Multiple proficiency requirements fulfilled. [Idol Lv. 8] [True Draconic Barrier Lv. 5] [True Unarmed Technique Lv. 6] [Tyrant’s Voice Lv. 3] [All-Damage Enhancement Lv. 3] [Ice Resistance Lv. 6] [Water Resistance Lv. 10] [Scale Manipulation Lv. 9] [Territory Release Lv. 5] gained
Ability gained: [Wind’s Trail] [Kargryxmor Style: Sky Sunderer]
Spell song gained: [Starstruck Winterscape]
“May all of you be welcomed.”
The doors closed with a thunderous slam as the senate’s hearing room at the city hall was filled to the brim with chatter and growls, clearly Draconic from the controlled manner these guttural sounds were. The meeting seemed like it would start soon, but unlike that quiet, informative discussion I had with the dragonewts with Mom to get us caught up to Iceskale’s state of affairs, this seemed like a fight was brewing.
Suffice to say, this wasn’t like a political discussion as you would normally imagine from Earth. Even with different political factions acting cutthroat and undermining the other to garner supporters for the next election, most of the time, it was done for the betterment of the country. At least, you would hope your politicians would do that.
However, here, these weren’t politicians, per se. This was a senate composed out of dragonkin; a gathering of multiple clans each with their own agendas and goals, with some having formed alliances. Frozen Nest, and Kargryx as a whole, wasn’t a democracy. Even if Loatryx acted like a republic with people able to vote in politicians and bureaucrats to hopefully influence these meetings, the power lay in the true dragonkin ruling over the nest.
It might be different on the Altrust colony of Loatryx, but here on Iceskale, you had to persuade dragons.
… Well, not always, at least, that was what I understood from Sieg’s lectures. The draconic patriarch or matriarch of a clan rarely ever participated in these senate meetings, as they would usually hibernate, train, or play with their relatives, leaving the senate, bureaucracy, and financial duties to their dragonewt descendants to handle. These dragonewts would prioritize clan interest, but due to two millennia of intermingling with multiple clans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and humans, most of these politicians were usually more down-to-earth compared to their true draconic relatives.
Furthermore, with Sieg acting in his father’s stead as the de facto governor—Dragon Ruler of Ice authority, in other words—he could also lead these dragonewts towards serving the state. With Uncle Kary’s and Uncle Guyul’s family also prioritizing the state, Iceskale was well-managed, leading to a stable economy to the point they could afford investing into an expensive luxury like the digital media guild and to jump start my streaming career with the state’s support.
I expected this. I expected to speak with people like Pradreo, Thrahasa, and the other accountants I met a month ago. Then again, Sieg did warn me that he wanted to present me to as many clan leaders as possible, so I maybe should have expected that this room would be filled to the brim with multiple oppressive and suffocating [Draconic Aura].
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“I heard from my little Rahjahk, you scaled swine! You ordered your descendants to rob our clan of our businesses, practically bankrupted them by pushing them out! Such intrigue; instead of facing us with your products, you dare spend money to steal our customers?”
“Ha! ‘Ordered?’ My only order was to raise our treasury until I next woke up, and our dear Yetakanni did only that! Drive you out? Your prickly scales must have infected your brains when you woke up, Pinecone! Maybe your clan should have handled the situation better, instead of losing to my precious descendants.”
“Petrakanahk! Your overgrown chicken, how in the frozen waste did you manage to get your scales to shine like pearls? Did you somehow evolve into a rank SS when we went to sleep?”
“Nonsense, dearest friend. Our alchemist managed to synthesize a cream that works wonders on our clan’s scales. Beautiful, no? They look so much softer, but they are hardier than ever!”
So many voices … This is some serious dissonance. I grabbed my head, feeling a headache as my ears were desperately trying to filter out all the barely-controlled growling. These true dragonkins were complaining, gossiping, and even threatening others with no restraint, making this hearing room feel less professional as the time passed.
Was I inside a school, or something?
“Silence!” A voice boomed as an aura exploded in front of me, pushing out its competition to extend to the entire room. Instead of drowning on multiple sources of mana, only a single one was around me now, making it easier to breathe now.
Thank you, Uncle. I thank Uncle Alex as he finally silenced the rowdy room, a feeling the many dragonewts inside shared with me.
