Chapter 699 – The Determination to Forgive and the Heart to Atone

000

In a valley where storms rage, black clouds gather in the sky regardless of whether the sun rises or sets, and only those who have permission from the owner can enter the valley where lightning strikes continuously.

In this place where life seemed impossible to live in, the only dragon living in a huge cave was the thunder dragon Retios.

Yuryong – It would have been impossible to understand by human standards whether she, who lived for hundreds of years, really fit this word for a dragon that is not yet an adult, but at least within the dragon society, she was treated as a relatively young dragon. It is received.

Because of that, there were times when she was ignored, but she and other dragons of the same generation were all born with the blessing of powerful elemental magic, and thanks to this, it was expected that they would become dragons that would make a name for themselves on the continent in the future. Br〉

Of course, there were radical people who did not like such things.

It is not surprising that she usually spends her time in her own nest with her eyes closed, listening to the voice of nature and focusing on her meditation to train her own magic power.
It wasn’t a strange thing.

Rather, the fact that she felt someone’s presence on her way and opened her eyes from her meditation was probably something ‘unusual’ for her.

At the entrance to the cave that is her nest, where anyone without Retios’ permission cannot even approach due to the risk of lightning, there are several footsteps of creatures approaching this way.

What caught the eye of Letios, who slowly opened his eyes, was Pitre, who had recently become the highest elder of the elven village he protected (by the standards of the longevity tribe), and the elves guarding him.

He was wearing a mask in front of Letios because of his facial injury. At first, Letios forgave him, but as soon as he felt his presence, he became upset and stood up and looked down at the small beings. 〈 Br〉

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to be in the nest, Mr. Letios.”

Pitre, who had a somewhat sarcastic voice, still had a mask on his face, but he was clearly not hiding his hostility towards himself more than before.

“No matter how much we lit the sacred beacon to offer tribute, he didn’t show up… So we thought that something was up, and he wasn’t coming out of the cave.”

“I have no intention of accepting your tribute anymore. In the future, forever.”

When Letios responds like that to Pitre’s words, the masked elf responds with a sigh.

“Then why were we able to enter this cave safely?”

“Because I was planning to hear your final excuse.”

Listening to Letios’ answer, it seemed like the elves guarding Pitre each had their hands on their weapons and were planning to protect Pitre by throwing themselves at them if necessary.

“Well, even if you say it’s an excuse, it doesn’t make any sense to us—”

＂That’s clumsy acting, elf. How did you think the magic of the contract with me would turn out to be just a lie, like deceiving a child?”

＂…＂

When Letios interrupted Pitre’s words, Pitre sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“I had no choice. Humans are becoming more and more powerful, and soon they will extend their influence to the sacred forest where we live. We needed to take action on our part before greedy humans destroy us.”

＂Are they greedy… Humans are certainly greedy, but they are saying that they are not. ＂

This time, Letios talks about them mockingly.

“Do you think you have the right to criticize humans by infiltrating the elves among humans, killing innocent people and taking away their land and property?”

“But you probably made a promise to protect us.”

Pitre stood proudly against Letios, who was criticizing them. No matter how you look at it, it would be difficult to say that it was sane to be able to act like that in front of a dragon.

His subordinates, who were already infatuated with Pitre, who had promised a thousand-year empire by the elves, seemed to be filled with morale by the leader’s attitude.

At that foolish and sad sight, Letios releases the pressure of his magical power that he had been suppressing.

Puzzle!

When the magic power of the thunderbolt flowing from her body runs through the ground, a force pressing down on her body from above hits the bodies of the elves, as if gravity has become stronger.

“The reason I decided to protect you is only when you keep your oath not to attack other tribes or races. And that contract was broken by your hands. But are you still telling me to fulfill the contract and accept tribute?”

Hundreds of years ago, their ancestors, whose numbers were greatly reduced due to invasions by other elf tribes, prayed to find someone who could help them to avoid destruction.

If Letius, who happened to be passing through the sky nearby at that time, had not heard their prayers, they would have been destroyed without a move.

