Chapter 274: Awakening of the Eye (1)
v1ELgWEKuarne’s face twisted fiercely. That once-beautiful countenance contorted into a grotesque demonic grimace, making him look even more sinister.Mck
oH6cP“…Lord Dragon.”SF5
JVKThough he seemed ready to strike at any moment, Kuarne merely muttered under his breath. He didn’t appear afraid. Compared to a human, his reaction was more like someone encountering an annoying presence.qyIn6uT
wEI1hVValerion, the Dragon Lord, sighed in resignation.DYR6N3e
orD2b7“When will you give me a straight answer? Are you going to let them live or not?”cEfq
kYuAt Valerion’s persistent questioning, Kuarne’s expression shifted slightly.OF3XD
xYaP3p“Tell me, is this proposal yours, Lord Dragon, or is it the will of your entire race?”Vra8R
PEesH“Is that really a question I need to answer?”3S8x
YnojC“Don’t test my patience, Lord.”C4cOn
2glKH“What a bother.”Fy8o
wLhz8Valerion crossed his arms and gestured with his gaze above Kuarne’s head. In the sky, a swarm of dragons flew in a circular formation, spiraling around the black sun.iIQxOTy
TZY6“Just seeing that we’ve all come should make it clear. If we’re here, it’s because my entire race agreed.”vsIJl
11Dw9rAt that response, Altair’s eyes widened. It was said the combined strength of the dragons was equivalent to five Corps Commanders, and yet, they never gathered.4OHl8
PUb4ZlEEach one was fiercely individualistic, as if they were their own nation.JIL7C2T
KAA‘But then how did they manage to unite?’9EGhr
GbNIsThe questions didn’t stop there. Were the dragons really confronting a Corps Commander to protect humans? And what was that “favor from his granddaughter” they mentioned? The more he pondered, the more questions arose.pKL
Kb6xx4BThe only clear thing in that moment was.tMB
4rgvhqD‘They’re allies.’ZXFo4c
7EFtAUValerion positioned himself in front of Kuarne, blocking the patriarch from view. That small gesture was enough for Altair to understand he wasn’t lying. And even if he was, there was no other choice but to accept it.71RTt5M
4kGIn a conversation between monsters, there was no room for human interference. The entire fate of the Auditore clan hung by a thread.Jyvgk2I
F5aY“I see.”rMs
uNtos7Kuarne rose, undoing his lotus position, and floated into the air.lGPhUee
cqeFe“Very well, Lord Dragon. I’ll withdraw for today.”u6Q
R9MXKhDHe snapped his fingers. Instantly, the ground beneath him rippled like water and split apart as though a beast were opening its maw. A passage formed, leading to some unknown place.JZ3cZ
BSKhKuarne looked down at Valerion from above.uFQqO
E4M“I’ll collect the price for this later. Not just from you, but from your entire race.”TMv
iZzCl“I got it, don’t waste your breath. But before you go…”1pMX
4RB3Valerion cleaned his ear with his pinky.nXX
M5eyDn“I want to remind you. Our ancestor, the great Ouroboros, signed a neutrality pact with the true lord of Gehenna, Lord Lycan. Not with a half-demon like you, the second commander.”Du9
ZH2nnVThe Dragon Lord implied that Kuarne, having once been an angel, wasn’t even a true demon.rtt5K
La00“The previous Dragon Lords stayed silent… but I won’t.”lhb
OG0kKHe blew on his finger. The wax flicked toward Kuarne.HkJ
nuCqQek“What you’re doing now defies the legacy of Lord Lycan, who forbade war against humanity, little angel.”2OkL
WPYXg“Hahaha.”oXhX
7lG0QKuarne burst into laughter.MfjzD
jlgZ0eThe waves of his voice trembled across the land in ripples.vv78rzr
2mjSIRrrrumble.40T
ZVtkYIt felt as though the entire landscape might be torn away. All the Auditores were left breathless, clinging to their weapons lodged in the ground to avoid being swept away.Ei515
OcrmqValerion, for his part, remained unshaken, frowning slightly without responding.ziNa6W
pAxtu“You spent centuries holed up in your nest, and it seems you’ve lost touch with reality, Lord Dragon.”jOPcKJ
5Y1“……”YeZbQO
RwuqbaValerion’s frown deepened, bothered, but he didn’t reply. He hated to speak unnecessarily.EXN
qwyKQE“This war was started by Lord Lycan himself. Anyway, until next time, take care, Lord Dragon. So that your body stays nice and healthy… for me to torture it at my leisure.”KvjYJ
HjfhKuarne gave a sadistic grin.YtR4
aHvValerion responded with disdain.nps1q58
