Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Dragon, Girl
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Dragon: "Guys, it's Nad'ga's curse ㅠㅠㅠ"
World: "Not my problem?"
After hundreds of years of this bullshit, of course she'd be like that.
Way beyond "not my problem."
Why's she suddenly like this? Who even is she?
Basically this:
"Kids~ Alenza can take it, but the dragon can't~"
The morning at the camp was unusually rowdy.
It was the aftermath of dawn carrying over directly.
The awakening of the young dragon.
Everyone in the camp had witnessed that miraculous moment and remembered it vividly.
"What are you all doing here!?"
Alenza.
That young dragon was suddenly surrounded by her followers.
The moment she stepped out of her tent, she was encircled by the crowd, and Alenza scanned their faces.
"You all—"
Ares ye Debryen.
Leading them were knight orders from great noble houses.
Along with countless heroes.
Their composition could be summed up in one phrase.
Former followers of the Nad'ga household.
Alenza had been part of Nad'ga's journey alongside them.
That dragon who had been Nad'ga's slave.
"..."
Memories from that time surfaced unconsciously, and wariness flashed across Alenza's face.
'Rishir—'
As the young dragon instinctively sought that man in her anxiety—
"...No."
She gritted her teeth.
There was no reason to fear them anymore.
She was no longer Nad'ga's slave, nor an ugly, pitiful monster.
Dragon.
A great superior being, guardian of harmony and balance.
That was who she was.
'I am a dragon, I am a dragon—'
Alenza repeated inwardly.
As she did, her aura gradually shifted.
The anxious girl surrounded by adults was gone.
"What business do you have with me?"
Human.
The dragon added the word quietly.
Yes.
Alenza was addressing them as a dragon.
As a superior being, to those lesser ones.
"...!!!"
That dragon's demeanor acted as a signal.
Thud!
Starting with Ares, they all dropped to their knees in unison.
"Dragon, guardian of great balance and harmony!"
Alenza flinched.
She was quite flustered by their fervor.
She had expected they wouldn't treat her as before, but not that they would show such profound respect.
For Alenza, who had lived her life as an ugly being, being revered like this was barely entering its third day.
"..."
Alenza composed her confusion and looked at them.
With heads bowed on their knees, they looked like terrified criminals.
"Ah..."
Alenza let out a small sigh.
She finally understood why the humans were acting this way.
-They're afraid.
It was a voice from deep within.
A lifetime of scorn and persecution had been more than enough to carve darkness into her fragile inner self.
Now that Alenza had spread her broken dragon wings once more.
That darkness unfurled like wings, asserting its presence.
-You're no longer some ugly monster.
-You've become a superior being who can crush those lesser races at any time.
-So now, they're bowing to you.
-Don't ever mistake it.
-What's driving them isn't guilt.
-They don't care at all about trampling a young, innocent dragon.
-They just don't want to pay the price.
"..."
Unhealed wounds fester viciously when aggravated.
This darkness wasn't some evil force.
It was undoubtedly part of the young, pure dragon herself—the ultimate confidant.
The darkness caressed the dragon's wounds and whispered tenderly.
-Ask them. See if they feel sorry for you.
"Are you... apologizing to me now...?"
"...!"
They bowed even deeper in response.
-Yes, they must feel sorry. They want to look that way.
-But think about it.
-If they were truly sorry, would they beg for forgiveness like this?
-They just want to pretend nothing happened.
-Is that how a truly remorseful person acts?
"..."
Alenza couldn't respond to the whisper.
As if that was the desired answer, the darkness pressed on.
-You know it. We know it. If we were in their shoes, we never would've forgiven ourselves. Never begged for forgiveness.
-Right?
The whisper, like dripping stalactite water in a cave, eventually mimicked Alenza's voice perfectly.
Alenza couldn't distinguish if it was the darkness or her own thoughts.
No.
Did it even need distinguishing?
The young dragon bore countless wounds.
Every one was a crevice for the darkness to seep in.
The dragon had reclaimed her presence.
Regained lofty dignity and the vision to match.
It was terribly difficult.
For that superior being to forgive the lesser ones who had insulted her.
Just as shadows began to cloud those golden eyes—
"Rishir..."
The young dragon murmured.
It wasn't a soliloquy, but a question.
To her own darkness.
A question to the wounded, horrific, pitiful monster.
'What would Rishir have done...'
-...
The monster's relentless momentum waned.
