Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: Dragon King (2)
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【Pleased to meet you. I am Azidahaka, the Dragon Lord who rules Adren—】
【Azidahaka.】
Ronan and his companions froze. The sheer enormity of the beast was enough to make anyone shrink back in fear just by its presence. At this size, it could probably go toe-to-toe with Navardoje in all seriousness.
Silence hung in the air. Dragon King Azidahaka stared down at them blankly, as if waiting for something. Ronan belatedly realized what he needed to do and bowed his head.
"...I am Ronan."
He had nearly ignored the Dragon King's greeting. He wondered if he should have been more formal, but there wasn't time for that. Asel and Schlieffen hurriedly followed suit.
"I-I'm Asel... P-please spare... no, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Glory to the lord of Adren. Schlieffen Sinivan de Grancia greets the Dragon Lord."
Schlieffen was the only one who performed the proper etiquette. Asel's face drained of color as he realized his mistake. Only then did the Dragon King lower his raised head to meet their eye level.
'Damn, he's fucking huge up close.'
Seen from this distance, his majesty was even more overwhelming. His scales, beautiful as if carved from gold, were each larger than an adult's palm.
A pair of horns on each head—four in total—were wrapped with dozens of jeweled bands. Navardoje's attire had seemed flashy, but compared to this, it was nothing.
The faces were nearly identical, but the horn decorations and voices distinguished them. Two heads opened their mouths.
Surprisingly, there was no rebuke for their greetings. The speech pattern grew more intriguing the more they heard it. The left head would begin in a masculine voice, and the right would finish in a feminine one.
Ronan suddenly noticed both heads were looking directly at him. He scratched his head and replied.
"It wasn't that big a deal. Thanks."
Praise from high and mighty figures was always burdensome, no matter how often he heard it. It felt like wearing ill-fitting silk robes. The left head chuckled softly.
Ronan bowed sheepishly. Compared to the rumors he'd heard, this guy seemed perfectly reasonable. At this point, he suspected the slander had come from Itargand's side.
"Uh... I don't really have any special secret."
Ronan answered. In truth, there was nothing beyond swinging his sword like a madman. The Dragon King's tone subtly deepened.
The two heads were each staring at Asel and Schlieffen. Come to think of it, the marks from Itargand were still on the two of them. The right head slowly approached, coiling around the three like a serpent.
'This feels bad.'
"Ro-Ronan...!"
"...Hold on."
He could feel his heart racing. Ronan gestured for Asel, who was glancing at him with teary eyes, to calm down.
Schlieffen's hand was slowly moving toward his sword hilt. The left head turned back to Ronan.
Ronan twisted his lips. It was exactly what he'd expected—and dreaded—since he had no real countermeasure. 'Damn it.'
If even ordinary dragons could sense Navardoje's aura, of course the Dragon King could. Ronan didn't answer. As he quickly scanned for escape routes,
Suddenly, both heads opened their maws wide. Whoosh! A glow rose from deep in their throats, swirling within their mouths.
The flickering light leaking between their teeth made it look as if they were biting down on the sun itself. It wasn't hard to realize this was the beam that had sunk Orse. The golden coin desert blazed in the reflected light.
This was seriously bad. Ronan, hand on his sword hilt, glanced at Asel and Schlieffen. Just as he was about to signal the escape plan he'd prepared,
Thud! The two heads, poised to unleash hellfire, snapped shut.
"What?"
Ronan furrowed his brow. The three of them froze in place. As bewildered silence stretched on, the Dragon King uncoiled his neck and burst into laughter.
The tower shook with their roaring guffaws. The male and female voices echoed boisterously. Unable to hold back, Ronan spoke up.
"...What the hell are you doing?"
"A prank?"
Ronan's brow furrowed deeply. The two heads nodded in unison.
"Y-You, that's too mean...!"
Thud. Asel's legs gave out, and he collapsed. Ronan clenched his fist.
He'd endured all sorts of shitty pranks as a penal soldier, but this was a first. Crush! Suddenly, the pile of gold coins the Dragon King was buried in collapsed.
'Hm?'
It had crumbled because he was shaking with laughter. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unexpectedly revealed part. The roots of the two necks connected to the body like index and middle fingers.
'...Not two beings, but one with two heads.'
It was his first time seeing a twin-headed dragon. He'd heard multi-headed dragons were rarer than multi-winged ones, but to encounter one here of all places.
'Hm?'
Ronan tilted his head at a sudden sense of wrongness. The left side of the left neck was bulging unnaturally, like something half-grown.
And if he wasn't mistaken, the surface was wriggling. What the hell was that? As Ronan's eyes narrowed,
Boom! Noticing his body was exposed, the Dragon King dove back into the gold. Waves of golden coins surged.
