Chapter 5: Truly Beautiful
VqrL1y“Understood.”sxl
yL9KJ2Luri stopped trying to convince Perda. She had considered warning him firmly and refusing, but chose instead to accept his decision.sHL
5gA9NAfter finishing breakfast, Perda followed her. They headed to a clearing in the garden.ZFWFgO
AZEvxb“I’m going to touch you for a moment.”SrPqS
u3hbgLuri herself, who usually avoided contact so much, said she was going to grab him.F4SH
egX“Go ahead.”DY8YdBt
kEq“Fine.”9LoytKA
yCmaALuri took hold of his clothes. In that instant, the blazing sun disappeared.41B
ZE1vjNGSomething covered his field of vision—huge wings.Jz7Sp4s
lI4From Luri’s back, a pair of wings emerged. She beat them powerfully toward the ground and lifted off.rCPgMF
NtrWhoomph—!4y4P
Jc4NkGravity vanished, and the resistance of the air slammed into Perda.6yJ
jLMGxIt wouldn’t have been surprising if he had thrown up his breakfast. Even so, he swallowed hard and withstood the pressure and wind.75mC
YCWba4OThe dizziness and pain lasted only a moment.nHOO
eVuY“We’ve arrived.”xXE
9rkHearing her, Perda opened his eyes. The landscape before him had completely changed—they were on the mountaintop.1WUy
DjiGh‘In real time, barely three seconds. Did we reach the summit in that span?’E0l
NeSVIt wasn’t teleportation—it was pure speed. Among dragonspawn, that was as fast as it got.GJq
uNAS‘No, maybe even among dragons.’FFdc
vKNrZCPerda stared at her, thoughtful.O2F
1rO“What you should be looking at isn’t me.”Mocv7En
nUZV“Huh?”UTphM
NGKe“Look down.”wB27
dOCENp“Ah, right.”Uy2
6uKmPerda turned his head and looked east from the solitary peak.M1EfLN
phoA faded plain stretched out before him.EjGzjXv
up5dbThe Cursed Land.odaQVzp
NdYUCltA swath of land tainted since the death of the demon king.lXY
FE2fSomething was stirring there.PdVPyS
PLq5eX‘Monsters.’KdsV8
Sz21Creatures that, since the demon king’s birth, had kept slipping into the continent.hNsRt0Y
b4oNo one knew where they came from or how they were formed; not even after Perda killed Valdrova had it been discovered.aPWE
9yQtQNdAll that was known was that they shared the same objective from 150 years ago.f2ESZKk
QRHLq6v‘Create lands where only death remains.’kCXwvH
F5evOA0Exterminate all living things and dominate them.CxkyN96
ad3What he saw were monsters crawling up from the East.0GpuIn
QOcPV‘In the East they’re colossal.’dkOS
B6HNwOThey were enormous. Crawling from a land that couldn’t be purified, they reached monstrous sizes—just rolling on their backs could bring down a fortress. A catastrophe humans couldn’t handle.YX8rH9
t9PWcgAmid those bleak shades of despair, a red flame flickered—primal in tone.B02K44
YnKckGbNo, it wasn’t a flame.Glzcw
5lLnB04‘The red dragoness, Valdrova.’R6NhA
cgmBYThe one who would be his betrothed was fighting down there.Ot9u3
DCf2Valdrova was as large as any other dragon, and yet still barely half the size of the monster she faced.zuw
8lFMThe size difference was immense, but that didn’t make her easy prey.ayDZ
W0OqoWKrrrrrumble!DzJF8Z
zmMTDragon and monster bodies collided.E69Q72
70KhODespite the size disadvantage, she didn’t give an inch.8sZCN
j4SDKThe air, on the other hand, quaked violently—a shockwave that swept through the forest and reached the high mountain where Perda stood.zfJkq
o0PN“Ugh…”EgyY
Rmte1His body tensed.l2fDN
DNvBHF3It wasn’t simple human fear—the cause was clear.yNsXK
U2mBt1RThe dragon’s mana was mixed into the wave, penetrating his skin.eQCa
3XfVD5B‘Dragon Fear…’KYWqFu
EL9FhnThe scale of it was nothing like Luri’s.EYk1fc
nfSEven knowing it wasn’t directed at him, it felt like that gaze pierced through him.AbJA
bmf‘That’s the red dragoness.’Z4Fp9
Ah8BA powerlessness of a different kind swept through him—different even from what he had known as a great mage.QCF
c1ySValdrova’s battle continued.yvSuup
l1gwGLjCrunch! Crunch!5VtbfE
svPRuCMSovereign of power and mistress of flame, the red tyrant fought with overwhelming superiority.Xh5
StcsrlIWith sharp claws, she tore through thick hide; with her snout and fangs, she sliced veins and tendons.P7k
tl8The monster, no matter how it thrashed, seemed sluggish against her agility.1I31Bvr
moVrqZShe attacked with cruel precision, exploiting blind spots without mercy.07O
yr6VStrength, speed, and a natural instinct for combat.j2ZjcIn
