Chapter 160
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 160
Curiosity aside, this was a matter of considerable importance. Normally, she would have gathered the elders to hear their opinions.
"You didn't tell the elders?"
"I did not."
But she hadn't told another soul among the dragons, save for Fafnir.
She could already picture their reaction.
"Those old geezers would throw a fit and forbid me from getting involved."
The elders pursued safety above all else. Since Azi Dahaka was the only dragon carrying the Lord's lineage, they were exceptionally overprotective of her.
It had been the same when a conflict arose with another dragon faction in the past, even after she had proven her strength.
What they wanted was safety and non-intervention. To them, the Dragon Lord's dignity meant holing up in a lair and keeping other dragons from running wild. That was their idea of preserving the species and ensuring prosperity.
So how could she possibly tell them that Hexabel seemed to be plotting something? If she did, they would surely try to stop her, insisting, "Lord, there is no need for us to intervene."
They had already thrown a massive fit when she went to meet Swallow; this time, they would be absolutely desperate to stop her.
Of course, Azi Dahaka thought differently.
This is an opportunity.
Only she and Fafnir knew of Hexabel's suspected collusion.
Instead of wondering how to feign ignorance and avoid any losses, she needed to figure out how to leverage this information for maximum gain.
"I agree."
One solution immediately came to mind. It was simple, yet she had mulled it over hundreds of times.
It was a way to resolve the issue without lifting a finger, while simultaneously forging a friendly relationship with the strongest of the ancient monsters.
"Let's tell Swallow the truth."
A simple tip-off.
* * *
"Boss, you have a visitor."
"I don't care who it is. Send them back."
"Why are you sending them away without even knowing who it is?"
"Then find out who they are and send them away with grand flair."
"No, that's not the point."
What on earth does 'sending them away with grand flair' even mean?
Patrick sighed, as he always did, but this one was much longer than usual. He'd come to deliver the news, but the disastrous state of Swallow's room made his sigh drag on.
If Swallow's slovenly lifestyle could be expressed by a single room, this was it. The entire place was filled with something called popcorn, piled high in awkward mounds that made it look like an overflowing landfill.
"...Azi Dahaka of Margar has arrived. She says she has something to tell you in private."
Immediately after Patrick's introduction, a polymorphed Azi Dahaka walked in slowly. Her gait was unnaturally stiff, rendering her attempt at a relaxed expression completely useless.
Swallow, who had been buried in the popcorn, poked his head out from above the kernels the moment he sensed her presence.
"......"
After a few seconds of silent staring, Swallow let out a long yawn.
"What is it? Why are you here again? I let it slide once, but just because I didn't say anything, you think this place is some neighborhood playground? Huh?"
"Please don't be so cranky, Boss. The boss of a Great Evil Cave came all this way on business."
"On second thought, you visiting twice is better than Patrick visiting every single day. Just state your business quickly and leave."
Popping out of the popcorn mountain, Swallow pointed toward a spot. Azi Dahaka followed his finger and saw he was pointing at another massive pile of popcorn.
"Are... are you telling me to sit here?"
Azi Dahaka's pupils trembled. She had resolved not to show weakness this time, but being told to sit in such a place left her utterly flustered.
No, this is a sign of respect. Since Swallow is also burying himself in that pile, he wants to treat me as an equal...
Having rationalized it to herself, Azi Dahaka carefully buried herself in the popcorn. Swallow, who had been watching with a serious gaze, finally locked his eyes onto her.
"If you're here to ask for a favor, the answer is no."
"......"
"I'm tired. Just state your business."
"Swallow, there is something I must tell you."
Sensing his gaze intensify slightly, Azi Dahaka continued.
"Hexabel had a secret meeting with Kurak."
"...What are you talking about?"
In a calm tone, Azi Dahaka pressed on.
"Hexabel is up to something we don't know about."
"......"
Swallow fell silent.
The silence stretched on. Azi Dahaka deliberately paused to let the words sink in.
Of course he'd be flustered. He probably doesn't fully understand what this means.
Now, I just have to play my cards right. I'll gently prod him so he takes the situation seriously...
"So, what happened was—"
"Patrick."
—Huh?
His voice was unexpectedly deep and heavy, and the very air in the cavern seemed to grow dense.
Something was wrong. Only then did Azi Dahaka realize it. This wasn't a situation that called for such a grave tone. She hadn't even properly explained anything yet—
"Step outside for a moment. And make sure no one else comes in."
"...Understood."
At that solemn voice, even Patrick, who always bantered with Swallow, nodded without a word of complaint.
Soon, Patrick had vanished, leaving the two of them alone.
She turned back to Swallow and saw he had already emerged from the white pile and was brushing himself off.
Swallow slowly raised his head.
Their eyes met. Azi Dahaka unconsciously swallowed hard. The first thing she noticed were his eyes.
Pitch-black sclerae. Empty golden pupils, stripped of all their usual playfulness.
It was her first time seeing him like this, but she had no trouble reading the situation. The laziness had vanished completely from his face, making his intent all too clear.
Swallow was genuinely furious.
"...Hexabel did what?"
At his voice, which was several times heavier than usual, Azi Dahaka took an unconscious step back.
Her mind raced.
What on earth is this sudden...
She hadn't even started the real story. She had only thrown out a provocative opening line, merely suggesting Kurak and Hexabel were acting suspicious.
But why? Why this reaction already?
"...Ah."
—Did I make a misstep right from the start?
