< 130. There Are No Bad Dragons in the World (2) >
The dragons, excluding the heirs, whispered to each other with curiosity.
"So why is that prisoner still here?"
"I heard he was brought by Jenkins from Korea. Since he's a witness invited to the dragon kin conference, no one has chased him away."
"But we can't proceed with the meeting like this, can we? Do we really need to allow him to stay in such a sensitive spot? He's not even a dragon, and he's a prisoner of the committee."
"However, since the will mentioned him, kicking him out might be a bit…"
Meanwhile, the heirs' demeanor became increasingly sharp.
Although they hadn't spoken it aloud, similar thoughts crossed their minds.
'The private vaults scattered across New York are like my father's rare annexes. They're treasure repositories. Every one of them is protected by the highest barriers, so whatever is hidden there can't be ordinary. And he's handing that over to a prisoner?'
'We can't ignore a will proclaimed in a gathering of dragons. It's better to wait and see if that guy inherits it. After that, whatever accidental incidents occur will be separate from the will.'
'It's irritating that he's a prisoner. It's not like we can just kill him easily. If we want to avoid conflicts with the committee, we'll have to deal with this discreetly…'
As each dragon fell into their own thoughts, the Dragon Lord's will continued.
Next, regarding the succession of the Dragon Lord. As the representative of Earth's dragons, I have joyfully fulfilled my duties so far. The Dragon Lord is an important position for coordinating and gathering opinions from our kind within the dimension. Therefore, I recommend the swift appointment of a successor immediately after my death is confirmed.
It is unfortunate that none of our kind willingly step up for the position. If there are no applicants, a nomination would be quicker.
I recommend Jenkins, the Red Dragon of the Fire Dragon Tribe (12 Pyeongchang 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea), as the next Dragon Lord candidate. He is deemed capable of filling the gaps I showed during my tenure, and he is a remarkable dragon with no deficiencies in experience, attitude, character, and intellectual ability. I hope the voters give this serious consideration.
Jenkins's eyes widened as if they might pop out, and a gasp escaped his open mouth.
He had never imagined the Lord would leave a directive about his successor in the will.
Let alone recommending him as the next Dragon Lord?!
Murmurs continued among the other dragons.
"Jenkins? Why him?"
"They did have somewhat similar styles… in a negative way."
"That eccentricity of calling elves and humans friends? By that logic, cockroaches could be dragon friends."
"The Lord was so old that it was understandable, but Jenkins… seems unreliable."
"What can we do? Will you take the position?"
"...No, that's not it."
"Anyway, it's a position no one wants. It's fortunate that the Lord left it in the will. It's reasonable to hope that Jenkins will be motivated by a sense of duty and leap into the role."
The will moved on to the next section.
Finally, I convey my will regarding the disposition of my body.
The heirs held their breath.
This was the highlight.
Among the Dragon Lord's astronomical wealth, the most valuable item was his body.
I hope my body will be handled 'basically' according to the Draconic Code.
"Phew."
"Of course."
A sense of relief spread among the heirs.
To follow the Draconic Code meant that the children would divide the inheritance equally.
Although the deceased had a bizarre and unpredictable nature, he seemed to adhere to common sense in the most important matters.
For reference, I clarify that the children born before I came to Earth have voluntarily relinquished their inheritance rights by mutual agreement. Therefore, any dragon born after 0:00 Earth Standard Time on December 24, 1945, who can prove they are my biological child, can claim rights to my body. The criteria for determining biological children will also follow the Draconic Code.
At that moment, no dragon saw Minjun's expression distort oddly.
Everyone was too focused on the will.
However.
And then came the bombshell declaration.
The Dragon Heart is an exception.
"······!"
The heirs experienced a sense of betrayal, feeling as though they had been struck on the back of the head multiple times that day.
What? The Dragon Heart?
Why is that an exception?!
That was the most valuable part of the old dragon's inheritance…!
I apologize once again to my children. Due to special circumstances, my Dragon Heart cannot be fragmented or otherwise altered.
The heirs suppressed their urge to curse. There were too many high dragons around to act recklessly. Instead, they were silently seething with frustration.
