Reincarnated Dragon Goes to the Academy!

Chapter 148 : If Only.

Lucas met with Hasel and had a conversation.

'It's hopeless.'

But he gained nothing from the conversation.

The suspicion Lucas had was also shared by Hasel, and an investigation was underway. But he said there was no progress yet.

Also, it was a foregone conclusion that the Demon King had returned, but he said they couldn't find any trace of him either.

'Is there a reason for Taras to go this far?'

No matter how much the demon god was helping them, for him to go this far didn't make sense.

The demon god was literally a god. For him to not only be a strong backer for the demons but also to be cleaning up their trivial messes?

It was a part that Lucas couldn't understand with his common sense.

'But I can't rule out all possibilities.'

But since he couldn't suspect a dragon or another race without any evidence, Lucas decided to leave all possibilities open and put the thought aside for a while.

'I should go see Turkam.'

Lucas headed to the territory of the dwarves to conclude their last meeting.

"Turkam."

"You've come?"

As he entered the forge, Turkam approached, smelling of alcohol as always.

"Have you sorted out all your thoughts?"

"You could say that, right?"

Turkam said playfully with his characteristic expression.

"Let's go over there and talk."

The two of them left the forge and slowly walked towards Turkam's house.

Actually, it was Lucas who was walking slowly, while Turkam was busily walking with his short legs moving diligently.

"Aigoo. Why on earth did I build my house on such a high place!"

Turkam grumbled, letting out a rough breath.

"Heok. Hek! Now, let's go in."

As he opened the door, Lucas followed behind.

"Let me catch my breath."

And then he took a few more breaths.

"Hoo! Want some tea?"

"That would be nice."

While Turkam was getting the tea, Lucas thought of a few scenarios in advance, in case Turkam delivered bad news.

'It would be a relief if he maintained neutrality, but if he sides with the demons...'

It was when he was staring blankly at the corner of the table, organizing his thoughts.

"Here."

Turkam put down the tea and sat down.

"I'll drink it well."

"It's just a few tea leaves in hot water~ what's with the grand gesture."

Turkam grumbled, as if embarrassed by Lucas's sincere words of greeting.

"I should get straight to the point, right? Since we both hate to blush."

"That's good."

"I like you. But to be honest, I don't really like dragons. Hundreds of our race have already been taken and haven't returned. We're a race that lives close to fire, but we've never even seen the face of a red dragon, you see?"

Lucas nodded his head.

"But actually, we don't really care about that. We believe we should have the strength to protect ourselves anyway. The humans who capture our kin and use them as slaves are a problem, but I believe the kin who were captured are also a problem."

"..."

"But! We're a strong and somewhat wealthy race, but the Toto tribe and the Fox tribe are not. Actually, they came to us a while ago."

Turkam raised his voice.

"You know how small and cute the Toto tribe is, right? And how pretty and beautiful the Fox tribe is. Those guys came to us asking us to make weapons that fit their bodies to protect themselves, you see?"

Lucas's brow furrowed slightly as he listened to Turkam's words. The Toto tribe was a very small race. But they were a brave race. They were often persecuted because of their small size, so they had a fierce personality.

Besides, thanks to their small size, they were so fast that they couldn't be caught at a normal speed, and it was difficult to even follow them with your eyes.

But they were not a race that fought with weapons. Since the probability of winning if they fought head-on was low anyway, they had judged that it was better to run in the time it would take to swing a sword.

But such a Toto tribe had come asking for weapons.

"It's amazing that they came through this rough road, but they said they would pay the price if we made them weapons, and they came carrying several gold coin lumps the size of their bodies. My heart ached so much when I saw that...!"

"My heart aches just hearing it."

"And what about the Fox tribe? You know the Winter Fox tribe, right? I thought they were just characters from legends or myths. No, of course I know they did bad things with their eyeballs, but I'm saying they are a rare and hard-to-see race. You know what I mean, right?"

Lucas nodded his head.

"But the Winter Fox tribe came here again. They said they would make weapons too. But do you know what they said they would pay with?"

"...?"

"Hah, you'll cry if you hear this, so grab a cloth in front of you."

Turkam's eyes, pointing to the cloth, were already moist.

"They... they...!"

Turkam couldn't continue.

"...Sob. They brought the eyeballs of their kin. They said they had nothing else to pay with. They said they really hated it and it made their teeth chatter, but they couldn't help it, and they cried, hitting the ground!"

"...Hah."

It was an unbelievable story to hear. To have brought the eyeballs of their kin because they had nothing else to pay with.

"They said they were the eyeballs of their kin that someone had taken from humans. They had made a work of art with the eyeballs. Cruel things!"

Turkam, filled with anger, slammed the table.

"But they came holding that in their arms. Crying sorrowfully. They had nothing to pay with, and they couldn't not increase their strength, so they had decided on it, and they cried so sorrowfully..."

