Chapter 40
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Half-Dragon Aunt
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The wound inflicted by Black Fang carried a power that interfered with healing abilities.
Kerdic, who had been rubbing his neck where the injury had vanished in an instant, suddenly twisted it side to side with a series of cracks and pops.
Once fully recovered, he flashed a kind smile at Eirana.
"Impressive. It's almost enough to make me doubt if you're truly a Holy Dragon. But before that..."
He gazed at the color of Eirana's hair and eyes.
The power of the Black Dragon had awakened within her, turning her hair and eyes pitch black.
"You were clearly from the Silver Clan before, but now you look every bit the Black Clan."
"I'm just special in a lot of ways."
Eirana brushed it off lightly, but every nerve in her body was on edge.
Kerdic burst into laughter at her response.
"Fascinating. I like you even more now."
His eyes gleamed with the interest of a researcher eyeing a intriguing specimen.
There was no sign of displeasure at having his throat pierced.
However, the atmosphere had shifted dramatically from moments ago.
If before it had felt playful, now what emanated from him was pure killing intent.
His pride must have been wounded by allowing an attack from a mere Holy Dragon.
Eirana tensed, staying on high alert.
That was when it happened.
Clang!
A clear, metallic scrape rang out.
Both Kerdic, radiating suffocating malice, and Eirana, bracing against it, had their tension shattered by the sudden alien sound.
Clang! Rattle!
The friction sounded again.
Eirana kept her guard up against Kerdic while glancing toward the source.
Kerdic openly turned to look as well.
There stood a girl in her mid-to-late teens.
Her striking features, eyes closed, blended cuteness and beauty seamlessly, with slightly drooping eye corners that evoked a sense of calm.
Her face held an air of innocent purity.
For some reason, Eirana felt a strange familiarity from the girl.
The girl, who had stood silently for a moment, finally spoke.
"What brings a high-ranking demon like you all the way out here?"
"This isn't a place I can't come to."
Kerdic sneered as he replied.
"And what brings an underdeveloped mongrel bitch like you here?"
His words dripped with mockery.
Yet the girl responded calmly, her expression unchanged.
"I may look like this, but I'm older than you. I'd appreciate it if you treated me like the lady I am."
With that, she lifted a silver staff that looked about two heads taller than herself.
The staff was adorned with silver rings—the source of the strange sounds from before.
Clang!
As the staff's base tapped the ground, a metallic scrape echoed alongside a ripple of mana.
Kerdic's expression changed at the sight.
"What are you?"
"Just a simple half-breed."
"A half-breed with power like that?"
"I've lived a long time."
The girl let out a bright laugh.
Kerdic, silently watching her, finally spoke.
"Looks like we'll have to call it here for today."
With those words, the murderous aura vanished as if washed away.
He glanced at the girl for a moment, then turned to Eirana with his usual kind smile.
"Well then, miss dragonkin. Until next time."
Eirana merely spat on the ground and snorted in response.
Kerdic burst into laughter at her reaction before vanishing from sight.
As the tension eased, Eirana winced at the pain in her side.
The girl approached her then.
"Are you alright?"
At the question, Eirana sheathed Black Fang.
"I'm fine. But..."
Eirana gave her a puzzled look.
The girl before her felt incredibly familiar, yet carried a profound sense of otherworldliness.
'A dragon...?'
As Eirana felt disoriented by the odd sensation, the girl noticed and giggled.
"I must be throwing you off. Can't say I blame you—anyone would be at first glance."
She smiled cheerfully.
"I'm Silia. A half-dragon."
Eirana's eyes widened in surprise.
A half-dragon: offspring born between a dragon and another race.
They typically took on the appearance of their non-dragon parent, but dragon blood coursed through their veins.
They possessed immense mana by birthright, though far inferior to pure dragons.
Silia covered her mouth and chuckled at Eirana's astonished stare.
Just then, Eirana felt exhaustion crashing over her.
It was from prolonged use of the Black Dragon's power.
Activating the mana reservoir artificially created in her right chest granted tremendous strength, but at the cost of severe stamina drain.
As Eirana sealed away the Black Dragon's power, her hair and eyes began reverting to their original silver hue.
Silia's eyes widened at the sudden change.
Eirana's draconic eyes, imposing enough to intimidate any onlooker, were now revealed.
That must be why she kept them closed.
Silia examined Eirana's hair and eyes, then tilted her head at the aura emanating from her.
"I thought you were Black Clan for sure... but you're Silver Clan?"
"It's a complicated story."
