I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Stefan asked with a face that looked as if he had been struck hard on the back of the head.
“……Pardon?”
Ferda repeated himself without a single hint of hesitation.
“I said you would be of no use.”
“W-what do you mean by that? For you to say I’m useless now of all times…….”
“I spoke with Ahmed Hashim alone. He offered me a partnership.”
Hearing those words, Stefan could understand to some extent.
“A partnership…… You’ve truly pulled off a massive deal…….”
It was a proposal of a scale incomparable to the simple cooperative relationship between Stefan and Ferda.
In the largest city of the south, a place where money gathered even before the city was fully built, they were offering equal status.
Unless they were completely out of their minds, it was a proposal so advantageous to Ferda that the southern side stood only to lose.
“Did you…… accept the proposal?”
Stefan asked, struggling to steady his trembling voice.
“If I accept that proposal, there will be no need for me to maintain a relationship with you.”
What welled up in Stefan’s chest was a sense of betrayal.
It was only natural.
Stefan was the one who had made aggressive investments, enchanted by Ferda’s words.
He protested, overcome with emotion.
“Did we not have a contract? I have the exclusive rights to the products of magical engineering, and you even signed for it. If I take this to court, it will be disadvantageous for you, Regent-nim.”
“True. Even if you win, the most I would have to do is vomit up a few coins in compensation. No, you’d be lucky if you could even recover those few coins, wouldn't you?”
“On what grounds do you say that?”
“Because you are also failing to fulfill the contract.”
Stefan was startled by those words.
“When did I ever betray you? Was it in the part I just explained?”
Stefan retraced the explanations he had just given.
No matter how much he thought about it, there were no clauses intended for his own personal gain.
No, even if there were, they were insignificant.
It was a fair relationship commonly established between a merchant and a lord—and even then, he had proposed terms that favored the lord.
“Do you remember what I said when I brought you in?”
Ferda said.
“I told you that as much as you cooperate, I too would cooperate. And I said I would make you the master of the merchant company.”
“That is true.”
Stefan also recalled those words and nodded.
“Yes. You did promise that. But it has simply become unnecessary. I no longer have a need for the Pascal Company.”
“How much value does the Pascal Trading Company hold?”
“It is no exaggeration to say that half of all goods in the Imperial territories pass through it; its influence is that vast.”
“Yes, that kind of company. A company that wields such influence in the Empire.”
Ferda’s gaze grew even colder at those words.
“And yet, you said with your own mouth that you would give up on such a company.”
“I can build as many companies like that as I want. We are the pioneers in the field of magical engineering, and as long as we do not neglect our research—”
“Stefan.”
Ferda cut Stefan off.
“Yes, Regent-nim.”
Ferda took three grapes from the fruit basket and placed them on the table.
“How many grapes are here?”
“There are three.”
“Yes, three. They represent me, Bernel-gun, and you.”
Ferda pointed to the grape he identified as himself.
“I promised to be your connection. And I am currently working to build those connections.”
“That is true.”
Next, the grape representing Bernel.
“And Bernel is acting as a warehouse of ideas so that you can create fresh products through research and development. Having finished successfully today, he will work hard again tomorrow.”
“That is true.”
“And finally, you.”
Ferda placed his finger on Stefan’s grape and rolled it.
“You must hold the money and play the role of supplying the inventory. In this system, we each have our roles, and we need to play them out.”
“That is true……”
“And yet, you are trying to give up on the greatest company on the continent. Do you know what that means?”
Ferda’s finger pressed down on Stefan’s grape.
“It means you are nothing more than one of many common merchants.”
The soft grape could not withstand the pressure of the finger and burst.
“A merchant who gives up even what they originally possessed and settles for a compromise is not the kind of merchant needed in this Principality.”
Stefan stared blankly down at the grape.
Ferda’s finger was stained with red juice.
He felt as if he might be crushed like that grape and die like an insect.
“Then…… what must I do?”
“I am not asking for anything difficult. Fulfill the contract. Become the master of the Pascal Trading Company. That is your job.”
Stefan’s head spun.
It was happening again.
This pressure he had felt in his father’s mansion.
Now, Ferda was the one exerting it.
“Must it…… must it be a matter where blood is seen?”
For Stefan to become the master of Pascal, he had to dive into the fray.
His older brother, Murchit, who ran the mercenary business.
His younger sister, Tilda, who was attempting to expand her influence through a political marriage with another large merchant guild.
And his father, Herman Pascal.
To become the master, he had to persuade or break them all.
Stefan did not want to do that.
A fight between family members.
In a world where people pointed swords at each other and fought until one died, must I too draw my sword?
“Whether you fight or not is not for me to decide.”
Ferda replied coldly.
“I simply wish for you to prove that you are a talent needed by the Valdrova Principality.”