Ame“Thanks for the tip. Keep those feathers of yours in good shape, little angel. I’ll pluck them one by one, then cut them off.”6VpsiC
mfzoKuarne snapped his fingers again. A magical portal rose like a serpent and swallowed both him and Leon. The torn ground slowly closed, as if digesting them.aud1e6G
IvvjfoMoments later, the earth was completely sealed once again.ILs5i
rw7ayBa***LhK7D
Si6At the same moment, in the Academy’s Special Building.JDu9Z
aWG9gHorn was seated with her eyes closed, gently pressing both temples with the tips of her fingers. At that moment, she was in communication with the dragon clan.LjB
0X3‘Who would have thought Horn was related to the Dragon Lord?’e5TeQb
ryeThe fact that she had ascended to dragonhood after shedding her imugi skin at such a young age already hinted at an extraordinary bloodline.QHGjhzV
n5ZPBut who would have guessed she was a direct descendant of the Dragon Lord himself? Once again, I congratulated myself for having rescued her from the Fertinax auction.Nplq
rG0m09s‘If that story had reached the Dragon Lord’s ears…’hkrJ7
yohIt was already difficult enough dealing with the Corps Commanders. If the dragons, who had remained neutral until now, had also joined in, even the last thread of hope would have vanished.MWf
35W9HCT“Huff…”6beNh
98Qw5The silence ended. Horn let out a deep breath and turned to me.h26O86
Mwur“The second Corps Commander seems to have left.”wag
O9u8LShe smiled gently, though her face was a bit pale from the strain.2D1
MspK“…It looks like he’s gone for now, but…”kDDa
SBsHorn didn’t seem entirely convinced. I was dying to ask more, but I chose not to.HTt1L
9Gz“You’ve done a great job. Let’s go eat meat.”ErIyBL3
rfBnYiZInstead, I invoked the magic words that could cheer up anyone.c0HODDL
oHU6L“I reserved an SSS-grade hanwoo restaurant.”Hy9Kg
oQpHHorn’s face lit up immediately. Choi Seol-Ah, on the other hand, shouted with joy.t5KH6Q
dKaJFN“Yay! The Lord is treating!”nXJ
b1FwI gave her a cold sideways glance and replied.wgAOFK
V73DO5E“And why are you coming? You didn’t even do anything.”NkTFB
ImRbFMd“B-but…”EwQ6
RKve“Stay here, just in case. If you’re in the Special Building with Horn, even if you can’t send messages, you can at least receive them.”A4a
syO“That’s too cruel, Lord! I want a reward too!”gQXl9
pEV“Rewards must be earned. And you did nothing today.”bW4aAa
LCkI said while helping Horn up.4tYD81q
sJam92“I don’t see why I should spend a million won per serving on someone like you.”SpXDi
7kHO2y“I don’t care! Take me too!! SSS-grade hanwoo…!”eBpsAR
nPtJChoi Seol-Ah threw herself to the floor and started kicking like a spoiled child. Her shrill whining echoed through the Special Building.s0q
kbfQ“Uwaaaaah…!”48r
Ax5P***flUg5Jt
kedc1LYKnox dropped to his knees.JTr
Mptq3“…Huh…”WqFc5z
7gbAlong with him, the entire Auditore group collapsed one by one. The assassins were drenched in cold sweat, as if they’d just awoken from a nightmare.Vuo0c
tgOuDmX“Is everyone alright?”ntnKDp
UkGQYAThe only one still standing was Altair, who spoke to them with concern. Everyone weakly nodded. No one had the strength to answer aloud.eHvGNWe
1JYJ5XSome were breathing heavily, but all were intact and unharmed.3B0H
ss6“Thank goodness…”jWMB2
TawAs Altair sighed in relief and wiped his sweat, Valerion slowly turned around. The moment his eyes met those of the Auditores, their faces paled once more. It was only then they realized—he was a dragon.ImyCCj
pYQP8z“Why did you come to the Demon Realm?”dtncxC
Bq4Q9PaThe question came abruptly. At the Dragon Lord’s probing gaze, the leader stepped forward and bowed his head.G4i
3yxm2V“First, allow me to thank you for saving me and my children, Lord Dragon.”IljHbAh
duZO5P“I don’t want gratitude. Just tell me why you came.”XufdFMg
Y3iMHPlAltair hesitated. Should he directly say they came on Heavenly Sword’s orders? Even though they owed their lives to him, they were still demons, and dragons, no matter how neutral, belonged to the opposing side.p4bS
JVyLsbConvictions don’t change so easily, especially for someone of his age.NAclkp
Bli“Allow me to explain.”Azhp9
z7vZUwIt was Knox who stepped in. He stumbled forward and stood before the Dragon Lord.M9h
