Reincarnated Dragon Goes to the Academy!

Chapter 147 : Kind Mr. Liwol (2)

As promised, Liwol returned quickly.

"Now, from here, we have to go for a full day to reach the uninhabited island I mentioned. The island is small, but there are no threatening monsters and no one comes and goes."

Liwol, who had returned, said as he laboriously put down a bundle of things for Pamela.

"Thank you."

"But it's impossible to go all the way there in one day with this boat. When the wind changes, we'll have to rest."

"Yes."

Seeing the size of Liwol's boat, she had already expected that much.

"Are you perhaps hungry? I've bought plenty of food in case of an emergency."

Liwol tapped the backpack filled with food.

"..."

She was hungry, as a matter of fact.

"Here, here. Try this, which I just bought. It's a toasted sandwich."

As Liwol held out a still-warm sandwich, tears welled up in Pamela's eyes.

"Oh, oh! It's alright. There are many other things, so if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it..."

At Pamela's reaction, Liwol, as if flustered, began to take out other foods from his backpack.

"No. It's not that. Thank you."

Pamela, who had roughly wiped away her tears, shook her head and unwrapped the sandwich.

'...Pola.'

She remembered the sandwich she had eaten with Pola. She resented why only bad things like this kept happening to her.

'I thought I was finally getting happy...'

Pola forced the sandwich down with her tears.

"You'll choke. Here, drink some water with it."

Liwol didn't ask any more questions and opened the water bottle cap and handed it to Pamela.

"It's okay, so you can cry your heart out. There's no one to hear in the sea."

Liwol said as he silently organized the ropes.

"Hwaaaang!"

At that, Pamela's pent-up tears burst out.

***

The voyage was smooth. Not long after they set sail, Liwol handed her a motion sickness medicine, and perhaps thanks to that, she didn't get seasick.

The night in the middle of the sea was not as scary as she had thought.

"Wow..."

Pamela let out a cry of admiration as she watched the sea that glowed brightly wherever the boat passed.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I also really like the sea of stars."

"The sea of stars?"

Liwol nodded his head at Pamela's question.

"Yes. That's what I call it. Doesn't the sparkling look like stars are breaking apart?"

Liwol smiled brightly.

'No. It can't be.'

Pamela, whose heart had fluttered for a moment at that, quickly shook her head.

"Do you see over there? It's visible today because the moon is bright."

There was a small island where Liwol pointed with his hand.

"That's the campsite where we'll rest for a while."

"Ah."

At that, Pamela's heart began to beat for a different reason.

'What if he does something bad to me?'

That place was literally an island with nothing. Besides, Liwol was a sturdy man, so she was worried.

'No. If he wanted to do something bad, he would have done it in the forest.'

She erased the bad thoughts again.

"That place is still a place I frequent, so there are some emergency supplies. You might be surprised when you see them."

Liwol said as he busily moved around the boat.

Liwol's fluttering scarlet hair sparkled in the moonlight.

'What a pretty hair color.'

She only just thought of it.

"Unfortunately, we have to get off here and walk."

The boat docked about ten meters away from the white sandy beach. Because of that, they had to get into the water.

"I absolutely won't look, so please come down comfortably."

Liwol, who had gotten off the boat first, turned his head away and held out his hand. It seemed he was being considerate, lest he see under Pamela's skirt.

"Thank you."

Pamela, who had lightly grabbed his hand, jumped down, and a small splash was made.

"Ah."

Startled by the cold touch of the water, Pamela flinched and curled up.

"Now, come slowly."

Liwol, who was holding Pamela's hand and escorting her.

'He's a very considerate person.'

She thought as she followed behind him.

"Now, please stay here for a moment. I'll go and get the necessary things. And please cover yourself with this first. I'll give you a change of clothes later."

Liwol seemed to have even prepared new clothes for Pamela.

'He's considerate. Really.'

It was unbelievable that he had bought all of this in such a short time.

"Thank you."

As Pamela expressed her thanks, Liwol smiled brightly and waved his hands, saying 'not at all.'

'And humble.'

Although it was a short time, Pamela quite liked him.

***

The night on the uninhabited island was better than she had thought.

She talked with Liwol under the stars that embroidered the sky as if they would pour down, and the new clothes and sleeping bag that Liwol had brought, holding his arm high lest they get wet, were dry.

Liwol, who had skillfully made a fire, would from time to time reach out his hand to check the temperature of the fire, lest Pamela get burned or feel hot.

"It's okay."

It was when Liwol reached out his hand again as the bonfire danced in the wind.

"Haha. I was just worried you might get burned..."

At his considerate gesture, which she couldn't even count how many times it had been, Pamela was now at a loss for what to do.

Besides, it was the first time in her life that she had received such kindness.

"Um..."

In the end, the hesitating Pamela opened her mouth.

"Yes?"

"By any chance, Rieberk... what kind of place is it?"

Liwol, who smiled brightly at Pamela's question, began to speak as if excited.

"Rieberk is a very peaceful place. We don't pass by people in need. It's... as you know, very difficult to mix with us, but once you do, you'll become a family, not a resident."

He poured out sweet words as if to capture Pamela's wavering heart.

"You won't be lonely."

Pamela nodded her head at those words.

