Ch.264264. Dragon of Fortune? (2)

And so, after all the stories had ended.

[····The story ends here.]

“····You’ve worked hard.”

[No, this much is···· nothing at all]

Though she expressed the customary and conventional words of humility directly, the emotion actually emanating from her was closer to resentment and anger.

And I too, sympathizing with her emotions···· simultaneously began to question them.

Thinking about it carefully for a moment, I couldn’t quite understand why she had been banished in the first place.

To be clear on one point, using a method that concentrates surrounding magical power and mystical energy to form a dragon pearl is certainly a dangerous act.

Perhaps due to her self-taught training and lack of knowledge, forcibly twisting the flow to increase the concentration of magical power and mystical energy fundamentally violates the very ‘order’ that we druids strive so hard to protect.

This act distorts the ‘order’ existing in the realm of mystery, causing fractures and problems, and the effects of incomprehensible power (mystery) and energy (magic) may manifest in unpredictable ways.

During the process, the veil (so-called) that spiritually protects this world could momentarily suffer severe strain and develop cracks, and invasions from other dimensions through such cracks would be just the basic level of concern.

One cannot deny that disruptions to magical flow could twist the earth’s veins, or permanently leave magical natural disasters or damage in the area—each potentially causing serious problems.

But even considering all this, what happened to her was clearly strange.

While such worst-case scenarios could have happened, they didn’t actually occur, and taking that into account, when this first came to the attention of the Celestial Court, they apparently considered the circumstances and found no issue.

No accident had occurred, there was circumstantial evidence that she had acted in ignorance, and above all, hadn’t they initially declared her innocent after considering the circumstances among themselves?

Yet they suddenly expelled her for committing a crime····.

‘What is really going on here?’

While something was definitely suspicious, there was no way to figure out what it was, so I eventually gave up and proceeded to treat her as previously promised.

“Then···· may I attempt to heal you now?”

[····Please do.]

No sooner had I finished speaking than the cotton-like substance surrounding her gradually disappeared, and I could finally see what could be called her true form within.

As if to prove her past as a mountain goat, this small creature—slightly larger than a Golden Retriever—possessed both confusion and aesthetics, as though several beasts had been mixed into one.

The pair of horns protruding from the top of her head resembled those of a deer like my master’s, rather than a mountain goat or ordinary goat.

Her skin was half covered with a light layer of fur rather than being completely fluffy, while parts like her legs and belly were covered with scales instead of fur.

Additionally, her two pairs of legs clearly resembled those of reptiles or birds, and while her head was somewhat goat-like, it generally evoked the image of a dragon or similar being.

But what impressed me most about her was the mysterious feeling emanating from her eyes.

These eyes, shining brilliantly with five colors and sparkling, visibly containing an extraordinary level of mystical energy, must be something possessed by the dragon race.

Of course, looking at her now, she had fallen to a level hardly different from an ordinary magical beast.

And····. As I observed her, I soon noticed the wound on her side, with blood and what appeared to be dragon bodily fluid of unknown composition flowing out.

‘····Was she pierced by something?’

If I were to describe its shape, it was a penetrating wound, but different from one typically caused by something sharp or a bullet.

To use an analogy, it was as if someone had placed a cookie cutter on one side of her flank and pressed down with all their might.

The red blood and bodily fluid flowing out didn’t seem excessive, suggesting this was no ordinary injury but likely caused by something magical, and as I was looking at it—

‘····Huh?’

I suddenly discovered something incredibly intricate and precisely engraved near the wound.

A terrible brand, magically designed in such a way that the one bearing it could never detect it.

Its identity was what is known as the brand of ‘Sin.’

※ ※ ※

In this world, methods of punishing criminals tend to differ by continent.

The Western Continent prefers “simple” punishment methods like clean execution or cutting off a limb.

In contrast, the Eastern Continent, with its developed bureaucracy, has a more systematized and organized judicial system that favors punishments precisely fitting the crimes.

Therefore, in the Eastern Continent, criminals below a certain level of severity are rarely executed.

Instead···· they mainly sentence criminals to “labor reformation.”

This involves assigning them to necessary but unpopular vocations, or forming penal battalions in the military where death row inmates are used as expendable resources.

Of course, with long-term use comes the risk of escape, so to aid control and prevent flight, Eastern Continent nations brand criminals with indelible marks (usually on visible parts of the face).

While the punishment period may be finite, the magical brand remains permanent, representing the most typical method of ostracizing criminals from society····.

The brand cunningly left on “her” body resembled those engraved on criminals.

It was none other than a criminal’s brand. It contained magical effects designating the bearer as a criminal, tracking effects, and records of the crime and punishment details.

Ah, of course, the existence of such a criminal brand itself isn’t particularly strange.

The issue lies in what I read from the brand about her criminal record and punishment.

[This one is a criminal of Heaven. A wicked traitor who plotted and executed rebellion.]

One part indicated she was a traitor who had plotted or attempted rebellion and failed.

In modern terms, this would be equivalent to a crime of insurrection, punishable by death even by our country’s standards.

[The traitor’s memories shall be erased. They shall be banished from Heaven and exiled to Earth eternally.]

The other part detailed her punishment. Permanent banishment from Heaven and oblivion···· this was the element that finally allowed me to understand the inner workings of what this being had experienced.

‘····Ah.’

Yes, that was it. The strangeness in this creature’s memories, the contradictions in the causal relationships of events—all stemmed from this.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t remember for some trivial reason.

All the inconsistencies in causality were actually due to either causes or effects being forgotten, and all of these things ultimately existed in an understandable realm····.

“····Do you remember your name?”

[····Huh?]

So I began by trying to remind her of her name, something she had never once recalled, and proceeded to tell her a few things.

“There is a brand engraved on your body right now, and it states that your memories have been erased and you’ve been permanently banished.”

[····What?]

“If I may cautiously speculate···· there seems to be confusion in your memories. They don’t appear to be intact.”

[····I… see.]

And as she found herself in this confusing situation, I simultaneously came to a conclusion while examining this wound.

‘This wound···· I can’t heal it.’

Indeed. The injury on her body before me appeared to have been inflicted by heavenly punishment or something equivalent.

It wasn’t just physical damage—it was a wound that couldn’t possibly be treated by ordinary methods, but····.

‘····Wait. Wouldn’t that work?’

Just then, one method occurred to me.

Actually, regardless of the type of curse or injury, assuming the damage is limited to the physical body—and even for curses on the soul or spiritual wounds—there exists a method to restore them.

One simply needs to form an animal companion contract, then kill and resurrect them.

Therefore, I carefully opened my mouth and used a magical communication method to transmit information····.

“····So I would like to make you a proposal.”

[····.]

The moment I sent information about the animal companion contract, “she” appeared to fall into deep contemplation.