I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 36
The man who had stopped the carriage approached Ferda.
He pulled out something he had been hiding.
Ferda was about to discharge the mana sphere coiled around his hand.
But he stopped.
In the split second before the mana sphere could fly, Ferda held his strike.
What the man held in his arms was not a weapon, but a piece of cloth.
“The Emperor has betrayed the faith of his subjects!”
The ambush on the carriage was for the sake of a protest.
“He ignores the suffering of the people, filling his own belly while continuing his incompetent rule! Those who suck our lifeblood are not sons of light!”
The man’s actions successfully drew everyone’s attention, just as intended.
Knight Captain Marco shouted, the veins in his neck bulging.
“What are you all doing?! Subdue him at once!”
“Yes, sir!”
Soldiers wielding weapons dragged the protester down from the carriage and began a brutal beating with their clubs.
“Ack! Argh! People of the Empire! Rise up! We are not slaves!”
“You bastard! Shut your mouth!”
Beaten and bloodied, the man was hauled away. He left the main road, trailing blood behind him.
The people standing in the capital began to go about their business, turning away as if nothing had happened.
“Oh dear, haha! I apologize for showing you such an unsightly scene.”
Knight Captain Marco apologized. The knight tried to gloss over the situation with a laugh.
Rather than joining in the laughter, Ferda kept his gaze on the man being dragged away.
“Who is that man? He seemed to have a grievance.”
“A grievance? You mustn’t be fooled by such a display. They are demon followers.”
“Demon followers?”
“Yes.”
Marco spoke seriously.
“Lately, as we’ve entered a golden age, demons have been trying to gain influence. They don’t hesitate to slander His Imperial Majesty with absurd agitation.”
That was Marco’s explanation.
However, Ferda knew the truth, and Marco knew it well himself.
‘That man is no demon follower.’
He looked as if he hadn’t eaten properly for at least three days. He was starving, and since there was nothing else he could do, he had come out in desperation to cry out against the atrocities.
Ferda decided to react no differently than any other noble.
“I see.”
He showed neither surprise at the revelation nor signs of understanding. Ferda simply gave a gesture of indifference.
Only then would these people feel at ease.
With the surprise protest crushed, the carriage began to roll again.
Ferda watched the scenery of the prosperous capital and thought.
‘Is such an empire truly necessary?’
Truthfully, Ferda didn’t care what happened to it. Whether it perished, continued to rot from within, or faced a revolution—he was content to let things take their course.
But Valdrova was different.
Who was that woman? Although she possessed a body that had protected the Serdes Continent while traversing the harshest of paths, her spirit was like a flower grown in a greenhouse.
She was a pure woman who wished for everyone to be happy. From her perspective, the Empire’s actions were evil and intolerable.
‘And yet, she does not act.’
Because she focused her mission solely on stopping the monsters. And forcing her to handle such complex matters would be nothing short of abuse.
‘Internal affairs are my responsibility.’
Ferda had to make a decision for Valdrova’s sake. That was why he had written three letters.
Every single one of them was trash; trying to weigh their merits to choose the lesser evil was a fool’s errand.
‘It’s better to just roll the dice.’
Ferda replaced those dice with three letters. He would go to whoever reached out first. That was all.
The carriage entered the Imperial Palace, and Ferda stepped out. The palace was a magnificent sight of grand pillars made of granite. Everything was unrealistically vast, to the point where it wouldn’t be out of place to call it a dwelling for gods.
The Imperial Guard was lined up to welcome the guest. And at the end of that line stood one who carried the Great Blood, waiting to greet him.
Ferda’s expression stiffened the moment he saw the figure.
Surely not. There was no way.
He tried to block out the reality forcing its way in with such denials.
‘The one person I deliberately didn’t choose… is the one who comes out…’
Indeed, the person who had come to meet Ferda was not the Emperor. It was not the 1st Prince, nor was it the 2nd Prince.
“Greetings, Regent of Valdrova.”
The Princess of the Arken Empire, to whom he had pointedly not sent a single letter.
“I am Olivia Arken.”
It was Olivia Arken.
“I greet the Princess of the Empire.”
Ferda paid his respects reflexively. Even as he bowed his head, he felt as though he was still being toyed with by a giant hand.
‘Fate.’
