Chapter 53 – Uncomfortable Companions

Uncomfortable Companions

“So, where is this place?”

That was the first thing I asked after untying her.

It was too cramped to be the headquarters of the Holy Imperial Court, and the surface was too quiet. It didn’t make sense for them to stash someone like me in such a deserted place. Moreover, would it even be conceivable for a high-ranking official like a saint to interrogate a criminal without a single guard present?
Unless it was for a swift, secret interrogation, they wouldn’t have kept him here. Considering the corpses I had seen before, it could be a temporary location…

Well, to escape safely, I needed as much information as possible.

“…You’re in a hurry.”

Cecilia was leisurely straightening herself out. The occasional glances she threw my way were deep and unsettling. I couldn’t help but watch her, not knowing what she might do next.
I stretched casually, keeping an eye on Cecilia.

“It seems you’re all loosened up, so how about you start talking? Where is this place?”

“Menit, it’s the same place we first met. Nothing has changed.”

“Not that. I mean the specific location. If it’s the Holy Imperial Court, say it’s the Holy Imperial Court. If it’s the basement of that two-story building, say that. Be specific.”

Was she failing to grasp the intent of the question, or had I phrased it strangely? Well, she had always been a bit off. Even during the old days with the hero party, she had trouble understanding things, which had led to several crises.
When I gave her a look that said I knew she would be this way, Cecilia’s expression hardened slightly.

“…I understand. Menit, it’s a warehouse hidden in the nearby mountains, a bit far from the two-story building where we met. Its main purpose is to temporarily detain criminals whose identities have been confirmed.”

“Well, that’s that then.”

So it was still Menit.
It was a relief it wasn’t the Holy Imperial Court. If Cecilia were to accompany me, we would be pursued the moment we left the Holy Imperial Court. If we started our escape from Menit, we could evade any pursuit teams safely.

“Now, a question about the goddess. Can the goddess directly intervene in the world? For example, can she descend to the earth and influence objects?”

I had seen the letter to Master opened with my own eyes. In a space where there was no one but me, Master, and the demons, the letter couldn’t have opened by itself. Therefore, the goddess who could descend to this world must have stealthily opened the letter, and I had discovered it. That’s what I deduced.

“She cannot… No, actually, she can. However, for the goddess to descend, it requires at least a month of prayer, and even then, her stay would not last even a minute.”

It wasn’t the goddess who opened the letter at Mt. Muak, was it? If not that damned goddess, I can’t think of anyone else who would have. Or am I going mad, mistaking illusions for reality?
More importantly, why isn’t Cecilia using honorifics when speaking of the goddess? It seems quite disrespectful, especially for someone from the Holy Imperial Court.

My head was filled with various hypotheses and thoughts, but I had to put them aside for now. There were immediate matters to attend to, so I pushed these questions to the back of my mind and started to think of the next one.

“Does the goddess dislike the hero, or does she have an ulterior motive?”

Why did the goddess intervene in the hero’s will? What was her true purpose?
It was a fundamental question to reach the truth.

“I really can’t say much about that part. Oh, the goddess did leave me a message not to get too close to Troka. Not to even talk to him.”

As expected, even a saint wouldn’t know about this part.

“…Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll ask whenever something comes to mind, but for now, we move.”

I had asked everything that was immediately on my mind.
I could force more questions, but it was time to move. We had to escape before any other Holy Imperial Court personnel arrived.

“I wanted to get out of this dirty room quickly. I’m glad.”

It was her relaxed smile I hadn’t seen in a long time.

But the one who vomited in the room…, well, that happens.

“So, what’s our next destination?”

I was crushing the cursed sword into a small size to tuck into my throat. The destination, the next destination. There were only two places left anyway. Was it meaningful to decide on a destination? I just had to go to the nearest place first.

“We’re going to Myluman, to meet the archer Chloe.”

The decided destination was Myluman, the homeland of the elves.
The purpose of the journey was, of course, to deliver the letter.
To the archer of the hero party, Chloe, who now held the noble position of Guardian of the World Tree, to deliver and open the letter. It was always the same purpose that drove me.

“Myluman…”

Cecilia seemed lost in thought, as if she might be considering cracking my skull open even now.

Myluman was geographically perfect for hiding, a territory of the elves. In fact, I had wanted to reach the Dragon Kingdom as soon as possible to part ways with Valkvogel, but the distance was too great. Besides, there were unsettling rumors coming from within the Dragon Kingdom, so it was unreasonable to go there right away.

I opened the door. Then Cecilia started to follow me with quick steps.

I wonder if Valkvogel has come to her senses yet. She had been self-harming until she spoke with Cecilia. Enough time has passed; she should be back to normal by now.
She wouldn’t have died. She’s a dragon, after all.

Peeking into the next room, I saw her motionless, her head slammed against the wall, covered in blood as if she had collapsed from exhaustion.

“That damned lizard has finally calmed down. You carry her.”

Are you telling me to carry her? Cecilia sent a silent protest from behind me, so I showed her my right hand.

