Ch.221Chapter 221 – Pupils (2)

A massive eye was staring down at me.

“That’s…”

“The one who called for you.”

Pia said quietly.

And just as she was about to speak, a voice came from the eye.

[Do not speak carelessly. I have not given permission for you to speak freely in my presence. White Dragon.]

“…I apologize.”

Pia bowed her head quietly toward the eye.

Behind her, Yuto was also bowing his head in silence.

Soon, the eye spoke quietly.

[Did Lord send out young ones who have just reached adulthood only to drive them to their deaths?]

“It was necessary.”

[I do not doubt Lord’s judgment. However, the fact that young ones with much still to learn met death at the end of their mission gives me many thoughts.]

Pia and Yuto kept their heads bowed in silence.

The eye soon quietly asked.

[Lord would not have sent young ones like you on missions meaninglessly. Was the situation such that there was no other choice?]

“…Yes.”

At Pia’s affirmation, the eye closed briefly.

And soon it spoke quietly.

[The state of the boundary must be serious.]

“It is.”

Silence hung in the air after Pia’s answer.

Then, as if he had been waiting, Yuto opened his mouth.

“I have a request.”

[Denied.]

The eye immediately looked down at Yuto and said.

[I do not go to the boundary rift. I have duties to attend to.]

“But…”

[Ruling the boundary rift is a right brought by the clan. Protecting and managing it is a duty to be shouldered. However, I am one who was cast out from the clan by the previous Lord.]

The eye spoke quietly.

[Strictly speaking, I am a being unrelated to the clan’s duties.]

“The current Lord…”

[Enough.]

The eye spoke as if displeased.

[You speak as if you were Lord’s proxy. Young and inexperienced black dragon.]

“That’s…”

[Do not forget that you have no such authority.]

The eye spoke as if reprimanding Yuto.

[My exile was decided by the previous Lord after hearing the current Lord’s request. It was a decision they both carefully deliberated. I could have refused if I wanted to, but I accepted it because I understood the necessity. If you argue with me further on this matter, I will take it as a challenge to Lord’s authority.]

“…I apologize.”

Yuto bowed his head as he spoke.

The eye was looking at the two of them again.

‘Do they have nothing more to say?’

The eye just kept staring down for a long time.

By the way, after summoning me to the volcano, it’s not even giving me a single glance here.

‘Should I call out?’

I wanted to break this awkward silence, and I also needed to ask why it had called me.

I was at the point of hesitating slightly and carefully considering whether to interject.

[I have not granted you permission to speak here. Hybrid.]

I hadn’t even spoken yet, but it seemed to have noticed I was about to interject.

However, there was something more concerning in what it said.

“Hybrid?”

[Your body is that of a human from another world, your heart is that of that white dragon, and various other things are mixed in. If I don’t call you a hybrid, what should I call you?]

The eye’s voice was cold.

I stared blankly at the eye for a moment.

My mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden words.

And for some reason, my head started to become cold and clear.

By the time I came to my senses, my mouth was opening on its own.

“Do you think I wanted to become like this?”

A cold voice filled the space.

The urge to draw a weapon and charge at the eye dominated my body.

If I actually had a weapon, I might have drawn it and charged right away.

But the eye spoke without even looking at me.

[Whether you liked it or not is not something I need to consider. Hybrid.]

“Apologize.”

[I refuse.]

The voice coldly replied.

[I do not take orders from those weaker than me.]

An arrogant voice echoed around us.

“By whose authority?”

[By my own.]

After the eye’s voice ended, I glared at it for a moment.

The eye looked down at me again and said.

[Know that you have no right to argue with me. Hybrid.]

“…Don’t you want to resolve this amicably?”

[No.]

The eye said mockingly.

[I have no intention of listening to the words of the weak.]

It was an excessively arrogant creature.

It was clear that even if I continued talking, it wouldn’t even pretend to listen.

Well then, I’ll make it listen.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“You said you don’t take orders from those weaker than you, right?”

[That’s correct.]

