Word Magic
Still a young black hatchling, Rune’s pure question plunged Perdikion into conflict.
His father Pasiyas was forever bellowing that a dragon who could sing songs should use every moment to strengthen his power and claim the throne as ruler.
The voice of Pasiyas from his childhood days rang vividly in his ears.
“When are you going to stop being a silly little brat? You fool. You’ve clearly decided to become a chess piece that the Dragon Lord Isha can move around however he pleases! Because of you I’m treated like a worthless worm. Ungrateful child.”
“What kind of nonsense is this? To even consider the songs of a bard. I didn’t think you were that empty-headed either. No doubt it was your mother who taught you this nonsense.”
Perdikion remembered the time he had defied Pasiyas by pointing out the absurdity of his words and been beaten until he could barely stand, only to be told it was all for his own good.
“Who taught you that worthless attitude? Did you want to disgrace your dead mother?”
“Mana weaving? If you’re going to play at children’s games, you might as well live your whole life in the human world, playing and sleeping, because you don’t know whether you’re alive or dead. What a useless creature of the world.”
Trauma from childhood had only grown sharper and clearer with time.
“You irresponsible fool. You have no right to take responsibility for the residents of Lera. If you’re so tired of peace, then when war suddenly erupts again, your life will be the price the residents pay.”
“Worthless…… You don’t have even one of my claws. It’s like raising a useless weed.”
Thud.
The feeling of his dragon heart hardening like a stone and falling beneath his feet returned.
“This kind of thing…… It would have been better if he had never been born.”
Perdikion understood that those words were sincere, so he made a resolve.
Not that it was a twisted principle.
It was the principle that if one has no power and is not strong, then one has no right to speak.
A thought that working for personal satisfaction was incompatible with the fate of inheriting Lera, and that fleeing one’s given duty was cowardice.
‘I must become a dragon without flaws and rule as an elder over the people of Lera.’
To inherit Lera, protect it, and never overlook the insult to Kuzna.
Perdikion worked without even the usual sleep period just to receive the recognition that he had fulfilled his duty.
When he finally inherited Lera.
He could not even smile despite feeling the recognition.
He felt as if the muscles at the corners of his mouth had vanished.
Around that time……
It didn’t matter anyway.
Perdikion remained silent for a long time before gazing quietly at the small hatchling in front of him.
Through his powerless and cloudy eyes, the hatchling’s clear gaze entered.
Different from him, yet the same red light in his eyes.
Perhaps it was because he had told the hatchling earlier, “Just speak normally.”
Perdikion made a decision he would never have made under normal circumstances.
“……It’s been so long since I sang that it might sound awkward.”
‘Oh. You decided to try singing?’
The Imugi nodded with delight.
Perdikion finally stared fixedly at the Imugi and began to sing in a neat, polite voice that flowed along the melody.
“My home where I long for the sky.
When I return to a place where I can rest my tired body and wings,
every time I close my eyes among the beautiful sunset and dream.
One step. Along the rose path where red flowers bloom.
Two steps. Touching the riddle of the blue door.
Three steps. Preparing a meal for you in the maze of memories.”
It was strange.
Because the Imugi was sensitive to mana flow, he could sense it.
‘This is not ordinary song.’
He felt the invisible mana circulating in a steady flow.
Perdikion had been so absorbed in the song that he hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
The Imugi, who was sensitive to mana flow and unfamiliar with the mana of this world, had observed the song carefully and discovered it.
It had been crafted so that even dragons and hatchlings who felt mana as if breathing the air would not sense it.
Perdikion had not noticed either.
‘So no one has noticed until now.’
Even Kuzna’s lullaby for the child had been designed to ease the heart of anyone who heard or sang it.
The perfectly woven mana structure had melted into the melody, a skill that made it feel natural.
‘This…… is Word Magic.’
Without Christina’s transmission knowledge he would never have realized.
Kuzna had passed on Word Magic while singing a lullaby for the child.
‘But if it’s Word Magic, there should be words referring to a name or target. No matter how hard I listen, I can’t guess any name or target.’
Even as doubt arose, Perdikion’s song continued.
“……Thus, may my heart reach the one who will reside here.
Let it become a place only for you. Even today, I.
Will gather my hands in hope.”
The Imugi tried desperately to keep his mind together and analyze the song.
But a soft silk that disrupted his mind wrapped his body.
‘No…… Sleep is coming.’
“Squeak……”
Thud.
The Imugi felt his consciousness dimming and closed his eyes.
***
The Imugi thought before he even opened his eyes.
‘I slept properly.’
He unconsciously licked his lips.
He felt a sticky sensation as if saliva was running down his lips.
He was bewildered that he had slept so soundly, yet at the same time he felt a strange drowsiness.
