Chapter 265
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: I've Paid the Price.
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"Is the Green Dragon Clan's preparation going well?"
"Yes. We haven't been able to gather our full forces due to the lack of time, but it seems most of our main combat units have recovered to peak condition."
"As expected of the Green Dragon Clan."
Li Chingwei was honestly impressed.
It had only been last night that they'd fought that brutal battle and escaped, yet they were already recovered.
It was only possible because they were the Green Dragon Clan, the toughest of the Seven Dragon Society with the most robust physiques and exceptional medical arts.
Her plan had been built around that very recovery ability from the start, of course.
"But, Princess, are you sure we shouldn't request reinforcements?"
She asked worriedly.
If things went according to plan, this place would soon become a battlefield between the Green Dragon Clan and Forest Guild.
In such a situation, the presence or absence of escort forces—especially the Dark Dragon Squad—could drastically change the odds of Li Chingwei facing danger.
But Li Chingwei quietly shook her head.
"For this matter, it's best if we resolve it with the Green Dragon Clan's strength alone, if possible."
"Because of grudges?"
"More because of the aftermath."
"...You're saying making this bigger than it needs to be isn't good."
"This all started with the drug war, after all. Dragging in other clans for a dispute where our justification is thin would be dangerous."
"Indeed, you're right."
Tsushian nodded in agreement.
The other clans were also at odds with the Ten Great Guilds.
Recklessly pulling in another clan here could draw in more of the Ten Great Guilds, spiraling the situation out of control.
Even without Maya, negotiating aid from another clan wasn't something that could happen in a day or two.
So instead of pushing for reinforcements, she subtly broached another topic.
"Shall we set up here?"
"Yes. The Green Dragon Clan's facilities aren't bad, but familiar is better."
"Understood. I'll prepare right away."
Tsushian moved immediately.
She called in the clan members waiting below and directed them to install the equipment they'd brought in the sky garden.
Li Chingwei watched them for a long while, her eyes fixed on how they transformed the garden's landscape in the blink of an eye, working with the Green Dragon Clan's technicians.
Then she slightly turned her head to gaze at the garden Rimon had tended.
'This buys us some time.'
Now that Maya's position was confirmed.
Gula wouldn't keep combing the jungle blindly.
Even if the search continued, the pursuit teams would shrink or fall into disarray.
It might not be enough to alter Ainsha's prophecy entirely, but it would create a little breathing room.
One problem remained.
Forest Guild's massive offensive would soon crash down on the Green Dragon Clan and São Paulo...
'The Ten Great Guilds, huh.'
Li Chingwei sank into thought.
The Infinite Monarch and Infinity Guild were handled by Rimon, leaving no room for her involvement.
The Magic Monarch and Makers Guild's incident was in the Dai Ying Empire, out of reach.
So this was her first direct clash with a monarch and one of the Ten Great Guilds.
The fact felt strangely novel.
And yet, deeply moving.
Lost in contemplation for a long time, Li Chingwei suddenly murmured.
"—I'm looking forward to it."
Her usual bright smile.
But her eyes, darker than ever, stared toward the jungle.
The girl who had seized command of the Green Dragon Clan with just a few words of advice prepared to welcome her guests with eager anticipation.
A face without a single blemish.
Deep, heavy golden eyes.
Above all, snow-white hair.
Paired with archaic attire and the sword in his hand.
Seeing the young man with this bizarre impression—familiar yet unfamiliar—she realized.
This was a dream.
One she'd had for a long time.
A very worn, ancient nightmare.
"...What is the meaning of this?"
[Wha■ I wan■ to ask ■ you■■■.]
Was the opponent's reply not coming through because her consciousness was hazy?
Or was her memory incomplete?
[Why did you le■ ■them go■?]
"I simply prioritized targets. I never let them go."
[You expect me to be■ieve you let them es■ape while deali■g with mere ■alf a brigade?]
"Even if it was half a brigade, they were still dragons—as this scene alone should tell you."
[......]
The voice fell silent upon seeing the land, once dense jungle, now horrifically altered beyond recognition.
The youth pressed the opponent.
"I've answered, so answer my question as well."
[I did wha■ had to be do■e.]
"What had to be done?"
He gripped his sword tightly.
The youth slowly raised his hand.
Pointing his blade at what lay behind the opponent—as if the words were too painful to utter.
"Slaughtering everyone from unarmed civilians to nursing infants?"
[Fooli■h no■sense■.]
Mountains of corpses piled high.
Rivers of flowing blood.
With traces of hundreds, thousands dead at his back, the opponent laughed.
[Whe■ther they held wea■ons or no■, they were all ■our ene■ies. So eradi■cating them witho■t leaving a ■ingle drop of blo■od is only na■ural■■■.]
"...So you'll keep repeating this until their line is extinct?"
[■■.]
Without a hint of hesitation.
The opponent spoke with conviction.
The white-haired youth sighed in lament.
"Don't do this."
[Wha■ are you telli■g me no■ to do?]
"Massacring the innocent."
And then.
The air froze.
