"Min-jun?"
Jenkins asked again, looking puzzled, as Min-jun remained silent.
Min-jun finally responded, his voice even rougher than before.
"I was trying to recall if I had seen something similar before."
Min-jun couldn't share with his friend what he had been thinking or the conclusions he had reached, even though Jenkins was a crucial part of those decisions.
'It's probably better if you don't know yet.'
He forced himself to maintain a calm expression.
"The conclusion is, I don't know either. It's an incomprehensible pattern."
"Just as I thought."
Jenkins muttered with a tone of disappointment. Min-jun looked at his side profile and thought, He can't imagine that he himself could be the reason for a major change in the fate of his race.
Min-jun was naturally coming to this judgment. Even though he was just one of the primordial race, he believed his choices could significantly impact the relationship between his race and the dragons.
He was thinking along these lines without any doubt.
On his way home after parting with Jenkins, Min-jun organized his complicated thoughts. It was good to have set future action guidelines, but the immediate matter was still unresolved. He thought about the Dragon Lord's actions.
'That dragon was truly concerned about the fate of his race.'
The time frame the Dragon Lord had in mind was impressive even by dragon standards. He left a message while unaware of when the primordial race would return. Even though that time could be a distant future, he was concerned about his far-off descendants.
Min-jun felt his thoughts drifting.
'Were Inais and Jenkins right? Maybe the Lord wasn't creating a new body.'
Min-jun discovered the characteristics of the magical substance carrying his message, combined with genetics. It differed slightly from what the primordial race had left for livestock management.
Old ranchers allowed the blood of livestock to mix randomly, causing the data to naturally oxidize. There was no need to interpret it since it became meaningless to analyze the hybrid bloodlines or non-existent slaughterhouses in the wild.
But the Lord's message was different. The genetic information combined with dragon magic did not affect the appearance or abilities of descendants; it remained as dark matter or a dummy within the genetic sequence. However, this information would survive for a long time without manifesting externally.
For a very long time.
'Raymond's hypothesis doesn't fit the Lord. A dragon who puts so much effort into the fate of his race wouldn't act like that.'
Leaving a letter in the genetic material was an act considering what would happen after his death. Even if he perished, the genetics would continue. The more offspring he left, the more manuscripts there would be.
'It's like...'
Min-jun recalled what he knew about civilizations that developed space technology before contacting the committee.
They attempted to reach out to extraterrestrials by sending messages into space. Written in understandable symbols and placed on spacecraft, these messages were shot out into the void of space towards unknown recipients.
The Lord seemed to have undertaken such an attempt on a genetic level.
A letter written to be sent to an unknown recipient, at an unknown time.
'He didn't just create offspring for that purpose. Although this language has limitations in manifesting only in dragon blood... there are many ways to leave a letter beyond childbirth. Perhaps, as Inais said, it might also serve the purpose of reproducing dragons that can empathize.'
His head ached.
'Then, if he was searching for a way to avoid death...'
There are various types of death.
'If he wanted as many children as possible, the Lord shouldn't have committed suicide. He still had reproductive capability.'
If so, his death must have been a murder.
'Searching for a way to avoid death...'
Raymond understood the Lord's words as, 'I am seeking a way to live forever beyond the limits of lifespan.'
Now Min-jun felt that this might be interpreted differently.
What if the death he referred to was not suicide but murder?
...What if the Lord was searching for a way to avoid being killed by someone?
What if the words he spoke to Raymond were a covert request for help?
'I need to see the Lord's corpse!'
Min-jun burst into his home. Kentius, who had been lounging, turned his head.
"Oh, you're back?"
"Any response from the representative office?"
Dell had temporarily halted the inspection of the dragon's body due to the Hong Kong terminal incident. They needed time to move him to Korea, set up new wards, and reinforce the defensive system.
Min-jun inquired through Kentius about when he could see the Lord. When contacting Dell was essential, he chose the official route as he did this time. On the surface, it was a perfectly reasonable and formal request for Kentius, the direct heir, to inspect his father's remains.
"There's still no reply. Let me contact them again..."
"······!"
At that moment.
Pop!
Min-jun felt a familiar psychic wave. It was the third time he had encountered this kind since coming to Earth—once at the Incheon terminal and twice in the heart of Hong Kong.
It was telepathy expressed in Endelion's manner.
