Translator: Nox

I Married the Dragon I Killed

Chapter 40

The head of Yuren, severed by Zed.

Before it could even hit the floor, Ferda fired a magic arrow and detonated it.

Crunch!

Fragments of the shattered head splattered in every direction.

“Gah!”

Zed reflexively shielded his face.

He spat several times, checking if anything had entered his mouth, and shouted at Ferda.

“Hey! Why did you suddenly blow his head up?!”

Ferda calmly wiped a smudge of blood from his cheek with his thumb and replied.

“I had to be certain.”

“No, I mean, people die just fine when their heads are separated from their bodies. Was the double tap really necessary?”

“The demon isn’t the problem. At the very least, this is better than the Regent suddenly being so skilled with a blade that he could decapitate someone.”

“Ah, I see your point.”

Zed looked down at Yuren’s corpse, which he had slain.

The marks of a single thrust followed by a decisive slash were clearly visible.

For a 3rd Circle Mage who was supposed to have fought a messy battle, it looked far too physical.

Zed decided to mar the cut surface to disguise the death as the result of an explosion.

“So…”

Having finished the preparations, Zed looked at Ferda with resentful eyes.

“You said you only needed the eyes?”

“And did you bring only the eyes?”

Zed chuckled as if the question was absurd.

“Do you think I’m crazy enough to believe that?”

Truly, the makings of a master thief.

Even with vague instructions, his impeccable work was reliable.

“By the way, you’re later than I expected.”

“A lot happened. I was moving while avoiding people’s eyes, and I had a bit of bad luck getting caught, but…”

Zed recalled the moment.

His expression soured for a second before he smirked.

“Well, meeting that man actually made things safer and allowed me to finish without any loose ends.”

“Who did you meet?”

“A man named Karl from the Eradication Squad. The one you reined in, Regent-nim.”

As soon as Ferda heard the name, an involuntary “Ah” escaped his lips.

Karl.

The man Ferda had placed a dog collar on.

“It was much easier thanks to him. He’s currently standing in as the warehouse keeper.”

“I see.”

“More importantly, is your leg okay?”

Zed asked, gesturing toward Ferda’s leg.

Though the flow of blood had slowed, he was still hemorrhaging.

Without waiting for an answer, Zed leaned toward his leg.

“Let’s stop the bleeding first. We need to apply pressure with a bandage or something.”

“I have a handkerchief; I’ll handle it myself.”

Everything had to be meticulous from start to finish.

With that thought, Ferda wrapped the cloth around his leg.

He tried to tie a knot to secure it, but the knot was loose.

Even under normal circumstances, Ferda lacked physical strength, and in his anemic state, tightening it was difficult.

“Give it here.”

Unable to watch any longer, Zed brushed Ferda’s hands aside and firmly secured the wound with the handkerchief.

“Let’s make it look like… you used the last of your strength to stop the bleeding. Who wouldn’t do everything they could right before death?”

“Yes, that’s not a bad angle.”

“So, what now? Do I carry you out of here? If so, there’ll be a bit of a surcharge for the extra cargo.”

Ferda shook his head.

“I’d prefer if you stuck to the commission. Do you see the book with the black cover and silver chains over there?”

Ferda pointed to where a single book lay.

“Yes, I see it. Do I take that?”

“There should be some golden silk that was used when transporting Gamigin’s necromancy. Wrap the book in that and take it safely to the carriage we arrived in.”

Zed wrapped Barbatos’s Shadow Art in the cloth he had brought.

His eyes never left Ferda’s leg.

“Are you really going to be okay? Should I call someone?”

“There is no need to worry.”

“Hey, you’ve lost this much blood. Of course I’m worried.”

“People don’t die from just this much.”

Zed scratched his head, troubled.

Ferda kept saying he was fine, but his injuries were severe enough that leaving him like this felt wrong.

“So, did you find the information?”

“Not yet. I heard the ruckus down here first and came to handle that.”

“Then don’t waste time and find it quickly.”

“Is that what’s important right now? Huh? You look like you’re about to die, Regent-nim…”

“Wasn’t that information something you wanted even if it cost you your life?”

The reason Zed had flirted with ugly women and run gambling scams to extort money from nobles was because he had a clear goal.

Zed had nothing left.

The Red Eye Tribe had been massacred, and he was the only survivor.

His last memory was of his younger sister being dragged away by thugs.

For him, who had no family left, that hope was everything.

“A contract is a contract. My performing my part was based on the condition that you obtain what you desire.”

“…”

Zed looked displeased.

