Chapter 74

Ran, carrying me, flew over Lux Bay, heading in the direction the evil dragon had been blown.

"Escaping... that place..."

The evil dragon, writhing like a snake, was slowly moving from the sea to the beach. It seemed to be heading towards the cave at the base of the cliff where the dragon people had taken refuge.

Ran, seeing this, said,

"To the shrine... this is..."

"It's a place out of sight. It might be calling us."

I answered.

If it wanted to recover its strength, it should have dived deep into the sea. However, it was heading towards the cave where it had been sealed, which must have some intention.

From its movements, it was clear that the evil dragon was in a near-death state.

After watching the evil dragon enter the cave, we also entered.

Inside the cave, the evil dragon lay weakly, its face turned towards the sea.

Ran landed, and Elicia and I also descended to the ground. While we were on guard, Ran flew straight to the evil dragon's face.

The evil dragon no longer seemed hostile. It opened its eyes, glaring at us with burning red eyes.

Unlike the ominous yet beautiful dragon from before, this one exuded a divine aura. Its eyes and scales shone more brilliantly than any gem.

The evil dragon, after a moment of surprise, turned its gaze to Ran and spoke.

"Leaf-end of my blood... you have caused me much trouble."

Ran, who has changed in appearance with wings and other features, is recognized by the evil dragon as a descendant.

"Please, say no more, Ancestor Dragon."

Ran said, stroking the evil dragon's cheek.

The evil dragon shook its head slightly.

"There is no need to worry about me... I was a fool who overestimated my power, thinking I could control even darkness. I killed innocent people and made you, the leaf-ends, walk a path of endless suffering."

By trying to control darkness, it fell into the state of an evil dragon. It seems similar to when someone tries to use dark magic and becomes a demon.

"But... is this the punishment or mercy of the Heavenly Dragon? That a human who can control darkness would appear before me."

The evil dragon glared at me.

The evil dragon called me "human," not a demon, but a "human."

I felt a bit relieved, but the evil dragon seemed a bit confused.

I asked the evil dragon,

"Did I look like a demon even for a moment?"

"No, I merely had doubts upon seeing your magic. You look like a human in every way. More human than any human."

"Is that so..."

"Hmm. From your tone, it seems you don't know why you can control the power of darkness."

I nodded in response to the evil dragon's question.

"If there is one clue, it might be the Abyssal Mark on my hand."

I couldn't say that the demon who was supposed to control me was a dud. Well, that possibility seems high...

"I see, a mark bestowed upon humans. I didn't know humans had marks."

The evil dragon seemed to understand.

"But there must have been many who received the mark of the dark god... no, your mark... I have never seen it before."

"Indeed."

The evil dragon nodded.

"Marks do not grant you what you desire. You were destined to receive a mark that allows you to control the power of darkness. Like a child born with wings from a dragon without wings."

In other words, it was by chance, by accident.

For now, that's the only explanation...

The evil dragon continued,

"Still, you have shown me something good. And most of all, you have freed me and the leaf-ends from eternal suffering. As a token of gratitude, I will bestow upon you the Dragon Eye I have honed."

"Dragon Eye?"

Ran nodded.

"It is the power of the Heavenly Dragon that resides in the eyes of dragons from birth. Like a human's mark, it grants power to dragons."

"Such a thing to me? If it's to be received, Ran should."

Ran, as the representative of the descendants, should receive it.

But Ran shook her head.

"As the Ancestor Dragon wishes... besides, my master is already Lord Alex. I wish for Lord Alex to receive it."

"But... what kind of power is it? It might be useless for me to receive it."

The evil dragon smiled slightly at my words.

"It's not something to be so wary of. I said it's like a human's mark, but compared to a human's mark, it's a much smaller blessing. We dragons are strong, so we are not as favored by the heavens as humans... no, I might have been a bit rude to you."

"Don't worry... even a vengeful god is still a god."

I must have been favored by the dark god.

"Anyway, receive it. It only grants the ability to see things clearly. I don't have much time left."

"But... Ran, is it okay?"

Ran nodded deeply.

"Please, use this power to guide us."

"Alright, I will."

The evil dragon answered, "Um," and emitted light from its eyes.

When the light subsided, the evil dragon asked,

"How is it?"

"It's hard to say..."

"Look up at the sky and focus your eyes."

I focused my eyes, and the cave's rocky ceiling became transparent, revealing a clear blue sky.

"The ceiling is transparent? Is it the outside view? What is this..."

