Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Scars Left on the World (5)
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9
Laura Aunsor ultimately failed her mission and returned to the Dark Snowfields. The upper echelons did not blame her. Based on the reports from those who had carried out the operation with her, they judged it an unavoidable situation.
She withdrew from the elders' presence and headed toward the annex where the Aunsor family resided. Then, one person appeared before her.
“Laura.”
He was a Dragon Demon youth with vibrant golden hair and horns that resembled ice carvings painted with color. It was Kirien Baltazak. Laura looked at him with an expressionless face and said,
“Duke Baltazak, I heard you were in the middle of a mission?”
While Kirien called Laura intimately, she addressed him strictly with formal honorifics. Kirien shrugged his shoulders.
“Mine was just a simple reconnaissance of the Marquess Karzark territory this time. We got intel midway that the Cold-Blooded Empress had made a move, so the recall order came down.”
“Clean withdrawal suits you, Duke Baltazak.”
“Well, when the recall order comes, that's just how it is.”
“Niberis would have insisted on results and held out, ending up fighting the Cold-Blooded Empress.”
“…….”
Baltazak's expression stiffened slightly.
Laura said,
“I'm hardly one to talk, though.”
“Ah, um. Laura, about this mission...”
Kirien knew that Laura had returned after failing her mission. Having never failed before, he pondered how to console her, but Laura spoke first.
“It wasn't so bad, surprisingly.”
“Huh?”
“Failing. Turns out it's not a big deal once you experience it.”
“…….”
He couldn't grasp what she meant. As Baltazak wore a troubled look, Laura said,
“But Sir Rick's death is regrettable.”
“…I judged he could handle it, but I was too hasty.”
At those words, Kirien gave a wry smile.
Rick was a Dragon Demon who had gone on the mission with Laura and was a retainer of the Baltazak family. Originally scheduled for the Thunder Dragon and Dragon Slaying Ritual, he had instead performed it on the Frost Dragon summoned unexpectedly by the Guardian Shadows.
In the end, he lost the deathmatch and offered his wisdom to the Frost Dragon before dying.
“…….”
Laura silently gazed at Kirien for a moment. Then, without mentioning him further, she changed the subject.
“I've never seen the Cold-Blooded Empress in person, but I've heard she's as dangerous as the Dragon Sword Duke or worse.”
“Yeah. I've never seen her myself either. The standing orders are to avoid fighting her if at all possible.”
“She's someone I'd like to match against Niberis at least once.”
“Laura...”
As Laura kept bringing up Niberis, Kirien furrowed his brow slightly. The usual Laura paid Niberis no mind. She would brush off even the blatant hostility right in front of her, which only irritated Niberis more. So why was she acting like this all of a sudden?
Laura said,
“Sorry. Is this what they call being petty?”
“Huh?”
“Just a feeling. When I get back, I'll probably get compared to you and hear all sorts of nasty comments.”
“…….”
Niberis, Laura, and Kirien were the most promising young talents in the Dark Snowfields. Naturally, they saw each other as rivals and always kept tabs on one another's achievements. In truth, the factions they belonged to demanded it even more, pressuring them relentlessly.
Kirien was one of those leading the pack in this rivalry. Unlike Niberis or Laura, he had suffered several early failures. But drawing on that experience, he approached missions more cautiously, steadily piling up successes.
In contrast, Niberis had been riding high before tasting bitter failure, and now Laura had joined her in that. She could already feel irritation rising at the thought of what the Aunsor family elders—who had drilled perfection into her since childhood—would say when she returned.
Laura said,
“Duke Baltazak, what if Azel Karzark has descendants?”
“Hm? Azel Karzark? Why bring him up?”
“Just curious.”
Laura deliberately avoided explaining Azel Zestringer to him. Kirien tilted his head at the out-of-left-field question before answering.
“Who knows? Humans breed easily, so there might be some somewhere in the world. We wiped out every bloodline stemming from the Karzark family, but what we do isn't perfect like the gods' work.”
