My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 53: Chapter 53

Chapter 53 - A Precedent That Cannot Be Allowed

The council attended only by those of Grand Duke rank or higher came to an end.

Ferda left the council chamber along with the other nobles.

"Regent."

Zed and Arwen, who had been waiting for Ferda, approached him.

After studying Ferda’s expression, Zed asked,

"Did someone insult you in there? You look like you’re about to kill someone."

"If you call it an insult, then yes, I was insulted."

He had been forced to endure hearing Valdrova called an Evil Dragon.

For a man who had become a Grand Mage in pursuit of revenge, suppressing the emotions welling up inside him was no easy task.

That was why it was better not to become the subject of gossip in the first place.

Ferda changed the subject.

"Where’s Luri?"

"Miss Luri... now that you mention it. Where did she go?"

"She said she had something to take care of before the meeting ended and left early. As for where she went... I’m not sure."

"I see?"

"I’m sorry. I should have found out beforehand..."

"No matter. She’s not a woman who’s that easy to keep track of."

Ferda did not press the matter.

He already knew where she had most likely gone.

If she had followed what she told him earlier, she had gone to speak with Silverwind.

" ’Speak,’ huh..."

Ferda recalled the look Goz Silverwind had given him when he brought up the matter.

He had been suppressing his rage with pitifully clumsy self-control.

If Ferda had spoken to Silverwind back then, wouldn’t it have erupted into an all-out brawl?

Had it not been Blancaros’s neutral territory, things might have ended far more violently.

’I wonder if their conversation will go well.’

It was then—

"Regent Ferda Valdrova?"

A man dressed in pure white, perfectly suited to the pure white surroundings.

His posture was impeccable, befitting the trusted subordinate of the absolute ruler of the Neutral Territory.

It was the Hand of Blancaros.

"My master wishes to see you. Would you accompany me?"

"In private?"

"Yes. He wishes to discuss the proposal you made earlier."

That was unusual.

Blancaros never summoned humans for private meetings, if only to preserve neutrality.

’Still, this is one of those situations where he has no choice.’

Blancaros had unilaterally dismissed the proposal despite claiming to stand as a neutral party.

Naturally, he would need to hear additional explanations from the one who had proposed it.

In the first place, the only reason Ferda had endured such unfairness was for this very moment.

"Very well."

"I’ll guide you. This way."

Following his guidance, Ferda walked away.

***

Blancaros’s reception room was unlike what one would expect from a dragon’s residence.

A dragon’s dwelling should have been grand and magnificent.

So refined and majestic that no emperor would dare compare his own palace to it.

The Grand Ducal Council Hall had certainly lived up to that standard.

However, Blancaros’s reception room was different.

It was surprisingly human.

It wasn’t unnecessarily large.

Nor was it unnecessarily extravagant.

It resembled the compact, practical office of a young lord.

"Come in."

Blancaros, seated behind a marble desk at the far end of the room, greeted him in his own voice.

Ferda stopped in his tracks as he entered.

Blancaros was not alone.

Within the sea of white sat a figure glowing with blue radiance.

Erika Iorga.

She was already seated there.

Erika was staring directly at Ferda.

The fierce expression on her face hardened even further the moment she saw him.

Behind him, Zed and Arwen broke into a cold sweat for no apparent reason.

"Why is she glaring at you like that? Did you do something wrong?"

Ferda shrugged.

"Me? Do something wrong? As if that would ever happen."

"I don’t know... it sure feels like you did."

Ignoring the remark, Ferda walked forward.

He completely ignored Erika and politely greeted Blancaros.

"Lord Blancaros, I sincerely appreciate your invitation, however..."

Ferda casually turned his head toward Erika.

"I have nothing to say to this woman. May I leave?"

"Pfft..."

"Ahem!"

Ferda casually hurled the insult, while behind him Zed and Arwen, who had been standing like decorative screens, nearly burst out laughing.

Even among Dragon Spawn, a representative’s status was comparable to that of a dragon.

In other words, Ferda had just referred to a dragon as "this woman".

Only someone with a death wish would do such a thing.

"Hmm..."

"W-What... this woman...?"

Blancaros merely let out a quiet hum, as though he had expected this.

