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Chapter 6: The Dragon of the Imperial Palace (3)
The Emperor, who had followed behind Ethan, hurriedly stepped into the basement. “Ethan!” “You’ve arrived at just the right time, Your Majesty. Please take the child and head outside.” “Are you out of your mind? If the dragon population drops too low, the ether will become even more unstable than it is now!” The Emperor panicked and tried to persuade Ethan. Dragons were one of the entities that maintained the balance of ether. If their population decreased excessively, there was a high probability that the already unstable world would become even more perilous. However, Ethan’s murderous intent showed no signs of waning. To his eyes, the cursed dragon was merely a hazard that could go berserk at any moment. Besides, this wasn’t even the only dragon left. “That’s why I told you we should have bound it somewhere far away from the Imperial Palace!” “If we bound a dragon—whose berserking time we can’t predict—somewhere other than the Imperial Palace, innocent people might suffer harm!” “That’s precisely why we should kill it right now!” Their voices grew louder and louder. It had been like that in the past as well, but whenever it came to this issue, the two men’s opinions always clashed. Until now, Ethan had willingly conceded his own intentions out of respect for the Emperor’s authority. But right now? The child’s life was in imminent danger of being wiped out at any second. “Prospective Duke Ethan Ice. Withdraw your ether and discard your sword this instant!” “I will not submit. Throw me into prison for the crime of lèse-majesté if you like.” Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the reverse scale protruding from the dragon’s neck. The green ether gathering around him began to emit a sharp glow. It was poised to pierce that reverse scale and take the dragon’s life at any moment. “No-oo!” At that fierce momentum, Bell squeezed her eyes tightly shut. “And—”Stop it!” The dark interior filled to the brim with starlight. Everyone gasped in unison. Even the dragon itself. “Ah, don’t!” P-f-f-a-a-ang! Along with the sound of the air tearing apart, Ethan’s ether was forcibly dismantled. Ethan’s eyes widened in shock as he watched his own ether scatter away like mist. (Does this make any sense?) A mere two-year-old toddler. A child no bigger than a pebble who couldn’t even speak properly had interfered with his ether. Furthermore, this starlight filling the interior to the brim was unmistakably… “…” The lineage of the stars.” It was an ability unique only to the lineage of the stars, who were thought to have been wiped out. Ethan’s gaze looking toward Bell changed. The Emperor, who had witnessed this miraculous sight, also had his complexion completely altered. “Your Majesty, the basement is dangerous!” The sound of people rushing over from outside could be heard. “Ethan.” Emperor Pederion called Ethan low. “…… Yes, Your Majesty.” “Block the entrance! I don’t care if you smash the basement!” The emperor commanded like a thunderbolt. Ethan’s body reacted immediately to his order. Ether gathered once more at the tip of his sword, bending into a circular shape like a crescent moon before striking the ceiling. With an enormous roar, the area right in front of the entrance collapsed. It was an expression of resolute will that no one’s entry would be permitted. Bell’s body, which had been swaying unsteadily from the building-shaking vibrations, almost tipped backward, but the dragon gently supported her back with the flat of its claw. Thanks to that, instead of landing hard on her backside, Bell plopped straight down onto the floor. [Master of this place. Why did you tell them to block the entrance? “Has your sanity returned?” [For just a very brief moment.] To prove its harmlessness, the dragon gave a short nod. Meanwhile, Ethan, who had approached Bell, tried to take the child away. “Bell. Come here.” “No!” However, Bell rejected Ethan. It was an expression of her dissatisfaction regarding the fact that he had tried to attack the dragon even though she told him not to. “Come here. You’ll get hurt.” “No-oo!” Ethan bluntly scooped up the child, who stubbornly refused, and tucked her under his arm. Bell wriggled her arms and legs diligently, but it was to no avail. “Waaah!” The child threw a tantrum on the verge of tears. “Bad! Mistress!” Naturally, Ethan ignored it. Glancing briefly at that commotion, the dragon asked the Emperor once more. [I’ll ask again. Why did you tell them to block the entrance?][If this child is of the lineage of the stars, we need as few people as possible to know this fact.] [Why?][Those who live in the