Chapter 41
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Founding Sage's Resolve
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"By the way, why were you in the middle of the royal palace?"
With Silria's abilities, fooling people's eyes wouldn't be all that difficult.
But Silria had no particular reason to come here. Though she had coincidentally met kin, Eirana couldn't help but feel skeptical about this chance encounter with a stranger.
Silria replied to Eirana's question.
"The founding king of the Adea Kingdom and I were friends. I helped establish this country. Surely you've heard the stories in history books about the sage who aided the founding king?"
"I'm not all that interested in this country's history."
Eirana shrugged.
For the record, Eirana was also Lea's history teacher.
It was an utterly shameless attitude.
Silria looked at Eirana with a puzzled expression.
"Strutting around the center of the palace makes you seem like a noble of this country."
"No, I'm just a simple tutor. Nothing like a noble."
Though questions lingered even after that brief explanation, Silria decided not to dwell on it.
"So, out for a nostalgic stroll with an old friend in mind?"
"That's part of it, but..."
Silria trailed off.
As Eirana gazed at her curiously, Silria spoke in a grim tone.
"Something frightening seems to be happening in this country."
"...?"
Eirana furrowed her brow at the words.
Frightening? What could that mean?
"Something related to that demon?"
"Yes, exactly."
Silria nodded, prompting a puzzled look from Eirana.
"He's a high-ranking demon, but is he really that threatening?"
"He's no ordinary high demon."
Silria said firmly.
"He's one of the twelve Demon Kings of the Demon Realm."
Eirana narrowed her eyes at that.
"I get that he's strong, but he didn't strike me as Demon King level."
A Demon King was a monster with power rivaling an elder of a dragon clan or greater.
In her fight with Kerdik, Eirana hadn't sensed strength on par with her grandfathers.
Decisively, he had backed off upon seeing Silria.
"Of course. That was merely an avatar."
"..."
Fundamentally, celestials and demons needed to pass through gates to enter the Middle Realm while retaining their full power.
But those gates were guarded by immensely powerful barriers, making it impossible.
The alternative was 'summoning.'
Celestials and demons summoned this way had their power halved by default.
And even an avatar created in that state had unleashed such might.
Eirana's expression grew a bit grave.
The Demon Realm's image in the Middle Realm was far from positive.
Thus, no one summoned demons with good intentions.
If the summoner had called forth a leader like a Demon King, what dangerous schemes must they harbor?
At any rate, Kerdik's appearance in the heart of the palace alone proved he was tied to the suspicious events unfolding in the kingdom.
"A Demon King."
Eirana murmured softly, and Silria spoke up.
"You don't need to worry too much, Eirana. You might get hurt for no reason."
Eirana paused at her concerned tone, then replied.
"You might know this already, but this country is currently caught in a succession struggle between the Crown Prince faction and the Grand Duke faction. And demons are likely involved in that fight."
"Is that so?"
Silria nodded thoughtfully, her face clouded.
"If you're worried, why not mediate between them?"
"..."
Silria fell silent at that, then made a bitter expression.
"I am worried about this country, it's true. After all, I lent my strength to its founding and wished for its people's happiness. But I vowed never to meddle in matters of power."
"Is there a reason for that?"
"A reason..."
Silria murmured softly, then gave a wry smile.
"Before the Adea Kingdom was founded, this land wasn't a kind place."
It was Eirana's territory now, but back when Rakan ruled the area, countless monsters roamed what would become Adea Kingdom lands.
The people here fought monsters daily, enduring harsh lives.
At the time, these lands—encompassing the future kingdom and vast surroundings—belonged nominally to an empire, but were effectively abandoned.
That was around when Silria settled here.
"The people's lives were hard. But they were bright. They treated me kinder than anyone I'd met. Those living here had hearts purer than any I'd known."
It sounded like a fairy tale.
Eirana listened silently as Silria continued.
"So I hoped they could all live happier lives. That's when I met this country's founding king."
He was the lord of a domain between the future Adea lands and the empire's territories.
Upon meeting Silria, he wanted to pioneer this place, and their goals aligned, making her his ally.
