Chapter 266
Chapter 266
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Mind Alteration
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"..."
"..."
"..."
A sudden silence descended upon the elves' encampment.
Even the elf servants who had been busily moving while stealing sideways glances at the situation paused for a moment.
Because the human's reaction to the Nad'ga's approach was far too striking.
That expression. That scream. That movement.
It was too dramatic to pass as a mere reaction to contact with a beautiful being.
So what could it be?
The elves couldn't easily guess the meaning behind that reaction.
At a glance, the behavior seemed a blatant show of revulsion—
But who could feel revulsion toward a Nad'ga, the very incarnation of beauty?
-Why is Rishir acting like that?
-It's not disgust, is it.
"Rishir—are you that embarrassed?"
Eventually, Latsil drew close and whispered.
Rishir had shown peculiar reactions from his very first encounter with the Nad'ga.
Latsil figured the man was simply overwhelmed by the beauty of the Nad'ga he was seeing for the first time.
He often overlooked it amid his exceptional abilities, but wasn't the guy still a young man in his prime?
It was hardly surprising that he retained some fresh-faced audacity.
In fact, several women broke into fond smiles at this endearing, boyish side of the unassuming youth.
The elf servants, and even the Nad'ga's followers.
Amid it all, only one face remained rigidly frozen.
"..."
Nad'ga Hera.
She sensed a faint discord from the man.
That aura.
As if he felt an instinctive loathing toward her?
"Ah, s-sorry...! I was so flustered I just—"
At that moment, the man spoke up.
An awkward smile. An embarrassed chuckle.
His face flushed deeper with fluster.
The picture of a bashful young man.
Paired with his plain features, it drew smiles from women all around.
"..."
Hera's instincts still sent warning pangs of unease.
Yet her reason dismissed it as baseless worry.
Guardian Caroer.
Star of the Flower Garden Lunadien.
If even they fell under the 'Blessing's sway, how could a mere human escape it?
"Sorry. Was I too casual?"
The Nad'ga chalked up the human's response to simple shyness.
Exactly as Rishir intended.
Rishir let out a quiet sigh of relief deep inside.
A fact that would shatter the women beaming at his innocent charm if they knew.
In truth, he was mimicking a shy youth using the subtle arts of a killer ghost's assassin blade.
All to lure them into dropping their guard.
The glaring mismatch between himself and everyone else, centered on the Nad'ga's looks.
Rishir had first assumed the issue lay with him.
If he alone couldn't perceive the Nad'ga's beauty that all others felt, wasn't that on him?
But—
Spending time alongside the Nad'ga shifted his perspective.
'Yep. Something's seriously off. This whole situation. That Nad'ga's vibe. For now... best to play it as natural as possible.'
The Nad'ga seemed thoroughly at ease in her station.
The perch of a beauty?
Beauties got a pass on any behavior.
Grown accustomed to such license, the Nad'ga now paraded ominous undercurrents she should never reveal.
Precisely what pricked Rishir's instincts, untouched by the 'Blessing'.
Unlike Hera, who buried her gut feelings under blind faith in the 'Blessing', Rishir leaned into his.
To erode her wariness, he ramped up his proactive play.
If his instincts rang true, needlessly heightening her alert would spell trouble.
"Ah, no! If anything, I was the forward one. I just got worried someone close to Lady Hera might get hurt—"
His distance from the Nad'ga stemmed not from rejection.
From shyness.
Likewise, approaching the dragon slave wasn't out of kindness.
To impress the Nad'ga!
Rishir recalled a noble youth he'd once observed.
Acting aloof toward a lady while secretly craving her notice!
"Aha. That explains it—"
Hera nodded vigorously, as if it all clicked at last.
As expected.
No mere human could shrug off the 'Blessing's pull.
Hera eagerly embraced this fresh take on Rishir.
Immersing herself anew in her role as the exquisite being.
Rishir danced to her rhythm.
"Anywhere hurt? We can't trouble Lady Hera like that."
As if to curry her favor, he addressed the slave.
The dragon girl, no less.
"..."
The girl bared her teeth like a cornered predator.
"Ugh—"
The onlooking elves recoiled and averted their eyes.
Her grimace amplified her draconic traits.
Those razor-sharp eyes.
That scaly hide.
"..."
Rishir, equally reluctant, feigned disgust all the same.
A show conveying, 'I can't stand dragons, but gotta suck it up to impress the Nad'ga!'?
"Oh no, you're injured."
Rishir pointed at her arm like it was smeared in grime.
Her ragged frame bore traces of wounds big and small.
"Leave it be, and those injuries could fester badly. Let me heal you."
