Chapter 53: An Unacceptable Precedent
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53: An Unacceptable Precedent
The council, restricted to those of ducal rank or higher, finally adjourned.
Ferda followed the other nobles out of the chamber.
“Regent.”
Jed and Arwen, who had been waiting for him, stepped forward.
Jed scanned Ferda’s expression and asked, “Did you suffer some kind of insult in there? You look like you’re ready to kill someone.”
“If you call it an insult, then yes, I was insulted.”
He had been forced to sit through hearing Valdrova branded an Evil Dragon. For a man who had become an Archmage solely for the sake of revenge, suppressing such surging emotions was no easy task. It was better to simply stay out of the gossip.
Ferda shifted the subject. “Where is Ruri?”
“Miss Ruri... well, where did she go?”
“She said she had business to attend to before the meeting ended and left. I’m not sure exactly where she went,” Arwen replied.
“Is that so?”
“I apologize. I should have kept track of her...”
“No, it’s fine. She isn’t exactly an easy woman to handle.”
Ferda didn’t press further. He already knew where she was going. Based on what Ruri had mentioned before, she would have moved to speak with Silverwind.
A conversation, huh.
Ferda recalled the look Goz Silverwind had given him when the topic was brought up. The dragon had been suppressing his rage with a clumsy, barely-held restraint. If Ferda had spoken to Silverwind then and there, a brawl might have broken out. Had it not been for Blancaros’s neutral zone, things might have turned even uglier.
I wonder if that conversation will go well.
Just as Ferda was lost in thought, a voice called out.
“Regent Ferda Valdrova?”
A man as white as the pristine space around them approached. His posture was disciplined, befitting a subordinate of the neutral zone’s absolute ruler. He was the Hand of Blancaros.
“My master requests your presence. Would you accompany me?”
“To a private meeting?”
“Yes. He wishes to discuss the motion you proposed earlier.”
This was unusual. Blancaros rarely invited humans to private audiences, if only to maintain his strict neutrality.
But the situation demands it.
Since Blancaros, who claimed to stand on neutral ground, had passed the motion of his own accord, he likely needed a follow-up with the proposer. In fact, the reason Ferda had endured the unfairness earlier was for this very moment.
“Very well.”
“I will guide you. This way.”
Ferda followed his lead.
* * *
Blancaros’s reception room was not what one would expect of a dragon’s residence.
Normally, a dragon’s dwelling would be extravagant and massive—so delicate yet grand that no emperor would dare compare their own palace to it. The Grand Council chamber certainly lived up to that dignity.
However, Blancaros’s reception room was different. It felt human. It wasn’t unnecessarily large or needlessly grand. It was small and practical, like the office of a minor lord.
“Welcome.”
Sitting behind a marble desk at the far end, Blancaros greeted him aloud.
Ferda’s footsteps faltered as he entered. Blancaros was not alone.
A presence glowing blue within the white space—Erica Iorga. She was already seated, occupying one of the chairs.
Erica was staring at Ferda. When her fierce gaze met his, his expression soured even further. Jed and Arwen, standing behind him, broke into a cold sweat for no reason.
“Why is she glaring like that? Did you do something wrong?” Jed whispered.
Ferda shrugged. “Me, doing something wrong? Impossible.”
“It really looks like you did, though.”
Ferda didn’t bother responding and walked forward. Ignoring Erica, he gave a polite bow to Blancaros.
“I am deeply grateful for the invitation, Lord Blancaros, but...” Ferda glanced slightly toward Erica. “I have nothing to say to this woman. May I leave?”
“Pfft...”
“Ahem!”
Ferda’s blunt insult caused Jed and Arwen, who were standing behind him like decorative screens, to nearly choke. Even for a Dragon Spawn, her status was nearly equal to that of a dragon. Ferda had essentially just called a dragon “this woman” to her face. It was the kind of behavior seen only in humans who were tired of living.
“Hrmmm...”
“Wh-What? ‘This woman’...?”