“It is good to see all of you so energetic after years of slacking off on your duties.” Uncle Alex smiled, showing a mix of genuine care but also slight irritation that you could hear from his words. “The room is honored by the presence of many friends I haven’t seen in a while, furthermore, there are more than three familiar faces. The first in a long time, indeed. If only our empress could see how you all gathered here, but alas, for today, you will have to settle with her daughter.”
“To Empress Melloxtressa! To our Dragon Ruler of Ice!” The clan leaders simultaneously banged their tables softly.
Uncle Alex then turned his body to the side, raising his hand up to lead everybody’s gaze to me. “May I present your princess—Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor. Your attendants should have briefed you already before we gathered here that she is an otherworlder. That is why she looks like this despite her hatchling-like smell. This is your princess.”
Their eyes drilled holes into me, causing me to gulp for a moment.
Ahhh, too intense …
“Cuuuuuute …” Some of the female dragons expressed with mischievous smiles, while others gave me the silent judgemental look.
Meanwhile, the gentlemen weren’t as receptive. Either they simply ignored me after glancing at me once, or vocalized their opinions out loud. “Not a modicum of ice mana. Why is she the only imperial whelp that hadn’t inherited their mother’s element?”
“My clan’s young told me the fledgling hatched too early. A tragedy. Give the egg a few more months and our princess would have turned out properly.”
“Mind your tongue. Your youngs should have told you how she confronted Maustoovaka with her tail held up high. Ha! Fire dragon or not, that takes proper claws and fangs to brave; at least, she inherited the empress’s confidence.”
This room is small, come on … Right in my face? I signed internally as I didn’t want to speak up to any of them. Maustoovaka taught me a lesson all right, and that was that rank S were quite unpredictable. Let them speak; words were words, at the end of the day.
“Silence!” However, Uncle Alex got mad on my behalf. With the dragons and drakes acknowledging him, the meeting looked like it was about to start as the dragonewts and dragons next to these clan leaders started to sort out their documents.
To preface, there weren’t that many attendees, per se. Yes, each clan leader or representative had multiple attendants that acted like scribes, advisors, and bodyguards, with the former two duties being the most important as from what I concluded from Uncle Alex’s initial speech, most of them just woke up after a long hibernation. I didn’t even recognize their smell from the dragon group that went with Mom to rescue me.
Excluding my three retainer uncles’ families and my own, there were around six other distinct ice dragonkin clans on Iceskale, headed by a rank S dragon. In other words, there were a total of ten major ice clans that had a rank S dragon lead them, usually with a partner and some siblings that were of the same rank, if they hadn’t died from a weakening soul. Meaning, Frozen Nest had around 20 ancient rank S ice dragonkin who had fought during the draconic civil war.
This didn’t mean there weren’t more clans, though, as each major clan had multiple branches or affiliates. Major clans had a clear ancestry to a rank SS dragon, with their branches essentially acting like new families for their rank A or B dragons—“birds flying away from their parent’s nest to found their own.” Affiliates, on the other hand, were dragon clans that descended from rank S, A, or even B dragonkin, who acted like feudal retainers. Cernust’s clan counted in this category.
The kinkyuro were a prime example of this. The leaders of the Republic of Loatryx were the kinkyuro, made of the only dragonewt clans with rank SSS ancestors and they led the senate there. Frozen Nest’s Iceskale isolated itself from the kinkyuro’s influence with their ten major clans acting in their place to lead the senate here.
While the branch clans and affiliates had a seat in the senate, the influence of the major clans was suffocating, to say the least. Our culture was about power, after all. The lessers must pursue the interests of the main clan, which was why it felt like only these ten clans were really making a noise here. In fact, the only true dragonkin who attended this senate meeting only belonged to these clans.
Nordor was at the top. Thalaxarus, Liandsee, and Ievfuchsdra were my clan’s only direct retainers, not mentioning the twins. Below them, we had Bleerzark and Austronodus under Thalaxarus; Ukanasch and Gurkunor helping Liandsee with anything fish related; lastly, Namilaar and Meostral were our cultural clans helmed by Ievfuchsdra. These were the three “factions” vying for the state’s budget. Uncle Guyul and his retainers sat on my left, Uncle Kary was on the right, and as Uncle Alex was the leader of this senate, his faction was in the middle, facing him as he presided over everything.
My clan sat right behind Uncle Alex as he faced the senate, elevated one level higher to overlook everything. Since neither Mom nor my actual dragon uncle were around, I was the representative here since there were technically only three pureblooded true dragons in our family, and I was the only one around, right now.