But on the other hand, he felt he had to honor a determination that fierce.

Zed stood up and made a sincere request to Ferda.

“Don’t die.”

Zed moved.

Even though he was running at full speed, not a single footstep could be heard.

‘As expected, he’s a natural.’

With that thought of admiration, Ferda leaned against the wall.

He caught his breath while leaning against a display case.

His mana was depleted, and in his anemic state, his mind was pushed to the limit.

The fact that Yuren had entered the Sealed Storage was recorded; if he didn’t emerge on time, an emergency team would be dispatched.

‘In terms of time… about 20 minutes?’

In his current state, where every second was urgent, it was an incredibly long time.

Especially in a place like this.

Ferda was weakened, and a weakened prey was the ultimate target for a predator.

Moreover, the sinister energy of the cursed grimoires began to encroach upon him.

—Won’t you play with me?

—How about making a contract with me? I’ll give you the power to destroy the world.

—Come here. I shall personally take you in.

From childish tones to solemn voices, they groped Ferda’s entire body, trying to slither inside him.

To a simple listener, they sounded like beings possessing immense or mysterious power.

But Ferda knew better.

These were nothing but miscellaneous demons whose names weren’t even known.

Their prices and conditions were pathetic, and the power they offered was equally miserable.

‘Must I listen to the words of such lowly things?’

Perhaps that was why.

Even in this high-tension situation, he found himself yawning.

The malice they harbored was insufficient to penetrate the gaps in Ferda’s mind.

After a moment, the voices ceased all at once.

It wasn’t because they had retreated before Ferda’s iron will.

Something of a much higher rank was approaching.

‘Here it comes.’

Suddenly, the darkness within Ferda’s vision deepened.

No sooner had he felt a physiological sense of dread than a chilling cold enveloped him.

Soon, someone appeared before Ferda.

—You damned mortal.

An old man with blue skin and a long white beard.

He was staring at Ferda with white eyes that looked as if they were clouded by cataracts.

It was the great demon Marbas, who had held a contract with Yuren.

—You dare lay hands on my property right after a contract was finalized? Do you have any idea what it means to earn the grudge of a demon?

Ferda looked at him and asked.

“What does it mean?”

—You shall pay dearly for the humiliation you have brought upon this Marbas! In the lowest depths of the Frozen Hell, you shall suffer the agony of blistering skin and freezing veins for a million years!

Marbas shouted.

Then, he tapped the floor with the staff he was holding.

The frost of hell scattered across the ground.

—I will give you a chance to make amends. Contract with me. Take the place of my new contractor. What do you say?

A contract with Ferda.

That was the reason he had come here to threaten him.

“I refuse.”

—Do you mean to accept my deep-seated grudge? No one angers a great demon and returns alive.

“Angry, my foot.”

Ferda already knew his scheme.

“You’re just making up an excuse, pretending to hold a grudge by contracting with that lowlife, aren’t you?”

It was one of the many tricks used to lure people into demonic pacts.

He was testing Ferda’s capabilities while simultaneously trying to entice a primary contractor.

Marbas, who had been wearing a fierce expression, let out a chuckle instead of shouting.

—Heh heh heh… You are no ordinary fellow. So, you truly have no intention of contracting? I’ll make your price exceptionally cheap.

Talking like he’s running a clearance sale.

“Of course not.”

—That is a pity. If an exceptional soul like yours became mine, I would be truly delighted. On the day you find yourself in need of me, you will have to pay a much higher price.

He made a cool exit, unlike someone nursing a grudge.

Ferda’s vision remained narrow, and the chattering voices were gone.

Something hiding in the darkness squirmed and drew closer.

—The power you displayed was truly marvelous, Lord Ferda Valdrova.

A thick, slimy voice.

What emerged through the darkness was a toad wearing a suit.

—My name is Morax. How about coming and making a contract? I shall place power and authority in your hands. I will lend you everything to build a great Archducal territory.

The toad’s large mouth curved into a fishy smile.

—Of course, that price must be paid one day.

One of the seven great demons, the demon of contracts and prices, Morax.

Among demons, he provided the most power, making him a truly tempting entity.

He could turn a weakling into a Sword Master and make those with no talent for magic into Archmages in an instant.

But the end of such deals always led to a horrific tragedy.

‘That is Morax’s curse.’

Ferda had already witnessed those tragedies countless times.

Thus, only a contemptuous smile remained on his lips.

“I know exactly what you’re up to. It’s boring, so get lost.”

—Heh heh heh… I shall retreat for now, but the day will come when you call the name of Morax. I shall look forward to that time.

