked figure summoned yet another spear into his hand, pointing it towards his enemy ahead. ¡®Unless they¡¯ve reincarnated hundreds of times, a human soul could not possibly attain such depth. Their soul should undoubtedly belong to a demon¡­but what of that light? Man and demon, unified within a single body?...¡¯ Discarding the array of disorganized thoughts, the cloaked figure thrust his spear forward several times to pierce his opponent. Unfortunately, the weapon was no longer of any threat to the dragon before him; the metal harmlessly clashed against her scales, and soon, shattered apart from the impact. He may as well have been thrusting at an iron wall. After his spear was destroyed yet again, the cloaked figure retreated back a few steps. At first glance, he¡¯d thought the individual to be the deity of stars. The depth of their internal misgivings and grievances, and their overall presence, had been similar to a staggering degree. However, the individual before him couldn¡¯t possibly have been the deity he thought she was. She looked nothing alike, acted nothing alike; and, most importantly, Aymeia¡¯s soul was nowhere near as whole and stable as the dragonlord¡¯s. ¡®It¡¯s as if all of her faults were simply removed. If anything¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­Perhaps you¡¯re an even worse monster.¡± ¡°¡­¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. A quiet sigh escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips. Ever since their meeting, her assailant had muttered nothing but nonsense. Kicking herself off the ground, Serenis raked her claws at her opponent. Despite the cloaked figure hurriedly backing off another few steps, the fabric hiding his figure were caught in the attack, tearing off to reveal the figure beneath. And once she could see her assailant¡¯s face, Serenis couldn¡¯t hide her astonishment. ¡°¡­? How¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hiding underneath the black cloak was not a living body, but a wooden mass carved to resemble such. Although hidden beneath layers of fabric and bandage, the insides were not a person, but a well-sculpted wooden mannequin. Though, that doll was moving like a person, and somehow even speaking like one. ¡°¡­I hadn¡¯t quite intended to show this far¡­¡± When the doll extended its hand, another weapon was summoned into its grip. The summoned scythe was then slashed across the front, skidding past the unscaled portion of Serenis¡¯ face. Soon, the two stepped back from each other to stand at a distance. ¡°Even you should¡¯ve realized ¨C that you¡¯ve nothing to gain from this battle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Up until just now, Serenis had been fairly certain: that the individual standing before her was yet another divinity, wielding powers pertaining to the soul. After all, reading another¡¯s soul through mere sight was one of the First¡¯s divine authorities. But the usage of weapons, puppets, and hand-to-hand combat ¨C none of those were how the First had handled conflict. Given the sheer amount of divinity her parental figure had held, it was difficult to imagine him engaging in combat through a remote decoy controlling dozens of physical weapons. And soon enough, the wooden doll cut off the dragonlord¡¯s train of thought. ¡°You seem confused, demon.¡± ¡°¡­No thanks to your ridiculous visage.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± When the doll discarded his scythe, the weapon transformed into a mass of light, disappearing thereafter. ¡°A demon like you would never understand. The times we endured under your kind¡¯s pitiful rule ¨C the heights we climbed to surpass it.¡± ¡°¡­And still, your only notable accomplishment was to defile our brethren¡¯s remains and wield them as your weapons.¡± ¡°Mock all you¡¯d like ¨C it does not change that your kind are now lesser than our own. Soon, the final demonlord will die in my hands ¨C and with her, the rest of your kind. This war only ends once every single one of you are extinguished from our world.¡± Serenis frowned at the sudden threat, but instead of retorting back, she remained silent. Strangely, despite their mention of a ¡®lord,¡¯ it didn¡¯t seem like they were talking about her. When no answer came back, the doll scoffed at the dragonlord. ¡°Resist if you wish. I will await your arrival at Telberk.¡± The grey aura surrounding the wooden figure faded out. Soon, it powerlessly fell to the ground, laying there motionlessly. Their last few words echoed in Serenis¡¯ mind for several minutes thereafter. ¡®¡­The final demonlord?¡¯ Until Serenis¡¯ reappearance, the dragonkin had lost their notion of having a lord; the dragons who recognized her as their lord were few and far between. It only made sense that her assailant wouldn¡¯t recognize her as a dragonlord. ¡®But if that were the case, then whoever is this supposed demonlord?¡¯ Despite sounding like a declaration, her assailant may very well have been provoking Serenis to lure her into a trap. If one of the other lords had still been alive, Serenis should¡¯ve been able to sense their presence upon the star, however faint. The dragonlord hovered one hand over her chest. A deep frown crossed her expression and she grasped at her heart, as if to make sure it was still there. ¡®Unless¡­¡¯ ? ? ? In a dark room lit only by a single candle, a man seated upon the chamber¡¯s stone floors quietly opened his eyes. The Akeian emperor remained prostrating behind the figure. He dared not lift his forehead off the ground. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°¡­Lavnore.¡± After a curt acknowledgement the emperor¡¯s presence, he remained silent. The man instead rose to his feet, picking up the pitch-black cloak beside him to cover his figure. As silence ensued, it was Lavnore who broke it while the man donned his robe. ¡°I hope your meditation was satisfying.¡± ¡°I was merely inviting an interesting guest.¡± ¡°¡­An interesting guest? Who...¡± ¡°Is that any of your concern?¡± When met with his lord¡¯s cold stare, the Akeian emperor smashed his forehead once more unto the stone floor, coating it in bits of blood. ¡°Forgive me. I¡¯ve overstepped my boundaries.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man callously turned away. He then headed towards the chamber¡¯s only exit, creaking it open to reveal the snowy mountains outside. Still facing the scenery before him, the man spoke to the emperor behind him. ¡°If you¡¯re here, I trust that preparations are complete.¡± ¡°They are. The empire is ready to depart immediately.¡± ¡°¡­We will wait another day at this keep.¡± A single day. If his guest failed to arrive in that timeframe, then they were never worth being considered a threat. ¡®It matters not who comes.¡¯ The Reaper ¨C the only entity he¡¯d feared of standing against ¨C was no more. There was none left to contest him on this star, not even among the dragons or the remaining Twelve. Unless some ridiculous monstrosity had somehow returned to life. Ep 105. An Even Worse Monster. (3) Ep 105. An Even Worse Monster. (3) Minutes after the wooden doll was rendered lifeless, Serenis resumed her flight towards the palace as soon as her mana resumed their proper functioning. Although Raizel was more than capable, the dragonlord couldn¡¯t discard the worries weighing her mind. After soaring over the ramparts, Serenis soon arrived at the courtyard where the steel dragon was minutes prior. However, the surrounding scenery was nothing like what Raizel had seen upon arrival. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Numerous towers and walls surrounding the palace were in collapsed rubbles, coated in streaks of blood. The courtyard itself was filled with dead soldiers, and at the centre lied two peculiar structures. ¡®Metal?¡¯ Two metallic domes, each large enough to fit a person inside, lied before the dragonlord. They were unmistakably some form of magic, likely cast here by Raizel ¨C but even Serenis couldn¡¯t discern the purpose of the peculiar spell. ¡®Has she trapped the emperor inside? But if that were the case, why the second?¡¯ Although Serenis initially stretched out her hand to undo the domes, she was quick to discard the idea. She could sense Raizel not too far into the palace¡¯s interior. Whatever these were, she needed but ask the youngling directly. ¡°¡­I do hope it¡¯s nothing of concern.¡± With that final thought, Serenis¡¯ gaze drifted over to one of the collapsed walls surrounding the courtyard. A single path was seemingly blown open as if someone had forced their way into the palace interior, revealing an enormous hallway inside. Summoning her wings, the dragonlord quickly made her way through the open path, chasing after Raizel¡¯s presence. After having to use a spell to replicate her wings for so long, it was rather satisfying to have reclaimed her physical wings. ? ? ? Meanwhile, inside the palace¡­ ¡°Telberk! His majesty should be headed towards Telberk!¡± ¡°Where the hell is that?¡± ¡°Pardon?...¡± ¡°Where the hell is that.¡± ¡°Um¡­uh¡­¡± Crunch. The remaining soldiers flinched in unison as the stammering soldier¡¯s head was torn off their body. The unlucky few that had been too slow to escape or hesitant to leave their post were now reliant on an angered dragon¡¯s mercy. A bloodthirsty gaze fell on those that still stood. ¡°Weird. Just a while ago you¡¯re coming at me with weapons in hand, now you¡¯re all scared?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When no answer came back, Raizel nonchalantly grabbed another soldier by their throat, pulling them out of the lined troops. ¡°Fine, back to the question then. Where¡¯s this Telberk place?¡± ¡°T, Telberk is a keep located northwest from here. It¡¯s the largest keep situated before the mountains that border Asarda. You can¡¯t miss it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s your emperor even doing there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­well¡­¡± When the soldier felt the iron grip tightening around his neck, he hurriedly continued his answer. ¡°A, Asarda¡¯s campaign! His majesty should be making preparations for our next campaign on Asarda!¡± ¡°Campaign?¡± ¡°If the empire succeeds in conquering Asarda, all of Astellion falls in our hands. His majesty has gone to see to the campaign¡¯s success¡­¡± ¡°Pft. Don¡¯t you guys ever get tired of fighting? Seriously.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly a question Raizel should¡¯ve been asking, but the youngling failed to see the hypocrisy in her statement.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. And while the steel dragon contemplated on what to do next, a welcomed guest arrived at the corridor they were at. ¡°Raizel! Are you here?!¡± ¡°Oh hey, you¡¯re here. Finally.¡± Fortunately, the steel dragon didn¡¯t seem hurt in the slightest ¨C the few streaks of blood on her clearly weren¡¯t her own. But contrary to the dragonlord¡¯s worried expression, Raizel casually wove her hand, wearing a bright smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re pretty late, lord. Thought you¡¯d be along. You¡¯re¡­not angry at me, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not. I was attacked on the way, that¡¯s all. I was being foolish¡­¡± ¡°Huh? You were attacked? You look fine to me.¡± When Raizel finally gave Serenis another good scan, the youngling began to notice a strange air of difference in her lord. Although the dragonlord¡¯s appearance seemed to be the same, something about them seemed to have changed. ¡°You look¡­lighter? Or am I seeing things?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re correct. I no longer require a spell to keep this appearance in place. It seems you¡¯re instinctively sensing that difference.¡± ¡°Huh? So that¡¯s what you actually look like? What happened to the little runt from before?¡± ¡°¡­That was¡­quite some time ago, child.¡± ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t feel that long.¡± Finally, the dragonlord¡¯s gaze shifted over from Raizel towards the row of soldiers lined up before them. Bloodied carpets were beneath their feet; one lied dead on the ground, another closing in on death within the steel dragon¡¯s grasp. ¡°Raizel. This is¡­?¡± ¡°Oh. Uh¡­¡± Raizel hurriedly let go of the soldier in her hand, letting him retreat to the ranks of his friends. After a momentary stutter, Raizel began her lengthy explanation. ¡°So, this is¡­you know¡­¡± ? ? ? Minutes passed as Raizel explained the events that had transpired in the dragonlord¡¯s absence. Once the youngling was finished with her story, Serenis pondered over the odd coincidence of the emperor¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°The emperor is in¡­Telberk?¡± ¡°Yep. You know where it is?¡± ¡°Not its precise location, but¡­¡± ¡®It¡¯s the same location that the doll mentioned. Is it mere coincidence? Or¡­¡¯ Serenis shook her head. What her assailant had said to her no longer mattered ¨C her objectives had always been to find the star deity¡¯s whereabouts through the emperor, as well as the origins of Kelador¡¯s shell. Of course, neither objective necessitated the Akeian emperor¡¯s presence; any high-ranking member of the empire may have possessed sufficient knowledge to answer the dragonlord¡¯s questions. But¡­ ¡°This is the royal palace, is it not? Were there no other that seemed to be of higher status?¡± ¡°Meh, all I saw were soldiers. There was this one mage who seemed pretty important, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°¡­I killed him.¡± Although Serenis momentarily frowned at the answer, her expression soon loosened when she saw the evident guilt in the youngling¡¯s eyes. Even considering Raizel¡¯s aggressiveness, the dragonlord knew by now that the steel dragon wasn¡¯t one to ignore pleas without reason ¨C at least not her¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s rather unfortunate. I suppose they were swept away amidst the soldiers then.¡± ¡°¡­He crossed the line first.¡± ¡°? Crossed the line? Did he do something to you?¡± ¡°My parents. He was toying with them.¡± ¡°¡­Your parents? But weren¡¯t they¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ expression immediately contorted, but Raizel failed to see it as she dropped her gaze to the floor below. Flooded with both anger and embarrassment alike, the steel dragon then shot a glare towards the soldiers before her. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of others seeing her vulnerable in any way. After saying ¡®you¡¯d-all-be-dead-if-she-wasn¡¯t-here¡¯ with her eyes, she threw her arm to the side, screaming at their faces. ¡°What¡¯re you all looking at?! Piss of!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the disarrayed soldiers to begin fleeing the corridor. They hurriedly turned towards the stairs, where they¡¯d be able to eventually reach the ground floor to escape the palace. But before even a single one could escape into the path leading downwards, Serenis flicked her hand, closing the way off with a wall of fire. The flames circled then around the lot, caging them in a burning prison. After trapping the soldiers in place, Serenis returned her attention to Raizel. ¡°Why are you sending them away, child? Did you not say they attacked you?¡± ¡°Well, they did, but¡­I can¡¯t just kill them.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t? How come?¡± ¡°You like humans. Things would be different if I was alone, but with you here, it¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°I like humans? What is it that made you think so?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Everywhere we go, you do stuff in their favor. Back in Partivine, you even made ME work for humans.¡± ¡°But those people didn¡¯t wield their weapons at you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis beamed an apologetic smile towards the silent dragon before her. She appreciated that Raizel was being considerate of her, but even more so, she didn¡¯t want the youngling to think that their lord valued humans above her own kin. Indeed, even if the empire¡¯s soldiers had belonged to demonkind, defiling her passed kin in front of their child was far, far beyond what she could condone. ¡°Tell me, child. What is it that you wish of those men?¡± ¡°Uh¡­dead?¡± ¡°So be it then. Though, let¡¯s not taint your hands any further.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Before Raizel could even ask what Serenis had meant, the dragonlord once again nonchalantly flicked her hand. The flaming circle trapping the soldiers within exploded inwards, engulfing their bodies in heated flames. Silent screams accompanied the blinding torrent of fire. And when the blaze had died down, only bits of charred dust remained on the blackened corridor. Raizel stood in daze, shocked by her lord¡¯s sudden spell. And in return, Serenis merely grinned back, caressing the youngling on her head. ¡°You¡¯re right, Raizel. From past to present, I¡¯ve always been fond of humans. So much that I was wed with one.¡± ¡°Then¡­why did you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­But to tell you the truth, I regret those days. For I¡¯ve valued them far too much, losing sight of what I had truly held dear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a short sigh, Serenis retreated her hand from Raizel¡¯s head. She emptily stared into the burnt corridor. There had been at least a few dozen soldiers there ¨C now, there was none. If Eden had been here in Raizel¡¯s place, no doubt those soldiers would¡¯ve been allowed to flee. For that¡¯s what Eden herself would¡¯ve wished for. And yet, Serenis couldn¡¯t feel even a hint of remorse for killing them. Unlike her daughter, the dragonlord was nowhere near as forgiving towards those that would dare attack her kin and toy with their dead parents ¨C whether it be humans, demons, or even a divine entity. That¡¯s how it always should¡¯ve been. ¡®So forgive me just this once, Eden. Even if you¡¯d be disappointed in me¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­I never wish to make that mistake again.¡± After a long pause. Serenis raised her gaze unto the ceiling. Despite Raizel bringing numerous sections of the palace to a collapse, its tallest, most fortified tower was still standing above their heads. And likewise above their heads were an all-too-familiar presence, hidden behind a series of floors above them. Ep 106. As Long As They’re Dragonkin. (1) Ep 106. As Long As They¡¯re Dragonkin. (1) While the two dragons ascended towards the palace tops, Raizel maintained a curious expression on her face. No matter where she looked, there was seemingly nothing of note inside the palace. Gold and silver d¨¦cor, luxurious weaves, worn paintings of who-knows-what: none of them meant anything to the youngling following behind. A few soldiers were still trying to prevent the intruders from heading up here and there, but they were quickly snuffed of life before the merciless dragonlord. They weren¡¯t even given a chance to speak ¨C which was strange, considering what Raizel knew about Serenis¡¯ usual character. Freaky, even. Raizel¡¯s curiosity peaked when they reached the top of the palace, entering the empty throne room. ¡°¡­Lord, where¡¯re we going? Are you just checking if the emperor¡¯s still here?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s more.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s¡­more of us. Behind here¡­¡± Serenis gave a curt look towards the jewel-encrusted throne. Considering its original purpose as a chair, its surface of carved gems seemed rather unfitting ¨C the design only made sense if the throne¡¯s purpose was an ostensive display of wealth. But behind this eye-catching seat was a grandiose wall, covered by a velvet drape covering its surface. Though most would be too occupied by the throne to notice, the crimson wall behind the throne was rather plain compared to the intricate designs the other walls were inscribed with. The dragonlord briskly made her way over to the drapes, tearing them off to reveal the naked surface beneath. ¡°¡­What a bold display.¡± Normally, a person has little reason to look behind an emperor¡¯s throne ¨C much less examine what was behind it. Hence, not many knew of the metal door that hid behind the drapes of the emperor¡¯s throne chamber. As Serenis lightly brushed her fingertips against the spell circle engraved upon the metal, Raizel likewise came to a stop behind her lord, peeking over their shoulder to see what was before them. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s more dragons behind this door? What¡¯s that drawing?¡± ¡°A spell circle. Though you may not be familiar with them, they¡¯re another form of magic humans have developed. Mana is stored within the inscription to prolong a spell¡¯s effect in the caster¡¯s absence. This one¡¯s purpose seems to be to block the likes of sounds or physical impact¡­whatever¡¯s happening inside, it¡¯d be difficult to tell from the outside.¡± ¡°Huh¡­but you still figured out that there¡¯s dragons in there?¡± ¡°Fortunately.¡± Although Raizel was still curious how her lord had seen through the spell, the youngling remained silent. Probably some nonsensical magic that she wouldn¡¯t understand anyways. When the dragonlord lowered her gaze, she could see a small gap at the circle¡¯s centre. ¡®I suppose that¡¯s where a key would go¡­¡¯ Of course, there were other ways to subdue a spell like this. One could apply a reverse of the original formula; for spell circles like these, one could also overload the circuit with excessive amounts of mana. But magic aside, there was, in fact, a much simpler way to open a locked door. ¡®I¡¯ve regained my form for the most part. This would be a fitting test.¡¯ The easiest way to open a door was to simply open it by force. Serenis gripped the iron handle of the sealed door, pulling it with every ounce of strength she had. With most of her form now returned, she expected it to rip open with sufficient effort. Unfortunately, the door refused to even budge ¨C much less open. When the door remained still after a minute of struggling, Serenis let go of the handle with ragged breaths. ¡°¡­A human¡¯s spell is this strong? How-¡± ¡°Do I just have to open it? Here, let me try.¡± Raizel soon placed herself in Serenis¡¯ stead, fixing her hand over the iron door¡¯s handle with a firm grip. But pull as she may, one hand or two, the door still refused to budge. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Boom! In a burst of frustration, Raizel even punched at the sealed entrance. But their obstacle remained in place, taking the steel dragon¡¯s strike with nary a scratch. ¡°Wow, what the hell¡­I haven¡¯t seen anything like this since then.¡± ¡°¡¯Then,¡¯ you say?¡± ¡°You know, when we went looking for your heart or whatever. It¡¯s similar to the ice that was there¡­actually, feels almost the exact same.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right, the ice there was¡­¡± At the centre of Vulka¡¯s corpse, the dragons had encountered a strange barrier: one that increased the ice¡¯s sturdiness to a ridiculous degree, while also suppressing their draconic features.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it If that were the case here¡­ ¡°¡­Child. Could you try hitting the wall beside the entrance?¡± After a curt nod, Raziel smashed her fist into the crimson wall, even stronger than before. But as Serenis had expected, the youngling¡¯s strike left nary a mark. A deep frown crossed the dragonlord as she bit her lips. It wasn¡¯t just the door; the inscribed spell was affecting the entire parameter. If there were dragons behind this door, then no spell would be better suited to trap them than the one she¡¯d seen at Vulka¡¯s grave. It could strengthen the surrounding walls to deter physical escape attempts; with draconic features suppressed, they couldn¡¯t even hope to fly out or break through in their proper form. ¡®¡­But that barrier, that seal¡­it shouldn¡¯t be something humans can erect.¡¯ A human coming to a full understanding of a dragon¡¯s anatomy ¨C and suppressing certain features through magic ¨C was a nigh impossible task. Even Aldrid had failed to recreate demonkind due to her lack of understanding as to how their bodies functioned. Moreover, a human¡¯s spell shouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand Raizel¡¯s strength in the first place. Even if it were possible, there shouldn¡¯t have been enough mana for it to last longer than a few seconds. ¡®Is it merely a coincidence? Or¡­¡¯ While Serenis pondered over the oddity of their obstacle, Raizel was continuously trying to smash her way in. But when neither of them could see any progress whatsoever, Serenis calmly reared the youngling back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, child. It doesn¡¯t seem brute force will do us any good here. Step back and rest.¡± ¡°Tch. Fine¡­¡± As Raizel reluctantly stepped away, Serenis placed her hand over the circle once more. If they couldn¡¯t force their way through the seal, then she needed but overwhelm the seal with her own mana. However, what the dragonlord had expected to be a meager human spell revealed its true essence as she laid her hand upon it. ¡°¡­This is¡­¡± What Serenis felt through the spell circle wasn¡¯t a meager storage of one mana type. Instead, she felt a surge of several different types forcibly being drained to power the spell, each one far too potent to be of human origin. ¡®They¡¯re¡­all¡­¡¯ Beyond this wall were her kin. Of that, she had no doubt. Hence, it didn¡¯t take much to figure out whose mana the seal was draining from. Much like how Vulka¡¯s barrier had been supplied with the dragonlord¡¯s heart, this one too, was being supplied by other entities. Serenis closed her eyes, her breathing growing long and sparse. The surrounding air weighed heavy upon her, and the hand that touched the inscribed spell began to glow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Bear with me for just a moment¡­¡± If Serenis were to overload this seal, then the aftershock of its collapse would inevitably go to its current suppliers. But even so, she had little choice. Leaving things as is was not an option. Crack! ¡°¡­?¡± Raizel blinked in confusion, standing a few steps behind the dragonlord. Her gaze drifted upwards towards the source of the sudden noise. ¡°Uh¡­lord? You sure this is okay?¡± Despite the youngling¡¯s words, Serenis remained unresponsive with both her eyes closed. She was so focused on her current endeavor that she was failing to realize the entire wall was slowly beginning to fall apart. Old memories began to haunt Raizel¡¯s vision. Her crossed arms slowly unknotted themselves, her eyes fixed on the cracks streaking across the crimson surface before them. With a brilliant flash of white, the dragonlord¡¯s mana overwhelmed what the spell could store. And simultaneously, the cracks stretched across every corner of the crimson wall, crumbling right on top of the oblivious dragonlord ¨C a sight quite familiar for a certain youngling standing behind her. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to recreate this too!!¡± Raizel immediately leapt forward, snatching the dragonlord in her arm before rushing back away. Moments after her retreat, the crumbling wall collapsed on top of where Serenis had been standing, burying the area in a pile of broken rubbles. Serenis slowly opened her eyes to find herself being held by Raizel. The youngling was looking down at her with evident annoyance. ¡°Do you have a thing for dying under collapsing walls? You could at least keep your eyes open.¡± ¡°¡­Well¡­¡± ¡®With the seal dispersed, those rubbles would barely scathe my skin, but¡­¡¯ Instead of voicing her thoughts, Serenis only returned a gentle grin. She soon nodded back at the youngling, knowing their annoyance stemmed from pure concern. ¡°I will next time. Thank you, child.¡± Once Serenis was back on her own feet, the two dragons shifted their attention to what lied ahead. As the dust of the fallen wall began to settle, the scenery that was hidden behind revealed itself before the two dragons. ¡°Wait, what IS that¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beyond the brilliance of the emperor¡¯s golden throne room was a bleak, lightless dungeon. Only the lights seeping in from the throne room was illuminating the prison that lied beyond it; in the time that the wall had separated the two, there wouldn¡¯t have been a single light source within. And in it, were¡­ ¡°¡­Rgh¡­urgh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Grrgh¡­¡± Low, pained groans slithered through the unsettling silence of the dungeon walls. Scattered about were numerous cages, each occupied by several individuals. Though their outward appearances seemed human, Serenis could also see that their draconic features were slowly returning ¨C doubtlessly from the collapse of the seal that had caged them. Serenis slowly walked into the dungeon, her eyes desperately looking for any hint of hope. Unfortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be any here. Embedded within each dragon¡¯s chest was a nail ¨C which, judging by the color, were fashioned from Kelador¡¯s shell. The velklord¡¯s shell had a tendency to prevent mana from synthesizing. Should its influence somehow reach one¡¯s internal organs, it effectively deterred the use of magic altogether; longer exposure warranted longer recovery periods, and often, a prolonged exposure caused irreversible damage. To make matters worse, not a single dragon seemed to be in one piece. Some weren¡¯t even alive. A lifeless color shadowed their skin, and many were missing a part of their body. Some were mutilated beyond recognition. It wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out why they were in such horrid conditions. Cages were occupying most of the dungeon, but places that weren¡¯t were instead occupied by crimson vials, mounds of colorful scales, and countless bones cleaned of flesh. Various instruments were scattered about around the spoils, all serving the same purpose of extracting resources from the imprisoned kin. ¡°¡­What the hell is all this.¡± Raizel briskly passed by Serenis with a stern expression, making her way to the nearest cage. She tore the iron bars apart, shouting at the dragons within. ¡°Hey!...Hey, can any of you hear me?! Say something!¡± ¡°¡­¡± A green-haired dragon powerlessly turned his head to face the steel dragon. He opened his mouth, as if he would say something. But what came out instead of words were low, powerless groans. The tongue that should¡¯ve been in his mouth was nowhere to be found; he didn¡¯t have any teeth either, as if he¡¯d been just born. ¡°¡­Why¡­are you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before the horrifying scenery, the indifference Serenis had struggled to maintain was slowly falling apart. A slaughter beyond torture, an environment lacking even the most basic of needs. Even a barn for animals was a luxury compared to this place. What her kin lost here had likely become brews and tools for human use. The very reason the emperor had chosen to keep them alive was likely to continue extracting their scales and blood. Everyone here were broken in body and soul. Considering their period of exposure to Kelador¡¯s shell embedded within them, they would likely never be able to use magic again, either. ¡°¡­¡± In her welling anger, even the dragonlord¡¯s vision began to blur. - ¡®You hope to facilitate peace with man? A kind that would kill its own brothers and sisters? What you hope for is a fool¡¯s dream, Serenis.¡¯ Every other demonlord had opposed coexistence. Only a single demonlord trusted in its possibility, struggling to facilitate peace between her kin and mankind. She¡¯d truly believed that if her kin were to believe and nurture them ¨C to treat them as equals ¨C then someday, they too, would come to treat Serenis and her kin as family. Or, at the very least¡­she¡¯d hoped that they wouldn¡¯t shed blood with one another. ¡®After all those years¡­is this what it¡¯s come to?¡¯ Now, the faith that she¡¯d held onto for so long was beginning to waver. Ep 107. As Long As They’re Dragonkin. (2) Ep 107. As Long As They¡¯re Dragonkin. (2) ¡°Twelve forefend¡­what¡¯s happening¡­?¡± The herbalist flinched as a river of people flooded the streets. As far as she could see, they were all either soldiers or workers who were all stationed at the royal palace. And atop the hillside, the palace in sight was not the palace she¡¯d remembered. Many of the towers were severed or knocked down; she could even see streams of smoke rising from a few spots. ¡°Um, excuse me! Did something happen?¡± ¡°MONSTER! MOVE!¡± When she tried to grab a hold of someone, they weren¡¯t hesitant to push her aside and continue fleeing from whatever it was they were running away from. All she heard were a few voices claiming that a monster had gone on a rampage within the palace, or that the court mage was dead. ¡®¡­A monster? But why would¡­¡¯ Even with the empire¡¯s current expedition on the western front, the royal palace had hundreds of troops guarding its interior. The court mage should¡¯ve been there as well. Then, whatever ¡®monster¡¯ had appeared at the palace, its threat was beyond all of them combined. ¡°No¡­Reaper, have mercy¡­¡± Zeria¡¯s crowd soon fell into a wave of panic. Despite the lack of a visible threat, the mere sight of seeing the palace guards fleeing so rapidly was inducing terror into the city¡¯s civilians. But the herbalist remained firm, her eyes fixed onto the palace above. Avoiding the river of runaways flooding the main path, she began her ascent up the hill ¨C towards her only remaining family at its top. ? ? ? ¡°E¡­ine¡­? Ngh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Tch.¡± Raizel kicked her tongue at the slouching dragon with a bitter taste in her mouth. After rising back to her feet, the youngling made her way over to Serenis¡¯ side. ¡°Lord, I¡¯m done checking that aside. But they¡¯re¡­all¡­¡± Even as the youngling trailed off, Serenis understood what she had meant to say. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Serenis and Raizel had each taken a brief look around the dungeon, checking for a dragon that could yet speak coherent words. Together, the combined number of dragons they¡¯d successfully spoken to were zero. The best they¡¯ve gotten were death wishes; failing that, the other dragons were either muttering incoherent sounds, groaning in pain, or silent altogether. Not a single dragon had been responsive to either Serenis or Raizel.. ¡°Can¡¯t you do something with magic? Heal them up or something?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, magic cannot cure the mind, nor can it heal wounds that were suffered a long time ago. And even if it were possible¡­I cannot use healing magics.¡± ¡°Huh? But weren¡¯t you like, magic mastermind or something?¡± ¡°Recovery spells are an exception. Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡± After closing the conversation, Serenis turned to the only remaining dragon that she was yet to talk to. However, she soon realized that the motionless blue dragon was, in fact, already no longer of this world. A long sigh escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips as she turned back to Raizel. ¡°I suppose I hoped for too much. We should¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Isn¡¯t something moving there?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± When Serenis followed Raizel¡¯s fingertip, she could see a worn, tattered cloth that the youngling was pointing at beside the lifeless blue dragon. And true to her words, something was indeed moving underneath, churning the fabric from within. When a black object shot out from beneath the cloth towards Raizel, the youngling reflexively grabbed the projectile midair. Squirm. ¡°¡­What the¡­¡± What Raizel had grabbed was, in fact, the head of a tiny black dragon. Despite being in their proper form, his entire body was only the size of a person¡¯s head. The hatchling squirmed in Raizel¡¯s grip, crying about as he tried to escape the iron grip holding his head. ¡°Abrtgh! Abrghbrh!¡± ¡°Uh¡­sorry?¡± When Raizel gently let go of the hatchling unto the ground, his jaw immediately opened up. ¡­And proceeded to snap down on the steel dragon¡¯s fingers. Admittedly, it didn¡¯t hurt. But she wasn¡¯t exactly happy about being bitten, either ¨C especially with all the hatchling¡¯s incoherent, energetic barking. ¡°Arghrghr! Rghrrghhh!¡± ¡°The hell¡¯s wrong with you? What did I do?¡± Meanwhile, Serenis¡¯ eyes were glued on the hatchling, her voice mixed with surprise and worry.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect a hatchling to be in such a place. He doesn¡¯t seem to be of an age to grow hostile just yet¡­¡± Serenis scanned the surrounding area once more. Contrary to the horrid conditions the other dragons were in, the hatchling before them seemed fine, at least in appearance. And when the dragonlord¡¯s gaze fell over the other dragons, the hatchling launched himself off of Raizel, attempting to snap at Serenis¡¯ head ¨C though, Raizel grabbed him by the tail before he could reach the her. Finally, Serenis returned her attention to the tiny black dragon. It seemed quite clear that the hatchling was simply being wary of strangers lest they harm the other dragons. ¡°¡­It seems he¡¯s just being protective. Perhaps he¡¯s perceived us as enemies.¡± ¡°Ha! Protective? You? What¡¯s a little runt like you gonna do?¡± When Raizel continued to tease the hatchling ¨C which she was holding by the tail, upside-down ¨C he began to let out defiant cries at the steel dragon, flapping its tiny wings as menacingly as possible. Though, it really didn¡¯t amount to much, especially when all his blood began gathering into his head. ¡°Raaghr! Rgh¡­ghh¡­¡± ¡°Pft. Keep it up, champ. Can¡¯t even talk, can you?¡± ¡°Rghh¡­na¡­mah!¡± ¡°¡­Child, stop that. Hand him over.¡± After receiving the hatchling into her arms from Raizel¡¯s grasp, the dragonlord gently wrapped her arms around the black dragon, rocking him in her embrace. Though his wary glare threatened to pierce through her head, Serenis paid it no mind as she rubbed his back. ¡°There, there. Settle down, child. We¡¯ll let you out of here soon.¡± ¡°¡­Mrrgh¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take very long for the hatchling to loosen his glare. In fact, his growls soon became purring noises as he rubbed his snout on the dragonlord¡¯s arms. ¡­And in addition, a phrase that probably shouldn¡¯t have been let out was let out from the hatchling¡¯s mouth. ¡°Mngh¡­mama¡­¡± ¡°There, there. It¡¯s alri-¡° ¡°YOU LITTLE SHIT, YOU CAN TALK?!¡± When the steel dragon shoved her face towards the two, Serenis indifferently hovered one hand above the hatchling¡¯s eyes, protecting him from the youngling¡¯s sudden death stare. A hateful gaze befell the oblivious hatchling, squirming in delight within the dragonlord¡¯s arms even as Raizel screamed at him. ¡°Who the hell are you calling mom?! She¡¯s not your mom!¡± ¡°Settle down, child. I¡¯m sure he meant no harm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem!¡± ¡°¡­Then pray tell, what is the problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­well¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the youngling turned away with crossed arms and pursed lips, Serenis stared down at the hatchling, returning an equally confused gaze towards the tiny black dragon. But after coming to a small realization, the dragonlord stretched out her hand to rub the angered steel dragon on her head. ¡°There, there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Has your anger died down a little?¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t angry.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± After beaming a faint smile, Serenis retreated her hand. Even for a brief moment, their little interaction had allowed the dragonlord to forget the direness of the situation. But while she would¡¯ve loved to entertain the youngling further, the gloom that surrounded them disallowed such respite. ¡°Now, before anything else¡­we¡¯ll have to address the others first. We cannot leave them to remain here.¡± ¡°Are you gonna take them back to the valley? Don¡¯t think they¡¯re in any shape to fly. And it¡¯s not like we can carry everyone here, either¡­¡± Raizel¡¯s gaze slowly drifted away from the dungeon, facing the path they¡¯d come through. Beyond the stairwell that had led them here, far down below ¨C her parents were still in the courtyard, encased in a dome of metal. Serenis briefly sighed, watching the youngling¡¯s attention drift away. She, too, knew that the two of them couldn¡¯t possibly carry everyone back to their nest. Especially if they were to include the dead. ¡°Raizel. I believe you¡¯ve told me these dragons were taken by the empire one hundred years ago, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty sure. I think I recognize a few faces too. And we don¡¯t see anyone that looks below a hundred years old¡­except that little runt.¡± Raizel briefly shot another glare towards the hatchling in Serenis¡¯ arms. Unfortunately(?), he completely missed it, comfortably dozing off within the dragonlord¡¯s arms. Serenis received the glare in his place and shrugged, continuing with her question instead. ¡°Then, is there a reason the kin didn¡¯t come to their rescue?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know they were alive, I guess. Didn¡¯t know where they were, either¡­heck, I¡¯m pretty sure the old bones don¡¯t even know the empire¡¯s still around. They hardly pay attention to what goes on outside.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Though Serenis nodded back, doubts churned within her about Raizel¡¯s explanation. A century ago, Raizel must¡¯ve been a mere newborn; it made sense that she didn¡¯t know better at the time. But it did not make sense that other elders would willingly allow an empire of humans to ravage their kin and simply get away. A hundred years wasn¡¯t that long of a time for dragons. They should¡¯ve been frantically searching for their missing kin ¨C and yet, Serenis didn¡¯t recall hearing anything of the sort from Bruton or Aether. In fact, everyone seemed perfectly content with the way things were at the valley. ¡®Did they deliberately choose not to search for the missing? But why would they¡­¡¯ Weaponry based on Kelador¡¯s shell were certainly threatening. But compared to dozens of giant airborne monstrosities, they weren¡¯t anything to write home about; Raizel alone had no trouble handling over a hundred soldiers. But whatever else the empire possessed to deter the dragons from coming after their missing kin, Serenis couldn¡¯t care for it. At least not right now. ¡°If what you say is true, then¡­I suppose there¡¯s no reason to hesitate.¡± Serenis softly rubbed her neck. After sparing a moment to sharpen her focus, the dragonlord quietly let out her next phrase. ¡°¡­???.¡± Raizel flinched upon hearing the familiar phrase. But contrary to her expectations, Serenis¡¯ next sentence wasn¡¯t directed towards the youngling at all. ¡°As your lord, I beseech all dragons of the valley ¨C rally to this location, and return the kin to the safety of our home.¡± Once the dragonlord finished, Raizel blinked at her lord with curious eyes. It was about time she got used to hearing the strange phrase, but even for her, it was the first time hearing it used in this manner. ¡°Wait¡­that thing works anywhere? Even when we can¡¯t hear you?¡± ¡°As long as they¡¯re dragonkin. Though¡­it does require much more focus to use this way.¡± ¡°¡­Huh. Didn¡¯t know that.¡± If a horde of dragons were to suddenly fly into the capital, then suffice to say, it wouldn¡¯t exactly be the brightest day for its civilians. There was no telling what such an event would incur. But right now, Serenis couldn¡¯t care less about what humans thought of them. Or herself, for that matter. ? ? ? ¡°Wait, why am I¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°My wings? What¡¯s going on?!¡± One by one, the valley¡¯s dragons unfolded their wings to take off into the air. The unlucky few were woken from their slumber, breaking through the roof of their homes to join the rest of the horde in the sky. And among them were Bruton and Aether, equally confused as everyone else that were in flight with them. ¡°Aether¡­you too?¡± ¡°Dear? What¡¯s going on?! I can¡¯t control my own wings!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s the same for me. It doesn¡¯t seem anyone else knows what¡¯s going on, either¡­¡± No matter where the couple looked, a horde of confused dragons filled their vision. Some were in their human forms, some proper; some were half-asleep, some were wide awake. The young and the elderly raised their voices alike, trying to figure out what it was that was moving them. ¡°What manner of fresh hell is this¡­have we all fallen under a curse?¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve all gone mad at the same time. Sounds equally likely.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any magic! And who could ever control so many of us at once?!¡± Surprisingly, an elder¡¯s low voice quickly subdued all other clamoring dragons with a single statement. ¡°¡­Something similar happened not too long ago.¡± With that, the majority of the horde fell silent. Many knew of the occasion the elder was speaking of: a human boy had marched into their nest, proclaiming to be their lord. And, strangely enough, they¡¯d all knelt at his command. They hadn¡¯t felt a single string of magic influencing them, and yet somehow the dragons had been unable to act against the boy¡¯s words. The dragonlord¡¯s visage flashed before Bruton¡¯s eyes. ¡®¡­Could it be?¡¯ Although the kin had been reluctant to place their trust in a strange human boy, Bruton alone still held fast onto the belief that the blue-haired youth ¨C who¡¯d morphed into a white-haired dragonkin before his very eyes ¨C was, in fact, who they claimed to be. Amidst the chaos and confusion, Bruton was the first to come to the conclusion that the lord of dragons had called onto them for aid. After all, they were the only one capable of a feat like this. But he remained silent for the time being. Those who haven¡¯t seen Serenis¡¯ transformation would claim his conclusion nonsense anyhow. It was just a matter of time. Ep 108. As Long As They’re Dragonkin. (3) Ep 108. As Long As They¡¯re Dragonkin. (3) ¡°Hm.¡± The hooded figure stood atop the snowy cliff¡¯s edge in serene silence, his gaze reaching far beyond Telberk and over into the stretching continent of Astellion. Even when his quiet was broken by a low growl coming from behind, he had no need to turn his eyes. In one swift motion the figure summoned a shortsword into his hand, flicking it backwards without looking. The blade cleanly plunged itself between the eyes of the lunging leopard, making the beast fall short of reaching him. But when the leopard¡¯s growling faded away, another voice replaced the beast to distract the hooded figure. ¡°How very human of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A deathly figure materialized into a faded image beside the lone, hooded man. A bemused smile decorated their face as he floated over to block the cliff view. ¡°You know, I think it might¡¯ve been a leopard, actually. I think a leopard ambushed me like this ¨C snapped my neck in an instant.¡± ¡°¡­First a manaspawn, then a strike of lightning. A rotten meal, a malicious wasp, and now a lowly beast¡­¡± Breaking his silence with a list of the Reaper¡¯s reported causes of death, the hooded figure locked his cold gaze with the ephemeral death deity before him. ¡°I do not care how your end came to pass, Felicir.¡± ¡°Sure you do. Why else would you keep me around? You could¡¯ve done me away for good, my dear friend.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Admit it. You¡¯re scared of what killed me.¡± ¡°Felicis, no doubt. The only one you¡¯d allow yourself to die to.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you that¡¯s incorrect at least a dozen times now.¡± ¡°Then who was it?¡± ¡°Who knows? Something white and beautiful. Like that leopard, perhaps.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The hooded figure narrowed his eyes. He and death had never gotten along ¨C and that certainly continued to be the case in Felicir¡¯s death. But even so, the Reaper did have the right of it. While he was almost certain that Felicis had finally come to her senses to kill her own brother¡­ ¡®What if¡­¡¯ A long sigh followed the brief thought. It wasn¡¯t like Felicir would tell him anyways; they owed no favors to each other, and held more grudges than either could count. Instead of parroting his question, the hooded figure turned away to begin descending the cliffside. ¡°If you¡¯ve the strength to retain form as a soul, find yourself a new vessel. I¡¯ve no time to entertain the antics of the dead.¡± The ephemeral deity began his response with a demeaning laughter, floating along to the speaker¡¯s side. Even in death, their wry smile was difficult to get used to. Their words weren¡¯t much better off, either. ¡°Oh, I hardly think so. A soulseer like yourself may think otherwise, but reincarnations are completely different from the original. I¡¯d rather die as myself.¡± ¡°So you¡¯d rather be an insufferable image until your timely demise.¡± ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t I? Like this, I get to watch mankind¡¯s greatest hero in action again while time allows. Sounds worthwhile, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Do as you wish.¡± Felicir snickered as he floated around his grumpy friend¡¯s head. The deity then briefly glanced westward ¨C toward where Aymeia¡¯s cavern lied. ¡°You know¡­killing Aymeia won¡¯t solve anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need a far better argument to prevent me from killing your pet.¡± ¡°Aymeia isn¡¯t actually a dragon. You know this.¡± ¡°And yet you made her their lord. Your point?¡± ¡°My point is, you¡¯re the biggest fool humanity has ever had to offer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The hooded figure returned no answer to the insult. He instead continued to walk in silence, his empty eyes gazing unto the road ahead. There never was any other way forward. And so, he would walk this one to the end. ? ? ? ¡°Waizel!¡± ¡°Raizel.¡± ¡°Waaaaizel!¡± ¡°I hate you.¡± Serenis watched with a faint smile as the two children sat across from one another on the throne room¡¯s floor, talking(?) to each other. It was the only distraction that was keeping the dragonlord sane from the depressing reality behind them. And Raizel, too, couldn¡¯t bear mindlessly staring into the dungeon¡¯s surroundings for long. In fact, she¡¯d gone to retrieve her parents¡¯ remains; she¡¯d tore down the dungeon¡¯s cages; and finally, she¡¯d dragged Serenis and the hatchling out of that prison. They hadn¡¯t gone far, but they were at least back in the throne room where the lighting dimmed out the doom and gloom behind them. Staying even remotely close to the place for hours was clearly going to drive all of them insane. If they had to wait here for their kin¡¯s arrival anyways, then they could do worse than stay in a less gloomy room. And Raizel could do worse than befriend the only dragon that could yet converse. Although, their conversation was failing to go beyond sharing names. ¡°Ugh, what am I even doing. Thought I¡¯d finally get to snap off that cursed emperor¡¯s neck, but instead I¡¯m stuck here talking to a stupid kid¡­¡± ¡°Waim not stoopid!¡± ¡°Sure, champ. Whatever you say.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Not chwamp! Theowus!¡± ¡°Theowus? Who the hell names their kid Theowus?¡± ¡°Not Theowus! Theowus!¡± ¡°Literally the same thing.¡± When the hatchling puffed his cheeks in frustration, Serenis quickly made her way to his side, cooing the little dragon in her arms once more. She beamed back a motherly smile, speaking his proper name out loud for Raizel to hear. ¡°Theolus, is it? You have a fine name.¡± The hatchling happily nodded in succession as the dragonlord spoke his name. Raizel, on the other hand, stared with a displeased, bewildered look. ¡°How do you even GET what he¡¯s saying?¡± ¡°I suppose you grow accustomed in time. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand once you have children of your own.¡± ¡°Seriously? You think I¡¯ll have children?¡± When Raizel spoke with the most sarcastic tone Serenis has ever heard, the dragonlord let out a brief sigh, rolling her eyes in response. Theolus likewise mimicked her and rolled his own eyes at the steel dragon, which at least tripled Raizel¡¯s annoyance meter. And just as Raizel angrily scoffed to the side ¨C eyes facing the throne chamber¡¯s entrance ¨C their first guest came to sight. ¡°¡­What¡­happened here¡­?¡± A red-haired herbalist stood at the entrance, trembling in shock. The first thing she noticed were the collapsed wall, and two strangers sitting by the throne who were likely responsible for the mess. The second thing she noticed was the black-scaled hatchling, squirming about in Serenis¡¯ arms. And, without thinking, the herbalist called out to the tiny black dragon. ¡°Theo!¡± ¡°? Mama!¡± At first, Serenis had extended out her hand. She fully intended to blow the woman to cinders before they could lay a finger on the hatchling. But she had to stop herself when the black dragon leapt out of her arms, speeding towards the woman to jump right into their embrace instead. After lifting Theolus off the ground, the woman hurriedly scanned him for wounds. Confirming he was unharmed, she held him closer as if it were her own child. ¡°What are you doing outside?! I told you to stay under your blanket¡­what happened?!¡± ¡°Over dare¡­mama. And Waizel.¡± The woman looked towards where the little dragon was pointing towards, locking eyes with two others who were staring back. ¡°¡­A¡­dragon?...¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the woman¡¯s staring continued, it was Raizel who first spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re that runt¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­just¡­¡± The answering woman tried to swallow her fears with an audible gulp. The silver-haired stranger seemed human enough, but standing beside them was an unmistakable dragon, whole and hale ¨C and their glare was far more menacing than their companion¡¯s. In fact, it seemed like they were repressing the urge to kill her in a heartbeat. Fearing the worst, the woman continued to force out her answer. ¡°I, I¡¯m just his caretaker. Theolus, he¡­he just calls me mother because his parents have passed away¡­before he hatched¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Raizel shrugged at the answer in moderate satisfaction; without a single armor or weapon on their attire, it was quite clear that the woman wasn¡¯t a soldier. And if the hatchling trusted this woman enough to jump into their arms, the youngling saw no reason to oppose them immediately. Unfortunately, Serenis begged to differ, coldly snapping back at their given answer. ¡°Caretaker? A caretaker leaves a child by the rotting corpse of their kin?¡± ¡°I¡­I just¡­¡± The woman had countless excuses. She had no authority to enter or leave the dungeon chamber at will. She was bound by a curse from speaking of its existence to others. The job itself had been forced upon her, and countless predecessors ¨C namely, her own parents ¨C had been put to death working the same job. The emperor was wont to kill and replace those for even the smallest mistake, and she was deathly afraid of suffering the same fate. In fact, it¡¯d taken all of her courage to even ascend the palace hills. She¡¯d feared the worst in having to confront the emperor without being called to the throne room ¨C but her fear of something happening to Theolus had exceeded it. However, the royal confrontation she¡¯d expected was nowhere to be found. Instead of the emperor, two strangers were in the throne room, one of them an evident dragon ¨C who seemed furious at her presence here. ¡®And rightfully so, I guess¡­¡¯ The herbalist bit her lips. She¡¯d always thought this would come to pass. That someday, the surviving dragons would find out about their imprisoned kin. That someday, the empire would become enemies with the world¡¯s most devastating creatures. And that someday, she¡¯d be the first victim of the ensuing conflict. To Serenis, the red-haired woman was just another Akeian. And so, she had no excuses to offer to the dragonlord. Eventually, what escaped the herbalist¡¯s lips wasn¡¯t an excuse at all. ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A momentary silence ensued as the woman apologetically lowered her head, her watered gaze falling to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m¡­truly sorry for what we¡¯ve done to your brethren. I¡¯m not sure if I can say anything else. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­What you¡¯ve wrought cannot be reversed with mere words.¡± Serenis slowly approached the woman with ominous steps. Even Theolus began to shiver from the menace seeping out of the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. After coming to a stop, the dragonlord reached out her hand over the herbalist¡¯s head. The woman clenched her eyes in anticipation. Despite her looming fear, she knew that running away was futile. But before Serenis¡¯ hands could reach her, a cold grip stopped the dragonlord midway, preventing its advance. ¡°Lord. Stop.¡± ¡°¡­Raizel? What are you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re scaring the kid too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Serenis finally took a moment to lower her gaze, she could see the tiny hatchling shivering profusely in the herbalist¡¯s arms. His little arms were tightly holding onto the red-haired woman, his expression mirroring the horror his caretaker was feeling. The dragonlord retreated her hand with a pained, lost expression. She couldn¡¯t even tell what was right anymore. After an exasperated sigh, it was Raizel who turned to face the woman, tapping them on the shoulder to gain their attention. ¡°Hey. What do you actually do here? Humans didn¡¯t hire you to be this runt¡¯s caretaker, did they?¡± ¡°Huh? I, um¡­I check the dragons¡¯ states and report it to his majes¡­I mean, the emperor. He¡­prioritizes extracting materials from the healthier dragons, and my job is to facilitate that.¡± ¡°? How¡¯s this kid fine then? Isn¡¯t he the healthiest in there?¡± ¡°¡­The emperor never knew about Theolus. He was an egg until just last year, and I¡­falsely reported that he died before hatching.¡± ¡°Why would you¡­actually, never mind. How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­26¡­?¡± ¡°Just checking.¡± Raizel kicked her tongue upon confirming the woman¡¯s age. True to her suspicions, this woman hadn¡¯t even been born when Akeia was invading the dragonkin¡¯s nest. The herbalist¡¯s gaze shifted over to meet the hatchling¡¯s in her arms. He was frantically waving his short arms to wipe his caretaker¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mama¡¯s cwying!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m okay, Theo. Look, see? Mama¡¯s smiling. You smile too.¡± ¡°Mrgh!¡± Serenis watched in silence as Theolus and his caretaker smiled at each other. She then turned her head to face the dungeon for another brief moment ¨C right at the worn blanket the hatchling had been hiding under. ¡®¡­It should¡¯ve been obvious¡­¡¯ A hatchling couldn¡¯t survive in an environment like that outside of their egg. Presumably, his parents were dead; had they been alive, no doubt Theolus would¡¯ve been holed up at their side, not some old blanket. And the other imprisoned dragons were in no condition to care after a child, especially when it wasn¡¯t even their own. Then, someone must have. Someone had intentionally nurtured the hatchling in secret, keeping him under what covers they could provide to keep him outside the emperor¡¯s eyes. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t even just Theolus. None of those dragons could¡¯ve survived an entire century in such an environment had someone not taken care of them. Serenis stared down at her trembling hand. Mere moments ago, she¡¯d tried to kill the woman before her. Had Theolus not leapt in between them ¨C had Raizel not stopped her hand ¨C the hatchling¡¯s caretaker would¡¯ve been long dead. A repulsive feeling began to well up inside the dragonlord. What she should¡¯ve done was the complete opposite. ¡°¡­¡± Soon ¨C and to everyone¡¯s evident surprise ¨C Serenis solemnly lowered her head towards the red-haired stranger. A dragonlord was lowering themselves before a human. But so what? The empire had wronged her kin, but that did not mean Serenis could place its blame on every single Akeian out there. The responsibility of the empire¡¯s wrongs fell on its emperor, and those who willingly partook in Akeia¡¯s wrongs. - ¡®The fault lies not within the kind, but within the individual.¡¯ It was a principle she¡¯d preached for eons in persuading her brethren of mankind¡¯s potential: the evil rested not within mankind as whole, but within the few individuals that comprised a mere portion. It was her who¡¯d claimed that the blame should rest solely on the shoulders of wrongdoers, not their kind as a whole. Shamefully, Serenis had momentarily lost sight of her very own words ¨C and nearly murdered the person she was indebted to. ¡°D, dragon?! What¡¯re you doing?! Please, raise your head!¡± ¡°¡­Forgive me for my earlier words. I wrongly placed the kin¡¯s misfortune on your shoulders.¡± ¡°Please, there¡¯s no need! You, you¡¯re absolutely right, a proper caretaker should¡¯ve done so much more. You¡¯ve no reason to apologize¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Serenis raised her head, an apologetic smile curved her lips. Despite all those she¡¯d wronged, the dragonlord¡¯s wrongs fell on her own shoulders. Her kin was not responsible for those she¡¯d wronged in the past. Then, it was only right that she¡¯d do the same to others ¨C to not see them as a mere piece of one whole, but as an individual of their own. And right now, the woman standing before her was someone who¡¯d went lengths and beyond to help her kin. Another brief silence passed until Theolus excitedly clapped his paws together in the disappearing tension. Serenis quietly laughed at the sight before she spoke her next phrase. ¡°Thank you¡­for caring after us.¡± During the previous era when Serenis had welcomed those of any race into the kin¡¯s nest, the dragonlord had firmly believed in their future ¨C where everyone would live together as kin, wishing nothing but well upon each other. Conflicts would inevitably arise. There were bound to be those with ill intent from time to time. It was na?ve to expect that such things would never happen. But as long as there were those who shared in their lord¡¯s ideals, she would never stray from her path. ¡®Thank you. For believing in us.¡¯ Ep 109. As Long As They’re Dragonkin. (4) Ep 109. As Long As They¡¯re Dragonkin. (4) Serenis and Raizel stood behind the red-haired herbalist who¡¯d since introduced herself as Eline, watching in awe as the woman went about her ¡®work.¡¯ Even with Theolus squirming in her embrace, Eline expertly made her way through the prison to examine each dragon with a single free hand. She was powerless to move away the dead in any manner, but she was perfectly capable of applying proper herbs and medicine which she produced from the innards of her cloak. The herbalist busily went about doing what she could to restore the kin¡¯s vitality ¨C all the while feeding an occasional treat to the hatchling in her arms. But what shocked the two dragons most was something else altogether. ¡°Rrgh¡­gh¡­¡± ¡°Hang in there, Sheila. Hold still¡­you¡¯re going to be okay.¡± ¡°My¡­arm¡­my arm is¡­¡± ¡°Keep your arm steady. It¡¯ll sting just a little, but once the stinging goes away, you¡¯ll be able to move it again.¡± Both Serenis and Raizel expected silence from the dragon, if not an outright insult. But what they instead heard were words they never would¡¯ve heard themselves. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re welcome.¡± Finishing her treatment, the herbalist quickly moved onto the next dragon. She briefly glanced at Theolus who¡¯d climbed unto her shoulder, waving a piece of honeyed snack in her hand. ¡°Look, Theo! If you can cover your ears and count to 500 with your eyes closed, you can have your next treat. Ready?¡± ¡°Weady!¡± Once the hatchling enthusiastically shut his eyes and covered his ears, Eline approached the groaning elder. A piercing glare could be seen in their only eye as the herbalist approached him. ¡°¡­I told you to kill me, human.¡± ¡°Sorry, Cerion. You know I¡¯m too weak to do that. But here, I brought you something.¡± As Eline rummaged through her cloak, the elder let out a demeaning snort. ¡°Your job is to record our suffering, not lessen it. If that wretch finds out what you¡¯re doing to us, he¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m ever thankful that you haven¡¯t told him. Here.¡± Eline swiftly plucked out two small vials from her cloak. And although the elder was first disgusted at the sight of medicine, it didn¡¯t take long for one of them would pop open to a familiar, luring scent. ¡°You¡­brought ale?¡± ¡°I did. You said you liked them.¡± ¡°I never¡­how did you¡­¡± ¡°You muttered it in your sleep. Did I mishear you? Did you actually not like ale?¡± ¡°No, I¡­I do, I¡­¡± ¡°But if you want it, you also have to drink the other one too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s¡­the other?¡± ¡°Just water.¡± ¡°¡­Just water?¡± ¡°Just water. Do you want it? Yes or no?¡± ¡°¡­You know I cannot move my body.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. Just keep your mouth open.¡± Smiling, Eline popped open the vial of water and poured it into the paralyzed elder¡¯s mouth. He reluctantly gulped it down, though the dragon found a small lump being swallowed with the water in his last gulp. ¡°? What was¡­was something in that water?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It was just water. Here you go! As promised.¡± This time, Eline simply held the vial of ale in the air, offering it to the elder. And, without a second thought, the elder snatched the vial from the woman with nary a thought. Only after downing the entire thing did he realize that his body was no longer paralyzed. ¡°¡­? My body¡¯s¡­something was in that water!¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s good to see you moving again, though.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to bring more next time. I¡¯ll see you then, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph. Very well.¡± That was the last time Cerion would grumble about wanting to die. And Serenis and Raizel watched on as Eline went about her work ¨C which seemed nothing short of a miracle in their eyes. ¡°Hey, lord.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, child?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t those guys all silent and gloomy when we tried to talk to them?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°They were, yes.¡± ¡°Then how the hell is she doing that?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose¡­they trust her that much. And she¡¯s much better skilled than we are.¡± Unlike them, Eline seemed to know what every single dragon wanted and needed. And she was swiftly using all sorts of tools at her disposal to apply them, from foods and medicines to persuasion and trickery. ¡®And most of all¡­she¡¯s not using magic.¡¯ Healers used magic to restore all recent wounds. And this worked miracles in most cases. But at the same time, that was the limitation of recovery spells ¨C and by extension, healers. They couldn¡¯t do anything about severed wounds, sicknesses, or a person¡¯s forlorn spirits. All of that fell into the realms of actual doctors. And right now, Serenis was witnessing the best one she¡¯d ever seen to date. Especially since she¡¯d never, ever seen a human doctor treating her kin so expertly since¡­ ¡®Me?¡¯ ? ? ? Hours passed by as Eline went about tending to each dragon within the dungeon. When she and Theolus returned to join Serenis and Raizel once more, a relieving news accompanied the herbalist¡¯s accomplished smile. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯m not too sure why, but everyone seems to be doing much better than before. It¡¯s almost like they¡¯ve all taken a load off their shoulders.¡± ¡®The seal¡­¡¯ Serenis¡¯ mind immediately jumped to the spell circle that had secured the dungeon¡¯s parameter. Despite the risk of harming those supplying it, its breakage seems to have worked out in their favor in the end. Though, without Eline to pick up the pieces, their conditions may very well have worsened instead. The dragonlord beamed an appreciative smile towards the herbalist. ¡°We¡¯re in your debt. Thank you for what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. After what the empire¡¯s done to your brethren¡­¡± Silence ensued as Eline finished her statement. Though she hadn¡¯t been present during the actual invasion, after several years of caring for the imprisoned dragons, she hardly needed being told what had happened to incur misfortune upon the star¡¯s most feared lifeforms. Meanwhile, Raizel looked towards one of the towering windows of the throne room. The sun had nearly set outside ¨C and there were guests they were expecting other than Eline. ¡°Lord, you said they¡¯ll be here by nightfall, right?¡± ¡°That should be the case, yes.¡± Eline exchanged confused glances between the two dragons. By now, Eline was aware that Raizel was a dragon despite their human-like appearance. And, as difficult as it was to believe, she was also wary that Serenis was the dragonkin¡¯s lord. But she still had no clue who the ¡®others¡¯ being mentioned were. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, um¡­¡¯others¡¯?¡± ¡°Lord called the entire kin over to this place. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°The entire¡­more dragons are coming?!¡± Eline quickly clasped her mouth, realizing she¡¯d yelled without intending to. And, at the herbalist¡¯s evident shock, Serenis returned a brief nod to confirm Raizel¡¯s words. ¡°They¡¯ll be arriving by nightfall to retrieve the kin.¡± ¡°¡­Oh. That¡¯s¡­um¡­that¡¯s great! Yes, great. I¡¯m glad to hear that¡­¡± While Raizel and Theolus struggled to understand why the woman was stammering so, Serenis had no problem reading the reluctance in her voice. The dragonlord briefly glanced at the hatchling in Eline¡¯s arms ¨C who was comfortably snacking on a walnut ¨C as well as the other dragons that had been under her care in the dungeon. While some had recovered considerably after Eline¡¯s treatment, a few others were still far from being well. As their doctor and caretaker, it made sense that she would be concerned of their wellbeing. But more importantly, Eline¡¯s own fate practically rested on their presence. Without the imprisoned dragons, the herbalist¡¯s current position was meaningless. And it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine what the emperor would do to her if he were to return to the palace, only to find all his prized prisoners missing. Finally, Serenis returned her gaze to the red-haired woman. ¡°Would you like to go with them?¡± ¡°?¡­I¡­beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Would you like to accompany the kin to our nest? I¡¯m sure the valley has enough room to spare.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure what you mean, dragon. I¡¯m a human¡­an Akeian at that. Twelve forbid your brethren welcome someone like me to their home¡­¡± When Eline had first begun her job, the imprisoned dragons had been nothing short of hostile. Death threats flew on a minutely basis, and she would¡¯ve died a hundred times over if the imprisoned dragons had their former strengths. However, Serenis begged to differ. ¡°Is that so?¡± The dragonlord immediately shifted her gaze to Raizel, asking her next question. ¡°Child, how would you feel if Eline were to live with us at the valley?¡± ¡°¡­I literally couldn¡¯t care less?¡± After snickering at the rather expected answer, Serenis then turned to the snacking hatchling, waving her hand to gain his attention. ¡°Theolus.¡± ¡°Wam?¡± ¡°Would you like Eline to come with you?¡± ¡°Ewine?¡± Theolus turned to face his caretaker with a mouthful of walnut. After gulping down everything in his mouth, the hatchling happily threw his arms in the air. ¡°Mama Ewine!¡± As Theolus happily squirmed about on her lap, Eline couldn¡¯t help but laugh, tickling the joyous hatchling. Serenis¡¯ smile widened at the sight. After locking eyes with Raizel, the dragonlord teasingly pointing at the human-dragon pair before them. ¡°What do you think, child?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to say about it? She¡¯s being a better mother than Aether.¡± ¡°Oh, I was more so asking if you¡¯d like to be tickled as well.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps?¡± Serenis snickered at the youngling¡¯s twitching, confused expression. Kidding aside, it meant a lot to hear another dragon equating the human herbalist to a parental figure. And finally, the dragonlord looked to Eline for the last time. ¡°Eline. If a kin considers you their mother, then I¡¯ve no qualms considering you dragonkin as well. You¡¯ll always be welcome in our nest like any other. And¡­I¡¯m sure Theolus would appreciate your presence.¡± The dragons here still required someone to care for them in their recovery; magic couldn¡¯t treat the condition they were in. Imprisoned or not, having a skilled doctor around could very well decide life and death. But Eline¡¯s eyes only twitched in disbelief. She slowly pointed her finger at herself, stammering her next words to confirm what she¡¯d just heard from the dragonlord. ¡°A¡­dragonkin? Me?¡± ¡°As long as you wish to be.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eline¡¯s expression grew somber as she lost herself in thought. Akeians knew of their nation¡¯s identity being a warring nation. But only a few knew of its historical feuds outside of Astellion, and even fewer knew of Akeia¡¯s invasion on the dragonkin. Unfortunately, Eline was one of those ¡®even fewer¡¯ people. Ever since the herbalist had been forced into the position of tracking the imprisoned dragons¡¯ status, she¡¯d always thought her nation, and herself, doomed. She¡¯d feared that dragons would one day come to exact revenge upon Akeia. Even just from the horrors she¡¯d seen within the dungeons, the moral transgression being performed by the empire was beyond saving. Earlier when she¡¯d found Serenis and Raizel in the throne room, she¡¯d thought her fears had come to reality. She¡¯d fully expected her life to end within the next few moments. And yet here she was, somehow being offered to become one of them instead. The herbalist finally jolted awake as she felt a tug on her hair. She looked down to find Theolus pulling on her curls, whimpering at his dazed caretaker. ¡°Mama! Shmile!¡± ¡°¡­Theo¡­¡± Eline had lost her friends and family to the empire¡¯s cruelty. Once she was forced to inherit her parents¡¯ role, she¡¯d given up on living a peaceful life ¨C she¡¯d either die to the dragons or to the emperor, whichever came first. An escape route wasn¡¯t available. Or, hadn¡¯t been available. ¡°¡­Should I go with you, Theo?¡± ¡°Go? Wheae?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going home, Theo. You¡¯re going to your family¡¯s home. You¡¯ll finally be able to make friends there¡­¡± ¡°But my home is hwere!¡± ¡°No¡­this place isn¡¯t your home, Theo. You don¡¯t belong here. Dragons live in a big valley, far away south.¡± ¡°Mrgh¡­big home?¡± ¡°Mhm. Very big home.¡± ¡°Then Ewine can stay evewyday now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The herbalist gently rubbed the celebrating hatchling¡¯s head. She¡¯d nursed him before he¡¯d even hatched; she couldn¡¯t even think of abandoning him now. The same went for all the other dragons that yet needed her help. Besides ¨C 26 was a little too young to die. ¡°Mhm. I can stay as long as you¡¯d like, Theo.¡± When Eline nervously turned to Serenis, the dragonlord returned a faint smile, nodding in approval. A silly grin curved the herbalist¡¯s lips. She pulled Theolus closer, hugging him tighter than she usually would. Ep 110. As Long As They’re Dragonkin. (5) Ep 110. As Long As They¡¯re Dragonkin. (5) When Serenis had made her offer, Eline hadn¡¯t thought very far ahead. If she were to become an honorary dragonkin, she could continue to look after Theolus and the others outside of the empire¡¯s reach. She didn¡¯t think the offer needed much contemplation to begin with. But when the valley¡¯s dragons began to arrive at the palace one by one, only then did the herbalist begin to realize what she¡¯d agreed to. ¡°And pray tell, what are you? One of those high wizards, perhaps?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­just a herbalist¡­¡± ¡°And yet you would claim that you can treat our kin.¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Hah.¡± None of the arriving dragons took too kindly of a human girl standing before them. It didn¡¯t help that Eline was an Akeian, and it REALLY didn¡¯t help that she was holding a hatchling who clearly wasn¡¯t her child. With so many pressuring eyes glaring down on her, Eline was struggling to even stand on her feet. Of course, Serenis was physically barring the others from reaching the struggling herbalist. But from the numerous resentful voices she was hearing, Eline could tell that the dragons weren¡¯t being very receptive of the dragonlord, either. ¡°You called us here? As our ¡®lord¡¯?¡± ¡°Preposterous. The kin do not serve anyone. We will NOT bow our heads to some stranger.¡± ¡°And to think we¡¯d accept a human as fellow kin¡­rubbish beyond measure. Step aside if you haven¡¯t the courage to draw blood. There are plenty here eager for the task.¡± As angered voices of her kin filled the throne room, Serenis let out a small sigh. Having reacted in the same manner herself, she couldn¡¯t help but empathize with their eagerness to remove Eline from sight. Finding kin they thought to have lost should¡¯ve been a joyous occasion; failing that, they should¡¯ve been questioning what had made them fly so far out of their nests. But after seeing what years of imprisonment had done to their brothers and sisters, the dragons instead found themselves blinded by anger ¨C and being the only human present, Eline had become the sole receiver of the kin¡¯s unified resentment. ¡°It would be wise to act while the emperor is not present.¡± ¡°Fate has presented us with another opportunity. What he took from us, we will take from his empire ¨C wealth and people alike. And the girl will be its first. ¡° ¡°Our seclusion is not a sign of weakness. It¡¯s time humans are reminded of who we are!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel¡¯s face began to contort while she listened to the dragons¡¯ rallying. Her gaze sharpened to a glare, knuckles cracking in evident annoyance. ¡°¡­Why those old bastards¡­¡± But before the youngling could intervene, a bellowing voice froze the dragons in place. ¡°SILENCE!!¡± The clamoring voices immediately died down before the dragonlord¡¯s order. And with the kin¡¯s attention now fixed on her, Serenis began to speak. ¡°I understand your doubts. I understand your rage; I, too, was blinded myself not so long ago. But I implore you all ¨C open your eyes, and see the truth for yourselves.¡± Serenis gestured towards the dungeon behind her. There, the dragons could see numerous others, absent from the rallying. Instead, those dragons were celebrating a century-old reunion amongst family they¡¯d long thought to have lost. But eventually, another dragon spoke out from the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s no reason to spare the empire! Can you not see the dead amongst them?! Some are eviscerated beyond recognition! How can we expect the dead to rest if we won¡¯t avenge their suffering?!¡± In the ensuing silence, a lone voice scoffed at the complaint, letting out a demeaning chuckle. ¡°Yeah. Funny how the bodies didn¡¯t rot, huh?¡± The outspeaking dragon immediately shot a glare towards the rude voice that had cut in. And Raizel glared back with an equally menacing look. The youngling crossed her arms, mockingly mimicking the other dragon¡¯s expression. ¡°I sat around at home doing nothing for a hundred years, and I¡¯m mad that a human took care of our kin. I wish their corpses were eaten by rats and flies instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go on, kill her. Wasn¡¯t that your whole idea? She¡¯s right there.¡± Not a single dragon dared to take the offer. Or even talk back, for that matter. Serenis they weren¡¯t so afraid of ¨C despite the strange aura about her, they barely knew the dragonlord in the first place. But everyone here knew about Raizel¡¯s nature ¨C as well as what crossing the youngling had often resulted in. As the other dragons¡¯ gaze fell to the floor in a mix of reluctance and shame, the dragonlord let out a quiet sigh. ¡°I am not here to ask you to forgive the empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A step. ¡°All I ask is that you ask yourselves: who it is that has truly wronged our kin.¡± And another step. Emerging from the rest, Bruton stopped before Serenis. The elder towered over her, stern expression on his face. Slowly, the black dragon opened his mouth. ¡°And why should we? Simply because you¡¯ve said so?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The elder dragon shook his head, continuing to challenge the self-proclaimed dragonlord before him. ¡°You¡¯ve claimed yourself the lord of dragons. However, the kin has never served a single rule ¨C at least not in our lifetime.¡± Numerous others nodded their head in silence. It wasn¡¯t just Bruton. The dragons could all feel something strangely different about the white-haired dragon standing before them: pressuring, and yet affectionate, almost like a strict parent. Many felt as if they were children once more. But intuition alone was not sufficient. A dragon they¡¯d never seen before were suddenly claiming to be their ruler ¨C it wasn¡¯t surprising that they¡¯d find it difficult to accept. And finally, Bruton voiced the thought in everyone¡¯s head. ¡°If you are truly our lord¡­then show us. Allow us to believe you.¡± Something. Other than strength, Other than authority, Other than the heart they could no longer see, Bruton firmly believed that Serenis would possess something ¨C something wholly unexpected that could convince the kin of her identity as a dragonlord. ¡°¡­¡± Unfortunately, the world doesn¡¯t always go the way one believes it will. ¡®Well, he asked for it this time, so¡­¡¯ Pressing down her reluctance, Serenis¡¯ lips parted once again. ¡°???.¡± ¡°¡­Hm? What-¡° ¡°Kneel.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Bruton ¨C as well as every single dragon standing behind him ¨C immediately fell to their knees, just as before when a human boy had appeared at their valley. Even Theolus hopped out of Eline¡¯s embrace to plop down onto the floor, knees touching the ground. After clearing her throat, Serenis looked off to the far wall, her voice riddled with bits of guilt. ¡°Draconic speech. An authority of the dragonlord, and the inseverable bond that binds us as kin. I believe I¡¯ve shown it once before¡­though I suppose that was rather insufficient.¡± Silence filled the throne room as Serenis paused to look around. Only now were the dragons beginning to realize this odd dragon was, in fact, the same as the human boy they¡¯d seen months prior. ¡°Unfortunately, I do not possess any other methods of proving myself as your lord. I always have been from the birth of our tribe. There has never been a need to prove myself.¡± To the current dragonkin who knew nothing of her, the dragonlord¡¯s authority through speech was a ridiculous display. But even so, that alone could not prove her words true. With other first lords no longer of this world, none remained to attest to Serenis¡¯ words ¨C for all they knew, she could¡¯ve been using some ridiculous magic to control them. ¡°¡­I do not expect you all to believe in my words. I¡¯m well aware that my claims ring hollow in the present. Therefore¡­¡± When Serenis snapped her fingers, the dragons immediately rose to their feet in unison. Following suit, they could feel themselves regaining control of their bodies as the dragonlord¡¯s authority wore off. And with an indifferent expression, their lord went on to propose a ridiculous solution to their doubts. ¡°¡­For once, I plan to take after what the other tribes have done in their king¡¯s selection.¡± For a majority of history, Serenis was the first and only lord of the dragonkin. Her first child had been unable to inherit her position, and her second had only inherited the title long after her death. But unlike the dragons, there had been tribes whose king had changed countless times ¨C facilitated by an extremely simple selection process. ¡°If any of you disagree to my rule, then you need but step forth and challenge me.¡± ¡°¡­?????????¡± At first, Raizel questioned if she was hearing things. But Serenis merely continued on, as if what she¡¯d said was making perfect sense. ¡°It does not matter whether you are alone or not. The one to claim my heart shall become the next dragonlord. And rest assured that I will not be using my speech to control you.¡± Even though they¡¯d regained control of their bodies, not a single dragon spoke a word in the creeping silence. Instead of spoken words, one dragon slowly turned their eyes. And soon enough, the others caught wind of his gaze. The rest of the kin followed suit, turning to face the exact same direction. And at the end of their gazes was the brood¡¯s only remaining steel dragon. ¡°¡­The hell? What¡¯re you all staring at?¡± When the youngling¡¯s annoyed voice broke the silence, only then did her kin begin to speak their honest thoughts, one after another. ¡°Well, we just¡­we thought you¡¯d jump at something like this.¡± ¡°She always did go around picking fights with everything.¡± ¡°Wait, what if Raizel does become this lord-thing? Does that mean she gets that speech ability?¡± ¡°Haha¡­then that¡¯d be our final day breathing this star¡¯s air¡­¡± In the flood of encouraging(?) insults, Raizel¡¯s eyes twitched in seething anger. ¡°You all WANT me to step up? Fine then.¡± The youngling then stormed off, approaching Serenis with furious steps. But after coming to a stop before the dragonlord, Raizel turned to face her kin instead, devilish menace coating her next sentence. ¡°From now on, if anyone dares to challenge Lord Serenis, I¡¯ll throw you into a volcano.¡± ¡°¡­Wha?¡± The kin stared at the youngling in bewilderment. The Raizel they knew would never have reacted like this; the Raizel they knew was supposed to jump at the opportunity to fight someone. It was quite literally their first time seeing the youngling defending anyone so explicitly. And in response, Raizel glared back at the others one by one ¨C especially the elders. ¡°¡¯The kin doesn¡¯t serve anyone?¡¯ Let¡¯s be honest, you¡¯re all just saying that because you¡¯re too proud to admit how useless you are. All of you did jack shit, both now and a hundred years ago.¡± No one could say a single word in denial. There was nothing to deny in the first place. ¡°Every damn day, you old bones were going on and on about how I¡¯m ¡®still too young to understand,¡¯ how it¡¯s ¡®the tradition¡¯ to live in seclusion. Did that even get you anywhere? Hell, you bunch were too afraid to even enter a little hole in the ground, you¡¯d NEVER have found this place on your own. What, is leaving our family for dead a part of your tradition too?¡± Finally, another elder burst in anger, retorting back at the youngling¡¯s mocking words. ¡°You speak out of line, Raizel! The ancient seal has always been the kin¡¯s forbidden grounds. To enter it was sacrilege against our predecessor¡¯s will! And what do you know about what happened last century?! Do you know how hard we struggled to keep children like you alive during the empire¡¯s invasion?! We-¡± ¡°Seriously? Struggled to keep me alive?¡± The elder lost their voice. The youngling¡¯s expression was, for a lack of words, horrifying. ¡°You all abandoned me and my parents, you left us for dead! You thought I didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­How¡­did you¡­?¡± The elder¡¯s mouth soon closed back upon hearing the youngling¡¯s unexpected response. Even Bruton widened his eyes as he looked at Raizel: that wasn¡¯t something she was supposed to know. The youngling kicked her tongue, twisting her expression in disgust. ¡°Hah. Wow¡­at least the crow owned up to what he did. None of you were ever going to tell me, were you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡¯Tradition¡¯ my ass. Ancient seal? You all know what was in that pit now, don¡¯t you? Bruton probably went around blabbing everything already.¡± When her kin remained silent again, Raizel turned to face Serenis instead. ¡°Lord had to go find the kin FOR you. None of you did ANYTHING until she literally made you come here. And now you want her to prove herself to you? How ignorant can you get?¡± No one had dared to. Not a single dragon here had ever thought to step out of that valley. They were raised that way. Their elders had told them as such: fearing a loss had always taken precedence over chasing a gain. And those children had become elders themselves that would then teach the same to their younger generation. Even when the seal had turned out to be the second lord¡¯s grave, the elders had chosen to turn a blind eye to Bruton¡¯s words. They silenced the young and buried the subject, for admitting such things was equal to admitting to their ignorance. But no one can turn away forever from such a blatant truth. Rather, the longer they¡¯d choose to look away, the worse things would become. ¡°¡­Raizel.¡± After softly speaking the youngling¡¯s name, Serenis reared the steel dragon back, stepping forth to speak to her silent brethren. ¡°In the distant past, demonkind sacrificed itself and felled the star¡¯s tyrant¡­or rather, we believed that we had felled the star¡¯s tyrant.¡± But the only one who¡¯d remained was Serenis herself. ¡°And yet, the tyrant¡¯s fragments has since fallen into human hands. After altering the star to their liking, they¡¯ve come to be revered as deities. To an extent, demonkind¡¯s sacrifice¡­was in vain. As the last survivor of that era, I plan to conclude our kind¡¯s conflict.¡± A bittersweet smile curved her lips as Serenis put one hand over her chest. ¡°But this is a duty that falls solely upon my shoulders.¡± Unfolding her arms, Serenis gestured towards the dragons listening before her. ¡°You yourselves are not the dragonkin of that era. You¡¯ve no reason to be tied to the past, nor are you obligated to remember it ¨C I will not demand such things of you. However, if you are to lead your lives, unfaithful to even the present¡­if your traditions have urged you to ignore the plight of your kin¡­then perhaps it¡¯s time to reflect upon what you¡¯ve all become.¡± We can understand one another. We can share our blessings and burdens, joys and woes alike. For we are kin, regardless of era. The role of a king was bound to change across eras and circumstances. But at least in Serenis¡¯ case, her role had never changed once. ¡®An ideal king remembers such obvious truths¡­and they remind their subjects, time and again.¡¯ A guiding figure that others could follow, trusting to not lead them astray. For her, that was enough. Ep 111. Long Time No See. (1) Ep 111. Long Time No See. (1) ¡°Um¡­if you¡¯re heading back, it¡­might be faster to use the machine¡­¡± ¡°Hmph. You expect human inventions to outspeed us? Be thankful we¡¯re not razing your nation to cinders.¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± While Eline stammered to answer, yet another dragon turned away from the human girl with his brethren. One by one, the kin left the throne room to take into the air ¨C many carrying the formerly imprisoned with them. As the dragons departed, the once-crowded chamber quickly regained to its former void. And soon, the only ones that yet remained were Serenis, Raizel, Eline, and Theolus¡­along with Bruton and Aether. The dragonlord threw a curious glance towards the elderly couple. ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t expecting you two to remain.¡± ¡°Haha. Well, someone ought to take our two newest brethren.¡± Bruton gestured towards Eline and Theolus. Aether likewise nodded to her husband¡¯s words before answering. ¡°Unlike the others, there isn¡¯t much reason for us to return to the valley. Ilias isn¡¯t home, and Raizel¡¯s also¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aether¡¯s voice drowned out as her eyes locked with Raizel¡¯s. A cold stare met her gaze. Ridden with guilt, the elder dragon sunk her head before finishing. ¡°¡­Raizel¡­I¡¯m sorry. At least when you¡¯d grown, I should¡¯ve told you everything¡­¡± ¡°Never expected you to.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sensing the atmosphere growing heavier yet again, Serenis hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°Bruton, Aether. Since you¡¯re both here, could you speak on what exactly happened during the empire¡¯s invasion? Even without a lord, I fail to see how the empire could bring the entire dragonkin to heel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± After a long sigh, Bruton slowly began to answer the dragonlord. ¡°There was nothing to speak of regarding the empire¡¯s soldiers. Even a hundred soldiers were of no threat to a single dragon. The problem solely lied within their emperor.¡± A heavy shadow crept over the elder¡¯s forlorn shadow. Bruton swallowed down his hesitance to continue speaking, reluctantly reminiscing the events of the past. ¡°The emperor¡­imitated the kin.¡± ¡°Imitated?...In what way, exactly?¡± Bruton stretched out his hand in response, summoning a black ember into his palm. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that magic rests within the realm of thought among mankind. To the kin however, magic rests within the realm of intuition. This is but one example: there is no human magic that replicates these flames.¡± Serenis nodded her head to the elder¡¯s explanation. Because mankind¡¯s magic functioned on a completely different basis from a dragon¡¯s, it was long established that man and dragon could not learn each other¡¯s magic. But Bruton began to deny this established truth. ¡°However¡­the emperor was different. A mere glance was all he needed to replicate my flames. In fact, I¡¯m¡­inclined to say that his expertise was surpassing my own.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°And I was not the only one. No matter who he faced, the result was the same. The emperor would imitate and improve upon our magic to surpass us every time. It wasn¡¯t long until he was wielding several of our magicks at once.¡± Serenis narrowed her eyes. ¡®¡­Is that even possible?¡¯ Dragons relied on their sense and intuition to use magic. In other words, dragonkin¡¯s spells had no calculation involved, nor could their spells be reduced into formulas that humans could use. It was no different than attempting to formulate the makings of a soul: the very premise was nonsensical. ¡®However¡­¡¯ Serenis spared a brief glance towards the fallen rubbles. Not long ago, it¡¯d been a spellbound barrier that prevented entry into the dungeon beyond it. If Bruton¡¯s words were true, then the spell that had surrounded the dungeon¡¯s parameters also made sense ¨C if the emperor had somehow replicated the barrier within Vulka¡¯s grave. ¡°Then, what of their physical capability? Surely they couldn¡¯t have endured the dragonkin¡¯s onslaught with just magic. A human body would be trampled underfoot with ease.¡± ¡°¡­He imitated that as well.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°What?...¡± Bruton¡¯s expression grew grim. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out of his mouth. Instead, it was Aether who continued with the explanation for Serenis. ¡°¡­During the empire¡¯s invasion, the kin had elected a temporary leader amongst ourselves. It was a dragon named Ephea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard. What of it?¡± ¡°Ephea engaged the emperor in combat on numerous occasions. It¡¯s just as you said: after learning of the emperor¡¯s aptitude in magic, Ephea began to rely on her raw strength. Though she failed to inflict any fatal wounds, she successfully drove off the emperor many times. But as our conflict continued, the emperor was eventually¡­imitating Ephea¡¯s true form.¡± ¡°Nonsense!!¡± Serenis reflexively shouted back. A short silence had to pass before the dragonlord cleared her throat to regain her composure. ¡°¡­Mimicking the kin¡¯s magic may be possible under exceptional circumstances; humans do use magic of their own, after all. But a dragon¡¯s true form is a reversion to their natural selves. A human could never simply ¡®imitate¡¯ that.¡± As soon as Serenis finished, Raizel¡¯s comment immediately followed to deny any sort of respite. ¡°You say that lord, but it clearly happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard things too, you know. It¡¯s why the old bones were so reluctant about having another leader. The last one had their true form stolen by a human, and things ended in a disaster.¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t say anything to challenge the youngling¡¯s words. It happened. The fact that it had happened made short work of whatever denial Serenis may propose. It was something that had already happened, and the event¡¯s victims were right in front of her; shrugging off the emperor¡¯s feats as an impossibility was pure ignorance. ¡°Still¡­is he not human himself? He must have limitations. How¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± When Eline cautiously opened her mouth, the dragons¡¯ gaze fell upon her in unison. Although the herbalist¡¯s creeping fears churned within her, she forced herself to swallow them down. It was easier when the eyes weren¡¯t so full of resentment. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, his majes¡­I mean, the emperor¡¯s frequently struggled with mana and health issues in the past. He¡¯d often complain about being born human. And the solution he turned to was¡­¡± Eline¡¯s gaze slowly drifted over towards the dungeon. Though the dragons were no more, spoils of their imprisonment were still plain to see. ¡°¡­He sought to make the dragonkin¡¯s abilities his own. Their scales were crafted into items, blood into elixirs, and¡­I¡­believe he also consumed their hearts on several occasions.¡± ¡°Then, the dungeon¡¯s spoils are¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ingredients. For his own use.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A long sigh followed as the dragonlord closed her eyes. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to question what this emperor¡¯s motives were. Whatever it was, the method he was using to approach it was nigh insanity. Or perhaps it was because he was insane that Akeia was able to achieve such feats. Serenis scanned the throne room once more. Except for the elderly couple, not a single kin who¡¯d arrived from the valley remained. Partially, it was because Serenis had convinced them to prioritize saving their imprisoned kin over razing the empire. But the dragonlord¡¯s words hadn¡¯t been the sole deciding factor. No, what had really made them leave was Eline¡¯s admittance ¨C that the emperor may be returning here at any point. Afterwards, even the most vengeful of the kin had turned their back to head home ¨C as if challenging the emperor wasn¡¯t even an option. ¡®¡­To think the kin would flee from a lone human¡­¡¯ At this point, learning about Aymeia and Kelador had become secondary objectives. Finishing unfulfilled duties of the past was important ¨C but as she had said to her kin, the present took priority over the past. Even now, her stomach churned at the thought of her kin suffering in the dark for over a century. And its perpetrator would suffer just the same. If not worse. Watching the dragonlord quietly seething in anger, Bruton likewise shut his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°My apologies. I¡¯m afraid this is the extent of what we know.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright. What you¡¯ve all told me is invaluable. I wouldn¡¯t have known anything about the emperor otherwise.¡± Although it was still a mystery as to how the emperor was ¡®imitating¡¯ the dragons, that was no reason for Serenis to turn away. She couldn¡¯t let an individual like this roam free. His prized prisoners had escaped. Doubtlessly, he¡¯d come after them once more ¨C and history would repeat yet again. ¡®It¡¯s time. I should¡­¡¯ Just when the dragonlord was about to dismiss them, Raizel widened her eyes, voicing her sudden thought out loud. ¡°Wait, there is one. He¡¯d know more about this stupid emperor than anyone.¡± Curious gazes fell upon the youngling. And among them, Eline was the first to speak. ¡°Do you mean¡­the court mage? I believe he¡¯s already¡­¡± ¡°Huh? No, I don¡¯t even know who that is. There¡¯s someone else¡­a scum who was very close with the emperor.¡± Raizel felt a slight pant of guilt, but the youngling didn¡¯t mind the feeling much. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d promised him to keep it a secret. And if Serenis beats him to death because of this, then¡­well, good riddance. ? ? ? ¡°¡­My ears are burning.¡± Putting down the books he¡¯d been sorting, Karas took a brief moment to tap the side of his head several times. Ilias, who¡¯d been watching the professor from the shelf¡¯s opposing side, quizzically tilted her head. ¡°Come to think of it¡­professor, where ARE your ears?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°? That¡¯s an odd secret to have.¡± After aligning her own pile of books onto the empty shelf, Ilias audibly groaned, stretching her arms and back. Although the books were hardly heavy, being holed up sorting books in a library was boring, tedious, and most importantly, mentally exhausting. ¡°Blegh¡­we¡¯re not even close to finishing. I don¡¯t know how librarians do this all day.¡± Soon, the red dragon gave herself a small break, turning away from the remaining book piles. After passing down several rows of unassorted bookshelves, she could see Light sitting at an empty table, reading the thickest tome she¡¯d ever seen. Ilias skipped along to wrap her arms around the studying half girl. However, the returning response was rather¡­lukewarm. ¡°Light~! Are you reading again?¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­yeah, I am.¡± Soon, only the sounds of flipping pages filled the ambience. Unlike what Ilias had hoped, Light didn¡¯t even spare a single glance to her sister, her eyes were firmly fixed onto her book. Wearing a bitter smile, Ilias let go of the half girl, gently tapping her on the back several times. ¡°Hey, uh¡­get up and walk around sometime! Sitting too long is bad for you.¡± ¡°¡­Okay. I will.¡± ¡°Is there something you wanna eat? We could go get donuts together?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. I ate already.¡± ¡°Oh. Uh, y, yeah! Okay. Then, let me know if you change your mind!¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± After their conversation came to a close, Ilias awkwardly turned around, leaving her little sister alone to read. At first, the red dragon had tried to read together with Light. But the half girl¡¯s books quickly grew thicker and complex, being filled with jargons beyond Ilias¡¯ understanding. Now, even their titles were practically alien to her. Returning to Karas¡¯ side, Ilias quietly whispered to the working professor. ¡°Hey¡­professor. What¡¯s Light even reading? It¡¯s like, over a thousand pages long!¡± ¡°¡¯Advanced Synthesis Formulation Theorem.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­??? What?????¡± ¡°An old textbook.¡± ¡°Wh¡­why¡¯s she reading that? Is it fun?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest. In fact, the class that used the book was abolished because no one ever signed up for it. I was quite surprised when she asked me for the book.¡± ¡°Okay, but why¡¯s she reading that then¡­?¡± After sliding in another book into the shelf, Karas threw his gaze over towards Light¡¯s direction. Before, she hadn¡¯t been able to sit for a single hour reading her textbook. But now¡­ A quiet sigh escaped the professor. Strangely, he found it difficult to welcome the studious student Light had become. ¡°¡­Who knows?¡± Ep 112. Long Time No See. (2) Ep 112. Long Time No See. (2) Few hours ago, at Telberk¡­ ¡°What the¡­?¡± A sentry narrowed his gaze above the keep¡¯s tower. After checking over and again to ascertain what he was seeing through the scope, he began shouting down to the ramparts below. ¡°Someone¡¯s approaching from the west!¡± The stationed soldiers stirred in unison as they turned towards the sentry¡¯s direction. Following suit, those stationed atop the ramparts scanned the stretching plains to make out their supposed enemy. And among them was the hooded figure, narrowing his eyes onto the speck in the distance. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± A strange girl was approaching from afar with shaky steps, orange hair dragging along the ground. But soon, her slow advance came to a stop. The girl painfully gripped at her chest as her legs gave away, collapsing onto her knees in a seemingly paralyzed state. ¡°¡­!¡± Confirming what they¡¯d seen, the surrounding soldiers began to move about. Some began to form squadrons to investigate outside the keep, while some retreated into the keep¡¯s interior to report to their emperor. But the hooded figure stepped off the rampart alone, disregarding the others and their regulations. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s up with him?! Heritch forbade us from moving on our own!¡± ¡°Leave ¡®em be. That fella ain¡¯t got nothin¡¯ to do with us, he¡¯s directly under the emperor¡¯s command. Ye ain¡¯t turning him ¡®round.¡± ¡°Ha! He¡¯s still a soldier, isn¡¯t he? Acting alone¡¯s just asking for an arrow to the head.¡± ¡°¡­That ain¡¯t where you¡¯re aimin¡¯, is it?¡± Leaving the soldiers¡¯ scrutiny behind, the hooded figure swiftly made his way towards the girl in lightened steps. A pair of golden eyes stared down from within the hood¡¯s shadow, noting the two horns protruding from the girl¡¯s head. ¡°¡­Aymeia.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®It hurts.¡¯ In the last few hours, the star deity had struggled to even breathe from the excruciating pain radiating within her chest. Even though she wasn¡¯t hurt anywhere, she could scarce keep herself from gasping for air. And when she¡¯d come to, Aymeia found herself in the middle of nowhere, far outside of the safety of her cavern. ¡®¡­Where¡­am I going¡­?¡¯ The deity looked up with raspy breaths to meet the hooded figure¡¯s gaze. It wasn¡¯t exactly warm, to say the least. ¡°Mo¡­ve¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At first, the hooded figure stepped to the side ¨C as if he really would. But as he stretched out his hand, a broadsword shimmered into existence within his grip. Unlike his puppet state, there was no mistaking it this time. The girl in front of him was Aymeia. For centuries, the deity of stars had never shown face outside like this. But somehow, she¡¯d come right onto where he was ¨C somehow, in an extremely weakened state. ¡®There¡¯s no reason to hesitate.