Chapter 574: Reunion with Emma
If you forget the fact that this is the demon territory, it is a scenic mountainous area. The silver dragon’s hidden village「Crystal Palace」, is where Neia, Laila and I visited before anyone else.
“Shouldn’t we visit Dianne first?”
“I’m sure Dianne won’t be in a time-sensitive situation for now. The first thing that comes to mind is that Emma, Ray and the rest of the Presbyterians are not in Polka”
“If something had happened, I’m sure they would have sent word”
“I hope nothing has happened”
The civil war had left all the dragons who had tried to cooperate with me from the beginning in this region with painful injuries. Dragons can control the damage to their own bodies through the manipulation of their healing powers. Even when injured, they can heal rapidly in exchange for physical strength. Even if they are so battered and bruised that they lose all four limbs, they can transfer the negative effects of their injuries to their physical strength and make themselves fully heal with rest, even without special medical treatment, which is the strength of dragons. In short, as long as they eat and sleep, they do not need a doctor. They have innate physical and sensory abilities, magic abilities……and the ability to fly and breathe. All of these are a screaming threat to other species, but perhaps the most frightening is actually this 「Healing power control」. At the very least, death in the form of……death due to inability to heal wounds and illnesses is something that dragons are not known for. However, when it comes to such struggles among dragons, it can be brutal. Most of the kryptonite attacks that would normally leave them immobilized can be quickly cured. Especially among dragons of the same genus, whose breath is ineffective, there is no choice but to fight a war of attrition, inflicting wounds on their opponents until they are unable to heal them. Only when the opponent is left badly wounded can victory and restraint be achieved. If it goes beyond that, we have no choice but to kill them. The seven dragons, including Ray and Emma, had their strength sapped in such a way that they were left with no time to repair their injuries.
“I asked Ledo to do it for me……”
“Ho. The effect of the healing spring will not be easily understood by those who do not know. Dragons are not familiar with the concept of 『Recuperation』 that other races have. They can manage on their own. They probably don’t even need to visit Polka, but are going to come and say hello after they get better on their own”
“……I strongly feel the need for dialogue”
“Dragons are so intelligent that they tend to think they are understood even when they are not fully explained……”
Neia nodded. Kalwin will not be able to stand without the help of dragons. Whether it is Neia or the acting king, High Priest Duke, it will only become more inconvenient if they do not deepen their mutual understanding with the dragons. If I take the initiative in getting along with the dragons in the Crystal Palace, there will surely be less friction. I can’t do anything detailed or difficult with my head, but I’m sure this is an important role to play.
“Shall we go in?”
“Umm”
“I’ll go with you”
The three of us enter the palace.
And we were surprised to be greeted by Ray and the elder, who greeted us normally.
“……Oh?”
“Welcome, great rider. How are you……?”
“Eh, I’m quite well. ……Or rather, where’s Emma?”
“Emma is all dressed up. Wait a moment”
“……Wasn’t she injured, or……physically weak or something?”
Honestly, I thought she was still so limp that it was difficult to move, even though she was still showing off her brutal injuries.
“I’m sharing my strength from my fellow dragons. Last time I was still in captivity, so I couldn’t receive that kind of help……but with this much time on my hands, I’m a fellow member of the same palace”
“E, Em……m, like, medical light techniques?”
“Owner-san. Well then, there must be a technique that Maia and I use to catch the extra energy at Breakcore”
“…….A, Ah……”
I think there was something like that. It was something like connecting vessels of life force or something like that.
“Originally, it was a technique used by dragons to harmonize with each other. For me and the blue dragons, even if our life force decreases, we can restore it with Polka’s miraculous spring, so it’s a technique that has become obsolete”
“I, I see……you were aware of that, Laila?”
“I came up with this idea after you told me about it. It’s certainly enough here, where there are so many dragons”
If you ask me, the only dragons that I know are the ones that live alone or from Misty Palace, which has started to become depopulated as a palace. I think it’s pretty careless to forget the possibilities that could have been covered by a technique like this, but I guess it can’t be helped.
“Not everyone is in perfect shape, but no one is in a condition to be called injured anymore”
Ray assures me.
“What should I say……I should say it’s unfortunate……”
Neia gave him a complicated look.
“It’s not exactly a pity……but you should have come to us because the miraculous spring of Polka is so effective that even a weakened dragon can be treated well”
“Well, it would have been easier if we could have covered it right away in this palace. I guess we’ll have to wait another time”
Yes. It would certainly have saved me a lot of time and pain, but……I wonder what’s so sad about this? Honestly speaking, I really wanted to show off my Polka.
