First Reunion (2)

The Thousand-Year-Old City of Alecia, the capital of the Holy Dominion and a place where all history is contained.

After flying on a Wyvern for several days, I stepped onto this land once more.

“Oh, Great Dragon-isiyeo!”

“Glory to the Holy Dominion! Blessings to the world!!”

Had the news of my return already spread throughout the capital?

On the way to the Holy Dominion’s Grand Temple, an enormous crowd gathered.

“Dragon-isiyeo! Please bless our child!”

“My mother is ill! Please heal her!”

Those who seemed to be in urgent situations, holding their children’s or parents’ hands, swarmed towards me like clouds.

But they had come to the wrong address.

Right now, as a hatchling Dragon, the Magic I possess is extremely limited.

I apologize, but I had no Magic to spare for them.

“Let’s pass quickly, Helix.”

“Kiiik.”

For now, Camille and I were in agreement.

If we were to deal with each of them individually, there would be no end to it.

“Helix, we’re going to meet the elders now. It might be a bit bothersome, but please bear with it.”

Camille whispered to me in a small voice.

She was still worried that I might act impulsively in front of them.

Camille, carefully hiding her worried expression, finally arrived in front of the Holy Dominion’s Grand Temple.

“Everyone, I’m back.”

“Oh, Saint-nim…! You truly found the Dragon.”

“God’s grace has been with Saint-nim.”

Seven Archbishops were waiting for Camille and me.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen them all.’

I slowly looked around at the elders of the Holy Dominion.

Every single one of them had a familiar face.

Vain Cardinal, Aida Cardinal, Yumel Cardinal…

I even saw a few with whom I had built some rapport in my previous life.

“Kiiik…”

“It seems the Dragon is trying to tell us something.”

“No, this is just a greeting. It seems he’s happy to see you all.”

“Is that so? Saint-nim already understands the Dragon’s words.”

At that, Camille gave an awkward laugh and waved her hand dismissively.

“No way, it’s just a feeling. I don’t have the ability to understand the Dragon’s language.”

“How astonishing, to instinctively understand the Dragon’s words. Truly, you are Saint-nim.”

The Archbishops were spouting flattery, which was unlike them.

It was clear that they had ignored Camille until recently.

Judging by this, they were acting quite proactively.

Indeed, since Camille had been recognized by me as a Saint, they couldn’t help but change their treatment of her.

Those who had secretly disdained Camille merely because of her status.

Now that they couldn’t even do that, they must be seething with resentment inside.

‘Commoner or noble, it’s all ridiculous.’

Status?

Such a thing is ultimately nothing more than what humans have decided, isn’t it?

On the other hand, Camille’s authority was determined by God.

The proof of that was the stigmata engraved on the back of her hand.

King, Emperor… mere positions decided by humans.

When viewed from beneath the heavens, they were all equally insignificant.

“Saint-nim, would you like to rest and recover from your journey first?”

“Yes, I will.”

While they were talking, I gradually slipped down, chafing against the smooth fabric of her clothes.

Had Camille noticed it too?

She picked me up again, supporting my bottom with her arm to adjust my position.

“Helix, were you uncomfortable…?”

“Kiiik…”

“Huh? Is something bothering you?”

As I stared intently at one spot…

Camille turned her head towards where my gaze was directed.

‘I smell something suspicious.’

My gaze was fixed on the Archbishops of the Holy Dominion.

Currently, there were a total of seven Archbishops.

Each of them held core power within the Holy Dominion.

Economy, military, diplomacy, personnel, rituals…

Each had their own unique role.

And…

‘Found it, that damned Termite.’

My gaze lingered on one red-haired Archbishop.

Bedelio Cardinal.

Originally, he was the one in charge of the Holy Dominion’s defense.

However, the Bedelio Cardinal I originally knew had been murdered long ago.

“Kiiik…”

In my first life, I couldn’t even imagine it.