Fourteen at most?
Rishir's snap judgment from her looks.
He treated her subconsciously like a kid.
"No thanks!"
"...!"
Yet her fierce rebuff.
Her sheer presence overshadowed even her childish face; Rishir nearly reeled back.
'A dragon's a dragon, alright...!'
Rishir tamped down his reflexive awe.
He mustered an exasperated look.
"Not your call. Remember: if you collapse under your own weight, it's your master—Lady Hera—who foots the hassle."
"Mind your own business!"
"Hopeless."
Rishir shook his head and turned to Hera.
"Lady Hera. I'd like to treat her. If you'd permit it?"
The eager strut of a man itching to flaunt his skills before a woman.
Hera smiled, pleased by his foolhardy zeal.
"Just a slave. No need to fuss. But... turning down good intentions ill befits me."
Go ahead.
Her casual wave left just enough opening.
A masterstroke revealing her finesse in toying with humans.
The Nad'ga deemed the timing ideal.
She'd been dying to see just how this human earned the elves' favor.
Perhaps she'd snag another handy slave.
Later.
Rishir headed to his tent with the dragon in tow.
Spacious enough for solo camping, it was a perk reserved for a select few in the group—like Lunadien and Caroer.
"..."
The dragon scanned the tent's interior, then eyed Rishir oddly.
Clearly puzzled how a plain human merited such VIP treatment amid elves.
"!!!"
Of course.
His approach flipped her curiosity to instant hostility.
One step from Rishir, and she retreated to the tent's far wall.
"Try it. I'll snap your neck."
"Like that?"
Rishir gestured at her.
Mana chains bound her from neck, past bound arms behind, to her legs.
Suppressing motion and her draconic might alike.
Right now, just a normal girl.
"..."
Gnash.
She ground her teeth in fury.
"Think that monster bitch'll give a damn!? Or wanna join her horde of slaves!?"
"Hate her that bad?"
"Duh! I'd trade my soul to torch her!"
"Hate treatment that much? Selling out her name says otherwise."
"Treatment my ass! You're just bootlicking for her notice, acting all charitable!"
Then.
Her face contorted sharply.
Recalling the man sneering at her alongside the elves earlier.
"Bet you're the type who can't touch a girl without groveling first!!! Wrong!?"
Emotions as raw as her baby face.
Vowed to never show weakness before the Nad'ga, come hell or high water—yet she crumbled the instant Hera vanished.
Tears soaked her cheeks in seconds.
"Think I'll play along helping that monster bitch? Fat chance! Go on, try! Near me, and I bite my tongue off. Bet she'd love her 'healed' loaner dropping dead, huh?"
"..."
"S-so, give up already!? Y-you hate touching me anyway!!!"
What did she make of Rishir's stillness?
She flashed a cocky grin through gritted gasps.
See! See!!!
She lunged forward, jamming her face in his.
Expecting him to freak and flee.
Her defiance didn't end there.
She flared her hidden tail and wings for all they were worth.
A proud draconic silhouette belying her girlish frame.
"..."
She grinned, thrilled yet faintly wistful.
Convinced he'd reacted right on cue.
His eyes bugged out.
Familiar as breathing to her.
So routine, she foresaw his follow-up.
Shock fading fast.
Then revulsion, face twisting.
Now close enough to graze with a hand.
"See! Look!!! Why!? Gonna treat me!? Do it! Grope away!"
Suddenly.
His hand stirred.
"...!"
Squeeze!
Conditioned reflex.
Sensing the blow, she clamped her eyes shut.
Curling up for the impact.
"Oh..."
An enigmatic murmur.
"Eek...!!!"
Followed by baffling contact.
She snapped her eyes open in shock.
The man toyed with her horn, face alight with fascination.
"W-what the hell!?"
She barked through heaving breaths.
She swatted his hand off. Hid her horn. Backed away.
"Ah, sorry."
He panicked late, hands up placatingly.
"Kinda got swept up in the moment—"
"..."
Ragged pants.
Quivering gaze.
She stared him down, frozen.
Too thrown to muster wariness or hate.
Hence.
He struck her anew—wholly different.
Odd.
No loathing in his eyes on her.
More.
Even goodwill.
Genuine, beyond doubt—
"W-what are you—"
He weighed his words with care.
What to say to shatter her defenses?
"You think... I'm the only one who finds it weird?"
"Huh?"
"Nad'ga beautiful. Dragons repulsive."
"..."
She blinked rapidly.
"Ah, what a relief."
Rishir exhaled long and deep.
Relief washed over him, body and face alike.
"So it wasn't just me being weird...!"
