My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Chapter 52 - Even So

"Today, I would like to use this occasion to speak about the one who is to become my partner—Grand Duchess Valdrova."

Among those gathered, the more fainthearted looked as though they might stop breathing.

Whenever he saw expressions like that, they only gave him more confidence.

"At the easternmost edge of the world, there once lay a land where all living things could roam freely. But because of the Black Dragon, Godwin, it was reduced to a wasteland—a land of death where monsters are born without end."

With that confidence, Ferda poured strength into every word.

"For 150 years, the great Red Dragon, Valdrova, has fought those monsters of the east without asking for anything in return. And yet, what titles have been bestowed upon my partner?"

A name that had once made the entire world tremble in fear.

But as that fear faded, it became a name that was despised.

A name that was ridiculed.

"Tyrant."

"Evil Dragon."

"The monsters have always come from the distant Land of Demons. They strip away her scales and tear apart her flesh. Yet her claws have always been raised in defense of your homes and your families. Despite such devotion, she has never asked for anything. Even while enduring pain that brought her to tears, she remained silent and continued fighting with unwavering resolve. We have all received her grace. Even beasts repay kindness when they receive it. That is why I stand before you today—to clear her tarnished name."

Ferda’s gaze swept across the assembly.

Many people had gathered, but their expressions fell into familiar categories.

Those who had no interest.

Those who had become interested.

And those calculating how they could exploit the situation.

Yet all of their eyes were fixed on the same place.

The Dragon Spawn seated in the front row.

Servants of the Immortals—the masters of mystery and embodiments of their Aspects.

"Are you Regent Ferda Valdrova?"

Someone among them spoke.

Resistance from the Silver Dragon Spawn?

That had been his first thought.

Instead, a graceful woman’s voice rang out.

Blue hair.

Blunt, non-pointed horns.

Erika Iorga, was it?

It was Erika Iorga, leader of the Iorga Spawn.

Her bright azure hair and eyes, sharp jawline, and striking features gave her an imposing beauty.

She was beautiful enough that one could believe she was an imperial princess rather than merely the leader of the Spawn.

She rose elegantly from her seat and offered a refined greeting.

"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Regent Ferda. I am Erika Iorga, representative of Iorga and Master of the Tower of Blue Eyes."

"The pleasure is mine."

"I do not enjoy beginning our first meeting with harsh words, but considering the proposal before us, I will not waste time speaking in circles."

Erika’s gaze settled upon Ferda.

Eyes as clear as the summer sky—

Yet filled with a sharpness utterly at odds with their gentle color.

"To be blunt, my conclusion regarding this proposal is simple."

"It cannot be accepted."

The conviction buried deep within those eyes bore down upon Ferda.

It was troublesome.

Those eyes were pulling the entire Grand Ducal Council onto her side.

"One hundred and fifty years ago, during the Dragon-Demon War, it was Lady Valdrova who pierced Godwin’s heart after twelve grueling years of conflict, earning the title of a hero of the war."

Her voice remained calm and rational.

But Ferda had no intention of accepting her words at face value.

"But that was not the end. Lady Valdrova lost control of her own power and went berserk. Countless people, countless races, countless lives were lost."

"Do you know how many?"

As she questioned Ferda, Erika continued speaking.

"I trust that, as Lady Valdrova’s fiancé and the one who submitted this proposal, you have thoroughly investigated the matter."

He had to answer.

Claiming ignorance would only trap himself.

So Ferda answered honestly.

"...Half... of the total casualties suffered during the Dragon-Demon War caused by Godwin."

Half.

Half of all those deaths occurred in less than half a day.

It remained the greatest catastrophe ever recorded in every history book.

"Correct. Half."

"And those deaths occurred in less than half a day, whereas the previous casualties accumulated over twelve years."

"And..."

Erika slowly turned her head.

Her eyes settled upon someone.

Goz Silverwind.

"Even Silverwind, leader of the Silver Dragons, lost his life because of her."

Goz Silverwind remained silent.

No—

He couldn’t speak.

He was a hot-blooded man who preferred his fists over words.

It seemed he kept his lips tightly sealed because he knew that if he spoke, nothing but curses would pour out.

Yet the proposer himself, Ferda, showed no sign of shrinking back.

If this much had been enough to intimidate him, he would never have spoken in the first place.

"Godwin’s case was entirely different. At that time, it was an all-out war. Every force across the Cerdes Continent had surrounded Godwin, and countless soldiers and beasts had gathered. If someone were to lose control amidst that chaos, becoming an easy source of casualties would have been inevitable."

"The important fact is that she did lose control and caused those sacrifices."

"No matter how you justify it, in less than half a day she killed half as many as the Evil Dragon Godwin."

"She also killed the very Godwin who had tormented the Cerdes Continent for twelve long years."

