< 89. The Abyss of Distrust (17) >
The lair of a sea dragon like Kallieter is located underwater, making it impossible to employ ordinary species as workers. Even trolls, reputed for their health, are reluctant to work underwater due to the difficulties of commuting.
Therefore, sea dragons who couldn't find suitable labor on Earth turned their gaze to other realms. Although it wasn't on the scale of mass immigration, the Da'fin tribe, which had managed to increase their numbers, was the origin of their presence on Earth.
Being able to breathe through gills underwater and through skin respiration on land, the Da'fin are ideal candidates for sea dragons. They are descendants of marine amphibians that went extinct on Earth long ago.
"Hm? Team Leader, look at this."
A frog-like species peered at the monitor. Something unidentified was approaching the lair at an extremely fast speed.
"What is it? A submarine?"
An employee asked.
"No, it's a fish."
"No way. What kind of crazy fish gets that close to the lair?"
Even low-intelligence fish instinctively avoid swimming around this area due to the dragon's aura that emanates from here. Yet the object on the radar was approaching in a straight line.
"There were no visitation requests today. Bring up the screen."
"Okay, I'm transmitting camera 16."
Pop!
The underwater spotlight installed outside pierced through the dark water. The employee who saw what appeared on the screen was horrified.
"...Is that a tuna?!"
The fish swimming towards them had a head unmistakably resembling the tuna he knew—a species that shouldn't be found here.
"Tuna have been absent from the North Sea for 60 years, haven't they?"
As the employee said, tuna had long disappeared from the area due to relentless fishing. The team leader, who was well-versed in Earth's marine resources due to his long immigration history, scrutinized the screen and said,
"Definitely. It's a tuna. Specifically, a Pacific bluefin tuna. It's a species from the other side of the Earth. Zoom in further."
As the resolution of the screen changed, two Da'fin noticed something new. Below the waist, instead of a tail, were two mammalian feet actively kicking.
"A gifted individual."
"What should we do? Should we broadcast a warning?"
The broadcast would be an announcement prohibiting all unauthorized entries, as this place was private property. However, the team leader shook his head.
"No, let them in for now."
"Wha-?!"
The employee was shocked. It was not something anyone could decide without the lair owner's permission.
The team leader observed the approaching individual's ankles closely. Specifically, the artifacts they wore.
"They are already a permitted guest."
"Please wait here for a moment. The manager is coming."
"Okay, thank you."
Kathy, now in human form and wearing a rash guard, waited for the person in charge. She squeezed the water out of her hair, with dozens of eyes watching her closely.
The Da'fin employees whispered behind the glass window.
"What's that, Breed Shift?"
"Can a land creature transform into a sea creature?"
"It's rare but there are cases. This is the first time I'm seeing it in person."
"Wait a minute. Does that mean she can live both underwater and on land?"
"And... how come she's so pretty? More beautiful than the humans I've seen on TV?"
A loud voice was heard behind them.
"Stop talking nonsense and get back to work! That's the guest of our lord!"
The team leader, who had chased away the curious employees, entered the reception room.
"You must be the agent Min-jun sent."
'They said if I wore this artifact on my ankle, it would be recognized immediately.'
Confirming that his superior's guess was correct, Kathy handed over the artifact.
"It was said to be very urgent."
"Lord Kallieter is not here at the moment, but..."
"If it's for the manager level, I assume you know how to use this."
Kathy only knew that the artifact contained a message spell, but she didn't understand the actual content.
The Da'fin muttered in an unfamiliar language, possibly an activation phrase. Magic began to flow from the bracelet.
And the team leader's face visibly stiffened.
"...Understood. I'll contact Lord Kallieter immediately."
I don't expect much. Just buy as much time as possible. Make sure those guys don't return to the city. They can't harm you as long as they know you're a dragon.
Haeun-seong recalled Min-jun's earnest instructions. To faithfully carry out the mission, he was putting on the best performance of his life, fully immersing himself in the role of an inexperienced hatchling who had never been outside the lair.
'Wow, can't move at all? Such a waste. I only realized I had this talent after dying.'
Haeun-seong mistakenly believed that the prisoners' struggles were due to his excellent acting, but whether the performance was clumsy or smooth, it probably made little difference. The fact remained that his body was unmistakably that of a real dragon.
