[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 24: Fairy Tales and Milestones (2)
A long ti ago, there was a boy who admired dragons.
Then, an unbelievable miracle happened to the boy.
He actually t a dragon.
A young dragon who was curious about humans, just like him.
The two quickly beca friends.
They asked each other questions, shared knowledge, and beca the best of friends.
One day, the boy asked the young dragon to make him like a dragon too.
The young dragon refused, saying it was taboo and dangerous, but the boy persistently pleaded.
The young dragon was swayed by the request of his first friend.
Although he had said it was taboo, the young dragon didn't actually know why it was forbidden or how dangerous it was.
In the end, the dragon granted the boy's wish.
He shared his blood with him.
The boy was overjoyed and accepted the dragon's blood.
But a short while later, the boy felt terrible pain and regretted his actions.
After several days and nights,
The boy barely survived with the young dragon's help.
However, the boy was no longer a human or a dragon.
He beca a being unwelco by both humans and dragons.
Only the young dragon pitied him and took care of him.
But the boy couldn't endure the loneliness, depression, and the pain that visited him every night.
It didn't take long for the boy to have bad thoughts.
One night, the young dragon found the boy dying in the cave after attempting to take his own life. The young dragon was consud by guilt.
There was only one way to save the boy.
To give him his heart.
The young dragon willingly gave his heart to the boy.
The boy lived.
And he returned to his human form, gaining the dragon's power he had so desperately desired.
But he wasn't happy at all.
He knew that the price was his friend's life.
The boy regretted his foolishness and spent his life atoning, helping the weak.
That was the plot of the fairy tale, 'The Boy Who Embraced the Dragon's Power'.
***
"..."
Although it wasn't clear, things were vaguely falling into place.
Dragon's blood.
Dragon's heart.
Taboo.
Hal organized the words that ca to mind and opened the old notebook that was with the fairy tale book.
The first part of the notebook was filled with words and information written in a very passionate handwriting.
Towards the middle, it beca more organized and calm, as if writing mathematical formulas.
And towards the end, it beca like the ravings of a madman, difficult to decipher.
Hal found a seal stamped at the end of the old notebook.
A seal with the wolfsbane flower emblem.
'This is...'
It was his father's record.
After swallowing hard, Hal returned to the first page and began to examine the contents.
It wasn't easy, but he read the record carefully.
And after so ti,
Flip!
Hal quietly closed the notebook as he turned the last page.
He was confused.
What was written in the notebook was a kind of record.
And the contents of the fairy tale and the notebook's record matched surprisingly well.
Most beings who ingested dragon blood died, but a very small percentage survived.
They were neither human nor dragon and were called Dragonkin.
These Dragonkin suffered from the side effects of the dragon blood and lived short lives.
There was only one way to completely cure this condition:
To consu the heart of a dragon.
Otherwise, the pain would worsen, and they would eventually die. But most of them ended their own lives before that.
Like the boy in the fairy tale.
It was hard to believe.
Consuming a dragon's heart would cure them? But who would hunt and eat a dragon?
If such a thing had happened, there was no way Hal, or anyone else, wouldn't know about the existence of Dragonkin.
As he slowly pondered this unbelievable information, one question lingered in his mind.
The record stated that so of those who beca Dragonkin suffered from the side effect of being unable to use mana.
'...Just like .'
For so reason, he beca able to sense mana after drinking dragon blood.
But the side effects were the sa as his symptoms until recently.
'Have I beco a Dragonkin now? Or...'
Was he originally a Dragonkin?
Perhaps his father knew about his condition.
No, he must have known.
There was no way he would have conducted this research otherwise.
The notebook described various ways to cure Dragonkin, besides consuming a dragon's heart.
But only one of them had been proven true.
That was to consu additional byproducts of a dragon, including dragon blood.
Although this thod couldn't achieve a complete cure like consuming a dragon's heart, it could alleviate the pain and extend one's lifespan by gradually turning them into a being closer to a dragon.
The problem was that this act fueled violent madness.
Hal knew exactly what this symptom was.
When he consud the dragon blood given by David, he was almost swallowed by that madness.
What suppressed it was the divine power and the demonic energy absorbed from his talisman.
'I don't know why...'
But all the circumstances pointed to one thing.
He was a Dragonkin from the beginning.
Even before consuming the dragon blood David gave him.
This explained why he couldn't use mana or divine power, why he was fine after drinking dragon blood, and why his father had been collecting this research.
When?
No, why?
Was it that they had to consu dragon's blood and beco a Dragonkin?
Was David, who drank dragon blood without hesitation, also a Dragonkin? Solving one question only led to another.
But the answer to this question wasn't written anywhere.
***
Night fell.
Three people sat around the crackling fireplace.
Antonio and Daniel, each with a warm cup of tea in their hands.
Hal spoke in a low voice about the information he had found during the day.
After his long story,
"...So that's what was written in the record."