"And she killed Lord Silverwind as well."

"A brave warrior who cherished others more than anyone, and the greatest leader among us."

Within a single day—

Valdrova had brought about the deaths of both the most dreadful Evil Dragon and the greatest Guardian Dragon.

With those two tragedies occurring simultaneously, it was only natural that Valdrova’s standing had collapsed.

But Ferda possessed evidence.

"That rampage was neither Valdrova’s own will nor the true nature of the Aspect of Strength."

"If it was not her true nature, then what was it?"

"It was merely the result of being corrupted by the chaos residing within the heart of the Evil Dragon, Godwin."

To make this very argument, Ferda had spent countless hours discussing the matter with Mori.

"Chaos dwelled within Godwin’s heart."

"The one who came into closest contact with that chaos was Lady Valdrova herself."

"She personally destroyed the very source residing inside that heart."

"Whether she wished it or not, she could not have escaped its influence."

Erika’s eyes narrowed.

"It is certainly true that Lady Valdrova was the one closest to Lord Godwin."

"But you are mistaken about one thing."

Once again, Erika seized control of the room.

"Lady Valdrova was not the only one who fought there."

"Everyone fought desperately."

"There were many more who stayed close to Godwin and suffered even graver injuries."

Ferda already knew.

By comparing numerous historical records, he had confirmed that Valdrova had actually sustained relatively lighter physical injuries than many others.

"If your argument is correct, then every dragon who fought there should have been affected."

"That includes Lady Iorga herself, who suffered grievous wounds."

"And yet she remains alive and well."

Erika turned toward the elderly man seated beside her.

"How has Lord Orosagrado been?"

The old man chuckled heartily before answering.

"Lord Orosagrado is one cloaked in radiant golden faith."

"How could he possibly fall for one of Godwin’s petty tricks?"

It was an unwavering denial.

Erika lifted her chin.

"You see?"

"If your theory were true, then everyone who fought in the Dragon-Demon War should have been corrupted."

"..."

"You claim that destroying the heart allowed the chaos to seep into her."

"That may indeed be possible."

"But look around you now."

"Unlike everyone else who overcame their wounds and moved forward..."

"What is Lady Valdrova doing?"

Emotion finally entered Erika’s voice.

"It is not that she wishes to protect something."

"She is no different from a beast that has tasted blood."

"It is as though the destructive instinct awakened within her can never again be reversed."

"The monsters emerging from the Land of Demons merely serve as outlets through which she suppresses that instinct."

"And the only reason she chose them is because doing so leaves behind the fewest consequences."

"Otherwise, why would someone who remains so close to the Land of Demons show no intention whatsoever of destroying it?"

Little by little, Ferda’s perception of Erika began to change.

She was like a wall.

Not just any wall.

The great wall of the north.

The enormous fortress erected to stop the Frost Giants and demons advancing from beyond the frozen lands.

It was known as the Frost Wall.

Ferda had seen that wall with his own eyes.

There was neither mercy nor compassion for anything that came from beyond it.

Erika’s argument was exactly like that wall.

It allowed not the slightest opening.

Toward anything that approached, it offered only absolute intolerance and merciless judgment.

Why...?

Ferda wondered.

Why are they so desperate to kill her?

He simply could not understand this relentless determination to isolate Valdrova.

Had Goz Silverwind been the one expressing such fury, Ferda would have understood without question.

But the Iorga faction—

Who had no direct connection to the matter—

Refused to leave even the slightest room for reconsideration.

Ferda quietly read the atmosphere.

His gaze unconsciously swept across the entire Grand Ducal Council.

The nobles who readily agreed with Erika.

Alexander, who only moments ago had acted as though he stood on Ferda’s side, now kept his head down, carefully observing everyone’s reactions.

He was undoubtedly calculating whether siding with the majority might bring him greater political advantage.

Disgusting.

To Ferda, it looked as though every one of them was desperate to tear Valdrova apart.

To strip everything from her.

I expected this.

He knew nothing of politics.

But he understood people.

The moment someone attracted attention—

The moment someone became a target—

Everyone united to tear that person down.

Had Ferda not borne the name Valdrova.

One after another, they would have circled him like vultures.

He had always kept that fact firmly in mind.

Even so...

His insides burned.

The more fiercely they burned.

The colder Ferda’s expression became.

He abandoned the very idea that these people could ever be persuaded.

Even so...

It was not easy.

To stand here.

To face all of this head-on.

And still remain silent.

Ferda felt violent emotions boiling within his heart.

The anger he had buried long ago mocked him from within.

And so he asked.

Valdrova... my heart...

How...

How can you endure all of this?

Accepting every slander...

Every humiliation...

And still continue to love...

Still continue to protect...

Everything you wish to cherish?

Then—

The heart raging within him gradually became calm.

The mocking laughter of his anger fell silent.

