Chapter 73: The Red Dragon and the Dragon Orb (2)
“So, you’re asking us to kill that human under the guise of revenge?”
“That’s right. You kill him, and after that, hand over the Black Dragon who is with him to us.”
“So, you’re telling us to kill our own kin, throw their body into Grayke, and frame the human for it?”
“Exactly. Don’t tell me killing a weak dragon who lives in isolation is a difficult task for you?”
“Do you think I would kill one of our kin just for the likes of you? How foolish. Absolutely foolish!”
Veint teased Nies with a sarcastic tone, but Nies remained calm. He simply nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Of course, that’s what you’d do. After all, we’re rational beings.”
At this, Veint burst into laughter.
“Kahaha! You sure know me well. That’s right! I could easily sacrifice a dragon who’s not aligned with any faction for the greater cause. But don’t forget—you go first. Don’t ever forget that!”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But know that breaking a promise means certain destruction.”
“Hahaha, fine.”
The two dragons nodded at each other. Once Ronel was out of the picture, the position of elder would undoubtedly be Veint’s. The entirety of the Red Dragons would be his. Veint was willing to do anything for that goal.
“But that human—your clan alone won’t be enough to handle him. Keep that in mind. You’ll need at least 10 dragons, maybe even 15 for safety. After all, he has the Lord’s Heart.”
“I know that already. We have a legitimate reason to eliminate a kin-killer. Why worry? I’ll just bring my entire faction.”
Veint’s dismissive response made Nies’ eyebrow twitch slightly. But for the sake of the greater goal, he decided to ignore the rudeness and instead smiled.
Veint laughed, and so did the loyalists around him.
The logic behind the exchange killing was aligned. Since they lacked a proper justification to directly deal with El, this plan was perfect.
Of course, El wasn’t a dragon; he was human. The current truce that forbade fighting between dragons didn’t apply to him. Killing him in a one-on-one duel could be framed as a personal matter, unrelated to the dragon race’s agreement.
But the fact that Nies couldn’t defeat El in a one-on-one duel gnawed at his pride. While such duels were allowed, ganging up on El without a valid reason would be out of the question, given that he was no ordinary human.
That’s why Nies had devised this plan. Now that he had a justification, everything was falling into place.
The two dragons shared a prolonged laugh before parting ways.
A few days later, word reached Veint that Ronel was dead. While Veint maintained a composed appearance, inside he was ecstatic. His rival was gone. His future now looked nothing but glorious, and his mind was already filled with dreams of success.
But there was still work to do. Nies might blow up the situation and reveal Veint’s involvement in Ronel’s death to their kin. He couldn’t afford to let that happen so close to seizing power.
Veint called in his most trusted subordinate, **Nilt**, with a calm face and asked, “There’s no chance we were discovered, right?”
“It seems not. We used an ancient weapon, so failure was impossible.”
“Good, good. Hahaha! That means the Red Dragons are now mine. Perfect! Now, did you investigate the Red Dragon that Nies mentioned?”
“Yes! Her name is **Serena**. Apparently, she has a close relationship with a dragon named **Garand** from the Ronel faction.”
“A mate?”
“Not yet, it seems they’re just courting.”
“Is that so? Wouldn’t it be convenient if Garand killed her? If they’re courting, they must often meet in secluded places. It’s the perfect opportunity.”
“Exactly, sir! As expected of you!”
Nilt praised Veint enthusiastically. Since Veint’s path to becoming the elder was now almost certain, flattery was essential.
“With Ronel’s faction out of the picture, Garand is likely ambitious for power. But now that Ronel is dead, his only future is to rot in his lair. Unless, of course, he chooses power over love. Should we make contact?”
“Go ahead. Dragons are everywhere. If he’s greedy for power, he’ll choose power over love. Think about it. What’s better? Ruling over other dragons or being stuck in a lair, pining for some trivial love? Obviously, I’d choose the former. Find out where his loyalties lie. If it comes down to it, we’ll deal with him ourselves. But if we can use him, even better. In case anything goes wrong, we can pin all the blame on him and come out clean. It’s like killing two birds with one stone! Hahaha!”
Veint, whose personality was much like Nies’, let out a vulgar laugh. Everything was going according to plan, and he was satisfied.
—
It was the quietest time at the hilltop restaurant. Lunch had passed, and evening was yet to come. A lazy afternoon.
Inside the restaurant, **Rurin** was sprawled across several tables she had pushed together. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her breathing was a soft, purring sound.
Even just watching her made me feel sleepy.
“Haaaah…”
Before I knew it, I let out a yawn. Right in the middle of that yawn, the door to the restaurant opened.
The person who entered…
No, it didn’t look like a person. The flowing red hair was too striking. And the face was familiar. It was a dragon I knew.
“Is this the kind of place you’re living in? Isn’t it a bit too shabby?”
A face that looked to be in her late twenties, radiant beauty, and an aura of maturity. Completely different from the fresh and lively vibe that Rurin had. She was flashy, exuding a shining presence. Her face and red hair fit together perfectly.
