Chapter 77: The Red Dragon and the Dragon Orb (6)
The reason was simple.
He had been spouting nonsense about a dead dragon.
Of course, if left alone, she would have died, but she hadn’t.
The fact that they thought she was dead likely meant someone had ordered her death. The one who gave that order would be the true culprit, which is why they were so certain of her demise.
That Veint character was confusing the terms “attempted to kill” and “killed.”
“A dead Red Dragon? How can you be so sure when you’ve only just arrived?”
El asked Nies, pointing out the suspicious detail. Nies was making Rurin tremble with rage, and just looking at his face filled El with fury at the thought of how he had tormented Rurin in her childhood. He wanted to tear him apart.
“When they’re accusing you like this, it’s only natural to assume that she’s dead!” Nies shouted.
“That’s wrong. She’s not dead yet.”
“Where do you get this nonsense from? Have you finally gone mad?”
Despite El’s claim, Nies remained confident. This only confirmed El’s suspicions further, and he whispered to Rurin.
“Rurin, could you quickly fetch Elena and the Red Dragon? Please, hurry.”
El covered Rurin’s lips with his finger, signaling for her to go without saying a word.
Rurin nodded silently and immediately disappeared. After confirming that, El turned toward the Red Dragons and shouted.
“You keep talking about the murder of a dragon, but the dragon in question is not dead yet! Normally, yes, she would have died, but she hasn’t. So, I’ll face this ‘Serena’ and hear directly from her who tried to kill her.”
“She was fatally wounded and lost consciousness. By now, she must already be dead! What makes you think you can spew such nonsense? Do you lack common sense?”
Veint began laughing openly at El’s bold declaration. Even if Serena had survived the initial attack, there was no way anyone could save her.
He had seen with his own eyes that her internal organs had been burned. To Veint, El’s claim was nothing but absurdity.
Ignoring Veint, El turned to Medidana again.
“Elder, shouldn’t we clear up this matter properly? Would you give me a little time? I’d appreciate it if you could ask them to wait as well, as they won’t listen to me.”
“Hmmm… Very well. Waiting a little while isn’t a problem. We cannot let one-sided accusations escalate things; it’s only fair to give a chance for explanation.”
Medidana nodded and then addressed the Red Dragons.
In truth, he hoped El and Rurin were not involved in this affair.
“Elder of the Red Dragons, it’s not too late to act once we’ve clarified the facts. If you attack without proper cause, that would also be a violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
As the elder of an entire clan, Dedank, the Red Dragon elder, found it hard to refuse. After a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded.
“Hmmm, alright then. I’ll give it a little time. Listen up! Cease all fighting immediately! Understood, Veint?”
Elder Dedank addressed Veint, who had been accusing El. Veint was convinced that Serena was dead, or even if she had survived, she wouldn’t wake up in her condition. He nodded indifferently, thinking it would be amusing to see El’s hopes crushed.
A brief silence fell over the scene.
A few minutes later.
While the Red Dragons remained in the sky and the Black Dragons on the ground, space began to warp, and a glowing light appeared—an indication of teleportation.
Of course, it was Rurin.
She appeared, bringing Elena and Serena with her. As requested, Elena hadn’t stopped using Grand Heal on Serena.
For Elena, El’s request was absolute. El was the man who had saved her clinic from closing, always giving her courage, and the one who had introduced her to the concept of taste. She considered him her benefactor.
Without El’s request, even the kind-hearted Elena would have let Serena pass on peacefully rather than trying to save her severely damaged body, which Veint had accurately described as having her internal organs burnt to a crisp.
But El had asked her to keep using Grand Heal until he returned. How could she refuse?
The help she had received from him was immense.
That was why Serena was still alive.
Of course, it didn’t change the fact that her condition was critical. As Veint suspected, she was unconscious and unable to point out her assailant.
Seeing this, Veint shouted toward Elder Dedank as if to prove his point.
“That bastard tried to kill Serena and silence her! There’s no hope of recovery! Look at her, elder! Her back is completely burned, and her internal organs have been damaged!”
El looked up at Veint, resisting the urge to shut his mouth, and took a deep breath.
“Are you okay?” Rurin rushed to El, her hair fluttering as she ran. Despite only being away for a short while, she had been filled with anxiety.
El gently stroked Rurin’s hair and nodded before walking over to Elena, still holding Rurin’s hand.
