The Meaning Behind the Smile
It was a strange tale.
Dragons’ whims were nothing more than fleeting pleasures.
In the long course of their lives, such joy came rarely enough, and so dragons rarely took mortals as true companions.
“Sometimes a dragon would stay with a mortal until the very end, but once the mortal died, the dragon would simply return to its true self. Doing so to this degree was uncommon.”
At the time, Rand was roughly one hundred and fifty years old.
Considering the average dragon lifespan, that was still a young and spirited age.
Rune found it foolish, yet remembered that this was the prime of dragonhood, when passion still burned hot.
“The path was not smooth, but in the end they were granted permission by the king to marry.”
If Rune had been a mere hatchling, he might have asked whether Rand had actually fallen for the elf language.
Christina’s tone, however, remained somber.
Clearly, Rune guessed the story that followed would end in tragedy.
“It seems this tale was never allowed to end happily.”
Using the knowledge gained through transmission, Rune recalled the relationship between the elves and the Green Dragons.
The Green Dragons who created trees and forests.
The druids and hunters of the elves who made their homes in the woods.
Both peoples were bound to the forests, yet they kept to themselves.
The elves cared only for the elves.
The Green Dragons cared only for the Green Dragons.
No open conflict, but also no warmth.
That was precisely why the two races had been able to coexist in peace.
“It was no coincidence. Both species are fiercely insular.”
So rare was their intersection that even when Rand, a dragon, and the elves fell in love, the matter had been quite the topic back then.
The elves were strict about purity of blood.
Rand, while individualistic, was no ordinary green dragon.
The elven king was unlikely to dismiss his own culture so easily.
“What reason could the elven king have had for accepting a dragon? The only thing that comes to mind is Rand’s seal of the forest.”
Elves live long, but not as long as dragons.
If the elves could receive the dragon’s seal of the forest from their direct descendants, they might choose to do so for the sake of future generations.
“And then came the thousand-year war with the demons. The Demon War began in earnest. Horrific scenes unfolded daily, regardless of race. The elves were not spared either. To keep the promise he had made to the elven king, Rand did not join the Green Dragons but fought to protect the elves.”
A trace of sorrow crossed Christina’s face as she let out a soft sigh.
“Despite all that effort, in the end Rand lost his wife and child to the demons. Breaking the seal of the forest was an act that had to be paid for. As a dragon, he lost part of his authority and power.”
The tale that followed was no sweeter.
Even allowing for Rune’s young hatchling heart, he had tried to soften the words as much as possible.
“Yet Rand still possessed the Seal of the Forest. It was perhaps the last thing left to him. But… he gave the Seal of the Forest to the elves.”
“……”
The Seal of the Forest, also called the Seal of Growth, was the power of the Green Dragon clan.
Breaking a promise made on the seal of the forest was a dishonorable act for any dragon.
But the loss of the seal was a far graver matter.
Rune’s brows furrowed slightly.
“That means… he no longer lives as a dragon.”
He still breathed, yet he could no longer be called one of the dragon race.
“Correct. Since then, he has never taken his original dragon form. He has kept the appearance of an elf named Rand. Rand himself says that Randel the dragon no longer exists.”
“……”
Rune could guess why Ferdikion looked that way.
The elven king’s anger was one thing, but a former dragon had abandoned duty, strength, and the proof of his clan.
Ferdikion surely despised the man for performing such an irresponsible act with no responsibility at all.
“Even without knowing the full details, he was a foolish youth.”
The single moment of error and choice had left a truly pitiful result.
“Christina, you continued to meet Rand after that, didn’t you? Why?”
It had nothing to do with supplying rose hips.
As expected, Christina lowered her eyes slightly.
“Because of Lize.”
“Lize? The one I met when I was younger?”
Those empty green eyes despite the pain of the mandragora’s scream.
The small fluffy hat with dangling fur. The feathers of the bird that had been fleeing.
The tightly shut lips.
Above all, the memory of those footfalls that made no sound.
One by one the objects were clear, but their overall feel was hard to recall.
Even someone with memories from another life would struggle to remember them.
‘Even an exceptional assassin would have had a harder time. She had simply ceased to exist.’
The ability to hide one’s presence was one thing, but it felt more like an innate talent.
“You remember.”
“In truth, Lize and Rand were born under the same parents.”
‘Oh?’
Rune’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Christina.