That a Termite would murder a Holy Dominion Archbishop and hide its true form…

That bastard deliberately manipulated events to make the Holy Dominion lose the war against the Empire.

More precisely, it bought time until Vivian could fully display her abilities.

That way, with the Holy Dominion’s collapse, it could induce Camille to make an extreme choice.

Furthermore, the reason Camille mentally broke down at the end of the war was because those bastards secretly poisoned her food.

‘Should I just kill that bastard first and get started?’

“Oh, this is the Dragon-isiyeo… A very sacred aura emanates from him.”

He’s doing a good job mimicking a human’s appearance.

But even so, can he truly avoid revealing his true nature?

“Kyaaaak!!”

“Ugh…?! What in the world is this…!”

I lunged instantly at the Termite disguised as Bedelio.

I fiercely bit into the weak neck of the creature disguised as a human and began tearing at its flesh like a madman.

Even if I was just a hatchling Dragon, my jaw strength was by no means weak.

Let’s see how long he can hide his true form.

“D-Dragon-isiyeo!! Stop-hasoseo! You must not harm a human!!”

The Archbishops, startled, rushed towards me.

Of course, I had no intention of stopping, no matter what they did.

“Uwaaah!! I’m dying, I’m dying…!!”

Bedelio, feigning pain, tried desperately to shake me off.

This bastard isn’t in pain right now; he’s bewildered.

A Termite wouldn’t die from a mere bite to the neck.

“Kyaaaak!!”

However, Termites have one particular characteristic.

That is, countless nerve organs maintain their bodies.

That’s precisely the part I’m targeting!

Juuuk!!!

“Uwaaaah!! This bastard…!!”

Finding a bundle of white nerves in his wounded neck, I pulled it out.

A disgusting, white, wriggling tentacle, like that of a parasite.

It extended from his body and thrashed about.

“My goodness, what in the world is this…!!”

The Archbishops and Holy Knights were horrified.

Camille, quick-witted as she was, didn’t panic and declared confidently.

“It’s heresy! A heretic is undoubtedly impersonating Bedelio Cardinal!”

“Bedelio Cardinal is a heretic…?”

The Archbishops, hearing Camille’s confident voice, looked puzzled as if asking if she knew something.

However, Camille was just as ignorant of the situation.

She merely trusted me and followed my will.

“Otherwise, how can you explain that horrific thing that came out of his neck?”

Camille resolutely commanded the surrounding Holy Knights.

“Holy Knights, what are you doing?! Arrest that man immediately!”

“Yes!”

In this situation, no one defended Bedelio.

If they did, they might also be branded as heretics themselves.

“These bastards…!!”

Perhaps he thought he could no longer hide it.

Bedelio finally began to reveal his true form.

“How in the world did you find out?! You damned Dragon!”

Bedelio’s voice was no longer human.

A horrifying voice, like metal scraping, accompanied a feast of blossoming tentacles.

As if nerves grew from each vertebra of his spine, the tentacles took on a wing-like shape, reborn into a grotesque form.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll kill you right here and now!!”

“Helix, dodge!!”

He formed giant claws with his tentacles and lunged at me, but I was already fully prepared.

I fully absorbed the surrounding Magic, filling my lungs to the brim, then unleashed it with full force towards him.

Kwaaaaaa!!!

“Uwaaaaaah!!”

Instantly, hellish flames surged and blazed towards him.

Breath.

The Dragon’s strongest weapon, along with magic.

Although I was a hatchling Dragon and my output was infinitely lower compared to an adult, it was powerful enough to take down a mere bug bastard like him.

“Uwaaaah!! Kill me…!! Kill me…!!”

A Dragon’s Breath doesn’t extinguish easily.

As long as Magic existed within him, it would use it as fuel, burning endlessly until it snuffed out his life.

“Water!!! Water…!!”

The Termite frantically rushed towards a nearby fountain.

The surrounding Holy Knights quickly stepped forward to stop him, but

“Get out of the way!!”

“Uwaaah!!”