I had Pradreo, naturally, and a few others scribes around to help me out, but my purpose here was to present myself to everybody like a debutante. I was expected to mostly listen and only contribute when it came the time to speak about Mom’s birthday plans and the digital media guild. The rest would be handled by everybody else.
Speaking of which, aside from us Nordors, there was somebody else here, as well.
“As I presume all of you have noticed, we have a special guest today, invited today by Princess Hestia, herself. You all should know him—Prince Kahalameet,”—Uncle clapped his hands and turned to my brother, prompting the senate to divide in their responses, with most greeted him while others simply showed him the minimum of respect by knocking on their tables—“Let his presence not interrupt you. We are here to talk about a new age for Frozen Nest with the birth of our princess. Mind your tongues, though …”
“It is as Dragon Ruler, Alextraxus, said,”—Brother stood up—“I am here to assist my youngest sister with her training to master her draconic powers, and decided it would be interesting to attend this meeting as something concerning her will be discussed. Let me not deter you from speaking; nothing I hear will reach the rest of Miononbolax, and I wish for you to keep my presence a secret as well, in return.”
Still minding the information leak, huh? Well, maybe you shouldn’t have shown yourself, Bro, I complained.
There was some commotion in the midst, but it quickly quietened once the dragons themselves called for things to settle down. Once that was over, they all looked over at Uncle Alex until one of them spoke up.
“Alextraxus, say, before we begin. Did you make sure to have the dragonewts check on that weird smell?” One of the ancients clicked his tongue, looking annoyed, spreading the same reaction to the others. “It smelled like that metallic, sulfur smell you get from Inferno Nest. I can see it neither comes from our princess nor Prince Kahalameet, so is there a surprise I should be aware of?”
“… Almost like a bomb.” Another noted to nobody’s alarm. “Princess Hestia has a sweet scent and you can smell Empress Melloxtressa from her clearly. Prince Kahalameet … smells a bit more like a scorched sea, but nothing you can’t get rid off without flying through the sky. This smell though … I guess the prince brought a guard with him.”
Brother shook his head, causing everybody to raise their eyebrows. They stared at Uncle Alex as if they were expecting him to solve the situation before the meeting could begin. Clearing his voice, he nodded and clapped his hands, causing the door to open wide.
With most of the senate locking their eyes at the sudden entrance, Uncle Alex introduced the 11th major dragon clan, and our only non-ice one—Clan Kleodrastia and their matriarch and son. The newest addition to our country.
“May I present to you, Matriarch Sierranavus of Clan Kleodrastia and Rexmardr. Her partner valiantly died in combat from protecting Empress Melloxtressa’s daughter from the Dragon Ruler of Fire. A debt of blood was made, and our empress decided to repay it by making her clan part of Iceskale. For now, she serves under Clan Thalaxarus.”
“A fire dragon?” Some of the true dragonkin scowled as Sierranavus and her group went and sat down at an unoccupied seat in the middle section. “To have a fire dragon as a princess is one thing—Empress Melloxtressa’s love for Eltharion is the reason for her to strive for rank SS, and we can accept that, but inviting a clan from Inferno Nest is something else, Alextraxus.”
The reception wasn’t good, even after Sierravanus introduced herself. Animosity, actual killing intent, and also something I had forgotten that could exist with all these ancient rank S being over 2000 years old—clan history.
“Sierranavus … How pleasant to see you here.” Petrakanahk Namilaar scowled as she glared at the fire dragons with daggers, looking like she was ready to freeze her into a cryo sleep.
“I know …” Sierranavus’s tensed expression somehow managed to form a smile as she reciprocated the greeting with a leer. “Sadly, you will have to indulge my presence. A weaker blooded clan may go extinct, but I think having a rank S clan suddenly die out from within will cause some ripples, my dear. We aren’t enemies any longer; our history should remain on Inferno Nest.”
“How convenient … then, should I also forget how your partner killed my own and my own child? Haha! To think this is the ‘aneurism’ my little daughter talked about! You should thank our Emperor and Empress … their protection sure made it easy for you to start a new life here! Meanwhile, I sleep in an attempt to keep my memories of my partner intact … The holes are forming. Heh, maybe Kargryxmor truly does love us with how the situation led to your partner’s demise. Does it sting? Anger? Are you here to make us kill your partner’s murderer? Hahaha!”
