Chapter 179: A Road to Sampo (3)

Silence descended over the city as nighttime fell.

The dance of the Dragons that had painted the sky, the smoke that rose acridly, and even the groans of the undead were nowhere to be seen or heard.

The collapsed buildings and the corpses abandoned all over the streets bore witness to the tragedy that unfolded during the day. Still, the darkness of the night covered everything impartially, sparing neither the living nor the dead.

While a child who lost their home was drifting off to dreamland, and the sleepless moonlight glanced over at the city, someone’s footsteps broke the silence.

The sound wasn’t loud enough to wake the city, but enough to draw the Dragon’s attention.

As the Red Dragon sitting atop the ruins turned its head, Yeomyeong emerged from between the wreckage.

He was dressed lightly and wasn’t carrying a sword or gun.

[You’re late, Cheon Yeomyeong.]

“I’m sorry. I had some other matters to attend to.”

[No need for apologies. I can understand this much.]

“…What do you mean by ‘understand’?”

[A male with many mates is always short on time. All the dwarf kings I knew were like that.]

Hearing the unexpected answer, Cheon Yeomyeong swallowed his flustered reaction and quickly changed the subject.

“Was there any trouble while you waited?”

[There were some fools targeting the bones, plenty of them in fact.]

Orsay Taboul said this as it cast its gaze downward.

At its feet lay none other than the bones of Kahal Magdu.

The massive Dragon’s bones still preserved the posture of the moment it handed its heart to Yeomyeong, but the surroundings bore traces of scattered digging.

There were still lunatics looking to strike it rich even in all that chaos?

Well, there must be a few lunatics willing to put their lives on the line for treasure, right? Especially if the treasure was Dragon bones.

Yeomyeong shook his head and approached Kahal Magdu’s bones.

When he reached the Dragon’s skull, Orsay Taboul spoke again.

[Just before sunset, I saw a massive missile flying from the outskirts of the city. Cheon Yeomyeong, were you the one who launched it?]

So it had seen the launched nuclear missile? Of course, if even Finel had seen it, how could a Dragon not?

Yeomyeong replied in a calm voice.

“Not me. Some crazy commie fired it.”

[… Commie.]

The Dragon, with its many ill-fated encounters with communists, narrowed its eyes.

[Then… was the Saintess’ effort in vain?]

Orsay Taboul asked cautiously. Was it because they failed to save the people? No, it seemed to be more displeased about letting the communists strike a blow.

“No, I stopped the missile. We lost track of the commie, but… since we managed to save numerous lives of innocents, I don’t think it was a failure.”

Yeomyeong didn’t elaborate any further, nor did the Dragon ask for more explanation.

Instead, the Dragon lowered its long neck low enough to meet Yeomyeong’s eyes. Reflected in the massive reptilian pupil was Yeomyeong, touching the skeleton dragon’s skull.

[How ironic.]

“…?”

[That I, who once sought to kill countless humans, now assists in saving them.]

Is that how it turned out? Yeomyeong felt a strange sensation.

He had never imagined that a bond formed in Manchuria would turn into something like this.

Also, it seemed the Dragon felt the same as it blinked its enormous eyes and scanned Yeomyeong.

After the intense gaze that felt like it could pierce through his soul passed over him for a moment, the Dragon spoke, as if it truly had.

[Yet, I sense neither pride nor joy in you after having saved your kind.]

“…”

[Though I am not human, I’ve seen countless dwarves risk their lives for the greater good. And yet, none of them were as detached as you.]

The Dragon’s observation was accurate. Yeomyeong didn’t feel any joy from having saved the people of the capital.

To be precise, it was more like he simply didn’t place much meaning on it in the first place.

And it was not like he could boast about stopping a nuclear missile, so for what reason did he have to feel proud?

On the other hand, saving Seti and defeating Kahal Magdu felt a hundred times more fulfilling and joyous…

As Yeomyeong recalled this thought, the Dragon let out a fiery snort.

For humans, it was akin to clearing one’s throat.

[You are the man traveling with the Saintess, yet far from being a hero. And somehow, that feels like quite a fortunate thing.]

It was a fortunate thing that he was not a hero? Confused by the statement, Yeomyeong tilted his head, and the Dragon elaborated.

[Heroes always seek to die for others. Sacrifice is noble, but the pain of those who remain is immeasurable.]

“…”

[Therefore, I wish for you to live long, a life of great longevity.]

Unlike my dear friend— Yeomyeong felt as if he could hear the unspoken words at the end of the Dragon’s sentence.