If Azel had heard that, he would have found a way to kill him no matter what. The annihilation of the Karzark family had been another calamity wrought by the Dragon Demon Worshippers.
“What I mean is, what if one of those descendants actually exists and gets in our way?”
“Then we'd eliminate them. Obvious answer.”
“Thought so. Thanks for confirming.”
Laura nodded as if she had expected as much and turned away. Once she was far enough that Kirien could no longer see her, she looked up at the empty sky and murmured,
“But I want to ask him. How what we've shouldered through each other's blood over these years differs...”
Those who inherited the blood of the Dragon Demon King who sought to create a new world, and the great being he had chosen.
And those who inherited the blood of the human who thwarted the Dragon Demon King's legacy.
Just how differently did they perceive the 220 years that had passed, the meaning of the bloodlines handed down through the generations? Laura was immensely curious about that.
She halted her steps. Instead of heading to the Aunsor annex, she turned and made for another destination—to meet the eldest senior who had lived the longest on this land, one who would give an answer different from Kirien's to her question.
10
After rescuing Dragon Demon Prince Seiga, the Guardian Shadows vanished without even a farewell. It seemed they wished to avoid exposing themselves to Seiga, who did not belong to their group.
Seiga, who had lost consciousness, awoke the next day. Learning his master had saved him, he flushed with shame. He explained what had happened during his encounter and fight with Laura...
“Somehow, putting your words together, Seiga...”
Having heard Seiga out, Kairen reached one conclusion.
“The reason they tried to abduct you and Arietta... might not be because you're of the Dragon Demon King's bloodline?”
“That is what I think as well.”
Seiga nodded.
The Laura Aunsor who had subdued him had dropped several hints during the fight that could point to the truth. She had referred to Seiga as one who inherited the blood of the great one, or the king.
That alone might seem hasty grounds for such a conclusion. But from the start, the only one the Dragon Demon Worshippers—especially those from the nobility-like Dark Snowfields—called “king” was the Dragon Demon King.
Azel said,
“High possibility. That would explain their motives, more or less... Hm. No, it doesn't quite explain it, does it?”
“How could it?”
“Right? There must be more than one or two Dragon Demons in the world carrying Dragon Demon King Atein's blood?”
“Hm? What do you mean by that?”
Kairen asked in surprise. From his experience as a Guardian Shadow, those carrying Atein's blood were treated like nobility—or even royalty—among the Dragon Demon Worshippers. Yet Azel spoke as if such beings were a dime a dozen.
Azel said,
“Well... Atein is the longest-lived among all Dragon Demons, possibly the first magician ever. Even before he proclaimed himself Dragon Demon King and rallied the Dragon Demons into an army, he lived an incredibly long time and had relations with many, leaving behind descendants. So it's only natural his blood runs thick throughout the world.”
“...Never heard any of that before.”
“You mean records of Atein have been purged too?”
“No, that's... Hm. Maybe so.”
Kairen, about to deny it, soon furrowed his brow.
The Dragon Demon Worshippers had erased countless records from history over 220 years. If Atein's history was among them, it would almost be expected.
“I knew the Dragon Demon King lived a long time and was the first Dragon Demon, but I had no idea he had that many descendants. Or rather, I'd never even considered it.”
“Hard to imagine a being who called himself king leaving hordes of offspring everywhere. Better off unknown, really.”
Azel agreed. Before the Dragon Demon War, Atein had been treated as a vague legend or a figure from ancient myths long gone. Dragon Demon origins and Atein's existence were known only to magicians, and even they hadn't imagined he had lived that long.
In other words, Atein had only imprinted his existence on the world after declaring himself Dragon Demon King and starting the war. Azel himself had been ignorant of pre-war Atein until Kallos later dug relentlessly into his past while devising ways to defeat him.
