Reincarnated Dragon Goes to the Academy!

Chapter 187 : Destiny (2)

The rumors circulating among humans are faster than the wind of Zephyrus, the wind spirit king.

"Father, what do you mean by that?"

"Right. You must have been surprised too."

It was a statement that came from his father, Count Cibie, while they were all sitting around and having a meal after a long time.

"I heard news that the empire is supporting the demons. It seems they are going to lend them the relics that belong to the state."

There was no emperor, and there were no central nobles to support the country. But who on earth had made such a decision?

"Who on earth made such a decision?"

It was absurd. The relics of the empire. Among them would be the holy relic of the goddess Herdone, the state religion of the Arant Empire.

'There would also be the holy relic of Astal, the god of war.'

And there was also the holy relic of Astal, the god of war, who was known to have helped Arant to become an empire long ago.

"Wouldn't it be a decision made by the remaining ministers?"

Since there was no tiger, the foxes were sitting and acting like kings.

'To think they've already reached out to the humans.'

The demons' movements were no longer hesitant.

As if they thought the dragons were now completely under them, they no longer hid their appearance or acted cautiously.

"Anyway, the whole world is in an uproar because of that. The dragons and the demons are starting a war..."

At that, Pola, who had been listening quietly, not knowing what was going on, dropped the fork she was holding in surprise.

"Oh my, Pola. Were you surprised? But don't worry. Our Sitata will be safe."

"..."

Nella also drank water as if her mouth was dry.

"Is there anything Sitata needs?"

Skir, who had become quite mature now, had already stepped up to support the territory.

"It's fine. You don't have to worry about anything. You, too. Why are you scaring the kids?"

"I made a mistake. I just said it because it felt like a story from a distant country."

At Blain's scolding, Cibie awkwardly stirred his salad.

"Still. Kids, it'll all be okay. The Count also said it's a story from a distant country. Sitata will be safe. Especially the Count's estate."

Blain's words were not wrong. The Count's estate would surely be safer than other places.

'It's not safe.'

That was the reason he had participated in the meal today.

The thought that he didn't know when it would be the last. So he wanted to spend a little more time with them.

And he wanted to make the Count's estate a little stronger. So that it would be a fortress that no one could break through.

"Right. The Count's estate will be safe."

As the children's eyes naturally turned to him, Lucas answered.

'Because I will make it so.'

He would protect them.

***

Leisure enjoyed in a state where no problems have been solved is not leisure, but pain.

Lucas was in pain right now. He would rather be searching the streets and finding and killing the demon bastards than sitting around like this.

The tea time enjoyed while receiving the warm sunlight in the garden was heavier than ever.

"Ruki. Will it really be okay?"

Pola asked.

How should he answer? Should he first reassure them by saying it's okay, or should he tell them the truth and prepare?

Lucas's eyes slowly scanned them.

Skir was already an adult, and Pola was only a few months away from being an adult. Nella also had the air of a proper lady.

"Why aren't you answering? Is it not okay...?"

Skir asked with an anxious expression.

But Nella just picked up a cookie with a blank expression and took a bite.

"Nella. Is something wrong?"

Although he had hoped she would come to him and tell him what was wrong, Nella showed no signs of doing so.

Her bright personality had become darker than before, and her lively eyes were gloomy as if they had lost their light.

"No."

Nella shrugged her shoulders and lightly put down the cookie she had taken a bite of.

"Right."

But Lucas, who had noticed the momentary change in Pola's expression, felt a surge of disappointment in his heart.

'Everyone knows but me.'

No matter how much he had neglected his relationship with the children, this was too disappointing.

'Damn it.'

He was also disappointed in himself for feeling disappointed.

'In something like this.'

What did it matter if they knew among themselves?

What was it that made him so disappointed!

Lucas, who had slowly let out a breath and had scattered his disappointed feelings for now, looked at the children again.

"Why are you suddenly like that to Nella? So are we really okay?"

He made a decision. To tell them the truth.

"No, it's not okay."

At that, the children's expressions hardened in an instant.

"...Is that really true? That it's not okay?"

"Then what do we do? Dragons are so scary..."

Pola and Skir's faces turned pale.

"Are we all going to die?"

At Nella's blunt words, Pola and Skir's expressions hardened even more.

'Why is she so crooked?'

But now was not the time to straighten out the crooked Nella.

"The demons will betray the humans. So the being the humans should fear is not the dragons, but the demons."

"But you said they decided to help the demons. The Arant Empire..."

Pola muttered as if she couldn't believe it.

"What I'm about to say from now on is all true, so I hope you'll listen carefully."

Lucas began a long story to prepare for what was to come.

***

The children, who had heard the story of a thousand years ago and all the stories that would happen in the future, had a dazed expression as if they had heard the end of the world in advance.

"Then what do we do now?"

And there was one more story left.