That … laugh was filled to the brim with glee. She sneered at Sierranavus as the salt was thrown at any open wounds, making sure any scar would revert back into a bleeding gash. The fire dragon held strong, but the scorn Petrakanahk had quickly spread to the others. Insults were the least of her worries with the way some of them stared at her.
[“Uncle?”] I spoke to Uncle Alex, weirded out that I only found out about this now.
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[“I knew. Your mother knew,”] he answered, confusing me even further. [“A debt had to be paid. Her partner died and her clans’ position was compromised for your sake. Think back on how we accepted them.”]
There was some animosity for sure. Mom said the debt was already paid when we accepted Sierranavus and her clans as refugees, giving them protection like any other citizen of Frozen Nest. Uncle Alex did act hostile towards her, or at least, gave her a cold reception throughout the negotiations, to the point he immediately growled at her when she aimed too high.
I thought it was due to how ice and fire dragons disliked each other, but was it also influenced by their pasts? Was Uncle Alex holding himself back to not seem disrespectful of Mom’s guests? I guess he did say, “For what your kind has done to our princess and Frozen Nest” when he threatened to kick her out of the country for trying to become Mom’s subordinate. That “Frozen Nest” part might not be as simple as I had thought.
[“Us ancients have a long history with Inferno Nest, Hestia. I thought we had made you aware of this? We have warred due to disputes and our quarrels have led to deaths on both sides. In this case, Petrakanahk’s firstborn son started a fight with Sierranavus’s child around 700 years ago, leading to her husband’s and son’s death when the two former patriarchs attempted to diffuse the situation. It escalated, as you could expect,”] he explained. [“Your mother buried the hatchet as she considered the situation clan Namilaar’s fault. I, as well. It doesn’t mean I trust Sierranavus—and I would advise you to do the same—yet the situation is going out of hand. Hestia, listen well. The ideal way to divert a dragon’s wrath is to reveal something ‘blinding’ enough to distract them.”]
Blind? I guess its time for the recorder.
“Her wish for vengeance does not involve us,” Uncle Alex raised his voice and intensified his aura to the point an icy mist started to fill the room. “Yet, you would do well to keep your claws in check. She is my subordinate and I expect clan Bleerzark and Austronodus clan to at least show her some courtesy now that I announced it. She is one of us, now.”
“Ha! Spoken as if you believe everything will change with this … Maustoovaka is not one to settle a grudge with words,” the patriarch of clan Bleerzark snarled, leaning back on his chair as he stared at his dragon ruler to contest his decision. “We harbor the wife of a blood brother he murdered, and not only that, our young princess had a hand in agitating this outcome. To say this vengeance does not involve us speaks against your wisdom, friend. I heard the succession situation hasn’t been resolved since I went to sleep; it only got worse, right?”
“Due to our ‘illegitimate’ princess,”—the matriarch of clan Meostral turned her eyes to me, inspecting me with the same judging look as before—“Born due to Kargryxmor’s and Aurena’s interference. An outworlder replaced the soul of our real dragon princess, causing a ripple effect that somehow led to her royal egg bearer to die, losing her egg and causing it to hatch prematurely. I can understand our emperor’s grief. To think our empress—”
“Your opinion doesn’t matter here, Matriarch. You are not my mother!” I roared, unable to hold it back after having to hear this for the umpteenth time.
My emotional scars on this had slowly healed with Mom repeating her acceptance of me. Letting these thoughts continue to fester within my home would only be trouble. This would only create more Rhekks. My fear of speaking against rank S just disappeared, replaced by my pride as a dragon and daughter.
“See me however you want, but you do not get to speak about my ‘legitimacy’ in front of me, no matter how much older you are! Speak your mind to my mother then, instead of saying ‘to think’ like a gossiping grandma!”
The room turned silent, eerily so as even my retainer uncles were giving me a look as if I shouldn’t have done that. Did I bring myself into the same situation as with Maustoovaka again, just ‘cause of my hothead? Goodness, I even told myself words were just words but it got to me, again. AGAIN!
Chill out. Come on, hothead. Chill ou—
“Hahahaha!” The room exploded in an uproar as the various dragon ancients clapped their hands, slammed their tails on the ground, or knocked on their tables as if they had just seen a comedian. They smiled or nodded their heads
“‘Illegitimate?’ You should apologize to her, Najalakross. Bow your head and lower your tail, or even better, offer her your scales as a sign of reflection. Otherworldler or not, that energy and spunk is what a fledgling should have! Especially one with Eltharion’s and Melloxtressa’s blood.”