[......You, have you forgo■ten your ma■ster's en■my?]
"How could I?"
[Then why are you do■ing such ■onsense?]
"They are indeed your master's enemies, and their organization must be severed."
The youth spoke coldly.
His voice carried a will so icy it was impartial.
"But we cannot kill the innocent simply for being born as descendants of the Seven Dragon Society."
[Bei■g born i■to the de■mon cult is si■ enough.]
"If we judge guilt that way, we'd have to hunt down not just the seven clans but everyone who cooperated with them."
[Is tha■ so?]
"...What do you mean?"
[I'm aski■g if there's any rea■son no■ to.]
Whatever he heard.
The youth's face stiffened rigidly.
Mocking that agitation, the opponent replied coldly.
[Look arou■d this wor■d.]
[It's no■ even been 100 yea■rs since your mas■ter fell, yet these foo■s have already forgo■tten the Bronze Age■.]
[Ungratefu■ for the grace of liber■ation from drag■on rule, they eagerly submi■ to the dragons for a fe■ handfuls of coin.]
[They sho■ no respe■t for us, no awe for our pow■er—treating us as mere too■ls to wield or sou■rces to squeeze mone■y from.]
[If blo■od must be shed to teach these wret■ches a lesso■......]
The rest didn't come through clearly.
Instead, what she felt was killing intent.
Her heart had already stopped.
Her body was growing cold.
Yet that killing intent was so chilling and sharp it froze her soul.
The silver lining: it was almost over.
She knew from repeating this dream countless times.
Soon all sensation would fade, swallowed by darkness.
Cold and lonely though it might be.
It was better than this eerie bloodlust.
She awaited the encroaching darkness.
"I'll say it again: this isn't vengeance or retribution. It's just senseless slaughter that won't even vent your rage."
...Why?
The question arose.
Why was the dream that should have ended continuing?
The incomprehensible fact brought bewilderment.
"If you're going to keep up this carnage just to prove your own power, or simply because it displeases you..."
But sharper than her bewilderment came the following voice.
Over hundreds of years.
More than tens of thousands of times.
For the first time in the dream passed down through generations.
"—I'll stop you."
Even amid this storm of dense killing intent, that voice was unshakable, and the golden eyes held not a flicker of doubt.
Why was that?
It felt so reassuring.
Even with her blood on his sword, as she looked at the white-haired youth...
The moment she regained consciousness.
Maya first summoned her psionics.
It was a long-ingrained habit to suppress her own poison, which could kill with mere breath.
A sharp throb.
Even a slight movement of psionics brought surging agony.
Ignoring pain that would fell an ordinary person, she adjusted her psionics for a long while.
Only once her poison was somewhat contained did she finally look around.
'A cave...?'
Rock walls.
Rotten leaves beneath her.
A campfire burning nearby.
No trace of human intervention—a natural cave. Frowning, she pondered why she was here.
Her mind blanked for a moment.
'...Right, this is the Amazon.'
Attacking Forest Guild, poisoned by ambrosia, using the Reverse Blood Great Law to fight Gula, fleeing into the jungle with internal injuries.
Recalling events in sequence, Maya's face hardened.
Her memories of staggering through the jungle in a daze were fuzzy.
But she'd clearly collapsed in the forest.
Someone had carried her unconscious body here.
'Who?'
Caution flared.
Being pursued by Forest Guild, her first thought was capture.
But Maya soon realized that wasn't the case.
No restraints on her body.
Her headdress nearby.
Above all, the familiar scent from the shirt draped over her milky bare skin.
It told her who had brought her here.
"You're awake?"
That was why.
She didn't startle at the voice from the cave's depths.
"...How did this happen?"
Her body far from normal.
A weak voice, barely audible.
But the other caught it and replied.
"How? You were dozing in the middle of the forest, so I brought you to a more comfortable bed."
A limp snake in one hand.
Fruits in a pouch made from his torn shirt.
His toned upper body fully exposed, the black-haired youth answered nonchalantly as he appeared.
Maya glared sharply at Rimon and ground out.
"That's not what I meant."
She could guess it was Rimon just from him safely transporting her—poisonous even to approach.
What she couldn't fathom wasn't who, but how.
"I ordered you to protect the clan and retreat. Why are you here?"
A command backed by the scales' power.
Rimon should have left the Amazon already.
Even turning back immediately would take days, yet here he was so soon.
He shrugged at her suspicious gaze.
"What else? Your loyal slave just got a little disloyal."
"Disloyal?"
"Yeah, but I paid a steep price for it."
The moment Rimon showed his wrist.
Maya flinched.
Instinctively, she lifted her own wrist to check the scale tattoo.
The result was the same.
Like Rimon's black scales tipped 9:1, her white ones were too—the weights on her side.
She'd used all but one weight in her last command to him, so it was natural.
One issue.
...Now those 9 weights were on her white side, not his black one.
"What did you do?"
How had her side, which should have only 1 left, gained 9?
And his reduced to 1?
Maya demanded sharply.
Rimon smirked and replied.
"Like I said, I paid a steep price."