Azel said,
“Anyway... Even if the princess or prince carries a bit more of that blood, it wouldn't justify their risky abduction attempt. In terms of blood purity, they're far superior themselves.”
“Exactly. For them to risk it anyway means there had to be a compelling reason...”
“No basis left for further speculation. Pushing it would just breed baseless conjecture.”
“Pity.”
Kairen clicked his tongue.
Seiga said,
“Hm. That woman was truly a terrifying magician. Even compared to the Dragon Demon Niberis who fought my sister, she seemed no less.”
“Likely more. No need for self-recrimination. It wasn't due to your shortcomings.”
“No. I should have been more cautious...”
Seiga sighed. It had been a mistake to act so defenseless out of care for his subordinates. Considering the significance of his own existence, he should have been more careful...
Kairen watched Seiga quietly before saying,
“Seiga.”
“Yes.”
“How about staying with me for a while to retrain from scratch?”
“Retrain?”
“Yes. There's still much I can teach you.”
“Hm...”
Seiga hesitated. It was a tempting offer for him now. Training under Kairen had been sheer agony. But without that time, he wouldn't be who he was today.
Though he had thought his power sufficient—even if not quite Kairen's—this incident had shattered that confidence. He desperately wanted to grow stronger.
Kairen said,
“Think it over and decide. I'll be spending time in my territory, crossing swords with Azel for a while.”
“Pardon?”
Seiga was startled. He didn't know the details of his rescue. Waking after losing consciousness, the Guardian Shadows had long vanished, so he assumed Kairen had saved him.
Such a reaction was natural. To Seiga, Kairen symbolized absolute strength—yet here he was, saying he'd cross swords with a mere human knight, not even as a teacher?
Reading his disciple's thoughts, Kairen chuckled.
“Azel here played a big part in saving you. If he hadn't gone one-on-one with the Thunder Dragon they summoned and taken it down, you might be in the Dark Snowfields right now, suffering who knows what.”
“Took down a Thunder Dragon one-on-one?”
Seiga's confusion deepened. A human beating a dragon in single combat? Was he really supposed to believe that?
Kairen looked at Azel and said,
“See? By Seiga's common sense, what you did is impossible.”
“You weren't exactly quick to believe it yourself at first, Duke.”
“But I recall being relatively open-minded.”
“Well, everyone beautifies their past memories eventually. Gets worse with age...”
“Tch. Cocky as ever.”
Kairen tsked in mock annoyance. Then he said,
“On that note, how about sparring with Seiga while you're at it?”
“I'll pass.”
“Ho?”
“This incident earns me the right to be stubborn about it, don't you think?”
“Regrettably, I can't argue.”
“If His Highness accepts your offer and comes to the Tarantos Duchy, I'll consider it then. Right now, I just want to rest for a few days.”
“Hm...”
Kairen fell silent at that.
‘Me and my mouth... Suggesting a spar for my disciple's sake in his state.’
Kairen lamented his shallow thinking. To demand a match with Seiga, who had performed a Dragon Slaying Ritual in terrible condition, without fully recovering his strength or proper tools... it was inexcusable.
“...Sorry. That was thoughtless.”
“No need to apologize so gravely. Physically, I'm in far better shape than when I arrived.”
Azel brushed it off with a light laugh.
Seiga, listening to their exchange, wore an utterly baffled expression. His master—revered by the entire kingdom, even the royals including the king—was acting so amiably and respectfully toward a young human...
No, if he just liked the man, it might make sense. But Kairen's demeanor seemed to treat him as an equal?
Ignoring Seiga's bewilderment, Kairen said,
“Then get to your pressing duties—start with your adjutant. We'll stay here today and leave tomorrow morning.”
That day, Seiga had a hectic schedule and couldn't give Kairen a firm answer to his proposal. Too many factors to weigh.
Kairen didn't press for an immediate reply. He bid Seiga farewell and departed for the Tarantos Duchy with Azel the next morning.