Chapter 72 — I Haven't Seen It Though
Chapter 72 — I Haven't Seen It Though
Translation: GodTL
Min-jun already knew this.
That when it comes to love between different species, certain complications are bound to arise.
Even in his own case, hadn't he somehow managed to navigate through various incidents and accidents to keep their relationship going?
But listening quietly to their words, it seemed that in this world, love between different species itself was both the problem and a major obstacle.
It wasn't as if a dog and a human were in love—they were both sapient beings, a Dragon and a human.
Was harboring affection for each other really that strange?
Hadn't he heard that Dragons often concealed their true forms to indulge in dalliances as humans, elves, or other species?
'Then shouldn't my relationship with Sia be perfectly normal?'
Since neither Sia nor Rokan had gone into detail about this, Min-jun had assumed there was nothing particularly unusual about his romance with Sia.
However.
Their reactions were starting to stir an uneasy feeling in him.
"What do you mean, even if we're found out, maintaining a normal relationship would be difficult?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. It means that no non-Dragon species—humans included—could ever truly love a Dragon."
Lance, the fox beastkin who had teased Kutan earlier, began explaining in a surprisingly calm tone.
"Before their true nature is revealed, they might pretend to be in an ordinary human relationship. But Dragons loathe having their identities exposed during their dalliances. So if they're found out, lover or not, they end the game and return to their Lair."
"Since your girlfriend was once human, it might be a little different. But the fact remains—you can't love each other normally, like ordinary lovers."
Kutan looked at Min-jun with a pitying expression.
"From what I've heard, that's how it is. To be recognized as a mate by other Dragons, some kind of oath must be sworn—and that's something only possible between fellow Dragons."
Kutan added briefly that while a casual relationship might be possible without it, anything deeper would be out of the question.
After a moment of contemplation, Min-jun grasped at straws and asked:
"Even if we don't swear that oath, wouldn't it still be possible to live together without issues?"
As much as he wanted to say what Min-jun hoped to hear, Kutan couldn't.
"Assuming there are no other Dragons in the world you live in besides your girlfriend... then perhaps. But we don't know enough about the society of the Great Ones to say for certain."
Min-jun's expression darkened sharply at those words.
The implication that it might be fine if no other Dragons were around also meant that it wouldn't be fine if there were.
'What are the odds that, aside from Sia and Rokan, there are other Dragons on Earth?'
Given what he'd just heard about Dragons being extremely reluctant to reveal their true natures during their games, it wouldn't be easy for Min-jun to spot them.
'But regardless of how many there are, it's highly likely they've already established themselves.'
Min-jun recalled Lia Black, who had tried to seduce him before.
An SSS-rank Hunter who had suddenly flown in from the United States, claiming she just wanted to see him—only to openly and bizarrely flirt with him afterward.
Considering the circumstances, Min-jun strongly suspected she was a Dragon.
And if she was, it wouldn't be strange if there were others too.
'If this hypothesis is correct... and if we assume other Dragons have already discovered our relationship...'
Min-jun ran through all the possibilities that could arise from that,
and the longer he thought, the darker his expression grew.
If what they said was true, it wouldn't be strange if the Dragons interfered with his and Sia's relationship at any moment.
On top of that, Sia might already be facing scorn from other Dragons among their kind.
Unfortunately, most of Min-jun's assumptions were correct.
Though he remained silent with a grave expression, Lance, Kutan, and most of the others could roughly guess what he was thinking.
'How distressing this must be for him.'
Lance looked at Min-jun with genuine sympathy.
This wasn't the kind of conversation one wanted to hear while sober, so Min-jun quickly drained the glass in front of him.
"Actually, there's one more thing we should tell you—but I'd advise against hearing it."
"No. Please tell me."
"...Are you sure you won't regret it?"
"Yes."
The milk was already spilled.
Hearing one more shocking revelation here wouldn't change anything, he figured.
But Min-jun was completely wrong.
"You and your girlfriend... will never be able to conceive a child."
"Wh-what do you—"
Well, given everything he'd heard so far, it was something he could've guessed.
But there was a world of difference between suspecting it and hearing it confirmed outright by someone else.
"How could reproduction even be possible between different species? Under no circumstances will you and your lover ever have a child."
If I'd known it would be like this, maybe I should've refused to listen.
