Chapter 22: You, Too, Want to Believe
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: You, Too, Want to Believe
Grrrr—.
A low, guttural growl echoed from the depths of the lair.
To any ordinary listener, the sound would have been bone-chilling—a resonance of pure, unadulterated primal rage. But Ruri, standing just inside the entrance, knew the agonizing truth behind that sound.
It was Valdrova’s groan.
She was in pain.
The dragon, who should have been coiled in regal repose, was instead sprawled flat against the cold stone floor. Her sharp claws scraped fruitlessly against the rock as her massive frame trembled with violent tremors.
-Ruri…
Valdrova called out to her attendant, her voice strained and thin.
Ruri replied with her usual, practiced composure. “Yes, Master.”
-Are there… no monsters… to hunt today either?
Ruri shook her head slowly. “Regrettably, no.”
-Is that so? Then a difficult time has begun…
Valdrova struggled to lift her head. Her mind felt as though it were wandering through a fog so thick she couldn't see an inch ahead. Desperate to distract herself, even for a fleeting moment, she forced another question.
-What is… Our fiancé doing?
“He is meeting with the lords of the Archduchy,” Ruri answered. “Though, to be honest, it is more of a shakedown than a meeting. He informed them that if they prove incompetent, he will report their every failing to you.”
-I see. It seems he is doing well.
A faint, peculiar smile flickered across Valdrova’s pained features. It was an expression both happy and sorrowful—a look Ruri had never seen until Ferda arrived.
“It seems Lord Ferda has noticed,” Ruri added quietly.
Valdrova’s expression stiffened. -Noticed what?
“That you are harming yourself, Master. Last night, you struck yourself so hard the entire castle shook. I believe he has surmised what you are doing.”
-Has he?
“So… please, be more careful this time.”
-Yes. Thank you for telling me.
Valdrova turned her head away, retreating further into the oppressive shadows of the lair.
-You have worked hard. You may go now.
“…Yes, Master.”
Ruri bowed slightly and turned to leave. Her footsteps felt like lead. She knew exactly what Valdrova was about to do. The dragon would soon begin to ravage her own body with the overwhelming power she could no longer contain.
-Ruri.
Valdrova called her name one last time.
“Speak, Master.”
-No matter what happens… do not let Our fiancé in here. This… is a command.
Her voice was dignified, yet it carried a profound, heavy sadness. Ruri could feel it. The ghost of the 3rd Prince still haunted her mistress.
“I understand.”
The loyal servant could do nothing but obey.
* * *
Late that night, Ruri stood like a statue before the entrance to the lair.
—Krawaaaaa!
A faint roar reached her ears. Ruri clenched her folded hands tightly, exerting enough force to ensure they wouldn't move from their place.
‘I must not cover my ears.’
Ruri loathed that roar. It wasn't the battle cry of a warrior charging into the fray; it was the desperate, agonizing shriek of a woman who had lost everything. As a loyal servant, hearing her master’s screams was a unique brand of torture.
‘Even if I go in, there is nothing I can do.’
Ruri had always striven to be the perfect servant. She kept Valdrova Castle in peak condition, ready for its master at any moment. She constantly monitored political trends and fashions so her mistress wouldn't be a stranger to the world upon her return. She lived every second of her life for Valdrova.
‘And yet… there are things I cannot do.’
She was powerless against the murderous intent Valdrova radiated. All Ruri could do was wait until the self-harm ended and then go in to tend to the wounds. She had no way to prevent the act from happening in the first place.
—Krawaaaaa!
The scream echoed again, more desperate than the last.
‘So, I must listen.’
This was the punishment for an incompetent servant who could only stand by and watch her master suffer. At some point, Ruri’s hands, which had been clutching her skirts, had come together. She realized the shape they had formed.
‘A prayer…?’
How absurd. Dragon Spawn did not believe in gods. Their gods were the dragons themselves. The great rulers of the continent, the Aspects—they were living idols.
Ruri was no different. Silverwind, who had shared his blood, was a god, and Valdrova was her god as well.