He pushed the Holy Knights aside in an instant and charged madly.

Ah, if he gets into the water, it’ll get a bit troublesome.

Woowoong!!!

Having no choice, I consumed more Magic and activated Polymorph, transforming into my human form.

It was the form of the boy I had taken when I first reunited with Camille.

“Helix!! Is it okay for you to return to your human state?!”

“It doesn’t matter, I still have Magic to spare.”

It wouldn’t matter if I just grabbed him with my bare hands, but I’d rather not have his filthy bodily fluids splash on me.

As I looked for a usable weapon, I noticed a Holy Knight nearby, flustered and unable to charge at the creature.

“You’re not going to use it, are you? I’ll borrow it for a bit.”

“Y-yes…?”

“I’ll make good use of it.”

Before he could even answer, I snatched his sword.

Hmm, it’s heavy and quite usable.

It wasn’t as good as one made from Dragon bone, but it was more than enough to sever that bug bastard’s head.

“You want water that badly?”

I gathered all my remaining Magic and channeled it into the Holy Knight’s sword.

Gripping the sword’s hilt firmly, I charged at him with all my might.

“Then go drink your fill in the River of the Underworld!!”

Pushik!!!

The Holy Knight’s sword instantly split his head.

His filthy blue bodily fluids splattered from the wound.

As his tentacles and chitinous skeleton ripped apart with a crunch, a terrible yet thrilling sensation ran through my hand.

Teolseok!!

No matter how much of a Termite he was, once his head was severed, only death awaited.

He could no longer function as a living creature.

But perhaps a bug is still a bug.

Even after death, his body continued to twitch and undergo rigor mortis.

“It was more anticlimactic than I thought.”

Despite all my worries, I caught him so easily that it felt deflating.

Originally, Termites were not such easy opponents.

Especially now, as a hatchling Dragon.

Yet, the fact that I could catch him so easily could only be explained by him not being a strong individual of his kind.

“Here, I used your sword well.”

“T-thank you, Dragon-isiyeo…”

“You kept it well-maintained. It cut nicely, thanks to that.”

Handing the sword back to the Holy Knight, I casually sat on the now ruined fountain.

Everyone was staring at me with dumbfounded expressions.

Indeed, from their perspective, it was understandable that they couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

‘Only I and the World Tree know about Termites for now.’

Or perhaps, my third Wife might also know.

Since the World Tree is a transcendent being unaffected by regression, it might have given her a hint.

“Haa.”

Finishing my thoughts, I let out a deep sigh.

In my previous life, I lived too meekly and never really did anything according to my own will.

From now on, I need to act according to a Dragon’s temperament.

Only then can I truly achieve my goals.

“I followed you here because I was told I’d receive good treatment, but what is all this?”

“D-Dragon-isiyeo…”

“Why are there so many of these bug bastards? If they’re even hiding among the leaders, then other places must be overflowing with them, without even needing to say it, right?”

I casually glanced around at the Holy Knights and priests.

“Actually, aren’t you guys also in league with these bugs?”

“Absolutely not, Dragon-isiyeo!”

“That’s right, how could we associate with such horrific beings? Please believe us!”

The Holy Dominion’s priests vehemently denied it, as if spitting blood.

Their reaction suggested they feared being summarily executed by me, the Dragon.

“Hmm, then why couldn’t you guys recognize these filthy bugs?”

“That is… because they concealed their forms so perfectly…”

“I recognized them immediately, even though it was my first time seeing them. Isn’t it just that your faith is lacking?”

The priests couldn’t answer, and with their faith being questioned, their mouths jutted out in a pout.

I gazed intently at Camille.

“Camille, what do you think? Were you planning to bring me to such a filthy place?”

“I’m sorry, I have nothing to say.”

“Then what are you going to do now?”

“So that Helix isn’t displeased, I will eliminate every single one of these bugs from this country.”

Determination gleamed in Camille’s blue eyes.

It was possible because of her faith and trust in me.