Min-jun's breathing grew ragged.
"...Min-jun, are you all right?"
"See, this is why you shouldn't have brought it up."
"You could've told him later. Why did you have to say something like that now?"
"He was the one who asked first! Better to face the blow sooner rather than later. It's not like he wouldn't have found out eventually."
"No, if you hadn't gone on about 'normal relationships' and all that nonsense in the first place, this wouldn't have happened!"
As the mood soured rapidly, Lance and Kutan began bickering, while Min-jun waved his hand dismissively, his expression far from pleasant.
He already knew.
The solution to this predicament was simple.
If he became the Dragon he aspired to be, then the inability to have children, the lack of recognition from other Dragons—all of it could be resolved.
That was why he had poured blood, sweat, and tears into his efforts, and why he had achieved such remarkable progress in such a short time.
Even so.
He couldn't help the bitter feeling gnawing at him.
"I need some air."
"Good idea. The night sky in Elysium is beautiful—take your time, clear your head, and come back whenever you're ready. We'll be drinking till dawn!"
Kutan boomed cheerfully, trying to lighten the awkward mood, while Lance silently patted Min-jun's shoulder.
But it didn't matter.
He wasn't in any state to appreciate their concern. With a dazed expression, Min-jun stepped out of the tavern.
Inside, the chatter about him continued for a while.
The moment he left the tavern,
he sat on a wooden bench a short distance away and stared up at the night sky.
Just as someone had said, the sky was breathtakingly beautiful, but his mind was too tangled to feel much of anything.
"Sia... knew all of this, and still came to find me."
Even knowing their relationship wouldn't be accepted by her own kind, she had spent two thousand years researching Dimensional Movement Magic just to reach Earth.
All for him.
Gratitude swelled in his chest, but so did a bittersweet ache.
How heartbroken would she be when she heard he'd been pulled into the Gate?
The thought of Sia bursting into tears made his chest tighten even more.
"How the hell do I get back?"
The enigmatic Statue of Bellium, standing ominously at the heart of this mysterious city, Elysium—it couldn't have dragged him here for no reason.
Yeah, he got that.
But at least it could've asked for my opinion before yanking me here.
Sighing deeply, he gazed at the distant silhouette of the statue.
Beneath the bright full moon, its figure was clearly visible even from afar.
It was too late tonight. Tomorrow, first thing, he'd investigate that statue.
For now, with nothing else he could do, he needed to calm his racing heart.
Out of habit, he pulled out his phone.
As if to prove this was another dimension, the screen showed no signal.
Not that he'd taken it out to call anyone.
He opened his gallery and slowly scrolled through the photos he'd taken with Sia.
Maybe seeing her face would soothe this restless feeling, even just a little.
Oh, might as well take a picture of the night sky while he was at it.
If—no, when—he made it back to Earth and saw Sia again, he'd tell her he'd captured the night sky of the world she once lived in.
Just as he snapped the photo and returned to scrolling through Sia's pictures, he sensed movement nearby.
Turning his head, he saw Estelle standing there, arms laden with food.
"Min-jun, may I sit beside you?"
"Sure. But what brings you here...?"
"I couldn't risk you getting lost. And... you seemed upset earlier. I thought maybe keeping you company and listening might help, even a little."
Her thoughtfulness lifted his spirits slightly.
"Plus, I figured we could eat together. You didn't have much earlier—you must be hungry. Here."
She handed him the basket she'd been carrying, filled with sausages, bread, and an assortment of skewered meats.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. If anything, we should be thanking you. If not for you, who knows how many lives would've been lost... Just thinking about it makes me dizzy."
"You're too kind."
"Not at all. What you did was incredible."
Smiling warmly, she pulled out a skewer from her other hand and took a bite.
"I can't even begin to imagine how troubled your mind must be right now, but for now, eat first, think later. Just... empty your head for a bit. How does that sound?"
She grinned, chewing on the skewer.
Following her lead, he picked out the most appetizing skewer and bit into it.
But then—
As he sat there, mindlessly chewing as Estelle had suggested, he suddenly noticed something odd.
"Miss Estelle, don't elves usually... abstain from eating meat?"
From what Sia had told me, elves considered meat taboo and adhered strictly to vegetarianism—yet the skewer Estelle was eating was a mixed meat kebab.