One was dead, and the other was powerless.
Ruri asked herself, ‘Then to whom should I pray?’
There was no answer. She simply offered a silent plea to a nameless god she didn't even believe in.
Please. Let someone end my master’s pain.
It was then.
“What are you doing here?”
Ruri snapped out of her trance and looked up. Soft moonlight streamed through the window, and in that pale light stood a familiar silhouette.
It was him. The man who had fearlessly intruded upon her master’s life.
“Go back,” she warned, her voice as cold as ice.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Where I’m going is right behind you.”
The man, who had been quiet for several days, was suddenly making this demand. He had realized Valdrova was suffering.
‘He heard that? When even I can barely hear it?’
How could this man have noticed when the sound was practically inaudible to human ears? Pushing the question aside, she answered firmly.
“You cannot enter. It is my mistress’s command.”
“Did the Archduchess tell you not to let me in?”
“She did. She said she does not wish to see a human like you.”
Ruri added words that hadn't been spoken. Her heart was in such turmoil that she couldn't help herself.
“I backed down yesterday, so you back down today,” Ferda said.
“This is not a negotiation.”
“Neither am I negotiating.”
Ferda took a step forward.
“Do not move another inch.”
A strange light, like the moon itself, flickered in Ruri’s silver eyes. Pure white wind began to swirl around her body like sharp blades. Ferda felt it instinctively—the moment that wind touched him, his body would be sliced as cleanly as a reed in late autumn.
“I can stop it,” Ferda said.
“What exactly do you think you can stop?”
“Your master’s—my fiancée’s—self-harm.”
“…!”
Ruri’s eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
“This is not a problem that can be solved so easily. How can a mortal like you suppress the nature of a dragon?”
“It’s possible.”
“No, you are simply trying to see what you want to see.”
“Yes, I only look at what I want to see and run toward it.” He took another step. “Isn't that what life is?”
“I told you to stop!”
The sharp wind coiled around Ruri’s arm flew toward Ferda’s right hand. Ferda’s arm jerked violently, falling limp and mangled. Ruri was momentarily stunned.
‘I only meant to give him a light blow…?’
Just before impact, she had removed the sharpness, turning the wind into a heavy blunt force. It should have only been enough to cause a bruise.
“See?” Ruri pressed her advantage, hoping he’d realized she wasn't a woman he could easily handle. “I can strike you down with my own hands. This is my final warning. Go back quietly.”
Ferda looked down at his dislocated right arm. “…Is the command that important?”
“I am a servant. I have a duty to uphold my mistress’s orders.”
“I see.”
When Ferda looked up again, Ruri flinched. He began to walk forward, step by step.
“Then this time, make sure you actually cut me.”
His blue eyes were filled with an unbreakable resolve. Ruri prepared her wind blades once more.
“Do not throw your life away on something useless.”
“You say that without even knowing the value of what I’m trying to do.”
“You are a mere human. How can someone like you solve what dragons have failed to understand despite eons of research?”
It made no sense. Mortals could not overcome immortals. They were fragile creatures who could be snuffed out with a flick of a finger. A mortal’s place was to live in gratitude for the immortals' mercy. How could such a being solve an immortal’s problem?
“I asked you once, didn't I? If you believed a human could suddenly gain enlightenment.”
“…”
“What did you answer then?”
She knew. But she didn't want to say it. So, Ferda answered for her.
“You said humans survived because they possess a flash of insight that cannot be matched by the mere accumulation of knowledge.”
Again. This man was throwing her own words back at her. Ferda, who had been at a distance, was now only three steps away. If she fired, his arm would be severed. There was no room for restraint.
Ruri’s hands began to tremble. The sharp wind coiling around her dissipated into nothingness.
“Why…?” Ruri looked up at him. Her face was no longer expressionless or filled with contempt. “Why… do you keep coming?”
She looked like a helpless child.
“It’s simple.” Ferda placed a hand on Ruri’s head. “If you truly intended to stop me, you would have done so long ago.”
