Ch.279Solution (2)

It wouldn’t take long to gather people, but Llewellyn waited.

It was a deliberate wait. To some extent, he felt he needed time to organize the information he had and think.

While Llewellyn’s strength was his ability to accept others’ opinions well, he believed he shouldn’t rely solely on them. He needed to become someone who could offer his own opinions to some degree.

Though it might sound harsh, if he only made decisions, Llewellyn would be little different from a die.

That’s why the vague solution forming in Llewellyn’s mind was beginning to take a plausible shape. As he continued his contemplation, he raised his head at the presence he sensed.

“Llewellyn.”

“Yes?”

“Are you okay? Something seems different from usual…”

Melody seemed concerned about Llewellyn, but that was only because his demeanor was different from usual.

She probably thought there was something beyond the changes caused by Ulrich’s death. Llewellyn stroked Melody’s shoulder as if to reassure her.

“It’s a matter that requires seriousness.”

“That’s true, but…”

“I appreciate your concern, but I have things to consider.”

Melody still looked worried, but she fell silent, perhaps finding reason in Llewellyn’s words.

Melody had that side to her. More precisely, she had become like that after losing her eyes.

Her senses had become more acute than before, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t lost anything.

Melody, who used to observe and independently interpret others’ expressions, had now lost the ability to read emotions through facial expressions.

She couldn’t help but be sensitive to changes in those around her. After all, she had completely lost one of the ways to discern whether something was positive or what variables might be at play.

So naturally, Llewellyn had such a thought.

“Don’t you want to fix your eyes?”

“…I’m fine. I want to be helpful.”

“I think Melody with sight would be helpful too.”

“But it’s clear which is more helpful—a Melody who can see or one who can’t. At least… I want to stay like this until you feel safe, Llewellyn.”

And like Llewellyn, Melody had changed too.

Knowing this, Llewellyn couldn’t insist that she shouldn’t remain this way. He simply waited without answering, and shortly after, the door opened.

“My lord.”

The first to enter was Eshatherna. Behind her were indeed the people Llewellyn had asked her to gather.

“I’ve brought everyone.”

“Thank you. You stay too. I’d like everyone to listen.”

Eshatherna smiled with gently folded eyes, and as she stepped aside, several people entered through the door.

Isla, who greeted with her eyes and wagged her tail, and Lorian, whose eyes followed Isla’s tail.

“Sejin.”

“Sister.”

“What’s going on?”

“First… I’ll tell you once everyone’s in.”

“Mmm, okay.”

His sister immediately spoke to him as she entered, and Eshatherna linked arms with her.

“Umm, excuse me.”

Tiny Orthemilia slipped in quietly, followed by the three clan heads in succession.

“Hoho.”

The Empress entered with an enigmatic smile, the Court Earl quietly bowed in greeting, the Prophet maintained his aloof expression despite his age, and even the Dragon King was present.

“Where’s the Elven Abbot?”

“I didn’t invite him.”

“…Why?”

“Because I don’t like him.”

“Oh, I, I see.”

Llewellyn regretted the absence of one person, but not wanting to risk being stabbed in his sleep or having his neck broken for upsetting Eshatherna, he quietly acquiesced.

“So, why did you call us?”

The one who spoke was the Dragon King, who had entered last. An awkward atmosphere settled, and the dragon person still looked at the Prophet with sharp eyes.

Llewellyn looked at her as he spoke.

“I’ve called you to determine the future course of the Pantheon, as well as to decide the fate of you and your clan.”

His words were unexpected to her. Her already large eyes widened, and a faint hostility emanated from her.

“You say you’ll decide our fate?”

Instead of the Dragon King, who was quietly raising her hostility, it was the Prophet who spoke.

He asked Llewellyn with a dizzy-looking face, and Llewellyn sensed a subtle defense of the Dragon King.

It was unexpected. He thought the Prophet was the type to abandon test subjects anywhere, like a dog leaving its mess.

Perhaps it was because she was an experimental subject who had reached the level of a “dragon” like himself. Thinking this, Llewellyn answered.

The thought of dogs reminded him of Huey, and thinking of Huey reminded him of the dog that had lingered before the coffin, refusing to leave.

It didn’t feel good. But first, there were matters to handle in order.

“The curse afflicting the dragon people. I’ve thought of a way to solve it.”

The Dragon King froze in surprise, and the Prophet’s eyes widened. Llewellyn spoke to them and the others who were curious or puzzled.

“First, let me confirm something. What is the cause and mechanism of the curse afflicting the dragon people?”

At his rare use of formal speech and unexpected offer to solve the problem, the Prophet hesitated momentarily. In that gap, the Empress rolled her eyes and flicked her snake-like tongue.

“Cardiac rupture and dissolution, hyperthermia due to magical overheating, multiple organ failure, spontaneous combustion… various things.”

“The cause?”

“Life unable to support powerful magic and approaching lifespan limits… you could say that? More precisely, it should be called the limit of life.”

The Empress spoke cruel words naturally while chuckling, causing the Dragon King to look dejected.

And the Prophet glared at the Empress as if in disbelief.

“So ultimately, it’s unavoidable as long as they’re living beings.”

“That would be correct.”

As the Empress concluded, Llewellyn thought this method would indeed work.