The horrific monster knew him as well as the dragon did.
No.
Perhaps even better than the dragon.
-Rishir...
Even the horrific monster wasn't much different from the proud dragon before him.
He accepted the monster's form as it was.
Accepted the monster's story as it was.
His existence denied the monster born of hatred, existing only to hate.
The darkness whispered faintly.
-Yeah... What would Rishir have done...? What would he want us to do...?
Before long, the young dragon wore a bright, childlike smile.
"..."
The humans, crushed by the dragon's presence, unconsciously lifted their heads.
Meeting each other's gazes.
"Ah."
Alenza let out a sound unwittingly.
The humans' expressions were far from what she'd imagined.
It wasn't the pathetic flailing of lesser races desperate to avoid retribution.
"..."
What emanated from the humans' faces was self-loathing.
They were blaming themselves for the days they aided Nad'ga in persecuting the dragon.
"Ah."
The humans let out sounds unwittingly.
The dragon's appearance was far from what they'd imagined.
It wasn't some superior being beyond human comprehension.
The tearful girl's face brimmed with complex, utterly human emotions.
"..."
The humans' expressions twisted from self-disgust into deeper guilt.
"Ah..."
What on earth...
Have we done to this young girl all this time—
They finally began to understand Alenza as an equal being.
Awaking to their greatest mistake.
Before gauging the immense insult she'd felt as a dragon—
They started grasping the deep wounds she'd suffered as a child.
They spoke. They were sorry.
Infusing trembling voices with sincerity.
"..."
Alenza felt their apologies represented everyone.
All who had scorned the dragon alongside Nad'ga.
So perhaps...
Her response would represent all dragons.
Her legs trembled with the weight.
The young girl couldn't fathom what to say in this situation.
'Rishir...'
So she unconsciously thought of that man.
That dependable human.
No. Adult.
'What would Rishir have done...'
The girl said nothing in the end.
"..."
Instead, she smiled.
A smile fitting her youthful face, tear-streaked freshness adding to its charm.
The beastkin who sought to reclaim her clan's pride had succeeded.
Thus, the girl reclaimed herself.
Those followers were heroes gathered to pursue great justice under the great Nad'ga.
With Nad'ga gone.
They seemed to have found a new purpose.
"You'll follow me...? Why?"
"You said it yourself, Lady Alenza. You want to fully restore your incomplete dragon presence. And help your fellow kin in the same plight along the way."
"...You're going to help with that?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Alenza intended to refuse their offer.
But their next words made her burst into laughter.
"Lady Alenza is still young. We can't leave you alone."
"...What?"
It wasn't born of pure reverence.
Before following her as a dragon, they wished to protect the still-childish her.
"Ridiculous."
"Ah, Lady Alenza!!!"
Alenza scoffed.
She shook her head and turned her back to them.
Reentering the tent, her face beamed with delight.
"Lady Alenza..."
"Kyaa!"
Alenza hopped in place.
"W-What!? You, how long have you been there!?"
A spirit greeted her upon entering the tent.
Hidden by the golden helmet, but she could faintly sense it.
The spirit was tearing up in emotion.
"Magnificent... Truly magnificent magnanimity... Truly magnificent benevolence... More than worthy to bear the pride of a great dragon—"
"Ugh, enough! Stop!"
Alenza waved him off in exasperation.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Anyway—"
Alenza hurriedly changed the subject.
"...I still can't believe it."
Looking down at her hands, her expression quickly calmed.
"Me using Dragon Tongue... That great power permitted only to pure dragons... Did my dragon instincts awaken in that crisis?"
"..."
Ahem.
The spirit awkwardly averted his gaze.
Alenza asked him directly.
"Will that day come someday? The day I can wield that power at will...? The day I become a proper dragon?"
"..."
The spirit hesitated briefly.
Recalling the earlier events, he nodded resolutely.
"Yes. Lady Alenza. That day will surely come."
"..."
Alenza responded with a resolute smile.
And that resolute smile soon turned playful and childlike.
"Rishir."
"...!"
At the name, the spirit flinched unwittingly.
"Even he must've been shocked this time!"
"W-Wait— Lady Alenza!?"
Alenza dashed out of the tent in excitement.
Heading straight for Rishir's abode.
"Kyaa!?"
Moments later.
A shrill scream erupted from Rishir's tent.
"Th-This is...!"
The spirit following her also panicked, assuming battle stance.
A knight in inky black armor and sword, as if forged from foreboding, greeted them.