* * *
Despite a bit of a commotion, the exhibition concluded successfully without any fatalities.
An auction followed in Halim, but there were no items that particularly caught the eye.
At least, one sword looked decent, so Ferda bought it and handed it to Malcolm to encourage him.
‘I almost took it back because he looked like he was about to burst into tears the moment he received it.’
Despite having climbed to the position of a knight by passing the knight's examination in the Empire, he was a young man who fell far short of being a knight.
‘Well, that’s why he’s needed.’
What to do with him could be decided later when his value as a sample diminished.
In any case, the business in Halim was concluded.
Following the auction, the scholars began to pack up as the exhibition ended.
Among them were those who were satisfied, while others sighed in despair after failing miserably.
Bernel did not let his emotions waver in such a situation.
Inside the carriage, he was reviewing the blueprints for the Magical Engineering Rifle as if every second were precious.
Perhaps because various inspirations had come to him while applying it in actual combat, he was working his brain just as intensely as he had during the exhibition preparations.
Just as he was preparing to leave Halim, Ferda felt a dazzling reflection of sunlight.
Bernard Wayne, the Chancellor of Escoleia, was approaching.
“Did you enjoy the exhibition?”
“Yes, there was an incident, but overall it was satisfactory.”
“I am glad to hear that. I am looking for Bernel-gun; do you happen to know where he is?”
Ferda gestured slightly toward the carriage.
“If you don’t mind, would it be alright if I spoke with Bernel-gun for a moment?”
Ferda looked into Bernard’s eyes.
He could sense a faint trace of guilt for having provoked him.
‘Is he planning to apologize?’
He had driven Bernel into a state of rage to make him passionate; why throw cold water on that now?
As far as Ferda was concerned, it was undesirable.
‘But doesn't he have a new driving force?’
The successful presentation was his new motivation.
Ferda decided that the anger toward Chancellor Bernard was no longer necessary and stepped aside.
Bernard entered the carriage and called out to him.
“Bernel-gun.”
Bernel glanced at him before turning his head away again.
“There is no need for us to talk.”
“I have something to tell you. I—”
“I already know what it is. I know with what intention you said those things, Chancellor.”
Bernard’s mouth snapped shut.
“How did you know that?”
“Am I not also a scholar? I once took classes under you, Chancellor. Everyone knows that the Chancellor is strict with geniuses. So, you must have been the same with me.”
“…….”
Bernel raised his head and looked up at the ceiling.
He recalled the past, but there was no pain.
“Back then…… I was truly very angry. I was disappointed, and I felt betrayed. But it’s not like that anymore. Because the Chancellor was right.”
A sense of wonder felt long ago seeped into Bernel’s voice and gaze.
“Just as you said, Chancellor, I was a man with a narrow perspective. I focused only on the 1% and failed to see the 10%. Because you gave me this opportunity, I was able to broaden my horizons.”
“…….”
“So…… next time, I will bring something so revolutionary that you will have no choice but to acknowledge it, Chancellor.”
Bernel said with a smile.
“The Light of Truth.”
Hearing those words, Chancellor Bernard was inwardly surprised.
It was a phrase known to all students of the Escoleia Academy.
Chancellor Bernard also smiled and finished the phrase.
“Shall set you free.”
Subtle emotions still remained between them, but the deep chasm of hatred was gone.
Bernard patted Bernel on the shoulder.
“Overturn heaven and earth with your ideals.”
“At the end of it all, I shall treat you to a cup of tea.”
In the end, Bernard did not apologize.
And Bernel did not wish for that apology.
They were those who pursued ideals and moved toward the truth.
Confirming that they were united by a single conviction called truth, they each walked their own path.
“We’re heading out\!”
Malcolm, standing at the front, blew a horn, and the carriage moved.
It was time to return to the castle.
It had taken ten days to get here.
Now, it would take another ten days to go back.
As that tedious time stretched ahead, Ferda’s heart swelled with thoughts of Valdrova.
‘My heart, what are you doing now?’
Casting that question to which no answer returned, the carriage rolled on endlessly.
* * *
A dragon’s daily life is closely related to the nest they possess—that is, their Lair.
Thus, flaunting one’s power and authority was basic, and they would build structures that highlighted their characteristics.
In that regard, Valdrova was different from other dragons.
Valdrova’s Lair was a sanctuary, yet a concept similar to an underground dungeon.
Originally, it was a cave where damp, cold winds blew.
However, after she settled in, it became a place where dry, warm winds blew.
Coiled up and lying there, Valdrova thought.
‘I am bored.’
Though she was an immortal who had lived for ages, the moment she felt the passage of time each day, boredom enveloped her entire body.
The reason she had been able to live in such a dark place for so long was because Ruri was there.