'Tch, there was definitely something there.'
Ronan clicked his tongue, unable to confirm it properly. His instincts told him he'd uncovered something crucial. The Dragon King, finally stopping his laughter, spoke.
Huh? Ronan tilted his head. He hadn't expected that at all—let alone for the Dragon King to admit he'd once been wary of her. As Ronan opened his mouth to ask,
The party's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't just rewarding Ronan—he was giving prizes to Asel and Schlieffen too. As expected of Adren's lord; his generosity knew no bounds.
"Th-Thank you...!"
"Pardon?"
Ronan froze. It was like a bolt from the blue. He'd expected either rewards or death—not banishment. He spoke urgently.
"Uh... but Orse is still out there. Shouldn't we stay until we catch him?"
The Dragon King turned away arbitrarily. Embarrassment clouded Asel and Schlieffen's faces.
"Ro-Ronan. What do we do?"
"...This is troublesome."
It looked like they were screwed. The Dragon King's heads were already sinking into the gold. They couldn't leave without learning anything. Ronan called out.
"Your Majesty, may I ask one thing?"
The Dragon King's movements halted. It was all or nothing now. Taking a deep breath, Ronan asked.
"Do you know of an organization called Nebula Klazie?"
It was a bold question, even by his own standards. An awkward silence fell. The left head spoke.
Ronan's face lit up at the confirmation. Of course—Navardoje had written the letter herself; he couldn't claim ignorance in good conscience. Ronan continued.
"Lady Navardoje said she sent a message to Adren. To beware of them. And handling the dragons here falls under your jurisdiction, Your Majesty."
But the good mood was fleeting. The Dragon King dropped that line and turned his back again.
"Wait, no...!"
Flustered, Ronan tried to speak, but no chance came this time. The two heads fully submerged. In the space left behind, only echoes of the Dragon King's voice remained.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Naransonia appeared immediately, as if she'd been waiting. The door connecting to the reception room was already open. She addressed the three.
"Shall we go? Though time is short, I'll ensure you can rest comfortably."
Ronan and his group left the audience chamber without resistance. They knew loitering there wouldn't help. Dodging the Dragon King's death beam would be lucky enough; information was a pipe dream.
Naransonia guided them to opulent bedrooms fit for an emperor. She promised to fetch them at dawn and departed, adding a warning not to step outside.
Ronan, perched on his bed, spat out bluntly.
"We're fucked."
Asel and Schlieffen affirmed with silence. It was nearing midnight; less than six hours until expulsion.
Beside each bed stood an ornate, massive chest overflowing with the Dragon King's gifted treasures.
Enough gold to feed generations, but it brought little joy. They hadn't come to Adren for trinkets. Ronan said,
"We'll have to sneak out at dawn, even if we get caught."
"I-Is that okay? If we're discovered...!"
"We'll end up as ash or skewers. Either way. Why ask the obvious?"
"Eek...!"
Asel yelped in terror, but Ronan remained calm. No hard evidence, but something smelled off. The Dragon King's claim of no longer wary of Navardoje—and that boil-like growth on his body—nagged at him.
"We have to go. These bastards are definitely hiding something."
"I agree."
"E-Even you, Schlieffen?"
Schlieffen, who had been silent, nodded. He too sensed the unease.
Asel was still panicking, but Ronan ignored it. The guy would do what needed doing anyway. Schlieffen said,
"Rest while you can. I'll take first watch."
"Heh... Good kid."
Ronan chuckled. It was a sound call. They needed to shake off the day's fatigue, even briefly.
Especially Ronan and Asel, who'd fought an evil dragon and levitated a galleon into the sky—hardly easy feats.
"Alright. Let's move around 3 a.m."
With that, Ronan flopped onto the bed. Asel hesitated before lying down. Both were asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow...
Schlieffen's voice came.
"Ronan."
"Yeah. I noticed too."
Ronan sat up, eyes already open. He'd woken before Schlieffen roused him. Time was unclear. Asel, facing him, stammered,
"Ro-Ronan. Th-This is...!"
Asel was also up, sitting on his bed. He looked freshly awakened, like Ronan. Ronan asked,
"What time is it?"
"Exactly five minutes to three."
"...My instincts haven't dulled yet."
Ronan murmured. It wasn't Schlieffen's voice that woke them, but an intense, unknown presence. Even without focus, they could sense something massive pulsing upstairs.
"Damn, is the Dragon King dancing or what?"
"I-I'm not sure. But this aura..."
Asel trailed off. He didn't know details, but something was definitely happening.
Ronan felt it more strongly: the telltale shimmer of Nebula Klazie in the air. He muttered to himself,
"What the hell are these bastards doing up in the tower?"