episode_0012

“Aaron? You’ve been looking back constantly. Is there something behind us?”

“I might be mistaken, but I feel a strange gaze from behind. What about the others?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Me neither.”

“Aaron, are you being too sensitive?”

“Hmm, I might be.”

Lian nodded and turned his steps once again, brushing off the comments from the group, but his instincts were right.

Three kilometers away, Skaha was watching Lian.

Her eyes, accurately capturing Lian’s figure with just her vision, proved why dragons were known as the strongest species.

However, there was someone who was displeased with the fact that the dragon’s vision was being used to observe someone from a distance.

“Argh! This is so frustrating! How long are you going to keep staring at him?”

“But, I have no idea how to face the owner and what to say!”

“Didn’t you used to live peacefully with that human before? It’ll be fine if you just act like back then.”

“But that was then, this is now! I’m scared to talk to him honestly…”

“How did this coward have the confidence to appear in front of me? I just can’t understand…”

Two years ago.

After escaping from Matap, Skaha flew through the vast sky in search of Lian.

However, due to Lian hiding so well, her search efforts were in vain.

Every region she visited was a dead end.

As time passed, Skaha grew more anxious.

It seemed like she would never find Lian if things continued like this.

“I refuse to accept that!”

Skaha decided early on that she would find Lian on her own.

She was determined to do whatever it took to reunite with him.

And so, Skaha arrived at none other than the Elder Dragon’s nest.

It was the territory of Sephira, also known as the leader of the dragons.

“I’ve never seen such a case in my life. A cursed sword made from a friend’s body taking on a grotesque form and coming to my nest.”

Sephira, an overwhelmingly large Elder Dragon who could turn a mountain into her nest, stood before Skaha without flinching.

Sephira found Skaha’s boldness intriguing.

“You have a request?”

“A request? You, who have caused countless wounds to our children, want to make a request to me?”

Sephira chuckled at Skaha’s audacious appearance.

In a situation where she couldn’t endure without help, Skaha suddenly met Sephira’s gaze.

“Do I look so easy to you?”

The Elder Dragon’s anger shook the entire mountain.

The ground cracked, trees fell, and all the animals living on the mountain began to flee.

Some wild animals were crushed by the dragon’s fury and lost consciousness.

Skaha, who faced the roar head-on, was obviously not unscathed, with red blood trickling from her ears.

“Is that the end of your tantrum?”

“Tantrum? Oh, please!”

But Skaha’s determined gaze remained unchanged.

Her heart, which had endured torture every day for the past two years, was stronger than mithril.

The days of being dramatic over a single lightning bolt were long gone.

“How interesting. The one who used to act like a child, saying she would kill a dragon, has changed so quickly in a short time.”

Eight years had passed, but for the long-lived dragon, it was just a fleeting moment.

“There were reasons for it.”

“Hmm, judging by your expression, it seems like a painful memory for you, huh?”

Scarlet said nothing and just nodded her head.

Just as there was no absolute existence, there were certainly weaknesses in her strong heart.

“Let’s hear your story. I’ll decide whether to grant your request after that.”

“Alright.”

Scarlet agreed, but her lips trembled, showing that it wasn’t easy for her.

Recalling the past itself was painful, so it was a difficult task.

But in order to move towards a happy future, Scarlet began her story with a trembling voice.

From the day she met Lian, to the days they traveled happily together, and the mistakes she made out of arrogance.

And finally, the events she experienced after being abandoned by Lian.

Scarlet laid it all out without missing a single detail, and in the end, she slumped back into her seat, needing time to calm her trembling body.

“There is no excuse for your mistakes. I thought you only caused trouble for the dragons, but it seems you also caused trouble for the human you cherished.”

“Yes, my past self was truly foolish. If the me from the past appeared in front of me now, I would have beaten myself to a pulp.”

“Hmm, let’s put an end to self-blame for the past that won’t return and move on to the main point. You want me to help you find your former master, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not a difficult request, but you should know that we are not in a relationship where we fulfill requests flawlessly.”

The sword, Ma-Geom, and the elder dragon leading the dragons, who once wanted to kill the dragon.