Originally, it was the dragons’ rule not to be deeply involved in the situation on the continent.

However, it was judged that stopping the invaders, who even used forbidden necromantic arts to destroy them, who were extremely weak beings, was a matter of maintaining the balance of the continent.

If you can take care of them and share in the mission of protecting the will of the star that becomes their mother.

If that could happen, how ideal would it be.

However, they seemed to have already recognized their protection as a privilege and had begun to mistake themselves for being special.

Hundreds of years after experiencing the pain of having their home and life taken away by someone, they tried to use their power to attack others.

Letios had not come out of the cave for these years in order to somehow quell his growing anger at his disgust for mortals and his own foolishness in trusting them.

When looking at Pitre’s guards kneeling on the ground and trembling under the pressure of her magical power, such anger is somewhat neutralized by pity for not being able to understand their subject.

Even so, it was impossible to undo what had already happened.

“Go back. I know very well that you have no intention of ending this war. I will not engage with you any further. In your war, in your downfall.”

“… I guess so. You will no longer have that opportunity.”

The moment after Pitre said that, Letios felt his barrier being broken by his powerful power.

And what is approaching is a huge group of magical powers.

＂Is this… The Evil Dragon Army… You called them here.＂

Originally, an army of dragons who broke their oath to protect the balance of the continent and decided to rule them even at the cost of their souls being damaged.

Letios’s nest was located in a place where the location was not discovered even by the evil dragon army, and they realized that Pitre had led them here.

“I’m sorry that this happened. However, for a monster of this type like you, it would be natural for it to end up like this.”

Thud! And when the vibrations that shook the ground occurred several times, I knew that this cave was about to collapse due to shock coming from outside.

However, Letios just quietly looked at Pitre.

“Pi, Pitre, you must escape before the dragons attack this place.”

Then, while kneeling on the ground, he tells Pitre to take refuge, but Pitre speaks while looking at his subordinate.

“Hmm, that’s impossible. It is impossible for us to escape from this cave before it collapses. And… The judgmentless dragons of the Evil Dragon Army will attack us as soon as they see us.”

＂Uh, like that!?＂

When Pitre, who doesn’t seem to care about the lives of his men, speaks that far, Letios’ lightning strikes Pitre directly in the face.

By adjusting his output, it was more than just blowing off his mask, but the moment the mask came off, the perception of Pitre in Retios’ eyes completely changed.

“… It may be said that the elves have become foolish, but I never thought they would appoint a ‘shapeless person’ as their leader.”

But it may have been unavoidable.

Even the dragon Letios could not see through that he was a shape-shifter until his mask came off.

Perhaps, it was a mask to hide and deceive everything.

And she says that it was strange for a shape-shifter to have such an item.

＂Pitre. “You were Adam’s servant.”

＂Kkeuk… That’s right, you abomination. Originally, they wanted to start a war between humans and elves and destroy the elves… But I never thought that infighting would break out among you dragons as well. The plan has changed a lot, but the ending of destroying the elves has not changed. It doesn’t matter to me because it saves me effort.”

The moment he finished speaking, a huge thunderbolt fell and destroyed Pitre on the spot.

At the same time, the ceiling of the cave will collapse, and Pitre’s men next to it will be crushed to death by the rocks.

“Were you hiding in the nest, looking for her mother? The barrier has collapsed like this, and you can’t even come outside.”

And, a voice mocking oneself heard from above.

At least ten dragons were surrounding their nest and opening their mouths in this direction.

But more than those dragons, Letios was thinking about Pitre, whom he had destroyed with a thunderbolt.

‘The moment the lightning struck, I felt his existence disappear. … Is it an illusion, or is it an alter ego created by removing a part of itself, even though the entity exists? … Either way, it’s annoying.’

＂Are you ignoring me… Well, okay. I guess I’ll have to teach that little guy how to deal with adults. Melt it with your breath!”