The theory of mana fatalism—that all mana is determined by destiny. Ferda had been thinking a lot about that fate lately. And so, in this moment, he thought:
Was destiny truly predetermined? For the Princess, to whom he hadn’t sent a letter, to be the one to answer.
‘As I thought…’
Doubt tilted toward certainty.
‘The Empire must be destined for ruin.’
Olivia Arken.
The woman called the Golden Rose of the Empire was truly beautiful. With blonde hair and blue eyes, she possessed a slender waist and a full bosom like her mother’s, captivating the hearts of men. Her innocent gaze and mannerisms triggered a protective instinct.
Radiating an uncontrollable charm through her appearance, she was a woman who would be highly coveted even if she laid down her status. Any man would surely find it his greatest wish to be hosted by Olivia Arken.
“I didn’t know what to prepare, so I brought the black tea I enjoy. I hope it suits your palate.”
Olivia offered the teacup with a bashful expression.
“His Imperial Majesty and my brothers are busy with official duties, so I came out personally. I hope this hasn’t offended you?”
She tilted her head slightly, looking up at him with her blue eyes. She wore the face of a pitiful young girl.
In truth, they weren’t busy with official duties. They had simply discarded Ferda’s letters as if they were trifles, and the Princess had been the only one to snap at the bait.
“Not at all. It is an honor to meet Olivia Arken, who is called the greatest beauty of the Serdes Continent.”
They were empty words.
“I’m just grateful you say so. Though I am lacking, I will do my best to lead our conversation.”
Olivia smiled brightly and pumped her fists as if to say they should both do their best.
“You mentioned that you wish to attend the Grand Council. Do you happen to know where it is held?”
“Yes. Is it not the absolute sanctuary of the White Dragon, Blancaros—commonly known as the White House?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The absolute neutral zone created by Blancaros, the White Dragon and Master of Order and Spears. It was a place where wars were mediated and issues spanning the continent were discussed.
‘At one time, even my name was being bandied about there.’
In a place focused on the problems of nations and organizations, it was rare for an individual to be discussed. Yet Ferda’s name had been on their lips. Had he been targeted by the Grand Council, Ferda would undoubtedly have been designated a public enemy and subjected to concentrated fire. Even Ferda, who believed trials made him stronger, would not have survived that.
However, Ferda had been able to escape it.
‘The Arken Emperor.’
The Emperor was useful in many ways. He seemed incompetent, but when it came to his own power, he was a man who used his head like a demon. The Emperor had sided with Ferda, and in return, Ferda had solidified the Emperor’s grip on power.
“Attendance at the Grand Council is open to officials of Duke rank or higher. Your spouse, Lady Valdrova, is a Duke and a Red Dragon, so you may participate as her representative, Ferda-nim!”
“There will be those who won’t look kindly on me attending as a representative. Will it be alright?”
Ferda probed her, feigning a lack of confidence. Olivia nodded vigorously.
“It’s fine! Are you not the Guardian of the Far East? You have more than enough right to express your opinions there.”
Classic Olivia. She was quite skilled at saying things that made people feel good immediately. Even though it was something that could easily offend Ferda if he thought about it for a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to get angry. Olivia was a woman with that kind of bewitching quality.
“And besides, it’s standard for dragons to send representatives.”
“If it’s a representative… I suppose it would be a Spawn.”
“There are Spawns, and there are those who are simply human.”
Though he already knew, Ferda asked her because he didn’t know the exact details.
“Which dragons are coming with representatives?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure. It’s quite fluid. As you know, dragons are beings whose next move no one can predict.”
As she spoke, she suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, looking startled.
“Oh my, I’ve gone and spoken ill of them. I didn’t mean it that way!”
“It’s fine. Please continue.”
“Uh, well, so… the ones who attend regularly are Silverwind-nim, Orosagrado-nim, Iorga-nim, and Storeus-nim.”
The Silver Dragon, Master of Iron and Wind. The Gold Dragon, master of faith and light. The Blue Dragon, master of magic and water. The Grey Dragon, master of storms and lightning.
‘The one sending a human rather than a Spawn would be Orosagrado, the Gold Dragon.’
Orosagrado was the dragon who had built his own Holy Kingdom in the mid-western region, a being who was faith itself. Because he believed anyone could have faith in him, he did not create Spawns.
“Thank you for the answer.”
