Chapter 182: Dragon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 182: Dragon (2)
…What?
'Something happened to Hon?'
I stared blankly at my phone for a moment. Then, I immediately left the dormitory and headed to Choi Seol-ah's place.
The Joaquin instructor residential building.
I knocked on Choi Seol-ah's door. I could sense some movement inside, but there was no response.
I rang the doorbell. Still quiet.
'I'll just unlock it.'
I always carry a master key with me. A mere digital door lock was child's play.
Shring.
The moment I drew my sashimi knife, a loud clatter echoed from inside.
Immediately after, the door flew open. A flustered Choi Seol-ah rushed out.
"M-My Lord! Wh-what brings you here?!"
"I heard something happened to Hon, so I rushed right over. Cut the crap, what's going on? Did someone find out you're raising a dragon? I warned you to be careful, didn't I?"
"N-No, absolutely not! It's just..."
Choi Seol-ah trailed off. I grabbed the door, which was open only a crack, and yanked it wide.
"Oof!"
Choi Seol-ah fell flat on her back, landing hard on her butt. Stepping right past her, I quickly entered the room.
"Wait, My Lord! Even I have a right to privacy!"
"Get lost."
Ignoring her pleas, I was about to look around the room when—
I sensed a presence coming from the kitchen. Keeping my shoes on, I strode toward it.
"...?"
First, a completely messy kitchen caught my eye. Next, I spotted Hon sitting on the floor, completely ignoring the perfectly good chair right next to her.
She was munching on a sausage. My expression turned strange. The moment our eyes met, Hon jumped to her feet.
"U-Uh? Wh-why are you here?"
I activated the [Blessing of Communication].
And began a conversation with the dragon, whose mouth was smeared with bits of meat.
—Is it good?
"..."
Nod... nod...
* * *
Dragons are depicted as powerful and mysterious beings in almost any setting.
Benevolent entities that bestow blessings upon humans or let the protagonist ride on their backs to weave legends.
Or unknown creatures depicted as catastrophic beasts that bring about ruin. That is what a dragon is.
So, in this world built upon the foundation of Miracle Blessing M, which faction do they belong to? Good or evil?
One can only give an ambiguous answer to that question.
To put it simply, dragons are classified as Demons.
It's not hard to see why, considering their homeland is the Demon Realm.
However, it is a stretch to conclude that "dragons are the enemies of humanity" based on that fact alone.
Because there have been almost no reported cases of damage caused by them.
There were even rumors that if they happened to run into a human, they would simply pass by, pretending not to see them.
Demons without hostility. In that regard, they were clearly different from other Demons who slaughtered humans on a whim.
'It's no wonder those greedy pigs at the auction house fearlessly tried to capture a dragon.'
In the first place, dragons were extremely few in number and loathed exposing themselves.
They simply lived their lives in peaceful leisure.
A true powerhouse has no need to flaunt their might.
Even during the 1st Human-Demon War 700 years ago, they did not interfere.
They merely observed the war from afar.
Some said that because they were such overwhelmingly powerful beings, their aggression had been entirely castrated.
Since there was no force capable of threatening them, they had no need to flex their muscles.
Yet, everyone in this world knew.
That they were by no means a peaceful race.
This was something even the Corps Commanders were well aware of.
Every single Corps Commander is a transcendent being.
However, the dragons, united as a species, rivaled them.
If the two forces were to clash, the result would be mutual destruction.
Thus, the Corps Commanders stayed far away from the dragons' domain.
In response, even when the Demon Realm fell under the control of the Corps Commanders, the dragons remained silent.
Thus, a natural non-aggression pact was formed between the two sides.
However, the end of their uneasy coexistence was slowly drawing near.
Another Human-Demon War was set to break out in three years.
The problem was that it was unclear which side the dragons would join.
It was the same during my playthrough. If Leon built up affinity with them, the dragons would lend their strength to humanity.
The opposite case was obvious. They would turn their backs on humanity and side with the Demon King.
Or, there was the possibility that they would simply stand by and watch, just like 700 years ago.
No one knew whether the dragons would side with the Demons or humanity in the future. Not even the dragons themselves.
Yet, it was obvious that this uncertainty would completely shift the tides of war.
* * *
"...So, the 'emergency' is just that the food bill is too high? Are you kidding me?"
As I frowned, Choi Seol-ah quickly shoved a receipt in my face. She complained with a tearful face.
"It's not 'just' anything! Look at this! Look at how much money vanished into that lizard-eared girl's stomach in just one week!"
One million won...
It was certainly a lot. Moreover, there wasn't a single green leaf on there; it was entirely meat.
I turned my head toward Hon. She had her head bowed deeply like a criminal. Watching her made me feel a bit bad for her.
I turned back to look at Choi Seol-ah. When my brow furrowed, she flinched.
'Fussing over food like a cheapskate.'
If she were poor, I would understand. But Choi Seol-ah had money to burn. And all of it was dirty money earned through illicit means.
With all that cash, she couldn't even buy this much for a hungry kid? Spending it on food was a hell of a lot better than burning three billion won at an auction.
When you have plenty of money but skimp on food, it just makes you look incredibly petty.
'Of course, spending one million won in a single week is quite spectacular, but...'