Veint’s certainty was filled with foolishness. He hadn’t considered that there might be a way to use healing magic stronger than Grand Heal to save her.
El had confidence that he could save Serena.
He quietly scanned the group of dragons.
Nies was grinning, and Veint was laughing in delight. Both were smiling.
El thought it was odd for dragons to laugh while one of their own lay dying. The idea that they were seeking revenge seemed absurd.
“Elder, why do you hesitate? The evidence is right in front of you! He hurt Serena and left her like this. He must not be forgiven!” Veint continued to pressure Dedank.
Given that El’s **Flame Blaze** had the same power and form as dragon breath, he couldn’t claim innocence based on Serena’s injuries.
The only way to prove his point was by saving her.
From the moment Serena collapsed unconscious at the restaurant, El had a plan. That’s why he had gone to Elena’s clinic, but the mob of Red Dragons had delayed him.
Now was the time to put that plan into action.
El was relying on a collaboration with Elena.
Her presence was essential.
Neither El, Rurin, nor any other dragons could use healing magic, so only Elena could help.
Elena was drenched in cold sweat and filled with terror, barely holding herself together in the midst of so many dragons, whom she feared deeply. But even in that state, she never let go of Serena.
“Elena.”
“Yes, yes, El!”
“It’s okay. Ignore the dragons. I’m here, and so is Rurin. You’ll be fine. More importantly, how is she?”
“Well…”
El placed his hand on Elena’s shoulder. She, who had been on the verge of fainting, looked at him with a slightly more relaxed expression.
“I know it’s difficult in her current state. But you trust me, right, Elena?”
“Yes, I trust you.”
Elena nodded with strong resolve. El found it surprising how much faith she placed in him, but he appreciated it.
“Then let’s try to save this dragon together.”
“But… her condition is so bad that she could die at any moment. I don’t have the power to save her. In fact, no one does…”
Elena was expressing the common-sense viewpoint. It was the logical conclusion.
But El shook his head. He was about to try something beyond common sense.
“Remember when I told you I learned a unique method from that elf?”
“Wait, you mean that method you used to restore my mana back then?”
Elena recalled the time during the mining accident, nodding as she remembered. However, her face darkened again, knowing that the method used back then wouldn’t be enough to save Serena.
“But that alone won’t…”
“No, it’s different this time. Last time, I only restored your mana. This time, I’ll amplify your mana to the level of a dragon. A human wouldn’t be able to handle it, but elves are made of mana and nature. I believe it’s possible. If you, as an elf, reach dragon-level mana, you can save her!”
“W-What? Is that even possible?”
Elena’s golden eyebrows twitched in disbelief. It sounded impossible to her.
Of course, before El acquired the **Dragon Orb**, it would have been impossible. But things were different now.
The only concern was that even for an elf, absorbing mana far beyond their capacity could be dangerous.
“If El says it can be done, then it will be done!”
Impatient, Rurin, who was still holding El’s hand, began speaking excitedly.
Her eyes burned red as she stared at the dragons above. Serena wouldn’t be able to last much longer.
With swift determination, El placed his left hand on Elena’s forehead while holding Rurin’s hand with his right.
“It’s going to be alright. Keep using Grand Heal.”
“O-Okay!”
Mana began to flow from El’s hand into Elena’s forehead. Slowly, powerful mana spread through her body.
Soon, Elena’s body began to glow with a sacred light.
*Boom!*
“El… El! Ahhhh!”
Elena let out a startled scream but managed to hold on. The amplified strength of Grand Heal made it difficult to control, but Elena gritted her teeth and endured.
“Wow!”
Rurin, watching the enhanced Grand Heal, marveled at its power. The effect was astounding.
A brilliant white light began to cover the entire forest.
The dragons in the sky, the Black Dragons behind El, and all the surrounding creatures stared at Elena and El in shock.
Serena’s injuries began to heal. Her burned organs started to regenerate.
The important thing was that she wasn’t dead.
No matter how sacred Grand Heal was, it couldn’t bring the dead back to life.
As a result, Serena’s recovery continued.
Once her organs were restored, the wounds on her back also began to heal, and the bleeding stopped.
Elena’s healing magic, now powered by El’s mana, became a miraculous force. Gradually, Serena stabilized, and after a moment, she regained consciousness and opened her eyes.
This was possible because she was a dragon. For a human, it would be impossible to wake up so soon after recovering from such wounds.