'This is ridiculous! Other high dragons have successfully fragmented and shared their Dragon Hearts… Why is it only yours that can't be divided?'
Without answering that question, the magical message continued calmly.
However, joint ownership of the Dragon Heart would be ineffective and contrary to the nature of the dragon kin. Therefore, I wish for the Dragon Heart to be owned entirely and completely by a single heir.
So, among the seventeen heirs, who would claim it?
The dragons held their breath, eagerly awaiting the next words.
The conditions for activating 'this' among the various wills I prepared is my unnatural death. Therefore, I demand a thorough investigation and revenge for my death. The heir who makes the greatest contribution to this process will be awarded my Dragon Heart.
One of the children finally couldn't hold back and erupted in anger.
"Father! What are you doing?!"
It was a cry that reached no one.
Meanwhile, other dragons watched as the situation unfolded in an unimaginable direction. It was an unprecedented and bizarre will. The spectators also couldn't guess the Lord's intent. Until this point, they had been like distant onlookers, finding it interesting since it wasn't their problem.
However, in the next moment, that psychological distance would narrow instantly.
The deadline for the investigation and revenge is set to 99 days from today.
The division and transfer of my body will begin 99 days after the Dragon Heart owner is decided, and not a single scale should be damaged before then. To prepare for any heirs who might ignore my will, I have appointed a separate 'body guardian' to seal my body until then.
If no heir meets the conditions or makes a significant contribution within 99 days…
The ownership of the Dragon Heart will be transferred to the next Dragon Lord.
"······!"
At that moment, all the dragons present had their eyes gleam with greed.
The heart of Earth's oldest dragon.
Originally, it was a treasure given only to bloodline descendants.
Now, there was a chance that even dragons without a blood relation could obtain it.
"Wait, this is absurd!"
The heirs shouted desperately.
And they appealed to the high dragons who served as witnesses.
"To finish the investigation and revenge within 99 days is impossible! Father was the most powerful dragon on Earth. The only beings who could harm such a father are…!"
Although they couldn't finish their sentences, everyone could guess the omitted word.
Probably, the committee was involved.
"And giving the Dragon Heart to the one who contributes the most? Who will objectively measure and decide that? The premise itself is unreasonable and unfair. Think about it. What are we supposed to do? Should we storm the committee headquarters and commit terrorism? Or should we kill that tentacle monster from the Earth Representative's office?!"
At that moment.
"Wait!"
One of the high dragons interrupted him.
-------!
The older dragons were quicker to notice the anomaly. They all stiffened and looked toward the horizon.
'No, these old folks?!'
Then, the heir felt his irritation rising.
'Even if they're high dragons, is it okay to cut off someone's speech in the middle?! The next thing I was going to say was the main point!'
In his childish anger, the heir lifted his head a beat too late.
"······!"
At that moment, the young dragon completely forgot what he was about to say next.
=What on earth is happening outside?=
The youngest of the four brothers, looking dejected, transmitted his thoughts.
However, the other three brothers remained silent with serious expressions, offering no response.
They were in a secret location in Hong Kong, prepared by Jenkins's subordinates. Just like their accommodation in Seoul, everything the boys needed was provided, and initially, the brothers had no complaints. They didn't know why they were there, but accepted it as usual. Everything so far had gone in this manner.
But then, an anomaly occurred in the early hours of the previous day. At that time, three of the brothers, excluding the youngest, suddenly woke up. They sensed the ominous energy that had been engulfing the city.
It was only when the earthquake shook Hong Kong that the fourth brother finally woke up.
Afterwards, Jenkins's employees had left the brothers with only the instruction to stay put, and none of them returned. In truth, such instructions were unnecessary. The door was firmly locked, and the boys couldn't leave anyway.
=Hey, damn it. Why is no one responding?=
The youngest complained.
But the three older brothers were too absorbed in their own concerns to respond.
A little later, the eldest, who had been concentrating near the door, opened his eyes.
=I can't hear Mom's voice. It seems the barrier must have shaken briefly at that time.=
Until dawn, they had been unaware that their mother had also been transported to this place.
The eldest was the first to detect the faint psychic energy. Right after the dawn earthquake, he sensed a familiar feeling and shouted. Mom, Mom! That was definitely Mom!
