Ch.231Side Story: Dragon Lord – 1

“So, where are we going now?”

“You will know when the time comes for you to know.”

Charlotte had been taking me somewhere since morning. She wouldn’t tell me our destination no matter how many times I asked, and the whole process was so abrupt that I was completely bewildered.

The other three weren’t the type to just stand by and watch as Charlotte and I went off on a journey alone, so naturally, we ended up as a group of five traveling together.

What was quite unexpected was Charlotte’s reaction to the three of them. I thought she would keep picking fights, asking why they were following us, but all she did was click her tongue and sneer at them.

I wondered if she had finally come to her senses, but considering how they had fought until the mansion was half-destroyed just yesterday over who had received more ejaculation inside them, I wasn’t so sure.

“We have arrived. This is the place, my dear.”

Charlotte stopped. We were standing in a desolate clearing in some forest. Trees densely surrounded us, and the ground was covered with thick weeds. Not even animal sounds could be heard.

“Here?”

“Indeed.”

I watched her back as she infused magic into her hands, wondering what on earth she was trying to do. The other three directed their gazes, full of distrust and irritation, at her back.

Ignoring whether attention was focused on her or not, her hand, filled with magical power, tapped the empty air. Then the space began to ripple.

Like a droplet falling onto the surface of a calm lake, circular waves spread through the empty air, making space itself undulate. Everything within sight appeared distorted.

The ripples spread in all directions, but Serena, Christine, and Olivia, with expressions of displeasure, used their own methods to stabilize the space. In contrast, the rippling around Charlotte intensified.

“What are you doing?”

“I am controlling space. You have been studying magic for quite some time now, so you should be approaching this level soon, should you not?”

“You shouldn’t think by your standards. I’m just an ordinary human when it comes to magic or anything else. I understand the theory well, but applying it in practice is a completely different realm, and you know that. Besides, what are you going to use space control for here?”

“I shall provide additional explanation regarding that, so worry not, my dear.”

“Additional explanation?”

“I am speaking of past events.”

Charlotte turned around. Her brilliant silver hair scattered in various directions as it overlapped with the distorting space.

“Do you remember when you were abducted by that bitch?”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now?”

Olivia bristled immediately upon hearing the term “bitch.” Regardless of what she might think inside, Olivia had been addressing Charlotte by her name.

I placed my hand on her stomach to stop her. Olivia flinched when I rubbed her belly, then obediently stepped back. A flash of envy crossed Serena and Christine’s eyes.

“I had to rescue you, and I chose the dragon’s ring as my means. I actually succeeded in controlling it to some extent and obtained the Dragon’s Eye. However, that alone was insufficient. Before achieving soul awakening, it was clear that merely having eyes that could read mana flow was far from enough to save you.”

Pure mana began to concentrate in her slightly clenched right fist. It was something that embodied the very concept of mana—so clear that I found myself staring blankly at it—an ethereal blue light.

“Thus, this was the path I chose to fully control the dragon’s ring.”

She extended her right hand, where mana had concentrated, aiming at the rippling space waves. With a snap, her finger flicked. The crystallized mana floating in the air made contact with the fractured space.

As the pure mana collided with the rippling space, the blue light dissolved like ink droplets falling into water. The dissolved mana drew geometric patterns as if etching cracks in glass.

Countless branches spread out, and blue paint covered them. The spatial waves grew larger and larger. Along the extended web, space slowly collapsed.

The shattered space began to be sucked into the black dimension beyond. From beyond it, I sensed a dense and massive flow of mana so intense it almost made me retch.

Among the five of us here, Serena, who was the most sensitive to mana, contorted her expression, while Christine remained impassive, likely because her mana nullification was active.

“……”

And Olivia’s face stiffened slightly. Seeing this, I asked with puzzlement:

“What’s wrong, Olivia?”

“Abel, I think I should only follow you this far.”

“Suddenly?”

In this completely unexpected situation, Serena and Christine also turned to look at Olivia. Only Charlotte wore an expression that suggested she had anticipated this. Olivia took a step back.

“That’s a place I shouldn’t set foot in. If you really insist, I’ll follow, but my mere presence would probably be a huge inconvenience to the beings there.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying at all. A place you shouldn’t set foot in? What do you mean by being an inconvenience?”