'Dell?!'
She had only contacted Min-jun directly once since coming to Earth.
Even then, she had been avoiding direct contact as much as possible to avoid the committee's gaze. It was unusual for Dell to act like this. A very simple thought, sharp as a knife, pierced Min-jun's mind.
Danger!
"This is absolutely ridiculous."
Dell glared at the Todd race representative standing before her.
The Todd race, an ancient race forming the core of the committee alongside the Kavaites and Endelion. The visitor, who had arrived without prior notice, was from a notorious organization among them.
The Taxation Authority.
The eye of the tentacled monster burned with fury. The Todd race individual smiled nonchalantly. His face, indistinguishable from rock or living skin, was deeply wrinkled.
"Though I have not been appointed long, I am officially assigned as the administrator here. And yet, you perform a dimension jump without notifying me? For a thank you purpose? Do you think it makes sense that I am only learning about such an important matter now?!"
The Todd race representative calmed her, as if to say not to get excited. Even in the presence of creatures that were nearly as large as the building or terrain compared to his own size, he did not flinch or appear intimidated.
"This was unavoidable. We are now here to ask for your understanding."
"On what grounds?"
"This ground."
The Todd race individual spread his blunt fingers. Light seeped from his index finger, which was connected by web-like tissue and not completely separated from the middle finger. It drew strings of light in the air—an order from the committee. Endelion's eyes widened as she saw it. The Todd race representative calmly watched as her eyes grew even larger.
Dell recognized the name of the person who signed the order.
'That person...!'
The signer of this exceptional and unusual order was a Grand Representative.
The race was the Kavaites.
"We are aware. Normally, the protocol is to secretly inform the representative office administrator of an operation a few days before a tax investigation, coordinate in advance, and then proceed with the dimensional entry. However, this operation required the highest level of secrecy, so it was unavoidable. That's why the Grand Representative also granted special permission."
Dell stared with intense hostility at the Todd race representative, who introduced himself as the head of the Tax Authority's Off-World Investigation Division.
She was burning inside, not merely because of being ignored and circumvented. It was because of the purpose of their visit.
"A tax evasion attempt by an inmate has been discovered?"
The Todd race representative repeated his previous statement.
"Yes, it seems there is an inmate who tried to secure talents through abnormal methods. My subordinate units have already been dispatched to the site."
Endelion exploded with a powerful mental wave, a reaction akin to shouting in human terms.
"You're informing me after you've already mobilized military force?!"
"Please check the orders again. Even that part has been authorized at the Grand Council level."
Though she acted as if she were furious, Del's mind was spinning faster and more coldly than ever.
It was surprising given Endelion's nature, who typically couldn't see straight when agitated. Even when she was a prisoner, she couldn't shake that temperament, but now, her thoughts were as calculated as those of a Carbite.
'I can't believe they would go this far.'
This was an act of trampling on Endelion's dignity. If the Carbite were to abuse their authority like this, the Endelion faction would have no choice but to respond in kind. It would create a political burden.
The fact that the Carbite were willing to take on that burden meant this was an issue of significant importance to them.
'They're targeting him!'
Had their efforts to secure Minjun's early release been discovered?
No, that couldn't be it. If that were the case, they wouldn't be treating her with such courtesy.
And besides, Del hadn't done much to help Minjun beyond leaking a few pieces of information.
"Where is the operation taking place?"
The tentacled creature asked where the task force had launched its raids.
"Here and here. It seems that the individual residing at these coordinates proposed an illegal deal to the inmate. They are suspected of conspiring to launder talents in order to evade special gift tax associated with the transaction."
As she briefly held back her mental wave and fell silent, the Toad species creature chuckled lightly.
"Oh, right. I apologize. I heard from your aide that you were about to head out somewhere... I must have disrupted your schedule."
He spoke in a tone laden with implication.
"I heard you were recently appointed as the caretaker of the recently deceased dragon lord's body, and you were about to visit the new resting place."
"...That's correct."
"It's strange. I can't understand why you would involve yourself in the chaos of monsters fighting over an inheritance. The dragon must have promised you something impressive before he died?"
"It's a personal matter. I don't feel the need to explain."
Del, speaking in a somewhat urgent tone, changed the subject. She asked sharply with her mental wave,
"You said you received intelligence? You don't have any garrison units stationed in this backwater dimension... So when exactly did you enter Earth and conduct such intelligence operations?"
