First Reunion (14)

The day after Garmiyu left.

The entire Holy Dominion became boisterous as if a festival were being held.

[Awakening of the Half-Dragon]

Unlike the provocative headline, the newspaper’s text was relatively calm.

Following the Dragon, a Half-Dragon had appeared.

This was an immense blessing for the Holy Dominion…

Something along those lines.

“To think that after the Dragon, a Half-Dragon was also present in the Holy Dominion.”

“How far will the Dragon God’s blessing extend?”

The citizens of the Holy Dominion cheered at this double blessing.

The atmosphere was such that they wondered if a special holiday should be declared and a festival held.

However, there were two people who could not rejoice.

One was Camille.

And the other was Garmiyu, the person at the center of this event.

“Just where did the information leak from?”

Camille was visibly on edge.

It was shocking enough that there was a spy among the Dragon’s Priestesses she had thoroughly trusted…

But more than anything, the fact that she had no idea how the political landscape would shift due to the Half-Dragon’s appearance made her anxious.

“The information must have leaked from somewhere. The probability of it being an outsider is low.”

There had to be a spy from another faction within the temple.

Otherwise, there was no way Garmiyu being a Half-Dragon would have been revealed.

“Helix-nim didn’t say anything, did he? He sometimes gets a bit confused because of the Fairy Dust.”

“No way. Do you think I would do that when Garmiyu-nim said she didn’t want it?”

“Right, I suppose not…”

I knew what Camille was worried about.

That Garmiyu, the Half-Dragon, would be designated as my consort.

That would be what bothered her the most.

“The old geezers must be thrilled. They’ve got exactly the situation they wanted.”

“What are those old men going to do if I don’t want it? Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”

At that, Camille looked at me with her lips pressed together, then…

She asked indirectly.

“You really don’t have any feelings for Lady Garmiyu, do you?”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I did, having only met her once?”

“But she’s pretty. And she’s a woman who wants to serve you.”

“…”

“And even I can see that she’s a woman with a straightforward and kind heart. It’s obvious at a glance.”

Camille trailed off again, then…

Continued with difficulty.

“It wouldn’t be strange if your heart wavered, after being swayed only by bad women like me.”

“It won’t waver.”

“I’m sorry.”

“As long as you don’t wish for it, I won’t either. So don’t worry.”

Only then did Camille’s expression brighten a little.

Had she developed an inferiority complex towards Garmiyu?

Lately, she had been showing a weakness uncharacteristic of Camille.

“First, I’ll have to make sure those Archbishop grandfathers keep their mouths shut.”

“Are you going to go see them yourself?”

“Yeah, if they start spouting nonsense, bringing up Half-Dragons and whatnot, things will get troublesome.”

Come to think of it, something similar happened in my past life.

That’s why I couldn’t help but be even more suspicious.

*****

An ominous premonition was never wrong.

This time was no exception.

“O Dragon-isiyeo. What brings your noble footsteps to this place?”

“Were you grandfathers having a meeting? You’re all gathered here.”

“Yes, that is correct. We all gathered as there was an important matter for discussion.”

Sure enough.

As soon as I arrived, the Archbishops greeted me with eyes full of anticipation.

“What’s this important matter for discussion?”

“Ahem, O Dragon-isiyeo, you must be aware. A Half-Dragon has appeared in our Holy Dominion. This is not a matter to be taken lightly.”

“So what do you want me to do about it?”

A moment of silence fell among the Archbishops.

Like belling the cat.

But that was only for a moment, as Aidel Cardinal stepped forward to take the lead.

“O Dragon-isiyeo, we humble humans are too weak and powerless.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes, that is why we wish to rely on an absolute being. And Helix-nim is the proof that the gods love us.”

“It’s a bit embarrassing when you praise me like that.”

I tried to make a joke, but Aidel Cardinal’s expression remained utterly serious.

Thanks to him, I just awkwardly scratched my head.

“O Dragon-isiyeo, you are both a child of the gods and their reincarnation.”

