Chapter 591: A Drop of Poison

Let’s rewind time. Around the time Lugis disembarked alone onto the snowfield, and the carriage distanced itself from him, after obeying his orders.

From inside the carriage, amidst a palpable roar of resentment, a single bird flapped its wings and soared into the air. It was a small, white bird, seemingly blending into the snowfield. The bird flew through the sky with a lightness that allowed it to be tossed around by a slight gust of wind.

It would not be easy to realize, just by looking at it, that this was a transformed form of the copper dragon, Shadraput. Her transformation made her immense magical power seem diminished.

With remarkable delicacy and audacious boldness, she watched the battle between Lugis and Medic from the sky.

The reason she leaped from the carriage was simple. Partly because she was in danger of being cut down by the silver-haired giant, but also because she needed to observe how their battle would unfold.

Shadraput knew that she and the Human King would inevitably meet after his resurrection.

He reacted exceptionally strongly to demonic beings. It was a natural trait stemming from the era when demons reigned supreme over the land. Yes, where powerful beings were those who possessed abundant magical power.

With the Three Great Demons gone and Altia not yet resurrected, the beings that Medic, the Human King, reacted strongly to were limited.

For example, Lugis, who had the blood of a giant poured into his body and the breath of a spirit absorbed. But also the magical power of a dragon, in other words, Shadraput, the copper queen dragon.

Even without doing anything, Medic would eventually reach one of them. If they stayed close to each other, they would surely reach his destination.

Shadraput suddenly asked herself: Why did she go to see Lugis?

Certainly, Lugis remained alone and confronted Medic himself. Shadraput’s safety was ensured, and one could say her escape route was guaranteed.

No, but that was just a retrospection.

If Medic had sensed a strong magical power and directed his killing intent towards that power, then it would’ve been Shadraput, not Lugis, who would be facing him. So, being by Lugis’ side wouldn’t it be wise?

Therefore, that wasn’t the escape Shadraput preferred or desired. It wasn’t a choice made to ensure survival, was it? Then, why?

Leaving those questions behind, Shadraput saw Medic and Lugis clashing their weapons. Shadraput twisted her bird-like eyes.

「I see. Medic remains dramatic even after a thousand years. 」

He transcended humanity, slaying spirits, giants, and dragons. That King showed, for the first time, that a weaker race could overcome a stronger one. His spear handling alone exuded military glory.

But the one who wielded his treasure weapon was also a transcendent being.

Having devoured spirits, giants, and dragons, he reigned as Medic’s enemy.

Strangely, Lugis seemed to be enjoying himself. Even though he was on the brink of death, facing a powerful hero as his enemy, he seemed to be rejoicing at that fact.

Perhaps, his only remaining enemies were those of myth.

Shadraput watched both of them with her eyes fixed on the clash of their weapons. She realized her chest was convulsing. The rising pulse made her blood quicken.

She realized something that shouldn’t be happening was happening. No, perhaps she had realized it much sooner. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here.

The beginning must have been the battle against the Spirit Goddess Zebrililith. That was truly a battle fought on thin ice.

Just like with Vrilligant, it was a victory achieved by grasping a miracle. One wrong step and Lugis, the Elven Queen, and even Shadraput herself, would have been annihilated.

But he won. Lugis won.

He was far from perfect, but there was still an absolute certainty around him. Shadraput had tasted a trivial victory for the first time in a long while.

…Who could deny that it was a sweet poison?

A battle with no end in sight. A struggle in the darkness, a fight to determine which side the scales would tip, squeezing out every last drop of flesh and blood. An amusement for those with short lifespans.

She knew it wasn’t something a long-lived dragon should conceive. She had even ignored it, considering it foolish.

But the poison was always enveloped in a sweet taste.

She wanted to taste another drop. The urge to drink it all scratched her throat.

So that was it, Shadraput understood surprisingly easily. That was why she had come to him instead of running away.

She looked down again. She saw Lugis receiving Medic’s secret technique head-on.

It couldn’t be helped. When it came to the ability to deal with unusual beings, Medic would likely come out on top.

…But that wouldn’t do. Shadraput couldn’t let it end here.

