Ch.284Solution (7)

The Dragon King assumed the worst.

She anticipated a situation where it was already too late, where nothing could be done. That way, if she encountered any “good possibility,” she would feel better, and even if things went badly, she believed she could be prepared.

But what greeted her was neither of those scenarios.

“…This is.”

It was a calm atmosphere, as if everything had already ended.

Before her eyes stretched an endless space. It had the ambiance of a corridor or audience chamber, a place where one could tell that some king had once resided.

There, countless examination tables existed. A familiar feeling emerged as the Dragon King traced her hazy memories.

They were identical to the examination table she herself had been placed on. And these tables were filled with unfamiliar people.

No, were they truly unfamiliar?

The Dragon King stared at them blankly.

Their appearances varied greatly. While dragon-folk do differ from one another, they don’t display the diversity seen in humans.

At most, they differ in the shapes of their scales, tails, horns, eyes, noses, jaws, and maws.

Unlike humans, they don’t have flesh or developed facial muscles, making distinctions difficult. Even dragon-folk not of the same bloodline often have similar appearances.

But these people?

They each had almost completely different appearances.

Men and women, young and old, all different, but upon closer inspection, they shared similarities with the Dragon King.

They had horns and tails. Scales were scattered sparsely, on different parts of each person’s body.

What this meant was obvious.

The Dragon King turned to Llewellyn with a dazed expression.

“These people…”

Not a question, but seeking confirmation.

Llewellyn silently smiled, and Ortemilia, standing beside him, cleared her throat.

“The procedure took a full two days.”

After the Dragon King had fallen asleep, they had continued the procedures non-stop until now.

In other words, either obtaining consent wasn’t difficult, or they hadn’t sought consent at all.

The Dragon King looked at Llewellyn with an expression clearly showing confusion.

From Llewellyn’s perspective, she clearly hadn’t learned how to properly hide her expressions yet.

Well, her facial muscles had changed significantly.

It must be incredibly difficult for her to even gauge what her own expression looked like.

“There’s nothing to worry about. We obtained consent from everyone, and before seeking consent, we explained everything that would happen and what we were trying to do.”

“But so quickly…”

“The situation was that desperate.”

Llewellyn hadn’t expected things to turn out this way either. When he arrived, he had anticipated some resistance and wariness, planning to gradually persuade them by demonstrating his divinity.

He thought the Dragon King would be of great help in this. Although her appearance had changed, it was the Dragon King who had greatly improved the public perception of dragon-folk.

She didn’t seem to think highly of herself, but her various explorations and adventures across the continent had instilled both respect and caution in people.

The greatness of dragon-folk with potential that seemed to transcend ordinary species, and a character that didn’t forget goodness despite such strength.

Not all dragon-folk were like that, and in reality, not all dragon-folk became as strong as her.

But some did, and because of her actions, dragon-folk were able to develop rapidly.

The fact that she was still called the Dragon King showed this. Even now, separate from the position of Dragon King, she was called the Dragon King.

Dragon-folk respected her. Many wanted to be like her, and such dragon-folk often left their nests to wander the world.

Even those who didn’t were equally respectful, so Llewellyn had thought that if the Dragon King stepped in to persuade them, they would be quickly convinced.

But that wasn’t necessary.

Their condition was terrible.

The tribe was on the brink of extinction.

Many dragon-folk were waiting for death in their beds. Melted flesh and fallen scales were scattered throughout the tribe, and many had already died.

The procedure had to be rushed. During the procedure, spreading divinity to stabilize and maintain the condition of those not yet dead was Llewellyn’s responsibility.

Respect and caution are only possible when one isn’t at death’s door. That’s why Llewellyn was able to easily produce the fourth race.

Finally understanding the Dragon King’s urgency.

After hearing Llewellyn’s explanation, the Dragon King gripped the blanket wrapped around her body with a devastated expression.

Her slender, white hand gripped so tightly that it lost color.

“Then…”

“They’re all stable now, so we’ve laid them here. They’ll wake up sequentially, and once they do, the situation will be explained.”

The world is ending. The Temple of All Gods is the only hope, and Llewellyn holds the only solution.

But even that can’t be called perfect. Llewellyn needed to improve his plans and methods to lead to better results.

For that, there was an important decision that wasn’t Llewellyn’s to make.

“After that, I plan to ask.”

Whether to stay or leave.

Llewellyn intended to leave that choice to them. He preferred they stay, but he had no intention of forcing them.

Despite the considerable reagents, materials, effort, and time invested.

He didn’t believe that was reason enough for them to risk their lives fighting transcendents at the Temple of All Gods. Even though their lives had been saved.

It might not sound sensible, but at least that’s what Llewellyn believed.

The Prophet followed despite his dissatisfaction.

The Empress didn’t care much, and the Court Count was loyal.

One remained.

The Dragon King returned his gaze blankly.

“My opinion…?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you are now the head of this race.”

Neither the existing homunculi nor dragon-folk, but something else.

Those who had undergone the procedure, while not completely a new race, could be considered somewhat of a new race.