“The Nordor clan is secured with her as heir. What is this ‘what if,’ when none of us know if a soul had actually taken harbor in the hatchling’s body before our princess was put in it? Teach, train, or otherwise make sure our youngs get to know her, and Frozen Nest will flourish like with the empress. That is what matters to us retainers.”
“That would spite Maustoovaka, all right, but the fact he acted how he did already shows how much his soul degenerated. Whelps should show such rashness; it is what helps them grow in strength! Kargryxmor might be at fault for many things, but choosing a child that would be fit to lead us if we ancients were to accept our long sleep? I rest my worry, but watch your mouth, young one! Haha!”
What? What is this different reception?
Eltharion shooed me away and even glared at me when I gave my honest opinion to him, while Maustoovaka nearly tried to put me through a boot camp. Meanwhile, here on Frozen Nest, people weren’t giving me any attitude with how I acted, but were actively encouraging it?
I don’t understand old people, man! Am I supposed to act more demure and humble, or the opposite? How am I supposed to reflect on this; this feels more complicated than when I had to deal with the summit.
I wasn’t even the only one, as even my uncle retainers and dragonewt attendants were showing looks of confusion. Meanwhile, my brother was giggling like crazy, a far cry from how much he was glaring at everybody just a moment ago.
Similarly, Najalakross Meostral was grinning with a ferocious look, almost as if she wanted to pounce at me. “You will have to step up in the future when our children and descendants start to act up, little princess. That is your duty, not your mother’s. We have heard what you did, but was it a spur of the moment or do you have the fangs to bite back when you are disrespected? That is what we, the senate, wish to see in our imperial princess. You still have to prove your strength to us, but that will come with age. Now, do you have the intelligence? Regardless, I think I have a duty to apologize, and so I will.”
She stood up and lowered her head and tail, bowing down as a sign of respect. However, instead of granting me a scale as one of the other ancients mentioned, she turned to Uncle Alex. “… Lord Alextraxus, let me reveal the truth. Our clans have informed us enough, and we knew what was to come.”
“… You acted?” He frowned, growling under his breath.
“We knew about Sierranavus, we know about this new digital media guild, and we know that you are doing your best to make us respect Princess Hestia,” the patriarch of Gurkonor stated. “Lord Karydrinos’s elation would never escape us! The way he cheered when we spoke to him already was suspicious and when we learned that Lord Guyulthanos had been fiddling with a new manatech, a deduction was easy to form once our children reported everything to us after they met each other.”
Uncle Alex immediately glared at my other two retainer uncles, causing them to look away in guilt. I guess hiding stuff was a bit too hard with the digital media guild hiring people, even if they hadn’t done anything to garner people’s attention yet.
“The consensus is unanimous. We want those recorders,” Petrakanahk announced with the full support of the other five major clans. “Have Sierranavus’s clan do something for the benefit of Frozen Nest, but Lord Guyulthanos, I will ask that you never put the two of us on the same duty. There will be blood amongst our members. However … if I had such a recording device before my partner and son died, I would still be able to remember them clearly. Their paintings aren’t enough to joggle my memory, and I have forgotten how I once taught my son how to fly.”
“The rage I felt when my youngest decided to marry a dwarf chased her away. I lost so much time with her when she went on her pilgrimage, only for me to scare her off when I told her she would outlive him. I am to not see my grandchildren, she demanded,” the patriarch of clan Austronodus said. “At least in a recording. I might be able to ask her for that.”
“The description our youngs used did not visualize everything for us. Show us,” the matriarch of Bleerzark demanded. Uncle Alex gave me a nod and I began showing them everything we had prepared, including the edited underwater trip I had with Uncle Kary and the music video Hikari performed in.
I explained the numbers and workings of the guild, including any data my clan and Sieg managed to finish for market research. That meant who would pitch it to Iceskale denizens and how much we could afford to sell them with our resources and labor costs.
The testings the dwarves had shown me were also included; additionally, statements from Haruka and Daichi were given as well to illustrate how the video recorder benefited and enriched Earth. How many jobs and opportunities could open up if we accepted things like movies, video lessons, and streaming.
Naturally, with all the positives, the negatives had to be told as well. The fact we had to rely on the dark dragons for a Peolyncian “internet” made everybody frown, to the point a few grumbled how we would be losing so much momentum by promising to deliver the first few recorders to them. The dark dragons could help us with word-of-mouth, but it meant our dragons wouldn’t be able to obtain them earlier.