¡¯ After raising his blade high into the air, the figure struck down towards Aymeia¡¯s neck. And, just as the blade was about to touch the girl¡¯s skin, a weak voice slithered out of her lips once more. ¡°¡­Move.¡± She had to go forth. Although she didn¡¯t know why, she had to go ¨C if only to know the source of her torment, of what was even making her move in the first place. The answer surely lied somewhere out there, far into the distance. She couldn¡¯t waste time at a place like this. When the blade touched Aymeia¡¯s throat, the molten steel powerlessly bounced off of her. Its keen edge had disappeared, reduced to a heap of scrap junk. And when the hooded figure met the star deity¡¯s gaze again, her eyes were no longer that of a human. ¡°¡­!¡± An explosion of heat engulfed the surrounding environment. Blazing lights swallowed Aymeia whole, forcing the hooded figure to retreat back several steps. An ephemeral deity floated some ways above, watching every detail unfold from the sky. ¡°¡­Ah¡­haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha!¡± Felicir let out a mocking laughter, watching the firestorm grow into a blazing sphere. Although he lacked a physical body to feel the heat, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine what it would feel like.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The sun above was beginning to wane. But the sun below clearly had no intention of setting just yet. Beaming an amused grin, Felicir watched on as the hooded figure clawed at his burning cloak. He swiftly tore the cloth off of himself, revealing a bleak white aura buzzing about his figure. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you deserve your title, ¡®hero.¡¯¡± ? ? ? ¡°Karas?¡± ¡°Yeah. He probably knows the emperor through and through.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if he told you, but he¡¯s got a really strong tie to this empire. I guarantee you that he knows things.¡± Hearing Raizel¡¯s input, Serenis briefly closed her eyes to reminisce the crow-like professor. Admittedly, Karas had been quite knowledgeable in the field of history; it was the area he specialized in, at least according to his own words. Although the professor had often omitted certain details in his lectures due to being in a public schooling environment, there was every possibility that he¡¯d know something useful regarding the Akeian emperor. But¡­ ¡°While I agree he may be of help¡­Karas is in Partivine at the moment. It¡¯d take quite some time for us to return.¡± Even for Serenis and Raizel, the trip would take them two days, if not three. It was ample time for the emperor to hear about what¡¯d happened in Zeria. If he were to choose to hide away, then there was no telling how difficult it¡¯d become to find him; at least right now, they had quite a specific location to look for him in. But in that moment, Eline poked out her head with Theolus, eyes gleaming with hope. ¡°Um, actually¡­if you use the machine downstairs, it won¡¯t take long at all¡­!¡± ¡°? Machine?¡± When the dragons¡¯ gaze fell on Eline, the herbalist delightfully nodded her head. ¡°Yes! Just one floor below us. It¡¯s, um¡­it¡¯s a portal the emperor made.¡± ¡°A portal? That¡¯s a spell, is it not?¡± ¡°Um¡­the machine¡¯s based on the spell! Since traveling far takes too much mana from the caster, he designed a machine that could use an external mana source instead. Or so I¡¯ve heard¡­¡± Raizel frowned upon hearing Eline¡¯s explanation. She briefly glanced towards the window, but the rest of the kin were already long gone. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier? The others could¡¯ve used it.¡± ¡°I¡­did¡­¡± ¡°Huh? When?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve¡­been saying it¡­for a while¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nobody listened¡­¡± Raizel hurriedly avoided the herbalist¡¯s gaze. As did the others. After letting out a quiet sigh, Serenis shook her head before continuing the conversation. ¡°¡­I apologize in their stead. The floor beneath, you say?¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. I can take you there.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s be off, then.¡± ? ? ? After a while¡­ ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°How is it, lord? Are you getting it?¡± Serenis continued to scan around the small room. At the room¡¯s centre, a large, silver-like ring was standing upwards, supported by metal arches to each of its sides; translucent wires coiled around the ring and stretched out onto the chamber¡¯s corners. The floor the structure stood on was engraved with giant runes, unmistakably of human magic. Despite the number of heads present, Serenis was the only one who recognized and understood the engraved symbols. The dragons knew next to nothing about human spell formulas, and Eline only knew the machine¡¯s foundation based on what she¡¯d heard, not because she was a mage. The herbalist knew as much as Theolus did regarding the machine¡¯s actual workings. Thankfully, the dragonlord glanced back at the youngling after scanning the runes on the floor, nodding her head firm. Although she was still no expert with mankind¡¯s magic, Serenis thankfully found this particular spell circle just barely readable. And¡­though she didn¡¯t quite understand machinery all too well either, she¡¯d seen her fair share of oddities in Partivine during her time with Patrick. He¡¯d had shown her stranger contraptions in their kitchen that functioned on magical foundations. Putting the two together, it wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce the ring¡¯s functioning. ¡°I can¡¯t say I fully understand it, but¡­it seems the portal¡¯s been installed in the form of a large spell circle. It should work with a simple destination coordinate without requiring calculation or mana. As Eline said, it draws its energy from an external source. However¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ gaze followed the other end of the coiled wires. They ultimately led to one of the chamber¡¯s corners, connected to a heap of assorted kirium boxes. The problem was, all of the stones were dull yellow. Had they been filled with mana, the stones should¡¯ve been emitting a bluish glow. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be much mana left to take from. Perhaps the device has been used recently.¡± ¡°...So we can¡¯t use it?¡± ¡°We still could.¡± Serenis then approached the boxes of kirium. She collected the numerous wires that had been tied to the stone surfaces, holding them in her own hand before continuing to answer Raizel. ¡°I can replace the supply. But if I were to leave afterwards, the device will shut itself off, and there wouldn¡¯t be any way to return. Hence¡­someone else will have to enter the portal and call Karas.¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± When the dragonlord¡¯s expectant gaze fell on Raizel, the youngling glanced left and right for an out. Not that there was one. Two elders, and neither had a clue who ¡®Karas¡¯ was. A human who¡¯d never stepped foot in Wayla, and¡­a hatchling who could barely even speak. After confirming the available candidates, Raizel kicked her tongue before reluctantly stepping forth. Her expression crumpled into a vexed scowl. The ¡®someone else¡¯ Serenis spoke of was clearly referring to her. ¡°¡­Tch. Damnit all.¡± On the other hand, Serenis beamed a proud smile at the sight of Raizel taking the initiative. She then began to channel her mana through the wires in her hands. ¡°Thank you, child.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re welcome.¡± A low whirring noise echoed throughout the room. A violet portal soon flared to life within the centre¡¯s ring, and Raizel swiftly disappeared into it. And the two elders who watched it all happen ¨C especially Aether ¨C could not believe what she was seeing. She lightly shook her husband¡¯s shoulder, eyes still glued to the glowing portal before them. ¡°Dear? Was Raizel always this¡­attentive?¡± ¡°She¡¯s grown tame, hasn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Grown tame?! That¡¯s not just on a level of ¡®growing tame¡¯! Where¡¯s the Raizel who went around breaking everything? She¡¯d never do something for someone else, that¡¯s crazy!¡± ¡°Well¡­for one, I¡¯m not against the change¡­¡± Serenis merely blinked in confusion, listening to the elders conversing across the room. ¡®¡­Were things truly that bad before? Our first meeting wasn¡¯t exactly ideal, but I still thought she listened rather well¡­¡¯ Although maintaining the portal was immensely draining, the dragonlord¡¯s expansive mana pool offset the cost significantly. And standing still like this, she could draw more from the star at will. Hence, Serenis lost herself in thought as she waited for Raizel¡¯s return, her mind jumping from one random topic to another. Like how she should ask Iris to teach her portal spells during their next meeting, or how many pieces she should tear the emperor into. Meanwhile, Eline was also lost in thought ¨C a very different one. ¡®¡­Wasn¡¯t this machine¡­one-way¡­?¡¯ The further the travelling distance, the more it cost to maintain a portal spell. Maintaining a portal connecting continental distances was¡­well, pure insanity. Hence, even the emperor himself only ever used this machine as a way to quickly leave the royal palace, not return to it. Because its upkeep would be a huge waste of resources, he hadn¡¯t even considered maintaining it for his return. But right now, the dragonlord was casually maintaining the spell. As if she was planning to keep it this way until the youngling¡¯s return. In fact, that¡¯s exactly what was going on. ¡®Do I¡­remember it wrong? Was it always this way¡­? Should I say something?¡¯ In the far future, a day does come where Eline is able to speak to dragons without fear of being eaten alive. That day is not today. A/N: Quite some time ago, Patrick had to re-teach his little sibling what a fridge was. Serenis was shocked. Ep 113. Long Time No See. (3) Ep 113. Long Time No See. (3) ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± As Raizel stepped out of the shimmering portal, a familiar scenery came to view. The youngling found herself in the middle of Magic Institute¡¯s courtyard ¨C a coordinate all students were obligated to learn when the facility had been active. The ruined districts she¡¯d cleared up nearby were now fully restored to their former glory. Not that it really helped her find Karas. If anything, the district¡¯s restoration meant a return of its former habitants, which would make the search more difficult. ¡°Now then¡­how do I find him here¡­¡± ¡®Hold on. Why do I have to look for him?¡¯ If looking for something is difficult, then the alternative was to make the something look for her. In a very¡­distracting manner. ? ? ? ¡°Grrrrrraaaghhh!!!¡± ¡°?! What is that?!¡± Partivine¡¯s streets lowly rumbled from the explosive roar that suddenly filled the city. Many covered their ears, with the courageous few looking out their windows to look for the source of the noise. But there were only three who properly recognized the silvery silhouette. Namely, Ilias, Karas, and Light. ¡°Wha¡­is that who I think it is?¡± ¡°That looks like¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­I saw that before. That¡¯s¡­¡± After coming to an abrupt stop in their late dinner, the three narrowed their gaze onto the glimmering monstrosity afar. And soon, a single name filled their minds simultaneously. ¡®¡­Raizel?¡¯ ? ? ? After waking up the entire city, the giant steel dragon let out a satisfied snort before lazily curling up on the courtyard to rest. Unfortunately, a few minutes was all she could get before a series of footsteps closed in. And when the three rushed in with heaving breaths, Raizel merely nudged her head to acknowledge their arrival. ¡°Huh, that literally took no time at all.¡± ¡°What is WRONG with you?! You couldn¡¯t just come by and say hello?! Why¡¯d you scream?!¡± ¡°To call you, obviously. Well¡­one of you.¡± ¡°Huh???¡± Ignoring Ilias¡¯ confusion, Raizel¡¯s gaze instead fixed onto the professor behind her. After a tired sigh, Raizel rose to her feet with thudding steps. But her size instantly shrank back, revealing the glowing portal that had been hidden behind her draconic figure. ¡°Hey, Xa¡­Karas. Come with me for a sec.¡± ¡°¡­This late? Where?¡° ¡°Lord needs you.¡± ¡°Serenis?...Just me? What for? From where? Why?¡± ¡°Oh, shut up. Just come.¡± As the steel dragon beckoned in annoyance, the professor reluctantly stepped forth to approach the portal ¨C something he wouldn¡¯t have done for anyone else. In the next minute, he¡¯d already disappeared into its glow. Ilias and Light looked at each other in confusion, then back at Raizel who was just about to enter the portal herself. The red dragon hesitantly spoke up, her expression muddled with worry.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Should we come too? Is it something dangerous?¡± ¡°Not really. Wouldn¡¯t recommend it, though.¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Raizel turned her head, her eyes focusing on the withdrawn half girl by Ilias¡¯ side. Considering what Serenis was going to ask the professor, discussing Karas¡¯ past was unavoidable ¨C and the youngling was pretty sure that the answers wouldn¡¯t be anything Light would want to hear. ¡°¡­It¡¯s adult talk. It¡¯s not for kids.¡± ¡°What??¡± That was just the excuse Bruton had given them whenever he¡¯d talk about the empire with other elders ¨C she couldn¡¯t think of anything better. And so, instead of an explanation, Raizel shrugged back at her friend before disappearing into the portal. But despite the steel dragon¡¯s warning, Light abruptly chased after the youngling. She jumped into the entrance with hurried steps, fearing that the spell would disappear. ¡®Yep. That was gonna happen¡­¡¯ Once the red dragon also stepped through the portal, only then did the spell faze out of existence. ? ? ? When Karas slid out of the portal, the first thing he noticed were two elder dragons. And the black one was glaring at him, eyes mixed with both confusion and suspicion. Thankfully, Raizel soon followed out to break the suspense. After a casual yawn, the youngling turned around to face the dragonlord behind the ring they¡¯d walked out of, waving to signal her success. Karas likewise turned around, letting out a relieved sigh to find Serenis behind them. ¡°Ah, Serenis. I heard you calle¡­gh!¡° The professor¡¯s sentence fell short as his beak snapped shut from the sudden impact on his back. Light burst out of the portal to tackle him from behind, collapsing onto the floor with her professor. And, unsurprisingly, Raizel burst into laughter. ¡°Haha! Talk about weak. Or maybe the kid¡¯s just too heavy for you-ack!¡° Finally, Ilias stepped out of the portal, kicking Raizel down as she did so. ¡°That¡¯s my sister you¡¯re talking about¡­huh?¡± When Ilias took a moment to scan the room they¡¯d arrived in, she belatedly noticed Bruton and Aether¡¯s presence. And both of them were staring at their daughter, shocked and confused by their sudden, unexpected discovery. The couple then locked eyes with each other, suspicion welling within their eyes. Neither parent recalled having a second child, but their daughter somehow had a sister. That would mean¡­ ¡°WAIT! Stop imagining things! I¡¯ll explain!¡± ? ? ? The portal room came to be divided into two sections. In one, Bruton and Aether couple were scolding their daughter about how little time Ilias spent at home. They weren¡¯t particularly mad about Ilias calling Light her sister, but she was still being scolded on the basis of ¡®you should¡¯ve said something.¡¯ In the other, Light sat against the wall, banished from listening in on whatever Serenis had to ask Karas. And although she¡¯d imagined that she¡¯d be alone for a while, she instead found herself in the company of a little hatchling, and the only other non-dragon in the room. ¡°Go on, Theo. Say hi!¡± ¡°¡­His name¡¯s Theo?¡± ¡°Mhm! Isn¡¯t he cute?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Little or not, Theolus was a dragon. And if Light had learned anything from being around Ilias, it was that she should be careful around one no matter how friendly they seemed to be. An accidental bump from one could result in a dislocated shoulder ¨C or worse, a completely broken shoulder. But when Theolus waddled over to the half girl¡¯s side to wave his little arms, Light found it impossible to deny Eline. ¡°Hewwo! I¡¯m Theowus!¡± ¡°¡­Hi, Theo. I¡¯m Light. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Wight?¡± ¡°Light.¡± ¡°W¡­Wlight.¡± ¡°Haha¡­close enough. Good job.¡± With a sheepish smile, Light gently rubbed the joyous hatchling¡¯s head. She almost found herself forgetting where Karas had gone. Almost. ¡®¡­I hope everything¡¯s okay¡­¡¯ Technically, there was nothing to worry about. It¡¯d only been a few minutes since Serenis had walked out of the room with Karas and Raizel in tow. And wherever they were, Light seriously doubted that anything could threaten the three of them together. But the look she¡¯d seen on her professor¡¯s face was practically that of a prisoner, walking down towards their noose. ? ? ? A momentary silence ensued. Although Raizel remained relatively undisturbed by the revelation, Serenis couldn¡¯t help but stare in shock. And Karas couldn¡¯t bear to look up to face the thinned, disappointed eyes before him. ¡°Then, Karas. During the empire¡¯s invasion, you were¡­¡± ¡°¡­The Akeian army¡¯s commander. I participated in the campaign as Emperor Lavnore¡¯s aid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A series of questions flooded the dragonlord¡¯s mind. There were so many things she wanted to ask Karas ¨C from motive to reason, method to outcome. But one question took precedence before all other. ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did the dragonkin wrong you in some way?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Did we wrong the empire, then?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Then why?!¡± Serenis threw her arm to the side. She painfully bit her lips, eyes welling with doubt. Even now, she wanted to hear some plausible excuse. Serenis found herself desperately wishing that there was a sensible reason behind it all. Unfortunately, the answer that was returned to her was not one she¡¯d wished to hear. ¡°¡­To return a favor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­I was born a monster, Serenis. My life was a prize for hunters to claim, and I had to survive somehow. Given that I was born with intelligence, the strategy I adopted was learning magic ¨C from anyone that was willing to teach a monster.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As you may expect, there weren¡¯t many.¡± When she was first told that Karas was a monster, she hadn¡¯t made much out of it. The only implication she knew was that contemporary society discriminated monsters, intelligent or not; she hadn¡¯t realized what that fully meant. A monster isn¡¯t born in a society, nor in a family ¨C they¡¯re born in the wilderness, often alone and left to their own devices. With no allies and lots of enemies, many face premature deaths in the hands of active hunters. And so, some would hide away, while some would disguise themselves as animals; some would retaliate with force, while some would simply accept their fate and die to the hunters that came after them. Among such an unfortunate population, Karas had been an extraordinary case. He was born a monster, and yet he was also born with the gift of intelligence. And so, he¡¯d adopted his own strategy of survival. One that would best exercise the gift he was born with. Ep 114. Confessions of the Historian: Condition of Worth Ep 114. Confessions of the Historian: Condition of Worth Choice? No such luxury existed to begin with. It merely lived the way it was born. It merely used what it was given. Morality maintains peace and order. However¡­ Such illusory concepts have no place in the wilderness. ? ? ? ¡°Timmy! Why these damned pests¡­!¡± The blade furious slashed through the air. Unfortunately, it was impossible to cut down the thousands of Mire wasps flocking upon them. And the feathered monster scoffed from afar, watching the colony he summoned devour the two hunters. ¡°Fools.¡± Mire Forest. Otherwise known as Whitewood among men, it was a piece of land forbidden from entry. It wasn¡¯t because there was anything particularly important within the hazy woods. Rather, it was simply due to how dangerous it was. In addition to the blinding fog, the forest was naturally high in monster population. Even the natural life that inhabited the woods were far more vicious than those outside. But despite its dangers, every year numerous hunters would visit the woods, each one seeking to slay its monsters and obtain their rare materials. And most never make it back outside. ¡®At least they lasted a while this time.¡¯ Three days ago, a group of four hunters had entered the woods. One had lost her way while scouting the nearby area. She¡¯d wandered the fogs before stepping off a cliff, falling to an untimely death. Another had made fire, confident that he could defeat anything that the light could attract. He served as bait for the SIlverfang while his friends had fled camp. And the remaining two had just been drenched in Nevorra sap, attracting a horde of wasps that fed on their living flesh. ¡®I wonder how long they would¡¯ve lasted if I didn¡¯t pour the sap on them.¡¯ Numerous monsters were born with an asset to aid their survival. A giant body size, iron-tough skin¡­some were even born with incurable toxins. But the black-feathered monster possessed no such assets. Low in strength and fragile to bone, he was nothing short of pathetic for a monster of Mire. The only ¡®strengths¡¯ he possessed were intelligence that easily rivalled humans, and a thirst that he could never quench. And so, he¡¯d used his intelligence for years, studying Mire¡¯s every corner and species. Every aspect of the forest¡¯s environment became a tool for his use, and with them, he¡¯d outsmarted the hunters time and again.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He never expected himself to last forever. Perhaps there wasn¡¯t even a reason for him to cling so desperately to life. He merely lived on, according to his basic instincts. He survived day after day, dreading that he would eventually fall to a skilled hunter. But contrary to the monster¡¯s expectations, the person that would capture him was quite far from being a hunter. ¡°There you are.¡± ¡°?!¡± When Xar abruptly turned his head, a lone, young man was suddenly standing at his side ¨C as if he¡¯d appeared out of nowhere. Even though the fog shrouded most of their features, their crimson stare was more than enough to strike fear into the feathered monster. ¡®The sap¡­!¡¯ Xar immediately popped the vial open, hurling its contents across the stranger¡¯s figure. Unfortunately, the bottle had already been emptied of its contents. Realizing his mistake, the monster hurriedly took several steps backwards, brandishing his claws. Not that it threatened the man before him. ¡°Ha! You¡¯re not thinking that¡¯d scare me away, are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You should know better, Soul Collector.¡± Though the lone man provokingly spread out his arms, Xar found himself frozen in place. Literally. Before he¡¯d realized, his feet were covered in ice, firmly held onto the ground. And soon, the ice coiled around his lefts to climb his body, freezing everything but his head in place. ¡°¡­Mage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure you see hunters all the time, but you don¡¯t see that many mages here, do you?¡± The young mage casually whistled, glancing around the foggy scenery. ¡°We have plenty less dangerous ways to get by, after all. Those who¡¯d risk dangers like Mire are few and far between. Even then, the ones who do come are probably 4th circles or less.¡± The mage slowly approached Xar to face him eye to eye. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m an exception.¡± ¡°¡­Kill me.¡± ¡°Oh? You think I¡¯ll kill you?¡± ¡°¡­The humans that came to these woods¡­all came for the same purpose. You¡¯d be no different.¡± ¡°Actually, no. I¡¯m kinda different.¡± ¡°Kill me.¡± ¡°Are you even listening?...¡± After letting out an exasperated sigh, the mage snapped his fingers. The ice that bound Xar in place instantly shattered apart, and their caster raised their arms into the air in a surrendering gesture. ¡°There, satisfied? I didn¡¯t come here to kill you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Besides¡­it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll just curl up and die easy.¡± ¡°You speak nonsense, human.¡± ¡°Oh please, there¡¯s no need to lie. I¡¯m a mage; you think I can¡¯t sense manaflow from this distance?¡± When the young mage pressed his finger into Xar¡¯s body, dreadful wails escaped the monster¡¯s figure. Wails of the dead and captured, begging for redemption. ¡°I must admit though, you¡¯re quite the interesting one. A monster that can absorb souls to make their magic his own¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± To make others¡¯ magic one¡¯s own. It wasn¡¯t a particularly useful trait at birth. But as long as its possessor survived, it was a trait that could infinitely increase in value. In that regard, the two were quite similar to each other. ¡°If you were to absorb a number of quality souls, how much stronger would you become? Right now, it seems like you¡¯ve only absorbed perhaps two mages at most. And all the other ones are next to useless¡­¡± ¡°¡­You can see the souls too, then.¡± ¡°Actually, no. I guessed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about it? If you come with me, I could give you all the souls you¡¯d like. No hunter will ever pose a threat to you again.¡± ¡°¡­I do not trust humans.¡± ¡°And you have better things to trust?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Pray tell, what DO you trust then? The brainless beasts of Whitewood? The hunters that are after your throat? Compared to those, I¡¯m quite the enticing option, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­What do you want.¡± When the young mage heard Xar speak his desired question, a thin, accomplished grin curved his lips. And in a low, gentle voice, he whispered towards the monster before him. ¡°Join the empire, Xar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll immediately execute ten of my most skilled mages. Their magic and affinity will be yours to take.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­¡± Xar trailed off his words, scanning the mage head to toe. The young man seemed no older than three decades, but their words indicated far more authority than he would¡¯ve imagined. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Where are my manners?¡± Brushing back his golden hair, the mage¡¯s crimson eyes let off an eerie glow. ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Amadeus Lavnore, ruler of the new Akeian empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d like proof? Would burning down this entire forest do the trick?¡± Xar scoffed at the offered ¡®proof.¡¯ While he doubted the offer¡¯s authenticity, the emperor¡¯s tone certainly didn¡¯t sound like they were joking. ¡°¡­No. That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ? ? ? It wasn¡¯t a particularly notable beginning. One merely wanted an end to his days of being hunted. The other merely wanted a capable subject under his rule. But despite their differences, they recognized the similarity between them. And they didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that the other would prove to be an invaluable asset. And they were correct in assuming so. For, not long after their meeting, the two would bring the continent¡¯s most feared creatures to heel. Ep 115. Long Time No See. (4) Ep 115. Long Time No See. (4) For a while, Serenis continued to listen to Karas¡¯ rather unremarkable tale. In retrospect, it was an obvious story. Having led a life of the weak with countless hunters after his life. Eventually meeting someone that he could not overcome. And choosing to follow them over continuing their miserable life. ¡®¡­That¡¯s right. It¡¯s an obvious tale.¡¯ As a monster rose in fame, they were bound to attract increasingly skilled hunters. Had Karas not joined the empire, a particularly skilled hunter would doubtlessly have succeeded in claiming his life. In the feathered monster¡¯s perspective, the empire was but a means of survival, the emperor his savior. ¡®But, more importantly¡­¡¯ The dragonlord¡¯s worried gaze soon fell upon the youngling at her side. ¡°Raizel. Were you¡­aware?¡± ¡°? About what?¡± ¡°That Karas was a member of the empire.¡± ¡°Sure I did. He¡¯s the one that tore off my wings.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Serenis felt as if something had struck her in the head. A long silence had to pass before she could process the youngling¡¯s words. And when she returned to her senses, Serenis¡¯ worries were practically flooding her mind. Though, Raizel wasn¡¯t too fond of all the worried stare she was receiving. ¡°Blegh¡­why¡¯re you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry, child. I didn¡¯t¡­realize¡­¡± No matter how hard she tried, Serenis couldn¡¯t help her voice from shaking. But as she pondered whether she should kill Karas right then and there, Raizel gently put her hand over the dragonlord¡¯s trembling shoulder. ¡°Calm down. I got back at him already. I could care less now.¡± Raizel threw Karas a brief glance. And, as expected, the steel dragon couldn¡¯t feel anything in particular. Once upon a time, merely thinking about the crow monster had made her want to tear him apart. She was sad, frustrated, and never doubted for a moment that he deserved to die for what he¡¯d done to her. But the professor standing before her was no longer the monster that had wreaked havoc upon her life. Someone else had already taken that monster away from him. After calming the dragonlord, Raizel returned her attention to Karas. ¡°Why¡¯d you split ways with the emperor anyways?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Hearing an oddly normal question from the steel dragon, Karas initially wore a heavy frown. There was no way Raizel would ask such a sensible question to him; he thought he was hearing things. But when he soon realized he¡¯d indeed heard what he¡¯d heard, the professor cautiously began his answer. ¡°Why, you ask¡­I suppose it was due to our wants following Caldon¡¯s reclamation. While I wished to put a stop to Akeia¡¯s conquest, Lavnore wished for it to continue. With the empire divided into factions, Akeia lost the following war against the union, and¡­during the empire¡¯s collapse, I naturally returned to Mire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel nodded her head with a dazed expression. She had no clue what Karas was saying. But she had so little clue that, instead of asking for clarification, she merely took it as is and decided to go with it. Unfortunately for her, the dragonlord wished for clarification. ¡°¡­Could you explain that further? Union? Caldon? Wasn¡¯t Caldon a desert to the east?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas awkwardly cleared his throat, facing the dragonlord as he answered. ¡°Serenis. What I¡¯m about to tell you is a piece of history no book dares to carry. Be sure to never speak of it to others ¨C ESPECIALLY not to Patrick or the other enforcers.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± After a brief sigh, Karas began to tell his story. ¡°It¡¯s as you¡¯ve said: Caldon is presently a giant desert to the east. But one century ago, Caldon was Wayla¡¯s largest and most powerful kingdom. At the same time, Caldon was an obstacle for the east¡¯s elves that sought to make Wayla their own ¨C and the country ultimately fell victim to an elven ploy that led to the death of its God-king, its monarchy being replaced by elven rule.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­see. But how does this concern the emperor?¡± ¡°Lavnore is a Caldonian. Or, was, rather.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°Being a Caldonian himself, Lavnore sought audience with rulers of neighbouring nations to seek help in reclaiming his country ¨C but when his efforts proved fruitless, he turned to amassing military power on his own. He wished to drive out the elven influence, even at the cost of waging war against his own country; this was the birth of Akeia, and it was around this period that I joined the empire¡¯s ranks.¡± ¡°So¡­the empire¡¯s sole purpose was¡­to retake Caldon from the elves?¡± ¡°Precisely. And once Lavnore resorted to violence, Akeia saw rapid growth. The empire absorbed the north¡¯s smaller nations with ease, and, as you know, Lavnore himself absorbed the dragonkin¡¯s strengths.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡°Deeming Akeia¡¯s power sufficient, Lavnore then proceeded to challenge Caldon¡¯s elves directly. And by challenge, I mean¡­the empire invaded Caldon Kingdom.¡± Karas shook his head. A sarcastic chuckle escaped the professor. ¡°A single week was all it took for Lavnore to conquer Wayla¡¯s superpower. However, the elves poisoned Caldon¡¯s lands during their war efforts. The land¡¯s contamination spread uncontrollably, warping the kingdom to the desert it is today¡­and marking an end to Caldon¡¯s long history.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Caldon¡¯s fall brought about great change throughout the continent. The countries that had once refused Lavnore grew weary of his influence, and before long, banded together to form a union under Archmage Astinel. Conversely, Akeia had grown far too large, and began to divide itself into factions ¨C notably, there were those like me who wished to terminate the empire¡¯s conquest, and those like Lavnore who wished to continue their campaigns. But even its divided state, the empire still entered war against the union, and¡­was ultimately defeated. This marks the end of what we commonly refer to as the Empire Age.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Raizel, who¡¯d listened about halfway until giving up, rolled her eyes as Karas¡¯ story finally came to an end. ¡°Blah blah, whatever. Long story short, you got greedy, ate too much, and your stomach exploded when someone poked it.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­quite on point, actually.¡± After Raizel¡¯s question was answered, Serenis quickly followed up with her own. ¡°If you joined the empire¡¯s rank so early¡­then you must know of the emperor¡¯s strengths far better than others. Could you speak of him further?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas briefly scanned the palace interior, contemplating on his answer. Although it wasn¡¯t the same structure, the construction was unmistakably similar. Its decorations and layout were practically the same. ¡°I was told that Lavnore passed away during his clash against the union¡­but judging from your question, Serenis, I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°¡­He is. And I plan to put an end to his acts for good.¡± ¡°What of me then? Should you not put me to the stake as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis silently turned to face the youngling beside her. And, after watching the steel dragon quizzically shrug back at her, turned back to face Karas with a light smile. ¡°You already regret your actions, do you not?¡± ¡°¡­I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Having killed those you needn¡¯t kill¡­having warred against our kin. As far as I can tell, you already regret what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m worthy of having regrets.¡± ¡°You are. And because you have those regrets ¨C because you¡¯ve repented ¨C one of our children have already forgiven you.¡± As soon as Serenis finished her sentence, Raizel¡¯s expression contorted beyond words. ¡°I did not FORGIVE him!! I already took some revenge, and¡­and he was a dumbass that did whatever that scum emperor said, so I just let it slide at that!¡± ¡°Pray tell, what else would you call that, if not granting forgiveness?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching the snickering dragonlord and the pouting steel dragon, Karas lost himself in thought. Once, he¡¯d regretted letting Raizel live. Once, he¡¯d thought that the emperor could¡¯ve been right all along. That perhaps things would¡¯ve been better off had he chosen to kill her when she was a hatchling. But now, looking back¡­ Saving her seemed to have been the correct decision after all. ¡°Now, now¡­Lavnore¡¯s survival is not exactly delightful news to me, either. So¡­¡± After clearing his throat to regain the dragons¡¯ attention, the professor continued in a more serious tone. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time to tell you¡­why Lavnore is considered the worst mage to ever be born.¡± ? ? ? With every strike, a burst of fire followed suit to melt the earth beneath them. Upon every slash, an even worse heat would push him away. But the revealed face underneath the incinerated hood was nonetheless peaceful. ¡®Starfire, as they would put it¡­¡¯ A normal person would¡¯ve been reduced to cinders thousands of times by now. Even for a transcendental figure, this heat wasn¡¯t something he could last very long in. For the figure before him wasn¡¯t a mere transcendental figure. That wasn¡¯t even a human to begin with. ¡°¡­I pity you, Aymeia.¡± When he struck out his sword once more, its blade glowed in a blinding white light. And when his weapon next struck the mass of fire, the flames dissipated thin like broken glass. In the midst of dancing embers, the kneeling star deity¡¯s figure once again came to view. ¡°Though I do not know what brought you forth¡­I suppose this will be your last walk outside, Aymeia. Or rather¡­¡± The glowing blade slashed the air once more, straight towards the star deity¡¯s head. With heaving breaths, Aymeia jerked her body to the side. But she couldn¡¯t avoid the strike completely, the weapon digging deep into her shoulder. Though she grasped the blade with what strength she had left, the blade mercilessly dug deeper towards her heart. ¡°¡­Dragonlord.¡± Splitting flesh and bone, the weapon then began to sink into her heart ¨C until it eventually reached the surface of her shard. Aymeia¡¯s grip began to loosen around the blade buried within her. ¡®Dragon¡­lord¡­¡¯ Once, she¡¯d been referred as such. ¡­Or did she? Was she referred to as such? ¡®What exactly was I called¡­?¡¯ A disordered array of memories threw the deity¡¯s conscious into a chaotic mess. The pain of her memories was so great that she was starting to forget about the weapon sinking into her. Aymeia was her name. That much, she knew. But at the same time, she possessed memories of being called by another name. Even as her heartbeat diminished, her memories continued to plague her. - ¡®I¡¯m sorry, [?????]. I¡¯m afraid I must entrust this burden to you¡­¡¯ Blurred memories became clearer and clearer. The faces she¡¯d long forgotten slowly began to return. She¡¯d watched them leave from afar. She¡¯d been sad. Disappointed. Resentful, even. Not towards those who burdened her, but towards the self that failed to stop the others from leaving. She¡¯d left them to leave, knowing they¡¯d die. She¡¯d remained silent, knowing she¡¯d be left alone. For that was the last burden they¡¯d ever entrusted to her. To take care after the remaining children. They¡¯d entrusted the future to her. They were¡­ They¡­ ¡­ ¡®Who¡­were they?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t remember. It was someone important, but she couldn¡¯t remember their name. She¡¯d hidden herself within the ice, striving to preserve their legacy within. It was all¡­ ¡­ ¡®¡­What was I doing?¡¯ Whose legacy? What legacy? Before Aymeia could finish her disorganized thoughts, her assailant jerked his blade out of her body, catching the bloody white shard that spilt out of her. ¡°Struggle as you may, this is the limit of those dependent on their divinity.¡± Aymeia gripped at her aching chest. Her limp body collapsed onto the pool of blood before her. ¡®¡­The heart¡­¡¯ In her distant memories, she¡¯d found the blue orb in a sea of blood. It was more brilliant than any object could ever be. And its brilliance had saddened her beyond words. She¡¯d held onto the orb¡¯s former owner, crying for days on end until she¡¯d return to her senses. She¡¯d burned their body in her flames, determined to carry what they¡¯d entrusted her. She¡¯d finally become the lord she¡¯d wished for. And yet¡­ ¡®¡­Did I regret it?¡¯ I wanted you to see me. I wanted you to approve of me. I never wished for you to die. If I¡¯d known that that¡¯s what it would take to become the kin¡¯s lord, Then I never would¡¯ve wanted it. ? ? ? After confirming the divinity shard in his hand, the man briskly turned away from the dying deity. With slow steps, he began to return to the keep. His biggest obstacle had been removed. Now, he just needed to destroy this shard through the emperor. Eliminating the remaining demons would be a trivial task afterwards. ¡°Rather disappointing for such a feared divinity. All that¡¯s left is to-¡° He didn¡¯t make it very far. He instinctively came to a stop, his body paralyzed in inexplicable fear. His body grew as tense as it possibly could ¨C in response to the heat radiating from behind him. ¡®¡­How? That¡¯s impossible. Her divinity¡¯s been removed.¡¯ When he slowly turned back around, his nemesis was once again standing on her feet. Gripping her torn body, Aymeia stared back at him with lightless eyes. Even though she¡¯d bled enough to die on the spot, the star deity refused to stay down. As if her wounds didn¡¯t cause any damage whatsoever. And shrouding her once more were streaks of orange flames, burning even brighter than they had before. ¡°¡­Give it¡­back.¡± ¡®¡­Did I always use fire?¡¯ She had. Though she couldn¡¯t exactly remember when she¡¯d began to¡­ No. In fact, she always had. Her flames had been the only magic she knew how to wield. Ever since she was born. But because her magic was so lacking in comparison to her mother¡¯s, she¡¯d despaired time and again. She¡¯d despised herself for not having the strength to protect those she¡¯d been entrusted with. ¡®¡­That¡¯s right. It was mother¡¯s¡­¡¯ Another blurred memory cleared itself within her. With a recollection of her mother¡¯s voice, the flames shrouding the deity began to regain their former glow. None of these memories belonged to her. But they were her memories just the same. ¡°¡­Dragonlord. I was their lord...¡± The only kin to inherit the first lord¡¯s legacy. A dragon that was entrusted with the kin¡¯s future, and a dragon that died to preserve what had been entrusted. ¡®Did I¡­die?¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter. As a dragon of the valley, she merely needed to fulfill her duty. And it began with reclaiming the shard that was stolen from her. ¡°¡­Give it back. That¡¯s not something for you to toy with.¡± ? ? ? ¡°Haha, wow! She¡¯s really going at it.¡± Watching from afar, Felicir let out another bout of laughter at Aymeia¡¯s unseemly revival. Though, it struck him odd to continue calling her Aymeia like this. ¡°You needed the human to die to take over, did you? That¡¯s too bad, though¡­I hate to break it to you, but that shard is not your mother¡¯s heart.¡± ¡®In fact, your mother has your mother¡¯s heart. I¡¯d know.¡¯ Divinity of stars: the most problematic of all twelve shards throughout. Unlike the others, this particular divinity had posed a serious problem in the past. The human body couldn¡¯t house it. A human that would take the divinity of stars never lasted more than a week. A flood of starlight would explode out of their bodies, disintegrating them whole without a trace. After dozens died in the same manner, Felicir had frantically sought for a solution. He could neither throw it away, nor destroy it ¨C but he was successful in finding a solution towards the end. ¡®If the human body can¡¯t house it, then we just need a non-human body to house it.¡¯ But as someone who sought to build a world ruled by humans, enlisting a demon as the divinity¡¯s holder was not an option for Felicir. And so, he¡¯d begun experimenting on creating a third option. The Reaper had mixed countless subjects with the dragonkin¡¯s blood ¨C and he¡¯d thrown out most of them. Sacrifices numbered in the thousands before he came upon a successful specimen. The only subject to prevail against the odds, preserving their integrity despite the dragonlord¡¯s blood within them. The girl that would house the divinity of stars with ease, leading a quiet life with her given name ¡®Aymeia.¡¯ ¡®It would¡¯ve been nicer if she was a little less insane.¡¯ Although she eventually came to be called the deity of stars, Aymeia had hardly done anything deity-like. Instead, the girl behaved more and more similar to the dragonlord during his life. She eventually trapped herself into a frozen cavern just like he had, never to come out again of her own accord. Felicir had reminded Aymeia on numerous occasions. Of whose memories it was that plagued her, of the life she could lead outside of her frozen cavern. Of the illusory duty that she burdened herself with. But no matter how often he¡¯d remind her, the deity of stars would soon forget what she was told. She¡¯d always return to her frozen cavern to spend her days in silence, waiting for a fateful encounter. Ep 116. Long Time No See. (5) Ep 116. Long Time No See. (5) A rather familiar sight was unfolding before the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. After summoning a translucent piece of chalk, Karas began to explain ¨C just like his lectures from before. Although, a royal palace wall had to replace the chalkboard. But it did the job. ¡°There are largely two reasons why Lavnore is considered the worst mage to walk the star ¨C the first being his understanding of magic as a discipline.¡± Writing a basic spell formula on the wall, the crow professor then proceeded to summon a sphere of water levitating above his palm. ¡°In large, what mages learn is a conversion process from formula to spell: interpreting a formula, then forming a spell accordingly. This is the foundation of using magic. However, in Lavnore¡¯s case, the reverse can also be established.¡± With a small flick, the sphere of water in Karas¡¯ hand was soon replaced by a sphere of fire. Following suit, the professor began to write out fireball¡¯s spell formula on the wall. ¡°A reverse conversion from spell to formula. This is only possible with a thorough understanding of magic¡¯s nature, and even for the gifted few, the practice is normally limited to basic. This is because advanced spells tend to grow exponentially more complex in their formulas. Only two individuals were ever capable of performing this reverse conversion with ease¡­one of them being the Akeian emperor, Amadeus Lavnore.¡± When Karas flicked his hand once more, even the fireball disappeared from his hand. ¡°By converting others¡¯ magic into a formula, Lavnore is then able to adjust and improve upon said magic. And because he¡¯s able to perform this reverse conversion on any magic at will¡­he came to imitate even the dragonkin¡¯s magic. Further, he succeeded in converting a dragon¡¯s very existence into a concept spell.¡± Serenis narrowed her eyes at the professor¡¯s last remark. She¡¯d seen concept spells before ¨C but the ones she¡¯d seen were objects, an interpretation of a passing myth or legend. They¡¯d never been based on living entities, much less a dragon. And, even if such a thing had actually occurred, the question remained: ¡°¡­How?¡± The professor meekly shrugged in his answer. ¡°¡­During the empire¡¯s invasion into the Dragon¡¯s Valley, there was a dragon by the name of Ephea that led the tribe through their conflict. After it had become clear that Lavnore couldn¡¯t be stopped by magic, she drove him away using brute force instead. But in their ensuing battles, Lavnore¡¯s understanding of Ephea and the dragonkin continued to grow. This understanding was then used in forming experimental spell formula, and¡­before long, he was able to sculpt a working concept spell based on Ephea. After that, even brute force couldn¡¯t drive him away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This is what it was, then.¡¯ Bruton had mentioned the emperor ¡®imitating¡¯ a dragon¡¯s true form. It was starting to become clear what that had actually meant. After a brief pause, the professor continued on with supplementary details. ¡°Talent alone wouldn¡¯t have made Lavnore the threat that he was at the time. He was, in his words, merely human; his body and mana were both severely limited. The second reason why Lavnore is considered the worst mage in history is because he¡¯d eventually overcome these two restrictions on his own.¡± ¡°¡­Is that not because he¡¯s nourished himself with the kin¡¯s strengths? Eline had said as much.¡± ¡°It probably is, at least in part. Even back then, he was keen on assuming a dragon¡¯s powers as his own. But even before facing the dragons, Lavnore had experimented with alternative methods of overcoming his human limit. The first solution he turned to were mana pills ¨C I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re familiar with these?¡± ¡°Condensed mana designed for consumption, yes? I¡¯ve seen them being sold in Partivine.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± After sketching an outline of a person¡¯s body, the professor then drew a small circle within it. ¡°As you said, mana pills are just that: condensed mana. They¡¯re designed to quickly counteract the consumer¡¯s mana depletion. The problem is, our bodies tend to reject large amounts of external mana directly entering our own circuits. This is why it¡¯s recommended that you take no more than one pill per day. The second will usually incur a stinging pain across the entire body, and the third often causes the circuits to explode, killing the individual.¡± ¡°¡­Then that¡¯s not exactly ¡®overcoming,¡¯ is it?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be, no. Hence, Lavnore devised a way to circumvent the body¡¯s rejection.¡± Afterwards, Karas proceeded to draw a similar picture beside the first. Only this time, the person¡¯s eyes were crossed out, signalling that they were dead. ¡°Once the body dies, no rejection can occur to external mana. Lavnore uses this principle to restore his mana indefinitely: after overdosing on mana pills to replenish himself, he suicides each time.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, I say suicide, but it¡¯s closer to shutting down the heart for a time. He prepares a spell in advance to shock himself back to life just about when the body finishes harnessing the pill¡¯s mana.¡± ¡°¡­Shock?¡­is that not dangerous? What if the shock fails?¡± Karas shrugged back to Serenis¡¯ question. ¡°Then he dies. It¡¯s a method only the insane could attempt ¨C there¡¯s no actual guarantee a shock spell would restore the heart¡¯s activity.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s his way of combatting mana issues. However, he is vulnerable for a time during the method¡¯s employment. Even if he appears dead, it¡¯s best you exercise caution.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Now, as for how he overcame aging and other physical limitations¡­this is quite simple. Do you remember the artifact Aldrid made you?¡± ¡°Do you mean the bracelet? I¡¯ve left it with Patrick before departing the city¡­¡± ¡°Yes, exactly that. You see, humans consider Aldrid¡¯s artifacts priceless treasures due to their vitalizing effect. There are two others besides the bracelet you were given. One is a family heirloom that belonged to Caldon¡¯s monarchy, and the other is¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Karas briefly hesitated before finishing his sentence with a guilty expression. ¡°¡­A ring that Mother Nature is said to have gifted to the dragonkin. Obtaining this ring was a key reason behind Lavnore¡¯s decision to invade Dragon¡¯s Valley.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After acquiring the two treasures¡­Lavnore ceased to age. In fact, he lost age to return to his prime. I don¡¯t recall him ever being ailed by a sickness or poison, either. But conversely, should these artifacts be taken away from him, his age should return to normal.¡± Serenis nodded her head in silence. At this point, she was too tired to be surprised about every little thing. Somehow, without even doing anything himself, the Akeian emperor was continuously growing in reasons to kill. ? ? ? ¡°Give it back!¡± ¡°Hmph. To think a corpse would demand from the living¡­¡± No matter how many times he slashed, Aymeia¡¯s flames continued to strike at him. And the ensuing attacks were accompanied by a small realization. ¡®¡­She was never using her divinity.¡¯ Regardless of their current appearances, the Twelve were all of mankind at birth. After extracting their divinity, it was only natural that they¡¯d return to the powerless human beings that they once were. But as far as he could tell, Aymeia was gaining strength, not losing it. Despite the huge, bleeding cut stretching across her shoulder and chest, the deity seemed unbothered in the slightest. ¡°¡­It¡¯s time you returned to dust, Aymeia.¡± The assailant¡¯s blade was once again coated in a veil of light, striking into the star deity¡¯s stream of fire. The strength behind the strike fanned out tenfold, collapsing an entire mountain behind them. But this time, Aymeia¡¯s flames refused to dissipate to her assailant¡¯s attack. Instead, they held fast onto Aymeia¡¯s body as she danced around the blade¡¯s length, striking back in return. ¡°Give it back!!¡± When the star deity stretched out her hand, a small ember ignited into her palm. Unlike the orange lights shrouding her, the ember retained a pure, white color. And as the ember expanded to shroud Aymeia in a veil of white fire, the earth sizzling beneath her began to completely melt, turning to an expanding pool of lava. The man reflexively covered his face from the intense heat. Despite lacking direct contact, his clothes were beginning to lit aflame; it was as if the entire vicinity was slowly turning to a living hell. But for those watching the scene from afar, the spectacle of white and orange flames was nothing short of beautiful. ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t know she could use that¡­are you sure you want to though, Aymeia?¡± Seeing the white ember his creation had summoned, the Reaper¡¯s lips turned to a wry smile. Unlike the deity that he was watching. ¡°¡­Hf¡­ah¡­!¡± When the colorless flame began to enshroud its summoner, a searing pain swallowed her whole. The screams she¡¯d held back for so long began to slip out of her mouth. ¡®Just¡­a bit further¡­¡¯ Aymeia stretched out her burning hand towards the unmoving assailant. Her feet sunk into the lava beneath her as she took another step, letting out a terrifying sizzling noise. One more step. One more step, and she could take back what he¡¯d stolen from her. But when she took her last step, Aymeia¡¯s legs finally gave away. The deity collapsed onto the molten ground before reaching her assailant again. And following suit, her flames wither away to nothing. All that remained was a burnt, wounded girl, lying motionless on the ground before an armed assailant. ¡°Hah¡­how ironic, Aymeia. Can¡¯t even wield your own strength properly, can you? And I was just considering that I should take you more seriously. How pointless.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­L¡­ord¡­¡¯ Despite the man¡¯s ominous gaze upon her, Aymeia couldn¡¯t bring herself to rise again. Her flowing memories began to blur out once more. Their face, their voice ¨C everything became tainted, fading beneath waves of pain from her wounds. Struggle as she might, the deity could no longer keep her eyes open. And in the creeping darkness, she quietly whispered under her breath. ¡°¡­I wish¡­you were here.¡± You always were. But somehow, you never were. Ep 117. Long Time No See. (6) Ep 117. Long Time No See. (6) ¡°¡­?¡± When Serenis returned to the throne room, a rather shocking scene was unfolding before her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± ¡°You are NOT going!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going no matter what!¡± ¡°You are NOT going, no matter what!¡± Last time Serenis had seen Ilias, the youngling was being scolded by her parents ¨C in a rather docile manner. Now, she was relentlessly talking back to her mother like the world¡¯s most rebellious child. And as if too afraid to pick a side, the others ¨C Bruton, Light, Eline, and Theolus ¨C were huddled up some distance away from the two arguing dragons, watching the argument ensue. Though, as soon as Serenis returned to the chamber, all eyes turned towards her instead. In fact, Ilias enthusiastically called out her name, approaching the dragonlord in hurried steps. ¡°Lord Serenis!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, child?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re going after some bad guy! The¡­emperor? Right?¡± ¡°I¡­suppose. What of it?¡± ¡°Take me with you!¡± ¡°¡­Take you?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sure I can help in some way. Please?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis weakly studied the others within the room. Other than Theolus who didn¡¯t seem to have an opinion on the matter, everyone seemed to be against the red dragon¡¯s proposal. ¡°¡­Why do you wish to come? You must¡¯ve barely been a hatchling during the empire¡¯s invasion. Your parents don¡¯t seem to approve, either¡­¡± ¡°But they said this emperor¡¯s the one that took Raizel¡¯s wings!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®To be accurate, the one who took her wings is right there...¡¯ When Serenis slowly shifted her attention over to Karas, the professor stared back at the dragonlord with a conflicted gaze. He cleared his throat to say something ¨C but was soon stopped by Raizel who held his beak in an iron grip before proceeding to answer in his stead. ¡°In your dreams, Ilias. The emperor¡¯s MY prey. I¡¯m not giving it to you.¡± ¡°Who said anything about stealing your stuff? I only said I¡¯d help! This emperor was supposed to be super dangerous, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. But we still don¡¯t need you.¡± ¡°Why not?!¡± ¡°Why? Cuz¡­¡± Before answering, Raizel gave a curt glance towards the two elders behind Ilias. Technically, the red dragon had just said the reason herself. It clearly wasn¡¯t apparent to her though. And proceeded to reply in an annoyed, lazy tone. ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t get permission from your parents.¡± ¡°What the heck?! And you did?!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. For your information, my mom told me to live however the hell I want to before she died.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± As Ilias trailed off her words at the unexpected reply, Raizel let out a small snicker. After tapping the red dragon on the back twice, she turned away to head towards the chamber¡¯s exit. ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Gonna take a look outside in case anyone¡¯s coming.¡± With that short announcement, the steel dragon left the room ¨C mostly to allow Ilias to deal with her parents herself. But even after Raizel had left, Ilias remained in place with a dazed expression, staring at the chamber¡¯s exit. And she would¡¯ve continued to had Serenis not spoken to her.Stolen story; please report. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure Raizel only means you well. You needn¡¯t worry about us, child. We¡¯ll be fine on our own.¡± ¡°But¡­if it¡¯s fine without me, doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s fine with me too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why¡¯s everyone so against me going with you two? I get that they¡¯re worried, but I¡¯m worried too...what if something happens to Raizel?...¡± Everyone remained silent. To Bruton and Aether, Ilias was their only daughter; to Light, Ilias was their only family left. And Eline couldn¡¯t openly support the red dragon¡¯s decision to challenge Lavnore simply because she knew too much about the Akeian emperor. Serenis let out a small sigh. It¡¯d been obvious before, but she was seeing the difference between the two younglings all over again. Everyone worried about Ilias¡¯ well-being. They feared that she¡¯d do something dangerous, feared they¡¯d lose her in some unexpected accident. One could even call them overprotective considering that Ilias was far more capable than they were in battle. But strangely enough, no one seemed to worry about Raizel ¨C other than Ilias herself. Perhaps it was for fear the youngling would lash out at them. Or perhaps it was due to their conscience ¨C that they no longer deserved to tell Raizel what to do. Neither Bruton nor Aether could act the role of Raizel¡¯s parent anymore. Not when they¡¯d realized the youngling knew what they¡¯d done to her. ¡®To grow under the care of those who abandoned your family¡­¡¯ The elders hadn¡¯t meant ill when they¡¯d abandoned the steel dragons. After all, the entire kin had abandoned them to flee from the emperor¡¯s reach. But asking a child to understand such a decision was ridiculous. Then, the only reason why Raizel hadn¡¯t grown completely out of line ¨C the only reason she¡¯d retained at least some form of goodwill ¨C was probably because she¡¯d still had one friendly dragon, treating her with an honest, open heart. Finally, the dragonlord opened her mouth to return an answer to the red dragon. ¡°¡­Alright, then. We¡¯ll do it like this, child.¡± ? ? ? Serenis beamed a warm smile towards the two elders standing before the glowing portal. But unlike the dragonlord looking at him, Bruton¡¯s expression was quite far from being comfortable. ¡°Lord Serenis. Perhaps I should remain to assist in your endeavors¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯d rather you protect the valley instead. Should the enemy manage to escape and attack the kin once more, I trust you will¡­¡± As she trailed off, the dragonlord¡¯s expectant gaze fell upon the elder dragon. Bruton solemnly lowered his head, finishing the statement for her. ¡°I¡¯ll do all within my power to protect the kin. This time, I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll never leave anyone behind again.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Next, Serenis shifted her attention to Aether. The elder¡¯s eyes were seemingly glued to her daughter, unable to turn away. ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to worry about, Aether. I¡¯ve spoken to Ilias ¨C I will be sending her back to Partivine shortly.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? Perhaps you should send her back first¡­?¡± Serenis shook her head. ¡°Partivine¡¯s much farther than the valley from here. The order must remain this way, lest I risk using too much mana and disturbing the spell¡¯s design.¡± ¡°Oh¡­I¡­see? A, alright then¡­farewell, Serenis. And Ilias, come back home soon, okay?¡± ¡°Take care. Eline, Theolus, both of you as well.¡± ¡°Bye mom! Bye dad!¡± Aether had absolutely no clue how human magic or human machinery worked. Standing before an amalgamation of the two, she was relying purely on the dragonlord¡¯s words regarding its functions. And to be fair, it was difficult not to trust someone after they¡¯d rescued dozens of their imprisoned kin. Swallowing their remaining doubts, the two elders stepped across the portal to return to their home. Eline and Theolus accompanied the two, waving goodbye towards those that remained. The portal soon disappeared after the four¡¯s departure. Serenis had let go of the wires in her hand, cutting off the machine¡¯s mana supply. And Raizel, who¡¯d since returned from her tour outside, remained quizzical about the whole conversation that had just transpired. ¡°¡­Lord, was that true? You can actually use too much mana?¡± ¡°Did I say that? I must¡¯ve misspoken. Such a thing could never happen.¡± ¡°¡­Why¡¯re you smiling like that?¡± ¡°No particular reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After making a mental note of how easily Serenis had tricked the elders into leaving, Raizel then turned to face Ilias ¨C who was standing right beside Light and Karas. According to what Serenis had said, those three were supposed to be going back now, too. ¡®¡­But that¡¯s not happening, is it?¡¯ She¡¯d obviously ¡®misspoke¡¯ on purpose. Serenis had no intention of sending Ilias back in the first place. And if to prove the steel dragon¡¯s suspicions correct, Ilias began to state why she should stay ¨C followed by Light and Karas thereafter. ¡°What?! I¡¯m not going back! I can¡¯t just leave when I know you¡¯re gonna go and get in trouble!¡± ¡°If Ilias isn¡¯t leaving, I¡¯m not leaving.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­I must say, given that Lavnore is involved, I find it difficult to take my leave as well.¡± Raizel frowned as she listened to their sudden rant. She then looked at Ilias in specific, shrugging at the red dragon. ¡°You do realize you¡¯ll be in a shit ton of trouble, right? Aether hates you going behind her back.¡± ¡°S, she won¡¯t know if I don¡¯t tell her!¡± ¡°¡­I could tell her then?¡± ¡°Hey, I covered for you a bunch of times before! It¡¯d be nice if you returned the favor at least once!¡± ¡°Pft. I¡¯m just messin¡¯ with ya. It¡¯s about time you started making your own decisions.¡± Ilias swallowed down her desire to say ¡®and you started making your own decisions way too soon.¡¯ She instead took a deep breath, answering in a rather apologetic tone. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry if I made you angry. You must miss your own parents. I just¡­I keep thinking we¡¯re family.¡± ¡°¡­¡± On the contrary, Raizel didn¡¯t really ¡®miss¡¯ them. After all, she¡¯d just seen them a ton ¨C albeit not exactly in an ideal way. She¡¯d even urged another dragon to carry her parents¡¯ destroyed corpses back home. Admittedly, when she¡¯d first encountered her dead parents, Raizel had felt an indescribable amount of longing. But when she¡¯d destroyed their corpses herself, what filled her mind wasn¡¯t longing alone. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if I really miss them anymore, but¡­you sure you can handle it, Ilias?¡± ¡°Huh? Handle what?¡± ¡°If you and I are family, that means I¡¯m HER family too.¡± When Raizel¡¯s gaze fell on Light, the half girl¡¯s expression visibly twisted. She reflexively took a step back, shaking her head in dismay. ¡°Blegh¡­that sounds awful¡­¡± ¡°See? She hates it.¡± ¡°L, Light, wait! Raizel¡¯s not all that bad. Um¡­she¡¯s, uh¡­sometimes¡­nice?¡­¡± Watching the three children playing(?) amongst themselves, Serenis beamed a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to have others who care for you.¡± Karas silently nodded in agreement. Although it felt like Ilias¡¯ notion of ¡®family¡¯ was expanding further and further¡­well, it¡¯ll work out. Probably. Pushing the thought aside, Karas turned to the dragonlord with his next question. ¡°Serenis. Then, your next destination is¡­?¡± ¡°West. I believe the name was¡­¡± The Akeian emperor ¨C Aymeia ¨C and even the assailant that had mistook her for the star deity ¨C they all lied west of here, at the boundary between Asarda and Akeia. ¡°¡­Telberk.¡± Ep 118. Long Time No See. (7) Ep 118. Long Time No See. (7) ¡°Ilias, Raizel, listen well. It¡¯s possible that¡­I won¡¯t be able to assist you two in addressing Akeia¡¯s emperor right away.¡± The two younglings returned a puzzled look to the dragonlord¡¯s statement. And, soon enough, they would ask in unison. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­There may be another enemy waiting for my arrival at Telberk. A divinity¡­or a similar entity. One that may pose an even greater threat to us than the Akeian emperor.¡± The image of the wooden doll flashed before the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. The best-case scenario was to think that the doll was the emperor himself ¨C but if it weren¡¯t, and if the doll had truly been under the control of a deity like Serenis had first assumed, then there was no harm in preparing for it. Especially if said entity were hellbent on killing the dragonkin. Meanwhile, Ilias was still puzzled by the dragonlord¡¯s announcement. ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t we get more help then? If they¡¯re someone like that death deity¡­¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about such. There is no divinity besides death that could best me in battle. What I¡¯m more concerned with¡­is leaving you two to address the emperor.¡± Raizel rolled her eyes at the news, turning her head to face Ilias. ¡°So that¡¯s why you made Ilias stay. So I wouldn¡¯t face him alone.¡± ¡°¡­That is the case, yes. And if what Eline told us is true, the empire¡¯s army will be at Telberk as well. Raizel, as strong as you may be¡­you cannot handle all of it yourself.¡± According to Karas, the emperor was nigh impossible to best through magic. Then, it made sense that dragons with astute physical capabilities ¨C like Ilias ¨C would make the most useful ally. Raizel crossed her arms, reflecting on what would happen once they¡¯d arrive at Telberk. She then glanced at Karas, beaming a wry smile at the professor. ¡°Army, huh¡­well, I¡¯m sure our empire expert can handle that. And Ilias and I can wreck that emperor in the meantime.¡± ¡°Huh? Weren¡¯t you telling me not to even think about touching the emperor?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel narrowed her eyes at the red dragon¡¯s comment. She¡¯d said that, yes. But she wasn¡¯t stupid ¨C the emperor had brought the entire kin to their knees once. As capable as Raizel was, she knew that besting him alone was an unlikely scenario. ¡°¡­Well, you know. Since things turned out this way and all. Might as well.¡± ¡°Wait, were you actually saying that because you were worried about me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god, you were, weren¡¯t you! Aww, look at you being a good fr-¡° Wack! Ilias¡¯ sentence came to an abrupt end as she felt a metal fist slamming over her head. She rubbed her aching skull for a moment, glaring at her silver friend thereafter. ¡°What was that for?!¡± ¡°Everything.¡± ¡°Why you¡­!¡± Ilias returned the favor ¨C or at least tried to. Unfortunately, the red dragon¡¯s hand ached just as much as Raizel¡¯s head after delivering the hit. ¡°Ow, my hand¡­stupid iron head¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ha. Serves you right.¡± Serenis shook her head in dismay. She wasn¡¯t even sure whether that was in the realm of playing or fighting. Somewhere in between, probably. Hence, instead of stopping the two, she opened her mouth to change the topic ¨C addressing both dragons, as well as Light and Karas. ¡°Now, aside from all that¡­should you all not get some sleep? It¡¯s quite late into the night. Get some rest while you can, I¡¯ll remain awake.¡± In fact, ¡®quite late¡¯ was an understatement. The sun was on the brink of rising outside. However, Raizel begged to differ. As usual. ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t we just head over right now?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis blinked in confusion at the steel dragon¡¯s proposal. When Raizel took no action to change or retract her statement, Serenis parroted the youngling for confirmation. ¡°¡­Right now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Hey birdhead, you can do that coordinate-thingy for Telberk, right?¡± Karas took an additional second to register his new title before replying. His title was still an insult, but it was worth celebrating that it¡¯d changed from ¡®scum¡¯ to ¡®birdhead.¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­uh, well¡­I wouldn¡¯t know the location¡¯s exact coordinates, but I suppose I can give a rough estimate based on the map¡­¡± Nodding her head, Raizel turned back to face Serenis. ¡°We¡¯re all up anyways, might as well go before sunrise. We can sleep once we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Raizel, I understand you¡¯re eager to go, but the others are¡­¡± Serenis looked to the remaining three. Given their daily routines, she was almost certain that they¡¯d need to sleep ¨C especially Light. Unfortunately(?), that was not the case. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°¡­If Ilias isn¡¯t sleeping, I¡¯m not sleeping.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent plenty of nights doing paperwork myself. One sleepless evening bothers me little.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dragonlord let out a small sigh. When all four looked at her with an expectant gaze, she focused her attention on the half girl. Admittedly, Serenis didn¡¯t even want Light to accompany them if possible. But¡­ ¡°Light. Are you certain about coming with us? I can send you back to Partivine. I¡¯m sure Ilias and Karas will be with you by evening.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not leaving.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The half girl¡¯s determined eyes locked with the dragonlord¡¯s. Serenis contemplated on what to say to deter her from going, but Karas soon stepped in front of her, giving a reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep her safe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light had experienced firsthand what leaving her family could result in. And she was clearly determined to never let it happen again. As someone who¡¯d abandoned her own son, Serenis couldn¡¯t bring herself to urge the half girl to do the same. If they¡¯d die, then they¡¯d die with them. Finally, Serenis spoke her final answer. ¡°Very well.¡± ? ? ? ¡°Hm¡­¡± Telberk¡¯s fallen ramparts filled Lavnore¡¯s vision.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He¡¯d already been reported of the outer wall¡¯s breakdown, so one could argue that there was nothing to be surprised about. But¡­ ¡®It didn¡¯t collapse. Rather¡­¡¯ If the ground gives away, then the wall standing on it also collapses. In such cases, it didn¡¯t matter how tough the wall actually was. And right now, a large portion of the land west of Telberk had been burnt black. Parts of molten soil were still in the process of hardening. Smoke was still rising from certain areas, and the emperor could even see small pools of lava scattered about. Although the sun had barely risen, the area was alit with numerous embers. ¡°Why, it¡¯s almost like a volcanic eruption has taken place.¡± ¡°Such is the power of a white flame.¡± Turning towards the man who¡¯d just answered, Lavnore raised a brow at the reply. ¡°White flame?¡± ¡°The dragonlord¡¯s flames. The highest form of fire-aspected magic.¡± ¡°Such a thing exists?...It¡¯s a shame I missed it, then. Had I seen it¡­¡± ¡°This is not magic you can replicate at will.¡± Rummaging the innards of his robe, the man produced a glimmering white shard from within. ¡°For even a deity was unable to handle the flame¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Discarding his small regret, the emperor dutifully accepted the shard into his own hand. He brought the strange stone closer to his eye, studying it with great interest. ¡°I take it this is the item you wished for me to destroy, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve fulfilled my end of our contract. It¡¯s time you did yours.¡± ¡°¡­I believe the condition was for you to accompany us to Asarda¡­¡± As the emperor trailed off his words, the man returned a cold stare to the emperor. ¡°There¡¯s no need. The reason behind my company was to address the threat Aymeia posed in your conquest ¨C and I have dealt with her as you wished. It¡¯s time you carried out your end of the deal, Lavnore.¡± ¡°¡­Of course, my lord. I was to destroy an item of yours. But I must say, I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like it before¡­if I may, what is this exactly?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know.¡± ¡°¡­Haha. I see.¡± Though he was laughing on the outside, the emperor¡¯s thoughts were far from amused. He wasn¡¯t expecting an actual answer from the man beside him. He¡¯d merely wanted to study their responding attitude. After all, Lavnore already knew exactly what he was holding in his hand. ¡®¡­It¡¯s possible from this distance.¡¯ An array of spell circles formed above the emperor¡¯s head, surrounding him and the item he held. A single instance ¨C that was all he had. A fatal gamble that was guaranteed to claim the life of the loser. And because he¡¯d won such gambles every time, Lavnore was able to become who he was today. But just as the Akeian emperor was about to unleash his magic upon the target¡­ ¡°¡­?!¡± Boom! As his spells dissipated, the emperor averted his gaze from the shard to instead see a ridiculous sight unfolding before his eyes. Throughout their time together, not once had the emperor seen his company show emotion of any sort. The strange man had always maintained an expressionless, almost machine-like expression. But right now, that man was visibly frowning. On the other side of their shield was a gigantic, pillar-like heap of metal. And at the end of the metallic mass, a silvery woman was coldly staring at the two men. ¡°Eh¡­close.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just when the man was about to push the steel dragon¡¯s tail off his shield, a number of flaming orbs were shot forth from the dragon¡¯s direction, forcing him to duck under instead. ¡°Raizel, stop running off on your own! What ¡®smell¡¯ are you even talking about?! You¡¯re imagining things!¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not. Can¡¯t you see that? I was right.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Wait, that¡¯s the emperor? But there¡¯s two?¡± ¡°The goldie¡¯s the emperor. The brownie¡¯s¡­eh, who cares.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man wore a deep frown ¨C and it wasn¡¯t just because he had suddenly become ¡®the brownie.¡¯ He narrowed his eyes, noting the white figure approaching them beyond the two younglings. His lips curved into a faint smile as he muttered under his breath. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d actually come. With more dragonkin at that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis soon came to a stop to stand beside the two younglings. Her eyes locked with the strange man¡¯s up ahead. In response, the man lowered his shield, barking a short order to the emperor beside him. ¡°Lavnore. Take the two younger dragons.¡± ¡°But¡­my lord, what of the shard?¡± ¡°Enemies take priority.¡± After those words, the man disappeared from the Lavnore¡¯s vision for a brief moment. After charging forth at a literally blinding speed, the man reappeared before the dragonlord wearing an old, rusted armor. He drove his gauntlet into Serenis¡¯ neck with a loud crunch, pushing her off her feet. Giving way to momentum, the force behind the sudden strike carried the man and Serenis across the burning plains. They soon became a speck in the distance, disappearing into the mountains behind them. Raizel and Ilias had practically no time to react. Before they¡¯d realized, the dragonlord had long become invisible in the distance. ¡°Lord Serenis?!¡± Ilias hurriedly turned towards the direction Serenis had disappeared. But when Raizel refused to move even a single inch, the red dragon shouted at her friend. ¡°Raizel, what are you doing?! Lord Serenis just¡­!¡± ¡°Leave her be. She¡¯s not gonna die to that.¡± ¡°What the heck are you saying?!¡± ¡°She said it before we came here, remember? That there¡¯s gonna be someone else after her. Guess that brownie was the ¡®someone.¡¯¡± ¡°B¡­but still! She might be in danger, we should-¡° ¡°Trust her.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Trust her and focus on what she told us to do. Or¡­go back and help your ¡®little sister.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Light will be okay. The professor¡¯s with her.¡± ¡°You trust that crow?¡± ¡°Of course I do. He¡¯s pretty scary when he¡¯s serious.¡± ¡°¡­Huh. Would never have guessed.¡± The emperor mused at the two conversing younglings. ¡°A red, and¡­steel? But for a dragon, you have neither horns nor wings. It doesn¡¯t seem you¡¯re hiding them on purpose, either¡­¡± Soon reaching the only viable conclusion, the emperor¡¯s lips curved into a wry smile. ¡°You¡¯re that hatchling from before, aren¡¯t you? My¡­long time no see. I suppose Xar was going against my orders long before I¡¯d realized.¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± Spitting out her answer, metal scales rapidly began to encase Raizel¡¯s skin. ¡°Oh? Now, now. I see the dragonkin still haven¡¯t learned their lesson.¡± When the emperor wove his hand across the air, a translucent barrier rapidly expanded outwards to encase the surrounding area. And soon enough, the metal scales across Raizel¡¯s skin returned to their original color. Even Ilias¡¯ horns and wings had all but disappeared. ¡°Wait, this is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching the two younglings in dismay, Lavnore let out an audible laughter. He provokingly stretched out his arms, inviting his enemies to attack. ¡°I suppose one defeat was not enough for the dragons to remember. Come ¨C I will personally drive some humility into your skulls.¡± ¡°¡­Shut it!¡± Raizel took a slow step backwards. She then kicked off the blackened soil to rapidly charge towards the emperor ¨C at a speed no other dragon could even dare to replicate in their human form. Not having expected the sudden charge, Lavnore hurriedly wove his arms in the air. Hexagonal layers of light formed between him and Raizel, beginning to encase him whole. ¡°S, shiel-¡° ¡°Wanna know something interesting?¡± Raizel stomped the ground with a thunderous sound, halting herself inches away from the staggered emperor. One hand was rolled into an iron fist as she screamed at her enemy. ¡°This form hardly makes any difference for me!¡± Raizel¡¯s fist demolished the emperor¡¯s half-casted shielding spell, burying itself into his face with a heavy crunch. And the sound was disturbing enough to freeze Ilias in place. ¡°¡­Uh¡­gosh¡­that looks painful¡­¡± Not having experienced the empire¡¯s invasion first-hand, Ilias couldn¡¯t help herself from feeling at least a tiny bit of remorse for the emperor. Though, it wasn¡¯t like she was planning to stop Raizel anytime soon. ? ? ? ¡°Um¡­professor?¡± ¡°Hm? What is it, Light?¡± ¡°¡­Should you be this relaxed right now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason to be tense.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Five people had traversed through the portal: the three dragons, Karas, and Light herself. The coordinate that Karas had estimated based on Telberk¡¯s location had incidentally led them straight into the keep¡¯s insides, right between the outer ramparts and the inner structure. As soon as they¡¯d arrived, Raizel had run off somewhere claiming to smell something in the air. Ilias had busily chased after the steel dragon. Even Serenis had followed the two younglings after entrusting Karas to ¡®address matters here.¡¯ And so, Karas and Light had been left in the middle of the keep to fend for themselves. With no ability to fly like the dragons, they were doomed to be surrounded by the swarming soldiers. ¡°Hey, what are those? Halves?¡± ¡°Judging from their clothes, they look like mages. Probably novice recons from Asarda or the resistance.¡± ¡°They got guts droppin¡¯ themselves in here. That, or real rotten luck¡­heheh.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get ¡®em over with quick. Did you see those dragons flippin¡¯ outta here earlier? I always wanted to taste what dragon meat was like.¡± Noting the soldiers¡¯ bloodthirsty eyes, Karas let out a tired sigh. ¡®The army hasn¡¯t changed a bit¡­and yet, not a single one recognizes me.¡¯ There was nothing to be surprised about; for humans, a hundred years was enough to flip the world twice over. It was only natural that present soldiers wouldn¡¯t recognize some commander lost in history. But based on that precise history, Karas was relatively certain of one thing. The empire¡¯s soldiers couldn¡¯t possibly pose a threat to him. ¡®Though, I am a little concerned about Light¡­¡¯ Wrapping one arm around his student, Karas pulled the half girl closer to his side. ¡°Light. Do not leave my side, no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­This IS a dangerous situation, isn¡¯t it?¡± Karas thought the question through for a moment. Admittedly, it was quite a dangerous situation for Light ¨C but saying that out loud didn¡¯t exactly seem like a good idea. And so, the professor simply beamed back, tapping the half girl on her back as he answered. Well, he was trying to answer, anyways. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll-¡° A deafening noise drowned out the rest of the professor¡¯s words. An enormous stone pillar had erupted forth from the ground in front of them, hitting dozens of soldiers that had been standing in its place. But before the soldiers could even comprehend what had just happened, the mass of stone began to lightly tremble. A fireball that had been hidden within the pillar exploded outwards, causing it to rupture into hundreds of meteors that struck the surrounding vicinity. Although Karas and Light remained unscathed through the whole ordeal, the same could not be said for Akeia¡¯s unsuspecting soldiers. ¡®Hiding a fire spell within an earth spell? That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Taken piece by piece, the spells weren¡¯t anything complicated. It was just a large pillar, and a basic fireball. But the manner in which they were applied was one that could hardly be found outside of extremely old texts. Other than experienced army warlocks, such applications were hardly learned, much less used. But unlike the shocked professor, Light seemed relatively unbothered. After taking just a few moments to catch her breath from the sudden mana drain, she tugged on Karas¡¯ coat, pulling him towards the direction Ilias had gone. ¡°Professor¡­come on. We should go after them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The outcomes of Felicir¡¯s appearance still haunted the half girl like yesterday, and there was no guarantee that the same thing wouldn¡¯t happen to her dragon sister. Hence, if this army was sided with a divinity like him ¨C if they were Ilias¡¯ enemies ¨C then there was no room for compassion of any sort. However, reasons cannot justify all outcomes. Dozens of soldiers had been severely wounded by Light¡¯s spell just now. Some had died from the initial strike. Karas couldn¡¯t tell if Light was even aware of the damage she¡¯d just incurred; the only thing that seemed to concern the half girl right now was that her sister had disappeared from sight. ¡®But if she hadn¡¯t done so¡­then I would¡¯ve done so.¡¯ A fairer person could reasonably state Light¡¯s faults in this moment. However, Karas was not one of them. The least he could do was dirtying his own hands, so that his students wouldn¡¯t have to any further. ¡®If you wish, then by all means.¡¯ After a brief nod, Karas responded to Light in kind. ¡°¡­Of course. Let¡¯s wrap things here quickly so we can follow after her.¡± Ep 119. Scream All You’d Like. (1) Ep 119. Scream All You¡¯d Like. (1) No sane man would think one would intrude an armed keep with an army of five ¨C or two, as it has turned out. The soldiers had thought it a careless mistake, the encounter a mere chance entertainment in their otherwise idle standby time. Hence, none quite suspected the supposedly-careless mage pair to be destroying their army with spell after spell. ¡®¡­Especially that¡­raven.¡¯ The success of Light¡¯s initial strike was mostly attributed to the surprise it carried; once the soldiers were wary of her capabilities, they had no problem defending themselves with their antimagic gears. Compared to what they¡¯d been equipped for, a mage in training wasn¡¯t anything to write home about. But Karas was a different story altogether. His spells would weave and curve to find their target from all sorts of unexpected angles; even with their specialized gears, blocking the professor¡¯s spells was nearly impossible. ¡°Kh¡­! Archers! Fire!¡± On command, waves of arrows rained down upon the two: arrows that were supposed to destroy spelled barriers. If they couldn¡¯t block the professor¡¯s spells, taking him down was the best alternative. But strangely enough, the jagged walls of stone Karas erected were deflecting the projectiles all too easily. ¡°Care not to waste your mana, Light. Their weapons seem to destroy magic.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Why¡¯s your spell fine then?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a spell.¡± ¡°¡­? It isn¡¯t?¡± Karas smirked as the layer of dirt and stone over their head protected the two. Not a single arrow was getting through. - ¡®Magic replaces the work, not the materials.¡¯ Or so an archmage had told him once. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a trick I learned from Mr. Lairaff.¡± Quickly grabbing a hold of his student, Karas then proceeded to dash out of the half-dome he¡¯d created. The layer of stone soon collapsed where they¡¯d been standing, demolished under the weight of a hazel greatsword. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Backing into the rampart¡¯s corners, Karas gently placed Light back down. Standing in between her and the approaching swordwielder, the professor protectively held his hand over the half girl. ¡°You¡¯re¡­?¡± ¡°Heritch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Need I say more?¡± Actually, he did need to say more. While Heritch sounded like the two intruders would recognize his name at once, neither of them had any clue who this man was ¨C other than the fact he owned a big sword. But it soon became apparent who he was when Heritch raised his hand to signal the army behind him. ¡°Lancers, forward. Casters, side.¡± Soldiers immediately reorganized themselves on command. In mere seconds, rows of pointed pikes were aligned and aimed at Karas and Light, while a hundred spellcasters stood at the ready from both ends of the enclosing lancers. ¡®Ironic. Nostalgic, even.¡¯ One hundred years ago, Karas had been the one moving them. And he¡¯d promised never to return to those days. If he ever did, she¡¯d beat him back to his senses. ¡®¡­I wonder if you still will?¡¯ The professor took a brief glance at his student behind him. He then hovered his eyes over her eyes, blocking off Light¡¯s vision. ¡°? Professor, what¡¯re you doing?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be just a minute. Close your eyes and cover your ears.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I can handle it!¡± ¡°Shroud.¡± Ignoring his student, dark streaks of light ruptured forth from the professor¡¯s hand to encase Light in a layer of pitch-black veil. Confirming that the spell was in place, Karas then turned to face the approaching army ¨C specifically towards the commander that stood behind the row of lancers. Sighing, Karas spoke towards the Akeian commander. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d let us go?¡± ¡°Foolish. The empire offers no mercy upon its intruders.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re insistent on harming us, then I¡¯ve little choice but to retaliate. Are you certain you¡¯d like to continue?¡± The commander scoffed at the professor¡¯s nonchalant attitude. ¡°Bold words for a cornered dog. You should know by now it¡¯s pointless to protect your ally with magic. Our weapons destroy all spells.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, you misunderstand. The spell isn¡¯t necessarily to protect her from you and your men. It¡¯s to protect her from myself.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Frowning at the professor¡¯s nonsensical answer, Heritch struck out his raised hand. Lancers charged forth in unison at the signal, and casters released elemental arrows of all sorts towards Karas.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The professor took a deep breath before the oncoming attacks. Karas had no right to judge whether one deserves to live or not. From birth, he was an outsider to society ¨C he¡¯d merely mimicked mankind¡¯s customs. His most trusted principle had always remained the same at core. Only the fittest survive. That had always been the case, wilderness and society both. Following suit, Karas gazed into the distance with forlorn eyes. Despite the oncoming wave of soldiers and their spells, his focus lying elsewhere entirely. Souls of the dead were filling his vision. Some who had died minutes ago, some years ago ¨C some, decades ago. Clang! Numerous pikes were jabbed forth, clashing against each other as they contested to strike the feathered figure. But none would reach their target. The forefront lancers struggled to push their spears further, going as far as to empowering themselves with mana. But their weapons only madly trembled in place, unable to push forth or pull back. And finally, one lancer dared to look up at their keep¡¯s feathered intruder again. Coating the crow monster was a transient shade of blue and green. The colors shifted about like living beings, spreading outwards and wrapping themselves around the lancer¡¯s weapon to hold it in place. ¡°S¡­co¡­us¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± One by one, the soldiers came to be entranced to the faint, mesmerizing voices echoing throughout. It was as if the floating colors were speaking to them. As the colors dispersed, an ominous aura encroached upon the surrounding atmosphere. But Akeia¡¯s soldiers found it impossible to take their eyes off of the faded images before them. They mixed and converged, danced and beckoned. The colors began to form mist-like figures, resembling that of living people. The images gradually cleared to be discerned by the naked eye. ¡°Come¡­¡± What followed their wake was an explosion of harrowing screams, signalling their complete release. ¡°COME, COME WITH US!¡± Harrowed spirits exploded outward from the feathered monster. Their spectral mist flooded every corner of the visible world, and swimming within them were countless illusory lights, screaming and cackling in a maddening cacophony. Dead, hollowed eyes gazed over Telberk¡¯s every living soul in a deathly glow. Rotting hands madly clawed from the mist to doom the living to the same fate they had suffered. Soldiers gasped and yelped, falling unto the ground as their limbs were held by intangible phantoms. They clawed at the ground to no avail, dragged away into the depths of the darkening mist. Screams of the dead were followed by screams of the living. ¡°¡­Men, steady! Hold your positions!¡± Despite Heritch¡¯s orders, the soldiers were long thrown into disarray; their commander¡¯s orders amounted to little before the living hell that had been summoned before them. Soldiers watched in horror as their comrades were dragged into the deadly haze by what they could only describe as haunted spirits. Before long, the soldiers dropped their weapons in horror, fleeing as fast as they could. As his men fled, Heritch was forced to stand against the spectral onslaught by himself. His hands tightened their grip around his greatsword in an attempt to calm the commander¡¯s shaking. With a desperate battlecry, the Akeian commander charged forth, swinging his weapon downwards. Frightening as it were, all spells could be cut down by the empire¡¯s equipment ¨C he held no doubt that the entire illusion Karas had summoned would disappear in one slash. But his blade pointlessly slashed across the mist, burying itself into the ground. The supposed illusion yet lingered, resulting in nothing but an explosion of haunted, mocking laughter. ¡°¡­No. No¡­how?!¡± Once again, the Akeian commander roared in desperation, slashing at the air ¨C this time stronger than before. He reinforced himself and imbued his weapon with magic, madly attacking the deathly haze that was encroaching upon him. Nothing worked. Nothing at all. Heritch raised his eyes. A pair of glowing red eyes were staring into his soul from beyond this hellish mist. And soon enough, the soldiers that had been swallowed into this nightmare returned to greet their commander. The spirits eerily laughed in unison, rotting bodies dancing in the air around Heritch. ¡°¡­This is a dream.¡± Heritch madly slashed at the phantoms of his own soldiers. But no matter how thinly their images were cut, the mist would immediately restore their broken figures back to shape. Eventually, one soldier would wrap their arms around the commander¡¯s leg. Another would climb unto his back, and several hugged Heritch¡¯s prized greatsword. They pushed and pulled, all towards a single direction ¨C towards the source of the hell they¡¯d found themselves in. As the spirits began to drag Heritch towards the feathered figure beyond, a single tear rolled down his eye. The commander¡¯s own horrified screams joined into the madness as he desperately tried to break free. ¡°Let go¡­! LET GO! RELEASE ME AT ONCE!!¡± Eerie laughters were the only answers Heritch received to his pleas. Soon, he found himself collapsed unto the ground before the black, feathered figure. The commander¡¯s tear-filled eyes met the monster¡¯s before him. Shuddering in fear, Heritch scrambled on the ground to back away what little distance he could. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re no mage¡­this is no magic. You¡¯re a necromancer¡­!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Karas took a step forward to close the distance Heritch had scrambled. Kneeling on one knee to meet their eye level, the monster stared into the human¡¯s eyes with a benign, gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯d rather you call me a mage still ¨C though, I suppose that¡¯s insufficient to describe all that I am. As you pointed out, what I¡¯ve used is not magic. But it is not necromancy, either.¡± After all, necromancy was just another branch of magic. And it was nothing more than controlling physical, tangible corpses by manipulating the mana they yet carried. In that regard, the mist that had been unleashed upon Telberk wasn¡¯t even close to necromancy. Karas¡¯ claws slowly reached towards the trembling commander. The tip lightly touched upon Heritch¡¯s forehead as the professor spoke his next words. ¡°This mist is simply what I am.¡± When Karas jerked back his hand, a thin strand of light was torn out of the Akeian commander to rest within his grasp. It was soon absorbed into the feathered figure, forever to remain a part of this nightmare. Heritch¡¯s body limply collapsed onto the ground afterwards, robbed of its former occupant. ¡°¡­¡± Karas rose to his feet, holding his hand outwards. The spectral mist filling Telberk churned in response, beginning to flow back towards their source. ¡°Your time is done. Return.¡± The spirits were rapidly drained of form and color. Maddening laughter and pained wails grew faint and distant, and the mist quickly cleared away. When they had all but disappeared, the dawning sun was illuminating the keep ¨C as well as the soulless bodies littered within it. After a small sigh, Karas turned around to undo the spell shrouding Light, though he still held his hand above his student¡¯s eyes. The professor then wrapped his other arm around his student, turning her away from the eerie scene to instead urge themselves towards the direction Ilias had gone. ¡°¡­Professor? What¡¯re you doing, what happened? What about all the¡­the enemies?¡± ¡°They¡¯re gone. No one¡¯s here to threaten us anymore.¡± ¡°¡­Why¡¯re you still covering my eyes then?¡± ¡°Because the sun is too bright.¡± Karas hurriedly left the scene with Light, as if nothing had happened. At all. Though, truth be told, the professor was still torn on actually bringing the half girl to where the dragons were. While he would gladly help them in challenging Lavnore, he found it difficult to see the merit in bringing Light as well. Though, he couldn¡¯t exactly leave her alone, either. But then, as if to solve his inability to decide, a friendly voice chatted up the professor from his side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too confident in the dragonlord? You of all people know those two younglings can¡¯t defeat Lavnore by themselves. If their lord¡¯s otherwise compromised, those two will die without your help. Besides, the half girl will be much safer with four protectors than one. I¡¯d hurry there if I were you.¡± Karas slowly nodded in response. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a fair point.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s a fair point, professor?¡± ¡°? What he just said, of course.¡± ¡°What who said?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Karas blinked in confusion as he processed Light¡¯s words. He then turned his head to face the source of the strange, friendly voice that had given him the suggestion. A familiar man was floating in the air as a translucent image, arms leisurely crossed behind their head. He clicked his tongue in greeting, winking at the professor who¡¯d finally spared a moment to look at him. ¡°Why, hello. Hope you haven¡¯t forgotten who I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas uncovered Light¡¯s eyes. He needed to rub his own. But no matter how much he rubbed his eyes, there they were, floating in the air before the professor¡¯s eyes. And Light quizzically stared at her teacher, frowning at his odd actions. ¡°Uh¡­professor, are you okay? Is the sun really that bright for you?¡± ¡°¡­No, Light. It¡¯s just¡­um¡­¡± ¡°? It¡¯s what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± There were loads of words Karas could finish that sentence with. None seemed appropriate. ¡®Reaper¡¯ was one of them. Ep 120. Scream All You’d Like. (2) Ep 120. Scream All You¡¯d Like. (2) For a few minutes, Ilias watched in silence at the unfolding spectacle. ¡®What the heck¡­did I really not need to come after all?¡¯ Thunderous noises ruptured the air every time Raizel struck at the emperor. A series of shielding spells were being cast in between them, only to shatter like thin glass one after the other. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! Can¡¯t keep up?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± As the youngling¡¯s strikes came to outspeed the emperor¡¯s casting, her fist once again found its target¡¯s flesh, burying itself deep into the emperor¡¯s stomach. With a revolting grunt, the emperor¡¯s half-formed spells faded from his broken concentration. Raizel immediately seized the moment to grab hold of the emperor¡¯s collar, instantly driving him into the ground. ¡°¡­Heh.¡± A thin smile curved the steel dragon¡¯s lips as she neared victory all on her own. Her heart raced at the thought of completing her revenge, of greeting Serenis with news of her triumph. That is, until what should¡¯ve been her last strike was stopped inches before Lavnore¡¯s eyes. A single finger held her trembling fist in place. The emperor¡¯s lips curved into a demeaning smile as he met the steel dragon¡¯s gaze. ¡°You just thought you could win, didn¡¯t you?¡± A small, black ember flared to life at Lavnore¡¯s fingertip, letting out a small sizzling noise upon the metal surface it was touching. Raizel grit her teeth. Instead of backing out, the youngling only forced her limb further and further ¨C she was, in all literal sense, inches away from a one-sided victory. But Ilias forced her friend back, snatching Raizel by her waist and throwing themselves away from the emperor¡¯s tiny flame. ¡°Ilias! What¡¯re you doing?!¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing?!¡± Moments after the younglings retreated, the black ember burst upwards in a torrent of pitch-black fire. The incinerated air hissed in its burnt, sizzling state. Bits of fire still danced midair as Lavnore raised himself back to his feet, whisking off the dirt on his clothes. As his glowing fingertips hovered over his body, what damage Raizel thought she¡¯d inflicted disappeared without a trace. ¡°¡­That was¡­¡± Ilias audibly gulped as she watched the last bits of fire disappear from the air. The emperor was human. Of that, she was certain. But the black flames he¡¯d just summoned were not his own. That was her father¡¯s magic. ¡°A good king ought to entertain children at times, even if they¡¯re not his subjects¡­¡± Trailing off, Lavnore redirected his gaze towards the red dragon who¡¯d snatched her friend to safety. Grinning, the emperor pointed upwards. Sharp winds condensed into a small, orb-like flux, levitating above Lavnore¡¯s head. When he lowered his arm, the collection of winds were released towards Ilias as invisible razors. Even as the spells came upon her, Ilias couldn¡¯t sense anything but faint sounds of the air being sliced. The spell only became evident when Raizel rushed to step in front of her. The blades of wind clashed against the steel dragon, dispersing into thin strands of air once more. ¡°Ah, as expected from a steel kin ¨C how moving. Perhaps a different element will pose a better challenge for you.¡± When Lavnore next raised his hand into the air, bolts of lightning crackled around the black ember levitating above his palm. The spell was soon released as another torrent of black flames, guided by streaks of lightning coating its outer layer. ¡°Raizel, move!¡± ¡°I know!¡± As the two younglings threw themselves off from the spell¡¯s course, the torrent of magic brushed past them harmlessly for a brief moment. But instead of flying off into the distance, the streaks of lightning guided the torrential flames back towards their target. Abruptly altering its course midway, the joint spell struck at Raizel from behind with an explosive sound. ¡°Raizel!¡± Summoning her own orange flames, Ilias tried what she could to deflect her father¡¯s magic with her own. But by the time the black flames dissipated from Raizel¡¯s body, the youngling was painfully gripping at her back, parts molten from the extreme temperature.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°My. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to survive in that form.¡± Lavnore leisurely stood in the distance, studying the damage his spell had inflicted upon Raizel. The steel dragon was kneeling on one knee, immobilized from the searing pain; although the red was relatively unharmed, she didn¡¯t seem keen on moving away from her injured friend. Nodding his head, the emperor snapped his fingers, grinning towards Raizel in specific. ¡°But no matter how strong your body is, it loses its meaning without a proper foothold. Unless you happen to have wings?