‘That song…… was really amazing…….’
A song that made one fall asleep as soon as one heard it!
Even he, who had experienced all sorts of minor sorcery in his young days, was surprised.
He had been dazed as if submerged in warm water, so he replayed the song in his mind.
‘I thought there was no target, but now I see it’s not exactly that.’
The Imugi, half-asleep, tried to recall the song as much as possible.
‘Originally it was directed at someone living in my cozy home. Whether I understand the heart or not, as a lullaby it must be wishing for comfort.’
It was truly a lullaby that fulfilled its duty.
No matter how young, he had never imagined that a child who had lived 999 years could fall asleep so quickly.
‘Thinking about it, it makes sense.’
The song was meant to lull a hatchling born with powerful mana from the start.
It was impossible for an Imugi with a newborn body to sing to a hatchling hundreds of years old.
A silent laugh escaped from his chest.
‘Still, this song is specifically designed to lull them to sleep? It will stop not only crying babies but also rowdy ones.’
A tongue involuntarily poked out at the audacious lullaby.
It was absurd enough to make one question if this was dragon scale, but he felt no displeasure.
‘It’s an interesting power. I want it.’
After sensing the power of Word Magic, a greedy feeling arose.
From the transmitted knowledge he could only recall a fragmentary piece of information about Word Magic.
Word Magic: The highest-grade magic that manifests strong desires directly into reality through language.
Far stronger than ordinary magic.
Depending on the user, infinite results can be created.
No matter how he tried to recall the method of acquisition, only restricted information floated as if there was no qualification.
‘Tsk. It seems I’ll only learn more after I grow.’
He felt the utmost regret, but in the end it was a matter of time.
Since he knew information existed, whether time would solve it or he would ask Christina directly, it was fine.
In the end, he kept the fragmentary knowledge of Word Magic like homework in a corner of his heart, shook his head to shake off the remaining sleepiness, and asked.
‘Did I fall asleep right after hearing the song……? Did Perdikion leave?’
His room, the cradle bed where he always fell asleep.
From the empty stomach and the time that must have passed, it was clear several hours had gone by.
Looking around, he saw Baekya’s plump white belly rising and falling rhythmically, making a soft snoring sound.
“Spiro-ro…… Spii.”
With wings spread wide, Baekya was sleeping soundly.
The Imugi wiggled his Y-shaped claws and licked his lips, then opened his beak and breathed evenly again.
‘There’s nothing to say.’
Amused and unexpectedly relieved by the sight of the tension melting away, the Imugi let out a quiet laugh inside and spread his stiff wings.
Only then did he realize something and looked at his wings and hands.
‘……Wait. The Polymorph is broken?’
The Polymorph bracelet lay neatly in the corner of the cradle bed, and the Imugi had returned to the form of a young hatchling.
In other words, someone had removed the bracelet from the Imugi’s wrist, moved his body to the cradle bed, and he had slept through everything unaware.
‘……’
The power of Perdikion’s mother, Kuzna, was indirectly felt.
He had not expected that even as a hatchling he could exert such influence and was surprised.
‘I knew there were people in this world who used power through song, but this is on another level.’
Meanwhile, Rai, who had been releasing the minimum amount of light from the corner, slowly increased his brightness and floated gently in the air.
Sparkle!
‘Ossseu’
‘So he was there too. Christina must have summoned him.’
The Imugi waved his hand lightly, as he had already sensed the trivial presence since he woke up.
‘Gtss’
‘Seems he’s in a good mood.’
Having seen Rai often lately, he had grown skilled at reading expressions.
He understood that he could communicate with Christina through conversation, but as a lower spirit he could only speak to his contractor, which he had realized.
‘Thinking about it, even a fragmentary self-contained pattern is interesting.’
No matter how lower, the information that spirits changed according to the contractor’s personality floated up.
Of course, knowing it with his head and seeing it happen right in front of him were completely different.
‘Euiueu’
Rai drew a harmless face in light and circled lightly around the Imugi before smoothly disappearing out the door.
Not long after, Christina appeared in mid-air.
She confirmed the awake Imugi and the still-sleeping Baekya, then smiled and asked.
‘Shall we talk outside? I’ll leave it to Rai.’
Telepathic magic.
The Imugi nodded positively, so Christina whispered something to Rai, who had come with her.
‘Guusuk’
Rai drew himself as if saying “trust me” in light and flew silently, landing on the cradle frame with a gentle snowfall of white light.
The Imugi picked up his bracelet, and Christina carefully lifted him by placing her hand under his armpit.
The Imugi, now on edge, replied with a tense but barely audible voice.
“Squeak, ii……”
To avoid waking Baekya who was still snoring, Christina took several steps back and cast movement magic.
The scene changed instantly, becoming the outside with Lera behind them.