I stared at the eye with my eyes wide open.

“Then, if I’m stronger than you, you’ll have to follow my orders.”

[What?]

The eye looked at me.

[Do you think you can do anything to me?]

“Why not?”

I quietly raised my hand and pointed it at the eye.

“When we meet, I’ll definitely crush that eye of yours.”

I said toward the eye that had been repeating arrogant insults.

“I’ll make you regret everything you’ve said here.”

[Oh?]

The pupil of the eye suddenly narrowed.

And after a moment.

I heard laughter.

[Kuk kuk kuk kuk…]

An unpleasant grinding laughter spread like teeth being ground together.

As I unconsciously frowned, the eye’s voice was heard again.

[You have spirit and guts.]

“I also have manners. Unlike you, you ill-mannered bastard.”

I answered curtly and glanced to the side to see Pia and Yuto’s faces had turned pale.

But I was suddenly insulted too.

I have no intention of backing down.

And after a moment.

Unlike before, a slightly softer voice came from the eye.

[You’re insane.]

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I stared coldly at the eye even as its laughter continued.

After a while, the eye quietly said.

[…It’s been a while. Someone like this.]

The pupil of the eye narrowed.

[Very well. I’ll grant you the right to challenge me.]

The eye spoke in a solemn voice.

[If you can take my eye, I will retract all my statements and apologize.]

“Don’t regret it.”

Once again, I heard laughter like teeth grinding.

And the eye spoke again.

[After waiting for an old promise, I’ve met an interesting one.]

“Promise?”

[I won’t answer that now.]

The eye began to gradually fade.

[It’s time for me to go.]

The eye looked down at me and said.

[I tell you this. Come to my lair. Come before me and prove your worth.]

“I was going to do that anyway.”

I’m planning to teach you a lesson when I get there.

The eye seemed to find me amusing.

[I await you to prove your worth before me.]

With those words, the eye slowly began to turn to dust and disappear.

“…Damn bastard.”

Since I couldn’t do anything about the disappearing eye right now, all I could do was curse quietly.

I coldly watched the disappearing eye for a long time.

“…Really, you’re quite good at impulsive actions.”

I turned my head at Pia’s voice to see her sighing.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just that you don’t seem to value your life much.”

“In many ways,” Pia muttered quietly.

“I’m already dying anyway. Should I not do things that value my life?”

“Sometimes a man shouldn’t back down, right?”

After responding casually, I looked at Pia and said.

“And despite how I look, I’m actually quite timid and usually cautious.”

“I’ll answer that with ‘nonsense.'”

Pia said with a smile.

“I’d like to talk with you more… but it seems like it’s time for you to wake up, so I think we need to end here.”

“Wake up?”

“Yes.”

Pia nodded and said.

“Now, go on. You need to go challenge him.”

“Of course.”

Bright light began to flood my eyes.

I looked quietly at Pia and said.

“Then, I’ll see you next time.”

Pia smiled slightly at my greeting.

“Farewell. I’ll pray we meet again alive.”

Pia waved her hand.

“See you again.”

With those words.

My consciousness began to return to normal.

+

“…ei, Kei?”

“Ah.”

When I opened my eyes, Eve was waking me up.

“Sorry, did I oversleep?”

“No. It’s exactly 10 minutes.”

Just 10 minutes?

It felt like I’d gone through about 30 minutes of cold atmosphere.

“I wanted to let you sleep more, but you suddenly started muttering something angrily, so I hurried to wake you up.”

“…Sorry.”

It seems I expressed my anger toward that creature in some sort of sleep-talking.

Eve smiled weakly and said it was fine.

“Where are the others?”

“Everyone’s getting ready.”

“I see.”

I got up and started preparing myself as well.

“Anyone forget anything?”

“No.”

Starting with Beatrice, everyone shook their heads.

It seems no one had lost any items while crossing the cliff.

“Let’s go.”

At my signal, everyone entered the cave ahead.

Mask took the lead to guide the way.

And, after a while.

Mask looked at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Hmm.”

