Chapter 84
After Cherishe disappeared, the one left in the most perplexing situation was Pabel.
‘What the…’
Why did she disappear?
No, how did she disappear?
He had torn his own arm to shreds with sharp claws, but all of that effort was rendered useless.
If only the Pope with his divine power hadn’t been there, the plan would have succeeded!
‘What is that Pope, really?’
The moment their eyes met, he knew instinctively.
Unless he fought in his true form, Pabel was at a distinct disadvantage.
Demons and divine power were natural enemies.
But this world was no longer under the control of the gods.
The so-called “divine power” that priests wielded was nothing more than a pitiful remnant.
There shouldn’t have been any real threat to his “plan.”
‘No. That one… he definitely wielded true divine power.’
In that brief moment, Pabel had glimpsed the blessing of an ancient god in those red eyes.
Clicking his tongue, Pabel rose and withdrew the illusion he had shown to the knight standing before him.
“The Princess has disappeared!”
“The, the Pope vanished with her too!”
“We must inform His Highness the Prince immediately…!”
As the knights descended into chaos after the simultaneous disappearance of both the Princess and the Pope, no one paid attention to Pabel anymore. Taking advantage of this, Pabel quietly slipped away.
“…I can smell the scent of an old dragon.”
Waiting for the knights to move on, Pabel crouched down and brushed the dirt where Cherishe had stood moments before.
A familiar and foul smell wafted up.
The humans might not have noticed, but Pabel knew.
The Dragon Lord had interfered.
‘Damn it.’
Pausing for a moment to take a deep breath, Pabel tilted his head toward the sky.
Then, a moment later…
Crack, crack.
His back twisted and a bony structure sprouted, forming the shape of wings.
Wings made of nothing but bone, without feathers or flesh.
Anger and frustration over his derailed plans surged within him.
“Come out, all of you.”
Muttering curses under his breath, Pabel’s shadow, illuminated by the torchlight, belonged not to a boy, but to a fully grown man.
Rumble.
Seconds later, the earth shook.
Responding to their master’s call, the creatures of the demon world began to twist and turn, crossing the gates, preparing to march upon the human realm.
Standing tall on the vibrating ground, Pabel issued his command.
“Stay here and trap them until I find her.”
Pabel Igor Aximus.
As commander of the demon army, his order unleashed a monster wave unlike anything the world had ever seen.
“Tch, what a temper.”
And watching all of this was a being with three horns sprouting from his forehead.
A boy with bright pink hair that lovingly covered his brow and mischievous red eyes.
But despite his youthful appearance, trusting his looks alone would be a grave mistake.
He was the Dragon Lord, Hiskarilin.
The progenitor and father of all dragons. The very first of his kind.
“Pabel Igor Aximus. Did you really think I’d let you have your way?”
Sipping orange juice through a straw, he smiled contentedly, keeping one eye closed.
One of the many legends surrounding the Dragon Lord was that while his right eye saw what was before him, his left eye could see the entire world.
And it was true.
Shifting his gaze from the rampaging Pabel, Hiskarilin looked down at the snowy field.
More precisely, at the two children who had fallen onto that field.
‘That girl is precious. Don’t you dare touch her, you demon.’
Cherishe needed to follow the carefully laid-out path step by step.
She had to reach the final destination safely.
So that she could protect the country he loved.
There was no room for the demons to interfere.
He would watch over her, and if the demons tried anything, he would separate them.
That’s why he had turned this into a “game.”
Dragons were not allowed to interfere with humans, but by framing it as a “game,” he could bend the rules of causality and meddle in human affairs to some extent.
“Could I get five more flower pies packed, please?”
“Oh my, you sure do eat a lot!”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Hiskarilin didn’t seem overly concerned.
He was, after all, on a leisurely vacation abroad.
Not that he had forgotten his true mission.
It was just that, given that he only had about ten years left—barely a blink of an eye for a dragon—he had decided to live his life to the fullest.
Keeping an eye on Cherishe’s progress, Hiskarilin accepted the flower pies with a smile.
“Thank you, come again! I’ve even included some extra goodies for you. Be sure to tell your kin about our shop!”
