Chapter 244
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: Part 2 Chapter 18: Savior (1)
"By the way, Behemoth."
"Woof?"
"What do you think those two will talk about?"
"Hmm..."
Behemoth trotted over to the window and gazed up at the night sky.
Isis had invited his master to dinner.
They would see each other again tomorrow at the official event, so the reason for inviting him now must be to discuss something important.
So, what could that important matter be?
'It might have something to do with my contract.'
The plan that Frontier was currently preparing.
Behemoth was a key figure responsible for part of that plan.
The problem was what reaction his master would have upon hearing about it.
One thing was certain: the relationship between his master and Frontier would be established depending on how the dinner ended.
'Given Isis's personality, it seems like she'll get along well with my master...'
But who knew for sure.
Since both dreamed of great undertakings, they might avoid even minor friction.
"Behemoth?"
Vena approached from the side and placed her hand on the back of Behemoth, who was deep in serious thought.
The soft, fluffy texture felt like he had just taken a bath.
Vena couldn't help but stroke his back vigorously.
"Wh-what are you doing all of a sudden?!"
"You're so soft."
"Argh! Get your hand off me!"
"Behemoth, let me hug you!"
"Let go!"
Behemoth struggled to escape Vena's embrace.
As he did, he thought of his master.
If things went awry with Frontier's path, what should he do?
'Siola. I might have to break the promise I made with you.'
A thousand years ago, the elf sorceress who had put the rampaging him into a deep slumber in exchange for a promise.
He felt sorry for her, but his master came first for Behemoth.
If things went wrong, he'd have no choice but to use 'force' to escape this place.
Jamie widened his eyes and shouted.
"Five?!"
She had found that many?
'No. Considering how long she's been alive, that's not even that many.'
It had only taken him about a year to acquire four.
Isis had only managed five over hundreds of years.
But even so, five was definitely a lot.
If he could recover them all, he would surely regain his peak strength much faster.
"One of them is here, right?"
"I don't know exactly what it's used for, but our chief blacksmith is currently hammering away at it."
"Can I see it later?"
"Showing it isn't hard. Showing it."
That meant she would show it but had no intention of handing it over.
Of course. He hadn't expected her to give up something bearing his trace so easily.
They had only met for the first time today, after all.
That was why Jamie hadn't revealed his reincarnation either.
No matter how aligned their goals were, he couldn't carelessly divulge his most crucial secret.
If she betrayed him, he'd be the one in trouble.
And the same went for her.
"Now it's my turn? Let me see..."
Isis pondered what question to ask.
They had already exchanged many questions, making it hard to pick a new one.
She had to filter out sensitive ones he might refuse to answer, so she had to be cautious.
Soon, she made her decision and asked.
"Will you tell me which god you wish to kill?"
There were twelve gods who ruled the world.
But facing all twelve at once was impossible.
So, they had to defeat them one by one, starting with selecting the first god to kill.
It was a highly sensitive question, but Jamie had no intention of dodging it.
They had already declared their shared desire to kill gods, so backing out now was out of the question.
Jamie answered.
"I'm going to kill Zenith."
"The god of contradictions, symbolizing war and peace."
The corner of Isis's mouth curved up.
"Because he touched your maternal family? Or because of the conflict with the Pyro Church?"
"Those are just some of the reasons."
"So there's a real reason?"
"It's my turn to ask."
"Tch. What a tough kid."
Isis, who had tried to continue prying while feigning ignorance, clicked her tongue when her intent failed.
Ignoring her, Jamie asked.
"So, did it work?"
Jamie resumed his questions about the ancient dragon.
Isis thought he was one persistent brat.
However, the land of the Qiangma was that important a place for those exploring the world's secrets.
"What do you think?"
When Isis asked playfully, Jamie responded seriously.
"Don't play word games."
"Such a kid with zero charm."
"Answer."
"Isn't it obvious? Though my right arm ended up like this, I'm alive and here."
That was answer enough.
The ancient dragon had accepted Isis's deal.
The more he learned, the more astonishing it was.
She was stronger than imagined, but an ancient dragon was on another level.
Unless the leader of the Ran stepped in, it wouldn't even be a fight.
'Or maybe Isis is that strong.'
Whether Isis or Jamie, both were at a realm where they could deliberately conceal their power.
She had shown glimpses of her strength a few times, but assuming that was all would be foolish.
Her power might even surpass his imagination.
"My turn. Why do you want to kill Zenith first?"
"Because he's my arch-nemesis."
"...?"
Isis made a face like she couldn't understand.
How could a god be an 'arch-nemesis'?
Even if Jamie truly thought that way, it was an arrogantly presumptuous notion.
Gods were called gods because they were omnipotent.
Not to disparage, but she had prepared for over a thousand years to kill a god.
Yet she still saw no clear path, so how could he so casually call it an arch-nemesis?
"Do you really think of him as your arch-nemesis?"
"It's my turn. So, which god is Frontier targeting?"
"Sigh. Really, such a tough little one."
Isis sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead.
She'd heard he was mature beyond his years, but was he really thirteen?
Not to put it rudely, it felt like talking to a peer.
Isis answered.
"The god we're targeting... is the Dragon God."
This time, Jamie's eyes widened.
Frontier's first target was the Dragon God Brahman.