¡± Following his mocking laughter, the ground beneath the two younglings began to churn. The earth began to give away as their foot sank deeper into what had become a large pool of mud, threatening to swallow them whole. Raizel bit her lips. She could hardly swim in water, much less a bog of mud; and with the barrier Lavnore had placed, Ilias was helpless to fly out. Instead of an explanation, Raizel struck at her own wrist to tear off the metal of her own arm. Clenching her teeth, the youngling then proceeded to tear out a long strand of metallic bone from within. ¡°?! Raizel, what¡¯re you doing?!¡± ¡°Shut up and grab me!¡± When Ilias reluctantly grabbed her burnt friend, Raizel lashed out the strand of metal, striking at solid ground outside of the quicksand. She then jerked on it as hard as she could, throwing both herself and Ilias out of the sinking ground and into the air. Lavnore crossed his arms, musing at the youngling¡¯s method of escape. A wry smile curved the emperor¡¯s lips, fire and lightning once again crackling to life above his shoulder. ¡°Interesting escape. However¡­without your wings, you dragons are nothing but practice targets in the air.¡± Once again, a torrent of fire and lightning was released towards the younglings. But Raizel defiantly glared back at the emperor, grabbing hold of Ilias with her only functioning arm. ¡°Who said I don¡¯t have wings?!¡± Almost instantly, shades of metal sprouted forth from Raizel¡¯s back to form a giant pair of gleaming wings ¨C the only spell she¡¯d ever practiced so hard in her entire life. Her wings then slapped the air to move the two dragons out of the spell¡¯s trajectory. ¡°Hmph.¡± Even as Raizel made her desperate dodge, the emperor¡¯s spell was already altering its course to strike at her again. And the steel dragon had no available way of protecting herself or striking back at the emperor on her own. So instead, Raizel proceeded to throw her friend at Lavnore. Ilias coated herself in flames, becoming a small meteor headed directly towards their enemy. If she could attack Lavnore and break his concentration, then there was still a possibility that his spell would fizzle out before striking Raizel. But Lavnore merely smiled at the sight. ¡°Cute. Very cute.¡± A giant, golden spell circle formed behind Lavnore. As Ilias came upon him, she was met by giant, scaled talons that sprang forth from his magic. A glowing form of a golden dragon emerged from within the spell circle, growling at the youngling that had attacked its summoner. ¡®¡­Ephea!¡¯ Try as she might, Ilias found herself unable to break through the golden dragon¡¯s hand in her reduced form. With a trembling roar, Ephea¡¯s image flung Ilias back towards Raizel. As the two younglings collided, Lavnore¡¯s torrent of fire and lightning also joined them midair, striking both dragons in a massive explosion. Soon, both crashed back unto the ground, burnt and molten. Raizel¡¯s wings had long dissipated. The image of the golden dragon faded behind him as Lavnore plucked out a blue pill to throw into his mouth. After gulping it down, he leisurely approached the two collapsed younglings. ¡°Have you learned yet, children? The dragonkin have nothing over mankind. Your kin merely live in an illusion of superiority.¡± Lavnore came to a stop a small distance away from the two dragons. When neither seemed capable of answering, he raised his hand into the air yet again, preparing a third wave of the black dragon¡¯s flames. ¡°Curse your own weakness. This is mankind¡¯s era, and the dragonkin will learn to live by it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel weakly opened her eyes. In her blurry vision, the emperor¡¯s crackling spell came to view. Lightning chases her. And the black flames melt her. ¡®¡­That¡¯s cheating, dammit.¡¯ But nonetheless, the steel dragon clawed back to her feet, reflexively stepping in front of her collapsed friend. Ilias likewise tried to get up to her feet, but to no avail. The emperor¡¯s eyes slightly widened in surprise. Despite the lack of focus in her eyes, Raizel was still somehow managing to stand between him and the red dragon behind her. ¡°Admirable.¡± With a final comment, Lavnore released the spell towards the youngling. A thunderous noise would follow in the explosion¡¯s wake, incinerating the steel dragon to bits. But instead, he heard nothing but weak fizzling noises. ¡°¡­?¡± When his torrent of fire cleared away, Lavnore no longer saw a steel dragon standing before him. He was instead looking at a wall of earth and dirt, charred black but otherwise still firm and standing. ¡®¡­An earth spell? From steel and red?¡¯ An awkward cough drew the emperor¡¯s attention. When he darted his eyes over to the left, Lavnore could see a rather familiar figure, walking towards the younglings with pocketed hands. ¡°Hm. As I thought, a battle of elements is highly unfair for dragons. I guess that¡¯s only to be expected given that they only wield one¡­¡¯ Karas came to a stop besides the two dragons, locking eyes with the Akeian emperor. Lavnore first widened his eyes in surprise, studying the suited, poker-faced crow figure. A ridiculed grin twisted the emperor¡¯s expression, and soon, his eyes were narrowing in disbelief and anger. ¡°¡­And who do we have here? I was wondering why Heritch was still absent. I didn¡¯t think you were alive, Xar.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still be alive. Yet, here we are.¡± A short laughter escaped the emperor¡¯s lips. The unexpected reunion was neither expected nor welcomed. ¡°You sided with dragons? I expected you to find better allies after betraying the empire.¡± ¡°¡­In all honesty, they¡¯re much better than you.¡± ¡°Hah! Very well. If you¡¯re with them, I suppose I can no longer afford to play around. But I must say ¨C your choice of allies is rather imprudent, old friend.¡± Lavnore took a small step forth towards the professor. Fragments of blinding light glimmered above his head, forming a brilliant crystal of pure white. ¡°If you wished to challenge me, you should¡¯ve brought a deity with you.¡± ¡°¡­A deity, huh?¡± ¡®I do believe I¡¯ve met that criterion already, but¡­¡¯ Finally noticing someone¡¯s absence, Karas scanned around the vicinity. Serenis was nowhere to be found; he could only spot the two younglings, torn and burnt as they struggled to remain conscious. Facing the two younglings, Karas quietly voiced his concern. ¡°Where¡¯s¡­has Serenis gone elsewhere?¡± ¡°¡­Someone attacked her¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be back. I know she will.¡± Hearing both replies, Karas nodded his head in silence, turning back to face the Akeian emperor. He then unpocketed his hands, holding one out as five elements of magic formed a harmonious spiral above his palm. ¡°I suppose we can try and hold our ground. Until our ¡®deity¡¯ comes to rescue us.¡± In a burst of white and rainbow lights, the two spells soon collided midair, each threatening to swallow the other. The massive burst of mana tensed the air around them, warping the reality they stood upon into a chaotic flux of magic. But one soul remained unaffected by the storm of mana. A single, lonely soul of a dead deity, floating about by the professor¡¯s side as he watched the spectacle of magic unfold. ¡°Uh, hello? You do have a deity. Literally right here.¡± The dead do not speak. Most of the time. At least no one else could hear the Reaper¡¯s commentary besides Karas. Ep 121. Scream All You’d Like. (3) Ep 121. Scream All You¡¯d Like. (3) Among mages, ¡®circle¡¯ was a unit of measurement denoting an individual¡¯s mastery in their arts. Ranging from 1st to 12th, a higher circle translated to a higher mastery in their fields. However, the 12th circle was a level reserved for the deity of mana, Felicis herself. Ever since the system¡¯s creation, mages had reserved the highest level for the overseer of magic. Then, what of the remaining circles? Commonly, 1st to 3rd circles were reserved for novices and students; the term ¡®mage¡¯ commonly referred to those belonging to the 4th circle or higher. Those who reached the 7th circle were considered proficient mages, and individuals would begin to be referred as archmages from 9th and onwards, having mastered their respective field of magic. And this was also where the rift between each circle would widen drastically. If the 9th circle denoted a perfect mastery in typical magic, the 10th circle denoted one¡¯s capacity to seemingly make one¡¯s dreams come to life. Those who reached the 11th circle were considered capable of overcoming nature¡¯s laws to realize miracles. Of course, because the higher circles were literally considered to belong in a realm of dreams and miracles, those who reached it were few and far between; historically, times where there wasn¡¯t an 11th circle mage far exceeded times where there was one. Hence, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to say that Light was observing a historical moment unfolding before her eyes. ¡®That¡¯s¡­magic?¡¯ Hidden under numerous veils of magic Karas had put on her, the half girl carefully approached the dragons, wary of her teacher¡¯s duel. An ocean of flawless light seemed to flood their surroundings, and elements of all sorts bloomed from their midst. As if to reject their deaths, the elements Karas summoned continued to bloom amongst each other, resisting the oncoming deluge. Eventually, the light would shatter like thin glass, the elements whittling away after being snuffed of their life. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Scoffing, Lavnore shrugged towards the feathered figure. ¡°How nostalgic, Xar. I can¡¯t imagine how many you¡¯ve devoured since our last meeting. Once I¡¯m devoured as well, you¡¯ll practically be invincible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although Karas was vaguely aware of the emperor speaking to him, he couldn¡¯t afford to listen very carefully¡­due to a certain someone chatting his ear off. ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too. How many souls do you even have within you? I could swear the number was in thousands from what I just saw. Aren¡¯t they loud? Or heavy? Or just a hassle to carry around in general? Where¡¯re you keeping them in the first place? Is your body just a huge prison cell?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ignoring the Reaper¡¯s endless chatter, Karas instead turned his attention behind him. Thankfully, the two younglings had fully risen back to their feet, supported by the half girl veiled by his own spells. ¡°¡­He¡¯ll reach his limit soon. Be alert.¡± With a brief comment, the professor quickly returned his attention to the enemy up ahead. Although there were tons of questions the three wanted to ask Karas, they merely nodded their heads for the time being. Time was not a luxury they could afford right now. And once again, colored elements began synthesizing themselves above the professor¡¯s palm to form a luminous, orange orb of light ¨C which seemingly made Lavnore throw his head back in laughter. ¡°Penta synthesis¡­that¡¯s the best you can do, isn¡¯t it? This is why you¡¯ll never best me in magic, Xar.¡± Mimicking the feathered figure, Lavnore likewise raised his hands as five different elements synthesized above his palm. But soon, a sixth, then seventh¡­additional elements gathered into his hand, synthesizing a brilliant, ominous grey light. When both streams of magic were released, the collision was heavily one-sided. The burst of grey light rapidly ate away at Karas¡¯ spell, and the professor had long lost the calm in his expression. Karas gripped his trembling hand with the other, struggling to stand his ground. But despite his efforts, his magic was falling apart before the emperor¡¯s ¨C and its caster would follow suit in time. But just as the emperor¡¯s spell threatened to overwhelm him, a tempting voice echoed into the professor¡¯s ears. ¡°Would you like some help?¡± With a light smile, Felicir leisurely spun his fingers, floating right in front of the struggling professor. ¡°You might know me as just a mere death deity, but you know, I was actually quite the mage myself before that; the shard of mana was mine to begin with. Though of course, there are conditions for receiving my help.¡± Struggling to maintain his crumbling magic, Karas barely managed to turn his eyes, glaring daggers at the deity leisurely floating around him. ¡°Conditions¡­in a situation like this? Are you fucking insane?!¡± ¡°My. Keep your voice down, your student¡¯s going to hear you. She¡¯s right behind you, you know.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°¡­¡± Widening his smile, the Reaper held out his hand, two fingers raised. ¡°The conditions are simple. One, you allow me to retain form; two, you protect Aymeia.¡± ¡°¡­To hell with your conditions, who¡¯s protecting who?! Are you blind to what¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll be nice and help you first.¡± Felicir then stretched out his hand, his translucent limb sinking into the professor¡¯s body without resistance. With a wry smile, the Reaper¡¯s conscious voluntarily flowed into the monster¡¯s body. ¡®Don¡¯t resist now. Unless you¡¯d rather die with your student?¡¯ ? ? ? Lavnore lowered his hand, watching his spell dissipate. ¡®Perfect. Now then¡­¡¯ He narrowed his eyes, eager to find out what had become of his empire¡¯s traitor. But contrary to his hopes, the lone professor still stood in the exact same spot, staring down at his own limb. The professor was muttering something under his breath, though it was too quiet to hear from a distance. Finally, Karas raised his voice a bit more, gripping and relaxing his hands. ¡°¡­This feels so odd. I had no idea this is how a monster¡¯s body functioned¡­no wonder you lot are immune to death.¡± ¡®Shut up, Felicir! You¡¯ll give it away!¡¯ ¡°Fine, fine. Have it your way.¡± Raising his eyes, Karas once again met the emperor¡¯s glare. ¡°¡­So he can copy magic after seeing it just once? I suppose that means we only have one shot.¡± ¡®There¡¯s no need to beat him outright; his mana should be reaching its limit soon; even Lavnore cannot use spells of such large scales in continuation. We only need to draw things out until his reserves run dry.¡¯ ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Following suit, Karas began to run his fingers across the air. Black and white streaks followed his every stroke as the professor drew out a spell circle in the air with his mana. ¡°Emperor of Akeia¡­was it? Be honored. Today, you bear witness to an ancient¡¯s spell.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Lavnore quizzically stared at the feathered figure, his frown deepening from their odd choice of titles. ¡®Ancient? ¡­Emperor of Akeia?¡¯ No further words were added to explain the Karas¡¯ odd choice of speech. Instead, the feathered figure finished his final stroke, black and white bolts of energy crackling around the spell circle he¡¯d drawn. Inscribed within were alien runes that even Lavnore couldn¡¯t comprehend. Finally, the emperor parted his lips. ¡°¡­What is that? That¡¯s not even proper magic.¡± ¡°Oh? Can you not read this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play fool with me, Xar. What you¡¯ve drawn is pure nonsense.¡± ¡°You¡¯re awfully confident. They could be runes from a place you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen runes from both the elves and the orient. No such runes exist.¡± ¡°¡­Or from a time you don¡¯t know.¡± As soon as the professor finished his sentence, a blast of black and white lightning ruptured forth from the spell circle. In response, the Akeian emperor swiftly summoned Ephea¡¯s image once more; the golden dragon burst out of the spell to protect her summoner, covering Lavnore with her own body. The spell deflected Karas¡¯ streaks of lightning with ease, sending them flying into the skies without leaving so much as a scratch on their target. ¡°¡­Hah! I expected more, but that was a poor excuse for magic, Xar. Hardly worth blocking.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. You should¡¯ve just taken it, honestly.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Shrugging, Karas returned a wry smile towards the Akeian emperor. ¡°Once upon a time, humans couldn¡¯t take their lives for granted. We desperately fought for our survival ¨C against beings far surpassing us in strength. Do you know what we had to do to win?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not even human.¡± Snickering, the professor ignored the emperor¡¯s answer, instead lightly tapping his own head. ¡°We had to trick our enemies. Only then did we stand a chance against them.¡± Before Lavnore could refute the professor¡¯s words again, a low rumbling noises echoed from far above. When the emperor raised his eyes, the very sky had torn open where Karas¡¯ lightning had disappeared ¨C revealing a massive black rift. And, as if the outcome was expected, an accomplished smile decorated the professor¡¯s expression. ¡°Remember that, emperor.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Lavnore raised his hand skyward to meet whatever magic the rift would release. Numerous spells were synthesized to life around the emperor as he prepared to intercept the incoming attack. ¡®Magic? Souls? Whatever this is, it can¡¯t be anything beyond Xar¡¯s capability. If it comes down to it, then¡­!¡¯ But while the emperor¡¯s attention was fixed on the enormous tear in the sky, Karas casually looked into the distance beyond the emperor. There, three others were mustering the remains of their strength, preparing what the professor had instructed just minutes prior. ? ? ? ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not very good with healing spells¡­¡± Light worriedly studied the two dragons from head to toe. Although they were now stably standing on their own feet, the two dragons still seemed to be in no shape to be moving, much less fighting. Charred, molten skin still comprised most of their bodies. And Raizel was just missing parts of her flesh altogether, as if they¡¯d completely molten off. But neither seemed to mind. In fact, Ilias was grinning as usual, waving reassuringly at her little sister. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Light! I¡¯d still be on the floor without you. Besides, all I¡¯m doing is throwing her in there. Although¡­Raizel, are you sure you¡¯re okay? You¡¯re in way worse shape than me. And your arm is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Not the first time I¡¯ve done that.¡± Raizel raised her left arm to show where her wound had been. After she¡¯d ripped out her own bones to use as an escape tool, the steel dragon had restored her missing frame with magic as she had always done; her arm would continue to function, at least while her spell lasted. Someone else will fix her later. Probably. Light wore a heavy frown as she exchanged glances with the two dragons. Her eyes then fell on the hazel blade, glimmering in Raizel¡¯s burnt hand. ¡°¡­Is that one okay? I just grabbed the first one I saw¡­¡± ¡°Meh. It¡¯s as good as any.¡± ¡°¡­Um, is this actually gonna work? What if he realized that we¡¯re missing¡­?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it. And what if he did? Should I just leave your teacher to die in there by himself?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t think so.¡± Raizel spared a brief glance at the distraught half girl. Her little frame was madly shaking, afraid to even meet the dragons¡¯ eyes. Sighing, Raizel casually ran her hand through Light¡¯s hair, ruffling it into a mess. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nobody¡¯s going to die.¡± Without waiting for an answer, Raizel gave a curt nod towards the red dragon. In response, Ilias briefly closed her eyes as red scales began encroaching upon the entirety of her body. As her human form became buried in a mass of crimson, the red dragon emerged in her proper form, offering one hand to which Raizel hopped onto. As Ilias pulled back her hand, both dragons braced themselves for what was probably the most ridiculous thing they¡¯d done in a while. ¡®¡­Then again, we¡¯ve done worse!¡¯ And if they ever had a good reason to do something ridiculous, it was right now. Every muscle tensed as the red dragon put strength into her arm. In split seconds, Ilias swung her arm in a giant arc, sending her friend bolting forward at an unprecedented speed. ¡®HOLY SH-¡® Raizel tightened the grip on her new weapon, speeding against the rushing winds. The steel dragon¡¯s eyes remained firmly focused on her oblivious target. ¡°? Wh-¡° Things might¡¯ve been different had Lavnore been aware of the incoming missile. Things might¡¯ve been different had the missile not been thrown by a literal dragon. And things might¡¯ve been different had the missile not held what she was holding. Alas, none of those were true. Raizel crashed into Ephea¡¯s image, slamming the hazel blade into the golden dragon. She¡¯d expected Ephea to offer resistance, but on the contrary, Raizel was hardly met with any; as her blade connected, the spell holding the golden dragon in place was simply reduced to dust. And, almost too easily, the youngling slammed into the unaware emperor with a bone-wrenching noise. Both of them flew across the distance until they finally grinded to a slow halt. When the dust settled, Raizel found her blade firmly lodged into the emperor¡¯s chest, pinning him down to the ground beneath her. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Both the attacker and the attacked stared at the buried weapon in shock. Only the act¡¯s facilitator remained unsurprised, clapping his hands at Raizel¡¯s accomplishment. ¡°See? And there you have it. Tricked.¡± Ep 122. Scream All You’d Like. (4) Ep 122. Scream All You¡¯d Like. (4) Once, Lavnore had considered the possibility of an antimagic equipment being used against him. Admittedly, the hazel material did prove invaluable in the empire¡¯s conquest, just like his lord had told him it would. But simultaneously, it was almost guaranteed that a bold enough soldier would attempt to assassinate their emperor with it. Hence, he¡¯d devised numerous ways to prevent the situation. He¡¯d taken advantage of the imprisoned dragonkin to strengthen his physical self, and he¡¯d experimented for days on end to discover the material¡¯s weaknesses. He¡¯d even taken the liberty of culling out potential rebellion early on. For years, the measures had proved sufficient. The few brave assassins that made the attempt were handled with ease through Lavnore¡¯s unexpected physical capability ¨C and opposing nations were quick to flee when they realized Akeia could render their magic useless. But all cautionary measures crumbled to dust when Lavnore began to realize that his assassins wouldn¡¯t necessarily remain limited to humans. With blood trickling out of his mouth, the emperor gathered his mana to incinerate the steel dragon towering over him. But his spell failed to synthesize, dispersing into faded strands of mana instead. ¡®¡­Cursed demon shell¡­!¡¯ He then gripped the blade with both hands, pushing against the dragon keeping it lodged within him. The blade shuddered between the opposing forces as each side struggled to control the weapon ¨C but didn¡¯t move a single inch from where it was buried. Finally with a loud grunt, Lavnore kicked at Raizel with considerable force ¨C and desperation. But the steel dragon remained firm, giving a mocking grin at the emperor beneath her. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That human girl was right ¨C you¡¯re stronger than other humans, I¡¯ll give you that. But if you think a little dragon blood can make you kick me around, dream on.¡± ¡°¡­Humans¡­are not below your kind¡­!¡± Until now, Lavnore had considered his physical capacity equal to that of a dragon¡¯s. After achieving undying youth and consuming elixirs assembled from the dragonkin¡¯s blood, he¡¯d held a firm belief that he was no longer beneath the dragonkin in any aspect. He could stand above them, strength and magic both. That belief was rapidly crumbling away before the furious youngling staring down upon him. ¡°Yeah?¡± Raizel stomped her foot down on the struggling emperor¡¯s leg. Her foot easily crushed the armor and soft flesh within, reducing it into ground meat. As the emperor let out another pained groan, Raizel pushed her face closer to the screaming emperor¡¯s. ¡°Say what you want. But I don¡¯t see you getting out of there without your fancy magic.¡± Raizel forcibly twisted the blade in her grip. A bloody noise ruptured forth from the emperor¡¯s wound, accompanied by another agonized scream. But she only pressed the weapon further in, shoving it from side to side like a child toying with an insect. Involuntary laughter continued to escape Raizel¡¯s lips. Her torn arm was still aching, and the burns over her body were still screaming in searing pain. But strangely, she couldn¡¯t really register any of it. It¡¯d been a hundred years since she was rendered alone. When she¡¯d come to age, she¡¯d thought the emperor long dead; as a result, she¡¯d taken her anger out on someone else altogether. But even back then, she probably knew ¨C that her vengeance was misdirected. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have regretted it so much. From thereon she¡¯d caged away her anger, forcing herself to quell it within her. She thought revenge had become an impossible dream that would never come to pass. A wry smile curved the steel dragon¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°¡­Are you done gloating yet? Did your parents forget to teach you to not play with your food?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± The emperor had been alive all along, and Raizel was glad for it. He needed to be alive ¨C if she were to kill him again. Trudge. Trudge. ¡°¡­¡± Raizel turned her gaze towards the leisure steps approaching her from behind. And, as expected, Karas was standing short ways behind her, watching the emperor squirming beneath. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t come here to stop me, did you?¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Of course not. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve brought the other two with me.¡± Raizel merely scoffed at the professor¡¯s answer. But unlike her, Lavnore¡¯s face became distorted in a mix of fear and panic. He desperately struggled against the buried weapon in a frantic attempt to escape. ¡°W, wait¡­d agon! I beg of you¡­!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°S, spare me this once. If not that, then at least kill me elsewhere. I cannot die in his presence¡­!¡± ¡°The hell? What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­Please¡­!¡± Raizel frowned at the emperor¡¯s sudden change in attitude. She quizzically turned towards Karas, expecting him to provide an answer of sorts. However, the feathered figure merely shrugged back. No verbal response came from him. ¡°¡­The hell¡¯s going on? What¡¯s-¡° While Raizel¡¯s attention was momentarily fixed on Karas, Lavnore hurriedly pulled his hand closer, searching through his broken armor in a frenzy. And when his hand emerged from the broken pieces of metal, the emperor held a gleaming white jewel between his fingers. ¡®¡­I¡¯ve no choice. There¡¯s no coming back if I die in Xar¡¯s presence¡­!¡¯ The emperor¡¯s wary eyes met the professor¡¯s. However, Karas remained static, seemingly uncaring of what the emperor was about to do. Before Raizel would also catch wind of what he was up to, Lavnore hurriedly shoved the shard into the bare skin on his chest. ? ? ? The shard smoothly sunk into the emperor¡¯s flesh. And, almost immediately, Lavnore could feel alien sensations plucking at him from every sense imaginable. ¡®¡­This is¡­?¡¯ Children laughing in unison. A hunter hungrily searching for their next prey. An adventurer lost in caving lava, and a pirate drunken in elven wine. An eagle soaring the skies and a whale slumbering in ocean¡¯s depths. A honeybee navigating the flowerbeds, and a tree rigidly standing its ground. A kingdom of demons. Crimson skies and bloodied earth. A star devoid of life, and that same star brimming with vibrance. Fragmented memories of all sorts flooded into his mind to instantly throw the emperor¡¯s thoughts into disarray. ¡®¡­No, this isn¡¯t me. My name is Amadeus Lavnore. I¡¯m¡­!¡¯ Memories that once defined the individual grew faint and distant, hidden beneath layers of endless, irrelevant thoughts. In the throes of eternity, the hundred years of life he¡¯d led was hardly of any significance. ? ? ? ¡°¡­¡± A sudden silence ensued. Raizel quizzically stared into the emperor¡¯s empty gaze. His eyes were still open, but they¡¯d long lost focus. ¡°He goes all crazy one second, and then he shuts up right after? Is he dead?¡± Raizel then proceeded to push the lodged blade left and right, but the emperor gave no reaction whatsoever. ¡®Yep. He¡¯s dead.¡¯ Kicking her tongue, Raizel lifted her foot. A wide grin decorated her lips as she prepared to crush the emperor beneath. But before she could, Karas placed his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°? For what? I thought you weren¡¯t gonna stop me.¡± ¡°And I normally wouldn¡¯t. But this will be quite the learning experience for you as well.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve won already, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re at least somewhat satisfied. Step back for a bit.¡± Frowning, Raizel reluctantly pulled her weapon out of the emperor, retreating back a few steps with Karas. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong? Was that jewel something dangerous?¡± ¡°Sure it was. It¡¯s a divinity shard.¡± ¡°¡­? Then why¡¯re you stopping me? I thought lord was trying to get rid of those things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. We¡¯ll be able to retrieve it soon.¡± Raizel would¡¯ve questioned the professor further. Unfortunately, she was stopped by a horrendous cry before she could. ¡°Krragh!!!¡± A desperate, inhuman howl was coming from the fallen emperor. When Raizel returned her attention to him, Lavnore was slowly rising back to his feet in sluggish steps. The wound on his chest was leaking in strange white essence instead of blood, and his expression was twisted beyond words could describe. ¡°¡­Is he mad?¡± ¡°Something like that. Now, look closely. 3¡­2¡­1¡­¡± A small explosion followed the professor¡¯s countdown, shrouding the emperor in a puff of white smoke. Compared to the spells Lavnore had been releasing only minutes ago, it was a pathetic explosion. But it nonetheless worsened the cut on his chest, making him painfully claw at the open wound. ¡°What the fuck?¡± ¡°His mana¡¯s low, his magic won¡¯t form, and he¡¯s lost his sanity to boot. So his body¡¯s unconsciously looking for a replacement to magic.¡± ¡°A replacement?¡± ¡°Mhm. The divinity he just planted into himself.¡± Raizel¡¯s frown deepened upon hearing the professor¡¯s explanation. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t divinity the thing goldie uses all the time?¡± ¡°Goldie?¡± ¡®She¡¯s referring to Aldrid.¡¯ ¡°¡­Oh, you mean Aldrid. Yes, that¡¯s similar ¨C but not quite the same. The star shard has some¡­requirements that must be met first. The individual must possess an extremely strong sense of oneself, cultivated through an expansive amount of time. It¡¯s not something the human mind can wrestle.¡± At least several hundred years ¨C ideally, a thousand or more. Countless times, the Reaper had seen what became of those who didn¡¯t meet this condition. ¡°Ah¡­ahgh¡­¡± The emperor¡¯s unfocused eyes were soon flooded with tears. His exhausted voice painfully wailed into the air, as if he¡¯d become someone else altogether. Karas beamed a gleeful smile at the sight. ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s the exact same power your lord wields.¡± ¡°¡­Watch your mouth. She¡¯s nothing like that.¡± ¡°Which is amusing! You don¡¯t know how shocked I was to discover that she could wield the star¡¯s essence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now that I look back on it, Aymeia was right. She told me something a while ago. Something about there being an individual better attuned to the star than herself¡­¡± ¡®Felicir. That¡¯s enough. Get out.¡¯ ¡°Huh? Wai-¡° Suddenly, Karas drove his own fist into his face. After a moment of awkward silence, the professor briefly cleared his throat as if nothing had happened. He simply held out his hand towards the grieving emperor, avoiding Raizel¡¯s frowning, wary eyes. ¡°¡­Ahem. A rather unpleasant sight, I must say. Let¡¯s put him to rest now.¡± ¡°The hell are you saying? You¡¯re the one who wanted to watch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a small sigh, an invisible, intangible chain slithered out of Karas¡¯ palms to bury itself into the emperor¡¯s body. When the feathered figure jerked back his hand, a faint strand of light seemed to escape Lavnore¡¯s frame, flung out from within the body before slipping into Karas. Simultaneously, the emperor¡¯s eyes lost their light, his body collapsing back unto the ground. And Raizel¡¯s eyes widened considerably at the sight, noting the ridiculous display. ¡°¡­Wait, what did you do just now?¡± ¡°I put him to rest.¡± ¡°You could do this all along?! You could¡¯ve done it right from the beginning!¡± ¡°¡­If I had, wouldn¡¯t you have gotten angry that I was stealing your prey? Besides, it only works against those with unstable minds. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have the opportunity to use it against Lavnore, but¡­good riddance, I suppose.¡± ¡°¡­Huh¡­¡± Although she didn¡¯t exactly understand the latter part, Raizel couldn¡¯t bring herself to disagree with the professor¡¯s first point. And, outside the steel dragon¡¯s awareness, desperate cries were ringing from the professor¡¯s newest occupant. ¡®No¡­NO!! XAR, YOU BASTARD!!¡¯ A horrible war ensued as they struggled to fend themselves against the onslaught of souls, clinging onto their being like an undying disease. But robbed of their body and magic, the occupant had little to defend himself with. The army of the damned would soon tear his being into millions of meaningless pieces, feasting upon what knowledge and essence he had to offer. Karas turned away from the emperor¡¯s emptied body. He wore a light smile as he muttered under his breath. ¡°Scream all you¡¯d like. No one can hear you.¡± ¡°Huh? Did you say something?¡± Karas warily faced the questioning steel dragon. But he merely shrugged as usual, shaking his head in dismay. ¡°No. Not at all.¡± Ep 123. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (1) Ep 123. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (1) ¡°Raizel¡­must you do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°That.¡± Looking away in disgust, Karas pointed down at the bludgeoned mess Lavnore¡¯s body had become. Though, that did little to deter the steel dragon from continuing to trample upon his dead body. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m just looking for that shard he had.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you just taking your stress out on him?¡± ¡°Wanna find out?¡± ¡°¡­No thank you.¡± At the very least, Raizel actually knelt down at the professor¡¯s questioning. Her hands waded through the bloody mess, plucking out the white gem from the emperor¡¯s remains. ¡°There we go. Just gotta take it over.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A wave of doubt washed over Karas. Approaching the steel dragon, he then gently placed his hand over her back. Raizel instantly jumped a little in response, groaning in a lot more pain than what a gentle touch would normally incur. Now that the threat was gone, her wounds were beginning to register again ¨C and she was belatedly remembering the state her body was in. The professor shook his head, beckoning Raizel over to his side. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere like that. With your body as is, you¡¯ll soon exhaust yourself to death.¡± ¡°¡­But lord¡¯s still not here. I should-¡° ¡°If she were here, she¡¯d tell you to take care of yourself first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And you¡¯re going to be of no help in your current state. If anything, you¡¯d be a nuisance to protect.¡± Raizel grit her teeth in frustration. The steel dragon shot a sharp glare towards the feathered figure as she pointed towards the distant mountain range. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna sit here and wait. She should¡¯ve been back way earlier.¡± ¡°Who said anything about sitting here waiting? I was saying you need treatment first.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s gonna do that? Your magic can¡¯t even heal dragons properly. Your student tried, but she hardly helped.¡± ¡°I can do it.¡± ¡°? You can? Since when?¡± ¡°Since now, actually.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A certain somebody¡¯s agonized screams were still echoing within Karas as their aptitude in magic was stolen away. Though, the steel dragon remained oblivious of the inner turmoil going on about within the feathered figure. Even as they argued, the searing pain on her back was growing worse by the second; Raizel struggled to even keep her eyes open, her body desperate to pass out from exhaustion. With a surrendering sigh, the steel dragon sank to the ground. ¡°¡­Fine. But make it quick.¡± Coarse thoughts of the dragonlord were keeping her attention held firm. Raizel¡¯s body lightly shook as she struggled to prevent herself from speeding off. ¡®¡­She¡¯ll be okay.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± While Raizel brooded in silence, Karas placed a hand beneath his chin. Admittedly, Raizel had every right to be worried ¨C as they¡¯d both learned by now, his most peculiar student had a knack for getting themselves into ridiculous situations. For all he knew, Serenis was out there with another Felicir. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Following suit, the professor called forth the only free spirit in his possession. ¡®Felicir.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Go find Serenis. It seems she¡¯s off to the western mountains somewhere.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t recall this being a part of the agreement.¡¯ ¡®It is now. Go before I lob you in with the rest like Lavnore.¡¯ ¡®¡­Really? Are we stooping that low?¡¯ ¡®In case you¡¯ve forgotten, I¡¯m a monster. Stooping low would be my default.¡¯ ¡®But what if I dissipate while I¡¯m gone? Do you realize how much effort it takes to retain my being as a soul on my own?¡¯ ¡®Then you better do your search quickly and return, hm?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ As the complaining spirit flew out and off into the distant skies, Karas returned his gaze to the heaving dragon to reassure her. ¡°I¡¯ve sent a familiar to look for her; once they¡¯re back, they¡¯ll be able to point you in the right direction. I can see to your wounds while they search.¡± ¡°Did you? I didn¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just tired.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Usually, a familiar would take the form of an artificial lifeform created through mana: they were visible to anyone¡¯s naked eye. Today, not so much. Ignoring the youngling¡¯s visible confusion, Karas briefly examined Raizel¡¯s back where her burn wounds were most severe. Soon, the professor¡¯s hands lightly glowed green as he went about restoring the dragon¡¯s body back to shape. And throughout the process, Raizel¡¯s eyes remained shamefully glued to the ground. Even as her physical pains slowly melted away, the dragon¡¯s expression worsened by the second as Karas ¨C of all people ¨C tended to her state. Complicated feelings stormed within the youngling as she struggled to sit still. When she finally opened her mouth, the first thing that came out was a complaint ¨C or at least, it sounded like one. ¡°¡­Why¡¯re you even healing me? You could¡¯ve just left me to go off and die.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°I killed your friend.¡± ¡°Lavnore was not my friend.¡± ¡°Not him. The¡­other one.¡± ¡°¡­Oh. Well¡­¡± Karas briefly paused to contemplate on an answer. He hadn¡¯t given it that much thought. But when the professor soon gave his answer, a soft grin was on his face. ¡°I did something horrible, and I was punished for it. I was taught to live up to the consequences of my decisions. I¡¯m merely doing as told.¡± ¡°¡­Really? You can just let it go like that?¡± ¡°I can. And, more importantly¡­if she were here, she¡¯d heal you just the same.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I was also told that when children misbehave, it¡¯s usually an adult¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, are you saying I¡¯m a child?¡± ¡°Ahem, excuse me while I focus for a moment. The sooner we finish here, the sooner you can join with Serenis. I need to see to Ilias as well.¡± ¡°Hey, answer the damn question!¡± ? ? ? A while earlier¡­ ¡°Hmph. How brave of you to trouble yourself coming here. Had you stayed with your kin, you may have lived a while longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The assailant¡¯s arm pressed against the dragonlord¡¯s neck, pinning her to a steep, rocky cliff. Serenis returned an ominous glare towards the man before her. His voice was unmistakably that of the wooden doll she¡¯d encountered before. But unlike then, her assailant was no doll ¨C he was a human being. There was no hood or trickery hiding his features. But, disappointingly, this man was not Akeia¡¯s emperor. His dark skin and light clothing were in stark contrast to the emperor¡¯s armored, glowing self. ¡°¡­Why do you even seek to kill us?¡± When the assailant returned no answer to the dragonlord¡¯s question, Serenis wrapped her hand around the arm pinning her. She tightened her grip, her glare sharpening further as she continued. ¡°Your emperor killed us for his own ends, and I expected you to be no different. But your eyes tell a different tale.¡± What Serenis saw within the man¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t greed she¡¯d expect from Lavnore, nor looming superiority she¡¯d expect from the likes of Felicir. She saw nothing in his eyes. As if he had no feelings whatsoever to even speak of. And finally, the assailant delivered their answer. ¡°¡­This world was misdesigned. Your kind should never have lasted to the current era.¡± A hazel sword was summoned into the man¡¯s other hand, tip pointed straight towards his pinned victim. ¡°With the Reaper no longer present to uphold his absurd promise, this world will be corrected of its mistakes.¡± Clang! As his weapon struck the dragonlord, the assailant¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of his blade simply breaking off ¨C as if it¡¯d struck into a heap of stone. And to his dismay, the dragonlord effortlessly lowered the arm pinning her in place. ¡®¡­?! How-¡® Normally, one would expect a dragon¡¯s physical strength to surpass that of a human¡¯s. But this obvious truth hadn¡¯t applied to him for centuries ¨C no living entity could overpower him in a contest of strength. Until now, that is. But when the assailant finally took notice of the mana strengthening the dragonlord¡¯s body, he had already been thrown into the air. ¡®A dragon is using reinforcement magic¡­? But that¡¯s¡­¡® ¡®Something only a human would do. Or so you¡¯d think.¡¯ Gazing into the air, Serenis stretched out her hand towards the assailant above. Glimmers of blue began to swirl around her palm, gathering into a luminous orb of light. And in response, the assailant summoned another hazel shield to hide behind. ¡°¡­¡± At first glance, it was an unremarkable choice of defense. But judging by its color, the shield was unmistakably an antimagic barrier made of Kelador¡¯s shell. ¡®¡­How tiring.¡¯ Although she and Kelador had rarely fought to begin with, the velklord¡¯s magic-cancelling shell had always been a hassle to deal with. If he were to completely hide himself within his shell, there was little anyone could do about the colossal tortoise. But unfortunately, what the assailant was wielding was not a shell he could hide himself in; it was a typical shield, covering only one side of his body. ¡°He was far stronger than you.¡± The blue orb within Serenis¡¯ hand proceeded to split itself into a dozen pieces, each becoming a ray of light that were shot upwards. Each strand wove their own path in the air to separate from one another ¨C before converging on their target at once. ¡°¡­And he was far wiser than you.¡± A portion of them were blocked by the shield. Most circled it around the surface to strike from another angle. ¡°¡­!¡± Fireworks of magic ensued as the dragonlord¡¯s spell exploded upon their target. A violent explosion ruptured the air, covering the assailant in heaps of smoke as he crashed back down to the earth. But when the aftermath cleared, the assailant¡¯s emotionless eyes were still fixed on the dragonlord, his body otherwise unharmed. ¡°¡­You cannot win here. Your end is inevitable, and your kind will perish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis slowly approached the fallen figure. Puzzled, she studied his empty gaze, searching for even the smallest hint of hatred. But no matter how hard she looked, the dragonlord couldn¡¯t discern the source of her assailant¡¯s contempt towards her and her kin ¨C or if there even was any. ¡°Judging from your words, I¡¯m quite convinced that you are of divinity. No human could speak of the past era¡­but I still fail to see why you seek to kill us so. It doesn¡¯t seem like you despise us.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The assailant pushed against the ground, lifting himself back up. ¡°You think it strange that I seek to eradicate your kind? On the contrary, this is only natural ¨C the Reaper and his band of traitors were the oddities among man. They defied divine will. Felicir¡¯s reign was bound to end.¡± ¡°¡­Divine will?...The First¡¯s?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Scoffing at the dragonlord¡¯s recognition, the man merely followed with another question. ¡°Tell me, sinner. If you¡¯ve lived to speak of the era before ours, then you too, would know. What has demonkind achieved in their time?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± His broken shield dissipated from his hand, replaced by a single sword. It was an old, rusted weapon, undeserving of recognition. The stain on its steel suggested it was neither of a special make, nor well-cared for. It was old and tattered, just like its wielder. ¡°In just one millennium, mankind has accrued a brilliant civilization upon this soil. Without demonkind¡¯s influence plaguing our world, we¡¯ve invented, advanced, and endlessly improved upon ourselves. But what has your kind accomplished in your millennia of reign?...Nothing. Your greatest achievements were mindless slaughter, or achievements you merely stole from us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s small wonder the First deemed your kind unfit to remain.¡± When the assailant brandished his rusted sword, a blinding light enveloped the blade whole. The glowing tip was then pointed towards the dragonlord before him. ¡°Hence, we were blessed ¨C chosen to carry out his divine will. The world was to be cleansed of demons, and returned to its rightful owner. That was the justice the divine sought after.¡± Serenis bit her lips. Her expression grew increasingly furious as she reminisced on the events that had transpired between her and the First. ¡°¡­Rightful owner?¡± There was no rightful owner. There never was; not the First, nor demon, nor man. The world had always been what its inhabitants made it out to be, and no one possessed the authority to dictate its fate. It was not something someone could simply ¡®decide¡¯ who it belonged to. Her brethren had given their lives to prove that point. And yet, the First¡¯s legacy was still deeply rooted within their world. ¡°¡­What you preach is not justice. The First¡¯s will was never any different from ours. The star was never his to own.¡± ¡°And so every sinner would speak. Your kind refused to accept your own misgivings to the very end.¡± Countless had spoken those exact same words to him. Countless had fallen, and he¡¯d emerged victorious every time ¨C just as a hero would in every tale told. ¡®To save our world. A world for, and of, mankind.¡¯ They were the ones that most closely resembled the First. Only mankind retained the intelligence to understand and utilize every aspect of this world. Then, in the First¡¯s absence, it was only right that they would inherit his divine will and forge onward. ¡°Repent. For I serve as the arbiter of all your sins.¡± The assailant raised his blade. As he took a single step forward, his image flickered out of view. And when his foot touched the ground once more, he stood inches away from the dragonlord, his glowing blade rapidly descending upon her. ¡°My name is Hathelon.¡± Mankind¡¯s first hero, And his final hope. Ep 124. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (2) Ep 124. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (2) Ever after launching Raizel off into the distance, Ilias uncomfortably stood in her dragon form. Her massive wings were awkwardly shifting about, as if to hide something behind them. ¡°Ilias?...Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The red dragon meekly turned to answer the half girl beside her. But even as her mouth opened and closed, nothing escaped her maw save a coarse, screech-like noise. Shocked by the lack of her own voice, Ilias hurriedly covered her mouth. She rushed to return to her usual, smaller self, thinking that it would allow her to regain her voice. Unfortunately, even then no sensible sound escaped the red dragon¡¯s lips. Her dizziness only grew stronger, and her neck began to itch. As the youngling stumbled on nothing in particular, Light worriedly rushed to her side to support her. ¡°Ilias! What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Forcing out a grin, Ilias shook her head to reassure her little sister. And truth be told, the youngling had no idea what was wrong with her, either. The problem only became apparent when Light¡¯s horrified eyes gazed upon the charred, blackened patches of skin covering the youngling¡¯s neck. The numerous burns over the red dragon¡¯s body seemed to further and further as if they were some sort of poison or disease. But instead of saying anything, Light also forced herself to smile, gently pulling her sister down to the ground. ¡°L¡­listen, Ilias, why don¡¯t you lie down for just a bit? You don¡¯t have to talk, just¡­rest for a bit, okay? We can catch up to the others after¡­¡± As Light gently lowered her to the ground, Ilias returned a weak nod in response. Despite her mind telling her to go after Raizel immediately, her body refused to cooperate. ¡®That¡¯s weird¡­why do I feel so tired? I only took the big form for a minute or two¡­¡¯ As soon as Ilias¡¯ head touched the ground, the youngling¡¯s eyelids were quick to close. And as soon as Light confirmed that the red dragon was sound asleep, the half girl rushed into the keep¡¯s interior by herself. Frantic steps rapidly echoed throughout its hallways as she ran ahead. ¡°Please, please, please¡­if this is a war post, there has to be some herbs or medicine¡­there has to be¡­!¡± ? ? ? The blade of light drew a swift arc, burying itself deep into the surface of the rocky cliff. ¡°¡­¡± Hathelon effortlessly pulled out his weapon from the mass of stone, slowly turning to face the dragon that had darted out of his weapon¡¯s path. ¡°¡­How odd. You¡¯re a dragon, and yet I continue to glimpse facets of a human soul within you. What are you, really?¡± ¡°...Dragonlord.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You asked, did you not?¡± After fixing her posture, Serenis warily locked eyes with her frowning assailant. ¡°My name is Serenis. If you¡¯re so knowledgeable about our era, then surely you know who I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a long silence, Hathelon let out a derisive snort. ¡°I never knew madness could ail dragons as well.¡± ¡°Make of it what you will. I am speaking the truth.¡± ¡°A half-wit like you, the lord of dragons? You, who aren¡¯t even fully dragonkin?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once again, Hathelon raised his blade. But this time, he took no action to close the distance between them. ¡°Even if you were, you are but a malformed spirit leeching on a poor human soul. Your existence itself is an illusion at best. You do not belong in this world, in this era.¡± When Hathelon next swung his sword into the ground, the earth erupt forth in a deluge of wicked radiance to storm his enemy. As waves of divine light came upon her, Serenis¡¯ expression contorted at the familiar sight. ¡°¡­¡± - ¡®¡­How long will you wait?¡¯ When Eden had asked her this question, Serenis hadn¡¯t felt the need to answer her. She¡¯d thought the dragonkin were fine, just the way they were; she was perfectly content to live as she always had. But when Arkrana had asked her the same question much later, more than a dozen dragonkin had already passed away to those who claimed themselves as heroes. The kin had become the sacrifice to their holy mission. And still, she¡¯d returned no answer. She merely thought it to be a passing phase, an unfortunate period in an otherwise peaceful era. And finally, when Vulka had asked her this question, it was far too late to give a proper answer.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Why¡­¡± Serenis made no attempt to protect herself. She instead stepped forth, walking straight into the oncoming deluge. Even when she could feel the light chipping away at her skin, she merely took another step forward. ¡®It must¡¯ve hurt. Dying like this¡­¡¯ And like a broken record, parroted the same phrase over and over into the air. ¡°Why?...¡± When the light finally died away, mankind¡¯s last remaining hero stood mere steps away from the tattered dragonlord. His empty gaze was in stark contrast to the resentful, grieving eyes that glared back at him. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand. What harm have we possibly incurred to your people? The First is gone, and mankind¡¯s already emerged victorious. Why continue this madness?¡± ¡°Why continue, you ask?¡± A brief pause ensued as Hathelon stared into the dragonlord¡¯s resentful eyes. He was still unsure whose eyes he was staring into. But the only thing he could ascertain that the individual before him, may not be all too different from himself. ¡°Tell me, then. Why should we accept the dragonkin when we can clean the world of demonkind¡¯s last remains? There is no gain to be had in such practice ¨C especially when your kin¡¯s very existence threatens the wellbeing of countless others. You need but look at Akeia¡¯s emperor, and all the blood he¡¯d shed in his conquest using the dragonkin¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯d commit yourself to our extinction for that alone? Because your own people may use our strength to harm one another?¡± ¡°I would, yes. If it means facilitating mankind¡¯s peace, your kind¡¯s extinction is a small price to pay.¡± ¡°¡­You speak as if you¡¯re innocent. You yourself wield a demonlord¡¯s shell for your own ends.¡± ¡°I am well aware of my own sins. And for that, once the world is cleansed of your kind¡­I would gladly resign my soul to oblivion.¡± Serenis grit her teeth. A deep frown crossed over her expression, her voice growing in volume. ¡°Do you not see the wrong in your actions?...Have you no respect for the dead?!¡± ¡°¡­To use what is usable, and to discard what is not¡­¡± Hathelon flicked the gleaming weapon in hand, once again pointing its tip towards the dragonlord before him. ¡°That is the very principle that has allowed mankind to endure; living or dead, it matters little. And demonkind practiced much the same ¨C they were worse, in fact.¡± ¡°WE WERE NOT!¡± ¡°No? Do you know how many the sylphs killed for their gains?¡± ¡°¡­The sylphs were always committed to their woods. They never harmed anyone outside their homes.¡± ¡°Perhaps. But the sylvan forest was not static, dragon. What do you suppose happened to the villages that their woods grew to encompass?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not a single one was spared. They were burned, killed, tortured. Many were given to the leeches to be fed alive, their corpses thrown to the behemoths to serve as feed.¡± Retracting his arm, a layer of light instantly covered Hathelon¡¯s blade as it was swung sideways. Serenis hurriedly erected a barrier before her. But when the blade clashed against the dragonlord¡¯s spell, its divine light seemed to seep into the barrier of magic, contaminating its very structure. As creases webbed through Serenis¡¯ spell, Hathelon¡¯s emotionless voice continued to stab at her ears. ¡°What justice was there to be found among your brethren?¡± As the barrier finally shattered apart, Serenis retreated another few steps to avoid the swinging blade. But Hathelon continued to chase after the retreating dragonlord, swinging his blade in succession. ¡°Was their justice in the warmongers that burnt everything in their path? Serenis continued to erect barrier after barrier to deflect the oncoming strikes. But even as she cast her spells in rapid succession, Hathelon¡¯s attacks began to overtake her casting speed. ¡°What of the landbeasts that feasted upon everything they could find? The dream leeches who drained us of our lives?¡± ¡°¡­We were different. The dragonkin never-¡± ¡°The dragonkin never harmed humans?¡± With one final swing, Hathelon¡¯s blade hacked through Serenis¡¯ spell. His remaining hand began to glow in the same light covering his blade, instantly shooting forth to grasp the dragonlord by her neck and lift her into the air. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. But your kin offered little choice to those around you.¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Your nests rested on the hunting grounds of the behemoth tribe.¡± Evident confusion settled in as Serenis struggled to understand her assailant¡¯s words. She clawed against the grip holding her in the air, choking out her next answer. ¡°We defended our nest¡­always. We welcomed humans into our kin¡­! We protected them just the same!¡± ¡°And what of those that chose not to become dragonkin?¡± Even as Hathelon¡¯s grip tightened around her throat, Serenis¡¯ own hands faltered upon hearing his words. ¡®Those that chose not to become dragonkin?¡¯ What answer was there to give? Serenis had never considered them. Or rather, she wasn¡¯t even aware that such individuals existed. And, as if he expected her silence, Hathelon continued in a low, emotionless tone. ¡°What choice did we have? It was either to become an honorary demon, or stay human and be consumed alive by the landbeasts. Your kin offered no protection to those who wouldn¡¯t choose to become your kin.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡± As Serenis failed to give a coherent answer, a hint of emotion crept upon Hathelon¡¯s voice. A tired, loathing voice stabbed at the dragonlord¡¯s ears. ¡°You said you were Serenis herself. But dragonlord, the boundary you¡¯d drawn protected those within, and alienated those outside. You never protected us; you merely tore mankind into two, forcing us to resent each other.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the one who stepped over that boundary was not you, but your daughter. She was the only dragonkin to step out of the bounds you¡¯d set to help those in need. You did nothing but oppose her.¡± The skies churned in the ensuing silence. Thundering clouds split open before the mass of divine light forming above, shimmering into the shape of a gigantic sword that pointed itself towards the dragonlord. But Serenis¡¯ forlorn eyes failed to register the massive weapon above her. She returned no answer, or even a visible reaction to Hathelon¡¯s words. She only closed her eyes, once again reflecting on everything that had transpired in her previous life. ¡®What was it all for?¡¯ Everything she¡¯d done as a dragonlord ¨C none of it had been because she was a righteous individual. Everything she¡¯d done since her awakening ¨C none of it had been because she actually sought to correct what was wrong. Indeed, Rozerre had even shown her the answer before. ¡®¡­This is but atonement to those who have long passed away. An act of late, selfish satisfaction.¡¯ Just like how Hathelon had no noble cause to rid the star of her kin, Serenis, too, had no noble cause in eliminating the Twelve. They just wanted to. That was all there was to it. Her kin had never harmed mankind, and the Twelve had never harmed Serenis directly. But it was just how things were. But even if their tale had no good or evil, it would nonetheless have a victor. When Serenis finally opened her eyes, her pupils were stretched into a thin strand of black, her sharpened gaze focusing on the enemy that held her. ¡°¡­So what?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Perhaps I did tear mankind into two. Perhaps I did oppose my daughter, and perhaps it¡¯s even my fault that she¡¯s passed away. But so what? If I knelt and pleaded for death, would that bring her back to life?¡± ¡®¡­If only it would.¡¯ Instead of clawing at Hathelon¡¯s grip as before, Serenis lightly touched on his forearm with her fingertips. And, as if on cue, her assailant¡¯s gripping arm was swallowed in a burst of prismatic light. Hathelon instantly jerked back his arm, holding it in pain. And as her assailant backed away from the sudden magic, Serenis lightly stepped onto the ground once more, her gaze fixed upwards ¨C towards the giant weapon descending upon her. ¡®It does not matter that demonkind has lost. As long as I draw breath¡­the dragonkin will live on.¡¯ If she were alone, perhaps she would¡¯ve chosen to die here. If all others would be happier with her gone, then she may have accepted death. But if she were to back down here, then Raizel and Ilias would be next. After them, it¡¯d be everyone at the dragonkin¡¯s valley. Their nightmarish days would repeat. Once again, the dragons would wage war against heroes ¨C and this time, it wouldn¡¯t end until they were extinct. ¡°¡­You seek to judge me of my sins? Then I will gladly serve as your antagonist. Just like you, I will not rest until the Twelve are erased from my star. But remember this, hero.¡± Serenis grazed her foot onto the ground. In the darkening skies that followed, only the glimmers of distant stars illuminated her surroundings. And as the dragonlord willed, rays of starlight would rain down upon the massive weapon, disintegrating it to dust before ever reaching the dragonlord below. ¡°¡­¡± As Hathelon stared into the jarring display, Serenis¡¯ eyes fixed onto him with an adamant, unforgiving gaze. ¡°Not every tale will end in your victory.¡± A/N: Felicir is munching on popcorns in the background. Ep 125. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (3) Ep 125. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (3) ¡°What the hell¡­is that¡­?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­¡± Both Raizel and Karas stared into the distant, mesmerizing display. The breaking daylight had instantly died out, replaced with brilliant glimmers of distant stars. A massive sword of light hovered in the faraway skies, plummeting towards the ground. But before the weapon would reach the earth, rays of starlight rained down from the heavens, razing the blade to dust. And, much to Karas¡¯ dismay, Raizel immediately rose back to her feet. ¡°Raizel, wait! You¡¯re still-¡° ¡°I¡¯m fine! It doesn¡¯t hurt much anymore. I¡¯ll be okay. And¡­¡± The youngling tightened her fists. Her eyes strained to make out the details of the battle afar, but the distance was far too great ¨C and the settling darkness certainly didn¡¯t help. ¡°¡­Lord¡­is still out there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I need to go.¡± Raizel didn¡¯t bother waiting for Karas¡¯ answer. Metal wings sprung forth as the youngling leapt into the skies, flying into the darkness beyond. After a long sigh, Karas fixed his gaze upwards, staring into the shimmering stars. ¡®¡­Serenis.¡¯ For a moment, Karas took a step forward to chase after the steel dragon. But soon, the professor reluctantly turned back, his feet guiding him back towards Light and Ilias instead. ¡°¡­¡± In his hurried steps, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯d regret this decision down the road. ? ? ? Colossal blades of light ruptured the darkened skies; the world rained in the First¡¯s blessings to destroy the earth, each aimed at the ruler of dragons. But with one flick of the dragonlord¡¯s hand, countless were sundered apart by the very demon they sought to cleanse. None would reach beyond what the stars would allow. A burst of light blinded Hathelon¡¯s vision as starlit rays destroyed his blades midair. When his eyes could see again, the hero¡¯s frown only deepened as the dragonlord remained unharmed. Slow footsteps continued to close the distance between them as Serenis approached her assailant. Once again, her hand was raised into the air. Shortly after the dragonlord¡¯s gesture, an ethereal ray of magic blasted forth at her enemy. ¡°Hmph!¡± Letting out a frustrated grunt, Hathelon slammed his foot into the ground. The light soon washed over his figure, consuming the deity entirely. But his frame remained firmly in place. The light would soon dissipate, revealing the same figure now donned in a set of hazel armor. ¡°¡­No hero is born a victor. It is the victor that is made to be a hero. As always, mankind will prevail.¡± ¡°Bold words for a coward hiding inside another¡¯s shell.¡± ¡°This is but a means to an end. Never again will mankind yield to demonkin ¨C your demise will be our salvation, sinner!¡± When Hathelon pointed his sword skyward, the blade levitated out of his palm to hover in the air. Glowing in a blinding radiance, the weapon¡¯s light split itself into a circle of numerous others, forming an arsenal of hazel weapons above the deity¡¯s head. As he dashed forward, Hathelon reached towards the ring of arms above him, plucking out a halberd from its midst. He then leapt into the air, swinging the massive weapon down towards the ground. As Serenis stepped aside from the weapon¡¯s path, several prismatic rays shot forth from the distance to strike at her enemy. But each faltered before his armor, disappearing harmlessly. ¡°Know your place, demon. This world is no longer yours to rule!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Discarding his buried halberd, Hathelon swiftly plucked out a gleaming scythe from above. A deathly swing skid past the dragonlord, barely scraping against her skin as she retreated back a few additional steps. A soft sigh escaped Serenis as she studied the arsenal floating above her assailant. ¡°¡­Is that all you can do? Summoning an endless array of equipment?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Instead of answering, the deity once again discarded his weapon to pluck out a long spear, thrusting forth at the retreating dragonlord. Brilliant white wings sprouted from Serenis¡¯ back, beating at the air to throw her out of the weapon¡¯s path. But as she distanced away from her enemy into the air, Hathelon quickly discarded his spear, replacing it with a bow and quiver.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A number of arrows nocked themselves at once, aimed skyward at the flying dragonlord. ¡°Mock all you¡¯d like. You and your stars may sunder the very skies, but your magic cannot pierce this armor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis bit her lips as Hathelon¡¯s volley of arrows took into the air. ¡®¡­At least it never rained shells when you were alive, Kelador.¡¯ Making a bitter smile, a furious wingbeat flung the dragonlord out to safety. But her opponent allowed little respite as he slammed his palm into the ground. In response, the earth cracked and ruptured as the deity¡¯s ancient magic took hold of the soil. Coiling roots sprouted out to join one another, forming two human-like figures. As Hathelon¡¯s light spread onto them like disease, each wooden figure began to mimic his actions and voice, summoning the same bow and quiver that their summoner held. ¡°¡­Here, we seek truth.¡± ¡°¡­Here, we seek salvation.¡± When Hathelon himself finally arose, he and his two wooden dolls nocked their arrows in unison, aiming at the demonlord before them. ¡°Here, we seek judgement ¨C and fated retribution!¡± The First¡¯s light guided his champion¡¯s hazel-tipped arrows. As each volley was fired, the arrows were seemingly drawn towards Serenis, weaving in the air to find their target. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®The First¡¯s chosen hero, wielding both his blessings and his fragment¡­and a champion of mankind, wielding both theirs and demonkind¡¯s strengths¡­¡¯ A bitter smile curved the dragonlord¡¯s lips as she faced the oncoming hail of weapons. A loud wingbeat sent her speeding downwards, but Hathelon¡¯s rain of arrows continued to chase after her. Hovering just barely above ground, Serenis continued her flight ¨C straight towards her assailant. As the dragonlord rapidly approached him, Hathelon firmly planted his feet into the ground, replacing his bow and quiver with a greatsword. The wooden dolls followed suit, readying their blades just the same. ¡°None shall escape.¡± ¡°None shall deny.¡± ¡°None shall live, and none shall defy!¡± As each swung their blades downward, three pillars of light erupt forth from the ground. Successive pillars rapidly advanced forward to intercept the oncoming dragonlord. But even as the shining waves came upon her, Serenis¡¯ eyes firmly glared into the light ¨C and the space beyond it. In a momentary blink, Serenis wrapped herself in her wings, disappearing completely. The arrows that had chased her answered the pillars of light in her stead, each attack destroying the other. Moments after, Serenis reappeared in the air some ways behind Hathelon. A wave of nausea washed over from the sudden teleport as Serenis struggled to regain her shaken balance. And in those very moments, Hathelon¡¯s ominous glare fell upon the dragonlord behind him. His dolls likewise turned around, chanting alongside each other. ¡°Submit, for your time has come.¡± ¡°Rejoice, for your end is nigh.¡± The two dolls abandoned their weapons to immediately launch themselves into the air towards the dragonlord. While Serenis rushed to intercept the lunging dolls with rays of magic, hazel daggers shimmered into the doll¡¯ emptied hands, cutting through the magic that threatened to disintegrate them. The daggers effortlessly destroyed Serenis¡¯ spell to make way for the dolls to grab onto her in the air. And immediately after, each drove their dagger into the dragonlord¡¯s back. ¡°¡­!¡± Following the jolt of pain, Serenis¡¯ wings lost shape as she plummeted back to the ground. Plunging down in unison, the two dolls also began to lose their shape, their bodies transforming into that of a blinding chain. As soon as Serenis crashed onto the earth¡¯s surface, each planted themselves into the ground to secure the dragonlord in place. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Hathelon¡¯s silent, callous gaze swept over Serenis as her magic faded away. Once again, morning sunlight began to break through the darkened skies. The deity¡¯s ring of weapons soon dispersed to nothing. Arming himself yet again with an old, rusted sword, the deity slowly approached his chained opponent. And once he stood before the dragonlord, he hovered the blade¡¯s tip above her throat. Firm eyes gazed into the endless depths of light and darkness beneath him. ¡°Be purged, and be forgiven. Wash away your sins, and rise anew.¡± After a brief pause, the blade shimmered in divine light to deliver the deity¡¯s final judgement. ¡°Farewell. I will remember you.¡± ? ? ? Even as harsh winds slapped at Raizel¡¯s face, her eyes remained firmly staring into the distance ¨C at an extremely specific location. Did she know where Serenis was? Not at all. But it didn¡¯t take a genius to guess that her lord would be at the source of all the splendorous explosion of lights and stars. But as the youngling closed in, her eyes captured a sight she¡¯d least wanted to see. ¡®Lor-¡® In that instant, Raizel completely blanked out. Her wings ceased their beating, and her body rapidly began to descend towards the ground. Instead of thinking about how to make a safe landing, or how to help her lord, the youngling¡¯s mind began an incessant series of reflexive thoughts. ¡°Hey, do what you need to do, but don¡¯t forget to drop that shard you¡¯re holding!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel barely registered the faint voice that had randomly spoken to her. She lightly loosened her grip, letting the fragment fall out of her grasp. Then, without even realizing, the gliding steel dragon spread her arms out wide. Just as armored figure¡¯s blade pricked at her lord skin, Raizel smashed into the deity to halt his weapon¡¯s descent. Her spread arms instantly tightened around their figure in a crushing embrace, and her momentum carried them some distance away still. But before they¡¯d even grind to a full halt, Raizel¡¯s wings disappeared, her frame rapidly expanding as the dragon took her proper form. The wingless youngling smashed one foot into the ground to stop herself, and another into the armored figure, launching him far into the air. Following a deafening roar, sharpened metal pillars spiked forth from every direction to collide into the deity above. Successive pillars continued to drive themselves into the deity in a frenzy to form a massive spiked ball in the air. And finally, Raizel herself leapt into the air, her claws raking through the mass of metal to smash her enemy into the ground. When the dust cleared, the youngling lowered her growling head, furious glare staring into the armored prey her foot was on. But within their helm, she only saw a pair of annoyed, distasteful eyes. ¡°¡­Begone, demonspawn.¡± As the divine light surrounding Hathelon¡¯s figure grew tenfold, an explosive force threw the youngling¡¯s paw off of his frame. Additional pillars of light then erupt forth from the ground, piercing through the howling steel dragon. Hathelon slowly rose to his feet, watching the youngling struggling to fight against the intangible beams of divinity. Finally, the deity summoned a massive axe into his hands. He then leapt into the air, swinging the weapon¡¯s blade straight towards Raizel¡¯s head. ? ? ? Serenis grit her teeth in frustration. Struggle as she may, the chains binding her were held fast onto the ground ¨C and her magic was failing to aid her. As she struggled in vain, Serenis was forced to watch as Raizel attempted to fend off her assailant. But it wasn¡¯t long until the deity would strike back at the youngling, driving the steel dragon to the brink of an early demise. Watered eyes blurred her vision as Serenis continued to struggle against her bindings. ¡®Why¡­why are you here?! No, please¡­I can¡¯t let this happen again¡­!¡¯ With her body bound and her magic sealed, Serenis¡¯ mind helplessly wandered for a solution. Unfortunately, none came to mind. What instead caught her attention was a faint, white glimmer, sparkling just by her side. ¡®¡­Is that¡­?¡¯ A piece of the First¡¯s divinity rested just beyond the dragonlord¡¯s palm. Serenis clenched her teeth, discarding every other thought besides getting out of her bindings. She desperately reached her bound limb towards the gleaming fragment ¨C although parts of her body screamed from the tearing strain, she couldn¡¯t care less for it. Raizel¡¯s deafening cries echoed into her ears as Serenis finally grasped the glimmering fragment. Furious eyes glared into the distance as she allowed the First¡¯s divinity to sink into herself. Moments after, scaled claws tore through Hathelon¡¯s chains. Ep 126. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (4) Ep 126. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (4) Light waded through the darkness with her torch, illuminating what little there was to see within the keep¡¯s basement. After her unsuccessful search of finding anything useful upstairs, she¡¯d been quick to make her way down. But despite the copious amounts of cobwebs, occasional equipment, and expensive metals, the basement seemed devoid of anything suitable for treating the wounded. ¡®Is there nothing useful here? Come on¡­!¡¯ Rapid footsteps echoed throughout the stretching hallways as Light hurried through the dark corridors. The majority led to dead ends, or chambers filled with crates that contained nothing but gold and silver. ¡®Nope, not here¡­not this one either¡­why do they keep nothing but metal in here?!¡¯ As Light internally complained about the massive amount of treasure being kept within Telberk, she finally came across a peculiar wooden door. It was clearly unremarkable compared to the other chambers¡¯ entrances. There weren¡¯t any metal carvings or locks upon the small entrance ¨C which was odd, given the grandiose structure of all the other doors she¡¯d seen. And most notable of all was the sound of someone¡¯s voice coming from within. Light¡¯s ears twitched as she tried to make out the noise. But even as the half girl listened, all she could hear were incoherent groans. ¡®¡­What is that?¡¯ Gulping, Light quickly retraced a few steps to grab a long, rusted pike from the rows of unused weapons. She then carefully poked at the door from afar with the weapon¡¯s rear end, opening the door with an eerie creak. Thankfully, no traps were sprung, and no rabid beast jumped out to feast on the intruder. The groaning sound grew clearer, but nothing happened otherwise. Pressing down her fears, Light slowly peeked into the open chamber. But what she saw within wasn¡¯t anything she¡¯d expected to see. Or wanted to see, for that matter. ? ? ? Clang! ¡°¡­¡± When Hathelon swung down his axe, his weapon did indeed crash into something with a loud clashing sound. Considering that his target was a dragon of steel, the noise may have even been natural. But what puzzled him was that his divinity-coated weapon was failing to crush through the dragon¡¯s scales. It was fixed in place, as if the strike had been blocked completely. When the deity narrowed his gaze, he belatedly realized that the massive surface of scales before him was white, not grey. ¡°Wh-¡± Even as he pushed against the blocking surface, his weapon refused to budge. And when the scaled surface stirred, his axe was effortlessly thrown into the air ¨C along with its holder. In his fall, Hathelon¡¯s eyes beheld the blocking figure in full. ¡°You¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A massive white dragon stood between the deity and Raizel, covering the steel dragon in a gentle embrace. What Hathelon¡¯s weapon had struck was not the youngling, but the white dragon¡¯s back. After letting go of the youngling in her embrace, the massive dragon quietly placed the unconscious steel dragon onto the ground. She then turned to face Hathelon in full, glaring into their tiny figure. A pair of sapphire eyes seemed to pierce through the hero as he landed some distance away. ¡°That can¡¯t be. You weren¡¯t even a proper dragonkin¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hathelon¡¯s expression contorted at the dragonlord¡¯s silence. He soon summoned back his ring of weapons, plucking out a hazel sword in each hand. ¡°¡­This changes nothing. You may have grown in form, but you cannot defy his great will.¡± Instead of a reply, Serenis¡¯ eyes studied the armored figure. Despite Raizel¡¯s efforts, small dents and scratches were all she¡¯d left upon the deity¡¯s otherwise intact armor. And even in her fully regained form, there was no guarantee that Serenis would be able to contest a blessed hero who wielded an infinite array of weapons ¨C and a demonlord¡¯s shell.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®¡­Kelador.¡¯ Not once had the colossal tortoise came at Serenis with his full strength. They were allies more often than not, and even if they did happen on a disagreement, Kelador would always yield to the dragonlord. And while Serenis was quick to attribute such occurrences to the goodness of his heart, the velklord had always begged to differ. - ¡®You know, Serenis¡­if you actually tried, you could kill me pretty easily.¡¯ - ¡®I could not. If you were to fully armor yourself in your shell, then no magic of mine could ever harm you.¡¯ - ¡®Bah, you and your magic. You know what? Sometimes, I think you¡¯d be better off without your star affinity. You¡¯re so used to blasting through everything that you hardly think anymore.¡¯ - ¡®¡­That¡¯s quite the long way to phrase an insult.¡¯ - ¡®No, I¡¯m serious! Be creative for once! You don¡¯t HAVE to pierce through my shell, you know?¡¯ A soft smile curved the dragonlord¡¯s lips as her friend¡¯s voice echoed in her mind. She¡¯d smiled back, just like now. She¡¯d never realized what her friend was saying at the time. But when Serenis beheld the armored hero before her, her smile instantly melted away. ¡°¡­Do you think yourself invincible?¡± Even Kelador had never considered himself invincible. And compared to the velklord, her enemy was much, much smaller ¨C insignificant beyond words in comparison. And that insignificant figure brandished his two swords, launching himself straight towards his towering enemy. Both his blades shimmered in divine light, readying to hack through the dragonlord¡¯s scales. ¡°FALL!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Giant claws raked the air, deflecting Hathelon¡¯s dancing blades. The deity furiously hacked away at the talons barring his way, eager to reach the flesh beyond. Serenis watched with an unamused gaze, continuing to deflect the deity¡¯s strikes. ¡®¡­If Kelador was here¡­¡¯ With his colossal size, the velklord would¡¯ve crushed her underfoot in one stomp, claws and scales and all. Compared to that, the hero¡¯s attacks were laughable at best. The dragonlord¡¯s forearm collided with Hathelon¡¯s blades, locking one another in place. The deity forced his weapon with all his might, struggling to push his weapons through the scaled arm that blocked them. The radiance shrouding his blades continued to intensify as he poured more of his divinity into them. But before the weapons would hack through the dragonlord¡¯s scales, Serenis fixed her gaze upward ¨C towards the glowing, cloudless skies. ¡®¡­Perhaps you were right after all.¡¯ Several events occurred in the seconds that followed. In a momentary blink, Hathelon planted his foot onto the scaled forearm and discarded his swords, replacing them with a longspear to pierce through dragonlord¡¯s scales. But at the same time, darkened skies suddenly enveloped every corner of his world; a chilling cold settled in alongside an aching pain that spread throughout his body, slowing his movements considerably. Serenis pushed the deity away with time to spare. Hathelon¡¯s spear slowly and pointlessly stabbed into empty space, its target much too far to reach. And when he would attempt to leap forward to close their distance again, he would finally notice the lack of footing ¨C and air. ¡®?! What in the world¡­?!¡¯ Even as the choking deity darted his gaze, the dragonlord¡¯s figure was shrinking smaller and smaller. The gap between them steadily widen, seemingly without end. But try as he might to approach her again, Hathelon¡¯s limbs pointlessly flailed in the emptiness, devoid of anything to stand or push off of. There was nothing but void within his reach. ¡®Where¡­what is this place?!¡¯ As Hathelon scanned their surroundings in a rush, he realized that they weren¡¯t in complete darkness. Shimmering stars and distant orbs were scattered about the endless expanse of black, moving about in their destined orbits. And finally, far beneath his feet, the deity took notice of a brilliant blue star. The very world he¡¯d served for ages gleamed in its vibrant radiance, far beneath his feet. ¡°¡­!¡± Even as the deity¡¯s expression contorted in his creeping realization, Serenis kept her mouth firmly shut. She merely waved farewell towards the hero that continued to distance away from her. A desperate, soundless howl escaped the First¡¯s champion. An enormous blade of light formed into being within his grasp, swinging down in a final attempt to cut down its foe. But before the blade would reach her, the dragonlord disappeared from sight. ? ? ? A wave of nausea settled in as Serenis reappeared at an altitude with breathable air. Truthfully, she had little idea just how far she¡¯d teleported upwards with her assailant. All she knew was that the altitude they¡¯d reached was far above any height she¡¯d previously flown in ¨C and far beyond the scope of what one could call sane. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t¡­do that again¡­.¡¯ Drawing raspy breaths, Serenis¡¯ regained wings gradually guided her back down to solid ground. As exhaustion began to settle in, her form soon reduced itself back to its usual size. And, try as she might, her throbbing headache was growing impossible to ignore. ¡®¡­I still¡­have to¡­¡¯ Struggling to remain conscious, Serenis turned to face the steel dragon. Even though she¡¯d protected the youngling from a fatal strike, Raizel¡¯s body was still in a horrible state. Hathelon¡¯s light had blown through the steel dragon¡¯s scales in countless areas, leaving large gaps on the body that endlessly leaked in blood. Serenis dragged her feet, practically stumbling forward as she made her way to the unconscious youngling. She held her pounding head and cursed her aching heart, wishing for the inexplicable pains to simply wash away. But as it were, her exhausted mind was struggling to keep itself intact. ¡°¡­Rai¡­zel¡­¡± A thousand visions flashed before Serenis¡¯ eyes. Each piled upon one another to form a haphazard world around her, and the sounds that accompanied them mingled together into a cacophony of discordant noises, drowning out the reality that surrounded her. Gradually, the dragonlord¡¯s senses began to drown in a flood of memories. The world itself seemed to deteriorate as Serenis struggled to discern her visions from reality. And soon, it would all fade to black. ? ? ? Somewhere in the distance, Felicir watched the stumbling dragonlord with crossed arms, grinning at the sight. Soundless laughter escaped his translucent form as she fell forward onto the heaving steel dragon. ¡®Pft, of course. Not even you could possibly be alright after that. Even Aymeia needed years to adjust.¡¯ Truthfully, the Reaper didn¡¯t exactly have fond feelings for either of the two dragons. In fact, he was glad that mankind¡¯s champion had at least managed to take down one of the two ¨C though he might¡¯ve preferred both over one. But still, he was perfectly content to watch the dragonlord in tears, collapsing unconscious before the dying youngling. The entire battle had been nothing but a neat show for the wandering spirit, and its ending was turning out to be just as entertaining. ¡®Though¡­then again, our local monster wouldn¡¯t be too happy about my lack of reports. I suppose I could at least tell him what¡¯s going on here¡­¡¯ But just as Felicir turned away to return to Karas, a peculiar sight caught his attention. The Reaper froze midair, his eyes glued to the dragonlord¡¯s stirring figure. He watched on as yet another event unfolded, far beyond his own understanding. ¡®What¡­the hell¡­?¡¯ Ep 127. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (5) Ep 127. Do You Think Yourself Invincible? (5) An odd sense of disconnection welled within Aymeia as she came to. Instead of her icy cavern, the deity found herself kneeling on what seemed to be an old storage room of sorts. Unlike her usual self, she couldn¡¯t feel anything at all from the star beneath her feet ¨C feelings, memories, none of it. And, worst of all, she couldn¡¯t even recall how she¡¯d gotten herself here. ¡®Where even am I¡­? Did I space out again?¡¯ Aymeia reflexively pulled on her arms to push herself back to her feet. But instead of coming to her aid, her arms refused to budge, screaming in a tearing pain instead. Only then did she take notice of the three large, bronze-like nails embedded within each limb, pinning them to the wall behind her. ¡°¡­¡± Try as she might, even her flames were refusing to form, preventing the star deity from destroying her bindings. Gathering mana did little besides exhausting her of what little energy she had left. ¡°¡­Dammit.¡± Clenching her teeth, Aymeia then prepared to jerk her arms out by force ¨C until a loud bashing noise echoed from the outer hallways. A second soon followed the first ¨C then a third, then a fourth. Wooden doors slammed open one by one as someone rapidly went about throughout the chambers, as if searching for something in a hurry. And, after a short silence, the door leading into Aymeia¡¯s own captivity chamber creaked open. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At first, Aymeia had to squint her eyes to make out the rusted pike that had pushed the door open. After another few seconds of silence, the deity¡¯s eyes locked with a confused cat half who slowly peeked in from outside. At first, the deity thought it was her imprisoner, or short of that, a torturer of sorts ¨C but the half girl didn¡¯t exactly appear to be either, being armed with nothing but a small torch and all. Deciding that the strange girl didn¡¯t require any attention, Aymeia simply returned to pulling at her pinned limbs. And immediately, the half girl¡¯s screaming voice followed her actions. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?! Stop that!!¡± The cat half rushed to Aymeia¡¯s side to keep their arms from being torn out. She briefly inspected the devices pinning the deity, and then Aymeia herself. ¡°¡­¡± The first thing Light noticed were two black-red horns protruding from the imprisoned woman¡¯s head. The second thing she noticed was their lack of clothing. Instead, the prisoner wore an excessive amount of bandage that covered nearly every single corner of her body. From what little skin she could see, Light could spot patches of charred flesh underneath them. Aymeia stared back with a suspecting glare, now wary of her unexpected visitor. ¡°What do you want, child?¡± ¡°W¡­wait, I¡¯m not here to hurt you. I¡¯m just looking for some medicine. I didn¡¯t even know you were here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you¡­no, stupid question, you¡¯re clearly not okay. Were you fighting the emperor too?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Uh¡­do you know who trapped you here then? How did you get here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing the woman¡¯s stern answers, Light let out a long sigh before asking her final question. ¡°¡­Fine. Who are you? At least tell me that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m...¡± The deity momentarily hesitated, her expression muddled with uncertainty. Several seconds had to pass before her heavy mind could decide upon an answer. ¡°¡­Aymeia.¡± ¡°Aym-¡° The half girl immediately cut herself off. Her eyes gradually widened in shock and dismay as she stammered to confirm what she¡¯d just heard. ¡°A¡­Aymeia? You¡¯re saying your name, right? Like, you just happen to have that name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too certain of what you mean to say, but I¡¯m the only Aymeia I know of.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Yeah. You¡¯re the only Aymeia I know too.¡¯ The half girl consciously swallowed her words. It was considered sinful to name a child after the Twelve ¨C hence, someone sharing a deity¡¯s name was an extremely rare occurrence in the first place. Truthfully, Light would¡¯ve loved to turn around and leave, pretending that she hadn¡¯t heard anything. But after hearing the deity¡¯s name, it was a little too late for that. ¡°You¡­do know you go to hell for impersonating a deity, right?¡± ¡°You believe that? Felicir¡¯s joke still runs through mankind.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Light struggled to process the situation at hand. Even when she¡¯d been reading ancient texts, she hadn¡¯t struggled this much to process. ¡®A deity is being held prisoner¡­? Are thehy¡­¡¯ Despite Light¡¯s attempts to remain indifferent, it certainly didn¡¯t help that another deity had robbed her of her home and family. Her mind jumped from one unspeakable crime to another, imagining all sorts hell this particular deity could¡¯ve wrought. ¡®¡­Snap out of it. He¡¯s not the only deity there is. Lady Aldrid was nice to everyone¡­¡¯ Light rapidly shook her head to snap out of her daze. She quickly placed her torch on one of the empty hangers on the wall before scanning the room they were in, proceeding to check through the rows of shelves on the other walls. ¡°¡­Give me a second. I¡¯d help you out, but pulling out those nails right now will probably do more harm than good¡­I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything we could use here.¡± ¡®At least this place looks like some sort of storage. Hopefully the shelves aren¡¯t empty.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Aymeia¡¯s eyes warily followed the hurrying half girl. She angrily bit her lips, concerned and frustrated over the current situation. And finally, what came out of the deity¡¯s mouth was a haphazard mix of worry and anger. ¡°¡­You¡¯re far too gullible, halfling. Shouldn¡¯t you question why I¡¯m being held like this? For all you know, I could be an evil monster.¡± ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°¡­Well¡­no.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine then.¡± ¡°Are you not afraid of what may come?¡± ¡°Of dying to an evil person? Not really. Of someone else dying when I could¡¯ve helped them? A little.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Light practically ignored the deity¡¯s warnings, the shelves she opened quickly revealed themselves to be filled with a series of medicines and healing items. She rapidly plucked out additional wraps of bandages, as well as a number of medicinal concoctions she¡¯d found within the shelves to shove into her small bag. ¡®¡­Need that, need that, don¡¯t need that¡­what does this do? Whatever, let¡¯s just take it¡­oh, I could use this too.¡¯ When Light finally returned to Aymeia¡¯s side, the half girl was holding a ball of what looked like cabbage leaves. Without a single warning, the ball was forced into the star deity¡¯s mouth. ¡°Here. Put this in your mouth.¡± ¡°What? Why would I- umpf!¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m no expert, but you¡¯ll just have to trust me for now. I really don¡¯t have time to argue with you.¡± As drowsiness instantly washed over Aymeia, her closing eyelids caught faint a faint glimpse of the half girl staring at her limbs in dismay ¨C though she couldn¡¯t exactly tell why. And just a few minutes later, Light was carrying the freed deity out of the keep. ? ? ? Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. When Karas returned to where Light was supposed to be, he initially found nothing but an unconscious red dragon lying on the floor. ¡®Where did she¡­?¡¯ A wave of panic settled in as Karas scanned his surroundings for the missing half girl. But as he did so, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the burns spreading over Ilias¡¯ body. Reluctantly, the professor knelt on one knee, nursing the red dragon in a hurry. ¡®¡­There shouldn¡¯t have been any survivors around to take her away. She must¡¯ve gone elsewhere to look for things. She¡¯ll be fine¡­¡¯ Karas endlessly repeated his reassuring thoughts, telling himself over and over that his student would be okay ¨C that even if she were here, she would¡¯ve been telling him to heal Ilias, not go looking for her.1 And, as if to confirm those very thoughts, Light soon emerged from the keep¡¯s entrance. Though, strangely enough, the half girl was struggling to carry a stranger¡¯s body over her shoulders, their feet dragging along the ground. ¡°¡­Light?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? P, professor! You¡¯re back!¡± With rushed steps, Light quickly made her way back to Karas and Ilias. She practically threw the person over her shoulder off to the side, rummaging through her bag to produce copious amounts of medicinal concoctions she¡¯d procured from the keep. ¡°I uh, Ilias was losing her voice, her burns were spreading and I didn¡¯t know what to do so I just went in and grabbed everything I could, I¡­I don¡¯t know what all of these do but I think some of them were for burns, um, and¡­¡± ¡°¡­Slow down. Ilias will be fine. Take it easy.¡± As Karas continued to heal the red dragon, he spared a curt glance towards all the items sprawled about. He quickly examined a few before popping one open, applying the salve over Ilias¡¯ skin. ¡°Good. We won¡¯t be needing the rest, but this should help combat any residual pain when she awakes.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, are you healing her with magic?¡± ¡°I am, yes.¡± ¡°¡­You could do that? When Ilias scraped her knee a few years ago, you said you couldn¡¯t really do anything about a dragon¡¯s wounds, only restore vitality¡­¡± ¡°¡­I certainly did. As you¡¯ve said, that would be the norm: conventional healing magics cannot heal those of other species, including dragons like Ilias.¡± ¡°So then¡­what¡¯re you doing right now¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned other methods since.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of questioning her professor further as usual, Light instead let out a long, relieved sigh. As the half girl sunk to the ground, a teary gaze fell over her sleeping sister, shaky breaths slowly calming back down. ¡°¡­Thank goodness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This time, it was Karas who began the questioning. ¡°Now¡­I believe medicines aren¡¯t the only things you¡¯ve brought with you.¡± When Karas¡¯ gaze drifted towards the collapsed, bandaged individual, only then did Light seem to remember their existence. ¡°Oh, her?...She was in the same room where medicines were being kept. She might¡¯ve been a prisoner, her arms were pinned to the wall¡­¡± Karas narrowed his gaze. The professor¡¯s tone instantly grew stricter as he continued. ¡°And you thought it was a good idea to free her? Do you even know who she is?¡± ¡°Erm¡­she said her name¡¯s Aymeia.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Light! What you did was extremely dangerous. Going into the keep alone was already dangerous enough. What if they¡¯re-¡° ¡®¡­Wait, what?¡¯ Karas stopped his scolding midway as he began to register the name properly. He only knew one Aymeia. In fact, the entire world probably only knew of one Aymeia. Following his train of thought, the professor blankly parroted the name his student had said. ¡°¡­Aymeia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what she told me.¡± ¡°The Aymeia?¡± ¡°¡­Probably?¡± ¡°And you threw her on the ground¡­? Wait, if she told you her name, she must¡¯ve been awake when you found her. Why is she unconscious?¡± ¡°I put her to sleep. I didn¡¯t want her awake when I pulled out those nails. Though¡­for some reason, they just disappeared before I actually pulled them out.¡± ¡°You put a deity to sleep¡­? With what?¡± ¡°¡­I shoved a ball of ardus leaves into her mouth. They were on the shelves too.¡± ¡°¡­Where did you learn what ardus leaves do?¡± ¡°Eh¡­Mr. Lairaff taught me when I couldn¡¯t sleep. He taught me what a bunch of plants do, actually.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Karas internally questioned how deities had come to have such a low standing within his student¡¯s head, a particularly chatty spirit came to mind ¨C one that was likely at fault for Light¡¯s lack of respect for the Twelve. ¡®¡­Speaking of, where is he?¡¯ As Karas continued to nurse the youngling back to health, he shifted his gaze over into the distance. The explosion of lights had already stopped some time ago; if Felicir had gone and found Serenis as told, then he should¡¯ve had ample time to return by now. ¡®Has something happened to them? Or did his soul disperse before he could make it back? I do hope it¡¯s the latter¡­¡¯ Karas¡¯ brief train of thought came to an abrupt end as he felt Light¡¯s fingertip gently poking at his back. ¡°¡­Professor?¡± ¡°Hm?...Ah, my apologies. Were you saying something, Light?¡± ¡°Do you¡­know what happened to Raizel? And¡­Serenis?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming back soon, right?¡± Karas meekly looked away from his student¡¯s gaze. Despite his affirming answer, his voice carried little confidence in giving it. ¡°¡­Of course. I¡¯m sure they will.¡± ? ? ? Deafening beats stirred the dragonlord awake. But when her eyes opened, Serenis found herself standing before what seemed to be a giant wall of orange crystals. An endless expanse of dark stretched behind her back, while blinding waves light crashed amongst each other from beyond the crystal surface. And before her very eyes was the wall¡¯s only gap, leaking bits of flowing light from outside. Although miniscule, the leakage was contaminating the black beneath her feet in small puddles of white. Serenis meekly watched as the murky radiance flowed into where she stood. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s gonna need some fixing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Upon hearing the familiar voice, Serenis turned to see a blue-haired boy who¡¯d suddenly appeared at her side. His eyes playfully studied the crystal¡¯s gap for a moment, but soon met the dragonlord¡¯s gaze. The boy then beamed at his companion, casually waving his hand. ¡°Long time no see. How¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis had seen this boy a number of times. But every time she¡¯d seen him, it was through mirrors or surfaces of water. And she¡¯d thought those days were long past. Hesitating, the dragonlord spoke the boy¡¯s supposed name. ¡°¡­Zion?¡± ¡°That would be my name now, yep.¡± ¡°How are you¡­here? I thought you were-¡° ¡°Just a piece of you now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The better question is, why are YOU here? Do you even remember what you were doing before you got here?¡± ¡°I-¡° Despite the simplicity of the boy¡¯s question, Serenis found herself struggling to answer it. Try as she might, her mind drew a complete blank. The more she pondered, the harder it became to recall what she¡¯d been doing. ¡°¡­I¡­can¡¯t remember...¡± ¡°Heh. It¡¯s okay. Look there.¡± As Zion pointed beyond the crystal wall, Serenis turned to see the flowing lights beyond it. As if in response, the waves of light mixed and churned, forming a much clearer image ¨C thousands of it. The wall of crystal quickly became a kaleidoscope of sceneries and memories, taken from those who had walked the star before. ¡°¡­¡± Some were beautiful, some were ugly; some were memories of one¡¯s happiest days, while others depicted their despair. Given enough time, the everchanging memories would show everything there was to tell about the star¡¯s history. ¡°See all that? You can take any of those memories for yourself. You just need to let them flow in ¨C like this.¡± Bending downward, Zion scooped up a portion of the murky white that had leaked from the crystal¡¯s gap, holding it up towards the dragonlod. Even the small portion in his palms stirred and churned, showing dozens of images that continued to change all the same. But Serenis frowned her eyes in response. She slapped away the offering, letting the white splatter back onto the dark beneath. ¡°¡­None of those are my own. I have no need of them.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You said you couldn¡¯t even remember what you were doing before you got here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis balled her fists and clenched her eyes shut. She desperately attempted to recall what she¡¯d been doing before waking up in this strange place ¨C but her memories eluded her grasp, as if avoiding her on purpose. She¡¯d ruled the dragonkin as their lord, and she¡¯d died upon the world¡¯s summit with her brethren ¨C that much, she could recall. Even in the depths of this endless expanse of darkness, she was certain that those memories were her own. But now, that was just a distant past. ¡®¡­What was I doing before arriving here?¡¯ In a hesitant tone, Serenis parted her lips once more. ¡°¡­It¡­it was something important. Something I¡­needed to do¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure? If you can¡¯t remember, then it couldn¡¯t have been that important, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was he right? Was that the reason she couldn¡¯t remember? As Serenis mulled over the boy¡¯s words, her uncertainty slowly turned into certainty. If what she was doing was so important, then surely she¡¯d remember it. Furthermore, possessing memories of events following her death didn¡¯t even make sense to begin with. ¡°Perhaps¡­you¡¯re right. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t that¡­important¡­¡± As Serenis dropped her gaze, another flickering image caught her attention from the corners of her eyes. When she turned to one of the white droplets that had splattered onto the black beneath her feet, she saw a silver-colored hatchling, sitting alone in the midst of a destroyed, silent valley. Her lifeless eyes stared into the distant sky,her hands emptily hovering over where her wings had once been. ¡°¡­Raizel?¡± Soon after Serenis spoke the steel dragon¡¯s name, the droplet then churned and shifted to show that of a red dragon in their hatchling days. The tiny dragon was running towards her nest, pulling the steel dragon along. Then, a familiar, black-feathered figure, sitting alone in his old office; a half girl, laughing alongside the grown red dragon while sharing their favorite treat with her family; the deities she¡¯d met, the dragonkin she¡¯d found, all of those who Serenis had met in her second life. Finally, the light showed an all-too-familiar blue-haired enforcer, rebuilding their house for his sibling that would one day return home. ¡®¡­How did I forget all this?¡¯ As Serenis began to grasp at her own memories, Zion likewise looked down on the shifting droplet of white, smiling at its contents. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everyone lets go of everything when they die. It¡¯s not surprising that you would, too.¡± The boy then let out a small laughter. Even though his expectations had been thwarted, he only felt relief from it. ¡°But then again, seeing as how it¡¯s showing you exactly what you need¡­maybe you didn¡¯t let go that much.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re wrong. I haven¡¯t died.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you remember now?¡± Instead of an answer, the dragonlord¡¯s eyes filled with determination. She turned to study the strange world around them, her eyes darting from side to side in search for an exit. ¡°This is but another dream. I must return.¡± ¡°A dream? Are you sure?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t, you couldn¡¯t possibly exist on your own. ¡®Zion.¡¯¡± ¡°Well¡­maybe I¡¯m not Zion then.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve no time to waste with you.