LsgzScreeeech!ru0
ChA0QWith all its tendons severed, the monster collapsed, unable to resist.2HAFT
EgyQEven left like that, it would die—but Valdrova’s violence did not cease.aueI
c3WJRip—! Rip—!id5V
BROFTUPHer claws pierced the monster’s belly and tore it wide open. Even from afar, Perda could make out the purple blood and greenish entrails.WTZheG
yli7At the same time, Valdrova’s belly swelled.MMhDN
ztX8ABeyond the pale white underbelly, an intensely bright red light began to glow.DkFHixH
6wbrg‘Fire breath.’vCg
qbHQ3uxFwoooosh!GaX3N
8Zr5wveThe red dragon’s breath, fiercer than the flames of hell, scorched the creature’s insides.LDgX
90uS— Screeeech!NxZONWn
ZvuKThe scream was short-lived.Hgbz
AEvlGFrom every hole in the monster’s body, Valdrova’s scarlet flame erupted violently.ES0
VVUajfqIts insides weren’t just cooked evenly—they were reduced to ash.RMFrNS0
xuJThe form crumbled into smoke and dust, and upon the Cursed Land, only the red tyrant remained standing.OYtda9F
QVwzf— Roaaaar!ipS
CUxegValdrova’s roar shook everything around her.ZTLL
hzAD“Gah!”OBEm
BExFPerda couldn’t withstand it and collapsed.WgfCO1G
ViO‘So… Dragon Roar is of this magnitude?’GhF
nnitOjA sensation of being crushed by a dragon—one he had never felt, not even as an archmage.JQMVsSo
N746His hands and feet trembled; his teeth chattered.GxxaV
VruRzwHe was, literally, overwhelmed.zLqM8Vl
mbKUXy5“This is the true form of the one who will be your consort.”5sZ52FE
mMaJJ8ULuri crouched beside him and looked down at him.LZp
MzEP“The blood of the red dragon carries a murderous ferocity—what you humans call the essence of the evil dragon. It’s not a personality trait, it’s essence.”C4sz0A
C1LShe emphasized the word.gqVTm
7rdiPerda understood why.7tZAhc
8niufpt‘Essence cannot be changed.’ijhNY5r
ztAHy9An evil dragon will always be an evil dragon.GI6
Oh9midThat thirst for killing can’t be removed, and there’s no guarantee it won’t one day be turned on him.SggMS
ZzZ“A red dragon cannot live without destroying. If you stay by her side, you must be prepared to be killed any day.”gcMq
LGy3Fx0Luri’s impassive gaze seemed to say do you now understand how frivolous your decision was?mfW
jCQ9lHU‘Her power is, without a doubt, terrifying.’xCk3W
dezUEven from afar, her gaze pierced the mind. That was undeniable.f48lPo
ojpT3‘But I’m not afraid.’DwZo
7xgIn Perda’s mind were those eyes—and also Valdrova’s emotions.coTmBOy
DtxbWhat she saw and felt gave meaning to all her actions.EyQ
1RKtP‘She does this for the world.’t3VQaVf
zK4nkfJust as she hid her true nature out of love for this world,rNguPZ6
u8Tshe hunted monsters with her own claws to protect what she loved.l6dxF
UoBGf‘She’s an evil dragon.’fu7wD
R1qBut at the same time, a knight with a noble heart, the guardian dragon of the continent; an ascetic pursuing an unreachable ideal.U5yR8
OTKg9wz“Truly…”21SNPvd
6Xx1And fear transformed into awe.jole
F4Z“She is magnificent.”RSRnKjS
cv1Perda’s eyes sparkled.uQ8eNl
KAD1He smiled.mhR
PHb9***TW2Hh
DLE7uLuri hated humans.ihFnJA
t4K6JbIf dragon blood flowed through her veins, it was only natural that she harbored that feeling.6CYkA8
kOcBut her lady Valdrova loved those beneath her.ES6xx
pwc‘And that’s why she got hurt.’Ilmnh87
o3NAfter the assassination of the Third Prince, Luri’s hatred toward humans became deeper than that of any other dragonspawn.VJJj
PVOPrecisely because she despised them more than anyone else, she understood well the gap between humans and dragons, and she knew exactly what it was she loathed.cGil
wq6That’s why she knew what would happen if a mere human witnessed the true form of the red dragoness.2DWz
PstB‘He asked for it himself.’Gel
4c4BsfYPerda had asked to see it.J13lT
Jl8OME3She had warned him again and again—even tried to stop him.eo8Dlp1
8kewvThat she had ultimately lifted him up and flown off before the battle ended didn’t change the fact that she had warned him plenty.WdjY
jDFzP1UUp to that point, everything had unfolded just as Luri had imagined.iOAZFHx
KouLbPerda was paralyzed, watching, trembling before a dragon fear of another level.WAebY8j
K85mA typical situation.TdbbyLL
K6eVSoon, his face would twist in terror, then he’d despair at his own weakness,
and finally, he’d beg for his life.EuFsi
sDgR‘At that moment, my lady will understand too.’tNnaP7y
