Chapter 128
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------
128.
"Isn't this an excessive abuse of power?"
-...You don't approve?
At my question, the small Lizard drooped its tail dejectedly.
The wings that had been fluttering excitedly pressed flat against its back like horns.
"Well, if you're asking, I do approve of it...."
The Lair byproduct distribution business, which would ordinarily last only twenty to thirty years, could now be viewed as a long-term venture and designated as a special project of the Clupea Borderland itself.
Unlike the case where we merely occupied the Dragon's Lair, Adamantite ore was being harvested in considerable quantities, so there would be no risk of it contributing solely to the rise of a particular nation's power.
'Even now, the production output exceeds what Snowland and the Empire anticipated.'
Moreover, it hadn't brought about the terrible military power balance that Snowland had wielded in the past—the very thing Empress Trisha had worried about.
This was because the Mages, that ruthless collective, had already produced numerous weapons.
That's why, after examining the matter from multiple angles, I was able to make the decision to distribute Adamantite ore.
Of course, to reach that decision, Cassian Artez and the Winter Palace Knights had to conduct sparring sessions more than twice their usual frequency.
Yet even after that ordeal was complete, rather than viewing me with dread, they were quick to shower me with praise.
'Thanks to such thorough verification, we feel protected, Advisor!'
'New weapons should indeed be approved only after such meticulous examination!'
'We understand perfectly well that physical strength alone is not true strength.'
There was even something strange mixed in with their appeals.
In any case, the greatest profits from Lair byproduct distribution came not from Adamantite ore, but rather from magical stones and treasures.
-Hmm, so the key's owner prefers that side, I see.
In the meantime, the Lizard, having read my thoughts, made a struggling gesture before quickly recovering its spirits and fluttering its wings.
Simultaneously, I noticed that a considerable portion of the Dragon's energy, which had been concentrated on the Adamantite ore, had shifted toward where the magical stones were, and I clicked my tongue.
'This feels oddly like cheating.'
-It's strange because you have a conscience.
"...What exactly did you hear from Paul?"
-I heard various things. He's a good fellow, so I hope you'll keep him as a worker here.
The Lizard fluttered its adorable wings and wrinkled its snout proudly.
Indeed, my childhood friend Paul Theodima seemed to be a talented worker regardless of the field.
*
As we discussed the byproducts of the Lair, we entered the Rare Core Innermost—a place completely imperceptible to ordinary people.
Unlike Gaia's space, which had felt warm and leisurely, this one was modern to the point of being cold.
Its name was Flare Dragon, and yet.
How should I put it....
'It feels like I should only drink expensive mineral water here....'
The moment that thought crossed my mind, Flare Dragon—who had transformed from a lizard into a large, masculine figure—let out a dry cough.
-I am not so cold and obsessively particular a dragon.
"Ah, yes."
One must respect a person's preferences, after all.
Flare Dragon grumbled slightly at my thoughts before settling onto the black sofa in an arrogant posture.
-So now you have questions you wish to ask?
"I had no idea you were enjoying life among humans with such confidence."
If that were the case, you could have at least replied remotely to the messages I sent.
I asked you to open a Q&A session.
Flare Dragon seemed displeased at my thoughts.
-Unfortunately, we lack the ability to answer remotely.
"But Gaia does it."
-Gaia could only communicate within her own domain.
Watching this rare instance of the dragon speaking without their characteristic manner, I pondered for a moment before nodding in understanding.
She had only answered from two places: her own Lair and the Liarden Vault.
-I'm truly relieved you understand.
"But that means I can continue to stay here even if I ask you questions and use your power in such a private manner?"
-Yes. You awakened earlier than expected and were able to shed your shell quickly.
"You mean your original dragon form?"
-Correct. Maintaining that form requires considerable energy. It's terribly inefficient.
"So you created a new shell instead?"
I realized that this room in the Rare Core Innermost resembled the place where we had encountered something like Gaia's spiritual form.
In fact, I had been dragged here once before.
-Exactly. Without a shell entirely, I cannot remain here continuously.
Flare Dragon shrugged and continued the explanation.
-However, the purification ability is superior on that side.
"Purification, you say...."
Confused by words that sounded like they belonged to the Temple, the man let out a scornful laugh.
-That was originally our function. Well, to put it in terms you can understand more easily.
The dragon nodded his head several times with "hmm, hmm," before finding the right word and opening his mouth.
-It's like an air conditioning system. For this world.
The explanation suddenly made perfect sense.
"Why would a dragon do that?"
