V1C1 Part2

Translated by 64990022 Edited by Aiya

Chapter1

Part 2

Later that day, the dragon headed back to the creek, but not to finish the whale leftover.

As he neared the creek, his blue eyes caught sight of the infant, who was scurrying away from the dragon’s large shadow.

He landed on the beach. The infant was still watching him, or precisely, the whale hungrily.

She was probably worrying about how much meat he would leave. The starving stare and her yellowed skin was enough for him to approximate her diet. She must have been sustaining with either bugs or edible roots.

[Come]

The infant jumped back when the dragon called.

[Don’t be frightened, I won’t eat you for Godhad decided to let you live.]

What the dragon said was not in human tongue, rather, the True Voice, a language given by God.

Long ago, before humans broke into petty ethic groups, all beings used the True Voice. And because every living being knew the True Voice at heart, every concept was communicable, without limitations of intellect and knowledge.

Although the dragon’s voice was gentle, it did not succeed in soothing the infant. However, the dragon didn’t find this surprising, he knew it was hard to not be intimidated by a fifteen-meter tall dragon.

The dragon slowly bent its long neck and bowed as a sign of amity. He then offered the gift hooked in his claws.

The gift he gave were colorful fruits he gathered from around the sanctuary he lived in.

The dragon’s claws were large and his movements were clumsy hence some of the fruits were crushed by the dragon’s strength, and a few fell and splattered on the sand.

[Come, eat these fruits. Raw meat and insects would only destroy your body. No matter how much strength you have gained from my blood, you won’t hold it for long.]

It took a while for the infant to take her first nervous step, but once out of the cover, she was quick. She plucked the fruits that were offered to her and chomped.

[Delicious.]

The dragon was genuinely surprised.

She had spoken in True Voice.

The fruit in the infant’s mouth resembled pears and apples in the land of humans, but that was where the resemblance ended.

[Those fruits are called Fruit of Insight. It bestows intelligence.]

Thanks to the intelligence imparted by the fruit and the universality of the true voice language, the infant was able to communicate without difficulty.

However, the infant froze the instant she heard those words.

[I can’t eat these. It is a sin for humans to eat the Fruit of Insight.]

The dragon laughed. [No, it is not a sin. To use the insight in planning other’s downfall, that is a sin. Don’t be afraid, continue.]

She registered the words and resumed eating.

[By the insight given, you will be able to see through the delicacies of human hearts. However, never use it for your own gain, God will be watching you.]

The infant nodded, her mouth too full to say any reply.

[Thank you,] she said after finishing the fruits.

Her sickly yellow skin had now become healthy and moist. The fruits here excelled human’s fruit in every way, including nutritional value.

[Why did you save me?]

She craned her neck.

The dragon brought his face lower.

[It was not I who saved you. God had spared your life.]

[God?]

[My blood had soaked you, yet you survived. I interpret it as God’s will, so you shall not die here.]

[So, God really does exist?]

[Yes, and God favors this island]

Fruits of Insight grew here, Timber of Life stood here, stream of nectar flowed here.

[TN: Nectar here is the divine drink from Greek mythology]

[Where is here exactly?]

[An isolated island amid the vast ocean. People called this island Silver Island, but God calls this place Eden]

This time, the dragon asked.

[You came here without knowing?]

The infant nodded.

[I was kidnapped by scary people, and the next thing I knew was that I’m here.]

His gaze dropped to her clothing. He knew a little about worldly affairs, but the clothing was clearly those of an aristocrat. From what he knew, some people chose to loot and kidnap for living. This girl must be a victim of that.

[I will take you back to human’s land.] The dragon offered.

But the infant refused [I don’t want to.]

[Won’t your family be waiting for your return?]

The silver dragon had killed many humans. Although they were after his blood or seeking to exploit this land’s riches, no excuse was sufficient, he had killed many.

Most of them were robust, grown men, but more than half screamed for their mothers when they died. Spilling tears and screaming, they would continue calling for their mothers until the end.

That was why her response was unexpected.

[I take it that you have parents?]

[I have, but I don’t even know their faces.]

Her expression betrayed no emotion.

[I’m raised by tutors. Everyone tells me that I have to act befitting my station, my brother and sister too, everyone. Ah, Father seemed to care a little about my brother, but to me, I have no parents.]

She caught her breath.