So delicate that it seemed as though it might break.

Gentle—

Like the first tender sprout pushing through the damp earth before dawn.

Yet capable of melting his frozen heart.

A feeling engraved into the deepest part of his soul.

That feeling—

Answered Ferda’s question.

Even so.

"I see."

"I will prove it."

At Ferda’s declaration, Erika asked.

"Prove it?"

"What exactly do you intend to prove?"

"I will prove that the reason she chose the Far East as her stronghold is not merely to vent her destructive instincts like some latrine."

Standing atop the platform, Ferda raised his voice more clearly than ever before.

"As the representative of the Far East."

"As the Regent of the Grand Duchess Valdrova’s territory."

"And as Valdrova’s fiancé."

"I hereby make this declaration."

If that was the case.

Then what Ferda had to do was exceedingly simple.

All he had to do—

Was help her spread those steadfast wings.

He lifted his head proudly.

Speaking each syllable slowly and clearly so that every person present would hear.

"I shall purify and reclaim this land that was defiled by Godwin—the Father of Demons and the source of Chaos."

It was a declaration to conquer the Land of Demons.

At Ferda’s shocking proclamation.

The entire Grand Ducal Council erupted into commotion.

"Conquer the Land of Demons?"

"The land that even the Immortal Aspects could never conquer...?"

Every reaction was one of disbelief.

Naturally so.

Ever since the Land of Demons had come into existence after the Dragon-Demon War.

Many had dreamed of conquering it.

Yet everyone who stepped into that land in pursuit of conquest had failed.

For a full century.

Countless people had tried.

Only to meet defeat.

Leaving that cursed land untouched.

And now—

"What the great Valdrova, bearer of the Aspect of Strength and Flame, desires is the complete eradication of the monsters that emerge from this land."

"The ultimate objective of that extermination is none other than the conquest of the Land of Demons."

The young Regent had boldly thrown down his challenge.

"Since that is Her Grace’s wish—to bring peace to this continent—I too shall devote my strength to proving to everyone that the title of Evil Dragon is nothing more than a false stigma."

That single ambitious declaration from Ferda sent shockwaves through the Grand Ducal Council.

Today was Ferda’s very first appearance at the council as the Grand Duchess’s representative.

At only eighteen years old, young and inexperienced, it would have been easy for others to dismiss him as nothing more than an arrogant upstart.

Wherever one went, age and experience were always considered important.

But that was not the case here.

On the surface, everyone assumed it was simply because Ferda stood backed by Grand Duchess Valdrova’s authority.

Yet buried much deeper within their subconscious, another thought lingered.

Perhaps...

Perhaps that broad-shouldered young man might actually succeed.

"This agenda..."

Blancaros’s voice echoed calmly throughout the council chamber.

At once, every voice fell silent.

Even the Dragon Spawn were startled by the sound of his voice.

"Let us conclude the discussion here, Regent."

Blancaros himself had spoken directly to Ferda.

Ferda had no choice but to comply.

Blancaros always conducted affairs through representatives.

The fact that he had personally spoken made every word carry extraordinary weight.

"Thank you for allowing me to speak."

For now, Ferda was satisfied.

His debut on the council stage had come to an end.

Ferda returned to his seat, and Blancaros resumed the proceedings.

"We shall move on to the next agenda."

After that, discussions of trivial matters began.

To Ferda, they were nothing but meaningless chatter, and he paid them no attention.

Erika Iorga.

Her name continued echoing inside his mind.

It was an old habit from the days when Ferda had been a mage of vengeance.

Without realizing it, he was engraving that name deep into his bones.

It’s pointless.

Ferda tried to ignore the old habit.

Then—

—Regent Ferda, can you hear me?

Speak of the devil.

Erika’s voice rang inside his mind.

She was using telepathy.

—I have listened carefully to your proposal.

Hearing her voice, Ferda cautiously gathered Mana into his fingertip.

He condensed only enough that it posed no threat before lightly touching it to his temple.

—I, Erika Iorga, view your proposal favorably, and furthermore—

Snap.

The voice inside his head vanished as though a line had been severed.

Ferda had cut off the telepathic connection she had established.

The abrupt disconnection made Erika flinch.

She subtly turned her head and glanced toward Ferda.

Her eyes seemed to ask,

What exactly do you think you’re doing?

Meeting her gaze, Ferda answered silently.

Get lost.

She immediately sent another telepathic message.

—Please wait, Regent Ferda. I understand that you’re emotional right now. If you would simply stop blocking me and hear me out—

Whenever she tried.

Ferda simply blocked her again.

—No, just listen to me—

The telepathic message came again.

He blocked it again.

And so, for the remaining thirty minutes until the council meeting finally ended, the two of them engaged in a silent battle—one sending telepathic messages, the other cutting the connection every single time.