Chapter 8
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Black Heart
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A gaze that seemed to pierce through everything.
Sylphid, locked in a silent staring contest with Eirana, stroked his chin.
"Two sources of mana? No, two hearts."
At Sylphid's words, Eirana asked,
"You know something about my body?"
"Well, I can just sense that you're different from other dragons. Come to think of it, your father is a Black Dragon, right? Is it related to that?"
Sylphid shrugged, his tone full of curiosity.
Sylphid had easily discerned a fact that not even Eirana's parents or grandparents knew.
As Eirana stared in astonishment, Sylphid asked,
"That heart on your right side—can you use it?"
Though she didn't like his tone, like a child discovering a new toy, Eirana wordlessly awakened the mana in her right heart.
She was well aware that she was fundamentally different from other dragons.
Whether that was a problem or not, she had no way of knowing.
Perhaps Sylphid could determine that for her.
It was as if a switch had flipped.
Her flawless silver hair, the hallmark of a Silver Dragon, turned the color of obsidian.
Dark demonic energy swirled in her cold silver eyes.
Ballond, who had lived a long life as a High Elf, and even Sylphid, the Spirit King, were both stunned by the transformation.
What stood before them was no Silver Dragon, but a Black Dragon.
"Well now... this is quite the rare sight."
Sylphid let out a gasp of admiration.
"Is something like this even possible?"
Ballond asked in disbelief, prompting Sylphid to shrug again.
"The proof is right here in front of you, isn't it? Truly fascinating."
Wiping the playful expression from his face, Sylphid examined Eirana with a serious gaze.
Suddenly, he looked up.
Ballond followed his line of sight.
Eirana, puzzled by their reactions, soon felt the fluctuating flow of mana herself.
Moments later, accompanied by a brilliant flash of light, Leranas appeared.
Her expression was utterly refreshed, as if she had just spectacularly defeated the charging Erannis.
"Welcome, Lady Leranas."
Ballond greeted her with a smile.
"Come on in, Leranas."
Sylphid welcomed her warmly too, but Leranas eyed him with clear displeasure.
"Looks like there's a nasty piece of work here."
Though Leranas glared at him with obvious irritation, Sylphid merely smiled.
"I have some questions about your granddaughter."
"About Eirana?"
As Leranas tilted her head in confusion, Sylphid pointed at Eirana with his finger.
Leranas followed his gesture, and her eyes widened in shock.
The Eirana she saw was a Black Dragon.
Blinking in disbelief, Leranas opened her mouth wide and approached Eirana.
She inspected her from every angle before her face twisted in horror.
"Eirana?"
Eirana nodded hesitantly at the question.
Leranas then let out a scream.
"What the hell is this?!"
After a brief commotion, Leranas was also served tea by Ballond.
With Eirana seated beside her, Leranas sipped her tea and asked Ballond,
"So, any issues lately?"
"The city is as peaceful as ever."
Ballond replied with a gentle smile.
Breysarun was an ancient High Elf city steeped in history and tradition.
To humans, it was practically the elven capital—a grand metropolis unlike any other.
Had Eirana not entered through the welcoming gate, it would have taken her a considerable time to travel from the city's edge to this central spot.
"How has Erannis been?"
"Ah, that one?"
Leranas made a sour face at Ballond's question.
"She's probably passed out by now."
She snorted dismissively.
It was the kind of remark that might have awkward to anyone else, but Ballond, accustomed to it, simply wore his soft smile.
Elves lived over a thousand years.
High Elves, nobles among them with special bloodlines, could live nearly three thousand.
Ballond was nearing the twilight of his years, and he had been friends with Erannis since her hatchling days.
He knew all too well the dynamic between Leranas and Erannis.
There was no reason for him to be surprised.
"How about Rocana?"
"That child's been behaving lately,"
Ballond said with a wry smile.
Eirana, listening in, recalled the tall female elf who had guided her to the village earlier.
While Ballond and Leria gave off a refreshing aura, that elf felt like a sharp blade.
'An odd one even among elves.'
As Eirana thought that to herself, Leranas asked,
"Eirana, are you feeling alright? Not unwell or anything?"
Leranas's voice was filled with worry. By now, Eirana had reverted to her Silver Dragon form.
"I'm fine."
Sylphid, who had been observing, chuckled as Eirana spoke reassuringly.
"Mutant."
"I'll clobber you!"
Leranas grabbed her teacup as if to hurl it at him upon hearing that.
