Ep 179. Some Things Don’t o Be Taught. (1)

  As the twons walked side by side, Bruton tio gnce back towards the dire his wife had gone.

  And in turn, it was making the drag him.

  “…You seem rather worried, Bruton. Perhaps you should’ve goh them?”

  “it’s probably for the best I remain behind. sidering how rushed Xerun seemed to be in taking her, it’s quite likely that someone’s hurt…I’d only get in the way.”

  “Hm. I do hope it’s nothing serious, then.”

  Hearing the dragonlord’s reply, Bruton turned a curious gowards her.

  “…I’m surprised to hear that from you. After what’s happened between you and Xerun, I thought you’d be more upset with him.”

  “…Pft.”

  Serenis chortled at the ent, f a faint smile as she answered.

  “Not at all. A child was being childlike; it’s nothing to be upset about.”

  “Haha. I recall you referring to Elder Ardion as a child…I suppose all of us are mere children in your eyes.”

  “…”

  Though no answer came back, Bruton could make out the evident grin spreading across Serenis’ lips.

  But wheeps soon came to a halt, the dragon had to turn to the massive hollow before them.

  “…I was w if this was where you were headed.”

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to firm.”

  Taking aep to stand on the very edge, Serenis gazed into the hollow beh.

  The pit was just as massive as before – easily a couple dragons in width, its depth a few times that. A brush of unnaturally cold air rose from within, chilled by the frozen remains of her soh them.

  But it wasn’t as cold as it had been before.

  In fact, eveh the dimming skies, it wasn’t difficult to see that the frozen surfaces had receded. While Vulka’s remains still remained frozen for the most part, the hollow’s walls were starting to show soil, its frozen covers molten away.

  “…Xerun had said that the ice had begun to melt. If he thinks that the ice is a seal of some sort…I see why he’s ed.”

  “Well…it’s a natural occurrence, is it not? With the mana sohe ice would iably melt away.”

  “Quite. But I wonder…”

  Serenis tilted her head.

  The thought hadn’t really occurred during her first visit. But now that she had more time to think things through, the sight was nothing short of strange.

  “Why ice?”

  “…I beg your pardon?”

  Serenis then turo Bruton, addiails to her query.

  “The kin knows Vulka’s grave as a cursed kin’s seal – a lie woven to keep my heart cealed, no doubt. But if cealment was the sole purpose, Vulka should’ve knower ways to go about it…so why ice?”

  “I’m…not sure. Was ice the sed lord’s affinity?”

  “The opposite. His affinity id in fire.”

  “…Then…perhaps the ice was to suppress their fire?”

  “What fire could the dead possibly possess?”

  “…True.”

  “…”

  The more she thought about it, the stra was.

  ‘Vulka sacrificed himself to keep the Reaper at bay…he must’ve arranged his death himself. But why would he choose to freeze his remains? If he sought to protect the heart, he may as well have used stone or steel…fire, even.’

  Another minute passed by in silence before Serenis would break it with another question for Bruton.

  “The story of this ‘cursed kin’…I presume it was told by your elders?”

  “Yes. That’s what we were all taught since our hatg days…to never go he pit, lest we break the cursed kin’s seal.”

  “And I suppose those who told you so are no longer with us?”

  Brutourned an immediate shrug. His elders were a geion long past; even his own parents had passed away more than a tury ago.

  Although…

  “Well…there is one. You did see Elder Ardion earlier.”

  A soft gasp escaped the dragonlord’s lips as she heard the elder dragon’s name.

  “I was looking to speak with him at some point. He seemed strarusting. All the more reason to find him ter, I suppose.”

  “…Oh.”

  Bruton abruptly turned around, his eyes fixed on the faint silhouette behind them.

  He soo out an amused snort.

  “Quite the ce. It seems a search won’t be necessary, my lord.”

  “…?”

  Seeing Bruton’s turned head, Serenis likewise gnced behind them to see what the red dragon was looking at.

  An elderly figure was limping their way towards them, supported by two rather familiar faces.

  After a short pause, Bruton briskly made his way over to the limping elder.

  “Elder Ardion.”

  “Oho…is that Bruton’s voice I hear?”

  “It is. But…what brings you out so te, elder?”

  “I…I’ve e to…to examine something.”

  After his brief answer, Ardion tio stumble forward, carrying his trembling legs with Aymeia and Elin’s support as he he frozen pit.

  Both Aymeia and Eline looked at Bruton momentarily as they passed the red dragon. But her of them said anything, with Eline only rolling her eyes before tinuing to focus oing Ardion from tripping on anything.

  ‘…Another patient who’s refusing to listen, I suppose.’

  A quizzical frown crossed Bruton’s expression as he walked along the elder dragon.

