TEB Ch 108

“What is this..?

Suddenly, the surroundings became dark again, and then I was surrounded by a blinding light. I couldn’t understand what was happening but then Renard pulled me close with one arm. I felt the sensation of being sucked in somewhere, and then the blinding light disappeared and I could see in front of me. 

The floor…?

The first thing that caught my eye was the floor made of delicately patterned marble tiles. The elegant and antique design momentarily captivated me, and I unconsciously muttered,

“W-Where am I…?’

The answer to that question came from a stranger I met for the first time in my life.

[“This is my lair.”]

Even though it was our first meeting, it felt oddly familiar.

Ah, the long, golden hair and deep, amber eyes. It was a quiet yet surreal presence, like a combination of sand and rocks from the desert. It didn’t need any further explanation, I knew who he was. He was the Divine Dragon, Mahatra.

I felt like I shouldn’t stare at him too much, so I lowered my head. From the shadow I saw at the end of my lowered gaze, it seemed like there were others besides Mahatra. As Liev trembled from the overwhelming pressure and fear, the Divine Dragon continued to explain.

[Ah, your physical body and Renard’s are still in the place where you were. We just brought your souls here for a moment.]

When the Divine Dragon finished explaining, Renard pulled tighter into his arms and shouted.  

[“What are you doing! Liev is surprised!”]

When Renard suddenly got angry and shouted, an angry voice immediately came out.

[“Ha, look at this brazen brat! Is there any need to see this anymore? Let’s get this over with…!”]

The woman with a curvaceous figure, who openly showed her animosity towards Renard, had dark brown hair with a hint of pale green and deep green eyes. She had the appearance of a middle-aged woman with a gentle impression, but she was noticeably annoyed by those gathered there. Liev had never seen her before, but he could tell from her skin that she was much older than himself. He closed his mouth and looked around at his surroundings.

The middle-aged woman who was loudly raising her voice was probably Pompere, and the young boy with black hair and blue eyes was Kirkus. There were also others whose names he had only heard of, and among them was someone he had recently encountered in the form of a dragon.

“Ha. They’re probably going to say something about me being young again.”

Renard muttered, recalling his previous experiences.

There was a middle-aged man who appeared at least 20 years older than he appeared in the paintings. Renard quickly averted his gaze and looked at the other dragons when the middle-aged man, Lindgren, spoke up.

[“Tsk, tsk. It hasn’t even been a long time since it came out of its egg, yet it’s already causing chaos. It’s even more pathetic to see that it’s already developing madness. We couldn’t help but discuss whether or not to leave you as one of our kin in this world.”]

[What? What does that mean?]

They were discussing whether or not to release him into this world. Renard raised his voice in surprise. Even Pompere’s expression instantly became more distorted, as if she didn’t like that attitude.

[“There’s nothing more to observe!”]

[“Calm down.”]

Mahatra raised his hand to calm down Pompere and spoke.

[You can’t control the power you possess. And that power will only grow larger as the years pass. Uncontrollable power will soon lead to disaster. If your existence becomes a threat to this world, it is our duty to eliminate it in advance.]

[……!]

Renard was shocked and hugged Liev. Liev, felt a huge sense of intimation that he couldn’t possibly step into, but he couldn’t ignore this, so he suddenly raised his head.

“That cannot…”

Liev gathered courage for a moment and raised his head, but he immediately Iowered his head again at the sight of six pairs of gazes flying towards him. He only uttered one word, but his hands and feet began to tremble, and his legs became weak. Ugh. He groaned as Renard tightly hugged Liev, who almost collapsed without realizing it.

[“Okay! I had no experience this time, so I didn’t know it would turn out like this! We came back safely. Why such a fuss!?”]

Without reflecting at all, Renard’s voice grew louder, making Pompere shake her head. She shook her head as if she had a headache. While the other dragons showed similar reactions, only Mahatra hit Renard’s head with his staff.

[“Ow, that hurts!”]

As Renard looked at Mahatra with resentful eyes, Pompere sighed again.

[Anyway, just watch your speech in front of adults. I heard Mahatra taught you. If my disciple had acted up like that, I would have stepped on him until he died.”]

Mahatra’s face remained calm. He seemed to expect this kind of reaction. The next person to speak was a sea dragon with the appearance of a child.

[“While you were going through a frenzy, we had an in-depth discussion. I suggested that we seal you in a volcano deep under the sea, but Mahatra was against it. Be grateful to your teacher.”]

As Liev listened to the dragons’ words, his heart felt like it was about to burst with each word they spoke.

So what will happen in the end? The plan to seal Renard was canceled due to Mahatra’s opposition. But he still couldn’t calm his heart, as he didn’t know what their decision was. As if reading his reaction, Mahatra opened his mouth again.

[“However, I am also against leaving you like this. Your existence can be a threat to all of us in the future. But I decided to believe in your potential one last time. Luckily, there are good reins around you that can be used to control you.”]

[“What?”]

Liev couldn’t understand Mahatra’s words.

And in that moment, suddenly, an unknown force pulled Liev up and placed him in the middle of the dragons, separated from Renard by force. Liev, who was forced to look up, was suspended in the air like a lab rat and stood tall without any resistance.

[The one who came to save you.]

“Yes…?”

This time, Liev was also surprised. Am I the one who came here to save Renard? What are you talking about? Liev, forgetting his fear, widened his eyes, and Mahatra also looked at him with a slightly bewildered expression.

[Hmm, you didn’t know? How did you end up here? Didn’t you meet that guy? Nothing?]

“…”

Liev looked at Mahatra with a troubled expression. What kind of nonsense is this?

As if saying it didn’t make sense, he looked at the great being with an expression that couldn’t be put into words.

[“It’s strange, I thought you would have heard it as you were close to the ‘”Creator”. Did you know?”]

Now the question was directed toward Renard. Renard, who was bound by the remaining dragon’s magic, shouted with a dissatisfied face.

[“What! I know Liev was not born here.”]

Then Mahatra spoke again and covered his chin with his finger.

[“That’s something you guys can figure out among yourselves. I’ll only talk about your fate. Hear the rest directly from the “Creator.”]

And then, he approached Liev again and asked.

[“You have no intention of separating from that guy.”]

“What?”

It seems like I’ve been repeating the same answers over and over again since earlier. Even though he knew that it would definitely sound stupid, he couldn’t come up with any other responses. I’m not sure what’s happening right now, and I’m confused by the words about the “Creator'” that keep coming up without any explanation. There was a face that came to mind in his head. 

Could it be…?

With all his courage, Liev asked.

“Is that ‘Creator’ person named “Sigrid” by any chance?”

Mahatra responded to Liev’s question.

[“It seems that’s what they’re being called now. Names change over time, so we are more familiar with the title “Creator”.]

“……!”

Liev finally began to understand Sigrid’s strange attitude.