'The story of Pamela...'

But now was not a good time.

'There's no need to do it today.'

Lucas, who had swallowed his words once, opened his mouth again.

"You are strong now. Skir has also surpassed the 3rd circle, and Pola is second to none in lightning magic."

The children were no longer weak.

"Nella is a water spirit user who has made a contract with the spirit king, so she is a power comparable to one imperial knight order."

He would no longer lose someone helplessly.

"So you will be able to protect yourselves and, furthermore, Sitata."

There should be no more crying, holding a friend who had grown cold.

"You will remain here in Sitata and protect the Count's family."

"Then what about you, Ruki?"

"I also want to stay here, but..."

"We can't do it without you. What are we supposed to do by ourselves!"

Skir, who had been scared in advance, shouted.

"You can do it, Skir."

It was not an empty word. He had endured the tragedy of losing his parents better than expected and was dealing with it with composure.

"Don't underestimate yourself so much. Because you are a stronger person than you think."

"I am..."

"That's right. Kir. You are strong."

At Lucas and Pola's sincere words, Skir's eyes grew moist.

"It's late, but... I'm sorry. For not being able to protect your parents. I'm sorry for putting you in danger."

"Keuk..."

In the end, Skir's festering heart burst out.

Although he couldn't say everything, Lucas felt responsible for their deaths.

If he hadn't sent Stun back, if he hadn't sent him back when he had left home, such a tragedy might not have happened.

"I... I..."

The tears that had been held back in Skir's eyes flowed endlessly.

"I miss them so, so much... Keuk... I miss my father and mother so much..."

Nella and Pola patted Skir's back as if they understood his heart.

"You are strong, Skir."

"That's right. Oppa is strong."

"Right. Kir... stop crying. Huh?"

Skir, who had roughly wiped away his tears as if washing his face, nodded his head with composure.

"Right. I am strong. So I will not lose anyone anymore."

"Right! Our Kir is strong!"

Skir smirked at Pola's playful tone.

"And Pola. You are also strong. If you just pay a little more attention to your mana distribution, there will be no problem in protecting the Count's estate."

"Yeah! I know. I'm strong too!"

Pola clenched her fist.

"And Nella. You know without me saying it, but you are the most important power here. Always judge and act calmly."

Nella nodded her head.

"Right. Calmly."

In fact, it might have been unnecessary advice. Because Nella was in a calmer state than anyone else among them.

"We can protect it."

And if Hasel and Aman used a protection spell made of dragon language, this place would become a fortress.

Lucas had already drawn such a thing in his mind dozens of times. He had thought and thought about the way to protect them most safely.

So...

'I will protect them.'

***

While the dragons were making plans to deal with them, the demons were not just playing around.

"Hmm... right?"

The eyes of the Demon King Yastan, who was sitting in his office and talking to someone via a crystal ball, shone as if interested.

[...]

Although the words were not clearly heard, as if a sound-blocking magic had been used, it could be guessed from Yastan's expression that it was some interesting news.

"So that's what it is... ah, but how is the thing I mentioned last time going?"

[...]

Yastan nodded his head whenever the mumbling sound finished a sentence.

"Right? That's good news to hear. I didn't know they had prepared that much already."

[...]

"I will do so. Anyway, the relics the humans have are as good as in my hands. Oh... if it becomes like that, it would be really good."

Yastan continued the conversation, always keeping in mind that there might be listening ears somewhere.

He was always careful so that the exact words could not be recognized even if they were guessed, and he made sure that there would be no problem even if someone heard all of this and told someone else.

He was meticulous. As much as the years he had prepared, he had calculated and calculated everything.

"Right. It's no different from the fate of all the demons being in my hands."

[...]

"Right. I will go myself soon. I am always grateful to you."

As the crystal ball completely lost its light, Yastan leaned back in his chair and was lost in thought.

A smirk escaped his mouth several times.

"Idiots."

Although he had known, he had not thought it would be this much.

"Pretending to be noble, pretending to be great, pretending to be elegant. After all that hypocrisy, it ends up like this."

The dragons moved more foolishly than he had thought.

They had no caution, and they didn't even seem to think that someone could threaten them.

So he had been able to seize the upper hand easily, but in fact, it was not fun because things were going too easily.

Except for when he had first opened the gate. And when he had come to the surface and had taken over the emperor's body, everything had been smooth.

'Except for that human bastard.'

A human with black hair and black eyes.

A human that even the demon god could not treat carelessly.

Yastan was more annoyed by the existence of that human now than the dragons.

'Ellaim's contractor...'

And the human wench next to him was even the contractor of the water spirit king.

'This side will be more fun.'

The failure he had experienced last time was not a failure.

It was just his small mistake of underestimating their skills.

'I'll deal with you properly this time.'

It was the moment the wheel of fate meshed once more.

[End of Chapter]