Blancaros let out a low groan as if he had expected this. Erica, the target of the remark, glared at Ferda with an incredulous look.
But she endured. The purpose of this meeting was dialogue, and above all, violence was forbidden in this space. Erica forced a smile.
“It is good to see you again, Regent Ferda. Let us speak with our voices instead of those tedious telepathic messages.”
“Do as you wish.”
Ferda covered his ears. The smile vanished from Erica’s face instantly.
“Are you going to keep acting so childish?”
“It is only fair. Do you expect me to be pleasant after you insulted my fiancée? How would you feel if I called Lady Iorga a water lizard?”
“Gasp.”
“Cough, cough...”
Jed and Arwen looked like they were about to pass out. They wanted to run out of the room right that second.
Erica endured even that. She bit her lower lip hard and took a deep breath.
“Let’s consider the insults even. I will offer an additional apology for my harsh words. However, I had a reason for doing so.”
Ferda took his hands off his ears. Since she had endured the insult, it was clear she was determined to talk.
“First, let us dismiss the attendants so the principals can speak.”
“Understood. Both of you, withdraw.”
“Yes, sir!”
The moment Ferda gave permission, Jed and Arwen retreated at a brisk pace. Only three people remained in the white space.
“Since emotions are running high on both sides, I will be brief. I am on the side of Valdrova.”
“How very reassuring,” Ferda sneered.
“While the Iorga clan as a whole maintains a stance of keeping Valdrova in check, the core executives have always highly valued her contributions.”
As if.
“You don’t believe me. I stood on the front lines of that war. I witnessed the sight of every dragon fighting with these two eyes. Her image is still vivid in my mind.”
The fine hairs on her arms stood on end.
“She was the only one who stood in the way when Godwin tried to take the entire continent down with him...”
Hearing those words, Blancaros closed his eyes in silence. He, too, had participated in and witnessed that battle.
Erica continued. “Taking the final strike against Godwin, who sought to destroy everything—Evil Dragons and Guardian Dragons alike—carried an immense risk. Every dragon knew it. And they hesitated. But Valdrova threw herself into it without hesitation. It was like a black mass being pierced and scattered by a red spear. Of course... it ended tragically, leading to another disaster. Even so, she was not someone who deserved the title of an Evil Dragon.”
“I saw you mocking that claim as if it were nonsense, acting like you couldn’t wait to tear her apart. Am I supposed to believe you now?”
“That is why I am apologizing for the insult. But it was something that had to be done.”
“You’re saying you had to disgrace her? Does that even make sense?”
“Because it would have been dangerous if I hadn’t mocked and dismissed that claim!”
“What would have been dangerous?”
“Silverwind.”
The other dragon clan. Ferda recalled the Silverwind members, who hadn’t uttered a single word.
“If I hadn’t stepped forward, Silverwind would have. I have no desire to see those people, who have nothing but blocks of ice in their heads, turn this council into a disaster. They would have demanded a war between dragons before you could even declare your Eastern Conquest.”
“Are you saying you challenged and mocked everything just to protect me?”
Erica was momentarily speechless. She seemed to be debating whether or not to say the rest.
“It wasn’t just for you, Regent Ferda. If, as you say, it wasn’t her true nature but a madness caused by Godwin’s corruption...”
For a moment, the look in Erica’s eyes resembled that of a wounded beast.
“The precedent of a perfect being becoming flawed is more dangerous than you can imagine. Dangerous enough to collapse the balance of the entire continent.”
Ferda understood then. He understood why she had been so hostile toward Valdrova, and why Blancaros had ended the discussion so abruptly.
Ferda summarized his understanding in a single sentence.
“It seems Lady Iorga is suffering from the same symptoms.”
Erica nodded with a pained expression.
“At first, the symptoms were nothing more than a slight sense of dissonance. Many among the Dragon Spawn suffered aftereffects from the fight with Godwin. But over the last thirty years, he has begun to lose the battle against that agony. He is becoming unstable.”
“So, what is his condition now?”
“He has entered hibernation. He chose to remain motionless until a solution is found.”
