Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Warrior and the Dragon (2)

“Father, why are you here?”

I asked, my expression tinged with confusion.

This was the dragon’s lair. There was no reason for Zeke to be here.

“Did Reinhardt send you?”

Zeke spoke then, his face hard and grim. It was as if he was silently saying, You shouldn’t have come here. Was there some reason behind it?

“Leon, you do know this is a dragon’s nest, don’t you?”

“Yes. The Frontier Count told me himself.”

“That man told you about this place….”

Zeke slowly closed his eyes, as if deep in thought. After a brief silence, he spoke again.

“What business do you have here? If it’s something I can handle in your stead, I’ll do it.”

“The Dragon’s Blood.”

Doubt filled Zeke’s eyes. Dragon’s Blood was a material alchemists sought after. There was no reason a warrior like Leon would need it.

I explained the circumstances up to that point. Only then did Zeke nod in understanding.

“Excellent. You haven’t forgotten my words. Even your brother Adam couldn’t have done this easily. I’m proud of you, my son.”

A faint smile formed on Zeke’s lips. His gaze, filled with quiet pride, rested on me. It was a look born of genuine affection.

I couldn’t hide the satisfaction welling up inside me. I was only fifteen—still young. My father’s recognition was sweeter than any fruit.

“In that case, let me speak with him myself. I’ve met with the dragon from time to time over the years. He’s an old acquaintance of mine. Reinhardt knows this, though it seems he never told you. Well, he never intended to let you come here in the first place. So he wouldn’t have had a reason to mention it.”

“An old acquaintance?”

I asked, my eyes widening in disbelief. Of course I would be shocked. Dragons were known for their arrogance. It was unthinkable for one to form friendship with a mere human.

But Zeke’s tone was calm, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I know what you’re thinking. But you’re wrong. You must think dragons are haughty creatures. That’s true—of the previous generation. The dragons of this generation are different.”

“Previous generation? What do you mean? Dragons have long lifespans. There shouldn’t be any change of generations.”

“You’re right. Very few dragons die of natural causes. But still, the generation changed—because the demon beasts hunted the dragons.”

My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe it. Dragons were supposed to be transcendent beings. How could demon beasts possibly hunt them? The very idea of hunting dragons seemed absurd.

“You’re confused, I know. People call dragons the mightiest of all creatures. But in the end, they are still living beings. Once you find the right method, killing them isn’t impossible.”

“Are you saying demon beasts are stronger than dragons?”

“Not individually. One could never stand against a dragon alone. But if they gather in a pack, the story changes. You met Superbia not long ago, didn’t you? She’s among the strongest of the humanoid demon beasts. Now imagine a dozen of her kind working together. Even a dragon would find no way to resist.”

I pictured it—a dozen Superbias rushing at a single dragon. Superbia alone had shown monstrous power. A dozen of her… even a dragon wouldn’t be able to withstand that.

“The arrogant dragons were almost all hunted down. The ones that survived are the docile ones—the ones who avoided conflict. It’s a natural consequence.”

“The dragon inside this cave—is he one of the new generation?”

“No. He’s one of the survivors. They say he’s the dragon who’s guarded the North for a long time.”

“You’ll understand when you see him yourself.”

Leaving only those words, Zeke entered the cave. I followed closely behind.

It was indeed the dragon’s nest. The cave was vast—so wide that even if thousands of people entered, there would still be space to spare.

A faint, whitish light glimmered in the distance. It flickered weakly, as if it could vanish at any moment. Was it dragon magic? I stayed cautious as I stepped toward the light.

A deep, resonant voice echoed in my mind. It wasn’t spoken aloud—it was telepathic.

[Zeke, who is that human beside you? Your offspring?]

“He’s my son. He came to see you on personal business.”

The voice’s owner chuckled. The laughter too was silent, carried only within the mind, but I could sense the amusement behind it.

[The son of the Conqueror… This is the first time you’ve brought a child here. Very well, what is your name?]

[Leon, is it…? You gave your child the name of your ancestor, Zeke. Do you mean for the Conqueror’s son to become a Grand Warrior?]

[Hm? You didn’t know? Leon, your name once belonged to a legendary warrior who shook the world.]

I blinked in surprise. Zeke was known for his indifference toward his own children, yet he had named me after an ancestor. That was unexpected.

I glanced at Zeke. His face was as stoic as ever. He didn’t look like someone with any deep meaning behind it. I almost felt foolish for being surprised.

[Well, knowing Zeke’s nature, I suppose he wouldn’t bother to tell you such things. In any case, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Leon. I am ‘Luseus,’ also known as the Guardian of the North.]

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Luseus.” ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel[f]ire.net

I replied respectfully—my tone uncharacteristically formal for a warrior.

[You’re quite different from your father. You don’t resemble your mother much either. A peculiar child indeed. So then, you have business with me, I hear.]

“Yes, but before that… where are you?”

Ever since I had arrived here, one question had been lingering in my mind. The cave was clearly empty. Aside from the faint whitish light before my eyes, there was nothing else in sight.

Then where was that voice coming from?