Only then did Azi Dahaka realize her mistake.
Since she was the sole witness to the secret meeting, she had assumed Swallow would be completely ignorant of the matter.
But if Swallow already knew something, that changed everything. And if he himself was involved, she had just marked herself as a witness to be eliminated.
This was dangerous.
Having made her judgment, Azi Dahaka immediately canceled her polymorph.
Unclean energy surged wildly from her body. Starting with her hands and feet, she began to assume her true form as a dragon. Her body swelled endlessly until she towered several meters high.
A single flap of her massive wings whipped up a gale inside the cavern. Revealing her true form as an evil dragon, Azi Dahaka roared toward the ceiling, and a shower of stalactites rained down from the shockwave.
She had never lost a battle when fighting at full strength, yet a single question echoed in her mind:
Can I win?
Strangely, the question refused to leave her. At the same time, she already knew the answer. Winning was—impossible.
Azi Dahaka could feel it.
Hardly any light penetrated Swallow's room, but it wasn't complete darkness. Anyone with decent night vision could make out the room's dimensions.
Yet the shadows were now far deeper than during her last visit. They were an absolute, pitch-black void. She realized the darkness blanketing the room wasn't mere shade—it was dark energy emanating from Swallow himself.
"......"
As if displeased that she had taken a combat stance instead of answering, Swallow slightly furrowed his brow.
Interpreting even that gesture as a threat, Azi Dahaka gathered a massive amount of mana in her mouth, preparing the strongest attack she could unleash in an instant.
Krrrrk, crackle!
Unclean mana gathered endlessly inside her mouth. Soon, the sound of the condensing energy distorting the air could be heard. It was a technique incomparable to a normal dragon's breath, operating on an entirely different level of mana density.
It was a deterrent for the worst-case scenario. If Swallow so much as flinched, she would unleash it.
And yet...
"Ha."
Swallow laughed, even after hearing that sound.
As if asking if she really thought such a threat would work on him.
Come to think of it, she thought, a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead. Patrick must have heard my roar, but he hasn't come back. Does that mean Swallow doesn't need his subordinate's help? Just how confident is he?
At the same time, a doubt arose.
If I fire this, can I actually win? What if I fail? What happens next?
Ah.
In that split second, her concentration wavered.
With that one mistake, the mana gathering in her mouth dissipated.
Flustered, Azi Dahaka opened her mouth, the scattering energy in her maw clearly visible to Swallow.
It was a fatal mistake. Cold sweat trickled down her black scales. Now, she couldn't stop him from approaching...
Azi Dahaka hurriedly tried to cast Draconic, but Swallow, refusing to miss the opening, closed the distance with impossible speed. No, by the time she came to her senses, he was standing right in front of her.
She had completely lost her sense of distance in the darkness blanketing the cavern. Azi Dahaka, who was about to cast a spell, widened her eyes.
Teleportation magic...?
She hastily tried to use teleportation magic herself, but it failed. The dark energy blanketing the floor was disrupting it.
Damn it...
She needed to dodge and create distance, but she couldn't read his intentions at all. She couldn't even predict what kind of attack was coming or from where. Even though the Swallow before her hadn't canceled his polymorph, he seemed infinitely massive.
While the panicked Azi Dahaka kept her eyes locked on him, his question reached her ears.
"What is Hexabel plotting?"
"...?"
This time, his voice was as calm as ever.
After staring blankly for a moment, Azi Dahaka slowly raised her head. The Swallow in front of her wore his usual lazy expression, with no trace of his previous terrifying demeanor. Before she knew it, his eyes had returned to their original color as well.
As if frustrated, Swallow asked again.
"Why aren't you answering? I asked what Hexabel is plotting."
* * *
"Ah, I'm sorry."
"Hey, Patrick. Why are you apologizing...?"
"Boss, you bow your head too."
"...Sorry."
"I hope you won't take it too seriously, Azi Dahaka. Our boss has a habit of occasionally putting on unnecessary airs."
"No, he spoke in such a dead-serious voice that I got tense, too. It does seem like a genuinely important matter, though."
"Last time he put on airs like that, he ended up causing a huge incident."
"Why do you keep airing my dirty laundry in front of others?"
"Dirty laundry? You mean this?"
Patrick pointed around Swallow's room. It was already a mess with popcorn scattered everywhere, but with the stalactites from Azi Dahaka's roar added to the mix, it was now an absolute disaster zone.
"......"
Azi Dahaka watched their banter, completely dazed.
After Swallow returned to normal, the situation had taken a bizarre turn. At any rate, it didn't seem to be the "everyone is in on it but me" scenario she had feared. Swallow had simply overreacted to the name Hexabel.
Watching the two bicker, Azi Dahaka cautiously read the room before slipping into the pile of popcorn beside her. Swallow had told her this was a rather effective method for avoiding a subordinate's nagging.
She couldn't understand why a boss was getting nagged by a subordinate, or where the dignity of an ancient monster had gone—but regardless, with her host acting like this, Azi Dahaka couldn't very well sit in a proper spot by herself.
As she remained buried, a few pieces found their way into her mouth. Contrary to her expectations, they were tasteless. Literally, she couldn't taste a thing. Why on earth he had piled such things in the deepest part of the dungeon remained an absolute mystery.
Surely, there must be some grand purpose behind this...
She glossed over her doubts. Though Swallow appeared lazy on the outside, he hid a terrifying true nature. There had to be some incredible reason for this as well.
"Anyway, that's the situation."