Jamie realized her visit to the ancient dragon wasn't just about the ruins.
At that moment, his mind raced.
It felt like scattered puzzle pieces were fitting together one by one.
'Ruins. Ancient dragon. Land of the Qiangma. Thunder Dragon Sword. Mayatrei. Dragon God... even Behemoth.'
A thousand years ago, the elf sorceress belonging to Frontier had contracted with Behemoth, imprisoned beneath the Kelton Mountains, at Isis's behest and put him to sleep.
And five years ago, Frontier had awakened the sleeping Behemoth and brought him here.
Come to think of it, he hadn't asked what contract Behemoth had made.
For some reason, he felt that 'contract' was a crucial part of Frontier's current plan.
And the pieces mentioned earlier came together, leading Jamie to a certain conclusion.
It might not be correct.
Still, Jamie asked on a hunch.
"Is the ancient dragon a Blue Dragon?"
"...How did you know?"
Though it was her turn, Isis was so shocked she responded anyway.
She realized too late, but that wasn't important now.
She was curious how Jamie had figured it out.
"How did you know the ancient dragon is a Blue Dragon?"
"I don't know the structure of the Dragon Mountains, but dragons tend to despise all races except their own. For them to help another race enter a mountain range named after their kind? No way."
"I can't accept that as mere inference."
"I'm not done. You're close with Mayatrei, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you must remember what punishment she received back then?"
For delving into the world's secrets with Ganon, she had been imprisoned by her own kind.
Death would have been fitting, but dragons didn't casually kill their own.
They had stronger kin loyalty than any race.
Especially the Blue clan would have fought desperately to lessen her punishment.
But Mayatrei escaped with Ganon.
This must have been a huge scandal within the dragon clans, greatly weakening the Blue clan's position.
In that situation, the other clans dispatched the Black Dragon Aegos to hunt Mayatrei and Ganon.
The Blue clan must have felt deeply betrayed.
Over hundreds of years, that resentment would have built up immensely, even for long-lived dragons, directed at the other clans.
And that fury might have turned toward their creator, the Dragon God.
"That's why she took your outstretched hand."
It was actually ridiculous.
Normally, the Blue clan would have no grounds to complain, but dragons were special.
Being angry at a god was usually inconceivable.
But dragons could do it.
Because they were made superior.
The world followed the law of equivalent exchange, an absolute rule even the twelve gods couldn't defy.
To create the dragon race, Brahman granted them 'freedom.'
Freedom—the very thing Jamie and Isis so desperately desired.
In simple terms, while the dragon clans served the Dragon God Brahman as parent, their relationship was one of 'partners,' not god and follower.
Thus, the Blue clan could harbor the insolence of anger toward a god.
"...Who the hell are you?"
Jamie's reasoning was spot on.
There wasn't a single wrong part.
After the Mayatrei incident, the Blue clan's influence plummeted, wounding their pride deeply.
Moreover, even their parent-like Dragon God rebuked them.
Abandoned by their parent, the Blue clan felt immense loss.
At the same time, their anger toward the other clans who treated them this way grew.
In that situation, Isis extended her hand.
"She rejected me at first. Not just rejected—I nearly died for real."
Recalling that time still made her body tremble.
The ancient dragon's rage was something even Ran's princess couldn't easily withstand.
She survived because it was her.
It was the same on this recent visit.
A bit better than before, but the gap with the ancient dragon was still vast.
Still, she had no intention of giving up.
Jamie asked.
"Even after nearly dying, why didn't you give up?"
"That's..."
Isis recalled what the Blue clan's ancient dragon, Chironseira, had said.
'Ran wench. Why do you cling to the impossible even in such a state?'
He had asked her something similar to Jamie.
Isis repeated to Jamie the same answer she had given him.
"Because I want to reclaim our world."
At those words, Jamie felt something hot rising from the depths of his chest.
It wasn't lip service.
Right now, Isis was confessing her true heart more earnestly than anyone.
Memories surfaced of comrades from long ago who had joined him in opposing the twelve gods.
They were all like Isis.
They staked their lives to reclaim what was taken.
Even in failure, they didn't kneel easily.
Believing there was a way, they repeated countless failures to succeed somehow.
His teeth ground together.
Those people had flickered out like candles in the wind.
But the flame hadn't fully extinguished.
His own embers had become the spark igniting a new flame.
And that new flame was right before him.
Jamie said to her.
"You are the one who carries their will."
At Jamie's sudden words, Isis wanted to retort what nonsense that was.
But in the abruptly changed atmosphere, she couldn't say a word.
"You are the one who yearns for freedom in defiance of the twelve gods."
Jamie stood from his seat.
In that moment, Isis saw a strange hallucination.
Over the emerald-haired boy, for an instant, overlapped a black-haired man.
He had sharp eyes and a face lonelier than anyone.
"You are a member of the Resistance."
His eyes turned violet.
He extended his hand toward her.
"You are my comrade."
Like possessed by a ghost, Isis grasped that hand.
"My name is Diablo Volpir."
Before she knew it, Jamie Welton's form had vanished, leaving only the black-haired man gazing at her.
"The natural enemy of gods, descended upon this land after traversing 66,666 years."
At those words, goosebumps rose all over Isis's body.
66,666 years.
That was the Day of Revelation.
The day the 'Savior' would be born.