RGS Vol 7 Part 16

「Will you protect the forest?」

The dragon’s voice was heard in everyone’s mind. The knight knew it was filled with ridicule, but the people, delighted by the dragon’s response, were busy bowing their heads as they answered fervently. They declared they would risk their lives to protect the forest, revere the sacred forest like a king, and so on.

So, if you’re going to die, share your power and then die. A cold smile briefly appeared in the dragon’s eyes as he looked at them for a moment before disappearing.

「Now that the forest is covered in fog, my power will be imbued in every blade of grass and every tree here. Will you protect them well?」

“Yes!”

Everyone shouted loudly in unison. How hard could it be to protect the forest? As long as they could gain the power they desired.

「Good. I will leave my power to you, humans.」

“Th-thank you! As expected, the dragon is gracious to humans…”

「If you can handle my power.」

The people who had been cheering turned to look at each other at this belated condition.

Handle it?

「Inheriting my power means inheriting my instincts as well. For example, I find all humans annoying, except for this one here.」

Whispers.

The people huddled together, discussing quietly. The knight watched them worriedly, then turned back to the dragon. The dragon’s posture hadn’t changed, but his eyes were now open, observing the others. He had disguised his eyes to appear ordinary and gray.

“Dragon, doesn’t that mean you at least like one person? In that case, it should be fine. We will have someone to control the dragon’s instincts.”

「Only one person.」

The dragon emphasized with a weary tone, but the people nodded without thinking too deeply.

Yes, one person would be enough.

The knight was displeased that the dragon was granting this request. The people didn’t know the dragon’s personality. Even after spending so much time with him, the knight was still occasionally shocked by the dragon’s cruelty and emotional dryness.

And now, a human with those instincts?

What use would such a person be, even with the dragon’s power?

What kind of human would that be?

But he couldn’t stop it. The people were cheering for the dragon’s decision and repeatedly promised to protect the forest.

“Alright then, Dragon, please choose the child you favor.”

However, the dragon passed this decision on to someone else.

「The one to inherit my power will be chosen by that fellow.」

The knight frowned at the suddenly assigned task, but fortunately, the people were intimidated by the dragon’s presence and left without further insistence. In the knight’s eyes, an invisible fog was beginning to spread. Once the people were gone, the knight asked the dragon, who had closed his eyes.

“Why did you do it?”

The dragon turned to him with half-open eyes as if he was asking what he meant, and the knight slumped down in front of him.

“Why did you decide to share your power with the humans?”

「Because they wanted it so desperately.」

However, the rare hint of amusement in his voice made the knight even more uneasy. When the dragon occasionally found something amusing, it often led to bad outcomes. It was because it usually meant he was looking forward to some tragic conclusion only he was aware of. The knight thought it wasn’t good for humans to have the dragon’s power. As he was thinking this, the dragon’s voice continued.

「But the decision is yours.」

Me?

Startled, the knight looked up to see the dragon taking out something glowing from the side where his heart was. When he took it out, it was so dazzling, but once it was placed in his hand, the light disappeared. All that remained was a small gray bead, no bigger than the size of a thumb. The dragon handed it to him, and he explained.

「Give this to the one you choose. The human who absorbs it will inherit my power for generations.」

You want me to choose?

The knight hesitated, unable to reach out his hand easily, so the dragon forcefully put the bead into his hand. The dragon expected the knight to refuse, claiming he couldn’t do it. Instead, the knight only looked up in surprise and spoke.

“So, this means that a child who inherits your power will be born… Ah, wait! Then… is this your semen?!”

The dragon suddenly realized why he could never bring himself to kill this human. He was so absurd that he made the dragon forget even his intent to kill.

“Incredible! Sniff sniff, wow, so this is what a dragon’s semen smells like! Ah, but you can only produce this small amount? You must have a tiny pepper…”

[T/N: The jokes about “tiny pepper” (“실고추”) refers to the knight teasing the dragon about his genital size and virility. In Korean slang, “고추” (gochu) literally means “pepper,” but it is also a common euphemism for the male genitalia. “실고추” (silgochu) is a playful, mocking term implying that someone has a small or weak penis.]

「Shut up. Before I actually spray my real semen all over you.」

When the dragon spat out in anger, the knight barely managed to calm down and muttered.

“Getting angry proves you do have a tiny…”

The dragon averted his eyes, struggling to quell his rising anger. He couldn’t let himself be drawn into this human’s antics again. Fortunately, the knight fell silent for a moment, lost in thought as he looked at the bead. The dragon, watching him with displeasure, spoke again.

「If you don’t want to give it to a human, just bury it in this forest. No one will know. It’s all up to you.」

Everything is in my hands.

The knight looked down at his hand seriously, not realizing that the dragon was now looking at him with an amused expression.

「Decide.」

At the urging voice, the knight hesitated and asked.