Considering all I just heard and how these ancients wanted the recorder for various personal reasons, I could understand why they would act so despondent to this part of the presentation. All of them wanted to be like Mom, filming their children and relatives to keep all these memories as treasures when they inevitably forget everything.
“A mountain of wealth? How will that benefit me when I am gone and my great-great-grandchildren will not be able to receive my wisdom? What if my descendants need my advice and I am gone? Hurry with the production! I do not know when my soul will give out!” was the general opinion. They were willing to invest their own clan’s finances to jumpstart everything, even when I told them the limitations.
Being impatient made sense. Until we could mass-manufacture the recorders—that wouldn’t happen anytime soon due to Grimnir’s weekly skill limit—every desperate, aging dragon was each others’ rivals. I guess I now understood why Sieg and Uncle Guyul disliked the deal so much with how everybody was reacting.
Once my presentation was over, the mood did get a bit awkward as each ancient was trying to reserve their recorders, even wanting to make multiple purchases to gift their relatives to build up the video collection. It got to the point that I was getting a headache when four of them demanded the guild to only serve Frozen Nestuntil every ice dragonkin received one.
“I will make this clear, Frozen Nest are not the owners of this technology. The guild is. Even I do not even have full ownership of it. Unless you wish to scare the guild away and ruin all the preparations we’ve done with Ankor-Nazta to get such a deal, I will ask you to simply bide your time. With every new week, four more recorders may possibly be produced. Until then, use your party bracelets,” I put my foot down, confident a modicum of aggression was needed to compel them, just like how Uncle Alex or Mom would do it.
With that, the discussion was over and the senate meeting could finally go to another topic. As the clan heads said, Sierranavus was being tolerated by everybody, although none of them wanted to talk to her or her family, which forced my retainer uncles to bring them up whenever relevant to a subject.
“Everything seems fine,” Kahalameet stated as he was looking through some documents Pradreo gave him. “Being the leader of an adventurer party helps develop emotional growth and the mentality to lead.”
Considering the hearing room was quite loud with the dragons participating quite freely, I concluded it would be fine to speak with my brother now. “You seem to know about it. Did you have one, as well?”
“A few dragonkin that went with me during my pilgrimage. My trusted friends, with one of them being the one to help me hide my presence here. He is staying inside the dungeon as my training guard, using his position to notify the elder scales about my ‘diligence.’ It will be hard since my level will be gauged, but that is why I will say I trained my skills.”
My eyes widened. “Ooooh, so that’s why you didn't let me to got out to hunt. Jeez, and here I thought not leveling for two weeks was a blunder, but that’s why you wanted to spar with Vifi so much.”
“More like, your friend is a skilled weapons-master. So many different weapon types and then her usage of her that red lightning. It is a shame, honestly, that I’m not able to fight her at her apex,” he said, prompting me to tell him how Klea’Hatma could potentially help her with that, although I wasn’t sure how. When he heard this, he stroked his beard. “Which reminds me … Vifi did explain how the issue is due to the demonic restriction of this ‘Original Sin.’ A demonkin’s power relies on their bloodline, similarly to how our growth and evolution choices depend on our parents. It reminded me of something Father once told me about …”
“He did participate in the demon war,” I replied, remembering what Empress Forminaxtrass told me.
Brother nodded. “He saw how our grandfather killed two of the archdemons. He is probably the most knowledgeable about the demons on Miononbolax, probably. He told me once about our grandmother, and despite being a fire dragon, her scales were able to contain and absorb any type of mana, including water and ice. She fought with grandfather and I presumed she received wounds here and there … Have you done anything with her crown, yet?”
“You heard?”
“Your mother mentioned it, yes. She told all the empress-mothers when the six of them were having a bit too much fun with alcohol …” He grimaced. “In any case, while the crown was mostly made with Kargryxmor’s scales, her scales should be on it, as well. If they still work, some of her mana should still linger on it and that might help you with regulating heat and other sources of mana. It can act like a sponge.”
“Well, I haven’t done much with it, but mostly because I have no idea what I am supposed to do with it. Kramps said it would help me, and the enchantment on it is nice, but not exactly informative. Here, I’ll send you the appraisal.”
