Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Child of the Dragon
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The door opened, and a man stepped inside.
A golden bear emblem was tattooed across his left eye.
The handiwork of a steppe tribe tattoo specialist.
His presence filled the entire room.
But...
"He's short,"
Celine whispered.
"Yeah."
Golden Bear Tribe. As the name implied, they were renowned for their massive, bear-like builds.
True to their reputation, this man should have been a giant as well.
Yet his height was only around 165 cm.
Small even for a woman.
At least by Golden Bear Tribe standards...
But his aura was utterly commanding.
And silver hair.
It was showing up more often these days, but it was still originally a rare color—one that was highly prized.
Unless someone was born with it like Nana or Lize, or artificially created, silver hair was exceedingly uncommon among the steppe tribes.
That rare silver-haired man spoke up.
"Hand over Georg. I'll pay the price."
There were no honorifics.
It wasn't mere rudeness; it was an attitude that treated it as a matter of course. Perhaps he didn't even know polite speech.
"What are you going to do with him?"
"No need to know. I'll pay, so hand him over."
This wasn't negotiation. It was a declaration.
What the hell did this bastard have to back up that attitude?
I shot a glance at Kurluk. He approached, bowed his waist, and whispered in my ear.
"That's Shore. One who carries the dragon's blood. A lineage given special treatment in the Golden Bear Tribe—and across all of Kuman."
"Dragon's blood? You mean half-dragon?"
"More precisely, descendants of half-dragons. It mixed in a few generations back, they say."
A human mixed with dragon blood.
This world was home to countless races.
Mixed-bloods like Celine were a dime a dozen.
But even accounting for that...
Half-dragons were far too rare.
Even if it was just diluted blood rather than a full half-blood.
"First time seeing dragon blood mixed in a human. Got any special abilities?"
I spoke in the steppe tongue. It was clumsy, but understandable enough.
Shore's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"Of course."
A curt reply. Then he got to demonstrating.
He pulled a leather waterskin from his pouch, uncorked it, and gulped it down. Then he spat.
Puu!
The mare's milk liquor shot from his mouth and froze solid in midair.
It wasn't mere white breath. The liquid had turned to ice in an instant.
Clink.
It hit the floor and shattered into ice shards.
I clapped politely for show.
"Impressive."
That's what I said aloud. It wasn't actually that impressive an ability. At least not for combat.
"That's not the full extent of it, right?"
"Can't show everything to an outsider. Especially not with company. And you're no ordinary kid anyway. Child of the Dragon."
"Child of the Dragon? You're the one with the dragon bloodline."
Shore smirked.
"It's a figure of speech. Someone who pulls off great feats at a young age. That's what we call a Child of the Dragon. Dragons can fly the moment they hatch from the egg."
I nodded.
"Not a bad nickname."
"Became 7th Legion commander at ten. Wiped out five hundred orcs with a fire attack. Zero allied casualties."
"Rumors spread fast."
"Heard you smashed a raiding party—including some from our tribe—with a small force. Barely any losses, right? I know most things about you. A few warriors even say Walter took one look at your skills and started thinking about disinheriting Mueller's boy."
The rumors had gotten a bit exaggerated.
"They seem to overestimate my abilities."
"Humility?"
"Just facts."
"Anyway, I know your position means you can't side with Mueller like we can. Might as well hand him over to us."
I beckoned to the knight at my side.
The door opened. Two knights dragged a man inside.
Georg's beard had grown even more in just a few days.
Red rope burns marred his bound wrists.
He kept his head down the whole way in.
Shore's expression didn't change. He simply watched.
Georg slowly raised his head.
His gaze met Shore's.
He froze.
His eyes widened. His lips parted. The blood drained from his face.
"Th-that... that guy's..."
"Long time no see, Georg!"
"You two know each other?"
"He killed my brother-in-law."
A short reply. An emotionless voice.
I turned to Georg. His mouth was clamped shut. All his earlier bluster was gone.
"Is that true?"
"It was legitimate combat. Cutting down enemies on the battlefield is just natural, isn't it?"
"Legitimate?"
Shore snorted.
"You cut down a man who'd surrendered."
"My sister saw it. Your sword striking her kneeling husband's neck."
From his expression, something had clearly gone down.
Shore approached Georg.
Georg tried to back away, but he couldn't move in his bindings.
Shore brought his face right up to Georg's ear.
Hoo!
He blew out a breath.
Frost formed on the earlobe. The skin turned white. It almost sounded like it was freezing over.
"Kuh...!"
Georg twisted his head away. But Shore grabbed his jaw. He stopped moving.
"Guess I can take one ear. I'll just deduct it from the ransom."