Erika herself stared at Ferda in utter disbelief.

Still, she endured it.

This meeting had been arranged for the sake of discussion.

More importantly, violence was impossible within this room.

Erika forced a smile.

"It’s good to see you again, Regent Ferda. Instead of those childish telepathic messages, let’s speak face to face."

"Suit yourself."

Ferda covered his ears.

The smile instantly vanished from Erika’s face.

"Are you seriously going to keep acting this childish?"

"It’s perfectly justified. You insulted my fiancée and still expect me to speak nicely to you? What if I started calling Lady Iorga a water lizard?"

"Ghk!"

"Ahem..."

Zed and Arwen nearly choked.

If they had their way, they would have run out of the room immediately.

Even after hearing that, Erika endured.

She bit her lower lip hard and slowly took a deep breath.

"Let’s consider us even in terms of insults. I apologize once again for my harsh words. But I had no choice."

Ferda removed his hands from his ears.

Since she had swallowed the insult without retaliating, it was clear she genuinely intended to talk.

"First, let’s dismiss the attendants and have this discussion among ourselves."

"Understood. You two may leave."

"Yes!"

The moment Ferda gave permission, they hurried out at top speed.

Only three people remained in the white room.

"Since emotions are running high, I’ll keep this brief. I am on Lady Valdrova’s side."

"How reassuring."

Ferda sneered.

"Although House Iorga as a whole maintains a stance of keeping Lady Valdrova in check, the core leadership has always held her contributions in the highest regard."

"Sure you have."

"You don’t believe me. I stood on the front lines of that war. I witnessed every dragon fighting with my own eyes. I still remember her vividly."

The tiny hairs on Erika’s arms stood on end.

"When Godwin tried to perish together with this continent... she alone stood in his way..."

Upon hearing those words, Blancaros silently closed his eyes.

He too had fought in that battle.

Erika continued.

"Delivering the final blow to Godwin, who sought to destroy everything without distinction between Evil Dragons and Guardian Dragons alike, was an enormous risk. Every dragon knew it. And every one of them hesitated. But Lady Valdrova threw herself into the battle without a moment’s hesitation. It was like a mass of darkness being pierced and scattered by a crimson spear. Of course... the aftermath led to yet another tragedy and ended in catastrophe. Even so, she was never someone who deserved to bear the title of Evil Dragon."

"And yet everyone mocked the idea as though it were complete nonsense and couldn’t wait to tear her apart. You expect me to believe you?"

"Which is precisely why I apologized for insulting her. But it had to be done."

"You had to humiliate her? Does that even make sense?"

"If I hadn’t ridiculed and buried that claim, it would have been dangerous!"

"Dangerous how?"

"Silverwind."

Another dragon faction.

Ferda recalled Silverwind, who had remained completely silent throughout.

"If I hadn’t stepped in, Silverwind would have. Those fools with nothing but blocks of ice inside their heads would have turned that meeting into complete chaos. Before you even had the chance to announce your campaign against the Far East, they would have demanded a war among dragons."

"So you’re saying you criticized and mocked everything solely to protect me?"

Erika fell silent.

She looked conflicted over whether she should reveal the truth.

"It wasn’t solely for your sake, Regent Ferda. As you said, if Lady Valdrova’s nature wasn’t truly that of an Evil Dragon, but rather the result of being corrupted by Godwin..."

For a brief instant, Ferda saw the eyes of a wounded beast within Erika’s gaze.

"The precedent of a perfect being becoming imperfect is more dangerous than you can imagine."

"Dangerous enough to shatter the balance of the continent."

Hearing that, Ferda finally understood.

Why Erika had acted so hostile toward Valdrova.

And why Blancaros had ended the discussion so abruptly.

Ferda summarized his understanding in a single sentence.

"So Lady Iorga is suffering from the same symptoms as well."

Erika nodded with a pained expression.

"At first, it was nothing more than a faint sense of discomfort. Many Dragon Spawn still suffer lingering aftereffects from the battle against Godwin. But over the past thirty years... she has gradually been unable to endure that suffering any longer. She’s becoming unstable."

"And what is her condition now?"

"She has entered hibernation. She chose not to move until a solution can be found."

In other words, Iorga—the Aspect of Magic—was absent.