A chilling sensation made me open my eyes wide. Something cold crawled up my spine, an eerie presence sweeping over me as if it were examining every inch of my being.

I slowly raised my gaze upward.

There, at the end of my sight, I saw a pair of blue eyes gleaming faintly. The vertically slit pupils sent shivers down my back.

It was a sight that nearly took my breath away. Forcing my lips to move, I managed to stammer out a few words.

“...You were here from the beginning.”

[I lacked consideration. You are not like Zeke. I shall brighten the light.]

As those words echoed in my head, the pale light swelled in size, illuminating the entire cave. And at that moment, I saw it—

A dragon so massive it resembled a mountain range.

[Keh keh keh, my apologies. Zeke can walk about just fine even with the faintest light. It seems I’ve forgotten that I haven’t seen another human besides him in so long.]

I couldn’t reply. Just the sight of it was overwhelming, and my lips felt glued together.

But I quickly steadied myself. The dragon before me was not an enemy.

Swallowing once, I spoke.

“Lord Luseus, I came because I am in need of your blood. Please, I beg you to grant my request.”

My expression was tense. No matter how mild-tempered this dragon might be, my request was still rude.

Even from a human perspective, it was a rather presumptuous demand—let alone to a dragon.

[Blood, you say... Not such an unusual request. Over the long years, many have sought my body for its power. Still, you’re polite enough compared to most.]

Luseus let out a pleasant laugh. Apparently, he did not take my request badly.

[Very well. I can spare my blood. However, there is one proble—]

Luseus suddenly coughed up thick, dark blood.

I cried out in shock.

“Are you all right? What happened—”

Luseus cut me off. Even so, the ragged sound of his breathing was full of pain. Now that I looked closely, his complexion was ghastly pale—sickly, almost human-like in its frailty.

Dragons had skin of a different hue from humans, and yet even I could see how weak he looked.

[It’s the fate I must endure as the Guardian of the North.]

The Guardian of the North. That was the title he had given himself earlier.

I asked quietly, “What does that mean, being the Guardian of the North?”

[Ah, so it seems an age has come that no longer remembers me. Well, it has been hundreds of years since I first stood here to ward off the calamity of the North. It’s only natural you wouldn’t know.]

“The calamity of the North?”

[Let’s just call it the remnant of the Evil God. If I do not keep his power bound at all times, the world would freeze solid. Even now, my strength wanes, and I can hardly restrain it any longer.]

“The remnant of the Evil God? Is it a demon beast?”

[Something of that kind. In any case, you may take my blood. But I wonder if blood from a dying dragon will be of any use to you.]

I glanced down at the blood pooled on the cave floor—dark, murky, lifeless. It didn’t look fit to be used as an ingredient for an Elixir.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said.

“I was only told to bring back the blood of a dragon. The rest is their concern, not mine.”

It was the obvious truth. Kazan’s request had been simply to obtain Dragon’s Blood. I had done my part. The rest wasn’t my burden to bear.

[Heh heh, quite the bold one, aren’t you? All the better, then.]

“However, may I ask one more question?”

“I’d like to hear more about this remnant of the Evil God.”

Luseus glanced toward Zeke, as if seeking his opinion.

“…He’s ready to know.”

At that calm permission, Luseus began to speak.

[Once, the Evil God Jeozudin sought to bring ruin upon the world. Even the sole god Solar could not stop him. Dragons, elves, humans—every race joined forces to fight. And at last, we succeeded in slaying the Evil God.]

I couldn’t help but gasp in awe. It was a story worthy of myth itself.

[But Jeozudin did not pass quietly, even in death. He scattered his power throughout the world, defiling the land. Those remnants of his power became what you humans call demon beasts.]

“Then what is this calamity of the North? You said it’s not the same as ordinary demon beasts.”

[Strictly speaking, it is one of them. But its power surpasses that of all others. If I were to describe it, I would say it’s the King of Demon Beasts—a Demon King.]

I opened my eyes wide. I had heard of the Demon King before—the one who plunged the world into chaos five centuries ago. I had never known he was one of the demon beasts.

[I am the one sealing this Demon King. His power is great enough to freeze the entire world. I have been using my own life force to keep him bound.]

“You don’t look well. If you keep this up, you’ll truly die.”

[I know. It is my duty, after all.]

I looked at Luseus. His eyes were resolute, filled with grim determination. It was clear he had already accepted his fate.

[Do not worry. Even if I die, the Demon King’s seal will not be broken. The time has come for my successor to be born.]

Luseus shifted his massive body aside—and only then did I see it. Hidden behind him was a large, glimmering egg.

[My successor. Beautiful, isn’t it?]

There was unmistakable warmth in Luseus’s voice.

[If I die, this child will inherit my duty. Until then, I have no intention of passing away, so do not worry.]

I couldn’t respond. This was the being who had held back the Demon King’s seal for centuries—sacrificing his own life to do so—and yet he looked genuinely happy over something so small.

I couldn’t find the words.

Just as I was about to speak—

A woman’s voice echoed through the cave.

“Meeting you here again, are we?”