"Ri-Rishir—"
What did you do to Rishir!
As Alenza was about to shout at the knight—
"Ah, everyone. Come on in."
"...Huh?"
A familiar voice leaked from the helmet's slit.
"Ri-Rishir...?"
"Yes. It's me, Alenza."
"...Why are you in that state?"
"Hm?"
Alenza glanced at the spirit.
His attitude toward Rishir felt off.
"Oh, this."
Rishir looked down at himself and answered naturally.
"My body's a bit strained, so I'm recuperating."
"...Recuperating?"
"Ugh..."
"Rishir!? You okay!?"
"It's rough. The magic sword—"
"Magic sword!?"
"What's with the magic sword!?"
At the ominous name, spirit and dragon could only freak out.
No way.
Had Rishir fallen to that sinister abomination!?
"If only there were one more magic sword, it'd be great..."
Rishir smacked his lips like an old man eyeing herbs.
"..."
By now, it was familiar.
Dragon and spirit couldn't comprehend the man's words.
The elf expedition.
They departed the camp they'd grown attached to.
The stalled march resumed.
The dragon and her followers agreed to travel temporarily with the expedition.
A result of Alenza's insistence that she couldn't relax until confirming Rishir's recovery with her own eyes.
In the rattling carriage.
Alenza sat facing the inky knight.
"You're sure? Being like that speeds up recovery?"
"Yes. Even at a glance, I've benefited quite a bit already."
"...Well, fine. If you say so."
Alenza had grown somewhat accustomed to dealing with him.
She scooted closer casually.
Looking up at him, she spoke without reserve.
A friendly attitude like toward an older brother. Any hero witnessing it would faint.
"So, Rishir. What happened? What made you end up like this?"
"...There is, something."
"What? I'm asking you."
The little golden fireball spirit cut in, and Alenza glared daggers at it.
"...As the spirit says. There is, something."
"What the? Did you two have some falling out?"
Afterward, Alenza persistently hounded Rishir for answers, but it ended in vain.
Caroer and the elves didn't pry into Rishir's magic swordsman state.
Some premonition they couldn't handle the answer.
But.
Avoiding it wouldn't solve anything.
"Dawn's events still linger. What about you, Sir Caroer?"
"Hm..."
In the end. They decided to ask Rishir directly.
The expedition group, in the midst of lunch before reaching the city in a few days.
Caroer and Lunadien crossed the group toward Rishir.
"The liver can be a bit milder! Ah! I know! Rishir prefers strong liver dishes! But as everyone knows, Rishir's body is weak right now, right? Ah! I know! When you're sick, you crave tasty food even more! But—..."
"Ughhh..."
"Ah!"
Ratsil, tormenting(?) the cook nearby, spotted them, perked ears, and tagged along.
"Looking for Rishir!"
He was off the main path in a nearby field, spending time alone to focus on rest.
"Rishir~"
Soon.
In the distance, the inky knight's back came into view.
Then, the group facing him.
"Whoa!? Lady Caroer!? Lady Lunadien!? Rishir's facing off against someone right now!!?"
"...What?"
"Guys in black robes hiding their faces, surrounding Rishir! Like they're about to attack any second!!!"
They quickened pace.
"Halt there! That man is one of us!"
"Sir Caroer!?"
Caroer stopped Lunadien mid-charge.
Rishir seemed to be handling it with talk, so they followed his lead first.
"Those robes—..."
"Ears—..."
"Elves? No way, that expedition—..."
The shadowy group murmured briefly.
"Elves! What do you think you're doing!"
"...What?"
They suddenly scolded the elves.
"We know well about magic swords."
Pointing at the inky knight.
"That one's dominated by a magic sword! But you—elves—say that one. That magic sword thrall, is your companion."
The leader eyed their group.
Shing!
The shadowy group assumed battle stances in unison.
"Answer, elves. What are you scheming?"
"Wait! That's not dominated by a magic sword!"
"..."
The lead man nodded.
"Right. Understood."
"You get it!"
"Talking to you seems pointless."
"...!"
They pointed at the inky knight.
-It hurts... painful... hurts...
The thing moaning endlessly.
"Keeping that right beside you and saying such nonsense. You must think we're fools. Say it again looking at that. If it's not dominated by a magic sword, then what is it?"
The leader sneered at Caroer.
Caroer sighed shortly and replied.
"...That's the sound the magic sword is making."
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