Hearing that, another question occurred to Ferda.

"Then what about Orosagrado as well?"

"I honestly don’t know. He has no Spawn, and as one who is worshiped as a living faith, he would never reveal such a weakness to anyone."

Those who embodied faith would naturally be believed to be flawless.

That made perfect sense.

This wasn’t simply Valdrova’s personal problem.

’It was an issue capable of shaking dragon society itself.’

Seeing that Ferda had begun to understand, Erika lowered her voice and calmly continued.

"If people accept the claim that Lady Valdrova isn’t truly an Evil Dragon but is merely being affected by Godwin, then everyone will be in danger. Not just Valdrova—others’ positions would also be threatened. It would become the perfect prey for those who spread chaos, like the Purple Dragon and the War Dragon. That is why we’re buying time until we find a cure."

"I see."

Ferda rose from his seat as though there was nothing more worth hearing.

"Then all you’ve proven is that you’re nothing more than a coward."

"...A coward?"

Erika’s anger finally reached its limit.

She was about to explode.

But only for a moment.

The instant she met Ferda’s eyes, she was completely overwhelmed.

"What do you plan to do in the end?"

He asked.

"What ’end’ are you talking about?"

"What did you intend to do when all your hiding finally failed? When things reached the point of no return?"

"That..."

"You’d even sacrifice my fiancée’s life if that was what it took to keep your secret hidden."

"Do you really think I’d do something so shameless!?"

"Wouldn’t you?"

Erika couldn’t answer.

She couldn’t agree.

Nor could she deny it.

She remained silent like someone struck dumb, her fists clenched tightly.

"Let’s end the conversation here. May I leave?"

Ferda asked Blancaros.

Nothing had been resolved.

But neither was there anything that could be resolved immediately.

"...You may."

Once Blancaros gave his permission, Ferda turned and walked away.

Erika remained standing there, motionless.

She couldn’t do anything.

To think that the leader of the Dragon Spawn would be overwhelmed by a mere human.

How ridiculous.

Yet if the same situation happened again, Erika knew she would freeze up all over again.

Ferda’s eyes, filled with disgust.

Within them, she had glimpsed a fragment of her own distant future.

***

The Cerdes Magic Association.

Sitting in the Association President’s office was not the arrogant young woman, but a sturdy man.

"Uuuugh..."

The man dragged his pen across the paperwork while making sounds like a ghoul crawling up from Hell.

For four straight days, he had been processing the mountain of documents left behind by the Association President, Erdes, without rest.

"Uuugh... Huh?"

A moment later, a circular ring of sparks began forming before him.

He knew exactly whose magic it was.

Normally, he would have stood up to welcome her, but Lu didn’t even have the energy to think that far.

"Blue! I’m back!"

The one greeting him cheerfully was Erdes.

"You’re back already?"

"The moment the summit ended, I clocked out immediately. You all had fun without me, didn’t you?"

"If that’s the case... your appearance is a little strange..."

She didn’t look like someone returning from a diplomatic meeting.

She looked like someone returning from a sightseeing trip, carrying bags full of souvenirs.

"You’re so picky. I did a little sightseeing around the city after it ended. Got a problem with that?"

"...Not really."

With a sigh, Lu approved the final remaining document before collapsing face-first onto the desk.

"Finished with work?"

"I’ve caught up with everything that was piled up."

"See? Isn’t this the perfect division of labor? I do the resting, and Blue does the working. Nice and efficient, right?"

"It certainly is a clear division... but doesn’t it feel a little wrong...?"

"Besides, I even stopped by a famous local shop and bought some specialty honey bread. Where else are you going to find such an angelic boss?"

She wiggled her eyebrows proudly.

Fine.

At least he’d get something good to eat.

Lu opened the box she handed him.

"...It’s empty."

"Really? Oh, it was so delicious that I must’ve eaten it all. Sorry. Make sure you throw the box away properly."

Nodding as though he had made a life-changing decision, Lu declared,

"I quit. I’m resigning."

"Ah, that’s not happening. Blue, you’re contracted to serve me for another thousand years. No vetoes allowed. That’s the contract we signed."

"Damn it."

Putting on the face of a man who had lost all hope, Lu pretended to sob loudly.