Mask said that briefly, then quietly nodded.

“You’ve had it rough, haven’t you?”

“What?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Mask smiled and took the lead again.

“…It seems that rude dragon has taken quite a liking to you.”

Mask said in a small voice.

But I was looking at Mask with slightly surprised eyes.

‘How?’

How does Mask know that the dragon who owns Ferarius Volcano had a brief conversation with me?

“Mr. Kei?”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Sarah and Chris approached from behind and spoke to me.

Eve right beside me and Beatrice a little distance away were also quietly looking at me.

“No, it’s nothing.”

I quickly followed behind Mask.

+

After standing on the magic circle inside the cave for a moment.

The magic circle began to glow, and soon a terribly hot wind hit us.

“Mild Field”

“Cool Weather”

As if they had anticipated this, Asam and Beatrice immediately activated their spells.

Instantly, the hot air disappeared and soon clear, cool air was felt filling the space around us.

“Thank goodness we have mages with us.”

“Right? Praise me more.”

Asam smiled brightly at Eina’s words.

And Beatrice looked around and quietly nodded.

“Hmm, as expected, I can’t detect anything.”

“What?”

Without Beatrice’s detection magic, we wouldn’t be able to prepare for surprise attacks.

However, Beatrice shrugged as if she had expected this.

“Well, this is a dragon’s lair. Of course it would have something installed to interfere with detection magic.”

“That’s true.”

The lair may look like a cave on the outside, but it’s actually the dragon’s home.

How many people would allow others to freely search and wander around their home?

“Anyone would dislike having their home thoroughly investigated. Dragons are no exception.”

“I don’t think it matters.”

“Are you crazy?”

I dismissed Beatrice’s words indifferently.

That damn dragon was really impolite.

If it acts that way, I’ll respond in kind, though I don’t plan to put full effort into being polite.

‘Well, of course Beatrice doesn’t know that fact.’

She’ll understand that rudeness when she meets it.

While I was thinking this, Mask quietly addressed us.

“Well, my role is actually finished now…”

“Finished?”

“My role was to guide you to the lair. Now that we’re at the lair, it’s technically over.”

After saying that, Mask added as if finding it strange.

“So I thought a guide would appear around now.”

“Lorona?”

“That damn thing is most likely.”

Mask spat out.

But Lorona was nowhere to be seen.

“Are we being left to fend for ourselves?”

Mask said.

The expression was a bit crude, but it didn’t seem wrong.

“What are we going to do?”

“There’s no point in just standing here, dwarf girl. We should go inside.”

Mask answered Lara’s question.

And the next moment.

My hand and Mask’s moved simultaneously.

-Whoosh!!

Mask’s greatsword and my halberd sliced through the air at the same time.

-Crackle!!

-Crash!

Mask’s greatsword deflected what looked like lightning, and my halberd shattered an icicle.

And Beatrice immediately extended her arm and shouted.

“Gravity Ball!”

A black sphere-like object flew from her hand and soon stopped in mid-air.

And after a moment, the sphere suddenly expanded and began to suck in surrounding objects.

And as if trying to neutralize it, flames flew in and began to burn the sphere.

“Who’s there!”

I shouted toward where the attack had come from.

And after a moment.

With footsteps, something began to walk toward us.

‘Four people.’

That was the number I judged from the footsteps.

But the presence felt from there revealed who was coming.

‘Lorona.’

The presence I had felt from her was included in the footsteps.

And sure enough, Lorona appeared with three women.

They were three women who looked identical to Lorona, with the only difference being their hair and clothing colors.

‘Red, blue, green, yellow?’

Such simple distinguishing features.

I immediately took a combat stance.

If they were casting spells without warning, their intentions couldn’t be good.

“As expected. You blocked that much, everyone.”

“…What are you thinking?”

I spoke toward Lorona.

But Lorona smiled and shrugged once.

“Nothing major.”

Soon flames appeared above Lorona’s hand.

“I’m just carrying out my master’s orders.”

Lorona smiled brightly.