"Sp-spare..."
"Shut your mouth."
Time to put a stop to this.
"He's our prisoner. I won't allow anything more."
At my voice, Shore's hand halted.
"What, you scared? Does the name Mueller frighten you? Or do you think you can reconcile with your half-brother at this point?"
"I'm not scared of him because he's Mueller."
"Then what?"
"He's my property. I don't like you messing with my belongings on a whim. That's all."
Shore's eyes narrowed.
"True. Prisoners are property."
"Same in the steppes."
He couldn't argue with that. In steppe culture, POWs were property too.
Our gazes locked. Shore looking down. Me looking up.
Seconds ticked by.
"Think it over carefully, young dragon."
With that, he departed.
As boldly as he'd entered.
But in stark contrast, there was one man who was anything but bold.
"Young master. If you hand me over to the Golden Bears, it'll completely sever ties with Mueller. There's no going back. Please, I beg you..."
It was Georg.
Young master? I nearly laughed.
"Probably."
"You know that, so why..."
"Was it ever something that could be reversed?"
Lize's voice cut him off.
"What?"
"They were the ones who sent the army first. 'Clear the road.' Was that supposed to be negotiation? If it was reversible, that order never would've come down in the first place."
Georg fell silent.
He had nothing to say.
"One question. Whose order was it for the 6th Legion to pass through our territory?"
"..."
"Ernst? Or Count Mueller himself?"
Answering meant betrayal. Silence meant a one-way trip to the Golden Bears.
"Spill all the info honestly, and I might let you live."
I heard the grind of teeth.
His head drooped even lower.
"Father... Count Mueller... is pushing a deal with the Imperial Family."
"What deal?"
"I don't... know the details."
"You don't know?"
Georg's voice carried a bitter smile.
"My position in the house isn't that high. I don't attend core meetings. The legion command was basically exile."
It didn't sound like a lie. That look in his eyes. That tone. The reaction of someone who truly didn't know.
"You must've heard something. Rumors at least."
"..."
"Nothing?"
"I heard it has something to do with the princess."
The princess.
That fake princess. The enhanced human.
Come to think of it, I wasn't the only one those engagement talks had involved.
Ernst was in the mix too.
There was an age gap, sure. But in noble society, it wasn't entirely impossible.
An Imperial-Krushtein union. No matter who the groom was, it would reshape the Empire's power structure.
But that princess was a fake.
"What kind of connection? Something to do with pushing the engagement forward?"
"I really... don't know. I swear."
No point pressing further. Nothing more to squeeze out.
I leaned back into the chair.
"Useless."
Georg's head snapped up.
"I'll be useful somewhere! Mueller troop deployments, key strongholds, supply routes... I'll tell you everything I know!"
I gestured.
The two knights stepped forward.
"Eh. That's not for me to decide."
"Young master!"
"Lock him back in his room for now."
The knights seized his arms. Even as they dragged him away, his mouth kept running.
"I am useful! Better than handing me to the Golden Bears..."
The scrape of chains. Grumbling voices. Excuses. They all faded into nothing.
"So, what're you gonna do? Actually hand him over to the Golden Bears?"
Celine spoke up first.
"Eh."
"'Eh' what? Negotiations are ongoing. You need to decide."
Instead of answering, I turned to Lize. The silver-haired girl stood in the corner.
"Interrogate him."
"Yes?"
"He's scared shitless now. His lips'll be loose. Mueller deployments, strongholds, supply routes. Squeeze out everything he knows."
"Yes!"
A snappy reply. Even quicker footsteps.
Lize had a talent for interrogation.
Twelve years old. Silver hair. Delicate features. An eyepatch over one eye.
It wasn't easy keeping your mouth shut in front of her.
Guilt or whatever—it disarmed adults on its own.
A scary kid. In more ways than one.
Click.
The door opened and closed. Lize's footsteps echoed down the hall and vanished.
Silence returned.
"Hey."
Celine said.
"Yeah."
"Tell me too. What's the plan?"
"Just wait a bit."
I sank deeper into the chair back and gazed out the window.
Waiting.
The door opened. No knock. No permission.
Celine reacted first.
"Why's he back?"
The figure at the door: Shore.
"I played my part like you said. But is this little act even gonna work?"
Celine's eyes went wide.
"Act? What act?"
Instead of answering, I looked at Shore.
Shore looked back at me.
A brief silence.
Our eyes met. No words needed.
Celine's voice sharpened.
"Adrian!"
Pfft.
Laughter slipped out.
Shore shrugged.
"So. Did it work?"
A bored tone. But his eyes were genuinely curious.
I rose from the chair.
"It did. You just saw it."