"After decades of battle, we succeeded in driving the monsters into Lord Rakan's domain."
"It's my domain now."
"Oh? Is it?"
Silria let out a small exclamation and smiled warmly.
The story paused briefly, but Silria pressed on undeterred.
"With the monsters gone, pioneering began. He was recognized for his merits and became this country's king. Subduing the monsters was tough, but the people brimmed with hope. The development was passionate."
Silria's bright face darkened soon after.
"But that didn't last. As the Adea Kingdom grew stronger, after the founding king died and his descendants took the throne, the kings and nobles began plotting war against the empire."
"Could a young kingdom amass enough power to challenge an empire in such a short time?"
Silria gave a wry smile at Eirana's dubious question.
"Because I was there."
"..."
Eirana instantly grasped the situation.
Even an avatar, yet Silria's magic had forced a Demon King to retreat.
Half-dragon or not, her power was immense enough to topple a great nation.
It was clear her sealed strength surpassed even Eirana's mother, Erannis.
"They believed my power would let them defeat the empire."
"And you didn't like that."
Silria merely smiled at Eirana's words.
"The founding king was my friend, true. I have affection for his descendants, and the nobles were children of comrades who pioneered this land with me. They were precious to me. But..."
Silria paused, then spoke deliberately.
"That doesn't justify plunging this country's people into war. War is evil. I had no intention of following that wicked path."
"..."
"Yet, generation after generation, the nobles bolstered their power, trusting in mine."
The Adea Kingdom's lands were vast and fertile.
Once unusable due to monsters centuries ago, after pioneering, rich soil and abundant minerals formed the backbone of its might.
As time passed, the empire declined while Adea grew stronger.
Silria, with dragon-like magic, continued protecting it.
For those in power, it was an environment ripe for ambition.
Power begs to be used. Humans are like that.
Eirana rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Silria.
"I judged my existence would ultimately lead this country to war."
"So you distanced yourself from the power brokers."
"Exactly."
Silria smiled and nodded.
"What if the king and nobles start tormenting the people?"
Silria gave a troubled smile.
"You're quite the mischievous one."
Eirana didn't deny it.
"Fortunately, the kings and nobles have ruled justly until now."
"..."
"I can't guarantee the future, but if they stray, I'll set things right."
"That's why they relied on you."
Silria ultimately couldn't abandon this country.
She gave a wry smile at Eirana's words.
"A dragon like you might find it hard to understand, but I can't help it."
Silria met Eirana's eyes directly.
"I'm half-human, after all."
'It's not that I don't understand.'
Eirana thought to herself.
Humans and dragons think differently.
Humans pursue things even knowing they're foolish or irrational.
Dragons do not. They avoid folly and illogic.
This is why dragons who have long interacted with humans call them foolish beings.
But Eirana understood human thinking.
Because she had once been human.
"So, that Demon King's contractor is plotting something that dangerous?"
Silria nodded at Eirana's question.
"Yes."
"..."
"A great storm of blood may be coming. Not just to this country."
Eirana furrowed her brow at Silria's words.
"That Demon King's contractor clearly harbors malice toward humans."
Ross—or more precisely, Tersus—was giving the half-dragon Silria before him a slightly troubled smile.
"It's been a while."
"It has, Lord Tersus."
Silria greeted him with a gentle smile.
Tersus, watching silently, turned to Eirana, who was yawning lazily in a corner.
"When did you two meet?"
"Just now."
Eirana answered curtly in her usual brusque tone, and Tersus nodded.
The first time they'd met, Tersus had mentioned Eirana's connection to the Adea Kingdom.
That connection was Silria herself.
"How did it happen?"
"That's why I came—to explain that part."
Silria replied calmly to Tersus's puzzled question.
He'd mentioned her ties to the kingdom, but he never dreamed they'd meet like this.
The Silria he knew rarely left her home in the Adea Kingdom.
Her appearing in the palace heart was certainly suspicious.
As Tersus looked puzzled, Silria spoke.
"Do you know that the recent string of incidents across the kingdom are linked to demons?"
"I had a rough idea."
Tersus nodded.