  “Hold on…elder, are you pnning to head into the pit? If so, then I shall go in your stead.”

  “No…no, you mustn’t.”

  “But elder, you’re in no shape to-“

  “No.”

  Following the elder’s st denial, Brutoantly silenced himself.

  As Ardion came to a halt upon the hollow’s edge, his empty eyes also gazed into its frozehs.

  “In the seal lies a…a cursed, treacherous brood of ours. You mustn’t go near…I’ve merely e to see its state.”

  “…Elder Ardion. In case you haven’t heard yet, the seal is actually-“

  Instead allowing Bruton to finish, the dragonlord’s voice swiftly cut in to interrupt their dialogue.

  “His name is Vulka.”

  “…?”

  Slowly, Ardion turo face the dragonlord at his side.

  Despite being mere steps away, he hadn’t even known that she was standing there – in fact, had Bruton not spoken to him first, he wouldn’t have known anyone was here. After all, he could scarce make out his own son’s face within the fort of his home.

  But ohe elder had heard the dragonlord’s voice, he quickly turo face her properly.

  “Who just…? No, that…matters little. How…how do you…know that name?”

  “How could I not? Vulka is my child and successor.”

  “…”

  Ardion opened his mouth several times, scrambling for a proper reply.

  “You’re…the dragon…from earlier. Dragonlord…Serenis.”

  “…Yes. That would be my name.”

  “Har…”

  It wasn’t the first day Ardion had heard Vulka’s name.

  And it wasn’t the first day he had heard Serenis’ name, either.

  - ‘Ardion. She no longer remains with us, but the kin was once ruled by a far greater king than I, long before you were born. Her name…was…’

  “…”

  Ardion closed his eyes, indulging in the memories that tio surface.

  He’d fotten it all. He’d left it all behind as told, o speak or think of them again. After his own passing, no one would ever speak of suames again.

  Clearly, he was wrong.

  The elder soo out a deep, resigning sigh.

  “To think I’d hear a kin speak his name again...this is a most strange dream.”

  “…Dream? For what reason do you think this a dream?”

  “Why…you’ve…long passed away. Long before this old brood was born.”

  “…!”

  No kin had reized Serenis’ er her awakening. Not Raizel, not Ilias, not even Bruton or Aether.

  But right now, the elder before her was clearly reizing her name – and speaking of it as if he kly who she was.

  “If this is not a dream, then…I suppose I could already be standing before the gates of hell. I’ve erased the names and legacies of the kin’s greatest dragons…if this is not a dream, then you’ve e to deliver my due punishment.”

  The elder began to chuckle at his own remark. Despite sounding sarcastic, he did truly mean it – if the afterlife truly existed, then he had little doubt that he’d be bound for the deepest pits of hell.

  Not that Serenis had any pns to take him to such a pce.

  With pained, grieving eyes, the dragonlord began to ahe elder.

  “…This is not a dream.”

  “Hm?”

  “This is not a dream. Nor have I e to deliver your punishment.”

  “…But…you’ve already…”

  “I still live, child.”

  “…”

  “…So do not mock my son’s name before me. As long as I live, non shall remember Vulka as a cursed kin.”

  Despite her anding words, Serenis’ trembling voice made it sound like a plea more than an order.

  And Ardion likewise began to frown, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.

  “…Lord Vulka…must not…be remembered. It was his st wish…our king’s final wish. To uphold the Twelve’s ant, he chose to…”

  “There’s no need.”

  Once, Serenis had entrusted the kin to her son.

  But it wasn’t a proper succession by any means; she’d left him with nothing but children to take care of, alone in a world ruled by their ehat wahe dragonkin dead. It wouldn’t have been surprising for Serenis to find out that her kin had perished after her death.

  But they hadn’t.

  They were still here, protected and nurtured by their now-fotten aor.

  ‘Our time’s already passed…isn’t that right, Vulka?’

  Serenis’ time had ended a thousand years ago.

  Her son’s time had likewise ended, hundreds of years in the past.

  She knew better than ahat she no longer beloo the world of the living.

  So, what she was doing now was nothing more than selfish acts of ato.

  Atoning for lives that she couldn’t fet,

  Making amends for her brethren’s unfulfilled lives.

  “…There’s no he ant’s been disposed of, together with the Reaper.”

  “…”

  Vulka had sacrificed his remaining days to proted nurture the kin.

  The children he’d raised had likewise followed in his footsteps. They’d foheir freedom and forsaken their lord’s legacy to protect those after them.

  Then, the least Serenis could do was to release them of those responsibilities,

  Aurn the freedom they’d resigned.

  “…As long as I draw breath, no divinity shall harm the kin again.”