After a while, Emma appears.
“I’m sorry for coming in late, Smithson-sama. Thank you for taking the trouble to mention my name”
“No, the only dragons whose names I know are Ray, Emma and Ledo”
I know the rest of the dragons who belonged to Rainer, though.
“I am very happy”
Emma wears a layered costume with detailed and colorful design designs, which is influenced by the culture of the eastern mountains, with a subdued color scheme, but with a luxurious……or rather prestigious look. Her hair is also inconspicuously tied in a pointy knot, giving her figure an exotic feel and at the same time a dignified appearance that seems somewhat neutral. She has a young appearance similar to Maia’s, but when she is so well dressed, her cuteness has a different charm. It is as if she were a princess of some small country, with a transparent supremacy or…….I can say that because she is a dragon, she has a higher consciousness and status than those princesses.
“As you can tell, she’s dressed up, so it looks pretty good. The owner wants it too”
“!”
Emma blushes a little and turns her eyes slightly away.
“No, I want it……”
“Owner. You don’t touch Ledo because she’s your first priority, right? And she’s dressed up so nicely just to show you off. You wouldn’t say you were offended……would you?”
“No, it’s certainly pretty, but you can’t just say you don’t want it or want it because it’s…….it’s a matter of a lifetime”
“A contract of power cannot be concluded without agreement. But you can’t deny that you want it”
“…………”
“It’s like love. Like and dislike are not the same as agreement and non-agreement. Do not hide your feelings of love from others just because you are in front of a procedure. If you go too far, you will disrespect the other person’s feelings”
“That’s……what I’m saying, though”
scratch my head. Seeing me like that, the elder and Ray gave a wry smile.
“The great rider seems to take great care of the delicate order of things”
“It’s obvious that Emma is not entirely happy about this, so I think it would be best if you could speak a little more quickly”
“Brother?”
Emma sounds a little flustered. She must be at least sixty-something Maia or older, but she looks as old as she looks.
“I think we should go more slowly with those things……. And elder, can you please stop calling me great or something. It’s creepy”
“No, great. I have lived as long as I have and I have never seen a rider who embodies the dreams of the people and the pride of the dragon as you do”
“……I’m not much of a rider. I had a reputation in the military as just being dexterous and unreliable”
The elder smiled and shook his head.
“There are dreams that need to be fulfilled. Tere is power to be wielded and there is a time to step forward. And those who do not misjudge these things have been called great heroes since ancient times. You may not be powerful alone. But that will be all. The dragons are there to make up for it”
“……Is that so?”
“A man is stronger than a thousand ants. Is a man greater than a thousand ants? ……May be stronger, but that is all. It is the same with dragons. It has nothing to do with being great. If you are a great ant, it fills the pride of the powerful to follow your aspirations”
“……Understands and does not understand”
What is a great ant? Hard to imagine.
“Even if you don’t know, history will prove it in time. For us, there is no longer any doubt. If you want Emma, then by all means, take good care of her”
“……I always thought that the dragons were a little too aggressive in offering up their people to the riders……”
“I think it’s such a good match. ……If you don’t like it, tell her so”
“I don’t think that’s fair!”
Even though I complained, the elder and Ray just laughed. Then, facing Emma, who looked up at me with an anxious look, I tried to choose what to say, but I couldn’t think of anything.
“……Emm, that……is beautiful”
“……Yes”
“……So, you know”
I was at a loss for words, impatient and then Laila poked me with her elbow.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to be offended by that”
“Hey……shut up”
“It’s so frustrating”
The smirk pushed me back and I tried to remember what the problem was, but I couldn’t come up with it.
“Ah……,emm, that…….”
“……Yes”
“……You know, I’m a huge womanizer……and to be honest, I think I’d pull it off”
“But I guess that’s another virtue of……people”
“……Ah, yeah”
Well, dragons had those values. The Crystal Palace dragons seem normal in terms of moderation, but then again, even Rainer signed three at the same time and no one saw a problem with it. Beyond that, there were no more excuses, and I seized the opportunity.
“……That, are you coming with me?”
“Yes”
Emma answered immediately, as if she had been waiting and as if she was finally able to catch her breath, she relaxed and laughed. ……Ah, I said it. I wonder if it’s okay. I wonder if it was good.