This meant that Iorga, the Aspect of Magic, was absent. Ferda suddenly grew curious.
“Then, what about Lady Odograsado?”
“I do not know for certain. One who has no Spawn and is the embodiment of faith himself would never reveal his weaknesses to anyone.”
Those armed with faith would naturally believe their god was whole.
Everything clicked into place. This wasn’t just a personal issue for Valdrova.
It was an issue that could shake the very foundations of dragon society.
Seeing that Ferda seemed somewhat convinced, Erica lowered her voice and explained calmly.
“If the claim that her nature isn’t that of an Evil Dragon, but that she was corrupted by Godwin, is accepted, everyone is in danger. Not just Valdrova’s status, but everyone else’s will be shaken. It would be perfect prey for those who thrive on chaos, like the Purple Dragon or the Lightning Dragon. That is why we are buying time until a cure is found.”
“Is that so?”
Ferda stood up as if he had heard enough. “Then it turns out you are nothing more than a coward.”
“A... coward?”
Erica was about to explode in rage, unable to take any more. But the thought was fleeting. The moment she saw Ferda’s eyes, she was overwhelmed.
“What will you do in the end?” he asked.
“What ‘end’ are you talking about?”
“When you keep hiding and hiding it, and the crisis finally comes to light—when it reaches a point of no return—what were you planning to do?”
“That is...”
“You would probably try to hide your secrets even if it meant selling out my fiancée’s life.”
“Do you really think I would do something so shameless?!”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Erica couldn’t answer. She couldn’t agree, but she couldn’t deny it either. She remained silent, her mouth shut tight and her fists clenched.
“Let’s end the conversation here. May I leave?” Ferda asked Blancaros.
Nothing had been resolved, but it wasn’t something that could be fixed right now anyway.
“...You may.”
With Blancaros’s permission, Ferda walked out. Erica stood there, rooted to the spot. She couldn’t do anything. To be the head of the Dragon Spawn and be overwhelmed by a human... it was pathetic.
But if the same situation were to happen again, Erica knew she would freeze up just the same. In Ferda’s eyes, filled with loathing, she had seen a glimpse of her own distant future.
* * *
The Serdes Magic Society.
Sitting in the President’s office was not a haughty young woman, but a sturdy man.
“Uuugh...”
The man was moving his pen while making sounds like a ghoul rising from hell. He had been working non-stop for four days on the documents left behind by the President, Erdes Roton.
“Uuugh... Huh?”
A moment later, a circular spark began to crackle in front of him. He knew whose hand was behind this phenomenon. Normally, he would have stood up to welcome her, but Lu didn’t even have the energy left for that.
“Blue! I’m back!”
It was Erdes, offering a bright greeting.
“You’re back already?”
“I clocked out the second the meeting ended. It was no fun being the only one left out, you know?”
“For someone saying that, your appearance is a bit strange...?”
She didn’t look like someone who had just returned from a high-level summit; she was draped in souvenirs like a tourist.
“Don’t be so picky. I did some sightseeing in the city after it was over. Got a problem with that?”
“...How could I possibly have a problem?”
Lu sighed, authorized the last remaining document, and slumped over the desk.
“Is the work all done?”
“The backlog is finished for now.”
“See? Isn’t it great when the division of labor is so clear? I do the resting, and Blue does the working. Perfectly balanced.”
“It’s certainly clear, but something feels wrong...”
“Besides, I even stopped by a nearby place and bought some local specialty honey bread. Where else could you find such an angelic boss?”
She wiggled her eyebrows expectantly.
Fine, let’s at least eat something delicious.
Lu opened the box she handed him. “...It’s empty.”
“Oh? Ah, I guess it was so delicious I ate it all. Sorry. Make sure to throw the box away properly, okay?”
Lu nodded like a man who had made a grand resolution. “I quit. I’m resigning.”
“Ah, I can’t let you do that. Blue, you have to serve me for at least another thousand years. You have no right of refusal. That’s the contract we made.”
“Dammit.”