Thanks to this, the brothers realized that she was nearby. But after that, nothing more was heard.
Disappointed by the eldest's response, the youngest turned his gaze to the side. There, the second and third brothers were closing their eyes, focusing on the situation outside with their special abilities.
Seeing this, the fourth brother pouted, feeling irritated.
'When will I ever develop such abilities?'
The third brother was the first to open his eyes.
=Hmph.=
He sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead, then shook his head.
=It's useless. There are too many barriers around. It's similar to the one blocking the place where Mom is.=
The third brother had tried to send spirits to check the surroundings. However, the area where their mother was presumed to be and the vicinity of the earthquake were blocked by something powerful, preventing the spirits' access.
In the end, they were isolated from both things they wanted to know.
Now, hope was placed on the second brother. The brothers' gazes converged.
After a moment.
=···Huh!=
The second brother's eyes widened. His expression was unusual.
The brothers urgently asked.
=What's up! Did you see something?=
=Did you send a beast near Mom? Did you see it?=
=Or did something else happen outside?=
The second brother replied without taking a breath.
=No, I can't send even a rat near Mom. The walls are completely blocking it.=
=Then? What did you see?=
The second brother had awakened his druidic traits.
Just like the third brother's spirit-sensing ability, the second brother possessed a rare ability that was almost unheard of in dragons. To a dragon, other beasts were merely meat. The desire to listen to the voice of meat was difficult to nurture.
Defying that slim probability, the second brother conveyed the situation relayed by the animals outside.
=Right now outside…=
Among the animals in Hong Kong, those that were relatively free to move, such as sewer rodents, mountain bats, and coastal seagulls, had already fled far away when the buildings collapsed.
Yet, some animals remained in the city. Most were pets owned by citizens. The second brother had connected with them.
After a terrifying dawn and the fearful trembling of the animals, they had now fallen into a state of panic again.
In various parts of the city, dogs, cats, and pet birds screamed in terror. Their sensitive senses had detected something.
The second brother, interpreting the meaning with trembling lips, reported.
=Something… something very large and dangerous… is coming this way!=
At that moment, darkness covered the window.
A sudden twilight blanketed Hong Kong in the middle of the day.
A massive object approached, erasing the horizon from a distance. It chose to appear far away rather than suddenly in the city's sky. The teleportation point from which it emerged was above the sea, tens of kilometers from the city.
Afterwards, a slow but very fast movement followed. The craft crossed the sea, pierced through Hong Kong Island, and approached Kowloon Peninsula. The speed was astounding, disorienting in its distance.
The flight left a massive trajectory that no one on the ground could miss.
"Kyaaa!"
"What, what is that!"
"Report, report it!"
A shadow resembling a solar eclipse covered Hong Kong's skyscrapers one after another before briefly retreating under the sunlight.
There were beings as shocked as the ordinary citizens witnessing the scene.
Dragons.
Pop!
Pop-pop-pop!
Reflexive reactions followed.
The moment they saw the presence, most of the high dragons soared into the sky. The image of the flying object was a scar-like memory for them.
Like salted raw loach, the dragons leaped one after another. Having experienced war, they instinctively reverted from their polymorphed forms to their true dragon forms. The sky was covered by winged reptiles.
And from an even higher altitude, the approaching craft finally stopped above the site of the collapsed ICC building… where the body of the Gold Dragon lay.
It was a mass of tentacles with a 6 km radius.
"······!"
From a distance, the citizens of Hong Kong stared at the scene with vacant eyes.
They had already experienced a series of events: a massive earthquake and the collapse of Hong Kong's tallest building.
In the midst of overwhelming surrealism, the dawn's scene replayed. Countless dragons covered the sky. The sight was so dark it felt dizzying.
And this time, there was one more thing added.
A bronze tentacled creature wriggled on top of the reptilian mass.
A sphere resembling an abyss, attached to the central body, gazed down at the ground. It contained emotions that were hard to fathom.
"···Oh God!"
The citizens who beheld the sky felt a chill running down their backs.
It was a pale premonition that today might be the day of Hong Kong's destruction.
< 130. There Are No Bad Dragons in the World (2) > End