Chapter 388
Chapter 388
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 388
Chapter Title: 2-10 The Right to Gaze at the Stars (2)
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"What did you say?"
It felt like someone had smashed a rock into my head.
What had just come out of her mouth was undoubtedly my father's name.
Crimson eyes were scrutinizing my face intently.
"They said you'd recognize me at first glance, and now I get what they meant. The name... Ronan. That's you, right?"
"...Yes."
"Come closer. Let me take a better look."
I slowly rose from my seat.
Navardoje had told me to come closer, but to converse without our bodies touching, I actually needed to step back half a pace.
She stroked my cheek.
"It's really you. Especially your eyes—they're so alike. I thought you were dead."
Her touch was as delicate as polishing a rare treasure.
I worked to calm my pounding heart.
Navardoje had been close with my father originally, so it wasn't strange that she knew me.
I took a deep breath and spoke.
"...Is my father still alive, by any chance?"
"You... didn't know? It's heartbreaking to say this, but Cain has already..."
"Ah, no. I figured as much. I expected it."
I shook my head.
It wasn't a huge shock since I'd suspected it.
Considering all the circumstances, there was no way my father could still be alive now.
Navardoje continued.
"Cain was a lovely child. Even as his wounds festered and he lay dying, he never lost his heart of compassion. I've never seen a kinder human."
"That's just who he was. What about Elisia?"
"How do you know Elisia?"
"Well, it just sort of... came up."
"Ufufu, that can happen. Another name I miss dearly... Elisia followed Cain five years ago. She passed soon after completing this place."
"Damn it."
My clenched fist tightened.
This confirmed that all the founding members of Nebula Klazie were dead.
Navardoje explained that Elisia's spirit magic had made an immense contribution to building the resistance's headquarters.
From the day she lost Cain, she'd been declining, and she collapsed the moment the commemorative monument announcing completion was erected—never to open her eyes again.
"Her name is at the very top. Right there with the heroes who fought the invaders to the end."
"She deserves it. Have you ever heard the name Iril, by chance?"
"Iril... Ah, your sister, the one Cain mentioned."
I needed another deep breath.
Like Adeshan's survival, it was painful but something I had to know.
After a moment of silence, Navardoje shook her head.
"...Regrettably, I have no news of her."
"I see."
"I'm sorry I couldn't help. Elisia and Cain's remains are kept here—would you like to see them?"
"...Later."
This was as expected, too.
But it still sucked, so I averted my gaze.
My briefly blurred vision cleared.
"Fufu, all right. Anyway, you really do look just like him... How can you be so identical...?"
"Hm?"
Navardoje was still stroking my cheek.
Suddenly, an odd sense of dissonance hit me.
The palm touching my skin was as cold as porcelain.
"Where have you been all this time? If you were alive, I would have known... Ngh."
"What? Are you okay?!"
Suddenly, Navardoje clamped her hand over her mouth.
I supported her as she staggered.
The moment I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, that dissonance washed over me again.
She's cold. Definitely.
"Your body...!"
"Oh dear, you've noticed?"
Navardoje let out a hollow laugh.
When she pulled her palm from her mouth, it was smeared with sticky blood.
My heart plummeted.
Her body temperature was far too low for a red dragon.
Normally, just being near her should make you sweat from the heat.
Her index finger pressed against my lips as I opened my mouth.
"Shh... Keep this a secret from the others. I don't want to worry them needlessly."
Her voice was pleading.
She shook the blood from her palm into the air, and the stains vanished.
I nodded slowly.
Her finger lifted.
"Thank you."
"...What's going on?"
"Just as you saw and felt. I don't have much time left. My life is like the last flickering embers in a cold campfire."
Navardoje smiled with her eyes.
It was aftereffects from back-to-back battles with the giants.
She was the only one who could fight them on equal terms, but the baldheads refused one-on-ones.
"I was outnumbered. I couldn't handle it. I fled here with the surviving children."
The star's blessing was unfair.
Navardoje, gravely wounded, decided to retreat the moment the third giant descended.
Her quick judgment allowed her to miraculously save a small group.
They'd scraped together a survival setup and led the resistance, but even that was reaching its limit.
"Can't you focus on treatment from now on?"
"If I'm lucky, I might last a few more years. But how could I? With so many children depending on me to live. Rather than dragging out my half-life, I'd rather devote myself to teaching them under the sunlight."
"What do you... Ah."
I realized the meaning belatedly and let out an admiring sound.
No wonder she'd seemed extraordinary from the first impression.
Mana from Navardoje was pouring out from the artificial sun overhead.
"Impressive magic."
"Fufu, my masterpiece. Though it's fake... it's no different from my heart."
This showed why she was the strongest on this star.
Fake or real didn't matter.
To everyone here sustaining life on her light and warmth, she was already a goddess.
"Isn't life truly beautiful? The terror of death and the cold melt away like snow at the children's laughter..."