Ruri’s physical abilities were dozens of times greater than Ferda’s frail body. Knocking him unconscious or throwing him back before he could even get close would have been effortless. Instead of threatening him with wind magic and arguing, she could have simply used force.
“You also wanted to believe in what I believe.”
The miracle brought by a mortal.
Ferda walked past Ruri and headed down the stairs. Ruri couldn't even offer a rebuttal; she just watched him disappear. The rhythmic clicking of his boots faded down the corridor.
* * *
‘God, this hurts.’
His hand throbbed from the lethal wind Ruri had unleashed. The shock had traveled up to his shoulder, dislocating it.
‘I’ve had plenty of dislocations in the past.’
He was used to resetting bones. Ferda grabbed his own arm and yanked.
Crack!
“Ugh… huff…”
He took a deep breath to steady himself. He still had work to do. Ferda looked up and saw the massive iron doors.
‘It feels… very different from usual.’
Ferda recalled the first time he had stood before these doors. Back then, he was weak and hadn't even drunk the engagement wine. But now, the atmosphere was even more dire. It felt as though he were standing before the gates of hell.
If he entered, he would surely die.
—Krawaaaaa!
A sound that chilled his very marrow. Just because he had stopped fearing dragons didn't mean their murderous intent had vanished entirely.
‘Truly fitting for the Aspect of Power.’
Ferda opened the side door and stepped inside. The interior resembled an ordinary cave—dry, comfortable, yet shrouded in absolute darkness.
-Ruri… why have you come here? We told you not to come h—
The voice cut off. The dragon realized it wasn't Ruri who had entered. He heard the sound of her massive body shifting in the dark.
-Why… are you here?
The monarch’s voice was laced with bewilderment.
-Why… at a time like this, have you come?
Ferda spoke. “I won’t say… ‘it’s a pleasure to meet you.’” He stared into the darkness. His human eyes couldn't pierce the gloom. “My night vision is too poor to see your face.”
-Get out of here this instant!
A roar infused with Dragon Fear thundered through the lair. But it wasn't enough to shake Ferda.
“My Queen, I have found a way to solve your pain.”
-It is not needed. Who said We desired such a thing from you?
Ferda took a step forward. He heard Valdrova squirm; she was retreating.
-We… We do not wish to harm anyone. So please, do not come any closer!
Valdrova pleaded.
“I cannot do that,” Ferda refused.
-Please…
“I don’t care who gets hurt or dies,” Ferda said.
-Do not come…
“But I cannot stand by and watch you harm yourself.”
Golden eyes flashed in the darkness.
-WE TOLD YOU NOT TO COME!!
The suppressed blood energy exploded. With a savage roar, something lunged out of the darkness. It was Valdrova’s claw, hurtling toward Ferda’s small frame.
BOOM!
The claw slammed into the spot where Ferda stood.
-Ah!
Valdrova snapped back to her senses too late. The damage was done.
-Ah… no…
Valdrova let out a low moan. The ghost of the 3rd Prince whispered in her ear. You’ve killed your fiancé once again.
She spiraled into chaos. The voice of the immortal Red Dragon Valdrova, who had lived for eternity and ruled the skies, trembled with terror.
-We… We didn't mean to…
The blood energy that had been targeting Ferda now enveloped her own body. Self-loathing spiraled into a full-blown rampage.
But then, she saw something standing between her claws.
It was Ferda. He stood there calmly, looking down at her foot.
“Thank you,” he said. “I didn't expect you to reach out your hand before I even spoke.”
The moment Ferda had been waiting for had arrived. He placed his hand upon Valdrova’s.
* * *
-There is a rational reason why you can become Ferda Valdrova.
Mori had explained it to him.
-Lord Ferda, you activated your Red Circle by recalling your emotions for the Red Dragon Valdrova. Is that correct?
“Yes, that’s right.”
-The Blue Circle is called 'cold mana' because it provides a consistent effect to all magic. In contrast, the Red Circle is specialized for specific elements, and its effects vary significantly depending on the nature of the magic and the intent of its creation. This is because the mana is not entirely pure; it is infused with emotion.