¡± Before Serenis could walk away, the boy hurriedly grabbed onto the dragonlord¡¯s sleeve. He then pointed towards the crystal wall, at the crashing waves of light ¨C and their glimmering source beyond. ¡°Woah there, not that way. If you¡¯re looking to wake up, then you¡¯ll need to go the other way. That¡¯s where your heart is. Though¡­I wouldn¡¯t exactly recommend it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis stared into the little boy, studying his gaze for a hint of deception. But when she found none, she merely let out another sigh, turning around to approach the wall of orange crystals. Zion watched as the dragonlord soon laid her hand upon its surface, her palms glimmering in magic. ¡°Woah, wait a second! You¡¯re just going to break the entire thing down?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t. It was you who claimed that I must go this way to regain myself.¡± ¡°If you break the wall, then all those memories are going to flood into you. Are you sure you want to do that? If you just stay here, then you could at least keep you and your past memories intact.¡± ¡°And never wake up from this nightmare?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What point is there in sacrificing the present to retain the past? That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± A large fissure fractured along the crystal¡¯s surface. Further rifts webbed through the entire wall as crashing lights rapidly leaked into the open cracks. But Serenis showed no signs of concern for the memories that flooded into their side. She merely pushed her hand further, letting her own light to intensify ¨C to overwhelm the crashing waves before her. ¡°W, wait! If you do that, you¡¯ll-¡° Ignoring the boy¡¯s concerned yelling, a burst of prismatic lights erupted forth from the dragonlord¡¯s hand, shattering the crystal wall ¨C and also swallowing the crashing waves of light whole. The flooding memories melted away before the woven magic, leaving nothing but an empty expanse of dark before the dragonlord. As she lowered her hand in satisfaction, Serenis spared a momentary glance to the boy behind her. ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to worry about. I¡¯ve bested the First before. No divinity of his could threaten my being.¡± ¡°¡­You knew?¡± After beaming a small grin, Serenis turned away from the little boy. She approached the distant glimmer in steady steps, eager to leave this ridiculous dream. Zion soon collapsed onto the ground. Another laughter escaped the boy as he watched the leaving dragonlord. ¡°Ha¡­maybe I didn¡¯t even need to make that wall.¡± ? ? ? Orange lights faded from the dragonlord¡¯s palm as the last of Raizel¡¯s wounds closed up. As ¡®Serenis¡¯ finished treating the youngling, a sudden jolt of pain stabbed at her heart. But even as she winced, her lips curved into a smile from the interactions of her inner self. She sunk her shoulders, collapsing onto the ground beside Raizel. She leaned her back upon the steel dragon¡¯s belly, letting out a relieved sigh. ¡°Ouch. Looks like your lord¡¯s going to wake up soon, Raizel. Did you know that she used to sleep most of her days away?...She¡¯s changed a lot.¡± The dragonlord gently patted the youngling¡¯s scales. With the last of her wounds closed away, Raizel¡¯s chest was now rising and falling in steady breaths, her expression much more peaceful than before. Serenis then closed her own eyes, indulging in a small respite before her inner guest¡¯s arrival. Though¡­at this point, the guest had practically become the owner. ¡°Be nice to her, okay? And yourself.¡± Ep 128. I Am Not Your Mother. (1) Ep 128. I Am Not Your Mother. (1) When Raizel came to, the strangest sight greeted her awakening. ¡®¡­Lord?¡¯ Serenis was flying about around the steel dragon with a puzzled expression, studying every corner of the youngling¡¯s massive metal body. Eventually, Serenis landed upon Raizel¡¯s back. Her eyes were fixed upon the two large scars stretching across her back where their wings should¡¯ve been instead. A gentle, worried touch brushed against the scarred surface. ¡°¡­It must¡¯ve been difficult.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Raizel considered pretending she was asleep a while longer. Apparently, being worried about didn¡¯t feel too bad. But as soon as she caught a glimpse of her lord¡¯s saddened eyes, the youngling immediately stirred awake, turning her head towards the dragonlord standing upon her. ¡°Lord. What¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°¡­Raizel! Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Huh? Course I¡¯m alright. Why wouldn¡¯t I b-¡° Raizel cut herself short as she began to remember why she was laying here in the first place. She soon avoided her lord¡¯s worried eyes, looking away in a mix of embarrassment and puzzlement. ¡°Uh, I mean, yeah. I think I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. Thank goodness¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel then proceeded to study her own self. Despite her vivid memories of Hathelon¡¯s lights puncturing through her scales, not a single wound remained on her body anymore. After confirming that she was practically unharmed, the youngling returned her attention to the dragonlord. ¡°Did you heal me? I thought you said you couldn¡¯t use healing magic?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡± Serenis stammered in her answer, reminiscing upon the blue-haired boy she¡¯d just met. It wasn¡¯t her who¡¯d healed Raizel. When Serenis had come to, the youngling¡¯s body had already recovered in full. All she¡¯d done was inspect it. Alas, they were in the midst of a lifeless plain. It wasn¡¯t like someone else would have coincidentally shown up to heal Raizel and leave. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± After another few moments of contemplation, Serenis beamed a warm smile as she answered the youngling. ¡°I suppose this was an exceptional case. I simply had to.¡± ¡°¡­? What do you mean you had to?¡± ¡°Well¡­you did promise, did you not?¡± ¡°Promise what?¡± ¡°That once everything is over, you¡¯d allow me to live with you at your nest.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°How could I expect you to uphold your promise if you¡¯re unwell?¡± Raizel remained silent for another good minute. She continued to stare at Serenis, her eyes wide in bewilderment. ¡°You¡­you remembered that?¡± ¡°Of course. How could I forget? It¡¯s a precious memory.¡± ¡°¡­!!! NO IT¡¯S NOT! FORGET IT!¡± ¡°Oh? Does the idea no longer appeal to you?¡± ¡°What? No!¡­No, I just¡­JUST FORGET IT! You know what, I think Ilias wasn¡¯t doing too well. We should head back. NOW.¡± Raizel immediately turned away, preparing to return to where her friend had remained ¨C and avoiding the dragonlord¡¯s gaze while at it. Serenis frowned at the unpleasant news. However, a hint of doubt remained as she noticed the steel dragon¡¯s lack of concern. ¡°What happened? Was Ilias hurt badly?¡± ¡°Well¡­the emperor¡¯s spell got to us a few times when we couldn¡¯t transform. Typical burns, molten skin¡­molten bones. Meh.¡± ¡°Molten bones?! You came here with wounds like that?!¡± ¡°The crow healed me enough. Now that I think about it, he probably got around to Ilias by now, too. Maybe she¡¯s fine already¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis let out a relieved sigh upon hearing the news in full. She couldn¡¯t imagine what she¡¯d do had her absence resulted in irreversible harm to others again. Meanwhile, Raizel was internally regretting telling the truth. She hurriedly reduced her form and summoned her wings, beckoning the dragonlord along with ominous words spoken in a most casual tone. ¡°Actually, what I meant to say was, she¡¯s in mortal danger. We should hurry back.¡± ¡°¡­? But child, you just said-¡° ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go! And forget that other thing, will you?¡± Serenis quietly snickered as Raizel flailed their arm, urging her along in evident embarrassment. She gladly accompanied the rushing youngling, returning to where the others would be. ¡°¡­Thank you, Raizel.¡± ¡°¡­For coming to help? Or the other thing?¡± ¡°Both. And more.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°¡­?¡± A thin smile curved the dragonlord¡¯s lips as they took flight. No matter what happens, I will never forget you again. No matter where this path takes me, I will always return. Never again will I lose anyone I hold dear. ? ? ? ¡°Hm.¡± As the light faded from his hands, Karas briskly wiped his forehead. He scanned the sleeping red dragon once more, looking for any leftover burns ¨C to which there was none. ¡®I suppose things are finished here¡­¡¯ Ilias remained peacefully asleep, her contorted expression long gone since applying the salve Light had brought. The half girl was also snuggled around her sister, passed out from a mix of exhaustion and lack of sleep. The professor raised his gaze. He hovered one hand over his eyes, marking the position of the sun shining high above their heads. ¡°¡­I suppose we did stay up all night. Now, then¡­¡± When he lowered his gaze once more, Felicir ¨C who was casually floating above Aymeia¡¯s unconscious body ¨C met the professor¡¯s eyes with a sly smile, waving at his fatigued slaver. ¡°Why hello there. Tired?¡± ¡°¡­Somewhat, yes.¡± ¡°Ah, so you do grow tired as well! You were going strong for so long, I almost thought you were a monster or something. Oh, wait ¨C you are.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯ve done what you asked. I delivered you all the news you wanted, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­To be accurate, you were talking my ear off while I treated Ilias.¡± ¡°Would you like me to repeat myself then?¡± ¡°Heavens, no.¡± As Felicir shrugged in response, the professor let out another sigh. Karas¡¯ hands quietly clasped his beak from beneath as he thought over everything the Reaper had told him. ¡°So, in summary¡­Serenis¡¯ assailant was not an Akeian soldier, but a deity...¡± ¡°You had a hero and a demonlord side by side. What else was supposed to happen?¡± ¡°¡­And in their fighting, Raizel was wounded to a fatal degree¡­¡± ¡°Near fatal. Unfortunately not quite.¡± ¡°¡­But she was then healed back to health by Serenis who apparently woke up as soon as she passed out.¡± ¡°Precisely! Odd, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s like she wasn¡¯t affected by the divinity at all.¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, no, I don¡¯t find it odd at all. I¡¯ve seen her do crazier things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas¡¯ eyes were muddled in disdain. If they were to speak on levels of oddity, Serenis¡¯ very existence was easily the most puzzling one; recovering from a blackout to heal their precious kin was hardly surprising. In the end, the professor spelled out his exhausted, soulless conclusion. ¡°She was victorious, and no one died in the process. Good riddance.¡± ¡°Good riddance? For a deity¡¯s death? If I were alive, I¡¯d have you killed for that.¡± ¡°And yet I am alive, whereas you aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time you learned your place, Felicir. The only reason I¡¯m keeping you whole is because you saved Light and Ilias.¡± ¡°Sheesh, our slaver¡¯s got attitude. Whatever did I do to you?¡± ¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten, you single-handedly annihilated my students and destroyed my workplace, as well as over a third of my city. Further, you¡¯re responsible for the death of Light¡¯s family.¡± Felicir visibly flinched as Karas went about listing what he¡¯d done to incur the professor¡¯s contempt. But instead of backing down, the floating spirit instead crossed his arms, shaking his head in derision. ¡°Excuses, excuses. You don¡¯t actually care for any of those, do you? Empathy is lost on monsters like yourself. You¡¯re only pretending so.¡± Karas shied away from giving a reply. He instead shifted his attention towards those that better deserved it. For example, the bandaged body Felicir was floating over. Karas briskly approached the unconscious star deity, fixing her posture to lay her flat on the ground. His hands carefully uncovered her bloodstained bandages to inspect the impaled limbs beneath. As the professor¡¯s eyes studied Aymeia¡¯s wounded arms, he continued to voice his curiosities to the floating spirit, ignoring their previous insults. ¡°So, this really is Aymeia, then? The Aymeia?¡± ¡°Deity of Stars, in the flesh. Though, she isn¡¯t technically a deity anymore. Her divinity¡¯s gone over to your precious dragonlord.¡± ¡°I suppose Raizel was successful in her delivery. But more importantly, were the Twelve always this easy to find? What¡¯s a deity doing imprisoned at a military post?¡± Felicir gave an exaggerated, sarcastic shrug to the professor¡¯s question. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­she walked out of her cave like a madman, continued eastward until she eventually came across Hathelon, engaged him in battle, and¡­lost spectacularly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas¡¯ expression twisted further and further as he listened to the ridiculous story. When he found himself failing to process what the floating spirit was even saying, he instead opted for a different inquiry. ¡°¡­Alright, a different question then. What¡¯s the Judge doing among the empire¡¯s ranks?¡± ¡°Our hero? He wasn¡¯t exactly in their ranks. He was merely cooperating with the empire¡¯s ruler for mutual gains.¡± ¡°Mutual gains? What could a deity possibly have to gain from a human?¡± ¡°Simple. Hathelon wished to destroy Aymeia¡¯s divinity, but he lacked the means to do so himself.¡± Karas widened his eyes at the revelation ¨C first at the fact that a member of the Twelve had wanted to destroy another¡¯s divinity, second at the fact that a human could do what a deity could not. ¡°¡­And Lavnore possessed the means to do so? To destroy divinity?¡± ¡°Who knows? You¡¯re the one who devoured his magical aptitude, you¡¯d know better than me. For all I know, he was bluffing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Haha. Anyhow¡­that¡¯s what Hathelon wanted from the emperor. In exchange, the emperor wished for Hathelon¡¯s aid in the empire¡¯s conquest. If you were ever wondering where the empire¡¯s antimagic equipment came from, that was all provided by our dearest hero himself.¡± A long sigh escaped Karas¡¯ beak. It was easy to see Lavnore going to extremes to enlist a deity¡¯s aid ¨C or to make their strength his own. The professor could still clearly recall how the Akeian emperor had attempted to absorb Aymeia¡¯s divinity. And soon enough, Karas also remembered the damage it¡¯d done to Lavnore¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­Wait. You said Aymeia¡¯s divinity has gone over to Serenis?¡± ¡°It has, yes.¡± ¡°Is she alright? She hasn¡¯t¡­gone¡­¡± ¡°Mad?¡± ¡°¡­For a lack of better words, yes.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m of the opinion that not going mad when one should go mad is, in fact, madness. If nothing else, she should¡¯ve at least shown some sort of struggle in keeping herself sane. But your dragonlord didn¡¯t have even that. She just passed out, and woke right back up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But since you said you¡¯ve seen worse in her, I don¡¯t know what to tell you.¡± Karas rolled his eyes at the Reaper¡¯s sarcastic tone. Even though Felicir was quite enthusiastically answering his questions, the dead spirit was trying just as hard to badmouth their killer. ¡°¡­Final question.¡± ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡± ¡°What started this whole¡­conflict? Even in my years of study, not once have I seen a record of there being infighting amongst the Twelve. There must¡¯ve been a reason why the Judge was so intent on killing Aymeia.¡± ¡°Ah, you misunderstand. Killing Aymeia was merely a single step in the grand scheme of things. As he would say, he merely intended to liberate this world.¡± ¡°Liberate?...From what?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of an immediate answer, Felicir nudged his translucent chin towards the unconscious girl beneath him. ¡°Look at her yourself. Do you notice anything?¡± ¡°¡­Bandages?¡± ¡°No, I mean her features.¡± ¡°¡­Orange hair? I suppose that¡¯s somewhat peculiar.¡± ¡°¡­No, you birdhead. Do you not have eyes? She has horns.¡± Karas narrowed his gaze. Felicir was right ¨C the star deity did indeed possess horns. But not too far away was his student who possessed a secondary pair of ears ¨C animal ears at that. And snuggled next to the cat half was their honorary sister who had horns, wings, and a tail to boot. At least for a Partivine citizen, having features like horns was nothing to write home about. ¡°What about it? Plenty of halves possess horns. Or do you mean to imply that the Judge was one of those human supremacists?¡± ¡°¡­He was more a racist than he was a supremacist. Look closely. What horns do you suppose those are?¡± Karas fixed his gaze upon the two curved, crimson-tipped horns protruding from the deity¡¯s head. Normally, the professor would¡¯ve guessed an antelope breed, just like anyone else would. But that clearly wasn¡¯t the answer Felicir was looking for. And, furthermore, he¡¯d seen these types of horns. Quite frequently, in fact. ¡°¡­Dragon¡­horns?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Felicir gently lowered his hand to caress the unconscious girl on her head, only for it to pass through without resistance. He retreated his hand with a bittersweet smile, returning his gaze back to Karas. ¡°It wasn¡¯t always like this. She was a human girl once.¡± ¡°But not anymore, I¡¯m guessing.¡± ¡°No, not anymore. Aymeia subjected herself to my experiments. She was the first and only success: a pure-blooded human who succeeded in retaining a dragonkin¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°You made her this way? For what reason?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a tiring sigh, Felicir shrugged towards the professor¡¯s suspecting glare. ¡°I told you already, didn¡¯t I? Our minds cannot hope to contain the divinity Aymeia held. If mankind were to rule the world as deities, there was a need to make a suitable vessel for our picky fragment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why you couldn¡¯t have simply entrusted this particular fragment to a non-human.¡± ¡°Because that defeats the entire purpose of ending the demon era.¡± ¡°¡­Demon era?¡± ¡°The era before ours. Before we ruled the world as the Twelve.¡± Felicir then darted his eyes, looking into the distance to nowhere in particular. A faint smile curved his lips as he rephrased his answer for the confused professor. ¡°Or, in simpler terms¡­your precious dragonlord¡¯s era.¡± Ep 129. I Am Not Your Mother. (2) Ep 129. I Am Not Your Mother. (2) Raizel reluctantly sat down by her friend¡¯s side, kicking her tongue in annoyance. But even so, the steel dragon took care not to wake up the two sleeping siblings. She merely complained under her breath, talking to no one in particular. ¡°Tsk. Why do I have to look after them? It¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s gonna come here¡­¡± The dragonlord had gone a little distance away with Karas, carrying an unconscious body with them. Their entire excuse was ¡®to not wake up the sleeping children¡¯ through their conversation, but Raizel was still failing to see why she needed to keep watch over the others. But complain as she may, the youngling tried her best to keep watch as told ¨C for the first few minutes. Gradually, the steel dragon lost herself in boredom. Her tired eyes refused to remain open, and her sore body refused to sit upright for very long. And, soon enough, the number of sleeping children went up from two to three. Just as intended. ? ? ? Serenis quizzically tilted her head. While Karas had told her of all that¡¯s happened in her absence, there was still one aspect of his story that failed to make sense. And she was looking at it right now. ¡°This is¡­a deity, you say.¡± ¡°Was, to be specific. Though she¡¯s currently asleep due to certain¡­extraneous circumstances.¡± ¡°And you¡¯d like me to confirm whether she¡¯s a dragonkin or not?¡± ¡°Quite. That is within your capabilities, yes?¡± ¡°It is, but¡­¡± Even as Serenis answered, the uncertainty in her gaze remained the same as she beheld the two horns protruding from Aymeia¡¯s head. ¡®Those horns¡­¡¯ The strange, orange-haired deity possessed neither wings nor tail; in fact, there was little besides her horns to suggest her origins. But even so, the small resemblance she shared was more disturbing than anything else. Taking a deep breath, Serenis quietly began to speak to the sleeping star deity. ¡°???.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡±¡­Arise, child.¡± Truthfully, Serenis had no expectations whatsoever; if anything, she hoped that the deity wouldn¡¯t react. She hoped their strange resemblance to her kin a mere coincidence of an otherwise unrelated individual. The girl before her didn¡¯t feel nor look like her kin. It may even be ridiculous to think that a dragon would have held the position of a deity. But of course, life doesn¡¯t always go according to one¡¯s expectations. ¡°¡­Mnn.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°?!¡± ¡®It worked?!¡¯ Aymeia immediately awoke from her slumber as both Serenis and Karas watched on. A deep frown crossed the deity¡¯s face as she caressed her aching arms, scanning her new surroundings with a pair of stretched pupils. ¡°Where am I¡­huh?¡± Finally, the deity¡¯s eyes locked with the dragonlord before her. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± One of them remained unable to process the situation at hand; Serenis struggled to realize what was going on, unsure of what to even say to the awoken deity. And the other traced her hazy memories, trying to recognize who the person before her was; when Aymeia ultimately broke her long silence, her spoken phrase carried a hint of hope and longing. And it was all the more disturbing because of it. ¡°¡­Mother?¡± ? ? ? The first thought that crossed the dragonlord¡¯s mind was how thankful she was that Raizel wasn¡¯t awake to hear this. The second thought that crossed her mind was how to deny what was just said. However, contrary to the dragonlord¡¯s contorted expression, the smile on Aymeia¡¯s face continued to brighten with her increasing certainty. ¡°Mother¡­it is you, right? You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re alive¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to answer the girl, Serenis instead turned to Karas once more. ¡°¡­Karas. What you¡¯ve said earlier¡­are you certain?¡± ¡°¡­The Deity of Stars has inherited the will of a certain dragon, and yet retains their will.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or so I¡¯ve read, anyhow. To this day, she¡¯s worshipped as Asarda¡¯s guardian. It¡¯s said that when Aymeia was devoted to keeping the land, Asarda was once a warm region full of life¡­unlike its current cold climate.¡± Serenis returned her attention to Aymeia with a complicated mix of emotions. Meanwhile, the voice in Karas¡¯ head was absolutely delighted by his words. ¡®Ahahaha! Inherited their will? Where did that come from? Did I not just tell you that she was fused with the second lord¡¯s blood?¡¯ ¡®¡­Shut up, Felicir. Serenis is sensitive enough about matters regarding her kin as is ¨C if I were to tell her the truth, your precious Aymeia would disappear without a trace.¡¯ ¡®Ahh¡­haha. Fair enough.¡¯ ¡®And besides, your story¡¯s doubtful to begin with. How can an infusion of blood cause a disturbance in someone¡¯s memories? The two have nothing to do with each other.¡¯ ¡®Ah, you misunderstand. Vulka¡¯s blood only caused her body to change ¨C which was merely a measure to contain her shard. What I¡¯m understanding is that the change it brought caused her to select favorable memories from her divinity that matched Vulka¡¯s.¡¯ ¡®¡­So, to put it short, she¡¯s the victim of your screw-up.¡¯ ¡®¡­Yes, but must you put it like that? It¡¯s not like I intended to have my dearest student turn into a maddened half-dragon. What else was I supposed to do, leave the shard be and risk a spatial disaster every year?¡¯ ¡®None of that changes the fact that you screwed up.¡¯ Following suit, Karas likewise shifted his attention to the star deity. But she was still smiling, her eyes longingly fixed on the dragonlord before her. Forcibly lifting her aching arms, Aymeia wrapped herself around Serenis. ¡°Mother¡­welcome back. I missed you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Biting her lips, Serenis tossed away the girl¡¯s arms around her shoulders, glaring back with a pained expression. ¡°¡­I am not your mother.¡± ¡°Huh? But¡­¡± ¡°And you are not my child. You are but mistakenly thinking so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Aymeia lowered her head, Serenis let out a small sigh. For a brief moment, it seemed like the deity was accepting the dragonlord¡¯s words. But soon after, Aymeia¡¯s tears struck the ground beneath her. ¡°¡­I, I¡¯m sorry¡­is it because I broke our promise?¡± ¡°What? No, that¡¯s not-¡° ¡°I, I tried my best¡­to keep the children safe¡­¡± ¡°Child¡­listen, I¡­¡± ¡°Everything was so¡­difficult¡­the Reaper never stopped haunting us. The hatchlings suffered the worst of it¡­¡± ¡°¡­ ¡°I had to do as he said. I had to cast your heart away¡­¡± Breaking into a quiet sob, Aymeia once again held Serenis with shaking arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to, I didn¡¯t want to. I had no choice, there was nothing else I could do. Forgive me¡­¡± A long sigh escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips. She softly placed her hands over Aymeia¡¯s shaking figure, holding her as she would her own children. This wasn¡¯t her child ¨C that much, she knew. Aymeia was merely a victim of her role, their identity lost beyond the depths of someone else¡¯s memories. The ¡®someone¡¯ that had missed their mother a lot more than they would ever have admitted. Finally, Serenis began to speak in low, longing whispers. ¡°You¡¯ve done no wrong. None of it was your fault, and you¡¯ve nothing to seek forgiveness for.¡± ¡°¡­But¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. You¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡­I wanted to tell you. That day, when I awoke in this body ¨C when I was told of our kin¡¯s survival ¨C I wanted to believe that you¡¯d still be there. And you were. But you were no longer of this world. Had you still lived, I wanted to tell you. That¡­ ¡°¡­You¡¯ve done more than anything I could ever ask for. I¡¯m very proud of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amidst the gentle touch, the hazy voice in Aymeia¡¯s memories grew ever clearer. Now, she could remember what that voice had called her. It was these very hands, this very voice. A gentle touch that would keep the heart at ease, a voice that would calm the world around them. But in stark contrast to her comforting words, the pain in Serenis¡¯ eyes only grew. What would you have me do? If you were still here¡­ What would you have done, Vulka? Ep 130. I Am Not Your Mother. (3) Ep 130. I Am Not Your Mother. (3) Hours slipped by as Serenis and Karas both listened to Aymeia¡¯s haphazard recollections. Some were memories from a distant past; some were recent. Some, no one could tell ¨C not even Aymeia herself. In retrospect, the former deity¡¯s story made little sense: her memories comprised of a mix of her own and Vulka¡¯s, or at times, some completely unrelated entity. She often stumbled on her own words, unable to decide on how she felt about various issues. This was especially evident when Felicir¡¯s name came up: being her former teacher and friend, the human girl Aymeia had always appreciated his presence. But to Vulka, the Reaper was nothing but a despicable, heartless enemy. Indeed, Aymeia was responsible for sending the Reaper to Serenis in the first place. But despite her evident memories, she could hardly understand why she¡¯d relied on Felicir for help, or why she¡¯d sent him to kill someone that could¡¯ve been her own mother. With two conflicting notions resting within her mind, there was little coherence in Aymeia¡¯s words. And the more Serenis listened, the more her certainty grew. ¡®¡­This isn¡¯t Vulka.¡¯ The memories Aymeia possessed were real: some were ones that no one else could¡¯ve known besides the dragonlord¡¯s only son. However, those memories were often corrupt, or incomplete. Even though Aymeia could recall Serenis, she couldn¡¯t recall the existence of there being a sibling; she could recall one elder, but not another. She could recall how they¡¯d parted. But not how they¡¯d met. ¡°¡­But¡­what is there to recall about our meeting? You were always there. Children don¡¯t normally remember meeting their parents for the first time, right¡­?¡± In response, Aymeia received a cold stare from Serenis. ¡°You know what you should not¡­and yet, you know not what you should.¡± First, Aymeia¡¯s claim was only true among human children. Dragon hatchlings tended to spend the first few years within their egg, and many retained memories of their hatching day, as well as how they¡¯d ¡®met¡¯ their parents for the first time. Second, the relationship Serenis had with Vulka wasn¡¯t exactly a typical parent-child relationship. And even though the dragonlord had never told him certain things about their relationship, she didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that her clever child would¡¯ve figured it out on his own. But because they were never said by either of them, certain aspects of their parental relationship had always remained unsurfaced. There was no explicit memory to explain who they were to each other, and Aymeia ¨C only being in possession of Vulka¡¯s explicit memories ¨C was incapable of reaching the same realizations he had. Hence, when the former deity¡¯s series of recollections came to an end, perhaps it was only natural that Serenis would remain adamant in her denial. ¡°¡­I will say it again. I am not your mother, and you are not my child.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Aymeia lowered her head in disappointment, a hint of remorse gnawed at the dragonlord¡¯s conscience. But before she could act upon it, Karas finally broke his long silence after watching their interactions finish. ¡°Interesting. Seems her egos have fused.¡± ¡°¡­Fused?¡± As Serenis turned to Karas, the professor nodded in response. ¡°It¡¯s only a theory, but¡­on rare occasions, a secondary ego will surface alongside a preexisting one within one soul. When neither are successfully erased, the two will fuse, and the individual¡¯s sense of self becomes lost between the two. Symptoms are as you see: incoherent memories, and a conflicting self-image. Though I suppose in this case, it¡¯s due to a divinity¡¯s influence.¡± Serenis listened intently as Karas explained his ¡®theory¡¯ ¨C which wasn¡¯t so much a theory, with a secret advisor telling the professor exactly how things had happened inside his head. And said advisor wasn¡¯t being very helpful at the moment. ¡®Felicir, is there no fix to her state of being?¡¯ ¡®To tell you the truth, I had high hopes when our hero took away her divinity. I thought removing her divinity would revert her back to normal.¡¯ ¡®¡­And it didn¡¯t, did it.¡¯ ¡®No, that it did not. And therefore, I¡¯m out of ideas.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± While Karas struggled with the voice inside his head, Serenis was struggling to meet the former deity¡¯s innocent gaze. She, too, had experienced what it was like to hold the star deity¡¯s divinity. It wasn¡¯t difficult to grasp how the girl¡¯s state of mind had to come to pass. ¡®¡­That wasn¡¯t a dream after all, was it?¡¯ Had Zion not protected her within her unconscious, the star¡¯s memories may very well have flooded Serenis¡¯ mind. She may have lost herself amidst its crashing waves, never to regain herself again. ¡®You would¡¯ve fared better. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have needed help as I did.¡¯ After a short silence, Serenis quietly whispered a name. A name she dearly missed. ¡°¡­Vulka.¡± ¡°Huh?...Yes?¡± Watching the star deity respond to her son¡¯s name, the dragonlord¡¯s discomfort only grew further. She wasn¡¯t speaking to Aymeia to begin with. She was merely calling out into thin air ¨C lamenting the loss of her son to no one in particular. If only I could, I would bring you back. If only I could, I would tell you how thankful I am¡­and how sorry I am. But I¡¯ll never be able to. Not anymore. As saddening as it was, Serenis¡¯ son had long passed away. She¡¯d seen his remains with her very own eyes, and she¡¯d reclaimed the legacy he¡¯d left behind. Hence, the lost girl before her was not her child. Aymeia was no different from a broken instrument, playing notes that it was never meant to play; it was small wonder its sounds would come out torn and unpleasant.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°¡­¡± On the day Serenis awoke in this body for the first time, she¡¯d wished that her son would be at the valley to greet her again. When she¡¯d realized that he¡¯d passed away, she¡¯d wished that he¡¯d return to life somehow. Just like she had, through another inexplicable miracle. ¡®¡­But this is not how I wished for it to be.¡¯ Steeling her heart, Serenis drew a deep breath before she would speak again. ¡°¡­Aymeia. Do you recall how you became a deity?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Aymeia¡¯s voice faded into silence as she failed in forming her answer. It was a hazy memory, blurred beyond recognition. She couldn¡¯t recall much detail, but there were certain things she hadn¡¯t forgotten to this day. ¡°¡­I wanted to help him.¡± ¡°? Help who?¡± ¡°¡­Felicir.¡± Aymeia couldn¡¯t believe her own words. But the Reaper¡¯s grinning face was all she could see in her memories. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why. I hate him, I always hated him, but¡­for some reason, I wanted to help him then. I didn¡¯t know it would end like this¡­¡± Aymeia warily eyed the dragonlord, afraid that she¡¯d receive another cold gaze from her. But Serenis was instead nodding her head, her eyes reflecting more of remorse than contempt. ¡®¡­Vulka probably hated him. But you clearly did not.¡¯ Aymeia had been born a human; if she had been born a dragon, then Serenis would¡¯ve noticed it from the start, one way or another. And if she was born human, then there was no telling what sort of relationship she would¡¯ve had with the Reaper during those days. Though, now, the girl was nothing more than the First¡¯s mockery of the second dragonlord. Normally, that would¡¯ve been enough reason for Serenis to remove the girl from her sight. If the First would mock her kin from beyond death, then she would gladly kill him as many times as it would take. But there were also reasons to stay her hand. As matters stood, Aymeia was nonetheless a dragonkin in the present; the fact that she¡¯d responded to the dragonlord¡¯s speech was the only evidence Serenis needed. Further, none of it had been intentional: Aymeia had never intended to mock the dragonlord¡¯s son, and she¡¯d never intended to steal their memories. She¡¯d never intended herself to become the maddened, confused individual that she was. One thousand years ago, a human girl had wanted to help her teacher in distress. And she hadn¡¯t the mind to think an entire millennium ahead in making her decision. ¡°¡­¡± Serenis closed her eyes, reflecting over her own conscience. She continuously asked herself what the other lords would have done in her place. Some would¡¯ve elected to kill Aymeia without a second thought. Some would¡¯ve resorted to punishment. Some would¡¯ve sold her to another tribe like livestock, or exiled her from their tribe. Some may not even have cared about such defects. But her son would probably have laughed, noting the unexpected twists that fate had to offer him. He would¡¯ve taught and reprimanded Aymeia about why she shouldn¡¯t attempt to imitate his being. And he would¡¯ve dissuaded his mother from resorting to violence, protecting the peculiar girl as fellow kin. Finally, he¡¯d shrug it off afterwards. Content, and unbothered. ? ? ? When Serenis had first announced her intent to turn a blind eye to Aymeia¡¯s state of being, Karas let out an internal sigh of relief. Had Serenis decided to resort to violence, then he would¡¯ve been cornered into a choice of breaking the Reaper¡¯s conditions, or having to defend Aymeia against a literal demonlord ¨C neither of which were too appealing. But Aymeia herself seemed no better than she was before. In fact, Serenis¡¯ announcement seemed to worsen her mood. The former deity¡¯s strained gaze met the dragonlord¡¯s as her eyes begun to well up. ¡°¡­If I¡¯m not your child as you say¡­who am I then, really?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite Aymeia¡¯s conflicting memories, Vulka¡¯s were, ironically, still the largest portion. But now, that was being denied by the very person she thought to be her own parent. And yet, her supposed mother could not give her an answer. Serenis didn¡¯t know who Aymeia was; the peculiar girl was just a human-turned-dragonkin who¡¯d coincidentally happened to possess her son¡¯s memories through the divinity they once held. The dragonlord knew nothing about the girl¡¯s personal life. Instead, the answer came from someone else. ¡°Asarda¡¯s guardian.¡± As soon as Karas broke his silence, Serenis and Aymeia both turned their eyes towards him. The professor awkwardly cleared his throat in response to the sudden attention, adding on a few extra details. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­what the Deity of Stars is said to be, anyhow. Aymeia is worshipped by Asardans as their guardian, and it¡¯s said that she oversees their land and well-being. It¡¯s also said that she alters the constellations to guide those who are lost.¡± Serenis meekly nodded her head. She could care less what humans made their supposed deities out to be, but what Karas was saying did sound like something a tale that mankind would weave. Instead, the confused one was Aymeia herself. ¡°¡­I am?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes you are. In fact, now that I think about it¡­¡± The professor then turned to face Serenis, gesturing towards his chest. ¡°Serenis. I believe you¡¯re currently in possession of Aymeia¡¯s divinity, yes?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis instantly narrowed her eyes at Karas¡¯ unexpected remark. ¡°¡­How do you know that?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. Uh, well¡­¡± The professor soon realized his mistake ¨C while Felicir was busily laughing inside his head. But he had no time to pay the laughing spirit any mind, rushing to make a plausible excuse. ¡°Well¡­Raizel took it to deliver it to you, and I haven¡¯t heard either of you mention it since. I was curious if anything had happened to it.¡± Serenis¡¯ frown somewhat loosened as she listened to the professor¡¯s reply. ¡°Oh¡­I see. I was wondering how it¡¯d suddenly appeared. I suppose she did deliver it to me then. Though, this time¡­I happened to absorb it.¡± ¡°Ah. You¡­absorbed it. That¡¯s different, yes? You normally opt to destroying them.¡± ¡°¡­Circumstances were dire. I had no choice.¡± ¡°Haha. I see, I see. Interesting.¡± After faking out both laughter and interest, Karas took care to consciously calm his breathing. ¡®Good heavens. I better watch for that.¡¯ ¡®Or¡­you could simply tell others that I¡¯m with you. And that I tell you things.¡¯ ¡®¡­Felicir. In case you aren¡¯t aware, that would likely get me killed.¡¯ ¡®My point.¡¯ ¡®And in case you aren¡¯t aware, my death translates to your demise.¡¯ ¡®¡­My bad, I take it back. Live long and prosper, slaver.¡¯ After calming himself to a sufficient degree, Karas once again cleared his throat to elaborate on what he¡¯d initially meant to. ¡°Then, Serenis, that being the case¡­you don¡¯t seem influenced by it like Aymeia or Lavnore were. Did the divinity have no impact on you?¡± ¡°¡­It did. Had circumstances been any different, I may have lost my mind as well.¡± ¡°Is that so? Could you elaborate on how you managed?¡± ¡°¡­I held onto the present. And I destroyed the divinity¡¯s memories.¡± Karas took a few seconds to absorb the information, nodding his head at the new knowledge. He then looked towards Aymeia from the corners of his eyes, studying the former deity from head to toe. ¡°I see. So, in other words¡­you were able to retain yourself by reinforcing former memories, while rejecting the new.¡± ¡°I¡­suppose.¡± ¡°Then there may be hope for our deity yet.¡± The professor then fully turned to face Aymeia. He stretched out his arm, gesturing towards the mountains in the distance ¨C and the frozen lands beyond it. ¡°It may be possible for Aymeia to yet regain herself. Serenis, since you¡¯ve already taken the liberty of rejecting her newer memories, we only need to reinforce the old.¡± ¡°¡­And how do you plan to do that? We hardly know of her past self.¡± ¡°Ah, quite the contrary. You forget that history is my main area of study. Although more recent records speak of Aymeia as a deity who¡¯d long disappeared from the star, there are older records that depict her as a benevolent guardian of Asarda¡¯s people. Specifically, there are tomes about¡­¡± As Karas began his short lecture, even Aymeia¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. Even though he was merely speaking about her own self, her mind grappled with the professor¡¯s words, desperate to recall the things that he was speaking of. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t remember most of it. But all of it felt nonetheless familiar. They were memories she¡¯d lost ¨C memories she¡¯d once held dear. ¡°¡­So, in fact, we do know quite a lot about her past. And surely at such points, she was still of her own mind. Her former memories may reawaken in the presence of her land and people.¡± As Karas drew his conclusion, the first thought Serenis had was how plausible the professor had made it out to be. But her second thought was how unwilling she was to carry the plan forth. ¡°¡­I see your point, Karas. But I fail to see why I should go to such lengths to help a divinity.¡± ¡°She no longer is, is she? With her divinity lost, I thought she¡¯s closer to a dragon than she is a deity.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Though, I do suppose there¡¯s no reason for a lord to help every single one of their kin. But should we succeed in restoring Aymeia to her regular self, she may be able to offer you information about the remaining deities ¨C something I know you would be after.¡± Serenis let out a resigning sigh. She spared a brief glance towards the puppy-eyed girl before turning back to address Karas. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to convince me to help my own kin.¡± ¡°Haha. It¡¯s the thought that counts.¡± ¡°What of yourself, then? Why are you going to such lengths to help this girl? She is neither kin nor acquaintance to you. I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d suggest such time-consuming methods to help her state.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The professor mused upon the dragonlord¡¯s question ¨C or rather, upon how to deliver a convincing lie. But unlike last time where he¡¯d been caught completely off-guard, he was well-prepared this time around. ¡°¡­There¡¯s a multitude of reasons. For one, I¡¯ve ample time right now ¨C a luxury I could scarce afford during my days at the institute. Any history scholar would welcome the opportunity to study a deity¡¯s past in their presence, and I am no exception. It would also be worthwhile to deliver the news of Akeia¡¯s fall to Asarda: the people are wont to believe us if their guardian is present. And, lastly¡­¡± The professor spared a brief glance towards his student. Light was just starting to stir awake, rubbing her eyes as she arose from Ilias¡¯ side. Soon after, Karas finished his statement with a visible grin. ¡°¡­I was taught that compassion goes a long way in life.¡± Ep 131. Confessions of the Historian: Memories Ablaze Ep 131. Confessions of the Historian: Memories Ablaze It was never this way from the beginning. Once, you¡¯d looked to your creator for guidance. You¡¯d guide and teach others. You led a life befitting that of a deity. Had you continued to live in ignorance of your blessing, then perhaps you¡¯d still have retained yourself. And yet, your curiosity had pushed you onto a path to madness. Who are you, really? In your broken, faded memories, Who is it that you truly yearn to be? ? ? ? ¡°Aymeia.¡± ¡°Oh, Lord Felicir! You¡¯re here!¡± In the corners of a flowerbed within their golden temple, a lone girl remained on the ground, beamed a bright smile at her creator. Despite her lengthy dark hair sprawled about the dirt beneath her, she didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all. And although her head was lowered in a respectful gesture, her two hands remained glued onto the ground. Watching the girl¡¯s actions in amusement, the Reaper slowly approached the star deity, his gaze falling unto the two little hands that were touching the soil beneath. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re well. What¡¯re you reading today?¡± Resonance with their very world: an exclusive right that belonged to the deity of stars. While Aymeia herself had little idea of its actual workings, in her own words, it was akin to reading an endless picture book. Countless lives that had thrived upon the star¡¯s soil comprised the book¡¯s contents. A simple read was all it took for Aymeia to share their feelings, and experience their memories. ¡°Today¡­well¡­¡± After a brief pause, Aymeia made a sheepish smile towards the Reaper. ¡°To be honest, today¡¯s memories aren¡¯t really happy ones. It¡¯s a lone son that was left all on his own¡­it looks like he missed his mother a lot.¡± The Reaper tilted his head in response. To him, the peculiar story was rather familiar. ¡°That¡¯s quite unfortunate. But if that¡¯s the case, then wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to glimpse into someone else¡¯s memories?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I absolutely could. But¡­¡± With longing eyes, the star deity beamed towards the soil beneath her. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I feel strangely connected to this individual. It¡¯s like they¡¯re my own memories¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± As much as he wanted to stop Aymeia by force, even Felicir couldn¡¯t hastily bend the star deity to his will. If she were to die under any means, then that would call for yet another suitable vessel to the divinity she held ¨C and having one was already a miracle in of itself. If worse comes to pass, then Aymeia¡¯s passing may very well necessitate another reset of their world. And so, the Reaper merely gave Aymeia an encouraging tap on her back, supporting the girl¡¯s peculiar pastime. ¡°Don¡¯t get too absorbed now. If you become depressed from those memories, then who¡¯s going to put the sun up every morning?¡± ¡°The sun?...But the sun¡¯s never¡­?¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking.¡± Not even the Reaper had any way of knowing at this point ¨C of just how much the star¡¯s resonance would change his innocent student. But as soon as Felicir walked out of Aymeia¡¯s temple, a pair of glaring eyes caught his attention. A dissatisfied hero stood leaning on a temple pillar, arms crossed in a defiant stance. ¡°¡­Got a problem there, hero?¡± ¡°I do not approve.¡± ¡°Are we going there again? I told you, we need Aymeia.¡± ¡°The need you speak of is but a mere opinion of yours. You¡¯d dare defy divine will?¡± ¡°I mean, even if you put it like that¡­my will is divine will now.¡± Widening his sunken eyes in fury, Hathelon immediately summoned a blade into his hand. ¡°Insolence! You¡¯d dare replace the First? You could never bec-¡° ¡°Shh. Pipe down, hero.¡± Following the Reaper¡¯s phrase, Hathelon instantly froze in his act. Despite his screaming senses, his body refused to move; even as Felicir approached him with an ominous smile on their lips, Hathelon couldn¡¯t so much as even lift a finger. ¡°Have you not yet learned? Your boundless inventory, your peerless divinity, weapons of the velklord¡¯s make¡­none of it have any meaning before me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Watch yourself, Hathelon. Especially in Aymeia¡¯s presence.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph. If you cared so much about your dear student, then you should¡¯ve denied her from the very beginning. That demonling doesn¡¯t even remember who you a- kgh!¡± As the smile faded away from Felicir¡¯s lips, Hathelon¡¯s grip on his weapon instantly loosened, his blade clattering onto the ground. The Judge¡¯s hands soon wrapped themselves around his own neck, choking their very owner. And in his fading consciousness, Death whispered into his ears. ¡°I allowed you to live. I allowed you to judge the remaining demonkin like you wished. I even allowed you to keep the velklord¡¯s shell. How much more do you need before you learn some humility?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Felicis asked me to allow your survival. Don¡¯t make me reconsider that, Hathelon.¡± ? ? ? Upon his next visit, Felicir looked around the golden temple¡¯s interior in confusion. He searched from corner to corner to look for Aymeia, but to no avail. ¡®That¡¯s strange¡­it¡¯s only noon. Where is she?¡¯ Giving up on his search, the Reaper instead turned back to approach the gardener outside. ¡°Sorry. Could I interrupt you for a second?¡± ¡°¡­?! Lord Felicir! Why, of course! Can I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for Aymeia. Have you seen her?¡± ¡°Uh¡­Lady Aymeia? She did say she¡¯d go on a walk earlier today. Now that you mention it, I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s returned since¡­¡± ¡°Ah, thanks. That helps.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. After beaming back at the gardener, Felicir briskly turned around to leave the temple¡¯s vicinity. His eyes darted from corner to corner as he searched for the star deity. ¡°That¡¯s odd. She¡¯s not one to go out for so long¡­huh?¡± Before long, the Reaper¡¯s eyes beheld what was likely the weirdest sight he¡¯d seen this decade. ¡°Grrgh¡­¡± In the nearby field of grass, Aymeia was on all fours, growling like an animal as she held a dead rabbit between her clenched teeth. As if proud of her success, the deity¡¯s expression resembled that of a wild predator after a successful hunt. Though, as soon as she locked eyes with the Reaper, the rabbit fell out of her mouth. ¡°Ah, Lord Felicir!¡± ¡°¡­Aymeia¡­what¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, me? I was just on a walk¡­¡± ¡°A walk, you say¡­¡± As Felicir lowered his gaze, a bloodied rabbit came to view. Aymeia¡¯s lips and clothes were likewise drenched in blood, causing the Reaper to question his vision. ¡°If you¡¯re on a walk¡­then do tell, what¡¯s the rabbit for?¡± ¡°Huh? Um¡­¡± Aymeia lowered her own gaze to the rabbit that had fell out of her mouth. She soon rose to her two feet like a proper human being, scratching her head in confusion. ¡°The children¡­I was going to¡­um¡­¡± ¡°¡­The children?¡± After a confused silence, Aymeia met her creator¡¯s gaze once more, her eyes just as confused as his. ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­not sure¡­what was I doing with a rabbit¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the confusion in Aymeia¡¯s voice, Felicir forced himself to smile, gently petting the star deity¡¯s head. ¡°¡­I suppose the recent drought had been a bit harsh on Asarda¡¯s children. You wanted to give them something to eat, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s very kind.¡± ¡°Huh? Um¡­m¡­maybe? Since you¡¯re saying so, I¡­think that¡¯s probably right¡­¡± ¡°Mhm. But since you¡¯re not quite presentable at the moment, let¡¯s get you and that rabbit thoroughly cleaned before we visit the villages. And next time, you can simply call on me if you want to catch a wild animal.¡± ¡°Ah¡­okay. I¡¯ll do that!¡± As Aymeia rushed to clean herself at a nearby stream, Felicir wordlessly waved his hand towards the running deity. And at this point, not even the Reaper had any way of knowing. That Aymeia¡¯s strange hunts would repeat over, and over, and over again. ? ? ? ¡°Lady Aymeia.¡± ¡°Huh?¡­Lord Clyus?¡± ¡°No, no, please. Just Clyus is enough.¡± The elf approached the star deity with cautious steps, caring not to step on the flowers nearby. And as he made his way through the flowerbeds, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the peculiar change within the girl before him. ¡°I see your hair¡¯s changed in color. Was the last not to your liking?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­I¡¯m¡­actually not too sure why it changed. They just started growing orange like this¡­is it weird?¡± ¡°Not at all, my lady. The brightness suits you quite well.¡± Beaming a warm smile, Clyus spared a moment to gaze upon the flowerbeds that surrounded them. ¡°And pairs nicely with the flowers, might I add. This garden seems to grow in beauty every visit.¡± ¡°Haha¡­it¡¯s all thanks to everyone working so tirelessly. I just sit here all day¡­¡± ¡°While I do agree that their efforts are invaluable, you should give yourself credit as well. Even the Sky¡¯s left Asarda¡¯s climate entirely in your hands, yes? They haven¡¯t experienced a single drought since. I¡¯m sure Asardans are ever thankful for their land¡¯s guardian.¡± Even as she heard the elven deity¡¯s compliment, Aymeia could do little than look away in shame. She stared down at the blooms beneath her, wondering if that¡¯s what the people actually thought of her. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I deserve their gratitude. I¡¯m only doing this because I can¡¯t leave Asarda.¡± ¡°Oh? Not too fond of this land anymore?¡± Aymeia hurriedly wove her hands in denial, shaking her head. ¡°Oh, um, that isn¡¯t to say I dislike it here or anything! It¡¯s just¡­the world¡¯s a big place. And even without being there, I still see and hear so many things. Sometimes, I can¡¯t help but want to be there myself. But I can¡¯t leave my temple, so¡­¡± ¡°Ah. As I recall, you were able to read the star¡¯s memories like a book, yes? To have memories without the experience¡­I can¡¯t imagine what that¡¯d be like.¡± After flicking the cane in his hand, Clyus lightly tipped his top hat, beaming towards the pouting star deity. ¡°Well, Felicir did send me to check on you. So, how about this? Just for today, I will escort you anywhere you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? But if Lord Felicir found out¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite occupied with Letherien¡¯s request today. You¡¯ve nothing to worry about ¨C I won¡¯t tell a soul of our small venture.¡± ¡°¡­But¡­¡± ¡°We can return whenever you¡¯d like. You need but say the word.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A wave of temptation gnawed at Aymeia¡¯s heart. She¡¯d seen Clyus accompanying her creator a number of times; she knew exactly what he was capable of. After a few more seconds slipped past in waning hesitation, Aymeia slowly parted her lips. ¡°Then¡­there¡¯s one place I do want to visit¡­¡± ? ? ? Stepping through the dimensional gate, Aymeia¡¯s eyes marvelled before the surrounding walls of ice. Despite being in the depths of an enormous pit, their frozen surface seemed to gleam in a magical radiance. ¡°¡­Wow. So it really was here¡­¡± ¡°Hm. Have we come to the right place?¡± Clyus followed after the star deity, studying their destination with a curious gaze. He then faced upwards, staring into the clouds far, far above. ¡°A frozen pit? That¡¯s rather peculiar. Is there something special about this place, my lady?¡± ¡°¡­This is the place¡­that I see most from the star¡¯s memories.¡± Even as she spoke, Aymeia¡¯s eyes remained fixed onto the frozen figure at the pit¡¯s centre. Entranced steps carried the star deity forth towards the figure ¨C towards the frozen remains of a resolute dragon that had raised the current kin. ¡°¡­You¡­must be¡­¡± Following Aymeia¡¯s steps with a confused expression, Clyus too, studied the mass of ice before them. ¡°Quite the sight to behold. Is that an ice sculpt?¡± ¡°¡­No. He was a living dragon. He was¡­¡± Aymeia trailed off her words, delicately laying her hand upon the draconic figure. And soon, her watered eyes burst into tears. ¡°Lady Aymeia? What¡¯s wrong?!¡± When Clyus abruptly placed his hand upon Aymeia¡¯s shoulder, she slowly turned to lock eyes with the elven deity. And, much to the elf¡¯s dismay, resting within the star deity¡¯s eyes were a pair of inhuman black streaks that had replaced her pupils. Watered eyes glistened amidst her grief-stricken expression. ¡°Feli¡­cir¡­¡± ¡°My lady, are you alright? If you¡¯re looking for Felicir, I could take us to where he is.¡± ¡°¡­Curse you.¡± ¡°¡­? I¡¯m sorry?¡± In a burst of anger, Aymeia forcefully pushed away the elven deity. Orange flames flared to life around her body, her eyes growing crimson in color to mirror the fiery light. A pair of crimson-tipped horns grew out of her head, her voice coated in a deep-seated hatred. ¡°¡­Your soul will rot in the deepest pits of hell. I will remember your atrocities for all eternity!¡± ? ? ? ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what she said. But she doesn¡¯t seem to remember any of it.¡± ¡°Huh. Interesting.¡± ¡°Interesting? That¡¯s it?¡± Clyus dropped his jaw at his friend¡¯s dismissive tone. He frantically wove his cane atop the lifeless mountainside, pointing down towards Aymeia¡¯s temple far below. ¡°You¡¯ve nothing else to say? She almost blew up the valley whole! If I hadn¡¯t moved her elsewhere, the dragons would¡¯ve found out instantly!¡± ¡°What else would you like to hear? A ¡®good job¡¯? Good job, Clyus.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Clyus squinted his eyes at the Reaper¡¯s response to his story ¨C or lack thereof. ¡°¡­Come, Felicir. Surely you have SOME idea of what was going on there.¡± ¡°Why, sure I do. While I was busy cleaning after Letherien¡¯s mess, you were sneaking off with Aymeia behind my back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of a serious response, the Reaper only returned a casual smile towards the elven deity ¨C as if their story had little to no value. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time she¡¯s confused memories of others as her own. It¡¯s nothing to be concerned over.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying this has been happening frequently? She wasn¡¯t like this in the beginning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll stabilize in time.¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Clyus crossed her arms, shaking his head in dismay. He tone grew heavy as he pressed the Reaper for a serious solution. ¡°This is no small problem, Felicir. You know what her divinity¡¯s capable of. If Aymeia were to lose her mind to some evil entity, then she could cause irreversible damage upon the star.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°¡­Listen, I¡¯ve heard that Hathelon¡¯s been searching for new ways to destroy the shards. If he succeeds, then perhaps we should just-¡° ¡°Clyus.¡± As soon as the Reaper spoke his name, the elven deity immediately shut his lips. Even though no external influence ailed his body, Clyus found his body frozen in fear from his friend¡¯s unforgiving gaze. ¡°I said that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± The Reaper dismissively wove his hands. His tone loosened in temper, though Clyus remained frozen just the same. ¡°And forget about that pit. Don¡¯t ever take Aymeia back in there, either.¡± ¡°¡­Why? What even was that pit? She said the sculpt inside was once a living dragon, but I¡¯ve never heard of dragons having such exquisite burials.¡± ¡°How do you NOT know what that pit is? I even told you about the contract we¡¯d made with the dragonkin.¡± ¡°¡­? You did?¡± As his elven friend struggled to understand his words, the Reaper let out a derisive snort. ¡°You weren¡¯t listening before, were you?...Actually, perhaps it¡¯s for the best.¡± ¡°Why? What was that pit?¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s best you don¡¯t know.¡± It¡¯s best nobody ever knows. Ever. ? ? ? Clyus looked around the strange scenery that stretched on from the same mountaintop. The elven deity drew a cold, raspy breath, shivering from the chilling winds brushing against his face. ¡°¡­I realize it¡¯s been a while, but¡­really?¡± Ever since his little venture with Aymeia a few centuries ago, Felicir had outwardly banned the star deity from going anywhere near the dragonlord¡¯s grave. In fact, she was told to remain in her temple at all times unless told otherwise by the Reaper. But in the passing years, strange events continued to happen throughout Asarda. The lush fields of grass grew cold and lifeless from their prolonged winters. Flowers withered away in the land¡¯s falling climate, and bursts of fire had long incinerated the star deity¡¯s temple. Countless Asardans were left to starve or freeze. Many were forced to leave their homeland for survival. But even then, their once-benevolent guardian remained holed up where her temple once was. The mounds of ice continued to grow around her to eventually form a large, frozen cavern of her own. ¡®It¡¯s like she made this entire place to be that pit¡­¡¯ No more could Clyus see the rainbow of flowers around Aymeia. No worshipper remained to greet his coming, and no Asardan remained to build a temple for their worshipped guardian. A bitter laughter escaped the elven deity. ¡°You were wrong, my friend. Just look at this place¡­she never did stabilize.¡± Even as Aymeia spoke of the welfare of her children, never again would she show any affection for her people. Even as she longed for those that had left her here, never again would she show any gratitude for those that remained at her side. And even as she continued to call herself ¡®Aymeia,¡¯ never again would she greet Felicir with the same smile. He was her creator and teacher. At the same time, he was her sworn enemy. She was still Aymeia. But of course, she no longer was. ? ? ? Who is it that you see reflected upon the ice? Who is it that you hear in your voice? The answer should be an obvious one. And yet, it is not so obvious to you anymore. Poor child. You were taught how to live, taught how to lead. You thought yourself capable of everything you were entrusted with. And yet, you were never taught how to die. Ep 132. I Am Not Your Mother. (4) Ep 132. I Am Not Your Mother. (4) ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Seriously, slaver??¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± After making sure that no soldiers remained to disturb them, the others had taken shelter within Telberk for the night. Karas alone stood outside upon its ramparts, indulging in the cool night air as he stared into the distant stars. It would¡¯ve been nicer if there wasn¡¯t a spirit yapping away at his ears. ¡°This is ridiculous. You can¡¯t just add terms to our agreement!¡± ¡°I did not. I proposed a new one, and you agreed to it.¡± ¡°¡­I did not AGREE to your stupid proposal. I simply listened.¡± ¡°Would you like to decline then? Just say the word.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once, Felicir too had belonged to society as a regular human member. In fact, having been a court mage of his country, he¡¯d been a rather prominent figure. During this role, the Reaper had seen a myriad of personalities. From honest to deceitful, kind to malicious, he¡¯d developed his own ways of addressing each of them. But to this day, the personality he found most difficult to deal with was those who knew exactly what they wanted ¨C and exactly what he wanted. Under such circumstances, there was nothing to dispute, nothing to bargain. Each party¡¯s wishes were bluntly out on the table, and both sides knew that neither could refuse. Hence his unease right now. ¡°¡­Slaver, what you¡¯re seeking to do is beyond insane. You¡¯re literally trying to revive a dead person.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been complaining all night, but I¡¯ve yet to hear you say that it¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve said, feel free to decline. I¡¯m perfectly content with leaving Aymeia in her crazed state. I¡¯m sure Serenis would also be eager to return to Partivine as well; she could leave Aymeia in the dragonkin¡¯s care, and find out about the other deities through Felicis or Aldrid.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not even certain if you can restore her. You¡¯re merely claiming that you can.¡± ¡°So will you give up on her?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Then stop making pointless conjectures.¡± Had Felicir still been alive, Karas would have been sentenced to death at least five times over for his insolence. Unfortunately, no such thing was ever going to happen, and their dispute had to continue. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for much, Felicir. I only need a single answer from you.¡± ¡°¡­You think I¡¯d allow you to overthrow the concept of death? Me, the Reaper?¡± ¡°Will you give up on Aymeia then?¡± ¡°¡­Fine. Fine, I get it.¡± Karas snorted, nodding at the Reaper¡¯s reluctant compliance. He then rummaged his pockets, producing a rather unremarkable set of wooden ring and necklace. ¡°Just like how you can¡¯t give up on Aymeia, there are things I cannot give up on as well.¡± He¡¯d done every possible research he could on his own. He¡¯d then proceeded to study the dragonlord¡¯s case directly, though the research had yielded nothing of note. ¡®¡­Should even this fail¡­then I will forfeit our reunion for good.¡¯ This would be the last research he would conduct. And it would be last attempt he makes in his lifelong goal. ? ? ? When Serenis arose in the morning, the first thing she noted was¡­the fact that she¡¯d actually gotten a good night¡¯s sleep. It was a rather rare occurrence throughout her recent ventures. The second thing she noted was the fact that Light was already awake, sitting beside her sister¡¯s bed while chewing on a piece of dried meat. ¡°¡­Light?¡± ¡°Oh, are you awake? Good morning.¡± Even though there were ample rooms within the keep, only Karas had elected on using a separate room. And both younglings had never awoke last night, sleeping through to this very moment. ¡°Are you hungry? I found some food in the kitchen here, want some?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m alright. There are matters I must tend to still.¡± ¡°Huh? Like what?¡± ¡°¡­Well¡­destroying the shells, for one¡­¡± ¡°Shells?¡± Initially, Serenis¡¯ goals in venturing to Telberk had been to discover Aymeia¡¯s whereabouts, as well as how the empire had gotten hold of Kelador¡¯s shell. The former had been accomplished as soon as Light had discovered Aymeia within the keep; as for the latter, Karas had kindly informed the dragonlord during yesterday¡¯s talk that her assailant was the source of the empire¡¯s antimagic arms. But even though they¡¯d been thrown away into an endless void, Serenis couldn¡¯t help but worry about the weapons that had already been provided so widely. That is, until Light mentioned a rather peculiar phenomenon. ¡°You mean those bronze-like metals, right? The ones that the soldiers had?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not quite bronze, but that would be correct, yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They disappeared.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°They were already gone by the time I found Aymeia. Her nails disappeared just about then. All the weapons that those soldiers had are gone, too. Professor confirmed it while he was cleaning up all the¡­uh¡­bodies.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°¡­Gone? But how could they simply be gone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The professor might, though.¡± Just as Light shrugged towards the dragonlord, they could hear a knocking sound at the door, followed by Karas¡¯ voice. ¡°Light, are the others awake?¡± ¡°Oh hey, good timing. Come in!¡± Light hopped off the bedside, gulping down the last bit of meat in her mouth before making her way towards the door. It soon swung open to reveal the familiar feathered figure, who quickly scanned the room thereafter. ¡°Ah, I see Serenis is awake. Though it seems others are still asleep¡­?¡± Before her teacher could change the subject, Light quickly tugged on her professor¡¯s coat, pulling him towards the dragonlord. ¡°Professor, do you know where all those bronze weapons went?¡± ¡°Oh, those? Since they were bound to the individual that attacked Serenis, they should¡¯ve disappeared for good following his death.¡± ¡°¡­Eh? How do you even know that?¡± A brief pause ensued as Karas stopped himself from saying ¡®Felicir told me.¡¯ He warily eyed the dragonlord before clearing his throat to give a better, equally sensible answer. ¡°I, um¡­I believe ancient texts depict such weapons being forged by a deity. Because they were bound to their being, they would disappear once the forger has passed.¡± Serenis merely took the explanation for what it was. But on the other hand, Light was noticing something strange in her professor¡¯s response. ¡°¡­Really? Which book was that?¡± ¡°¡­Good¡­question. I can¡¯t seem to recall. It was too long ago to remember.¡± After lying to his student with the straightest face he could manage, Karas briskly turned away to hide the guilt creeping over his face. ¡®¡­You know, that¡¯s only half right. They were bound to Hathelon, sure, but he didn¡¯t actually forge any of those. Letherien did.¡¯ ¡®Felicir, shut up.¡¯ ¡®Is this gonna be how things are from now? I tell you things, and you lie about the information¡¯s source every time?¡¯ ¡®Well phrased. Yes, that¡¯s exactly how things will be.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ As her teacher turned away after his answer, Light looked back at the questioning dragonlord, shrugging about her teacher¡¯s odd behavior. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that, I guess. But yeah, they¡¯re all gone, so¡­I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± After addressing the matter in full, Light returned her attention to the sleeping dragons. She proceeded to poke at her sister¡¯s cheek, to which no reaction occurred whatsoever. ¡°Now¡­if we¡¯re good with that, can you help me getting these two to wake up? They¡¯ve been sleeping for like, forever. Any more of this and I¡¯m gonna start thinking they¡¯re dead.¡± Light rolled her eyes, producing her wand thereafter to poke at the younglings¡¯ faces. Having been the first to awaken, the half girl was growing increasingly impatient as she waited for the dragons (and Aymeia, who she couldn¡¯t care less about) to leave the keep together. But even though the wooden stick was poking at both of them with notable force, neither youngling showed any sign of getting up; in fact, Light only stopped when her equipment snapped against the steel dragon¡¯s cheek, its broken half whizzing past her arm. ¡°¡­Great. Not like I use that thing anyways.¡± Muttering more complaints under her breath, Light tossed away the other half of her broken wand. She then stared expectantly towards her dragonlord friend, imagining them employing some literally-magical-method to wake up the two dragons. A bewildered look drew over Light¡¯s face when all three awoke to a single utterance of their lord¡¯s voice. ? ? ? When everyone finally gathered around to hear Karas¡¯ announcement, the clock was already ticking past noon; there had been a lot of catching up to do, especially for the two younglings that had practically slept yesterday away. But that was the least of Light¡¯s concerns as she worriedly looked towards her professor. Her eyes darted between him and Aymeia, who was now practically glued to his side. The former deity stared at the ground with forlorn eyes, as if she¡¯d burst into tears any minute. ¡°So¡­we¡¯re not going home?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to return with Ilias, Light. Serenis, Raizel, there¡¯s no reason for either of you to stay, either. I can see to Aymeia myself.¡± Light frowned at Karas¡¯ reply. His words basically translated to, ¡®I¡¯m not going home no matter what.¡¯ When the half girl looked towards others to see their reactions, Serenis was standing with her usual indifference, arms crossed and seemingly uninterested. Only seemingly. ¡°¡­You¡¯re mistaken if you think I¡¯d abandon a kin in need.¡± Nobody was particularly surprised by the dragonlord¡¯s statement. That is, except for Aymeia herself. ¡°Really? Does that mean-¡° ¡°No. Stay away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With her hopes shot down midway, Aymeia reluctantly retraced the steps she¡¯d taken to keep her place by Karas¡¯ side. And even though a pang of guilt gnawed at the dragonlord, she didn¡¯t bother to take back her words. Truth be told, Serenis didn¡¯t particularly dislike the Aymeia anymore. After their talk last night, she could at least see that the former deity had never meant harm in her actions; even when Aymeia had sent Felicir to kill her, the dragonlord was thought to be some thief or monster, not their supposed mother returned to life. A series of apologies had followed as well. And yet, Serenis couldn¡¯t afford to have Aymeia near her. She was still uncomfortable around the peculiar girl, and she still couldn¡¯t decide on how to treat her. But none of those were plausible reasons to distance herself from someone she considered kin. No, the actual problem lied elsewhere. ¡°Rrrgh¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Child, stop that.¡± Without turning her head, Serenis stared at the growling youngling from the corners of her eyes. Raizel was glaring at the orange-haired girl with a furious scowl. She was practically stuck to Serenis¡¯ arm, and she showed no signs of letting go anytime soon. And she¡¯d been this way ever since Aymeia had accidentally referred to Serenis as ¡®mother¡¯ earlier. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, Raizel¡¯s odd behavior didn¡¯t go unnoticed; it wasn¡¯t like she was Serenis¡¯ actual child, either. But everyone was taking it for what it was at this point. Finally, Karas spared a brief glance towards the steel dragon, noting her clearly adamant will to never part with her lord again. ¡°¡­Alright, seems like Raizel will be staying with Serenis then. Now, as for you two¡­¡± Karas¡¯ gaze soon fell upon Ilias and Light. The red dragon immediately turned to face her little sister, who was staring back with worry-filled eyes. ¡°Light. Do you wanna go home?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go where you go.¡± ¡°Mm¡­well¡­¡± The half girl didn¡¯t want to part with either her sister or her teacher; anyone could tell that much. Even if Ilias were to decide to return home with Light, the youngling could already see just how much her sister would ruminate about leaving her teacher out in the middle of nowhere. And, in the millionth chance that something were to happen to Karas¡­ ¡®¡­Actually, let¡¯s not think about that.¡¯ Instead, Ilias beamed back at the half girl, rubbing her head between her twitching ears. ¡°Let¡¯s stay together then! We¡¯ve never been to Asarda, after all. Wouldn¡¯t want to miss out when everyone¡¯s off doing interesting things, right?¡± Sighing in relief, Light nodded in agreement to the red dragon. And as the final two made their decision to stay, Karas cleared his throat to make his next announcement. ¡°It seems everyone¡¯s keen on staying. Very well.¡± ¡®Not surprised at all¡­nope, not surprised at all.¡¯ ¡®Slaver, you¡¯re sweating.¡¯ ¡®Felicir, shut up.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­Where next then? I trust you have a destination in mind?¡± The professor¡¯s eyes locked with Serenis midair. He quickly nodded in response to her question, gesturing towards outside. ¡°Although our main goal will be to awaken Aymeia¡¯s memories, there¡¯s no telling what or how long it may take ¨C but we could do worse than to introduce her to her own people again. I plan to take her to the nearest Asardan settlement from here, and inform them of Lavnore¡¯s death in the process.¡± Light likewise looked towards the window. But from here, and even from what she¡¯d seen yesterday, Telberk was surrounded by nothing but lifeless plains and a handful of mountains along their edge. ¡°¡­Nearest settlement? Is that far away?¡± ¡°Not exactly, no. It¡¯s quite close in distance. Though, the Hayle Range separates Asarda from the rest of Astellion, which is the mountain range you see to the west; we¡¯d have to cross it if we were traveling by foot. But¡­¡± Karas spared a brief glance towards the others ¨C specifically towards Serenis, Raizel, and Ilias. ¡°¡­As we can simply fly over the mountains, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. And the nearest Asardan settlement is just beyond the range.¡± ¡°Mmk¡­will we be okay though? We don¡¯t need to prepare anything?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite cold, so I¡¯d advise to dress warm¡­but that advice is probably lost on most of us.¡± Once again, Karas spared a glance towards the dragons ¨C as well as Aymeia. Not a single one of them seemed to be bothered by the prospect of cold. And Ilias happily wrapped her tail around her little sister, patting the half girl on her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You can stick with me, Light. You won¡¯t be cold at all!¡± Karas nodded in approval. He could handle a bit of cold himself; he could also use magic if need be. ¡°If we were making travel plans in leisure, I¡¯d also advise bringing food and money, but¡­we¡¯ll have to make do for now. I¡¯m sure we can find ways to procure what we need in Asarda as well.¡± ¡°? We have those though.¡± As Karas looked towards his student with a quizzical gaze, Light casually pointed at the door with her thumb. ¡°I already ate from the kitchen here. There wasn¡¯t anything fancy, but¡­there¡¯s a lot?¡± ¡°¡­You did?¡± ¡°Yep. And if you go downstairs, there¡¯s a bunch of chests with gold.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As a teacher, Karas knew that he shouldn¡¯t be praising a student for stealing food or treasures. In fact, he was considering reprimanding Light for suggesting it ¨C and he would¡¯ve if his mind was at peace. Unfortunately, it was not. ¡®Slaver, that¡¯s low. You stole the emperor¡¯s jewelry too. You¡¯re the bigger thief here.¡¯ ¡®Felicir, shut up.¡¯ ¡®Besides, the dead have no right to anything. All they leave behind is for the living to take.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ For once, Karas was internally agreeing with the Reaper. At least in this instance. But then again, he¡¯d never admit it out loud. Ep 133. I Did? (1) Ep 133. I Did? (1) A lone warrior climbed the wooden stairs, carrying a plate of cold, dried meat. As soon as he opened the door to the tower''s top, a breeze of freezing winds greeted his arrival. A curt glance soon followed from a hulking figure, adorned with a bear hide over their head. "Chief. I''ve brought you some food." "I told you, just call me Urgus...oh? Is that bear meat?" "I''ve heard they''re quite to your liking." "Ahahaha! Whoever told you, they told you right." "...Everyone knows. You have a hide over your head, it''s not hard to guess." Urgus'' expression instantly brightened as he approached his guest, chuckling at their last remark. He casually tossed a piece into his mouth, crunching down on the cold, tough meat. "Mm. It''s a shame we can''t drink." "We don''t have much, but I could spare you a bottle?" "Haha. No, it''s best I hold myself. If Brother Orkaan found out, I''d be dead before the war even begins. Being able to eat is good enough for me." "...Good enough, you say." Chewing on his unsavory meal, Urgus returned his gaze to the eastern mountains. Although the sight of stretching snow-tipped mountains had been mesmerizing at first, Urgus felt nothing but unease now. He''d watched the same spectacle for nearly a month. And still, nothing had changed - for good or worse. "...Peska. How long do you suppose we''ll be here?" "I''m afraid I don''t have an answer for that." "I''ve been wondering if this is truly for the best. At this rate, we''ll be starved to death - Chell was never meant to hold so many warriors. We''ll be fine a while longer, but the children won''t last very long." "But we cannot leave. You know this, chief." Urgus grimaced at the adamant reply. Even though he was well aware of how pointless their discussion was, he seemingly couldn''t help himself from speajing. "...Sure I do. I know we must remain for Asarda''s sake. But..." Sighing in frustration, Urgus brought another piece of meat to his mouth, ripping off the top half with his teeth. "I suppose I''m growing impatient. That all we do is wait...for a battle that we cannot win." "If we had no chance of winning, the empire would already have marched into our lands. I''m sure they''re wary of Asarda''s might." "...No, that''s not it. What they fear is not us." Both warriors soon turned their eyes towards the northern plains. A frozen landscape endlessly stretched into the horizon - towards where their guardian was said to remain. "What they fear is the Star. The guardian that may not even come to our aid." "...You worry needlessly. Her presence alone is deterring the empire''s march. She protects us regardless." "Haha. Yeah...must be, right? I''m simply being a dumbass..." "Of course. The Star is always watching over us." "Ahaha! That''s right. That''s right..." An awkward silence ensued between the two warriors. It was an age-old belief they''d held onto all life: a belief that the Star would protect and oversee Asarda''s well-being for eons to come. The people''s belief in their guardian deity was engraved so deeply into their culture that it had cultivated what an outsider would call blind faith. But standing before the reality of war, that age-old belief was slowly beginning to crumble within Urgus. ''...It''s never been like this.'' Fathered by a man who''d united their frozen lands, Urgus had enjoyed a life free of worries or conflict. He''d been strong from birth, and had used that strength to cultivate himself even further; alongside his two elder brothers, Urgus could now confidently claim himself as one of Asarda''s strongest warriors.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. No beast nor monster could threaten the chief warrior. Asarda''s harsh climates had long become insignificant. If he was fated to die in battle for the land that had raised him, then he would gladly accept his end. But before the looming threat of war - a battle that could rob his entire people of their lives - even Urgus was driven to his wit''s end. If there really was a guardian deity, then he wanted to depend on her. Even though one of the watchers had reported a strange, orange-haired girl that abandoned Asarda to head eastward... "...Well, worrying won''t do us any good!" After the overly enthusiastic shout, Urgus swallowed the last bits of the meat strip. He once again turned towards Peska to grab another - until he noticed his friend''s narrowed eyes. "? Peska?" "...Chief, do you see that?" "Hm?" When Urgus followed Peska''s gaze, he could see another warrior to the east, seemingly returning from his hunting venture. But there wasn''t so much as a single leaf in their hands; instead, the warrior was walking back in the company of a number of outsiders. Urgus frowned as he studied the party. They were far too few to be the imperial army, and they the returning warrior didn''t seem particularly threatened by their presence. But what caught the chief warrior''s attention most was the peculiar girl in their midst, dragging her long, orange hair along the frozen ground. ? ? ? 30 minutes ago... "Brr...it''s sooo cold here..." Light rubbed her hands against each other, breathing upon her palms in an attempt to keep herself warm. The crimson tail around her waist tightened a little more to lessen her shivering. "Yeah...the wind really isn''t helping. Even I''m getting a little cold. Stay close, okay? Oh, and make sure you don''t touch Raizel." "Huh...? Why?" "Well...if you touch her when it''s this cold, your hand might get stuck on her skin." "...¡± Ignoring the red dragon¡¯s remarks, Raizel casually strolled through the snowy fields. The youngling¡¯s eyes were fixed on the tiny wooden frames in the distance, standing beyond what seemed like a low, wooden barricade. ¡°Hey, birdhead. Is that Chell?¡± ¡°It is. It shouldn¡¯t be long now.¡± Truth be told, they had the option of flying there ¨C and in fact, the party had already flown over the snowy mountains. But after they¡¯d made it through the mountain range, Karas had insisted that they walk the rest of the way, lest they scare any Asardan that would happen to see giant lizards flying towards their settlement. Not that Raizel was convinced. She was merely following after Serenis; the steel dragon was still very much displeased with having to walk. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we just fly? We can tell them we¡¯re not attacking when we get there.¡± ¡°Asarda should be on high alert due to the empire¡¯s influence. If we were to fly, we¡¯d be seen as enemies and attacked midair before even reaching Chell.¡± ¡°Tch. Guess these folks aren¡¯t weaklings either, huh?¡± Although she was unaware of it herself, Raizel¡¯s attitude towards humans had noticeably changed since her battle against Lavnore. Before, humans had been no different from harmless insects to the steel dragon. She could kill tens and hundreds with one swing of her tail, and the few named hunters that had challenged her before were nothing to write home about, either. Only after suffering from Lavnore¡¯s magic had the youngling developed some vigilance towards humans. Unfortunately, Karas destroyed what little vigilance she¡¯d gained with his next sentence. ¡°Actually, they¡¯re beyond weak in your standards. Asarda is known for not even having proper military. Due to their harsh climate, survival alone was a daunting task for its people; I doubt they could even reach you in the air.¡± ¡°¡­The hell? Then why¡¯re we walking? Isn¡¯t flying safer?¡± ¡°Because our goal is to restore Aymeia¡¯s memories, and no good will come out of losing the people¡¯s trust.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Which is why you, along with others, must remain outside when we arrive at Chell. A whole group of outsiders is bound to draw unnecessary attention, especially if said outsiders are dragons. The lesser the headcount, the easier it will be for Aymeia to gain the people¡¯s trust.¡± Due to the punishing environment that had persisted for centuries throughout Asarda, its inhabitants were already extremely wary of outsiders; they couldn¡¯t help but fear those who could rob them of what precious little they had. Of course, that same punishing environment had also deterred outside aggression throughout history. An invasion into these frozen lands required far too much risk and resources, neither of which could be compensated even through a successful campaign. Hence, when Akeia teetered on the verge of invasion, it wasn¡¯t hard to assume how helplessly unprepared Asarda would¡¯ve been. ¡®But this is also an opportunity.¡¯ After centuries of bare survival, the threat of a looming empire had suddenly fallen over them. Even considering the remoteness of Asarda¡¯s location, the news of the empire¡¯s advances should¡¯ve reached them by now ¨C as well as the fact that they were the last on the chopping block. But what if their guardian deity were to suddenly appear during this crisis, announcing that the empire¡¯s threat was no more? Aymeia¡¯s centuries of absence would instantly be forgotten, replaced with the people¡¯s fervent trust of their land¡¯s guardian ¨C and, with any luck, lead to an instant reawakening of the deity¡¯s lost memories. She was, after all, once a loved and cherished deity. Karas wore a proud grin as he once again examined his plan in his head. While others remain hidden outside, the professor could expertly introduce Aymeia to Chell¡¯s inhabitants. Once the former deity gained her people¡¯s trust, the people were wont to accept the presence of their guardian¡¯s company. His plan had no faults whatsoever¡­at least in his own head. Unfortunately, life doesn¡¯t always proceed as planned. Rustle. Rustle. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± The professor came to a stop as he noticed a nearby bush, shaking off the snow that covered it. A half-naked warrior soon emerged from within, holding a dead rabbit in one hand, stone dagger in the other. ¡°Whew. At least that¡¯s something for¡­huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The warrior¡¯s eyes soon locked with the professor¡¯s midair. His eyes then darted across those people standing behind Karas, his eyes shaking in a mix of surprise and fear. Every single one of them were an outsider, and not a single one was human. Their clothes were already radically different from the leather-based attires Asardans wore. To make matters worse, the strange party was headed west ¨C meaning, they¡¯d come from the east. Their size was quite perfect for a scouting party as well. ¡®There¡¯s nothing but mountains to the east¡­and beyond the mountains, there¡¯s¡­¡¯ In the end, there was only one sensible conclusion the warrior could draw. ¡°E¡­e¡­e¡­¡± ¡°E?¡± ¡°ENEMIES!!!!!¡± Ep 134. I Did? (2) Ep 134. I Did? (2) What does a divine entity look like? For some, the question could easily be answered; for some, the question was impossible to answer. Depending on the entity, and depending on their known appearance (if there was any), the answer was bound to differ. But ask any Asardan, and their answers would all agree on one single description. ¡®A girl resembling the sun.¡¯ Even though the phrase wasn¡¯t anything particularly descriptive, every Asardan would answer with certainty: that if their guardian deity were to appear, there¡¯s no way that they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize her. ¡­At least, that¡¯s what they would have said traditionally. As it turned out, the traditional saying was at least partially true: the warrior did indeed take notice of the peculiar orange-haired girl standing amidst the party of outsiders. But with creeping fear of war gnawing at his conscience, combined with the girl¡¯s relative silence, he could only assume that the girl¡¯s appearance was a mere coincidence. So instead, the warrior continued to speak in an alert, wary voice. ¡°H, h, how dare you set foot into our lands, Akeians! Do you realize where you¡¯re standing?!¡± ¡°¡­Middle of nowhere?¡± ¡°Shut it, half! Our land is not one your filthy mind can hope to understand!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pursing her little lips in anger, Light turned to face the rest of her party. While she didn¡¯t say another word, the half girl¡¯s eyes clearly read: ¡®okay, someone else do something.¡¯ And Karas sighed in response, shaking his head in dismay. ¡®I should¡¯ve been more careful. To think we¡¯d encounter someone before even reaching Chell¡­¡¯ Briskly stepping forth, the professor lowered his head in a respectful manner to greet the wary warrior. ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding. We are not from the empire.¡± ¡°So you lot just happened to cross over the bordering mountains when war is on the horizon? You think I¡¯d believe that?¡± ¡°¡­No, I didn¡¯t think you would. I was simply hoping you would.¡± ¡°Enough. This is no place for outsiders. Leave this land at once ¨C or I¡¯ll consider you lot as invaders!¡± Karas took a step back, noting the warrior¡¯s adamant attitude. Bringing Aymeia alone was already a difficult task with how sensitive Asardans were regarding outsiders ¨C and having an entire party was, as expected, turning out to be considerably worse. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t suppose I can convince him of Aymeia¡¯s identity now¡­if worse comes to pass, Asardans will come to perceive their own guardian as an enemy. If that happens, then Aymeia¡¯s memories may be as good as lost¡­¡¯ Another long sigh followed as Karas internally resigned to the situation at hand. There may still have been room for conversation had he been alone with Aymeia, but with others present, there was little words could accomplish. And, with that thought in mind, action followed suit. The dragonlord¡¯s action, that is. Not the professor¡¯s. Thud! Disappearing from sight, Serenis reappeared behind the warrior to strike the behinds of his neck. A dull crunching sound soon followed as the warrior¡¯s eyes lost focus, his body stumbling forth powerlessly.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Fortunately, Serenis quickly wrapped one arm over the unconscious warrior to break his fall. Unfortunately, others were not impressed ¨C especially Karas. ¡°¡­Serenis, did you just¡­?¡± ¡°Did I what?¡± ¡°¡­Did you just kill him? Is he dead?¡± ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s precisely what I stopped from happening.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Karas¡¯ eyes quizzically followed the dragonlord¡¯s. At the end of her gaze was a steel dragon, innocently looking away whilst she loosened her iron fists. ¡°What? I was just gonna hit him once too.¡± ¡°¡­Child, he¡¯s just human.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°If I¡¯d let you strike him instead, he¡¯d no longer be of this world. Unless you hold back significantly, he¡¯s not going to survive a single strike from you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s his problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After letting the silence simmer for a while longer, Serenis brought the warrior over to Aymeia, offering the limp body towards her. ¡°Aymeia.¡± ¡°¡­Y, yes?¡± ¡°Take him home. You can carry this much, yes? It wouldn¡¯t do to leave your people abandoned in the snow.¡± ¡°¡­O, of course.¡± After the former deity awkwardly accepted the body into their arms, Serenis quickly turned to Raizel, beckoning the steel dragon over. ¡°Raizel. Come with me.¡± ¡°Huh? Where?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know once we¡¯re there. And as Karas has said, they¡¯d be better off without you¡­I mean, us.¡± After finishing, Serenis briefly spared a moment to nod towards the feathered professor. He quickly nodded back in agreement of the dragonlord¡¯s decision. Although the party¡¯s headcount was a problem in of itself, the reason why it was a problem in the first place was due to the potential trouble that they would incur between them and Asarda. If anyone was going to incur trouble, then Raizel was on the top of that list. And the steel dragon wasn¡¯t going anywhere unless her lord would also take leave. ¡°¡­Wait, just us though? What about Ilias? And Light?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get along with the people far better than we would.¡± Before the steel dragon could offer another complaint, Serenis grabbed hold of Raizel¡¯s wrist before taking off into the air. The two dragons¡¯ silhouettes soon shimmered in the air like magic, disappearing from vision to prevent being seen. ¡®Oh, wait. That is magic.¡¯ Scratching her head, Light emptily stared into the empty space where the two dragons had disappeared. Serenis¡¯ words echoed inside her head as the half girl mulled over what had been said. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t Serenis basically just say that Raizel¡¯s unsociable?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not wrong.¡± ¡°While I also agree¡­keep such thoughts to yourselves, you two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While the others courageously commented on the grumpy steel dragon, only Aymeia kept her silence. She dropped her gaze to the sleeping warrior in her arms with conflicted eyes. A long sigh escaped the former deity¡¯s lips. ¡®¡­And I thought I was weird.¡¯ ? ? ? After landing on the top of a nearby hill, Serenis gently placed the steel dragon back on her feet. As her invisibility spell wore off, the two dragons soon became visible to the naked eye once more. ¡°¡­Wow, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to fly so easily with me in tow. Aren¡¯t I heavy?¡± ¡°Not enough to disturb simple flight.¡± ¡°Heh¡­that¡¯s still pretty impressive. Even Ilias had trouble carrying me during flight.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure it was more a hassle than it was a burden.¡± ¡°I guess. Though, what¡¯re we doing here? If they just needed us out of the picture, couldn¡¯t we have used that invisibility spell and stayed with them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± They could have. And, under most other circumstances, that¡¯s exactly what Serenis would¡¯ve opted for. However, an invisibility spell did little to prevent sound or touch. In other words, even with the spell in place, a single thoughtless strike from Raizel and it would all be for naught. But instead of admitting what she feared out loud, the dragonlord elected to change the topic altogether. ¡°Raizel. Are you cold?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­it¡¯s bearable, I guess? It¡¯s pretty much like that time when we crawled into that frozen pit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Karas had forewarned, Asarda¡¯s climate was nothing short of freezing. The grey skies, the bone-chilling winds, and the snow piled over their surroundings all pointed to how cold the entire region was. However, Serenis couldn¡¯t shake off the odd feeling nagging at her mind. Just like her son¡¯s grave, the cold of this region felt out of place. It was almost as if something alien was keeping things the way they were by force. Serenis raised her gaze, but her eyes couldn¡¯t even discern the location of the sun. Only grey skies filled her vision. ¡®Is that simply due to ill weather? Or¡­¡¯ The dragonlord soon shook her head, discarding the thought altogether. Whatever was causing Asarda¡¯s odd climate, restoring her son¡¯s¡­or, restoring Aymeia¡¯s memories took precedence. According to Karas, the first step was for Aymeia to regain her people¡¯s trust. And while simply declaring herself as their guardian deity may be sufficient, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have the people in her debt. Especially during hard times. ¡°¡­Come, Raizel. It¡¯s time to hunt.¡± ¡°Eh? Hunt? Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± Serenis briefly recalled the warrior they¡¯d encountered earlier ¨C and how starved he¡¯d seemed before they¡¯d taken him by surprise. He seemed thankful of the tiny game he¡¯d held, as if even that meager piece was a rarity to find. ¡®Considering the climate in these parts, it probably was.¡¯ Hardened scales began to shroud the dragonlord¡¯s skin. Her sharp gaze cut through the blowing winds as she scanned the vicinity for signs of life. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll probably need it soon.¡± Ep 135. I Did? (3) Ep 135. I Did? (3) As Raizel tossed another elk onto the pile of animals, the youngling warily eyed her lord. Serenis was standing at the cliffside with a cold, lifeless expression on her face. A painful gaze swept across the fields, as if the very expanse of snow was somehow hurting her. ¡°¡­¡± When Serenis seemingly failed to even register Raizel¡¯s returned presence, the youngling lightly shook her lord¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Lord. You okay?¡± ¡°¡­Oh. Are you back already? That¡¯s quite impressive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been hunting since I was tiny, a little snow isn¡¯t going to stop me. But are you okay? You seem distracted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Without warning, Raizel then proceeded to pinch Serenis on each of her cheeks, pulling them from side to side with a puzzled gaze. The youngling continued to study her lord for some kind of visible reaction, though they failed to show any. ¡°Why don¡¯t you actually tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯sh no¡¯ing, child.¡± ¡°Really? Because the way I see it, you don¡¯t even like that orange head much. I¡¯m still not sure why you¡¯re even out here helping her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sighing, Serenis gently brushed off the metal hands gripping her face. ¡°She may not be my own child, but she¡¯s a child of the kin nonetheless. What more reason would I need?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that crap. There¡¯s a hundred others back home and they¡¯re doing way worse. If you cared that much for everyone, then you would¡¯ve gone back to the valley by now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Something¡¯s bugging you, isn¡¯t it? Spill it.¡± Howling winds filled the silence that settled between the two dragons. Serenis uncomfortably shifted her gaze, avoiding the steel dragon¡¯s eyes. Given Raizel¡¯s usual callousness, the youngling could be surprisingly keen at times. After a lengthy hesitation, the dragonlord slowly parted her lips. ¡°Raizel. Do you think that the dead¡­could return to life?¡± ¡°Sure I do.¡± ¡°?¡­You do?¡± ¡°Yeah. I mean, look at you. You said you died like, a thousand years ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was some truth to the youngling¡¯s words: as Raizel would put it, with her heart reclaimed and her memories intact, Serenis had indeed ¡®returned to life.¡¯ Then, there was no guarantee that it wouldn¡¯t occur again to someone else. There was no one to say that it couldn¡¯t occur again. ¡°¡­Child. Have you ever seen Karas speaking into the air?¡± ¡°Wha?¡± Raizel frowned at the sudden change of topic. She briefly retraced her memories to recall what she could about the professor, but nothing came to mind regarding what her lord had just said. ¡°Don¡¯t think so. Why?¡± ¡°¡­I just¡­happened to see him doing so.¡± ¡°Meh, guess he was bored. What, did he say something crappy? Is that what¡¯s bugging you?¡± ¡°¡­Somewhat.¡± Perhaps he was bored. That would explain why he¡¯d talk to thin air like a madman. That would explain why he¡¯d entertain thoughts of reviving someone out loud. ¡­But that still didn¡¯t explain why the professor would mention the Reaper¡¯s name. Or why it had sounded like saving Aymeia was a stepping stone to reaching another goal. ? ? ? While Serenis and Raizel had separated themselves from the party, Chell had been filled itself with fear and chaos. In the defense of its occupants, the settlement rarely received guests from outside of Asarda. And currently, the only guest they were expecting was an imperial army looking to invade their land. ¡°Chief! They¡¯re coming! Looks like Fergus has been taken captive!¡± ¡°What do you mean, captive?! Weren¡¯t you just saying one of them seemed to be Lady Aymeia?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly who¡¯s holding Fergus right now!¡± ¡°¡­Stars be damned. I¡¯ll see them myself. Hold your positions! Do NOT take up arms until we know what they want!¡± Urgus busily pushed his way through the rows of warriors, making his way towards Chell¡¯s wooden gates. And, soon enough, an audible thumping noise came forth from across. The voice of a hesitant history professor accompanied the knocking. ¡°¡­Excuse us.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Urgus slid open the small wooden window by the entrance, just barely wide enough for himself to peek through. The chief warrior¡¯s eyes warily studied the party that stood beyond Chell¡¯s gates. An unconscious warrior was indeed being held in a peculiar girl¡¯s arms ¨C though, the bird-headed professor standing at the forefront was far too eye-catching to pay them much attention. ¡°¡­Soldiers of the empire, I presume.¡± ¡°No, no, nothing of that sort. We¡¯re merely here to bring a lost warrior back home.¡± ¡°What is it that you want in exchange?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing, really.¡± Urgus¡¯ eyes widened in surprise as he heard the professor¡¯s answer. ¡®Nothing?¡¯ The chief warrior quickly cleared his throat. But try as he might, he was failing to hide the surge of hope etched into his voice. ¡°N, nonsense. How can I be sure that this isn¡¯t a ruse for you to enter our settlement?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Karas let out a soundless snort at the chief warrior¡¯s question. While he dared not say it out loud, he could tear down a wooden wall like this in matter of seconds; in fact, even Light could probably break through Chell¡¯s gates if she were to try hard enough. But instead of commenting on how underdeveloped Asarda¡¯s defenses were, Karas pointed towards the unconscious warrior in Aymeia¡¯s arms. ¡°Then¡­if you¡¯d like, we¡¯ll leave him outside.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll place the warrior outside the gates here and take our leave. That would work to your favor, yes?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± It would. Urgus wracked his head in an attempt to discern the hidden intent lying behind the professor¡¯s words. However, when the chief warrior failed to find any, he let out a small, resigning grunt. ¡°¡­A, alright then. Leave him outside.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Nodding his head, Karas turned to face the former deity. He relayed the chief warrior¡¯s request loud and clear. Unnecessarily so. ¡°Lady Aymeia, it seems they¡¯d rather we leave the warrior here. Let us take our leave.¡± Nodding back, Aymeia lowered herself to gently place the warrior onto the snow. But before his back could touch the cold ground, Urgus hurriedly bashed his fists against the wooden wall, pressing his head against the tiny wooden window to get a better view of the orange-haired girl. ¡°W, wait! Did you just say ¡®Lady Aymeia¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas slowly turned his head towards the source of the hurried voice. A warm business smile decorated the professor¡¯s expression as he faced Urgus once more. ¡°Why, yes I did. This is Lady Aymeia, Deity of the Stars. Have you never heard of her name?¡± ¡°O, of course I have! But that¡¯s¡­actually¡­? Are you lot her retainers then?¡± ¡°Why, yes. How very keen of you to notice.¡± While Karas ensnared the chief warrior in his web of lies, Light and Ilias watched on with conflicted eyes. The half girl was beyond ridiculed, and the red dragon was letting out a nervous laughter. ¡°¡­Seriously? Now we¡¯re her minions?¡± ¡°Haha. Well¡­sometimes, lying can get you out of tough situations, Light. And it¡¯s a lot easier to do with Raizel gone.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­Think about it. If Raizel was here, how do you think she would¡¯ve reacted?¡± Light briefly painted the steel dragon¡¯s image in her head ¨C of how the grumpy youngling would¡¯ve reacted to being framed as a deity¡¯s minion. ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± For starters, Karas probably wouldn¡¯t be standing on his two feet. In fact, he¡¯d most definitely not be standing on his two feet. ? ? ? ¡°¡­I¡¯m pretty sure this is considered sacrilege.¡± ¡°Uh¡­don¡¯t worry, Light. No one will find out!¡± ¡°¡­Ilias?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what a heretic would say.