“…”

“That is why the citizens of our Holy Dominion cannot help but be swayed by your favor.”

Aidel Cardinal slowly raised the temperature, like preheating an oven.

It was obvious what this old man was going to say, but I couldn’t think of how to refute him.

“O Dragon-isiyeo, Lady Garmiyu is a Half-Dragon and a new symbol of our Holy Dominion. If you were to accept Lady Garmiyu, all the citizens of the Holy Dominion would rejoice, and it would be an opportunity to reaffirm that this nation has your attention.”

“What if I don’t accept her?”

“If the Dragon-isiyeo does not wish it, then there is nothing we can do… However, this will cause unrest among all the citizens of the Holy Dominion.”

They’re being quite direct about marriage.

I can understand these old men’s position, but honestly, from my perspective, knowing the future, it’s just laughable.

The real problem isn’t Garmiyu, it’s the Termites.

If they have time to be concerned with such trivial matters, I wish they’d allocate more budget to the bug search operations instead.

“I generally understand what you’re saying. But you know… there are two problems with your words.”

“Please enlighten us.”

Now it’s time to retort.

This old man is better with words than I am, so if I’m clumsy, I’ll easily get entangled.

“First, even if we ignore the fact that you don’t consider my opinion even a speck of shit, have you at least asked Garmiyu’s opinion?”

“No, we have not yet heard it.”

“See? Why are you grandfathers all excited, leaving out the actual parties involved?”

At that moment, an unexpected person stepped forward.

A middle-aged man with a dignified and refined appearance.

But his attire was not that of a priest.

If not a priest, then a high noble of the Holy Dominion?

“O Great Dragon-isiyeo, may I be permitted to speak for a moment?”

“Who are you, mister?”

“I am Orvis, the head of the Rianpalt family and the Minister of Finance for the Holy Dominion.”

“Rianpalt.”

So it was Garmiyu’s father.

Well, I suppose I’ll listen for now.

“Alright, I’ll allow it for now.”

“Thank you, O Dragon-isiyeo. First, I heard that you awakened my daughter as a Half-Dragon. For this, I wish to express my gratitude.”

“There’s nothing to be grateful for. Garmiyu herself didn’t want to reveal that she was a Half-Dragon.”

“That was my daughter’s childish behavior. As a citizen of the Holy Dominion, she tried to evade her role.”

Ah, that’s a bit hard to hear.

I heard from Garmiyu that he was a kind father, but…

A truly kind father wouldn’t speak like that, would he?

“Garmiyu-nim would be upset if she heard that, wouldn’t she?”

“Even so, it cannot be helped.”

“Right, well, it’s not my place to interfere in a father-daughter matter. But you know…”

Wooong!!

I used Polymorph to temporarily change my appearance to that of an elf girl.

“O Dragon-isiyeo, why suddenly…”

“How do I look? Am I pretty?”

“…”

Orvis tried to hide his dumbfounded expression and replied.

“Yes, you are beautiful, O Dragon-isiyeo.”

“Is that your type?”

“…”

“Just kidding, just kidding. Lighten up.”

For reference, I was in the form of a young girl.

Of course, Orvis couldn’t possibly tell a Dragon that they were ugly, so he just said that.

“A Dragon has no specific gender. I just take on a form arbitrarily to match the other person.”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“But do you know why I usually take on a male form?”

“I’m not sure, but…”

“It’s because of Camille. She was the first person I met and connected with when I was born into this world.”

Since I’ve been quiet all this time, everyone has been looking down on Camille…

If this continues, I’ll have no choice but to become a bully.

“You are disregarding the authority of the Saint-nim whom I personally chose. That’s why you keep bothering me by bringing up Half-Dragons and whatnot.”

“That is a misunderstanding, O Dragon-isiyeo.”

“A misunderstanding? You’re saying it’s a misunderstanding while telling me to replace the Saint-nim chosen by the Dragon-isiyeo?”

