640 – Losing Life – 1

The role and tasks of the special department cannot be clearly explained.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, which handles matters related to the imperial family, the Ministry of Finance, which handles budget-related matters, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which handles diplomacy. In other administrative departments, you can tell what they are responsible for from their names, but the Special Affairs Department is a department that is difficult even from its name.

What can be said clearly is that the Ministry of Special Affairs is the emperor’s limbs, a department where the eyes, ears, and shadows are gathered. It is a silent department that is deployed wherever force is needed and operates according to the emperor’s will, not the judgment of officials.

And among the duties of such a special department is the management of dragons spread throughout the empire.

‘Even if we say management, it means checking to see if there are any inconveniences.’

Dragons who helped Emperor Amanca and contributed to the founding of the empire. If such dragons feel uncomfortable living in the empire, they are not properly honoring the will of the great emperor and are being disrespectful to the dragon lord, the eldest member of the imperial family.

Therefore, the Special Ministry created small shelters near caves or mountains where dragons live, and stationed members of the Special Ministry there 24 hours a day. So that you can respond immediately whenever the dragon asks for conversation.

Fortunately, from the founding of the empire until now, no dragon has ever complained of discomfort. Dragons were satisfied with humans not bothering them, and all they did was ask for things they needed on rare occasions.

‘I never thought the Lord would suddenly ask for a conversation.’

However, the Lord, who was not an ordinary dragon, asked for conversation.

Even at the moment when the direct line of the Livnoman imperial family fell cruelly, and at the moment when ruin glimmered before the eyes of the empire, the being who had remained silent suddenly stood up.

‘What’s going on?’

Unstable. As he is the child of a great emperor, he has a deep affection for the Livnoman Imperial Family and the Kpelopen Empire. Nevertheless, he is a person who stays quiet, saying that dragons cannot carelessly interfere in human affairs.

The person who did that broke the silence and asked for a conversation? No matter how positive you think about it, it is not a light task. No way, ‘I’m bored. Let’s see your face.’ It won’t be the same business.

“…I’ll go right away. Get ready.”

However, I couldn’t hesitate any longer when the Lord asked me to talk. He can’t keep him waiting, so let’s go and check it out.

Anyway, no matter how hard I try as a human, I can’t read a dragon’s thoughts.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In response to my instructions, Special Secretary Seong bowed his head and quickly retreated.

I hope it’s not only negative.

After having the guards, including the Minister of Special Affairs, wait outside, I went into the cave alone and said hello to Rod.

“The words of the great emperor: Greetings to the child of the great emperor.”

“Welcome back. I’m sorry for calling you suddenly.”

“No, I’m just honored to be able to meet you Lord.”

Rod let out a low laugh at my words.

“Thank you for saying that.”

Then he slowly lowered his head, which was so high that it touched the ceiling of the cave, and tried to make eye contact with me.

Of course, I bowed down from that person’s point of view, but from my point of view, I was still proud.

“The reason I called you so urgently is because I have something to say. It’s a rather heavy matter to tell other children.”

‘Heavy matter.’

I swallowed my saliva without thinking at the next words.

I expected it, but Rod himself mentioned that it was a heavy task. Even if it was a light incident, one had to be nervous, and something so big that the emperor had to be called in person to tell him about it happened.

“Oh my.”

“Please speak.”

“One of my close friends wants to go to rest.”

“…Yes?”

For a moment, my head stiffened.

The head could not accept the information delivered by the ears.

“You mean Yeongmyeon?”

“Yes. He is a close friend who contributed to the founding of the empire by helping my father and mother, and he told me about his eternal rest not long ago.”

I double-checked to see if I had heard correctly, but unfortunately, Rod’s words did not change.

“Before going into spiritual sleep, my friend said he was thinking of handing over his body to humans … But I hope you will stop him from doing so.”

It was an unexpected request so I couldn’t answer right away.

The eternal resting place of a dragon, and also the eternal resting place of an individual who contributed to the founding of the empire. I may be the first emperor to hear such words since the founding of the empire.

“If you are someone who helped found the nation, you are no different from the great emperor’s close friend. I will do my best to persuade you as an example to the great emperor.”

“Yes, thank you. But my friend is quite stubborn, so there’s no need to push yourself too hard.”

After finally coming to his senses and lowering his head, Rod spoke in a much softer voice.

“Of course, as the emperor, there is no need to go in person. Send one of the children I saw last time instead.”

“Yes, I will.”

The elder’s advice to send one of his father-in-law or a minister.

I have no choice but to send the minister. I guess I can’t give my already busy father-in-law the unfinished task of persuading the dragon.

‘I’m sorry.’

I had no intention of using the minister, but since the eldest member of the imperial family personally mentioned the minister, is there a way?

I believe the minister will also understand.

***

I hope lightning strikes the imperial palace.

To be exact, just one shot at the sunjeon, where the emperor resides.

‘Damn you.’

