Chapter 451: Murakan’s Majesty
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 451: Murakan’s Majesty
Rushing in from Viment were the Earth Dragons Labus and Untiel, accompanied by their bonded mages.
From Zipple came the Fire Dragon Teo and the Blue Dragon Laramakua, along with the mages who drew power from them.
A total of four dragons and eight mages stared with wide eyes at the sky stained with spirit energy, the ruined Black King Mountain Fortress, and Murakan.
All four dragons were among those who had personally experienced Murakan in his prime.
Through the backs of the dragons they rode, the mages could feel the frantic, pounding hearts of the great beasts.
‘The dragons… are afraid?!’
‘This is a first. Is this going to be okay?’
The tension was suffocating. With the dragons frozen stiff, the mages had no choice but to do the same.
It was already common knowledge that the 12th Flagbearer’s guardian dragon was powerful, especially after the terror incident at the Sword Emperor Castle. Back then, Murakan had defended the skies almost single-handedly.
Furthermore, considering the 12th Flagbearer’s unprecedented actions and martial prowess, it was only natural for the mages’ imaginations to run wild.
‘The 12th Flagbearer of Runcandel attacked the Black King Mountain Fortress with his guardian dragon…’
‘And won!’
Gulp. The mages swallowed hard in unison.
‘We knew he was regaining his strength, but has he already recovered enough to destroy the Black King Mountain Fortress by himself?’
‘The speed at which he’s reclaiming his old power is extraordinary. Just a few years ago, he couldn't even stand up to Sister Quicantel.’
Labus and Untiel cleared their throats, casting wary glances at Murakan.
[Ahem, h-hem! O friend of Solderet, ruler of the lofty Murakan Mountain Range, Black Dragon Murakan. I did not expect to encounter you here.]
[I did not expect to see you here. Have you been well, Great Black Dragon?]
Labus and Untiel spoke with forced dignity. They were the same dragons Jin had met during his time as a reserve flagbearer.
‘The same dragons I met the first day I saw Lady Quicantel. They’re still trying to save face.’
Murakan locked eyes with the two dragons. To be precise, Murakan was the only one looking; Labus and Untiel didn't dare meet his gaze. These two had been on the receiving end of Murakan's worst beatings back in his prime.
[Labus. Untiel. What business brings you here?]
[We simply came because unusual currents were detected from the Vise Kingdom.]
[It seems a great battle took place, so… if it’s alright, could you tell us the details… um!]
Flap—!
Before Untiel could finish, Murakan gave a single, massive flap of his wings. In dragon terms, it was a gesture of displeasure—the equivalent of a human slamming their fist on a table.
[Lowly Earth Dragons. Do you dare ask me to report to the likes of you?]
[No, Brother. That’s not what we meant.]
[Murakan, it’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Oh, how could we ever demand such a thing from you? We were just, you know, asking if you could possibly tell us… of course, if you don't want to, there's nothing we can do.]
Their tone changed instantly. Dignity no longer mattered. If Murakan had truly regained all of his former power, no being in the world could stop him. At least, that was the perception of the Earth Dragons.
To put it bluntly, if Murakan decided to beat them half to death and kill all the mages, the Empire would be the one forced to walk on eggshells around him.
[Is that so? I’ve felt this for a while now, but it seems a great deal of time has indeed passed. My kin’s attitude toward me isn't as cautious as it used to be, and this deep displeasure only grows by the day.]
Whoosh!
The spirit energy blanketing the sky began to thicken.
[And you lot in particular seem to have a death wish.]
In an instant, spikes of pure spirit energy erupted from the black sky. Labus and Untiel shook their heads frantically in terror.
[Brother, it’s not like that! We’re sorry!]
[I think I made a mistake! Let’s calm down and t-talk!]
The pitch-black spikes pierced through the shields they had hurriedly deployed as if they were made of paper. The Earth Dragons hadn't even been able to react properly. This meant that if Murakan had intended to kill, he could have dealt a fatal blow with that single strike.
However, the targets of the spirit energy spikes weren't the Earth Dragons, but the Fire and Blue Dragons behind them.
Teo and Laramakua hastily descended, spiraling to avoid Murakan’s attack. They didn't dare counterattack, knowing full well the trouble it would cause.
The reason for Murakan's sudden rage was simple.
The Fire Dragon Teo.
He was a kinsman of Kelliark Zipple’s Fire Dragon, Kadun, and was an acquaintance of Murakan. Murakan and Kadun had never been on good terms, and just before the Holy Kingdom Incident, Murakan had nearly lost all his power in an ambush by Kadun.
To Murakan, Fire Dragons were now a breed he wanted to tear apart on sight.
[Fire Dragon Teo. Did your master not pass on the word? That you are never to cross my path. And that if you were unfortunate enough to encounter me, you should grit your teeth and flee as fast as possible.]
Spirit energy spikes formed once more. Teo, Laramakua, and the Zipple mages barely managed to conceal their inner turmoil.
‘That massive energy we sensed an hour ago… was it really from this crazy Black Dragon?!’