The toad gentleman tipped his hat and returned to his domain.

Soon, another appeared before Ferda.

—Hello, darling.

A thick, lewd voice whispered in his ear as she revealed herself.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a large chest.

She looked exactly like Olivia Arken.

But it wasn’t Olivia Arken.

Her lower body was not that of a human, but a serpent.

—What you showed today was quite wonderful. I never imagined you’d land such a blow on Marbas’s contractor.

The demon of lust and hallucinations, Sitri.

“Is that so.”

—Why such a disinterested face? You have the empire’s greatest beauty right in front of you. Do you not like it?

She twirled a lock of hair with a slender finger and smiled faintly.

Her seductive appearance was enough to make any man’s heart race.

But not Ferda’s.

Even though he was at an age brimming with vitality and was looking at a pale, naked body, he remained perfectly calm.

Compared to Morax and Marbas, the power she offered was the most pathetic.

—I guess you really don’t like it. You said you’re married to a dragon, right?

“Yes.”

—If you love that dragon so much, how would you feel if you could hold two of her?

Ferda thought for a moment, then looked at Sitri and said.

“Keep talking.”

—What do you think is the reason I can take the form of Olivia Arken? For a demon like me, this sort of thing is a piece of cake.

She whispered with a deep smile.

—Does our darling… want to see the form of Valdrova?

Ferda’s desire stirred.

Under that sway, he finally gave in to Sitri.

“Take the form of Valdrova.”

—Hehe, what a cute man. All right.

Sitri covered her face with both hands. Everything changed following the movement of her hands.

Blonde hair turned red, two pairs of horns grew from her head, and her eyes revealed golden, four-white pupils.

—How is it? Is my appearance not beautiful?

Sitri had replicated the form of Valdrova, the woman he dreamed of so dearly.

Ferda gazed at that figure intently, then—

“That’s not it.”

Only disappointment showed on his face.

—What?

“My fiancée’s features aren’t that sharp. The corners of her eyes should be a bit lower.”

—Hmm, is that so? Like this?

Sitri adjusted her face according to Ferda’s words.

Ferda stared at the face and shook his head again.

“That’s not it. Her eyes are gentler. And her lips aren’t that thick.”

—Wait a moment. Like this?

“Why can’t you understand what I mean? Am I asking for something difficult?”

—Like this?

And so, they bickered for a long time as the great demon Sitri repeatedly changed her face.

After many attempts, Sitri finally stood up abruptly.

A deep sense of loathing was etched in her eyes.

—You crazy bastard.

“What’s wrong? I’ll contract with you if you want! You just have to perfectly replicate what I ask for. It’s not hard.”

—Get lost! Getting involved with a pervert like you would only ruin my future!

Even Sitri, the great demon of lust, vanished with a look of sheer disgust.

‘I suppose she can’t replace Valdrova.’

To be honest, Ferda had been slightly enchanted and had briefly succumbed to the temptation.

He had thought that if he missed her, perhaps looking at a substitute wouldn’t be so bad.

But she was a woman who couldn’t be replaced even by such a proxy.

‘I shouldn’t have done that.’

Because of Sitri’s poor disguise, the image of Valdrova only flickered more vividly before his eyes.

He missed her achingly, and the loneliness made him feel depressed.

‘Ah, my King.’

Ferda called out to her desperately in his heart.

‘You love the world so much, yet the world seeks to use you.’

The reason Yuren had attacked Ferda was to provoke Valdrova’s wrath.

There was no way a plan that could potentially overthrow the Empire was born solely from Yuren’s grudge.

‘But do not worry.’

Ferda already knew who was behind this.

And his sorrow only made him more resolute.

‘I will surely hold them accountable for all of this.’

The one who hid the vermin warlocks of the Empire in the underground sewers,

The one who instigated the Regent’s death through Yuren,

The one who prayed for the total collapse of the declining Empire and the death of her own blood relatives,

A single beautiful flower bloomed from the seeds of calamity.

‘Olivia Arken.’

It was then.

Ferda’s vision cleared completely, and his narrowed senses returned to normal.

He heard someone rushing down the stairs.

It was undoubtedly the knights and mages dispatched for the emergency.

“By the holy Alte, what happened here?!”

“Is that… the Regent of Valdrova?!”

“Is he still breathing?”

“Yes, he’s alive!”

“Bring a priest immediately! This is an emergency!”

“Regent! Can you hear my voice?”

He could hear them perfectly.

So, he figured it was time to get some sleep.