Daniel nodded with a sowhat stiff expression.
Perhaps he was bothered by the fact that Hal was terminally ill.
After a mont, he spoke, recalling his mories,
"If it's a dragon, could it be that? The one said to be sealed beneath the imperial palace..."
"Nilkaras, the Fire Dragon that Devoured God. The only existing dragon."
Hal nodded in agreent.
Nilkaras, infamous as a wicked dragon, was a being from the mythical age passed down in legends.
One of the beasts that would bring about the end of the world, recorded even in the Order's scriptures.
Obtaining its heart was practically impossible.
Just as everyone was thinking along the sa lines, a heavy silence fell.
"...Why, there are other dragons, aren't there?"
Antonio, his eyes covered with a piece of cloth, said, holding up three fingers.
Hal chuckled and replied,
"Are you referring to Daeorycia, the Earth Dragon, Diabolus, the Storm Dragon, and Recaricia, the Water Dragon?"
"Huh? You know about them?"
When Antonio asked in bewildernt, Hal calmly explained,
"They are not true dragons. They are mixed breeds, not pure dragons."
Of course, each of them was classified as a special-grade or higher being.
In other words, they were seen as demons that had to be eliminated for the sake of humanity.
Traditionally, the Order considered the strength and alien power of dragons as symbols of demonic power, but these were an exception.
Unlike the dragons in the records, these mixed breeds were closer to savage beasts.
They could speak and had intellect, but they saw humans as nothing more than prey.
They were beings that could never coexist with humanity.
However,
'Even if we defeat them and consu their hearts, it's uncertain whether it would be effective...'
And it wouldn't be easy in the first place.
Even if they were mixed breeds, they were still mythical beings that had reigned for a long ti.
Therefore, this was the direction Hal had decided on:
"It might be difficult to find an actual dragon, but there are still remnants of dragons scattered around. I'm going to gather them."
Not only strength, but also the overwhelming power that his other self had shown when it went berserk.
"...That's the most realistic option."
In reality, Hal's words ant one thing.
A complete cure was impossible, so he would choose to prolong his life.
This also ant that the closer Hal got to becoming a dragon, the stronger he could beco.
Although Hal didn't ntion it explicitly, everyone here knew that this choice was for revenge.
Daniel didn't seem to like Hal's conclusion, but he agreed.
There was no other alternative.
"I'm going to try to suppress the madness that arises from it with the marks from demons. Although I don't know why that's possible."
This part was sothing even Hal wasn't sure about.
Why the demonic energy from the talisman had been effective against the madness.
Antonio, who had been pondering for a mont after hearing those words, suddenly spoke up.
"According to the records in the Bible, dragons devour demons."
"...There's such a passage?"
It was the first ti Hal had heard of it.
Antonio nodded and continued,
"Yes. That's why relics containing the power of dragons have the energy of demon destruction."
Co to think of it, there were quite a few sacred objects related to dragons among those used to defeat demons.
Hal was sowhat convinced.
He didn't know for sure, but if he, as a Dragonkin, was considered a dragon, perhaps demons were like nutritional snacks to him.
Having cleared up so of his doubts, Hal solidified his goals.
His first goal remained unchanged: to find the demon that killed his mother and take revenge.
However, unlike before, he now had other goals.
To chase after the escaped David and make him pay for his cris.
And to retrieve the stolen key and open the basent door.
He had a hunch that these things were connected to the demon he was searching for.
This whole series of events must be a single issue connected to the tragedy of his family.
'And...'
He had one more wish.
Hal spoke with difficulty,
"There's sothing I'd like to ask of you."
"Go ahead, tell ."
"I'm ready, Hal-nim."
Antonio and Daniel straightened their postures and replied to the serious atmosphere.
Hal hesitated for a long ti, then spoke,
"...First of all, I won't be returning to the Order for a while."
"I see. It would be difficult to go on exorcism missions while gathering dragon byproducts."
He would probably live a life like a wandering rcenary, searching for information on the byproducts.
This ant that he would beco a wandering priest, a priest not affiliated with the Order.
Hal nodded and continued,
"Yes, that's right. And I need strength."
Through this exorcism mission, Hal once again realized his weakness.
He would never have made it this far with his strength alone.
He needed people to help him.
In short,
"Could you help ? It doesn't have to be right now. If the situation allows, please help when I need it."
He needed companions.
Antonio and Daniel were silent for a mont.
Then, as if on cue, they both burst into laughter.
Daniel was the first to stop laughing and speak.
"The promise I made is still valid. I'll help you as much as I can."
"I can't join you on your journey right now, but... it won't be long. No matter how long it takes, I'll be your strength, Hal-nim."
Hal was speechless for a mont.
He couldn't protect them this ti.
But they were entrusting their backs to him once again.
This ti, he would definitely protect them.
With renewed determination, Hal nodded firmly.
"Thank you."
His voice trembled, a rare occurrence.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
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