HbuHeStThat a human and a dragon could never be one.NYVqdOF
KSYThat’s how it was supposed to go, and everything seemed to be following the script—until it didn’t.Wfq7Ild
knE“Truly magnificent.”WRcY1jc
KrA1oAWords that should have been impossible escaped from Perda’s lips.MboOloL
itQLuri turned her head, thinking she’d misheard.0YRI
cdacSBut when she looked, she was even more stunned.y10
tanaEuf‘Is he smiling?’GbSMN
kuLShe couldn’t understand it.LlOC7O
MRpHow could he smile at that brutal scene of tearing and burning? Shouldn’t he be trembling in fear, aware that he might share the same fleeting fate?yqcZf5m
yM3wU‘No way…’PzK7z
t1MqIn that instant, a lightning bolt of an idea struck Luri’s mind.2Tll9R6
UTcuiThe reason that man could remain so calm as Valdrova’s betrothed.7ErueM
3abThe reason he could smile in such a moment.f2Av
ecw1‘That explains everything.’Dh7LM0
Tvg0s‘A damn deranged masochist.’6bvTQd
4dbI0x7Luri’s hatred toward Perda deepened even further.DcOmE
4wbtcTF***tss
lKEThat night, Perda couldn’t move a single finger and lay in bed.uRNna
ghaBHe had endured a dragon fear and a dragon’s roar.q7CxWRd
wjGLAny ordinary human would’ve lost their sanity.j1ZwTdC
iwF1He, on the other hand, had kept a clear mind—but his body was wrecked.L2Nst
ZSrhC0U‘Can I really not move?’Kusmsb
htiKpUHe tried to move his hand—no success.7D9
dI0But a toe twitched.bByA
wj7ypApWhen he blinked, his big toe wiggled.AUHxi
Wb1o8SWhen he tried to move his mouth, only his nostrils flared.PZh
g0x6‘There’s no helping it.’BlsIURw
fwrqThe fact he was even conscious was a miracle.PYNp
sLZtCThe best thing to do was stay still and let his thoughts flow.tIDbK
CNMFleP‘I’m going to lose an entire day.’6cWOO
LopOd7iA day he could’ve used to open his circle.dI34
OhktJ4s‘Why did I even want to see that in the first place?’p53
kOgVkkHe recalled the reason—a feeling, a hunch that the battle might give him the answer.ckN8hRs
QAQdhGT‘Was I right?’PO8R76a
tudNow he had to find out.RQL
jaiTegPPerda decided to go over every detail of what he’d seen.kfIQb8M
bguKCspHe mentally returned to the moment he reached the mountaintop. The smell of the air, the temperature on his skin, the roughness of the stones under his feet—vMw
XqlAAHe recalled everything with clarity.23Ib
PjXJf8In that mental image, he watched the battle again.OPSX
ClCkrIt wasn’t the fight of a cursed dragoness, but—vivGm
2wVq‘The noble struggle of a scarlet knight.’PH3sFC
sm1lPNyThe one who would soon be his betrothed.3sLP6
LN0YbOvIn that instant, he felt a tremor within.XsU
Q49QR‘This is…’WI9jW
vVRFXkPerda knew that sensation well.PAdK
NKKV0lIThe same one that overwhelmed him when he was cast out of House Rosnova.6xw3O
u1zlU9‘A red circle is forming.’SzxYC
xACmRed circles are born from emotional surges.ELKOm
iQQmSince he had been trying to open a blue circle, he should have rejected it immediately.3Xo
kZHX‘It’s strange.’dBCykgj
ea4XGdBut he didn’t.B6WpL1
YVkiHe felt that this red circle was different.73QcIH
ssS6S‘It’s not born from hatred or a thirst for vengeance.’N1kFSRw
u8pIt was another emotion—just as powerful as those, but with a different origin.LldP2ok
jsm‘I felt it when I imagined Valdrova’s battle.’XuW6f
oD7oUwAnd now the same—thinking of her made the circuit take shape clearly.LeR
4YxsMaybe that’s why he had wanted to see the battle.LPdEjn
9ouvP‘Then…’SbAf7
4DjMaybe that was the answer.OS9t
ud4IZPerda stopped hesitating and focused on his emotions toward Valdrova—his awe, her majestic bearing.eYch3Bw
vZusuHe put his vague feelings into words, organized them, and intensified them.d2uqcxD
ZGuThe mana spun violently inside him like a raging sea ready to consume him.WBB
OCzlBut Perda had already reached the ninth circle in his past life; he knew how to control that whirlpool.Mfp
F5ylHe contained the leak, compressed it, and shaped it into a single circle.19nsHML
lMpVRi‘The circle.’K4Mg
ykaSvUgHe felt both relief and euphoria, and confirmed again the source of the emotion.bsM6I
PAdVg3g‘There was no hatred or vengeance.’XeG4l
A3nvThat meant the future wouldn’t be the same, that he wouldn’t repeat his past mistakes.txr
9TnkU‘I did it.’UzUDomK
C6S5fPerda smiled with satisfaction.BFC
TpqeYOaHis nostrils flared deeply.8J0S
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationLooks interesting.