Eirana grimaced and let out a groan from the throbbing pain in her side.
The wound from Kerdic was acting up.
She tried a healing spell, but it had little effect.
It seemed to be no ordinary injury—more like a curse.
Silia, seeing this, brought her staff to the wound and murmured softly.
"Heal."
With that, the injury mended, and the pain faded.
It was dragon tongue magic.
Eirana was impressed once more by someone who wielded dragon tongue magic so effortlessly.
Silia just beamed at her.
Suddenly realizing something, her eyes went wide, and she leaned in close to scrutinize Eirana's face.
Eirana flinched and tried to pull back, but Silia was faster, grabbing a lock of her hair.
It didn't hurt, but caught off guard, Eirana stared quizzically.
Standing on tiptoes to peer intently at her face, Silia soon realized her rudeness and released the hair.
"Oh, sorry. You just gave off such a strange vibe."
"Strange vibe?"
Eirana asked a bit curtly, and Silia looked apologetic.
"If it's not too rude, could I ask about your relation to Lord Elencan?"
Eirana blinked at the sudden mention of her grandfather.
"He's my grandfather."
"Just as I thought."
Silia grinned broadly.
As Eirana eyed her suspiciously, Silia continued.
"Lord Elencan is my father."
"Pardon?"
Caught off guard, Eirana blankly echoed her.
Silia gave a knowing smile.
"Your grandfather is my father. Which means I'm your aunt."
Eirana could only gape at her beaming aunt.
Invited to Eirana's room, Silia sat primly on a small chair in one corner.
She glanced around the sparse room, furnished only with essentials.
Dragons generally favored opulence.
One look at the treasures filling their lairs made their love for splendor obvious.
In that regard, Eirana was unusually austere.
Most dragons, during their first escapade, craved lavish lives—becoming generals, renowned mages or swordsmen, or nobles.
Eirana's path strayed from the norm, yet it wasn't flashy or attention-grabbing either.
After surveying the room, Silia turned to Eirana, who had casually unpacked and sat across from her.
Their eyes met, and Silia smiled warmly.
"How's Father doing?"
Eirana nodded.
"He's doing well—perfectly healthy."
Healthy enough not to hesitate throwing a punch at his daughter.
Eirana tilted her head.
"Has it been a while since you last saw Grandpa?"
"About 600 years, I think."
A considerable span, even for dragons.
It was even before Eirana's birth.
Eirana gave her a subtle look.
"Is there something on my face?"
Silia asked, puzzled. Eirana shook her head.
"No, just... you're so calm. It's unexpected."
She was Eirana's aunt, after all—sister to Erannis.
Similarities in temperament wouldn't be surprising.
Yet they were polar opposites.
Eirana found it intriguing.
'Different upbringings, maybe?'
With that thought, she asked.
"Who raised you as a child?"
"Father did."
'Grandma issues?'
Highly likely. Leranas had frequently resorted to violence against Erannis, far more often than Elencan ever did.
As if reading her mind, Silia spoke.
"You're surprised my personality is so different from Erannis's."
"Well..."
Eirana looked a bit sheepish at the direct hit.
Silia smiled faintly. Eirana asked.
"Mom never mentioned having a sister, though."
Silia nodded.
"That figures. Erannis doesn't see me as her sister."
Eirana paused, puzzled.
Silia explained.
"Half-dragons are rare. Even rarer for clans to accept them as kin."
Her story went like this:
Most half-dragons were born from escapades.
For dragons, escapades were like dreams.
Rarely did they acknowledge dream-born offspring as true children.
Thus, dragons seldom recognized half-dragons as family.
"What about Grandpa?"
"Father acknowledged me as his child. Proof is right here."
Silia indicated her staff.
"It's made from Father's bone. Giving a half-dragon something crafted from one's own bone means full recognition as kin."
News to Eirana.
After a silence, she asked.
"Don't you feel resentful?"
"Never thought of it that way. It's just how things are."
Silia spoke matter-of-factly. As Eirana fell quiet, she continued.
"In that sense, Eirana, you're a peculiar dragon. Calling me your aunt and all."
"Eh, whatever."
Eirana shrugged nonchalantly.
Dream or not, blood was blood.
Family was family—a very human outlook.
"You're different from typical dragons too. That demon was a high-ranking one—way too much for a fresh Holy Dragon. Yet you held your own without breaking a sweat. Impressive."
Silia looked genuinely admiring.
The gaze felt oddly burdensome, so Eirana averted her eyes.
It was her first time chatting with an adult like this.