“No, O Dragon-isiyeo. We never meant to prioritize Garmiyu-nim over the Saint-nim.”

Were they trying to make excuses now?

But the words that followed were beyond my expectations.

“That’s right, we meant that after you marry the Saint-nim, we hoped you would also welcome Garmiyu-nim as your second consort.”

“Indeed, we have no intention of challenging the sacred authority of the Dragon-isiyeo and the Saint-nim.”

“…”

Honestly, I was a bit flustered.

I thought they were pushing Garmiyu-nim to push Camille away, but…

That wasn’t it.

These old men simply wanted to see a marriage between a Dragon and a Half-Dragon.

Because they believed it would benefit the Holy Dominion.

“Haa, alright.”

“You understand, O Dragon-isiyeo…?”

“Yeah. But anyway, the most important thing is her own will. If Garmiyu-nim doesn’t want it, it’s absolutely not happening.”

“We will try to persuade her on that point, O Dragon-isiyeo.”

“Persuade, not threaten. If I ask Garmiyu-nim later and hear something different, you know what happens, right? I’ll show you how to shoot a breath attack.”

I sternly warned the Archbishops.

I didn’t know what these old men would say when they rushed to Garmiyu-nim later, so I had to give them a pre-emptive warning.

“Honestly, I hate wasting time on things like this. Every second is precious when we should be figuring out how to fight the Termites, but everyone’s getting sidetracked by strange things.”

“W-we are, of course, also formulating countermeasures against the bugs, O Dragon-isiyeo.”

“That is correct. We are already greatly expanding our forces, including the Holy Knights. Furthermore, we have established a research institute to study them. If necessary, we are even accepting personnel from the Empire without discrimination.”

Hmm, I don’t quite believe it.

Were they just making excuses in a hurry because I brought it up, after completely forgetting about it?

“Really? I’ll check later, you know?”

“Of course, we can show you right here and now.”

Tsk, if they’re that confident, I have nothing to say.

These grandfathers aren’t doing too bad a job after all.

“Well, you’ve been working hard. That’s good.”

“Thank you, O Dragon-isiyeo.”

“Anyway, I want Garmiyu-nim to live her life the way she wants.”

The grandfathers might misunderstand, so I quickly added a word.

“Don’t misunderstand. Garmiyu-nim gave me something precious. Thanks to her, my pain was cured. I’m just grateful for that.”

“Are you referring to the Fairy Dust?”

“That’s right. Thanks to it, I’m feeling much better.”

“That was actually mine. My daughter pleaded for it, so I gave it to her.”

“…”

At Orvis’s words, I couldn’t help but feel flustered.

Wait, that was yours, mister?

“Oh, is that so…? I used it well. Thank you.”

“Not at all, O Dragon-isiyeo. I’m glad it was helpful.”

Orvis also seemed awkward after boasting, and a strange silence fell.

In that stillness, Aidel Cardinal cleared his throat a couple of times, briefly changing the atmosphere.

“Anyway, O Dragon-isiyeo, please consider this matter.”

“Alright, alright.”

Feeling that they would only nag more if I stayed, I subtly rose from my seat.

“I’m leaving.”

Just as I opened the door to leave.

Someone was standing in front of it.

“Camille…? Garmiyu-nim…? Why are you two here?”

Why were Camille and Garmiyu-nim here?

“I just came out of curiosity. The meeting was almost over, so I didn’t go in, but…”

“I, I just followed Father-nim for a moment.”

I couldn’t help but ask the two of them.

“Did you hear?”

A moment later, the two of them just nodded silently.

Even if Garmiyu-nim, whom I had only met twice, was like that…

Camille’s expression was also different from usual.

“I didn’t think you’d say something like that.”

“…”

“Thank you. I feel like such a fool for having doubted you even a little all this time.”

Not just Camille, but Garmiyu-nim’s atmosphere was also strange.

“I didn’t know Helix-nim thought that way.”

“…”

“Honestly, I was a little touched. Thank you.”

What is this?

This isn’t the reaction I expected.

