Ep 117. Long Time No See. (6)

  “…?”

  When Serenis returo the throne room, a rather shog se was unfolding before her eyes.

  “I’m going!”

  “You are NOT going!”

  “I’m going no matter what!”

  “You are NOT going, no matter what!”

  Last time Serenis had seen Ilias, the youngling was being scolded by her parents – in a rather docile manner.

  Now, she was relentlessly talking back to her mother like the world’s most rebellious child.

  And as if too afraid to pick a side, the others – Bruton, Light, Eline, and Theolus – were huddled up some distance away from the twuing dragons, watg the argument ehough, as soon as Serenis returo the chamber, all eyes turowards her instead.

  In fact, Ilias enthusiastically called out her name, approag the dragonlord in hurried steps.

  “Lord Serenis!”

  “…Yes, child?”

  “I heard yoing after some bad guy! The…emperht?”

  “I…suppose. What of it?”

  “Take me with you!”

  “…Take you?”

  “Yes! I’m sure I help in some lease?”

  “…”

  Serenis weakly studied the others within the room. Other than Theolus who didn’t seem to have an opinion oter, everyone seemed to be against the red dragon’s proposal.

  “…Why do you wish to e? You must’ve barely been a hatg during the empire’s invasion. Your parents don’t seem to approve, either…”

  “But they said this emperor’s the ohat took Raizel’s wings!”

  “…”

  ‘To be accurate, the one who took her wings is right there...’

  When Serenis slowly shifted her attentioo Karas, the professor stared back at the dragonlord with a flicted gaze.

  He cleared his throat to say something – but was soon stopped by Raizel who held his beak in an iron grip before proceeding to answer in his stead.

  “In your dreams, Ilias. The emperor’s MY prey. I’m not giving it to you.”

  “Who said anything about stealing your stuff? I only said I’d help! This emperor was supposed to be super dangerous, right?”

  “You’re n. But we still don’t need you.”

  “Why not?!”

  “Why? Cuz…”

  Before answering, Raizel gave a curt gowards the two elders behind Ilias.

  Teically, the red dragon had just said the reason herself. It clearly wasn’t apparent to her though.

  And proceeded to reply in an annoyed, zy tone.

  “…You didn’t get permission from your parents.”

  “What the heck?! And you did?!”

  “Uh, yeah. For your information, my mom told me to live however the hell I want to before she died.”

  “Huh? Wait, I didn’t mean…”

  As Ilias trailed off her words at the ued reply, Raizel let out a small snicker. After tapping the red dragon on the back twice, she turned away to head towards the chamber’s exit.

  “I’ll be back. Gonna take a look outside in case anyone’s ing.”

  With that short annou, the steel dragohe room – mostly to allow Ilias to deal with her parents herself.

  But even after Raizel had left, Ilias remained ih a dazed expression, staring at the chamber’s exit. And she would’ve tio had Serenis not spoken to her.

  “…I’m sure Raizel only means you well. You worry about us, child. We’ll be fine on our own.”

  “But…if it’s fihout me, doesn’t that mean it’s fih me too?”

  “…”

  “Why’s everyone so against me going with you two? I get that they’re worried, but I’m worried too...what if something happens to Raizel?...”

  Everyone remained silent.

  To Bruton aher, Ilias was their only daughter; to Light, Ilias was their only family left. And Eline couldn’t openly support the red dragon’s decision to challenge Lavnore simply because she koo much about the Akeian emperor.

  Serenis let out a small sigh. It’d been obvious before, but she was seeing the differeweewo younglings all ain.

  Everyone worried about Ilias’ well-being. They feared that she’d do something dangerous, feared they’d lose her in some ued act. One could even call them overprotective sidering that Ilias was far more capable than they were in battle.

  But strangely enough, no one seemed to worry about Raizel – other than Ilias herself.

  Perhaps it was for fear the youngling would sh out at them.

  Or perhaps it was due to their sce – that they no longer deserved to tell Raizel what to do.

  her Bruton nor Aether could act the role of Raizel’s parent anymore. Not when they’d realized the youngling knew what they’d doo her.

  ‘To grow uhe care of those who abandoned your family…’

  The elders hadn’t meant ill when they’d abahe steel dragons. After all, the entire kin had abahem to flee from the emperor’s reach.

  But asking a child to uand such a decision was ridiculous.

  Then, the only reason why Raizel hadn’t grown pletely out of lihe only reason she’d retai least some form of goodwill – robably because she’d still had one friendly dragon, treating her with an ho, ope.

  Finally, the dragonlord opened her mouth to return an ao the red dragon.

  “…Alright, then. We’ll do it like this, child.”

  ? ? ?

  Serenis beamed a warm smile towards the two elders standing before the glowing portal.

  But uhe dragonlord looking at him, Bruton’s expression was quite far from being fortable.