Perhaps they took Retios’ reaction as a disregard for them, and when the person who appears to be the leader of the invading dragons raises his voice, the next moment, Retios’ body moves at a speed that the eye cannot catch and sits in the sky higher than them. I was holding it.

“Don’t block my sky. It’s unpleasant.”

And then, her mouth opened, and an intense breath of lightning covered everything underneath.

001

“When I saw the signal fire, which was proof of the contract, going up, I tried to fly to your village, which could be said to be Adam’s victim, even though the contract was broken. However… The fight with the other dragons continued for over ten days. And in the meantime, your village was destroyed. If only I had been stronger back then…”

Letios looked at Kanan while saying this in a voice that seemed to show regret.

And Kanan’s expression upon hearing the whole story must have been one of despair.

She said that even though they had been betrayed by their own people, the elves, she planned to show them one last mercy.

Even though Kanan himself was controlled by her memories and emotions, he has been resenting her for a thousand years.

“I’m sorry… Letios. I… Was deceived by them, and killed many of Letios’ compatriots…”

Looking at Kanan who was talking like that, Letios spoke.

＂… When the war of dragons ended with the two leaders meeting each other. Many of the dragons who tried to protect humans were so badly injured that they each hid in places where no one could see them to recover. There may have been some exceptions…”

The exception would have been a being with a deep connection to human life, like Gaius.

－On the other hand, the dragons belonging to the Four Dragon Corps began rampaging all over the continent, perhaps becoming more loyal to their desires when their commander disappeared. It was at that time that the notoriety of dragons and the legend of dragon slayers began to spread.”

A story about people who attack humans, kidnap princesses, and subjugate dragons and dragons that are defeated by warriors.

It was clear that there was a time when legends related to evil dragons originated.

“I don’t know if this will be any consolation, but… The dragons you subdued were members of the Evil Dragon Corps. Their existence was obviously a threat to humans, and Adam, who wanted to dominate humans, probably used you to dispose of them because their utility value dropped when the absolute number of dragons decreased.”

＂…＂

So, Letios was trying to tell people not to blame themselves so much for killing dragons.

They were fallen dragons, and even if she didn’t do it, someone else had to do it.

However, as Kanan looked at Letios, she shook her head with an even more miserable expression.

And then, she bows her head deeply towards Letios and speaks in a tearful voice.

＂But… I am like a sister to Master Letios… Master Gaius… With these hands…!＂

Yes, the thing she most has to apologize to Letios for is taking Gaius’ life.

With her skills, her bow, and her poison, she drove Gaius to death.

And as a result, the Eastern country lost the entity that could purify the ley lines, and the time had come when the problems that had accumulated over time were slowly revealing themselves.

To Kanan, who blames herself for being the cause of all this, Letios quietly holds her hand and talks to her.

＂I also heard that story from Cleon. Cleon went around investigating what happened to Gaius.”

“Through the records from where Kanon was staying, I confirmed what happened between you and Gaius. … Gaius certainly lost his life afterward, but in the process, he saved a human child who was originally destined to die.”

When Cleon talks to Kanan, Kanan looks at Cleon, her eyes widening at something she didn’t even know.

＂Hertiya, the owner of the Dark Dragon Company. Inside her, the power of Gaius lies dormant. Although she doesn’t know it herself…”

＂Herti…＂

Then, Kanan remembers the woman who was next to her when she went to find Cleon when her self had not yet returned.

I could definitely feel her dragon energy.

However, because it was at the level of her senses, she did not attack her, but she was someone who possessed the power of a dragon that she was not aware of.

＂If Gaius were alive… After hearing your situation, what kind of judgment would he make… To be honest, I can’t judge for myself. However, she was strict with her enemies and kind to her allies.”

Letios continued her words carefully, hoping that Kanan’s mind would calm down.

“So when she was on the verge of death, she chose to save someone rather than find a way to heal herself. And there is something that kind-hearted Gaius was trying to protect.”

Letios slowly got up from his seat and opened the curtain on the window in his room.