Navardoje's gaze shifted past my shoulder.
Her eyes, sweeping over the resistance fighters, sparkled with pity and affection.
That tender expression no longer held the dignity of the world-burning wyrm.
'Shit.'
I twisted my lips.
The situation was worse than I'd thought.
I'd assumed Navardoje was relatively fine, but she was basically a hospice patient.
I needed to act fast.
I silently drew my sword.
Then lightly划 my left index finger along the blade.
Lynn buzzed in startled vibration.
"...What are you doing all of a sudden?"
Navardoje was just as shocked.
Her eyes were wide as she stared at the blood welling from the cut.
Instead of answering, I flashed a grin.
"Navardoje. Could you open your mouth for a sec?"
"My mouth...?"
"No time to hesitate. Forgive my rudeness."
"Euk?!"
It was instantaneous.
I yanked her waist in with my right arm.
The moment she stiffened in surprise.
I slipped my bleeding left index finger between her slightly parted lips.
Unlike her skin, her mouth still held warmth.
The tongue brushing my finger was soft and hot.
"Uuuugh!"
"Drink. Don't freak out. Trust me."
I could have persuaded her or mixed it in food, but that was too much hassle.
Better to be a bit rude and show results—it was quicker and easier all around.
I felt my finger reach her throat.
I squeezed out the last of the blood from the wound and withdrew.
"Phew... Success."
She shoved me away, coughing.
She could finally breathe properly.
I licked up the remaining blood and smiled.
"You'll be fine. Everyone else was."
Suddenly, Navardoje froze mid-sentence.
She must have sensed the change.
Her hair, fluttering like angry flames, settled.
Fwaaaaa—!
The sunlight illuminating the base suddenly intensified.
"W-what?! The sun...!"
"N-Navardoje!"
Screams erupted from all around.
The afternoon autumn light had turned into the scorching blaze of a midsummer desert.
Snapping to her senses, Navardoje urgently raised her arms.
"Oh no!"
The light dimmed as the screams faded.
Navardoje clutched her chest, catching her breath.
Heat boiling from her heart was rapidly thawing her frozen body.
"Good. It works after all."
I let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing sweat trickle down Navardoje's cheek eased my mind.
The wounds from the giants couldn't heal with normal methods.
I'd been a bit nervous using blood as medicine again, but since the curse was gone, the effect seemed even stronger.
"Still, don't push yourself too hard. You need proper rest to fully recover. Drink once every three days until then."
"You... what...?"
Navardoje brushed back her sweat-matted hair.
The look in her eyes was completely different now.
With the most urgent issue resolved, it was time for the main topic.
Making up some half-baked story would backfire.
I decided quickly.
"Navardoje. The truth is, I came from another world."
"Another world?"
"Yes. A place like this one but different. Have you heard of parallel worlds?"
There was no reason to hide it.
No need to watch my words was one of the few perks of a ruined world.
I summarized the parallel world concept I'd heard from Sarantel and Asel.
The same stage, but with a different history.
After staring blankly for a while, Navardoje spoke.
"...I'd like a detailed explanation."
Her tone was serious.
Fortunately, no lightning bolts or guards dragging me off by the shoulders.
Good thing I'd fed her the blood first.
"Sure. It'll be pretty long—okay with that?"
"Quite the opposite. It's welcome.
I'll give you a tour while we talk."
Clap clap!
Navardoje clapped her hands.
A ground-shaking rumble echoed from nearby.
Suddenly, a giant covered head to toe in golden crystal emerged from the cave right behind the flower beds.
It resembled the cave giant monster but was overwhelmingly larger.
"This is...!"
"The original master of this underground world. Elisia housed a spirit in its soulless body."
My eyes went wide.
I'd never imagined it still existed.
The king of cave giants once controlled by Eduon and Syrila.
The king I'd met in the original world had been reborn not as Nebula Klazie's combat weapon, but as high-performance construction equipment.
"Grooo."
The giant lowered its palm as if inviting us aboard.
Navardoje boarded with my support.
The giant placed us on its shoulder and began walking.
"Whoa."
My view rose in an instant.
The full vista of the base spread out.
Details invisible from Orse's back came into sight.
Fairy-tended farms and dwarf-carved stone buildings.
Orse dozing with nods.
That one in the corner playing dead like Le Tancier.
It was a scene embodying resilient vitality.
But the person beside me made it hard to focus.
The Mother of Fire stretching her arms with a yawn turned everything around her into worthless trash by comparison.
"Ahh, it's been so long since I felt this refreshed."
"...Whoa."
My eyes rolled like they had magnets, full of resentment.
My happiness index rose proportionally to my dropping IQ.
At this rate, I'd forget what I meant to say.
The moment she finished yawning, I spoke up.
"Alright. Let's start then. Where should I begin...?"
I pondered where to start, then decided on the beginning.
"This is my second life."
In other words, from the moment I regressed.