Ep 182. Some Things Don’t o Be Taught. (4)

  As Aymeia unfortably shifted by the bedside, Raizel was slowly nodding her head.

  The former deity had just fielling her everything that had happened – the meeting, the agreement Serenis and Xerun had e to, and the test that would be taking pce as they spoke.

  The youngling’s expression was literally unreadable – she seemed satisfied, annoyed, angered, and amused, all at the same time. Even Light, who was generally quick with reading facial cues, found it impossible to tell what was going through the steel dragon’s head.

  After the lengthy silence, Light bravely broke the silen the room.

  “Um…sorry, Raizel. You must be really worried about Serenis.”

  “…? Why the hell would I be worried about her?”

  “Well…she’s…not allowed to use magic. Isn’t that w?”

  “W about letting into a fight with that piss dragon? I’d rather worry about being hit in the head with a et.”

  “…I’m surprised you know what a et is.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing! Nothing!”

  As Raizel’s gripped fist rose into the air, Light frantically shook her head in dismay.

  And, after a few seds, the steel dragon lowered her fist with a tired eyeroll.

  “…Whatever. You all could’ve goh Ilias, you know. There’s no reason to stick around here.”

  “Well, it…kinda seemed like a dragon-thing. I don’t think we should be there.”

  Seds after, Karas chimed in to add some unnecessary details to his student’s answer.

  “And frankly, we’re scared of being trampled underfoot.”

  “Yeah, that too.”

  “…”

  Although she remained silent, even Aymeia was nodding her head. With so many dragons gathered in one pce, a small act could kill one of them.

  Truth be told, Karas did want to go see the event for himself – for all he knew, it was likely a historical moment in the dragonkin’s history, and a ce to see it unfolding before his own eyes.

  But with the number ons gathered there, he couldn’t possibly guarahat one of them wouldn’t actally step on him. And even if he could keep himself safe somehow, he could hardly guarantee safety fht and Aymeia – not in his current state, anyways.

  And once again, Raizel rolled her eyes.

  “Meh. You’re not missing out on much. That piss drago stand a ce against lord, anyways.”

  “…Hm.”

  Karas gave a quizzical gowards the youngling’s remark.

  “How are you so sure of this?”

  “…Lord fly with me on her back.”

  “? What of it?”

  “And Xerun ’t even lift my tail off his back.”

  “…Oh.”

  The question that struck Karas’ mind was how Raizel had e to know that an elder dragon couldn’t lift her tail off their back.

  …But keeping silent robably for the best.

  ? ? ?

  Serenis shook her head as she watched Xerun squirm, albeit less and less eically. His eyes were beginning to lose strength, and his body was steadily growing limp.

  She couldn’t decide whether the gold dragon was being steadfast, or just ht stubborn.

  ‘…A minute longer and he’ll colpse.’

  Which was ly an ideal oute.

  Finally, Serenis tossed Xerun bato the ground with her tail.

  Normally, Xerun would’ve used his own wings to break the fall – but not this time. He simply crashed unto the earth, powerless to fly or even stand up.

  Instead, he only managed a series of coughs in an attempt to catch his breath.

  “…”

  Numerous eyes fell upon the elder dragon that was gasping for air.

  Numerous eyes fell upon the dragonlord, who likewise desded unto the ground to tower before the heaving gold dragon.

  After taking in the mix of awe and shock, Serenis looked to her kin once more.

  “I realize how difficult it is for you all to believe my words. The return of the dead, and one g to be a king, no less…perhaps it’s only natural to retain doubt.”

  Even had Serenis been in their position, she wouldn’t have believed her own story.

  The dead returning to life was a ridiculous tale in of itself.

  The dead returning to life after a thousand years was…well, beyond ridiculous.

  ‘heless…’

  Serenis briefly closed her eyes in refle before she’d tinue.

  “…But has it not struck you odd? How the elders would warn you all to ep outside our ?”

  “…”

  No one spoke.

  Instead, the gathered dragons merely exged uneasy gnces with each other. Some even looked to the ground, guilty to admit that they eveained such curiosities.

  And in the following unease, only the dragonlord’s voice tio speak.

  “Did none of you truly wonder why your elders were keeping you all away from the frozen hollows of our valley? Who the cursed kin truly was, or why they had to remain sealed?”

  “…”

  As expected, her kin failed to answer once more.

  And to that, the dragonlord only beamed a thin smile.

  “Once…your elders’ pretense served to protect you all.”

  No longer would the kin need such falsehood to protect their children.

  “But if their tales have bee nothing but a burden to your lives…then there’s no reason to tell such tales anymore.”

  With that, Serenis looked to Ardion.

  He was the only remaining kin who khe truth behind their tales.

  And in this moment, he was the only remaining kin who could ao Serenis.

  “…”

  Even as Ardion locked eyes with the dragonlord, he couldn’t help but imagine what his past king would say.

  The falsehood of his geion was woven by Vulka himself. It was the past king’s final will that had kept their children safe.

  But as words would imply – it was in the past.

  Through Vulka’s will, the dragonkin had lost their freedom, and fotten their history.

  In exge for their survival, they’d e to deny the very existence of their lords.

  That was the oute for itting themselves to the past.

  “…How could the past lord’s will surpass that of our present?”

  As Ardion delivered his answer, audible waves of surprise spread throughout the gathered dragons.

  It was the first time a kin had attested to the existence of lords – and it’d e from her than their eldest.

  After examining the uhat was washing over the crowd, Serenis let out another long sigh.

  The dragons before her were their present.

  And one day, they would together shape the kin’s future.

  Hee as it may be, she had to returheir lost history. No longer would her kin allow a falsehood to determiheir lives.

  Vulka had given his life to protect their future.

  Now, those he’d nurtured would e to know the truth,

  See the world through their own eyes,

  And choose their own path forward.

  “…I shall tell you all. The tales of our past.”

  Tales from hundreds, and a thousand years past,

  Days that will never return to haunt us again.

  And then, you will all decide for yourselves.

  The worth of what we’ve done,

  And the paths you’ll walk hereon.