"It's the power of clairvoyance. It's difficult to see through living things, but it should be able to see through human clothing and armor."

Elicia, realizing something, whispered,

"Ah! So, Lord Alex can see my body at any time..."

Elicia blushed, thinking she needed to maintain her figure even more.

"I won't use it for that, so don't worry... but this is..."

I could grasp the shape of magic through walls before. With this, I can get more detailed information.

I said I wouldn't use it for peeping, but it could also detect hidden weapons under an assassin's clothes.

"Moreover, it feels like my eyesight has improved... I can clearly see moving objects."

"You should be able to see the flapping wings of birds flying far away clearly. It's the power of the Dragon Eye that any dragon can obtain. You should also have obtained the power of levitation that dragons possess. You were moving through the air just now, and it will surely be useful."

I tried to levitate by jumping lightly on the spot, and my body slowly fell. As the evil dragon said, combining it with "Teleport" would make air travel easier.

"Amazing... all these are wonderful powers, but even with magic, it's hard to achieve such clairvoyance."

"I'm glad you like it. I trained hard to make clairvoyance clear to find weaknesses."

The evil dragon answered with a satisfied look but was bleeding from the mouth.

I remembered something I had to say quickly.

"...Right. Your descendants—Ran and the others—have become my familiars to escape future difficulties. If you wish, you can also become one."

"Are you asking me to become your familiar? But it's unnecessary."

The evil dragon said, looking outside the cave.

"I brought disaster upon the innocent by seeking greater power. I must receive my punishment. Besides, the leaf-ends and I have not lost our power. I should not receive any more blessings."

I wouldn't force it.

It must have a sense of guilt towards the people it destroyed and killed in the past.

The evil dragon looked at Ran.

"You have caused me much trouble. Use my flesh as tonight's meal, and my bones, scales, and fangs as weapons to protect yourselves."

"I cannot do such a thing to the remains of the Ancestor Dragon..."

"I have caused you much trouble. I want to leave something for you. Besides, giving flesh is a funeral ritual passed down among dragons."

Ran still shook her head.

There must be such a belief among dragons, but Ran and the others have lived here with humans. They have made cemeteries and buried their companions. It's not easy to accept eating flesh.

I suggested,

"In the empire, there is a custom of leaving the hair of the deceased. How about leaving only the parts that grow back? The rest can be buried on my island."

"In that case, it would be the beard, mane, scales, and fangs... Ran, would you use them?"

Ran slowly nodded in response to the evil dragon's question.

"In that case... I will cherish them as mementos."

"That's good... thank you. Now I have no regrets."

The evil dragon looked satisfied.

For Ran and the others, the evil dragon was the cause of their suffering, but as their ancestor, they must have mixed feelings.

If the nobles of the empire hadn't unsealed it, the evil dragon wouldn't have rampaged, and the dragon people wouldn't have died. The dragon people could have lived quietly here.

Of course, if asked whether the evil dragon was good or evil, it was evil. It sought power and caused the deaths of innocent people, so I can't sympathize with it.

"Ran... we can't stay here long. I will send the evil dragon to Ars, and you can watch over it with your companions. The dragon people should also be back in Ars."

Ran nodded.

However, Elicia looked worried.

She was probably more concerned about whether I could teleport this huge evil dragon to Ars.

But with the help of the dragon people—surely I can.

I focused on teleporting to the sandy beach of Ars.

In an instant, we returned to the sunny beach of Ars. The evil dragon, Elicia, and Ran were with me.

The evil dragon looked surprised.

"This wind... to travel so far in an instant..."

It seemed to realize how far the capital and Ars were.

The evil dragon continued,

"You were worthy of receiving the Dragon Eye... you might even subdue the Dragon King."

"Dragon King?"

"The one who stands at the pinnacle of all dragons on earth. I will watch over you from the heavens, no, from the depths of the earth."

The evil dragon closed its eyes with a satisfied look.

Ran gently stroked its head. It was still alive but wouldn't last long.

"Ran... I will return to the Mareas and help with the rescue. Can I leave the rest to you?"

"Leave it to me... thank you for your kindness."

Ran bowed deeply to me.

However, the power of darkness... even dragons desire it...

Even though it was after confirming its death, I was one of those who reached out to the power of darkness. Indeed, the power of darkness has a charm that attracts others.

But why can I use what even dragons couldn't? Is it because of that dud demon that has already lost its presence...

If I can gain some knowledge about demons or dark magic in Mireas, where I am heading next...

After that, I returned to the Mareas in Lux Bay and helped with the rescue of the sunken ship.