TEB Ch 32

There was no way for humans to know what that feeling was. It was just like trying to imagine a life without air. If he had to explain, this sentence could be the closest answer. The past life he spent without Liev was meaningless.  

“Liev is the same as me.” 

There was a reason his words would shock his comrades to hear them.  

Dragons were a race born with senses more sensitive than humans. Sometimes, he feels hypersensitive, so he consciously blocks out some sensations in daily life to avoid overwhelming sensitivity, but he could still easily recognize sensations that humans couldn’t feel at a human level. 

It wasn’t difficult to read people’s true intentions. Even if they hid their expressions, they couldn’t hide the scent of sweat or breathing that a tense body gave off. Renard could also read a person’s true feelings simply from their breath.

So, even in that moment, it was impossible not to know. Even while he was pushing him away and pouring out harsh words, his breath was telling the truth. “Every word I say is a lie. Please don’t believe me.” 

Even now, it is the same. He gave off the scent of affection. Just like the times when he held him in his arms, stroked him gently, and whispered sweet and kind words. He was the one who betrayed and lied to me at will, but he made me feel like he liked me and made scratches in my heart, so he couldn’t help but be dissatisfied.  

“Isn’t it me who should be angry?” 

He was the one who went first to find him in a place where they might never meet again! Like the usual romance stories his colleagues showed him, a lover who abandoned a poor and helpless partner later clings to his successful ex-lover, claiming that he made a mistake. Renard’s head remained stiff. He was confused by the friendly gazes directed at him, making it hard to ignore them.

“Hey, are you even listening? Are we all just decorations?” 

When Albert pointed out with a puzzle expression, Renard spat out only the words he wanted to say.  

“Liev likes me.” 

All my colleagues sighed and touched their foreheads at the consistent answer. 

“Is our Guardian Dragon really out of his mind?” 

“Is it okay for our guardian dragon not to have common sense? Is this right?” 

Whether they said something or not, Renard had no intention of backing down. 

“Dragons know everything. I can feel everything about what’s true.”  

“Sigh…” 

Well, to humans, it seemed like nonsense. While that side looked full of venom and this side was doing whatever they wanted, he, the Guardian Dragon, was babbling nonsense like “Liev likes me.” Even if dragons had superhuman abilities, they could not feel or see things that humans couldn’t. Rowena shook her head. 

“Why did you say something about tormenting someone you want to keep by your side? You shouldn’t say such things to someone you want to keep close.” 

Thinking and talking about human common sense would only result in wall-to-wall answers. 

“Because Liev hurt me first.” 

“No, that means you shouldn’t say such things to someone you want to win their heart over.” 

“Why do I need to win his heart? Liev already likes me?” 

There is no way to persuade him because they do not understand each other, even though they are clearly using the same language. Trying to reason with him, who answered like some kind of narcissist, seemed futile to the point of being excessive and meaningless. 

“Ah, I don’t know. This isn’t even my love life, what am I doing?”  

“If you don’t know, it can’t be helped. We still have some responsibility for this.  

“Well, what can we do when there’s nothing we can do?” 

A long sigh crossed the meeting that returned to square one. After Count Vasil’s own destruction, the Kingdom of Airen found peace. With Renard’s joining, the constant threat from neighboring countries eyeing the borders had subsided, putting the state into a state of calm. The people were no longer constantly dragged into infrastructure projects to strengthen the borders, and generals across the country no longer needed to be conscripted for war. Naturally, as people focused on their livelihoods instead of war, national production increased, and the entire nation quickly found stability. The only thing left was to enjoy an extremely peaceful daily life and quickly prosper. 

The five heroes who played the biggest role in defeating Count Vasil, excluding one dragon among them, were aware that this peace was maintained thanks to Renard’s existence.  

“There’s a story that the Emperor of the Antium Empire is conducting research to bring dragons to the Empire’s side.” 

At the current point in time, only about seven to eight dragons have been confirmed to be alive. Notable among them were Mahatra, the Divine Dragon, living beyond the impassable forest that couldn’t be passed by humans, Kirkus, the Sea Dragon, who dominated the depths of the ocean in the Krina Strait, Pompere, the Demonic Dragon, occasionally found in any dark forest, often visited by lost travelers and the most recently born Dragon, Renard. Aside from them, including the ancient dragons mentioned in historical documents, there were around thirty, but among them, only twelve were confirmed deaths. The last recorded deeds of twelve individuals date back at least several hundred years. 

To begin with, dragons were not creatures that actively reproduced. Like any highly intelligent creature, dragons knew that increasing their numbers wouldn’t be helpful to the world. From the start, their independent nature made finding a mate rare, and their personalities and preferences were so strong that even after being lovers for hundreds of years, they often broke up. That’s how rare and precious it was for a new dragon to be born. 

Dragons grow stronger as they age. Four dragons have been recorded as being killed by humans. Two were young, less than a hundred years old. The remaining two dragons chose to meet their fate by dying at the hands of humans, so much so that it would be absurd to say they were killed by humans. Among the eight dragons currently known to exist, the youngest was naturally Renard. If the Emperor of the Antium Empire sought to capture a dragon, it was abundantly obvious who his target would be. 

The king of the Airen Kingdom became anxious. If the Antium Empire could obtain the power of dragons, it could potentially dominate the entire world, including the Eastern continent. The means by which the Empire would attempt to control the dragons were unknown, but if persuasion and coercion were among them, the Airen Kingdom would find it challenging to resist the conveniences the Empire could offer. 

The king would have felt less anxious if Renard was a good dragon who took the side of the weak. Unfortunately, the young dragon, who possessed a level of power that would stump even old dragons, was far from being a good being. Renard’s support for the White Eagle Knights was solely due to the instructions of his mentor, the Divine Dragon. As long as he followed the words of the Divine Dragon, he wouldn’t pose a threat to the world. The king hoped for an ultimate weapon that could protect his people. 

While it was fortunate that the individual wanted just one human, no one expected that this person would adamantly refuse. 

“Let’s have a drink with him next time when we get the chance.” 

When the large man, who had been silent, opened his mouth with a long sigh, Renard immediately protested. 

“No, Liev is mine.” 

At the same time, everyone let out an annoyed sign. 

“Don’t touch him!” 

Seriously, who cares about someone constantly claiming ownership if the person in question looks gloomy and wears glasses covering their entire face except their height? It was absurd. After another sigh, Renard mumbled again with a chubby expression.  

“Liev really likes me.” 

“Yeah, right. We don’t accept that as the truth anymore.” 

Even Reinhart shook his head. In defeat, it was natural that the same thought occurred to everyone except Renard. 

“I want a drink.” 

Having a drink seemed like the only way to forget about the troublesome dragon for a moment.