Unable to find words to console the Dragon’s sorrow, Cheon Yeomyeong stood in silent reflection.

The night wind, heavy with silence, passed between them. And only after the wind had come to a complete standstill did Cheon Yeomyeong speak up.

“Orsay, I have a request.”

[Speak. My ears are open to you.]

“My companions and I plan to leave this city tomorrow. Since Kahal Magdu destroyed the railway here, could you possibly take us to the nearest city?”

After making his request, Yeomyeong waited for the Dragon’s permission. However, instead of granting it, an awkward silence filled the space between them.

Did it perhaps consider the request to be too rude? Just as Yeomyeong was starting to feel flustered, the Dragon responded in a similarly uncertain voice.

[Is that truly all you’re asking for?]

“…Yes, that’s all.”

[Hmm… It seems I misunderstood you. I was expecting an outrageous request like the Saintess often makes.]

…What sort of requests did the Saintess actually make?

As Yeomyeong hesitated to ask, the Dragon straightened its neck and spine.

[Cheon Yeomyeong, if that’s all you’re asking for, I would willingly grant such a request a hundred times over.]

“…Thank you.”

[It’s not something worthy of gratitude. But… I must ask. What do you intend to do with the bones of Kahal Magdu?]

The Dragon looked at the massive bones that lay before them.

It was an enormous amount, one that even a fellow Dragon wouldn’t be able to move easily.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that.”

After that light response, he extended his hand.

Don’t need to worry? As Orsay Taboul tilted its head, the moment the inventory confirmed Yeomyeong’s ownership over the bones, Yeomyeong clenched his fist.

After returning to the Count Palatine’s palace, Yeomyeong immediately headed straight to his room.

This was the new room Yeomyeong had been assigned after being kicked out of the women’s room, and it was far more luxurious. The bed, sofa, and carpet were much more luxurious than the first room he had been shown.

According to the servant who had shown him around, this was a VIP room used by the former emperor.

Recalling the explanation that this room was one the South Count Palatine never lent to anyone, Yeomyeong opened the door. Startled, he gripped the doorknob tightly.

It was because he felt a familiar presence inside the room—not just one, but two.

“What are you doing, not coming in?”

Was he caught already? Contemplating whether to escape, Yeomyeong entered the room with a sigh.

“It doesn’t look like you went to the bathroom, so what have you been doing all this time?”

The Saintess asked as she lay on the bed, crushing on the soft pillow.

“He probably came back after collecting the dragon’s bones. Or maybe he met with Orsay Taboul.”

Said Seti as she sat crookedly on the luxurious sofa embroidered with elaborate designs.

With his arms crossed, Yeomyeong didn’t move to either the bed or the sofa.

“Regardless of where I’ve been or what I’ve been doing, why are the two of you even here?”

“Corvus was snoring too loudly.”

The Saintess gave a ridiculous answer.

Why would a crow be snoring?

Absurd talk always invited violence. Creating an ice shard, Yeomyeong threw it at her forehead in response. As the startled Saintess blocked it with a pillow, Seti grinned and spoke.

“I came to talk about our plans going forward, like where we should go.”

“That can wait until morning. Now, leave.”

“Hmm?”

“Please, both of you leave this room right now. If Corvus finds the three of us together, she’ll definitely peck a hole in my head.”

Yeomyeong said, making a sullen face, while Seti rested her chin on the sofa.

She acted as though she was daring him to make her leave.

As if to make things worse, the Saintess added.

“What if we came here to talk about something secret that can only be discussed among the three of us?”

Her tone was subtle, her face tilted with mischief, and a playful smile spread across her lips.

Yeomyeong massaged his temples and replied.

“If this secret talk involves anything related to Foresight, I’ll really get angry.”

Did he just hit the nail with that? The Saintess flinched and quickly avoided his gaze.

Fighting the urge to slap her, Yeomyeong sat down on the sofa opposite Seti.

“Seti, no more playing around. Please the Saintess and leave already…”

“I didn’t come here to play around.”

“…”

Having said that, Seti pulled out a rolled-up map from under the sofa and spread it on the table.

It was a detailed drawing on high-quality paper.

It was a military map, likely the Count Palatine’ property, that wasn’t easy for ordinary people to acquire.

“I really came here to discuss our future plans. The Saintess was… just tagged along.”

Seti stood up from the sofa and slowly extended the map toward Yeomyeong.

Looking at the map, Yeomyeong considered whether he should just use some force to kick the two of them out.