Even if Haeun-seong had made dog barking sounds instead of speaking, the prisoners would not have dared to harm him.
Because he was a dragon.
=You're saying not to call my mom?=
"Yes, please. We'll handle it well…"
=But if I return home like this, it's going to be a mess. Where did I get hurt? I can't say I tripped on the road.=
The prisoner, trying to appease him, spoke.
"I understand that dragons do not have the same regenerative abilities as trolls. The best way for rapid treatment is to ask a high priest."
Dragons wouldn't make sponsorship contracts with the church without reason. They had skills that were impossible for dragons to possess.
"Wait here for a moment, and we'll bring a priest…"
=Don't joke around! Are you planning to escape like this?!=
"No, no! If that makes you uneasy, one of us will move separately."
=No, if everyone keeps slipping away like that, what will happen to me?=
After a prolonged argument, the prisoners eventually realized something was off. It was clear even to a fool.
'Is he really this incompetent?'
What he was insisting on was to keep the prisoners here without letting even one escape.
'Wait, come to think of it… At first, I didn't notice due to confusion, but...'
Kallieter's spouse is a fire dragon. A hatchling born from their hybrid should have retained some characteristics of a sea dragon. Initially, it seemed like these traits were not well-expressed, but...
'There are none at all. No trace of sea dragon genes, no matter how much I look. Even if it's a mutant, it's excessive.'
In the end, one of the prisoners made a decision. Tentatively.
"Then how about this? We'll teleport to the city together as a group. No one left behind. No one escapes."
'Damn, that's not allowed.'
Min-jun had instructed not to draw the prisoners into the city.
Haeun-seong hesitated and then shouted.
=I don't want that either! How can I trust you!?=
The prisoners' gazes turned icy.
"...You don't want to call a priest, and you don't want to go with us to the priest? Then there's no solution. Do you want to just stay here and waste time endlessly? Is that what you want?"
'Damn it, have I been exposed?!'
At that moment, Haeun-seong swallowed nervously.
Pop!
Everyone's attention snapped to the air.
"!"
The prisoners immediately sensed a change in the weight of the air. A heavy, oppressive fear settled around them, something that would paralyze an ordinary person.
In the empty forest, a woman in a suit floated in the air, looking down. The prisoners felt both the ferocity of a predator and the majesty of a ruler emanating from her.
"You are—"
Even a species known for polymorphing, which frequently used fixed forms, found this a nuisance. Constantly rendering their appearance was bothersome for them as well. Additionally, when exposed to the media, it was effective to wear an avatar crafted by psychologists to manipulate public sentiment.
Thus, the prisoners knew. They recognized the blonde woman's face and the type of dragon she was.
Someone with a drained face spoke up.
"Kallieter!"
Their initial suspicion was confirmed, and in the worst possible way.
The deformed hatchling was indeed Kallieter's offspring!
The cold gaze swept over them. The eyes were filled with contempt, as if looking at insects.
The prisoners internally screamed in unison.
'We're screwed!'
The incompetent dragon's tantrum had led to the mother arriving before they could act.
Confusion and horror tangled in their minds. But how did she know? They had clearly left the lair.
Meanwhile, Haeun-seong was also internally screaming.
'We're screwed!'
Kallieter?
He didn't know how she found out. What was certain was that from a dragon's perspective, she would be able to discern he wasn't a hatchling. And she would definitely know he wasn't her own child.
What if she gets angry for impersonating? What if she uses it as an excuse to confront him for wandering around without permission? If she's a psychopathic dragon like Chancheon, she might imprison or even kill him!
"..."
As Haeun-seong and the prisoners trembled in fear,
The ancient dragon finally spoke.
"I won't waste time with idle talk."
Haeun-seong flinched and shivered, but—
Her gaze was fixed on the prisoners.
"To act like this in my domain, I would like to tear you all apart and kill you, but..."
The dragon's aura filled the air.
The prisoners waited in tense anticipation for her next words, feeling as if their hearts might burst.
"You were all on a surprise mission from the committee, correct?"
Had the mission details been exposed to the dragon?
The prisoners were shocked once more.