-Because that's how we were made.
At this non-answer, I crossed my arms and leaned forward as the dragon spoke again.
—That's simply the nature of divine will.
"So God does exist?"
—Of course.
The Flare Dragon laughed as if seeking confirmation of something peculiar.
The reason I'm bitter is that despite existing, God didn't grant my wishes.
The Flare Dragon showed no displeasure whatsoever at my candid resentment.
Seeing this, it became clear that dragons were operating on an entirely different wavelength than the Temple.
The dragon seemed delighted by the contents of my mind and continued the explanation.
—As you've come to understand, not just one world exists.
"I know."
—God had to manage far more worlds than what you've experienced.
"So you're saying God delegated the management to dragons?"
—That's right.
"And the rampage occurs because the maintenance period has ended?"
—Something like that.
After explaining this much, I asked Cassian if there was anything he didn't understand.
"I'm used to Roselita using strange words, so I more or less got it."
Of course, I explained to him what an air conditioning system meant.
He seemed slightly puzzled about why air needed to be purified, but he appeared to accept that having one would be beneficial.
"But can you explain why the rampage accelerated this time?"
—It seems you've already guessed.
At the dragon's words, I clenched my fists tightly.
When the worlds suddenly merged, it was something I couldn't help but realize.
"Is it because this world has been divided into two?"
The corners of the dragon's mouth lifted.
It was confirmation that I was correct.
'In other words, because I've been purifying both worlds, the rampage timing has been accelerated....'
With that logic, another puzzling point emerged.
"Then shouldn't it have accelerated even more?"
—You hold that answer as well.
His tone had shifted back into the dragon's characteristic manner of speech.
Still, there was something I could infer from this too.
'It's related to that #@ thing that's even difficult for me to pronounce, isn't it?'
When I looked at the dragon without speaking, he answered by not denying it.
Perhaps I would understand what that referred to once I resolved the trials.
Even if I pressed for answers, he wouldn't give them, and it would likely sound like garbled pronunciation to my ears anyway, so asking now held little meaning.
Rather, the question I needed to ask was—
"Do you know what the Late Duchess of Liardan, Maribel, did?"
—I do.
The Flare Dragon's eyes curved gently.
-That's precisely why you hold that position.
"I'm sorry?"
-Because Maribel Liarden was also an exceptional Mage.
My thoughts came to an abrupt halt at his words.
'Now that I think about it... that would make more sense, wouldn't it?'
Her opposition to holy power stemmed from the fact that she possessed magical power in the first place.
I had assumed she merely harbored magical power without a proper vessel, but that was a flawed assumption.
'Ian himself is an aura user, after all.'
The words the Criminal Mages had grumbled about in the past surfaced in my mind.
'Masters who use aura and we ourselves possess the same fundamental nature.'
'The Temple turns a blind eye to aura while despising only us.'
'There's a reason those who achieve through magic are called Masters.'
Though the methods of application seemed quite different.
In any case, Maribel Liarden possessed not only a vessel to contain magical power, but the sheer magnitude of power itself was formidable.
"Wait, that doesn't answer my question."
I quickly redirected my attention from the shocking revelation and posed my question to Gaia once more.
"Maribel risked her life for something. I want to know what that was and why she had to do it."
Flare Dragon scratched his cheek with an expression that suggested I wouldn't let this go.
But when I refused to back down and simply waited, he exhaled softly and opened his mouth.
-Even without knowing, it wouldn't hinder your ability to resolve matters, would it?
"I think I could resolve them better if I understood."
-There are things in this world better left unknown.
The dragon straightened his posture and spoke with careful deliberation.
-By now, you must all realize it. That the noble daughters of Liarden are in fact like the Holy Maiden.
We nodded quietly at his words.
It was a keyword that appeared plainly in the unreleased scrolls.
How she could become a Holy Maiden despite possessing magical power wasn't the pressing concern at this moment.
-So Maribel Liarden came to realize it. That this world was losing its form.
"...What?"
-And she also understood that since the divine had already saved this world once, by natural law it could not intervene a second time.
The moment the dragon gestured, the scroll wound around my wrist unfurled with a rustle.
Not a Lair scroll, but the communication scroll with the Mages who conveyed the trials.
-So the Holy Maiden of Liarden made her resolve. To find a way to save this world herself.
I blinked slowly.
Amid the confusion swirling through my mind, the words Gaia had once told me became crystal clear.
"...So you're saying this message—no, this scroll—was sent by Maribel?"
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------