"So... how was it?"

"How was what?"

"You went because of that man, Ferda Valdrova, didn’t you?"

"That man? Hmm..."

Resting her index finger against her chin, Erdes gently tilted her head before answering.

"He was... unusual."

"Un...usual?"

Lu’s eyes widened.

"The strongest Grand Mage in humanity is calling someone unusual?"

"You can flatter me all you want, but you’re not getting anything out of me. He was just... interesting."

Perching herself on the edge of the desk, Erdes looked down at Lu.

"That human possesses a Red Circle."

"A Red Circle!"

"And he had also learned Black Magic. I could smell it all over him."

"B-Black Magic!?"

Lu’s face instantly turned pale.

It wasn’t Black Magic itself that frightened him.

"Is... is he still alive?"

"Of course. What, do you think I’m some crazed murderer who goes around killing people whenever I feel like it?"

"Well... considering you came back without causing any trouble... I suppose he really is an unusual person."

"I couldn’t just lay a finger on him. He’s married to that crazy dragon. What kind of disaster do you think I’d bring upon myself if I messed with him?"

A troubled frown appeared on Erdes’s face.

Her dangling legs began swinging back and forth.

"Blue. If your parents had suddenly disappeared one day, how do you think you’d feel?"

"Uh... I don’t know. I’d probably be angry."

"Only angry? Hm? Would you just scream, ’I’ll never forgive the parents who abandoned me!’ and nothing else?"

"...You probably would, President. But ordinary people would probably be heartbroken too."

Erdes snapped her fingers.

"Exactly. That’s what people mean when they say their emotions are in turmoil. Normal humans are crushed beneath countless overwhelming emotions, unable to say which one is strongest. Even if one emotion wins out slightly, it’s almost impossible to be consumed by only that single feeling."

"That makes sense."

"Do you know what I’m getting at?"

"I’m sorry. My slow brain isn’t quite following..."

"Want to copy fifty pages as punishment?"

"W-Wait! I think I remember now... maybe?"

"Idiot. What I’m saying is that something like that alone isn’t enough to create a Red Circle."

"I-I really had remembered..."

"Stubborn on top of being dumb. Make it one hundred pages."

"Wha!? That’s so unfair! I handled all the official work while you were gone!"

"Work is work. Punishment is punishment."

While Lu grumbled, Erdes clicked her tongue.

"So what you’re saying is that it should have been impossible for Ferda Valdrova to possess a Red Circle?"

"Exactly."

"But emotions are subjective, aren’t they?"

"They are. Everyone measures them differently. Even taking that into account, though, that guy named Ferda went far beyond the limits of anything I can comprehend."

"Is he really that exceptional?"

"A Red Circle is born when the scales that balance one’s emotions completely shatter. But he’s at an age where those scales simply shouldn’t be able to break. For rage alone to destroy those scales, a person would have to be so broken that they’d genuinely believe even the reason they wake up with a morning erection every day was because of their anger."

"...Well... that’s certainly a rather crude comparison. But wasn’t he also driven out of his family? Couldn’t that explain it?"

He had become Valdrova’s fiancé.

A fate that was essentially a death sentence.

Surely that was enough to make Ferda’s resentment explode.

"He accepted it."

"What do you mean?"

"To accept something means you’re still rational. And if you’re still rational, it means your anger isn’t great enough."

"So you’re saying there was never a trigger strong enough to destroy those emotional scales, meaning a Red Circle shouldn’t have been possible."

"Exactly."

"But the Regent has a Red Circle."

"He does."

"Even though the necessary conditions weren’t there... a Red Circle still formed..."

"And in less than a year, he had already reached the Fourth Circle."

"And... there were all those incidents as well."

The execution of Teshalos Wolcher.

The battle inside the Imperial vault.

"They all have one thing in common."

"Black Magic..."

After staring silently at one another for a long while, realization suddenly dawned on Lu.

Even a dog attending a village school for three years eventually learns to recite poetry.

Having served under her for ten full years, he had finally learned how to read Erdes’s thoughts.

"Are you saying... Regent Valdrova has made a contract with a demon?"

Seeing him arrive at the conclusion on his own, Erdes smiled.

"Don’t you smell it too?"