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± In a matter of minutes, Light and her party had been promoted from ¡®damned Akeians¡¯ to ¡®Aymeia¡¯s retainers.¡¯ They were now comfortably situated within the Asardan settlement, welcomed as honored guests of their land¡¯s guardian. Although Chell was nothing to boast compared to developed cities like Partivine, the rows of wooden lodges and walls certainly helped to block out the freezing winds. It was basically a small village, just with added towers, walls, and posts to make it serve as a military outpost. ¡®¡­Then again, I¡¯m pretty sure Ilias could blow up this place in 5 seconds. I don¡¯t even see a single stone building¡­¡¯ Finishing her scan of the surrounding settlement, Light returned her attention to forward. Having been swept aside with her dragon sister to remain on a wooden bench, the pair were hardly receiving any attention at all. Instead, all the attention was falling upon the professor ¨C and the peculiar orange-haired girl beside him. After Karas had sowed the seeds of doubt into Chell¡¯s chief warrior, it didn¡¯t take long for the word to spread ¨C and even less for them to be granted entrance into the settlement. Karas had already become a divine harbinger of sorts after his lies had taken hold. And although a select few Asardans had questioned the party¡¯s sincerity, the doubt in their eyes quickly melted away before the flames Aymeia summoned as proof. In fact, Asardans were now swarming over their flame-coated guardian. ¡°Ahh¡­! Lady Aymeia! The guardian¡¯s come to protect us!¡± ¡°We knew you¡¯d come! We knew you¡¯d never leave us to suffer!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s so warm¡­¡± Meanwhile, Aymeia herself remained trapped in place, helpless to escape the ring of her own followers. She occasionally looked to the others for help, but neither Light nor Ilias seemed keen on stepping in to help. ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Clearing his throat loudly to drown out the star deity¡¯s voice, Karas stepped into the crowd¡¯s midst, waving his arm to gain their attention. ¡°Now, if we could have some quiet here ¨C Lady Aymeia¡¯s come to deliver news regarding the empire.¡± After making the sudden announcement, the professor turned to Aymeia, mouthing his next words in silence. ¡®As. Practiced.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± With the crowd¡¯s attention now focused on her, Aymeia retrieved the flames surging about her. She opened her mouth to speak ¨C as practiced. ¡°¡­Everyone, I¡­¡± But her voice soon trailed off, lost in the midst of her piling uncertainties. It wasn¡¯t that the attention bothered Aymeia; in fact, having so many eyes focused on her felt nostalgic in a way. Instead, what did bother Asarda¡¯s guardian deity were the uncertainties growing within her. Even her own name was but a hazy memory; she had little confidence in herself, words or actions or otherwise. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she deserved to be called their guardian deity when she¡¯d done so little in deterring the empire. But as if already aware of Aymeia¡¯s troubles, Urgus beamed a reassuring smile towards the stammering guardian. ¡°Rest assured, Lady Aymeia.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You may be Asarda¡¯s guardian, but this land is our home as much as it is yours. We shall stand with you against the empire until the end.¡± Urgus briefly scanned the surrounding crowd, unaware of the misunderstanding he was building. The chief warrior¡¯s confident gaze met each and every warrior¡¯s within Chell. ¡°Is that not right, men?! For we are Asarda¡¯s pride ¨C and we shall protect our home with our own two hands!¡± A chorus of affirming shouts and roars rang throughout the small settlement. Aymeia may be their guardian, but no Asardan wished to be a burden to their deity. ¡­And because of the crowd¡¯s overwhelming response, Aymeia once again faltered in giving her answer. It took a few additional minutes ¨C and quite a bit of courage ¨C for Asarda¡¯s guardian to tell her people that their roaring determination was in vain. ? ? ? ¡°The imperial army¡¯s¡­fallen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re already¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Finding himself at a loss for words, Urgus slowly brought a hand to his forehead. The imperial army had already fallen. In other words, there was no need for so many warriors to be stationed at Chell. The creeping fear of war, their determination to protect their homes, all of it had been in vain. But even so, the chief warrior was far from disappointed. It was a reckless battle to begin with: while Aymeia¡¯s appearance had given them some semblance of hope, it did little to change the fact that their defenses were hopelessly weak in comparison to the Akeian empire¡¯s might. Aymeia¡¯s news was unexpected, but it was nonetheless a welcome one ¨C enough to make the chief warrior¡¯s lips curve upwards against his will. Though Urgus quickly hid his smile beneath his sleeves, another series of celebratory shouts sprang forth from behind him. Asarda¡¯s guardian had protected her people ¨C and that alone was enough for Chell¡¯s inhabitants to celebrate. Another series of shouts sprang forth, the voices filled with blessings and appreciations. Watching the crowd thanking their guardian on their knees, Urgus soon joined their ranks, bending down to his knee in a respectful gesture before his land¡¯s guardian deity. ¡°Thank you, Lady Aymeia.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, I hardly did anything. I merely¡­¡± Slept. And while she was unconscious, the others had destroyed the imperial army, killed their emperor, and defeated the deity that supported them. But before Aymeia could bring such truths to her lips, Karas preemptively placed a hand on the former deity¡¯s shoulder, interrupting her bout of honesty with another show of his business smile. ¡°You merely did what you had to, yes. But Lady Aymeia, too much humility is no different from an insult at times.¡± ¡°What? No, I-¡° Hearing the professor¡¯s words, Urgus threw his head back in a bout of loud, hearty laughter. ¡°Haha, yes, indeed! There¡¯s no need to be so modest.¡± ¡°No, listen, I¡­¡± ¡°Lady Aymeia. While it may have been small work for you, what you¡¯ve done for us today is the biggest blessing Asarda could¡¯ve asked for.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°An occasion like this ought to be celebrated under your name¡­it¡¯s a shame we¡¯re so short on supplies.¡± Unfortunately, just because a war failed to break out didn¡¯t mean that a shortage of supplies would somehow solve itself. After all, Urgus¡¯ first and foremost concern had been having everyone starve to death before the empire would even step foot into their soil; it was simply impossible to hold a celebration when they weren¡¯t even sure if they¡¯d have enough food to last tomorrow. Though, the chief warrior¡¯s worries were soon answered by a giant, heaven-sent shadow. ¡°And you call yourselves warriors? Not even the mightiest creature can accomplish much without food to eat.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Urgus narrowed his eyes, doubting his own hearing. A woman¡¯s voice was seemingly echoing down from the heavens. ¡­Though, as it turned out, that was exactly what was going on. The chief warrior raised his gaze to beholds a giant white dragon, fluttering her wings above his head. ¡°What¡­the¡­¡± ¡°Careful now.¡± Following the dragonlord¡¯s echoing voice, the body of a large elk was sent falling down before Urgus¡¯ feet. Various other wildlife soon followed, forming a small mountain of prey before the chief warrior. Aside from the fact that their skulls were cleanly demolished, the animals were in a most ideal state. With widened eyes, Urgus continued to glance up and down between the giant dragon and the mountain of fresh meat. ¡°Who¡­how¡­? Even one is tough to find in these parts¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. It was quite easy.¡± ¡­Is what the youngling on her back had said, just a while ago. And it¡¯d been easy for Serenis as well, having done nothing but watch Raizel spring to action. Though, now, said youngling was looking rather dissatisfied about the whole situation. Raizel grouchily poked at Serenis¡¯ back, speaking into her lord¡¯s ears. ¡°Hey, I caught them all. How come you¡¯re the one boasting?¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯d like, you¡¯re more than welcome to go down there yourself, child. You can tell everyone how hard you worked to catch these beasts.¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°You want me to say I hunted to feed humans? What am I, a joke?¡± Among all the dragonkin out there, Raizel was the least likely one to admit to such things. In the steel dragon¡¯s head, her kin were still the proud and mighty creatures that cared little for the well-being of others. They were not to mingle with humans, and they were not to show compassion or affection for lesser creatures, lest they be seen as weaklings. Truth be told, that was how dragons were often presented ¨C both within and outside of their valley. Behaving in such ways was almost considered a virtue among elder dragons. But little did she know, most Asardans didn¡¯t even know what a dragon was. Ep 136. I Did? (4) Ep 136. I Did? (4) When Asarda¡¯s formless sun had fallen, numerous campfires instead illuminated Chell. Even though it was only early evening, the lack of sunlight made it seem later than it actually was. An oily scent of roasted meat wafted about the surrounding atmosphere as the people sang in celebration of their guardian deity¡¯s appearance. With all the food that fell out of the skies bolstering the people¡¯s festivity, Asardans continued to flock to the orange-haired girl and the feathered professor that guarded her side. ¡°¡­¡± Light¡¯s disinterested eyes stared into one of the fires feeding off the oil that was dripping into the blaze. Sitting alone on a polished tree trunk, the half girl emptily watched on as the festivity continued throughout Chell. Eventually, Serenis would take notice of the half girl sitting in her lonesome, walking over to stand by her side. ¡°All by yourself? Where did Ilias go?¡± ¡°¡­Over there.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s gaze followed where Light was pointing to a peculiar wooden table. A ring of warriors surrounded it, laughing and cheering at the two sitting across from each other. On one side sat a burly Asardan, his muscles chiseled beyond what Serenis would¡¯ve thought possible in a human body. Compared to Patrick, the warrior was at least twice as tall, and triple in width; he was the epitome of a giant. And on the opposite side sat a skinny purple-haired youngling, grinning back in confidence at the sweating warrior. Their hands were locked against each other upon the table, seemingly in a contesting manner. Even as the surrounding crowd watched in anticipation, Serenis only frowned at the sight, unable to understand what was going on. ¡°¡­What are they doing?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen people arm wrestle?¡± ¡°No. Is that some sort of sport?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s where you¡­well¡­do that. Each person tries to bring down the other person¡¯s hand onto the table.¡± ¡°A contest of strength, then?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°I see¡­how come you¡¯re not joining? Ilias seems to be having fun.¡± Light pursed her lips at the dragonlord¡¯s last comment. Her eyes darted between the sitting warrior¡¯s arm ¨C which was practically as thick as her waist ¨C and her own, which may as well be a twig in comparison. Finally, she turned to Serenis with narrowed, twitching eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± A loud bashing noise interrupted their chat, followed by another series of gasps and cheers. The defeated warrior was rubbing his aching arm, the crowd cheering on the youngling¡¯s seemingly never-ending winning streak. While another warrior arose to challenge the red dragon, Light let out a small, tired sigh. ¡°They don¡¯t know when to give up¡­I hope no one gets hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Ilias is controlling herself. That table wouldn¡¯t have lasted otherwise.¡± The half girl nodded in agreement, studying her sister a while longer. Given all the years Ilias had spent living alongside people in Partivine, she had little doubt that the youngling would keep herself under control. Though, there was another dragon in the party ¨C one that Light couldn¡¯t really trust to keep themselves under control. ¡°¡­By the way, where¡¯s Raizel?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone outside to find a place to sleep. She wasn¡¯t fond of all the noise here.¡± ¡°¡­Wild animal.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Light let out a sheepish laughter at her own comment. As scary as Raizel had been at first, the steel dragon had since grown on her; now, she could throw around comments about the steel dragon as she would a long friend. Serenis beamed a soft smile at the sight of Light¡¯s laughter. ¡°Are you feeling a little better?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I wasn¡¯t feeling bad or anything.¡± ¡°About your home, I mean.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Light blinked twice, opening her mouth a few times to say something back. But when nothing came out, the half girl let out a pained groan instead, rubbing her head as she stared up into the murky night sky. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. I do feel better, but¡­I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s because I¡¯m okay or because I¡¯m just far away from home. Ever since you appeared, too much happened too quickly.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize if that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to blame you. If anyone¡¯s to blame, it¡¯s¡­¡± A number of phrases brushed past Light¡¯s mind ¨C alongside a single name of a peculiar divinity. Every tome she¡¯d read, the Twelve were described as benevolent, essential beings to their world: deities that mankind could not do without. Not a single text would attest to the horrors she¡¯d experienced, as if it was unthinkable for a deity to be evil in the first place. Not even the one that had claimed the lives of all her friends and family. ¡°¡­You know, before, I used to think deities were all nice people. I even thought it¡¯d be cool to meet them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But now that I¡¯ve actually seen what they¡¯re like, I don¡¯t know what to think of them anymore. All the books say they¡¯re supposed to be fair and just¡­that a long time ago, they protected us from the evil demonlords. Can you believe that? You¡¯re not even half as evil as what the books say.¡± ¡°¡­Are you disappointed?¡± Light let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head in response. ¡°¡­Not at you. I¡¯m more disappointed that our deities weren¡¯t really¡­trustworthy. A deity took away all my friends and family, but I¡¯m not even allowed to talk about it back home¡­and even if I mention his name, nobody believes me anyways.¡± ¡°Ilias believes you, does she not?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So does Karas.¡± A brief silence settled in as Light slowly shifted her gaze towards the dragonlord. Serenis wasn¡¯t looking back at her, but the resolute glow in their eyes mirrored the confidence she held for her sister and teacher.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Believe in those that believe in you, child. For they will never bring you harm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A brief pause followed as Light drew up those that she believed in. Finally, the half girl beamed a faint grin as she answered the dragonlord. ¡°¡­I believe you too.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I still think you¡¯re a weirdo, but¡­you¡¯re pretty okay for a demonlord. You get along well with everyone. Raizel¡¯s¡­a little scary, but I believe her too.¡± Serenis widened her eyes at the unexpected comment. A soft grin gradually replaced her surprise as she nodded in agreement. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad.¡± Thud! Another arm fell to the table as Ilias brought down yet another challenger. The red dragon¡¯s triumph and the bout of deafening cheers she roused were quick to fill any silence. ¡°¡­Hey, Serenis?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯ve died before, right? What was your life like before then?¡± Upon hearing the question, Serenis finally turned her eyes to meet the half girl¡¯s. ¡°¡­Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just curious. You¡¯re a demonlord, that must¡¯ve been something.¡± ¡°¡­Being a demonlord didn¡¯t necessarily change the way I lived. It was merely a title bestowed upon us by others. The life I¡¯ve led was mostly uneventful.¡± ¡°Pft, no way. If that¡¯s true, then why¡¯re you going around looking for deities now? You must have a reason, right?¡± ¡°¡­Atonement, I suppose.¡± ¡°Atonement? Did you do something wrong?¡± The dragonlord¡¯s eyes slowly sealed shut, turning away to avoid the half girl¡¯s inquisitive gaze. She gave her answer in the most neutral voice she could muster. Yet even so, Serenis couldn¡¯t prevent her voice from shaking ever so slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve wronged¡­far too many to count.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once upon a time, the cheers and laughter that filled her world were that of her brethren¡¯s. When Serenis closed her eyes, she could almost paint her world anew ¨C the same world she¡¯d lived and breathed in, thousands of years ago. And while Light couldn¡¯t stare into the dragonlord¡¯s mind, she could at least discern that the topic wasn¡¯t the most pleasant one for her peculiar friend. ¡°¡­You know, I¡¯m not the one to talk, but¡­you should look after yourself sometimes.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ilias told me that a couple days ago. She got worried because I was crying so much. But, see¡­I think you need that advice more than I do.¡± Serenis wore a puzzled expression when her eyes opened back. She glanced towards the half girl who seemed strangely confident in their words. ¡°And what is it that makes you think so? I can¡¯t say I recall crying in front of you.¡± ¡°Well, maybe not on the outside, but¡­I don¡¯t know, it just feels like you are sometimes. You have this really weird¡­aura. It was like this ever since I met you.¡± Blinking in evident surprise, Serenis let out an amused snort as she looked away. ¡°¡­The extent to which you can read others is quite staggering. I dare say even the deity of emotions would be shocked at your vigilance.¡± ¡°Blegh¡­what kinda deity is that? I bet it¡¯s another weirdo.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s Aldrid¡¯s son.¡± ¡°¡­I never said anything.¡± Chortle laughter mixed into the sounds of burning firewood as the night deepened. Amidst in the warmth of fires and festivities, even their harshest of memories felt a little lighter. And for some others, the entire night was a walk down memory lane. ? ? ? Karas sat cross-legged and cross-armed, watching the former deity from a distance. Truth be told, the professor had no choice but to watch from a distance. He could only cut through the swarming crowd so many times. Unless he resorted to brute force, Aymeia was practically impossible to get to. Surrounded by Asardans that flocked to her with offerings and praises, Aymeia lost herself in a nostalgic night of being worshipped. ¡°Lady Aymeia!¡± ¡°¡­Mm?¡± When she¡¯d first been swarmed with the people¡¯s attention, Aymeia had been, admittedly, on edge. She¡¯d been reluctant to speak, much less touch others or accept their offerings. After hours of continued attention, however, Asarda¡¯s guardian was starting to lose her alertness ¨C enough to allow a little boy to walk up to her unharmed. ¡°I heard you saved us from the empire! Thank you!¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. You¡¯re welcome.¡± Aymeia answered the excited boy in a surprisingly warm voice. She¡¯d even bent down on one knee to meet the child¡¯s eyes, nodding back at his delighted grin. ¡­After the first two hours of arguing against her own people, Aymeia had since accepted the role of being called their savior. In her defense, she¡¯d tried to correct them numerous times ¨C that their savior wasn¡¯t her, but the crow-headed monster and his party of dragons. But her efforts were sabotaged by that very crow himself; the dragons didn¡¯t seem one bit interested in stepping in to correct the Asardans, either. Apparently, that all translated to Aymeia having to answer to the people¡¯s gratitude by herself. ¡­Not that she was complaining. Aymeia patiently waited as the boy frantically rummaged his pockets. He soon produced a small, colorless flower to offer to the deity before him. ¡°Here! This is for you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Aymeia accepted the flower, her eyes quietly stared into its colorless petals. Even though it wasn¡¯t particularly pretty or noteworthy, she found the item more mesmerizing than any other. She¡¯d received mountains of gifts by now ¨C as rare as flowers were in Asarda, it didn¡¯t make sense to give it any more meaning than the other offerings she¡¯d received. Even though it was the boy¡¯s most prized possession, even he hadn¡¯t thought that his guardian deity would make much out of his offering. And so, the boy was quite surprised when Aymeia prompted him further about the peculiar plant. ¡°What flower¡­is this?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s a moonbloom!¡± ¡°¡­A moonbloom¡­¡± Despite the familiarity of the name, nowhere in Vulka¡¯s memories could she find traces of the flower she held. A dragonlord had no use for a flower¡¯s name. And yet, Aymeia had always known its name. Always. - ¡®Lady Aymeia? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ - ¡®Yuris, I¡­I think I killed the flower you gave me¡­¡¯ - ¡®Oh? Haha, please, there¡¯s no need to cry! It¡¯s not dead. It¡¯s just asleep.¡¯ - ¡®But¡­but the petals are all withered and colorless. It wasn¡¯t like this when you gave it to me¡­¡¯ - ¡®That¡¯s because the sun has risen, my lady. You see, moonblooms only bloom when there¡¯s just the right amount of light ¨Clike the full moon we had last night. When there¡¯s too much or too little light, it¡¯ll fall asleep.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Slowly, Aymeia raised her gaze into the distant night sky. With no moons or stars, the only source of light nearby were the numerous campfires around her ¨C none of which the small flower in her hand could see. The bloom resting within her palm was completely devoid of light. With a gentle smile, Aymeia then hovered her other hand over the colorless bloom, summoning a small, orange ember to levitate above it. She¡¯d done this before. Thousands of times. Vulka hadn¡¯t. But she had. ¡°Woah¡­!¡± The boy marvelled at the sight unfolding before his eyes. The flower he¡¯d believed to be colorless from birth was slowly gaining hue, its translucent petals being shaded in a vibrant orange. It raised its head towards the small ember glowing above, feeding off the light that shone upon it. When the flower had regained its proper form, Aymeia let out a satisfied sigh. At the same time, the boy bounced his arms up and down in excitement from his guardian deity¡¯s magical display. ¡°Th¡­the flower came back to life!¡± ¡°It was only asleep. It just needed some light.¡± A soft smile curved Aymeia¡¯s lips as she reminisced the flowerbeds that she¡¯d once spent her days in. As much as she taught her followers, she, too, had learned from them ¨C especially about how to take care of Asarda¡¯s wildlife. She¡¯d gave her utmost effort in maintaining her homeland¡¯s vibrant atmosphere, both for herself and her people. ¡®¡­That¡¯s right. Back then, nights like these were unthinkable.¡¯ No matter the time of day, one would always be able to raise their gaze and see something glowing in the sky. The sun, the moon, or the stars that accompanied them ¨C they all served to guide her people, and illuminate the land that housed them. Asarda had never seen such murky skies ¨C not until their guardian deity had ceased to care after her people. ¡°¡­¡± Aymeia retreated her flames, blowing softly on the flower in her grip. Then, she handed the gift back to the boy before her, placing it into his little hands. ¡°Huh? Lady Aymeia?¡± ¡°Take it with you ¨C it¡¯ll stay this way, at least for tonight. Let everyone know what a moonbloom truly looks like.¡± ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t have anything else to offer you¡­¡± Smiling, Aymeia gently rubbed the boy¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve given me something far more precious.¡± The people had always been grateful for their guardian deity¡¯s efforts. And, to this day, they hadn¡¯t forgotten who their guardian deity was. Even when Aymeia herself had forgotten, they¡¯d passed their tales through songs and stories to remember Asarda¡¯s halcyon days. And because they hadn¡¯t forgotten, they were able to remind their guardian of who she once was. ? ? ? Karas sat in silence, watching the series of gift-giving between Aymeia and her followers. His hands rapidly flew across his notepad as he furiously recorded the transpiring events like any historian would ¨C all the while keeping the silent conversation within his head. ¡®Good, she¡¯s seeing progress. So the hypothesis was correct.¡¯ ¡®¡­Really? It was that easy? Are you fucking kidding me?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t celebrate just yet. She¡¯s far from fully recovered.¡¯ ¡®Slaver, you don¡¯t understand! She¡¯s been beyond saving for centuries, you can¡¯t just ¨C oh, I don¡¯t even know anymore.¡¯ ¡®¡­That begs the question¡­just what HAVE you tried to restore Aymeia¡¯s memories?¡¯ ¡®I left her be in her temple.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®What? She¡¯d have anger bursts every time I¡¯d appear. What else was I supposed to do?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re dead. For her sake.¡¯ Although Felicir was resting inside the professor¡¯s head, the Reaper¡¯s spirit was internally rolling his eyes. He didn¡¯t have eyes anymore. But he¡¯d roll them if he could. ¡®You know what else pisses me off, slaver? The fact that your stupid dragonlord was hellbent on killing me, and yet she¡¯s leaving Aymeia be. This is discrimination! We¡¯re both deities!¡¯ ¡®¡­Did Aymeia abuse her divinity like you?¡¯ ¡®What? No. She hardly knew how to wield her divinity.¡¯ ¡®Then, did Aymeia torture others as you did?¡¯ ¡®I did no such thing! I merely executed the most efficient of methods to preserve the Twelve¡¯s rule.¡¯ ¡®Lastly, are you a dragonkin like Aymeia?¡¯ ¡®? Of course not. That¡¯s disgusting.¡¯ ¡®¡­And yet you¡¯ve the mind to question why Serenis discriminated you. Interesting.¡¯ Another series of complaints reverberated through Karas¡¯ head. Fortunately, he was growing used to ignoring the Reaper¡¯s voice. Ep 137. I Did? (5) Ep 137. I Did? (5) Crash! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Screeeee!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Over here! Arrows!¡± ¡°¡­Mnghh¡­¡± Stirring awake, Light rubbed her eyes whilst her ears twitched to the incoherent noises. Distant yells and curses were echoing throughout the cabin, some of which didn¡¯t sound all that far away. As the half girl arose, Ilias also slowly opened her eyes, feeling the weight on her tail suddenly disappear. The youngling shook herself awake, looking around in a daze. ¡°Light¡­? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Do you hear that?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± As Ilias also turned towards the direction of the noise, the red dragon began to pick up on rather familiar sounds. People were shouting, metals were clashing ¨C and inhuman things were screeching. ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s new. You don¡¯t hear those things often in cities. Then again, I guess we¡¯re not really in a city¡­¡± ¡°People are fighting, right? Shouldn¡¯t we go help?¡± ¡°Mm¡­they¡¯re fighting, yeah. But they probably don¡¯t need our help. We can still go see what¡¯s going on though!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± While the half girl blinked in confusion, Ilias briskly rose to her feet, stretching the soreness away from her body. After grabbing hold of her sister¡¯s hand, the youngling pulled Light along as usual. ¡°C¡¯mon! The early wyrm gets the bird!¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that backwards?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­don¡¯t think so?¡± Worm. Wyrm. Close enough. Probably. ? ? ? ¡°Sheesh, piss off! Whatever did I do to you pests?!¡± ¡°You do reek of blood, child.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about that! Besides, I¡¯m made of iron, that¡¯s how I usually smell anyways!¡± ¡°¡­Fair point.¡± Serenis sat upon a snow-covered boulder by the cavern¡¯s entrance, observing the horde surrounding Raizel with an amused look. Her morning visit had turned out to be quite the entertaining show. Wolves and bears of all shapes and sizes had gathered overnight in front of the youngling¡¯s temporary lair, banding together to drive away the foreign beast that had invaded their territory ¨C and hopefully steal away the source of the bloody scent that their invader reeked of. The dragonlord even felt sorry for the family of bears that seemed to have lost their homes overnight. Unfortunately, the beasts¡¯ claws and fangs posed little threat against the yawning metal dragon. While their attacks failed to even chip away Raizel¡¯s skin, every retaliating strike sent another beast to oblivion. ¡®¡­Such is the law of the wild.¡¯ Eventually, the cunning few began to realize how hopeless it was to challenge the metal dragon before them. With fear spreading like wildfire amongst the horde, it wasn¡¯t long until the first few wolves began to flee. The rest were quick to follow thereafter. Raizel snorted in a mix of annoyance and triumph. She scraped her bloodied foot against the snow, picking up one of the wolves she¡¯d killed. ¡°Ugh, talk about a wake-up call. I¡¯m not even hungry right now¡­Lord, do you want these?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bring them down. I¡¯m sure Chell¡¯s villagers would make better use of them than us.¡± As Raizel began to gather the dead animals, Serenis briefly spared a glance towards the trampled snow. Trails of animal footprints led downhill, attesting to all the beasts that had fled the scene. ¡°¡­¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. For a moment, Serenis wondered if it was worth following them. Chell was just down the snowy hillside ¨C if the horde of beasts had decided to attack the small settlement instead, then given the settlement¡¯s lackluster defense, it could be a source of danger. And, above all, one of the beasts had been carrying a strange, concerning level of mana. ¡®¡­But they¡¯re just animals. And Ilias is down there anyhow.¡¯ A meager beast couldn¡¯t hope to defeat a grown dragon. It¡¯d be a miracle if the beasts could even break through the barricade of Asarda¡¯s warriors. ¡­Right? ? ? ? ¡°What the¡­where did all these wolves come from?! Even bears are in the mix!¡± ¡°The feast must¡¯ve drawn them overnight. Good riddance, winter¡¯s just around the corner anyhow! Quick, prepare the arrows!¡± Chell¡¯s warriors busily moved about, waking each other to supply the settlement¡¯s rear entrance with weapons. A volley of arrows rained from above, shooting down the beasts that were raking their claws at the sealed gates. But as the horde¡¯s number dwindled, a snarling black bear stepped forth amidst the wolves. Its body was as large as the rear gate itself, and even on all fours the beast stood taller than Asarda¡¯s most accomplished warriors. With thudding steps, the bear then charged forth to throw itself onto the gate. ¡°Keep firing! Stop her!¡± ¡°The arrows aren¡¯t getting through!¡± Crash! Ignoring the volley of arrows buried in its hide, the bear slammed into the gate, knocking it down with a single charge. A bellowing roar echoed throughout the settlement¡¯s premise, and the archers grit their teeth as the beast entered their stronghold. Several children yelped in terror and fled from the vicinity, while more soldiers rushed to the rear gate to take their place. ¡°Don¡¯t let her in any further!¡± ¡°Grahh!¡± Several warriors surrounded the giant bear, brandishing their clubs and axes against the snarling beast. Others busily handled the smaller beasts that began pouring in through the broken gate, hacking and shooting without cease. ¡­Meanwhile, a pair of guests casually approached the scene. While one hid behind the other, the other¡¯s eyes were sparkling in awe and interest. ¡°Woah, Light, look! The bear¡¯s almost as big as our cabin! Are all bears that big around here?¡± ¡°¡­Ilias, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s important right now¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ilias watched the warriors a few moments longer. It was considered bad manners to interrupt someone else¡¯s hunt amongst dragons, and she considered applying the same rule in this instance. But when the snarling bear¡¯s forearm violently smashed into a heaving warrior to knock him out cold, the red dragon belatedly concluded that this wasn¡¯t a mere ¡®hunt¡¯ for the Asardans. ¡°¡­Looks like you¡¯re right. Time to earn our breakfast!¡± As soon as Ilias finished her sentence, the youngling launched herself towards the snarling beast. Not long afterwards, the people¡¯s perception of Ilias would change from ¡®strong lass¡¯ to ¡®literal monster.¡¯ ? ? ? Chell¡¯s warriors blankly stared from a distance. Flames blazed past their eyes, and fresh blood spilt onto the snow beneath their feet. Bone-crunching sounds caused a few of them to twist their expressions in disgust. Even those that had initially been cheering for the purple-haired lass had died down from the one-sided battle; in fact, what they were seeing wasn¡¯t so much a battle, but closer to a predator hunting prey. Finally, one of them warriors hesitantly approached the half girl at their side, clearing his throat before prompting her. ¡°Ahem. Light¡­was it?¡± ¡°Huh? Can I help you?¡± ¡°Does your¡­friend¡­do this often?¡± ¡°You mean Ilias? What about her?¡± ¡°Breathe fire, I mean.¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± As far as Light was concerned, a red dragon breathing fire was perfectly natural. In fact, most people would agree that there was nothing to be surprised about. But as far as the Asardans were concerned, Ilias was just a peculiar-looking half. A peculiar-looking half that had horns, two wings, a tail, inexplicable strength and¡­apparently an inflammable throat. So, instead of explaining the entire concept of dragons to the warrior, Light opted for a much, much simpler explanation: one that wasn¡¯t necessarily true. ¡°She¡¯s, um¡­oh, you know how Aymeia can summon fire? Ilias is the same.¡± ¡°Aha, as expected of Lady Aymeia¡¯s retainers! So all of you can breathe fire!¡± ¡°Uh¡­sure.¡± Was she lying? Yes. Was she worried about being found out? Not really. Before their weird conversation could proceed any further, the bear collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. Splatters of snow put out the embers blazing on its hide, leaving a motionless, smoking beast in the middle of Chell. ¡°There! Easy-peasy!¡± After defeating her largest foe, Ilias then turned towards the hordes of smaller beasts that were still flooding the gate. She audibly growled while faking a vicious expression, forcing the wolves to slowly retreat in fear. When the youngling loudly stomped her foot onto the snow, the wolves yelped in unison, fleeing out the broken gates. As the attacking horde left their settlement, Chell¡¯s warriors began to loosen in tension. Many let out triumphant battle cries, rejoicing in the hunt¡¯s successful outcome. But Light alone remained alert, narrowing her eyes over the fallen bear. Even when Ilias turned towards her to celebrate victory, the half girl didn¡¯t even register her sister¡¯s voice. Instead, Light¡¯s eyes were fixed on the thin black strand poking out of the bear¡¯s fallen corpse. ¡®¡­What is that?¡¯ The black strand wriggled left and right, its length stretching further and further as the whole piece slithered out of the bear¡¯s smoking body. Its figure then trickled down into the snow beneath, burying away into the depths of white. Soon after, a thin trail of rippling snow raced across Chell¡¯s floors in silence ¨C straight towards an oblivious boy that had been watching the fight from afar. ¡°Wait, look out¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± As Light called out in desperation, the boy momentarily glanced towards the shouting half girl. But before she could get another word out, the snow beneath the boy¡¯s feet exploded upwards to reveal a long, pitch-black creature. Standing just at about a grown man¡¯s height, it was too big for a worm, and too thin for a snake ¨C but it was nevertheless alive, screeching through its open, gaping mouth. The boy immediately fell backwards, trembling in fear of the screeching creature. The boy clenched his eyes shut, fearing the worst as the black strand lunged towards him. But before the creature¡¯s gaping maw would reach the boy, a sudden warmth instead enveloped his figure. When he opened his eyes after a few seconds, the black creature was being held by a blazing grip around its throat, wriggling helplessly in the air. Strands of orange hair danced about the blaze surrounding them while the figure¡¯s concerned voice called out to the boy behind her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­Um¡­um¡­uhm¡­¡± At first, the boy didn¡¯t know what to be scared of more ¨C a giant black tapeworm, or walls of fire that had encased him whole. But when his eyes met the figure¡¯s worried gaze, a surge of relief washed the boy¡¯s worries away. These flames weren¡¯t going to hurt him. Ever. Ep 138. I Did? (6) Ep 138. I Did? (6) ¡°Chief.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Peska counted a grand total of 3 seconds as he watched Urgus rolling about the cold stone floors of his cabin. Despite having a perfectly functional bed inches away, the chief warrior was on the floor for some reason, fast asleep. A small sigh escaped Peska¡¯s lips. From all the years he¡¯d spent at Urgus¡¯ side, he¡¯d developed a golden rule about waking up his superior. ¡®One calling is enough.¡¯ After the 3 seconds had passed, Peska proceeded to take the deepest breath he could muster. He simultaneously pulled back his arm in an arc, his hand gripped into a tight fist. Then, in one swift motion, the warrior struck down at the sleeping figure¡¯s lower stomach. A series of coughing sounds filled the cabin as Urgus jolted awake, furiously rubbing his sore belly. Meanwhile, Peska softly blew on his fist, nodding in satisfaction of the strike¡¯s result. ¡°Chief, I told you drinking last night was a bad idea. Do you even know what you missed?¡± ¡°Cough, cough¡­ugh, what is it? Did Brother Orkaan return?¡± ¡°No. The rear gates have been broken. There was a monster attack.¡± ¡°A monster attack? How many? Was anyone hurt?¡± ¡°¡­Only one, but¡­¡± Peska trailed off his words as he pondered on how to best explain the situation at hand. But in the end, the warrior opened the cabin door, beckoning his chief outside. ¡°¡­Better you see it yourself. Come.¡± ? ? ? As soon as Aymeia had arrived, Chell¡¯s warriors had been quick to fix up a temporary throne for their guardian deity. But when they took notice of the creature she was sharing the throne with, none of them dared approach her too close ¨C and ironically, Aymeia was finally able to gain some semblance of personal space. The wriggling black worm in her hand was keeping away any villager that dared approach her. Though, Karas still remained relatively close at her side ¨C as well as Ilias and Light, who were watching the creature with a mix of curiosity and disgust. ¡°Ew, look at all that teeth¡­this thing was inside the bear?¡± ¡°¡­From what I saw, yeah. I don¡¯t know what it is though¡­professor, do you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly not a species we can find in Wayla, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say much otherwise. Peska¡¯s told us that he¡¯d be back shortly, I¡¯m sure he can tell us more soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Upon Peska¡¯s request, Aymeia had agreed to keep the wriggling creature alive while he went to go fetch Urgus. Although he¡¯d skipped over explaining why or what the creature was, judging from the locals¡¯ reaction, it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell that the creature wasn¡¯t something a person would normally want to be near. The answer soon became clear as Urgus approached the group with Peska in tow, his eyes wide with surprise. ¡°Stars above¡­is that a parworm?¡± Aymeia¡¯s puzzled gaze darted between the chief warrior and the wriggling worm in her hand. ¡°¡­A parworm?¡± Urgus and approached closer for a better view. Meanwhile, Peska knelt down apologetically before the guardian deity. ¡°Lady Aymeia, my apologies for asking you to hold such a foul creature. I thought the chief should see it beforehand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. More importantly¡­is ¡®parworm¡¯ this creature¡¯s name? It sounds rather familiar¡­¡± ¡°Why, I would assume so. You were the one who bestowed them their name.¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Indeed. I believe you¡¯ve also taught our ancestors the dangers they pose, as well as how to best cull their headcount.¡± ¡°¡­I did???¡± While Aymeia desperately tried to recall such events, Urgus wore a heavy frown as he finished inspecting the worm. The chief warrior shook his head in dismay, kicking his tongue in distaste.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Tsk¡­I was afraid something like this would happen when we missed this year¡¯s Frosthunt. If one¡¯s managed to grow this large, there¡¯s bound to be more.¡± ¡°Chief, with the empire¡¯s threat no more, perhaps we should resume this year¡¯s hunt as usual. It¡¯s a little late, but it¡¯d be better than leaving it to just Orkaan.¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± While Urgus and Peska conversed, the others looked at each other in confusion ¨C especially towards Karas. But when even the professor failed to provide an explanation to what the warriors were talking about, Light volunteered to interrupt their conversation midway. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, what¡¯s a Frosthunt?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Both warriors glanced towards the half girl. They then looked at each other, then towards Aymeia. Finally, Urgus began to answer with a confident smile, his hands proudly gesturing towards his guardian deity. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t know. I thought Lady Aymeia¡¯s retainers would know her teachings.¡± ¡°Her teachings?¡± ¡°Indeed. The Frosthunt is another tradition borne of our guardian¡¯s prized teachings. Every year before winter¡¯s arrival, warriors of Asarda set out to cull the monsters that plague our land ¨C though this year, we were only able to spare a small party for the task due to the empire¡¯s presence. The parworm you see here is one such creature that we hunt during this season. The Frosthunt allows the people to survive through winter¡¯s chill in safety.¡± ¡°Wait, I get that it¡¯s a tradition here, but¡­you hunt ¡¯monsters¡¯? So this parworm¡¯s a monster?¡± A solemn nod soon followed from Urgus. ¡°It is. Unlike regular worms, the parworm finds shelter in another living creature¡¯s body. While their vessels gain enormous strength, the parworms continue to feed off of the host¡¯s bodily energy. The worm robs the host of their will, and eventually, their life.¡± ¡°¡­So that¡¯s why it was inside that bear¡­¡± ¡°Precisely. Now, according to Lady Aymeia¡¯s teachings, parworms are prone to extreme heat ¨C hence why they dare not make someone like Lady Aymeia their host. A parworm is easily expelled when exposed to ample amounts of fire.¡± Hearing the chief warrior¡¯s explanation, Karas studied the black worm with newfound interest. He mentally noted the warrior¡¯s description, as well as the foreign monster¡¯s traits. ¡°Interesting. A parasitic monster¡­that¡¯s quite unusual.¡± ¡°Mm, indeed. The parworms are an odd bunch, even here in Asarda ¨C but they are monsters nevertheless. As proof¡­¡± Following suit, Urgus politely gestured towards Aymeia for the worm in her hand. As she released the monster into the chief warrior¡¯s palm, Urgus gripped both ends of the parworm with his hands, tearing it into two pieces. And, sure enough, the parworm¡¯s carcass cleanly faded away, dissipating into bits of mana. Only a crystallized mana fragment dropped to the snow beneath. Satisfied by the disappearance, Urgus then picked up the crystal and casually tossed it into a nearby fire. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one saving grace about the parworms: they only leave behind little stones, if that. Not many would be excited to clean their disgusting carcass -¡° ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a mana crystal!¡± Both Karas and Light immediately raced towards the fire, with Light managing to pluck out the stone before it was destroyed. She then blew on the surface several times, inspecting the crystal to confirm it was whole. This time, it was Urgus¡¯ turn to be confused. ¡°¡­? Do you collect those stones?¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know what these are?¡± ¡°Why, of course I know what those are. They¡¯re stones that melt. Monsters leave them behind on occasion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For perhaps the twentieth time, Light glanced around the small settlement they were in to study the¡­cultural difference. Most buildings were wooden cabins, and the few that weren¡¯t were still made of wood nonetheless. A large bear was capable of breaking through the settlement¡¯s gates, and the people lived off of leather clothes and numerous campfires. The most advanced weapon she¡¯d found here were metal-tipped arrows. Simply put, in the half girl¡¯s eyes, Asarda¡¯s level of civilization was severely ¨C SEVERELY ¨C lacking. ¡®I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. I don¡¯t think most people even know what mana is here¡­¡¯ Sighing, Light forced herself to smile back at the chief warrior. She slowly nodded her head, ignoring the burning desire to explain the worth of what Urgus was throwing away. ¡°Ahaha¡­yeah, stones that melt! That¡¯s¡­exactly what these are. I just¡­like collecting these¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­?¡± Meanwhile, Ilias leaned in towards Karas, her whispering voice just loud enough for the professor ¨C and Aymeia ¨C to hear. ¡°Hey, professor? How much would that go for?¡± ¡°Here? Apparently nothing.¡± ¡°In Partivine, I mean.¡± ¡°¡­Considering that the crystal¡¯s from a species we don¡¯t even find in Wayla¡­at least a thousand gold, purely from an academic perspective.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Depending on other qualities, it could be more. You never know a mana crystal¡¯s worth until it¡¯s in the hands of an alchemist.¡± ¡­And no one would ever know their worth if they¡¯re constantly being thrown away. ¡®Hm? Wait a minute¡­¡¯ Karas frowned as a new, dreadful curiosity struck his mind. He warily eyed the chief warrior before hesitantly opening his beak. ¡°Say¡­Urgus, was it? You said your people hold a yearly hunt as tradition?¡± ¡°Yes. What of it?¡± ¡°How many of these ¡®stones¡¯ do you tend to find in your hunts?¡± ¡°Hm. We don¡¯t particularly count them, but¡­perhaps a hundred?¡± At Urgus¡¯ rough estimate, Peska chimed in from the side. ¡°Several hundred. I¡¯ve counted before.¡± The professor¡¯s frown deepened at the warriors¡¯ answers. He then looked towards Peska, his voice audibly shaking as he asked his next question. ¡°And what do you¡­do with them?¡± ¡°We toss ¡®em into the fire. They¡¯re too fragile to be used for our crafts, but we¡¯ve found that they burn quite well, surprisingly.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve said this year¡¯s hunt hasn¡¯t happened yet, yes?¡± ¡°Not in any proper form, no. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Karas¡¯ goal had remained ever the same since he¡¯d volunteered to help restore Aymeia¡¯s memories. Asardans throwing away items of enormous academic and alchemic value was none of his concern. But with that thought in mind, Karas looked towards the former deity behind him. ¡°Lady Aymeia. Perhaps it¡¯d do well for us to¡­I mean, for you to participate in this year¡¯s hunt.¡± ¡°Huh?...Me?¡± ¡°Why, yes. You¡¯d be doing your people a great service, I¡¯d imagine. Your presence alone would provide immense support for Asarda¡¯s warriors.¡± Before Aymeia even gave her answer, both Urgus and Peska nodded at the professor¡¯s remark with hope-glinted eyes. ¡°Legends do tell of a time when Lady Aymeia led the Frosthunt herself.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. A legend retold! I can only imagine Brother Orkaan¡¯s reaction.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite the warriors¡¯ conjoined comments, Aymeia failed to recall such events ever happening. Only vague memories floated within her mind, and she couldn¡¯t tell if participating in this hunt would even yield her any clarity. ¡­But with her followers¡¯ expectant gazes upon her, there really weren¡¯t many feasible answers Asarda¡¯s guardian could deliver to her people. In fact, within a certain feathered figure¡¯s head, the conversation¡¯s outcome was likely decided from the start. Ep 139. Of Course Not. (1) Ep 139. Of Course Not. (1) ¡°Hmm.¡± After having climbed down the snowy hillside, Serenis scanned around Chell¡¯s rear gates ¨C the very gates she¡¯d stepped out of not too long ago. Or at least, what remained of the demolished wooden structure. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± ¡°Yep! Fortunately¡­¡± Hearing Ilias¡¯ sheepish, guilt-filled reply, Raizel threw down the wolves over her shoulders with a demeaning snort. ¡°Got your asses handed by a pack of animals? They couldn¡¯t even scratch me.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s because the gate¡¯s made out of wood. Unlike your iron head.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± ¡°What? I only said the truth! And besides, there was a monster in that pack too, you know!¡± ¡°Wow, a monster? Must¡¯ve been SO scary for a fully-grown dragon like you. Since when did those scums become a threat to us?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Ilias felt a pang of fear from behind. But when the youngling turned around, the feathered monster behind her thankfully didn¡¯t seem to have been paying attention to the dragons¡¯ conversation. Instead, it was Urgus who curiously tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing that word then and there¡­what is this ¡®dragon¡¯ that you speak of, exactly? Does it refer to retainers of the divine?¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Cutting into the conversation with a near-reflexive answer, Serenis awkwardly cleared her throat. After another few seconds, she quickly added on to her sudden response. ¡°¡­The word merely refers to our race. Perhaps you¡¯ve never heard of it due to the distance between here and our nest.¡± ¡°Ahh, a race from afar! So, you lot are like¡­what were they called now¡­elves? Yes?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose that¡¯s a better comparison than the previous.¡± Serenis wore a dissatisfied look as she gave her answer. But even so, being perceived as elf-like entities were at least a thousand times better than being perceived as a divinity¡¯s underlings. And when their little misunderstanding(?) came to be resolved, Karas finally approached the dragonlord with Aymeia in tow. ¡°Serenis. As I¡¯ve mentioned, this attack was not comprised solely of animals. A parasitic monster called ¡®parworm¡¯ was leading the pack.¡± ¡°I suppose that explains the presence I felt earlier. I did think it rather odd that an animal possessed so much mana.¡± ¡°Precisely. Now, while foreign to us, the warriors have told us that these parworms are quite common throughout Asarda. They hold a yearly hunt to decrease the monsters¡¯ numbers, but they were unable to hold their tradition this year due to the threat of the empire.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­see?¡± On the surface level, the explanation was nothing out of the ordinary. It could¡¯ve simply been a lecture like any other, delivered by a professor to their student. However, Serenis couldn¡¯t help but notice the directness of Karas¡¯ current attitude. None of what he said was information she needed or asked for ¨C and yet he was eager to explain, at a distance notably closer than usual.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Finally, the dragonlord curiously began to inquire the professor before her. ¡°¡­Is there a particular reason you¡¯re explaining this? It almost feels as if there¡¯s something you wish of me.¡± ¡°Spot on. I¡¯ve actually made arrangements for us to join Asarda¡¯s warriors in their yearly hunt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It sounds to be quite the long tradition in Asarda. Also, their ¡®Frosthunt¡¯ apparently takes root in Aymeia¡¯s own teachings: I believe that her participation will be of aid in reclaiming her memories. She¡¯s also expressed her own will to help Asarda¡¯s people.¡± Hearing the professor¡¯s unsurprising answer, Serenis¡¯ eyes then locked with the former deity¡¯s standing behind Karas. And, as if guilty of the role she¡¯s played in facilitating the current situation, Aymeia hurriedly avoided the dragonlord¡¯s gaze. ¡®Not that it matters.¡¯ At this point, Serenis truly couldn¡¯t care less about Aymeia¡¯s presence in all this. Whether the former deity was her son or not, a kin or not¡­none of it mattered as much. After all, helping an individual in distress was nothing to feel ill or concerned about. Rather, what concerned Serenis most was the feathered monster standing before her. ¡®¡­He¡¯s being oddly enthusiastic. Even when we set out to find Aldrid, his eyes weren¡¯t gleaming as they are now¡­¡¯ Even though the professor had previously claimed to be helping Aymeia from a pure academic standpoint, Serenis¡¯ mind couldn¡¯t help but fall back to the conversation she¡¯d overheard the other night: a conversation Karas had seemingly shared with someone who should rightfully have passed away. If what she¡¯d heard was true, then Karas was merely carrying out an end of a contract he¡¯d made: for something he¡¯d receive in exchange of restoring Aymeia back to normal. The ¡®something¡¯ that was ridiculous beyond words, that is. ¡®But even if I were to ask, I don¡¯t suppose he¡¯d return an honest answer¡­¡¯ After simulating how such a conversation would go, Serenis let out a heavy sigh. ¡°¡­If you believe so, then I shall trust your judgement. I suppose we¡¯ll be joining the warriors in their hunt then?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­not quite. You see, I plan to recreate the past as closely as possible: it¡¯s said that Aymeia had personally led these yearly hunts to help her people in the past, protecting and teaching them all the same. Towering entities like yourself would actually be a hindrance in recreating such circumstances ¨C monsters would evaporate at the flick of a hand.¡± ¡°¡­Meaning?¡± ¡°I mean to split our group into two. There are two other notable settlements in Asarda that the Frosthunt aims to protect: Volkorn to the west, and Axle to the south. I plan to move westward with the Aymeia and Light towards Volkorn, alongside a handful of Chell¡¯s warriors. In the meantime, could I entrust you with Raizel and Ilias to handle the monsters near Axle?¡± Instead of an immediate answer, Serenis looked around to study everyone¡¯s response to the professor¡¯s proposal. But aside from Raizel who¡¯d just arrived with her, the others already seemed aware of Karas¡¯ plan. ¡°¡­I suppose others have already agreed to this.¡± ¡°They have, yes.¡± Serenis then turned her attention towards light, meeting the half girl¡¯s gaze midair. ¡°Light, will you be alright being apart from Ilias?¡± ¡°¡­I am a little worried, but¡­I mean, what¡¯s the worst that could happen with a group like that? It¡¯s like the professor said: the safest place in Asarda right now is probably right by your side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even considering Asarda as whole, there were hardly any dragon-level threats within the snowy region; in contrast, Serenis¡¯ group was comprised of two of the strongest dragons in the entire kin, as well as their lord. But with that thought in mind, Serenis¡¯ expression twisted into a frown as she turned back to face Karas. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s as you say, Karas¡­why are you taking Light with you? Surely being with Ilias would be the safer option.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­it¡¯s not every day we can afford to travel such foreign lands. I plan to teach Light what I can of Asarda¡¯s environment, fulfill my role as her teacher and all.¡± ¡°¡­Fulfill your role, you say.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to worry about. While I may not be as capable as a dragonlord and two dragons combined, protecting Light from a handful of monsters is a perfectly doable task.¡± Even though Serenis¡¯ frown deepened further, there was little she could say. It didn¡¯t seem that Karas was weaving deceit into his words ¨C if that were the case, then Light likely would¡¯ve noticed it. But even so, the dragonlord couldn¡¯t shake off the ill feeling gnawing at her intuition. ¡°¡­Karas.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Approaching the professor a step closer, Serenis looked into the feathered monster¡¯s eyes with a solemn gaze. ¡°Light is a friend of mine, and a dear sister to one of our kin. As the lord of dragons, I¡¯ve a duty to protect her as well.¡± ¡°Why, that¡¯s quite reassuring. But really, you¡¯ve nothing to worry about in this instance ¨C I will be with her, in addition to Aymeia and Asarda¡¯s warriors. Wild monsters couldn¡¯t hope to accomplish much.¡± Another sigh escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips. Even though she trusted the crow to act in his student¡¯s best interest, his lingering words and the Reaper¡¯s name were viciously tearing that reassurance apart. Then, she took yet another step towards Karas, staring down at him eye to eye as she whispered in a low, barely audible voice. ¡°¡­Karas. I will only ask this once.¡± ¡°? By all means.¡± ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silence that followed only lasted a handful of seconds, but a million thoughts brushed past Karas¡¯ mind within that tiny timeframe. Hesitation comprised the majority, while regret and purpose filled the rest. And finally, the professor gave his answer with a warm, reassuring smile. ¡°Of course not.¡± Ep 140. Of Course Not. (2) 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 ¨C for example, Patrick¡¯s ¨C 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 ¨C 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 ¨C 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 ¨C who¡¯d initially meant to approach Serenis and stop her ¨C 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 ¨C 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 ¨C 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.¡± Ep 141. Of Course Not. (3) (+Notice) Ep 141. Of Course Not. (3) By no means are monsters inherently weak. In fact, had they been of little threat, then no hunter would be offering their services at such steep costs; in fact, the profession may not even exist. No soldier or warrior would have to go on routinely hunts to cleanse towns of their presence. The entire reason monsters were feared was because they possessed formidable strength, and because many had a tendency to attack people. Of course, with time¡¯s passing, common monsters had been hunted numerous times and their weaknesses were widely known. Asarda¡¯s parworms were a prime example: every inhabitant of Asarda from elder to child knew that these creatures were prone to heat. But sometimes¡­on an unusual, extremely rare occasion¡­ A completely new monster would appear unto the world: one that was never seen before, one that would never be seen again. And they would often bring about great disturbances to the world around them. ¡°Light, get back! You¡¯ll get hurt like this!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Just come already!¡± After the red dragon hurriedly pulled away her little sister, the place they¡¯d been standing on was trampled underfoot with a thunderous thud. Raizel¡¯s massive, scaled limb stood in place, covered in black flames that were slowly sizzling away within the trampled snow. Chell¡¯s warriors likewise began to step back, each glancing towards their guardian deity as they did so. ¡°Lady Aymeia! W, what¡¯s happening? Were they not your allies?!¡± ¡°¡­This is no time to be complaining. We should stop them-¡° ¡°You plan to get in between THAT?! Don¡¯t be absurd!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amidst the warriors¡¯ shouts, Aymeia merely stood in place, watching the clash between monster and dragon. ¡°¡­Al¡­lies¡­¡± Allies. They were allies. One was an eager academic, who was also shadowed by her old mentor. The other was a loyal kin to the very person she believed to be her mother. But what if they were after each other¡¯s throats? ¡°Lady Aymeia¡­forgive my brashness, but they were on our side, no? Please, stop them!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­Our side?¡¯ Which side is ¡®our side¡¯? Several times, orange flames flickered into Aymeia¡¯s hands, only to fizzle out thereafter. The former deity was uncertain herself if she could stop either of them ¨C and even if she could, she knew not where to direct herself towards. Instead, she¡¯d merely back away another step, balling her fists in frustration. But within the chaotic clash, a single individual stood in their midst, standing firmly in place.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°¡­¡± With drowned eyes, Serenis watched on as Raizel and Karas continued their fighting. Intervening was not a difficult task. Killing Karas was also not a difficult task. In fact, it may not even take the dragonlord a single minute to incapacitate him. For Light and Ilias¡¯ sake, she could very well level the entire area if need be. If it would prevent the loss of someone dear to her kin, then she¡¯d willingly endure the guilt of erasing a human settlement off the map. But what then? Even if she were to go through with incapacitating Karas, was that really the correct decision? After having told Light to put her trust in her teacher just the past night? ¡®Would she manage another loss? After everyone she¡¯s lost already?¡¯ While Serenis struggled to navigate her thoughts, metal and magic once again clashed against each other midair. Black flames sparked forth to crash against Raizel¡¯s claws, torn to bits as they scattered downwards. But strangely enough, Karas¡¯ flames only melted into the snow. Not a single ember touched person nor structure. ¡®¡­He¡¯s still containing himself.¡¯ Even though Karas was persistently taking advantage of Raizel¡¯s weakness, he was also limiting himself as need be. Indeed, perhaps the only reason the two seemed to be equally matched right now was because the professor was holding himself back. ¡°¡­Is that because you trust that I won¡¯t intervene? Or¡­¡± When Serenis turned her head, she could see Light and Aymeia in the distance, both watching the battle with a frustrated, helpless gaze. Even though the two seemed like they¡¯d jump in at any moment, Ilias and Chell¡¯s warriors were holding each one back. ¡°¡­Is it because of those two?¡± ? ? ? ¡®Slaver, the hell¡¯s wrong with you? Fight properly.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Heavens above, you okay? Something¡¯s clearly wrong with you right now. Here, you know what, let me take over and I¡¯ll just-¡® ¡°¡­SHUT UP!!!¡± When Karas suddenly shouted into the air, Raizel momentarily flinched in the middle of her attack. After lowering her claws, the youngling glared into the levitating monster¡¯s eyes. With Karas gripping his forehead and clawing at his own feathers like a madman, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out something was wrong with him. ¡°You really do have something in there, huh?¡± ¡°¡­What point is there to repeating myself? Just continue.¡± ¡°Yeah? But it¡¯s weird. Feels like you¡¯re not giving it everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas lowered his hand to meet the steel dragon¡¯s glare. Levitating at Raizel¡¯s eye level, even when he shifted his gaze downwards, the others were but a small speck in his vision. Alas, none were too far to be out of reach. ¡°¡­Is that what you think? Very well, let¡¯s change that then.¡± When Karas next flicked his hands, faint rays of blue flickered about his fingertips. They soon gathered to form several giant icicles midair that soon aimed themselves downwards. Following suit, the spells launched themselves forth, speeding towards Light and the warriors near her. Raizel immediately reacted by raking her claws across the air, smashing nearly half the spells mid-flight. But the other half remained in their trajectory, soaring towards their potential victims. ¡°Ilias! Get the rest!!¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, I know!¡± Before her friend even shouted at her, Ilias had already stepped forth to stand before the others. After taking a deep breath, the red dragon blew a torrent of fire forward, intercepting the icicles in their path. And not far away from her, Aymeia likewise summoned a wave of fire over the warriors¡¯ heads, blocking off the ice that rained down on them. ¡°L, Lady Aymeia. We¡­¡± ¡°Stay still. Don¡¯t let anyone step away from me.¡± ¡°But¡­are you certain we should remain in place? If they are now our enemies, should we not hunt them?¡± ¡°¡­Even if they are, hunts are held so everyone can stay safe. It isn¡¯t a practice for you to throw away your lives against an enemy.¡± Chaos ensued as Karas began to launch his array of spells at both Raizel and those far below. While the steel dragon gave her best efforts to keep the monster focused on her, he continued to send additional attacks downward. And amidst it all, Light was studying her professor¡¯s spells with torn, confused eyes. ¡®¡­Why ice?¡¯ Both Aymeia and Ilias were aspected to fire; there was no way her professor didn¡¯t know of this. Ice spells were the poorest choice possible in attempting to harm those below. ¡®I don¡¯t get it¡­I don¡¯t get any of it. Even all that talk earlier didn¡¯t make any sense. He can¡¯t possibly be trying to¡­kill me¡­right?¡¯ Finally, Light¡¯s gaze fell upon the dragonlord in the distance. Serenis was finally raising her gaze upwards towards the feathered figure, as if her long contemplation had finally come to an end. ¡°¡­Do something.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± Quiet, pleading whispers escaped the half girl¡¯s lips. Even though she knew there was no way Serenis would hear her from this distance, Light seemingly couldn¡¯t help herself from speaking outward. As the dragonlord raised her hand into the air, waves of brilliant glimmers shone from her fingertips. Each light flickered in succession, and they were mirrored within the grey sky above them. And soon, an enormous pillar of light would crash down from above to smite the levitating monster. Ep 141.1 (Extra). Lunar Celebration Soaring across the forest just above the treeline, Serenis carefully eyed the sight below her. Soon enough, an enormous clearing came to view, occupied by wooden structures of all sorts that faintly glowed in the magic that coated them. As the dragon landed before the sylvan fortress with a resonating thud, several sylphs rushed out to greet the last guest that had arrived into their stronghold. ¡°¡­Welcome, Lord Serenis! Uh, if you could please reduce your form before entering¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When one of the sylphs approached to greet her ¨C presumably one of the lower breeds ¨C Serenis scoffed at the words being spoken. She instead eyed the stone palace he was gesturing towards, her gaze narrowing from the piercing mana radiating from within. ¡°¡­I suppose your king doesn¡¯t feel the need to greet me in person.¡± The sylph winced in fear as the dragonlord¡¯s aura seemed to envelop the area surrounding them. He quickly lowered his head even further, hurrying his answer in a bout of panic. ¡°F, forgive me, dragonlord! The other lords have already arrived, so¡­Lord Nodhyle may be somewhat occupied for the time being¡­¡± Serenis returned her attention to the bowing sylph. Her eyes studied him from head to toe, noting the numerous scars running across his bluish skin. Most were hidden under clothing and bandage, but the sheer amount was impossible to hide fully. And finally, the dragonlord opened her mouth in a low, drowned-out voice. ¡°Did he appoint you to greet my arrival?¡± ¡°Y¡­yes? I was told to serve as your guide¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s understanding tone put a smile onto the sylph. His hopes momentarily surged as he anticipated for Serenis to reduce her form and follow his guide. Unfortunately, it only lasted until the dragonlord¡¯s foreclaws trampled him underneath. Several sylphs flinched at the bloody crushing noise, as well as the pool of blue blood that formed beneath the dragonlord¡¯s talons. After letting out another resounding snort, Serenis finally reduced her form, shaking off the bits of liquid that had stained her hand. Not a single glance was spared the dead sylph or the trembling onlookers as she made her way towards Nodhyle¡¯s palace. Despite having no others to guide her, Serenis had no trouble finding her way through the sylvan structure. This wasn¡¯t her first visit, and to boot, a gathering of five other lords was impossible to overlook. When the dragonlord finally threw open the doors leading into the sylvan king¡¯s guest hall, she could see the other demonlords gathered about around a circular stone table. But Serenis¡¯ eyes instantly locked with a blue-skinned king across the table before her. Clad in pieces of gold-encrusted armor worn over a rather simply tunic, the sylphlord¡¯s golden eyes emitted an eerie glow amidst his grey, colorless hair. A weak smile betrayed his indifference as he looked up to meet his elder sister¡¯s gaze. ¡°Looks like our last guest¡¯s finally arrived.¡± ¡°¡­Nodhyle.¡± ¡°Hm. It seems I¡¯ve caught you in a rather ill mood, sister. Did my invitation interrupt your slumbers?¡± ¡°I am not your sister.¡± ¡°And yet we share a father who¡¯d say otherwise.¡± Faking an uninterested, cursory glance behind the dragonlord, Nodhyle¡¯s smile became more pronounced as he continued to speak. ¡°What of your guide? I personally assigned one to welcome your arrival.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After an exasperated sigh, Serenis stomped her way into the room, seating herself in the last and final seat across the sylvan king. Her arms crossed in evident annoyance as she spat out her next answer. ¡°Dead.¡± ¡°Oh? On a day where we are to celebrate our survival? How cruel of you, Serenis.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of an answer, a menacing glare was all the sylphlord received in response. Uncomfortable silence ensued as the two demonlords began to stare each other down to oblivion. Another laid back on their seat and wistfully stared into the ceiling; another annoyingly floated about upside-down in the air, playfully waving their hand in front of the sylphlord¡¯s unflinching eyes. Finally, Kelador cleared his throat to break the silence weighing down upon them. ¡°¡­Come on, Serenis. No need to give the death stare at the poor fool.¡± The staring content immediately broke apart as both their glares fell upon the velklord instead of each other. ¡°I¡¯m not giving a death stare.¡± ¡°And who are you calling a fool, turtle?¡± Kelador rolled his eyes, tapping his scaled fingertip against the magicked stone table. He warily eyed the sylphlord with a sarcastic grin. ¡°Look Nod, we get it. You¡¯re worried that an impostor would show up instead of us. But that¡¯s no reason to keep sending your kin to test us every visit.¡± ¡°They¡¯re defects; traitors to the kin. It was kindness to allow their deaths to serve a noble purpose.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you sent sylphs to play decoy and shove poisoned knives behind our backs.¡± ¡°And were you a fake, I would¡¯ve caught an insolent fool daring to impede my stronghold with nary a cost.¡± Sensing the argument going nowhere at all, another lord chimed in, this time to change the topic altogether. After briskly floating over to hover over the table¡¯s centre, her pointed tail slapped across both the velklord¡¯s and sylphlord¡¯s faces as she turned midair. ¡°Oh, shut it, you two! Don¡¯t you remember what father said?! No fighting during celebrations!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite their respective pride and positions, both kings piped down surprisingly quickly at the mention of their father. Even Serenis relaxed her posture, her glare softening in an instant. When the room¡¯s atmosphere sufficiently loosened, the floating demonlord nodded in satisfaction ¨C though she remained hovering before everyone¡¯s eyes. Combined with her scantily-clad figure, the sight was extremely difficult to ignore. ¡°We barely see each other anymore, it¡¯d be a shame to waste what precious time we have with fighting. Besides, this year¡¯s been special!¡± ¡°¡­Special?¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Serenis curiously raised a brow at the unexpected announcement. She glanced around the table to see the other lords nodding in agreement, though she had no idea what they were actually nodding about. Noticing the dragonlord¡¯s confusion, Kelador once again chimed in to provide context to the dragonlord. ¡°Well, you see¡­the behemoths had another succession rite. See?¡± When Serenis followed the direction Kelador was pointing at, she saw a horned, purple-skinned individual seated on one of the tables. Their pointed ears and flowing black hair seemed pretty much identical to what the dragonlord had previously seen among the bloodthirsty tribe, but she did note the acute difference in horn size. The last beastlord only had a pair of broken horns. This one¡¯s horns were fully intact. ¡°¡­Yet another beastlord to replace the last. What a pleasant surprise.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s sarcasm was met by a glint of violet eyes staring directly into her figure. However, instead of the violent lashing that she expected from the previous behemoths she¡¯d seen taking the throne, this one merely returned a faint smile back to her sarcastic comment. ¡°Ivaratus. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis widened her eyes in surprise. The others seemed likewise surprised, though not quite to her extent. Noticing the dragonlord¡¯s quizzical, almost doubtful expression, Ivaratus let out a loud laughter at her confusion. ¡°Ha! What¡¯s with the disappointed look?¡± ¡°¡­I expected a more¡­violent response.¡± ¡°We do have that tendency, don¡¯t we?¡± The beastlord mused for a moment, letting his own behavior ¨C or lack thereof ¨C to sink in. Considering that his predecessors had all been quick to rage and rampage, his calm, sensible behavior was completely out of line among his tribe. ¡°I may be an oddity, but I¡¯m fairly certain it¡¯s to your advantage, dragonlord. Our tribe¡¯s tendencies ultimately root from lack of control ¨C something a king ought to exercise in plenty. To borrow your words, our previous lords were all ¡®defects¡¯ that were bound to be replaced.¡± ¡°Is that so? And I thought your tribe was behind saving.¡± ¡°Ha. I won¡¯t deny that most of us are slaves to our thirst for blood; I¡¯m also well aware that we¡¯ve been nothing but trouble for the rest of you lot. I cannot promise a full cessation of our underlings overstepping their boundaries, but I can promise a lessening of it.¡± Serenis¡¯ gaze once again narrowed in doubt. But before the dragonlord could say something cynical again, the floating demonlord quickly interjected, physically cutting off the conversation by blocking her vision with her body. ¡°See, Serenis? This one¡¯s different! He¡¯s scary strong just like the old beastlords, but he talks more than he howls. That¡¯s a big change.¡± ¡°I suppose¡­¡± Serenis stared up at the floating figure for another moment. But she soon looked away, unwilling to stare at so much skin floating about before her eyes, covered in nothing but a single layer of thin, black fabric. ¡°¡­Return to your seat, Lucid.¡± ¡°Oh? Am I being an eyesore?¡± Curving their lips into a seductive smile, the floating demonlord lightly stepped onto the stone table. She lowered herself into a sitting posture and leaned forward, pressing an oddly-colored pair of red and blue eyes uncomfortably close towards the dragonlord. Following suit, glittering black lights shrouded her figure before she¡¯d emerge anew from within. The violet hair cascading down unto her back had were shortened to the same length as Kelador¡¯s. Her thin, smooth figure emerged far more muscled and rugged than before, and the jewelry decorating what little attire she wore had changed their colors from red to blue. Brimming with confidence, Lucid wove their hand in front of Serenis as they spoke once more ¨C this time in a husky, masculine voice. ¡°I¡¯d transform into a dragon, but I don¡¯t think this chamber would hold if I did that. But this is decent too, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Lucid.¡± ¡°What is it, darling?¡± ¡°Return to your seat.¡± ¡°¡­Aww. Cold as always, Serenis.¡± After a disappointed shrug, Lucid began trudging back to their seat. But when Kelador let out a small snicker on their way back, Lucid leaned into the velklord¡¯s ear, whispering in a barely audible voice. ¡°Laugh all you want, Kelly. Unlike you, I¡¯ve seen her naked.¡± ¡°Wait, what?!¡± This time, it was Lucid¡¯s turn to snicker. Kelador darted his gaze between the dreamlord and Serenis in panic, unable to form any coherent words. Nodhyle shook his head until Lucid finally returned to his seat. The sylph king then cleared his throat to cleanse the atmosphere of any awkwardness before finally addressing what they¡¯d gathered for. ¡°¡­Anyhow¡­I do appreciate all of you taking the time to gather today. As you all know, tonight is the night when the year¡¯s moon shines at its fullest; tonight is the night our brethren were brought to exist, all by our father¡¯s hands.¡± After a brief pause, the sylphlord raised his head with a solemn gaze. At the flick of his finger, the stone ceiling seemed to melt away, revealing the glittering night sky and the full moon showering them in its light. ¡°Tonight is the night we, as demonkind, celebrate another successful of all our brethren¡¯s survival. While the passage of time may hold little meaning to the lords, we give thanks for the blessing that is our world, and honor the efforts that have brought us to this day ¨C lest we forget the work of our father and kin.¡± After a brief pause, Nodhyle turned his head to face the other lords. And one by one, each began to cite a heartfelt phrase, gazing upwards in unison as they did so. ¡°May we never again shed needless blood.¡± ¡°May his gifts live within us, and ours within all of our brethren.¡± ¡°May our dreams and hearts ever stay true.¡± ¡°May we forge ahead, never to stray from our path.¡± ¡°May we continue to have peace everlasting.¡± Once the others had spoken, Nodhyle once again parted his lips, speaking unto the glowing moon above them. ¡°¡­May our kind be engraved in eternity, never to be forgotten.¡± ? ? ? When Raizel had arrived in Partivine, she¡¯d roared into the city to draw Karas towards her. As a result, the youngling had successfully whisked away the professor, as well as Ilias and Light to the northern continent. Unfortunately, the same roar threw a handful of individuals into a night of overwork. The enforcement sector madly went about the city to find out where the sudden roar had come from. They cross-referenced numerous eyewitness reports of a giant snake-like silhouette within the courtyards of the Magic Institute, which had been all but abandoned by the city for weeks. By the time Iris and Patrick had arrived on scene, the metal dragon was gone; in her place was just a huge paved section on the grass that needed fixing, as well as faint signs of mana that had been present before the youngling¡¯s disappearance. That also needed a copious amount of investigation, followed by a thorough check of available mana signatures within the sector¡¯s data. Though, quite obviously, no one¡¯s mana seemed to match the signatures that were read within that courtyard. After all, the portal that had appeared there was powered by a machine, not a person. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After exhausting themselves in a three-day search for the culprit, Patrick finally returned home to immediately collapse on the couch. And Iris likewise followed through the door, collapsing beside her coworker as her legs finally gave away. ¡°¡­Hey, Patrick?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­You think your sibling had something to do with this incident?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­You ever feel like we try too hard for our own good?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­If I ask nicely, will you get up and fetch me some water?¡± ¡°¡­Y¡­no.¡± Patrick remained glued to the couch beside Iris, his eyes emptily staring into the ceiling. He emptily flicked his hand in the air, making a sphere of water above his coworker¡¯s face. ¡°Here you go. Water.¡± ¡°¡­This is a spell.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°What the hell do you mean ¡®so¡¯? Even if I did drink this, it¡¯ll disappear inside my mouth.¡± Soon after the enforcer¡¯s comment, the sphere of water dissipated above her eyes, replaced with an exhausted comment from her coworker. ¡°Fine. Go get some actual water. There¡¯s some right over there on the kitchen table.¡± ¡°¡­But I don¡¯t want to get up.¡± ¡°And you think I do?¡± ¡°Oh come on, I¡¯m a guest. A lady at that.¡± ¡°Uh, no, you¡¯re an intruder who followed me into my house without permission. I could arrest you for that.¡± ¡°¡­Fine, how about this. Your deity is asking for an offering of water.¡± ¡°You pull the deity card to talk your way out of everything. I¡¯m not falling for it.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± After groggily getting back up to her feet, Iris dragged herself across the living room to pour two cups of water. As she brought one back to Patrick, she turned towards the window as her ears picked up on a faint explosion noise ¨C though Patrick soon brushed away her worries with his words. ¡°Iris, we¡¯re off until Wednesday. Stop looking out the window.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that too? Something just exploded outside.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard it. I also know the explosion¡¯s name, it¡¯s called fireworks.¡± ¡°¡­Fireworks? What for?¡± ¡°Tonight¡¯s Lunar Celebration, remember?¡± ¡°¡­Is it already that time of the year? Huh.¡± After passing the cup of water to her coworker, Iris once again sank into the couch beside him. The two enforcers lazily sipped on the cool drink, letting out a sigh of relief afterwards. ¡°Hey, Patrick. Wanna know something cool?¡± ¡°Is it gonna be another story about how stupid we were a thousand years ago?¡± ¡°No, this is different. Do you know where Lunar Celebration originated from?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, a couple ancients looked at the sky one day, saw a really big moon and thought ¡®oh oh oh, let¡¯s make this day¡­moon-day.¡¯ Is that it?¡± ¡°Hahahaha, no, not at all. Lunar Celebration isn¡¯t actually a day people came up with.¡± ¡°¡­? What, so the Twelve came up with it?¡± ¡°Not really. To be honest, we stole it. Lunar Celebration is actually a day demons used to celebrate.¡± ¡°¡­Wha?¡± ¡°Hard to believe, right? But it¡¯s actually their celebration. They held a yearly celebration on the night with the brightest moon, usually right before winter¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Huh. Well, they sure don¡¯t teach you that in history class. All we get about demons is ¡®they were big and bad and mean and the Twelve killed them all.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. None of that¡¯s really true.¡± ¡°What did they even celebrate it though? Same thing as we do? Year¡¯s passing, family time, that stuff?¡± ¡°¡­I think so? Your sibling would probably know better in that regard. By the time I was around, all their traditions were beginning to fall apart, so I only saw glimpses of it. But it was pretty much just wishing for everyone¡¯s well-being.¡± ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ll have to ask them when they come home.¡± ¡°You could. There were also phrases that they¡¯d recite when the moon was up. Each tribe had a different one. I still remember the one dragons used to say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®Happy Lunar Celebration,¡¯ is it?¡± ¡°¡­No. It was...¡± After an amused snort, Iris cleared her throat, staring out the window towards the flying sparks of the fireworks outside ¨C and the moon shining behind all the festivities. ¡°¡­Actually, I forgot. You should just ask her when she¡¯s back.¡± Ep 141.2 (Extra). Spirit’s Whisk Ep 141.2 (Extra). Spirit¡¯s Whisk Months ago, sometime during Serenis¡¯ institute days¡­ ¡°Hey, where¡¯re you going?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When Patrick warily eyed his sibling reaching towards the door to leave the house, he was quick to stop the dragonlord. When Serenis turned around to face him, she could see his brother beckoning her over to the couch he was on with a confused expression. But then again, she was even more confused than he was. ¡°It¡¯s Thursday, Patrick.¡± ¡°Uh¡­yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the weekend.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, but¡­it¡¯s Spirit¡¯s Whisk. It¡¯s a holiday.¡± ¡°¡­It is?¡± ¡°Do you not keep track of dates at all? Now get back here. It¡¯s dangerous to go out today.¡± Serenis briefly closed her eyes, retracing what memories she had to recall this foreign day. But despite it being a holiday, all she could recall were Zion¡¯s memories of shuddering in fear and wishing for the day to pass. Finally, the dragonlord returned to her brother¡¯s side, taking a seat with a serious, forlorn gaze. ¡°¡­I remember bits. But I don¡¯t recall ever being happy about this holiday.¡± ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s not a celebration.¡± ¡°? Then why is it a holiday?¡± ¡°¡­Oh yeah. I never told you that, did I¡­thought you¡¯d be crying all day if I did. But eh, I guess you¡¯re old enough now.¡± Serenis squinted at her brother, to which elicited a bout of laughter from the blue-haired mage. He jokingly wove his hand at her, shaking his head. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to give me your ¡®I¡¯m-thousands-of-years-old¡¯ face every time.¡± ¡°...¡± Clearing his throat, the mage took on a more serious tone once his laughter came to a cease. ¡°Ahem, alright. So¡­Spirit¡¯s Whisk. We say it¡¯s a holiday, but really, it¡¯s more like¡­nobody¡¯s allowed to go outside. Or well, shouldn¡¯t go outside.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You see, this time of the year is when a lot of strange things happen out of the blue. And I don¡¯t mean things like magic or monsters, it¡¯s more like¡­¡± ¡°¡­Like?¡± ¡°¡­Heaps of metal falling out of the sky.¡± ¡°What??¡± ¡°Or glass. Or weird items. Sometimes you even get weird animals or their skulls. Anything, really. Sometimes, people just straight up disappear.¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes narrowed further as she listened to her brother¡¯s ridiculous description of the supposed holiday. She looked towards the window ¨C where she could see a perfectly sunny, peaceful street. And Patrick likewise followed her gaze, adding onto his previous explanation. ¡°Oh, it only happens at night though. It¡¯s kinda okay to go out now, but¡­it¡¯s just recommended that you stay home all day. Just in case.¡± ¡°¡­And what reason lies behind this phenomenon? If what you say is indeed true, I don¡¯t see how any of them could happen without a cause.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± The mage shrugged back at his sibling, forming a sorry smile on his lips. ¡°That¡¯s why we call it Spirit¡¯s Whisk. It¡¯s the day spirits play tricks on us¡­or so we tell the kids. The truth is, we just don¡¯t know.¡± After a small delay, the dragonlord let out a long, disappointed sigh. She then rose to her feet, briskly making her way towards the door. ¡°? Woah, wait! Where¡¯re you going?¡± ¡°To see these ¡®spirits¡¯ with my own eyes.¡± Even as the door closed behind her, neither Serenis or Patrick actually believed in the spirit explanation. If that was true, then a soulseer would¡¯ve long clarified the phenomenon by now. But at the same time, the enforcer knew the realities of this day ¨C that disappearances weren¡¯t just rumors, but actual reported personnel that went missing on this very day. ¡°¡­Oh, for Twelve¡¯s sake. Wait up! At least hide your horns if you¡¯re going out!¡± ? ? ? For hours, the two roamed Partivine¡¯s streets. Even as the sun began to set, neither Serenis nor Patrick managed to come across a single person. They saw nothing besides Partivine¡¯s empty streets, emptier stores, and closed drapes on every window. Eventually, Patrick placed his hand on his sibling¡¯s shoulder, pulling her back towards him. ¡°Sere¡­I mean, Zion, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go home already.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hellooo?...Yes? No? Maybe? Say something.¡± ¡°¡­Patrick. Do you see that?¡± ¡°See what?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Over there¡­beyond the hillside.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When Patrick followed his unmoving sibling¡¯s gaze, he could see¡­ Nothing. It was just a grassy hill, next to the city¡¯s walls. ¡°¡­Are you hallucinating things, or do you just have really good eyesight that I didn¡¯t know about?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a rupture. It¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s a hill.¡± Grabbing hold of the hand that was on her shoulder, Serenis summoned her wings as she took Patrick into her arms. Moments after the two took off the ground, making a brief flight over Partivine¡¯s walls and towards the hill beyond it. ¡°Hey, what¡¯re yoouuuuuuuwwoah!¡± ¡°Patrick, be quiet.¡± In fact, Patrick did shut his mouth as the two took flight ¨C not because he was told to, but for fear someone would look out their window and see their local enforcer being kidnapped by his own younger brother. Not to mention it was hard to speak with all the air rushing at his face. Patrick made an internal promise to hold a 3-hour scolding session when his feet would touch solid ground. But when his feet actually did touch the ground, such trivial thoughts were washed away by what was in front of his eyes. ¡°Zion, you can¡¯t just¡­wait, what the hell?¡± ¡°I told you.¡± In front of the two siblings was a hazy, fractured gap, as if there was a broken glass wall separating their world from across. Beyond the gap they could see an endless span of red and orange lights, skeletons and phantoms serving to decorate every house in the street, and small monsters running about from home to home. But as far as Patrick knew, this place has always been a simple hill. There shouldn¡¯t been any houses here, let alone an entire city. ¡°¡­What am I looking at? Is this an illusion?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. There¡¯s no mana coming from beyond. In fact¡­there¡¯s so little mana beyond this rupture.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± Before Patrick could coherently gather his thoughts, Serenis began walking forward, straight into the street beyond the ruptured gap. And obviously, her elder sibling did not approve. ¡°Hey, hey! Where¡¯re you going?! You don¡¯t know what¡¯s there! I bet this is exactly how people disappear! What if it¡¯s dangerous?¡± ¡°More dangerous than I am?¡± ¡°Well¡­I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Come, Patrick. Where¡¯s your human spirit? I thought curiosity was one of your kind¡¯s most notable features.¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go alone! Ugh, fine. But only for a few minutes!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Coming to a compromise(?), the two soon stepped through the illusion-like rupture completely. But the sight before them refused to change, and the well-lit night streets were still just the same. What did change was the scenery behind them ¨C as the rupture they¡¯d stepped through had somehow disappeared without a trace. ¡°¡­I told you this was how people disappear.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. If worse comes to pass we can fly back home, wherever this may be.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say¡­woah!¡± Stumbling forth a few steps, Patrick struggled to not fall from the sudden bump on his back. When he and Serenis turned around, they could see a blob of white cloth ¨C who they first thought to be a wandering spirit ¨C until it started talking in a girl¡¯s voice. The blob was accompanied by several other teenagers, all of whom were disguised as various sorts of monsters. And finally, a pair of human arms jutted forth from the blob¡¯s sides, rubbing the centre of the white cloth ¨C which was probably where their nose was, aching from the bump just now. ¡°Ow¡­um, I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t see you there, this costume really makes it hard to see¡­¡± Patrick squinted, tilted his head, looked around, and scanned the blob before him. He then studied the three kids behind the blob, then the blob itself, and finally came to the most logical conclusion he could come up with. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re all¡­kids.¡± The group nodded in unison, including the blob. They then held out the bags and baskets in their hand, which were filled with an assortment of colorful¡­items. Whatever those were. ¡°It¡¯s okay, our parents said we just need to stay together!¡± ¡°Are you two trick-or-treating too? That¡¯s a cool cloak, mister!¡± ¡°Yeah! And staff! You look like a wizard!¡± This time, Patrick turned his head around to face Serenis. But the dragonlord only shrugged back at him, unable to process the situation herself. Finally, Patrick turned back to face the kids, beaming an odd, forced smile towards the dressed-up children. ¡°Uh¡­yeah, uh¡­I am one, actually.¡± ¡°Really? Can you do magic then?¡± ¡°Um¡­sure?¡± ¡°Show us! Show us!¡± When the four children looked at him with gleaming eyes, the enforcer found himself at a loss. Wherever they¡¯d ended up was certainly not the realm of spirits. ¡°¡­Why not? Here, stand back a little.¡± The mage confidently wove his staff in the air, emitting a bluish glow from its tip. The light soon exploded in a dazzling flash, scattering into hundreds of snowflakes that lightly rained down upon the amazed children. Finally, one of the children stepped closer, pointing at Patrick¡¯s staff in their wolf-paw glove. ¡°That¡¯s so cool! Is that staff expensive?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­a little bit?¡± ¡°Can I see? Can I see?¡± ¡°¡­Eh. Sure, here.¡± Patrick soon handed the staff over to the child, which he received with both arms. The wooden rod was taller that the child itself, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind. Even when he turned around and ran. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s mine now!¡± ¡°What? Wait, you can¡¯t just run off!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it back to you if you catch me!¡± When one child began running, the others all followed¡­except for the blob. Patrick blankly watched them run for a few seconds until the blob¡¯s arm poked him on the waist. ¡°Um, sorry¡­we¡¯re just a little excited for Halloween. Chris is just playing around, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll give it back to you once you catch him. We should go!¡± Afterwards, the blob child also began to run after her friends. Patrick let out a sigh mixed in with laughter, preparing to run after them. ¡°Zion, let¡¯s go! I lied to the kid, but that thing cost me a fortune!¡± ¡°¡­But¡­I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Serensi watched the children run off the way they¡¯d come. Interestingly enough, it seemed to be a perfectly fine street ¨C and the rupture they¡¯d stepped out of was nowhere to be seen. But as soon as her sibling began running after them, the rupture showed itself once more, taking the enforcer back to Partivine¡¯s hillside ¨C before disappearing from sight once more. The dragonlord watched her brother pointlessly disappear, staring at the rupture with an expectant, indifferent gaze. ¡°¡­That you can go in that direction.¡± Shaking her head, Serenis dusted off the item she¡¯d picked up from the ground. She then walked along the same way, stepping through the rupture to join her brother¡¯s side. ? ? ? ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe they got away with my staff.¡± ¡°Let it go, Patrick. You didn¡¯t even need it.¡± While her brother grumbled with crossed arms, Serenis quietly took a seat beside him, back in the safety of their home. Her human disguise soon melted away as her horns and tail reappeared. She then produced a small, brown wallet from her robe ¨C and only then did her sibling¡¯s grumbling come to a cease. ¡°¡­Wait, what is that? Since when did you keep a wallet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not mine. I picked it up from the ground. It¡¯s likely one of the children¡¯s.¡± ¡°Really?...Shouldn¡¯t you have returned it to them?¡± ¡°I would have, but¡­we couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± When the two had returned to the hill, Patrick had immediately attempted to step back into the rupture to retrieve his staff¡­only to find out that the rupture was completely gone. Hence, the two had returned home missing an expensive staff, and a wallet they could no longer return. Serenis then opened the wallet, curiously shuffling through its contents. She produced several sheets of paper from within, marked with a number, a drawing, and all kinds of symbols she couldn¡¯t even begin to understand. Patrick likewise squinted his eyes, and held the paper to examine it up close. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­there¡¯s coin here as well.¡± ¡°Well, yeah, it¡¯s a wallet. I¡¯d expect there to be coin.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not the coin we know.¡± Serenis shook the wallet above the table, letting several coins drop onto the glass surface. They each gleamed in a silver light, but none were the actual silvers that the siblings were familiar with seeing. In fact, they weren¡¯t even sure if it really was silver. Or if it really was coin, or just a fancy, circular metal token. ¡°¡­Okay, just where the hell were we?¡± ¡°Perhaps that really was the spirit realm.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s ridiculous. You saw those kids ¨C they were just dressed up. They weren¡¯t spirits!¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps children are allowed to roam free amongst spirits.¡± Finally, Serenis plucked out the few remaining items from the wallet. All of them were flattened surfaces with strange words and engravings upon them, but as flat as they were, Patrick found them surprisingly durable. ¡°Hey, these aren¡¯t paper like the first ones. Are these cards? I¡¯ve never seen them so fancy¡­durable, too. Wonder what these are made of.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Zion?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­? Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Patrick called out to the dragonlord several times, using both her original name and her current human name. But none of them registered properly as she held the last of the strange cards in her hand. ¡°What are you looking at?...Is that a license?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see here. Bliss Carman Secondary School, Grade 7. Student Name Ed¡­¡± Before Patrick could read out the name in full, the card suddenly burst into flames. Patrick reflexively flinched, staggering back with arms raised above his head. ¡°Woah, what the hell?! What¡¯re you doing?!¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± ¡°Uh, no, that wasn¡¯t ¡®nothing¡¯! What¡¯d you do that for?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Good night.¡± Ep 142. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (1) Ep 142. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (1) ¡®What was that just now?¡¯ There¡¯s no need to know. ¡®¡­What was I doing just now?¡¯ There¡¯s no need to know. ¡®¡­No. It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no need to know. I don¡¯t want to know.¡¯ What difference does it make? There is no reason for a monster to know such things. ¡®¡­¡¯ This is only natural. You lived as your instincts pleased, and now your time has come. All manaspawns are destined to perish to greater beings. The only purpose your life may serve is that of which I¡¯ve assigned to you. ¡®Per¡­haps.¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ - ¡®Is that¡­¡¯ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ - ¡®¡­Is that what you really think?¡¯ ? ? ? Fragments of starlight scattered about as Serenis¡¯ spell faded away. Thousands of prismatic mana scraps melted into the snowy floors of Chell. Soon, a black figure would likewise fall unto its floors with a resounding thud. In the ensuing silence, not a single soul dared to move. If anything, most weren¡¯t even sure whose side they should be standing on between the standing dragonlord, or the fallen black figure. Instead, the first to move was the fallen figure himself. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± Karas rapidly shook his head, as well as dust off the snow and dirt that coated his suit. A soft groan escaped his beak before he would rise to his feet, scanning the area around in foreboding silence. That is, until Light couldn¡¯t bear to remain silent any longer. ¡°¡­Professor? Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The half reflexively took a step forward. Years of built-up trust had prevailed over her doubts as Light began to approach Karas. However, Serenis¡¯ arm would soon block the half¡¯s passage. Even when Light would look up to the dragonlord with a mix of curiosity and worry, Serenis¡¯ eyes remained fixed on the feathered figure ahead of them. When her eyes locked with Karas¡¯ unforgiving gaze, Serenis made a small push backwards, urging the cat half to back off a step further. ¡°Serenis? What¡¯s wrong? The professor¡¯s-¡° ¡°That isn¡¯t Karas.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The dragonlord¡¯s announcement was quickly followed with every pair of eyes turning towards the feathered figure. But as if used to the attention, Karas¡¯ posture noticeably relaxed as he waved away at the staring crowd. ¡°Haha. How are you even telling the difference? You truly are an enigma, dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­so much for deception.¡± Serenis wore a heavy frown as she listened to Karas. Unlike before, she could now hear a faint layer of demeaning, unsettling laughter mixed into the professor¡¯s tone.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Karas¡¯ eyes would curve in amusement, seemingly overjoyed by the discomfort welling up within her. ¡°How ironic that you would be the one to facilitate my return. Does this mean I¡¯ve been forgiven for killing your son and his brood?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of answering the possessed academic, Serenis turned her gaze to meet Light¡¯s. For over a minute, no words were spoken. Not even Raizel dared to make a single noise, allowing the situation at hand to fully sink in for the half. And when Light¡¯s incredulous gaze drifted over to her professor, she was answered with a sarcastic wave and an eerie smile. ¡°Light, was it? A touching name for a mere stray.¡± Whether Light¡¯s ears even registered the casual insult remained a mystery. After all, she merely stood still, as if frozen in place. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Unamused by the continued silence, Karas¡¯ attention then shifted over towards Aymeia, The former deity stood amidst a handful of Chell¡¯s warriors, studying the feathered figure with visible unease. As he had countless times in the past, the feathered figure beckoned her over to his side. ¡°Aymeia. I trust you recognize who I am now.¡± Several times Aymeia opened her mouth to speak. Several times she¡¯d close it back with nary a word spoken. The monster beamed an amused grin at the sight, although his head was shaking in disappointment. ¡°Hm¡­disappointing, though I do suppose inner turmoil is still a significant improvement over outright hostility. It seems you really have regained yourself, at least in part.¡± ¡°¡­Felicir?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Even after speaking her old mentor¡¯s name, the turmoil in Aymeia¡¯s eyes refused to disappear. She instead looked to the dragonlord ¨C as if Serenis would know what to do in her place. But the feathered figure merely snorted at the sight, stretching out his hand to oncea gain beckon Aymeia to his side. ¡°Aymeia. That woman is neither your mother nor friend ¨C I¡¯m sure she¡¯s said so herself. She is but an enemy of our kind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nor am I your enemy. I am but a mentor who yearned for your return.¡± There was no way to tell if the possessed academic¡¯s benign, gentle words were out of actual sincerity. But whether it was sincerity or deceit, his words were clearly taking a notable toll on Aymeia¡¯s conscience. The dragonlord¡¯s next phrase certainly didn¡¯t help clear her mind. ¡°Do as you wish. I cannot dictate who you should be.¡± ¡°But¡­you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°I am not your mother. Your memories of being my child are but those stolen from my dead son.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®The son that likely perished in your mentor¡¯s hands, no less.