Everyone Except Me I Chapter 203 : Turning Point (3)

Chapter 203: Turning Point (3)

"Then that ans it’s not just one person, you senile, dumbass dragon."

At Windy May’s flabbergasted retort, Urkbar’s brow twitched slightly.

The faint smile that had been hanging on his lips vanished in an instant.

"That mouth of yours is still flapping away. How fitting for sothing born a hybrid."

"Unlike soone else, I’m still in my pri. Maybe that’s why my brain’s still working just fine~"

As the two exchanged barbs, Lian unwittingly closed his eyes.

Dragon.

The reason they must never appear in the capital.

It was because their appearance marked the collapse of the imperial palace—what people referred to as the central governnt.

‘I suspected there was more to it…’

Not just Behad, but anyone sharing his bloodline would be held accountable.

In other words, it was a threat aid at the entire imperial family.

Of course, in his previous life, there hadn’t been any imperial family mbers—Behad included—who were murdered by dragons…

But clearly, sothing big had happened, sothing he wasn’t aware of.

"……."

The appearance of dragons wasn’t just a temporary incident or confusion—it was the catalyst that triggered long-suppressed issues throughout the Empire.

Simultaneous rebellions and riots broke out across the outer regions, and there were those who deceived the people by claiming to be true saviors…

Taking advantage of the chaos, enemies from all directions launched massive invasions.

Ordinarily, it would have been an uproar easily quelled in its early stages.

But the central governnt remained silent, and that silence only worsened the chaos beyond control.

At that ti, Basilia Everglenn—Cecilia’s older brother, known as the Giant of the North—sacrificed his life to stop the most ferocious advance from the north.

It was thanks to him and countless others who gave their lives that the situation was barely brought under control, but that was not the end of the chaos—it was only the beginning.

"……."

Lian couldn’t even sigh.

It was a mory he never wanted to recall again.

As fragnts of the past swirled through his mind, he suddenly felt a dull shock, like strength draining from him.

‘…To think that all that carnage started over a love affair.’

While Lian was lost in thought, Windy May abruptly opened her mouth.

“Well, we’ve got ti, so why don’t we have a constructive conversation for once? There’s sothing I’d like to ask before your granddaughter arrives…”

Before she could finish, Junongren butted in.

“How dare a filthy hybrid mutt like you! If you want to speak with us, learn your place and get permission before opening that filthy mouth!”

She lashed out, voice full of fury, but when Urkbar turned a chilling gaze toward her, she quickly shut her mouth.

"Didn't I tell you to watch your tongue?"

“...Ugh, yes. I’m sorry, Elder…”

Windy May looked at Junongren and muttered.

“If you’re going to be polite, you could at least try to make it sound nice. Just adding a ‘-yo’ at the end doesn’t make it polite, you know.”

“…Kkgh!”

Junongren ground her teeth audibly, and Windy May chuckled as if amused. Then she turned to Urkbar and asked,

“But isn’t it kind of funny that you curse as much as you like but tell others to watch their mouths?”

“Then would you prefer I refrain from now on?”

Urkbar asked with a faint smile.

Windy May’s expression instantly twisted as if she’d seen sothing revolting.

“...No, just keep doing what you were doing.”

“Then I shall.”

“Sigh… I didn’t even get a decent coback.”

Grumbling, Windy May tilted her head slightly toward Lian.

“Lian. Can you explain in my stead?”

“Yes.”

Understanding what she ant, Lian imdiately began to speak.

With a calm voice, he began to summarize what had happened so far.

"First, I happened to run into Miss noruka on the street. She was the one who stopped

first…”

Lian continued explaining.

That the dragons were looking for her, and that a disappearance and a murder of Wyrmlings had occurred at the sa ti, signaling sothing serious.

That noruka had insisted there were no other Wyrmlings besides herself.

And that even after asking another dragon for information, many things didn’t add up.

Having explained the situation to so extent, Lian carefully looked at Urkbar and asked,

“Would it be alright to hear the full explanation?”

Urkbar chuckled lowly.

“I was wondering why a child of another lineage was so curious about our side of things… Now it makes sense.”

His gaze turned toward Lian.

There was a glint of interest in his eyes—along with a certain wariness.

At that mont, Junongren once again couldn’t hold herself back.

“Hey! Why should we share such stories with you? Know your place and don’t cross the line, you worm! More than anything, you—!”

It was then.

“Hey.”

Windy May interrupted.

Her voice was low and calm—but overflowing with such blatant killing intent that even Lian flinched in surprise.

“…Hic.”

When Windy May’s icy gaze fixed on her, Junongren reflexively let out a small hiccup and shut her mouth.

“…Who did you just call a worm?”

At Windy May’s cold, murderous question, Junongren replied in a trembling voice, her face full of fear.

“T-The h-human… m-mutt…”

Even so, she clung to the word "mutt" to the very end—perhaps her final shred of pride.

Still trembling, she added in a quivering voice,

“I-I just don’t think we’re obligated to share the secrets of our lineage with an outsider!”

To that, Lian calmly replied,

“You were the ones who approached

first, and before that, I was entrusted with a request from Miss noruka. I don’t think I can be considered an outsider under these circumstances… More than anything, couldn’t you at least explain the situation to so degree?”

He took a breath, then added the clincher.

“Most importantly… another person involved in that incident ntioned a man without a head. Do you know anything about that?”

