Father, I Won’t Do Anything

—What did you say?

“I’m entrusting Jaina’s care to you while I’m away.”

While Jaina recovered, Diamid hadn’t remained idle.

He had been preparing to exact vengeance upon Black Night clan, who had attempted to kill Jaina.

Wiiiing-

The dragon dwellings were situated deep within the mountain ranges, protected by multiple layers of barriers that concealed their precise location.

Jaina could have easily revealed Black Night clan’s whereabouts, but Diamid refrained from asking her.

Regardless, they were still Bezrice’s clan and Jaina’s relatives. He feared she might insist on accompanying him or worry unnecessarily if informed.

He didn’t wish to endanger Jaina further.

After scouring for Black Night clan’s abode alone, Diamid finally located it by sensing traces similar to Jaina’s mana signature.

Black Night clan comprised dragons adept in dark attribute magic.

Skilled in lurking within shadows to curse their targets, they were vulnerable to frontal assaults and preemptive strikes – a weakness Diamid intended to exploit.

“…Shall we begin?”

At the Magic Tower, he had faced the dragons unprepared, while the confined training grounds had constrained his efforts.

This time, however, he had made thorough preparations.

Diamid planned to swiftly neutralize Black Night clan.

Woooong-

After briefly closing his blue eyes, Diamid’s gaze turned skyward.

At his command, the clouds swiftly parted, unveiling the heavens.

Shaaaa-

The events unfolded quietly and covertly.

Only Diamid was aware of the world’s transformation in accordance with his mana – for he was the realm’s mightiest sky-attribute magician, the leader of the enlightened Magic Tower grand magicians.

With his meticulous preparations, even the dragons couldn’t easily perceive the shifting mana.

Woooooong-

Soon, sacred rays of white light descended from the cloudless sky, as if no darkness could withstand their radiance, bathing all beings below in their sanctity.

Woooooong-

As Diamid expended nearly his entire mana reserve, the earth trembled in unison.

“What was that? Did you feel the ground shaking just now?”

“Given the mana flow, it’s undoubtedly an artificial disturbance.”

“Look at the sky! The clouds have completely vanished!”

“Who could have caused such a phenomenon?”

Finally sensing the anomaly, Black Night clan’s dragons panicked in bewilderment.

“Could our defensive barriers have been breached?”

“Do something about it!”

However, even dragons born with mana intertwined within their hearts couldn’t transcend the heavens’ dominion.

Moreover, Diamid had already unleashed a wide-area spell combining three formulas towards the sky.

Barrier Dispersion.

Mana Tracking.

Magic Sealing.

He executed these processes swiftly and precisely, preventing the dragons from retaliating.

Now, they were utterly incapable of wielding magic.

Descending gracefully amidst Black Night clan’s dragons, Diamid extended his hand towards those before him.

Kwareurung!

Bang!

Wherever his hand pointed, lightning struck with thunderous force, an awe-inspiring display that overwhelmed even distant onlookers.

The dragons directly in his presence stood no chance.

Kwareurung!

Kwareurung!

“Kaaaaaaak!”

Countless bolts rained down, eliciting anguished screams from the myriad black dragons.

“Rishikiel!”

“Melial!”

Witnessing their kin and friends’ torment, the dragons charged forth with agonized roars, but the young slayer showed no intention of mercy.

“Insolent human male! How dare you sow such chaos within the sacred domain of dragons!”

However, a dragon remained a dragon. One that managed to evade the descending lightning bared its fangs at Diamid as it approached.

“Do you know anything about a child named Jaina?”

The black dragon assumed this was the human’s desire. No matter how wounded their pride, with their clan facing potential extinction, the dragon calmly responded.

“I’ve never heard the name Jaina. Why would you seek a human female here?!”

“A human, you say…”

Diamid slowly advanced towards the dragon. Though his strides were leisurely, an overwhelming aura prevented the dragon from moving a muscle.

“Wh-what is this…”

No matter how fiercely the black dragon struggled to regain control of its body, its mana remained unresponsive.

“While perceiving her as human, why did you attempt to kill?”

In an instant, Diamid summoned his mana, seizing the black dragon’s neck and slamming it to the ground.

Baaaang!

Despite the massive dragon frame crashing violently, Diamid showed no reaction.

“Kuhh, kuhuhk…”

“I’ll ask again. Why did you target an existence you didn’t even acknowledge as your kin?”

“Let, let me go…”

The dragon, dozens of times larger than Diamid, trembled helplessly at his slightest gesture.

“Taylor! My daughter!”

Witnessing this from afar, another black dragon swiftly flew towards Diamid and cried out.

“Human male! Is the Jaina you seek perhaps Ashrid?”

“Ashrid, yes. I heard that’s how you referred to her instead of her true name.”

Kwareurung!

Kwareurung!

Even in that moment, lightning continued to strike relentlessly from all directions.

Each time, agonized groans from the afflicted kin resonated.

The black dragon ground her fangs in frustration.

Though she longed to tear apart this insolent human male, without access to her mana, she was powerless. For the sake of her clan, she had to swallow her pride and attempt negotiations.