“But since neither parent dragon still lives, I occasionally pass along news of Lize to Rand. And as a kind of memorial, he would send back the rose hips he brewed and the crops he had grown on the day I gave him the news. It was, in its way, his thanks.”
‘So that was why the elves had so many crops.’
The herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and flowers in Christina’s warehouse had been gifts of gratitude.
Even after losing his wife and child, Rand still had a distant cousin’s news to share.
It made sense that he trusted Rune enough not to harm him.
“Speaking of which, I wonder if Rand might like you.”
“Me?”
Christina smiled brightly when she noticed the question in Rune’s eyes.
“In fact… when you were little, I told you about the mandragora incident.”
“……”
Noticing Rune’s displeased glare, Christina added with a hint of apology.
“I hadn’t meant to mention it, but Lize helped you that day. Rand was thrilled to hear how she had helped.”
‘Hm.’
Now that he thought about it, the story made sense.
After all, she had navigated a dangerous situation well, and it was not particularly embarrassing.
Rune scratched the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed.
“It’s fine, but please don’t tell anyone else. I’d feel awkward.”
“Hehe. I won’t.”
Christina looked at Rune with an adorably satisfied smile.
At the same time, Rune fell into a short reverie.
‘So that’s it. I was still very young, when instincts were far stronger than reason.’
Rune chuckled inwardly.
He wondered how Rand had taken the first mistake of trusting simple knowledge so long.
“The elven kingdom has been a little unsettled lately. I don’t know what’s going on, but stay safe. And…”
Christina hesitated, then smiled faintly and shook her head.
“If Rand asks about me, tell him that if he has the courage, he should come find me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Um… if I tell you that, you’ll understand.”
She gave a smile full of hidden meaning and stopped speaking.
The topic naturally shifted. Christina began to speak about the talented elven druid and healer, telling him the precautions he must know.
Three days later.
Rune checked the quantity of black mana stones Heungmi had gathered in the demon realm rose.
“This should be enough. There’s even a hill made of mana stones in a suitable spot.”
In his hatchling form, Rune bit off two scales from his arm and pressed them into the rose root.
He then handed an interdimensional pouch to Heungmi.
“Kyu.”
“This was something I received as a favor from Christina. Thank her later for me.”
“Waa! What an enormous magic pouch! It’s so cute!”
‘Right. Instead of the large capacity I gave her, it was just a plain leather pouch.’
The interdimensional pouch Heungmi received was a variety of colors.
At first glance it looked like a cute drawstring bag, made of soft material.
When carried at the waist, it was hardly noticeable, but every movement made it peek out slightly, perfectly suited to Heungmi.
“Maybe it’s because that little red dragon said Heungmi ate the most bacon.”
The young one’s eyes showed a strange hesitation when told there was nothing the child could eat, and Rune was sure he had made a special pouch for her.
“Kyuu.”
“Be careful not to lose it. I put snacks inside, so you can eat them.”
Heungmi folded her ears twice and beamed with joy.
Baekya chirped, flapped his wings, and landed lightly on Dullahan’s helmet with a tiny clink.
“Oh! A white bird and a black knight! With this Jed as well, you look like a hero straight out of legend!”
“……”
Baekya, excited, shouted just as Rune was about to ask where he was looking.
“Pee! Pyaaa!”
Baekya spread his wings wide above the tallest member of the group, Dullahan.
He looked like someone cheering at the top of a mountain.
Watching the proud Baekya puff out his chest, Rune thought.
‘Baekya, it’s about time you molted again.’
A hundred years had passed; he was either fuzzy or swollen, impossible to tell which.
“I’ll gather plenty soon and use it as material.”
It looked so fluffy that plucking would yield a generous harvest.
Rune felt oddly pleased just looking at it.
“Pee, Pee-roo. Peet?”
Startled by Rune’s steady gaze, Baekya broke out in a cold sweat and stammered.
‘Did I stare too hard?’
Rune smiled gently, giving the harmless expression that meant “it’s okay.”
“Peei.”
The innocent Baekya blinked a few times without understanding Rune’s inner thoughts.
The bird tilted its head, then immediately relaxed its wings.
Since it was just plucked feathers, they should still be fresh.
Rune had no intention of taking them right away.
‘Speaking of which, he’s a valuable creature. I should keep him safe.’
The elves were not greedy for money, but the elves of mage, spirit master, and druid would see the feathers as excellent material.
Whether they would remain greedy-free remained to be seen.