“Not at all. I’m the one who should be thankful.”
Olivia’s eyebrows arched alluringly.
“The fact that the Duke’s husband is attending means our Empire can gain great strength.”
“I am still merely the Regent. I do not hold such status.”
“Once you marry Her Grace the Duke, won’t you obtain that status as well, Ferda-nim?”
“Even if we marry, I will remain the Regent.”
“Oh my, why?”
Olivia covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes sparkling.
“I did not come here for power. I have taken this position purely to look after our Duchy.”
“Ah, I see. Hmm, hmm…”
For a fleeting moment, Olivia’s gaze turned sharp. But it quickly returned to its airy atmosphere as if it had been an illusion.
“You’re quite the devoted husband. I wish I could meet a partner like you, Ferda-nim.”
Olivia let out a long sigh.
“His Imperial Majesty, my father… it seems he doesn’t want me to get married. Everyone else’s marriage is being decided, yet I’m still alone… It’s so sad.”
Olivia pouted and feigned crying while looking at him with deep, soulful eyes. Her gestures carried the nuance that she could even go to a man like him. Of course, such tactics didn’t work on Ferda in the slightest.
“You will find someone. A good match often comes at the most unexpected moment.”
“Hehe, thank you for the kind words.”
Now that he had heard about the Grand Council, Ferda decided to move on to his true purpose.
“On my way here today, I saw those called demon followers in the Empire stage an attack.”
“Oh my, is that so? How frightening…”
Olivia trembled slightly.
“I’ve heard things have been very unsettling lately. I used to sneak out with the maids to buy snacks, but ever since they said the demons are gaining power, they’ve started tightening security.”
“The state of affairs has certainly not been good.”
“But we are protected by the great light, Alte! As long as that light watches over the Emperor, nothing can threaten the Empire.”
She was speaking like a woman whose head was filled with flower gardens.
“However, subversive elements are like monsters. If they aren’t dealt with in time, they often pollute the land and turn it into a wasteland.”
“Mmm… I agree. To protect our subjects, the demon followers need to be eradicated.”
Olivia nodded with a look of tension. Ferda made his proposal to her then.
It was time to lay the foundation of his plan.
“Then why not take this opportunity to deal with those demon followers?”
“Of course, I would love to if I could… but we’ve searched high and low for their hideout and found nothing.”
It wasn’t so much that the Imperial soldiers were incompetent, but rather that the Empire was unnecessarily vast. Unless they launched a localized, simultaneous raid, suppressing the faction was a difficult task. Therefore, Ferda had come prepared for that.
“There have been demon followers in our territory recently as well. This was found among one of their belongings.”
Ferda pulled out a paper wrapped in cloth and placed it on the table. The paper was covered in unrecognizable characters. Olivia picked it up without hesitation to examine it.
“This… what on earth is it?”
“It is Demon Language.”
“Kyaaa!”
Olivia let out a startled cry and dropped the paper. She wiped her hands with a perfumed handkerchief as if they had been defiled.
“Why would Demon Language be… this is something only true demon followers would use, isn’t it?”
“Yes. When I showed it to the scribe at our castle, he said it was Demon Language. For a detailed decryption, it must be left to a magic investigator.”
Olivia looked down at the paper written in Demon Language, her face clouded with thought. The innocence she had shown just moments ago was nowhere to be found. She knew this was no time to play the fool or act coy.
After a moment of thought, Olivia raised her hand slightly. The butler standing behind her like a folding screen bowed his head.
“Please give your command.”
“Summon a magic investigator at once. This is urgent.”
Demons were forbidden entities on the Serdes Continent, with no exceptions. Thus, there were few who could look upon Demon Language without their skin crawling. Within the Empire, only the magic investigators who probed heresy and demonology, and the senior scholars who archived and researched all information, were an exception.
The man introduced as Yuren, the magic investigator, looked at the paper Ferda had handed over and spoke with a grim face.
“This… is definitely Demon Language.”
“Oh dear…”
Olivia let out a groan. Despite the slight trembling of her body, her eyes didn’t waver for a second.
“Do you know what it means?”
“Yes. This indicates a location. And that place is…”
Yuren pulled a map from his subspace storage, spread it out, and pointed to a single spot.
“It points exactly to the interior of the underground sewers of the Imperial Capital.”