“Don’t think that I’m harassing you. My right hand is crippled; it’s hard to carry anything.”

My right hand hadn’t healed properly since the fight with Aeon and was now ruined. Essential bones for moving the hand were gone, but strangely, I could still bend and straighten my fingers.
How did I hold the cursed sword, you ask?
It wasn’t that I was holding it; a sticky liquid flowing from the sword had wrapped around my arm and stuck to it.

Cecilia grumbled but still struggled to lift Valkvogel. Perhaps it was the weight of the tail and wings, but her legs trembled and wobbled. Her lower body, which even seemed burdened by the weight of two massive moons on her chest, would definitely struggle with this dragon.

Unlike the straining Cecilia, Valkvogel lay there with a peaceful expression on her face.

Valkvogel must have seen it too.
What would she be thinking after seeing my past? Would she try to kill me, thinking that the specific reason for betrayal was such a useless thing as a lover’s death? Or…

…Ha, if only I had telepathy.

That’s a pity.

Something felt off.

Leaving the struggling Cecilia behind, I headed outside first.
Fortunately, there were no guards.

It was very dark outside.
The cool night air of the wild mountain brushed against the skin.

Two letters remained.

There was no time to delay.

…But I still had to retrieve the holy sword and the letters before leaving.

Watching Cecilia laboriously climb the stairs, I moved forward.

* * *

It feels like being lost in a dream.

I swallow the alcohol down my throat. The liquor that can even heat up the body of a dragon is hard to come by anywhere. Perhaps that’s why it flows down like a waterfall.
Despite drinking so much, I didn’t particularly favor alcohol.
The only thing I enjoyed was the happiness that came from drinking a glass with a dear friend.

That was all.

The friend I drank with was human, but that didn’t matter much.

He was special.

After dying once at the hands of humans, I came to loathe the human race. A species that embodies all the sins of the world, and the damned goddess’s obsession. They were creatures I wouldn’t be satisfied with even if I ground them alive, but Phelion was different.
Perhaps it was a sense of shared misery, or I thought we had a lot in common. I wanted to get closer to him.

Working for the Demon King’s army wasn’t enjoyable. I hated humans, but that didn’t mean I liked demons.
The joyful times in my long life were when I spent ordinary days with my father. And the moments I drank with Phelion.

Since he got a wife, I felt a bit… heartache and couldn’t meet him often. Whenever I saw Phelion’s face, I felt as if I was committing a sin.
Sometimes, I felt an inexplicable pain tightening around my chest.
Even though I was already dead and called a corpse dragon, my heart hurt.

I was uneasy even with the fact that I couldn’t meet him.

Even after a year had passed, we hadn’t met even once.

Then one day, Phelion came to visit.
And he brought with him my favorite drink.

It was delightful.
Truly delightful.

Even for a species that lives eternally, feeling time was no different from those with short lives.
Moreover, now looking at his face didn’t tighten my chest anymore. That made it even more enjoyable.

“…What would you do if something you consider the most precious breaks?”

It was his question that abruptly interrupted the happy time, a strange question.

Phelion always brought up odd stories at the drinking table.

Thinking back now, his expression was odd too.
As a dragon, it was difficult to discern human expressions. Anger, happiness, sorrow, joy. Distinguishing the emotions of lesser creatures was quite challenging.
Yet, I could feel it. His expression was not good.

But I didn’t know that at the time. I didn’t want to react to such an expression. There was not enough time to enjoy talking and drinking at a meeting after so long.

So I answered carelessly.

If I broke it myself, then it’s a pity. If someone else did, then I must seek revenge. …In the most cruel and miserable way.

After hearing my words, he stood up without a moment’s hesitation.

I felt regretful. I wanted to talk more.
Phelion, holding the doorknob, suddenly stopped and, while looking at the door, asked,

“When the riot broke out in the detention area, what were you doing?”

It was a question without context, so I answered casually,

“It looked amusing to see humans making a fuss, so I just watched.”

Phelion heard my answer and left without any reaction.

What followed is a story everyone knows.

Phelion’s betrayal.

He sold himself to the empire. He killed all his comrades and finally cut off the Demon King’s head.
I wanted to kill Phelion, who betrayed everyone and sided with the humans. Even now, I want to sink my claws into his throat.

But I couldn’t.

Intoxicated by the happiness of meeting him after so long, I couldn’t look at him. I should have asked what happened, should have offered comfort. But I didn’t. Phelion, who always knew how to console me when I was sad or angry, was now in a situation where I should have been the one to offer comfort, and I regretted not doing so.

If only I had intervened in the detention area…
If I had brought up his wife and learned the truth.

Everything might have changed.

I can’t forgive the betrayal, but maybe I was the one who first betrayed his heart. He was always there to comfort me, and I did nothing.

I couldn’t say I was without fault… but recalling that memory made me feel extremely uncomfortable.

My feelings were complicated.
It was a sensation I had never felt before.

To truly understand this emotion, it seemed I would need a lot of time.

A lot.

A great deal of time.