Of course, Teo was mistaken.
The power that had brought down the Black King Mountain Fortress wasn't Murakan’s spirit energy, but Zephyrin’s demonic energy. However, since the demonic energy had vanished without a trace when Zephyrin exploded, it was impossible to conclude that the power belonged to anyone but Murakan.
‘No matter how much power he’s regained, fighting a Murakan this arrogant is suicide.’
‘I thought perhaps Valkas and Amela had settled things, but this has gone far beyond my expectations. We must retreat, now!’
Like nearly every dragon in existence, Teo and Laramakua feared Murakan in his prime. Teo's fear ran especially deep, as he had witnessed countless Fire and Red Dragons suffer simply for their connection to Kadun.
[Answer me, Teo. And you, Laramakua. Depending on how pleasant and reasonable your answer is, I will decide whether to massacre you all or merely leave you crippled. And that answer will also affect the fate of these Earth Dragons.]
[Brother? U-us? Why us? We didn't do anything wrong! Please, let's not do this.]
[That’s right, we’ll leave right away!]
Murakan ignored the desperate pleas of the Earth Dragons and glared at Teo and Laramakua. The Earth Dragons could only flap their wings anxiously, unsure of what to do.
All the dragons were trembling. Their eyes were filled with anxiety, and not a single shred of confidence could be found.
‘Wow, Murakan… I can never get used to him when he’s like this.’
Jin was much more accustomed to the shabby, somewhat pathetic Murakan who scratched his thighs while looking at erotic picture books and was completely obsessed with Strawberry Pie.
When the majesty he'd possessed a thousand years ago resurfaced, he seemed like a completely different being. Without offering any proof that he had regained his old power, Murakan was freezing the dragons of Zipple and the Empire in their tracks. Even setting aside the Earth Dragons, the Fire Dragon Teo and the Blue Dragon Laramakua were by no means low-ranking.
‘That said, if they decide to fight back, it could become a headache.’
In truth, Murakan was exhausted.
As the contractor who shared his spirit energy, Jin was the only one who fully realized this. Murakan had already used almost all his strength in the battle against Zephyrin.
Despite this, the reason Murakan rebuked the dragons with such confidence was simply his personality.
From the moment he was born, Murakan had lived for over three thousand years as the strongest being. Whether he had regained all his old power, only forty percent of it, or even none at all—Murakan couldn't even conceive of acting any differently than he had in his prime.
Jin didn't intervene, despite knowing Murakan was tired, for a similar reason. He didn't want to bruise Murakan’s pride. If the dragons did attack, he would simply fight alongside him. Besides, neither Zipple nor the Empire had any justification for being in the Vise Kingdom.
Jin, on the other hand, did. He was a Runcandel who had just aided the Black King Corps.
‘Though it seems the newcomers have misunderstood. They think we destroyed the Black King Corps, not helped them.’
Amidst the misunderstanding and taut tension, the Black King Corps remained silent. Or more accurately, they were unable to speak.
Most of the leaders and executives were either severely injured by Zephyrin’s explosion or busy rescuing their comrades, and Valkas was unconscious. The Black King Corps had to act with extreme caution. They didn't know what would happen if they stepped forward to clear up the misunderstanding.
Above all, Valkas had handed over command to Jin before losing consciousness. Therefore, they had to remain still until Jin made a move.
Having organized his thoughts, Jin reached a conclusion.
‘If the dragons from Zipple and Viment retreat now, I can spin this situation to my advantage.’
This line of thinking came with a caveat: Jin still hadn't truly grasped Murakan's status among other dragons. He'd heard until his ears bled how incredible his guardian dragon had been in the past, but that was a reality one couldn't fully grasp without having lived a thousand years ago.
In other words, the Zipple dragons wouldn't even dream of opposing Murakan.
[…Murakan, I apologize for unintentionally offending you. The Fire Dragon Teo and I will withdraw immediately, so could you find it in yourself to let go of your anger just this once?]
Laramakua spoke. His tone was calm, but the words were so incredibly submissive that Jin was inwardly surprised.
Of course, Murakan had no intention of letting it slide so easily. If it were any other dragon, it might be different, but the fact that a Fire Dragon had dared to show up made his fury burn even hotter.
Just as he was about to reply that he would settle for just crippling them, Jin spoke first.
“I accept! Dragons of Zipple and Viment, return to your homes at once. Before my guardian dragon changes his mind.”
At those words, the dragons of Zipple and Viment looked down at Jin in surprise. Murakan, however, immediately grasped Jin's intention and regained a thread of reason. He realized that indulging his anger here would only endanger his contractor.
The Earth Dragons darted their eyes nervously between the parties, while the Fire and Blue Dragons locked eyes with Jin. Eventually, they had no choice but to respond.
[We thank the Great Black Dragon’s contractor for clearing up the misunderstanding. We hope to meet again under better circumstances.]
Laramakua’s response sounded like, We’re leaving for today, but we won't forget this humiliation, but Jin just offered a smirk.
“No need for thanks. Safe travels, everyone.”