Man without a head.

The mont those words left his mouth, Urkbar’s expression stiffened slightly.

He stared at Lian in silence for a mont before slowly nodding.

“…Very well.”

He nodded again.

“If you know that much, then explaining would indeed be the proper thing to do.”

Where should I start…

Muttering to himself, he let out a small sigh.

"First off, let

clarify—noruka… that child has it wrong. More precisely, she’s misrembering things."

Then he slowly began his story.

"It’s a fact that a child of our lineage was killed. And… noruka was so deeply shocked by it that she ended up hurting herself. She couldn’t cope with the trauma, so a few of us elders adjusted her mories. That’s why she doesn’t rember anything from that ti."

He paused and let out a deep sigh.

"And as for the man without a head… Right, that story is connected to everything else, so I’ll just say it all while I’m at it."

Urkbar suddenly changed topics.

"Those who’ve slain dragons are extrely rare. Even if you comb through the past few hundred years, you’d only count them on one hand. And one of them is that mutt over there."

He casually, but all too naturally, hurled an insult at Windy May.

But Windy May didn’t seem the least bit interested in being insulted—she just idly grood her fingernails with a bored expression.

"And the other… is that man without a head."

"Who is he?"

Lian asked, and Urkbar replied.

"A demon."

"A demon?"

"…I don’t know for certain. It’s just an assumption. But I did sense a faint trace of a demon’s distinct aura in the area where he appeared."

Avoiding Lian’s eyes with a slight turn of the head, Urkbar continued.

"Anyway, the guy killed a young dragon that had just beco an adult and took its heart. Then he seriously wounded another dragon he encountered and disappeared without a trace. Judging by that, he must’ve been a high-ranking demon…"

"…So you don’t know his identity."

"That’s right."

Urkbar spoke with a bitter expression.

Then he let out a short, incredulous chuckle.

"All the prominent archdemons during the Great War were either killed or had their identities exposed… and yet, there’s not a single one that cos to mind."

Ahem.

He gave a brief cough.

"Anyway, ever since that incident, experienced dragons were assigned as personal protectors for Wyrmlings and other young ones. And when it was noruka—my granddaughter’s—turn…"

He suddenly fell silent.

A deep sadness and rage passed across his face.

"…Forgive , but I’ll stop there."

Shaking his head slightly, he ended the story.

A heavy silence followed.

Then, as if rembering sothing, Urkbar turned to look at Lian.

"…Now that I think of it,"

He spoke abruptly.

"You’re the one who holds a Cornerstone, aren’t you?"

Lian tilted his head slightly at the unfamiliar word, and Urkbar explained.

"…Ah, that’s what we call it. I’m talking about the power you showed earlier."

Well, it wasn’t strange that an ancient dragon would recognize it.

Lian was thinking that when Urkbar’s next words made him flinch.

"I’ve seen that before, you see. I rember it very clearly. So human was loitering around near our territory using that power and causing all sorts of trouble…"

Urkbar furrowed his brows as if the mory still irritated him.

"Even after repeated warnings, he kept poking around in our lands, so I decided to give him a proper lesson. Only then did he finally flee like a coward. Such an annoying fellow, really stuck with . He even carried around this oddly twisted iron rod-looking thing and wandered all over the place."

"…Would you mind telling

how many years ago that was?"

Lian asked, and Urkbar fell into thought.

"Let’s see… I don’t rember exactly, but it wasn’t that long ago. Probably less than fifty years."

Fifty years.

Lian imdiately realized who the human must have been.

‘Rahma.’

It had to be Rahma.

No—more importantly…

‘…That oddly twisted rod.’

While Lian was lost in thought, Urkbar now turned toward Windy May.

"You’ve raised a good disciple, Dragon Slayer."

"What, jealous?"

Windy May shot back without missing a beat.

Urkbar let out a low chuckle.

"Of course I’m jealous. But I’m also concerned."

"About what?"

"You’ve finally co to understand the pride and joy of raising soone."

Urkbar grinned slyly.

"It won’t be long before that disciple becos like your own child. I know you well. At any rate… I’ll be counting down the days."

Despite his chilling warning, Windy May rely snorted in amusent.

Then it happened.

‘Ah.’

Lian suddenly recalled the faint trace of a Brand he had sensed on Anguster.

Was it because Urkbar had just ntioned the Brand—or because of that thing he said about an oddly twisted rod?

It didn’t matter anymore.

‘I need to check the body.’

With that thought, Lian cautiously asked Windy May.

"Professor, I have sothing I’d like to ask regarding Anguster."

"What is it?"

"You ntioned you’ve seen his corpse in person… If it’s not too much trouble, may I check it as well?"

Windy May hesitated for a mont, then replied.

"Hmm… it’s a grueso sight, though. Are you sure you’re okay with that?"

Lian nodded.

"I’ll be fine."

"In that case… I’ve stored it in my office. Once we’re done here, let’s go take a look together."

That was when Junongren suddenly snapped, glaring off to one side.

"Who goes there?! Peddlers are not welco, so kindly get lost!"

Everyone turned their eyes toward where she was looking.

Windy May was the first to react.

"…Huh?"

Then ca Lian’s reaction.

"…Didn’t you say it was in your office?"

At the end of their gaze stood Anguster’s corpse.

More precisely, soone was holding up his body—as if supporting it.