Tyrant Queen’s Crown: A draconic crown made from the scales of Kargryxmor and his wife Inferatsa. Due to age, this crown once worn by the first Dragon Empress of Kargryx has degraded, with the scales on it having lost most of its luster from being used as an evolution piece for a monster. The lingering mana inside the scales help adjust temperature for those who wear it, allowing one to endure heat and cold
Enchantment: [Molten Scales]
Molten Scales: Only usable with true dragonkin of the Kargryxmor bloodline. Allows the crown to melt into the user’s scales, allowing one to attach it to the body with mana roots
This was the description of that crown I got from fighting that monster frog and the enchantment applied as a divine Quest reward. I couldn’t complain about it after I tested that it could help me regulate my body temperature, but that was about it. I didn’t really need it while training my [Ice Resistance] and was planning on using it once we got to the glaciers, but, yeah.
I mean, I also kinda wanted to forget that this thing used to be inside a giant frog. Urghh! The chills.
Brother frowned a bit and stopped stroking his beard. “Hmm, I see … If that is the case, then either the mana inside the scales have vanished or they are contaminated by the evolution. You need to purify it … and I think I know of somebody who could help you.”
Using [Mana Eyes], I told him the scales just lost most of its mana but that I could see some brown, red, and purple inside the crown. Probably contamination.
He nodded and took a deep breath, causing me to feel somewhat nervous.
“Then, I will also have to ask you for a favor.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“The recent fighting between dragons and leviathans have caused wounds on either side. When it comes to healing, we dragonkin rely on our natural recovery, but the help of the holy dragons accelerate things. They are our clerics, in other words, but recently they have stopped offering their services even with Father’s command. They demanded for you to be summoned to meet their Dragon Ruler, otherwise, they would not heal anybody, arguing to Father that ‘Iceskale is obstructing their chance to speak with the holy dragon princess,’” he said, causing me to gulp. “Which warrants you to go, but you might want to go there anyway for the crown and your demonkin friend.”
“… Why?”
“The current nephew of the Dragon Ruler of Light mutated into a mana dragon and possesses a unique skill that allows him to cleanse people of arcane corruption by eating it. He can purify elemental dissonances too, like getting sick from high mana concentration in an area. You might be able to ask him about the crown … or, you know, that holy catalyst you haven’t been able to persuade to help you, yet. He can probably ‘purify’ the catalyst of that slime blocking you from using [Providence’s Will].”
Is that why they were so confident about being able to ‘unshackle’ the catalyst’s true powers?
I heard Kramps suddenly speak to me. Did he plan this?
“I will return to the mainland tonight and speak on your behalf if you are willing to accept it. Probably, Empress-Mother Forminaxtrass will send somebody to chaperon you, though. Still, it would help us if you could at least lend them an ear, despite our empire’s past history with Sacred Nest.”
“… Just like how Frozen Nest buried the hatchet with Sierranavus. For the good of the country.”
“To repay a debt.”
No choice, then. Eltharion, you better be thankful! I nodded, prompting Brother to smile.
When the two of us were ready to return to the senate meeting, the door suddenly shot open as a dragoon suddenly stormed inside.
“News from the northern expedition!” he shouted, catching Uncle Alex’s attention. “Lord Rhekkraxus sends for assistance. He says, ‘The true dragons living inside the glacier cannot be found.’ He asks for permission to delve deeper into the glaciers, Dragon Ruler Alextraxus!”
“What is the meaning—” Uncle Alex moved away from the podium and towards the dragoon, about to receive a report when everybody suddenly snapped their heads to the ceiling.
“Khiiiiiiierrrrrrk!” A mighty roar shook the entire building, causing everything to rattle as if an earthquake had happened.
“Bastards!” Matriarch Ukanasch shot up from her sheet, slamming her hands on the table that was suddenly cracked open. “Those leviathans are challenging us!”
Uncle Kary and the patriarch of clan Gurkunor stood up as well, with the former looking distressed.
“Acting on their threat, I see!” he hissed. “Alextraxus, mobilize the dragoons and wyverns! Those leviathans are planning to destroy the outer ecosystem.”
Y-you gotta be kidding me! They are about to do the same to us!
By “same,” I meant the leviathans were planning on stopping our export and import, preventing Frozen Nest from earning money. In addition, by ecosystem, it could only mean one thing and that was to prevent the influx of fish from the outside inside our sea.
This, from what I assumed, was an aquatic declaration of territorial battle against Clan Liandsee.
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A note from AbyssRaven
Some politics for now, but we're getting close to the start of the action. Journey to the glaciers cannot be avoided now!
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