Lu made a show of wailing with a face that had lost all hope.
“So... how was it?”
“What was?”
“Didn’t you go because of that man, Ferda Valdrova?”
“That man? Hmm...”
Erdes tapped her chin with her index finger, tilting her head back and forth before answering. “He was peculiar.”
“Peculiar...?” Lu’s eyes widened. “Was he peculiar enough for the strongest Archmage of humanity to use that word?”
“Flattery won’t get you anything, you know? He was just... interesting.”
Erdes perched on the edge of the desk and looked down at Lu. “That human has a Red Circle.”
“A Red Circle!”
“And he’s learned black magic, too. The scent was wafting off him.”
“Bl-Black magic?!” Lu’s face turned pale. It wasn’t the black magic itself he feared. “Is that man... still alive?”
“Of course. Do you think I’m some kind of mindless murderer who goes on a rampage at any time?”
“Well, seeing as the President came back without causing any major issues... he must be a truly peculiar human.”
“I couldn’t lay a hand on him right away. He’s the husband of a crazy dragon. Who knows what would happen if I messed with him?”
Erdes’s brow furrowed in annoyance. Her legs, dangling off the desk, began to kick the air.
“Blue. If your parents had suddenly abandoned you, how do you think you would have felt?”
“Uh... well, wouldn’t I be angry?”
“Just angry? Hmm? Would you just scream, ‘I’ll never forgive the parents who abandoned me!’ and that’s it?”
“You might do that, President... but a normal person would also feel sorrowful.”
Erdes snapped her fingers. “Exactly. It’s what people call a whirlwind of emotions. Normal humans are overwhelmed and crushed by feelings, unable to tell which one is dominant. Even if they try to prioritize one, it’s almost impossible to be consumed by only that one.”
“I suppose so.”
“Don’t you see what I’m saying?”
“I apologize. My dull mind doesn’t quite understand...”
“Do you want to write fifty pages of lines?”
“Ah, wait. I think I’m starting to remember...?”
“Stupid. It means you can’t create a Red Circle with just that level of emotion.”
“Ah, I really was about to remember.”
“Stubborn and stupid. Now it’s a hundred pages.”
“Ack! That’s too much! I even finished all the paperwork while you were gone!”
“Business is business, and personal is personal.”
Lu grumbled, and Erdes clicked her tongue.
“So, what you’re saying is that it should have been difficult for Ferda Valdrova to possess a Red Circle?”
“Exactly.”
“But isn’t emotion a relative thing?”
“True. Everyone has a different yardstick. But even taking that into account, that Ferda guy far exceeds my categories.”
“Is he really that exceptional?”
“A Red Circle is formed when the scales of emotion break. But at the age he went through his ‘puberty,’ those scales shouldn’t have been able to break. To break the scales through rage, you have to be so broken that you firmly believe even the reason you wake up in the morning is fueled by anger.”
“Umm... that’s a bit of a crude analogy, but still, there was the incident where he was kicked out of his family. Wouldn’t that explain it?”
He had been made Valdrova’s fiancé. That was essentially a death sentence, enough to make Ferda’s sorrow explode.
“That kid accepted it.”
“Meaning?”
“Acceptance means there is reason. Which means the anger wasn’t sufficient.”
“So, what you’re saying is that since there was no catalyst to break the scales, a Red Circle shouldn’t have been possible?”
“Right.”
“And yet, the Regent has a Red Circle.”
“He does.”
“A Red Circle was created despite the conditions not being met...”
“And he achieved the 4th Circle in less than a year.”
“And... there were various other incidents.”
The execution of Baron Wolcher. The battle inside the Imperial warehouse.
“There is a common thread in all of them: black magic.”
“Black magic...”
After staring at each other for a long time, Lu suddenly realized. Even a dog at a schoolhouse can recite poetry after three years. Having served under her for ten years, he could finally read Erdes’s mind.
“Are you saying... you believe Regent Valdrova made a contract with a demon?”
Seeing him reach the conclusion, Erdes smiled.
“Can’t you smell it?”