The Red Dragon's fiery temper showed no restraint, even before the Spirit King.
But Sylphid, used to it, just burst into laughter.
Eirana wanted to chuck the teapot at him herself, but in front of her grandmother, she played the role of the ever-good(?) granddaughter.
Leranas glared at Sylphid for a moment before setting down her cup with a sigh.
"So, what do you think?"
Leranas knew nothing of Eirana's condition, but Sylphid had spotted the anomaly immediately.
Spirits, closer to the origin of elements than dragons, had a deeper affinity for mana.
Leranas worried about the impact of two hearts on Eirana's body.
To Sylphid's response, he said,
"No signs of weakness or instability. Quite balanced, in fact. Her body should be fine. However."
"However?"
"She'll be stronger than other dragons."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Leranas asked, puzzled.
Strength was never a bad thing.
Sylphid clicked his tongue at her words.
"Nasty-tempered folks with too much power just make trouble for everyone around them."
He stared pointedly at Leranas as he said it.
This time, Leranas actually flung her teacup at him.
"Eek! Amazing! Eirana, do it again! Again!"
Erannis bounced around in front of Eirana, demanding she change her mana again.
As she fiddled with Eirana's hair, Eirana pushed her away.
"No."
Erannis shot back,
"Why? It's fun!"
Eirana retorted sharply,
"Am I a toy?"
"No."
As Eirana snapped irritably,
"Then stop staring at me like I'm some rare animal!"
Undeeterred, Erannis replied,
"But it is fascinating!"
She toyed with Eirana's now-black hair.
Eirana tried to stop her, but Erannis just grinned and tugged.
"Ow!"
"No matter how I look at it, it's incredible! Black Clan energy!"
Erannis poked and prodded Eirana's face and body.
Eirana squirmed to escape her grasp.
But how could she overpower Erannis with raw strength?
Thwack!
"Gah!"
"Who treats their daughter like a toy? Go sulk in the corner!"
"Sniff! That's mean."
At Leranas's words, Erannis sniffled and retreated to the corner, curling up. Eirana smirked triumphantly.
Leranas said to her,
"You have it rough with your immature mother."
As Eirana reverted her hair and eyes to silver, she replied,
"It's okay."
"Waaah! Whether it's me or Mom!"
Erannis protested from the corner, but Leranas unhesitatingly conjured a fireball and hurled it.
Erannis rolled across the floor extinguishing the flames.
Eirana was no longer fazed by such scenes.
"Grandma, show me around the lair."
Leranas smiled and nodded.
"Sure, where do you want to go first?"
The two dragons departed.
Erannis, finally patting out the fire, scowled and yelled,
"I hate Mom!"
Another fireball came flying.
Time passed once more.
Eirana's daily routine changed little.
She diligently practiced her martial arts without slacking, achieving steady progress.
She also kept up with her magic training.
It was the elves who first developed spellcraft, the root of all magic.
Dragons, powerful even without it, had little need for magic.
Elven magic spread to the inhabitants of the mortal realm.
Dragons were no exception.
They adapted the elves' magic to suit themselves, refining it for efficiency.
In the end, magic was acquired, not innate.
Even dragons had to put in the effort.
Most spent their hatchling years—five hundred years—mastering magic.
Thus, mortal races rarely surpassed dragons through magic alone.
Of course, transcendent geniuses appeared occasionally, but they were exceedingly rare.
Eirana practiced magic consistently.
She asked Erannis about anything unclear.
One day, when Eirana turned 387, she asked Erannis,
"Mom."
"Yes?"
Erannis, sitting beside Eirana as she read a magic tome, looked puzzled at the sudden call.
Eirana asked without looking up from her book,
"Don't you ever go wandering?"
"Hm?"
Even dragons with endless time couldn't devote five hundred years solely to child-rearing.
Typically, hatchlings were raised alternately by parents.
But Erannis had never left Eirana with Karman.
Eirana had never seen her enter hibernation, and even when Eirana did, Erannis watched over her.
Outwardly carefree, she was astonishingly devoted as a parent.
It baffled Eirana.
Her mother, who tired of things so easily, had poured herself into raising her.
Erannis, chin in hand and eyes wide, smiled warmly at her daughter's question.
"Worried about your mom?"
As Erannis beamed proudly, Eirana shook her head.
"No, with your personality, I figured you'd get bored of child-rearing quick."
"What's wrong with my personality?"
"It's rotten."
"Oh my."