Chapter Index

    Chapter 117: Whispers of the Ice Crystal

    Tap tap.

    The tail hanging beneath my hips lightly tapped the floor.

    It was clearly a new organ I had never used before, yet I could control it as if I had always had it.

    The advantages the tail brought were considerable.

    My balance shifted into a more stable form, and I could even swing the tail like a weapon from time to time.

    Of course, it wasn’t without its downsides.

    I could no longer wear my usual pants, and the custom-made full plate armor I had spent a fortune on was now unusable.

    There were many such inconveniences I found hard to speak aloud.

    It couldn’t be helped.

    I gathered the mana spread throughout my body and released the draconic transformation.

    Perhaps it was because I had remained in that form for quite a while, but the absence of the horns I had felt atop my head left me with an odd sense of emptiness.

    Looking into the mirror, I summoned a flame above my head, igniting the red dye in my hair.

    As the dye burned away, my natural blond color returned.

    Sss– tap.

    Just then, the firmly shut door opened, and a fox beastkin with soft, light brown fur trailing behind her tail entered the room.

    Lowering her head slightly, the woman wore the uniform typically donned by the servants of the Red Dragon House.

    “Um, Lady…?”

    After gently closing the door, the servant turned around and looked at me with a startled expression.

    Her previously drooping fox ears perked straight up.

    “That hair— No, please, just wait…!”

    “It’s fine. Stay still.”

    “Ah, y-yes…”

    I stopped the servant who was about to rush out of the room.

    Though she tilted her head in confusion, she decided to listen to me for now.

    “How long was I unconscious?”

    “About a day…”

    I nodded at her response.

    It seemed less time had passed than I thought. Passing the hesitant servant, I opened the door and peeked outside.

    The first thing that came into view was the empty interior of the Red Dragon House.

    The servants, who were usually bustling about, were nowhere to be seen.

    “Where is everyone?”

    “Oh, um… They went to clean up the collapsed Sanctuary…”

    “The Sanctuary collapsed…?”

    Frowning, I turned my gaze toward the mountain behind the city where the dragon-blooded resided—what they referred to as the Sanctuary.

    Just as she said, the large mountain was half-collapsed.

    The portion that once towered above the clouds was completely gone, and within the exposed hollow of the mountain, the white bones of a dragon lay in full view.

    About half of it?

    I narrowed my eyes and studied the flow of mana above the Sanctuary.

    Back when I first visited, the mana had flowed from a shrine at its center—but now, nearly half of it was gone.

    It wasn’t hard to guess where all that mana had disappeared to. Lowering my gaze, I inspected my own body.

    Despite receiving an attack powerful enough to destroy a mountain, there wasn’t a single wound on me. I now had a newly grown tail and a slightly increased total mana pool.

    These were the immediate changes I could perceive.

    The dragon’s lingering consciousness, which had once tried to take over my body, had instead absorbed the surrounding mana and used it to restore me.

    This new tail likely manifested due to the influence of that consciousness and the mana it had consumed.

    Had it succeeded in killing me and taken over my body, it would’ve been the one looking out at this scene now, not me.

    I was lucky.

    “Um, Lady…?”

    “Ah, just a moment.”

    Passing the stunned servant, I pulled ink, an inkstone, paper, and a brush from the drawer and began to write.

    I had never properly learned calligraphy, so my brush strokes were crude—but as long as the message got through, what did it matter?

    I could have left without a word. But the dragon-blooded had been one of the few groups to treat me like family.

    Even if it had been based on a massive misunderstanding.

    Leaving in silence would’ve been disrespectful.

    That’s why I chose to leave behind a letter. The truth I had come to know through absorbing the dragon’s lingering will and its residual mana was not insignificant.

    If they ever found out that they weren’t true descendants of a dragon, but a family created artificially from the remains of one, the shock would be devastating.

    Sometimes, ignorance is a blessing.

    “Perfect…”

    I nodded as I looked over the letter I had written.

    Thank you for everything.

    I leave in search of a dream.

    Do not look for me.

    The letter also included a denial of being dragon-blooded.

    Not that they’d believe me anyway.

    I summoned a small flame at my fingertip and dried the damp ink.

    Though the paper singed slightly as the moisture evaporated, the writing remained intact.

    I folded the letter neatly and handed it to the servant.

    “Please deliver this to the head of the house.”

    “Ah, yes!”

    Clutching the letter to her chest as if it were precious, the servant hurried out of the room.

    She had told me that most of the house’s members had gone to the Sanctuary to clean up the devastation.

    Expanding my senses confirmed that the dragon-blooded were indeed gathered near the mountain.

    Before the servant carrying my letter could reach the head of the Red Dragon Clan, Jeokmun, I had to get out of here quickly.

    I grabbed my bag from the corner of the room and headed to the room where Nightmare was staying.

    Pwhiiing—

    Nightmare was snoring on a soft silk blanket.

    “Wake up.”

    Having eaten well the past few days, the now-chubby creature lazily got up.

    I chuckled at the sight.

