TEB Ch 80

“What an amateur!”  

Renard immediately recoiled at the tone that clearly belittled him. Instead of responding right away, he pretended not to hear anything and flicked his tail on the ground, causing the golden-eyed dragon to chuckle as if it were amusing.  

“How pathetic. It’s as if a part of the history of the stars is trapped in a small creature who hasn’t lived for a hundred years.”  

Then, with an indifferent expression, the dragon turned his head, showing that he was no longer interested in Renard.  

“Though your behavior is insolent enough to ignore, since I’m an adult, I’ll kindly tell you. What you desire will eventually fall into your hands.”

With that, the dragon disappeared into a fierce snowstorm. Renard was left wide-eyed in surprise as the massive body that was just in front of him vanished into thin air. Of course, dragons were capable of using transportation magic, but it was still a great burden for them to move their massive bodies. Even if he assumed that the dragon was an incredibly powerful ancient dragon, it was not an easy task.  

Renard blinked in disbelief as he looked at Mahatra for an explanation.  

“It’s not common, but it happens sometimes. A being that can travel between stars, just the precious child you cherish.”  

Renard couldn’t understand what he was talking about. From Mahatra’s teachings, he knew that the concept of “stars” didn’t only refer to the world he lived in. He also knew there was a clear distinction between them, each with its own time and events, and that there was a barrier between them that couldn’t be crossed. As Renard continued to blink, Mahatra went on.

“Stars repel each other like magnets with the same polarity. However, with the application of artificial magic, there is a brief moment when the gap between them becomes infinitesimally small. Those who pass through during this fleeting instant are called ‘travelers’.”

Mahatra went on to explain that the dragon who had just insulted Renard as an “Amateur” was from another star and possessed the power to foresee the future. However, this ability was limited to fleeting glimpses of future events that would occasionally pass through his mind. He could see what was to come, but he couldn’t interfere with it or alter the things he saw.

Some admired this ability, believing that even a slight glimpse of the future would provide endless possibilities for its use. But, those who actually had the power often saw it as a curse.

Even if you can’t change what’s already been seen, doesn’t it help to prepare for it? But Mahatra just smiled wryly. He couldn’t see his own future, and even if he could, what would be the point of watching the countless lives that intersected with his own rise and fall without being able to change anything?

Besides, once he saw the future, it could never be changed. It would be as uninteresting as reading a novel knowing its end. It wouldn’t be enjoyable for an immortal being to give their heart to someone destined to fall.

Perhaps he saw a future in which he was destroyed. He may have even agonized over the cause and effect, wondering if he could escape frustration. But he was already an old dragon, so he may have endured the pain of such a fate a long time ago.

“Consider yourself lucky. Because he was in a good mood, he foresaw that something good would happen to you.”  

Whether he said it or not, Renard was still fixated on Mahatra’s words from earlier.  

“What did you mean when you said Liev is like that dragon?”

For a moment, Mahatra pondered whether he should correct this cocky dragon’s arrogant way of speaking, or should he just see it as a momentary slip of the tongue? But since it had been quite a while since he had encountered a young dragon, he decided to turn a blind eye.  

“That child didn’t come to this world by his own power, but it’s clear that he wasn’t originally from this world. I have some idea why he became a traveler, but…”

As Mahatra deliberately blurted out the details, Renard’s blood-red eyes narrowed for a moment before he tilted his head in confusion. Mahatra just smiled again while looking at Renard.  

“It would be best if you checked it for yourself.”  

Anyway, old dragons like Mahatra and the golden-eyed dragon didn’t reveal much.

Several years after that day, Renard heard news about the golden-eyed dragon from Mahatra. The dragon had become the guardian of a certain family. It wasn’t difficult to understand why someone who had always treated humans as insignificant beings made such a choice.

The story of how the one who used to mock and belittle humans eventually came to love them seemed somewhat ironic. Renard found it amusing, and it helped him understand what Mahatra had said about knowing that destruction was coming but being unable to change or stop it.

“It’s a magic that binds souls through bloodlines. Since all beings repeat the cycle of death and rebirth, it allows them to recognize and be drawn to each other when they’re reborn.”

This magic was created by the first immortal being who had loved a mortal. It bound the mortal’s bloodline to the immortal’s soul, allowing them to be reborn and reunited in the future. The immortal would protect the mortal’s descendants and wait for their loved one to return.

There was, however, a condition that had to be met to maintain this ancient magic. The mortal’s bloodline had to remain unbroken until the moment of reincarnation. For that to happen…

“Liev must lay my egg.”  

No matter what kind of child would hatch from the egg, it was clear that it would be adorable since it was Liev’s child. The child he gave birth to would be undeniably lovely. Even if Liev were to leave this world first, he would still protect their children and wait for him to return. No matter how long it would take, they could meet again. Mahatra nonchalantly told the confident Renard.  

“Well, to a dragon, a few hundred years is not such a short time.”  

However, Renard didn’t even listen. The only thing that mattered to him was the fact that there was a way to meet Liev again.  

***  

The next morning, Liev searched the castle without much success and realized that Margret, who had been following Renard around until yesterday, was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to grab her and ask her what she was hiding. But when he asked Renard why he had stopped him from questioning Margret yesterday, Renard only shrugged his shoulders. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  

And then, after finishing lunch, he announced that he would take some personal time for himself.  

“I’ll fly for a bit. It’s so cramped just staying in the castle all day.”  

Realizing something was off, Liev tried to stop him, but the response he received was unexpectedly cold.  

“What? No way. If Liev were to fall, it would be a big problem! It won’t take long, so just wait for me while reading a book or something.”  

Previously, when he had briefly stopped by the library with a lot of books about monsters, Renard bothered him, saying that he was bored, so he told him to go out and fly out and come back. It seemed like he was taking revenge on him for sending him away. Amused by Renard’s childish behavior, Liev laughed, but since he was using the pretext of safety as an excuse, there was nothing Liev could do to stop him.  

“Fine, do as you wish.”  

In the end, Liev turned around acting childishly but Renard didn’t argue. Was he just going to let it go? Liev was taken aback by Renard’s uncharacteristic reaction, but he had already left, so he couldn’t do anything. He returned to his room alone. On his way back, he asked his colleagues about Margret’s whereabouts, but they also didn’t know anything.  

“What is he hiding?”  

Should he go back to the tower where the ghost incident happened before Renard returned? Or should he go back to see that strange mirror again? Just as he was thinking about it for a moment. 

[Krrrng… how dare this arrogant bastard.]  

Suddenly, a deafening, ear-splitting, piercing cry rang out, and the entire castle began to shake. At first, it felt like a dust storm was approaching from a distance, but soon the sound of a terrifying wind could be heard. Then, the ground began to tremble as if the entire fortress were about to collapse. The sound of a large, heavy body landing on the ground followed.

“An earthquake? Is it an earthquake!?”  

However, there was something strange about it being a simple natural disaster. The sound of the wind, like the clash of steel, was mixed with the screams and howls of animals, even birds.