[You?] She looked around. [Are you by yourself here?]

[No. Clear your mind and listen.] He instructed. [Now that you have known True Voice, you must understand. The animals’ calling, buzzing of insects, chirping of birds, what are they saying?]

She listened for a while, then let out eagerly, [Good for them…] The animals were frolicking, every moment a happiness for them.

[I want to stay here…]

[Then you shall, if that is what you want.]

She looked at the dragon with gleaming eyes.

[Really?]

[Of course. However, you must abide by God’s teachings if you were to live here.]

[God’s teachings?]

[Do not fight with any creature in Eden. Never dislike, hate, or resent. Everyone is friends and family here, and you must love and take care of each other. If you can do that, you’re here to stay.]

[TN: What about the poor whale…]

[That’s easy, if creatures of Eden won’t do anything bad to me, why would I hate them? I’ll keep that promise.]

[Good. From now on, you and I are now family]

The infant smiled innocently.

[What should you call me? I don’t know my name.]

[There is no need for such things, this is not human’s land. We can refer to ourselves as ‘you’ and ‘me’. Names are irrelevant if we truly love each other.]

[Okay.]

[And stop using female language. Gender difference can be a catalyst of discrimination. Speak plainly.]

[TN: She was using female language, mainly わ particle, in original text. I omitted it since there’s no equivalent, and the concept of the female language is a bit confusing to non-japanese]

[Plainly… How?] Then she added [Ah! I could just follow your example.]

The dragon let her mount, then took off to the sanctuary.

She quickly became friends with the animals. It was fortunate that she was only three years old. If she had been older, her heart would have been too tainted to connect with Eden’s populace.

She loved the flowers, sang with the winds, and ran with the rabbits.

She befriended many creatures, but she clung to the dragon the most.

[You were the first to accept me.]

She would lean on to the dragon when sleepy, and would fall asleep hugging his tail, back, or neck.

This girl must have thought of him as her father, bonded by the blood on that day.

Nine years passed, and the child grew into a young girl. The dragon’s blood, and the fruits supplemented her growth, she was a young girl full of life.

Although she was just twelve, her intelligence rivaled a grown adult’s, and her physical prowess was beyond any human. She was precocious, her height got taller and her body developed. Occasionally, she would be seen refusing the courtships of the most colorful birds, magnificent peacocks, and mighty eagles politely.

She ran faster than any horses on the island, more powerful than boars, more flexible than snakes. But in the process of growing, her color changed.

From jet back to silvery white.

It was the effect of the dragon’s blood that dripped on her. The girl’s hair became matching with his scales, silver.

Her skin was white, her eyes red as if bloodshot, her hair silver like the moon, as if the concept of pigmentation had no effect on her.

It was around that time that more humans turned their eyes to Eden.

Like ever, the dragon went to the cove to meet their ships. But in just nine years, the weaponry had drastically changed.

It was not enough to slay the dragon. However, the warships were decked with cannons powerful enough to punch through his scales. The submachine guns were still inconsequential at a distance, but could leave anxious cracks on his scales if close enough.

The unending gunfire echoed throughout the creek. Occasional sparks illuminated the night of red sea, and splatters of mercury-like blood in the fray. It was not a major wound, but it was worrying nonetheless.

As he ripped the ship in two, he thought,

—This is going to be over soon.

With the military revolution or whatever happening on human land, the development suggested that in another ten–no, five years, they would put an end to him. He chewed the fact calmly.

It didn’t matter.

The strong live, the weak die. That was how God created all beings.

The age of the dragon had come to an end. This was it.

I will die soon.

Suddenly, the roaring guns silenced. The humans that landed on the beach were now corpses.

They were all killed.

But he wasn’t the one who did that, he was too busy with the ships.

The sand was as red as that day, nine years ago.

There, a small dragon stood.

The long silvery hair flapped in the breeze, it was like a tail from a distance. The white robe she wore caught wind and flared, just like his wings.

She flew without touching the ground nor soaring the skies. She killed soldiers with cold efficiency, all while dancing through the storm of bullets. A blow from her supple legs was enough to crack human heads open. The palm of her small hand pierced the enemy, armor and all, and reappeared on the other side.

Her figure was like a daughter of a dragon, as if fighting alongside her father.

No.

She wanted to be.

The daughter of the dragon.

Seeing her like this, his heart twisted and jarred.

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