H5plNzH‘If it were Heavenly Sword, he would have said it without hesitation. He’s a man who honors his debts. If trouble arises, I’ll take responsibility.’lxQA
XKrzi6Knox conveyed those words telepathically to his grandfather. Altair stared at him wide-eyed, then let out a soft chuckle.HCnitp
9QE3“This child. Do you really think you can shoulder that alone?”aBjJ
k2rXAltair spoke out loud.wP0
YCk“It’s good you’ve matured quickly, but some things only adults can handle.”NRRC8
HOr8E“…Yes, sir.”E1tFpxH
47bFl6jStill, Altair patted his grandson’s slumped shoulder. A kind smile appeared on his face.Ns88aU
iCocau“But I appreciate the thought. You’ve grown a lot these past two years at the academy. Now go and get some rest.”jZy3N
znG9Knox nodded and stepped back. Altair then turned to Valerion and apologized.CT5
bguj4“Forgive me, Lord. I’m ashamed to have doubted, even for a moment, the one who saved us.”ZJlPjY
cWxFIy“It doesn’t matter. I only want the facts. If the dragons have broken our neutrality and confronted the Second Corps Commander, I need a solid justification.”0XL6
FYp7fKQ“B-broken neutrality…?”QGhVnP5
ubFPuAltair flinched.JORe
jEb“Didn’t the Second Commander withdraw to avoid making enemies of the dragons…?”PZEI8E
bGoh“Afraid of dragons, that fallen angel? Please.”mjCsnBw
cwP68JEValerion clicked his tongue and looked to the sky, where Kuarne had just floated.Vz5P
vLUu“Kuarne is completely insane. Seven hundred years ago, he was the one who incited the demons to start the war.”dToa1wr
7tM“Wasn’t it the First Corps Commander who declared it?”0ZsU
YoPrqiValerion shook his head.Y9wyow
87nknc“Actually, Lycan opposed it at first. But in the end, yes, he declared it. Probably because he wanted to fight the Founding Hero. The war was just an excuse.”axVkI
89ObEH“Ah…”BI2C
W6WoWaging war just to test himself against the Founding Hero From Altair’s perspective, Lycan was also utterly mad. But he swallowed those words. No need to provoke the Dragon Lord unnecessarily.859
Vd5xDhlValerion spoke.ij2
kfcub“Tell me why you came. I don’t like talking much, so I’ll only listen.”JfE
xpjmdojAltair nodded. After that brief exchange, he realized the Dragon Lord was someone with whom one could reason. An elder’s eyes could easily tell.CJY
0d2MHe then confessed the reason for their visit to the Demon Realm, carefully choosing his words not to implicate Heavenly Sword.UbGcfX
97QeAfter listening, Valerion stayed silent for a few minutes. Then, he asked suddenly.kiNKo8Y
IGWOMhD“Can I meet this Heavenly Sword in person?”tl9Khxg
1Jo“…!”Bw3wIm2
hKWhvd6Altair froze. He had carefully avoided mentioning Kang Geom-Ma, but Valerion named him directly.bXC29N
0mgDHe couldn’t deny it lightly. Dragons possessed magical eyes; they could see through any lie.dJmJL
rVdF2‘But I can’t refuse coldly either, not when we’re indebted to him.’KX0TJJ
Es8Auditore is a clan that can’t live with debts. That’s their philosophy—to repay what they receive, whether favor or grudge. That is their order.YkSu
AWcl1‘Still…’nuZM
3CQ2LJust as Altair hesitated, Valerion added.47vnP6
iHxX6“What you fear won’t happen. I just want to thank him. That’s the only reason.”ffnPXBU
fcH“Thank him for what?”sYUP
wxD“Because I heard he saved my granddaughter when she was about to be sold at an auction in the human world.”rvSWaM
t3wAltair lost his breath. That scrawny girl with pointed ears… was the Dragon Lord’s granddaughter?RKMU
Ku2Ub8“I also heard Auditore helped in her rescue.”ytTh
BupC“…So that’s why you decided to protect us?”KPfNCZx
MTQU“What other reason would we dragons have to break centuries of neutrality?”kKNyGoq
BM40BhThe Dragon Lord softened his expression.1nxl
sHNZd“Dragons, since ancient times, are a race that repays its debts. What is received is returned.”h6XT
IgSspA clan of order and a race of neutrality. Their principles transcended species.D7u
rQMF“By saving your lives, I’d say our debt to you is repaid. But to Heavenly Sword, we’ve returned nothing yet. In fact, after hearing about him, I’ve grown quite curious.”Bre
UX9VThe Dragon Lord touched just below his eye with a finger.K3mleRH
O8j“I might even be able to help him awaken his eye.”xlE393
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BlackLotus
Qi RefinementThat’s why I like dragons