“The Red Dragon from the Millyorek Mountains?”
It was definitely her.
The same dragon I briefly fought in the Millyorek Mountains. The one who ran away while saying something bizarre.
“Yes, that’s me.”
Despite having fled, she shrugged, displaying the characteristic pride of a dragon.
The silence lingered for a moment. I couldn’t think of anything to say in response.
She didn’t seem like she had come all the way here out of a grudge. She probably wasn’t here for revenge either. Plus, she had gracefully acknowledged that she couldn’t beat me in a fight. I still remember her cool demeanor from back then. That made her visit all the more mysterious. I hastily threw the vegetables I’d been washing to the side and came out of the kitchen, heading to the dining area. I broke the silence.
“So, what brings someone so great to such a humble place?”
“Who knows? What do you think?”
What the…?
But the Red Dragon just shrugged again and threw the question back at me. She was an exasperating dragon.
“This is a restaurant.”
“Oh, is that so? I figured. So, how about a meal?”
She swept her red hair back with a casual motion and glanced over at the bar table. She seemed quite familiar with the idea of dining at a restaurant. Unlike Rurin, this dragon seemed to have experienced human indulgences.
“Sure, I don’t mind serving food… but first, could you explain why you came here?”
Dragons always have some hidden agenda. So I wasn’t about to just smile and offer her food without getting some answers first.
“It’s my whim. Just as that black one lying over there can trace my aura and teleport to find me, I can also find you. So I did. Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s not.”
Oh, whatever.
Dragon or not, it didn’t matter. She came to the restaurant and wanted food, so I’d serve her food.
Shrugging off my complicated thoughts, I turned back toward the kitchen.
“Right! After all, in your place, the customer is king! Now, hurry up and serve something. A mage cooking, how unusual.”
The Red Dragon strode confidently over to the bar table and, just as confidently, sat down and crossed her legs.
She definitely had more experience with human customs. She even knew the phrase “the customer is king.” Her behavior in the restaurant was quite natural. It was very different from Rurin, who hadn’t known how to act in the restaurant when we first set it up. The Red Dragon sat at the bar table as if it was second nature and reached for a fork.
“But.”
“Hm?”
Suddenly, she started speaking again.
“There’s something I’m curious about. Would you answer me?”
“Curious?”
The Red Dragon looked up at me with a serious expression. After taking a deep breath as if to collect her thoughts, she briefly glanced at the softly snoring Rurin before continuing.
“You and her… are you in love?”
Her finger was pointing at “her.”
Naturally, “her” was none other than Rurin, who was sound asleep with her lips curled in a wavy smile.
Suppressing the strange feelings that arose within me at hearing her call Rurin “her,” I interrupted the dragon’s words.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“You two were sticking to each other a lot before, and you live together, don’t you? Anyone would think you were in love.”
“Me? In love with her?”
“Yeah.”
What nonsense. I snorted. The dragon’s casual tone was really getting on my nerves.
“The black one aside, you seem to like her a lot too.”
Annoyed by her ridiculous words, I briefly glanced at Rurin. She was still asleep. I was about to tell her off, but the dragon kept talking, and the seriousness of her words made it hard to cut her off.
“Would you die for each other? Is there such a thing as true love in this world? If there is, I’d like to see it with my own eyes. I’d love to conduct an experiment where, after capturing a couple, I tell them they can only live if one of them kills the other.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but one thing’s for sure—I would die for Rurin. And if you try any strange experiments, it’ll be dragon hunting season.”
“You’d die for her? For that black one?”
“Yeah.”
Love or whatever, I didn’t know. But if Rurin was in danger, I’d jump in without a second thought. Anytime, no question.
“I don’t trust words alone. Of course, I won’t have time to see it either… since this is the last time.”
The lively voice suddenly dropped, and her tone became somber as she talked about “the last time.”
There was a hint of self-deprecation in her laugh. But that only made her laugh more alluring, as if anyone else in the restaurant would have been mesmerized by it. To me, though, it was just the laugh of a big reptile. Any dragon other than Rurin was nothing more than a large beast to me.
Rurin was… Rurin.
Rurin was unique.
“What is love, really? You trust someone, and then they betray you.”
Once again, she let out a self-deprecating remark. I couldn’t bear to watch her anymore. She had asked for food, so I quietly started cooking.
*Sizzle!*
The fish in the frying pan made a delicious sound as it crackled and bubbled. Today’s dish was a simple home-style meal featuring fish, a departure from the usual extravagant fare.
I remembered the time Rurin had tried to flip the table, calling it a “vegetable mess,” but after receiving a temple jab, she grudgingly tasted it. After that, she liked the fish so much that she ate two meals’ worth in one sitting.
*Sizzle!*
I fried the fish twice. It was a fish called **Minchark**, thicker than the fish commonly found in Korea, and known for its exceptional taste when fried.
Since Grayke was far from the sea, this fish was a specialty that could only be enjoyed at our restaurant.