“Dragon King. I’d like to propose a solution.”

He immediately voiced it.

“A solution?”

She seemed unconcerned that Llewellyn, who had spoken informally during their fight, was now using formal speech again. Perhaps she thought it natural since she herself had immediately used informal speech with him.

Rather, the solution he mentioned was more important.

“A way to save your clan and resolve the problems that will arise afterward.”

“…You’re saying such a method exists?”

The Dragon King, who had stumbled over her words in surprise, soon bit her lip.

“Please tell me. I’ll do anything…”

“You don’t need to do anything. Just… stay at the Pantheon and lend us your strength. That will be enough.”

Adding that she could live normally if she wanted, Llewellyn was certain that dragon people would be a powerful asset.

But separately, he also wanted them to live ordinary lives.

He wanted everyone living in the Pantheon to do so. That was part of the happiness Llewellyn desired.

The Dragon King stared blankly at Llewellyn for a moment, uncertain, but then nodded.

“If it can be solved, by all means.”

“Good. Then I’ll tell you.”

All eyes turned to him, and Llewellyn, feeling the Dream God on his back affirming, spoke.

“We need to make the dragon people transcend the limits of life.”

Silence fell. There was a subtle feeling that everyone was thinking, “Who doesn’t know that?”

The old Llewellyn might have been intimidated, but he was relieved that his sister didn’t react that way and instead seemed to notice there was more to come.

“I know how it sounds. But this truly is the only way. In fact… didn’t necromancers avoid it using this method?”

“That is true, but…”

The Prophet showed slight displeasure while agreeing. Llewellyn considered whether he should attack the old man but calmly continued.

“But the method will be different. You know that method has limitations and involves losses.”

The Prophet hummed thoughtfully, and the Dragon King quietly observed beside him. She realized Llewellyn was serious.

“So, what method do you intend to use?”

Everyone instinctively knew that what came next would be the main point.

At this juncture, Llewellyn looked at Orthemilia. The quiet shapeshifter and necromancer with a girl-like appearance.

Perhaps she could be called an improved necromancer.

She was the creator of homunculi.

Next, Llewellyn looked at his sister. Originally human, now a homunculus.

Llewellyn spoke with conviction.

“We turn all dragon people into homunculi.”

Silence fell. No response came. Some were digesting the story, others understood and were shocked.

“What… do you mean…?”

The first to speak wasn’t the Prophet but Orthemilia.

To her bewilderment, Llewellyn said:

“Homunculi seem to be the essence of the three clans. They appear to be applications of the three immortality methods in bone, flesh, and blood, correct?”

Orthemilia’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected him to figure it out. Shock appeared beneath her cute face.

“My sister over there, Lucilla, was the first mid-process homunculus experiment. Thanks to that, my originally dead sister was able to come back to life.”

His sister smiled slightly at being mentioned, and Eshatherna waved her hand beside her for no reason. Llewellyn looked at the two women and continued.

“I feel that if you, Orthemilia, the Prophet, the Court Earl, and the Empress join forces, creating a new method of immortality would be simple. Being a fusion of three methods, it would be more stable, and though it would become an immortal species completely different from the three—”

“Are you suggesting we create a new clan?”

The Prophet asked. Llewellyn smiled slightly.

“That’s what it would amount to.”

“How could such—!”

“Is there any reason it can’t be done?”

As the Prophet faltered, Llewellyn looked at the Court Earl.

The being who once pledged loyalty to his father and mechanically fulfilled that loyalty.

He was now quietly looking at Llewellyn. Llewellyn knew that his gaze contained neither goodwill nor hostility.

“Let me say in advance that I don’t distrust you. This is simply the only solution I could think of, and I can’t just stand by and watch such a terrible death.”

Dying with your heart melting away. That alone was terribly horrific.

If it could be prevented, it should be. At least, that’s what Llewellyn thought.

“And I know it’s possible. Because I myself am a homunculus.”

Homunculi were originally created to be vessels. Therefore, while they basically had no magic, they weren’t beings that had to be without magic.

Lucilla was an example. Lucilla possessed magic and even had a magic eye.

Llewellyn wielded his newly acquired divinity.

The calamity facing the dragon people was their powerful magic and hearts, and the frailty of life that couldn’t withstand them.

Ultimately, it was a matter that could be resolved by enabling them to transcend or ignore the limits of life.

Llewellyn found that solution in introducing homunculi as a new clan.

“In principle, it’s not much different from what was applied to my sister. If they haven’t died, if preparations are made in advance, it can be done even for those who are dying.”

Llewellyn recalled the introduction of Grim Darker 2. That moment when death was deceived by transforming the species of a dying person.

Although the resources required for preparation were considerable, the three clans had resources.

Resources allocated to the fruitless and useless “search for Father.”

Llewellyn was urging them to use those resources.

“And if you wish, you could be the first test subject. What do you say?”

Llewellyn asked.

The only person at this gathering to whom Llewellyn was using formal speech.

In truth, she had no choice.

After all, she herself had said with her own mouth that she would “do anything.”

Based on the consent underlying the silence, Llewellyn quietly commanded the three clans.

“From now on, we will perform the homunculus procedure on the Dragon King. Prepare.”

At the king’s command, the three clan heads bowed their heads.