“If a human born with your power appears, they would be able to enter this forest, right?”

「Yes. And those they choose as well.」

“Then, since the power of the forest is also your power, can that person use the power of the forest?”

Knowing that the knight was asking if they could have as much power as him, the dragon shook his head.

「No. The power of the forest belongs to the forest. But there might be an exceptional case.」

“What do you mean by an exceptional case?”

「If the forest is destroyed and that power is absorbed by a human with a similar power.」

“……”

「But that’s under the assumption that a human who is capable of accepting my power is born. 」

“A human who can accept your power?”

At that moment, as if it were his response, the dragon briefly transformed his eyes back to their original form. Cold, glowing snake eyes.

「A child born with the strongest dragon instincts. It’s nearly impossible.」

Nearly impossible, thank goodness.

The knight felt relieved, but the dragon still held a smile in his eyes. Humans, due to their short lives, find solace too easily. They fail to foresee that the world is more than the few decades they would live.

They take lightly the fact that over hundreds, thousands of years, even the nearly impossible possibility will eventually come to pass. That small possibility could bring everything to ruin. Despite hearing all the explanations, the knight remained silent, pondering what to do with the dragon’s power.

「The forest will soon be completely covered in fog. If you wish to avoid people, you can live here.」

As the dragon spoke while closing his eyes, the knight looked up in surprise. He knew this meant the dragon would disappear, but it still startled him. The knight tried to hide his shock and asked as if it were nothing.

“Then what about the forest? Will the power of the forest remain forever?”

「No. It will disappear someday.」

“When?”

「Once its purpose is fulfilled.」

The knight’s unasked question about what that purpose might be seemed to hang in the air, but instead, there was only the sound of him collapsing. The knight didn’t hear the final answer, falling down as if he were in a deep sleep. The dragon deliberately laid the sleeping knight beside him and continued his explanation slowly, knowing he couldn’t hear.

「I have not yet reached the end of my natural lifespan. So, even if I disappear now, my power will remain. All my power will be embedded in the forest lasting until the end of my natural lifespan. And this power…」

Though there was no one to hear, the dragon raised his gaze to the air, staring at a distant place clearly. For a moment, a faint smile played at the corner of his lips.

「And this power will prevent what is sealed in the ground from awakening. The power of another dragon, whose physical form has disappeared like mine. The dragon that once tried to destroy the world.」

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Thud.

“Hah, hah, haa.”

Though his body suffered no real harm from falling from the air like the first time, Abel lay on the ground, panting heavily. The last dragon had looked directly at him and spoken, as if he knew exactly who he was, where he came from, and why he was there, with a mocking smile in his eyes.

However, what confused Abel now was the truth he had learned. The real reason for the existence of the Dragon Forest was to seal away another power. Therefore, if the blackened land outside is trying to devour everything… does that mean the power of the dragon that tried to destroy the world has been released?

It must be stopped!

Abel staggered as he got up. Tap, tap, each step he took soon turned into a sprint down the long hallway. Karas, who inherited the power of the forest, might be able to stop it. Even though the forest was destroyed, if Karas possessed that power…

Suddenly, Abel halted in the middle of the hallway, his eyes wide open.

Then, that also meant the opposite could be true. If Karas could stop it, he could also release that power.

On purpose…

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The gray-eyed dragon burning everything in the world. Melmond could never forget Wiedel’s dreams who died 12 years ago. After Abel died, he often sighed in fear, wondering if such a world would truly come one day. But Abel had returned alive. So, it’s okay now.

Even if His Majesty the Emperor transformed into a dragon with the eyes of a gray snake, everything would be alright as long as Abel was here. He couldn’t express how happy he was. Deep down, he feared Karas more than the King’s Heart. Thus, even at this moment when an absurd catastrophe was unfolding, Melmond couldn’t let go of hope.

He believed that Abel might be able to stop the dragon that destroyed the world in Wiedel’s dreams. So, unlike the butler and Nani, Melmond couldn’t cry. He had to believe. Trembling, he kept his eyes on the window, as he thought of Abel running towards the emperor.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The power that had been sleeping beneath the forest was completely different from what he possessed. Something sinister, coiled in darkness. When he realized he could freely unleash it, his first thought was relief.

Thank goodness.

With this, he wouldn’t have to bother using his own power.

There was no need to use the fragrance oil he had spread throughout the world through Kin. It would take time, but he just needed to watch everything get destroyed. It wouldn’t be boring since there would be someone to watch with him.

“Huff, huff, prince!”

Karas lifted his yellow eyes and stared indifferently at the approaching figure.

Why is he here?

Ah, I see.

Karas watched calmly as Abel ran towards him, covered in sweat. Even though Abel hadn’t said a word yet, he could guess why he had come. He must have seen what was happening outside and come to stop him. However, even if Abel asked him, this time he had no intention of listening.