I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 102
Chapter 102
After finishing her conversation with the Armor Knight, Erica went to see Ferda.
Her features were familiar to him, but the crucial elements were slightly different.
She was in a state that completely mimicked a human, with no horns, tail, or wings.
Nominally, it was a visit from the Platinum-class adventurer, ‘Eri.’
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. The seizures have subsided, and I’ve recovered to the point where I can use a light amount of magic.”
For a human, it would have taken three years of mana cultivation to recover from such internal damage, but she had healed in just three hours.
Like dragons who spend their lives researching magic, even deep internal injuries showed a rapid healing ability as if they were minor wounds.
“I heard that not many adventurers participated in this incident.”
Erica brought up the uncomfortable topic first.
“Yes. It seems so.”
“Don’t worry, we are currently compiling a list of those pieces of trash and proceeding with the revocation of their qualifications.”
Foul language was mixed into her formal tone, yet it didn’t feel out of place at all.
And what was there to worry about?
If he hadn’t expected anything from them in the first place, there was no sense of betrayal.
Those who are greedy to claim the first rewards are always like that.
‘Still, this is a village being built to accommodate adventurers, yet only pests are flocking to it.’
Doesn’t this make building it meaningless?
Revoking qualifications was one thing, but a countermeasure was needed in its own right.
“We will handle the countermeasures somehow. You only need to lend us your name, Regent-nim.”
“Will my name be of any help?”
“With the Tower Master of Blue Eyes and the consort of Valdroba joined together, it’s at least possible to take the head of the current Association President.”
How could a mere human escape the influence of two dragons?
It was a serious problem that could not be solved even by mobilizing personal connections.
“Well, only harsh words will come out of discussing such matters, so let’s not mention it further. We have something else we must face right now.”
Erica spoke of only one thing.
“You mean Gokma.”
“Yes. Since he hadn’t shown himself, I naturally thought he was dead, but it’s that guy.”
Gokma.
One of Godwin’s Seven Malignant Stars, meaning one of the seven trusted subordinates recognized by the Demon King—calamitous beings who once exerted the deepest influence over the continent.
Among them, the most underrated star was undoubtedly Gokma.
The situation left no choice.
Because he lost his life to the kitchen knife of a Hero who had just awakened, there was a lack of objective data to evaluate him.
That death became the catalyst that awakened a sense of vigilance toward humans, and the demons began to struggle desperately to prevent the birth of a hero.
“I didn’t know that Gokma would be this strong.”
“Is he strong even compared to the other Six Evil Stars?”
“It wasn’t at a level where comparison was possible. At least, from what I felt just now….”
He might even be comparable to the Demon King.
However, she didn’t say that out loud.
It was because Erica wasn’t certain herself.
She thought such a judgment might be an excuse born from the fear and shame of her own defeat.
Ferda also recalled the image of Gokma he had seen with his own eyes.
A body entirely covered by a robe.
Inside, there was a slender body similar to his own and red eyes.
‘White hands.’
The demons Ferda knew had black skin.
“Are the Noblesse-class white?”
“No. Even the Demon King had black skin, and the same goes for the other subordinates.”
“Gokma was different.”
“Yes. Indeed. I was curious about that as well.”
Ferda remembered it clearly, and it was the same for Erica.
The color of the fingers reaching out from the robe was definitely white.
“Perhaps that’s one of the reasons he could be so strong. If we assume he repeatedly used the power left by Godwin to undergo transformation and alteration to maximize his own strength….”
“That’s a possibility.”
While the truth was unknown, Ferda agreed with those words to some extent.
Wasn’t the Dark Elf named Linne also making a drug that could turn someone into a Knight-class demon in an instant?
They learn from the past and prepare to move toward the future.
If there is an opportunity, they will not hesitate.
So as not to leave the word ’next’ for the humans.
“I don’t know why those guys touched Hestia Village. It doesn’t seem like their intention was to finish it off because it was an eyesore….”
The number of wolf monsters Gokma sent to the village was fifteen.
However, the number of monsters he poured out to aid his escape was four times that.
If he had poured that number into the village from the start, at least dozens would have died and hundreds would have been injured.
That half-hearted attempt must have been a probe.
Then, what was the probe for?
It was difficult for them to understand why a demon, who usually only desires certain destruction, would conduct a probe.
“For now, it would be best to build a wall first.”
Erica suggested.
“Do you think the demons will come again?”
“Given their methods, it’s unlikely they’ll return, but the people living there think differently.”
“That’s a valid point.”
For now, he had to look at it from the perspective of the public, not a leader.
In any case, an incident had occurred, and casualties had arisen.
That corpse lying on the road could have been them.
A seed of anxiety had been planted in them.
If they stayed in this city, they would eventually meet such a fate.
Before this winter passed,
Perhaps tomorrow,
No, it could be tonight.
It was better to show them, even if just for display, that they were being protected.