As the dazzling sunset light poured into the room, I could tell that time was slowly moving toward evening.

And beyond that, the landscape of Asteris.

In this place where there are almost no tall buildings, a wide view of Asteris comes into view from Pamela’s Mansion, the only kingdom-style building that exists.

“She tried to protect this land. This Asteris is Gaius’ legacy. … If you want her to atone for her, she wants you to add her strength to protecting this land.”

At Letios’s words, Kanan could not overcome the overwhelming emotions and slowly bent her body forward while nodding her head.

Then, her mouth opened, and a cry mixed with various emotions flowing from inside her body echoed throughout the room.

002

It took a while for Kanan to calm down, but somehow, when she could no longer cry, Letios told Cleon to take care of her.

It was said that walking around other dragons and watching their work has become a daily routine these days, and it was a bit difficult to let go of Letios, who was wrapping his tail around his waist as he wanted to stay in the same nest.

Anyway, only Kanon, Kanan, and Cleon remained in the room.

“… Well, the story has progressed to some extent. Slowly, I’m going to talk about how to treat Kanan…”

“Ah. It’s shameless, but can I ask you a favor? If I can heal this body and participate in atonement to Gaius, I am willing to pay any price.”

When Kanan says that, Kanon also bows her head towards Cleon.

＂Please, Mr. Cleon.＂

＂Ah… About that… ＂

Cleon was scratching his head as if he found it difficult to speak.

If possible, I would like Ruben or Lila to explain, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to run away like that.

“Neutralizing the negative magic power filling your body is possible with the magic power of light, but using a similar concept, it is also possible to inject ‘life force’.”

＂Vitality…＂

Regarding vitality, which is similar to energy or physical strength but is a slightly different concept, Kanan tilts his head as if he has no related knowledge.

＂So…＂

As Cleon tried to figure out what to say so as not to hurt her feelings, Kanon’s face turned red as if she had noticed something.

“This is a familiar development…”

＂Huh?＂

＂It’s a familiar development… This pattern that Mr. Cleon, whom I have observed, has experienced several times so far… ＂

Cleon thought for a moment what she was trying to say, then realized that she was observing him, and tried to stop her with her surprised expression.

＂Wait a minute, Canon!＂

“So, it’s sex!? Something like magical injection, or something to heal the body…! This is a story about injecting the semen of Mr. Cleon, who is almost omnipotent, into his older sister under the pretext of having no choice, right?!”

＂…＂

At Kanon’s voice speaking so loudly, Cleon shut her mouth, but Kanan blinked her eyes for a moment, and then her face turned bright red like her sister.

＂Se, sex… Are you talking about… Copulation?!＂

“It feels more erotic when you say copulation, sister…”

“Ah, no… But I’m not interested in such things at all… No, this is for the purpose of treatment…”

Looking at Kanan who looks confused, Cleon sighs.

“… The overall flow is as Kanon said, but it is only a choice. If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to force it…”

As Cleon spoke, Kanan stretched out her hand and grabbed his wrist.

“Oh, no…! I was prepared. Because I said I would pay any price. I want to recover as quickly as possible and help everyone. But…”

She lowers her head and speaks with her long, elf-like ears turning red.

“… I have no experience with this type of work… So I don’t know what to do. So… Can I leave it to you… Cleon…”

Cleon nodded and spoke to her red face and nervous expression visible through her long white hair.

“… Okay. I’ll try. ─Then, sorry, it’s canon. “Can you leave the room for a moment?”

When Cleon spoke to Kanon like that, Kanon also stood up with a blush on his face, probably imagining what was about to happen, and walked towards the door with stiff steps to leave the room.

However, soon, it suddenly stops and looks back in this direction as if making a noise.

＂…?＂

＂Hey, over there. W, as expected, I’m worried that my sister might make a mistake while doing something like that. So, is it okay for me to stay here with you? No, please let me stay with you!?”

The story she spoke out, stammering harder than ever before and rambling, was enough to make even Cleon say “Haa!?”