Chapter 70
However, upon first encountering that dragon, the emotion Naskandeolux felt most strongly was disappointment.
‘Is this supposed to be a dragon?’
It certainly looked like a young dragon on the outside. Still, it seemed as if the dragon was merely a shell, depleted of any magical power.
‘How can something be so small?’
After disappointment came curiosity. Naskandeolux, fascinated by this peculiar being, found himself at a loss for words. Instead, the small child spoke first, in a voice as small as its body.
“…I’ve never seen a dragon as small as me.”
It felt as if his inner thoughts had been exposed.
“This is Naskandeolux, the Dawn Dragon. I’ll be in charge of your protection.”
How could such a small face hold such large eyes?
Despite its size, the dragon’s distinctive golden eyes glared back. Chryselua was too small, even for a young dragon. Its fragile body looked as if it might break with a single swing, and its cheeks were so puffed they seemed about to burst.
“Protection? Lord, I don’t need that.”
At Chryselua’s words, Naskandeolux scoffed.
That mere shell didn’t deserve a dragon title. The idea of guarding a being that should’ve been already eliminated didn’t appeal to him.
“I don’t want it.”
What? Who said I wanted it?
It was the worst first meeting.
That night, Naskandeolux dreamt again of the twilight. In the dream, the twilight, which only glared at him in reality, smiled brightly, without a speck of dust.
“…Damn!”
When he awoke, his underwear was dirty and wet.
This was the first time something like that happened to him. He was more flustered than when he had been utterly defeated by the Lord, and he flew far away at dawn to discard his soiled clothes. It felt like that wasn’t enough, so he burned them all.
After ensuring perfect destruction of the evidence, the burning flames resembled the twilight sky. Watching it, he couldn’t suppress a leaking chuckle.
‘How amusing.’
Indeed, it was undeniably amusing.
‘Was it Chryselua, the Twilight Dragon?’
For someone who had outright rejected him, wasn’t that smile in the dream far too bright? Though he found her glaring round eyes initially displeasing, he soon discovered an adorable aspect to them. The stark contrast when she squinted with her brows furrowed and her broad smiles were striking.
— I don’t want it.
Yet Chryselua’s frown when looking at him wasn’t easily forgotten.
Hmph. Even if she didn’t want it, what was decided was already decided.
With the power of dawn, Naskandeolux had ‘seen’ Chryselua in his dreams. Thus, their fate of staying together was inevitable.
Indeed, the situation naturally followed this path. The recent activities of the devilkins were unusual, and the Lord was troubled by these developments. Naskandeolux had been handling most of the rift missions within the divine realm for this reason.
Someone inevitably had to stay by her side, especially when the Lord was away on campaigns. Whether the recipient liked it or not, Naskandeolux ended up as her escort.
Even Chryselua, who initially resisted, seemed to understand the situation and agreed.
‘Well, even if she said no, she probably finds me quite likable.’
Why? Because it was meant to be.
Eventually, that child would come to smile at him.
The Lord gave unusually specific instructions for this mission, which was different from when he was sent out on missions with no guidance. This showed the importance of the task and suggested it might be taking a while.
The Lord’s instructions were succinct.
First, if devilkins reach the core of the divine realm, eliminate the threat immediately upon discovery.
Second, if signs of rifts opening nearby are observed, skip reporting and close them swiftly.
Third, if Chryselua falls ill, ensure its stability and well-being until recovery.
Lastly, if all these situations occur simultaneously, prioritize Chryselua’s safety above all.
While the Lord only listed her duties, it hinted at Chryselua’s significance. This small dragon rarely left the deepest parts of the divine realm. Her frequent sickness made venturing far more difficult, and her weak magic naturally excluded her from many duties.
The Lord didn’t decisively reject such a useless being.
Seeing as she entrusted Chryselua’s protection to the heir apparent right before the war, it seemed she was indeed a beloved daughter. The Lord’s eyes, usually viewing the world with boredom, only warmed when looking at Chryselua.
The devilkins’ interest must stem from Chryselua being the Lord’s only vulnerable point.
‘Protecting a weak being…’
Truthfully, this task seemed more troublesome than navigating battlefields or closing rifts.
But, as always, no task was too difficult for Naskandeolux. He also looked forward to seeing when that sharp demeanor would soften into a bright smile. The power of dawn only showed the future without revealing the precise timing.
After completing the awkward task of erasing the evidence of his first wet dream, it was a rather serious thought.
However, the change in Chryselua that Naskandeolux expected didn’t come quickly.
After that day, she hadn’t uttered a single word to him. While she at least greeted him when the Lord was present, recently, she even stopped doing that. The tension between the realms of devilkins and the spirit realm was escalating, causing the Lord to leave the divine realm for extended periods.
But they couldn’t stay silent forever. Especially since the Lord was away for so long, the reserves of food in the lair began to dwindle. While Naskandeolux, with his innate magic, could go long without eating, Chryselua was different.
The excuse to do something rather dull, like hunting, came at a perfect time. When Naskandeolux mentioned he was going hunting, Chryselua briskly closed the book she was reading.
“I want to go too.”
It was unexpected. He thought she would ignore him, and he had been wondering whether to leave her alone in the Lord’s lair or to take her along. This worked out well.
‘Is it time now?’
He had been curious when she would smile, and it seemed the time was coming.
The initial vivid vision of how things would unfold intrigued him.
Would she appreciate it if he killed a large stag with magnificent antlers or a wolf with beautiful fur? Since she probably hadn’t experienced such hunting on her own before.
That day, Naskandeolux hunted more animals than he perhaps should have. When he caught a silver wolf large enough to make a cape that dragged on the ground, he thought that maybe this time, his prophecy would align.
However, instead of being happy with the array of games he had laid out, Chryselua seemed rather disturbed.
‘Didn’t like it?’
Considering the Lord herself had taken care of her, it was possible she wasn’t impressed. He really thought she’d like the silver wolf. As he was inspecting for any blood that might have stained the fur, Chryselua spoke up.
“You closed a rift at the youngest age, right?”
He didn’t understand why she was asking this now, but Naskandeolux nodded in affirmation.
“And you’ve killed devilkins?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ve also had prophecies through the power of dawn?”
“I have.”
Chryselua had been looking at the ground the whole time, not really focusing on the game.
“I see… The Lord chose you as the heir.”
‘Ah, now I get it.’
Naskandeolux finally understood why Chryselua had been so hostile towards him.
All this time, the one the Lord had been caring for was the Twilight Dragon, Chryselua. It seemed she thought he had suddenly appeared to take her place. But logically, she, with no magic and was frail, couldn’t be the Lord’s heir.
Naskandeolux tried to think of something to say that might make Chryselua view him more favorably.
“…But that just means more work for me. Dealing with devilkins or solving rifts are dangerous tasks. She probably doesn’t want to entrust you with such risky jobs that could get you killed.”
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