A hybrid of dragon-folk and homunculi.

Dragons who had attained immortality.

Monsters with the blood of gods and the heart of dragons.

The leader of this race, the Dragon King. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke.

“Give me time to think.”

*

“Truly, I don’t like this.”

After hearing the Dragon King’s answer and withdrawing to give her time to face her kin.

Only Ortemilia followed Llewellyn.

The Empress had gone elsewhere, saying she was tired and bored, and the Prophet had gone to review and replenish the consumed reagents.

The Court Count was responsible for the security and surveillance of the three races, setting up excessive guards due to the relocation.

Only she remained.

“What?”

“Do you know how many reagents were consumed for this? And the time spent?”

“Are you nagging?”

“Do I look like I wouldn’t? You need to understand that your time is no longer just yours; it has a value that ten thousand commoners combined couldn’t approach.”

Ortemilia grumbled like that, poking Llewellyn’s side with her horn, but while Llewellyn listened to her words, he didn’t pay much attention.

“Ah, Mom. I’ll handle it.”

“This is not a matter to be dismissed with jokes! If we’ve spent this much time, there should be a corresponding harvest, but you’re just letting them go? Forcing them to stay out of gratitude would be…”

But Ortemilia seemed to want a serious conversation. Since she wouldn’t accept his attempts to push it aside or dismiss it as a joke, Llewellyn had no choice.

Llewellyn sighed once and said casually:

“What can I do? Forcing them to stay will only breed resentment.”

Even without breeding resentment, there are many problems. If it’s in the form of gratitude, there will eventually be limits.

Llewellyn wanted them to stay voluntarily. For that, he didn’t force or push.

Even that didn’t seem to please Ortemilia.

“Sigh.”

But with a sigh, she accepted it anyway.

Regardless of what she thought, it was ultimately Llewellyn’s decision, and Llewellyn was the master of the Temple of All Gods, and her master.

All she could do was advise. Walking quietly alongside him with a sigh, Ortemilia grumbled to do as he pleased.

Ortemilia walking with heavy steps and Llewellyn walking steadily beside her.

The two walked side by side, thinking of a solution.

More precisely, the one solution that Llewellyn had proposed and that everyone in the Temple of All Gods had heard but considered uncertain.

“Do you think it will work?”

“Well, why not? That’s why we’re gathering all our strength.”

The persuasion of the newly immortal dragon-folk race was left to the Dragon King. If she allowed them to leave, that would be that, but if not, she would at least try to persuade them.

“Really, aren’t you too soft on that woman?”

Ortemilia said, seemingly annoyed again, and Llewellyn looked at her, wondering why she was acting this way.

“Performing the procedure with almost no cost, enhancing with divinity, and giving such freedom? Don’t you think you’re granting everything too docilely?”

Golden eyes that had slid sideways. The vertical pupils within reminded one more of a snake than a dragon.

Perhaps because she could be considered a prototype of those dragon-folk, Ortemilia had a different feel from ordinary necromancers or dragon-folk.

Closer to a snake than a dragon, with her true form also closer to a snake than a dragon.

She folded her arms, grumbling.

“I wonder if you have some ulterior motive. No, no.”

Ortemilia immediately corrected herself.

“You definitely have an ulterior motive.”

Eyes that had slid sideways. Llewellyn let out a hollow laugh at her narrowed eyes.

“What are you saying? Why would I…”

“Is it because you’ve fallen for those large breasts?”

Llewellyn stiffened at Ortemilia’s words.

“That gaze, did you think neither the Dragon King nor I would notice?”

“T-that’s impossible.”

“You’ve been staring at her chest the whole time, and both she and I know it. Well, the Dragon King, being originally a dragon-folk, doesn’t understand male lust, so she just let it pass, but I know.”

She knew? Llewellyn’s eyes trembled in embarrassment.

He thought that was impossible. After all, when he went to see Ortemilia, she was only clothed half the time.

The other half, she was always completely naked. During those times, he didn’t mind his gaze and occasionally enjoyed the different view.

But he had never received a negative reaction from Ortemilia. So he hadn’t worried about it.

“Especially you, aren’t you quite lustful?”

Llewellyn swallowed and looked at Ortemilia, having stopped in his tracks. She covered her mouth with her long sleeve and chuckled.

“Coming to see me every day… staring so intently, as if licking with your eyes. How could I not know?”

A mouth curved into a smirk and narrowed eyes. Llewellyn tried to deny it, but…

“Even now. When you’re bulging like that, it’s impossible not to notice.”

“No, this is… just a natural physiological response.”

“A physiological response. Physiological response. Right. Then, since I’ve also been pent up, how about we do this?”

She placed her hand on Llewellyn’s chest. A beautiful, long, slender hand with impressive green-painted nails.

“Let’s have a match. If you lose, you’ll accept my advice, and if you win, you can do as you please.”

Ortemilia chuckled. Llewellyn, frozen by her outlandish proposal, couldn’t say a word.

In the ensuing silence, Llewellyn’s eyes trembled at the touch caressing around his heart.