In an instant, the white bird transformed. Its feathers hardened into scales, and it took on a coppery color, leaping gracefully. With the wings of a dragon growing from a human body, Shadraput roared in a song-like voice.

—

The roar of a dragon reverberated through the air. A deafening sound, capable of paralyzing the air and shattering the heavens, remained unchanged even after a thousand years. No, rather, its power only increased with time.

The dragon’s roar…the Human King Medic sensed the owner of this terrifying voice.

「The Copper Queen…What? After a thousand years, she’s still alive? 」

It was unbelievable. Even though he knew it was impossible, the idea that she had been resurrected, just like himself, made more sense to him.

Medic remembered her. One of the three great bloodlines that controlled the dragon race: Gold, Silver, and Copper.

Eyes that surveyed all things. Wings that claimed the heavens. Copper scales that could only have been crafted by a celestial master. After the young dragon named Vrilligant became the King of Dragons, the dragon noblewoman, though still subservient to him, continued to reign as Queen.

Medic tightened his grip on his spear while astonished by the fact that this tyrannical dragon had survived for over a thousand years.

「Hmph! 」

He kicked off the ground, instantly escaping the current situation. He knew the power of the extreme flames that she spewed. It was a being capable of turning an entire snowfield into a barren wasteland.

Naturally, he anticipated the flames coming towards him and dodged…but the aim was surprisingly weak.

Not only did he easily dodge with a light leap, but it didn’t even pursue him, which was strange. Had her fighting instincts diminished over a thousand years?

「No. That’s not it. So, that’s your new King, huh…Copper Queen. 」

Medic immediately realized that her deadly flames weren’t meant to burn him to death, nor to reduce this entire area to a scorched wasteland.

The flames were created to separate Lugis and Medic. A dragon could create a wall of fire in a single breath if it so desired. The brightly rising flames even obscured his vision.

Medic understood Lugis’ position just by looking at this scene.

The Copper Queen Dragon was cunning. Despite her tyrannical nature, she rarely showed herself to humans. It was as if she only revealed her scales when she was about to kill someone.

And yet, she had deliberately roared, entangling Medic’s consciousness, and even exposed a wall of fire to separate him from Lugis.

…She would only do something like that to protect her King.

Medic could cut through the wall of flames and advance, but the problem laid beyond.

That man was waiting. Medic was certain he would be standing there, with a sword in hand. He could die if he rushed in recklessly.

The situation suddenly became a stalemate. Medic had to wait for a moment since he had to face both the Copper Dragon and the Great Evil now.

「…If only there had been someone like that in my time. But this is quite different from what I was told. 」

Medic muttered to himself without lowering his guard. He was thinking of the man he was facing.

He had heard that Lugis was the cause of this war, a villain. But Medic didn’t seem to think so. It felt like there was a discrepancy with what Baronuis had told him.

Medic snorted in response.

Lugis’ presence vanished from beyond the wall of flames. And thus Medic finally lowered his spear after sensing that the copper dragon’s magic had also faded. He had no intention of pursuing them. In fact, he felt a slight relief that the battle hadn’t ended here.

「This is a bit suspicious. Something smells fishy. 」

Medic’s aim was the capital of the Gharast Kingdom. He believed that the great evil, the mastermind of this war, would be there, and that defeating him would bring everything to an end.

It was an incredibly short-sighted, incredibly reckless action. Yet, Medic possessed the potential to even accomplish it.

But Medic simply turned on his heel. His shoulders were hunched, and a deep frown creased his eyebrows.

「I have a bad feeling. I heard the war with the demons was over, but the smell of evil still lingers everywhere. It’s bizarre, strange, and abnormal. Why wasn’t my nose working properly until now? 」

Medic sniffed several times. This strange feeling wouldn’t leave his mind. It was also strange to feel relieved that the enemy had escaped. Only a sense of unease enveloped his skin.

Come to think of it…he had this feeling on the day he died.

Medic narrowed his eyes as he stepped through the ground. He wasn’t heading towards the capital anymore. He was walking with a posture that suggested he was trying to remember something.

In the distant capital, the sound of a great bell was ringing out loud.

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