¡¯ Serenis had no intention of winning Aymeia over in any regard. If anything, having Aymeia side with Felicir would make the situation at hand much simpler to deal with. And while the two conversed, Karas ¨C or Felicir, rather ¨C began to examine his own, newfound physique. He¡¯d been in temporary control of Karas¡¯ body before, but there had never been a time where the Reaper was completely free of the monster¡¯s influence. Soon, he¡¯d beam to himself. His eyes regained their eerie glint. Unlike before, an air of arrogance radiated from the possessed academic as he interrupted the dragonlord¡¯s conversation. ¡°Should you really be so relaxed, dragonlord? If I were you, I¡¯d be more worried about my return.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis squinted her eyes at the Reaper¡¯s mocking tone. ¡°Should I? Of you, who¡¯s lost body and divinity both?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true I no longer possess my divinity, yes. But I do possess a body ¨C as you can clearly see. One far more capable than the previous.¡± ¡°...You truly believe you¡¯re capable of surpassing me in that body?¡± ¡°Ha! I wouldn¡¯t go that far now, especially with two of your strongest kin standing at your side. However¡­¡± As Felicir held his clawed hand away, a dense air of blue wafted outwards from within his palm. ¡°¡­Given the environment, I do believe this body is capable of a number of interesting things.¡± A demeaning chuckle followed as the feathered figure scattered thick, intangible waves of blue about the surrounding area. Many stood in place, unable to understand what he was doing ¨C including Serenis herself. ¡®Mana?¡¯ Felicir was scattering pure mana into the open ¨C that much, she could plainly see. The reason, Felicir would soon explain himself as he turned towards Light. ¡°You were the slaver¡¯s student, yes? Let this be a lesson to you.¡± Thud! When the earth lightly rumbled from the ringing thud, Chell¡¯s inhabitants immediately looked around, suddenly alert of their surroundings. Even Ilias and Raizel scanned the area to spot the source of the sudden tremor. But as if expecting the impact, Felicir didn¡¯t even so much as flinch. He instead gave a mocking shrug. ¡°Monsters are neither living, nor dead ¨C they simply ¡®are,¡¯ borne of mana found in nature.¡± While the Reaper¡¯s explanation continued, several additional tremors followed the first. Soon, a looming shadow stood before Chell¡¯s wooden walls, accompanied by several more of equally towering sizes. ¡°Hence, monsters are not drawn to regular prey; as they are borne of mana, their sustenance depends on mana. The very reason they tend to be hostile towards humans is because human bodies offer mana of highest concentrations compared to other animals¡­but even then, there¡¯s nothing quite like pure, unaspected mana that draws them in.¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes hastily darted between Felicir, and the army of shadows that were rapidly approaching. The ones that had been responsible for the tremors weren¡¯t the only monsters surrounding Chell ¨C hundreds of mana clusters were beginning to surround the vicinity, each cluster undoubtedly belonging to yet another monster. In mere minutes, the settlement was practically under their siege. Finally, Serenis returned her attention to the possessed academic, glaring at him with doubtful eyes. ¡°¡­That¡¯s impossible. A living being cannot wield unaspected mana. They¡¯re bound to their individual affinities.¡± ¡°Normally, yes. But haven¡¯t I just told you, dragonlord?¡± Following suit, a large roar echoed throughout Chell¡¯s vicinities. Giant, ape-like creatures tore down Chell¡¯s wooden walls with ease, each towering above the inhabitants at several times their heights; their crimson eyes were hungrily staring down upon the gathered occupants. And from another side, enraged animals of all sorts began bashing and clawing against the wooden barricade. Those that were lucky enough to find the broken rear entrance were entering with no resistance whatsoever. As fellow monsters swarmed into the rural settlement, Felicir¡¯s grin only widened further. ¡°A monster is neither living, nor dead. They simply are.¡± Ep 143. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (2) Ep 143. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (2) ¡°Hmpf!¡± In the midst of Asarda¡¯s snowfields, an Asardan warrior leapt into the air and swung his battleaxe with all his might, its metal blade splitting through another yeti¡¯s skull. The giant ape soon fell backward with a powerless groan, its body fading to mana and dissipating without a trace. Orkaan raised his head, hunting eyes keenly overseeing the battlefield. Although the current year¡¯s Frosthunt was an embarrassment compared to their other years, the veteran warrior and his small party had still managed to slay at least a few dozen monsters throughout the previous week. But soon, Orkaan witnessed the strangest behavior he¡¯d ever seen in a pack of yetis. The giant apes turned their glaring red eyes in unison, specifically towards the east. Many powerlessly fell to the warriors¡¯ attacks while their attention was occupied elsewhere. Then, those that weren¡¯t attacked began to rush eastward, leaving a trail of giant footsteps behind them. ¡°¡­What in Star¡¯s name¡­?¡± Orkaan then looked towards his fellow warriors. Unfortunately, every single one of them seemed just as confused, each blankly staring at the fleeing yetis. As far as they knew, the yetis were fierce and unforgiving, even amongst monsters ¨C they weren¡¯t ones to turn away from an ongoing battle. So, to see them suddenly flee in unison for no apparent reason was quite the shocking sight. ¡°Chief Orkaan! What¡¯s going on? Where¡¯re they going?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve no answer to give you, Tannis. I¡¯ve never seen yetis fleeing from battle.¡± ¡°¡­Shall we give chase? If they continue in that direction¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Where ARE they going?...To Chell?¡¯ While Orkaan and his party had departed their villages for this year¡¯s Frosthunt, the chief warrior couldn¡¯t help but grow worried of his younger brother. Urgus was a capable warrior himself, and Chell¡¯s warriors were nothing to scoff at. In fact, Chell was heavily fortified from preparing against the empire¡¯s invasion; it was practically filled with Asarda¡¯s finest warriors. There was no justifiable reason for a small hunt party to give chase to a half-slain pack of yetis. Hence, as the leader of the hunting party, it was only right that Orkaan decide to ignore the strange behavior and continue their hunt. But¡­ ¡°Orkaan?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ? ? ? Try as he might, Urgus couldn¡¯t help the hints of despair from showing in his eyes. ¡°Chief Urgus! Lady Aymeia is¡­!¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve time to talk, then swing your axe!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Swallowing his own fears, Chell¡¯s chief warrior flung his handaxe into the yeti leaping at him, burying the weapon right between its crimson eyes. While the monster momentarily flinched with a horrifying shriek, Urgus leapt at the furred monster¡¯s head himself, barbarically clawing into the bloody gap of his axe before splitting the yeti¡¯s skull open. But even as another monster fell before him, two more began to creep from the distance. No, two was an understatement. There were dozens more ¨C if not, hundreds. And it wasn¡¯t just yetis, either. ¡®¡­We should¡¯ve forced this year¡¯s Frosthunt.¡¯ Urgus had always known that his brother¡¯s party of warriors wouldn¡¯t be able to cull out Asarda¡¯s monsters all by themselves. With their yearly hunt being so lackluster this time around, the coming winter was bound to be dangerous. But even then, the number of monsters gathering into Chell was far beyond the warrior¡¯s understanding. He may as well have been on an island, with the ocean slowly creeping in from every direction. With the situation so dire, Chell¡¯s occupants had naturally huddled together, with warriors circling around those who couldn¡¯t fight themselves. As the army of monsters approached them, the Asardans looked to their guardian deity in unison. With Aymeia being physically present amongst them, it didn¡¯t seem that farfetched to expect their fervent prayers to come true. They prayed that she¡¯d step forth and cleanse their settlement of the surrounding horde, just as she would in the legends they¡¯d passed for centuries. But contrary to their hopes, the sea of monsters wasn¡¯t what Aymeia¡¯s flames were threatening to burn. ¡°¡­Tch!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Not far from the circle of Chell¡¯s warriors, a steel dragon was gritting her teeth. As Aymeia wordlessly stroke the air before her, another fiery pillar erupt forth to blast at Raizel¡¯s figure. Covering her face with both arms, the steel dragon reluctantly retreated back a few steps, lest the former deity¡¯s flames melt through her skin. A low growl slithered out from between the youngling¡¯s lips. But even then, Raizel refused to fight the deity in earnest. She¡¯d instead maintain a relatively relaxed demeanor, her expression merely annoyed as if facing an annoying insect. And this infuriated Aymeia to no end. ¡°¡­Step aside, dragon.¡± ¡°Pft. Make me.¡± ¡°If you refuse, I¡¯ve no choice but to incinerate you whole.¡± ¡°Go ahead and try, but I¡¯ll have to transform if you do. Don¡¯t blame me if I accidentally step on a couple of your followers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want that, do you?¡± Even when the monsters had appeared around Chell, Serenis hadn¡¯t seemed bothered. In her usual indifferent tone, the dragonlord had ordered Ilias to take Light to safety, and defend Chell with its warriors thereafter. Following suit, she¡¯d ordered Raizel to keep Aymeia at bay ¨C which was exactly what the youngling was doing. If Serenis had wanted Aymeia dead, she would¡¯ve said so. Hence, there was no reason for Raizel to fight the former deity in earnest. And with so many Asardans to hold hostage, she could practically hold Aymeia at bay for as long as she wanted to. ¡°You know, I¡¯m kind of glad you took your stupid Reaper¡¯s side. Now I don¡¯t have to pretend I like you anymore. I mean, look at you: your followers are needing you so much, and what do you do? You turn your back and ignore them.¡± ¡°¡­Please, let me through. I¡¯m only trying to mediate things. There¡¯s no reason for us to fight! If I just talk to Lord Felicir, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have the monsters disperse!¡± Having reached an impasse with the steel dragon, Aymeia began to appeal to reason instead. It was painfully clear she couldn¡¯t just force her way through Raizel. Unfortunately for her, the appeal was even less effective than trying to force her way through. ¡°Who cares?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Who cares if there¡¯s a reason? I sure as hell didn¡¯t have a ¡®reason¡¯ every time I fought someone, and I used to fight all the time. Trust me, you don¡¯t need one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Besides, lord told me to keep you here. That¡¯s reason enough for me.¡± Aymeia¡¯s jaw slowly dropped open at the youngling¡¯s ridiculous reasoning. Although she¡¯d never spoken much to Raizel before, she¡¯d never expected the steel dragon to be THIS eccentric. ¡°¡­Are you not worried about your lord? What if she requires your aid?¡± ¡°Against that feathered scum? I doubt it.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just him. Lord Felicir is in control of that body. Your precious king is facing against the Twelve¡¯s ruler!¡± This time, Raizel burst into laughter from Aymeia¡¯s words. The youngling gripped her belly, waving her hand as if she¡¯d just heard the world¡¯s funniest joke. ¡°Hahahaha. Hah¡­ah, that¡¯s actually hilarious.¡± ¡°¡­Why¡¯re you laughing? Are you not worried about your king?¡± ¡°No?¡± Even as Aymeia angrily questioned the youngling, Raizel merely shrugged back with a relaxed smile curving her lips. The youngling wasn¡¯t worried one bit about what was going on behind their backs. In fact, she was surprised herself at how unconcerned she was. ¡°I guess I trust her more than you trust your stupid Reaper.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So glare at me all you want. You¡¯re not getting past here.¡± Ep 144. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (3) Ep 144. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (3) As everyone began devoting themselves to their own tasks, Serenis stood alone in the emptied settlement square to face the possessed academic. But unlike her otherwise calm demeanor, the dragonlord¡¯s eyes betrayed a hint of doubt. ¡®How strange.¡¯ As waves of unaspected mana wafted about the air, Serenis raised her gaze slightly, staring into the intangible haze of blue radiating from Karas. Or at least, the Reaper that was in possession of Karas¡¯ body. ¡°¡­Of the countless wandering spirits, what are the odds that you of all would find Karas¡­in this distant land, no less?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°And what are the odds that the dead would possess the means to bargain with the living?¡± Serenis shook her head, denying the improbable outright. ¡°¡­This cannot be mere coincidence.¡± Karas¡¯ eyes thinned as the Reaper within him beamed a wry smile back at his enemy. A soft laughter escaped his beak as Felicir mused at the dragonlord¡¯s words. ¡°Haha, interesting. It¡¯s quite appalling how perceptive you are at times, dragonlord. If your son had possessed half your wits, he might¡¯ve outsmarted me all those years ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but I jest. Vulka wasn¡¯t truly your son. It¡¯s small wonder he didn¡¯t take after you.¡± Serenis let out another long sigh. She¡¯d found Karas difficult to talk to at times, but never infuriating. But on the other hand, Felicir¡¯s mere existence had always been infuriating for her; she was practically talking to the world¡¯s rudest jester who seemed to know her every secret. Alas, the dragonlord had no reason to let her anger show. Unlike before, Felicir was not in possession of his divinity ¨C or any divinity, for that matter. Karas was a formidable mage, but even the professor¡¯s magic paled in comparison to the dragonlord¡¯s. So instead, Serenis beamed back a mocking grin. ¡°Should you really be so relaxed, Reaper? Unlike our last meeting, you¡¯ve little to fall back on.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself. You not only had Aldrid, but my own sister behind your back.¡± ¡°And you held the rest of this star hostage.¡± ¡°Hah! Fair enough. I suppose I can¡¯t do that anymore. But dragonlord, you¡¯ve also no one to aid you this time ¨C Aldrid isn¡¯t coming to your aid, nor is my sister. You¡¯ve sent away your own kin, and the Asardans will be quite busy with all the monsters marching to this place.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s mocking grin soon twisted into a quizzical, doubtful frown. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t understand the confidence that the Reaper was exuding before her. ¡°¡­You seriously believe you can best me alone? Without your divinity?¡± ¡°Making the impossible possible has always been a specialty of mine.¡± As his voice faintly trailed off, the possessed academic smirked back at the dragonlord. He soon rose his hand into the air, black veils gathering into his palm. Immediately, the black veils transformed into a thick cloud of smoke that exploded outwards to cover the surrounding area. ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Serenis scoffed at the sight. The Reaper¡¯s confidence came across to her as nothing more than baseless arrogance at this point. As the smoke swallowed her vision, Serenis wove her in the hand, as if annoyed by a buzzing insect. With a small sigh she gathered bits of mana into her hand, letting it flow outwards in the form of glimmering particles in every direction. As soon as the floating particles came in contact with the Reaper¡¯s spell, they rapidly began to absorb the darkness around them. Like thousands of white voids spread thinly across a vast space, the looming smoke was almost immediately cleared away in the presence of Serenis¡¯ magic. But when the possessed academic was visible once more, Serenis beheld the eeriest smile Karas had ever made ¨C one she hadn¡¯t thought was possible in him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. His unremarkable eyes were now glowing in the cold air: a deathly blue she¡¯d seen in the Reaper¡¯s eyes once before. As the Reaper held one hand against his chest, faint howls began to echo from within his body, emerging from within in the form of colorless grey shades. ¡°Hm. I was hoping it¡¯d take you longer to undo that spell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy frown crossed Serenis¡¯ face as she witnessed the disturbing scene. Karas was drawing out a countless number of translucent shades from within his body, each screaming in pain and misery. Soon, the feathered figure would creak his head towards her with a devilish gaze. ¡°Why do you look so surprised? Have you forgotten who I am?¡± ¡°¡­Felicir.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Serenis had forgotten who the Reaper was. Indeed, she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised in the slightest had Felicir been physically standing in front of her. But this was Karas. It was Karas¡¯ body, just under a dead deity¡¯s influence. While the professor may be possessed by the Reaper¡¯s soul, that shouldn¡¯t have warranted a change in his abilities. As far as Serenis knew, Karas was an accomplished mage and academic, not a deity presiding over death. However, that belief was slowly falling apart before the disturbing scene. The countless wailing shades were clearly no magic. Even a fool would recognize that they were spirits of the dead ¨C howling in pain and misery from their prolonged imprisonment within a monster¡¯s body. Admittedly, Serenis had long known that Karas was a soulseer. She¡¯d known his ability to interact with the dead, and she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised had he been in the presence of a select few. But this was not ¡®few.¡¯ There were thousands upon thousands of ephemeral figures emerging from the professor¡¯s body. The army of phantoms would rapidly scatter about to haunt the world of the living, painting the world around them in a hellish shade. Their faded forms and wailing cries soon filled the entire vicinity. Serenis could hear cries, laughter, shrieks and shouts from centuries past ¨C and many were clawing at the dragonlord¡¯s form, jealous of her living state and desperate to cling to life. One wrapped their form around her leg, while another around her neck; countless shades were climbing unto her back, wailing directly into the dragonlord¡¯s ears. They all screamed for the dragon to fall to the same depths as they had. With a sunken gaze, Serenis let out another exasperated sigh. ¡°¡­Disturbing, I must admit. But you¡¯re mistaken if you thought mere spirits could harm me.¡± ¡°You? Whoever said anything about harming you?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis¡¯ confusion was soon answered with a sharp, terrified shriek coming from her back. The dragonlord immediately turned around, but she could see little beyond the layers of spirits hindering her vision. All she could make out were faint silhouettes, screaming and fleeing from the sudden onslaught of the dead. Some voices would come to an abrupt cease as the phantoms claimed their lives. Those that managed to flee from the numerous shades were instead met by a horde of monsters. In the settlement that had warped into a living hell, the Reaper¡¯s cackling voice cut through the air to reach Serenis. ¡°Well? Shouldn¡¯t you go save them again, dragonlord? You were so eager to save those in Partivine!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Asarda had prepared for war, they¡¯d expected blade-wielding soldiers and magic-wielding casters. They expected an imperial army at their forefront. Conversely, no one expected that their settlement would be surrounded by monsters and spirits ¨C with no warning whatsoever. A sinking feeling began to gnaw at the dragonlord¡¯s chest. Even when she closed her eyes in reluctance, successive screams continued to flood her ears. Unlike before, the cries of misery were no longer the faded voices of the dead ¨C they were voices of the living, desperate to survive the hell that their home had become. ¡®¡­This is not¡­¡¯ In her own era, the dragonlord had always sought after an ideal future: a future where no one would come to harm. Unfortunately, her ideals had turned out to be an impossible dream. A world where none came to harm was impossible ¨C and it¡¯d taken the entirety of demonkind for her to realize her faults. ¡®¡­This is not the time to be indecisive.¡¯ When she opened her eyes, long, black pupils stretched across the dragonlord¡¯s gleaming eyes. Swatting away the ghosts clinging to her, Serenis turned back to face the feathered figure. ¡°¡­Reaper.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Even in Karas¡¯ body, I¡¯m sure you can still feel pain.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis took a light, soundless step forward. Her gleaming eyes shone through the phantoms¡¯ grey mists as she closed in on the root of this madness. ¡°Leave Karas¡¯ body at once.¡± ¡°¡­And if I refuse?¡± Bolts of black and white mana alike crackled between the dragonlord¡¯s fingers as she approached the possessed academic. Her entire figure seemed to gleam in bits of prismatic particles, melting the phantoms that dared to claw at her figure again. Undisturbed, Serenis raked the air before her. Given the distance between them, the dragonlord¡¯s act seemed no more than pointless flailing. But soon, the bolts within her hand mimicked the dragonlord¡¯s motion, releasing themselves from her limb to repeat the attack in the form of massive black streaks. The blades of mana tore through air before her, dicing the professor¡¯s left arm in an instant. In the split second that Felicir winced in pain, Serenis leapt across the remaining distance between them. She planted a foot into the possessed academic¡¯s chest, kicking him down unto the ground. Crunching noises soon followed as the dragonlord pinned the grimacing monster onto the snow-coated ground. Her fingers were once again covered in streaks of black and white lights, ready to slash through the monster beneath. ¡°Leave. You no longer belong in the realm of the living.¡± ¡°Kh¡­hah! Rich from a demonlord who¡¯s died a thousand years past!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You realize that your precious monster friend ultimately wished for the same outcome? Even if I were to leave, he¡¯ll eventually try the same all over again. He¡¯d stop at nothing to resurrect his lover, and for that, his student¡¯s sacrifice is necessary ¨C I¡¯m only providing him with a more efficient method.¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes thinned as she heard the Reaper¡¯s mocking voice, still managing to talk back from beneath her feet. Shaking her head, the dragonlord¡¯s foot pressed harder into the professor¡¯s chest, cracking through whatever bone there was beneath. Her claws lengthened and sharpened, brandishing themselves amidst bolts of prismatic lightning. Serenis curved her lips into a thin smile. She slowly lowered her upper body, raising her claws high into the air above the feathered figure¡¯s remaining arm. ¡°Should we ever meet again, I¡¯d love to hear how your second death felt.¡± Ep 145. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (4) Ep 145. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (4) What followed thereafter was a pure, one-sided torture. Despite the screams continuing to explode from around them, the scream that now filled the air most was the Reaper¡¯s. The blue glow in his eyes were beginning to wane as they rapidly shut and opened, their mind endlessly waking and shutting down from the excessive amount of pain. But even as Serenis¡¯ claws continued to chip away at the professor¡¯s body with a deathly menace, she faintly held onto hope. ¡®Wake up.¡¯ Again, her claws would tear out another piece of flesh from the monster¡¯s body. ¡®Wake up.¡¯ And somewhere in the deathly mists behind her, she knew that the others would¡¯ve heard Karas¡¯ screams by now ¨C Light especially would¡¯ve recognized the sound of her teacher¡¯s screams. Then, the only reason Light wasn¡¯t rushing in to stop Serenis could only be because the present dangers were already overwhelming them. And so, Serenis plunged her magicked claws into the feathered figure beneath her once more, slashing through the professor¡¯s already-torn shoulder. ¡°WAKE UP, KARAS!!¡± When the dragonlord finally broke her silence, the Reaper¡¯s heaving breaths immediately died down. His dreary eyes once again gained focus as he took note of the desperation in her voice. ¡°You thought¡­that torture would warrant his return? Haha¡­¡± At the Reaper¡¯s mocking voice, Serenis¡¯ widened eyes soon thinned in evident anger. But just as she was about to rip out another piece of the possessed flesh, Felicir¡¯s armless shoulder began to twitch. ¡°¡­You struggle in vain, dragonlord.¡± Translucent chains struck out from within his exposed flesh to skewer a number of the spirits floating about. High-pitched shrieks filled the air as the chains began to recede, dragging them back towards their captor. The spirits began to claw the ground, as if they knew what would become of them upon returning to the monster¡¯s body. But their efforts amounted to little as the chains mercilessly dragged them back against their will, marking an end to their small freedom. As the shades sunk back into Karas¡¯ body, their screams immediately ceased with a final, horrifying howl. Following suit, a colorless cloud began to churn around where Karas¡¯ limb had once been. The cloud clearly took the form of the professor¡¯s lost limb, quickly solidifying in form. And soon enough, the cloud would solidify in form to restore the monster¡¯s missing right arm, gripping onto the ankle of the dragon towering above him. ¡°Try harder.¡± Serenis watched the scene unfold with a disturbed, bewildered expression. The dying academic had suddenly seemed restored in vigor ¨C and clearly in form, with his missing limb making a near-instant return. The sharp jolt of pain coming from her leg only emphasized the disturbing reality of the situation. ¡°What¡­was that?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Why, I dined.¡± ¡°¡­On spirits?¡± ¡°What else?¡± A mocking grin soon formed over the Reaper¡¯s face. His pained expression was long gone, replaced by his usual demeanor once more. ¡°Monsters sustain themselves from the mana in the air or their foods, but sometimes, those just won¡¯t do. In rare cases, they restore vigor from other sources they¡¯re capable of processing ¨C for example, this one has been feeding on the dead for centuries.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not that you would¡¯ve known. I¡¯m sure he did a good job of deceiving those around him.¡± Serenis didn¡¯t bother returning a response. Instead, small particles of white began to gleam around the feathered figure, forming a constellation of tiny stars. Their light grew brighter by the second, as did the weight of the dragon above Karas. Each particle of light soon exploded in magic, turning into rays of light that sunk into the monster¡¯s flesh. The burning rays webbed through his body in a chaotic manner, stringing the possessed academic like a lump of butcher¡¯s meat. When each ray then exploded in magic from within his body, his entire figure seemed to melt and churn, reducing itself to a pool of black shadow. Unfortunately, the Reaper¡¯s presumed second death was short-lived. The fragmented shadows began moving of their own will, gathering into the ground some ways away from Serenis. Dozens of translucent chains once again struck out from the black pool, each latching onto a haunting spirit. Immediately, Serenis slashed the air with her hand, sending a blade of mana to soar across the air and sever the chains. But contrary to her hopes, the spell merely passed through the monster¡¯s chains, seemingly unable to stop their onslaught. As another few dozen souls were absorbed into the shadow on the ground, the black pool would churn and bubble. Once again, the Monster of Mire emerged from the ground in his fully restored form. ¡°My. That was close, dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still¡­it wasn¡¯t quite close enough. It¡¯d be quite the shame to suffer a second death by your hands.¡± Again, Serenis returned no response. She instead stomped the ground, her eyes fixed on the shadowy figure of her enemy. Somewhere above the mass of deathly mist that covered the area, a single star began to gleam in the distant sky, heeding the dragonlord¡¯s will. Without warning, a massive ray of starlight blasted through the churning spirits, crashing down to smite the possessed academic. His black figure was instantly swallowed by the pillar of light that incinerated the ground whole. Another cackling laughter echoed from within. The monster¡¯s faded silhouette continued to darken from within the pillar of starlight. Hundreds of chains stripped the dead of their freedom to instead serve as fuel for the captor that resided within. ¡®How much will it take to overcome your magic?¡¯ Instead of attempting another escape, the Reaper held his ground within the pillar, feasting away on the numerous souls he¡¯d captured. His body continued to melt and restore itself, but he paid no mind to his deteriorating body. Instead, he raised his clawed hand above him. Strips of black mana gathered from every direction to form a single sphere above his palm, holding itself firm amidst the rain of magic. ¡°Shall we find out?¡± A massive explosion of shadows followed the sphere¡¯s formation. Felicir held firm above the molten floors, keeping his hand firmly raised. Above him was the same pitch-black orb, unleashing a massive pillar of black mana to mimic the dragonlord¡¯s spell. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eventually, Serenis¡¯ spell began to wane ¨C and the triumphant grin on Felicir continued to spread further. His own pillar of black mana continued to gain way above him bit by bit. And eventually, the starlight would completely give way, shattering apart as it was replaced with a surge of dark. When the looming threat dispersed, the Reaper slowly lowered his hands. A satisfied laughter slid out from him as he met the dragonlord¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well, look at that. It WAS possible after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me so. I¡¯ve seen what your second lord is capable of ¨C I knew what I was getting into.¡± Finally, Serenis¡¯ indifference broke as a small, derisive snort escaped her. Soon, it¡¯d turn to snickering; after another few seconds, it¡¯d turn to outright laughter. The Reaper¡¯s gaze visibly narrowed as he beheld his amused opponent. ¡°¡­You knew what you were getting into, you say.¡± Serenis lightly shook her head, still amused by the irony of the Reaper¡¯s statement. She was on the verge of wiping tears from her eyes. With a light swipe of her foot on the ground, the sky would darken once more, beyond the swirling mist of spirits. But even from beyond, the hundreds of glowing lights above were plainly visible now. Their intense brilliance seemed to pierce through the possessed academic¡¯s mist, signifying what would soon come to pass. In response, the Reaper¡¯s narrowed eyes would soon well with bewilderment ¨C as well as the fear that accompanied it. ¡°You assumed Vulka and I to be equals? Don¡¯t be foolish, Felicir.¡± Even as the dragonlord¡¯s voice cut through the air, Felicir didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to return another snarky response. In fact, he didn¡¯t even have the mental capacity to stop his shaking legs from slowing backing away, step by step. Unfortunately, no amount of walking would allow him to hide from the very night sky. Ep 146. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (5) Ep 146. This Cannot Be Mere Coincidence. (5) Planting her hand onto the ground, Light carefully calculated the area before executing her spell. In response, a small patch of earth in the distance began to churn and twist, shifting into layers of sinking sands. The oblivious yeti that stomped its way past Chell¡¯s walls immediately stepped into the magicked quicksand. Its crimson eyes confusedly stared at the foot that refused to lift itself, angrily shaking its leg to no avail. Soon after, Urgus leapt into the air with his axe, slamming it into the rooted yeti¡¯s head. Light drew a couple of heaving breaths as she watched the yeti fade to dust. Her vision was blurry from the excessive spell usage, and her mind seemed ever so distant. But every time her mind began to wander, a bellowing roar would jolt her awake. In the distance, another torrent of fire would raze the earth. Ilias had long thrown herself into the midst of the oncoming horde. The red dragon was practically on a rampage, doing everything she could to cull the vicious creatures as much as she could, easing the efforts of those behind her. Biting her lips, Light stumbled several times as she rose back from the ground. She desperately shook her head, trying to stay awake. But exhaustion wasn¡¯t the only thing trying to take advantage of her mental toll. ¡°Come¡­! Come with us!¡± ¡°Ehehehehehe!¡± When two spirits attached themselves onto each of her legs, Light garnered every ounce of her strength to stand firm. Unfortunately, the exhausted half no longer had the energy to resist their pull. She could feel herself slowly being dragged along the phantoms¡¯ pull. That is, until Urgus crashed down from above with a giant thud, smashing the ghosts beneath his feet. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­Y, yeah. I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Rest if you need. Their numbers are dwindling; we can handle this on our own.¡± At the chief warrior¡¯s behest, Light briefly took a moment to scan the area round them. Thousands of spirits were still about in the air, orchestrating what seemed like hell on earth to haunt the living. Those who gave in to fear were almost immediately snuffed of life, and even those who¡¯d once held firm were still faced with a horde of monsters to fight. And when their strength would wane from all the fighting, the cackling phantoms would take advantage of their exhaustion to drag them off to Twelve-knows-where. But even in their despairing situation, a glint of hope was beginning to form. ¡®There¡¯s¡­less.¡¯ Since the monster horde had first showed, Light had seen at least a thousand of these vicious creatures being slaughtered by Ilias and Asarda¡¯s warriors. But each time one would die, two more would take their place; she¡¯d thought their numbers infinite in the beginning. But now, after long, grueling hours, the endless horde was finally seeming to recede. Unlike before, the monsters they¡¯d kill were no longer being replaced by more. To boot, even the haunting spirits seemed to decrease in number. The world was still flooded by them, but the deathly mists didn¡¯t seem as thick, and the spirits that whisked the living away were far fewer than before. ¡®Just a little more¡­¡¯ Gathering her strength, Light stepped forward to stand by the chief warrior¡¯s side. She couldn¡¯t bear to collapse alone ¨C especially not when Ilias was still fighting for everyone. ¡®Just a little more. We¡¯ll get through this.¡¯ And when they do, she¡¯d go scold her teacher for all the mess he¡¯d made. ? ? ? A drop of light rippled against the ground''s surface. The possessed academic watched on with a horrified expression as he saw the light¡¯s ripples evaporating the ground whole. He could swear they were standing on solid ground, and yet, the dragonlord¡¯s spell seemed to treat it as if it were water. He had no need to raise his head. He could hear the droplets falling about him, drumming the ground with hideous sounds. When a drop finally managed to find his shoulder, Felicir felt a piercing sesation through his body. The droplet instantly burned through him like molten lava; what followed after were feelings of sharp, weightless ice, rippling throughout the rest of his body to freeze him from inside-out. Felicir¡¯s first response was to shield himself from the deathly rain. He was quick to form a layer of black around himself, preventing the drops of light from touching the possessed academic. However, it only took another drop for him to realize that the falling rain could not be barred by any magic. ¡®¡­How? Even that cursed son wasn¡¯t able to¡­!¡¯Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! As his shielding spell powerlessly eroded away, the Reaper grit his teeth in frustration and pain. Dozens of additional drops touched his feathered skin, burning holes and freezing the insides all the same. The Reaper then began to lash out at the swirling spirits with additional chains. Shrieks of pain echoed about as the souls were once again dragged back to their captor. Each were used as food to restore the eroding monster, prolonging his life beneath the unending rain. Serenis watched in indifference as Felicir struggled to survive, glowing blue eyes darting about rapidly. ''...How much longer will this take? Perhaps I should...'' ¡°Looking for another escape?¡± The dragonlord''s questioning voice immediately cut off the Reaper''s thoughts. With a small sigh, Serenis dismissively flicked her hand in the air. At the dragonlord¡¯s behest, the rain of lights immediately ceased; the droplets instead gathered into a single point, far above where she stood. From that singular point, a pillar of perfect brilliance pierced through the churning mists to smite the monster before her. ¡°¡­Dragon¡­lord¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gradually, the feathered silhouette began to fade within. The ray of light drowned out the black in its midst, reducing it to nothing. When the pillar finally dissipated, Serenis looked down towards the ground. She¡¯d hoped to find nothing but a single mana shard on the ground. But instead, a molten hand was sticking out of a churning black pool, splattering against the ground beside it. The rest of the feathered body soon followed, climbing out of the black liquid like a freshly summoned horror. Soon, a layer of eerie mist disappeared into the possessed academic once again, restoring the shine into his gleaming blue eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy silence fell between the two as Serenis studied Felicir¡¯s restored form. She¡¯d seen others prevail against her spells in a myriad of ways. In that sense, perhaps Reaper¡¯s prevalence was nothing to be surprised about. What did disturb her was the hell that was swirling around them ¨C and how her opponent was using it to return to life, over and over and over again. ¡°¡­Strange.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost your former body. And yet, somehow you appear even more attuned to ¡®death¡¯ than you were before.¡± ¡°Ha¡­haha.¡± The Reaper¡¯s grin widened upon hearing Serenis¡¯ observation. He opened his arms in a welcoming manner, as if to gloat about his newfound physical self. ¡°Why, of course. This body was designed for my use.¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes immediately thinned as she heard Felicir¡¯s strange response. But instead of clarifying, the Reaper withdrew his arms to gather mounds of pulsing black mana into his clawed hand. Then, the spell was released in the form of dozens of razor black arcs. The dragonlord¡¯s eyes darted around the numerous blades that were flying towards her general direction. A number of them weren¡¯t even aimed at her properly; instead, they were aimed straight towards the backs of Asardans, struggling to fend off the horde of monsters and souls. Biting her lips, Serenis wove her hand in the air to instantly erect a barrier ¨C but instead of a single layer to protect herself, it was a giant dome that prevented the Reaper¡¯s spell from exiting its parameters. Meanwhile, Felicir feasted upon another wailing spirit, restoring the mana he¡¯d just used. ¡°You were right, dragonlord. It wasn¡¯t mere coincidence that I happened to find your friend in this distant land. Even a fool could see the difference between your friend and a typical monster. No, this one ¨C or as you call him, Karas ¨C was created for a very specific purpose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And of course, that purpose was to serve as my vessel during dire times.¡± With her expression twisting into a visible frown, Serenis gripped her open hand into a fist. The dome she¡¯d erected began to rapidly shrink, trapping the feathered figure in mere moments. But in the instant her spell seemed to crush Felicir within, the possessed academic managed to rush a teleportation spell within the sliver of time, reappearing just beside where he would¡¯ve been crushed to bits. ¡°It¡¯s in the name, really. They may be called monsters now, but they were once called ¡®manaspawn¡¯ for a reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Their birth is governed by mana ¨C this you know already. But if so, whose divinity do you think could create them at will?¡± Typically, monsters were born from an excess of highly concentrated mana in the environment. In other words, a monster¡¯s birth was nothing more than a natural phenomenon. It was no different than a downpour of rain, or the receding tides of the ocean. However, on rare occasions ¨C when certain deities would feel the need ¨C they¡¯d dictate such natural phenomena. They could make the sky rain at will or calm the waves at their discretion. Similarly, there was indeed a deity who could once create monsters at will. ¡®Iris¡­¡¯ Serenis briefly closed her eyes, drawing upon the memories of the peculiar red-haired enforcer. A long time ago, the enforcer had come to Serenis in person to confess their identity. They¡¯d admitted to their reluctance to continue as a member of the Twelve, and they¡¯d been more than willing to play a role in facilitating an end to her own brother¡¯s rule. No matter how hard she tried, Serenis couldn¡¯t possibly picture the same individual plotting their dreaded brother¡¯s return. ¡°¡­She¡¯d never. If she had, she would¡¯ve told me of it.¡± ¡°You truly believe that she understood what she was doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. In fact, she was all for erasing the existence of monsters altogether. She¡¯d never tolerate one that could claim thousands of lives and feast upon their souls.¡± ¡°¡­Then, why¡­?¡± Beaming back at the confused dragon, the Reaper briefly spared a moment to clear his throat before continuing in a harsh, dramatic tone from the past. ¡°We thrive in the face of hardships. Without enemies to oppose as one, our blades will once again point at each other. The existence of monsters are a necessary evil, Felicis ¨C and it¡¯s your duty to make sure that mankind always has an enemy to conquer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Given her reluctance to design them herself, suggesting particular designs for her was a child¡¯s play. This is but one of them.¡± The Reaper tapped his clawed, feathered hand against himself. His expression clearly explained that he saw no wrong in his manipulative antics. And their beaming expression was the final straw in making something snap inside Serenis¡¯ mind. ¡°Now, don¡¯t look at me like that. I didn¡¯t lie to her, per se ¨C I¡¯d never lie to my dear sister. I merely-¡° This time, there were no forewarnings or telling movements from the dragonlord. In one instance, everything was as they should be. In the next, the Reaper¡¯s feathered figure were covered in starlit explosions from head to toe, rendering his body into powdered bits of dust. Sudden grunts of pain briefly filled the air, though they were quickly silenced by successive explosions of magic. Desperate, Felicir rushed to transform into the form of a black liquid once more, attempting to slither away from the dragonlord¡¯s array of magic. Additionally, dozens of translucent chains struck out from the pool to latch onto a nearby spirit, dragging them back towards their captor. But the instant he did so, several bolts of lightning struck the Reaper¡¯s exact position from the skies to incinerate him. ¡°¡­!¡± The liquid violently bubbled, and the captive spirits broke free as the chains that connected them strained to nothing. Pained cries grew clearer and clearer as Felciir¡¯s spell began to lose its effect. Eventually, the burnt academic would powerlessly return to his original, feathered form. Serenis slowly took a step forward thereafter. She began to approach her possessed friend, each step heavier than the last. ¡°¡­A useful spell. But you should know that it renders you vulnerable in other aspects.¡± No response was given. No response was expected. Eventually, the dragonlord stopped to stand before the professor on the ground. A pair of dreary eyes towered over Karas¡¯ body, reluctance and duty clashing within each of them. But the latter would soon triumph over the former. Serenis hovered her hand over Karas, emitting a soft, prismatic glow. ¡®I suppose¡­I should apologize to Light.¡¯ When she¡¯d sent the others away, the thought had always been at the back of her mind. And while she¡¯d deferred for far too long, it was nigh time that she admitted it was the only option available. Even now, Serenis had faith that Karas meant no harm towards his student, or anyone in Chell for that matter. She still believed that were he to return, they could sort out their misunderstandings. ¡®Alas¡­¡¯ Ideal outcomes are nothing more than a fantasy at times. Ep 147. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (1) Ep 147. I¡¯m Sure We¡¯ll Meet Again. (1) In her blurry vision, Aymeia drew raspy breaths. She was barely managing to stand on her trembling legs. In stark contrast, the metal dragon before her leisurely stood, yawning in boredom from the lack of challenge. ¡°Out of tricks already? Gotta say, I¡¯m pretty disappointed. Ilias could use flames better than you in her hatchling days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For the last hour or so, Aymeia had tried nearly everything at her disposal. She¡¯d tried to reason, argue, and even plead for the steel dragon to let her pass. When none of those worked, she¡¯d resorted to brute force ¨C where she had clear elemental advantage in. But even then, the former deity had failed to move Raizel out of the way. It wasn¡¯t that Raizel was unblemished; the youngling had numerous burns across her body, some worse than others. But the grotesque wounds only served to further the jarring display as Raizel stood ever so casually in her damaged state, blocking Aymeia¡¯s passage to Serenis and Felicir. ¡®This is impossible. I can¡¯t¡­¡¯ With a reluctant, resigning sigh, Aymeia closed her eyes as she opened her mouth to concede defeat. But before a single word could fly out of her, streaks of enormous lightning struck the earth beyond Raizel. Squinting, the former deity struggled to regain her vision from the sudden flash. Just beyond the steel dragon was an incinerated surface emitting heaps of smoke ¨C and lying upon it was her guide-turned-mentor, seemingly moments away from being killed by the dragonlord. A skipped heartbeat signalled the incoming wave of panic. ¡°¡­No¡­stop!¡± What followed after were nothing but a blur for Aymeia. Her vision flashed in white, and her body felt as if they were beginning to melt. But even so, she simply rushed forward with nary a thought, her only goal to reach the Reaper before it¡¯d be too late. She could vaguely feel something heavy striking her abdomen ¨C likely the steel dragon that had been blocking her path. But instead of being knocked back, Aymeia gripped the fist buried in her stomach, releasing a burst of heat towards them. The surging fire instantly broke Raizel¡¯s stance, forcing the youngling to back away lest she turned into a pool of molten metal and flesh. And though the heat burned its wielder far more than the dragon barring her way, Aymeia could hardly register her own state in the moment. With Raizel momentarily gone, Aymeia hurriedly continued forward to stop the dragonlord. Cool winds hurtfully grazed her burnt, limping body, but the pain was nothing compared to the terrifying sight that was unfolding. And when she finally managed to reach them, she desperately wrapped her arms around the dragonlord¡¯s waist.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She spoke as strongly as she could. But what came out was nothing but a shuddering, terrified plea. ¡°Mother, stop¡­please¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the former deity unexpectedly appeared behind her, Serenis reflexively looked back to meet their pleading gaze. And while she remained silent, the reluctance in her eyes visibly grew. But before she could say anything in response, a flash of metal zipped past her vision, instantly taking Aymeia off of her waist with an earth-shattering impact. ¡°Wait, Raiz-¡° Thud! ¡°¡­¡± When the dust cleared, Raizel was on top of Aymeia, her iron grip firm around the girl¡¯s neck. The youngling¡¯s hand pinned their head onto the crater she¡¯d made, her knee pressing down upon the rest of their wounded body. ¡°¡­Sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to let her slip past like that.¡± Serenis barely registered the youngling¡¯s apology. Instead, her widened eyes were fixed on the familiar, numerous white embers, dancing about Aymeia¡¯s figure. The girl seemed unconscious, and yet, the flames were rapidly growing in intensity. ¡®NO!¡¯ Serenis leapt forward to grip Raizel by her shoulder ¨C though it was already too late. Before Serenis could pull the youngling away, each ember burst into a torrent of tremendous heat; the surge of immediately caught Raizel in their wake, swallowing the youngling whole. A horrifying sizzling noise filled the vicinity for a moment as Raizel could, quite literally, feel her body dissipate. Serenis hurriedly pulled Raizel away to throw the youngling as far back as she could. She powerlessly fell to the snowfields some ways back, unconscious and letting out heaps of steam. Serenis¡¯ eyes then immediately darted back forward, her outstretched palm glimmering in mounds of condensed ice spells. She knew exactly what Aymeia¡¯s white sparks represented, as well as the level of cold that was necessary to negate it. The former deity¡¯s eyes were open, though lacking in any sense or focus. Instead, only the white-colored flames were burning about her like another entity. A few of the embers began to speed in circles around Aymeia¡¯s limbs to form rings of fire; the rest coated her skin, threatening to incinerate whatever barred their owner¡¯s path. And in that brief moment, Serenis saw an overlap of her son¡¯s silhouette. - ¡®Mother. If I were to ever lose myself again, then¡­I trust that you will¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Clenching her teeth, Serenis balled her outstretched hand. The spell in her palm powerlessly fizzled out, cancelling themselves mid-cast. Instead, she summoned her wings, grimacing in pain as they were folded over Aymeia¡¯s figure. Serenis¡¯ scaled wings hissed from the excessive heat. At the same time, they effectively prevented the heat from escaping any further. And within the small dome her wings had formed, Serenis embraced the former deity. Even for her, the heat Aymeia was emitting was far beyond what her scales could resist. But nevertheless, she knew that this was exactly what she needed to do. ¡°Perhaps¡­I¡¯ve no right to scorn you.¡± In a desperate attempt to cling to those she held dear, Aymeia was drawing out everything she possibly could ¨C even at the expense of hurting herself, even at the expense of borrowing the strength of a dragon long past. And in a likewise desperate attempt, Serenis had tolerated this girl wielding her son¡¯s flames since the moment they¡¯d met. Despite their twisted methods, they were both ways allow a fragment of their loved ones to remain on this world. But Serenis knew exactly what her son would¡¯ve told her in this moment. - ¡®¡­Make the right decision.¡¯ She closed her eyes, holding Aymeia tighter in her arms. She caressed the girl¡¯s back like her own child, whispering in a voice far softer than before. ¡°¡­Forgive me. I was too late, wasn¡¯t I.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Close your eyes¡­and allow yourself to rest.¡± A coarse voice escaped Aymeia¡¯s lips as she muttered something under her breath. The heat began to wane. The rings of fire around Aymeia¡¯s limbs began to tremble and scatter, disappearing into the air. And accompanying them in their disappearance were Aymeia¡¯s horns, as well as the orange glow in her features. Memories of the second dragonlord shattered into orange particles, sinking back into his mother¡¯s figure ¨C into the divinity from whence it came. Once the flames had completely died out, only bleak darkness remained within the cover of Serenis¡¯ wings. When the dragonlord¡¯s wings fluttered open to allow some light, she could finally see Aymeia proper: a simple human girl, possessing flowing black hair that seemed nothing out of the ordinary. The horns on her head had all but disappeared, as did any hints of the fiery glow in her eyes. After gently setting down the unconscious human girl, Serenis slowly rose back to her feet. The situation allowed no respite for her to mourn her son. She soon swallowed her welling emotion, making only a brief note within her mind. ¡®One day¡­¡¯ After a long, tired breath, Serenis turned to resume her previous task. ¡®¡­I will join you, in the beyond.¡¯ Ep 148. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (2) Ep 148. I¡¯m Sure We¡¯ll Meet Again. (2) ¡°Hf¡­hff¡­!¡± With pained, rapid breaths, Urgus tossed his shattered battleaxe. His foot haphazardly trampled over the fallen warriors as he rushed to pluck out a usable weapon from their hands. Yanking out a hunting spear from a corpse¡¯s grip, he immediately plunged it towards Peska, burying the tip between the fellow warrior¡¯s eyes. A sharp screech struck Urgus¡¯ eardrums as his friend threw their skewered head backwards, wreathing in pain. Blood oozed out of the warrior¡¯s forehead, and for a moment, Peska seemed to falter in his steps. But the frantic shaking soon came to a cease, their unfocused eyes once again sharpening onto Urgus and Light ¨C as if they could suddenly no longer register the pain. Gritting his teeth, Urgus discarded his spear and leapt forward, gripping his friend by their chin and arm to slam them down onto the ground. As the chief struggled with all his might to keep his enraged warrior pinned down, he screamed towards the half at his back. ¡°Now!¡± At Urgus¡¯ calling, Light bit down on her lips, reluctantly holding her hands out forward. In the following second, two pads of stone jutted out from the ground on each side of Peska¡¯s head. The stones then collapsed together, crushing their head in between. The warrior¡¯s body soon fell limp. And, as expected, a parworm shot out of the crushed remains of Peska¡¯s head. Urgus swiped the ground as he had before, attempting to kill the insect before it could claim any additional victims. It certainly wasn¡¯t the first, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last. But just as the chief warrior struck the ground, a sudden headache interrupted his precision, making his hand rake nothing but dirt. The worm immediately sped away from the chief warrior, rapidly traversing through the snow ¨C until it would eventually find a new corpse. The worm soon crawled into another warrior¡¯s open mouth. Soon, the fallen warrior would seemingly rise from the dead with newfound strength, uncaring for their ruptured abdomen that had killed them once before. ¡°¡­This is ridiculous.¡± Urgus watched with sullen eyes as yet another warrior fell prey to a parworm¡¯s control. Grimacing, the chief warrior reluctantly threw himself back into battle. Normally, parworms would take refuge within the bodies of animals: bears and wolves and the like were most common. Compared to such wild predators, a human body offered little in terms of raw strength. But right now, there were no animals to serve as host. Aside from Chell¡¯s inhabitants, only a horde of monsters remained ¨C none that could serve as the parasite¡¯s vessel. Hence, they were crawling into whatever bodies they could find. ¡°Haah!¡± Following his battlecry, Urgus once again drove his fist into the risen warrior¡¯s head. Their face was soon demolished into flesh and bone as the chief warrior¡¯s fingers dug beyond their skin, crushing the worm that was controlling them from inside. But despite having freed another fellow warrior from the parasite¡¯s control, Urgus had no mind to celebrate his success. Just when the monster horde and the storm of spirits seemed to be dwindling, they were now faced with their own fallen allies turning against them. And while the risen warriors were lesser than a yeti in terms of pure prowess, having to kill them was just as difficult, if not significantly worse. It certainly didn¡¯t help that their battle necessitated crushing the heads of their fallen allies, where parworms would often reside in.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. And, for some strange reason¡­ ¡°HMPH!¡± Another warrior abruptly landed in front of Light, swinging his massive axe down onto the snow. His weapon crushed the ground with a shaking thud, splattering dirt and snow inches away from the half girl. At first, Light felt a wave of panic, mistaking him for yet another parasite¡¯s host. But while his leather attire was ridden with blood, she couldn¡¯t see any mortal wounds; unlike the lifeless, unfocused eyes parworm hosts tended to have, a pair of golden eyes were glowing with life beneath his bone helm. And, soon enough, she could see the parworm caught beneath the warrior¡¯s massive blade. The monster screeched in pain as its body dissipated to nothing. ¡°¡­Um¡­thank you¡­¡± Light shuddered for a few moments, thanking the warrior that had just saved her. But instead of leaving her side, the warrior turned to scan their surroundings. Numerous hosts and worms alike were slowly making their way towards Light. For some reason, the half was growing more and more popular for these parasitic monsters. The warrior then turned back towards Light, the eyes beneath his bone helm carefully scanning her from head to toe. ¡°¡­Hm. Outsider. What have you done?¡± ¡°N, nothing! Believe me, I wish I knew!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Following the warrior¡¯s entrance, a group of additional warriors followed suit, paving the way through monsters and fallen warriors alike. They soon joined with Light and their leading warrior, scanning the area around Chell. ¡°Orkaan! What is happening?! This mist, the monster horde¡­and the worms, their hosts are¡­¡± ¡°Our brothers and sisters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The warriors looked to their leader with a somber gaze. Despite paving their way through several already, none seemed happy about cutting down their own. On the contrary, Orkaan showed no visible expression beneath his helm. He simply let out another grunt. ¡°I know little of this laughing mist, but it seems to be dissipating. You lot help Urgus and focus on the monsters. I will deal with the worms.¡± ¡°By yourself? There¡¯s at least several dozens of them. How could-¡± ¡°This outsider here seems to attract worms.¡± Orkaan casually lifted Light in one hand, making her dangle beneath his grip like some newly caught game. ¡°Huh? W, wait, put me down!¡± And although she protested with her mouth, Light was too tired to even try to wriggle out. Ignoring the half girl¡¯s pleas, Orkaan then looked towards his fellow warriors, pointing at the red dragon in the distance. ¡°For some reason, the strange fire-breathing lizard there seems to be fighting the horde as well. We¡¯ll use her.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my sister you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± For a brief second, Orkaan looked at Light with an incredulous expression. In all fairness, the claim was indeed ridiculous to the Asardan. As far as he knew, one was just a stray half, the other a giant winged lizard. But as another scream rang throughout the vicinity, Orkaan¡¯s mind snapped back to task. ¡°Does the lizard understand our tongue?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°And she¡¯s sided with us?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, yeah?¡± ¡°Good.¡± With a single unified nod, Orkaan¡¯s group of warriors split into several smaller groups to fend off the remains of the monster horde. Orkaan himself turned around, speeding out of Chell¡¯s broken walls and paving the way forward through men and monster alike. On one hand, he held Light with an iron grip; with the other, he continued to swing his trusted battleaxe. And behind him were dozens of enraged Asardans that were chasing Light. ¡°We make for the fire-breathing lizard.¡± ? ? ? Some time later¡­ ¡°¡­¡± When Serenis turned her gaze, she could feel her head growing at least twice as heavy than before from all her headaches ¨C not from all the burns Aymeia had just inflicted, but from the sight she was now beholding. Felicir was nowhere to be found. The storm of dead that were about Chell had all but disappeared. The Reaper presumably consumed them all, or at the very least, reared them back into his possession. And in his place, a bird-shaped mound of snow was standing on top of the unconscious steel dragon. It stared at Serenis with the same eerie-blue eyes as Felicir, and despite its lack of a visible mouth, Serenis could swear it was smirking. After all, its lack of mouth certainly didn¡¯t stop it from talking in his voice. ¡°Hmph. I suppose it really was a mistake to think you and your son equals. I¡¯ve heard there were large gaps in strength between the lords, but I¡¯d expected lords of the same tribe to be at least somewhat comparable¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you hardly seem harmed. A graze here and there at best.¡± Although the Reaper was severely understating the damage Aymeia had done, Serenis made no effort to point out such details. Instead, she let another long sigh skyward before meeting the familiar¡¯s eerie gaze. ¡°¡­Fleeing again?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer you call it a strategic retreat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Worry not, dragonlord. It won¡¯t be long until our next meeting. I will await your arrival at the temple.¡± ¡°Temple?¡± The familiar bobbed its bird-like head at the frowning dragonlord. Despite Serenis¡¯ evident need for clarification, it merely tilted its head, facing the fallen girl behind the standing dragon. ¡°Aymeia knows the rest of the way.¡± Following suit, the mound of snow simply melted away, disappearing without any further explanation. Serenis contorted her expression as the Reaper¡¯s familiar was exhausted of its life. The welling urge to take flight and give chase was almost overwhelming, but one glance at Raizel soon snuffed her of such desires. She hurriedly rushed to the youngling¡¯s side, giving a light shake to the unconscious dragon. ¡°Raizel¡­are you alright?¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Serenis to realize that something was amiss. ¡®¡­Why is she so light?¡¯ Even considering that Raizel was in her reduced form, the steel dragon¡¯s body felt far too light in the dragonlord¡¯s hands. Serenis¡¯ frown only deepened as she audibly gulped, steeling her hold over the youngling lying on her side. Gently, Serenis turned the youngling to lay them down properly, making their back touch the ground. Only then did she realize just how much of Raizel¡¯s body had melted away. Ep 149. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (3) Ep 149. I¡¯m Sure We¡¯ll Meet Again. (3) ¡°HMPH!!¡± With another restrained battlecry, Orkaan hacked through a yeti in one fell swing. He then continued to dash forward, Light still firmly held in his grasp. ¡°I think¡­I might throw up¡­¡± The half could no longer tell if this was safer or more dangerous than when she¡¯d been holding her ground with Urgus. Light had honestly thought it impossible to pave through the monster horde and get to Ilias ¨C perhaps Ilias could come to them, but the other way around seemed nothing short of impossible. And yet, here they were, somehow making it work. ¡°Lizard!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°LIZARD!¡± Despite his raised voice, Orkaan¡¯s shouts failed to get a hold of Ilias¡¯ attention. The youngling was still facing the other way, clawing through the hungry monster horde and razing them in bursts of fire. Frowning, Orkaan then shook his grip over Light in the midst of his running. ¡°Outsider! Why is the lizard not answering?!¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s not a lizard! I told you, she¡¯s a dragon!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you! Speak louder!¡± ¡°SHE¡¯S NOT A LIZARD! SHE¡¯S A DRAGON!¡± It wasn¡¯t just Orkaan who picked up on Light¡¯s strained shouting. ¡®¡­Light?¡¯ Hearing the familiar voice, Ilias finally turned her head to notice her little sister. Though, as far as she was concerned, the half girl was seemingly being dragged by some Asardan stranger. The red dragon¡¯s looming eyes immediately widened further. Ilias lifted her talons to crush the stranger underfoot ¨C and would have ¨C if Light hadn¡¯t frantically woven her arms in protest. ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait! Ilias, he¡¯s not an enemy! Look behind us!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ilias paused herself to look beyond Light and the warrior carrying her. There, she could see a small army of other Asardans trailing behind them ¨C many with a clearly mortal wound on their body, but nonetheless giving rapid chase. ¡°Wh¡­what the heck is that?!¡± ¡°LIZARD! BREATHE YOUR FLAMES TO THOSE BEHIND US!¡± ¡°Lizard? Are you talking me???¡± ¡°YES, YOU!!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they your people? Why would you-¡° ¡°It¡¯s those worms, Ilias! They¡¯re controlling people who already died!¡± As Orkaan and Light shouted at her in unison, Ilias finally grasped the situation at hand. She briefly nodded her head, and waited until the two would run past her forelimbs. The youngling then stomped the ground, barring the way between Light and the parworm army. She threw her head back as bits of fire sparked out from her enormous maw. A torrent of fire washed over the charging army, incinerating their flesh and the parasites residing within their heads. Ilias let out a few coughs from the constant fire she¡¯d been spewing. When the youngling retracted her head, only a handful of mana shards remained on the charred ground before her. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Orkaan finally put Light down onto the ground, nodding his head in satisfaction. But the warrior allowed himself no respite as he fixed the grip on his battleaxe, eyes darting around the few monsters that still remained around them. ¡°Good. Now, we clean what is left.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. With a roaring battlecry, Orkaan charged forward into the horde, just as Ilias had done when the monsters had first shown face. The warrior fearlessly dove into their midst, hacking through the hungry creatures with all his might, from yetis to iron slugs to ice golems to snow wisps. Meanwhile, Ilias reduced her form to prevent herself from accidentally stepping on him ¨C or worse, Light. She gazed into the thinned monster horde, beaming a confident smile towards her little sister. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Light. We¡¯re almost done! The monsters will be gone in no time!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light only returned a silent curt nod. As much as she would¡¯ve loved to celebrate the end that was in sight¡­ Circumstances were preventing her from supporting that outcome. ? ? ? Another hour had to pass before Light, Ilias and Orkaan could return to Chell after cleaning the vicinity of monsters. To be fair, none of them were expecting a hero¡¯s welcome; everyone would be busy picking up the pieces from all the chaos. But even then, the settlement was in a far worse condition than before. The remaining warriors were either on the ground exhausted, or shovelling snow to throw towards the buildings that were still on fire. ¡°What in Star¡¯s name¡­?¡± Before, the direness of the situation and the remaining mist of spirits had prevented Orkaan from fully taking in the situation at Chell. But with both gone, the warrior was now witnessing the full scale of the destruction that had occurred. More than half the huts were gone, either replaced with burnt cinders or broken pieces of wood. A few were still caught on fire, and several were barely standing, teetering on the verge of collapse. Countless Asardans were likewise suffering from wounds and burns, many of whom were beyond saving. They could also see a row of others who appeared to be physically fine ¨C though unfortunately, they were those who had been taken into the mists by the Reaper¡¯s cackling spirits. None were breathing. ¡°¡­¡± Orkaan slowly stepped through the broken settlement. Oddly enough, no snow remained within the deeper portions of Chell, instead replaced with blackened dirt. A few warriors gave him curt nods, but none were in the mood to celebrate their victory. The majority were far too occupied with their own tasks, tending to the wounded or grieving their losses. And beyond Chell¡¯s inhabitants, Orkaan spotted his younger brother, conversing with yet another outsider. This one looked even more foreign than the rest, what with her white hair, horns and tail, and the unusually light garment for Asarda¡¯s climate. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± Noticing the approaching warrior, Urgus turned away from Serenis to face his older brother. ¡°Brother Orkaan¡­¡± ¡°Urgus.¡± Serenis, Ilias, and Light all eyed the two brothers in silence. They expected the two warriors to have their overdue talk about what had exactly happened here in Orkaan¡¯s absence. But instead, Orkaan swung the flat of his axe across the air, smashing the blade into his younger brother¡¯s face. As Urgus fell sideways from the sudden impact, Orkaan didn¡¯t hesitate to plant his foot onto his younger brother¡¯s head. ¡°Why are you alive, Urgus?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The warrior held his axe in the air, as if he would swing down at the slightest hint of an unsatisfactory response. ¡°Your task was not to defend this puny settlement; your task was to protect our brothers and sisters. And yet, I see far too many, dead¡­and you, alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light shuddered at the sudden violence, wondering if anyone would step in to stop the towering warrior. But when the half girl looked around, no Asardan seemed keen on intervening. In fact, many were looking at Orkaan with approving eyes. ¡®This is how it goes? But he tried so hard¡­¡¯ Light audibly gulped as she watched the Asardans deal about their business in their own manner. But meanwhile, Ilias was still frantically looking around. She quietly paced over towards Serenis, whispering into her lord¡¯s ear. ¡°Um, Lord Serenis? Where¡¯s Raizel?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lord Serenis?¡± As an overwhelming amount of guilt welled within her, Serenis found herself unable to meet the red dragon¡¯s curious gaze. She could barely muster the courage to even answer. ¡°¡­She¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°? She¡¯s?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Serenis pointed towards a nearby patch, Ilias¡¯ gaze soon followed in the same direction. Catching the usual glimmer of her friend¡¯s scaled attire, Ilias hurriedly made her way. The youngling¡¯s lips were already curving upwards in anticipation of seeing her friend ¨C with all the doom and gloom that was in the air, she desperately needed someone to not be gloomy with. But when Ilias realized the condition her friend was in, the smile on her lips immediately faded away. ¡°¡­Raizel?¡± Ilias¡¯ eyes lightly trembled, slowly losing focus as she beheld the full scope of her friend¡¯s state. Raizel¡¯s left arm was completely missing, her shoulder caved inwards in a patch of molten, blackened metal; her entire left side was charred beyond recognition, skin and metal all turned black from the excessive heat she¡¯d been exposed to. Her legs seemed as if they¡¯d crumble to ash at the slightest touch, and half her head was likewise covered in severe burns. Only a handful of small patches remained intact to serve as indicators of who this was, glimmering in the dragon¡¯s former metallic shine. Worst of all, Raizel¡¯s breathing was growing fainter by the second. ¡®¡­Monsters? No, they couldn¡¯t have¡­¡¯ There were many, and they were formidable in their own right ¨C but no monster she¡¯d seen should¡¯ve been capable of inflicting such devastating damage on a fully-grown dragon. Karas may have been the only exception, but given Serenis¡¯ presence and the professor¡¯s reluctance to fight them, it seemed unlikely that Karas would be the one responsible for Raizel¡¯s state. Ilias rapidly shook her head, trying to regain her composure. Panicking wasn¡¯t going to help her friend. ¡®If I¡­hurry and bring her back to mom¡­¡¯ It¡¯d be too late. ¡®¡­Maybe Lord Serenis could¡­¡¯ If Lord Serenis could do something about it, she would¡¯ve done it already. ¡®¡­Then, what else?¡¯ Every hopefully thought Ilias had were quickly foiled by the negative answers that followed. Try as she might, the youngling saw no plausible way to help her dying friend. ¡°¡­¡± Minutes had to pass before Ilias would creak her head. ¡°She¡¯ll¡­be okay¡­right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s Raizel, after all. She¡¯s always okay¡­¡± Nothing but silence answered the youngling¡¯s trembling voice. Then, the red dragon turned to face her lord once more. ¡°Who¡­¡± Resentment filled to the brim of her throat. Her arms began to tremble ever so slightly as Ilias spoke her next phrase. ¡°¡­Who did this?¡± Ep 150. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (4) Ep 150. I¡¯m Sure We¡¯ll Meet Again. (4) Some time later, Aymeia¡¯s closed eyes began to twitch; the girl winced in pain as she came to, opening her eyes rather abruptly. And, much to her own dismay, she found herself alone and freezing within what seemed like a wooden cage. Just outside the cage was Light, sitting on the ground with her back against the wooden bars. Hearing Aymeia stir, Light turned her head to face the former deity, waving a short greeting. ¡°Hey. You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°What happened? Why am I in a¡­¡± Squinting in disbelief, Aymeia quickly made her way over towards the half. She gripped the wooden bars keeping her within, as if to make sure that they were real. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°One of the warriors started questioning if you¡¯re really Aymeia or not while you were passed out. No one could really prove it, so¡­he put you inside that cage.¡± ¡°An Asardan doubted who I am? Who?¡± Just as Light was about to answer the confused former deity, Orkaan stepped into view, crouching downwards to meet Aymeia¡¯s eye level. His enormous figure nearly rivalled that of the entire cage. After a few seconds of observation, the warrior¡¯s rumbling voice addressed Aymeia¡¯s question. ¡°That would be me.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re the one who put me in here? Why?¡± ¡°A strange question. I was told that you were allied with the monster responsible for this chaos. Had it not been for the white one¡¯s request, your head would have long joined our firewood.¡± ¡°I was...only trying to mediate things. I¡¯d never harm my own people.¡± ¡°We are not your people. You are but an outsider to us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gritting her teeth, Aymeia gripped the bars that caged her. She summoned her strength to burn down the cage¡¯s wooden make to prove her identity to the warrior before her. Unfortunately, not a single spark arose from her palms. Orkaan mused as Aymeia seemingly struggled in vain to break out of her cage. ¡°Is aught amiss? I was told you were Aymeia.¡± ¡°I, I am! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on right now, but I¡¯m-¡± ¡°I¡¯d thought Urgus had outgrown his fantasies. But I see he¡¯s still just a child.¡± A rumbling chuckle from Orkaan interrupted Aymeia¡¯s protests. The warrior then pushed his hand in between the wooden bars, flicking his finger at the prisoner¡¯s forehead to send her stumbling backwards. Even when Aymeia rubbed her forehead with a despising glare, the warrior showed no sign of remorse.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°The guardian¡¯s existence is but a legend. Asarda has seen plenty of pretenders like you.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not a pretender.¡± ¡°Hmph. A revolting thought, that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Confirming the disappointing, expected outcome, Orkaan rose to stand firm once more. He turned to leave Aymeia be, giving a final glare at the imprisoned guardian. ¡°Imaginary as she may be, I would rather our people¡¯s faith rest in a righteous, benevolent deity: the infallible Star of Asarda. Not some puny lass helpless within a cage of wood.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aymeia couldn¡¯t say anything back at the leaving warrior. She instead bit her lips, once again gripping at the wooden bars, but to no avail. Seeing the frustration on the former deity, Light cautiously tapped the cage to gain her attention, pointing at her own head. ¡°Um, in case you didn¡¯t realize¡­¡± ¡°¡­? Realize what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­normal now.¡± ¡°Normal?¡± Only then did Aymeia finally take the time to run her hands through her head. When she began to examine herself, it didn¡¯t take long for her to recognize all the changes. Her horns were no longer there; her orange hair had lost their color and returned to the black that she¡¯d been born with; she could no longer summon her flames, and she could no longer recall a single memory of Vulka¡¯s. But, most notably¡­ ¡®It¡¯s¡­cold¡­¡¯ In all fairness, Aymeia was wearing only a single grey cloak Light had put on her. Her own clothes had been long burnt by her own flames. But for the last thousand years, the former deity had lived her life having forgotten what it was like to be cold. Even the worst Asardan winters couldn¡¯t make Aymeia shiver. That is, until today. ? ? ? After leaving Light and Aymeia, Orkaan trudged his way through the surviving inhabitants of Chell. Everyone was busy with recovering what they could from their broken homes. The fires had at least been put out, but there were still countless huts to rebuild, and countless bodies to recover. And amongst Chell¡¯s inhabitants was a peculiar purple-haired individual, wordlessly helping the people effort with nary a complaint. ¡°Lizar¡­dragon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilias didn¡¯t return an immediate response. The youngling instead lifted another burnt wooden beam off the ground, checking for any valuables or survivors underneath. Finding nothing, the beam dropped back down to the ground before she¡¯d finally turn to face Orkaan. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The lass has awoken.¡± ¡°¡­So?¡± ¡°Why, I thought you might want to know. It sounded to me you were quite intent on turning her to firewood.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Ilias first learned that Aymeia was responsible for Raizel¡¯s state, the red dragon had made an immediate attempt to return the favor. Of course, her attempt amounted to nothing as Serenis prevented her from harming Aymeia. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t. Not until Lord Serenis is back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the white one, yes? Where has she gone, exactly?¡± ¡°She told me she needed to be alone with Raizel.¡± Ever since Serenis had sent everyone away, Ilias had busied herself with helping Chell¡¯s inhabitants. She needed to do something ¨C even if they were just menial tasks. Without anything to do, she felt as if her fear and anxiety would drive her insane each second. ¡®I¡¯m worried about nothing. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m worried about nothing¡­Raizel will be fine. She always was. Lord Serenis will find a way.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Unable to understand the full extent of the rambling that was going on inside the youngling¡¯s head, Orkaan loudly cleared his throat, awkwardly turning to a nearby rubble. ¡°Now then¡­with Urgus asleep, I suppose I should pick up his slack¡­¡± Soon enough, Ilias would likewise resume her efforts in silence. Though, the youngling¡¯s mind still churned with incessant thoughts of Raizel¡¯s state. Truthfully, she didn¡¯t get along with Raizel as well as she did with Light ¨C but the steel dragon far surpassed Light in terms of time. After all, Raizel had been with her since the day Ilias had hatched. They¡¯d argued often, they¡¯d fought often, and more often than not, they were scolded together for it. They¡¯d spent time away from each other then and there, but as far as Ilias was concerned, they basically grew up together. And in that time, Ilias had come to think that the two of them would never face any real danger. Being the two strongest individuals of a nigh-invincible race, her sense of danger had long grown dull; thinking back, Ilias had been laughing about their crazy trips with Serenis when, realistically, she should¡¯ve been growing worried. ¡®¡­It¡¯s too late now.¡¯ As much as she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t go back in time to rethink their decision to come here. The youngling continued to occupy herself with menial labor. And, as much as her worries grew, her bitterness was likewise growing. ¡°¡­¡± On the off chance that Serenis would return with dreadful news, then¡­ Ep 151. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (5) Ep 151. I¡¯m Sure We¡¯ll Meet Again. (5) Quiet footsteps echoed throughout the cavern¡¯s interior as Serenis trudged along the stone floors. Raizel¡¯s soft, heaving breaths filled the remaining silence as she remained motionless in the dragonlord¡¯s arms. Serenis gently placed the youngling unto the cavern floors. Grimacing painfully, Serenis she stared up towards the ceiling with a solemn gaze. The night sky was far out of view, the few holes above her allowing only a small amount of starlight inside. ¡®¡­Five.¡¯ Counting Aldrid, six. Since her awakening, half the existing deities had stepped down from their rule: none of which she¡¯d accomplished on her own. Before then, and even now ¨C while the other lords had busied themselves with their independent feats ¨C Serenis alone had remained behind. ¡°¡­¡± A millennium prior, demonkind had ventured on a quest to rid the world of its single divinity. It¡¯d nearly costed their entire brethren. Compared to the losses her kind had suffered then, a single dragon was hardly anything noteworthy; had another lord been in her place, they¡¯d likely be celebrating the falling of another deity at such an insignificant cost. But Serenis remained in the darkness of an isolated cavern, watching over her dying kin with dread-filled eyes. ¡°¡­If¡­you can hear me¡­¡± A thousand years, and she still hadn¡¯t learned to let go as the others could. She still hadn¡¯t learned to be callous and uncaring as others could. The dragonlord¡¯s pained expression twisted in desperation. She held a hand above her chest, gripping a tight fist as she spoke in a pleading voice. ¡®¡­If you¡¯re truly listening¡­¡¯ In retrospect, it¡¯d always struck her odd. During her initial encounter with Hathelon, the deity had landed what should¡¯ve been a deciding blow on her neck; when she¡¯d lost consciousness, she¡¯d thought her next awakening would be in the afterlife. And during her final encounter with Hathelon, the deity had dealt what should¡¯ve been a fatal blow upon Raizel. With Serenis unable to help the dying youngling, she couldn¡¯t possibly have survived. But both of them had survived. On both occasions Serenis had fallen unconscious, only to awaken to inexplicable outcomes. ¡°¡­¡± No, inexplicable wasn¡¯t quite right. She did have a vague idea of what had happened. And right now, clinging to a vague idea seemed much more appealing than waiting for Raizel to die before her very eyes. Faint glimmers of light shone from Serenis¡¯ tightened grip. Explosive amounts of mana gathered into her hand, as if she was preparing to strike at some towering enemy. ¡®If my absence is what¡¯s necessary, then¡­¡¯ Clenching her eyes, Serenis allowed the surge of mana explode upon her own body. Waves of pain washed over her as the spell swallowed her defenseless frame. But still, she had no mind to stop injuring herself; the prismatic lights only grew in intensity, tearing through their caster¡¯s skin and flesh. ¡®¡­Please. Help her.¡¯ After what seemed like an eternity, Serenis¡¯ spell came to a case. Her legs buckled as her knees sunk to the floor, her body limp and sullen. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± And in mere seconds, the Serenis¡¯ closed eyelids would begin to twitch. A visible frown crossed the dragonlord¡¯s eyes as she seemingly came to in mere moments. A pained groan escaped her lips as her hands frantically ran over her body, painfully rubbing at the newly acquired wounds. Soon, a pair of two golden eyes revealed themselves.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Serenis¡­was that really necessary?¡± The dragonlord rose back to her feet, chuckling at the recklessness that had instigated their return. She then spared a brief moment to examine herself. Though, as soon as she ascertained that she wasn¡¯t in need of immediate care, her attention returned towards the dying steel dragon. ¡°And I thought I told you to be nice to yourself, Raizel. But I guess you¡¯d be the last one to take that advice¡­¡± A sarcastic smile curved the dragonlord¡¯s lips as she knelt back on one knee, studying the youngling on the floor. She gently hovered one hand over Raizel¡¯s lips, checking the strength of their current breathing. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a miracle you¡¯re still breathing.¡± The situation was bleak at best. Not even the world¡¯s most skilled healer could guarantee the youngling¡¯s survival in this moment; it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if her breathing were to cease this very second. But nonetheless, they had to try. She couldn¡¯t restore missing limbs or molten flesh; no magic could accomplish such feats. But she could at least undo the numerous burns covering Raizel¡¯s body, which would hopefully be sufficient to keep the youngling alive. Steeling their heart, the dragonlord¡¯s palm began to emit a glimmering, orange light. Truth be told, the magic¡¯s effects seemed miniscule at best. But slow as it may be, the black over Raizel¡¯s charred body was lessening speck by speck. Drops of sweat began to form over the dragonlord¡¯s forehead. For hours she remained firm in place, her focus refusing to wane as she performed her spell. ¡°Hang in there, Raizel. If you die, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it from your lord¡­¡± ? ? ? Thankfully, Serenis had picked out a secluded location: in her current occupied, replaced state, there was no guarantee she could even fend off a wild squirrel. Even if the Reaper himself were to suddenly appear, she couldn¡¯t risk interrupting Raizel¡¯s treatment. Of course, nearby monsters had been all but eradicated, and Serenis had explicitly asked Urgus to prevent anyone from seeking her out. She¡¯d likewise told Ilias and Light that she needed to be alone with Raizel, minimizing the chance of any interruption that could occur. For the first few hours, anyways. ¡°Ilias¡­are you sure you can find them like this?¡± ¡°Mhm. One second¡­¡± The red dragon trudged along the snowy hill, sniffing the night air as she walked. Light was trailing a short way behind her with a quizzical expression. As much as she trusted Ilias, she¡¯d never heard of dragons being able to locate things by scent. But books were lying, apparently. ¡°¡­There. See that?¡± Ilias came to a brief stop, pointing at the entrance of a rather secluded cavern up the snowy hill. A faint orange glow was leaking from within, signalling the presence of others inside. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such a good sense of smell¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, actually. It¡¯s just Lord Serenis. Weird, right?¡± ¡°Really? What does she even smell like?¡± ¡°Like¡­¡± Ilias trailed off her words as she began to approach the illuminated cavern entrance. Pretend as she might, her heart was thumping so loud she was surprised Light couldn¡¯t hear its beating. The youngling lightly gripped the cavern¡¯s stone walls, peeking into the orange luminance. She could immediately see the familiar backside of her lord, and her even familiar friend lying on the stone floors before them. She could still hear the series of heaving breaths, lightly echoing throughout the cavern walls. Though, a small frown crossed Ilias¡¯ eyes as she realized that something was different. ¡°¡­Lord¡­Serenis?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dragonlord neither answered, nor even looked towards the entrance. She remained focused on the task at hand, her heaving breaths growing rapid and sparse. Light also peeked in beside her sister, frowning at the strange sight. ¡°¡­Serenis? Are you okay?¡± A few minutes passed in foreboding silence as the two remained at the entrance. With Serenis remaining deathly silent, neither were sure if they should be barging in to interrupt, or staying put to not interrupt. Only when the orange lights began to dim would the dragonlord turn her head, facing the two guests. She could hardly tell who they were in her hazy vision. ¡°¡­Ilias, Light. Didn¡¯t she¡­I mean, didn¡¯t I tell you two that I needed to be alone?¡± The two looked at each other, then back at Serenis. It was Ilias who answered, a hint of guilt mixed into her voice. ¡°We¡­got worried. You were taking so long. It¡¯s been hours since sundown¡­¡± ¡°I¡­see¡­¡± ¡°Is everything okay? Is Raizel¡­¡± Ilias immediately sealed her lips. She couldn¡¯t bear to ask the question in full, fearing that she¡¯d hear something she rather wouldn¡¯t. But the dragonlord lightly wove her hand, beckoning for them to come closer. ¡°I did what I could. But she¡¯ll still need to see a proper healer.¡± ¡°A healer? Does that mean¡­¡± The dragonlord¡¯s light nodding confirmed Ilias¡¯ spark of hope. ¡°She¡¯ll be alright. She¡¯ll need time, but she¡¯ll be awake eventually.¡± Hearing the answer, Ilias spared a brief moment to inspect the steel dragon on the floor. True to the dragonlord¡¯s words, her friend¡¯s burns had severely lessened; her breathing had likewise calmed. Missing limb or no, it seemed nothing short of a miracle. And while the red dragon embraced her lord with teary eyes and trembling arms, Light¡¯s frown showed no sign of disappearing. If anything, it was growing heavier as the half girl continued to study her peculiar friend. ¡°Hey, Serenis?¡± ¡°Hm? Yes, Light?¡± ¡°I thought I heard you couldn¡¯t use healing spells?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. Um, that¡­well¡­¡± ¡°And what happened to your eyes?¡± ¡°Uh¡­what about my eyes?¡± Light¡¯s eyes narrowed even further as her friend questioned back at her premise. Stepping closer, Light stared into Serenis¡¯ eyes from mere inches away, noting their golden hue. ¡°Your eyes used to be blue.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t they still?¡± ¡°No? They¡¯re gold.¡± Serenis blinked twice in evident confusion. She quickly retreated from Ilias¡¯ embrace, running her hands over her eyes ¨C though that didn¡¯t exactly allow her to see her own eyes. Light crossed her arms, studying the dragonlord¡¯s odd behavior. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just use an ice spell or something? You can see your own reflection then.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­a little tired. Could you help?¡± ¡°¡­Seriously? You¡¯re asking for MY help? In magic?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Yeah¡­she wouldn¡¯t do that, would she.¡¯ The dragonlord let out a nervous chuckle, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. She was certainly tired, but that was purely because she¡¯d kept herself concentrated for so long, not because she was lacking in mana. At this point, even Ilias was catching on that something was amiss. And Light was already near-certain that she was talking to a lookalike, not her peculiar friend. ¡®She¡¯s talking weird, she¡¯s acting weird, and she even looks weird¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was all the years she¡¯d spent studying Karas¡¯ nigh-nonexistent facial cues. Or perhaps it was the keen animal sense she¡¯d been born with. Whatever it was, the dragonlord¡¯s little ruse wasn¡¯t fooling the half anytime soon. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not Serenis, are you?¡± Ep 152. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (6) Ep 152. I¡¯m Sure We¡¯ll Meet Again. (6) ¡°You¡¯re not Serenis. Who are you?¡± ¡°Well¡­you see¡­¡± The dragonlord looked away from Light with a sheepish grin, nervously scratching the back of her head. And Light was watching every bit of it, with each passing moment adding onto her growing suspicion. ¡®Is it the Reaper guy again? It can¡¯t be¡­right?¡¯ The display was jarring, to say the least ¨C but while strange, Serenis¡¯ current behavior was in no way akin to what Light had seen in her possessed professor. And once Light had made her claim, the dragonlord¡¯s odd behavior was becoming more and more apparent to Ilias as well. ¡®I¡¯ve seen her smile before, but that¡¯s just¡­¡¯ The usual indifference was nowhere to be found in her lord. In a way, Serenis looked and sounded friendlier ¨C neither of which were exactly helpful in this case. Her aptitude in magic had seemingly disappeared, replaced with an affinity for healing that she¡¯d once claimed outside of her reach. ¡°And also¡­¡± Moments after, Light struck out her hand to pinch at a bruised patch of the dragonlord¡¯s arm. ¡°!!!¡± A muffled groan escaped Serenis¡¯ lips. She looked towards the half with a clearly pained expression. ¡°L, Light?! What are you doing??¡± ¡°Serenis was just fine during the day. What¡¯s with all these burns and bruises?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­well¡­¡± At first, the dragonlord¡¯s pained eyes looked away in avoidance. But as the pain from Light¡¯s pinching hold grew to an intolerable level, Serenis¡¯ bitten lips finally began to make its confession. ¡°She¡­did it to herself.¡± ¡°¡¯She¡¯? So you aren¡¯t Serenis after all.¡± ¡°Uh¡­haha¡­um¡­¡± Meeting the half¡¯s cold, questioning gaze, the dragonlord responded with nothing but meek laughter. But while Light was focused on undoing the pretender¡¯s ruse, Ilias¡¯ attention was focused on an entirely different detail. ¡°Lord Serenis did this to herself¡­?¡± ¡°Um¡­yes?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°W¡­why?...¡± Hearing the youngling¡¯s shaky voice trailing off in fear, the pretender hurriedly wove their arms, denying the red dragon¡¯s worry. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything that warrants concern! She only did so to summon me. I cannot be present while she¡¯s awake.¡± ¡°Oh¡­phew.¡± Ilias let out a relieved sigh. Light also made a small grunt, nodding her head as she acknowledged the sensible response. ¡°To help Raizel, right? Serenis couldn¡¯t do anything herself, so I¡¯m guessing she called you instead.¡± ¡°Quite sharp, aren¡¯t you? Karas is lucky to have such a bright student.¡± ¡°Ehehe¡­¡± ¡°¡­But can you please let go of my arm now?¡± ¡°Oh¡­sorry.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s body shuddered in pain as Light let go of the bruised arm. After a small, muffled groan, the same glow of orange from her palm began to undo the damage Serenis had inflicted on herself. As the light magically to her wounds ¨C literally ¨C Light watched the spectacle for a moment longer before beginning to question the pretender again. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told us who you are.¡± ¡°Uh¡­right! I¡¯m, uh¡­I¡¯m Zion.¡± ¡°Zion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. In case you weren¡¯t aware, this is my body. Serenis is¡­a guest, essentially.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Light¡¯s expression twisted in disbelief, Ilias¡¯ in confusion. Neither of them were convinced by the answer. And again, it was Light who¡¯d speak on it first. ¡°The¡­actual person, you mean? Like, the human-person-Zion?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°¡­Hold on, hold on. Aren¡¯t you like, 15?¡± ¡°Yes? What of it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me a 15-year-old knows how to treat a dying dragon?¡± A few seconds ticked by as the pretender wracked their brain for a sensible answer. And, finding none, they let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°¡­That lie wasn¡¯t going to last, was it?¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to pinch you again.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s body lightly jerked back as Light made a pinching gesture with her fingers. ¡°Hey now, aren¡¯t you scared what Serenis might say when she¡¯s awake?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll say ¡®Good job, I¡¯m glad you drove the fake-me away.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡± Another sigh followed from the dragonlord, this time out of the irony of the situation. They briefly entertained the thought of Serenis regarding them as some fake persona, which was laughable at best. Clearing their throat, the dragonlord¡¯s lips began to confess their current controller¡¯s identity. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m just a distant elder to you two. After all, I was the first of mankind to join the dragonkin.¡± ¡°The first one?...How old ARE you?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± After a hearty chuckle, the pretender briefly spared a glance towards Ilias. They stretched out their hand, petting the red dragon on her head. ¡°A long time has passed, but every single one of you are still very dear to me¡­and so is Serenis. That¡¯s why before I tell you my name, I need you both to promise me something.¡± Both Light and Ilias looked towards the dragonlord¡¯s pretender with a confused gaze. Smiling back at the two, the pretender retreated their hand, crossing their lips with one finger in a silencing gesture. ¡°When Serenis awakes¡­promise me you won¡¯t tell her who I am.¡± ¡°Wait, she doesn¡¯t know?¡± The dragonlord beamed back towards the inquisitive half. ¡°I¡¯m sure she has her own suspicions. But there¡¯s a difference between suspecting and knowing.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­but why wouldn¡¯t you want her to know? Are you worried she¡¯d get rid of you?¡± ¡°¡­If only. That¡¯s the opposite of my worries, actually.¡± ¡°The opposite?¡± ¡°Mhm. If Serenis were to learn who I am, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯d cast herself away instead.¡± ¡°¡­Ok, now I¡¯m REALLY confused. Who are you??¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I was born with the very first star, and I will perish with the very last.¡¯ A hint of regret and bitterness washed over the dragonlord¡¯s eyes. Their golden eyes closed themselves in a momentary reflection, their lips curving into a wider smile. ¡®To you, I remain forever bound ¨C willingly ¨C until the end of time.¡¯ ¡°¡­My name is Adam. Though¡­perhaps you¡¯d understand me better as our dear dragonlord¡¯s spouse.¡± ¡°Sp-¡° Light quickly cut herself short in the middle of parroting the last word. As soon as her head processed the phrase, her train of thoughts came to a screeching halt. And likewise for Ilias, the red dragon seemed frozen in position. Only her twitching eyebrows suggested that time hadn¡¯t stopped. ¡°¡­Light?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ilias?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching the two in awkward silence, the pseudo-dragonlord blinked a few times, meekly wondering if they¡¯d done something wrong. A handful of minutes had to pass before either of them would say anything again. Ep 153. Confessions of the Historian: Bygone Days Ep 153. Confessions of the Historian: Bygone Days I¡¯ve long lost count of your rebirth. You are the only human soul to have led so many lives. Only in this moment will you recall your true self. Once reborn, you will lose your memories again, and live out another meaningless few decades before returning to me. For what reason do you continue this foolish cycle? Your precious family has long left your side ¨C there is nothing for you that remains on this star. Tell me. For what reason do you cling to this empty new world? ? ? ? The forager trudged along the strange-colored forests. The rumors had promised him an endless expanse of the rarest of herbs. But so far, he¡¯d found nothing but a single mandrake in his little adventure; besides that was a seemingly endless array of crimson-leaved trees and pink grass, both of which were strange, but unfortunately of little practical use. And, to make matters worse¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯m lost, aren¡¯t I?¡± When he turned his head, an endless expanse of pink grass laid before him, decorated by the fallen blood-colored leaves. Towering above him were enormous trees that said leaves once belonged to, blocking out most light from above. In fact, he could hardly tell if it was day or night anymore. For all he knew, the little amount of light that was seeping in may very well be glimmers of distant stars, not sunlight. ¡°I can¡¯t go back empty-handed again¡­going a little deeper couldn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡®If worse comes to past, I¡¯ll make camp somewhere and spend the night out. It doesn¡¯t seem like any demons are in the area, anyways¡­I can¡¯t have gone THAT far.¡¯ The forest he¡¯d ventured into was one of the few remaining regions that no demon tribe had claimed as their domain; not yet, anyways. And after just a few more minutes, the forager¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sight of a peculiar glimmer. ¡°Wait, is that¡­?¡± The further he went, the more he grew certain ¨C in the distance was a large clearing, with what seemed like a mountain of glittering objects. ¡°Finally!¡± What else could it be but rarities and treasure? The forager dashed across the forest pathway, racing towards the distant lights. His heart raced in anticipation, excited to relish in his new discovery. However, his steps gradually slowed down ¨C very, VERY gradually, as he realized what the source of the glimmer was. And when he realized he shouldn¡¯t have approached so hastily, it was far too late. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The mountain of glimmering objects was, in fact, a singular object. Actually, it wasn¡¯t even an object. Objects don¡¯t breathe. Within the small clearing was an enormous dragon, curled up in a peaceful slumber. Their brilliant white scales lightly shone beneath the night sky, each scale glimmering like a piece of jewelry. Of course, he couldn¡¯t take any of it home. ¡®Hells, I¡¯d be lucky if I can take my own life back home¡­what on earth is a dragon doing here?! This isn¡¯t their domain!¡¯ The forager slowly took a step back. He was already too close to the sleeping dragon ¨C merely a handful of steps away ¨C and waking it was the last thing he wanted to. Somehow, the crunching of leaves beneath his feet seemed a thousand times louder than they had been on his way here. ¡®Alright, this is fine¡­they¡¯re fast asleep. I can just¡­sneak out quietly¡­and never come back.¡¯ The forager soon turned his back, walking away in as much silence as he could muster. ¡­Until his trembling legs tripped over an unremarkable piece of stone. ¡°WH-¡° A loud thud followed as the forager fell face-first onto the ground, the contents of his leather satchel sprawling across the forest floors. He immediately rubbed his nose in pain, though the first thing he did was to check if the dragon had awoken.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Thankfully, they were still sound asleep. ¡®Thank the First¡­¡¯ He briefly scanned the ground for the belongings he¡¯d dropped ¨C though they were hardly visible under the night sky. Kicking his tongue, the forager immediately abandoned the items, focusing on making his way out of the clearing. ¡®Nothing I can¡¯t acquire again. Survival comes first¡­¡¯ With the looming danger sleeping behind him, the forager¡¯s mind completely overlooked what his belongings even were. He simply had no mental capacity to worry about his items. That is, until he stepped on what felt like a soft clump of root. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°K-¡° In the split seconds that followed, a million thoughts passed the forager¡¯s head. ¡®¡­What did I just step on? Wait, what did I even have on me again?¡¯ A bottle of water. A handheld shovel. Patches of dried grass. Two small rolls of cloth. Some emergency medicine. A few krahka leaves. Vernos oil. And a mandrake he¡¯d found earlier today. Mandrake. Mandrake¡­ ¡®¡­Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake.¡¯ As most would know, mandrakes had a tendency to ¡®scream¡¯ upon being uprooted ¨C which was actually a misconception. Being plants, mandrakes felt no pain or misery to scream from; instead, their ¡®screams¡¯ were just a peculiar way of releasing mana. Upon being uprooted, the change in environment causes mandrakes to lose their mana-storing qualities, causing a huge release of mana that appear as screams. Once exhausted of the mana they had stored within, the roots would then fall silent. But to preserve a mandrake¡¯s medicinal qualities as well as to prevent their screams, foragers would often resort to bathing the roots with various oils, then wrapping them in a layer of leather beforehand. This allowed the mandrakes to keep larger amounts of mana trapped within them, prolonging their shelf time and significantly increasing their quality. ¡­Of course, stepping on them would do away with any leather wrapping. And scrape the oil away. ¡°KEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the forager turned his head, a new glimmer greeted his gaze. A giant sapphire eye was now wide-open, staring at the cause of their peaceful slumber¡¯s interruption. ¡°¡­I could not possibly be more screwed.¡± ? ? ? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The forager only exchanged silent blinks with the awoken dragon. But once the uncomfortable blinks continued from seconds to minutes, he playfully pointed towards the clearing¡¯s exit, letting out a nervous laughter. ¡°Um¡­haha¡­good¡­evening?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My apologies. I was¡­just on my way to leave, you see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you wouldn¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll¡­be on my way now¡­¡± The forager turned away from the dragon, briskly making his way towards the clearing¡¯s exit. For a split second, he actually thought that the dragon would not care enough to bother with a single human. ¡­Until a wall of glimmering scales snaked around in front of him, blocking his exit. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, human?¡± ¡°¡­Home?¡± Snorting, the dragon pulled their arm inwards, scraping the helpless forager towards them. The dragon lazily yawned as they lifted the forager above their head, positioning to drop them into their open maw. ¡°W, wait, wait, wait, wait! Are you sure about eating me, dragon?! I, I uh, I dig dirt for a living, you see! I, I won¡¯t taste that good!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve no mind to eat you myself, but I can¡¯t afford to have you go blabbing about my sanctuary to other humans.¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never tell anyone!¡± ¡°Of course you won¡¯t. You¡¯ll be dead.¡± ¡°¡­Fair point.¡± Conceding to the dragon¡¯s rather undisputable logic, the forager sealed their eyes, internally resigning to their fate. They¡¯d hastily chased after a false rumor, so perhaps they deserved no less. But just as the dragon was about to drop him between his jaws, they let out a loud grunt, twisting their backs in pain. ¡°¡­Ugh. This again¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The forager¡¯s mind once again began to process a million thoughts, bolstered by the panic before their imminent death. Their eyes hurriedly scanned the dragon¡¯s fidgeting body part, as well as their posture and the clear discomfort in their eyes. Then, in a desperate attempt, shouted into the clearing once more. ¡°I, if you put me down, I can fix it!¡± ¡°¡­? You? A human?¡± ¡°Indeed! I uh, I may not look it, but I¡¯m quite the promising healer! It¡¯s your back, is it not?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dragon returned no answer to the forager¡¯s frantic hunch. However, the dragon¡¯s eyes betrayed a hint of truth ¨C and that was all he needed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t like that before, was it? Feels rigid, like frail wood that¡¯s on the verge of snapping¡­that¡¯s why you¡¯re cautious about moving it much, yes?¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± After an arduous minute of pondering, the dragon set the human down unto the ground beside them. They then lowered their head, sapphire gaze staring into the forager¡¯s tiny gold eyes. ¡°And you can fix it, you say?¡± ¡°O, of course!¡± The dragon rolled their eyes. They snorted in a mix of hope and derision, though soon they looked away, returning to their slumbering position. Even their eyes soon closed back. Then, in a rumbling voice, made their final say. ¡°¡­Very well. Should you truly succeed, I will spare your life.¡± ? ? ? ¡°¡­And that¡¯s how I met your mother, Eden. Fun, huh?¡± ¡°Wham?¡± ¡°Your mother was a horrible patient at first. She was trying to be all scary and menacing¡­it took us weeks to get her to even listen to me properly. I remember she refused to even get up and stretch for five minutes. Now you both do every morning!¡± Eden listened to her father¡¯s story with a puzzled gaze, sitting in the comfort of her mother¡¯s embrace. The tiny girl was picking up some words here and there, but she was still much too young to understand the story in full. Meanwhile, Serenis was glaring at her partner with pursed lips, squeezing the baby tight in her arms. ¡°Do not listen to him, Eden. No such event ever took place.¡± ¡°Wha¡­you don¡¯t remember? Not even when you accompanied me to the village?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I remember it like yesterday! You were so cute back then, clueless and all. I remember you thinking the plate was a part of the food, and-¡° Before her husband could continue regaling their daughter in her shameful past, Serenis grabbed Adam by the back of his head, pulling his head towards her. His words were quickly silenced when the dragonlord¡¯s lips clasped above his. And by the time they parted, Adam¡¯s thoughts had long left him. ¡°You were saying?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing. Never mind.¡± ¡°Mama! Me too! Me too!¡± As Serenis doted on her baby daughter, a comforting warmth soon spread across Adam¡¯s dazed expression. The days he¡¯d spent as a lone forager seemed so distant now. This was his family; this was where he belonged, and he¡¯d never choose to be anywhere else but by their side. With what little time he had as a human man, he¡¯d happily use it all on treasuring his dear family. ¡®Even if time does us apart¡­¡¯ Adam beamed a warm smile at his doting partner. Even if time did them apart, he¡¯d nonetheless be near her. As long as the star wished so, he¡¯d remain at her side. And he¡¯d nurture her to the best of his abilities, just as he always have. ? ? ? A vow, you say. A blind faith that the dead will once again require your presence¡­a vow that binds you to this empty world¡­ Then, if you were able, would you go change the past? ¡­ ¡­ ¡­No? How come? Because there¡¯s nothing to change? ¡­ I see. Ep 154. I’m Sure We’ll Meet Again. (7) Ep 154. I¡¯m Sure We¡¯ll Meet Again. (7) ¡°YOU¡¯RE HER HUSBAND?!¡± Light and Ilias screamed back at the pretender in unison, their voices echoing throughout the cavern walls. Meanwhile, the pretender returned a hearty chuckle at the two girls¡¯ shocked reactions. ¡°¡­That would be correct! Quite the reaction, I must say.¡± Light¡¯s lips immediately sealed shut at the revelation. She suddenly found herself at a loss of what to say ¨C or to be specific, there were too many things to say, and she didn¡¯t exactly know which to begin. Or if they were even appropriate. On the other hand, Ilias¡¯ expression lit up in enlightenment as the youngling came to a small realization. ¡°Right, Lord Serenis could never explain why she woke in a human boy¡¯s body¡­so that wasn¡¯t a coincidence then?¡± ¡°As fate would have it, I¡¯m inclined to say it wasn¡¯t. Even accounting for the remaining dragonkin, it¡¯s quite likely that I am the soul most attuned to Serenis. Others may find our dragonlord a bit¡­daunting, to carry.¡± ¡°Daunting?¡± Ilias tilted her head with a puzzled expression. She¡¯d merely made the connection from their relationship, but Adam¡¯s answer was confusing her further. Fortunately, Light soon chimed in to clarify for the red dragon. ¡°¡­I think he means they¡¯ll go crazy. Like Aymeia did.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­¡± Giving an affirming nod, the pseudo-dragonlord then turned their gaze to face the unconscious steel dragon once more. ¡°Now, with that said¡­there¡¯s something else I need to tell you two about Raizel. And this, you do need to tell Serenis when she awakes.¡± At the mention of Raizel¡¯s name, both Light and Ilias quickly silenced themselves, looking attentively towards the speaker before them. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I could, but there¡¯s only so much that can be done with magic alone ¨C burn wounds especially so. The rest will require proper treatment at the nest through medicine and the like; the quicker, the better.¡± This time, Ilias was the first to nod. ¡°I can take us right now!¡± ¡°Mm¡­hm. And while I appreciate the enthusiasm, there¡¯s still one more obstacle to overcome. Even if Raizel were to make a full recovery, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t help help open her eyes.¡± ¡°Huh?...Why not?¡± ¡°At the moment, she¡¯s¡­an empty husk. That is to say, Raizel¡¯s body isn¡¯t in possession of her soul at the moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The hope in Ilias¡¯ eyes were quickly snuffed out by Adam¡¯s last remark. She blankly stared back for a while longer, then towards her friend in silence.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. And this time, it was Light who¡¯d respond first. ¡°¡­Reaper?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hence why you must inform Serenis when she awakes. Making sure Raizel¡¯s body remains alive is important, yes ¨C but without the soul to occupy it, there¡¯s little point.¡± The two listeners brooded over the last comment. Ilias gripped her hands into a tight fist, while Light¡¯s forlorn gaze sunk to the floor. Another minute of silence had to slip past before the half would break it again. ¡°¡­One more question.¡± ¡°Of course. Go ahead.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t want Serenis to know who you are. Shouldn¡¯t she know whose body she¡¯s in?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Adam beamed back a bittersweet grin at the half girl¡¯s question. He briefly glanced towards Ilias, then proceeded to answer Light¡¯s question. ¡°Light. If you were to die and be reborn in Ilias¡¯ body, would you steal her freedom to claim the body as yours?¡± ¡°What? Of course not!¡± ¡°Mhm. And I¡¯m sure that¡¯s how Serenis would feel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As his reply effectively silenced the cat half, Adam beamed a soft smile back at Light. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say that Serenis robbed me of my freedom. As much as she¡¯d disagree, having her with me has done good for the both of us. Had she not occupied this body, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered who I am: I would¡¯ve lived out this life as a human boy named Zion, oblivious to who I once was. So, in a way, her presence is allowing me a second life as well.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just tell her all that? If you tell her that you want her with you, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll reconsider¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps one day. But for now, I¡¯d rather she remain oblivious to the truth.¡± ¡°¡­Because she¡¯d flip out if she knew?¡± ¡°Flip out¡­haha. In a way, yes! She¡¯d flip out.¡± Light crossed her arms, closing her eyes as she considered the implications of Adam¡¯s ruse. As far as she¡¯d seen, Serenis hadn¡¯t seemed so close-minded as to ignore those around her ¨C it seemed reasonable to think that the dragonlord would remain calm, even after knowing her lover was wishing for her to occupy their body. Keeping the dragonlord oblivious seemed nothing short of making a small problem grow and fester. Logically, it made sense. ¡®¡­But if I were her¡­¡¯ As Adam had exemplified, Light would never take someone¡¯s freedom away to live a second life for herself ¨C especially not when it was someone important to her like Ilias. And that was final. It wouldn¡¯t matter what the other wanted; the very premise was out of the question. If Light were to learn that she¡¯d been robbing her family of their freedom to so she could continue living, the guilt would kill her on the spot. So, in a way, the current arrangement also made sense. Perhaps not in the most logical manner, but nevertheless in a sensible way. ¡°¡­Okay, last question. Just one more.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­How DID Serenis come back to life? She didn¡¯t seem to know the answer herself¡­do you?¡± ¡°How, you ask?...¡± Oddly enough, Adam had always known that Serenis would return to life. He¡¯d always known that the dragonlord would require his presence. Hence his endless cycle of rebirth. But if someone were to ask how he¡¯d known, he couldn¡¯t possibly provide them with a concrete answer. ¡®I just knew. Somehow, I just¡­knew.¡¯ It¡¯s not that anybody had told him ¨C he¡¯d died years before Serenis had. The piece of knowledge had somehow been resting in his soul, as if he¡¯d been planted with the information from some unknown source. In the end, Adam grinned back at Light, petting her on the fluff of her ears. ¡°Perhaps some things are just meant to be.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Light stared back at the pseudo-dragonlord with a quizzical stare, more confused than before he¡¯d returned an answer. But all Adam could muster was another series of chuckling, followed by petting the half on her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all I can tell you. Sorry, Light.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t know, either¡­¡± ¡°Haha. No, that I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­And you¡¯re okay like this? You don¡¯t want to¡­talk to her or anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright as we are right now. I¡¯m¡­¡± Adam briefly closed his eyes, imagining how their reunion would seem. ¡®¡­It¡¯d be awkward, to say the least. Perhaps absurd is the better word¡­¡¯ Meeting Serenis, becoming dragonkin, having Eden, and reuniting in this era were all events that he would¡¯ve considered absurd in the past. Yet now, they all seemed perfectly natural ¨C as if they were inevitable from the start. So, maybe a reunion wouldn¡¯t be so absurd after all. ¡°¡­¡± In a barely audible voice, he whispered into the air. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again.¡± ¡°Huh? Us?¡± Realizing that the Light¡¯s perking ears had picked up on his whispered words, Adam beamed back one final time at the half, returning an affirming nod. ¡°¡­Of course, Light. And Ilias too.¡± This was where he belonged; this was where he¡¯d stay. Regardless of where Serenis would go, he¡¯d forever remain at her side. And eventually, when the long-awaited family reunion comes¡­ ¡®We¡¯ll be right here to welcome you back home.¡¯ Ep 155. I’ve Been Here Before. (1) Ep 155. I¡¯ve Been Here Before. (1) Felicir whiffed the air as he observed the engravings on the chamber¡¯s obsidian walls. ¡°Ah¡­nostalgic.¡± One depicted a winged, hooded individual, standing over what seemed like a mountain of men and animal alike. Standing in opposition of the print was a benevolent deity spreading their arms, seemingly welcoming the birth of a hundred more. The Reaper lightly brushed the wall, smirking at the crude drawing. ¡°It¡¯s nice to look back once a while.¡± Despite being such a small chamber, the chamber¡¯s black walls were filled to the brim with markings depicting the Twelve. The drawings etched unto the chamber walls could easily outnumber that of several temples combined. Despite the drastic changes Felicir had undergone, nothing had changed here ¨C as if no time had passed whatsoever. ¡®That¡¯s right. A thousand years must be meaningless to you¡­¡¯ Through Karas¡¯ eyes, Felicir looked towards the chamber¡¯s opposing wall. It was the only one that was empty of such ancient drawings; the wall was instead occupied by a towering obsidian sculpt of a grandiose warrior, standing dutifully before the gate that lied beyond him. But just as he was about to approach the unmoving warrior, a thundering howl stopped Felicir midway. Flinching, the Reaper stumbled back a few steps, gripping at his feathered head. ¡°Ugh, would you shut up?!¡± ¡®Go fuck yourself.¡¯ ¡°What is your problem? What do you not understand about dying?¡± ¡®What do you not understand about ¡®Go fuck yourself¡¯?¡¯ Felicir shook his head at the ringing internal dialogue. He¡¯d always known dragons could roar, but Raizel¡¯s obnoxiousness had been raking his nerve for quite some time; combined with her apparent lack of care for having her soul extinguished, the youngling was turning out to be a much heavier burden than he¡¯d anticipated. Not that he had a choice. ¡°Look, I could care less about whether you stay dead or alive; I¡¯ll release you in time, and you¡¯ll be free to return to your original body. I simply need you to pipe down until your lord arrives here.¡± ¡®Oh, really?¡¯ ¡°Yes. So be a dear and be quiet until then.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll consider it if you tell me what this place is.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Or I can keep screaming. I got all day.¡¯ Sighing in resignation, the Reaper then gestured towards the entire chamber. ¡°This is Aymeia¡¯s temple. Or its undergrounds, to be specific.¡± ¡®And?¡¯ ¡°¡­And this chamber is one of the three paths that connect to the Archive. The gate you see beyond the statue is one of them.¡± ¡®Archive?¡¯ ¡°¡­How should I put it¡­the realm above ours, in basic terms. It serves as storage of the records of our past. But more importantly, it¡¯s the Historian¡¯s residence.¡± ¡®And?¡¯ ¡°And what? I just told you what it is.¡± ¡®What do you want lord here for? Is this place your dream grave or something?¡¯ ¡°¡­No. I merely wish to access the Archive. But only divinities are granted access, and as I no longer possess my own, I¡¯ll need the one your lord¡¯s taken from Aymeia.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t you have like, 11 more of you? Or do they all hate you too?¡¯ ¡°¡­Thanks to your precious dragonlord, the nearest one I could seek help from is a continent away.¡± ¡®Ohh. Nice. Serves you right.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Felicir let out another exasperated sigh, shaking his head in dismay. ¡°Satisfied? Now will you be silent?¡± ¡®Hmm¡­nah, go fuck yourself.¡¯ Felicir flinched once again as he felt the ringing in his ears. He grit his teeth in frustration, wracking his head for an alternative solution. ¡®What¡¯s wrong? I thought you were going to kill me?¡¯ ¡°¡­As soon as I reach the Archive, I will shred your soul to dust.¡± ¡®Can¡¯t touch me ¡®til then, huh? Good to know.¡¯ Felicir shut his eyes at the unbearable noise. Despite the deathly silence filling the chamber, an obnoxious dragon¡¯s voice was filling the insides of his head. He still needed Raizel in his possession to confront the Historian beyond this gate, but it seemed quite likely that the youngling would drive him mad beforehand.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Then, as his pained gaze drifted over to a webbed, dusty corner of the small chamber, the Reaper¡¯s expression twisted into a coy smile. ¡°¡­Ah. I know what I¡¯ll do with you.¡± ? ? ? Serenis¡¯ closed eyes began to twitch beneath the morning sunlight. Rubbing her aching forehead, the dragonlord began to scan her surroundings as soon as she came to: she found herself leaned against an unremarkable wooden plaque, hugging her own knees like so many others were throughout the destroyed settlement. And laying at her side was Raizel, notably in a much better shape. Her molten limbs and burn scars were still clearly visible, but the numerous patches of black had all but disappeared, restoring life to the youngling¡¯s skin. Most of her scales had likewise regained their former, metallic glow. But once her immediate worries were away, Serenis then began to pick up Ilias¡¯ voice: annoyed, even outraged, protesting against the voice of a towering warrior. ¡°¡­$*@%!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis immediately rose to rush to the youngling¡¯s side. She barely registered the fact her self-inflicted wounds had disappeared. And once the dragonlord arrived at the scene, she could see Ilias together with Light and Aymeia, standing against Urgus and a cross-armed warrior in front of him. Their expression was difficult to tell beneath their bone helm, but the voice and gesture clearly suggested an air of authority. The warrior¡¯s looming gaze was fixed on the former deity as he spoke. ¡°I do not care who you are. I do not care what you have to stay, and even should you be the guardian herself, it changes nothing. The truth remains that an atrocious monster has attacked our settlement ¨C and you¡¯ve not only brought the monster here, but protected him so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After observing Aymeia¡¯s guilt-ridden expression for a moment longer, Orkaan then turned to Ilias and Light. ¡°And while I am thankful to those who chose to fight our people, the misfortune that befell us only occurred due to your arrival. Hence, I must ask you lot to leave.¡± Urgus¡¯ expression grew steadily worse as his elder brother continued to speak. And after the final remark, the chief warrior burst to anger. ¡°You overstep, brother! You stand before Lady Aymeia and her companions. No Asardan has the right to decide where they can and cannot be.¡± Sighing, Orkaan glared at his brother with a despising look. ¡°I¡¯ve told you numerous times, Urgus ¨C a guardian who is but a burden to our people serves no purpose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was a mistake to appoint you chief; you¡¯re far too soft to serve as one. A leader ought to know what¡¯s best for their people.¡± ¡°And you stand to argue that their absence is in the best interest of Asarda?¡± ¡°I do indeed.¡± Orkaan¡¯s air of indifference only infuriated Urgus further and further ¨C and it wasn¡¯t just him growing furious at their attitude. Unable to listen to the brothers¡¯ quarrel any further, Ilias stepped in between them, glaring back at Orkaan just the same. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve had enough of you! Why do you think Raizel ended up like that in the first place?! She would¡¯ve been fine if she was in her proper form, but she stayed that way to protect all of you! After all that trouble, now you want us gone?!¡± ¡°A curious point to fault us for. Have we asked for your friend¡¯s protection?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°In battle, every warrior is responsible for their own survival. Using one¡¯s prowess to care for others is benevolence, but to do so at the expense of one¡¯s safety is nothing but arrogance.¡± Instead of a verbal response, Ilias¡¯ fist reflexively raised itself. Light hurriedly tried to stop her sister. But the cat half was much too slow, and far too weak to stop a dragon. Thankfully for Orkaan, Serenis stepped in between the two: Ilias¡¯ fist struck the dragonlord¡¯s raised palm with an audible thud, but without any further repercussions. ¡°Settle down, child. Even the tiniest of outbursts from you can still kill a human being.¡± What followed was a confused series of blinks from Ilias as she stared at her lord¡¯s eyes. ¡°Huh?? Lord¡­Serenis?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Blue eyes¡­it really is you! You¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ilias soon retreated her arm with a sorry expression, looking at her lord with evident relief. Meanwhile, Orkaan¡¯s cold stare had shifted from Ilias to the white dragon that had just interrupted them. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re the one that stopped Aymeia and the monster that was with her.¡± ¡°Yes? What of it?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph. I¡¯m afraid I must state the same to you then, outlander. I ask that you leave our settlement.¡± ¡°Well, I did happen to overhear, but¡­¡± After exchanging brief glances with Ilias and Light, Serenis let out a small snort before locking eyes with the helmed warrior. ¡°I understand that an outlander has terrorized your home. But it was another outlander that also saved your people, no? And was Aymeia not the deity your people have worshipped for so long?¡± ¡°Such truths make no difference. Your very presence here is an ill omen.¡± ¡°An ill omen? You refuse to believe in a living deity before your eyes, and yet you believe in omens?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all an excuse. You merely seek to do as you please.¡± ¡°¡­This is different. You lot are¡­¡± When Orkaan hesitated to finish his sentence, Serenis¡¯ lips curved into a demeaning grin. Soon after, she volunteered to finish the sentence for the helmed warrior. ¡°Not human.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it¡¯s quite understandable that you feel the need to push us away; I imagine having us at your side is no different from living with potential for another disaster. But if you truly wish to serve as your people¡¯s leader, then you should know better than to mask your fears beneath a guise of authority.¡± ¡°¡­You speak as if you¡¯ve experienced so.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s eyes briefly widened at the warrior¡¯s remark. But she soon closed her eyes, shaking her head in denial. ¡°¡­No, but I¡¯ve had the fortune of hearing it from someone else. And as Ilias has said, we must take our leave anyhow.¡± Hearing Serenis¡¯ last reply, Ilias abruptly remembered the events from last night. The youngling then hurriedly interrupted the conversation to gain her lord¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh, Lord Serenis! Um¡­!¡± ¡°Let it be, Ilias. I¡¯d imagine we¡¯re beings far beyond their understanding; it¡¯s foolish of us to want for their sympathy. Even if we have to return for Karas at a later date¡­for now, we should return to the nest for Raizel¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°No no, I¡¯ll take Raizel back! Uh, you need to stay and go after the Reaper!¡± ¡°?...I¡¯d imagine so, yes. But why the hurry?¡± ¡°Um, uh¡­the Reaper¡¯s taken Raizel¡¯s soul from her, so¡­if we don¡¯t get it back, she¡¯s no different from being dead, and¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, um¡­healing her physical body is important, but if we don¡¯t get her back soon, her soul might be extinguished¡­¡± Serenis¡¯ eyes narrowed further and further as the youngling rambled on. And soon, the growing curiosity forced her to ask back: ¡°¡­And who exactly told you all this?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°The Reaper¡¯s taken Raizel¡¯s soul? Who told you such things?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­um¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sighing, Light protectively stepped forward in front of Ilias, shrugging at the dragonlord before her. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°¡­Light? You did?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know why, but I think I¡¯m starting to see souls too, and Raizel doesn¡¯t have one right now. Maybe I spent too much time with the professor.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­quite sudden.¡± Biting her lips softly, Light¡¯s gaze fell to the floor as she continued her story. ¡°Ilias needs to take Raizel to get her treated, but I can still go with you. I know I¡¯m not much help, but if I¡¯m there, we could at least get Raizel back¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, she was lying. Light had never been able to see souls, much less interact with them directly like her professor could. The closest she¡¯d gotten were seeing the horde of phantoms Karas had summoned, and that was only because the professor had explicitly made them visible to the naked eye. ¡®¡­But I have to go.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just to give chase to the Reaper; no, the person she was chasing was the monster he¡¯d possessed. If Karas had wanted her dead, he could¡¯ve done so thousands of times over the years. ¡®So that can¡¯t be it¡­it can¡¯t be.¡¯ In their next meeting, she¡¯d confront her professor about what all the fuss was about ¨C even if she has to beat the truth out of him. ¡­And having Serenis at her side would go a long way in making that happen. Ep 156. I’ve Been Here Before. (2) Ep 156. I¡¯ve Been Here Before. (2) It was another uneventful day at the Dragon¡¯s Valley. In fact, almost every day was an uneventful day; hardly anything happened except the occasional explorers who were lost, or too brave, or too reckless. But recently, it¡¯s been one event after another. They¡¯d had the strangest visitor to bring them to heel and declare themselves king; her family had ventured into the kin¡¯s forbidden grounds, and she¡¯d nearly (and unintentionally) poisoned said king. The entire brood had been summoned to the northern continent, only to return with brethren they¡¯d thought lost for good. ¡°¡­¡± From the insides of her nest, Aether glanced towards a peculiar, unmoving door. Once upon a time, it¡¯d housed two younglings who¡¯d bicker and fight nearly every morning ¨C but it¡¯d grown quieter and quieter as the two spent more time outside than at home. Aether and Bruton had repaired the room at least hundreds of times, but it¡¯d been years since they¡¯d last had to tinker with its make. With her gaze fixed on the door, Aether called out to her husband by the dining table. ¡°Bruton? Where do you think they are right now?¡± ¡°Hm? Eline said she was taking Theo to look for more of those wriggly plants.¡± ¡°Not them. I mean¡­Ilias and Raizel. Even Serenis.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure about the other two, but Ilias would be back in that human town, no? You talk as if she¡¯d have gone elsewhere.¡± ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t think she did?¡± When Bruton¡¯s hesitant remark was met by his wife¡¯s disapproving gaze, he scratched his head, shrugging in resignation. ¡°Well¡­the lord did promise she¡¯d send Ilias back home¡­¡± Aether quietly snickered at the lack of confidence in Bruton¡¯s voice. At least one of the two knew how unplausible that was. ¡°You didn¡¯t seriously believe that, did you?¡± ¡°I mean¡­it¡¯s a king¡¯s oath.¡± ¡°That¡¯d mean something if Serenis was one of those kings from the picture books Ilias brought home.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bruton¡¯s eyes quietly avoided Aether¡¯s teasing gaze. He¡¯d never admitted to reading human books, but¡­sometimes, he didn¡¯t really need to admit things for Aether to know. Bruton¡¯s expression stiffened as he placed his chin against his fist. ¡°So what? You¡¯re saying she took Ilias with her?¡± ¡°Serenis would¡¯ve done what Ilias wanted to do.¡± ¡°¡­So she took Ilias with her.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. An exasperated sigh escaped the elder dragon¡¯s lips. Even though Aether seemed to remain nonchalant, Bruton¡¯s mind was becoming muddled with worry. ¡°Guess we should¡¯ve brought Ilias with us back then¡­¡± ¡°Oh please, it¡¯s not like she went overseas. We say northern continent, but it¡¯s only a few hours of flight away.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you being too permissive? The kin do not leave the valley. This has been our standing law for ages.¡± ¡°Says the one who took both of them to the forbidden grounds.¡± ¡°That was¡­beyond my control¡­¡± ¡°Pfft, sure. If you really wanted to preach that law, you should¡¯ve tied them both down here. But you didn¡¯t, did you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For decades, Raizel has gone wherever she¡¯d fancied ¨C the steel dragon never went too far out from the valley, but she was definitely not home very often. Ilias¡¯ case was worse. The red dragon had gone out way further than her friend; she¡¯d flown to almost every corner of the Waylan continent, and even settled down for a handful of years within a human city. Beaming a soft grin, Aether came to sit by her partner¡¯s side. ¡°Remember when they went out of the valley for the first time?¡± ¡°¡­When they snuck out together? Of course I remember. They were still tiny. You were worried sick.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­I was. Even when they came home safe and sound, I scolded them for hours¡­like they¡¯d done something wrong. But after Serenis appeared, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Thinking what?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we leave the valley?¡± Bruton blinked in confusion, wondering if he¡¯d misheard his wife. He¡¯d heard the question hundreds of times from hatchlings ¨C every elder had, and they¡¯d all answer in similar manners. But this was the first time Bruton had heard the question being asked by another elder ¨C his wife, no less. Clearing his throat, the dragon calmly began to answer. ¡°You know just as well as I do. The elders sued to warn us all the time. They said¡­¡± ¡°That ill fate would befall those who left the valley.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. That.¡± ¡°So no dragon should ever leave the nest unless absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°¡­Exactly. We were all raised like that.¡± The couple each brooded over the kin¡¯s ancient wisdom. Truth be told, neither of them had truly believed in those words. They¡¯d preached it like some unbreakable law, but the truth remained that both of them had let Ilias and Raizel roam free throughout their childhood. Case in point, staying at the valley hadn¡¯t done them any favors. The empire¡¯s invasion had made that point all too well. Minutes after, Aether carefully parted her lips. ¡°Maybe our elders weren¡¯t as wise as we thought. I mean¡­look at us. We¡¯re the elders now, and we still don¡¯t know what they were warning us against.¡± ¡°¡­True.¡± ¡°And besides, both of them always managed to come home. The most dangerous thing either of them saw outside were each other.¡± ¡°¡­Haha. Also true.¡± ¡°And Serenis even found our lost families for us. That never could¡¯ve happened if she stayed in the valley like we did.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, maybe we should-¡° Before Aether could continue any further, her nest¡¯s front door was torn open ¨C quite literally, as the piece of wood fell limp onto the floor, trampled beneath a single, giant claw. Realizing her mistake, the youngling outside hurriedly reduced her form to step through the fallen door. ¡°Mom! Dad!¡± Standing beyond the fallen door was their ever-so-familiar daughter. And slump over her shoulders was their other foster child who, strangely enough, seemed somehow smaller than before. ¡°¡­Ilias? Raizel?¡± Panting heavy breaths, Ilias raised her wary gaze to meet her parents¡¯. But instead of exchanging pleasantries or greetings as usual, she instead began their meeting with a question. ¡°Where¡¯s¡­where¡¯s Eline?¡± Both elders squinted their eyes at their daughter¡¯s seemingly rushed tone. They first looked at each other, though Bruton soon turned back to answer his daughter. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Eline, she¡¯s out with Theolus. She said she¡¯d be looking for some strange herbs or something¡­¡± ¡°Herbs? Where?¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± ¡°Actually, stupid question, she can¡¯t fly. I know where she¡¯ll be. Thanks, dad!¡± ¡°Wait! What happened to-¡° Even as Bruton hurriedly called out to stop his daughter, Ilias was out the door in moments, still carrying Raizel in tow as she took off into the air. He¡¯d expected her to at least put the steel dragon down, but when even that didn¡¯t happen, the elder¡¯s frown deepened further and further. ¡°What in the world¡­? She could¡¯ve at least said hello.¡± But while Bruton crossed his arms grumbling, Aether hurried to her feet, wrapping an arm around her partner¡¯s waist to pull him along. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go after her!¡± ¡°¡­After her? Why?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Raizel?!¡± ¡°¡­Over her shoulders? Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Oh, for the love of¡­just come!¡± As Aether dragged Bruton along with brute force, her eyes remained fixed on the red speck in the distance. She quickly took flight to follow her daughter in the distance. ¡­As well as Raizel, who she could swear was scarred and mutilated. Ep 157. I’ve Been Here Before. (3) Ep 157. I¡¯ve Been Here Before. (3) Aymeia¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the glimmering white scales beneath her feet. Truthfully, the former deity was already far too busy shivering from the freezing winds rushing past her ¨C so much that she had no mind to even examine the dragonlord¡¯s proper form. After an entire millennium, she¡¯d somehow returned to her human self with only a simple cloak wrapped around her. And accompanying that return was a gradual realization of just how harsh Asarda¡¯s climate was. It certainly didn¡¯t help that they were flying further North. The winds had grown at least twice as cold and sharp compared to how they were in Chell. It also didn¡¯t help that Light¡¯s cold gaze had been fixed on her for the last half an hour¡­which Aymeia was avoiding like her life depended on it. ¡°¡­¡± Feeling the former deity¡¯s jittering vibration above her back, the dragonlord glanced towards the two riding on her back. ¡°The winds have grown cold. Are you two alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Even as Light answered, both hers and Serenis¡¯ gazes remained fixed on the much-lighter-clothed former deity. And through her clattering teeth, Aymeia forced herself to look up to nod her head. ¡°A¡­a, a, I¡¯m¡­f, f, fineee¡­.too¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Serenis soon turned away from the two to face forward once more. But simultaneously, a small ember came to life in front of the shivering girl to provide her with a much-needed warmth. ¡°O, oh¡­t¡­t, t, thank¡­you¡­¡± Who would believe that this girl, just a day earlier, was spewing flames left and right? Instead of answering, the dragonlord merely let out a small snort. She was simply glad that all the shaking on her back was lessening. But as Aymeia indulged in the newfound warmth, she looked up once more to face the dragon flying her. ¡°Um¡­dragonlord?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Why are you¡­being so¡­lenient?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have found it so odd if you were out to kill me instead. The red dragon you were with¡­Light¡­and even the Asardans don¡¯t seem fond of me anymore¡­¡± ¡°I need your guidance to follow Felicir. I do not know where this ¡®temple¡¯ is that he speaks of.¡± ¡°¡­Even then, it feels like you¡¯re being too lenient. I¡­hurt your kin¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Would you prefer I be callous and cruel, then?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Well¡­no, but¡­I mean¡­¡± As Aymeia trailed off in hesitation, Serenis let out another amused snort before answering the former deity again. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry?¡± Aymeia narrowed her eyes, wondering if she¡¯d misheard the dragonlord¡¯s rumbling voice. But she¡¯d soon realize that what she¡¯d heard was, in fact, true. ¡°When possessed by powers beyond one¡¯s control, it is only natural that they lose themselves in delirium. Raizel was merely caught in yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I can tolerate your presence, for I know that the fault lies elsewhere. And I¡¯d wager that Light feels the same way.¡± Hearing Serenis¡¯ explanation, Aymeia finally mustered the courage to meet the cat half¡¯s gaze. And unlike what she¡¯d expected, she could glean a mix of emotions from Light¡¯s eyes: hate, unease¡­and to an extent, even sympathy. ¡®The dragonlord I can understand, but¡­even this little girl is thinking that far?¡¯ As they locked eyes, Light slowly opened her lips to clear the evident confusion in the former deity¡¯s gaze. ¡°My family¡­went through something similar.¡± ¡°Your family?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. The siblings I grew up with.¡± Ilias was nothing short of a sibling to Light. But even before the red dragon, she¡¯d had dozens of other animals that she¡¯d consider siblings. When Eisenhoff had reappeared in her life, both Ilias and Serenis had been there to accompany Light to his lab. But without the two dragons, there was no telling what may have happened. If Light had been alone, there was little doubt that the doctor and his rage-driven halves would¡¯ve attacked her. She may have wound up as the doctor¡¯s subject again, or worse, dead. Even though her siblings were perfectly capable of recognizing Light in their right mind¡­because there was someone to facilitate their madness, they¡¯d little choice but to turn from friend to foe. ¡®It wasn¡¯t them. It was the doctor making them that way¡­¡¯ And in that sense, this case was no different. Aymeia had harmed Raizel with flames beyond her control. The individual who made it possible in the first place was someone else entirely. The blame lied in the wielder, not the instrument. ¡°¡­¡± The absolute worst of the Twelve: the deity that had single-handedly robbed Light of her home, her parents, even her teachers and friends. And now, said deity was threatening to rob her of her only mentor. ¡®¡­Never again.¡¯ Just as Light internally swore to make the Reaper regret returning to life to haunt them, Serenis¡¯ eyes made out the faint, dark silhouette in the distance. ¡°Aymeia.¡± ¡°Huh? Uh, yes!¡± At the dragonlord¡¯s behest, Aymeia crawled forth a few steps, peeking over the dragonlord¡¯s shoulder to the ground beneath them. When her eyes also confirmed the cavern beneath, she nodded her head affirmatively. ¡°¡­That¡¯s it. It may not look like it, but¡­¡± Aymeia bit her lips in hesitation. She hadn¡¯t been outside for so long; in fact, she could scarce recall ever coming out in the first place. What she remembered was a grandiose marble structure, adorned in decorations of gold and silver. The interior had been brimming with life, filled with beds of flowers and people: she¡¯d long lost count of just how many people commented that the Star¡¯s temple looked like it should belong to the deities of life or land. Alas, now it was nothing more than a lightless tunnel, coated in layers of deep-blue ice. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the entrance to my temple.¡± ? ? ? Felicir beamed a wide grin at the subtle noise. The entire chamber lightly trembled. Waves of dust shook itself off from the ceiling, scattering onto the floors. The trembling would soon come to a cease, but he could nonetheless feel the looming presence above the ground. ¡°It seems she¡¯s arrived. Didn¡¯t take her very long, did it?¡± Hissssssss! ¡°Haha!¡± Grinning, the Reaper reached out with Karas¡¯ clawed hand, pricking at the spider¡¯s furry leg. He casually lifted it upwards, staring into its array of eyes. ¡°Not so big and strong anymore, are we?¡± Instead of a verbal response, the spider pointed its rear at the Reaper. Then, it proceeded to shoot out a string of webs onto Felicir¡¯s face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Felicir forced himself to maintain his grin, though it became crooked with evident hints of annoyance. He tossed the spider sideways, letting it hit the wall on the far side before dropping down to the ground. The spider lightly chirped in pain as it plopped onto the chamber floors. Its legs wriggled about, trying to lift itself back unto its feet. And the Reaper mockingly watched the display. ¡°My, did that hurt? Look on the bright side, you¡¯re not dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How does it feel to be on the other side? You could squash a man underfoot before, but now, a man could squash YOU underfoot. Wouldn¡¯t it be ironic if your precious lord accidentally stepped on you?¡± He¡¯d never let it happen, of course. At least not until he makes his case to the Historian. Though, after that, Felicir couldn¡¯t care less what happened to the annoying youngling. Ep 158. I’ve Been Here Before. (4) Ep 158. I¡¯ve Been Here Before. (4) Light internally grumbled as she trailed after the structure¡¯s supposed owner. ¡®Temple? More like ruins.¡¯ The half¡¯s eyes darted from corner to corner, but no matter where she looked, varying shades of ice comprised most of her vision. The only exceptions were bits of chipped marble and rusted metals jutting out of the temple¡¯s frozen surfaces. The occasional metal holders on the sides hinted that the hallways were once lit with numerous torches, but not a single one was alit; if not for the rays of sunlight leaking through broken bits of the ceiling, they likely would¡¯ve been walking through the dark. Unlike Light however, the structure came as little surprise for the dragonlord. The surrounding landscape was hardly befitting of a temple, yes ¨C but she¡¯d already been to an extremely similar structure that was likewise a failure of its purpose. ¡®Vulka¡¯s grave was like this¡­¡¯ Bleak, frozen, and left to rot in an unremarkable location. Despite not being that far from civilization, both structures had been abandoned for centuries through the will of their owners. Though, the owner of this particular temple seemed to be quite regretful of their past choices. ¡°¡­Haah¡­¡± Aymeia clasped her hands in front of her mouth, breathing out a visible puff of warm air into her palms as she led the two behind her. If it hadn¡¯t been for the dragonlord¡¯s ember still tailing along at her side, she just may have wound up as a frozen treat for some passing predator. ¡­Or so Light thought. No matter how much she studied the former deity from head to toe, their changed features were still puzzling for the cat half. And soon enough, she turned to the only person that could answer her curiosity. ¡°Hey, Serenis?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How did you exactly turn her back? Is it like that time you turned everyone back at the doctor¡¯s lab?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the half¡¯s question, Serenis also fixed her gaze upon the leading human girl in front of them. Even from a mere glance, the disappearance of the orange hue in Aymeia¡¯s hair and the absence of their dragon horns were all too evident. ¡°At the time, it was only possible because your siblings were afflicted with my own mana.¡± ¡°What about this time then? I mean, it was you who turned her back, right?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not too certain myself.¡± Truth be told, Serenis had only meant to calm Aymeia¡¯s rampant flames. The former deity¡¯s return to their human self was not an intended outcome, nor an expected one. Serenis spared a brief glance at her heart, beaming a faint smile before raising her gaze again. ¡°¡­Perhaps he just wanted to come home.¡± ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s he?¡± ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± Even as Light grumbled at the dragonlord¡¯s amused expression, the half knew better than to press them for answers. Unlike her professor who often gave in when pressured to respond, questioning Serenis often just complicated things further. Instead, Light faced forward to call the group¡¯s leading figure. ¡°Aymeia, where exactly are we going?¡± Hearing the question, Aymeia glanced back at the half girl with narrowed, twitching eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­just gonna call me by name?¡± ¡°Why not? You¡¯re not even a deity anymore. I call Serenis by her name, and she¡¯s a dragonlord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After centuries of having commoners refer to her in higher titles, having a non-deity calling her by name was¡­jarring, to say the least. But then again, she couldn¡¯t really argue against the last statement. Not when Serenis was literally right there, and especially not after what she¡¯d done to Raizel. Sighing, Aymeia pointed forward towards the stretching hallway of ice.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°We can decide where to go once we¡¯re fully inside. We¡¯re almost through the entrance halls.¡± ¡°We¡¯re STILL only at the entrance? But we¡¯ve been walking for like, half an hour?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a big temple. We¡¯re almost there.¡± ¡°Meh¡­¡± Light pursed her lips, taking in the surrounding scenery once more. So far, the entire place had just looked like a large, abandoned ice cave ¨C the sort that barbarians might¡¯ve lived in centuries ago. But her opinion quickly shifted as Aymeia¡¯s steps came to a halt. The frozen hallway came to an abrupt end, opening into a much, much larger clearing. The walls and floor were still coated with sheets of ice, but the frozen surfaces were noticeably thinner, making the architecture much more visible. Marbled pillars circled around the large sanctum. Beneath the thin layers of ice were intricately designed shapes woven into the stone surface, clearly of ancient design. And on the other side of the sanctum were three towering gates, each one adorned in what seemed to be gold-encrusted depictions of the night sky¡¯s constellations. A marble pediment rested upon each one, with a large gem embedded into their centre. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Serenis was first to step forward to properly take in the sanctum¡¯s design. Compared to structures of worship humans had built during her own time, this one far surpassed them in scale ¨C though perhaps it was only natural, given that there weren¡¯t any behemoths or griffins to reduce them to dust. After all, civilization in general had vastly improved. However, the dragonlord was the only one who seemed to be amazed by mankind¡¯s improvement. ¡°And I thought it¡¯d be warmer inside¡­blegh.¡± Unlike her, Light didn¡¯t seem all too surprised by the temple¡¯s design or scale ¨C only at how cold and unattended the entire structure was. Serenis turned her attention towards the complaining half, noting how much standards had changed over the years. ¡°Seems this isn¡¯t your first time visiting a deity¡¯s temple, Light.¡± ¡°Eh? Of course not. We used to see one all the time, remember?¡± ¡°¡­We did?¡± ¡°Yeah. The Mage Association? In Partivine?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis and Light stared at each other in confusion. But after a few brief seconds, the half quickly realized where the misunderstanding was. ¡°Wait, did no one tell you? The Mage Association is a temple too.¡± ¡°¡­A temple? I thought its purpose was to oversee users of magic?¡± ¡°It does that now, yeah. But it only ended up that way because a lot of mages go there. It¡¯s always been the Magician¡¯s temple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a few seconds, Serenis pondered on the implications of the association being an actual temple. For one, it was far more modern-looking than Aymeia¡¯s; far more functional too, considering that it served as a workplace for dozens, or perhaps hundreds of people. Resultantly, the place was always well-maintained and saw tons of traffic on a daily basis. But most importantly, it implied that Iris¡¯ workplace was, in fact, her own place of worship. ¡®Perhaps I¡¯m just behind the times¡­?¡¯ Although it was amusing to think about, Serenis quickly discarded the train of thought; she could come back to it once they were back in Partivine. For now, she instead turned to Aymeia, returning the conversation back to the purpose of their visit. ¡°I suppose the Reaper would be behind one of these gates then?¡± ¡°Pro¡­bably, yes. But I¡¯m not sure where Lord Felicir would exactly be at¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Light crossed her arms at the reply ¨C firstly because she didn¡¯t like how Aymeia was referring to the stupid deity, and secondly because she didn¡¯t like the answer in general. ¡°Hey Serenis, weren¡¯t you able to sense mana? Can¡¯t you like, scope him out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried a number of times already, but I haven¡¯t been able to sense Karas¡¯ mana anywhere near. If he is indeed here, then I suppose he¡¯s hiding himself.¡± ¡°¡­What do we do, then? Should we guess?¡± Instead of delivering the answer to Light, Serenis faced Aymeia as she made her response. ¡°The temple must provide some sort of advantage that would tip the scales in the Reaper¡¯s favor; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to invite me as such. Doubtless he would¡¯ve devised a trap of sorts. Is there a location that could serve as one?¡± ¡®¡­A trap¡­¡¯ Aymeia glanced between the dragonlord and the three gates before them. After pondering over what could possibly tip the scales between Serenis and Felicir, her gaze fell to the floor, fixed onto the inner circle at the sanctum¡¯s center. ¡°Then¡­he must be¡­¡± ¡°Seems like you do have an idea of where he may be.¡± ¡°¡­I do, but¡­¡± Once again, the former deity trailed off in evident hesitation. Truth be told, she didn¡¯t even want to lead them in here: although she was well aware of what Felicir had done at this point, she still felt reluctant to bring the Reaper his own doom. Aymeia was his student, and bringing the dragonlord to him felt nothing short of betrayal. After all, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what would happen should the Reaper confront Serenis again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ironically, Serenis didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the prolonged silence. Not on the outside, anyways. But it was the last straw to make Light snap. ¡°¡­You know what, that¡¯s enough. We need to get something sorted out here.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± While the former deity stood frozen in place, Light stomped her way towards them, gripping both their shoulders as if to shake them awake. ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, you¡¯ve been a deity for a thousand years! Wake up!¡± ¡°Huh?...Huh??¡± ¡°Every single time! Like, make up your mind already! How are you THIS spineless? You¡¯re Asarda¡¯s guardian! You saw how many people he killed, and you still want to protect him? What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± ¡°¡­But, he¡¯s¡­my teacher¡­¡± ¡°Teacher? That guy is your teacher?¡± ¡°In¡­in the past, he was the country¡¯s only court mage! Being his student was an unimaginable honor, and I was lucky enough to be one of them. So, as his student, it¡¯s¡­only right that I respect him, and¡­¡± ¡°Are you stupid? Why the heck would you respect a teacher who doesn¡¯t give a crap about their student?¡± ¡°It, it¡¯s not stupid! As a student, it¡¯s only right that I treat those willing to impart their knowledge with trust and respect. I-¡° ¡°Teachers don¡¯t experiment on their students.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Or manipulate their students.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or kill everyone important to their students.¡± Light let out a hollow laughter. Her hands lost their hold on Aymeia¡¯s shoulders, eyes dropping onto the floor. ¡°A person like that doesn¡¯t deserve to be your teacher. If he was really your teacher, then at the very least, he¡¯d never take advantage of you.¡± At this point, Light couldn¡¯t tell if she was speaking to Aymeia, or to her own reflection in the temple¡¯s frozen floor. ¡®I¡¯m sure you had your reasons too, professor. But¡­¡¯ The Karas she knew wouldn¡¯t even throw a stick her way, much less kill her. So, surely, he¡¯d have a good reason for attacking her. One that even she could understand. ¡®¡­But I need to hear it from your own mouth. I¡¯m not going to believe a single thing that came out of that stupid Reaper.¡¯ Forcing herself to raise her head, Light stared into Aymeia¡¯s eyes with a pleading look. ¡°¡­Get it together already. Why would you protect someone who treats you like dirt?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really Asarda¡¯s guardian, then¡­act like one.¡± Ep 159. I’ve Been Here Before. (5) Ep 159. I¡¯ve Been Here Before. (5) When Aymeia¡¯s hesitant lips finally began to speak, the tales that followed were nothing short of shocking. Archive, Historian. And the underground gate that connected the Archive to Aymeia¡¯s temple. None of it were anything the dragonlord had quite expected to hear. ¡®Record storage¡­Archive.¡¯ A divine realm that couldn¡¯t be reached by normal means, and an area that served as the living embodiment of the star¡¯s history. But as far as Serenis was concerned, no such location existed during the First¡¯s rule. And she failed to see how such a space could serve as a ¡®trap¡¯ in of itself. ¡°¡­¡± A small sigh escaped the dragonlord as she treaded down the dark stairwell. Her eyes naturally drifted towards the figure in lead. Aymeia was still leading the way, with Serenis¡¯ flame accompanying the former deity at her side like a floating torch. But unlike before, her steps were noticeably bolder than they were an hour ago: ever since Light¡¯s outburst, she¡¯d been all too eager to tell them everything there was about her temple, as well as the space beyond it. After making a brief note of the satisfied expression on Light, Serenis looked to the tale¡¯s source for clarification. ¡°As I hear it, the Reaper¡¯s goal isn¡¯t so much to lure us¡­but to seek aid from another deity?¡± ¡°¡­Mhm.¡± Aymeia softly bit her lips, She was nodding her head, but her expression was ridden with uncertainty. ¡°That would be my guess, at least. I don¡¯t think any cursory trap would pose a threat to you. But the Historian¡¯s always been considered Felicir¡¯s equal even during his time as a Reaper, so¡­¡± ¡°An equal? With death?¡± As far as Serenis was concerned, no other divinity came even remotely close to death¡¯s standing. ¡®¡­Force? No, that cannot be it, force has already been dealt with. But what else could it be? Creation? Sky?¡¯ Noting the dragonlord¡¯s evident confusion, Aymeia gave a small shrug towards her. ¡°¡­Believe me, if I knew what the Historian¡¯s divinity was, I¡¯d tell you. The only people that know it are probably Felicir and the Historian himself¡­and both of them kept it a secret to others. I just know they were wary of each other.¡± For a moment, faint disappointment drew across the dragonlord¡¯s expression. If even a former deity didn¡¯t know the answer, then there was little chance she¡¯d find it elsewhere. So instead, Serenis discarded the topic to turn to a new one. ¡°Then, why is it that the Reaper lured us into your temple? Rather than bringing us to this Historian, it seems far safer to bring the Historian to us.¡± ¡°You see, about that¡­¡± A brief pause ensued as Aymeia recalled the Archive¡¯s entrance requirements.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. She¡¯d been wondering the exact same thing as Serenis: it didn¡¯t make sense for Felicir to risk bringing the dragonlord here. The far safer option was to seek out the Historian on his own, then bringing them to Serenis instead. Unless¡­ ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think he can open the gate anymore.¡± ¡°? How come?¡± ¡°The gate only responds if a member of the Twelve is present. But since he¡¯s not the Reaper anymore, I¡¯m¡­guessing he can¡¯t open the Archive¡¯s gate himself.¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± Serenis mulled over the implications of the gate¡¯s description. Karas wasn¡¯t a deity, and the Reaper had lost his divinity. It was only natural that they wouldn¡¯t be recognized as a member of the Twelve. In fact, the only divinity that remained in Astellion, was¡­ ¡®¡­The one I possess.¡¯ A long sigh escaped the dragonlord¡¯s lips as she drew her conclusion. ¡°In other words¡­he¡¯s seeking to open this gate through bringing me to it.¡± ¡°¡­I think so.¡± ¡°And this gate supposedly opens as soon as a divinity is nearby? Perhaps it¡¯s already opened then?¡± ¡°Uh, no, we do have to be in the gate chamber. It¡¯s a long way there, and¡­there¡¯s also a gatekeeper in that chamber.¡± ¡°¡­A gatekeeper?¡± ¡°Mhm. Being my temple, I should¡¯ve been the one devising a way to guard the gate, but¡­as you know, I wasn¡¯t really capable of wielding divinity. So¡­Letherien built one for me instead.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s another one of you, I¡¯m assuming?¡± ¡°Mhm. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Aymeia¡¯s steps finally came to a halt as the stairwell came to an end. She gestured forward as Serenis and Light also came down the last few steps to behold the architecture before them. That is, an unremarkable array of grey walls were laid out in a haphazard manner before them, rendering the path forward a confusing mess. ¡°¡­There¡¯s a maze like this.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Serenis stepped forward to brush her hand against the wall¡¯s make. Despite their bleak-looking texture, she could sense that they weren¡¯t of any normal make; it certainly wasn¡¯t any regular material. Light likewise stepped forward, glancing from side to side at the myriad of twisting, diverging paths before them. ¡°That one I¡¯ve heard of. Deity of Creation, right?¡± As Aymeia nodded her head, Serenis¡¯ hand left the wall with an amused expression. ¡°Creation¡­then I suppose a maze like this could be built with ease.¡± The dragonlord¡¯s gaze then fell back towards Aymeia ¨C who, much to her dismay, was fidgeting uncomfortably instead of leading them forward. ¡°So? Do you know the way forward then?¡± ¡°Um¡­well¡­¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know the structure of your own temple?¡± ¡°I used to! I¡­I used to. I just, I haven¡¯t been here for so long¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It, it¡¯s been centuries¡­and it¡¯s really complicated¡­I¡¯m trying to remember, but I¡¯m drawing a blank¡­¡± Serenis shook her head. She drew another resolute sigh at the former deity¡¯s reply. ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Soon, Serenis gently laid her hand on Light¡¯s shoulders to push her back a few steps. She likewise gestured towards Aymeia for her to do the same. Afterwards, the dragonlord put her hand against the grey walls once more ¨C this time with an ample amount of prismatic lights leaking out of her palm. Aymeia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she realized what the dragonlord was about to do. ¡°Wait, are you trying to destroy the maze? Letherien¡¯s creations are indestructible-¡° Szzzzt! A sharp hissing noise filled the temple¡¯s undergrounds as Serenis¡¯ magic flowed into the maze¡¯s walls. Soon, a blinding light briefly flooded the maze, swallowing the grey whole. ¡°¡­¡± It barely took a minute for the prismatic lights to die out. The dragonlord lowered her hand. She then turned back towards Aymeia, gesturing towards the massive, emptied area before her ¨C where not a single trace of the maze¡¯s walls remained. ¡°Indestructible? And to think you once held the Star¡¯s divinity¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As a general rule of thumb, Letherien¡¯s creations were, in fact, indestructible. Most of the time. Shaking her head, Serenis then gestured towards the open space before them. ¡°Surely you can guide us through an open hall?¡± ¡°Y¡­yes, of¡­course¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± Serenis fixed her gaze forward once more. Although she couldn¡¯t make out much through the darkness, she could now faintly sense an ever-so-familiar presence up ahead. ¡°Let us go, then. It seems the Reaper¡¯s eagerly awaiting our arrival.¡± Aymeia emptily nodded her head, taking the lead once again as she walked forward. Light also joined Serenis at her side once more, though unlike the former deity, she hardly seemed surprised by the dragonlord¡¯s antics. She merely shrugged at Serenis with a sheepish grin, to which Serenis beamed back at. And soon enough, the two began to trail after Aymeia once more. ¡®Reaper¡­Archive¡­Historian.¡¯ Even if this was some intricate trap, it mattered little to the dragonlord. If another deity indeed lied in wait in the beyond, then it was an obstacle she¡¯d have to face sooner or later. Raizel was waiting for her as well. And, most importantly¡­ ¡®Archive¡­if I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s¡­¡¯ Ep 160. I’ve Been Here Before. (6) Ep 160. I¡¯ve Been Here Before. (6) ¡®¡­Didn¡¯t this place take like, at least two hours to get through?¡¯ Aymeia bleakly thought to herself as she walked through the empty hall that was once filled with numerous twisting walls. Considering all the devices Letherien had devised to complicate the maze on certain turns, an oblivious thief may just as well end up a skeleton within the intricate structure. But for the first time since the temple was built, Aymeia had taken less than ten minutes to reach the maze¡¯s end. Though, to be fair, the maze itself was quite literally erased from existence during the first minute. ¡°Well¡­here we are.¡± Finally coming to a halt before the doorway to the final chamber, Aymeia glanced downwards. The lock and chains that should¡¯ve been firmly bound around the handles were on the floor, shattered and lying in pieces. Serenis likewise made note of the breakage. But unlike Aymeia, it didn¡¯t take the dragonlord long to walk past the former deity, holding a firm grip on the chamber¡¯s entrance. Then, with a firm push, the chamber¡¯s door creaked open. ¡°¡­¡± Frankly, the chamber¡¯s interior was nothing like the rest of the temple. It was hardly as grand in scale, and its black obsidian walls were hardly comparable to the marbled architecture they¡¯d seen above. The runes and drawings engraved unto the walls were likewise nothing luxurious; rather, they seemed like they¡¯d belong on a chapter of an old history book. Of course, none of them concerned the dragonlord. Serenis¡¯ eyes simply darted left and right, trying to pinpoint the ominous presence that was nearby. But no matter how hard she looked, the Reaper¡¯s physical self was nowhere to be seen, his mana a mere hazy shade. ¡®Has he already¡­?¡¯ Soon, Serenis¡¯ eyes focused on the opposing side of the chamber. Although it wasn¡¯t the Reaper, a peculiar obsidian statue rested on the opposite side: a lone warrior standing firmly, hands resting on the hilt of a massive greatsword buried within the chamber¡¯s floor. Behind it was another gate, firmly closed and seemingly being guarded by the statue itself. ¡°I suppose the Archive¡¯s beyond those gates, then.¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. You should be fine, but¡­if you go too close without explaining you¡¯re a deity, the statue will attack you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the former deity¡¯s reply from behind her, Serenis studied the statue from head to toe. From what Aymeia had said earlier, it seemed reasonable to think that this sculpt was the gatekeeper itself. But if that were to be true, and if Felicir had indeed gone past it and into the Archive already, then the statue should¡¯ve been broken and shattered like the lock outside. ¡®In other words, he must be nearby still. But where¡­¡¯ Screeeee!! ¡°¡­?¡± Serenis looked to the source of the sudden high-pitched noise at her feet. It didn¡¯t take long to spot the 8-legged critter that was at her feet, waving its two forearms in a frantic manner before the dragonlord. ¡°A spider¡­?¡± ¡°Eepl¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Just as Serenis made verbal note of the critter, Light immediately pranced back several steps, backing off into the chamber¡¯s corner. Even when the dragonlord locked eyes with her, the half was frantically shaking their head. A pair of disdainful eyes stared into Light¡¯s. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not afraid of deities, but you¡¯re afraid of spiders?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t being afraid. This is being disgusted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although Serenis had lots to say, she elected to keep her mouth shut on the matter. It was better Light stayed away in case there really was a trap of sorts laid out here, anyways. Soon, the dragonlord returned her gaze to the spider who was busily nibbling and pulling at her claws. ¡°Are you hungry? Still, perhaps you should find prey your size¡­¡± ¡°Screeeee! Screeeeeeeee!!¡± After just a few seconds, Serenis realized that the spider wasn¡¯t trying to eat her; it was trying to move her finger to point upwards. When she raised her eyes towards the direction the spider was gesturing, a pair of blue eyes was glowing from the chamber ceiling¡¯s obsidian surface. And soon, the eyes eerily curved into a smile; an equally eerie voice soon accompanied it. ¡°Xargon. Through my authority as the Reaper, I hereby request entrance to the Archive.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± As Felicir¡¯s voice filled the chamber, the unmoving sculpt showed an immediate response: its unlit eyes had suddenly obtained a greenish hue, the mass of stone seemingly stirring awake. ¡°Reaper¡­Felicir¡­confirming¡­¡± If the spider wasn¡¯t enough to freak Light out, a talking obsidian statue, was. ¡°What the heck, it talks?! Is it alive?¡± Before anyone could even answer the half, a series of rumbling noises filled the entire vicinity as Serenis raked at the ceiling where Felicir was. Bits of broken black stones crumbled unto the floor from the sudden impact. The Reaper likewise took physical form once more, forced out of the ceiling with two huge wounds across their arm. He quickly hid behind the obsidian warrior, giving off an empty laughter. ¡°Hasty, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­Reaper.¡± Before Serenis could continue, the statue fixed its grip on their weapon with a loud, grinding noise. Its glowing green eyes were locked onto the dragonlord¡¯s moving figure. ¡°Identity¡­mismatch¡­warning. Intruders will be executed. Leave at once!¡± Serenis kicked her tongue, shaking her head in dismay. ¡°¡­Even a talking piece of stone thinks it can best me now.¡± Raising one hand into the air, rings of shimmering starlight formed around a prismatic orb, levitating above the dragonlord¡¯s palm. Her eyes remained locked onto the statue, and the gate that was behind it. ¡°Dragonlord, wait! The sculpt is-¡° ¡°Indestructible?¡± Aymeia trailed off the dragonlord¡¯s familiar choice of words. ¡®¡­Oh yeah¡­that didn¡¯t matter to her.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the Archive Serenis had come here for; the main goal was retrieving Raizel¡¯s lost soul. She was curious about what lied in the beyond, but not enough to tolerate the Reaper¡¯s existence and jeopardize her kin¡¯s safety. So instead, she raised the glowing orb. The condensed mass of mana began to sizzle and churn, as if ready to explore in any second. ¡°Disappear, Felicir. You, the keeper, the beyond¡­everything.¡± A massive white pillar erupted sideways from Serenis¡¯ hand, engulfing the entire room before her. The sculpt fixed its grip on its blade, only for the obsidian to dissipate like ice exposed to fire. The flood of starlight consumed its body entirely, as well as the Reaper and the gate that lied beyond him in bellowing smoke. But in the nick of time, Felicir¡¯s shadowy hand shot out from the unsettled dust, snatching the spider away from the dragonlord before pacing towards the destroyed remains of the formerly sealed gate. ¡°Ha¡­cough, cough¡­haha. Take it easy, will you, dragonlord? Thank to you, there¡¯s hardly a dozen souls left in this poor monster¡¯s possession to feed on. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Though, I¡¯m sure I could use yours as a meal for a good decare or two.¡± Serenis paid no mind to the Reapers¡¯ insults. Instead, she¡¯d caught, a peculiar sight had caught her gaze: beyond the gates her spell had just broken, she could see that the area beyond was much more spacious than the tiny chamber they were in. Shelves upon shelves of books were lined after another, even from the cursory look she could get from her current position. Turning abruptly, Felicir rapidly made his way to retreat depeer inside the opened gate. And there was no way the dragonlord would leave him to run. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± She leapt forward, claws pulled back and hissing in high-pitched echoes of clashing mana. Even as Felicir hurried to erect a barrier, both of them knew that it would provide little comfort against the dragonlord¡¯s incoming attack: one rake forward, and Karas¡¯ body would wind up as diced meat. Unfortunately, her claws came just short of reaching the fleeing Reaper, coming to a full stop midair inches away from his face. ¡°¡­?¡± Fortunately, the Reaper likewise froze in place, seemingly stuck in a position where he¡¯d be struck in any second. ¡°¡­!¡± Of course, neither could move even in a single inch closer or further. ¡®What just-¡® Both Serenis and Felicir tried their hardest to move their limbs, but to no avail. With the two coming to a full stop, only slow, quiet steps echoed throughout the odd space, growing louder and louder as they approached the two. ¡°Interesting. Guests that are keen on killing one another¡­¡± From behind one of the shelves emerged a lone figure. He made some final adjustments onto the book in his hand before closing and putting it aside. ¡°Dragonlord, Serenis.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Reaper, Felicir¡­and Monster of Mire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And aside from you two, we have Aymeia, who¡¯s lost her divinity¡­Light Torin¡­and¡­a large-turned-small critter.¡± Serenis couldn¡¯t even manage to move her eyes or blink. But even so, the marked entrance made it quite clear who the speaker was, even if she couldn¡¯t look at them properly. Ep 161. I’ve Been Here Before. (7) Ep 161. I¡¯ve Been Here Before. (7) ¡°Interesting.¡± Snap! Immediately following the sound of the speaker¡¯s snapping fingers, the Reaper¡¯s body regained its freedom as he stumbled backwards to their side. After rising to his feet to move away from the dragonlord¡¯s trajectory, Felicir sighed in relief, smirking towards the speaker thereafter. ¡°Well now, that was close.¡± ¡°¡­Reaper.¡± Acknowledging the possessed academic¡¯s identity without a single hint, the speaker¡¯s studious gaze scanned Felicir¡¯s newly acquired body from head to toe. ¡°How intriguing. I oft wondered if this day would come.¡± ¡°¡­Good to see you too, Zenon.¡± Despite the Reaper¡¯s sarcastic reply, the deity showed no visible reaction. He instead fixed his gaze onto the frozen dragonlord next ¨C and the two beyond the broken doorway of his Archive. He then made a brief bow before the dragon, proceeding to hold up a hand in a guarding manner. ¡°My apologies for the interruption, Serenis. I¡¯m afraid I must ask you to hold your hand within the Archive.¡± When he snapped his fingers next, Serenis regained her momentum, although her claws clashed against a seemingly invisible wall of nothing before her. She pushed off the hard surface and landed some distance behind, once again able to move her body to take in the surroundings. But the dragonlord remained on one knee as how she¡¯d landed. Her eyes emptily drifted from side to side, taking in the Archive¡¯s appearance. Befitting its name, the Archive was filled with rows of bookshelves, with the occasional antiques that seemed to decorate the stretching hallways. Although the space between each shelf was much too large, the immediate vicinity was quite similar to that of a library besides its spacious setup. However, they were not indoors ¨C they were on an endlessly stretching plain. Serenis could neither see nor sense the other end of this supposed Archive beyond the speaker. When she looked upwards, there were no suns or moons or stars, or even a single candle to provide any semblance of light ¨C and yet, the sky was painted completely in white. The area was perfectly illuminated as if there was some invisble sun above them, to which there was none. Beneath them was not a typical floor made of wood or stone ¨C or even soil, for that matter. As far as Serenis could tell, they were standing on nothing.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The ground beneath their feet was completely transparent. And further below the transparent floor, the dragonlord could make out puffs of white clouds, navigating their way through the blue, open skies. To the oblivious, the entire space may have been seen as nothing more than an intricate illusion: a playground that the Twelve had toyed with of their own accord. In fact, that¡¯s exactly whas was going through Light¡¯s head as she took in their surroundings. However, the dragonlord knew that this was natural for where they stood. This place has always been this way. ¡°Serenis!¡± When Serenis failed to rise back to her feet, Light rushed to her side to check on the dragonlord. The half lightly shook the dragon in an attempt to awake them. Alas, there was no need to shake anyone awake. Serenis was perfectly awake as is; she was merely dazed by the sight of the surrounding area. ¡°¡­Serenis? Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here before.¡± ¡°Huh? What??¡± ¡°I¡¯ve¡­been here before.¡± Light¡¯s hands slipped away from Serenis¡¯ shoulders as the dragonlord rose to her feet. However, her expression continued to remain dazed, as if she¡¯d forgotten what she¡¯d been doing mere moments ago. Her eyes were fixed on the boundless white sky. Her feet felt heavier than they ever had since her awakening, and her entire body felt drained and exhausted. Despite Light¡¯s worried voice, the world had fallen to a deathly silence for the dragonlord. All hallucinations: nothing was actually happening, nor were the deities doing anything at all. The Reaper continued to stand idly behind the Archive¡¯s resident, while the resident himself seemingly waited for Serenis to return to her senses. Ever since Aymeia had described the Archive as a realm beyond their own, Serenis had drawn a vague guess of what this supposed ¡®Archive¡¯ may be. A guess that she¡¯d wished would prove itself wrong and untrue. ¡°¡­¡± As the silence stretched on, Zenon¡¯s eyes likewise closed in brief reflection. He quietly called out to the dragonlord, looking to bring her back. ¡°Serenis. Your brethren are no longer here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is no longer the place you remember it to be. This is the Archive.¡± Finally, the dragonlord¡¯s skyward gaze lowered itself to meet the deity¡¯s. ¡°¡­So you know what it was, then.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Light and Aymeia stared at the two in confusion ¨C in fact, even the Reaper seemed confused. No one else seemed to understand what the two were referring to. But clearly, it was important ¨C enough to make the dragonlord forget that she¡¯d been chasing the Reaper for a few minutes. And, as much as Light wanted to run up to her professor and slap him awake, the act first required the Reaper to be dealt with: a task that she couldn¡¯t possibly complete on her own. With an apologetic expression, the half then pulled on the dragonlord¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Sorry, but¡­what¡¯s¡­going on? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°...¡± This time, Serenis did turn her eyes to meet Light¡¯s. But no answer came out of her. Instead, it was Zenon who¡¯d fill the silence. ¡°This isn¡¯t her first visit here. In the distant past, she¡¯d frequented this location ¨C and it¡¯d been called differently at the time.¡± Both Serenis and Light turned to face the speaking deity. One was evidently surprised at their knowledge, and somewhat curious to see just how much the deity seemed to know; the other simply wished to hear more. ¡°What does that even mean though? What was it before?¡± ¡°In the previous era ¨C a time before the Twelve ¨C the Archive served as home to a single divinity known as the First. This was their abode.¡± ¡°¡­And Serenis used to come here a lot?¡± ¡°Indeed. The Archive also served as the birthplace of all demonlords.¡± ¡°Serenis was born here?!¡± As Zenon filled the half with a piece of ancient history, Serenis remained silent throughout. Even as the speaker continued on, she didn¡¯t bother to interrupt or refute a single word of what was being said. ¡°That¡¯s correct. Or, as Serenis would call it¡­¡± The deity raised his gaze to lock eyes with the dragonlord¡¯s. He didn¡¯t seem particularly apologetic, but a pause nonetheless seemed appropriate to give room for interruption. When there was none, he finished the dialogue, just as indifferent as before. ¡°¡­The world¡¯s summit.¡± Ep 162. Plead Your Case. (1) Ep 162. Plead Your Case. (1) ¡°¡­I take it you¡¯re the Historian, then.¡± ¡°I am.¡± Serenis quietly masked her forlorn gaze beneath her palm. She wasn¡¯t sure what expression she was even making at this point, and she had no mind to find out. ¡®A thousand years¡­an entire millennium has passed.¡¯ The First no longer remained to safeguard his realm. Instead, it was a man of clear human origin ¨C the black of the Historian¡¯s hair was in stark contrast to the lifeless hue of the First¡¯s. Unlike the previous keeper who¡¯d hardly worn anything besides taintless white robes, the deity¡¯s attire was darker, decorated with gold-colored seams and belts. It wasn¡¯t surprising that the change in ownership would lead to a change in their residence. Despite the heaviness welling within, Serenis duly accepted the change. She was even glad that the realm was no longer the bloody mess she¡¯d seen it to be last. And still, the dragonlord¡¯s eyes helplessly wandered against her will, searching for even the slightest remains of what once had been. Noting the behavior once more ¨C quite literally this time, with quill and paper ¨C the Historian called out to the dazed dragon before him. ¡°It was not us who snuffed this realm of your brethren¡¯s remains.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At first, Serenis had thought the deity¡¯s colorless voice distasteful; foul, even. She¡¯d considered the Historian as just another obstacle that she¡¯d have to remove to reach the Reaper. But now, the same voice sounded more soothing than anything. Her wandering eyes once again found the speaker as the dragonlord gave her response. ¡°If¡­you know what¡¯s become of them, then¡­¡± As much as she wished to know the answer, Serenis couldn¡¯t help but feel reluctant to wish anything of the Historian; despite his rather cooperative demeanor, the Reaper standing at his side suggested otherwise. But as if reading into the dragonlord¡¯s mind, the deity began to respond before Serenis¡¯ question was even completed. ¡°There were no survivors that day. Not the divine, nor demons.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As for their remains, it-¡° The Historian¡¯s answer was abruptly silenced when the Reaper suddenly held their shoulder in an iron grip, jerking them back towards himself with a menacing glare. ¡°Zenon. What do you think you¡¯re doing? She¡¯s our enemy.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t recall making an enemy of Serenis.¡± ¡°What?...Do you not know what her goal is? You¡¯re of the Twelve yourself.¡± ¡°Following that logic, Aldrid is of the Twelve. I don¡¯t believe Serenis considers her an enemy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Unlike you.¡± For the first time in a long while, the Reaper¡¯s lips were sealed ¨C not by force, but by words.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Shaking his head, the Historian turned to face Serenis once more. ¡°Furthermore, I am the Historian. In that sense, it¡¯s my duty to answer those who seek history.¡± The Reaper scoffed at his friend¡¯s answers ¨C sensible answers perhaps, but nonetheless ridiculous in his ears. ¡°¡­Hah. Are you serious? Can you not see what¡¯s become of me?¡± ¡°I can. You remind me of a raven.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve died! Your precious guest has killed death itself! Do you know how many divinities she¡¯s destroyed?!¡± ¡°¡­Mana, space, death, emotion, force¡­and I suppose star, which she¡¯s absorbed herself. That makes six in total.¡± ¡°You know and you still-¡° ¡°But what of it?¡± The Historian¡¯s unexpected question cleanly cut off the Reaper¡¯s outburst. With his anger slowly turning to bewilderment, a confused, empty laughter began to slip out of Felicir. ¡°¡­Zenon. Do you not understand how dire the situation is? The demon standing before us is here to kill us both, not chitchat and dally with your dusty tomes.¡± ¡°You speak as if destroying six pieces of stone is some carnal sin. As I recall, those of us who did no harm still remain alive.¡± After his last remark, the Historian stole another brief glance towards his guests ¨C this time at Aymeia in specific. ¡°In fact, one remains alive even after doing harm.¡± With that, the Reaper audibly slapped his own head. Having his annoyance growing over its limit, his head was actively starting to ache; he would¡¯ve had an easier time conversing with a wall. ¡°¡­I see you haven¡¯t changed one bit, Zenon. You know what? Fine. You clearly have no intention of acting as one of us, so let¡¯s approach this in a different manner.¡± This time, the Reaper opened his balled fist, revealing a wriggling spider within. ¡°Centuries ago, Vulka has made an oath to the Twelve: to disallow the dragonkin from involving themselves in any and all worldly affairs outside of their nest, as well as to destroy their first lord¡¯s heart. This you know already.¡± ¡°I do. But as matters stand, Serenis is not fully of the dragonkin at the moment.¡± ¡°¡­And that¡¯s exactly why I brought this runt. See for yourself ¨C the first lord¡¯s heart plainly remained, and the dragonkin are once again involving themselves in our affairs. The dragon that this spider was before? She alone killed at least dozens of humans outside the dragonkin¡¯s nest.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the dragonlord; the entire kin¡¯s broken an ancient oath. As divinities, we should be delivering appropriate punishment.¡± When Felicir¡¯s argument finished, the Historian slowly nodded his head. The argument itself was certainly making a lot more sense than the Reaper¡¯s earlier protests. Following suit, he raised two fingers at his ally. ¡°¡­Two questions.¡± ¡°Questions? What?¡± ¡°First, I am not the Judge. Why exactly are you telling me all this?¡± ¡°THAT¡¯S your question? Hathelon¡¯s dead ¨C killed by your precious guest over there!¡± ¡°So? I still don¡¯t see how that¡¯s a reason for me to replace Hathelon as the Judge.¡± ¡°¡­Well, you just happened to be the closest one available of us, so¡­¡± ¡°Closest available, you say? Not because I¡¯m the only one remaining who could oppose Serenis?¡± ¡°¡­No. That¡¯s mere coincidence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although the Historian showed no visible change in expression, Serenis could swear his eyes were betraying a hint of contempt as he continued. Light and Aymeia also stared at them in a daze, before the half finally leaned in to whisper into Aymeia¡¯s ears. ¡°Hey¡­is this normal for you guys? All the arguing and stuff?¡± ¡°¡­No¡­? The Historian¡¯s never been around, but the rest of us, we usually just¡­did whatever Felicir suggested¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Sighing, the peculiar deity folded one of the two raised fingers as he continued. ¡°Is that so? Then, second question.¡± And this time, he stepped closer to the Reaper, emotionless eyes staring into the Reaper¡¯s eerie blue. ¡°I am the Historian ¨C and this is the Archive, where the entirety of Nerion¡¯s past remains recorded.¡± ¡°¡­So what?¡± ¡°Do you truly think that I, of all people, remained unaware that Vulka¡¯s oath was broken?¡± Once again, the Reaper¡¯s expression grew twisted in anger. ¡°¡­You remained silent¡­all the while knowing what was going on?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Satisfied, the Historian stepped away from Felicir to regain their original distance. ¡°I have no interest in participating in Nerion¡¯s affairs. This I¡¯ve told you, time and again.¡± ¡°¡­How long are you planning to keep up that attitude? Look at what the Twelve¡¯s become! Half of us are gone already ¨C don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time you have some care about what goes on in the world?!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Zenon turned his head to face Serenis once more. Again, his expression was devoid of emotions ¨C but Serenis could swear his eyes seemed amused. ¡°And so I am told, Serenis. Thoughts?¡± ¡°¡­Do as you wish. As long as you remain a deity, we¡¯re bound to confront each other anyhow.¡± ¡°As I wish?...If only I¡¯d heard that sooner.¡± This time, the Historian¡¯s lips did curve into a visible smile. Though it would fade away as he turned back to face Felicir, Serenis definitely caught the deity¡¯s emotions showing on surface. ¡°Very well, Reaper. From hereon, I will proceed not as the Historian, but as Nerion¡¯s divinity.¡± ¡°As if there¡¯s a difference¡­¡± Despite his friend¡¯s grumbling, Zenon showed no visible response to the Reaper¡¯s attitude. Instead, he put aside his quill and papers, replacing them for an empty book out of the Archive¡¯s shelves. His emotionless eyes grew even more stern than before as he seemed to stare down into the Reaper¡¯s soul. ¡°You stand before the divine. Plead your case.¡± Ep 163. Plead Your Case. (2) Ep 163. Plead Your Case. (2) With an exasperated sigh, the Reaper spread his arms, recapturing what had already been said. ¡°¡­Again, Vulka¡¯s sworn an oath to the Twelve in exchange for his kin¡¯s survival. The conditions were simple: the dragonkin were forbidden from involving themselves in worldly affairs, and they were to destroy the first lord¡¯s heart for good ¨C neither of which were fulfilled. Hence, the dragonkin¡¯s survival should be voided as well.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Felicir¡¯s expression visibly twisted as he was questioned by the listening deity. It could¡¯ve been a mere customary question. But being questioned in of itself was not a practice that often occurred to Felicir ¨C not in such an authoritative manner, anyways. Not that his friend seemed to care. ¡°Very well.¡± After a brief nod, Zenon briskly moved to another one of the Archive¡¯s shelves to pluck out a book, this time filled with text from beginning to end. He leisurely sorted through the pages, scanning each line until his finger would halt beneath the line he wanted to find. For a few seconds, his eyes reviewed each and every word on the page ¨C records of what had gone on between the Reaper and the second dragonlord. And most were, in fact, as Felicir had said. ¡°The second dragonlord ¨C to whit, Vulka ¨C has previously sworn an oath to the Twelve. Its conditions were unmet, and the oath, broken. From this point forward, the oath is destroyed, and neither party is bound by its conditions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Felicir¡¯s expression began to loosen as the verdict was delivered. He remained silent as his friend continued, their eyes fixed on the book in their hand. ¡°With the oath no longer in effect, the dragonkin shall no longer be guaranteed of their survival by the Twelve. Furthermore, as the second dragonlord has failed to destroy the first lord¡¯s heart¡­I hereby sentence Vulka to death.¡± And with that, Zenon closed the book in his hand. As he raised it into the air, the book began to float away. As if it had a will of its own, it soon slotted itself back to whence it came. But the divinity¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the Reaper as he added his final comment. ¡°Though, as Vulka has already passed, the verdict loses half its meaning.¡± With his loosened expression twisting once again, Felicir slashed the air with his arm, ridiculed by the deity¡¯s pointless sentence. ¡°Wh¡­excuse me? What about the kin itself?¡± ¡°I just told you: neither party is bound by the oath from this point forward. The dragonkin are no longer guaranteed survival. You are free to seek them out and kill them of your own accord, as are they.¡± ¡°Rubbish! Are you saying the kin will receive no punishment whatsoever?!¡± Once again, the Historian looked down on the protesting former deity with an air of indifference. And once again he¡¯d state the obvious ¨C or at least, what was obvious to him.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°What exactly would the kin be punished for?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It was Vulka¡¯s oath, not his kin¡¯s. It was the second lord¡¯s responsibility to control his brood, and the verdict has sentenced the responsible to death.¡± ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s nothing wrong with the dragonkin¡¯s existence? You know that¡¯s not how it should be! The first dragonlord isn¡¯t even supposed to be alive, she¡¯s died with the rest of demonkind a thousand years ago ¨C surely that¡¯s an error you¡¯d need to address!¡± ¡°A peculiar existence, I will admit. But Serenis¡¯ existence is not an error.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Reaper¡¯s eyes twitched in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe half of what he was hearing at this point ¨C especially from someone who should have full knowledge of the dragonlord¡¯s previous death. Unfortunately, the deity before him was not finished. ¡°Though, on that note¡­Felicir. Your existence is an error that ought to be corrected.¡± ¡°¡­? What the hell are you on about now?¡± Once again, Zenon briefly left his position to trace his fingers along the Archive¡¯s shelves. He soon plucked one out, scanning its pages to find the appropriate record before returning to address the Reaper. ¡°Felicir. In the name of ¡®resetting the star,¡¯ you once killed nearly every life that walked this star to ensure the Twelve¡¯s position as deities. In the century that followed, you¡¯ve indiscriminately tortured and murdered the dragonkin to coerce their lord into a contract against their will.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lastly, you¡¯ve intentionally engineered ways to defy your own death, and you¡¯ve forced other deities into assisting you in the process.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all just- that was for our people¡¯s sake! Look how mankind¡¯s flourished under the Twelve¡¯s guidance. And had the dragonkin not been caged in their own nest, we¡¯d still be living beneath their feet in fear!¡± ¡°You speak as if the Twelve¡¯s existence is somehow more valuable than the rest of mankind. They are not. Similarly, mankind are no more valuable than the dragonkin. The prosperity of one does not justify the condemnation of another.¡± ¡°¡­Seriously? You¡¯re one of us. You do know that, right?¡± ¡°My background has no meaning in making a divine verdict.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite the harshness of his methods, ultimately, the Reaper¡¯s best interests had always lied in a flourishing world owned by mankind. The other deities were often against his methods, but they were still in agreement of the premise: of making the world a better place to live in for their race. A world where they¡¯d no longer have to live in fear of demons as slaves or prey. But even in this simple premise, the Historian had been an exception. ¡®¡­Almost as if he doesn¡¯t care how things go down.¡¯ A heavy frown crossed the Reaper as he grit his teeth in frustration. Despite their indifferent attitude, he¡¯d always thought that the Historian would have at least some care for his own kind and brethren. Even with everything aside, he¡¯d thought that a fellow man would be valued more than that of a demonlord. After a thousand years, this assumption was turning out to be false. ¡°Felicir. You¡¯ve stolen a living monster¡¯s body for your own gains, breaking the laws of nature and defying the cycle of life. Furthermore, you¡¯ve used the stolen body to facilitate the death of 63 Asardans with full intent and malice.¡± ¡°¡­Are you seriously telling me that I¡¯m a problem while the dragonlord isn¡¯t? Are you not aware that she¡¯s taken over someone¡¯s body too?¡± ¡°She¡¯s had explicit permission to do so. You, on the other hand, used force and coercion on all parties involved.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there anything you wish to say?¡± ¡°¡­I knew you were eccentric, but now I see that isn¡¯t the case. You¡¯re just completely mad.¡± ¡°A poor choice of defense from a former deity. Very well.¡± Again, the book in Zenon¡¯s hand closed with a loud thump. As the book floated out of his grasp, he waited in silence for the book to slot itself back into the shelf before proceeding. ¡°Former deity Felicir. You are hereby guilty of abusing your divinity and defying the laws that govern this star. From this point forward, you are no longer of the Twelve, and you are no longer entitled to existence. Your soul will be permanently voided upon its next death.¡± Finally, the Reaper burst into laughter. A maniacal cackle rang throughout the Archive as the former deity clasped his eyes with his hand, letting out an uncontrollable laughter. A full minute had to pass before his laughter would die down, allowing him to speak once more. ¡°¡­Ha¡­haha. As if. Don¡¯t pretend like your verdict means anything, Zenon; you won¡¯t even bother to enforce it outside. Once I step out of the Archive, nothing you¡¯ve said will even matter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct. I bid you luck.¡± When the Historian answered him ever so indifferently, Felicir¡¯s eyes once again narrowed in confusion. Of course, this time it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize why the verdict had been so simple. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the Reaper turned his head, he could still see the dragonlord standing firm ¨C right between him and the gate they¡¯d entered through. But as if he couldn¡¯t care less, the Historian returned to his previous duties, fetching his quill and paper to resume his writing. ¡°Do leave at your earliest convenience. I¡¯d much rather be alone.¡± ¡°¡­You fucking bastard.¡± ¡°Felicir. You yourself discarded the trust of others who could have stood at your side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve any dignity left, then you will receive your due punishment.¡± Ep 164. Plead Your Case. (3) Ep 164. Plead Your Case. (3) Unlike the other deities, even the divinity of death could not bring Zenon to heel ¨C nor could Zenon bring the Reaper to heel. Resultantly, the agreement between them had been simple: neither would meddle with each other¡¯s affairs, respecting their own boundaries. With the Historian choosing to be a loner of his own accord within the Archive, this arrangement had worked wonders since genesis. That is, until today. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± While the Reaper and the Historian had busied themselves in their argument, three others had watched them argue on, confused and amused at the same time. And once again, it was Light who broke the silence to make a comment towards Aymeia. ¡°I wish the entire world could see what a mess you guys are.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not¡­usually like this.¡± ¡°Really? From what I¡¯ve seen so far, you guys all hate each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± ¡°Not what? Not true? Look me in the eye and tell me that¡¯s not hating each other.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As the two behind her also began bickering, Serenis let out an amused snort. To an extent, Light was right ¨C although ¡®all¡¯ may be an exaggeration, the Twelve certainly didn¡¯t seem very functional as a group. In fact, it seemed like a miracle they¡¯d been held together for the past millennium. ¡®Though, I suppose¡­it¡¯s only natural ¡­¡¯ As Serenis recalled, when a group couldn¡¯t keep itself at peace, having a dictator of extremely high power did, ironically, help hold things together: a number of other demon tribes only functioned because their lords maintained an iron grip over their kin. And when two higher entities were equal in strength, the best way to keep peace was to have nothing to do each other: this was exactly the relationship Kelador had sought with the other tribes. Apparently, the Twelve weren¡¯t all that different from her brethren. ? ? ? Eventually, the Reaper¡¯s argument with the Historian would come to its conclusion: a divine verdict that would be heard by everyone present. Awkward silence ensued as Serenis locked eyes with the panicked Reaper. Truth be told, Felicir had expected Zenon to be furious from all the disturbance Serenis had caused in the world they¡¯d established. He¡¯d at least hoped for the Historian to oppose Serenis, if not kill her outright. Alas, the reality was hardly anything like it. - ¡®Your soul will be permanently voided upon its next death.¡¯ Once Felicir stepped out of the archive, this verdict would not be enforced; the Historian himself had attested to this much. But in other words, it would be enforced as long as they remained within the Archive. And, as fate would have it, Serenis was standing in the way of Felicir¡¯s only available exit. ¡°I suppose you imagined our places switched.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At other times, Felicir would¡¯ve laughed off the dragonlord¡¯s mockery. But as matters stood, he could hardly muster a laughter anymore. ¡®¡­How¡­do I¡­¡¯ While Felicir lost himself in thought, Serenis leisurely raised her hand. Her palm shimmered in layers of prismatic light, ready to smite her foe as many times as it would take. Then, the sound of someone¡¯s sharp breathing stopped the dragonlord¡¯s hand. With widened eyes, Serenis spared a momentary glance behind her. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In stark contrast to the dragonlord¡¯s indifferent gaze, the eyes that met hers were far more complicated: worried, reluctant, and even afraid to an extent. And, at core, still hopeful. ¡®You still¡­haven¡¯t¡­¡¯ Light stood in place, her lips firmly sealed. She was fully aware how ridiculous it¡¯d be to step forth to stop Serenis; among everyone here, Light was the one who wished Felicir¡¯s death the most. But ironically, it was also Light who wished for that outcome the least. ¡°¡­You still haven¡¯t given up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of answering, Light¡¯s gaze fell to the ground. But that was all Serenis needed to still her hand ¨C at least for the time being. Following suit, the dragonlord casually called out to the deity behind the possessed academic. ¡°¡­Historian.¡± And this time, Zenon immediately raised his gaze to meet his caller¡¯s. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Serenis was about to speak her question, a pang of fear gnawed at her from within ¨C fear of what the answer may be. But as reluctant as she was, if she didn¡¯t ask the question now, then there may not be another opportunity. ¡°Is Karas¡­still alive?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Karas?¡± Zenon momentarily paused as he glanced over at the possessed academic. After realizing who the dragonlord was referring to, he returned an obvious, nonchalant answer. ¡°Why, of course. Surely you see them as I do?¡± ¡°¡­They¡¯re currently under the Reaper¡¯s possession. Does that not affect their being?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve just spoken the answer yourself. This ¡®Karas¡¯ you speak of is not dead, but merely shadowed by Felicir¡¯s presence; should his influence withdraw, the original will resurface.¡± ¡°¡­If the Reaper were to die¡­would that not kill Karas as well?¡± Zenon tilted his head, twirling his quill in amusement. His lips curved into the tiniest grin ¨C before it would fade away again. ¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The answer only left Serenis confused even further. The same went for Light and Felicir, who were all intently listening to the Historian¡¯s response. No one could make sense of the last answer. ¡®Perhaps, perhaps not?¡¯ Before, it was Felicir himself who¡¯d reminded Serenis that monsters did not have a concept of life and death: they simply ¡®were.¡¯ Because they possessed no soul, it could not be used as a determinant of their state of being. When a monster is born, the environment¡¯s mana is condensed into their being. There is no soul that begins to develop within. And when a monster dies, their body dissipates into the mana that comprised their body. There is no soul that leaves the physical self. ¡®If the body alone decides their state of being¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­As long as the body remains intact, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± The Historian neither confirmed nor denied the dragonlord¡¯s drawn conclusion. Instead, it was Reaper who answered, scowling at her words. ¡°As if you possessed the means to rid of me without harming the body. Isn¡¯t that all your magic¡¯s good for? Causing harm to others?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Step aside up, dragonlord. In case you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯ve your precious youngling in my hands as well ¨C wouldn¡¯t want to incinerate her as well, would you now?¡± It was a simple matter for Serenis to decimate the Reaper over and over again until Karas¡¯ reserve of souls would run dry. With said reserve being practically exhausted at this point, killing Felicir was trivial. But that would utterly destroy the body, and Karas with it ¨C not to mention the wriggling spider in the Reaper¡¯s grasp. No. This time, she needed a different approach. ¡®To rid the body of his influence¡­without causing harm¡­¡¯ A strange warmth began to spread from her chest, causing Serenis to look down upon her heart. And from within, it felt as if an eager flame had suddenly sparked to life. - ¡®I trust that you will make the right decision.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± With a faint smile, Serenis took a small step forward. She began to approach the Reaper ever so casually, almost as if she was on a leisurely stroll. It even seemed like she was snickering to herself. Twitching his eyes in disbelief, Felicir held the spider before him, waving it like a weapon of sorts. ¡°What in hell¡¯s name¡­? Step aside, dragonlord!¡± ¡°I will not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whatever¡¯s the matter, Reaper? Have you exhausted yourself of souls to devour? Karas would be disappointed.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s none of your business. If you don¡¯t want your precious kin squashed in my hand, step aside.¡± ¡°Ha¡­calm yourself. I merely thought I¡¯d hand you a parting gift.¡± Still grinning, Serenis only came to a halt inches away from the academic¡¯s body. Felicir¡¯s eyes rapidly darted around, looking for even the smallest of openings to escape through. He had ample faith that the dragonlord¡¯s actions were nothing more than a bluff ¨C as far as he was concerned, dragons knew little besides brute force. But contrary to his expectations, the dragonlord¡¯s hand hovered over her own chest, producing a shimmering white stone. As soon as the shard came to view, Aymeia squinted her eyes at the sight. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ As its previous holder, she recognized the stone with ease: it was the divinity she¡¯d once held. But strangely enough, the shimmering lights emitted from the stone now seemed to retain an orange hue. ¡°You seemed quite fond of your divinity, Reaper. Perhaps this will make up for it.¡± ¡°Wh-¡° There was no time to react. Before he knew it, the shimmering stone was pushed into the possessed academic¡¯s chest ¨C and an alien warmth rapidly spread throughout the Reaper¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t literal warmth, of course. It wasn¡¯t his actual temperature that was changing. Rather, it was his thoughts that were melting away. ? ? ? ¡®¡­Damn it all.¡¯ Felicir¡¯s voice rang hollow through his mind. ¡®Damn it all. Damn it all. DAMN IT ALL!!