dark night will target the child, so we must protect her.] [……Are the other lineages of the stars all dead?] [Probably.] [I see.] When it closed its eyes for a moment and opened them again, the dragon’s gaze was fixed on Bell, who was struggling under Ethan’s arm. [Are you planning to prepare for them coming after her once more?] [Of course.] [And you’ll use this child’s power for that time?] [No.] The Emperor resolutely shook his head. [The moment I try to do that, that sacrilegious Duke would probably aim for my neck, so I suppose I can’t do that.] [……Then that is enough.] A faint curve formed at the corners of the dragon’s mouth, as if satisfied. Then, it emitted a pure white silver light from its entire body. Its body, which had been massive enough to fill the basement, shrank down, and soon a single person appeared. Pure white hair radiating a cold light and mysterious blue eyes. A height vastly greater than an adult male. Plain, unadorned white garments. And the traces of the black curse remain all over its body. It was known that dragons never manifest themselves in front of humans, but the situation was different now. The dragon walked past the Emperor and stood in front of Ethan. Staring intently at Ethan for a long time as if gauging something, it lightly patted the head of Bell, who was currently biting down on his forearm. “Sacred guardian of the stars.” At his call, Bell peeked her head out. “After walking together along the future you must head toward, I shall die. Therefore…….” “Dragon?” “Will you liberate me from this suffering?” The dragon asked politely. Bell grinned brightly and grabbed hold of his finger tightly. “Yup!” At that, Ethan coldly slapped the dragon’s hand away with a sharp thwack. “Get lost.” “Veru-di!” Glaring at Ethan, who was acting uncooperative from start to finish, Bell searched for the spirit. “Help me!” “What are you looking at and shouting for?” The moment Ethan looked in the direction Bell’s gaze was directed, looking dumbfounded—the summoned spirit revealed its appearance from amidst the stars. [You human with a foul mouth. Won’t you put our baby star down first? She doesn’t like it, you know.] “What on earth is that?” Ethan’s brow completely distorted as he confronted the appearance of the woman who had suddenly appeared. Verdia also furrowed his brow in tandem. [I said put the baby star down.] Bell, too, thrashed about, smacking Ethan’s forearm repeatedly. In the end, the Emperor attempted mediation. “Ethan. Just put the kid down for a moment.” “You want me to listen to this ghost’s words?” “Anyone can see it’s a spirit.” “Anyone can see it’s a ghost.” “No!” Bell shouted angrily from below. “Verudi! Star! Child star!” Pointing at the spirit and herself, respectively, Bell fumed. “See.” The Emperor shrugged his shoulders, defending Bell. “Verdia is a star, and she says she’s a baby star. ” Gently sliding his hand under the child’s waist, the Emperor carefully lowered her down to the ground, then bent his knees to match her eye level. “Baby star.” “Yup?” “Are you going to purify the curse?” “Yup.” As if telling him to leave it to her, Bell placed her hands firmly on her waist. Seeing that, the corners of the Emperor’s mouth curved up softly. “Then I ask it of you.” “Yup!” Stepping forward proudly, Bell reached out her hand toward the spirit. The spirit clasped the child’s hand, and Verdia finally revealed her ‘true’ appearance. A tiny night sky descended into the basement. A milky-white Milky Way flowed, and from the spirit’s body, light as bright as the sun scattered outward. [Youngest star born amidst disaster. And a guardian. I take your hope and dream. The flow of starlight grew increasingly fierce. Whirrrrrr-! [Purify the life of the one who will walk together into your brilliant future.] Realizing that her body was rapidly becoming transparent, the spirit hurriedly left a plea with Ethan. [This child’s power is not yet whole. Once she purifies the contamination, her energy will surely run out, so feed her plenty of high-quality food. Do you understand, you human with a foul mouth? “My mouth is what?” [Baby star. I will vanish for a little while, but when night comes, I will go to you again. So don’t worry, alright?] Pulling Bell into a tight embrace as if for a parting farewell, the spirit emitted a dazzling light. That light rushed toward the dragon once more, and he entrusted his body to the light without resisting. A clear sound like glass marbles striking one another rang out softly. The starlight that had completely filled the dark interior melted away like snowflakes. The dragon was finally able to break free from the agony that had tormented him so terribly all this time.