“If you cease your attack, I’ll answer your questions! I am Euriche, Ashrid’s aunt! While I don’t know what you seek to learn, I’ll respond to the best of my knowledge if you comply with my demand!”

Ultimately, Euriche discarded her pride, uttering the name she never wished to speak aloud, and tried to bargain.

Yet despite her humility, the other party’s gaze only grew colder.

The chilling stare seemed to pierce her very being, causing Euriche to involuntarily shudder.

“Do you believe you have a choice in this situation?”

“Kuhhhk!”

“Taylor!”

With a mere gesture from Diamid, Euriche’s daughter Taylor collapsed.

Euriche let out a piercing scream.

“Yes, ask whatever you wish! I’ll answer! But please, release my daughter Taylor!”

“So your daughter is precious, but not your niece?”

“Just what is that mongrel Ashrid to you…”

As Euriche cried out in anguish, staring at Diamid, her eyes suddenly widened.

“Those features… Could you, a human male, be…”

“Yes, I am Diamid, that child’s father.”

‘This arrogant human male who claimed to have sealed his emotions… has acknowledged Ashrid as his daughter?’

Euriche recalled the words she had spoken to Ashrid in the past.

-You had another blood relative besides your dead mother.

-That human male is said to be a powerful grand magician. If that’s true, he should be able to protect you from the other dragons.

According to clan rules, upon awakening, one would be acknowledged as a clan member. But a mixed-blood like Ashrid could never be accepted.

No, even if they had intended to acknowledge Ashrid’s existence, the other clans would never have permitted it.

In other words, it was evident that Ashrid would face an ‘honor killing’ before awakening.

-Please watch over my child, Euriche. I don’t expect her to be accepted by the clan. But at least, help preserve her life.

It was Euriche who had sent Bezrice as a nameless dragon to the Demon King, for the sake of the clan’s honor.

Bezrice had made Euriche swear an oath, binding her soul, so she couldn’t personally take her daughter’s life.

Ultimately, Euriche decided to send Ashrid to the Magic Tower, where the human male resided. She had assumed the human male, who had sealed his emotions due to his extreme hatred for Bezrice, would never acknowledge a child resembling her as his daughter.

Yet her choice had been gravely mistaken. Euriche was momentarily stunned.

“My daughter nearly perished because of the draconic soldiers you sent. I’ve come today to exact revenge for that.”

As Diamid finished speaking, the collapsed Taylor’s body convulsed, enveloped by his increasingly dense mana shroud.

Euriche screamed in despair.

“What wrong has that mere child committed? If you have grievances regarding Jaina, take them up with me!”

“So Ashrid… no, Jaina, wan’t a mere child?”

“That’s because… that child is a mongrel…”

“Did you just refer to her as a ‘mongrel’?”

As Diamid’s hand motioned towards Taylor once more, Euriche cried out.

“It, it was an unavoidable choice! For the sake of the clan’s honor!”

“The clan’s honor… Was that your justification for trying to kill Jaina? To preserve such a trifling ‘honor’?”

“We had no choice. While we wished to avoid involving ourselves in Ashrid’s affairs if possible, other clans demanded we dispatch the draconic soldiers. As you said, Ashrid bears Black Night clan’s blood, but to the dragon race, honor is paramount.”

“Honor, you say… Is that not why Bezrice died as well?”

“What…? How do you…”

“…Information gleaned from a dying dragon under my hand. In a way, I’m grateful to your clan. Had you not invaded the Magic Tower, I might have spent my life despising her in ignorance.”

“…”

After a prolonged silence, Diamid finally spoke once more.

“Humans are unaware of Bezrice’s name. Only a few former comrades know it. She merely presented herself as ‘Black Night clan member’ when joining the Demon King’s subjugation campaign. To elevate Black Night clan’s honor, as you desired.”

“…”

“And in the end, during that process… I heard she perished from the Demon King’s curse. Now tell me, why did you try to kill the daughter of one who sacrificed everything for the clan?!”

At that moment, another black dragon interjected with a shout.

“Because she’s nothing but a tainted female defiled by a human!”

“…What?”

As Diamid’s composure wavered, the mana coils constricting Taylor’s throat tightened. Witnessing this, Euriche’s screams intensified.

“Profey! Be silent!”

“Euriche, have you lost your senses? Even with your daughter held hostage, you pander to this human male?”

The dragon named Profey snarled at Diamid.

“Had Bezrice not fallen to the Demon King’s curse, that filthy mongrel would have been killed directly by the clan! No, if she hadn’t been so stubbornly clinging to life, she would have perished long ago!”

“Are you implying you attempted to kill her?”

“Profey, please!”

“Sent on errands to demonic beast-infested areas, yet she survived. Deprived of sustenance, yet she found her own means…”

Profey’s words were abruptly cut short.

Puhk!

With a single gesture from Diamid, Profey’s head was severed.

Trembling violently, Euriche turned towards Diamid.

“While cherishing your daughter’s life, fretting over the slightest harm to her… you showed such cruelty to your niece, solely for her mother being tied to a human.”

“No, no. Profey spoke out of anger, without thinking…”

Though Euriche attempted to placate Diamid, it was already too late. His eyes burned with fury.