"Ah, this? You're right. Originally, elves are a vegetarian race. I was like that too, but... I happened to take a bite of meat once, and it was just too delicious."
"Then, the other elves...?"
"The moment they caught me eating meat, they freaked out and dragged me before the elders. Normally, I would've faced much harsher punishment, but fortunately, I only got exiled. So, after wandering for a while, I ended up settling here in Elysium."
She spoke casually, but I could only imagine how much inner turmoil she must have endured.
Come to think of it, Elysium was a city Bellium had founded for exiles, wasn't it?
At first, I thought she was a native, but now I understood—there was a story behind it.
Hearing Estelle's circumstances gave me an odd sense of comfort, but at the same time, a dull ache settled in my chest. If even someone as bright as her carried hidden pain, what unseen wounds did the other residents here bear?
Because of that, Estelle and the others began to overlap with Sia in my mind.
People who were different, who weren't understood, who were cast aside—or their descendants.
Thinking like this made the psychological distance between me and the residents feel a little smaller.
As the conversation lulled,
Estelle, perhaps disliking how the mood had grown heavier, smiled with childlike cheer and said this place felt more like home now anyway. Then, without hesitation, she took another bite of her skewer.
"By the way, Mr. Min-jun, what were you doing earlier? It looked like you were fiddling with something interesting."
"Ah, this?"
I pulled my smartphone from my pocket and showed it to her.
"This is called a smartphone. In my world, it's a common device, but..."
I gave her a brief explanation as I turned it on.
"That's amazing. I don't sense any mana, yet it can make calls, play videos, and... do so many other things. All with this tiny object."
"Right. Oh, it can also take pictures. Since we're on the topic, let me show you."
I opened the gallery and showed her a photo of Sia and me.
"Is this your girlfriend?"
"Yeah. Isn't she incredibly beautiful?"
"'Beautiful' doesn't even do her justice."
At Estelle's praise, I suddenly felt the urge to brag about Sia even more.
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just the frustration making me want to talk about her.
"Ah, now that I think of it, there's another photo in the case too."
I showed her an instant photo of Sia and me tucked into my phone case.
Fascinated by the unfamiliar technology, Estelle stared at it in wonder.
"The way you two look at each other—it's like honey dripping from your eyes."
"Of course. We can't live without each other. That's why I have to find a way back home."
Looking at Sia's photo and talking about her only strengthened my resolve to return to Earth.
"Is there... really no way?"
"It'll be difficult. Like you mentioned earlier when talking about your girlfriend, even a Dragon at the pinnacle of magic would need two thousand years to master Dimensional Movement Magic freely."
I had asked just in case, but as expected, the answer wasn't what I wanted.
Seeing my expression darken, Estelle seemed eager to lift my spirits and said:
"But if there's anything we can do to help, we'll do our best! You're our guest—and a hero, too!"
"Just hearing that means a lot."
Thanks to that battle earlier, it seemed I'd earned a favorable impression from the residents.
"In that case, I'd like to learn more about that statue tomorrow. Could you help me with that?"
If I could uncover the secrets of that statue, maybe I'd find my answer.
"Of course! I'll let Mr. Adil know! He's the one who oversees the statue."
Estelle answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Ah, and Mr. Adil is also a historian deeply knowledgeable about Elysium's past, so I'm sure he'll be a great help to you."
"That's good to hear."
"But Mr. Min-jun, may I ask why you want to investigate the statue?"
Having finished one skewer, Estelle picked up another from the basket as she asked.
"If I learn more about that statue, I think I might find a clue to getting back home. I don't know exactly how, but I feel like there's some connection between me and that statue. I don't know why, or what the link is, but... it's there."
"What makes you think that?"
Well, from Estelle's perspective, it probably didn't make much sense.
The city's founder was a Dragon.
I could wield a Dragon's power to some extent.
My girlfriend was a Dragon.
Just based on those points alone, claiming a connection between me and the statue might've been a stretch.
"You saw it during the battle earlier, right? That thin, elongated Aura-like thread connecting me to the statue."
At my words, Estelle tilted her head in confusion.
"Aura?"
"Yeah. During the fight with the Wyverns—you didn't see it? It was faint, but the color was so radiant it should've been noticeable."
"...Was there something like that? I didn't see it."