Lucas also felt a hot anger and sadness boiling up in his chest at the same time. It was something Lucas himself had once taken from that crazy wench who collected other races.

But to think they had come holding that...!

It was such a cruel and tragic reality.

"If you see and hear all of that, you'll want to fight against the dragons right away, you see? But we also know. No, not just us, but everyone knows. That although the dragons are our kings, they are not."

Turkam's voice sank low.

"But you know. When I sat in this position as the chieftain of the dwarves, I realized how much responsibility and burden it is to have those who trust and follow me. They follow me like this even though I'm lacking."

"..."

"Of course, the dragons didn't say they would sit on the throne themselves. But you know?"

Turkam's moist eyes looked at Lucas steadily.

"When we said you were our kings, you didn't say no. When we met, you received it as if it were natural when we bowed our heads and called you kings. Am I wrong?"

A sense of guilt washed over a corner of Lucas's heart. Turkam's words were all correct.

There were always those among the dragons who would turn away, saying 'Who said I would be king?' as if they had no responsibility.

It was the same when a race war broke out, and it was the same when the dragons revealed themselves and lived among all the races.

But no one disliked being treated like a king. They received that treatment as if it were natural, and they even punished those who did not.

But to say now that they would not take the responsibility of a king, that was a contradiction.

"Right? You're a dragon's contractor, but you must know, right? I like you even though you're a human. To the point where I can open my heart like this. Since you're a dragon's contractor, you can go and tell them anytime, but. No, actually, I hope you do."

Turkam smiled bitterly.

"You are right in everything you say, Turkam. They need to fulfill their responsibilities as kings. And even if all the other races turn their backs on the irresponsible kings, they have nothing to say."

"Hoho! Right. It wouldn't be normal if they had something to say, right?"

"I will apologize on their behalf. I'm sorry."

At that, Turkam's eyes became moist again.

"This is really..."

And then he couldn't speak for a long time.

"It's really... strange. You're a human, but when you apologized on behalf of the dragons, my heart feels relieved."

Turkam, who had taken an old cloth and roughly wiped his eyes, smiled sadly.

"Yes... it's relieved. My heart is relieved."

"..."

"We might have been waiting for that. We might have been waiting for someone to look at us sincerely and say a word of apology."

Turkam hung his head low and muttered softly.

"...Turkam."

As Lucas called his name softly, Turkam raised his head and met his eyes.

"Because you are our kings. Even if we hate you and dislike you, you are still our kings. How can the heart of a subject who turns his back on his king be good? No matter how bad and wicked the king is. And in a way, the dragons are not kings, but like our great parents."

At the word 'parents', Lucas felt his heart drop.

"You, being a human, wouldn't know, but we are like that. Do we go to temples and pray or what? Humans find comfort in their hearts by building temples and praying, but we find comfort by looking at the lairs where the dragons live. Ah, our king is there. Like that."

It was a fact he didn't know. No, maybe he had forgotten. Since at some point, whenever they faced a dragon, they had always bowed their heads and trembled in fear.

'Right. There were days like that too.'

There was a time when the elves gathered and sang songs of praise to the dragons. There was a time when the Fox tribe came with their newborn kin in their arms, hoping for a blessing, and there was a time when the Toto tribe gathered the most plump and beautiful of the fruits they had carefully grown and offered them.

'It was a long time ago. So long ago that I...'

Lucas, who had recalled that time, briefly compromised with himself.

'No. For me, who remembers those old days, to have such a thought.'

But he soon chided himself.

"The heart of a subject who abandons his king is not good, but how would the heart of a child who abandons his parents be? And a beloved parent at that. All of us other races are in that state right now."

"..."

"But we dwarves have decided not to side with the demons. No matter how much we hate and dislike them, a parent is a parent and a king is a king. We can't do something like betraying our king. No, we won't."

Turkam clenched his fist.

"However."

And then he chose his words for a moment.

"A parent can't have a chance forever. So we dwarves have decided to give the dragons one last chance. We also have something called pride and self-respect. I'm saying we won't follow a parent who has abandoned their child forever."

Turkam's firm eyes looked at Lucas.

"You know what I mean, right?"

"I know well. Thank you for telling me so honestly."

"Hoho! No need for thanks. I'm afraid I'll get beaten up by my contractor if I convey your words as they are. I don't want to lose a friend, so please convey it appropriately."

Lucas's heart, as he nodded his head, was heavier than ever.

'If only they had abandoned us.'

Would this heart have been less so then?

'If only they had cursed and pointed fingers.'

Would this heart have been less so then?

'If only they had sided with the demons and attacked us.'

Would it have been less so then?

'It's my fault. I lived wrongly.'

Would this regret have been less then?

'I lived so wrongly.'

He bit his lip hard in deep regret.

[End of Chapter]