‘They always say manpower is short….’
If a wall were built, the manpower assigned to urban planning would decrease.
The trend of infrastructure construction would naturally shrink as well.
It was a headache-inducing variable for Isabella, who was in the middle of urban planning.
“Let’s leave the city issues at that and talk about the item I brought.”
Erica took something out of her pocket and placed it on the table.
It was an amulet embedded with an orange-colored gemstone.
“It’s an Anti-Demon Talisman.”
The concept of the item she had mentioned before they formed an alliance.
To Ferda, who had heard it was still in the research stage, it felt early.
“We need to test how much demonic energy it can actually block in the Land of Demons, but if I were to predict, it can shield 95% of the penetrating demonic energy.”
“That means 5% still gets in.”
“Even that 5% is an amazing achievement if we’re talking about the interior of the Land of Demons. It allows humans to set foot in a place where they originally shouldn’t go.”
“How long can one hold out that way?”
“Three days if you take risks. The safe range would be about a day.”
A day.
“Won’t it take time to detoxify after being exposed to demonic energy?”
“We scholars of Blue Eyes recommend about fifteen days of rest.”
“So you have to work for one day and rest for fifteen.”
“Yes, it’s too long.”
Adventuring is originally a job where the preparation period is longer than the action, but fifteen days was far too long.
Since it involves exploring unexplored regions, it’s hard to produce results.
Most of all, the problem was that it gave one too much time to think.
‘Deep thought is poison in an adventure.’
When one must embrace danger, one shouldn’t think too much.
When thoughts multiply, one naturally becomes afraid, and fear leads to depression.
Depression is a deadly poison that ends the life of an adventure.
“The profession of an adventurer isn’t something viewed through efficiency, but even considering that, it’s not good. It would be truly great if we could reduce it by about a week….”
“A week….”
Is there a way to solve it?
Ferda thought for a moment but soon stopped.
In any case, this wasn’t something Ferda could solve with his own abilities.
Therefore, he replied:
“I will inform Bernel.”
“That genius scholar? The one who recently made a contribution in Halim?”
Erica asked with a face full of expectation.
It was the first time she had shown such anticipation upon hearing a human’s name.
“Could that person solve it?”
“He should be able to.”
He didn’t know how he would solve it, but Erica didn’t raise any doubts.
‘If it’s Regent Ferda’s person, it might be possible.’
His resourcefulness was among the top even compared to all the humans she had ever encountered, let alone those of his age.
She was even afraid that trying to look into his mind might instead reveal her own shallowness.
Erica believed that Ferda possessed a wisdom of his own that she couldn’t understand.
In truth, he didn’t have a proper plan either.
Ferda thought:
‘Bernel will figure it out somehow.’
Ferda still didn’t know how magical engineering worked.
In fact, even the assistants working under Bernel could only understand a fraction of the content—how could Ferda understand it?
So, the answer in his head was that it was uncertain if Bernel could actually do it.
Still, since Bernel was a genius of magical engineering, he would provide some kind of answer.
Bernel was the only one being ground down by such vagueness.
* * *
Late at night, after all work was finished,
Ruri went down to Valdroba’s lair.
As usual, she was carrying a summary of information to discuss the state of affairs.
However, her expression was not as usual.
Her face looked as if she were going to face a prisoner locked in a dungeon.
“Master, it’s Ruri. I’m coming in.”
She entered Valdroba’s lair through a small side door.
“Master, what I have to tell you today is—.”
Ruri’s words were cut short.
The great dragon’s lair did not hold the great aspect draped in red scales as usual.
Instead, a small woman was kneeling without her armor.
“Why are you sitting in seiza?”
She looked down at that figure and asked as if it were absurd.
“That….”
Valdroba answered in a flustered voice.
“Because Ruri will be angry…?”
“I’m not angry.”
“Really?”
“I’m just… a little disappointed.”
Valdroba fidgeted with her fingers and bowed her head low.
Those words sounded more painful than anger.
“But, Ruri-ya….”
“Yes.”
“How did you know?”
“…Looking at Valdroba-nim’s behavior, there was no way I wouldn’t notice. It was that behavior that made me think of the armor’s functions.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“It didn’t seem entirely so. Ferda-nim doesn’t know, does he?”
“I see.”
Valdroba let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing that, Ruri’s expression turned slightly fierce.
“It’s too early to be relieved.”
Ruri took something out and showed it to her.
The Rumor of Disaster was opened.
“Looking at the records, it seems you are active under the name Armor Knight.”
“Ye, yes….”
“And you’ve already been working here for several months.”
“That’s right….”
Valdroba’s shoulders slumped heavily.
“Vow of Silence. How very clever. If you had spoken, Ferda-nim would have noticed immediately.”
“That… happened unintentionally as I went along….”
“I suppose so. There’s no way Valdroba-nim would act so meticulously.”