They were in a relationship where they could fight each other without hesitation.

However, Scarlet had given up her obsession with the dragon.

“I beg you…!”

“What?”

Her request was not to hunt dragons, but to be with Lian, who recognized her.

That’s why Scarlet could kneel and bow her head in front of Sephira.

Sephira was quite surprised and flustered by Scarlet’s sincerity.

“Are you serious?”

“I have always been sincere since before coming here. Other than my master, nothing else is valuable to me now.”

“You will live to see many things. I never expected you to bow your head to me like this…”

“I will sincerely apologize for my actions regarding the dragons. If you ask me to pay for my sins, I will do so.”

In the past, Scarlet never yielded to Lian’s words, but her obsession with him made her willingly submit to the dragon.

“A human changing the Dragon Slayer Sword like this, I don’t know how many times I’ve been surprised today alone.”

“So, can you help me?”

“No, an apology is not enough. If you promise to never harm our dragons again, then I will help you.”

When asked what the strongest magic was, the wizards all mentioned runic magic.

Runic magic was a type of ancient magic that produced extraordinary results.

For example, if you tried to create a light breeze with runic magic, it would result in a strong wind accompanied by rain and lightning.

If one could use it, they would undoubtedly be remembered as the greatest wizard.

However, records of runic magic had been completely erased, and in modern times, there was no one who could be found to use it.

There was, however, another type of magic that was said to be on par with runic magic.

It was the Dragon-exclusive magic known as the Dragon Pact Magic.

“Can you accept it?”

A contract made with ordinary magic had a strong effect, but it was not entirely impossible to break it forcibly.

However, a contract made with dragon magic would last forever and there was no way to break it.

It meant that it was not a matter to be taken lightly.

Even though Skaha was in a desperate state, Sephira believed that she would not easily make a decision.

“Fine.”

However, without a hint of hesitation, Skaha accepted Sephira’s proposal.

It was proof that there was no lingering attachment to the dragons.

She was so eager to quickly bring out the contract magic that Sephira, who had set the conditions, was at a loss for words.

“Do as you wish.”

After that, Skaha completely shed the image of a dragon hunter.

She led the dragons under her command and personally directed the search operation, focusing on the task herself.

Such actions impressed the dragons, and she could become the second in command after Sephira.

***

“Where did that confident attitude go? And now you’re acting like a coward!”

“Ah~!”

Sephira grabbed Skaha’s cheeks as she watched Lian from a distance.

The more she thought about it, the more incredulous she became, pulling her cheeks even harder.

“Don’t act like a shy girl with a crush, go up to him and face him yourself!”

“Eh? But what should I say so it doesn’t seem unnatural…?”

“What does that matter? What you should focus on is laying bare your true feelings! Haven’t the words you wanted to say when you reunited with him piled up like a mountain?”

“Right. I have to sincerely apologize, express my gratitude, and if possible… ask if he could accept me again.”

“That’s it! Lay everything on the line for him!”

Skaha, who became more timid when looking at Lian, was determined by Sephira to turn her into a confident mage once again.

Just like the day she boldly came to her.

“Lay bare all your desires in your heart!”

“Is it really okay…?”

“Is there any reason why it wouldn’t be?”

“Then I’ll go and come back!”

“Be strong!”

Encouraged by Sephira, Skaha finally made up her mind.

Summoning her courage, she headed towards Lian.

‘Even if it goes wrong, I won’t regret it.’

Many people say they can sacrifice anything for love, but there were few who actually did.

In that sense, Sephira sincerely hoped that Skaha, who sacrificed a lot for the reunion, would be successful.

There was also a bit of personal ambition as a member of the eternal love faction.

“Hehehe!”

Sephira, hiding behind a tree, calmly watched the fateful reunion unfold.

Her heart raced from the moment Skaha appeared in front of Lian.

How would this emotional reunion start with what kind of dialogue?

In the tense moment, Skaha finally opened her mouth.

“Master! Let’s merge with the Divine Sword!”

In human terms, it was like suddenly appearing and suggesting to go on a blind date.

Due to the excessive confidence injected into her, the introduction was severely omitted.

‘I lost….’