‘And there was nothing to think about.’
The constant anxiety over when she might suffer from the bloodlust left her no room for boredom.
Feeling this boredom was only possible after realizing she no longer had to suffer from the bloodlust.
Whenever she felt a bit of pain, Ferda would step forward to help her.
At those times, they always shared a brief conversation.
—I greet the Princess of Valdrova.
—Ah, h-hello\!
—I shall begin.
—Ye-yes\!
‘No, that wasn't even a conversation…….’
To call it a conversation, it was too one-sided.
Ferda did all the talking, and Valdrova merely nodded or shook her head.
It couldn't be helped.
Her daily routine consisted of going outside to kill monsters.
What would happen if she made that the topic of conversation?
—I went out and killed monsters today.
—Is that so?
—One of them wouldn't die even when I shredded it with my claws, so I set a great fire inside its guts.
—Ah…….
—There were monster parasites hiding inside, and they burned up quite nicely as they squirmed.
—I see…….
‘He would surely be disgusted.’
Ferda’s expression naturally formed in Valdrova’s mind.
The thought that he would look at her as if thinking, *This is my fiancée?* made Valdrova miserable.
‘I vowed to change…….’
She reproached herself time and again for being capable of only greetings, farewells, and simple exclamations.
The suffering from the bloodlust had lessened, but in its place, another kind of suffering had taken root.
‘Should I ask them to send Ferda-ssi…….’
Could they talk about a specific topic this time?
Of course, she had thought that eight times already, but nothing had changed.
The reason was simple.
‘Because there is nothing to talk about.’
Just as a sprout will not grow from a floor where nothing was planted, it was only natural that there was no conversation since there was no topic to begin with.
Moreover, she realized belatedly that there was no need for that today.
‘They said Ferda-ssi went to a place called…… Halim.’
She guessed it wasn't a good place regardless.
When Ruri uttered the word Halim, her expression was poor and she had let out a sigh.
She roughly assumed it was something like a battlefield.
‘And lately, there’s been more work.’
She also knew the fact that they had formed an alliance with Iorga.
‘Iorga…….’
Valdrova found that name uncomfortable.
The Blue Dragon, Iorga.
Iorga particularly disliked Valdrova.
Whenever Valdrova said anything, Iorga would frown and criticize her, trying to break her spirit.
Valdrova knew she didn't have any ill intent.
But separate from that, she was just too difficult to deal with.
‘Iorga…… must be doing well.’
It had been a long time since she last saw her, so her face was faint, but she remembered her form.
She was a Guardian Dragon who was smart, beautiful, and respected by many people.
She was a woman who would receive admiration rather than fear in any village she visited.
—Village…….
The next thought followed the flow of consciousness.
‘Now that I think about it…… it’s been quite a long time since I’ve seen a human village.’
The destination of that flow was curiosity.
How many hundreds of years had it been since she had seen a human village?
What did they look like these days?
Would they look similar to what she last saw? Or would they have changed a lot?
That curiosity stirred Valdrova’s body of its own accord.
Her body gradually shrank and eventually became that of a woman.
“I want to go see…….”
She muttered, aimlessly fiddling with her skirt.
If she had to go out, she absolutely had to take a human form.
Valdrova did not want to meet others in her dragon form.
‘The dragon form…… people will be afraid of it.’
But she couldn't go out in her human form either.
‘In human form, I am afraid…….’
A dilemma where neither side could be resolved.
Valdrova glanced to the side.
The armor placed against the wall.
‘With that armor, perhaps…….’
Wouldn't it be alright?
Since she wore that armor when meeting Ferda, she had grown used to it now.
Her eye level was also slightly higher, so she didn't think she would feel any aversion.
“But isn't this a bit scary……”
It was large and muscular in form, so it was imposing.
Above all, since it was armor sculpted in her own image, the head was the same as her dragon form.
The threatening appearance of herself that made everyone tremble.
“Can it not be…… in a non-threatening form……”
Valdrova let out a lament.
It was then.
As if hearing her murmur, the armor squirmed.
“Oh?”
Ssssh—.
The threatening shape of the dragon head began to dissolve.
It wasn't just the dragon head.
All the elements created for dragon-like majesty began to disappear.
While she was flustered, wondering if something was going wrong, the armor transformed into a new appearance.
“Ah……\!”
Valdrova let out an exclamation.
The final destination was something familiar to her eyes.
“It’s ordinary.”
A half-plate armor that wasn't flashy and was moderately worn.
It was armor so plain that even ordinary people would consider its wearer an ordinary knight.
“It’s ordinary……”
Valdrova’s golden eyes sparkled.
To her, ordinariness was a precious thing that could not be bought even with gold and silver treasures.
She stepped into it as if possessed.
It was time to break out of the shell and head out.