¡¯ No matter how much he screamed, there was no way to reverse the divinity that was embedded into his body; the result would either be to succumb to the stone as Aymeia had, or grow to overcome its influence like Serenis had. But still, there was hope. ¡®Just¡­need to calm down. If I can just keep it together¡­for just a few minutes¡­¡¯ While this particular divinity was poison to one¡¯s mind, divinity was still divinity; with it in his possession, Felicir could not only escape his current predicament, but potentially learn to control it and return to his position as deity. And if naught else, he could keep his mind afloat for just a few minutes to escape the Archive. He could discard the divinity thereafter. Serenis had no plausible way of threatening him without causing physical harm. it stood to reason that giving him the star¡¯s divinity was her last resort. Then, if Felicir could just get out of his headspace this once ¨C just this once ¨C he could emerge victorious. If he could foil this one threat, then he¡¯d have another chance to bring the dragonkin to heel. Alas, his own mind was the obstacle that stood in the way of reaching said goal. ¡®¡­What is all this?¡¯ As far as Felicir was concerned, the star divinity entailed an excessive amount of memories that overwhelmed one¡¯s sense of being. The retainer would soon forget their own existence, drowned out in a sea of countless others. But for the Reaper, that wasn¡¯t what was going on at all. There were no threats to Felicir¡¯s sense of self, and he certainly wasn¡¯t recalling any memories that weren¡¯t his own. His mind was perfectly intact, comprised of his own being and nothing else. ¡­Well, almost nothing else. But there was one peculiar element that didn¡¯t seem to belong. ¡®These¡­flames.¡¯ If the mind could catch fire, then this was exactly what it¡¯d be like. Every thought seared his mind; every memory was hidden beneath veils of burning sparks. The act of merely thinking caused a burning sensation throughout his entire body, and every memory he recalled drowned in roaring fire. And standing amidst those flames was a familiar silhouette, approaching the Reaper from afar in slow, vigilant steps. ¡®Who-¡® Spiked, flowing hair, sharing the hue of the flames surrounding it. A pair of unforgiving eyes that refused to wilt, even as they resigned their fate to Death. And a pair of crimson-tipped horns that clearly testified to their inhuman origin. As a lone dragon emerged from the streaks of fire, Felicir could scarce hide his shock. ¡®You¡­it can¡¯t be!¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ A wake of embers followed the dragon¡¯s every step as he approached the Reaper, lighting more and more of Felicir¡¯s internal world afire. And, with a stern expression, the dragon offered his hand to the former deity. ¡®Reaper. Your time has come.¡¯ ¡®¡­Time?¡¯ ¡®We do not belong in the present. You and I both.¡¯ Felicir slapped away the offered hand, scoffing at the disgusting sight. He glared into the dragon¡¯s orange eyes, his voice lined with anger. ¡®And what would you know? You¡¯re but a figment of the dead ¨C a laughable failure of a king!¡¯ ¡®¡­Perhaps.¡¯ With unwavering eyes, the dragon once again put forward his hand towards the Reaper ¨C this time to grab the former deity by their collar. And as the dragon tightened his grip, the flames that surrounded them burned brighter than before. A boundless white hue washed over the roaring flames. ¡®I¡¯ve failed as king. I¡¯ve failed my brethren, and I¡¯ve failed my mother. I¡¯ve long resigned to my fate to be cursed and forgotten.¡¯ With every word, the surrounding flames closed in on the two. Colorless fire began to eat away at both of their ethereal forms, burning away what remained of the Reaper¡¯s being ¨C as well as the dragon that had summoned them. ¡®But I will not fail them again.¡¯ ¡®You¡­godsdamned dragons¡­!¡¯ Within the confines of his own mind, Felicir was no more than what he¡¯d been born as: a lone, powerless human being. And struggle as he might, the dragon¡¯s flaming hold showed no signs of breaking ¨C nor did the fire surrounding them show any sign of dying down. A desperate scream rang throughout the innards of Felicir¡¯s thoughts. He could scarce tell if the inferno was real or not; he could scarce tell if the dragon before him was real or not. All he could feel was the realness of the searing pain that was swallowing him whole. ¡®Let¡­go¡­!¡¯ Felicir desperately reached out his hand, clawing at the dragon¡¯s hold. But with the dragon¡¯s grip remaining still as stone, all he could do was glare into their firm, resolute gaze. ¡®You will suffer for this atrocity, dragonlord¡­! You will never find salvation in the beyond! Your soul will rot in the deepest pits of hell for all eternity!!¡¯ ¡®¡­Perhaps.¡¯ Felicir¡¯s very last sight was that of an orange-haired dragon, drowning in his own fire together with the Reaper. But unlike him, the dragon was smirking back at his dying words. ¡®I will join you anon, Reaper.¡¯ Only when the Reaper¡¯s being withered to nothing did the dragon loosen his grip. However, his flames showed no signs of withering; they continued to devour their own summoner, burning away his last remains. He merely stood in place, waiting for the flames to take him away. ¡®¡­¡¯ A long, exasperated sigh escaped his fading form. He couldn¡¯t see outside. He couldn¡¯t see what was going on outside of the Reaper¡¯s mind. But the dragon nonetheless looked up, whispering the words he¡¯d longed to tell. ¡®¡­Welcome home, mother.¡¯ Ep 165. Plead Your Case. (4) Ep 165. Plead Your Case. (4) ¡®Strange¡­is there an earthquake?¡¯ Karas¡¯ eyes twitched in discomfort. As the ground beneath him continued to shake, his fingers twitched beneath, searching for something to hold onto. And while his hand did find something, it didn¡¯t feel particularly firm. Or tough. Or even still, for that matter. But, to an extent, it felt nostalgic to hold. ¡­Until the hand that held his decided to tighten into a crushing grip. ¡°#$%^&*!!!¡± With an incoherent groan, Karas¡¯ eyes jolted open to reveal a boundless white sky. And, as it turned out, the ground beneath him was perfectly still. What was rumbling was not the world itself, but the insides of his head. Not that it concerned him much. ¡°¡­Light?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As he raised his upper body, the first thing the professor noticed was his student, squeezing his hand with quite literally every ounce of strength her tiny hand could muster ¨C which shouldn¡¯t have been a lot, though for some reason, it felt like it was. The second thing Karas noticed was the ominous presence behind his back. ¡°¡­?¡± He slowly creaked his head to notice the dragonlord standing behind him. One hand was stretched forward, and summoned within its palm was a glimmering, condensed sphere of mana, seemingly prepared to blast the target in front of it. ¡°¡­Serenis, is it me or are you moments away from blasting me with magic?¡± ¡°That depends. Do you plan to cause another scene?¡± ¡°¡­No?¡± ¡°Then no.¡± While Karas¡¯ eyes twitched in confusion, the tightening grip on his hand forced him to return his attention to his student. He tried to wriggle his hand out of her hold, but when he failed to do so, he gave a pleading look toward the half girl crouching in front of him. ¡°L, Light¡­? That¡­hurts quite a bit¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of letting go, the cat half tightened her grip further, causing her teacher¡¯s body to jerk once more. Karas¡¯ other hand tapped against the ground in a surrendering manner, but even that didn¡¯t seem to help. Then, Karas frantically looked to the dragonlord with a pleading gaze, wordlessly asking for assistance. At first, Serenis withdrew her hand, as well as the prepared spell. But she then crossed her arms, shaking her head at the academic¡¯s unsightly display. ¡°Compared to all the trouble you¡¯ve caused, this is but a small price, Karas.¡± "Trouble? What did I¡­?¡± As his mind briefly wandered, soon accompanying the pain in his hand was a flood of memories ¨C recollections of what he¡¯d done before losing consciousness. Namely, attacking everyone at Chell. Including Light. ¡®¡­Oh, right. That happened.¡¯ On the bright side, he was no longer panicking on what to do. On the not-so-bright side, he was exhausted, dizzy, ashamed, and most of all, in pain. Not that he had any mind to complain. He merely stared back at Light with a sorry gaze as she glared at him with spiteful eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Light¡¯s grip seemed to loosen ¨C and Karas began sighing in relief, glad that one part of his exhaustion was gone. But his relief was quickly killed as Light then proceeded to tackle him, wrapping herself around his waist.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Again, Light shouldn¡¯t have been particularly heavy for the professor ¨C but for some reason, it certainly felt so. And while he would¡¯ve loved to ask her to get off for a moment¡­ ¡®¡­Considering what I¡¯ve done, I can¡¯t exactly blame her for being upset-¡® Sniff. ¡°?! Light?!¡± Although Light¡¯s face was buried in his waist, the sniffles quickly indicated that his student wasn¡¯t torturing him out of spite or anger. Karas¡¯ body froze, unsure of how to approach the situation; despite his helpless gaze, Serenis didn¡¯t seem keen on offering any sort of advice. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sighing, the professor carefully reached out his hand. And, as per usual, he placed it between the half¡¯s ears to pet her. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Why¡¯d you do something you were gonna be sorry about?¡± ¡°¡­¡± While Light¡¯s muffled question stabbed at Karas¡¯ conscience, she herself remained buried in her professor¡¯s embrace. I didn¡¯t want to believe it. The person who saved me and cared for me for so long would never attack me. That¡¯s what I wanted to believe. So, to be honest, when you were yourself again¡­ I wanted you to smile at me like you always did, as if nothing had ever happened. I wanted you to tell me that you¡¯d never attack me. That it wasn¡¯t your will at all. But one look at you is all I need to know. To know that you¡¯re feeling sorry, To know how reluctant you are to look me in the eye. And because you are, I have to hear it from you. As her trembling lessened, Light abruptly withdrew herself to raise her head. She forced her teary eyes to remain open. A bitter, resentful gaze met the professor¡¯s guilt-ridden eyes. And while that alone told the half more than she needed to know, she still wished to hear the answer from her teacher. ¡°¡­Why did you attack me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Again, Karas maintained silence on the question ¨C but with his entire body aching in pain and his student staring him to oblivion, he couldn¡¯t dodge the question forever. With a long sigh, the professor finally opened his mouth. ¡°Well, I¡­thought that¡­if we were to reach the Archive, I could¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Well what? Archive this, Archive that ¨C what are you even looking for?¡± ¡°The¡­old you, I suppose.¡± ¡°¡­Old me? Like, when I was a cat?¡± ¡°No, um¡­even before that.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­The person you were before you were born as ¡®Light.¡¯¡± Light¡¯s eyes closed halfway as she heard her professor¡¯s reply. She wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. She¡¯d heard this answer before ¨C just from other people. But even though the answer remained the same, it was a lot harder to process when it came from Karas directly. ¡°...So what everyone said was real?¡± ¡°Light, I-¡° ¡°You were actually trying to kill me?¡± ¡°No no, not at all! I, i merely thought that, uh¡­that you may also be able to reclaim past memories like Serenis, and-¡° Karas¡¯ panicked reply was cut short as Light pounced on him once more, burying herself into her professor ¨C and her professor into the ground. The academic groaned from the sudden impact, twitching beneath his student¡¯s weight. He clawed the ground in a vain attempt to get up. Sighing, Serenis shook her head before turning to Aymeia. The former deity had been watching the entire scene unfold with nary a word. She merely stood in place, unsure of what to do and powerless to go or leave ¨C especially with the spider that had been entrusted to her, who was now comfortably resting in her hands. After making note of the little critter, Serenis made a brief comment for the former deity. ¡°¡­They¡¯re not usually like this.¡± ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t think they are¡­¡± Rolling her eyes, the dragonlord turned back. She slightly leaned forward, looking down into the academic¡¯s pained face. ¡°Though, you do seem more worn than usual, Karas. Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­No¡­for¡­for some reason, I¡­don¡¯t have any strength¡­¡± Serenis quizzically twitched her brows. As far as she was concerned, Karas didn¡¯t have any reason to be tired; she¡¯d long removed the divinity, and hadn¡¯t done anything to harm him afterwards. The answer came from another deity, who was busily scribbling haphazard words onto his seemingly endless scroll some distance behind the group. He didn¡¯t even bother to look up as he answered the dragonlord¡¯s question. ¡°A manaspawn that feeds on souls has exhausted themselves of it. It¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°¡­? What does that even mean?¡± ¡°They¡¯re moments away from starving to death.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± This time, the dragonlord¡¯s puzzled gaze fell upon the Historian directly. But stared or not, the deity¡¯s quill never ceased to move for even a single moment, continuing to fill the scroll with its ink. ¡°What exactly are you writing?¡± ¡°The very events that are happening in this moment.¡± ¡°¡­? Why?¡± ¡°¡¯A puzzling question. I am a historian, Serenis. Recording history to me is as breathing is to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In addition, the events that transpire within the Archive must be recorded by hand. Hence, I¡¯d quite appreciate it if you¡¯d all take your leave at your earliest convenience.¡± Serenis snorted in amusement at the deity¡¯s bluntness. She was starting to understand why Felicir had called him eccentric. ¡°¡­I would, but I believe we¡¯ve still matters to discuss. You are of the Twelve yourself, after all.¡± ¡°I am not.¡± ¡°¡­? What?¡± ¡°¡¯The Twelve¡¯ is but an illusion that Felicir¡¯s devised in his rule. There is no such thing; I am a divinity, not some made-up deity.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re still in possession of a divinity. Just like the others.¡± ¡°This divinity has always belonged to me.¡± ¡°¡­No, your divinities are from-¡° ¡°This one¡¯s always been mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Clearly, eccentric didn¡¯t cut it. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re willing to lose it, then.¡± ¡°Why would I willingly lose something that¡¯s mine?¡± ¡°Again¡­your divinities are but fragments of one whole. None of it belongs to mankind.¡± With Serenis¡¯ last remark, the Historian¡¯s quill finally came to a halt. He raised his indifferent gaze to study the dragonlord. It seemed as if he¡¯d refute her answer any moment. But surprisingly, his gaze soon fell back to his scroll, and his quill resumed its writing. Even his answer was in no way a refute to Serenis¡¯ last response. ¡°Since it seems you¡¯re considering taking it by force, I should inform you that you are far too weak to do so in that state.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°So return to your nest, Serenis. We¡¯ll meet again anyhow.¡± ¡°What are you-¡° Serenis began stepping forward to approach the Historian. She¡¯d been curious to know what his divinity even was, and now seemed a better time than any to find out. Though, before she could take her second step, a sudden yelling cut through the air to steal away her attention ¨C a voice that had been low and dying only moments ago, now invigorated with newfound curiosity and shock. In fact, Karas had even managed to raise his upper body again, frantically turning his head to scan their surroundings. ¡°Wait, THIS is the Archive?!?!?!¡± Ep 166. Plead Your Case. (5) Ep 166. Plead Your Case. (5) ¡°¡­Goodness.¡± Serenis sighed out loud as everyone fell silent to the professor¡¯s sudden shouting. And, realizing how loudly he¡¯d yelled, Karas shamefully cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem¡­apologies. But Light¡¯s just told me that we¡¯re in¡­the Archive?¡± ¡°¡­That would be correct, yes.¡± As soon he heard the dragonlord¡¯s affirmation, Karas¡¯ eyes wandered off, inspecting every nook and cranny of the pseudo library they were in. It was the strangest scenery: there was seemingly nothing above them, and a blue sky beneath. They were clearly on solid ground, but he couldn¡¯t perceive it whatsoever other than the hardness of its surface. And finally, the professor¡¯s gaze fell upon the individual in the distance, rapidly waving his quill along the length of the scroll he held. ¡°If this is the Archive¡­that¡¯s¡­?¡± Zenon¡¯s hand soon stopped along the scroll. He quietly raised his gaze to meet the academic¡¯s eyes. ¡°Zenon. The Historian, as you know it.¡± ¡°Then-!¡± Karas scrambled to his feet, shaking Light off without even realizing to approach the deity. It was almost as if he¡¯d forgotten how exhausted his body was. ¡°Is it true that¡­the Archive retains the entirety of Nerion¡¯s past?¡± ¡°More or less, yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­is it truly possible to bring back memories of the dead?¡± Zenon placed his quill against his chin, musing at the professor¡¯s question. ¡°To bring back memories of the dead¡­is that what Felicir¡¯s told you? An intriguing notion.¡± Although his expression didn¡¯t seem particularly amused, Zenon nonetheless let out a derisive snort. After carefully placing his scroll onto a nearby shelf, he quickly walked alongside the aisle¡¯s length. But instead of searching for the correct tome, this time the deity seemed to pick one out at random, revealing a random page to hold out towards the professor. ¡°One could read the past, yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But memories? No such things exist here.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Karas¡¯ shoulders instantly slumped in disappointment. ¡®The dead¡­¡¯ Light slowly approached her teacher from behind, peeking at his forlorn eyes. ¡°Is this person that important to you, professor?¡± ¡°¡­¡± One glance at Light was all it took for Karas to shake his head. ¡®However important a person may have been¡­how could it outweigh their importance in the present?¡¯ He¡¯d already attempted to chase the past at the expense of the present. And as it turned out, the result was nothing but regret. And so, he found the question easier to answer than before. ¡°No. No, not at all.¡± In retrospect, Karas¡¯ answer had been decided the moment he¡¯d awoken; the Historian¡¯s response was but a nail in the coffin. But once again, his student¡¯s keenness would refuse to let the matter go. If anyone could read the academic¡¯s expression, it was Light ¨C and far be it from her to simply let the matter sit at ¡®it¡¯s not important anymore.¡¯ Not when she¡¯d made the entire trip here, and certainly not when she now knew that the matter was concerning herself. The half abruptly turned to face Zenon, interrupting the deity before he could resume his work. ¡°Excuse me!¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Can we at least read your records then? It seemed like you knew which books to pick out earlier. You would know where my past records are¡­right?¡± ¡°I do. But I cannot allow that.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?? Are these books another ¡®only a deity can read these¡¯ ¨C kind of thing?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°No. I simply dislike having others touch my records.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Under different circumstances, Karas may have elected to laugh. This time, he hurriedly turned to Light with an apologetic look. ¡°Light, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m no longer-¡° ¡°It¡¯s someone important to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And besides, this person¡¯s my past life, right? I wanna know too. What kind of person I was before.¡± Zenon continued to study the two. He didn¡¯t even bother to pick his scroll back up; the matter at hand was far more entertaining. And finally, the deity made a small, affirming nod. ¡°Very well.¡± Snap! As Zenon abruptly snapped his fingers, both Karas and Light cut their conversation midway to focus their attention on the deity. However, the first thing they noticed wasn¡¯t a change in Zenon himself, but rather how inattentive and uncaring Serenis and Aymeia seemed to be ¨C as if they hadn¡¯t heard the snap whatsoever. It didn¡¯t take long for Light to notice that neither of them were moving, either¡­or even blinking, for that matter. Not that Zenon seemed to care. ¡°It¡¯s best others don¡¯t listen to this.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean by¡­what did you do?!¡± ¡°Acquiring privacy.¡± Karas likewise glanced around the Archive. Nothing had actually changed ¨C and nothing was changing, either. Serenis and Aymeia had stopped moving, as well as the clouds beneath their feet. Everything around them had suddenly come to a standstill. ¡°Privacy¡­? But this is more like as if the world itself has come to a halt¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± While he¡¯d clearly heard the professor¡¯s observation, the deity didn¡¯t bother to address Karas¡¯ inquiry in his response. ¡°Neither of you are of divinity, and yet you¡¯ve together reached the Archive. Perhaps this, too, is fate.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Should you both wish for it, I will allow a temporary reunion. A brief meeting with the girl¡¯s past incarnation.¡± Light stared at the deity, blinking in confusion. She¡¯d understood perhaps 20% of what he¡¯d said. On the other hand, Karas seemed more distraught than confused, cautiously wording his next reply. ¡°¡­Temporary reunion? As in¡­you¡¯d send us to the past?¡± ¡°Nothing quite so grandiose, but in a way, similar. Well?¡± Both Karas and Light turned towards each other again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No words were exchanged ¨C but neither of them felt that they needed to. And, after a few seconds, the two turned back in unison to answer the deity. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s alrigh-¡° ¡°We¡¯ll do it!¡± As his refusal was cut off by his student, Karas gave an incredulous stare, shocked by his student¡¯s reply. ¡°Light! This is not the time to be rash, we¡¯ve little idea what this entails. I¡¯d reconsider if Serenis was with us, but even she¡¯s been cast away at the moment. Something¡¯s odd-¡± ¡°Professor¡­if you¡¯re going to lie to me, at least wipe off that excited look on your face.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get why others say you¡¯re hard to read.¡± As Light almost immediately silenced the academic, Zenon quizzically looked at Karas; for the first time, the deity¡¯s eyes betrayed a hint of confusion as he tried to figure out how Light was reading Karas¡¯ expression. Unfortunately, he had little time to think, what with Light rushing her teacher and all. ¡°You want to see her again, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­do, but¡­¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine!¡± Nodding to her professor, Light looked to the Historian with determined eyes, holding out a finger against the deity. ¡°Besides, I think I can trust this one. And¡­you did say it¡¯s temporary, right? What¡¯s gonna happen exactly?¡± ¡°You will regress to your past self for a short period, but I lack the means to make such changes last. It¡¯ll also require some time to take effect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine then.¡± ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Following suit, Zenon held out two of his fingers, placing their tip against the cat half¡¯s forehead. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And soon enough, they were wordlessly withdrawn with an affirming nod from the Historian. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Light examined herself, looking for something that might¡¯ve changed. She certainly didn¡¯t feel any. And she couldn¡¯t see any, either. ¡°¡­Did you do something?¡± ¡°You will know in time. And¡­¡± Snap! The deity snapped his fingers again, turning his head to face Serenis. Only then did the dragonlord¡¯s body resume its movement, her eyes blinking for the first time in a long while. ¡°Serenis. Your business here is finished, I trust?¡± ¡°¡­What? Hardly. You¡¯ve yet to answer Karas and Light in proper, and I¡¯ve yet to address your divinity-¡° ¡°Finished, then.¡± With a wave of his hand, everyone present could feel a sudden force that began moving them against their will; each person moved squarely towards the entrance in the exact same manner they¡¯d entered in. And in the distance, Zenon remained standing, giving a curt nod towards his leaving guests. ¡°Worry not, we will meet again. I¡¯ll be expecting your arrival.¡± ¡°Wait! You-¡° ¡°Until next time, Serenis.¡± Thud! ¡°¡­¡± In mere moments, Serenis found herself in the obsidian chamber once more, outside of the Archive¡¯s gates. Light, Karas and Aymeia were likely sprawled on the floor outside, facing a door and statue that had both been broken before. Aymeia hurriedly rose to her feet, studying the towering obsidian warrior up and down. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s¡­fixed? How¡­?¡± ¡°Step aside.¡± Boom!! After pushing Aymeia off to the side, Serenis once again blasted the gate and statue with her magic. She¡¯d already broken them once, and she could do so again. But much to her dismay, the smoke settled to reveal the gate firm and closed, the warrior before it unscathed and unharmed. ¡°¡­?¡± Everyone stared in confusion save for Karas. The professor carefully walked up to the obsidian statue, tapping his knuckles against the cold surface. ¡°Odd. What is this material¡­?¡± ¡°Eh¡­isn¡¯t it just rock? Like, obsidian?¡± Karas shrugged at his student, tapping the statue a few more times before answering. ¡°Not quite¡­obsidian¡¯s nowhere near as tough as this. It¡¯s as if the statue¡¯s made of some condensed gemstone¡­or something even beyond that.¡± ¡°Really? Last time, Serenis blasted through the entire thing pretty easily.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Hearing Light¡¯s reply, this time it was Karas¡¯ turn to blink in confusion. ¡°Serenis? Is this true?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. What do you remember, exactly?¡± ¡°Well¡­to be honest, my last memory is being blasted by your magic in Chell¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®So right when the Reaper took over.¡¯ Serenis awkwardly locked eyes with Karas, trying to remember how many days it¡¯d been since. Then again, so much had happened since; for all she knew, it might as well have been a decade since. ¡°¡­Has it been a long time since?¡± Instead of answering Karas, the dragonlord only shook her head. She approached the statue as well, placing her hand against its cold surface. But as Karas had pointed out, something was off ¨C she couldn¡¯t perceive anything from the material or from beyond it, almost as if this was the boundary of their world. And to that end, the gate showed no signs of opening again. ¡°¡­¡± Everyone was looking expectantly towards the dragonlord for a decision. Frankly, if Serenis couldn¡¯t open the gate, then no one could. And with her not seeing a way forward, the only option was to go back. ¡®Then again¡­¡¯ This time, Serenis turned to face Aymeia ¨C or more specifically, the spider that was still in the former deity¡¯s hand. The little critter seemed much more comfortable than before, but that did little to hide their eagerness to return home. ¡®¡­Perhaps it was for the best.¡¯ Ep 167. I’m Always Right Here. (1) Ep 167. I¡¯m Always Right Here. (1) When the group made it out of Aymeia¡¯s temple, the sun was just beginning to set on the horizon. An orange hue painted the skies, and the sun was just beginning to sink beyond the distant mountains. That alone was enough to warrant a surprised reaction from Light. ¡°Wait¡­how long have we been in there?!¡± When she¡¯d first entered the temple with Serenis and Aymeia, it was already near sundown ¨C and it certainly didn¡¯t make sense that they¡¯d spent less than an hour in the temple. Hence, the only logical conclusion was¡­ ¡°A full day, I suppose.¡± While Serenis indifferently answered the half, the dragonlord furrowed her brows at the sight of the setting sun. It certainly hadn¡¯t felt like they¡¯d spent an entire day in the Archive. Alas, the skies told otherwise. Brushing the thought aside, Serenis quickly stepped forward. Shimmering lights enveloped her figure as the mass of light rapidly expanded, soon shattering apart to reveal a giant white dragon in its place. She then cocked her head, urging the others to get on ¨C especially Aymeia, who was still holding the black critter in her hands. ¡°Come. We¡¯ve little time to waste.¡± It was time to take the youngling home. ? ? ? As disturbing as their departure from the Archive was, Serenis found herself quickly occupied by other thoughts. Namely¡­ ¡®¡­So it was Raizel after all.¡¯ With the dragonlord taking to the skies with others in her proper form, everyone else began to process all that had happened at the Archive. Aymeia was back to being reserved and quiet. With the Reaper¡¯s passing, she seemed to spend most of her time staring at nothing, lost in her own thoughts. Light was still examining herself every then and there, wondering if anything had changed. Although Serenis had no idea why, the dragonlord merely assumed that the half was making sure that everything was alright. Karas was back to being limp and exhausted. While everyone else rode on Serenis¡¯ back, Karas alone had to be held in the dragon¡¯s grip to make sure he wouldn¡¯t slide off. Raizel ¨C or rather, the furry black critter, which Karas confirmed as Raizel ¨C had abandoned the comfort of Aymeia¡¯s hands to ride along within the academic¡¯s coat, poking and biting at him just for the heck of it. And lastly, Serenis herself reflected on the Archive: what it once was, as well as what it¡¯d become. ¡®¡­I suppose even the summit would change with time.¡¯ During her own era, the World Summit had been named that for a reason: it rested above the star¡¯s highest peak, hidden above a ring of clouds that would never disperse. The only structure that stood within was the First¡¯s temple, and nothing besides.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The clouds surrounding the peak had always served as a boundary between the star and the divinity¡¯s domain. As long as one could traverse to the peak, they could reach the summit; while strange, the area had never been considered separate from their world. But now, the space had somehow been severed entirely, connected only through these supposed gates. ¡®Was this also Felicir¡¯s doing? Or¡­¡¯ Unanswerable questions continued to linger within Serenis¡¯ mind. The Historian¡¯s existence, the divinity they held, the summit¡¯s change¡­none could be answered in the immediate moment. And while she remained lost in thought, time quickly slipped past as the dragonlord made way towards her kin¡¯s nest; when the sun fully vanished beyond the horizon, Serenis spared a brief glance towards the others on her back. ¡°¡­¡± After noting everyone¡¯s states, the dragonlord soon landed onto the ground ¨C right before a hollow between two pieces of towering, snow-covered boulders. ¡°¡­I suppose we¡¯ll have to spend an additional night outside.¡± ¡°Huh? Do you need to sleep after all?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m sure others do ¨C especially you. Lest you fall off during dark.¡± ¡°Oh¡­yeah, good point.¡± As Serenis lowered herself to the ground, Light carefully slid off the dragonlord¡¯s back, yawning to herself as she landed on the snow. Aymeia soon followed after, while Karas was quite literally dropped off with the spider in tow. Lastly, Serenis herself returned to her usual size, picking Karas up on her back before heading into the stone hollow with the others. ¡°How did you know there was a cave right here? We were literally up in the sky.¡± ¡°There was a large space devoid of mana. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that it¡¯s a natural hollow.¡± ¡°¡­Uh huh¡­sure.¡± Light rolled her eyes at the dragonlord¡¯s explanation. It wasn¡¯t really something she could replicate¡­ever. So instead, the half¡¯s eyes darted from side to side between Aymeia and Karas ¨C or rather, one person who wouldn¡¯t talk to her, and another person who was too tired to talk to her. Oh, and the spider. Who couldn¡¯t talk to her. ¡®And even if she could, I am NOT going near her like that.¡¯ After an exasperated sigh, Light slumped onto the floor with wary eyes, shuffling away as far as she could from the spider Raizel had become. Despite knowing that it was only temporary until they¡¯d arrive at the valley, every fiber of her being was still refusing to go near a spider of her own accord. ¡®I miss Ilias.¡¯ Suppressed drowsiness washed over her as Light began to relax. She found her eyes quick to close, making her realize that she¡¯d been more tired than she¡¯d cared to admit. ¡®At least we¡¯ll all be home soon¡­¡¯ As her eyes began to shut, Light examined her own self one last time before drifting off to sleep. ¡®¡­Nope. Still nothing.¡¯ ? ? ? Serenis maintained a small fire within the cavern, keeping the hollow sufficiently warm throughout the night. She occasionally pet the spider on her shoulder with her fingertip, who¡¯d since abandoned the professor¡¯s pockets. But before the night would fully pass, Karas stirred awake, groaning as he lifted his tired body. The academic rapidly shook his head to wake himself. He balled and loosened his fist several times to check his own aptitude. Confirming that he was alright, he turned to the only other awake person nearby. ¡°By the Twelve¡­have I been out the whole flight? Where are we?¡± ¡°Halfway back to the nest. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°¡­Better, actually. Though I¡¯m not sure why.¡± ¡°Light shoved a mana crystal into your mouth earlier. Perhaps that helped.¡± ¡°Ah¡­did she? That¡¯s-¡° Karas looked around the small cavern, searching for his student. But much to his dismay, he only found Aymeia sound asleep. Otherwise, Serenis was standing by the cavern¡¯s entrance with the spider on her shoulders. And Light was nowhere to be found. ¡°¡­Serenis?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Light??¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Serenis refused to give a response. She only stared back at the awoken academic with crossed arms, casually leaning against the hollow¡¯s entrance. Eventually, she slowly slid out one of her hands, pointing towards a particular direction outside. ¡°She awoke not too long ago. If I recall correctly, she claimed she needed some air.¡± ¡°In the middle of the night?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re concerned for her safety, I¡¯ve already examined our surroundings. There aren¡¯t any beasts or the like lurking about. She hasn¡¯t gone far, either ¨C I can sense her quite easily.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the issue, it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. She went that way?¡± Rushing to his feet, Karas didn¡¯t even bother for Serenis to return a verbal response. He made quick note of the direction her finger was pointing towards, hurriedly fixing his coat before following after his student¡¯s footsteps. And Serenis returned to leaning at her leisure, watching the academic traversing through the snow. ¡®¡­Whatever¡¯s up with them?¡¯ Ep 168. I’m Always Right Here. (2) Ep 168. I¡¯m Always Right Here. (2) As far as Serenis knew, the Historian hadn¡¯t answered Light and Karas¡¯ inquiry in the slightest; the entire group had been banished from the Archive as soon as the half had asked if they could view her own records. But ever since then, Light had been examining herself on a strangely frequent basis. It¡¯d finally seemed to cease as she fell asleep¡­only for her to awaken in the middle of the night to go out for no apparent reason. ¡®¡­And Karas chased after her like a madman.¡¯ As soon as the dragonlord had informed Karas of their student¡¯s whereabouts, he¡¯d scrambled out of the cave in a hurry, straight towards the direction Serenis had pointed him too. She wasn¡¯t particularly concerned, of course; their mana were both within her range of detection, and she couldn¡¯t sense any other dangerous presences besides. For all she knew, Light had gone for a simple walk, and Karas had decided to chase her due to safety concerns. The professor had evidently given up on returning to the Archive. And even if he were to attempt anything suspicious, Light could likely beat him down bare-handed in his current state. But even so¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Serenis glanced at the spider on her shoulder. Despite the lack of evidence, she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that there was something going on between them ¨C something that wasn¡¯t exactly dangerous per se, but something serious nonetheless. ¡°¡­What do you suppose it is, Raizel?¡± ¡°¡­Screeee.¡± Although the spider couldn¡¯t answer in proper words, considering the youngling¡¯s tone and nature, it didn¡¯t take much to guess what the chirping meant ¨C which was probably something along the lines of ¡®beats me.¡¯ ¡°Then again¡­stranger things have happened, I suppose.¡± ¡°Chirp! Chirp!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Okay, that time even Serenis didn¡¯t know what Raizel was saying. Thankfully, according to Karas, relocating Raizel¡¯s soul back to her body was a relatively easy process ¨Cassuming that the youngling¡¯s physical body remained empty and alive, and he was present to facilitate it. Had Karas died at the Archive, even Serenis wouldn¡¯t know what to do with spider-Raizel otherwise. The youngling might¡¯ve had to live out her entire life as an arachnid.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. So, despite all that¡¯s happened¡­and all that¡¯s happening¡­ ¡®¡­It¡¯s a good thing he¡¯s alive.¡¯ Probably. ? ? ? Karas rapidly darted his eyes along the snowy treeline. Most trees were devoid of leaves, their branches covered in snow as they waited for spring¡¯s coming. But the lack of foliage allowed an ample amount of light to shine through from the moonlit skies, providing the professor with a much-needed range of vision. And soon, he¡¯d spot his student some distance ahead, leisurely sitting atop a snow-covered boulder. She was leisurely staring up at the sky, waving her legs back and forth while humming a soft tune. Soon, her twitching ears would pick up her teacher¡¯s footsteps. The half¡¯s tune came to a fading cease as she lowered her head. Once Karas approached the boulder she was sitting on, she playfully wove her hand, grinning at the sight of her teacher. ¡°You¡¯re awake! Are you feeling better now? Pro-fe-ssor?¡± ¡°¡­Thanks to the crystal you gave me, yes.¡± ¡°Crystal? What crystal?¡± ¡°I was told that you fed me a mana crystal?¡± ¡°I did?...Oh. I mean, yeah. I did.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Despite his student¡¯s cheery tone, Karas frowned at the oddness of the conversation¡¯s flow. It couldn¡¯t have been that long ago when Light had supposedly fed him the crystal, and yet, it seemed as if she was having trouble recalling the event. ¡°¡­Seems you¡¯re not as awake as usual, Light. What¡¯re you doing up already?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡­I just woke up for some reason, so I went for a walk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯re you looking so grumpy about? Here, have a seat.¡± Light dashed her hands along the boulder¡¯s snowy surface, clearing up a small space beside her. Sighing, Karas eventually walked up the boulder¡¯s height to sit at his student¡¯s side. ¡°Even if it¡¯s safe, staying up this late can¡¯t be good for you. I needn¡¯t remind you how cold it gets in Asarda during the night. And we still don¡¯t know what the Historian did to you; you shouldn¡¯t go far out alone.¡± ¡°Pfft. Nag, nag, nag¡­look at you, worrying about me. Since when were you so nice?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas dropped his gaze, wreathing in guilt and shame as he reminisced the last moments before Felicir¡¯s possession. No matter how hard he tried, his mind refused to forget how he¡¯d attacked the student sitting beside him. ¡°¡­I¡¯m deeply sorry for what I did at Chell. If there¡¯s anything I can do to make up for it, then-¡± ¡°There is!¡± Karas slowly raised his head, surprised by his student¡¯s immediate answer. But when he looked up, Light was beaming a mischievous smile, making the academic gulp in a mix of anticipation and fear. ¡°And that¡­would be¡­?¡± ¡°You can tell me about who I used to be.¡± ¡°¡­Who you used to be?¡± The cat half nodded her head enthusiastically. Her voice grew louder in excitement as she urged her professor on. ¡°Yeah! You said the person you want to see is my past life, right? What did I look like?¡± ¡°¡­Well¡­she looked surprisingly like you. If you were older, you two might¡¯ve looked the exact same.¡± ¡°Uh huh..¡± Light let out a thin groan, as if disappointed by the lack of difference. She pursed her lips in a pouting manner, though it soon motivated her to move onto another topic. ¡°How did we meet then? Was I still your student?¡± ¡°¡­Pfah. No, not at all. If anything, you were the teacher, and I was your student.¡± ¡°Really? What did I teach you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karas made a thin smile as he looked over his student. In a way, he could almost see the past in the present ¨C despite their swap in roles, they¡¯d always been a teacher and student to one another. And as much as Karas had learned from her, he was now returning the favor. After a brief pause, the professor closed his eyes to deliver his reply. ¡°Important things¡­things I should never forget.¡± ¡°Important things? Like what?¡± ¡°Like¡­¡± Ep 169. Confessions of the Historian: Student and Teacher Ep 169. Confessions of the Historian: Student and Teacher If one¡¯s race is defined by their physical attributes, then what race does a life unbound by such attributes belong to? For eons, we have simply called such phenomena manaspawns: clumps of mana itself taken form of life. However, without proper shape nor form, they were given numerous names besides¡­numerous titles besides. Monsters, spirits, familiars, phantoms¡­ Livestock. Pets. Friends and enemies. And, at times¡­ ? ? ? ¡°H¡­help¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The man reached out his hand in desperation as his soul was slowly sucked out of his being. Despite his dying pleas, the man¡¯s voice remained unanswered within the fogs of Mire Forest. Soon, translucent smoke would be whisked out of his mouth; the rest of the body would fall limp, falling to the ground in a deathly silence. The monster slowly rose to their feet, staring down at the dead in contempt. His crow head darted about, following the clump of eerie blue smoke that he¡¯d forced out of the man¡¯s body. Raising his claws, he slashed at the air, shredding the remains of their soul to useless, fading pieces. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a disgusting color before.¡± Meanwhile, two other men watched in horror from a short distance. The monster resembled a man, and yet its black, feathered figure suggested otherwise. He¡¯d torn their friend¡¯s soul out of their body and, scowling with beast-like eyes, ripped it apart. ¡°M¡­Monster of Mire¡­!¡± The monster turned its ominous gaze towards the man who had spoken. ¡°Disappointing. Has my name already been forgotten?¡± In the blink of an eye, the crow monster seemed to disappear from sight, only to reappear before the two men. One of his feathered, claw-like hands gripped a man by his head. The other immediately turned, abandoning his captive friend without a second thought. The monster¡¯s menacing glare fell onto the victim he held. ¡°Now, then. Shall we examine your soul next?¡± But before his feast could begin, a sharp voice interrupted the monster¡¯s savoring. ¡°Let go of him!¡± A silver arrow accompanied the sudden shouting as the bolt whizzed past the monster¡¯s eye. As soon as the monster turned to see where the sudden attack had come from, his captive used the distraction to kick at the monster¡¯s frame, freeing himself from the grip to hurriedly flee from the scene. ¡°¡­¡± As the runaway¡¯s footsteps faded into the distant fog, only the monster and his newest assailant remained. And as the monster remained in place, the assailant¡¯s footsteps grew louder and louder, their emerging silhouette becoming clearer by the second. ¡°¡­There. I found you.¡± A silver-haired cat half appeared from the fog, holding a crossbow in hand. Her hunter attire and weapon clearly suggested that she wasn¡¯t the Mire¡¯s resident. That being said, hunters were hardly a new sight to the monster. Once he finished studying the newcomer, an insulting comment was all he had to offer. ¡°A puny runt. Interesting.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± The crow-like figure swiftly ignored his hunter¡¯s backlash. He wordlessly stepped forth, approaching her with eyes full of contempt and annoyance. In response, she raised her weapon once more, aiming its head towards the approaching crow. ¡°D, don¡¯t come any closer! I¡¯ll shoot!¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± She did as told. As soon as she pulled at her crossbow¡¯s trigger, another bolt zipped across the air to bury itself. ¡­Into a tree some distance away. ¡°What an astounding hunter you are. You might as well be shooting blind.¡± ¡°It was a warning shot!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The monster¡¯s footsteps came to a halt. He raised an arm as a translucent crossbow took shape in his hand, and he soon pulled the weapon back, cocking a magicked bolt towards his target. ¡°¡­Is how you use a crossbow.¡± As the arrow was released, the hunter erected a haphazard barrier to shield herself from the mana bolt flying at her. As the two spells made contact, the bolt exploded in a burst of flames, sending the hunter sprawling back and coughing. ¡°Ugh¡­seriously? A monster that can use magic? Talk about unfair¡­I wish I could use spells like that.¡± When she looked back up, the monster was beaming back an amused grin at her. Apparently, flattery worked here. ¡®Wait...that means talking works here.¡¯ The half abruptly cleared her throat, getting up to her feet to continue speaking. ¡°¡­You know, I know everyone calls you Monster of Mire, but I know who you really are.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Xar¡­that¡¯s your name, isn¡¯t it? Former Akeian commander. People say he went missing after the empire¡¯s collapse. Who would¡¯ve thought he went back to being a wild monster?¡± Xar mused at the hunter¡¯s description of his past. Ever since his return to the Mire, she¡¯d been the very first to recognize who he was. ¡°If you came here knowing who I was¡­you must have a plan in mind, yes? Failing that, you simply chose a glorious way to suicide.¡± Despite the monster¡¯s patronizing smirk, the hunter seemed to pay it no mind. She only rubbed her chin, seriously contemplating the question over. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­What.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡± Xar¡¯s expression twisted into a frown as the hunter made incomprehensible noises. He raised his hand as masses of green fog swirled into his palm, forming a screaming mass of energy. ¡°If you¡¯ve nothing to say, then-¡° ¡°Meh.¡± Just as the monster was about to blast away his newest assailant, the half abruptly interrupted the cast with a single syllable. The rest of the answer followed suit. ¡°You know what, Xar? I got nothing. I don¡¯t want to die, I actually really want to live. But I don¡¯t really have a plan in mind, either.¡± The monster¡¯s magic fizzled out. His eyes twitched in disbelief. ¡®¡­Is she an idiot?¡¯ Xar shook his head. Surely, a hunter couldn¡¯t be this stupid. ¡°¡­If you wish to live, why show yourself here?¡± This time, the hunter beamed back. She sighed in irony, shrugging back at the monster¡¯s question. ¡°Why not? Whether you kill me or not, I die soon anyways. I may not look it, but I¡¯m actually pretty sick. So I came here, thinking¡­hey, maybe I can try to do something nice before I die.¡± ¡°And your definition of ¡®something nice is attempting to kill me.¡± ¡°Pft. Who do you think I am, you? I stay as far as I can from using violence.¡± The hunter completely withdrew her weapon before approaching Xar, stopping only a few steps away. The half crouched down to brush off the fallen leaves off the forest floor, seating herself on the revealed soil. Xar remained standing in confusion as he watched the half¡¯s strange choice of behavior. Truth be told, his disdain for this supposed ¡®hunter¡¯ was growing worse by the minute. ¡°¡­And so you¡¯d rather give up and sit?¡± ¡°What? No. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m trying to have a talk with you? Here, have a seat.¡± ¡°I have no reason to participate in a ¡®talk.¡¯ Especially with a hunter.¡± ¡°Psh¡­don¡¯t you ever get lonely? Living alone in a forest like this.¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Hey, look at that. You just talked to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A small laughter followed suit as Xar stared at the hunter in disbelief. And still, she beckoned him over, beaming a wide smile at him. ¡°This is how you get along with others! Talking. Why don¡¯t you give it a try? I¡¯m Rien. Rien Meria.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of responding, Xar abruptly turned away, walking into the distance as he abandoned the lone hunter. However, she remained sitting for a while longer, waving towards the black, feathered figure that was disappearing into the fog. ¡°Come back soon!¡± ? ? ? If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. One day later, a peculiar smoke rose above the Mire¡¯s fog, filling the forest with a warm scent of cooking. When Xar appeared at the scene to discern its source, a familiar hunter was sitting on a small stone, stirring the innards of a metal pot that hung above a small campfire. ¡°¡­What the¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Oh hey, you¡¯re here.¡± As soon as she noted Xar¡¯s appearance, Rien invitingly wove her hand, beckoning the monster over. ¡°Want some potato stew? It¡¯s pretty good.¡± The monster snorted in ill amusement. ¡°¡­I left you be as it seemed you were ill in the head¡­but now it seems you¡¯re crossing the line.¡± ¡°Line? What the heck are you talking about? We¡¯re in the middle of a forest. I can do whatever the heck I want.¡± Small sparks of fire threateningly blitzed out of Xar¡¯s hand. He began to stepscloser towards the hunter, his glaring eyes glowing in an eerie light. ¡°Then there shouldn¡¯t be anything stopping me from killing you here either.¡± ¡°Meh, go ahead. I told you, I¡¯m gonna be dead soon anyways.¡± Even in her annoyed state, Rien proceeded to scoop out a portion of the pot¡¯s boiling contents into a separate bowl, offering it towards her guest. ¡°Here, do whatever you want, but sit down and eat first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is how you get along with others.¡± For an extremely brief moment, Xar considered accepting the food. However, as soon as he processed the thought, the black figure grimaced in disgust at his own thoughts. Following suit, he briskly turned away to leave the hunter yet again. ¡°¡­Come back soon!¡± Once again, Rien watched the feathered figure disappearing into the forest¡¯s fog. She retreated her offered bowl of stew, taking a quiet sip herself whilst she stared into the monster¡¯s fading silhouette. ¡°Pfft¡­talk about being shy.¡± ? ? ? And the next day¡­ Fallen leaves crunched underfoot as Xar once again made his way to the hunter¡¯s camp. The smoke of her campfire hadn¡¯t gone out. ¡®Is that woman still lounging around? What could she possibly be doing now¡­¡¯ When Rien noticed the black figure emerging from the fog, she curtly wove her hand. Much to Xar¡¯s surprise, the hunter was comfortably laying in her hammock with a book in hand. ¡°Oh hey, welcome back.¡± ¡°¡­You must be the only person to ever lounge around in Mire with a book.¡± ¡°Pft, sure, and you¡¯re so much better off. You literally do nothing all day, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, see? Lounging around with a book isn¡¯t so bad in comparison.¡± The half rolled out of her hammock, getting up on her feet. She quickly rummaged through the baggage beneath, producing another book to offer to her guest. ¡°Here, I have a book you could read too. I can even teach you!¡± ¡°Teach? What would you-¡° ¡°Alphabets!¡± The monster looked down at the book being offered. To whit, the title read: ¡®Alphabets for Toddlers.¡¯ Not that he could even read that. But he could at least tell who the book was for, what with all the letters and colors on the cover. Xar looked up to meet Rien¡¯s eyes. She was grinning as usual, which only annoyed him more. ¡°¡­Do you have a death wish?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I told you on the first day, didn¡¯t I? I want to live.¡± ¡°And yet you continue your mockery. Do you seriously expect me to read this?¡± ¡°I mean, I wasn¡¯t sure if anyone taught you how to read. Figured you might need to learn the alphabet first¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Truth be told, Xar didn¡¯t actually know how to read. At all. However¡­ The monster snatched the book from Rien¡¯s grasp, tossing it into the campfire. The flames momentarily roared as the book was consumed, reducing it to cinders in a matter of seconds. ¡°I have no need for a child¡¯s book.¡± ¡°Hey, you could¡¯ve just said no! You didn¡¯t have to throw it into the fire!¡± ¡°A fitting end.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­so, you do know how to read then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well? Do you?¡± ¡°¡­I do not need to know.¡± Rien crossed her arms with puffed cheeks, clearly unsatisfied by the answer. She walked over to her baggage once more, rummaging through its contents as she shouted towards her finicky guest. ¡°Jeez, poor book. Here, come over! I¡¯ll teach you how to read. You can pay your tutor fees later.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And as per usual, Xar briskly turned away to leave the scene. But this time, Rien quietly snickered to herself, watching the monster fade into the distance. ¡°Come back soon!¡± ? ? ? With another day came another visit from the Monster of Mire. Although this time, Xar curiously scanned the surroundings as he approached Rien¡¯s camp. The smoke from her campfire hadn¡¯t been visible today. And when he finally arrived, only a lump of smoked coal laid where the fire had been. ¡°¡­?¡± One brief scan, and he could tell that the rest of the camp was still intact. In the distance, he soon spotted the familiar hunter: dozing off on her hammock without a care in the world. And to her immediate right was a growling beast, baring fangs that dripped with saliva. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ As soon as the growling beast pounced towards the sleeping hunter, Xar dashed into the camp in a burst of shadows, intercepting the attacking beast. With his own shadowed claws, he tore through the beast¡¯s underbelly with ease. Once the beast powerlessly fell back to the ground, Xar snorted at its untimely death, pulling out his claws to shake off the blood that coated it. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± ¡®A pointless gesture. This shouldn¡¯t have concerned me in the slightest-¡® The monster¡¯s thoughts came to an abrupt end as his eyes fell on Rien. Her eyes were wide with surprise, staring at him in silence. Slowly, Xar opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Were you not asleep?¡± ¡°I was. Until you came.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a lot nicer than people say, huh?¡± ¡°¡­It was a coincidence.¡± The monster briskly turned to leave as usual. However, this time Rien jumped off her hammock, pulling on the monster¡¯s wrist to stop his departure. ¡°Wait, wait! You just saved me, I can¡¯t just send you off like this.¡± ¡°¡­What now.¡± Rien beamed in delight as she pointed towards the dead campfire. Two flat stones laid beside it, along with a pile of books between. ¡°Special deal, I¡¯ll tutor you for free. My lessons are actually super expensive, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I insist!¡± The monster let out a quiet sigh as the excited half dragged him off towards her pile of books. ? ? ? And a few days after that¡­ ¡®¡­Why do I continue returning to this place.¡¯ Xar began to question his life as he once again found himself walking back to Rien¡¯s camp. He rapidly shook his head as he tried to justify what he was doing. ¡®No no, that¡¯s not it. This is my territory to begin with, I should be free to roam. That hunter is the intruder. Yes, that¡­¡¯ ¡°Ugh¡­hf¡­¡± The monster¡¯s thoughts came to an abrupt stop as he noticed the familiar half sitting by the fire, groaning with an agonized expression. Her face was drenched with sweat, and one of her hands was painfully gripping at her heart. ¡°¡­? What-¡° As the monster rushed to her side, Rien forced her eyes open to see Xar¡¯s face. In her hazy vision, Rien noticed a faint, inexplicable change in the assortment of Xar¡¯s feathers: a slight change that a stranger may mistake for a simple ruffle. The half slowly reached out her hand, caressing her fingers through the monster¡¯s feathers to straighten them as they were before ¨C and yet, the small oddity refused to fade. Despite her pained expression, Rien still managed to let out a small laughter at the sight. ¡°Ah, haha¡­gosh. Are you worried?¡± A heavy frown crossed the monster as he clenched his hands. ¡°No, I¡¯m smiling. In delight.¡± Rien only snickered at the monster¡¯s reply. Every snicker felt like mounds of iron slamming into her chest, but it was still worth it. ¡°¡­Sorry, I don¡¯t think I can do much today. I-¡° ¡°Be quiet.¡± The monster hovered his hand over the hunter¡¯s throbbing heart. A soft green light began to glow in between them. As Xar¡¯s spell took effect, Rien could feel the pain in her chest gradually melting way; eventually, she couldn¡¯t feel a thing anymore. After briefly examining her state, Rien turning to Xar with a surprised, delighted look. ¡°Woah¡­how did you do that? Magic can¡¯t cure diseases.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s only a pain remedy.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­that¡¯s still pretty amazing though!¡± Hearing Rien¡¯s praise, Xar cleared his throat in embarrassment ¨C though that certainly didn¡¯t stop the hunter from teasing him further. ¡°Maybe if you were this nice all the time, you¡¯d have some frien-¡° Rien¡¯s sentence was cut short as the monster physically sealed her lips, gripping her blabbering mouth with two fingers. ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± ¡°¡­Aay a oon wii a ee.¡± (Says the one with a beak.) ¡°¡­¡± After another sigh, Xar let go of the half, turning to leave as usual. Rien painfully rubbed her lips ¨C which now hurt more than her chest ¨C but she still had to say her usual piece. ¡°Come back soon!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xar ignored the remark and continued to walk aimlessly. It was nothing new for him to roam the foggy forest like this. But strangely, it felt different that day. And it didn¡¯t take that long for him to realize it. ¡®¡­Something¡¯s wrong. Was there another spell in place?¡¯ The monster clenched at his own chest. He didn¡¯t even have a beating heart, but it felt strangely heavy. ¡®I left of my own volition. What is this inclination to return?¡¯ He glanced around. It was the same foggy forest as usual; nothing was out of the ordinary. Or so it should¡¯ve been. ¡®Strange. There shouldn¡¯t be anything that could threaten me in this forest¡­¡¯ And yet, it felt as if he was standing before a towering enemy. After a brief pause, Xar turned to face the path he¡¯d come from. He couldn¡¯t see much beyond the fog, but he hadn¡¯t come very far still. And in the distance was the familiar hunter, no longer suffering from the pain of her disease. However, her physical state remained the same ¨C which wasn¡¯t exactly an ideal state, from what he¡¯d seen earlier. ¡°¡­Rien, was it.¡± Soon, Xar completely turned around, pacing back to the camp. He had to, lest he never learn what this heaviness inside was. But when he arrived, Rien¡¯s eyes were closed, and the half was peacefully laying back against her baggage on the floor. Not a sound came out of her. Her breathing was so scarce, she may as well have been completely silence. ¡®She¡¯s not¡­?¡¯ The monster immediately gripped Rien¡¯s shoulders, trying to shake her awake. ¡°Hey, half!...Rien!¡± ¡°¡­Ehh? Why?¡± Rien lazily rubbed her eyes as she was shaken back awake. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Oh. She wasn¡¯t dead.¡¯ Xar awkwardly stared at the half. He immediately let go of her shoulders, looking away in shame. ¡­Which only confused the half further. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯d you wake me up for?¡± When the monster continued his silence, a playful grin spread across the hunter¡¯s face as she rose to her feet. She leaned towards the feathered figure, noting the same ruffle in his feathers reappearing once again. ¡°Wait¡­did you come back because you were worried? Wow, that¡¯s pretty touching.¡± ¡°¡­I only returned to ask you a question.¡± ¡°A question? What question?¡± ¡°Did you place a spell on me?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? What?¡± ¡°I feel at unease. It feels as if a predator is looming over my back.¡± ¡°Oh, really now?¡± After an amused snort, Rien leaned forward, mischievous eyes staring into the monster¡¯s. ¡°Do you feel empty and uneasy all the time? Like you wanna escape or go somewhere else or run back here?¡± ¡°So it WAS your spell-¡° ¡°Look at that, I was right on day one. You are lonely.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lonely.¡± Rien tapped the monster on his shoulders twice. She then slowly rose to her feet, walking over to their usual stone seats by the fire. After taking a seat herself, the half beckoned her student over ¨C and he¡¯d reluctantly follow, taking a seat at her side and lighting the flame once more. Rien wore a reassuring grin as she continued. ¡°I mean, of course you¡¯re lonely. How could you not be? You¡¯re a person living alone in the middle of nowhere.¡± ¡°¡­I am not a ¡®person.¡¯ I am a monster borne of this forest¡¯s mana.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­hm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°What??¡± After a serious contemplation, Rien came to her own conclusion ¨C which was soon spoken out loud. ¡°Nope. You¡¯re just another typical person to me.¡± ¡°¡­Have you gone mad?¡± ¡°Listen, I mean¡­you¡¯re pretty much just a person who looks a bit weird. Like¡­a half, but with a lot more crow than person? If you went around saying you¡¯re a half, people would believe you.¡± Rien¡¯s ears twitched as she circled around to stand before Xar, poking at the monster¡¯s chest. ¡°You eat, you read, and you even get lonely. If that¡¯s not a person, what is?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not¡­¡± Xar¡¯s voice soon trailed off as he realized what he was saying. Just a few days ago, he could refute all that was being said: he didn¡¯t eat, he didn¡¯t read, and he certainly wasn¡¯t lonely. But now, he could no longer claim as so. When Xar trailed off without any firm denial, Rien threw her head back in a short laughter. ¡°Must be nice, being healthy and all. Skilled with magic, too. I wouldn¡¯t live like that if I were you.¡± ¡°¡­What are you trying to say.¡± ¡°Oh, nothing, it¡¯s just¡­you know, instead of sulking alone in the middle of nowhere all the time, maybe it¡¯d be better if you lived with other people.¡± ¡°¡­I am an enemy to mankind. I¡¯ve killed in thousands under Akeia¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rien raised a brow, as if intrigued by the last remark. What should¡¯ve been an easy death threat was apparently coming across as something else entirely to her. ¡°You sound like you regret it. Was it against your will?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xar neither confirmed nor denied the hunter¡¯s question. But now, one good look at his face was all the answer Rien needed. ¡°You know what¡¯s the best remedy to regret?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Do something nice for others.¡± Despite Xar¡¯s incredulous stare, Rien¡¯s eyes remained firm. She clearly wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Besides, it sounds like you do want to be around people. You just can¡¯t because you¡¯re scared people won¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­not¡­¡± ¡°Oh, please. Look me in the eye and tell me I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°See? You can¡¯t. I bet that¡¯s why you don¡¯t even kill anyone unless they try to kill you first.¡± ¡°¡­And how would you know something like that?¡± After a brief shrug, Rien pointed to herself. ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m still alive. But those thugs that tried to kill you? Dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xar maintained silence. He had absolutely no counter to that. The hunter shrugged back again, pressing her point further. ¡°C¡¯mon, it might not be that bad. Go somewhere south, and I doubt people will recognize you. Change your name, wear some clothes, and¡­maybe go be a teacher like I always wanted to. Sounds pretty nice, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Xar scoffed at the idea. He couldn¡¯t even begin picturing himself fitting that description. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve just barely learned how to read. Teaching is out of the question.¡± ¡°Oh? So you would if you could?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rien only laughed at Xar¡¯s lack of answer. Unlike him, she could totally imagine him standing in front of a class. ¡°Since you¡¯re so good with magic, maybe you can become a magic teacher. Or wait¡­since you¡¯ve lived for a really long time, maybe you¡¯ll be better off teaching history. That sounds fun.¡± ¡°Your death must be nigh. Every man I¡¯ve met tended to spit nonsense before their demise.¡± ¡°Hehe. Maybe.¡± A brief silence settled in as Xar made his way over to the fire, sitting on the stone next to the half. Rien threw her head back as her friend took a seat. The fog was slowly beginning to fade away as night settled in. ¡°¡­You know, I never actually wanted to become a hunter.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ever since I was little, I really liked teaching other people. Back then, I wanted to become a teacher.¡± ¡°¡­And why didn¡¯t you? You weren¡¯t too bad at it.¡± ¡°Who wants a dying person to be their teacher?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rien shifted her gaze back towards the black figure beside her. She nodded her head, approving of the picture she¡¯d painted in her mind. ¡°So you go do it. And tell me what it¡¯s like later.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be long dead by then.¡± ¡°Still! You never know what might happen.¡± ¡°No such day will come. Nothing lies beyond death.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude to talk back to your teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And that¡¯s how you make your students zip their mouth.¡± The disbelief in Xar¡¯s eyes never failed to make the half giggle. He wasn¡¯t so menacing when making that expression. ¡°Hehe¡­just you wait. When we meet again, it¡¯ll be your turn to teach me what you learned in life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Be nice to me, okay?¡± Again, Xar didn¡¯t bother to answer the half. In her approaching death, Rien would die and fade away like any other. Their bond was insignificant and temporary, unworthy of being noted or remembered. ¡®¡­Surely it¡¯s all meaningless.¡¯ Surely, no day will come when he¡¯d see such a pure soul again. ? ? ? Anything can be a manaspawn. Anyone could be a manaspawn. Then, by definition, a manaspawn remains unbound by the laws of race and biology. Perhaps their newest name, ¡®monster,¡¯ roots from our inability to understand their existence. But to lack understanding should not mean to fear. The horrors of the unknown only remain as horrors until one braves the darkness to see their form. Though, admittedly¡­ To label them an abomination is far simpler than braving their depths. Ep 170. I’m Always Right Here. (3) Ep 170. I¡¯m Always Right Here. (3) ¡°¡­And it wasn¡¯t long after when Raizel found us in the forest. Things¡­didn¡¯t exactly go well afterwards.¡± What began as a simple answer soon turned to a full tale of the professor and his meeting with Rien. Light quietly nodded her head, her eyes gleaming in fascination of who she¡¯d supposedly once been. ¡°Haha, wow! Sounds like you never would¡¯ve come out of that forest if it weren¡¯t for me!¡± ¡°¡­Most likely, yes. I would¡¯ve continued to live there as a wild monster.¡± Karas glanced at his student to see her bobbing her head in silence. Even though it wasn¡¯t actually her, she seemed proud of Rien¡¯s actions just the same. And eventually, Light also turned to meet her teacher¡¯s gaze. ¡°So tell me, then. How was your life outside?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Life outside. At times, it was difficult; grueling, even. The academic had long struggled to keep his past a secret, and there were times where his appearance alone was reason for discrimination. But even so, life outside was¡­ ¡°¡­Pleasant.¡± Whenever Karas would close his eyes, he could still vividly recall the years since his departure from the forest. He¡¯d found a home; he¡¯d found bonds to cherish. He¡¯d found reasons to live as a person instead of the monster he once were. Now, there were others who accepted him, regardless of what he used to be. People no longer sought him out as the Monster of Mire. Instead, he was sought out as a professor and a friend. And because he¡¯d chose to step outside of the fog, he¡¯d even been able to reforge the bond he¡¯d lost. As Karas closed his eyes to reflect on his bittersweet memories, Light studied her professor with a pleased, relieved expression. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Hm? About what, exactly?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem so lonely anymore.¡± ¡°¡­Uh?¡± As Karas momentarily lost his voice, an ever-familiar laughter slipped out of his student. It was similar to her usual laughter, and yet, Karas could tease the difference: a pleased, unfeigned laughter, as if in reaction to a student¡¯s accomplishment. But before the academic could say much, his student spoke once more, her smile wider than before. ¡°Hmm, I guess I was more selfish than I thought¡­I should be happy for you, but I¡¯m actually a little sad too. I guess I wanted you to feel a little lonely without me.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. There hadn¡¯t been any visible changes ¨C and yet, something had definitely changed. The half that was sitting by Karas¡¯ side was no longer his student. And as his shock began to fade, his beak finally shuddered open. ¡°¡­Rien?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°How¡­did you¡­?¡± ¡°Right? I wish I knew. How am I alive? That¡¯s so weird, isn¡¯t it?¡± Karas¡¯ body reacted before he could even begin to think of an answer. Trembling arms embraced the half, desperate to hold onto her fleeting presence. ¡°Oh! Wow, you¡¯re a lot bigger now¡­wait, I guess I¡¯m just smaller. Haha, that¡¯s so funny!¡± ¡°¡­Ry¡­¡± ¡°Mm? What did you say?¡± There were lots of things he¡¯d wanted to say. Lots he¡¯d wanted to do. During his days in Partivine, Karas had often spent his days imagining how their reunion would be like. But despite all that, Karas only continued to parrot a single phrase. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Karas¡¯ pleading voice continued to repeat the same phrase over and over again. In response, Rien wrapped her own arms around the feathered figure, gently caressing her shaking lover with a reassuring grin. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°But¡­because of me, you-¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t have a lot of time anyways. I¡¯m glad I got to use it for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± To protect her lover, she¡¯d thrown herself before a towering dragon. The half had chosen to sacrifice herself for his sake until the very end. Karas couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry towards her. But Rien herself begged to differ. ¡°You should be apologizing to Light instead, not me. She doesn¡¯t show it, but she was really scared when you attacked her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Light¡¯s name was mentioned, Karas finally let go of the half in his arms. But when the academic continued to drop his gaze in shame and guilt, Rien reached out to pet his feathered head. ¡°Aww, don¡¯t pout. She doesn¡¯t hate you! She was just scared she¡¯d lose you too.¡± ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she did hate me. She knows that I¡¯m a monster now¡­a former Akeian commander. A murderer who attacked his own student.¡± ¡°Well, she has more reasons to like you than hate you. Pro-fe-ssor.¡± After a small snicker, Rien finished her sentence with a light smack on the professor¡¯s head. Surprised by the sudden blow, Karas rubbed his own head, reflexively looking upwards to see the source of the attack. And when he did, he could see his student smiling at him ¨C at her own student. ¡°And besides¡­I told you, didn¡¯t I? What did I say is the best remedy to regret?¡± ¡°¡­Do something nice for others, you said.¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± Even though their student-teacher relationship had seemingly flipped around in a matter of minutes, neither of them seemed bothered by the sudden change. Instead, the two merely stared at each other, noting the silly grin on each other. ¡°So be nice to her, Karas. She trusts you as much as I do. And just because you miss me doesn¡¯t mean you should nag your own student!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­truly sorry about that. It will never happen again.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s what I came here to say!¡± With those words, the half rose to her feet to stretch herself awake. But on the other hand, Karas showed no signs of getting up from his seat ¨C or rather, he couldn¡¯t. The Historian himself had said that the change would be temporary when it happened. So, as much as he wanted to get up and hold onto his returned lover, he now knew that their time was finite. And he now knew how pointless it was to hold onto what was already gone. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the silence that followed, Rien¡¯s eyes fixed onto the glimmering night sky. It was as if the sky itself was ridden with gems ¨C a sky they could never see in the fogs of Mire. ¡°Look how beautiful the sky is! We couldn¡¯t see sky like that in Mire Forest.¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. It is.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t go back.¡± ¡°¡­Hm?¡± With a quizzical expression, Karas raised his eyes to meet Rien¡¯s. And although the half seemed ever so proud of her student, her eyes now betrayed a hint of sadness. ¡°Even if your regret drowns you¡­even if you want to run away again¡­don¡¯t go back. Stay here with me.¡± ¡°¡­Of course I will.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°¡­Mhm. I promise.¡± There was no way to undo a past wrong. But even so, he had no mind to run away anymore. Running from the past couldn¡¯t serve as a solution. And so, there was nothing but to continue trying. He¡¯d continue to live with others. He¡¯d continue to form bonds with others. He¡¯d continue to live as a person ¨C just as she¡¯d taught him to. So that I may right a past wrong, even if only a small bit¡­so that today does not become another regretful past. Karas steeled his heart, putting his regrets behind. He wordlessly swore to never look back again. But seeing the hints of disappointment in the professor¡¯s expression, Rien looked down at Karas with a sorry, sheepish smile. And soon, she leaned down once more, whispering to her beloved student and teacher. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Karas.¡± For the last time, the two locked eyes with each other. And for the last time, Rien beamed a bright smile at her partner. ¡°I¡¯m always right here.¡± Ep 171. Im Always Right Here. (4) Ep 171. I''m Always Right Here. (4) The first thing Serenis noticed was the clumps of mana that were closing in. The second thing she noticed were the sounds of approaching footsteps, crunching through the forest¡¯s snow and leaves. And finally when she turned her head, she could see Karas returning to camp, his student sound asleep in his arms. ¡°I see you¡¯ve found her, Karas.¡± ¡°Ah, yes ¨C quite easily at that. We had a small chat, and she fell asleep not long after.¡± ¡°I see. Is everything alright then?¡± ¡°¡­Actually, about that-¡° Karas¡¯ tongue was on the verge of explaining what had happened outside of the dragonlord¡¯s awareness: from the moment the world had frozen at the Archive, to the small chat he¡¯d just had with Rien. But the professor soon stopped himself, the Historian¡¯s voice lingering in his head. - ¡®It¡¯s best others don¡¯t listen to this.¡¯ The Historian had gone out of his way to prevent Serenis from listening to them ¨C of the temporary change he¡¯d incurred in Light that had allowed his short reunion with Rien. ¡®Why?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Karas particularly trusted the deity, of course ¨C and definitely not more than Serenis, who he¡¯d now known for quite some time. But even so, the academic felt a pang of reluctance in telling her everything that had went on ¨C not jut for the Historian¡¯s sake, but for his own and Light¡¯s as well. And if he were to leave the past behind, then it made sense to leave it in the dark. ¡°¡­Karas?¡± When Serenis probed him once more, Karas seemed to abruptly awaken from his train of thought. He hurriedly turned to face Serenis afterwards, rushing to answer the dragonlord. ¡°Ah, my apologies. This may seem a bit offtopic, but¡­Serenis, do you perhaps know of what the Historian¡¯s divinity is?¡± ¡°I do not. In fact, I was hoping you would.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Karas¡¯ voice trailed off as a small frown crossed his expression. From the way Zenon had banished them from the Archive, as well as what he¡¯d done to Light, the answer seemed relatively simple. Alas, it was only an assumption ¨C and one he was rather reluctant to share. ¡°Judging by your voice, I¡¯m assuming you aren¡¯t aware, either.¡± Karas looked to Serenis once more. As torn as he was on what to say, the need for an immediate answer only allowed the simplest response from him. ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m afraid not.¡± ? ? ? Truth be told, Serenis thought their troubles were, for the time being, over.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Felicir was no more, with Karas alive and well. They¡¯d at least confirmed the existence of the Historian and their whereabouts, and several other divinities had been dealt with in the process. All that remained was to bring Raizel home, where Karas would be able to transfer the youngling¡¯s essence back to the body it belongs in. And the matter was, in fact, simple. As soon as they arrived at Ilias¡¯ nest in the morning, Karas had rushed into the bedroom where Raizel was: the entire room had turned into a caring home of sorts, with Ilias and Eline watching over the unconscious steel dragon. Even as Serenis, Light and Karas poured into the room, no one bothered to share pleasantries or the like; instead, Karas briskly approached the bedside with the spider in tow, delivering Raizel from the critter Felicir had trapped her in. And not long after, the body that had remained dormant for so long immediately stirred awake, bringing a surge of relief to everyone involved. The relief was especially evident for Eline, who collapsed onto the floor once she saw Raizel stir awake. ¡°Oh, thank goodness¡­I thought I was doing something wrong the entire time¡­¡± Meanwhile, Theolus hopped off from the herbalist¡¯s shoulder, squirming over to the bedside where Raizel was. The little black dragon stared at the awoken youngling for a time, before waving a short hello. ¡°Gwood mwoning!¡± ¡°¡­Ugh. Yeah¡­good morning, I guess.¡± Raizel then began to examine her body, seemingly testing how much of it still functioned as she remembered. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t help but grimace at her lacking state. ¡®Tch. Can¡¯t even feel my leg right now¡­¡¯ And as soon as the youngling tried to get off the bed and onto her feet, Eline jumped back up, rushing to press Raizel back down onto the bed. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t get up!¡± ¡°What? Why the hell not? I¡¯m fine, I just need to move around a bit.¡± ¡°You are NOT fine!¡± A brief silence ensued following the herbalist¡¯s sudden shout. However, the fact that she¡¯d just screamed at a dragon¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem to bother Eline one bit. She instead continued to press Raizel further down unto the bed, accompanied by plenty of reasons as to why the youngling should stay there. ¡°Raizel, right? Listen here. You might feel okay right now, but that¡¯s because I applied a ton of medicine on your left leg. If you get up and walk around, your leg¡¯s going to collapse.¡± ¡°Collapse? The hell do you mean, collapse?¡± ¡°I mean literally collapse. Like a sandcastle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It might look okay, but your leg¡¯s barely holding itself together. You absolutely cannot get up.¡± ¡°¡­As if an arm wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Sighing, the youngling quit resisting the herbalist¡¯s pressing, letting herself sink back to the bed. Eline likewise let out an exasperated sigh, before turning to everyone else in the room. ¡°¡­Sorry. Could you all come back later? Now that she¡¯s awake, I need to look over some things again.¡± After a few nods, everyone began to exit the room in silence. Ilias quickly brought Theolus into her arms, bringing the hatchling outside with her. But even as everyone exited the room, Serenis came to a brief stop before closing the door, turning back to face the herbalist. ¡°¡­Eline.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Will Raizel¡­¡± Be alright, is what she¡¯d meant to ask. But truthfully, the answer was obvious: even if her leg were to somehow return to normal, the missing left arm never would. Unlike the absence of wings or horns, the absence of an arm was far more visible, and far more detrimental. Hence, the question itself was pointless. But as if knowing what the dragonlord had wanted to say, Eline returned a small grin, answering without hearing the question in full. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°Pft, you¡¯re all worried about nothing. I¡¯ll be fine by tomorrow.¡± As even Raizel chimed in to reassure her, Serenis¡¯ gaze fell to the floor. She soon turned back around to leave, closing the door after a short, quiet answer. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As the door soundlessly closed behind her, Serenis let out another exasperated sigh. She knew that Raizel¡¯s current state was far better than what would have been without help, but she nonetheless felt responsible for their misfortunes. However, as if to deny even a moment of respite, the nest¡¯s entrance soon creaked open to reveal Bruton and Aether. ¡°Mom! Dad! You¡¯re back!¡± Despite their daughter¡¯s greeting, the two elders only returned a curt nod towards their daughter. They both scanned the interior, making their way straight towards the dragonlord as soon as she was spotted. ¡°¡­Lord Serenis. I see you¡¯ve returned.¡± ¡°For the time being, yes. I was wondering where you two were. Is something the matter?¡± ¡°¡­Well¡­¡± As Bruton hesitated to deliver the news, his partner shook her head. She approached a step closer to intervene, gesturing towards outside. ¡°Serenis¡­the other elders wish to speak with you. We came as soon as we heard that you were back.¡± ¡°¡­The elders? What of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably best you hear it for yourself.¡± While Serenis remained quizzical, she had little reason to doubt the two dragons before her. Both Bruton and Aether seemed to be in a hurry, and she had no mind to delay an urgent matter concerning her kin. Serenis briefly spared a glance towards the others to exchange curt nods with one another. Karas and Light knew better than to involve themselves in the dragonkins¡¯ affairs without being invited to ¨C and Ilias knew she had to remain behind, if only to tend to their home. And if the past few days were anything to go by, her parents would deny her from accompanying them anyways. Ep 171.5 (Extra). Set Free Just a little something for the occasion. Merry Christmas! Ep 171.5 (Extra). Set Free Elven lights decorated the night sky, illuminating the dark in a glow of green and white. Despite the pending darkness, the entire city of Rosaria seemed awake in celebration. But amidst the crowd of elves, a lone hermit would wear a sour expression as he briskly made his way towards the city¡¯s outskirts. Throughout his venture, he could see star-like decorations depicting the birth of their world. Performers staged a lavish act of their blessed history. In celebration of their very star¡¯s birthday, every adult held a gift in their hands for a child to receive ¨C just like how the Twelve had gifted the entire world to its people. But the elven hermit¡¯s scowl would refuse to fade as he made his way through the busy streets, and eventually into the nearby woods. Unlike the city¡¯s bustling streets, the woods had neither lights nor music to celebrate the occasion. Rays of moonlight were the only lights it had to offer, a flowing stream the only music it had to play. And eventually, the elf would venture through the woods to arrive at a lone chapel. - ¡®¡­¡¯ The hermit wordlessly approached its gate, pushing the rusty door open with a soundless creak. Beyond the rows of old, wooden chairs, an elven woman remained knelt on the floor. Their figure was bathed in moonlight, seeping through the chapel¡¯s arched windows. Her flowing silver hair seemed unusually unkempt, falling to the chapel floor in a haphazard manner ¨C but as if oblivious to the fact, her eyes remained firmly closed, uncaring for how she¡¯d appear to an onlooker. She remained unmoving in place, her hands clasped together in solemn prayer. Grimacing, the hermit would approach the woman, coming to a stop some distance behind her. - ¡®Letherien. The people are awaiting your arrival.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Slowly, Letherien¡¯s colorless eyes began to open. A soft, shuddering sigh slipped through her lips. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m late again, aren¡¯t I.¡± - ¡®It¡¯s quite alright. This is my yearly excuse to care after our people.¡¯The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Is it? I¡¯m glad.¡± A thin smile curved the woman¡¯s lips. After another long sigh, Letherien¡¯s clasped hands unfolded to allow her back on her feet. Still, her eyes remained fixed onto the gleaming moon beyond the chapel¡¯s window, unwilling to turn to face the hermit that had come for her. ¡°It¡¯s been so long¡­but it still pains me to celebrate this day.¡± - ¡®And yet you continue to force yourself to. I can¡¯t imagine what that¡¯d be like.¡¯ ¡°Haha¡­I¡¯m sure you understand, at least in part. You force yourself to come get me every year.¡± - ¡®I¡¯m quite certain it¡¯s but a small trouble compared to yours.¡¯ Letherien¡¯s gaze fell to the dusty floors. Surely, her troubles were hers alone. It was a burden she¡¯d carry for the rest of eternity. But as long as the hermit would remain at her side, she could bear the burden for however long she had to. ¡®As long as you¡¯re here¡­¡¯ With that final thought, Letherien slowly turned around to see the empty chapel. ¡°¡­¡± The elf¡¯s dreary gaze glanced from one dusty corner to the next. But no matter how hard she looked, she saw nothing but old, abandoned furniture. She could no longer see the hermit that once was. Only his illusory voice echoed in her ears, reminding her that no one would come to share in her troubles anymore. ¡°¡­Where¡­¡± A small tear rolled down her cheeks, dropping onto the grass beneath her feet. Letherien grasped at her heart. Even though the actual aching had long stopped, her phantom pain refused to fade. ¡°¡­Where have you gone, Clyus?¡± Eventually, the elf¡¯s lost footsteps carried her outside the chapel. She could create the tallest of towers, the grandest of palaces. If she so wished, she could rebuild the abandoned chapel into the star¡¯s largest temple. Hence, this abandoned chapel had always been special. A small, unremarkable structure in the middle of nowhere, abandoned and left to rot. It was the only structure within the city of Rosaria that the creator had never touched, and the only structure that the hermit would ever call home. ¡°Or so you¡¯d say¡­if you were here.¡± The sadness in her heart quickly reshaped to despair. Then, to anger. And finally, to relief. With a crooked smile, the deity let out a soft laughter. ¡°You¡¯re not here anymore, Clyus.¡± A deep, crunching noise shook the earth. The ground beneath her lightly began to quake, the chapel¡¯s windows webbed with sudden fractures. ¡°You never will be again, will you?¡± With a thunderous noise, the chapel¡¯s windows shattered apart in unison. Metal branches sprouted forth from within and continued to grow, lifting the entire building into the air. A towering iron beam soon showed itself, serving as the trunk of the artificial tree. As the mass of metal continued to grow, the chapel soon disappeared from sight, lifted much too high into the darkness of the night sky. As her laughter died down, Letherien clasped her hands once more, whispering a silent prayer. ¡®May you forever stay dead, Clyus.¡¯ The metal tree behind her then began to emit a flaring orange glow. Its innards soon began to radiate an extreme amount of heat, threatening to burst at any moment. As its creator began to walk back to the city of her people, the giant tree burst in flames behind her. The explosion did not go unheard, nor unseen: the entirety of Rosaria saw the burst of fire in the distance. Blinding sparks exploded outwards to decorate the night sky, carrying bits of the chapel¡¯s incinerated bits. In the distance, Letherien could hear a wave of heated shouts. And soon, several smaller explosions followed, this time from directly above the city. Boom! Flame-lit orbs soared into the air, exploding amongst each other to paint the sky in various lights. Men and women alike rejoiced in the marvels of their fireworks, children screaming in delight and excitement of the unusual sight. ¡°Happy birthday, Nerion¡­¡± Letherien cleared her throat several times, trying to make her crooked smile fade. But when her mirth refused to subside, she began snickering outright instead. ¡°Happy birthday indeed.¡± Ep 172. Get To Work. (1) Ep 172. Get To Work. (1) Light, Ilias, and Karas awkwardly sat around the dining table, with Theolus curled up on top of the table itself. Light wore a thin smile as she pet the hatchling¡¯s head with one finger, watching him squirm and play with her hand. ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never been in your house before.¡± ¡°Oh yeah¡­you two never came to the valley before, huh? It was always me going to Partivine.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­in all fairness, the Dragon¡¯s Valley is considered one of the most dangerous areas that one could possibly travel to.¡± Karas glanced around the cozy atmosphere of the red dragon¡¯s nest, noting its stone structure. The entrance was on the side of a steep cliff ¨C an unimaginable location for those who couldn¡¯t fly. But contrary to the dungeon-like cavern Karas had been expecting, the innards had turned out to be rather comforting: the stone walls and floor were smoothly shaved, and while spacious, the structure was nowhere near as giant as Karas had imagined it would be. Even the interior was filled with all sorts of furniture that one could find in a person¡¯s home. Tables, chairs, lamps and beds¡­and while he¡¯d only seen a glimpse, Karas could swear he saw a sink and cooking utensils in the kitchen. ¡°¡­Though, perhaps the rumors were in exaggeration.¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems so nice here! No wonder Serenis kept saying people used to live with dragons.¡± ¡°Haha, what were you two expecting?¡± Even as Ilias laughed at her own question, Karas and Light turned to the youngling with a stern look on their faces. ¡°A giant cavern.¡± ¡°Skeletons as furniture.¡± ¡°Dragons roaming about in their proper forms.¡± ¡°And lots of treasure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilias¡¯ smile soon faded away as she realized how serious the two were. Even the youngling took a moment to glance around her home, making sure none of that were present. ¡°¡­Come on, that¡¯s just from those picture books they show children! You guys don¡¯t seriously believe them, do you?¡± ¡°What else would we believe in? Most people don¡¯t have dragons around to tell them what their nests look like.¡± ¡°I mean, I guess we had you around often¡­but you never told us about what your house actually looked like. When you kept coming to Partivine, I thought it was because your home was¡­um¡­¡± As Light trailed off, Ilias rolled her eyes, shrugging at the two on the table. The misunderstanding clearly wasn¡¯t a small one. ¡°So all this time¡­you two thought I was running away from home because I lived in a dungeon?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Kind of?¡± Another awkward silence befell the dining room as Ilias struggled to process what her image must¡¯ve been to these two. Apparently, friendly visits were being perceived as being a runaway. ¡®I mean, I guess it¡¯s kind of true¡­it gets boring here¡­¡¯ As Ilias stewed on the misunderstanding¡¯s implications, Light hurriedly looked to the red dragon, changing the subject once again. ¡°So, uh¡­oh yeah! Ilias, that was your parents earlier, right? Do you know where they went?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Ilias uncomfortably squirmed in her seat, her eyes glancing towards the door every so often. She seemed desperate to jump out this very moment. ¡°You see, the other elders have been a bit¡­upset.¡± ¡°Upset? What for?¡± ¡°Because¡­you know, well¡­¡± Ilias pursed her lips, pondering how to best phrase her answer to Light¡¯s question. ¡°They¡¯re not too comfortable having a human in the valley¡­they were already a bit upset about Eline staying here. And I think they were blaming it on Lord Serenis.¡± Both Light and Karas widened their eyes with surprise. Karas especially seemed to doubt the very premise of the youngling¡¯s words. ¡°¡­But how can that be? Eline¡¯s been nursing the dragons back to health, no? I can¡¯t imagine anyone would be upset to have a skilled herbalist treat their families.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­and that kept them quiet for a while. But when I got home with Raizel, everyone was shocked at how horrible her state was. I had to tell them what happened, and¡­well¡­¡± ¡°¡­They found a second reason to dislike Serenis.¡± ¡°¡­Yep.¡± It certainly hadn¡¯t helped that their lord was constantly breaking the kin¡¯s unspoken law of seclusion. It didn¡¯t help when Raizel and Ilias were traveling with her, and it definitely didn¡¯t help when it resulted in Raizel brushing with death. Light groaned at the youngling¡¯s story. Her finger continued to tap against her head as she mulled over the situation. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the old dragons are angry because Serenis isn¡¯t holed up at home like them? Isn¡¯t that kind of¡­trashy?¡± ¡°Well¡­living in seclusion is a big part of their life, so¡­they just don¡¯t like outsiders in general. Us going to them, or them coming to us.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that kind of racist? What¡¯s so good about living like that?¡± ¡°As the elders would say, it¡¯s¡­¡¯the tradition.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s a stupid tradition.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s practically a law around here.¡± Despite the two girls¡¯ agreement on how stupid the kin¡¯s unspoken law was, the reality was that Serenis had broken it with Raizel in tow = and it¡¯d resulted in the youngling becoming severely hurt. And while the two conversed, Karas emptily looked towards the corner of the living area. At this point, he was the only one that was remembering that there was, in fact, another outsider here with them. ¡°Speaking of outsiders¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilias followed Karas¡¯ gaze ¨C as did Light and Theolus soon after. And in the corner, they could see an odd black-haired girl, fidgeting in unease with her eyes glued to the floor. Sighing, Ilias shook her head in dismay. ¡°Was trying to pretend she wasn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­I think she was trying to do that too.¡± ¡°¡­Ilias, Light. That¡¯s not nice.¡± Even as the three spoke of her, Aymeia¡¯s eyes failed to meet theirs. She remained still and silent, akin to a prisoner being held by their captives. Finally, Ilias addressed her directly, making it impossible for the former deity to remain silent. ¡°Why the heck did you come here anyways? I thought Asarda was your home?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­don¡¯t think¡­I¡¯m welcome there anymore.¡± ¡°And you thought you¡¯d be welcome here??¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of an answer, Aymeia only let out a tiny whimper. Clearing his throat, Karas chimed in to defend what dignity that was left of the former deity. ¡°Well, Serenis was in a hurry to bring Raizel home. Aymeia just¡­happened to get caught up.¡± ¡°¡­Riiight.. ¡®Caught up.¡¯¡± Ilias shook her head in dismay. Truth be told, Ilias was still angry at Aymeia for what they¡¯d done to Raizel. Their lack of intent helped little in face of what¡¯s happened to her friend. But after the short conversation Serenis had had with her, Ilias was reluctant to press the matter any further. So instead, the red dragon only let out an audible groan. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m sure Eline will be done soon. We can see what Raizel has to say then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While her lips continued to remain sealed, Aymeia did return a few nods this time. Theolus alone remained oblivious to what was going on, glancing between the four that were gathered around. They all looked somewhat unhappy to him, but for all he knew, they were all hungry. And, in fact, the four were all thinking along the same line of thought. ¡®If Raizel decides not to forgive her, then¡­¡¯ Well, too bad. Ep 173. Get To Work. (2) Ep 173. Get To Work. (2) A few hours ago¡­ ¡°Dragon¡­lord?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you sure I should be coming with you all? I, I¡¯m fine going on my own¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no time to waste for your sake. Unless you¡¯d like to jump off, you¡¯ll be coming with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aymeia drooped her head as she heard Serenis¡¯ response. As much as she wanted to get off, there was no way she could jump off a flying dragon and hope to survive in her current state. Reading the hints of reluctance on the former deity¡¯s face, Serenis studied her for a while longer before adding onto her answer: ¡°If you regret what you¡¯ve done, then say so to those you¡¯ve hurt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­For you, it¡¯s not too late to hear their answer.¡± Everyone grimaced at the dragonlord¡¯s last phrase ¨C including herself. And soon after, Aymeia spared a brief glance towards the spider behind her. The creature was likewise staring back at her, though it remained silent as usual. And until their arrival at the valley, no one would speak another word. ? ? ? ¡°There. Stay still.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raizel¡¯s lips pursed in disappointment. Normally, the youngling was wont to do as she pleased. she¡¯d always been against taking orders from those weaker than her, and that was nearly everyone. Which made this the first time. Paradoxically, the herbalist before her was too weak. While Raizel had no qualms pummeling another dragon into the ground, a flick of her hand could very well cause irreversible damage on Eline. And so, with violence no longer an option, all Raizel had at her disposal were words¡­which wasn¡¯t exactly her strongest suit. ¡°Whew.¡± After applying the last bit of the salve in hand, Eline wiped her hands before turning to address the youngling¡¯s frowning face. ¡°You need to be very careful for a while. You absolutely cannot get up until your bones are stable.¡± ¡°How long is a while?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say about two months at least, but¡­you¡¯re a lot heavier than other dragons, so your leg will probably be under a lot more stress. Maybe¡­a year or two?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Wait, seriously? You expect me to stay holed up here for an entire year?¡± ¡°Or two. If you need anything, you¡¯ll have to ask me or the others.¡± ¡°¡­Can¡¯t I just move around on one leg or something?¡± ¡°And risk losing the other one? Nuh uh. Even a tiny trip could cost you right now.¡± Raizel¡¯s lips pursed further, her disappointment visibly growing. She then glared at her own molten leg as if to threaten it to recover faster ¨C though it wasn¡¯t really accomplishing much. ¡°¡­Even when I ripped out my own bone, the old hag could fix it in minutes.¡± ¡°¡­I thought Aether hated you calling her that. And I told you, that¡¯s because it was just the bone. We can swap out your bones easily ¨C they¡¯re entirely metal for you. But if we did that this time, the rest of your leg will never recover.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°It means you¡¯ll basically be walking around with a metal beam, not a leg.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Same reason why we can¡¯t just attach a piece of metal as your arm and call it a day.¡± Raizel was almost starting to miss having 8 legs as a spider. Almost. But before she could continue that train of thought, a series of knocking interrupted her, with Ilias¡¯ voice accompanying it. ¡°Eline? Can we come in now, or do you still need more time?¡± ¡°Oh. It¡¯s alright! You can come in!¡± The wooden door slowly creaked open as Ilias showed herself. But much to Raizel¡¯s surprise, standing next to her friend was the very person who¡¯d caused the whole mess: the very one responsible for the state of her limbs. As the youngling¡¯s eyes narrowed to a glare, Aymeia helplessly fidgeted her hands, her gaze glued to the floor. Raizel then looked to her friend, gesturing towards the former deity. ¡°What¡¯d you bring her for?¡± ¡°Well¡­now that you¡¯re awake, she had something to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­Tch. I could care less.¡± As everyone fell silent, all eyes fixed onto the former deity. As she took a deep breath, Aymeia finally raised her gaze to meet Raizel¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­for what happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Truthfully, Raizel wasn¡¯t as angry at Aymeia as others imagined her to be. It wasn¡¯t that the steel dragon was showing sympathy or mercy ¨C she¡¯d simply been told over and over again that one day, her luck would eventually turn around to punish her for all the trouble she¡¯d caused others. All the violence she¡¯d wielded in her life would return to haunt her, is what the elders had said. And to that, Raizel¡¯s answer had always been the same. - ¡®Sure, let it.¡¯ After all her years of using brute force to get her way, it only made sense that one day, someone else would do the same to her. But even as the youngling processed her feelings, her lips curved into an evil grin, her head filling with snarky thoughts. ¡®Actually¡­this could work.¡¯ And finally, what came out of her mouth wasn¡¯t in line with her honest thoughts whatsoever. ¡°Sorry? I have to stay holed up for decades, and you think sorry¡¯s gonna cut it?¡± ¡°¡­Wait, decades? I only said-¡° ¡°WELL?! SAY SOMETHING!¡± Eline¡¯s correction was swiftly drowned out as Raizel screamed out her last phrase. In response, Aymeia jerked back slightly, her tone shuddering in guilt and fear. ¡°I, I¡¯m really sorry¡­if I can make up for it in any way, I will¡­¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s better.¡± The heaviness in the air immediately dissipated as Raizel slumped back on her bed. She then leisurely turned to Ilias ¨C as well as Light and Karas, who were standing a little ways behind the red dragon. ¡°By the way, what were you guys saying earlier? Something about the old bones having a problem with Lord Serenis?¡± ¡°¡­Wait, you heard that?¡± ¡°Sure I did.¡± Immediately after, the steel dragon¡¯s pressuring gaze fell upon Aymeia next. ¡°Go find out what that¡¯s all about.¡± ¡°Me? H¡­how?¡± ¡°What else? Go to them and ask.¡± Aymeia opened and closed her mouth several times. She wasn¡¯t even sure where to begin with that query. ¡°¡­You want me to¡­ask the elder dragons¡­directly?¡± ¡°Well, I would myself, but I can¡¯t ¨C thanks to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So you go do it instead.¡± As Aymeia remained frozen on the spot, Ilias kindly leaned forward to whisper in the former deity¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­She¡¯s not lying. Knowing Raizel, she really would barge in and ask them directly.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly helpful advice, of course. Actually, it wasn¡¯t much of an advice at all. Aymeia¡¯s eyes began to shake as she imagined how that would go. Confronting an elder dragon was one thing, inquiring a personal matter was another, and obtaining the answer was¡­well, as far as she could imagine, practically impossible. But impossible or not, Raizel nudged her head once more, hurrying the former deity to get out. ¡°Well? What¡¯re you waiting for?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­um¡­¡± Raizel snorted at the broken answer. She was making a sly grin, but fortunately(?), Aymeia¡¯s eyes were too busy staring at the floor to notice. Apparently, being bed-ridden wasn¡¯t all bad. ¡°Get to work.¡±