“Of course it would be so, and rightfully so. Given the wrongs you committed against those beyond, it is only proper that you recognize your place and withdraw.”

“Could you please shut that mouth of yours?”

I, Christine, and Serena could only express confusion, not understanding the direction of the conversation. It was clear that Olivia from the past had done something, but we didn’t know what.

Noticing our confusion, Olivia smiled awkwardly and began to explain.

“Since you seem curious, I’ll explain. Do you know what my past self—the Olivia whose soul was torn apart by Abel—did to restore her fragmented soul?”

“I know roughly, but not the specific details.”

“The beings beyond that space are related to one of my efforts. Do you get it now, somewhat?”

“…Indeed, you probably didn’t do anything that would make them welcome you.”

“It would be fortunate if they don’t try to kill me on sight.”

Olivia gave a bitter smile. If it was the past Olivia who would have used any means necessary to restore her fragmented soul and body, she would undoubtedly have caused indescribable havoc beyond that rift.

“That’s why I can’t enter. Because of what I did.”

I couldn’t tell Olivia that it would be fine. Whether it was okay or not was for the beings inside to decide, not me.

“So, I’ll wait for Abel at the mansion. Like a ‘wife’ waiting for her ‘husband.'”

Of course, Olivia wasn’t one to simply give in.

She deliberately emphasized the words “husband” and “wife” and winked at me. The faces of the other three immediately contorted as they watched.

“Such an impudent—”

“You can look forward to tonight, okay?”

Before Charlotte could finish speaking, Olivia transformed into black mana and disappeared. I clutched my throbbing head as I checked the expressions of the three remaining women.

I hadn’t wished for this familiar tension.

While the four of us were engaged in our power struggle, the crack in space had grown larger, now wide enough for a person to enter. Beyond the rift was a dark blue color.

The amount and concentration of mana leaking from behind it was tremendous. Even I, who was at best a mid-level mage, could clearly feel it, so it was needless to say how Serena felt.

Serena couldn’t hide her discomfort. She kept clenching and unclenching her right hand, seemingly debating whether to manifest Wind Shear.

“Charlotte, this place…”

“You already know this place, do you not?”

“I know it?”

“A space beyond dimensions, filled with pure mana. You must have heard this description somewhere before.”

Hearing those words, I could guess the identity of the dark blue space. It was the explanation I had given to Charlotte.

“…It’s a Dragon Lair.”

“Correct.”

Charlotte slightly raised the corner of her mouth.

“How did you find it?”

“Did I not tell you? When you were abducted, I had to find a way to fully control the dragon’s ring.”

When the width of the rift became wide enough for two people to easily enter, Charlotte snapped her fingers again. The gradually progressing collapse of space abruptly stopped.

“This was the method. Through the dragon’s ring, I came to understand half of the knowledge about dragons, and I also learned to some extent how dragons communicate. The result was what is known as Breath. You know this as well, do you not?”

“I do indeed.”

I had used it as a method of suicide, after all.

—Who dares to set foot here?

Suddenly, a low growling voice was heard from beyond the rift.

Mana swirled around Charlotte. Serena manifested Wind Shear in her right hand. Christine drew up holy power in her body. They seemed ready to rush into the rift if necessary.

Only I was bewildered, looking at Serena, Charlotte, and Christine with confused eyes, wondering what was happening.

“How rude. I have come here as a guest, yet instead of bowing your head, you bare your teeth.”

Charlotte sneered at the blue flash gleaming inside. A torrent of pure mana shot out from the rift. Charlotte extended her right hand and deployed a mana barrier.

The pure mana torrent, blocked by the barrier, exploded in all directions. The impact alone caused the ground to split and the sky to shake. Everything around was being shattered by the shockwave.

Trees were uprooted and sent flying, rolling on the ground far away, while weeds and soil evaporated, forming a massive crater.

Considering that this was merely the aftermath created by the collision with the barrier, not a direct hit from the torrent, its actual power clearly transcended this by far.

“Engrave this clearly in that pathetic head of yours, lizard.”

Her blood-red eyes flashed briefly.

“The Dragon Lord has declared acceptance of me.”