But Kallieter uttered even more astonishing words.
"Leave."
A few seconds of silence.
"...Pardon?"
"You, criminals. Puppets of the committee. Get out of my domain immediately. I grant you five minutes with great tolerance. If you wish to preserve your lives, you must squeeze every last bit of mana you have. Utilize every method, be it teleportation or otherwise, to remove your filthy feet from my land and erase your foul breath from the air. I repeat, five minutes. You should know this is the first and last leniency I will grant you."
A miracle happened!
The prisoners, elated to have their lives spared, immediately made their escape. They hastily teleported or ripped open scrolls, fleeing in a frantic rush.
It was strange when you thought about it. A hatchling was injured, yet the dragon let them go without killing them.
However, no prisoner wanted to question the dragon who spared their lives. Speculating on the reason and pondering it could wait until they had safely escaped.
After all the prisoners had vanished,
"Ah... um..."
Zing!
Haeun-seong flinched as he felt the sharp gaze directed at him. The look in her eyes was not much different from the one she had given the prisoners earlier.
The dragon spoke in a cold voice.
"Stop with the pathetic acting. It was a disgraceful farce that sullied the honor of dragons. Even a dragon just hatching with scales not fully hardened wouldn't be so clumsy in their behavior."
That meant...
"I know that you are not a hatchling, and that the soul controlling your body is not a dragon."
Min-jun had never expected Haeun-seong to buy enough time against the prisoners.
Thus, another safeguard had been set up. To remove half of the prisoners from the stage.
If they hadn't had the mistaken belief and sense of crisis that they had harmed the hatchling, they would have stood their ground, even if the ancient dragon tried to chase them away, citing the committee's mission. They would have protested against being hindered in their mission. But this time, it seemed Kallieter had a legitimate reason. Thus, they retreated without a word.
On the other hand, Kallieter couldn't kill them recklessly. The dragon wasn't a hatchling. It wouldn't be justifiable to kill prisoners for a single scale lost from an independent dragon.
The ancient dragon said to Haeun-seong,
"Slave, go and relay this to your master."
=?!=
Slave?!
Master?!
"I accept the terms. And, this confirms that the debt owed to each other is cleared."
=What?=
The dragon grew irritated.
"Even if you don't understand the meaning, just relay it as is. I wonder how such a sharp-witted person like your master ended up with a dull-witted soul like you as a slave."
=...=
"Convey this: There is a fact that the religious fanatics are hiding from the outside. My sponsorship contract with them ended the moment the former grand archbishop died in an 'accidental incident with suspects and grievances unspecified.' The vow I made in dragon speech was: 'This sponsorship is valid until the moment the grand archbishop dies.' In other words, after his death, a new contract must be signed for the sponsorship to continue, and they have persistently demanded it until now, but I haven't had the opportunity to attend to it. I have been busy inspecting my domain."
A faint smile touched the dragon's lips. It was barely visible.
It was the first time since appearing that she showed any sign of a smile.
"Moreover, it doesn't seem likely to be signed in the next few days. The situation in the domain is still chaotic and busy. Naturally, no matter where the priest demanding the renewal is waiting for me, I will not grant an audience until I permit it."
This was within Haeun-seong's understanding.
Contrary to Min-jun's worries, Dreamland was not under Kallieter's protection right now. Moreover, from the nuances, it seemed that she was deliberately delaying the renewal.
Finally, the ancient dragon declared,
"Even if he were resurrected, the effectiveness would not be restored. It is an unforeseen event for the dead to return in a form not bound by necromancy, and mentioning such an assumption in the contract would be meaningless, so it was not specified. Therefore, I confirm that the sponsorship contract is terminated and has no effect at present. Go. Go and relay it, slave."
=Yes!=
Haeun-seong spread his wings and took off. He replayed the story he had heard in his mind.
'In the end, she's saying that if we're going to strike them, it should be now?'
It seemed Kallieter was trying to cut ties with the church this time. Although the reason was unknown.
'But...'
As he repeated her words in his mind, a particular term nagged at him.
'Why does she keep calling me a slave? It's annoying.'
He only had some debts to repay.
So he felt aggrieved.
< 89. The Hell of Distrust (17) > End