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Chapter 8
I looked down at my left hand wrapped tightly in bandages.
“Why my blood?”
[Your blood smelled so sweet. It was the first real blood I’ve sensed in a long time.]
The way he said it sounded almost enchanted. I narrowed my eyes.
“Do you drink blood or something?”
Bled jumped in shock.
[What kind of low-class question is that?! I do not drink blood! What dragons consume is—!]
“Consume what?”
Bled paused for a moment, then changed the subject.
[…Dragons do not need food the way humans think. Anyway, I came because I was drawn to your blood.]
“So why?”
[Like I said, I don’t know either!]
“Then what do you know?”
At my sharp reply, Bled’s shoulders drooped immediately.
[…You really are human, right? If you were human, this shouldn’t happen…]
“Of course I’m human. What, do I look like a monster to you?”
[What?! A monster?!]
From a human’s point of view, he obviously was a monster, but Bled looked deeply offended.
[Do not compare me to such low creatures! Once I become a full-grown dragon, I could wipe out humans like you with a single breath! Watch your words!]
I narrowed my eyes at him.
I had been calling him cute, and now this little thing was getting arrogant. I couldn’t let that pass.
“That’s funny. You threaten humans by saying you’ll destroy them once you grow up, and you claim you’re different from monsters? Try hurting a human and I’ll cut you down first.”
[W-What?!]
“Watch your mouth if you don’t want me hunting you. You heard the Grand Duke earlier, didn’t you? I’m a Swordmaster. I’ve killed thousands of monsters.”
[Hic!]
Bled curled his tail tightly and began nervously watching my mood.
I sighed.
‘What a headache.’
There had never been any mention of dragons in the original story. So why had this little dragon suddenly appeared?
And the maid’s assassination attempt today made me realize something clearly.
The old me would have dodged the knife without caring whether the Fourth Princess got hurt.
But after remembering my past life, maybe because of my old Taekwondo mindset or something, I threw myself forward without even thinking about my own safety.
And after that?
Once blood started flowing, I couldn’t even focus properly on the assassin. In the end, Kaiden had to finish things himself.
Since becoming a Swordmaster, this was the first time I had ever felt weak.
‘I need to escape the original story.’
That was the only thought in my mind.
[Um…]
The frightened dragon carefully looked at me.
“What?”
[Can’t I stay beside you?]
“What? Why?”
I asked in confusion, and Bled stared at me with desperate eyes.
[Actually… I’m a little sick, so I haven’t been able to grow. But strangely, when I stay near you, I feel stronger and lighter.]
“…You’re sick?”
Without realizing it, my voice softened. Bled caught that instantly and clasped his tiny hands together pitifully.
[Yes. If you just let me stay beside you, I’ll never forget this kindness.]
“…Hmm. And how exactly are you going to repay me?”
When I asked suspiciously, Bled’s polite expression twisted for a second before he quickly controlled himself again.
Though honestly, his lizard face still looked cute.
[You said you wanted to retire.]
“!”
[Even if I look like this, I’ve lived for over a hundred years. I know many things.]
How did he know?
Then I remembered I had said it out loud earlier.
“Must be nice knowing so much.”
At my sarcastic tone, Bled frowned again.
[I can at least listen to your worries. A Swordmaster needs the Emperor’s permission to retire, right?]
I stared at him in surprise. Bled grinned proudly.
[So? Do you finally feel like talking to me?]
* * *
The next morning.
I held back a huge yawn while eating breakfast. Of course, today I was once again eating with Kaiden and the royal siblings.
“Sir Marion, how is your hand?”
Lucas, looking holy and beautiful even in the morning, asked with concern.
“It’s fine.”
Then someone beside me answered softly.
“…Thank you for saving me yesterday, Sir Marion.”
I turned and saw Serena awkwardly looking at me. Her attitude was completely different from before. I guess it was because I had saved her life right in front of her eyes.
Honestly, it surprised me. Nobles usually treated knights saving them as something natural.
But Serena went even further.
“And… I apologize for being rude before. I’m sorry, Sir Marion.”
I stared at her in shock.
A royal had apologized to me.
A royal!
This was something I could brag about for the rest of my life.
The corners of my mouth twitched, but I tried hard to stay calm.
“…Thank you. Protecting the royal family is naturally the duty of a Swordmaster, so please don’t worry about it.”
My knightly answer softened the atmosphere at breakfast.
Lucas smiled gently at me.
“I truly don’t know how to repay this kindness. Is there anything you want?”
‘Oh, gift time from a rich person?’
Then I should definitely take something.
“One gold bar, pl—”
Smack!
Bled, sitting on my shoulder, slapped my cheek hard.
Then he shouted loudly into my ear.
[Too much greed is dangerous! Did you already forget what we talked about yesterday?!]
I bit my lips and stopped talking midway.
‘Then why hit my face?! And lower your voice! My ears almost exploded!’
[I panicked and acted without thinking.]
I spoke to Bled inside my head.
He really did have mysterious dragon powers.
If I focused and sent my thoughts toward him, he could hear them.
Bled himself had seemed surprised by it. Apparently normal humans could never do this, and only higher beings could.
Was it possible because I was a Swordmaster?
But when I looked at Kaiden, it was obvious he still couldn’t see or hear Bled at all.
[The first thing you need for retirement is changing your image. I told you that again and again! So why are you already asking for gold?!]
‘O-Okay!’
I pouted while remembering the conversation I had with Bled last night.
[…You destroyed a shop because someone talked badly about you? And you shredded the skirt of a noble lady who looked down on you? You also have gambling debts? And what? You even destroyed part of the Imperial Palace once?]
“The gambling debt is really small… and the other things all had reasons behind them… Wait, why are you making me talk about my past anyway?”
[I need to know what kind of person you are before I can coach you. But wow…]
Bled held his head and shook it.
[You truly are a complete delinquent. If I were the Emperor, I’d keep a dangerous Swordmaster like you tied down as a knight too.]
“…Huh? Really?”
[Listen carefully. What you need now is to transform from a delinquent knight into a model knight.]
“A model knight?”
[Exactly. You need to rebuild your image and show people that you’ve changed.]
“But I don’t think they’d let me retire just because of that.”
[Haven’t you heard people say that someone changes when they almost die?]
I had been deeply shocked hearing that.
I had never mentioned my past life to Bled even once.
‘When I asked what he meant, he only called me crazy… Maybe dragons really are mysterious.’
I glanced sideways at Bled sitting on my shoulder.
He said that if a troublemaker suddenly became calm and respectable, people would naturally start paying attention.
Only after changing my reputation could I seriously talk about retirement.
At the time, it sounded reasonable, so I agreed with him.
But after sleeping on it for one night, I realized a huge problem.
I didn’t have time.
The original story would probably begin in about a month. How long was I supposed to wait for my reputation to improve?
Especially with the mountain of bad deeds I had piled up over the years.
“Sir Marion?”
Lucas called me after I stayed silent too long while biting my lips.
I finally forced myself to speak.
“…What I want.”
“Yes. Please speak freely.”
Lucas smiled kindly.
His harmless beauty was honestly annoying.
‘Because of you, the original male lead, I might die.’
The irritation rose again.
And if I asked for gold again, Bled would definitely scream beside me.
So I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Please let me retire.”
“Marion.”
[What are you doing?!]