A weakling who listens to his daughter telling her she hates her dad. A petty guy who takes out his anger on me for being hurt by the Crown Princess.

However, he is a vicious and cruel person who passes on tasks that cannot be ignored…

‘I live and live and go to see all the dragons.’

There was a time when I went to see the Dragon Lord with the emperor, but that was because of a special case where a new emperor came to the throne. If it were normal, I wouldn’t have to see a dragon in my lifetime.

So, I thought that if I ever saw a dragon again, it would be when the Crown Princess ascended the throne.

-They say there is a dragon that wants eternal sleep. The Lord is concerned about the story spreading, so he wants Jim, my father-in-law, and one of the ministers to convince the dragon.

I never thought I would meet another dragon before I even turned 30, let alone ascend the throne as the Crown Princess.

– I guess the minister is the more relaxed of the three. He is also the person who helped the Great Emperor and contributed to the founding of the empire, so please take good care of him.

“…Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my best to persuade the benefactor of the empire.”

I sighed, remembering a notification that was not a notification from the emperor.

‘It is the dragon’s eternal resting place.’

Dragons are basically beings that live forever. Unless you are subjugated by physical shock or give up on life, you can live with the history of the continent.

However, the dragon I am about to meet chose death even though it avoided defeating Apels’ vicious dragon. Although it was packaged with the word eternal peace, it is trying to throw away its life.

It’s a troubling problem. The empire received a lot of help from dragons during the founding process, and the descendant of the great emperor who had a deep relationship with the previous dragon lord is Ribnoman. Therefore, if a dragon gives up on life, it has no choice but to react violently.

‘If I had said my eternal life, my mind would have already been firm.’

But there’s no way the dragon party wouldn’t know that. He cannot help but know that if he mentions eternal life, the Dragon Lord and the Empire will react immediately.

Nevertheless, the dragon discussed eternal sleep. In fact, it’s the same as making one’s mind firm.

‘Still, I have to persuade you.’

While scratching her head, she entered the cave.

No matter how firm one’s mind is, the other party is in his own way a contributor to the founding of the country. There was even a request from the Dragon Lord to return his friend’s heart.

It is the right thing to do, both as a person and as an imperial civil servant, to at least try to figure out how to live longer.

As I entered the cave, a black figure greeted me.

“It’s a human child. It came sooner than expected.”

The black dragon lying limp on the floor muttered in a voice full of boredom.

Perhaps because of its size, the entire cave rang with even a murmur.

“Well… I’m glad I came quickly. I’ll be able to finish it quickly and close my eyes.”

Blinking his eyes, the dragon squirmed up and put his claws in his mouth.

“Oh, old man! Please stop for a moment!”

It looked like he was going to bite his nails, so I hastily stopped him. I came here to prevent the dragon’s eternal sleep, but I feel uneasy watching the dragon’s self-harm show as soon as I arrive.

“Why do you do that? It’s easier to shake it off with magic if you shock it in advance.”

The dragon, which had bitten its nails into my restraint, lowered its hand again.

Thank god. ‘I don’t listen to orders from anyone smaller than me.’ I wondered what would happen if I bitten them all.

“I did not come to receive the elder’s body.”

“What?”

The dragon frowned at those words, and then nodded his head.

“It would definitely be difficult for just one person to take my fingernails and scales. I guess they came here on some other business.”

“Yes. Excuse me, but I came here because I wanted to talk to you.”

The dragon looked down at me for a long time and then bowed down again.

“I’ll tell Rod that you’ve been trying to convince him for a few days. So just go back.”

Then, he first mentioned the reason why I came and calmly ordered the guests to be welcomed.

For a moment I really wanted to go back, but I held back. If I return from here, this dragon will definitely face eternal rest.

“Elder. The empire and the royal family owe you a great favor. We haven’t been able to repay that favor, so how sad it would be if you were to leave.”

“The reason I fought alongside Livnoman was not to gain favor, but to fulfill my wish. There is no need to be sad because you fought for me.”

“No matter what the process is, the result does not change. Rather, it hurts even more because you did not ask for anything from the empire and the imperial family.”

In fact, this dragon has been living as if dead since the founding of the empire. He occasionally gave blood when special agents came to visit, and sometimes when wild animals came into the cave, he returned them or cared for them like pets.

Even now, several hares were wandering around the dragon. Now we should call them cave rabbits instead of hares.

“It’s a human child.”

“Yes, old man.”

Anyway, despite my persuasion his, the dragon opened his mouth with a voice still filled with boredom.

“The reason I didn’t ask for anything is because I don’t need anything anymore.”

After saying that, the dragon closed his eyes for a moment and continued speaking in a bitter voice, unlike before.

“…I’m going to leave everything behind anyway. I’ll tell you this considering the effort you put in to get here.”

The dragon opened its eyes again and stared at me.

“What is the meaning of living alone for someone who has lost both his wife and his child? The pillar that supported my life has collapsed, and my burning soul has long since cooled down.”

The extremely empty eyes attacked me.