"I see. I'd like to go there someday."

Liwol seemed slightly disappointed at Pamela's words, but he soon smiled.

"Of course. And I will visit you often, Miss Pamela. Uninhabited islands are lonely."

***

"Hahaha. To think it has progressed that far already. As expected of a child rumored to be cunning."

The Demon King Yastan, disguised as Grad, and his subordinate Tedras.

They were smiling and talking, as if they were in a good mood from the news they had heard.

"Yes. And since the King said he would grant him a pardon if he succeeds in this matter, he will be even more diligent."

"Right. You have worked hard."

"Not at all. Ah, and there is progress in the gate research."

"Right. I heard."

Yastan looked down at his arm at Tedras's words.

"I have many things to be grateful for to the owner of this body."

And then he turned his hand over and over and examined it carefully.

"Although I can't express my gratitude."

"When do you plan to come in your original form?"

"Since everything is going so smoothly, is there any need to delay?"

One corner of Yastan's mouth curled up.

"Announce the death of the Arant Empire's emperor tonight."

"Yes. Your Majesty."

And so the Demon King returned.

***

At the sudden death of the Arant Empire's emperor, the people of the empire began to stir.

"He was still in his prime, what on earth happened?"

"Ugh. That's what I'm saying."

The two women clicked their tongues as they looked at the fluttering white flag.

"No, but more importantly, he has no heir, does he?"

"They say it's a mess because of that right now. One of my cousins works as a servant for a central noble family, right? He said he met them today and the atmosphere there is not good either."

It was a big problem. There had to be an heir for there to be a new king, but Grad had no heir, let alone a sibling.

It was only natural, as he had killed the one sibling he had with his own hands.

"Then don't they usually find a distant relative and bring them over?"

"That's true, but... would it be okay to put someone who knows nothing on the throne? Princes and princesses receive lessons for succession, don't they?"

An empire with no heir after the sudden death of the emperor.

This meant nothing less than the starting point of a power struggle.

"Ah, then isn't the O'Neil ducal family going to step up?"

"Eh. No way. What is the O'Neil ducal family lacking that they would covet the throne?"

"That's true too."

No matter how powerful a noble family was, coveting the throne was no different from treason. Besides, although there was no heir, it wasn't that there was no royal family at all.

"Ehyu. What's going to change if we worry and fret? We just hope we don't get caught up in the nobles' fight."

"Rodine's mom is right. What power do we have?"

They smiled helplessly.

***

"Grad is dead?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean the Demon King has come to the surface?"

Lucas, sitting across from Aman, also had a serious expression.

It had only been a short while ago that they had found out about Grad, who had taken over the emperor's body, after a long investigation.

Therefore, they had been closely monitoring Grad's movements and preparing for a major incident, but he had died.

"The demons' movements?"

"They are still quiet for now."

"...Still quiet for now, you say."

If Grad returned to his original form, the demons, who had gained a complete Demon King on the surface, would move quickly.

"Is the number of demons on the surface being tracked?"

"Hah! Far from tracking the numbers, we can't even find where they are staying."

Aman sighed deeply and fiddled with his forehead.

"How can that be?"

"We are also curious about that. My father is also searching with the elders, but he says there are no traces."

"The gate opens periodically, but there are no demons? That's absurd. Unless there is someone on the surface hiding them... could it be?"

Lucas's and Aman's eyes shook violently. What if there was someone on the surface helping them? Could it be...

"Is there a clan that cannot be contacted?"

"Eh, no way. There's no way our clan would do such a thing."

"Aman. We cannot rule out all possibilities."

Lucas silently recalled a few names that crossed his mind.

"A thousand years ago, there were a few who opposed driving out the demons. There were those who enjoyed their interactions with them, and there were also dragons who valued peace."

"Eh! No way!"

But Aman waved his hands as if he couldn't believe it.

"Aman?"

"Lord? Do you really think so? No, that there is someone among the clan helping the demons?"

Aman's eyes widened as he argued.

"It's not certain. But I'm saying that we can't rule out that possibility either."

"Hah."

Aman let out a hollow breath at Lucas's words and leaned back in his chair.

"Dragons are not perfect beings. Aman. And helping them could also be their will. Since the will of the clan cannot all be the same."

"..."

Dragons were a race with strong individualism. It was only natural, as they were all outstanding individuals, and it was always not easy to gather their opinions.

Therefore, Lucas could not easily shake off the thought that someone among the clan was helping the demons.

"But it's just a possibility. I'll have to talk to Hasel myself."

Even at Lucas's words, Aman just stood there with his mouth agape in shock.

"Anyone would think you've already been betrayed. So shut that mouth of yours."

Aman snapped his mouth shut at Lucas's words.

"What if it's true? What if someone really has betrayed us, as the Lord said?"

"...Is there a need to call it a betrayal? They probably just sided with the side they wanted to help."

At those words, Aman's mouth dropped open again.

"Let's hope not."

But Lucas also did not want to have this unsettling and annoying suspicion.

But it was clear that the demons were coming to the surface, yet they couldn't even grasp their numbers, let alone their location? That was absurd.

'I hope not.'

Lucas also hoped that the clan had not done such a thing.

"Let's go to Hasel."

"Yes. Lord."

[End of Chapter]