Maintaining secrecy from Del was only required until the operation commenced and during its execution.
Since the records would inevitably be made public to the representative office after the operation, the Toad species creature calmly answered the truth.
Hearing this, Del was momentarily at a loss for words.
'They've been on Earth for that long? Evading my detection?'
The Tax Collection Command had infiltrated Earth without Del's knowledge the day before she made her appearance in Hong Kong, as per the will, and declared her role as caretaker of the dragon lord's body.
-One final warning. The suspect is advised to cease resistance and comply with arrest.
In the depths of the Amazon rainforest.
Inside a massive glass dome spanning several kilometers in radius, the poison dragon, Inais, glared at the unwelcome intruders outside.
They had appeared just minutes ago, teleporting to surround the dome. They were not a species native to Earth. These were beings she seldom encountered in such a remote dimension.
Toad species.
Inais, although from a generation that hadn't experienced war, had heard plenty about their infamy. While the Endelion were primarily in charge of logistics, these creatures played the role of airstrike and assault units on the front lines.
'Space is condensed.'
Since their arrival, it had been impossible to create a new subspace or teleport away.
She was like a rat trapped in a cage.
The Toad's magical voice echoed through the rainforest.
-Under the 'Interdimensional Extradition Treaty for Criminals and Suspects' signed between the Interdimensional Intelligence Reposition Committee and the United Nations of Earth, and under the truce agreement between the Committee and the Dragonkind, the Tax Collection Command has the right to apprehend any suspect involved in or complicit with tax evasion activities. Suspect Inais is ordered to cease resistance immediately...
A list of unfair treaties that would put the Western powers of Earth's 19th century to shame.
Sparks flew from the dragon's eyes as she shouted in protest.
"Tax evasion? What nonsense is this!"
Her mind was racing with desperate thoughts.
'How did they find out?!'
-The act of transferring talents to an inmate without paying the special gift tax, as well as aiding an inmate in securing talents through illicit means, constitutes a violation of tax laws! Under the treaty, the Committee and the Tax Collection Command have the authority to investigate and punish any dragon in violation of these laws under our jurisdiction!
The treaties were absurd, but all inhabitants of worlds under the Committee's governance were bound by them.
-If you surrender now and come with us peacefully...
Inais felt a sense of despair.
'Surrender? Leave my lair?!'
-We are aware that you are currently incubating an egg. We will make arrangements so that the egg can also be dimensionally transported along with you...
At that moment, something within Inais snapped.
'Move? My egg? To somewhere else other than here?'
Her vision turned white. The dragon's instincts as a mother took over. The safest place for the egg was within her grasp.
Transport the egg across dimensions? Impossible. The shell was nothing more than a fragile barrier protecting the contents inside. The egg could never leave the lair.
Even more unthinkable was the idea of leaving the egg behind and surrendering. Unlike the brief hours she spent visiting Hong Kong, the interrogation process by the Tax Collection Command was known to be harsh and prolonged. It would last for years at least.
Inais couldn't afford to compromise.
"Ridiculous, I can't move from here! Bring me clear evidence to prove your accusations, or get lost!"
The argument continued for a while, but the unit members remained calm and composed. The Toad species creature, in an emotionless tone, issued a final notification.
-There is no other choice. If you reject a peaceful resolution...
Intricate magical circles unfolded around them. Inais widened her eyes, preparing for battle.
The instinct to protect her egg fueled her bloodlust. She knew other dragons wouldn't come to her aid.
'My egg... I can't lose it!'
She erased any thoughts of surrender from her mind. The dragon who provided the seed wasn't in this dimension. The egg would become a target for other heirs in her absence.
She knew well, being a dragon herself. Dragons were such creatures.
But even so, carrying the egg across the dimension was akin to exposing a fetus to radiation. What if the egg absorbed the full impact of the dimensional jump while inside a leapcraft, where unauthorized magic use was sealed?
There was a reason no one traveled with an egg.
Watching her behave exactly as expected, the Toad species creatures exchanged mental waves.
=It's been a while since we've had the chance to roast a dragon.=
=And an egg along with it.=
The Toad species began chanting in unison.
Boom!
A rain of flames poured down upon the dome that formed the barrier.
<152. There is No Such Thing as a Bad Dragon (24)> End.