However, his hesitation didn’t last long. After all, Seti had nearly died today.

And it was especially difficult for him to turn her away so harshly as she also held a special place in his heart.

In the end, it was Yeomyeong who raised the white flag first.

“Alright, let’s plan ahead. But…”

“But?”

“Once the destination is decided, you two should head back immediately.”

“Of course.”

As Yeomyeong looked down at the map, the Saintess got up from the bed and alternated her gaze between him and Seti.

She paused, seemingly thinking about something for a moment before slyly perching on the armrest of the sofa Yeomyeong was seated on.

“What are you doing?”

The question implied, ‘Why are you sitting here when there’s a perfectly fine sofa there?’ but the Saintess responded with something else entirely.

“I was wondering if you would feel lonely if I only kept sticking to Seti. So, I’m practicing the Doctrine of the Mean¹.”

“Ah, I see.”

Allowing the Saintess to lean against his shoulder, Yeomyeong turned his attention back to the map, examining it carefully.

How much time had passed like that?

After a while, as the smile on Seti’s face deepened and the moonlight streaming through the window grew strong enough to push away the candlelight, he raised his finger and gently tapped the very bottom of the map.

“As you know, our original plan was to take the train from Dreitherial and head to the nearest city with a Dimensional Portal.”

As Seti and the Saintess’ gazes met, Yeomyeong moved his finger along the winding railway tracks depicted on the map.

Following the fertilizer road, the tribute road, and crossing the Legaer River, he continued upward through the middle of the continent for a while.

His finger only stopped when he reached a city named ‘Gemini Sovereign State.’

“Based on the railway, the quickest route to reach our destination is through the Gemini Sovereign State, where the California Dimensional Portal is located. And if we fly with the Dragon’s help, we should be able to get there within ten days, but…”

Trailing off, Yeomyeong moved his finger westward and tapped a large city.

“If we can fly, this place is a bit closer.”

This time, his finger was pointing to a city connected to the Kaesong Dimensional Portal.

Officially named the ‘Harrison Special Peace Autonomous Zone,’ it was better known by its fake name ‘Seungman City.’

“Let’s adjust the plan and head to Seungman City instead. Crossing the Kaesong Dimensional Portal from there would save us much more time compared to going through the Gemini Sovereign State… What are your thoughts? Is this okay?”

Seti didn’t respond immediately but remained quiet as if contemplating something. Then, the Saintess grasped his arm firmly and spoke.

“Uh, Yeomyeong? What about… some other place, not the Gemini Sovereign State or Seungman?”

“Another place?”

“how about going all the way to Apollo City… and crossing through the Chicago Dimensional Portal?”

The Saintess pointed to a spot far above Seungman City, which Yeomyeong had indicated.

“It should take us more than half a month if we fly with the dragon, but once we arrive, we can receive help from Darulma.”

Flying with the dragon for more than half a month? The precise number struck Yeomyeong oddly. Struck by a sudden thought, he looked down at the Saintess leaning on his shoulder.

“Did you… cross over from the Chicago Dimensional Portal?”

Not the Kaesong Dimensional Portal near the Academy, nor the California Dimensional Portal, but the Chicago Dimensional Portal?

That could only mean one thing. Yeomyeong asked with a slight disbelief.

“…You didn’t cross the Dimensional Portal illegally, did you?”

Both he and Seti had crossed the Dimensional Portal by accident, and in order to cross it again, they needed to prove the accident and undergo new entry checks.

He believed that if the Saintess acted as their witness, they would be able to pass the checks easily, but…

To his surprise, it turned out that the Saintess herself had crossed the Dimensional Portal illegally?

“Uh… Well…”

Clearly caught off guard, the Saintess stammered. However, her actions spoke louder than a hundred words.

Still, Yeomyeong didn’t intend to get angry or scold her.

Crossing the Dimensional Portal illegally must have been quite an adventure for the Saintess, but she had willingly taken the political risks to help him and Seti, hadn’t she?

“It’s fine. It happens. Thanks to that, we were able to save people and recover the nukes, didn’t we?”

Yeomyeong reassured the Saintess, who looked somewhat abashed.

The Saintess seemed to want him to say more, but Yeomyeong deliberately ignored it. What was she trying to do in front of Seti?

Anyway, feeling the need to revise the plan completely, Yeomyeong unfurled the map once more. As he began to brainstorm a new approach…

That was when Seti, who had remained silent until then, whispered softly toward him.

“Yeomyeong, now that things have come to this… How about creating another fake identity?”