Hon was a dragon. Though she currently looked like a fragile human, her true form was a mythical beast that soared through the heavens.
If anything, this felt like a light appetite for a dragon. If Hon had actually tried, the entire grocery store's meat section would have vanished.
A dragon's food intake was often compared to that of an elephant.
I let out a sigh. It would be shameless of me to scold Choi Seol-ah too much.
Despite all her whining, she was still taking care of Hon. And...
Overall, Hon's condition had improved significantly. Her once-hollow cheeks had filled out, and her much-improved hair texture reflected her excellent nutritional state.
Even though she grumbled, it seemed Choi Seol-ah had looked after her quite well. It wouldn't hurt to throw her a carrot for once.
I said to Choi Seol-ah,
"I know you're working hard. Honestly, babysitting when you can't even communicate properly must be tough."
"My Lord... is praising me?"
A spark lit up in Choi Seol-ah's gloomy eyes. I continued to commend her.
"You even bought her new clothes."
"How did you know?!"
"Because the tag is dangling right there. Cut it off for her. Anyway, I get that you've spent a lot of money on various things. But I'm not asking you to live with her forever. It's a month at most. After that, I'll take responsibility and figure something out. Just keep doing what you're doing until then."
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
A bright grin spread across Choi Seol-ah's face. Seeing her smile like that was actually quite annoying. Maybe it was just her face.
"And didn't I tell you to call her Hon? Why call her a lizard-eared girl when she has a perfectly good name? Don't make fun of people's looks, it's childish. Would you like it if someone called you Boradori? Call her by her name from now on."
"Hehe, yes, sir!"
She had been whining just a few minutes ago, yet a single compliment completely brightened her mood.
'Is she simple-minded, or just stupid?'
I thought about giving her the whip, but decided against it. Since she was motivated now, she would probably treat Hon even better. That was enough.
I approached Hon and sat down in front of her. I planned to use this opportunity to have the conversation we couldn't finish before.
A clue about the Fourth Fragment. The status window had said I could find out through Hon.
—Hon, you can look up now.
"Okay..."
Since the [Blessing of Communication] was active, I spoke without filtering my thoughts.
—I gave her a good scolding. So don't worry and just eat. If she complains again, tell me directly. I won't just use words next time. She doesn't listen sometimes, but she always behaves after a good beating.
At my serious tone, Hon finally covered her mouth and giggled. Meanwhile, Choi Seol-ah tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
Talking trash about someone right in front of their face was surprisingly fun.
—About what you said before, "You've returned." Do you still not remember anything about that?
"Yes. Honestly, even I just blurted those words out unconsciously back then. But I still remember how I felt! How should I put it... it felt incredibly wistful, I guess?"
—Never mind that. I've been curious about this for a while. Dragons are supposed to reside only in the Demon Realm, so how did you end up in the Human Realm? You would have had to pass through a Gehenna Gate.
Hon nodded in agreement and replied.
"Ah, you didn't know? We dragons can pass through the Gehenna Gate whenever we want!"
—...Dragons can? Why?
Although I didn't let it show, I couldn't help but be deeply shocked.
Dragons were among the strongest beings in the world. To think they could freely travel between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm.
In other words, humanity was constantly exposed to the threat of dragons, without even realizing it.
"I heard that 700 years ago, our chieftain made a pact with the Hero of the Origin. On the condition that we wouldn't participate in the 1st Human-Demon War."
A wise decision. No matter how strong the Hero of the Origin was, facing the Demons with the dragons on their side would have been too much.
Hon continued.
"Our side accepted the proposal, and we became the only species allowed to travel back and forth through the gates."
This pact was only possible because of the dragons' neutral disposition. It was also a glimpse into Balor Joaquin's resolve.
His determination to avoid making enemies of the dragons, even if it meant taking on a massive risk.
"In exchange, because our power is greatly suppressed compared to when we are in the Demon Realm, we have to borrow human forms in the Human Realm. Of course, we don't look completely human, so we have to watch our behavior."
Ah, so that's why she went from a lizard to a long-eared girl. I understood now.
—I get how you came to the Human Realm. But what about the kidnapping?
Suddenly, Hon's body twisted like a pretzel. Bowing her head deeply, she squeezed out her words.
"...They said they'd give me food if I followed them, so I did, and then..."
—......
Falling for a cliché trick that even a preschooler wouldn't fall for. This was the exact moment my fantasy of dragons, those mythical creatures, shattered.
"I-I had been starving for two whole days back then! I-I'm not some gullible dragon who just easily falls for things like that!"
Hon waved her hands in a flurry of embarrassment. It was the textbook reaction of someone trying to cover their tracks.
—...Alright. Then lastly, what business brought you to the Human Realm? Even if you can travel freely, you wouldn't have come just for a stroll. From what you've said, it seems the dragons have their own procedures.
"That is..."
Hon's expression froze like ice. She spoke with a heavy voice.
"I came to eliminate my corrupted younger brother, Basilisk, with my own hands."
At that moment.
* * *
[NEW! Emergency Quest Triggered.]
Defeat the unclean serpent, Basilisk, alongside Hontail!
[※ You can acquire the Fourth Fragment of the Memory Fragments of 【???】. Total Acquired: (3/7)]
[※ Additional Reward - Magic Stone of the Fallen Dragon.]
* * *