“I will. The flower pies here are exceptional.”
The flower pies were a delicacy made from perfectly ripe peas and various flowers, nestled between layers of dough and baked to a crisp.
Hiskarilin, having ventured outside Castalia for the first time in 1,500 years, was pleased to see how much the neighboring country had changed.
The streets bustled with children from different races, and shops run by non-humans lined the streets.
It was a sight he never thought he’d witness in the past.
And the flower pies—he was utterly captivated by them after just one bite.
“Oh, I’m glad you enjoyed them. My sister actually developed the recipe specifically for non-human customers! To let you in on a little secret, the Prince himself even suggested which flowers would make it taste better.”
“Oh? What’s your sister’s relationship with the Prince?”
“Yes! My sister’s name is Pippi, and she used to be a maid for the Prince.”
“I see. Blessings upon your sister, you, and the Prince.”
Leaving a generous tip, Hiskarilin exited the shop. Even after having eaten four pies, he still craved more.
‘I’d be disappointed if a shop like this disappeared.’
Looking back at the shop, Hiskarilin smiled.
The owner hadn’t even flinched at the sight of his three horns, which made sense, given the shop’s reputation among the dragons.
From taste to service, everything was perfect.
‘Now, where should I go while my dear Cherishe is busy with her quests?’
The sun shone brightly overhead.
Hiskarilin was now walking through the Grand Duchy of Yultesia, a place known for its acceptance and openness toward non-humans. Though their numbers weren’t vast, there were enough non-human restaurants and menus to satisfy them.
‘Especially flower pies. They’re the perfect dish for mostly vegetarian dragons.’
I’ll have to visit often before I die.
As he admired the well-kept scenery, Hiskarilin absentmindedly pulled out another pie from the bag.
‘Ah, hot.’
Even though it burned his fingers, he couldn’t bear to let go.
Blowing on it to cool it down, he continued to enjoy the pie until he spotted a group of dark-skinned, pointy-eared figures.
‘Ah, winter elves.’
Here, they proudly walked with their ears exposed.
‘I wonder if Castalia will ever see a day like this…’
Hell comes equally for humans and non-humans alike.
And where Cherishe had landed was one of those equal-opportunity hells.
“Gah!”
We were thrown through the portal and spat out into the air.
Thankfully, we weren’t dropped from too high up, so we just rolled a few times on the ground.
I hadn’t expected the system to be kind enough to transport us gently, but this was still a bit much!
After checking who I had landed on, I quickly stood up.
“Sihat! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. What about you, Shya?”
“I… I think I’m fine. Probably.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and head, but there were no bumps.
It seemed we had fallen into a place where the snow was thick, cushioning the impact.
Lick.
A large, wet tongue suddenly licked my cheek.
Startled, I turned around to see a huge creature—it was a lion I recognized.
“Dew!”
Gergys’ familiar. But how did it get here…?
‘Ah, Gergys must have secretly assigned it to guard me. No wonder he allowed me to go between the tents without my brothers!’
Wow, I should be mad about the overprotectiveness, but right now, I’m just grateful.
‘Since Dew is a part of Gergys’ soul, he’ll be able to find us if needed.’
Well, at least we’re not completely stranded!
“Good to see you!”
Growl.
Dew nodded.
Sihat looked at me with a puzzled expression, and I realized something.
“Oh right, Sihat can’t see Dew. He’s Gergys’ familiar.”
“He’s here now?”
“Yep! Right here.”
I picked up some sticks lying nearby and placed them on the ground to give Sihat a rough idea of where Dew was standing.
“But where exactly are we?”
Crunch, crunch.
The soles of my boots made cute sounds as they pressed into the snow.
The moonlight illuminated the surroundings, making everything sparkle, and the air tasted sweet.
Looking down, I could see a vast, silent forest of coniferous trees stretching out below.
I was nervous that monsters might appear, but strangely, it didn’t feel like that would happen.
Everywhere I looked, there was only white. Pure, beautiful white.
No black blood from monsters, no red blood from humans or animals.
Just white.
And then, suddenly…