He knew that too. It was why Ferda’s destruction magic was more powerful than that of other mages.
-The Red Circle is usually built upon negative emotions. Therefore, contact with that mana is generally forbidden.
“Because it can cause mental contamination.”
Mori had nodded.
-If your mana is composed of your emotions toward the dragon, I believe you can achieve an effect by injecting that mana back into the dragon.
Ferda had thought it was absurd. Solving this with mana created from emotions even I don’t fully understand?
“Is there no other way?”
Mori had shaken her head firmly. There was only one possibility given to him.
“I see…”
Then he had no choice but to believe.
* * *
Ferda released his mana. He focused every ounce of his concentration on driving his mana from his fingertips into Valdrova’s skin.
-What are you doing?
As she asked, Valdrova felt something surging through her body. When that reverse current reached her heart, her golden eyes flew wide.
-This… what is this?
Valdrova’s voice, previously distorted by pain, became much clearer.
-The thing inside Us… the boiling sensation… it is vanishing. Ferda, what is this?
“I don’t know either,” Ferda said softly, silencing her. “But if this benefits you, then simply accept my mana.”
-Very well…
Valdrova focused on the changes occurring within her. The violent pounding of her heart slowed. The uncontrollable blood energy began to subside. The urge to destroy, her very essence—everything settled under a blanket of tranquility.
‘The hypothesis was correct.’
The mana generated by Ferda’s Red Circle could suppress Valdrova’s blood energy.
‘There is something I can do for her.’
If the blood energy could be suppressed, she would no longer have to destroy herself.
‘And… she doesn't have to be in pain.’
She didn't need to drag up her painful past to torture herself anymore.
‘To ensure that… I must pour in as much mana as possible.’
Meanwhile, the Red Circle within Ferda’s Dantian was spinning violently. Mana was being generated several times faster than usual. Ferda poured that mana unreservedly into Valdrova’s skin.
-Ferda!
Valdrova cried out in alarm.
-You are bleeding!
Blood trickled from Ferda’s nose. He was entering mana burnout.
-Stop now. We are fine!
Normally, Ferda would have stopped, but not today.
‘Just a little more…’
He squeezed out every last drop, giving her everything. He didn't stop until she reached a state of complete stability. Even if it meant his death.
“Ah…”
Finally, the overload hit. His vision blurred as if a thick fog had rolled in. Pushed beyond the limits of his willpower, Ferda knew he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for days.
‘I already made up my mind.’
He had no regrets about this impulse or his recklessness. Ferda prepared to close his eyes.
It was then.
The surface beneath his palm began to writhe. The sensation conveyed a single piece of information.
‘Is she getting smaller?’
It wasn't his imagination. The rough, hard dragon hide was becoming soft and shrinking. It gradually grew smaller until it took a shape similar to a human hand.
‘It’s small.’
So small that the hand couldn't even fully wrap around Ferda’s.
‘And soft.’
The sensation made his heart race like never before.
‘She polymorphed into a human.’
This was the moment he could finally see her face.
“Why…?”
A melodious voice, thick with emotion, reached him. She sounded as if she were on the verge of tears.
“Why won’t you listen to me…?”
It was a fragile question, uncharacteristic of Valdrova. But even if she asked, it didn't reach Ferda’s ears. His mind was pushed to the very edge of a precipice. He could barely maintain his blurry vision.
What held his consciousness together was a powerful desire.
‘No matter what…’
And a selfish greed.
‘I want to see her.’
Ferda squeezed out the last of his strength. He gripped the hand touching his. He interlaced his fingers with hers so he wouldn't lose her and pulled her toward him by the waist.
Through his hazy vision, a woman with crimson hair came into sharp focus.
“Ah.”
Ferda let out a soft exclamation. That sound contained every emotion he held. It was a sigh of repentance for his shallow and arrogant imagination, and a cry of joy at realizing the world held a beauty he could never have dreamed of.
“I can finally see you,” Ferda whispered, a smile touching his lips. “It is a pleasure to meet you… my heart.”