  “Lord Serenis. Perhaps I should remain to assist in your endeavors…”

  “It’s alright. I’d rather you protect the valley instead. Should the enemy mao escape and attack the kin once more, I trust you will…”

  As she trailed off, the dragonlord’s expet gaze fell upon the elder dragon.

  Bruton solemnly lowered his head, finishing the statement for her.

  “I’ll do all within my power to protect the kin. This time, I…”

  “…”

  “…I’ll never leave anyone behind again.”

  “Good.”

  , Serenis shifted her attention to Aether. The elder’s eyes were seemingly glued to her daughter, uo turn away.

  “You’ve nothing to worry about, Aether. I’ve spoken to Ilias – I will be sending her back to Partivine shortly.”

  “…Is that so? Perhaps you should send her back first…?”

  Serenis shook her head.

  “Partivine’s much farther than the valley from here. The order must remain this way, lest I use too much mana and disturb the spell’s design.”

  “Oh…I…see? A, alright then…farewell, Serenis. And Ilias, e bae soon, okay?”

  “Take care. Eliheolus, both of you as well.”

  “Bye mom! Bye dad!”

  Aether had absolutely no clue how human magic or human maery worked. Standing before an amalgamation of the two, she was relying purely on the dragonlord’s words regarding its funs.

  And to be fair, it was difficult not to trust someoer they’d rescued dozens of their imprisoned kin.

  Swallowing their remaining doubts, the two elders stepped across the portal to return to their home. Eline and Theolus apahe two, waving goodbye towards those that remained.

  The portal soon disappeared after the four’s departure. Serenis had let go of the wires in her hand, cutting off the mae’s mana supply.

  And Raizel, who’d siurned from her tour outside, remained quizzical about the whole versation that had just transpired.

  “…Lord, was that true? You actually use too much mana?”

  “Did I say that? I must’ve misspoken. Such a thing could never happen.”

  “…Why’re you smiling like that?”

  “No particur reason.”

  “…”

  After making a mental note of how easily Serenis had tricked the elders into leaving, Raizel then turo face Ilias – who was standing right beside Light and Karas. Acc to what Serenis had said, those three were supposed to be going baow, too.

  ‘…But that’s not happening, is it?’

  She’d obviously ‘misspoke’ on purpose. Serenis had no iion of sending Ilias ba the first pce.

  And if to prove the steel dragon’s suspis correct, Ilias began to state why she should stay – followed by Light and Karas thereafter.

  “What?! I’m not going back! I ’t just leave when I know yonna go a in trouble!”

  “If Ilias isn’t leaving, I’m not leaving.”

  “Ahem…I must say, given that Lavnore is involved, I find it difficult to take my leave as well.”

  Raizel frowned as she listeo their sudden rant. She then looked at Ilias in specific, shrugging at the red dragon.

  “You do realize you’ll be in a shit ton of trouble, right? Aether hates you going behind her back.”

  “S, she won’t know if I don’t tell her!”

  “…I could tell her then?”

  “Hey, I covered for you a bunch of times before! It’d be nice if you returhe favor at least once!”

  “Pft. I’m just messin’ with ya. It’s about time you started making your own decisions.”

  Ilias swallowed down her desire to say ‘and you started making your own decisions way too soon.’ She iook a deep breath, answering in a rather apologetie.

  “…I’m sorry if I made you angry. You must miss your own parents. I just…I keep thinking we’re family.”

  “…”

  On the trary, Raizel didn’t really ‘miss’ them. After all, she’d just seen them a ton – albeit ly in an ideal way. She’d even urged another dragon to carry her parents’ destroyed corpses bae.

  Admittedly, when she’d first entered her dead parents, Raizel had felt an indescribable amount of longing.

  But when she’d destroyed their corpses herself, what filled her mind wasn’t longing alone.

  “Well, I don’t know if I really miss them anymore, but…you sure you ha, Ilias?”

  “Huh? Handle what?”

  “If you and I are family, that means I’m HER family too.”

  When Raizel’s gaze fell on Light, the half girl’s expression visibly twisted. She reflexively took a step back, shaking her head in dismay.

  “Blegh…that sounds awful…”

  “See? She hates it.”

  “L, Light, wait! Raizel’s not all that bad. Um…she’s, uh…sometimes…nice?…”

  Watg the three children pying(?) amongst themselves, Serenis beamed a warm smile.

  “It’s a blessing to have others who care for you.”

  Karas silently nodded in agreement.

  Although it felt like Ilias’ notion of ‘family’ was expanding further and further…well, it’ll work out. Probably.

  Pushing the thought aside, Karas turo the dragonlord with his question.

  “Serenis. Then, your destination is…?”

  “West. I believe the name was…”

  The Akeian emperor – Aymeia – and even the assaint that had mistook her for the star deity – they all lied west of here, at the boundary between Asarda and Akeia.

  “…Telberk.”