Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Myriad Forms Dragon
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The tale spilling from the bartender's lips was mostly an oral fairy tale passed down mouth-to-mouth among the dwarves.
In the stories, Rem Drain took on truly diverse forms. Sometimes it was a mysterious creature lurking in the depths of a vast body of water, while at others it assumed the shape of a colossal bird blotting out the sky.
The names it was called by were just as varied as its appearances. Rem Drain, Myriad Forms Dragon, The One with a Thousand Hands, Sky Veil, Mountain Ghost.
With forms so diverse and names to match, its temperament was equally inconsistent. At times it bestowed great boons upon the dwarves, while at others it became a terrifying monster that stripped them of everything.
"Is that really true?"
"Pfft... who knows? I personally think it's just a story made up by our ancestors. They say colossal beasts do inhabit Azgal Rock, but I've never seen one with my own eyes."
"I see..."
"Isn't it strange? The sightings differ in location, time, appearance, even name. Yet everyone treats them as the same entity. They've believed it that way for ages, so the faith carries on."
"The stories might have gotten distorted over time."
"Exactly. That's what I think. For starters, it doesn't make sense for one creature to take on so many forms, right? Various tales probably merged over centuries, eventually birthing a colossal beast that exists only in imagination. That's my take."
"Hmm... yeah, that's a fair point."
I nodded at the bartender's words and took a sip from the clear glass. Despite the faint alcohol scent, it packed quite a punch. After draining the glass, a burning heat rose to my face.
The bartender refilled my empty glass and posed a question.
"But where did you hear about the Myriad Forms Dragon? It's the kind of tale passed around among dwarf kids."
"Someone was researching Rem Drain... the Myriad Forms Dragon. I picked up a little notebook, and it was written inside."
"Mind if I take a look?"
No harm in showing it. I shrugged and pulled the small notebook from my pocket, handing it over.
"Ah, this is Ber Kingdom script."
"Can you read it?"
"A little, but... not really."
The bartender returned the notebook with a disinterested look. The contents were brief to begin with. Even if he could read it, it wouldn't change much. I chuckled lightly, took it back, and tucked it away.
"If you want to know more about the Myriad Forms Dragon, head up to that mansion on the hill. An old man with a bizarre personality lives there, and he's got a ton of knowledge thanks to his age. That's how I learned about it—drunk ramblings from the old coot."
The bartender leaned out slightly and pointed into the distance. Following his gesture, I spotted a solitary mansion perched atop a distant hill, isolated from everything.
"How much?"
"Just two silver coins."
Two silvers for three drinks was steep, but I handed it over without hesitation. Thanks to the platinum coins from the Karadun Kingdom, my pockets were flush. It put me in a generous mood too.
'Worth it for the info...'
I was just about to leave the tavern when Raymond's face suddenly flashed in my mind—the one I'd left behind in the Ber Kingdom.
"Boss."
"Yeah?"
"Any news from the Ber Kingdom?"
"Hmm... news, huh. What kind?"
"Anything. Just wondering if there's any big issues."
"Well... not that I've heard. If you're that curious, grab a newsletter from the adventurer's guild."
"Newsletter?"
"It's a roundup of major events by kingdom... something like that. Less specific intel, more a glimpse of the wider world..."
'Like a newspaper...'
I nodded and stepped out of the shop.
The adventurer's guild wasn't far. Luckily, the sign boldly proclaimed "Adventurer's Guild" in Ber Kingdom script, making it easy to spot.
Inside the massive building, not just dwarves but hordes of human adventurers milled about, chatting away.
'Newsletter...'
The one I sought sat atop a small box beside the large reception desk. Cheap price, cheap thin paper. I approached, handed a copper coin to the clerk, and took one.
Flip—
'Hmm...'
The newsletter's contents weren't particularly juicy. The standout was a wizard massacre in Nuarein—God's wrath raining from the heavens had wiped them out, with a brief note below about an important item stolen from Nuarein.
Months-old news. Curious, I peeked at the sign on the newsletter table.
In a world without phones or internet, news traveled slow. I glared at the newsletter in my hand for a moment before turning away.
Next stop: the mansion on the hill. Not showing up empty-handed, I bought a keg of beer—dwarves' favorite—and some skewer snacks before heading over.
Couldn't tell from afar, but up close, the bartender's "bizarre" comment made sense.
The mansion looked nothing like a normal home. Twisted pillars crawled with mysterious graffiti, floor stones carved into dwarf faces. Walls brimmed with oddly warped runes.
And there, beside it, a statue of a dwarf in grotesque attire.
'Even Ber Kingdom script...?'
Wrong place? As I turned to leave, the firmly shut mansion door flew open with a bang, and a dwarf geezer in ridiculous garb came barreling out.
"H-Help! Please help me!"
The instant I saw the dwarf elder, Arcana pierced his true nature. Faint traces of mana, revealing his real form. Beneath the clownish old dwarf lurked a pretty young girl.
'Hiding with magic?'
Not the priority. I brushed past the frantic dwarf girl and strode forward.
Through the wide-open door, a four-legged beast-shaped golem emerged, spewing red light.
Hostile to everything around it—including its own master, the dwarf girl, who fell squarely in its aggro range.
What kind of design made even the owner a target? I calmly raised my hand toward the charging golem.
'Domination.'
Domination (4th Mana Circle)
Spatial control authority engaged. Golem core halted.
The authority of my fourth mana circle: Domination. A law placing a fixed space under my control. The spreading blue wave hit the golem, and mana burrowed inside, shutting down its core.
Thud—
"Wha—what...? What did you just do...? My Wolf Queen stopped with a single gesture...?"
Lucky it was small, with scant mana in the core. If the dwarf girl's skill had been higher, or the golem's design superior, I couldn't have subdued it like this.
I fished the core from the wreckage and handed it to the girl.
"Came by 'cause I have some questions."
"The core's intact...? Wait, questions...? Thanks for the help first—sorry, should've greeted you properly..."
Her flustered bow looked awkward. The blue afterimage revealed the girl beneath the dwarf elder guise. No need to point it out and sour things while she's hiding.
I nodded and set down the beer keg on my back.
'Wrong gift...'
Had I known it was a girl, not an old man, I'd have brought sweets or chocolate. I patted the items beside me.
"Couldn't show up empty-handed. A gift. Might not be to your taste."
"Hmm? Not to my taste? No way...! Anyway, can't leave my benefactor standing. Come inside."
She masked her looks, voice, even speech with magic, but actions don't lie. The dwarf girl scampered into the mansion with girlish energy unfit for an elder.
'That's why it's "bizarre."'
A girl acting like one in an old man's form? Bound to feel off. After a brief hesitation, I nodded and followed her in.
"Ah, tell me your name, benefactor. I'm Olbern. Great inventor, scholar, and mage."
In the mansion's center, amid scattered piles of papers and books, the dwarf girl—Olbern—planted hands on hips and introduced herself.
"Lumi of the Infinite Archive School."
"What do you wish to know? I'll answer as best I can within my knowledge."
"Came to learn about Rem Drain... the Myriad Forms Dragon."
"Rem Drain! Myriad Forms Dragon! Hold on a sec!"
Olbern rummaged frantically about. Diving into a corner stack of books, she finally surfaced triumphantly, thrusting her hand high.
"Here it is!"