    “It’s time to go.”

    At my words, Nightmare glanced at the silk blanket longingly.

    But the hesitation didn’t last long.

    With a clatter of hooves, Nightmare trotted out of the room.

    Just as we were about to leave the Red Dragon Clan’s estate riding on Nightmare, a warm breeze blew gently, and Jeokpung appeared atop the wall.

    True to his name, he was like the wind.

    “Where are you going?”

    “I plan to take a look around the world.”

    Jeokpung silently stared at me in response.

    After a brief pause, he threw me a fairly heavy leather pouch.

    Thunk—

    Inside the pouch were all the snacks I used to enjoy while staying at the Red Dragon Clan.

    He must have set them aside for me.

    As I smiled lightly and looked at him, he awkwardly looked away.

    “Thank you.”

    It was a small farewell gift.

    But perhaps because of that, I liked it even more.

    I popped one small candy into Nightmare’s mouth and another into mine, then tugged on the reins.

    Hihihing!

    Nightmare soared over the tall wall and took to the skies.

    Shards of snow-white crystal drifted beneath our feet.

    Galloping at full speed, Nightmare swiftly left Jincheon behind.

    Once again, I had no destination.

    A journey with no set path was beginning anew.

    A long red cloak fluttered like a cape in the wind.

    I pulled out the fox mask I’d packed in my bag and put it on.

    Maybe it was because my hair had gone from red to blonde again.

    There weren’t as many beastkin attacking me during my travels.

    Of course, they weren’t completely gone, but most were simple bandits targeting travelers’ coin purses rather than me specifically.

    After wandering for some time, I arrived at a region called Taebaek.

    A land where cold snow fell all year round, blanketing the entire world in white.

    Perhaps because of its beautiful scenery, it seemed to be a famous tourist spot.

    There were quite a few mages roaming the area besides me.

    Places like taverns or inns—where alcohol and people gathered—were always full of stories.

    And this place was no different.

    Inside a lavish guesthouse, I waited for the food I had ordered, listening to the drunken chatter around me.

    With my senses having transcended human limits, I couldn’t help but overhear everything nearby.

    “Jincheon is finished now. That sacred mountain or whatever collapsed, and the energy of the land scattered in all directions.”

    “Is that true…?”

    “They’ve been trying to hush it up, but too many people saw it. I heard the sharper trading groups are pulling out of Jincheon.”

    “Whoa… That must be a huge loss. Still, is it really okay? Even if the land’s energy is gone, the power of the Dragonbloods is still intact…”

    “Maybe they’re betting on the future and aligning with new forces. But who can guess what merchants are really thinking?”

    Just then, the food I had ordered arrived.

    Steaming hot noodles and shredded chicken mixed with a spicy sauce.

    I picked up my chopsticks, my appetite stirred by the smell—when I felt someone’s gaze from the side.

    Turning slightly, I saw the server who had brought the food looking at me.

    “Do you have something to say?”

    “You’re quite good at sign language.”

    “Well, I studied hard.”

    “Um, are you here to search for the Ice Crystal of Mount Taebaek too?”

    “Ice Crystal…?”

    A word I’d never heard before.

    I put down my chopsticks and looked at him, signaling I wanted to hear more.

    The server looked slightly troubled and glanced toward the back of the guesthouse.

    “It’s a gem forged from a dragon’s breath. You didn’t know?”

    “Forged from breath? A dragon’s breath…?”

    How could something as intangible as breath be forged into a gemstone?

    I looked up at the server, who was spouting nonsense.

    “I’d like to tell you more, but… I’m a bit busy…”

    This guy. He had a real knack for sparking curiosity and then slipping away.

    I smirked and flicked him a shiny coin.

    “Ahem…”

    He quickly stuffed the coin into his pocket, cleared his throat, and continued slowly.

    “The Ice Crystal, forged from a dragon’s breath, isn’t an ordinary jewel…”

    How could one forge something that has no physical form?

    Usually, tales like this were old legends passed down from long ago.

    I listened to his story like one would a bedtime tale, munching on my food.

    “An ancient artifact that brings endless winter…! It’s said to be the reason this region of Taebaek became what it is today…!”

    I tilted my head.

    Would the Dragonbloods really have left something related to dragons alone?

    They call themselves the descendants of dragons, after all.

    “They didn’t do anything about it?”

    “Oh, of course, the Dragonbloods tried to find it.”

    “But they couldn’t?”

    “No.”

    “And yet, you think I’m here to look for it?”

    “Well, that’s because a recent earthquake caused a huge part of Mount Taebaek to collapse.

    That started the rumor that the hidden Ice Crystal has finally been revealed.

    That’s why so many spellcasters have been flocking to Taebaek lately.”

    “Hm…”

    “I guess you didn’t know, judging by your reaction?”

    “And where exactly is this Mount Taebaek?”

    As if he’d been waiting for the question, the server smiled and pulled a crisp map from his pocket.

    It was a detailed map of the Taebaek region.

    Smooth move.

    I let out a soft chuckle and bought the map from him.

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