I always like a gentle atmosphere, but this doesn’t seem like a gentle situation.

“Garmiyu-nim, were you waiting?”

“Father-nim!”

At that moment, Orvis finished up and came out of the meeting room.

With a solemn expression, Orvis approached his daughter.

“The Dragon-isiyeo personally said to fully respect your will.”

“Father-nim…”

“My will remains unchanged. However, the Dragon-isiyeo’s words are the words of the gods. I cannot disobey them.”

“Those words…?”

To Garmiyu-nim’s expectant voice, Orvis replied.

“Do as you wish.”

“…!!”

“However, you must take responsibility for your own decisions.”

Orvis left those words and walked past his daughter.

Garmiyu-nim’s eyes were filled with joy.

With those bright eyes, full of the world’s radiance, she stared at me intently.

“Helix-nim, can I truly become your Priestess now…?”

“I’m sorry.”

But…

As if pouring cold water on her, I replied coldly.

“What…?”

“Camille doesn’t like it. Your presence.”

“…”

Garmiyu-nim stood blankly for a moment, looking lost…

Then she barely managed to move her lips.

“Is that all…?”

“Yeah, that’s all.”

“Just for such a reason…?”

“Because that’s all there is to it.”

A Half-Dragon and a Saint-nim.

To take both, strictly speaking, would be greed.

If that’s the case, I’d bet on the Saint-nim, who has already proven her power once…

Rather than the unproven Half-Dragon.

That was all there was to it.

“Is my heart for you really only worth that much to you…?”

“Thank you for the Fairy Dust, but that’s precisely all it is.”

“…”

“This is only our second meeting, you and I. From my perspective, your obsession is what seems stranger.”

Garmiyu-nim couldn’t answer and her lips trembled.

“Just now, didn’t you tell Father-nim to let me live my own life…? Why would you say that and then…!”

“I did.”

But Garmiyu-nim was making a huge mistake.

Just as I respected her life, I also had my own life.

“By the way, Garmiyu-nim. Do you know something?”

“What…?”

“You can live well even without me.”

“…”

“But I don’t think Camille can.”

Leaving only those words, I turned my back on Garmiyu-nim and walked away.

I didn’t look back.

Because I felt like my regret would only grow.

“Helix…!”

Camille rushed over and whispered to me.

“Helix, thank you.”

“For what?”

“What do you mean ‘for what’… For choosing me.”

Camille gently clutched my sleeve and whispered softly.

Her face was full of joy.

Seeing that look twisted my stomach.

“You don’t need to thank me.”

A bitter laugh escaped me naturally.

I didn’t intend to blurt it out, but my mouth was itching to say it.

“Camille, I’ll be honest with you.”

“Yes.”

“I chose you simply because you’re more useful than Garmiyu-nim.”

“Huh…?”

Camille’s smile faded.

I spoke coldly to her.

“Between a Half-Dragon and a Saint-nim, I chose the one more useful for my goals. That’s all.”

“Why are you talking like that, Helix…?”

“That’s all it is. I’m just telling you beforehand so you don’t get the wrong idea.”

I didn’t want Camille to suffer.

But I also didn’t want her to be happy like before.

Because then my past self would feel too wronged.

“That way, you won’t get stabbed in the back later, like Garmiyu-nim.”

“Helix…”

Despite my harsh words, Camille didn’t shout or cry.

Instead, she just looked at me with even more steadfast eyes.

It was hard to meet her gaze, so I averted my eyes.

“I, I don’t think that.”

“…”

“It’s just that Helix hasn’t forgiven me yet… I know your kindness.”

“Think what you want. It’s your freedom.”

“I won’t break. I’ll endure and endure until Helix forgives me.”

Kwaang!!

I slammed the door shut and left.

Now, I didn’t even understand my own feelings.

I didn’t want to forgive her.

But I also didn’t want to see her suffer.

“I’m such a fucking idiot, seriously…”

It was a day where I couldn’t stand how pathetic I was.