My thoughts were indeed correct.

At the very least, Camille was an excellent helper for confronting the Termites.

‘As a wife, she was the worst, though…’

Even such feelings could be set aside for the sake of my goal.

“First, since this is our first meeting, shall we introduce ourselves?”

“Yes, Dragon-isiyeo.”

The Archbishops rushed forward and knelt, as if to listen attentively to my words.

Their cooperation was good, but this was a bit too much pressure.

“Well, I didn’t tell you to be *that* polite.”

“It’s alright, please allow us to listen in this state.”

“Are your knees okay? I won’t be responsible later, you know?”

The Archbishops nodded their heads.

Since I’m very concerned about these grandpas’ knees, I should finish this as quickly as possible.

“My name is Helix. It’s the name Camille gave me.”

“Saint-nim said so?”

“Yes, she’s the only human I’ve acknowledged, so you’d do well to follow her.”

Since I’ll need Camille’s help anyway, it’s better to set things up in advance.

Regardless of my complicated feelings for her…

Now is the time to side with Camille as much as possible.

“Do you know who I am?”

“The Dragon… aren’t you?”

“Yes. I am the Dragon you all worship so devoutly. As for proof, you can tell just by looking at this, can’t you?”

I lightly touched the pair of black horns on my head.

Unless they’re blind, they wouldn’t doubt me after seeing this, right?

“Yes, it is an undeniable, sacred symbol of the Dragon.”

“Good, I like that the conversation is moving quickly. I approve.”

I cast my gaze towards the Termite’s corpse lying next to the fountain.

“Ugh, disgusting.”

It hadn’t been long since it died, but it already smelled like rotting corpse.

“You saw that bug earlier, right?”

“We certainly saw it.”

“Then listen carefully from now on.”

Gulp, I heard the sound of swallowing.

Perhaps the years they’ve lived can’t be ignored.

Even the Archbishops seemed to instinctively realize the gravity of the current situation.

“Those bastards are now the enemies this country must face.”

“Them, you mean?”

“Yes, of course, I know that the Holy Dominion has a hypothetical enemy nation.”

Like the Empire. Like the Empire. Like the Empire.

The Holy Dominion’s gaze was always directed towards the Empire.

Of course, despite that, they were thoroughly thrashed by Vivian.

“From now on, mobilize all of the Holy Dominion’s power to confront those bastards.”

“If the Dragon-isiyeo commands it, we shall do so, but Dragon-isiyeo… those who threaten the Holy Dominion are not only those bugs.”

“I know, you’re worried about the Empire, aren’t you?”

I understand.

Even with all this talk of Termites, for now, they probably just see them as disgusting-looking monsters.

At least until those bastards properly start their activities…

It would be difficult for them to seriously consider it a national disaster.

“I’ll go tell the Empire later too. That now is not the time for humans to fight amongst themselves. That a greater threat is coming.”

“However, Great Dragon-isiyeo… although the Imperial citizens also revere the Dragon, their faith is not as deep as ours.”

“Yeah, I know. But I have a plan, so you don’t need to worry about that part.”

“Ah, I understand.”

The only thing these grandpas need to do is pest control.

They don’t need to worry about anything beyond that.

Because I’ll take care of everything myself.

“Your task from now on is to find those bug bastards to the ends of the earth and root them out completely. Understood?”

“We will bear it in mind, Dragon-isiyeo.”

Good, that roughly concludes our discussion…

Next, I turned my gaze to Camille.

“Follow me, there’s a story you need to hear from now on.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Camille trotted after me.

Just how much should I tell her?

If I tell her about the Termites, I won’t be able to avoid talking about my other Wives…

Tsk, the other Wives are one problem, but if I talk about Vivian, things will really go haywire.

What kind of expression will Camille make, I wonder?

Vivian, whom she resented and hated so much…

That very Vivian, who destroyed the Holy Dominion and trampled the capital Alecia…

If she knew that Vivian was my Wife in my second life.