Ruri let out a sigh.
“Is what you are doing now a pastime as a human?”
“It’s not a pastime. I-I’m helping the humans.”
“….”
Right.
This couldn’t even be called a pastime.
A dragon’s pastime usually refers to when they do things that ordinary humans cannot handle.
The main purpose is to leave behind great achievements or infamy before suddenly disappearing, flaunting the dragon’s greatness later on.
It should be like that,
But what dragon would disguise themselves as a human and work as a laborer carrying loads at a construction site?
That was neither a great achievement nor a mere pastime—it was something that would become a laughingstock.
As a dragon’s maidservant, Ruri was not pleased with this.
She wanted Valdroba to treat her power and reputation with more care.
“But you see….”
However, without knowing such feelings, Valdroba smiled brightly and held something out.
“I worked hard and saved this much money!”
She proudly showed her a pouch.
Inside, copper and silver coins were mixed together.
Ruri felt her emotions boiling over.
She could get more money than this just by kicking an item in the warehouse and dragging it out.
She was displeased by the sight of her finding fulfillment in such a pittance.
She had to get angry.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. I like it.”
“What is so good about it?”
“I felt like… I could make something without breaking it.”
“….”
Upon hearing those words, her anger subsided remarkably.
Ruri knew.
That inside the self-loathing she casually threw out while smiling so purely, there was a fathomless abyss.
Because only Ruri had looked deep into that inner self, she could reprimand her and also pity her.
The joy was only momentary.
Valdroba’s head tilted toward the floor.
“But… in the end, I ended up breaking things again. Is that all I can do?”
Valdroba scratched her cheek and chuckled emptily.
“How could that be? Valdroba-nim is the Aspect of Power; you can do things far greater than that.”
Ruri wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
Valdroba leaned her head slightly against her.
“But the people were scared. Because I broke things again….”
“It was just because they were in shock. You know, don’t you? Humans are foolish. Even if they fear what’s immediately in front of them, once they reflect on it, they will soon realize your deed and praise you.”
Valdroba raised her head and looked at Ruri.
Her golden eyes were moist.
“Will they?”
“Why don’t you go see for yourself with your own eyes? While wearing that armor.”
At Ruri’s words, Valdroba’s eyes widened.
“Can I… keep doing that job?”
“You may.”
“Even though Ruri dislikes it?”
“How could a mere servant stop the Master’s will?”
Things had come to this point; she couldn’t dare to do so.
‘If such a trivial pastime can soothe her heart even a little and heal her wounds….’
How could she call it a foolish act and tell her to stop?
Even if it deviated from the dignity of a dragon, she would willingly endure it if it meant she could be a little happier.
“Then, then….”
Valdroba asked her one more thing with an excited face.
“Can I also become Ferda-ssi’s knight?”
Ruri felt the limits of her patience already.
“…Why do you want to do that?”
“Well… because then I could see Ferda-ssi often?”
She spoke while fidgeting with her fingers.
“Don’t you see him often already?”
“O-Of course I see him often… I do see him, but….”
Valdroba scratched her cheek and answered.
“He looked a little… cool, being different from usual.”
“…Cool?”
“Ferda-ssi always treats me kindly, so I always thought he was just a kind person. But….”
“But…?”
“Seeing him act a bit cold made it feel like we were strangers, and because of that….”
Valdroba blushed.
Her face was no different from a female in love.
“I guess my heart fluttered a bit?”
“….”
At that, the fire was instantly lit within Ruri’s heart, which had calmed down.
A light named responsibility was burning fiercely in her eyes.
“Master.”
“Yes?”
“Sit in seiza.”
“Ye, yes?? Why?”
“I am beginning the lecture.”
The Rumor of Disaster opened in earnest, and Valdroba’s complexion turned pale.
She teared up with a pained face, but those tears only led to more material for the lecture.
* * *
Following Ruri’s words, Valdroba visited Hestia Village again.
The same looking armor and behavior.
She was exactly the same as the Armor Knight, without hiding anything.
‘They are looking at me.’
She could clearly feel their gazes.
Along with the sound of whispering.
—A monster has come.
—Another monster that kills people….
—Kyaaaak!
The auditory hallucinations felt from those gazes tormented her persistently.
‘Should I just go back after all?’
Her two legs, which had never wavered under any attack, shook due to her fragile heart.
“Knight-nim.”
The fog cleared, and she returned to reality.
A young girl had boldly approached and was standing in front of her.
That girl was the small child who had been caught by the low-life adventurers.
The child who had almost been devoured by a monster’s maw.
And,
The child who had seen her as a monster.
“Tha….”
The girl opened her mouth with difficulty and held something out.
“Thank you for saving me.”
It was a flower.
a common wild flower that one could find anywhere in the forest.
However, Valdroba held that flower as if it were more precious than anything else.
The gap-toothed smile the girl wore was more beautiful than anything.