The perceptual chasm encircling the Nad'ga.
Rishir, roiled by its confusion and dread, reached for the dragon to pierce it.
The prime victim of that rift.
Hoping she held the key.
His cautious tack paid off big.
She bought into his turmoil wholesale, unleashing her pent-up fury.
Through her, the truth unfolded.
"Nad'ga. Those grotesque freaks cursed us dragons!!! Stole our stature!!!"
Nad'ga.
No paragons of beauty.
Born disruptors of cosmic balance, chaos apostles swinging their gifts heedless.
Goal unchanged since forever.
World domination via raw power.
Dragons: archfoes, prime counterweights—destroyers of relics fueling their strength.
"So... cornered by dragon pressure, Nad'ga unleashed the relic's full might in a mutual-doom curse."
"Right! And we dragons..."
Self-proclaimed harmony keepers, dragons reeled from global scorn.
They shunned the world for isolation or endless slumber.
The curse gutted dragonkind en masse.
Thus today.
Unity's pride? Dust.
They ditched draconic identity for self-serving paths.
Why the 'extinct' Nad'ga scion Hera strode free.
She knew.
This era's dragons valued self-preservation over vengeance.
Save the 'dragonkin' girl—
Alenza differed.
Distant draconic heir, she couldn't stomach Nad'ga usurping lost glory.
"Went solo for payback. Got nabbed by Hera and crew."
"You... believe me?"
Alenza, mid emotional torrent, gawked at Rishir wonderstruck.
His rapt attention? Unthinkable.
"Yes. Untouched by the curse, your word's all I got, Alenza."
"...How?"
"Pardon?"
"Why's the curse a no-show on you...?"
"...Complicated. Anyway—"
Rishir eyed the power chains locking Alenza.
'Untie how?'
As he probed gingerly—
"Ack, dangerous—!"
Why Nad'ga handed her slave to a stranger.
The chains lashed any interferer viciously.
Enslaving dragon—then human—
And poof. Gone.
"Wh-what? What gives?"
Alenza gaped down at herself briefly.
"...!"
Bolted upright, stunned.
"N-noo!!!"
"What is it?"
"Hera—that freak'll catch on!"
"...!"
Up she sprang.
"H-Hera!?"
Same moment.
Mid rest amid fawning followers, Nad'ga Hera shot to her feet.
'Knew something felt wrong...!'
She felt her dragon-binding power shattered by unknown force.
A trigger, swelling all denied doubts.
No illusion.
That base creature's off vibe.
That nagging itch!
Somehow, he evaded the 'Blessing'.
Aware now, she replayed his acts.
'Filthy baseborn!!! Fooled me to snatch the dragon!?'
Hera stormed out, followers in train.
Prime tent, elves' gift.
'Stupid scum! Elves as shield make you invincible?'
Sneer warped her rage-twisted face.
Inferior revolt, elf-backed.
Ridiculous.
Elf ties? Trust? Repute?
Powerless trifles to her.
From her breast, she drew it forth.
Like a colossal platinum bird's egg: the 'Shell'.
Nad'ga relic.
Its potency warped reality's laws.
Of course.
With kin near-extinct, power ebbed—no grand miracles.
Minor boons? Easy.
'Rishir...'
Hera pictured the scum.
Shattering his elf-trust 'weapon'? Child's play.
Crackkk—
Fissures spidered the 'Shell'.
God-power relic Nad'ga revered unleashed.
Overwrote every elf mind in camp.
Now, 'Rishir' registered not human.
As dragons and Nad'ga prestige flipped.
Truth be told.
Hera craved total erasure of Rishir.
Daemonize him, say.
"Ugh...!"
But.
'Shell' rites exacted steep toll.
Even this drained her essence grievously.
Such loss for one pest?
Intolerable for Nad'ga pride.
'Mere trash spurning Blessing...!'
Yet.
That trash was outlier.
Blessing-immune Rishir.
Elf-favored Rishir.
Dragon alliance? Unpredictable havoc.
Hera trusted her cost—call—implicitly right.
"Caroer!"
"Hm?"
Ignoring entry guards, Hera burst into Caroer's tent.
Demanded camp elves muster.
Nad'ga prestige peaked.
Caroer summoned them sans protest.
There, Hera aired Rishir doubts.
No human, that one.
Something in human guise!
Thus tainted his being with suspicion.
Inciting elves next.
Stiff-necked folk abhorred deceivers hiding truths.
"Ah, knew it! My hunch nailed it—Rishir's no human!"
"Makes sense on reflection."
"We kinda suspected."
"...?"
Something off in the elves' replies.